#// 'you have all these friends why do you say youre speaking in an echo chamber' horrors (timezones and neurodivergency)

[satoriberry]

complaining about radical feminism bc even though it has a lot of good points, a lot are also very bad part idk what!!!

what the fuck is up with radfems literally seething when they learn that a member of their ideology has a GASPPPPP boyfriend!!! even worse A HUSBAND???? and oh my god can you imagine!!! A CHILD!!!! like what the fuck?? and yes i knowwww its bc blah blah blah inspirations taken from the 4B thing that came out of china and south korea, where the fundamental principles of their feminism is not having any sort of relations with a man nor having any children with one because marriage is a patriarchal institution (when it's a hetero marriage), and giving birth will systematically subjugate a women as mothers ar every handicapped societally and aren't treated fairly.

see im not denying that straight marriage has some dicey elements and that moms get a LOTTTT of shit from society. but why is it that women are shamed for their heterosexuality when it's not something they can control?? like i'm sorry but if a lady wants to marry a dude and have children with him it's literally her choice and if she doesnt thats fine too?? like they start calling her "male-centered" and justify the criticism she's facing which is nuts bc what the fuck do you mean she's male-centered do you hear the words that come out of your mouth?? what the fuck do you mean straight women need to be critical of their attraction to men!!! my brother why are you creating comphet 2.0 but for straight women!!!! this idea that women will be defiled with patriarchy germs if they come into any sort of romantic/sexual contact with a man genuinely feels like the flipside of purity culture but for "feminist" reasons and also it's like the cousin of political lesbianism which is the antithesis of "sexual orientation is uncontrollable".

"participating in male culture" and it's having a boyfriend BE FOR REAL!!! this is such a western concept to me as well bc in many eastern cultures young women have like little to no say when they're faced with the prospect of arranged marriage, and so the fact that you degenerates are complaining about VOLUNTARY marriage in modern societies whereas young girls in other countries don't have that kind of choice is!!! insane!!!! i have so much more to say about this but that's enough for today ig :333

[ladychota]

I Don't Need You

Pairing - Loki x Female Reader

Warnings - Angst, arguing (lmk if you want me to add anything)

Summary - Loki wonders why Y/n keeps coming down to the dungeons to see him.

Word Count - 1.1k

Masterlist

"You will spend the rest of your days... in the dungeons."

Odin's words have echoed through your head ever since the day Loki got sentenced.

You wish it hadn't been this way. You wish Loki would've told the truth as to why he attacked Midgard. But his pride and stubborn need to be right got in the way, as always.

You were given strict instructions from the All-father to stay away from your best friend, but there's no way you'll listen to that. Perhaps to Loki and everyone else you're just his friend... but in reality, he means so much more to you than that. You trust him with your secrets, your worries, your life; you only wish he could see you the way you see him.

But none of that matters now. With Frigga's help, you've been able to sneak down to the dungeons to visit him and bring him food and entertainment, but you're not sure how long you'll be able to keep doing it without being suspected by Odin. He knows of the mischief you used to get up to with Loki, and there's no doubt he doesn't trust you in the slightest to follow his rules.

Perhaps, for once, you should listen to him. After all, he is the All-father. He could bestow death upon you with a single wave of his hand, your heart being served to him on a golden platter for his supper. 

Although you don't think you could do that to Loki.

He already has enough on his plate... leaving him alone and giving him no reason for your absence could just kill him. 

It would also kill you.

Ever since Thor was banished, he was different. You hardly saw him; that was lonely enough. But when the news had spread saying he'd fallen from the Bifrost into the abyss? Your entire world came crashing down around you. You grieved for months and months, wishing you had told him your feelings, wishing you had spent more time with him. It felt as though your heart had been ripped from your chest and fed to a pack of wolves.

And then he was back. Rumours spread through Asgard like wildfire - you didn't know which stories were fake and which were true. Frigga eventually sat you down and explained it all. She told you of the events on Midgard and Loki's downfall, and how he is to be sentenced in a few days time.

That was two months ago.

Two months you've been sneaking down to the dungeons to check in and spend time with him. Finding out he's actually been alive this entire time had caused you to want to speak to him about... well, everything.

You'd missed having an understanding friend to talk to about the goings on in your life. And you'd missed the company he would give you. You'd planned on telling him everything you'd regretted keeping from him, but the words always seem to die on your tongue.

So you go down as much as possible. You hope that perhaps at some point the time will feel right; perhaps it will be just as magical as it is in the books, just in a slightly different situation.

You grab a few books you'd collected for him from the library and begin the long trek from your chambers to the dungeons. It always surprises you how well looked after the main floors of the palace are compared to the dungeons. You have no idea how Loki will survive the rest of his life down here...

Using a spell Frigga taught you, you manage to sneak past the guards and into the cold corridors of the dungeons. Monsters scrap behind the golden barriers, or just sit twiddling their thumbs. It's rare to find an Asgardian in this place.

You reveal yourself in front of Loki's cell, a beam plastering itself on your face. He sits reading a book on his thin mattress - as he usually does.

"Hello Loki," You greet. Usually he says something in return, or just simply smiles, but this time he does nothing. So, not wanting to squash your good mood with something that is probably nothing, you continue. "I brought some more books for you. One of them just so happens to be the exact one we read together when I was ill. Do you remember? It was about-"

"Why do you still come down here?" His harsh tone stops your speech, your heart feeling as if the strings holding it up have started to fray.

"Well I-"

"To gloat?" He sneers, placing his book down and walking up to the barrier. "Or perhaps it's pity?"

"No, of course it isn't! Why would you think that?"

"Then why? Why do you go to all the trouble to visit me? We both heard Odin tell you to stay away from this place!" His voice is cold, his manner uninviting. You've never seen him in such a way around you.

"Because I want to! I thought you'd like the company!" You reply, desperately trying to make him believe you.

"Well I don't!" He yells, each word slashing at you like a madman with a sword. "I don't need you at all!"

Tears well in your eyes, everything you thought you knew about the man you love crumbling beneath your fingertips.

"You're weak and pathetic. I'm a God! Do you even know what I did to Midgard?"

You scoff. "Of course I know! Do you really not care about how this whole thing affected me!? I thought you were dead!" Your voice gradually gets louder until you're close to shouting. "And then to be told that you were actually alive but you'd tried to rule over the innocent mortals!? It almost killed me! But I finally had hope. I finally had hope that you'd come back to me!"

Loki stays silent as tears stream down your face. He still doesn't get it. He still doesn't understand how much he means to you.

You swallow the lump in your throat as you prepare yourself for what you're about to say.

"I love you, okay!? I loved you before this whole mess and I still love you now... but I finally get it. I understand that my feelings aren't reciprocated. I just thought you should know before we never see each other again." You hiss the last sentence as you turn your back on the God and begin to walk back to the palace.

"Wait, Y/n please..." He calls after you, but you ignore it. 

He doesn't need you, so why should you go back?

[somebluemelodies]

this just in i miss meus pais i don't know how much more of this i can take happy new year friends! sending virtual hugs your way :D

Cellbit thinks this is the first time he’s not completely dreading the new year. The unknown.

(Hell, this is the first time he’s actually celebrating.)

And, well, he owes it to a few people. One in particular, who has somehow completely changed his life and made it that much more bearable.

(Who has shown him not only what it’s like to love, but to be loved. Given him a reason to wake up and do his best other than just trying to survive.)

The island has erupted into a joyous commotion; music, dancing, drinks, sparklers and annoying little horns and everything else fitting to the occasion.

The midst of it all is a little too much for the investigator’s liking, so he mostly sticks to the outskirts and socializes with those who have the same idea as him, immersing himself completely only when his social battery complies.

(He’s getting better at it, the whole not-being-a-recluse thing.)

From his place near the edge of the wall, overlooking the terrain beyond him, Cellbit’s ears twitch at the sound of someone approaching him. He turns his head, seeing Roier sidle up beside him with two sparklers in his hands, and Cellbit’s smile is immediate.

(Roier’s own smile, to him, is brighter than the lit sparklers. Brighter than the moon, the stars—)

The spider-hybrid wordlessly hands him one of the sparklers, using his now-free arm to loop around Cellbit’s own and hold on.

For a while, neither of them say anything, focusing on the ignited sticks in front of them. They don’t need to, though; their presence beside each other, the touch, the comfort, speaks all the words, all the volumes, for them.

Eventually, Cellbit’s head falls to rest against Roier’s shoulder. His eyes never leave their sparklers, and his voice is soft. “Thank you.”

The spider-hybrid turns his head slightly to see his husband better. “Huh?”

“Thank you,” the investigator repeats, simply.

Roier smiles, but his confusion is evident. “For?”

“Everything.”

He’s momentarily surprised, but his smile grows. “Everything?” he clarifies.

Cellbit nods against his shoulder. “For always being there. Always listening. Choosing me. Forgiving me and still choosing me. For loving me.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that, pendejo.” Roier’s voice is painfully fond. “How could I not?” He pinches the cat-hybrid’s arm just as he opens his mouth. “Don’t answer that. Cállate.”

(Cellbit closes his mouth.)

His cheek presses against the top of his husband’s head. “It’s us against the world, you know? Together ‘til the end. It’s easy.”

(Choosing Cellbit, loving Cellbit, feels as easy as breathing. Flaws and all. He doesn’t know why, and he’s not sure he ever will know, but he isn’t going to question it.

Why question fate?)

(Maybe… maybe that’s the answer.)

Cellbit hums, watching as the sparklers begin to fizzle out. He feels positively mushy, like his heart can explode with the sheer amount of pure love overwhelming it. How is it humanly possible to have so much love for something, someone?

And how is it possible for someone like him to be just as loved back?

(It doesn’t feel completely deserved. And yet, something has never felt as right to Cellbit as Roier feels. So he’ll hold on tight.)

His brain has become an echo-chamber of one mantra. Three words. “Eu te amo.”

Somewhere behind them, a shouted countdown begins at fifteen seconds.

They pull apart, but only long enough to turn and face each other, embracing each other properly.

(The sticks drop.)

Roier’s hands cup Cellbit’s face, and any doubt the cat-hybrid is still feeling suddenly dissipates as their gazes lock.

(It’s warm. It’s so inexplicably warm and fond and utterly intoxicating.)

(Either one of them could’ve hung the moon and stars.)

Ten seconds.

“Gatinho?”

“Guapito?”

Their noses brush. “Te amo. Siempre.”

(Always. Always. Always.)

(Forever.)

Five seconds.

“Good.”

They laugh, and then there’s cheering and even more shouting. An unspoken cue to pull each other closer still and press their lips together. Two halves of a puzzle.

