an elodie verbeck story.

  ❛ but you and I were never really normal, were we? ❜  

ON THE TWELFTH HOUR OF THE FIRST DAY OF OCTOBER 1989, FORTY-THREE WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD GAVE BIRTH.

This was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day first began.

Sir Reginald Hargreeves, eccentric billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible. In the end, he got seven of them.

ON THE SIXTH HOUR OF THE SECOND DAY OF OCTOBER 1989, A HEALTHY BABY GIRL WAS BORN AND PROMPTLY PUT UP FOR ADOPTION.

This was unusual only in the fact that less than twenty-four hours later, she was given a new home and name, a miracle in the tiny village of Chile. But aside from her first day on Earth, Elodie Verbeck was a very normal human being.

Aside from crappy family values, she could not be more ordinary. She woke up just as the sun was at its brightest, only to work a mediocre job 'til it had long-since fallen. She called her brother when she could and cried when she couldn't, and when she remembered to take a break, ate microwave noodle packs as though they were ambrosia sent straight from the heavens. She argued with a man who was only her father on paper and rolled her eyes at the snippy statements her grandmother passed off as 'loving advice', and plodded through each waking moment in hopes that the next might be a little bit better.

(unfortunately, they rarely got better, but that was the fault of life and maybe not her own)

But despite living a completely average, despicably ordinary life, she still remained a rather curious individual, only in the sense of her lack of desire for anything at all but mere survival. It was as though she had no roots at all; nothing but a name and a half-assed smile she only put on when it was absolutely necessary. She had no close friends, and the only people she could say even slightly knew her were coworkers who had practically forced their way into her life. But even then, could they say they even knew anything past a name and number?

Elodie was an anomaly, a loner that stuck out like a sore thumb in a largely-miserable city, designed to make someone want to never be alone again. But she eagerly chose the shadows and the streets ne'er taken, and sneered her way out of any chance at a friendly conversation - save when it was essential for her own survival.

Such an anomaly in a consistently ordinary world attracted attention; whether it be from the universe, or pitying stares that erupted in questions that always started with 'poor girl', no matter how Elodie tried to remain forgotten, someone always caught a second glance. Most of the times they got shrugged off; sometimes they were met were apathy, and very occasionally, one got to see the hotheaded nature so badly contained inside of her.

But this story isn't about the most, some, or occasional. Otherwise, it might as well be as ordinary as all the others.

This is a story of a strange woman with eyes reflecting nearly every colour of the universe and then some, and a strange man who could never let go of the trauma boyhood had brought to him. It is also the story of a man who committed great crimes for reasons that never made sense to anyone but him and a boy with the sweetest smile that one swore to protect 'til the end of days. Then, there is a not so cowboy with a heart of gold despite how he tries to hide it, and the supernatural idea of people possessing powers beyond belief or imagination. And a whole lot more, and so much less, with the idea of love and chaos and pain all mingling into one bittersweet affair.

This is a story of a man and a woman who were very, very lost, and then a little bit more. Both thinking they would be so forever, and that there could never be anyone who'd ever understand the pain of merely existing - that they were a chaotic anomaly to never be matched. 

That is, until they met.

AND CHAOS WILL THRIVE,
in the best and worst ways.

a prequel to netflix's original 
the umbrella academy.
set in 2012:
seven years before
tua: season one.

...

...

https://youtu.be/S2gmvqptjbQ

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I do not own the rights to TUA, Diego Hargreeves, the comics, etc. All rights go to the respective creators. 

However, any writing done in this book belongs to me - aside from the beautiful plot given to me by, and if you copy any single fucking word, I will throw you into the sun and laugh while you burn. Okay, maybe not that harsh, especially considering I'm a weakling and I don't know where you live, but just don't steal any of this or you will pay - I'll send my kittens after you, so watch out.

This story might contain mature scenes and references, referring to crude humour, language violence, sexuality, and other things that might make children turn to their parents and ask 'Mommy, what does [insert word here] mean?'. Not suitable for children under the age of thirteen, even though if you are that old you shouldn't even be on this site [although I don't really care I'm not your mother].

Also, this character(s) will have opinions that you may not agree with/may upset you. Please realise now that a, there are reasons why that will probably be explained later on, and b, that does not mean I agree with them. It is a fictional character, which means that this is not real, which means that your favourite character can still be a great person to you. This is not a book attacking anyone's opinions, and/or their favourite characters. If you attack me for this or any other reason, I will mute you.

If you want a playlist to accompany this book, you can find it on my spotify account (eleanor.isobella7), the playlist 'light me on fire (and watch me burn)'. it was made for the sequel but the playlist follows for both books, so feel free to get into the mindset i had writing this. i'll put a code when i remember lol.

I am still hopeless at writing summaries, and I realise how trashy this one is (believe me, it was worse). We're working on it. But here's this book back, one of the view that I actually really like from my 'writing days long past'. It was the last book I wrote on here, and despite it being finished when I was 17, I like it still now. I am working through editing it, though, and hopefully it will be much, much better this time around because some of that old dialogue...clearly, past Eleanor had never heard of 'show don't tell'.

Or like, how to talk to any human. Ever.

Anyways, I hope you like this. It's one of the few books that I wrote before that I actually liked, and I'm looking forward to expanding upon it in the sequel - which'll be coming later (look out for that if you liked this).

Just as a heads up on timelines....the first half of this is set before Season One in 2012. Both Elodie and Diego are twenty-three. The second half is focused on the main plot of Season One.

THANK YOU TO...
brieIarson, who designed the cover that was originally featured (you can find it on the next chapter of this, it's so pretty and i still don't know how she made it), as well as the cool netflix blurb you see above this. both things are wonderful and i still adore them with all my heart, a year and a lot later.
also, to demonlust (i don't know if this is her old account, if it's not please correct me!) who made the gorgeous opening gif for chaos theory up above this. it's stunning and i love a whole lot, and i don't know how considering when she did make it diego had zero resources (but thank you all the same).
also, to soulofstaars because she made the stunning moodbard and ship video that's featured above. like with the two designers above this, she's incredibly talented and i appreciate her making this for me and this story, truly i owe a lot and i know i'll never be able to do more than say thanks but...yknow, i do mean it.

please, feel free to check them out, they're all talented and wonderful and you won't regret it, i swear. xx

STARTED: o3/22/19
COMPLETED: o8/31/19.

EDITED & REFINISHED: o5/18/21.
UPDATED WORD COUNT: 163,819.

WELCOME TO
chaos theory.