#✦✧ amazon eve // asks ✧✦

[cyanide-sippy-cup]

New Invincible teaser dropped! Or should I do it like a CBR article

NEW Invincible teaser finally lets viewers take a look at Omni-Man's MONDO shaft (with a hidden reference only TRUE fans will understand!)

Anyways we got a date and a look at the script and blue suit!

Happy Invinciween, everyone!

[fraudulent-creature]

What are some of ur fandoms???

supernatural has my heart entirely (has me in a chokehold),

but there are fandoms that i have considered joining bc i've seen the material. such as good omens, stranger things, the boys, i am not okay with this, umbrella academy and doctor who, plus more that i can't think of...

i would also love to see and get involved in fandom for the walking dead, B99, 9-1-1, killing eve, gravity falls, and over the garden wall!

[dark-l-angel]

may I please request batfam x reader where they randomly find out the reader has Omnilingualism? the reader just randomly drops lore then the batfam is like "HUH?" me pleading:

A/N: Sure luv ❤️ sorry it took a little while.. but here you go 😺

Omnilingualism is the ability to understand all languages.. spoken, written, or otherwise.. instantly and fluently, without having to learn them first.

Batfam x Omnilingual reader + onshot bonus "wait- YOU CAN SPEAK EVERY LANGUAGE?!"

Bruce Wayne:

He pretends he isn’t impressed. He really tries. But the moment you casually correct a mistranslation in one of his case files from an obscure dialect in the Amazon, his eye twitches.

Definitely runs tests in the Batcave. "For data" he claims. Lies. He just wants an excuse to hear you switch flawlessly between Ancient Sumerian and Icelandic.

Low-key starts trusting you with delicate negotiations at Wayne Enterprises. "Accidentally" leaves confidential contracts in languages no one in the room understands except you.

Oh, and you catch him brushing up on his French. He'll never admit it, but he’s trying to catch up to you.

You once whispered something scandalous to him in flawless Latin during a gala. His hand on your lower back tightened just slightly. Dangerous man, but you’re worse.

Dick grayson:

Immediately obsessed. No chill whatsoever.

"Say something in Italian!" "Now Portuguese! Oh oh.. Tagalog!"

Thinks it’s the sexiest thing he’s ever heard. Genuinely struggles to focus if you speak in another language, especially something romantic-sounding. (You catch him blushing like a schoolboy, every time.)

Tries to flirt back in another language but completely butchers it. You gently correct him, and it turns into an unintentional couples language lesson.

You catch him Googling "How to propose in 20 languages." Cute idiot.

Teases you with fake words in gibberish, just to see if you catch on. You always do.

Jason Todd :

Oh, this man loves it. Filthy mouth, wicked grin, and a brain full of bad ideas.

Purposely swears in different languages to see if you catch him. You do. Every. Single. Time.

One time you threw back a sharp insult in flawless Russian, and he damn near swooned.

Has you read his favorite banned books in their original languages. "I just wanna hear you say it, babe." No you don’t, Jason. You want to hear them moaned, don’t you?

Will 100% ask you to dirty talk in languages no one else understands in public settings. "What? I like living dangerously."

Bonus: If you tease him in French, it destroys him. He can’t fight it. French + your voice = his personal kryptonite.

Tim Drake :

Immediately runs to his laptop. He needs answers.

"Omnilingualism is a hyper rare meta-ability.. there are fewer than seven confirmed cases worldwide.. wait- does this mean you can read codes in programming languages like they’re actual languages?!"

Makes you his official decryption buddy. His Batcomputer just became 500% more efficient.

Low-key fascinated, high-key turned on.

Asks you to record audio lessons for him in various languages. You catch him listening to them at 2am with a suspiciously dazed smile.

Will absolutely text you random phrases in dead languages at ungodly hours of the night. "For science."

Damian Wayne :

Instantly annoyed that he’s no longer the most linguistically gifted person in the room.

Challenges you constantly. "Recite this ancient Arabic proverb." You do, flawlessly, and throw in the correct accent for good measure.

He respects you deeply but refuses to admit it directly.

Secretly asks you to teach him rare dialects to communicate with his animals better.

The moment you start speaking to Titus in perfect, gentle Arabic, his eyes go wide. You’ve officially earned his permanent admiration.

Bonus: You tease him by complimenting him in languages he doesn’t know yet. He storms off to study them immediately.

Alfred Pennyworth

Unbothered king. He knew from the start.

Smiles softly when you casually slip into old, classical British idioms even Bruce doesn’t understand.

Occasionally tests you with the oddest phrases from obscure Commonwealth colonies. You pass every time.

"I dare say, Miss, you have a talent most remarkable."

Secretly keeps a list of the rarest languages to see if there’s anything you don’t know.

Family game nights? Forget it. You dominate every round of “Guess That Language.”

You become their favorite asset in undercover ops. Fake passports? Check. Local slang? You’re a walking encyclopedia.

They jokingly call you their “Batbabel.” (Yes, even Bruce lets that nickname slip once.)

Jason is convinced you must have alien blood. "Bet you could sweet talk the Martians, too."

You like to randomly mess with them by switching languages mid-conversation. Pure chaos.

And they all fall a little harder every time you do.

Oneshot bonus : Wait- YOU CAN SPEAK EVERY LANGUAGE?!

It started, as many things in Wayne Manor do, in the most stupidly casual way possible.

You were seated at the long dining table, lazily flipping through your phone while Alfred served brunch. Tim was half-asleep beside you, his forehead dangerously close to his waffles. Jason was reading War and Peace in Russian, because of course he was. Damian was arguing with Dick over the proper form for his new kata routine, while Bruce pretended to read the paper but was very obviously just eavesdropping like the rest of them.

Then, Alfred, with his calm British cadence, said something softly under his breath. In French.

"Mon dieu, cette confiture est un désastre…" (this jam is a disaster...)

Without thinking, without even looking up from your phone, you mumbled back, perfect pronunciation and all,

"Pas nécessairement. C’est la confiture d’orange, elle est censée être comme ça." (Not necessarily. It's orange marmalade, it's supposed to be like that.)

Silence.

Dead silence.

Tim lifted his head slowly, eyes bleary but confused.

Jason lowered his book.

Damian squinted at you like you’d just sprouted a second head.

Bruce folded his newspaper with a quiet, deliberate finality.

Dick? Dick’s eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"Since when do you speak French?" he asked, grinning like the cat who caught the canary.

You blinked, confused by the attention. "Huh? Oh, I don’t."

Wrong answer.

"You just did" Tim said flatly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

Jason leaned forward on his elbows, sharp smirk spreading. "Care to explain, mon ami?"

Your brain, still not connecting the dots, offered the most unhelpful thing possible: a shrug. "I don’t know. He just said the jam was a disaster. I just... knew."

“Wait.” Damian’s eyes narrowed into slits, laser-focused. "What did Alfred say, exactly?"

You repeated it, casually.

He tried to hide it, but his brows twitched upward. "That’s correct."

Now Jason was grinning like he knew something juicy. "Try Russian."

"What?"

"Say something in Russian," Jason pressed, eyes alight with curiosity.

You hesitated, then shrugged. "Что ты хочешь, чтобы я сказал?" (What do you want me to say?)

Jason’s chair screeched back from the table as he stood, hands in his hair. “NO. No, no, no, what the hell is this?!”

"That was perfect," Tim said, his voice pitching higher, caffeinated brain now fully awake.

"You said you don’t speak these languages?" Bruce asked, a suspicious tilt to his head like he was running seventeen background checks in his mind at once.

You frowned, getting a little defensive now. "I don’t! I never studied Russian, or French, or whatever else. I just... get it, I guess?"

Dick gasped, like someone hit him with a Batarang of Realization. "Wait wait wait.. omnilingualism."

Jason’s mouth dropped open. "No freaking way."

Tim’s eyes went huge behind his glasses. "That’s an actual thing, you know. Hyper rare meta ability. The brain automatically understands and reproduces any language it’s exposed to."

Damian narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. "Prove it."

"Say something in Ancient Latin," Bruce instructed, his detective mode fully activated.

You tilted your head, focusing, and then fluently responded,

"Memento mori, pater. Etiam noctes detectivi requiem merentur" (Remember death, father. Even detectives of the night deserve rest.)

Pin-drop silence.

Jason cackled so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.

Dick was clapping like you’d won an Olympic gold medal.

Tim, meanwhile, frantically pulled out his phone, already Googling ‘omnilingual reader discovered at brunch’.

Bruce, stoic as ever, gave you a single nod of respect. "We’ll need to run tests."

"You mean interviews," Dick corrected, leaning closer with a grin. "Because I, for one, have a thousand questions."

"Congratulations" Jason said dryly, raising his glass of orange juice in your direction. "You’re officially our walking, talking, sexy Google Translate."

You rolled your eyes with a crooked smile. "Glad I can be of service."

"And you will be," Bruce added, already making plans in his head. Oh, you were never getting out of this one.

[roses-coded-in-python]

hii guyz ! made my full line up of my hh rewrite/au !! theres still some more characters ovi but theses are the main ones for the first 'season' or so ive constructed in my brain! please send me ur thoughts. I lost motivation for this project but the new announcement from amazon reinvigorated my inner hater haha

for context Evelyne is a renamed Lilith. Upon asking a jewish community on reddit about her design i learned her origins are like really questionable and little antisemitic arg. In this AU she is Eve. As well as Adam, Lucifer, and Jesus being brothers. Lucifer and Evelyne are Charlie's parents while Evelyne and Adam are Cain and Abel's. ok thx

[artstennisracket]

₊ ⊹.𖥔 ݁ ˖masterlist . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

from my mind

Artrick

Camp Evergreen | Artrick | Summer Camp AU | Ao3

90s/2000s r&b | Light NSFW

Patrick walks in on Art | NSFW | Feminization

Intern!Art x Intern!Patrick | Light NSFW

Intern!Art x Intern!Patrick Pt.2

Art in Panties | Light NSFW

I Don’t Matter? | SFW | Angst

Take me to Church | NSFW | Corruption Kink

Art x Reader

Heartbreak Girl | NSFW

Feminization | NSFW

Patrick x Reader

Caramelo Duro | SFW

Cult of Sluts | NSFW | Verbal Abuse | Toxicity

Wet Dreamz | NSFW | First time

Sativa | NSFW | Collab fic w/ tacobacoyeet

Tashi x Reader

Nokia Pt.1 | NSFW | Fingering

Nokia Pt.2 | NSFW | Squirting

Art x Patrick x Reader

Say Ah! | NSFW | Dirty Talk | Squirting

Art x Patrick x Tashi

Thirst Tweets | NSFW | No smut | Mentions of Tashi

anon asks

challengers

Artrick

New Year’s Eve | NSFW | Feminization

Picture You by Chapell Roan | NSFW | Masturbation

Post Movie Theater | NSFW | Piss

Patrick comforts Art | Fluff

Art’s Birthday Surprise | Fluff

Housewife!Art | NSFW | Feminization | Breeding Kink

So Hot You’re Hurting my Feelings | NSFW | Mutual Masturbation

Jealous!Patrick | NSFW | Dirty Talk

Patrick milking Art | NSFW | Overstimulation | Daddy Kink

Hookup Hotshot | NSFW | Daddy Kink | Breeding Kink

Dom/Sub Dynamic Pt.1 | SFW | Homophobia

Post Night Out | NSFW | Piss | Daddy Kink

Size queen!Art | NSFW | BDE hehe

Fake Dating Pt.1 | SFW

Be mean | NSFW | BDSM-ish

Weed Virgin!Art | NSFW

Patrick licking Art’s abs | NSFW | Blurb

Patrick carrying Art | SFW | Blurb

Patrick carrying Art Pt. 2 | NSFW | Blurb

Artrick wrestling | NSFW | Blurb

Ticklish!Art | SFW | Blurb

Coach!Art Roleplay | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Stamina w/MRTA!Artrick | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Physio!Patrick Roleplay | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Unfair Teasing | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

