#Mens American Flag Tank Top | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

centrally-unplanned · 4 months ago

Note

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Based or Cringe?

Hiroshima = based, Nagaski = cringe, we having it both ways today baby!

But okay to not meme, this is a very complex question. Fundamentally, the mass-scale strategic bombing of civilian targets in World War Two was a dubiously effective policy that killed millions of innocent people. I judge no one for strategically bombing tank factories with the accuracy you had in 1943, that is just the harsh realities of that war, but that is not a description of what Allied strategy was (or not just, they also bombed tank factories). There were legions of air power proponents executing a strategy of "maximizing civilian casualties to break the back of the enemy", killing babies was the point, and the horrors of things like the firebombing of Tokyo are literally inconceivable to those who have never been in such times. Morality is not divorced from results - if it worked, if it made Germany & Japan surrender after a night of bloodied streets, then I would be hard-pressed to fault them. But that isn't what happened. It probably did something, sure, but the calculus is grim.

From that lens you can see Hiroshima as a culmination of a horrible strategy; but I don't think that is the only lens you have. World War Two was, in my opinion without peer, the highest stakes conflict humanity has ever fought. Nazi Germany's combination of dystopian vision and backed-by-steel ambition makes it the worst government to ever exist; Japan is certainly in the top 10 as far as these things go. And while we with our tables of GDP and steel output can say the Allies had it in the bag, that is never how people fighting a war see things.

Additionally, the methods of World War Two emerged from the almost-as-cataclysmic horrors of World War One; a conflict that utterly destroyed the governments of half the countries that fought it in. And their replacements were...not great! It was not a war that broke imperialism to usher in liberalism, even if steps were made that way. After WW1, people were desperate to find a way to fight the next war in a way that wouldn't condemn themselves to endless trench warfare they had gone through, one that wouldn't bring them to the brink of collapse, even if it fucked over the other guy.

Strategic bombing was born from this impulse - its founders truly hoped it would break the back of opposing nations, that once you "won air superiority" and started smacking Berlin the white flag would be raised. This didn't happen, but you didn't know that in 1941. Or in 1942. Or in 1943. Maybe it's just around the corner in 1944? You really want to stop now? 90% of Strategic Bombing Commands quit just before their enemy's will is finally broken, don't you know? In hindsight it is easy to say, in 1944, that they should have taken to foot off the pedal, that the war was won, and that this strat wasn't the way. And to be clear, they should have, they should have done that. Better men would have done that. But that is the high bar I am holding them too, not the floor. In this time period most people just didn't think civilians got spared in war, it was a different time. Morality's aim is universal, but the steps of the individual towards them can only be contextual. I think they were wrong, and to be clear by 1945 it was becoming quite obvious that the war was over and this was unnecessary. But few of us are so immune to the sins of inertia in a war.

From that lens, Hiroshima is the most justified civilian-targeted strategic bombing conducted in the entire war. Because unlike the inertia-creep of the Dresden firebombing, it had a very clear purpose - compel the Japanese government to surrender by demonstrating a weapon they could not hope to defeat, something that would save tens of thousands of American lives and likely hundreds of thousands of Japanese lives. I believe it did do that - not only do I think it was at least as important as the Soviet declaration of war, but the one-two punch of timing them together was a calculated psychological blow that certainly didn't hurt.

But more importantly Truman was not privy to the sessions of the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War, he could only guess where they stood. Within that context Hiroshima was a calculated gambit that makes sense; because strategically bombing civilian targets was the order of the day at that time, and that all the big solo-military targets were essentially bombed away at that point, the idea of some kind of "display" against a dummy target or something - to a government the US had barely any communication with, wasting a scarce resource - was just not politically in the cards. Hell, neglecting to bomb Kyoto for cultural reasons, and doing things like dropping leaflets warning civilians ahead of the attack to flee, were already tail-end of the humanitarian practices of the time. I cannot armchair judge Truman for making hard calls with the stakes as high as they were.

However, Nagasaki was a classic interia case. It was done because the US had the bomb and we were bombing cities. It made even less sense than campaigns before, because now the US had a "reason" to think surrender might be imminent, so giving it a few days had far more logic. This one I judge much more harshly. It was the decision of a system that just did violence by default. Which of course it was, it was World War Two. But results are morality - Hiroshima probably saved Japanese lives. Nagasaki did not. Them's the breaks.

#WW2 Discourse #theme of the day it seems!

115 notes · View notes

jamisonwritestf2trash · 1 year ago

Note

[resting in bed, kicking their feet and slaying the fluffy pink pajamas as well as bright fluffy pink socks —for real—] Teehee, I have a writing prompt for you!

Which kind of pajamas the mercs use? How do they sleep with them?

Take care! ^-^

What Kind Of Pajamas Do The TF2 Mercs Wear?

————————————————————

Sometimes I forget people have nice pajamas, I wear a pair of thrifted men's pajama pants with holes and a hoodie 😭 (I love it dw)

Mutual appreciation comment time! Love seeing you pop up! I'm always like ❗️that's my mutual! They're so cool!!!

————————————————————

Demo- This man wears wine mom pj's and I will die on this hill. He wears a shirt that says "wine o'clock!" And has pajama pants with little wine glasses and bottles on them. Has multiple other wine pun-themed pajama shirts, each time he wears one you can feel Scout physically cringe. He's just so silly like that. But I don't think he sleeps in the wine shirts, he just wears them when he has to put a shirt on after he's ready for bed. Also has wine socks, to match his whole outfit ofc.

