#+ i never managed to get far and currently do not have access to the actual game

[bachshot]

Danger Zone

request: so happy to hear ava was your fav thunderbolt she was mine too!! Would you be willing to write a oneshot about fem reader who also heard about Valentina’s plan and came to save Ava, meeting John and Yelena a little before Alexei.

Ava Starr x Fem!Reader no warnings apply

thunderbolts spoilers ahead... kinda want to do a part two later on in the movie with some more fluffy y/n and ava moments + interaction with the other thunderbolts, lmk what you think!!

Y/N never trusted Valentina, what was happening right now was only more timber for the fire in the list of reasons why she really needed to quit her job. For the past few months she had been working as her personal security guard, something Ava wasn't exactly overjoyed to learn but the pay was cushy and so far Valentina didn't seem to suspect their relationship. Or if she did she hadn't said anything, whether that was better or worse they were unsure.

That being said the jobs Y/N was given were nowhere near the level of Ava's, instead being stuck accompanying Valentina to events and looking overall intimidating, so when it came time for Valentina to clean her hands of evidence it was unsurprising that Y/N didn't make the list.

But as she raced up this stupid hill to the facility atop of it she had one thought on her mind, 'i really need to quit this job', if Valentina’s awful attitude wasn't enough then trying to kill her girlfriend certainly was. Mel had spilled the secret plan to Y/N, a guilt filled moment of clarity where the words came out hard and fast unaware of Y/N's connection to Ava, but the subsequent words fell on deaf ears as the blood rushed to Y/N's head as all she could think about was Ava. It had been easy to convince Mel to help her, she always seemed to be teetering on the fence of supporting Valentina so all she seemed to need was a push, the girl managing to give Y/N top level access to scan into the building Ava was sent to but other than that it was all in Y/N's hands, any more meddling from Mel would quickly be spotted and stopped by Valentina. As much as she thought of Valentina and her assistant as one in the same, here Y/N had to reconsider her biases... But maybe not right at this second. The facility quickly comes into view as Y/N reaches the top of the hill, opening the door with the building's biometric system and groaning quietly to herself as it opens only to reveal more doors. She couldn’t help but feel she didn’t have time for this, knowing the incinerator Ava had been led into would activate any moment.

Luckily the feeling was short lived as Ava phased through one of the doors with a panicked look on her face, jaw dropping once she spotted Y/N their speech overlapping in a frantic exclamation of “you’re here!” and “what are you doing here?!”

Y/N shakes her head grabbing Ava’s arms, giving her a slight shake, “Valentina set you up! I came here to get you,” she explains, eyes scanning over Ava to check her over for any injuries, easily distracted and unable to hold back rambling a little despite the urgency of the current situation, “God, you look so good in that new suit by the way, but we need to get out of here, i dont know when the others are getting here but—“

Ava cuts her off with a chuckle, endeared by Y/N’s ability to give out a compliment alongside attempting to save her life (even if she’s definitely seen Ava’s new suit before and has told her that every time she’s seen her in it),

“they’re already here,” Ava informs her, glancing back to the door she just phased through, “and we just figured out Valentina’s plan…” she adds with some reluctance not wanting to diminish Y/N’s efforts. It’s then that Ava’s face drops from the tender smile she always had plastered on in Y/N’s presence, replaced by an expression of realisation as she cursed under her breath suddenly breaking from Y/N’s hold to turn to the lock pad next to the door. Y/N raises a brow as Ava presses the buttons, letting out a frustrated growl as she’s met with a harsh ‘access denied’, given Ava’s history Y/N felt kind of proud that she had managed to work with the others she was set up against. Ava wasn’t quick to trust with her past, and while Y/N understood the trust was probably fleeting and completely situational, something about seeing her working with others made her chest swell regardless. She made a note to tell her as such later.

“Let me try,” Y/N offers, arm brushing against Ava’s as she moves to stand next to her, assuming Ava’s access was removed the moment she had entered to stop her from being able to escape, but Y/N’s should still be in full effect thanks to Mel. The door opens, revealing the others inside who look almost surprised to see they had actually been freed, and Ava’s arm nudges Y/N’s in a silent form of appreciation however the moment is fleeting as flames begin to descend in the opened up room causing an explosion that continued on into the room they currently stood in.

By all means Ava could temporarily phase to avoid the blow but instead Y/N feels Ava’s hands on her chest as she pushes her to the ground bodies pressed together to stay low as the explosion blew over them, Ava's body blocking most of the blow from Y/N in a protective hold. It didn’t take long for it to end, Ava pushing herself up still straddling Y/N and looking down at her with a concerned look as she made sure she was okay… Y/N couldn’t help but think she wouldn’t mind this position in another setting, and maybe she subconsciously leaned forward at first seeing Ava’s face hovering above hers but could you really blame her? Aware however that it was not the time for that she didn’t allow her mind to wander further, stopping herself before she and Ava actually kissed but not before Ava had noticed.

“…Hey,” Y/N breathes out, a ringing in her ears and a dull aching in her head as she definitely hit it on the floor going down (and may or may not be a little concussed), causing Ava to shake her head in amusement as she pulls herself up from the ground and offers Y/N a hand.

“Hey yourself,” she replies smoothly, a teasing tone on her tongue egged on by Y/N’s antics, it looks like she’s about to say something else as her mouth opens again only to be interrupted by a gruffer voice to the right of the two. Y/N doesn’t really catch what’s being said, the ringing from the loud explosion still persisting in her ears but she can tell it’s something along the lines of ‘who the fuck are you’ causing both her and Ava to quickly whip their heads round looking towards a man in some kind of captain america-esque costume, Ava's stance hardening as she side stepped in front of Y/N to block her from the mans view. It was then Y/N remembered her and Ava weren’t alone, noticing a shorter blonde woman and another man with darker hair on the other side of the room slowly getting up, clearly just recovering from being blown away when the explosion had gone off. With such an interesting combination of people she would definitely be asking Ava for more details later, and knew absolutely no insults towards the other mercenaries would be spared, but for now as she felt Ava's hand protectively reach for hers and give it a thankful squeeze she was glad she had come here— even if it seemed Ava had already been capable of saving herself.

[goodgirlk]

Blue Eyes and the Lone Star Sky- Chapter 1

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Female OC

Warnings: Language, yelling, verbal abuse, slight angst

WC: 6.1K

Notes: Just something I couldn't get out of my head for the last few weeks that I decided to make a reality. As always, work is completely fiction :) Please leave any feedback you have! Hope yall enjoy!

~~~

“With the first pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, the Dallas Wings select… Paige Bueckers, University of Connecticut!” Hearing her name called in the draft was a dream come true for Paige. Although there had been hype around her draft stock for years, she never truly allowed herself to get too far ahead in the dream, not wanting to take her career for granted by expecting this moment.

That moment has been on repeat for the past week now, the night following a blur due to both the adrenaline of the moment and the drinks her teammates kept supplying her. Once sobered up and back in Storrs, Paige had begun the long-awaited task of packing her belongings and getting ready to move to Dallas. Luckily for her, she had help from her friends and family, no one wanting to miss the moment Paige stepped into this next phase of life.

The goodbye in Storrs was a painful one, tears shed with Azzi, their years of friendship providing an unspoken connection between them. One that allowed Azzi to just understand Paige without her needing to explain herself. She was worried about her future, being away from her support system and now the pressure of being the next big rookie. Needing to prove herself to the team, prove they didn't waste their first pick on her, but also meeting the never ending need to prove herself to the doubters. Even with how talented she is, she never stops feeling the need to prove them wrong. She got her national championship, now she will prove to the world that she is meant to be in the W.

With her stuff in the moving van and her car in tow, Paige boarded the plane ready for one final weekend in Minnesota with her family before her dad and Drew helped her move into her new place. The down time with her family was a much welcomed change from the past 2 weeks following the national championship game. From press appearances, parties on campus, and the draft, Paige is exhausted. They spent the weekend playing Fortnite with the girls over facetime, family dinners, and church on Sunday for Easter.

Now Paige, her dad, and Drew were finally in Texas and on their way to her new apartment. The team hooked her up with the short notice from draft night to training camp and she was extremely grateful she didn’t have to do the work to find a new place to live. They arrived at the nice apartment building not far from the airport and stepped out into the warm Texas air. 

The trio made their way to the apartment office to pick up the keys to her new place. “So you will be on the fourth floor but don’t worry, there is an elevator to take you up there so you don’t have to haul everything up the stairs.” The manager laughed while showing them around the office. “The building is completely secured so you will use your badge on the door downstairs either from outside at ground access or in the parking garage as well. All the information is in the packet as well so don't worry about remembering everything, I know it is a lot to take in.”

Paige smiled back as they sat back down at the desk, gathering the last of the paperwork and keys. “Thank you so much again. This place is amazing.”

Keys in hand, they made their way to Paige’s new home. She had a long phone call with the operations team a few days prior, discussing the specifics of the new place and her to-do list once settled in Texas. Luckily, the new home was furnished, meaning Paige had a lot less to worry about, her main focus now being unpacking her current belongings and making herself comfortable living alone. She went from living at home to dorm life, making it a little nerve wracking to be in a new state alone, but she was looking forward to some peace and quiet.

Once the moving truck arrived, they made quick work of unloading her belongings into the new apartment. Making sure they placed the boxes into the correct rooms, they had everything off the truck and into the apartment in just a few hours.

Paige flopped down onto the couch once everything was inside, picking up her shirt to wipe the sweat off her forehead. “Yo I don’t know about you two but I am starving.” She groaned, hearing her stomach growl for the 2nd time in the past hour. 

“Yeah me too. Dad?” Drew looked up from where he sat at the table, their dad nodding along. “Yeah that sounds good. Why don’t you two go shower really quick and I will look at places near here to go eat.”

After taking a quick shower and changing, Paige made her way back out to the living room, finding Drew in new clothes alone. “Dad went to take a shower. Said he found some Mexican food place close by that looked good.” 

Paige nodded and began opening the boxes in her living room, deciding she would spend the time waiting on her dad to figure out where everything should go. It wasn't long until her dad emerged from the guest bathroom, ready to head out. “Did Drew tell you what I was thinking?” He asked, grabbing his phone from the kitchen island to pull up the menu in case Paige had any questions. 

“Yeah that sounds good!” She smiled back, excited to explore more of the city.

As they made their way out the door, Paige was met with the most beautiful blue eyes. Giving the girl a quick smile, she turned around to lock her door, not wanting to stare too long and make things awkward. 

“Hey one sec babe, I think I just ran into our new neighbor.” The girl whispered, quickly placing her grocery bags on the floor outside her door and peeling the phone away from her ear. “Hi there! My name is Tatum!” She exclaimed, sticking out her hand to formally greet Drew and Bob while Paige turned around, taking Tatum’s hand in return and giving her a smile.

“Nice to meet you Tatum.” She licked her lips briefly. “My name is Paige and this is dad and my brother Drew, they are just helping me get moved in.”

After a moment of them looking at each other, the voice on the other end of the phone sounded again and Tatum took it as her sign to let the trio go. “Well I will let y’all go, just wanted to quickly introduce myself.” Tatum smiled up at Paige, giving a quick smile and wave to Bob and Drew before unlocking her door and stepping inside.

~~~

Getting out in Arlington was fun for Paige and her family, they had dinner, walked around the mall a bit, and then got ice cream before heading back to her apartment. Bob and Drew booked a hotel nearby since Paige didn’t have anything for the guest bedroom yet. Paige dropped them off and made plans for breakfast the next morning before she had to take them back to the airport for their flight home.

Paige made her way inside her new apartment, taking in the new place and making a plan to unpack. She groaned, realizing just how much she needed to get done in just 5 days before training camp started. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, seeing Azzi’s contact pop up, a facetime awaiting her. They had planned to talk once she got settled in so she could give a tour and talk about her time in Texas so far.

“Hey! How is Texas so far?!” Azzi smiled brightly on the other side of the phone. Paige was grateful for her best friend, knowing that no matter how far apart they are, she would always have someone to fall back on. 

