#I might make a chart about the way everyone in this au feels about each other

[that-bat]

This is the family dynamic

(Tho to be fair for as much as Miranda pretends to care about Matt and Nate, she isn’t too fond of them either)

[mamawasatesttube]

someone sent me an ask about timkon love square au stuff and i, dingus that i am, accidentally deleted it instead of answering 😭 i forgot who sent it BUT hopefully they will see this post. because yes! i think it's very fun if they manage to get into a true ridiculous love square situation between themselves and their hero identities. i have created a chart to illustrate:

the thing that fascinates me about kon and secret identities is that while tim is great at compartmentalizing and separating "tim drake" from "robin" or "red robin" (to a frankly kind of concerning degree? tim are you fucking good?), kon is... not. conner kent comes later, after kon-el. he's a hero first, and only starts to learn how to be a regular person after that. this is in direct contrast to tim, who is by all counts a mostly normal kid before he becomes robin, and has to learn to be a hero.

for kon, secret identities are therefore tied directly to trust. he doesn't have a secret to protect for a long time! and when he finds out that superman does have a secret identity, it kinda blows him away. he's shocked that superman isn't just superman all the time. before he even learns that, he expresses that it's nice in smallville, that it must be nice to have a place to "fall off the map" (superman '87 #155). when he does learn superman's identity, he's upset that superman never told him, not because he feels like he's entitled to that information but because he feels like he's failed to be someone superman would trust with it (superboy '84 #70). to me, that feeling is the crux of why he's so upset about tim not sharing his identity in yj98: everyone else in the group has deemed him worthy, like cissie and cassie and bart. so what has he done to tim, that tim won't tell him or any of them? (and like, he's 15-16, he's not grasping the whole picture, sure. but it's not just coming from a place of entitlement, is my point. it's about trust and feeling unvalued.)

BUT in an au where the supers are more closed off from the rest of the world or something, where literally anyone but karl kesel got to control kon's narrative, kon would have a secret identity earlier on, because he'd end up at the kents' way sooner, etc. so suddenly he has to grapple with a whole new set of feelings: that superman has trusted him with his biggest secret, and brought him into the family as part of it, and he can't let superman down. so he has to learn to make those distinctions, to accept that people can trust him and he can trust them and that's why they don't share their identities with each other until circumstances dictate it's actually a good time.

so. let's say tim somehow ends up in smallville for a bit, has absolutely NO idea that the superfam even have secret identities, and kon's going aaaa!!! aaaaaa!!! why is red robin here!!!! ma whatever you do DON'T look at him!!!! and meanwhile tim's going oh god i think i'm bisexual but i didn't know that that means i might like TWO boys?!?!? oh god. oh fuck. (he may be stupid.)

[casual-praxis]

This should not have taken me nearly this long, but it's finally finished! Behold, the redundant relationship chart for my high school au fanfic!

I wasn't sure how to go about this at first, since it's pretty much just a big friend group, but I tried to touch on the specifics. They all interact with one another slightly differently depending on who it is, so I'll try to elaborate a little.

Red and Green are twins, so the usual sibling banter is common. They relentlessly tease each other about their respective crushes, but only because they trust the other not to go too far with it. As the "older twin" (by about seven minutes), Green feels the need to protect Red, who just rolls with it since he likes the attention.

Green and Blue have known each other since middle school, and while they didn't always get along, their rivalry eventually gave way to mutual respect. They're still very competitive, but they've got each other's backs when the going gets tough. Playful teasing is pretty much how they communicate (it only occasionally results in Blue angrily chasing Green around the school, big step up from the occasional fistfight).

Red and Vio, similar to Green and Blue, have known each other since middle school, and Red was the one to give Vio his nickname. The two are close, to the point where casual contact is more expected than not (it's a fairly common occurrence for Red to run up and jump onto Vio's back, with Vio simply adjusting his stance to support Red as the only acknowledgment it happened). Platonic soulmates.

Red and Blue have had crushes on each other for a while. Everyone can see it, except them apparently. They dance around the subject (i.e. flail) out of fear it'll change the dynamic of their group too much, but they're already so soft with each other that it wouldn't make a difference. Many nights are spent with only the two of them in vc, talking aimlessly just to hear the other's voice.

Green and Vio met through Red back in middle school, and while they aren't the closest, they do spend a lot of time together while waiting on Red and Blue to stop lowkey flirting (their version of it, anyway). Green has made it his mission to find Vio his own fashion style, but it's been an uphill battle so far on account of Vio not having much preference for anything. Vio, meanwhile, thinks it's funny to rile Green up, so he goes along with it despite not caring either way.

Blue and Vio, while not seeming very close, do talk way more than the average outsider might think. Blue is the only one in the group so far who knows almost the full extent of Vio's homelife, and while he can't do much to change it, he does his best to offer support (though he will absolutely not admit to it). These two can and will deck someone in the face if they mess with Red (or Green, but Green will defend himself at least).

Zelda and Green are the potential power couple just waiting to happen. They were always loosely aware of each other throughout the school years, but it wasn't until Vio (reluctantly) introduced them that they started to hang out. Green greatly admires her leadership skills and fashion knowledge (they'll talk for hours about it), meanwhile, Zelda finds his charisma and dorky humor charming.

Zelda and Red aren't incredibly close, but still friendly with each other. They're in drama club together and mostly talk about related club work, or Green, usually both. There isn't much to say about their relationship other than they get along and Red is excited at the idea of Zelda dating Green.

Interestingly enough, Zelda and Blue have a dynamic similar to the one Blue has with Green. They're gaming buddies, and very competitive with each other. This bleeds into their casual interactions at school, which always throws some people for a loop since Zelda's gaming hobby is very much a secret. The no-context smack talk is kinda funny to be fair.

Zelda and Vio do not get along. They grew up together because their families were friends, but both view their childhoods with one another very differently. While not outright hostile to each other, Vio tends to avoid Zelda and go silent if she's brought into a conversation. Zelda, on the other hand, would like to talk to "Violet", but his frequent avoidance of her does tend to make her a little bitter.

Zelda and Shadow have an odd friendship. What had started as an attempt to make peace, quickly turned into an unbreakable bond of solidarity. The two are gossip buddies, as well as theater kids, so you can imagine how that goes. They balance each other out in surprising ways (Zelda reins in Shadow's more over-the-top theatrics, while Shadow pushes Zelda to be more daring). They also game with Blue on the weekends, it's chaotic.

Shadow and Vio are a mess. Neither of them understands normal relationships and that's probably the only reason it's working out so well for them. Due to Shadow's history of bullying the group, Vio initially does not want anything to do with him, but once they get over that hurdle, depending on how you look at it, it's all downhill from here. Stalker x Stalker. They're obsessed.

Shadow and Blue, as mentioned before, are also gaming buddies. They usually don't interact much unless Zelda is with them, but they get along fine once they bury the hatchet. Blue is still a little wary of Shadow's intentions in the group, but he can always just punch Shadow again if he steps out of line.

Shadow and Red (who I forgot to draw a line between) get along great despite their history. They're both in theater (not the club) and match each other's energies fairly well. They both "fight" over Vio if he's around, but this usually just results in them hanging off of Vio while trying to have a normal conversation. A surprisingly chaotic duo.

Shadow and Green, much like Red and Zelda, aren't super close but can tolerate each other. None of their hobbies or interests really align, though they might team up to find Vio a fashion style someday. When left alone together they talk about cats. Specifically, Nail Polish, the weird orange cat Red found in a dumpster eating nail polish.

And that about wraps it up. I didn't mean for this post to be this long, but hopefully, if anyone reads it, it'll be at least a little entertaining. I'm excited to work more on this au, even if it takes me forever. ^^

Figuring out everyone's dynamics beyond just "character A knows character B" has been really fun! I look forward to exploring this more hehehe.

[rroketa]

okay i realised that making a chart would actually be too complicated so i'll just write list styleee

NO BURNERS AU RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS !

(aka ramblings of very vague ideas of how i think everyone relates in this au)

Mike and Julie – Julie's identity as Kane's daughter is still unknown to anyone in KaneCo. Mike knows her as a co-worker and positive acquaintance. Kane subtly pushes Mike and Julie to interact sometimes though. Have lunch and such.

Mike and 'Red' – At the moment, the biggest nuisance to KaneCo's operations and Mike's biggest rival. Red seemingly has insider intel of KaneCo's operation which makes them a large threat.

Dutch and Chuck – As the cabler's settlement is both the historically rich and most vulnerable part of motorcity, the cablers have set a deal with the Duke. The cabler's settlement and the Duke have a deal pertaining to material trade and mutual technical assistance.

Chuck basically only talks to the Duke in the mansion, so he often hangs out in the cabler's settlement to hang outwith Dutch and Tennie, using 'installation' as an excuse. Due to Chuck's alliance to the Duke (and his overall clingy behavior), Dutch can't see Chuck's presence more than an annoyance.

Mike and Chuck – Formerly friends at Deluxe, Mike and Chuck find themselves on opposite ends of Detroit. Their interactions are brief and somewhat awkward during negotiations between Kane and the Duke, but both question what guided the other to their current position.

'Red' and Texas – Red and Texas team up at times when their goals align. But having different approaches in most things they always end up butting heads.

At other times Red and Texas can be against each other. While Red protects motorcity, they seem to be defensive when it comes to Kane. While Texas is categorically for taking down Abraham.

Dutch and Texas – Texas is a delivery boy that at times reaches the cabler's settlement. Often rambling about his ideas on how to take down Kane, Dutch can often lend a sarcastic piece of advice that is actually helpful. In a way, Dutch is the brain of Texas' operations and is responsible for the fact that Texas hasn't been caught so easily.

Chuck and Texas – Chuck is the number one customer of Jacob's restaurant. Big fan of the muffins. Other than delivering to the mansion, Texas bullies Chuck for his 'dorky look'. The fact that Texas isn't a fan of the Duke doesn't help that too much.

