Feb 14, 2020
Happy Valentine’s Day
Enjoy this wonderful old art I saved from @charlunday who always manages to amaze me
seen from Vietnam
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Vietnam
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Sweden
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from Netherlands
seen from Türkiye
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Australia
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from China
Happy Valentine’s Day
Enjoy this wonderful old art I saved from @charlunday who always manages to amaze me
A scene from We Are One
Things The Ships Do In Passing
I.e. walking past each other I a hallway or something.
Thiyanda:
-Thalia gives very quick cheek kisses
-Siyanda likes to run a hand through Thalia’s hair
-Thalia sometimes gives quick hand squeezes
-Siyanda will do tiny back rubs
Scorion:
-Scout also runs a hand through Orion’s hair but he starts at the back and goes up and forward
-Orion does a very quick little neck rub that makes Scout laugh
-Scout will often squeeze Orion’s shoulder
-Orion likes to do quick side hugs
Durames:
-Fox will settle her head briefly on James’ shoulder
-James loves giving forehead kisses
-Fox has a habit of touching James’ face, like running a thumb over his cheek or something.
-James often tucks her hair behind her ears.
Salex:
-Sage does this little butt tap thing when she walks past Alex.
-Alex gives hugs from behind all the time
-Sage jokingly tucks her hands into Alex’s pockets on a regular basis
-Alex likes to settle her hand on the small of Sage’s back
The Aftermath XI
Piper had just finished sharing the news with Siyanda on Drew’s recovery and cancelled the call when she noticed James bolting down the hallway. Part of her wanted to ask what the issue was but she thought better of it. There was no telling what that man was up to half the time and she’d rather not know.
“So,” Gen sighed, entering Piper’s work shop and sliding onto a stool, “I was thinking we get Thalia out of this place for a while. She’s been cooped up and Si said we had to help make life less miserable for her.”
“Alright,” Piper snorted, “what’s the plan?”
“Just an evening out on the city. Walking around, maybe eating lunch, whatever we think of,” Gen proposed, tapping her knuckles on the table top.
“You realize the media hawks will be on us like flies on a pile of dog shit, right?” Piper arched a brow.
“That’s why I enlisted the help of someone who knows how to fly under the radar,” Gen grinned.
And that’s how Piper ended up with Fox raiding her closet. She wasn’t sure what the ex-criminal had in mind but she figured Gen was right, Fox knew how to lay low on the streets.
“Put this on,” Fox called, tossing a shirt over her shoulder, “wear this hat, these shoes, and no sunglasses because that’s suspicious.”
“Alright,” Piper nodded, studying the outfit. She expected it to be super plain, boring, and something no one wanted to look at, but it wasn’t. It was just the right level of casual so that Piper wasn’t sticking out like a sore thumb because her clothes were drab, and not nearly as high end as some of her other public wear. “I owe you.”
“Pay me in this,” Fox turned about, holding up one of Piper’s old leather jackets.
“Okay, I hate that things anyways,” Piper snorted.
“Great,” Fox decided, already slipping the jacket on. “Good luck on your day of fun.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Piper sighed, waving her off so she could change. After managing to swap clothes in a reasonable amount of time, Piper hunted down Thalia and Gen.
“Looks like you’re ready,” Gen grinned, clasping her hands together.
“So, where is it we’re going?” Thalia asked, her eyes holding an intense curiosity.
“That’s the fun of our adventure dear friend,” Piper mused, slinging an arm around Thalia’s shoulders, “we have absolutely no idea.”
“Oh, okay.” Thalia nodded, “so it’s like Sage when she has to go shopping.”
“Yes,” Gen snorted, “like that.”
“Now, lets go,” Piper sighed, tugging Thalia towards the lift that would take them down to the parking garage. “It’s time for some fresh air...or as fresh as you can get in New York.”
— — —
The streets were full of cars honking angrily at one another, taxi drivers shouting over the noise to their passengers, sidewalks crammed full of people, and interesting smells culminating in little pockets. It was exactly the kind of thing that made New York...New York.
“Sometimes I forget how loud it is,” Thalia remarked, matching Piper’s pace.
“Yeah, me too,” Piper nodded, “but you get used to it.”