Fireworks crackle and pop, both inside and out, and another chapter begins.

(The sparklers have long-since fizzled out.)

(But one thing never will.)

[inlovewithregencyera]

Elmsworth House, July 4th, 1818

After the proposal was made and the friends and family wished their congratulations to the new couple, the party migrated to the drawing room for some entertainment before the evening was concluded. Helena asked Aurelia to enchant their guests with her refined singing and musical talents. She was reluctant at first, mainly because she hadn't sung in front of Frederick in almost two years, but she did it anyway. As Aurelia's fingers gracefully danced on the harpsichord keys, the notes that escaped her lips left Frederick enchanted by the beauty of her angelic voice. It was like a melody had echoed through the chambers of his heart. All he could do was think of was their last summer spent together, as he tried to hold back tears from the bittersweet memories they shared.

♫♫♫!!!!

♪That now lie sleeping, softly, softly, now softly, softly lies sleeping♪

♪Sleep is a reconciling, a rest that peace begets♪

♪Doth not the sun rise smiling, when fair at evening he sets♪

♪Rest you then, rest, sad eyes♪

♪Melt not in weeping, while she lies sleeping♪

♪softly, softly, now softly, softly lies sleeping♪

*Loud applause*

Ashley: Lord Worthington?

Frederick: What, Mr. Ramsbury?

Ashley: I asked if you were alright-

Frederick: *sniffling* Why wouldn't I be?

Ashley: Well m'lord, it's just that your eyes are wateri-

Frederick: *wipes eyes* I have no idea what you were referring to Mr. Ramsbury.

Ashley: ....

Laurence: *whispering to himself* Dearest, sweetest angel, how come you've graced this earth with your talents along with my heart. For I know I can never have you-

As you belong to him.

Peregrine: Oh she's done excellent.

Helena: I know! Our dear niece has a voice that would make the angels in heaven weep.

Peregrine: And Lord Worthington...

Helena: *trying not to laugh* Oh hush old man!

Emma: Oh mama! How I wish I could sing like Lady Aurelia.

Elizabeth: You have other talents to make up for that my dear, do not fret. I'm sure your harp skills will have you married off by the end of May!

John: Don't say that.

Elizabeth: Oh John!

William: You should delight us next with your singing, my sweet Martha.

Martha: But I want to sit here and gaze at you and imagine our future together.

William: We'll have a nice little townhouse in the heart of Willowfax. But during the Summer, we shall move to a country house in Henford where our children can go and visit their grandparents every day.

Martha: Oh, how grand!

Patience: Grand indeed! *finishes wine glass in one gulp*

Ashley: My dear, that is your fifth glass! Shouldn't you retire the wine-

Patience: Only after I play my song!

Peregrine: Patience I'm not sure that is a good idea considering the state you're in. You can barely stand up straight.

Helena: Oh dear, please do listen to Mr. Ramsbury and your husband!

Patience: Oh but ma'am, my song will ease my nerves.

Ashley: Oh dear!

*Frederick starts rising from his seat*

Ashley: Oh dear cousin, please, take my seat. I believe I need to be up waiting for my poor wife in case she needs my assistance!

Frederick: *whispering* You sounded lovely.

Aurelia: *whispering* T-thank you.

Frederick: May I speak with you later tonight?

Aurelia: Yes, yes certainly.

Frederick: Meet me in the woods, behind the house once everyone is asleep. Bring Sarah, just in case someone sees us.

Aurelia: Alright.

This made Aurelia more anxious than usual as recurring memories came to her head once more. She and Frederick used to sneak out late during the Summer of 1816 when he was staying with their family at their summer home in Brindleton. They used to enjoy each other's company and stroll along the beach whilst holding hands. They of course could never be intimate or physical in public, as it was considered scandalous, so when they had time to themselves they would hold, and hug each other as long as they could. She had been craving his touch and embrace for the past two years, and truth be told, she still loved him. She never stopped loving him, and now that he was in her presence again she felt her love for him grow stronger than it had been once he was away.

♪♪♪

♪Did you not hear my lady, go down the garden singing♪

♪Blackbird and thrush were silent to hear the alleys ringing, oh saw YOU, not my lady, out in the garden there♪

♪Shaming the rose and lily, for she is twice as fair♪

William: Well she's slightly drunk, but this song is quite heartfelt! Her voice is exquisite, but nothing compared to your cousins.

Martha: Yes..indeed.

[cupcraft]

I've been having some thoughts lately and decided to put it in a long post during my lunch break.

Cc's are not and never will be your friend. It's normal to engage and feel parasocial to a degree with cc's but it's important ccs and yourself create the boundary of "we don't know each other and thus are not friends/etc." This is important of the cc, because a responsible cc is aware of their impact, aware of the power dynamic, and sets healthy boundaries for themself. It's important for you in order to stay safe and engage with a fandom and cc with respect and to maintain a healthy mindset.

It is also normal for fandoms to defend their cc TO A DEGREE, especially when comments against the cc affect other people (this is a simple way to say it, theres a lot of nuance to this pt). But, you should never feel the need or actually try to parent or speak for a cc. For example, people being queerphobic to Ranboo is fair to speak up against particularly because the queerphobia affects other members of the fandom. However, feeling like you must speak on behalf of ranboo, be their parent, or protect them at all costs from "evil ccs and fans" is not only against their express wishes but just isn't a healthy or normal way to engage with a cc.

Because if you don't engage healthily besides breaking any cc boundaries, and hurting yourself and mental health, you really can hurt other people. If you're engaging in fandom and cc fandoms especially to a point in which you create yourself an echo chamber of toxicity that seeks to harm anyone in your path that is unhealthy behavior and you need srs help and I mean that genuinely like you need to talk to a trained professional or support group.

Like it's not normal to hate all ccs and people who are not explicitly positive about your cc at all times now and forever. It's not normal to make excuses for widely acceptable bad actions to the point you harm those affected by said bad actions. It's not normal to view holding a cc accountable as "just being an anti/hater/jealous" as you should always leave room to be critical of the content you consume especially if it's from a real person with real actions. It's not normal to dislike those that dislike ur cc so much (cc or fans) to the point you dedicate your social media presence to sending death threats, doxxing, harassment, gory images, etc as well as spending the majority of your blog screenshotting and vagueing and cyberbullying people. It's not normal to feel as though your cc is an infallible perfect idol figure that is in desperate need of an army protecting them at all times where you hang on their every word to dictate all actions, opinions, and morals to the point you will change your entire personality and ethics system just to maintain any ounce of being uncritical of someone. In simpler words, you might want to be aware the line of parasocialism and crossing over into being like a member of a cult (not to say it actually is a cult, this is an analogy)

And you might say to this post "this is a vague" but I'd rather argue that if you feel like this post applies to you regardless if you're mcyt or another cc/celebrity/real person based fandom you might want to realize that you need to do srs self reflection and understand how you got here, who you've hurt to stay there, and what things you've sacrificed for someone you don't even know. This isn't just an mcyt specific fandom problem.

Because why I'm making this post is I feel like something needs to be questioned when we throw away our kindness, empathy, ethics, and compassion towards people just because they are any ounce a tiny bit little bit critical of something a cc did. And it would be easy to say the people willing to suibait/send threats/harassment/slurs/etc toward someone over a cc and be happy about it and own it are people who "just don't care and won't change". But I'd like to think they got there somehow you know that they weren't always the kind of person to justify that. And that doesn't mean they deserve anyone's forgiveness, but it does mean I have concern for that person I hope they genuinely get help and feel the full weight of what they've done all for 1 person that doesn't know them.

As always with everything, please add on via rb if want, correct me on anything, and send asks if you wish. Stay kind out there though ❤️

[therealblondebucky]

Chapter 5 of Not The Only One - A Winter Soldier Story

Rating: Teen to Mature

Word Count: 1.9 K

Warnings: Canon-typical violence (with more specifics in the tags)

June 23, 2016

Bucky lifted his head up stiffly and slowly opened his eyes. His metal arm was held tight in a large vice, keeping him trapped in place.

"Hey, Cap!" a voice echoed in the large abandoned warehouse.

A moment later, Steve and another man jogged in.

Bucky groaned slightly. "Steve?"

Steve's face was tense with worry. "Which Bucky am I talking to?"

Bucky blinked. "Your mom's name was Sarah."

"You used to wear newspapers in your shoes," Bucky chuckled at the memory.

Steve gave a small smile. "Can't read that in a museum."

"Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?" the other man questioned incredulously.

"What did I do?" Bucky asked, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"Enough," Steve replied frankly.

Bucky moaned. "Oh. God, I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words."

"Who was he?" asked Steve.

"I don't know," Bucky whispered.

"People are dead. The bombing, the setup, the doctor did all that just to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know,'" Steve explained gravely.

Bucky hesitated, then slowly said, "He wanted to know about Siberia."

"Where I was kept." His blue eyes moved around as things began to fall into place. "He wanted to know exactly where."

"Why would he need to know that?" Steve inquired.

Bucky clenched his jaw. "Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."

The shock on Steve's and the other man's faces betrayed the fact that this was new information to them.

"Go on," Steve encouraged gently.

"There was a girl," Bucky said, his eyes clouding over at the memory.

"Who was she?" Steve probed.

Bucky shook his head. "I don't know. Just some experimental subject for the serum. An innocent."

"Why would they need to experiment with it? And why not on someone who was part of their organization?" Steve asked as he freed Bucky's arm from the huge piece of industrial machinery.

"They needed to know if this combination was right. Plus, it had never been given to a female before. HYDRA wouldn't risk testing on one of their own." Bucky continued, "When it worked on her, they gave it to five others as well."

"Who were they?" asked Steve, arms crossed over his chest.

"Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before the serum."

"They all turn out like you?" the other man asked sarcastically.

"Worse," Bucky replied, raising his eyebrows.

"The doctor, could he control them?" Steve asked.

Bucky looked down. "Enough."

"Said he wanted to see an empire fall," remarked Steve.

"With these guys, he could do it. They speak thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They can take a whole country down in one night, and you would never see them coming," Bucky informed them seriously.

"This would have been a lot easier a week ago..." the other man's voice trailed off.

July 24, 2016

Steve helped Bucky up and laid his friend's remaining arm over his shoulders. They limped off, leaving a defeated Tony Stark and a scarred vibranium shield behind them.

"She-she's still alive," Bucky managed to rasp out.

"Who?" asked Steve.

"The girl." Bucky paused. "H-he didn't keep her with the others."

"Where did he keep her?"

Bucky groaned. "A separate room."

"Do you think you could find it?"

Bucky nodded, and they picked their way through the rubble. After several minutes of walking through the ugly green and white hallways, they came to a large metal door.

