#Even slow-moving objects might as well have flags on them

[cxpperhead]

Has Copperhead's eyesight changed at all as his mutation has progressed?

While Copperhead lost the ability to close his eyes, his sight improved significantly, making him able to perceive his surroundings much more clearly in low levels of light than ordinary humans can. Not only that but the cones in his eyes are much more receptive to colours in these conditions - snakes aren't renowned for having great eyesight but Copperhead is built different, quite literally since even in near total darkness, he can perceive blue and green when most other nocturnal creatures are limited to black and white! His eyes are also great at handling UV lighting, be it high levels during the day or low, low levels at night? Copperhead is comfortable operating at either time of day, even when living in sunny places like his native state of Arizona but rapid changes can and will cause temporary blindness since Copperhead cannot close his eyes against sudden flashes. This temporary state of blindness hinders him less than you'd expect; he goes through this during shedding periods, eyes filming up and glazing over when his skin is preparing to renew but getting flashbanged hurts and will almost certainly piss him off. During the day, he can see about as well as a human with perfect eyesight and very good ability to track moving objects, therefore responding much more quickly due to his Metahuman capabilities but it's at night when his abilities truly comes into play, making him a much more formidable hunter when others are stumbling around blind in the dark.

[coimbrabertone]

Motorsports Christmas: An After-Action Report.

May 26th, 2024 was one of the biggest days in motorsports, and it was freaking exhausting in the best ways possible.

So, everybody knows that the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 are on the same day, well, the Charlotte 600 is on that day too, making for the triple. This year, the Catalan Motorcycle Grand Prix also fell on that weekend, so there was a quadruple of racing, and I was ready to watch it all.

I woke up around 5:30am - the joys of the Mountain Time zone - in time to watch MotoGP at 6am. Aleix Espargaro took pole on the factory Aprilia and Raul Fernandez on the Trackhouse Aprilia satellite bike lined up third, but it was Pecco Bagnaia in second that turned into the protagonist of the race. Bagnaia held off the likes of Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, and Aleix Espargaro behind to take a calculated victory.

I was happy for Bagnaia, however, with Jorge Martin in second having a dominant championship lead, it did sort of feel like a pyrrhic victory. Bagnaia gives this controlled, smart victory ride but it doesn't really matter since he only scored five more points over his main championship rival. Add in the fact that Marc Marquez, who is toe-to-toe with Bagnaia in the fight for second, finished third. This means that Bagnaia leaves the Catalan Grand Prix 39 points behind Martin and just 2 ahead of Marquez.

That's not even the worst part.

Enea Bastianini - the rider I support - kinda had a meltdown this race. First, he starts eleventh, loses places off the start, and then got pushed off at turn one by Alex Marquez. Enea cuts the track to rejoin, receives a long lap penalty, refuses to serve it. He then gets gets pushed off again in a second attempt. Enea receives a double long-lap penalty for failing to serve the penalty, serves one but not the other, and then gets a thirty second penalty post race.

In his interviews, he called it a protest against unfair stewarding decisions.

On track, it led to him finishing eighteenth and out of the points.

This is particularly devastating as Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez - the guys in second and third - are fighting to take his seat for 2025. I already did a blogpost about this a few weeks ago and I have a lot to get to today, so I'll keep this brief, but yesterday was not a good day for Enea Bastianini.

The Monaco Grand Prix also happened. Swiftly moving on...

Joking. I'm joking. Monaco was actually pretty good this year. The Ferraris and McLarens qualified 1-3 and 2-4, respectively, so we got a fight between them rather than Red Bull dominance. Unfortunately, they decided to fight by going as slow as possible to prevent anyone else from pitting once they all got a free change of tyres under red following a scary first lap incident between Sergio Perez and the two Haas cars.

Still, it was a fight between Ferrari and McLaren and the top seven all put a lap on eighth place. That was as vintage F1 as you could get. It was also at vintage speeds with them running around four seconds off the pace, but hey, strategy shenanigans are fun.

Charles Leclerc won and proceeded to drop the Monegasque flag in front of the Prince of Monaco, twice. That is objectively funny and probably my favorite F1 moment of the weekend.

So, the Indianapolis 500.

Normally it would start shortly after Monaco, however, a rain front in Indianapolis delayed the 500 into the afternoon. This would wreck Kyle Larson's attempt to do the full 1100 mile double at Indy and Charlotte - more on that later - but it did actually lead to some great moments for me personally. Spending the hours in discords with other motorsports fans talking about when the rain might stop, when the track might dry out, when the race should start, whether Larson would stay or go...it all gave a very wholesome, community feel that I really enjoyed.

Then the race itself. It was amazing.

The clouds cleared, we got a partly cloudy afternoon with filled grandstands and a full 500-mile race around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We got a little bit of everything. Crashes (where thankfully nobody was hurt), engine failures, competing fuel strategies, sixteen different leaders - that's half the field! - and a last lap, penultimate corner pass for the win.

Now, I'm an Arrow McLaren fan. Alexander Rossi was a driver who I followed in F1 because I was excited at the prospect of seeing the first American driver in a decade. Rossi's F1 hopes with Marussia didn't work out, but he went on to Indycar and won the Indy 500 in his first attempt. Between the peak Andretti years where he had the knife between his teeth bringing the fight to the likes of Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon, to now, where he's in that beautiful #7 white and orange McLaren, bringing the fight to the likes of...Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon.

Then there's Pato O'Ward, the exciting, young, charismatic Mexican charger in the #5, driving an awesome orange and black car. It's perfect, he and Rossi have night and day cars, and they were slingshot passing each other in the Indianapolis 500 to save fuel. That was the happiest I was during the race, watching my two favorite Indycar drivers in my favorite team leading 1-2.

Then Alexander Rossi made his final pitstop for fuel.

They were racing to keep track position, so they fueled him just a bit short, and I fear that ultimately decided the course of the race.

Josef Newgarden cycled out in front at the end of the fuel cycle, Alexander Rossi attacked first, got in front, but immediately got overtaken again as he had to save a bit of fuel. Rossi would try again, but Newgarden would nose ahead, as would Pato O'Ward.

Pato O'Ward was a student of the Indy 500, so he knew he had to make the pass as late as possible to ensure that Josef Newgarden wouldn't be able to respond. Pato would lift in turn one on a number of final laps to stay second and keep the draft, before finally making the attack in turn one on the final lap...only for Josef Newgarden to come back at him in turn three.

There was nothing Pato could've done at that point.

Josef made the pass in turn three, got a good exit off turn four, and Pato didn't get enough of a draft to the finish line in order to stop him. Pato was rightfully devastated, Rossi ended up in fourth, behind the lead two in addition to third placed Scott Dixon, as a result of his fuel strategy.

It was utterly devastating.

But that's motorsport. The days that you lose are what make the days that you win more meaningful. The Indianapolis 500 happened in its entirety despite all the rain and the worries. Not only that, but NBC is saying that the preliminary ratings look to be over 5 million viewers for the race. A last lap pass, a back-to-back winner, and a ratings bump over last year. As much as I wish Pato or Rossi could've won that race, I've spent the last day making my peace with it. For now, I'll just be happy that Indycar as a sport snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Then there was the Coke 600 at Charlotte.

I tuned in late thanks to the late Indianapolis 500, and I was pretty emotionally drained at this point, but a charge from Brad Keselowski at the end of the second stage got me motivated again. Brad Keselowski, the owner-driver of the #6 for the team I support in NASCAR - Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, also known as RFK Racing - pushed his way up the field. He moved into second, and he was hunting down the leader, Christopher Bell.

I began to believe that, after a 1,113-day winless streak, Brad Keselowski would win two races in three weeks.

Unfortunately, as soon as he caught up to the back of Bell, it started raining.

To add insult to injury, Kyle Larson, who had run the Indianapolis 500 earlier that day and completed all 500 miles, finishing 18th after a pitlane speeding penalty, had just arrived at Charlotte. He was about to take over the #5 from replacement driver Justin Allgaier, only he never got the chance.

At this point, I was emotionally drained after three and a half races, so at around 8:45pm, I fully embraced my grandmother era and went to bed.

That wound up being the right decision, because despite waiting out the rain and attempting to dry the track, NASCAR would end up calling the race anyway when they hit the end of Fox's TV window. Christopher Bell would win the race, Brad Keselowski would have to settle for second.

I quite literally missed nothing by going to bed when I did.

So, I sorta got the result I wanted at Catalunya, a full-on positive result at Monaco, and narrowly had my picks finish second at both Indianapolis and Charlotte.

In the grand scheme of things, that's not a bad Motorsports Christmas.

And on June 14th and 15th, we have Motorsports New Years with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so the Racing Holidays aren't quite over.

[asapostapocalypseif]

ROs MBTI types?

Oh yeah, I've been waiting for these types of asks 😈

[Sorry i haven't posted much these past days lol. Check out the masterpost for a tiny RO description if you're new! Enough yapping from me, let's go]

RO'S MBTI TYPES

----------------------

• Ranger

ISTJ - A / ISFJ-A

Ranger is a classic 'knight in shining armor'.

Logistician/Defender seems about right for them, as they're unshakebly loyal and warm (when you earn it, of course) and tend to pride themselves on their reliability. Ranger finds their purpose in other people -- which is a shame, since they're been in the woods 'all alone' for so long lmao. Maybe you can become their new purpose 👀👀

They take whatever they perceive as being their 'responsibility' very seriously -- whether it's a promise long forgotten or an obligation they put upon themselves.

They might be a little too overprotective, or come off a bit too strong at times though.

----------------------

• Wanderer

ISFP-A /ISTP-A

Wanderer is a total toss up between Adventurer and Virtuoso.

They really like remaining a 'mysterious' and 'unknown' figure, going so far as to wear a face mask so you can barely tell what they look like. Wanderer has no set home, preferring to stay nomadic and change their scenery every so often.

They're incredibly charming, concerningly so, and will swindle you out of your secrets and life story before you even know their name. Wanderer is good with their hands and tools, taking scrap they come across during their journey's and turning them into more useful items.

Not that physically strong, they've managed to craft out a living through trading and staying on the move.

Wanderer might come across as dismissive sometimes. You never really know what's going on in that head.

----------------------

• Bite

INTJ

I'm ngl I struggled so hard finding a MBTI type for this dude 😭😭 eventually i settled on INTJ since it's the most red flag since it has a few key aspects of them.

Bite tends to the more obsessive spectrum of things, bringing a single-minded drive to anything they deem interesting enough (whether that be a person wink or an object)

They have little patience for anyone who tries to slow them down by enforcing pointless rules or offering poorly thought-out criticism – anyone who stands in the way of their 'interests' is point blank wrong.

They aren’t afraid to break the rules or risk disapproval – in fact, they often rather enjoy it. Bite makes it their #1 priority to evoke a strong reaction out of anyone, since they've been alone for so long.

They have an independent streak and often act alone when doing things. They still care, though -- if they do something to hurt you, trust they'll be agonizing over it for hours later.

----------------------

•Shade

INFJ-A

I can't describe too much since its spoilers

This matched Shade perfectly since they've got a personal mission to complete, no matter how impossible it might seem. They're extremely quiet and reserved, yearning for company but far too shy to actively seek it out.

They tend to get lost in their own head a lot, anxious more often than not. Even one or two friends would be enough for Shade to feel fulfilled and happy.

They seem to be seeking out a purpose as well, floating along in the sandy dunes aimlessly. Maybe you can help them with that

[homeofthelonelywriter]

RW: Guard duty - Percy Jackson

(A/N) Not me going: It’s Wednesday. IT’S WEDNESDAY! and then quickly grabbing my laptop and going through my requests. Anyway, Anon, I hope you find this post and like it! Thank you so much for the request!

Pairing: Percy Jackson x gn!Reader

Warnings: swearing, idiots, teenagers in this universe actually having fun for once

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

“They’re at it again?” As if to answer his question, screams echoed through the camp.

“And if I only could…!” There was a slight pause before an answer came.

“I’d make a deal with God…!” Chiron sighed, and started to rub his temples, something that has become a habit whenever he had to deal with those two.

Y/N arrived at the camp a few years after Percy and the two hit it off right from the start. Annabeth always said that idiots attract idiots and that’s the reason they got along so well. And that might as well be true, but their connection ran deeper than just the two of them being idiots, even though no one at the camp would deny that they are both idiots.

The shouts continued and another deep sigh left Chiron’s lips before he looked up at Annabeth, who had wanted to warn him.

“Should we cancel capture the flag tonight? We both know those two will cause trouble.” Chiron was right of course, but canceling the game everyone was already excited about would do no good.

“I’ll keep an eye on them.” Chiron nodded in thanks and Annabeth left, on a mission to find her boyfriend and Y/N, his idiotic friend. And when she did find them, she wished she hadn’t.

Percy and Y/N were huddled together, giggling like small children, while shushing each other and breaking out into more giggles. And the fact that those two were right next to the Aphrodite cabin worried Annabeth.

“What did you two do?” Two pairs of eyes landed on the blonde before Percy quickly pulled her down beside him.

“Sssshhhhh…don’t blow our cover.” Percy held his index finger to his lips, grinning from ear to ear. Annabeth rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to, again, ask what you two were doing, when a high-pitched scream came out of the Aphrodite cabin.

The daughter of Athena quickly jumped to her feet and drew her dagger, when Silena, the head of the Aphrodite cabin came out, her hair a bright blue.

“Oh no…” Unable to do anything but stare, Annabeth watched as half of the residents of the cabin came out, their hair the same color as Silena’s.

“Percy! Y/N!” If Annabeth’s position didn’t give their location away, the hysteric laughter they broke into, as soon as Silena’s yelling reached their ears, definitely did. The children of Aphrodite rounded the corner and glared daggers at the duo.

By then, the two had gotten to their feet and held up their hands as if they were innocent, something no one would believe. Silena opened her mouth, about to yell at them, when as if they were in a cartoon, they took off, leaving clouds of dust in their places.

Another, this time frustrated, yell escaped Silena before she turned around and stomped back into the cabin, her siblings following her while angrily muttering.

Although she tried, Annabeth could not find Percy and Y/N until the game of capture the flag began and the teams got moving to hide their flags. They were both battle ready, or…at least they were wearing their armor. Annabeth slowed down a bit until she was right besides them.

“Listen to me, no fucking around today, okay? I promised Chiron that I’ll keep an eye on the two of you, so you are on guard duty.” The duo wanted to object, but Annabeth immediately shut them up.

“Guard. Duty.” Before the two could say anything, she took off and joined her siblings at the front.

After finally placing the flag, everyone but Percy and Y/N parted ways, going in different directions to either search for the enemy’s flag or interject them before they got too close to their own flag.

“Guard duty is boring…” Percy had sat down next to the flag and was plugging at the grass, frustrated with their indirect punishment.

“Agreed.” Y/N leaned against a nearby tree and sighed, letting their eyes drift up to the sky. And then, a wicked grin took over their face.

“Can I leave you here for a second?” Percy frowned but nodded and without hesitating, Y/N took off.

They had won. Annabeth had secured the other team’s flag with a few of her siblings. They were celebrating on the way back to their own flag when the campers in front of her started whispering and giggling.

“Oh no…” Annabeth passed the flag to one of her brothers and pushed through the crowd to see what was going on.

The first thing her eyes landed on was Percy and she sighed in relief that he was okay. Then she spotted Y/N. And then she spotted the campers from the other team. Paint was dripping off of them. Some were even on the ground, just bathed in blue paint.

As her eyes moved back to the two troublemakers, she took in their satisfied grins.

“What did you do?” Percy started to explain.

“Well, we were bored. So Y/N came up with an idea. They ran back to the cabins, grabbed paint, ropes, buckets and a blue shirt. We more or less made a decoy flag that, if taken, triggered a bucket of paint to tip and…yeah…” Annabeth stared at them.

“I don’t know if that is the most stupid or most intelligent plan you two ever came up with.” She hadn’t meant for those words to escape her lips, but what was done was done. Great…now she had to deal with them gloating about that for the next weeks.

“Either way, no more guard duty for them.” Chiron sighed and all Annabeth could do, was nod in agreement. No more guard duty.

[downfordiluc]

Kaeya x F Reader One Shot. [Modern AU].

Warning // Explicit Language. No Smut, only fluff.

Synopsis: a night filled with alcohol, dancing and feelings. 

If you rubbed your eyes one more time, you feared they may disappear inside of your skull. The display on your laptop was beginning to sear your retinas, as you watched the clock tick over to 11:30 pm. You should have left work hours ago. Having a hardass for a boss had wasn't something really had any benefits to it, other than the sizeable paycheck you took home after a long week's work; often going ten or twenty hours over your actually scheduled nine to five days.

Being able to finally click save and close the torture machine in front of you was something that you spent every working moment impatiently waiting for, and the satisfaction you got from knowing you could finally go and slump into your bedsheets was something that never really lost its novelty. And yet, tonight wasn't going to be one of those nights.

"Wanna go cause some trouble?"

You looked up blearily at the voice, seeing a tall, tan figure leaning against your doorway, one hand on his hip, and the other in his pocket. The smirk on his lips was one that you couldn't get enough of, but you'd never admit it. You'd never give him the satisfaction of admitting it.

"It's almost midnight, Kaeya." you remarked, as you shrugged your leather jacket onto your shoulders. Despite the protest in your tone, you had basically already succumbed to his plans before even hearing them, as you collected your belongings that were spread over your desk. "And so the night is only young, [Y/N], whaddya say?". This man knew he was born with a silver tongue, and had the power to persuade even the most stubborn to follow his every command. You knew this, and yet you fell victim every damn time.

"Where are we going?", you practically had a white flag waving above your head, as you walked through the door he held open, and yet you weren't fooled - Kaeya was no gentleman. He was a sweet talker, and he played the field like it was second nature to him. Life was like a game of chess, except he was always 5 moves ahead, taking piece after piece off of the board. Women were the pawns.

