#absolutely nobody asked for this | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jjtheresidentbaby · 1 month

Text

˚. ❝₊˚ 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 ❞ ˚₊·

» conrad hawkins & mina okafor || on my ao3

͟͟͞꒰➳ summary: set after s1e6, Mina finds Conrad regressed after he gets the hospital offer from his father and talks to Nic

» a/n: I just started this show if you couldn’t tell. and don’t ask how mina is getting off shift when it was her day off, she just is cause I wanted to write her

» warnings: little!conrad, caregiver!mina, mentions of past caregiver!nic, hurt/comfort, anxiety, crying, mentions of ptsd, talk of father issues & relationship issues

She hears the sound of shuffling before she realizes she’s not alone in the on call room, it makes Mina momentarily pause in suspicion of someone possibly dangerous being in her space but then she hears the familiar sound of shaky breathing. Not a threat.

Turning in place Mina surveys the room over, eyes finally landing on- Conrad. He’s sat hugging his knees to his chest between the wall and a chair, eyes fixated on the floor, not paying attention to Mina being in here at all. It takes her back, she’s never seen Conrad be anything but confident and stoic at all times, disregarding when he’s lost his temper on occasion, this is nothing like that. He looks small, scared even, curled in so much Mina wonders how a man like himself can get into a position like that without being in pain.

He must be in the midst of an anxiety attack, or panic attack. It could be ptsd from him time in Afghanistan.

Mina knows there’s no way she can leave Conrad on his own like this, they might not get coffee every Friday together or even get drinks after a long shift, but she still cares about him. And respects him as a doctor so if he needs help, she can be it. There’s been plenty of times she’s dealt with patients struggling to keep their anxiety under control before a surgery- though she does try to avoid emotional situations as she isn’t particularly in-tune with them- she should be able to manage.

“Conrad?” She crouches down in front of him, putting her bag down on the seat he’s leaned partially against. The only response she gets is a strained noise from the back of Conrad’s throat, which only furthers Mina’s worry. He’s never been one to struggle to talk, if anything he’s a little too outward with his opinions at times.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?” Maybe a patient’s case trigged him, she knows he was having trouble with someone else taking over his patient but she isn’t sure what the specifics of the situation was.

“I-.” The words don’t come out and instead tears start to slip down Conrad’s cheeks, his face hiding in the tops of his knees to cover it.

Mina has always prided herself on acting fast in stressful times, in knowing what she’s doing, in jumping into action, but now- she feels completely lost. She sits down on the floor calmly and tries to think of what Conrad would do right now- if the roles were reversed- because who else would know how to comfort Conrad better than Conrad himself, right?

“Hey, look at me okay? Just look at me.” It takes a minute but Conrad does as he’s told, sniffling and looking up to Mina who gives a small smile of reassurance.

“Good. Can you take a deep breath with me?” Prompting whoever he’s trying to help is something she’s seen Conrad do, keeping them focused on him rather than what’s going on.

“You’re doing good. Do you think you can tell me what’s wrong?” One of Conrad’s hands reaches to rub clumsily at his eyes as he shakes his head.

“Do you… want me to page Nic?” They’re close and who Mina assumes Conrad would trust the most, but Conrad quickly shakes his head, almost frantic with the motion. Could the issue have to do with her? It’s possible but Mina never thought she’d see the day Conrad cried over a problem as trivial as his relationship with a girl.

“Okay, I won’t get her. But you need to talk to me, I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong.” It’s maybe a tad too firm, but it works so Mina takes the win.

“I- I don’t want Nic, I don’t wanna bother her.” His voice comes out quiet and trembling, a little more high pitched than it is usually. Somehow he sounds younger than ever, and Mina’s well aware that she’s the younger one in this dynamic.

“Okay. Did you argue with her?” Insisting that he wouldn’t be bothering Nic seems pointless, even if Mina knows how true it is. No matter how many times she’s seen those two argue and roll their eyes at each other, she knows both of them would drop everything if the other needed them.

“Kinda, I dunno. I just- my dad was here today and- and I snapped at Nic. And now I feel-.” His head turns away from Mina as he cuts himself off, tightening his hold around his knees as if he wants to hide away again but doesn’t want to break the order she gave him.

“Feel what?” More tears slide down his cheeks, ones he doesn’t bother to wipe away.

“Small.”