“It’s nice! You wanna see the place?” She grinned back, getting up from the couch and making her way to the kitchen to begin the tour. After showing Azzi the place, she filled her in on the plans now that she has officially arrived in Dallas. “I go on Friday for a quick team meeting with ops and then training camp starts Sunday.”

“That is awesome P! I am so excited to hear how everything goes!” Azzi beamed back.

“Just don’t forget about us while you’re out there making it big!” KK yelled from the background.

Paige smiled at her friends, feeling her heart clench at the thought of not being with them 24/7 like she has been for the past 5 years. “I could never.” She smiled back, quickly replacing her joy with confusion as she heard a knock at her door.

“One sec, someone is at my door.” She got up and made her way to the front door, seeing her new neighbor outside with what looked like a plate in her hands. “Yo I’ll call you back later, it's my neighbor.” She quickly hung up and opened the door.

“Hi there! I just wanted to give you a little welcome gift as you get moved in!” Tatum smiled up at Paige. 

Taken aback by the kindness of her new neighbor, Paige blinked for a little, a lazy grin on her face while she looked over the girl for another time. “Thank you.” She reached out for the cookies, briefly grazing Tatum’s hand in the exchange and stepped back. “You wanna come inside or something?” 

A wave of panic rushed through her body and she realized what she said, suddenly feeling super awkward at inviting the girl she has not met twice into her place for no real reason. Tatum's face flushed, a light blush adorning her cheeks as she began to nod. “Yeah, that sounds good.” She quickly turned around and locked her front door before facing Paige again. 

They made their way inside of Paige’s place, Tatum taking off her slippers while Paige walked the cookies into the kitchen. She joined Paige in the kitchen, taking in the new place. “I hope you like chocolate chip cookies,” Tatum smiled, gesturing towards the plate now on Paige’s island. “They are my favorite recipe my mom passed on so I figured I would make you a batch to get you through the move.” 

“I love them, thank you again, this is such a nice welcome gift.” Paige grinned while grabbing a cookie off the plate. Taking a quick bite, Paige was met with arguably the best cookie she has ever had, letting out a low groan at the taste. “Yo, these are fire.”

Tatum’s face lit up at the approval, giving a quick little clap and hop out of excitement. “Good! I am happy you like them! If you ever want more, just let me know.” She smiled. “I work from home and love any excuse I can get to step away and take my mind off of work to bake.”

“I will have to take you up on that.” Paige smiled back, taking another quick bite. “What do you do for work?” 

“I freelance for graphic design and editing. Anything to keep me out of an office.” She winked at Paige. “Not that you would know anything about that.” She mumbled lowly to herself.

Upon hearing this Paige grinned, “So you know who I am?” She asked teasingly, enjoying the blush that rushed onto Tatum’s face. Waiting for an answer, she crossed her arms and smirked at Tatum.

“Of course I do. Anyone who watches sports at all has seen your face plastered to their screens for the last 5 years.” Tatum states back, trying to ignore the burning of her cheeks and the look on Paige’s face. Fuck, Tatum thinks to herself, what happened to nonchalant?? Quickly trying to change subjects, Tatum brings up the move. “Well how are you enjoying Texas?”

Paugh laughs slightly, giving in to the brunette's attempt at changing the subject. “It isn’t my first time in Texas but the first time calling it home. Definitely different from Storrs though.” 

They spend the next few minutes talking about the city, Tatum giving tips about dealing with the Dallas traffic and what the best places are to eat around the area. At the sound of a door shutting outside, Tatum glances at her phone quickly, noticing how long her and Paige had been talking. “Well I should let you go. It has been nice to meet you! If you need any help with unpacking or anything, let me know. Like I said, I would love any excuse to not focus on work.”

Paige walked her to the door and watched as she put her slippers back on. Shoving her hands into her hoodie pocket, she spoke up. “Why don’t I give you my number, that way you can let me know when you wanna stop working and help me move in?” She asked, hoping to not sound creepy, especially since Tatum told her about her boyfriend Noah who lives with her. 

“Sure!” Tatum hands over her phone, Paige making quick work of entering her number and handing it back.

“Well hopefully I will be seeing you soon. Have a good night Paige!” Tatum smiled as she made her way out of the apartment and to her door, unlocking it and leaving Paige alone in the hallway, grinning to herself.

~~~

The next morning comes fast, after calling Azzi back and filling her in on the interaction with Tatum, Paige finds herself being woken up by the early alarm. Getting ready and picking up her family, they head out to breakfast at a local cafe. Breakfast is nice, with no one wanting to get too emotional just yet, they stick to easy conversation. Drew filling the two in on how school is going and Bob talking about their plans to come down and visit once season starts.

They end up sitting around the cafe for 2 hours, just soaking up each other's company, until they realize they need to start making their way to the airport. Paige drives them to the airport, tears welling in her eyes and they grab their stuff from the trunk and give her a hug goodbye.

“You are gonna kill it Paigey, I know it.” Drew smiles up at his big sister, proud of how far she has made it already and confident in her ability to succeed in the W like she did in college. “Once you get unpacked let me know and we can hop on Fortnite.”

She laughs, giving him one last hug and doing their handshake. Turning to her dad she sees his big smile and feels a tear slip down her cheek. Pulling her in for a strong hug, her dad gives her a kiss on the head and tells her how much he loves her. “I am so proud of you already kid and I know you have big things in your future. I love you”

With that, she watches as they make their way inside the airport. One last tear slipping down her cheek as she starts her car back up and begins the drive back to her apartment. She can't help but let her mind wander as she drives, finds herself thinking of her future in Dallas. Hoping to have a long and prosperous future in the league and getting settled in with her new teammates. She also finds herself thinking back to those big blue eyes she was met with yesterday. She has a boyfriend P, cut that shit out. She thinks to herself. But she isn’t thinking of Tatum in that way mainly. Was she one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen? Sure. But she also hoped that she would be around for a long time, a support system for her while she is thousands of miles away from home, someone to celebrate victories with and have her back after losses as well.

Once home, she starts unpacking and remembers Tatum’s words from the night prior. Pulling out her phone, she finds the thread from Tatum, a quick text sent after leaving Paige’s that just had her name and a smile. 

Is now a good time to steal your focus away from your work? 

With an exhale she sends it. She is met almost immediately with text bubbles.

Of course! Let me save and I will be over in like 10 minutes.

She makes herself busy opening a few other boxes in the living room, starting to unpack and place things on the ground while she figures out where everything goes. Upon hearing the knock at her door, she opens to find Tatum in a matching pink Gymshark workout set. Holy fuck she is gorgeous, she thinks, mentally kicking herself for inviting Tatum over in the first place.

She pulls Tatum into a quick hug, thanking her for coming over to help, and lets her into the house. “So what can I help with?” Tatum smiles widely, looking up at Paige who shares a similar smile.

Paige glances around her apartment, taking in the condition, boxes strewn about all around, truly not knowing where to start. She turns back to Tatum, watching as she takes off her shoes and steps into the living room. “Uh living room I guess? Or the kitchen, I really don’t know.” 

Tatum giggles softly, clapping quickly and nodding her head. “Kitchen it is! It looks like there are less boxes there.”

They make their way into the kitchen, quickly finding a groove unpacking and opening the new supplies Paige purchased before leaving Storrs. Spending the time getting to know more about one another.

“So are you from here?” Paige asked, taking the box of plates from Tatum and beginning to put them away.

“Yep! Grew up not too far from here and my parents still live there with my siblings. Couldn’t imagine moving too far from home but needed to not be right next door my entire life.” Tatum answers, her eyes locking with Paige for a brief second before returning to the work at hand. “You will love it here, I promise!”

“Any summer tips for me then?”

“Keep the AC low during the summer and find activities you like indoors cause the heat fucking sucks.” Tatum laughed. “Honestly you will get used to it fast, you just may have to give up your beloved sweats for a while.” 

“Noted.” Paige laughed, enjoying the glow that adorned Tatum’s face when she giggled.

After an hour of conversation and unpacking, the girls were able to finish up the kitchen and start making some progress on the living room. Paige learned more about Tatum’s personal life, her boyfriend Noah who she had been with for the past 2 years and her younger siblings Brandon and Naomi. Paige told Tatum more about her childhood, what it was like having so much pressure to succeed through high school and college, and how that kept her going through all the tough moments. It wasn’t until Paige’s stomach growled that they noticed just how long they had been talking, deciding to take a break and order some Chick-fil-a. 

Paige's phone rang, the doordash driver informing her that he was outside of the building and needed her to come pick it up. “Okay! I will be down there in a second. Thank you!” Hanging up the phone, she turned to Tatum. “You wait here, I will go pick up our food.” She quickly slipped on her slides and walked out the door, leaving Tatum to take in the apartment alone.

Once returned, she found Tatum looking over the framed photos they had unpacked earlier, one of the team after winning the national championship, banner in hand and confetti falling, another of her and Azzi as teenagers in their team USA uniforms, the third frame being the most recent, her and the team at her draft night, the Dallas Wings hat sitting on her head and the biggest smiles on their faces. Tatum could tell just how much this accomplishment meant to all of them and felt her heart clench at the sight.

Turning to face Paige, the draft night photo in her hand, she smiled brightly. “Y’all look so happy here, it’s cute.”

Paige smiled fondly, a brief wave of sadness hitting her as she remembers where she currently is. Not in Storrs, the place that became her second home, with her best friends, but in a new city, hoping to find a new community of supporters to help her through the transition. “Yeah, that was a good night.” She says lowly, hoping Tatum doesn’t hear the strain in her voice.

Noticing how emotional Paige became, Tatum quickly set the frame back on the entertainment center and changed the subject, the two of them diving into a conversation about TV shows and movies. After eating and cleaning up their mess, Tatum turned back to the boxes in the living room, planning to go back to unpacking, but Paige quickly stopped her.

“Nah you’re good, I have already stolen most of your afternoon.” Paige laughed, “Why don't we call it a day?”

“I really don’t mind!” Tatum said, “I am stuck on this project so I love the distraction.”

“Nah for real, I don’t know if I can unpack any more today.”

Tatum laughed at this, nodding her head slowly. “Ahh I get it now,” she beamed, “You’re tired and are tryna play the nice card when you are the one that wants to stop. Yeah we can stop for the day but let me know if I can help tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Paige nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow for sure.” 

With that, Tatum made her way to the front door, slipping on her shoes and giving Paige a quick hug before leaving.

~~~

The next day was much of the same, the girls getting the living room and guest bathroom unpacked, leaving most of the work for Paige to finish in her bedroom. Paige was quickly learning Tatum’s personality, how she used sarcasm to say what she really thought, how she didn’t let Paige downplay her accomplishments, and just how much she smiled. She was truly a happy person and Paige was so grateful to have met her, finally feeling more comfortable in the new city and like she was getting to know someone who would be around for a while.

When Paige texted Tatum on Thursday she was met with silence for a few hours, a short response coming around 1:00 PM. 

Sorry it has been a rough morning, I will be over soon if the invite is still open?

Of course 

Paige quickly replied, hoping that she could turn around Tatum’s day.

Okay! :)

She heard the knock at her door about 5 minutes later, opening it to find a much different Tatum than the one she had grown to know. Instead of her typical hair and makeup, Tatum stood there with a bun and clean face, adorned in black sweatpants and a crop top.

“You okay ma?” Paige asked, pulling Tatum in for a quick hug.

“Yeah. I think I have food poisoning or something but I am feeling better this afternoon than I did this morning.” Tatum groaned, slipping into Paige’s apartment and taking a seat at her couch.

“Why did you say yes to coming over? You should be in bed.” Paige turned to Tatum, feeling bad for taking her time when she should be at home recovering.

“I needed to get out of that place and feel like a human.” Tatum leaned her head back.

“Fine but you aren’t doing any work today.” Paige stated, grabbing Tatum’s hand and leading her into the bedroom. “You can sit in my bed and keep me company while I unpack my clothes, how does that sound?”

Tatum smiled back, sitting down on the edge of Paige’s bed. “You sure? I don’t want to invade your space.” 

“Of course!” Paige turned around and walked into her closet, leaving Tatum to make herself comfortable against the headboard of the bed, watching as Paige brought a box labeled dresser into the room and started to unpack.

