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#imagine being this legitimately useless
kizzer55555 · 2 months
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DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game
Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 
Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.
The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 
And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).
And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 
Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.
(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).
After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 
Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.
#DPxDC#dcxdp#Danny makes a card game to save the world.#Technically he worded the ritual so that they had to ‘beat’ him as those are the most powerful barriers and most reliable.#keys can just get lost or stolen (like the one to Pariah’s Coffin)#A riddle would be useless once someone figured out the answer. Like how no one takes the sphynx seriously anymore.#(Sorry Tuck. But it’s true).#And there is NO WAY Danny is just leaving a hole open for anyone to pass through. No thank you!#So…beating him. But it’s not like Danny wanted to fight so…he edited the ritual a TINY bit. Card games are good. Much less painful too.#Danny Tucker and Sam made the most complicated card game they could imagine.#It’s based on their strategies for fighting ghosts. Capturing them in thermoses. And MUCH based on a on field battle strategy.#It often requires spontaneous thinking on the spot. So Danny? In his ELEMNT. It doubles as practice for his actual ghost battles too.#They had SO much fun making this.#Sam added an entire series of plant cards that act as traps and healing ointments and duds that just take up the field.#Tucker added legitimate hyroglyphics combined with Latin as well as English and ghost speak.#Yes. You actually have to speak that language to play. With proper pronunciation. (Amity Parker’s think the three are talking gibberish.)#I headcanon Sam and Tucker are fluent in Ghost.#Constantine WILL figure this game out SO HELP HIM!#Some of the cards also have combinations related to constellations either in name or placement on the board.#By the way the board is based on a Hexagonal summoning circle with Rhunes along the edges#And the placement of the cards on the board and on what rhune MATTERS.#Also the cards move disintegrate and have certain abilities. Think of Harry Potter Wizard Chess.#But they are normal when Danny plays at school. This is just for ✨effect✨ Against invaders.#Danny faces multiple opponents. He also halts alien invasions.#While Danny COULD stop crime on earth he’s not sure how to fight a normal human and hold back so he sticks to ghosts.#The Justice league are going crazy trying to figure out who this entity is and after deep research are convinced this is some sort of#Ancient being who has protected earth for millenia. They have paintings on ruins and everything.#Danny is not aware they think this.#Raven starts praying to Danny as if he is a god and wrangles the other Teen Titans into doing so as well. Danny is still unaware of this.#Danny is not a King or an ancient. Just a very VERY strong ghost.
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stizzysupremacy · 4 months
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post-canon Stizzy concept: Izzy showing up at the inn like a year later (maybe he never got gut-shot . I like the idea that he faked his death). Ed is gone, having gotten bored enough to have himself another little menty b and has fucked off to follow a new whim, some new life path that Stede had no interest in walking. (so they broke up. Again.) Stede is now running more of a boarding house instead of an inn because of course those two losers chose a rundown shack in a sparsely populated area that does not have enough people passing through to sustain an inn. Stede’s kinda quietly surviving, doing an okay job of it, and convincing himself that it’s the right place for him because obviously his grand adventures at sea didn’t work out for him so it’s time to stop dreaming big. A monotonous existence isn’t so bad, really… is it? At least he isn’t leaving dead bodies in his wake anymore. (Yeah… he is doing Not Good)
Izzy has to convince Stede that he’s not useless. That he’s actually, sigh, a pretty good Captain by certain standards. Imagine Izzy trying to walk the line between his own stoic reticence, and actually saying nice encouraging things to the man that he hasn’t hated in a long time but is still so used to insulting. Izzy wasn’t even good at hyping up Ed who he legitimately adored admired. But fucks sake, he can’t let Stede just spiral into hopelessness, bury himself alive on land when Izzy knows that Stede has a sailor’s soul (even if he knows piss-all about proper sailing).
So Izzy stays at the boarding house. Maybe it’s fully booked because it’s tiny and can’t possibly have more than like a couple rooms, so Izzy has to stay with Stede. (#onlyonebed) In classic Stede fashion Stede does not ever talk out his problems and actively avoids the subject when Izzy tries to… so Izzy has to move slowly to gain Stede’s trust and bring the man out of himself. He helps out around the place (quietly doing the chores Ed used to bitch loudly about), supports Stede in his interactions with other people, even is actually polite to the other guests when Stede asks him not to scare anyone off. (Izzy wishes he had thought of that. If he had just scared ppl off immediately it would be easier to convince Stede to leave an empty ‘inn’). They spend many an evening in each other’s company, and obviously they talk. Bonner isn’t going to shut up entirely, even if he won’t talk about what matters. They get to know each other really well actually. Stede never felt a need to impress Izzy the way he was desperate to impress the famous Blackbeard. and Izzy isn’t like Ed, he doesn’t mold his personality to the people he is with, so he doesn’t share Ed’s insecurity about being liked or disliked for his real self. So there’s really no reason for either of them to hold back or hide anything. Neither of them could have guessed how easy it was, how comfortable they were able to be with each other. How well they mesh when they don’t have the task of managing Ed or the pressures of surviving a sea-faring life to get between them.
Also this mildly-depressed-Stede has let his beard and hair grow out and that really does something for Izzy.
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writeandsurvive · 3 months
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Author's note: this is not proofread, there are probably typos. I hope my teasing didn't get you disappointed with the finale result! Tbh, I didn't know where I was going at first, but once I was in, I just kept adding. Maybe I'll write a little sequel to it, idk. Let me know what you think ❤️
Warnings: hospital, gun shot wound, surgery, complicated family, breakup, cold!Alden, evil!Vivian, secrets and reveals (I don't mean to make Alden's parents as bad people, just very concerned parents who can not not get involved in his life?)
Words count: 5.6k
@novamariestark @mandy426 @sarakafarrah
Never too late ~ Alden Parker
Alden felt stupid. He knew it was a trap but he still went in, head first. And now, he was in a hospital bed, waking up for surgery, his arm strapped and completely useless. He felt groggy and nauseous. He opened his eyes just slightly, seeing two people in the room. He recognized his father's white hair, as it almost blinded him. And a few feet to the left, he thought he saw you. But before he could tell himself it was the anesthesia and drugs that made him hallucinate, he fell back to sleep.
"He fell back asleep, it'll take hours before he actually wakes up. Are you sure you want to stay here, sir?" You asked Roman.
"I'd prefer to talk to him before going home and sleeping."
Not that you wanted to kick Alden's father out of the room, after all he was more legitimate to be here than you were, but it made you pretty uncomfortable. Roman Parker never liked you, or at least, he never accepted you as his son's girlfriend. Clearly, he wanted his son to get back with his ex wife, and no matter who Alden was dating, he wasn't going to accept her. So, he never gave you a chance to win him over, to show him how much you loved his son and how serious the relationship was. Unfortunately, the ending and the breakup was probably the proof he needed that he was right and you were fairly sure that he told Alden 'I told you so'. You doubted Roman knew the entire truth.
You never imagined you'd find yourself in this situation, back by his side, worrying about him, caring and feeling all those things you thought were gone. But when the hospital called to inform you about Alden being rushed into surgery, you didn't think twice before getting on the road. It was a good thing Philadelphia is only three hours away from DC.
And there you were, sitting by the bed, checking up on him just to make sure he was breathing. Roman didn't have much to say and neither did you so the room was silent except for the machines attached to Alden. His team - whom you had never met - stopped by several times, one of them gave you his number so you could call when Alden was awake. Their case wasn't over just yet, so they still had a lot to do. But you could tell they really care about him, and you were happy he had some nice people around.
His eyes finally opened again. He was grumbling, and whining, and it took several attempts for him to focus on where he was. He saw his dad again, asleep in a chair across the room. "Dad," he called out with a raspy voice but Roman didn't move.
"He fell asleep not long ago," you said, getting closer to the bed and putting your hand on Alden's. He turned his face to look at you, confusion written all over it. "Hey, are you feeling?" You asked softly.
He blinked a few times, looked around, to his dad, the machines, and back to you. "I'm dreaming," he whispered. "Dad!"
"You're very much awake, Den." You pushed some hair off his face. "I'm here."
"You left." He said. You tried to figure out the emotions in his voice, but it was like there was none. It was just a plain statement, and unfortunately, it was true.
"Let's not do this now, okay? Do you need anything? Water?"
He shook his head no, and tried to move but he instantly growled in pain. "Stop touching me." He told you and you pulled your hands away.
"Want me to go get a nurse?"
"If you're insisting on doing something for me, wake up my dad and drive him home." His tone was cold, but could you blame him?
"I offered him a ride several times, he didn't want--"
"Wake him up."
You moved to Roman to wake him up. After the Parker men talked for a moment, his father finally agreed to be driven home by you. The entire ride was silent, except for his directions to the new retirement home. You didn't try to make conversation, the old man was clearly exhausted from spending very long hours in the hospital, worrying about his son's life. Before he left the car, you gave him your number and told him he could call the next day if he needed a ride. You were relieved that he took it without any hesitation.
You drove back to the hospital, but stopped to get some comfort food for Alden. He'd probably not want it, or at least not yet, but you wanted to do this for him. When you got into his room, he was drinking some water and the TV was on. He looked at you like he was seeing a ghost. "Hey," you softly said, putting the food down, "I got you some of your fav snacks."
He looked at the bag and then back to you. "Why are you here?"
"Where else would I be?" You answered, getting closer to his bed.
"Literally anywhere else but here." He paused, taking a deep breath. "How did you even know? I highly doubt my dad called you."
"I'm still your emergency contact."
"Thanks for the heads up, I'll change that in the morning. Look, I'm alive okay? In a few weeks, my arm will be like new. So, you can leave now."
"Alden--" you tentatively tried to grab his free hand but stopped yourself when you heard him say, "No! You don't get to show up like this, after all this time, just because I got shot. You don't get to be nice to me, and try to take care of me. I'm a big boy. So you can do what you do, and leave. No need for a stupid note this time."
You stared at him for a short moment, tears threatening to fall. He was clearly avoiding your eyes, just looking at the ceiling. So, you simply grabbed your purse and started to walk towards the door. As your hand reached for the handle, you took a deep breath and turned around. "Believe it or not, but leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I didn't do it because I wanted to but because we were making each other miserable. All we did was fight, we couldn't agree on a single damn thing. Your parents--"
"Don't talk about my parents." He warned you.
"I'm sure they are nice people but they were mean to me, Alden. As much as you could argue with your father, you never had my back when it came to your mother."
"I said, don't." You saw the tears in his eyes at this moment.
"I'm sorry for your loss." You whispered softly, feeling for him and knowing just how much he loved his mother.
"Are you?" He finally snapped and looked directly at you. "Where the hell were you when she passed? Huh? You didn't call, you didn't send a single fucking text!"
"That's not true!" You defended yourself. "I sent you a care package and a long letter!"
"Oh, did you now? Must have gotten lost in the mail." He said, ironically. Clearly, he wasn't believing you. So you gently grabbed his chin and forced him to lock eyes with you again.