It takes Mina less than a minute to put together what Conrad means- he’s regressed- of course, she should’ve known. As much as Mina tries to stay out of other people’s business and especially Conrad’s as the last thing she wants is to step on his toes, she overheard a few months ago when Nic and Conrad were talking about age regression. It had sent Mina into a deep dive that night, reading everything she could about what the coping mechanism is, trying to piece together why Nic and Conrad were talking about it. In the end she deduced that one of them had to be the others caregiver, she could never figure out who was who as they’re both very natural caregivers, but apparently she has her answer now.

And Conrad doesn’t want to bother Nic. Shit. Did they have that bad of a fight? Is she no longer watching over him at all? Is that what they fought over?

“Okay, c’mon I’ll take you back to my place.” There’s no way she’s leaving him on his own in this state, he seems to be regressed to a younger age range but Mina can’t be sure, she wouldn’t want to risk it anyways.

“No- no, I’m too much- much work.” Conrad stutters over his words and sniffles back more tears, Mina feels her heart pull.

“Who said that?” A small spark of anger spikes in Mina’s chest, quickly becoming protective of the little in front of her.

“I’m better alone. I was too difficult for dad growing up, he wants to try and fix it now but- but I don’t him to.” The extremely limited knowledge Mina has of Conrad’s family has never left her with the impression that growing up was easy for him, this proves that, as much as she wishes she was wrong.

“You never have to do anything he says if you don’t want to, you’re your own person. And you are not too difficult to watch over, no matter what he says.” The thought alone makes Mina wish she could chew Conrad’s father out for a solid hour.

“Nic says I shut people out too much, she was upset, I don’t wanna make you upset too.” The only thing Mina can think to do is reach to take Conrad’s hands, forcing him to untangle himself and sit a bit more comfortably as she squeezes their hands together.

“You will not upset me, I do not get upset easily. Maybe you do shut people out but you’re being open with me right now, that’s something, so would you like to go back to my apartment and have some dinner?” They’ll probably have to order takeout as Mina doubts she has anything edible left in her fridge, it’s mostly leftovers turned into overnight science experiments.

“Y-yeah, thanks.” She smiles and stands, offering a hand to help Conrad with a laugh as he stumbles a bit and she has to help steady him.

“Thanks for takin’ care of me.” Conrad says as they walk out, Mina keeping a protective arm around his back both so hopefully nobody will stop them and so he doesn’t trip trying to get out to her car. Tonight should be interesting, she’s never cared for a little before and she doesn’t have much supplies when she thinks about it, but she’ll make do.

“Anytime.” And she’ll always be there for him, prepared or not.

#absolutely nobody asked for this #I just love conrad & mina sry #also devon. my baby devon.#jj writes #the resident agere #little!conrad #caregiver!mina #conrad & mina #conrad hawkins #mina okafor

9 notes · View notes

pageofcoins · 9 months

Text

absolutely no one asked for this

hurt-johnny cash (i know it's nin, but also no it's not)//right where you left me-taylor swift//my tears ricochet-taylor swift//exile-taylor swift//castles crumbling-taylor swift ft. hayley williams//this is me trying-taylor swift//renegade-big red machine ft. taylor swift

4 notes · View notes

warpednyliummybeloved · 10 months

Text

OH PISS OFF TUMBLR WHY IS THE POST BUTTON IN THE BLOODY CORNER

#ABSOLUTELY NOBODY ASKED FOR THIS #nylium talks #ik this isnt worth complaining about but whinging is a british national sport and brother i intend to win first place

0 notes

egophiliac · 7 months

Text

so on the subject of the "Crowley is secretly Revaan/Laverne/Levin/please Twst give us his name" theory, I think my feelings are best summed up as "I don't really buy it, but it's funny". like, in all seriousness, I'm not opposed to it; I have enjoyed the writing in Twst so far and I'm willing to trust that whatever happens will, you know, make sense and not be terrible. but I'm just not really convinced by the current evidence! maybe that'll change once we learn more, we'll see!

with that said, may I propose a few alternate theories about the possible Crowley/Revaan connection:

#art #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland spoilers #twisted wonderland episode 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers #on this installment of things nobody asked but i'm going to talk about anyway #disclaimer that this is mostly a joke please don't get mad at me #(legit no shade to anyone) (speculation is one of the fun things about an ongoing fandom and you never know what'll turn out to be true!)#more seriously i do think there may be some connection that just isn't clear yet #but the more little breadcrumbs we get about what revaan was like the more i think crowley just doesn't act like him #i adore crowley don't get me wrong #(yes he's a dipshit. this is a feature not a bug.)#but like.#not to harp on the scene about lilia's nrc invitation (i am absolutely going to harp on it)#i do not believe that crowley would go through the trash to fish out the pieces and put them back together and save them #just because it was lilia's. just because lilia might want it again someday.#crowley can ✨yasashii✨ all he wants but we know what he's like #and i REALLY do not believe that lilia wouldn't recognize him. i didn't believe it before and i extra don't believe it now.#then again i do tend to be incredibly off about speculation so! who knows! i will trust the writing for now!#i do 100% believe that meleanor would fall in love with the world's biggest dumbass and then double down super hard. that part tracks.#that said i have decided that ambrose being revaan is actually the funnier option just because it would make crowley SO mad #it wouldn't make sense for him to be mad about it and that would just make him madder

3K notes · View notes

thranduel · 8 months

Text

some facts about astarion that i find very cute/meaningful :)

i wanted to share this so more people can learn about him and appreciate who he is deep down, behind the mask he wears. before cazador turned him, he was just like any other person; he had hobbies, passions and emotions. those things are still there, but they’re just hidden amidst all the darkness. he was so young when he first turned that he barely had a chance to enjoy life or figure himself out. so many people miss out on the complexity of his character due to only focusing on his physical appearance or labelling him as a cruel villain, but in order to see that he’s so much more than that and he’s capable of growing as a person, all you need to do is show him a bit of love!

- he loves embroidery and poetry

- he approves when you pet the owlbear cub because most people view it as a monster (the same way people have always viewed him). it’s like he finds comfort in the fact that you can love and care for something that most people are afraid of, and it gives him hope that you may feel the same way about him too

- if you put a flower on his grave, he smiles and says "cute"

- he comes up to you in camp just to thank you and tell you how grateful he is that you allowed him to make his own decision (after you defend him and don't force him to drink the drow's blood) because he is so used to being told what to do and he was forced to use his body for so many years

- in that same scene, he will hold your hand whether you choose to stay in a romance with him or be friends instead, because he loves and appreciates you no matter what, and any sort of relationship with you is so important and meaningful to him

- if you try to romance karlach and astarion at the same time, he tells you to choose karlach over him, even if he loves you and it hurts him to do so, because he can see that karlach loves you too. he says that normally an arrangement would work for him, but after everything karlach has been through and how fragile her heart is already, he doesn’t want to get in the way or see her hurt

- if you try to romance halsin and astarion at the same time, he just wants you to do what makes you happy, even though you can tell it hurts him if you choose halsin. he’s also worried that you’re unhappy because he hasn’t slept with you (he should never have to worry about that ☹️), so he doesn’t want to stop you from enjoying yourself. in this situation and the one with karlach, you can see that there are moments where he puts others before himself and thinks about their feelings more than his own

- if you’re playing as the dark urge and you’re trying to resist it, he is so incredibly comforting and tries to give you strength and encouragement. one of my favourite astarion lines is this: “you’re not alone in this, none of us are.”

some more lines that i love:

“i don’t hate you. because this is not you. but whatever it is, you’ll get through it. and i’ll be here to make sure you do.”

“whatever it is that’s controlling you, we can fight it. i know that better than anyone.”

“this thing won’t have you. it won’t win.”

“easy now, darling. you’ve got this. and i’ve got you.”

- when you try to break up with him because you’re transforming into a mindflayer and you tell him you’re becoming something horrible, he gets so upset that you would even think that way and tells you that you’re wonderful and he doesn’t care about what you look like. then he says he would get more stares walking down a street than you to try and make you feel better

- if you love and care for him and remind him that there is still good out there, he genuinely wants to grow, be a better person and break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago

- he approves when you help people that are considered outcasts or "freaks" because he has felt that way too

- he risked his life and got punished for letting a man go instead of luring him back to cazador because it’s implied he cared about him in some way and he couldn't hurt him (not entirely sure about this one, this is just how i interpreted it based on his voice and mannerisms when he was talking about him)

- he approves when you give an orphaned child food (act 3)

- he becomes vulnerable, honest and more gentle with you once you start treating him like a person, because for the first time in his life, he actually feels safe with someone

