#and a daughter from the future only reinforced that.

[amtrak12]

I do find it fascinating how many readers take a character statement as the Absolute Truth and don't consider there may be layers of hidden meaning tucked beneath the surface. This happens over and over again in my Lucifer fic, particularly with Chloe's dialogue.

The most recent example is when she said 'Our relationship doesn't matter. Rory's more important.' and some readers were like 'Doesn't seem like she's very interested in a relationship with Lucifer. Where does she think Rory came from then? Doesn't she realize if she doesn't sleep with Lucifer, Rory won't exist in the future?'

When the context of this argument and that line is it's the DAY after they learned this toddler is their daughter from the future and a mere TWO WEEKS after Chloe learned angels were real and her partner was the literal, actual Devil. This woman is stressed as fuck! Do you analyze the romantic feelings you've been suppressing since the object of those feelings rejected you when you're stressed as fuck? Cause I sure don't! She's in survival mode right now! I thought that was obvious??? STOP TAKING ME AND THE CHARACTERS AT OUR WORDS! WE'RE ALL LIARS IN THIS NARRATIVE!

#My tone might seem like I'm angry about this #But I'm simply continually perplexed #Is this a product of being in my mid 30s? Are the readers that behind in life experience? #Or is it a product of me being acespec? Cause my sex drive shuts down when I'm stressed and my emotions get muted too? #Do other people not compartmentalize when they're coping with stress? #I'm so confused #Maybe I'm not making character motivations obvious enough but what am I supposed to do? #Write: 'Our relationship doesn't matter' she lied. Their relationship was one of the most important things in her life #and a daughter from the future only reinforced that. #First of all: I'm in close limited 3rd person POV not omniscient. #Secondly: BABE SHE'S FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW AND WOULD NOT BE THINKING LIKE THAT!

[katabay]

GILUBONG SA DOMINGO

UG MAO ANG KATAPUSAN NI—

okay, so there's a moderate trainwreck of ideas happening here, especially because this is the set up for a future thought I have not talked about yet!

first, the solomon grundy part is because for some reason, in my mind, it was always about a guy who got married and then died immediately after from a "mysterious" illness, and I'm pretty sure the Cain Saga Solomon Grundy chapter only reinforced that in some deep part of my brain

this! story! is about! a young man from the provinces who gets married to the daughter of the spanish governor and dies soon after. more or less, his wife murdered him for the land that was in his name, even though it was shared in the community without hierarchy, and she (with her father) intends to turn it into a sugar plantation.

and it's also about the engkanto, the 'not like us.' (so here's the thing, I know people have translated/compared engkanto to fairies, and honestly fuck that. my mom has always translated engkanto into english as 'not like us' since forever, and it's a better fit for our region than any comparison to european fairy folklore.) in the last panel with the mother, the man with the long hair is the engkanto in this story. so, the story:

once upon a time, there was a field, there was a harvest, there was a young man. and one day in the middle of the harvest season, there was a handsome stranger. every day he would invite the young man to come with him, offer him gifts, entice him with conversation. then: the young man got married. soon after, he died. his life has been stolen so the land can be exploited, and the handsome stranger is one with the land. this is now a story about retribution

this is playing off of the tinamnan gabe story a little, but I have diverged significantly because this is going to be about folklore horror, and it's also technically a prequel story for something else.

I've seen the tinamnan gabe story retold online and I've seen people cite the book it's recorded in (Negros Oriental and Siquijor Island Legends, Beliefs and Folkways), but I don't have access to the book so no additional citations for this RIP 😔 (while I heard a lot of similar stories to this one growing up, in a forest instead of a field, I still wish I had access to the book for a lot of reasons, but especially because I like reading things. I want to read the book!!)

to conclude this, I also want the mom to get revenge for her son. ideally, when I pin this idea down further, it will be about folklore horror AND revenge.

⭐ I have a tip jar (ko-fi)!

⭐ and other places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app

#original tag #komiks tag #(shrug emoji) #some people like to be cohesive in telling original ideas. i prefer to jump head first into a pool and keep going #i also want to do a komik adaption of the tinamnan gabe story story independent of this one because it's fun. sexy even! #and gay. temptation baby! im there. i have my pencils ready. ALL I NEED IS THE FUCKING BOOK

[witchqueenvisenya]

the greens being snuffed out in the end doesn't matter so much as the damage they did by undermining rhaenyra and female rulers on the iron throne as a whole because what came out of this whole thing isn't that all targaryens are greedy entitled people who are warring for the sake of it and that dany is heir until she isn't. it's that people in westeros are still very much struck by the destructive note of this historical event, both on the smallfolk and on marginalised peoples in the nobility itself, like women and bastards. the dance cements the fact that there must be no straying from westerosi customs, that women should never inherit the iron throne (better the nephews than the daughters), that bastards must forevermore be treated as suspicious and naturally prone to betrayal. because although rhaenyra gets to sit the iron throne, she is traumatized and depressed and paranoid and many of her decisions as queen are the result of this and that is what lasts in the minds of everyone. the reason for all this matters to us as readers, that there was a hateful misogynistic campaign, a bloody war fought just so this one woman doesn't inherit... how much the personal destruction from this fighting affects her to the point that a previously cheerful "realm's delight" transforms into "maegor with teats". the dance matters, because the social and political ramifications from the reasonings behind it matter. because rhaenyra, the king's heir, matters. her line doesn't fix the problems that led to the conflict in the first place because she (or any future heir brought up in a time free of conflict) wasn't left free enough alone to do anything about it and the only decisions we see from her are during a period of intense strife and conflict, which themselves reflect her own views. it doesn't matter though, because the precedent that could have been set, never was, and the greens' greed and meddling led to queens like naerys, and rhaella, who have exactly zero power because the one thing that could have empowered them—dragon—was killed off either in the fighting or on the orders of a king who was reeling from the immense mental trauma of having seen his mother devoured by his uncle's dragon in front of his eyes. this is the result of that war. this is the outcome of a war fought because rhaenyra was a woman. the downward spiral of misery and pain continues, exacerbated and reinforced by the memory of destruction and fear. a woman must not sit the iron throne. a bastard must not inherit.

#asoiaf #house of the dragon #hotd #fire and blood #rhaenyra targaryen #aegon iii targaryen #*v

[flowerandblood]

The Impossible Choice (46)

[ Aemond • Targaryen x Baratheon! • female ]

[ warnings: kissing, anxiety, angst, war victims, trauma ]

[description: Aemond comes to Storm’s End to choose his future consort. However, Lord Borros Baratheon presents him with only four of his five daughters. Being attached to his youngest child, he does not want to marry her. The prince, however, thwarts his and her plans with his decision. This is slow burn, with a lot of dark angst and sexual tension. (Anon Request)]

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

______

When she woke up in the morning she felt that she was alone. She looked around, completely naked and covered herself with the furs lying next to her, sighing heavily. She rose to sit up and pressed her lips together, feeling her moisture and her husband's spend slowly flowing out of her onto the bedding. She blushed at the memory of what he had whispered in her ear moments before she fell asleep.

I love you.

He said it.

He said it even though he didn't have to.

Even though she hadn't asked him to.

She felt happy and hopeful. Daeron's arrival with his reinforcements gave her the feeling that perhaps they were not in such a hopeless situation, that perhaps with her father's help this war could be won. With this thought, she stood up, calling her servant to help her take a bath and get dressed.

As the girl finished tying her buff, open sleeves to her gown her father walked into the tent, startling her completely. She pressed her lips together at the memory of what she had learned the day before from her brother and swallowed loudly, asking the servant to leave them alone. The girl bowed and left, an awkward silence ensued between her and her father.

Should she tell him that she knew?

She felt a squeeze in her heart at the thought that his illegitimate child was in Harrenhal.

She couldn't look him in the eye.

Her father grunted, clearly as stressed and concerned as she was.

"Did he tell you?" He asked lowly, uncertainly, his tubular voice trembling slightly. She looked at him in pain, tightening her lips.

"Not him, but Royce. I know my husband threatened you, Father. However, I already know, and you, if you wish, do what you want with your army." She said in a shaking voice, trying to remain calm, looking down at her trembling fingers, which she involuntarily played with.

She wanted to cry.

She felt hurt at the thought that her father was not as perfect as she had thought. She believed that other lords had mistresses, but not him.

That other lords had bastards, but not him.

She was naïve.

"Your husband has decided that we will move on the Eyrie." He said calmly, and she threw him a quick, shocked, horrified look, her heart beating harder in her chest. "And I supported that decision. We are leaving tonight."

She looked at him feeling her lower lip tremble, her eyes filled with tears, her whole body quivering.

Her husband, her father and her brother were going off to war, perhaps never to return from it.

"Why the rush…after all…." She mumbled, but her father interrupted her.

"Daemon is trying to find individuals born of dragon seed who have the potential to tame the dragons. They want to make them dragon riders. To have an advantage in the sky. If we let that happen, their fire will wipe us out. We need to surprise them. I agree with his decision." He said firmly, like a commander rather than a father, and she sobbed loudly, catching her stomach, his words cutting through her like sharp daggers.

She heard him draw in a loud breath, her reaction making him unsure how to act. He approached her, and after a moment she felt his large, familiar, rough hands on her head and then the cold steel of his armour against her cheek, his bearded face placed a kiss on her hair.

"– my sweet child –" He said in a breaking voice, and she wept in his arms, embracing him, feeling that what he had done, what he had hurt her with, no longer mattered.

"– Father –" She mumbled out loud as if crying out to him for help, as if begging him for something, though she didn't know what for herself.

Her father, who had always supported her, who had always been proud of her, who she could always count on, was now standing in front of her and offering her his comfort, his safe arms in which she sheltered herself when, on cold nights, she could not sleep, terrified by the darkness of her great chamber and the ghosts that might lurk beneath her bed.

"– forgive me, Father –" She whispered and heard him draw in a breath, swallowing loudly – she had the feeling that his voice had trapped in his throat as if he was about to cry himself.

His hand tightened on her head as if he wanted to give her reassurance that he would always be there for her, that she would never lose his support.

"It is I who should ask your forgiveness −" He said in a trembling voice she had rarely heard from him, the kind she had heard when he had sat beside her mother's bed and watched her life slowly leave her. "− I sold you − I −"

"– I love him, Father –" She said in a breaking voice, trying to calm her breathing, her heart pounding hard in terror. "– I'm happy to be his wife –"

Her father swallowed loudly and let out a quiet sigh, trying to calm down and pull himself together. He patted her on the back as if he wanted to pour a little reassurance into her so they would both stop crying.

"Good. Very good. I'm happy. You'll see, in just a few months I'll be holding my grandson in my arms and then…" He paused hearing someone walk into the tent.

She saw her husband's surprised face, pale and shaken, his pupil dilated wide, looking at her with fear.

Her father kissed her hair once more and let her go, heading for the entrance, and she looked at him with a misty gaze, as if she didn't quite believe herself what was happening. She looked at her husband's face, tears involuntarily running down her cheeks, her breathing uneven and accelerated.

She swallowed quietly as she saw him approach her slowly, his figure rigid and upright. He looked down at her, his lips tightened as if he was thinking intensely about what he wanted to say to her.

"If I don't come back, you will do whatever Rheanyra wants. You will bend the knee. Do you understand?" He asked coldly and she looked at him with dull eyes and shook her head.

If I don't come back.

Why did he say that?

"Daemon has a weakness for you, moreover you are with child. You will say that I forced you to do this and according to his will you tried to convince me to change my mind. If your father and brother survive, also let them submit to the will of him and my sister. I will not consider this a betrayal against me." He whispered, cupping her face in his hands, and she sobbed quietly at his words, terrified and distraught, unable to calm her breathing.

"− don't leave me −" She whispered, feeling as if he was saying goodbye to her, as if he felt that this time the will of heaven would not protect him. "− you promised me that after Harrenhal you would never leave me again − take me with you − I want to be by your side − I −"

She didn't finish as his lips pressed aggressively and violently to hers, his tongue invading her throat letting out a stifled, desperate moan. She clenched her hands in his hair pressing into his lips, seeking rescue in his closeness. He pulled away from her and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing hard, his gaze dark and troubled.

"I want to spend the next few hours with you and our child."

And so they did. At first they wanted to just make love to each other, but they stopped, too distraught at the prospect of sudden separation, and just snuggled into each other, his swollen manhood pulsing deep inside her.

She tried to remember the feeling, the feel of his arms around her, his scent, his face, his gaze.

She was terrified of losing him, and her body was trembling at that thought.

"Promise me you'll come back to me." She whispered and heard him swallow loudly and twist, all tense, his heart pounding like mad in his chest.

"I promise."

She watched helplessly as the servant put on his armour thinking that this wasn't really happening – she felt as if her heart was about to burst out of her chest, a cold sweat on her back. When he was in full equipage again he walked over to her and knelt down grasping her face in his hands, his soft lips placed a warm kiss on her forehead.

"Remember what I told you."

He stood up and disappeared a moment later and she was left alone, with a pounding heart and tears running down her cheeks.

Never before had she felt so scared, so alone, so abandoned.

She curled up, surrounding herself with furs, and just lay on the bedding. After a while, the noises around her quieted and there was an ominous silence, broken only by the footsteps of the guards passing by her tent and the wounded who had not gone off to battle.

Night fell, and she squeezed her eyes shut and began to pray.

Warrior, give them strength.

Father, guide them, do not let them harm your sons.

Mother, have mercy on them.

Stranger, do not take them away.

She repeated these four sentences over and over again, crying, rising quickly every time she heard any louder sound. She dressed in her nightgown and put a robe over it, poking her head out of the tent, but saw nothing.

She felt like she was losing her mind.

The hours seemed to lengthen like days to her. She lit a candle and tried to read, however she felt her body trembling all the time, glanced nervously at the entrance and wondered what was just happening.

She had never been so scared before in her life.

She felt helpless.

The first loud sounds and screams reached her ears in the morning. She roused herself from her restless half-sleep and ran out of the tent on her bare feet, looking ahead.

Their army was returning.

She covered her mouth and cried out loudly when she saw the silhouette of Vhagar and the other dragon in the distance, feeling relief flow through her body.

He had made it.

He had returned.

She saw the dragons land in the distance, and she ran between the cheering men towards the flying deer banners, searching her eyes for Royce and her father. Her heart beat harder when she spotted him, his face pale and smeared with blood, he looked as if he could barely see out of sight.

He only woke up when he saw her running up to his horse. She put her hand on his knee breathing unevenly, feeling uneasy.

"Where is our father?" She panted, smiling, thinking that perhaps their father was injured and being carried somewhere behind.

Royce stared down at her and answered nothing. She stroked his knee as if to comfort and reassure him, seeing how tense he was.

"Brother?" She asked quietly, her voice trembling slightly, but a hopeful smile was still painted on her face.

Only after a moment did she glance sideways and see a horse pulling a cart, with a body on top of it covered in the cloth of the Baratheon banner.

She felt her heart stop and ran over there on shaking legs despite Royce's shouts for her to stop. Her brother jumped off his horse and ran after her, grabbing her around the waist and preventing her from pulling off the material she wanted to grab.

"Who's there? I want to see him." She mumbled, breathing heavily, feeling like the world around her was spinning.

"Don't look, please. His body burned." Her brother mumbled weakly, and she drew in air with a quiet, mournful whine, clenching her fingers painfully tightly on his hands, trying to pull away from him.

"− let me go, Royce −" She said menacingly, struggling against him, the soldiers around them looking at the scene with sympathy and embarrassment.

"− stop −" He said helplessly, his grip strong as steel, both of them panting heavily. "− please, stop −"

"− LET ME GO TO HIM −" She cried out loudly, reaching out towards the cloth, slipping to her knees. Royce leaned over her, kissing her hair, his cold armour almost scorching her heated flesh.

"− he doesn't look like you remember him anymore − please −" He said pleadingly, and she fell down on the grass.

She clamped her fingers over her mouth, a loud, high-pitched, squeaky, almost inhuman scream came from her lungs, so terrifyingly pathetic that the men around her averted their gazes.

Scream after scream ripped from her throat as if someone were skinning her, as if someone were ripping her heart out alive, with sobs in between taking her breath away.

It felt like she knelt like that for hours, unable to calm down, Royce knelt next to her, his shaky voice not reaching her mind, not understanding what he was saying to her.

Her father was dead.

Her beloved father, her support, her companion.

He was dead.

He would never see her child.

She cried out louder at that thought and tucked her head between her knees wanting to disappear, to melt into the ground, to die.

"Prince Daeron is dead." Royce said indifferently, and she felt her heart stop. She swallowed loudly, wiping her nose and face.

