#Also Soviet is blushing

[ikarus-angel]

Draw a Countryhuman !

Disclaimer:

Reich is not my favorite in an affectionate way - I do not support or condone any of his actions - or any lf the historical events that led to his creation. I am part of this community because I am interested in history - not in the characters from an uninformed standpoint. This makes him very fascinating - and a great story component.

[stirringwinds]

do you like rochu?

sorry anon, but it's personally in the notp corner for me. presently, i find his relationships with other asians like kiku, yong-soo, taiwan, india/aditya, vietnam/lien, hk, singapore etc—or rome, alfred and arthur more interesting to explore. as a chinese person, i'm a little burned out on ro//chu mainly because when i first joined the fandom there were a lot of orientalist depictions reducing yao to this delicate, blushing and sexually-inexperienced character next to ivan. another issue i had generally was the tendency to simplify or completely sever yao's far more deep and important relationships with people like yong-soo, kiku and india to prioritise whiteness, rather than like, inserting russia-china into that context of intra-asian histories.

i think the fandom has improved somewhat in this regard in that I do see more realistic Yao depictions, and i definitely wouldn't generalise all shippers, but that's the reason i couldn't quite 'get' into this ship. also because the perspective i take is the fact that china and the soviet union were competing for leadership of the communist bloc, so yeah, ro//chu as romantic communists for me is kind of...overblown and if anything my take on it is a fairly calculating and at times antagonistic relationship that can be interesting to dig into, but isn't very sentimental. no offense if you ship it; i will be honest that my blog just wouldn't be the right place for that.

[i-am-the-doctor]

This is Maxim Ivanov!

He/They/It

Pansexual 💗💛💙

Cis Male

Russian 🇷🇺

Maxim is a demon, Former Soviet soldier and a Gopnik from the former Soviet Union (now Russia), and he lives in a tank that he modified into both a usable tank and a home, and usually lives in highly irridiated places, like Chernobyl, three mile island, fukushima, and other places! He listens to hardbass on the daily and does the S L A V  S Q U A T a lot. His favorite “foods” are radium rods, cheese, sunflower seeds, and potato chips. He has blue blood, so he blushes blue. He is also HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE, but he can control his body’s radiation, so its fine. He was made out of radioactive materials by his mother- so he’s kinda like a golem in a way.

He is the son of Avidita, the leader of the greed ring, and is next in line to inherit it- but he doesn't really want to.

[blackknight95857669]

Atomic Heart review

I recently acquired an Xbox Series X off eBay (new but with shipping damage to the housing, fully functional, $450 after taxes, wee) so naturally the first thing I did was download 600GB (oops, Comcast gonna scold me) of Game Pass games to it, including Atomic Heart which I decided to play first.

So to start off, as a first effort from a studio AH is fairly well put together. Didn't experience any crashes, game breaking bugs etc. The world is certainly well realized and quite pretty, despite the large numbers of dead Soviets laying around everywhere. Sound design is better than average for the most part, though I did notice that it was hard to exactly pinpoint enemies by sound, their SFX didn't seem to be 3D optimized.

While it looks pretty and for the most part controls well (more on that shortly), once you start playing it rapidly becomes apparent that this game was written by/for tween-teen edgelords. There so much unnecessary swearing and over-sexualized content shoved into this game it would almost make Duke Nukem blush. For ex: the upgrade kiosk being an eager to please, begging to be dominated Sub was certainly a choice. I will give them credit for having P-3 be repulsed by it, Duke Nukem probably would have fucked it. The story is also so cookie cutter obvious and ripped from BioShock I expected my glove to keep asking me "would you kindly" (it actually did say this at one point, lol). I did like most of of the "side" story text/audiologs/NPCs etc, it almost felt like a different team was writing that stuff, heh. **END GAME SPOILER-ISH ALERT** I will say it was a novel idea to give me a binary choice near the end that boiled down to "go get revenge on the real big bad" or " if you've had enough of this game, just quit". I actually picked the quit just to see what it did. Very anticlimactic possible sequel teasing 1 min end cinematic.

About those controls.. while the shooting is good, on par with most of the games in this genre, the melee combat left a lot to be desired for me. No target lock makes old man gamer get cranky. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal as they aren't shy about funneling you plenty of ammo, but there's mini-bosses that you can't harm with anything but melee/elemental damage. Even with some tweaks to the controls I had a hard time keeping up with fast dodging enemies, so I ended up dropping the difficulty from the standard the game starts with to "story mode" just so I could get through it. I liked the rest of the gameplay, especially the crafting loop, enough to keep playing through to the credits.

Overall, I'd say this game is worth a look if you have an itch to play another BioShock and you have Game Pass. I'd wait for at least a 50% off sale anywhere else, and if you haven't played it by the time it's 75% off it's a no brainer.

[axvoter]

Blatantly Partisan Party Review IX (NSW 2023): Group K (Oscar Grenfell / Socialist Equality Party)

Prior reviews of the Socialist Equality Party: federal 2013, federal 2016, federal 2019, federal 2022

What I said before: “Simply put, the SEP are the cranks of the Australian socialist space. That’s saying a lot given some of the weird units out there too. The SEP are still ranting that all other left-wing parties and trade unions, including other socialist parties, are on the ‘pseudo-left’. It’s tedious and childish. Just because you have minor ideological disagreements does not mean everyone else is some stooge of global capital.” (federal 2022)

What I think this year: The SEP failed to retain federal registration when parliament raised the membership threshold from 500 to 1,500 members, leading to a comical sequence of events detailed in my federal 2022 review. They did, nonetheless, run grouped independents at the federal election: in NSW, these were Max Boddy and Oscar Grenfell. Both of them are back for the NSW state election. Boddy is standing as an SEP-endorsed independent in the seat of Bankstown, while Grenfell leads a two-candidate SEP-endorsed ticket in the upper house. You need 15 candidates in a group to get a square above the line, so obviously this SEP tilt at office (like all their tilts at office) is a non-starter. They are whinging that they don’t get the SEP name on the ballot because of NSW’s “anti-democratic electoral laws”, when if they simply had 13 more friends they’d get an unlabelled square above the line and if they could sign up 750 members they would be able to get their name on the ballot. If they truly were a party of the workers, 750 would be no problem.

Anyway, the SEP is the most disagreeable wing of socialism in Australia. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know I think they are petty and narrowminded, habitually condemning everyone else for even the slightest disagreement. The hubris of their rhetoric is in inverse proportion to its persuasiveness. If you want a socialist option in NSW, go with the Socialist Alliance rather than this bilious not-a-party.

Also, predictably, the SEP’s rhetoric about the war in Ukraine is “look what you made me do” bullshit sympathising with Russia. Indeed, Grenfell claims in the above-linked article that this is a “US-NATO war against Russia”, which is so comical even the most craven Putin apologist would surely blush. It seems strange to me to need to reiterate to some on the left that sovereign states can freely choose their memberships of international organisations, and these choices do not justify military assaults, not even from Russia. But it seems some remain wedded to “the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and my enemy is always the US”, or to blindly supporting Russia as if the Soviet Union never collapsed. Yawn.