————————————————————

Engineer- Wears dad pajamas. I'm sorry. But like? He seems like the kind of guy to wear thick ass flannel pajama pants with an equally as thick matching button-up. He's got fuzzy slippers (also flannel). Wears socks with those silly dad socks. Wears the entire get up to bed every night. Such a silly goose!

————————————————————

Heavy- Genuinely wears old man pajamas. Wears a plain T-shirt, some warm pajama pants, and a robe. Has bunny slippers, please let me give this man bunny slippers. I don't know guys, in my head, he's so cartoonish. Sleeps in a bed with a patterned comforter has his slippers on and likes handing out the blanket bc it's too small. Ough, silly guy.

————————————————————

Medic- I'm frothing at the mouth. But I'm also torn. I want to say he dresses up in that goofy-looking "Christmas Carol" nightgown with a nightcap and everything but at the same time? I can imagine this man in either white, pink, or red, silk pajamas, you know the ones. In my mind, fits his whole teen girl vibe. This all implies he sleeps, which is a rarity, but when he does it is very glamorous.

————————————————————

Scout- Minecraft pajamas. Kidding! Half kidding? I think he sleeps in a t-shirt and boxers instead of actual pajamas. Minecraft t-shirts and themed boxers? Yeah. Has some thick pairs of clothes for colder nights. Mainly just some nice pajamas pants and a thick hoodie.

————————————————————

Sniper- No pajamas. Wears jeans and a tank top, and a T-shirt if it's chilly. I don't think this man has ever worn pajamas. But in fairness, I don't think he ever continuously falls asleep. Just works and works and ends up passing out in whatever he's wearing. If he ever does finally decide to actually get some rest he has been known to just sleep in boxers.

————————————————————

Spy- Old Hollywood robe. All I need to say. Has an intense sleep routine, wears an eye mask, puffs up all his pillows, and flops onto his bed dramatically with a sigh after a long day. Dramatic bitch. (loving) Sleeps with a blanket pulled up to his chin, and has like eight fans going. Has to have specific conditions to sleep. Crazy man.

————————————————————

Soldier- I can't tell if this man respects the flag code with every fiber of his being or if he'd wear an entire American flag-themed pajama set. I'll go with a mix of both. Wears sweatpants and one of those cliché 4th of July t-shirts that every beer drinking white dad wears. Or he doesn't wear anything, the TF2 fandom has seemed to deam this man someone who doesn't understand the importance of clothes.

————————————————————

Pyro- Unicorn onesie! Or some other form of onesie. They aren't particular. They like comfortable clothes and bonus points if it's really cute too. Has a collection of them. One time Pyro saw Ppy wearing an eye mask and bought one to try. Looks very silly on top of their gas mask. Overall, all these guys are really silly.

————————————————————

Used the word silly way to much. Probably used goofy too much too. I was in a mood you could say.

I hope you like this! This was a favorite to write:) Sorry it took so long, I got way too tired last night to finish this. Also, hope I answered the question right because I kept second-guessing myself halfway through each one 😭

————————————————————

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 headcanons #team fortress headcanons #tf2 hcs #tf2 demoman #tf2 engineer #tf2 heavy #tf2 medic #tf2 scout #tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #tf2 soilder #tf2 pyro

104 notes · View notes

octuscle · 1 year ago

Text

Go to rack and ruin

At the prompting of @maletfwitch, here is a sequel to an older post.

The Abbas were glad to be rid of their unpleasant neighbor. Instead, they had a hardworking and faithful new employee. Unfortunately, the house in the neighborhood did not remain empty for long. And if the Abbas had believed that the old neighbor had been a scourge of God, this one was the apocalypse made flesh. The house was decorated with American flags and MAGA posters downright grotesque. At every prayer time, the neighbor played the American national anthem over outdoor speakers. Not only for the Muslim neighbors, for all neighbors in the immediate vicinity Mr. Carson was an absolute burden. Nevertheless, he had managed to organize a neighborhood watch and become the head of it himself. Needless to say, he preferred to position people in front of the Abbas' property and made no secret of the fact that they were the threat to security and order. Fortunately, the Abbas knew how to help themselves again this time.

When Mr. Carson awoke the next morning, he was not wearing freshly laundered pajamas. Instead, he was wearing a sweaty wifebeater and a pair of worn-out underpants that might have been white at some point. Bleary-eyed, he went to the refrigerator and grabbed a cold Bud light. Fuck, where had he put his chewing tobacco? The kitchen was a mess again. Peter Carson filled a garbage bag with beer bottles, the contents of various ashtrays, and the pizza boxes from the last few days. He went outside, tossed the garbage bag to the others in the front yard. The last ones had been tampered with by those darn rats or raccoons. Miserable vermin. Like the filthy terrorists next door. Still in his underwear, Peter raised the American flag, saluted, took a swig of beer and belched. Old Mrs. Price across the street turned away in disgust and pushed her walker a little faster.

Peter went back into the house. So slowly he had to get to work. His hardware store was opening soon. After a quick shower and a rather sloppy shave, Peter, in his lumberjack shirt, not-so-clean jeans and old work boots, left the house and got into his swank Mercedes. Did not really fit him and also not to his job. He could not even remember when and why he had bought this car. But it was a good car and it had been built by good people. Not by those dirty gooks. In his store, he also only sold things that were built in America. America first!

When he returned home after a long day at work, he cursed his old car. Yes, 30 years ago the Mercedes had certainly been a good car. But the repairs would have been expensive, now neither the air conditioning nor the right turn signal worked. The Teutonic steel was slowly turning into a rolling pile of scrap metal. Oh well, Pete thought to himself as he pulled into the cluttered driveway. Fits the house with the rotten porch and broken fly screens. Pete sat down on the porch with a not-very-cold beer from the decrepit refrigerator, picked up his air rifle and shot at the possums rummaging through his trash.

