summary: it was supposed to be a lazy day for anastacha and marigold, except marigold's parents took away their phones and are having a hard time trying to find what to do.
word count: 1168 words
warnings: none
a/n: shameless david plug aside, i mined some really good anagold while i was offline heheheh. marigold's parents are traditional and outdated stuck-ups who are also MAGAs which is blegh. hey, if you're curious about trading with me for a fic, read this post!
credits: @parasourr for the lovely anastacha thumbnail art & @/strangergraphics for the ao3 dividers
The laziest of days call for laying down on the couch and simply watching your phone.
Or at least, that's what Anastacha expected her afternoon would usually be, except there was quite literally a pretty girl sitting on the couch next to her with her hands on her laps and with no phone in either of their hands because both Marigold and Anastacha had theirs taken away by Marigold's mom moments before Tacha visited so they'd be able to have a more 'authentic' hangout like, Mmm. Back in the good ol' days, or whatever these boomers like to say.
Marigold slowly glanced towards her before quickly averting her gaze and forcing her pupils back towards her lap. The air was stuffy despite the air conditioning, making even Anastacha begin to sweat bullets as she glanced back and forth between Marigold and the TV that had been turned on but wasn't playing anything either of them liked at that hour, so the only thing left to do was stare.
Stare until this all turned out to just be a silly dream that Anastacha was having because her mind likes to torture her subconscious with imaginations when it was anxious about anything.
Stare until maybe the TV melts to the ground and becomes a more interesting point of conversation.
Stare until the time has already passed by and Anastacha eventually have to leave early under the excuse of chores.
Because clearly, some people or rather adults, sure like to ruin the fun for two girls who just wanted to hang out like the teenagers they are. And it wasn't like Anastacha hadn't been hanging out with Marigold in ways that didn't involve cellphones---they've gone to the park before and uh, went to the park some more… Okay, maybe it was a necessary sacrifice, Anastacha grumbled to herself. But it was just that today was supposed to be a day when they'd show each other stupid Tiktoks and laugh at even stupider comment sections together. Just one casual, chill and lazy day. Was that too much to ask for? Her and Marigold hadn't been hanging out for that long either which was probably why she expected too much from her parents that they already established as rich snobs.
"I'm sorry, Ana," Marigold said with a genuine sorrow to her tone that it made Anastacha perk up and look at her incredulously.
"Are you kidding? It's not your fault, Mari, you shouldn't say sorry for everything, you know." Anastacha rolled her eyes with a small grin on her face.
Marigold blinked, as if she couldn't believe that her friend didn't just unleash hell on her for something she didn't even do. "I just… Well, this is actually my first time having any friends over. So I guess my parents are wary."
"Yeah, I can tell, they've been walking in on us like every 15 minutes or so." Anastacha scrunched her nose and furrowed her brows when she saw Marigold's dad walk in to pick up a conveniently small item on the desk next to them once more. "Don't you get suffocated? I mean, with all these…" Marigold's brow narrowed. "Traditions that they follow and believe in, I'd have probably been disowned and kicked out in your place."
"Yeah… They're not very understanding parents, and neither are they, um, I guess you can say, very open-minded. You saw it earlier when they were looking at you funny."
"For my outfit?" Anastacha looked down at the classic goth outfit she had on and scoffed. "Yeah, no kidding, who the fuck wears an actual MAGA hat in their everyday wear? That's gotta be a knew level of Trump c-"
"Shhhhhh!" Marigold placed an index finger on both of their lips and Anastacha, fully taken aback, had her breath hitch in her throat and a blush color her cheeks. "My parents can't hear you say that or else they'll kick you out…"
At the thought of bumming both her and Marigold for the rest of the day just because she said something that didn't quite please her unpleasing parents, Anastacha sighed and made a motion of zipping her mouth. Marigold mouthed a thanks and it was only then that she recalled her finger that was still on her friend's lips and she quickly averted her eyes and put it away.
"Mmm, y'know, we should totally get out of here."
"I thought you wanted a couch day?"
"Yeah, but that was when I thought we'd get to keep our phones and just laugh at memes, or whatever."
