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lee-scribbles-and-doodles · 3 years

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My Top Ten Overlooked Movies With Female Leads In No Particular Order

Note: When you see this emoji (⚠️) I will be talking about things people may find triggering, which are spoilery more often then not. I mention things that I think may count as triggers so that people with them will be aware before going in to watch any of these.

Edited: 3/16/21

Hanna (2011)

So, before I get into why you should watch this movie, I just want to take a moment to say why it's near and dear to my heart. Growing up as a queer kid in the early 2000s, seeing portrayals of people like or similar to myself on anything was rare at best. It was mostly in more "adult" movies or shows that my parents would occasionally let me watch with them that I'd see any lgbtq+ rep at all. Often times they were either walking stereotypes, designed to be buried, evil, or all three.

Then here comes this PG-13 action thriller with a wonderfully written main female lead who, at the time, was close to my age, and who got to kiss another girl (her very first friend, Sophie) on screen in an extremely tender and heartwarming scene. To say the least, it was a life changing moment for me personally.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, Hanna is a suspenseful movie about a child super-soldier named, you guessed it, Hanna (played by Saoirse Ronan) and her adoptive (?) father Erik Heller (played by Eric Bana) exiting the snowy and isolated wilderness of their home and taking on the shadowy CIA operative, Marissa Wiegler (played by Cate Blanchette) who wants Erik dead and Hanna for herself for mysterious reasons.

It also has an amazing soundtrack by the Chemical Brothers, great action scenes, and it has an over arching fairytale motif, which I'm always a sucker for.

⚠️ Mild blood effects, some painful looking strikes, various character deaths, and child endangerment all feature in this film. However, given its PG-13 rating, a majority of viewers are presumably able to handle this one. Still, be aware of these going in.

Sidenote: It's recently gotten a TV adaptation on Amazon TV, although I have not watched it, and do not know if Hanna and Sophie's romantic/semi-romantic relationship has transferred over.

A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor is a "black-comedy mystery thriller" centered entirely around the relationship between two mothers, the reclusive, rich, mysterious, and regal Emily (played by Blake Lively), and the local recently widowed but plucky mommy blogger, Stephanie (played by Anna Kendrick). When Emily suddenly goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her new best friend.

It's a fantastic and entertaining movie throughout, with fun, flawed and interesting characters. The relationship between the two female leads is also implied to be at least somewhat romantic in nature, and they even share a kiss.

⚠️ The only major warnings I can think of is that the movie contains an instance of incest and one of the main plotlines revolves around child abuse, although both of these potentially triggering topics are not connected to each other, so there is thankfully no csa going on.

Edit: I legitimately forgot there was drug use in this movie until now. So, yeah, if that's a trigger, be careful of that.

I Am Mother

I became mildly obsessed with this movie when it came out. I Am Mother is a sci-fi film that centers entirely around a cast of two woman, and a female-adjacent robot who is brought to life on screen with absolutely amazing practical effects.

The plot is such, after an extinction-level event, a lone robot known only as Mother tasks herself with replenishing the human race via artifical means. She begins with the film's main protagonist, Daughter. Years go by as Mother raises her human child and the two prepare for Daughter's first sibling (a brother) to be born. However, on Daughter's 16th birthday, the arrival of an outsider known only as Woman shakes Daughter's entire world view. She begins to question Mother's very nature, as well as what's really going on outside the bunker she and her caretaker call home.

⚠️ This movie features child endangerment and reference to child death.

Lilo and Stitch

When I decided to add a single Disney film to this list I initially thought it was going to be hard but almost immediately my brain went to Lilo and Stitch, and specifically about the relationship between Lilo and Nani.

On the surface, this film is about a lonely little girl accidentally adopting a fugitive alien creature as a "dog," but underneath that the story is also about two orphaned sisters and the older sister's attempts to not let social services tear them apart by stepping up as the younger sister's primary guardian. Despite its seemingly goofy premise, Lilo and Stitch has a very emotional and thoughtful center. It's little wonder how this movie managed to spawn an entire franchise.

Despite the franchise it spawned (or possibly because of it), I often find that Lilo and Stitch is overlooked and many people only remember it for the "little girl adopts an alien as a pet" portion of its plot, and I very rarely see it on people's top 10 Disney lists.

⚠️ This movie could be potentially triggering to people who were separated from their siblings or other family members due to social service intervention. There's also a bit of child endangerment, including a scene where Lilo and Stitch both almost drown.

Nausicaä and the Valley of the Wind

Unlike the above entry, I did struggle a little bit with picking a single Studio Ghibli film. Most media of the Ghibli catalogue have strong, well-written, unique, and interesting female leads so selecting just one seemed like quite the task.

However, I eventually settled on this particular film. In recent months, Princess Nausicaä has become my absolute favorite Ghibli protagonist and I'm absolutely enchanted by the world she lives in.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world overun by giant insects and under threat of a toxic forest and its poisoness spores, Nausicaä must try to protect the Valley of the Wind from invaders as she also tries to understand the science behind the toxic forest and attempts to bridge the gap between the insects and the humans.

For those who have never seen the film, I think Nausicaä's personality can best be described as being similar to OT Luke Skywalker. Both are caring, compassionate, and gentle souls who are able to see the best in nearly anyone or anything. She's an absolutely enthralling protagonist and after rewatching the film again for the first time in well over a decade she has easily become one of my all time favorite protagonists.

Whenever I see people talk about Ghibli films, they rarely mention this one, and when they do mention it, it's often in passing. In my opinion it's a must watch.

⚠️ This movie contains some blood, and the folks who either don't like insects or who have entomophobia may not appreciate the giant bugs running about throughout the movie. (Although most insects do not directly relate to real life bugs, and are fantasy creatures).

A Silent Voice

A Silent Voice is an animated movie adaptation of a manga of the same name. While I've never had the pleasure to read the manga, the movie is phenomenal. It covers topics such a bullying, living in the world with a disability, the desire for atonement, social anxiety, and depression in a well thought out manner that ties itself together through the progression of the relationship between its two leads, Shoya and Shouko. It's also beautifully animated. Although very popular among anime viewers, I've noticed that it's often overlooked by people who watch little to no anime. So I suppose this is me urging non-anime viewers to give this film a chance.

⚠️ As mentioned above, the movie deals with bullying, anxiety, and depression (with this last one including suicidal thoughts and behaviour). If discussion of those topics are triggering to you, than you may want to proceed with caution or skip this movie all together.

In This Corner of The World

Another manga adaptation, this one taking place during WWII-era Japan. In This Corner of The World follows the life of a civilian Japanese woman, Suzu Urano, as she navigates simply living and her new marriage as the wartime invades nearly all aspects of everyday life. I think this movie is a good representation of what it must be like to be living as civilian in a country at war where the fight is sometimes fought on one's own soil. It was also an interesting look into pre-50s Japanese culture in my opinion. It's also beautifully animated featuring an art style I don't see often.

Despite it being well known among anime fans, I never really see it be brought up, even among said anime fans themselves.

Side note: I've seen many WWII dramas centering around civilians but they've almost always been about American or UK civilians. This was the first movie I'd seen that features the perspective of a Japanese civilain.

⚠️ Features the death of a child and limb loss. There's also a disturbing scene featuring a victim of one of the atomic bombs near the end.

Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki

This film follows Hana, a Japan-native woman who fell in love with a magical shape-shifting wolf-man, and her trials with raising their children, who can also magically shape-shift into wolves, on her own. It's a very heartfelt movie about a mother's love and the struggles of doing right by your children when you have limited resources to actively guide and care for them. All the characters feel unique and alive in my opinion. Also, the animation is so good that my sister and I initially mistook it for a Ghibli film.

Again, like the previous two anime entries, I don't see it ever brought up outside of anime circles.

⚠️ There's some child endangerment present in the film, although none of it is the fault of Hana as far as I can remember.

Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday is about the fictional Princess Ann (played by Audrey Hepburn), who while on a whirlwind tour of Europe, finally reaches her breaking point over having her entire life be one big schedule and all her words and actions being rehearsed. In the spur of the moment, she runs away in hopes of experiencing what life is like for other women. Unfortunately, she was previously given a sedative, meaning she doesn't get too far before it takes effect. Fortunately, she is found by the kind reporter Joe Bradley (played by Gregory Peck). Believing her to be drunk and unable to get an address from her (because she has none) he ends up taking her home for safety's sake and allows her to sleep off her suppose drunken stupor. The next day, he realizes who she is, and decides to take her on a fun sight seeing trip across Rome in hopes of getting the big scoop. Along the way, they begin to fall for each other.

This is my favorite black and white, old romance film. I think the relationship between the main characters is absolutely beautiful and I have a lot of fun watching it.

⚠️ I'm not entirely sure what kind of warning this film would need. However, it was released in 1953, so values dissonance will probably be at play for many viewers to at least some extent. For example, early in the film Ann is given sedation drugs by her doctor for her behavior, something that is very unlikely to happen today. Also, Mr Bradley deciding to take Ann home to keep her safe rather than call the police or an ambulance is a very pre-90s decision in my opinion.

#hanna 2011 #a simple favor #i am mother #lilo and stitch #nausicaä of the valley of the wind #a silent voice #in this corner of the world #wolf chilren ame and yuki #wolf children #roman holiday #black and white film #anime #disney #studio ghibli #movie recs #top 10

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nekomittchi · 3 years

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My Disney Fab 50 Statues

This is my version of the Disney Fab 50 statues for the WDW 50th Anniversary, and why I picked each one. My list aims much more to park history than the official list does. I'll note which ones are official statues by underlining them. These are in no particular order, but organized by park they'd be in. Magic Kingdom 1) Mickey - Obviously, Mickey, being the park and company mascot, needs to be here, and he's on the official list as well. I chose to put my version in his Philharmagic costume. It's got the hat from Fantasia/Sorcerer's Apprentice, which is well known, but tailored more to the park attraction. 2) Daisy Duck - One of the Fab 6, Daisy is also along for the ride. But unlike the official's "standard" outfit, I'm putting Daisy in a safari outfit to represent Jungle Cruise. Since Jungle Cruise doesn't really have any characters, I'm using outfits, like with Mickey, to represent attractions that otherwise would be left out. 3) Goofy - Another of the Fab 6, Mickey's best friend needs to be represented. Like Daisy, he's also repping a character-less ride. This time he's repping Big Thunder Railroad. As an added bonus, if they put him in a conductor outfit, it could also rep Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, but that's at another park. 4) Pluto - The last of the Fab 6 in this park (the other two I'm placing elsewhere), Mickey's dog Pluto. And since the Park Wishables already put Mickey and Minnie in space suits for Space Mountain, let's give Pluto an astronaut helmet to represent it! And, as an added bonus, it doubles as a take-that at Universal, since Disney can't have Marvel in the WDW parks, and Pluto would be a joke on Cosmo (the space dog in the Collector's museum from Guardians of the Galaxy). 5) Sonny Eclipse - The first statue of mine that's not only unique to my list, but also represents something 100% in the park. I haven't been to Cosmic Rays myself, but from what I hear around WDWNT and WIGScord, it's pretty popular. Or at least Sonny is. So he gets a statue. 6) Merlin and Archmedes - Second statue unique to my list, and the first that's for the history of the park. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom was a scavenger hunt-type game that closed down early this year, and Merlin was kinda your guide for it. The game apparently had a lot of problems, but it looked really fun at the same time. 7) Genie - A surprising omition from the official list, and, unlike DLR, WDW actually has an Aladdin ride. The official list does have Abu, but I feel Genie is much more iconic and representitational of the movie. I'm also surprised that Carpet wasn't with Abu. 8) Pirate Dog - The Pirate Dog holding the keys is my representation of Pirates of the Caribbean. The dog might not be the most obvious pick, but as I'm trying to steer away from realistic-looking human characters, the dog was picked. Plus, they also made a Tsum Tsum and a Wishable of him, so... 9) Big Al OR Henry- This one's a toss-up. Either bear would do, and it's surprising to me that Country Bear Jamboree isn't represented. Of course, we know that it's a "less popular" attraction, so... 10) Madame Leota - The hitchhiking ghosts would also work to represent Haunted Mansion, but I think that having a gold statue inside of an ornate glass orb would look cooler. Plus, it only takes up one character slot, rather than 3. 11) Dumbo - One of the original rides from Disneyland, this classic has to be represented, and Disney agreed. Although I cut out Timothy. Didn't wanna take up another slot. 12) Stitch - Another statue to represent a past attraction, Stitch is here to represent Stitch's Great Escape. He's also, like the official statue, in his 626 form, because there's not nearly as much merchandise for him that way. 13) Winnie the Pooh - Piglet is with him on the official statue, but I think Pooh can stand on his own. Or, at least, eat hunny on his own. I mean, the ride is called "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," not "Pooh and Friends." Also, Tigger is way better than Piglet. 14) Mr. Toad - Another surprising omition from the list. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride might not be in Magic Kingdom anymore, but he's still fondly remembered, and they even made a Wishable of him (from the Disneyland 65th Anniversary set, but whatever). 15) Maleficent (Dragon) - The first of my statues that's not for an attraction, but a show (okay, Philharmagic is kinda a show, but shush). And she's also considered the "leader" of all of the Disney Villains, who are not represented at all in the official list, which I think is a shame. Sure, we all love the heroes, but who would those heroes be without their villains? 16) Face Clock - The only non-character in my list, the Face Clock is iconic enough for the World's Fair-turned-park ride. Because if you picked one of the dolls, which doll would you pick?! 17) Elliot - I've never seen the Main Street Electrical Parade myself (unless it was when I was 5), but I'd recognize the dragon float from Pete's Dragon anywhere. Bonus points if they could do the statue in such a way that it looked like the float, too. 18) Tinkerbell - The last of the revealed statues, Tinkerbell has come to represent Disney magic, both within and outside the parks, just as much as Mickey. Officially representing Peter Pan's Flight, I'd like to think that she also represents the Castle, like in the company card at the start of the movies. 19) Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz - Yes, I know I've been trying to avoid "wasting" slots with multi-character statues, but... How could you pick just one of the Enchanted Tiki Room birds?! 20) Cheshire Cat - Cheshire and Mad Hatter both made the list (as separate statues), but I feel that Alice in Wonderland can be represented by Cheshire on his own. Plus, cat. 21) Boo - Monster's Inc Laugh Floor is an attraction that I wish was at DLR, so I could go on it, but even better than Sulley or Mike is the adorable Boo. 22) Jimminy Cricket - Yet another surprising omition from the list, Jimminy is almost as iconic to Disney Magic as Tinkerbell is. The official list has Pinocchio, but Jimminy is so much more "Disney" in general than Pinocchio. 23) Dopey - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train represent, as well as Disney's first animated feature. EPCOT 24) Donald Duck, Jose, and Panchito - Mickey's other best friend, here represented with the other two of the Three Caballeros, as represented in the Gran Fiesta Tour ride in the Mexico Pavillion. Like with the other members of the Fab 6, I chose to put him in an attraction outfit, and since I did, the other two had to come along for the ride. 25) Figment - Journey to Imagination (or whatever the current name of the attraction is) might be "meh" as a ride, but everyone loves Figment. Even Disney, who included him. 26) Olaf - I love Bruni. Bruni is probably my favorite character from all of Frozen. But Bruni isn't even named in the movie, he doesn't need to be on a statue. Olaf can represent Frozen Ever After by himself. 27) Remy - I'm shocked that Remy's not on the official list, given that his ride [officially] opens on the first day of the 50th Celebration, and represents the future of the parks. 28) Orange Bird - OB is on the official list, though in MK rather than EPCOT. All of the merch and such I've seen for him has been for the EPCOT festivals, so I'm sticking him here. 29) Rocket Racoon and Groot - Another statue to look to the future, for whenever Cosmic Rewind opens. Also, unlike the official statue, we are not using the realistic style from the official statue. The fur on Rocket looks so bad. Nah, instead we'll do him smooth, like the cartoons. 30) Mushu - Mushu was left out of the live action Mulan movie, but he's designed after traditional Chinese dragons, so let's put him over by the China Pavilion. 31) Marie - Did you really think that this list was not going to have my favorite character on it? I mean, really? Plus, we've got THREE mice/rats on the list, AND a dog, so we need another cat. Hollywood Studios 32) Minnie Mouse - And here we have the last of the Fab 6, Mickey's gal Minnie! Why is she in Hollywood Studios? Because she's representing Tower of Terror, wearing a cute outfit, of course! 33) DJ-R3X - Remember all those Fab 6 characters representing multiple characters? Yeah, R3X here is doing the same. Not only is DJ-R3X the DJ at Oga's Cantina in Galaxy's Edge, but he was originally RX-24, the pilot for the original version of Star Tours. Much better representation than BB-8 or R2-D2 from the official list. 34) Kermit the Frog - One of the more offensive omitions from the official list. MuppetVision3D is great fun, and the Muppets don't get nearly enough love, even with the Haunted Mansion special coming. 35) Chuuby - Okay, so sue me, I'm obsessed with the little merchandising bird. He's just too cute. 36) Woody and Buzz Lightyear - I know the official statue is Woody and Bo-Peep. But I haven't seen Toy Story 4 (or 3), so I want Buzz there. Disney's Animal Kingdom 37) Chip and Dale - Ya gotta have the little buddies! And who better to be wearing cute little Wilderness Explorer outfits? 38) The Yeti - So, the real Yeti might not work in Expedition Everest, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be represented as a statue! Just make sure it's not realistic fur like that horrible Rocket statue. Stylized only! 39) Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa - Simba is separate from his friends in the official statue, but the trio (Simba as a child) should stick together. Festival of the Lion King is amazing to watch. You'll note a few things on my list: 1) There are no princesses. This was a specific omition on my part. The princesses have their own line of stuff, and are fairly over-used as it is. I wanted to get away from that. 2) As I mentioned with the Pirate Dog, I wanted to avoid realistic human characters. They either look good, or they don't. And I wanted a bit more of a similar style to everything, hence why I'm noting that Rocket should be done in the cartoon style, and the Yeti should be stylized. 3) Everything is tied into an attraction, land, or Disney Magic. Nothing is there solely from a movie. 4) My list only has 3 statues more than the official list. 5) For reference, here are the characters that are on the official list that are missing from mine: Timothy the Mouse (with Dumbo) Piglet (with Winnie the Pooh) Bruni (with Olaf) Bo-Peep (with Woody) Lumiere and Cogsworth Mad Hatter Pinocchio Gus and Jaq Lady and Tramp Abu Dante Miguel Pua and Hei-Hei Joe Gardener Edna Mode Frozone R2-D2 BB-8 Sebastian and Flounder Nemo and Dory Bambi and Thumper Of these, there are no major parks connections for Lumiere and Cogsworth, Lady and Tramp, Dante, Miguel, Pua and Hei-Hei (yet), Joe Gardener, Edna, and Frozone. Edna and Frozone especially bother me, as they're not even the main characters. Why couldn't we get a Jack-Jack instead? And Mr. Mittens and 22 over Joe Gardener? 6) And, finally, here are my statues that are new to my list: Sonny Eclipse Merlin and Archmedes Genie Pirate Dog Big Al Madame Leota Mr. Toad Maleficent Face Clock Elliot Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz Boo Jimminy Cricket Dopey Remy Mushu Marie DJ-R3X Kermit the Frog Chuuby Buzz Lightyear The Yeti

#Disney #Disney World #Walt Disney World #Magic Kingdom #EPCOT #Hollywood Studios #Animal Kingdom #Fab 50 #50th Anniversary

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gamerwoo · 4 years

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Seventeen headcanon: Joshua as Nani and David’s son

from this svt as disney characters’ kids hc i did

a/n: i think there’s a second lilo & stitch or something like that but this isn’t based off of any of that since i haven’t seen it. but i think experiment 002 is in the series sooooo i guess it is kinda based off the series too

warnings: josh x female reader, hybrids, a small mention of death in the very beginning, mentions of bullying

So at first, Nani wanted Josh to be raised not knowing anything about aliens or experiments

It’s her first kid and she wanted him to be,,,,,”normal” for lack of a better word

But of course, that was very difficult, and Joshua ended up knowing about aliens around the time he was 2 or 3

David’s honestly impressed they even got that far tbh

“That’s all still a part of him,” David explained. “The aliens and the weird stuff, that’s just how his family is. We can’t keep him away from it.”

He even got his own experiment as a “pet” when he was about 5 or 6

Mrs. Hasagawa had passed away, and the experiments that she thought were ‘cats’ needed a home

Josh picked out experiment 002 aka Doubledip

He was a cute and essentially harmless (other than the fact that Joshua grew up basically sharing every single food he ate with Doubledip like ice cream and lollipops and stuff)

Josh nicknamed him DD and Double D, and they’ve been together ever since

As a kid, Joshua was super close with Lilo, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley

He absolutely adored all of them and always wanted to go hang out with them despite Nani being lowkey upset about it

“It’s fine, they’ll keep him safe,” David would always remind her. “They’re ohana after all.”

However, there reached a point where Joshua got bullied kind of like Lilo did

His norm wasn’t necessarily the norm for everyone else

No one else believed in aliens or experiments

No one else had the same thoughts and ideas that Joshua did

No one else was interested in the same things Joshua was

He knew he had to say DD was his dog, but he didn’t think that he would have to be a completely different person just to fit in

But that’s what he did

Instead of focusing on aliens and experiments, he focused on surfing

Thankfully, he was raised learning how to surf, but now that was his #1 interest

He stopped visiting his aunt and Stitch as often

The only real connection to his ‘weird’ side was DD because how could he just give up his childhood best friend?

