#I even watched the prequel and it was uh. Well it was interesting | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

brunchable · 2 months ago

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How's retirement, Bucky? | Bucky Barnes x f!reader.

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x f!reader

Themes: Funny. Bucky trying to find things to do to kill time, while also being a menace to Y/N and the neighbours. Prequel to 'Ouch, My face.'

Summary: Bucky decides to retire and leave the super hero world behind, but now he doesn't know how to be normal citizen.

A/N: Just another scenario tha rudely popped into my head. . .

Bucky Barnes was retired.

It still felt strange, even after months of settling into a life of quiet mornings and unhurried afternoons. He had fought in wars, spent decades as an agent of chaos, and dedicated years to redemption and healing. Now, here he was—waking up whenever he pleased, making breakfast in a house that didn’t have bullet-proof glass windows or a panic room, and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his day.

Today, like most others, started off simple enough: a run through the neighbourhood, a cup of coffee, and a lazy scan of the news. He’d even managed to fix the leaky faucet that had been bothering you for weeks, earning a soft kiss on the cheek as a reward.

But then… the day stretched on. There were no missions, no tactical planning, no world to save. Just the quiet ticking of the clock and the gentle hum of suburban life around him.

So, Bucky set his sights on something—or rather, someone—far more interesting: annoying you.

And thus began the saga of Bucky Barnes’ Retirement Phases.

Phase 1: The Handyman Hero Phase

Duration: One Month

Bucky started off strong, becoming the ultimate handyman of the household. Everything was fair game for improvement. Leaky faucets, creaky floorboards, wobbly shelves—if there was a screw to tighten, Bucky was on it like a well-oiled machine.

“Bucky, what are you doing?” you asked one morning, sipping your coffee as you watched him carefully measuring the distance between each picture frame on the living room wall.

“Making sure they’re exactly one inch apart,” he said without looking up, his voice deadly serious.

“Why?”

“Because last night, I noticed this one—” he pointed to a frame on the far left “—was slightly off-center, and it’s been bothering me ever since.”

You blinked. “Bucky, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, Y/N. It’s one and a quarter inch apart. Do you know what happens when things aren’t balanced?” He gave you a haunted look, as if you’d just suggested destabilizing the world order.

“Chaos,” you muttered.

“Exactly.”

Within weeks, Bucky had rebuilt half the house, repainted the walls (twice), and installed a state-of-the-art security system that even Tony Stark would envy. You came home one day to find the couch moved three inches to the left, the coffee table completely gone (“I dismantled it; we don’t need it”), and Bucky seriously contemplating whether the kitchen would look better with marble or granite countertops.

“Bucky,” you said slowly, trying to remain calm, “I’m begging you—stop fixing things.”

He blinked at you. “What do you want me to do then?”

You panicked. “Anything. Just—find a hobby!”

He gave a solemn nod, as if you’d just entrusted him with a new mission. “Okay. A hobby. Got it.”

You breathed a sigh of relief. If only you’d known what was coming next.

Phase 2: The Google Scholar Phase

Duration: Two Weeks

With his newfound free time, Bucky discovered the internet. And when Bucky Barnes discovers the internet, chaos ensues.

It started innocently enough. You’d come home to find him glued to his laptop, his brows furrowed in concentration.

“What are you doing?” you asked, setting down your bag.

“Research,” he said ominously, fingers flying over the keys.

“Research on… what?”

He glanced up, his eyes wide. “Did you know sharks have been around longer than trees?”

“Uh—”

“And that banana slugs can grow up to 9 inches long?” He leaned forward, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “There’s a whole website dedicated to weird animal facts. I’ve been reading for hours.”

And so, you were subjected to two weeks of nonstop trivia.

“Hey, Y/N!” he’d shout from the kitchen. “Did you know an octopus has three hearts?”

Or: “Did you know cows have best friends?”

And: “Do you want to hear about the deepest point in the ocean?”

“Not really—”

“It’s called the Mariana Trench, and it’s seven miles down!”

You tried banning Wikipedia, but he just switched to obscure forums. You blocked YouTube, and he found a random chicken fact blog. The worst part? He’d share his newfound knowledge with anyone who’d listen.

“I’m calling Sam,” you muttered one evening after hearing Bucky recite the entire history of the humble potato to the mailman. “You need social intervention.”

Phase 3: The Home Décor Perfectionist Phase

Duration: Two Exasperating Weeks

Denied access to his newfound internet pursuits, Bucky turned to interior design. You were caught off guard one Saturday morning when he asked, “What do you think of paisley?”

“What’s a paisley?”

“Pattern. I’m thinking of reupholstering the couch.”

“Bucky, no—”

Too late. Within days, every room was a different colour. You came home to find polka-dotted curtains in the bathroom, and he’d somehow managed to install a chandelier in the laundry room.

“Bucky, why is there a 10-foot mirror in the hallway?”

“It makes the space feel bigger.”

“Bucky, this is a two-bedroom house!”

He paused, squinting at the living room wall. “I think the polka dots need to go.”

You nearly wept with relief when he announced he was moving on to the garden.

Phase 4: The Amateur Detective Phase

Duration: One Overly Suspicious Month

After redecorating the entire house, Bucky set his sights on the neighborhood.

“Y/N, did you see that guy across the street?” he whispered one morning, peering through the blinds with a pair of binoculars.

“That’s Mr. Henderson. He’s eighty-five.”

“Yeah, and he’s up to something. No one goes to the mailbox that often.”

“Maybe he likes getting his mail?”

“I’m telling you, something’s not right.” He tapped the binoculars. “I’m gonna get to the bottom of it.”

And so began Operation: Neighborhood Watch. Every delivery truck was scrutinised. Every dog walker received a full background check. The poor Girl Scouts who came to sell cookies left looking slightly shell-shocked.

The Girl Scout Incident: When Bucky Barnes Met Thin Mints

The Girl Scout incident started out innocent enough—just a kid selling cookies to the neighborhood. But when Bucky Barnes answered the door, things took a turn.

It was a sunny Saturday morning. You were in the kitchen, enjoying a rare moment of peace, when you heard the doorbell ring. Before you could even get up to check, Bucky’s voice echoed from the living room.

“I got it!” he called out, already making his way to the front door.

Curious, you peeked around the corner just in time to see him open it. Standing on the porch was a sweet-looking little girl, no more than nine or ten, decked out in her green uniform, clutching a clipboard and flashing a bright, eager smile.

“Hi, mister!” she chirped, clearly undeterred by the stern look on Bucky’s face. “Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies today?”

You watched as Bucky’s expression softened just a bit, his head tilting to the side in confusion.

“Cookies?” he repeated, as if she’d just offered him nuclear launch codes.

“Yep!” She held up a laminated chart with pictures of the various cookies, pointing to each one with a tiny, rainbow-colored pen. “We have Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas—uh, I mean, Caramel deLites—”

He squinted at the chart, clearly trying to make sense of it all. “Why would you need to sell cookies?”

You nearly face-palmed. Oh no.

The girl’s enthusiasm didn’t waver. “It’s a fundraiser! To support our troop activities and trips.”

“Fundraiser?” Bucky’s voice dropped suspiciously. “Who’s your troop leader?”

The girl blinked, a little taken aback. “Uh, Mrs. Patterson?”

“Uh-huh. And how many boxes of these so-called ‘cookies’ are you supposed to sell?”

Her smile wavered just a fraction. “Um, as many as possible?”

Bucky crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “And where does all this money go?”

“Bucky—” you tried to interrupt, stepping forward, but he held up a hand without looking back, eyes still locked on the bewildered Girl Scout.

“It goes to our troop!” she answered nervously, glancing down at her clipboard as if for reassurance. “For badges and supplies and—”

“Supplies,” Bucky echoed, his tone suddenly sharp. “What kind of supplies?”

“Uh… arts and crafts…?” she stammered, clearly starting to get uncomfortable.

“Arts and crafts?” He leaned in, dropping his voice to a low, conspiratorial whisper. “Or something else?”

You saw the poor girl’s eyes widen, her grip tightening on her clipboard as if she was contemplating using it as a shield.

“Bucky, stop,” you hissed, stepping forward to intervene. But he was on a roll now.

“Who gets the money, huh?” He narrowed his eyes, peering down at her like she was an enemy combatant. “Do you get it?

“Or does it go to some mysterious ‘troop leader’ who’s hiding behind a desk somewhere, raking in profits from innocent cookie sales?”

“M-Mister, it’s just cookies,” she squeaked, glancing nervously at the boxes stacked beside her. “We just wanna go camping this summer.”

“Camping?” he repeated slowly, as if tasting the word. “And what kind of ‘camping’ are we talking about here? Deep-woods recon training? SERE training?”

The girl blinked up at him, clearly having no idea what he was talking about.

“Bucky, she’s nine!” you practically shouted, rushing over to save the poor child from what was rapidly escalating into a full-blown interrogation.

“But Y/N, this could be—”

“It’s not a conspiracy, Bucky!” you snapped, turning to the girl and giving her what you hoped was a reassuring smile. “Sweetie, how much for a box of Thin Mints?”

“Uh… f-five dollars?” she stammered, still eyeing Bucky like he might suddenly sprout fangs.

You reached for your wallet, pulling out a ten-dollar bill and handing it to her. “Keep the change.”

“Thank you, ma’am!” she squeaked, stuffing the money into her pouch with trembling hands.

You shot Bucky a glare. “Apologize.”

He crossed his arms, looking mulish. “But—”

“Bucky.”

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. Uh… sorry… for, um… asking about your troop leader and, uh… the money laundering?”

The girl blinked up at him, clearly not following.

“Bucky!” you hissed, elbowing him sharply.

“I mean, sorry for… for… being weird,” he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

The girl gave a hesitant nod, glancing back at her stack of cookies. “Um… would you like another box, mister?”

Bucky frowned thoughtfully. “Maybe. Which one’s the best?”

“Bucky—” you started, but he was already leaning down, listening intently as the girl launched into a detailed explanation of the flavour profiles of Samoas versus Tagalongs.

Twenty minutes later, Bucky was the proud owner of a dozen boxes of Girl Scout cookies, which the girl somehow managed to upsell him into buying. The look of relief on her face as she walked away was palpable.

You turned to Bucky, hands on your hips. “Really, Buck?”

“What?” he said defensively, clutching his armful of cookies. “I needed to make sure it was legit!”

“Uh-huh. And that’s why we now have enough cookies to feed an army?”

He shrugged, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “I guess I got carried away.”

“Just… try not to scare any more children, okay?”

“Hey, I was just being thorough,” he muttered, glancing down at the boxes. “Besides… these ‘Samoas’ are actually pretty good.”

You shook your head, laughing despite yourself. Because only Bucky Barnes could turn a simple cookie sale into a full-scale interrogation—and then end up buying out the entire stock.

“Whatever you say, Bucky. Whatever you say.”

He gave you a sheepish grin, holding up a box of Thin Mints. “Want one?”

“Sure,” you sighed, reaching out to grab a cookie. Because, at the end of the day, this was Bucky Barnes: ex-assassin, super-soldier, and now… terrifyingly dedicated Girl Scout cookie connoisseur.

The Girl Scout incident, unfortunately, didn’t mark the end of Bucky’s neighbourhood watch endeavours.

“Hey, Y/N, that’s the third day in a row Mrs. Higginson has gone jogging past our house,” Bucky muttered a few days later, scribbling furiously in his notebook.

You glanced over from your spot on the couch, raising an eyebrow. “Uh-huh,” you replied absently, already wondering if now would be a good time to text Steve for a little ‘rescue mission.’ “Maybe she likes jogging?”

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not natural. It’s a cover for something. Probably espionage.”

“Bucky, she’s seventy.”

“Exactly. No one that age moves like that. She’s gotta be a retired agent.”

“Or she’s trying to stay in shape?”

“Or she’s spying on us.” He narrowed his eyes, peering through the blinds. “Maybe she’s HYDRA.”

“Bucky, she brought us homemade banana bread last week.”

“Which tasted suspiciously good,” he muttered darkly, tapping his pen against his chin. “I’m keeping an eye on her.”

It didn’t stop there. He began obsessively tracking patterns—when neighbors took out their trash, when they left for work, who picked up their mail first thing in the morning. His conspiracy board rivaled the one you’d seen at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, complete with photos, string, and a suspiciously large map of the neighborhood.

“Y/N, I need to talk to you.”

You blinked, looking up from your book. “What’s up, Buck?”

He leaned in, his voice low and serious. “Did you know Mrs. Patterson’s dog peed on our lawn three times this week?”

“I—what?”

“And Mr. Thompson left his house twice yesterday. Twice.”

“…is that a crime?”

“Yes. Who leaves the house twice in one day? He’s clearly up to something.”

“Like… groceries?”

Bucky frowned. “No. Something bigger. I saw him walking to his car, get this—without any bags.”

“Maybe he forgot something?”

He shook his head, eyes narrowed. “It’s a diversion tactic. I’m keeping a close watch on him.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re stalking the neighbours.”

“Of course not!” He paused. “I’m… observing. For science.”

“For science?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, Buck. I’m putting my foot down,” you finally managed. “You need to stop this. The neighbours think we’re crazy. You’re scaring the kids and… the mailman won’t come to the door anymore.”

