#I'll probably make more tags later too-

[kalitheinksimp]

Ayyy so I just realized we (as in the public) know barely anything about Kali lore/backstory, so I wonder if you've done anything about that?

Pretty much all that is known is:

(added filter to make it clear that it's a screenshot)

Since I believe you made the post I grabbed this from a quite while ago I thought maybe you may have gotten some backstory done? Or idk

It's just curiosity!

On yeah! I never really focused on it huh-

So I'm glad you asked Io! Cause i never would have actually wote it down otherwise lol whoops --

So, that's basically the main thing, Kali is not exactly a part of a specific au (well, she was once-) but, like Ink, she mainly likes to stay at doodlesphere as well. I like to keep it pretty open to interpretation as to what exactly happened basically so I can fit it in different scenarios lmao

Now, about the aus, it's also like Ink (or any other character from directly in multiverse) there's some aus involving her despite not being a part of one au, and depending on it, her lore also changes.

For example, in the comfort story au of mine, she lives in a previously abandoned au where Ink created a big house and some other of the sans aus live with her (partly- they still go back to their own au and stuff but it's basically like, a break from their usual life's of sorts)

However, in the main au that I draw the most of, she lives with only Ink. But they are traveling to all sorts of places most of the time cause Ink can't freaking stay in one place (/affectionate)-

In the garden au the only difference (from main au) is that they get married and have kids-

And there's a bunch more aus that I've created in my head!-

So basically, most of her background can be up to interpretation, she's basically a blank slate exept for her personality.

Exept for one thing that never changes no matter the au.

Her love for Ink ♡

[cupcakewebkinz]

You know, I was thinking about an idea I had then realized just how angsty it would be on one side and how much fluff it would be on the other and I'm curious about other people's ideas too ngl

So like, I was toying around with the idea of Shanon coming back to Gardenview and snatching up the loser lesbians and bringing them home with her to save from... Whatever happened. Shanon has no idea, she was never allowed to know, so she just has two VERY traumatized toons now. She'll know how to keep Shelly entertained and happy, she was ALWAYS with Shelly, but I highly doubt she'd know how to keep Vee in check at all.

Vee would probably quickly spiral into a mental crisis about it too, as now everything has been destroyed in her eyes. Nobody remembers her gameshows because they ended years ago, nobody remembers her because Gardenview closed years ago, nobody's interested in learning about her as she's outdated technology to them now. She'd be alone, only able to quiz Shelly now, but she's heard all her questions and knows all the answers by now. She'd probably start self isolating because she just doesn't know what to do with herself, lashing out at Shanon because she genuinely doesn't understand why people aren't fans of her anymore and wants to blame someone except herself. She would be such a wreck and probably have major beef with any new technology Shanon brings home because it replaced her in her mind. Vee is now just... Vee. She's not a celebrity any more, she's not loved by anyone except the toon handler who took her in and her now popular dinosaur girlfriend, and she would not have a clue what to do about it.

Shelly would most likely have the opposite problem, she looks like a living toon just wandering around like she's a common sight to see - of course people would notice! Kids would ask her about fossils and she'd happily tell them all about what she is and their minds would be blown by how much she knows, she'd probably be asked to play by kids who think she looks really neat and be dragged to the sandbox to 'fossil hunt' whenever Shanon takes them to the park. Shanon very much would hide plastic fossils in there too just to see Shelly smile, like she used to before her museum shut down. She'd be such an interesting sight to see that she'd get stared at, often asked what she actually is, and probably would be the talk of the town for a while. Eventually everyone would know that Shelly is just there to have fun, don't bother her too much, but at first everyone would be so shocked by a living breathing toon they'd swarm the poor thing! I'm sure Shelly would be just a little irritated by the constant unwarranted attention and stares, but so happy she's no longer forgotten.

Their roles would reverse is what I'm getting at here. It gives so much Vee angst to work with and Shelly comfort... I am brainrotting over this idea if that's not obvious

[whenastrofell]

Fugo and Abbacchio friendship is so important to me. They're both bitches and they bond over that. The bickering is enrichment.

[sayakxmi]

Saiouma Puella Magi AU, but Kokichi takes Madoka's role and Shuichi takes Homura's.

For one, Kokichi's too naturally distrustful to just hear "I can grant you any wish :)" and not think ok where's the hook. So he just does what no one ever has & essentially interrogates Kyubey, so he knows it all even before he gets to make a contract. So, some of his classmstes are MGs & he won't become one himself BUT he still ends up tagging along to just protect them in his Kokichi ways. (Though I'm entertaining Kokichi lying about being a magical girl, because, well, it's Kokichi).

(I also got a small idea of Gonta being a magical girls and Kokichi originally tagging along him into labyrinths, Gonta also makes him a magic gun from the toy one he had, and at some point witches out & Kokichi manages to kill him with that gun. So he always has that spare Grief Seed on himself, bc it's still his best friend & he can't handle the idea of just giving it away or using it himself (he does anyway in the end).)

Shuichi prolly ends up being a new kid & it isn't like MadoHomu, the ppl who reach him first are Kaede & Kaito, classic. Kokichi's there, too, but he's his usual sus self. He's actually discouraging ppl from making a contract when they find out magic and miracles are real, which absolutely includes Shuichi. He's very vocal abt it, but he won't explain stutf, bc 1) he's a liar, so who'd believe him? and 2) he doesn't want them to witch out upon finding out the truth or, idk, murder everybody Mami-style.

Anyway, fast forward, bad things happen bingo & by the end of the run most charas are dead, there's Walpurgis nachting, and he makes his wish to bring back the ppl who died notably not as magical girls. Contract signed, he fights & fails, rip. I also thought it was similar to how he thought he could end the killing game by himself - he though he could finish Walpurgisnacht by himself, too. And he failed in both times. Whatevs.

Shuichi doesn't actually make his time travel wish for Ouma specifically, he wants to save all his friends. Timelines are messy esp at first bc he either tells then or it backfires or just makes himself look very sus bc he's trying not to tell them. He also realizes why Kokichi hadn't told anybody aby witches at some point, bc, yeah, it messes them a lot, assuming they believe it.

Still, Kokichi ends up one of the few people who are nearly always giving him a chance, not necessarily out of belief, but out of pragmatism - bro can stop time & knows the truth, that's just too useful. So they often work together & Shuichi grows closer to him but still we ain't there yet. But the thing is, Shuichi's time travel still makes Kokichi more & more powerful with each timeline, bc Shuichi usually goes back after Kokichi dies, so the universe figured out this guy's life's important. Anyway, another notable thing is the iconic Homura kills Madoka scene, but it's Saiouma with guest stars of Kaito & Maki. It's Walpy, it's not defeated yet, but the training trio are spent & just kinda accept their fate of turning into witches together. And then, boom, Kokichi appears & steals their Soul Gems for a sec & he's like did u know you can cleanse your Soul Gem with a darkened one? But it's a lie & he quickly tells them so, he just had a spare Grief Seed after cleansing his Soul Gem & he needs them to do some stuff. Shuichi can travel back in time & fix things, and Maki & Kaito are needed to fight Walpy here. He actually questions what happens to the timelines Shuichi leaves behin, and ofc he doesn't know. There's a chance they remain, so Kokichi needs Maki & Kaito to fight Walpy here.