Well, other than Seokmin

Seokmin was always the only person who ever knew what Joshua was truly like, and he even tried to stop Josh from changing himself to fit in

“I can literally grow a tail!” Seokmin pointed out. “I talk to a dolphin on a daily basis! I’m the king of weird, and I’m still a prince!”

“Yeah, but that’s normal in your kingdom,” Joshua pouted as he sat out in the ocean on his surfboard, talking with Seokmin. “Here, it’s not. Normal isn’t experiments and aliens and spaceships.”

So despite his best efforts, Joshua just became as average as possible, which he would have to see when they hung out on the beach and went for walks together

But in the ocean, Josh could say and do whatever he wanted without being judged

Like feeding Pudge the fish’s offspring

So since becoming less weird since he was a kid, Joshua got more friends, including the girl who worked at the froyo place he often hung out with Seokmin at

And pretty much everyone calls him Shua

Her name was Mali and she feared the ocean despite living a five minute walk away

He usually spends most of his time there so that’s how they met

He’s basically just a regular

And it’s at that froyo shop that Joshua’s life starts to change

“So y’know Seungcheol?” Seokmin asks

“Not really,” Joshua shrugs. “I just know you talk about him and he’s a prince of some other kingdom.”

“Right, well he’s having a birthday party this weekend, and I can bring a plus one. Since I don’t have a princess or anything to bring, I wanted to bring you.”

“Really? Why not like, one of those girls lined up to date you or whatever? What are they called?”

Joshua obviously isn’t royalty so he doesn’t know much about these things

But it’s fine because Seokmin doesn’t know anything about experiments or surfing either

“I don’t want to bring a date, I want to bring my best friend!”

“I thought your best friend was Kipper.”

“I can’t bring a dolphin on land, barnacle head.”

Cue Josh flinging his damp towel at Seokmin’s head and going, “Not cool, bro.”

And Mali sighing behind the counter about how, “We really need a sign that requires you to wear a shirt in here.”

So skip to Seungcheol’s party

Admittedly, Joshua is pretty nervous

He keeps trying on different clothes but all he really owns are shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, flip flops/sandals, and sneakers

He’s a surfer dude okay, he doesn’t really need to dress up for anything

“DD, does this look okay?”

DD simply ignores him and continues to lick the bowl of candy Josh keeps for him

David and Nani have to help him find something decent to wear

Although David insists he should wear something super fancy since Seungcheol is royalty

“So...is he a lion then, or...?” he keeps asking

And then Joshua has to explain for the hundredth time that he’s kind of a lion-human hybrid thanks to magic stuff and yadda yadda yadda

Tbh, Josh doesn’t even get it

Seokmin finally picks him up, and they go to Seungcheol’s kingdom for the party

With David still asking questions even after they leave because he doesn’t understand this magic concept

And yet he understands aliens

Sort of

Josh is used to acting normal to fit in, but now he’s trying to act Extra Normal TM

But god he’s so curious because he’s never really been outside of Hawaii so he can’t help but just look around in wonder at all the sights and the people

And then Seokmin asked, “Do you wanna meet Seungcheol?”

“Like...the prince?” Joshua stammered

“You do remember that I’m a prince too, right?”

“Yeah, but-- DD!”

Joshua suddenly spotted his experiment trying to eat the cupcakes

He didn’t even know DD went with him, but he assumes the little experiment hopped into his backpack before he left

“So much for acting normal...” Seokmin mumbled under his breath before running over to help Josh with his little problem

Now, 002 wouldn’t be an issue, but his name is Doubledip

Essentially, all he’s going to do is lick all of the food before putting it back

If you couldn’t tell, that’s disgusting

So DD is loose at the party of a royal, and it would be all Joshua’s fault that the food is ruined

So the urgency to collect DD and get him back into Joshua’s backpack is very, very valid

Well, and the fact that Joshua wants to come across as normal as possible

Thankfully, DD only licked 5 cupcakes and 3 mini hot dogs wrapped in croissants before Joshua managed to stuff him back into his backpack and handed him a bowl of pretzels to keep him occupied

And it was as Joshua was zipping his backpack up that he accidentally bumped into you

You lived in Seungcheol’s kingdom, but you were one of the people who actually quite liked him

Since Seungcheol is Kovu’s son and Kovu was considered bad before, there’s some controversy over him but that’s another story for another time

You wanted a drink and he accidentally backed up into you

You spilled your drink a little but at least it didn’t get on your clothes

You both spun around and began apologizing even though you didn’t really do anything so you weren’t sure why you were apologizing

“I-I can get you a new drink!” he stammered

“It’s really fine,” you assured him with a polite smile.

But you’d never really seen either of them around, and you figured you should mingle a little since you were here, right?

“You guys aren’t from around here, are you?” you asked.

The one behind him stepped forward and smiled brightly, “Nope! I’m Prince Seokmin, the son of King Eric and Queen Ariel.”

“Oh! It’s an honor to meet you!” you bowed to him before looking expectantly at the one who’d bumped into you.

“That’s just Shua,” Seokmin shrugged. “He’s from Hawaii.”

But y’know what, just Shua from Hawaii was kinda cute

And he thought the same

Plus, you just seemed normal and that’s what he wanted

You were just wearing some jeans, a nice shirt, a cardigan, and a beanie

Compared to all the royalty and important people here, you were like a breath of fresh air

“Hey, Seokmin!” a new voice called

And Prince Seungcheol strolled over and grinned at the other prince he called his friend

“Oh, I see you’ve brought a friend -- and you met _____!”

Seokmin introduced the two and then the four of you continued to make some small talk

You were just thankful that Seungcheol didn’t say or do anything to blow your cover

He eventually walked away to greet other guests, leaving the three of you alone again

But you continued to talk

Seokmin kinda took the hint that he was a bit of a third wheel at this point and left to find someone else to talk to

He’s a prince and he knows other princes so it’s fine

He mumbled something about wishing someone named Wonwoo was there but you didn’t pay any attention to it

You talked about where he was from, what he did for fun, what his family was like and stuff

He may have slightly bullshitted and/or left out some things but it’s fine

You also talked about you and what you did and your family

You may have also slightly bullshitted and/or left things out but again, it’s fine

Eventually, Joshua asked if you wanted to dance since you’d been standing at the snack table just talking this whole time

And since Seokmin was a great wingman and took the bag with DD in it, he was safe to do whatever

So you agreed and the two of you danced and talked all night

And you were so worried when the party was over that you wouldn’t see him again

But he asked if there was any way he could see you again and your heart fluttered

And you said you were sure you could make that happen

You had to figure out what surfing was, anyway

But after that was all over and you went home and the butterflies had died down just enough for you to think about something other than your growing crush on Joshua from Hawaii

You remembered that you weren’t exactly who or what he thought you were

And now you had to keep that hidden from him

And you weren’t sure how long you could do that

And when Joshua was on the way home with Seokmin, who was happily talking all about how he got to see Hansol again and he finally got to meet Hyunggu and everything

DD popped out of the backpack with his bowl of now salt-less pretzels

And Joshua remembered that you didn’t know what he was really like

Or his family

And now he’d have to keep that a secret from you, too

So fast forward to the next weekend, and you were planning to visit him

Joshua was doing his absolute best to like, hide everything

Make sure Lilo, Stitch, and any of the others won’t be around

Make sure his cousin won’t be hanging around

Make sure DD is at Lilo’s

Meanwhile, you had to make sure you looked normal before you left

Which was basically just wearing normal bottoms and wearing a hat

So when you arrived in Hawaii, Joshua was there to eagerly greet you

Though he didn’t really seem it on the outside

He’s the stereotypical surfer dude so he’s just very chill overall

He basically had the whole weekend planned out

Most of it consisted of teaching you how to surf

“I actually hate the water,” you admitted as he walked with you down the beach toward the water

He chuckled, “Well, then you’ll hate surfing. It’s in the water”

So instead of surfing, he compromised and made sand castles with you on the beach

He said something about wanting to show you the joys of fresh coconut milk so you offered to climb up and get one

“Nah, it’s cool,” he chuckled. “It’s high up anyway.”

“I’m a great climber!” you reassured him

And then you climbed up a tree and got him a coconut

But then he had to open it himself which was a whole struggle by itself

And then he brought you to his favorite place to go after surfing: the froyo shop

“Make a new friend, Shua?” Mali smirked

“Be nice. This is _____, she’s from Seungcheol’s kingdom. You know him, right?”

“Kovu and Kiara’s kid, right?”

You noticed that Mali joked around with Joshua a lot, but it was very lighthearted

You liked her

He had to work that night but he invited you because he worked as a fire torch performer (dude fuck if i know the correct term) at a restaurant

Which also meant you got to meet his parents, David and Nani

“So you’re the girl he’s been talking about so much,” David grinned as he went to shake your hand

And then Nani gently whacked him in the shoulder and reminded him, “You weren’t supposed to mention that,” in a hushed tone

Which you heard

David only shrugged and gestured to you, “Well she’s blushing, isn’t she?”

Overall, you thought his parents were great

Though, they did seem a little strange

Then again, who were you to judge?

David would start to say something only for Nani to quickly cut him off

You decided to not think much of it

You did have to admit, watching Josh twirl fire around without burning anything or himself was impressive

Why did he have to seem so perfect?

Afterwards, he joined you guys for dinner

Nobody let the alien thing slip, so overall, he thought it went pretty good

He was really sad to see you go but you promised you’d come back again soon

And you did

The two of you actually saw each other a lot

And feelings on both sides only continued to grow

He did finally have to introduce you to Lilo and Stitch and DD, though

He knew he couldn’t keep them hidden forever, and besides, everyone still fell for the dog thing when it came to the two experiments

Well, Doubledip was originally supposed to be a ‘cat’ but whatever

And Josh just made Lilo swear to not talk about aliens or mention anything weird

“I really like this girl,” he explained to her, “so don’t mess it up”

“You know, I’m fantastic with girls!” Pleakley chimed in

Joshua quickly shook his head, “You and Jumba aren’t invited”

So eventually, you had met all of Joshua’s family

Well, he called it ohana and explained what it meant, and you thought it was really cute

He was happy to find that you did buy the dog story, and you really liked DD and you got along with Stitch

Tbh he was most worried about Stitch

DD gets along with pretty much anyone, but Stitch isn’t so easy

Things were going super well, so he was ready to ask you to actually be his girlfriend

He brought you on a nice picnic on the beach where the two of you first hung out

And he had everything laid out and the two of you were starting to eat, and he was going to ask

But then he heard his name being shouted from down the beach

Lilo was out and about with her daughter and Stitch

And Stitch was very excited to see you

He bolted down the beach toward you and jumped on you, knocking you back onto the blanket

And also knocking your hat off your head

Out popped your fuzzy white round ears

Stitch pulled back and looked at you, head cocked to one side

Joshua just froze and stared at you

Because you weren’t technically human

You were from Seungcheol’s kingdom, so you were an animal that used magic to stay human

That magic turned you into a human/animal hybrid, just like Seungcheol

But instead of being a lion, you were a lemur

It was why you wore hats to hide your ears and jeans and skirts to hide your tail

It was why you didn’t like water

It was why you could climb trees so well

You weren’t normal

And now Joshua knew that

“I-I gotta go,” you quickly stuttered out, grabbing your hat and scrambling to get up

“_____--”

You shook your head, jamming your hat back on your head to conceal your ears, “Save it, I already know what it is.”

“B-but you’re-- What are you...?”

“I’m a lemur, alright?” you huffed, tears pricking your eyes because you knew Joshua was not going to want anything to do with you

Even though you were a human and could stay human, you couldn’t get rid what you really were

It was weird, and people didn’t like weird

“You don’t have to say anything about it,” you continued as you tried your best to keep from crying, “because I already know you’re going to say I’m weird and you won’t want anything to do with me. So I’ll go and I won’t bother you again. And...I’m sorry for not telling you.”

And then you ran up the beach, not looking back once

Joshua sighed and dropped his head, closing his eyes as he rubbed over his face with his hands

Stitch just looked up at him and said, “Oops...”

Heartbroken, Joshua walked back home alone

Nani and David knew what he was planning, so they were so excited for him to get home

But seeing him with a frown as he threw the half-empty picnic basket on the counter before going to his bedroom without a word, they knew something was wrong

“I’ll take this one,” David told her before going to Joshua’s room

David knocked softly before entering to find his son face down on his bed

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No,” he mumbled into his pillow

“Did...she say no?”

“I didn’t even get to ask, dad,” he sighed, lifting his head to look at David

“Did something come up?”

“Stitch tackled her and knocked her hat off and she...”

How was Joshua supposed to explain this?

He could deal with aliens and experiments, but human animals were something he hadn’t dealt with before

Would his dad even believe him?

“What? She got a weird haircut or something?” David chuckled

“She had fuzzy animal ears,” Joshua finally told him straight-out. “She’s an animal that’s human by magic.”

“Ah, right. That stuff you explained before. Y’know, Nani had to tell me how that worked like, seven times before I really got it.”

Joshua just let out a groan and dropped his head back in his pillow again

David sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, “Who are you to judge? You keep an experiment as a pet -- and worse, it licks everything you eat.”

Joshua pushed himself to sit up and sat beside his dad, “That’s not it, dad. I still like her, it’s just--”

“I thought you wanted a ‘normal’ girl, though?”

He just shrugged, “I like her. But she ran away before I could tell her. Besides, I’m way weirder...”

“Then if you like her for being a little different, why can’t you be okay with yourself being different?”

“A little?”

“Do you think being an animal is only a little different?”

And it’s that talk that caused Joshua to go after you

He packed up the photo of his ohana that he kept on his nightstand

And he packed DD

And he left for Seungcheol’s kingdom

You were obviously just as upset, if not more, back home

The silver lining was that you could wear your usual pants which had a hole cut in them for your tail to comfortably stick out

You wanted to spend the next day just sulking

But you ended up being called to Seungcheol, claiming there was someone who needed to talk to you

Joshua got Seokmin to bring him to Seungcheol’s because he realized he had no idea how he’d find you

And walking into Seungcheol’s throne room, Joshua was the last person you expected to see

“Sh-Shua? But...w-what are you--”

“I like you,” he blurted before you could finish what you were saying. “I like you with your ears and your tail because you’re still you. But before you say anything, just... These are things you should know about me, too.”

He opened his bag, and out popped DD

“Double D isn’t my dog. He’s an alien experiment from outer space, and the only thing he knows how to do is double dip foods, and lick things before putting them back. He’s stupid, and I love him”

Then he pulled out a framed picture and handed it to you

You looked it over and saw it was Joshua, Nani, David, Lilo, Lilo’s two kids, Stitch, DD, and some...things you didn’t recognize

“That’s my whole ohana. It’s not just the people I let you meet.”

He told you all about the aliens included in the photo, and you listened, glancing between the picture and him

And when he was done, you just stared at him because honestly, you didn’t suspect him to be anything but normal

But for some reason, maybe because he could relate to you, you liked him even more

Neither of you were considered ‘normal’ so didn’t that make you an even better match?

“I just...wanted you to know that before you decided to never speak to me again,” Joshua concluded

You weren’t sure what to say even though you knew exactly what you wanted to say

You just didn’t really know how to say it

“This is the part you tell him you still like him, too,” Seungcheol whispered in your ear

While Seokmin was Joshua’s wingman, apparently Seungcheol became yours

“I like you, too,” you told him with a sheepish smile, feeling your cheeks heat up

Joshua’s grin matched the brightness of the sun

“So...you wanna go out sometime?” Joshua asked

To which Seokmin whispered, “You’ve already done that before. Just ask her to be your girlfriend, kelp-for-brains”

So he does

And you accept

The next time you visit, you properly meet his ohana

Jumba and Pleakley definitely take a little getting used to but you do think they’re pretty amusing with the way they bicker

“They’re like an old married couple!”

“Don’t say that in front of Jumba, though”

You visit him all the time

So often that sometimes you just spend weeks there at a time

You eventually work your way up to being able to sit on Joshua’s board while he surfs

He makes sure to only go on baby waves so that way you don’t fall over or get wet

You befriend Mali at the froyo shop, and despite roasting Joshua sometimes, she always says how cute the two of you are

And the two of you live happily ever after

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the-last-cuddlebender · 4 years

Text

It Was Everything

If Katara downed a shot every time the windwielder with the giant flying fluffy thing crossed her path, she would be too drunk to wield water ever again.

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A/N: A thousand thanks to @penguinsledder for referring the idea of a fluffy-Kataang-WildWest!AU to me! It was just what I needed for NaNoWriMo days 3 and 4 (feat. littleshit!Aang:D)

Words: 2,388

Rating: T

ArchiveOfOurOwn

*********************************************

“There you are.” Katara said. She breathed properly for the first time in an hour and dissipated her waterlasso; a wave of her hands wielded her liquid ammo back into the waterskins holstered at her hips. “Sweet Tui and La, what the hell do you think you’re doing so far from camp?”

The windwielder—Aang, the young man said his name was the last time they ‘met’—sat on the canyon clay in front of the giant thing he called a pet. Katara was more than glad she sold her mare for rations in the previous town over. Even she had trouble standing near the beast Aang coddled like a turtleduck.

Katara’s charge turned so fast that she thought he would tear the bandages wrapped around his abdomen and chest. “Hiya, Kya!” He flailed his free arm in a passionate wave, but he immediately regretted it when the movement jostled him. He whimpered like a kicked dog and cradled the sling supporting his once dislocated shoulder.

His voice echoed around the canyon. Katara was behind him in the next second. “Shhh!” She smacked her hand over his mouth before he alerted their location to every bounty hunter from there to the desert just beyond the lip of their refuge. “Are you crazy?!” Katara hissed.

Aang’s eyes put puppies to shame. “S’morry…,” he mumbled behind her hand.

Katara took a healthy stride away from the idiot and the idiot’s giant furry flying thing. Appa hadn’t moved from his position laying on his side. Earlier, Katara had barely been able to get him to move one of his paws so she could access the burns along his stomach. The creature was panting with burn fever, that much was certain, but he would recover.

The windwielder smiled at her. Katara flicked his stupid arrow.

“Ow…”

“Don’t you ever run off like that again.”

“Aw, were you worried about me? I’m touched. I knew you cared.”

She flicked him again, and she considered flicking him a third time when he cradled his ‘wound’ like it had put him on his deathbed. “You’ll be smacked if you don’t cut the attitude. Don’t run off like that again. I can’t have you getting killed doing something stupid. I only get paid if you’re breathing.”

Aang laughed, and the shine of his bratty smile was bright enough to lighten the night and the shadows around them. “I didn’t run off. I was just seeing how Appa was holding up. You’re an awesome healer, Kya.”

Katara had never blushed, let alone stuttered, from a compliment before. “H-Hardly. I just know enough to get by.”

“It’s true, though! You're a really talented waterwielder—the best I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m the only waterwielder you’ve ever seen.”

“Well, yeah, but you’re still really good.”

“Thanks. I guess.”

The silence was long and awkward. Aang glanced between her and Appa several times. His face scrunched up a bit. He was thinking. Katara hated when he did that.

“You can pet him, y’know. Appa doesn’t bite.”

Katara regarded the ten-ton behemoth. “Pretty damn big teeth for something that doesn’t bite,” she said. Aang ignored this. Of course, he did. The idiot with a handsome smile scooted over and patted the spot of clay next to him. Katara rolled her eyes. “And how, exactly, can I be sure he isn’t going to attack me?”

“He has no reason to.”

“He has every reason to.”

“He has every reason not to. You saved his life.”

“All I did was heal him of a few burns. I hardly call that saving his life.”

Aang’s smile faltered. He scratched the bandage wrapped around his torso and adjusted the armsling Katara had mended for him out of his sash. “You helped him when nobody else would,” he mumbled. His smile was back in the next second, and he patted the ground again. “Here. If it makes you feel any better, I promise I’ll protect you if Appa tries anything. Windwielder’s honor.”

Katara crossed her arms and didn’t answer. Aang, again, patted the spot next to him.

...Why me?

Groaning, Katara ignored the urge to bang her head against a rock and sat. Slowly. Aang felt strangely warm beside her, but, then again, windwielders were known for warming themselves with nothing more than their breathing. Katara hesitated before cautiously combing the barest points of her fingers into the thick fur pooling down the beast’s head.

“Here,” Aang said. His grip on her hand was gentle and the way he guided her hand was even gentler. Their sides brushed. The personal air current he cloaked himself in wound around Katara, too, “he likes cheek scratches.” It was awfully close to Appa’s mouth, but Katara followed Aang’s instruction. Appa’s eyes closed, and the sound he made shook Katara’s insides while Aang smiled all the wider. “See? He trusts you.”

“Trusts me?” Katana huffed dismissively and almost shook her head. “He’s naive as all hell if he trusts me.”

“Why? You helped him. Of course, he trusts you.”

“He doesn’t know who I am. I could be a serial killer for all he knows. He doesn’t know the first thing about me.”

“Well, yeah, but…” Aang’s voice trailed off, and his pets on Appa’s nose paused before restarting slower than before. “You don’t know him, either, and you helped him anyway.”