"This is it," Bucky announced.

Steve unbolted the door and pushed hard. It moved with a metallic moan. Steve turned to Bucky, and their blue eyes met. After exchanging a long look and drawing strength from the other, the two men entered the room together.

Inside was what was left of a lab, and in the far right corner rested a Cryostasis Chamber. It was smaller than the other ones, but the eerie yellow light, soft, steady beeping, and icy whoosh sound indicated that it was functioning.

Through the Chamber's haze, they could make out the form of a girl. She was dressed in the same specialized suits as the others and looked very young. Her right arm was metal with a red star, and her long blonde hair hung down her back. Her eyes were closed, and her expression was obviously pained, even though part of her face was covered with a muzzle.

"What are we going to do?" Bucky's question ended the solemn silence between them.

"We can't wake her up. Not safely. That could end with any one of us dead."

"Steve, we can't leave her here. Not with Tony and Zemo."

"I don't know, Buck. I don't know…"

~~~

Steve and Bucky stumbled through the base's thick metal doors. The Black Panther stood out strikingly against the snow. Upon seeing him, the two super soldiers prepared themselves to fight.

T'Challa put a hand up. "I am not going to hurt you. I know now that I was after the wrong man."

Steve's entire stance relaxed in relief that T'Challa, too, had learned the truth about the bombing. "We could use your help. There is a girl, one of the Winter Soldiers, still inside. We need to wake her up and get her out of here."

T'Challa motioned towards Bucky. "He is in no condition to help with this."

Bucky started to protest, but Steve gently cut him off. "He's right, Buck. It's best if you wait in the Quinjet."

After boarding the craft, Bucky sat down in defeat.

Steve rested his hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's gonna be okay, Buck. We'll get her. She'll be alright. I promise."

Bucky gave a half-hearted smile, which faded away to nothing as Steve disappeared behind the closing Quinjet door.

"Captain, do not worry about Zemo. He will not be going anywhere." T'Challa nodded towards his jet where the Sokovian was bound.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The two men entered the HYDRA base together and Steve led the way to the abandoned lab.

"She will most likely be hostile," T'Challa commented.

"Waking up after being frozen for the past few decades will do that to you," said Steve dryly.

T'Challa spent the next few minutes clicking away on an ancient computer. Finally, the Chamber's glass moved up with a whoosh, and white icy fog flooded out.

Steve and T'Challa removed the girl from her prison. Even though she held some level of consciousness, she was unresponsive and unable to walk. Steve tenderly picked her up and carried her in his arms, bridal style. Her eyes slipped shut, and her body went slack. She reminded Steve of the last woman he had carried like this. She also was a Russian trained killer, but had red hair instead of blonde.

After returning to the Quinjet, Steve secured her as best he could. Rescuing a HYDRA trained assassin had not exactly been on the agenda for this mission and there were not many supplies on board to provide aid in this unique situation.

"I must deliver Zemo to receive the world's justice for his crimes against the United Nations," T'Challa informed Steve.

"Bucky and I have a few last loose ends to tie up ourselves. Thank you for everything, Your Highness," Steve said gratefully.

"I could be of more help than you realize, Captain," added the king of Wakanda before the two men parted ways.

"I still have a hard time trusting that a machine can fly itself without any help from a human," Steve admitted aloud before putting the Quinjet on autopilot.

Bucky made no sound of acknowledgment, but Steve knew he likely shared the same sentiment.

"Let's get you fixed up, Buck."

When there was no objection made, Steve grabbed a large first aid kit. Brushing the dark strands of hair out of Bucky's face revealed that his hair was stiff with dried blood, and his face was more beaten than Steve had realized. Gently wiping the caked blood off Bucky's face with an antiseptic towelette, Steve began to clean up his lifelong friend.

"You know, I used to be the one fixing you up after you got in fights," Bucky tried to joke.

"Where do you think I learned how to do this so well?" Steve replied with a small grin.

Once Bucky's face was free of any remaining blood, Steve carefully cleaned his long brown hair with a damp cloth.

"Does it hurt?" Steve asked, motioning to what was left of the metal arm.

Bucky stared blankly ahead. "Just as much as if it were skin and bone."

Steve shuddered as the memory of when Bucky lost his flesh arm flashed across his mind.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Bucky only shook his head.

"Alright. If that changes, let me know," Steve said as he began washing his own wounds.

The combination of physical exhaustion and emotional distress caused Bucky to doze off.

~~~

Aware of someone touching his right shoulder, Bucky woke up sometime later.

"Hey, hey. The Quinjet is cloaked, so no one should bother you. Make sure the girl doesn't do anything crazy. I'm going to go get some supplies. I won't be gone too long," Steve explained, and Bucky nodded.

The stillness of the Quinjet said that it was parked on the ground. While curious as to his current location, Bucky decided that he did not care to know where they were and he would rather remain ignorant as to their final destination for the time being.

Turning to glance at the girl, Bucky caught sight of his metal nub. This was not the first time the arm had been destroyed, but now there was no way to replace it.

"Without it, I'm not as dangerous, and I am less likely to hurt anyone," Bucky told himself.

But the U.N. bombing, the airport fight, the battle at the HYDRA base, the disbandment of the Avengers, and Steve now being a war criminal were all his fault, though.

Hell, the literal physical manifestation of all the wrong he had ever done lay unconscious behind him right now. She was yet another innocent life ruined by the Winter Soldier.

The longer Steve was gone, the deeper into the darkness Bucky let his mind go.

"I'm back! Did you miss me?" Steve teased upon his return.

Bucky replied completely deadpan, "Oh, you were gone? I never noticed."

Steve laughed before pulling out two rectangular red and white checkered paper dishes and handing one to Bucky.

"Sorry, they're a little smooshed," he apologized.

"Hot dogs?"

Steve smiled. "Believe it or not, these were the best ones I could find, and I didn't even blow all of our money on them."

Bucky chuckled faintly, remembering their collective remembrance of that adventure from the '40s before entering the HYDRA base earlier that day.

"There's also two loaves of bread, a dozen apples, and a jar of peanut butter if you get hungry again," Steve informed him proudly as he drew said goods out of his knapsack.

Bucky nodded in approval, and the pair ate their hotdogs in silence.

Afterward, Steve piloted the Quinjet back into the sky and put it on autopilot for the night.

The day had taken far too great a toll. Despite rarely sleeping well and having already had a generous nap, Bucky's eyes slipped shut, and sleep overtook him.

[suzyq31]

Example of what Harmony authors face

Hi,

I know a lot of you who follow me or are mutuals in this space are more Jily writers/readers. But I just want to share an example of the reasons I'm no longer comfortable engaging in the main Harmony fandom space run by HMS Harmony. I'll be blocking and deleting this user/commenter. I did however want to post this here as a concrete example of why it is that I'm not eager to continue and will be focusing on writing other pairings.

Also want to reiterate that I am not against discussion of fics, I just think entire post dedicated to talking about what we dislike about a fic in public fandom spaces don't adhere to a culture of kindness or respect. Fandom is about having fun, engaging with something we all love. That doesn't mean we all have to like the same things. But I also think we can do better about treating each other decently. I have not sent a single person after this user, or to attack any moderators of these groups. But again, this is the response and while I haven't been there to see it, I do know that I'm being dragged on there. Which does make me afraid to speak up, but sometimes we have to do things or speak up even when we feel anxious about further retaliation.

One last thing about fandom culture/critique. I saw a post on here that I'll try to find again that basically said that fics aren't a meal at a restaurant where you pay and specify what you want. They are more like a home cooked meal. If you don't like it that's fine, don't eat it, but you also don't need to throw it back in the person's face. So anyways, this wasn't the best way to start my morning but I'm going to focus on the positives in my life, like going to a job where I get to plan Harry Potter themed activities for kids ❤️ Hope you all have a lovely day!

The comment can be viewed below:

Let me say this as clearly as possible and hope you don’t construe this as disrespect for the sake of disrespect.

Get over yourself. Really, do that.

Your entire author note is self contradictory to the point that it makes me laugh. You said it wasn’t meant to cast blame but you posted the link to the thread I made on reddit. You said you don’t always expect the internet to be a safe space yet you’re trying to make it that way by not only brigading your friends and supporters against the mods but making an author note to air your own grievances about a thread that did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to rip apart publicly and regularly.

If you think I’ve ripped apart BFL with that thread then I shudder to think what you’ll think when you see something actually being ripped apart. What I did was voice my confusion and frustration at not being able to understand what that story was trying to accomplish. What I did was seek out others to either see if they felt the same or see if they felt different to me. You conveniently ignored that latter part.

And now you’re giving yourself time and grace to make a decision on what you want to do in the fandom. So with all due respect again, GET OVER YOURSELF. You post a work into a public space and expect it not to be critically discussed? The absolute worst thing I could have done was “RiP aPaRt” BFL directly in Emerson’s thread but I didn’t. Instead I went to reddit and sought out others in the community to try and understand. The fact that she ended up seeing that and then announcing that she’s leaving the fandom just to put heat on me is crazy but I’ll let it slide.

I honestly do not know what I could have done better other than shutting my mouth and saying nothing but the truth is that I was a fan of the author and I absolutely refused to believe the story she put out was what it was. Do I regret offering up a discussion on Reddit? Hell no. I wanted to understand so I sought understanding.

Another contradiction. You said you were no God but you are a human but yet you’re asking others to change the subreddit to what you 🫵 want it to be. You want it to be changed to an echo chamber where sensitive people like you won’t be exposed to criticism or discussion of your work. The same bloody work you posted on a public site to hundreds, thousands, of readers. Give me a break.

If you’re so afraid of negativity, as you call it, then may I suggest a policy of perhaps not being on Reddit and not seeking out posts that discuss your work? It’s either that or get over yourself and roll with the punches.

Discussion isn’t always going to be complimentary or kind. If your work is controversial, best believe it will be discussed. And make no mistake, I DISCUSSED BFL. Never once did I levy harsh accusations or insults just because I didn’t like the story. The fact that it has 41 upvotes and counting echoes that. So many people agree with me and I love it. I think that’s what Reddit is about. Promoting discussion and understanding of things.

Once again, please either get over yourself or adopt the fanfic author’s sacred mantra: “Don’t like, don’t read.” You don’t like the way your work is read and discussed, then leave. Join a new subreddit that is the echo chamber you want it to be. Or even leave the fandom like your friend Emerson did. Join the Dramione community because apparently their subreddit is better than Harmony’s according to all yous. Or even join the Nevmione subreddit, I’m sure they could use a few more authors and are “nicer” than Harmony.