They spent the afternoon with Tatum watching old episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Paige half heartedly unpacking her clothes, blaming Tatum for choosing a good show to watch for why she couldn’t focus on the task at hand. After finishing the third episode that day in the living room while eating their lunch, Tatum stated she needed to get going since she needed to swing by the store before Noah got home for dinner. 

“If I can get this project done tonight like I plan to, I should be free all day tomorrow to help out.” Tatum smiled, feeling much better now that she got some soup in her. 

“I have a team meeting tomorrow with ops about training day and media availability so I probably won’t be home much tomorrow. I can get the rest done though so no worries.” Paige smiled. “Thank you for all the help over the last few days, I don’t think I would be unpacked at all if it wasn’t for you.” She brought Tatum into a hug.

“Okay! Well the offer stands if you get home and need help. Just text me!” Tatum smiled up at Paige. 

~~~

Tatum was at the store getting groceries when she felt the urge to throw up again. For the fifth time that day, she rushed into the bathroom, emptying her stomach and groaning. Why me??? What did I do this week to deserve this? She thought, wishing this would be over soon. As she made her way back into the store, she passed the health section. She decided to buy a box of pregnancy tests, just to be safe. She was good about taking her birth control but at this point, she would do anything to figure out the cause of this sickness and that includes taking a pregnancy test to know. 

Once she got her groceries unloaded, she made her way into her restroom at home, opening the box of tests. I am just paranoid, she thought as she took the test, placing it face down on her counter and setting a timer. 3 minutes later she turned off the timer and picked up the test, feeling her heartbeat racing as she was faced with those two pink lines staring up at her, as visible as ever. 

What the fuck?? How?! She gasped, feeling as though the room was spinning and she couldn’t breathe. She dropped to the floor, tears quickly welling in her eyes. She sat on the floor quietly crying for 10 minutes before she felt her phone buzz.

Hey babe, I am going out with the guys tonight after work to celebrate Josh’s promotion

She didn’t even have it in her to care at this moment. Noah had been bailing on her for months to go out with his friends, half of the time not even telling her until she texted him at dinner time asking when he would be home. She liked the message and put her phone back down, focusing back on the test in her hands. 

She loved Noah, she really did, but this was real. She was stuck with him now, no easy break to be had. She was also worried about his reaction. Would he be happy or upset with her? Would he continue what he has been doing and leave her alone most nights to take care of the baby alone, pretending to others like he was attentive when in reality they hadn’t had a real conversation since the holidays?

After a few minutes of spiraling she decided now wasn’t the time. He probably wouldn’t come home until after she was asleep anyways so she hid the test in her bedside table and went about her evening, making herself pasta and taking a much needed bubble bath to take her mind off of the future.

~~~

The next day was much the same for Tatum, getting lost in her thoughts of how she would tell Noah the news, running to the bathroom constantly to throw up, trying to force herself to eat and stop crying, all while wishing she could just get to the evening and drop this bomb on him.

Noah came home around 6:00 buzzed from his happy hour with the team and pulled Tatum in for a hug. She began crying in his arms but didn’t have it in her to tell him yet, just telling him she was tired and began making dinner. After eating, she decided to rip the bandaid off and just show him the test. Leaving him in the kitchen washing the dishes, she went to the room to retrieve the pregnancy test. Making her way back into the kitchen, arms behind her back, she quietly called his name.

“What’s up babe? You look like you are about to throw up.” He asked, looking up briefly from the plate he was cleaning.

As if in slow motion, she slowly pulled her arms out from behind her back, the test in her right hand, and slid it along the kitchen island. She opened her mouth to speak but the words got stuck in her throat as she watched his brow furrow.

“What is that?” He asked, reaching a wet hand out to grab the test and bring it forward.

“Noah, I'm pregnant.” She whispered. 

“Nah you must be lying.” He stated firmly, slamming the test back on the counter. “I watch you take your birth control and I use a condom so don’t even try it.”

Tatum was shocked at his response. She was expecting him to be a little confused but never this. Yeah, she was usually pretty good at taking her birth control, but there have been a time or two that she forgot until later that evening. That coupled with the few times they have had sex without a condom, it was a perfect recipe for what was now growing inside of her. 

“What?” She asked quietly, hoping she heard him wrong.

Anger flashed across his face and he shut the water off. “I said you are lying. And if not, you’re cheating cause I know it can’t be mine.”

“Noah you know we have fucked without a condom! What do you mean it can’t be yours?!” She yelled back, anger filling her body at his accusation. “Also, you know I would never cheat! I love you!”

At this he lost it, throwing the plate that he held in his hand at the wall to Tatums right, shattering it into little pieces, one of which bounced up to hit Tatum’s shin, knicking her in the process. “You fucking slut! I knew this would happen when I let you work from home! I should’ve never let you have that time alone, all you must be using it for is to fuck around, huh?!” He yelled at her, walking towards her. She took a step back, wishing she could escape this moment but not wanting to make it any worse for herself. “Why don’t you go to him cause I am not raising a fucking baby with you!” He slammed his palm against the wall, continuing to yell at Tatum as she felt herself begin shaking. 

This wasn’t uncommon for Tatum, the yelling, but the throwing and hitting walls was. Noah had always been a little controlling, making sure he had final say in what she wore or her job, but she never thought of him as physically abusive. In this moment, she was worried for not only her safety but the baby she was now carrying. She shut down, dissociating from the moment in typical fashion and just taking the verbal abuse from him. He didn’t need her to respond, he seemingly got off on watching her cry while he criticized her. 