Bucky looked genuinely confused. “Why not?”

“Because you interrogated him about his route last week!”

“He was being shady!”

“He’s a mailman!”

There was a long pause as you stared each other down, Bucky looking defiant and you looking exhausted. Finally, you sighed and ran a hand through your hair.

“Buck… I know retirement is hard. But you need a new outlet. Maybe something a little less—”

“Paranoid?” he offered, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. And a little less terrifying for the neighbours.”

He sighed deeply, like you’d just asked him to hang up his shield all over again. “I was just… trying to be useful.”

Your heart softened immediately. Because that was what it all boiled down to, wasn’t it? The man who’d spent his life fighting wars and doing battle against his own mind was now left trying to figure out how to fit into a world that no longer needed him to save it.

You walked over, placing your hands on his shoulders and giving him a soft smile. “You’re always useful, Buck. Even if you’re not interrogating the mailman about federal postal regulations or… spying on seventy-year-old retirees.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “I might’ve gone a little overboard, huh?”

“A little,” you agreed with a grin. “Maybe you should find something else to watch over.”

“Like what?” he asked, looking genuinely curious.

You bit your lip, thinking. “I don’t know… Maybe get a pet? You could… I don’t know, babysit a cat or something.”

Bucky blinked at you. Then his eyes lit up like you’d just handed him the Holy Grail of retirement activities.

“A cat,” he murmured slowly, as if testing the word. “A cat.”

“Yes, a cat,” you repeated cautiously, wondering if you’d just unleashed some new kind of havoc on the house. “You could train it to… I don’t know, not scratch the furniture or something.”

“Or… I could train it to keep an eye on the pigeons,” he muttered to himself, looking thoughtful.

“Wait, what?”

But Bucky had already gone inside, the gears in his mind clearly turning. You shook your head, deciding to let him have this one. After all, how much trouble could he really get into with a cat?

Phase 5: The Pet Phase (aka Operation: Find a Feline Friend)

Duration: Ongoing, with Fur Everywhere

You didn’t think he’d take it seriously. Until you came home the next day to find Bucky sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, a small, white ball of fluff curled up in his lap.

“This is Alpine,” he announced proudly.

You stared at the kitten, then at Bucky, then back at the kitten. “Bucky, what… why…?”

“You said get a pet,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “So I did.”

And that’s how Alpine, the grumpy old woman in a cat’s body, became part of your household. Bucky spent weeks trying to train him (“Sit, Alpine! Sit! … Okay, fine, just glare at me, that works too.”), set up elaborate obstacle courses (“Alpine, jump! No, don’t walk away—okay, you know what, just do your thing”), and spoiled her rotten with toys and treats.

With each phase, Bucky’s retirement became a new adventure. And while it drove you absolutely crazy at times, you couldn’t help but smile when you saw Bucky lying on the couch, Alpine curled up on his chest, both looking completely content.

“Retirement isn’t so bad, huh?” you teased one evening, curling up beside him.

He hummed thoughtfully, scratching behind Alpine’s ears. “I don’t know… I think I could use a new project.”

You groaned, but your groan turned into a laugh when he grinned at you, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh no,” you said, narrowing your eyes. “No more projects, Barnes. You’ve nearly redecorated us out of house and home, scared the mailman half to death, and—”

“Don’t forget the gourmet cookies,” he interjected with a cheeky smile.

You shot him a playful glare. “I’m trying to forget the cookies, thank you.”

“Aw, come on. I think I finally got the recipe down. I’ll just try one more—”

“No!” you practically shouted, your voice echoing through the living room. Alpine, unbothered, merely lifted her head, gave you both a disinterested look, and went back to napping.

Bucky chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. No more cookies. No more redecorating. No more… scaring the Girl Scouts.”

“Or spying on the neighbors.”

“Or spying on the neighbors,” he agreed, still looking a little too amused for your liking.

You sighed, leaning back into the couch and resting your head on his shoulder. “You know, most people take up hobbies like gardening or painting in retirement.”

Bucky nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, but those aren’t as exciting.”

“They’re not supposed to be exciting. They’re supposed to be calm. That’s the whole point of retirement, Buck.”

He glanced down at you, his gaze softening. “You really think I’m the ‘calm’ type, doll?”

You snorted. “No, not really. But it would be nice if, just once, I didn’t come home to find you plotting to build a moat around the house.”

“Moats are an excellent defense mechanism,” he said matter-of-factly. “But okay, I get it. I’ll tone it down.”

You gave him a skeptical look. “You promise?”

“Scout’s honor,” he said, holding up his right hand. The glint in his eye, however, told you he was already planning something new.

“Bucky…”

“What?” he asked, all innocence. “You don’t trust me?”

“Not for a second.”

He chuckled, then pressed a gentle kiss to your temple. “Alright, no more projects. I’ll just focus on Alpine. She’s a full-time job anyway.”

You glanced at the cat, who was now sprawled out like she owned the place. “You’ve turned her into a diva, you know.”

“He’s just refined,” Bucky said defensively. “He’s got standards.”

“Uh-huh. Like the way he refuses to eat unless you hand-feed her?”

“Refined,” Bucky insisted.

“And how she sleeps on your side of the bed and shoves you off with her tiny, evil paws?”

“Selective.”

“And how she sits on the counter staring at you like she’s plotting your demise?”

“Observant.”

You shook your head, laughing softly. “You’ve created a monster, Bucky.”

“Eh,” he said with a shrug, smirking down at you. “I’ve handled worse monsters. She’s a good one. Besides,” he added, scratching Alpine’s head fondly, “she’s family.”

Your heart softened at his words, and you smiled up at him. “Yeah, I guess she is.”

There was a comfortable silence as you both sat there, content in the peaceful moment.

Then Bucky cleared his throat, and you glanced up to see him shifting slightly, like he was working up the nerve to say something.

“So… I was thinking…” he began slowly.

“Bucky.”

“No, no, hear me out,” he said quickly, raising his hands as if to ward off your incoming refusal. “What if we… I dunno… made a baby?”

You blinked, certain you hadn’t heard him correctly. “What?”

“A baby,” he repeated, his voice steady, though there was a telltale blush creeping up his neck. “You know, a little human—our human. Someone we can train to take over the world… or at least keep me entertained.”

Your jaw dropped open. “You want to have a baby—because you’re bored?”

Bucky gave you a sheepish grin. “I mean, I was thinking it could be a good project… long-term investment… future troublemaker…”

“Bucky,” you interrupted, placing your hands on his shoulders and staring at him, bewildered. “Are you seriously suggesting having a child like it’s another DIY project?”

He shrugged, looking as nonchalant as ever, but his eyes were soft and serious. “Maybe. But I was also thinking it’d be nice to have something, or someone, that’s just… ours. A mix of you and me. Something that isn’t tied to the past, or fighting, or… all the other stuff.”

You stared at him, trying to wrap your mind around the sudden turn the conversation had taken. “You really want a baby, Bucky?”

He nodded slowly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “Yeah. I do. Don’t get me wrong, Alpine’s great and all, but…” He sighed, his smile turning tender. “I just think it’d be amazing to have something more. I’ve spent so much of my life taking orders or fighting ghosts. But starting a family with you? That’s something I get to build. Something that’s ours.”

You bit your lip, heart swelling at his words. Despite the completely unromantic way he’d suggested it, there was sincerity in his gaze, a yearning for something deeper than fixing leaky faucets or buying out the Girl Scouts’ entire cookie stock.

“And you think you’d be a good dad?” you teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Please,” he scoffed, pulling you closer and pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’d be the best damn dad. I’d teach our kid how to throw a proper punch by age five, dismantle a toaster by six—”

You laughed, shaking your head. “So, what you’re saying is… you want to raise a tiny super-soldier?”

His grin widened. “Hell yeah.”

“Bucky, we are not turning our child into a mini-Winter Soldier.”

He pouted dramatically. “Not even a little bit?”

“Not even a little bit,” you affirmed with a chuckle. You leaned in, resting your forehead against his. “But… maybe we could talk about it. You know, actually talk. Not just… plan a tactical baby mission.”

Bucky’s eyes softened as he brushed his thumb along your cheek. “Yeah. We can talk about it.” He paused, then added with a mischievous glint, “After we practice a little more.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at your lips. “Oh my God, Bucky.”

“What?” he asked innocently, his grin widening. “Practice makes perfect, right?”

You shook your head, letting out a breathy laugh. “You’re incorrigible.”

“And you love me for it,” he murmured, leaning in to capture your lips in a soft, lingering kiss.

“Yeah,” you whispered when he pulled away, your heart fluttering in your chest. “I do.”

You glanced down at Alpine, who was still sprawled across Bucky’s lap, looking utterly uninterested in the conversation. A baby. You hadn’t really thought about it seriously before, but now that Bucky had put the idea in your head… you couldn’t help but wonder.

There was a brief pause as Bucky gazed at you, his expression growing thoughtful. “You know,” he began quietly, “after that whole Girl Scout cookie fiasco… I kinda started thinking… I’d really like to have a daughter.”

You blinked at him, surprised. “A daughter?”

“Yeah,” he murmured, his voice softening. “That kid was just so… brave, you know? Standing there, staring me down even though I was being a total idiot. It reminded me of you—fierce and unafraid. I couldn’t stop thinking… what if we had a daughter like that? Strong, smart, and completely capable of putting me in my place when I get out of line.”

You felt your heart clench at his words, his quiet admission making your chest ache. “You want a little girl because she’d keep you in check?”

“That,” he said, smiling softly, “and I think I’d like the challenge. I’ve spent so much of my life dealing with people who only saw me as a weapon. I just… want to prove that I can be something else. That I can be gentle… and kind… and love someone unconditionally. The way I love you.”

You reached up, cupping his face gently. “Bucky, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

“I know,” he murmured, his gaze warm and intense. “But I still want to try. And I want to be the kind of dad who isn’t just a protector, but a friend. Someone who’d sit through endless tea parties and help her build pillow forts… and buy all the Girl Scout cookies she wants without scaring anyone.”

You laughed softly, tears stinging your eyes at the picture he painted. “You’d be a great dad, Bucky.”

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice low and hopeful.

“Yeah,” you whispered, smiling up at him.

There was another beat of silence before Bucky leaned in, his breath warm against your ear as he whispered, “So… when do we start?”

You felt your cheeks heat, a mix of laughter and surprise bubbling up in your chest. “Bucky!”

“What?” he asked, his smile as innocent as ever. “I’m just asking. I mean, you know I’m a man of action. Gotta have a timeline.”

“Oh my God,” you muttered, burying your face in your hands as Bucky laughed softly, his arms wrapping around you.

“Okay, okay,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your hair. “No rush. We’ll take it one day at a time, sweetheart. But just know… I’m ready whenever you are.”

And somehow, you knew this next phase—whatever it looked like—was going to be the best one yet.

× × × ×

Ten months later

The soft glow of the nightlight bathed the nursery in a warm, golden hue, casting gentle shadows on the pale blue walls. The room was still, save for the quiet creak of the rocking chair as Bucky swayed back and forth, holding the tiniest bundle of joy in his strong, yet tender arms.

His daughter, barely a week old, was nestled against his chest, her small, delicate breaths in sync with the steady rhythm of his own. Her tiny fist curled around the fabric of his shirt, as if she knew just how safe and loved she was in her daddy's arms.

Bucky hummed quietly, the familiar melody of an old lullaby drifting into the air. It was a song his mother used to sing to him when he was no older than his sweet little girl was now. The words came softly, almost whispered, as if they were sacred—meant only for his daughter.

“Darling, you're my bloodYou have my heartbeatYou have my heartbeat, beating loud,”

His voice was gruff, yet softened by emotion as he sang, the gentle rocking lulling his daughter further into her peaceful slumber. His fingers brushed through her soft, downy hair as he looked down at her with nothing short of awe. How had he, of all people, gotten so lucky?

He had been through so much darkness in his life—seen and done things he would never be able to forget—but here, in this quiet moment, everything seemed to fade away. The world outside could wait. Right now, his whole universe was cradled in his arms, and for the first time in a long time, Bucky Barnes felt at peace.

Unbeknownst to him, you stood at the door, your heart swelling at the sight before you. You had come to check on them both, worried that Bucky might need help with the baby. But when you saw him there, rocking your little girl and singing so sweetly, you couldn’t bring yourself to interrupt.

A soft smile tugged at your lips as you leaned against the doorframe, content to watch the love of your life in this vulnerable, beautiful moment.

Bucky was a natural, even if he didn’t believe it. You had seen the worry in his eyes when you first brought your daughter home—the fear that he wouldn’t be good enough, that he wouldn’t know what to do. But here he was, proving himself wrong in the most heart-melting way possible.

The lullaby continued, each note filled with so much love it made your eyes mist over.

"You are my lighthouseA peak of light from the dark cloudsI've lived under my whole life. . .And there's nothing I won't do for you."

Bucky’s voice cracked just a little on the last line, overcome with emotion as he gazed down at his daughter and carefully wiped his tears away.

She had his eyes—bright and full of wonder, even when they were closed in slumber. He couldn’t help but trace the delicate features of her face with his gaze, committing every tiny detail to memory.