The Rival and the Lover | NSFW | Ceo!Artrick

Art x Reader

Strap!Reader | NSFW | Breeding Kink

Dilf!Art | NSFW

More DIlf!Art | NSFW

Affection | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Quiet Time | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Wholesome Habits | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Hotspots | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Xray | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Patrick x Reader

Tennis Coach!Patrick Pt. 1 | NSFW | Object Insertion

Tennis Coach!Patrick Pt.2 | NSFW | D/S

Experienced!Patrick Pt.1 | NSFW | Issues of Consent

Nicknames/Petnames | NSFW-ish | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Sex Toys | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Butterflies | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Rough | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Art x Patrick x Reader

Broadway Actress!Reader | Light NSFW

Amazon Position | NSFW

Firefighter!Artrick x Firefighter!Reader | NSFW

Aftercare | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Art x Tashi

Quiet Mornings | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Art x Patrick x Tashi

Patashi milking Art | NSFW | Overstimulation | Dirty Talk

Dominance | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Getting Caught | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Panic!

Dodge Mason x Reader

Stamina | NSFW | Squirting | Mel’s 500 Celebration

West Side Story

Riff Lorton x Reader

I love you | SFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

Dear Evan Hansen

Connor Murphy x Reader

Rough | NSFW | Mel’s 500 Celebration

headcanons

Art x Reader

Stanford!Art x Tutor!Reader

Dilf!Art (w/erectile dysfunction) x Reader

Tashi x Reader

Stanford!Tashi x Reader

Patrick x Reader

Dilf!Patrick x Pregnant!Reader

Gamer!Patrick x Reader

moodboards

Artrick Summer Camp

Cheerleader!Art x Class Clown!Patrick

Artrick x Valentine’s day

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

I think it would be funny if s/o and skelly agreed to have only 1 kid together but opps at the ultra sound they find out there's 4 babies in there

And s/o very pregnant gos "YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE!!"

Undertale Sans - He shrugs, playing it cool. But he's actually not cool at all. What the hell do you mean there are four? You see him with four kids? He can barely take care of himself, what do you mean he has to be responsible for four babies? He thinks he's in shock right now. His mind can't really figure out what that means.

Undertale Papyrus - Well he never hid he wanted several children but maybe not all at the same time? He didn't even know it could happen? Wait, do you have even enough place for four in your belly? Are you going to burst? Are you going to explode???? Ok, he's freaking out a little right now. That's crazy!

Underswap Sans - He needs to sit down for a bit. You already have a hard time convincing him to have one kid, four is another level. Blue is grieving his peaceful quiet life, leave him alone for a bit, he needs to realize the huge mistake he just made. He swears he's going to pass out.

Underswap Papyrus - Oh wow. Ok, maybe he hoped a tiny bit to have twins because he loves children, but four is something. He can't help it and starts to laugh nervously as you lose it. Did he do that on purpose? Maybe he did. He tells you not to worry, he got this. Honey is really happy about that turn of events.

Underfell Sans - THE HELL YOU MEAN HE DID THAT ON PURPOSE CAN'T YOU SEE HE'S HAVING A PANIC ATTACK RIGHT NOW?! Red is terrified and in shock. Please tell him the doctor is joking. He can't have four kids, he doesn't even think he can take care of one, what do you mean four???

Underfell Papyrus - He immediately gets defensive. Why would it be his fault? For all he knows, that's your fault! You're the one carrying them! If he carried them that wouldn't have happened for sure! He already struggled to build one baby bed, you're the one who is going to build the others since that's entirely your fault! And what the doctor is looking at?! Don't you have a job to do or something?!

Horrortale Sans - Uh? He blinks at you, confused. What's his fault again? Wait. Is this a hospital? You tricked him into going to the hospital? He growls at the doctor when he touches you. Don't touch his S/O, you're pregnant with like a ton of babies! You froze. Wait, how does he know if he wasn't paying attention? ... Actually he knew already. He can feel the souls inside you? He's confused you don't?

Horrortale Papyrus - That's way too many emotions for Willow. He was already crying in the waiting room because he's going to see the baby, but now he's just sobbing uncontrollably, hugging you to death. He's both so happy and absolutely terrified.

Swapfell Sans - Nox is staring at the screen in complete disbelief. That's for sure a lot of children to protect. He was already scared of what could happen with one, and now he has to work again his whole strategy. He doesn't hear what you said, he's already on Amazon, panicking, buying more things for the baby. You can try to tell him there's still five months or so to prepare, he doesn't care. What if there's an apocalypse and you run out of diapers?! One baby is fine, but four? Do you want to die intoxicated? He for sure doesn't want to die intoxicated so he buys 500 more to be sure.

Swapfell Papyrus - He smirks as you immediately ask if it's his fault. Liste, he didn't know he had special power. Maybe he should rename his pelvis section "Super P" or something. You beg him to not do that. The next day, somehow, his pants are saying "I have a super P right there". You want to die.

Fellswap Gold Sans - As you scream at him, he gets that as you don't want more than one so he starts to give money to the doctor, who looks at him, confused. What? The hell is he looking at him for? Make three babies disappear? When he says it's impossible, Wine simply blinks. He's not having four children. He's not even sure he can take care of one. So he takes out the gun. You try to talk to him, he just tells you to let him go through his denial phase the way he wants. He comes back to you right after.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He looks down, apologetic. He didn't know... That was the first time :( Please don't be mad at him. When you say you know that he glows up. Before brutally realizing that the four babies are happening for real. He gives you the most distressed look you have ever seen him do. Oh boy. You're going to need to comfort him a lot :')

[rebelliousstories]

Online Shopping

25 Days of Ficmas

Relationship: James “Bucky” Barnes x Reader

Fandom: Marvel

Request: No

Warnings: Fluff, Mentions of Alcohol, Brief Strong Language

Word Count: 1,779

Main Masterlist: Here

Marvel Masterlist: Here

Summary: Trapped in his own home, there’s very little that he can do to express himself, or show that expression to anyone else. But Sergeant Barnes ain’t no quitter; he just has to navigate a new world.

Consider Donating: Here

Going out to a physical store during the holidays was a but too much for Bucky right now. Sure, he could go into high stakes, life-threatening missions with no problem. Dealing with crazy crowds of angry shoppers trying to get their last minute gifts? Absolutely not.

However, he had yet to find the perfect gift for a certain someone. This one woman that went to the same bar that he frequented that he actually had a lot in common with. Read the same type of books, enjoyed similar music; even had the same affinity for obscure, random, useless facts.

So here Bucky was, days before Christmas, struggling to find the gift he wanted to give her without leaving the house. He was supposed to meet her at the bar Christmas Eve to spend some time together, and he was hoping to give her a present then. However, there was no way he was going to leave his apartment to go shopping.

That is, until James remembered something Sam had mentioned recently. There was shopping online. It was a brilliant idea, with just one small problem; he had no idea how it worked. Begrudgingly, Bucky tried to talk himself into contacting his partner. He knew that Sam would never let him live this down.

Forcing himself to pick up the phone, Barnes reluctantly dialed up the number. Part of him hoped that he wouldn’t pick up as they line just kept ringing and ringing and ri-

“Bucky, what’s up man?” Sam answered with a cheerful tone.

“Hey, Sam. I, um…” Bucky sighed, rolling his eyes as he talked himself into actually speak. “I need your help with something.”

“Sure, man. Whatcha need? Hold on, one sec.” There was some shuffling on the other end of the line before Sam came back on. The sound of children laughing, and people chattering came through. “Alright. What’s up?”

“Could you help me shop online?” Bucky asked, shifting from foot to foot.

“Come again?”

“I-I need to buy something and I don’t wanna go into stores right now.” He tried explaining as he paced around his apartment.

“Bucky, are you sure there isn’t someone else who could help you out? I’m on the opposite end of the country right now, man. What about that chick you’ve been talking about? The one from the bar.” Sam stared out into the vast open waters from the dock of his family home.

“Well, um… that’s who I’m getting the thing for. I kinda don’t want her knowing.” Scratching the back of his head, Bucky felt uncomfortable as he had been forced to say it aloud.

“Ooo, you sly dog, man!” Sam cheered. “Whatcha wanna get her?”

Now, there was a blush creeping up his neck from the man’s words. “A set of books.”

“Okay, now we’re working with something. You probably don’t have amazon set up yet so, can you find this set online? Like the Barnes and Nobles or Books-A-Million websites?” Wilson instructed, fully getting on board with this idea.

“Uh, yeah. Hold on.” Behind the phone, Sam could hear Bucky moving through his apartment to sit at his computer. Clacking keys, and mumbling were the only indicators that any progress was being made.

“Okay, okay. I found it on Books-A-Million. Add to cart, right?”

“Yep. See you got it man. Now, when you hit check out, you have the option of choosing whether or not to ship it or pick it up in store.” Sam continued to explain, trying to get his friend through this.

“Which do I pick?” Bucky was so confused staring at the computer.

“Whichever will get the item there faster and on time.”

“Will it say that somewhere?”

“Can you read the damn page?” Sam sighed, now, rolling his eyes.

Bucky snorted through his nose in contempt. “Alright, it says it can be at my apartment by tomorrow. What do I do now?”

“Click checkout and put in your card info.”

Some more clicking and typing occurred before James came back to the phone. “I think it’s done. Listen, um thanks Sam. I really appreciate it.”

“Yeah, yeah, man,” Sam started, “I just expect to be invited to the wedding.”

“Ha ha. Bye, Sam.” The phone call was disconnected without another chance for a reply. Leaning back in the desk chair, Bucky was fiddling with his hands as he thought about what he was going to do with wrapping.

He was not the best at presents, even back in his younger days. His sister or mom would always wrap presents for him, while he could, at best, put something in a pretty bag. Bucky was not even sure if he had wrapping paper around his apartment.

Which meant he needed to go get something to make it pretty before giving it to her. Which meant having to go out into the crowds of shoppers. A memory of seeing some wrapping paper at the bodega on the corner popped into his head. Maybe James could skip the lines and crowds that made him feel anxious.

Two nights later, Bucky was standing outside of the bar that they were supposed to meet at. In his hands, a gift bag heavy with the weight of books rested. The cold December air nipped at his cheeks, and made his breath appear in front of him, but he could not just walk in just yet. He was still trying to work up the nerve to go in and meet her. This night could be the end of their friendship in one way or another if he did not play it right.

Exhaling sharply, he pushed open the door. Scanning the room, Bucky smiled as he saw her happily sitting with a few drinks in front of her at a booth. Walking up, he opened his arms just in time for her to launch herself into them.

