#mercury still resents his father for taking his

[blade-liger-4ever]

RWBY X Transformers Partnerships 4: Optimus Prime and Mercury Black - Peacemakers

"It's just....after everything I've done, it's still hard to believe a chance to change exists for a guy like me."

"There is always hope for redemption, Mercury. However, I believe you are missing one crucial factor regarding your past."

"Man, you talk in the most ancient way. Alright Boss Man, I've told you about myself, no lies. I was trained to be an assassin, made to kill others, and steal, then killed my own father. What 'crucial factor' am I missing?"

"The fact that you were an innocent child born into a hard life. I do not deny that you were forced into committing vile acts, or that, in some aspects, you perhaps enjoyed it. However, I know that you had no say in the matter, and that until you befriended young Ruby, you felt you had been caged in the occupation of an assassin. But by choosing to escape that life, and proving your reliability since then, you have shown to be capable of changing for the better. I believe you were meant for more, Mercury Black, and if you are willing, I would be grateful to help guide you on your new path."

".....You mean it? Even though we just met like, what, a month ago?"

"I refuse to lie to you on such matters, Mercury. In my spark, I am certain that you will achieve more than you could dream is possible."

"I...well, Ruby believes in me, but I - I never had an adult give me a chance like that. Until Tai and the others, but even then, they're..."

"Cautious?"

"Heh, to put it mildly."

"I assure you, Mercury, that such caution will not be exercised by myself. Should you need anything, you can always speak to me."

"....Thanks, Optimus."

Mercury is used to adapting. As an assassin, you have to be ready to switch tactics on a dime, or create a new plan on the fly when your old one goes up in flames. It'd been drilled into him (he had the scars to prove it), and even when his perspective on life had been shattered and reconstructed by Ruby, Mercury was able to pull himself together and adapt to the change in time for the Fall of Beacon.

However, living in his sort of/definite girlfriend's house with her family and now having to deal with the revelation of giant alien robots bringing their war to Remnant is more than probably even Marcus could handle.

In order to process this curveball, Mercury decides to keep by Ruby's room, detach himself from the world, and analyze the residents of Patch while this new pattern settles in his brain.

Tai is a kind man, and though he's surprisingly tame, Mercury has caught glimpses of the senior Xiao Long's fire that has been passed on to Yang. Speaking of Yang, the fiery blond is returning to her old self, albeit more restrained than before. To be completely honest, Mercury is grateful for that progress; seeing Yang in a shell-shocked, blank state had actually hurt him. Her boyfriend Neptune has perked up on account of this, and although he gets along with him, Mercury is still confused about how he's so accepting of the existence of literal alien robots. Then again, this guy's dating the Sun Dragon, so he shouldn't be surprised that Neptune was actually excited to hear that Qrow had brought home over-sized guests.

Oh, right. Qrow Branwen.

Although the Huntsman's reputation precedes him by a wide margin, and though the hairs on the back of his neck still tingle when Qrow's eyes land on him, Mercury's initial fear of the man has morphed into suspicion and a deal of resentment. Tai can claim he was adopted into the family all he wants to, but Mercury had been taught to look for patterns and anything unusual. And the uncanny facial resemblance between Qrow and his "honorary niece" is blatantly obvious. And the scythe weapon? Please, it takes a genius to build something like that, never mind maintaining and operating it with the ease he and Ruby exercise. So yeah, the chances of two unrelated individuals having the same genius to build an intricately designed scythe weapon are a million to one - and those odds have already been stolen by the 'Cybertronians' who'd fallen through some portal onto Remnant.

Mercury is still trying to understand that, but between monitoring Ruby and the house, he's getting there.

Wheeljack is similar to Qrow, which Mercury automatically associates with the words "dangerous" and "unpredictable". He's a good engineer, judging by the doo-hickey he's cooked up on the island, but the scars and sparky look in his eyes tells Mercury that the...'Wrecker-scientist', is just as capable of destroying as he is of creating. Ironhide is what every drill sergeant wishes he could be; the giant 'Autobot' barks orders and gives assignments at great speed, usually practiced as he takes over a task from one of the others when they move too slowly. Despite that, he's surprisingly careful when dealing with Miko - and Mercury does his best to avoid her and her explosions. She's innocent, he knows that, but by Remnant, she has too much energy for his liking.

Sideswipe is...loose. Mercury can't quite put his finger on it, but he knows that Sideswipe, in spite of his bravado and snark that rivals Yang's, is fast. If he had to bet, the younger Autobot is used to moving at speeds that allow him to dish out pain with little detriment to himself. Good qualities for sure, but the way he acts like a twenty year old and carries himself like that hits a little too close to home for Mercury's comfort. As for Smokescreen, it's obvious he's the team baby - the short Autobot has the same kind of energy for justice as Ruby, as well as the excitableness and easygoing nature. Because of that similarity, Mercury's willing to spend some of his free time with him, though there are moments of eerie silence from Smokescreen, as well as a distant gaze, that makes him wonder about the guy's inner thoughts. However, the kid brushes it off with swagger, and Mercury's too deep in his own concerns to bother trying to coax an admission out of him.

However, the one he can't seem to pin down is their leader: Optimus Prime.

The Autobot commander towers over them all, with only Ironhide standing even remotely close to Optimus' height. Optimus walks steadily, with a silent strength and confidence that Mercury has never seen in anyone else's stride. Moreover, he can feel the guy's power when he enters a room, almost as if it were a supernatural sensation. Heck, even when he's standing still, Mercury can sense that power at rest, waiting to be used and capable of unleashing itself in a breath if Optimus wanted to cut loose.

But that's not what boggles his mind the most about the Autobots' superior.

It's the way he speaks.

Optimus' voice is deep and carries far, easily putting every other male's baritone and bass to shame. And yet, despite that, despite the sheer force in his voice, Optimus always speaks in a calm tone. He always uses full sentences, never utilizes slang or contractions (That's wild), and not once - ONCE - has Mercury heard his voice rise beyond an octave. It should be intimidating, should make him question this guy's status among the Cybertronian race.

And yet...the absolute warmth in Optimus' voice reaches something inside of Mercury. It reaches in and stirs something, something like a small child, to consciousness, and makes the child want to reach out to Optimus for something like comfort, and safety.

The only time Mercury can actually remember doing that is a time when he was eight, shortly after his mother had died. And his plea for consolation had been answered with a severe punishment from Marcus.

That memory makes all of his instincts scream to stay away from Optimus emotionally. Ruby understands him, accepts him, and so far her opinion outweighs the realistic worries of her family, which has given Mercury more time to continue improving himself and showing that he has changed from his upbringing. But since he's gotten to know her, he's become friendly with the other people in her life, although he can't help but keep some of them at arm's length for a while yet. Tai lets him roam the house free, Yang's willing to spar with him while Neptune cheers and mediates on the side, while Mercury and Qrow keep their distance based off a mutual, silent understanding of Ruby's true parentage between them.

So finding himself almost unconsciously following after Optimus whenever a meeting ends is more than a shock for Mercury.

It happens to him three times. The first time is when they meet, and Mercury had still been processing the Autobots' arrival. He'd all but locked himself in the guest room, and stayed in Ruby's room for a week to figure things out. The second time was when Wheeljack had finished half of the doo-hickey out in the woods, and required new equipment that required everyone's presence. Mercury had all but run back to the cabin from the shock of that lapse, and seeing that Ruby had woken up had kept him occupied for the next five days, and given him a reasonable excuse for avoiding the Cybertronians, their leader especially. However, his time with Ruby, while relieving and rejuvenating for them both, came to a head when Wheeljack stuck his metal foot in his mouth and openly identified Ruby as Qrow's daughter when they were working on Branwen's scythe.

He knew she was going to run, knew she was going to be too fast for him. But Mercury still tried going after her, mildly surprised that Smokescreen shifted into a sporty racecar to take after her as well. It seemed that he reacted instinctively too, as the short Autobot drove off without thinking to offer him a ride, and Mercury found himself chasing air and dirt before logic made him stop.

As he stood there, Optimus entered the area from the side, and Mercury's whirling thoughts consisted of one realization that the Autobot had been nearby when the fiasco began. To his surprise, Optimus asked him what had happened, and with a quick scan of the place around him, Mercury saw that Qrow and Wheeljack had disappeared - whether to chase down Ruby or not, he had no idea.

Resisting all his better instincts, Mercury summed up Ruby's real parentage and how he and Qrow had been trying to avoid it until Wheeljack ruined it. To his immense surprise, Optimus listened with keen interest, and once he'd finished, the leader thanked him and advised they let Smokescreen find her, as (apparently) the kid had ways of bonding with "human youth". Mercury quietly scoffed at the phrasing, then mumbled about the strangeness of this alien leader.

That dour sarcasm evaporated when he looked up and saw that he was trailing Optimus' moving feet.

Certain he was losing his mind, Mercury froze and tried to think of a way to leave without being spotted. However, Optimus paused and spoke his name, the patient, quiet underlying command of "stay put" rooting him to the ground. Turning around, Optimus revealed that he was aware of not only Mercury's unconscious tailing of him, but how he'd been avoiding him for the past two weeks as well. Optimus told him that while he respected his privacy and actions, he wished to know why Mercury fears him, as he only wants to be a friend to him.

The words make everything that's been building up inside of Mercury snap, and he can't help it. He yells at Optimus, blurts out that no one can be as good as he is, that adults aren't as inherently kind like him and that anything like those qualities are destroyed somehow in short order. He lashes out that he can't figure Optimus out because he's so different, so good, and honest-to-Remnant heroic, and that no one can - can...

"...Make me feel like a kid. A defenseless kid, who never....never had what Yang has with Tai."

Mercury stuffs his hands in his pockets, then stares at the ground and hopes against all reason that the world will just go back to making sense. Optimus takes two careful steps forward, bends down, and to Mercury's shock, picks him up. His hold is gentle, and he brings the hand holding him to his chest, where Mercury notices a pale glow emanating from somewhere behind the glass before the comforting warmth of his metal body distracts him and makes Mercury relax. As Mercury processes this, Optimus quietly speaks, telling him that many people are too weak to be either good or heroic, and that yes, many can be good, but will have their better qualities destroyed. Oftentimes, the latter is a personal choice, such as the Decepticons' leader Megatron, who Optimus once considered a brother before their war broke out. As Mercury detects a faint humming inside of the Autobot's chest, Optimus adds that many can and do choose to be good, and that while some possess those qualities to greater degrees than others, it does not make the entire adult world cruel.

"Life itself is cruel, and I feel you know that better than many your age do. However, if you will allow me to, I would be pleased to help you heal and learn to trust others again, Mercury."

Mercury's not sure if this is how it feels to have a father, but even if it isn't, he's gonna fight to keep it the same way he'll fight to keep Ruby safe.

Optimus and Mercury form a close bond after this, with Optimus often making sure Mercury is both safe and emotionally well after a long day. He knows when Mercury needs a push to go to bed or otherwise take care of himself, but more times than not, Optimus can tell when he should speak sternly to the boy over his sleep schedule, as well as when to put his foot down over Mercury's regular time of training, reconnaissance, and other habits. Similarly, Mercury has learned tricks of getting Optimus to take a much needed break, usually by asking for some alone time that he's reluctant to admit he needs. They make a strong team on and off the battlefield, with Optimus helping to refine Mercury's techniques while Mercury tells him about Remnant's stars and history. The Autobot leader's fascination with learning their culture softens Mercury a tiny bit, and - perhaps - leads him to learn of Optimus' past on Cybertron....

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

Lord Almighty, last year drained me more than I realized! Sheesh, I thought for sure I'd get them done sooner than this!

Anyway, I had this team up in my head almost from the get-go. Mercury needs a real father, and Optimus is the manifestation of Team Dad, so it only made sense to buddy them up. For their name, I chose Peacemakers because Optimus wishes and fights for peace, while Mercury needs to find peace - though I admit, I was partly inspired by the weapon of the same name.

Pray I get more done sooner than this, folks! I love these two franchises, and I want to get back on track for this series I started so long ago. See you around, and remember the wisdom of the greatest Prime in history:

"Hold on to your dreams. The future is built on dreams."

#rwby x transformers partnerships #rwby #transformers #rwby ruby rose #rwby yang #rwby qrow #rwby neptune #rwby taiyang #rwby mercury #mercury black #ruby rose #yang xiao long #qrow #qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #neptune #neptune vasilias #water dragon #quicksilver #hummingbird #marcus black #transformers prime #transfromers #tfp optimus prime #tfp orion pax #tfp optimus #tfp wheeljack #tfp smokescreen #tfp sideswipe #tfp ironhide

[regallibellbright]

I’m pretty sure this is two metas stapled together under the umbrella of character parallels:

@paxesoterica replied: Poke

Okay so. G-Witch’s first episode homages Revolutionary Girl Utena’s, and Ichiro Okouchi, the writer of the show, also wrote the novelizations for Utena. If anyone reading this didn’t know these facts, now you do! This led to some pretty obvious parallels being drawn, especially with the characters who feature heavily in episode 1:

In the first episode of Utena, our protagonist Utena Tenjou challenges Kyouichi Saionji to a duel because he’s an ass, and becomes the fiance of the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya.

In the first episode of G-Witch, our protagonist Suletta Mercury challenges Guel Jeturk to a duel because he’s an ass, and in so doing becomes the Holder, the fiance of Miorine Rembran.