"I did." You assured him, knowing it was the damn truth. "I put some snacks in it, your fav bottle of wine, some flowers for your mom and a plant for you. I even put my Metallica hoodie that you always wanted to steal. Did you not get it?" It took him a moment to process before shaking his head no. "Well, have you moved since we--? Cause I sent it to the apartment on--"
"I didn't move."
"Then, I don't understand. I was informed it got delivered."
He stayed silent once more, and you knew he was trying to figure out what happened to that package. "There was no way I would learn about your mom and not do something, Alden. No matter how me and her didn't get along, I know she was the person you loved the most and I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you. I'm sorry you thought I didn't care or--"
"Not your fault for this one, I guess." He sighed. You noticed the tear that was rolling down his cheek and you couldn't help but to dry it with your thumb. Alden closed his eyes at the gesture, and you let your hand rest on his cheek for a moment. You leaned over and kissed his temple softly. "I never stopped caring," you whispered. "Your dad has my number if you want to reach out, otherwise I'll go back to Philly tomorrow night. Take care of yourself and please be careful next time."
You were hoping he would say something but he didn't. So you just left.
As you drove back to the motel, you wondered if you should've told him about everything that was in that care package and in your letter. You remembered every word that you wrote, how you explained why you didn't tell him about the pregnancy - cause he didn't want kids at his age and with his work, and that he was convinced you were having an affair, you were scared he'd think the baby wasn't his - but regretted it every day. Little Noah was still a tiny baby when you sent the package and the pictures, so told Alden he wouldn't remember not having his daddy the first three months of his life. Everything could be set on the right track. You'd come back to DC, do the co-parenting, or whatever. You poured your heart out in this letter, offered countless apologies, and solutions. Since you never got an answer, you figured Alden didn't want to know his son.
In the room, you found your two years old son sleeping on the big bed like a starfish, and your sister by his side, scrolling through her phone. When she saw you, she immediately got up and hugged you. "It didn't go well, did it?"
You told her everything since the last updates you gave her as she made some tea. Noah was deeply asleep, as you softly stroked his hair. "So, he still doesn't know about the little guy?"
You shook your head no, whipping your tears away. "All this time I thought he just didn't care."
"That's crazy. But what the fuck happened to the package?"
You shrugged. "Beats me." Noah moved in his sleep to get closer to you. "I guess I have to tell him again, now."
"Yeah. Face to face this time."
In the morning, Noah woke you up a little before 6am, which meant that you had barely slept for two hours. "It's too early baby, let's sleep a little more okay?"
"'Kay" he answered, but all he did was laying next to you, looking at you like you're the most wonderful thing in the world, and played with your face and hair. But eventually he asked for some milk, and neither of you went back to sleep. Around 9, you went to get breakfast to the diner with Noah and your sister. Your son was very curious about this new place, until he had some pancakes in front of him. Breakfast was going fine, until two people approached your table.
"Agent McGee, Agent Torres, hi!" You greeted them.
"Good morning, you can call us Tim and Nick."
"Alright, um this is my sister Jane, and um my--"
"Mommy! More syrup please?"
You couldn't lie, could you?
"My son, Noah." He barely said hi even after you asked him to, too focus on his food.
Tim started to tell you that they had just visited Alden and he was physically okay, while Nick added that for someone who can never shut up, he was extremely silent that morning. They also said that Jimmy Palmer went to pick up Alden's father to bring him to the hospital. You did your best to remain neutral to that information until they left with their order.
"What do you know about Nick?" Jane asked as soon as you sat back down. You laughed despite yourself, knowing that Nick Torres was exactly your sister's type.
You spent the morning walking around DC, or more specifically around the hospital where Alden was. You answered a phone call from your parents, let them talk with Noah for a bit, who was very happy about being with his mommy and his auntie and not at daycare. As you found a park for Noah to play, you and Jane sat on a bench. "They probably figured it out, you know." Jane said. "I mean, Noah is like Alden's clone. And what's the deal with the Parkers' hair anyways?"
You giggled softly, looking at your son from afar and yes, his head full of hair was all you could see.
"He's almost 3, J. They lost three damn years. Do you think Alden will forgive me? And--"
"Girl, that's not your fault that package didn't reach him! I bet some evil hands got on it!"
"What? Who? Who would do that?"
"His dad was pretty harsh with you--"
"No! I really don't think Roman would do something like this. The only way to know it was from me, was to read my letter. Roman wouldn't have opened the box in the first place."
"Fair enough. Then, was he dating someone back then?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
You looked at each other. You had to visit Alden again.
Your anxiety was so high as you reached for his room, you thought you may faint. Your heart was pounding so hard and fast, but there was no turning back now. You had to tell him, cause he never knew.
You walked into the room after Alden said to come in, breathing heavily. Alden had his bed on a sitting position, and he seemed more alert than the day before. Roman was in the chair next to the bed, and he did give you a slight nod, which you returned. You asked Alden how he was doing and he just mumbled that he was fine. You noticed some of the snacks you brought had been opened and it warmed your heart just a little.
"Why are you here again?" He asked.
You opened your mouth to answer but the door swung open - without a knock first - and the person you really didn't want to see was right there.
"Wow, I thought I was never going to make it!"
Completely ignoring you, Vivian circled the bed to give Roman a hug, before focusing on Alden. She leaned over to kiss his cheek, not earning any kind of reaction from him. You just stood there, staring until she finally looked up to you, “Oh, you.” she said. “What are you doing here?”
You tried to shut all of your thoughts and questions going through your mind and looked at Alden, “I need to talk to you,” you told him.
Before he could answer, Vivian spoke up, “Yeah well, it’s gonna have to wait. In case you didn’t notice, he got shot and–”
“Viv,” he exclaimed.
“What? She doesn’t have anything to do here, does she?”
You heard your name from Roman and looked at him, “I think you should leave.”
You looked at Alden again, hoping he’d say something, that he understood that you really needed to talk to him privately, but he just stayed silent. “Nothing changed.” you whispered before leaving.
You found the first restroom on your way and locked yourself in there to cry. Things were still as they were, he wouldn’t open his mouth to defend you, or at least ask his father to stand down and not get involved. And what the hell was Vivian doing there? Were they back together, or on their way to? You figured he’d eventually find someone, but if that someone was Vivian, that felt like a huge betrayal, as she was one of the reasons things didn’t work out between you and Alden. She was always there, his family never accepted the divorce and it always felt like she needed to have a hold on him. You remember one day when she cornered you and basically said the only reason Alden was dating you was because she let it happen, “If I ask him to get back together, trust me, he’ll leave on the spot.”
Once you had a hold on your emotions, you texted Jane to let her know you were on your way to them. Noah immediately rushed into your arms, asking if you could get some cupcakes, like his auntie promised.
“You have a serious problem with sugar, my love.”
“I love sugar!”
“Yeah, I got that.” you giggled.
It was late in the afternoon when you got a text from an unknown number. ‘You can come. -A’
You told Noah that you needed to visit your friend again, but this time, he was not having it. “Wanna come!” he kept saying, holding onto your neck with his tiny arms.
“You can’t, baby. But I won’t be long, okay?” he shook his head no in your neck. You still started to walk towards the hospital, trying to negotiate with your son.
“I got an idea,” Jane said, “What if you and I go to the shop and find a gift for mommy’s friend? And maybe you’ll find something for you too?”
Noah looked at his aunt and then you. He wasn’t very convinced about it but with one little push, he did agree to let go of you.
You were relieved to see Alden’s room empty except for him. He was standing with some casual clothes on him, a bag was at the end of the bed. “You’re being discharged already?”
“Yeah, I’ll not spend another night here.”
“Alden, are you sure it’s the right thing to do? What did your doctor say?”
“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
You sighed and sat next to him.
“That package I sent you when your mom passed– there was a long letter with it.”
“Longer than your note?”
“Alden, please.” you looked up to him, with tears in your eyes.
“Sorry, but that–really hurt me. More than you know.”
“I can imagine,” you took a deep breath, “And I’m willing to hear all about it, even if you want to get angry at me and insult me, but right now, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“About that letter?”
“I told you a lot of things in this letter, including one very important thing.” You took your phone out of your pocket, unlocked it and went to the gallery. The last picture was one of Noah that you took a few hours early at the park. Eventually, you showed him the phone. He grabbed it with his free hand and stared at the picture of a moment. “Wh–who is that?”
“His name is Noah.” tears fell down your cheeks but you didn’t care. “He’s my son. And your son.” you said right above a whisper.
Alden’s head started to move left to right, tears were forming in his eyes but he didn’t take his eyes off the picture. He couldn’t believe it and you didn’t blame him. “Alden, I’m sorry.” you kissed his injured shoulder without thinking. “I was telling you in that letter about him, there was pictures too, and since I never heard from you, I thought you didn’t–”
“That I didn’t want to know my own child?” you could hear the hurt in his voice. “Did you seriously think that about me?”
“What else was I supposed to think?”
“My mom passed away a year after you left. Why wait that long? He was already born!”
“I know, I– I explained everything in the letter and–”
“Yeah well, I didn’t get that damn letter, okay? So why didn’t you tell me when you found out?” he stood up from the bed, and whined a bit as he uncontrollably tried to move his arm.
“You were so clear about not wanting kids and why, we couldn’t be around each other without fighting and I– I thought you were back with Vivian. Look, I made this decision out of heartbreak and I regretted it, okay? Which was why I reached out when your mom passed. I realized that anything could happen to you or to me, and Noah needed both his parents–”
Your phone, which was still in Alden’s hand, started to buzz. “Your sister,” he said, handing you the phone. As soon as you picked up, you could hear Noah crying, “SOS!” Jane said.
Alden was staring at you, and you knew he was able to hear. “I’m on my way, sis.” you hung up.
“They, um, they are down at the gift shop.”
“Your sister and–Noah?”
You nodded, standing up next to him. “Look, there’s no rush, we can–”
“Does he know? Who I am?”
You put your hand over his, the one stuck against his chest.
“He’s not asking deep questions yet, but he did ask about his daddy a few times and I couldn’t lie to him. He’s seen pictures of you, so he may recognize you.”
Alden took a few deep breaths, taking to stop himself from crying. “What did you say about me not–being there?”
“Daddy leaves away from us and can’t visit for now.”
“Better than ‘daddy doesn’t know you exist’.” he said, coldly.
“Alden,” you whispered.
“We have a lot to talk about, but– our son is crying.”
You couldn’t believe that you were on your way to your son with his father by your side. Noah was going to meet his daddy. Alden was going to meet his son. You didn’t think it would go this fast, even though you figured Alden would want to waste any more time. As you approached the gift shop, you uncontrollably grabbed his arm. “You should’ve let me hold your bag.” you said.
“My right arm is fine. Is that him?” You listened and heard little whimpers and a little kid’s voice.
“Yeah.” you breathed out.
As soon as Noah saw you, he ran. You picked him up, holding him tight in your arms. “What’s wrong, baby? What did auntie J do this time?”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything!” your sister interjected. “Alden,” she greeted the man who was staying a couple of feet away. He briefly looked at her but immediately got his eyes focused on his son again. His eyes were full of tears, threatening to fall again.