"Diluc's club, he pissed me off yesterday, and if my memory serves, you're not best pleased with him either.", he looked as though his plan had fallen into place, and yet it had one fatal flaw. "So your plan for revenge, is to financially provide for him by drinking in his club?". You felt as though you had his king in check - winning the game of chess - and might actually get to go home for the night. Yet that stupid smirk returned, and you instantly dropped the glimmer of hope you had grasped onto. "Money is simply an object to him, you know this. But just imagine the look on his face if he saw us both having the time of our goddamn lives, huh?". You hated to admit it, but to see that exact face you were now picturing was an opportunity you would not pass up, even if you hadn't slept for a week.

The night was bitter, biting at your cheeks as you walked down the cobblestoned alleys. No matter how much you pulled at your thin jacket for warmth, it simply wasn't the right choice of attire for the middle of February. "I know a way to warm you up." the man to your right quipped, and you instinctually glared up at him, seeing a saccharine sweet smile upon his face. You rolled your eyes and looked away from him, refusing to step into the trap that was his syrupy gaze. You knew better.

"Vodka".

You heard him chuckle at your blunt response. A soft, breathy laugh that could melt ice, and the heat that rose to your cheeks was welcoming, considering the harsh winds that felt like icicles piercing your skin. He really did have a way to make women putty in his hands, and you had never been more glad you considered yourself above that, considering you were about to get absolutely shit-faced together.

One shot turned to two, and two turned to three, as you bottomed the foul liquid, and slammed each glass onto the table with a loud clink. You hadn't done this in a while, and it had been even longer since you had done it with another person. Drinking alone was usually your style, which now you realised was actually quite sad.

"Slow down, darlin', they'll run out if you aren't careful.", he had absolutely no right to be using words like that, and even less right to witness the colour that lit your cheeks alight. Suddenly, staring at the marble bar seemed a lot more interesting.

"Mind your own business, Alberich. You said you wanted to have fun, this is how I have fun.". You knew full well the worse was yet to come. They say everyone has a second personality when they're drunk, and yours enjoyed partying like the world was going to end tomorrow. You noticed he was nursing his whiskey, and frowned at him, tilting your head to the side and resting it on your fist.

"Didn't take you to be a lightweight." you smiled devilishly into your words, watching his eyes widen slightly in surprise, you could practically see him recoil as though you had smacked him in the face. "Someone's gotta be able to walk to take you home.". The laugh you let out in response was a hearty, full one. Something you hadn't done in a while. You pushed at his shoulder, mocking him further. "Let go, have fun! Worst case scenario, we sleep on the floor. I never took you to be the boring one, Kaeya."

Enough was enough, he raised his glass and allowed the burning liquid to slip down his throat. He pulled a face before his glass made the same clink that your shots had been making for the past hour. "It's on, darlin."

"Two more shots over here, dear brother." You had almost forgotten why you came tonight, as you saw the redhead's brows almost touch, frowning as he had no choice but to stop ignoring the two of you, which he had been trying to do since you strutted into his club.

"And two for me!" You giggled into your words, as he gave you a look that you had never seen on his face. "I like your style, [Y/N]". His voice was lower than usual, probably from the assault on his throat the whiskey had enacted, but you had to admit, it sounded good that way. Too good, judging by the butterflies kicking up a fuss in your stomach. You decided to simply drown them in alcohol, as Diluc slid the drinks across to you without even muttering a word.

You must have had seven or eight shots of vodka by now, and at this point, Kaeya wasn't far behind, his jacket and tie discarded over the back of his stool, as well as two buttons on his shirt being undone. A deep v of tan skin practically begging you to stare. You had similarly discarded your jacket behind you, the alcohol flooding through your veins being what you attributed your rising body temperature to. You didn't even seem to care that all you had on was a lowcut, white tank top, which definitely left a lot less to the imagination than intended. Hopefully, the lighting was low enough that he didn't notice the lace of your bra creating lines under the thin fabric.

"Ahh, I love this song."

You didn't even seem in control of the words leaving your mouth, as a low, smooth beat filled the air around you. This song was one that you would definitely dance to in private, or if you weren't absolutely wasted. Before you even fully acknowledged what you were doing, you had climbed onto the surface in front of you and were gyrating your hips in a way that you wouldn't be caught dead doing sober. Vodka really lowered your inhibitions, a fact which was clearly evident to Kaeya, who couldn't help but stare as your hands worked their way down your body, slowly moving along to the music. He wasn't the only one staring. Pretty much the whole club was watching you let loose on the bar, ogling your figure and looking you up and down like meat on a stick. Diluc, however, could not have looked less impressed if he tried.

"[Y/N], get down from there. Everyone is staring.", Kaeya seemed almost possessive, as he extended his arm to you, trying to convince you to come down, and yet, you hadn't felt this free in a while. "You come up here! Dance with me, darlin'.". He seemed flushed at you using his words against him, but his stance didn't falter, as he kept insisting you come down from the bar. For a change, him and Diluc actually agreed on something.

"You're going to fall, [Y/N]."

"Then catch me, Prince Charming."

Your words were slurred, and it was clearly evident that you were inebriated beyond any point of logic, so Kaeya decided to take things into his own hands. He grabbed at your wrist and lightly pulled, expecting you to get the message, and finally come down. Definitely not expecting you to topple like a domino.

As your brain stopped feeling like it had just been scrambled, you noticed Kaeya's face only inches away from yours, before acknowledging that your body was pressed against his own. You'd actually fallen, holy shit, you were wasted. And yet, he had caught you. Prince Charming had really saved you - how ironic. His strong, defined muscles against your body were significantly more welcoming than the floor, that was for sure. If you weren't already completely certain that you had had more than enough to drink, you were once you caught yourself speaking.

"How about we take this somewhere more private, handsome?". You would be kicking yourself for those words once your blood stopped being what felt like 99% alcohol, and yet right now, you were biting your lip, looking up at him, barely noticing the flush under his tanned skin.

"How about we take you home?" was his response, as he tried to put you onto the floor, your legs buckling, as you sink to his knees. He sighed in defeat, tucking both of your jackets over his shoulder, and pulling you back up to cradle in his arms, using the warmth of his blazer as a pillow as you rested onto his shoulder. Maybe you were the lightweight, after all.

During the walk home, you hardly noticed the cold, between how hot the alcohol had you, and the warmth of his body heat pressed against yours. You barely acknowledged the journey ending until you felt the familiar softness of your bed under your warm body. Instinctively, you curled up onto your side, hugging a pillow, and kicking your shoes off of the side of the sheets.

"Goodnight, [Y/N]. I had fun with you tonight." Despite your vision being blurry, you could tell he was leaned against the wall the exact same way he had been hours ago at work, and you reached for his arm, tugging on his sleeve.

"Stay with me, Kaeya. Please.", you could feel yourself slowly sobering up, as your thoughts became less cloudy and your feelings becoming more lucid, and all you wanted was for him to stay by your side. Nothing sexual about it, you just wanted to feel his body heat radiating against yours as you slipped into slumber. You felt as though you could see the wanting in his eyes also, but his words begged to differ.

"I'll be on the couch." his reply left you feeling downcast, however, this was short-lived as you felt his lips lightly kiss you on the forehead, leaving the spot they had been tingling and prickling with heat. You were comforted knowing he would be there in any capacity, and that was the thought that nursed you to sleep pretending the pillow in your arms was the man who had caught you not long ago.  You knew that you had caught feelings for him in turn. Maybe he wasn't so bad, after all? Maybe he could be your knight in shining armor. The one to keep you company on what would be a lonely night drinking, and the one to hold you tight as your head pounded into the early hours of the morning. Anything would be good, as long as he was there.

[b00t-s]

We're all gossip-y bitches sometimes

this is part two

Janus xey/xem

Roman she/he

Patton he/him

Virgil he/him

See the character intros for more info

TW. Swearing, arguments, alcohol, drunk characters, the word v//mit is used once, characters being characters, past trauma mentioned, tiny tiny tiny sprinkle of angst but just a passing of it at end, and nothing to intense

Again, tell me if I'm being insensitive. Shout at me if I am.

Summary: Patton goes to talk to Janus about Roman. The group opens...'some' bottles. Virgil adds on some...interesting opinions.

Events occur few hours after this.

Janus just finished xeir nightly shift when Patton came bounding up to xem. Janus raised an eyebrow at how ecstatic he looked.

"Yes?" Xey managed out, forcing back the hundreds of snarky comments xey could of said right then.

"Can you hang out at My house later?" Patton practically beamed out.

"why would I want to 'hang out'? It's just a social construct created to give people a higher sense of being." Janus remarked, flipping to closed/open side to closed.

"So you'll be there?"

"hmm. Will doom-and-gloom be there?

"doom and---ohhh, Virge. Yeah, probably," Patton realised now that this was a bad mix of people to invite "probably-probably not for long though!"

"Fine" Janus replied, taking off xeir apron. Xey ignored the obvious lie. "I'll be there in an hour." Xey knew one way or another xey would end up there due to Patton's... effective persuading.

"Great!" Patton exclaimed "oh yeah, and...um...it's raining outside so..take my umbrella, kay?"

His tone more serious all of a sudden, Patton nodded to Janus' heavily made up face, so well done an ignorant bystander wouldn't of noticed the thick layers of foundation on xeir face.

Patton handed xem a translucent umbrella, patterned with cute frogs and flowers, to Janus. Ignoring the distasteful cartoons, Janus nodded and took the umbrella.

"See you soon, Jan!" Patton cheerily waved as he bounced off.

Janus folded xeir apron, opened Patton's umbrella and braved the outdoors.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Janus arrived at Patton's house exactly on time, bone dry, despite the heavily flowing rain. Patton expected nothing less of his friend. He invited xem inside, amazed as always by his friend's everyday fashion.

Jan was wearing a casual yellow shirt over a long sleeved black shirt. Fishnet gloves adorned xeir hands, and xeir ruffled hair was let lose.

Xeir fashionably messy hair was topped with a neatly placed black fedora, which of xey never took off. Xey even scarred persuaded Thomas to let xem wear it to work.

Patton offered xem a smile, and walked xem upstairs. "Hi Jan!" He grinned.

"Hello" xey replied mundanely.

Xey absent-mindedly glanced at Patton's outfit, which contained a violet cashmere sweater, bell bottomed jeans, circular silver glasses and a sunflower clip in his perfect curls.

It was a good look, xey had to admit.

When they both reached Patton's room, Janus stood still, taking in xeir surroundings.

Patton's room was covered with things from the 2000's; Tamagotchi's, stickers pressed up against the pastel wall, stuffed animals, wristbands, old CD's, care bears posters and butterfly clips littering the floor in a deadly trap.

A trans flag was pinned above the single bed with blue tack, right next to some inspirational and motivational quotes.

The whole place looked like it had been puked on by unicorns.

It hurt Janus' eyes.

Xey was a little overwhelmed by all the spiraling colours and nostalgia-inducing objects, so xey sat cross-legged in the middle of the pink carpet. The world slowed down.

Janus wondered, not for the first time, how a 29 year old could be this cheerful.

.

Or appear this cheerful.

"Jan?"

Janus gave a small twitch of xeir head, realising that xey had spaced out. "Hmm?" Xey replied.

"Hey, you were up with the clouds! I was just saying, I think Virge is here" Patton chirped.

"oh"

"he...might be staying for a little longer then i said"

"How wonderful." Janus muttered, knowing this would happen but hating it anyway.

"oh, don't be like that! I'm sure you guys could become friends!" Janus snorted. "Or...at least not kill at each other whenever you're in the same general area" Patton corrected.

"Anyway! I'm going to greet him at the door!" He suddenly proclaimed, skipping downstairs.

Janus was disgusted at how naïve this man was.

But that was a lie.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patton slowed his happy skip to a casual walk. His grin slipped into a content smile as he reached the end of the stairs. Being so happy takes its toll on people, he thought. Soft tapping of the door interrupted his thoughts as he opened the door to reveal Virgil.

The first thing you notice about this man was his unfair tall-ness. He nearly had to duck to get inside; being too skinny didn't help. Virgil was wearing a plain black hoodie over a mcr top, completing the look with a short, pleated skirt and docs. His face was slathered in white foundation, accompanied with dark eyeshadow under his eyes.

"Virge!! I'm glad you could make it, even if you are late!!Again!" Patton hugged his friend, genuinely glad for his presence. The taller man patted Patton's curls awkwardly.

"Heyyyy Pat-" Virgil did the awkward pats on the back everyone does when they want to get out of a hug but don't want to say it in fear of hurting ones feelings. "Traffic-"

Patton withdrew from the hug and smiled. "okay! at least you're here safe! Can't control the traffic"

"Janus is waiting for us upstairs" Patton continued. He hurriedly carried on speaking before Virgil could spit out an insult about xem "say, you know what I hate about stairs? They're always up to something!" Patton laughed at his own joke, whilst Virgil pretended to face-palm, hiding a snigger.

"Alright, Alright dAd, didn't you say snake face was waiting for us?" Virgil mocked. Patton chuckled uncomfortably at the nickname, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yeah, we shouldn't leave xem waiting"

They both entered his room, having walked the short journey there in a comfortable silence. Patton noted Janus had not moved from were he left xem; xey had just shifted to read a book xey most likely found lying around. Janus looked up upon their arrival, xeir face immediately twisting into a mocking grimace upon seeing Virgil. "ah, you brought the racoon"

"Janus play nice--"

"you're one to talk, you participated in 2012 Tumblr" Virgil threw back

"must you be so wounding" Janus dramatically threw xeir hand against xeir forehead.

"okAY, that's enough guys." Patton firmly said. Janus pulled a face in reply, and Virgil returned the favour. Patton sighed. He just wanted them to get along, which was probably a high expectation by itself.

Perhaps he had booze leftover somewhere.

--------------------------------

Twelve near fist fights, two crying sessions and many, many, many bottles of alcohol later, it was nearing eleven pm and the group was drunker than a litter of catnip high kittens.

They all crowded into a close-knit circle on the bed, nearly falling off but not caring.

"ssso your telling me that flashy asss hhimbo sssssaid I wasss hot but then rude and that I wore too muchh makeup? What a *hic* bitchh" Janus hissed.

Patton giggled. "yeeeeee, be nice though! She was kindaaaa alllllllll over the place!" Patton continued bluntly, "But how would you feel if I set you guys up????~"

"oh pleassssse do, I would just love that" Janus may be trashed but xey still knew sarcasm. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending who you are, Patton did not.

"yayyy! This is gonna be great!!"

Virgil butted in then, waving around the bottle he was holding "hold on, just holllld on a minute there, you're planning to set up that" he vaugly gestured in Janus' direction "with Princy??? Xey've known her for what, 4 minutes? Life isn't a disney movie"

"Dare I detect a hint of jealousy there emo?" Janus purred "am I that lovable?" Xey hiccuped.

"ooooooooh" Patton leaned into the circle, loving the drunk drama.

"wouldn't you like to know weather boy" Virgil droned back, finishing off the bottle.

"Honey, I would dare ssay that was a yesss"

"nO"

"oooooo, you liiiiike meeeEe"

"you disgust me"

"kinky"

Patton shook his hands excitingly at them, nearly hitting Virgil, causing them to shut up. "I can't believe you're finally open to a relationship after what happened! With my best friend no least! Boy did I try to get you to go on more dat--" Patton suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth as if he just said something nasty.

.

.

Everyone went silent. Janus stared at Patron, xeir mouth slightly parted. Virgil laughed nervously to try and break the tension. It sounded strained.

Janus began to speak to stop Patton from starting to spout drunken apologies. "Well thatssss jusst a liee, I've dated pleeenty of people over..well...that...period..of time."

Everyone went silent again, not quite sure on what to say.

Virgil's anxiety was heightening due to the social awkwardness and the influence of the alcohol.

Patton was fidgeting in his lap.

It was Janus yet again who broke the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Sssso, *hic* you ssaid you wanted me to go out with thisss idiot?"

----------------------------------

first-previous-next

updated masterpost

tag list: @arrowthenon-binaryroyalty, @spellingwillbethedeathofme,

ask if you want to be added or removed from tag list

and we meet our boi virgil

context is for losers

i could of probably cut out unnecessary things in that but y'know I'm new and I like it

these posts will be in chronological order, unless flashback, but it's not following a set-in-stone story line, so asks are, yet again, much appreciated.

I procrastinated too much during the making of this

[stachmousworld]

Bucky’s Kitty (Part 2)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Black!woman character

Tags: insecurities – squirting and being too “loose” – edging, teasing, blowjob, cockring, no protections, also lots of talking during sex, name calling during sex  - slut, whore -, vaginal and anal fingering...

SMUT, HERE WE GO! BUCKLE UP!

Part 1 - Part 3 -

Y/N left the stage quickly. The rest of the dance went by in a blur. She wasn’t really sure if she’d dance well or not, and she didn’t really care.

Bucky. The Winter Soldier. The Mafia Boss. Bucky. Her boyfriend Bucky was the Winter Soldier.

It certainly explained a few of his “quirks”. Why he avoided talking about stripping. And also, why he looked so smug when she raved about the mafia bosses in the city. How embarrassing…

Her entire face grew warm.

She had been swooning and moaning about the Winter Soldier for months. She had even collected some pictures (although blurry) of this man. Her boyfriend, who had a secret identity. And yet, he never made fun of her, nor made any remarks.

She smiled softly. Bucky was really an enigma. She couldn’t reconcile the rumors about the Winter Soldier and her grumpy bear. She knew he had a dark side. There were times where he’d tensed up and scan an entire room before “relaxing.” He’d sit against walls and would never be on the open.

It also explained how everybody knew him. He had his entry everywhere. From the shadiest to the classiest establishment, there was nowhere Bucky couldn’t enter.

She didn’t even try to stay to talk to Cassie, who was goddamn where, and ran straight in her room. Once the door shut, she took a quick breath and gathered her belonging. Once everything packed, she bent to take her shoes off.

She raged when it wouldn’t come off. That’s why she didn’t hear the door open, nor the person come closer to her. The slight touch on her shoulder set her off. She grabbed her gun and spun around, only relaxing when she saw who it was. Bucky. Her entire body sagged. His eyes went from the gun then to her face. He slowly raised his hands high and placed them behind his head.