It wasn’t until she heard a rapid knock at her door that she remembered where she was. In the apartment where many people were likely hearing what was going on. She watched as he opened the door, panic evident on her face at his anger but feeling herself ready to finally stand up for herself and shut him down.

~~~

Paige had gotten home about an hour ago. She had texted Tatum earlier that evening to see how her day was but hadn’t heard a response, figuring that she was just busy with Noah and not taking any offense to the silence. She was warming up her food when she heard the faint yelling and a crash coming from the wall connecting her and Tatum’s apartments. Worried, she moved closer to the sound, hoping to hear what was going on.

*BANG* 

She heard as Noah smacked the wall. Moving quickly, she made her way into her room, grabbing a hoodie off of her bed and slipped on some shoes to make sure Tatum was okay.

She could hear Noah screaming at Tatum as she entered the hallway and knocked rapidly on her door. Their neighbor, Mrs. Black, opened her door as well, making eye contact with Paige with a mirroring worried look. “Hey there, I am going to make sure they are okay.”

“Thank you, Paige! Let me know if you need any help.” Mrs. Black answered sweetly, grateful that Paige was there to step in.

Tatum’s door swung open, an angry Noah staring at Paige with disgust. “What?!” He growled.

Paige looked beyond Noah to Tatum, seeing her standing in the middle of the living room, a shattered plate to her side and blood streaming from her shin. The most troubling scene however was the look of panic on Tatum’s face. “I could hear the screaming in my apartment.” Paige spat at Noah, meeting him almost at eye level. She looked him up and down in disgust before her face softened and met Tatum’s again. “You okay ma?” 

Noah laughed sharply at this, turning back to Tatum. “Ah so you are a slut huh? Fucking whoever got you pregnant and this bitch now too?!” He started to move back to Tatum, letting the door shut when Paige gripped the door and forced her way inside to help Tatum.

Before Paige could speak Tatum snapped back into reality and yelled. “Get the fuck out Noah! I’m done!” 

He laughed again, moving to grip Tatum’s face. “Nah I don’t think so.” 

Paige saw red as she watched him grab Tatum’s chin, the tears flowing quickly from the shorter girl and spoke up. “You heard her, get the fuck out.” 

Noah let go of Tatum and turned towards Paige, looking at her again and began nodding. “You know what? Fine. But have fun being a single mother you whore. I want nothing to do with you or that fucking kid.”

He walked into the room, grabbed his keys and made his way to the front door. Before he could leave, he turned back to Tatum. “I will be moved out by Sunday.” With that, he slammed the door shut and left the building. 

Once Noah was gone and she knew Tatum was safe for the night, Paige turned back to face her and rushed to pull her into her arms. They stood there embracing, Tatum crying into Paige’s chest for a while until Paige remembered the cut on the brunette’s shin, pulling back slightly to look down at her.

“Hey let me see your leg.” She spoke quietly and knelt down to get a closer look. It didn’t look to be bleeding any more so Paige stood back up, grabbing a towel from the kitchen and cleaned it up. “Just a little band-aid should fix it right on up. Did he hurt you anywhere else?”

Tatum shook her head, “No nothing else hit me, the closest he got was grabbing my chin when you got here.”

“Good.” Paige whispered, grabbing the girl again for a brief hug. “Why don’t you pack some stuff and come stay at my place for the weekend? That way he can move out and you don't have to see him again?”

Tatum looked up at Paige, tears still in her eyes and she nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good.” She whispered, not having it in her to talk much more.

They made their way to Paige’s place, Tatum’s bag in Paige’s hands, and a quiet peacefulness washing over them. Tatum was thankful that Paige wasn’t forcing her to explain anything at this time, just giving her a safe place to stay and shoulder to cry on. She knew when she met Paige that she found a good friend, but she was eternally grateful in this moment to have the blonde next to her in her darkest moment.

[giantkillerjack]

LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM WHEELCHAIR USERS

EDIT: this post is out of date. The current version can be found here.

TL;DR - Any kind of feedback you can provide regarding what YOU want and don't want from a wheelchair lift experience would be super helpful!! -- AND/OR, I'd also appreciate any input you might have about what a community space would have to be like in order to be inviting and welcoming to you!

Any input - small or extensive, general or specific - would be SO appreciated!! I'm hoping to deliver this feedback in the next couple days.

More info under the cut:

Hi, y'all! So I've been doing some work for this really awesome co-op project that has managed to purchase a small apartment building in our city, with the goal of providing our community with affordable housing, emergency preparedness, and an accessible community space!

Currently, the building is NOT wheelchair accessible, but they are seeking to rectify that issue, starting with the community gathering space in the basement. Funding is tight, so they really only have one chance at getting this right.

In the long-term when they have way more money, they aim to have full building accessibility, including an elevator.

But in the short-term, the proposed plan is to replace a set of stairs going down to the basement from the outside with an enclosed wheelchair lift.

If you check out highlighted yellow parts of the diagram below, it illustrates what the plan is. (Ignore all the other labels in the "BEFORE" part; it was just the best diagram I could find that included the stairs on short notice.)

There has also been some talk about widening all the hallways in the basement, which I plan to voice my strong support for.

Thus far, I am aware that some wheelchair lifts can only be operated from the outside, and that this is stupid. But I imagine there are a LOT of other pitfalls/needs that I'm not catching as a person who does not use a wheelchair! (I am trying to get a motorized chair, actually, but until then, I use a rollator or a cane. I've never used a wheelchair lift.)

Any feedback you could give me would be really appreciated! What should we avoid? What do you wish existed? What does it look like for you to feel comfortable in a space? How can we make this community space accessible for YOU??

Thank you very very much!!

[inchidentally]

I dw to go too deep into it bc the emotions are too high and the extremes are not fun places to stir up etc etc etc

but the way post Monza felt like a joint experience in misery for Lando and Oscar that they then took a joint approach to with the media, followed by a joint sense of relief and exuberance following this race...

and I always bang on about their joint decision to not do the whole joint content/bromance PR stuff or post when they have down time/social time together and asked to have both their drivers rooms accessible to only each other behind a door barring everyone else - this is exactly why. the job they have to do individually and together is far easier when they can keep fans and media - and Netflix - on the outside and just get on with it in private.

bc there have been drivers in their thirties with 10+ years of experience who haven't kept things as mature and balanced as these two and while the extremes of fandoms and media are projecting melodramas and hatred and conspiracy theories onto them, they deserve way more credit than they're given for maintaining such consistent unity and calm considering they've been thrown into the hottest oil fire situations with a team still struggling to get used to being front runners again, all while only having been teammates a season and a half and both under 25.

like I always say, I keep fully expecting them to at some point be normal and take swipes at each other sometimes and be in a funk w each other for a week or so before being buddies again etc etc the usual stuff for teammates who like each other but are also close rivals on track in a front runner team. and that may still happen and it still won't be cause for alarm for me! but goddamn they've faced some hellish situations and held their composure and traveled home laughing and smiling together each time and showing up for work at the races or MTC beaming into each other's faces. all while never once having a typical PR bromance to uphold/maintain for fans or therefore benefit from. they're just... wanting and choosing to respect and like each other when they literally don't need to do any more than tolerate each other - and could've stuck with rooms opposite management's offices like they used to. with the amount of people desperate for them to hate each other and the fact that teammate rivalries actually generate more engagement and headlines than friendly teammates like, they're (currently) choosing to huddle together and discuss and reach agreement so they can get back out and do the best they can with a team that's still strategically trying to learn how to be at the front again.

[waayoutofline]

Murder On The Dance Floor (part 1)

(from the When the Cat and the Mouse Go For a Midnight Dance series) | Part 1 | Part 2| Marvel Masterlist

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader

Prompt: Vigilante!Reader x Agent!Natasha

Summary: Natasha isn’t having the best of luck in trying to bring one of the ex Hydras general down. You however may be able to assist her. Will you two be able to cooperate? Or is it your fate to always stand on opposite teams?

Warnings: None in this chapter.

WORD COUNT: 2510 (give or take)

A/N: Hello!! So, this is heavily inspired by the song Murder on the Dance Floor (duh). I think it really suits the dynamic between Agent Natasha and Vigilante!Reader, and I thought, okay, let’s actually write it instead of just thinking about it and eventually forgetting. There are a few changes from the canon universe. In this AU, the Avengers didn’t separate after the Sokovia Accords (I’m a child of divorce, okay), so they’re a real family here. Peter is also part of the team and was never forgotten by every single human except, well Hulk (he deserves better). Natasha is alive and well, along with Yelena.And finally (last thing, I promise), this will be part of a mini-series. Maybe with three parts.That’s about it. Enjoy, and thanks for reading! :)

//

It was too late to do this. Natasha rubbed off the tiredness of her eyes for what must be the fifth time in the last fifteen minutes. This was getting ridiculous.

”…What if-“

“For the last Yelena, we are not committing arson.” The blonde grunted at the quick dismissal, sliding down the synthetic, black leather chair. Crossing her arms with a tired pout, she didnt look much to different from the six year old girl Natahsa remembered. The clock in the conference room is getting more obnoxious by the second, as if teasing them to not having an answer yet.

Across the room, the sulked eyes of Benjamin Horvat were looking right back at her. His picture was poorly pinned, hanging unconventionally by a small blade (courtesy of Yelena) on the board. Steve wont be happy when he sees it.

”It would be a small one! It wouldn’t be that hard, just some small fires around some of his clubs, see if there is any luck and make him come out. Quick and subtle.”

”There is nothing subtle in that plan Yelena.” Natahsa turns down again dryly.

It’s been six hours since Yelena payed a visit to the renovated compound, bringing her 5 month old puppy Fanny (which is currently being spoiled by Wanda and Peter). She came in with new dirt onto a possible Hydra ex-officer, one of a depressing long list that the team has yet to tackle down. Most of them ran when SHIELD fell down.

The two of them plus Steve and Bucky, managed to get intel on Benjamin’s Horvat. He was currently involved is some kind of shady precious gem business, along owning some expensive clubs that served as covers for the mafia. At first glance, you’d say that he was just another second class criminal. But that as far as aparences went. Because people like him were worth something, he was heavily guarded.

His intel was precious enough to make him valuable and well-protected. Access to him seemed almost impossible.

The worst part was that he didn’t even bother using conventional transport. Even after combing through all national surveillance, he didn’t appear on any of the cameras. Not even Redwing, Sam’s beloved drone, had managed to get a clear visual of him. It was almost as if he’d gone underground (which he hadn’t—Natasha checked). And despite his love for nightlife, the clubs he owned and frequented were highly exclusive, each with multiple layers of security clearance.

After a long evening, both Steve and Bucky called it a night, but the two sisters were too stubborn to let it go. They were both running out of ideas—or, in Yelena’s case, running through a list of increasingly dangerous, borderline illegal suggestions. Eventually, exhaustion began to take over, and the blonde started dozing off, her head slipping forward as sleep crept up on her. Natasha wasn’t far behind, her eyelids drooping as the hours dragged on.

But then—a sharp, static crackle echoed through the speakers, jolting both women awake. Instinctively, they snapped into defensive stances, eyes darting to the screens around the room as they flickered in a disorienting pattern of black and white, struggling to stabilize.

Finally, the screens gave a clear image, revealing a shadowy figure cloaked in darkness.

“Night, ladies! Glad to see you’re still awake,” a teasing, lilting voice echoed through the speakers. “Huh, take out from Luigi’s huh? Their pizza rolls are to die for.”

Natasha’s eyes widened, a flicker of recognition sparking across her face. Her posture shifted, shoulders squaring as an unconscious surge of energy overtook her weariness. It can’t be.

“I’d prefer pizza bites. Who are you?” Yelena asked, mirroring Natasha as she stood up. She’d clearly sensed the change in Natasha’s demeanor.

The redhead grabbed the tablet on the table next to her, attempting to trace the breach, but the system was completely overridden. Whoever this was shouldn’t have been able to slip past their security. She called for FRIDAY, but the AI didn’t respond.

“Aw, come on, not even a hello? Do you know how long I spent trying to surpass that stupid robot of yours?” the voice continued playfully. “It’s been a while, Natty. I thought you’d be glad to see me—or, well, hear me.”

Natasha’s face remained painfully stoic, but her white-knuckled grip on the tablet betrayed her turmoil. She knew this person loved theatrics, but even for them, this was going too far. “How many times have I told you not to call me that.” Natasha grunts in annoyance, a headache already starting to set in. There is a brief silence. She can practically see your pout from here.

“Geez, so grumpy.”

Yelena watches the exchange with curiosity, somehow not detecting a real threat. “I sense some... history here.”

“There is!”

“There is not!”

Both women snapped at Yelena, making her eyes widen as she instinctively stepped back, lifting her hands in mock surrender. “Ha, when you say that, it usually means there is…” she stated, amused.But the sentence died under Natasha’s withering stare. “Alright, just an observation. Geez, you are grumpy.” she muttered under her breath. Catching Natasha’s warning look, Yelena slid back into the chair, still grinning despite herself.

“Can we focus?” Natasha said, voice clipped.

Yelena just shrugged, casting a glance between the two of you.

“Oh, come on, don’t get shy on me, Agent Romanoff. Is it because we haven’t had our little “I run, you go after me” sessions recently?” You teased. “I promise, you’re the only one I let chase after me.”

It’s true that its been a while since you have gone under the radar. Even if you weren’t out committing your little revendouz vigilantes acts, Natasha still couldn’t help to keep an eye out for you. It wouldn’t be the first time that you took a mini sabbatical and returned with more messes for her to clean up.

Finally, from the shadows, a woman stepped a young woman, posture relaxed, radiating an air of practiced confidence. You wore your typical casual clothes, a fitted jacket and a crop under it. Your face was partially obscured by the lighting, but Natasha could see a few loose strands of hair escaping, catching faintly in the room’s dim light. Chest rising up and down rather fastly. It’s like you just returned from somewhere.

Your eyes, bright yet focused, lingered on Natasha with an amused glint. The faintest smirk played at the corner of your mouth, an expression that made Natasha feel strangely restless. There was something in that permanent look of yours that always kept her on edge.