Make a note of how stupid and unfair it sounds when I tell you to do all of those things. Make a note of how you feel when I say them. And then ask yourself why “don’t like, don’t read” is a bullshit rule. You can’t just decide to fully dislike a story without reading it all the way through. Stories get better and they win you over as you read them. The fact that BFL didn’t do that after I read it 8 odd times is a testament to me trying to find some positives because that is who I am..

That being said, continue to give yourself time and grace after you read this. Give yourself both of those things which, honestly, could have saved BFL if Harry was given some of it.

[thepoliticalvulcan]

Do not misinterpret the Paradox of Intolerance to give yourself license to make trolling the sum total of your politics.

The Paradox of (In)Tolerance describes PHYSICAL safety. It is not a prescription to use the tools of the enemy to create change. That is foolish and its never been clearer to me than after this election why its a snake eating its own tail.

If you need more evidence than 2015 - 2024 why using the Paradox of Intolerance as an excuse to never educate, to never attempt persuasion, to ONLY meet ignorance with withering scorn, then let me ask you a hypothetical:

There is a Muslim with whom you have a close, personal relationship: a friend, a coworker, an in-law etc. They are very warm and courteous to you but sometimes they say things that hint at a worldview you don't quite grok or feels like they are a bit too credulous when it comes to rumors. At some point after election day they confess to you that they 1. didn't vote, 2. voted third party, or 3. voted for Trump: would you engage them in dialogue to try to understand why and try to persuade them why this was an error without intentionally insulting them? Or would you disavow them and never speak to them again to the fullest extent possible within the limits of your common ties? Would you encourage people you know in common to disavow them or would you engage these people in conversation about how best to reach your Muslim friend?

Now what I am getting at is not the same as asking you to do emotional and intellectual labor when you're burnt out and the other party is overtly abusive and clearly acting in bad faith or to show up, in person, in spaces where you feel like you may be physically in danger.

What I am saying is that the Paradox of Intolerance or self care should not become an excuse to abdicate any responsibility for doing any amount of outreach and education. To advocate for ourselves and for our values.

Kamala Harris going on Joe Rogan would not have changed the outcome of this election, but the growing tendency of people with liberal and leftist values to ignore these increasingly important venues in favor of only ever doing interviews inside the hug box is poison. We are losing the culture war and its not because we don't have the best, most witty entertainers to sell our ideas its because our avatars are not pitching their ideas to audiences they assume are unreachable or irrelevant.

Late Night monologues and leftist podcasts are an echo chamber. I love QAA, Behind the Bastards, and other "dirt bag left" forums but the model of deradicalization where you passively wait for the most open minded red pills and "enlightened centrists" to stumble upon something that might tilt their worldview ever so slightly has DEMONSTRABLY failed.

Those with silver tongues need to follow the example of Mayor Pete and Bernie Sanders and take the fight for real equality and humanism to the lion's den, or at least the boorish stoner gym bro's den. Rogan is a prime example of someone who has become stupider and meaner the more he is surrounded by people who nurture these instincts. He is a cautionary tale.

We should contemplate how this applies to our own lives and our own dealings.

No one should tolerate physical threats or emotional abuse.

But also we should not mislabel stupidity and ignorance as emotional abuse because our labor is not free.

And I've got news for people who themselves are marginalized: you're going to have to advocate for yourself.

We who are not marginalized can do our best to prepare the soil, to combat misinformation and prejudices, but if there is one thing to be learned from Trump's multiracial coalition its that experience reduces prejudice more than rhetoric. A few Latino and Asian men were Trump curious, tested the waters, and over time they've become more accepted. It ain't all sunshine and roses: Ramaswamy still has to deal with the likes of Anne Coulter, but he's benefited enormously from his willingness to tolerate a few bigoted morons in order to sell himself and his interests directly.

Coalition politics are messy, but you have to be seen in order to be seen as fully human. It just doesn't work any other way and I'm sorry for that. The rest of us can do our best to set an expectation that persons X,Y,&Z are chill and should be protected from morons but that will only achieve so much without some people willing to represent themselves: if they can without compromising safety. I'm under no illusions that for some populations, like trans people and undocumented immigrants, things might be headed to somewhere even bleaker and unsafe than it already is.

And again, louder for the people in the back, if you cannot be PHYSICALLY safe or you cannot be your best self at the moment, then you are not obligated to attempt outreach; but we are screwed if everyone abdicates all of the time forever.

[bylertruther]

It's that time again! Tell me about some of your favorite blogs, why they are your favorite, and tag them to fill the dashboard with positivity and love!

a selection of some of my faves in no particular order, of course 💌

@heroesbyler — my wife, my dearest, and my mike. one of my first friends in this fandom and someone that i trust so much i'd give her my social security number if she asked. stav is super intelligent (in so many ways), kind, funny, thoughtful, brave, and observant. her analyses punch me in the tit and kill me dead. she speaks clearly and with conviction. she stays true to her beliefs and doesn't say or do things just to appease the masses, which is, for whatever reason, a rarity in this fandom. a lovely person inside and out, really and truly—her kindness and empathy blows me away, and makes my heart feel all fuzzy. my mom's a big fan based on what i've told her dfjdshb. a great blog to follow if you want to take a deeper look at the characters on our screens, not just will and mike, and how all of the themes, messages, and journeys in this show reinforce each other. also if you like to laugh. :')

@miwism — mal is the most creative person i've had the honor of meeting in this fandom. super kind, super funny, and super inventive. one of the very few people that have managed to make me laugh out loud—and not just once, but repeatedly. so many posts that i'll randomly remember months later and bust out into giggles over. best fics, best art, best posts, best ideas, and best additions to your posts, too. seriously, mal, i've secretly wondered if you've ever done improv before because your ability to take an idea and expand on it is just that great. i love them, i want to hug them, and if they asked me to drop everything on a thursday to go to publix with them, i would. idec if it'd take me hours to get there, i Would and it'd be worth it. 💚

@wiseatom — just thinking about her fics makes me tear up on the spot. i've cried after reading her work multiple times, even on rereads, because a) they were so good that i felt devastated that it was over, and b) i would never experience that magical First Time Reading feeling again. thea's just overall talented out the fucking wazoo—like, it's actually insane. she's a talented writer, a talented artist, a true creative, so eloquent, so charming, and such a delight. i could never meet her irl and keep my composure because i would just be on my fan behavior without a way to turn it off. she'd try to talk to me and i'd just be staring at her dreamily like this: 😍🥹😊🥰💕.

@sayyourprayers — if nobody got me, i know they got me. 🫂 even when i think i'm being sneaky, they still know exactly what i'm talking about, which i am choosing to believe is a part of our superior warriors bond as well as them being very smart, and not just me being as easy to read as a toddler book. they're very funny and very straightforward. no bullshit whatsoever. i always read their tags and replies, and find them to be really insightful and witty. they're another individual that has their own beliefs and interpretations and doesn't change them based on what's currently popular or not. i like that, because i personally hate when shit starts sounding like an echo chamber. overall, i just really love their blog! i always, always tune in to see what they have to say and i find myself smiling whenever i see them in my notes.

@googoogagaeyes — doozy's another real one. she describes herself in her intro post as a lover and a hater and i couldn't agree more (in the best way possible, of course). i think she has a very text-focused and holistic way of tackling the show: she talks about the good, the bad, and the neutral, which i find to be refreshing and desperately needed. i always read everything she writes, whether it's in the tags or in the post itself, and either learn something, laugh, or, as is usually the case, do both. speaking of which, her analyses are always to the point and written in such a way that the reader feels respected. she doesn't drone on or fluff it up, which i appreciate. super eloquent, intelligent, and funny. very much a necessary follow if you enjoy this show and excellent commentary tbh.

@alastyearonearth — alfreddddd ✋🥺 (<- me putting my hand on the screen like the wives of soldiers at war do in dramatic movies)....... oh, alfred. if there's anyone i'm normal about, it's him 👍 (lies) (biggest lie i've ever told in my life actually) (my pants are currently on fire right now) (🚒🧯👨‍🚒 <- they're here to put me out). i feel like my feelings for him and his blog can be summed up by the fact that when i realized we both went on vacation at around the same time, i was ecstatic because that meant i wouldn't miss his posts. bdfhjbsdkj. he's one of the biggest brains and most generally knowledgeable people here, and it rocks my world every time he says anything. he has an appreciation for canon and the real people whose stories are represented within it that this fandom sorely, and ironically, lacks. also, while i'm on my fan behavior right now, allow me to admit that i would go through his blog sometimes for months before i finally put on my big kid pants and followed him. i'm very much not beating the parasocial allegations and tbh i think it's understandable bc Hello !!!! look at him!!!! (gesticulates wildly in his and his posts' direction). 10/10 would ruin my sleep schedule for him, submit myself to the torture of a 24hr flight for him, go on a museum marathon together, and slather myself in superglue right before hugging him so that we're stuck together forever afterward. necessary follow for anyone that likes to not get pissed off when they log on and enjoys canon, esp will. alfred please can we hang out please alfred whenever you're free please if you'd like to hang out can we please hang out when you are free ple—

@motherthroat — you know that andrew garfield "(you didn't know me at thirteen) i really wish i had" quote? it applies here, because i so wish i'd met him last summer. liking canon will, mike, and byler used to be so lonely and frustrating, but now it isn't anymore and that's largely because of him. if you haven't caught on by now, i like following people that are very frank, and mori's no different. he's not afraid to be bold either. i love his art, his AUs, and his takes. he's funny, treats you the way you treat him, and has a great eye for aesthetics. well. a great eye in general, i think. not to get #deep (or repetitive), but i think he sees more than he lets on, and it really comes out in his art, his headcanons, his interpretations, and the way that he speaks to people. he remembers things and really ponders them. there's a kind of carefulness there that i admire as someone with as much grace as a bull in a china shop. just a cool cat, really.

@cosmobrain00 — MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX! (screamed the same way that will screamed for mike on halloween night). they're literally so talented that it's not even funny anymore. like, their writing is next level and the fact that we can read it for free (wtf!!!!) feels like a crime. their art is so pleasing to look at and i love their style so much. their thoughts on this show and these characters are superb, too. so passionate, so kind, and so loving—and it shows in everything they do. it's always a good time whenever they decide to share their two cents and spit some divine wisdom on us plebs, so i definitely recommend everyone check them and their content out!