So who was the other dragon rider she had seen?

"King Aegon joined the battle at the last moment." He said, and she froze, staring blankly ahead.

Aemond.

She looked around as if for a moment she didn't know where she was, the men watching her outburst of despair averted their eyes and dispersed. She rose on shaky legs.

"Where are you going? Wait! I…" Royce called out, grabbing her arm, but she pulled away from him.

She moved back through the camp hearing everything as if underwater, the joy of the men around her and their shouts seemed to her unnatural, strange, out of this world.

What was making them so happy?

What were they rejoicing about?

With difficulty she reached their shared tent, and as she walked inside she froze, seeing him before her.

His eye pierced her deeply. He was sitting in a chair facing her, his hands spread out on the armrests, his chin lifted slightly, his gaze cold and blank.

Like when he had arrived in Storm's End.

She wanted to shout that it was his fault, that she hated him, that it was all because of him and his brother.

She wanted to shout out how much she was suffering now.

But she couldn't.

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment. After a while, as if some impulse flowed through her she twitched, and her body moved forward.

One step, a second, a third.

As if she were a small child learning to walk.

She looked down at him, his healthy eye didn't even blink, watching her intensely.

She heard him swallow loudly, surprised, as she climbed onto his lap and snuggled into him, hugging her face to his chest, tucking her legs under her chin, trying to press her body into his. She felt him tremble, felt his heart beating hard against her face.

He had come back to her.

He had promised her and he had returned.

After a moment, she felt his trembling arms rise and embrace her tightly, his familiar, warm hands on her womb and in her hair. She burst out into a silent sob feeling it.

"Your father killed Daemon." He said and she felt her heart stop.

"He hit him with a crossbow when he tried to jump off Caraxes and pierce me with his Dark Sister. That's why Baela…" He said, and his voice stuck in his throat. She felt her heart beat harder, her lips parted in accelerated breath.

Your father killed Daemon.

He hit him with a crossbow when he tried to jump off Caraxes and pierce me with his Dark Sister.

Nothing mattered, nothing her father had done in the past could change the pride and love she felt for him.

Her father saved her husband.

"And Daeron…" It came out of his throat like a painful cry.

She stroked his shoulder feeling the pain in her heart, suddenly remembering cruelly clearly that he too had lost someone that night.

"– I tried to help him –"

"– shhh –" She whispered, lifting herself up. She embraced his terrified, pale face and cuddled his head into her breasts, offering him the shelter of her body, even though she was going through grief herself.

She could have crushed him, destroyed him, told him it was his fault, that he deserved this suffering.

But then he would sink back into his darkness.

She could see that he stood at the edge of the precipice over which he stood when she met him.

She could have pulled him back or pushed him forward to fall.

"− it's my fault − he was only a child − he was afraid, and I −" He mumbled out, her heart pounding like mad.

"− help me −" He muttered helplessly, and she felt her breath caught in her lungs. "− help me −"

She saw him with the eyes of her imagination, saw him in the void, in the blackness, in the emptiness, her husband, her god, her Stranger.

Help me.

She grasped his face in her hands, his healthy eye red, wide open, terrified.

He looked at her as he had never looked at her before.

He was utterly vulnerable, open to any hurt from her, ready to finally fall, to hear who he was.

She kissed him greedily, clasping her hands around his neck and hair, putting all the rage and love she felt for him into his lips. He moaned loudly into her mouth reciprocating her caress, his fingers on her cheeks and in her hair drawing her close.

She shuddered and pulled away from him with a quiet click when she heard a servant stepped into their tent to announce that the King was expecting him.

Her husband refused to go without her. He waited patiently for her servant to help her comb her hair and dress her in her gown.

Brown and gold.

The colours of the Baratheons.

As she walkend into the tent with her husband, Aegon's eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.

He didn't know where to look, so he looked away.

She stood next to Royce, trying to hide the trembling of her hands. Her husband did not stand beside his brother-king, but beside her. Aegon held out his hand towards him.

"Lords, behold my brother, destroyer of Caraxes, slayer of our…"

Aemond did not let him finish, his voice expressing fatigue and impatience.

"Lord Borros Baratheon fired a crossbow towards my uncle as he leapt from Caraxes and sought to stab me with his Dark Sister. The arrow pierced his neck. He died in the fire of Moondancer." He explained coolly and she swallowed loudly, lowering her gaze.

She tried not to think about it, she couldn't get over it, her mind repressed it.

Her father's burnt body lay somewhere on some cart covered with cloth, surely already rotting in the sun.

A spasm went through her body at the thought, but she only swallowed loudly and clenched her eyes shut, trying to calm herself down.

Aegon grunted at his brother's words and nodded, his gaze shifting to Royce.

"Lord Baratheon. In accordance with your family's tradition, you will now become the ruler of Storm's End. As I understand it, I can count on your devotion and loyalty, just as I could count on the same from your heroic father?" He asked feigning lightheartedness, as if Royce's answer was obvious, but she knew it wasn't and looked at her brother horrified.

Royce pressed his lips together and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, shifting from foot to foot. She put her hand on his shoulder, looking at him pleadingly.

Don't do this to me Royce, she thought.

He'll kill you if you don't bend the knee.

Her brother swallowed loudly, the words leaving his throat with difficulty.

"I am faithful to you, my King." He choked out and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "I wish to take my father's body to Storm's End and bury him in our home fortress. Then I will return with my army, and…"

"My Lord, you and your army will go where I command." He was interrupted by Aegon, and she looked at him wrinkling her brows, furious at his tone of voice, at the fact that he had flown in when everything was a foregone conclusion, that he had lost nothing.

The King, however, caught her gaze and swallowed quietly, embarrassed, his voice softening a tad.

"However, I understand the need for a quick burial, and I offer him the royal burial by fire that awaits my brother as well." He said, as if he was doing them a favour, but Royce laughed at his words in disbelief.

A royal burial by fire might have seemed like an act of grace to him, but not to them.

"You want to burn my father?" Her brother hissed, and she tightened her hand on his arm, feeling the fury rising within him. Aegon shrugged his shoulders at his words.

"Lord Lannister and my uncle will remain in the Eyrie together with the rest of the army. Lord Stark has retreated to Winterfell and is trapped, surrounded on all sides. Without Daemon they will be in disarray. The usurper may, in a fit of madness, try to attack King's Landing and that is where our main forces must now be. Inform your sisters to come to the Red Keep and take your father's body or ashes to Storm's End." He said lightly. Ser Criston grunted loudly, a long scar on his face from someone's cut.

"Shouldn't at least one dragon stay here?" He asked uncertainly, and Aegon sighed heavily.

"And guard what? The ruins? Our armies will create a wall that will cut off the North from supplies from the South. If they wish to starve to death for the Usurper, so be it." He snorted impatiently. After a moment, another commander, a vassal of House Hightower spoke up.

"What shall we do with Lord Greyjoy? He does not yet know that Prince Daeron is dead. What about the agreement? Without his fleet, we have no chance at sea." He said uncertainly, and silence sounded around them. Aegon swallowed loudly, looking at him terrified and grunted.

"Well… the Lord of Storm's End cannot be left without an heir." He said lightly, and she felt a cold sweat on her back – she cast a quick glance at her brother. Royce was red with rage, his lips tightened into a thin line.

He had lost his father to this fool, and now he wanted to put his conditions on him.

"No." He hissed, looking at him with hatred. "You will not force me to marry."

She was frightened by his directness and what Aegon might do with his words, so she decided to quickly interject and defuse the situation.

"Lord Greyjoy wanted a Prince as a husband for his granddaughter, not a Lord, my King." She said quickly, but felt discomfort when Aegon laughed at her words.

"Then perhaps I should command my brother, and your husband, to take a second wife like Aegon the Conqueror and close the whole discussion. What do you think, my Lords?" He asked loudly, and she felt a sting of humiliation ripple through her body at his words.

Perhaps I should command your husband to take a second wife.

She felt like crying at the very thought, her brother standing beside her was on the verge of bursting with anger.

"Careful, brother." Her husband hissed suddenly in such a tone that she looked at him shocked, his eye wide open.

For a moment they measured glances.

"− King." His brother corrected him, and she saw his husband's face stretch in a dangerous, dark grin not reaching his eye that she knew so intimately, that she had seen when he looked at Luke.

When he wanted to kill someone.

Aegon grunted, pretending not to see it, and turned to the Lords again.

"So it is settled. Send a letter to Lord Greyjoy informing him of my brother's death, the changes in the agreement recognising that the new Lord Baratheon will marry his granddaughter. Inform him also of the death of Daemon Targaryen and the heir to the throne of that usurping whore."

_____

Taglist 1

@its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess @sweethoneyblossom1 @watercolorskyy @astral-blossoms @randomdragonfires @apollonshootafar @padfooteyes @darylandbethfanforever9 @fudge13 @snh96 @diosademuerte @rwdkarla @echos-muses @ipostwhtifeel @letmeloveyouuuu @yentroucnagol @valeskafics @tempt-ress  @ahristata @menaosama @queenofshinigamis @dark-night-sky-99

#aemond fic #aemond fanfiction #aemond targaryen #aemond x oc #hotd aemond #aemond x fem!reader #ewan mitchell #ewan mitchell fanfic #aemond kinslayer #prince aemond #aemond one eye #aemond #aemond fanfic #aemond fandom #hotd fanfiction #hotd fanfic #hotd fandom #dark aemond smut #dark aemond #dark aemond targaryen #ewan mitchell smut #aemond smut #aemond targaryen smut #hotd smut #aemond targeryen angst #aemond targaryen angst #aemond angst #hotd angst #ewan mitchell fandom #house of the dragon fandom

[frankingsteinery]

for my 100th post (!) i thought i would, at long last, make a catch-all analysis on victor and elizabeth’s relationship, their marriage, and why specifically it was incestuous. throughout i may mention my interpretations of caroline’s past and her pseudo-incestuous relationship with alphonse, which you can read here. it’s not necessary to understand this post, but you’ll miss some of the nuance of the relationships between the frankensteins without it

in the 1818 version of the novel, elizabeth is the paternal first cousin of victor. she is, like caroline, similarly upper-class but falls into misfortune when her mother dies and she is left under the care of her father. these parallels become important later. after elizabeth’s mother dies, her father writes to alphonse “….requesting [Alphonse] to take charge of the infant Elizabeth” and that it was his wish “…that [Alphonse] should consider her as [his] own daughter, and educate her thus” (1818). that is, it was explicitly intended for elizabeth to be reared as a daughter to the frankensteins (and thus victor’s sister). 

in the 1831 edition, caroline specifically has an interest in elizabeth because she sees herself and her own situation in her, a background that mirrors her own. i’ll directly quote a post of mine instead of reiterating the same point. essentially: from the beginning caroline deliberately sets up parallels between herself and elizabeth. she wants a daughter, and adopts elizabeth specifically because elizabeth reminds her of herself, but grander: like she was, elizabeth is also a beggar and an orphan and homeless, but her story is more tragic, she is more beautiful, her debt to her caretakers more extreme, and her romantic relationship will go on to be more explicitly incestuous. through elizabeth and victor, caroline will perpetuate her own abuse. the difference is, unlike her own, this is a situation caroline can control.

from the beginning, at six years old, victor and elizabeth are raised with the expectation that they are going to be wed when they are older. as an adult, elizabeth reflects “that our union had been the favourite plan of [their] parents ever since our infancy” and that “we were told this when young, and taught to look forward to it as an event that would certainly take place” (1831). this is because of caroline’s “desire to bind as closely as possible the ties of domestic love” (1818), and so she is raised as victor’s “more than sister” (1831). they are encouraged to play at the role of mother and father/husband and wife together via raising and educating their younger siblings, particularly ernest. ernest is described as being victor’s “principal pupil” and, during his illness in infancy, elizabeth and victor were “his constant nurses” despite caroline, alphonse and maids/servants/caretakers being available

simultaneously, caroline grooms elizabeth into being a mini-me, calling her her “favorite” and encouraging her to embody the same values as her. caroline does all she can to have elizabeth be what is, essentially, a second version of her, while all the while dictating a marriage to her son

this becomes even more significant, when, on her deathbed, caroline reinforces her wish for victor and elizabeth to marry: “My children... my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union. This expectation will now be the consolation of your father. Elizabeth, my love you must supply my place” (1831). by attempting to replace herself with elizabeth via telling her to “supply her place” (of mother/wife) to the rest of the family, caroline is not only dictating a marriage between brother and sister but now mother and son, as elizabeth shifts from a sister-figure to victor into a maternal substitute, and simultaneously is his bride-to-be. as a result the roles of mother, sister and wife become conflated in victor’s mind—to some degree, there is no one without the other.

there’s deeper things at play here too, namely that it creates victor’s later emotional obligation in honoring his mother’s dying wish to go through with the marriage (furthered because it is the “consolation” of his father… alphonse also says something to this effect after victor gets out of prison), but i have enough to say on how victor is relied on as a pillar of emotional support by all of his family that it warrants its own post

this subconscious shift between the role of sister figure to mother figure is further emphasized when, during his dream at ingolstadt after the creation of the creature, elizabeth morphs into caroline in victors arms: “I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth…Delighted and surprised, I embraced her; but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms” (1831). that is, she literally changes from sister into mother. this is also the only kiss in the entire book, and the only instance victor and elizabeth display any affection for each other that is explicitly non-platonic (and elizabeth’s affections towards victor generally feel more motherly then amorous, particularly in contrast to the romance of felix and safie), and during it, she turns into victor’s mother and decays in his arms.

but why make the creature in the first place? well, as the common misconception goes, it wasn’t about reanimation (which was only mentioned once in a throwaway line) it was about creating new life. what victor wound up doing what was not reversing death, but what was, essentially, an alternate method of childbirth. this is a significant detail when considered in the context of victor and elizabeth’s relationship: victor’s goal was to create life, and he, at great lengths, intentionally circumvented women (elizabeth) in this process. why? so that he could dodge an act of incest—marrying elizabeth and providing the frankenstein heirs and carrying on the family legacy, which is what his family expected him to do.

there’s evidence to suggest elizabeth views victor as a brother. elizabeth indirectly acknowledges this relationship during justine’s trial, when she stands up for her defense: "I am," said she, "the cousin of the unhappy child who was murdered, or rather his sister, for I was educated by, and have lived with his parents ever since and even long before, his birth…” (1831). here, elizabeth calls herself the cousin of william (which is notably what she refers to victor as, both when they are literally cousins and when they have no blood relation—either way, a familial term) and then corrects herself, that she is actually william’s sister. her reasoning for this? she was raised and educated by the frankensteins alongside him ever since she was young. if you follow this logic, by extension she also considers herself ernest’s—and more relevantly—victor’s sister.

there is an egregious amount of subtext that suggests victor also views elizabeth as a sibling as well. before victor leaves for his vacation with henry, alphonse tells him that he has “always looked forward to [victor’s] marriage with [his] cousin as the tie of our domestic comfort” because they were “attached to each other from earliest infancy” and “entirely suited to one another in dispositions and tastes.” however, he acknowledges that because of this, victor may, perhaps, “regard [elizabeth] as his sister, without any wish that she might become your wife. Nay, you may have met with another whom you may love; and, considering yourself bound in honour to your cousin, this struggle may occasion the poignant misery which you appear to feel” to which victor replies: “My dear father, re-assure yourself. I love my cousin tenderly and sincerely. I never saw any woman who excited, as Elizabeth does, my warmest admiration and affection. My future hopes and prospects are entirely bound up in the expectation of our union” (1831). that is, he answers, no, he has not met any other woman he would rather marry, yet skirts around the former half of alphonse’s question and doesn’t acknowledge whether or not he views her as a sister or not.

this occurs again after victor is released from prison in ireland when, elizabeth, in a letter, does eventually ask him if he wants to back down from the marriage (this same letter features elizabeth literally hitting the nail on the head when asking if victor was going through with the marriage because he felt honor-bound to their parents). however, she poses this by asking: “But as brother and sister often entertain a lively affection towards each other, without desiring a more intimate union, may not such also be our case?...Do you not love another?” to which victor honestly answers no, he has not met any other woman. however, it’s not addressed whether he’s in love with elizabeth herself, nor does he address whether or not their affection towards each other is akin to that of siblings–again he entirely ignores it.

when victor and alphonse return to geneva after his release from prison, alphonse proposes victor’s immediate marriage to elizabeth, to which victor remains silent. alphonse then confronts victor once more: “Have you, then, some other attachment?” victor responds: “None on earth. I love Elizabeth, and look forward to our union with delight. Let the day therefore be fixed; and on it I will consecrate myself, in life or death, to the happiness of my cousin" (1831). yet the “hopes and prospects” that victor saw bound in their marriage earlier was, in fact, his own death–which was “no evil to [him]...and I therefore, with a contented and even cheerful countenance, agreed with my father, that if my cousin would consent, the ceremony should take place in ten days, and thus put, as I imagined, the seal to my fate” (1831). victor sees going through with a marriage to elizabeth as suicide, and embraces this.

they are both mutually hesitant and describe feelings of dread and melancholy on their wedding day itself. at the very least this indicates a lack of romantic interest in each other. after the ceremony, when they row out on the boat together, victor has a thought that is perhaps the most blatant example of his romantic disinterest in elizabeth: “Then gazing on the beloved face of Elizabeth, on her graceful form and languid eyes, instead of feeling the exultation of a—lover—a husband—a sudden gush of tears blinded my sight, & as I turned away to hide the involuntary emotion fast drops fell in the wave below. Reason again awoke, and shaking off all unmanly—or more properly all natural thoughts of mischance, I smiled” (Frankenstein 1823). victor also makes it clear to the narrator (walton) that they did not consummate their marriage before elizabeth’s death, which suggests there was hesitance or disgust around the concept. 

this is a neat little aside and more circumstantial evidence then anything else, but it is pretty well known that mary shelley's works tend to be somewhat autobiographical, and that her characters are influenced by people in her own life. this is most obvious in the last man, but its also present to a lesser extent in frankenstein, wherein victor's character is inspired by (among others) percy shelley. percy wrote under the pseudonym victor, which is believed to be where victor's name may have come from—and elizabeth was the name of percy shelley's sister.