Finally, you couldn’t resist any longer. You stepped into the room quietly, not wanting to startle him. Bucky looked up, surprise flickering across his face when he saw you standing there. His expression softened when he realised you had been watching him.

“How long have you been standing there?” he asked, his voice low so as not to wake the baby.

“Long enough,” you replied, your smile widening as you walked over to him.

Bucky blushed, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “I’m not exactly a professional.”

“I beg to differ, I think you’re the best dad in the world.” you whispered, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his temple.

Bucky’s heart swelled at your words. He never imagined he would be here—sitting in a nursery, holding his newborn daughter while the love of his life stood beside him, calling him the best dad in the world. It still felt like a dream.

“She’s so small,” he murmured, looking back down at the baby. “So fragile. I didn’t think…I didn’t think I could love someone I barely knew this much.”

Your hand gently rested on his shoulder as you gazed down at your daughter. “You’ve got a big heart, James. I always knew you’d be amazing as a father.”

He glanced up at you, eyes soft and full of affection. “You’re the amazing one.”

You reached out to gently stroke the baby’s cheek, and Bucky leaned into your touch, feeling more complete than he ever thought possible.

“I never thought I’d have this,” he admitted after a long silence, his voice barely above a whisper. “A family. A reason to feel…whole again.”

You knelt down beside him, resting your head against his shoulder. “You deserve it, Bucky. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

Bucky kissed the top of youe head, holding you close as he continued to rock your daughter. The world outside could be chaotic and unforgiving, but in this room, in this moment, everything was perfect.

× × × ×

Baby at six months

The house was peaceful, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow through the windows. You were out running errands, leaving Bucky home with their now six-month-old daughter, who was currently kicking her chubby little legs and babbling on her playmat. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she reached for her favorite stuffed bear, the one Bucky had given her the day she was born.

Bucky sat beside her, legs crossed, watching her every move like she was the most fascinating thing on the planet. He leaned down, his voice dropping to a playful whisper.

“You know, blossom,” he began, glancing over his shoulder dramatically as if checking to make sure Y/N wasn’t around. “Your mom thinks she’s the boss.”

Their daughter let out a high-pitched squeal, and Bucky grinned.

“Right? Can you believe it?” he continued, keeping his voice low as if sharing the biggest secret in the world. “She thinks she’s in charge around here. But between you and me, we know the truth.”

His little girl giggled again, her tiny hands grasping at the air as if she was agreeing with him.

“See, you and I?” Bucky said, tapping his finger gently on her nose, “We’re a team. We know how to get things done. I mean, just look at us—surviving nap time, figuring out how to stack those weird little ring toys, and we don’t even need to look at the instructions. Meanwhile, your mom still thinks I can’t fold laundry properly.”

He paused for dramatic effect, raising his brows. “Can you believe that? Laundry. I fought in World War II, and she’s worried I’ll mess up the towels.”

His daughter let out a delighted shriek, her little legs kicking excitedly. Bucky reached over and tickled her belly gently, making her burst into even more giggles.

“Oh, yeah, I know you think it’s funny,” Bucky chuckled. “But trust me, your mom’s got some pretty high laundry standards. I tried to fold one towel, just one, and she came over with this look like I’d committed a crime. 'Bucky, that’s not how you fold them!' she said. And I’m standing there like, ‘It’s a towel, not a top-secret mission.’”

He leaned in closer, as if telling her something top-secret. “She doesn’t know this, but I might’ve folded them wrong on purpose so I wouldn’t have to do it anymore.”

His daughter cooed, her tiny hand reaching out to grab his finger, which she promptly brought to her mouth to chew on. Bucky let her, his heart melting at the sight. She was his little sidekick, always hanging on his every word, even if she didn’t fully understand yet.

“And don’t even get me started on the bedtime routine,” Bucky continued, shaking his head in mock exasperation. “Your mom’s got this whole plan—bath, story, lights out. Meanwhile, you and me? We’ve got a better plan. We chill, we rock, maybe sing a little. You get all cozy, and bam—out like a light.”

“Bababababa,” His daughter babbled something back at him, her little voice full of enthusiasm, and Bucky nodded seriously.

“Exactly. That’s what I’ve been saying. We’ve got this figured out.”

He scooped her up from the mat and held her close, her head resting comfortably against his chest as he walked them over to the couch. He sat down, cradling her in his arms, and continued his lighthearted rant.

“And the thing is, she’s always right, which drives me crazy. Like, the other day, she told me you were gonna try to crawl soon. I thought, ‘Nah, she’s too young.’ But then what happens? Two days later, you’re scooting around like you’ve got places to be. I swear, your mom’s a psychic or something.”

Bucky gazed down at his daughter, who was now looking up at him with those wide blue eyes that never failed to melt his heart. She let out a happy gurgle, and Bucky chuckled softly, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

“You know I’m just kidding, right? Your mom’s the best. She takes care of both of us.” He sighed, feeling a rush of affection as he thought about Y/N. “Don’t tell her, but I’m pretty lucky to have her. She keeps me in line.”

Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the house, and Bucky’s head shot up in mock panic.

“Uh-oh,” he whispered to his daughter, his eyes wide with exaggerated worry. “The boss is back. Don’t say anything.”

You appeared in the doorway, raising an eyebrow as you saw Bucky and the baby cozied up on the couch. “What are you two up to?” you asked, a knowing smile on your lips.

Bucky gave you his most innocent look, bouncing your daughter gently in his arms. “Oh, nothing. Just hanging out with my best girl here. Right, darling?”

The baby let out a little squeal, clearly delighted by the attention.

“Mmhmm,” You said, stepping closer and giving Bucky a playful look. “You haven’t been filling her head with nonsense, have you?”

“Me? Never,” Bucky replied, trying to keep a straight face. “We were just talking about how great you are. Isn’t that right, kiddo?”

Bianca, oblivious to the conversation, giggled and reached for you, and took her from Bucky’s arms and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Well, if she grows up thinking she’s in charge, I’ll know who to blame,” You teased, casting a glance at Bucky.

He grinned, leaning back on the couch. “Hey, she’s gotta learn from the best.”

You smiled, shaking your head in mock defeat. “You’re lucky she likes you so much.”

Bucky stood and wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder as you both looked down at your little girl, now happily nestled between you. “I’m lucky to have both of you,” he murmured softly, kissing the side of your head.

And in that moment, with his two favorite girls in his arms, Bucky couldn’t imagine a better kind of luck.

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dem-obscure-imagines · 10 months ago

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For the Longest Time

Steve Rogers x Reader

Fandom: MCU

Summary: In 1943, Steve was visited by his soulmate, a girl from the future who already knew him. Decades later, after waking up in a brave new world, Steve meets his soulmate again, except she hasn’t met him yet. And she won’t travel to 1943—or know he’s her soulmate—for another year.

Note: This is a continuation/prequel/whatever you wanna call it to A Long, Long Time, a Steve Soulmate AU I wrote a while back. Long story short, I watched Knives Out again and got Steve Rogers brainrot. Happens to the best of us. I might write a third part if there’s interest…

Warnings: Canon-typical violence

Word Count: 2.2k

Reader Is: Steve’s Soulmate, Super-Powered, Female

Steve remembered the day you’d met—for the second time, though he didn’t realize that right away—like it was tattooed on his brain. It was a few years after he’d come out of the ice and he had taken Tony’s advice to get out more, which had led him to the mall.

By some stroke of fate, it happened to be the day a pyromaniac with a flamethrower was there, but before he could even spring into action, you did, hands out in front of you and what seemed to be an invisible shield poised there, redirecting the flames and protecting the teenage movie theater employee that had nearly been caught in the crossfire.

A quick flick of your wrist knocked the attacker’s gun out of his hands, giving Steve the opportunity to step in and apprehend the guy.

You sat on a bench after, breathing heavy, a cut on your forehead from the shattered glass of the skylight. The paramedics were taking care of the civilians, and Steve wandered right over, impressed.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just glad everyone is okay.” You told him, meeting his eyes.

He finally got a good look at you and froze, looking bewildered. A deer in headlights. “You’re…”

It was you. Of course it was you. Since the moment he’d been unfrozen, he’d been looking for you. His soulmate. The girl from the future that popped in on his twenty-fifth birthday, turned his whole life on its head, and then left without warning, hours after their first kiss. Back when he was five-foot-nothing with asthma and more medical conditions than he could even remember.

Back before he was anything.

And you’d loved him anyway. You’d given him the day of a lifetime and hope for not only a future, but for love. That someone could love him for him despite it all.

“I know.” You knew? “I…I don’t know what it is or…why I can do it.”

Your powers, you meant. You thought he was talking about your powers and not your name, which was burning a hole into his wrist beneath the thick leather band keeping it hidden.

“Right. Well, it’s…” He sighed, gathering his words, hiding the elation and pain behind a warm smile. “It’s a good thing you were here. I don’t have my shield on me.”

“Mine is built in.” You chuckled.

“You, uh…have a cut. On your forehead.”

“Oh, do I?” You reached up and found it with your fingers and they came away a bit bloody. “Shit.”

“Come on.” He offered you his hand and you took it, letting him lead you over to the counter of the theater. “Hi, do you have a first aid kit?”

“Yeah, of course.” The girl at the counter said, rushing to grab it.

Steve patched you up with gentle hands, off in a corner on your own. Staring up at him, you finally realized the obvious. This was Captain America. And he was using a careful finger to spread a triple antibiotic ointment on your cut.

Play it cool, (Y/N).

“Do you do this often? The hero thing?” Steve asked.

“No.” You shrugged. “Haven’t had much opportunity thankfully. I mean…I’d like to, I just didn’t know how to…get into it, I guess. Any email I sent to Stark or S.H.I.E.L.D. or whatever would end up on a slush pile.”

“Well, I’ve got some connections. If you’re seriously considering it. I can’t say I recommend it, but…Obviously you’ve got that protective instinct and you seem to work well under pressure.”

“My heart is about to leap out of my chest.” You admitted, laughing as he carefully laid a Bandaid over the cut, closing the kit.

“That makes two of us.”

“But, yeah, if you think I’m really cut out for it…I’d love to help.”

***

It was those words that sealed your fate. Three days later, someone from Stark Industries got in contact with you and before you knew it, you were on a plane to the Avengers’ remote facility in Upstate New York with a bag full of clothes, a handful of books, and a dream. You met the others, Wanda, Natasha, Bruce. Eventually Bucky came into the mix, too, Steve’s friend from before the ice who…had a staring problem, you were pretty sure. He kept looking at you, seemingly bewildered you were there.

You never did figure out why.

After a particularly tricky mission in rural Kentucky, you had landed yourself in the infirmary, taking a pretty long nap complete with an IV and a heartrate monitor.

It was Nat that found Steve in there, wringing his hands, tears in his eyes. It was the one secret he still had: you were his soulmate and wouldn’t know it for another six months. Your name had been etched onto his wrist for seventy years, through the transformation, through the ice, through everything.

“She’s gonna be okay, Steve. Bruce thinks she might wake up soon.” Nat comforted, sitting in the chair next to him. She put a hand on his shoulder, confused by her friend’s sudden mood.

“I know, I just…” He shook his head. “I’m worried about her is all.”

Nat pressed her lips together, tilting her head. “This seems like a little more than that. You wanna tell me what’s really going on?”

That was her super power, he remembered. She was a human lie detector.

“I can, just…not here.” Steve nodded, leading her out of the room, out of your earshot, but still in sight thanks to the soundproof windows.

Nat’s hands settled on her hips, waiting for an answer. Instead, Steve took the cuff off of his wrist and held it out to her, letting her read the letters that had been etched there for the better part of a century.

Her jaw dropped. She stammered, arms crossing. She met his eyes and when she saw the sadness there, the guilt and longing, her expression softened.

“I should have told her. A long time ago, I should have told her but I can’t. In six months, on her twenty-fifth, she’s going back in time to 1943 to meet me on mine. And it…didn’t seem like she knew until she was already there.”

“So you’ve just been holding it in this whole time?” Natasha asked. “You’ve been in love with her…”

“Since the forties, yeah.” Steve nodded. “My great lost love, as Tony likes to call her when he rags on the band I wear.”

“Does he know?”

“No. Just you. And Bucky.” Steve amended. “He was there when she…”

“Right. Weird.” Natasha let out a long sigh, looking through the window. “Well do you need any help with that? I can get some information out of her. I’ll be super subtle, I promise.”

“I don’t know. She probably thinks my soulmate is dead, too.”

“Ironic.”

“No kidding.” Steve sighed. “Well, I guess if she says anything, let me know. It’s kind of a relief someone else knows.”

“We’ll get you through it, Steve. Six more months. That’s nothing.”

“Yeah.” Steve gazed longingly through the window. “I’m gonna sit with her for a while. I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

He slinked back into the infirmary and sat in the chair beside your bed, watching your steady breaths and listening to the beeping of the heart monitor. Natasha watched him through the window, heart strings pulled as tight as they’d ever been. Her best friend was in love and there was almost nothing he could do about it.

***

Three months later, you, Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Nat got snowed in on a mission in Alaska. The little cabin you’d been sent to was unreachable by any of the jets the team could send and besides, it wasn’t worth the risk of Clint or someone getting stuck out there in this.