Kaimaki leave, and Shuichi finally looks at Kokichi & realizes sth is Wrong. Kokichi struggles to hide how he's trembling & grimacing, and it's Kokichi, so obviously it must be extremely bad. Shuichi dreadfully realizes something worse, and he weakly asks Kokichi why aren't his wounds healing. And Kokichi just falls, laughing weakly, and Shuichi catches him & searches for his Soul Gem and, God, he knew it. It's nearly completely black. Kokichi laughs & admits he lied abt having two Grief Seeds, he only had one he never wanted to use. But they'll have the second one soon, so no need to worry. He asks Shuichi to maybe destroy his witch form as it's hatching, so he'll have the Grief Seed without any fighting… and he admits that he hates fighting, he hates this magical world and all its violence. He says that Kaito was right in calling him a coward, even here he just can't handle the idea of fighting any longer, he's so sorry. And Shuichi tells him he ISN'T a coward. He was scared, but he always followed everybody, trying to help, and when push came to shove he would always make a contract for the benefit of others rather than himself. He's a lot of things, but a coward isn't one. Kokichi actually tears up hearing that, and Shuichi promises he won't let him fight ever again, and especially he won't let him turn into a witch and hurt anybody, because he knows it's the last thing he's ever wanted. Even now he only accepts turning into a witch to help them fight to keep others safe. So Shuichi won't let him. Kokichi probably apologizes and thanks him and then he dies.

Keeping Kokichi from fighting starts off as a side quest that gains importance with time, bc it's something Shuichi won't compromise on (ah, trauma), which leads him to occassionally neglect others a bit, which makes them more likely to get hurt & ironically Kokichi more likely to make a contract, especially since he gets more powerful & Kyubey is more interested in him with each timeline. And that also makes him witch out super quick. Shuichi's paying more attention to him & over time grows resentful of others for how they're treating him. To Shuichi it's no question that Kokichi cares & is just doing his best to help, but nobody realizes that.

But the biggest obstacle in keeping Kokichi from fighting is actually Kokichi himself, bc he's too smart and nosy, lmao. Even if he knows nothing, he will find out quickly. Doesn't help that Kyubey wants him to make a contract.

Also, obviously Kaito is Sayaka-coded and Maki could be Kyouko-coded, so that's a thing, BUT it's usually Maki that witches out. Kaito is usually pretty close, but Kokichi intervenes & he survives, but Maki later cracks on her own (and since in the new timeline Kokichi isn't there, Kaito's the one to die, so he's still the secretary). So it's Kaito who gets the dramatic sacrifice. I imagine he genuinely hoped you could bring somebody back if you tried Very Hard & Kokichi called him a moron bc obviously it's not possible. If it was there'd be far less witches that there are. But it's Kaito, he doesn't listen to reason. So, Kokichi follows him to the labyrinth. At first Kaito's mad cuz what if Kokichi being there ruins the plan? Maki hates his guts! But eventually he gets hit pretty hard, and Kokichi is near immediately by his side, trying to help him get up, which kinda makes Kaito short circuit a little bc wait Kokichi's trying to help? But witch!Maki attacks them & Kokichi pushes Kaito away & gets caught himself (and choked until unconsciousness, naturally). Anyway, Kaito gets him away, Shuichi catches Kokichi & Kaito makes up his mind about going down with Maki & asks Shuichi to tell Kokichi that he's sorry. He doesn't get him, but he got hurt trying to protect him, so he'll believe in that if nothing else. F.

As for The WishTM, in the last timeline Shuichi lashes out at Kokichi for his willingness to just become part of the system. In no timeline has his wish actually helped, it did NOTHINHG, which OUCH but it also makes Kokichi think out of the box more & he becomes the Law of Cycles. And Shuichi realizes what is happening & freaks out bc Kokichi's doing it bc of what he told him & like Homura they end up having a momentTM in space & Shuichi remembers. He feels a lot of guilt even tho he also questions whether anything was real, but if it was, he pushed somebody he far too realized he loved into erasing himself from existence.

[shima-draws]

I haven't watched more than like, 8 episodes of once piece, but i just want to say that i'm loving your live(?) blogging of the episodes as you go. especially all the sanji x luffy, it's all very cute in general but also how excited you get about it is fantastic.

that's all! i just love seeing people passionately enjoy things.

AAGFGHGHF THANK YOU OMG........I feel like I've been REALLY annoying talking about Sanlu nonstop but I'm glad at least somebody is enjoying it lmao. But if there's one place where I SHOULD have no filter and feel free to talk about my ships constantly, it should be my own blog right. LOL

Essentially,

[riverdebt]

POKEMON  VERSE  SUMMARY  —  or  alternatively,  my  attempt  at  organizing  my  thoughts  into  something  cohesive.  everything  here  is  subject  to  change  and  i  would  highly  recommend  checking  out  my  worldbuilding  summary  for  ruairi's  default  fandomless  verse  just  to  put  things  into  context.

styx  is  located  on  an  island  only  accessible  by  ferry.  on  the  surface,  it's  a  place  of  unparalleled  opulence  and  splendor.  the  mist  rising  from  the  waters  surrounding  it  produce  a  unique  visual  effect  where  it  never  truly  appears  to  become  daytime  when  you're  inside  of  the  city  —  though  the  mirage  fades  the  further  away  you  go.  despite  extensive  study,  there's  never  been  a  conclusive  explanation  for  this  phenomenon;  the  flora  and  fauna  (  native  and  otherwise  )  don't  appear  negatively  impacted  by  the  endless  night,  suggesting  the  effect  is  only  visual.  the  battling  scene  in  styx  is  as  much  of  a  spectacle  as  it  is  brutally  cutthroat  —  envision  the  high  level  competitive  play  of  the  battle  frontier  combined  with  the  glamor  and  theatrics  of  galar's  gym  challenge.  (  aesthetically,  it  also  resembles  a  grittier  poketopia  from  pokemon  battle  revolution.  )  there  isn't  a  formal  league  in  styx;  it's  too  small  for  that.  however,  tournaments  are  quite  common  and  serve  as  the  cornerstone  of  styx's  entertainment  industry.