“She said I could take just one teddy for your friend.”
“I said he didn’t need two of them. One was enough, wasn’t it, Alden?”
It was only then that Noah looked at his father. He stayed silent, just staring at him before looking at you and back at him. Then he approached his mouth to your ear, “He like daddy.”
“Cause it’s him, baby.”
Noah looked at Alden again. “You hurt, daddy?” he answered softly, like it was the most normal thing. Like it wasn’t the first time they were meeting each other.
It took a moment for Alden to answer. “I am, but it’ll be okay. Soon it’ll be like nothing happened.”
“What happen?”
“Huh, I fell and hurt my shoulder.”
“Need a hug?” He offered, since you strongly believed that hugs can solve a lot of things and it was something you were transferring to your son without doing it on purpose.
“I’d love a hug.”
Noah extended his arms, so you moved closer to Alden. “Careful with his shoulder, okay?” you warned him, but he was very thoughtful, only holding on his father’s neck. Then he kissed his cheek and rested his head on the right shoulder. You could see that Alden was fighting the urge to cry, just as you were. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there before, buddy. I’ll never leave you from now on.”
It was nearly impossible to take Noah off his dad after the initial meeting. Even in the car, he wanted to sit on his lap and only agreed to let go as long as daddy sat next to him. Your sister drove to your former apartment, but she needed to get back to Philly and work the following day. “Don’t worry, she’ll take my car if needed.” Alden told her when Jane asked how you’d get back home. You grabbed yours, Noah’s and Alden’s bags from the trunk before your sister said goodbye to the three of you before driving off.
Inside the apartment, Noah wanted to see every room. He asked a million questions to Alden about everything and nothing, and you had to translate a few times as daddy wasn’t familiar with Noah’s own language. His phone rang a few times but he completely ignored it, only focusing on his son and telling him everything he wanted to know. What you were feeling was indescribable.
When you told Noah that his dad needed to rest, he agreed to settle on the couch with him. “Is it okay if I make dinner now?” You asked Alden, “This little guy woke up at 6, and didn’t nap. Won’t take long until he gets grumpy.”
“Go ahead but I’m not sure my fridge has what you need. I can go get something?”
You looked inside the fridge as you heard your son asking his dad if they could watch Paw Patrol. You heard Alden’s confusion when he said sure, and giggled. “Where Netflix?”
“Oh, here.”
“Well, your fridge is indeed very sad. What do you want to eat, Nono?”
“Nuggies!”
“Why do I even ask?”
You grabbed your phone and settled next to Alden, placing the order while Noah explained Paw Patrol to his father.
A couple of hours later, both Noah and Alden were asleep on the couch. You obviously had to snap a few pictures, before picking up your son and bringing him to the bed in the guest room. “Put him on my bed, it’s comfier.” Alden said, half sleep.
“Okay, but I have to stay next to him, he could roll over.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
You placed Noah in the middle of the big bed, got rid of your jeans, socks and bra. Alden got in before you could get under the sheets, and clearly checked out your legs. “Could you be more subtle?”
“I know and remember your body like it was yesterday.”
You chose not to answer, “Do you need to keep the sling?”
“Yeah, for at least a week.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I took the entire week off work.”
“Doesn’t matter, since you’re gonna quit anyway. You’re not going back to Philadelphia.”
As Noah slept between the two of you, Alden asked many questions about your son; his birthday, favorite food, what he likes to do, if he has allergies or health issues, etc. You answered everything, gave him as much info as possible. “And um, does he have a father figure in his life?”
“Is this your way to ask me if I'm dating someone?”
“Maybe. Are you?”
“No. His only father figures are my dad and my uncle. Are you dating Vivian?”
Alden chuckled. “Are we doing this again?”
“Considering what I saw earlier–”
“I'm not dating her or anyone else. I'll admit I hooked up with her a few times over the last few years, but–”
“Great!” You sighed.
“You're gonna tell me that you haven't been with anyone since–?”
“The last time I had sex was probably the night we conceived this tiny human.” You looked down at Noah and played with his hair.
“Oh,”
It was silent for a moment. Alden wanted to get on his side, play with Noah's hair too, reach out for you, but with his arm, he could only lay down on his back and that frustrated him. “What was your breaking point?” He asked, eventually. “Why did you leave that day? And not talk to me?”
“I knew if I talked to you, I wouldn't go through with it. And it was something in particular that made me leave, I was–exhausted. Of the fights, the arguments, the jealousy, and suspicion. It was like we didn't trust each other anymore, for anything. And–” your voice broke. “Maybe it's stupid, but you didn't want to marry me, you didn't want to have kids with me so I just thought – I was temporary.”
“We lived together. That was a huge commitment for me.”
“Exactly. It was huge for you, while it was just natural for me.”
“Okay, I get that. And I'm sorry I made you feel this way.” He turned his face to look at you. He could only make out some of your features. “I was truly and madly in love with you. But I guess I only realized it once you were gone. And then I was so mad at you for leaving.” It was his voice that broke.
“I can't blame you for that part.” You cried. “Do you think it's too late?”
“Too late for what?”
“...Us?”
“It's never too late.”
Eventually you both fell asleep, exhausted physically and mentally.
Of course, you were both awakened by Noah. First, he cuddled and called out for you. “Hey, baby, good morning!” You said, eyes still closed, holding him against you.
“Daddy's snoring.” You listened closely and indeed Alden was snoring. Crazy as it was, you missed that sound very much. “Like pop.”
You giggled, “Not as loud as pop, though!”
“No! Wake him?”
“Hold on,” you grabbed your phone to check what time it was, 7:30am. Alden probably needed more sleep, so you convinced Noah to help you prepare breakfast for daddy and wake him up after. Luckily, there was some eggs and bacon, and pancake batter in the kitchen and in the end, you prepared breakfast while Noah logged on Netflix by himself. It was almost ready when there were some knocks at the door. You opened to find Roman and Vivian, holding what seemed to be breakfast.
“What are you doing here?” She asked, shocked.
“Making breakfast,” you gave her your best fake smile. “Good morning, Roman.”
“Is my son awake?”
“Not yet, I thought he needed–”
Vivian practically pushed you out of her way to get in. You obviously let Roman get inside too. “What is that?” She said, pointing at Noah.
“My son.” You all heard. Alden barely walked into the living area that Noah was running into his arms.
“Morning, daddy!”
“Good morning, buddy.”
“You snore!”
“I do not!” Alden laughed.
The boys didn't have more time as Vivian raised her voice, asking what was going on. You noticed Roman sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at your son, his grandson. “Go watch your show, baby, and we'll have breakfast, okay?”
Then he told everyone to follow him inside the greenhouse. “Don't act so shocked, Vivian.” Was the first thing Alden said. “You knew about Noah.”
“What? You're crazy, how would I–?”
“I remembered a few days after mom passed, you bringing me my favorite snacks, wine, a plant, and flowers.” The exact content of your package. “What did you do with the hoodie and the letter?”
“I don't– I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“The only reason I'm staying calm right now is because my son is in the next room, but look at me and listen to me. I never want to see you again, so you're gonna disappear from my life and my father's. Meaning that from the moment you walk out that door, you will not text or call him, or any other members of my family. And if I learn that you didn't respect that, I'll be far less gentle. Am I clear?”
“Alden, listen–”
“Get the fuck out of my house.”
She was crying and trying to get Alden to listen to her, but he only grabbed your waist and held you close to him. When she turned to Roman, hoping he'd listen and defend her, the older man simply told her to leave. Eventually, she did, using the greenhouse's door.
Alden held you tighter, kissing your temple softly. “Dad,”
“Can I meet him? What's his name?”
Noah was very happy to have another grandpa. And it was amazing to see how Roman was doing his best to give him a very good first impression. You all had breakfast together, and you mostly stayed silent, just being overwhelmed about the Parkers boys getting to know one another. After eating, Noah wanted to show Paw Patrol to his grandfather, and Alden took this opportunity to take you to the bedroom. He didn't waste any second before kissing you deeply and intensely. You returned it immediately, holding onto his hair. Feeling like you were breathing again, you only stopped kissing when you heard him making a sound of pain. “My shoulder,” he said.
“Oh god, I'm so sorry baby. I didn't–”
“It's okay,” he smiled. “It's worth it.”
He kissed you again, trapping you between the door and his body. “Fuck, I missed you.” He growled.
“Missed you more.”
“We can't do this right now, can we?” He chuckled, out of breath.
“Oh baby, it's gonna be tricky for us to have some privacy now.”
“It's fine. I'm taking all the pros and cons.” He kissed your forehead, “I'm taking you and our little boy. I'm taking it all.”
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cross-my-heartt · 3 months
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okay so I slept on it... and as much as I hate to say it I think I'm disappointed with episode five
really disappointed
putting my thoughts under a cut, they're mostly critical but there's some praise in there too
I'm not gonna lie some parts of this episode were fantastic. I legitimately started crying when Crosshair picked up Mayday's helmet and started lining them all up. but as much as I wanted to feel the same way about the other emotional moments in this episode (and they were a lot) I just didn't and it's weird because they feel right from a storytelling perspective but execution wise?... yeah, I have some thoughts
for starters I'm getting really frustrated with Corbett and co's aversion to showing us characters reacting to major events. I fully expected this episode to pick up where we left off but instead we went straight to the timeskip, foregoing all the initial stages of Crosshair's reintegration into the team (similarly people have pointed out how disappointing it is that we didn't see Crosshair react to the news of Tech's death. or Echo reacting to the news of Fives’ death. can we see the pattern here?)
we're supposed to feel like this tension in the team has been going on for a while but instead we're just told that it has. yes, it makes sense for this to be the case but when you think that the whole thing is resolved in one single episode, you start to realize just how damn rushed it is
so much of this episode relied on clunky exposition to fill us in on what's happening instead of just taking the time to show us. imagine if instead of one episode we had three episodes to develop this story line. one on Pabu, one on Barton and one final one for the mission where Crosshiar and Hunter's tension comes to a head. just imagine.
we have so much room for side quests where these characters' conflicts can broil and stew and develop in the background and we can get a real sense of time passing and a sense of how this affects them. we got a whole episode dedicated to showing us what Omega's imprisonment was like on Tantiss, imagine if they'd put the same effort into setting up Crosshair's return the same way
instead this is really starting to feel like we're trying to get Crosshair's arc out of the way so we can move on to the next one (which I presume will be about Tech) and if we do get episodes where this could have been developed as a background subplot I will chew my socks off
also if I see another giant worm creature living underground in a star wars media, I will throw myself off a cliff
NO MORE FREAKING CREATURES. we're sick and tired of them. why, why do we have to waste precious screen time on a redundant action scene? it feels so old at this point. not to mention how obviously shoehorned it is because a) it messes with Outpost's plot and b) Outpost never mentioned this being the purpose of the sensors meaning this is obviously something the writers retconned into existence to hastily cobble the plot together
a very predictable one too, I swear to god I expected it to be a worm the moment they showed the ground shake, I swear
yes, it was supposed to show us the batch working together as a yay team moment but I personally feel it was pretty lackluster (none of them actually put their special skills to good use, I'm baffled by how useless Hunter's sense were here). imagine if instead of this we got an episode that was actually interested in exploring the conflict between these two
have them walk off to quarrel after Hunter sees Crosshair acting strange with the helmets (the one piece of setup I would praise) then accidentally fall through a weak point in the ice, plunging them underground. and instead of an action scene we get a long episode of them trying to get out of the maze, walking through the tunnels and struggling to cooperate in between bouts of bickering. have Crosshair internally freaking out because this is all so similar to him and Mayday crawling through the tunnels. maybe have one of them step on an old mine, echoing that same moment in Outpost
have Hunter ask Crosshair why he knows about these mines and who taught him to disarm them. have Crosshair completely reluctant to tell him
seriously there is SO much wasted potential here...
