#Also think I answered something similar a while ago but that was more focused on how they conceptualize each other in general

[serpentface]

What do Brakul and Janeys see in each other?

(I wrote some of this in quasi-character voice/pov on impulse (in brackets), though don't take it as actual dialogue. They wouldn't outright say most of this.)

WHAT JANEYS SEES IN BRAKUL:

-[He is just objectively beautiful. There's no way around it, this is just a material fact. He has the prettiest brown eyes and a cute gap in his teeth and he's 6'2'' and he's big and strong and hairy and well endowed (balls) and sooo virile and 6'2''. This is the ideal male body at peak performance so it's just inevitable to be wildly, painfully attracted to it. There's probably tons of other people who want to shove their face into his armpits.]

[But they don't get to.]

-Janeys is significantly more at ease with him than almost anyone else. He doesn't feel such an acute need to posture and put on performances, or as devastating shame when the performance 'fails'. The psychological factors that motivate this to begin with don't just like, magically go away, but they're much less acute. He feels like he can just Exist around him. It's nice.

-Thinks he's a really funny, smart and interesting person general. Very pleasant to talk and amicably argue with. Janeys finds a lot of things he never would have given a shit about suddenly very interesting because it's coming from him. Like 'yeah he's not EDUCATED per se but he has a fascinating repository of knowledge about like, cheesemaking and birds and freakish snow vampires and the many nuances of highland seasonal transhumance.'

-Janeys sees a lot of things in Brakul that he finds lacking in himself, and experiences a sense of being more complete, better, stronger, via this partnership (somewhat literally, sharing blood Is sharing spirit). He feels genuinely more confident around him, not just in his typical "I'm Confident that my family name and Odonii bloodkin status can force some deference out of you" way but like legit confidence. Not the healthiest way to develop self esteem and not put to the best uses but it is what it is.

-Matches his freak and exceeds it in strange and compelling ways

-Meshes Fairly well with his clingy attachment style (it causes friction sometimes though) and meets his substantial needs for physical affection and casual intimacy (at least in private).

-[He's a really, really, really good kisser]

-[He is my closest and most trusted friend, my brother. He's like how the most florid love poets describe their wives, except if a wife was a man and wasn't someone you had to marry. No one has ever loved a man like I have. No one has shared a spirit like I have. The concept of life without him is no longer imaginable, he is carved into my very skin, he's in my veins, mouth, hands. He is my natural compliment and easiest companion. My beloved, my heart, my blood, my other face.]

-[He's 6'2'']

---

WHAT BRAKUL SEES IN JANEYS:

-[He's very good looking, in kind of a subtle way. Like you don't necessarily notice at first, but he's got this sort of... sturdy yet gracile handsomeness to him? Like a deer, or a small to mid-sized bird of prey. Except attractive and a man. Very attractive. He has such a nice smile and the most gorgeous legs, and a cute little trail of hair up his stomach. Nice hands. And feet. Sturdy. Lovely hair. His eyes are just kind of scary but, otherwise.]

-[He's actually soooo nice when you get to know him. He is one of the sweetest and most caring people I've ever met, actually.]

[Sure he's kind of an asshole. To most people. On most occasions. But have you considered that THEIR vibes are, very often, simply bad and offputting, and maybe it's sometimes their faults for being irritating? Yeah. Think a little.]

-Brakul distinctly likes being one of few people Janeys likes and one of much fewer that he actually chills out around. He likes that he gets to see sides of him that are almost completely reserved for himself. He feels special.

-Overall sees him as someone who is often difficult and frustrating but ultimately deeply lovable. He finds him to be very caring, admirably loyal, genuine, and funny. Good to talk to, and good to sit in comfortable silence with. He sees him as a very different person but someone who compliments him well. Natural choice of companion.

-Has a generally realistic outlook on Janeys' abilities but considers him to be more capable than most people think and fairly talented in some respects. He would note him as skilled with the spear, pretty decent with the lyre, a good dancer and very beautiful singer.

-He absolutely likes that one of Janeys' 'love languages' is giving him gifts. He loves being the spoiled male wife of a nobleman. He was made for this shit. The gift-giving on Janeys' part initially made him nervous (on the presumption that it was indebting or otherwise transactional) but he is LONG since over it.

[Everyone was always saying, "Brakul you're kinda lazy and annoying, you lost all your mother's cattle in a really pathetic way, you strained the alliances between multiple clans to a breaking point by being a fuckup, you abandoned your firstborn," etc etc but look at me now. I'm so loved and I have 200 cattle and 12 khait and eat meat every day of my life.]

-Doesn't Fully match his freak, but does where it matters most. Sub/switch masochist for a dom/switch sadomasochist. Peace and love.

-Easily flustered in a way he finds cute/hot.

-Really likes his intense and earnest enthusiasm for physical affection/intimacy. The other people Brakul has had romantic/sexual experiences with in the past have been substantially less touchy-feely, and he prefers being able to show affection this way. Expressing this shit verbally can be difficult (with or without having to translate), it always feels a little insufficient. Lengthy and complicated sessions of making out/cutting each other/blood consumption/frotting/doing weird shit with cum/still vaguely sexual wound cleaning with vinegar/cuddling/etc have turned out to feel like a more comprehensive form of romantic expression. And not a lot of people are into that kinda thing, so this is pretty special.

-[He makes me happy. Sometimes I'll look at him while he's asleep or just sitting next to me or whatever, and still get hit with that new love, 'I'm going to throw up but in a good way' feeling, even after all this time. I'm glad to have found him. I'm glad to share my life with him. I'm glad we belong to each other. I've never found an adequate describe it, 'brother' is easy but completely wrong. It just is what it is. I love him.]

-[He does some crazy shit with his mouth]

[just-aake]

Everlasting Devotion - Part VI

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Sequel of Boundless Devotion Series. MedievalAU. With her coronation over, Natasha is now the queen of the Romanov Kingdom. However, the position comes with challenges from both old and new enemies as Natasha tries to maintain the peace while also navigating her relationship with you.

Masterlist Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Warnings: light angst

Words: 6225

The metal glove left behind by the attacker a few days ago rests on the simple wooden table, its presence out of place in the otherwise humble surroundings.

Around you, the room is still sparsely furnished with little more than the bare essentials.

You sit across from Bucky, watching intently as he examines the piece of armor. The silence stretches on, thick with unspoken thoughts, until you can no longer keep your curiosity at bay. 

“So, what do you think?” you ask, your voice cutting through the quiet.

Bucky tilts his head, scrutinizing the glove with a practiced eye before finally shaking his head, a frown tugging at his lips.

“I’ve never seen this type of weapon before,” he admits, his tone carrying the weight of years of experience. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was made by someone from the Stark kingdom.”

You lean in closer, your interest piqued at his answer.

“How can you tell?” 

Bucky gestures to the details on the glove, pointing out subtle features that had escaped your attention.

“The design—these engravings and the traces of rare metal used—is very similar to the signatures of weapons crafted when I was still the Captain.” 

His fingers trace the outline of the glove’s surface until they rest on the top, where the dull, gray stone is embedded.  

“This, however,” he continues, his voice dropping to a wary tone, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” 

He looks up at you, eyes serious and filled with curious suspicion.

“You said it was glowing?”

You furrow your brows as you stare at the stone in thought, focusing hard as you try to recall the chaos of the attack before giving a slight nod of your head.

“I think that’s what I saw glowing from the shadows during the attack,” you begin slowly, trying to piece together the memories. “And what caused that blinding flash when the attacker escaped. But after everything calmed down…”

You pause, the words catching in your throat as you struggle to explain the strange occurrence that followed.

“One moment, I was heading towards the twins, and the next…I’m kneeling beside this glove with my hand hovering above the stone.” 

You lock eyes with Bucky, giving him a worried expression.

“I can’t seem to remember what happened in between,” you admit, your voice tinged with frustration and a growing sense of unease. “It’s as if that time was completely erased from my mind.” 

You glance down at your hand, the one that had hovered so closely over the stone. 

“I think...the stone did something to my memories when I reached for it.” 

Closing your eyes briefly, you take a deep breath, the weight of your thoughts pressing down on you. You think about the recent gaps and blurry memories in your mind, like how you failed to remember the moments after Dreykov captured you.

“And I have this feeling—it’s not the first time,” you admit quietly.

Bucky’s expression hardens with a mix of concern and sympathetic understanding of what you’re implying. 

“Do you have any idea or…”

You grimace apologetically, hesitating as you acknowledge the reason you came to Bucky with this unsettling situation.

“…experience with what it could be?” 

Thankfully, he isn’t offended by your question.

Instead, he leans back slightly, his expression thoughtful as he considers your words. After a moment of contemplation, he begins to speak, his tone measured and reflective.

“You know, your father—” he starts, but when he notices you tense, he quickly corrects himself, “Howard Stark was researching something similar to what Dreykov and the Romanovs were working on. The whole mind control possibility. Of course, he never knew about their success in that field, but he did explore a different angle, something leaning more towards the mystical elements.” 

Intrigued by the revelation, you think about the book you received from Melina, wondering if his notes on such topics might be included there.

Bucky’s voice pulls you from your thoughts as he continues.

“Before he…died, he was close to figuring out how to harness the powers of sorcerers for non-magically inclined people. More specifically, the power of those with innate abilities to influence others’ minds,” he says, giving you a pointed look. “Like your powerful little friend.” 

Bucky pauses, letting his words sink in before addressing the question that’s been looming ever since you mentioned the stone and its possible effects on your memories.

“Speaking of which, why haven’t you asked her to take a look inside your mind? See if she can figure out what’s wrong.”

You sigh sadly at his suggestion. The idea of asking Wanda had crossed your mind, but you’ve been reluctant to push her, given her current condition.

“She’s still shaken from the attack and from how her powers accidentally hurt me,” you explain. “I’ll consider asking her when she feels better, but I thought maybe you might have some ideas too.” 

Bucky gives you a slight smirk, his eyes softening.

“Well, maybe next time, try not to touch things you don’t understand yet.”

You chuckle lightly, the tension easing just a bit as you glance around the small home. 

The cabin is simple, built from weathered wood that blends seamlessly with the surrounding forest. The only sounds you hear outside are the rustling leaves and the occasional chirp of a distant bird. 

“You know, I could always get you someplace with more room,” you offer, shifting the conversation to lighter topics. 

Bucky shakes his head, glancing around the space he’s come to know as his own. 

“I like this. It’s simple.”

“And isolated,” you add pointedly, your gaze sweeping the quiet surroundings. “Far from town and people. Have you even had any other visitors besides me?”

“I go into town occasionally for supplies, and I meet with Steve in the clearing sometimes for a spar,” Bucky defends, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“So you don’t even invite him over?” you ask with a hint of disappointment before encouraging him gently. “This is your chance to live without always worrying about looking over your shoulders.”

“I am living. This is the most peace I’ve had in years,” Bucky replies, his voice steady with conviction. He nods at you, his expression filled with gratitude and trust. “And I’m content to have one person I trust know where I am for now.”

You return his nod with a small smile, relenting with a sigh. 

Your occasional visits have made Bucky more comfortable and open with you recently, and you don’t want to push him too much.

“Alright then, I should head home,” you say, rising from your seat and carefully placing the glove back into your satchel.

“To prepare for the intimidation from the other council members today?” Bucky guesses knowingly, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I don’t miss that.”

You nod, a rueful smile crossing your face at the reminder.

“I also have some people coming today to start on the repairs for the gates.” 

As you reach the door, you pause and suggest, “You should visit sometime.” 

Bucky offers a small, appreciative smile but shakes his head. 

“Thank you, but I’m not good at meeting new people,” he replies.

You nod in understanding and bid him farewell before making your way to where your horse is waiting. As you ride through the quiet forest, your thoughts drift back to the satchel at your side. 

The strange events surrounding the stone still weigh heavily on your mind, and you wonder if you should ask Natasha for her thoughts on the situation.  

It’s been days since you last saw her, and the ache of missing her has settled deep in your chest. But now, with the upcoming council meeting providing a chance to see her without raising suspicion, you’re faced with a different challenge: pretending that you’re not in love with her. 

That’s easier said than done, considering you were exposed so quickly last time when your gaze lingered on Natasha just a little too long. 

Maybe you should avoid looking directly at her during the meeting. Hopefully, that might help conceal your feelings from the others.

As you near your manor, the sound of raised voices pulls you from your thoughts. In the distance, you recognize Pietro's voice, sharp and edged with anger.

“You can’t just spread your stuff everywhere like this! I work in this area!” Pietro exclaims, clearly frustrated.

"Where else am I supposed to set up?” Tony retorts impatiently. “In case you forgot, I’m supposed to be fixing this gate.”

Sighing in exasperation, you urge your horse forward, hurrying to intervene before their argument escalates.

As you approach, Tony's taunting voice cuts through the air.

“Let's be honest, is there really a need for you here? What's the point of a gatekeeper with no gate?” he quips, clearly enjoying his own provocation.

Quickly, you bring your horse to a halt in front of Pietro, blocking his path before things can get worse. Dismounting smoothly, you step between the two, determined to diffuse the tension.

“Don’t listen to him, Pietro,” you say, ruffling his hair with a fond smile. “You’re very much needed here.”

Offering him the reins, you add, “Could you please take the horse back to the stables for me?”

Though still clearly irritated, Pietro takes the reins and heads off, but not without shooting a glare at Tony over his shoulder.

Tony, unfazed, flashes a smug grin and waves mockingly after Pietro. When he turns back to you, you meet his gaze with a stern, disapproving look.

“That was uncalled for,” you say firmly. 

Tony shrugs, clearly unbothered by your reprimand. 

“It’s a tough world. If he can’t handle a bit of honest criticism, he’ll have a rough time in life,” he replies, his tone unapologetic.

Then, pointing at you, he adds, “And you can’t keep coddling him.”

You brush his hand aside dismissively.

“I’m not coddling him. I look out for him because he's someone I care about. There's a difference.”

Tony shudders dramatically.

“Sounds exhausting. Me, I only ever had to look out for myself. You should try it more often—really helps lower the stress,” he quips, waving at your disapproving frown.

“How about you just focus on the gate?” you suggest, gesturing toward the entrance. “It seems like Vision is the only one taking this job seriously.” 

Near the entrance, Vision stands at the remnants of the broken gates and hinges, meticulously measuring and taking notes with a notepad and quill in hand.

Tony smirks and gestures dramatically toward himself.

“He wouldn’t be doing that if I hadn’t told him to, so in a way, that’s all thanks to me.”

You roll your eyes, crossing your arms with an exasperated sigh. 

“You really love complimenting yourself, don’t you?”

“Absolutely,” Tony responds with a grin. “It’s called confidence. If I don’t believe in myself, how could I expect others to?”

You pause, caught off guard by his answer.

Just when you think you’ve figured him out, he drops a casually insightful comment like this that makes you reconsider what sort of person you thought he was.

Before you can respond, Vision approaches with his calm and focused demeanor.

“I've documented all the specifications for the gates. Shall I move on to the outer walls now, or would you prefer I wait for later?” Vision asks.

You raise a hand, stopping him, your brows knitting together in confusion.

“Outer walls? I never mentioned anything about those.”

“About that," Tony interjects, gesturing at the surroundings.

“I walked around your perimeter earlier, and to be blunt, your security is pretty much non-existent. No defenses, no countermeasures against threats. For someone as protective of that kid as you are, I’m surprised you haven’t done anything about it.”

You glare at him, catching his little jab at you, but you answer calmly.

“That’s because my family’s reputation has always been enough to keep people from testing our boundaries,” you reply, before muttering under your breath, “At least it used to be.”

Vision studies you with a curious expression.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Lady Y/n, what caused the damage to the gates?”

“It was a carriage crash,” you respond smoothly, hoping the explanation will be enough without digging into the details.

Vision's brows furrow slightly as he raises a hand to his chin, clearly skeptical.

Tony notices his reaction and quirks a brow.

“What's the problem?”

Vision shakes his head lightly, his eyes drifting back to you.

“The damage suggests the gates were torn off…” he trails off as his gaze shifts to something behind you.

You turn to see what caught his attention and find Wanda approaching, her arms crossed defensively, eyeing the two strangers warily. She stops beside you, and you introduce her.

“This is Wanda, Pietro’s twin sister.”

“Oh great, another one,” Tony mutters under his breath.

Wanda’s eyes narrow at his comment, and she gives Tony a sharp once-over before turning to you with a questioning look.

You sigh inwardly, marveling at how quickly Tony manages to get on the twins' bad side with so little effort.

Leaning closer to her, you whisper, "Be nice. We didn’t have any other options."

Wanda’s lips press into a thin line, clearly displeased, but she turns to Tony, her tone calm and commanding.