Meanwhile, G-Witch establishes the rest of the Dueling Committee, an organization that serves the same general purpose as the Student Council (who were all duelists) in Utena. The roles here aren’t exact - it seems increasingly unlikely Secelia and Rouji are going to duel themselves at this rate - but you can pretty well map Suletta-Utena, Miorine-Anthy, Guel-Saionji. Additionally, it’s not hard to compare Shaddiq Zenelli, who takes a leading observer role as a member of the Dueling Committee in that first episode, to Touga Kiryuu, the Student Council President.

I’d also argue that Elan 4 is sort of a combination Nanami and Juri, but that’s a stretch, and that’s the point, because even early on we see these characters aren’t just “Utena but in Gundam”. Miorine actively and openly resents her father for setting up this whole system, for one thing, where Anthy never truly considers breaking the cycle of duels until the finale. There’s also a huge thematic difference in how the two series treat adults, with adults and especially parents all but absent in Utena save Akio (who wouldn’t get away with any of this shit if there were an adult who wasn’t kissing his ass around,) and omnipresent in G-Witch. Which is mostly relevant here to Shaddiq. Under the cut, I talk about both!

So the thing I keep rotating in my mind with Shaddiq is the idea that he’s taking that “lead antagonist among the teen characters” role the same way Touga is, even into the second half. We’re all expecting Prospera or Quiet Zero to be the final threat, Shaddiq’s not going to displace her unless he tries to bring all of humanity beyond the data storm. He just can’t top that. But where Touga was the runner-up antagonist because he was imitating Akio, still largely trying to win within the dueling system, Shaddiq’s the runner-up because he was never really plotting in the bounds of the duels. He wanted Gund-arm and Miorine, but I think it’s become clear his plans were conceived well before another Gundam appeared and they could be granted legitimacy. As such, he doesn’t actually need them, they just would’ve been nice. At the end, Touga wanted to usurp princeliness for himself and princessdom for Utena, to take her away from Akio and whatever was coming next. Shaddiq wants to restructure the Benerit Group via good old-fashioned violent corporate coups. Like, say, Vim Jeturk. In a way, they’re both copying a model of adulthood, but Shaddiq’s managing to do it OVER his own father’s head where Touga was never actually out of Akio’s pocket. There’s just enough there you can still see the parallels if you squint. And then there’s Guel.

Okay, we’re all joking about what an unending parade of suffering Guel’s life has become. To call him the Saionji by this point SEVERELY UNDERSELLS what he’s been through, because when Saionji was shown the brutal reality underneath all the glamor of the duels, it was a solely existential blow. But I do think they have similar arcs, roughly.

Both Saionji and Guel get their asses handed to them by the newcomer.

Both Saionji and Guel duel her again, trying to repair their own egos, and lose.

With both Saionji and Guel, it quickly becomes apparent that what they really want isn’t the girl, it’s legitimacy and approval from someone who will never give it to them (Guel and his father, Saionji and Touga,) and genuine human affection.

Both Saionji and Guel get thrown out of school. And both Saionji and Guel get a taste of the thematic beating heart of the show underneath the duels. Saionji realizes in episode 10 - of 39 - that the castle’s an illusion, and is the one to say that “we’re all still in our coffins” before Anthy brings the idea up again in the finale. Guel gets taken hostage and kills his father. And then he gets taken hostage again, and sees Earth combat at its most brutal, contrasting the flashier Gundam vs Gundam fighting that’s been most of what Suletta’s seen and done. (Even Suletta’s extremely bloody slapdown was still more over-the-top than what we see in Episode 15.)

Saionji knows this whole thing’s a sham, but when he gets the chance to be part of it all again, he takes it. Touga sucks him back into it all because he still wants to be equal again, even as Saionji knows he shouldn’t want to win.

Guel has had a drastically more traumatic time. But still, he’s trying to get back to Lauda and what’s left of his father, still searching for something he’s never going to get. This might be the point where he finally breaks the parallel, later than every other character (as I said, Shaddiq has hopscotched over the adult in his life where Touga can’t. Miorine has seized agency for herself every step of the way, where Anthy takes so long in reclaiming hers. It is impossible to talk about Suletta’s arc without talking about Prospera, where the first thing we ever learn about Utena is “she was very sad, because her mother and father had died.”) And there’s a half-formed idea there about how Guel’s “I haven’t moved forward since Suletta Mercury” kind of reflects that - Saionji never recovers from encountering Utena, either - but this is already a couple metas stapled together. And maybe he won’t diverge, maybe he’ll stay the Saionji ‘til the end, still realizing the horrors of war but trying to get the hell away from that reality.

Either way Guel seems very likely to continue having a terrible time. Poor bastard’s the cosmic chew toy of a Gundam show.

#g-witch #g witch #gundam witch from mercury #revolutionary girl utena #kyouichi saionji #guel jeturk #shaddiq zenelli #touga kiryuu #one of the notable ways guel is NOT like saionji: shaddiq does not matter to his character arc at all #and really this has more to do with their narrative roles than the ways they're similar as individual characters but #there's something there #discussion of violence

[virginiaoflykos]

“Serpent will strangle wolf. Lion will battle lion. Darkness will battle light. Sister murder brother. Son murder father. Father murder daughter. This is what the fire told me. All I have seen has come true.” - Dark Age, chapter 45

I want to take a moment and try to analyze Ozgard’s prophecy. This paragraph is very ominous, but also quite uncharacteristic of the red rising saga. We all know that Pierce is prone to changing his outline based on how he feels and what he thinks works best in the story. Writing an explicit prophecy on page is very limiting for him: now he has to fulfill - somehow - this promise made to his readers. And the prophecy is also quite explicit too. Some of its point have already come true by the end of Dark Age:

Serpent strangles wolf —> the fall of Mercury, Atalantia the serpent vanquishes Darrow the wolf

Lion will battle lion —> Virginia vs Abomination

Darkness will battle light —> Society vs Republic

Now we got to the part that has not yet happened. While some of these can be open to interpretation, only very few option can fit certain parts.

• Sister murder brother —> Virginia vs Abomination? Probably the most obvious interpretation and the one I am inclined to believe. The only other living sisters with living brothers in the series are Lyria (with her brothers still stranded on Mercury) and Electra: if we interpret sister/brother figuratively, Pax is a brother to Electra. On this train of thought, this could also concern the Obsidians: sister (Volga) will murder her spiritual brother (Pale Horse or Valdir) to steer Alltribe towards the republic. The same applies to the Howler: a female howler (Rhonna?) will murder a brother (Sevro?).

• Son murder father —> unlike the previous point, very few options are available. Ajax and Atlas, Pax and Darrow are the only two who can fit. I really don’t see how any of both could work: Pax is on Mars while Darrow is confirmed to travel to the Rim dominion. I see no way these two can be close enough to interact, least of all for Pax to kill Darrow. Even symbolically, it wouldn’t make sense: Pax has forgiven Darrow, even if there’s still a trace of resentment in Pax, he doesn’t seem willing to “kill” Darrow as his father. He misses him more than ever. On the other hand, Ajax barely considers Atlas as his father. Atlas hated the child from the moment he was born, can he really be considered “father” when he was only a sperm donor? Maybe Ajax’s wrath for being unloved will burst and set him against Atlas, but, as far as their relationship goes, it wouldn’t have much impact without a proper build up.

• Father murder daughter —> there is no escaping. The only fathers with daughters we know of or Kavax and Sevro. As much as I dislike the “brainwashed Sevro” theory, it would explain this part of the prophecy. After being liberated, Sevro goes home only for one of his girls (probably Electra) to trigger something in him and he snaps. I find it however highly unlikely: based on LB arc reviews, it seems Sevro will be nowhere near Mars, therefore robbing him of any opportunity to harm any his children. Kavax seems as unlikely: unless he somehow gets captured and tortured, there is no way that man would ever hurt his children.

We are left hanging with many questions marks above our heads. Unless Pierce presents new characters in LB (which he will 100% do, as his world is magnificently vast), these are the viable options to complete Ozgard’s prophecy.

It could all be simply me reading too much into it: outlining is not really Pierce’s style, and payoff is not always granted: he himself said he plants many seeds (emblematic of the Falthe girl) but not all of them will bloom. Maybe Ozgard is just mad, but the serpent bit makes me doubt this theory.

#red rising #golden son #morning star #pierce brown #dark age #iron gold #book quotes #light bringer #red rising analysis #Ozgard #prophecy

[1016anon]

Title: A Man of Action Author: 1016anon Fandom: Bridgerton Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sharma Summary: When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.

A/N -- Unhappy, and not in an angsty or a dark way. More like miserable, cuts too close to reality way: Anthony is as ugly as he is handsome. That is canon. Bridgerton will always promise a sweet and happy ending. I won't.

A/N 2 -- It has come to my attention, and this is a failure on my part as a writer for not having made it clearer-- Kate is an unreliable narrator here. If you'd like to read more explanations, please visit AO3's comments.

A/N 3 -- It also been brought to my attention, and this is once again a major error on my part, that some of the content within may be triggering. The fact that Kate is an unreliable narrator plays a huge role in this fic. Again, please see the version on AO3 for the specific nature of the triggers.

I would also like to apologize to everyone who was triggered by the material. It is never my intent, and I am thankful for those who brought it to my attention.

She should have known.

They all told her, they warned her, and she'd seen it with her own eyes-- all the warning signs were there.

His explosive temper. His cutting words. His pride, his arrogance, the way his eyes measured a person according to his arbitrary standards-- ones he did not hold himself to-- and immediately passed judgment on their worth. His duplicity, the way he changed depending on whose company he was in. His inconstancy, his mercurial nature, his anger and propensity to shout in order to beat a person into submission.

His impulsive decisions, the way he went through a person's life completely destroying it, laying waste to it, then apologized and meant it sincerely, but did not prevent him from taking whatever course of action he thought necessary, no matter how reckless, foolish, thoughtless, stupid. He apologized and meant it and still never stopped to think.

Never made the same mistake twice, but made all of them. He destroyed himself and everyone around him. Would not heed warnings. Did not take advice. Believed he always knew best. Could not tread carefully. Would not tread carefully, because he'd always come through it with everyone alive, if not whole, and so had no reason not to believe the next time would be any different.

His obsession with duty and the way he heeled whenever his mother pulled his leash. His resentment of his role and his inability to divorce himself from his title. His unwillingness to change course. The sheer inertia of his father's death, the way his bitterness defined him. The way he did not have any convictions, absolutely no moral compass as to what was right and wrong because he'd never been held to account for anything.

His possessiveness, his jealousy, his sheer hypocrisy.

They were all there before she married him. She knew what she had been getting into. She saw him with clear eyes. She should have known better.

But apparently, she had not.

She thought she'd found a kindred spirit because they'd understood what it was like to live for their families. But that was where the similarities ended.

It had been mere passion, just as she'd said.

Love would have no place in their marriage-- he'd always said from the beginning. He had warned her from the first. Lady Whistledown had written of his reputation at great length.

As they say: a leopard cannot change its spots.

Yet she thought he'd loved her enough, that she'd loved him enough, to make their lives better and happier, embark on a new chapter together. It had been that way for the first two years. They'd tried. They failed so many times, but they kept trying.

She doesn't know where it all fell apart.

After their firstborn.

After their firstborn, he stopped trying, having discharged his all-important duty of siring an heir and continuing the Bridgerton line. Having completed his life's purpose, he stopped. And that was when it fell apart.

He'd said to Edwina: he would often be away on business while his wife and children were at home. Sometimes for an extended period of time. Everyone told her: don't expect fidelity. Men kept mistresses, it's simply how things were done. He'd told her: he could not imagine his life without her; he would humble himself before her; he loved her.

What she should have remembered was: he kept his promises so long as it suited him. As long as he wanted to. Of course she'd learned about Siena Rosso-- people could not help but drop snide remarks and pointed hints meant to skewer about all the women he'd kept in the past. The great love match, they sneered. We'll see how long that lasts. He'd made his last mistress leave. Without warning, without a place to go, expecting her to make her own way somehow.

He was capable of turning a gun on his best friend because society expected it of him; whatever fraternal affection they'd shared meant nothing in the face of the concept of honor.

Honor. Call it what it was: saving face.

All the signs had been there. All the words. The history, the cruelty, the meanness: she'd seen all of it, had been on the receiving end far too many times during their mangled courtship. She'd thought there were more pieces left of him than there actually were, despite all the warnings.

He was not devoted to his family. That is what she hadn't understood. He was devoted to the Bridgerton name; devoted to carrying on the Bridgerton name. That was what outweighed everything else. The Bridgerton name was not blood. It was legacy. He was devoted to duty. It was not the same thing as being devoted to family.

Kate should know: family is not in a name. Or so Mary had told her. Even though she'd told Kate to go anywhere. Even when she'd reconciled with Edwina-- the knowledge they were half-sister always burning in her. Family should not be in a name.

When she'd had their firstborn, Benedict had later smiled crookedly and said she'd relieved him of his familial duties. She hadn't understood. Benedict shrugged and told her that Anthony had never tried to hand off the management of the estate, or finances, or Parliament, or any of it, to Benedict. He had always, always tried to hand off the siring of an heir. The continuation of the family line.

That was the duty. And now free of it, now that he had his children of impeccable quality: pleasant face, acceptable wit, genteel enough manners befitting a Viscountess. Genteel manners, she learned over time, did not mean submissiveness. Not to him. Like everything, genteel meant whatever the hell he wanted it to mean because he had the power, he was used to holding the power of changing the meanings of words.