Recommendation: Give Group K (Oscar Grenfell / Socialist Equality Party) a weak or no preference.

Website: https://www.wsws.org/en/special/pages/sep/australia/home.html

[joyfulmagic]

@heldheart continued from [here] // Sophia Rogers & Illya Kuryakin

Illya had met Sophia years after the Snap, after he'd returned to Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union for nearly twenty years to help them rebuild rather than serve as an Avenger. To him, she was another adult born after him due to his immortality and decelerated aging. Hell, he'd thought about stopping aging around 33 and he looked in his late 20s, early 30s, so it worked for him. He'd known her father back during WWII and during some of the events following the 2012 attack on New York City, but was never close with Steve - in truth, he'd grown closer to Bucky Barnes.

Illya had feelings for Sophia very gradually, seeing her father's admirable traits in her, along with her mother's. He'd even trained with her, teaching her hand to hand combat that her mother hadn't and mental techniques to block out magical intrusion. Eventually, they'd kissed during sparring once she was closer to the age he was staying at.

He'd never looked at her before she hit twenty-five, not in the way he was starting to. Hell, he'd asked her out when she hit 26 on her birthday as he was daring. She'd said yes, and they'd been dating a little less than a year at this point. This was their first Valentine's Day together, and he'd decided to take her to a fair in one of the warmer states.

"I'm also very competitive," Illya reminded her with a cheeky smile, his fair cheeks showing a blush at Sophia's words of affection. He wasn't accustomed to praise or words of affection, yet he craved them.

The bear he'd won her at a supposedly rigged game was nearly her size, which entertained the giant super soldier. The kiss on his cheek made his smile more sincere, him dipping down to kiss Sophia's cheek chastely. He was courting her slowly, like the proper gentleman he'd been raised to be.

"I thought a bear was fitting with me being, well, Russian and giant,, so he'd remind you of me when I'm away," he chuckled sheepishly, then raised a brow at the fact she may have gotten him something as well.

[madstronaut]

Reading: Cold Embrace by @obsidiangravity

- first off shoutout to my fellow niktosimps and general rarepair/not-so-popular character lovers, we out here campin happily (gripping our thighs till we bleed) and patiently in rarepair hell

- let me start my saying this fic basically scratches the itch for me in my ideal slowburn romance story and IT IS NOT EVEN FINISHED YET??? HELLO? 911 I’D LIKE TO REPORT A FUCKIN MASTERPIECE???

- I like to believe there’s a little unhinged perv in all of us simping for standoffish highly trained spetsnaz masked stonecold killers who slowly warm up and show their tender soft gooey heart but OH MY GOD obsy’s version of nikto is so well-written i can savor a re-read like this personal comfortfic many, many times and still feel the same giddiness, tenderness, tension, and anticipation I did the first time I read it through

- accidental bump into each other is also a fave meet-cute scenario of mine ❤️

- absolutely savored the awkward tension of reader and nikto wordlessly cleaning up the spilled beef stroganoff, very kevins-famous-chilli-esque iykyk

- every moment of eye contact, nikto noticing reader’s lips, reader picking up on his emotions through his eyes, noticing his BARE FOREARMS, omg cover them up slut???, SHARING COFFEE, the unsexy PTSD choking incident and his THUMB TRACING HER COLLARBONES afterwards while checking on her, touching her neck and then basically spooning and INTERLOCKING FINGERS because hypothermia - has me pulsing and blushing redder than reading the most explicit rawdogging scene PLEASE THE LEVEL OF EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT I HAVE TO THESE TWO GETTING INTIMATE IN EVERY WAY EXCEPT FOR ACTUAL SEX IS REACHING ‘I NEED TO BE MEDICATED’ LEVELS

- I love the reader’s journey in gradually learning how to pick up the tells/emotions from nikto through their eyes, as someone who’s learned and is still learning to do same I feel very seen, no pun intended lol

- also generally speaking, I am so drawn to the sense of compassion and understanding the reader has for someone like nikto and how easily she gives both in respecting his space and going out of her way to make him feel comfortable and included - buying him the dinner she ruined immediately, leaving his mask on even if it cost her the sparring match, offering to eat in her room so he can eat at a reasonable time with her, taking note of his habits and working around them, her thinking of his absence when the whole group is sharing meals - it reminds me of the people in my life who’ve been so patient, considerate, persevering, and kind with me and reminds me to strive to do the same for the people around me. <3 anyway I love fanfic and it’s made me a better human (sorry did I say better? one sec I think I misspelled hornier)

- did not realize nikto is wearing a flight suit til I read this fic which sent me down a rabbit hole of researching and googling soviet flight suits for a good hour or two (also shoutout to For All Mankind, obsessed with that show)

- me, taking notes on how to flirt with/recognize being flirted with spetsnaz masked men: “spill…their food, check…save them from sniper, check…gaze longingly at their lips, check…give pointers on how to improve by unwittingly insulting them, check…run them through training courses relentlessly at 3am, check…lend them your personal gun, still warm from your touch, check…get crush alone, respond to questions with terse 1-2 word answers, check…”

- “"You're quiet, I like that." His tone has a slight cheery lilt to it. The corners of his eyes relax.” NIKTO YOU ABSOLUTE HORNDOG YOU THAT IS SOME SOME HARDCORE NIKTO FLIRTING©️ IF I SAY SO

- dmitry bale is canonically an excellent chef who loves spilling tea™️ while cooking, you cannot change my mind. also canon, he is my babygirl malewife

- i love multiple unresolved threads fleshing out a good plot and the ??? that is nikolai and nikto’s relationship or lack thereof keeps me up at night speculating sometimes lol

- please dmitry’s dimpled smile comment <3 i would commit tax evasion to see his face - i see a lot of speculation online about what he may look like as it’s canon that he’s fraternal twins (so not identical) with maxim/minotaur. Sidenote i know a pair of fraternal twin sisters and they just look like straight up one copy of the mom, and one copy of the dad to me lol

- it is my sincere belief nikto has rubbed one or two or three out recalling sparring with reader ❤️ (and esp. her choosing not to unmask him) ok but to put my horniness aside briefly - nikto and reader don’t converse much until a little later in the story but the way their body language and actions to each other speak VOLUMES is so loud, their crushing on each other is literally screeching in my ear mansplaining baseball to me like that one meme

picturing from Nikto’s POV, I can’t imagine the emotions that must course through him when he realizes reader, well within her rights to rip his mask off, not only chooses not to but is close enough to her to feel her physically relaxing under him so he can win? nikto is apparently also a budding part-time magician for hiding that boner which was 10000% there in my head

- please god i want to see rodion find out about The Hypothermia Incident and eventually gloat (and get his ass beat) and attempt to take credit for wingmanning for nikto to get with reader