which leads me to the next point which is dialogue. the worst side effect of rushing plot is that most of your dialogue ends up being expository and it really showed. characters saying exactly how they feel, over explaining and pointing out things that could have been shown. it all feels even more egregious when you realize that Crosshair is the one saddled with most of the exposition making him not only weirdly talkative this episode but also nudging him into the out of character territory
because Crosshair has always been taciturn and roundabout in the way he expresses himself and I feel like this was sorely lacking this time. it's a shame because that's one of the main things that made him so complex and interesting to watch
call me crazy but we didn't need Crosshair and Hunter acknowledging their mistakes. a meaningful look or a silent moment shared between them would have sufficed. we didn't need Crossahir saying what he's done, we know what he's done, and knowing Crosshair that shouldn't have come out so earnestly either
I feel like the show has proved that it's really good at conveying these nuances in a subtle way but somehow it forgot all about it in its urge to hurry the plot along
I don't know if I'm wrong or right about this but I really hope I'm not. I'm not saying the writers are neglecting Crosshair as a character, there were moments where I could really feel how much love they have for him. but the telling of that story really fell flat
all in all this episode felt like 'finish crosshair's story arc: speedrun edition'. the right story beats are there - the hug, the confrontation, honoring Mayday, focusing on the tremor - but they're so rushed and the dialogue is so expository and clunky that they left me feeling hollow
(also are we really going to pretend it's okay for AZ to be there?? your sole chip removing droid and it's used as target practice by the man with a hand tremor and a 50% accuracy rate?? hello??? anyway, just a nitpick lol)
all in all there is a lot to love and in a sense we got everything we wanted but I do wish it had been done differently
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faejilly · 8 months
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i always liked the thought that outside of the persona that he presents, magnus is terribly domestic bc he seems that he would curl up on a couch with his lover and just be yk? like i bet that he has had relationships that were just sex and partying but i bet if he was given a choice he would choose to spend the evening in and watching a movie
Quite possibly.
I do think that Magnus, (much like Alec in fact, if in a slightly different way), is very good at giving anyone he is with the experience that they most want.
He enjoys performing, whether he is highlighting or subverting expectations, I believe he loves putting on a show and he is perfectly capable of tailoring that show to his audience. Part of this is survival, part of this is avoiding conflict, part of this is politics, but it seems clear he does actually also like it or he wouldn't have chosen such an extravagant persona (or bothered with all the necessary closet space to hold his wardrobe 😅).
He likes planning parties which is a different skill-set than just attending them after all. He wants to create an environment, set the stage, organize the comforts and attractions and entertainment and etc.
Magnus does in fact also enjoy people. He likes parties and dancing and afternoon tea and anything else that gives him that jolt of interaction and appreciation. He does seem to legitimately be an extrovert who feels recharged after social interaction; especially if he knows he's the one who made it a good experience for everyone involved. (Or a bad one, if he's intimidating people. There's some pride involved, I think, in knowing he can have whatever effect he wants, regardless of what anyone else is expecting.)
He is much better at grand gestures of devotion and friendship (and money and power) because that ties back into him being in control of his interactions and his vulnerabilities and other people's expectations.
So I don't think he dislikes being a party person, or his extravagant High Warlock persona, or that he was at all unsatisfied with whirlwind dramatic relationships full of parties and dancing and shows and travel. Those are all things he can do, and do well, and gets a kick out of.
However satisfying it is to do the things you're good at, and know that you're sweeping someone else along with something they enjoy, I do think sometimes he hid himself within those extravagances; avoided smaller intimacies of domestic chores and quietly reading on opposite sides of the couch, etc. because then he'd have to share control, which is terrifying when you're as aware as he is of all the ways an intimate friend or partner can (purposefully or not) betray or hurt you.
He offers the high life because he can, and once upon he couldn't, and most people enjoy it and are impressed by it. HOWEVER, I do agree that that's not really the point for him, and sometimes it was definitely another layer of armor between his bruised heart and the world.
All he needs from a partner is their attention. (I know the love languages book is nonsense, but, it will be a useful framework for my rambling, so! Let's imagine it's not.) I think his personal love language is simply quality time. Someone who wants to be with him, regardless of time or place or consequences or conveniences, who doesn't just want his money or magic, but will not flinch from those parts of him either. Who may not need him to take care of them, but won't push him away when he does anyway.
Which is of course exactly what Alec offers with his single-minded focus and devotion to the partner he's chosen, and which most of us cannot do to at all the same extent. (Which is why Alec feels vaguely useless to Magnus most of the time, because everyone else he's ever known or loved has required his actions not just his presence, and is also why Magnus cannot understand that insecurity at all, because no one else has ever just looked at Magnus without all the trappings and been enraptured.)
But! Back to the original premise.
Alec is not an extrovert and hates putting on a show and does not trust large crowds of people to avoid being stupid, so in fact once they are together I do believe they are usually very quietly domestic at home, because the setting, for Magnus, is incidental to the fact that they're spending time together, so he is perfectly content making sure Alec is comfortable wherever they are, and that they have that quiet time together reasonably often.
(I do think Magnus and Alec spend a lot of time in physical contact, cuddling or hand-holding or working on similar projects in shared space, because Alec's love language is very clearly physical touch. He is more than capable of showing his love and care to people in their own languages, time or gifts or words or service, but all he really needs is for the people he's worried about to be close enough to hold onto.)
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dreamsandscenes · 6 months
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My Thoughts On
FINN SHELBY
* Spoilers ahead for S1 - S6 of Peaky Blinders *
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The way that Finn as a character was pushed aside and rendered useless 99% of the time is a shame. I wish Steven Knight had had different plans for him (or just any good plans at all would’ve been nice).
I do find the age gap between Finn and all the other siblings a bit too much. If we’re going by the wiki ages, which make sense within the show, Finn was born in 1908. This also must be his birth year, since in season 1 of the show, he says he’s about to be 11, and S1 starts in 1919. His oldest sibling, Arthur, was already 21, Tommy was 18, John was 13, and Ada was 11 when he was born. I can only imagine that the Shelby parents started having kids in their teens, because the age gap is massive. It would’ve made more sense for Finn to be Arthur or Tommy’s son, rather than their brother with that age gap.
It also drives a bit of a wedge between the older siblings and Finn, because Arthur, Tommy, John and Ada all grew up together. They experienced their difficult childhood together. Finn didn’t. Maybe this is part of the reason why I don’t see the same bond between Finn and his siblings as they all have with each other. Don’t get me wrong, they all loved him. I never doubted that. But as Finn grew into a man, I did wonder if all of them actually liked him.
We also know that Mrs Shelby died when Finn was a baby, and Mr Shelby left the family shortly after. Finn never had parents, but he had substitutes for those roles.
Polly was the only mother he ever knew. She raised him. That being said though, it did seem like when Michael came back into her life, Polly put Finn on the back burner. We didn’t really see much of them together at all, apart from in season 1. I don’t even know who Finn lived with in S3/S4, because he was still so young, he had to live with someone. I think Polly cared for him very well when he was a little boy, but once he got into his teens, and Michael was back in the picture, she didn’t seem to care as much. Maybe because he didn’t rely on her to take care of him so much because he was getting older, she took a step back, but I honestly don’t know why she didn’t seem to have more of an active role in his life from S2 onwards. Maybe we should just say it was a poor writing decision.
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Both Arthur and Tommy seemed to fill the fatherly role in Finn’s life. They both looked out for him when they could. They, along with John when he got old enough, made sure to financially support Finn, and give him more than they had growing up. That being said, they weren’t the best role models. I mean, Finn was already doing cocaine at 13/14, something at least Tommy was apparently aware of. Granted, they didn’t necessarily understand the issues with cocaine at the time, but people knew it was a drug, and kids obviously shouldn’t be doing drugs, so I don’t know if Tommy should get a pass for that less than fantastic big brother behaviour.
After John’s death, Finn is clearly brought more into the Peaky Blinders fold, to fill the hole that John left behind. Unfortunately though, Finn lacked the ruthlessness that John had. He could never quite measure up. Perhaps because he never had to fight to get by, like his big brothers did, he didn’t have that drive to succeed. He just kind of skated by the whole time. He didn’t have the aptitude for violence that John had, so he disappointed Tommy/Arthur when it came to Peaky business because he couldn’t handle it, but that’s not really something I would blame Finn for. That’s more on his brothers for expecting & hoping that he’d be like John. Tbh, I don’t know why they didn’t just make him handle legitimate business, rather than the criminal stuff, because he clearly wasn’t suited to it.
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I can’t really say a lot about his relationship with Ada, because I don’t remember any significant scenes between them, apart from the scene in 5x01 where Finn gets shot and talks to Ada for minute after the bullet is removed. It’s pretty brief though. You’d think he’d have more scenes with his only sister, and I think it could’ve been interesting to see the difference between his relationship with her versus his relationship with his older brothers, who he always felt like he had something to prove to.
In S6, we see that he gets married to a woman named Mary. We know nothing about Mary. She’s in maybe 2 scenes. We know nothing about their relationship. There’s no development or love story for them. I truly don’t know why this was included in the show because it added absolutely nothing. I can only assume that the marriage might have some sort of relevance in the movie. If it doesn’t, I just don’t see the point in including it all. It was a meaningless moment.
His friendship with Billy Grade is ultimately the thing that ruins him. He quickly becomes close friends with Billy when they work together. He trusted Billy, because he was always more trusting than his brothers, so he told him things he shouldn’t have.
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By the time we get to the end of S6, where he has to choose between shooting Billy, or saving him by shooting Duke or Isiah, he has been friends with Billy for years. It doesn’t really feel like that as a viewer because of the time jumps between seasons, but Billy was presumably his best friend by that point. With that in mind, was I supposed to be surprised that he tried to shoot Duke to save Billy? He didn’t know Duke. Duke meant nothing to him. Isiah used to be his friend, but they seem to have drifted apart as they got older. Obviously he wasn’t going to choose Duke, or Isiah, over his friend.
If Tommy and Arthur were in that room, instead of Duke and Isiah, I think things would’ve happened differently. When faced with a choice between his brothers and his friend, I think he would’ve chosen his brothers. I definitely don’t think he would’ve ever pointed a gun at either of them or tried to shoot them. But when faced with a guy he barely knew and a friend he wasn’t that close to anymore, he chose Billy. Yes, Billy was an informant, albeit a reluctant one, but he wasn’t only that to Finn.