“Gen said you talked to Si,” Thalia glanced hopefully at the young Stark.
“I did.”
“How is she?”
“She’s good. Just, grappling with some family issues,” Piper pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure how much Si wanted Thalia to know so she kept it vague.
“Family is difficult,” Thalia sighed in understanding.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Gen rolled her eyes.
“That reminds me,” Piper frowned, “have you talked to your parents recently?”
“No,” Gen shook her head, “it’s fine. They’re probably too wrapped up in work anyways. I find your parents much more charming.”
“Glad you like them because they can be annoying at times,” Piper grinned, taking Gen’s hand in her own. “What about you, Thals? Spending time with your mom?”
“As much as I can,” Thalia beamed, and Piper knew she’d hit a rather pleasant topic for the Asgardian. “She was telling me all about Asgard. What it looked like, all of the people, it’s history, and how my father was as a kid. My uncle too!”
“Didn’t your uncle stab your dad?” Gen asked, recalling an odd story she’d heard from Piper.
“On more than one occasion,” Thalia nodded, seeming almost proud. “It’s an odd relationship.”
“No kidding,” Gen laughed.
“My mother also told me about the Valkyries. Apparently there was more than one a long time ago. I wish I’d have gotten to see them. They sound fierce and well trained,” Thalia went on talking excitedly about all of the new things she’d learned, and it occurred to Piper that most people didn’t bother to ask her much about them. It’s why she always bubbled up when someone did and rambled on until she was forced to breath again.
“Sounds legit,” Piper noted, “but I think you’d have less fun there. Sounds like a lot of rules.”
“There’s rules here,” Thalia countered, “it’s called the law.”
Gen laughed loudly and had to stop walking lest she fall over. “Piper doesn’t know what the law is.”
“I do too!”
“You like to break it?” Thalia questioned her friend with genuine concern.
“Oh yeah,” Gen nodded, throwing her girlfriend right under the bus.
“You do not help my reputation at all,” Piper frowned. “And no, I don’t break the law unless I have to.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Thalia sighed. “I would have had to talk with mister Stark.”
“Didn’t think you’d care that much,” Piper noted, shifting awkwardly as Gen slowly collected herself.
“You’re my friends. Of course I would care,” Thalia insisted. “Now, I was promised lunch. Is there any place you prefer?”
“Actually,” Piper frowned, “I don’t eat out here much. I usually just order delivery.”
“That is why you have me,” Gen reminded, “I was once a casual city goer myself. So, follow me kids.”
Thalia shrugged, and drew up beside Gen leaving Piper to shake her head in amusement. She really did have an odd little group of friends and family. Sure, they had their ups and downs but she wouldn’t trade any of them for anything.
Jogging to catch up to them, Piper and Thalia followed Gen for about half a mile before coming to a small restaurant. Once there, getting seated was easy, and soon they had hot meals sitting in front of them ready to be devoured.
“French fries were an option?” Thalia asked, eyeing Piper’s plate.
“Tell you what, I’ll trade you my fries for half of your toast. It looks good,” Piper decided. Thalia didn’t hesitate to take her up on the deal.
“This reminds me of my elementary school cafeteria days,” Gen mused.
“I don’t know what elementary school cafeteria days are,” Thalia shrugged, “but it sounds like a trade system of sorts.”
“More or less,” Piper laughed. “But, you were mildly homeschooled, Gen’s talking about public schools where all sorts of kids go. Sort of like when we tried out high school. Remember that?”
“Unfortunately,” Thalia mumbled, taking a sip of water as Piper struggled not to laugh. None of them had liked their brief stint in high school. It was too complicated, too dramatic, and not conducive to their line of work.
“The only good thing about it was this one,” Piper said, patting Gen on head like she was best dog in the world. “Made me less inclined to jump out the window.”
After another bit of laughter the trio finished their meals with nothing more than short flashes of conversation before heading back out onto the streets. From there they stumbled upon a rather impressive street performer and took to dancing. It was rather stupid dancing, but they all enjoyed it to say the least. A few bystanders even joined in and the street performer made a few extra tips, and and extra generous one from Piper.