Mike and Texas – Less of a threat, but more of an annoyance, Texas always finds himself tangled up with Deluxe's law enforcement. So much that Mike already easily recognises the troublemaker.

Mike dismisses Texas as not much of a threat, often, seemingly on purpose letting him go. Even Texas can notice that doesn't seem too right..! On one hand he feels underestimated, on another, he feels like a certain cadet might not be as ruthless as other Deluxe cadets..

[dontlookheswatching]

I wanna randomly ramble about my main au regarding ships real quick.

TRIGGER WARNING, PLEASE NOTE THAT I MENTION THINGS LIKE ABUSE, RAPE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE!! Please don't read if these things upset you! I want everyone to be safe, so if any of this is triggering, this is to tell you to scroll by!

I'm a multishipper, I've stated this on my blog before, I ship practically everything if I see it a certain way. But lore wise when it comes to my blog, relationships are specific. I might post a relationship chart one day, but basically, I have main ships, and then I have like a billion little side ships I enjoy but they wont make a big appearance on this blog unless they're random doodles unrelated to the lore, or part of a ramble or reblog. Im gonna list examples of each so people know what to expect in future posts where some of these ships are featured. If you want to unfollow me for some of these, I'm not stopping you, I'd highly encourage doing so if any of these ships make you uncomfortable, because I don't want anyone to stay on my blog if it brings discomfort.

Several main ships I have that'll be featured perhaps the most are ones like Jeff x Ben, which if not already obvious is the main relationship that'll be focused on. Another is Tim x Toby, they're both adults in my au, I do not support pedophilia whatsoever and if need be I have aged up characters to avoid this. Lastly, I have Liu x Eyeless Jack. I honestly dont know why I started shipping it but its really cute to me and it stuck and they're very dear to me. These three are perhaps the ships that'll be featured the most, but I'm having a brain fart like always and I'm already forgetting my own ships-😭

These are ships that'll be in the blog as well but they aren't as big and focused on. A example to start off with is Jane x Clockwork. I know, canonly, Jane is married to Mary, and I love that, but this is my own personal au so things are different, although in my heart Jane and Mary are definitely on top, and I might do doodles of them from time to time. Another example is Nina x everyone. No, not literally. She just has crushes that come and go ALL the time, and she flirts with everyone, so often to where no one questions it anymore. She had a Jeff arc and got over him and now she's living her life how SHE wants to. A few more include Nurse Ann x Judge Angels, Hobo Heart x Cody/X-Virus, Lost Silver x Glitchy Red, Jason the Toymaker x The Puppeteer, and Kate x Rogue. I have many more, but for now, I'm gonna explain the ones already listed since a few might seem really random. For Angels and Ann, Im just gonna admit, I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers or people who act like they hate each other but they secretly love each other deep down. For Hobo and Cody, in my au, they're both huge loners, and we're paired in a mission once. It was very awkward but the more they talked the more they realized they had a lot in common. I love them. Theres more lore to the reason I've paired Silver and Red together, but to sum it up, Silver had a massive crush on Ben, but Ben has his eyes set on Jeff and didn't return the feelings, and I didn't want Silver to be sad and alone his whole life, plus, they're dynamic is adorable. Sad pessimistic person x person who has seen whats under the sadness and admires them anyways. For Jason and Puppeteer, i saw a cosplay with them on tiktok and I couldn't help myself, I caved immediately. And lastly for Kate and Rogue I realized their characters have several things in common and I realized they'd probably get along pretty well.

Now, for side ships, I won't give an explanation, this ramble is already longer than planned. Im just gonna throw them out there with no context. EJ x Ben, Ben x Lost Silver, Nina x Kate, Tim x Brian, Tim x Jay, Jay x Alex(Yes some other marble hornet characters may be featured in the blog or in doodles), Jessica x Amy, Toby x EJ, Liu x Ben, and many MANY more, too many to state here.

Now that its out there, I wanna real quick talk about something I've reblogged a few days ago. Just because they're bad people who have done bad things, it doesn't mean they dont deserve love or happiness. Plus, the majority of these creeps were people who were wronged time and time again until they were pushed over the edge, it probably definitely wasn't something they had planned out since they were like 3. Now, despite this, some of them definitely aren't the best lovers to have, like Jeff, because again, these are murders and deranged killers. This is a super dark confession but theres A LOT of lore between Ben and Jeff in my au where things were AWFUL for them because Jeff couldn't get a grip on himself for the longest time. He's not like that anymore, and things are MUCH better for the both of them, but they definitely had an era in their relationship where things were beyond toxic. Beyond toxic as in Jeff was incredibly abusive, physically and mentally, and had a MAJOR alcohol addiction, and even proceeded to get Ben addicted to drugs at some point, sometimes going as far as raping him when he did not give consent. I won't give away too many details, but I will say, again, this is in the past and they've both healed over their traumas and managed to get through it together, and are in a much better state(A lot of breaking up and getting back together happened throughout this 'toxic era' though, and even after healing, theres still minor problems that I will not elaborate, they will be found out throughout the blog and maybe hints in some doodles.) But this is a good example of what a realistic relationship in this fandom with Jeff might look like. But just because people are deranged and definitely not mentally stable, it doesn't mean they can't try to change, and it definitely doesn't mean they dont deserve love unless they're as bad as Jeff was but with no intentions to change.

Im always happy to further explain any of this, but I will not tolerate harassment for the things I like. But anyways yeah thats my whole thing on ships im gonna go cry over my broken apple pencil now

-Max❤

[theamityelf]

Hello, I really like your kamukura outbreak au, and so the post about izuru being interested in their differences caught my attention.

What IS their differences, weakness/strength wise? I like to imagine that makoto is surprisingly the best fighter (his luck ruins everyone's plans) (Speaking of does mahiru have a luck talent?) Izuru is an all rounder (he hates that fact for some reason), and nagito is the best cook when he wants to be due to his experiments (also the smartest, despite his hijinks) . Togami is physically the strongest.

This is a great question, and I think your proposed answers are also great. (I was mainly talking about differences in ways of thinking and personality, but this is also great to explore!)

First of all, you bring up a good point about luck, because I like to think luck, as in the metaphysical force that just kind of canonically exists in the Danganronpa universe, is different than luck as exhibited by Izuru Kamukura, just because the idea that Hope's Peak was able to brain surgery Luck into someone for some reason passes the limits of credibility for me. My thought is that Kamukura's "luck" is just a combination of Ultimate Clairvoyant talent and Ultimate Analyst talent, where subconsciously he'll just kind of know what to do in a lot of situations without having to process why he knows it.

The lucksters already have their actual luck and these talents. I feel like Nagito is able to use this to utilize his luck as an even more terrifying supernatural weapon than it already was. He masters the pattern and is able to expertly manage the circumstances he creates for himself to direct his luck where he wants it, and then he becomes more interested in trying to do the same with Makoto's luck.

Nagito's luck is almost like the group's taste of routine. They operate within his luck the way they operate within the weather; it's something that can be charted and predicted and, to an extent, harnessed. Makoto's luck is the group's taste of chaos. They simply never have any idea when or how it's going to kick in. Its effects are stimulating; Nagito is the main one actively trying to understand it. Izuru is lowkey studying it, but he isn't making as big a deal about it as Nagito is. And Makoto, Mahiru, and Byakuya aren't studying it at all.

The other Kamukuras don't have as much of a supernatural influence over luck, and since they all have the same talents, the differences there are mainly in how quickly/easily things come to them.

I'd say Mahiru is the quickest and best at spatial reasoning. Her original self was a photographer, so she has a great sense of spacing and movement and how objects interact with each other. Again, these skills used to be for timing photos, but now they make her great at mechanic work, engineering, lock-picking, etc.

Byakuya is the quickest and best at making good, efficient use of all his resources. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny, and the guy who (in another universe) saw a murder being covered up and thought "Okay, I have an extension cord, some dead classmates' handbooks...", is really good at keeping in mind everything at his disposal and intuitively knowing how to put all of it to good use. If Mahiru is the fastest at picking a lock, Byakuya is the fastest at figuring out what in this room can best be used as a lock pick. He can kill you with things you didn't even see on that table.

Izuru's superpower, kind of like you said, is his general competency. He's reliable. If there's anything you want done well, he's the one most likely to do that. It's partially a matter of his temperament– not as erratic as the others –and partially a matter of his perfectionism. Mahiru can probably fix a machine the fastest, but she might not care all that much about the machine's long-term performance. Nagito can probably figure out most puzzles fastest, but once he does, who's to say whether he'll find it more entertaining to confuse things rather than bring them to the most efficient and satisfying solution. Izuru gets things done, well. If he fixes your car, everything about your car is fixed.

And Makoto's social skills are the best. Well, not his social skills; Nagito is the friendliest and best at carrying a conversation. But Makoto cares deeply about others and making things easier and better for them, so while his actual charisma isn't on Nagito's level, he's endearing and people really like being around him. His willingness to solve any problem they have no matter how long it takes, and his tendency to say really insightful things in a soft, almost toneless voice, are really effective.

And there's some angst there, as far as his close friends from before missing the old Makoto but loving the new Makoto, and everyone he meets now just adoring him. I could see someone like Kyoko or Chihiro thinking that it's somewhat of a betrayal to old Makoto to be excited about all the things this new Makoto can do for them, thanks to the traumatic procedure that was done on him against his will.

Makoto from before was a great friend, but he wasn't someone who could and would stop what he was doing at any given time and rewire the electricity in your room. Makoto from before could help you deal with your problems or think positively about your problems; this Makoto can solve your problems and doesn't really care what happens to him in the process, except insofar as his loved ones would be affected by it. Old Makoto brought out the best in people; this Makoto might inadvertently reward a lot of vices just by being so willing to do and be what others want. (Fortunately, his arc is rediscovering his sense of self and manifesting boundaries.) I'm just saying, if someone wanted to start a cult around him, it wouldn't be hard.