“Bucky! I missed you. Come on, I got the first round.” She kept a beaming grin as she hugged, and led the man over to his booth.

“Hey, missed you too. Thank you.” Sliding in, he set the gift bag on the seat as he sat down. Barnes clinked his bottle against hers and took a sip.

“So what have you been up to?” And thus began their conversation that would branch off into an evening together.

He loved hearing her talk. Even if she read the dictionary, Bucky could just listen to her forever. There was something calming about it. His mind was often flooded with too many voices, too many memories; it was just too active. This was the kind of voice that he could relax to. It gave him a sense of calm he could not replicate anywhere else.

“Oh,” her voice broke him from his trance. “Before I forget, here you go.”

A gift bag was set on the table, and pushed across to him. Bucky, with wide eyes, gently grasped the handles of the bag, and pulled it closer to him.

“What is it?” He whispered, eyes tracing over the decorative paper coming from the top.

“A bomb.” Her voice was deadpan, as was her expression. Leveling her with a similar look, Bucky chuckled when he saw her beaming now.

“Open it, silly.” At her encouragement, James delicately tore into the bag. Below the tissue paper, there was a box-like object wrapped in beautiful wrapping paper. He plucked it from the bag, and turned it over in his hands, trying to figure out what it was. Tearing a stripe through the paper, the second he saw what was inside, he became giddy.

“No. You didn’t.” Resting in his hands now, was an original 1937 copy of the Hobbit. The bindings were fresh, as if someone had recently redone the book. A distinct old book smell wafted into his nose when he opened the book. Flabbergasted, Bucky shifted his gaze between the book and the woman across from him.

“You mentioned you’d like to read it again and someone at my book club was looking to sell it. He gave me a steal because we’re friends. Said his grandfather originally owned it, and brought it with him when he moved to here from Germany.” She casually explained, shrugging and taking a swig of her drink.

“I… thank you. Truly,” Bucky reached his hands across to hold hers that was on the table, “I just- I don’t know what to say besides thank you.”

“It’s not a problem, Bucky.”

“This, um-” he cleared his throat, “makes my gift a little coincidental.”

Bucky reached next to him to place the bag on the table. He sat there, with bated breath and rapt attention as she began to dive into the bag. As opposed to her gift, his was just placed inside without wrapping paper. But James at least put some pretty tissue paper on top. And yet, even without the wrapping paper on the present, she was giddily pulling the books from the bag.

“You got the entire Neon Gods set for me? Oh, Bucky…” she sighed dreamily as she held and looked over each cover and backing.

“Yeah, well. You mentioned you’d wanted to read it.” Bucky smirked, catching a glint in her eyes. He did not want to get his hopes up, but he loved that little glint.

“You’re such a sweetie. Thank you.” Getting out of her seat, she went across to his section of the booth and wrapped him in a hug. Bucky pressed his nose into her hair, enjoying the comforting feeling of her embrace.

She sat back after a moment, and looked over her books again. “I still can’t believe you got me the entire set. All I got you was a single book.”

“Hey,” he shook her lightly, “don’t do that. I love this single book. However…”

At this she perked up. “However?”

“Maybe, you’d be able to get me one more Christmas present that’s been on my wishlist,” came Bucky’s ask, albeit very hesitantly.

“What is it?”

“Would you wanna go on a date with me?”

A second of utter silence passed between them. So long that Bucky was genuinely about to retract his statement, chalking it up to a joke. A very lame joke.

“I’d love to.” She muttered, dropping her eyes down to the shirt covering his chest. James breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Nervous chuckles passed between the two of them as they took in the situation at hand.

“Okay, then.” Bucky threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in closer. He pressed a kiss to her hair as he basked in the triumph of the moment. Totally worth it in his book.

[bestofsimoneashley]

Simone Ashley’s upcoming movies, a thread (will be updated regularly)

“Picture this”

Genre: Comedy/Rom-Com

Release Date: 2025

Plot: Pia (Simone Ashley) is single and runs a failing photography studio with her best friend Jay (Luke Featherston). As her sister (Anoushka Chada) prepares to wed, Pia's mother (Sindhu Vee) is desperate for her to also find love. Then a spiritual guru at her sister's engagement party tells her she is destined to find love on the next five dates she goes on.

Director: Prarthana Mohan

Cast: Simone Ashley, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Elliot Bird, Nikes Patel, Luke Featherston, Anoushka Chada, Phil Dunster, Eben Figueiredo, Sindhu Vee, Adil Ray

Character: “Pia”

Watch it on: Amazon Prime

-—————-

"This Tempting Madness"

Genre: psychological thriller

Release Date: 2024

Plot: A young woman awakens from a coma grievously injured, memory fractured, her husband arrested. But as she puts together the pieces of her past, she starts to question her own actions — and her perception of reality.

Director: Jennifer E. Montgomery

Cast: Simone Ashley, Mojean Aria, Austin Stowell, Suraj Sharma, Zenobia Shroff

Character: "Mia"

Watch it on: TBA

—————-

“The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland”

Genre: animated movie

Release Date: 2024

Plot: The Queen of Hearts hates Christmas – she's banned tinsel, mince pies and even good cheer – because when she was a little princess, the White Rabbit was late delivering her letter to Father Christmas and she didn't receive a present. But one snowy Christmas Eve, Santa finally receives her letter and races to deliver her gift! Will Santa and his reindeer be able to put the Merry back into Christmas in Wonderland?

Director: Peter Baynton

Cast: Simone Ashley, Emilia Clarke, Gerald Butler

Character: "Alice"

Watch it on: TBA

—————

“F1”

Genre: Action, Drama

Release Date: June 25, 2025

Plot: Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s, has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire from Formula One and start racing in other disciplines. A Formula One team owner and friend (Javier Bardem) contacts Hayes and asks him to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Expensify Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Simone Ashley, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem, Sarah Niles, Brad Pitt

Character: TBA

Watch it on: Apple and in cinemas

[trexalicious]

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been tracking Santa Claus on Christmas Eve since 1955:

The tradition began when a child accidentally called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center instead of Santa. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the operations officer, answered the call and asked his staff to check the radar for Santa's location.

How it works

NORAD starts tracking Santa around 4 AM EST on Christmas Eve and uses its website, app, and social media to share his location. Children can also call the toll-free number 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to ask "Where's Santa?".

Other ways to track Santa

In addition to the NORAD website and app, children can also use Amazon Alexa, OnStar, and social media to track Santa. If you have children, grandchildren or other ankle biters around, this is actually rather fun and can be done from ANYWHERE in the world... 🎅❤️🎄

[henke-penke]

If Eva was in world tour instead of in the peanut gallery, how do you think Lovers and Fools will play out?

oooooooo inch resting~

There are two ways this would go; Eva replaces Duncan, and Evs competes alongside Duncan. I'm gonna focus on the latter for now. Might come back and do the other but I make no promises.

Eva obviously ends up on Team Chris, and the story stays relatively the same up until after Izzy's elimination in Paris. There, Eva pulls Noah to the side and demands answers. She might not be a genius or the best when it comes to people and making observations, but she knows Noah. And she knows he wouldn't cozy up to Heather just for fun.

And Noah tells her the truth. He's made a deal with both Heather and Alejandro to try to make them both jealous and throw them off their game. The reason he tells is quite simple; Eva hates liars and most importantly, can keep a secret.

Eva will have her opinions on the scheme, because it kinda feels cheaty to her, but is ultimately very 'sure whatever' about it. Mostly because Noah assures her that no real feelings are involved, it's just pretend for the sake of the game and a million dollars.

"I'm not actually crushing on them. And I'm very certain they're not crushing on me either." "Alright. I trust you know what you're doing. Though be aware, I won't come to the rescue when they bust your ass." "Don't worry. That's not gonna happen."

Things continue roughly the same. I think the only real difference would be a quick conversation in Newfoundland where, after having observed the whole Alenoaheather situation, Eva will straight up ask if Noah's sure he isn't actually crushing. Which he will vehemently deny, of course.

On the flight to Greece, when both the Amazons and Team Chris are in first class, Noah will pull Eva to the side and update her on the scheme;

"So, they caught me." "I told you I wasn't going to rescue you-" "Not asking you to. Just letting you know that they're in on it." "... What?" "The scheme. Or I guess it's a fully-fledged alliance now. Either way, the figured out I was tricking them and suggested we work together all three." "Congratulations? Why are you telling me this?" "I... don't know. You were the only one who knew of the original plan, and while this doesn't change how we'll behave since we're keeping it a secret, I figured you should know." "Oh. Well, thanks. I appreciate it." "No problem."

So yeah, Eva knows they're in an alliance. She doesn't know the specifics or their schemes because I don't think she'd care that much about it. I also don't think she'd intervene much, aside from telling Duncan to back off when he's snapping at Noah, and calling him out for his bullshit in Sweden.

Now, I have no idea how Eva gets eliminated in this. My first thought was China, but that would take away a major scene for Courtney, so idk. We're skipping it for now. All that's important is that Eva makes it to the wedding challenge at least. There, much like he did with Heather and Cody, Duncan will approach Eva to try to convince her to vote for Noah with him. He's convinced Noah's a master manipulator, and even crosses the line and questions the legitimacy of Noah and Eva's friendship. Eva is having none of it and tells him to fuck off.

However, Noah failed to give her a crucial update before her departure; the cheating plot. Because as established, Noah falling in love, especially under these circumstances, exasperates his self-destructive behavior, that's part of why the plot happens in the first place. It's therein not unreasonable to assume it slipped his mind.

This then leads us to Eva arriving on the aftermath set, and being greeted by the bombshell that is the villain-Noah-narrative. And that shit activates her fight or flight. Every interaction she's had with Noah is put into question. Hell, even Duncan's fuckass attempt to 'trick' her is put into question. Eva ends up stuck between both sides. Noah is her friend. He trusted her enough to tell her his plan way back when, and even updated her when needed. But, can she really trust he was fully honest ? Is it really outside the realm of possibilities that he was lying for his own benefit ? That Heather and Alejandro had never actually caught onto him ? But would Noah really be capable, or willing, to emotionally manipulate people ?

Only one surefire way of knowing.

Thus, when Noah arrive, before Geoff can truly stir the masses, Eva tells him to shut the fuck up. And Geoff does. Eva then lays it out exactly how she feels to Noah, no exaggerations, and no sugarcoating.

"I don't trust the narrative they're presenting. I don't. But right now, I don't know if I trust you either. Until Heather or Alejandro or both get here and can vouch for you, stay away from me."

Noah will be visibly hurt by this, but is understanding and so agrees. His depressive episode here won't be as severe as it is in the fic, but he'll still turn to isolation as a 'coping mechanism'. Izzy will make her reappearance earlier and make it her duty to ensure he actually eats and has some form of company. Noah will also not have his breakdown, but he will still worry about the legitimacy of his new relationship, venting to Izzy how Alejandro and Heather can very easily throw him under the bus and leave him with nothing.

Eva's confrontation will also sow seeds of doubt with the rest of the cast. Like, maybe there's more to the story than what we're told. This is further solidified when it's time for the aftermath, which Noah attends. This is where the continues the villain role and there is a noticeable difference between him off and on camera.