“Trust is a luxury he can’t afford with the Burn Brothers after the two of you. The devil princess herself takes people out only after she gains their confidence. She enjoys it.” Katara glanced at him in her periphery. “Or have you forgotten already?”

Aang was quiet for a long second. “...He knows you won’t hurt him.”

“Does he?” Katara glanced at Aang again. Her attention lingered on his sling and the healing burn on his cheek before going back to the feverish beast. “He’s not exactly in a position to defend himself as far as I’m concerned.”

“You’ve never hurt him.”

“So what?”

“Everyone else hurts him. Or, at the very least, they try to.”

Katara hesitated. “That means nothing.”

Aang shrugged. “Could mean something. He’s the last of his kind as far as he knows. He hasn’t seen another since he was little. He can’t even remember them. That’s probably a good thing, though. The others were hunted down a long time ago.” His eyes were soft and grey like a wolf’s pelt, and Katara couldn’t look away from them. “You’re the first person he’s met who hasn’t tried to kill or capture him.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t.”

“He knows you won’t.”

“Oh? And how does he know that?”

“He has a feeling. No one’s ever helped him. Especially when he was hurt.”

Katara tore her attention back to Appa’s cheek-scratches and whispered what she had meant to only think. “I don’t turn my back on people who need me.”

She heard Aang’s smile. “He knows.”

“I didn’t realize he knew my life’s story.”

“He doesn’t need to. He knows you’re good.”

Katara arched her brow and shot him a skeptical look. Aang caught it with a grin. “Because he has a feeling?”

“Something like that.”

“Then he’s naive and a fool. One good deed doesn’t change anything.”

Aang laughed. It was a really nice sound. It plunged Katara into something that felt like jelly and warmed her like a strong drink.

Appa licked her hand.

“Oh, gross!”

“Sorry about that.” Aang’s smile said he wasn’t sorry in the least, but Katara couldn’t bring herself to care. His laugh kept her spellbound even as she wielded the slobber off and away from her with a flick of her wrist and a touch of waterwielding. “It’s his way of saying thanks. Kisses are how he shows affection. I told you he likes—”

Aang bent over with a sharp gasp of pain. Katara cursed. She was on her knees behind him in an instant, assessing the gaping scar breaking the line of his tattoos.

The scar was old, but the torn highways of chi and life-energy just beneath the surface were raw and pulsing. Katara handed Aang a stick and told him to sit still. She wielded water to her palms and concentrated on the glow of power as she moved her hands along the center of his muscled back. She silently commended him for keeping his silence even when the stick between his teeth snapped. She tightened the stitches in his chi that she had sutured months ago, and she bundled and sheathed the frayed ends of energy torn apart by the desperation of a wielder forced to fight when they barely had any life left in them.

The months since she last saw him had not treated him kindly.

“That should hold you over for now,” Katara said. She corked her waterskins just as she reclaimed her seat at his side. His stick was gone, but his eyes were closed in a pain that Katara couldn’t imagine. “You shouldn’t have another healing session until morning. Your body can only take so much manipulation at one time.”

Aang was sweaty but smiling when he cracked his eyes open. “Thanks,” he mumbled. He was slow to sit straight again. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“I can’t exactly stop you.”

“What’s your real name?”

Katara paused. Her heart dropped in the way it always did when a highwayman squinted at her resemblance to a wanted poster, but something in Aang’s tone made it bounce back to where it was supposed to be in her chest. “My name is Kya.”

Aang grinned. The sincerity in his eyes was as genuine as the reassurance hidden behind his words. “No, it’s not. You say Kya like the name is a part of you, but it's not your own.”

Katara looked at him, and, for some reason, it felt like she was seeing him for the first time. “...Katara. My name is Katara.”

“Katara.” Aang’s smile reached his eyes, and he offered the hand of his non-slinged arm. “Well, it’s nice to officially meet you, Katara. My name’s Aang, but you knew that already.”

Katara gave his hand a wary glance before shaking it. “Likewise.”

They shook hands for a second longer than what was normal, and Aang’s face was red bordering on crimson when he finally let her go. His eyes suddenly found the clay very interesting, and he fiddled with a loose string on his pants.

Katara couldn’t believe it. The chatterbox was at a loss for words.

“Oh, um…I ugh...I have something for you.” Aang dug into his pocket. “It’s nothing, really. Just a little trinket of sorts.”

Katara snatched it as soon as she saw it. “My mother’s necklace!” It was there. It was really, really there, in her hands again—where it belonged. “How did—How did you get this?”

Aang’s smile was shy, and he fiddled even more with the string on his pants. “I had a long talk with that buddy of yours from the coast. The pawnbroker had a change of heart. He asked me to make sure I got it to you.”

Katara’s cheeks grew hot. She looked away from him before her face started burning. She hastily put on her mother’s necklace before busying her hands with smoothing imaginary wrinkles in her vest. “Well...that was silly of him. And stupid.” It took her a few tries, but she managed to look at Aang again. “...But also very sweet. Kindness is hard to come by these days.”

“That’s what friends are for, right?”

Katara’s heart fell upwards this time, and it didn’t feel like it was going to come down anytime soon. “O-One sweet gesture doesn’t mean he and I are friends. He doesn’t know me any more than Appa does.”

“Oh, I—I mean, he knows, I’m sure.” Aang pawed the ground. When did he turn to face her? He was so close that Katara could hear his heart racing. Or was that hers? “But...But he might be hoping that it could mean something...maybe.”

Katara thought about it. “It might.”

Aang perked up so fast that even the wind stirred around them. “Oh?”

“It might,” Katara reiterated. She turned the inch or so needed to face him properly, too. She had to look up at him even when they were sitting, but it wasn’t by as large of a margin as when they were standing. Her voice refused to speak above a whisper. “A sweet gesture is just a sweet gesture until he makes it mean something.”

“Maybe he meant it as a thank you.”

“That’s not how he says thank you.”

“How do you know?”

“I have a feeling.”

Aang stared at her, and Katara tried her hardest not to laugh as she watched his mind digest the meaning of her words. His next smile outshone even the full moon.

Aang shifted his weight and opened and closed his one free hand like he was excited and itching to do something. “I never did thank you before. Did I?”

Before—? Oh, right.

“You don’t need to.”

“I want to,” Aang quietly said. He was closer, now. His face consumed all Katara could see, and she swore she felt the breath from his words. “I didn’t just get hurt before. I know I didn’t. I was gone...but you brought me back.”

Katara found herself closer, too. “...I don’t know what I did.”

The wind, excited, blew a stray whirlwind like a giggle escaping someone trying not to laugh. Aang tucked a lock of loose hair behind her ear. His palm was as warm as the rest of him, and it took its time sliding down her cheek and the curve of her jaw until it cradled her face. “You saved me,” he said.

Katara turned—just enough—to brush her nose to his. “It was nothing.”

She felt his smile against the corner of her mouth, and she felt his laugh, warm and rich, melting into the deepest parts of her. Katara’s heart was in the stratosphere and beating like the thundering of a thousand horses galloping.

He kissed her cheek. “It was everything.”

Katara turned and caught the thank you he was teasing her with. The cheeky smile that greeted her was more than everything, and the kiss he led her into redefined the word.

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Tried to have a play on words for ‘gunslinger’ lol

This fic is light on the worldbuilding I built into the AU because it’s mostly character driven. Wanted some dialogue practice and an attempt to streamline

#kataang #aang #katara #avatar the last airbender #atla #WildWest!AU #Appa #sweeties gonna sweet #Written as a practice in dialogue #so not NEARLY as descriptive as normal (sorry🙏) but I'm just playing with things so I don't accidentally write a novel #Aang is a ~little shit~#humor/fluff/hurt/comfort #It Was Everything #NaNoWriMo 2020 #days 3 and 4 #myfanfictiontag #post

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aphrodites-law · 4 years

Text

The Clarke Show

(A take on The Truman Show)

Nia Reign is as imposing as Lexa imagined. Her suit is a dark green with silver cuffs, nothing that Lexa could ever hope to afford.

"Why Clarke?"

She isn’t the only live show, but she's certainly the most popular in the nation. Arkadia's darling. Arkadia's golden child. Lexa has never had the time or luxury for escapism, but everyone knows that even the nation's prince, Lincoln, trails Clarke in views by millions.

"Because Clarke is getting restless. It's a phase I'm sure you're familiar with––the yearning for the world you've never been a part of. She wants spontaneity. Adventure. We've scripted something that’ll show her the grass isn’t always greener. It'll make for a thrilling story arc."

Lexa looks at the hundreds of screens, each one a frame of the town built for Clarke and the twelve other Selected. The grocery store she shops at; the movie theater she goes to; the streets she walks on; the beach; the offices; the coffee shops; the parks; the neighborhood––every single place ready to spring to life should the Selected decide to take the trams there. It's an exceptionally well-oiled machine.

"What role would I play?"

"You'll be the dark horse. The wild card Clarke never thought she'd hold. You'll take her places she's never been––new sets we've built. You'll win over her heart and then you'll break it, right in time for us to introduce Finn."

"Finn?" Lexa asks, still gazing at a screen where a bird briefly flits in front of the camera. She wonders if its species is native to the area or if it's even real at all.

"Clarke's future husband if all goes according to plan. Finn is a perfect match for her in every way. Your opposite."

Lexa turns to the control room below the glass panels. There are hundreds of employees in headsets pressing hundreds of buttons, rushing from right to left, biting into sandwiches and yawning while they craft the details of Arkapolis. There are workers in shirts designing objects on large screens; workers in lab coats testing liquids in vials; workers with grease smears tweaking the settings of androids. There is so much energy and talent being poured into a fake world. Lexa wonders why these people couldn't better their real world instead. Lexa’s neighborhood in Arkadia is crumbling apart, the infrastructure rusting and rotting, and yet here she is watching engineers design sets with swimming pools and amusement parks.

"No offense meant," Nia says behind her.

Lexa shakes her head. "I'm no princess."

"But you can be charming.”

Lexa turns to her. "I'm not a good actress."

Nia sits in her leather chair, utterly in control of the room and the conversation. "I've seen the women you seduce. They don't hold a candle to our Clarke. Surely it won’t be difficult for you to muster some passion."

What Nia means is that prostituting herself for entertainment should come easily. Lexa knows that's exactly why she was picked for the role.

"Clarke made a whole nation fall in love with her the moment she opened those blue eyes onscreen for the first time," Nia reminds her. "Right now there are millions of souls watching her and yearning to spend time with her. Time you'll be afforded. You don't need to be a good actress, Ms. Woods, you need to be exactly who you are: a lowlife drifter who seduces lonely women to get something out of them. In this instance, more money than you've seen in your entire life."

Anger boils inside Lexa, but the words aren't all lies. "You think you know everything about me based on police records?"

Nia chuckles at Lexa's naïveté. "I don't care to know everything about you. I know what's necessary. You need the money and you’ll do anything for it. Am I wrong?”

Lexa thinks of her sister Anya and the medical bills sticking out of drawers; the leaks in her apartment; the skittering of roaches on their floor. She thinks of her nephew and niece––Aden's gaunt face and Marla playing with dolls made out of cans and wires. She thinks of the floor she sleeps on in the corner of Anya’s room, cold and damp.

"When do I start?"

Nia smiles victoriously. "You’ll go through scrubbing and fitting first. An implant will be placed in your ear canal; it’ll be used sparsely but I will be communicating with you when needed. It’ll also track your location. Training will take three weeks––you’ll need to know Arkapolis like the back of your hand, not to mention your new profession. You’ll spend time with your new best friends, Raven and Costia, for familiarity purposes. We’ll have Clarke meet Lexa in a month’s time.”

Lexa’s eyes flash at her own name being used so strangely, as if she isn’t the one being referred to. As if she will exist separately from the character they have made up for Clarke, the Lexa who’ll take pleasure in seducing and using and discarding the nation’s sweetheart. She wonders how hated she will be coming out of it.

"I want the money, a weekly stipend, sent to my sister," Lexa tells Nia, looking at her with a set jaw. "You control so much of the media––I want a guarantee my family will be kept out of it. No one bothers them. No one even mentions them.”

"We can do that." Nia looks up and smiles, the once cruel curve of her lips turning tender. "Look."

Lexa glances back at the screens, watching as Clarke walks out of her small house with her dog. She waves at her neighbor and grins. Her life is so simple that Lexa feels some anger toward her. Why couldn't Anya have been one of the Selected? Why did Aden and Marla know more about suffering than Clarke did? All she will know of pain is an orchestrated heartbreak before true love swoops in.

Lexa doesn't pity her. If it keeps her family safe and fed, she'll lift Clarke Griffin to unimaginable heights before dropping her. She'll be the villain her story needs; take her heart and crush it with a smile.

"Do you stream everything live?" She asks Nia.

Nia seems bored now, the formality of convincing Lexa over and done with. "Clarke's channel is family friendly, with a slight delay in the feed. We expect you to alert us at the beginning and the end of explicit footage. The public knows Clarke is only broadcast live for eighteen hours a day. It'll make our lives easier if you'd ensure physical intimacy happened within the closed window, but if not the delay gives us time to cut to our planned programming. Obviously you won’t start conversations that further the storyline within those six hours either. There is nothing more frustrating to the public than missing out on milestones.”

Lexa rolls her eyes as she watches the ants hard at work in the control room. "How romantic," she drawls. "Bet those guys enjoy the show when it goes offline."

Nia hardly contains her disdain at Lexa's crassness. "We have a number of protocols in place for private scenes."

Lexa vaguely recalls that bathrooms have no cameras, but ‘private’ has an entirely different meaning for the Selected. Surely it was private when Clarke’s father passed away onscreen, followed by a close up of Clarke’s sobs. Surely it was private when she kissed a girl for the first time and embarrassed herself with a sneeze, not knowing the entire nation was laughing at her clumsiness.

But if it bothers Lexa that Nia talks about someone's reality as footage and scenes, she reasons she should get used to it fast. Soon she'll be a part of the show too, and her life will be nothing more than snapshots stitched together for the purpose of entertainment. Nia suddenly stands by her, surveying the control room like a Queen would survey her land from her castle's highest tower.

"Believe me, the novelty of working behind-the-scenes wears off quickly. These people aren’t different from you. All they want is to get the job done so that they may go home to their families. Surely you understand that."

Lexa looks at Clarke again, her body in a medium shot as she walks her pet with no worry in the world. In a month things will change for her. For both of them. Lexa takes a deep breath and nods, knowing exactly what she would sacrifice for her family’s sake.

#this is not a fic #i know i'm behind on updates #i'm just dumping my docs #😬#the more i think about the truman show the more fucked up it is #anyway i think they would've expanded with more people to follow #and the public can pick and choose the stories when there's a lull in one #some dystopia fuckery #obviously lexa falls for clarke #w

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themarauderstheoutsidersandpeggy · 5 years

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I literally just thought of this but what if Bucky’s girlfriend was pregnant before the snap and when he comes back he meets their daughter 😭 I’m soft

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Caroline’s small, chubby hand wrapped around the pendant on your necklace, and as cliche as it sounds, it was actually one of Bucky’s old dog tags. He had a few of them from what was left of his old life and you’d managed to snag one. She stared at the weathered silver, tracing a little finger over her father’s name and smiling.

“Mama? When ‘m I meetin’ Papa?”

“Soon sweetheart. I got a message saying he was on his way. Do you remember what I told you? That Papa doesn’t know that you’re here, everything happened before we knew you were in my tummy. And I never told him, I wanted him to see you for the first time himself. So I’m gonna hide you when he comes inside, then you can come out and you can meet him, okay?”

She nodded, wriggling out of your hold and running off to go play with some of her toys in her room. She was a little over four years old, having been conceived only days before the snap. Before you’d lost everything you’d had. But, you supposed, you gained something too, little Caroline.

Explaining to her why her Papa wasn’t around was hard, but the norm around the world as Thanos had destroyed families worldwide. But just earlier today, you’d been at the supermarket with Caroline, trying to control her four year old, out of control attitude to grocery shopping. While putting three boxes of pure sugar away, your phone had rung. Only one person had that ringtone, and only one person had that contact name.

(@3dollarminyoongi this is what happens when we listen to the ocean together)

Cowabucky: Incoming Call

You tried to quell the terror and thrill that rose at the same time, hesitantly sliding the accept button over and raising the phone to your ear.

“…Hello?”

“Y/N?”

There seemed to be a weight crushing your chest while another one was lifted a the same time, you were in such shock that you couldn’t breathe, but you had to, you had to talk to him, it was really him, it was him, he’s back, it was him.

You’d excitedly agreed when he asked if he could come over, reminding him that it was his home too, even if he hadn’t been there in five years. That was twenty minutes ago, he should be here any minute now.

Right on cue, feet thudded up to the front door and you made sure Caroline’s door was shut and that she was ready before you ran and opened it. You launched yourself out at Bucky but he did the same to you, so you met in the middle, collided in a mass of broken hearts being stitched by the second, and previous helplessness being replaced with a sense of purpose again. Not that Caroline wasn’t your purpose, but without her father, it was harder than you could ever imagine.

After a moment of teary embraces you broke apart, welcoming Bucky back and leading him inside. You brought him through each room under the guise of showing off new decor but you got to your little girl’s room and could hardly contain your smile.

“And this room, has definitely my favorite new addition to the house since you’ve been gone. I can’t want for you to see h-uh, it.” You slowly swung the door open, revealing the little brunette on the rug, hair in bouncy pigtails and hands clutching toy princesses.

“Papa! I’ve seen pictures of you! Mama said you were comin’ home today and you did! ‘M Caroline, Mama said you didn’t know that I was in her tummy when you left, but I’m here!”

Bucky’s eyes were widened in shock, mouth opening and closing like a fish before he finally let out a strangled cry, dropping to his knees and beckoning Caroline to him. The little girl ran towards her father and he scooped her up, cradling the back of her head with his metal hand. He kissed her little forehead, eyes glancing up and down, up and down, up and down, all over the little girl and matching each of her features to either yours or his. Your eyes, his nose, his hair, your lips.

She located the chain around his neck, pulling it out with a soft gasp,

“Mama! Papa! You match!”

“Yeah, we do! They’re both Papa’s, that’s why.”

Caroline nodded, tracing her finger again over the letters James Buchanan Barnes. Before, they were just letters that made up a name, Now they were the letters that made up the name of her Papa, her Papa.

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mst3kproject · 4 years

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Tobor the Great

This was a movie YouTube thought I ought to watch. It’s so bad even Leonard Maltin didn’t like it.

Two scientists, Dr. Harrison and Dr. Nordstrom, are concerned about the effects of space travel on the human body, and so they attempt to convince the Civil Interplanetary Flight Commission (think NASA, but with funding) to use an alternative form of test pilot. No, sit down, dog- and monkey-lovers in the audience, I’m talking about a huge, unwieldy, unnecessarily humanoid robot! Obviously, foreign agents want to steal this machine and turn it into a huge, unwieldy weapon instead of a huge, unwieldy astronaut, but Nordstrom’s grandson Brian saves the day using his special telepathic link with Tobor!

The movie does not believe we’re smart enough to figure out why the robot’s name is Tobor. It spells it out for us, literally and on more than one occasion.

Tobor the Great is a children’s movie – the main character is eleven-year-old Brian, who is mostly addressed by his nickname, Gadget or Gadge. He’s established as an engineering genius in his own right, who gets to hang around in his grandfather’s lab and make friends with this cool robot. He’s what every white American boy in the 50’s was supposed to want to be. All of which makes it sort of weird that we don’t meet him until nearly fifteen minutes into the movie.

Consider some better children’s movies. In Coco, Miguel is the literal as well as the metaphorical narrator – we begin with his voice telling us the backstory. Lilo and Stitch gives us one title character almost immediately, and then brings in the second as quickly as it can to get us to the point where they meet. Of course, you don’t have to introduce the main character first in a movie, but if you’re going to put it off you have to do it skillfully. Star Wars takes its time getting around to Luke Skywalker, but it’s already given us somebody to follow in the form of C-3P0 and R2-D2, who make good audience proxies because 3P0 doesn’t know what’s going on any more than we do. Tobor the Great lets nearly a quarter of its running time go by before we finally meet Gadge, and even more before we get to Tobor himself, and that time is spent setting up what seems to be a rather different movie.

The opening does establish the need for Tobor, but it takes way too long about it. We start with narration and stock footage about the American space program, which is as deathly boring as it always is in these movies. Maybe it seemed more exciting in the fifties, when space rockets were the coolest thing around. Then we get into Dr. Harrison and his complaints about unsafe practices, which lead to his resignation and to him trying to dodge the press before meeting the likeminded Dr. Nordstrom.

These seem like strange things to put in a children’s movie. I feel that a lot more time is spent justifying the need for a robotic astronaut than is really necessary, and the early close focus on Dr. Harrison makes it seem like he’s going to be our main character – but he fades into the background once we get to Dr. Nordstrom’s lab and at the end he’s not much more than a completely unnecessary love interest for Gadge’s widowed mother. In Star Wars the two droids stick around and participate in the plot for the whole movie – Dr. Harrison doesn’t. The politicking within the CIFC is not something children are likely to be interested in, nor is the nagging newspaper man, and all of these scenes are just guys in suits talking. Very little actually happens and none of it involves robots carrying off beautiful women like the poster shows us!