But despite the fireplace raging with fresh-chopped wood, you were still shivering, all wrapped up for the night.

Steve watched you, forlorn. Natasha nudged him, motioning towards you. He chuckled and shook his head. He couldn’t. Right? What, take advantage of you in your vulnerable state.

Bucky seemed to agree with Nat, grinning into his mug of coffee, giving him some caffeine for his night watch.

Steve got up off of his seat, walked towards the fireplace and adjusted the logs, adding another small one for good measure. He looked back at the others, who were aggressively encouraging him to go over to you, and gave in.

He knelt down in front of you, clearing his throat, which caused you to jolt awake.

“Is everything okay? Are we under attack?”

Steve chuckled. “No, uh, we’re all good. Are you cold?”

“Kind of, yeah.” You admitted. “I’ll be okay, though, I promise.”

“Do you…want some company?” He asked, unsure of how to word it. “I…run warm.”

“Do you mind?” You asked, sitting up a little.

His heart raced. This was going better than he thought. “Here, um…” He raised the blanket on top of you and wiggled in underneath you, letting you lead as the two of you settled.

“God, you do run warm.” You hummed, all but collapsing against him, a hand flat against his chest while you adjusted.

“I didn’t always.” He said, voice sincere. “Buck and I used to have to share a bed in the winter. It was brutal.”

“Sounds like it.”

“Yeah, he snores.” Steve joked, earning a laugh.

“Oh I know. I can hear him three doors down back at home.”

“And I can hear you from the other room!” Bucky called, sending you and Steve into a fit of giggles, like kids at a sleepover. “It’s a small cabin.”

You heard him and Sam devolve into a bickering match about the truth of whether or not Bucky actually snored that loud.

You looked up at Steve, asking “is it okay if I put my arm here?” while carefully draping an arm across him.

“Yeah, of course.” He nodded, leaning against the pillows and pulling the blanket up around your shoulders.

You rested your head on his firm chest, listening to the way his heart was racing. Cute.

The drowsiness took over almost immediately, his warmth lulling you to sleep after a long day undercover out in the snow. You were asleep in minutes, breaths slow and long and even.

But once he was absolutely sure you were out, Steve pressed the gentlest kiss to your forehead, grateful beyond words to have you in his arms again.

***

“You thought today was her birthday???” Natasha asked, incredulous in the kitchen.

“I got nervous!” Steve defended. “I saw it on her whiteboard in front of her door and I thought—”

“I think Scott wrote that the last time he was here. He keeps track of all of that.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” Steve replied, shaking his head. “Well, does she have any birthday plans?”

“Yeah, Wanda and I are taking her out shopping this afternoon. Tony gave her his card. And then the party tomorrow night.”

Steve nodded. “Okay, good. That buys me some time.”

“You got a plan?”

“I’ve had a plan.” Steve admitted. “Been sitting on it for about seventy years, in fact.”

***

You got out of bed, got dressed, and headed to the mall with Natasha and Wanda. The same mall, in fact, that you and Steve had met in the first place.

“Where was it?” Wanda asked, wearing a very fashionable pair of shades.

“Right over there.” You pointed to the spot in front of the movie theater, up on the second floor of the mall. “Guy with a flamethrower and a dream. He’s in jail now.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what you get when you dream of arson.” Nat said, causing you and Wanda to laugh.

You shopped around for clothes, got some pretzels at the Wetzels, and window shopped. You already had what you were pretty sure you were going to wear the following night. It wasn’t every day one of the Avengers turned twenty five and met their soulmate. Tony was determined to make it a spectacle. He had a habit of doing that, it seemed.

In the food court, you seemed kind of down, chin resting against your fist. Wanda picked up on it first.

“It will all be okay, (Y/N). There is nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, I know, I just…I don’t know. I’m stressed about it. Tomorrow I get the answer to the question I’ve been asking for twenty-five years. I just can’t believe it’s almost here. And…I don’t know, there’s just a lot of variables. What if they don’t like me?”

“Come on, (Y/N), what’s not to like?” Natasha said, digging her spoon into her blizzard from the Dairy Queen.

“I don’t know…It’s just a lot to think about.” You said, leaving it at that. You didn’t know how to begin to explain to them that you had feelings for someone already, one of your coworkers no less, and someone who already had a soulmate, despite the fact that he’d lost her nearly a century before.

You wondered why Steve never looked for her. Or maybe she’d passed before he even resurfaced. It was sad. A guy like that didn’t deserve the heartbreak. He deserved to be loved.

The three of you finished your shopping trip and then returned to the Facility, where you unpacked the new odds and ends you’d acquired. Steve checked on you again, offering you words of wisdom, a comforting hug. He promised that your soulmate would love you, whoever they were.

Little did you know, he already did.

#steve rogers #steve rogers soulmate au #captain america #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #the avengers #marvel #captain america x reader

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shallowseeker · 1 year ago

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Don't grieve in front of me, Dean. It makes me uncomfortable, part II...or prequel?

How'd I get here again?

Oh, yeah. I got here, because I got excited about the cars. I remembered Dean driving a brownish tan/brown car in THE SCENE from Slash Fiction? Pinto, I wondered. FORD?

Alas. It's a Pontiac Acadian. I was so hopeful. It's a VERY similar style though. But it definitely calls to mind the car when Cas n' Dean presided over Mary's loss of John in 4x03. It looks like the car on the beach in 13x01, when Dean is grieving Cas. And this...is 7x06, when Dean is ALSO grieving Cas.

It's also VERY interesting how the break light's out on the driver's side. That's because Dean is out of commission. In SPN, often the headlights or the break lights show which brother is "down for the count." At the end of season 1, ep 1, it's Sam who's down-and-out, because he lost Jess.

Here, it's Dean. He "appears" on, but the break light shows us the truth.

We cut from the "out break light" to...THE winged Pony, hanged. The pony is the light. It's yellow. It's the sunshine. Because the light is out.

It's winged. It's in the rearview. it's noosed around the neck, like how Cas said that freewill is something you hang yourself with. He cuts it off and throw it into the backseat, desperate to forget. Cause it's Caaa---

Anyway. You could argue Dean is lamenting the life he'd left behind, but the Lisa-Ben dynamic was Dean's Ford Truck phase, and this winged thing is-- it's just-- it's just 100% pointing to Cas. If you don't think so, the next bit is damning.

Sam turns on the radio to make Dean feel better. A sad song comes on, and Dean drops the act for a MILLISECOND. And Sam? He says SORRY.

Then, he gets uncomfortable.

It's the earlier match to the peanut-butter-and-jelly-strong-choice scene from season 13x06 (widow era).

Sam is afraid of this kind of grief. (And for good reason. Thanks, John!)

"What would you say if I called on you now..." is the first line. Come when you call, etc etc etc. And Dean looks just about ready to burst into tears. No, watch the scene. He looks devastated when he hears it and realizes what it is, like a little intake of breath.

Dean grieves Cas...with music.

Ah, the familiar pattern. Dean is struggling to be allowed to grieve in this season. Everyone's terrified of his grief, even Bobby, who demands he "not be a person" and "keep doing the job" in a desperate plea to keep Dean from "dying before he does." Bobby doesn't know what to say or how to grieve, so he tries to keep Dean alive the only way he can think of, with utilitarian pragmatism.

But Dean needs to feel his emotions. Even though the scene above is played for laughs, it's really about Dean's emotions leaking out despite his attempts to hide it.

Ahem. Not writing Dean-Cas till "later seasons," my ass. Dean wore his heart on his sleeve whenever he was "allowed" to. My gosh!

///

EXT. ROAD – NIGHT A small, old hatchback is driving down the road. INT. HATCHBACK – NIGHT A yellow My Little Pony is dangling from the rear-vision mirror. DEAN squeezes it and it squeaks. He takes out a knife, cuts it down and tosses it into the back seat. It squeaks again as it lands.

SAM: You okay? DEAN: You know, it's bad enough that they're ganking people, wearing our mugs, but now this? Have us driving around in this... this caboodle while Baby's on lockdown. SAM: It's temporary, Dean. DEAN: Nobody puts Baby in a corner. SAM: Y-you know that's a line from -- DEAN: Swayze movie. Swayze always gets a pass! SAM: Right. Uh, well, you want some tunes or something? Here. SAM turns on the car radio. MUSIC: Air Supply’s “All Out Of Love” ♪ And what would you say if I called on you now and said that I can't hold on ♪ SAM looks at DEAN. SAM: Sorry, man, I-I... DEAN: Just leave it. Probably gonna be the only thing on. ♪ There's no easy way, it gets harder each day ♪ Please love me or I'll be gone ♪ I'll be gone ♪ SAM looks at the map FRANK gave him and DEAN starts to lip-sync along to the music. ♪ I'm all out of love ♪ I'm so lost without you ♪ SAM looks over at DEAN. ♪ I know you were right ♪ believing for so long ♪ I'm all out of love ♪ DEAN notices that SAM is watching him and stops singing. ♪ What am I without you? ♪ DEAN looks away out the driver’s side window. ♪ I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong ♪ Oh ♪ DEAN starts to lip-sync again. ♪ What are... ♪ SAM looks at him and he stops again. ♪...you thinking of? ♪ DEAN moves his head in time with the music. ♪ What are you -- ♪ SAM: Here. SAM switches off the radio and they sit in silence. SAM studies the map. Jericho is circled.

youtube

///

Someday I'll do a thing about all the car-hopping they have to do until, you know, Dean is "Dean" again.

Dean, going through the motions, "acting like one of the dead ones." And...the Impala makes a return once Dean accepts that Cas can't help, and then Cas says he's gonna go with to try and mitigate the wreckage he left.

Cas agreed to try and "fix" things, just as Dean accepted their brokenness. (No ones cares if you're broken so long as you try.)

And the we see Baby again for the first time. Hmmmm.

#car thoughts #7x06 #spn 7x06 #spn slash fiction #ok ALSO the little disbelieving smile he throws over his shoulder #is one we see when he says AND CAS and I don't know in 13x06 #a funny little disbelieving grimace unhinged smile #it's madness man #it's a sad little...something #also the way he looks over his shoulder totally makes me think of how he glances over his shoulder in 13x01 too during the prayer #dang the middle of the night makes me #ackles even mimes BOO-HOOING in the outtakes #SIR sir? SIR! you know you knew and you played it that way

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chelemlem · 8 months ago

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about 500w of a random nothing prequel to this. (814 + r63 + implied infidelity)

The great thing about being young, dumb, and you know, Jenson winks, is that it's socially acceptable to excuse herself from all the schmoozing and shoulder-rubbing to sneak the odd ciggie with the servers.

Back by the venue kitchens halfway into one of these things is where she finds Oscar: plonked on a wooden crate, phone in hand.

Maybe it's the peachy champagne from before, but Lando's limbs feel loose enough to pitch forward, perching her chin on Oscar's shoulder. Mm. Clean and cheap — some kind of citrus soap.

"Whatcha hiding out here for?"

Oscar, to her credit, takes it in stride.

"Not hiding. Just, uh. Quali's on."

Why bother? Obviously Verstappen's taking it. Oscar wrinkles her nose in an ehh gesture, screen angled so Lando can watch too. "Dunno, Red Bull are pretty shit around Marina Bay."

Are they, though? Then again, Oscar still backs Ricciardo out of some vague sense of patriotism, so maybe she's not the best judge of wheel.

"Bet you only fancy him 'cause he seems like he's hung," she says accusingly, and Oscar fucking. Creases in silent laughter. Huh, easy crowd.

With her mouth open, Lando can see how the top line of her teeth dip low in the middle. A bunny rabbit.

Ugh, fine. She has nothing better to do, and Oscar seems like a marginally more interesting time than the other models and heiresses inside. A proper little athlete. Might as well.

It turns out to be quite a long time, them sitting here. Like, two missed calls from her brother long. Nothing important. He's just in town on business and wants to do lunch. On the cusp of closing some deal that would make even Jense's eyes water.

"I have three sisters," Oscar offers. They have their backs to opposite walls, legs extended. Lando isn't really tipsy anymore, but she still kind of has this insane urge to close the gap, press her ankle along the exposed square of Oscar's instep. Are those Tommy? Fuck's sake.

"Mm. And you're the oldest?"

Oscar blinks. "Is it obvious?"

"Bit, yeah."

Seems like a pain, honestly. There's a reason Lando's parents let her get away with everything — because they have Oliver to cushion the fall. Everyone agrees she'll probably land an MRS degree before an MBA.

Oscar smiles, a tad wry. "Bet they're glad you're still making connections, though."

"Whad'you mean?" Lando says, shuttering. The back of her neck feels warm. Fucking—is she being slut-shamed right now?

Oscar shifts on the floor, looking for the first time: uncomfortable. "Isn't that why you're here?"

Uh. Lando is here because she'd wanted to date a MotoGP rider growing up and Jenson is the next-to-next best thing. Specifically here, in this greasy produce cellar with Webber's little girlfriend, though? Well.

"Fuck if I know, mate."

Oscar snorts, her shoulders going lax. She starts to say something else when Lando uncrosses her legs, uncomfy from the sweat building behind her knees. The cream satin hitches up, baring a triangle of thigh that draws Oscar's gaze like a condemned moth to flame. Her mouth snaps shut.