But back to the Kamukuras and their differences, lol.

Their differences in body shape influence their respective fighting styles; the shorter ones are better at slipping through gaps and getting behind people, the taller ones are better at gaining leverage and subduing people.

[verdantglow]

Hiiii, hellooooo, I saw your Homestuck au and I love it. Love your art !!! I wanna eat everysingle one of them they are so-

Ok so, I had a few questions if you don't mind like, how did Scar and Grian met? Like- how they become moirals? Aaaand what would be the quadrants between Mumbo, Scar and Grian

Aaah hi! & thank you so much! (I’ve never had someone say they wanted to eat my art, that’s such a high compliment, omg…)

So Scar & Griann. They met while playing the VR version of Flarp around mid adolescence!

Actually, the VR edition of Flarp is how all the various groups of characters know each other. When they were around 7-8 sweeps old, they all signed up for & played a VR Flarp called Third Life. After the campaign ended, they stayed in touch & over the years they’ve played four more campaigns over VR, occasionally adding in more players. (This is very odd for Flarpers & really just for trolls in general. Maintaining relationships outside of your quadrants once you’re an adult & off planet is exceedingly rare, but this group is now around 12-14 sweeps & just finished playing the Secret Life module together.) (…There might be something to be said about the complex shipping chart that has developed holding them together in some ways.) (But mostly they’re just all friends, for whatever shade & value of friendship is possible as an adult troll.)

Anyway! Back to Scar & Griann! Griann ‘accidentally’ (no one is sure how accurate that word is) led to Scar’s first death in the Third Life campaign. We can guess that either Griann really thought Scar wouldn’t die or he just is piss poor at thinking things through, ‘cause killing a sea dweller, even in a game, when you were not supposed to… Well let’s just say that Griann vowed his first life to Scar & Scar, whether by dint of being the friendliest sea dweller you’ve ever met or because he was genuinely placated by the vow, didn’t pursue revenge IRL as he was entitled to by troll custom.

(It’s important to remember here that 1. Griann is a mutant candy red blood & 2. everyone was around the age where blood colour starts showing in your eyes, making it harder to hide your hemostatus. Given Griann wasn’t a full adult, so there was just a tint of red to his irises, during the Third Life campaign most of them assumed Griann was a rustblood. & a such a low blood killing fucking royalty out of turn, frankly most of them were pretty damn shocked that Scar accepted the vow instead of killing Griann on the spot, at least in game. It was very much a defining moment for everyone’s thoughts of Scar.)

So Griann & Scar teamed up & feelings… happened. Most of the rest of the crew saw their relationship as a somewhat forced moiraillegence, Griann placating Scar for his own safety as well as that of others while voicing his desire to leave the partnership to almost anyone who’d listen. By the end of the campaign, the forced part fell off people’s estimations, as Grian obviously became closer & closer to Scar. But it still seemed like a pretty cut & dry moiraillegence, albeit a kinda dysfunctional one, given how much death & destruction Scar still enacted on everyone.

When they were asked about their fresh moiraillegence after the campaign, they both just kinda smiled & nodded, trying not to think about all the confusing vacillating make outs that happened on Monopoly Mountain. & they’ve been living in ??? ever since.

Now, Mummbo Jummbo. My favorite jade blood. (My only jade blood lol.) He & Griann have known each other since they were grubs & have always been pretty much inseparable, despite Mummbo not picking up VR Flarp until the group’s second campaign.

No one knows what the heck is going on between Griann & Mummbo. They are utterly, helplessly devoted to each other in a way that everyone speculates whether they flushed or maybe ashen or ??? Like. Scar & Griann, while they keep up the image of them being moirails, anyone who really knows them can see quadrant vacillation clear as day. That’s not too out of the ordinary. But Mummbo & Griann? Extremely odd by troll standards, particularly adult troll standards. They seem to swing between pity friends & hate friends, as many troll friends do; they just do it at an intensity & velocity that most trolls find baffling outside of quadrants.

(The truth is Mummbo’s quadrants are completely empty & he prefers it that way. Aroace king right here. If you ask if, he’ll just say that quadrants are too much fuss & confusion for him. Though it is worth noting that Mummbo’s main point of reference for what quadrants look like for a long time was whatever the fuck Griann & Scar have going on, which, is, uh, not particularly stable & frequently somewhat unhealthy. Love them though.)

Mummbo & Scar become good pity friends after being introduced by Griann post-Third Life campaign, though they also have their hate friend days. Heck there have even been a few times that others have suspected Mummbo was pitch flirting with Scar (like during the Secret Life campaign when Mummbo said, rather loudly, in public, something to the effect of ‘get good.’). But really it’s a case of the hate friendship aspect of their relationship flaring & Mummbo being utterly clueless to flirting of any kind, even when he seemingly is the one doing it.

[lapetitechatonne]

Slept on Ships P1: Space Princess

Slept on Ships: Space Princess; Silent Jasmines hello!! so after taking a look at the very long Batpham shipping chart and seeing so many slept on ship dynamics, i decided to start a series all about highlighting romantic and platonic dynamics that---in my professional opinion---deserve more love. i'll be starting with the first dp/dc ship i created: Space Princess.

Space Princess: Dani Phantom/Mar'i Grayson

Relevant Background

so, in general, if you're not knee deep in the DC Fandom, you might now know who Mar'i Grayson, aka Nightstar, is. Mar'i Grayson is the daughter of Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, and Koriand'r, aka Starfire, from Earth-22. she appears in the Kingdom Come series, where she has her own issue and everything! she's shown as protective of her family, like her father, and just as strong-willed as her mother.

if you'd like more info on Mar'i here's a like to the wiki article: Mar'i Grayson (Earth-22)

fun fact: in Kingdom Come, Dick and Kori are actually divorced, while in most fanfic, people portray them as together. Mar'i is also part of the Teen Titans on her earth, along with Lian Harper and Irey West.

in this post i'll be reference a few head canons such as; Dani being considered a Princess in a Ghost King Danny au and Dani possibly having an ice core (we don't know what core she has in canon.)

Why is the dynamic interesting?

they are prime Sun and Moon couple energy

Mar'i who lives her life in the sun as a public figure, her powers fuled by the sun and just as bright as her, while Dani hides in the shadows of society, lurking. giving Dani and ice core adds an extra layer of opposites.

they are equal parts soft sapphic girls, and battle hardened heroes. they're both incredibly capable political figures (in a Ghost King Danny Au) who always have to put up a front, they have to be the perfect leaders their kingdoms need them to be. they would understand each other in ways that other people couldn't

i also imagine them bonding over being the child of very famous/rich parents.

they also have colorful girlfriend and grunge girlfriend vibes.

Dani deserves to run Tameran like a fortune five hundred company while Mar'i is off being a superhero. the dynamic works strangely well for them.

Dick and Kori would love Dani, and if Mar'i doesn't marry her they're adopting her

Mar'i can be scary when she wants to, just like her mom. Dani thinks it's very hot.

Mar'i inherits her mother's height, which makes her both taller and stronger than Dani, and Dani would love it.

i like to imagine Dani having purple eyes or powers later down the road (since Vlad's are pink and Danny's are green/blue) which would make them almost opposites. it could be a fun story device to use.

A lot of people compare Mar'i to her mother, but realistically, i think she would be a lot like her dad's family, specifically Tim. it would be fun to explore the dynamics between Mar'i and Tim as niece and uncle, and they dynamic between Mar'i and Damian as sort of siblings (yes, i am a 'Dick Grayson is Damian Wayne's dad' fan). it could be prime real estate for a little bit of Danny/Damian or Dan/Tim or Jazz/Cass on the side.

Mar'i inherited her mom/dad's anger, and he Uncle Tim's ability to compartmentalize her feelings until she breaks. enough said.

through Mar'i, and by extension the batfam, Dani learns what real love looks like. she finally understands how abusive Vlad was to her. this could be in the context of a Vlad trying to redem himself, or a Vlad trying to manipulate Dani back into his life, but now she knows better.

with how much Mar'i hung around Raven as a kid, it would be interesting if Mar'i knew that Dani was not normal before everyone else. maybe Mar'i even knows a little bit of magic.

Some Prompt Ideas

a photographer and model au

Dani joins the Teen Titans and meets Nightstar

Vlad and Bruce are business rivals, but neither Dani or Mar'i particularly care and get together anyways.

Mar'i sees a clip of Dani in her ghost form with her green powers and thinks she's Tameranian. Mar'i channels her inner Uncle Tim and goes all detective to find Dani.

Dani is a mechanic and Mar'i is a student who refuses to get her very old car replaced.

Mar'i gets lost in the Zone after the destruction of her universe. She had no idea what to do or where to go. Dani finds her, and together they traverse worlds they were never meant to see.

Fic Recs

(i will admit the second one is self-promotion but i'm working with a small pool of fics lol)

Our Love Will Last Us by foldingfacets (READ THE TAGS)

Dani fell in love with the hot girl who watched her smash her skateboard into a dude without care. Little did she know the girl saw her first and fell in love faster. Maybe, just maybe, Dani doesn't have to be alone anymore. Maybe Mar'i would stay.

Can I have this Dance? by petitechatonne

When Dani goes to a gala with Sam, originally intent on keeping her friend company, she meets someone who sweeps her off her feet. Literally.

Playlists

Pintrest Boards

this paring has the ability to be cute and horrifyingly angsty at the same time, with a good helping of family chaos on the side!!! i will admit i'm quite bias about this one as the first ship i really made, but i also think they have the potential to have interesting and complex stories. there aren't enough sapphic pairings in the dp/dc fandom and yes, i am trying to single-handedly change that. join the revolution today!!!