She was Viscountess and performed her duties admirably, beyond expectation, elevated the Bridgerton name. Therefore: she was genteel.

Now here she was. Unable to take her own lovers because they made him rage with jealousy. He did not love her, but she was his, his wife, the mother of his children, and apparently this meant her life was his to dictate.

A fire cannot burn forever. A marriage cannot be made of sparks. The flame needs to be transmuted; needs to be made into something, its heat and power transferred to creating and sustaining, not merely burning.

It was all there, from the beginning. All the signs. His character, all his flaws. She'd done her due diligence, she'd taken the risk, she thought for some reason he would change. Instead, he changed her to match his grotesque form: bitter, angry, resentful, capricious.

They could have brought out the best in each other and before the child was born, they did. And then they brought out the worst in each other, duty no longer a thread which could unite them. She never thought she'd see the day when he would neglect his youngest siblings who thought of him like a father, but they were not the Bridgerton name.

They were not the heir, they were not the future.

His obsession with his father and his worship for a ghost had rendered everything empty, stale, until the only things he had left was time and a name. Time: to fulfill his duties. A name: to pass those duties on to the next, so he could be rid of them.

There must have been real love at some point; real love for his siblings. But it had been burned out of him-- either they had burned it out, or he had burned it out; in the end, it didn't matter.

Just as there had been real love for her.

He died the day their son was born.

He had done everything asked of him. He had fulfilled his purpose. That all-important goal which was the only thing that mattered to the name. With his purpose in life complete, he died in spirit and did not have enough to build anything and so the husk which remained was this:

The same man she had married.

Mere passion.

She had no one to blame for this predicament but herself. And she did blame herself. Because it had all been there, everything, from the beginning, all of it.

She'd had true love. The souls meeting and hearts dancing or whatever it was she'd said to Edwina. And she'd been warned about that also, hadn't she? In the death of her father; in the death of his father.

It was foolish, to think there was only one kind of death which could visit a human being.

He was as he had always been.

She was the fool who'd believed his unproven words when he was as he had said: a man of action. Every single action; every single flaw, defect, vice, everything. There in his reputation, written in gossip sheets, revealed in its ugliest light while he'd courted Edwina.

There was no pity for her predicament: what did she expect.

She chose him.

Of her own free will.

Knowing he had a temper, did not keep his promises, used words to cut, changed according to fashion, was duplicitous, hypocritical, practiced in self deceit and practiced in destruction. Devoted to duty; it was futile-- or rather, less than worthless-- to make the paltry, threadbare, weak excuse that: she hadn't understood.

She hadn't understood that what he considered duty and what she'd considered duty were not the same, and she had not discovered it until their son was born. Their son was born: he died and became the man she'd met.

They told her. She'd known from the beginning. She bought the house knowing full well there was a crack in the foundation; a gash, a gaping maw, which everyone told her the cracks would spread, the foundation would turn to dust, she hadn't listened-- but they'd warned her. What did she expect.

She'd known, she could never claim she never knew. She knew better than anyone.

Bought the broken goods because she'd been in love and had made her bed.

So lie in it.

#bridgerton #kathony #fanfiction

[hardheadedbighearted]

It had taken Mercury awhile to decide if he wanted to see Ozma or not. He’d gone back and forth on the matter with Emerald, and it was her finally telling him that she would take it out of his hands if he didn’t make up his mind and shut up about it.

In the end, it was Whitley excitedly telling him about Ruby’s new trick that made up his mind for him. Ruby had always carried a bitter weight of resentment for him, even before her magic had manifested; knowing that even with the barriers they’d carefully arranged for her she was still learning and growing just made that weight grow.

It wasn’t fair. Why did she get to have the love and support of her family? Why did she get to keep her magic, why did she get to learn how to use it? From a mother who understood it, understood her, made sure she was learning safely?

So he told Boyd he wanted to see Ozma about, You Know, Before, and as Pietro had already been discussing Emerald’s issues with her mental magic with him and put forward the idea of consulting him, it was arranged that they’d visit the tower together. At least having Emerald there would make a good deflection.

A good crutch, he thought in his father’s snide way, and reached for his acoustic. Another crutch, but just having it strapped to his back helped. If people got annoying, he could just walk off and find somewhere quiet to play and forget about them.

So whatever. Maybe it was a crutch. He’d used crutches before he’d adapted to his legs, too, and look how well that had turned out.

The others were already waiting when Mercury stepped out of the lift a couple minutes later. Emerald had been spending more time in the lab herself lately, especially now that Ruby was dividing her time more evenly between here and Amity. As much as she liked the freedom, she didn’t need the constant outside time that Mercury and Hazel did, and without anyone in the apartment to keep her company, the lab had become more of a place to be, even if it was just reading in a corner while Gearloose and Fenton worked.

“Are we ready to go?” he asked. “I wanna get this over with.”

#volume seven

[astroyongie]

heyy! Can you please do a full chart reading on johnny? birth time : 7:30pm

Full Birth Chart Reading

note: If you want me to do a full chart reading of any idol, please send me their birth time ! enjoy <3

Johnny

Birth time: 7:30 PM

Rising: Virgo

Sun Aquarius 5th House: Johnny is a fun individual, that has a particular unique sens of humor to which he always express himself with. People see him as a very creative and lovely person. People always remember him due to his unconventional personality and fun

Moon Gemini 10th House: He is very moody, people sometimes have a hard time understanding him. Because he can be very noisy and joyful and the next day being a complete ass to everyone. We can definitely see is dual emotions in work, during practices for exemple. This boy sometimes will give his all and other time he won't want to even leave his bed to go to work

Mercury Aquarius 5th House Retrograde: Despite being creative he can easily be stuck on how to express his ideas, opinions, his love. He can become chaotic and curry. People sometimes don't understand what he says and where he wants to go. He can lack empathy during certain conservation too. He avoids decisions.

Venus Capricorn 4th House: He is a family man, that loves to take care of his own kin. Johnny is also someone that dreams with the idea of being a father and to have his own family. When he gets in a relationship, he usually picks someone that he knows that be on the same page as him

Mars Leo 12th House Retrograde: He is usually chill, but when he gets frustrated or angry, this boy can full invente a story on his head just to make him angrier and this energy is not good when his moon is on the moody side. He can become dramatic and very narcissistic as even everything is against him

Jupiter Sagittarius 3rd House: Very sociale and adventuous, he loves to go out and experience live. His starts made him lucky when it comes to traveling the world, speak with people and connect with them.

Saturn Pisces 6th House: He has a good health but with the tendency to let his mind be very dreamy when it comes to his future and hois goals which sometimes makes him fall from up high. But in any case, he is surly able to achieve all the things that he wants concerning the working area.

Uranus Capricorn 5th House: Money and material goods are important with him, and he will always be under a good fortune star when It comes to money. That become is priority is to give his family, his relationships a good financial background

Neptune Capricorn 5th House: Just like the placement above, it's all about getting that money and live a good life with the ones he loves, but again sometimes he sets unrealistic goals to which he should be careful.

Pluto Sagittarius 3rd House: His mental is in perpetual changing, in perpetual learning. Johnny gets things easily, he learns easily but he also is able to quickly go to one thing to the other due to his impulsivity and his usability to stay still.

Lilith Gemini 9th House: if you attack, badmouth or judge his beliefs, his dreams, his ethics or religion he will get very angry. He can swing very easily and honestly you don't want to make Johnny mad because when he is on the bad side of the gemini energy he can become very scary

Chiron Scorpio 1st House Retrograde: He has a hard time healing his wounds, healing what hurts him and when it's someone who does it he will be very resentful, unable to forgive the person. He is also very self destructive, prone to addictions and alcohol.

Ceres Leo 11th House: He is extremely loyal to the ones he loves and cares about. He will never abandon his first and he puts their needs first . It's important to remember that he has a huge heart

Pallas Taurus 9th House: He has a talent to manifest money and work. If he wants it, he get it

Juno Sagittarius 4rd House: Johnny will find love, he will probably end up with his twin flame and have a family with them. He has a placement that makes him lucky in terms of family so the first person he marries, it shall be for life.

Vesta Gemini 10th House: He understands that in order to pursue his career sometimes he has to make sacrifices. And usually he has no problem what it and he will go through it smoothly, it just annoys him when it's about his love life that he has to sacrifice

Eros Capricorn 5th House: When it comes to sex, boy is dominant and kinky. He will want to experiment a few things, he wants to have fun A goofy lover and puts all of his good work into the intercourse

Psyche Pisces 6th House: High intuition both spiritually and again at work, which explains also why his manifestation is so strong

Pholus Virgo 12th House: He is coucnious that he needs to heal some stuff on his head but he can't help but self sabotage himself. Healing is just as dual as his personality. Some days he will be okay and fully healed and other times it all comes crashing down on him

Empty Houses: 2th house in libra makes him so insecure about everything that he does that he becomes indecisive and co-depedant of the opinion of others. Plus, do to his high expectations in love he has a hard time committing himself into relationships where he can be very selfish and immature. He can't understand that people cannot be perfect. Thank his Pisces and Aries in the 7th house. Johnny, is the type with his Aries and Taurus in the 8th house to put himself into dangerous situations. He can spend days binge eating and then not eating at all for the next days. He can pick up fights easily whenever he is moody and become extremely agressive. Finally, his 11th house in Leo makes him having many friends but friends that won't stay for many years on his life as they have the impression that Johnny only cares for himself and himself alone

#nct johnny #nct astrology #nct scenarios #nct smut #nct tarot #not headcanons #nct reactions #not blurbs #nct imagines

[ombreblossom]

Ooh I'm curious about the TMA Tesco meet cry and TMA queen wips!

Oh! Yay! I haven’t had cause to think about either of these in a while, so thank you for the ask!

TMA Tesco Meet Cry

So, this WIP sprang from an experience I had several months ago shopping for groceries. I’d had a terrible day and been in an anxiety spiral for most of it to boot, but I desperately needed to do some grocery shopping. My cashier took one look at me and was like, “You’ve had a day, haven’t you?” I’d been crying not long before this, so that tracked. She stopped ringing me out and grabbed a bouquet of flowers for me. Didn’t charge me for them or anything, and even added an extra sunflower that wasn’t in the bouquet, saying, “I even added a sunflower in there for you.” I was floored, couldn’t really talk, barely said “thank you,” and was on my way. The whole thing was really touching, and I kept the flowers long after they withered and died.

I don’t have anything written for this yet, but I’m imagining this with either Jon and Martin or Georgie and Melanie, though I did the bulk of my outlining for the boys. It’d be a short fic - one or two scenes - and I imagine Martin has just had a hell of a week. He’s in his early 20s, maybe, either right before he’s hired at the Institute or shortly thereafter. He’s struggling to make ends meet for himself and his mother, who’s still living with him and requiring a nurse to visit everyday to help him take care of her. She’s doing her thing of being absolutely awful to him for reasons that are (to us) out of his control but to him just feel like failures. He’s missed a bill payment, maybe, and he had to cancel plans to meet up with a friend or go on a date because he needed to pick up work somewhere, and he’s sleep deprived, etc. etc.

Jon’s working at Tesco (or some other UK supermarket - I’m not picky) because he’s fresh out of uni and looking for work in his field and also not yet been picked up by the Institute. He’s not too far out of his relationship with Georgie, and he’s been feeling a bit maudlin about that. He sees Martin approaching his counter and it activates something in him. (Or maybe he notices Martin beforehand and approaches him in a more deserted part of the store. I do tend to imagine Jon as being hyper-empathic as part of his neurodivergence, and that could be why he picks up on Martin immediately.) And Jon’s like, “I don’t know what’s going on in your life, and you don’t have to tell me, but please accept these flowers. I put the sunflower in there just for you.” Martin just can’t handle it and breaks down. It just so happens to be the end of Jon’s shift, and Jon takes him back to his flat and makes him food, throws a blanket over him, and talks with him. And they hit it off, and the rest is history.

Haven’t decided if this is a no-fears AU or canon divergence, but I don’t think picking or the other will change the story much.

And I thought about the reverse, but I usually write Martin doing the comforting, and so I thought it was time to switch it around! Haha.

TMA Queen

“Queen” referring to the band led by Freddie Mercury. This one started as a short, fun karaoke story and then led to me wondering: who of JMart would be a Queen fan? I ultimately decided on both of them but for different reasons. It morphed from a fun (probably S1) thing and turned into fun (still probably S1) thing with f e e l i n g s.

I don’t have anything explicitly written for this one, either, but I imagine it going like this: when Martin was young and his family was still together, I think they did what my family did, which was put a vinyl of Queen’s Night at the Opera on or maybe the Greatest Hits album and sing and dance the night away. (Me? Projecting? No, absolutely not.) When Martin’s father left,that stopped immediately. His mother was already weakening, and her resentment even then had started coloring her actions.

Later in life, Martin found out that Freddie was queer and did some digging into his history and into Queen as well. I imagine, as a result, Martin has a smattering of favorite songs across Queen’s discography, and I think he especially likes “Love of My Life” - at least on days when he’s feeling particularly wistful and romantic. Martin also maybe finds out that Brian May is an astrophysicist, and he dreams about living a different life - not necessarily Brian’s life or Freddie’s life, but a different one. He dreams away while he works and works and crashes up against the overwhelming force of his mother’s disdain for him, and the dreaming and hoping sustains him for a time.