Do I think he deserved to be disowned by the family at the end of S6 for this decision? No. I think he should’ve been punished in some way, and moved to the legitimate side of the business, because he simply wasn’t smart enough to handle the criminal side of things. I just find it hard to imagine the Shelby’s disowning one of their own, even one that does stupid stuff like Finn. That’s still their baby brother. I don’t like that as Finn’s ending in the show. It was bad enough when SK turned Michael into an antagonist; I don’t want to see Finn meet the same fate in the movie.
I’m really hoping Finn isn’t an antagonist in the PB movie. I really don’t want to see that. I don’t think that one situation with Billy would fully turn Finn against his family anyway. Against Duke maybe, but not his brothers. If he is one of the villains in the movie, I’m going to be disappointed. I’d rather see his final ending in the movie be him coming back into the family, and in some way finally earning the approval of his brothers. Perhaps he could do the whole double agent thing, where the audience thinks he’s a villain, but he’s actually helping his family. I don’t know, I just want more from him as a character than an antagonist storyline.
That’s kind of the way I felt about Finn the entire series; I just wanted more from him. He was always falling a bit short as a character for me. Never quite hitting the mark. I hope that he can finally reach his potential in the movie.
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Hi! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what Tom Riddle’s animagus form would be, if he bothered to learn the transformation. I think it’s weird that according to canon he never did? I can’t imagine he’d see or learn about this difficult form of advanced magic, with a million different uses depending on the animal and go, ‘nah I’m good.’ And then just never try??? Especially with somewhere private like the chamber of secrets to practice?
I can't believe I haven't answered this.
This feels like an ask I surely must have gotten before and yet it appears to not be there. I am shook.
Well, let's answer your second question first.
Why Didn't He Become an Animagus/Animagus is a Useless Ability
First, why do other characters we see in the series become animagi? The Marauders do it initially to stay with Remus during the full moon. Later, Peter and Sirius at least take advantage of it to hide from the authorities. Rita Skeeter either did it for funsies and in the aftermath found out it could really help her career, or else was banking on her form being something relatively easy to overlook. Wouldn't have served Rita well if she'd been a horse trying to hide in a pub behind the counter. McGonagall uses it to be a spy for the Order but we don't know why she did it whenever she did it.
Second, what can one do exactly?
Alright, you become an animal. You now have no thumbs and likely cannot open a door. You can't hold your wand. Legally, you have to register with the ministry so basically... you're a cool party trick. Whoop de fucking doo, you can turn into a goat after months of preparation.
The only legitimate use for it is disguising yourself from those who would search for you, espionage, or else if you happen to have a werewolf friend who happens to be going to a school before Wolfsbane happened to be invented.
And all of that's if you get lucky with your form. You have no control over what it will be, which makes it a bit of a gamble to spend all this time learning it when you may not even be able to use it.
What if you're a dolphin? Now you can't transform in anything but the right temperature salt water.
What I'm saying is that while it's a neat party trick, it's not actually in any way useful.
Back to Tom
Could be he is an animagus but he got an entirely useless form like a dolphin. Wasted months learning how to do it and he's a fucking dolphin.
"Well, that was a great waste of my time," he announces.
That said, all of the above could be why Tom would never pursue it. He has no guarantees what he will become is in any way useful, he also needs a certain amount of ah prestige associated with his animal or else risk being a laughing stock, and he doesn't go out and spy himself.
It's a lot of work for not much use, and I can see him easily going "eh" and devoting himself to what he considers more important.
BUT WHAT WOULD HIS FORM BE?!
My personal thoughts?
A cat.
Cats are intelligent, curious, bizarre, killing machines who end up in both the oddest situations and deciding to do things just to see what shit they can fuck up.
A vase is on a counter? That vase is going to the floor.
There's a box that looks too small to escape from. THE CAT'S GOING IN!
A cat doesn't like you for no particular reason? Yeah, get used to that.
I can't not imagine Tom sitting on a counter, pushing off all the vases, just because you said "no".
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weebsinstash · 2 years
Text
Just some more ideas for sone stuff Mr Rich Douche Yandere would do to his darling/the Reader
--apparently hair elastics like ponytails can technically damage your hair, so if you use them he insists on tying your hair up with silk ribbons and other soft materials (and wants to do it himself obviously)
--doesn't let you swim in public pools or public bodies of water besides the ocean and even then that's on private property. Not only does he not want to have to share your half nude body with anyone else, but, poor people can be dirty and gross to the point of being another species in his eyes. And not to enable him but have you ever read those stories of people who don't bathe before going into pools because they believe the chlorine is like a shower? 🤢
--really, activities that require you touching other people or sharing things with other people just strike him as unsanitary and "you're too good for them anyways". He kind of thinks all poor people in general are trashy and you're just an exception, perfect to him in almost every way. No buffets, no public gyms, no bowling, no clubbing, no strip mall beauty salons/spas that might have dirty equipment, no sports events not in a private box, like, the list goes on and on
--pressures you into having "real hobbies" aka things he approves of, likes himself, and/or can do with you, but are usually like, rich people bullshit: painting, golfing, teaching you to play a classical instrument, archery, horseback riding
--dresses you in only the best, kind of excessively. Once you enter a serious relationship with him, he'll make you forget what jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers even are. Absolutely buys you new clothes to throw out and replace anything you owned before him.
--you know how some yanderes will go as far as to collect tissues, they're so obsessed with anything you've touched or owned? Not his ass! If it isn't super sentimental to you or something you use often, he slowly replaces everything you own with things he's bought for you. Only the best for his baby 🥰 and also no traces of your past can be allowed to remain. He's all you need now right? so let's get rid of all those things given to you by people who came before him. You don't need those useless old memories...
--none of your friends are good enough for him and he'll heavily discourage you from spending time with them, even outright bribing them/threatening them into avoiding you.
--wants to get married and tie you down basically right away, but he's calculated enough to at least kind of wait and make you love him first. If he's a noble, he'll pull strings for another noble to adopt you or something to "legitimize your status", and if he's a king or emperor he may just ignore the laws to let you be directly at his side and not a mere concubine. Who's gonna stop him? He's literally the man in charge
--i like to imagine at some point in the relationship you're living with him in one of his homes and he's in his office with his multiple computer monitors that he uses for work, and he's just sitting there watching you through security cameras to see you in your private moments, simply craving and consuming every last detail about you no matter how personal
--when he's away, you're assigned private security because he's wealthy/important enough that you could be kidnapped. He definitely overplays the possibility of danger when you bring up doing anything that loosens his control and surveillance, though. He'll tell you it's only because he treasures you much and has to keep you safe
--all im saying is that he's "leader of a country" level rich and money can achieve anything. That ex-boyfriend you bumped into on a date with him? Missing without a trace, the cops don't even investigate. Relationship go south and you run away? A black van rolls up while you're on the sidewalk and you get taken right back by men in black suits who are being paid way too much to mind if you bite and scream. You start cracking under the pressure if all his expectations and say you'll leave him? Threaten to hurt yourself? Hippity hoppity your body is his property, and he's sending you to a private clinic where they'll force meds into you and monitor you while he finishes his business affairs and sets up a nice little "vacation home" for you both to "take time off" and for you to "clear your head". He's thinking an island, something nice and remote....
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maxislvt · 1 year
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Some personal opinions on MCU Ladies being Domme or Sub
Kate: Absolutely a Sub.
Carol: Is a Sub, knows it, grumpy about it, wants you to think she's a Domme.
Yelena: Is a Sub, does NOT know it, has only been with Power Bottoms, Natasha doesn't have the heart to tell her.
Natasha: Switch, either a very good Mommy or the cutest Pillow Princess depending on the partner.
Wanda: Absolute Mommy Domme, except in the very brief window of Age of Ultron when she was Baby
I feel like Kate is willing to learn how to be Dom, but her preference for powerful/older women would make that knowledge completely useless. She likes to dream tho ❤️
Carol is a sub top but I definitely see that changing depending on what era she's in or how much experience she has. She can't wrap her head around the fact she can Do The Work but not boss you around and she's so huffy about.
Yelena isn't ashamed of being a sub but is legitimately under the impression she just Isn't so no one really bothers correcting her
Natasha is a jack of all trades and sorta adapts to her partners needs. However, I do see her having a bit of fetish (kink? idk) for "breaking" doms or switches. She can respect your needs but once Nat has made up her mind about topping you, there's no going back from that
Wanda definitely grows into being a mommy. Even if we aren't being canon compliant, I imagine her "Mommy Urges" just get worse the longer you date her. She'll let you be secretive and shy about it at first but eventually she's gonna start cutting up your food and forcing you to sit in her lap
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beevean · 8 months
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The idea of Annette essentially telling Richter to suck up his own trauma because "Hey I've had it worse and I'm still fighting!" is so fucking putrid
Yes, racism is shit and horrible. I suppose that, from a quantitative standpoint Annette has indeed suffered more than Richter, but trying to quantify human suffering, especially of the "I watched my mother being brutally murdered in front of me at a young age" variety, in order to create "yeah X has had it worse than Y" is often fucking awful and reeks of a sense of superiority
Imagine an orphan who lost their parents during a brutal war that they witnessed with their own eyes telling another orphan who lost their parents during a simple mugging that they should suck it up because "they've had it worse", it's fucking cold, it's establishing a condition of personal superiority based on personal suffering and how one is affected by it. You're essentially telling another person that their trauma and their suffering don't matter as much as yours and, as a result, that they themselves as a person, value less.
Oh these guys wanna do Berserk? Why yes I would gladly like to see them write Casca like this, have her say that Guts has had it easy in life when compared to her because at least he's a white man, maybe tell him during their sex scene, when he starts breaking down due to his sexual abuse-related PTSD, that he should man up and suck it up because "Hey I'm a woman who everyone is trying to rape every 5 minutes and you don't hear ME bitching about it!"
It's putrid, yes. And I've already seen it justified, because well, at least Richter only saw his mom die and then that's it, Annette kept suffering after that!
Not surprising that it would be well received on Tumblr, the birthplace of oppression olympics 🙃
And Annette did all that speech to basically say that she's better than Richter. That she's stronger. That she looks down on him for being a weakling. And then proceeds to call him "useless as fuck"? Oh yeah I can see peak romance blooming in the air already. I'm reminded of Greta who listened to Alucard telling her that he killed his rapists and nearly became as bitter as his homicidial father, and her reaction was "eh I fucked a married man and angered his wife, same thing, right?". What's with these women and completely lacking in empathy towards their love interest? Is this what being a Stronk Woman entails? Oh, but interracial couple, so progressive :^)
This was not something to add in a season that basically did an any% speedrun. I can buy in a vacuum Annette being too focused on her trauma to care about others', especially the trauma of a white man who she'd see as inherently privileged, because she has been taught that they're her enemy and they all see her as inferior. I can see a character arc where she actually, legitimately moves on from her past and understand that everyone is suffering and they have more in common that differences and they all need to stick together and grow with each other. But this painfully relevant topic is just too complex to tackle in 8 episodes that are already juggling too much material. And, y'know, by this show which has the sensitivity of a steamroller.