“Your things are blocking the entrance. You need to move them.”

To your surprise, Vision quietly excuses himself, stepping away, and begins moving their tools and supplies to the side. You can’t help but smile in mild amusement, wondering if Wanda noticed his reaction to her.

Tony, however, remains where he is, letting out a huff of disbelief at Vision’s actions before chuckling as he turns back to the two of you.

He reaches out as if to pat Wanda on the head.

“For someone so small, you sure know how to act like you’re in charge.”

Your eyes widen in alarm, but before you can intervene, it’s too late.

Wanda’s eyes flare red, and Tony’s hand freezes mid-air, wrapped in the familiar glow of her power.

A brief flicker of surprise crosses Tony’s face as he glances between Wanda and his immobilized hand.

Then, with an understanding smirk, he remarks, “Well, looks like we found the culprit who really destroyed the gates.”

You quickly step forward, placing a calming hand on Wanda’s shoulder, pulling her protectively closer to you.

“The crash destroyed the gates, not Wanda,” you say firmly, your tone carrying a warning as you glare at Tony.

Still smirking, Tony raises his free hand in mock surrender.

“If you say so.” He nods toward his trapped hand. “Mind letting this go? Kinda need it to do my job—assuming you still want my help.”

With a reluctant sigh, you glance at Wanda, who continues to glare at Tony, and give her a nod to let him go.

After a moment, the red glow fades from her eyes, and Tony’s hand is released. He rubs his wrist, his grin never faltering.

“I wouldn’t provoke her any further if I were you,” you warn, your voice low but clear.

“Noted,” Tony replies, still grinning. Then, with a teasing smirk, he adds, “So, anyone else you’re coddling that I should meet before I get started?”

You roll your eyes and turn to leave, guiding Wanda away with you.

“I don't like him,” Wanda mutters. Then, with a hint of concern, she asks, “Can we even trust someone like him?"

Her question lingers in the air as you weigh your thoughts.

Despite his arrogance and sarcasm, Tony doesn’t strike you as a bad person. He clearly has the skills for the job, and beneath the bravado, there’s something capable and dependable about him.

“I think we can,” you reply honestly, though a nagging feeling lingers concerning something else.

Based on what you've observed, Tony doesn’t appear to you as just some ordinary traveler visiting the kingdom. Your instincts tell you there’s something more.

With a slight shake of your head, you push the thought aside for later and decide to focus on what's next.

“Come on, help me get ready for the council meeting.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Natasha strides purposefully across the courtyard toward the council room, her mind racing about the impending meeting.

Suddenly, Steve’s voice cut through her focus, pulling her back to the present.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, concern evident in his tone.

She stops at the edge of the training grounds, turning to face him. Her expression hardens slightly, reflecting the frustration she’s been harboring for the past few days.

“I’d feel a lot better if we weren’t about to waste time on a pointless interrogation,” she replies, her voice tinged with irritation. “What do they even hope to accomplish with this?” 

Steve places a comforting pat on her shoulder.

“I understand how you feel,” he says softly, his tone both supportive and firm. “But people like Lord Sitwell need to feel in control. Maybe going through the motions with this will calm him and the others down.”

Natasha’s eyes flicker with a mix of annoyance and reluctant acceptance.

She knows Steve is right, but the frustration of the situation–especially with putting you in the middle of it–irritates her all the same.

Her gaze drifts past him toward the towering council chamber in the distance, wondering if you had already arrived.

The thought of seeing you is the only silver lining in this otherwise dreadful meeting.

She wonders if you feel the same.

Before she can dwell on it, a voice rings out, sharp and urgent.

“Careful! On your left!” 

Natasha reacts instinctively, stepping to the side just as a shadow swoops down, brushing the space where she had stood moments before.

The bird completes its dive and soars back into the sky with a few strong beats of its wings. 

Her gaze follows the bird’s path as it circles back and lands gracefully on the arm of a knight approaching them.

The knight dips his head apologetically as he nears.

“My apologies, Your Majesty, Captain,” he says with a small bow. “Redwing got a little excited.” 

Natasha tilts her head, eyeing the bird with mild curiosity.

“Redwing?” she asks. 

The knight nods, lifting his arm to show the bird more clearly.

“My falcon. See the red streak of feathers on his wings? He’s cute, isn’t he?” He grins, clearly proud of his feathered friend, and holds the bird closer. “Would you like to pet him?” 

Natasha eyes the falcon warily, noting the bird's sharp beak and calculating gaze.

“I’m good,” she replies dryly, stepping back. 

Steve chuckles and takes the opportunity to introduce the knight properly.

“This is Sir Sam Wilson and his companion, Redwing.” 

Natasha gives a curt nod of understanding and acknowledgment.

“The knight you trust with your life,” she guesses.

Sam raises an amused brow, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. 

“Aw, Captain, I’m honored. Though maybe if you didn’t keep finding trouble, I wouldn’t have to save you so often.” 

Steve groans, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

“Alright, alright. I didn’t bring you here to make fun of me,” he says, gesturing toward Natasha. “You mentioned you had something to report, and I figured we both needed to hear it.” 

Sam’s playful demeanor shifts as he straightens, adopting a more professional tone.

“Right. I’ve got good news and bad news,” he begins, gently urging Redwing to move from his arm to his shoulder.

The falcon complies, ruffling its feathers as it settles in.

“The good news is that I’ve dismissed all of Councillor Ross’ spies. It doesn’t seem like he’s sending any more, so for now, the only person keeping an eye on Lady Y/n’s movements is you, Your Majesty.”

Natasha’s jaw tightens, and she grimaces at his choice of words. 

“You’re not surveilling her,” she corrects, her voice firm. “The goal is to watch for potential threats, not to…monitor her.”

Steve sighs quietly, meeting her gaze with a serious expression.

“I still think you should at least let Lady Y/n know. I’m not sure how she’d feel about this if she found out, especially considering…everything recently.”

He hesitates before continuing, his eyes softening with sympathy.

“If you regret the breakup, maybe it’s better to talk to her about it rather than doing all this.”

Natasha huffs in disbelief, offended at the suggestion of ulterior motives.

“This has nothing to do with that!” she snaps.

Beside Steve, Sam raises his hands in mock surrender, an understanding smile tugging at his lips.

“Hey, no judgments here. I’d be curious too whether my ex was meeting with anyone after we split.”

“That’s not—” Natasha starts, but cuts herself off, groaning in frustration as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

Deciding it’s not worth her energy, she waves the comment away.

“What’s the bad news?” she asks, eager to shift the focus.

Sam’s playful demeanor fades entirely as his face grows serious. He exchanges a concerned glance with Steve before continuing.

“Lord Sitwell’s been behaving strangely these last few days. Recently, he met with some people in one of the shadier parts of town. They were demanding something from him—something that was supposed to be ready already. I overheard him promise them he’d have it by the end of the week.”

Steve’s brows furrow, his eyes narrowing in concern at the information.

“That sounds like he’s desperate,” he mutters, the implications sinking in. “Whatever he’s supposed to give them…it can’t be good.”

Natasha’s eyes narrow as her mind races, connecting the new information with a sudden thought.

“You think this has something to do with today’s meeting? It was his idea, after all,” she muses, her tone sharpening.

“It's possible,” Steve responds, nodding gravely before turning to Sam with a serious expression.

“Keep digging. Let us know as soon as you find anything. In the meantime, we’ll proceed with the meeting and see if we can figure out what Sitwell’s after.”

Sam straightens, a look of determination crossing his face.

“Will do. Redwing and I will keep you both updated on Sitwell and Lady Y/n’s situation.”

As Redwing lets out a sharp cry and soars back into the sky, Sam gives them a respectful nod and turns to leave.

Natasha and Steve watch him go, the weight of the new information heavy between them. After a moment, Natasha glances at Steve curiously.

“So, is the bird watching Y/n then?” she asks, her tone dry but with a hint of amusement.

Steve chuckles, the tension easing slightly.

“Don’t worry, Redwing’s got sharper eyes than any of us,” he replies with a grin. 

Natasha hums skeptically before turning her gaze back to the council chamber, her expression hardening once more.

“Let’s get this over with,” she says firmly, striding toward the chamber with renewed determination. 

As Natasha and Steve approach the council room doors, a familiar, anxious voice nearby interrupts the low hum of conversation from within.

Natasha makes out the soft, frantic muttering, and she instinctively turns her head in the direction of the sound.

“You go ahead,” she tells Steve.

He pauses and looks toward the sound before giving her a knowing nod and continuing toward the council chamber. 

Natasha veers off toward the balcony, following the sound of Kate Bishop’s voice.

As she draws closer, Natasha can make out Kate’s words more clearly, the younger woman’s tone laced with uncertainty and rising panic.

“What was I thinking? I don’t know the first thing about what to do in a council meeting!”

Kate’s hands flutter wildly in the air, her pacing quickening as she becomes more consumed by her spiraling thoughts.

Natasha stops outside the balcony’s entrance, watching for a moment as Kate’s obvious distress plays out before her. 

She knows the younger woman is more than capable, but this challenge is different.

The pressure of the council can be overwhelming, even for the most seasoned members.

Deciding that it’s time to step in before Kate’s anxiety spirals out of control, Natasha takes a step forward, her boots making a soft sound on the stone floor as she approaches. 

“You know,” Natasha begins, her voice calm and steady as it cuts through Kate’s rambling, “the whole reason I gave you the option was so that you could decide what's best for yourself.”

Kate jumps at Natasha’s voice, spinning around to face her. 

“Natasha! I didn’t see you there,” she exclaims, her tone tinged with a mixture of surprise and relief.

Natasha gives her a small smile, reassuring her,  “If you don’t want to be on the council, you could just refuse.”

Kate's expression shifts as her words sink in, and she quickly waves her hands in protest. 

“No, no, I’m grateful for the consideration. It’s just…what if I mess up? What if I say something stupid or make the wrong call? These people are all so experienced, and I’m just—” 

“You’re just what?” Natasha interrupts gently, raising an eyebrow. “You’re just as capable as anyone in that room, Kate. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.”

Kate sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of her doubts. 

“I know, but it’s still intimidating. It’s not exactly the same as shooting arrows or sparring on the training grounds. And then I couldn’t find Yelena anywhere in the castle to talk about this with her. She wasn’t at her usual spots, so that means she must’ve snuck out again—without me,��� Kate rambles, her words quickening with anxiousness and exasperation.

Natasha’s expression softens in understanding as she places a reassuring hand on Kate’s shoulder, grounding her. 

“Breathe, Kate.” 

She makes a mental note about Yelena’s mysterious unknown whereabouts, tucking away that piece of information to deal with later.

For now, her focus is on calming Kate down. 

After a couple of deep breaths from Kate, Natasha asks, “What made you decide to accept the seat and join the council?” 

Kate hesitates for a moment before answering, her voice quieter now. 

“When I visited Y/n the other day, she mentioned how some on the council gave you a hard time,” Kate replies, shrugging lightly. “And I thought, maybe if I were on the council—you'd have another person on your side, you know? But now I’m not so sure if I’d be able to do anything to help you.” 

Natasha’s gaze softens, touched by Kate’s concern and the thoughtfulness behind her decision. 

“Kate, you don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be yourself,” she says, her voice filled with quiet conviction. “You’ve got a perspective that no one else on that council has. That’s valuable. And you’ve got more courage than most people I’ve ever met.”

Kate looks up at Natasha, the tension in her features easing slightly.

“Do you really think I can do this?”

“I know you can,” Natasha replies with a small, encouraging smile. “But remember, the choice is still yours. If you ever feel like you don't want to do this anymore, there’s no shame in stepping back. But if you decide to stay, know that I’m grateful to have you on my side.”

Kate takes a deep breath, her resolve strengthening.

“Okay,” she says finally, her voice firmer now. “I’ll give it a shot.”

Natasha smiles, giving Kate’s shoulder a light squeeze.

“Good. Now, let’s get in there.” 

Kate nods, her confidence returning as she walks toward the council chamber with Natasha.

As they enter, the murmurs of the council members die down, all eyes turning toward Natasha and Kate. Steve, already seated, gives them both a nod of acknowledgment. 

Natasha takes her seat beside him, her presence commanding respect without a word. 

Kate hesitates for a brief moment, but with a reassuring glance from Natasha, she moves to an empty chair further down the table. 

With her settled, Natasha’s eyes instinctively seek you out in the room. She spots you quickly enough, engaged in a conversation with Maria.

The sight of your face lit with a warm smile instantly softens the tension she’s been carrying for the past few days. 

However, as soon as your gaze meets hers, something shifts.

Your smile fades slightly, replaced by a neutral, unreadable expression. Without hesitation, you turn away from her, directing your attention back to your discussion with Maria.

The abrupt shift in your demeanor leaves Natasha momentarily unsettled, her brows furrowing slightly in confusion. 

That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting from you.

Natasha quickly masks her surprise, forcing herself to focus on the matters at hand, but the lingering question of your action remains at the back of her mind.

The meeting begins as Ross formally welcomes Kate to the council and acknowledges your presence before passing the floor to Sitwell.

Natasha’s attention sharpens as Sitwell takes the lead, his tone smooth and calculated. 

“Lady Y/n,” Sitwell begins, addressing you directly with a practiced politeness. “Were you aware of any indications about the attack that day?”

Natasha’s eyes narrow at the thinly veiled accusation in his question.

This is exactly what she had feared, Sitwell’s subtle attempt to paint you as a suspect rather than focusing on the real threat.

Her eyes flick to you, searching your face for signs of discomfort, but you remain composed and relaxed under the scrutiny.

“No,” you say calmly, your voice steady and unwavering. “My father’s early return from his trip that morning was unexpected though.”

Natasha suppresses a smirk of admiration as she watches you handle Sitwell’s probing with ease.

You’ve always had a way of turning the conversation back to the facts, refusing to be rattled.

The subtle redirection is clear—returning the focus to Dreykov, where it belongs.

But Sitwell ignores the opportunity you’ve given him to move on, and his next question cuts back toward you, determined to keep the discussion fixed on you.

“Can you remind the council again how you first became aware of the plans for the attack?” he asks, his tone pressing.

You remain unshaken, delivering your response with unwavering grace.

“We discovered correspondence between Lord Rumlow and Madam B about his next plans of action at the prison.”

Natasha watches Sitwell as he lowers his gaze to the documents in front of him, the ones Steve compiled during his investigation.

“And before that,” Sitwell presses on, “you were alone with Madam B for a short period, separated from the others. Could you tell us what happened during that time?” 

There’s a beat of silence, but you don’t flinch. Instead, you offer him a polite, practiced smile. 

“Unless you have something specific you’d like to ask, Lord Sitwell, I fail to see how my brief interaction with her is relevant to this discussion.”

The challenge in your tone is subtle, but Natasha picks up on it immediately. She can’t help but be impressed by your calm defiance.

Sitwell, however, remains undeterred. He leans forward, his tone sharpening.

“Madam B was your governess for years,” Sitwell remarks. “More importantly, she was involved in developing techniques similar to those used in the attack on the castle’s soldiers. Did she mention anything about that to you?”

Natasha exchanges a quick glance with Steve, her concern and suspicion mirrored in his eyes.

Sitwell is pushing into dangerous territory with his line of questioning, and Natasha can feel her patience start to thin at relentless probing.

“She mentioned developing a quicker way to control individuals for Lord Rumlow,” you reply calmly, not giving him more than he needs. 

Sitwell’s gaze narrows.

“Using Queen Melina’s serum, correct? A serum that was highly classified. And yet, Madam B had access to it.”

He gestures pointedly toward you.

“You’ve been known to assist Queen Melina in recent years—do you have any idea how Madam B came into possession of such sensitive information?”

Natasha clenches her fists beneath the table, her temper flaring at Sitwell’s attempt to blame you for something that was not in your control.

She’s on the verge of stepping in when Steve firmly places his hand on the table, speaking up with a calm yet authoritative voice.

“As you said, Lord Sitwell, that information is restricted. It will be handled by the appropriate parties who need to know,” Steve interjects. “We’re here to discuss Lord Dreykov’s involvement in the attack, not to speculate on unrelated matters.”

There’s a brief moment of silence as Sitwell scowls, clearly displeased by Steve’s interruption.

Natasha can feel the frustration radiating off him, but he knows better than to challenge Steve directly. With a slight sneer, he drops the subject.

“Very well,” Sitwell says, his tone now colder. “Lady Y/n, what do you believe to be the extent of your father’s involvement in the attack?” 

You remain poised, your voice calm and measured.

“We can start with how the soldiers who attacked us at the prison were his,” you respond. 

A murmur ripples through the council, and one of the members chimes in, their voice skeptical.