- chess as flirting is honestly the most russian thing i can think of tbh. on that note if you’re a fan of this pairing I highly recommend the movie Man From U.N.C.L.E. starring henry cavill/armie “cannibal” hammer/alicia vikander, I used to be a huuuuuge ilya/gaby fan (love me some classic spetsnaz spy x working class mechanic girl/enemies to lovers/pretend engagement❤️)

- sleepy nikto with a skewed mask hastily thrown on has me both incredibly tender and horny for him at the same time, i cannot explain it it’s just science

- ahem as a bonafide current dmitry simp, also daydreaming of an AU where reader went on this undercover mission with him instead; fanfic is simply the gift that keeps on giving when a good story can sprout endless AUs of AUs of AUs 

- also yes nikolai my feminist queen, empowering reader to take lead on the mission? or did he just say that so she could shut up and go on the mission? he may not be as close to nikto anymore but what else does he know of him (and nitko’s budding relationship with reader) to be pairing them together? *conspiracy theorizing intensifies*

- the minute i read about how cold the apartment was my lizard brain screamed SHAREBODYHEAT SHAREBED SHARECLOTHES YES YES YES YES and would not shut up and the absolute disappointment I felt when first reading that there were two separate beds had me laughing my ass off at myself till i cried

- i can physically feel the hearts bubbling out of reader’s eyes seeing nikto in normal clothes, tis a beautiful thing to witness

- when i tell you my soul left my body, fully died and had to call up my dnd party to use up some costly diamonds to cast resurrection on me to return to life when i read nikto calling reader “darling” tO mAiNtAiN cOvEr while talking to the babushka and the cackle that left my lungs after she retaliated by HOLDING HIS HAND? WHO FUCKING NEEDS SMUT WHEN SHIT LIKE THIS IS WRITTEN

- nikto’s snark and the emotional pain he feels hearing reader attempt to speak russian is what gets me out of bed these days

- “You roll your eyes but stiffly walk beside him, you can’t remember the last time a man, or anyone, held you this close. Eventually, you relaxed into his warmth, your body leaning into his. It’s starting to get colder so you’re secretly grateful for the heat.

And if you are going to be honest with yourself, it makes you feel protected.” i smile like an idiot every time i read these lines. again, smut who? i can run for days without food or water with this kind of fluff

- i like to imagine there is a little angel and devil on nikto’s shoulders shaking hands/highfiving whenever reader does/says shit like “You’re the first to head to bed again, but not before asking if he would like to join you” and record the memory in their book of Things Nikto Jerks Off To

- same as above, but for reader when Nikto proclaims her clothing is “pathetic, remove it” and then he takes off his own sweater telling her to “use mine later”

- i inhaled a metaphorical tub of popcorn while also holding my breath when reader found/went through nikto’s pills lol the absolute fear i felt at her being found out!! 

- once again the ease with which reader & nikto slips into the domesticity of shopping for clothes together speaks volumes to me <3 and yes, tell me ur single without telling me ur single, men with very limited wardrobes 

- I would like to advocate for a cash bonus and stock options for the activision writer who pitched giving Sputnik the Hyena as a companion to Nikto 

- I have also gone in search of strawberry scent/shampoo IRL only to discover it’s not really a popular scent; i sniffed some The Body Shop shower gel at a local store near my office and it wasn’t as appealing as I hoped it would be :/ truly tho i love when writers work in smellsnbells and scents into their stories in some way (must be the ABO fan/candle girlie in me)

anyway in conclusion: NIKTO SUPREMACY

The Challenge: Comment on every fanfic you read and enjoy in the month of January.

Every chapter. Every one shot. Every drabble. Every ficlet. Whether it’s on a personal website, a blog, or an archive. Whether you’ve read it a hundred times before or you’re reading it for the first time. Whether the fic was posted years ago or minutes ago. Whether you sign your name or leave your thoughts anonymously. Whether your comment is paragraphs in length or a few short words. Comment on every fanfic you read and enjoy in the month of January.

The Philosophy: Comments are what keep a fandom thriving and growing.

We don’t see comments as a transaction. They’re not a price paid for reading a fic. We see comments as an interaction, a way of building relationships. Comments are a courtesy, not a currency. [x]

Fandom is a relationship between dozens,hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of fans, and the only way for the greater fandom relationship to function, is for those fans to interact. One way to interact is by writing and reading fanfic. A writer prompts an interaction by posting their work; it is up to the reader to then acknowledge (or not acknowledge).

As one of our favorite blogs, @ao3commentoftheday​, said: [x]

“Comment if you can, but don’t be bullied or pressured into it. A comment should be written in the same spirit as the fic itself: wanting to reach out to other people who love the same fandom as you do. It’s not easy to do that, I know, and I don’t hold it against you at all if you can’t.”

The Only Rule: Be kind.

Be kind to your fandoms’ writers.

Please note that this challenge is to “comment on every fanfic you read and enjoy in the month of January.” As our fandom forebears were fond of saying, “Don’t like, don’t read.” For FaFiCoWriMo, we have taken that one step further by saying, “Don’t like, don’t comment.”

No matter how well-intentioned, critique is useless unless it comes from a place of trust. Unless you know an author personally and they have specifically asked for your critique, please keep it to yourself.

It costs zero of your currency and zero of your time to not be a jerk.

Be kind to yourself.

If you do find yourself unable to comment on every fic (for whatever reason), remember this: we forgive you, zero judgement. [x]

[wndaswife]

hi there x

I'm a new anon, I will use the same emoji that I use in hopelesslygaymess's blog <3

First of all, your writing is amazing, and your drabbles earn a small blush every single time I reload my page

Second of all, when it comes to the topic of war, I too found World War 2 to be incredibly interesting. Some people's hyperfixations are shark species or astrology, and there are quite a lot of people who have hyperfixations on history and that mostly revolves around war. There's something about it and the psychology around it that truly is very intriguing to go down a rabbit hole to learn all about it

Anyways, I'm sure this is quite a boring anon to recieve, I apologize :)

Your writing is perfect, and I love the colours and aura you have around your blog, it's very pretty and I always look forward to new posts

- 🌀

thanks!!!! i love writing drabbles they’re the best to get some little creative ideas out :3

yeah i suppose that’s true, i actually read all of wind up bird’s war story part last night it was really interesting to learn more ab that history with japan and the soviets and mongolia, but i think it’s just usa history that really is just boring to me

idk i can’t really sympathize or take the american man and his journey in the world seriously i realized yesterday, i had fun reading gatsby i guess tho it was for school, but i can’t take it seriously

probably the closest i’d get to being interested in any theme of that is catcher in the rye, it’s my favourite book and probably annoyingly critical and naive about the american dream and men finding their place, always just calling those people phonies and stuff

i was very interested in wind up bird’s war story it’s just a crazy way to see the world and to know what happened, but i think to me the takeaway is cultural and historical and usa history and culture is so dull to me, it’s almost pretentious to read these men struggle so much in literature about war and their american dreams idk how she can stand it

but i totally see why war is an interesting topic in general, there’s a lot to take away from it

thank you 😃😃😃😃 i also really love the blog colours at the moment and this lizzie look in my pfp has to be one of my favs :3

[silverslipstream]

Happy STS!