-- find the wonder in creating. love, Kate💗

[carmenlire]

I've had this taegyu idea floating around since january but I'll readily admit that it is extremely similar to httbt so like on one hand I am absolutely a reader who often thinks "man I wanna read what I just read but new" plus it's in an entirely different fandom but on the other hand like it's literally rockstar beomgyu and probably math teacher taehyun (or maybe grad student, potentially gym owner?).

(lowkey i ended up like fully plotting out the fic/recapping my twt thread so i'm putting the rest under a cut lol.)

like whereas alec was a top 40 sensation solo pop artist, very much channeling biggest name in the industry, beomgyu would be frontman for an indie/niche band (honestly i'm picturing chase atlantic 100% whereas alec was like a tswift) but his band still sells out its tours and is somewhere on the charts, making a very respectable sum.

Beomgyu is feeling ennui, uninspired, very jaded but in a more. . . angsty way than alec? i imagine this fic to be darker/more emotional than httbt with A Big Conflict towards the end where one of them severely fucks up in classic fic fashion.

of course, i've already thought of the opening scene and it makes me realize how totally predictable i am because it's an extremely late night/early morning run-in where taegyu are obviously at very different points in their lives but they have A Conversation and it's the first time beomgyu has felt interested/intrigued by something in forever and taehyun-- actually here's a difference-- he actually has no idea who beomgyu/his band is. beomgyu, ofc, likes that. taehyun just sees a hot guy who's a little fucked up but aren't we all.

looking at my twt thread, i talk a lot about how during that first meeting, beomgyu talks a lot in half-truths, unsure if he can trust taehyun and taehyun is just blunt as always, very no bullshit. they both walk away feeling amped up-- beomgyu feels a little bit like he got an ass kicking, a breath of fresh air and taehyun is intrigued in his own way about this guy who's full of contradictions.

they keep running into each other at the park at these really intimate hours (beomgyu clearing his head/going out whenever there's less of a chance of him being seen and taehyun on his morning runs). eventually one morning, the sun is shining when they both look up and taehyun recommends a lowkey breakfast spot he knows nearby.

despite there clearly being something between them, beomgyu isn't in a place to be in a relationship and taehyun is up front about what he wants/needs and they both respect the other. of course, that doesn't stop them from growing closer until they're like best friends.

constantly texting, both of them start to depend on the other-- on their phone calls, a few minutes of stolen time, on finding the most out of the way restaurants with the best samgyeopsal.

everyone around them knows Something's going on even if taegyu remain infuriatingly tightlipped, both of them wanting to protect this thing between them. the secret relationship aspect is a lot more illicit in this than it was in httbt-- there might not be tabloids to worry about but beomgyu's had a lot of years in the business to grow jaded even if he wishes he could be as open as taehyun. There are some growing pains even if they are both fully invested/committed, even if beomgyu loves being with taehyun and can't get enough.

i'm picturing a classic fic blow-up thanks to beomgyu's rockstar past (?) clashing with taehyun's firm stance on open communication and no bullshit (the blow-up is nothing out of the usual for fic but bc i tend to really love Healthy Communication, i've never written this kinda conflict before but i do think it'll actually fit this au setup and not merely be an excuse for angst lol).

anyway, they totally break up over That Mess and cue beomgyu losing it a little. he gets drunk, writes songs about taehyun, implicitly dedicates those songs to him on stage. he hooks up with someone and feels fucking awful.

he ends up eventually (let's be real they'll probably only be broken up for like a month bc i can't do too much angst lol) doing some soul searching/reflecting on the past months with taehyun and realizing the error of his ways (and even as he was doing it, he was kicking himself bc he didn't even mean the words, he didn't wanna hurt taehyun but his mouth just started without his brain and heart's input rip).

meanwhile taehyun is totally heartbroken (while he seems fine on social media he's kinda falling apart irl) but he was always up front about what he needed from beomgyu if they were gonna do this and he won't bend his own needs and worth just to be with beomgyu.

obviously happy ending!!!! and you know i'll have to include some serious established relationship fluff to make up for all the pain :')

all of which to say..... like i know the premise is very similar to httbt and i feel like there's even more of a spotlight on it since it is obviously my most prolific work (which did also come from a chase atlantic song lmao) but there are differences too???? so like i should just write what i want right?? like especially because i'm worried about being too close to my own work, like it doesn't even matter? and there are some key differences? idk :( i just know i really like the idea.

[squeiky]

Here’s the chart I was talking about during my explanation of what FusionSwap Au is

Gamma was a last minute addition change, but for everyone else I think I’m quite happy with.

Most if not all of these swaps have some logistics to it and fall under the rules I originally set (with full-swaps being the only exception as it usually occurs when I have no third character)

And for Gamma it was quite difficult because I had already finished swapping Amy, Metal, Cream and Big and got quite attached. Ended up taking “Size: Rouge” away from omega and handing it to Gamma under the logic that original Omega and Gamma share similar backgrounds in the narrative (but have different reactions it.)

Now that I’m done, it’s mostly just story time and design from here!

If this little chart is incoherent to you, that’s okay. I might make a post explaining it with visuals, (because I adore explaining things) but if you understand it, you can actually see how each swap is correlated to one another and I’ve even used my system to trace back to how exactly a character got their swap/fusion in the first place!

It’s really fun yet and feels like a game in and of itself.

It just such a fun way to test my knowledge of characters and the overall stories- and seeing how even the smallest things (like size) can effect ENTIRE characters and viewpoints.

This was originally a little shitpost au I made for the laughs, but I ended up getting invested by accident. So I hope you (whoever you are) get invested too.)

[antianakin]

This post is so long now, I really need to start putting things under readmores.

So the main thing to consider in this AU is that, even though they ultimately start taking different paths in life as they get older, they still have a LOT of shared relationships, one of which is actually EACH OTHER in a way they don't have in canon. They both would've grown up with the Naberries, being almost raised by Ruwee and Jobal and possibly interacting more with Sola than they ever do with Padme or Anakin. They probably went to the same schools as children and would have similar relationships with their cousins Pooja and Ryoo. And they actually grew up with each other, probably learning to rely on each other quite a lot in ways neither of them had in canon since neither Luke nor Leia ever have siblings of any kind with the Larses or Organas. And no matter how far apart they get later in life, I think that shared history is very much going to keep them together. In the absence of their parents, I imagine Luke and Leia would've really relied on each other as kids and that dynamic wouldn't just go away because they aren't in the same locations or doing the same work.

I do think that they have VERY different responses to their absent parents and how that makes them feel. Luke is more accepting of it than Leia is, more willing to just accept things the way they are. He may not always be HAPPY about it any more than he is happy about having to stay on the farm with the Larses instead of going to the academy, but he accepts it and doesn't seem like he's just going to abandon it at the first opportunity. Luke has a sense of loyalty and devotion to his aunt and uncle, regardless of his frustrations with them. We don't get much of Leia's relationship with her parents within the OT, and her relationship with the Organas is far more positive than the one she'd have with Anakin and Padme here, but if we take the Kenobi show as evidence then we can see that Leia has a tendency to sort-of... miss what she doesn't have before she can appreciate what she DOES have. She loves her parents, but her frustrations and doubts cause her to be constantly looking for information about her birth parents and yearning for a place she feels she belongs more until she realizes she gets to chart her OWN path forward and chooses to be an Organa her own way rather than the way anyone else might want her to be.

So in this AU, I have Luke sort-of more accepting of Anakin and Padme's choices even when it means they're abandoning their own children. They're not ALWAYS gone and they do love him and Leia and while he'd prefer to have them around more, he's more inclined to take what he's given and find ways to be happy within the circumstances he's given.

Leia is more inclined to fight for what she wants, which begins as Leia going into politics to try to get her mother's attention and approval. Much like in the Kenobi show, she is trying to be what she thinks she SHOULD be, what she thinks everyone else wants her to be (including Anakin and Padme). It doesn't always go well, but it's the only thing she can think of to do. For Leia, even though she will have had plenty of adults in her life who love her, it's never quite ENOUGH because none of them are her parents. Ruwee, Jobal, and Sola all sort-of try to keep that distance between them and Luke/Leia because they don't want to seem as though they're replacing Padme (or even Anakin) in their children's lives. So Leia is feeling inadequately supported and like she has to fit a mold that isn't built for her in a constant battle she can never really win.

And that difference in their responses probably DOES result in some disagreements between the twins, but I imagine that Leia would resent Luke's acceptance far more than Luke would ever resent Leia for finding happiness later, even if it's with the Organas. Like I said, Luke is more inclined to find his own version of happiness within the circumstances he's given. For Luke, this might mean accepting the love he's getting from his aunt and grandparents as enough, or accepting what Anakin and Padme ARE willing to give him, or finding a found family dynamic with a bunch of his friends within the royal pilots program or something. In canon, Luke knows he's missing things, his father died before Luke could ever know him and that leaves this unanswered question for Luke that he's always chasing after. But in this AU, Luke doesn't have any unanswered questions. He knows who his parents are, he knows where they are and how they feel about him, so he's not feeling quite as inclined to go searching for those specific answers.

This kind-of puts them in the opposite roles from where they are in canon. In canon, Leia knows her place and her purpose and has a really close relationship with the Organas and has let go of any real need to know about her birth parents, while Luke is more adrift and needs to figure out who Anakin is and what he became as part of his journey towards understanding HIMSELF. In this AU, Luke is a lot more stable and understands who he is more, while Leia struggles more.

But while I think they might disagree sometimes over their reactions to Anakin and Padme's parenting choices, they ultimately do really love each other and would have probably come to depend on each other quite a lot in childhood. They don't have their parents, but they do have EACH OTHER. And I imagine that that's something they'd hold on to as they got older, as well, even as their paths took them to different parts of the galaxy.