Marigold tilted her head to the side and leaned against the couch cushion. "As long as it's not somewhere dangerous…"
"You remember that boy we saw beating up that jerk---Kyle---in front of the school gates two weeks ago?"
"The blonde one with the scary eyes?" Marigold's brow twitched and furrowed as she curled her fingers against her sides. "After that, you said you felt sick and went home. Did he- did he do anything bad to you?"
Anastacha smirked and leaned back to rest her head against the headrest and meet Marigold's eyes. "Well, I followed him yesterday."
"You what-?!"
"Shh, keep your voice down."
Marigold sighed but complied. "So after that, what…?"
"Turned out he really likes going to this junkyard spot. I overheard him murmuring something about two weeks. Maybe he came back today."
"A-are you sure? Junkyards are pretty scary… And that boy was also scary…"
"He's fine, a bit of a lousy thrower, but just generally really quiet. Maybe you can teach him a thing or two since you're smart, Mari." When Marigold's eyes widened at the compliment, Anastacha smiled back shyly. "Well, only if you want, of course. I'm not telling you to just teach the guy, obvi. You're way too cool to just be some guy's tutor. There are also other things we can do, like, tag or find a can and use our slippers to hit it."
"Is that a game where your dad's from, Ana?"
"Y-yeah, tumbang preso." Anastacha stammered. She pursed her mouth shut, stopping herself from rambling any longer than she uncharacteristically had to.
"…It sounds fun." Marigold smiled wide. "Sure. As for the boy… I'll- I'll try! I used to love tutoring my little cousins who were a grade younger than me before we moved."
"Mmm." Anastacha breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. Maybe it'll get your spark back, or whatever."
"Hopefully!" Marigold grabbed both of Anastacha's hands and looked into her eyes. "Let's go, then!"
Anastacha blinked rapidly and glanced quickly at their entwined hands before averting her gaze from Marigold's. She didn't know where this newfound enthusiasm came from all of a sudden, but if she was down for it, then there was nothing to complain about. Her excitement was somewhat infectious as well, making Anastacha actually excited to go to a dilapidated setting of ruined cars and garbage piles which she never would have predicted in her entire life.
summary: today, anastacha brings her girlfriend, marigold, to her parents to meet them for the first time.
word count: 1983 words
warnings: none
a/n: today is the super nacha fan's birthday so i decided to make this as a gift for them!! marigold is their oc which they ship with anastacha as a happy yuri. i was going to give both francis and nacha a spotlight in this fic, but i think nacha was enough! psst, hey, if you're curious about trading with me for a fic, read this post!
credits: @iamdespy for the peak anagold thumbnail art & @/strangergraphics for the ao3 dividers
The door wasn't that much taller than Marigold, still, it stood there tall and imposing over her, as if it contained a dimension to another world. And to the poor, anxious girl who was about to meet her girlfriend's parents for the first time ever, it could practically be a ticket to heaven or hell.
"Mmm, relax," Anastacha held her hand firmly in her own and interlaced their fingers, squeezing it softly. "My parents aren't going to be like yours, don't worry. They're cool with it, with… us."
Marigold smiled towards her sheepishly, "I know, Ana. I mean, they created a unique and wonderful girl like you, so…"
Anastacha's eyes widened, her cheeks dusted with light pink and she snorted. "Then there's nothing to worry about, Mari. Come on." She stepped forward and tugged Marigold's arm forward. Though still reluctant, Marigold took that one step forward and Anastacha smiled back at her before pushing open the door.
They didn't even get three steps in before Anastacha paused in her steps and Marigold halted beside her. A plump red-haired woman who was about the same height as Tacha hurried over towards them while removing her mittens.
When she was finally standing in front of them, Marigold perked up and the pink on her cheeks deepened into a shade of red.
"Willkommen zu hause, Tacha! Und…" Nacha blinked at Marigold beside her and Anastacha cleared her throat. "Oh! My apologies for ze German, dear. You must be Marigold, correct?"
Anastacha internally facepalmed herself at the huge grin that her mom had on. "Mmm, yeah, she wanted to finally meet you and dad, or whatever."