Give me the latest gossip in your story! What’s the rumour mill talking about? Are there whispers behind your characters’ backs? Just how true are the rumours?

Happy Storyteller Satur-tuesday Sam, and thank you for the ask! I've not got much for this, but there's a few rumours, both personal and setting-wide, that exist in White Sky:

Kat is attracted to Harry: This one's starting to become a running gag amongst the crew of the Dowager Caroline; there's a constant suspicion the Kat and Harry are hooking up or dating on the sly, which is emphatically untrue. She stresses him out and she thinks he's too flippant and ignorant. For some reason, random people they vaguely know will always comment or assume they're a couple, which drives both of them even crazier.

Stan was a spy/has seen secret war atrocities: It's not something the crew would EVER bring up to Stan himself (who, depending on his mood, would either laugh in their face or mutter at them to fuck off), but they're starting to suspect he saw and did a lot more during his 'war days' than he let on. He wears a lot of military surplus gear, for one. While it's true that he's an accomplished engineer, he's also an expert on explosives, knows the minutiae of killing human beings and occasionally mumbles nightmarish, disconnected ramblings in his sleep. When questioned, he simply states he was 'deployed as a combat pilot' and 'needed a change' upon shifting to the debris hauling industry. Whatever the answers are, the crew aren't getting them from him.

Jack is hooking up with Kaz: At first glance, it seems like this one is just a prank/joke circulated by the crew to piss Jack off, and in most cases, you'd be right. However, Kaz is infamous for blushing and clamming-up whenever it's mentioned, and Harry swears he catches them throwing sneaky glances at each other now and then. Add that to that fact that both are single (Kaz due to his obsessive work ethic and working on Mars for most of his adult life, Jack due to her messy divorce from her wife back on Earth and long hours spent in deep space) and there may be more truth to this rumour that meets the eye...

This doesn't even count the speculation around Kat being forced on the run, which is included but not limited to:

assassinating a political figure (no)

dealing hardcore drugs (absolutely not)

inventing illegal weaponry of some kind (no)

having a sexual relationship with a professor (this one almost got Harry a bulkhead-related concussion)

The United States's 'diplomatic intervention' in Latin America is secretly a preparation for invasion: During the story, an alliance between the US and Mexico enters Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador to 'keep the peace' following civil unrest and warfare. Some characters believe it's a genuine offer of peacekeeping in the region, others think it's not those countries' place to interfere, and others think it's a ploy to take advantage of the fighting to declare war, overpower said countries and use their land and equatorial access for spaceports. The latter theory is initially mocked as a conspiracy theory, but as things deteriorate it looks more and more likely...

The former Soviet Union landed on the Moon first: Despite the fact that the US still landed on the Moon first in this timeline (14th July, 1969 vs June 25th, 1970), there's still a rumour and urban legend that Soviet cosmonauts landed on the Moon first, only to suffer an accident or become stranded, hence why their fate(s) were covered up by the USSR. Massive exploration of the Moon in the century since can't find any evidence of unregistered Soviet rockets, and Russia has maintained that the allegations were false ever since the former USSR collapsed in the early 2000s. Still, for a mere rumour, it's a pretty persistent one...

ELTO forces inequality on the lunar surface: This view is purported by Menzies, Cho and the other 'stateless' workers of the Lunar Independence Alliance, who claim their visas were deliberately revoked in order to force migrant workers to stay on the Moon and keep up the status quo. Judging by the way ELTO runs things on Luna, this is probably (and sadly) true.

The Konstantin Tsiolkovsky is a global money-laundering scheme: detractors of ELTO's Saturn mission point out that the Tsiolkovsky has been in development for nearly a decade without much to show for it. Rumour has it, it's an expensive ploy to drive up space investment while secretly bolstering the economies of ELTO member nations. Proven false when the Tsiolkovsky's engine is fired for the first time, and later on when it's "commandeered"

[buttercup-barf]

Running out of stuff in the scheduled posts- My laptop's screen and keyboard got fucky-wuckied, and I hope we can fix them by the end of the week, because otherwise random doodles is all I've got.

So now, time to present the other Wizard Of Oz-inspired OC's.

Here's Ian (he/him, masculine terminology), Shilo/Strizh (he/they, masculine and androgynous terminology) and Ronna (she/they, feminine terminology).

I believe I only mentioned Ronna so far, but now you can see The Rest Of Them, so there's that. More info will be under the cut, so that people browsing the Wizard Of Oz tag won't have to scroll for five hours. "X-)

As you can probably tell, Shilo, Ian, and Ronna are the Scarwcrow, Tin Man, and Lion stand-ins respectively. There's no Dorothy or Toto stand-ins, rather their traits are distributed among the three. Although calling them "stand-ins" is a little dishonest, as they only share some backstory and aesthetic elements with the Brain-Heart-Courage Trio from the books.

Their world is more inspired by slavic fairytales and Soviet cartoon depictions of them, the "human" species of their world is called "lud", and they all have grey features, it's not just a filter, shit's different. Also these three are explicitly a polycule, rather than just buddies. A triad specifically, as they all date each other. Yay!

The obligatory human "AU" has them all living in the actual human world, and their Tragic Backstories are tweaked a little, but the general gist of them as a trio is: Local twig smartass and his two beanpole partners that could bench-press an elephant get into wacky scenarios. And yeah, Strizh's little patch of fabric is vitiligo in his human form. Sue me.

Side note, in the "canon", Ronna's left eye is just. Gone. It's a hole. But in the human "AU" they got a glass one that is just pitch black to look cool. The scar over that one, as well as the one under her right eye, and some other ones all over her body are also black in "canon" and da human "AU" because of dark gor blood and sick tattoo wishes respectively.

And two still-alive Ians for comparison between lud and humans. Lud are just People but with grey skin, eyes, hair, etc. Their blood is a bright #ff0000 kind of red, but it's not like you can really see it, can you. If a lud were to blush, the blood rushing to their cheeks would just make them darker. There's also some wacky shit (by human standards) with their chromosomes and reproductive organs, but I'll cut it here.

Also. "Canonically" he got Tin Man'd, but in the human "AU" he ended up mauled in a far less "OH SHIT HE IS LITERALLY JUST A BLOODY PILE OF MEAT WE NEED A MIRACLE FOR HIM TO BE BROUGHT BACK" way, so he just needed some prosthetics. He's fine.