the  most  illustrious  tournament  in  all  of  styx  is  known  as  the  stygian  invitational.  it's  held  once  every  year  and  as  the  name  suggests,  only  invited  trainers  are  allowed  to  participate.  the  easiest  way  to  earn  a  place  in  the  stygian  roster  is  by  winning  one  of  the  smaller  competitions  hosted  in  styx  year  round.  however,  it  is  possible  to  bypass  that  requirement  entirely  by  securing  an  invitation  from  one  of  the  twelve  malebranche  families.  (  as  they  are  the  ones  who  control  styx.  )  however,  in  typical  malebranche  fashion  the  entire  affair  is  very  corrupt  —  betting  rings  and  sabotage  abound.  the  families  treat  the  tournament  as  if  they're  sending  prized  fighters  off  to  war;  whoever  gambles  on  the  correct  trainer  reaps  gratuitous  rewards,  whereas  the  losers  slip  ever-further  into  debt  and  obscurity.  the  consequences  aren't  only  limited  to  the  malebranche  —  if  you  strike  a  deal  with  one  of  the  families,  you  better  be  prepared  to  fulfill  your  side  of  the  bargain.  though  for  some,  the  allure  of  fame  and  fortune  is  well  worth  the  cost  of  selling  their  soul.

there  is  also  definitely  some  kind  of  criminal  activity  going  on  behind  the  scenes.  not  directly,  of  course  —  though  the  families  certainly  aren't  above  colluding  with  team  rocket  and  the  like.  in  styx,  the  malebranche  serve  as  judge,  jury  and  executioner  —  their  corruption  obscured  behind  a  smokescreen  of  bread  and  circuses.  don't  worry;  just  enjoy  what  luxuries  the  city  has  to  offer.

[cutebunnys50]

idk if I ever publicly yapped about how much I love SV Teto but I really truly do lmao, I love both UTAU Teto and SV Teto immensely, which is a lot. Basically whatever Miku x Teto brainrot anyone can imagine me with, just multiply it by 100 and you're marginally closer to just how much I love them lmao

[jennchecks]

.

[luifaro]

man i hate roblox roleplays that start off as silly little jokes that become more serious because i have a little guy now. a little siffrin variant but their lore is STUPID because when they were born (aka undied) we were still in the jokey phase so literal nonsense happened and i don't KNOW what to do... curse you stardust and your honestly exciting idea. so basically loop turns back into siffrin and siffrin turns into loop.

"but what's so stupid about that, tumblr user louie far o?"

it'll make less sense in context so here!!!!! (note really long and rambly + prolly makes no sense i'm so sorry)

ok you know how loops like a loser or something (idk i didn't play the prologue yet i'm mostly basing this off tumblr osmosis and how i roleplayed them don't kill me!!!!!!!) who ruins everything? WHAT IF absolutely crazy shit happened to them!!!!!

so to start off loop ended up meeting a siffrin they were fairly sure was the real one and fondly nickname them sleepyfrin because they look tired. they also meet hatfrin (sleepyfrin doesn't have their hat, hatfrin does) but don't like hatfrin as much as they like sleepyfrin (loop finds hatfrin annoying), so sleepyfrin's their favorite siffrin variant!!!!

anyway loop and bonnie end up egging the two siffrins on and trying to get them to fight, though of course sleepyfrin doesn't want to because he has like. morals or something boring like that. hatfrin's eager though!!!!

left loop and right loop (sits on the left side of the favor tree) (my loop sits on the right because i was stupid and forgot they sit on the left) end up beefing though i don't remember why (i think it was just a simple "there can be only one" thing but not entirely sure) the stars are fighting man. left loop and right loop are both trying to cook each other... bonnie gets popcorn and shares some with right loop (they absorb it??? idk they still don't have a mouth)

sleepyfrin sadly DIIIEES because they ate pineapple (left loop made them food that contained PINEAPPLE!!!!!) but hatfrin didn't (right loop also didn't because they don't have a mouth)

a little after that, bonnie also got hatfrin some pineapples and they and right loop basically guilt-trip hatfrin into eating it even though loop knew it'd kill him and then he loops, proving that HE'S the real siffrin. (right loop is not happy.)

they like. died because left loop built a BOMB to KILL right loop!!!!! (had glue so they couldn't get it off their hands.) they're told to defuse it but it doesn't really work out like that because the bomb would be very difficult if not impossible to defuse. the bomb EXPLODES so loop their little stardust DIIIE. (they were standing in the blast radius when it went off but on a good note so was sleepyfrin's ghost, so they undie because in this canon ghosts getting killed again makes them undie)

hatfrin loops again but loop is still dead (and now a ghost)

and then loop undies (something about how killing ghosts brings them back to life.) but this makes loop turn into siffrin and siffrin (formerly hatfrin) is turned into loop. this is a confusing predicament as there are already a couple other siffrins (just sleepyfrin at the time but confusedfrin also appears later on) (sleepyfrin's called that cause loop noticed they look tired)

sleepyfrin is ofc CONFUSED about what just happened. loopfrin tells sleepy to not look and that it'll make sense if they don't so they're like "ok." and he turns away for a bit. sifloop suggests that loopfrin pretends to be hatfrin and tells them where to find his hat (it's in the clocktower)

so yeah loopfrin just kinda skedaddles to go steal that hat. they return and sleepyfrin turns back to look at them and is like "what took you so long" (something like that i think) and loopfrin just kinda admits what actually happened, though it's kind of confusing.

so loopfrin renames themself stardust to not be confused with anyone else (but they'll still call other siffrins stardust so it's still very confusing. "Stardust!" vs ", stardust!") at some point confusedfrin appears (can't entirely remember how i think they were just also under the tree?) and they get the nickname confusedfrin because they were very confused at the time about what was going on. after confusedfrin appears the three siffrins aren't sure about what to do (mostly sleepyfrin) but then stardust gets a plan (totally not inspired by the one thing where siffrin and loop swap out every now and again) where the idea is they'll all pretend to be the same siffrin and interact with the party one at a time. stardust goes out first since the other two would rather not.

sifloop follows them. they meet bonnie and they come up with a story about how loop (actually sifloop) is a wish star that fell out of the sky and that they're going to help them get back up there and bonnie's like woaaw. skip a bit (i forgot part before this) and wowza it's mirabell!!!! stardust meets mirabelle and ends up accidentally spilling the beans about being in a timeloop (tldr got confused and thought mirabelle wasn't joking when she said she was trapped in a timeloop so they blabbed thinking they were both trapped and just never said anything to each other) and they feel so BAD and STUPID they RUN BACK to the favor tree and climb to the top where all they're friends are and start crying and freaking out cause they think they RUINED IT and that everyone knows now!!!!!!!!!