Their eyes lock. Only for a second — but it's enough.

Enough for Lando to pause and consider. And smile. 'Kay then.

Everything after that is a bit of a blur.

#landoscar #ln4 #op81 #i continue to be the eepiest guy in the worldt #had to face unimaginable horrors today (apply for both schengen and uk visas)#actually that's disingenuous ONE of these was a relatively straightforward painless process #spoiler it's not what u think !#will reply to asks later i prommy #in other news. Always Thinking About Them #ffdotnet a/n voice ojp does not back 3 she just blurted smth out of awk/nervousness #it happens #ch. fic #girls!814

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indigoturtles · 3 months ago

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saw alien romulus today as a longtime alien fan (i have seen all movies save for the AvP stuff)

solid 9.5/10 ⭐️⭐️

more thoughts with MAJOR SPOILERS: DNR IF YOU HAVENT SEEN AND ARE THINKING ABOUT WATCHING under the cut

first i wanna address the fans that seem a little pissed about the direction the movie took:

y’all might not like it but uh. that stuff was canon. ridley scott made the prequels. that’s been a thing. some of y’all are acting so shocked they acknowledged a major part of alien biology?? they’re not retconning that stuff gang

i feel like the people getting upset at romulus for that are the same people who refuse to acknowledge any of the genuinely good bits that came of out of Prometheus and Covenant (which believe it or not: i found it interesting) - folks you can hate an idea but that doesn’t inherently make it a bad one or bad cinema

and people might yell at me for this one but the characters were all actually interesting too if you pay attention?? they had a common goal?? they had lives outside of the immediate story and they had aspirations??? andi the synthetic (correction: artificial person) was likeable and wasn’t just another ash or bishop or david? rain wasn’t ripley and that’s a good thing??? i liked rain and andi’s dynamic??

forgive me for getting pressed but i get mad when people seem to just want the same movie over again. go watch the first one again and let us enjoy someone trying to be creative with a concept. ridley scott was a producer on romulus too yk

and mad props to fede alvarez, he explored some brilliant shit with this that i wouldn’t have thought of! i don’t have to like all of it in the movie, but it gives me answers for some questions and raises even more which i hope they explore further. alvarez in the interviews genuinely seems like he has respect for the entirety of the franchise, at its highs and lows, and he seemed to want to do right by it, which i think he accomplished very well

all the stuff with the zero gravity was new, the metamorphosis we actually got to see was new, the stuff with the rat was new, pretty much everything with the facehuggers, there was INTERESTING STUFF THAT GOT EXPLORED

and i do wanna talk about the wild end with kay and the nasty little child alien thing (which i will refer to as The Fucker) - and i’m gonna say it upfront - i liked it! it was good! it was scary (the Fucker is so eerie- you get used to seeing xenomorphs and then this thing shows up) and it was a good way to respect the additions that resurrection brought to the franchise, but i’ve noticed some people getting pressed over how it was so focused on kay’s pregnancy and the gorey birth stuff- which surprised me because i perceived it as both a more in-depth way to explore the alien biology aspects with the Fucker seen in resurrection and the prequels, but i also perceived it as a way to discuss the horrors of pregnancy and childbirth without the chestbursting aspect? like, we already had a chestburster with nevarro like an hour and a half earlier, if anything it being another chestburster would’ve just been weird considering they chekov’s gun’ed it with kay mentioning it in the first 30 minutes

and i’ve already seen a couple comments complaining about how none of the dudes got chestbursted or anything this time, which feels like such an odd comment to make considering of the main cast, it’s split evenly gender-wise and one of the men is an actual robot- gee it’s almost like there are more women in this movie ergo more likely for women to experience the horrific deaths? again if all you want is to see a cis white man get chestbursted the ‘normal’ way the original movie is still there, i promise kane still gets fucked up besties

all that being said i don’t know how to feel with the ash model, rook. i think it was a good way to set up a synthetic ‘villain’ and especially one with a familiar face, and i liked the character as a character, but the usage of a.i for rook is honestly something i don’t know how to feel about. i don’t condone a.i images (‘art’), and i don’t like deepfake, but it also seems like they made a good effort to respect ian holmes’ character and acting by also using practical effects and animatronics to the best of their ability. i would’ve preferred if they could’ve found a VA who could mimic the voice but since they didn’t, i’m just going to appreciate the effort to stay true to the characters of the wayland-yutani synthetics

all in all i had a great time with this movie, genuinely was so tense i forgot to finish my movie snacks, and i really hope they keep alvarez with the alien crew for a while cause i love the writing and the use of practical effects. i can understand some of the disappointment, but this ranks pretty damn close to aliens on my tier list - above it being alien and alien: isolation of course - definitely liked this one more than 3, Resurrection, Prometheus, and Covenant (but i still liked those ones don’t get me wrong they’re just not my favorites)

thanks for getting this far down!

#alien #alien romulus #alien franchise #ridley scott #indigo rambles #some people love to hate because they don’t like it and then say it’s bad. there is a difference and y’all need to learn it

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blackwell-academys-airdrop · 1 year ago

Note

For the ask game 6,8 and 25

6. which ship fans are the most annoying? uh. No offense intended whatsoever, but I simply do not vibe with Grahamscott (the gay one). I mean, I guess I see the appeal? But it just kinda rubs me the wrong way a little. I think it's cuz it's a very popular (I might even call it overrated) mlm ship in a very wlw-oriented game and fandom. It's like, there's 5 times more mlm on AO3 as opposed to wlw last I checked. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with mlm; it's just not for me, and it's something that gets hyped up a LOT in fandom spaces, often to the detriment of wlw, het, and other ships.

Anyway. Very popular ship for what I would go so far as to call a crack pairing. (The inherent homoeroticism of, uh... beating a guy up so hard he has to go to the hospital?) Want proof? Here are the most popular relationships (platonic inclusive) in the Life Is Strange fandom on AO3 as of the time of writing:

There are more Grahamscott fics than there are Marshfield fics (admittedly not by a lot), and that's a travesty.

FANDOM-WIDE CHALLENGE: Write >17 Marshfield fics so we can knock Grahamscott out of 4th place!

I reiterate: I do not hate Grahamscott, nor do I hate those who ship them. It's got a lot of (non-uwu softboy, mind you) potential. It simply isn't for me.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about Bae or Bay Before the Storm is not a bad game. Actually no wait I'll save that one for 25.

Hm.

How bout this: William was NOT a perfect dad. He was a good one, for sure, but remember: our idea of his character is rose-tinted with Chloe's and Max's overwhelmingly positive memories of him. "That's one thing he left us: wonderful memories." (I paraphrase) I'd like to see his flaws explored a bit more.

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing I've said it already and I'll say it again: Before the Storm is not a bad game. It's not a great game, and it definitely doesn't live up to the original, but it's a good game.

High points of the game (keep in mind I haven't watched/played the game in about 4 years):

Steph

Interesting take on a young Nathan

CUNSn

The SMASH scene (brought me close to tears. The controllable helplessness of it all, God)

Steph and Mikey

Skip

EN FUEGO UTERO

I LOVE what they did with Samuel actually

The take on Rachel was really interesting, especially the whole backstory thing and the actress mindset

FIRE POWERS FIRE POWERS

I'm intrigued by the drawing of an older Max hanging from a noose in a tree in Chloe's journal. WHAT does that IMPLY, WHAT does that MEAN

Steph

Barb the Barbarian (I named one of my DnD characters that and made her a She-Ra expy)

Chloe's dream sequences and general sleepiness (reminiscent of depression)

PUTTING AN ENTIRE CAR BATTERY INTO HER PANTS POCKET

The snitch straight-up admitting to Damon that he snitched was not at all realistic but it was very funny

The play scene, especially if you get all the lines right

Victoria drinking the drugged tea

Farewell, especially the little choose-your-own squirrel story ^w^

Low points:

"tHe StArS aRe DeAd" THAT IS NOT ASTRONOMICALLY CORRECT (I have ranted about this before)

Damon. Everything about Damon. His character, his impact on the plot, everything.

The whole James and Sera backstory was really hackneyed

I am ambivalent about the Backtalk mechanic

The whole third episode was just such a letdown. So much wasted potential

Much like LIS, there are a lot of different subplots, but LIS wove them together well while BTS didn't.

I've reblogged a rant about this before, but Chloe has so very little agency while Max has loads of it! Admittedly, the game is a prequel so some things have to happen no matter what, and Chloe's lack of agency (and unwillingness to acquire it) is a big point of her character, but it does not make for a fun video game protagonist. There are way too many But Thou Must! moments in the story.

The friggin' end scene with Frank fighting off Damon

do NOT retcon that Pompidou was a gift from Damon. do NOT

I'm also ambivalent on the whole Max and Chloe text exchanges retcon. Like, I think Chloe miiiight have reached out to her, but Max would not have responded. The anxiety is simply Too Great.

I am also ambivalent about the Sam & Nathan thing. I wish she'd gotten more characterization than just "sweet kind girl who loves books".

Megan Weaver didn't show up. I wish she had, cuz she was evidently important to Chloe for at least a little while, and we know so little about her

I know there was a strike going on or something but I am sad we didn't have the original VAs :( (but they came back for Farewell, so rejoice!)

Chloe's VA's performance was kinda lackluster

Okay THAT got longer than I anticipated. Sorry. Anyway. There are a lot of good points to BTS. There are a lot of bad ones, too. But hey. Canon is a construct.

#ask #lis #life is strange #long post #lis bts #before the storm #grahamscott #marshfield #MARSHFIELD CALL TO ACTION #william price #sorry I ended up spending a lot more time on this ask than I anticipated #and thank you so much for being interested enough in my opinion to ask for it! :3

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aik-membrane · 2 years ago

Text

OOC: Heart-Aik: Aik Membrane's Prequel

Chapter Fifteen

Ft mentions of @ambassador-d1b

Well the hospital kept Aik longer than a week. Percy didn't have to stay with him the entire time, but if he stayed away for two long, he risked ruining the act.

Two weeks with this guy and Aik didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. But Percy unfortunately was still his best option.

Aik didn't know anyone else that would help him get into Membrane Labs. And whenever Percy was away, Aik researched what he could on a laptop. He unfortunately needed Percy as a partner to make any headway with this.

But it was a relief to both Percy and Aik to finally be let out of the hospital. Fighting the infection and sickness had been a long nightmare, but not Aik's shoulder was mostly healed, he could even start working on a possible prosthetic. He preferred making one himself.

On the drive back to Percy's house, Percy said nothing. Aik watched the scenery pass by, able to focus a lot better this time. Seeing things in real life was very different from a book or computer.

Once arrived at the house, Percy and Aik got out and Percy gave Aik a proper tour of the house.

It was two floors, there were a few extra bedrooms upstairs that seemed fairly normal and furnished, even though Percy was the only one that lived here. Percy told Aik he could have one of the rooms.

Downstairs was the living room, kitchen, a library, and a dining room. All fairly simple. Except for the library.

"Now you know I work in the black market, so surely you're wondering how I hide all my supplies from the law, right?" Percy asked, approaching a bookshelf.

"No, I wasn't," Aik replied.

Percy rolled his eyes and put a finger over the Chronicles of Narnia on his shelf. He didn't take any of the books fully out, just tugged slightly on them in a strange order. 4, 2, 7, 3, 6, 1, 5. Aik watched him with a skeptical expression.

There was a loud creak and the library shelf swung backwards, a secret door.

"Ha, there you go," Percy said with a wide grin. "This leads to my secret basement, it's where I keep all my goods and tools."

Aik approached the door, but Percy put a hand in his way to block his path.

"Nah uh, not yet. Tomorrow we can train down there," Percy said.

"Why not now?" Aik asked. He was eager to get on with it so he could help Dib.

"Because I have a meeting tonight and you are going to help me prepare. I've got a client who's very interested in Project Eternal information. You help me with this, training starts first thing tomorrow morning," Percy explained, pulling a lever that shut the secret door.

Aik grumbled. "Fine. But I don't know much."

"You know more than what your Dad has told the public, surely," Percy replied.

"He's not my Dad," Aik retorted.

"Creator then," Percy corrected.

Aik sighed. "Fine."

"Alright then, it's a deal."

The two spent the rest of the day with Percy pestering Aik about everything he could about Project Eternal.

Aik didn't tell him anything about his brothers. Only his own experience, the IQ tests and puzzles, what he woke up to, and what he thought Membrane was trying to accomplish.

When evening came, Percy got an all brown coat with three gold lines running down the sleeves and gave one to Aik as well, with one line instead of three.

"Alright Shank, you're to be quiet, okay?" Percy said.

"Wait, I'm coming?" Aik asked.

"Yeah, can't leave you at the house alone. This guy knows who you are, but you don't speak unless spoken to, got it?"

"Fine." Aik begrudgingly put the coat on and followed Percy out of the house. He expected to go to the car, but to his surprise, Percy led him to a house just a short walk away, in a cul-de-sac less than a block the road.

Aik glanced around, a little surprised to see hardly anyone out and about. It wasn't fully dark yet and the evening breeze was nice after the heat of the day. Percy walked up to a house and knocked firmly three times. It was a plain looking house, just like the rest of the cul-de-sac and the entire block.