- he's extremely insecure despite the mask he wears at the beginning of the game and he doesn't believe he is capable of being genuinely loved for who he is as a person. when you get close to him and tell him you care for him and give him a hug, he is taken aback at first, but then he believes you and hugs you back. also, when you're playing as the dark urge, you get this line: "you like him for more than his looks, but he will never believe that." this is proof that astarion is so used to being reduced to his physical appearance after what he was forced to do for so many years, and he thinks that's the only reason why people like him. he struggles with intimacy and forming strong emotional bonds, so that's why it makes your relationship with him even more meaningful when he realises that you truly do love him for who he is, not just for his looks and body

- when the drow you met at moonrise shows up in act 3 and tries to make you drink something, astarion tells you to say no, because the only thing she's offering is pain and he doesn't want to see you hurt

- if you romance him, stop him from doing the ritual and help him defeat cazador, he tells you that you are the only person he's ever truly cared for

- if you defeat cazador without him and tell him you just wanted to protect him, he gets upset at first because you left him behind without telling him and he wanted to take revenge himself, but then he becomes understanding and says “maybe this is what’s best? the kind of power that ritual offered could ruin a person. even me.” this shows how much he’s grown and matured as a person and he’s aware of the consequences of too much power. the scene also ends with him telling you that he’s grateful for something that you did to help him (again).

- he becomes more self-aware, straightforward and honest over time and he doesn’t pretend like he’s perfect. he tells you that you were by his side through all the bloodlust and pain and misery, despite all of his flaws and mistakes. you remained patient with him and trusted him even though it was an objectively stupid thing to do, but he is so grateful for it because you believed he could become a better person (and he did)

- this is sad but he remembers some of the names of the people he had to lure back to cazador and even the memories he shared with them. you can see this during the scene with sebastian, and it’s clear that he actually cared about him (not sure how many situations were like this, but there was definitely more than one)

- if you say “i’m sorry we couldn’t save the other vampire spawn”, he says:

“we could have tried. we could have given them the same chance i had. i was able to go out into the world and make better choices. to go against my nature and become more than a blood-sucking monster. maybe they would have done the same. or maybe not - but did we have the right to take that choice away from them?”

this scene shows how much astarion has grown and how compassionate and empathetic he can be towards others. he understood what it felt like to have his own freedom taken away while cazador made all his decisions for him, so he didn’t want to put the other vampire spawn through that too (especially because he still feels so guilty for luring them there in the first place)

- if you romance him and he stays as a vampire spawn and you choose to help him look for a cure so he can stand in the sun again, this is revealed during the epilogue scene:

“one night, he tells you that these last six months of happy memories are the counterweight to two hundred years of misery.”

he’s finally truly happy and free, and the short time he’s spent with you is already so incredibly powerful and important to him. being with you has positively impacted his life in such a massive way that it makes all those centuries of pain and misery feel so much smaller

- another sweet line from astarion during the epilogue scene after he tells you to go catch up with your other friends and see how they’re doing:

“i’ll be here when you’re ready. i’ll always be here, my love.”

THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH 😭🫶🏼 he’s become so kind, loving, respectful, genuine and sincere. i’m so proud of him 🥹

#astarion #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 #absolutely nobody asked for this but i just thought it would be cute to share some positive stuff about him :’)#ALSO #shoutout to the wonderful neil newbon for bringing this character to life with his incredible voice acting #astarion wouldn’t be astarion without him :)#bg3 spoilers #character analysis #meta #kinda idk what to tag this as lol #my posts

3K notes · View notes

andsewingishalfthebattle · 12 days

Text

Novice sewing pattern: Cut out shapes. Line up the little triangles on the edges. Stitch edges together. We've also included step-by-step assembly instructions with illustrations.

Novice knitting pattern: yOU MUSt uNDerstANd thE SECret cOdE CO67 (73, 87, 93) BO44 (63, 76, 90) 28 (32, 34) slip first pw repeat 7x K to end *kl (pl) 42 * until 13" (13, 13, 15) join new at 30 pl for 17 rows ssk 27 k2tog mattress lengthwise BO and sacrifice a goat to the knitting gods. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT "INSTRUCTIONS," I JUST GAVE THEM TO YOU