As they did every night, the police came. The stuffy neighbors would have complained about him again. Pete slurred that the cops should fuck off. The cops fucked off and took him to the drunk tank.

Fuck, if he was late for work again today, he'd lose his roustabout job at the sawmill, too. Just like he had already lost the house and his store. But he loved his life in the trailer park. All good American men here. Always someone around who had a cold beer or a can of chewing tobacco. Just the damn rats! Pete took his rifle and tried to take out some of the beasts. Hehehehe, four had to go down. A swig of beer on top of that. And then off to work in his German sweetheart, which he had tuned so impressively himself.

#male tf #reality change #chronivac #redneck tf #revange tf #male transformation

84 notes · View notes

glvlvukcan · 11 months ago

Text

What Could Happen

(SOPA Images / Getty)

View in browser

Ukraine is fighting for the lives of its people and its very existence, and it is running out of ammunition. If the United States does not step back in with aid, Russia could eventually win this war.

Despite the twaddle from propagandists in Moscow (and a few academics in the United States), Russia’s war is not about NATO, or borders, or the balance of power. The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin intends to absorb Ukraine into a new Russian empire, and he will eradicate the Ukrainians if they refuse to accept his rule. Europe is in the midst of the largest war on the continent since Nazi panzers rolled from Norway to Greece, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine is by far the most important threat to world peace since the worst days of the Cold War. In a less febrile political era, defeating Russia would be the top priority of every American politician.

The Republicans in Congress, however, remain fixated both on their hatred of Ukraine and on their affection for Russia. Their relentless criticism of assistance to Kyiv has had its intended effect, taking a bite out of the American public’s support for continuing aid, especially as the war has been crowded out by the torrent of more recent news, including Donald Trump’s endless legal troubles and Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

And so it’s time to think more seriously about what might happen if the Republicans succeed in this irresponsible effort to blockade any further assistance to Ukraine. The collapse and dismemberment of a nation of millions is immediately at stake, and that should be enough for any American to be appalled at the GOP’s obstructionism. But the peace of the world itself could rest on what Congress does—or does not do—next.

First, what would it even mean for Russia to “win”? A Russian victory does not require sending Moscow’s tanks into Kyiv, even if that were possible. (The Russians have taken immense losses in manpower and armor, and they would have to fight house-to-house as they approached the capital.) Putin is reckless and a poor strategist, but he is not stupid: He knows that he doesn’t need to plant the Russian flag on the Mother Ukraine statue just yet. He can instead tear Ukraine apart, piece by piece.

The destruction of Ukraine would begin with some kind of cease-fire offered by a Ukrainian leadership that has literally run out of bullets, bombs, and bodies. (The average age of Ukraine’s soldiers is already over 40; there are not that many more men to draft.) The Russians would signal a willingness to deal only with a new Ukrainian regime, perhaps some “government of national salvation” that would exist solely to save whatever would be left of a rump Ukrainian state in the western part of the country while handing everything else over to the Kremlin.

The Russians would then dictate more terms: The United States and NATO would be told to pound sand. Ukraine would have to destroy its weapons and convert its sizable army into a small and weak constabulary force. Areas under Russian control would become, by fiat, parts of Russia. The remaining thing called “Ukraine” would be a demilitarized puppet state, kept from integration of any kind with Europe; in a few years, an internal putsch or a Russian-led coup could produce a new government that would request final union with the Russian Federation. Soon, Ukraine would be part of a new Russian superstate, with Russian forces on NATO’s borders as “peacekeepers” or “border guards,” a ploy the Russians have used in Central Asia since the 1990s.

Imagine the world as Putin (and other dictators, including in China) might see it even a few years from now if Russia wins in 2024: America stood by, paralyzed and shamed, as Ukraine was torn to pieces, as millions of people and many thousands of square miles were added to the Kremlin’s empire, and as U.S. alliances in Europe and then around the world quietly disintegrated—all of which will be even more of a delight in Moscow and Beijing if Americans decide to add the ultimate gift of voting the ignorant and isolationist Trump back into the White House.

The real danger for the U.S. and Europe would begin after Ukraine is crushed, when only NATO would remain as the final barrier to Putin’s dreams of evolving into a new emperor of Eurasia. Putin has never accepted the legitimate existence of Ukraine, but like the unreformed Soviet nostalgist that he is, he has a particular hatred for NATO. After the collapse of Ukraine, he would want to take bolder steps to prove that the Atlantic Alliance is an illusion, a lie promulgated by cowards who would never dare to stop the Kremlin from reclaiming its former Soviet and Russian imperial possessions.

Reckless and emboldened, emotional and facing his own mortality, Putin would be tempted to extend his winning streak and try one last throw of the dice, this time against NATO itself. He would not try to invade all of Europe; he would instead seek to replicate the success of his 2014 capture of Crimea—only this time on NATO territory. Putin might, for example, declare that his commitment to the Russian-speaking peoples of the former Soviet Union compels him to defend Russians in one of the Baltic states. After some Kremlin-sponsored agitation close to the Russian border, Russian forces (including more of the special forces known as “little green men”) might seize a small piece of territory and call it a Russian “safe zone” or “haven”—violating NATO sovereignty while also sticking it to the West for similar attempts many years ago, using similar terms, to protect the Bosnians from Russia’s friends, the Serbs.

The Kremlin would then sit on this piece of NATO territory, daring America and Europe to respond, in order to prove that NATO lacks the courage to fight for its members, and that whatever the strength of the alliance between, say, Washington and London, no one is going to die—or risk nuclear war—for some town in Estonia.