The annoying reporter is a particularly odd inclusion. His name is Mr. Gilligan, which Joel and the ‘bots would have found hilarious. I went into Tobor the Great totally blind, having never heard of it when the thumbnail appeared in my YouTube recommendations, but if I’d read a plot summary or something beforehand, maybe I wouldn’t have expected Gilligan to play a major role in the plot. As it was, I figured he was either a Soviet spy or would unintentionally pass information on to them – but he vanishes after the first press conference, and the question of whether he has the right to compromise national security in the name of selling newspapers is never dealt with. Instead the spies are a bunch of guys we’ve never seen before.

Once all this is over with, though, we do finally get to see Tobor strut his stuff. Nordstrom and Harrison work on programming him to do things like type reports to be sent back to Earth and dodge meteor showers (as all 50’s space rockets had to do), while Gadge sits and watches… and does very little else. You’d think this part of the movie would continue the thread of Gadge being the equal of the adult scientists, maybe overlapping with him and Tobor bonding, but there’s almost none of either. Why set up Gadge as a prodigy if you’re not going to make use of it? At the climax we expect Gadge to save the day by figuring something out, as he showed he could do earlier. Instead he just shuts his eyes and thinks really hard at Tobor, like Ichi trying to summon Gamera. It works, but it’s not as satisfying as it could have been. At the end the movie has neatly avoided almost all of its potential and anything that might have been cool to watch, and failed to give us anything it seemed to promise.

To make things even worse, Gadge is played by one of those insanely cloying 50’s child actors who say things like “oh, gosh!” and “gee whillikers!” I cannot imagine anybody actually talking like this. Actor Billy Chaplin sure makes it sound fake as hell. While Chaplin is a decent actor physically, everything he says sounds stilted and unnatural, like he’s reading it off notes while trying to project his voice to a full auditorium. The adult actors are much better, which just makes Chaplin look all the worse by comparison.

Tobor, on the other hand, is wonderful, in the ‘stupid cardboard movie robot’ way that makes Torg from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and the delightfully awful robot of Devil Girl from Mars so much fun. It’s got lots of blinky lights and moving parts, and stamps around with a pretty convincing sense of weight. Unlike some movie robots it actually moves at a good clip when it wants to, perhaps helped by the fact that it has working knees. The movie makes the point that Tobor is a large and dangerous piece of kit at the same time as it’s able to be gentle and dexterous, which reinforces the idea that it would be frightening as a weapon.

My favourite part is when Tobor drives a car. I wonder if the guy in the costume could see anything. That must have been a hell of a day on set.

What you want me to get back to, though, is the bit where the robot is psychic. Yes, that’s actually the premise of this movie, a telepathic robot! I’m not sure how plausible that would have seemed in the 50’s, even in such an explicitly silly movie. Dr. Nordstrom doesn’t expect the reporters to believe in it without a demonstration, and yet the same decade also produced films like The She-Creature that present such ideas with an entirely straight, albeit incompetent, face. Psychic powers as hard-ish sci-fi seems to have gone out of style by the 90’s, and nowadays it sounds like something you’d see in the Weekly World News.

Man, I miss the hard copy Weekly World News. It was so nice to have that little isle of humour in the sea of garbage that was (and still is) the supermarket tabloids. Remember Hilary Clinton’s space-alien lover? Classic.

The function of telepathy in this story is not just to give Gadge a way to summon the robot after the spies break Nordstrom’s control mechanism. It is also a means whereby Tobor may acquire human traits and emotions. How to make a robot feel things is a perennial problem in science fiction… a lot of the time the mechanism is simply glossed over, as an artificial intelligence becomes more human by interacting with humans. Emotions are just chemicals in our brains, though, and the more we learn about how they work, the harder it gets to justify a machine feeling them. In Star Trek: the Next Generation Data and Lore have a special bit of hardware that must be installed to enable emotions, and really seem like they’re better off without it. In Saturn 3, Hector has a processor made of cloned brain cells that can produce their own chemistry, as well as a direct neural uplink to its programmer.

As such solutions go, I actually kind of like how Tobor the Great goes about it, even if the mechanism is silly. Rather than having emotions of its own, Tobor senses and mirrors those of the humans around it. When Gadge is panicking, worrying that Tobor is out of control, Tobor panics and goes around smashing things, thus making for a self-fulfilling prophecy. When Gadge thinks of Tobor as a hero, the robot comes to his rescue, carrying him to safety like a rescued princess, and responds to the anger and rage of the spies by turning these emotions back on them and beating them up. This is quite different from many ‘emotional machine’ stories, in that it doesn’t actually require Tobor to be in any way self-aware.

Unfortunately the movie is not very consistent about this. There’s a scene in which Tobor gets frustrated and breaks stuff after being put through too challenging a simulation, which does imply that the robot has an intelligence and emotional capacity of its own. This bit has a purpose, as it serves to make us worry that Tobor will be unable to tell the difference between friend and foe at the finale, but it just doesn’t fit with the way this machine is treated in the rest of the movie.

Like many others both from MST3K and from the Episodes that Never Were, Tobor the Great has a couple of good ideas at its core. It even predicted how much easier and safer it is to send robots into space than people, although those robots don’t look much like the lumbering humanoids of 50’s sci-fi. Sadly, the film is uneven, rushed, and poorly-acted, and nothing particularly fun or exciting happens in it. Various people over the years have seen its potential and Tobor has starred in a couple of comic books and an unproduced TV pilot, but these never went anywhere either.

#mst3k #reviews #episodes that never were #tobor the great #50s #tobor is robot spelled backwards

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jdmslut-red · 4 years

Text

Story: In the Dark

Chapter: 2 out of ?

Pairings: Negan x OC (Negan and Lilith)

Characters: Lilith, Negan, Ghost, Mike, etc.

RATED M

Violence, mentions of rape, torture, swearing, erotica.

Chapter II

CH 2

Days passed by in a haze while he was there. Negan wasn't sure how many days it had been since he woke up in the tree house to the strange wolf and woman. Seven or maybe eight days? He wasn't sure, he didn't keep track of days anymore. Negan was slowly recovering from his wound. It seemed like forever ago since he had company. He never thought he'd say it but he was glad for it. She never spoke much, always changing the subject whenever he asked her a question. But slowly, she began to feel more at ease around him.

Negan really enjoyed her company. He hoped that she wouldn't actually send him away. Yes she was a little too quiet for his liking but... she bared strong similarities to his Lucille. The thought alone should scare him, send him running and never look back. But surprisingly, Negan didn't mind. He made his peace with his wife. He buried the stupid baseball bat he named after her.

Hell even the thought of even seeing another baseball bat angered him for the longest time. He didn't want to be reminded of his long lost love. But here she was... Lilith. The unspoken softness and gentleness of her reminded him all too well of his late wife. And it didn't bothered him. In fact, he found it... oddly soothing.

The fact that she was skilled with a sword only deepened his interest in her. She was a goddamn ninja warrior with that thing, slicing and dicing away at walkers. Dead ones... that's right she called them dead ones. He didn't know how a woman this fierce and deadly could also be so... gentle. It intrigued him to his core.

And he couldn't lie and say that every time she touched him, to change his bandages or even a simple touch on the shoulder, he didn't feel something deep stir inside of him. She was beautiful there was no denying it. She had long pale blond hair that she mostly kept it up in a messy bun or ponytail. A few strangling strands of hair that always fell on her face.

He loved the way she blew at the strands of hairs with her breath or tucked them behind her ears. He loved the way she licked her lips or bit her bottom lip when she was concentrating deeply on something. Hell he even started to like the damn wolf!

"Winter is almost here." She spoke softly, stirring him from his thoughts. "We have to move soon. The snow will be too deep and the tree house won't provide any warmth."

Negan looked up at the cloudy skies. She was right, soon it would start to snow. The only good thing about the north was that the winter slowed down the walkers. And it seemed to have a lot less survivors too.

He stood up, wiping the dust from his pants before walking over to the fire. Negan put the fire out and collected their dinner, following her up the steps to the tree house. The wind howled behind them, the temperature was quickly dropping. Like it always did at dusk.

"Ghost come!" She shouted down to her wolf once they reached the top of the stairs.

The white wolf quickly ran up the stairs, almost tripping Negan and Lilly in the process.

"Damn dog!" Negan puffed.

"He's just excited. And he's a wolf. How many times do I have to tell you?" She snickered.

They made their way inside, closing and barricading the door.

"Well excuse the goddamn fucking fuck out of me."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. "You always swear this much?"

"Yes..." Negan hissed, licking his lips. "Yes I fucking do! And I thought you liked that about me." He grinned down at her.

"You wish." She laughed.

"Well you're not so perfect yourself princess. You got a damn mouth on you too."

"I hardly swear as much as you do." She responded taking the items from his grasp.

"Not as much but you still got a damn dirty mouth on you darling." Negan did his famous backward lean, as if to prove a point.

"You're..." She inhaled a long breath.

"I'm what? Charming? Incredibly good looking? Funny as fuck? A badass mother fucker?" Negan snickered, taking a quick step towards her and towering over her. "Tell me... what am I doll? What do you like about me?"

Lilith licked her lips. "More like incredibly annoying as fuck." She grinned back at him.

"I rest my fucking case." He opened his arms wide. "I love your dirty mouth." Negan smirked, dropping his arms to his sides again. "And I know you love mine doll. And you haven't seen anything yet." He wiggled his eyebrows at her in a suggestive manner.

"Do you ever take a hint?"

"Oh I certainly do sweetheart." He invaded her personal space once more, dipping his head down low to whisper at her ear. "Your mouth says no but your body says yes baby."

She shuddered at his breath dancing across her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Lily cleared her throat, placing her free hand on his chest. She slightly pushed him away while simultaneously taking a step back.

"You just don't know when to quit." She groaned at him before finally turning away and getting their dinner settled.

Negan helped her carry things at their table. A few days ago they cleared out some of the cluttered mess in the back of the tree house and found a pop up desk. It wasn't too sturdy and couldn't hold much weight but it served it's purpose.

Negan was about to retort to her comment but was interrupted when they heard a loud crack followed by the wind howling. He looked outside the window and saw tress bending harshly at the wind.

"You think it'll hold?" He asked her.

"It's just a gust of wind. It's not like we're gonna have a tornado." Lily approached the window as well, standing beside him. She frowned, looking at the trees and flinching at the crackling sounds of the tree house. "It should hold..."

"You don't sound so fucking confident darling." Negan spoke.

"What are our other options? There's nothing around for miles. We would never make it on foot with this weather."

Negan grimaced. She was right. There was no other shelter around them, not for miles. They had to hold up here for another night and hope that damn tree house didn't collapse.

Ghost whined, nudging Lily's leg with his nose. She sighed and crouched down to pet him. "I know baby I know. We're gonna be ok..." Her voice almost wavered.

Negan hated the uncertainty in her. For once he wished he was the one providing for them and keeping her safe. He was damn sick of being useless and just sitting around only keeping the fire going. But Lilly insisted upon in it, saying he still had to heal.

"We will." He told her. "It'll hold. I reckon only a goddamn tornado can tear our tree house apart." He joked.

"A moment ago, you weren't so sure."

"Neither were you darling." He pointed out.

Lily frowned looking at Ghost once more, who was licking his chops. "You hungry sweet boy?" She asked him in soft but slightly high pitched voice. Ghost woofed lightly, shaking his head up and bouncing on his front paws. Lily giggle, scratching his ears. "I know baby. Let's eat." She stood up to get his bowl. Lily took a big scoop of their rabbit stew and plopped down onto Ghost's bowl.

"Jesus! That fucking dog eats more than us!" Negan groaned.

"Oh relax! We have plenty of food thanks to me!"

Negan frowned. She was right, she had been quite busy the past few days killing whatever animal she could find and gathering up supplies while he was left lying around. He hated every fucking second of it. Not knowing when or if she was going to return.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Lily said. "You need to rest so you don't rip your stitches. Speaking of which, I need to change your bandage after dinner."

Negan nodded. He didn't say anything this time. They simply sat down and ate in silence. The only audible noises was Ghost inhaling his food bowl and the wind whistling outside. Once they finished their meal, Lily went to clean their bowls in the bucket of water they separated for cleaning dishes. Negan stopped her however.

"Let me do these. You need to rest. You've been running around all damn day."

"You still need to change your bandages Negan." She sighed.

"I know." He told her. "Just got sit down for a little bit. You look exhausted."

"Gee thanks. Did anyone ever tell you not to comment on a lady's appearance."

"My fucking bad doll." He chuckled. "I just mean you need a little shut of eye. And don't think I haven't noticed you haven't been sleeping either!"

Lilith quickly averted her gaze, hoping he would drop the topic.

"Nightmares again?" He asked.

"It's normal." She shrugged.

Negan sighed, not wanting to upset her and push the manner further. He wished she would talk to him nevertheless. Maybe he could help. Was it the group she mentioned when they first met? He suspected so. But whenever he asked her about it, she quickly changed the subject. He didn't want to upset her but he needed to know what threat they were facing. He wanted to keep her safe, just as she's been keeping him safe.

Fuck it! "You gotta talk to me doll. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. That group you mentioned... are they after you? I need to know."

Lily sighed heavily. "I killed most of them. Mike..." She gritted her teeth at the mention of his name. "He's still out there."

Negan felt the empty and nauseating feeling at the bottom of his stomach. He knew she had been through a lot. He caught a glimpse of the scars on her shoulders and back before. Was that from this so called Mike? Did he fucking do this to her?

"Who the fuck is Mike?" He almost growled.

Lily flinched at the venom pouring through from his voice. She had to tell him. It was only a matter of time before he put two and two together. Besides; he was right, he needed to know what they were up against.

"Mike was... my ex." She replied after a while. "I met him during the apocalypse. We had a group. He wasn't always the leader." She spoke while pacing in front of the window. She stopped to look out the window, turning her back to Negan. The sky was already getting dark, the sound of the trees hustling against the wind could be heard plainly outside. "The guy in charge before Mike... he just lost it. He went crazy and started killing his own people for not going out on runs or not agreeing with him. Mike finally took him down. He was a good guy, a good leader... or so we thought." She took a deep breath.

"We got involved shortly after he became the new leader. Everything was going well for a while... until a herd came through. The dead ones started to pile up against walls, almost climbing on top each other. We've never seen anything like that before. The more we cleared the more would appear. People started panicking..."

Negan made his way to stand behind her, itching to comfort her in some way. He wanted to reach out and grab her, pull her tightly to his chest. But he didn't want to startle her. A long moment passed by before she spoke again.

"He killed them. Innocent people. Pregnant women, children... He said if anyone else panicked or spoke they would be next. He started killing them like flies... I tried to stop him, plead with him. He just smiled at me..." Lilith growled. "He looked me in the eyes and fucking smiled like some sick fuck. Like what he was doing was right. He said he needed to keep things in order. He told me he was just looking out for the rest of us. Panic was just going to get everyone killed. Anyways, I tried to put an end to things but his personal little soldiers caught me. He wanted to make an example out of me." Lily spoke with a shaky breath. "He locked me in a fucking basement and tortured me. It took days for me to escape. I don't even know how long I was down there..."

"Jesus fuck..." Negan gasped.

"Once I escaped I just kept going north. They tracked me down. But I killed them. One by one I started killing them all. Everyone that came after me." She spoke flatly. "And that's when I found Ghost." She turned around finally facing Negan with a small smile.

"We kept moving north after Ghost was fit enough to to walk. We didn't see a single living person for a long time. Not until Ghost was fully grown... They caught up with us again. One of Mike's men almost... Ghost killed him, teared his throat right off." She held her tears at bay, walking over to her wolf who was laying down by her bed.

She pet his soft coat, giving him multiple kisses and scratching behind his ears. "He saved my life more than once." She cleared her throat to mask a sniffle. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

Negan approached them in quick strides. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could, Ghost quickly turned his attention to him. For a moment Negan froze as the big white wolf stood up and made his way to him. Negan slowly put his hand out for the wolf to sniff. The wolf smelled his hand briefly before licking his digits.

"He likes you." Lily smiled.

"Well thank fucking fuck! In case you haven't caught on, I'm not so good with dogs."

"Wolf Negan. He's a wolf for the last time!"

Negan ignored her comment this time, smiling as Ghost finally let him pet him. "You're not so bad are you boy? Look at you, you're just a big fucking cuddly dog."

Ghost woofed in protest, nudging Negan's hand for more pats.

Negan chuckled. "Good boy! I'm finally beginning to see what your mom sees in you."

Ghost rolled onto his back, showing Negan his belly, almost demanding him to pet him there. Negan laughed wholeheartedly, rubbing the wolf's belly. "Thank fucking fuck you don't want to eat me anymore. I rather have you as a friend." He told the wolf.

Lily smiled. She was shocked Ghost was being this trusting towards Negan. Well it was only a matter of time she supposed. But still, Ghost hated people as much as she did. Even the few friendly ones they encountered on the road. Lilly had to keep the wolf away from a family once. Their small child tried to pet Ghost and Ghost almost bit the boy's hand off. So yeah, this was a shocking turn of events.

Lily smiled wider taking in Negan's carefree and genuine expression. Sure he was a loud mouthed asshole but in the past week, she got small glimpses of a different Negan. He even told her about the saviors, about Rick, the group called the whisperers. She cringed at the thought of them. People skinning dead ones and wearing a damn skin suit. Fucking disgusting! He told her the things he did to keep his place running, the people he killed. It wasn't hard to imagine that Negan. In fact, the whole king and leadership thing... she thought it suited him well. She didn't blame him or judged him for the way he ran things. Sure maybe bashing people in the head over and over again in front of their family and friends was gruesome, but she knew why he did it. Besides, she had just as much blood on her hands if not more.

Negan looked up at her, frowning at her slowly disappearing smile. For the first time since he buried his bat, he wished to have Lucille back. He wanted to find this Mike and bash his fucking head in over and over again. He knew there was more to this story, he knew she wasn't telling him everything but he wouldn't push her anymore. He was content that she let her guard down enough to tell him the important part.

"I'm sorry." He spoke quietly, almost in a whisper.

"For what?" She knitted her brows together.

"For what you've been through. No man should ever lay his hand on a fucking woman." Negan growled. "If I ever see that fucker I'm killing him... fucking slowly and intimately."

"Thanks but I call dibs." She joked.

"As long as I get a hit doll."

"It's a deal." She chuckled. "Now let's change that bandage." She got up from the floor and went to the file cabinet where she kept the first aid kid and whatever meds she got her hands on.

Negan got up as well, taking off his shirt and making his way to his bed. He sat down and waited for her to gather the things she needed. Negan looked outside through the window near the foot of his bed. The sky was completely pitch black now. Thankfully, the wind had died down quite a bit. It almost eerily silent again.

"Weird fucking weather." He groveled. "This place is goddamn bipolar."

Lily laughed at his comment, throwing her head back and holding her stomach.

Negan chuckled at her. "Your sense of humor is fucking weird doll. You find that funny but my actual jokes get no never fucking mind from you."

"You're ridiculous." She shook her head, rubbing her face. She made her way over to him, kneeling down between his legs. "Let's see..." She said before slowly removing his old bandage. "It's healing nicely." She commented. "How's the pain?"

"A lot more manageable I suppose." Negan shrugged.

"You'd be healing a lot faster if you didn't move around so damn much." She said before damping the cloth with rubbing alcohol. Negan hissed when she applied the cold damp cloth to his wound. "Sorry." She grumbled. "Soon enough we can remove the stitches I guess."

"You guess?" He snapped.

"I told you before Negan I ain't no fucking medic."

"You sure do know your shit though darling."

"Experience." She shrugged.

Once Lily finished cleaning his would, she took the roll of bandages in her hand, frowning at it.

"What?" Negan questioned.

"It's the only one we have now." She said looking up at him. "I need to find more bandages."

"We'll find some more when we find some. It's not a priority right now."

"It is too!" She barked. "Can't have you opening your stitches and bleeding out me."

"Awww you do care about me." Negan teased.

She glared at him.

"Damn sweetheart, you do things to me with those piercing stares of yours, with those goddamn baby blues... Fuck!"

She sighed before beginning to wrap the thin bandages around his torso. "I reckon I need to use this whole roll." She said. "We don't have much tape either."

"Seriously, don't worry about it doll. I'll be fine."

"You're so fucking stubborn." She huffed.

"Damn straight!" He grinned.

"Hold this here?" She asked him.

Negan put his hand on top of hers, ignoring the shock that pulsated through his body when their fingers touched. Lily cut some pieces of tape, placing it all around him to hold the bandage together.

"Jesus Christ! I think you used enough tape there doll... gonna look like a fucking mummy soon."

She groaned. "I have to make sure it stays on. You're such an asshole."

Negan leered at her, licking his top teeth and making a wet tsk sound. "I know." He spoke gravely. "And the fucked up thing is that you like me anyway!"

She blushed. "I can't stand you sometimes." Lily made a move to stand up but Negan grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving.

"You know you do." He spoke seriously. "I know you know..."

She frowned. What the fuck was he going in about now?

"You can't deny we have... something going on here." He pointed between them.

"Negan..." She warned him.

"I'm not asking for anything. I just want you to be honest." He spoke candidly.

"Sure. I like you I guess." She shrugged. "Can you let me go now?"