Jon, on the other hand, doesn’t discover Queen until uni. He grows up (I haven’t decided) either not listening to a lot of music or only listening to the music his grandmother listens to. She has a handful of vinyls of oldies music she became familiar with shortly after emigrating from India with her young son, and she’d play them from time to time. As technology advanced, I think she’d also try to find recordings of Indian classical music, and Jon might listen to them with her.

But he finds Queen in uni and mostly listens to the hits because they’re what’s popular - when he does listen to music at all. He honestly strikes me as someone that doesn’t listen to much music except when he’s trying to focus on something and he needs just a tiny bit of distraction for his mind to not get lost in the sauce. He doesn’t seek out any more of their music but listens to, oh, I don’t know, “Death on Two Legs” on repeat while completing various uni assignments because he’s dramatic, and we love him for it. I can see him liking “Love of My Life,” too, honestly, romantic that he can be.

So it’s S1, and the team goes out for a night of karaoke as a team/friendship-building thing. I haven’t really gotten further than this in thinking about what happens, but Jon and Martin end up bonding over Queen, and it’s an opportunity to talk about themselves; their connections to queerness, to music, to family; and all sorts of things. Sasha and Tim can join too, maybe, if I think of backstories for them haha.

I also, in my heart of hearts, want to write a scene where Jon and Martin either slow dance to or sing a duet of “Love of my Life.” That can be the epilogue~

And have a gander at my other WIPs! I’d love to talk about them if any interest you~  

#tma #the magnus archives #jonatham sims #martin blackwood #jonmartin #ombre answers #ombre writes #jmart #twisted-pride #these are a lot of projection #but i think they work~ #oh also #if you look into 'death on two legs' and you haven't heard it before #cw for brief mention of suicide #tma wip game

[flickeringart]

The Megxit Drama pt. 2

Since I already went through Meghan Markle’s chart in light of the Megxit Drama, I’m going to get into Prince Harry’s as well, considering that they’re both very much part of this demonstrative break with tradition and authority. However, for Harry, it’s not only a break with a work environment and in laws, it’s a break with his family, his up-bringing and his roots in an attempt to rid himself from outdated and harmful beliefs and thought-systems imbedded in fabric of the institution.  

As stated in my previous post, Harry and Meghan has been far from applauded in their break with the Royal Family, especially after the Oprah interview in March where they made public accusations of being treated unfairly in various ways. Meghan felt attacked by the media, left out in the cold and denied protection, deprived of support when she felt suicidal and even encountering racism. Aside from Harry’s motivation to help his wife, he admittedly also felt like Meghan’s situation gave him the opportunity to cut ties for good with a way of life that apparently had affected him more negatively and positively throughout his childhood and into his adulthood.

It’s certainly bold for Prince Harry to make complaints seeing as the public tends to not appreciate when wealthy and privileged people come out whining and wimping about their “difficult life”. However, the world is not as straight forward as rich equals happy and poor equals sad. Starvation and difficulty can be encountered on many levels of existence and just because one is born a prince doesn’t mean that one is incapable of experiencing legitimate lack. Life doesn’t spare any of us, which is why there should be compassion for all people – there’s no group or individual that is exclusively entitled to have their suffering be acknowledged. In a sense, Harry being able to look at his own struggles and prioritize his own and his wife’s well-being is a good thing. The message and spirit behind their action is good, at least if they’re honest and genuine (which people still doubt). Regardless, when the status quo is disrupted, there will be friction and unpleasantries.

(Chart of Prince Harry on astrotheme.com)

Although Harry’s chart reflects a predominantly earthy influence, which is speaking to the need for structure, permanence and routine, his planets in Sagittarius and Scorpio, gives him a free spirit and emotional endurance. Ever since Harry was little he was notably more impulsive and risk-taking than his brother William. Harry’s Mars (which marks his physical energy and drive) is suitably placed in the restless fire sign of Sagittarius, conjunct Uranus, which gives him a non-conformist and individualistic streak – especially in the context of friends and groups. Apparently, he was a wild teenager, drinking a lot, letting lose in “inappropriate ways”, being aggressively competitive on the polo court and so on. He seems to be quite the mellow type at first glance, his Capricorn Ascendant gives him an outward persona of seriousness and his Scorpio MC gives him a public image of being a bit “in the background” not wanting to attract too much attention or reveal too much. As I mentioned in the previous post, Harry acted passive in the interview, coming off as a troubled man not knowing what he’d gotten himself into – which is quite characteristic of the Scorpio MC and Saturn conjunct. Astrology is a very useful tool when analyzing a person, because sometimes, the public image is only a tiny speck of what really goes on. Harry’s chart shows that he comes off as more cold and guarded than he actually is, and quite understandably so considering growing up with the media on constant watch for slip-ups. Opposite the MC, in the 4th house he has his Taurus Moon, pointing out that his sensitivity and vulnerability only comes out in private with his own family in his own home. It’s a deeply loyal placement that is resistant to change and it might not have been that easy to uproot for him, if he hadn’t had his own family with Meghan to provide some safety and emotional containment.

It has become evident that Harry seems to be a troubled soul that is haunted by past traumas and experiences. His Sun (which marks his individuality, his will and sense of significance) is in the 8thhouse, suggesting that his identity is based on other people’s values. There would be a feeling of having one’s identity and significance being in the hands of other people – of having one’s individuality being owned and controlled. When being part of the Royal Family, one is subjected to rules and values imposed from the outside. Significance is granted based on the opinions and approval of others – it’s given if one succeeds in appealing to their psychology. The 8th house is the house of death, regeneration and traumatic events. The Sun usually signifies the father image and it’s obvious that Harry is very disappointed of his father. He pities him for being trapped, undoubtedly resents him for being a “bad” husband to his late mother and not caring enough to make a change to alleviate his children’s suffering (typical 8th house themes). Even though his father was present during his childhood and inevitably involved, at least physically, he probably wasn’t able to be there as an effective role model and supporter of Harry in the way he needed emotionally. The Sun in Virgo squares Mars and Neptune in Sagittarius, which describes Charles’s disapproval of his son’s recklessness and marked individualism.

Harry’s Sun in the 8th house also points to someone who derives a sense of self from his troubles and tribulations in life. Since the big break with his family he has gained a sense confidence and has undertaken a kind of hero-journey through opening up about his mental health struggles and destructive coping mechanisms used in the past to numb out his emotions directly or indirectly related to his mother’s death. Sun square Mars and Neptune describes someone who struggles to act on his own will as well as finding and pursuing his own ideals and dreams. He is probably struggling and has been struggling with undermined sense of importance his whole life, perhaps naturally given the circumstances of always being the unruly sidekick to his older brother growing up. His 3rd house of siblings is ruled by Aries, which points to competitiveness and head butting, not to mention a strong need to be the best. I’m sure this competitiveness isn’t and wasn’t all bad – it likely kept them alert and motivated to improve their skills and abilities. Another sibling signifier is Mercury, sitting in the 8th house. Harry has admitted that he views his brother to be as stuck as his father, that he is trapped within the system upheld by other people’s values. Charles and William presumably don’t like being reduced to “victims” by their family member in a public statement. It must feel like being stabbed in the back by someone who’s supposed to show loyalty, to only for the sake of the monarchy but for the sake of personal feelings involved. Harry stated in the Oprah interview that he has great respect for all members of his family, but it was done in a business type manner, like an employee respects his employer “in theory”. The true feelings of Harry are obviously more complicated and seep through the carefully portrayed civilized sentiments. His public image being that of Scorpio, it certainly appears to the public like he’s take pains in order to get revenge through strategic moves involving relating secrets to the public of the power dynamics going on behind closed doors. Saturn in Scorpio conjunct the MC is especially prone to build a career by getting to the bottom of shady events. He’s now putting an emphasis in his work on mental health, raising awareness and exploring his own psyche as a way of enlightening the world, which is his Saturn in Scorpio in the 9thacting out. He has collaborated with Oprah on the on the documentary “The Me You Can’t See”, in which several well-known celebrities open up about their own mental and emotional difficulties. As a 9th house Saturn and Pluto in Scorpio person that Harry is, it’s not surprising that he wants to share these things. The 9th house is about sharing and distributing knowledge and Scorpio is about that which is hidden and taboo. Pluto sits in this house as well, putting an even stronger emphasis on highlighting uncomfortable issues hidden underneath the surface.

#megxit #prince harry #meghan markle #prince harry natal chart #natal chart analysis #virgo sun #capricorn rising #taurus moon #sagittarius mars #scorpio mc #scorpio midheaven #astrology #astrology chart #natal chart #short natal chart analysis #9th house #8th house #sun in 8th house #moon in 4th house #saturn in scorpio #pluto in scorpio #public image #persona #the royal family

[just-a-poor-boy-queen]

Part 4 of Jimercury Kid series

(Contains spanking of a child.)

It was unusual for Jim to allow anyone to accompany him with his gardening, mostly because it was something he held close to his heart, and he did a much better job without having someone else under his feet. But when Khaleel started making a habit of toddling out into the garden to watch him plant flowers or trim the hedges, he didn’t have the heart to shoo him away and instead began tutoring the little boy about the ins-and-outs of gardening, even investing in a little plastic trowel and bucket so Khaleel could practice planting his own flowers.

Of course, the garden still wasn’t 100% safe, despite them childproofing it as much as they could, and Jim made it very clear to his son that he was never to touch any of his gardening tools without permission. The koi pond had also been sectioned off with some rope, after Phoebe caught the little boy leaning vicariously over it to stare at the fish below the surface and had hastily grabbed him before he fell in face first. For the most part, Khaleel had been compliant with the rules concerning the garden. But, as with every toddler, it was only a matter of time before he ended up getting himself into trouble.

Jim had been busy planting a new flower bed when he heard the familiar scurrying footsteps of his son and seconds later, Khaleel’s little arms were wrapped around his leg, big blue-green eyes staring up at him hopefully.

‘Daddy cut flower, please.’ The child babbled, pointing towards the rose bush nearby.

It took Jim a moment to understand the boy’s request; Khaleel was aware of how much Freddie loved his flowers and often made a point of asking Jim to cut him a few of the Eden roses and remove the thorns so he could take them to his Baba. Freddie’s cry of delight always made the child elated.

‘Daddy will cut you some flowers in a minute, sweetheart.’ Jim replied, gently stroking Khaleel’s dark head of hair. ‘I just have a bit more work to do.’

Usually, Khaleel would nod and maybe hang around to watch his father work until he was ready to fulfil his request. But today, his bottom lip stuck out and he let go of Jim’s leg to cross his arms defiantly.

‘Want flowers now.’ He whined, tugging at Jim’s trousers, and pointing desperately to the roses.

‘No, Kenny.’ Jim responded gently, the boy’s nickname rolling off his tongue with great affection. It was Phoebe who had started calling him that and the name had stuck.

But Khaleel refused to relent. He tugged harder, starting to cry until Jim sighed and set his trowel down in the dirt. He was a far more patient man than Freddie was, but that didn’t mean he was about to tolerate a tantrum. He had no problem laying down the law when he needed to.

‘Khaleel Joseph Mercury-Hutton, I said no.’ He spoke firmly down to the little boy, refusing to be moved by the teary eyes. ‘Daddy will cut you some flowers when he’s finished with his work. Until then, why don’t you play with your bucket and spade?’

He had anticipated a screaming fit, but surprisingly, Khaleel let go of his trouser leg and toddled over to the plastic bucket and trowel that were sitting nearby, his fit seemingly forgotten. Relieved, Jim turned back to the patch of earth he had been working on and began scattering the seeds in the tiny, individual holes, before covering them. He turned around to locate his watering can when he was met with a sight that almost made his heart stop.

Khaleel was holding on to Jim’s gardening shears, which he had foolishly left sitting out on the grass in preparation for trimming the hedges after he was done with the flower bed. The little boy was struggling to open them, the blades pointed right towards his face and Jim’s life literally flashed before his eyes as he shot up and tore them out of the toddler’s hands before he took his eye out. Jim’s heart was beating so fast, he could hear it in his ears; once the fear had subsided, it was replaced with an overwhelming rage, and he threw the shears down as he approached his son in a few quick steps.

‘Don’t you ever, ever do that again!’ he roared, grabbing the little boy under his arms; before he even realised what he was doing, he had knelt on the grass, pulled Khaleel over his knee and delivered two swats to the seat of his pants.

He raised his hand to deliver a third swat, but suddenly came to his senses when he heard Khaleel crying loudly, his little hands flying behind him to protect his bottom as he sobbed, ‘no Daddy, please! I’m sorry!’

Jim could hardly process what had happened. He had hit his little boy. Not once, but twice. He felt sick.

He carefully lifted Khaleel off his knee and tried to put his arms around him, but his son immediately sped away towards the house until he disappeared through the conservatory door, sobbing. (1/3)

Jim honestly thought he was going to vomit. He sat down in the grass, head in his hands as his mind replayed the scenario over and over, torturing him. How could he have done it? He and Freddie had always agreed there would be no smacking, none whatsoever. How could he have lost his temper so badly that he’d hurt his own child?

Growing up in Carlow, he and his nine siblings would always receive a good smack when they were naughty. Hell, he’d be lucky if he only got a few swats with the hand – his father preferred to use a slipper or a wooden spoon for punishments. He never resented his parents for their discipline; he always knew they loved him and that’s just how it was back then, especially with such a big family to take care of. There were times when he’d been leathered so hard, he couldn’t sit for days, but he had turned out alright, hadn’t he?

Clearly not, he thought to himself.