(This is also where we'd get the hilarious bit from the original reblogs where, when asked to pick a contestant to root for, Noah would pull out a chair and sit between Heather and Alejandro's bleachers. "I couldn't choose on the plane, what makes you think I will now?")

When Heather and Alejandro arrive they have to restrain themselves from immediately running up to Noah. He also has to nod to the cameras like 'not yet not yet they're still rolling'. However, the second Chris ends the episode, it's polycule hug time babey !! Heather hugs normally and then Alejandro tackles them. It's cute, fluffy, and all-around a fun time.

The rest of the cast is a bit confused, but things are quickly cleared up. Chris and Blaineley has their argument but it isn't as intense as in the fic. All the apologies still happen after the finale, but before the final aftermath, because Noah doesn't faint here nor was he treated half as poorly, so there's time to spare and not the same levels of animosity between the cast.

For the final episode, they all act like the off-screen reveal didn't happen, Noah keeping to the villain role, with Heather and Alejandro as the unsuspecting heroes. Now, I'm unsure if Chris will have the scheme reveal happen on the volcanoes or save it for the aftermath, but the reveal will happen trust.

And that's that ! Snipp snapp snut, så var sagan slut !

Yeah, whether she's in the game or not, Eva is important to the story of Lovers and Fools <3

[marchsfreakshow]

Princesses Over Princes {Dandy Mott}

Fluff. Little bit of teasing smut. Cover made by me

Fem!Reader

It's your first Christmas with the Mott family after Dandy 'convinced' you to move in. It's officially time to go present shopping, and Dandy almost buys the whole store.

Slightly self-inserted so consider reader autistic, just for now.

I miss writing for my murderous baby boy, so here's a holiday fic to keep y'all going. :)

No one's perspective.

⊹˚.⋆ ₊꒷ᘏᘏ︶ଓ︶꒷꒦⊹˚ᗢ₊꒷︶ଓ︶꒷

Windows had condensation on them because of how cold it was outside. Lights were twinkling around, and Dora made something warm in the kitchen. It smelled like leeks, so you guessed it was some type of soup. You were a bit sick. But, not sick enough to convince Dandy that you couldn't go out today. For Dandy, it had to be a broken leg, and maybe fully paralysed for you to not be able to go out.

Every single time you heard, "Y/N! We're going out." You dramatised fainting and laid like an 1800s lady who needed air on his bed. A grin and a giggle always gave it away, and Dandy stood there unimpressed every time. "Come on! I want to! You need to come with me! You need to! You need to!"

"Big baby." You muttered as you got up.

"What?!"

"you're. A. Big. Baby!" Dandy stood there, slightly gobsmacked, and watched you walk out of his door, a slight skip in your step. Despite being called a baby, he followed you anyway.

A baby? No. Dandy was your lovesick puppy. He'd follow you to the ends of the earth and buy you a company if it made you happy. He was wrapped around your finger like a tight glove. Your comfortability over anything. If you went to the freakshow to see your friend, Amazon Eve, Dandy would make sure you had front-row tickets and brought a pillow to make sure you were comfortable in the creaky, woody chairs. The way he looked at you, it was a look that could melt anything. His eyes were firmly on you. He was so happy he bumped into you with his mother on a walk.

You were sitting in the kitchen, having some of the soup that Dora made when Dandy finally decided to come into the kitchen. Even though he followed you out of the playroom. "Dandy, come eat something!" You smiled, gesturing to the small portion of toast that was available on the table.

"I'm not hungry."

"Dandy-" Dora started,

"Dandy eat something or I'll lock myself in one of the empty rooms and not talk to you until the new year."

Instinctively, Dandy sat down and almost scarfed down toast with nothing on it. He then sat impatiently as you finished your soup, albeit a bit more slowly, and less messily. You were almost elegant and looked like a princess in your baby blue dress that poofed out and rested just below your knee. All Dandy thought you needed now was a tiara, and a ring. Both have a gem-like sapphire in them to match the colour scheme. Staring at you was a full-time job for him. The only one he would like. "Are you almost done?"

"Almost." You giggled, feeling Dandy gently grip your thigh under the table. There was an impatience to his words, and you could feel a tantrum coming on if you didn't hurry up and finish. Thankfully, Dora took your bowl from you as soon as you placed your spoon down. She could also feel the impatience and wanted you to go so she would be away from Dandy for an hour or so. Your eyes met with hers, a silent thank you along with a smile. The small bowl was taken from you, and Dandy grabbed your arm, dragging you to stand up. The childish happiness within his run made you smile, and follow him quickly. He practically threw you in the car once you put a coat on, and started the car just as quickly.

"Love? Where exactly are we going?" You asked once you were on the road. Your boyfriend had calmed down now and was driving carefully. To him, you were precious, a statue or an angel that couldn't be damaged. That one piece of art that you own and wouldn't let anyone else touch it. That's what you were to Dandy, art. Everything about you was art. Your interests were included.

"Store."

"Well, I figured that." You chuckled as the car's hum ran behind you quietly. "But what store are we going to prince?"

A blush rose on your boyfriend's cheeks. His infatuation with you only increased when you called him a nickname. Prince was his favourite. You were his princess, deserving of everything. "Whatever store you want. What do you want right now?"

Silence was the answer until you sheepishly answered, "A new stuffed bear. Not a proper one! Just, a stuffed animal. A brown bear, I like those ones."

"Stuffed animals. Toy shop then. Childish.." He muttered the last part, but you heard it anyway. The roads merged as you were nearing the biggest toy store in town. The biggest was a dull, old toy store in between a book store and a café. It was a greying red and the blandest beige you've ever laid your eyes on. The owner was a sweet older man, but you hoped one day, someone would repair the outside, give it a paint job and make it lived in again as it was when you were a child.

The car screeched to a quick halt and scared you almost half to death due to the suddenness of it. "We're here." He mentioned flatly. It confused you, but you undid your buckle and opened the door for yourself. Just as quickly as you opened the door, a hand appeared in your view. You took the hand, and stepped out of the car, immediately walking around to the pavement. The store was in front of your eyes, children rushing around to grab whatever they wanted.

"I do hope that there's something I want left in stock." You sighed. Before you walked in, you adjusted yourself despite no one in the shop caring much about your appearance.

"We'll find something. You need something for Christmas."

"You do too. I do have most of your presents already though." You smiled. Striding into the shop, Dandy and you were suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of children's yelling and noises they made in general. There was a quiet corner in the corner of the shop, in which the shelves held different teddy bears. "Teddies." You mumbled, walking towards them like a soul heading towards purgatory.

Dandy followed but ran instead. He grabbed a random one and held it out towards you. It was a light beige and looked like a typical teddy. "Um, I don't know." All that kept coming out of your mouth was mutters. Small and messy kids were running around you as the other adults apologized. He could tell you were getting more agitated and uncomfortable but attempted to refrain from yelling.

That lasted about 4 minutes.

You were sitting in the storage room with the shopkeeper's permission, hands over your ears and your eyes were almost glued shut. It pissed Dandy off to no end and you heard, "GO AWAY! EVERYONE!!" Everyone stopped in their tracks and put their things down, not including the bought things, and slowly backed out. Silence filled the shop.

"Dandy. You, my...my customers!" The shopkeeper thought out loud.

"I don't care!! Y/N needs space! They need time!! Everyone was annoying her!!" You took this as a sign to walk out of the storage and Dandy immediately hugged you, kissing your head gently. "You have all the time now."

"Thank you, Dandy." A smile replaced the scared frown you wore on your face. The teddies were still lined up on the shelves, but some were on the floor. You picked the floor teddies up, and Dandy took them from you, going to place them on the till. Every single one you looked at was placed by the shopkeeper.

The small black ones, the beige, brown, white bears. The dusty pinks and blues. The ones with a small card tied to their paws, the bears who looked brown, big and dusty. The old ones who never got a chance to be loved.

Every. Single. One.

"Oh, my love don't worry. I don't-"

"No." Dandy cut you off quick. "You deserve the best. Especially after the annoying brats filled up this place." A sigh escaped you, and you placed your least favourite stuffed animals back on the aged wood.

What was left was 3 teddy bears, a puppet you liked the look of and a small robot. The teddies were the small black one that caught your eye immediately, one of the medium-sized dusty pink ones, and the aged, dark brown, squeezable bear. They captured your heart, along with the other two items. The puppet, and the robot. These 'robots of the future!' interested you dearly. Would talking pictures and robotics be the future? Either way, Dandy was happy you made your choice, and you could go home.

"Is this all you're purchasing today?" The shopkeeper asked. He was a kindle and gentle soul, who had manned the store since Dandy and you were children. He knew you well and saw a romance happen before his eyes when talking to you and Dandy.

Before you could answer, however, Dandy nodded and brought his wallet out. "$100."

"Really? $100. Wow, that's a good price!" You chuckled, gazing at your new and known presents.

"$100 is really cheap," Dandy muttered, paying the shopkeeper swiftly. The items were placed into two bags, and immediately getting scooped up by your childish boyfriend. "Okay, let's go."

You waved goodbye to the shopkeeper and headed outside, the car still in front of the dinky shop door. Dandy almost rushed again, placing the bags in the back of his car and resisting the urge to make you quicken your pace. He wanted to get home. Quick. You were a bit stressed still. He could tell and knew being back at home would make you feel better. Well, your new home. You suddenly got moved into Dandy's mansion at some point in time at the start of your relationship, and it still took you a few months to get used to.

As soon as you were buckled in the passenger's seat, it didn't take more than a second for Dandy to be racing back home. It was like there was a time limit to getting back, and he had to make it back within that limit. The roads were blurred, and you gripped onto Dandy's arm with your left hand, the other held onto your own seatbelt. Whatever race Dandy was having in his head, clearly his car was winning.

The car pulled up to the house in no time. Dandy looked completely fine, with no scratch, but you felt worse. Your stomach felt like it was flipped, your heart was racing and your hair certainly fell out of whatever shape you styled it in that morning. The laboured breathing you were doing concerned Dandy. "Are you okay?"

"yeah. Fine. Just, a bit too fast."

"Okay." A monotone voice came out of the man, and he got out, giving you about 5 seconds before he came around to your side and picked you up, along with the bags of course. "I'm taking you into bed."

You felt like a princess and just stared in awe at Dandy. This childish, but strong man was carrying you into the house, and all the way up to his playroom. It was his favourite room, and where you had your bed. Nothing but the best sheets for you. "Thank you, my prince." You giggled, as Dandy was now sitting by your side.

"You're welcome. you're my princess, and need the best, not whatever common people own."

"Would you kill someone for your princess?" You teased, biting your lip slightly. Pretending to love murder and blood made Dandy even more happy. It thrilled him to know that you were 'just as bloodthirsty as him' according to Amazon Eve.

"I'd murder anyone and everyone if it made you happy." He gripped onto your waist and you looked up at him again. Almost showing innocence in your eyes. He was all yours to ruin with blood, gore, anything. His innocent doll.

Just to make sure he didn't add on to his words, you kissed him and you held onto eachother tightly. The kiss was filled with nothing but lust. The rest of the day was heavy touching, breathing. Deep and heavy kisses. You and Dandy were wrapped around eachother's fingers, tight. "I love you my prince."