“But how can you be sure they were following his orders and not acting independently?”

You draw in a deep breath, and Natasha notices the subtle tightening of your jaw as you answer.

“Dreykov is all about control. He surrounds himself with those who follow his every command. Anyone who doesn’t is…dispensable.”

Sitwell seizes on your words, raising an eyebrow as he rifles through his documents before fixing his gaze on you.

“I assume that’s why you chose to return to your manor—to save your servants?” he asks, his tone dripping with disdain. “The Maximoff twins. One of whom you’ve conveniently kept secret about her dangerous abilities.” 

Your eyes flash with warning, but you maintain your composure.

“We all have our secrets, Lord Sitwell,” you reply smoothly. “Secrets we keep to protect the people we care about.”

A thin smile creeps onto Sitwell’s face, and Natasha feels a chill of unease. She becomes more alert, sensing the shift in the conversation.

“That’s exactly why we’re here, isn’t it?” Sitwell continues, his voice dangerously calm. “To uncover those secrets—the things that were left out of these so-called official reports.”

He tosses the documents onto the table dismissively, his gaze fixed on you.

“So, Lady Y/n, why don’t you tell us what happened during those moments before the final confrontation between you and your father?”

The room falls into tense silence as everyone waits for your response.

Natasha’s attention remains locked on you, her entire being ready to intervene if necessary.

For a brief second, your eyes flicker to hers, and in that instant, Natasha offers a small, subtle nod—a wordless gesture of support, silently reassuring you that she’s with you.

Taking a deep breath, you speak, your voice steady despite the storm of emotions beneath the surface.

“Lord Dreykov tried to use me to kill Natasha.”

The revelation sends a shockwave through the room, gasps and murmurs rising from the council members.

One of them leans forward, their voice urgent and concerned. “He threatened you?”

“In a way,” you admit, your voice quiet but firm. “He controlled me, just like Rumlow controlled the other soldiers.” 

There was a palpable shift in the room.

The realization of what you’ve endured begins to sink in, and for a moment, the air is thick with the gravity of your admission.

But before the silence can stretch too long, Sitwell seizes the opportunity to regain control of the conversation.

“And we’re supposed to believe that you somehow broke free from his control on your own?” Sitwell’s eyes narrow, his tone sharp as he probes deeper. “Can you even explain the process he used to bring you under his control in the first place?”

At his question, Natasha notices a flicker of something—unease, confusion—flash across your face, and for the first time during the meeting, she sees a crack in your composed exterior.

You hesitate, and then, with a strained voice,  you admit, “I can’t remember.” 

Sitwell scoffs in disbelief. He leans forward, his voice dripping with skepticism.

“You can’t—or you won’t?” 

You straighten in your seat, a flare of defiance in your eyes.

“I would never want to harm Natasha or anyone in her family intentionally. That’s the truth.” 

Sitwell leans back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him as he regards you with cold calculation. His next question is calculated and sharp, aimed to undermine and cast doubt on everything you’ve said.

“How can we be sure you’re even telling the truth?” 

The room falls into a tense, oppressive silence, every eye now locked on you. The weight of Sitwell’s words lingers in the air, thick with suspicion and judgment. 

Natasha, already at her breaking point from watching Sitwell chip away at your integrity, feels the urge to intervene and finally put an end to this interrogation. She’s ready to speak when your voice cuts through the silence.

“The serum.”

The room seems to freeze for a moment, and Sitwell blinks, momentarily thrown by your response.

“What?”

Natasha swings her head toward you, her brows knitting together in confusion and concern.

Your suggestion is reckless, dangerous even, and she can hardly believe you would propose such a thing. 

But there it is—that familiar look of determination she knows so well, etched across your face. It’s the same expression you wear when you’re willing to risk everything for what you believe in.

“Have me take the serum,” you repeat, your voice unwavering and resolute. “Then you’ll know I’m telling the truth.”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~ Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

a/n: thank you for reading! and sorry for the long break in between chapters, I didn’t mean for it to be a whole month since an update on this series, but hopefully it won’t be like this for next time.

If you asked to be tagged and I missed it, please let me know again.

Taglist : @midastouch013, @2silverchain, @dvrkhcld, @observeowl, @x-drowned-x, @fireandblood-3, @natsxwife, @leequifey, @blacklightsposts, @srt-sah, @scar-letwidow, @likefirenrain, @autorasexy, @natsbiggestfan1, @lex13cm, @iheartjohansson, @tofu9162, @nothanksbye07, @unexpected-character, @natashasilverfox, @acciowriting, @qtreesfanstuff, @mrsrushman, @inarayofmoonlight, @viosblog112, @inarayofmoonlight

[jazeswhbhaven]

Hiii could you do some scenarios which MC annouces the kings (+ Lucifer + some of your fav nobles plssss) about they pregnancy :3

Love to see some fluff stuff here 😽 Thank you and have a great day 💞🫶

Hi anon! Thank you for waiting on this <3 I hope you're still around to see your request be answered because I like doing the pregnancy reveal fluff stuff 🥺

Let's do a few of my fave nobles first!

Valefor: When MC visits the gym in order to meet up with him, he's worried that something is wrong because MC never really seeks him out unless it's urgent. Well the urgency is that MC went to the hospital to get checked out and they're pregnant! Valefor is surprised, and even reads the results of the test with wide eyes. He jumps into instant protective mode and takes MC away from the gym afraid someone might knock them down or something. He's really supportive and has a home gym made so he can monitor MC from a close eye. He even helps with nutrition needs and light exercises they can do.

Beleth: When MC tells Beleth straight up that they're pregnant he thought it was a prank at first. But when he sees the pregnancy test, he's surprised and melts at the thought of a tiny version of him and MC running around the palace and jumping on a sleeping Belphie. He does all that he can to take care of MC, and he even smokes outside and away from MC. Though it would be difficult for him to give up smoking, he will at least find some alternatives so it's safe for MC and their baby.

Bael: All he could think about when MC came to them revealing that they were pregnant is that Beel "fucked up again" but then it's confirmed that it's not Beel who got MC pregnant but Bael! He's surprised, stressed, and happy all at once. Mostly because even though he's a father now, he's still got a kingdom to run. He just wishes Beel would come back and take the throne so he could spend as much time as possible with MC. But he does make time, more breaks, he's had MC move in to the palace, and they take a few moments to set up a room for the baby as well. He's very domestic, doting, and soft which makes it a perfect experience for MC even though he's busy.

Amy: MC randomly showed up and told him that they were pregnant, and he was awestruck. He? He did something Sitri couldn't do??? Although that being his first thought kinda pissed off MC, he apologizes immediately and starts to take it seriously. Though he can't help but rub it in Sitri's face that he's the one that got MC pregnant. In fact, he says he'd raise his kid to be a lot better at fighting than Sitri. MC is going to have to figure out a way to distract Amy enough so he can get that idea out of his head....somehow.

Foras: He's elated, his heart to the moon when MC tells him that they're having a kid together. He wants to marry MC, get a house, all of it so they can be a family like he's read in fantasy romance books. He also enjoys showing off to his comrades that he got MC pregnant, a smug smirk on his face and all. He still pledges his loyalty to Leviathan, but he's less focused than usual since he's got to protect pregnant MC. He thinks though that he can balance the two without any kind of help.

Kings time!~

Satan: The pregnancy announcement had Satan bursting at the seams. He was very loud and excited that everyone was getting kicked just because he was so happy about it. He also becomes overly protective over MC, growling every time someone is near, and doesn't allow anyone to touch them.

Mammon: He's delighted that MC was pregnant. It's because he's been trying to have kids with MC anyway since they brought it up to him a while ago. There was a mass celebration for the pregnancy, another similar to a "baby shower" and then there's another celebration for the birth to held as well. Mammon also has a room attached to his own that's a full blown nursery, and MC even has a nesting room. He's going to make sure MC is pampered to the fullest.

Beelzebub: He never thought he'd have kids with MC, not this soon anyway. He also doesn't seem to remember when this child was conceived in the first place but it knows it had to be one of the several times he's been with them in the past month. He's thoughtful when it comes to gifts, and other things he gathers on his travels to bring back for MC. He says he plans on coming back when MC is closer to their due date so he can stay next to them, but we'll see...

Leviathan: He denied it at first, unsure if MC was being serious or not. MC however, was serious which made Leviathan alert about their condition. He first begins by making more space in his bedroom by knocking out the walls to the adjacent rooms so that a nursery can be made, and he even starts a commission on a small coffin for the baby to sleep in once it's here. Leviathan starts making plans ahead of time, thinking it's never too early to make sure his child has everything they need. Also, no one is allowed to be near or touch MC during this time. He even sends Foras to make sure that rule stays true.

Lucifer: He wasn't surprised when MC told him because he already knew. That's why here lately he was being more careful with MC, giving them certain vitamins and medicines for healing. He also recommends that MC doesn't fight too much, as he's unsure with how his DNA will work in the development. He did used to be a Seraphim and this could cause strange symptoms during the pregnancy. Well one thing that's noticeable off the bat is that sometimes MC's belly glows brightly. At least MC has a doctor/healer for a partner. This pregnancy should go easily.

Belphegor: All he does is confirm that it makes sense that MC would be pregnant with the amount of sex they've been having over the course of a few weeks. He says this would be a good excuse for MC to sleep more, because they won't be getting it once the baby is born. Well maybe...if it's anything like Belphie this baby would probably be sleeping a lot. Which in that case, even better. When MC and Belphie cuddle in bed, he sometimes rests his hand over their belly idly.

Asmodeus: This...is bad news. Mostly because of the curse that his late wife put on him and whoever has his child. MC was afraid to tell him, because maybe if they didn't speak on it, then the curse wouldn't take place. Unfortunately this is something Asmo can tell right off the bat that they are pregnant, and he doesn't seem too concerned. MC is panicking from his lack of concern but they find out shortly why. It's because there was a loophole to the curse that he never revealed on purpose. The child would have to be born through a c-section, and also Asmo has to be in love with MC. They are also the only partner of his that can get pregnant for the next 500 years. With this rule in place, Asmo is in immediate dad mode and he's lovin' every moment of it. He's also been annoying his descendants on Earth about their new "sibling" that's on the way.

[yichens]

Pit Babe Characters x Cartomancy ➣ Part 4: Kenta & Kim

Jack of Diamonds: Focuses on fulfilling his duty. Hard to change; in both mind and heart. Seven of Clubs: Standing up for what is right. Going against the current and making a difference.

for @pitbabeanniversary week 4 prompts: kenta & kim

(more thoughts under the cut!)

disclaimer: i am not an expert in either cartomancy or tarot reading. i did a lot of research on these two sites to come up with these cards for the characters. some of the meanings associated with the cards are still only my own interpretation, so they might not be completely accurate.

i'm quite amused by the fact that kenta and kim ended up with cards that are opposites of each other: other one is bound to oneself while the other connects more to people around (or above) them. yet in their differences, they're also quite similar – two sides of the same coin, i might say.

kenta: jack of diamonds is an ironic choice for kenta, i have to admit that. in general, diamonds are connected – amongst other things – to wealth, possessions, and independence. ironically, kenta lacks all of these things. he isn't rich on anything, doesn't own anything. not even his own self belongs to him bc he gave up his mind and body a long time ago (and his heart? i think it died throughout his childhood as he became the weapon tony needed him to be. tho others might say it's only buried deep and is still beating despite, or in spite, of it all).

but the jack of diamonds as one of the diamond cards isn't really about money or property. it's about loyalty and devotion, about striving for perfection and fulfilling your duty. a jack of diamonds is a hard worker, dedicated to a fault, stubborn as a mule, and so very hard to change bc of that. making them come around and change their mind is frustrating bc they don't want to admit they're wrong. and well, kenta might be aware of the fact that what he's doing is wrong, but. what other purpose does he have? he owes this much to his "father" (read: owner). the abuse disguised as love might be painful to take at times but does he really deserve anything more? ("yes," answer pete and kim, vehemently, above everyone else. "no," whispers kenta's own mind, black with tony's poison.)

kim: where kenta avoids change and doesn't believe he's capable of making things better for others bc he's simply not that strong, kim is the opposite. he has clear principles and he's unwilling to give those up for anything. he cannot stand watching what tony is doing after learning about his crimes. he stands up for justice, for the mistreated children under tony's care, for his career and talent, and most of all, for himself. he will not bend into anyone's will – hell, he'd rather die than let that happen as he proves by comforting tony in his own home about his misdeeds which really requires some huge balls from this guy. (sorry kim, i might love you but what were you even thinking???)

seven of clubs is a card that is about taking a stance and going against something you find wrong. it is about resistance bc you're so convinced that what you think or do is the right thing. it is about change – about forcing change to happen bc things cannot continue the way they are. and this is all truly what kim represents: conviction, sense of justice, and believing in your own capability and skills. some might see him a bit arrogant, too, but i think it's one of his best qualities that he's confident and knows exactly where he stands, what he wants, and what he deserves.

as a couple, i've already said it: kenta and kim are two sides of the same coin. that's what makes them clash but also work together. kim questions why kenta is doing what he is doing while also showing how strong he can be when he believes in himself and his principles. that affects kenta enough to make him break out of his cage – slowly, one broken rule at a time, but still. eventually, he picks up that knife and kills the final beast. he is free or left adrift, i don't really know. but at least, he's found another duty and has accepted change as the necessary evil. no more hurting innocents. something can be stronger than tony (other ppl's devotion to each other, perhaps? kenta isn't sure but i hope he figures it out.)

(an additional note of this edit: i think it's fitting that kenta's pic is more on the dark side, while kim's is brighter/has brighter yellow tones. kenta is the shadow while kim is the light etc. etc. you know what i mean)

[missvelvetsstuff]

The Situation Room

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: After a mission almost gone wrong, Tony brings back Bucky's former assistant, who is also Bucky's ex. Can they work together without hurting each other? Will the whole truth about their break up finally come out?

Avengers AU where Thanos never happened.

Chapter 13

Warnings: swearing, angst, I know nothing about airplanes.

Notes: I'm back! Only 1 month for this update. Life is still crazy. Waiting for the house to sell as the Phoenix summer heats up so only a couple more weeks of horses. Watching in horror as a malignant narcissist with some mental decay destroys everything good about my country. Good times.

Like my mom always said, this too shall pass. I hope.

Bucky took his bike to the same small airport where Radar had been less than a day ago and slipped his friend a wad of cash to get him across the Atlantic. Then he took a similar route to hers until he landed in Madripoor, arriving just over a day after she did. The hard part came next, figuring out where she might have gone on the island. He spoke to every contact he'd ever had before having any luck.

One of his contacts had heard whispers about the Power Broker and human trafficking, mostly women who disappeared without any trace but also children, even infants. Unfortunately the PB had multiple properties around the island and probably some that weren't known by many. He started in High Town, going from one place to another and using one of Sam's back-ups to Redwing to get closer and see more than he could on his own.

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

Back in New York the team was gathering in the kitchen when Sam realized he hadn't seen Bucky in the gym or on the track around the compound. "Anyone know where tin man might have gone? It's not like him to sleep late and I haven't seen him."

Everyone shook their heads no, except Steve who appeared very focused on his coffee. Unfortunately for Steve, Sam noticed. "What do you know, Rogers?"

Everyone turned to look at him and Steve rubbed the back of his neck, "I haven't seen or spoken to him today so don't know what you're trying to imply."

Natasha walked up to him and looked straight into his eyes "What do you mean you haven't seen him today? Did you talk to him last nite?"

Steve stuttered "I, I uh don't know, I mean, what do you mean?" he paused, trying to think of a good answer but before he could Nat was on to him.

She narrowed her eyes at him "You're still a shit liar, Rogers? What do you know? Spill."

Steve sighed in resignation, he knew Nat wouldn't let it go. He sat down at the table and told the team about his run in with Bucky the night before. "He asked for us to give him some time to find her on his own. He knows how to blend in and has contacts everywhere while a very recognizable team dropping in on a well known quinjet would draw attention and might make Radar or whoever she's after, bolt. Just give him a couple of days."

Tony shook his head "So we're just supposed to sit here and wait for, something? I'm not good with that. Where did he go?"

Steve tried to argue "Tony, look. Bucky-"

"No, I won't accept that. If you know where he went you need to tell me so I can at least have Friday monitor the area for anything suspicious." Tony insisted.

Steve tried again to argue "Where he went is pretty lawless so damn near everything going on is suspicious, it would be impossible to determine what might have something to do with them."

Tony stood firm "Then we can use facial recognition to search for them. Jesus Rogers, your bestest buddy has gone rogue, apparently somewhere that sounds dangerous and you just let him? He's not going to win her back by getting himself caught too. Where did he go?"