No doubt Freddie had had a similar upbringing, as boarding schools were notorious for their rather brutal methods for discipline. But while Jim had convinced himself that such treatment hardened you and made you a stronger person, Freddie believed it caused nothing but pain and fear. It didn’t matter whether it was a tanning with a belt or a soft swat with the hand – striking a child in any kind of fashion was wrong through the Persian’s eyes.

Speak of the Devil, no less than five minutes later Jim heard a door slam and turned to see Freddie storming across the lawn, looking so angry that Jim would have dropped dead right there if looks could kill.

‘What the fuck have you done?’ His husband yelled as soon as he was close, finger prodding aggressively at Jim’s chest. ‘Khaleel came into the lounge crying his eyes out, saying you smacked him!’

Jim had seen Freddie angry before, but in this moment the other man was positively murderous. He held up his hands defensively. ‘He wanted me to cut some flowers for you and got upset when I asked him to wait. So, he grabbed my garden shears, even though I’ve told him never to touch them. I was terrified he was going to hurt himself, so-’

‘So, you hurt him instead?’

The garden fell silent. Jim opened his mouth, then instantly closed it. Freddie was right. There was no way he could defend this, no matter how much his stupid brain tried to justify it.

‘I-it was just a smack, Freddie. It was over his trousers, he probably barely felt it-’

‘That’s not the point!’ Freddie shouted, stamping his foot. ‘Your son is in there scared out of his wits, thinking his father now hates him! We agreed that we’d never hit him, Jim. You promised!’

‘I didn’t hit him, I smacked him.’

‘There’s no difference and you know it!’ Freddie was in tears, fists clenched, face red with anger. ‘I can’t believe you’ve done this! If this is how you plan to treat our child, you can pack your bags and get out right now, and you’ll never see Khaleel again!’

The colour drained out of Jim’s face as he heard those words and for a moment, he thought he might faint. Even Freddie seemed shocked and covered his mouth, as if hoping he could take back what he said. There was a long pause as they took a moment to calm down, their breathing long and laboured.

‘I…I didn’t mean that.’ Freddie eventually stammered. ‘I would never take Khaleel away from you, I swear. But we agreed, Jim. We agreed we’d never smack him, no matter how naughty he is. You promised.’

‘I know…’ Jim was ready to cry himself and he covered his face, ‘I’m so sorry, Freddie. I just… I was so scared, and I lost my temper. But you’re right, there’s no excuse for what I did. Jesus Christ, I’m a monster.’

Freddie reached up and removed Jim’s hands from his eyes, his anger having dissipated. ‘You’re not a monster. You’re a father who loves his son and made a stupid mistake in the heat of the moment. God knows, we’ve all made mistakes, Jim.’

The Irishman looked so miserable that Freddie leaned in and quickly kissed his lips, ‘come on. We should go and have a little chat with Khaleel.’

‘I don’t think I can face him.’ Jim said quietly.

‘Nonsense. He loves you and he’ll forgive you.’ He took Jim’s hand and slowly led him back towards the house. (2/3)

When Jim entered the kitchen, he noticed Khaleel sitting at the table with Phoebe, who had managed to distract him with some raw cookie dough which was the boy’s favourite treat. As soon as he saw Jim, Khaleel’s eyes widened slightly and he shuffled off his chair to go and hide behind Phoebe, breaking Jim’s heart as he looked up at him in fear.

Freddie gave Jim an encouraging glance and Jim squatted down to his knees. ‘Kenny? Kenny, sweetheart, please come here.’

The little boy hesitated, glancing up at Uncle Phoebe for approval, before running over to his daddy and wrapping his arms around his neck, burying his face into the grubby material of Jim’s overalls.

‘Sorry, Daddy.’ Khaleel whimpered, hanging on so tightly it was a miracle he didn’t strangle the man. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’

Jim bit his lip in an effort not to start bawling like a baby. He held his son close, gently swaying back and forth to soothe him. ‘I’m sorry too, sweetheart. Daddy shouldn’t have done what he did. I’m so, so sorry, Khaleel. I love you so much and I’ll never smack you again. I promise.’

‘I love Daddy.’ Khaleel mumbled back and he actually giggled as Jim started to place kisses on his cheeks, Jim’s moustache tickling his soft, delicate skin.

Freddie watched his two favourite boys with a fond smile as the pair reconciled. Being parent wasn’t easy, but he and Jim were learning every day. (3/3)

(Eh, this wasn’t my best work, and I wasn’t sure how to end it, but I hope you like it anyway.)

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

First of all, I hope you're doing well, anon. All my love and hugs to you🧡

Secondly, omg what are you talking about? This is BRILLIANT and my heart I love this fictional little baby so much🥺

Smacking as a punishment is no doubt a sensitive topic, especially in the context of Freddie's life, and I think you dealt with it beautifully. The other day I saw a discussion about Freddie and Jim's possible difference in views regarding smacking, and I loved how you have incorporated that aspect. It feels very real.

And oof, Jim being so heartbroken after smacking his baby, and Freddie's (expected) reaction... my heart. Another tiny detail that I loved was how you made Freddie kind of expel Jim from the house whilst being engaged in a heated argument. We know this happened multiple times, with Freddie realising his mistake sooner or later. It was a nice authentic touch, character wise. But of course, in this series they're parents so he came to his senses pretty early. It's possible that with time, the real life Freddie may have stopped being so rash too, or at least may have pleaded with Jim to come back sooner, lol.

Anyway, I absolutely loved this part. I loved the reconciliation between Jim and Khaleel, and also the fact that the toddler is so comfortable with Phoebe. I mean, of course he would be, but it was nice to see.

Lovely drabble as always, anon. Thank you for writing!

Also, someone sent a prompt for you. If you have the time, they'd really appreciate you writing on it💙

#ask response #jim hutton #freddie mercury #freddie and jim and their baby #anon writing

[caseyfm]

CASEY RUSSELL: AN INTRODUCTION

Full Name: Casey Russell

Age: 21

Birthdate: April 6th 1977

Gender: Cis man

Occupation: Ride operator at Orchard Shore Boardwalk

Traits: Dauntless, impulsive, fun loving, impatient, brooding, reckless, resilient, outgoing, secretive, direct, cynical, protective, hotheaded, adaptable, passionate, defensive, stubborn

Astrological placements: Aries sun, Scorpio moon, Pisces rising, Taurus mercury, Pisces mars, Aries venus (yes, that one earth placement is clinging on for dear life) 

Inspiration: [John Bender (The Breakfast Club), Ronan Lynch (The Raven Cycle), Sirius Black (Harry Potter), James Cook (Skins), Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls), Han Solo (Star Wars), Daniel Desario (Freaks and Geeks), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), Marianne Sheridan (Normal People), Benedict Bridgerton (Bridgerton)]

Pinterest .  Stats . Playlist . 

Biography (tw for parental neglect and abuse) 

There was hope, once. When he was still a kid with a bright grin and a mischievous sparkle hidden behind his eyes. The middle child of three boys born to parents who never truly wanted to take up the title. In many ways, it seems prophetic. Slightly overshadowed from the moment he broke into the world. But he’s never truly seen it like that. Not when his brothers have formed the only solid foundation he’s had in his life. Their father leaves when he’s old enough to ask questions. Nagging their older brother, Ronnie, for the answers. In their father’s stead, in steps a slew of their mother’s flings and that’s it, his new accepted normal. 

Somewhere along the road, he picks up a bass that he’d convinced himself that their father had left behind as a reminder of himself. It’s wishful thinking; it could have been left behind by any of the men their mother has in and out of the house. But still, he hoped. Despite it all, there will always be part of him that chooses to see the good in others (as much as he wills it away); like when he would fold a blanket over his mother’s shoulders after she returned home and headed straight to the sofa to sleep or when he would spend hours trying to understand why their father had left. Despite it all, there was always a small hope that they had loved him in return. 

It would have been easier if their father never returned - at least Casey’s dreams could have continued being consumed by the thought of him getting out of Cherry, exploring the world like he’d always longed to do. But he comes back. And he makes sure they all know he’s back. It’s not even what happens subsequently that hurts. It’s the thought that he loves the liquor more than he loves them and it only leads to him feeling confused at the ache it leaves in his bones. It’s his first touch with anger. Every emotion of his is experienced so intensely that it’s no surprise that it’s all consuming when it happens. His happiness is expressed with loud laughter, pride in others with necessary fanfare and celebration. It’s all or nothing. Over time, the anger grows to deafening resentment. Casey resulted to using his words; ones that would equally hurt when a biting remark would come from one of his mother’s new flings. It would have been easier to just ignore them entirely, perhaps take solace in the reminder that they were simply a flavour of the month. But Casey’s never been known to take the easy way out of anything. Driven solely by his heart and not guided by his head. If nobody was going to stand up to his demons, he’d do so himself. He was more surprised when their criticisms of him stuck long after the incident, weighing him down with a burden he didn’t quite know what to do with (he still doesn’t). 

Where there wasn’t a home to be found in the four walls of their house, he forged one in the gang. It was a relief to be able to get away from their father, but it was also a new source of family for Casey. Over time, he invited Noah along more and more. Wanting him to feel the same sense of security that he did with the only people he felt he could rely on in the world. 

Time elapsed and he miraculously reached high school. Pre-existing issues with authority veered their ugly head and it seemed as if school was never going to truly be a place where he would thrive, even when aided by people like Alice. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy learning (he could read anything written by his brother or French revolutionary philosophy for days) but he didn’t like the rules. The joy of being given a label based off of your family name isn’t lost on him. It doesn’t really matter when you don’t get the grades you want in school because everyone expects it from you anyway, or that you have a crippling fear of disappointing yourself. The bar is on the ground. But there was still hope; it was buried, but it was there. It took shape in the form of new friends in Mac and Jamie when they join forces in the band and he finds an outlet for the anger that isn’t fighting. He started to set expectations for himself because life seemed like it might work out after he graduated. That one day he’d leave the town entirely with a raised middle finger and laugh to himself as he left. But then, as he allowed himself to become truly vulnerable with someone for the first time and it ultimately comes shattering down around him, one of the only forms of stability he’s ever had in his life in Harvey disappears too. It serves as a reminder that the label is correct. The men who dipped in and out of his mother’s life were right during their arguments. He is nothing. 

By the time he turns twenty, any thoughts of hope have mostly dissipated. Cherry is full of ghosts and regrets. He now sees himself as an amalgamation of teeny, tiny broken pieces that won’t fit together again (or perhaps they never did from day one). Tired of amounting to nothing other than others’ expectations of him, he’s given in. Fully convinced that he is truly stuck in Cherry for the rest of his days. So, he’s set his energy on the one thing he still considers to be good in his life — Noah  — and he’s committed himself to trying to build a new home for them from the ground up at their apartment about The Pit. So what if it comes at the cost of debt and risking his life through doing the Dean’s bidding? He’s operating on a very limited timeline, waiting for the day he leaves the world in a spectacular blaze of glory. If the people of Cherry want him to fit a mould, he will. But he’ll do so on his own terms. 

Headcanons

Massive Led Zeppelin fan. He has two tattoos behind his left ear of the symbols from their fourth album and hopes to be able to get the full four eventually!

Adores animals. Would happily petsit for anyone in the gang and probably has, like, a crap ton of polaroid pictures of himself with Rex Russell. 

Very much a follower of the ‘here for a good time, not a long time’ mantra. 

Feels as if he’s failed Lux by not being there for her when she needed someone most. As a result, is starting to put HIGH amounts of pressure on himself to ensure the rest of the gang is safe. Himself? Not so much. 

Rides a secondhand motorcycle that backfires far too often and really should probably be scrapped but he’s ~nostalgic~ and loves it anyway. 

Used to play soccer in high school but was asked ‘politely’ to leave the team after being constantly red carded for trying to start fights with the other team. 

He has a map of the world taped to his wall. It’s ripped at every corner from where he has almost torn it down in a fit of rage, and yet it stays. It serves as a reminder that there’s more to life than just Cherry where everything seems impossible.

Loves a microwave meal. For the longest time, they were the only thing he really knew how to make so he’s learnt how to spruce them up a little.

Probably infamous for the amount of hookups he’s had over the past year or so. He likes the rush of allowing himself to give into momentary illusions of love. Affection that burns against his lips and leaves him feeling a little more wanted. What is love? Baby don’t hurt me~

Tried to give himself frosted tips and failed so gave in and dyed his hair blonde although he’ll say that’s what he was trying to achieve to begin with. But blondes have more fun, right?! Also now it makes Barbie Girl his go to karaoke song (for the bants) so if anyone wants in on a duet hmu and we’ll make it happen

#cusaintro #hello hi i wrote a v Sad Brick #and i'm throwing it to all of you #out of love <3333

[saltofthcearth]

                                    INTRO / PINNED POST 

BASIC STATS

Full name: Sloane Monica Salt

Nickname/s: Slo, S, Salt, Hippie Bitch

Age: 21

Date of Birth: March 30, 1977

Astrology: Aries Sun, Leo Moon, Pisces Rising, Aries Mercury, Aries Venus

Hometown: Cherry, California 

Gender: Cis woman

Pronouns: She/her

Sexuality: Bisexual

Religion: None

Traits: Impulsive, creative, witty, compassionate, ambitious, impatient, resourceful, brave, stubborn, tenacious, outspoken, restless, provoking, direct, frank. 