"Who's the fucking stubborn one?" Negan sighed, letting go of her wrist. "You should get some sleep." He told her.

"I plan on it." She spoke while standing up.

Ghost was already fast asleep besides her bed. Lily smiled. They were gonna have a long day tomorrow. Or the next couple of days. Who knows where and when they could find another shelter strong enough to hold the winter, walkers and people. There are no such places. Not anymore. Lilly sighed laying down, curling up on her side and wrapping herself up in a blanket.

Negan put his shirt back on and went to turn off the lantern and blow out the candles. They needed to find a good place. This was going to be a bad winter. He stood in front of the window for a while, deep in thought. Where the fuck where the going to find a place safe enough? There wasn't any houses or buildings for miles. It took a half a day on foot just to reach the gas station. And it took a whole day on foot to reach the closest neighborhood and stores. Negan groaned lowly, careful not to wake her. He had to find a place for them. He had to keep her safe.

He turned around and looked at the woman curled up in her bed across the room from him. He frowned. The shit she'd been through... and he was sure she barely scratched the surface with her information. Fucking piece of shit Mike! He couldn't even stomach the thought of the things she must have gone through in the hands of that sorry sack of shit. He couldn't wait to get his hands on him.

Negan wasn't one to quickly become attached to someone. But he felt like he's known this woman a lot longer. But at the same time... it felt like he only knew her for a day. As confusing as that was. One thing was for certain however; he was not going to let anything happen to her, or Ghost for that matter. He needed to make sure Ghost was around in case he couldn't be. The wolf kept her safe all this time. And he would be damned if would let her best weapon be taken away from her. Well, he didn't look at Ghost as a weapon or beast. Not anymore. Certainly not after today anyways.

#in the dark #ch2 #twd #fanfiction #Negan x OC #Negan x Lily #Ghost #wolf #apocalypse #soft negan #fluff #smut #jeffrey dean morgan #jdmslut red

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caramell0w · 5 years

Text

The Acquisition- Chapter 14

Parings: Business owner!Bucky x Reader (AU)

Summary: You are part of a business merger. Can you make it through with your heart still intact, or will The Winter Soldier tear you apart?

Warnings: More proof her dad is an ass and needs to rot in hell.

A/N: I just hope everything works out okay!

Word Count: 1564

Masterlist | Previous Chapter

If you like my fanfic, check out my books

I’m in a standoff with my dad, neither of us saying anything. I hear movement behind me, and I spin to see Jasper walking toward me. “Stay the fuck away from me.” I take a step back, trying to keep my distance from everyone. I know there is no way I am going to be able to outrun anyone. Not in my current condition anyway.

I look at my dad again. “This is one of the men that kidnapped me and tortured me, Dad. Why are you helping him?” I want to cross my arms over my chest, but everything hurts too much.

“He stopped me from getting a huge account. This was going to put Landon Enterprises above Barnes’ and I was going to pay off my debt instead of selling the company.” He tilts his chin in Bucky’s direction. “Your future husband stopped all that when he got wind of what was happening. Mr. Sitwell and Mr. Rumlow have been working for me for some time now.”

“So you’re the one who set this whole thing up? Sent them to take me and torture me?”

“Well, Brock took it a bit far. You weren’t supposed to be so bashed up. I need to be able to sell you off to someone else once James is no longer around.”

I’m baffled at his statement. I don’t even notice when Jasper comes up behind me and wraps his hand in my hair, holding me in place.

“James, you’re being quiet. Anything to add to this conversation?” Richard asks.

“Only a real bottom feeder would use his own daughter for personal gain. When we get out of here, you’re going to rot in a prison cell. I’ll make sure I do everything in my power to make sure to spend the rest of your miserable life there.”

The man behind him cocks his gun and presses it into Bucky’s head. Bucky stands there so calm, but I can’t. “NO!” I yell. Jasper holds my hair a bit tighter and I flinch from the pain in my scalp.

“Y/N, look at me,” he commands.

I look at Bucky, tears staining my cheeks. “He’s not going to kill me yet. He needs me.”

“You’re right, James. I won’t. Not yet anyway; but that doesn’t mean I can’t shoot you at all.”

The man standing behind him pulls the trigger and Bucky goes down to his knees with a grunt. I watch the smoke curling up from the end of the gun and I hear a blood curdling scream before I recognize it as my own. I struggle to free myself from Jasper, but he pulls my head back so I’m looking at the ceiling. He leans in, “Don’t worry he won’t suffer too much. Wish I could say the same thing for you.” My neck hurts from careening it back so far, but I won’t give him the satisfaction. “I’m so glad I learned just how far James will go to protect you. It certainly has come in handy. I don’t think we would have made it this far if it wasn’t for that.”

“Why not wait until after we’re married? I would have a controlling interest in the company. Wouldn’t that work out better for you?”

Good old dad chimes in. “Yes, it would. Unfortunately, we don’t have that kind of time. Alexander Pierce will be here soon and we need the contact signed showing the company will foot the bill. This project is going to bring in millions of dollars.”

“Yes, and endanger the lives of thousands of people.”

“Richard, why enter into this merger and the arranged marriage with George if you were just going to devise a take over? What’s the point?” Bucky asks from his spot of the floor.

“The marriage was arranged before this even fell in my lap. I didn’t have a choice at the time, and then I hoped you wouldn’t find out about it,” he sneered.

“You had to figure we would have been watching everything. It’s a liability to take on a company your size without knowing everything.” Bucky leans forward and grabs his leg, trying to stop it from bleeding. “Are you just going to let me bleed out here? I mean, it would probably be easier to let me die.” The smile Bucky displays isn’t warm and fuzzy, it’s dark and sinister. He’s planning something, but I have no idea what it is.

Richard sighs and shakes his head. “Take him to the back room and tie him down somewhere. Get the bleeding to stop. For the love of God, don’t let him get any blood on any more of the rugs. This one is already going to be a bitch to clean.” My phone starts ringing in my pocket. “Answer it.”

Hey drag Bucky off as Jasper pulls it from my pocket and I can see it’s Steve calling. “Ah, looks like the lap dog is trying to get in touch with them.”

That’s right! Steve is still outside in the car. He’s going to help us get out of this, I just know it. Jasper puts it on speaker. “Hello?” I ask.

“Ah, Ms. Y/L/N. It’s a pleasure to speak with you. My name is Alexander Pierce, and I’ve heard a lot about you from your father.”

“Where’s Steve?” My voice is shaky now.

“Your guard is alive. There are a few things I need from you in order to make sure he lives.”

“You’re going to let me see that he’s alive for myself.” I struggle to get out of Jasper’s grasp and I’m sure I pull a stitch in the process.

“You have no right to make demands.” He walks through the front door, his eyes shimmering in delight.

“Clearly you need me for something and unless I help willingly, you’re not going to get what you want. I want to see Steve, alive. I want to talk to him for a few minutes.”

He smiles as he stops directly in front of me. “You’ve got balls, don’t you, girl?”

I continue my struggle to get free. “I had to learn real fast when daddy dearest arranged my marriage to James. You are not to hurt either Steve or James otherwise you will never get what you want.”

He shrugs, “That’s fine, I don’t actually need either of them, I just need you. James can currently stop this because of the arrangement and the selling of the company at the time of the wedding. That’s in the agreement. Once the papers are signed and everything is legal, the process of selling begins. If you’re no longer in the picture Richard keeps Landon Enterprises for a while longer and we can move forward with the business arrangement. The wedding has already been postponed for a few weeks, we only need a few more to finalize everything.”

“Then why kidnap me and ask he fix it in the first place?”

“We hope there could be some kind of agreement made, but when he attacked Mr. Rumlow and ultimately killed him, we knew we had to change tactics. You’re our goal now. Without you, there is no sale.”

I stand my ground. “Let me talk to Steve.”

He huffs, annoyed that I’m coming back to this request. “Fine. Jasper, take her to see him, but be quick. We have a flight to catch in an hour.”

Flight? My heart pounds in my chest and my legs feel like jello as I march down the hallway of my father’s house. Since I didn’t grow up here, I don’t know my way around. We stop outside a room and he pushes the door open. Steve is tied down to a chair with a gag in his mouth. I try to move toward him and Jasper tightens his grip. “That’s far enough.”

“Steve, it’s going to be alright. Don’t do anything stupid and tell Bucky the same.” He gives me a slow nod of understand. “Bucky has been shot in the leg.” Again, he nods. “Good. I’m really sorry, but she’s going to help.” His eyes widen a fraction, and he understands what I mean.

“What do you mean, she?” Jasper asks.

“Nothing.” I spit at him.

“Who the fuck have you been in contact with?”

Your worst nightmare. “You took my phone, how could I be in contact with anyone?” You better be as good as you say you are, Nat. I need you to get us out of this.

The door slams shut and Jasper is dragging me back into the living room. “I think she might have called someone. Check her phone.”

Alexander holds my phone to my face and it unlocks with ease. He checks recent contact and messages but comes up short. “There’s nothing here since two days ago. Who did you call?”

“No one, clearly.”

He slaps me across the face. The sting burns down my throat and I hold back the tears that want to fall. “Let’s go. The plane to Thailand leaves in an hour, and I’m sure she’ll fetch a pretty penny. Send someone in to take care of James and Steve. I don’t want anything pinned to us. Make it look like an accident.”

I’m dragged out of the house and shoved into a car kicking and screaming. I only stop when they cover my head with a bag and press the cold steel of a gun to my head. When I get out of this, dad is going to pay with his life.

Next Chapter

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#bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #james buchanan barnes #james bucky barnes #captain america au #winter soldier #bucky barnes #bucky #bucky drabble #bucky imagine

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ramblingguy54 · 5 years

Note

26, 29, 30, 36?

*cracks knuckles*Alright, let’s do this.

26: The late Robin Williams & Hayao Miyazaki are two particular people in my life I’ve idolized for what happiness/imagination they’ve brought into others lives. Robin Williams untimely passing still hurts for me to look back on because this man made it his mission to bring so much joy into other peoples lives through his acting on the big screen, whether it was dramatic or comedic. That’s what I found the most impressive about Robin’s range in acting. He could be an over the top funny individual, but Robin’s acting chops were in a league of their own. Whether he was behind the microphone having the time of his life as Genie on Aladdin or giving a powerful dramatic performance on Good Will Hunting as Will’s therapist, I could feel the unconditional kindness. There was something about Robin’s acting power that would usually manage to reel me in. Even if I never knew him in real life, obviously, this man just radiated with so much kindness that I felt from his entire presence on screen. It’s seriously unfortunate what became of Robin Williams in the end with his unexpected death, but his legacy has inspired me to be kinder to others in real life. As for Hayao Miyazaki, this guy is a huge factor in why I got into loving anime related stuff all the more, as his creations in storytelling and the art itself for the movies were beyond unlike anything I still have yet to seen be topped quite frankly. It’s so easy for me to get emotionally lost in his films like My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Castle In The Sky, and Spirited Away. This man never ceases to amaze me with how usually impactful and in depth his films are. They’re so full life that it’s easy to lose sight of whats happening in the actual story at times. Mayazaki understood how to breathe a ton of humanity into creating such resonating works of fiction. Have a much greater appreciation for them in my adult years. There’s a reason why they inspired companies, like Pixar, to create immersive stories of their own.

29: Favorite films range from Zootopia, Wreck It Ralph, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, Aladdin (1992), The Secret Of NIMH, The Lion King (1994), The Incredibles, UP, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Inside Out, Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2, How To Train Your Dragon Trilogy, Toy Story 1-4, The Great Mouse Detective, Lilo & Stitch, The Emperors New Groove, A Goofy Movie, Good Will Hunting, The Fox And The Hound, The Land Before Time, The Brave Little Toaster, Frozen, Shrek 1 & 2, Coraline, Paranorman, Kubo And The Two Strings, The Muppets (2011), Princess Mononoke, Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, Summer Wars, Beauty and the Beast (1991), Winnie The Pooh (1977 & 2011 iterations.), The Peanuts Movie, The Princess And The Frog, The Jungle Book (2016), Scooby Doo On Zombie Island, Harry Potters’ 1-7, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, Wonder Woman, Sam Raimi’s Spiderman 1 & 2, The Black Panther, Thor & Thor Ragnorok, The Avengers, Avengers Infinity War & Endgame, Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, Captain America Trilogy, Iron Man Trilogy, Star Wars Episodes 4-8, and The Breakfast Club to stop this list from getting any longer. =P

30: Favorite TV shows range from Cowboy Bebop, Avatar The Last Airbender, Yu Yu Hakusho, Digimon Adventure 01 & Tamers, Teen Titans (2003), Batman The Animated Series, Ed, Edd,& Eddy, Samurai Jack, Courage The Cowardly Dog, The Powerpuff Girls (Screw that garbage reboot.), Chowder, Bojack Horseman, DuckTales (1987), DuckTales (2017), Gravity Falls, Code Geass (This series has shaky writing in a number of areas, but that ending was beautiful.), Amphibia, Steven Universe, Oban Star Racers, Made In Abyss, Stranger Things, Gargoyles, My Hero Academia, Naruto (I’ve got a soft spot for this series despite my MANY problems with its story later on.), Pokemon (Serious nostalgia overload!), Dragonball Z (My very first anime series I got into through the Toonami block. A real shocker I know. LOL!), Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, The Promised Neverland, Death Note, Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, Sonic SatAM, Talespin, Darkwing Duck, The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy, Robot Chicken, A Pup Named Scooby Doo, Kim Possible, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, and Fullmetal Alchemist (2003).

36: My three dream scenarios I’d like to fulfill?

1: Become A Voice Actor

Been interested in voice acting since I was a young teen, but have been in a conflicted state over these recent passing years in my life on whether or not I’d like to approach that route. There’s a lot of commitment I’d have to put into auditioning my butt off for roles I may or not get. Then comes the consistent practicing to keep my vocal chords in shape, so I don’t get rusty whatsoever. The industry for this kind of job can be hard to get recognized in too by how many other notable well known VA’s there are already. Not to mention, from what I’ve researched up on being a voice actor doesn’t bring in the money naturally, as it’s more of a passion job which that’s terrific and all, but if I want to partake in this profession I’ll have to juggle a job along with that which putting all those factors in my head honestly makes me intimidated. Ahhh well, it’s just something I’ll have to wait and see on if I can make that idea into a reality or not. No need to rush myself, of course.

2: Taking Up The Mantle Of Reviewing Shows & Films For A Living

Fiction, just like for many people, has been a great deal of helping me in my life moments of stress, solitude, depression, and anger. I’d love nothing more than to further express that to anyone out there in reviewing in great detail certain films or shows that I’ve come to love over these years in my life so far. Mostly for animation though, as its been a gateway for finding many gems of quality films or series. It never ceases to surprise me on how creative and powerful animation can be with its inventive ways of getting me to become an emotional mess. While I do enjoy live action series and films they pale in comparison to the beauty animation has brought into my life, since my early childhood of watching shows on Cartoon Network, Toon Disney, and Nickelodeon to a smaller degree. I’d like to think I’m good enough with how I present my reasons on why I feel so strongly connected to these stories showcasing characters trying to find hope in their own hard times. I try my hardest to take moments of my own life and find ways to connect it with whatever story I’m getting into next, so it can be all the more a special experience for myself. It’s important to put whatever character resonates with you most in their shoes for why you feel their emotional journey connecting with your own life on every conceivable level possible. That will make it when you write these kinds of reviews a very empowering read for others to feel either heard in their own feelings or simply giving others a new perspective to consider on this piece of fiction you’re discussing. Seeing some of my own particular analytical posts in the past here on Tumblr garner some attention from people gives me a boost of feeling better about potentially making this choice.

3: Starting A Family Of My Own…?

I can’t begin to tell ya how many times I’ve gone back and forth for getting married in the distant future to become a father has sped through my mind. On one hand, it scares the crap out of me to be taking up that big of a responsibility. However, on the other hand its deeply fascinated me emotionally of creating life through love for your significant other in starting your own family tree. I’d love to be able to raise kids of my own to pass on the lessons I’ve learned in life to make them become better people in the distant future, while showering them with unconditional love and affection. That would fill me up with such an indescribable joyous feeling to hear their own dreams and desires on what they want to accomplish in life. While I’d be a strict parent, I wouldn’t be a hard headed one quick to dismiss their own complaints if they had problems with how I handled things, once they start to get older. The kind of parent I’d want to be is an understanding open minded one who doesn’t judge their son or daughter for when they have an issue with me. Just because I’m a parent in that scenario doesn’t put me on a pedestal of immunity from criticism. Granted, I certainly don’t want to be a doormat for them to try taking advantage of either, but it’s also important to not let your parental role go to your head, too.

Although, I don’t plan on even trying to make this last dream of mine happen anytime soon. This is something that is MUCH later down the road that I wish to have happen. However, I won’t lie and say that I haven’t considered just staying content as a single guy for the rest of my life relying on close friends to bring me joy equivalent to this dream. While I adore the concept of creating life through love and being a father, there’s a shit ton of responsibility that comes with it. The life of a parent is not just putting your all into it. You gotta give more than just 100% when wanting to be a parent. It’s a serious test of your spiritual endurance, which I’m not sure is something I’ll ever have the courage to do, but then again things can change in life on the flip of a dime, so I’ll see how this all plays out for myself. Maybe I’ll stay happily single or I’ll happily be raising kids.

Gee, I wonder why this dream of being a parent resurfaced in my head recently this year? Oh yeah, it was thanks to this character here.

Seriously, Della Duck holds a real special place in my heart for making me feel these kind of feelings yet again. Darn you space mom! LOL.

Thanks for the ask, man.

#asks and answers #ask away #ask the rambler

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unfortunate-stranger-losers · 5 years

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Six Baudelaires AU, Part Two: Reference Guide

A quick guide for everything I intentionally referenced in The Six Siblings, Part Two: This Tale is All Sorrows and Woes.

{ao3} {tumblr} {part one reference guide}

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING - the plot twists from this section of the fanfiction will be discussed at length.

Without further ado…

Chapter One / Prologue - in which Lilac has to Older Sister

“Release Nick, you fiend!” Violet tackled Klaus to the ground, as both of her brothers burst into giggles. “Never! Nick’s my prisoner of war!” Klaus said, trying (and failing) to push her off.

Nick being the “captive” in the childrens’ game throughout the chapter is a bit of an obvious foreshadow to his captivity from Chapters 12-20... which meant it was really fun when none of you noticed until then and then tried to kill me. XD

A full reference of the books namedropped in the childrens’ game:

Violet and Nick’s kingdom, Terabithia, is from Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Their original characters, either Susan/Lucy and Peter/Edmund, are a reference to The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis.

Lilac and Klaus’s kingdom, Gwyntystorm, and their characters, Irene and Curdie, are from The Princess and the Goblin and its sequel, The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald.

Lilac says she thought Nick was Eragon, from The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, and Klaus says he was Aragorn, from The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. Nick’s suggestion for a new name, Glaedr, is also a character from The Inheritance Cycle. Nick finally decides to be Peter Pan, obviously from Peter Pan by JM Barrie.

“Naw, they definitely are.” Nick nodded. “When a new baby is born, one of the other children has to die. Everyone knows it.” [...] “Now, since it’s a girl maybe, they could take out one of them,” he gestured towards Violet and Lilac, “But you’re the most useless, Klaus, so-” [...] “But yeah. Babies suck and we should totally throw our sister off the roof.”

Direct reference to Addams Family Values (1993)

“Watch me.” Nick’s eyes lit up. “Wait, no, better plan. You guys remember Moses-”

Reference to the story of Moses, who was placed in a basket in a river as an infant.

Lilac quickly answered the phone, saying, “Baudelaire residence. This is Lilac Emily. To whom am I presently speaking?”

Lilac’s middle name is taken from her actress, Emily Browning.

“We’re sensible and proper!” Nick added.

A reference to S Theodora Markson’s catchphrase in All the Wrong Questions.

“What was that, Dad? No, no real ropes. Yeah, promise. We’ll go to bed on time, too. But you’ll all be back in the morning? Yeah, I know. Don’t open the windows.”

The Baudelaire parents don’t want to risk their children getting recruited.

“He said we have a new sister.” Lilac reported. “Solitude Theodora Baudelaire.”

A direct reference to S Theodora Markson.

“Can we make a blanket fort?” Klaus asked. “Like we used to?”

Much like the last prologue, this is a reference to the scene from the 2004 film.

Rest of the fic under the cut.

Chapter Two - in which the Baudelaires move into a nice Shack

As he stood, Nick turned to look at his brother, and after a second, he realized something. “Wait a minute.” he said. “Are you… taller than me?”

A reference to Louis Hynes’s growth spurt inbetween TMM and TAA in the Netflix series. (Though, fun fact, at this moment in time, Liam Aiken is currently taller than Louis Hynes, so I guess Nick eventually does end up taller.)

Violet groaned and stood, and Solitude said, “Winnie,” which meant, “We could have Babbitt judge; they’re good with numbers!”

A reference to the main character of Babbitt’s namesake, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

After a moment, Nick said, “I’ll give you a tip.” “Yes?” Nick smiled slightly. “There’s a book, about the mother of a girl who reminds me a lot of you, in that everyone thinks she is adorable and perfect. The mother gets scared when the girl’s classmate drowns on a field trip and her daughter steals something shiny off of him, and she then finds out that she has a very suspicious genealogy.”