Steve gave up "I don't think there are many cameras there but he went back to the last place we looked for Radar. Madripoor."

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

Without looking up, Radar took the baby from Sharon and cuddled it to her chest "I believe this is mine."

Sharon glanced back towards Val, nervously laughing "She is but you should probably come inside."

Radar was enthralled by the little life in her arms but quickly glared at Sharon "I'm not leaving her. Ever."

Val scoffed "Okay Mama Bear, just come inside."

Radar slowly entered and sat on a couch across from Val who looked her up and down, assessing.

Val smirked "So. This is awkward. We weren't expecting you."

She glared at Sharon "She wasn't supposed to remember."

Radar scoffed "I don't remember a damn thing but you didn't think the team would want a medical exam on someone who disappeared for 6 months? Or that the Cradle would find evidence of a pregnancy?" she shook her head "Poor planning on your part."

Val shrugged "Obviously. That'll teach me to leave things up to Sharon. I should have learned the first time when she couldn't get Barnes even after you left."

Sharon bristled "Hey. It's not my fault-."

Val cut her off "Of course, Sharon. It wasn't your fault that Karli went rogue, not your fault that Barnes didn't want you or that your genetics weren't compatible. Nothing is ever your fault but you keep failing me. I knew you were incompetent but thought your relationship with the Avengers would give you an in. It seems that even with an advantage you failed."

Sharon tried to defend herself "I got her out of the picture but the drugs didn't work on Barnes. And I can't control my genetics."

Val scoffed "More excuses, just shut up before I decide it's not worth keeping you around."

Sharon shrank into her chair.

Radar pondered the exchange before speaking up "So. trying to make more super soldiers any way possible now, huh?"

Val barked a short laugh "Unfortunately there don't seem to be many options." her eyes narrowed "But you, you seem to be the rare woman who is compatible. I wanted to find out how to replicate that but your team got too close so we had to cut things short." she nodded at Radar and the baby "23 is one of the only ones who survived this long." then rolled her eyes "The Power Broker over there couldn't even keep a pregnancy for the first month."

Sharon cried out "That wasn't my fault!"

Val glared "Shut the fuck up, Sharon. In fact, you can go. Keep an eye out for any Avengers looking for her."

Radar had the baby on her lap, looking her over, counting fingers and toes but listening to Val, waiting for Sharon to leave. Once the door closed she spoke without looking up from the baby "23? Couldn't be bothered to give her a name? Just a subject to be analyzed and studied? Can't get attached, right?"

Val smiled but her eyes were cold "It's just business but my business is protecting the free world. I don't have the luxury of attachments. She looked at the baby "You shouldn't either, none of them have lasted a month. We hoped we'd find something in their blood, tried to recreate the serum with it but lost some local homeless kids trying."

"Right. We're all just tools for you to use as you please." Radar shook her head "I'm assuming Bucky is the father of this little Miracle? You must have found some blood and other bodily fluid samples that HYDRA had stored. You have some fucking nerve."

Val scoffed "It's easy for you to sit there and judge. You have no idea what is on my shoulders. The Avengers are too independent and can't be trusted to stick to the program. The Soviets had the right idea, start when they're young and teach them to put their country first. Like they did in the Red Room. Since you've returned, we can make more. Between the serum and the drugs we have, 6 months was adequate gestation and we were able to heal you up so that it wasn't obvious you had been pregnant."

Radar looked at her in horror as she stood and started pacing "No. I'm not going to be your Handmaid. I'm taking my baby and going home. I'm going to expose you and end your human trafficking before any more women or babies are hurt."

Radar was so worked up she didn't hear the door open and barely moved out of the way when Sharon tried to get a needle into her. "You two are unbelievable, thinking you can do whatever you- aaahhhh, fuck!' She cried as Sharon kicked her in the back, right where she had been injured, causing Radars muscles to seize up and dropping her to one knee, the baby clutched tightly against her with her right arm. "You better fucking kill me Sharon because if you don't I will kill you, now...." she felt a pinch and grabbed her neck, staring at Sharon with wide eyes "Cunt!" and slid down against the wall.

Sharon grabbed the baby as Radar slumped over and Val sighed "Took you long enough, I thought she was going to recite the Constitution or something."

The baby started crying and Val gave Sharon a dirty look "Jesus, shut that brat up and have mommy taken to the jet. We need to move again, they'll be looking for her."

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

Bucky finally had a real lead and headed to a small house on the outskirts of High Town. Red Wing 2 helped him see that there were only 4 people in the house, one being an infant. One was laying on a bed, not moving.

As he was watching there was a sudden bustle of activity where it had been quiet. First there were two SUV's full of large, heavily armed men who swept the area before a limo showed up. A short, blonde woman in a white catsuit exited the limo and went into the house. A few minutes later she came back out followed by three women and opened the door of the limo. He was pretty sure the first ones were Sharon and Val, then a small woman he didn't know, looked like a local. With a baby in her arms. The blonde was familiar, he thought it might be Natasha's sister, Yelena, but he hadn't seen her since the Red Room. He watched until one of the men went to the other door of the limo with a woman over his shoulder. She didn't move as he set her in the car.

Bucky swore and followed them on foot to a small airfield. They parked in a hangar and started loading up a plane. When one of the men picked the unconscious woman up out of the limo and turned to board the jet, Buckys blood ran cold. She had the same color hair as Radar. He whispered a string of expletives before quickly sending a message to Steve, then sneaking across the field to wait for them to finish boarding the plane.

Thirty minutes later Bucky was working his way from the landing gear wheel well to the cargo area as the plane took off.

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

At the compound, Steve was reading in his room when his phone beeped. He saw the text from Bucky and tensed. This was complicated enough but now with Val involved they were looking at a whole different level. It would be easy to go after bad guys but a US Govt official made things much trickier.

He rounded up the team and told them what Bucky had texted him. They all suited up and the quinjet was taking off 10 minutes later, following the signal of Bucky's transponder.

While they were in the air, Nat received a text from a familiar number with one word: Siberia

@unaxv @calwitch @buckitostan @cjand10. @vicmc624 @sandrab02

[jackalopc]

Now that ive seen TF, what is it about it that you like so much? (This is an excuse for you to go off about it :) )

Why do I love the movie, Triple Frontier?

I’ve known the answer to this question since I received it, and even before then. But putting it into words is more difficult than I think I anticipated. This is maybe not as eloquently written as it could be, but I think I captured at least the basis. I also have some links to other posts where I talk more in depth about certain subjects I bring up, which I recommend, as most are a little more focused.

I’m a veteran, and I think just hearing that you might think that I just like movies focused on the military in general, or something similar. The truth is though, I don’t. I actually rarely watch and engage in military-related media; or at least media that’s solely focused on it. Most military-focused media is just annoying to be quite honest.

They’re there to kiss ass to the military, like buddy, Uncle Sam isn’t going to fuck you. They also tend to portray veterans in a terribly negative light– it’s not that vets don’t face struggles, we do. But it completely misses the point of how we got there (spoiler: it was the military itself). Also because the average person just doesn’t really understand much about military life, they just let it be a buffet of bullshit, toxic masculinity oozing out of every frame, et cetera. And Gods forbid you see a woman in a military film because they’re always fucking useless and just damsels in distress but in fatigues, or they’re ‘not like other women’.

More often than not they just help to perpetuate nothing but the worst, especially about veterans, to the point where people have absolutely no idea the reality of how vets really are. It distracts from the real problems and just makes life harder for us as a whole.

So needless to say, it’s rarely just a fun experience.

So why do I like Triple Frontier if this is just how [U.S.] military movies are?

Well… because it doesn’t do any of that, really.

I think it’s easy to mistake the characters longing for the military life as just more fanatic patriotism and ass-kissing, if you’ve no experience with the military. One post I’ve reblogged at one point mentions Redfly having drank the military/patriot kool-aid, (i apologize i can’t remember exact phrasing); and I think folks misunderstand whats happened to these men.

They’re institutionalized. And I do mean that very literally, because that’s exactly what the military does to you. Especially the longer you’re in, and all of these men retired or got very close to retirement (save likely for Ben but I still estimate he did at least ten years). Are they fucked up vets? Most of em, yeah. But for once, a movie actually lays it out for what the problems are.

“They take your best twenty-years then spit you out” - Redfly.

When you join the military, you’re given a set of promises in return; such as being taken care of health wise as a veteran, et cetera. But it’s so god awfully difficult to access sometimes; it’s an uphill battle. Not because the VA doesn’t want to help you, they do. But the government is constantly trying to fuck service members over and veterans especially (particularly the political parties who claim to be all about supporting the troops and vets…). The military tries their best to prep you to transition out of the military, but they can only do so much. You can’t just casually dip out of the military, you can’t just casually transition. You’re suddenly in a world one day where you don’t have the safety, security, and structure of the military life; and you’re now faced with the question: What is my purpose now?

I have an off-the-cuff ramble here, that i literally wrote a few hours ago in the TF community, where I talk about how weird feeling it is being both a lover of Triple Frontier while also a vet in our current political climate. It goes into this topic a bit more.

These men are disabled, whether or not they admit it to themselves or not; whether they’re on disability currently or not… You can’t really escape it, not really, not unless you’re super lucky and often it’s more just a matter of time. It may not disable you right away, but it can set you up for it down the road. They’re in debt, there are substance issues (Redfly’s alcoholism, potentially Catfish with coke). Their mental health is a mess, especially Redfly. He’s depressed as shit, and he’s doing his fucking best, but his best… just isn’t enough. For most of them it’s not enough.

Ironhead, based off the movie and script, I think truly fucking went through it. But he dragged himself out. He’s what the others can potentially reach. He's got a calm acceptance of the reality they’re in, that most don’t. I didn’t experience anything nearly so close to what he has, but I definitely get it. I’ve had to fight and claw to get my mental health state to where it is for a decade now and it’s still shit. But dear gods, is it fucking better than what it was.

I love that this movie lets them actually be supportive and affectionate with each other. Ironhead’s line to Benny about him being a good man? In the average military movie, that would have been like The One Big Supportive Line you got the entire time; the one moment of letting down those emotional walls to awkwardly say they’re proud of someone, then immediately back to work.

We don’t get that in Triple Frontier. We see men, who despite struggling inwardly and outwardly; genuinely care for and love each other. They hug, constantly, despite seeing each other on a regular basis (with the exception of Pope). They support Benny in his fights, and keep up with each others home lives. The Miller’s are clearly the rocks of the group, the solid, stable ones who’ve managed to figure there shit out first. Yeah, it took time, but they got there. If you told me Ironhead was lowkey everyone’s guidance councilor, I’d 100% believe it. Benny is their light in the dark, the one whose got his whole life ahead of him and they want him to do his best and achieve what many of them probably feel like they no longer can.

No one is surprised to hear about Catfish being grounded, because they already knew. They also know about his new baby, and how his wife would rather him not do private work anymore.

Everyone knows Redfly is in rough shape, that he’s struggling the hardest. It’s why Ironhead wants him on the team, because he knows he’s struggling to not just provide but because he’s just… lost. Lost in a world that doesn’t understand people like them, lost in a world that just isn’t made to handle his skill set outside of the military or a PMC, lost in a world that he spent twenty years of his life fighting for and now it won’t even fight for him. They all did.

We see men who, in the average military movie, this would never happen. They’d all be Too Proud or Too Manly or Too [Insert Bullshit]. I actually talk about it here in more detail, in response to a gifset showing all the hugs. but like these are full body hugs, they’re tight and linger and they hold each other when needed. These men aren’t afraid to show their care for one another… It’s beautiful. Often the only people who have veterans backs are.. well, other vets. Even if you don’t know them. There are a multitude of reasons as to why they all stayed in Tampa, I'm sure, but I’d bet good money that part of is just knowing they had each other there and support each other (even if unconsciously).

None of the men push the others into doing it, save for Pope who obviously just needs a team so of course he would. Which isn't to say he's necessarily the bad guy for it, just more an observation (I talk about it more, later). They all know they all have good reason to say yes, and just as good reasons to say no. They also know that if they do this, they'd want to do it with each other and it's probably a main point for all of them. They rely on each other and know that, even outside of their military service, they each have their backs. They use each other as gauges and read each others feelings on the matter. They're all very in-sync with one another.

This movie really captures the complicated relationship most veterans have with the military. I would know, I’m one of them. It’s complicated and messy, and there is no good answer to any of it. It sounds cliche, ‘it’s complicated’ like its some fucking social media relationship status. But it’s true, and it’s probably the simplest way to explain it…

I have another post, here, where I go back and forth a bit with my friend reggie where we talk about why we believe the fandom is so weird about Redfly. I highly recommend it, Reggie alone has some amazing insights. ( @reggiesfilthylittlesecret ) But it gets into the crux of the matter which is ultimately: these men are desperate. They’re desperate for a life that feels familiar: where they’re respected and their work is appreciated; where they don’t have to struggle to just pay a bill or put food on the table; or worry about if they can put gas in the car. They want to feel like they don’t feel the need to reach for a beer or whatever their vice of choice is anymore, or that they have to sacrifice their morals, all just to feel any ounce of normal. They want to not be disabled, their bodies and minds broken in unfixable ways where the best you can do is just try to take the edge off.

And the thing is, even without the military aspect, so many of us are in this position here in the U.S. why are we acting like we wouldn’t also lose our shit if we could be walking away with literal millions?

I’m not so proud a person to sit here and say I wouldn’t as if it’s a hard fact.

People don’t like seeing things that reflect the worst in themselves, or the even the potential for it. I sometimes think that's where a lot of the skewed view on the movie can come from (among other things). And Pope? He came in offering a glimmer of hope in the darkness. The hope wasn’t false either, had things just gone a little differently, it would have been exactly what they had been sold by him.

And man, I get it. I’m nothing if not plagued by hope, to the point where it wears on me like despair is capable of. It’s exhausting, sometimes; because you have moments where you doubt yourself. You have moments where you wonder if what you’re feeling really is hope, or if it’s worth it. And I’m so so often the only one around in my various friend groups that has even a glimmer of hope let alone more– it’s exhausting, sometimes, carrying it for so many people. But fuck man, someone’s gotta…

This movie is by no means perfect, and I definitely have my criticisms for it. But at the end of the day, I can’t not see… me, in them. I can’t not see my family members, my friends, hell my ex-husband, and the people who’ve helped me the most in my life since getting out in ‘14 when I was a fucking mess and newly disabled.

I see not greedy men, but desperate men. Men who just need something to tell them that it was all worth it– that they didn’t give up their lives, bodies, and minds for nothing. People who just want to feel normal again.

[lbxbx]

I’m down so bad for j hope right now the only solution is a lobotomy

Hey! No one's getting a lobotomy on my watch LMAO

Work from home | JHS mini drabble

tags: smut, little to no plot. word count: 1200

 “I’ll call the creative team and have them prepare the slides for our meeting tomorrow with our client.”

It’s similar to all the meetings from home you had, dressed into a fancy button up with either a panty or sweatpants. It’s almost one hour left before you get to log off and end your day, your office slash dining table was a frightening mess, two coffee cups, the leftovers from our breakfast, an unbelievable amount of shredded papers and tissues, and your pair of socks that you had taken off  a couple hours ago when your legs felt hot. You were always like that when you were focused on your work, you wouldn’t pay enough attention to the surroundings of you whatsoever.

“Of course Y/n, and tell them to have the slides ready by tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll be sure to call the marketing team to stay in touch with them.” Your boss who’s also working from home answers you.

You hear the door to your house unlocking before you look at the time, Hoseok is back earlier than usual. He flashes you a smile and your eyes struggle to stay focused on the screen and you fight the urge to smile back at your man when you’re in the middle of a meeting.

“I’ll be back in a second sir, let me get the notes I wrote earlier.” You mute your video call and getup to hug Hoseok and grab his thermal cup from his hands. “Hi honey.” He wraps his arms tightly around you carrying up from the floor. “Hey, how’s your day? You’re back early.”

‘I’ve been thinking about you the entire day.” He presses his lips against yours. “I miss you too, but hey, I’m in the middle of a meeting, I’ll log off in like an hour you can probably shower until then and rest a little so we can have dinner.”

He looks at the dining table behind you before turning his gaze towards you. “Are you doing okay?

“Yeah, the chaos means I’m being productive” You kiss his lips again. “Go change, I have to get back to my meeting.”

He nods and takes his thermal cup to the kitchen, washing it and taking his time to clean it along with the other dishes, before heading towards the bedroom, taking off his suit and putting it in the laundry basket and taking a quick shower. It’s the bare minimum, but him doing the dishes and putting away laundry made you flip head over heels for him.