“My Kitty with a gun?” He half-joked. His pupils were blown and there was no way she could mistake the bulge in his pants.

“You could have knocked,” she groaned, enjoying the brief unproblematic moment between them. She wasn’t really ready to discuss, and it seems that Bucky was thinking the same.

He scrutinized her face and leaned forward, bumping his nose against hers before capturing her lips. The kiss was soft and light.

“Get ready, we’re leaving,” he whispered on her lips.

 The journey back to her home was weird. They had talked about everything but why they met in the strip club. She didn’t know if he wanted her to broach the subject or simply didn’t want to spoil the night.

They made their way to her apartment still skirting around the main topic. Bucky grabbed her wrist and brought her palm to his lips.

“You were mesmerizing tonight, kitty.”

“I know,” she replied, petulant.

Bucky chuckled and shook his head. His head band fell on his shoulder. She caught it before it reached the floor. His silky black hair moved graciously around his face. He extended his hand, but she pocketed the band.

“Nope, you need to let your hair down, tonight.”

Bucky smirked at the innuendo. She turned around and opened her door. Now alone in the small dark room, she felt giddy. Her secret was out, and Bucky hadn’t run away. Well…he also had a big secret, so it was fair.

She took off her shoes and walked back to Bucky who was standing at the same place.

“Make yourself at home,” she said, leaning for a kiss. It never came. “Kiss me, Buck,” she whined.

“Do it yourself.”

Feeling a little less confident, she cleared her throat.

“You know that I…I don’t how to kiss well,” she admitted, self-conscious. She had already told him that her ex used to belittle her and mock everything she did. To him, her cooking was atrocious even though he used to binge and take a plate to his house.

Her kisses or blowjobs were too sloppy, and she didn’t know how to use her tongue, which still didn’t explain why he never lasted. And let’s not talk about her pussy. He found her too loose and wet, to his liking. He used to make fun of her and tell her that she hadn’t really been a virgin before they met, because there was no way she’d be that loose or wet.

She took a shuddered breath and steadied herself. Bucky kissed her forehead.

“I’m not going to laugh at you, baby girl. The woman I’ve seen dancing with sensuality and confidence could never disappoint me and you know it. And if you don’t know how to do something, I’ll teach you. That’s what a lover is for. The same goes for me, too.”

She scoffed. He could talk. He was perfect in every way.

“I know what you’re thinking and no, I’m in no way perfect.” He brushed her neck with his callous hand and grip it tightly. Her eyes fluttered as her anxiety seeped out of her body. He always knew how to ground her. “You, my kitty, are from another world. I won’t die before witnessing your full potential.”

He unclenched his fingers and massaged the base of her neck.

“Now, kiss me,” he ordered with a growl.

She licked her lips nervously but did as she was told. She leaned forward, eyes shutting tight and pressed her lips slightly against his. He didn’t make any move to deepen the kiss.

“Relax,” he murmured, eyes closed.

She grimaced. How could she relax, she was already on edge. If he laughed…she shook her head to erase these thoughts.

She leaned forward and nibble his lower lip. His breath itched. She took it as an incentive to go deeper. It took her a few trials, but once she relaxed, she grew more confident. Her tongue played with Bucky’s who was still not grabbing her by the waist like he used to.

When he said she had to do it herself, he wasn’t joking.

He groaned when she scratched the behind his neck. She swallowed his moan and pressed against him, slowly grinding on his hardness. She could feel his hands trembling as he tried not to touch her.

She broke the kiss, breathing a little too hard. Her vision was blurry, and she felt too tight for her skin. She wanted to drop to her knees and suck him off or fuck his brain out, but first she needed him out of his clothes.

She kneeled and untied his shoes, then took his socks off. She leaned forward and kissed the top of his feet. The tendon under her lips tensed. She didn’t know where it came from but there was a flow of love pouring out of her. She wanted to make him feel cocooned and loved.

She glanced at Bucky to see his reaction. His face was open and young. Here, was this innocence she had the chance to witness whenever he talked about his childhood or what made him truly happy – besides plums. That was when she knew she’d fallen for him.

Eyes still scrutinizing his face, she unbuckled his belt. There was a myriad of emotions in his now opened dark orbs. A few foreign to her and some more familiar. She basked in the unconditional attention he granted her.

She took his jeans off. Then his jacket and shirt and last his boxer. The intimacy and sensuality of simply undressing her lover excited her as much as their usual banter. She felt so close to him. She was the only one who could witness his barriers fall. His vulnerability was a gift. A precious gift she’d protect with her life.

She slowly led him to her bedroom and pushed him on the bed.

The sight took her breath away. From Bucky’s crown of black hair on her red sating sheets and his pale muscle limbs spread on her bed. She licked her lips and undressed herself.

Her dress and panties were quickly discarded as she walked closer to the bed. She climbed on it and stopped at Bucky’s feet.

She took one foot and massaged the sole with confidence. During college she had taken some classes on self-care. It had opened a brand new world to her simple life. Learning how to massage has been thrilling. To know someone’s body and be able to help them relax, hurt them or even excite them without using an excessive amount of force was true power.

The sole of the feet was composed of so many nerves linked to each part of the body, that you could elicit any kind of reaction by massaging them. And tonight, she wasn’t planning on relaxing Bucky. No. A slow mischievous grin appeared on her face. She will edge him all night long.

His erection, which has flagged, was going back to life. Bucky was cursing under his breath and twitching on the bed. She leaned on her right and retrieve her special object.

A cock ring.

Abandoning the foot, she slid the ring around his cock, jerking him off gently. A small bead of precum appeared on the tip. She resisted with all of her might to not suck him and smeared the drop all over the tip. Bucky jerked upright and groaned.

“Kitty, it is a dangerous game you’re playing,” he hissed as she dug deeper into his sole.

“You said I could do whatever I want.”

Bucky chuckled darkly and laid back. “A girl with a body and a mind like yours…I guess the Universe heard me.”

She kissed the top of his foot and massaged the other foot. It didn’t take long for him to writhe on the bed, cock flushing red and muscles tensed.

She scratched her way through his calf, using the hypersensitivity of his arousal to her own goal, and ascended to the apex of his thighs barely avoiding his cock, then traveled back down to his other leg. She repeated her little circuit patiently, each time getting closed to the base of his dick.

Bucky’s hands were clenched on her silky sheets. If she didn’t have another set, she’d slap his hand away. Satin sheets were quite expensive, and she held dear to her heart these specific ones.

“Fuck, baby girl, why are you being such a tease?” He moaned.

“A tease?” she asked amused. “You think THAT is me being a tease?”

Bucky raised his head and looked at her suspiciously. His eyes grew wider when he realized what she had in store for him. He shook his head vehemently, pleas falling from his red lips. She slowly took a slow, torturous, lick from his balls to the crown of his dick and only stopping where the pinkish tip started. The more she licked him and denied him his sweet release the more his body grew tenser. She wasn’t even sure he was aware of that in the state he was. He was shivering and trembling. His moans had long turned into babbles.

She took pity on her boyfriend and allowed him to take a few breaths and relax. Then she went back to work. One lick after the other until his dick was covered with her saliva.

She stopped again.

Bucky took a big gulf of air, eyes firmly shut. She waited for him to let his guard down. She wanted him raw, on the edge.

It took a few minutes, but he did let go. He unclenched his fingers from the soft fabric and relaxed.

“Now”, she coached herself.

Before he knew it, she gently grabbed his dick and swallowed him all she could fit in her mouth and throat.

The scream he let out was…delectable. She had to physically press her clit to stop herself from climaxing.  His voice was so raw and broken, like a man who finally accepted his fate. He was at her mercy.

She bobbed her head enjoying the bittersweet taste of precum. She moaned and swirl her tongue around his tip.

“Kitty!” he cried out as she once again swallowed him whole. His entire back was arched and his hands in rolled into fists next to him. She admired his resistance and strong mind. She knew how much he loved to control her pace and use her as he pleased.

Well, not tonight.

She let go of his dick in a wet pop. She crawled her way to his torso peppering his sweaty chest with feather-like kisses.

He only twitched when she bit his nipple. Maybe a little groan but nothing more. She kept getting higher and stopped in front of his face.

His eyes were blown out. There was more black than grey in his glassy eyes. Even if she was in front of him, he barely registered her. Pleas escaped his mouth.

Already delirious and she hadn’t started.

“How are you Mister Winter Soldier?”

Bucky’s eyes suddenly snapped straight to hers. She didn’t know why she said his mafia name, but she’d do it again only to see his reaction. He inhaled sharply and his entire demeanor changed. His then tensed body was now relaxed and although his eyes were black, there was a coldness to them that said that he was capable of beating the shit out of everyone.

There was something indescribable with how she felt right now. This man was in her bed. Boneless. Compliant.

If he wanted, he could do whatever he wanted with her. Fuck her 6 ways to Sunday and she’d beg for more.

“Go on, Kitty. I know you are not done,” he whispered with his raspy voice. A little knowing smile played on his lips.

She grabbed his dick and sunk on it with no preambule. Or at least she tried. She bounced slowly on his dick but struggled to get the angle right. She groaned as she felt more uncomfortable.

“Gosh, whether my pussy is broken, or you are way bigger than I thought.”

Bucky barked a short laugh. “I didn’t lie last time.”

“I thought you lied. My ex also lied about that…” She stopped talking, completely embarrassed and buried her head into Bucky’s chest. “Fuck, I’m sorry to talk about my ex.”

Bucky, for the first time of the night, touched her. He caressed her back and kissed the top of her head.

“You see how hard I am. There is no problem. Unless you want to talk about it,” he offered softly.

She shook her head, still avoiding looking at him.

“I want to hear your sweet voice, Baby Girl.”

“No, I don’t want to talk about it…”

“But?”

The demons in her head were hard to forget and push away. Before she could think, the words slipped out of her mouth.

“Don’t you think I’m too wet?” she asked with a tiny voice.

Contrary to what she expected, Bucky didn’t reply nor laughed at her stupid insecurity. She raised her head and was confronted dark eyes. She shrunk under the intense gaze.

“If you weren’t wet, I would be worried,” he replied, one eyebrow raised.

“That’s not what I mean,” she whined, head still hidden on his chest.

Bucky embraced her and rolled them over, until he was caging her with his arms.

“What do you mean, then?” he asked patiently.

His hips were still against hers. His dick was inside her and the stretch was getting a little too torturous. If he just moved a little bit, he’d be able to press on her spot. God…he didn’t even know how difficult it was getting for her to concentrate. Her entire mind was focus on his dick. She tried hard to not think about it…to avoid thinking about what could happen…what usually happened at the end.

She only hoped she wouldn’t squirt. God, no. She closed her eyes and pressed her palms against them. The last time had been horrifying enough, she wasn’t sure her heart would handle it if Bucky was disgusted by her.

“Baby Girl, what is it?” There was a hit of worry in his voice. “Do you want to stop? Say the word and we’ll cuddle for the night.”

She struggled to find the proper words. Bucky took her silence as a yes and started moving out. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close.

“I don’t want you to be disgusted and leave me,” she said with a tiny voice.

Bucky pushed her hands away from her eyes and gazed into her eyes. Concern clouded his dark orbs and his mouth was set in a painful rictus.

“Why? Why would I be disgusted? Why would I leave you?”

She wanted to shrug and drop the subject. But there was no way Bucky wouldn’t questioned her until he got his answer. The thought brought some ill-timed pictures. Unwillingly, her pussy throbbed as a few images flashed through her mind.

She imagined his callous hands spanking her cheeks, leaving their mark. He’d tease her for hours, methodically pushing her to the edge, manipulating her body like an instrument he’d know too well.

“Kitty…” He warned her. “Don’t try to make me cum before we cleared this out…or you’ll regret it.”

She shivered at the prospect of the what if. A sharp pain cleared her thoughts. Bucky was squeezing her left nipple. She hissed.

“It hurts…” she complained, pouting.

“That’s exactly why your pussy is leaking right now.” He said, sarcastically. He released her nipple and licked the tender bead. She immediately pressed against him, moaning as more of his dick entered her. Bucky buckled pressing into her.

She let out a silent scream as the larger part of his dick slid in, snugged tightly. Every breath she took, every time she moved, she could feel him. He was so deep and…

“Bucky…” she whined, trying to make him move.

He released her nipple in a wet pop.

“Nope, you gotta to answer me, first and I’ll move.”

“Bucky!” she cried out eyes full of tears.

“Nope, Baby girl.”

She racked her brain to focus on the answer, which would come. The only thing her brain could focus on his Bucky’s pulsating dick in her.

“If you don’t talk, I’ll move out.”

She bit back a cry and forced herself with every inch of desperation to concentrate.

“My ex…” She swallowed and huffed when the rest of the sentence died even in her mind. What did she want to say, again? She closed her eyes firmly. “My ex used to make fun of me because I’m too wet and…and…I squirt.”

“You what?” He yelped, incredulous.

She froze mortified. Oh my God, he is going to leave me, she thought hysterically. The entire situation was a nightmare. Who had this kind of discussion in bed with their partner? Why was that always her?

She felt him thrust out and tears started pooling in her eyes. That’s it, he is going to leave…

She moaned surprised when he thrusted back in. He gently worked himself in and out. She opened her eyes and stared into his. Why? She mouthed. His eyes shone with joy and

“There is really a God up there because you are straight from my dreams.”

She didn’t know how to react nor take what he said. Her emotions were on a rollercoaster and she almost too taken aback to realize what he implied.

He leaned thrusting deep into her. She moaned through her half open mouth. Bucky kissed her, swallowing her moans.

The drag of his dick on her sweet spot and the warm body caging her, got her to new heights. Pleasure ran through each nerve of her body.

“God, you feel…” his hips met her in a squelching noise. “You are so wet…so good to me…”

She basked in the comments and finally let her tears down. She felt so loved and protected…She moaned his name, scratching his back as he went faster. The muscles under her hands tensed.

“I’m going to make you come first…” he whispered to himself. “…have to…”

He accelerated. He pounded into her, beating her spot with precision. She gasped, twitched trying to close her legs as the pressure grew under her clit. She tried to warn him that she’ll make a mess…that it was gross but…

“Let go…I know you want to come…” He growled above her. He slapped her clit a few times. And she came. The first spurt surprised her. She tried to hide behind her hands, but Bucky didn’t care. He slid out.

“I’m so sorry Buck…” she half cried-moaned as pleasure overtook her body. Her apologies died when she felt his hot mouth on her pussy. She jerked upright and fell back at the ungodly sight.

Bucky was drinking her…her walls spasmed. God, it shouldn’t feel that good.

“It’s gross…Bucky,” she moaned.

The slurping sound doubled. His tongue circled her clit. She went limp as her plunged two fingers into her. He automatically found her sweet spot and massaged it.

Her toes curled and she screamed his name as she came for the second time.

She almost blacked out. Pleasure turned to a more painful side, but she felt so empty. She wanted him to cum inside her, to make her full of his cum.

“That’s okay baby. I’m here,” he soother her, peppering her body of feather-like kisses.

She shook her head in denial. He kissed her jaw.

“What was that you said earlier? It’s gross?” She scrunched her nose when he kissed her lips. “If it was disgusting do you think I’ll drink it?”

“I’ve seen you eat some more than questionable things,” she complained, half-heartedly.

“True,” he chuckled. “And so do you. Now kiss me.”

“Not that again,” she groaned.

“Kiss me.”

She gave up and pressed her lips against his. Her tongue invade his mouth with no leftover shyness. The lack of nauseous taste surprised her. She sucked the tip of his tongue. He moaned and laid totally onto her, her legs wrapped around his waist. She unconsciously moved against his hardness trying to get him in.

The aftertaste was…normal. There was nothing different from her wetness when she was arousal. She released his mouth softly. Bucky’s head fell in the crook of her neck.

“You were right. It doesn’t taste bad.”

Bucky stayed silent. She nudged him and he mumbled something unintelligibly.

“Bucky!”

“I’m trying to stay conscious. You teased the hell out of me, you cried and admitted to be very much perfect. I’m sure your pussy swallowed more than my dick. Your juices may have satisfied my thirst but your kiss made all of the last braincells disappear.”

“You sound perfectly fine for someone whose braincells are gone,” she noticed, amused.

He opened blearily his eyes.

“Hardy har. Now can I come, or do you have more games in store for me?”

“Should have teased you some more,” she complained, dramatically.

“Yep. You know what you should have done?” he asked huskily, slowly raising upright. He kissed the tip of her nose.

She shook her head. One hand snaking in between their bodies to his dick, he slapped her hole a few times. His hand came back into view with the cockring. He presented the plastic ring to her mouth. She wordlessly opened her mouth and bit it.

“You should have restrained me to the bed…” he pressed the tip on his dick in her hole. “…sat on my face…” he entered her painfully slow. “…rode my face…” she closed her yes and forced herself to keep the cockring in her mouth. “…and squirt all over my face.”

He slammed into her eliciting a muffled scream. Her entire back arched off the bed. He didn’t once let her get used to his big dick nor slowed down.

He pounded her like he knew she’d take it.

“Fuck!” He swore. He slid out, turned her over. Before she could react, he thrusted right back in. Deeper. Her eyes rolled. She drooled all over her pillows, hand fisted tight onto the sheet.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” He groaned above her. “Would have fucked you in that strip club… at least make you suck my dick…”

He gripped her hips, forcing her onto her knees. He nudged her legs open and plunged right back in, in a wet noise.

“Fucking whore!” He growled, spanking her cheeks brutally. He spread them open and spat on her twitching butthole. He pressed his thumb slightly in. She vainly complained. “I should have fucked your ass too…Tomorrow you’ll warm my dick...”

She moaned and pushed back against meeting each of his thrusts with eagerness.

He swore under his breath. “Fucking slut…wet my dick so nicely…just for me…”

He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. “My whore.”

She came untouched. The words replayed in her mind endlessly. Only yours, she thought dozily. Her body tensed but it didn’t slow him down. His thrusts grew shallowed and more violent. She stayed on her knee by the sheer strength of her mind and the pressure of his hands on her hips. She’d bruise for sure. She moaned happily. He’ll leave a mark on her.