Occupation: Junior at Cherry Coastal University, Majoring in Fine Art

Living Arrangements: Converted attic above the Salt Residence

Faceclaim: Vanessa Morgan

HEADCANONS

Daughter to Sylvia and Marc Salt, the former of which owns Twigs. The place is Sylvia’s baby and sometimes the bane of Sloane’s existence. While she’s interested in some elements of the place and coveted it as a hangout spot when she was a teenager, the older she’s gotten the more she resents her mother’s inability to stand up for her. Marc works in real estate development and is also the bane of Sloane’s existence, all on his own. 

As the gang’s resident artist, it’s not unusual to find her with paint in her hair/on her clothes/on her car. 

She’s always got some new big idea or a project taking shape, she’s often thinking about several things at once that she’d like to say. Ideally, she gets to say them all. 

Considering her relationship with her parents, it’s no surprise that she lives to provoke. She thinks that sometimes art and truth have to discomfort you and has no problem bringing someone there if she thinks they need it. Sloane often floats between being compassionate to her friends and giving that tough love when you really need it. 

Prides herself on how honest she is which... if you know her secret, is a little laughable. When it comes down to it, she’s honest about pretty much everything else, but self-preservation is one of her priorities. 

Outside of her two favourite hobbies, Sloane loves watching movies, cooking (she’s a vegetarian, obviously), journaling and driving around Cherry. 

She has a personal vendetta against Dean Hargrove and she always will ‘cause he’s a shady dick!!!!!!!

BIOGRAPHY

Sloane Salt was the result of a travelling hippie and a CCU business major’s two week fling in 1976. Sylvia and Marc were polar opposites despite the connection between them and were quickly ushered into marriage the moment Marc’s parents found out that he was going to be a father. The Salt family were old fashioned hard workers, they were conservative and careful with their money, forming strong relationships in Cherry with everyone who mattered. The patriarch, Albert Salt opened a corner store and built it from the ground up, enlisting his sons to work for free by the time they were twelve years old. He was a structured, stern old man and he passed that on to his eldest son. Sylvia’s family were religious and at odds with who she wanted to be and what she believed in from the very beginning. She ran away at sixteen and when she met the man she’d eventually marry, she’d only just found her feet and a car that didn’t break down.

Sylvia and Marc evened each other out for the earliest parts of Sloane’s childhood. She was free spirited, she believed in Astrology, crystals, Tarot cards, Angels and pretty much anything someone charming would tell her. And Marc could be plenty charming, when he wasn’t being stoic and stern about what he believed to be true and right. He was a hard worker and after finishing his degree, he was slotted into the Salt family business, building up their corner store into a chain of them up and down the coast by the time he was thirty-five. Soon, he found himself moving on to a job in a real estate development company. This also hit at an age where Sloane had just begun to understand the idea of injustice, when one of her friends told her that the company her dad was working for was taking away their house.

Sloane and her father had always been close. Despite his hard working nature, he showed his love for her in other ways and had a strong influence on her being an intelligent, disciplined kid for the first thirteen or so years of her life. Her favourite tradition of theirs was puzzles. Over the years, Sloane quickly gained an affinity for them and every Sunday she and her father would clear off the dining room table and complete one together. Marc moved Heaven and Earth to make sure he never missed a Sunday with his girl. He was kind, but he held high expectations that Sloane felt the pressure to meet early on. Though she thrived the most in art classes, he preferred to look over her Math homework. 

Things began to shift between them when she started to ask questions about his job. The more she found out about the things that seemed unfair in the world, the more she began to push back against his mentalities. He wanted good things for his daughter and though he wanted her to go to college, he wanted her to do things his way. It didn’t take long for the two of them to start to butt heads. Sylvia considered herself caught in the crossfire and tended to stand by her husband while whispering solemnly in agreement to her daughter later. Thus began the strain in Sloane’s relationship with both of them. 

When Sloane was fifteen and helped lead a protest against one of her father’s developments for the first time, he spent his first Sunday without her and she quickly realised that this was her punishment for not being the daughter he wanted. Though she was similar to her mother in many ways when he’d met her: broad-minded, creative, passionate and empathetic, he couldn’t appreciate those traits in his child. For his wife, he funded a place for her to thrive, embracing who she was but for his daughter, he withdrew his affection when she began to find out who she was. 

The final straw for the both of them was college. Her choice of Cherry Coastal University was never a problem, he was an alumni and he was happy to see his daughter attend. Sloane had picked it because it seemed like the right choice for her. She felt she was still finding her feet artistically and the idea of going off to New York, for example, felt like a leap she wasn’t prepared to take just yet. Plus, it felt like she had a good base in Cherry. She wasn’t ready to be the smallest fish in the pond just yet. 

That was all well and good, until her father told her he wouldn’t be paying tuition for her to major in anything related to art. The conversation happened over the very table they’d done puzzles on, the table they’d eaten dinner together most nights, even when the two of them were in their worst fights. It broke Sloane’s heart to know that his resentment for what she loved and believed in ran so deep.

Art is her main power source, it’s the outlet that never fails her. Whether she’s filming herself stabbing objects into a foam head, cutting up old magazines from thrift stores, splattering paint against a canvas or sketching out the coast while sitting on the hood of her car. It’s also so intrinsically tied to her activism. She’s painted an illegal mural or two and there’s often a message or idea behind her bigger pieces. The older she got, the more she got involved with different groups and people in Cherry and made a name for herself. Her reputation is important to her, thus why she’d never like for her secrets to get out. Unfortunately, it’s one trait that her father happened to instill deeply in her. 

ANYTHING ELSE YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW WILL BE FOUND HERE.

#intro #cusaintro #posting this before i go to bed but ahhh im so excited for the morning

[cowtale-utau]

Another batch of these. Only one more to go!

Dancetale Sans/Shuffle – He’s a little nervous when they’re his, because its 24/7 responsibility. But he’s had experience with kids and is a pretty deft hand at it. He’s patient, forgiving, and kind. He encourages without pushing, and is always mindful of his kids limitations. He can be a little too lax at times, so his partner might need to be the stern one.

Dancetale Papyrus/Foxtrot – Can be a bit pushy. He’s very supportive, but also rather demanding. He expects his kids to perform, and perform well. It can risk breeding resentment if someone else isn’t around to rein him in. He’ll get disappointed if his kids don’t meet expectations or don’t share his interests. He could be a passably decent parent with someone around to force him to shape up.

Outertale Sans/Saturn – He isn’t exactly the best, but he also isn’t a bad father. He can come off as a bit coldly logical sometimes. Very much a, sit the kids down and make them explain themselves, sort. Children are often irrational but he refuses to accept that as an answer after a certain age, and will expect them to explain why they did what they did, or why they want to do something, etc. On the flip side, if they can provide good reasons/explanations, there is very little he won’t permit or support.

Outertale Papyrus/Mercury – Well rounded good parent. Balances direct involvement and letting the kids learn on their own. Supportive, but realistic. He never shuts his kids down, but he will walk them through the reality of whatever they want to pursue. Makes sure he is always open and available for anything and goes out of his way to make sure his kids know he’s there for them and loves them.

Farmtale Sans/Sage – Despite all his misgivings, Sage would end up being a pretty good, if over protective, parent. The issue is convincing him of that. He has no doubt in his mind he would ruin any kid he was entrusted with. Once he has kid in hand however, everything, including him, changes. It’s a revelation for him, and he actually becomes a better person for it. Kinda. He’s still an asshole. He’s fairly “hands off” in that he allows the kid to do their thing and make mistakes. However he is over protective in his way, and keeps a sharp eye on any and everything involving his child(ren).

Farmtale Papyrus/Thyme – A dutiful father. He’s a bit stern, but deeply caring. It takes him awhile to allow himself to fully relax and enjoy being a parent. He’s been working so hard for so long, and is so tired, that it takes time. He can come off a bit distant at times, especially when the kids are very young, but he does open up and start bonding properly eventually.

#Cowtale #skeles as parents #Shuffle #Foxtrot #Saturn #Mercury #Thyme

[conspirwbytheorist-inactive]

Some Cinder Thoughts

So I saw this post from @hoepunkausta a while back and was going to reply. Then I realized that this was the first time I’d actually sat down and taken a good look at Cinder and holy cow is there a lot to this character. Anyways, it got me thinking about Cinder's potential background and, while I've always seen her as a foil and tied to Ruby, I never realized how she could potentially tie in to ALL of team RWBY. Which is. . .pretty awesome from not only a narrative point of view but in regards to character redemption as well. Full take under the cut.

TLDR: If we assume Cinder’s backstory is in keeping with the popular version of the Cinderella tale, it ties-in to a lot of the our heroes’ traumas, giving each of them a reason to relate to her. Currently, Salem maintains control over Cinder by presenting herself as the fairy godmother, because were Cinder to see her as the stepmother she was, she would potentially leave. Were she to break away from Salem, recognizing her shared traumas with the members of Team RWBY could provide her with the connection needed to grow and heal as a person.

***Content Warning: Mentions of abuse/abuser tactics***

Intro

The post itself is pretty simple. Do we think Cinder came from an abusive background or do we think she came from a normal family that died under tragic circumstances before she met Salem? I’d always gotten the vibe that Cinder came to Salem searching for power after a life of rather horrific abuse similar to a more traditional Cinderella story.

The way she craves power, not just as a resource but as something she desperately needs for her own survival (her line about Pyrrha “taking her fate into her own hands” in V2 and the “I refuse to starve” of V7 come to mind), leads to believe that she came from a home that didn’t allow her much freedom or agency. She seems to know exactly what it feels like to not be in control of her own life and, now that she has found her escape from it (Salem), refuses to ever go back.

But how does this translate into ties to Team RWBY? She obviously has been foiled with Ruby, but the other 3? Kind of a big leap to make. Well, stick with me. Naturally, when thinking of a Cinder backstory, it makes sense to look at her main allusion, the Cinderella fairy tale.

A Cinder Story

Cinderella doesn’t start her story with an evil stepmother and step sisters. By most accounts she started out fairly privileged. With that in mind, imagine this woman, who we have come to know as a murdering power-driven villain, as a small child with seemingly everything she needed. A loving family, relative financial stability, decent social standing, etc. until one day, out of nowhere. Her mother dies. And suddenly she finds her world turned upside down. Her father remarries to a woman who loathes her and, who, after his death, does her best to control her, isolate her. Everyday she is told she is lesser than her sisters, meant to act as a servant. To cope with the difficult circumstances, she daydreams about a perfect place (in the main story, the ball/landed nobility but in Cinder’s case perhaps the opulence of Atlas) where if she can just prove herself good enough, endure enough pain, she can finally earn a happy ever after.

Now, what’s interesting here is that in just this bare bones outline of the Cinderella story, we touch on the key traumas of each of our four protagonists. Ruby and Summer’s death, Weiss’s isolation and molding under Jacques, Blake’s experience of racism as a faunus and abuse under Adam and Yang’s attempting to live up to Summer’s ideal to cope with abandonment. Which is really fricking cool because it means if ANY of this hypothetical backstory were to come to light, at least SOMEONE if not EVERYONE from the team has a potential point of empathy for where Cinder is coming from.

Something I love about RWBY is how it (for the most part) does its best to show how people are not inherently good or evil, but rather products of their circumstances and environment. So imagine the narrative and thematic potential of a villain for whom each of our cast could theoretically look at and think “Wow. That really could have been me” instead of “look at this monster”. A moment where they realize that, had things gone a bit differently, had they not been a position to cope with their traumas and actively choose to love instead of being engulfed by their pain and anger, they very much could have been this story’s villains rather than its heroes. A moment where, through Cinder, they concretely realize themselves as products of choice rather than destiny and, in that same vein, perhaps Cinder can see the same for herself.

Okay, but what about the Salem part? If we reduce “badness” all to a matter of choice ignores another key theme of RWBY: the importance of an awesome support network and team to back you up. At every point of the series our heroes have had someone to help them. Ruby had Yang and Qrow growing up before her team and JNR after Beacon, Weiss had Winter and Klein, Blake Ilia and Sun, and Yang had Ruby growing up and Tai after Beacon. But who did Cinder have to help her through her darkest times? No one. Except Salem.

The Case of the Fairy Stepmother

That brings me to the second part of the question: Is Salem the stepmother or Fairy Godmother? Honestly I think it’s both. The real question (and what I think will be the biggest obstacle for Cinder growing as a character) is how does Cinder see it?

In the Cinderella story, the Fairy Godmother and Evil Stepmother play opposing roles. Stepmother does all that she can to keep Cinderella underfoot and away from realizing her full potential as a person while the Fairy Godmother steps in when Cindy is at her lowest and uses her magic to give her all that she needs to get that “Happily Ever After”. In theory it should be impossible for one person to be both at the same time, but turns out it’s a matter of perspective.

Imagine Cinder at her lowest point. Maybe she was a no-name seamstress in Argus who daydreamed about being swept up into the glamour of the Atlas elite. Maybe she was a scared kid who saw becoming a huntress as her ticket out of poverty and into a life of adventure. Imagine her getting that wish of her own accord. Playing the game, doing everything right, biding her time until finally, she escapes - only to find herself trapped in a new way. (a Prince Charming who controls her as a plaything, a student not willing to be a child soldier, there are so many possibilities here). Only to see that the system was stacked against her in way where she could never escape it under her own power. That’s. . . a lot to process and a feeling of hopelessness that I think a lot of us can relate to (especially in our current world-state).

Then Salem comes in and not only promises Cinder the power to create her own destiny, but delivers it. Cinder goes from having almost nothing to magically receiving the means to accomplish anything she desired. All because of Salem. I see a lot of people question why Cinder is so loyal to Salem, but given this view, it’d be very difficult for her not to feel indebted to her savior in some regard.