"I love you princess."

Tags; @slvt4jamesmarch @babygorewhore @taintandviolent @tatelangdonsweater

[crushedsweets]

It’s that time of year so I gotta ask;

What Christmas gifts do you see the Creeps getting for each other if they did or were capable of celebrating Christmas?

BEAUTIFUL ASK BEAUTIFUL ASK OK IM EXCITED. merry christmas guys :)

btw: the proxies, natalie, nina, and jack are often in contact

liu, jeff, ben, jane, sally, lulu, and ann do their own thing with their own families (or theyre undead and cant comprehend time passing.. or have nobody...etc)

GIFTS:

brian would try to get something small for a lot of the creeps (the proxies, natalie, jack, nina). candy, candles, lighters, watches, pocket knives, etc

tim might give cards but like... he'd only get brian and maybe toby a real gift, again something like cologne or whatever 'manly' shit LOL. gloves etc

toby would try to get something bigger for his friends. he's petty so he'd get tim something like socks. but he'd steal makeup for nina, a bike he would fix up and paint for natalie, CDs and tapes and stuff for jack, hoodies and hats for Kate. he'd buy brian a gag shirt every goddamn year. something with a stupid quote or ugly photo. every. year. brian eats it up everytime. also gets ben gag gifts, but really cheap ones cuz he..doesnt really use anything... but he likes to laugh

kate doesn't get anyone anything, but she like. cries really easily when she receives something. not like bawling 'OMG THANK U' but like she sniffles and has to walk away (if they don't hug her first) and then come back to say thanks. toby thinks its hilarious so he'd never leave her out even if she doesn't get him something

jack would have to ask nina and natalie if he could use their address to order gifts from amazon with his dark web money..... natalie is a safer bet, but he doesnt trust her not to open her and toby's gift, so he sends that to nina, then ninas gift to natalie, and its kind of a pain in the ass. but he's hella awkward and just outright is like 'can you guys just tell me what you want' so he'll get them exactly what they ask for. even if its kind of expensive. he makes plenty of money ...

natalie only buys stuff for toby, nina, and jack. but she'll get cards for jeff, ben, and kate. she spends a lot of time in thrift stores to get toby and nina stuff specifically for their style and size, and would even learn to do basic tailoring (like hemming) for it. she'd also paint something for/with nina, but she'd feel awkward doing it for toby. she'd get jack candles and pillows and like.. stuff to make his cabin feel/smell nice. since he can't really see it. ALSO AUDIO BOOKS FOR HIM.

nina goes all out. she's broke as fuck during november/december cuz of it. she's buying expensive jewelry, perfume/cologne, hoodies, shoes, consoles. she was fucking SPOILED growing up by her dad, and loves giving it back. one year she'd be dramatic as fuck and buy a whole ass console for kate and toby at the cabin. then realize toby and kate now wont text her back cuz theyre fucking gaming. LMFAOOOO . she'd make a ton of kandi and paint shirts and write letters and stuff.

liu would buy nina something nice, flowers and earrings and hair products and stuff. he'd mail jane+mary a card and chocolates, visit his parents graves and go see some cousins/aunts/grandparents for the holidays. he'd be out of state for the holidays, every time. he can't stand to spend the holidays alone

jane goes all out with her family too. she spends christmas eve with her family(and brings mary), aka her grandparents and aunts/uncles. she spends christmas day with mary's family. she would send liu a card back out of respect. she'd also spoil sally. sally is completely content spending christmas alone while jane goes to mary's family, but jane sets up netflix and toys and dresses and stuff for her.

sally lives with jane/mary fulltime, but she refuses to go anywhere other than the forest and jane's house. she'll draw cards for jane and mary every year and help them decorate. jane is grateful for sally, since she doesn't know if she'd have it in her to decorate without a child's joy motivating her

jeff doesnt do shit. he gets kinda depressed and hangs out with ben. might snag a card and some chocolates for natalie, MAYBE. if he's still "with" nina, he'll steal random stuff for her but not take into account her actual tastes. but him and ben just sit around and game while jeff smokes and eats hella . LOL

ann, lulu, sadie, and dina don't celebrate at all. again, they're stuck in timeloops or constant hazes, or have legitimately no interest in the holiday

extra random stuff:

nina forces kate, toby, and natalie into ice skating every year. photo booths, driving to see christmas lights.

toby tries forcing everyone to go over to jack's cabin ..cuz he doesn't wanna invite them to his LMFAOOOO. he says it's nina and brian's idea, but he's the one who sets the date and texts invites. him, jack, and natalie put together some dinner and everyone just kinda hangs out and eats.

nina decorates the fuck out of her apartment and goes to toby's cabin to put up some stuff. she hangs mistle toe and literally nobody listens to the 'rule' but she's always like "omg...kateeee...you and i just so happen to be under the mistle toe... >.<... what now..?" LMFAOOO

anyway merry christmas and happy holidays guys :) have a good day luv u

[insanitysilver]

So you have this author.

He has a bunch of projects, sure. Starts his own indie publisher in spring 2017 to start getting them out there. Cool. Good hustle. The problem? One of his projects is the start of a seven-book LOTR fan fiction sequel series.

Fall 2017 - He writes the Tolkien estate asking for rights to publish it. His letters go unanswered. (The Tolkien estate is notoriously litigious and close-fisted with rights.) Undeterred, he keeps plugging along.

April 22, 2019 - He interviews his first beta reader on his indie pub's social media to drum up excitement.

Nov 7, 2019 - He gets a lawyer to ask the Estate for the rights more formally. They say no.

Nov 13, 2019 - The Tolkien estate and Amazon close their $250 mil rights deal on Amazon's upcoming LOTR prequel tv series.

Dec 24, 2019 - Author shows up at Tolkien's grandson's house on christmas eve, and "delivered [his 180k-word manuscript] in-person", including a letter with this line:

"I truly cannot imagine, anyone else alive in the world who is capable of taking the foundation your grandfather wrote and expanding upon it as beautifully and imaginatively as I have." That's a pretty big swing buddy!

Tolkien's grandson mails the manuscript back.

So, he publishes his book anyways.

Sept. 1, 2022 - His book hits the major digital storefronts Sept. 1, 2022. Amazon's LOTR prequel tv series? Also releases Sept. 1, 2022.

He sees some similarities. So what does he do?

April 14, 2023 - He sues the Tolkien estate, the Tolkien trust, Tolkien's grandson, Amazon, and Jeff Bezos himself for $250 million.

June 1, 2023 - The Tolkien trust sues him for copyright infringement right back.

Aug 25, 2023 - Having failed to prove the similarities between the tv show and his book, he loses the first case. (The proposed similarities seem tenuous to me too, but judge for yourself.) He can't sell Tolkien fic ever again. And he has to destroy all the physical copies of his book. And he has to pay their attorney fees. About $134,000.

Dec 14, 2023 - Also failing to prove his work was transformative enough, he loses the second case.

Now, I'm not going to shill for Amazon. US copyright extends 70 years past the death of the creator. That seems to serve corporate interests more than then public imo. If it were up to me, it'd be death + 30 & LOTR would've been public domain in 2003. Author guy could've followed his bliss, and clowning on him now really only serves Amazon's agenda.

But! The lesson here is: while the laws are what they are, if you're going to write fanfiction... literally do anything else but that.

Sources: 'The Tolkien Estate & Amazon Win ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Lawsuits' by Max Goldbart for Deadline.com Opening Complaint, Author v. Bezos Opening Complaint, Author v. Bezos, Attachment #2 Tolkien Trust v. Author, Judgement

[ohtoseni]

like real people do

chapter fourteen

Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x OFC

the government forces soulmates to be together, no matter what it takes.

or, steve and bucky struggle with their eighteen-year-old soulmate who refuses to settle into her new life after being kidnapped by the government.

tags/warnings: soulmate mark au, forced throuple/poly relationship (f/m/m), extreme age gap, kidnapping, slow burn, dub con, mental health issues (ptsd, audhd, ocd, bpd, ed), found family, emotional hurt/comfort, sensory overload and meltdowns, eventual smut, tooth-rotting fluff, power imbalance, domestic discipline (spanking as punishment), general teenage angst, daddy dom energy, oral fixation, praise kink, implied/referenced child abuse/csa, kink exploration, p in v sex, oral sex, non sexual age regression, lots of cuddles and snuggles and crying

Cleaning always made Steve feel better about his living space. And while he loved his soulmates, they were not the most productive cleaners in the world. Having them out for the morning allowed him a chance to properly get started on a deep clean in peace. 

Music softly filled the room from the record player- an old jazz song that would’ve made Eve roll her eyes and call him old. She still would’ve laughed and danced with him anyway. Steve knew she was far too young and too modern for his older tastes, but it kept his life interesting. 

That’s why having Bucky back made him feel completely whole. The calming old combined with the exciting new. And, God, did he love them both. 

But he also loved the peace and quiet that came with just him, his music, and a vacuum. 

Steve hardly heard the knock at the front door, mistaking the first rap for a break in the music. The second was much firmer and unfriendlier. He quickly moved the needle off the vinyl, abruptly ending his peace, and then moved to the door. 

Maybe it was a deliveryman with one of the many packages they had ordered over the past month. Christmas coming soon, combined with Eve sussing out the Amazon password, made their front door a safe haven for dozens of packages over the week. Steve opened the door, ready to quickly sign for whatever had come that morning, only to be met with two plainclothes police officers. One held their badge in their hand, identifying themselves as law enforcement.

Immediately, Steve grew suspicious of their presence. Bucky and Eve were at therapy this morning. They couldn’t have gotten into trouble while learning coping skills. 

“Captain Rogers?” The man asked, fixing his glasses on his nose. 

“That’s me.”

“Is Evangeline Virtanen home?”

Steve looked at them with visible confusion- why would they need to talk to Eve? The kid hardly left the apartment and never talked to anyone besides them and her small, close-knit group of friends. How did she end up on the police’s radar?

“She in trouble or something?” Steve leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. While he’d never admit it, it may have been an intimidation tactic.

The two cops exchanged a glance before the woman spoke up this time. “We just need to talk to her about something she might have information about.”

His jaw clenched. “That didn’t answer my question.”

“She’s not in trouble,” the woman clarified as she raised her hands to show she meant no harm. “We’re working in conjunction with Interpol on an ongoing investigation; it’s sensitive. We were told she may be a key witness.”

Steve’s posture straightened up at her words, his eyes sharpening as he grew more concerned and protective of what was his. “Witness to what, exactly?”

“I’m afraid we can’t discuss details at the door,” the man said. “But it’s important that she come down for a conversation. Voluntarily, of course. The sooner, the better.”

Nothing about the situation sat right with Steve. He’d seen enough shady interrogations and so-called “voluntary” interviews to know their tactics. And if Eve was involved in something, she damn well wouldn’t be walking into that room alone. 

“Give me your cards.” Steve extended his hand. “We’ll call to set up a time. She’s not home.”

They both hesitated a beat too long for Steve’s comfort before the man reached into his coat pocket and handed over a business card: Detective Michael Johnson, NYPD. The woman followed soon after. 

“Like we said,” she repeated with a forced calm, “she’s not in any trouble. But this is a serious matter; it’s in her best interest to come in sooner rather than later.”