@drangues — arush is literally [starts snarling and hissing and snapping and howling at the moon and other cuteness aggression-related things]. sorry, i meant to say he's so bhjfbkdsjhfbdks grrrrrrrr bark bark bark awooooooooo. just unbelievable. unreal. the blueprint. he's my cousin and my friend and my son and my stinkie squishie and also my greatest enemy and bully (he's only consented to two of these, but they're still true). seriously... arush is SO funny. his headcanons are wonderful and #real, his artwork is insanely good and creative and colorful, he's so sweet and silly, and thoughtful and merciful, too. just !!!!!! squishing his face in all ways except physical right now. if you're not following arush drangues then you deserve to get sent straight to the scorpion pit, i feel.

@givehimthemedicine — effortlessly hilarious, kind, bright, and oh so talented in a variety of ways, both creatively and intellectually. and they have the nerve to make it look easy!! like wtf!!! they're also the most likely to drop the most insane observations ever and act like they didn't just change the trajectory of your life forever. pure insanity, i say. they're my favorite blog outside of the byIer bubble and their el's first haunted house post is easily in my top three and i still giggle over it.

@mikeandwillel — when sandy speaks, i listen and take notes. simple as that. a true mike understander and knower. she's posted wonderful analyses on many topics, all of which are super concise, text-based, and show a thorough understanding of storytelling. i love hearing her thoughts on this show and her interpretation of things. i'm especially excited to see what she thinks once we start getting s5 crumbs! oh, and she also posts great edits! :D

@aemiron-main — if loving em is wrong, then i don't wanna be right. if it becomes illegal tomorrow, then call me el because my ass is going to jail asap. he's one of the kindest, funniest, most genuine people on this website. he's always open to discuss things, look at them from a different angle, and share his knowledge. i can't even say that he treats people the way they treat him, because he treats them a lot better. if anything, he's extremely merciful and forgiving lol. he has a wealth of knowledge on a multitude of subjects, an extremely keen eye, and seemingly endless creativity / an open mind. literally a modern day sherlock, but much cooler. also very resilient and tough. and an outstanding artist, too! (what can't he do, sheeeesh!). he's written analyses on what feels like everything about the show at this point, so i'd definitely recommend going through those if you haven't already.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Azulaang - Azula joins the gaang early

Azulaang week @ly0nstea

Sokka: Aang, I think we should be making some plans about our future.

Aang: Okay, we can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table! Oh, you're gonna love the all-day echo chamber!

Toph: I think that'll have to wait.

Toph points behind herself, and the camera zooms out to show Team Avatar looking at her quizzically. Appa moves out of the way to reveal four sets of shadows, and as the camera pans up, it is revealed to belong to Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai. Cut to a close-up of the team as they look at them with shocked expressions, which subsequently turn into anger.

Ty Lee: (In a German accent) Hello, the fearsome foursome here. (Bows)

The gang get ready to attack. Appa growls at him and licks him twice. Cut to a surprised Momo and Aang as he lowers his staff slightly.

Zuko: Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here. I know you must be surprised to see us here.

Sokka: You, Not really, since you've followed us all over the world. but you three? Sort of since we don't see you that often.

Ty Lee: (Normal voice) Good to see you again too...

Sokka: Don't even think about trying to seduce me again lady, Suki is still my girl.

Ty Lee: So I've heard, but not to worry, no seduction needed, we offer our alliance to you.

Azula: And it's about time you learned some firebending.

Toph: Excuse me?!

Katara: You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!

Sokka: Yeah! (Points to Zuko) all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang! (Points to Azula) And you! You straight-up MURDERED Aang! Plus, you used Suki against me!

Zuko: We've done some good things too. I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something! Isn't it?

Toph: (To Azula) Why would you want a join us after literally just foiling our day of black sun plans. Why would you go against the person you've worked hard to protect?

Azula: One last job he had me do before defecting. Nothing personal. The reason for that is, that we four have found out some...disturbing...truths about our father.

Mai: Let's just say that he never had the fire nation's best interests at heart.

Sokka: Your genocidal race war not turning out like you hoped? What a surprise.

Ty Lee: You wouldn't believe us if we told you. We do realize that everything we've ever taught was a lie...

Katara: And what? We should feel sorry for you?

Ty Lee: I knew there was something wrong with our nation, with all the dark and corrupt auras everywhere, and at the center of it all was the fire lord, but I was too scared to speak of it. Not anymore. Everything will revert into chaos and we need to set it all straight.

Zuko: Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know we have good in us.

Azula: You seem uneasy. Not just because of our presence but at the thought of you learning firebending, is that right? You've tried it before and it back fired. You burned someone you cared for.

Aang's fist were clutching.

Sokka: Don't listen to her Aang, she just trying to get a rise out you!

Azula: No. I'm not. I'm just informing you that we get it. Fire can be very destructive and chaotic. You do need a teacher so that your accident doesn't occur again. Whether you want to admit this or not, you do need all the help you can get. The fire lord taught us everything we know, if you thought we were formidable opponents, you haven't seen anything yet. We are not going anywhere, so if you wanna kill us all, go ahead.

[boots-with-the-fur-club]

Let’s pretend I finished this in actual November! Here is the last prompt, last au, a “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” au! You can find the musical for free on YouTube, would absolutely recommend!

Thank you, @tmntaucompetition for doing the prompts and idea for auvember! I was had a lot of fun in writing all of them!

@daboyau

Disco

A grungy tune rings through a hockey and action movie decorated room.

Riot, by Three Days Grace.

“….If you feel so angry, so ripped off, so stepped on…”

Cassandra Jones pauses mid one handed push-up, glancing over at her bed where she left her phone.

“….You’re not the only one refusing to back down-“

The ring tone stops as she hops onto the bed and taps the answer button.

“This is Cassandra, speak immediately!”

“Casey! You gotta come help me out here, something is seriously wrong.”

“O’Neil? Are you under attack!?”

“Not….exactly? Okay look, it’s not gonna sound that bad, but it does if you think about the implications.”

“Implications….the deadliest of all the nouns.”

“The guys went to see some Jupiter Jim musical last night, I had work so I couldn’t go but I got fired this morning and came down to the sewers to see how it went.”

“And then they attacked you?”

“No! I….heard them singing.”

“I’d just punch their throats in that case.”

“Look, I know you don’t know them as well as I do, but they usually sound like a yodeling goat when they sing! Unless it’s cold out for some reason, but that doesn’t matter! They’re too in sync! I’m freaking out here!”

“While I still don’t see what the implications are, I will come to your aid shortly.”

“You’re a life saver Casey-….what the….?”

There’s funky music in the background that she can’t quite place.

“O’Neil? What’s wrong?”

“Splints? Why are you….? No! Mikey! You hate disco!”

“O’Neil! Answer me!”

The only reply is the sound of hurried footsteps and rustling fabric. She must have started running.

Casey persists in her shouting until she hears the echoes of a sewer chamber. She was probably going to try to lose them.

Casey takes off out of her room and then her house, still listening to what’s going on. After only a minute or two, it sounds like the phone got dropped.

There’s loud splashing noises that grow quieter until they can’t be heard anymore. She still listens as she races to find a manhole she could lift.

Eventually, the splashing noises return and the phone sounds like it’s getting picked up.

“Oh heyyy, Casey, guess April dropped her phone.” Leo speaks into the phone in a sing songy tone.

“Don’t you play with me! What have you done with her!?”

“Me? I haven’t done anything. She totally just freaked out and ran off.”

“Stop lying! I know about the implications!”

There’s silence for a second or two before the call turns into a video chat.

Casey nearly stopped running in surprise.

It was naturally always dark in the sewers, so it was hard to make much out. Or, it would be, if the two turtles in the frame didn’t have the creepiest shade of glowing blue dripping down their faces.

Their smiles were too wide, their eyes were crazed.

It reminded her of when she went to a musical as a child and the actors tried to force her to join along as they walked down the aisles.

They tried so hard to look happy and the unnatural expression never left her mind.

“Awww, did you hear that Donnie? Casey doesn’t want to play.”

“Perhaps we should see if April wants to play instead.”

Casey grits her teeth.

“Leave her alone or I swear I will tear you to pieces when I get there!”

Donnie and Leo laugh in perfect unison before the phone’s camera is flipped around. The only thing in view is darkness.

Casey immediately turns on the tracking app she and April have for each other in case of emergencies.

“April! Come out now, or finding you will be more annoying than it has to be.” Donnie says with a slight growl.

“Donnie, that’s not how you ask a friend to hang out. You gotta lure her in, delicately. Aprillllll.~ Come out come out, wherever you are!”

No response.

They begin to walk forward.

Casey manages to finally get into the sewers and turns on her flashlight, running as fast as she could in the direction the phone’s location is in.

Then, Leo begins singing as the camera shows they’re walking much faster.

“Let's play some games. Let's play some games today, fuuuunnyyy games. Some funny games today!”

“Leo, look.” Donnie points to a light shimmering far in the darkness.

“Do you want to play with me?” Leo continues to sing.

“Come here, come here.” Donnie joins in.

“I want you to come here so we can play.”

They purposefully pretend they take a wrong turn near where the glimmer was.

Casey’s heart beats fast and she screams out to warn her.

To her horror, she’s been put on mute.

There’s a hope that April won’t fall for this trap.

Unfortunately, she does.

The moment she rushes past the wall, Donnie and Leo grab her.

She screams in terror as the two of them laugh in a stilted way while still in unison. Nothing like any kind of laugh any normal person would do.

Casey runs even faster and prays that she can get there in time.

Leo flips the camera once again and lifts the phone above them.

“Whoops, no recordings allowed in this performance!”

The video call ends on his chilling smile, the blue dripping down his face somehow even worse than before.

Casey nearly breaks her own phone in anger but knows that it’s the only way to know where they are.

The tracking indicates they’re on the move again. Probably dragging April to their lair.

She continues running despite how long she’s being doing it already. The burn in her legs and lungs didn’t matter as long as April was still in the worst possible danger.

Eventually, finally, and out of breath, she makes it to where April’s phone was. The lair’s lights had all been shut off except for one. The heat lamp was acting as some sort of spotlight.

April’s phone was directly under it.

Casey turns off the tracker and keeps her flashlight on instead.

She wasn’t scared, more pissed off than anything. How dare they turn on April and force her into this musical madness?

She hears something nearby and immediately spins around to shine her light into the darkness.

There stands Mikey, smiling ear to ear with nothing behind his eyes except for a dim blue glow.

“There you are, Cassandra.”

��Orange one! Where did they take O’Neil!?”

Mikey giggles creepily and tilts his head.

“La la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la la la la la!”

“That’s neither an answer or actual singing!”

Mikey giggles more and runs back into the darkness.

Casey gives chase.

Suddenly, something shoots out and crashes into her hand. The phone smashed into a wall and takes out the flashlight with it. She’s left in complete darkness. Her fists go up and her feet slide into a defensive position.

“What is this!?”