"I'm- I'm Marigold Reed, nice to meet you, ma'am…" Marigold couldn't help but stare at Tacha's mom---well, how couldn't she? Her mom had the most gorgeous green and blue eyes, and she also had freckles (which, to Marigold, were just the prettiest dotted stars on someone's face). She's so pretty…
Anastacha glanced towards Marigold from her periphery and nudged her out of her stupor. Marigold flinched and glanced at Anastacha then back towards her mom. They're both so pretty.
Nacha giggled and smiled up at her, "I've heard a lot of things about you from my little Tacha! And you are indeed as tall as she said you were… Oh! Since Francis isn't here yet, do you want to help me reach the pantry?"
"Mom, there's a stool in the kitchen," Anastacha rolled her eyes, but didn't actually mind her mom's antic much.
Nacha smiled. "Oh come now, Tacha, your maman is getting old and need some help around the kitchen every once in a while. It'd give me and Mari here a chance to have some girl talk too!"
Anastacha exhaled. "Whatever, that's up to Mari to decided."
Marigold perked up when she felt Anastacha's gaze boring straight into her soul and she straightened her posture on her mary janes before responding enthusiastically, "Yes, ma'am!"
"Oh, dear," Nacha chuckled and Anastacha shook her head with a small smirk. "You can just call me Nacha, or auntie Nacha, maybe even mom if you wanted."
Anastacha squeezed Marigold's hand while she struggled to school her expression into complete nonchalance. The knot in her throat relaxed from its hold a little and she squeaked out, "Y-yes… auntie…"
Nacha heaved a breath and supposed that that was enough teasing for the poor nervous wreck that was Marigold. One day, she'll get her to call her mom, but for now… "This way, missy! Kommst du mit, Ana?"
"Nein," Tacha shook her head. "Ich warte, bis papa kommt, damit ich ihm von Marigold erzählen kann."
Marigold didn't understand a single word except her name and a 'papa'. She's probably going to look for her dad.
"Na gut, Tacha, komm einfach in die Küche, wenn du fertig bist."
Anastacha released her hand from her grasp and hesitated for a moment before giving Marigold a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be in the living room if you need me, or whatever."
Marigold nodded, though a bit confused that she wasn't going to look for her dad after all. "Okay." Anastacha walked off and Nacha tutted to get her attention.
When she finally got her attention, Nacha turned in the direction of the kitchen and motioned for Marigold to follow her with a flick of her wrist. "Alright, this way, dearie!"
Marigold followed suit in Nacha's footsteps, stepping into the mini-kitchen that was in the corner of their living room. It was rather lively, with colorful wooden decors of positive quotes like 'Live, Laugh, Love' and 'A House is Temporary, but A House is Forever' hanging beside the fridge and one over the countertop next to a towel. Even the fridge had tiny magnet letters stuck on the door, forming the names of Anastacha and her parents---Ana, Nacha, and Francis.
So that's her dad's name… I wonder if Ana looks a lot like him?
From what she knew of him, he majored in Food Science and studied in Washington State University. Double U freaking State University. Marigold once told Anastacha about her desire to major in a medical degree there and it was the first thing she brought up. Her mind already raced with questions she wanted to ask him---what kind of college was WSU like? Did the mascot really look terrifying? Wait, what is college even like?
"Mari!" Broken out of her stupor, Marigold turned around to find Nacha staring at her with a concerned look in her eyes. "Are you okay? Is the summer heat too much? Oh, I apologize for not having air conditioning in this house!"
Marigold blinked rapidly and shook her head just as fast. "No- no, auntie! I'm fine… I was just… lost in thought. It's not that hot, don't worry about me."
"Oh, phew," Nacha placed a hand over her chest and let out a breath of relief. "You scared me, honey! I was just pointing which cabinet I needed you to reach for me but you didn't respond so I had to check. You looked like your mind was elsewhere!"
"You could say that," Marigold chuckled nervously.
Nacha reassured her with a soft smile and took that as a sign to change the topic. "Alright, dear, I just need you to grab the box of flour from this cabinet here-!" she huffed and got on her tiptoes to point at the second cabinet to the left. Marigold outstretched her hands in front of her out of an irrational fear that she might suddenly trip over her foot, but let them fall back to her sides with an exhale as Nacha laid flat on her feet once more. "Is that doable for you?"