other frins try to comfort stardust but it doesn't quite work and at sifloop's suggestion they impulsively decide to run off to the clocktower to run away from their problems a bit. other siffrins chased them i think. they end up in the clocktower and i sadly miss the next part because i went afk but before the part i missed, it turns out isa and bonnie were downstairs and UH OH this is bad!!!!!!! stardust starts panicking and insulting themself because this was a STUPID IDEA and they're FUCKED NOW.

sifloop tells them to QUIET DOWN so the nerds downstairs won't hear them and they try to quieet doown... but end up having to hide anyway because skill issue. so stardust, sleepyfrin, and confusedfrin all end up HIDING and luckily aren't seen?? sadly then i miss a part but from what i saw i think confusedfrin and sifloop were arguing about something. stardust feels like. very terrible about everything and doesn't want to come outta the closet (they were hiding in there). sleepyfrin tries to talk to them but they won't respond, so confusedfrin talks to em and lets them know that they won't leave them behind. yk yk the whole moment is very sweet. (conversation went like this basically: "i'm so STUPID and RUINED EVERYTHING." "ok but i don't think anyone else would've known what to do in this situation." "why not just leave me behind?" "stardust listen. no matter what, we aren't leaving you behind.") stardust reluctantly accepts that confusedfrin just isn't gonna give up on them and decides they have to come out then.

yay the siffrin trio is BACK BABY!!!!!!!!! they come up with a new plan which is to basically pretend they're loop's guardians or something and they just happen to look like siffrin. they go downstairs and try it out!!! stardust gets to show off their charisma and stands on the table because they're cool. once they're done distracting isa and bonnie they RUUUUUUUUNN ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FAVOR TREE!!!!!

stardust remarks that running from their problems has NEVER felt better and that they should do it more often! sleepyfrin and confusedfrin end up climbing to the top of the favor tree again and they have a conversation, though stardust isn't really paying attention at this point. sifloop suggests they just loop back but yk... they sadly can't because they techincally aren't siffrin. this reveal results in sifloop having an IDEA.... if stardust can't reset despite having physically become siffrin, perhaps sifloop can STILL loop despite being loop. but how to test it out? for a moment stardust forgets they have a dagger, that is, until sifloop reminds them of it. (first suggestion was to feed them pineapple like the first time stardust KILLED sifloop but they don't realize in the moment that it was a reference. dw they'll reference it again later and stardust will realize.) stardust stabs sifloop until they die, resulting in all the siffrins looping back to the meadow (but notably stardust is still a siffrin and sifloop is still loop.)

stardust wakes up in the meadow to have sleepyfrin tease them a bit about being a little sleepyhead, saying they should've been named sleepyfrin instead. as revenge, stardust makes fun of sleepy moments later when they get confused and says maybe they should've been named confusedfrin instead. sleepyfrin talks to stardust a bit about how they're upset they looped without warning the others (and also a little because they stabbed sifloop). they come to an agreement, that being that they'll ask the other siffrins before looping next time. sifloop on the other hand, is off talking to The Horrors (Mal Du Pays). no one properly recognizes mal du pays but stardust gets a little concerned cause mal seems aggressive and could be attacking sifloop. luckily for them, they get to avoid having a confrontation because mal du pays leaves. that is, until sifloop starts a SEARCH mission for them!!!!!!!

confusedfrin (as their namesake suggests), is a little confused about what happened both in and out of character (was afk dw we told em the LORE..) sleepy and confused end up following after stardust and sifloop for a bit before they'd end up searching the clocktower for mal du pays (sifloop saw them in the corner earlier) since sleepy and confused get the bright idea to just. not. and take a break so they can continue the conversation they were having before stardust RUDELY looped.

stardust notices they're gone and starts trying to look for them. they end up correctly guessing that they're back at the clocktower. stardust doesn't realize they were avoiding them and sifloop so no worries! they talk for a bit, stardust and sifloop have a convo where they reveal they no longer hate hatfrin (sifloop) and that they don't really have a favorite siffrin anymore cause they're all their friends now!!!! in this time sleepyfrin comes up with the idea of them having their own parties with a separate captain. sleepy and sifloop are one team, and stardust and confusedfrin are the other. stardust, being the captain of their party, decide that their party will buy sleepy and sifloop time by distracting anyone who were to discover team confusedstars, making it clear that if they're running away, sleepyloop better run.

uh oh Mal Du Pays at four'o clock!!!!!! sleepyfrin approaches mal and tries to free them. in return, they whisk em away to the void while traumatizing them with the voices of their party!! and NOT JUST them either, because poor stardust heard it too. the sound mal du pays made terrifies them so much they run all the way back to the favor tree again, confusedfrin chasing after them.

they're in full panic mode this time. they can't stop laughing, something's so funny they can't stand it. they let It take sleepyfrin. they let it take sleepyfrin. they let- oh heeeyyyy it's confusedfrin!!! they found stardust! yeeah stardust is not looking too good. confusedfrin tries telling stardust to calm down but YEEAH THAT DOESN'T HELP. HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN??? confusedfrin tells them to breathe. they're panting like a dog boiling in the sun. sifloop also tries telling them to calm down. they end up YELLLIING. CALM DOWN??? HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN? SLEEPYFRIN IS DEAD BECAUSE OF THEM! THEY KILLED SLEEPYFRIN! THEY'RE GONE!

sifloop: vro literally just loop. oh right they forgot they could try that. they're unsure though. would sleepyfrin WANT them to loop? should they really? what if it doesn't work? they consult their friends and come to a decision. they'll try out looping again.

wooo!!!!!!!!!!!! the wicked BEAST is GONE! sleepyfrin is BACK BABY!!!!!!! sleepy's kind of confused since once moment they were in the terror void and the next they're suddenly in the meadow again. stardust sees him and IMMEDIATELY rushes the poor guy and HUUUGGGG!!!!!!! they're so happy he's ok they're so glad sleepyfrin is back . in fact they're so glad they actually SCREAMED "SLEEPYFRIN!!!!!!!" when they saw them instead of calling them stardust. sifloop teases them ("when are you going to kiss?") and all the sentimentality is OVER. no more hugs. this is because stardust loves teasing but hates being teased.

and that's it... the... END.

[bug-decal-kissing]

Hey friends!

A new work, "Going 3-D" by a_library_of_old, was published today, with 1/1 chapters released! It has a rating of General Audiences and No Archive Warnings Apply, with additional tags "Fluff, How Do I Tag, no beta we die like men"

You can read it here:

Always a big fan of their human forms; especially Prismo not knowing how to walk at first. It's the perfect excuse for them to get physically closer to each other >:]. Prismo getting overwhelmed at being human for the first time is always relatable to my autistic butt ebhnjfvmkg. The ending of them cuddling sitting together and looking at the space outside the Time Cube was super cute too :].