“Who are you?” Yelena blurted out.

You gasped dramatically, resting a hand on your chest as if genuinely wounded. “Why, you hurt me, Agent! Didn’t you tell her anything about me? And here I was, starting to think that I meant something to you.”

Natasha sighed in exasperation, her gaze still scanning for any sign of how you managed to break in. But it was as if you’d been authorized from the inside. She knew you were good, hidden behind that playful demeanor, but it was exhausting how you always seemed one step ahead. “There’s nothing to tell,” Natasha replied curtly, “besides the fact that you’re a pain.”

You huffed in false offender , crossing your arms. “Archenemies would have sufficed. Besides, that is no way to greet someone who can help you with Horvat.”

Both of them froze at the name. Giving up, the redhead throws the device on the table, getting slightly closer to the TV and crossing her arms. If this was going where she thought it was, caution was very much need. Especially with you.

“A little…birdie, told me that we have, for once, a common enemy. Excluding each other of course.” You smiled at the last sentence, but your eyes were bright with a dangerous spark.

“He’s not as unreachable as you may think. I guess that by now you have figured that he frequents the nightclubs in the Lower East Side. He is supposed to assist to an event tomorrow at night. Just our luck, right?”

Natasha’s brows furrowed. “Our? What, exactly, do you want with Horvat? Did he make it onto your little blacklist?” She scowled, still irritated by the last man you’d managed to eliminate right under her nose.

As if reading her thoughts, you let out a light, teasing laugh. “Ah, well, I wouldn’t exactly call it little,” you said, an amused glint in your eye.

Natasha huffed under her breath, visibly displeased with your evasiveness. “What’s in it for you?”

Your smile faded just slightly, and for a moment, a flicker of real purpose showed through the facade. “Let’s just say he has something I need. Something personal.”

Natasha’s eyes narrowed, her suspicion unwavering. “And how in the world would you ever entertain the thought of me agreeing to work together?”

“Because you’re stuck,” you shot back, your voice sharper than usual. “Let’s be real, Romanoff—if I could do this alone, I wouldn’t be here. But not even you can’t get to him on your own. And…neither can I.” You admitted through your teeth. The playful glint softened, replaced by an intensity Natasha hadn’t quite seen from you before.

“I need someone who won’t mess it up if I’m going to get to him,” you continued, the amused mask slipping just a bit more. “That’s where you come in. I mean, who better to handle some undercover work than the Black Widow herself?” The slight provocation didn’t go unnoticed, but Natasha’s mind was already racing with possibilities.

The room fell into silence, the ticking clock on the wall seeming louder than ever as Natasha’s eyes bore into yours, as if trying to see every hidden motive. Perhaps she should just go fetch Wanda. Still, she held herself steady, determined to avoid letting any trace of intrigue slip. It only took a spark for you to create a fire.

Yelena, sensing the tension between the two of you growing sharper by the second, finally cut in, a note of exasperation in her voice. “So… how could you get us in—”

“Yelena, no.” Natasha cut her off sharply, her posture rigid and unyielding. “We are not entertaining this. And I’m certainly not working with her,” she added, the cold in her tone unmistakable. She turned her gaze back to you, her expression filled with deep distrust. “She does nothing but trick and deceive, and I’m not about to let her pull us into a mess.”

You held her gaze steadily, a flicker of hurt passing through your eyes—brief enough for Natasha to notice. She shook her head sturborling, she couldn’t afford to feel any remorse for you. But as quickly as the emotion came, it vanished, and you rolled your eyes playfully. That was something that sparked Natasha’s curiosity. Just like herself in the past (maybe still now at times) it seemed as if you had a mask. She didn’t know exactly how genuine that unserious facade, the one you always seemed to hide behind, truly was.

“So distrustful and uptight as always, I see. Tell me, has she always been this way?” you asked, looking at the blonde. Yelena shrugged, starting to answer but clamping her mouth shut as Natasha arched an eyebrow in warning.

“Look, I’m not thrilled about this either. But it’s the only way. Believe me, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think so,” you said, your tone uncharacteristically steady. “I’ll even compromise and act like one of your ‘goody-two-shoes’ heroes.” You almost gagged on the words. “Swear I’ll play by your rules, as long as it gets us to him. If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I don’t lie. Have I ever lied to you, Natasha?”

There was no mockery in your voice this time, just an unexpected sincerity. Natasha paused, caught off guard. Had you deceived her? Absolutely. Tricked her? Too many times to count, wounding her pride each time. But lied, outright and blankly, right to her face? As shocking as it was, she couldn’t recall a single instance. No matter the game, you’d always been blunt about what you were going to do.

Yelena, noticing Natasha’s hesitation, leaned in. “сестра (sister), maybe… maybe she has a point. We’re no closer to him on our own. And if she can get us in…”

Natasha looked at her, seeing the reason in her words, though every fiber of her instinct fought against trusting you. After a long pause, she rubbed her temples, exhaling heavily. As sad as it was, there wasn’t any better option. But to admit that she had no other option than to work with you, of all people, was burning her pride.

“Fine.”

Yelena gave a small fist pump of victory, relief lighting her face after the hours they’d spent trying to come up with a solid plan. Meanwhile, you grinned, satisfaction gleaming in your eyes.

“But—” Natasha cut in, fixing you with a hard look. “No tricks, no double-crossing. As you said before, do this by my rules, is that clear?”

You raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of your usual defiance flashing in your expression. “Well, I mean… it is my plan so technically—”

“My. Rules.” Natasha repeated, her voice dropping to a dangerously low tone that left little room for argument. Her stare bore into you, unyielding, and the confidence in your face faltered just a bit. “Understood?”

You swallowed, any spark of rebellion snuffed out under the intimidating weight of her gaze. “Understood,” you muttered, a hint of surprising, begrudging compliance in your tone.

“Oooh, scary mean glare,” Yelena muttered under her breath, clearly entertained as she watched you two bickering. A mischievous glint in her eye, she leaned back, curious to see how will play out between you two. Perhaps she should pay visits more often.

“Enlighten us, then. What in the world does this great plan, legal plan of yours involve?” Natasha inquires dryly. Another cheeky grin on your face was enough for her to know that she won't like it in the slightest. It was almost sinister, how much you enjoyed to push her bottons.

”Well…that answer can vary. How are your dance moves, Agent Romanoff?

Clearly baffled, she didnt have time to answer when someone blasted through the door, startling all three of you. “You! Are you the one you hacked FRIDAY?” demanded a frantic Tony Stark, dressed in Iron Man-themed pajamas, bags under his eyes and a steaming coffee pot in hand labeled “#1 Best Hero” (a gift from Peter). Honestly, Natahsa is a firm believer that he bought it himself but whatever.

You giggled almost manically. “Oops, that’s my cue! Talk to you later to get into details, Agent.” You practically purred, teasingly waving goodbye before cutting the connection in one swift motion. Natasha was met with her reflection on the now dark screen, your last words hanging heavily on the air.

Natasha drops on the chair heavily, grunting and rubbing her temples while looking at the roof in despair. How does she always end up in these situations?

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday - Introductions

A/N: Entirely written on my phone. Apologies for errors!

A/N2: This chapter is mainly an introduction to the setting and the majority of the characters. It'll be different readers for each character (give or take).

Ok, first day, very important to not make an idiot of yourself. That's been your internal mantra for the entire commute. You've been really hoping it'll help you out today.

You've gotten a ticket to take to IT for your new work laptop but you got lost trying to find your way there. You look around at the signs, trying to figure it out when someone gently coughs to get your attention. Turning you see a tall, lean man with short blondish brown hair and light blue eyes.

"Do you need some help?" His accent and soft tone help soothe your nerves.

"Um..." you hesitate. "I'm, I'm trying to find the IT department?"

His eyes widen as he smiles, "you must be the new hire." You nod and he holds out his hand, "I'm Jonathan, manager of the IT department. I'll show you the way."

He talks as he guides you to the one section of the building you hadn't been to yet.

"Here is our own little corner of the world," Jonathan gestures around the open area. "For a new employee you're going to want to talk to Jake." He points to a young man with spiky hair, glasses and a goatee who's talking on the phone.

"Ain't gonna happen for a while." A large bear of a man with a beard and a bald top, wearing a Lynyrd Skinner shirt steps towards you. "He's helping that little old lady on the third floor that never remembers her password."

"Ah, yes," Jonathan winces. "She is quite the talker." He looks to you and introduces the second man as Syverson. "We both run the department but Sy is better at managing the employees while I'm better at convincing the higher ups to give us a better budget."

"One of th' smoothest talkers I've ever worked with," Sy grins. "As far as your laptop, you wait right here an' I'll go get from Walter. He's our main hardware guy. Then we'll get...hmmm." He looks around as he ponders.

"Johnny is currently mid battle with that hacker he keeps toying with," Jonathan muses. "How is Ransom's mood today?"

Sy snorts, "same as always. Definitely don't wanna scare the lady away." He snaps his fingers, "Rogers!"

A head pops out of a cubicle, "you call?"

"Got a new employee," Sy explains. "Gonna need you to help her get her laptop setup." Sy turns and heads to where you're guessing Walter is with the hardware you'll need.

You turn back to where Steve was situated and almost jump at seeing him so close. He's huge but you didn't hear him at all! The big and tall blonde man's eyes are shining with enthusiasm.

He holds out his hand and you introduce yourself. "It's nice to meet you. Not a lot of new people around here lately. I work with the designs for our internal programs. Me and Bucky," he gestures back to his cubicle, "work together on the UX and accessibility stuff for the external website."

"That's impressive," you nod, practically hypnotized by his eyes. And his muscles, if you're being honest with yourself.

Sy returns and hands Steve the laptop. "Follow me," Steve smiles as he turns. You try your best to fight the urge to ogle his ass. It's your first day and you don't want to already make a fool of yourself! No matter how handsome these guys are.

Steve takes you through the setup. He's incredibly patient and kind. Plus his voice could keep your attention forever. He's going through some of the standard company security stuff when there's a knock. You both turn and you see a burly man with a beanie and a beard so full you almost miss the lip piercing.

"Hey, Curtis. What's up?"

"Bucky's out getting another coffee," Curtis starts. "Need you to tell him I've got the code worked out for the next update and need him to check the legacy compatibility."

"Sure thing," Steve nods and Curtis heads back to whenever he'd been.

"Don't you have an internal communications thing for this?" You're surprised that someone has to intervene in the communication.

Steve chuckles as he pulls out his phone. "Bucky never responds to work stuff while he's out, even just to a cafe. But there's a time crunch on this and I'm the only person he'll actually check his phone for."

"Oh," is all you can say.

Steve finishes his text and gets back to your training. When you're done you thank him for everything and he blushes a little.

"If you want I can help you with the physical setup at your desk?" He almost looks like he's pleading for you to say yes.

"It won't be a problem? I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Not at all," he assures. "Besides, I don't want to be here for the upcoming Bucky and Curtis debate."

You giggle nervously, "ok. And thank you!"

Tagging @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82 ; @ronearoundblindly

Also tagging @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory to test if this post is working!

Please let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[stellaestra]

I look into the spaces in-between in search of you (I miss you more than anything)

pairing: tim drake/mc [reader] author's note: old ideas from high school for me to write excerpts about as per usual and tim's my muse to explore these ideas on unless stated otherwise, if you see this posted on ao3, yes that is me too dw

this is unfortunately very self-indulgent hehe <3 mb babes p.s. this cld be taken as both ways? romantic? platonic? take your pick lol

word count: 1511 words

cw: um, mentions of injury? unedited // no beta read, we'll die like men here

---

It had been days since the last time Tim had slept ever since he found footage of someone that seemed eerily familiar to you, clad in a bright red jacket that was practically your signature back then. It was one of your favourite jackets after all.

He was getting a little too frantic and was rather adamant about them being you. He wanted to prove to everyone that you weren't dead but alive. 

He would delay the process of falling asleep if he had to.

“Red Robin.” He spoke into the mic.

“Access approved.” The artificial intelligence responded back.

“Where are they hiding you?” The words trailed off, his eyes were already glued to the screen. 

His icy blues scanned through the files; that includes, footage, clips and articles – each and every one of them, trying to search a certain code-name belonging to someone he once knew very well like the back of his hand and grew extremely fond of over the course of the years of knowing them.

The only footage that could have matched your physique was that single footage alone and it irked him to no end. 

He was already rather obsessed with the idea of trying to search for you and none of his family members nor friends managed to deter him away from his work.

However, there was a single tiny nagging voice in the back of his head that reminded him of the possible reality that there was no way you would come back unless some kind of miracle brought you back to life like what had happened to Jason and he never really touched that particular topic whenever asked.

Only vague answers from him. He would always end the conversation before it started.

—

Meanwhile, you weren't quite pleased with the fact that you had to drop out of your current school and had to take online classes to finish your high school education for the sake of a diploma to show you completed everything that was necessary to proceed further into higher education. 

Well, at least there was some compensation for it, the organisation you were under was paying for your education so you couldn't complain as much as you would like. Whether you like it or not, you need to be under everyone's radar for the time being because you were relatively vulnerable while you were in the middle of recovering.

It was rather unfortunate that you had obtained a very life-threatening wound months ago, it took you ages to finally feel like your body was yours and move it the way your brain intended it to. 

The phantom pain of being stabbed was another thing to deal with in the midst of doing your everyday life now. 

Your recovery period was a lot more sedentary than you would have liked too. There was always a constant itch to do workout routines that was far too intense for your weakened state at the moment.

All in all, this was something they told you to do and it was to keep prying eyes away from you until you reached full recovery before being deployed back onto the field.

Staying with your grandma was pretty nice too, it had been quite some time since your family last visited her and it was always annual visits at the end of the school year for Christmas. 