[earlgreydream]

professor barnes.

| professor!bucky barnes x reader | smut | fluff |

don’t mind me, I’m fantasizing about bucky being my hot professor ✨

cw: this is obviously a professor au, so there’s that (please don’t hook up with your profs irl) and also like, slight innocent kink? but not really, mild degradation (not meant)

You were tapping your pen against your lips.

You were deep in thought, hanging off of every word your professor spoke. You listened intently, taking in everything Professor Barnes had to say about World War II history.

History fascinated you, but not near as much as your sexy professor did. James Buchanan Barnes was nothing if not criminally gorgeous. It was distracting.

You really did try to focus on history, but it was so hard when you were watching his soft, full lips move. Occasionally, he would run his fingers through his dark hair, his muscles flexing under the white button downs he always wore.

“Miss Y/N!”

You were snapped out of your thoughts, your pen falling from your fingers and clattering against your desk. It seemed to echo as all of the other students looked at you. Silver eyes bore into you, and you swallowed thickly.

“Professor? I’m sorry, could you repeat the question?” You asked shyly. He looked at you for a moment before sighing.

“I asked who the leader of the Soviet Union was during World War II.”

“Joseph Stalin,” you answered, feeling sick to your stomach at his irritated tone.

“Thank you. Let’s try to pay attention for the rest of the lesson, yeah?”

Your face burned in shame, and a few of the girls smirked at his scolding.

“Yes, sir,” you nodded before he went back to his lecture.

You took notes and kept your head down the rest of the lecture, your penmanship a bit messy from your shaking hands. You closed your notebook and put it away as he ended the lecture, and students rushed out, eager to get to their lunch breaks.

You realized you were the last one left, and you stood, making your way through the empty desks.

“Y/N,” Professor Barnes said your name, and you stopped.

“I’m sorry-” both of you said at the same time, and you bit your lip, letting him continue.

“It wasn’t my intention to shame you.” He finished, and you looked into his silver eyes.

“I’m sorry that I got distracted. I’ll pay better attention next time... I usually do.”

“I know, you’re exceptionally intelligent, Y/N.”

You blushed at the praise, and he offered a small smile, putting you at ease. You thanked him before leaving, thoughts of him filling your mind the rest of the afternoon.

James couldn’t stop watching you. He was lecturing on the USSR, but part of his mind was on you. The way you listened to him, careful not to let yourself get called out again for being distracted. He noticed how you tapped your pen against your pink lips whenever you were in thought.

His mind wandered to your lips around him, though he caught himself and cleared his throat, letting a student speak about their research on Soviet Russia.

When you stood up, you smoothed our your miniskirt that drove him crazy. He imagined yanking it down your legs and bending you over his desk, teaching you to pay attention.

He was drawn back to reality by your sweet smile as you said goodbye as you headed out for the day. The image of your smile stuck in his head, and he couldn’t get you off his mind.

Professor Barnes was the subject of your dreams. You woke up in the middle of the night, after your subconscious had imagined him with his head between your legs, eating you out on top of your desk before class. Your cheeks heated furiously, and you took a cold shower, scrubbing your fantasies away.

You fidgeted in your seat, second guessing your choice of wearing a tight v-neck shirt. You felt silly. You had paired it with a short skirt, all in the hopes that your hot professor would notice you.

But why would he? You were just one of many students attempting to grab a few extra seconds of attention. You were running over your choice of outfit in your head as your professor passed papers back to all of the students.

He laid yours on your desk, and you noticed the lack of letter circled at the top. You were about to stop him when you realized there was a sticky note on the second page.

Please see me in my office after class. JBB

You looked up at him, but he didn’t glance at you as he handed other students their papers. You noticed nothing was marked on your paper, and you suddenly felt nervous.

Your heart was racing in your chest as you walked to his office, stopping by the bathroom to give yourself a pep talk in the mirror. You were sure it was fine, you would’ve gotten an email if you’d truly fucked up, alerting you ahead of time, you tried to convince yourself.

You knocked softly on the doorframe, leaning into his office. It was small and warm, filled with well-loved books and scattered notes of a chaotic mind. It smelled like coffee and books and leather, and everything about the small space seemed inviting.

“Y/N, come in.” Professor Barnes stood up, waving me inside. I stepped in anxiously, pushing the door shut behind me before taking a seat in the chair opposite his desk.

“I saw your note, in my paper. Is something wrong? There was no grade on it, and I’ve been worried...” you confessed, looking up into his silver gaze. He walked around and leaned against the desk in front of you, his hands gripping the edge.

“No, nothing is wrong. In fact, your paper is practically perfect. It’s incredibly written.” His words surprised you.

As he praised you, he looked down at your chest, shown off in your tight, low cut shirt. He wondered if you knew what you did to him, the effect you had. He acted as if he were deep in thought, covering up the fact he accidentally looked at your body a little too long.

“Thank you, sir. I don’t know what to say, I had no idea,” you spoke, and calling him sir made his cock twitch, and his breath catch in his throat.

“Of course. I wanted to talk to you to see if you were interested in publishing it in the school’s academic journal.”

“Oh? I mean, if that’s an option, then yes.”

“I can submit it for you, you’d just need to sign off saying that you grant permission for publication.” He explained to you, and you nodded, signing the form he placed in front of you.

You blushed, thinking about how he was directly in front of you, his body stretched out, muscles on display with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Your entire body grew hot with embarrassment when he caught you staring. 

“What’s on your mind, Y/N?” His voice was low and smooth, and you could’ve sworn he read your mind. 

“Nothing, I’m...” You stammered, unsure of what to say. 

“You’re what, fantasizing?”

Your eyes snapped up to him, and his confidence grew as he saw your thighs squeeze together, giving away your thoughts.

“Professor...” You must have misheard him, and he smirked at how flustered you were getting.

“Is that a yes?”

“I can’t stop thinking about you. Wearing these little outfits and teasing me.” 

He knew. 

James knew he won when he saw realization flood your face. 

“I wear them for you,” you admitted shyly, trying to ignore the throbbing ache between your legs as he gazed down at you.

“That’s what I thought, doll.” 

You bit your lip, looking down at your fingers.

“What do you imagine me doing to you, pretty girl? Do you think about me taking off these little skirts?” He asked you, trailing his fingers along the hem, brushing against your thigh. You inhaled sharply, your head spinning at the touch. You nodded, making him smile as he leaned over you. His lips brushed against your cheekbone, and you felt him smirk against your skin.

“Tell me what you dream about, doll,” he whispered, and by now you were practically shaking.

“Now you’re going to be shy?” James teased, amused by how easily he made you nervous.

He stood abruptly when a knock sounded on the door, and he leaned back on the desk. Your eyes were wide, and you sat frozen, in shock.

“I’m finishing up with a student!” He called through the door.

“I’ll see you soon, then?” He asked, and you nodded, your breath hitching as he gently touched your face. You stood, and he opened the door for the other student.

“I’m sorry, I was just hoping to talk about my grade?” A girl asked, in tears, and he looked like he wanted to harm her for interrupting.