The heat lamp from earlier suddenly shines over in front of her, revealing Donnie with a top hat he was tipping down over his face.

“It’s….a….show stoppin’ number. A real show stopper.”

Casey backs up.

“Enough with the singing! Where is O’Neil!?”

The light moves over to Leo who has a matching top hat, and April tied to a chair.

“Show stopping number! With April front and center!”

“O’Neil! Are you okay!?“

“I’m fine! But you gotta get out of here!”

“I am not leaving you behind!”

“It’s too late for me! It’s a freaking infection! They’re singing zombies, Casey! It’s literally your worst nightmare!”

“What kind of coward would I be if I left you in my nightmare!? THROAT PUNCH!” She kicks at Leo’s head.

Leo dodges with a spin and a flourish of his hat.

“I thought you were going to punch his throat!” April exclaims.

“I’ve learned yelling my attacks isn’t helpful!” Casey chops furiously at the rope until it falls apart into pieces.

“Okay, you’ve got to teach me that when we’re not busy bein in danger.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Not so fast! Slow down that tempo, you’re not going anywhere.” Donnie shouts from the darkness.

There’s the sound of clapping from his direction, then the lights turn back on.

Not in the normal way, though.

The lights flashed differently colors all over the place. A funky, discoish song plays from unseen speakers. The same one Casey heard over the phone before. It was easier to tell now was it was.

Copacabana.

Mikey reappeared alongside Raph and Splinter. In a perfect, creepy amount of unison, they danced to the song. Their fingers traced the air as their hands rhythmically went side to side. The other hand was placed on their hips.

Like Donnie and Leo, blue was dripping down their faces.

From their eyes, their mouths, their noses.

“Not again! Guys, please, get a hold of yourselves!” April pleads.

She and Casey are attacked from behind, getting kicked and falling closer to the enclosing trio.

Casey looks back, seeing Donnie and Leo had joined back up with their own disco moves.

Tossed to the ground by a disco kick.

It was both entirely embarrassing and terrifying.

Casey grabs April by the shoulders, pulling her up as she herself gets back to her feet.

“To hell with their dance fighting, we need to find a way through!”

“I’m up to any ideas you have!”

“You aren’t.“

“Wha-“

Casey grabs April’s jacket right off her and quickly ties Raph and Splinter’s hands together before kicking it down. This causes them to hit heads and get distracted. Casey uses this opportunity to make her escape with April, grabbing her hand and running.

The music continues as they run. It’s like the worst horror game soundtrack ever.

Or maybe the best.

They keep running until they can safely go up a ladder and out front a manhole. Luckily, it ended up being in an alleyway with a large dumpster they managed to push on top.

They breathe heavily, adrenaline still pumping.

“That was far too close for my liking. My enemies should be defeated with much more ease.”

April opens her mouth to respond but ends up coughing into her hand.

“….Aw nuts….”

“What? What’s the matter?” Casey glances over and tenses up.

There was the same, unfortunately familiar, glowing blue.

“I told you that you should have left me….”

“….Stop saying foolish things. You were, and still are able to not sing. We still have time to fix you.”

“How? We don’t even know what this is!“

“You’re a future journalist, O’Neil! You can figure it out. You do not give up, especially this soon.”

April smiles softly at her.

“You’re right. I’m April O’Neil! And I will not be in a musical unless I want to be!”

Casey smiles back.

“Then let’s make sure you’re not.”

The two of them leave the alleyway. April begins looking up and down the sidewalk until she finds a newspaper stand. She slams money down in front of the owner and takes a newspaper.

“Here! The theatre the boys went to, they said something crashed into it the night of the musical.”

“That’s where what’s causing this must be. Perhaps if we tear its heart out, you all will go back to normal.”

“It’s the best, and only plan we have.”

They head to the theatre. It’s closed down and boarded up when they arrive, so Casey handled the boards and they went inside.

Once in the same room as the stage, they could see some kind of mutated plant there.

They also saw the people with blue all over their faces.

To make matters worse, the turtles and Splinter dropped through a portal, joining in with the other infected people.

Donnie and Leo were once again the aggressors, coming in at April and Casey fast.

“It is time….” Donnie starts.

“to diiiiiie!” Leo completes, singing.

“You get to that creepy thing, Casey! I’ll hold them off!” April gets into a fighting stance.

Casey begrudgingly nods and rushes forward.

April does her best to distract the people, turtles, and rat that were coming towards them.

They, however, continued to sing.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we got bones to pluck! The time for chaos is long past overdue.” Mikey croons as he attacks.

April barely manages to avoid it, shoving him into one of the seats.

“Death isn't optional! In fact it’s optimal!

Your time is up and now we go through you!” Donnie sends some weaponry her way.

April dodges the projectiles as best she can until she’s grabbed from behind by Leo.

“We tried to convince you in soliloquy!”

April struggles heavily as Raph begins to leer over her.

“But now we'll kill you with more than harmony!”

“You’re not harming anyone! Or else you get it!” Casey calls out.

All the infected people turn towards her in horror. She’s holding a sharp piece of wood towards the plant.

“No!” They screech in unison.

“Do it Casey! Now!” April insists.

Casey pulls her hand back so she can stab it.

“Wait! I can give you what you want, Cassandra.” Something in her mind begs.

“Who’s saying that!?”

“It’s me, in front of you. You became infected with my spores just like the others. I have access to your mind. You don’t have to do this. You wanted to rule the world, didn’t you? I can help you!”

“Why would I ever listen to you?”

“Because it’s too late for everyone fully infected, but not too late for your friend. I can release her…..if you join me.”

“I refuse to serve something like you again!”

“No no no, you won’t serve me. You’ll rule with me. I know when I’ve met someone truly exceptional. With your help, no one will ever be able to stop us!”

Casey thinks hard about this decision until something trickles down her nose. She curses under her breath, knowing what it is.

There’s a tense air, her back is facing April.

Then, she stabs the wood deep into the plant.

The infected screech once again, writhing in pain and letting April go.

She quickly runs towards the stage in relief.

“Casey! You did it! You-!….Casey….?”

Cassandra turns around, smirking wickedly as blue drips down her arms and down to the floor from how she had stabbed the plant.

“I did. I took the next step. The only step.”

April screams in horror as the infected stop writhing in pain and start singing again instead.

“You got your silver Casey, you got your crown. You got their blood on the roses in hand.”

Casey beckons the infected, they go backstage to the costume area and come back with some props. She cheerfully, manically, twirls around with them.

“Whoa, you donned the sash and scepter, doing a dance as you crowned you queen of the land.”

[maddieg0531]

Our Little Secret Pt. 1

Prince! Oikawa x fem! reader

Fluuuuuuuff, some angst but not in this chapter

Warnings: Idk if there are any. Lemme know if I'm wrong.

Synopsis: You're a noble, he's a prince. What will happen when your lives become more intertwined than you ever thought possible?

A/N: I FINALLY FINISHED IT! Y'all this mess took me months to do because I have no motivation 🤪😭 anywaaaay, please enjoy. I haven't been active in a hot sec (again no motivation), but I am going to post a bit more (hopefully). Thank you for all the love and support. It means a lot.

Masterlist pt.2 pt.3 pt.4 epilogue

Prince Oikawa Tooru: you either love him or hate him. Prince Oikawa is flamboyant, a flirt, mischievous, some might even say immature. All of the girls in the kingdom swoon over him. The villagers love him. Nobles who are friends of the royal family tolerate him. However, most nobles hate him. Your father being one of them. Anytime a story circulates about Oikawa you get an earful from your father about how he is “immature” and “not fit for the throne.” And you? How do you feel about him? Honestly, you aren’t sure. From afar it seems like your father is right. That he is immature and childish, but you also know that it is not the whole story. People distort stories to fit their own narrative. You want to humiliate the prince? Tell everyone that you saw him goofing off with some girls. You want to bolster his ego? Tell everyone that he donated his life savings to the poor. Around here, rumors spread like wildfire. So while Oikawa may seem childish, you aren’t quite sure that’s the truth. 

Oikawa is tired. Tired of being stuck in the castle. Tired of not being able to leave without being recognized. Tired of stupid rumors that continue to spread about him. But most of all, Oikawa is tired of his father, the king. Oikawa can’t go one day without hearing something about how he needs to find a wife or he needs to be more serious. He is serious. He wants what is best for his country. He wants to be the kind of king who can relate to his people. Not one who stays shut up in his castle, making decisions about things he knows nothing about. That is why Oikawa travels out to the villages so much: to meet his people. But he has to stop because of all the stupid rumors. It’s not his fault girls cling to him left and right. So now, he is stuck in the castle being forced to follow his father around. Aka. sit around in the throne room most of the day. 

As Oikawa sits in the throne room, like he has been for the past hour, his patience starts to fade. He decides he has had enough. He gets up to leave but his father interrupts him, “Where do you think you’re going?” His voice booms through the large room.

“I’m going back to my chambers.” Oikawa continues to walk away, not giving his father much of a choice.

“You are to stay here and learn the duties of a king.” His father stamps his foot. 

“Wow, sitting in the throne room for hours on end. Yeah, that’s really hard to learn.” 

“Do not use that tone with me!”

“Yeah okay.” Oikawa gives his father a wave from behind as he exits the room. 

“Iwaizumi, follow him and make sure he does not leave the castle!” Oikawa’s personal body guard, Iwaizumi, follows Oikawa back to his chambers. 

Oikawa trudges down the hallway, his heavy footsteps echoing behind him. His bodyguard and friend follows close behind, “Can you believe him Iwa-chan. He is so annoying!” Iwaizumi does not respond. One wrong word and he’s done for. When the pair makes it back to Oikawa’s room, Oikawa slams the door like a child throwing a tantrum. He jumps face first onto his bed and groans. “Why did I have to be born a prince?!” Again, no response from Iwaizumi. “Is it so much to ask to want to go to the village? To have some fun?” 

“When you ask, yes.” The first words Iwaizumi speaks in this conversation.

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Oikawa rolls over on his back.

“As much as you hate it, you do have duties as a prince. Besides, by going out in the village it only causes rumors to spread.” 

Oikawa springs up from his moping position, “Not if people don’t know who I am.”

“What are you saying?” 

“If I disguise myself, then no one will know who I am.” A mischievous glint sparkles in Oikawa’s eyes.

“Unless you plan on changing your stupid face, it won’t work.” Iwaizumi is the only person who can call the prince stupid. 

“Iwa-chan, you’re so mean! I can cover my face.” 

“And how do you plan on doing that.”

“Well, I don’t know. You could help give ideas, you know.”

“Help you break the rules? No thank you.”