#rob.txt #frankenstein #frankenstein the modern prometheus #victor frankenstein #elizabeth lavenza #gothic lit #this gets clunky and less fluid towards the end #one day ill go back and revise it #but i dont have the brain capacity #analysis

[sunlightmurdock]

bradley bradshaw extended universe

↳ aka Katie’s Rooster masterlist

18+, minors dni. If I notice that you are an ageless / underage blog, you will be blocked

Completed Series ✓

Sub Rosa — Masterlist (completed)

After months of sneaking around, and a few weeks of not seeing each other, Rooster and Reader get a few minutes to themselves at Ice’s birthday party.

Trouble in Paradise — masterlist (completed)

After the most painful break-up of his life, Rooster is stationed in Hawaii for the next six months. Alone, away from home and hurting, he finds comfort in the arms of a stranger.

Ongoing Series

Ceasefire — masterlist

Bradley Bradshaw is in San Diego, summoned to Top Gun for the first time. Commander “Hyde” Simpson is his flight instructor, and she doesn’t have time for schoolboy crushes.

My Future in You — masterlist

Bradley’s twenty-two years old and not where he’s supposed to be. He’s supposed to be out of the academy by now. He’s mad at the world. Then, a hook up at a Halloween party changes his future even more than he could have imagined. College / accidental pregnancy au

Safe Zone (+ Jake Seresin) — masterlist

A team of elite naval aviators holding down the fort at the North Island Air Base while they wait for reinforcements after a virus sweeps the continental U.S. - only, it’s been three months and no one has shown up. Zombie au

Blow by Blow — masterlist

Bradley’s washed up before his career has even really begun. He doesn’t want to fill his father’s shoes and he doesn’t want someone else to either. Stuck in limbo, living the same way he always has, the opportunity to step up wanders through the door of his gym in a mini dress and heels that are a size too big. Boxing au.

The Parent Trap — masterlist

In which, after a couple of years of listening to Peyton and Piper Bradshaw complain about their parents’ custody agreement, Grandpa Mav’s meddling goes a little bit too far.

The Odyssey — masterlist

The tale of the arrogant classics professor and the dwindling, soon-to-be-wed heiress that was failing his class.

Ashes, Ashes — masterlist

Maverick is missing in action after not making it back from the uranium trip, leaving his estranged daughter and Bradley Bradshaw to pick up the pieces.

Aeterna — masterlist *coming Summer 24*

Eternity and the related concept of infinity. The summer you strayed from home. 70s circus supernatural thriller au.

Drabble Series’

Hey, Hot Shot — masterlist

Just us spreading our firefighter Bradley agenda — more of a series of one shots / drabbles, etc rather than a series

How you wish it could be all the time — masterlist

A masterlist of drabbles / one shots about Bradley and his dangerous entanglement with Pete Mitchell’s daughter

One-Shots

Helping Hand

So, why do they call you Rooster?

Dog Fight

Pursuit

When All is Said and Done

For Old Times’ Sake + its prequel ‘Five Stars’!

Nerves of Steel (Part One and Two)

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw au #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw smut #trouble in paradise #ceasefire #my future in you #safe zone #sub Rosa

[z0-ne]

Fish eyes (!PLATONIC! UNCLE ILLUMI X CHILD READER + FATHER KILLUA)

This story is based off the illumi portion of THIS scenario! I know a lot of ppl like to think in the future he'd be better and suddenly understands what he did was wrong but like- what if he doesn't???

!warning!~ This story includes, stalking, kidnapping, hurt no comfort, child abuse and some gore.

READ WITH CAUTION!~ illumi is NOT a good person in this story.

Being one of the children of one of the greatest accomplishments in the zoldyck family is a blessing on one hand.

Your father doesn't follow in his own father's footsteps, something you are grateful for, your mother the same. Both assasins within their own right have taken another path with children of their own.

They're loving parents, well, as loving as they can be with the emotional damage they've received, specifically your mother. She's sweet in her own way, but if you had to pick between who was more playful and affectionate it would be your father for sure..

You always assumed it was because she's paranoid, of who? You have no idea, but you do overhear your parents conversate over someone you can only assume to be a bother to them. Sometimes your Uncle Gon would visit as well and be included in the conversation after dark.

Its ominous, you've never heard everything they said, because you would always end up having to sneak out before they mention a name, but you do know that there may be more than one person.

Its nothing to worry too much about right now though, you're still young, and you have two of the strongest people yet as your parents, not to mention your auntie alluka who tries to keep tabs on you all at all times, and your uncle Gon just in case you get lost.

Of course that is if you ever make it outside the mansion grounds, but you never travel that far. As the second youngest of six siblings, you have a lot of people on your back, watching you and making sure you don't wonder too far off.

It makes you wonder what's beyond that, why security suddenly got so strict, then again right now you're only seven, maybe it'll loosen up a bit as you get older, but it is odd. Your oldest sister said things didn't use to be like this.

You tried asking why, first your father but he just told you 'you're too young right now, stay here were you're safe' and rubs his thumb over your forehead to brush off the question. Then your mother, but of course she basically does the same, saying it's best to stay here. Even auntie alluka seems hesitant to tell you much of anything.

Uncle Gon is out of the question, he tells you about all the big creepy monsters out there, some are gross, like the evil giant bugs that roam around, or some gross snail person that leaves a trail of slime that leads to nowhere. Uncle Gon is like reinforcement to make sure you don't get curious about wondering.

Sometimes it works, other times you think you can take those monsters head on. It makes you more curious about the world outside that your oldest sister and her friend travel freely.

You tried asking her about it, since she travels with a girl who trains under your uncle's wing. She's not his daughter but she looks and acts so much like him from what your father told you about them back when they were your sisters age.

Unfortunately, they just share a look of worry then mask it up with a smile and tell you that your far to young to know.

On one hand its a blessing being a child of one of the Zoldycks greatest accomplishments...on the other...it's a curse.

_______________________________

Asking those older didn't seem to work out well, and you were weighing your options on asking your second older sibling, he's usually outside, fiddling with a drone he built, to gaze at the world outside and scope out where he'll go next.

Ultimately you decided to approach him and ask the question. "Why isn't it safe outside the mansions security?" Its an innocent question overall, maybe switching it up a bit will get them to answer.

He glances at you from over his shoulder and grunts a response. "What did dad tell ya?" you furrowed your eyebrows in frustration. Him brushing you off like you're a bother doesn't help answer your question.

"Come ooon...tell me." You said, somewhat demanding but also putting in a hint of annoyance in there as well as you pull at his sleeve.

"No way! If dad already told ya then forget it, go play over there or somethin!" He says as he moves his sleeve away from you and points over to a tree a few steps away from you with a frustrated expression..

Glaring up at him you huff but shrug as you stuff your little hands in your pocket and go over to the tree he pointed you towards. 'Stupid brother...' you think to yourself as you kick a rock. Its frustrating not being told anything.

Then, as you kicked the rock again you noticed something...it's small but you see something odd in the corner of your eye a weird figure, black floating all around it, little specks of green and yellow...since it's so far you can't see much else so you ignore it.

Your focus is not being able to figure out what's really outside the mansion walls, you want to know.

__________________________

'A curious lil thing' is what your uncle gon would always say, maybe it was because you were curious. It was why you were running from your nanny to the front gate right now.

Both parents out, your oldest sister on a trip of sorts with her friend and your brother in his room somewhere.

You've thought about it many times and honestly, when you get to the gate...climbing it seems like the best option, and you throw your caution into the wind.

You know you can climb this even at your age you've climbed higher trees. So you hoist yourself up and look back to see how far behind your nanny is, and you hear her call out your name but her voice leaves an echo behind, you giggle and continue up the wall.

It doesn't take long for you to make your way completely over and you take a look around, its...more forest? No worries, you keep running, curious about what lies ahead of those trees.

"(NAME) please! Come back it isn't safe!" You hear your nanny call out for the upteenth time but can only giggle as yyou keep running, your childlike delight and innocence not picking up on the danger you were about to be in.

You take a few turns here and there, until suddenly something feels...off...the playful atmosphere you had just moments ago replaced with something...scary...

Running comes to a halt, and you take a look around as to where you are. Your arms at your side and hands balled up, you don't recognize it.. the trees are taller...much taller than you remember, and when you look up all you see is leafs...covering everything.

"Huh..? Nana Misa?" You stand up straight and call out,, as you try and retrace your steps from where you are, but something about that feels wrong too.

Its not until you feel a pit in your stomach, your heartbeat picks up and ththere'a sudden shortening in your breathing that you quickly turn around...and there's some...stranger...

Very long, black hair, as black as the night sky...probably darker than that. Skin painfully pale, almost as pale as snow...and those eyes, they're pitch black and they remind you of a fishes eyes...

You once again, stand up straight your hands out of your pocket now stuffed inside them again as you look up at the strange man. "hey...who are you?" You question with a tilt of your head, despite that unnerving feeling you got from him earlier.

He stares at you, those unblinking eyes seem to stare into your soul as he doesnt say anything for the longest time.

"You're just like him..." The strange man speaks, and his voice is smooth like butter but just as unsettling as his appearance, its like looking at one of those creepy characters from a scary movie your oldest sister use to watch.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" Despite your fear you try and mask it with false confidence and a demanding tone.

"I won't make the same mistake twice..." A large hand attatchef to one of his long lanky arms reached out to grab you, and it was like you just froze.

What is this..? This feeling? You can't move, you know you should jump back,, swat his hand away, bite, kick, scream do something to prevent him from grabbing you but you can't. Your brain screaming for you to move away but your body isn't responding.

Its like you're in a trance...a terrible...terrifying trance that's taking over your entire body, freezing it in cold unexplainable fear...

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" A shout, a familiar voice snaps you out of that trance, and you see her, who you believed to be your savior.

"Nana! Nana Misa!!" You don't know what happened but all of a sudden you felt your body and your mind get back in order,, and you dashed over to her, hot tears rolling down your face as you rushed to her and gripped onto her dress, burying your face into it and smudging tears all over the white cloth.

Her hands made their way to caress your head, gentle, warm, comforting and overall protective. Its so familiar, you were always being protected and now is no different...

"Oh...An obstacle... How unfortunate..."

Except it is different.

The man from before, you turn your head to look at him. That tone, nothing behind it but evil...its so scary...you want to look away, but when you feel your nanny's hands begin to tremble, you look up and see her face painted with the same fear yours was, the only difference is that she has some resolve.

"Please...(Name)...run..." her voice trembles....you had never heard her voice tremble before up until now, and it only intensifies your fear

"Nana...?" A crack...there's a crack in your tone, from confident to worry...you've never heard her usually soft calm kind voice tremble, you've never seen such a look of fear in her eyes, sure you've seen concern or worry but never...fear...not like this.

"I said run!" A sudden yell from her and you look up in surprise. She yells at you, not once breaking contact with the man with fishy eyes.

You try to protest, but she shoves you to the side when he steps forward. From there on it all happened so fast... you didn't even have time to run.

"Stay away!!" You hear her yell out, watching the scene in slow motion as she takes a dagger from her sleeve, and raises it above her head, in preparation to strike.

The man however just stand there...those fishy eyes...standing there...watching her as she prepares to slam the blade down upon him.

Why can't you move?

In an instant, he walks past her, and your nanny stops. She stops and doesn't move for awhile, before suddenly she falls to her knees, eyes wide tears at the sides threatening to spill, her lips parted and her eyebrows still furrowed...

Then all you see is red...

Dark red...crimson...it spits from her neck...when did he cut her? it spills out like a sprinkler on the sink, like thick water it spurts from her neck and her entire body jolts around limply.

You stare on horrified, not even noticing the man approach you, not hearing him..let along seeing him reach out to grab you.

The blood spurts from her neck for what feels like hours, covering the once green grass beneath her and painting it red...her body jolts around aimlessly before it slumps limp to the ground with a sickening thud.

Loose pink hairs fall over her pale face, dark red blood drips from her once pink lips and her uniform, the once white apron now dirty with what could be blood and mud.

You can't speak...you can't move, you only look on hopelessly as she lays there...watching her hand twitch...once...maybe twice before nothing...

"I won't make the same mistake twice..."

Then a cold feeling overwhelmed you, a cold feeling of someone grabbing your arm, their grip was rough, not even bothering to handle you with some gentleness like your father and mother or even uncle gon. Its not warm like them or Nanny Misa. Its cold and rough,but you can't move or even resist as it begins lifting you up.

You hang there like a rag doll as you stare at the corpse, the corpse of someone you cared deeply for, like she was an extension of your mother, an aunt of sorts. now just a corpse and through that unnatural coldness...you fell warm tears fall down your face...

"Nana...Nana!!" Your voice echoes, but not enough,, it cracked and you reached out to the body but it was too late.

It was too late for anything, because that strange man was already on the move, running with you like some rag doll, carelessly like you were less than a human.

He stops infront of a car, a limbo, its long and black, pitch black like his eyes and hair, and as you sob he sighs like he's frustrated with it and throws you in the car and climbs in himself..

"Oh a crier, how dreadful...~" another voice says with an odd tone, expaserated and dramatic.its just as unsettling as the other man who threw you into the car.

You can't see through your blurry eyes and the heavy tears that fall out of them,but you can tell that it's a long drive...a long... draining drive because the one who called you dreadful made hints at shutting you up for good. The man that kidnapped you however immediately shut it down.

Eventually the car did stop, and it was time to leave the car, which threw you into a big hysterical fit. You kicked your legs, swung your arms and screamed and cried as the man tries to find an opportunity to grab you..

"Your struggling is useless." That cold voice points out as he grabs your arm and yanks you out the car, forcibly dragging you through what seems to be the woods.

Your sobbing doesn't stop, like you're hoping your parents will hear you, uncle gon, your sister...anyone... maybe you had even hoped the man would have some mercy and return you.

However as they kept walking and there was yet another heavy sigh from the other man with the off voice you figured that it was much too late to be returned.

A loud creak could be heard then a slam, the immediate feeling of a cold breeze hit your face and if you weren't scared before you definitely are now..

Your cries get louder, echoing through the halls as the man holding your hand firmly simply walks, his heels clicking against the hardwood floors, dangling you above the ground from his height alone.

Then it stops. Another loud creak of a door as he lifts you up by your arm to make eye contact with him but your too scared, still crying. He sighs.

"Since you won't calm down ill have you stay here until you stop being so hysterical." His voice blank and empty of any sympathy as he tosses you in the room.

You land on the cold hard floor with a loud thud,, your body throbs in pain as you snap your head up and look to the door,, you quickly stand up run over only for him to slam the door shut, a loud bang following.

"NO!" You scream out, scratching at the door, twisting and yanking at the knob, and you even went as far as to slam your body against it..

In the end however...nothing worked... jt just left your little body sore and you're heart torn to pieces as you realize you can't get out... and you were back to where you were before, sinking to your knees, sobbing as you call out to anyone who could help...your father...your mother...uncle gon...your sister...your brother.