Because the thing to keep in mind for me about Luke and Leia is that, even though they've had no Jedi training, they ARE still Force sensitive and powerful ones at that. We know that they have a connection to each other in the OT even before knowing about their biological connection and before knowing Leia herself is Force sensitive. And I think this allows them to understand each other on a deeper level than just about anyone else could ever understand them, and it allows them to feel connected to each other even as they are apart. Anakin and Padme were never around for Leia and so their absence bothers her because it seems to represent a lack of care for her, but when Luke goes to become a pilot and she goes to learn politics, she knows that if Luke is busy and misses a call or if she doesn't see him for a little while that it doesn't mean he doesn't love or care about her. They have a strong enough foundation that it can weather a little absence without breaking.

And in both Legends and Disney canon, Luke and Leia have to take on separate responsibilities post-ROTJ. Leia gets married and has children, Luke gets married and has his own kids in Legends, Luke has to rebuild the Jedi Order while Leia generally has to tackle politics in the New Republic. They're not necessarily spending all of their time together in canon, either, but it doesn't lessen the connection that they have. The same would be true here. Their shared history as children allows them to follow different paths as they get older and explore other relationships without it overshadowing their own connection to each other. Their love is not conditional and it's not a pie, where each new connection added means there's less left for everyone else. Leia can find a family among the Organas and even the Jedi and it doesn't make Luke any less important to her.

So I don't think Luke would resent Leia's work at all. Luke in this AU is pretty accepting of his family's choices because he generally just wants them to be happy. I don't really see how Leia going into politics in general and Leia choosing to connect to the Organas later on would be something Luke would resent. I think he'd actually be really happy that Leia is finally getting the support she needs from people who seem really cool and like they really care about her.

Also I put into some of the responses earlier on that Luke and Leia DO continue to work together after Leia abandons being a senator's aide. It's working with Leia that leads him to Tatooine to begin with, which would probably imply that Leia's work (whatever it may be) is already involved with some of the efforts happening on Tatooine. So by staying there, Luke is never going to be ENTIRELY disconnected from Leia and I don't see Leia finding Tatooine a bad choice of place to be. In fact, given that Anakin fucking HATES Tatooine, I imagine Leia would find immense amounts of amusement in Luke's choice specifically because she knows the distress it's going to cause Anakin when he figures it out. I think Leia probably really admires that Luke has found a purpose that really speaks to him on Tatooine and is happy that he's chosen to reconnect with the Larses (she might even choose to go visit him and try to connect with them herself after Luke's more established there, she and Beru would get on like a house on fire probably).

Also Leia is not working FOR the Organas or the royal family. She's chosen to settle on Alderaan, but her organization isn't like... specifically connected to the politics of the Alderaani royal family. We know that Ruwee had some sort of grassroots organization that he ran and that Padme helped with before she became Queen, and he was obviously based on Naboo, but there's no real indication that Ruwee was like... working with the government of Naboo or working for any specific Queen as part of that. Leia's situation is similar. She's living on Alderaan but her company isn't necessarily connected to their government.

And lastly, I do think Leia might look down on Luke's forgiveness of their parents a little earlier, mostly because she doesn't understand it and it sometimes makes her feel a little lonely to know that he doesn't seem to feel angry about it the way she does. But she and Luke refuse to let that come between them and generally just have to agree to disagree on that particular topic most of the time. And after Leia meets the Organas and spends more time with the them and ESPECIALLY after she gets introduced to the Jedi and builds up those relationships more, she is able to let go of a lot of her anger at her parents in order to focus on what she DOES have. And she's able to look at Luke's earlier choices and understand them so much better than she used to. Leia's version of forgiveness involves letting go of her anger at her parents but it doesn't necessarily involve letting Anakin and Padme back into her life, either.

Luke is a lot less upset about what Anakin and Padme did, so when Anakin shows up on Tatooine, he's pretty happy to let Anakin be a part of his new life. If Anakin and Padme showed up on Alderaan to try something similar with Leia, they'd probably get a much colder welcome. Leia's realized that she does not need either of them in order to be happy. She's found her happiness in so many other people in her life who WERE willing to be there for her and support her. She still loves her grandparents and her aunt on Naboo, and she is proud of that heritage. And she does understand why her parents might have made the choices they did, but it created a wound in Leia that it didn't in Luke and she's not particularly willing to cut herself open again for their sakes. She doesn't trust them not to hurt her a second time.

So at best Leia will likely end up... civil with her parents. She's not begging for their attention and affection anymore, she's not furious and raging, she's just... civil. She doesn't really feel the need to rebuild a bridge they burned. Maybe, MAYBE, after Anakin has gone through his redemption arc on Tatooine with Luke and he's rebuilt his relationship with Padme, the two of them realize just how badly they treated their children and at a yearly Naberrie holiday gathering or something, they finally show up and manage to apologize to Leia. Their lives are separate now and Leia's grown beyond them, but she can allow them this much. They can meet up once a year or so with the Naberries and celebrate with each other. Luke is willing to take this because he completely understands where Leia's coming from and is just happy that all of his family can be under the same roof for once and nobody's screaming at each other. They'll never entirely agree about their parents necessarily, but that's okay. They're both happy and that's all that matters.

Luke and Leia probably meet up quite often and keep in regular contact. I imagine Leia would WANT Luke to know the Organas and the Jedi that she's met. And I'm sure Luke would want Leia too meet the Larses and the Jedi HE'S been spending time with. It won't have helped that Quinlan and Obi-Wan keep telling each twin the most ridiculous stories about each other and now Luke and Leia are DYING to see how true the stories actually are. They call once a week and try to meet up in person every couple of months, rotating whether they meet on Alderaan or on Tatooine or even on Coruscant sometimes to say hi to Pooja and maybe to visit the Jedi Temple.

No Order 66 AU where Anakin leaves the Order after the war ends and he and Padme end up retiring to Naboo to try to raise the twins together, but neither of them ends up feeling particularly satisfied with life on Naboo (for Anakin it just doesn't give him any purpose the way he desperately needs and for Padme it's always been this perfect rosy dream and reality doesn't measure up), so they end up leaving the twins behind a lot so they can pursue other things and are pretty absentee parents in general. They mostly end up getting raised by Padme's parents instead, and while they're perfectly good guardians for the twins and raise them kindly and love them a lot, there's always an obvious elephant in the room regarding who ISN'T there.

This causes a bit of a rift between Luke and Leia because while Luke is trying to keep the peace and give their parents the benefit of the doubt as he moves on and figures out his own life with what he DOES have, Leia is less willing to just forgive and forget.

Luke ends up becoming a pilot working for the royal palace for a while, but Leia goes into politics (something she'd entered while younger because it's what her mother did and she'd been hoping it would get Padme's attention and bring the two of them closer; it didn't work out that way at all and now Leia's sticking with it at least partly to spite Padme) as an aide for her cousin Pooja who is now Senator of Naboo.

And it's here, once she finally makes it to Coruscant and starts working in the Senate, that Leia meets Bail Organa, still working as Senator of Alderaan. The two of them click IMMEDIATELY and Bail ends up becoming Leia's mentor in politics, as well as the person who actually introduces her to the Jedi themselves. Anakin and Padme had never really bothered to do so, both because they were so rarely around, but also because they had chosen not to give Luke and Leia to the Temple and decided at that point that it would be easier to keep the twins and the Jedi separate. Bail of course has no such compunctions and even if he knew about Anakin and Padme's feelings on the matter, I imagine he'd find ways to allow Leia to accidentally bump into some of the Jedi while she was on Coruscant. If he just so happens to double book himself for lunch with both Leia and Obi-Wan, it's hardly anything malicious and they may as well all eat together!

Leia finally feels like she has a parent who gives a damn about her, someone who acts like a parent to her, the parent she's always wanted. Her grandparents had always been incredibly kind and they obviously had to do a lot of parenting, but they'd always been very strict about making sure the twins saw them as GRANDPARENTS and not their actual parents, which just make the absence of their parents that much more obvious and painful. But with Bail, she's finally got someone who doesn't care that Anakin and Padme aren't there and doesn't feel the need to create a wall between them for Anakin and Padme's sake. Bail takes her under his wing, teaches her everything she knows, allows her to explore things she'd never been allowed to explore before, connects her to even more people who can help her understand herself better than she's ever been able to before. THIS is what a parent was supposed to do for her and she knows it, THIS is what selfless love looks like from a parent and she THRIVES under it for the first time in her life.

She eventually decides not to stay on as Pooja's aide because she has no real desire to become a senator for Naboo at any point, but she IS good at politics and desperately does want to help people any way she can, so she starts up some sort of organization of her own to help people around the galaxy (and connects it to the Jedi because deep down she KNOWS she was supposed to be one of them even though that path is now closed to her). But she doesn't go back to Naboo, she doesn't make her home on her mother's home planet.

She goes to Alderaan instead. And this time, she gets to stay there for the rest of her life.

[autisticaradiamegido]

day 309

no actually i wont stop inserting my blorbos into other properties.

anyway.

i saw hadestown on tour this summer and im never going to emotionally or spiritually recover. and i have a lot of thoughts about this au!! long-winded rambling under the cut

so casting: Orpheus: Jade Eurydice: Aradia Hermes: Rose Hades: Jane (Crockertier mode, primarily) Persephone: Roxy The fates are representative of like. Aradia's ghost voices. I don't super know how to convey that visually. ANYWAY!! I just think that the dynamic between Orpheus and Eurydice in the way Hadestown tells their story gets very much to the heart of what I think is so interesting about AraJade, and that's the like.... Conflicting worldviews they have. I think that conflict, despite frustrating them at times, is part of what pulls them toward each other. Aradia (and Eurydice) are like... Kind of tragic characters! They have been through a lot, and while Aradia is very positive, and Eurydice is prepared to crack jokes, their worldviews boil down to "The universe is uncaring, and fate bears down on us no matter what choices we make. But FUCK it, I am going to live anyway. I'm going to do whatever the hell I have to do to keep going as an act of rebellion."