#knitting #no it's not a real pattern but I can't write one that makes sense because I have no freaking clue what any of that means #How do you make things that aren't basic rectangles #Why has every knitter I've asked for help just said 'patterns are easy; you just have to know how to read them' & then refused to teach me #Where do I even find a goat to sacrifice #How do I join the pattern cult #I am so confused #I've been knitting for almost a decade but I can only make scarves and potholders #I learned one (1) stitch by watching a YouTube video and none of my friends or family knit so I have no IRL resources #And nobody I meet seems to want to take the time to explain the rest to me #I taught myself to sew through trial and error but that doesn't really work with knitting because error is pretty much just... Unraveling?#Anyway sorry for the tag rant I'm just frustrated that I see pretty things I want to make but the instructions are in an alien language #And the gap between 'absolute novice' and 'intermediate' seems to be about 20 years of experience and formal instruction

386 notes · View notes

doe-eyed-dreamr · 21 days

Text

#nobody asked for this but Coraline is one of my favourite films #I absolutely had to make a moodboard #imagine the other world except the other mother is a cg #age dreaming #age regression #safe agere #agere blog #little space #sfw littlespace #agere community #age regressor #agere moodboard #fandom agere #agere fandom #coraline agere #coraline #little imagines

157 notes · View notes

cantheykillmacbeth · 4 months

Note

Could a desk chair kill Macbeth

Under certain circumstances, yes, a desk chair (or any inanimate object, for that matter) could kill Macbeth. The chances of those circumstances occurring are slim, since there are two big factors that rule out most ways that someone could possibly die to a desk chair:

1.) Using a desk chair as a murder weapon, which does not attribute the kill to the chair itself, but the person who used it.

2.) The desk chair being sentient and animate to a degree, which would be a case-by-case basis depending on who built that specific chair, the chair's identity, etc.

However, Macbeth could die by desk chair if, say, the chair was swept up in a tornado and launched into him. As long as nobody specifically set it up so that the chair would get picked up by the tornado, and the chair doesn't have its own free will, nobody would be attributed the kill other than the chair, which, being an artificially created inanimate object, would apply for at least GC and UBC.

Thank you for your submission!

#asks #unconventional birth clause #gender clause #nobody talk to me about “niche internet microcelebrities” ever again unless its on the same tier as me recognizing this asker #like omg i loved when you screencapped those tags on that one post absolutely slay my liege

159 notes · View notes

sorry-i-forgot · 5 months

Text

god i adore ashton so much. there's something so heartwrenching and validating to hear them talk about looking for something or someone to blame. to search for purpose and meaning in all the wrong places. to hate yourself so fucking much and yet want to do everything for the people around you. to make every choice with your whole chest even if it's the wrong one. and god the regret when you realize the pattern that's been going on for so LONG. and wonder WHY. why am i realizing this NOW?

#i love you taliesin jaffe #you absolute madman #critical role #bells hells #ashton greymoore #cr ashton #taliesin jaffe #critical role campaign 3 #critical role spoilers #cr spoilers #fcg kept asking if ashton cares #of course he fucking cares #thats why they make stupid decisions #listen to the way they talk about the nobodies #THEY CARE #which is why hes so afraid to LOSE #kal thoughts

202 notes · View notes

libraryofgage · 3 months

Text

The Prince and the Metalhead (2)

Part of: Steve Deserves Good Parents, Actually

I know I just posted part one but I've got Thoughts for this AU that include: Steve's first birthday in Genovia and then his 16th, his conversation with his grandmother about attending public school in America for his senior year, and then we get into him attending Hawkins High and meeting Eddie!

So, yeah, plans lmao

Anyway, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

------

"You'll have a rotating course schedule. Mondays and Wednesdays will focus on math and social studies. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be science and literature. Friday will be Royalty lessons and the history of Genovia. We can also include an elective, if you'd like."

Steve blinks, staring at Sue for a moment before glancing at Jonathan and Robin. Jonathan is looking through a book of photography and Robin is idly scratching behind Dart’s ears. "Will we all have the same elective?" Steve asks.

"Not unless Jonathan and Robin want to join you," Sue says, looking at Steve expectantly. She's got a pen at the ready to write down what he says, and it suddenly feels like a lot of pressure.

Is there a wrong answer here? Is there an answer that gets him sent back to his parents? He looks down, biting the inside of his cheek so hard he tastes blood. Before he can lose himself in his thoughts, a cold and wet nose presses against his hand. Steve blinks, smiling at Dart and picking her up to hold close. "What kind of electives are there?" he asks.