A man opened the door, with gray hair, a beard, and glasses. He was wearing a coat like Percy's, with two lines instead of three.

Okay that was weird.

"Good evening Master Tilsdale," the man said. "Come in, come in."

Aik grimaced. Master?

Percy led Aik inside and they were both guided to a sitting area. Percy and Aik sat on a sofa and the unknown man sat in an armchair.

Aik noticed a small child and a woman in the house, wearing other brown coats like Percy's, but both of them had one line like Aik's.

"So this is Shank, correct?" the new man asked, pointing to Aik.

Aik glanced at Percy before speaking. "Yeah, that's me."

"A new lost soul. How lovely. Well you'll fit right in the family," the man said.

All sorts of red flags were raised in the back of Aik's mind.

"Yes he will. He's my partner for now, he needs some training and then he will fit in perfectly. He's quite spunky and interested in fighting," Percy said.

"Oh? Are you going to test him in the ranks?" the man asked.

"Possibly," Percy replied.

Red flags, red flags, red flags. Aik glared at Percy.

"But we're here to discuss what he knows about Project Eternal, you were curious about qualifying elements of it?" Percy asked.

"Yes, call it an old hobby. Thank you so much for indulging, Master Tilsdale," the man said with a slight bow.

Aik remained silent and very alert as Percy and the man discussed everything Aik had recounted about Project Eternal.

No one approached them the entire time, and nothing interesting happened. And it was over in an hour.

"Do you mind if I ask Shank a question?" the man asked Percy.

"Not at all, go right ahead," Percy said with a nod.

Aik glanced at them both, still very alert.

"How are you liking your stay here so far?" the man asked.

"It's fine," Aik replied curtly.

"Do you have questions for me?" the man asked.

"Yes. What are the ranks and what is this family?" Aik asked.

Percy gave Aik a flat look.

The man smiled. "Ohh well you see, right now you are in the Tilsdale family, our leader and protector before you is Master Tilsdale. He keeps us all safe, and gives us what we need. He also makes the rules and punishes those who break them to keep us all safe, together, and strong in our faith. There are about 30 family members. And the ranks are a challenge to see which of us can move up to be trusted with more tasks and knowledge, and receive perks. Master Tilsdale is rank three, the top rank and the only top rank. You are rank one, and I am rank two. You can move to rank two if you succeed in the challenge and prove yourself."

Aik stared at the man.

"Well, it's time for us to go home." Percy stood up quickly.

"Oh course, Master Tilsdale." The man nodded and stood with another bow.

"Keep up the good work." Percy grabbed Aik's good hand to pull him up and headed to the door.

The man followed and opened the door, waving.

Aik narrowed his eyes at Percy. He had a million red flags and alarms blaring in his head. "What exactly do you do?"

"I'll explain at the house," Percy replied. He seemed annoyed, and just kept a hold of Aik's hand until they got back.

Aik didn't like that at all. But he didn't have any chance of trying to run.

#iz dib #iz dib membrane #iz ocs #professor membrane #aik membrane #iz fanfiction #project eternal #heart aik #dib membrane #invader zim dib #dib iz

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haruka89 · 1 year ago

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Well, besides people simply being aphobic, there's the issue of Star Wars fans existing long before Jedi not marrying became a plot point. Fans have had lot of time to build their image of how the Order works, with or without EU canon. Fans can be very passionate about their headcanons and depending on personality that can result in wank and doubling down on your opinions. And seeing a discussion like that repeatedly can turn that into a hot button issue, even if it wasn't one before.

(I also get the feeling from the, uh, discussions I see on my dash, that some of the newer fans forget that other fans predate the Disney canon and even TCW and the Prequel Trilogy and will have opinions that conflict with newer canon. Or just dislike (parts of) the newer canon.)

For myself, the problem I have is this black and white view I see in these debates. What I see, and I generally don't go looking beyond what ends up on my dash, tends towards "Jedi aren't allowed romance/marriage/sex and that is badbadbad" or "no Jedi ever is interested in romance/marriage/sex (and that's the way it shoul be)". Which ignores the fact that the Order cannot be a monolith and has existed for at least a millenium and will have changed a lot in that time.

For me, there is no possible way that no-romance rule has always existed, if it ever existed at all. I don't remember anyone in the text beyond Anakin or Padme saying Jedi are not allowed to marry and I don't consider Anakin a reliable source about the Jedi Order. (Correct me if I'm wrong, TCW never aired with any coherency here and I've yet to watch/read Disney canon beyond the movies. I might genuinely be missing something.)

It also wouldn't make much sense to have such a rule, because all the arguments against romance/marriage you can make about any other close relationship. You could put your padawan/master/sibling/best friend/parent/child/whatever before your duty as much as your possible spouse. (I distinctly remember Anakin having the same issue re attachments with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan as with Padme.) And if no Jedi is interested in romance, there also doesn't need to be a rule about that.

I still don't get why people are so freaked out over the fact that Jedi are not actively pursuing sexual or romantic relationships, as if you were damaged, broken, insane and brainwashed, and must be fixed, educated, liberated if you won't happen to be in need of any of those things.

#star wars #other people's meta #star wars meta #jedi order #reblog with commentary #I've been in star wars fandom for a couple of decades and reading EU since the last century #and no-romance-rules have never been of any importance to me either way until they became this hot debate topic #I can still remember the debates about whether jedi are allowed close relationships of any kind #or have/are allowed to have feelings #those debates might be one of the reasons why jedi-marriage debates can get so intense #now that I think about it #god knows I've developped some reflexes because of repeated fandom opinions I disagree with

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crazycookiecrumbles · 3 years ago

Text

The Beginnings (Prequels)

A/N: This is a prequel series to my Stark!Readerverse series. Those are all my stories that start with “A” and have some other shit following it.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader

Warnings: swearing, always swearing, and alien violence

Summary: Before you were in love with Shang-Chi, you were falling down the rabbithole that was Captain Steve Rogers, a man out of time, but the first man that would sweep you off your feet.

This was indescribably bad. One minute you’re sitting pretty in the brand new living area of Stark Tower, the next there’s a grease monkey who looks like he’s having meth withdrawals talking about his glorious purpose (you really hoped that wasn’t a euphemism for something in his pants because what the hell?) and threatening utter world domination.

Who you later learned to be Loki Laufeyson would later try to press the tip of his scepter (also not a euphemism at all) to your chest in an attempt to get you under his control. Instead, he was stopped by surprise. He thought the cloth wrist warmers on your hands/forearms were for fashion. Instead, they were covering the metal alloy bracers underneath that kept you from injury and helped control and focus your powers. You used said powers to block Loki’s attempt with his scepter, small vibrations exuding from your center that kept him from pushing forward with the scepter, hands raised and forming a circle to maintain this focus.

He’d surprise you, though, and in a fit of rage he’d sweep your legs out under you, grab you by the throat, and launch you out the window of the tower, your tower. You’d see your dad trying to race down to catch you, but you were able to save yourself with your own abilities, catching yourself right before hitting the ground.

“Spawn,” Tony would say after you took his call immediately upon landing. “Can’t talk right now. Gotta stop a Norse god. Clear the area.”

“What?”

“I love you. Clear the area, get out!”

The call ended leaving you utterly confused. So this was that secret trip he was on that he kept you from, wasn’t it? This was why your call with Fury suddenly ended early a few days ago and your services were no longer needed. How interesting.

In trying to get people to listen to you and leave ,aliens would fall from the sky and attack Midtown Manhattan. This lead to you using your powers in the most offensive way you had done in awhile. With not a lot of training under your belt and even lesser confidence, you were blasting Chitauri aliens across the street, breaking cars, and getting tossed around in the air yourself.

It led to you fighting outside of a bank and hearing glass shatter. You looked up and saw someone in blue being launched out of there, so you lifted your hands and used your seismic powers to slow his fall until he landed on the ground next to you. You stared down in surprise at a relic you had last scene in history books — well, and in your grandfather’s old study.

“Captain Steve Rogers,” you blurted out. “Uh—sir.”

He looked up at from the ground. An eyebrow raised for a moment before he let out a breathless laugh and shook his head, “Formal during an alien invasion.”

“Habit? Sorry,” you helped him to his feet and he stared at you for a moment.

“Do I know you? You seem familiar.”

You shook your head, “Nope. I’d definitely remember meeting you — I mean. Uh, well that sounds — Hi. I’m (Y/N).”

He grinned, a lopsided, toothy, tired grin that sent shivers down your spine as he quickly shook your hand, “Thanks for the help, (Y/N). I’d stay and chat, but — “

“Aliens, right!” You nodded quickly. “How about some help?”

He nodded, “How much can you do?”

You grinned, your eyes glowing brightly as your two hands lifted and fired behind him. Steve spun around and watched as you blasted two hulking beasts back with such force that they went through the meter-long concrete wall behind them and lay there unable to move their now broken bones.

Steve nodded quickly, “That’ll do. Stick with me.”

You fought alongside this strange man, this relic of your family’s history. Blood was shed. You’d cover his back, and he’d shield you from harm or lift you up off the ground when you were down. You’d even later meet another Norse god, Thor, and find out that the Jolly Green Giant was actually a real life anomaly that did not find that nickname very amusing.

There were two others in that fight that you had already known very well, but that’s a story for another day.

At the end of the battle, with Tony laying on the ground, he felt a familiar rumbling underneath him and he lifted his head, barely, to see you stomping towards him. Each step you took made the ground shatter, leaving behind a perfect imprint of your foot with cracks emanating from it and stretching for several feet.

Tony felt the rumbling of the ground increase and heard it splinter and crack beneath him as you stood over him.

“Mother fucker!” You shouted. “You can’t just go off into space with a nuke and call to say goodbye. That’s bullshit. Fuck you. Fuck you for making Fury take me out of this from the beginning and fuck you for thinking hiding all of this from me would somehow be beneficial. Have we learned nothing!?” You shouted at Tony, then glanced up and saw Steve. “Hi, Captain.” You looked down at your dad again, “And if I haven’t made my thoughts clear, fuck you!”

“Steve’s fine…” Steve trailed off quietly, watching this interaction with a very confused look on his face.

Tony blinked, “Well, to be fair, I thought you’d split the helicarrier in half and kill us all on a temper tantrum.”

“You’re not funny.”

Tony weakly lifted a hand and pointed to the ground that was shaking, “But I’m not wrong. Come on, I’m fine. This is my thing. I always nearly die. I never actually die,” He reasoned as he slowly sat up, then reached up to grab your hand. He took note of how one of your gauntlets was now broken, and using your powers so much was starting to impact you physically as your skin was red and purple with deep bruises. “I’m fine, Spawn.”

“We’ll talk about this later,” you muttered under your breath.

“I bet,” He sighed and glanced at you, then Steve. “How did you meet Capcicle?”

“Wait, Spawn?” Steve looked between you and Tony frantically, “You’re his—“

“Yes, that’s how that works, Steve. I call her Spawn because she’s my daughter. Being in the deep freezer damage your brain cells?”

Steve ignored his sass, “I—I had no idea—if I had known — “

“What, you’d keep me from fighting to keep his kid safe?” You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, like you guys didn’t need any help at all.”

“I don’t know, kid, I saw Loki throw you from that window,” Tony began as you and Steve and Thor helped him to stand, “Kind of lame.”

“Fuck off, dad.” You muttered under your breath ,”I look better than you, don’t I?”

“Now that’s just not a fair comparison. No one looks like Tony Stark.”

“Agreed, you old bastard.”

Your relationship with your father was interesting, so to speak. Steve could see that immediately, and it was something he was both curious about and yet far too terrified to question. All of you would apprehend Loki together, and celebrate with a very eerily quiet meal that was laced with exhaustion.

You’d join them to see Thor and Loki off to Asgard after you had a private conversation with Nick Fury involving something he wanted your technical expertise for out in Washington. And, given how protective your dad was, he knew he had to speak to you without Tony’s interruptions.

Steve was heading towards his bike after shaking hands with your dad, and to get to his bike, he had to pass you. You looked over your shoulder and waved happily to Natasha and Clint before turning back around and seeing Steve stop in front of you.

“Well, it was nice to meet you and work with you, Ms. Stark.”

You chuckled and reached for his outstretched hand. You both glanced down, and he could see the new brace on your arm sans the covering.

He hummed quietly to himself as he looked it over, “Not hiding it?”

“Not today. Not anymore,” you nodded. “Kind of hard to hide my powers now that the news has me blasting a hole through an alien’s stomach.”

“Which is a very impressive feat. I certainly couldn’t do it.”

You laughed at him, hand still in his as you gazed up at him, “No? Did super lungs not come with the upgrade?”

“Hm, shouldn’t you know that, Ms. Stark?”

“Oh, Captain Rogers, you have me mistaken with the men in my family,” you teased. “The women aren’t nearly as obsessed with you.”

“Nearly? So there’s still a little bit of obsession?” He teased, eyes glimmering in delight as he caught you start to blush and curl your bottom lip inward to bite. “I’m just teasing, of course.”

“I’m sure,” you smirked. “You can’t be some kid from Brooklyn and not have some sass to you, right?”

“That’s right,” he nodded in agreement with you. After a few seconds, his eyes lit up at the prospect of possibly not feeling so alone in this time and having something in common with someone. “You’re from here?”