Jade (and Orpheus) however, still manage to be optimistic, not just about their own prospects, but about the world. When problems arise, they're not just going to ignore them and try to press on as things get worse. They're going to try to solve the problem! They're going to put that responsibility on themselves. It might speak to a level of overconfidence, or naivete, sure. But it also speaks to an overabundance of compassion for the people around it. They're not just going to fix things for themselves, but for everybody.

So when they meet, and Jade says "YES the world is difficult, the seasons are wrong, the world is out of tune, but I am going to write a song that will fix it." Aradia is understandably skeptical! She doesn't believe it until Jade shows her proof that her music has some otherworldly power (which. shakes her worldview obviously and she kind of fucking LOVES that?) But Rose (Hermes) says this girl will make her feel alive again, and to Aradia, "that's worth a lot" Speaking of Rose, idk. I was torn on who to put in Hermes' place. But Rose is established as both a Seer, and a storyteller. To repeatedly narrate a story whose tragic ending she's already seen play out a thousand times, just because it's beautiful and hey, maybe it'll turn out different this time (even though it never has before.) IDK ITS JUST A ROSE VIBE 2 ME! Plus Hermes has a friendly relationship with Orpheus, he wants him to succeed, but he's also not afraid to pull punches when criticizing him. I think that's a good dynamic for Rose and Jade.

I also waffled around for a while about Hades and Persephone, but in the end Persephone really HAD to be Roxy. It's not just about the alcoholism recovery arc they both share, it's about Persephone as a daughter missing her mother, and as a figure known to everyone around her as funny and generous and just kind of this universally-beloved figure who behind the scenes is REALLY struggling to cope with her own emotions. The Roxy vibes are truly off the charts. So given that, Jane made the best Hades, I think. Jane as Hades isn't the MOST compelling matchup in this to me, but I think she fits into the role well enough. First off, she really DOES love Roxy. But as they drift apart over time, and in the absence of any other real positive influences, she just kinda... Falls into the capitalism thing a little too hardcore. She misses Roxy and maybe to start with she really DOES think that if she can make enough progress in her work that it will impress Roxy enough to maybe stay a little longer than usual, but well. Industrial progress is not what impresses Roxy! And Jane is.... A little stubborn about her worldview, and has become extremely busy with her work, and doesn't really pay close enough attention to Roxy's feelings to notice all that, so. Things decay rapidly, and it becomes a point of conflict between them. But in the end we DO get to see them taking the first steps towards resolving things. Because frankly I think they would! They just care too much about each other at the end of the day.

Anyway listen to the Hadestown soundtrack if you haven't yet, please, I'm fucking begging

[casual-praxis]

Praxis Yappin' Hours

While I'm procrastinating actually working on the fic for a bit, I figured I might as well shed some light on what the whole modern FS high school AU thing I've mentioned here, here, and here are!

I need to come up with a more accurate name eventually (since only half the AU actually revolves around high school), but it's fitting for the fanfic I'm working on so it'll stick for now.

In regards to the fanfic portion, it's something I started as a practice project for writing dialogue specifically (hence the chatlog format). It kinda got away from me over time, so now it's this whole story about a group of friends who have grown up together, just kinda living life day to day in a low-stakes world, no real worries outside having a good GPA and planning their futures.

The plot is a little abstract on account of being told through various weeks' worth of text messages, but all the Colors have their own goals (some of which overlap) they bring up over the span of their senior year. I wanted to keep the story somewhat realistic (with heavy creative liberties here and there), so there isn't an abundance of drama, though there isn't an absence of it either. Romance is touched on lightly as well.

Red and Green are the most active in their group chat, with Blue chiming in more once he's free, and Vio sometimes going whole days without saying anything. I haven't yet decided if I'll include one-on-one dm's between characters (outside of Zelda and Shadow), but if I can find a way to incorporate them without breaking the flow, expect Red and Blue to dm each other a lot.

I wanted to play around with different texting styles to replicate how people speak slightly differently depending on their upbringing, and also the concept of adopting phrases from people you're close to. I think all of them say some variation of "shut" at least once in the first chapter alone. No idea if the word spread from Green or Blue but it was definitely one of them.

Red types in all lowercase but still uses correct punctuation and grammar (and a lot of emoticons). Green has autocorrect on so that's the only reason he isn't typing in all lowercase and has correct grammar (he also sometimes uses emojis). Blue types in all lowercase, doesn't use grammar or punctuation at all, and shortens most words to abbreviations when possible. Vio is the only one to type with proper spelling, punctuation, grammar, and the patience to put all his thoughts in one message rather than five separate texts.

As for the friend group dynamic itself, I'm working on a relationship chart that will hopefully map that out a bit more clearly. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but along with GreenxZelda, RedxBlue and Vidow are all endgame pairings, so feel free to disengage if those aren't your thing. Romance isn't a strong focus as I mentioned before, though it is still there.

Assuming we do make it beyond the fanfic stage, the AU will continue into everyone's adult lives for a while, albeit in scattered bursts. I'll keep my plans for that a little more under wraps, but it's definitely the part of the AU I think of most.

[baggebythesea]

Hey, Bagge! How are you? I'm sure you must have talked about this idea at something, but recently, my brain has been fixated to the idea of a Glitra!Pirate AU. What do you think of it?

It feels like there's so much fun stuff you can have with thay scenarios right from the very beginning!

Having Catra be a thrill seeking pirate with her fair share of demons is easy enough, but when it comes to Glimmer there's all sorts of things you can do, daughter of a famous goverment official, princess of an influential kingdom, heiress to a mysterious and mystical underwater kingdom, all to which her going to the sea is an act of rebellion. You can even throw a curve ball and have them be rival pirates! Battling for the title of Queen of The Seas, and the other's heart!

Think of all of the seafaring adventures mixed with that good enemies/rivals to lovers romance that can be built from it!

Sorry for the rambling, I just really love this idea and thought of sharing it! Take care!

I love that idea so much! There are some great pirate/mermaid aus out there (and Glimmer is such a great mermaid princess), but all your options are gold!

The aesthetic of the wild untamed ocean, the threat of violence, rivalry, crew camaraderie, adventure and fancy clothes are perfect for Glitra.

Right now - but that's just because of my mood this specific moment - I'd go with Glimmer as the pampered Governor's daughter running from home and ending up as a stowaway on the infamous Pirate Captain Catra's ship.

"I should feed you to the fishes," Catra snarled to the angry woman on her deck in front of her.

"You don't dare!" Glimmer gasped.

"Don't I, pretty?" Catra leered. "Your fancy mom is not here to protect you now."

"I can pay," Glimmer quickly said. "For passage."

"'The Black Cat' is not a ferry and if you have some gold hidden in that fancy dress" - Catra let her gaze linger a loooong moment at Glimmer's décolletage - "you can be sure we'll find it before we toss you overboard." She leaned closer and hissed in Glimmer's ear: "I will search myself."

Glimmer blushed like a freshly boiled lobster. Catra laughed and stood up.

"Throw her in the brig," she said to Scorpia. "I'll decide what to do with her later."

"I… can work," Glimmer quickly said. "Earn my keep."

That caused Catra to laugh again.

"You? Little pampered princess pulling a rope with those little pink hands. Don't make me laugh."

"I could do that," Glimmer insisted. "Or I could do navigation. My aunt taught me how to read charts and follow the stars."

"Oooooh, a scholar," Catra mocked. "and just where would you take us, 'princess'? To the royal soirée? To tea with the duchess of the moon?"

"No," Glimmer said, hands in her side. "To Beast Island."

The entire ship fell silent. Everyone stared.

"The fuck did you say?" Catra hissed.

"Beast Island," Glimmer repeated. "I know where it is."

The crew started to mumble between themselves. Catra took a step closer to Glimmer, a knife suddenly in her hand.

"How?" she hissed.

"My father…" Glimmer said, eyes wide at the sight of the knife. "He saw it, once."

"Captain," Lonnie said with low voice. "The treasure of Beast Island is…"

"I know, I know," Catra interrupted her. "I've heard the stories." She glared at Glimmer.

"Fine, you've got game, 'Sparkles', but I hope for your sake that you can deliver."

She took a step back, demeanour suddenly completely changed. She swept the hat of her head and did a little mocking bow.

"If the princess perhaps might be so inclined to dine with a lowly pirate, perhance we could discuss these happenstances further over a simple dinner."

Glimmer glared at her, but then her expression changed into a sweet smile. She held up her hand.

"The captain is too kind to a humble landlubber," she said with sarcastic voice.

Catra - surprisingly gently - took the hand and planted a soft kiss on it.

"Then by all means, let me lead the way, 'princess'."

"Of course, Captain," Glimmer answered.

They smiled at each other.

They both knew that they would enjoy this.

[tteokdoroki]

broken beauty | k.bakugou

⇝ pairing: katsuki bakugou x fem!reader.

⇝ word count: 2.1K

⇝ rating: for everyone.

⇝ genre: pro hero!au, model!au, angst.

⇝ summary: katsuki bakugou had never given you a reason to feel insecure, but when the distance between your worlds finally dawns on you, you feel yourself begin to break.

⇝ warning(s): please read ! heavy angst, no happy ending, mentions of insecurity, self doubt, emotional distress and bakugou cursing again.

⇝ author’s note(s): hello everyone, i hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe during this time, this one-shot is a request from @yourlocalbabybird​​​ !!! i hope the angst is heavy enough for you heh, i tried my best so i hope you enjoy. thank you for all the love on my blog. also i tried a new banner style which i like a lot :(

with everything going on recently i’ve found this carrd to help us all stay educated and mindful of others <3

⇝ masterlist | requests

bakugou had never given you a reason to feel insecure.

through your entire relationship, all you’d ever received from him was love— while it might not have been through grandest if gestures and shouting it from the rooftops, he showed you through lingering touches, soft kisses— dates on the rooftop and under the sunrise with hazy eyes and linked fingers. you were his world and he was yours, no relationship you’d ever had, felt as tight and secure as the one yourself and katsuki shared.

but that didn’t mean, you didn’t feel insecure by your own accord.