The thought of never getting back home...it brings you to your knees as you sob loudly for them, hoping they'll come...come and take you home..

^___Bonus! ^-^________^

Letting out a heavy sigh, Killua slumps back on the side of the ship he and his wife boarded, a trip back home after a weeks work of work. It was exhausting but going home to see his kids would be pretty rewarding, he brought gifts back as well.

His hair grew in the back so he pulled it into a low pony tail but other than that the front remains the same. He looks out into the distance and suddenly his eyes twitch a bit.

"Something...feels wrong..." he mumbles under his breath, but he doesn't know what...not yet at least.

#x reader #x y/n #anime #x you #hunter x hunter #platonic #x illumi #illumi zoldyck is evil too #hxh illumi #illumi zoldyck #illumi x reader #illumi hunter x hunter #hisoka #hisoka morow #Hint at hisoka x illumi #hisoka x illumi #killua x you #killua x reader #hxh killua #angst #child reader #i'm doing angst based off the last hxh request i got #character death #hisoka hxh

[yongility]

NEO TV # ROCKABYE (taeyong x reader) 2/?.

genre: single dad au, ceo au, fluff, slightly angst, smut.

warnings: adult language, death mentions, idk there's not a lot of warning for this one.

word count: 7k (not proofread!!!)

a/n: if you want to be in the taglist, just lemme know;) enjoy!

When Taeyong was growing up, he always carried with him the memory of the wonderful family he had, a small yet at the same time, great family. He, his mother, and his father didn't need anyone else. They were always the three of them, and it was more than enough. Sure, his family wasn't always conventional, and there were obviously mistakes here and there, but that would never mean that Taeyong wouldn't be grateful for the life and love his parents provided him.

Taeyong was always a starry-eyed boy. Passionate about everything that interested him. As a child, he went through countless phases trying to discover what he wanted for his future... Would he be the same man as his father? Or would he choose another profession? Would he be a stay-at-home dad and dedicate himself to his family?

Like the hyperactive child he was... he never knew for sure, and if there was an exact word to describe Lee Taeyong, it would surely be unpredictable.

Unpredictable because no one had the slightest idea what the boy's next step would be. Unpredictable because Taeyong changed his opinions every half an hour unless he felt one hundred percent sure about what he was doing. That was Lee Taeyong, that's how his family and friends knew him, and that's how he was formed.

Nevertheless, the boy matured at a fast pace. Without necessarily feeling it present, the pressure regarding his father's company position was looming closer and closer, not explicitly, but it wasn't necessary to be so to know what would become of him once he graduated from university. He could always hear what others said about him: 'Oh, Mrs. Lee's son is a true gentleman, surely his parents will be proud of him' ... 'Will he really take over the Lee company? He's nothing more than a spoiled child who always had everything handed to him on a silver platter.'

There were always different opinions and criticisms from different perspectives. Yes, Taeyong knew he wasn't perfect, he was more than aware of it. Taeyong was human, he had made mistakes, stumbled along the way, but he always tried to put one foot forward and rise from every stumble he had encountered.

He wasn't a relationship guy. He was sure of that. Of course, he had had some teenage romances in his high school days. He had been on a few dates during college, and yes, he had had at least one relationship that had lasted at least a year.

Although this last one was more about social pressure than simply enjoying the company of the girl who was his girlfriend at his twenty-three years. He would never blame Joy and would never speak bad about her; in the end, Joy had been someone with whom he had spent part of his growth and accompanied in various moments, which was when they decided to try some kind of relationship between them and for the good of both families according to his mother. The Lee family and the Park family had been partners for a long time, so what better than to bring together both heirs of their heritage to reinforce both businesses? However, that didn't last long. Only a year, Taeyong appreciated Joy and vice versa, but definitely didn't see any future with her. He tried, he really tried. He wanted to do his best, he wanted to do things right, but he couldn't. He simply couldn't.

And with the pressure from his family and Joy's family, nothing could be contracted.

'Taeyong, we are very happy that our daughter and you are making such great progress, we can't wait to see a ring on my daughter's finger.'

'Taeyong, time is passing and you still haven't knelt before her, you know we can't grow old without seeing you at the altar.'

'Taeyong, today Joy and I were at the mall and we saw a spectacular baby clothing store, you're taking too long! How lovely it would be to already have a little one running through the halls of the house!'

Marriage, family, commitment. It was something that Taeyong didn't think about and didn't want to have at his twenty-three years. Sure, someday he would have to settle down and form his legacy, but he wished it would be with someone he truly loved, with someone he could see his future with and grow old together, but could he ever get all that someday?"

_______________________________________________

First Month.

Week one.

For someone with enough money, Taeyong didn't usually keep his apartment constantly in undergoing renovations. Lee Taeyong was a simple man, he preferred the minimalist and the modest. Nothing extravagant, nothing ostentatious. At the end of the day, there were few times he found himself at home, its only use was just for sleeping, if he had the opportunity to do so.

However, as many things had been changing suddenly in the last few days, it was no news that his apartment would be one of the things involved in one of those changes. So his apartment was now filled with piles of boxes here and there and a few cans of paint waiting to be used.

It would be a long process.

"If someone told me that, that when I return from America, I would be assembling a crib for one of my friends' daughters, I definitely wouldn't believe it," Jaehyun said slowly as he read some instructions.

"Hard to believe, but not impossible," commented Doyoung, snatching the paper from his hands and now reading the instructions.

"It's just that I only left for two weeks! And now I'm an uncle! As far as I know, that process takes nine months," exclaimed Jaehyun exasperatedly.

A thump on his head made him stop and he brought his hand to his neck to rub it as he complained slowly and looked at the cause of that attack.

"It was a nine-month process, idiot. It's just that we didn't find out about it until a little over a week ago," Doyoung told him, looking at him disapprovingly.

After that, and quietly giving up on how to build a crib, they left the room where they were and headed to the small baby carrier that was on the couch with a very peaceful Sun Hee inside it, or at least she seemed to be peaceful.

Doyoung and Jaehyun approached her, who either looked at them or made an attempt to do so, with her eyes wide open and babbling sweetly. The heads of both boys tilted as they watched the little one and her actions, almost as if they were examining her and trying to guess what her next move would be.

May the universe take care of the little one with such uncles she has.

"She looks like Taeyong," murmured Jaehyun.

"Well, of course she looks like him, she's his daughter," Doyoung replied obviously.

"She could look like her mom, who knows," the younger shrugged and continued to watch the little one. Who would have thought that one of their friends would be a father?, who would have thought that the very Lee Taeyong, who loved freedom, would become a father? The little one remained calm for a few more moments, until Doyoung and Jaehyun's gaze that was on her may have made her uncomfortable, because without further ado and letting out a whimper, she began to cry; causing both boys to look at each other and panic as they didn't know what to do next.

"Should I pick her up?" Jaehyun asked alarmed. He had never held a baby before. "Sun Hee? Calm down... calm down Sun Hee... don't cry."

"Where's Taeyong?" asked Doyoung, and the baby's crying became even louder. "Taeyong!"

"Sun Hee, please don't cry," murmured Jaehyun as he looked around, then took the remote control and turned on the TV. "Look! Look Sun Hee, the news! That so interesting, isn't it?"

"You idiot, what does she know about the news," snapped an upset Doyoung as he lightly hit his friend's arm.

"How would I know, I've never had a daughter! Where's Taeyong? Taeyong!" they called again for the attention of the father, who was not present, and the little one began to cry more and more. "Sun Hee, don't cry because I'm also going to cry," commented a very sentimental Jaehyun.

To the misfortune of both boys, Taeyong along with Johnny had gone down to the lobby of the building for a couple of things that would be delivered for the apartment renovation.

Who else but the great Lee Taeyong would leave a baby in the care of TWO adult babies? Nobody else but him.

Doyoung quickly grabbed a toy that looked like a rattle and after seeing his friend entering a great state of panic, he began to shake it trying to get the attention of the little one who seemed not to have precisely an off button, and instead of getting distracted and stopping crying with the noise of her toy, she seemed to become more uncomfortable and start crying once again.

Both friends looked at each other again, defeated. A one-week-old baby had more power over them. They would definitely be ready to be parents in about... thirty years.

"You idiots , what have you done to my princess?" Lee Taeyong questioned once inside his apartment, leaving the boxes he was carrying on the floor and approaching his daughter, lifting her in his arms and making her cry cease once she felt the warmth of her father.

"What did we do to her? What did she do to us!" exclaimed Jaehyun, bringing his hands to his face.

"You're so dramatic, Sun Hee is a sunshine," commented Johnny, approaching his friends and stroking the cheeks of the little one in Taeyong's arms. "Aren't you? You're a very pretty sunshine, Sun Hee, I bet when you grow up you'll be so pretty that everyone will be after you," he said in a high-pitched voice while Sun Hee seemed to be very familiar with the voice of her third uncle, who was making a very small attempt at a smile.

"Look at that, it seems like Sunnie already has favoritism towards one of her uncles," Taeyong said, smiling tenderly as he saw his daughter calmer.

"Johnny her favorite uncle? I'm the godfather!" exclaimed Doyoung offended.

"He's the godfather?" Jaehyun and Johnny asked incredulously, pointing at Doyoung.

Oh no.

Taeyong looked innocently at his friends and smiled slightly once an idea lit up his head.

"Whoever manages to assemble her crib will be her godfather. Isn't that right, Sun Hee?" the little one just babbled while her eyes closed, beginning to drift off to sleep.

He didn't need to repeat his sentence before his friends ran out of the room and ran towards the place that would be Sun Hee's room.

Taeyong laughed and left his little daughter in the baby carrier while gently rocking her.

It will be a long day.

_____________________________________________

First month.

Week three.

If there's one thing people know about Lee Taeyong, it's that he's a dedicated and determined man. A workaholic perhaps, and that might be the reason behind the great success and reputation of his company. Taeyong knew what he was doing, and he was the best at it. His investments always remained clean and on a large scale; any businessman would feel honored to work with the great Lee, or even to have a minimal connection with him. He was well-known in the business world, not just because of who his father was, but because of the great work he had done on his own to achieve everything his companies obtained after his father's retirement. A young man in big business, respected by the world.

That was Lee Taeyong.

He was also a man of routine and hated when it was affected. Over the years and as he grew older, Taeyong realized that the best thing for him was to have a schedule ready for each morning so that things would go more smoothly and efficiently. His days were mostly planned, but it was obvious that there would always be some unexpected event to deal with during the day. However, Taeyong always found a way to handle it as organized as possible.

However, with the arrival of Sun Hee in his life, and what it caused to change completely, his routine had to be terribly affected. He had been aware that this would happen, at least in the first weeks – or months – of Sun Hee's life. At least until he could take her to a daycare or until he could find a nanny he could trust completely to leave the most precious thing in his life in her care.

So for now, he had to play two roles, that of being a father and that of being the CEO of one of Korea's most important companies. Although now that he could see his life from two completely different points of view, he could assure that the first role was by far more difficult than the second.

He had heard a lot about being a father, even his mother had given him a book on how to be a father, he thought it would help, but it really didn't help at all. Being a single father was hard, especially being a first-timer; his mind was in chaos. Of course, he loved Sun Hee, she was his life, his ray of sunshine, but sometimes it was too much to handle, sometimes the diapers didn't fit as nicely as a pretty nurse had taught him... Sometimes Sun Hee didn't want to drink the formula that Taeyong offered her when she was supposed to eat – and according to his mother, maybe it was because the girl needed breast milk, how the hell could Taeyong do that? – Sometimes no matter how much effort he made, Sun Hee wouldn't stop crying.

And that's where he was right now. At three in the morning, with visible dark circles under his eyes, his hair disheveled, barefoot while rocking Sun Hee back and forth in his arms, who seemed to find no peace.

"Shh, Sunnie. What's wrong? You should sleep a little, don't you want to let Daddy rest a bit?"

The day for Taeyong had been difficult; there had been some mishaps in the company that couldn't be dealt with from home, so he had to go there with Sun Hee as his company.

The confused looks from his employees had not been of much help to him at that moment.

Nor had it been of much help that Sun Hee had been whiny all day. Taeyong didn't understand what was going on with his little one, it wasn't that she needed a diaper change, it wasn't that she was hungry... she just spent the day throwing little complaints.

And that had been too much for Taeyong. The pressure of business matters and the responsibility he had as a father became too much.

Sun Hee continued to cry in his arms, and Taeyong felt like he would cry at any moment too.

"Sunnie, please. I don't want us to be kicked out of the building for bothering the neighbors," murmured a very frustrated father. "Calm down, baby, can you do that for me? Can you calm down a bit, huh? Can you do that for Daddy?"

Taeyong stroked his daughter's cheek, who seemed to stop crying and just let out a few small sobs that hopefully would stop in a few seconds.

He sighed and relaxed his body, bringing Sun Hee closer to him.

And maybe... just maybe, he spoke too quickly.

Because as soon as he was relaxed, his daughter started crying again, and this time Taeyong couldn't take it anymore and cried too. He sat on his bed with her in his arms, and a few tears fell from his eyes.

Looking at his daughter and seeing the state she was in, he couldn't help but feel his heart ache. Sun Hee looked so fragile, so small. How could he keep her safe? How could he make everything alright? Oh, how he wished he had come into the world with all the knowledge about how to be a good father in his mind.

"I wish I could know what's wrong with you, Sun Hee, but I can't read your little mind," he murmured between sobs. Obviously, his daughter didn't respond, but rather continued with her act.

His lungs would probably hurt right now with all the crying he had done, and that terrified Taeyong, who stood in his place and walked to the bedside table, where he picked up his phone and entered his contacts list. He didn't exactly know what he was doing or why, but his desperation overpowered him, and in a moment his fingers were dialing the only number he could think of, he just hoped he was doing the right thing.

One tone... two tones...

It's three in the morning, Lee Taeyong, who would answer you at this hour?

Three tones... four tones.

"Hello?" a very sleepy voice was heard on the other end of the line, and Taeyong could feel the air returning to his lungs.

"Y/N?, I'm really sorry for calling you at this hour," Lee murmured as he left his daughter in her rocker and held his phone between his shoulder and ear.

(Y/N) recognized that voice after a few seconds and recognized those cries even more, making her sit up briefly in her bed and mentally forcing herself to wake up completely.

"Taeyong? What's wrong? Is it Sun Hee the one I hear?"

Of course, it's Sun Hee, idiot! What other daughter does Lee Taeyong have?

"Yes, it's Sun Hee... and I... don't know what's going on. Sunnie has been complaining all day and hasn't stopped crying for a while. I don't know what to do, I've already changed her diaper, she's already eaten, I even sang her some lullabies, but nothing works," explained Taeyong desperately. "I don't know what to do, I'm tired, my arms hurt from carrying her so much, I've memorized all the nursery rhymes, and Sun Hee doesn't seem happy with anything."

"Oh, Taeyong..."

"You were sleeping, weren't you? Oh God, I'm so sorry, I know it's late, but calling you was the only thing I could think of, I'm really sorry..."

"Taeyong?" (Y/N) called him. "Don't worry, I told you that you could call me if you ever needed it. I have no problem helping you, even if it's three in the morning," the girl could hear the soft laugh of the nurse on the other end of the line, and this created a great contrast between the incessant cries of his daughter and the sweet laughter of (Y/N). "What can I do for you?"

"I know it's late, but I can't think of anything else, can you come? Or if you want, I can put Sun Hee in her car seat and drive over there!" Taeyong explained quickly.

"Calm down, I don't think it's the best idea for you to drive stressed and with Sun Hee crying in the back seat. Send me your address, and I'll be there in a moment."

"Thank you, (Y/N), I wouldn't be calling at this hour if I really didn't need it..."

______________________________________________

The door of Taeyong's large apartment was knocked, and this alerted the boy as he carried his baby close to his chest. Lee headed to the entrance of his house, and when he opened it, he found (Y/N) in a very different contrast than he had become accustomed to seeing her. For obvious reasons, she was not in her work clothes, and now she was wearing a black sweatshirt with cute pants covered in puppy drawings all over. Her hair slightly loose and without a drop of makeup.

Even so, she looked pretty.

Taeyong blinked a couple of times and moved aside to let the girl pass while he continued to rock his daughter.

(Y/N) entered the apartment and approached the father and the little girl.

"Can you lay her down somewhere? I'd like to give her a quick check-up,"

Taeyong nodded without hesitation, walked to the room that had been adapted for Sun Hee, and laid her down in her crib. The crib that Johnny had successfully built, opening the fight between who would truly be Sun Hee's godfather... something they would detail later.