Nick giving tips in the form of book recommendations is a reference to Lemony’s habit of doing the same thing to Pip and Squeak in All the Wrong Questions. This is a double reference, as Liam Aiken, Nick’s actor, read the audiobooks for ATWQ.

The book he is referencing is The Bad Seed by William March.

“Gah-ahc.” said Solitude, which meant, “Let’s sleep outside.”

One of Soli’s lines in the 2004 film.

Chapter Three - in which the Baudelaires make new friends

Sunny narrowed her eyes. “Armoracia,” she muttered, which meant something like, “That doesn’t sound right. Apples and Horseradish taste very differently.”

Early foreshadowing for Sunny’s cooking interest.

“I can get the windows,” Lilac said, “Should be an ordinary-enough pin-tumbler lock.”

The phase “ordinary enough pin-tumbler lock” is repeated a lot, as a reference to the second All the Wrong Questions book, When Did You See Her Last?

“Yeah, there’s no locks.” Duncan said. “Bonnie said that they fell off a few years ago and never got replaced.”

A reference to a main character from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken.

Chapter Four - in which Duncan and Isadora break into a Library

“See? Researcher. Like Klaus.” Nick said. Klaus narrowed his eyes at his twin, trying to figure out what Nick was on about. “Is that… really important?” “Yes.” Nick said, and failed to elaborate. [...] “I think Klaus and Duncan should take the fungus.” Violet said, sharing a look with Nick. “The rest of us can keep an eye out for that book.” “Why should we take the fungus?” Violet held back a smile and shrugged, but Klaus quickly figured out what was going on. His face went red, and he glared at her, but Duncan said, “I’m fine with that,” so all he could do was shrug and keep shooting his siblings dark looks.

Violet and Nick are trying to set Duncan and Klaus up, much to Lilac’s horror.

“Like a little cat.” Duncan said. “One of those feral ones that are super tiny.”

A reference to the world’s smallest cat, the Rusty-spotted cat.

“That doesn’t sound right, but I really don’t give a shit.” Nick shrugged. “We’ll find it, won’t we, Soli?”

A reference to a line from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode 5x03, “The Great Recession”, which later became a meme - “That doesn’t sound right, but I don’t know enough about stars to dispute it.”

Chapter Five - in which the children run amok at Prufrock Prep

“You’re lucky.” Isadora said, sitting on the edge of the roof and kicking her legs as she looked down at the dying grass fields. “Our parents’ estate’s executor doesn’t give a fuck until orphans are ‘in’, whatever the hell that means.”

As revealed in The Slippery Slope book, Esme was left in charge of the Quagmires’ estate.

Lilac giggled. “Yeah. Mom used to have [a necklace] just like it, except instead of these gear patterns, it had her initials. I always thought it was pretty, but she never let me wear it, so I learned how to make my own. She was… so proud.”

2004 Film Violet does indeed have a necklace throughout the entire film; I just added a backstory.

“Nick Liam Baudelaire, what the hell is that?” Lilac shouted.

Nick’s middle name is in reference to his actor, Liam Aiken.

“Marbeau,” said Sunny, meaning, “Maybe they’ve finally opened a daycare or toddler school.”

A reference to Firmin Marbeau, who pioneered a forerunner of modern daycare.

Chapter Six - in which the Baudelaires have Gym Class

“Tik,” said Sunny, meaning, “No! Typing and stapling is so hard when we’re tired!”

“Tik” spelled backwards is “Kit”, which, no, is not a reference to Kit Snicket, but Kit Kittredge, who famously carries a typewriter.

“Say goodbye to Nick, Solitude.” Lilac said, grabbing the toddler’s hand and dragging her to her feet.

Another bit of foreshadowing for Nick’s capture.

“Olil.” Sunny groaned. “Leave me alone to die.”

“Olil” spelled backwards is “Lilo”, as Sunny is directly quoting a line from Lilo & Stitch (2002).

“Speaking of which,” Carmelita said, “As this is the second message I gave you, I really deserve a tip at this point.” “There’s a book about what happens when you let a bunch of schoolchildren run around unsupervised,” Klaus said, “And it features a pig’s head on a stick.”

Once again, the book recommendation instead of a tip is an All the Wrong Questions reference.

Klaus is recommending Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Chapter Seven - in which Nick gets them all in Even More Trouble

“I’m just telling you what I was told to tell you.” Carmelita giggled. “And since this is my eleventh message, you’re overdue eleven tips.” “We gave you our tips.” Nick said, glaring at her. “But here’s today’s; there’s a book that was made into a popular film that is about a hound dog and a fox. In the book, at the end, the hound kills the fox.”

Once again, ATWQ reference with the tips.

The book he’s recommending is The Fox and the Hound by Daniel P Mannix; and, yes, that IS how the book ends. The Hound dies, too. You’re welcome for ruining your childhood.

“Klaus?” he sounded very uncharacteristically terrified. “Klaus? Are you okay?” Klaus, startled, quickly stumbled out, “Y-yeah, I’m fine…” as Lilac and Violet also jumped up, grabbing the infants, and the Quagmires hurried to their feet. “Did your glasses break?” “No, I’m-” “Are you hurt?” Nick pulled away from his slightly, his eyes moving fast as he scanned his brother.

While Nick’s PTSD worsens much later, the first signs of it start showing here; he’s still traumatized from Klaus’s hypnotism, which was always kicked off with him getting tripped and his glasses breaking.

“I wouldn’t say that.” said Nick, glaring down at the floor. He hadn’t looked anybody in the eye since he’d attacked Carmelita.

Nick isn’t ashamed of attacking Carmelita; he’s ashamed that he “overreacted” to something so minor. He doesn’t like admitting he needs help, which becomes a problem after his capture.

“We know what homeschooling is.” Violet said. “We were-”

In this continuity, the Baudelaires were homeschooled before the fire.

“Halloween, age nine,” Isadora said, “Was when we wanted to go as a certain family of six children. The problem being that there’re only three of us.”

A reference to The Brady Bunch.

“We know you’re not asking.” Isadora said, smiling. “We’re volunteering.”

whelp.

Chapter Eight - in which Lilac Snaps

No major references in this chapter.

Chapter Nine - in which the Baudelaires are given Fashion Lessons

They fell silent again, and then quietly, Lilac started to sing. She sang a song that was normally played very loud and energetic, but she gave it a slower melody, quietly soothing Sunny as they walked up and up the large staircase. It was a song about how everybody’s looking for something, and as they walked, listening to Lilac’s soft voice, they all really hoped that whoever was looking for the Quagmires would find them quickly.

A reference to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics, but more specifically, a reference to Emily Browning’s cover version.

“Ah, you’re very adventurous!” Jerome said. “Just like your mother. We were friends a ways back. We hiked up Mount Fraught with some friends- gosh, it must have been twenty years ago-” [...] “Hmm? Oh, no, just the Snickets and that Markson boy.” Lilac narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

“That Markson boy” is a reference to the theory that Bertrand Baudelaire was adopted by S Theodora Markson’s family. Lilac’s recognition is not of her father’s maiden name, but of “Snicket”, which she vaguely remembers from her childhood.

Chapter Ten - in which the In Auction is planned

Currently, the Baudelaires were spread out in the living room. Nick and Klaus were trying to read through a book on Emily Dickinson that they’d bought the other day, while Violet and Lilac were going through the newspaper, trying to find something interesting, or some news on the search for Count Olaf.

The Baudelaires miss the Quagmires so much they’ve accidentally picked up their habits; Emily Dickinson is a famous poet, and Violet and Lilac are reading the newspaper.

“She seems like the kind of person who’d try to set me up with some rich kid.” Nick said. “And I’m never getting married, not even when I’m older. I’m gonna live alone in the woods, and the only one who can come visit me is Soli.”

Nick is aromantic.

“Ihering!” Soli said, which meant something like, “I’ll live with you and we can raise reptiles in the woods!”

A reference to Hermann von Ihering, a zoologist.

The waiter nodded. “I didn’t realize this was a sad occasion.” [...] “Did you say-?” Lilac began.

The waiter is a VFD agent; once again, Lilac vaguely recognizes the code phrase.

Chapter Eleven - in which Klaus finds an Ersatz Elevator

“I’m not going to let us chase red herrings!” Lilac shouted back, hurt.

Dark foreshadowing to the red herring statue.

“Solitude is,” Nick said, moving past him to find a pencil and paper, “Sunny is the albatross that curses us.” “Doom!” Sunny cheered.

A reference to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

“It worked.” Violet smiled. “We never expected otherwise.” Klaus said.

A reference to the line from “The Bad Beginning: Part One” in the Netflix series.

Chapter Twelve - in which the Baudelaires fall

“Not so bad.” Solitude muttered. Then, she said, “Radec,” which meant, “Just think of it as a ride, instead of an actual fall.”

“Radec” spelled backwards is “Cedar”; a lowkey reference to Cedar Point.

“No, we’re going to make a lockpick.” Lilac said. “Flamethrower’s too volatile. Besides, I don’t trust you with it.”

“Too volatile” is a reference to the phrase being used in The Grim Grotto.

She spun on her heel, exiting out a door behind them. As she did, Nick said, “Should I go after her and tell her the kitchen was out the other door?”

Esme went to call Olaf and the henchpeople, instead of going to the kitchen.

“Yeet Babbitt.” Solitude suggested.

A reference to the vine/meme.

They had to walk through a parlor to get to the door, and as they did, Nick stopped a moment, glancing at the phone. It didn’t look broken. “Hey, guys?” he called, but they didn’t hear him, so he started to run to catch up.

Nick started to run to catch up; he never did, because that’s when one of Olaf’s henchpeople grabs him.

And then, with a swish, there was a thump, thump, thump, and the Baudelaires stopped falling.

Only three thumps- because Klaus and Lilac were carrying the toddlers, and Nick didn’t fall, only three kids hit the net.

“Nhojnod!” Sunny shouted. “You bastard!”

“Njohnod” is “Don John” spelled backwards, a reference to the character from Much Ado About Nothing, who is a bastard in both the legal and ethical use of the term.

Chapter Thirteen - in which Sunny crawls up an elevator shaft

“Sunday Theodora Baudelaire!” Lilac shouted. “You get back down here right now!”

Sunny’s middle name, “Theodora”, is once again a reference to S Theodora Markson; even after her death, she’s still confusing people about what the S stood for.

Sunny sighed and turned slightly towards them, calling out, “Salvo!” which probably meant something like, “I’m going to go get us some rope and see if I can find Nick! I’ll be back soon!”

“Salvo” is a Latin verb, meaning “to save.”

Sunny bit her lip and shook her head. “Appentier,” she said, meaning, “He’s not in the penthouse, at least from what I saw.”

“Appentier” is a french word from which “penthouse apartment” is derived.

“Kim?” Sunny asked, meaning, “Wait, we get leeway for being kidnapped?”

“Kim” is the name of the girl who is kidnapped in the film Taken (2008).

Solitude glanced at her in confusion. “Greywater?” “Yes, Soli,” Violet said, “A word which here means, ‘basically piss and shit.’”

A reference to a line from IT: Chapter One (2017).

Chapter Fourteen - in which Some Children are sold at auction

“You’d be surprised what’s legal and what’s not, actually.” Esme said. “For instance, in our society, cannibalism is legal, but religiously frowned upon-”

A reference to the only ASOUE canon that matters, the Real-Time Fandub. (part one, part two)

“Very interesting.” Olaf said. “And I suppose you think that your dear sister Lilac will take care of you then?”

Olaf is taunting Nick here, as he’s about to drop quite a lot of secrets to him, but mainly that Lilac is his half-sister.

Notably, Nick is the only Baudelaire not present in this header image.

Chapter Fifteen - in which Nobody’s having a good time

No major references in this chapter.

Chapter Sixteen - in which Lilac has a bad plan

For sapphires and fortunes we are held in here. Only you can end our fear.

Isadora’s poems are ever-so-slightly different in this AU, due to Nick’s presence.

The addition of and fortunes indicates that Nick is still with them.

Until dawn comes, we cannot speak speak. No voices come from this sad beak.

“voices” is more specific than “words can”; Nick has already started to go nonverbal due to his trauma, and Duncan and Isadora are unable to yell through the statue.

Chapter Seventeen - in which the Village makes a Big Mistake

But as she passed the Baudelaires, her hand slipped, and the man turned and met Lilac’s eyes. He stared for a moment, as if he realized with a shock he recognized her from somewhere. Then, he said, very quietly, “The world is quiet here.”

Jacques is realizing that Lilac has Lemony’s eyes; if he hadn’t realized before she was his niece, he does now. He tries to signal her with a VFD codephrase.

“Now,” Lilac said, “We will need full access to all your inventing materials.” “And I’ll need blueprints of the uptown jail.” Klaus said. “Dead fly.” said Solitude.

While this is an obvious reference to Soli wanting to feed Babbitt, it is also a reference to a similar request made by Wednesday Addams in the 1964 sitcom The Addams Family, episode 1x10, “Wednesday Leaves Home.”

The first thing you read contains our clues: An initial way to speak to you.

“Our clues”, once again, signals that Nick is still with the Quagmires.

Chapter Eighteen - in which Count Olaf was not murdered

No major references in this chapter.

Chapter Nineteen - in which the Twins get a Birthday Present

“You won’t keep Nick.” Lilac added. “He’ll get away from you, and the Quagmires, too! We’re never going to give up, and neither are they!” “Baudelaires don’t give up!” Solitude shouted. Olaf just smiled. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

Nick’s trauma has already caused him to shut down completely, and Olaf knows this.

Inside these letters the eye will see Nearby are your loved ones and the VFD

Nick and the Quagmires are still together.

Chapter Twenty - in which Sunny drives a Firetruck

“Nick, hey.” Isadora slowly pulled away from Violet and Lilac and stepped closer to the fountain, her voice very soft. “Your siblings found us. We were right. They found us.”

The Quagmires aren’t as traumatized as Nick; they’ve learned how to avoid the wrath of their captors, and have complete faith that the Baudelaires will save them. Nick’s been tortured and told quite a lot of things that temporarily broke him.

Duncan and Isadora shared a glance, and to the Baudelaires’ surprise, Nick flinched and also shared the triplets’ look. “Well, that’s not a surprise.” Duncan said. “He was the brother of a man who-”

Duncan, Isadora and Nick all know about Jacques Snicket, his relationship to Lemony, and Lemony’s relationship to Lilac.

Nick was backing away from the fence, eyes wide, gripping onto Solitude so hard his knuckles were white. Isadora ran forwards, and Lilac realized then that he was shaking uncontrollably. “Nick, Nick, it’s okay!” Isadora said. She reached forwards, grabbing his face. “Look at me! Look at me! Duncan-” Duncan ran over, putting a hand on Nick’s shoulder, as Nick said, “They’re going to find us. They’re going to catch us. They’re going to find us-”

A lot of Nick’s trauma came from punishments after he attempted to escape, so he goes into a panic whenever they’re about to be caught.

At that moment, Solitude pushed Babbitt onto Nick’s shoulder and said, “Hold this!” She immediately started running, jumping over Lilac and crawling through the window and onto the seat beside Sunny. Then she slid to the floor and jumped on the gas pedal, causing them to take off again.

A reference to Pip and Squeak from All the Wrong Questions, who drove their taxi in a similar way.

Klaus stared back, and then his gaze hardened, and his siblings had never seen him look so furious. “I’m going to kill them.” Klaus vowed, and he meant it. “I’m going to kill them, Nick.” Nick’s eyes widened, and for several seconds, he looked like he physically could not process what his brother had just said.

A running joke up to this point was that Nick would suggest murder and Klaus would remind him that was illegal; after seeing his brother in such a state of shock and fear, this gag drops as Klaus decides Olaf and his troupe have to die.

Chapter Twenty-One - in which Nick is not feeling great

Meanwhile, Klaus was leaning against the wall, with Nick leaning onto his shoulder, curled up so he could be as close to his brother as possible. He had his eyes shut, but Lilac knew he wasn’t asleep; she didn’t think he’d slept at all.

A symptom of severe trauma is the loss of sleep, either because of nightmares, or fear of what could happen while in such a defenseless position. This will be explored in Part Three.

Nick bit his lip, and then nodded and said, “I-I’m sorry-”

Nick’s gotten over the initial shock of his rescue, and he’s starting to regret breaking down and starting to hate being so obviously traumatized.

“Wait, Li…” Nick paused. “Can I… can I talk to you?” “Of course.” Lilac said softly. Nick glanced from Klaus to Violet to the toddlers. “Alone?”

Nick has decided it’s Lilac’s right to know she has a different (possibly living?) biological dad than the rest of them, but he also knows it’s her decision who else she wants to know, hence why he wants to tell her alone.

Nick looked up at Klaus, and said, “I-I…” he shut his eyes. “I thought I heard… no, no, I must’ve… I thought I heard her, but… I had to… she wouldn’t… have found us this fast…”

Esme and Olaf were Nick’s main tormentors; they trigger his panic attacks more than the presence of the rest of the troupe.

“No! No, don’t leave!” Nick shouted, leaping forwards and grabbing Klaus’s arm.

Nick is absolutely terrified of isolation/abandonment, especially in enclosed spaces.

“Never!” Klaus pushed Nick farther, incredibly terrified by just how quiet his brother was.

Nick was punished a lot for “backtalking” his captors, so when he’s around Olaf and Esme, he almost never speaks.

Chapter Twenty-Two - in which the Baudelaires break into a Hospital

“Dimidium,” Sunny said, which meant, “Well, it’s only half a hospital.”

“Dimidium” is a Latin noun, meaning “half.”

“We could kick down the door.” Lilac suggested. Then, she gave Nick a small smile. “Remember, Nick? When you were locked in the closet and wanted Mom to kick down the door?”

A reference to a previous one-shot for the Six Baudelaires AU.

“Do you think that’ll have the information we need?” Violet asked. Nick flinched again, and then he said, “Um-”

Nick heard the word “Snicket”, and immediately assumes the worst- that it’ll out Lilac to the rest of their siblings.

Chapter Twenty-Three - in which Solitude steals some shit

Nick still didn’t respond, and Violet’s voice broke. “You have to remember. You couldn’t have been younger than… six or seven. Mother and Father were so mad, when they found us I thought they were going to explode… but you weren’t even upset, I cried but you just said you’d… you’d heard some kind of animal cry, and you thought it might need help, and I was the only one awake to help you… they got even madder, told you you should’ve stayed with them, but you didn’t see anything wrong, and… Nick, please tell me you remember that…”

An animal cry is a signal from VFD recruiters to prompt the children to say the codephrase that begins recruitment. The Baudelaire parents don’t want their children recruited, and were terrified to wake up and find their children gone on a night that they could have been kidnapped.

Violet carefully pulled the scraps from her pocket, spreading them out in front of her, while Klaus turned to Nick. “Did they tell you anything?” he asked. “While you were… with them? About VFD, or this whole ‘Snicket’ thing, or Olaf?” Nick didn’t look anyone in the eye. “There wasn’t… much time to chat. I only… Lilac, can we talk?”

Pretty much all of Nick’s pleas for Lilac to talk to her are brought on when Snicket is mentioned.

Nick pulled away, scratching at his arm, “That’s not…”

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: IMPLIED SELF HARM

Nick’s arm scratches are a tic he picked up during his captivity; he starts to scratch whenever his captors are mentioned, to keep himself alert. This will be discussed and resolved in Part Three.

Nick looked sharply up at her and said, “Mom stole from Esme. She wouldn’t give a shit.”

Nick knows about the theft of the sugar bowl, as well as the Opera Night. (which are separate incidents, fuck you Netflix.) He’s very pissed at his parents for keeping vital information from them.

Chapter Twenty-Four - in which Violet makes a decision

They went to the Js. Then, quietly, Nick said, “Can we go to the L cabinets?” “Why?” Lilac asked. Nick glanced towards his siblings, and then away. “Just a guess.” Lilac shrugged directed them to the Ls, and Nick flipped through one drawer, eyes narrowed. Then he shook his head. “Nothing here.”

He’s looking under both “Lemony” and “Lilac.”

Nick paused. “I mean… we don’t have to- to watch it right away.” [...] “Li, please,” he said, “Can we talk? Just outside, just the two of us, there’s something-”

Nick wants to be able to tell Lilac about the whole “Lemony Snicket” thing before they can risk having her find out from the file.

“I did.” Jacques nodded. “I managed to contact-”

He managed to contact Quigley.

“We’ll find them.” Lilac swore. “Are you okay?” “Yeah.” “Are you scared?” “I’m scared you won’t let me make a flamethrower and turn it on that bitch.”

A reference to this incorrect quote, which is, of itself, a reference to a line from the television show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, episode 3x10, “Yippie Kayak.”

Still no response. Lilac looked around in terror, her hand flying to her necklace. “Violet Malina Baudelaire! You get the fuck out here!”

Violet’s middle name is taken from her actress, Malina Weissman.