Steve nodded once as he flipped the card between his fingers. He didn’t thank them, simply closing the door before they could say anything more. The lock clicked into place behind him. 

Standing with his hand still on the door, he stared down at the little white cards, looking for an explanation. The officers had been so vague, looking uncomfortable about the whole situation- very uncommon for the NYPD. Something had to be going on. 

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly through his nose to calm himself. The room suddenly felt colder, as if the snow outside had somehow crept its way into the living room. He set the cards on the entryway table and glanced at the half-vacuumed carpet, the coiled cord, and the tiny stack of boxes waiting to be broken down for recycling. 

Everything around him looked normal, but his gut still twisted tightly as his instincts gnawed under his skin.

Interpol. Witness. Evangeline. 

Immediately, he grabbed his phone and texted Bucky. He tried to ignore the way his fingers shook. 

“Come home when you’re done. Something happened.”

Three dots immediately blinked back at him as Bucky typed up a response.

“Just waiting on Evie. What happened?”

Steve didn’t want to startle his lover, not until he had some answers first. He thought back to the look on the officers’ faces and their too-smooth phrasing and rehearsed calmness. Something was deeply wrong.

He didn’t respond to the text message. Instead, he slipped the phone into his back pocket and returned to the living room. 

He tried to pick up where he left off, straightening the throw pillows and unwinding the vacuum cord, but it all felt pointless now. His body would go through the motions while his mind reeled and ruminated.

What could Eve possibly have witnessed that required Interpol? Steve knew the kid had been through hell and back, but it couldn’t have possibly been so bad as to alert the international police, right?

They said she wasn’t in trouble, but people like that didn’t come knocking unless they were after something bigger and darker than usual. And if Eve was involved, witness or not, there was no way in hell he and Bucky would let her walk into that building alone. 

Eve was barely learning how to sleep through the night without waking from nightmares. She still flinched when someone set something down a bit too hard. She still had days where she forgot how to speak. 

The idea of her sitting in some sterile, windowless room under a two-way mirror, being questioned by men who didn’t know the true extent of her trauma, made Steve’s jaw clench in unspoken rage. 

He looked back at the business cards again, quickly moving to snap a picture of them. This time, he texted them to Sam. 

“These people just showed up at our apartment asking for Eve. Said it was NYPD + Interpol. Claimed she’s a witness. Know anything?”

It was a long shot, but Sam always seemed to have ears in places Steve didn’t. 

Then he sat back down on the couch, trying to crack the tension out of his neck. The snow fell so peacefully as he watched out the window, a massive contrast to the inner anxiety he felt in that moment. 

Everything felt wrong now. It was almost Christmas, almost Evie’s birthday, but that would now be overshadowed by the lingering presence of police interviews and digging up potential old traumas. 

The officers said she wasn’t in trouble, but Steve learned long ago that when people said things along those lines, that’s when you run. 

Fifteen minutes later, Steve heard the click of the front door opening, followed by the sounds of bundled-up limbs shuffling inside. 

“So warm in here,” Bucky remarked as he stepped inside. Eve was tucked to his side like a sleepy barnacle: her hood pulled up and hiding most of her face, eyes glassy and half-lidded from exhaustion that only came after very emotionally tolling appointments. 

Steve rose from the couch, careful not to move too fast or smile too big. “Hey honey,” he said softly, giving a kiss to Eve’s temple and Bucky’s lips. “How was everything?”

“She cried on the way home.” Bucky pulled her closer into his side as Eve sniffled from a mix of coldness and old tears. 

Eve hardly managed a shrug, arms still locked tight around Bucky’s bicep. “Tired,” she murmured. “Hurts.”

She didn’t mean her body, though her posture betrayed the unspoken tension in her shoulders and spine. She meant her brain and heart- the kind of ache that only came after digging too deeply into things otherwise left untouched. 

“I’m gonna go lie down for a bit,” she whispered, already halfway to sleep. This had almost become a ritual- the nap after a heavy therapy or psychiatry session. Neither Steve nor Bucky minded, as it helped her self-regulate after particularly rough appointments. 

“Okay, sweetheart,” Steve replied. He raised her chin up to place a kiss on her lips. “We’ll wake you in a half hour, alright?”

Eve leaned against Steve’s chest with a sleepy nod, half-attempting a hug. Then she peeled herself off of Bucky and took slow, heavy steps down the hallway. Her bedroom door clicked shut a few seconds later. 

The air in the room thickened immediately. 

Steve turned back to Bucky, concern clear as day on his face. Bucky clocked it immediately, stepping closer with his brow furrowed. 

“What happened?”

“People came by,” Steve said, keeping his voice low and hushed as to not alert Eve. “Two plainclothes from the NYPD. Said they were working with Interpol.”

Bucky’s entire frame stiffened. “What?”

“They asked for Eve. Didn’t say what it was about, just that it was urgent. That she’s not in trouble, but they need to question her as a key witness to something.”

Under his breath, Bucky scoffed. “They show up here, saying that, and won’t give any details? What the hell kind of case involved Eve and Interpol?”

Steve crossed his arms and looked down the hallway again, making sure Eve was still out of earshot. “Now, if it was NCMEC, I’d understand. But Interpol? No idea.”

Bucky sat down heavily on the edge of the coffee table. “Her mom’s from Sokovia. Do you think it would have to do with what she did to her, or…?”

Steve gave a grim nod. “It crossed my mind.”

“She’s not going in alone.”

“She’s not going in at all.” Steve snapped with an iron-solid absolute. “Not until we know what they want. I’m not walking her into another trauma minefield just because two suits say it’s important.”

Looking down the hallway again, Bucky bit his lip as his eyes darkened with worry. “We’re finally getting her stable. She’s eating, sleeping, and laughing. Hell, we’ve even had sex. We pull a thread like this all of a sudden-”

Trying to ground his lover, Steve placed a hand on Bucky’s knee. “Then we don’t let them near her until we know everything.”

—-

The room was cold- not quite freezing, but it had the same sterile chill that came when entering a hospital. The walls were the same dull gray you’d find in any precinct around the country, and the harsh overhead lights started to give her a headache. 

She sat small and stiff between Steve and Bucky in an uncomfortable plastic chair. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the hem of her sleeves, tugging at the fabric as she softly gnawed on them. 

Across the table, two men sat in dark suits. Interpol, not NYPD, but the difference barely mattered to Eve. The older man, with a scar across his chin, laid a photo face-down on the table. 

“We appreciate you all coming in today,” he said, sliding the photo across the table toward Eve. “Evangeline, we’d like to show you some images and ask if you recognize anyone.”

Eve didn’t move. Didn’t even make eye contact or blink. 

The man flipped the photo over. It was a blurry candid group shot of about ten or twelve men around a bar. Some of them were laughing, and some were turned away. But two men stared directly at the camera, and those were the ones who made Eve freeze up. 

All of the blood drained from her face. Her breath caught in her throat. 

Bucky saw it first- the way she froze. Steve’s eyes flickered to her side profile, catching the quiet shift in her posture. The way she curled slightly inward, the way her eyes zoned out. 

“Evie?” Steve asked gently. “It’s okay. You don’t have to-”

The younger suit leaned forward. “Do you recognize anyone in this photo?”

“I-” Her voice cracked. She barely managed to shake her head as her gaze moved toward her lap. “No. I don’t know.”

The older agent slid another paper out of the folder in front of him, laying it down like a playing card. This one was different; a location this time. A dim hallway, a snapshot clearly cropped from something larger. Eve’s eyes locked on the tacky floral wallpaper. Her stomach lurched. 

Another picture. A couch, a wooden cross on the wall. A stuffed animal in the corner. She shifted in her seat, eyes darting away from the images. 

“Do any of these locations look familiar?” The agent asked. “Take your time.”

Eve’s lips parted, dry and bitten. She made a soft, strangled sound and shook her head again. This time, no words could reach her mouth. 

Steve’s jaw flexed as he looked at the images. He leaned in toward Eve. “You don’t have to answer anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“Captain Rogers,” the younger officer cut in, “we’d like to ask you and Sergeant Barnes to step outside for a moment. This line of questioning is quite sensitive, and sometimes victims- I’m sorry, witnesses- are more comfortable speaking without family present.”

Steve’s face hardened at the word victims. “You said she wasn’t in trouble.” His voice was low and stern, not liking the turn this interview was taking. 

“She’s not,” the older man assured, raising a hand in a peace offering. “But we need her to focus; she’s clearly struggling.”

“I’m not leaving her here with you,” Bucky coldly spat, hand resting protectively over Eve’s on the table. 

But Eve, through her trembling, finally whispered. “It’s okay.” Her voice was hollow with surrender. 

Bucky looked at Steve- they both hated this. Every inch of their bodies wanted to refuse, but something in Eve’s eyes said she needed them to go. Needed to not have them see her shame, needed to not fall apart in front of them. 

So they stood. 

“We’ll be right outside,” Steve said as much to the agents as to Eve. “You need us; you say the word.”

Bucky hesitated, then bent down to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll be right behind that mirror.”

Then they stepped out of the room, the door clicking shut behind them. 

Behind the one-way glass, Steve and Bucky joined three officers already watching. One of them turned to murmur, “We didn’t know until this week. She showed up in some recovered footage from an international trafficking case we’ve been building for four years. These photos are stills from the CSAM.”

Steve’s blood ran cold. He said nothing, just crossed his forearms over his chest and watched. 

Eve’s eyes stayed focused on the surface of the table, even as the next photo slid in front of her. 

This one was closer. The corner of a bed. A man’s hand. The outline of a girl’s leg, bare and small. Cropped, but damning. 

“Evangeline,” the younger officer said slowly and with care, “we believe you’re one of the minors in these videos. We’ve confirmed the footage is from Michigan, and we believe it was filmed between the ages of six and nine. Can you tell us if you recognize this setting?”

Eve’s head jerked slightly like she’d been struck. Her throat felt like she was trying to speak, but no words would come out. Her hands, clenched tightly in her lap, began to tremble. She shook her head over and over again in panic. Like if she shook hard enough, the memories would fall out of her brain. 

“I don’t- I can’t- I don’t remember,” she whispered, each word smaller than the last. 

But the officers just kept going. 

Another image. A man’s face covered in a ski mask. Another hand. Another sock. A stuffed animal in the corner she hadn’t thought about in years. Her knees hitched up under the table as she turned violently away from the photos. 

“I said I don’t remember!” Eve choked out. Her voice was too high, too brittle, and too hysterical. 

Behind the glass, Steve’s knuckles slammed into the frame. “She’s having a fucking panic attack. What are they doing in there?”

“She’s a key witness in-”

“She’s a traumatized kid!” Bucky snapped. “Get them out of there!”

Back inside, Eve was breathing too fast. Her fingers clawed at her arms as her body twitched. She couldn’t decide if she needed to run or disappear. 

Another photo. This one had her in it, or at least she thought. It was blurred, but it had the same bedspread she once had as a child. That was her. 

“No, no- no!” Eve cried out, scooting her chair back so violently it toppled. She bolted to the corner like an animal, slamming into the wall and shrinking down. 

“Don’t touch me!” She screamed when one of the officers made a move toward her. 

She sobbed so hard her whole body heaved with it- full-bodied primal terror that reverberated in the tiny room. Her back hit the wall, and she curled up, knees to chest, hands over her head. 