"Of course, auntie." Marigold stepped in front of the cabinet, got on her tiptoes, and opened it before taking the blue and white box of all-purpose flour from within anticlimactically.
Nacha clapped her hands enthusiastically, "Oh, thank you, Mari! You're a great help!" Marigold handed the box to her and laid back flat on her heels while Tacha's mom set the flour down on top of the counter. "I'm going to make pretzels with this, it's Tacha's favorite. What about you, Mari?"
"Um- pretzels are sweet! They make for a delicious light snack and…" She hung her head low and gazed down at the floor. "…I really like the chocolate-coated ones you made a few weeks ago for Tacha."
"Ooh, so she did share them with you after all," Nacha nodded and hummed approvingly. "Well, lucky for you, I do have some melted chocolate chilling in the fridge today! Just sit back and relax while this old lady makes dough. Or maybe you'd like to go to the living room and talk with your girlfriend until this is done!"
Marigold briefly considered finding Tacha in the living room and hanging out with her while waiting for the pretzels to bake, but she shook her head. "I think I'll stay here and talk with you, miss auntie."
And she did. Marigold walked over to the lone table in the corner of the kitchen covered with a blue checkered tablecloth and conveniently surrounded by exactly four chairs.
While Marigold slid into a seat, Nacha spared no time and poured two cups of flour into an already available bowl sitting atop the counter. Marigold watched as she grabbed a salt shaker and tapped it three times, raining salt onto the flour before setting aside.
Marigold can't help but be mesmerized by the focus and precision that Ana's mother had while making the dough. Next, she grabbed the bowl of activated yeast mixture that she had set aside to dry earlier and poured it into the flour. Nacha washed her hands thoroughly before beginning to knead the bread slowly and firmly.
"Well, dear? Don't just go quiet on me! I remember Anastacha told me you're quite the chatterbox and that we would get along."
"Did- did she?" Marigold nervously scratched the side of her neck. "I only ever do that around her because she's… well, she's a great listener and- and a great responder too!"
"Oh, honey, breathe." Nacha giggled. "I'm glad my Tacha is not the only one who's head over the heels after all. I'm curious… How did it happen? Who confessed first?"
"Well…" Marigold swallowed and trailed off as she remembered the very moment that led to the confession and the confession itself that still left her feeling a little lightheaded and touching her lips. "We were having a fieldtrip, then. It was at a zoo. Me and Tacha got separated from the group so we went to a lion enclosure and I was just looking at the lions when suddenly she was gone from my side. I was so scared… But I chose to trust Tacha and stay put while thinking of ways to calm down my nerves. This one lioness seemed to notice my emotional turmoil and came up to the glass to say hi. When I turned to look back, Ana was already there… It spooked me so badly that I didn't even notice the flowers and the mixtape she was holding! And well…" Marigold looked up to find Nacha looking at her expectantly while her hands kneaded on autopilot.
"Go on…"
Marigold blushed and sank into her seat. "I was a bit taken aback because I've never actually seen a mixtape before. I thought they were already gone after CDs became a thing, and also Spotify. But she told me to listen to the mixtape so I did, and it was… well, I recognized that song! It was a girl in red song, and…" Another gulp. "She shoved the bouquet into my hand then and asked if she could be my girlfriend. I… I never thought Anastacha actually liked girls! I mean, I had a hunch, but…"
"Well? What did you say?"
"A bunch of stuff, I was a mess. But ultimately… My answer was yes."
Nacha audibly let out a loud 'aww' which made Marigold turn the shade of a ripened tomato.
Just then, two more figures entered the room and looked at Nacha who was glowing then at the poor teenage girl who was red in the face.
"Mmm, mama, what did you do?"
"Just as mutti should! You didn't tell me you were such a romantic, Ana. Making quite the grand gesture…"
It took a slow blink and a flash of red to color her cheek for Anastacha to audibly groan, whining, "Mama! This is why I never told you the full thing! Ugh, it wasn't even that grand…"
"Mmm, did I miss something…?" Francis stepped in beside Anastacha.
"You came at just the right time, Francis! Our girls have a lot to tell us."
Anastacha shook her head.
Today's first meeting between her parents and Marigold was going to be longer than she thought.