“Such a good slut for me…make me wanna come ‘gain and I still didn’t you breed you.”

His groans turned into loud moans. His hips stuttered then finally came to and halt. She felt warmth coating her wall and her pussy spasmed vas a valiant effort to come again.

“Yes…” he hissed. “Massage my dick, Kitty, you were born to do it.”

She contracted her sore walls. He finally stopped and fell on her back.

His dick still spurted his cum into her. He embraced her pulling her closer.

“Always have a big load…” he explained, nuzzled on her back. “…be so full of me, like a good girl.”

She keened at the compliment and closed her eyes.

“Yours,” she whispered.

“Mine. I’ll kill everyone who dares touch you.”

“M’ too.”

Bucky chuckled. “I know. My Kitty is deadly.”

 Part 3 

[johannstutt413]

(requested by mathmaticalknight)

“Alright, remember everyone: this is a rescue mission.” The Doctor, a knife as long as her forearm in hand, was giving a final brief to her team. “We already have ground teams clearing the streets of Reunion so we can get in, find survivors, and get them out of here to somewhere much, much safer, whether that’s RI or somewhere else. Do not engage hostiles unless absolutely necessary, especially since they may be confused civilians and not Reunion. Are we all clear on our objectives here?”

A hand came up in the back of the vehicle. “When do we meet back here?”

“You’ll rendezvous with our mobile command center whenever you escort survivors to it. Once you’ve filled your van, you’ll stand by the MCC to provide additional security, as the more people we find, the more likely tensions might rise. Thank you for the question, Fang...Anything else?”

“If a civilian does attack us,” Gavial added, “we try non-lethal force first, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, incapacitate as a first measure. If that is insufficient...do what you need to for the sake of the rest of those you find. Alright, going once...Twice...Each Squad has been given a direction; each of you should have a navigator to make sure you’re mostly sticking to that direction. Watch your GPS units, notate where you search and where you find survivors. Let’s go. Anyone who doesn’t know where you’re going, you’re with me.” And with that final clarification, each team found their assigned van, and the rescue team dispersed.

“Do you want to drive, Doctor?” Amiya gestured to their van.

“That I do not.” She handed her protege the keys. “But I do call shotgun.”

Gravel bolted into the vehicle. “I call behind the Doctor!”

“The undying thirst continues.” Warfarin rolled her eyes but nonetheless followed the Zalak’s lead.

“I did remember to teach you how to drive stick-shift, yes?” The Doctor asked once they were all in the car.

Amiya gave her a quizzical look. “Dr. Kal’tsit taught me to drive, Doctor.”

“Oh...” She looked around for a second seatbelt before taking a deep breath. “Well, girls, this might be a little bumpier than I expected...”

And with that, the Caster set her pedal to the metal, and they were off.

“From what I remember, we encountered a heavy presence coming from the direction of Peterheim Middle, so we should at least make a pass by it...Left at this intersection.” The Doctor had given herself the role of navigator for her team.

“I see a flag!” Meteor called out. “Right side of the road, two buildings up!...If you can call it a building still.”

Savage grimaced. “Geez. It looks like it collapsed in on itself.”

“Catapult’s work. Just the blast residue is enough to identify that much...Amiya.”

“Right.” She slammed the breaks, accidentally turning it just enough to send it spinning out of control for a moment. Luck was with her, however, as the spiral left them not only still on the road, but on the sidewalk next to the crimson flag. “Um...Sorry about that!”

The passengers recollected themselves quick, fast, and in a hurry to get to the business at hand. “Savage, looks like you’ve got some work to do.”

“If there are people in there, though, I might hurt them. I don’t have fine control over how much force I transfer...”

“If you swing at the left wall, it’ll destabilize it to the point the rest of the debris will fall to that side.” The Doctor gestured with her blade to a point in the left wall. “Flag’s on the right side, better chance they’re on that side than the other.”

Gravel returned from a trip around the building. “They’re on the left! I just talked to someone named Rada! They’re all in the kitchen, along this wall!”

“The wall I was gonna smash for you, Doctor~” Savage walked over to the right wall of the building, looking for the best place to hit from.

“Thanks, Gravel.” The Doctor sighed. “Alright, Warfarin, be ready for first aid just in case. Meteor, you’re on overwatch, just in case. Amiya, Gravel and I will standby to help them get out-”

There was a *boom* as the already degraded structure fell in on its right side, removing a great deal of the rubble stacked precariously in the center and making the left side seem manageable. “Step 1 done! I wonder if-”

“Gah!” Accompanied by the sound of someone exerting a great deal of effort, a single brick was pushed out, followed by a hand. 

“Alright, new plan!” The Doctor dashed towards the rock pile. “Everyone except Warfarin, let’s clear this rubble out!”

As four pairs of hands worked to safely clear away bricks in order to leave a hole without collapsing any on those trapped inside, the hand that broke through initially revealed itself to belong to a teal-haired Ursus girl in a tattered middle school uniform, looking for all the world as if she’d crawled on her hands and knees through hell and back. Another figure, a blonde Ursus, joined in as well, babbling her thanks as Gravel and Amiya tried to calm her down. Eventually, they’d safely cleared enough for a crawlspace, which they both climbed through, followed by three more of what could only be presumed were their classmates.

As Warfarin administered diagnostics and emergency nutrition, one of the survivors, a reddish streak visible in her hair even through caked blood and dirt, walked over to the flag as if in a trance and tore the cloth from the pole before wrapping it around her arm. Amiya noted this as Warfarin gave the Doctor the details of her scans. “Principle concern is dehydration - they’re surprisingly well-fed, all things considered, and most of the blood isn’t theirs. Even so, their adrenaline is causing massive spikes in their heart rate, so I would advise returning to the MCC so they can be calmed and more properly attended to.”

“Hmm...Yes, we should probably-”

“Savage!” Meteor called from further down the street. “We’ve got another one!”

The Cautus bounded that direction, skidding to a stop in front of a cellar door with what might’ve been a slab of foundation keeping it from being opened; through a crack in the boards that composed it, another Ursus person was visible, breathing feebly. “...Stand back!” With a grunt, she swung at the offending chunk of concrete, powdering it completely, before helping the Kuranta wrench open the door and retrieve another school-aged survivor. “Her heartbeat is so slow...We’ve got to move. Doctor! Start the van!”

“Amiya, the keys?” She handed them over instantly. “Thank you. Savage, can you hold her- Holy shit.”

“With all due respect, now’s not the time to stall out!”

“Right, right! Everyone’s in?” Confirmation from her team, acknowledgment from the teal-haired survivor. “Vroom.”

-----

“She really said ‘vroom’ as she drove us back?” Leto asked Istina as the six members of the USSGG sat around the dinner table.

“She did,” the advisor nodded. “It was such a strange occurrence, I’d be rather hard-pressed to forget it.”

Zima tore off a piece of steak as she said, “I was sure I took a bandana, not a flag.”

“They called it a flag, whatever it was originally. More tea, Zoya?”

“No, I’ve had enough, thank you.” Absinthe sighed. “This does explain why Meteor has her eye on me, despite the fact I’m not a Sniper.”

Gummy nodded. “She’s also really friendly. We should go to one of her board game nights some time!”

“That sounds like a great idea. Natalya, did you get everything you need?”

 “Yes, this should be sufficient.” The Sniper finished her notes with a flourish. “I must say, I’m impressed you remember so much about that day, considering the state we were in.”

Istina shrugged. “There are some moments you can never, must never forget...As we all know quite well.”

“Mmhmm.” Six Ursus nodded their heads in unison.

“I should take this to the Doctor before her shift ends.” Rosa set her teacup in the middle of her empty plate and stood up. “Don’t start the movie without me.”

The general flashed her a mutinous smirk. “No promises.”

“Right. I’ll be back soon!”

“...So are we starting the movie?” Leto asked, looking around the table. “I mean, we can at least get the trailers out of the way, right?”

The chef got up. “Zoya, can you help me with the dishes tonight?”

“Sure, Rada.” Absinthe took her own plate, Zima’s, and Leto’s, and walked off to the kitchen.

“It feels like we’re a real family now, doesn’t it?” Leto leaned back in her chair, pushing her legs against the round table’s center post. “Like a sisterhood or something!”

Zima gave her a quizzical look. “Family, sure, but sisterhood? Your brain stays on after 2100 hours, right?”

“I dunno, Sonya. Deepcolor has a couple books that-”

“That’s enough of that.” Istina took her place in the precisely-established TV room arrangement. “We’re waiting for them to finish with the dishes before starting the movie, yes?”

The general and brawler followed her, with Zima giving the advisor a nod. “And for Nat, is she’s not back by then.”

“Oh? So she is growing on you, huh?” Leto tapped her target’s shoulder playfully.

“Yeah. That a problem?” She grinned back, returning the play-punch a little harder. “I won’t hesitate, bitch.”

The brawler tackled her, landing squarely in the brawl-space Istina and Rosa had set aside specifically for moments like this. “Then I won’t, either!”

“...Hopefully Natalya returns before one of them knocks the other unconscious.”

[meandmyechoes]

The more I think about Dark Disciple, the more I find something odd.

[28th March 17:46]

I keep referring to it as a ‘favourable experience’, and there is no question the writing is what made me fall totally head over heels about quintress, but I also just, can’t?

I mean, yes. It’s very passionate, dramatic, scenes and gestures I can only dream of. But I also, don’t really see it in that ’omg they totally belong together here are my sixty headcanons of them’ sense?

I am very involved in the pairing, but also don’t really, actively ‘ship’ it — like the way it was an open book with Rhayme or Latts Razzi (since it’s the same author that indoctrinated me to Captain Rhayme). I could imagine them being happily ever after and silly shenanigans and slow-burn. But the concept of a quintress fairytale ending is so wild. I can only ask how much it is tainted with my personal view on relationships.

I know the plot leaves little room for “the future” and fed us well on all tropes possible. But, it just never occurred to me to put them in any other clichés or invent a missing scene.

Winding up, I don’t think their relationship is "weak", but it’s very motivated by circumstances and once you take that out of them, you are a little bit lost. For example even during the illicit affairs month, I… can’t really propose one date that does not seem tonally insensitive. (I can think of them being cloak dorks and Vos bringing her to ice-cream, that’s it, after a long hard moment) Really, all I possibly want is that sweet, sweet angst and canon is already there so I have no complaint.

It’s just… I don’t really get why it has to be the two of them that fall for each other. I understand why they did, and I believe it— Perhaps it’s much more a physical attraction thing that I don’t really have personal experience with.

I don’t know if quintress classify as slow-burn because 10 chapters still seem a little quick in the grand scheme of things. (aside: I’m quite disappointed Ventress wasn’t doing much in the last quarter of the book.) My point is, they do feel a little bit puppet to tropes, and while it’s deliciously written, there’s not much potential outside of canon. And that lack of inspiration makes me grimace a little.

[3rd April, 01:39]

I’ve scrolled through the dd tag and let the book sank a little. I am better articulated to talk about the sexist criticism now.

It’s a romance story, and when I judge it by that (lower) standard, it ticks the boxes. However, it might be a weakness as well, due to the projectability of the heroes. And yes, the whole assassination is dumb. Yet, tcw has been consistently this dumb at us. The last two times when she’s more rooted in the dark she failed, sent Savage and failed, so she’s gonna do it again with Vos… after she put down her desire for revenge. right. and surprise! Our “assassination” plan is to find Dooku and duel him directly. right…

I’ve read a review that says the romance takes away from the plot. However, the romance IS the plot. The book IS supposed to revolve around the two of them. I do agree them becoming begrudging allies then partners is a more unique approach, more rewarding as foils as well. but I guess a romance is easier for the conventional to process ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

With the “Ventress lose agency in falling for Vos”. Now, I can’t dictate how each of us buy into their physical attraction and chemistry (or lack thereof), and there’s no denial that a conscious human being is making that choice for the fictional character, I think the stance on this topic varied person to person from the above two factors, which are very different starting points.

I kept Katie Lucas’s foreword vividly in mind while reading. She said this is a story about people seizing chances to rebuild. That there’s always a choice. Cliché as it is, I believe ~the power of love~. I believe there exists someone you’re willing to sacrifice everything for, to overlook everything for, to forgive - to love them, warts and all. So, yes whether you think Ventress loses her agency to the romance, or if that’s a conscious choice on her behalf, is swayed heavily by how much you buy that they are the one.

[10th April, 10:30]

Yesterday I’ve been thinking a bit more about this. I do love this ship, I just don’t believe they’d be two people who find each other again and again in every life time, in every universe. That’s why, as magnificent as fireworks, it also won’t last.

To explore this, it’s not entire impossible for quintress to separate peacefully after this incident, but would that cheapen the build before? The entire motivation of dark!Quinlan hinges on his vision of their future. And say, Ventress did saved him and survived. How would he balance being a Jedi and his feelings - that’s publicly exposed to the Council? (sidenote: i really don’t like Ch. 27 where a bunch of old men are questioning their love life, but uhhh yes, I’m a sensible person!) For now, I’m seeing another Obi-Satine situation. And honestly how bad that an outcome is. It’s not like Ventress died for her war crimes! The show gave her a full pardon! So Idk man. Why can’t she leave him because she loves him and she exiled herself and they never see each other again WHY NOT FILONI WHY NOT.