Clearly already over the dramatics, one of the officers slammed a flat hand on the table as he stood up. “Evangeline,” his voice was ice cold, “if you don’t cooperate, we can charge you with production of child pornography. I highly recommend you cooperate-”

Steve and Bucky were already through the door before anyone could stop them. 

“Enough!” Steve barked, shouldering past the startled officers and immediately crouching in front of Eve. 

“Evie, hey- hey, babygirl, we’re here,” Bucky said quickly, dropping down beside her. “You’re safe. It’s just us now, okay? It’s over.”

She didn’t respond, only sobbed harder as her nails dug into her scalp. She rocked as she desperately gasped for air between sobs. 

“Eve, listen to me.” Steve reached out gently for her wrists, carefully peeling her hands away from her face. “You’re safe. Nobody’s gonna hurt you. Look at me.”

“Don’t let them-” she hiccuped. “Don’t let them put me back- don’t let them- don’t let them-”

“No one is putting you anywhere,” Bucky promised as he cradled her against his chest. “You’re coming home with us. That’s it. We’ve got you. You did so well.”

Her fingers latched onto his coat like a lifeline as she sobbed into his chest. 

The officers stood awkwardly behind the table, unsure if they should apologize or just disappear. One mumbled something about protocol, but Steve shot him a death glare that made him shut up instantly. 

“Get your files,” Steve said coldly. “You don’t get her again. If you want answers, they come through us.”

Bucky didn’t wait- he stood with Eve wrapped around him, her face buried in his neck as her legs shook. Steve went to grab her coat, but the sight of the images on the table made him pause. After taking a beat to look closely at them, he grabbed one and ripped it in half, maintaining eye contact with the officers the entire time. 

He grabbed the coat off the chair and followed his soulmates out of the room, the door slamming behind him. 

—

Wipers dragged slow streaks across the windshield as fat snowflakes drifted through the gray New York sky. Traffic lights blurred against the storm as Steve guided the car through midtown. His eyes kept flickering to the rearview window. 

Eve sat curled in the backseat, still in Bucky’s jacket, her own bundled on her lap like a security blanket. Her forehead leaned against the cool window, eyes unfocused, fingers picking at her chapped lips. She hadn’t spoken since they left the precinct, not even to complain about being cold. 

Bucky, in the passenger seat, shifted sideways, twisting as far around as his seatbelt would allow. He watched Eve with a deep, aching helplessness. When he rested a hand on top of her knee, she didn’t respond verbally or physically. 

“Evie, baby?” He tried softly. His thumb stroked the fabric covering her leg. “You still with us?”

No answer- not even a flinch or a blink. Only that deep, unfocused stare out of the window, like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. 

Steve’s jaw tightened as he signaled to switch lanes. “She’s in shock,” he said quietly, mostly to himself. “They pushed her too hard.”

Bucky exhaled with a nod, his eyes never leaving Eve. “I told them not to leave us out. She wasn’t ready. Not even close.”

“And that threat?” Steve’s voice came out as a hushed whisper, meant only for Bucky. “She’ll never be with that kind of attitude.”

The light changed. The car moved, unlike Eve. Her fingers dug into the fabric of her bunched-up coat while her other hand struck blood on her lip. She looked as if she were holding onto both for dear life. 

“Evie,” Steve tried this time, speaking to her lightly like a skittish bird. “We’re going home now, okay? You’re safe. We’re gonna get you into some warm clothes and your blanket, maybe make that sleepy tea you like…”

No response still. But this time, her shoulders slightly trembled. 

Then the sobs came. They were small and stifled, like she tried to swallow them before they escaped. Bucky unbuckled her seatbelt and immediately turned all the way around. He reached over the center console to her, road safety be damned. 

“It’s okay to cry, doll,” he murmured. “You don’t gotta hold it in anymore.”

Her hand shot out to grasp his wrist, hard and desperate and in need of something. She couldn’t speak still, but she finally moved. Crawled quickly toward the front seat, awkward and shaking as she collapsed into Bucky’s lap. Her forehead pressed against her chest as Bucky wrapped his arms around her. 

The sobs died down, leaving just the trembling and shallow breaths. They came in small bursts, like she was fighting off the urge to scream. 

“I’m so sorry,” Bucky whispered in her hair, rocking them gently. “I’m so sorry they made you go through that. You didn’t deserve any of it. None of it.”

Steve’s throat tightened, his hands gripping the wheel hard enough for it to creak. “We’re gonna fix this,” he said. “Whatever it takes. You never have to talk to them again, Evie. You won’t. We’ll handle it from now on.”

A soft, hiccuping sound came from her chest. Bucky kept rocking her through it all, murmuring whatever soft, sweet nothings came to mind. Steve kept driving, occasionally reaching a hand across to brush her hair away from her damp cheek. 

—

Eve kept her distance the next few days. A little ghost would leave her bedroom around noon and fill her water bottle up. Maybe, if she felt okay enough, she would sit with Bucky for a moment as he’d clean his gun. She would sit silently at a safe distance, knees pressed to her chest as she watched him. 

Bucky would never pressure her to be social, of course. He’d just talk to fill the silence, narrating what he was doing, letting Eve know what his plans were for the rest of the day. Once she would get that anxious look in her eye again- eyes darting around the room, rocking herself in the chair, gnawing at her lip- Bucky would let the silence fill their space yet again. 

She’d wander back to her bedroom- never their shared one. If she needed her space, they were more than willing to give it to her. 

When Steve would get home, she wouldn’t run to meet him at the door like usual. On a good day, she’d be lying on the couch watching TV when he’d walk through the door. She would look up at him with distant, disinterested eyes and then shamefully put her gaze to the floor. 

On bad days, Steve would come home to the sound of crying behind locked doors. Eve would sob alone in her bed, yelling at them to go away if they knocked. Of course, they would do as she wanted, not wanting to make the situation worse. 

Bucky had an idea of what she was going through. The shame of having those you love now knowing the intimate details of what you’ve done, now face-to-face with the result of years and years of trauma. Eve never talked about the abuse beyond small, at arms’ length comments. Steve and Bucky both understood why now. 

Now, the apartment was quiet. Eve’s door was left open a crack as she slept peacefully for the first time in nearly three days. When they passed, they could hear her soft snores and slow, deep breathing- a huge progression from the previous hiccuping, shallow ones. 

Steve sat on the couch, one hand holding a beer he wasn’t exactly keen on drinking. Not like alcohol had any affect on him. Bucky stood leaning back against the kitchen island, watching the snowfall outside. He was more or less watching Steve as he fiddled with the glass bottle. 

“She finally passed out,” he said softly. He was aware Bucky already knew that, but felt like it needed to be spoken into the world. 

Bucky hummed. “I don’t even think she knew she needed it.”

They sat in the hush of the night under the light of the lamp. What should’ve been peaceful felt far from it. 

Steve broke the silence again. “I thought we were past this part.”

His soulmate didn’t answer right away. His jaw flexed once before moving to sit beside Steve, exhaling slowly as he leaned his head against Steve’s shoulder. 

“Me too,” he admitted. “I thought we were on solid ground.”

A slow, bitter laugh left Steve’s mouth. “Shows what we know, huh?”

Bucky lifted his head to look into Steve’s blue eyes. “This isn’t a step backwards. Not really.”

“She’s spiraling,” Steve’s voice was tight. “She’s crying one second and then dissociating the next. You don’t call that backwards?”

“I call that someone who just got dragged face-first through her worst trauma by people who didn’t even have the decency to ask if she was ready.” Bucky took Steve’s beer in hand and took a drink. “Trust me, I know.”

Closing his eyes, Steve leaned back into the couch. “They treated her like a piece of evidence instead of a person.”

“She was evidence to them.” Bucky’s fists clenched on his thighs. “A name on a file. A frozen frame in some sick bastard’s video. They don’t care that she has nightmares or needs to be rocked to sleep like a baby some nights. They just wanted names.”

The sound of sock-clad feet on the floor made them look to the hallway. Eve emerged wrapped in her fuzzy pink blanket, eyes puffy from a mix of crying and sleep. She stood at the threshold of the hallway, watching them with sad eyes. 

“Can you not talk about it?” She asked, voice quiet and shy, as if she were weary of asking. “I don’t like thinking about it”

Steve was already rising to his feet the moment he heard her voice. He was slow and cautious as if approaching something delicate- partially because he was. 

“Of course, sweetheart,” he said gently. “We won’t talk about it anymore.”

Bucky immediately echoed, “It’s done. We’re done.”

Eve gave a small nod and tightened the blanket around her shoulders like a cocoon. Her fingers curled near her mouth in a self-soothing gesture, gaze fixed somewhere near Steve’s slippers, unable to meet either of their eyes. 

“Do you want to come sit with us?” Bucky offered softly, already shifting to make space on the couch between him and Steve. He didn’t pat the cushion or reach out to her like usual. Just left the option open if she needed it. 

She hovered in place for a moment before finally stepping forward. Her blanket trailed behind her like a shy child’s comfort item. She didn’t sit right away, only came close enough for Steve to gently take her hand. 

His voice dropped into that warm, honey-like tone Eve always responded well to. “You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to do anything.”

Tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she nodded. She looked so small like that, her blanket hanging unevenly off one shoulder and her lips pinched into a straight line. 

“I didn’t wanna be alone,” she mumbled, her voice cracking with unshed tears. 

“You aren’t,” Bucky immediately reminded her. “You’ve got us. Always.”

With that, she finally climbed onto the couch between them. Steve helped tuck the blanket around her while Bucky wrapped an arm around her back. Eve leaned into him and let herself be small. Curled in between them like a wounded thing, she slowly settled into the safety of their warmth.

[allthingsfangirl101]

Underneath The Tree – Joe Keery

The only thing worse than being alone for Christmas was being alone and sick for Christmas. I pulled the blanket up closer to my chin as Jimmy Fallon introduced his next guest, Joe Keery.

Joe and I have known each other for several years. We met when he was filming Free Guy. I worked in the Starbucks cafe Amazon had on set. It started with Joe stopping by every couple of days. He then started stopping by every morning. This turned into him coming in every morning and before he left every day.

After months of him stopping by, he finally asked me on a date. We dated on the DL because we weren't sure how his director would react to us dating. We've been official ever since Free Guy came out. Six months ago, Joe and I decided to move in together. We thought it would help our relationship since Joe's always gone for work.

I smiled, ignoring the fever as I watched Jimmy interview my man. He was a natural. He answered Jimmy's questions while being respectful and funny. He was perfect. It's no wonder girls all over the world were in love with my boyfriend.

"So, tell me how things are going with Y/N," Jimmy said, shifting the conversation to Joe's personal life. "Still going strong?"

"Of course," Joe chuckled.

Behind his professional actor smile, I could see a slight blush building. He never minded talking about his job, but he was hesitant to talk about me and our relationship. He didn't want to accidentally share too much. The last thing he wanted was to share information about us that made me uncomfortable.

"Come on, Joe," Jimmy teased. "Give us some details. You two have been dating for, what? Two years?"

"About a year and a half," Joe corrected politely.

"And?" Jimmy elongated.

"And things are going great," Joe chuckled. "Y/N is amazing and she makes me incredibly happy."