Sue hums softly, flipping to another page on her clipboard. "Possible electives include art, music, theatrical performance, physical education, equestrian studies, botany, and foreign languages, to name a few."

"I'll be taking photography lessons," Jonathan says, looking up at Steve and gesturing to his book.

Robin nods and leans back on her palms. "I'll be doing the physical stuff. Like learning how to fight and practicing ballet to improve my balance," she says, leveling a look at Steve that dares him to say anything about the ballet.

Steve wouldn't, though. He doesn't want to make Robin angry enough to ditch him. He looks down at Dart, thinking for a moment before asking, "Can I take more than one?"

"Of course, but you're limited to three for now," Sue says.

What would be the most helpful? Foreign languages, probably, since he'll definitely have to speak with ambassadors from other countries at some point. He should also learn something that can be shown off, a skill that he could pull out at functions to make his grandmother proud or distract guests.

"What language should I learn?" he asks.

Sue thinks for a moment, tapping her pen against her chin. "Mandarin. It's a business language, and we have close relations with a few representatives from China and Hong Kong. If you'd like to learn a Romantic language first, though, Spanish is good."

"I'll learn Mandarin," Steve decides, nodding once to himself. "And music. I want to learn to play...hmm...the piano."

With a nod, Sue writes his electives down. "Let me know if you'd like to add an elective later, Your Highness. In my opinion, though, your current courses will keep you properly challenged for now."

------------------------

Sue wasn't kidding about his academics being challenging. Steve struggles in math, muddles his way through science, drags himself through literature, and is ready to drop when he hits social studies. He'd ask the tutors to spend more time on topics, but Robin and Jonathan seem to have no problem keeping up, and Steve can't bring himself to disrupt their pace.

His Mandarin lessons are going just slightly better if only because the tutor seems to recognize that slower is better for him. After almost a month, he's starting to understand intonation and vocal variation better, and he can recognize a few characters on sight.

Piano lessons are also going well. His tutor there doesn't burden him with theory; she introduces the keys, shows him how to read sheet music, and then lets him choose songs to learn. Steve feels the most at ease when he's squinting at sheet music and slowly pressing piano keys into something recognizable.

The lessons he really looks forward to, however, are the ones for his Royalty Education. He gets to see his grandmother then, and she spends the whole day with him. Even better, something about this stuff just clicks. He's good at fixing his posture and memorizing silverware placement. He bows just right on his first try and his grandmother compliments his wave.

By the end of the lesson, she'll be smiling, her pride obvious, and take him for a walk in the gardens or to eat cookies in the kitchen.

"Royalty requires maintenance," Clarisse says, standing in front of Steve with relaxed shoulders. "You maintain your demeanor, your image, your knowledge of foreign dignitaries, your understanding of the people’s needs, and your humility. But you must also maintain your pride and your boundaries."

"That sounds like a lot," Steve says, idly tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"It can be overwhelming, but it becomes second nature in time," Clarisse explains, smiling reassuringly. "When you're royalty, you are constantly watched. Many eyes are kind or curious, but others are malicious, and you want to do everything you can to disappoint the malicious ones."

"How?"

"By acting like the Crown Prince you are."

"What kind of prince am I?" Steve asks, finally voicing the question that's been lingering since these lessons started. What kind of prince does his grandmother want? What kind of prince would best serve the people? What kind of prince will be so loved by all that nobody could even think of thinking about getting rid of him?

Clarisse hums, thinking for a moment. "I suppose a good one," she says, her slight smile telling Steve that she's only lightly teasing. "My hope is that you'll be kind and competent. You will make Genovia prosperous without compromising tradition. You won't allow politics to stand in the way of doing what's right by the people of Genovia. But this is a tiring job, so I hope you'll learn how to balance your duties with relaxation."

It's a lot, but Steve can do it. He can be that kind of prince, especially for the country and grandmother that's offered everything he's ever wanted and more. He nods once. "Okay," he says, "What do I need to learn, then?"

Clarisse smiles fondly at him. "Let's start by reviewing Genovian history. Only by knowing the past can you face the future."

With that, she places a book on Steve's desk and doesn't wait for him to open it before telling him about Genovia's founding.

------------------------

Steve has weekends off from classes, which leaves him with more free time than he knows what to do with when he doesn't have to clean a house or make his own meals. So, he's bored, and telling Robin that he was bored was a huge mistake after she suggested riding bikes around the garden only to learn Steve didn't know how.