Once the little one was in her crib, (Y/N) lifted her clothes slightly to observe Sun Hee's stomach and see a few more things. The boy simply watched in silence, resigned by his daughter's cries and giving a couple of glances to the girl beside him.

I wish the call I made had been for something else and not for this.

Taeyong and (Y/N) hadn't had contact since that time two weeks ago when the former had left the hospital. Taeyong tried to call her a couple of times, to thank her again for everything she had done for them during the time she had been Sun Hee's nurse, but for some reason, he was always busy enough with his daughter and the company, and he didn't allow himself to do it.

He would have liked to invite her for coffee sometime.

He really would have liked that.

"I'm not exactly a doctor," (Y/N) spoke. "But I've worked with many babies to see these consistent behaviors. It seems to me that Sun Hee is suffering from colic; I think it would be best to take her to the pediatrician first thing in the morning just to be sure."

Taeyong nodded without saying a word, maybe because he was too tired to formulate anything or because maybe his mind was no longer processing anything. (Y/N) smiled tenderly, regardless of the little one's whining; after all, it was something she heard daily in maternal care.

"Can I?" she asked, pointing to Sun Hee. Taeyong nodded again, and (Y/N) took the little one in her arms. "Oh Sun Hee, it's been a while since we last saw each other; you look even prettier than two weeks ago, even though you won't stop crying," she murmured, earning a small laugh from Taeyong.

"Try spending three hours listening to her cry," the visibly tired boy replied.

"I work in maternal care, remember? I hear several babies cry at the same time."

"True," Taeyong sighed, "it's just that it's tiring, you know? Particularly today was a heavy day, and it seems that Sunnie has no intention of letting me sleep tonight."

"We'll try to fix it then," (Y/N) gave him a smile, glanced around the room, and when she found a rocking chair, she went there to sit down.

She placed Sun Hee on her lap face down and began to pat her back gently, then used her fingers to give her a little massage, delicate enough for her. For a moment, the crying didn't stop, but after a few minutes, the father found himself really surprised to notice that his daughter had managed to calm down.

From the doorway of the room, with his arms crossed over his chest... Taeyong smiled.

But what a sight. (Y/N) tried not to be distracted by this and continued to massage while clearing her throat.

"The nursery is very nice," she commented, trying to look anywhere but at the boy's figure.

Taeyong nodded and approached her slightly.

If you don't see him, you won't be distracted... if you're not distracted by him, you won't think anything impure...

"Yes, we set it up the first week Sun Hee was here. The guys and I went through a moment-" Taeyong laughed as he remembered the day- "Do you remember, Doyoung? He was the one who accompanied me on the last day at the hospital," (Y/N) nodded, "Doyoung, Johnny, and Jaehyun helped me, it was chaos, but we managed to set everything up... still, Sun Hee doesn't sleep here yet."

"Really?"

"Mhmm, Sunnie sleeps with me. In a way, it's easier for her to sleep if I'm by her side; I just put some pillows around her, and she sleeps in my bed," he commented, feeling his cheeks blush. In reality, it wasn't so much that Sun Hee had gotten used to him, but rather that Taeyong rested more peacefully knowing that his daughter was by his side, so he would know that, if something happened, he could respond immediately.

"That's very sweet," she commented, "how has everything been? It's been three weeks since I heard anything from you," she continued massaging the little one's back.

"Uh, it's been good, I guess. Sometimes a bit chaotic, but I have my parents' help and Sun Hee's uncles," he replied, "... my friends, they say they're Sunnie's uncles, and I agree with them, they're like my brothers."

"It's nice to know you have someone to lean on; it would be much harder if you were alone," she took the baby in her arms and rocked her as she saw her sleepy face.

Taeyong, surprised by the immense ability of the nurse, watched the scene with tenderness, which looked too domestic. Too much for Taeyong's liking.

"Yes, it's been hard, but they've been a great help. I've been working from here, so I have to take care of the company and Sun Hee at the same time. Sometimes it gets stressful, but I have to keep doing it, at least until Sunnie gets bigger and I can get a nanny... or take her to the company. I don't know which of the two options is worse."

"You'll surely find a good nanny or daycare," (Y/N) encouraged, "you know? We have a daycare at the hospital... well, not exactly in maternal care or in the hospital itself, it's affiliated. Sometimes I cover shifts there; maybe you should consider it."

"Yes, maybe," Taeyong smiled.

Both remained silent for a few seconds, (Y/N) still gently rocking the little one to not wake her from the sleep she had fallen into, and Taeyong discreetly looking at the nurse.

Never in his life did he think he would find himself in such a situation.

But he wasn't complaining; he liked the scene. It was nice to see.

(Y/N) also discreetly contemplated the scene and thought to herself: How is it possible for Lee Taeyong to look so attractive at three in the morning? Even with dark circles under his eyes?

It wasn't news that the man seemed attractive to her, but after three weeks without hearing from him, she thought she wouldn't think of him that way. Of course, Taeyong and Sun Hee were constantly on her mind; she wanted to know about them on many occasions, but she had no way to contact with him, and the hospital, for good reasons, wouldn't give her the Lee family's private information; after all, it's the hospital's policies, and she would respect them.

However, she was grateful that Taeyong had called her, even though it had been at three in the morning on a Tuesday, to deal with Sun Hee's irritated problem.

She just hoped that if they met again, it would be in a different situation...

______________________________________________

An hour and a half later, with a deeply sleeping Sun Hee in Taeyong's bed surrounded by pillows, and the clock showing four forty-five in the morning. Lee Taeyong and Kang (Y/N) were in the living room of the apartment, not saying much.

"I think I should go," the girl commented. "I start my shift in a few hours."

Two hours and fifteen minutes to be exact.

"Oh my God, (T/N), you should have told me you had an early shift; I wouldn't have made you come here if I had known," Taeyong exclaimed alarmed.

"Don't worry, really. I told you that you could call me if you ever needed anything, and I meant it. You and Sun Hee would never be a problem. I'm glad to help," she smiled.

"Thank you very much, it means a lot to me that you did this," the boy commented. For a moment, he thought about taking the girl's hands and giving them a slight squeeze, but he held back his thoughts. "I promise to repay you soon... maybe with a coffee?" the brunette asked, feeling a surge of hope in his chest.

He saw the girl's smile widen, causing him to smile as well, and he lowered his gaze shyly.

"Rest assured that I'll say yes," she replied. "I'll be waiting for your call, even if it takes three weeks again," she joked.

"I won't take that long this time, I promise you."

"We'll see about that... in the meantime, don't forget to take Sun Hee to the pediatrician tomorrow; anything you need, you can call me, Lee Taeyong. I'd like to know how things are going with Sun Hee afterward."

"I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Goodnight, Lee Taeyong."

"Goodnight, (Y/N)."

And so, at five in the morning, each went to bed with a small smile decorating their faces.

____________________________________________

For (Y/N), life was something she appreciated.

Perhaps that's why she chose to work in the healthcare field.

She grew up in a middle-class family. Nothing extravagant, but with everything necessary to live comfortably. Her family wasn't large either; it was just her, her two siblings, and her parents. A typical family with its ups and downs.

She was never demanding and instead tried to help with whatever she could. She liked making people feel good and enjoyed contributing whenever possible, something that made her parents proud.

She grew up as a normal girl, at least until she reached high school, where her parents' divorce took place. She never knew when it happened or what led them to make that decision, which left a scar on her heart.

Or maybe she always knew but never wanted to acknowledge it.

She must have noticed it when her parents started arguing over every little thing. She must have noticed it when her father was less present at home. Surely, she noticed it when her mother cried all day in her room when her husband spent the entire night away. Perhaps the times when her older sister was irritated and left home to hang out with people of dubious reputation were a sign of how her family was gradually falling apart.

However, she hoped it wouldn't be like that.

Still, despite how much that decision affected her, she continued with her life as best as she could, being a support to her mother and becoming the older sister when her brother failed in that task.

She became an independent woman. She didn't like relying on others for money, which is why she managed to work since she entered high school. It was a part-time job, enough for her to have her own money, and it was the job that allowed her to find her vocation and passion.

Her job wasn't complicated – or at least, it didn't feel that way because it was something she genuinely enjoyed. Every day, after finishing her last high school class, (Y/N) rushed to the Dongjak area, where on a small street, she found the daycare center that allowed her to find her path. At that time, she didn't fully interact with the children, as she lacked the experience needed and was still young for that, but she was the assistant to the caregivers there, and seeing them work excited her every day.

She didn't know if she had developed an emotional attachment there, after the conflicts that had arisen at home due to her parents' arguments.

But she enjoyed being there, she really did.

Then her sister, in an attempt to leave home and go with who she swore was the love of her life, got pregnant at a young age. It was a difficult pregnancy, and (Y/N) took part in taking care of her sister throughout the process. She appreciated everything she had learned at the daycare center, which allowed her to put it into practice once her nephew was born.

Her nephew was the apple of her eye and would always be.

She didn't blame her sister, she really didn't want to, but there were times when it seemed like she was the mother of her nephew herself. There were many occasions when she had to take care of Jisung. Her sister had to leave high school behind and get a job to cover her and her son's needs, especially after the man who swore to always be by her side had cowardly fled two months before giving birth, making the childbirth process even more difficult than it already was.

So, her nephew saw her as a pillar. Someone who took care of him, fed him, changed him, and cared for him. (Y/N) even witnessed his "firsts" before his own mother. His first steps, his first words, she even accompanied him on his first day of preschool, continuing until she had to go to university.

Having found her vocation early on made everything easier. She entered the Academy of Health and Pediatric Nursing in Seoul. Where she always got good grades and became an exemplary student, graduating with all the honors her academy could give her almost three years ago.

It wasn't difficult for her to find a job immediately, thanks to the recommendations some of her teachers had, she was able to find a nice position in the maternity and pediatric care area at Seoul General Hospital, where she couldn't feel more comfortable.

Where she was right now.

" Nurse (Y/N)!" a soft voice called from behind her, causing her to turn around and smile emotionally.

"Hello, little one," she greeted, approaching the bed of one of her patients. "How are you feeling today?"

"Very well, they told Mom that I can go home today, they say the treatment worked," the boy told her with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! You'll soon be back to see your friends at school," she encouraged him.

"Yes, but I'll miss you a lot, so I made this for you," he said, pointing to the piece of paper in his hands. "It's you and me."

(Y/N) smiled tenderly and looked at the drawing Kaeyoon had made for her.

"It's very nice, Yoonie, thank you very much for your gift, I'll hang it on my fridge," she said as she high-fived the boy. Then she looked at the drawing and looked doubtful. "And who is he? Is he your dad?" she asked, pointing to another figure in the drawing.

"No, that's Doctor Yuta, and he has hearts in his eyes because he's your boyfriend!" he exclaimed happily, causing (Y/N) to widen her eyes and then release a smile.

"But Yoonie~, Doctor Yuta is not my boyfriend," she replied, still laughing.

"Then can I be your boyfriend?” he asked skillfully.

"Oh, honey, I'm afraid you're too young for me," she replied with a smile.

"And when I get bigger?"

"Maybe when you're big," (T/N) continued. "But by then, you'll surely have found another girlfriend that will have your age."

"But you're the prettiest! Besides, I have to beat Doctor Yuta," he muttered.

"What do you have to beat me in?" another voice chimed in, and (Y/N)'s body reacted to it.

"In nothing."

"In being (Y/N)'s boyfriend," Kaeyoon and (T/N) replied in unison.

Yuta opened his mouth and pretended to be surprised. "So it's a competition?"

"Yoonie's just kidding," (T/N) said with a nervous smile. "You know how kids are, doctor."

"Look, doctor! I've made a drawing for you too," Kaeyoon exclaimed, changing the subject drastically, and it was the perfect opportunity for (Y/N) to awkwardly step away from there.

She wrapped the drawing in the paper and put it in the pocket of her pants before starting to check the checklist and see which child she should attend to. She stood at the desk for a few seconds, checking and arranging things until she felt a presence beside her, one that she could easily identify.

"So you have little kids falling for you," Yuta commented with a mocking smile.

(T/N) smiled nervously. "That's how kids are. Two weeks ago, he was in love with Nurse Mina."

"But he was right to fall for you," Dr. Yuta continued, and (T/N) let out a laugh followed by him. "Would you like to go for a coffee in your next break at the hospital cafeteria? I mean, it's not the most elegant thing, but I'd like to spend some more time with you."

(Y/N)'s cheeks turned crimson, and she nodded, smiling. "Oh yes, of course. I would love to."

"Maybe I might win you over Kaeyoon," Yuta said as he walked away from the desk.

_______________________________________________

Second month.

Week one, Thursday.

(Y/N) had been right two weeks ago. Sun Hee was suffering from colic, and according to the pediatrician, it was due to the formula Taeyong had been feeding her.

Taeyong instinctively felt like a bad father; he had been feeding his daughter something her little stomach seemed unable to tolerate. But how could he have known? He had to completely discard those formula cans from his pantry and replace them with the new formula the pediatrician had recommended, and soon, Sun Hee's discomfort was diminishing.

Even now, he could sleep a little more at night.

Along with the massages he had learned the night (Y/N) had helped him and a couple of other routines, Sun Hee's colic decreased.

(Y/N)…

Although Taeyong had assured not to take three weeks again to contact her, it seemed that Taeyong really wanted to leave her waiting. Not to misinterpret, it wasn't that he didn't want to call her and invite her for a coffee, but his life was busy, and his priority was his daughter instead of throwing flirty glances around.

Although he knew that a coffee was the least Taeyong could offer her in gratitude for that time at three in the morning, he simply couldn't muster the courage to pick up his damn phone and dial a few numbers. Besides, he didn't want to misread the signs; who would want to date a dad?

"You should just call her," Johnny advised as he watched his friend from the other side of the couch.

Sun Hee rested on her father's chest as he stared at his phone incessantly.

"I don't know, John," Taeyong replied with a sigh.

"How long has it been? Two weeks? You should have called her the next day."

"I don't want to pressure anything... maybe she's not interested."

"The girl came at three in the morning on a Tuesday, do you really think she wouldn't be even slightly interested?" Johnny asked incredulously.

"It was for Sun Hee, nothing else. She said she wouldn't mind helping with Sun Hee whenever she could," the younger one confessed, stroking his daughter's back.

"You should give yourself more credit, Lee Taeyong. You're a coveted and handsome man; being a dad now doesn't change how attractive you are."

"I was hoping she would be interested, not you," he joked, and Johnny contemplated throwing a pillow at him for a moment, but after seeing his niece on his friend's chest, he stopped.

"You'll never know if she has even a little interest if you don't call her. Plus, for the favor she did you, it's the least you can do."

Taeyong fell silent and sighed.

"I know, I'm aware of that," he replied, closing his eyes momentarily. "I'll keep considering it."

"You're stubborn," Johnny commented, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, alright. Get your ass up and come with me to the supermarket; Sun Hee finished her formula, and she needs more."

"Anything for my niece."

______________________________________________

“What do you think of this?” Johnny asked as he showed Taeyong a jar of baby food.

Taeyong turned around and snorted.

“Sun Hee still can't eat those things; besides, the doctor recommended that once Sunnie started trying food, I should prepare her purees myself. It's more natural,” the father shrugged, glancing at his daughter strapped to his chest in a baby carrier.

“Wow.”

“Wow what?”

“I never in my life imagined you playing the role of a dad,” Johnny commented with a half-smile.

His friend sighed and placed a can of formula in the shopping cart before sighing again.

“I didn't either, but Sun Hee came, and I'll try to be the best father she could have,“ he replied, smiling as he looked at his daughter. “ Everything happened very quickly, but Sunnie is a ray of sunshine.”

“She is!” Johnny agreed, then cleared his throat. “When are you going back to work? At the company, I mean.”

“John, this isn't the place to talk about that,” Taeyong said, pushing the cart.

“Taeyong, you know it has to happen. At some point in your life, you have to return to your usual routine. You can't work from home your whole life. Even the day will come when you have to go out and have fun too!”

“Johnny, stop”

“You know I'm right, Taeyong.”

The younger one sighed again. "I know, John, but now isn't the time for that. Sunnie is only two months old; the day will come when I can take her to the office without her getting irritated so quickly or the day when she's big enough to leave her in daycare."

“Just promise me you won't put your life completely on hold. I know Sunnie is your priority now, and some things change when you become a father, but please, also give yourself some time. If you ever need it, you can ask your mother to take care of her, I could even be Sun Hee's babysitter for a day!”

“I'd rather leave Sunnie with Doyoung and Jaehyun than with you,” Taeyong joked.