Your other issue living in a more secluded area was, of course, none other than net signal stability. It kind of helped you to be harder to be detected and traced back but it still irked you that you would need to wait longer for your files to be downloaded.

Regardless, life has been much simpler and far less hectic than your usual ones back home. It was nice to be able to breathe for once instead of being dogpiled by both your school tasks and your other responsibilities.

It wasn't easy for your uncle to convince your parents for you to move away for your recovery period after your so-called hit and run accident which was a cover-up for your actual one. 

—

It had taken several months for Tim to get the final clue needed to prove you weren't dead and he finally got it now —

“Found you.” Tim muttered under his breath, sounding almost unhinged — wide icy blue eyes zeroed in on another footage he managed to scrape through the worldwide database, fingers hovering his keyboard. 

The teen had immediately booked the next flight available to where you were now regardless of the schedules that had lined up for him. He couldn't give a flying damn about it right this second now that he finally located your whereabouts they so desperately tried to conceal your presence from everyone.

He jumped to his closet, scavenging through his mess of clothes to throw into his carry-on luggage bag for him to bring with on his impromptu trip.

The next morning, he made his way to Gotham’s airport without so much as leaving a note to mention where he would be. He doesn't want anything to risk his solid decision.

The dawning realisation fell upon him when he touched-down at your home country airport. He was finally here. He was finally able to see you now. 

His next hurdle was to track you down to your very exact location and it wasn't going to be a breeze for him – he hated to admit and they covered your tracks far too well for any mistakes to happen. 

It took him roughly a week or so to get a clue of you. 

—

Tim spotted your silhouette from miles away before he made a beeline for you. He called out your name almost desperately, causing you to turn back and face him. 

You looked as pretty as the last time he saw you. A sheepish look plastered your features as you faced him fully. 

“...Found you.” He exhaled out, he was a little out of breath from sprinting to your spot. Call him crazy or whatever. He wasn't going to lose sight of you. 

“...Uh, hi, hey, Timbo,” you chuckled, your eyes betrayed you as there was a look of guilt behind them despite you trying to play it off coolly, “took you long enough, huh?” 

He remained silent as he stared at you, soaking in your presence and trying to etch everything about you right now into his brain. His icy blue eyes were starting to intimidate you right now because you rarely ever felt so exposed in someone's presence before. 

“Heh, well, don't let it get to your head,” you joked, running your fingers through your hair, “the only reason you were able to find me was because I let myself be found.”

“Shut up, I'm very upset with you right now,” His words sounded wet, as if he was fighting back his tears even though there was a deep frown set on his lips, jaws clenched and shoulders straightened (tensed). There was nothing else that indicated that he was about to cry other than his voice that carelessly betrayed him.

He had managed to trace you back to your home country was one thing, the other part was finding you at your exact location was another gamble.

He found you at the beachside of Sipitang, a town located in one of Sabah's district divisions, taking a walk while eating chicken wings skewers you had bought in a plastic dangling in your hands.

“Why, you want a reward for finding me sooner than intended?” You teased, raising an eyebrow at him, “the only thing I have on me right now is my chicken wings if you want some?”

He doesn't know what to do with himself nor what he would like to say to you now that he has found you, safe and sound in Borneo Island. He wanted to pull you into his arms so badly but he withholded himself from doing so because you would look at him weird for even attempting such a feat. 

You've known Tim for several years now and you would like to think you knew him from the inside out enough to take notice of his little quirks and decipher them to how he would like to be perceived as.

You opened your arms wide, inviting him for the hug that the other boy was trying to force himself not to give.

It took him a few moments to finally give in, and pushed his pride away to embrace you, taking you into his arms and feeling the warmth you gave away through your body. He hid his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your familiar scent.

“I miss you.”

“I'm very much aware,” you chuckled into his shoulders, squeezing him, “don't think I didn't notice you snooping around our database, you loser."

“I need to prove to them you aren't dead and I need to see it with my own eyes.” He admitted, wounding his arms tighter around you.

“Of course you’d do that, you stalker.” 

“I really did miss you.”

“Me too.”

[bougiebutchbinch]

clicked on ur blog from the awesome surgical theatre post and saw that u don't practice as much now adays bc of disabilities! if u ever want to write about it, i'd be interested in hearing what it's like to be disabled in the healthcare field bc i don't see it being feasible for me but it's lowkey a dream

Healthcare is honestly an AMAZING career!

For... some disabilities.

If you're autistic and have adhd but aren't SUPER sensitive to Lots Of Sensory Stimuli (it is. very noisy. and very bright. and everything stinks) it is the best field I have ever found for getting into the hyperfocus zone while also flitting between a million tasks at once!

But on the physical side... it's gruelling, ngl.

I have a million Reasonable Adjustments in place. Half the time they get ignored because of understaffing, and I have to put my own very fragile body at risk to help patients. That's entirely because of shitty management, but I've heard it's a pretty endemic problem.

Also because of understaffing, if you have a lot of sick days, it's a problem. It shouldn't be your problem, but it winds up being that - again, because of shitty management.

I'm very, very lucky in that I am incredibly driven to do the ridiculous necessary amounts of physio/take all my meds/do everything 'right' as a patient. It's kept me working in the field far longer than I would've been able to, but it's also Very Fucking Difficult and does require, for want of a better word, a grindset.

I have a specific five-year plan that will get me into what is essentially a desk job, but where I can still make all the diagnoses (and hopefully still have some patient communication T^T) that I love. I've been told by my specialists that I might not even have five years where I'm able to walk even at a stagger and use my arms, but uhhhh. We'll worry about that when we get to it, lol.

If all else fails, I will become The Enemy (a manager) and pray that the hospital I'm moving to is more accessible to staff than my current one. Where the managers' officers are all up a steep flight of stairs and you literally cannot reach them by lift. Because fuck disabled people I guess.

All in all: yolo attitude mixed with reasonable expectations and strong ambitions/drive will get you far! But like. It's difficult. Really fucking difficult. I won't lie. I don't regret it, and I genuinely LOVE working in healthcare - it energises me and I have a passion for it that I've never felt for anything else except writing!

But if you're considering this career as a disabled person, I think you need to be very realistic with yourself regarding not just your own physical capabilities, but what reasonable adjustments will actually be put in place and how management will try and skirt around them. Shit sucks but it's reality, and at the end of the day, the patients are your priority.

You shouldn't be put in a position where you have to choose between your health and theirs, but you might be. What decision would you make in that scenario? I think that's a good question to ask yourself, before you take the plunge!

[ranposbabe]

Delightful | William James Moriarty x Reader

Chapter 10

Question after question after question.

Yet you wouldn’t receive any answers.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that you could only have the courage to think about them and not even consider whispering them let alone saying them aloud for others to hear.

You definitely won’t find answers here that’s for certain. So far you hadn’t been successful but then again up till now u weren’t actively searching for the truth due to shock. You’re still in shock of course but it is evident that it’s beginning to numbing. There’s no one to confide in. Even if there was you weren’t sure of who or even where to find them.

Either way you knew it wasn’t a pub or a market.

There’s nothing here in the manor that will solve it. That was proven rather quicker when you first met William rather upbrutly. You’re just glad the situation hasn’t been brought up since. Come to think of it you were also glad you hadn’t seen Albert of late since you did in fact finish his bottle of wine that night. You didn’t even consider how expensive it was.

But you were desperate and where can desperate people find answers when they no longer have access to a phone ?

Books. “I know !” You practically jump up from the small bed.

“I’ll pay William a visit !”

From what you understood, William is a mathematician. Of course maths couldn’t help you get anywhere but a university must have books in other fields of subjects. Maybe just maybe you’d find something small to help guide you on your way. But as you managed to find yourself there you couldn’t help but look all around you to stare on in awe.

It was so different compared to your own personal experience in education.

Well obviously, it wasn’t like you ever attended the university of Durham but still.

People were walking around rather cheerfully in groups chatting loud as the rarely bright sun shined down on all. An atmosphere you’ve never really experienced before. The architecture also slightly threw you off. From what you remembered from your time buildings like this were extremely old and new buildings were plain and simple, practically dull compared to the old ones.

But how were you suppose to find the library if you couldn’t run into every single room of the building ? It would only take a matter of time before you’d be recognised as a trespasser. “Come on lads !” You hear from near you in the courtyard.

You were quick to run around a corner, making sure to not be noticed.

Hiding behind a wall, you peek around to only spot a young student walking towards two other students, looking rather eager.

“We have professor Moriarty’s class soon !”

Your eyes widen at their words. You were quick to follow them from a distance. You watched on as the students walked into you assumed a classroom.

But just as they walked in they were quick to leave again. You assume maybe they had time until class started so they simply left they’re belonging in the room so they could go continue freely about for however long. You took slow steps into the empty classroom, simply blown away at the sight. You weren’t sure what you were expecting but definitely not this.

The room was too enormous to process, you struggled to believe this was a genuine classroom.

Even when you timidly walked upon the high steps onto the balcony, you couldn’t believe the quality of the room.

Your fingers run against the wooden bannister. Of course as you sat down there was now only one thing to do.

Sleep.

As some time passed your eyes begin to flutter and your senses heighten at the sound of chatter. You nearly gasped when you realised. The class was currently taking place. When you looked down you could only stare on at the sight of William teaching seemingly a dozen students.

Maybe it was near the end of the class ? You hoped it was. You did contemplate just simply walking out but you were quick to realise the room was filled with just young men and you would stick out like a sore thumb if you left now.

But you couldn’t help but wonder how did no one notice you at all ? You were sat at the very back off on the side where you’d actually stand out more so were no students bored of this class ?

You were and you’re not even a student.

There was no way that William was teaching that good that no student of his was bored ? Was he ?

Even when you squint your eyes to no avail, you still couldn’t make out what was on the board. He looked so…confident. In himself. He didn’t speak quietly and his voice wasn’t demanding yet it was clear and from what you could tell just by peering at the students even though some seemed tired they all listened and watched William like a hawk.

For a moment you could only lay your head in your arms in defeat as you realised that you were stuck here.

You didn’t really think about him having that effect on others. William had his back turned to the students as he wrote an equation on the board.

“And perhaps even then-

William for once mistakenly looked up to his right just at the exact moment you raised your head from your strained arms. It was as if time has frozen as you both locked eyes with one another. His eyes squinting up at you while your eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights.

Just like that William finished the class and as students began to pack up to leave you were rather quick to look away and avoid those unreal eyes staring you down.

William acknowledged all students before they left the room and you hoped that he would soon follow. He did not.

“So you really are a professor ?” You ask, gripping onto your long skirt hoping William didn’t notice the slight trip in your step as you carefully made your way down. He did. “Did you assume I was being dishonest about my occupation ?”

He asked, placing his hands behind his back as if he were still teaching like the professional that he is.

“I though you were just covering up for another job, I don’t know.” You simply shrug, briefly turning back to look around the huge room.

Of course, you missed the slight smirk evident on Williams face that was wiped away as soon as you faced him again. “I thought Louis had you doing chores this morning ?” Williams ask, gathering the dozen sheets of paper left on his desk. “He did ! He even wrote me a list but I left before I even started.” You smirk proudly. You weren’t even going to deny it.

Instead of walking by William’s side you opted for just simply following behind him like a lost puppy. Although you managed to get to the university with no problems, as the evening grew late and the sky began to darken you weren’t completely sure how to find your way back.

Minutes go by walking in silence with no conversation taking place between the two of you. You partly did want to indulge yourself in small talk but yet the words simply didn’t come out of your mouth. But even peeking a glance at William’s face he didn’t seem that keen on the idea either. Maybe he had a rough day ? Were his lessons really that short or was it cut short because of you ?

Yeah, silence was the better option.

But silence didn’t last long as you heard William greeting someone, you looked up to the sight of William speaking happily to Louis. You wonder if maybe they always met up on the way home.

You look around from behind William giving Louis a little wave all the while he simply returns a raised brow along with a scoff. There was a part of you that thought if the others had noticed you had left, in particular you were curious about Louis. But by a simple glance at the annoyance that shined through his glasses you guessed he somehow anticipated you once again leaving.

Although maybe he wasn’t anticipating your return ? It was evident now.

Maybe you shouldn’t sneak out anymore.

If you wish to be added to the taglist please comment below to let me know!!!

TAGLIST: @elvyshiarieko @queenofspades403 @rayonfirethe2nd @simpy-geli-lol @phoenix666stuff @lindoasd @silveredwood @nimuelis

[lurkiestvoid]

I have absolutely zero spoons to provide links this is not a news post this is a ... a sigh. it's widely reported and easily searchable info. Fuck it i came back and added links

memos relating to the bullshit huge federal funding freeze and demanding orgs answer 14 questions by next week to keep their funding, to ensure they aren't supporting "illegal" "DEIA"

The acronym has grown

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

They're gonna go after the whole fuckin ADA, aren't they.

Oh, and he repealed instructed the DOJ not to enforce the FACE Act, the 90s law to protect clinics, patients, and staff from anti-choice protestors (they can now get right back up to the doors, and short of basically killing someone it just won't be enforced)