“Yes, come in then.” His tone was impatient, and you lingered in the doorway. James said your name, holding eye contact with you for a moment before going back to work, and you walked down the hallway in a daze.

You couldn’t believe what had just happened. You felt like you were dreaming, your erotic fantasies coming true. You weren’t able to focus on your work, and you went home for the remainder of the day.

When it came time for his class again, you wore a short dress with little straps, wanting to show off as much as possible for him.

Your heart and mind raced as you entered his classroom, and you smiled innocently when his eyes fell on you. The silver darkened, and he watched you move to your seat, and you squirmed under the heavy gaze.

James watched as you uncrossed your legs, catching a flash of the lace beneath your dress. He sat down behind his desk, trying to collect himself and tear his focus off of you.

He was thankful that there was no lecture today, only a short quiz before he sent everybody home. You bit the top of your pen as you thought about the answers on the sheet below you, and Bucky studied your mouth. Your cheeks warmed, feeling the heat of his intense stare, adjusting slightly under the pressure.

Finally, you looked up at him, and leaned forward on your desk so more of your chest was visible. On purpose. He cleared his throat, making several students glance at him, and you had to make yourself bite back a smirk.

Everyone dropped their quizzes on his desk, leaving once they finished. You were the last one done, and you set yours on top of the pile.

“Would you like to finish our conversation from Monday in my office?” Professor Barnes asked you calmly, and you nodded.

He walked behind you, making you lead the way to his office. You knew he was staring at your ass, barely covered by the dress you wore, and you turned as you heard the office door close behind you.

You dropped your bag and hopped up to sit on top of his desk. He tossed his own bag aside and clicked the lock on his door, letting his eyes slowly move over your body.

“Y/N, what am I going to do to you? You wore this slutty little dress to distract me, didn’t you?” He teased, walking to stand in front of you.

“Yes, professor. Do you like it?” You looked up at him for approval, and his small laugh graced your ears.

His fingers went to the thin straps resting on top of your shoulders, grazing down over your breasts before tweaking your nipples through the thin fabric.

You squealed softly, feeling chills throughout your body as he lightly pinched you, toying with you through the dress.

“Are you sensitive, doll?” He asked, and you nodded, your cheeks rosy at your eagerness.

“I’ve been thinking about you, and not been able to do anything about it, and I’m all pent up.” You offered an explanation for your sensitivity, and his eyes nearly rolled back from the innocent way you spoke to him. He wanted to absolutely tear you up and ruin you, and make you fall apart at his touch.

“Let’s see if I can help then,” he slipped the straps off of your shoulders, the dress falling down around your waist.

At the sight of your bare chest in front of him, an audible noise of need left his throat. Your professor knelt down in front of you, wrapping his lips around your sensitive skin. Your chest rose and fell quickly with your heavy breathing, and his hand squeezed and fondled the side that wasn’t in his mouth.

“Please!” You were nearly desperate, feeling your arousal begin to drip down your thighs as you grew more and more needy.

“Tell me what you want, doll.”

“I need you to fuck me,” you didn’t care about the embarrassment anymore, and he smiled as he left heavy kisses down the column of your throat.

He couldn’t draw out the teasing anymore. He was painfully hard and the sight of you alone and your filthy words were driving him wild.

You had managed to undo the buttons of his shirt, revealing an incredibly toned chest, and he undid his belt, pulling it easily from the loops. He snapped it as he tossed it aside, and you jumped at the noise, making him smirk.

“Maybe we can try that another time,” he watched an anticipatory shudder ripple down your spine.

“Do I get an A for this?” You teased, undoing the button and zip on his pants, tugging them down along with his underwear.

“Very cute,” he smacked your thigh lightly in response, making you jerk at the touch.

He slipped the dress over your head, discarding it along with his own clothing, leaving you in just lace panties on his desk.

He traced his fingertips over the damp lace, making you squirm on the desktop. You rolled your hips forward, eager for stimulation. He hummed disapprovingly at the action, pulling his touch away.

His hands held your waist as he carefully laid you down on the cleared wooden desktop, and you looked up at the stunning man above you.

“Please don’t tease me anymore, professor. I want you to fuck my pussy, please,” you begged, and he removed the lace in one quick movement.

“Relax, doll, I’m going to take care of you,” James answered gently, kissing down your body.

He hands wrapped around your thighs and he pulled you so that you were at the edge of the desk, your feet on top of the surface so you were spread open for him.

He leaned down and connected your lips, consuming you in a deep kiss. You moaned into his mouth as his fingers lightly began to rub at your clit, making sure you were relaxed enough to take him in.

“I need you to be quiet beautiful, so all the students outside don’t hear those pretty screams for me.” He warned, kissing a line down your jaw.

“Yes, sir.”

“Fuck.”

You felt him brush his tip against your entrance before thrusting into you, and you struggled to adjust around him as he bottomed out. You held in a loud cry, arching your back, and pushing your chest up into his face as you did so.

Your breath hitched as he rocked into you, and he thrusted a bit faster, hitting all the deep places inside of you. He watched you struggle to ground yourself, your hands eventually holding his thick arms as he slammed into you repeatedly. You were smooth and tight around him, squeezing and contracting as he hit your g-spot.

“James, fuck,” the profanity tumbled from your pretty lips as his hips connected with yours. He wrapped a hand around your throat, keeping you down but not quite choking you.

The action caused you to spasm around him, and your hands wrapped around his wrist, keeping his hand around your neck.

“Do you like that? Do you like me holding you down by your throat? You dirty girl.”

“Yes,” you breathed softly under his grip, your thighs trembling weakly around his waist. You started to shake as waves of pleasure overwhelmed your body. 

“Are you close?” He knew the answer, but he enjoyed seeing you fight to try to form words through the fucked-out haze that had settled in your mind.

“Answer me doll, or I’m going to stop,” James threatened, and you nodded.

“Yes, I’m so close!” Your soft whine was like music to him, and he dropped his free hand between the two of you.

He kept up his thrusts while playing with your clit, trying to pull your orgasm from you. He could feel your muscles tighten and threaten to snap around him, and you just needed a little help letting go. You were begging him softly, your eyes bleary as you cried for release. James wanted to feel you come around him, and was more than happy to help, squeezing lightly around your throat and pinching your nerves, the combination causing the pressure to snap. Your vision sparkled with color, electricity shooting through every nerve ending in your body. You threw your head back from the pleasure, and a hard thrust into your g-spot sent you spiraling into euphoria.

You came around him with a silent scream, and he struggled not to follow suit, and fill up your warm pussy. He released you as he felt you ride out the end of your orgasm, and he pulled out, coming all over your torso in several white ribbons.

You watched him in a daze, and once he finished, he gave you another quick kiss. You sighed softly, exhaustion starting to set in. His gentle smile made warmth spread over your body, and for a moment you forgot that you were lying naked on top of his desk.

He cleaned himself before cleaning you up, being gentle with you.