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winwin17 · 8 months
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Mogtober 2023 Day #14
Prompt: Theory/Theories
Okay, so I don't really know why I have this theory, but I just do. The theory is that Morrigan's family will eventually find out she's not dead. Of course Grandmother knows already, but not the others. I just have this feeling that there's going to be some point where she runs into them or vice versa, and they're gonna be like, "Wait, something feels funny about her...."
If there's any basis for this theory, I'd say it's mostly in the way Hollowpox hinted at there being conflict/interactions between Nevermoor and the Republic in the future. Maybe more people will go from one to the other/travel between them, and somewhere along the line, Mog's gonna run into ol' Corvus and Ivy again. I imagine it to be when she's a little older so she won't be quite as easily identifiable on first sight.
Extra points if it involves her doing some kind of epic Wundersmith thing in front of them, and Corvus realizes she could snuff out his very life if she wished, and he's put in his place for every nasty thought he ever had about her being useless and worthless.
Oh, and extra EXTRA points if he realizes she's a Wundersmith and makes it a point to actually find & interact with her, and he's all like, "Ya know, we never knew you were a Wundersmith, and we legitimately thought the curse was real and you died, but we never knew you were this powerful, and we're sorry, and would you like to come back to live with us again?" And Mog just looks at him for a moment while having this internal monologue where she's recognizing he probably just wants her power on his side for his own selfish advantages, and she just decidedly says like, "No. These people are my family now, and this is my real home."
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celticcrossanon · 10 months
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Hi Celta, so glad you're back and I wish you well. I pray that you will stay healthy, happy, and beautiful. My Tumblr feed was rather uninteresting when you were not around (I need to follow more people!! Lol).
Regarding Camilla, I have always felt that she was the original Meghan, using sex to catch the then future king (Charles) and became successful at it whereas Meghan tried it with the current future king (William) and failed. That’s why Camilla recognized what Meghan was because she was her at another time.
As to why Camilla has become so unhappy as queen, I think she feels the burden of illegitimacy heavily. She knows she’s not a legitimate queen in the hearts of many people. The shadow of Diana looms large even after her death more than a quarter of a century later.
Charles and Camilla stans would like to revise history and paint their story as the greatest love story, that she makes him happy (as if that’s enough to justify her being a queen!), Diana was not a saint, etc.
I think what Camilla (and probably Charles, too) had wanted was to remain the mistress, and let Diana remained the wife and later be queen. Camilla just wanted to be there as the mistress, a normal carry-ons for kings past, and get all the material riches (she keeps asking for money now, is she?), a comfortable life forever, but not the burden of royal duty (Queen Elizabeth at one time did label Camilla as “lazy”).
Unfortunately, Diana was of a newer generation where love trumps all and she could not accept her husband having a side chick and this broke her heart, and it is in the unrelenting quest of love (a love that her husband did not give her) that Diana committed all those unsaintly chasing of men that she eventually did, and put her in a situation that arguably led to her early demise.
I am not excusing Diana, but I understand why she became what she was. She was massively gaslighted by both Charles and Camilla from the get go (Interviewer: Are you in love? Diana: Of course! Charles: Whatever love means.)
I think Charles was also gaslighted by Camilla. If she had not persistently staying there always within his reach, perhaps Charles could have stopped himself from forsaking Diana for her, and things might have turned out differently now. There was a tarot reader I used to watched on YouTube who stated years ago that the marriage of Charles and Camilla is not as happy as they presented, and that from time to time Charles think of Diana and wondered what might have been.
Just imagine if Diana were the queen now, how stratospheric Charles’ popularity (something he has always wanted) would be with the popular Diana by her side, just like how popular William is with a popular and loved princess (Catherine) by his side.
Charles picked the wrong horse, driven by his own cuntstruck gaslighting from Camilla (when Charles accused Harry of being cuntstruck by Meghan, I thought he knew what he was talking about!) And he (Charles) fought so long and schemed so hard for her (Camilla) to become queen, and now that she is one, she is unhappy.
Boohoo!! Some people are just so, so ungrateful.
Hi AranPandora,
I agree that there is an attempt to rewrite the past history of Charles and Camilla, which is a bit useless as many people were there when it happened and know the facts, plus we have scans of newspaper and magazine articles which also show what happened at the time.
Diana turned 20 less than a month before she married 32 year old Charles (who would turn 33 in November) who had a 34 year old mistress, Camilla. Given the age difference, I expected a lot more from both Camilla and Charles than what actually happened.
I remember that "whatever loves means" in the interview and how my heart sank when I heard it. It was not the reply of a man who was in love, and Diana was clearly in love with Charles at that time.
I don't know if Charles still thinks of her, but I would not be surprised if he did, as it is normal to have 'what might have been' moments in your life.
I do think that Charles and Camilla genuinely care for each other. I have seen genuine affection between them, so I don't think it was all 'using sex to trap a man' (that might have been part of it, but I don't think it was all there was to it). That being said, it is obvious that Charles adores Camilla and will do anything for her, but I'm not sure how much Camilla is prepared to do for Charles - I think that while they care for each other, Charles cares for her far more than she cares for him. I could be wrong, but that is how the relationship strikes me.
As I have said before, I think that Camilla would be a lot happier now if she had stayed as a mistress. However, that did not happen, and now both she and Charles have to live with the result of his decision to marry her.
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conduitandconjurer · 4 days
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I'd love your take on the "If I set this room on fire" scene. The fact Klaus responded so readily to a random diagnosis based on symptoms of aggression, anti-social behavior and irritable mood was interesting since it's not necessarily what we see him portray. We get glimpses of it during early S1 and the peak of his toxic co-dependency with Ben but those seemed more specific rather than generalized. Does Klaus actively suppress the negative emotions in favor of being more endearing to others?
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I genuinely believe Klaus is showing that he can be a little too open-minded and porous to the influence of others. The "diagnosis" Stan shared is allegedly at least a legitimate developmental disorder, but it also reads like something Reginald would say to Klaus to gaslight him into internalizing a fuck-ton of shame and doubting his own (usually surprisingly on-the-mark) judgment about healthy familial relationship dynamics ("you're just a bad kid, you just want attention, you act out and ignore your potential because you're belligerent and aggressive").
Klaus was a really disturbed kid, no doubt (could it be having been killed more than 50 times by his primary caretaker for the sake of becoming a cog in a time alteration machine, all experiments centering on inescapable powers no one asked Klaus if he wanted? survey says VERY LIKELY, lol). But so were his siblings, one, and two, his dysfunctional coping patterns are more like someone who is extremely passive and avoidant, not confrontational and aggressive. Klaus only causes problems to survive when he has been convincingly told no one cares enough to invest in helping him, and post-Dave, he drops a number of those bad behaviors.
"But what about him setting things on fire? We SEE him do that in a flashback! That's antisocial behavioe!" Yes, we do see that, because Klaus has C-PTSD and absolutely raging, unmedicated ADHD. He is overwhelmed and understimulated 24/7 by the ghosts and the inability to control them and establish boundaries, by Reginald's relentless refrain that he is his "greatest disappointment" and "not worth the trouble," by virtue of his powers not seeming useful during the early years, when he and his sibs believe they are intended to be vigilante superhero x-men ripoffs. Imagine feeling useless from the moment you're aware of what that word means. You'd be angry and iconoclastic too, but the thing is, does Klaus try to hurt his living loved ones in that same time period? Pay close attention, for instance, to how he holds and cries with Allison when they're getting their tattoos. That's not a kid with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, a cncept in and of itself in need of revision.
Klaus was trying to bond with the nearest person who could share in his unending self-doubt, by absorbing that person's views; that was Stan in that moment, one of his closest siblings' (supposed) kid. I genuinely cannot imagine that Klaus has "actual" ODD.
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Jason's thighs and tits tho 😩
this man has me so fucked up. tw for blood, bruising, guns, crying during sex, face fucking, boobjob, size difference (i wasnt originally gunna put this under the cut but then. youll see. i got carried away. i ramble.)
also this is so incredibly horny i cannot emphasize how unhealthy i am about this man. there's some nice stuff at the end but its still kinda horny just not explicitly fucking
listen. i need to sit at his feet with my head against his legs just licking and nibbling my way up. leave so many hickies and bruises. i do not care who is in control i am taking my time working up. and id work all the up to his face so that the entirety of his legs, belly, titties, and neck are completely discoloured. i would absolutely be wearing lipstick everytime im kissing around him. i NEED to leave as much of a mark as i can. i NEED him begging without me even being half way done.
i am absolutely fucking his titties by the way is that even a question?? can you IMAGINE how good thatd feel???? justing sitting on his belly and pushing them together????? i mean it might not be enough to completely envelope your cock but GOD just the fact ur doing it is enough.
if im topping (bcuz jason todd is a switch and we need more bottom!jason todd x reader content) i am folding that man in half and he will have so many hand shaped bruises on his thighs. i keep my nails really long so hed def be bleeding as well just from digging my nails in holding his knees to his chest. i dont care how itd hurt my back to bend forward and keep pounding him my face is in his titties the whole time. if hes taking it from behind then i am completely wrapped around so i can grope him. or im holding onto his thighs for leverage. either way i am dicking this man down until he is SOBBING. he already cries during sex, you cannot convince me otherwise, and i am absolutely getting as many tears and cum (and blood👀) out of him as possible.
and he would ABSOLUTELY do the same to me. i will call this man anything he wants for him to fucking destroy me. listen. imagine it. hes fucking your face, youre absolutely scratching the hell out of his thighs trying to get your bearings. or even better hes in gear and your hands are legitimately tangled in his thigh holsters. hes an empty gun in his left hand (that btw is covered in your spite) and your hair in his right. when were finally fucking good and proper as the lord intended hes got me on my back to look in my eyes but all i can do is cling to him and alternating between biting him (bcuz i just need something in my mouth and im less likely to take out his jugular than i am to bite off his fingers) and just having my face shoved in his titties. both our backs are scratched up. i can feel his legs trembling inbetween my completely useless ones.
afterwards im laying on top of him, were both covered in cum tears sweat spit and blood and legs too weak for either of us to do anything about it (not that i want to anyway), im just absentmindedly groping him (titties are just stim toys) until we pass the fuck out from *gestures vaguely* ALL OF THAT.
his thighs are absolutely unfair. need a nap? pillows. hes in gear? god his hostlers cling to him in just the right way. hes got shorts on? my eyes are never leaving his thighs. im not even being subtle i am fully staring. no one would blame me. everyones jealous i get to hit that. i would always have a hand on them when were sitting together. not even horny they're just nice and i need to feel them. soft muscle has me fucked up. hed totally flex them just to see my reaction too.
oh his titties are just as bad. sure they're not defines thru his armour but when he has to get dressed up????? jason todd in a button up???? oh my god how has he not lost any buttons yet. suits are absolutely not fair, and sure he may think the same as me all dressed up, but its not the same. bcuz i fucking said so. also taking naps on his titties is even nicer than his thighs, his thighs he could be doing something else but his chest you know his full attention is on you. fully pressed against each other. i am 5'0" and i put him at 6'4" so i come up to his titties. anytime he would corner me against a wall i am at tit height. perfect.
hes the type that once ur comfortable around each other hes never wearing a shirt again (me too babe) and thank whatever god there is for that. hes walking around just in sweats, titties out?
hed def walk around without pants too, just in boxers. you get to enjoy his thighs too? id faint. this man is so perfect. hes the type that if i looked at him too long id start crying. like in complete adoration.
i am pulling this man on the couch or into bed every opportunity i get, i need to be tangled in him. i need our legs tangled together or to be in his lap.
im not a fan of weighted blankets bcuz of how blankets work they make me feel trapped, but id love for a person to lay on top of me. just jasons weight pressed on me, half not bcuz he doesnt wanna crush me. just a reminder hes there as i fall asleep.