He gets dressed and walks back towards your make believe office and smiles subtly before picking up your used cups and tissues and taking them back to the kitchen, he takes a couple of trips back and forth to clean your surroundings and makes sure you’re all comfortable while you’re being productive.

It grabs his attention when you argue with your boss over a stupid thing, the stern tone in your voice along with your posture moved something inside him. It makes him think how this strong woman  holding up a meeting can grow weak and vulnerable in his own arms when you’re in bed with him.

Hoseok’s intrusive thoughts always got the best of him, and when it comes to you he’d grow week too. So he gets down on his knees and crawls under the table closer to you. Right when he spreads your legs to sit between them you nudge his shoulder to stop when you’re mid talking.

And he’s totally unbothered, he hooks his fingers into your panties and pulls it further down to your ankles. And honestly it’s not his first time doing this, so you know your hopeless attempts of stopping him will end up failing, he simply just gets what he wants, and right now he wants you.

He presses one kiss onto your cunt and usually he would savor how you taste and verbalize how much he enjoys your taste on his tongue, but he got used to eating you out in the middle of your meetings so he stays quiet.

He hooks your arms onto your thighs and pulls you towards him a little to reveal more off your cunt to him.

And you are trying to hold on in front of your lap top camera and you barely can, one hand is under the table running through his hair and tugging onto it, and the other one is supporting your chin in a desperate try to cover your mouth, and it works.

Your eyes almost roll to the back of your head when he wraps his mouth around your cunt, enveloping it entirely in his mouth to slurp on it and eat you out like it’s his last meal alive. He would kill to see your face trying hard to hide the pleasure but too bad the dining table is in the way.

“Yes, I’ll have everything ready by tues—tuesday.” You almost choke on your words when he fucks your cunt with his tongue, his fingers circulating you bean to deliver more pleasure and it’s about to drive you crazy.

Your chest heaves faster and you tug harder on his hair when he bops his head to fuck you with his tongue and you feel your stomach tightening, he forcefully pushes your legs back open when you try and close them around his head, and to deliver even more pleasure he pushes in his index and middle finger and slowly beings to move them in and out of you, this time his mouth enveloping your clit and sucking onto it.

“Mmm.” Escapes your mouth and clear your throat to try and mask it, you could easily predict Hoseok and you know he’d be smirking and he’d be totally proud of himself to make that little moan escape of out you.

He doesn’t think again before pushing in his ring finger and fucking you repeatedly with all his three fingers while flicking and sucking onto your tiny throbbing bean, his tongue even collects your juices and his own eyes close at the sweet taste of you that he never gets sick of.

Your fingernails almost dig into his scalp when you feel yourself about to release, your legs are still trying to fight his strength and close but he’s way stronger than you are. He curls his fingers against your spot and doesn’t stop, and you can clearly hear the wet sound from your pussy and you wonder if the can hear it.

“Y/N, any thoughts on that?” Your boss asks and you immediately answer with a shaky voice. “N-no, all good, so good.”

You fight the urge to call out his name off of the top of your lungs when you finally cum, you feel the entire orgasm in you back and shoulders and your body heats up more than it already is, and he’s still fucking you through your orgasm, your cunt repeatedly clenching around his soaked fingers.

“That’s all for today, we’ll see you tomorrow morning” Your boss finally ends the meeting and the camera finally turns off.

“Fuck you, Jung Hoseok.”

“You’re welcome, next time maybe we can show them that this mouth can do other things too.”

[kimbap-r0ll]

Can I request headcanons for Malleus, Vil, and Idia with an s/o who’s really talented and good at ballet dancing but doesn’t like to dance in front of others due to confidence issues?

Hi, thank you for the ask!

Malleus, Vil, Idia x ballet dancer!reader who isn't confident to dance in front of others

Malleus

He probably found out about you dancing because he accidentally saw you from Ramshackle's window. He went in to compliment you but when you stumbled on a turn and asked him if he saw you he realized you weren't too comfortable showing your dance skills to others

However this doesn't stop him from complimenting you nonetheless. He says it looks beautiful, even though you might object to it. It saddens him to see someone so talented like you worry. He won't try to change you, but he will try to help you understand that in his eyes, you are the furthest thing from "a bad dancer"

He might not be a ballet dancer, but he does know how to waltz. If you ever want to dance with him, that might be a fun thing to try! He's super gentle when holding you close to him too, it's really nice

I feel like if you ever get comfortable showing him some of your favorite ballet moves he'll be super happy. He'll almost seem like a curious kid, just sitting on the floor while you show him what a grand jete looks like.

Speaking of ballet, he's also eager to learn about the art from you. While he may not be able to dance alongside with you, he'll like learning about it. Also if you ever need any supplies, he'll always get them for you.

Overall he wants you to be comfortable showing him what you are passionate about. Even though that may take some time, know that you mean a lot to him and he's going to be your number one fan no matter what.

Vil

He didn't know you did ballet but he had a feeling after seeing how flexible you were. You two might have been seeing a movie together and you seemed to know every ballet move in the film. He asked if you did ballet, and though you answered "yes" you also said that you aren't confident showing anyone how you do

He thinks it's nonsense that you would be scared he would call you out on your mistakes or point out how something you did wasn't "graceful." Sure, he can be harsh with criticism, but that doesn't mean he thinks mistakes are bad. He hopes you understand that to him it's more important you have the confidence in yourself than making sure you get every step correct.

I feel like he did ballet a long time ago, maybe he only knows the basics. He won't be able to dance a whole song with you, but he will definitely want to watch you. He won't push for it, he'll tell you that you should show him when you feel comfortable. Is very considerate of not pushing your boundaries

When you do show him a song you like, he's very focused. You might worry he is scrutinizing you, but it's not that. He's so focused because he thinks you look beautiful. You floated in the air and you held your poses with an air of grace. Vil will give you a hug and an applause afterwards, saying you should be more confident with those skills

Similar to Malleus, he wants you to be comfortable around him. He's also super big on taking care of your health. If you ever feel fatigue from ballet, he'll just pick you up and lay you on a couch. If you need bandages or tiger balm, he shows up with the materials in no time. Know that he's going to be with you and that your confidence matters to him more than ballet

Idia

He's never really seen ballet in real life, probably just through video games. When you two were talking one night about dances, you told him about ballet. He's too shy to ask you to show him, but you could tell he was super curious with the way his eyes lit up.

Probably the most understanding when it comes to confidence. He knows what it can feel like to feel as though the world is judging you. But ballet is a passion for you, it's something that should make you feel as though nothing is holding you back, something you have comfort in! He wants you to know that, and that he won't judge you no matter what you might think your skills are like in the dance.

He won't be able to dance with you, but he will love to watch you. You might be warming up, just doing some stretches but he'll just sit and stare at you. He asks a lot of questions too, just on how certain ballet moves work and things like that. He loves learning about things you like, and it's a fun way to bond with him!

When you show him a routine, he's completely entranced. When you're finished, you might have to wave a hand in front of him to get him to say something, because he was just sitting there with his mouth open haha. He really thinks you looked beautiful, he'll stumble on his words but you can tell he really thought you were great. Gives you a big hug afterwards, telling you he's thankful you were able to show him

He won't push you to show him a dance when you aren't ready. He knows how important personal boundaries are, so he's super understanding about that. If you ever need anything by the way, he's always there for you too!

[another-dra-anew]

What do you think would've happened if Tsurugi died instead of Kurokawa in chapter 1?

was so hard to get my thoughts on this down coherently... but this is such a good question i had to power through and get an answer out !!

(written with like... i wanted to keep it in the same exact setting Just Changing that inori kills tsu instead of kurokawa. tried to get a bit into how this'd affect the rest of the game, but trying to avoid spoiling stuff before that!)

~*~

set up:

immediately, my brain goes to why? not that that's the question, but i wanted to think about it. you'll realize quickly that i thought about this a lot. we could say that inori accidentally killed tsurugi (too much force when hitting his head), but i feel like the route of an accidental murder doesn't really work with inoris character. she explicitly made the choice to kill, and planned out her murder well in advance, even though the mastermind did coerce her specifically.

i think she'd kill tsurugi because of how he kinda works against her fears, and her motive. inori killed because she was paranoid someone would kill her, and felt ostracized and alone. she'd have known from her motive video that tsurugi had multiple loved ones shown in his, and would be worried he was hiding how upset he was about the motive. additionally, similar to how she was upset over kurokawas blatant distress, i think tsurugi's goal of getting everyone to relax would make inori bitter.

case:

i think tsurugi would effectively keep his injuries, but more severe/multiple blows to the head? a stab in the spine to get him down, then blows to the head until he wasn't breathing anymore. or, honestly, i can see her going back to the sharp point of the drill, knowing she's very likely to get caught, and going after his brain stem. either way, inori knows this is her one shot, and she's Screwed if she messes up, so she's Getting him!! stab stab stab whack whack whack! (contrast with yamaguchi, who stabbed/cut mekaru multiple times as well, but did so out of uncertainty and struggle with committing to it.)

inori would still go for drugging tsurugi, i don't think she'd drug kurokawa? i think i'd have someone notice that inori was drinking coffee during the dining hall party, and she'd claim it was decaf. in trial, somebody (maybe kurokawa?) would casually remark on something that we can extrapolate to mean that the decaf hadn't been used that night- coffee grounds, what container was open, etc. maybe a specific coffee pot is decaf only, and didn't need to be washed? anyways, the reason i say that is because not drugging tsurugi means that kurokawa would discover his body pretty quickly, at least once she was done cleaning, if not earlier, should she get worried about his absence.

trial:

this leads us to a fun trial set-up where the kids had laid down for bed, and are getting more and more tired as the trial goes on. also, bit of a fun reveal, when maeda gets his door banged on, and opens it to kurokawa already moved on to whacking other doors, leaving him to see tsurugis body and Realize on his own. i also think it'd be really fun to have some of the kids gather together in the kitchen for a caffeine run... i feel a very distinct ambience there? like six or so kids just standing there.. one opens one of the cans of cold brew while another looks for creamer. two just look at their mugs. one idly nurses it, while the other focuses on how warm it is in their hands. someone remarks on the fact tsurugi died wearing bracelets that were made maybe an hour ago. eventually, they all go back to investigating. Yeah..

anyways. i can see kurokawa as being trial mvp, tbh? like canon, she's accused of murdering tsu, but rather than being cleared by her injuries (since she'd have none), she'd be cleared by the timeline- why kill him so Immediately? but she'd be suspected because of the pills, and the fact she was making food and drinks.

losing tsu:

we're losing our guy who argues for the blackeneds sympathy! i don't think inori is met with much kindness when she gets executed. only a few of the kids think killing her is an okay choice, but no one voices their dissent. its hard to say without knowing how the cases would go past this, eg, who would kill, and why- but i can't really see anyone arguing for the blackeneds too strongly, or too soon. maeda could start to make the case around chapters 4 or 5, or some of the others might, but it's not going to be as early or as prevalent.

similarly, the kids struggle to bounce back. a lot of people find a friend or two, and will spend time with them, but people spend a lot more time on solo hobbies in their rooms, and i don't know how many whole group events there'd be. tsu processes the events of the game in a different way because of his background with crisis response, so he's handling things differently than our remaining cast would- kurokawa is who's changing with tsu, and she wouldn't have that effect on the groups dynamic that he does. i think maeda feels a bit more Envolved in whats going on, because there isn't tsu to be significantly more of a driver and overshadow him- but i also don't think maeda likes hanging out with the others very much. its something he does to pass time and stay sane.

gaining kurokawa:

not saying this definitively, but i wonder if maeda would've wound up dead if kurokawa had done that exorcism. anyways, kurokawa has shitty luck, so there'd be at least an attempt on her life, if not a successful murder, in chapter 2. if maeda does die, i can see it being in ch2? and kurokawa taking over as protagonist. but im just spitballing. if that happened, hm... i think kurokawa would be able to get maeda back to functioning in the ch1 investigation- but we'd be investigating from her pov, and would keep it that way through the entire investigation, even though maeda would be back. i think he'd be her support, tbh. she'd investigate with him- why would she investigate with uehara and tomori? this got really tangential, so tldr, maeda or kurokawa are dying in ch2, and whoever lives gets to be protag!

something i wanna show in rewrites is that kurokawas a bit unsubtle. she's fairly overt in showing her hand, and what she intends to do with it. in a friendly environment, she has nothing to worry about, so she's friendly!! but in more stressful environments, moments where the weight of the game is felt strongly, i think she's quick to identify potential issues, call them out then just go "...okay." after whatever student she poked at comes up w their defense. it's clear to see when she's having Thoughts, but can be harder to tell what she's thinking. after a murder, and with the group not being too connected, i think she runs the risk of getting avoided by some of the kids. in fact, i can see her getting targeted Because she's so clearly dissecting the going ons of the game/what the others are thinking.

mtoxna=:

similar to how completing this event would've gotten us a good amount of kisaragi lore, kurokawas theories on why he wasnt there/what was up with the game in general, and some thoughts on maeda, i think we'd learn a lot about tsurugis thoughts on the cast, and theories on the outside world. kurokawa, maeda, uehara, and tomori would pop up a lot, and he'd remark that even getting to see one more floor would've helped him so much. still, he'd have a lot to say for the workings of the game- why they weren't getting rescued, and how the mastermind was keeping the school functional. i think tsu would be Very upset about the way he died, and the people he left behind, but we'd end on him deciding to make the afterlife welcoming for when inori shows up.

characters:

just to recap, kurokawa is fairly likely to die in ch2, but if she survives, she'd probably take protag rights from maeda, who'd die in ch3 at the latest- if kurokawa is still alive. if she dies, maeda lives, and if maeda dies, kurokawa survives to the end. kurokawa wonders a lot how different things would've been if tsurugi were still alive, but i don't think her survivors guilt is esp bad. maeda, meanwhile, gets upset over tsurugis death in particular even in like. ch5, assuming he survives until then.

uehara gets really close to kurokawa. tomori tries to get him to spend time with her. she's largely unsuccessful. uehara cannot be fted with in ch2, he refuses to spend time with anyone other than kuromori. might bounce back a little later, but like.. while he isnt cold or hostile, it's clear he's not really.. trying to become Close with anyone. he doesn't feel like joking around. the great gig in the sky just started playing. .... anyways. if you go to get a last look at the body more than once after the trial is called, kurokawa sees uehara sitting by tsu, and says she doesn't think she should go interrupt. he takes tsurugi's class band, and places something of his own on tsurugi (makes sure its in a pocket or smthn, so it'll hopefully be kept on him). dies in the later half of the game, low to mid chance of survival

tomori steps into tsus role in the group a bit, but does things very differently. asks maeda to sit by her and uehara (kicking higa out of his seat), and you get a small group event where she invites a few people over for tea. also, i think tomori misses him more than she can make sense of. she knew him so temporarily, but he really feels like he was someone Supposed to be present who she can feel isn't. she thinks she sees him standing around the school (at the end of hallways, corner of the dining hall, the closed off stairs at a new floor, etc) a Lot. he's never facing her. high chance of survival, if not, dies towards the middle of the game

speaking of higa, he uses tsurugis death as a chance to argue... i don't even know, to argue something or other thats evil and bigoted. this is what u get for being naive + wouldnt have happened if tsurugi wasnt a wuss! this is why tomori has maeda sit in higas seat specifically. people get mad at him for being the way he is, but there's no note of hope that he'll change, just people wishing he'd piss off. dies between middle and end of game, maybe ch4? middle of the road survival odds.

whenever i think of higa being a dick, i think of maki. i can see her maybe getting a bit closer to tomori? tomoris time is less taken up by kurokawa than it is by tsu... she doesn't strike me for a particular fate, but i can see her dying in ch3, specifically as a victim. she could die at any point after that, or could survive- i think it depends on how many survivor spots there ends up being.

yamaguchi might keep his spot in death line up. i can see him killing kurokawa, but it'd be different reasoning than killing mekaru- midori would have told him to target kurokawa. he's a good reserve, but i could easily throw a different student in if i have a more interesting concept. yamaguchis kinda hard to give friends because of how he processes the.. world around him. so it's a bit hard to work out what'd happen to him. low odds of survival just because i can't see myself working out what to do with him.

on the other hand, if i ever actually used this, it could be a fun time to mess more with mekaru. i can see her as a victim who's implied to be Up to some stuff, so her death hits the group a bit harder because theres info that dies with her. i think seeing kurokawa/potentially tomori being such strong figures in the trial would help her a lot with her personal struggles, and she'd at least feel confident trying her hand at poking some stuff. dies ch3 or 4 because if she makes it further, she'd do too much to help, and im Making this be a full killing game

hatano might end up as victim to me wanting to explore new ideas. while she falls a bit short at it, she tries to help uplift the group- so if ch2 isnt maekawas death roulette, it could see hatano getting offed to keep the group down. i also dont think she or iranami would be too impacted by the death changes, because i don't see either getting especially close to kurokawa. maybe iranami would if hatano died. mid-low odds of survival.