Chapter Twenty-Five - in which Lilac breaks down

“I’m not…” Lilac sniffled. “I’m not like you.” Nick froze. “What does that mean?” “You all are so close.” Lilac shut her eyes. “You and Solitude, you and Klaus, you and Violet, Violet and Klaus, Klaus and Sunny, Solitude and Sunny… all of you. You’re all each others’ best friends. None of you care about me like that. [...] I just… feel like… like there’s this wall between us. That we can’t see, but we can’t cross. And I can see you all… you all together. And I just… can’t be like that. Cause I have to be responsible? Cause I’m the oldest? Cause… cause I just can’t be loved?” “Li!” Nick put a hand on her cheek, turning her towards him. “Li, we do love you. You’re our big sister! You’re our sister! You are our family! Sure, we pick on you, but not because we hate you! We all love you, too!”

This is why Nick doesn’t take the opportunity to tell her about her heritage; he wants to wait for a moment where the information won’t give her more anxiety, or make her think she’s somehow less family.

Nick paused a moment, and then he leaned his head on her shoulder, shut his eyes, and said, “They fuck you up, your Mom and Dad. [...] They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had, then add some extra, just for you.” Lilac stiffened for a second, and then carefully put an arm around Nick. “Where… where’d you learn that?” “The Library.” Nick lied.

Nick is quoting “This Be the Verse” by Philip Larkin, which is later quoted by Olaf in “The End.” He learned the poem during his captivity.

“Nick.” Lilac wiped her eyes, and then put her hands on his. “It’s okay to… to talk about what happened to you.” Nick bit his lip. “That’s…” “I’ve been busy, yes, but I’ve also been scared. Scared that I’ll… I’ll hear something that makes everything worse.” Lilac’s eyes darted to the ground a moment, before going back up to Nick. “But I’ll listen. I want to hear you. I want you to tell me.”

TRIGGER WARNING: CSA MENTION

Lilac has been avoiding Nick in fear that he’ll explain what he suffered under Olaf. While she knows learning the details can help her better protect her brother, she is terrified that she won’t be able to handle it, and she’s completely terrified he might have been sexually assaulted, seeing as Olaf threatened to do that to Violet specifically to punish Lilac, and he had Nick under his control for a while.

Nick smiled at her. “You can do anything, sis.”

Nick knows she’s biologically his half-sister, but he wants to make completely sure she knows he will always consider her his sister and his family, and nothing can change that.

Chapter Twenty-Six - in which Klaus impersonates a Doctor

Nick flinched. “You want to be like him?”

Something to note: After his capture, Nick never refers to Olaf or Esme by their names; just him or her.

Nick took a deep breath. “These vents are a lot bigger than I thought, but, um… they’re still pretty cramped.” Solitude shrugged. Of course it didn’t seem cramped to her, she was only a little over two feet tall. “I was just… I’m not sure I like how small it is.”

Nick’s claustrophobia, gained from being trapped in a red herring, a statue, and possibly other small spaces inbetween, is starting up.

“Doctor Howser.” Lilac said in an austrailian accent, thinking very fast. “We’re going to perform surgery soon.”

A reference to Doogie Howser, MD, which starred a young Neil Patrick Harris, who played Olaf in the Netflix series.

“Since when could you do an Austrailian accent?” “You don’t know everything about me.” Lilac scanned the list.

Lilac’s actress, Emily Browning, is Australian.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - in which the Baudelaires jump out a window

Nick had placed Solitude onto the ground and now held Violet by the shoulders, shaking her slightly as he shouted. “What did they do to you, Vi? Vi, what did they do?”

Nick knows exactly what could have happened to Violet in captivity, so he’s completely and utterly panicked.

“I’m with Klaus.” Nick said shakily. “We go together or not at all.”

A reference to the track “Together or Not at All” from Doctor Who, by Murray Gold.

Chapter Twenty-Eight - in which the Baudelaires visit a Carnival

No major references in this chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Nine - in which Solitude finally morphs into a reptile

“Well, if they…” Nick shut his eyes. “We just… better get there before they drink too much, that’s all.”

Nick has had experience with the troupe while drunk, and would rather attempt to speak with them before it goes too far.

“Well, then,” Lulu said, stepping forwards and looking a bit confused, “What exactly are you, please?” “You can call me Babydoll.” Lilac said.

A very clear reference to the character that Emily Browning played in Sucker Punch (2011).

Surprisingly, the henchpeople looked a little startled at that, as did Lulu, but Esme laughed. “Sounds like my kind of girl!” she said. “I drowned an ex once. So did you, dear, right?” Olaf was taking another swig of wine, so they couldn’t exactly see his reaction.

Olaf “drowning an ex” is a reference to the Netflix show canon, where he left Georgina Orwell under a bridge to drown.

His reaction being hidden is because, for obvious reasons, he doesn’t quite want to talk about murdered parents.

“Well, I’m Elliot,” Klaus said, “And this is my other head, Janus.”

Janus was a Roman god with two faces.

“And that down there,” Lilac said, pointing her thumb at Solitude, “Is our little pet gorgon. We call ‘er Euryale, cause her actual name is just a buncha hisses.”

Euryale was one of Medusa’s sisters in Greek Mythology.

Chapter Thirty - in which the Baudelaires put on a show

But as they started to leave, they heard a low rumble, and Nick immediately grabbed onto Klaus’s arm and let out a nervous gasp that was, thankfully, missed in the noise.

Nick recognizes the sound of Olaf’s car.

Chapter Thirty-One - in which the Baudelaires play fortune teller

“Or maybe,” Nick said, very quietly, keeping his eyes shut tight, “They were told not to find us.”

Nick learned a lot about VFD during his captivity, including their recruitment. He’s worried that their surviving parent may be ready to give them up to the organization.

Nick grabbed a selection of paper, staring curiously, and then he quickly tried to shove it back, but Klaus’s eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of it, and he grabbed it from his brother.

Nick, once again, sees the name “Snicket” and assumes the worst.

Chapter Thirty-Two - in which the Baudelaires are asked to murder

“No, thank you.” Esme said, looking down a Sunny and frowning. “I’m afraid I don’t like cinnamon in chocolate anymore, the woman who introduced it to me recently perished in a fire. But it’s very kind of you to offer.”

The Baudelaires received their taste for cinnamon in hot chocolate from their mother.

“Sounds good.” Kevin said. “I’ve committed crimes before. Why, when I was no older than Elliot and Janus-”

A reference to the theory that Kevin from ASOUE is the same as Kevin Old from File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents, who committed vandalism and thievery.

Chapter Thirty-Three - in which someone is pushed to the lions

“I’m sure you are.” Olaf smirked, and he reached forwards and put a cold hand on Nick’s cheek. Nick tried very hard not to cry, but he wasn’t succeeding very well. “Now go jump into that pit. We want to see you devoured by lions.”

Olaf, who knows that the freaks are the Baudelaires, specifically picked Klaus and Nick to sacrifice to the lions specifically to torment Nick more; he knows what effect he has on him, and is relishing it. Once the boys are gone, they can grab the rest of the Baudelaires and escape.

“I wish we had a cartographer with us.” Violet sighed.

A reference to the next book, where Violet will have a relationship with Quigley, a cartographer.

Chapter Thirty-Four / Epilogue - in which they should have said something

“Come on.” Bertrand said, taking Violet’s hands and spinning her as she giggled. “It’s Duke Ellington. That’s your fav, Li.”

A reference to All the Wrong Questions.

“What song is this?” Violet asked. Beatrice smiled over at Soli, who was curled up on Nick’s lap, biting his sweater. “It’s got a very special name, isn’t that right, dear?” Solitude giggled.

“Solitude”, by Duke Ellington, likely Ellington’s song in All the Wrong Questions.

“Dashiell if it’s a boy,” Bertrand replied, “Sunny if it’s a girl.”

“Dashiell” after Dashiell Qwerty from All the Wrong Questions.

“We could adopt one of the outdoors animals.” Nick suggested. Beatrice and Bertrand turned to look at him. “The what?” Bertrand asked. “I keep hearing animals outside my window, every now and again.” Nick shrugged. “Howling or yipping or sometimes breaking a branch. Maybe if we brought them into the house, they wouldn’t get in so much trouble.”

Recruitment attempts that have not been working, because Beatrice and Bertrand refuse to let their children join VFD.

She turned to a selection of beach photos, slowly pulling out a small picture of baby Lilac, sitting on Briny Beach. It hadn’t been the first time she’d seen the ocean, but she’d still been so excited to splash in the water.

Since Lilac was born eleven months before Violet, it’s likely she was born on the island.

#asoue #asoue netflix #asoue movie #a series of unfortunate events #six baudelaires au #six baudelaires bonus #six baudelaires official fic #six baudelaires reference guide #mine

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monabela · 5 years

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@aphyuriweek2019? @aphyuriweek2019! This is the first semi-substantial thing I’ve written since like February or something... Medieval lesbians! It’s for the prompt historical, though it’d also work for family I guess. It’s sort of important. Whatever the case, I won’t pretend it’s totally historically accurate if only because it’s set in a fake country and also I’ve been watching Merlin again. So there you have it, but at least I now know all the courtesy titles for nobility.

as I am

pairings/characters: Belgium (Manon)/Hungary (Erzsébet), Netherlands (Maarten), Czechia (Kveta), Estonia (Eduard), Finland (Tuomi)

word count: 6730 summary: Erzsébet is about to meet her promised husband, a marquess from far away, but it turns out his sister is far more interesting than the man himself. It might not be smart, but that’s never stopped Erzsébet before.

“My Lady!”

There is a slam on the doors of her chambers, because Erzsébet’s maidservant is a terrible woman without a sense of propriety, and Erzsébet grunts when she comes in to throw open the window shutters.

“My Lady. The envoy will be arriving soon.”

“You think I’m not aware, Kveta?” She sits up in her bed, sighs, and swings her legs to the ground.

“I wouldn’t presume to know what you’re aware of, My Lady.”

Erzsébet narrows her eyes at Kveta while she lays out her breakfast and her clothes. The gown is, of course, one of her best, with layers upon layers of green velvet and brocade, and laces she’ll have to ask one of the other maids to loosen at some point during the day after Kveta does them up.

It’s already a busy affair around the castle; Erzsébet rushes through a throng of servants and knights to get to the hall while Kveta trails behind, pretending to be useless as always. (Apart from the continued insolence, she’s a good servant, but Erzsébet doesn’t think today will be a good day so she deserves to be snappy.)

“Erzsébet!” her brother greets with a smile. He’s tall as ever, decked out in green as well, and is even wearing a cloak with their house’s crest on it in silver and black.

“You look like an idiot,” Erzsébet informs him. He blinks, light eyes on her.

“I come all the way back home to see you off and this is what I get?”

She smiles despite herself. It’s good of Eduard to come—see her off—but she does think he’s missed how much she really doesn’t want to go. He did, of course. Want to leave, that is, because he got to have his own land, and marry one of the princesses. As long as King Ivan continues not having children, any children Eduard has are in line for the throne. Erzsébet, meanwhile…

The trumpets sound. For a second, she hopes that they’re announcing the arrival of her youngest brother, Tuomi, but that’s quickly dashed when a page sprints into the hall and yells, “The Marquess of Baselot is arriving!”

Erzsébet’s parents will presumably already be out on the steps to greet the visiting nobility, so she sighs again, as much as the dress will allow her, rights her shoulders, and goes there as well, Eduard next to her.

They watch while the envoy comes up the bridge and across the courtyard. It’s not too large. According to the messages, the marquess will bring only his sister, some lower nobility, and some servants from Baselot.

Erzsébet’s mother gently squeezes her arm when the little procession has reached the bottom of the steps to the main entrance and halts, the marquess holding up a hand in front to signal a stop. He rode himself rather than being in one of the carriages, which Erzsébet will take as a good omen, a sign that the man is not completely useless by himself, and may not be useless as her husband.

Her father, the Duke of Ungrica, greets the man on the steps while servants rush all around, getting the horses, the luggage, and Erzsébet is trying very hard not to look at the marquess, which is why she notices when the door of the first carriage is opened. Curiously, she keeps watching to see what the Lady Baselot looks like—if she’s as tall as her brother, who is even taller than Eduard, if she holds herself with the same confidence.

The answer to both those questions appears to be yes.

The woman is decked out in shades of red and yellow, with light brown hair tucked into an elaborate adornment on her head that has multiple pearls stitched on. Baselot is by the sea, of course, so pearls might be common there. She catches Erzsébet looking, and Erzsébet inclines her head, a gesture that is returned with a small, curving smile.

“Manon of Baselot,” Kveta hisses from behind her.

Of course.

This is why she keeps Kveta; she never forgets anything even when Erzsébet got distracted halfway through and stopped listening.

“My Lady,” someone is saying right in front of Erzsébet now, and she quickly snaps her attention back to the marquess, now close to her at the top of the steps.

She curtsies hastily, feeling ridiculous because her father is the duke and mostly people bow for her. (She’s technically supposed to curtsy to Eduard now, but she taught him how to read, so that’s not happening.)

“My Lord,” she returns. She probably remembers his name. It seems rather dumb to have forgotten her future husband’s name, after all. Did it sound similar to his sister’s—ah, yes, of course. Maarten. Maarten the marquess.

He is handsome, really. At least she remembered that right from that one time she’s seen him before, years ago when his late father visited and he had come along as his squire.

It could have been worse, she has been telling herself. Tells herself again as the company make their way inside, where all the servants have mysteriously disappeared into the shadows as they always do when the duke is around. Maarten could have been thrice her age, rather than only ten or so summers her senior. Baselot could have been one of the swampy counties by the lakes in the middle of the kingdom. Her father could have made her marry him when she was years younger.

Really, the only problem with the whole affair is that she just… Doesn’t want to marry. Tuomi doesn’t either, she suspects, but he’s probably going to get away with it, being the youngest son and with Eduard having got them into the Royal Family. Erzsébet knows she doesn’t have that luxury. She understands. That doesn’t mean she has to like it.

Once everyone is in the great hall and seated at the tables—the marquess at her father’s left hand and Eduard (Earl of Jarva) at the right—the steward announces a musician, and food is served.

“Hey, remember to leave some for me,” Kveta says when she leans over to attend to Erzsébet.

“Shut up,” she hisses in reply, although she can’t stop a laugh from escaping.

And then Lady Baselot, sitting next to her, stifles a laugh as well, surprisingly. Erzsébet quirks her eyebrows at the woman, who shakes her head and turns to eat, biting her lower lip.

She is very beautiful as well, Erzsébet thinks. She’s blushing a little, coloring her round cheeks, and the colors of her dress bring out the gold in her hair. Erzsébet turns towards her. Might as well talk to her future sister-in-law.

“Did you have a good journey, My Lady?”

Manon turns to her and smiles. “Quite alright. We’re not used to the mountains, but we had no difficulties. It’s beautiful along the way.”

There’s a melodious quality to her voice that Erzsébet doesn’t think is a Baselot accent, but sounds very light and interesting. Her eyes are green.

“That’s good to know. If you’d like, we could go riding tomorrow. I don’t imagine they have much need of us here.” And, when Kveta groans ostentatiously behind her, “Please excuse my maidservant, she was raised by feral dogs.”

Manon lets out a surprised laugh at that while Kveta gasps indignantly.

“Well, I’d love to go out, My Lady.”

“Please, Erzsébet is fine. We’ll be sisters, won’t we?”

Lady Baselot cocks her head. “That’s true.” The interesting, almost mischievous curl is back to her lips, and Erzsébet smiles again.

Most of the afternoon is spent listening to various men talk about politics, only interrupted when Tuomi arrives, announced as Lord Ungrica so absurdly loudly that Kveta swears audibly, which makes Manon laugh another time.

Erzsébet doesn’t even get a chance to speak to her wayward youngest brother until everyone starts leaving the hall to prepare for dinner. There is a feast being organized, of course, in honor of the delegation from Baselot.

“How are you finding your betrothed?” Tuomi asks, while one of his servants starts busily gossiping with Kveta as if they aren’t there and Eduard waves, trying to make his way over.

“I have barely spoken to him,” she replies, rolling her eyes. And, as Eduard reaches them, “Eduard, did you speak to your wife at all before you were wedded?”

“Me?” He thinks for a moment, righting his hat on his pale hair. “Yes, I did, but the king was always hovering. It was a bit intimidating, to be honest. Should we hover over you while the marquess is here?”

“Oh, please don’t. If anything, as the older sibling, I should have hovered with King Ivan.”

Eduard pulls a face. Tuomi laughs. He looks good. Healthy, with color on his cheeks and his sandy hair longer than when he left last time. Erzsébet reminds him he needs to tell them of his adventures soon, but then quickly rushes to her chambers to prepare for the feast.

“Weren’t you having a good time with Lady Baselot,” Kveta comments while she straps her into another dress, this one a lighter green.

“Well, it’s good to have a confidante there, I think. She isn’t married, is she?”

Kveta huffs. “Not anymore.”

“Oh?” Erzsébet turns to her, intrigued. “Is this something I should have known?”

A vague hand wave. “Why know things when I can know them for you, My Lady? She was Countess of the Isle of Karja. The earl died shortly after their marriage, and Baselot found a way for her title to transfer to her younger brother. They are very good at that sort of thing over there.”

That’s unconventional, but very smart. It’s no secret that the Mark of Baselot is more powerful than it reasonably should be (one of the reasons Erzsébet’s father would choose for her to marry its marquess) but she supposes it’s less prowess in battle and more clever political thinking. She’s never been very good at that sort of thing, herself, but thinks it’s impressive how the nobility are always pulling the wool over each other’s eyes left and right.

“How did the earl die? Please, Kveta, not so damn tight.”

“Now, that’s the real question.” She tightens the laces further. “My Lady, you’re ready for the feast.”

“I’m so glad you’re coming to Baselot with me,” Erzsébet mutters. “I wouldn’t miss you for the world.”

The marquess is waiting outside her chambers to accompany her down to the hall. They exchange stilted pleasantries.

“I saw that you were getting along with my sister,” Maarten says while they walk through the drafty corridors. The sun is setting, and through the battlements, the light casts sharp shadows on his face that make him look older than he is. His eyes are the same color as Manon’s.

“She is good company, My Lord.”

“I’m glad. Manon is important to me.”

Erzsébet nods, folding her hands across the front of her skirts.

“I told her I might show her around tomorrow. By your leave, I could take her riding and explore some of Ungrica before we leave for Baselot.”

The marquess smiles, rather unexpectedly (he seems serious and staunch, from what she’s seen of him) and stops walking.

“Erzsébet—My Lady—we aren’t married yet, you don’t need my permission. I do not intend to keep you locked away from the world, let alone from my sister. Spend your remaining time here as you’d like.”

She takes a deep breath, or attempts to, and bows her head to hide the grin from her soon-to-be husband. It might not be so bad.

“Thank you, My Lord. Maarten.”

His eyebrows quirk minutely (there is a thin but prominent scar running just into the highest point of one of them, she notices) but he doesn’t seem to mind being called by his name. She’ll take that as another good omen.

At the feast, they are seated apart again, but Manon is next to Erzsébet once more, so it’s quite alright. They agree to ride out in the morning, if the weather permits.

“I do look forward to it,” Manon says with a smile, while her eyes glimmer in the candlelight in the hall. Erzsébet can’t help but smile back, and she’s probably looking forward to it a bit too much, but that’s for her only to know.

Kveta nags her as she goes to bed because Kveta doesn’t like riding, and it will be her last day at Ungrica too.

“Who said you were coming?”

Erzsébet’s maidservant stops, her mouth still open.

“Your father won’t let you go on your own, certainly not with Lady Baselot.”

“We’ll ask Tuomi to come. I’ll just need you to prepare some food and tell the stables to ready the horses, and then you can have the day off. I’m sure you have other people to annoy.”

That gets her a flat look, although Kveta curtsies at the same time.

“I’m ever so grateful, My Lady.”

“Oh, get out of my room.” Erzsébet shoos her away, pulls her covers up, and falls asleep nearly instantly. She dreams of her wedding, and that Baselot is an island floating in the sky over Ungrica like a storm cloud.

It’s about to fall down when she is woken by a rather chipper Kveta, and after eating the breakfast she’s brought and being hoisted into a more comfortable dress fit for riding, Erzsébet wanders down to Tuomi’s chambers. Well, the chambers where he lived growing up and now stays in when he’s at the castle, which isn’t very often these days. She does miss him.

Although grumpy about being woken on his first day back, Tuomi agrees to come down and accompany Erzsébet and Manon into the mountains.

By the time Erzsébet is in the courtyard, the place is already bustling with activity. She greets people left and right, from minor nobles to young squires, helps a woman catch an escaped chicken, and buys a few apples from a merchant on his way to the lower town. The people of Ungrica are used to her milling about. That will be different in Baselot.

When she reaches the stables, she feeds some of her favorite horses the apples before finally meeting Kveta and the stable boy on duty, who are both talking to Tuomi and Manon.

“Oh, look who it is,” Kveta says, rolling her eyes. The stable boy bows.

“Feral dogs,” Erzsébet reminds Manon. “Good morning. I hope you’ll find my brother a good escort.”

“We’ve met,” Manon replies. “I have no doubts.”

Since Kveta is already trying to shuffle away, the three of them decide to leave quickly. Tuomi rides in front, on a different horse than the one he rode in on yesterday—and that wasn’t his old mare either. While the path still allows it, Erzsébet keeps her horse next to Manon’s. It looks unfamiliar, so it must be one of Baselot’s.

“I hope you slept well,” she says.

“It was fine.” A shrug of shoulders draped in a red cloak. “I never sleep well away from home.”