Should Putin actually do any of this, however, he would be making a drastic mistake. Dictators continually misunderstand democracies, believing them to be weak and unwilling to fight. Democracies, including the United States, do hate to fight—until roused to action. Republicans might soon succeed in forcing the United States to abandon Ukraine, but if fighting breaks out in Europe between Russia and America’s closest allies—old and new—no one, not even a President Trump, who has expressed his hostility to NATO and professed his admiration for Putin, is going to be able to keep the United States out of the battle, not least because U.S. forces will inevitably be among NATO’s casualties.

And at that point, anything could happen. The world, should Russia win, will face remarkable new dangers—and for what? Because in 2024 some astonishingly venal and ambitious politicians wanted to hedge their bets and kiss Trump’s ring one more time? Perhaps enough Republicans will come to their senses in time to avert these possible outcomes. If they do not, future historians—that is, if anyone is left to record what happened—will be perplexed at how a small coterie of American politicians were so willing to trade the safety of the planet for a few more years of power.

From The Atlanic Newsletter Feb 9th 2024

#politics #gop #donald trump #ukraine #russia

7 notes · View notes

sassyandclassy94 · 7 months ago

Text

Yesterday at work I was decked out in all USA clothing as a way to kick off Memorial Day weekend (gratitude toward the military has always been important to me but ANYWAY) my co/worker commented on my American flag necklace and shoes along with my USA sweatshirt.

Me: “That’s not all!!! Look!! *lifts up my sweatshirt to show her my USA tshirt underneath but it gets caught in my sweatshirt, exposing my tight black tank top* Oh shoot!!! Sorry! Ignore that, I didn’t mean to show you my fat.”😭

Co/worker: “Oh, Abby don’t say that to me. I’ll show you fat. But honestly you know what woukd fix that? Go pick up rowing.”

Me: “HA!! I WOULDN’T LAST A SECOND. Have you SEEN how those girls and guys work out?!”

Co/worker: “It would take care of your fat, wouldn’t it?”

Me: “Yeah, and everything else with it. You’ve never seen a girl rower have you?”

Co/worker: “No you’ve only shown me men. BUTS SPEAKING OF ROWING!! Did you know there’s rowing in college?!”

Me: “Yeah!!😂 That’s what the Boys in the Boat is all about!”

Co/worker: “OH. Well I saw Syracuse’s rowing team on the tv and I thought of you and almost sent you a text. I had no idea!”

Me: *giggles and thinks of Bobby saying ‘GO TO HECK, SYRACUSE!!’*🤭 “You should’ve. I would’ve appreciated that.”

#personal #work stories #I love Lisa🤣#a day in the life of a market associate

2 notes · View notes

mariacallous · 10 months ago

Text

What Could Happen

Ukraine is fighting for the lives of its people and its very existence, and it is running out of ammunition. If the United States does not step back in with aid, Russia could eventually win this war.

And at that point, anything could happen.

The world, should Russia win, will face remarkable new dangers—and for what? Because in 2024 some astonishingly venal and ambitious politicians wanted to hedge their bets and kiss Trump’s ring one more time? Perhaps enough Republicans will come to their senses in time to avert these possible outcomes. If they do not, future historians—that is, if anyone is left to record what happened—will be perplexed at how a small coterie of American politicians were so willing to trade the safety of the planet for a few more years of power.

3 notes · View notes

rissararity · 10 months ago

Text

Little Soldats - Bucky Barnes/OC

By RissaRarity

(Dead dove do not eat. Rape/forced breeding, unprotected P/V sex, Non-consentual drug use, abuse warning - 18+ only)

Fic masterlist:

CHAPTER FOUR

The following morning, Vanessa practically floated around the motel room as she dressed for the day- opting for skinny jeans, knee high combat boots, a grey tank top and green military style jacket; her options at the goodwill they stopped at were rather limited.

She put her wavy hair up in a clip and tied a black scarf like a headband- a look James seemed to like. The woman was excited to get some dollar store eyeliner and mascara, her prized possessions that she wielded expertly.

James found he was very much a fan of these cosmetics on her too, making her eyes pop in contrast. As bad as it may sound, he was glad they’d chosen such a stunning woman for him. It could have been worse.

Hydra had given them a fair amount of American funds for this…road trip. She had no idea how much but James never seemed to hesitate to slide the credit card.

Still they kept things on the cheap side, trying to not raise any flags and only buy things they could argue would aid in their disguises or the missions.

For their trip to the grocery store, he’d opted for dark wash jeans, a fitted grey t shirt, black zip up hoodie and leather gloves to cover his hand.

They eyed each other as they stood in front of the door, she showed him her left hand to prove the tracking ring was still on and promised she wouldn’t leave his side.

Hand in hand, they locked their motel room behind them and headed down the street to the closest grocery store- a small local shop with only baskets and no carts.

James immediately grabbed one and followed Violet as she went up and down the aisles, happily dropping things into the basket including a bread pan, mixing bowl, and cheap silverware pack.

The woman behind the counter smiled as Violet chattered away while her husband smiled dumbly and listened, seeming entranced by her as he followed with the basket.

For James, this moment brought more happiness than he could remember experiencing. It was delightfully domestic and while it may have been boring to the average man, it was a sliver of the life he’d missed out on. He got to pretend he really was a happily married man, trying to start a family with the woman he loved. To imagine that they’d go home to the little house they owned and bake banana bread together while their cat chased mice in the field.

The life never got to have, but deeply wanted in his subconscious.