“Born and raised,” you nodded. “Couple stops off the train from you, apparently. Well, at least according to the history books.”

“Huh, small world,” he mused.”

“That it is,” you nodded in agreement and heard a car horn blaring in the most annoying way. You glanced over and saw your dad honking the horn, staring you dead in the eyes, and holding up a pair of sunglasses for you to wear. Beside him, Bruce was cringing and even sinking in his seat a little bit as Tony proceeded to act like an overbearing mother. “Well, I think that’s my sign to leave before he has an aneurysm over not getting enough attention.”

Steve laughed. He nodded and finally let go of your hand and stood up taller as he gazed down at you, “Well, it was lovely to see you again, Ms. Stark.”

“(Y/N) is fine,” you told him. “And likewise, Captain.”

He smiled softly, “Just call me Steve. Take care. Maybe we’ll see each other again.”

You, having had your previous conversation with Nick very much involve helping Steve out on the side of your contracted work with SHIELD, you knew what was coming. You knew you’d eventually see Steve again.

“Maybe sooner than you think,” you grinned and said goodbye for yet the third time before running to Tony’s car.

Steve followed your run. He watched as you jumped into the backseat and grabbed the sunglasses. After placing them on your face, you leaned forward, one arm around your dad’s shoulders, the other resting on Bruce’s shoulder as you apologized for the future ahead of him now that he was joining the Stark madhouse.

Steve glanced down at his bike and smiled to himself as he started it up. (Y/N) Stark. Crass, beautiful, and very, very much Tony Stark’s kid. It was evident with the way you carried yourself, and yet, there was some part of you that was drawing him in, that made him want to know you a little more and see you again. There was just something likable about you that separated you from your dad, a certain warmth to you.

“Must be her mother’s side,” He mused quietly to himself as he drove out of Central Park.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x stark!reader #stark!reader #marvel oneshot #marvel fic #reader insert #marvel insert #captain america x reader #tony stark x daughter!reader #tony stark x daughter reader #dad! tony stark #prequel series #crazycookiecrumbles

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codename-mango · 3 years ago

Text

Supernova High

The moment he had been waiting for. His introduction to Love Island, the future of dating. He got his cue, and entered the arena... of love?

He felt all eyes on him as he fell in line with the rest of the men, and found a mostly comfortable pose.

"Hello." Simple. Great. First word out. This should be easy now. "Alright, lads?"

"Alright there, big man. What’s happening?” Graham said.

"Good, man, good," Carl replied without looking at him. His attention was elsewhere.

The girls were all gorgeous, clearly, but Clarice Figg, THE Clarice Figg, stood out to him. Nostalgic feelings of anger and frustration mixed with the new feelings of "Oh No She's Hot".

Love Island may be reality TV, but who's to say what Clarice is really like. She hasn't appeared to be anything like Reagan, the pompous, self-important student council president featured on Supernova High. The closest she's come was Operation Nope, which was like Season 2 Episode 5- Okay. Focus.

"Alright, ladies?" He said confidently. He made eye contact with Clarice, who looked like she'd rather be somewhere else. Still, she smiled politely, and gave a little wave.

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

After some awkward attempts at small talk, the question finally came.

"Spill the tea already! Who are you into?" Chelsea chirped excitedly.

Carl froze, and looked to Graham for guidance.

"You ladies are a handful," Graham joked. "Why don't you go first, Carl?"

Carl? Go first? Okay. Okay. Chelsea was right, he obviously knew who he was interested in. She's sitting right there. Just say Hope.

"I had my eye on Clarice," he said, surprising himself and seemingly surprising Clarice too. And he just. Kept. Talking. "I, uh, really liked you in Supernova High."

The rest of the Islanders seemed confused, but Clarice’s face lit up.

"You did?"

"No."

Now everyone was stunned, Carl most of all. Quick, explain yourself, you numpty!

"I- I mean- I'm sorry. I don't know why I lied-"

"Let's just, uh, move on..." Graham said.

While the most of the Islanders jumped at the chance to change the subject. Carl shamefully watched Clarice withdrawal from the conversation, avoiding eye contact and waving off Chelsea's comforting hand.

Even if he had completely put his foot in it, Carl had to make this right. Even if he didn't know exactly how. When everyone dispersed to explore Casa Amor, Clarice stayed behind on the loungers with Chelsea.

"Hello... Can I talk to you? In private?" Carl asked Clarice. She was reclined in her lounger, wearing large black sunglasses. She didn't respond right away, which prompted Chelsea.

"I don't think she wants to talk to you..."

"It's fine," Clarice finally said. She smiled at Chelsea. "Go enjoy the new boys."

Chelsea spared one final look at Carl, but certainly didn't need to be told twice. She darted off in the direction of Arjun and Elijah.

When Carl looked back to Clarice, her smile had disappeared.

"I'm sorry about what I said."

"Whatever."

"I... I don't know why I lied. I mean, I do know. I wanted to say something nice."

"And you couldn't say something like 'Oh you have a nice smile' or something equally generic?" Despite her irritation, she started laughing. "I can't believe Supernova High was your go-to."

"Well that's... Where I know you from."

"Besides Love Island?"

"Besides Love Island."

"... So you didn't like me in Supernova High?"

Carl sighed and finally sat down on the lounger beside hers. "I... actually really hated Supernova High. It was so poorly written. The annoying characters, the outrageous plot, the obvious 'mysteries', and don't get me started on the special effects! Which were terrible even for the time, let alone by today's standard! It looked like Spy Kids and the Star Wars prequels had an unfortunate, Quasimodo lovechild-!"

It was then when Carl realized he was being entirely too loud. His face turned red as he looked around and saw the scattered Islanders looking in his direction. Clarice covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"I got a little carried away there..."

"You sound like one of those forums my mum banned me from reading," she said. She finally took off her sunglasses and Carl could see the mischief in her eyes.

"I may or may not have been a moderator for one of those forums." He bit his lip. "If it makes it any better, Reagan was clearly written to be hated. The problem was she never got anymore likeable even when she had her redemption arc. If anything, she got worse- Not because of you obviously! You were one of the best actors in the show by far. But I can't believe what the writers did with her in Season 4-"

"Ugh, don't remind me!" She dramatically draped her arm across her face. "I'm trying to pretend Season 4 never happened. Just erase it from my brain."

"... Like with a Phaeton Worm?"

Clarice dropped her arm and looked him dead in the eye. She smirked. "You sure know a lot about the show for someone who hates it."

"Well- I-"

Clarice laughed again. She sat up and shifted so their knees were touching. She leaned in.

"No one's ever told me how bad it was to my face before. I'll give you that."

Carl couldn't help the lump that formed in his throat. She must've known the effect she had on him. Though, her dangerously sexy demeanor changed when she seemed to remember something. Suddenly she was backing off, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Just thinking..." She looked out at the pool in contemplation. "I took a gamble before coming to Casa Amor. And now I don't know if it's even going to pay off." She shook her head as another thought occurred to her. "Do you dislike me? I know you said you had your eye on me, but that doesn't necessarily mean-"

"Yes. I mean no! I mean no I don't dislike you, yes I do like you. Or at least so far. You're... nicer than I thought you'd be."

That made her smile, but she looked away and blocked her face with her hand, as though the sentiment had actually made her bashful.

"Are you okay?" He asked again. She kept the bottom half of her face covered, but looked at him over her hand.

"I'm not used to hearing stuff like that," she admitted.

"I think you should be... I mean-"

"I know what you mean."

#litg #litg s2 #litg carl #clarice figg #I guess I should start a tag now #carlice #litg fanfic

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thosch3i · 3 years ago

Note

Hi hi! So the lost tombs and chronology all super confuse me. So tlt2 ended on a cliffhanger that was not resolved by tlt3 which is ultimate note, but now there is another tlt3 that I am guessing is made by the same studio as tlt2 (but not UN) that actually follows tlt2? And it has the same WPZ as tlt2 (but sadly different WX, ZQL though I’m sure these guys are great). You seem to know what you’re talking about so I’m hoping you can help!

UN also ended on a cliff hanger so I’m wondering if they’ll get a sequel from their studio that comes before tomb of the sea.

ahhh hello anon! yes ahaha the dmbj dramas are certainly very confusing--because they keep switching the screenwriters/entire production team between dramas. huanrui did tlt1 (2015), tlt2 (2019), and the sequel to tlt2 (2021). they're also technically the production company for un (2020), but linghe did like all the directing/casting/writing so its significantly different in tone and quality from the other dramas huanrui produced. npss (dmbj author) did sha hai (2018) and tltr (2020), with sha hai being in collab with linghe, so you can see lots of parallels with un and shared cast. (gonna add that i dont know much about the m9 because that’s not what im personally interested in, so i’m only going by stories with wu xie & the iron triangle.)

unfortunately, the dramas pretty have no continuity as a result of all the weird shit and multiple studios doing different dramas and messy stuff going on behind the scenes. the author's production company currently has all the rights back for filming future dramas, which is......imo, a good thing for book fans who love the author but a 😬 thing for book fans who like the original story more than what the author is now doing with it. I'll uh avoid saying too much opinion stuff though so no more on that 😅

that aside! yes 云顶天宫 “explore with the note” part 2......is the direct sequel to tlt2 and done by the same studio. unfortunately the writers are different and im not sure how much of the production team is the same either. idk how much you know about the novels so brief summary here--for the chinese version, the main story has 9 parts split among 8 books (though the official eng tls have each part being a different book) with some important content being as follows:

official eng title “cavern of blood zombies” (first time wx goes into a tomb, first t3j meeting)

official eng title “angry sea, hidden sands” (xisha seabed tomb, introduce a-ning)

official eng title “bronze tree of death” (bronze tree in qinling, wx & lao yang solo adventure)

official eng title “palace of doom” (heavenly palace on the clouds, introduce bronze gate)

official eng title “deadly desert winds” (golmud, introduce hei xiazi, desert, rainforest, tamutuo)

official eng title “graveyard of a queen” (the rest of that arc, wu sanxing & xie lianhuan reveal, jade meteorite, amnesiac xiaoge and escape, sanshu vanishes for good--also i think the official eng tl covers a couple chapters of the beginning of the next part too)

阴山古楼 (searching for xiaoge’s memories in banai, miluotuo cave, i think introduction of wu erbai)

邛笼石影 (auction/hotel iron triangle fight, introduce xiao hua & xiuxiu, wx & xh on the mountains alone while pz & xg go with granny huo)

finale (rescue from zhang family mansion, changbai mountain goodbye, 10 years promise)

after the main story are the main sequels:

zang hai hua (tibetan sea flower; unfinished & abandoned) covers wu xie a few years after xiaoge has entered the gate, searching to understand xiaoge’s past

sha hai (tomb of the sea; unfinished & abandoned) covers wu xie’s plan to wipe out the wang family, after zhh

chongqi (reunion: the sound of the providence) covers wu xie’s lung disease and how he recovers from that, set after they pick up xiaoge again from the bronze gate. thunder city and everything.

灯海寻尸&万山极夜 (still updating on wechat) don’t worry about this one since it’s still a WIP lol

btw between sha hai and chongqi there’s also ten years later (a short story) that covers how wu xie and pangzi pick up xiaoge from the bronze gate and take him home

the dramas Do Not Connect To Each Other At All, which the exception of tlt2 & tlt2 pt2 somewhat, but they go in this order:

盗墓笔记 / the lost tomb 1 (2015): covers part 1 but with major OCs and filler, and includes the auction scene from part 8 for some reason, so introduces xiao hua early.

怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 / the lost tomb 2 (2019) technically “explore with the note”: covers parts 2 & 3 but with major OCs and filler, introduces xiao hua & xiuxiu (and hei xiazi briefly) early. last couple episodes also cover the beginning of part 4. not a direct sequel to tlt1 despite being done by the same studio.

云顶天宫 / heavenly palace on the clouds (2021) technically also “explore with the note”: covers part 4 with major OCs and filler (and the same changes carrying over from tlt2). some episodes are identical to the last couple episodes of tlt2. works as a direct sequel only if you ignore the last couple episodes of tlt2 that take place in the snowy mountains. (those episodes of tlt2 were filmed after this drama was filmed, and im still not sure why they dragged the wu xie and xiaoge from tlt2 back to changbai mountain to film those episodes.)

终极笔记 / ultimate note (2020): covers parts 5-8 with minor OCs and minimal filler, also introduces xiao hua & xiuxiu early. the only adaptation that resembles its source material most of the time.

沙海 / tomb of the sea (2018): covers the second sequel with major OCs and filler. includes some bits from zhh and the short story “three days of silence”.