if iranami dies before hatano, hatano will die at least one chapter later (so if iranami dies. coughs. chapter 3, hatano can die in chapter 4 or 5, or can survive). regarding iranamis odds herself, i see her dying later in the game, if she doesn't outright survive. iranami is kinda hard to play odds for? mid to high survival odds.

not much to say here, but ōtori dies anywhere between chapters 2 and 4, has a fairly low odds of survival. similar to hatanami, he wouldn't be strongly impacted by tsurugi dying and kurokawa living.

kobashikawa can die in any chapter, has mid to low odds of survival. maybe if he pulls off surviving, he'll get to avoid seeing/being involved in the deaths! fingers crossed for you, kobashikawa. he does interact with tsurugi a bit off camera, but i think he'd be more strongly impacted by how tsurugis death affects maeda, than by tsurugis direct effect on him.

and finally, who really knows what taira is up to. hard to say...- ? ?? what do you mean there's a sixteenth character to be thinking about? i don't know what you mean...

synopsis: could die early: maeda, kurokawa, yamaguchi, hatano could die in the middle: tomori, higa could die late: uehara, mekaru, higa could die any point: ōtori, kobashikawa, maki likely to survive: tomori, iranami, kobashikawa, kurokawa, maeda

conclusion:

kurokawa would definitely be a student with a big presence on the games going ons! but tsurugis absence would be sorely felt, and it'd change the vibe of the overall group a lot. maeda isn't going to be doing so hot without tsu there to live in maedas brain (and sneak into his room while he sleeps. tbt to that happening in ch1). without tsurugi there to keep the group a Group, the kids will find friends to hang out with, but there'll be less connection, and more isolation.

kurokawa will be keeping a target on her back, so it's uncertain if she'll survive the game just because she makes it out of chapter 1. hard to get into things for chapter 6/etc late game things, but i don't think the cast is doomed, i'll point out. there'd definitely be changes to death order, and who survives- but i think the roster of students we'd end up with would be capable of escaping. if i were to make this an alternate killing game, i could absolutely keep the deaths going through to chapter 6- or, if i had this be unbound by killing game structure, maybe they'd be able to escape sooner! who's to say...

hoping i remember this ask when we finish ch6 so i can revisit and talk about how some plot points might change! btbbs death order is pretty set- meaning that who dies when is very important. even making it one chapter further would have a lot of impact on things, because a lot of consideration is put into who's been spending time with who. really fun to think about how the game would change if some fates changed!

~*~

BONUS: an excerpt from a ch1 investigation rewrite. just a random narration segment, im planning to put it in the kitchen investigations. just a special treat <3

Tsurugi, narrating - I’m really happy that Uehara is here…I like it when we spend time together-

Tsurugi - I really enjoy getting closer with everyone, but, I think I could put up with absolutely anything that happens-

Tsurugi - Like, if everyone else was evil and mean, or if the mastermind decides they just wanna hunt us for sport, or if we’re stuck here for forever, and everyone goes stir-crazy.

Tsurugi - No matter what, I think it'd be okay as long as I got to keep Uehara by my side.

Tsurugi - Whenever I see him, I get all happy, and I think it’ll always be like that.

Tsurugi - …Sometimes though, it does make me feel a little bit sick? Like, y’know when you’re nauseous, and your stomach feels all weird, and you’re all clammy, and your face feels warm,

Tsurugi - And you’re super-hot and super-cold, all at the same time?

Tsurugi - Sometimes things feel a little bit like that, but not because of any negative vibe I have with Uehara…

Tsurugi - I think everything is just super intense for me, though. A lot of things are, at least!

Tsurugi - So, I think it’s just because I like him a lot… I like most people here a lot, and I care about everyone, but Uehara is extra-super-special to me. 

[defire]

Ghost of Seattle Chapter 57

Prev

Content: manipulation, deliberate injury, betrayal, threats, escape attempt, touching bugs

"I told you you'd like Ghost if you just talked to him."

"I didn't say I 'liked' him. I said he was 'charismatic, in a rude way.'"

Oldman opened Buddy's door at that moment.

Ghost sleeved off his tears fast, turned around and lowered his head, glaring.

"You can't stop me." He said.

Oldman stepped forward. Ghost's eyes darted around to look behind Oldman for a way out. He'd brought some Shivers over here.

"You belong to Shiver." Oldman said, voice sounding sort of kind. "I'm sorry for my hard words, but I was upset over hearing what you tried to do. Can you forgive me?"

"I don't hold grudges." Ghost said.

"I want you to remember something you promised me a while ago." Oldman said. "You said, 'I don't ask why. I just do what I'm told.'"

Ghost didn't answer.

"I need some trust from you right now." Oldman said. "This is a difficult time for you, I've been through similar shit."

Ghost glanced back at Buddy. Her face was kinda red. Was she mad?

"Ghost." Oldman repeated. "Can you do that? Can you trust me to get you through this? We're all here for you."

The Shivers in the hall looked at each other, and Ghost, doubtfully.

"I... I heard what you said." Ghost said. "You didn't mean that?" 

He waited for Oldman's hesitation to stop--that moment when he opened his mouth, when he'd be focused on saying the words convincingly.

Then he darted forward to duck around Oldman, but Oldman caught the arm he used for balance, twisted, and pressed Ghost's momentum into the dresser. All the stress was on his wrist. The edge of the dresser cut in just above Ghost's hip as he leaned back to avoid the pressure Oldman put on his right wrist and elbow. The threat was that if Ghost moved, Oldman would bust the joints. Oldman knew Ghost's body well enough from training him, that he knew exactly how much pressure it took to make it hurt. He did.

"That was low." Oldman said calmly, twisting harder.

"Stop--stop." Ghost said, breathing hard. "Alright, I quit. You win." 

"Let him go," Buddy interrupted. "He said, you win."

"Stay out of this." Oldman said, making it hurt. 

Ghost winced and grabbed Oldman's wrist, tapping it. Oldman always used to release him when he tapped out. Today he didn't seem to want to.

"I'll give you one more chance." Oldman said, holding his wrist there.

Ghost nodded hastily.

Oldman let go.

Ghost released his breath, turning half away and cradling his wrist. 

He let Oldman do a long speech that would normally be pretty convincing. He stayed mostly silent, then started nodding occasionally. He pretended to be persuaded slowly, giving resistance at certain moments, then pretending to be swayed.

Oldman probably hadn't noticed exactly how closely Ghost had been watching him. Ghost was simply copying the verbal sparring tactics that Oldman had used on him.

He let Oldman think he had sufficiently brought down Ghost's self-respect. He nodded at the subtle accusations. He could see Buddy, still confused, out of the corner of his eye. She looked anxious.

"...When you take those situations into your own hands, those are the results you get."

Ghost listened, expressionless.

"Does that make it clearer to you?" Oldman said.

"I think so..." Ghost said, scratching his forehead. "Then... what can I do to earn your trust?"

It might be a dirty trick, but fighting dirty was what Ghost did best. He studied Oldman's face. Oldman also tended to hide his feelings.

"Let's walk back to my place." Oldman said. "We'll talk over expectations there."

They'd cross the courtyard. Ghost nodded.

Buddy stayed in her chair, looking confused, as they left. Ghost waved to her. She looked up at him, worried. Then back down at her gritty nails, like she felt bad.

Ghost turned back to follow Oldman. Sun had thawed the ground enough to make it full of air pockets and muddy, with clumps of snow here and there in the shade. Clouds said that more snow was coming.

He squinted in the early morning sun. When they reached the middle of the courtyard, that was the moment he chose.

Oldman let him walk a few feet away like he trusted him, but his reaction was lightning fast when Ghost bolted. Ghost was faster.

On the treacherous ground, Oldman slipped, and several Shivers outright fell when they tried to catch him before he got out of reach.

"Stop him!" Oldman bellowed. His frail vocal chords trembled.

Ghost ran carefully, lightly stepping and focusing on smaller steps, sucking his body in close.

He took a huge lungful of cold air and opened his mouth wide to let it through him. The daylight glare was so much he could hardly see. He smiled at the muddy ground. It felt so good to be running.

Shivers surrounded the courtyard in a U-shape. He dodged past a few of the faster ones, ducked hands and slipped over legs moved to trip him.

They grabbed his arms, but instead of pulling back, he twisted and shifted his weight, snapping out of grasp just before their grip tightened.

Nobody shot at him--not till he got over the barricade.

They couldn't climb after him. Nobody was as fast. He ran up it like a goat, hardly suppressing a giggle of excitement. A gunshot made him flinch, surprised. He jumped down, shoving in his earplugs after he landed in a low crouch. He kept going.

It only took a few seconds to find cover, and he kept going, even though his lungs felt like they were dying. Lots of people used the uncollapsed metro tunnels for a straight route.

Not Ghost. He hated feeling trapped, confined. You can't dodge in a tight space, really.

He couldn't run on top of roofs in broad daylight though. He could hardly see. It was too bright. Not to mention the main danger--sentries that thought of Ghost as an enemy. They'd been intimidated by him. Now that just put a target on his back. 

He clambered up into a building's 2nd floor and collapsed next to the wall, panting hoarsely. He coughed, covering his mouth to muffle it, not that it really helped.

It was so cold. Even the heat racing down his arms was whisking off in the breeze.

His throat hurt, and his wrist ached as well. He touched it lightly, trying to see where, and what kind of damage it had gotten. His other injuries didn't require as much caution to heal. This one would. 

He got up slowly, moving through the house to the kitchen.

There was no roof, the walls were blasted open, and the counter had been flipped up, but then had slipped back down, covering the pantry doors and drawers.

2 things you could find in this type of place--bodies, and cheaper loot. They could both be encountered in crevices Ghost could fit himself into.

He crept down between the countertop and the drawers. Cockroaches skittered over his hands. He released one from under his right finger. 

"Sorry. He whispered to it. Poor thing.

"Hey." He said into the darkness. He hoped to startle away any larger creatures. "Hey."

No response.

He crawled in and checked in the drawer under the oven. Pans, trays, and a mouse.

The next drawer was full of cloths. He stuffed them into his waistband.

He couldn't open the other 2, and he didn't want to disturb the ruins too much, trying to force it. If you did, you could end up in a pile of rubble. Lots of houses were just hanging on by a thread.

He paused and hunched at the sound of a copter over his head. They passed slowly. A long time ago, people used to get shot at on sight from the copters. Now, people just always hid. 

Ghost checked the last cupboard and found food. 12 cans of mostly tomato paste.

"Food." He whispered. "Hell yes." 

With some new clothes he found, a backpack of cans and a blanket, Ghost emerged from hiding at dusk. Rooting around and ducking out of sight from gang patrols had taken most of the day.

Time to get the fuck out of Seattle.

Tag list: @joyjoygorl @cepheusgalaxy @little-rat-dragon @turtlesnap1 @atomicsandwichprince

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

Kindle book: Masterpost: Next:

[lovebvni]

Hiiii ! Moonie here 💙

First of all : THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE READING 🙏 , means a lot to me !!! And I truly hope that you’ve been doing well and your life becomes more positive and the up and downs stop

About , whether the answers still apply : I think they do to a certain degree , actually ! ✨ since my ask , my view of manifesting really did change! Back then , I trusted loa and understood it but the trust wasn’t deep rooted . Found myself daily searching up on TikTok , Tumblr , Reddit , “if robotic affirmations really work” , and even tho I totally have the freedom to manifest (& shift) as I’d like , I still kinda was unsure and maybe also in a way afraid ???

I wouldn’t say tho , I am 100% there yet where I want , maybe I am around 83%? Been speeding up my pace right now , as in : stopping with excuses and taking my time to saturate my mind with new and good statements about myself !

( 🔵 about the answer from question one “ should moonie only manifest reality shifting , because she is trying to focus on perma shifting ?” —> “need to be used to the 3D and 4D working together to reflect your desires.”, “do you think this right with your own intuition?” & “haven’t you asked something similar before?” )

I really needed to read through the paragraph twice , to understand really what they’re getting at .

: if I remember correctly, I have asked something similar before shortly before or after I sent the ask to my guides . Right now , I couldn’t tell you anymore what the answer [ to my question , regarding me focusing entirely on shifting ] was .. however , in the meantime I had some time where I did focus more on my mindset !! And I think they meant back then , that I should become aware of what I want and maybe understand the whole 3D/4D thing better ! [back then I always refused to really let it sink it and didn’t really get the reflecting thing] — but now that I have become more to terms with loa and understood how I personally want to use it ( saturating my mind with my new story / statements and desires , till my subconscious gets flooded by them , LOLOL ) . I also decided, to purely focus now on shifting, especially after reading now your answer !💙

Oh and thank you a lot for the drawings 😭🙏 they really helped me !!

Unfortunately, you’re right . I would pick a goal or chose a plan just for me never sticking to it and always changing my mind , chasing another way before ending it / manifesting it . Lacked a lot of discipline ( trying to change that as of now )

( 🔵 ques two : “is moonie on the right track?” )

Yeeeah, the drawing did really represent me until recently! Feeling very called out by it , to be honest 💔😃 (playfully!) (that’s by the way a huge compliment! You did amazing and I think , the drawings did really help)

I think a lot about what you typed down there , really meant what I mentioned earlier : with changing my minds every other day and kinda running away from change in a way , making it harder for me for no particular reason .

( 🔵 last que : “should moon work on their prospective memory ?” )

I actually kinda worked a bit on it ! I also affirmed for a better one and I think I feel it has worked ?

Tiny question: is there a reason why you added the last song think of me once in a while,take care ? For some reason , I got kinda emotional when I heard it jdjddjjfjf

I’d like to ask if that’s okay with you , one last question: (if you don’t want to , then that’s more than completely fine💯)

A bit more than a week ago , I actually shifted by just wanting to sleep and heard my dr . Afterwards, I asked for confirmation from my guides and they said I really did shift.

Since then , I kinda chilled and worked a bit on my mindset.. and after reading your reply and what they thought a month ago , I can’t help but wonder if …

🔹their minds and answers have changed, regarding me being ready and..

🔹 II. if I should now completely focus on shifting …

🔸if I stop since then myself from shifting by just falling asleep (again)?

But I think, I am ready now ? Or pretty close to be really ready

Thank you so so much again for your help 💙✨

to answer ur tiny question, i add songs if spirit plays them/pushes me to add them. the title to that felt very important so i decided to add it because of the way i felt about it.

again, i’m getting to this late but i saw a rock — spirit is solid in what they said before. they want you to learn to have discipline and keep going until you reach wits end. “use your tools wisely.” don’t use them for a small amount of time then jump to something else.

i kinda get the feeling you’re looking for an escape from obligations. stop doing that and keep doing what you have been set out to do.

stop seeking excuses, and just keep working.

i asked spirit for a song you can interpret yourself.

here it is (it’s very on theme with the blue)

i hope this helps you, but seriously don’t look for an excuse for everything. it hurts you in the long run

[5and3nevermind]

My delulu moment of the year is believing that Yoonmin really got together last year and this album is jimins declaration of love

Anon, that isn’t delulu at all! And thank you for asking this because I love talking about this topic. 💛

I love the timeline issue; I’m not sure why. I’ve tried to look at every possibility: 2016, 2018, Ch 2. I even considered the unlikely possibility that they got together during debut era. (I don’t think they did, but I considered it!)

Whenever I’ve done this, I’ve always come back to the same answer: something changed in March 2016, and I assumed that change was taking a step forward.

However…there have absolutely been times when I’ve wondered if they didn’t become official until much later. So, let’s explore that scenario!

A lot of what we saw during Ch 2 between these two was similar to what had come before but just more. More references to hanging out together, more hand-holding and back-rubbing, more working together, more whatever-the-heck-you-want-to-call-Yoongi’s-birthday-live-when-he-responded-to-all-of-Jimin’s-comments-but-ignored-the-other-members-and-then-Jimin-posted-a-video-of-himself-watching-the-live-and-loving-it.

To me, there’s no question that something shifted during late 2022 and 2023. I had interpreted it as new openness…but maybe it was actually a new relationship?

And now we have SGMB. Something about it feels like new love to me. I’ve seen theories that this is a fan song due to some of the references to 2012, to standing on stage, etc. And that’s entirely possible. However, if this is a love song about another member, shouldn’t we expect a lot of those types of references?

We also have nods to Serendipity (which is definitely not a fan song, in my opinion) in both the lyrics and in the music video. And on top of that we have some little yoonmin clues like Yoongi’s birth flower, the blue Never Mind butterfly, and the use of yellow.