Furthermore, Salem seems relatively fond of Cinder. She defends her from ridicule in Volume 4, goes out of her way to praise her strengths and, honestly, seems to have more patience with her than the rest of WTCH.  Given her backstory, I wouldn’t even be remotely surprised if what drew Salem to Cinder was the chance to give this angry young woman the power she wished that she had had prior to her curse. It’s almost. . . motherly. In a way I would expect a millennia old woman driven mad by isolation and Grimm Lakes and a very traumatized Cinder to view motherhood.

But, that doesn’t mean that the two have a healthy relationship. We as the audience see how Salem’s “love” comes at a price. She never hesitates to keep Cinder underfoot: oscillating between praise and threats of punishment, criticizing Cinder’s discomfort in Volume 4 as weakness, and making it clear that Cinder is only important to her insofar as her usefulness. The whole “Without you I am nothing” really illustrates how far out of her way Salem goes to make Cinder painfully aware that all that she has, all that she has accomplished is because of Salem’s magic. Salem hasn’t helped Cinder as a benefactor. A benefactor would let Cinder proceed to live her own life. Salem has instead taken advantage of Cinder’s lack of any support network and feelings of isolation to establish herself as Cinder’s sole source of support.

While we as an audience can see how abusive this dynamic is, Cinder can’t. Right now, she’s more or less fully embedded in Salem’s manipulation tactics - Salem’s narrative is her truth. And, even if she does come to see it (don’t think I missed the hints of resentment in the trailer), there’s nowhere for her to go. What can she do? Go rogue? The woman has an entire Grimm army! Turn to Emerald, Mercury, or Neo? They’re all either children or also in on all this! Just like the Stepmother, so long as Salem keeps Cinder feeling isolated, the chances of her escaping or changing remain slim.

Seeds of Support and Redemption

So, that leaves us with two things Cinder needs in order to break away from Salem:

Recognizing Salem as a controlling/toxic “Stepmother” figure instead of a  “Fairy Grimm-Mother” and that this is NOT what she wants out of life.

Finding connections/a support network she can go to after leaving

This is why Cinder having parallels to all of Team RWBY is so frickin cool. I’m still not 100% certain of a full Cinder redemption. Like, I love her as a character. But part of the reason I love her is that she is a hot mess who will go full ride or die no matter the situation. So getting her to even pause and go “is this what I want out of my life?” is probably going to take something pretty drastic to rattle her current convictions.

However, that being said, I find it really suspicious that the team would take a character that could be used to parallel the traumas of all four main heroes and just hang her out to dry. In a different show, I might think they could set her up with a death as a warning for our protagonists. But, that doesn’t make sense. Every possible warning I can think of motivating Cinder’s death is already being conveyed by another character. The dangers of falling to spite? Adam. Isolation causes only weakness and pain? Raven. Sacrificing humanity for the sake of power is a crap idea? Ironwood.

Instead, these seems like a great way to set up a situation where Cinder can find connection. After all, if our team could potentially look at Cinder and go “This could have been me”, what’s to stop Cinder from looking at them, seeing their pain and how they support each other, and going “Huh. Maybe this could be me?”. Especially if something radical has just happened to get her to want to break away from Salem for whatever reason. Maybe I’m just crazy, maybe I’ve been sitting on this too long, but I think that that would be really cool for a show about the power of love and connection to have its longest-term “villain” illustrate how, given support and humanity, victims of abuse can grow and find genuine connection with people.

#cinder fall #rwby #rwby analysis #rwby theory #cw abuse #cw mentions of abuse #This thing took me over a month to write #but i regret nothing #all of this is speculation btw #feel free to comment thoughts! #salem #salem rwby #long post

[highly-radioactive-nerd]

Entry for @tyrantisterror​ ATOM Create a Kaiju 3D Contest Entry REDO Gunmetal Jeeves (v 1.1) The Story Following the 1954 Superquake and subsequent global infestation of colossal prehistoric beasts, the nations of the world began a desperate effort to develop new methods of armed defense. At the forefront of this push was robotics. The development of cybertronic war machines capable of combating the kaiju threat was  on the mind of every developed militarized nation of the world and they believed that the greatest advances in this field would come from the mind of the Japanese engineer, Dr. Daigo Ishikawa. Ishikawa, however, would accept no part in the development of war machines. Ishikawa had been widowed during World War II and had seen enough violence and killing at the hands of man and his machines to last a lifetime. Instead, the doctor was devoting himself completely to non-lethal methods, maintaining his pacifist opinion that it was irresponsible and immoral for man to exterminate lifeforms that his own reckless atomic testing had thrown up into reality. The work was long and grueling and drove Daigo and his teenage son further apart.

Yukio Ishikawa began to resent his father for his absence, especially after the death of his mother, whom they both loved deeply. Yukio began acting out, desperate to get an iota of his fathers attention. His grades suffered, he got in trouble with the police and his teachers. The message was all too load and clear, but his fathers work was too important. And so a compromise was formed. Daigo Ishikawa would build Yukio a companion- a robotic tutor who could cook and clean for him, help him study and contact his father whenever he was away, as well as tattle on the boy when he was up to no good. Made from an experimental metal infused with green crystals, the automaton Jeeves was born. Yukio was initially unenthused with his...colorful gift. A ten foot tall robot was impressive, but it was little more than a steel babysitter. Yukio took it upon himself to update the machine by reprogramming it a little himself. Miraculously, his tampering brought the creature to a degree of life. it could think and act on its own. it asked questions, it learned, it decided, and became more alive with each action. So, Yukio did what any teenage boy with a giant robot- he turned it into a super hero. He and the machine, who he had taken to calling Gunmetal Jeeves, would go on numerous adventures, fighting villains, foiling spies, impressing cute girls (and the occasional boy) and discovering new powers within the seemingly living machine.  But most importantly, through their adventures, Jeeves seemed to be bringing Yukio and his father back together. if a robot could learn what it meant to have a family, Daigo and Yukio could as well. The Personality Jeeves’ personality has two major components. The Friend, who is a little more casual. It represents the personality that Jeeves is attempting to create for itself based upon its observations of humanity. This side of Jeeves is snarky and likes to crack wise, often at Yukio’s expense. It learned a little era appropriate slang and uses it stiffly and unnaturally specifically to cause Yukio to cringe. While this side can be difficult, it is also ride or die loyal and affectionate. in contrast is the other side, The Brother. This side of Jeeves is the more introspective side, the side that is learning to be human. It is philosophical and curious, almost childish and innocent. It drops the pretenses of the prototype personality it projects and is shockingly raw and natural. it is the side that is more tender and nuturing. The Powers -Yamaneon Based --Jeeves is built from a unique synthetic metal called Photon Titanium. The material was developed by a metallurgist colleague of Dr. Ishikawa and was synthesized from Yamaneon crystals. it posses many unique attributes. The most basic of which is enhanced strength and heat resistance. it is extremely strong and hard to melt. --The Yamaneon within the metal and the circuitry of Jeeves’ computer brain is what bestowed life onto the creature. While it does not have bones, it can still hear the Yamaneon singing to it, if only very faintly. It was compelled to life by the crystals in its metal hide. --The final and most surprising power granted to Jeeves by the Yamaneon is a phenomenon Daigo calls Photonic Mass Expansion, (or the Photon Burst, as Yukio calls it.). During moments of critical need, Jeeves can use the Yamaneon to absorb light from its surroundings and suddenly expand its atomic structure using solidified light. This allows Jeeves to grow from the standard 10 foot height to kaiju sized 100 feet. Because its giant body is made from light energy, however, its mass increases very little. Therefore it has all the power of a giant monster, but is very easy to throw around. This process puts a severe drain on Jeeves battery and reduces his operating time to 3 minutes. When time is up, he powers down and shrinks back down to standard size. -Machine Based --Machine strength that far exceeds that of organic lifeforms. --Gravity Thrusters on its back allow for flight. These thrusters take a considerable toll on Jeeves’ battery life, especially during Photon Burst. --It can send and receive basically any known form of communication. Radio waves, sonar, brainwaves, television programming, satellite feed, etc. it has numerous ports on its battery pack that allow it to adapt to new technology as well. --Shock absorbent tires in the robots feet allow it to move at exceptional speeds up to 50 miles per hour. This puts a considerable drain on its battery. --While Jeeves has no weapons built into its chassis, it can utilize weapons made for it when necessary. It is also programmed in a wide variety of martial arts. The Weaknesses -Jeeves rechargeable battery and backup battery last for 24 hours each. it must keep these batteries charged or it goes inactive. it takes three hours to charge a battery. -Jeeves is incapable of killing, even when it would be beneficial. it cannot deal a fatal blow. -During Photon Burst, Jeeves mass remains unchanged. The solidified light transmits kinetic energy just like real matter, meaning when dealing attacks and counters, Jeeves is fine, but taking hits knocks it about almost effortlessly.  Extra -The main inspiration for Gunmetal Jeeves is Jet Jaguar. A semi-sentient robot companion that can change its size, but I delved into the idea a little deeper than the original Godzilla vs Megalon. Hopefully the new ideas from the ATOM universe have translated well into this fellow. He looks like Mecha-Freddie Mercury. -The Photon Burst is basically just Dynamax from Pokemon, isn’t it? Oh well, its cool there too. -When kaiju sized, a hexagonal pattern of green lines glows on Jeeves body, evocative of retrosaur scales. -I added size changing and flight because fuck it, I underestimated the level of technology in the ATOM books, and also I feel like its kind’ve thematically appropriate to go a little outlandish. I also realized i didn’t really establish Jeeves’ personality as well as his backstory, so I rectified that too. Even did a new art! proportions arent as good as the original, but hes in glorious technicolor!

#my art #mine #gunmetal jeeves #atomic time of monsters #tyrantisterror

[whookami]

I love reading your headcanons about Steve and how much thought you put into them, i wish the writers cared about him as much as you did 😊 what do you think Steve's mom is like? Cause we know even less about her than his dad, except for the fact that shes "super well respected".

D’aw! Thank you so much! When I get attached to a character I can’t help but get super invested. I’m also a Pisces, so I’m pretty big into just sitting around daydreaming up all these weird creative backstories that almost never see the light of day, but I love making them! I’m so happy that someone else has enjoyed them too!

So, Steve’s mom...

Okay, I admit, my headcanons about Mrs. Harrington aren’t as solid as Mr. Harrington. It’s made obvious that Steve has (at best) a contentious relationship with his father. We know absolutely nothing about Steve’s personal feelings toward his mother, just that he thinks that she’s respected in town. To me this says that Mrs. Harrington is probably pretty involved in Hawkins’ social circles.

So I think Mrs. H comes from a fairly well-to-do family, a good pedigree and old money, much like the Harringtons themselves. I personally think she met her husband in college somewhere on the east coast. She was definitely in a sorority, and very involved in campus activities. She’s actually pretty smart, but that isn’t why Mr. H married her. She was a few years younger than him and very beautiful, and her family status would compliment his without overshadowing it. In the short term Mr. H could be incredibly charming and very willing to spend his (family’s) money to impress the girls he dated. Mrs. H bought into this idealized version of him and when he eventually proposed she eagerly agreed.

The problems happened after the certificate was signed and Mr. H brought her back to his home town. Much like her husband she wasn’t actually that fond of Hawkins, and for her it was quite the devastating blow. Her husband expected her to perform as the perfect image of a wife, taking care of the household and starting a family. She had had plans to put her degree to use, but that was quickly dropped by the wayside. She got pregnant with Steve soon after and had a miserable pregnancy. Her husband expected more children but after what she went through she adamantly refused. She resented his expectations, resented being stuck at home in a city with very little for her to do beyond raising a kid and maybe joining the PTA some day. Secretly she also somewhat resented her son, she often felt like she didn’t really understand Steve or any of his interests, and he was a loud bundle of energy that she simply couldn’t keep up with. She does love him, she isn’t heartless, but she also definitely feels a certain disconnect between the two of them. It also doesn’t help that she isn’t a very affectionate person, and doesn’t really get her son’s desire for physical reassurance and love. The same goes for his emotions. Her family background made her very composed and stoic, whereas Steve is far more mercurial and feels things very strongly.

As an early response to being cheated on Mrs. H threw herself into community projects, seeking to create more opportunities within the town for her to engage with others and actually do something with her education. She is in the PTA, but she’s also organized various charities and women’s auxiliaries, and she takes an active interest in bringing culture and the arts to Hawkins in the forms of special gallery functions and exhibitions. This is why she’s so widely respected, for all she’s done to try and improve Hawkins’ profile as more than just a small backwater Indiana town.

Despite all this though, she’s still an unhappy woman. She feels demeaned and like a laughstock thanks to her husband’s affairs, leading to her following him on his business trips more and more frequently over the years now that her son is old enough that she doesn’t have to remain stuck at home for him. She also enjoys the opportunities to go to bigger cities and enjoy real culture and social galas. She has a bit of a dependency on wine, and will often over imbibe during gatherings in which her husband is ignoring or disrespecting her in some manner. She never does anything to embarrass him publicly, but once they’re alone she’s more than willing to rip into him with scathing remarks and judgements on the quality of his character.

As Steve has gotten older she’s only become more and more detached and distracted as a parent, giving him hollow blandishments and encouragement without any emotion behind them. She isn’t openly disappointed in him like his father is, but she doesn’t have high hopes for his future. She privately thanks her lucky stars that at least Steve takes after her side of the family in the looks department and considers that to be his one bankable trait that might be able to help him get somewhere in life. She doesn’t insult or degrade him, but she also doesn’t give his achievements any recognition.