They're trying to institute a way to simultaneously email all 2.3 million federal employees at once to be able to "communicate directly" and not have orders "filtered by management". Several lawsuits already, massive privacy concerns, etc.

Loyalty tests have begun for both current employees and applicants, mostly headed by department-inexperienced youths, to ensure full 100% enthusiastic support specifically of MAGA over Republican party and with zero non-party associations or opinions

He revoked equal opportunity employment, killing 60 years of labor+civil rights just as both my trans wife and my trans self are trying to find work

The funding freeze has everyone scrambling. Compliance by 5pm today, so many have been working through the night because some of these programs can't just be flipped like a switch. non-profits panicking. Research suspended. Emergency meetings. Already "temporary" layoffs of medical staff and others, for grant freezes.

r/fednews is a new subreddit for Fed workers to whistleblow and share internal fuckery. Have a random screenshot.

The reddit account that discovered that the funding freeze EO was written by two randos bc the pdf metadata wasn't scrubbed, one of whom is Heritage Foundation, was nuked. An hour later the EO was updated to change the "author"

Aaaaand he's openly talking about deporting "criminals," and regressives are enthusiastically supportive of the idea of deporting "dissidents" like [checks notes] American citizen Selena Gomez.

Etc etc etc oh god there's so fucking much already.

I am left wondering how to personally tread the line between "do not comply in advance" and "do not draw attention to yourself." How to keep my family safe. I am wondering how many of the social media posts encouraging people to scream and be loud and DEMAND to be SEEN and RESPECTED as QUEER/DISABLED/ETC are maybe written by people who don't know or remember how fucking bad the baseline social attitude was towards marginalized people even just twenty years ago, and therefore have zero context for exactly how bad it can get and what it's like to survive daily life in even the mildest of strict national oppression, and maybe don't really even believe us when we try to tell them, think we could never go back that far surely, not for very long surely.

And I am so, so sorry my loves, but you have yet to see a true winter, and you're treating the snow flurries as hyperbole.

[zahri-melitor]

A Quick, Somewhat Joking Discussion of 'the Best Ways To Get Into Comics' (TM)

Be 10-14 years old, pick up a random comic at the library/bookshop/someone's collection and become obsessed. This is proven the best method and the level of confusion engendered by it is actually more useful long term than any other method. (At that age you are going to fall deeply in love with random texts that are never going to quite have the depth your brain imparts on them)

Mention to a friend who does like comics that you want to 'get into comics' and said friend, knowing your preferred types of tv shows and books, your favourite characters and having asked what you're hoping to read, carefully picks out something that is objectively a good starter comic that fits your tastes and makes your brain go brrrr. (god tier level, that friend is a keeper, also congratulations on the fact you are never going to replicate the feel of reading that first comic again)

Lurk or hang out in some fandom space where you are regularly exposed to discussions of comics that includes actual panels and storylines of recent comics, and work out from that what seems to have a vibe you like, so you go and pick up that run (solid option, being able to taste various writers and styles of run before diving in gives you a better chance of choosing a run that hooks you, I was introduced to so many runs via scans_daily in this way back in the day).

Wander into a library or comic shop or bookshop that has a decent number of comics with the idea that you want to look into reading these, and then flip through a bunch of trades in what you think you want to read before something catches your eye and you pick that up (less likely to be a definite hook, but has the benefit of being far more likely than any option listed further below to involve newbie-friendly art. And newbie-friendly art is something that isn't discussed enough in terms of recommendations but is one of the biggest reasons people just getting into comics bounce off the format).

Only here will I mention recommended character reading guides. In my experience they're useful in certain contexts, particularly for characters who have hard-to-trace chronologies, for finding out what runs that person considers essential to the character, for untangling the order of comics in particularly confusing large events, and for narrowing down and directing people where there's a big chunk of material to read about a character. My objection is they tend to be treated like gospel by newbies, they frequently don't consider whether the artwork is going to make their eyes burn, quite often they are more focused on the 'best' stories for a character rather than the 'most accessible stories' for that character (these are two separate concepts!) and they tend to sell a narrative of 'don't read X' where X is quite often a comic which people don't enjoy but where an important event happens or is simply an older comic that's particularly affected by community expectations and standards having changed since it was written.

You know that '75 Years of Comics' series of prestige hardbacks that DC did? They're great to hand to a newbie looking to get into a specific character or mantle, because it's got stand alone stories that are highly regarded or solidly introductory about that character from each era, they can page through it and work out what version makes their brain happy, and then follow up on those leads into more reading. (Expensive but perfect for libraries)

The first trade of a recent run for the character in question by the current or second most recent writer. Most runs when they change lead writers are going to have some level of onboarding simply because a lot of people DO switch what they're reading depending on what team is on the book, and by going with a current run you manage to sidestep a lot of the 'this feels weird and old' problems.

[roancowgirl]

Hi! I really want to help with the IGRA. I used to be able to participate when I was a kid and work for training/riding but as an adult owning land or animal(s) is out of my abilities. I'd love to know -- is there a way for me to get involved without access to those resources? I live in East WA, theres plenty of conservative rodeo and fair spaces out here but none have any sort of LGBT+ representation.

Hey! I’m so glad to hear you’re interested! I apologize if this gets long😅

As far as becoming involved in gay rodeo without having land or animals, absolutely! You don’t need to have the right background, or a bunch of land and animals to participate. Gay rodeos feature all the usual rodeo events, but also offer some that are unique to gay rodeo and are more accessible to folks who don’t have horses or are unable to afford the cost of travel with animals. I’m in the latter boat, I have two horses but hauling across the country to rope or run speed events is out of the question. Getting myself up and down the road for broncs is hard enough!

The events like goat dressing, wild drag race, and steer decorating are team events that don’t require any gear or animals to compete in. Calf roping on foot only requires a calf rope, and a dummy at home to practice on. Chute dogging doesn’t technically require anything, but a helmet and vest is strongly recommended!

The roughstock events are similar, though gear can be pricey. But once you have it, you’ve got it!

You’re always welcome to sign up and compete in any of these events, but you may need to travel. As of currently, there’s no association or queer friendly events that I know of in WA or the PNW as a whole. There used to be, and there used to be more associations across the US, but they’ve died out through the years.

There’s a multitude of reasons why, and I’ve heard a variety of reasons from association members. I think the inability to adapt and keep up with effective social media has been the biggest killer. The times have changed a lot since the 70s!

Before going on I need to clarify. The IGRA is a national association. However, it doesn’t host any rodeos or events aside from the Finals rodeo and events like Convention, where the annual association meeting is held and bylaws are discussed.

The rodeos themselves as well as fundraising for those rodeos and the local communities are handled by a smaller association. These associations usually exist at a state or regional level and have worked into being a member of the IGRA umbrella. There’s some associations that exist entirely separate from the IGRA, and I know one of them produces a yearly rodeo.

Technically, anyone can create an association and start hosting fundraisers, community events, produce a rodeo, etc. All it takes is a group of people working together and engaging with their local communities.

I firmly believe there’s interest and Cowfolx in these “dead zones”; they’re just scattered. I’ve been working to build community both in online and in-person spaces. I’ve built my social media because I realized I never saw myself growing up, and I know others have felt the same. Alongside that I manage a Queer Cowfolks discord server(obligatory see my pinned post and join, it’s good people), to try to bring folks together and build a community I know is there but scattered.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to help get in-person communities going in areas that don’t have them, and I’m all ears on how I can help make that happen if someone is genuinely interested in getting it going.

As far as what can be done right now, please stay tuned for that. I have some ideas as far as market research, feedback on accessibility within the association, including the social media presence, and trying to get a general feel for the association. None of that is posted yet, and it’s still half an idea😅

As a heads up all of this work I do is as a passion project, I’m not involved with the association aside from competing and wanting to see what I feel is an important community thrive and gain new members

[wolfnanaki]

Nanaki’s Games of 2024

2024 sure was a year where things happened.

Snark aside, this year was pretty good for gaming overall, so long as you don’t pay attention to the massive layoffs and the steadily growing threat of AI-generated slop. And to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of a new one, I thought I’d put together what games I played this year.

(For the record, this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything I’ve played, nor is it a list of only 2024 games. It’s the stuff I played this year that I thought was worth talking about.)

20 Small Mazes

I don’t remember when or how I learned about this free indie puzzle game, but I’m glad to have played it. It takes less than an hour to go through all the mazes, but each one has such a vibrant, fun twist to them that I was hoping there would secretly be more mazes after the end. No maze overstays its welcome, you can switch between them whenever you like, and you can easily reset a maze if you get stuck. Give this one a try if you’re looking to chill out for about an hour.

ATLYSS

The word that comes to mind when describing this one is “spunky.” Even in Early Access, Atlyss has a tremendous amount of stuff you can do, and you'll have a wonderful time doing all of it. The character customization options are phenomenal and allow so much room for creativity, and the combat is fast, intuitive, and challenging. It's even better playing with friends, and I've yet to experience any major connection issues during online play. As far as the game's current state goes, there's some temp graphics and it seems there's a cutoff point for content that leaves you wanting more, so hopefully the final release will resolve these.

Awaria

Even though Helltaker is a free game, I never did get around to playing it. Maybe next year. But I did jump into Awaria when it popped up on my Steam recommended feed. It’s a fast-paced resource management game where you must avoid getting killed while giving generators the parts they need when they break down, and the first few levels are tantalizingly easy before the difficulty curve makes itself known. But at that point, the game’s charming visual style, satisfactory gameplay loop, and getting to play as a spunky lesbian smooching ghost girls had already won me over, and I was determined to see the game through.

Bunker Game

This is the definition of “diamond in the rough.” This one-shot, hour-long free game, released in May this year, comes from a solo developer, Eremetic Egghead, emerging from the “HMOFA” threads of 4chan’s /trash/ board. Except rather than being a generic human-on-furry dating sim, it’s an apocalyptic narrative game where two crewmates in an underground bunker reflect on their lives and the lives of the friends they’ve lost over the years.

It has incredibly strong writing, complemented by atmospheric sound effects and a minimalist visual style that heightens the gloomy mood of this game. It left a strong impression on me, and I’m glad that I gave it a chance, and you should too. It can be downloaded for free on itch.io.

Changed

This is an older one that I finally got around to starting but have yet to finish. It has a strong, unabashedly furry vibe to it and has me curious about how its unusual story will conclude, but some of the gameplay challenges were a bit overwhelming and I had to put it down for a while. I’ll get back into this one next year.

Goodbye Volcano High

My 2023 GOTY returns, this time for me to finish getting all of the achievements on Steam. Completing this game has lead me to officially declare it one of my top five games of all time. This strong story, memorable characters, beautiful soundtrack, and emotionally compelling moments are going to stick with me for a long time.

And not to mention the beautiful community that’s grown around it. Me and two of my best friends did a marathon livestream of this game on the 21st of December, reliving our favorite moments, laughing, crying, sharing fond memories of the community, and more. Even though I was ill-prepared for such a long stream, I’m proud to have been a part of this. Love you, dinogang. <3

Hold Onto Mi (Demo)

There has been a steady rise of people, either current or former Snoot Game fans, who have been trying to create a game in the same vein but without the anti-trans baggage of the original. Hold Onto Mi, which had its demo come out back in October, is one such example, and I think this one is going in the right direction. In its current stage, it is leagues better than its inspiration.

The player’s character is Newa, a short-tempered high school boy with a dark past and a good heart hidden inside. The love interest is Madison, a tall triceratops girl who plays basketball and has an unusual fascination with humans. They and the circle of friends that surround them are charming, interesting characters with a lot of depth, and it had many strong, emotional scenes that left me interested in how this story might end. It’s bolstered by a charming art style that makes it stand out with vibrant, expressive characters. I’m keeping my eyes on this one to see how the final story shapes up.

MalOvent (Demo)

You could easily dismiss this visual novel as a “coomer game” featuring a popular furry character. And if you do, I’ll kick your ass.

While MalOvent does feature optional erotic imagery, it also has a standout visual style with great characters and an intriguing story that makes full use of the SCP-1471 lore, something even furries tend to have a hard time doing. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one, especially when the legitimate horror elements began to creep in. I look forward to the next major update in early 2025.

Nine Sols

This is one I started but didn’t get very far in. It has a fascinating story, gorgeous visual style and easy to understand gameplay that feels fun, but I think the difficulty of it caught me off guard. I’m going to get back into this one when I find the time.

On Your Tail

To me, the sign of a great game is when you open it up to take a couple of screenshots for a review, and then find yourself logging an extra three hours of gameplay. On Your Tail is one of those games.