“Hey! How could you prefer to leave my niece with those two clowns? They can't even take care of themselves!”

Taeyong chuckled and continued pushing the shopping cart while considering what groceries to bring home.

“Okay, Johnny, I really appreciate it.”

His friend kept talking beside him, but he wasn't really paying attention. Instead, he was focusing on the items on the shelves and what he should take home, gently rocking Sun Hee to prevent her from crying right there.

He stopped somewhere between the cereal aisle and the canned goods, and upon hearing a child's laughter, he turned to his right, finding a very familiar face. The girl was about twenty steps away from him, with a smile on her face as she listened to what a little boy was saying to her.

Taeyong was confused; his brow furrowed as he looked sideways at the scene. Was that girl (Y/N)? If so, who was the boy next to her? His eyes widened; could he be her son? But what about that time at three in the morning? She wouldn't leave her child alone somewhere to go help another family... What if she had a husband and left him with him? Oh no, no, no, no.

“Taeyong?“ a female voice brought him back to reality, and he focused on the girl coming towards him with a confused expression, then smiling as she recognized him.

“ (Y/N), hi” he greeted, once she and the boy holding her hand were in front of him.

“ Of all the places we could run into each other, it has to be the supermarket” she commented, laughing softly.

Taeyong smiled. "Yes, Sunnie ran out of formula, so I had to come for more," he explained, pointing at his daughter.

“ Oh, I see. How's Sun Hee? I haven't heard from you since about two weeks ago,“ she inquired.

“She's been better; she had colics because her stomach couldn't handle the formula she was drinking. Now everything's fine.”

“I'm glad to hear that,“ (Y/N) noticed how Taeyong discreetly observed Jisung and spoke, “ Oh, yes, he's Jisung*. He's my nephew; I brought him to buy his favorite cereal, and he's staying over tonight.”

The guy felt the blood rushing back through his body and smiled warmly as he leaned slightly to look at the little boy.

“Hey, hi champ. I'm Taeyong, and she” he momentarily uncovered his daughter's face “ is Sun Hee.”

“Hi, Mr. I'm Jisung, and I'm this many,“ he held up his right hand, raising five fingers and showing them to Taeyong, who smiled tenderly.

“Oh, that's a lot. You're almost catching up to me.”

“Yeah, he’s almost your age” she laughed off.

In that brief moment, Taeyong and (Y/N) exchanged a few more words. The guy was distracted by her, now seeing her in a different light. He had seen her in her work clothes, then in pajamas when he called her at three in the morning, and now he saw her in a floral dress and a thin sweater covering her, with her hair loose and slightly wavy, and a bit of gloss on her lips.

She looked phenomenal. Actually, she looked phenomenal no matter what.

In nurse's attire, in pajamas, he was sure she would even look spectacular in a sack of potatoes because she just shone in every way.

However, his little and discreet admiration was interrupted when Johnny's voice called him abruptly.

“Hey, Taeyong. Look what I found; this would look cute on my niece” Johnny spoke, lightly tapping his back as he reached his side. Then he realized the situation and smiled sideways, “Oh, I didn't know you had found someone. I'm Johnny Suh, pleased to meet you” the blonde commented, extending his hand to the girl and giving a high-five to the little boy.

“She's (Y/N),” Taeyong said, fearing the worst.

“Oh.”

“ Nice to meet you, Johnny. I'm (Y/N). I was Sun Hee's nurse while she was in the hospital” she spoke kindly.

Johnny smiled playfully and turned to look at his friend, who was looking at him barely shaking his head.

Taeyong could expect anything from his friend, and that was what he feared the most.

“Oh, so you're the nurse Yong wanted to invite for coffee?“ he innocently asked.

“Johnny.”

“Hmm, I don't know” she responded with a little laugh, “Am I?”

“Excuse my friend; he's a very busy and absent-minded man” Johnny explained, receiving a small punch in his ribs from Taeyong, who smiled falsely and continued talking to the girl, “Isn't that right, Taeyong?”

“Yes, sorry for not calling you back after that night; I've just been taking care of Sun Hee and working at the company, so I didn't find the right moment to call you” Taeyong spoke with his head slightly bowed, feeling embarrassed.

“Oh, don't worry. I figured you'd be busy. No need to apologize; I completely understand” she assured him with a smile.

“But what a lovely girl! You better invite her for coffee; otherwise, I'll do it myself” Johnny encouraged while still smiling, causing (Y/N) to laugh.

“Johnny...”

“I was just kidding,“ he raised his arms in a sign of innocence, “but I'll leave you two alone; I heard there's a sale on floral detergent. I can't miss it!“ he exclaimed so that, without further ado, he walked away from the aisle and left both guys with both children, alone.

“I'm sorry, really. Sometimes Johnny can be... extra,” Taeyong apologized quickly, shaking his head with a smile, “but what he said is true; I wanted to invite you for coffee, but I couldn't find the right moment to call you. I'm sorry for taking so long.”

She smiled sideways and nodded slightly as she placed her hand on the guy's shoulder.

“It's okay. I waited for your call after you said you wouldn't take three weeks to call me this time,” she said, laughing, “but I figured you'd be busy, so no hard feelings.

“Is it still time for me to invite you?” he asked, his big eyes shining. (Y/N) nodded with her cheeks turning red, “How about Saturday afternoon? I know of a café not far from here, and they sell amazing muffins. I'm sure you'll like the place.”

“You've convinced me with the muffins.”

“Of course” Taeyong laughed. “I'll send you the location by text... this time, I'll do it.”

“I'll wait for your message then,” she said, nodding, then staying silent for a few seconds.

Should they say goodbye now? Should he wave his hand? Or leave a kiss on her cheek? They still didn't have the confidence for that, did they? Would it be weird if he did? How complicated everything is!

“Auntie, I want to go now,” the voice of a little boy took them out of their trance, and they changed their view to the kid.

“Oh, of course, my love. Have you had your cereal?” the girl asked, and Jisung nodded, “Okay, then we’ll go,” she assured him, then turned her gaze back to the boy and the little one on his chest, “it's been nice seeing you; give Sun Hee a kiss from me, have a good night.”

“See you on Saturday.”

“See you on Saturday, Taeyong.”

______________________________________________

The boy approached his car where Johnny was leaning against it, waiting for him. Taeyong gave him a dirty look, and the blond raised his arms as he opened the back door.

“Don't look at me like that! “ he pleaded with a smile “I did you a favor, dude!”

“Just don't say anything and put the stuff in the trunk” Taeyong ordered as he placed Sunnie in her car seat.

Johnny obeyed his friend's orders and began to put everything inside the car. After a few minutes, he returned to Taeyong's side, who had already settled Sun Hee comfortably and asleep in her car seat.

“Come on, help me get rid of this thing, it's stuck,” the brunette said as he tried to open one of the zippers of his baby carrier, struggling with it.

His friend approached him even closer and tried to help in a failed attempt; the zipper was stuck, and it didn't seem to want to open even with all the force in the universe.

“Let me try, don't move,” Johnny requested as he held his friend by the back and put one of his hands on the zipper of the carrier, “why won't it come out?”

“What a beautiful family!“ the exclamation of an older lady was heard, causing both boys to look at her. She was looking at them with a tender smile as she waved at them. Then they looked at each other and at their current position, prompting Taeyong to quickly push him away with his hands, and Johnny cleared his throat as he turned around.

“You get rid of that by yourself”

I’m sorry I took too long for posting this!! 😭

Taglist is open, just lemme know if u want to be added! You can ask me something if you want here!

Taglist: @geminiml95 @zooana @cathamada

#nctzen #nct #nct au #nct imagines #nct x reader #mark #nct 127 #jaehyun #nct scenarios #nct x you #taeyong x y/n #taeyong x you #lee taeyong x reader #taeyong x reader #lee taeyong #taeyong #nct taeyong #single dad #ceo au #nct fanfic #nct fluff #Taeyong au #taeyong fanfic #taeyong fluff #taeyong angst

[haggishlyhagging]

“Florence Nightingale was subjected to a ‘ladylike’ upbringing of enforced idleness with the most constructive activities allowed being those of company and visits, (Strachey says she was not even permitted to read to herself, but was read to, a practice which Nightingale describes as ‘like lying on one's back and having liquid poured down one's throat’ (ibid., p. 19).) It was against the uselessness and the despair of such an existence that Nightingale revolted and engaged in a continual battle with her parents. Her mother, who insisted on Nightingale's vacuousness in order that she might be marriageable, relented slightly as Nightingale grew older, rejected proposals, and passed the acceptable marriageable age. It was this relaxation of control, as well as Nightingale's determination, which led to her being able to break out from her suffocating existence and to pursue what she perceived as her vocation. But before she was able to make her move, she had to endure for more than thirty years the repressive regime of a leisured and unmarried woman, 'shut up tight within the conventions which forbade independent action to a woman' (ibid.). It was from this experience that she wrote about and analysed the position of women.

Florence Nightingale recognised that men insisted that women should be happy, and that women therefore were required to assert that they were happy — no matter what the circumstances of their lives — for men took it as a personal offence if the women whom they 'supported' declared themselves unhappy, with the result that women who wished to continue to be supported continued to state that they were happy even when they were most miserable. (This is a point taken up by Jessie Bernard in The Future of Marriage (1972), though, of course, she does not suggest that this is a fairly old idea and one put forward by Florence Nightingale.)

That it is obligatory for a woman to be happy, to present a contented and cheerful disposition to her master in order that he can feel satisfied with the arrangement and secure in the knowledge of his own psychological (as well as financial) indispensability, is a lesson that mothers unwaveringly teach their daughters, argues Nightingale. The only way such a lesson can be taught successfully is by the systematic denial and removal of passion from women. If emotion were allowed to reside in women, says Nightingale, women could not bear their lives, so women go round teaching ‘their daughters that "women have no passions." In the conventional society, which men have made for women, and women have accepted, they must have none, they must act the farce of hypocrisy, the lie that they are without passion — and therefore what else can they say to their daughters, without giving the lie to themselves?’ (Strachey, 1928, p. 396).

And the daughters, taught to deny the existence of any passion, to deny the existence of any will or force in themselves to cultivate a smiling, serene veneer, which reinforces men's images of themselves, try to find amusement, fulfilment, meaning, in the most 'escapist' activities. This is why women read novels, states Nightingale, for in a novel, the heroine has generally no family ties (almost invariably no mother), or, if she has, these do not interfere with her entire independence (ibid., p. 397); and the reader can dream. Women thus ‘wish their lives away’ because their daily existence denies them purpose, meaning, commitment, aspirations and action. They simply exist to cater for the psychological and physical needs of men and are permitted no life of their own. 'Passion, intellect, moral activity — these three have never been satisfied in a woman', says Nightingale. ‘To say more on this subiect would be to enter into the whole history of society, of the present state of civilisation' (ibid., p. 398), for women are given neither time, opportunity nor sanction to develop their own resources for themselves. (Mary Beard, 1946, had a great deal more to say on this subject.)

'Women are never supposed to have any occupation of sufficient importance not to be interrupted, except "suckling their fools", she continues, and women themselves have accepted this, have written books to support it, and have trained themselves so as to consider whatever they do as not of such value to the world or to others, but that they can throw it up at the first "claim of social life". They have accustomed themselves to consider intellectual occupation as a merely selfish amusement, which it is their "duty" to give up for every trifler more selfish than themselves (Strachey, 1928, p. 401).

So she continues, explaining why it is in a sense, women do not exist as individuals, why it is that women cannot pursue any intellectual activity, systematically, why it is that women's time is not considered valuable, and why it is that they do not have any. 'Women never have half an hour in all their lives (excepting before or after anyone is up in the house) that they can call their own, without fear of offending or of hurting someone' (ibid., p. 402), for they must always be available. And 'for a married woman in society, it is even worse. A married woman was heard to wish that she could break a limb that she might have a little time to herself. Many take advantage of the fear of “infection” to do the same' (ibid.).

Florence Nightingale gives every indication that she understands why the two sexes are required to behave in the manner that they do, and why it is that women's loss is men's gain. If it was this aspect of the woman question that she had in mind when she stated that she didn't expect much from the vote, her assessment was completely justified and her conventional portrayal as anti-feminist is then cast in a very different light. The changes that she sought (and which to some extent she managed to procure for herself — as did Harriet Martineau) were so radical that there was little likelihood that the vote would have been of much assistance in bringing them about.”

-Dale Spender, Women of Ideas and What Men Have Done to Them

#dale spender #florence nightingale #womens history #feminist history #reluctant motherhood #female oppression #male entitlement

[randomfoggytiger]

Scully: Lies and Self-Edits

Scully's lies and self-edits stemmed from a desire to be believed in: she wanted trust, admiration, and respect, honing her self-image to a fine point in order to earn that belief.

What I found interesting was how she self-edited her image to others particularly; and how that reflected in her relationships with those closest to her.

**Note**: Will ghost edit later.

"Agent Scully"

To her peers, to her coworkers, to her bosses, even in her early friendship with Skinner, Scully maintains an edge of unbreakable, unapproachable distance. Her life is her own; and she will not be broken by misogynistic assumptions (2Shy and D.P.O. and Never Again) or blinded by personal connections (Revelations, Orison, etc.)

Scully seeks to earn their belief through respect, self-editing to cover up her personal struggles and weaknesses.

"Dana, What Are You Doing At Work Getting Knocked Down?"

Bill Scully is shown only one aspect of his sister's chosen line of work: abductions, trauma, and loss of inter-familiar connection. Furthermore, he is hurt, angry, even jealous that Dana would rather go to work and die in silence than admit her failing health to the family, who would be ready and willing to support and lift her up.

What Bill fails to see in his own behavior-- and that Scully is too polite to point out to him-- is that he does not have confidence, faith, or belief in his sister: that her decisions, be it getting knocked down at work or trying to adopt a little girl she's known for only a few days-- are born from rationality and conviction, not irresponsibility and emotions. He has prejudged her-- unlike or more than he did Melissa, by all accounts-- as flighty and frivolous: climbing to greatness before tossing herself off the mountain to doom.

Scully seeks to earn his belief through rationality, self-editing to appear emotionally disattached and logical in the face of his (half merited, half wildly unfair) criticisms.

"You Were Always the Strong One"

We get a clear picture of Maggie Scully's reliance on her daughter in Beyond the Sea and Memento Mori, setting up one-half of the complicated dynamics of Scully's Starbuck complex. She openly grieves, openly weeps, and openly clings to her daughter-- "the strong one" of her children, boys included. That angle would reinforce Captain Scully's expectations and benevolence to Scully's achieving, self-sacrificing nature; and Scully has always bloomed towards praise, even after her personal revelation in all things.

Scully seeks to earn her unshakeable love, self-editing her own struggles out of a fear that her "cowardice" or failure will dry up Maggie's motherly love or belief.

"Other Fathers"

In Beyond the Sea, Captain Scully is prodded to ask his daughter about her job-- the very issue that fractured his and Scully's relationship from recruitment to field work (quite a long period.) Scully buries her insecurity, answering with a dutifully tight-lipped "It's good." But when her father walks away, she slumps, disappointed at his desire to move quickly away from that fulfilling part of her life.

At his funeral, she begs her mother: "Was he at all proud of me?" And works through her feelings of shame until her closure in One Breath. Still, the question haunts her; and she misinterprets her dissatisfaction and disillusionment in Never Again as a symptom of her "other fathers" hangup with Mulder. The truth she learns then was a different one-- post here-- but the similarities remain. Always patching holes back onto the ship, never pushing the captain too far.

Scully sought (seeks) to earn his pride through being a dutiful second mate, self-editing and downplaying her break for freedom in an attempt to win him back.

"A Source of Strength"

In Irresistible, Scully reveals to Karen Kosseff her realization: she relies on Mulder. She also recognizes her desire to never become a burden to him-- as she says in Fight the Future, "I've only held you back." She breaks down by the end, but that doesn't stop her inability to freely admit weakness until Milagro, and then not fully until after all things.

Scully seeks to earn his belief through attention: is he staring at the stars, forgetting her? Running off to the basement after perpetrators while her heart is being ripped out upstairs? More focused on his pursuit of the truth than her limitations? "You didn't need me, Mulder. I just held you back" is another way of crying out "I ruined your life by turning your focus away from what was more important-- from what is more important to you", after all. Scully self-edits her limitations to keep up with Mulder, be it physically shoulder-to-shoulder or mentally toe-to-toe.