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luminouslumity · 2 years
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I wasn't going to make a Part Three to this, but I'm a history and myth nerd and I'm having way too much fun with these posts! Here's the first two parts for anyone who's seeing this just now.
As excited as I was to finally know LBD's backstory, I feel like there are still a lot of unanswered questions with regards to her, including how she even came to have influence over life in the first place if she was apparently able to bring Macaque back from the dead, unless she had a tool or already had a connection to the Underworld itself. If we follow the latter, with her at the very least having once been Meng Po's assistant and thus worked so closely with the dead, then her resentment towards the mortals makes even more sense if she was constantly surrounded by more than a few unsavory souls and her failure at trying to help a living one is what finally did it for her.
And keep in mind that reincarnation is often regarded as less of a reward and more of a punishment in the eyes of certain religions, including Buddhism (which JttW had of course been influenced by), so imagine being an overseer of souls in a way, constantly watching certain ones trying to do better and either failing in their next life or having to be reborn again regardless depending on what they did in a previous life, all while the world keeps getting worse and worse with each passing century. Even Tripitaka himself—as Jinchan Zi/Golden Cicada—had once been a disciple of Buddha before he too entered the Cycle as punishment for inattentiveness; by the time he becomes Sanzang, he'd already lived through ten previous lives.
Then there's also the Mandate of Heaven in general, a political philosophy that was used to legitimize the claim of a Chinese ruler, similar to the Divine Right of Kings in the West. And at least in the case of Investiture of the Gods (the book that features Nezha's origin story, I talk about it here), it's apparently literal in at least one instance since even the gods themselves were direct participants in bringing about the fall of the Shang Dynasty to make way for the Zhao. As a result, this could be why LBD apparently wanted to destroy Heaven as well if we assume she'd regarded the gods as being useless at best or no better than the mortals at worst.
Am I looking too deep into this? Yeah, probably. But all this history is exactly why this so much fun for me!
Also, white is the traditional color of mourning in China. LBD's outfit has black as well, which represents Heaven. But you know what else is black and white? The symbols Yin and Yang, almost as if LBD is considering herself to be the balance of the world (and considering her motives... yeah...). She also wears a bit of purple, which represents divinity and immortality, while gold signifies wealth and prosperity and was worn by emperors.
So yeah, as if she didn't think highly of herself already!
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vodika-vibes · 11 months
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Post Order 66 - part 6
The Starsinger travels to Tatooine, and Kanna has to brave the desert and the twin suns with only Beesix at her side.
Full disclosure, I’m not super happy with the middle part of this story. Tatooine is hard and I hate it. But it was important to write, so there you have it. Next installment will have Rex and Wolffe. Maybe. I write what wants to be written, after all.
tagging: @starrrgazingbunny and @thestarwarslesbian
“I don’t like this,” Fox was scowling. Not at her, but in her general direction. Kanna wasn’t too bothered by it. She’d been scowled at by a Fox who was legitimately angry at her before, he was just mad at the situation in general. “I could come with you?”
Aww. He’s adorable. Kanna very carefully made sure that her thoughts did not show up on her face. She didn’t want grumpy Fox, she much preferred happy Fox.
“You’re sweet, but if Master Kenobi sees you he’ll probably run away, that’s why it’s just me.” Kanna reminded, “Besides, you’re going to have plenty of company. I’ll just get in the way.”
“...you could never.” Fox sounded offended on her behalf which, yay! Emotional progress! Suck it Palpatine! But also, he was going to make it hard for her to actually leave, the bastard.
“I know Fox, I was kidding.” She grinned at him over her shoulder, as she finished shoving water and ration bars into her bag, since she wasn’t sure how long this was going to take. “But you can use this to spend some time with your brothers. Maybe get to know the kids?”
Fox’s fingers tapped out a silent rhythm on his arm, “Miralukans are being hunted by the empire-” He tried.
“Which is why I’m switching out my mask for dark sunglasses, and a cane. And why Beesix is coming with me.” Kanna pointed out, “So far as Tatooine is concerned, I’m just a blind merchant.”
Fox scowled even more, “The Hutts-”
“Fox.” Kanna said his name as a sigh, and she was pleased to see that he didn’t bother continuing that line of thought. And she was amused at the slight embarrassment he was radiating.
“Just...want you to be safe, is all.” He admitted quietly.
“And I appreciate it. But I will be fine.” Kanna promised.
She waited. Fox wasn’t done yet, she could feel his anxiety rolling off of him. “You promise you’ll come back?” He asked, his voice even quieter.
“As soon as I finish beating some sense into Master Kenobi.” Kanna replied, “Can you imagine me living on this hell planet? They have two suns, Fox. It’s ungodly.”
He shook his head, “Do you have enough water?”
“Yep. And Bee is packing even more, just in case. It’s going to be fine, Fox.” 
He sighed, “Fine. I suppose I can spend some time with my brothers until you return.”
“It’ll be very difficult for you, I’m sure.” Kanna teased, and was relieved to note that his scowl had been replaced with a small smile. “Alright, I have to head out before Bee starts whining about us falling behind schedule. Be patient with your brothers, please?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. We’re all broken pieces and sharp edges, gotta be careful not to cut each other.” Fox replied, quoting something that Kanna had told him during the beginning of his recovery.
“You’re all getting better day by day, Fox. I see it, even if you don’t.” Kanna paused, “Now I really do have to go. Later, Fox!”
Kanna noticed that Fox followed her to the ramp, though she quickly put him out of her mind as she hurried over to Bee, and took the white cane that he had been holding for her. She also pulled her eye mask off and replaced it with the sunglasses that kept her safe on Coruscant for two years. “There, how do I look?” She asked Bee.
Beesix tilted his head, “Like you’re blind.” 
“Awesome, let’s go!” Kanna carefully hooked her arm with Beesix’s, her cane would be largely useless on Tatooine, but it was an important part of her cover as being blind.
Kanna and Bee took their time meandering through the markets, claiming that they were looking for something specific whenever the merchants directed their questions towards them. Well, they directed their questions towards Kanna, in any case.
Eventually, though, the crowds died down, and Kanna and Bee were able to move around a little easier. “Miss, how are we supposed to get into the wastes?” Bee asked curiously.
“Well, hopefully we won’t have to steal a speeder.” Kanna replied as she stepped under an awning and leaned against a building. The suns were awful, and she was a redhead. She should have packed sunblock.
“That’s illegal,” Beesix said in his blunt voice.
“Well, yeah. That’s why I said I don’t want to steal a speeder,” Kanna pointed out. She frowned thoughtfully, there must be something they could do. Maybe see if there are any moisture farmers in the area who would agree to letting them look at their farm?
Kanna was ripped from her musings when she felt something warm and bright against her senses. Startled, and more than a little curious, she reached out though the force and brushed light fingers against the presence. It flared in surprise, and then twined itself around her tightly.
“Well now, that’s interesting,” She murmured as she turned her head in the direction that the little light was coming from, “I think I just found what Master Kenobi’s mission is. Come on, Bee.” Kanna waited until Bee took her arm again, and she guided them through the streets once more.
Three streets over, Kanna paused and she reached out and touched the little presence once more. It wiggled under her attention, and she was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of a man shouting a name, “LUKE STOP!”
“Miss, there’s a child-” Beesix started, but Kanna already swept down and scooped the little boy into her arms, and settled him on her hip.
“Hello little one,” She said lightly, as she gently tapped his nose with her finger. He giggled madly and pressed his small hands against her cheeks.
“Warm.” He whispered, “Like me!”
Kanna grinned and lowered her voice, “Or maybe you’re warm like me,” She said in a conspiratorial whisper. The little boy, Luke, giggled even more madly.
“I’m so sorry,” A rather frazzled sounding man said as he ran over, “I wasn’t expecting him to run off like that.”
“It’s not a problem,” Kanna promised, as she handed the little boy back to his father, though Luke seemed rather unwilling to leave her arms, “He didn’t hurt anyone, after all.”
“He still knows better,” The man ran his fingers through his hair, though he didn’t seem all that concerned with comforting the child, who was wiggling and reaching for Kanna still. “Honestly, I normally leave him with my wife, but-” He shook his head, “Sorry. I don’t mean to dump on you.”
“It’s fine. I find that I’m a good listener.” Kanna offered. Yes, Obi-Wan was her mission, but there was something here that she needed to look into. “I know from a family friend that having children is a massive change,” She added.
The man scowled, “We never wanted kids.” He shook his head, “I mean. Luke is a good kid, but we never intended-” He sighed, “But my step-brother died and there was no one else to take care of the kid, so we’re stuck.”
Kanna made a sympathetic noise. “There’s no other family? Grandparents?”
“No. My father died from illness before Luke was born, and my step-mother died even earlier than that. And I don’t know anything about the mother’s family.” He made an aggrieved noise, “He’s a good kid. Smart, kind. But my wife and I never wanted him. It’s a struggle to remember to care for him most days.”
That was concerning. Luke wasn’t being abused, or else this conversation wouldn’t be happening. She could tell that he was healthy, and generally happy. His aunt and uncle didn’t love him, but Luke didn’t seem to know that. Which was important. “It speaks to your character that you’re doing it anyway.” Kanna said, trying to offer some comfort to the clearly overwhelmed man, “You could have just given him away, but you didn’t.”
The man was quiet, “Yeah. Maybe.” He paused, “Oh. The suns must have fried my brain. I’m Owen Lars, and this is my nephew, Luke.”
“Kanna, and my personal droid, Beesix.”
“Hello.” Beesix said, “You appear to be in an undue amount of stress, I recommend taking some time to yourself.”
“Beesix is a medical droid,” Kanna explained.
“Huh. What brings you both to Tatooine?” Owen asked, shifting his grip on Luke as the little boy continued reaching for Kanna, “I’m sorry, he really wants you to hold him-”
Kanna took the little boy back, and he settled almost immediately. “I’ve been told I have that effect on people.” She joked. “As for why we’re here...I have a cousin who apparently decided to run off and play space hermit here. I’m looking for him so I can yell at him. Beesix is here to help me.”
Owen looked between Kanna and Luke, a speculative expression crossing his face, “He chose a good place to disappear. But, I’ve lived here my whole life, and I know most people in the area. What’s his name?”