Before he knew it, he realized she was starring at him.

“W-what?” he asked, shaking his head a little. She sighed and held up two spatulas, one shaped like Mickey Mouse and the other was normal.

“What one do you like?” She asked again.

“Whatever you want is fine, Doll.” The word rolled off his tongue naturally, and she was visibly taken off guard by it, blinking rapidly as her cheeks flushed.

Suddenly bashful, she dropped the Mickey Mouse one into the basket, put the other back and moved on to the spice section of the store.

He picked up on her mood change and a slightly arrogant smirk crossed his face as he followed behind her. He’d noticed woman and even some men looking at him before but he never cared enough to realize why.

He looked at his reflection in a glass bottle and admired his face, wiggling his nose a little at his shaggy hair and combing his fingers through it to push it back, holding the rapidly filling basket with his metal arm.

Violet noticed this from the corner of her eye and walked over to stand beside him, wrapping her arms around his torso from the side. “You’re very handsome, you know.” She said softly, “I’m sure you had the ladies fawning over you at one point.”

He knit his brows as he got a flash back of chatting up girls in pinup dresses at dance clubs. “I think I did. But I’m a married man now, and I only have eyes for you.” He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, wrapping his flesh arm around her while he did it.

“Do you think…” he asked quietly, “Do you think they’d care if I got a haircut? It wouldn’t really effect anything. We could say it was for the cover.”

They got quiet as another customer walked by.

“I like it long. Maybe a trim though.”

He nodded as they made their way to the register and paid for their items.

They headed down the street with their bags and returned to the motel room in comfortable silence. When they entered she asked, “So you think he’d let a stranger come near you with scissors?”

James got a mental image of sitting down in a barber chair only to grab the scissors and shove them in the barbers eye.

“No, actually.” He frowned, “I don’t think I could stop him.”

“I could try. Would he trust me?” she asked as he set the bags on the counter and hesitated.

“He’s under orders to keep you safe so…he wouldn’t kill you. But…I can’t promise he wouldn’t incapacitate you.”

She pouted, clearly disappointed.

“You know it’s not me that doesn’t trust you.”

“I know. I just…” she sighed, “never mind.”

“I could do it myself. What do you think would look good?”

She lit up a little, “With your face, anything. But if we’re keeping it on the longer side, maybe just cut these here…” she reached up and grabbed small sections on either side of his face. “Your hair would wave a little if it weren’t so heavy, I think it would look nice.”

“just a minute.” He reached into his boot and pulled out a small knife, she took a half step back in surprise.

“Always prepared, huh?”

“Always.” He winked, smirking as she blinked rapidly again before he turned to the dresser mirror and leaned close, expertly using the knife that had killed countless people to delicately cut his hair while she washed the new dishes in the sink and prepped her ingredients.

By the time she was done, he was shuffling his hair with his hand until it arranged its self in a way that looked lightly feathered.

He turned toward her and offered a smile, “Better?”

She looked over and smiled back, nodding. “You’re very handsome, James.”

His smile became genuine as he slipped through blade back into his boot.

He watched her mash bananas in a bowl, cringing slightly at the sound. “Sounds…like something else.”

She laughed, “You keep those dirty thoughts to yourself, mister, or no banana bread for you.”

“As if you could eat a whole loaf of bread yourself!” he chuckled.

“To spite you, I could.” She lifted her chin defiantly mushing the bananas especially loudly now.

“Ohhh I’m sure you could.” Not. He backed a way a little, putting his hands in his pockets and watching her eye ball the other ingredients expertly.

“Brown sugar and white sugar?” he asked.

Vanessa nodded, “white sugar runs the risk of making to come out dry, brown sugar can make it too moist and it falls apart and takes longer to cook. So…half and half is what Juliette and I found works best.”

“It’s a lot of sugar.”

“And bananas so….it evens out.”

He chuckled, “No, I don’t think it does.”

“Is that a complaint, I hear?” she pointed the spoon at him threateningly.

James stood a little straighter, “No ma’am.”

“Better not be!” she returned to her baking and wasn’t disturbed again as she put the prepared pan into the tiny oven she didn’t fully trust.

They chatted for the hour it took to cook, the last ten minutes was just about how good it smelled.

“It has to cool before we can eat it, or it’ll fall apart.” She told him as she opened the oven and the delicious scent spilled into the room.

“Damn.” She said after a moment, heading to the bathroom.

“What?”

“I forgot to get pot holders. I’ll just grab some wash cloths to take it out.”

James stood “I got it.” He reached in with his metal hand and retrieved the pan with no hesitation, setting it on the cold burner.

She paused mid-step and came back, grinning, “Thanks. I always forget that has other uses.”

He chuckled, “Honestly, so do I. I don’t always think of it first, I’m right handed.”

She joined his laughter, rubbing his back a little.

The mood died down when he looked at the time. “I’ve gotta head out soon. We leave tomorrow, remember.”

She nodded, trying not to show her disappointment that he had to go be The Winter Soldier again. That was the whole reason they got to leave the Hydra base, after all.

Vanessa hated knowing that death followed them everywhere they went. But on the other hand, with the bringer of death being tasked with keeping her alive…she’d probably never been safer- as long as no one followed him back to her and she complied with his orders.

They were currently in Arkansas heading North-east. He’d told her the last target would be the most dangerous one, and would be in New York.

After the mission was completed they had to return to Russia together where he would be reset again, and likely forget the good times they had and bonding they’d done.

They’d be back to being the asset and the vessel. Her life would likely be a loop of being bred, pregnancy, childbirth, then probably having her children taken away and the cycle beginning again.