"Life Is... Just a Path"

Melissa Scully, ironically, was the only relationship that needed nothing from Dana: only gave and gave and gave, pushed and pushed and pushed for her to become better. (A powerful storytelling tool, as well as a powerful relationship; and probably why Chris Carter kept acknowledging her influence in his mytharc episodes.)

Scully sought (seeks) to earn her belief through reassurance, self-editing her weaknesses to Melissa in an attempt to prove she is fine. However, she could never fool her sister, leaving them both frustrated and persistent.

THE TRUTH

Scully wants others to believe in her.

She will always face doubts in her chosen field of work; but she's won the belief of Skinner and a handful of others.

Bill may never fully trust or believe in her motives or actions, but her father jumped at his chance of redemption.

Mulder might not always give her the attention she craves but Maggie did; and Maggie might not always understand, but Mulder will.

Melissa's impact lives on, touching her life and propelling her to resolve those unsettled issues within herself; which, in turn, shifts her focus from denial to acceptance.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

#txf #xf meta #mine #meta #Scully #Scully: Lies and Self-Edits #lies #Mulder #Bill Scully Sr. #Bill Scully #Maggie Scully #Skinner #xfiles #x-files #the x files

[raisedbyfandomwolves]

Birds and the Bees : Kara and Mon-El’s child asks some tough questions the two don’t really know how to answer.

So... just to be clear, I set this in PiaD's (distant) future but mixed in some show canon details to avoid spoiling stuff. Also, whoever sent this, I hope you enjoy it (if you even remember sending it, that is).

“Mommy, are you a robot?”

The unexpected and bizarre question breaks Kara's concentration on the important but mind-numbing Legion paperwork in front of her and she jerks her head towards its source in surprise. “I'm sorry?”

Dawn's adorably confused frown deepens as she holds up her educational datapad as high as her little arms will allow. However, the way she's holding the device makes it hard for Kara to see what's being displayed on the screen. “It says Kryptonians come from machines called Birthing... May Trees...?”

Oh. “Birthing Matrices,” Kara corrects her daughter with a touch of laughter, having finally figured out what this is all about. When she and Mon-El had agreed to give Dawn basic access to the Fortress of Solitude's database so she can learn at her own incredibly fast pace, Kara is sure neither of them had expected it would lead to this. “I promise I'm not a robot, sweetheart, and before you ask, neither are you, okay? In fact, no one born from a Birthing Matrix is a robot; it's just a machine people on Krypton used to... um, help make their children for them.”

Despite having received clarification on the matter, Dawn continues frowning even as she lowers the datapad. “But why would they do that?”

As smart as Dawn is for her age, Kara has a feeling that genetic engineering – not to mention the more... unpleasant aspects of Krypton's preference for it – might be too advanced a subject for her daughter at this point in time. Best to keep her answer as simple as possible. “Well, they wanted to make sure all their children would be strong and healthy and... well, perfect.”

To Kara's surprise and concern, Dawn not only continues to appear confused but now also strangely looks a little... lost. “...But I didn't come from a Birthing Matrix.”

“No, you didn't,” Kara confirms slowly even as she wonders where this conversation is heading. “I gave birth to you myself.”

When Dawn's expression turns into one of hurt and heartbreak, Kara already knows there's been a grave misunderstanding before her daughter asks her next question. “Does that mean... I'm not perfect?”

In the space of a second, Kara goes from shocked and bewildered to horrified and panicked. “Oh Dawn, no.” She closes the distance between them using her superspeed and cups Dawn's face with both hands as if the physical contact will further reinforce her next words. “That is not true. You are perfect. You've been perfect since the moment you came into your father's and my lives and you'll always be perfect to the both of us no matter what.”

Dawn sniffles slightly, hopeful but clearly still harbouring a few doubts. Forgotten in the moment, the datapad slips out of her hands and falls to the floor unnoticed. “Then why didn't you use a Birthing Matrix to make me?”

“Because I loved you so much before I even had you that I was a bit selfish,” Kara admits with a soft smile as she wipes an errant tear running down Dawn's cheek with her thumb. “When your father and I decided to have you, I told him that I didn't want to use a Birthing Matrix because I wanted you to grow inside me instead – to be with me from the very second you came to exist. I wanted to be able to talk to you and sing to you and do so many things with you even though you probably couldn't even hear me at all. I was never once worried about whether you would be 'perfect' or not because I already knew that your father and I would love you no matter what and that was all that mattered. And look how you turned out in the end: perfect. That's the truth and don't let your doubts or anyone else tell you otherwise, okay?”

Another sniffle escapes Dawn but the shine in her eyes communicates not unshed tears of sorrow but rather pure hope unburdened by doubt. “Okay.”

The ice-cold grip of fear around Kara's heart finally dissolves and she pulls Dawn in for a tight hug. “Okay,” she repeats, beyond relieved that the unexpected situation has been resolved with relative ease. At least she'd managed to handle it on her own without needing to call Mon-El for backup because she can't imagine how he would've reacted to their daughter's misconceptions.

No sooner has the thought finished forming in her mind than the front door of their home unlocks with a cheerful beep and unceremoniously gets thrown wide open. Startled, she looks up to find the very person she had been thinking about standing there with his hand still on the door and his face a visage of pure panic. Despite his obvious anxiety and her own surprise, the primitive part of her brain goes through its routine appreciation of the way Mon-El's black Legionnaire instructor suit accentuates his toned physique. “What's wrong? What happened?”

“I thought you were training the new recruits today.” For some reason, that's the first thing out of Kara's mouth although her words are immediately drowned out by Dawn's enthusiastic cry of “Daddy! You're home!”

As expected, Mon-El's enhanced hearing manages to pick up her pseudo-question regardless. “I said there was a family emergency and asked Rokk to take over,” he replies distractedly as he shuts the door and opens his arms to welcome the hug-seeking missile that is his flying daughter. “What happened? I felt...”

He trails off there but the rest of his sentence is obvious enough to Kara that she can't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She must have been so distraught by Dawn's misunderstanding that she'd forgotten to keep her distress from flowing to him through their connection. Now that she's fully calmed down, however, she can feel his lingering panic and rushes to calm him with both a verbal clarification and their connection. “It's nothing too serious, I promise,” she says as she gets to her feet. “Dawn just found out about Birthing Matrices and got the wrong idea about certain things, that's all. I'll tell you more later.”

“Mommy's not a robot even though she came from a machine and I'm perfect even though I didn't!” Dawn helpfully summarises their earlier conversation with a beaming smile.

Unsurprisingly, Mon-El shoots a quizzical glance in Kara's direction at that apparent non sequitur but evidently decides to pursue the matter later in favour of focusing on Dawn first. “Of course you're perfect; you're my little princess, after all,” he tells their daughter with exaggerated gravitas and punctuates his statement with a noisy kiss to her golden hair.

Ever the daddy's girl, Dawn giggles as she soaks in her father's affections like an adorable sponge and for a moment peace in their household is restored. Then she suddenly pulls away from Mon-El's embrace and gives Kara the same confused frown from before. “But Mommy, if Grandpa Zor-El and Grandma Alura used the Birthing Matrix to make you, does that mean they don't love you as much as you love me?”

The new unexpected line of questioning throws Kara for a loop and she flounders for an appropriate response.

Luckily for her, Mon-El manages to come to her rescue despite his lack of clarity on how Dawn could have ended up with such a strange conclusion. “No, Dawn, they definitely love your mother as much as your mother and I love you. It was just normal for everyone on Krypton to be born from a Birthing Matrix until your id-”

“Mon-El...” Kara cuts in with a glare and a warning note in her voice, all too aware of just what he's about to say.

“-idealistic Uncle Kal-El came along,” Mon-El finishes, feigning innocence as if that had been the word he'd intended to use all along.

Oblivious to the ongoing silent war between her parents, Dawn accepts the simple answer but remains confused. “Did people on Daxam use Birthing Matrices too, Daddy?”

“They did, princess, but some people chose not to use it for their own reasons,” he affirms simply. Like Kara, he's apparently decided to leave the more complicated aspects of Daxam's views on reproduction for a future date. “I came from a Birthing Matrix too just like your mother.”

“But Grandpa Lar and Grandma Rhea still loved you, didn't they, Daddy?” Dawn asks innocently.

All at once, Kara feels the warm atmosphere in their home evaporate to be replaced by a chill so extreme that they both freeze where they are standing. Old hatreds rise from the depths of her heart where she had buried them long ago, and the uncharacteristic stillness she feels through their connection only feeds her fury.

The silence doesn't go unnoticed by their ever-perceptive daughter who glances between her parents with open concern and distress. “...Daddy, did I say something wrong?”

Her guilt-ridden question snaps them of out their respective trances, and Kara finds herself darkly marvelling at how she has found a new reason to hate Lar and Rhea.

While she silently stews in her rage and does her best to keep it to herself, Mon-El manages to recover from his unwanted trip down memory lane and puts on a forced smile. “No, princess, you didn't. It's just... My parents didn't like me very much,” he tells her gently, and Kara has to swallow the bitter scoff trying to escape her lips at his understatement.

Predictably, his answer only makes Dawn even more confused and upset. “But why?” Considering how much she adores her father and vice versa, the mere idea of him not being loved – by his own parents, no less – must be unfathomable.

Once again, Kara bites her tongue to stop herself from saying anything while Mon-El is the one who struggles to give a satisfactory answer that isn't an outright lie. “...I guess... I wasn't the son they wanted me to be.”

“...Does that mean...” Dawn's lower lip trembles, as does her tiny voice. “...Does that mean... they wouldn't have loved me too?”

With that one simple question, Kara's loathing of Lar and Rhea reach a new level she hadn't even known existed even as her heart breaks for her little girl. “Dawn...” is all she can bring herself to say as she all but runs to her daughter and mate to provide the comfort both of them desperately need.

Mon-El welcomes her efforts the way a man dying of thirst would the sight of an oasis and sends a weak wave of gratitude through their connection. As always when moments like this one descend upon them, he draws strength from her and brings himself to answer Dawn's question to the best of his ability. “I don't know, princess.”

To him, it's as close to the truth as he'll allow himself to admit but to Kara, it borders on an outright lie. Rhea in particular would have viewed any child of Mon-El's with disdain and perhaps only seen value in said child in terms of the preservation of the royal bloodline. But a child that was half Kryptonian? And not just any Kryptonian but rather her, Kara Zor-El, specifically? Rhea would have strangled Dawn in her crib... if she would have even allowed Dawn to be born in the first place.

Naturally not privy to her mother's dark thoughts, Dawn keeps her tear-filled gaze entirely focused on her father as her young mind struggles to comprehend everything she's just been told. Just as Kara is about to try and console her daughter, however, Dawn blinks away her tears and puts on a brave face. “It's okay, Daddy,” she says, bold and resolute, “because as long as you and Mommy love me, nothing else matters. And it's okay if Grandpa Lar and Grandma Rhea didn't love you because that just means I'll love you even more forever and ever to make up for it!”

Pure unadulterated joy and wonder. That's the only way to describe Mon-El's expression and the emotions flooding their connection from his end, not to mention Kara's own feelings at their daughter's declaration. Maybe it's a strange thought to have but Kara finds herself beyond overjoyed that the child she brought into this world loves Mon-El as wholly and unconditionally as she does. Unable to hold herself back anymore, she wraps both daughter and mate in as tight a hug as their position will allow, creating a small bubble of blissful happiness for their family in the process.

“Thank you, Dawn,” Kara hears Mon-El murmur softly in the silence of their home.

“You're welcome, Daddy,” Dawn replies, her voice equally gentle and overflowing with adoration.

They stay like that for an untold amount of time until the beep of Dawn's datapad powering down ends the comfortable silence. The sound reminds Kara of just how this admittedly emotionally draining conversation had begun and she pulls away to regard her daughter with gentle carefulness. “Do you have any more questions about this, sweetheart?”

“Nuh uh!” Dawn shakes her head vigorously, beaming smile in place and the tears from earlier nowhere to be found.

“Right. Okay. That's good.” Kara lets out a small sigh of relief, glad that they've managed to achieve a positive resolution despite the wretched subject. Then a thought occurs to her and she shoots Mon-El a worried look he has trouble deciphering based on his puzzled reaction.

If Dawn is already reading about the Birthing Matrix, then it's only a matter of time before she starts asking questions about the... other method of creating children. In fact, Kara would be surprised if she doesn't have to field such questions within the next hour or so considering Dawn already knows she came about through... traditional means, so to speak. Might as well get it over with as quickly as possible, she tells herself with no small amount of trepidation.

Bracing herself for a highly embarrassing conversation that promises to be even more humiliating with Mon-El present to tease her at every turn, Kara clears her throat and starts. “So Dawn... Since you've already learned about the Birthing Matrix, I think this is a good time to teach you about... um... how babies like you are made without it...”

Instead of being curious, however, Dawn brightens up. “Oh, I already know, Mommy! You have sex!”

The rambling speech Kara had been mentally putting together crumbles to dust and all she can do is choke on air. At the exact same moment, Mon-El stifles a noise of his own that sounds suspiciously like a full-bellied laugh at her expense. Combined with the mirth she feels from their connection, it's enough to snap her out of her stupor and she levels a death glare his way, silently promising a terrible and painful end for him.

Aware that he's now in mortal danger, he schools his expression and holds up the hand not supporting Dawn's weight in a gesture of surrender. “I swear it wasn't me.”

“Daddy didn't teach me about sex, silly Mommy!” Dawn giggles. “Aunty Eve did!”

This time, Mon-El makes less effort to stop himself from laughing out loud but Kara is too incensed to care, busy as she is with mentally cursing Dawn's godmother who is soon to be an ex-best friend.

#karamel #prompt fic #anon

[frosted-night]

So I have a question for ya...why do you think ombric left Atlanta's(?)?

Ohohohoh funny you say that. Did I construct an entire possible backstory for him?

Yes

Yes i did.

Its a tragic tale. Young Ombric was studious and Atlantis was full of everything an aspiring wizard could ever want. The biggest thing that alluded him was temporal magic. Ombric was stopped from tampering with the past before, so one day he decided to try something smaller. He tried to see into the future. Atlantis was a marvelous city then, so the idea of seeing it developed even further enticed him. Just like Icarus and the sun, he was brash and unprepared. He saw Atlantis' ruin and crumble into the sea. Ombric was horrified and tried to warn everyone he could of the oncoming disaster. Instead of establishing an evacuation an, they simply focused on reinforcing safety precautions. Ombric was cast aside and life returned to normal for them. He continued to try and plead those he knew to flee with him but none walked with him.

Over time it only got worse, the rulers were getting greedier the more human their bloodlines became, more wars were raged and mindless indulgence ran rampant. Ombric could hardly watch.

He knew what was going to happen. Everyone he ever knew would die and none heeded his warnings. Ombric wished to know where to go from there, if he should stay and die with his people, or if he should leave. Just then, a glorious shooting star fell from the sky, pointing him to the land outside Atlantis. Ombric took it as a sign and left Atlantis with a heavy heart. Shortly after, it vanished into the sea.

Ombric kept this close to his heart for countless years, until he finally confided in a fellow mage that he hung out with in the Library Of Alexandria. It was the first time he felt like ancient weights slipped off his shoulders...just for a moment.

To this day, not even all the Guardians know. Ombric still carries some Orichalcum that he salvaged from the city. It serves him as a reminder of what he survived. Katherine, his adopted daughter, watches over the other pieces for him.

#ombric shalazar #guardians of childhood #rise of the guardians #rotg #rotgoc #father time #atlantis #sergy lermantoff #headcanons #katherine rotg #katherine goc #katherine shalazar

[lorena12me]

Alarms were sounding, red lights were flashing in the Shatterdome and the staff were running around., making sure the Jeagers were in top condition for battle.

The venue was buzzing with activity, but its energy was lugubrious. There was never any reason to be happy during a Kaiju emergency, knowing the amount of death and destruction a single one of the creatures was capable of unleashing against humanity, but this time it was even worse. A category four Kaiju was making its way into the bay and the Anchorage had only two functional pairs, at least until Clark and Bruce arrived at the Shatterdome and the Dark knight could go into combat.

Tim and Bernard ran to the hangar, donning their armor with swift care. They had been in the Anchorage's gardens, enjoying the futile peace of a couple of months without alerts when the alarms forced them back inside. The Category IV classification was bitter on their tongues and the knowledge burned in their minds that they were in for one of the toughest battles of their lives.

On their way they passed the Amazon Fury pilots and nodding to each other in greeting as they ran to their places. They were a gentle comfort to this fight, Diana and Hippolyta, mother and daughter, were experienced fighters who could lead Tim and Bernard's Red Titan into this battle.