“Y’alright?” James asked, smiling at your soft yawn. You nodded, pulling the lace back up your legs and reaching for your dress. He handed it to you once you sat up, and helped you fix it.

Your fingers slipped the buttons of his shirt back in their holes, despite the fact that your hands were still a bit shaky. You felt all worn out, feeling like you could sleep for days and ride the dreamy feeling that was left in your mind.

He couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at his lips as you held his arm when you stood up, trying to steady yourself. You looked up at him shyly, and he placed his hand on your lower back.

“For the next time.” Professor Barnes said, putting his number in your phone before giving you a kiss. 

[edengarden]

What do you think is the one thing someone could say to Nanami, Haru, Toji and Getou that would get them to immediately blush? ╰(*´︶`*)╯

Nanami

I'm gonna be real, i'm trying to think of something and,, i seriously can't.

you'd have to be creative as FUCK in your praise. it has to be something sweet, either the way you word it, or just the thing you praise him for, it has to be original, never heard of before. but not weird

maybe something about the way he looks so gorgeous when the sun hits him in the morning, or how hardworking he is, that he's someone you look up to; your own personal idol

saying he'd blush is a little far-fetched, but his heart definitely skips a beat. especially since it's coming from you

Haru

anything suggestive. he's a virgin after all

but also soft praises.

"you're such a pretty boy" and "you're my little angel, you know that?" they did a number on him the first time you used it

buddy hasn't gotten affection since his parents (did he even have any? any good ones? we dont know dude), so it catches him off-guard and he's very much flustered by it

Toji

in soviet russia (and everywhere else) you don't fluster toji, toji flusters you

compliment anything that isn't physical appearance or potential

mention his mind, how beautiful you think it is and how the way it works intrigues you. mention how you love when he does this specific thing (that most likely just ends up being a little quirk of his he's never noticed until you pointed it out)

he's red, but will still try to get you back by flustering you so you don't notice him slippin

Geto

oh man, oh man, oh man.

confess your devotion to him. show him that you'd follow him to the ends of the world. the image of having you by his side unconditionally makes him blush because it comes hand in hand with the idea of marrying you

big ass softie, he smiles so sweetly at you when you say things like that

"no matter what you choose, i'll be by your side honey" that gets his heart racing so much, he's ready to just melt into a puddle for you right about now

[jewlwpet]

Everyone starts laughing here, and Patty covers her face to hide her blushing.

But she's relieved to find that Rolley is in the class too.

Also one of the classmates' shirts--isn't the Soviet flag, but looks weirdly similar to it, which is funny.

Ikuhara was assistant director for this episode btw.

[justanotherconfusedman]

Here's something none of you ever needed to read in your life! Soviet x America, right before they fuck. It's very obvious and I literally write at the end, and then they fuxk. It's actually sweet because it's at the lovers part of their Enemies to lovers phase.

Anyways, let me curse your eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

America was trying to pull off his shirt, he knew it was too small and it had been gripping his chest all day but the looks Soviet had been giving him were worth it. All those glances towards his body and trying to pretend he wasn't looking, it was incredibly obvious and Hilarious. America was honestly ready to see just how much he's riled up Soviet that day.

The shirt wouldn't come off.

America pushes more hit his shoulders and arms were stuck leaving him blind and stuck with his arms up, he knew where his bed was and flopped onto it, hoping that would help but his arms stayed stuck around his head with the shirt on it.

There was a knock on the door, "You okay dear?" Soviet.

"Yeah, can you help me get this shirt off?"

There was the sound of Soviet entering the room and getting behind America. "I don't know dear, you've been looking nice all day, you mind if I take you here and now~?"

America blushed like, shit Soviet was dominant today and it would be cool for a change of pace, but also his shirt was still stuck over his eyes.

"Sure, but only after I can see your hot face."

"Sounds good."

Then they fucked

[quizzyisdone]

Guilty Part V | Female Bell! Reader x Adler

A/N: So I said before this is full of clichés, and it absolutely is. This was an utter blast to write and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I think it tops part four in terms of my favorite chapter. All italics is dialogue spoken in Russian (1900+ word count)

Warnings: Strong language

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

Nothing Else Mattered

Prague, Czechoslovakia

2300

August 31st, 1984

You reveled in the summer breeze as it glazed gently over your smooth, revealed skin, your loose hair flowing gently in the wind. The dress was a simple black, was elegant in nature and fitted you perfectly Adler, on the other hand, looked uncomfortably warm donning his Soviet uniform. 

“How do I look?” You asked Adler, fixing your makeup in a handheld mirror one last time.

“I was under the assumption that you didn’t give two shits what I thought?” He scoffed.

“Answer the question, asshole.” You rolled your eyes at his pettiness, even despite the fact that he had always tolerated yours.

“You look fine.” That was a lie in Adler’s mind. You looked absolutely beautiful, but his pride kept him from admitting that. “What about me?”

“Stuffy. But you look good in a uniform, even if it is Soviet.” You quipped with a grin. He suppressed the smile and nodded in thanks. Adler extended his arm, which you took. Part of the cover of being a married couple, of course. But it felt strangely natural as you leaned your body closer to him, smelling the scent of his familiar cologne, the same he had worn when he had kissed you so fervently in East Berlin.

“Didn’t expect a Soviet party to be so...fancy.” You remarked, gazing at the hotel's beautiful lobby, which was furnished in lavish couches and a lush rug laid on a marble floor, which your heels gave a satisfying clack with every step you took. The centerpiece of the lobby was a large, crystal grand chandelier that illuminated the room. 

“This man is a government tool. Of course they’d set him up in such a nice place.” He whispered. “Come, let’s go greet Ivanov.”

The ballroom was also a sight to behold, servers scurrying back and forth, offering samplings of food and drinks. Tall stained glass windows draped in velvet stood proudly among the people while soft classical music was playing over their chattering. You smiled in awe as you beheld the sight. 

Unbeknownst to you, Adler’s gaze had been lingering, watching you, with eyes more adoring than he’d care to admit. He smiled sadly, knowing those feelings might never be returned. It was a rare moment of tenderness, one that was interrupted as a Russian man called to Adler.

“Ah! My comrade, Alexei Rabinovich!” He shouted heartily, taking Adler’s hand in a firm shake.

“Mr. Ivanov, a pleasure, a pleasure! Might I introduce you to my wife, Vladlena?” He directed Ivanov to you, who beamed at your gorgeous figure.

“I must admit, I’ve heard rumors that Alexei married a rather pretty woman, but they do you no justice. You are radiant, my dear.” Ivanov complimented as he took the back of your hand to his lips, kissing it gently in greeting. “I trust you are enjoying the party? I hear it’s your first time here.”

“Very much, Mr. Ivanov. This place is beautiful, perhaps it even rivals Lubyanka before that awful disaster three years ago.” You remarked, glancing to Adler as he smiled knowingly.