The introduction is a slow burn, but once you get started, this game's vibrant world, compelling story, and fun characters sink their teeth into you. There are parts of the late-game story that legitimately surprised me, to my delight. There are a variety of different minigames you can experience, from working part-time jobs to cooking, fishing, stargazing, too many to list in a single review. And they're complemented by the mystery-solving gameplay, which requires you to pay close attention to context clues and think critically about the choices you're making. Granted, some of the very late game mysteries are much harder to wrap your head around, and the game's optimization isn't the best, but none of these flaws were enough to dampen my experience.

This game tries to carefully balance its serious detective story and its cozy slice-of-life gameplay, and I feel that it finds a great medium between the two, making a truly memorable game. (Forgive the pun.)

Portal: Revolution

This Portal 2 prequel continues the time-honored tradition of making Portal tie-in games where the new protagonist accidentally ends up doing far more badass stuff that Chell ever did in the two official games.

Jokes aside, it’s a highly polished and inventive take on the world of Portal with some interesting new characters, challenging puzzle design, and an exciting story. Some of the later puzzles can get frustrating and hard to wrap your head around, but it always felt like it was my fault for not piecing together the solution instead of the game not giving me the necessary information. If you enjoy the Portal games, I recommend giving this one a try.

Puzzle Cube

I got this game for less than a dollar thanks to it being on sale and having a coupon available. After just over an hour of playing, I refunded it.

Puzzle Cube starts off with a simple premise: you have a large, clear box with smaller colored cubes inside, and you have to tilt the box so that the colored cubes line up and disappear. What starts off as a quirky puzzle quickly mutates into a frustrating, boring experience where the solutions are impossible to figure out, leaving you forced to mash keys until something works. All this, while the same song loops forever in the background.

In the end, this game’s two biggest achievements for me were it being the first game I’ve refunded on Steam, and the first game I’ve given a negative review.

qomp

I forget how this one ended up in my Steam library. I think it was from some charity bundle. Anyway, this game has you playing the puck from Pong, navigating a variety of intricate mazes filled with puzzles and obstacles. It can be beaten in a little over an hour – my recorded time is 90 minutes – and it’s overall a mesmerizing experience that I’m glad I experienced. There’s a sequel out, which is on my wishlist.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

I originally played this game on my Nintendo 3DS, but this year, I finally went through and beat the game on Steam. I already loved this game, as it was my first Shantae game and is a genuinely fabulous Metroidvania, but kudos to the team behind this game for doing such an excellent job making this game look and play just right for the PC.

Snoot Game: Encore (Demo)

Take one of the worst visual novels to have ever happened. Now make it worse.

Encore gives a big upgrade to the original game’s visuals, but also changes the UI to be more Persona-inspired, leaving it feeling clunky and hard to look at. The quality of its voice acting is all over the place, emphasizing the bland, offensive nature of the original game’s writing. And for the “new” stuff, they tack on a scene where yet another Goodbye Volcano High character is retconned to be cis (Sage, a trans man, is made into a cis woman), with even more of the dull, edgy humor that made the original so insufferable (Sage, instead of being an aspiring chef, is a racist and aspiring rage-bait YouTuber).

How any of this seemed like a good idea is beyond me. How they’re pursuing this and getting paid real money for it is a legal mystery to me too.

Webfishing

There is a pattern in this year’s list of games, which is that a lot of them seemed to have popped out of nowhere and taken up a lot of my time. Webfishing is another one of these titles; everything about it, from its visuals, gameplay, music, and tone of humor, can be summed up as “simple but charming.” It’s easy to get reeled in and spend a few hours with friends fishing, drinking beer, scratching lotto cards, and goofing off. It’s probably one of the few “cozy” sort of games that truly lives up to that ideal.

~

If you reached the end of this, thank you for reading! I hope I’ve given you some insight on the kind of games that click with me and what doesn’t, and maybe even helped you find a new game to try out. I hope you have a wonderful new year!

[rangerpippin]

Please, please listen to this: I know it's not hiking weather for most people right now, but this needs to become a fact that sinks down into the collective consciousness.

Take tick safety seriously. No, actually do it. Everyone. You, reading this. Do the stupid, over the top, annoying tick safety steps. Do them.

I am not an outdoorsy person. I never go out in the woods. I live in an area where Lyme disease carrying ticks are supposed to be rare.

I went on ONE—one casual, leisurely nature trail walk with my friends who had gone dozens of times. We were back in three hours. We had fun.

I got bit by a tick. It took the usual month or so for Lyme symptoms to develop, and when they did I had almost forgotten the tick bite.

I got lucky. I had access to a doctor, they took me seriously and did tests, the Lyme showed up on the tests, and they listened to me further and ordered a 4 week course of antibiotics instead of 10 days.

I still had to go through weeks of bone-deep, strength-sucking fatigue, joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation, a low grade fever. Horrible brain fog that killed my ability to focus and almost ended up derailing my hopes of graduating on time.

Because I got lucky and got treated so aggressively and so quickly, I haven't had any further symptoms after finishing treatment. As far as I know, I was cured. This is not something to take for granted.

So, so often, Lyme doesnt show up on tests. So often, doctors will only prescribe a short course of antibiotics, which has been shown in studies to have unacceptably high rates of failure to adequately treat Lyme disease. If it is left untreated or improperly treated past the initial acute phase, it becomes much, much more difficult to eradicate. So, so often, people are left to deal with the lingering issues of untreated or improperly treated Lyme disease. Left to never getting back to being 100% healthy again. Ever.

I know that pants tucked into socks are a sensory nightmare. I know that you have zero intention of wearing long sleeves on your summertime hike in bajillion degree weather. I know that you don't want to hear me tell you to find a bug repellent that is effective for ticks for your stupid three hour nature walk. I know your friends are wearing shorts and t-shirts, and that I'm paranoid, and that you don't live in a state where this is an issue.

I had a good friend laughingly tell me, while I was still suffering with active symptoms, that she would rather get Lyme disease than tuck her pants into her socks. This wasn't meant to be as incredibly insensitive as it was, but it wasn't the implied dismissal of my then current and ongoing suffering that made me remember that remark, that made it sting as much as it did.

It was the implied echo of screamed warnings from someone who didn't know better and learned the hard way, bouncing unheard off soundproof glass.

Take tick safety seriously. Do the stupid, paranoid, uncomfortable, inconvenient steps. Do them no matter how casual or leisurely or informal your activity taking you into tall grass and other tick-prone areas are.

Because each time you don't, you're spinning the wheel, and if it lands wrong, you're risking having to manage an often debilitating condition for the rest of your life.

[dalesramblingsblog]

OK, I think it's time to actually commit words to writing and actually stick to them. I have tried several times to write this post, and on several occasions have even managed to do so, but I've never managed to follow through on my stated commitments. For the most part this is because, well, I simply didn't want to, because I knew it would be difficult, but I think I've reached a point where it would be far more difficult not to.

Let me cut to the chase: Dale's Ramblings, on WordPress at least, will be going on indefinite hiatus. There are several factors at play here, from the fact that I simply don't find the average quality of the books at this time to be good enough to make the project as much fun as it has been in the past, to my ongoing university studies, but the main reason is... well, I'm sick.

I have, of course, known this intellectually for a while now. It's been about a year since I actually started to figure things out and realise how profoundly affected I had been by my long COVID. Frankly, the fact that I was able to write as much as I did in 2024 - 252,000 words, let's recall - even in spite of being ill is something of a minor miracle.

And more to the point, I did all that because... well, it was fun. Like, I say it's become less fun, and in an objective sense yeah it probably has; I'd rather be still reading books like The Also People than Kursaal or War of the Daleks. But, like, it was still fun. Tremendous fun. I can't stand books like Kursaal or War, but I look back on those reviews with quite a lot of fondness, and I think I've done some of my absolute best writing over this past year.

But there comes a point where you have to weigh the fun in one hand against the realities of your body in the other, and the fact is that I'm sick. I have, in all likelihood, been pushing myself a mite too hard at times, but I wouldn't have done it if I didn't sincerely get enjoyment out of every syllable. If it stopped being fun, I would have stopped, and I'm lucky enough that Dale's Ramblings has never stopped being fun.

Yet I also realise that I can't keep up this gruelling production schedule forever, chasing arbitrary deadlines for no greater reason than my own neurotic desire for neatness and symmetry.

So, then, a hiatus. We've done them before, but this one still feels harder because I desperately *want* to continue. And I will, some day; I've already committed too much energy to the idea of this project as my weird, sprawling autobiographical magnum opus. As much as it's about charting the Wilderness Years, Dale's Ramblings is just as much about charting the evolution of some scrawny suicidal fourteen-year-old into... well, we still haven't quite figured out an ending just yet.

Consider this a weird blip in our chronology then, a literary caesura, to be followed up on at a later date.

Which leaves us with the Ko-fi, as eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that I've already put up two of the three book reviews for April 1998, thinking as I did that I'd release them in March to coincide with the next anni-VARsary. I won't, obviously, but I will keep them up on the Ko-fi for those who are just dying to get a sneak preview, and you should be getting an additional 9,000 word review of The Hollow Men in the next couple days once I give it the final readthrough. Oh, and I'll probably cover Andrew Cartmel's Swine Fever for free on here as well.

There might be further Ko-fi exclusive early access reviews published in the coming months, but they will not be coming with anything like the current rate of regularity or reliability. I don't know exactly when they'll be going public, I suspect I'll want to hold the entire volume until I finish it so I can write without deadlines looming over me.

Is that greedy of me? Perhaps. But again, I'm sick and, for the foreseeable future at least, unemployed. This is, for now, the only way I pull in any sort of income that I can really call my own. If you can support the Ko-fi at all, even if it's just for one month or it's just a one-time payment, it would be greatly appreciated, but if not, I mean, I'll still be here. Just, y'know, rambling with a little less frequency or structure.

But I think any sense of structure went the way of the dodo when I ditched the dedicated "Positives" and "Negatives" sections of my reviews, really, so I think this was always just going to be my cosmic fate.

[fanaticsnail]

Hiya, Snail! I hope you are doing well! Got a couple of questions for ya, if you don't mind and are able to spare the time? 🙏

First, I'm a working mom, and while I have been a writer for a good 10+ years (not counting an 8 year hiatus after becoming a mother) this is my first attempt at managing a writing blog while simultaneously being a mom and working. I've been feeling a bit burnt out lately and was wondering if you have any tips on how to better manage/balance those three without hitting a burnout? And second: I'm in love with the way you portray Kid, Killer, and Lucci - three characters I never had any interest in until I found you (the Lucci brainrot is so bad rn, it's ridiculous 🫠). I primarily write for Hazbin Hotel (animated series), and I was considering venturing out into One Piece, but I'm feeling kinda nervous about my delivery as I am still very much so out of practice in general. Do you have any tips for writing Kid, Killer, and/or Lucci while keeping true to Oda's vision of them?

I hope you're having a wonderful day/night, or at the very least, a tolerable one. And I look forward to reading more of your work! It's all so positively astounding~! 💖

Hi Syn! Thank you so much for sending me this ask! I am finally getting over this bout of illness, but we're staying silly while we recover. I love your questions, and want to take the time answering each of them to the best of my abilities.

Firstly: Welcome to the One Piece fandom! It has been a really beautiful community in my experience. There's some absolutely gorgeous creators and so many fans of this beautiful world we all write for. I can't wait to see where your writing takes you with all of these characters we both adore. You've been writing for far longer than I have, and I know that wherever the words lead you will be spectacular with your experience behind you.

In terms of my personal life: I am a seasonal working mother of two children under five. My employment varies depending on need, but I am an entertainer and session musician while my husband works full-time. I have only been writing for about 2 years, just looking back on my time stamps on Ao3 to check just now. It wasn't a hobby I ever saw myself picking up - but I'm so glad I did because I love it.

I am currently recovering from a serious case of burnout after I challenged myself to produce one fic per day for 30 days until my 30th birthday - so I absolutely understand the fatigue coming with managing creativity. What I have found that has been working for me is writing where my words want to take me - not forcing them to do something they don't want to do. What I mean by that is: reducing the boundaries and constraints I placed on myself (I will write for 'x' character and it will contain 'x' tropes) and just seeing where the little plots take me. This helped me write and get into a steady flow to sprint rather than lag and drag behind that I'd been doing after that event.

As a mother of two, I write when the children are in bed if my mind lets me. Sometimes I don't write at all, sometimes I write full fics in one sitting, sometimes I jot down little ideas to build off later. I also write exclusively on my phone, alongside my art. Everything is just done right there, it helps having it accessible just like that. It also helps having some friends within the community that you can talk to about what you're writing and bounce ideas off of. Nothing aids creativity faster than others with similar interests wanting to hype you up in the same way you do for them.

Also, just write what you want when you can. Playlists without lyrics also help me write. This one is the one I use quite often.

I am very flattered you've fallen in love with Kid, Killer, and Lucci in the same way I did. The Kid Pirates have specifically got me in a choke hold lately and I adore them. I feel you on the Lucci brainrot. Something about a feral leopard-man that just makes me want to scream. He's just.. yeah. I adore him. All I can do about your question about keeping them to Oda's vision is by watching the anime and making your own judgements and assessments based on what you see. Also reading fics written by others also helps maintain the balance and tone in your own works.

I've never watched Hazbin Hotel, but I really should get to it. I'm a creature of habit and watch OP, Dungeon Meshi, and my comfort movies to unwind. I should branch out and watch something new.

Wherever your writing takes you, I can't wait to see where this fandom takes you. Thank you again for your ask, and for trusting me with answering it. I'm also sorry it took so long to get back to you. I just wanted to make sure my head was on the right way after this sickness wore off.