As the evening passed she found herself more relaxed than ever before. It took her a moment to realize that it was because of one key factor: there were no cameras. No one was prying into her life and stripping it away for the public to see. She was living in the moment, enjoying herself, and truly able to appreciate the people she was lucky enough to have in her life.
It was this pleasant realization that gave her the confidence to steal a chaste kiss from Gen without having to worry about it being in the tabloids.
“We should do this more,” Piper decided, “it’s kind of fun.”
“Can I come next time too?” Thalia asked hopefully, “unless you want to be alone. Like a date. Those are nice and fun too.”
“You can come,” Gen shrugged, “it’s actually nicer having another person around.”
“Really?” Thalia asked.
“Yeah,” Gen nodded, “besides you spend a lot of time in the lab anyways helping Si and us out. You’re kind of part of the squad now.”
“I’ve never been in a squad,” Thalia thought aloud.
“First time for everything,” Piper smiled, setting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Now, we should probably start heading back before it gets too dark. And maybe you can call Si up and talk to her? I think she said she was free around ten.”
“Great. Let’s go.” Thalia set off at a brisk pace before Piper had finished talking.
“She’s so cute,” Gen chuckled, “do you get that excited over me?”
“No, I usually complain about you,” Piper replied, earning a punch to the shoulder. Rolling her eyes Gen tugged Piper along so they wouldn’t lose Thalia in the crowd.
The Aftermath V
(Yes Valentine’s day takes place during this. I figured it’s a reprieve from the angst)
— — —
Valentine’s day wasn’t always a time of complete joy. For some it was a rather dull and agonizing holiday. For others it was a time of joy and excitement. In fact, Penny adored Valentine’s day and had prepped a month in advance for the day of love.
She had her cards made, presents bought, and delivery route memorized. For the most part it was something simple, but there was one person she was particularly excited about surprising. Staying up late the night before Penny added the finishing touches to her gift before dragging Chloe into her room. “Does it look good?”
“Yeah,” Chloe nodded, inspecting the gift with care.
“Great!” Penny clasped her hands together bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Okay, I can’t wait until tomorrow. You can have yours now!”
Chloe watched as Penny shuffled through a bunch of valentines until she pulled up a bright pink card accompanied by a small goodie bag. “You didn’t have to-“
“Open it!” Penny grinned like a little kid. Shaking her head, Chloe did as told. The card was written in somewhat sloppy handwriting and there were certainly misspelled words but she didn’t bother bringing it up.
The card read:
‘You are an awsom friend. Heer is a thank you for being so kind and patent with me’
“Thanks Penny,” Chloe smiled faintly, “that’s sweet. And I don’t put up with you. I enjoy your company. You’re pretty spontaneous.”
“I know the spelling is a little-“
“I don’t mind,” Chloe insisted. “Thank you again. Now get to bed. It’s literally morning.”
“What?!” Penny looked at her alarm with wide eyes. She’d hyper focused again. “Hold on. Why are you up early?”
“That is my business,” Chloe grinned, tapping Penny on the head with her card.
Penny huffed knowing she’d get no info from the eldest twin and instead laid wide awake on her bed where the minutes seemed to pass like years. Then, at last, the sound of breakfast being made greeted her ears. With a pleasant sigh she left the confines of her room to find Nathaniel and Chloe making breakfast.
“So that’s what you were up for. You’re surprising everyone with breakfast!” Penny noted.
“It won’t be a surprise if you keep being loud,” Nathaniel slapped her on the arm with a spatula.
“Oooow,” Penny frowned sticking out her tongue.
— — —
“Valentine’s Day,” James sighed, already feeling his stomach twist in nerves. He had plans but there was a high likely hood that Fox didn’t like them.
Finally dressing for the day James decided to catch her before the day became to chaotic. So, journeying down the hallway he paused to knock softly at her door. “Come in.”
Pressing his lips into a thin line, James opened the door stepping into her room. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Fox greeted busy slipping her shoes on. “What brings you by? Leave something about and lost it?”
“No,” James shook his head, “actually there’s something I wanted to give you. Now I know you don’t like Valentine’s day that much since it was either forgotten or cheesy for you but I felt obliged to get you something.”