And so, Vanessa was determined to squeeze what enjoyment she could get out of the next two weeks, because it would have to last a lifetime.

When it was time for him to go, she gave him a hug before he left. She could already feel his programming had taken over as he stood stiffly while she wrapped her arms around his torso.

“Come back safe to me, that’s an order.” She tried to joke but he only rolled his eyes and waited for her to let go- yeah, James was definitely gone for the evening.

Feeling daring, she got on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek before releasing him and taking a step to the side. “Stay here.” He said numbly, waiting for her to nod before leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

Vanessa packed her bags to be ready to go the next day, glad she also bought ziplock bags to keep the banana bread in.

It was early morning when the Soldat returned, clutching his side that bled in a couple of spots.

She ran over, hesitating for a moment when the look in his eyes told her this was definitely the Soldat and not James.

She slowed her run and put her hands up in surrender as his icy eyes snapped to her like assessing a threat.

Being injured had him locked in to survival mode.

“Easy, it’s just me. I want to help you.” She offered a nervous smile, slowly pointing to the first aid kit on the counter.

He eyed her skeptically, leaning on the wall.

“Come on, you need to lay do-“ she tried to rush him and help him over to the bed but he immediately grabbed her and shoved her into the wall, slamming the side of her face.

“H-HEY….” She kicked at him but he easily avoided her, glaring at her while one hand still put pressure on his side.

“Y-you can’t hurt me. You’re under orders to keep me safe and alive, remember?”

His one handed pin on her slowly loosened.

“That’s it. Now let the winter wife help you.”

His knee slowly released the back of her legs and she refrained from rubbing her red cheek as she went to get the first aid kit.

He dropped onto the bed and watched her like a hawk as she opened the kit and put on the gloves in it.

Vanessa carefully helped him remove his vest, trying to keep in any reaction to anything under control. She’d never seen him injured before, it looked like a through and through gun shot. Two of them.

“N-nothing major, hit.” He panted slightly.

“I would assume that based on the fact that you made it back.” She quirked a smile, trying to comfort him how she would James.

But the winter soldier only rolled his eyes.

She snickered at his reaction as she cleaned the what blood she could off for better line of sight. “We couldn’t afford the hospital back home, so you’re lucky I’ve done this before. Gave my family two years of gang protection.” She admitted, making him raise an eyebrow a tiny bit in surprise but he didn’t detect any lies.

She offered him a towel, “Might wanna bite down on something.”

His eyes glazed over a little more and he went to lean toward her only to grunt in pain when she punched near one of his wounds. “None of that!” she growled, “I’m in charge tonight, soldier. Sit still, shut up and let me work. That’s an order.”

To her surprise, he looked amused while he considered the situation. “Yes ma’am.”

So, The Winter Soldier followed the Winter Wife’s order and didn’t move until she declared him all patched up.

“Rest up. Do you want some banana bread?”

He blinked at her until she held the plate out and showed him. His gaze softened as he looked form the plate to her face a couple of times. After a moment, he nodded and she cut him a piece.

“We don’t have butter to put on it but I doubt you’re too picky.” She passed him a slice. He sniffed it before taking a giant bite and downing it.

“Glad you like it.” She smiled, cutting another piece for him – same result.

She helped him get comfortable on the bed and set a glass of water on the bedside table, giving him one of the paper backs she’d bought to entertain herself while he was at work.

He watched her try to keep herself busy, gradually feeling better as his wounds healed quickly. She was bent over wiping out the oven when his arms encircled her waist and pushed his hardness against her.

“Whoa, hey,” she stood up and turned around, finding herself pinned to the counter with his arms on either side of her. “Relax, you need to heal.”

“ ‘m done.” He lifted up his shirt to show the stitches were just there for no reason now.

“You knew you didn’t need them and you let me do that anyway?” she was flabbergasted.

He shrugged, “I was under orders. I have other orders too-wife.” He dropped his shirt and cornered her again.

“Please, soldat. Let James do it.” She looked down shyly, cowering slightly.

“We’re the same.” He countered, reaching under her shirt only to be slapped away.

“N-No, no you’re not.”

“I can be good to you too.” He gently pushed her hair behind her ear with his metal arm.

She flinched, “Y-you always get t-too excited. I don’t like when it h-hurts.”

“You know,” he paused and lightly tilted her chin up. “I fuck the way he wants to. He’s only gentle for your sake.”

“And I appreciate it. I’m sure we’ll have plenty more times together at the base…please,” she gasped as he went from tilting her chin to grabbing her jaw while he looked down at her with no affection in his frozen eyes. She gulped, “Please let James do it. My life is going to be pain and suffering until I’m no longer able to bare children and I’ll probably be killed when they have no use for me.” She licked her lips nervously as his other hand grabbed her hip painfully. Her heart pounded, he could smell her fear - she knew she was running out of time to plead her case before he bent her over the counter.

She opted to go for specifics, “Painful, degrading sex with you, the creepy voyeur doctor, pregnancy, childbirth, having my babies taken away over and over and over. Please….” Her voice broke. “Allow me the last kindness I’ll ever get in my life. Let me enjoy these few weeks with James before they take him away again and we return to the lowest pit in hell.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she anxiously waited for the Soldier to decide.

For the next thirty seconds she felt like she was waiting her turn for the executioners block.

“This time. I can make no promises about the future.” He said at last, still stone faced.

“…Thank you.”

“However,” His grip on her jaw softened, “I don’t get to enjoy much. And we both like kissing-you’ve gotten a lot better. James hasn’t told you, but I don’t care enough to be shy.”

She blushed, meeting his icy eyes.