She loves her son because that’s just what a mom is supposed to do, but if asked she would have a hard time naming any real traits or qualities he possesses that she’s proud of. Her life and her interests are her main focus and everything else comes a distant second.

She regrets her marriage and that she bought so easily into her husbands charms before she had a chance to see him for the cold disinterested man he really his. This dissatisfaction is the central core of her world now, and she does whatever she can to distract herself from her reality. She’ll never divorce him because she fears she’ll lose everything that she has built for herself, and as those organizations and social ties are all she derives joy from, she won’t take that risk. She’ll stay locked in this loveless marriage, but she’s also going to do her damnedest to make sure her husband is just as miserable in their union as she is

#steve harrington #steve harrington’s parents #my meta #im not totally satisfied with all of this but i havent revised it in a while #question answered

[tothedarkdarkseas]

The way Vampire AU has taken off has really warmed my heart! So many great thoughts all round. I sent you some elaborations on my own personal headcanons for it as a submission, just for the fun of it. Enjoy!

Hi! I got your submission last night and read over it-- it's very elaborate, you've clearly put a lot of thought into fleshing this AU out and it sounds like a ton of fun. I know you mentioned at the end that you had no intentions of writing it because you're busy with other fandom projects, but I'm sure there are many who'd be interested in reading your ideas if you ever decided to make a sideblog for it. I'll post your submission for others to read below a cut here so that the post won't be too long on the dashboard, and I'll reply to some of the specifics underneath!

Yes! I have so many more thoughts on a vampire AU, I figured it would be easier to put them in a submission. Hope you don't mind.

The concept is just so fascinating to me, because so much of it lines up perfectly with the character dynamics we're given in the canon, and what doesn't has the potential to expand on and explore those dynamics in a really interesting way.

I agree 100 percent about the tone it would have to be written in. An actual brooding, dark prince Murdoc type of thing wouldn't work for me. (Murdoc would try to play up that persona, but in reality, he'd be far from it.) In my mind, the tone would be half What We Do In The Shadows and half Being Human UK. Four misfits living in a mouldering mansion somewhere, getting on each other's tits - but deep down they've got each other's backs. There's a bond, even if they can't quite explain what it is.

In my mind the bloodlust would function as an addiction. Murdoc is no Mother Theresa but he's not comfortable with indiscriminate murder either. (Guilt and self-loathing is not a good combination in Murdoc.) Knowing there is no in between for vampires - you can't have a sip here and there, it's abstinence or nightly slaughter - he stays teetotal from blood and tries to channel his desires into other addictions instead. Any and every addiction, really. Drugs, booze, sex, theft, you name it. Which is how he comes to be doing donuts in a stolen car in a Tesco car park, at the exact same time Stuart Pot is making a midnight run for condoms and Tango.

I picture Murdoc's turning of Stu would be this confusing moment that even he can't fully explain, so he's always switching his story about it. One day he'll say he didn't want to deal with the police, another day it'll be vampire enforcers he was afraid of - "total killjoys, they'll bung you in a blood-filled coffin for a hundred years over the TINIEST infraction". Other days he comes close to admitting he felt guilty, that he flipped out over the idea of killing someone after all, when he's dedicating all his energy to avoiding doing just that. Sometimes he just calls it a moment of madness.

But in every vampire movie, there's that moment. The moment where the newly-turned vamp rises from the grave as this beautiful unearthly creature of the night, and I mean . . . this absolutely would be Murdoc's experience of it. He's almost convinced himself there aren't real vampires like that, that it's all Hollywood bollocks, and then Stu rises up in front of him like some black-eyed, blue-haired god, and the part of Murdoc that isn't utterly gobsmacked by it can't help resenting the little sod for making it look so easy. Murdoc likes to take the piss out of him and claim he's like one of those Lost Boys California pretty boy vampires, but he's jealous really.

I imagine Murdoc would be similarly mercurial about how he was turned. There's always some hyperbolic story about it, designed to paint Murdoc in the best light. Sometimes he was the premier occultist of his day. Sometimes he sold his soul to the devil for immortality. Sometimes he was turned by a beautiful vampire seductress, who was bitter he broke her heart. It's all bollocks. The truth is definitely something less glamorous, and I would imagine actually much sadder as well? I'm not sure what, but I'm picturing something like Murdoc's father being some small-time occultist who sold his son to vampires, or maybe Murdoc was working some menial job and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe he was turned by some vampire who would have drunk him dry, if Murdoc hadn't fought him off. Or maybe it's a bit of mystery, like the mystery of his mother in canon. Someone did this to Murdoc, someone made him what he is, but he has no memory of it. And all the different stories are actually partly a coping mechanism for that, as he tries on different explanations for size. (It would also explain why he would refuse to abandon Stu after turning him. Because navigating this new reality alone is something he wouldn't wish on anyone, even some dumb kid.)

I think the supernatural element would also be a great way to expand on and deepen Murdoc's relationships with Russell and Noodle. In supernatural fiction there are always two types of beings that hate each other. Usually vampires and werewolves, but often vampires and ghosts too. As, obviously, vamps can't drain ghosts, and they spend their lives running from the guilt of all the people they've killed. Ghosts are a constant reminder of that - and of the afterlife they both fear, and resent that they were denied. I can picture Russell maybe helping Murdoc exorcise the ghost of Hannibal or Jacob, and that's how they meet. (And why he has more patience with Murdoc than most. He's seen him at his most vulnerable.) Noodle would be great as a vampire hunter too. Her dynamic with Murdoc would be fraught as on the one hand, she respects Russell and venerates him for his connection to the spirit world, so to a certain extent anything he says she'll try to respect. And Murdoc is supposedly reformed, and she has moments where she even almost quite likes him. But her instinct is not to trust him. Her instinct is to put him down, and they both know it. As much as he battles his bloodlust around her, she battles her urge to put a stake through his heart, Van Helsing style.

Finding out he turned someone would be a MAJOR ruck in their relationship. But I think Murdoc would use 2-D to convince her and Russell to stick around - because he turned him, but it wasn't like he was chowing down on the lad, it was practically an act of charity, really. Practically an act of atonement. And if they both leave now, Stu is only left with Mr Bad Influence Murdoc Niccals, to teach him how to be a vampire, and restrain his urges and whatnot. And Murdoc has never been much good at all that AA, 12 step stuff, so unless they WANT poor sweet Stuart Pot to wind up spending eternity as some kind of crackhead . . . it would be a kindness to him, really, to stick around.

I could not agree more about how Murdoc turning Stu would mirror their Phase Two dynamic, with Stu literally having become "the thing Murdoc turned him into", and resenting that. But also, having moments of perverse gratitude for it? Stu is vain, and vampire Stu would be gorgeous, which I reckon he'd love. And though I think he'd hate that his normal life of footy with the boys and Sunday dinner at his mum's was over, I can also imagine him feeling this whole new world has opened up in front of him, something most people aren't special enough to gain entry to. And he likes that.

I can even see the fame thing and the band happening. Music would be a great, healthier way to channel the urges he can't act on. And I can see Murdoc agreeing. Admitting that he's been playing in bands for years, because it's actually a great cover for a vampire lifestyle. Being nocturnal is practically a prerequisite, when you're a rock star, and you can get away with looking all kinds of weird when you're in a band, because people just chalk it up to the aesthetic. Still, until he met 2-D, none of the bands he'd been in were actually any GOOD. 2-D reawakens his love of music, the same way he is the turning point for Murdoc's career in the canon.

Vampirism would also be a great way to explore Stuart's flaws. His vanity is an obvious one, but I can also see him avoiding his family and not letting them know why he'd disappeared for years. Just too self-absorbed to appreciate the harm it's caused. I can also see the pill problem happening as he imitates Murdoc's habit of abusing substances to try and blunt his bloodlust. I can imagine him saying stupid stuff like "you never even took me to the hospital!" and convincing himself he experiences phantom headaches, because he doesn't want to admit he's becoming just like Murdoc, actually. He tells himself the pills are medicine and he really needs them, and it's not the same at all.

And I can see him getting too carried away with his lusts, and having several near misses or disastrous incidents where he brings girls home and loses control of himself. Where Murdoc jumps in and saves it from getting too out of hand, but at the same time exposes how he's basically been stalking Stu "for your own protection", with a side of decidedly voyeuristic intentions. Stu has . . . strong (and somewhat confused) feelings about this.

I think Murdoc would be the same trouble magnet in the vampire underworld that he was in the criminal one. Feelings about Murdoc range from "this unwashed oik should NEVER have been allowed to become one of us" to "I WILL STAKE MURDOC FAUST NICCALS IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO". Murdoc would definitely continue his streak of petty crime any time he entered the hallowed halls of the vampire hoi poloi. He'd be pilfering left and right. And I can't imagine he'd ever kowtow to the aristocracy, which, in a subculture as obsessed with class as vampires . . .  yeah, he's insolent, to say the least. And they hate it. They just hate Murdoc, generally. I imagine 2-D might consider crossing over to the dark side to join them, to spite Murdoc, before eventually he realizes that - amazing as it sounds - even Murdoc has higher moral standards than these people. Maybe he's better off with the devil he knows.

I love what you said about Murdoc and Stuart being hung by the same rope, for all eternity. That's exactly the dynamic I think a vampire AU would bring about. I also think Murdoc being Stu's vampire sire would be interesting in the romantic sense, as part of them would always second guess if that was the reason for the bond they feel. Are they developing feelings, or is all of this just the blood bond? I can imagine Stuart hating his own inability to judge why he feels so drawn to Murdoc, and I can see Murdoc trying to convince himself any possessiveness or pride or protectiveness he feels over Stu is just what all vampires feel when they turn someone. (Even though it's not.) It would be a potent brew.

Anyway, this was long but I will never have the time to actually write this (I have five WIPs in other fandoms already) so I thought I'd let it out somehow. Thanks for giving me the space to talk this over!

(If anyone wants to run with this and make something of it, by the way, have at it! Just credit me somewhere for the idea. That'd be good.)

This was quite a ride! I love the idea of Stuart Pot's mortal life ending when he's mowed down in a Tesco car park buying condoms and Tango. It's cruel to say it's what he deserves and frankly the complete antithesis of the whole conflict I'm begging for, but... it's what he deserves. I'm also very intrigued by the angle of treating bloodlust as an addiction: it could theoretically be overcome, but practically speaking, rarely is. This makes it easy to see how Murdoc spins off into such a cartoonishly extreme life of debauchery. I love the bit about Murdoc changing his story of what happened, both the night he hit Stuart and his own origin-- the difference being that Stu does know what happened to him, whether he ever chooses to believe Murdoc's ever-shifting justifications for it or not, but no one can ever really know where Murdoc came from except himself. I definitely agree that the truth has to be less glamorous, less thrilling, less worthy of tales and legends. I like Stuart and Murdoc best when they are not men born into greatness nor men born for greatness, not inherently, and I love the private grappling with the belief that they are special and the fear that they probably aren't. Your explanation of the foil-like dynamic between vampires and spirits/ghosts is interesting, I don't know if that's an established piece of vampire lore or if that's your own invention, but I think it's a really solid one. I don't know if I've truly seen those two creatures explored in a world together with such a direct emphasis on that ghoulish ecosystem, so to speak.

And, well, I'm quite predictable but I'm ready to invest $5k in a full novel exploring Stu's estrangement from his family and friends following the transformation, the psychological toll it takes to choose-- though he may feel he has no other choice at all-- to abandon those relationships, how his own descent may mirror Murdoc's as he shelters himself in chalk-tablet excess and a vibrant, at times frightful carnal life to distract himself from the guilt. I'm dying to see how he could approach mending those fences again after years away. It isn't something one sweeps under the rug, isn't something that he can make amends for. This sort of thing shatters a family, and in my imagining of Rachel and David, it certainly shattered his. This kind of permanently-marred family drama really captivates me and is something I don't think we should shy away from in stories about addiction, and it would be fascinating to explore the human element of that against the metaphorical monstrous one.

I love what you mentioned about the "blood bond" and how it factors into the pull between them they're too unsettled to really name. This adds an extra layer of confusion, as you say, and better justifies why they find themselves orbiting each other, pretending there's a blood-coloured chain tethering them and ignoring the heavy weighted padlock in the middle that pulls them down, down, down. I've spoken a lot on this blog about why Stu is participatory in the relationship when he dislikes Murdoc in such a profound way, and while I absolutely never tire of the messy, bleak human weakness and ego of that, it would be quite special to explore that with something that almost feels like an excuse for Stu, a macabre justification entirely out of his hands; it gives him permission to be part of this broken spiral and absolves him of the responsibility of acknowledging his choice. I'd like to think he still lives with it, as Murdoc does too, but they may appreciate the safety of the smokescreen as much as they struggle to see through it.

Thanks for sending me your ideas, I hope other readers will enjoy seeing your elaborations, and if you're having fun thinking about these two goons I'd encourage you to consider making a blog. Sometimes you get lucky and draw in people who are incredibly kind!

(Lastly, unrelated fun fact about vampirism in my life: my first job was playing a vampire at a haunted amusement park. Our "Scare Zone" was designed as a junkyard taken over by a vampire gang, and I was the "queen" with a throne made of old tires. It was... a fun job and also not a fun job, haha.)

#anon au #thank you!