“Oh,” Fox’s face fell and James immediately regretted his decision, “I don’t have anything for you. I’m sorry...I didn’t think-“
“That’s okay,” James insisted, “I honestly don’t need anything.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Uh...here,” James held out his hand like a little kid showing their parent a sloppily drawn picture. “I’m not much of a shopper but I know you don’t have a whole lot of clothes and Maria can’t really drop work to go on a spree with you so...I figured I would. You can take Harper too since I know you’ve been wanting to hang out with her. It’s just a gift card from my old savings money.”
Fox took it hesitantly before spotting the amount charged to the card, “I can’t take this. No way. That’s too much. James, are you nuts?”
“Maybe a little,” he chuckled, “but it’s okay. I swear. All of that on there is yours. Whatever you’d like.”
“Seriously?” Fox’s eyes were the size of tennis balls but James saw the glisten of tears in them. He wondered when the last time anyone had bothered to give her a gift was.
“Seriously,” James nodded. He was tackled in an unexpected hug but he didn’t mind it. It registered in his brain that she smelled faintly of spices most likely from her dinner last night.
“Thank you to the moon and back,” Fox grinned wider than she ever had and gave him one finale bone crushing hug.
— — —
“Scout I wrote you something,” Orion barged in wearing only a pair of fuzzy socks and plaid boxers.
“That’s nice,” Scout snorted, studying his boyfriend’s odd fashion choice.
“It uh...took me all night. I’m not too good with words and I wanted to make it special so-“
“Anything would have been fine,” Scout assured, noticing the way Orion’s voice wavered nervously.
“I know but still,” Orion shrugged, moving awkwardly to sit by Scout in bed. “I wrote it down so I won’t forget.”
“Okay,” Scout laughed, resting his head on Orion’s shoulder. “What’d you write?”
Orion swallowed nervously before unfolding a sheet of paper he’d had wadded in his hand. The flimsy script shook ever so slightly in his hands but Orion continued bravely. “Unexpected was this love of mine. Brought to me by fate and time. To wake and see you standing there with soft warm eyes and wild hair. Is how I’d wake every day knowing that you’re here to stay. That I am yours and you are mine to the ends of the world and all of time. Thank you for saving me when all I was-was lonely.” Orion hastily folded the sheet of paper back up. “Like I said I’m not too good at poetry-“
“I loved it,” Scout smiled, gently taking the paper from Orion’s clammy palm. “You really wrote that? For me?”
“Yeah,” Orion nodded, seeming to gain confidence.
“It’s beautiful,” Scout smiled, recalling the first valentine he’d ever held. The first one he’d ever given. Boys didn’t love boys. Scout didn’t love any boy-even himself, but that was the old Scout. Now? Well, boys did love boys, and he loved the one sitting next to him deeply. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“That’s okay,” Orion promised, “the words are for you not for me.”
Scout nodded, making a mental note to save the paper before pressing his lips gently to Orion’s. “You taste like chocolate. Did you break into the pantry last night?”
“Maybe,” Orion smirked.
“You are so bad,” Scout laughed, giving Orion another kiss and then another and another until Orion was a laughing mess.
— — —
Max woke to find a small envelope propped up between two bars of their cell. They didn’t know how it’d gotten there, but when they opened it they knew the handwriting. It was a simple wish for a happy day but there was a piece of their favorite chocolate inside. Smiling to themself, Max carefully unwrapped it and popped it into their mouth.
The taste was as good as they remembered it. Closing their eyes, Max leaned their head against the wall savoring the taste. “Happy Valentines.”
— — —
A pink envelope was settled neatly by the tank Drew had taken as her home so to speak. Bianca had put it there on Drax’s polite request. She knew had he done it he wouldn’t be able to control himself. The sorrow would be too much.
“Your dad says happy Valentine’s Day,” Bianca pressed her lips into a thin line, “I don’t know if it’s so happy for you, but I’m always told it’s the thought that counts.”
There was no reply. There couldn’t be. Sitting there in her wheel chair for another moment, Bianca found herself content in the quiet. She couldn’t bring herself to enjoy the festivities of the others. What was there for her to be happy about? She’d taken the time to make cards for the people she loved, but people should love each other everyday of the year not just one day.