“And we both like that, too. You blush so easily.” His thumb softly caressed her lower lip. “You’re like a whore and a virgin.”

Her eyes hardened a little, making him crack a grin. “Oh come on, you like being told you’re a good girl.”

“Good girl and whore are two different things.”

The assassin pursed his lips, “Not necessarily. Not to me. Maybe we can start branching out a little-you could be a good little whore.”

She made a face, “I don’t appreciate being called a whore.”

He winked with a cocky smirk. “All about context, and tone – little one.”

Relaxing a little, she crossed her arms and huffed.

“You accept that, no problem.”

“Yeah, its sweet.”

He nodded, “Well, are some point I’m going to try a new nickname and we’ll see how you feel about it in the moment. You could use a little toughening up- James could use a little more excitement.”

She considered his last statement, the bit about James.

He always made her feel good, be it his fingers or mouth but he’d never asked her to return the favor, even turned her down when she offered. She was sure the doctor would make her do it at some point and it wasn’t going to be pleasant for her. She wanted to practice before her first experience was as traumatizing as her first time with The Winter Soldier.

But she wanted to try with James.

“Just…go relax until you go dormant again- please.”

“Right after that kiss I was nice enough not to just take.”

“That’s not part of your orders.”

He gave a dark chuckle, “All I have to do is bring you back in decent health and preferably pregnant. That’s all the rules they set, baby girl.” The way he said baby girl twisted her stomach as he eyed her like a piece of meat.

“I don’t have much of a soft spot for you like he does. I have free reign over you, Princess. Now I suggest you stop trying my patience.” His tone made her hair stand on end as he squeezed her jaw again.

“Okay j-just promise me it’s just a kiss.”

“Would I lie to you?” he tilted his head, deadeyed.

“I…I’m not sure. About this…maybe.”

He gave a brief impressed look, “You’re smarter than you appear, Golubka. But you’re gonna have to trust me or I will turn you around and bend you over that counter.”

She paled at the threat and got on her toes to press her lips to his. His arms wrapped around her waist at once and coiled around her like a snake.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited to hear the tearing of fabric or to have the wind knocked out of her by the fake marble shoved into her belly.

But no.

“Not so bad, huh?” The soldier murmured against her lips before reclaiming them and pressing their bodies against each other as their tongues danced.

She had to admit, they did kiss almost the same. The soldiers kiss felt somewhat heavier than she was used to- dirty in a way she wasn’t sure how she felt about.

He kept their torsos together, gripped the back of her head with his flesh hand while the metal one traced her back and followed the shape of her ribs into her waist.

He pressed his hardening member against her but let her push him away- at least a little. “Had to try.” He smirked, leaning his hips away as he pulled her lips back to his, stooping for her a bit.

After the second time she needed to stop for air, he gave her a grin that didn’t reach his cloudy eyes. “I’ll go relax, as ordered.”

She tried to give a yeah that’s what I thought nod but it came out too shaky convey the message.

The soldier kicked off his boots and laid down in the bed, staring at her blankly as she got her own slice of banana bread.

That became their weekly treat, no matter where they traveled to. They kept banana bread in a ziplock bag and would bake a new one together when they ran out.

The next morning, Vanessa carefully unfurled herself from around the still nude James. When she stood she flinched slightly at the large drip down her legs.

“….shower…” she made a disgusted face and headed straight for the bathroom.

James woke and used this time to pack all the weapons he had stashed around the hotel room.

After a quick banana bread breakfast, they double checked that all their stuff was in the car and headed out.

He liked the driving more than anything else. It gave him a sense of normalcy he didn’t often get and helped him clear his head.

He liked that it was time he could spend with Vanessa where there wasn’t a constant neon sign in his head reminding him Operation Winter Wife was on going.

It was the one time the passenger in his head let him fully focus and live in the moment- since staying under the radar also included obeying traffic laws and not drawing any attention.

He could let himself think, just shut his mind off and live off reflexes for a while or let Vanessa amuse him by prattling on about this or that.

Both wanted to enjoy their time of relative freedom and to squeeze as much enjoyment out of it as possible.

It was also nice not to have to steal a car or motorcycle to travel. Hydra got them a standard unassuming car to get from one place to another. The idea was to remain under the radar until the final target was taken out. Legit car, using real money, Violet’s stories about her family, the cover story of their marriage and road trip to visit family that couldn’t come to the ceremony because they eloped, it all added up to a perfect cover life for a normal man.

His final target would never see him coming. Only a few more days until they made it to New York for the final hit before they had go return to base.

James really had some thinking to do, and the only place to do it was while driving. He’d put Vanessa’s favorite light purple fleece blanket in the passenger seat and cranked the AC- successfully making her cozy enough to sleep for the next few hours.

For once, leaving himself truly alone to think.

#bucky x oc #bucky barnes fanfiction #ao3 writer #ao3 fanfic #marvel fanfiction #winter soldier #winter soldier fanfiction #captain america fanfiction #the avengers fanfic #marvel

3 notes · View notes

wellnesshero · 2 years ago

Photo

Show off your American pride with this vintage distressed USA flag men's tank top!