Now I’m lamenting more what could’ve been with the two arcs. In Filoni’s original sketch, Aayla and Maul were involved. Man, that could’ve been the dream.

~~~

Part 2: [26th April, 15:15]

It has been… a month, since I finished Dark Disciple and I feel like it’s time to conclude all the thinking this book has made me do.

On the wider reflection about attachment and the Jedi Order, I still have to do more reading on it from other sources to form a concrete opinion. This theme won’t be touched on in this post yet, but I cannot shake how intriguing it is to compare “falling” in love to falling to the dark side. The temptation, and the submission to their emotions, the irrationality, the newfound curiosity, it all incites. Very curiously, it was Anakin Skywalker who commented that one is “blinded by love”

Okay, so what I’ve been scratching my head off the past two weeks is how I look at the romance between Asajj Ventress and Quinlan Vos. How would I define it?

Now this is as much as an exploration of how I view romantic relationships. Well, I’ve decided it wasn’t “love”, it was an “affair”. It was an affair because it’s a rush of passion, it’s a secret, it won’t last. Before I chop my own head off for bluntness, I mean it in, of course they are hopelessly in love with each other, that’s the exact premise of why it moved me so. But it wasn’t a complete relationship, wasn’t a healthy, sustainable one by any objective standards. Then, that’s the exact contradiction. Oh to throw caution in the wind with you, or to build a future with you?

Both are things I want a lot, and the ideal is of course one after the other. What quintress had (in the end) is definitely not something I’d want for myself, but it’s so fantastical, it’s alluring, just like the concept of falling in love - opening up yourself and trusting another person, is - it’s risky. That’s why it’s a sweet, sweet drug.

I’ve been so angry at all the red flags in this relationship. Reading this book, getting into both of their shoes, yelling NO like their best friends. But ultimately, what they had is unique to them and I can’t influence it in any way. Re-reading, I find myself holding myself back at all the places I was furious about going ‘You are smarter than this!’. Because it’s a tragedy, and the beautiful (I guess) thing is they chose each other.

The other day something on the dash inspired me to really think about ship dynamics. I, unashamedly admit, I’m VERY into Obi/Quin/Ventress in any and all combinations. *cough* I will not explain further.

I do accept the premise and I did discover they share quite a bunch of traits, but it confused me a while what made them cross the boundary, and it was, physical attraction (that the book was selling so hard I was blushing hot). I love them both a lot, and I would like to date them both, and I can see myself in either of them. Again comes the contradiction, is it a good thing to have characters so easily projectable, or do I want to see myself in more complex characters like them?

I probably lost quite a few cars stalling this train of thought. And I've been a canon apologist since forever. This book brought me a lot of emotional upheavals and a lot of food for thought. It brought me down to reflect on my romantic worldview and sexuality because I have nothing better to do. It totally challenged me as a writer and it’s just a really good novel by its right, regardless of the absurdity that is The Clone Wars. It’s a lot of firsts for me. And I really should find something better to do.

[26th April 16:00]

I must address that I got spoiled of the ending and the first and second half of the book probably went through some big changes.

If I cried for this book, it’s score would be even higher. And I’ve been so obsessed with discussing the relationship, without shedding light on the characterization, which is definitely an unfortunate side effect. Then it occurs that quite possibly the second half (26-42) deviated even further from the script than the first? It doesn’t have concept art or blocking, plus possibly (heavily) edited to omit correlation to other arcs. My major complaint for the second half is Ventress doesn’t do much and we know NOTHING about Vos, even though he is given screen time in the book. my, I just wish Ventress punch him harder and drag his idiotic mess back to the light sooner.

And to criticism about it being their ‘toxic’ relationship being portrayed as ‘true love’, well, it really depends on how thoughtful the reader is, right? I think if the reader is able to notice all these red flags and gave their own interpretation of the relationship and its outcome, it’d’ve been an educating experience. There’s what for the reader and what for the characters. They don’t know this ‘love’ is destroying them, and what kind of message is it sending? What ‘love’ depicted in the book is true then? I have my answers, and I hope every reader comes to their own as well.

[ink-asunder]

The Heartless DLC - The Rest of the Story

I’ve given a lot of thought to this, but I’ve decided to drop my Dragon Age: Inquisition/Dragon’s Dogma crossover fic, The Heartless DLC. I’m not out of ideas, but it turns out retelling the entire last 2/3rds of the game WITH original quests was too much of an undertaking for me. That combined with my surprising distaste with elements of Dragon Age and issues with the fandom just made it a project that I have no interest in continuing at this time.

It’s not fair to keep my readers in the dark, even if I *do* plan to get back to it someday. So I’m going to give a heavily abridged but general summary of how The Heartless DLC would’ve continued and ended right here, just so you get the full story instead of me leaving you hanging. It’s also a fairly long post!

After the events at Adamant, the Inquisitor and Arisen ltake care of some side-quests, favor quests, and cleaning up some areas whilst also preparing for the ball at Halamshiral. As stated previously, the Arisen and Gale will be going on their own, not under the Inquisition. Once there, the Inquisitor searches for clues, and the Arisen very quickly realizes that there are pawns serving at the ball. Gale pretends to faint, which allows him and the Arisen to be temporarily excused while the pawns take them to the servant’s quarters.

Once in the privacy of the servant’s quarters, the pawns give Marnie an urgent update about the state of things in Gransys. The Duke wasn’t ill, he was trying to keep her away. Nothing particularly heinous is unfolding, but the pawns are worried the Arisen has abandoned them. Marnie assures them that she’ll return, but before they resolve the issue, the harlequin drops in and tries to murder them.

Cut back to the Inquisition. The Inquisitor finally finds some clues and escapes to the servants quarters with his companions. By the time they get there, Marnie and the pawns are nowhere to be found and everyone else is slaughtered. They briefly have a moment of “oh, so I guess we might have to consider Marnie did this” and move on. They find Marnie and the pawns engaged in battle in the courtyard, and the two groups converge for the rest of the quest. They discover the pawns have been traveling to and from Gransys by a Riftstone they brought overseas with them. This Riftstone is later transported to a grove closer to Skyhold for ease of access to the Pawn Guild. It might be noted that Marnie is the one who finds and unlocks the Empress halla door, mostly because her pawns were collecting whatever they could find already. She has Gale interrogate the man for her, then she brings the information to the Inquisitor. The empress is spared, Florianne is arrested, and the Inquisitor has enough evidence to ally all three parties.

Now that there’s a Riftstone at Skyhold, Gale is going out at night on jobs in other worlds. More pawns begin to frequent Skyhold. They don’t blend in well, but the Arisen is able to explain it away as if the Duke sent over members of his elite army, of which the Arisen is a commander. No one ever suspect she had that kind of station. The pawns all seem moderately wary of Solas, but decide he won’t pull anything in Skyhold around the Arisen, for whatever reason. Gale has the most influence over the other pawns aside from the Arisen because he is the main pawn in this universe. That puts him at a high position, even though he may be younger than many pawns he meets.

Gale still goes to Solas frequently. Their meetings range from Gale asking for help with spells to discussing the Inquisition and the Arisen. Solas starts asking Gale to keep their meetings a secret from the Arisen (red flag!). Meanwhile, Cole and Marnie settle their differences; Marnie says she was never upset with Cole to begin with, and they both make a point to be more objective and communicative with each other. Marnie resumes training Cole and gifts him a pair of climbing boots with spikes on the bottoms (shout out to RavenNox on fanfiction.net for mentioning the strider concept art in a review, because I hadn’t seen it before!).

After Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts, the Inquisitor decides to finally get in a good dragon hunt like I’ve been teasing. This is a long-ish “Dragonhunt Arc,” and it’s what I’d imagine Marnie’s main favor quest would be if this was a real DLC. They go to the Hinterlands to fight the Fereldan Frostback, (I know, I should be writing them getting back at that damn dragon in Crestwood, but I haven’t written anything in the Hinterlands yet, and I wanna get to it). There’s an epic battle where the Inquisition FINALLY gets to see more of that dynamic climbing from Marnie and Cole. Gale also shows some creative use of healing spells by preemptively casting healing spells while Marnie is in danger, then she’ll heal as soon as she’s injured and it’ll spare her, (Gale actually did stuff like this with consumable curatives while I was fighting the Ur-Dragon quite a few times, so I wanted to implement it).

At the end of the battle, the Arisen realizes that dragons are just animals here, as opposed to intelligent, self-possessed beings like in Gransys. Therefore, the only real “reason” she came to Thedas was a bust. She’s noticeably sullen and distraught for several days, and Gale begins to worry. Eventually, Gale reaches out to the Inner Circle for help, and they arrange a quiet evening in the yard where she and Gale could dress fancy and slow-dance because it was the one thing she wanted to do at Halamshiral and couldn’t do. There’s this vague internal monologue about how she never gets to keep what she loves, and it’s implied she only truly loves Gale, and it’s also a subtle reminder that she’s a fucking god, but anyway.

After the Dragonhunt Arc, I get back to the main quest, except I kind of don’t, because I want things to be more dramatic. They chip away at some favor quests, and oddly enough, Gale and the Arisen start to drift apart. This is due to several factors including but not limited to Marnie being preoccupied with other pawns and Inquisition-related duties, but it’s also largely because of a concentrated effort on several people’s part to get Gale to assert himself as an individual human as opposed to a pawn defined by his Arisen.

When they go to the Temple of Mythal, Marnie and Gale can barely keep themselves together. The group manages to complete the quest regardless. They ally with Abelas and Morrigan drinks from the Well of Sorrows.

When they face off against Corypheus, Marnie uses the Backfire skill when fighting the red lyrium dragon to ensure it dies. In that moment, a part of her is frighteningly powerful, almost like she is no longer human. (God this stuff sounds corny.) She passes out for a minute and Gale stays with her while she recovers and the others go to fight Corypheus. Corypheus probably delivers a villainous monologue. I was originally going to have Marnie and Gale bust in and at the part where Corypheus says "ancient ones, if you've ever been there, be with me now," Marnie says "I am one" but I decided against it. The Inquisitor lands the killing blow because this is his quest and his game.

During the afterparty, the Arisen and Gale interact with each member of the inner circle with the news that they'd be leaving for Gransys in the morning. Neither are drinking and they're both dressed as if they're going to leave any minute.

When Marnie and Gale are setting off, Cole comes to Marnie one last time and tells her she never will be alone. That reassures her and, for the time being, she seems ready to confront Grigori upon her return to Gransys.

When Marnie and Gale return for the Tresspasser DLC, they still haven't killed Grigori, but they did go to Bitterblack Isle. As such, their gear is dope and dragonforged, and their mental health is in shambles. Gale also converted to the way of the bow while they were there. They aid the Inquisition in fighting Qunari and finding Solas, and he and Marnie have a final showdown where he's revealed to be the Dread Wolf and she's revealed to be the Seneschel who reset the world so she could relive being the Arisen again and again. Solas needles her about why she redid everything, why she refuses to assume her place as Seneschel, and how many times she's done this same thing over and over again. Gale manages to shoot Solas from afar and they're all driven apart.

After the Inquisition returns to Skyhold and orients themselves, only Gale reappears saying his Arisen sent him in case they meant her any harm after her reveal. After the Inquisitor agrees not to compromise Marnie, Gale leads him to the ruins by the Riftstone, where Marnie's been waiting. They have a chat about her true origins and intentions, and she admits she didn't defeat Grigori because she knew she'd have to leave the mortal world soon after. She agrees to help the Inquisition when she can and places a Portcrystal by the Riftstone. They both agree that things are probably going to get a whole lot worse.

And that's where the fic ends. There's also a number of subplots I neglected to detail. Cole's favor quest, a few side quests related to the pawn guild, etc. As I said, I might return to the fic later on, but I really don't care for it or the fandom or the source material anymore. It's sad, but I'm happier elsewhere. And I thought it was only fair to leave some conclusion to the fic regardless. I might post certain chapters and snipets on my tumblr, but for the most part, this is the last you'll see of the official fic.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the readers and fans that have stuck with me through all this. I wish you all the best, and I'm sorry I couldn't give you the full fic. Stay safe out there!

[sergeant-donny-donowitz]

Signs of the Times (DonnyxReader)

Requested by @baldwin-iv

@owba-chan @war-obsessed @inglourious-imagines @tealaquinn @struggling-bee

Let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist :)

Note: Dialogue that is italicized means the characters are speaking in French or German 

It had been a rather long mission. You, Donny, Wicki, and Hugo had been assigned to it on your own. Given the OSS' projections, no one should have survived that mission. But also given the skills needed to do it, and the objectives, the four of you were basically what Aldo called 'an all-star team.' You had all made it without so much as a scratch on yourselves...though all the nazis that got in your way couldn’t say the same thing.

After two months, the four of you were sitting in a French cafe one afternoon as a reward, just before heading back to the others.

To avoid raising suspicions from possible informants or traitors laying around, you spoke in German with Wicki and Hugo.... If it was absolutely necessary, you'd whisper to Donny in English.... And he'd write his answer on a napkin because that man could not whisper to save his life. After all, you could take the basterd out of Boston, but you couldn't take the Boston out of the basterd.

Someone else walked into the cafe.

Someone drawn to the comfort of his language...

A Gestapo major: Dieter Hellstrom.

He heard the boys and assumed they were German soldiers that were off duty.  Then he heard you speaking to a waiter in perfect French. Dieter assumed you were a French collaborator. Most likely giving the supposed soldiers some Intel....but of course soldiers spotting some civilian as attractive as you could just be making some small talk.

They were soldiers after all...

And so was he.

He sat between Hugo and Wicki, across from you and Donny. "Entschuldigen Sie mich. Sicherlich verschwendet jemand, der so umwerfend ist wie Sie, keine Zeit mit diesen Fahnen!"

'Excuse me. Surely someone as stunning as yourself isn't wasting time with these ensigns!'

Dieter laughed at his joke and patted Hugo and Wicki on the back. Hugo scowled and Wicki forced a grin.

You gave a false, welcoming nod and smile, noting the insignia on his uniform. "This is Private Becker and Sergeant Vogel..." It would've made no sense to make Donny a German soldier... He couldn't speak German and it would blow your cover. So...you panicked.

You gestured to Donny, "Mein bruder..."

Donny forced a grin. An inherently murderous scowl as you explained, "He does not speak German. He's worse than I am..." He noted the French accent as you spoke in German, and nodded.

Dieter shrugged, "ça va, je parle français."

Dieter could, unfortunately, speak French...

You lied again.

"He's...he's mute!"

Dieter raised his chin a little and looked Donny over with a squint. He frowned a bit, then nodded and shook Donny's hand.

Donny made certain his iron grip hurt Dieter.

Dieter chuckled nervously as he pulled his hand away.

You shook his hand next, "Major."

He smiled a little still not letting go of your hand "How rude of me. My name is Dieter. And yours?"

He kissed your hand as you gave him your name.

At that moment, Donny would break Dieter if he could. If only looks could kill...

Meanwhile... Dieter was completely enthralled by you. He winked back at Hugo and Wicki as he chuckled, and spoke to them "You win some you lose some, boys."

It was his way of ordering them to move to another table and back off.

As of that moment, in Dieter's mind, you were his.

You gave a reassuring glance to Wicki and Hugo. Wicki cleared his throat and stood up, saluting Dieter. He glanced back at Donny with a look that screamed "don't blow this for us."

Hugo simply smirked a little seeing the boiling blood and flaming jealousy in Donny's eyes.

Dieter looked back at you once he was satisified by the distance they'd gone.

"I'd apologize to your brother if I seem too forward, Y/n... But I don't think he'd understand me, would he?" Dieter laughed a little.

You clearly weren't amused, but at that moment Dieter was blinded by his lust.

Still, you chuckled a little. Not because you liked Dieter but because you knew Donny. And you knew damn well this would not end well for that nazi.

Dieter rambled on, stumbling over lines and flirts until he was practically out of breath and burning red. "I apologize if I seemed insensitive it's just been a while since anyone so charming....has well..."

You stopped paying attention as Dieter droned on.

Meanwhile...Donny was clenching his fists. His right fist was wrapped around a knife under the table. His left fist restsed on the table, his knuckles turning white. His leg was shaking as he tried to control his rage.

He didn't understand a word Dieter was saying, but he knew he was saying things a man shouldn’t say to another man's love. Ever. In any language. Rules were rules under every flag and alliance.  

Just as Donny was about to snap, Dieter caught sight of the time.

"I must be going... Meet me here tomorrow night, at seven? They have some good strudel here."

You smiled "Ja."

Dieter nodded and quickly built up the courage to lean over the table. He planted a slobbery mess of a kiss on your cheek. You scrunched up your nose. You knew he said it'd been a while, but judging from that disaster of a peck, it must have been ages. Donny's eyes were those of a madman, wild with jealousy.

The moment Dieter stepped out the door everyone took a breath of relief.

"Ugh..." You wiped some of Dieter's messy kiss away from your cheek with your sleeve. Donny was eerily silent...

You smirked at him, "If it's any consolation to you, he's a terrible kisser."

Donny grunted as he slammed the knife into table, driving the blade halfway through.

"Hey..." Your voice was soothing to him as you rested your hand against Donny's cheeks.

He started ranting and muttering vulgarities under his breath.

You sighed. You were the only basterd that was not be scared of Donny when he got like that. Everyone else was good at hiding it at that point...but at that Hugo and Wicki were petrified, and kept their distance.

"Hey. Look at me, Donny."

"What." he growled as he finally turned to you, eyes piercing deep into yours, practically huffing like a wolf.

You looked right back into his dark eyes until the smoke seemed to fade.

He took a breath...he lowered his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry...."

You smiled softly and eased his raging heart. "He'll be back tomorrow night. You and the boys wait outside."

He immediately sunk back into his jealousy. "What and watch that fucken kraut kiss you? Yeah. Ok." He scoffed and crossed his arms.

You rolled your eyes. "Ok. And you get a scalp." You patted him on the chest. And he uncrossed his arms and smirked a little.

"Deal, baby?" Feeling your hands resting against his face made him calm down.

His heart melted when you gave him a kiss.

His breathing slowed.

He unclenched his fists.

He even smiled a little.

The next night, Donny hid in some trees, and basically had to watch you go on a date with someone else. A nazi, no less.

He almost went on a rampage when Dieter leaned in to kiss you.

But...you put your finger against Dieter’s lips.

"Lets get out of here."

Dieter's mouth dropped as he fumbled to gather his things.

He practically ran outside with you, pulling you by the hand.

And ran into Donny.

"Oh...your brother... Damn."

Donny looked to you, his eyes more expressive than any word could ever be as he signed to you and Dieter.

As a matter of fact, Donny really did know ASL. One of his childhood friends was deaf. In fact, that kid was still one of closest friends, but that was a story for another day...

It wasn't French sign language but it would do. Dieter couldn't tell the difference.

Besides... Donny was signing profanities directed at Dieter and no one knew...

No one but you.

You nodded with a sigh and rolled your eyes.

Dieter looked to you, annoyed and practically whining about the sudden appearance of your 'brother,' "What did he say?"

"He'll walk me home from here."