[pillowenvelopchair]

Hey guys!! this is just my insane ramble on Still Waters Run Deep that's made by the lovely @un-local. I've had so so sooooo many thoughts about this fic and I decided to try and put it all coherently in a post :)

Probably not a lot of new insights, just many, many rambles

Magdalene analysis and her view on Rogier + some other stuff

Magdalene, at the start of the story, is aimless and refuses to follow any line of Grace, putting off whatever it leads to and going in the opposite direction. Yet Grace is fickle, and it all eventually converges, so she gives in. (aaaand a life-changing partnership ensues)

She wants out of the competition of becoming Elden Lord, and she wants nothing to do with it. Someone else to take lordship is what she wants. Magdalene, in her eyes, is not worthy to take the throne. But Rogier on the other hand…

Rogier is, quite literally, built different. He thinks differently compared to Magdalene (a STR vs INT user difference lol). He’s able to pick out all the details that she would miss. Be able to extrapolate and examine it all and be able to learn from it. Magdalene can't do that.

It's basically:

Rogier: says some fun facts about the most random thing in the room, saying all the history behind it, and what the tiny details could mean Magdalene: yeah, that's a rock.

So instead, she becomes a tool for Rogier to be able to use, because that's the least she can do for him.

“She can already feel the faint grin forming on her lips at the thought. She never wanted to be Elden Lord. She’d finally picked up and followed grace to... to get away, with no idea what it called her to do. When Melina told her where it led her, she felt only dread. But Rogier... To save Those Who Live in Death... Two birds, one stone. She meets his eyes, and doesn’t look away. In them, she doesn’t see pride, or avarice. She doesn't see a man who wants to rule the world. Not at all. The path forward is clear now.” -Chapter 22

For once, she really sees a light from the dark future she sees. She's hopeful that she won't have to take the throne, that Rogier can burden it instead of her. He's worthy in her eyes and because of that, she devotes herself to him with all she can do. (Ah but… I believe Rogier wants her to be Elden Lord? Not sure but her not wanting to be Elden Lord doesn’t quite fit with what he has planned)

Magdalene really holds onto Rogier, and his guidance (a comfort wizard, if you will). And so the idea that he won’t make it… that she’ll be left alone with Grace again, forced to join back into the competition for lordship... It's sickening to her. So she really clings to him, desperate to not be left alone with a destiny that she despises.

Magdalene is always pulled into different directions. Grace pulls her to one but she pulls herself to the opposite one. Fia and D are both on extreme sides of the spectrum on Rogier's survival, and Magdalene is caught right in the middle of it.

But for her, Rogier will survive, he has to survive otherwise... that light, that small hope she has will all fade into obscurity.

Ghosts from the past (Lorens and Ida)

I absolutely love how something, or rather, someone haunts both of them.

Lorens had been the catalyst of all of what Rogier does now. Why he’s so desperate to save those who live in death. He's literally devoted his body and mind to Lorens just to see him alive (maybe Rogier's devoting all of himself to finding a solution to death because he wants it to come back to the old times when it was just him and Lorens in the Rise, or maybe not!! I'm just rambling lol).

Every thought of Lorens is painted with a sort of bittersweetness to it. From Rogier's perspective, at the very least (I'm super curious as to how Lorens would view Rogier but we'll probably never get it because... you know...). He's almost obsessed with him, and it's all pretty unhealthy lol.

Magdalene, who’s haunted by Ida who's probably a sort of lover that hadn't been fully brought to fruition. Different opinions on what they have had made Magdalene leave with (from what I have seen at least, we have scrapes of her, people! I can't wait to see more of Ida though)

Now with Ida... Magdalene absolutely shakes herself out of every thought she has about Ida. Spurning every single thought or imagination she has of that woman.

"Nausea comes in waves. Fever. She can feel delirium taking her—she’s convinced she’s submerged in the very waters of creation, for a while. She vividly feels herself sinking deeper and deeper into a current; cold and dark and inescapable. As it pulls her down, she’s overcome with the instinct to breathe it in— Against her temple she feels a hand, with gentle fingers dragging softly through her hair. Suddenly, every layer of the dream collapses in on itself, and she jolts awake with a gasp.  Here, in Liurnia, she hauls herself up, rubbing at her face. Even the memory is a shock of cold water to her. She’s a woman haunted." -Chapter 23

(I just really love this part- I can't help it)

I think it's also really interesting how Magdalene leaves Ida due to their differences in what they have (?) while Rogier just absolutely hangs onto Lorens no matter what, despite him being... er... him. Not so sure about his personality with the small flashbacks we get of him but he’s probably not good for Rogier.

In short, Rogier venerates Lorens, while Magdalene absolutely rejects Ida. (Opposites!)

Rogier’s overthinking

Also found it interesting that when Rogier thinks he really thinks. He's a professional overthinker, even in the past

"He thinks of the labyrinthian etiquette, the way he’d triple-check every sentence for a double meaning. The secrets, the ruthless political schemes. It all felt like a spider’s web to him. He’d learned the game, and he played it well, but it had been nothing but paranoia and misery for him. Just like it was for everyone else." -Chapter 17

It's what's kept him alive (Ch. 17), and what's been able to pave the way for his findings Yet, it’s also his curse. He tries to pick out every detail that he can and think of every possible reason or motivation. Every single outcome he just needs to know so that he won't get caught by surprise again. He needs to be in control of the situation, he needs to be the master of the chessboard.

Oh and once this guy spirals, he really spirals. He starts thinking and looking at details, rewinding every single thing, every interaction, and trying to label a reason for every little thing. Yet... something emotional seems to break the surface of the water.

I personally think that he was raised to overthink. He was a noble after all, and he dealt with politics. He truly needed to check, double check, triple check, every single sentence and word in case it would have a double meaning. "He’d learned the game, and he played it well" (Ch. 17) . Getting worse after Lorens' death, being fooled by "Only a cut." (Ch. 25) and seeing the aftermath of it.

He can't not do it because if he doesn't, and he gets surprised it would break him (or at the very least, freak him out).

ALSO!! Rogier hating on "saccharine conversations" (Ch. 17) good lord. This guy cannot be real with anyone. Rogier refuses to show vulnerability because:

1. He was raised like that (the whole attachment theory thing) 2. He will absolutely break if he does

Do you guys remember when Fia tells Magdalene that "dear Rogier began to weep as he spoke" (Ch.14)? Fia saw through Rogier's walls through the cracks and he just absolutely breaks down. (Get yourself a man who, after "embracing" tells you all about this thing he's obsessed about and then cries because of it)

It's a mortifying ordeal, that someone's able to see through the walls you've meticulously put up. It hits something deep within that he’s tried to bury.

Despite the walls he puts up people other than Fia see through them. Magdalene (Ch.7) was able to see through the small cracks that have broken, and Roderika... hoo she really hit a nerve didn’t she? (But it also hit one of her nerves too, Rogier vs Roderika am I right?)