‘it’s just a modelling gig, nothing more, nothing less.’ is what you have to remind yourself while you sit behind the scenes on the set of bakugou’s latest shoot. your boyfriend is not a model per say, but fashion designers love a pro hero with good looks and a popular rank amongst the people; not only does it boost their brand but it’s often a good PR move on behalf of the heroes. a win win situation for all, including your boyfriend. bakugou is hot, you know that, he knows it and god so does the rest of japan— so it’s only natural that the top brands would want him splayed out on the cover of next month’s vogue magazine.

you’re proud of him, really, with your boyfriend right on track to become the next number two— you’re happy that he’s got the chance to experience an opportunity like this...but you can’t help but watch with burning eyes and a strained heart as he poses for the camera with her. ochako uraraka is no more of a model than your precious katsuki; but she is also sweet,  gorgeous and a pro hero like himself. and unlike you, they had known each other since high school, being on the same hero course and all— but being a hero wasn’t an option for you, growing up quirkless you had forced you to choose a quieter route in life and whereby you opened up your own little cafe, so it was by chance that you’d even met your boyfriend.

everything was by chance. meeting bakugou, falling for bakugou, loving bakugou. but the world would never know of you, having a quirkless girlfriend could severely damage your lover’s reputation and rank on the charts— so of course, ochako would have been the next best choice to replace you by his side on the cover.

at the time, when plans for the shoot had first been revealed, you had been okay with it. bakugou had made sure of that, he would never do anything you weren’t comfortable with or that exceeded the bounds of your relationship, and the fairytale theme certainly didn’t bother you back then. but now; upon seeing the shirtless dragon king and barley clothed princess set up they had going for the two, you fee bile rise up in your throat and uncomfortable churning in your stomach— a sense of jealousy directing itself at the girl who had her hands all over your boyfriend, merely for the purpose of a photoshoot.

you hate the way they look at each other, as if they belong together— ‘it’s just acting.’ you tell yourself as bakugou lifts the brunette into his arms behind the camera, her dainty fingers splayed out against the caramel of his chest and the look in her eyes writes words of love. you shouldn’t be mad, upset or angry. it’s just his job, but you can’t help but feel that maybe bakugou would be better off with her instead of you.

ochako and bakugou, yn and bakugou. your mind had made itself up, it knew which one sounded better—the one where you weren’t included. the two would make sense together, both stunning pro heroes on the way to becoming the top, while you were just an ordinary girl with an ordinary life. clutching at your chest, you give bakugou a weak smile while he waves to you between pictures, blinking away tears you didn’t realise had formed.

“okay,” the shoot director claps, fixing the cape drapes neatly across the blonde’s shoulders. “i want you guys to look at each other; like you’re about to kiss— can you do that? and it’ll be the last shot for the day.”

your heartbeat stops in its tracks while blood rushes through your ears, the sound tuning everything out but that of katsuki’s voice. “i think we can do that.” is all you manage to make out before you jump to your feet and make a dash for the bathroom. you can no longer take being in a room with them both, the insecurities in your mind eating you alive.

you don’t bother to look back when you hear bakugou call your name, you don’t think you can handle seeing them together for a moment more.

“yn, baby...are you in here?”

chewing on your bottom lip, you do your best not to make a sound as the door to the bathrooms slams open so hard it almost hits the next wall. you knew it’d only be a matter of time before bakugou started searching for you, but then again you’d only been hidden away in the toilet cubicle for about fifteen minutes.

without a response, katsuki starts to check each cubicle next— growing more and more desperate by the second. you know he hates seeing you sad, it lifts your heart, only just, to know that the cares but the way you feel can’t be helped and couldn’t be for the longest time. you paw at your cheeks where tears have seared a pathway down them, trying to cover up any evidence of your emotions as your boyfriend approaches your cubicle.

the explosive blonde stops right outside of yours, his boots appearing in your view just underneath the door. “yn, i know you’re in there,” he mumbles simply after attempting to push open the door, voice so quiet you would have missed him if you weren’t hyper aware of his presence. it’s locked, of course. “come out and let’s talk, yeah?” 

“can’t,” you whisper, moving to hug your knees whilst sitting on the toilet seat, as if that’s going to hide you away from the world.

“baby is this about the last shot? i swear i wasn’t thinking about what the director said— just wanted to get us home, you’ve been waiting for me all fuckin’ day...”

you hear bakugou sigh and lean against the door, an attempt to gather his feelings and words before talking again. you hate that you’re so insecure, at no fault of bakugou’s but simply because of your nature— you hate that the way you think could cause such a rift between yourself and the man you love. that’s why you had to do this.

but your lips move before your mind can catch up, whispering the questions that plague your thoughts and make you feel sick to the stomach. “would you have done it? kissed ochako for the shoot if i hadn’t been there?” the raging green of jealousy and fear swirl in the depths of your head, practically swallowing you whole throughout katsuki’s silence. was she prettier than you? did he like her too?

“fuck no... baby, god no—where is all of this coming from?”

you ignore his question and answer with another. “then, are you attracted to her?”

“not in the way that i am to you, yn there’s no one fucking else for me except for you. shit. will you tell me what’s going on now? let me in.” katsuki practically begs through the closed door, you can tell he’s leaning against it from how close he sounds. deep down, you know that everything you say hurts the blonde just as much as it hurts you— you don’t want him to be in pain alone and yet you’re not quite ready to face him. so instead, you slip to the floor and hold your hand out from underneath the door, waiting for your lover to take it. it’s not long before your palm is engulfed by a familiar hold and sense of warmth, and you almost smile at how quickly the pro is to grab your hand. “please come out, honey bear. tell me what you’re feeling. is it ‘cause of the shoot?”

you shake your head once before realising he can’t see you and squeeze his hand instead— milking the silence for a moment more, in order to think. to think about how you’re going to tell your charming,  wonderful, amazing boyfriend that you can’t be his girlfriend anymore. that you’re from two separate worlds, in which his beats you down and makes you feel so insecure that you can’t stand back up without his help. how do you tell him without blaming him? how do you try without hurting him? “it wasn’t the shoot, katsu...” you start, that your voice trembles from the get go. it was never about the shoot. “katsu... you know i love you right?”

“of course, i love you too.” i hope you do.

“then, please understand...” i’m sorry.

“understand what, yn?” that i can’t stay.

“please understand why i can’t be with you anymore.” you breathe, leaning back against the cubicle wall as the sob that’s been building up in your chest finally breaks free.

for a second, you think bakugou will yank his hand away, tell you that he’s relieved and leave you there heart broken but to your surprise; he grabs onto you tighter— pressing himself against the cubicle even more as if he could phase right through and pull you into his arms. “you want to leave me—?” the explosive hero asks more so to himself than to you and you hate to imagine the pained confusion that now sits heavily in his vermillion eyes. “yn, please wait—“

“katsuki,” you cut him off with a heavy sigh and watery eyes, every fibre in your being is telling you not to do this— but for the sake of both you and your lover, you really have no choice. you need to get better, you want to start feeling good about yourself again but to do that you need to let go of him and your relationship so you have room to grow. “baby, i just want you to know that you’ve never done anything to make me insecure about this relationship or about myself; but when it does happen— when i do get insecure...i feel myself begining to break...” you turn your head to press it against the door; feeling bakugou’s warmth radiate through it. “we’re from two different worlds, katsu; and i simply don’t have a place in yours... you’re a pro hero and i’m the quirkless bland girlfriend who can’t be seen with you because of who you are—“

this time, the blonde interjects— slamming his fist against the door so hard that it makes you jump. “then...then fuckin’ be seen with me, i don’t give a crap about what my publicist says. not when you feel like that about yourself,” you see bakugou’s resolve crumbing even when you physically can’t. you don’t know what hurts more. “i need you here, with me, please—“

another squeeze to your hand, another silent plea. “katsuki, i’m so tired of looking down on myself too, i don’t want to feel bad because of the worlds we’re in and who we are but...” you falter as you hear you boyfriend finally crack through the shaky breaths he exhales on the other side. “but, i need to get better, for me, for both of us...i have to let us go.”

silence crackles through the air in the bathroom, heavy with pain unlike the usual comfortable ones you share together— where nothing else matters on the world aside from the love you have together. prying your hand from bakugou’s death grip, you stand up to wipe at your tears stained cheeks and sore eyes before unlocking the door to your cubicle. the blonde sits on the floor opposite you, still in the outfit the stylists had spent ages dressing him in hours before. only this time he’s there with a dark storm cloud sitting heavily over his precious heart.

vermillion eyes find yours, tired and broken beyond belief and you figure that you probably look the same. but still, bakugou smiles and opens his arms out for to ease your way into. “you’ll come back to me, right?” he almost whimpers when you finally relax into his chest, clinging onto his arms as if he’ll disappear. you know he understands, he doesn’t want to see you suffer anymore.

“i always will.”

you don’t know how long you spend holding each other from that moment on, in a quietness that speaks volumes of goodbyes and i love yous. all you know, is that your heart will always belong to katsuki bakugou long after this day; a broken beauty and all.

some more helpful links about recent events:

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[oitommothetease]

Invisible String (8/?)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female reader (Modern AU)

Description: James Buchanan Barnes, the owner of the most expensive-looking club in town and your new apartment. He was a dick and you hated him. What could possibly go wrong when you, the new girl in town, start bartending at his club to pursue your dreams?

Word Count: 2.4k words

Your parents’ house was exactly how you remembered it, but again, it had been only two months since you last saw it. Contrary to your usual life, a lot has changed in two months. You aren't working in a cubicle anymore, you're not going on random blind dates that your sister and mother plot for you. What you are doing is bartending in a town far away from your family. You're fake dating your boss who happens to be the most dangerous person in the town, at least that's what you've heard of the rumors, but so far, James has been nothing but non-threatening to you. Yes, he was mean in the beginning, but a lot has changed since then. 