Dieter muttered under his breath but had to admit "Well... he's doing what any older brother would do, isn't he..."

You smiled a little, holding Dieter's decorated lapel, "Can't blame him can you, major? Me and a handsome soldier like you..."

Donny's eyes and signing intensified...

Donny pulled you away from him and Dieter asked "May I come along?"

You and Donny looked to each other and smirked. You clued him in, "That's the plan."

Dieter smiled and blindly followed into the forest that you somehow convinced him was a short cut. Dieter had his arm around you, as you both followed Donny into the woods.

"Bit dark here... If your brother wasn't butting in, I think you and I could-" his hand started slipping from around your shoulders, down your back.

Donny swung around, grabbed Dieter by the collar, and tore him away from you.

Donny understood enough.

"Lets get one thing straight, pal." Donny was dangling Dieter a good five inches off the ground, "I aint Y/n's brother and I aint mute. Your turn to set the goddamn record straight, pal. What would you do if I wasnt here? Huh?!"

Dieter was struggling against Donny, but there was no way he was reaching his gun. You had been leaning against a tree. It really was the closest thing you got to going to the movies... You smirked a little as you lit a cigarette. "Boys?" You puffed some smoke out as you watched the spectacle unfold.

Wicki and Hugo emerged from the trees. Hugo tossed the bat to Donny.

Wicki took Dieter's gun and Donny threw him against the ground.

He crouched over Dieter like a leopard prowling over it's prey. "You still don't know who we are, do you?"

Dieter's eyes widened as he saw the bat.

"You're the one they call the Bear Jew..."

He looked back at Hugo and Wicki... He knew they looked familiar.

He snapped his head toward you, barking like a rabid dog, "AND YOU. YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A-"

Donny had been practicing his swing for a minute or so...

 He stopped and looked at Dieter. "Careful what you say about Y/n. Might make your final moments a bit more pleasant, major."

Dieter roared in German.

Donny didn't need to understand.

"Suit yourself, you fucking home wrecker." Donny tilted his head side to side as he cracked his neck and stretched.

He swung his bat.

It was a most unpleasant death, to say the least.

But you had to admit... Dieter had it coming.

So you walked on with your boys, back to the rest of the basterds somewhere in Nazi-Occupied France.

Donny was covered in blood drops. But...what was new?

He had his arm wrapped around you, bat swinging from his hand as you swayed together through the forest. A scalp around his belt.

Jealous as he was...sometimes it was a bit endearing. Sometimes it was annoying.  Sometimes it was deadly.

But as you looked at batter from Boston, you smiled as you saw the satisfaction in his smirk and the love in his eyes.

[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

Hurt, pt. 11 (E.D.)

Summary: Y/N’s in for a surprise. 

Warnings: ANGST, slight fluff, swearing, talk of depression

Word Count: 2900

Hurt - Masterlist

Knocking on Grayson’s office door as she enters, Y/N tilted her head to the left which always meant trouble.

“Silly question, but, um…did you by any chance tell my landlord that I won’t be returning to the apartment?” She kept her voice airy and sweet, but there was nothing sweet about the subtle glare she had sent his way.

“You know the apartment, right? The one I got because I had no home to come back to, right? The one I hadn’t gone to because the pregnancy got a little iffy so I stayed with you until I got cleared which happened a week ago and now I wanted to go home and found all my stuff is gone and my lease is up?”

Grayson swallowed thickly as he stared at her, wondering what excuse he could come up with so quickly that would save him from the hurricane she could turn into at any given moment. After all, if this was a cartoon, he’d see steam coming out of her head by now.

“Figured it would be safer for you to stay with us until birth. Clara loves having you around and you’re wasting money on a place you’re never at.” Grayson shrugged, hoping that careless looking gesture won’t result in his imminent death.

“That’s very thoughtful of you…if only your brother wasn’t going to come home and be in a shouting distance away from me while I’m trying to figure my life out!” She closed the door behind her, walking over to the chair across from his desk. She needed to settle down because her backaches had decided to start early on. She didn’t want to think about what it would feel like once the babies actually grew bigger.

“Look, Ethan isn’t looking to make your life harder. He just wants a chance. The man who broke your heart isn’t the same man you’re going to see when he gets out, okay?” Grayson sighed as she dropped her gaze. She always does that when Ethan is mentioned. Grayson thought it to be a form of self-defense, a way to tune out the world and center herself. Perhaps it was also a way to hide the emotion in her eye at the sound of his name for her eyes always betrayed her.

“I’m asking you like a brother, please give him a chance to prove he won’t hurt you again.” Grayson felt strongly about Ethan’s way of doing things in the past, but he swore an oath to himself to try and rectify things with him. It’s never just about who fights with you side by side during the battle, it’s also about those who stay to help clean the battlefield and Grayson promised himself to do both.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t see him again. Or talk to him. Because I want to. I need to. But there are things you can’t jump into and for me, this is one of those things.” Sighing, Y/N readjusted herself in the chair, her previous position no longer helping with the back pain.

“You know I’m sort of seeing someone, right?” Grayson’s heart dropped. He assumed she might like someone, but for her to admit to it officially was bad. It raised every single red flag in his mind.

“Well then, if you’ve found your missing treasure, shall we go? I hate to hurry you, but I really have to get back to the hospital and I’m sure you would rather be anywhere but here.” Edward smiled softly, his subtle jabs didn’t go unnoticed despite how he tried to make it all sound.

“This is my home, Ed. Plus, I’m staying with my brother in law across from this plot, so I’m gonna stay a little longer, okay?” She told herself she would be honest with Edward and she kept that promise so far. She didn’t feel quite ready to leave the house because not even a minute inside, she had felt herself relax. Some of the memories haunted her, but she still felt right. Although, the house didn’t feel quite like home without Ethan.

“You know I didn’t mean anything bad by what I said, right?”

“I mean, he’s aware of my situation and we’re taking it so slow that I haven’t even kissed him. It’s like…friendship with potential to be something more and I want to explore that.” Clasping her hands together in her lap, she averted her gaze to where her wedding ring used to sit. The empty place was still something she had to get used to and she didn’t deny it or lie to herself about it anymore. She loves Ethan Dolan and yes, he hurt her and yes, she still wants him in her life. She isn’t ashamed to admit it.

“Is it that doctor?” Grayson’s voice is gruff, his body stiff and Y/N knows he’s not too fond of the idea.

“Yes. But that’s…Edward knows how I feel about Ethan. He knows I’m pregnant and about to swell up like a whale. He knows all that, but he looks past it. For the first time in a while, I feel seen. I feel wanted. So, please, don’t make me out to be the bad guy. Don’t judge me on how I choose to fix what Ethan broke.” She didn’t get to finish before Grayson stood up so abruptly his chair fell back and startled Y/N into a gasp.

“I know. But you do know I’m still very much married and I’m not sure that’s going to change, right?” Y/N countered, moving closer to Edward’s tall frame. He nodded, biting his lip hard enough for Y/N to feel her heart clench for him. She didn’t want to hurt him, but if he keeps insisting he is fine with her past, she considered her hands to be clean.

“Much aware. Thanks.” His dry response had made her sigh, heavily so. She liked Edward. She enjoyed his company. She found his mind just as sexy as his body and she wanted to be close with him. Closer.

“I hate saying it, but I’m sure you’re aware of my attraction to you too. And it’s okay if it’s not mutual because being friends is just fine with me as well because I’m far from ready to actively date someone, but I think you should know. If you feel the same way, you need to know I’m not ready for serious feelings and all that relationship stuff. I have my plate full with the pregnancy and the feelings I still have for Ethan. It’s not something that goes away overnight.” Tired of rambling while he just stared at her with his big, blue eyes, Y/N stopped to take a proper breath. She expected him to have so much to say in response, especially since she had openly admitted that he’d never be a priority in her life. Her children come first…Ethan second. At least for now he does. But Edward had just one thing to say and he said it with a smile.

“You like me?”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to be so dramatic.” Grayson chuckled as he walked around his desk and lowered himself to his knees before Y/N. Taking her hands into his, he spoke.

“Stay with us until birth. It will give you and Ethan a chance to heal at your own pace and the rest of us peace of mind. Mum offered you to stay with her, but you know how she can get.” Grayson raised an eyebrow as he remembered all the ways his mother goes overboard when one of them isn’t feeling good and with Y/N and three grandchildren in mind? She’d drive Y/N crazy within a week.

“Okay, okay. But no more waking auntie up before eleven o'clock, okay? I’m on a leave and I need to sleep before these tiny humans take over my life!”

Agreeing with Grayson, Y/N had returned to their home.

Turning around, she looked back at her old house longingly. Ever since she went back to see the ring Bianca mentioned, Y/N had felt the house calling for her. While she could fight it on most days, Y/N had found herself drawn today. Siren's song was a joke in comparison to the magnetic pull she felt in her heart, her legs moving closer to it on their own accord.

She couldn’t come inside. Not when her heart felt like it moved to her throat and her breathing turned erratic at the idea. No. Y/N decided on something she deemed a lesser evil – she decided to sit on the porch swing she had been observing fondly for so long.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY DID THIS FOR ME!” Y/N cried out as she nearly tackled Ethan to the ground in her glee, her eyes spilling tears like a dam broke. She rarely cried, but this gesture – this kind, selfless gesture motivated by pure, unadulterated love – this was worth crying for.

“Don’t cry.” Ethan’s voice turned small and soft, gentle like a lover’s touch and she couldn’t help but cry harder at the sweetness in his tone. She always knew his tough act was a just that – an act, but when he would drop the act around her, she couldn’t quite help herself from falling deeper in love. Ethan was always so incredibly kind, tender, loving and she never knew how he was known as the intimidating twin. What she knew of him could never come close to it. Ethan she knows is as intimidating as a kitten.

“Do you not like the color? Or placement? I can change it all!” He continued, his voice drawing a smile to her face. To be so loved by someone like she felt loved by Ethan Dolan, it’s truly a blessing. She had thought herself to be unlovable as she was growing up. Y/N was never the type the guys would lose their minds over, or ask to the dance, or facetime until 3 am. Y/N was the overlooked girl, the forgettable kind…the girl guys approached solely to ask if she could hook them up with her friends. But with Ethan? She was the only girl in the world.

“No, no, no.” She chuckled, sniffling in her attempt to speak up.

“Don’t change a damn thing. I love it and I love you and I cannot put into words just how much this swing means to me.”

The swing she had once adored felt like a teasing ghost. It stood witness to every kiss, every caress, every moment that had mattered between her and Ethan that she had a hard time even looking at it. But she knew it was ridiculous to fear an object or a memory. In the spirit of changing, Y/N walked right up to the porch and sat down on the swing. It creaked slightly as she put her weight on it fully, reminding her of the time she asked Ethan to see why it’s creaking and he promised her he’d do it.

Three days later they weren’t even living together anymore.

Closing her eyes, she let the silence of the house calm her down. She wasn’t quite used to the silence, finding it eerie at first because usually one of them was inside blasting music. The silence took some time to get used to, but when she did, Y/N felt at peace.

Until she heard footsteps so near that her heart jumped at the sound.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Ethan bit his lip nervously, standing five feet away from her with a bag thrown over his shoulder. His eyes were dark, but not with lust as they used to be…this was something much deeper. Something she didn’t understand.

“It’s okay. I suppose I’m sort of trespassing.” She smiled, deciding to be kind. She wanted to show him the kindness he showed her when he made this swing. And yes, she knew a lot of the work was done by Grayson, but Ethan tried and that’s all she ever wanted from him. She wanted him to care enough to try.

“You’re not. The house is in both our names, remember?” Ethan kinked his left eyebrow, probably unaware just how much she missed seeing that. She missed his kinked eyebrows and she missed his stupid smirks and his annoyingly beautiful voice. She missed him.

“Wanna sit?” She tapped the spot beside her, the left side where he’d usually sit. She’d read a book and drink her tea, her legs secured in his lap as he watched something on his phone. Sitting like that, in silence, no words needed? That was comfortable. It takes a certain amount of love and understanding for two people to be comfortable enough to sit in silence, knowing their silence doesn’t represent something bad, but a good sign.

Ethan didn’t sit on the porch swing for two months before they split. Unbeknownst to Y/N, he hadn’t taken that seat since she left. The swing felt like a sacred place he never let Bianca or anyone else occupy after.

But he took the seat now, feeling like it’s time to face it all. With her by his side, rightfully so.

“Now…wanna tell me why you look like a kicked puppy? Is this…uh…Is that part of being depressed? Because I only saw your eyes look like that once before and I can’t tell anymore.” She didn’t know how to talk to him anymore. Aware that the last thing he needs from her is to see him as a broken toy she can no longer be open with, she decided to be honest. She couldn’t look at him like someone who needed to be fixed. She wanted to be there for him without coddling him when it’s not necessary. Sometimes, he’ll need her to be brutally honest and sometimes she’ll tell him a little white lie, but she still didn’t know when.

Chuckling, Ethan’s face lit up. He knew she was trying to be nice, supportive. He knew she was nervous too and that he caught her off guard because he was supposed to be home two days ago but stayed a little longer and she didn’t expect to see him here today. He understood she was trying her best and that’s something he could appreciate.

“I was a little scared to come home,” Ethan admits, pressing his palms together before securing his hands between his thighs.

“I’m scared to be that guy again. And this house is like a haunted house for me right now. It doesn’t feel like home without you in it and I’m not saying that to guilt you into anything, I’m just trying to be honest about it.” Ethan clarified, his words ringing truth because Y/N felt the same. She knew exactly what he meant. It’s as if all the colors of the world would fade once she walked inside.

“I feel the same way. It’s not very…hospitable without you.” Moving closer, Y/N debated whether she should lean her head on his shoulder or not. She didn’t want to give him false hope of reconciliation until she was sure of where her heart and head are at. However, she also didn’t know if it would be false hope considering just how badly she wanted to lift her legs into his lap and sit there in silence, just watching each other – studying the changes made in the personalities since they last had a heart to heart conversation. She wanted to learn him all over again, but she was terrified of opening herself up to heartbreak again.

Connecting to Edward was easy – her heart was fond of him, but it didn’t bleed for him like it did for Ethan. Ethan made her vulnerable and to put herself in that position again, it scared the life out of her.

“I’m glad you were here though. It’s a little easier to breathe when I don’t have to face it alone.” Ethan pressed his thighs harder to trap his hands more securely. He felt his hands itch to reach out for Y/N, to just touch her. Aware that might be unwanted, he knew he had to reel it in. So he pressed his thighs tighter.

“I know we’re in shambles right now, but you can count on me if you need me. Okay? And I…I’ll be just over the bridge. Literally, just shout my name and I’ll come, because you’re not alone Ethan. But keep in mind I’m getting bigger and slower and I might need a bit of help, so don’t time me.” She smiled when her words made him giggle. She hadn’t heard his choked giggles in so long that her heart felt like flying once she did.

“I missed you,” Ethan admits, glancing her way to see her reaction and all he saw was a woman who didn’t know how to feel.

“Ethan…” She spoke, stopping herself from saying anything else.

“I wanted you to know. That’s all.” Smiling, he tried not to beg her to stay as she stood up to leave.

Nodding, she walked off the porch only to stop at the last step. Turning to meet his lingering gaze, Y/N had done something she told herself she wouldn’t.

“I missed you too.”

She gave Ethan hope.

Tags: @melodiesforari​​​​​​ @brittttneyyyy​​​​​​ @beautorigin​​​​​​  @dolandolll​​​​​​ @xalayx​​​​​​ @godlydolans​​​​​​ @heyits-claire​​​​​ @peacedolantwins​​​​​ @dolanstwintuesday​​​​​ @accalialionheart​​​​​ @ethanhes​​​​​ @lanadeldolans​​​​​ @ebbach-03​​​​​ @dolangels​​​​​  @xxaamzxx​​​​​ @cutestdolans​​​​​ @yaren-ates​​​​​ @dolansmith​​​​​ @vintagebitttch​​​​​ @primadolangirl​​​​​ @caqsicle​​​​​ @jjustjoy​​​​​ @justordinaryjen​​​​​ @graydolan12​​​​​ @imaginashawnns​​​​​ @graysonslovie​​​​​ @fandomsfeministsandothershit​​​​​ @bdsmdolan​​​​​ @graysavant​​​​​ @ethanspillow​​​​​ @dopedoodes​​​​​ @anything-dolan​​​​​  @sugarfootdolan​​​​​ @joyrivh​​​​​ @reblogserpent​​​​​ @jonesana​​​​​ @emiemille  @herewegoagainandagainandagain​​​​​​ @adventureswithmell

[toaheadcanons]

Alright, I have a prompt for you. Shortly after the Battle of Two Bridges but before Jim agrees to take Clair to Trollmarket the stress catches up with Jim and he collapses from a high fever while training at Heroes Forge. As a result, he is brought to Vendel to be healed and has to spend a couple of days as the surly old troll's least favorite patient. Yes this is a fun excuse to see Jim and Vendel interact more. Bonus if Drall is also still laid up at the Heart Stone because of his hand.

Okay, so this was one that took me a REALLY long time to answer and I am SO SORRY. I just loved this prompt waaaaaay too much and I wanted to do it justice. It took a damn long time, BUT! This is part 1 of a 5 (possibly 6) part fic! The first part is below. I really hope you like it! :D

 Least Favorite Patients || Chapter 1

Something, Blinkous thought, was not right about this picture.

In the days following the Battle of Two Bridges, Jim and Toby had begged to be able to up their training regimen. He’d enforced the very important and definitely-not-made-up rule that the Trollhunter needs to suspend all training for at least three days after the Killahead Bridge is opened. Did he lie to his charges? Perhaps, but it was for their own good. It was his understanding, after all, that humans can be felled much more easily than trolls. If he and Aaarrrgghh!!! were drained after the battle, Blinky could only imagine how the children felt. However, today, the fourth day, the day upon which he had no “rule” with which to keep his wards from picking up where they left off… well. He couldn’t tell them no, and so Blinkous resigned himself to observing the boys’ warm-up with Aaarrrgghh!!! from the ground. It was something he’d done plenty often, and yet he couldn’t quite force the unease from his mind. The thought hammered in the back of his mind like a chisel on stone: something is wrong.

“Focus, Blinkous.” The troll muttered to himself as he tracked the three Hunters maneuvering about the Forge each with one pair of eyes. Something wasn’t right, what’s missing?

Tobias let out a gleeful whoop as he was launched at the current objective, a flag planted at the top of the multi-tiered obstacle course. He misses it by only a foot or two, careening over the top before being caught effortlessly by his kruberan friend. All seemed well with him. Blinkous also noted that everything appeared to be in order with Aaarrrgghh!!! as he watched him toss his wingman up towards the flag again, effortless as ever.

An errant glint of light drew the bookworm’s attention to the Trollhunter himself. Clad in his armor, Jim weaved cautiously through a set of spinning totems before flinging himself up onto the next platform. It was at this point that Blinkous noticed that he was behind- or, in this case, below- his fellow hunters by a considerable margin. That didn’t sit well with him at all; Jim loved Capture the Flag Day. He’d normally be a few platforms ahead of Tobias by now, if not Aaarrrgghh!!! as well.

If one were seated next to Blinkous right now, they might have been able to hear the gears turning in his head as he stood. He made his way over to the system of levers that controlled the Forge’s mechanical features, stubby legs making inordinately large, purposeful strides. In a matter of seconds, he had the marvelous spire descending slowly to the floor.

“Aw, what?!” Toby hollered over the sound of turning stone cogs. Aaarrrgghh!!! snatched the boy out of the air as he flew past before jumping the last few feet to the arena floor. Now both solidly back on the ground, they ambled in Blinky’s direction, looking somewhere in-between annoyed and concerned.

“No fun.” Aaarrrgghh!!! grumbled as he pulled the best pout he could, which was surprisingly convincing for such an intimidating figure.