Swallowing, Erzsébet nods.

“Neither do I. Tell me about Baselot.”

Manon looks over at her, shaking her curled hair out of her face and using one hand to tuck it into the simple hood she is wearing today.

“Well, most of the mark is quite flat.” She gestures at the country road ahead of them. “I’ve hardly seen hills before, let alone mountains.”

“Does the Isle of Karja not have mountains?” Erzsébet asks, unthinking, while they exit the settlement near the castle and enter the woods. The trees are resplendent in their colors, from the last green vestiges of summer to the deepest reds and browns of the settling autumn. Manon sighs.

“Karja is one mountain, I think. It’s difficult.” Her voice sounds flatter all of a sudden, and Erzsébet immediately feels guilty. Although she hasn’t retained her late husband’s title as Dowager Countess of Karja, that doesn’t mean she’s no longer grieving him.

“I’m sorry, Manon. I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t know anything about your time there.”

It’s quiet for a while, just their horses’ steady step on the dirt road, the rustling of dry leaves, and the birds busily tweeting at each other before most of them leave the kingdom to go south. Tuomi is humming something the bards played last night.

“You must be one of few nobles who don’t,” Manon eventually says. “It was a long time ago. And—well, don’t tell anyone, but I feel as though I could trust you—”

“Of course.”

“I don’t grieve my husband. He was old, and Karja isn’t an easy place to live. I always knew we wouldn’t be married long. We both did. It bothers me, though, that so many rumors are circulating about how the earl died. That I had it arranged, or my father.”

“That’s fair,” Erzsébet says. “For what it’s worth, I tend to miss everything. I only heard you were married once yesterday, and had no idea how long ago it was.”

She smiles softly into the distance, or maybe at Tuomi’s blue-clad back.

“I’m happy to be back in Baselot. I hope you will like it.”

Erzsébet looks down at her horse silently, laying her fingers on the mare’s warm neck. She really hopes that she will like it as well.

They venture into the woods proper after about an hour of riding at a slow pace, following the hunters’ trails along now-gentle brooks and around large outcroppings of rock. Manon is silently looking around, mossy green eyes wide with wonder. Tuomi is now singing something, not stopping as they reach a clearing where Erzsébet and her brothers have been known to rest before, and he jumps off his horse, patting it on the neck after tying it loosely to a tree.

He gestures Erzsébet and Manon over, helping Manon off her horse while Erzsébet is left to jump to the ground herself. When she raises her eyebrows imperiously, he shrugs, grinning.

“I’ve only got so many arms.”

They have lunch listening to Tuomi telling them where he’s been over the past few months, about the people he’s met and been inspired by.

“I haven’t been to Baselot,” he confesses, “but the sea is beautiful, Erzsébet.”

“I have seen the sea before, you know. Eduard did get married at the Royal Palace.”

“That sure was something.”

When the food is gone, Tuomi is announces he would like to take a nap, spreads his cloak on the mossy ground, and lies down it.

“Well.” Erzsébet looks down at her brother for a long moment, then over at Manon. “Do you mind walking for a while? There’s a place I’d like to show you.”

She shakes her head, and so Erzsébet takes a dagger from Tuomi’s saddlebags, just in case, and leads them out of the clearing to a narrow, rocky path down to the brook. She’s done this many times before, ever since she was a child, so she knows exactly where to put her feet to be sure the leather of her shoes doesn’t slip on moss or wet rocks. When Manon says the path looks dangerous, she tells her that. The woman bites her lip.

“Well, guide me, then.”

“Of course, My Lady.” Erzsébet reaches up from her lower rock, holding a hand out until Manon takes it and uses it to balance herself when she carefully steps down as well, holding her skirt up with the other hand.

“We’re almost on a high point where you can see nearly all of Ungrica,” Erzsébet explains, as she steps down another set of rocks. She’s still holding her hand, Manon’s fingers warm and dry between her own. There are no rings on them, the only jewelry on her right now a pair of pearl earrings.

“Oh, I’d love to see that—oh!” Her grip tightens when her left foot slips the smallest bit, but she holds herself up. “Will we have to cross the water?”

Erzsébet blinks. “Ah, yes. But it will be especially shallow now, it hasn’t rained a lot lately. It should be fine.”

“I don’t mind either way.” Manon’s gaze finds hers, and Erzsébet swallows when she smiles softly again. The expression seems so quiet, so honest. It’s not something the nobility is very good at showing most of the time. “I trust you, Erzsébet.”

She squeaks something like a reassurance in reply, and then descends as quickly as the path allows—so quickly that she nearly pulls Lady Baselot straight into the water. Manon yelps, then laughs melodiously, threading her fingers through Erzsébet’s as they reach the brook. It’s very small. They’re in luck.

Still, despite that, Erzsébet has a hard time trying to think of how they’re supposed to cross it again, her mind flying in all directions but the right one.

“Erzsébet?”

She looks over. Blinks.

It’s not as if she doesn’t know—doesn’t know that some women find women attractive instead of men. Not as if she doesn’t know that she finds women attractive. She’d be lying if she said that, at least subconsciously, that might be one of the reasons Kveta is still in her employ. When it’s just servants, or a merchant or an entertainer that comes to visit, that’s alright. Erzsébet won’t ever have to see them again, and even if they were a man, she couldn’t be with them. But to be attracted to her future sister-in-law… That’s a whole damn problem in and of itself.

Maarten can never know. No one can, but especially not Maarten, and definitely, definitely, not Manon.

“Erzsébet?” She squeezes her hand gently.

“Sorry, I was thinking.”

“That happens to all of us sometimes,” Manon jokes. “Even my brother occasionally thinks. You must have a lot on your mind.”

At the mention of the marquess, Erzsébet abruptly lets go of her hand and gestures expansively at the trees on the other side of the brook.

“Let’s go!”

Although Manon seems puzzled, perhaps even a little hurt, she is quick to follow Erzsébet’s lead in taking her shoes off and tucking them into her skirts, and then in walking into the cold water. Erzsébet hisses between her teeth at the cold, and Manon says, “Remind me to take you to the strand in Baselot in winter.”

“At least there won’t be any avalanches,” Erzsébet replies distractedly, trying to remember where she’s supposed to put her (slowly getting numb) feet down. “Ah, I’ve got it. Follow me, My Lady.”

They pick their way across the water with relative ease. Erzsébet’s dress only gets a little wet at the bottom, and Manon seems to have come out completely unscathed but excited, her eyes sparkling with mirth. She is beautiful, and Erzsébet wishes she were a peasant sometimes instead of the daughter of a duke, with no responsibilities to her family other than taking caring of them, and no obligation to marry a man she not only doesn’t now, but can’t ever love.

“Are we going this way?” Manon asks curiously, already with her shoes back on and following the trail up the slight slope on this bank.

“Yes. Wait just a moment!”

“Of course.” She inspects something in the undergrowth but discards it—there are a lot of berries around here, but almost none of them are edible, so it’s probably for the best.

After a short walk, they reach the little plateau that Erzsébet knows Eduard has only brought his wife to, and Tuomi probably no one at all, just like Erzsébet until now. Manon doesn’t know that bit of significant information, of course, but it still feels as though this is suddenly a bad idea.

The Lady of Baselot has no idea the damned future Marchioness of Baselot would rather be a simple lady herself if it meant she’d get to be in her orbit instead of her brother’s.

“Oh, look at that! You really can see very far from here.”

Erzsébet walks over to stand next to her, her nose up to her chin because of their height difference, and Manon grips her upper arm, leaning over.

“Is that the castle of Jarva, all the way near the horizon?”

“It must be.” She imagines Eduard’s wife rattling around in there by herself, and huffs a laugh. The princess (well, Countess of Jarva, and when she thinks about it, Lady Baselot isn’t the first noblewoman she’s been attracted to after all, but that’s a different train of thought) definitely knows how to handle the proceedings herself.

“A shame you can’t see Baselot from here.”

“Maybe from higher up you could, but it’s nearly impossible to get there unless you’re a mountain goat.”

“I never thought I’d be sad I wasn’t a mountain goat,” Manon muses. She tucks her arm through Erzsébet’s. “The castle looks so small already. You have to wonder how important we all really are in the end.” And, after a small pause and in a soft breath, “I’m glad you’ve brought me here, though. Men are terribly boring.”

At that, Erzsébet can’t help but laugh. If only she knew exactly how boring she finds men. Well, on many levels.

“I wonder if Tuomi would agree with that assessment,” she just says instead, and Manon laughs as well.

“Oh, don’t tell him. He seems very nice.”

“He’s awful, but he’s my brother, so I’m allowed to say that. I presume that the princesses can even say that about the king.”

“You’re right.” Manon tilts her head, brushing her curls, dappled gold with sunlight falling through the multicolored leaves, against Erzsébet’s hat. “Although telling you Maarten is awful seems like a bad idea, considering. He’s a good man. More considerate than anyone would give him credit for.”

And, when Erzsébet just jerks involuntarily, “I’m sorry. I’ve noticed you don’t like to talk about the betrothal.”

They’re not supposed to talk about this. No one, Erzsébet thinks, is supposed to talk about things like that. She chews on her cheek.

“I don’t mind,” Manon continues. “I understand. Do you think I really wanted to marry the Earl of Karja? It’s just a part of life.”

“It doesn’t… It hasn’t got anything to do with your brother. If anything, I’m glad it’s him, if you’ll be at Baselot—” Oh, no, why would she say that? The Kveta-like voice at the back of her head is telling her to stop overthinking things, that Manon absolutely won’t take it the way she means it.

“I’d be more than happy to keep you company,” she says, the softness back in her voice and the curve of her lips.

“Thank you.” Erzsébet swallows hard.

Slowly, Manon threads their fingers together again, and they look out over the valley for a long while. Erzsébet will leave for Baselot tomorrow, to be married within the month, and it might be years before she returns to Ungrica. At least Tuomi will probably visit. At least Manon will be there. Not to mention—

“I do hope Kveta won’t alienate every servant in Baselot from me,” she says absently. Her arm shakes when Manon bumps her own into it.

“I’ll put in a good word for you. They like me more than Maarten.” There is a mischievous curl to her lips that Erzsébet wants to taste, and a matching spark in her eyes when she looks up at those abruptly.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

“My pleasure, Erzsébet.”

The accent, giving her name a slightly different stress, must be Karjan, then. It’s charming. Erzsébet smiles and looks down at Ungrica for the last time in the foreseeable future.

By the time they make their way back to the clearing, it must be nearing evening, and Tuomi is calmly carving something into a bit of wood with a small knife.

“Ah, there you are,” he says, unconcerned, when he spots them. “I was about to go and look for you.”

“Of course you were, Tuomi.”

“I was! I’m hungry.”

That does sound like him.

So they agree to ride back to the castle, and Erzsébet helps Manon get on her horse before Tuomi can even offer, which he looks rather confused by.

Well, confused, yet knowing at the same time. Tuomi likes to pretend he’s slightly dim, but Erzsébet knows that people underestimate him because of that, which is exactly what he wants. Hell, even she still does, sometimes. Although they haven’t talked about it and probably never will, she suspects their reasons for not wanting to marry are quite similar. (Also quite opposite, by definition.)

The journey back to the castle is without incidents, with Tuomi regaling them with more tales of his adventures on the way.

In the castle, the preparations for the second feast are already nearly finished, and one of her maids has drawn Erzsébet a bath and helps her change into appropriate clothing. The girl is respectful and reverent as servants should be, and Erzsébet regrets giving Kveta a day off already. The woman is the easiest person in the castle to confide in, if only up to a certain point. Maybe she should talk to Tuomi.

But, no, what good would it do?

So Erzsébet just sighs and sits on her bed for some times before going out.

This time, it’s her mother waiting for her, and she hugs her briefly before they walk to the hall.

“You will be a wonderful marchioness, dear,” she tells Erzsébet—and that’s the one part of the whole operation she never doubted. As daughter of a duke, she’s more than prepared for life as proper nobility.

“Thank you, Mother,” she says nonetheless, because she knows her mother means more than just that, as nearly always. That is also part of being nobility, and how she managed to raise three children who are all terrible at that will always be a mystery. Erzsébet is the worst at it, though. Probably always will be, by now. That’s alright. She has other qualities.

Like making Lady Baselot laugh beautifully and melodiously multiple times throughout the feast, getting bolder with her commentaries on the entertainment as the evening wears on and the servants keep refilling her goblet without being ordered to.

“You know, I’m glad Kveta’s coming to Baselot even if she does pit everyone against me,” she eventually tells Manon, looking rather forlornly at her once again full goblet.

“I told you, I would protect you,” Manon replies, brushing her fingers across the back of Erzsébet’s hand almost distractedly. When Erzsébet turns her hand over, she rests her fingertips on the palm. They’re warm. The whole hall is warm, but Erzsébet shivers.

“Protect, yeah. Like a knight.”

“Hmm. Maarten is planning on letting you have your own chambers, you know,” Manon is saying, leaning over until her capped sleeve nudges Erzsébet’s shoulder. She smells like flowers.

“Why?”

Manon bites her lips when she looks over, restlessly pressing her fingers to her hand.

“He values his privacy. But he can explain that better.” She pushes a finger over Erzsébet’s wrist, under her trailing sleeve. “I’m sure he won’t mind Kveta.”

“Well, I hope not. She’s a servant. I know the whole insolence thing is—”

“No, I mean…” She leans even further in until her breath is warm on Erzsébet’s face and she wouldn’t have to do more than whisper to be heard over the din. “If she’s in your chambers at night.”

Erzsébet jerks back, cursing and knocking over her goblet, and there must be a servant rushing over clean up her spilled wine, and maybe people are looking if they heard the clatter on the flagstone floor over the musicians and the chatter, but she doesn’t notice. She only notices Manon, whose expression is unreadable when Erzsébet fixes her gaze on the woman.

“What?” she asks, the word barely a wisp.

“I must have misunderstood.”

“No—yes. Kveta wouldn’t. I need to—” Erzsébet gets up from the table and rushes out of the hall, through the silent corridors and into the darkened courtyard, letting the cool air hit her face.

How could she just say something like that? She knows it happens, that some nobles have servants warm their bed, men and women both, but it’s not something you talk about, like so many other things you don’t talk about.

“Aw, and it looked so promising.”

Kveta, of course, behind her as always. Erzsébet sits down on the bottom step of the castle, and her maidservant sprawls out next to her.

“Promising?” Erzsébet repeats. It’s an interesting choice of words. Kveta plucks some invisible dust from the velvet of her dress.

“You and Lady Baselot. It’s always good to have allies in a new place.”

“Allies,” she mumbles.

“Friends? Confidantes, like you said? People who care for you out of more than obligation.”

“I suppose that excludes you, then.”

Kveta huffs and kicks her in the ankle as if they’re equals, as if she’s Erzsébet’s sister instead of her maid.

“Keep telling yourself that, My Lady. You’re stuck with me.”

She sighs. Maybe she overreacted. Manon didn’t seem to be implying she had a problem with—she glances over at Kveta. No, that’s strange. Despite acknowledging her attractiveness, it doesn’t go beyond that.

“Don’t make that face at me, Erzsébet,” the woman complains.

“Kveta, who gives the orders here?”

“Well, you certainly try, My Lady. What just happened?”

Shaking her head, Erzsébet folds her hands together. The air is cold out here, and it has cleared her head quite thoroughly.

“I’m glad you’re coming to Baselot with me, Kveta.”

An ostentatious sigh, and Kveta is standing up, brushing the dirt off her dress. “That’s not what I—”

“Erzsébet?”someone calls from by the doors. Manon.

“She’s here, I hope you can do something about this,” Kveta replies. “My Lady.”

And up the steps she goes, back towards the faint sound of the feast. Manon comes down in her place, the fabric of her gown rustling as she walks. The courtyard is silent.

A rush of air floats out when Manon sits down heavily, and then she is silent for a long moment, her breathing audible.

“I’ve known Kveta since we were girls,” Erzsébet says. “Her parents were my teachers. If I had a sister, she’d probably be a lot like her.”

“I’m sorry,” Manon breathes, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the evening chill. “I thought…”

“Is… Does that happen often at Baselot?” Erzsébet asks, intrigued despite herself.

“It hasn’t for a while, as far as I’m aware.” She shuffles her feet on the cobblestones of the courtyard. “And I should be aware.”

Erzsébet takes a deep breath, as if trying to inhale those words, that inflection, to inspect them more closely. When she turns to look at Manon, the woman is giving her a rueful smile that pulls at her eyebrows, at the corners of her eyes, with her hands clenched together in her lap. Erzsébet reaches for them. Her mouth would taste like wine now.

“Well, it’s not as if I haven’t thought about it,” Erzsébet hears herself mumble, and Manon’s face morphs into the very picture of relief, with arched eyebrows (the same shape as her brother’s) drawing together, and her mouth opening and closing a few times. She sways towards her, the smell of flowers in her space and her fingers loosening their grip.

“Erzsébet, when we get to Baselot, we can—”

“My Ladies!” Tuomi exclaims at the top of the steps. And, before Erzsébet has even fully turned to glare at him, “Father is on his way, so I’d stand up quickly.”

They both leap to their feet, letting go of each other’s hands, and Erzsébet tries not to look guilty of anything when her father appears, frowning.

The duke just sighs, shaking his head almost fondly.

“Come inside, Erzsébet. Lady Baselot.”

The remainder of the evening consists of people giving speeches about Baselot and Ungrica and how Erzsébet will be a great marchioness, and when she looks over at Maarten just the once, he catches her eye, raising one eyebrow as if in question. He looks towards his sister, then back. She wonders if Manon has talked to her brother about… Such things. She looks away.

Exhausted, Erzsébet barely notices that Kveta is the one helping her get ready for bed. When she does, she bristles halfheartedly.

“I gave you the day off!”

“Evidently, you can’t function without me. There better be a raise for me when you become marchioness.”

“I really doubt a marquess will pay as much as a duke,” Erzsébet mumbles back, already half-asleep and tucked into her own bed for the last time. And, “Go to sleep, Kveta. It’s a long day tomorrow.”

Curtsying, somehow sarcastically. Kveta leaves her chambers, and Erzsébet falls into darkness.

By the time morning rolls around, though, she has already been awake for some time, mostly just thinking. In two days’ time, she’ll be at Baselot. In two weeks’ time, she’ll be married. But most importantly; what was Manon going to say?

When we get to Baselot, we can…

It’s almost scary to think about.

Erzsébet decides to walk through the castle a last time before breakfast instead of wallowing in bed, greeting the bakers and the retiring night guards, running into a bleary Eduard (he hugs her and tells her to take care of herself until he sees her at her wedding), then an already harassed-looking Kveta, who complains she’s been looking for her everywhere and to put on her traveling cloak because they’re leaving for Baselot in two hours.

After doing just that, and inspecting her chambers for anything important she might have forgotten, Erzsébet goes down to the hall to say goodbye to her parents. Maarten is waiting outside the double doors, hands clasped behind his back and wearing bright green, which makes her smile.

“Good morning, My Lady,” he greets, inclining his head.

“My Lord.”

They enter the hall together and bow to the Duke and Duchess of Ungrica, before they both come over to hug Erzsébet and bestow their best wishes upon them both. It’s simple, but Erzsébet will see them again soon, at least.

After some more formalities, which leave her restlessly fidgeting with her dress, they are set to leave. Maarten leads her outside, where a carriage is waiting at the bottom of the steps. It’s an overcast day, but the roads should be fine as long as it doesn’t rain.

“I…” He looks over his shoulder at her parents, who are staying at the top of the steps. “I trust you won’t mind sharing the carriage with my sister.”

Something in his voice makes her look up sharply, but his green eyes are unreadable, and nothing else has changed.

“Of course not, Maarten.”

So he lets go of her hand to let her enter the carriage, bowing as the door closes, taking most of the light with it, as the shutter is closed. Erzsébet lets out a long breath.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Manon asks from the opposite seat. Her hair is loose, a pearl headband lying next to her. There is a hesitant note to her voice.

“Quite something,” Erzsébet echoes. She runs a hand across her face when the carriage begins to move. “Your brother seems… Well-informed.”

Manon pulls an almost apologetic face. “Yes, he does tend to be, whether I like it or not. But as I said, he places a high value on privacy. That includes mine.”

Suddenly, she’s tired of talking around it. They’re alone in here, will be for the coming two days, and she knows almost certainly that they both know what’s going on even if it feels impossible.

“What did you mean to say yesterday? What can we do when we get to Baselot?”

“Oh, well.” She presses her lips together as if trying to hide a smile, but then gives up and smiles widely, beautifully, at Erzsébet. “Anything we want.”

“Anything?”

Manon reaches for her, and Erzsébet lets her take one of her hands, chewing on her lip when she bows her head and kisses the back of it. Her chest feels light and heavy at the same time, and she can feel herself starting to smile when Manon’s soft lips touch her skin, when she murmurs against it.

“Everything.”

#Hetalia #aphyuriweek2019 #hunbelg #aph hungary #aph belgium #my hand hurts because I wrote this all down once again like an idiot #aph netherlands #aph czechia #aph estonia #aph finland #u: historical #u: human #fin #fun fact there's another fic I've got half finished when czech is the royalty #modern royalty in fact #it's very hysterical #poland is a duke #w: 10000

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