"That's wonderful," Jimmy cooed. "You two live together, right?"

"Yep," he said shifting in his seat. This conversation tended to make him a little uncomfortable. Some people thought moving in after one year was too soon. We received some backlash when it leaked. Ever since then, Joe's hated interviewers talking about our living situation.

"Once we got to the one-year mark, we decided to move in together," he continued. He quickly added, "I'm gone a lot for work and we would sometimes go weeks without seeing each other. We figured that moving in together would allow us to see each other more."

"Has it?"

"It has," Joe said, relaxing. "I get to see her every day I'm home. She's the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to bed. It's perfect."

"Well," Jimmy chuckled, "it sounds like the two of you are really in love."

"We are," Joe said. My breath got caught in my throat when he looked at the camera and smiled.

I don't know who the musical guest was. I fell asleep after Joe finished his interview. I woke up about an hour later to my phone ringing. Without getting up, I grabbed it off the coffee table and answered it.

"Merry Christmas Eve Eve, Joe."

"Crap," Joe said into the phone.

"Hello to you too," I chuckled as I slowly sat up.

"I didn't mean to wake you up, baby," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I said as I slowly sat up. The movement of me sitting up sent me into a coughing attack. I pulled the phone away from my ear and tried to cover it. When I finally calmed down, I put the phone back to my ear.

"Are you okay, Y/N?" Joe asked.

"I'm fine," I brushed off.

"I'm so sorry," he sighed.

"What for, baby?"

"For not being there," he sighed again.

"Joe," I tried to interrupt him.

"I should be there," he continued. "I should be there to take care of you. To make you soup. To draw you a hot bath. To get you water when you go into one of your coughing attacks. To hold you as you fall asleep. To take care of you."

"You had to go to New York," I said, making sure to sound as strong as I could. "You had an interview. It was a plus side that you're family is spending Christmas in New York. Besides, you'll be home after the holidays."

"I know, but. . ."

"Please, don't do this, Joe," I sighed, a small cough getting caught in my throat.

"But. . ."

"No," I said firmer. "Joe, you know how much I love you. You haven't seen your family since before we moved in together. They were taking that trip to New York at the same time as your interview. It was perfect. You got the interview done and now you're spending Christmas with your family. And don't forget that we talked about this."

"That was before you got sick," he whispered.

"I'll be fine," I said slowly, mainly because it hurt to breathe, but also to make sure he heard me. "I'll spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day watching classic Christmas movies. You know my tradition of watching White Christmas on Christmas Eve. I can't skip that just because I'm sick."

"I wish you weren't doing that alone," he said, slightly speaking up.

"Well, it's not your fault my dad spends the holidays with his real family," I shrugged.

"Does your dad even know you're sick?" He asked.

"I called him," I sighed. "His wife sent me a care package."

"That was nice of her."

"Yeah," I scoffed. "The only reason she sent it was because she's 'trying' to show I'm a part of their family."

"At least she's trying," he offered.

"It would mean more if it was coming from him," I whispered.

"I know," Joe sighed. "I'm sorry, baby. I should've brought you with me to New York."

"Then your poor family would be stuck taking care of me," I chuckled.

"And they would happily do it," he said instantly. "Even my mom would rather have you here with us instead of alone."

I tried to avoid it, but sighing sent me into another coughing attack. Through my coughing, I could barely hear Joe sighing. For a second, it sounded like he was talking to someone.

"Baby?" He said, his voice coming out clearer. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," my voice horse from coughing.

"Get some water. Do you have some water?" He asked quickly.

"I do," I said, my voice slowly returning. I grabbed the water bottle I had next to me and took a large drink. I stopped drinking when I heard Joe talking to someone, maybe his mother.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," Joe said, sounding a little strange. "My mom just asked how you were feeling."

"Oh," I said softly. I cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the sudden guilt. "How's your family?"

"They're good," he said, still sounding strange. "They miss you. I miss you."

"I miss you too, baby." I paused before adding, "You'll be back before New Year's, right?"

"Yes," he said quickly. "My flight is on the 30th."

"Perfect," I said, no longer able to hide how tired I was.

"You should get some sleep," Joe said softly. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"Y/N?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Joe."

* * * * *

After my call with Joe last night, I fell asleep on the couch instead of our bed. I half-woke up when I felt someone gently move some hair out of my face. My eyes started to open but fully shot open when I saw who it was.

"Joe!" I gasped. I would've jumped into his arms if the excitement hadn't sent me into a coughing attack.

"Hello to you, too," he teased. He chuckled when I pouted. "What's with the face, Pout-pout Fish?"

"I want to kiss you," I said sadly. "But I'm sick."

"How about we do something else?"

"Joe," I sighed, laying back into the couch. "If we can't kiss, we definitely can't do that."

"I wasn't talking about that," Joe laughed. "And we don't have to kiss to do it."

"That may be true," I smiled, "but I'm still too weak."

"That's a different issue. One that can't be fixed or avoided," he chuckled. "Anyway, I meant this."

I smiled as Joe carefully crawled over me until he was lying behind me. I closed my eyes as I focused on the feeling of being wrapped in his arms. He reached over and grabbed the remote.

"What are you doing?" I mumbled.

"Putting on White Christmas," he said as he put the remote on the nearest side table. "Duh."

Joe wrapped his arm around my waist and I instantly draped my arm over his. Joe kissed my temple before relaxing behind me.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too, baby. Merry Christmas, Y/N."

"Merry Christmas, Joe."

[esmedelacroix]

2 days til' Christmas

going on a strange date with husband!miguel o'hara⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆

3 days til' christmas ← previous part

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Keeping your pregnancy from Miguel to surprise him on Christmas day was no easy feat so you really hoped he appreciated all the effort you put into lying to him.

The two of you went to the gym together that morning after spending two whole days lazing around. Afterward, the two of you visited your parents since you would be celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas alone together because there would be a huge snowstorm.

While Miguel and your father along with your sister's wife probably talking about stocks and politics in his study over scotch, your mother, sister Angelica, and you watched Christmas Hallmark movies while wrapping gifts and filling stockings. "Ladies, I have an announcement," you started as you put a trinket in your father's stocking.

"What is it?" Angelica asked.

"Please don't tell me you're staying over for Christmas, you know what happened last time," your mom said, referencing last Christmas when you and Miguel attempted to make dinner and almost burned down half of the kitchen.

"No, I promise that won't happen again," you sighed, rolling your eyes.

"You and Miguel are still banned from my kitchen," your mom said firmly as she put extra candy into your stocking.

Her comment was met with giggles and a teasing nudge from Angelica. "Tell us your good news sis," Angelica said as her giggles died down.

"I'm pregnant," you squealed.

In response, your mom and sister squealed as well and fangirled over the fact. "No way!" Angelica said, taking your hand.

"Oh my god, how far along are you?" your mom asked, taking your other hand.

"I'm two months pregnant, I just found out like 5 days ago," you said.

Your mom and sister squealed again and paused the movie to turn their full attention toward asking you a million questions about your pregnancy.

"Have you started the nursery?"

"Are you planning the Baby Shower?"

"When will you know the gender?"

"Do they know they're going to have the best aunts ever?"

"Do they know they're going to have the best grandparents ever?"

Then the golden question was asked by your sister, "Wait, does Miguel know?"

You shook your head 'no' with the stupidest smile on your face. "I'm waiting until Christmas to tell him, it'll be a surprise," you explained, already imagining his reaction in your head.

"That's so cute, he'll be ecstatic!" Angelica exclaimed.

"I was wondering why he didn't walk in here and just start talking our ears off about how excited he was to be a father," your mother chuckled as she put on her reading glasses and already started scrolling through Amazon for strollers.

"Mom, there's no need to do that please!" you laughed. You were far too late because when you looked at your sister her laptop was propped open and she was designing invitations and looking at party favors for your baby shower.

"Don't worry hon' we got this," your mother said as she sent you like 20 cribs to look at.

After the three of you got done with wrapping gifts and filling up stockings, you made some fried Oreos and got some help planning your baby shower and gender reveal party. Your mom had bought some Christmas gifts for your baby which were the cutest things ever as well.

After you had lunch with your family you said your goodbyes and put the gifts they had gotten for the two of you into your trunk. Your mom shot you a wink as you waved goodbye and the two of you got ready for the date Miguel had planned.

He took you to the place where the two of you had your first date, and where you first met. It would’ve been so cute if you weren't pregnant. The place that you had met was a sushi bar. Of course, it wasn't going to be easy to hide your pregnancy from Miguel but come on. He was practically parading the one food you loved most right in your face not knowing you couldn't eat it.

"Aw I love this place thank you, Miguel," you said leaning your head on his shoulder.

He heard the slight strain in your voice and wondered what was wrong. Once your waiter came to your table he shook it off. Miguel didn't know much about sushi so he probably wouldn't know it if you ordered something that had no raw fish in it. You usually just ordered and he would eat whatever you ate. "We'll have a shrimp tempura roll, a California roll, and an Angry Dragon Roll," you said, giving back the menu.

"That's different, it's not your usual favorite," Miguel said when the waiter went to get your order to the chef.

"I just wanted to try out something new," you responded.

"Okay," he said, again having full trust in your answer. That sad feeling pulled at your heart when you lied to him seeing how much he trusted you and almost never doubted you.

Your food arrived and it did a good job of keeping guilt off of your mind until Miguel ordered soju. Soju is alcohol. I can't have alcohol. You thought to yourself. "Um, Miguel I'm thinking no on the soju today," said suddenly, your waiter sensed the tension and gave you two a moment.

"That's fine, but please tell me what's up?" Miguel asked, almost begging. Of course, he realized that you were keeping something from him a while ago but, he always gives you space and time to process your emotions and situation before you talk to him about it.

"My stomach has been bothering me all day(not a lie), and it feels like my head is spinning all the time(also not a lie), I just haven’t been well," you explained.

"Do you want to go home? I'll take you to a hospital tomorrow if the snowstorm doesn't start early. I'm worried about you," he said as he moved his hand from your shoulders to cup your cheeks.

You leaned your forehead against his. Hoping maybe this would make him read your thoughts and know that you are okay. "Miguel, I'm okay, I am," you assured taking his hand and putting it on your chest.

"I just want you to be great, to be happy, not just okay," he said. You almost chuckled at his words, you were much more than happy, you were elated.

"Babe, I have never ever been happier," you said almost giggling.

It was only then Miguel knew with his eyes prying into yours, that you were telling him the absolute truth. For the first time in days. "Let's get out of here," he said, taking your hand.

The two of you walked through the stands and attractions on the streets going home afterward. The two of you were spent after your shower. You went immediately to bed and cuddled each other. "How are you feeling?" you hear Miguel's low lazy voice mumble.

You hummed yes in response on the edge of sleep as Miguel massaged your scalp. "You know, I love you. I can't wait to spend another Christmas with you but, can you promise me something?" he asked.

"Yes of course," you murmured into his chest.

"Please promise me that what's going on isn't a bad medical thing, like cancer or something," he said nervously awaiting your answer.

"It's nothing like that," you responded, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Miguel planted a thankful kiss on your temple lulling you to sleep with the sound of his heartbeat in your ears.

. . .

next part → 1 day til' Christmas

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