“What’s up, Blink?” Tobias asked as he hopped free from the troll’s grip. “If you wanted a turn, you could have just said so.”

“Master Jim?” Blinkous called up to the lowest still-descending platform. “Could you join us down here for a moment?” Rather than jump down the way he normally would, Jim simply waited for the spire to return to the ground. Worse, he still hadn’t said a word. He crossed one pair of arms over his chest as he left the group to approach the boy.

“Master Jim.” he prompted again, stepping around his friends to approach the teen. “Would you care to tell us what’s the matter? You normally love the flag game…” his voice was firm, but not harsh, and something about his tone got the Trollhunter’s attention. Jim’s eyes snapped to the troll as if he had just noticed him standing there.

“Blinky?” he mumbled. His eyes were clouded and his expression was dazed. “I… I don’t- B-Blink...?”

Time seemed to slow down as Jim’s knees buckled. Blinkous rushed forward to catch his ward, barely getting one pair of hands around him to keep his head from hitting the floor. The teen gave a startled whimper. Behind him, Blinky could hear their fellow hunters shout in alarm, rushing towards the two of them on the ground.

“Master Jim?!” The Daylight armor disappeared, and four hands checked over the boy for injuries. No blood, no breaks, no bruises. Jim tried to speak, but any words he tried to form came out as an incoherent groan. It was at this point that Blinkous noticed the amount of heat rolling off the boy. Now up close, he could see that Jim’s hair was slicked with sweat, matted to his forehead. He used one hand to push the raven locks away from his face. He was pale, the troll realized, too pale. “Aaarrrgghh!!!, go get Vendel, please?” he called, moving to place the boy flat on the ground. The Krubera left several seconds ago, not that Blinky noticed.

“Jimbo? Hey!“ Toby dropped to his knees beside the pair, panic etched into his features. “Jim, what’s wrong, man?” said boy seemed to be quickly losing the fight to stay conscious. His unfocused eyes drifted back and forth between Blinky and Toby.

“Cold…” Jim managed. A sharp, wheezing cough followed the admission. What began as a slight tremor was now violent shaking as the boy tried to curl in on himself to preserve heat. As Toby performed his own once-over of his best friend, his brow furrowed in concern and confusion.

“Jeez, he’s burning up…” he slipped off his sweater-vest before tucked it under Jim’s head. “He never said he was sick. What the h-”

“-Out of my way!” Blinky heard Vendel’s voice echo from somewhere outside of the arena’s entrance.  He placed a hand on Jim’s shoulder as the teen hissed in discomfort.

“Help is on the way, Master Jim.” No sooner than he finished saying so, Aaarrrgghh!!! charged back into the Heroes’ Forge, Vendel barely half a step behind. In an instant, Blinkous found himself being pushed aside by the elder.

"What happened?” Vendel snapped, shooting a sidelong glance at the bookworm. The old goat dropped into a crouch beside the boy, one hand hovering over his limp form. Evaluating his condition, Blinkous assumed.

“I dunno, dude, he just passed out!” Toby cried as he too was none-too-gently nudged away by the elder. Vendel’s eyes narrowed as he looked the unconscious teen over. Once he was satisfied that Jim was physically intact, he pulled himself back to his feet with his staff, gesturing for Blinky to pick up the Trollhunter.

“Bring him to the Heartstone,” Vendel drawled, the concern in his voice betraying his usual gruff demeanor. “I can examine him better there.”

[]

Outside of the Heartstone apothecary, Blinkous paced back and forth, anxious energy rolling off of him in waves. Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! sat on a pile of mid-size boulders facing the entrance to Vendel’s dwell. While he took some comfort from his place in Aaarrrgghh!!!’s lap, the human boy was still coiled as tight as a spring. He’d been like that since Jim collapsed nearly two hours ago, and would likely remain in such a state until he could see that his best friend was okay.

“Come sit.” Aaarrrgghh!!! coaxed, attempting to catch Blinky’s attention. He went unacknowledged, as with the last few times he’d tried to calm the smaller troll. All he’d been able to do since they’d been shooed out of the Heartstone was listen to the anxious bookworm mutter to himself.

“How did I not notice this?” Blinkous huffed as he turned on his heels to begin another lap around the small waiting area. “He was so quiet when he came in, why didn’t I think to ask if he was okay?” Step, step, turn. “What if- what if Vendel can’t help him? What if he never wakes up? What if-“

“Blinky.”

The krubera rumbled, warning simmered in his tone. In his arms, Toby curled into himself further. The historian flinched, as if realizing for the first time that he was talking to himself aloud.

“I…” Blinkous seemed at a loss for words as he stopped his pacing to face his fellow hunters. “I apologize, Tobias. I tend to get a bit carried away when…” he turned back towards the Heartstone, and four shoulders sagged with a sigh as he gazed at the top of the crystal. “Well, when any of you are in peril.”

“He’s gonna be fine, though, right?” Toby inquired quietly from his safe space in his wingman’s lap. “Like, l-like this isn’t some sort of crazy troll-plague or something is it?”

“Gracious, no!” Blinky assured him. The bookworm immediately dropped to sit cross-legged facing his fellow hunters. “The plague was eradicated nearly a century ago!” he offered a meek smile to the boy, who seemed to uncoil slightly as he listened to the historian’s logical thought process. “Besides, even if there were Trollish afflictions that might affect you two, I doubt any of them would produce symptoms quite like this.” With a sigh, Blinkous crossed his lower set of arms before placing his upper elbows atop them and resting his chin on two fists.

“Did too much.” Aaarrrgghh!!! supplied with a sagely nod. “Back too early.”

“Precisely, old friend.”

From their place outside the entrance, the three hunters could hear the distant thud of Vendel’s staff against the stone floor. It got closer each time they heard it, and they leapt to their feet as the healer emerged from the inner sanctum of the Heartstone.  Blinkous was immediately on his feet, anxiously wringing both pairs of hands as the healer approached. “How is he?”

“Incredibly foolish.” Vendel gave an aggravated huff. He strolled alongside Blinkous toward the other two hunters. Although his expression was the same neutral-yet-slightly-disappointed look he normally wore, his tone betrayed the concern he had for the boy. “The Trollhunter is lucky you summoned me when you did. He-”

“Is Jim okay?!” Toby all but yelled. Vendel blinked at the interruption, further set his scowl, and continued.

“He will be.” The old goat assured him. “Provided he actually takes the time to recover.” Vendel craned his neck downward to meet Blinky’s six worry-filled eyes. “Blinkous…” For just a moment, the historian saw Vendel’s unemotive mask slip. Concern and exhaustion were etched into his features, and he sighed as he closed his eyes and internally lamented the loss of his façade.

“It’s quite clear that our Trollhunter has not been looking after himself.” He reopened his clouded eyes. The stern look securely back on his face. “I must recommend that he stay within the Heartstone where he can be observed.”

“Can we see him?” Toby’s voice wavered slightly when he asked. The teen couldn’t seem to stand still, and he rocked back and forth on his heels as he waited for Vendel’s answer. With an overly dramatic roll of his eyes, the seer turned around and started back into the Heartstone, motioning for the three Hunters to follow him.

[bestfriendforhire]

Children of BFFH, Entry 66

 Smiling in appreciation of the interior maze Maiko had created, I listened to her explain our battle strategy.  She and Doc would be our only defenders.  Four, Luce, and Crazy were currently casting spells to mess with Aid and Aiko’s ability to sense the paths.  Crazy was going to take the hidden backdoor out of the fortress while I pretended to be her, accompanying Four Maimo, and Luce to the main gate.  Stormcrow, of course, would be watching from above for enemy tricks.

 The strategy seemed fairly sound to me.  Maimo could easily shift the paths of the maze while people were inside, sensing their footsteps through the stone.  If there was too much resistance from the others blasting holes, Doc could buy her time, creating telekinetic barriers as needed.  Since neither Messy nor Aid would move at full speed during a battle, there was little chance of someone slipping through.  Even if someone managed to slip through, mazes weren’t the easiest places to search, proving fairly effective at delaying enemies in the past.  Actually...

 “What’s wrong, Dea?” questioned Maiko, looking concerned.

 “Hopefully, nothing, but I think Valeria can effectively walk through walls.  We might have to be extra careful if she slips inside.” I explained, not sure what to think of having the two new members of the game.  There was certainly excitement in the unknown, but both members were on the opposing team.  Had Ella planned that from the start?

 “She’s right.” agreed Four.  “We can see how it goes, since Valeria’s still inexperienced, but she might be able to sweep through the corridors without ever even entering the fortress.  Even if Valeria doesn’t think of it, the others might have.”

 “Are you completely positive that you don’t want me on defense?” questioned Crazy, grinning so madly that Maiko and Maimo both stepped back.

 “No, I still think I’ll manage.  Our flag isn’t in plain sight, and only Messy should be able to sense it easily.” insisted Maiko.  “Let’s just hope she’s on defense.  If she’s on offense, you better find their flag extra quick.”

 “Are you certain the puddle I left for you will be enough water for some kill shots?” asked Luce dubiously, despite having filled an entire pit.  For water battles, Luce liked to keep a large globe of water floating nearby, and wasn’t opposed to sucking the moisture out of the air whenever she needed more.

 Maiko and Maimo both nodded simultaneously as Maiko said, “Yes.  The water turrets are already loaded, so I really just need a little for refills if they get that far.”

 “Looks like they’ve signaled already.” announced Four.

 Maiko frowned, but told us “I think we’re ready enough.  Any objections?”  When no one disagreed, she signaled the timer.

 I quickly switched forms, trying not to think about how much I disliked the baggy shirt she had handed me to match the one she had prepared for Crazy.  We looked like we had borrowed one of Four’s shirts for a nightgown.  She probably had chosen this to give me more freedom for shifting, which I very much appreciated, but I feared the quadruplets took after their dad’s sense of style a little too much at times.

 When the countdown finished, my group headed out.  A large group was exiting the other fortress too, so I put on my wildest smile, attempting to look as Crazy as possible.  Unfortunately, head-to-head fights really weren’t my strong point.  If they attacked, the other team would quickly realize that I wasn’t the real Crazy, and probably take me out before I could mimic any of them effectively.  Luckily, Four and Luce could surely handle Aid quickly, and then help me with the others.  Having most of their team out for a minute might really help our odds of a quick win.  Apparently, the other group had similar thoughts.

 A large wall of fire encircled us barely a hundred feet out of the gate.  The other group started to jog toward the back of our fortress.  Stormcrow was immediately on them, having barely left the grounds himself, and launched a lightning bolt toward them.  My jaw dropped when I saw an equally large bolt almost knock him out of the sky.  Who could have…  The answer popped into my head almost as fast as the question.  Valeria.  Valeria was in that group, defending them.  She must’ve redirected his lightning.

 “Walking over.” stated Four, having finished creating an illusion over the top of a telekinetic bridge, so we’d know where to walk.

 As I hurried up and over the flames, I was thankful that Aid or Aiko was keeping the heat from reaching past the fire’s light.

 “Duck!” exclaimed Luce as a child-sized bird hybrid flew at us on the bridge.

 If not for Luce, Maimo would have been splashed by one of the water balloons that had been dropped, taking her out.  None of us were used to two birds in the air.

 “You know… I’d feel bad if I zapped her.” stated Maimo with a frown.

 “Just scare her a little.” suggested Luce with a grin as she fired off streams of water from the nearby, floating globe.  “Oh.  Nevermind.” she stated when Rona’s wing was struck and Momma Mila announced her being out.  “I really expected her to dodge that one.”

 I rolled my eyes.  Luce had obviously sent it a bit fast for most of us to dodge.

 “Shouldn’t we attack the other group?” I suggested, feeling more confident that we’d be able to take them all out.

 Four shook his head.  “Not the mission.  Don’t you have faith in Maiko’s defense?’

 “Well, I do, but Valeria’s still a bit of an unknown.  Cosette’s training her.” I reminded him.

 He nodded once as he said, “Fair point.  I’ll go slow them down a little more.  The rest of you gang up on Messy and get their flag.  Aspy’s probably with her.”

 Feeling a moment of envy for his eyesight, I temporarily altered my eyes to get a better look at the other group.  He was right.  Aspy wasn’t there.  Valeria was surprisingly adept at redirecting attacks.  The other group was almost to our wall.

 “Run, guys!” ordered Luce as she started off at what would look like a jog to anyone that didn’t know her.  For Luce, this pace was barely more than a walk.

 A portcullis lowered behind and in front of us as soon as we passed the threshold.  Normal metal would probably bend under Luce’s strength, but this fortress was never made of normal metal.

 “Right…  Give me a minute.” stated Luce with a frown.  The floating globe of water spread out into a large number of rotating streams, sawing away different sections of the portcullis.

 “This is why Aika prefers going over walls.” mumbled Maimo.

 “We’ll go over on the way out.” stated Luce as she glared at the portcullis.

 Sticking with my role, I grinned and asked “Are you sure you don’t want me to…?”

 “No, Crazy.  I have this.” insisted Luce.

 If the real Crazy had been spotted yet, there would be a large amount of noise from walls being torn apart.  Crazy’s punch made even Luce’s look gentle, at least when she punched at Messy.

 When Luce busted through, I had expected Messy to reveal herself, but I still didn’t see her anywhere.

 Luce started to step through the opening, but bounced off thin air.  “Cheap, Aspy!” she exclaimed, despite knowing that Doc would probably be doing similar by now.  She started punching it repeatedly, knowing that he’d have to exert more effort than she was to keep her out.

 “Are you sure I shouldn’t…” I started to ask.

 “No!” exclaimed Luce, punching and following the blow through the now empty hole.  Running into a large, metal wall that appeared in front of her, she called “Really, Messy!?  That’s how we’re playing today!?”

 If there was a limit to the number of walls Messy could create consecutively, none of us knew it.  She never seemed tired.

 The wall vanished to show Messy grinning.  “Sorry!  I couldn’t resist.” she teased.

 “Ready to dance?” I asked, doing my best to look as excited as possible and hoping Messy didn’t accidentally dismember me with her control being a little worse than normal still.

 “Nice try, Dea.  Serenity’s creeping up the Southeast tower at the moment.” replied Messy, still smiling as her golden gaze rested on me.

 “No fair!” exclaimed Crazy, probably from the indicated tower.  She could yell really loud when she wanted.

 With the gig officially up, I changed to a much larger form, strengthening my muscles and bones.  “My turn first.” I announced, lifting the broken chunk of portcullis and charging Messy with it.

 She stopped me with a kick, but I was satisfied that the ground was indentend from the impact.  There wasn’t a chance that I could beat Messy in hand-to-hand combat on my best day, but I had three allies.  I had at least a fifty-fifty chance that Crazy would get excited and abandon the search to try giving Messy a timeout, assuming Luce and Maimo didn’t manage to take her out first.

 As Messy dodged my next hit, she was forced to use her power for aerial flips off nothing.  Luce was mercilessly trying to tag her out with hundreds of watery streams flying through the air.  I doubted even Four could dodge quite that much, but Messy had an infinite number of tricks at her disposal.  She twisted and turned through the air, creating floating knight-like shields to deflect streams as needed.  The shields would vanish as they fell.

 To my surprise, I managed to grab her ankle, so I quickly tried flinging her into Luce’s barrage of water.  Instead, she pushed her hands off nothing, hurling me into a hole that opened under me…. a wet hole.

 “Dea has been killed, but will be able to return in one minute.” announced Momma Mila.

 Auntie Raine had already moved me off the field.  Sitting there, I felt confident that I could have dodged that pit if I hadn’t overextended myself, but I had grown too excited.  Next time, I’d do better.

 I did too.  After my respawn, we had managed to get a kill shot on Messy when I distracted her with a few well-timed water spells.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the flag.  We had searched for only around five minutes when Mila announced the first capture, which was followed by the second incredibly quickly.

 Laughing, Crazy said, “They used Valeria!  That’s awesome!”  Going by her unfocused expression, I guessed she was doing that thing where she watched elsewhere without moving.

 My group didn’t even bother heading to defense.  We all knew that we were beaten, since Ella had taken advantage of a gap in the rules.  Without a doubt, we should have seen that one coming, but no one had expected Ella to pull such a trump card.

[mensbodybuildingtips]

Why Rapid Weight Loss Is Superior to `Slow Cutting` (And How to Do It Right)

Many individuals think that quick weight loss is undesirable, yet if done appropriately, it's far above 'reduce reducing' ...

When it concerns weight loss, we've all heard that "sluggish and also constant" is the means to go.

There's worth in this regulation of thumb as losing weight also quickly implies anguish, muscle mass loss, and also other maladies, however there's a kicker:

Losing fat too slowly is additionally non-optimum and also is usually not successful as well.

In fact, I would certainly state that even more people make the blunder of losing fat as well slowly than also rapidly as 'crash dieting' is ending up being less and much less popular these days.

Well, in this write-up I wish to damage down for you why I believe losing fat too gradually is a blunder and exactly what you must be going for instead. Allow's reach it.

Why Shedding Fat Fast is Far Better Than Slow

I have a straightforward objective when I'm seeking to shed fat: I wish to get it over with as rapidly as feasible, which implies I do every little thing I could to accelerate fat loss while protecting muscle.

While this could seem like an apparent option, there's a college of assumed in the globe of health and fitness that supports a 'slow-moving cutting' method to weight loss. That is, the usage of a light calorie shortage with low-to-moderate amounts of exercise to slowly decrease body fat mass throughout numerous months.

The 'marketing factors' of the sluggish cut mostly focus on maintaining optimum lean mass, eating extra on a day-to-day basis, and also doing much less exercise (and also much less cardio, particularly). These positives are commonly combined with exaggerated cases about exactly how you'll burn away all your muscle mass if you attempt to be as well aggressive with your weight loss.

Well, I strongly disagree with the 'slow cutting' technique because it offers just minor benefits but includes major downsides that stem from the physiological adjustments that take place when you restrict your calories to lose weight.

You see, the longer you stay in a calorie deficiency ...

1. The more your metabolic process reduces, which implies the much more you need to lower power consumption or rise output.

This is how 'metabolic adaptation,' as it's called, functions: your metabolic process adapts to the amount of power you feed your body with the goal of balancing energy consumption with output-a state of homeostasis.

When you restrict your calories and feed your body much less power compared to it burns, you shed body fat however your metabolic rate naturally starts reducing down ( burning less power). The longer you continue to be in a deficit, the a lot more your metabolic rate slows.

As your metabolic process decreases, what do you assume you need to do to keep a deficit and also keep dropping weight? That's right-you have to more minimize calorie intake or rise outcome (exercise). And also after that, a month or 2 later, you have to do it once again. As well as again.

This cycle continues until either you reach your goal or your metabolism has actually reduced down as well much and you after that need to abandon your search of weight loss and deal with speeding it back up.

This isn't completion of the globe ... yet it's unnecessary. By being extra aggressive with your calorie restriction, which we'll chat much more about soon, you could shed a fair bit more fat without shedding muscular tissue or experiencing any kind of added metabolic slowdown.

2. The even more time you're not developing muscle.

This perilous blunder that can really hurt your long-term results.

If you're also halfway well-informed in this area, you've heard that you can't build muscle mass and shed fat concurrently. This isn't always the case (newbies could), but it's usually real: a calorie deficiency hinders your body's capability to repair and build muscle healthy proteins sufficient to efficiently stop muscular tissue growth.

Thus, the trouble with slow reducing ends up being apparent: the longer you reduced, the longer you cannot build any kind of real muscle mass to speak of.

If you have actually primarily reached your genetic possibility in regards to muscular tissue development, you might not care regarding that. But if you're still functioning on your physique as well as should add even more muscle to reach your best goal, after that this comes to be really important.