The off-duty pilots are furious and frightened from their cockpits. After Roy's Injury, Jason and Kori have been looking out for their third, unwilling to acknowledge that Harper's piloting days are most likely over. After all, the loss of a limb makes coordination in a Jaeger nearly impossible. For now, the Outlaw remains cold and immobile at his station.

It all depends on whether both Jaegers manage to defeat or keep the Kaiju occupied until reinforcements arrive. Or die trying.

Tim used to not care about his own life if it meant the safety of the world. He would put his life on a scale and it would always outweigh humanity, so his death hadn't haunted him until now. Since he started drifting with Bernard that has changed. He no longer feels that emptiness when he tries to think about the future, nor does he want to completely discard his own life for the greater good. For the first time since he was saved, bloodied and traumatized from the wreckage of Drake Manor, he has something to live for.

And that something is Bernard.

What a terrifying thought.

He doesn't want this day to be his last.

"Bern..." he whispers his partner's name.

"I know, Tim" smiles his friend easily, reaching out his hand until his thumb gently brushes Tim's helmet visor "We will say it when we get back, it'll be an... incentive."

Tim wants to protest, wants to tell him that this might be the last chance they have to say it out loud, that they might die, brutally and quickly and then the words left unsaid will stay that way, buried between their blood and their guts, but he doesn't.

"We'll be back, Bern, we will."

Bernard's smile widens and it's like the sun, like a dandelion growing in a crack in the asphalt and Tim swallows saliva, wishing with all his heart to go home. Because even with the drifting, with their mental handshake and all that they have shared of their fears, dreams, desires and emotions, because even when they are both absolutely sure of what they feel, those words have refused to come aloud from the corner of their brains where their precious humanity emerges.

Tim knows that, if they come back, then there will no longer be any reason why that "I love you" that has been burning inside both of them cannot be said, brought out into the world where it will cease to be a thought and become a reality.

In the distance, the Kaiju who will be named Bane, rises.

_____________________________________________________________

Jaegers names:

Clark and Bruce: Dark Knight

Jason, Roy y Kory: The Outlaw

Tim and Bernard: Red Titan

Diana and Hipolita: Amazon Fury

Dick and Wally: Flash Tiphoon

Talia and Bruce (Now Talia and Nyssa): Demon Head

There are more pilots and Jaegers, but I haven't thought of them.

Five category Kaiju: Joker (He has been confronted twice, both times successfully escaping into the breach. Learn from his battles).

#Hahaha #because I don't just draw memes and doodles #I also draw AU'S #Pacific Rim Au #angst #dc #tim drake #timber #red robin #bernard dowd #tim x bernard #robin tim drake #dc comics fandom #jason todd #roy harper #koriand'r #diana dc #wonder woman #bruce wayne #clark kent #wally west #dick grayson #they survive? #hmmm we'll have to wait and see #timbern

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 11

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

When the "doggy crisis" is finally resolved and the Forgers are reunited, Twilight rightfully chews Anya out for running off by herself. But he then softens and asks if she's hurt, and when she tells him that Bond protected her, he makes sure to give the dog a sincere thank you for saving his daughter. As I said before, anyone who shows respect to animals gets character points to me, especially someone like Twilight whose line of work makes him distrustful of everyone and everything. It's not like he had any reason to gain Bond's favor at that moment – he genuinely felt gratitude for the dog and wanted to express it.

And of course, in classic Spy x Family fashion, Twilight's fib about being stuck in the bathroom the whole time causes the overly self-conscious Yor to assume it's from the awful breakfast she made (something that will have repercussions later).

When they go on their first outing with Bond at the park, Twilight muses to himself about life post-Operation Strix, something he hadn't done since he first adopted Anya. Compared to back then when he flatly stated that he'll send Anya back to the orphanage when it's all over, this time he says that the agency will do what they can for Anya and Yor even though he won't see them again.

It's obvious that Yor is attached to Anya, so he knows she would have no reason to abandon her even if he left the family. The terrorist crisis that had just occurred made him remember that his ultimate goal of ending the cold war is top priority. He reinforces his utilitarian view that this is what's most important for everyone's future even if it means sacrificing some happiness along the way…like Anya's, Yor's, and, though he won't admit it, his own.

Twilight does seem to feel regret about this as he recalls that he just told Anya that she has a responsibility to care for the newly adopted Bond for the rest of his life, yet he won't be doing the same for the child he adopted.

As for why he says he would never be able to see Anya and Yor again, in his mind, maintaining a relationship that's unnecessary for his work would just be a hindrance. I also think that he wouldn't want to put them in danger by having any association with him – they had just gotten dragged into the terrorist mission he was trying to take care of after all. I imagine he plans to do something like fake the death/disappearance of Loid Forger, or maybe say/do things to Anya and Yor that would make them hate him so he could easily break ties with them (hopefully that's not the case as that would be too heartbreaking! Of course, he wouldn't be able to fool Anya…but I digress). Either scenario would result in him not being able to see them again, at least not as the Loid Forger they've come to know.

Twilight reminds himself of this again soon after when he tries to help Franky woo the girl he has a crush on (which ends in failure). When they're drinking together at the bar, he tells Franky that people like them can't afford to have feelings for others as it would only end badly.

At this point in the series, we know that Twilight has at least some feelings for Yor and Anya (which will be pointed out by Nightfall soon) so perhaps he's saying this also as a reprimand to himself as well as a reminder to Franky? But Franky tends to be a "pot calling the kettle black," since he's the one who told Twilight back when they were pretending to be SSS agents to keep his emotions out of his daily life, yet Franky tries to pursue relationships with women left and right, without any emotional restraint (and will continue to do so even after he and Twilight have this conversation). And then there's Nightfall who, despite her constant poker face, does nothing but imagine lovey-dovey scenarios with herself and Twilight. Seems that, as much as spy people preach about keeping emotions out of the picture, emotions seep through even harder than normal. But while Franky and Nightfall don't lie to themselves about these feelings, Twilight does…will that make it all the more torturous for him when he can lie no longer?

Continue to Part 12 ->

<- Return to Part 10

#twiyor #spyxfamily #spy x family #sxf #spy family #loid forger #yor forger #loid x yor #loidyor #sxf meta #sxf analysis

[howtomuslim]

How Islam Transformed the Arabs

The advent of Islam in the 7th century marked a profound transformation in the lives of the Arab people, ushering in a new era of social, moral, and spiritual awakening. Islam’s teachings brought a revolutionary change, particularly, in the status and rights of women, addressing deeply ingrained cultural practices that marginalised and devalued them.

Pre-Islamic Arabia: A Grim Reality for Women

Before the arrival of Islam, pre-Islamic Arabia was characterised by harsh practices and customs that severely restricted women’s rights and dignity. One of the most egregious practices was the burial of infant daughters. Some Arab tribes viewed the birth of a daughter as a source of shame and economic burden leading to the horrifying practice of burying infant girls alive in order to avoid potential future shame. The Quran unequivocally condemns this practice, reflecting the profound moral stance of Islam against such injustices:

And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed (Quran 81:8–9)

“They ascribe daughters unto God, who is limitless in His glory — whereas for themselves (they would choose, if they could, only) what they desire for, whenever any of them is given the glad tiding of (the birth of) a girl, his face darkens, and he is filled with suppressed anger, avoiding all people because of the (alleged) evil of the glad tiding which he has received, (and debating within himself) Shall he keep this (child) despite the contempt (which he feels for it) or shall he bury it in the dust? Oh, evil indeed is whatever they decide!’ Quran 16: 57–59

Islam immediately abolished the practice of female infanticide. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasised the value of daughters and condemned the injustice of the pre-Islamic customs. He said:

Whoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favour his son over her, Allah will enter him into Paradise” (Abu Dawood).

With the revelation of Islam, the status of women in society underwent a dramatic change. Islam’s teachings provided a clear framework for the protection and elevation of women, ensuring their rights and dignities were upheld.

Islam recognised women as individuals with their own rights and responsibilities, distinct from the property and ownership paradigm of pre-Islamic times. The Quran states:

“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women” (Quran 4:1).

This verse underscores the equality and common origin of men and women, reinforcing their inherent dignity and worth.

Economic and Legal Rights of Women

Islam also transformed the economic and legal landscape for women, granting them rights that were revolutionary for the time such as the right to inheritance, marriage and divorce rights and so on.

Right to Inheritance

Before Islam, women had no right to inherit property. Islam introduced inheritance laws that guaranteed women a share of their family’s wealth. The Quran explicitly states:

“For men is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, and for women is a share of what the parents and close relatives leave, be it little or much — an obligatory share” (Quran 4:7).

This provision ensured financial security for women, acknowledging their rightful place in the economic sphere as well as mandating that men are caretakers of women (Quran 4:34) and are financially responsible for taking care of the women in their family and community financially.

Marriage and Divorce Rights

Islam redefined marriage as a contract with mutual rights and obligations, ensuring women’s consent and fair treatment. Women were also granted the right to seek divorce under certain circumstances, a radical departure from pre-Islamic norms.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“The most complete believers in faith are those with the best character, and the best of you are those who are best to their women” (Tirmidhi).

To learn more about Islam visit: howtomuslim.org

#islamdaily #muslim #allah #islamicreminders #quran #islamic #islam #islamiyet #feminism #women #womens rights #religion

[mask131]

The evolution of Wednesday Addams (1)

We did the mother and the grandmother, now we need to talk about the daughter. In this month leading up to an entire television series centered around her, we cannot ignore who became one of the favorites of the Addams fans: Wednesday Addams, the only daughter of Gomez and Morticia.

Wednesday’s original appearance in the cartoons of Charles Addams was iconic enough for it to never change across adaptations. A little girl dressed in a white-collared black dress that would be perfect for a funeral, with a thin body, pale face and sleek black hair. Note that while in all adaptations Wednesday has braids, here she does not: her hair simply parts and falls around her head neatly as if she had braids, even though she has not. Her appearance is very reminiscent, in miniature, of her mother’s - she inherited a pale complexion, black hair and a tight black dress, but all the morbid glamour of Morticia is gone to rather have a sort of mournful innocence with Wednesday. One unique trait however, which makes her stand out among the rest of her family, is the way her eyes are drawn. Two black dots, as if we were in a Belgian comic book. This makes her look much “cuter” and more “cartoony”, reinforcing again this sense of innocence and somehow setting her a bit apart from the rest of her grim-looking family... But we’ll come back to that later. 

It might surprise you to learn that Wednesday wasn’t originally a cold, stoic, cynical and emotionless girl. This is what the adaptations built through time but originally, Wednesday had... emotions! And not just quiet emotions, open and visible ones! In fact Wednesday smiled - and quite a lot. She showed through the cartoons a true childful glee and youthful energy in all her games and activites, be it wielding a crossbow, shooting the recreation hall monitor with arrows, or digging up bodies in the graveyard. Not only did she show joy, but she also showed anger: we have one notorious drawing of Wednesday screaming and kicking her bed due to being put on the roll of honor at school. Yes, in the original cartoons, Wednesday was able to throw a tantrum. She only shows in a few drawings a blank expression, but it seems to be usually in answer to things she doesn’t like much (such as being dressed up as an angel on Christmas). 

Wednesday is seen throughout Chas’ cartoons partaking in various typical childish or girlish activites, but always with a twist. She reads books - but the book turns out to be “A werewolf in Paris” and briefly turns HER into a werewolf. She cut paper dolls - but mysteriously one in the row has three legs. She keeps watch for a bird-house in the tree... except the bird-house is a miniature replica of the Addams house, and it doesn’t attract bird but bats. Her father pushes her not on a swing-tire ; but on a broom-swing. And she is often seen playing with her dollhouse, be it for putting skeletons in a small closet or decorating the house for a funeral - sometimes, you can even see actual miniature human people living INSIDE the dollhouse. Chas often depicts Wednesday’s private bedroom (well, what seems to be her private bedroom, even though Pugsley sometimes sleeps with her in bed) - a lovely little decrepit room with an octopus painted on the bed, a cobweb-filled window, a private staircase to the attic and a bizarre mural depicting some sort of... humanoid-bird-like-child being... chased by a weird friendly spiky lizard and a snake... on what seems to be a beach? There must be some reference I am missing.

Wednesday’s childhood however is far from being all gloomy sunsets and heavy rains, so to speak - she could be considered the least “lucky” of the family members. “Wednesday, child of woe”, and indeed in Charles Addams cartoons, instead of being a true predator like in future adaptations, Wednesday is often... a victim. She seems to be the “weak” link of the chain, a bit too soft and gentle for the habits of her own family. As seen in the tantrum cartoon, she gets on a roll of honor at school while her brother is a perfectly horrible brat. Several time she seems puzzled by her own abilities, such as the bizarre paper dolls. She is seen distinctively worried when Pugsley drives his toy car alongside the family’s car on the big road - while everybody else smiles and cheers. And Pugsley is seen actually trapping his sister alive behind a wall as part of his “games”... It shows that when Charles Addams did a grim parody of Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes (with Grandma Addams as the Mother Goose), Wednesday appeared as Miss Muffet, scared and distraught by the sudden apparition of a disturbing giant spider... She can’t even take a break on holiday, as a drawing of her on the beach shows her scared when a hand pops out of a seashell. It seems that poor little Wednesday is a magnet for weird, surprising and disturbing things.

Now, despite all of this, one shouldn’t think that Wednesday isn’t a happy child. Far from it: she seems to be showered in love by many members of the family. Her father is especially close to her: he plays with her on the broom-swing, he does creepy shadow-puppets before she goes to sleep ; he sings the “This little piggy” rhyme to her when she goes to bed (note: it is canon that in this incarnation Wednesday has six toes on one feet)... Wednesday’s relationship with her mother seems much more distant and cold. Beyond one drawing where she is seen eating with her mother at a restaurant only for Morticia to ask for the leftover meat (in order to feed the vultures), there isn’t really any intimate, playful or loving actions between her and Wednesday. In contrast to Wednesday’s closeness to her father, this is quite jarring - but again, Morticia was designed as a cold, aloof, stern mother locking her own children in a chest when they need to be punished. The coldness of Morticia is perfectly expressed in one specific drawing: Wednesday, who just has been poisoned by Pugsley, comes rushing to her mother, only for Morticia to answer “Well don’t come whining to me. Go tell him you’ll poison him right back!”. Again, we see here how Wednesday, with her mind “too soft”, doesn’t fit immediately within the deadly and morbid logic of the family.

When talking about Pugsley, Wednesday seems to have a conflictual relationship with him (as all brothers and sisters do). As seen above, Pugsley is a bit of a bully-brother towards her, poisoning her or walling her in without Wednesday being able to do anything. He also seems to mock her when she gets on the honor roll at scholl... But at the same time, they appear very close in many other drawings, companions in mischief. They sell together poisons at a lemonade stand. They are seen tripping together the mailman, and she helps Pugsley put on a fake shark suit to frighten swimmers. They are even seen playing together at Christmas - be it warming the fire to burn Santa Claus if he ever comes down the chimney, or playing together at beheading dolls on Christmas Eve. To complete the family portrait, Grandmama is seen telling Wednesday lovely fairytales and bedtime stories where the dragon gobbles up knights and princesses before living happy ever after. Wednesday even seems to be somehow close to Lurch, as in some drawings she is seen holding his hand - while no other member of the family has any physical contact with the butler. 

Charles Addams named Wednesday after the popular rhyme “Monday Child” that went as such:  “Monday’s child is fair of face, / Tuesday’s child is full of grace. / Wednesday’s child is full of woe, / Thursday’s child has far to go. / Friday’s child is loving and giving, / Saturday’s child works hard for a living. / And the child born on the Sabbath day / Is bonny and blithe, good and gay.”

As for the description he gave of her for the upcoming television series, here is what he had to say:

“Child of woe, is wan and delicate with her mother’s black hair and white complexion. Sensitive and on the quiet side, she loves the picnics and outings to the underground caverns often planned by Morticia and Gomez. She is a solemn child, prim in dress and, on the whole, pretty lost. Gomez is wild about her. Secretive and imaginative, poetic, seems underprivileged and given to occasional tantrums. Has six toes on one foot.”

A last interesting note: before Wednesday became the daughter of the “family”, she was originally conceived for a series of specific drawings about a little girl playing at jumping rope all alone in a city street - two drawings to be exact. One had the little girls completely exhausted, murmuring numbers beyond the two thousand as she kept jumping and jumping, with a passing by couple giving her worried looks. The other had the little girl jumping under a streetlight alone at night in an empty street, with a disturbed or distraught look on her face.

#wednesday addams #the addams family #chas addams #addams family #charles addams #cartoons #drawings