And now sitting in front of your parents with James beside you, eating lunch; you recall Barry's diner and you miss the food there. It's funny because you always thought that this was your home, your family and everything associated with them should make you feel at peace, but you were feeling everything but that. You were restless and anxious, and you wanted to go to that cozy dinner with James where Sally would tell you anecdotes about her life. You wanted to sit with James and watch him debunk the myths about his career that you believed were true your whole life. Turns out, he doesn't cut off people’s dick for disrespecting him. Who would have thought? And you decided that maybe you should stop reading those stupid mafia stories.

James sensed your discomfort, you don't know how he does that, but he always knows when something is bothering you. He brought his chair closer to you in hopes of providing you some relief. And it did, his presence made you feel at ease and you weren't sure how you felt about it. You knew you were dependent on him for comfort since the incident at his club, but being with him didn't make you feel caged.

You always thought that a relationship would make you feel stuck. That's why you never engaged in one, but with James, it felt liberating. Maybe because this wasn't real and the moment this turns real, it'll be a shithole. At least that's what you told yourself. 

“So, what do you do, James?” your father asked, and you nearly choked on your food. James's hand involuntarily reached towards your back, his thumb running soothing circles while his palms patted gently. 

“I own a club and a few other buildings in town,” your faux boyfriend answered, and you were thankful he didn't get into his other business. You wanted to ask about all the rumors in town and why people are so scared of him and why does everyone in the club carries a gun, but you were scared to ask. You feared that you wouldn't like the answers. Honestly, that's false, you weren't scared of the answers, you were scared that what if he closes himself again the moment you step into uncharted territory. And you really liked this fun, caring, swiftie James.

Everybody was sitting silently at the table which was unusual because usually family dinners were the place where everyone pointed out your faults. Carol kept glancing at your parents every few seconds and vice versa. Your brother-in-law, Nick, was focused on the food and their kids were taking a nap.

 You were going to thank your stars for this peaceful lunch when your sister broke off the silence. “So, how did you two meet?”

Every head on the table turned towards you expectantly, waiting for you to explain how you met James. What were you supposed to say? That you met when you interviewed for your current job and he clearly rejected you? 

Before the panic could make its way to the surface, James' palm landed on yours softly, grounding you. Your sister's eyes fell to your hands on the table and she scoffed.

 “We're glad you're happy, but at least don't forget basic table etiquette,” She commented. How could you forget the ‘no hands on the table while eating’ rule? Just when you were about to remove your hand from the table, James held your hand and placed it on his lap, lacing his fingers with yours. 

“Auntie Y/N!” A shriek made you turn behind, and you saw your nephew and niece running towards you with the biggest grin on their faces. Both the kids jumped in your embrace without a care of their surroundings and you stifled a laugh.

Bucky didn't like kids, hated them, to be honest. In his defense, what's there to like, they're always whining and crying, but seeing you attempting to straddle two 5-year-olds on your lap while their mother complained might change his opinions on the subject. 

You didn't like kids either, except your nephew and niece. They were perfect in your eyes, but maybe you were a bit partial because you sort of shared genes with them. You were so focused on the stories Alec and Izzy were telling you that you didn't notice the eyes that were fixed on you. James looked at you with not only adoration, but also devotion. He knew if he kept looking at you like that, he'd be deep in shit, but it was too late now. 

After dinner, you made your way to the bedroom, only to realize that there was one bed. Fuck. You really should have thought this through. 

Before the embarrassment could seep in, James started collecting a blanket and some pillows. “I'll take the floor,” He said. 

You frowned. “No, James. You've already done so much for me. Take the bed, please.”

James pretended not to hear you and started preparing his bed on the floor. 

“Seriously?” You queried, slightly huffing at his childish behavior. “You're gonna pretend you didn't hear me. How old are you, five?”

Without saying a word, James started humming a tune and situated himself on the makeshift bed on the floor and closed his eyes. 

You stomped your foot furiously, yeah, maybe you were a little childish too. Without muttering another word, you made your way towards the bed and tucked yourself in a comfortable position. 

“You were saying something?” James asked, his voice laced with tease, and you huffed at his tomfoolery. 

“Yeah, just how immature you are.”

“Sorry, I didn't hear that. What was that?” you couldn't see him, but you knew he was doing some theatrical actions by putting his hands on his ears for better listening or furrowing his eyes in feigned confusion. “That I'm so smart? Oh, why, thank you. You're not so bad yourself.”

“That's real mature, James,” you murmured, clearly not enjoying his antics.

A comfortable silence fell in the room. The only thing that could be heard was your breathing and the air conditioner that always sucked in your childhood room but your parents never thought it was a primary concern. Oh, yeah, also, you were staying in your teenage room with your boss. You tried telling your parents that you could get a hotel, but they insisted so now James could see one direction posters on the wall right in front of him.

You would have assumed that he fell asleep if he hadn't broken the silence. “I know it's not my business and you don't have to answer if you don't want to,” he paused, wondering whether he is crossing a line by asking you this. “But why do you let them treat you like that?”

You coughed in surprise, you clearly did not expect him to ask this. You thought maybe he was going to ask you who is your favorite one direction member. Anything really, expect this. “Wow, you do not beat around the bush.”

You could hear him shuffling and once he settled you were sure he was facing you. Well, the bed actually. You did the same, turning towards him. You couldn't see him, but it still felt so intimate.

 “I'm honest with people I trust,” he informed and you smiled, thinking about the time when he told you he did not trust you or your intentions.

“What do I get in return?” you teased, although you would have told him without getting anything in return.

“What do you want?”

You debated for a minute whether you should go forward and just ask him so you did. “What do you do?”

You didn't expect him to actually answer. You knew that your relationship (whatever that was) with James had increased from where it was a few months ago. You deeply cared for each other and had mutual trust in the other. But you still didn't know about the actual work he did. Your realtor told you that he was a criminal, a mobster to be exact, and had sketchy connections with the mafia but you didn't know the exact nature of his work. 

He signed heavily and you were ready to drop the subject, scared that it would only push him away again and you couldn't lose whatever you had this early. 

“We provide weapons to the government at a cheaper price, eliminate problems or shootouts that the government is too scared to take the blame for,” he said, voice unwavering but you could sense the tension. Bucky thought that telling you about his work would make you fear him, and he didn't want to risk losing the progress he made with you, but he also knew that if he wanted you in his life in any form then he has to be honest with you. “We don't do the kind of stuff you're thinking of, it's mostly assisting the government to do stuff where they don't want to get their hands dirty.”

“Why?”

“How would you feel if the leaders of your country were involved in shady business?” It was a rhetorical answer, of course, you would feel unsafe, but your sleep-dazed brain was about to muster up an answer but he quickly spoke. “So if it backfires then they don't lose their men and women and can blame it on us, the criminals.”

“So that's why you weren't scared if I went to the cops? Because you kinda work for them?” you asked. His reaction made a lot of sense now, but some part of your brain hoped that he did that for you. That he would defy the police for you. 

“Off charts yeah,” he answered, “Although that has nothing to do with why I wanted you to go to the cops. I wanted you to because what Rumlow did was unacceptable and he should pay for his actions.”

“Wow,” you didn't know what to say. Anything further could push him back to the 'I don't trust you' James and you couldn't risk that. 

Bucky didn't want to elaborate further, “Your turn.”

“Sir, you just set yourself up for the biggest disappointment,” you joked, already imagining his reaction and smiling to yourself. 

“I let them treat me like this because they are my family,” you replied honestly. “I don't have anyone else but them.”

Bucky knew all about the issues that come with family, but he didn't think you'd be the victim of it. Bucky realized that in his head, he had conjured up a version of you that was perfect, so if he were to know you better, it would decrease his crush on you, right? 

Wrong. The more Bucky got to know you, the more he realized you weren't some angel and were just a vulnerable human like everyone, and the more he wanted you, all of you.

“Where does Rumlow come in this?” you questioned.

“His work is dirty like drugs, sex trafficking so he doesn't work well with government or any sort of authority,” he explained, “He's one of the problems they wanna eliminate but can't because he's too powerful. He works with Hydra.”

“Wasn't Hydra a myth?” you queried. You have heard stories about Hydra too, how Bucky was their rival. You assumed it was about territory or money. You know, like in the movies.

“Nah, doll, it's real. He's part of that organization and that makes him shielded from us and literally everyone.” 

“So you're technically not… you know, killing people for fun like the mafia and all? You're like undercover agents,” you concluded and he shook his head, chuckling at the disappointment in your voice.

In your defense, you expected him to be the movie-type mafia boss who kills people for raising their voice but again, this is not a movie. 

“If it makes you feel better, we smuggle weapons for the government. We're still criminals and dangerous,” he articulated, his tone laced with amusement at your reaction.

 “No offense, but that's a horrible career. Is that what you wanted to do growing up?” you asked, yawning, your eyelids becoming heavy from the exhaustion.

“No,” he answered truthfully. “Not everyone gets a choice, doll. My dad was murdered when I was a kid and I was shoved into the business to protect my family.”

 “Where are they? Your family, I mean,” you inquired, hoping you weren't overstepping.

“Ma basically hates me and my sister maintains her distance, but it's for her own safety.”

You didn't ask about them further, realizing his family was a touchy subject for him. You could relate to that. “What do you want to do?”

Out of all your questions and weird assumptions, this took James by surprise. No one asked him what he wanted to do. Hell, he didn't even ask him that, and now someone finally asked him, he didn't know what to answer. You understood his silence, you always understood everything James felt even without it being voiced. He generally hated when people predicted him, he prided himself on being unpredictable but not with you. James wanted nothing more than to just be Bucky with you.

“Don’t worry, you'll figure something out,” you mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.

James turned towards the opposite side. “Sleep well, doll.” he murmured, his breath growing even, matching yours.

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