“Do you ever wonder why we made a day to have people love one another?” Bianca asked, her voice bouncing off the empty chamber, “I think it’s so that people who never get told they’re loved have something to look forward to. But it doesn’t work so much does it when there’s no one to love you? Maybe, then, that’s why the first valentine is so special. I guess it means someone finally cares. Like my dad. He gave me a card, and Alex, and Sage, and James, and Penny, and-I just-did my mother ever give me one? Ah who am I kidding. I’m talking to a tank.”
— — —
Killian’s grave was decorated by a single rose left to endure the elements when Storm arrived. She wasn’t sure who had put it there, but her heart filled with a saddened warmth. She wasn’t the only one thinking of him after all. Someone else out there had bothered to remember him. While she’d have loved to know who-there was also part of her who didn’t want to. Let this anonymous individual remain unknown. Maybe they didn’t want the recognition. Maybe they felt...bad for Killian.
What she didn’t know was that a bouquet of roses in Nathaniel’s room held a barely noticeable empty space, and even as he made breakfast with Chloe fending off Penny’s attempts to steal bacon, he felt a small sense of peace. No hard feelings anymore. Not with Killian. There was no need.
— — —
“Happy Valentine’s day beautiful,” Siyanda plopped onto Thalia’s bed holding up a very soft looking plush of a duck, “I thought my little duck could use a companion.”
“It’s cute,” Thalia smiled, taking the stuffed animal and cuddling it to her chest only to wince.
“Easy,” Si warned gently, “too much cuddling.”
“But-“
“I know you want to squish it,” Siyanda laughed, “but your wounds are still healing. In the mean time, Quacky can nestle right here.”
Siyanda picked up the duck and tucked it in the crook of Thalia’s neck. “Now he-“
“She.”
“She is all nested and comfortable,” Siyanda promised, running a hand through Thalia’s blonde hair.
“You’re pretty,” Thalia yawned, “in the mornings. You look all-refreshed.”
“Yeah?” Si laughed.
“Mhm,” Thalia nodded, already starting to fall back to sleep.
“Thank you. Mind if I stay and snuggle?” The princess asked.
“You can-“ Thalia was interrupted by another yawn, “always snuggle kitty.”
— — —
Sage woke to Alex sleeping on her arm once more. It wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact she was used to it by now, but she was more enthralled by the way little beams of light reflected off that peaceful slumbering face.
She’d already surprised Alex with the small gift she’d gotten-a night light that projected the captain America symbol-so Alex wouldn’t be as scared of the dark at night. Sage had hoped it would also curb nightmares for Alex, but she wasn’t certain of the result. Alex had ended up sleeping with her again and it was either because the night light failed, or Alex just liked spending time with her girlfriend. Sage was certain it was probably the latter more than the first.
“You have your thinking face,” Alex mumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “What were you thinking about?”
“You,” Sage replied, tilting her head to study the sleepy eyed girl still half on top of her. “My gift worked didn’t it?”
“A little,” Alex admitted sheepishly, “but I don’t like sleeping alone. It’s cold.”
“I knew it,” Sage snorted, as Alex gave a coy little smile and pulled her in for a kiss.
— — —
“Agh! I almost forgot!” Penny yelled, bolting from the kitchen like a dog that had seen a squirrel. Sprinting to her room she collected her gift and raced back down the hall. Skittering to a stop she knocked swiftly on Arthur’s door. “Valentine delivery!”
Arthur peered out to see Penny bubbling with excitement. He just shook his head and let her in. “What in the world do you have?”
“A surprise,” Penny breathed, catching her breath from all of the running. She set the gift basket down on Arthur’s bed with zeal. “Okay, ready?”
“I’m ready,” Arthur laughed.
“I got you this!” Penny held up a trans pride flag that nearly hid her from view, “you can pin it to your wall!”
“That’s really awesome, Penny.” Arthur grinned until his cheeks hurt.
“And there’s this!” Penny then pulled out a dvd set of Bob Ross tapes. “I figured it would be soothing, maybe a bit of a distraction in case...you know...dysphoria gets too bad. We can watch it together too. He’s really an awesome guy and sometimes it puts me to sleep.”
“He has an Afro,” Arthur noted.
“Also there’s these,” Penny held up pairs of socks, “since you have holes in yours.”