“Ah it’s a shame that was. But do not concern yourself, it is a ball! I’m sure my wife would love to meet you while I get to know my rising star a bit better, yes?” 

“Of course.” You lowered your head in respect, detaching yourself from Adler’s shoulder, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Playing the part of an adoring couple was always easy with him. “Try not to get into trouble, my love.” You purred.

You left before he could respond, a blush rising in your cheeks. You cursed yourself, those feelings from all those years ago couldn’t rear their ugly head again. You couldn’t let yourself fall, not again. But your mind still wandered to the tenderness, the utter kindness he showed you in the car on the way here, how uncharacteristically gentle he was with you, like one wrong word or touch could make you shatter into a thousand pieces. 

You managed to find Ivanov’s wife making light conversation with a few other women. She beamed as she greeted you. If anything, Russians were welcoming to one of their own. 

“Ah, Vladlena, yes?” You nodded and smiled. “I’ve heard so much of you! A new face is always welcome here, dear.” According to intel, her name was Katya Ivanov. She offered you a glass of champagne, which you gladly took to clear your thoughts.

“I’ve heard a bit about you too, Mrs. Ivanov.” You lied, sipping the champagne. Katya placed a gentle hand on your shoulder as she directed you to the group she was conversing with when she first noticed you.

“Everyone, please meet our newest friend, Mrs. Vladena Rabinovich.” She introduced you, as the others in the group all smiled in greeting. 

“It has been awhile since I’ve seen a fresh face here, oh it does become quite boring.” One of them spoke, the woman was older, gray hair sprinkled in her hair that was tied in a simple knot. 

You engaged in rather boring conversation for a little while, nodding silently with a courteous smile as they spoke on matters you had no idea about. After awhile, you looked back at Adler, who, almost on cue, glanced back at you. He nodded and you listened to his silent order to excuse yourself.

“Excuse me, ladies, but I do believe my husband beckons.” 

“Of course, the real music is about to start. I hope you enjoy yourself.” Katya said as you departed. You had no idea what she was talking about, and a pit dropped into your stomach. Thoughts of them finding out who you were, shooting you and Adler to make an example raced through your head. You downed the rest of the champagne in a manner that would make the Queen gasp in shock at the uncouth nature of such an act. If you were to die, at least you’d be a bit tipsy.

You returned to Adler, a distraught expression only he’d be able to read. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and you took the moment to whisper in his ear.

“His wife said the real music was about to start. Do you know anything about that?” You raised your eyebrows.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that. We’re at a ball, Bell. What do you think people do at balls, hm?” He smirked. “Go put your glass down, it'll give us a good opportunity to talk.” Adler ordered, you did as you were told, handing your now empty glass to a butler. When you turned around, loud, classical music began playing from a band in the corner. Adler offered his hand to you, a nonverbal cue. 

You took it, smiling to keep up the cover. He snaked his arms around your waist, his hand joined to yours. You wrapped your arm around his shoulder and you felt heat rising up in his cheeks.

“You’re blushing.”

“Part of the cover.” You smirked, and he laughed heartily, harking back to the nightclub in East Berlin. This was the first time you had ever seen him laugh at something wholeheartedly, normally you could only ever get a chuckle or a smirk. “But, uh, I need to admit something.” 

His eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“I don’t know how to dance.” You admitted as you lowered your head down in embarrassment, smiling as you looked back up into his baby blue orbs. How the fuck he could make you act like this was beyond you.

“I’ll show you.” He said softly as he bit his lip, a bit more affectionate than intended, a soft, barely noticeable grin. “You have the form right. Just sway back and forth with me, try to keep your steps in line with mine, and twirl when I raise this arm.” He wriggled the arm which held your hand. “Whatever you do, don’t step on my toes.”

“Okay.” You nodded. He pulled you close and you tried to keep in line with him. You were able to smell the intoxicating scent of his cologne mixed with cigarettes, it was the same cologne he’d been wearing for as long as you’ve known him.

“So, I was able to loosen Ivanov’s lips. Man’s a lightweight.” Of course, any sweet moment between you two was always interrupted with some mortal threat to the free world.

“What’d you find out?” You looked a bit disappointed.

“Chin up. Keep that pretty little smile on your face.” He flirted, a bit shamelessly. You took the opportunity to flirt back, forgetting everything that has ever happened between the two of you. It was like meeting him all over again. In that moment, nothing he’d ever done to you or you’d done to him mattered.

“You think my smile is pretty?” You shot back, the grin returning to your face. He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.

“Anyway,” He avoided the question. That didn’t stop you. “I was able to ask him about Perseus, and he was able to tell me a bit about him, if a bit reluctantly. The intel from the body at the mall checks out, there’s a room on the second floor where he conducts meetings with Perseus himself, and he keeps a bunch of stuff in there. Should be an intel goldmine.”

“You never answered the question.” This newfound wave of confidence left both you and Adler dumbfounded.

“It’s hardly a question, but I think you know the answer to that.” He replied, smooth as ever, hiding his initial shock. Truthfully, you didn’t know the answer. He raised his arm and you took the cue to spin. “When the song’s over, I want you to excuse yours- Shit!” Adler cursed through gritted teeth, and you realized you had accidentally stepped on his toes with the heel of your shoe.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry Adler I-I” You rambled, sudden fear of him making its way back to you.

“It’s okay.” He reassured you. “That fucking hurt though.” Adler chuckled as he winced from the pain. “But when the music is done, which I expect it will be in about two minutes, I need you to excuse yourself and find the room, grab what you can, and get out. It’s restricted access so get creative.” You nodded your head.

“You know what, Russell?” His name uttered from your lips brought a beaming grin to his face.

“What?” He cocked his head. Everything outside of this moment had been forgotten, nothing else mattered.

“We haven’t argued or tried to kill each other.”

“Yet. The night’s still young.” He almost let your real name fall from tongue, but stopped himself, unknowing as to whether or not you’d appreciate it. He had not cared for the wishes or wants of someone since before he even met you. God, when did he become such a sap. 

You laughed. “True enough, I suppose.” 

A sudden wave of guilt washed over Adler. This didn’t feel right, it didn’t feel fair to you. He deserved your anger, your complete and utter malice. He didn’t deserve this tender moment. What did he do right to deserve that smile, that laugh that dripped like honey, smooth and sweet. In spite of that, he allowed himself one more indulgence, one more smile before you’d go back to hating him.

“I lied earlier, when I said you looked fine.” Your eyes dropped to the floor, waves of insecurity washed over you, expecting some insult. “You look gorgeous.” And with that simple compliment, your face lit up. Your eyes sparkled in the light of the grand chandelier. A simple thank you was all you could mutter.

And with that, the music had stopped, and that sweet moment faded. Adler released his hold on you, and nodded.

“Go get ‘em.”

------

Another A/N: If you don’t understand the reference to the nightclub in East Berlin I mentioned in the chapter, you can find that here