#tanktops #usaflag

2 notes · View notes

biglisbonnews · 2 years ago

Photo

BTS' Jung Kook Named Calvin Klein Global Ambassador "The List" is PAPER's monthly roundup of the newest arrivals, capsules and collaborations. Scroll through, below, to see March's biggest fashion news.Jung Kook for Calvin KleinAnother BTS member just landed a coveted ambassadorship with a fashion brand. This morning, Calvin Klein named Jung Kook its new global ambassador for Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear with a new campaign shot by Park Jong Ha. Etro Launches Vela BagMarco de Vincenzo, who showed his first debut collection for Etro last September, introduces his first bag for the Italian brand: the Vela, a bag inspired by nautical elements (its name comes from sail in Italian) with a V-shaped closure and sharp silhouette. The campaign features the model Bianca Balti showing off the bag, which comes in black, ivory and chocolate.Available now at etro.comHarley-Davidson Launches H-D CollectionsLed by Creative Director Louise Goldin, H-D Collections is a grouping of lifestyle apparel lines defined by 120 years of moto-culture and composed of three product lines: Bar & Shield by Harley-Davidson, Harley-Davidson Originals, and Harley-Davidson Authorized Vintage.Available now at hdcollections.com Jean Paul Gaultier x Y/Project's Second CollaborationGlenn Martens first introduced his Jean Paul Gaultier capsule at his Fall 2022 show for Y/Project (he would later design a couture collection for the brand) which featured Gaultier's signature Trompe l’œil prints. The two brands are reuniting for a second capsule collection featuring more of the 2D illusion knits on mesh dresses, tank tops, turtlenecks and skirts.Available now at fashion.jeanpaulgaultier.comGUESS Originals x Real TreeGUESS Originals tapped Realtree for their latest capsule, using the brand's canvas fabrics and prints to rework core styles including the Carpenter short, jean, trucker jacket and belt skirt. The campaign was shot on a ranch in Katy, Texas with GUESS Originals ambassadors Ish Cepeda, Robert Neal, Kevin White and Alex Midler.Tommy Hilfiger x Shawn Mendes CapsuleTommy Hilfiger x Shawn Mendes CapsuleTommy Hilfiger x Shawn Mendes CapsuleTommy Hilfiger is teaming up with Shawn Mendes on a new capsule collection titled Tommy X Shawn Classics Reborn, a take on on pre-'90s prep highlighting relaxed fits, comfort and sustainability. The campaign sees Mendes (pre-buzzed haircut) modeling pieces from the collaboration including American flag shirts and denim jeans.Available starting March 15 at tommy.comAdrien Brody Is Releasing a Collection With BallyThe actor Adrien Brody, who made a surprise front row appearance at Bally's Fall 2023 show in Milan, is teaming up with the brand on a collaboration set to debut later this year of men's and women's ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, bags and other accessories.Puma Launches Second Collection With Palomo SpainThe second Puma x Palomo Spain collection is inspired by surf culture ranging from the 60’s and 70’s to the early 2000's memories of beaches in Spain. “Surf culture was an angle Puma had never really taken on before. Filtered through Palomo Spain’s gentle, couture-inspired lens, it immediately took on an exciting, innovative perspective," said Puma's global creative director Nils Moersch.Available now at Puma.comBurberry Debuts Self-Titled Book by AssoulineWith a new creative era for Burberry in place (Daniel Lee just showed his first collection for the brand during London Fashion Week), the company is releasing a new coffee table book to celebrate its 165-year history and British heritage. Titled Burberry, the Assouline-published tome features five chapters and 200 archive illustrations depicting its evolution from a family-run company to renowned global luxury brand. It was written by journalist Alexander Fury with a foreword by Carly Eck, Burberry’s Brand Curator.Available for pre-order now at Assouline.comVilebrequin x The Woolmark CompanyVilebrequin x The Woolmark CompanyVilebrequin x The Woolmark CompanyVilebrequin x The Woolmark CompanyVilebrequin x The Woolmark CompanyFrench swimwear house Vilebrequin announces a 5-piece capsule of immaculately tailored swimsuits in extra-fine Merino wool. For their second summer with The Woolmark Company, they've added two new men’s suiting references into the mix: safari-inspired khaki and the emblematic Prince of Wales check.Available now at vilebrequin.comBUTT Launches 32nd Issue With Bottega VenetaThe pioneering queer magazine BUTT, which returned last year after a 10-year print hiatus thanks to a partnership with Bottega Veneta, launches its 32nd issue today featuring the tombstone engraver Roman Hanak on the cover. Inside the issue: the writer Eileen Myles gets off on poetry with Brontez Purnell; sex professional Sharok details his passion for pigeons, politics, and porn; Wolfgang Tillmans drops by hitmaker LSDXOXO’s flat for a quicky; pop star Oliver Sim poses for drawings in London; Daisuke Nakashima snaps shirtless men in Tokyo. BUTT 32 is available now in shops and online.UGG x Telfar Debut New Shopper Bags in Baby Pink and Baby BlueUGG and Telfar are back with a new drop of their collaboration. In addition to restocking Chestnut and Black shopper bags, the brands are introducing Baby Pink and Baby Blue shoppers in sizes small, medium, and large that lend a nod to a nostalgic UGG color palette. Available starting March 5 at TELFAR.NETALTU Releases Its Third CollectionALTU Releases Its Third CollectionALTU Releases Its Third CollectionThe third installment of ALTU blends late nineties and early aughts teenage style with a fluid approach to identity, sexuality, and presentation. It features exaggerated proportions, neon colors, and playfully subversive detailing. Knitwear has delicate cutouts with tiny ring piercings at the collar and hem. Cargo pants reference varsity athletic wear with cinched hems and zip sides. A cropped motorcycle jacket and leather biker pants with denim crotch detailing are introduced for the first time.The first drop of this third release is available now at ALTU.world, Ssense.com and Bergdorf Goodman https://www.papermag.com/march-2023-fashion-news-jung-kook-2651365982.html

#Fashion news roundup #The list #Mario Abad #PAPER

2 notes · View notes