重启之极海听雷 / the lost tomb reboot (2020): covers third sequel with major OCs and filler.

in addition there is the prequel series mystic nine (2016) and side movies for the dramas that the author produced. there is also a single standalone movie--time raiders (2016) that is....well it’s. very strange. it’s fully subbed on youtube if you’re interested?

the best way to watch the dramas is to assume each one is its own self-contained AU set along different points of the dmbj timeline because even the dramas the author himself worked on don’t have continuity LOL (and with the exception of ultimate note & sha hai most of the time, also assume most characters are pretty OOC from the novels).

i uh regret to inform you though, that ultimate note will not be getting a sequel unless the author magically decides to not care about making money anymore and sells the rights to film the finale to linghe or something ^^;;;; it’s....unfortunate bc un is the most highly-rated dmbj adaptation on douban by A Lot, but it’s an adaptation that the author had literally nothing to do with whatsoever.

more information on some of the side movies/stage plays/manhua/donghua here.

summaries of the main novel stories (currently through zhh) here.

edited mtl (some of which has apparently been looked over by native cn speakers) of the novels following where official eng tls end here. (there are many scattered extras as well.)

you can get the official eng tl books/ebooks on amazon or elsewhere(?), but if you have problems purchasing them or like you just dont wanna support amazon or something, dm me off anon. (also i dont want to be mean but frankly the official tls are kinda bad too ^^;;;)

a rough timeline (spoilers galore) for the dmbj novels here. (fair warning im not 100% sure how accurate all of this is--they put three days of silence as 1991 but looking at the info in zhh, it seems like it should have been before the 1950s...but it’s more than fine as a general overview.)

anyway i hope that was helpful in some way? dmbj is a Very Confusing thing to get into ahahaha, one of my twitter mutuals has made a few carrds if you think they might be helpful: book, dramas (slightly out of date bc it says heavenly palace hasn’t aired yet), ultimate note (got its own carrd by virtue of being the only adaptation aside from sha hai sometimes that most og book fans acknowledge lol ^^;;;)

also anon if anything wasn’t clear or if you had more questions feel free to ask again sorry ahahaha im kinda tired rn @.@

#dmbj #shouting into the void #ask #anon #....im kinda tired bc i just finished watching ydtg so i hope that doesnt come across *too much* in this post LOL #and its probably obvious which adaptation im biased towards but after reading the novels i cant really help it

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powdermelonkeg · 3 years ago

Text

Missing Links: A New Hyrule

This story has a prequel called Secrets in the Breeze! Go check it out!

My Missing Links

Wind took a deep breath, savoring the scent of the breeze as blew by. It had been awhile since he'd smelled salt in the air.

It was good to be back near the ocean.

One by one, the other heroes came through the portal, which shut behind them with a blue flash. Hyrule looked at Wind curiously. "Do...you recognize this place?"

"Nope!" Wind spun around with a bright smile. "But we’re near the sea! That’s always a good sign!”

“I beg to differ,” Legend muttered, taking note of his surroundings.

It wasn’t much. They stood atop a cliff that overlooked the sea-bordering countryside, with a sparse collection of villages tucked into the nooks of the nation. But what caught the pink-haired hero’s attention most was the network of golden roads that stretched across the land, leading towards a grand tower far inland.

In the shadow of the massive building stood a castle; one the young man immediately recognized, which threw the whole tower into proportion.

It was...big.

“So, here’s the plan.”

The redheaded man slapped a map against a tree, stabbing it through with his hairpin to keep it in place. He snapped his fingers, and the circuits of his prosthetic hand lit up in timeshift blue. “We came in here,” he said, drawing a glowing X over a place in the north of the Forest Realm. “The loser that stole my control slate ran off, and we got lost chasing him. So now we’re down here.” He circled Whittleton Village.

Fox watched the hero explain with wide eyes, fixated on his glowing fingertips.

“The guy could be anywhere,” he continued. “HOWEVER, if he knows how to calibrate it right, he probably has a map updated on the slate. And if he knows what the slate does, which he has to in order to pull a stunt like he did twice in a row, then he’d head for Hyrule Castle.” Taps drew an arrow towards the castle and tower in the distance. “We’ve already lost a day just getting out of Lost Woods. He’s probably way ahead of us if we travel on foot. But if we use one of the minecart guardians people drive around here...” He traced his finger along the minecart tracks that stretched across the land. “We can probably beat him there, as long as we catch one within the next couple hours.”

He spun to face his companion, clicking the drawing rune off. “Any questions?

Fox’s hand shot in the air. “Mr. Link? How does your arm work?”

Taps gave him a flat look. “Timeshift-powered output core.” He gave his prosthetic a solid pat. “Sheikah tech. Not what we were talking about. Any relevant questions?”

“...Well...” Fox rubbed the back of his head. “The...guardian things...they take passengers, right?” He looked at the hero with big eyes. “So, don’t they charge rupees?”

Taps paused. He hadn’t considered that. “...We can stow away.”

“Absolutely not.” The Hytopian put his hands on his hips sternly. “These people have lives to live outside of us. It’s wrong to steal labor from them.”

“They’re not GONNA have lives to live if this timeline gets screwed with by my slate!”

“Then we should get money fast, shouldn’t we?”

Taps’ eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. “I didn’t exactly bring my wallet with me when I got yanked through time and space. You plan on selling your extra clothes for it?”

Fox gasped in horror, hugging his bulky luggage. “Never!”

“Well then. Not that big a problem, is it?”

Fox bit his lip. “...Give me one hour,” he finally said. “If I can’t earn us enough rupees for a trip by then, then we can talk about stowing away.”

Taps rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He held up a metal finger. “You’ve got one hour.”

Legend walked along the strange track, examining the golden triangles beneath his feet as he followed the rails. The power in them tugged at his attention, no matter how hard he tried to look away.

What were they?

“Hey.” An elbow dug into his shoulder. “Hyrule to Link, are you there?”

Legend side-eyed the offender crossly. “No.”

“Well then,” Warriors replied, smirking. “I guess that means I get your share of lunch.”

“You touch my apple pie and you find out exactly what my medallions do.”

“Ouch. Touchy.” He followed Legend’s line of sight down to the ground. “Must be an interesting road.”

Legend nodded, looking back at the tracks. “They’re...powerful,” he said, gesturing to them. “They radiate magic, and they feel...Hylian. Like they’re alive.”

Twilight shuddered. “I certainly hope they’re not,” he said, giving Epona a pat. “The last thing I want to worry about is living roads.”

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The Chain jumped in unison at the loud sound, attention forcefully torn from the Spirit Tracks at their feet.

Off in the distance, blurred by a shimmer of heat, a steam-powered machine charged down the tracks at breakneck speed. With a frown, Twilight whipped out his Hawkeye mask to get a better look.

It was HUGE; it had to be at least as tall as three horses standing on top of each other. As it rounded the bend and headed towards them, he got a good look at its segments—a house, a tray, and a cannon?

Twilight squinted, adjusting the mask’s scope. “What in Farore’s name...”

“What is it?” Time asked, raising an eyebrow.

“...Some kind of mechanical caravan.” Twilight concluded after a moment of thought, lowering the mask. “And it’s not stopping. We should move.”

WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

“NOW.”

Quickly, the group got off the tracks, giving them a WIDE distance.

As the steam-powered beast approached, it let out a shrill, screeching noise, causing the heroes to clamp their hands over their ears in pain until it finally rolled to a stop with a pressurized hiss.

Time slowly lowered his hands, shaking off an involuntary shiver at the redead-esque noise. “Everyone alright?”

Hyrule groaned, rubbing his ears sorely. “I think I finally feel bad for DIgdogger...”

“We’re fine,” Four answered. “I’m going to have a headache for the next week and a half, though...”

“Tell me about it...what even WAS that?” Wind asked, scrunching up his eyes as he popped the pressure in his ears.

“‘Hoy!”

The seafarer suddenly snapped to attention at the familiar greeting.

“’Hoy!”

Link leaned out of the engine cab and waved to the band of...soldiers.

They had to be soldiers, right? They had swords and armor. Maybe there was a ceremony or something coming up.

One of the group, a young-looking boy in blue, waved back to him. “‘Hoy, stranger!”

“Everything alright?” Link called. “You look kind of...lost.”

The group looked between each other. “We kind of are,” another one said, a heavily-scarred one with a long ponytail. “Can you tell us where we are?”

“Just west of Whittleton. Where are you trying to go?”

“Hyrule Castle town,” the most heavily armored one replied. “Is it far from here?”

Link looked the group over critically. “...Not really. It’s a 20 minute ride by train. Can I ask who you guys are?”

“An orchestra!” The kid that had initially greeted him exclaimed.

“...An orchestra.”

“Yep!” He pulled out his baton. “See, I’m a conductor, and he’s got a harp, and he’s got an ocarina...”

“What are you playing, then?” Link said, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh-”

“Song of the Hero,” the friendly-looking one in the white cape supplied. “It’s a classic.”

“...Right.” Link held back a sigh, feeling like this was going to be trouble. He could just leave them...

...But this was Bulblin territory. He’d feel bad.

He could just tell the guard captain to be on the lookout once he got to Hyrule Castle. That’d keep them in line, right?

“...Do you guys want a lift?”

The train ride was such a change from walking everywhere. Granted, it had been difficult to convince Epona to climb into the passenger car with them, and Legend was sharing a VERY uncomfortable stare with a fluffle of rabbits gathered at his feet. But, for the vast majority of the heroes, it was a chance to rest their legs and watch the scenery fly by.

And it was incredible.

The only comparable thing Wind had seen in his travels was speeding around on Linebeck’s steamboat, and even that required him to be focused on not running into barrels and sandbars.

This, though? It was smooth. The train ran in a straight line, zooming by acres and acres of land without so much as a bump in the wrong direction, with endless ocean through one side of the car and towering mountains through the other. Thinking fast, he pulled out his pictobox and snapped a few shots as he went along.

When the train made its first stop, the screeching sound was notably more bearable through the barriers of the cabin walls. It still made Hyrule wince, but it was a far cry from the veritable scream they’d had to endure before.

As it finally came to a full stop, the engineer that’d picked them up peered into the cabin. “Nobody get up yet, we’re not here. I’m just picking up some more passengers.”

Time raised an eyebrow. “You do this kind of thing often?”

The stranger gave him a deadpan look. “Nope. Never in my life.” Without another word of explanation, he shut the door.

Time stared after him, taken aback.

Had he just....been sassed?

A moment later, the back door of the cabin opened, and two new passengers entered.

“I told you I could pay fare!”

“Yeah, yeah. Still think we could have saved money.”

They sat in the back seat, bickering quietly and, to Legend’s relief, attracting the fluffle away from him. As the train resumed its travel down the road, he found himself listening in to their conversation.

“-plan once we get there?”

“We start looking. Duh.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”

“Look, if someone uses it, we’ll know. It’s not exactly an easy thing to- ...hide.”

Curious at what had made the newcomer trail off, Legend looked back at them over his shoulder.

The redhead—the one who had ended the conversation—was staring at Wild in shock.

The pink-haired one, on the other hand, Legend recognized instantly. His head spun; the Chain had only just gotten the means to time travel themselves, how had the Hytopian guy with the friendship tokens-?!

Feeling Legend’s gaze on him, Fox looked up, unnerved, then froze in shock as he came to the same conclusion Legend did.

I know you. You shouldn’t BE here.

Suddenly, the train heaved, throwing everyone out of their seats. The once-smooth ride came to an abrupt halt as the train derailed, skidding across the raw ground with a terrifying SCREECH before grinding to a halt and tilting precariously. Twilight and Wild both scrambled to grab Epona and brace her as the car finally tipped, landing on its side with a crash.

Silence hung in the air for one brief, panic-laced second.

Then, in an instant, the redheaded stranger shoved his companion out the back door and vaulted over the cabin seats, barreling into Wild and leaping for the front door. As Wild was abruptly yanked out of his daze, he spotted the Sheikah Slate in the thief’s hand before the redhead made his escape.

Fox stared at Taps as he ran outside. “What are you doing?!”

“Shut up, I’m focusing!” Taps said, frantically clicking through the slate. “Where is it, this layout is atrocious-”

“Did you just steal the-”

“He had my control slate!”

“They had SWORDS!”

“So do we!” Taps stopped on a screen, and sighed in relief. “Finally!” With a blue flash, he summoned his Divine Beast, wasting no time in clambering on board. “Come on, get on!”

“But my clothes-”

“HEY!”

The two time travelers looked over as Wild emerged from the train car to shame mankind, eyes blazing with fury as he raced towards them.

Fox squeaked in alarm, quickly leaping onto the Divine Beast and clinging to Taps. “Drive, DRIVE!”

Wild did his best to give chase as the duo sped off, but his mortal Hylian legs couldn’t keep up with the ingenuity of Sheikah technology. Before his very eyes, two complete strangers fled into the distance with his Divine Beast.

Link picked himself up off the ground, clutching his ribs in pain as he raced back towards his toppled train.

He had so many people on board, he had a horse back there. If any of them were hurt—

Without a moment’s thought for himself, he threw the cabin door open. “Is everyone okay?!”

Everyone jolted, reaching for their weapons in panic, when suddenly, there was a yelp of pain from the back seat.

Sky clutched his stung hand as he dropped the Master Sword, staring at the engineer in shock.

“You’re...one of us.”

#i. am not revising this any more.#i'm aware that it's not my best work but this was difficult.#AAAAAAAAAAAA #anyways. enjoy #missing links chapter 1!#for those unaware #taps is the hero from the botw tapestry #fox is the faux hero from triforce heroes #and the engineer...yeah. spirit tracks #loz #zelda #spirit tracks #missing links is FINALLY #FINALLY UP #botw #linked universe #i need to practice more #the chain gets robbed #fanfiction

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