“Okay Marry Poppins,” Arthur shook his head in amazement.
“Last thing,” Penny promised, “I got Thickey the bear a girlfriend.”
Arthur doubled over in laughter as Penny pulled out an identical looking bear to the one on his bed. “Gosh I love you! You’re amazing! Thickey! You have a girlfriend.”
“S-So you like it?” Penny asked.
“I love it. You put a lot of time into this I can tell,” Arthur sighed, collecting himself. “It means a lot.”
“Good. I’m glad you like it,” Penny stammered. “Well, your sister and Nathaniel are surprising everyone with breakfast. Only I don’t think it’s a surprise now that I told you.”
“I can act,” Arthur said, “Come on. Let’s get our grub on.”
Penny nodded and followed him out of the room feeling very flustered. She wiped her hands swiftly on her jeans and tried very hard to focus on where she was going-but that was very hard.
Relationships In Action
James: “Give me a handle on the situation Orion.”
Orion: *peering through binoculars at Scout*
Scout: *standing like George Washington crossing the Delaware with his tight hero suit pants on*
Orion: “Hey, don’t worry I can handle this. From my point of view we’re looking really good. You just have to sneak around and kick them in the-“
Scout: *bends over to tie his boot*
Orion: “Ass. I mean butt!”
James: *weary sigh*
— — —
Bianca: “I am ready to roll! Let’s do this!”
Sage: “Eh, it’s not gonna be that exciting. We’re reinforcements. The clean up act. Nothing is even worth looki-“
Alex: *beating the shit out of some pour soul*
Sage: “Biceps.”
Bianca: “Biceps? What biceps?”
— — —
Thalia: “How do you breath in there? Isn’t it hot and stuffy?”
Siyanda: “Babe, we’re in the middle of a mission.”
Thalia: “Just curious.”
Siyanda: “Fine, you can try. Here.” *pulls off mask.*
Thalia: *puts it on* “It’s so cool!”
Siyanda: “Okay, give it back.”
Thalia: *pulls the mask off while her hair blows in the breeze*
Siyanda: *having heart palpitations* “Okay, put it back on then take it off again.”
Thalia: “Okay!”
Siyanda: “Do it again.”
— — —
Fox: “It’ll be fun they said, you’ll get to punch some people they said, but everyone else gets all the action.”
Enzo: “Hey look! Bad guys! Come on!”
James: *races Enzo*
Fox: “Oh it’s okay, I don’t want any fun I’ll just get bored watching-“
James: *death by thighs*
Fox: *chokes on her spit* “I have a new favorite show.”
(Figured I give you happiness to lighten the angst of We Are One)
Piper: “You’re a bottom.”
Siyanda: “No, I’m a top.”
Piper: “Bottooom!”
Siyanda: “Top.”
Piper: “B-O-T-T-O-M.”
Siyanda: “T-O-P!”
Thalia: “Why are you guys fighting over the bunk beds? Just do rock, paper, and scissors.”
Thalia’s List: Things I Do Not Understand
Fam?
Panicking at a disco
Confusion or Confucian?
Horny? I think maybe they talk about the big horned cows. I like those.
Bohemians in rap cities
Young grasshoppers
Karate kid? He learns Kung Fu!
The Hungry Caterpillar-is supposed to represent some satirical communist thing. I think he’s just happy to eat.
Toilet paper bears all named Charmin
They are ultra soft bears too
What is a dick? Maybe a misspelled duck.
Fucks not given. Were they taken?
YEET
Why’d he have to do it to them?
PETA or PETA chips?
BS the card game? Doesn’t stand for butter scotch.
Tell a tummy. Sunshine human thing. Looks like a giant orange.
There is a mouse named Mickey.
There is a mini mouse named Minnie Mouse.
Fuck this shit I’m out? I am leaving.
Boner. Bones in the body?
Doctor Who. Who is he? No one seems to know.
Shot shot shot shot shots!
Everybody-dance now? Clap your hands? Wants to rule the world?
Elmo
Big Bird.
Mac and Donalds the cousin of Mac and Cheese
Siyanda She likes me.
T’Challa he also likes me
Dad
Mom? Moms? What are they? Mom I am confused.