This is a very long-winded way of saying that I’ve been re-evaluating lately and wondering if my previous timeline was off. 😅

If they started dating during Ch 2, I think it could’ve gone like this… (speculation ahead! ⚠️ 🤡)

I think feelings were there for a long time, and maybe even acknowledged, but they weren’t in a position to pursue a relationship. Too busy, too difficult to keep the secret, etc, etc. Once Ch 2 was in sight, things changed. While the stakes would always be high due to their careers, focusing on solo work took some of the pressure off and allowed them more freedom. Maybe this seemed like a good time to give a relationship a try?

In this scenario, I think mid to late 2022 is a good guess of when things changed. We’ve got the BST dedication, the first moon tattoo, and Jimin lingering around Yoongi’s studio and saying he chose his live title…all of that in March 2022. Those were unique moments that don’t really compare to anything we’d seen before.

Anyway, I can’t believe how long this answer is and I feel like I’m just scratching the surface!

My point, anon, is that I don’t know. 😂 I still think it’s possible that something started years ago, but I also think your theory about a much more recent development is reasonable. SGMB has definitely caused me to reconsider some things. Can’t imagine how we’ll feel after we hear the rest of the album!

Thanks for the ask!

[noahsbookhoard]

📚February 2024 Book Review (Part 2/3)📚

Second batch of books read in February! I have mixed feelings about this one: there's really really good (the 3rd of the book I had a book crush on this month) and there's... less good.

Histoire de coming out by Baptiste Beaulieu and Sophie Nanteuil

A practical and empathic guide for friends and family in the event of a loved one's coming out, full of testimony from LGBTQ+ people and their relatives.

I only discovered Baptiste Beaulieu late last year but I already really admire him: he is a general physician, openly gay man and father of "the most beautiful baby in the world". He is also really funny, caring, and generally a good person who isn't afraid to speak out when he think something is wrong.

He wrote several novels but he also coedited this guide with Dr Sophie Nanteuil, and even though I already came out (non too successfully) to my parents I wanted to see what advice they would give.

They cover pretty much every aspect and every possible reaction to a child's coming out (it is very parent focused but not only). They even have a testimony from a parent who never accepted their child's identity, got angry and cut contact.

I think the strength in this guide is that it only focuses on the coming out part: there is next to nothing on queer history or the subtleties of queer identities, but when your child just came out to you you might not care about Stonewall or the nuances between pan and bi people: what you need and what this book has, is sympathy for the parent's feeling, patient how-to on what (not) to say/do and insight on how your child might be feeling (the statistics on suicide among queer youth without family support are chiling)

A worthy read, even if I don't get to use it I wish I could have.

Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #2) by Tamsyn Muir

After the events of Gideon the Ninth, Harrow ascended to Lyctorhood. However she lacks many Lyctor's ability and lost part of her memory in the process. Mystery unfurled when she receives letters written to herself before the memory loss and when a newcomer makes Canaan House unsafe.

I absolutely loved Gideon the Ninth so I had really high hopes for book 2 and I am not disappointed!

However I was completely lost when I started reading, as I was expecting to find a narrative style similar to book 1. The second person narration was unsettling enough but it took me a while to understand the when where and what (that was on purpose certainly, but that explains why reviews for this book are either excellent or really bad). Even more confusing to was the chapters with Harrow and her rewriting of the event of Gideon the Ninth: I hadn't read the book that long ago but I felt like it had been ages and I remembered it all wrong!

Had it been any other book I might have thought twice before continuing. But this is Tamsyn Muir, she earned the benefit of the doubt: I read on, quite certain it would eventually make sense.

I won't spoil anything because Harrow the Ninth is best experienced in all its unsettling glory: the tense atmosphere fit really well with both Harrow's discomfort and pain and with the escalating uneasiness in Canaan. The answers to it all treacle down at just the right pace to keep the reader on edge and the more it goes the more in love I fell with the wolrdbuilding.

My only regret was the noticeable lack of Gideon and Palamedes for most of the novel, but with that ending the author is more than forgiven. Also the memes. The only reason I hadn't put Nona the Ninth on top of the TBR right after finishing this on was because I needed to stretch the pleasure while waiting for Alecto the Ninth's release date.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Violet Sorrengail, daughter of the famed General Sorrengail wants to follow into her mother and sister's footsteps and become a Rider, a soldier chosen by a dragon and flying with them into battle. To achieve this she will have to survive the very dangerous training at the Academy and, even more dangerous, avoid Xaden Riorson, who hates Violet's mother and Violet herself. Or maybe not?

Do I really have to do this?

I read this book because my sister messaged me saying "You HAVE to read it it's GREAT!" So as the loving sibling I am, I put it on top of the TBR and started as soon as I finished Harrow the Ninth.

Let's be diplomatic: this book has an audience since it's been a tiktok succes, taste is subjective and personal and my opinions do no reflect the quality of the book, only my experience reading it. I'm not on tiktok and not into romantasy in general, so I wasn't the target audience. And I did no research before diving in, this book and I started on the wrong foot.

Now to be less diplomatic if it wasn't for my sister this book would have flown through the window after page 42 (specifically).

I found the world building very bland (and was put off by the kingdom being named Navarre: it exists, it’s in Spain and last I checked there's no dragon in Pamplona). The author uses one of the worst way to introduce lore I've ever read: The Protagonist Infodumps When She Is In Mortal Peril. There might have been some interesting details put into the classification of dragons but I can't take any interest in it when the main character is currently dangling from the Climbing Wall of Doom.

The main character, Violet, has plot harmour 5 inches thick: she is supposed to have a physical disability but it only interferes when the plot wants it too and she is always saved in the nick of time (although I do not suffer from EDS, so I can't really judge the quality of the representation). Every little task and exercise in her school is a death trap and at some point I just stopped worrying she might get killed because students can just murder each other in the corridors. There's other way to create tension than "... or you will DIE"

I was uninterested in the character because they have the personality of papier maché. The only ones who are a bit less shallow (yet unterly unoriginal, I felt like reading Twilight but with dragons) are the main love triangle and they are absolutely unsufferable. The characters also all talk exactly the same way: Sarcastic Quipping TM is fun when one or two people at most do it, but they all do dragons included! I couldn't stand any of the character except on and he frickin dies!

I read it all, which proves I love my sister, but definitely not enough to read the sequel. You owe me one, sis.

The Wee Free Men (Discworld #30) by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany Aching always saw things a little differently from everybody else; according Miss Tick, a travelling teacher, that makes her a witch just like her Granny. When her little brother is taken by the Queen of the fairies, the young witch-in-training must save him and in her qusst she can count on the help of the Nac Mac Feegle, rowdy but courageous fae folk.

This is my first time reading the Discword series and contrary to every advice in the entire Terry Pratchett fanbase, I am reading them in chronological order. So far it's been a blast! I do not regret this reading order, even if it's not the best one to start with.

Therefore when my reading led me to the first Tiffany Aching book, I had no doubt it would be a really great young reader book. Still I wasn't expecting to cry but damn, missing your grandma is a universal feeling and Sir Terry Pratchett nailed it.

I would have like Tiffany when I was a kid: she is smart, brave, curious, she sees right through the adults. She reminds me a little of Roal Dahl's Matilda. The Nac Mac Feegle are really funny and endearing: they are just as enjoyable as an adult when you get all the jokes as for children who will find the accent and banter amusing. That makes me want to check the french translation to see how Patrick Couton handled the scottishness.

What I love in the plot is how simple it appears (the quest to a magic world with supernatural allies to save an sibling) yet it has that Pratchett twist, his character's cleverness and the art of the little sentences that have you pause and think for a minute.

I would definitely give it to a child if I ever have any. Even if they start shouting "Craven!" that would be worth it.

[hazbinhotelhorsemen]

Ooookay given that season 1 of Hazbin hotel has ended I’m going to go on a rant about what I think is gonna happen going forward and questions/observations I have regarding everything SPOIILERS

The Vs are BANKING ON A WAR BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL. So that they can take over. I’m basing this one three things. Velvette’s song to Camilla “why are you afraid of war” backing away from a fight and making a REAL power grab. Vox smiling when Adam dies (because heaven will surely retaliate. And the finale song with Vox and Valentino may be about if full on war happens between heaven and the overlords + Lucifer and maybe the sins they can take power

I think by the end of the show it won’t be about rehabilitating sinners to get into heaven but to reinvent hell to be a better place. I can’t see pentious being happy in heaven without his egg boys, His new found friends and family, and Cherri. Plus I can’t see how a place like heaven where it just seems like a fancy gated community where everyone is probably nice and polite but most likely judgemental and not entirely good. Also I think the Hazbin hotel being a dump, seeing devastation, and then being rebuilt is HUGE foreshadowing for it.

I also think in season 2 (since I heard the main antagonists will be the Vs) there will be a divide between vox x Val and velvette. This is solely based on lyrics in their respective songs (respectless and finale) velvette says she’s the backbone of the Vs and Valentino and Vox have a duet about taking over hell and velvette is only involved when she inserts herself at the end. Like Vox and Valentino are focused on each other while velvette thinks she’s the most crucial of the Vs. I’m ultimately saying there may be a divide and conquer strategy for Charlie and the main cast to use to beat the Vs.

I think the deal Lute mentioned to Lilith was a deal between Adam and Lilith. The deal: Lilith wouldn’t lure sinners to hell to increase hell’s power in exchange for Lilith gaining access to heaven where she won’t be bothered. I think Charlie is an unreliable narrator and Lilith has reached a burn out (similar to Lucifer) and doesn’t care about the pride ring and her people as much as Charlie believes she does.

Who does Alastair have a deal with? I think the obvious answer would be Lilith because they both went missing seven years ago and maybe that’s why he’s invested in Charlie but that’s about it. Zestial said that rumors were spreading about Alastor embracing holy arms which could lead to the deal being with Sera or even Eve or someone else in heaven. Maybe the deal makes Alastor stronger (which is something he would want since he lost to Vox in a fight years ago) but he’s not capable of beating Angelic power? Again there’s not enough info but I think we’ll learn more about it in season 2 and it’ll be revealed in season 3

[13as07]

Similar

(Might Gai)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to shattercrack]

Requested by: Myself

Keys:

Y/N: Your Name

Word Count: 4,274

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Non-romantic one-shot; more friendly one-shot vibes

A bit of Kakashi love at the start and definitely Kashi focused

——————————————————————

     My fingertips cling to the bottom of Kakashi's vest as he walks me through the empty streets of our village. "I can just stay at your place," I try again, tugging on his vest some.

     Kakashi's eyes drop down to me, his anbu mask sliding down his hair some as he moves his head. "No," he answers shortly, sliding his fingers down my arm before colliding them with my own. His fingers are chilly against mine, but that's no surprise since Kashi is always cold. "You're not safe with him on the loose," he adds, picking his head back up as he continues leading me forward.

     About ten minutes ago, Kakashi and I got a not-so-nice wakeup call from Yamato. He went on a rant about someone attacking the Uchiha Clan or something. I'm not sure though.

Kakashi has made it very clear since he joined the anbus that he wants me nowhere near his work, let alone the shinobi world. It saddened me a bit, Kashi being so stuck on me giving up life as a kunoichi, but after the both of us lived through the loss of Obito, Rin, and Lord Fourth, I know he wouldn't survive losing me too. Especially after he joined the anbus. The thought alone of me going on a mission without him sent Kashi into a panic attack. So, reluctantly, I settled for the life of a civilian.

     It's not all that bad. Finishing normal schooling was quite boring and slow-paced compared to the fast-pace, on-the-go training I was used to. A couple of months ago I started schooling to become a civic medic, and with my background of shinobi medical training, I'll hopefully get to graduate a year or two early.

     I still spar with Kakashi, it gives me a nice outlet for the chakra I don't use as much anymore. He also shows me new jutsus and has me practice older ones 'just in case' and because 'you can never be too prepared'. I think it's just his anxiety about being away so much, but I don't mind. It's bitter-sweet moments that remind me of my old life, and my old squad mates.

     "While who's on the loose?" I ask, slightly poking the subject. I know it's not going to go far; it never does. If I've learned anything about Kakashi's line of work over the past five years, he won't talk about it, he doesn't want me to know about it and he doesn't want to relive any of it. I don't blame him. Anbus deal with the darkest corners of our world, which means Kashi deals with the darkest corners of our world.

     Kakashi freezes, tugging my arm some from me taking a couple more steps. "I need you to listen very closely to me, okay?" He asks, his hands cupping my cheeks and forcing me to look into his eyes. I love his eyes; I love the contrast of the dark red of Obito's sharingan against Kashi's natural coloring.

"If you see Itachi, you drop everything and you run. You run and run and run until you are sure he's gone, you understand? And then you continue running, and you do not stop until I find you, okay? If that happens, you make sure it's me. You ask a million questions about me or you or Obito or anything, and if I get even one of those questions wrong, you continue to run. Over absolutely everything else, do not look into his eyes, you hear me?"

     I tilt my head some, letting my eyes run over Kakashi's face. He's scared. I haven't seen him this scared since Lord Fourth died. "I understand, Kashi. What's going on with this Itachi guy? Did you forget I'm trained too? I might be rusty but I'm not useless."

     His jaw clicks open and shut a few times, eyes wandering around the darkness before settling on me again. "No, you're not useless. Which is why I'm okay with you staying home alone when I'm... working, but this is different. Itachi is... he is capable of things out of your abilities, out mine... possibly even out of the Hokage's... I need you to stay safe," Kakashi whispers the last part, his breath shaking as he scans over my face again, drinking it in like he'll never see it again.

If Itachi is as dangerous as Kashi is making him seem, it might be the last time he sees me. The last time I see him... I can't think like that though. Kakashi will be safe, he will come home, he always comes home.

     "I'll be safe, Kash, I always am," I mumble back, wrapping my hands around his wrists and rubbing small circles into his skin. He tilts his head down, connecting our foreheads and closing his eyes. I flutter my eyes shut too, letting my other senses soak him in. I soak in his scent, the icy feeling of his skin against mine, the soft sound of his lungs at work.

     The moment doesn't last long, the driving need Kakashi has for his job pulling us apart once again. A part of me has always wanted to ask him to give up the shinobi life too, but a bigger part of me knows that's not possible. Kakashi hasn't known anything besides this life, being the son of a highly regarded shinobi, starting this lifestyle himself when he was only five. I had the joy of a normal childhood, unlike my partner which made the shift back to a civilian life easier for me than it'll ever be for him.  

     "We need to get going," he mumbles, dropping one of his hands back into mine before continuing to pull me forward.

     The rest of the walk is silent, the emptiness taking up space between us, which doesn't help my worry about his newest mission. I take the time to remind myself of worse things Kashi has survived, worse missions he's gone on, and still managed to make it home to me.

     A door lamp is lit up a few houses ahead of us, cutting through the darkness. It was a rush leaving the house; Kashi threw on his uniform, grabbed my to-go bag, and dragged me out the door. Not much information was passed down to me, just a quick 'you're staying with my colleague'. I'm going to assume this is the colleague's home, or their house at least.

     I'm proven right when Kakashi stops in front of the door, pulling me in front so I'm tucked away safely. He knocks and the door opens almost instantly. I guess this colleague has been expecting us.

     "Ka-ka-shi," the man in the doorway says, dragging out my partner's name in a weird way.

The guy in front of me is very... loud in his appearance. He's in a green jumpsuit, which does not help his bowl cut or his blocky eyebrows. I've seen him around the village a couple of times, usually sporting the usual shinobi vest paired with obnoxious leg warmers and his village ID as a belt. "Mini Ka-ka-shi!" He adds, looking down at me and saying Kash's name all weird again.

     "Um... no... Y/N," I correct, glancing up at Kashi. His face is a bit more relaxed now. I can survive some time with Mr. Obnoxious if it means Kakashi can focus on his mission instead of worrying about me the whole time.

     "Y - N!" The man says, dragging my name out as well. I smile a bit at that. Maybe he's not as obnoxious as I thought he was. He's just a sweet guy with volume issues.

     "This is Gai," Kashi says, gently pushing me through the door. He drops my bag on the ground next to me, still touching me, but on the small of my back instead of wrapped up in my hand like before.

     "Gai?" I repeat, glancing down, my eyes following Kakashi's movements.

     "Gai," he repeats, standing back up. His hands snake around me, wrapping me up in his hold and gently pressing me against his chest. He presses a gentle kiss to my neck, the thin material of his mask separating his lips from my skin. "I got to go. I don't-"

     "Know when you'll be back. I know Kash," I say, cutting him off and tilting my head back. I lay against his shoulder, taking in his face once more.