Chapter 17 analysis

Also, while we’re on the topic of Roderika, let's talk about chapter 17! Seems I have a lot to talk about.

I absolutely love this chapter so much, it gives us so much insight into Rogier's backstory and the way he thinks. His noble background really shines through here, with how he acts with Roderika who is a fellow ex-noble too.

"His grin is wide and carefree, but it rather feels like he's baring his teeth.  There’s no room for your pity here." -Chapter 17

This guy cannot accept any sign of sympathy/compassion with anyone. It's all pity to him, and he absolutely hates pity. Once Roderika starts to console him too it sickens him and it makes him bare his teeth like an animal, his baser instinct showing just a little bit.

He’s probably bore his teeth to other nobles in the court, or whatever meetings they have with one another. Small threats that get the message across by a vicious smile, is something he is all too familiar with.

I also think that it's a little bit funny how he gives advice to Roderika but then is also a little bit of a hypocrite about it

“It’s hard, to leave it behind. But the old world will keep its claws in you, if you let it.” -Chapter 17

Rogier while it's not his past life that he's stuck but rather, he is stuck on Lorens. Even though Rogier is no longer Lorens' student, even though Lorens is dead, he still has his claws on Rogier. It's his entire motivation, why he's in a "pathetic" state now. He isn't letting those claws go, he lets them dig deeper within him, and they dig in deep.

“You already have it within you," he says. "They were only trying to bury it.” -Chapter 17

Rogier immediately buries his own emotions in this interaction when Roderika tries to console him lol. Just based off of him being an ex-noble and his whole family thing, it's well established that he is very much used to burying it all down his gullet. I mean, is it really Rogier without emotional suppression?

Also Rogier tends to close off all the matters that relate to what he feels in his dialogue both in game and in SWRD. This guy cannot let out just a slight moment of vulnerability

A Color Theory Thing on my read on Rogier's garb:

Rogier, with his background being grounded in nobility has suppressed his baser desires in exchange for meaningless political schemes that have only brought him misery. Yet after coming to these lands, he finds himself with Lorens.

He wears a Raya Lucarian Robe and it has red on it. It's a sign of baser instincts being shown for once. He has grown an infatuation with Lorens despite being his student.

Yet, Rogier is still mostly blue, and he still suppresses that baser desire that he’s developed, that infatuation for Lorens. He never once builds up the courage to be able to tell Lorens what he feels. He would always bury those feelings down, and as a result he can't let go of it. It's far too deep to be buried back up.

But once Lorens has died, Rogier changes too.

He exchanges those garbs for yellow and turquoise (I think?). He's a mix of colors and beliefs.

He still has the blue in the turquoise, which symbolizes calm, intelligence, and emotional control (you can’t spell Rogier without emotional control) But turquoise isn't just blue, it also has green.

Green represents growth, life, and new beginnings. This is a new beginning for Rogier, who's set out for a new goal, to be able to save those who live in death (and perhaps give them life? Not so sure on that but in SWRD that seems to be the case with Lorens).

It's balanced by yellow. Creativity and originality, he's almost the only person we meet who wants to save TWLID. Not only that but yellow also symbolizes illness, which could be a foreshadowing of what happens to him later in his life.

It's not just sickness though, yellow also symbolizes deception. Rogier lies, but I necessarily think he's someone who is always deceptive. He's more like the type of guy who would lie so that an encounter would go well or not hurt someone else's feelings. I think he's like that from that whole ex-nobility thing he's got going on. Political schemes and lying through a smile is something that he's familiar with. (It also doesn't help that he keeps being emotionally suppressed too lol)

Cowardice is another. Rogier is scared to tell anyone about his emotions, to take that risk of being honest with someone. His background in nobility and his family definitely doesn't help either.

Rogier had been too scared to be true to Lorens and tell him his feelings, and because of that, he would never be able to. I feel like he's avoided it even more afterward. He refuses to take that jump of being honest with someone, whether it's about his emotions or his ideals, he doesn't let them go.

But when he does? With D, it completely breaks off everything they've had. Everything that they could have been.

"Beguiled fool. A rotten, sick bastard. Fouled by them. A wicked, two-faced user. Heartless. Loathsome parasite. How could he? Were they not supposed to set this crooked world straight? Profane. A perversion of honor. A madman." -Chapter 5

“Get out of my sight.” “I’m sorry.” He’d said, and he was. But Darian’s lips curled back, and he jerked his head away and locked his eyes on the horizon. His jaw twitched, in the moment he took to reply.  “Don’t talk to me.” There was nothing he could do to fix this. To undo his mistakes, to spare Darian his intentions." -Chapter 5

It's all gone because he had been honest about his goals (presumably). This experience probably strengthened that emotional suppression so as to not be hurt/caught by surprise.

So when Magdalene, someone who wholeheartedly accepts his ideals and sees his side for once, he's cautious. He can't believe that someone can genuinely agree with him because all the times that he has been honest, he's been punished for it. (though, he reminds himself that she's not like that)

In short, this guy's a mixed bag. A mixed bag with problems

(basing this off of the Elden Ring color theory video, it was an absolute joy to watch)

[EDIT]: idk what to call this section but he seems to seek out some form of approval. Lets see how that ties in with his grief!

"He still doesn’t understand why. What did he do, specifically? Or was he just past his usefulness? Deemed unfit to rule? He never truly wanted to rule as Lord, but to be cast aside so indifferently—it had shaken him.  Every now and then he fumbles with this, again and again, but he knows. He does. He knows that grace has forsaken him for good reason. He’s a heretic. An apostate. He who does not obediently bow before a faltering, decrepit Order, so ill-equipped to handle the world as it is. " -Chapter 5

"All these years. Couldn’t change a thing. Rather pathetic, I’d say—what a fool, thinking that this crooked world could be made right by mortal hands. Sure, deathblight. Truly, a fitting end for a worthless, rotten bastard." -Chapter 12

Now, speaking from some personal experience, being raised in a family that's of nobility and expects so much out of you from a young age definitely breeds some kind of self-worth issues that really stick with you. Especially if you haven't had anyone to truly support you.

Because of that, I believe that Rogier, in a way, is trying to prove his worth. But not to the Order, I think that he's in some way trying to please Lorens. Even in death.

He puts everything into his studies of Death, searching and scouring for scraps of information just to give him a single lead on anything, and for what?