Oikawa gets up and starts rummaging through his clothes. Why do all of them have to be so bright and fancy? As he throws his nice clothes on to the floor, he comes across some old clothes. They are the clothes he used to wear to sleep. They are borrowed from an old servant who used to be in charge of him. Perfect! “Ah ha! I’ll wear these!” He stands tall, very proud of himself.

“Seriously?”

“Yes. I’ll wear these and use a cloak to cover my face.” Oikawa immediately starts changing. 

“You do realize I can’t let you do this right?” Iwaizumi stands in front of the door. 

“Come on Iwa. You can just say that I got the better of you. No one will know.”

“Yeah, because people will believe that.” “Please Iwa!”

“What happens if someone does recognize you and no one is there to protect you?”

“Simple, you come with me.”

“I don’t think so.” 

“Come on. You can just wear some normal clothes and come with me. Then you can protect me.” 

“No.” “Please” Oikawa brings out the biggest puppy dog eyes he can muster. 

“That’s not going to work on me.” Iwaizumi crosses his arms and looks away.

“You are my best friend who has been there with me through thick and thin. I just want to go out for a bit. You wouldn’t abandon me would you?”

Iwaizumi sighs, “You are going whether or not I come, aren’t you?”

Oikawa winks, “Bingo!”

“Fine. But if even the slightest thing happens, we are coming back. AND you don’t leave my sight.”

“Come on Iwa-chan. What are you? My mother?” 

Iwaizumi glares daggers at him, “I can go and tell your father about this little scheme you know?”

Oikawa shrinks back, “No no, I’m sorry. I’ll stay in your sight and behave. I promise.”

With that, Oikawa and Iwaizumi get ready to set off into the village. 

Noble families have servants for a reason. They buy the food, cook the meals, clean the house, tend the garden, and so on. But you always insist on doing it for them. It’s gotten to a point where they don’t even argue anymore. Once a day, you get to chose one thing you want to do around the manor. Today, you choose to go to the market. Going to the market is your favorite thing to do. All the people, smells, and sights. It makes you feel alive. You and your personal maid, Ren, are tasked with buying food for the house. You recently had people over, so you are running a little low on supplies. You and Ren decide to split up in order tackle the long list of supplies. As you walk along the bustling streets, you can smell all of the different vendors: the freshly baked bread from various patisseries, the sweet scent of freshly picked flowers, and the vibrant smell of various spices. The crowd swirls around you with vivid color and lively noise. If you weren’t so familiar with the market, you would surely get lost. Your basket slowly fills up with the required supplies and you feel the weight taking a toll on your arm. You make your way to a vegetable stand to attempt to find ripe tomatoes (which are proving to be a challenge today) when you run head first into someone. “Oh I am so sorry.” You look up to address the hooded figure and end up making eye contact with none other than the prince himself. You gasp, “Your highness!” He immediately covers your mouth and pulls you into a small, unoccupied alleyway. You struggle against his grasp.

“Shhhhh” He attempts to fight back against your thrashing. Once out of sight, he releases his hand off of your mouth.

“What do you think you are doing!” You yell, causing him to slap his hand back over your face. 

“Would you quiet down. I’m not going to hurt you, jeez.” You lessen your struggle against him. “Are you gonna quiet down now?”

You give a small nod and he releases his hand again. “What is the meaning of this?” You whisper.

He sighs, “I’m trying to stay hidden, but you are making that increasingly more difficult.”

“What?” You question, straightening out your dress and picking up your dropped potatoes, “Why would the prince need to stay hidden?”

“Because if people recognize me then I will be forced to go back to the castle.” He bends down to help pick up your lost food. 

You look over at him, “The great prince Oikawa stooping down to help a mere citizen like me? How scandalous.” 

He smirks, “You are pretty bold to talk to a prince like that.” “Something tells me that you don’t mind.” 

He lets out a small laugh at that, “Very perceptive.”

“Why is a prince such as yourself afraid of going back to the palace?” You stand up, having picked up the remnants of your food. 

“So curious.” He stands, stretching his back like an old man, “If you must know, my father doesn’t want me going out into the village.”

“I wonder why.”

He peers at you, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, it isn’t a secret that you enjoy messing around. That can be damaging for any princes image.” 

He heaves a sigh, “Those are just rumors. They are actually the main reason I have to hide. Anytime someone see’s me outside of the castle, some new rumor circulates. ‘Prince Oikawa caught flirting with all the girls.’ Or ‘Prince Oikawa gambling away his fortune.’ It’s stupid. I’ve never done any of that.” 

You cock an eyebrow, “You are telling me you have never flirted with a woman?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just that people make me out to be some playboy who has been with countless woman, which is not true. I haven’t ever been with a woman!” He says that last part a little too loud.

You giggle at his silliness. Oikawa feels his cheeks blush and warmth fills his body at your laugh, “Well then, we better not let anyone see you. Wouldn’t want them to find out your secret.” 

“We?” He teases in attempt to make you blush as well. 

“Of course, you owe me replacement potatoes for the ones you dropped.” 

“Oh, right.” He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, “Sorry about that.” 

He secures his hood and you both sneak back into the crowd. Oikawa offers to carry your basket. You hand it over and look away, attempting to hide the slight blush on your cheeks. You know people say that the prince is charming, but you didn’t expect it to be true. You clear your throat, “So, what is your highness doing all alone, shouldn’t you have guards or something?”

“Quiet down. Call me Tooru. I don’t need anyone recognizing me.” He looks around to make sure no one heard you.

“I’m sorry but I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.” 

“Come on, don’t be so formal. You already insulted me, remember?”

You feel a twinge of embarrassment from that, “Okay, Tooru, what are you doing alone?”

“Well, I had a guard with me somewhere, but we seem to have gotten separated. He won’t be happy with me so we better keep our distance.” He winks as if he didn’t just imply that a royal guard is hunting you two down, “What is a noble like you doing buying her own food?” 

“How did you know I was a noble?” 

“It’s obvious. The way you carry yourself, your boldness. A servant wouldn’t dare talk to a prince the way you did.”

“You don’t know that.” You cross your arms.

“Trust me, I have plenty of servants. I think I know. Plus your dress is way too nice to be anything but a noble.” 

“Oh.” You look down at your dress. You didn’t think it looked that fancy, “If you must know, I actually enjoy shopping. I go every week with my maid, Ren.”

“And your family lets you?” 

“My father doesn’t like it but I don’t really give him a choice.”

“I get that.” As you both walk through the market, finishing your list, you fall into easy conversation. Making jokes here and there, getting to know each other. Who knew the prince was so easy to talk to. Oikawa stops at every other stand, marveling at all the “cool things.” You laugh at his childish behavior. As you near the end of your shopping trip, you take a break to sit down on a bench off to the side. You had bought some strawberries for you two to share. “Who knew that the market would be so fun?” Oikawa says, mouth half full of strawberry, “And these taste exquisite.”

“She sells the best strawberries.” You giggle and Oikawa feels that warm sensation again

“So you know the vendor?” 

“Of course I do. I come here every week. It would be rude of me not to know the people that I interact with.” 

Oikawa is stunned by your answer. He has servants in his palace that he barely remembers the name of and you know all of these vendors names. You are remarkable. “This is nice.”

“What is?” You question.

“Spending time with you.” 

You almost choke on your strawberry, your cheeks matching its color, “I thought you said you don’t flirt with random girls?” 

“You aren’t random.” He says, turning towards you

“You don’t even know my name.” Oikawa’s eyes widen. He never asked your name! How could he forget. He hits himself on the head. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” 

“Agh, I’m so stupid. How rude of me.” There he goes again with his child-like behavior, “Tell me, what is your name?” His voice does a 180, becoming sultry smooth. His beautiful brown eyes stare into yours. A small smirk lines his lips. 

“I’m Y/N Curtis, from the Curtis nobles.” You stammer.

“Y/N,” Your name rolls of his tongue, as if he has been saying it for years, “What a beautiful name.” 

You feel your body filling with heat, your lungs having a harder time breathing. The sound of a cart rolling by is heard and Oikawa breaks his gaze. You let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding. Oikawa gets up to check on the noise. 

“Where are you going?” Your voice is filled with much more concern than you meant it to be.

He smirks, “Worried I’ll leave? Don’t worry, I’m just making a small purchase.” He walks off after the cart and you can’t help feeling worried. What if he doesn’t come back? It’s not like he has an obligation to. He is the prince for crying out loud. Your mind is put at ease as you see him walking back, his hands behind his back.

“What do you have?” You tease.

He pulls out a bouquet of flowers, “Something almost as beautiful as you.” 

You take the flowers and use them to hide your red face, “Thank you. They are lovely.” As you pull the flowers down to look back at him, you are met with nothing. The spot he was just in is empty. Where did he go? You turn to look for him but there is nothing. He vanished. You feel your shoulders drop at the lack of his presence. You go to put the flowers in your basket and see a note sitting in the arrangement. You unfold the paper to see a note; meet me at the central bell tower, same time tomorrow ;). You feel a blush creep up your cheeks once more. You can’t help the stupidly large smile that spreads across your face. You put the note in your pocket and go to meet Ren at your rendezvous point. 

As you approach the corner you meet her at every time, she notices your change in demeanor, “My lady, what has you so happy?” 

“Oh nothing,” Your grin clearly betraying you, “Just a good day at the market.”

“Why did you get flowers? We could have made an arrangement from the garden.” She points out, “Unless someone gave them to you?” 

“No, I just liked the look of these.” You aren’t sure why you don’t tell her about what happened. Maybe you are trying to protect Oikawa. Maybe you didn’t find it necessary information to share. 

Or maybe you want to keep it your little secret ;)

[the-annotated-antichrist]

Act III, Track 03 - Forgive me

Song links: Spotify - YT Music - Apple - Tidal

This is another track with a lot of dialogue, in which big things happen. It is also almost 10 minutes long. If you're looking for opera and drama, look no further. Let's begin...

Johanna, Agnes and Mare have infiltrated Seth's residence. In a secluded chamber, Johanna sits gazing at the holy dagger in front of her. She prepares to fulfill her mission and kill the Antichrist while her friends walk around the candle-lit room.

[Johanna:] In thy grace... [Johanna & Agnes:] ...turn to me and bless the soul of this faithful child None more divine than thee our lord [Johanna:] Lead me on to be strong - holy mission And guide my hand Amen

Seth enters the room. This in itself is significant. He could send his guards to deal with them. Three trespassing outlaws with one dagger probably wouldn't be a big problem for them. Yet Seth appears in person, alone, and does not call for back-up.