She'd insisted that he should learn, insisted that Clarisse be the one who teaches him, and insisted on hearing no objections.

And now he's here, standing in front of Clarisse's desk and staring down at his feet as she finishes writing something on the paper in front of her. Joe is standing just to her right, hands behind his back.

"Okay," Clarisse says, gently placing her pen on the desk before looking at Steve with an encouraging smile. "What did you want to ask me, Steve?"

Steve bites the inside of his cheek, takes a deep breath, and looks up. "Well, um, Robin wants to ride bikes, but I don't know how," he says.

"Well, that's easily fixed," Clarisse says, reaching for a phone at the corner of her desk. "I'm sure a member of staff is free to teach you."

Before she can pick up the phone, Steve finds himself blurting out, "Well, I...I was hoping...you could teach me."

Clarisse freezes, blinking twice with confusion before looking at Steve. "You want me to teach you?" she asks. When Steve nods once, she sighs softly. "A queen does not ride bikes. Besides, I have too much work to complete. Perhaps I could accompany you for a walk this evening to make up for it."

Despite himself, despite bracing for rejection, it still hurts. In the three months he's been in Genovia, Clarisse has agreed to just about every request he's made. Every held breath as he waits for cruel words has been released with unprecedented relief when none came. Even when he broke something---a priceless vase, according to Jonathan---his grandmother had simply surveyed the damage, thanked him for being honest, and asked him to avoid kicking soccer balls in the presence of priceless vases in the future.

Perhaps Steve has gotten too comfortable. He shouldn't be pushing like this. If he wants his grandmother's affection, he should know when to hold himself back.

So, despite the unfamiliar urge to ask again in case Clarisse might change her mind, Steve nods once. "I look forward to walking with you, Grandmother," he says, his voice quiet. He glances up, waiting long enough to see Clarisse's smile before turning on his heel and leaving the office as quickly as he can.

Clarisse watches him go, her head slightly tilted as the door closes silently behind Steve. She nods once, glad that Steve is sensible enough to understand things like work and propriety, and picks up her pen once more.

"If I may speak freely, Your Majesty?" Joe asks.

"At this point, Joe, you may as well assume the answer is yes."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, and please pardon my French, my experience has been that assuming makes an ass out of you and me."

It takes a moment for Clarisse to understand the joke. When she does, she can't help her amused smile. "Fair enough," she says, "Go ahead, Joe."

"Do you remember what I said about being Steve's grandmother?"

"Yes, of course."

"Perhaps now is one of those moments where being a grandmother is more important than being a queen. His Highness does not ask for much, and he is not the kind to ask more than once, even if he really wants something. I imagine it took a significant amount of courage to ask you to teach him in the first place."

"Are you suggesting that I...I risk making a fool of myself for all to see?" Clarisse asks.

"I am suggesting you spend time with your grandson, who asks very little of you because he does not believe he can ask for anything."

Clarisse is silent a moment, letting Joe's words process and settle in her brain. Finally, she sighs and gestures to the papers on her desk. "I have work to complete," she says.

"Your Majesty, editing these proposals was on your schedule two weeks from now. You are ahead of your work. A break would not be unreasonable or unwarranted."

Well, when he puts it like that.

Clarisse sighs, leans back in her chair, and looks up at Joe. He's still staring at the door, giving no indication that he feels her eyes on him, but she knows he does. "Have a groundskeeper retrieve bikes and safety gear and meet us in the garden," she says, standing from her chair and bracing herself to look like an utter fool.

Her apprehension fades away fifteen minutes later. It can't hold last when she sees Steve's surprised and delighted expression at her presence. As she helps him put on knee and elbow pads, shows him how to pull the helmet's strap tight, and holds the bike steady as he sits on it, Clarisse decides a little foolishness is perfectly fine (necessary, even) if it will keep the smile on Steve's face.

------------

Tag List (let me know if you'd like to be added to future parts!)