"Its fulfillment will be a selfish act of altruism. These crooked lands will set right, by his hands, for a reward of nothing at all. But make no mistake: he needs another day. And another after that, and another after that. He needs his questions answered with questions, he needs his notes corrected in an unreadable hand, he needs to hear one more “Well—” followed by the most opaque, convoluted tangle of sentences ever constructed. There’s no reward he seeks, but the warm smile of cold gray eyes and a scoff about just what he’s wearing nowadays. " -Chapter 19

Rogier devotes himself to saving TWLID (saving Lorens, in reality), but it's not because it's all for selfless reasons, he seems to want things to go back to the way things used to be. Back at the Rise, with just him and Lorens once more.

I don't think Rogier ever accepted Lorens' death. He's determined to bring back Lorens, desperately trying to find a solution to bring him back no matter what.

And it’s quite hypocritical isnt it? That Rogier wants to change the Order to be able to sort of… revive Lorens from Death. To go back to the old times that they both had had.

This guy refuses to grieve and is searching (desperately) for a solution for a dead man who's probably not even good for him. Get this man some therapy

This entire post's summary is just me going:

Anyway, that's all for my crazy rambles! I can't wait to see how SWRD will progress, and how everyone will intermingle and grow with one another (Rogier and Mags)!!!! :0)

Have some doodles + a WIP that I'll probably never finish as a treat for reading this! (Mag's torso was wayyy too long on the second one oops)

(bonus boggart because I love him)

[vexacarnivorous]

i won't post it for now since i use real names in it, but i sent the website i made for one of my best friend's birthday to her and she liked it :)

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

now that the weapons beta is over, here's just a few more fancy shots of temp characters left over from the event.

Pact Admiral Trin (Human Daredevil) Eimear the Sharp (Sylvari Mirage) Protector Glonn (Asura Willbender)

and under the cut, all the betas on the character select screen:

[wordwizards]

Heather is a huge fan of horror movies, but especially body horror and splatter horror. I just gave her my weird thing where I mostly watch horror movies but for some reason only read mystery books

[keithyp00]

•·.·´`·.·•• You're Lying (and other things Sam won't stop saying) ••·.·´`·.·•

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x f!reader

Warnings/Tags: language, mild suggestiveness, comedy, romance, light-angst, found family, slow burn payoff, excessive teasing, established relationship, Sam being annoying

Trope: Everyone thinks you're not really dating. You are. No one believes you.

Word Count: 2.0K

Author Note: Guys this is just like my last one, this is to help me mentally prep for an AP exam tomorrow morning so if this is bad I am so sorry. But I hope you enjoy this nonetheless <3

Please do not copy or translate any of my works. Thank you!

You and Bucky were dating.

Like- really dating.

In the 'he's seen you at your absolute worst and still kisses your cheek like he doesn't look at you any differently' kind of way. The 'you keep an extra toothbrush at his place and he makes your coffee how you like it without asking' kind of way. The 'he pulls you into his lap during team movie nights and smiles against your shoulder, murmuring words into your ear like it's not the most dangerous thing he could do' kind of way.

And no one believed you.

Especially not Sam.

"Oh, come one," he said, flatly, as he walked in on you and Bucky curled up on the couch. "This again?"

You blinked. "We're watching Pretty Woman, Sam."

"You're spooning."

"We're affectionate."

"You're not even kissing! He's probably just cold. You know he runs cold. Like a cyborg space lizard or something."

Bucky growled. "Cyborg space-?!"

"Right," Sam interrupted. "Sure. Keep telling people you're dating. I'll be over here living in reality."

You buried your face into Bucky's neck. "I hate him," you mumbled.

"You love him," Bucky corrected with a sigh. "You just want him to validate our relationship."

"I want him to believe in our relationship. There's a difference."

Sam, in the kitchen, called out: "I don't!"

Bucky flipped him off without looking.

~~~~~

The problem wasn't that you and Bucky didn't act like a couple.

The problem was that you didn't act like a normal couple.

You didn't post mushy selfies. You didn't wear matching shirts. You didn't coo pet names across conference tables. You just... existed. Comfortable. Quietly in sync. The kind of romance that felt more like a heartbeat than a firework.

Too subtle for people like Sam Wilson, apparently.

"You didn't even kiss when you got back from that mission," Sam pointed out, a few weeks later. "She was gone for five days, man."

Bucky, polishing a knife, didn't look up. "I kissed her afterward. In private."

"See, that's the problem! You hide it. Makes it look fake."

"I'm sorry," you snapped. "I didn't realize our love life was for public broadcast. Want us to livestream the next one?"

Sam looked delighted. "That's a strong reaction. I hit a nerve. This is faker than Tony's allergy to gluten."

Tony called from down the hall: "It's real, you bastard!"

~~~~~

At first, it was funny.

Then it got exhausting.

You weren't insecure about your relationship- Bucky made sure of that, every day, in a dozen quiet ways. He cooked for you. Kissed your temple. Held your hand under tables. Brushed his thumb along your jaw like it was the most precious part of you.

But still. No one believed it.

Not Nat, who called it "convenient physical proximity."

No Clint, who claimed he'd never seen you kiss with tongue (as id that were a valid benchmark).

Not even Steve, who offered a gentle "Are you sure he's not just emotionally dependent on you?"

It all came to a head one night at a bar.

You'd just finished a mission and everyone was letting off steam. Sam leaned against the bar counter beside you, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"So," he started. "You and Barnes still 'dating'?"

You narrowed your eyes. "Yes."

"Hmm. Okay." He sipped his beer. "So if I leaned in and kissed you right now, he wouldn't deck me?"

You stared at him.

"Try it," Bucky said darkly from behind, voice like cracked gravel.

Sam smiled. "Still not proof."

Bucky grabbed your hand. "You want proof?"

"Bucky-" you warned.

"No, no. He wants a show. Let's give him one."

He yanked you flush against him, hand cupping your jaw, and kissed you.

Not a polite kiss.

Not a we're-dating-I-swear kiss.

A I-know-every-inch-of-your-mouth-and-I-love-you kiss.

Hot. Possessive. Unapologetic.

You melted into it, clutched his shirt, kissed him back with something that sounded like a whimper because Jesus.

When he pulled away, Sam blinked. "...Okay. Damn."

"Believe us now?" Bucky raised a brow.

Sam blinked again. "Not really."

You grabbed a pretzel stick and stabbed it into the foam of Sam's beer. "I hope you step on RedWing."

~~~~~

Even after that, the teasing didn't stop.

Because of course it didn't.

"You probably practiced that," Sam said a few days later.

"What?"

"That kiss. You planned it. Just to throw me off."

Bucky rubbed his temples. "You are the most annoying man I've ever met."

"You're just mad I cracked the code."

"There is no code!"

You yanked open the fridge, pulled out a tub of frosting, and started eating it with a spoon. "I actually cannot live like this."

Sam pointed at the spoon. "See? No real girlfriend would let her boyfriend see that."

"Bucky bought me this frosting."

Bucky looked like he was about to get up and beat the shit out of Sam if he didn't start walking away.