[Seth:] Now face thy foe! [Agnes:] Our lord has brought you here [Seth:] I heed no call, none but my own [Agnes:] To be boastful suits no mortal man

Seth tauntingly tempts Johanna, who is not impressed:

[Seth:] Join the night supreme I will be your guiding star I will set you free [Johanna:] Into the darkness forever you must go

Suddenly Helena comes in, urging reconciliation. As you may remember, she overheard Johanna and her friends talking about how only Johanna's dagger would be able to kill the Antichrist, so she knows why they are here.

[Helena:] Still the dawn may rise and shine [Seth:] Out of the darkness, my love I knew that you would come [Agnes:] Join with us Join with God [Helena:] It must not end, not like this If we conjoin as one

It is far too late for that of course. Seth and Johanna will not, cannot make peace. Johanna doesn't comment on her sister's appearance at all and instead likens Seth to a fallen angel again.

[Seth:] Join the night supreme I will be your guiding star I will set you free [Johanna:] Into the darkness forever you must go Fallen you are, fallen from the heavens to our world Fallen you are 'til the end of our time and beyond

As the music becomes more and more tense, Helena says:

[Helena:] Sister, O blood of mine Hand me the dagger Hand me the answer Hand me the voice of God

Reluctantly, Johanna gives Helena the dagger. At this point, I don't exactly know how lyrics and action go together. With a bang, the music comes to a complete stop and based on the scene description, I'm pretty sure it is here that Helena puts the dagger against Seth's chest. Into near-complete silence, Seth sings:

[Seth:] Come to me, to the fallen, my love

Seth calls himself "the fallen" and echoes the way Johanna (above) as well as Professor Pauli and the Pope (in Cursed be the Fallen) speak about him in the moment in which the one person whose affection he was certain of seems to take the side of his enemies. It will be interesting to see, if and when BA is staged, whether the actor who plays him says this sentence in an evil, seductive way or if he sounds like he's pleading with Helena. Thomas' rendition sounds ambiguous to me.

Helena answers sadly:

[Helena:] Deep down somewhere, in me, I knew what I had to do

The music starts again, both Seth and his enemies are calling to Helena, who still has the dagger to her husband's chest. Seth is calling for her to take his side, the women urge her to kill him.

[Seth:] Come to me, to the fallen, my love [Helena:] My love Forgive me [Johanna & Agnes:] Hear the whisper within you, sister From God and may peace come to your heart

Helena's words here are nearly inaudible, since the music and the urging of the other characters is so much louder. A tense instrumental part follows in which Helena makes her choice. With both sides pressuring her, she cannot decide between her loyalty to Seth and to Johanna. She turns the dagger around and plunges it into her own chest. All rush to her side, their enmity forgotten for the moment.

[Johanna, Mare, Agnes & Seth:] In the cloak of night, fallen you are Thou shall rise again Enter the void

The music slowly becomes calmer as Agnes speaks to the dying Helena and prays over her in her beautiful dark voice:

[Agnes:] In stillness keep eyes of gold your name Night birds take flight and sing [Johanna, Mare & Seth:] In the cloak of night, fallen you are Thou shall rise again, enter the void [Agnes & Seth:] Bless you Into moonlight And the temple you shall now meet in turmoil The soul will flow and shine

Afterwards, Seth, with a heavy heart, returns the dagger that is fated to kill him to Johanna. I don't know if he does this to imply that Helena's blood is on her hands, if he isn't thinking clearly or if he is simply too shocked and crushed to care about anything, even his own survival.

[Seth:] Give me your hand, receive this tool For it belongs to you

He picks up Helena's corpse and leaves the room with her as a choir of angels sings.

[Choir of angels:] Float, float with time And the night soon shall see you, greet you, tell you... of dawn...

With this, the song ends. I still get goosebumps from it every time I listen to it, at least if I pay attention to what is happening in it. I have some things to say about it, but I think I'll put them into the next post, when Seth mourns Helena and we have perhaps somewhat recovered from this scene...

[argisthebulwark]

speaking of npcs who fall in love with the dragonborn: ulfric stormcloak

sure it’sa selfish, sorta cersei lannister kind of love, but still. he wants her, he needs her.

at first he pretends it’s all about the cause, having the dragonborn on his side when taking over skyrim? it would be a tremendous advantage. nothing else could convince the people like that, not some crown, not the moot, nothing. Who would unite the people like the person who’s saved so many of them? it’s about the cause, ulfric says, even when galmar asks him about it. but like, the man has eyes and he can see his best friend is mentally twirling like a little school girl

ur so real for this. ulfric has always been my enemies to lovers type of guy because i want to beat the shit out of him so badly.

it's sfw, i just know people have strong opinions about ulfric and dont want to plague the dash.

"Are you sure about this?" Galmar's voice sounded unsteady. The Dragonborn eyed him carefully from where she lounged in Ulfric's throne. He had no clue why she chose to sit there after complaining that it made her ass sore.

"Of course I'm sure." Ulfric's voice echoed through the hall and he just knew she was rolling her eyes. "The Dragonborn is an important asset to our cause. Tullius has no one left who can use the Thu'um."

"But she's a Mer."

"If you're going to speak ill of me, would you like to test who's stronger?" The Dragonborn's posture was relaxed but Ulfric heard the threat in her voice. She'd been waiting impatiently to pick a fight with Galmar since entering the city. "I could have you on your ass before you even think to draw that axe."

Ulfric told himself that it was all for his cause. The fact that he found the Dragonborn charming had no sway over his decision. The panic he felt when she threatened to leave was purely concern over how she could solidify his standing against the Empire. It had nothing to do with his unexpected need to keep her close.

Only under the cover of night would Ulfric allow himself to indulge in thoughts of her. He should've known she was the Dragonborn after the scene in Helgen. No matter how badly he wanted to claim Alduin's interruption was on his behalf he knew that it was her, it had always been for her.

He thought about the angry blush in her cheeks and the little divot between her brows when she shouted at him. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt as alive as when he bickered with the Dragonborn. Something about her left him craving more - one more disagreement, one more day together, one more snarled insult at Galmar.

He loved seeing her in his throne despite every instinct screaming to throw her out for her insolence. She was challenging him to push back but he would give in to her. He knew that once the war ended he'd likely be giving her more than a throne but couldn't be bothered to think about it just yet.

It was unsettling how badly he wanted her. Ulfric was shocked by the realization that he'd placed the Dragonborn only three chambers away. His imagination ran wild with dreams of her sneaking into his bedroom. Some ended in her knife pressed to his throat and others with her slipping between his covers. He could hardly imagine how good she would look at his side, how much goodwill wedding the Dragonborn would earn him with citizens. It would strengthen his cause, of course.

Did she dream of him too? Sometimes Ulfric found her gaze lingering and wondered if she felt the same thrill in fighting him. She was perfectly capable of leaving the Palace but chose to threaten him with her departure instead, forcing him to ask her to stay with him. She was driving him mad.

Ulfric didn't notice the way he began gravitating to her. Instead of calling her into whatever room or conversation when needing her he simply remained by her side. It was comforting to have her in his sight - because they had to remain united. For the Stormcloaks. He needed to remain close to her.

"You're sure this is all for the rebellion?" Galmar asked, arms crossed disapprovingly over his chest. Ulfric could hardly admit his feelings to himself, he would never utter a word of them aloud.

"Of course." Ulfric lied through his teeth and continued to glare at the Dragonborn. "All for the cause."

[roo-bastmoon]

Reliable real-time translators

I speak some Japanese and very little French, but I know barely a word of Korean and I'm nosy... so when our boys do Lives, I like to try to follow along by using notifications on certain real-time Twitter translators whom I find to be reliable*.

I'm listing the real-time translator accounts I know of here in case anyone else finds it useful. Please also feel free to comment if you know of others--but read below for the types of accounts I cannot in good faith promote, okay?

SEL and also SEL but for WeVerse stuff

MIINIYOONGS

YOONSEO

KOO PICASSO

CLAIRE

CHARTS K

BANGTAN SUBS

Use this list at your own discretion.

*Please note: I am not a cancel-culture type of person. I'm a Gen Xer and I highly value independent critical thinking skills. I will never throw stones, nor do I typically grab a torch or pitchfork and go after someone in public.

If you're a fascist, racist, sexist, any kind of queerphobic, an anti, a manti, hate on a member, or are a rabid cult member, I will quietly report and block you and then just turn my attention to what I want out of life, not what I don't. (When I say anti, I'm also including people who post sasaeng-type content that endangers our members.)

But I do sometimes follow people I don't agree with, because I don't want to live in an echo chamber. I'm not out to police people--not their thoughts or ships or personal lives. I also allow for people to make mistakes and have flaws, because that's how humans learn, and it's especially commendable if they apologize and are working on changing.

You have to demonstrate to me the active will to lie or cause harm for me to completely reject you--and once I do that, we're done done. So please know, I am very, very careful about how I judge others. Because...

Why am I telling you this?

Because some of these translators post hurriedly and make mistakes, or they mishear, or they have to work or study and cannot always translate for all 7 members every hour of the day. Sometimes they just get it wrong. And I can absolutely forgive that. They are providing a free service, they always apologize for errors, and I know to do my due diligence and get translations from many sources, because Korean is nuanced and tonal and therefore open to some interpretation. Whenever there's a doubt, I ask a native Korean.

What I won't tolerate is a translator picking fights with native speakers, being rude to questioners, or skewing a translation in favor of their ship (or not-ship). Nor will I follow a translator who has hinted at disliking a member, no matter how far back in their past. That's where I draw my lines.

But some folks listed above may be problematic for you. That's cool. If you want to DM me with evidence of intentional wrongdoing, I will listen with an open mind and decide if I need to stop following them or listing them here. But so far, I've been following these folks for months--many of them have been systematically attacked by the cult specifically because they love Jimin or view Jikook positively. They get absolutely railroaded if they get a single phrase wrong and ratioed as antis or liars sometimes. And I'm sorry, but I know from working as an editor of translated novels back in the day, translation is HARD.

Please do your due diligence and police your own internet experience. I cannot judge for you what you find acceptable. There are big accounts that translate but also post hotel info and flight info and photos of the Tannies' homes and family and friends and vacations and rumors and if that sets right with you, that's your business. It's human to be curious and I'm not trying to be judgey, because I've honestly been curious about some of that stuff too, but that's not a loving way to be an ARMY and I'm not gonna promote those accounts.

I will say that in my experience, all humans are flawed, all money is dirty, and all life is about compromise. It's always good to ask people where they stand before making assumptions. Text errors I can forgive; malintent I cannot.

At the end of the day, people who translate with good intentions genuinely amaze me and have my respect.

It's totally fine by me if you don't agree. But don't bring drama to this post. People who bring drama will be forced to ride the drama llama, you hear?

Love, Roo