@y4r3luv, @potato-of-the-lord,

#stranger things fic #steve harrington fic #princess diaries crossover #queen clarisse renaldi #modern royalty au #future steddie #robin buckley #jonathan byers #the party's parents #my writing #anybody else ever have that experience where the first time you realize that somebody won't make you feel guilty for asking for things #you get way in your head about not asking for the one (1) thing that will ruin it all for you #so every time you ask for something new you're bracing to take the request back as quickly as you can #just me?#aight then lmao #to absolutely nobody's surprise i am projecting on steve harrington #if you made it this far in the tags #you deserve a cookie lmao

139 notes · View notes

maxsix · 8 months

Text

#san #choi san #ateez #absolutely nobody asked for these in this size #except somebody totally did......i won't name names #choi san gento video day: you will be remembered for the rest of eternity #this is for the three people who will enjoy this #sorry to everyone else #i call these Mingi Size Gifs #if you know then you know #long post #very very big long obnoxious post #just like choi san

205 notes · View notes

qqueenofhades · 2 years

Note

One of my favourite Sandman lore pieces I absorbed via tumblr is how, when Dream is having great sex, all the dreamers get to have glorious lustful dreams. Dream really is getting laid and making it everybody else's problem. Magnificent.

Dr. Robert Gadling is whistling an extremely cheery tune as he unlocks his office door -- which, if you had had the night he did, you would be whistling too, or possibly even clicking your heels like a demented leprechaun and wishing top o' the morning to everyone who passed. He's not doing that, but he's definitely feeling extremely good, and he sails inside, pulls up the blinds, boots up his computer, and prepares to answer some emails while he waits to see if anyone's actually going to come to office hours. It's always hit or miss, and then four days later they send a panicked question at midnight that they could have just, you know, asked. In person, in a timely fashion, when he definitely will not bite. He will never understand undergraduates.

Hob keeps the door propped open as usual, thus to project a warm and welcoming attitude, and after he's trudged through the first tranche of emails, he glances up to see one of his students loitering in the hall as if she's about to come in -- then, catching sight of him, turning scarlet and racing off at top speed. This is bewildering, since she's usually among the more talkative of the bunch, but Hob writes it off. At least until he sees several more students hovering in the hallway, who all vamoose the instant he sticks his head out to see if they need anything. This is decidedly peculiar, and he sighs deeply, grabs his mug, and heads down the hall to the faculty lounge, thus to raid it for a cup of coffee. Even more emails (and oh joy, expense reports) await, and he could use the fortification.

When he steps inside, his colleagues Bryan (Economics and Politics in Modern Germany) and Amita (Women, Caste, and Religious Practice in Precolonial India) both immediately turn bright red, clear their throats, and engage in a slightly too-loud conversation about the weather (which, given as this is London, is exactly what you think it is). Hob eyes them curiously, since while bizarre behavior is understandable from students, it is somewhat less so from lecturers. "Hey, guys," he says. "Anything up?"

"Er." Bryan is staring fixedly at the floor, while Amita has become unaccountably fascinated by the raindrops rolling down the window. "Nope. No. Everything normal, Rob. Entirely usual."

"Right," Hob says slowly, having the feeling of a man who has walked into a cave and found something large and furry that he should try not to disturb. "That's just me going, then. If I could sneak past you for the coffee pot, that'd be great -- "

He pours himself some coffee, departs in haste, and almost bowls over Philippa, Head of Department, in the hallway outside. They spring backward like a pair of opposing magnets, he manages to avoid dousing her in boiling hot coffee, and as he apologizes, notices that she is likewise determinedly not looking him in the eye and addressing a spot in midair over his head as she insists that it's fine. What the actual hell. Has everyone in Goldsmiths lost their bloody minds?

The insanely weird character of Hob's day, and the fact that even the clerk at Superdrug seems to cough unaccountably while ringing him up, remains a mystery until he gets home, finds an eager Dream Lord waiting for him already, and they get extremely distracted even before Hob can make dinner. Afterward, as they're lying half-clothed and decadent on the bed, Hob murmurs, "Well, glad you at least can stand to look at me, love. Had a very odd time of it today."

Dream's expression assumes a furtive, guilty quality. He rolls onto his back, head still pillowed luxuriantly on Hob's stomach, and stares up at the ceiling. "Ah," he says, after a very long pause. "About that."

(Two minutes of a deeply humiliating explanation later, Hob screeches, "YOU BLOODY DID WHAT?" Dream apologizes profusely and promises not to do it again. Hob does, of course, have classes and commitments for the rest of the semester, but hopefully it's not too late to change his name, once more fake his death, and move to Australia. Except, of course, they dreamed of him there too. Horrible.)

#anonymous #ask #dreamling #dreamling ff #i absolutely did see that post like 'nobody can look hob in the eye after he and dream first get it on'#so yes a+ bless

1K notes · View notes