~~~~~

Eventually, you gave up.

Let them believe what they wanted.

You and Bucky still kissed behind closed doors, curled together on the couch, whispered sleepy confessions after long days.

Until-

One night, you got sick.

Really sick. The kind of body-aching, fever-drenched flu that turned you into a grumpy, sniffling, corpse with a bag full of used tissues beside your bed.

And Bucky took care of everything.

He brought you soup. Rubbed your back. Helped you shower when you were too weak to stand. Brushed your hair out of your face. Slept beside you even when you told him not to.

Sam stopped by to check on you and walked in on Bucky holding your hand while you slept, forehead pressed to your wrist like he was praying.

He backed out slowly.

Didn't say anything.

Didn't tease.

Didn't breathe.

The next morning, there was a small gift basket on your nightstand.

From Sam.

With a card.

"Okay. You win. He loves you. I won't say another word. P.S. Please don't tell anyone I'm capable of this level of sincerity. I have a rep to protect."

~~~~~

You- of course- showed Bucky the card.

He smirked. "About damn time."

You kissed him with a smile.

And this time, no one questioned it.

~~~~~

The peace lasted exactly five days.

Five beautiful, uninterrupted days.

No teasing, no smug side-eyes, no Sam accusing you of being part of an elaborate CIA cover operation. Just you, Bucky, some early morning kisses over coffee, and one blessed evening where you somehow convinced him to slow dance in the kitchen to 40s music.

And then Sam broke into your new apartment. One you thought would give you full time peace compared to the Avengers compound.

(he claimed he "used the spare key." You knew he just picked the lock.)

"Morning, lovebirds," he smiled brightly, leaning against the doorframe like this wasn't the worst intrusion since Ross kissed someone else while he and Rachel were on a break.

You stared at him over Bucky's shoulder, still wrapped in his hoodie with sleep-mussed hair and a mug of tea between your palms. "It's 7:13 a.m."

"I brought bagels."

"And chaos."

Sam strolled in. "And relationship advice."

Bucky looked up from the couch, dead-eyed. "Why?"

"Because now that I know you two are the real deal, I gotta make sure you stay real."

You rubbed your temples. "We're not a gas leak, Sam."

"No, but you're both stubborn and weirdly avoidant and emotionally repressed, and frankly, I'm impressed it took me this long to be needed."

Bucky mumbled, "I'd rather be waterboarded."

Sam ignored him and slapped a notebook onto the table. "Step one: scheduled communication check-ins."

"Oh my god-"

~~~~~

You tried ignoring him.

Didn't work.

Because Sam became relentless. He started showing up with couple's quizzes.

Brought you a deck of 'relationship conversation starters.'

Installed an app on Bucky's phone called 'LoveTracker.'

("It's like Find My iPhone, but romantic," he said. Bucky installed it in twelve seconds.)

And worst of all- he documented everything.

"Bucky," he'd say mid-mission, "when was the last time you complimented her non-physically?"

You stared at him. "Non-physically?"

"Yeah. Like her intelligence. Or her moral compass. Or how she hasn't murdered me yet."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "I call her my girl every morning."

"That's possessive endearment, not a compliment."

"I tell her she's smarter than Tony."

~~~~~

Somewhere around Week 3 of Sam's Unsolicited Couples Therapy, something unexpected happened.

He stopped being annoying.

(Okay, no. He was definitely still annoying.)

But... he also started being kind of helpful.

Like the night you and Bucky got into your first real fight.

It wasn't explosive. Just sharp. Quiet. Full of jagged silences.

You'd been on back-to-back missions, and Bucky had started pulling away. Fewer cuddles. More brooding. Less talking. You tried to be patient- God, you tried- but when he snapped at you for asking what was wrong, it all unraveled.

"I'm trying to help," you said, voice trembling.

"I didn't ask for it," he muttered.

The room froze.

You didn't cry.

You never cried in front of him.

But that night, you shut your bedroom door behind you and curled up alone.

Bucky didn't come in.

Not until morning.

But Sam came over first.

~~~~~

He found you on the balcony, hoodie pulled over your knees, cold tea forgotten beside you.

He didn't say anything at first.

Just sat down next to you, offered a granola bar.

Then, quietly: "You know, when Sarah gets mad at me, I do this thing where I pretend I'm not scared I'll lose her. But I am. I always am."

You looked over. "You think Bucky's scared?"

Sam tilted his head. "That man loved you like it's gonna be taken away from him. Like he's holding something he thinks he shouldn't have. So yeah. He's scared."

You didn't cry.

But you breathed.

And it helped.

~~~~~

Bucky apologized that afternoon.

He stood in the doorway, fists clenched, breathing hard like it took everything in him to walk in.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For being a coward. For making you feel like you weren't wanted when you're the only thing I ever want."

You looked at him.

He stepped closer. "I never learned how to let myself be... this happy. It scared the hell out of me. But not as much as losing you."

You opened your arms, and he came apart in them.

That night, Bucky fell asleep with his hand on your heart.

And you whispered, "You're safe with me."

~~~~~

The next morning, Sam dropped off muffins.

"I told you you'd fight eventually," he said smugly.

You grabbed the muffins and shut the door in his face with a smile.

~~~~~

Over time, you adapted.

You didn't expect Sam to be a normal friend, he didn't know how to do that. But you did start to appreciate him as a part of your life. Your weird, overinvolved, chaotic platonic marriage therapist.

He became your sounding board.

Your crisis texter.

Your sarcastic but loyal brother figure who threatened anyone who looked at you funny and called Bucky 'lover boy' just to watch him twitch.

One night, you all sat around a campfire during a retreat mission. Quiet stars. Crickets. Steve snoring faintly in the background.

Sam looked over at you both.

"You know," he said, voice softer than usual, "you're actually really good together."

Bucky looked at him. "Took you long enough."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up. But I mean it. You make him more human," he said to you. Then, to Bucky: "And you make her feel protected without caging her."

You blinked.

Bucky squeezed your hand.

Sam threw a marshmallow at you both. "Don't get soft on me. I'll revoke my own compliment."

~~~~~

Months later...

You stood at the edge of a field after a joint mission, hair tousled, laughing with Bucky as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

Sam walked past, muttering into comms.

"She's in love, he's in denial, and I'm still unpaid for all their therapy."

You smiled to yourself.

You were real.

You were loved.

And you had the most chaotic friend group in the world.

Which honestly... was kind of perfect.

[whelpimnauthuman]

I think it's interesting how I don't really. Think about my walker til I use it. Like, I hear a lot of people who use their mobility aids constantly talking about how it's part of them, and ig I don't think about it, I don't feel that connection. Then I'm having to use it and it's definitely 100% part of me, and I'm not thinking about it in the way you don't think about your arm ig