     Kakashi tilts his head, his mouth next to my ear as his hold tightens on me. "I love you," he whispers before pressing another divided kiss behind my ear.

     "I love you," I echo, sketching him into my memory. Kash will be safe, he will make it home to me.

     "I'll see you soon," he says, reluctantly letting me go. "Take care of her," he adds, looking over at Gai before turning back towards me again. "I will see you soon," Kakashi repeats his words almost a promise.

I know it's not though; he can't promise he won't die on any mission because there's no guarantee he will make it back.

He stays for another beat before slowly letting me go. His eyes stay locked on me as he backs out of the room, once again moving slowly as he closes the door. My heart stings a bit at the lost sight of him. The feeling of dread, sadness, and worry fills me up every time he leaves, and refuses to leave until he's back safely in my arms.

     "So, mini Ka-ka-shi!" Gai says, pulling my attention away from the door and towards him.

     "Y/N," I correct again, glancing around the room. It's very much the house of a newly out-of-the-house teenager. It's a lot cleaner than I'd expect from a man. However, most shinobis are very strict with themselves. Gai seems to be that way too.

     "Mini Ka-ka-shi," he voices again, a huge smile on his face. I decide to let him win, it's not worth the fight. "What shall we do on this glorious night?"

     "Well... I planned to lay down and cry myself to sleep, per usual," I answer before I can stop myself. I know it's not very ex-shinobi of me but the first night without Kash is always the worst, and if I let myself cry it out right away it's a lot easier to deal with him being away the rest of the time.

     "That is certainly a plan, not the best plan, but still a plan. Let's come up with a different plan," Gai says, smiling at me again and throwing up both of his thumbs. I giggle a bit at this. It's nice to see a shinobi still so full of life. "Here's a plan!" He cheers, walking away from me. I take the time to bend down and slide my shoes off. "We can make some hot cocoa and we can look through some of my old academy photo books! Believe it or not but Ka-ka-shi wasn't always so cool." You know, I think I'm going to start saying Kashi's name like that too. It's quite funny.

I was in the same year as Kakashi - and in turn Gai I’m pretty sure - but I wasn’t close to either of them. I usually hung around Asuma and Kurenai so Kashi and I didn’t interact until we both got assigned to Minato-Sensie. I still had the hugest crush on him though, as did half the academy.

     "That sounds fun, Gai," I answer back, setting my shoes next to the other pair by the door. Gai's attention turns back to me, a smile still covering his face. I grab my bag, tugging it towards me with the small hope there's a pair of house slippers in it. There's not.

     "How unprepared Ka-ka-shi," Gai says, causing himself to laugh. "I don't have a spare pair of house slippers, but I do have some fuzzy socks. I'll be right back!" He cheers, flashing another big smile before walking out of the room. I wonder if he's being cheerful on purpose or if that's just how he always sounds.

As he's gone I look around the room again, taking in more of it. The place is small, but that's no surprise. Shinobis are paid on commission, which means they kind of make their salary with younger shibobis usually being at the bottom of the food chain. Once someone gets their footing, they tend to be able to go for harder missions with bigger commissions.

With Kakashi being an Anbu he gets commission pay on top of salary pay which leaves us living a pretty comfortable life. It also leaves me with a pretty payout if he does die on duty. I shouldn't think like that. He's not going to die. It's just my anxiety.

The entry is pretty open, an archway being the only thing separating the entrance from the combined kitchen and living room. The kitchen is neat beside the old wobbly-looking table, which is covered in different piles of paperwork. It's still neat, everything in its pile. The living room is pretty empty besides a boxy TV, a mostly empty bookshelf, and a grandma-looking couch. Definitely a "freshly out of my parent's house" kind of home. I think it's cute and it makes me a bit sad I never got to experience this stage in life.

My parents died during the Nine Tail attack, leaving me alone. That's when Kashi insisted on sharing his apartment with me, seeing how neither of us had anyone besides each other left in the world. At the time he had already been in the anbus for about a year so his home was all set up. That also meant when he bought me a house we had everything we needed. By then he already had a few steps in the door so getting our home to look how I wanted wasn't much of an issue money-wise.

"I'm back Mini Ka-shi!" Gai says, walk through one of the doors on the right wall. He makes quick steps back to the entrance, an unopened pair of socks in tow. When Gai said he had a pair of socks I didn't expect a new pair. How sweet of him.

      "Thank you," I say, giving him a small smile. His arm stretches out, holding the fuzzy socks out to me. They’re the same bright orange as his signature leg warmers, making me giggle a bit. I take them from him, making sure to tuck the plastic they came in, into my bag before sliding them on my feet. They are warm and fuzzy, a nice little moment on this dreadful night.

“So, Grand Tour!” Gai says, clapping his hands together before bending down to take my bag. “This way Mini Ka-ka-shi.”

I climb to my feet, following after him. It's weird having Gai carrying my stuff for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m used to this kind of treatment from Kashi, but not others.

I’m not hated around the village, but I’m not exactly liked. Women envy me because I’m with Kakashi and I don’t blame them; I’m aware of the status and attractiveness he has. I’m also aware of the loom of death that hangs around him and me, which usually scares people off. If that doesn’t scare them off, the fact that my boyfriend is an anbu tends to scare people.

“This is my glorious kitchen!” Gai cheers, throwing his hands around the small space. The walls of the space are that yellow apartment color. “And this is my cozy living room!” He adds, taking a couple of steps forward.

“Your home is adorable, Gai,” I say, looking around some more. I kind of miss my apartment. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful for the things Kakashi can give me but I do think it would be nice to live life at a normal pace, in a normal way.

He hums in agreement, stepping away to open the furthest door on the wall. “This is the bathroom,” Gai says, leaving the door open before stepping towards the other door. “And this is my bedroom.”

Once the door is open I poke my head in. It’s a generic boy’s room, with blue bedding, and a single pillow on the bed. There’s a desk in the corner, more neat piles of paperwork on it. “You’ll be sleeping in here tonight.”

“What?” I ask, turning my attention to the shinobi.

“You’ll be sleeping in here,” Gai says, pointing to his bedroom. “And I’ll sleep out here,” he continues, pointing to the couch.

“I’m fine sleeping on the couch,” I tell him, shifting my weight between my feet. I don’t want to put him out of his room for the night or make him feel like I expect him to.

“Absolutely not. What kind of friend would I be if I let my best friend’s partner sleep on the couch? Not even that! What kind of man lets a guest sleep on the couch? Boys do that, not men.” I listen to Gai’s ramble as I watch him set my bag on the little desk in the room. He is just a sweet guy. “Anyway, enough of my morals. How do you like your cocoa?”

“I’m fine with however you make it,” I answer, watching him close the door and march towards the kitchen.

“Well, I make mine with cinnamon and marshmallows on top, is that fine for you too?”

“Ya, that’s fine.”

I stay silent, watching Gai make circles around the kitchen as he heats the milk and collects our toppings.

“Mini Ka-shi?” He calls, pulling my attention out of my thoughts. I hum in response, letting him know I’m listening. “Would you make yourself comfortable? You look like a stiff board pressed up against the wall.” The statement is paired with a soft small, completely different from the wide one I’ve seen all night.

“Ya, sorry. I’m just worried about Kakashi,” I mumble, slinking over to the couch before sitting down. I curl up against the arm closest to the kitchen, a small attempt to prove to my host that he’s not the reason I’m so stiff.

“There’s no reason to worry about Ka-ka-shi. He’s a pretty good shinobi. Not as great as me of course! Still pretty good though.”

I smile a bit as Gai chuckles to himself. “What makes you think you’re better than my Kashi?” I ask, amusement growing in my chest.

Kakashi doesn’t talk much about his fellow shinobis but this Gai person has been mentioned a few times throughout the years. I never knew his name; I just knew him as the ‘want to be rival’. He’ll never admit but Kashi considers Gai his best friend too despite the annoyance he insists Gai brings to his life. I consider their friendship a good thing, it brings a childish element to Kash’s hardened life.

“Well, we’re tied right now. Twenty-one wins and twenty-one loses but I will beat him! I shall be better than Kakashi Hatake!” I stifle my laugh a bit, finding Gai’s counting funny. I’ve heard about their contests which consist of anything from sparring to a game of rock-paper-scissors.

“Oh ya? You’ll have to keep me posted on the win-to-lose count then,” I say, watching Gai carefully walk into the living room, way overfilled mugs holding his attention. I’m careful as I take my cocoa, taking a burning sip from it to help avoid a spill.

“You know, Mini Ka-Shi,” Gai starts, taking a few sips of his cocoa before setting it on the kitchen table. “Our similar doesn’t talk very much.”

Similar is one way to word that. “Ya, Kashi isn’t much of a chatterbox.”

I watch as Gai shifts things around the bookshelf. It doesn’t take him long to find what he’s looking for. “And yet, when he does talk it’s usually about you. You’ve had him whipped since the academy.”

A laugh bubbles up again from Gai’s comment. It’s no secret that Kashi was the heartbreak of our class. It’s also not a secret that he had eyes for Rin. It does mess with my head sometimes, knowing I was the second choice, knowing that if Rin was alive Kakashi and I wouldn’t be together.

“Ya okay, Gai. I think you should get checked for dementia. Everyone knows Kashi had a huge crush on Rin,” I comment, my giggles coming up as I sip more of my drink.

“No, he’s always had eyes for you.” Gai fights back, walking over as he flips through a thin book. It’s the yearbook from our second to last year at the academy.

Gai sits down on the couch, leaving a bit of space between us as he flips through the pictures. “Whatever you say,” I mumble, turning my focus back to my drink.

“It is what I say. Ka-ka-shi respected Rin and was protective of her for Obito. He loved her to an extent, we all love our squad mates. They’re our family, but his heart has always been yours,” Gai rambles on, continuing to focus on the memories in the aging book.

I roll my eyes at the rant. He’s not completely wrong. Constantly risking your life alongside your squad builds a family bond among the members, and with that comes love. I love Rin and I love Obito - not like I love Kashi, but I do still love him.

Gai pushes the book towards me. I bend down, gently placing my cup on the ground before taking the book. I open it up, being meant with the academy crest and the year the book covers. I flip through the books, letting the memory of my childhood fill my mind.

I end up settling on a blown-out picture of Genma and me practicing our chakra control. I’m hanging upside down like a bat on a tree branch, my hair filtered through a flower crown of sunflowers. Genma is lying flat on his back on the ground, a pissy pout on his face as looks up at me. His hair is wrapped up in a flower crown too, courtesy of me.

I had a habit of making flower crowns in class to help me focus. If my hands were busy my mind could focus, hence the teacher turning a blind eye to it.

“Ka-ka-shi adored you back then, still does,” Gai mumbles, his eyes locked on the picture too as he smiles. “He’d get up early every morning to pick flowers by the gates of the village for you to make crowns.”

By the time we were nine, I would find a basket of different flowers waiting on my desk every morning. I always assumed they were from Genma since he always insisted on wearing one of the crowns I made every day. He would always say it would be a waste for it to go unworn and just tossed out once class was over.

“He would collect them too, after class, the ones you’d throw out,” Gai adds, his smile growing.

“You’re delusional,” I say, a smile growing on my face too. The thought of Kakashi digging through the trash to save my forgotten artwork makes me feel good.

“No, I’m not. I’m pretty sure he still has them in a shoe box in his locker at work. He’s whipped.” Gai erupts in laughter, very contagious laughter that spills over to me. That’s another warming thought. This tough, veteran anbu having a box full of flower crowns his girlfriend made during their school years.

“Kakashi does not have a box of my flowers in his locker. That is so like… uncool.” Our giggles continue as I flip through the pictures.

“I told you Ka-ka-shi wasn’t cool during our school years,” Gai pushes out through his chuckles. “Oh my, you should have heard the ramble he went when he learned you’d be in the squad. I thought lungs were going to give out from how fast he talked.”

“He was not that excited!” I say, stopping on another blown-out picture. This one is of Gai doing a handstand as Kash is rolling his eyes at his friend.

“He was. ‘Gai she’s on my team! Y/N is on my squad! I’m going to get to see her every day!’ That and he was oh so excited to get Genma off your hip,” he interrupts himself, another round of laughter being pulled from his chest. “‘Genma isn’t going to be around all the time! I’ll get to talk to her as long as I want without him butting in! Do you think she’d go to dinner as a squad if I ask? I should put the idea in Obito’s head,’” Gai seems pleased with his explanation.

I can’t help the warm feeling that pulls the corners of my mouth up further. That did happen. The night after squad assignments were announced, Obito insisted we should all go out to eat so we could ‘get to know each other better’. Kakashi - surprisingly - said yes which caught everyone by surprise. He never was and still isn’t much of a going-out person.

“You know Gai, I think we should hang out more,” I comment, flipping through a couple more pages.

“Yes ma’am! I’d love any excuse to embarrass Ka-ka-shi and to learn new embarrassing things about him, of course.”

We both laugh a bit more, the warm feeling of my newly forming friendship and the secret admiration Kash has always had filling me up. I think I’m going to start staying with Gai more often when our ‘similar’ is out on a mission.

[crazylittlejester]

I have a fantastic idea: an Impa Meets AU. If I had the time to do this, I would. But, I am going to shake my idea around in your face because I want to. Somewhat incoherently might I add

So, why would they meet? Some cataclysmic event spanning the timelines wouldn’t necessarily call for any Impa’s help, not on their own anyways.

Here’s where AoC Impa comes in. I haven’t played the game(just the demo a few years ago), but I’ve gathered that her personality is a bit more similar to Lana than to other Impas. I’d wager that after the Calamity was over, she would feel just a bit lost on what to do next. She just so happens to ponder out loud about what her ancestors would’ve done in her shoes with Purah nearby. She instantly gets an amazing idea to use the newly repaired Terrako’s help to see (and maybe even visit 👀) other times in Hyrule.

Since Hyrule Warriors Link’s outfit is something AoC Link can wear in the game, he is likely at least somewhat well known in that time. So that could be the first time the AoC crew visit. This can also just lead to an AoCxHW crossover, but it’s Impa time. So let’s have her get stranded in that time due to ✨hijinks✨

She curses out Terrako’s name in both annoyance and fear. Cause like, she has no idea how to get back to her own time now. Cue HW Impa strolling in and looking at the tantrum-having Sheikah in front of her.

AoC Impa is ecstatic at actually meeting one of her ancestors. But she does also want to go home like, right this instant. So HW Impa helps her out by first trying to figure out where Lana is. From now on I’m referring to AoC Impa as Youngin and HW Impa as Commander.

Youngin gets to meet all of the HW cast, learning about in detail what had happened during that game’s events. She especially stick close to Commader, begging her for advice to share. Commander feels like she’s going to explode the whole time, but tries to answer Youngin’s questions as best as she can. Then, they eventually meet up with Lana(and also Cia I guess idk). Lana offers to help bring Youngin back to her time, but she is now inspired and invigorated. She wants to visit all the other times and other Impas, gaining their wisdom to help out everyone in her own time, to get her Hyrule back on it’s feet as soon as possible and to make it greater than every before! Lana loves her enthusiasm, Commander does not. She acknowledges Youngin’s courage and power, but doesn’t think it’s wise to just send her off to other times on her own.

So now Commander is joining Youngin on her time traveling adventure! Lana makes it so that they’ll be able to freely travel to different set times along the timeline, with magical pocket watches for the both of them. Plus a couple extra, just in case other Impas want to join in on the fun.

The adventure begins! No real stakes, just a fun time. We need more of those imo. Anyways, they would travel to different time and Youngin would be constantly jotting down notes about the places they go to, while Commander has to make sure she doesn’t accidentally fall off of a cliff. A few other Impas would join them, but it’s mostly focused on these two. The most important times they would visit would be the Spirit Tracks and Wind Waker times, which would give Youngin some great ideas on how to help out her kingdom.

Then, nearing the end of the adventure, all the Impas would go back to their own times. Youngin would bring Commander along to her own time, having her meet all of her friends. Commander asks for them to please not time travel, the timeline is already messed up enough lamo. But then they would go see the BoTW time, just to see what had happened, and to thank the Champions for all their help. Then, Youngin would go back to her own time again, waving Commander off as she goes back to her own time. And now, Youngin is determined to make her Hyrule the best version of it that she can make it, with the help of ALL of her friends.

That’s like, the baseline, the gist of it. Hope you enjoyed my little idea, and I hope you have a great rest of your day!

I’m sorry but the idea that the Links (arguably the silliest little guys alive) have to deal with the Big Bad while the Impas (arguably some of the smartest women to ever exist) get to be silly and just kinda do shenanigans is SO funny and oh my god I love this SO much. This is absolutely incredible, what a fantastic idea, I’m obsessed /gen