I've seen people actually mess this up as well as acquire anywhere from 1/2 to also 1/3 the amount of muscle they can have over the training course of anywhere from 6 to Twelve Month by merely continuing to be in a moderate calorie deficiency for much as well long.

The profits is when it comes to developing muscular tissue as well as strength over the long-term, you wish to spend as little time in a calorie deficit as feasible, and 'slow-moving cutting' stops working in this regard.

3. The most likely you are to fall off the wagon and also quit early as you become physically and also mentally fatigued.

Let's face it: also when you're diet programs properly, remaining in a calorie deficit obtains old after a while.

Workouts get more challenging, power levels can flag, and also cravings as well as yearnings could become a lot more constant, and also we need to depend increasingly more on determination as well as self-control to remain the course.

I've seen this sometimes: the longer someone has to eliminate his or her body's need for more food, the most likely they is to go astray with bingeing and, inevitably, abandon the mission altogether.

An intriguing factor concerning this, too, is that you could be rather hostile with your calorie restriction without feeling much various compared to if you make use of a moderate deficiency. Generally speaking it requires a week or 2 of mild appetite and afterwards smooth sailing.

But Wait ... Won't Rapid Weight Loss Reason You to Lose a Great deal of Muscle?

This is one of the biggest weight loss is afraid around among us health and fitness individual, and also like much of the 'knowledge' in this world, it's just partially true.

The reality is indeed, also big of a calorie shortage will accelerate muscle mass loss as well as this is just one of the reasons 'collision diet programs' is so unhealthy.

But just how huge of a deficiency is also huge? And also how do points alter for sports types following a high-protein diet plan, as opposed to untrained, overweight people consuming also little protein?

Well, we could thank researchers at the University of Jyväskylä for an answer!

In a research study they conducted, they divided their subjects-20 to 35 year-old national as well as global degree track as well as field jumpers and sprinters with reduced levels of body fat (at or under 10%) -into two groups: a daily calorie deficiency of 300 calories (concerning 12% below their total daily power expenditure) as well as an everyday calorie deficiency of 750, with both groups following a high-protein diet.

After 4 weeks, the outcomes were unexpected: the athletes utilizing a 300-calorie shortage shed very little fat as well as muscular tissue while the team utilizing a 750-calorie deficit lost, typically, about 4 extra pounds of fat and also little muscle.

Remember, nonetheless, that the 750-calorie deficit group was not starving themselves by any type of means-they were consuming over 2,000 calories each day. Nevertheless, they were utilizing a very aggressive shortage of concerning 24% and also the results speak for themselves.

These searchings for entirely jive with my experience both with my body and also the thousands of people I've dealt with: moderate shortages can function if you're extremely overweight, yet as you obtain leaner, larger deficits become necessary and don't automatically create muscular tissue loss.

This is why my common calorie deficiency suggestions for weight loss are in between 20 as well as 25%.

So, as you can see, the ranges are tipped far as well greatly against sluggish cutting for it to be advisable.

If you have a considerable quantity of fat to go down, the best-case scenario is you shed it slowly but at expensive of a cost.

If you're relatively lean, you'll most likely never see single-digit body fat percents and also give up out of frustration.

Before I authorize off, I intend to show you how I make the most of weight loss when I cut and make it as quick as possible without giving up muscle mass or my sanity.

How I Shed Fat Fast While Maintaining Muscle mass and also Strength

Over the years, I've attempted various points with both my diet plan and training when cutting and have actually dialed in a very reliable as well as effective weight loss regimen.

With this program I have the ability to shed about a pound of fat each week, even when I'm beginning around 9 to 10% body fat (I lately reduced from 9 to 10% to 6% in about 7 weeks), without any kind of hunger or cravings to speak of. My power degrees remain high and my training is hardly impacted.

Here's the regimen:

I use an aggressive (yet not reckless) calorie deficit of 20 to 25%.

Like the professional athletes in the research study pointed out above, I additionally decrease my calorie consumption to about 75 to 80% of my TDEE as well as, like them, quickly begin seeing decreases in fat without any kind of recognizable muscle loss.

If you don't know ways to calculate your TDEE or exercise a calorie deficit, this write-up on correct meal planning breaks everything down.

I eat a high-protein, high-carbohydrate diet.

While the scientific search for the 'ideal diet' continues, there's one point we understand for sure: it's going to involve consuming plenty of healthy protein every day.

The lower line is research after research after study validate that high-protein dieting transcends, in every method, to low-protein diet programs. This is especially real when you're restricting calories for weight loss, as adequate protein intake plays a significant role in the preservation of lean mass.

Now, a lot of individuals understand that a high-protein diet is exceptional to low-protein, however numerous individuals aren't sure that a high-carbohydrate diet regimen is much above low-carb when it concerns weight loss and also calorie restrictions.

Why? Well, when you're limiting your calories ...

A high-carb diet plan causes much less anxiety and also fatigue compared to low-carb

A low-carb diet doesn't result in any kind of more fat loss than high-carb

A high-carb diet plan is much far better for preserving efficiency and also lean mass compared to low-carb

It's much easier to eat way too much on a low-carb diet compared to high-carb

This suggestion comes as a shock to many individuals, however believe me: if you usually use low-carb weight loss when you wish to shed fat, try a higher carbohydrate method following time (regarding 40% of your day-to-day calories from carbohydrate) as well as you'll be astonished at just how much simpler and also enjoyable it is.

I usage supplements verified to speed up fat loss.

If you're hesitant of supplements ... I comprehend. The market is rife with defrauders and even worse and also most of right stuff marketed in your regional GNC is essentially worthless.

That said, there are all-natural substances that could aid you construct muscle mass and also lose fat.

Creatine is an excellent instance of the previous, as well as there are numerous supplements confirmed to assist with fat loss like caffeine, eco-friendly tea essence, yohimbine, and more. I have actually cut both with as well as without using these supplements and locate that it's noticeably much faster with them.

I lift heavy weights.

Heavy training will certainly not only assist you keep your lean mass while reducing, it can in fact aid you melt much more fat.

A study released by Greek sporting activities researchers discovered that males that trained with hefty weights (80-85% of their one-rep max, or "1RM") increased their metabolic rates over the adhering to three days, burning hundreds more calories compared to the men that trained with lighter weights (45-65% of their 1RM).

So struck the weights as well as hit them hard if you want to jack up your metabolic rate and in turn, speed up your fat loss.

And if you intend to score extra points, emphasis on substance lifts like squats and also deadlifts, because these are the types that melt one of the most post-workout calories.

I do HIIT cardio.

If you're familiar with my job, you know that when it comes to cardio, I'm a large follower of high-intensity period training.

Studies such as those carried out by Laval College, East Tennessee State University, Baylor University of Medicine, and the College of New South Wales have conclusively verified that shorter sessions of high-intensity cardio cause greater weight loss with time than longer, low-intensity sessions.

In reality, a study carried out by The College of Western Ontario revealed that doing simply 4 - 6 30-second sprints burns extra fat in time compared to 60 minutes of incline treadmill walking (among the staples of "bodybuilding cardio").

Furthermore, maintaining your cardio sessions shorter methods you better protect your muscular tissue and strength.

[jess-do-it]

(Transcribed w/ Permission from @jessfromonline) Thread: Many people are now out on the streets for the first time. as such, let's talk very basic, everyone should know this, 'this should be general and not sensitive knowledge' protest, action, and street tactics. let's get organized and be effective!

Source: https://mobile.twitter.com/jessfromonline/status/1268620358950649858

(Note: I am not this person, this is a transcript of their twitter thread I made with their permission)

Have a protest buddy. do not go to a protest without a buddy. preferably have a crew. 

if you have a crew, it should still be split into buddies. crews should choose a spoke (spokesperson) who calls movements and communicates with people.

if you have a large crew, you should have a spoke + lieutenants/LTs/whatever you wanna call them. their job is disseminating calls but more importantly, to track the people grouped under them. when shit pops off, it's easy to lose people. LTs watch to see if anyone in their subgroup is missing, and spoke checks for the LTs. a system of accountability. STILL buddy up in subgroups. 

If you've got a good bloc on the ground, you can call 'spokes' to get a spokes council together and make larger decisions about what to do.

Your crew should have a basic, 1-syllable, generic word, that changes at every action, which you can call and each crew member replies with the word. feels dorky but worth it. arrange all this ahead of time. this allows you to quickly count your crew & check no one dropped.

You should have an offsite person, preferably two. Here is a guide for doing offsite.

designate 1-2 comms people. they have phones and retrieve info on cop movements from offsite via signal. on a vpn, burner phone if you can.

ideally no one besides comms should have a phone on them. easier to track. tradeoff: if you lose someone makes it harder to figure out what happened. consider battery-out phones for non-comms people. 

write a number for legal support hotline in your area on body in sharpie

Before a protest, work out with your crew what your risk levels are. you can have different levels but try to avoid buddying across levels. will you brawl with fash? cops? risk arrest? loot? burn? graffiti? dont make those decisions in the moment.

I have no easy advice for what happens if you lose someone. have comms immediately report to off-site who can try to track them down. if you're large you can send an lt+subgroup to look, but they may have just gotten out and left. they could be arrested or with medics. off-site can start checking jails and hospitals for them. see off-site guide for what info you need for this and how to collect. if you have better advice for when people drop unexpectedly, put it in the replies.

Never talk to cops never talk to cops never talk to cops never talk to cops. if you're arrested dont talk. if they approach you during dont talk. you can yell harassment but dont do it once you're arrested. you can sing if you want. group singing in jails keeps spirits up. (Singing is a super spreading activity for covid, pointed out at end of this thread).

If you can, know your local PD. some departments publish whitepapers on their tactics. talk to local protest veterans in your area to learn about what your city's cops do. every area is difference and this can make the different between success or failure.

Use all the gear you got. helmet, goggles, gloves, umbrella, etc. carry water if you can (ONLY ONLY WATER TO FLUSH EYES. ONLY.) you gotta stay hydrated too. generic clothes, packs, etc. if possible. more common the better. Don't carry too heavy but it's really worth it. helmets feel ridiculous? you'll regret not taking it when you take a round to the head.

Consider having handles for your crew. it's a lot better to yell someone's handle than their name when you need their attention. Handles should be short (1-2 syllables) and minimally linked to the person. practice using only a person's handle. let's move on to broader thinking (might jump back if i think of stuff)

Situational awareness. you can practice this all the time but it's v important during an action. What are your exits? have they changed? what are your numbers vs. their's? what's their posture? what's behind, in front, sides? what gear to they have? re-evaluate constantly. i'm going to say it again. exits exits exits. where can your crew go if it gets too hot. if you dont have a clear exit try to move as soon as possible.

Extending on that: police will often try to kettle, aka surround you and trap you in. keep the bloc moving to the cops' weakest side to avoid a kettle. don't be afraid to tell people what to do. they'll thank you if you avoid a kettle. move without em if you have to but dont isolate your crew too much or you're easy to pick off and arrest. Also, be careful: cops may take advantage of this to get you to slowly push farther and farther from your objectives. sometimes you gotta stand your ground. know your numbers and know your strategy. sometimes it's time to stay. a spokes-council might be able to decide. talk about this ahead of time.

Don't yell where the exit is with cops around, but do disseminate it in a crowd. your crew, minimum, must always know.

Keep your crew looking in all directions and regularly switching. dont get snuck up on.

Don't get picked off. cops will arrest 1 person quicker than 10, 50. non-covid times, the advice is to "tighten up!" the bloc, so they cant snatch and grab. YMMV during these times. evaluated based on the situation.

Banners rule for this. theyre not just propaganda. if you have a heavy banner (tarp, etc.) in the front, they can't as easily grab through and arrest. stay behind it if you can. 

Learn to communicate clearly and tersely under pressure. people underestimate this skill. you dont need 'please' or extra words.  Don't chatter. learn to give a 'sitrep' (situational report) in which you report all the info from 16. spokes, ask you LTs for sitreps. give them when new folks arrive.

Back to the individual: if you can't keep up, DON'T GO. hard lesson to learn. as a person with chronic digestive issues, i've fucked this up. if you're incapacitated you're a liability. consider learning to run offsite, or going to less intense actions. know what to expect based on recent police activity, level of risk planned for the action, the capabilities of your crew, etc. i know you might feel obligated to be in the streets but if your crew has to care or slow down for you instead of acting, that's hurting not helping. but try not to let this discourage you from trying if you can. unless you're sure with your health and/or fitness you can't, it is good to try. we need numbers. but dont push yourself when you cant. there's more to the work than the streets.

Dont share unconfirmed info. dont repeat info from people you dont trust. ive seen so many actions where someone thinks they see a cop and then everyone is yelling "cop" and freaked out and scattering and theres no cop. be careful. misinfo is worse than no info.

Some of this is gonna feel ridiculous and tryhard. being good at this takes trying hard. be vulnerable and push your crew to do this. you'll be safer and more effective because you do.

Eat well, plenty of protein rich food the day before. hydrate well day of. physical condition matters for this.

Sometimes you gotta pee. you can pee in an empty bottle, or you can pee on the ground. MANY people wear diapers. this isnt the time for shame. do what you need.

When you gotta do something like pee, change, sometimes even drink, if you're in bloc, you gotta hide. get to the center of the bloc if you can. call 'cover me' or 'flag' (if the crowd has flags) and they'll wrap you. kneel and do what you gotta do.

Some of this advice is for when you have a coherent bloc, but there's been less of those in this round of protests. still, keep it in mind.

If you're in bloc, consider bringing generic clothes to change into in a bag. gym clothes and local team sportwear are great. either do 28 and slip out somewhere under cover, or scatter and hide, and change in your hiding place. bring a bag to put your bag in.

How are you getting in and out? can you pay for public transit in cash (this still means being on cameras, keep your hat down)? can someone drive you in (drop off far, so they cant see plates)? lock up your bike somewhere?

This is counter-intuitive, but unless it's a covert action, where your goal is to get in and out without ever being noticed, keep your ID and a bit of cash in your pocket. ID will get you in and out of jail faster. again: NOT FOR COVERT ACTIONS. and dont drop it.

Try to know your success and failure conditions before your crew goes out. when is it no longer worth it and time to bail? what are you trying to accomplish and how do you know you're doing so? try to create criteria if you can

in large, multi-site protests like we're seeing rn, if all you're doing is occupying cops, you're helping a lot. standoffs mean they arent somewhere else. looting they HAVE to respond to because property > people for cops. small groups can make big differences here.

Share your sitreps with other spokes if you can. if you notice a kettle, tell everybody and try to move everyone. have some chutzpah: you can do it.

DON'T LEAD PEOPLE INTO FENCED IN PARKS OR ENCLOSED ALLEYS PLEASE JUST DON'T PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU. HAVE MANY EXITS.

Consider carrying print maps of the area. dont mark them with objectives in case they get taken. review maps of the area ahead of time.

We already talked offsite and comms, i won't cover offsite much here, read the guide

Scouts! a good scout team is invaluable. especially bike scouts. get a signal chat and people on bikes in strategic locations reporting movements.

Don’t put everybody in the scouts chat. keep a few offsite people reading the scout chat and relaying in to comms people.

If somebody gets arrested that you're in a chat with, put 'dead the chat' and everybody should immediately leaved. someone should contact the person that killed the chat to find out who got picked up and exclude them from the new chat.

If y'all are super coordinated and have a ton of planning (not happening much right now) consider having a marshal in charge of calling moves for the whole bloc. spokes-council should still be convened and can challenge, but even the spanish anarchists elected military officials. in the field, you need a chain of command to operate quickly and effectively and outcompete cops.

Read this thread. remember, you dont have to be able to go toe-to-toe with cops. you just have to make your group not worth the consequences of dealing with.

Where are you going when the protest/action is done? are you all rallying at one point? have a plan.

Everyone check in with offsite when you get back. you all need to know everyone got home safe, or start checking jails/hospitals.

Offsite should know who is organizing jail support so they can pass that off when needed.

This is all easier if you know folks ahead of time.  show up to your local left orgs. even if it doesn't feel like you're doing a lot yet, those relationships matter.

WHITE PEOPLE: put yourself between police and people of color. they are much less likely to be as brutal with you. this should be established policy in your crew, esp if your crew is (as it ideally should be, if not ask why) multiracial.

WHITE PEOPLE: while Black opinion isnt a monolith & you dont have to regard the scolding of every Black liberal (see thread): if there are Black people/other people of color around and they're not escalating tactics, you shouldnt be unless its agreed. See this thread.

What does your crew and your bloc do if someone is injured? for some blocs, if medics have them, you leave them behind with medics and keep moving. it can be bad to jeopardize and trap the whole bloc for one person who is with medics who they are gonna be with anyway. on the OTHER hand, some blocs reasonably dont want to leave anyone behind and want to stay to cover people with medics (police sometimes respect medic neutrality, sometimes don't.) most important is: KNOW WHICH Y'ALL ARE DOING. DONT WAFFLE BACK & FORTH, DONT SPLIT THE BLOC.

Quick addition cuz it shouldn't be missing: if you're carrying a phone dont have touch ID on your phone, police can legally compel you to activate touch ID but they can't compel a password. also turn off location services and wifi unless you absolutely need them.

diff cops have diff legal options as well! in the middle of old city in philly, there's a federal park with park rangers. if they nab you, it's probably a federal charge, way worse. we're more scared of the rangers lol. know local uniforms if you can.

While we're here, some other extremely useful threads:

buying shit and not getting caught

riot control projectiles

take shifts! i didn't think to include it because it's longer term, but it's vital. we've certainly been dealing with it in philly.

this is a good COVID-19 specific tip. need to be a lot more careful about singing in custody during the pandemic.

having regular check-in times with offsite are a good idea

there's 50 tips for being effective in the street. might come back and add more later. i'm not the 'expert' and YMMV and you can disagree and your city might operate differently. that said:

i can tell you these are learned lessons from years out there & if you use them you'll do a lot, lot better than if you dont. you and your crew will be safer, and youll achieve your objectives more often. ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure. put in the work, and let's win.

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End transcript. People should take a look at that thread because it is being constantly updated with a lot of good information. Stay safe out there and fight this shit.

Source: https://mobile.twitter.com/jessfromonline/status/1268620358950649858