Kanna tilted her head slightly, carefully reading Owen’s intentions. He didn’t have any bad will towards her, and he seemed, genuinely, to want to help. “I was told by a mutual friend that he goes by Ben now.”
“...Ben Kenobi?” Owen asked, frowning slightly. “I know him. I don’t like him.” He paused, “Are you, uh, like him?”
“Would it be a problem if I was?” Kanna asked.
“No. You’re far less irritating than Ben is.” Owen said. He folded his arms, and thought hard, “I’m finished with my shopping for the day. Why don’t you and Beesix come with me to my farm. And I’ll see what I can do.”
He wanted something. Kanna knew that just as surely as she knew that the sun would rise in the morning. What, exactly, she still wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling that it was going to be massive. “...alright. Come on Bee.”
The ride to the Lars farm was less than 30 minutes, and Beru Lars was happy to receive them. Beru made Kanna some tea, and prepared some milk for Luke, before she was ushered into another room by her husband, leaving Kanna and Beesix alone with the two year old.
Beesix entertained himself by talking to Luke, while Kanna just watched and listened to the little boy excitedly talk about his favorite holo, which was apparently about a talking tooka kitten. They were only alone with Luke for several minutes, before Owen and Beru returned.
Kanna regarded the married couple through the force. They weren’t bad people. There was nothing wrong with knowing that you didn’t want children. And it spoke well to their characters that Luke was happy and healthy, and that he was unaware that his aunt and uncle didn’t love him. Though, it wouldn’t take long for him to figure it out. All jedi were empaths of some sort, after all.
“Bee, why don’t you let Luke show you his room?” Kanna suggested.
“Yes, Miss.” Beesix picked up Luke and allowed the toddler to direct him out of the kitchen and into a separate building.
Beru and Owen sat at the table, and they were silent until the high pitched voice of Luke faded away. The married couple was nervous, and Kanna knew, immediately, what they were going to ask.
“You want me to take him.” She said slowly. It was the only logical conclusion she could come to.
“Yes,” Beru sounded so guilty, “Please, we’re not bad people. We’re just not made to be parents! We’re doing our best, but it doesn’t come naturally to us, an-”
“You don’t have to justify yourselves to me,” Kanna interrupted gently, “Not everyone wants to be a parent, and that’s fine. My only concern is that you don’t know me.”
“You’re a Jedi.” Owen said, “And, if times were different, we would have given him to the Jedi immediately. You can teach him, and protect him, in ways that we can’t.”
Kanna sighed, “You’re not...wrong.” This was not what she had planned. She needed to work out what, exactly, she was going to say to the others when she returned to the ship. “Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes.”
She sighed again, “Okay. I assume there’s paperwork-?”
Beru laughed, “This is Tatooine. There’s nothing like that.” She paused and then she reached out and took Kanna’s hands in her own, “Thank you. I can’t even...just...thank you.” She got to her feet, “I’m going to pack Luke’s toys and some clothes. Owen will bring you to Ben’s hut once everything is packed.”
“Of course.” Kanna replied, settling back in the seat as Owen and Beru hurried off to do their own things.
Less than 10 minutes later, Owen, Kanna, Beesix, and Luke were on their way to Obi-Wan’s hut. It was less than 15 minutes away. And it was less a hut and more of a cave. 
“Bee, stay here with Luke and Owen.” Kanna instructed the droid. She didn’t even wait for him to respond before she was walking up to the hut, and she stepped into the home.
“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi looked...well...bad. He felt like a wound in the force. 
“Have you ever heard of bathing?” Kanna snarked right back, examining him fully in the force, “Stars above, have you just been not eating? You should know better!”
He scowled at her, “Normally my starvation hallucinations are nice to me than this.”
“...oh. I’m sorry.” Kanna snapped, “Let me try again. Hi Master Kenobi. It’s nice to see you. You look like shit, why haven’t you been eating?”
He scowled at her even more, “Aren’t healers supposed to be nicer?”
“Would you rather I channel my Master? Cause she’d be swearing at you right now.” Kanna snapped.
...ohhh. This was what her Master meant when she said that Kanna was going to have a pediatric specialization. Adult Jedi just pissed her off. Good to know.
Obi-Wan looked miserable, “You can’t be here. You died in the Purge. Just like everyone else.”
“Wow. There’s a lot to unpack there, and also, if you think that Vader and Palpatine managed to kill every jedi you’re stupid, and also wrong.” Kanna said, before she grimaced. She needed to be nicer. He had trauma. Like Fox. Like Cody. Like Dusk. Nice Kanna. Be nice.
“I’m sorry. That was cruel of me.” Kanna said after she took a deep breath, “I survived, because my Master threw herself over me to shield me. Obi-Wan, Bail told me where to find you.”
“He shouldn’t have. I have a duty-”
“Yes, Luke.”
Obi-Wan stilled, “You-”
“He’s outside, his Aunt and Uncle gave custody of him to me.” Kanna continued, “I’ll be leaving Tatooine with Luke soon.”
“You can’t! It’s not safe.” Obi-Wan said hoarsely.
“There are three other Jedi children on board the ship I live on. One is the same age as Luke.” Kanna said kindly, “Not to mention the other people on the ship.”
“More Jedi?”
“Uh...not exactly.” Kanna admitted, “It was agreed that I would come and speak with you because we didn’t want to spook you.” She hesitated, “There’s something you need to know, Obi-Wan. It’s important.”
The older man just looked so, so tired. “Go ahead.”
“The Clones had control chips in their heads,” Kanna explained, gently, kindly. “That’s why they shot at you. It’s why they turned on the jedi.” Obi-Wan was staring at her, wide eyed, “Commander Cody has been rescued, and his chip removed. He’s on the ship.”
“He’s...Cody? He’s here? On Tatooine?” Obi-Wan sounded stunned, and then something like hope bloomed across his face. “I thought...it would have made sense, for Cody and his brothers to try and kill me. I didn’t do enough to help them-”
Kanna waited. She kind of expected this, now that she thought about it. After the Purge, Kanna had the same thought process. That the Jedi must have done something for the Clones to turn on them, because it was the only thing that made sense. Learning about the chips had been both the most relieving and most heart-breaking thing she’d ever heard.
Obi-Wan turned his gaze on Kanna, “What’s your plan?”
“Grab you, leave Tatooine, and then travel across the Galaxy to a specific cell of the Rebellion. The one that accepts clones. And then find a way to free all of our men from Palpatine.” Kanna listed, “And then get them all therapy.”
Obi-Wan nodded, “I’ll come with you. But,” Here he hesitated, “I can’t be a teacher again. I can help, but I can’t-”
“We’ll talk about that a bit later,” Kanna said, “For now, grab whatever stuff you think you need, and we’ll get out of here.”
He nodded, walked across his cave/hut, and grabbed his lightsaber, and then he walked over to her, “I’m ready.”
“If you say so.”
She led him out of cave and over to the speeder. Owen shot Obi-Wan the dirtiest look, and told him he could sit in the back, next to the baby and the droid, while Kanna had the front seat. Even so, the trip back to the ship was very, very quiet.
Owen only remained stopped long enough for everyone to get out of his speeder, and then he was gone again, without waiting for anyone to say anything to him. “He really doesn’t like me,” Obi-Wan admitted, slightly awkwardly.
“Well,” Kanna said as she shifted Luke’s weight, “You did drop a child on him without permission. Bee, help Ben with the stuff, please. I’m going to get Luke inside.”
“Yes miss,” Bee replied, as he promptly started picking up Luke’s bags.
Kanna shook her head, and climbed the ramp, and finally released a sigh of relief as the oppressive heat faded into something much more tolerable.
“Kanna, you’re bac-” Fox walked over to her, and then stopped, midsentence, when he saw the child, “...that is not General Kenobi.”
“Nope. I managed to get sole custody of a force sensitive child.” Kanna explained, “his name is Luke.” Luke let out a delighted noise when she said his name, and he beamed at Fox.
“He’s Anakin’s son,” Obi-Wan said tiredly as he stepped on the ship, “Commander Fox, correct?”
“Yes sir,”
“No need for that. I’m not a General anymore.” Obi-Wan reassured, “Kanna, where should we put Luke’s stuff,”
“Luke will be rooming with Rhawl for now,” Beesix said as he walked into the ship as well. He plucked the few bags from Obi-Wan’s hands, and vanished into the living section of the ship.
Kanna opened her mouth to say something to Obi-Wan, when another door opened and Cody stepped into the room they were gathered in. He saw Obi-Wan, and he froze.
“General, I-”
Kanna lightly took Fox’s arm, and tugged him out of the room. Cody and Obi-Wan deserved some privacy. 
*******
Cody never doubted that Kanna would succeed. According to Fox, and Dusk, she never failed at anything she put her mind to. Still, for some reason, he wasn’t actually expecting to see Obi-Wan, His General, standing there.
He looked older. Greyer. More tired.
But, to be honest, the same could be said about him. About all of them.
Cody had had an entire list of things that he planned to say if he saw his General again, but now that he was right there, he found himself unable to say anything. 
“General, I-” He was vaguely aware of Kanna ushering Fox and Skywalker’s toddler out of the room, but he shoved it away as unimportant. He would buy Kanna something nice later. 
“Cody,” Obi-Wan still said his name like it was something beautiful. Like he was supposed to be cherished. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
Cody couldn’t help but gape at him. He had shot him! Off a cliff! And he still said bullshit like that?!
“I’m so sorry, General.” He finally managed to rasp out, “I-There’s nothing that I-”
Obi-Wan moved. One of his hands reached out and lightly touched his face, while the other took one of his hands. “No. No, I’m sorry. I believed that you shot me because I failed you in some way. I’m sorry that I believed so poorly of you.”
Cody let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob, “You’re such an idiot. I shot you! What were you supposed to think?”
“I was supposed to trust you.” Obi-Wan replied, leaning forward and lightly bumping his forehead against Cody’s. “That’s what I promised, isn’t it?” And, for a moment, they were back on the Negotiator. Before the Purge. Before Utapau. And it was just Obi-Wan and Cody, rather than the General and his Commander.
Cody’s mouth was dry, but it wasn’t from the heat of Tatooine, “I never stopped loving you.” He mumbled, “If you can forgive me for...for shooting you, then-”
Obi-Wan smiled, “I never stopped loving you either,” He admitted quietly, “If you’re willing to give me a chance, we can start again. As we are now, rather than as we were then.”
“I can’t think of anything that would make me happier,” Cody murmured. He closed his eyes, and then slowly pulled away. “We should probably get you settled somewhere. You can share my room, unless you want your own?”
“Sharing is more than fine.” Obi-Wan hesitated, “No one will make any comments?”
“Kanna and Fox have been sharing a room for weeks,” Cody said flatly, “No one’s going to say shit, because if they do then they’ll answer to me.” He added with a raised voice towards the back of the ship.
“Ooh, busted.” Kanna’s muffled voice came from behind the closed door, and Cody smiled. His new family was a lot smaller than his original family, but he loved them with the same intensity. 
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