#THANK GOD i quit that industry honestly

[phoebeprufrock]

Every year for the holidays we visit my partners family and hang out with his friends. And every year for the holidays I’m bored/pissed off because his friends range from “in IT and kinda ok” to “in IT and a Mussolini nostalgic” but this year!!!!! This year!!!!!!! There was one girl who told me all about her anti capitalist quilt and my leftist crafter heart was SINGING

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

The Boss -(long) Oneshot

Word count: 9284 This one got away from me... sorry. Hope you like it, tho!

Part 2 Part 3

Y/N smiled as she stared up at the huge high rise building.  It was her first day working at Avengers Legal, the offices of Barnes, Rogers and Stark.  She had been really lucky to find an opening as one of the head lawyers’ personal assistants, she just didn’t know which one yet.  She had a little background in law, but didn’t go to law school, as much as that killed her parents.  A little bump in the road in the shape of her now ex boyfriend had derailed that future, and after freeing herself she was now working on her fresh start.  She followed the instructions from the head of HR that she had been in contact with, and walked out of the elevator to the smiley woman sitting at the reception desk.

“Hello, how can I help you?” she asked in a chipper tone.

“Hi, my name is Y/N Y/L/N.  It’s my first day?” Y/N said.

“Oh!  The new personal assistant!  Yes, Pepper told me,” she said happily.  She stood and held out her hand.  “My name is Kamala Khan.  Receptionist.”

“Kamala, that’s beautiful,” Y/N complimented her, and Kamala smiled even wider.  

“You’re sweet.  I like you already,” Kamala said.  “Follow me.”  She moved around the desk and walked ahead of Y/N towards the hallway to the right.  “Now I don’t know which partner you’re working with,” she said lowly, sidling up to Y/N.  “And please don’t let this scare you off, but each of them work differently.”  

“Okay,” Y/N said, speaking quietly as well.

“If you get Steve, that’s the Rogers part, he’s a sweetie.  Super friendly.  If you get Tony, the Stark part, he’ll tease and make fun of you, he’s very sarcastic, and sometimes he’ll flirt or compliment you like crazy, but it’s never gross and he means nothing by it.  He’s married to Pepper.”  Y/N nodded, intaking all the information as best as she could.  “Then there’s James, the Barnes part.  He’s the more serious of the three.  Friendly, but busy, very professional and no-nonsense.  He likes things done quickly and efficiently.  If he lets you call him his nickname, Bucky, then you know you’re in the inner circle.”

“Inner circle?” Y/N asked as Kamala stopped in front of a door that read Pepper’s name and title.

“It’s like the main team of Avengers Legal,” Kamala said, nearly whispering.  “The partners, their top legal assistants that get to have the most fun or high profile cases, and only the best personal assistants.  Those are the ones that get to travel with them, and usually get to network with top of the line people in the industry.  It opens a lot of doors,” she said, raising her hand to the door.  “So good luck with whoever you get.”

Y/N nodded as Kamala finally knocked.  “Come in!” a voice called out.  Kamala opened the door and gestured for Y/N to enter first.  “Y/N!  Welcome,” Pepper said and stood from her desk.

“Hello, it’s good to see you again,” Y/N said, walking over and shaking her hand.

“Thank you, Kamala,” Pepper called out behind her, and Kamala smiled and closed the door.  “I’m sure she gave you all the beginner’s gossip,” Pepper smirked as she sat back down and gestured for Y/N to sit at the chair in front of the desk.

“Yes, she did,” Y/N huffed a laugh.  

Pepper rolled her eyes.  “The partners are all just overworked, typical men.  Not nearly as special as they like to think they are.”  Y/N bit back a smile.  “That being said, after reviewing your profile and discussing things with them, I think you’ll be best fit with Mr. Barnes.”  Y/N felt a little trepidation at that from what Kamala had said, but nodded.  “He’s…quiet,” Pepper said, choosing her words carefully.  “But honestly one of the best attorneys in the state.  He runs a tight ship, and expects the best out of anyone working under him.  If they disappoint him, he can have quite a temper, but he’s normally very friendly.”

“Are you trying to convince me to back out?” Y/N asked with a smile.

“No!  God no, please stay,” Pepper said, waving her hands in front of her.  “I’m just trying to forewarn you.  He’s had a hard time keeping a personal assistant for the last few years.”

Y/N nodded.  “And he is aware that I’m not a paralegal?”

“Yes,” Pepper nodded back.  “We don’t blur lines when it comes to personal assistants versus legal assistants.”

“Then I’m ready,” Y/N said.

She signed the contract for her employment, then Pepper gave her a tour of the office and had her meet the teams and other partners.  Finally they walked into the office that had his name on it.  “Buck?  I’d like to introduce you to your new personal assistant,” Pepper said as she held the door open for Y/N.  Y/N walked in and took a quick look around at his office before her eyes landed on him sitting in the desk chair.  She had to stop her eyes from widening when she met his gaze.  That is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.

“Meet Y/N Y/L/N.  Y/N, this is Bucky. Oh!” Pepper rolled her eyes.  “I’m sorry, James.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes at Pepper but gave her a teasing smirk.  “Thanks Pepper,” he said in a dismissive tone.  

Pepper scoffed then squeezed Y/N’s upper arm.  “Come see me before you leave today.”

Y/N smiled and nodded at her and Pepper walked out, closing the door behind her.  Y/N took that short moment to look him over.  Tall, broad shouldered, and from what she could see, built under his suit that was impeccably tailored to him.  His dark brown hair was long and tied back in a small man-bun, which was surprising as a lawyer, but that coupled with his full beard offset the austerity of his suit and made him seem approachable.  His bright blue eyes were looking her over, too, like he was sizing her up.  It was an intense stare, and she had to stop herself from shrinking under his gaze.

She took the initiative and walked forward to his desk.  “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Barnes,” she said, offering her hand to him.

Bucky looked at her hand then back to her face, his hand reaching forward as he smiled politely.  “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, shaking her hand firmly.  Y/N made sure to be firm in her grip with him, and his smile slightly widened.  “Take a seat, and we can go over what it is I expect from you.”

Y/N sat and took out a notebook and pen from her bag, getting comfortable in her seat then looking up at him expectantly.  Bucky seemed to be watching her carefully, and she could start to see a small tell in the type of smirk he gave as to how he was feeling.  The wider smirk he gave Pepper was a friendly one, whereas these small ones as he greeted her were when he was impressed with something or pleasantly surprised.  They had a good, long discussion about what it was he wanted, how he liked to work with others, his normal routine and the possibility of travel at times, but she wouldn’t hold her breath for that.

“That’s about everything I can think of,” Bucky said.  “Any questions?”

“Yes, what’s your favorite drink order?” Y/N asked as she finished jotting down her last notes. 

Bucky scoffed.  “My favorite drink order?”

Y/N smiled.  “Just in case.”

His impressed smirk came back.  “Lately it’s been sweetened matcha.”

“Sweetened with what?” Y/N asked.

“Surprise me,” Bucky said.

Y/N smiled widely.  “Yes sir.”

Bucky frowned.  “No sirs.  Mr. Barnes in front of clients, otherwise Bucky is fine.”

She beamed at him for accepting her so quickly.  “Alright…Bucky.”

***

This job was a baptism by fire.  Y/N was thrown into work life with Bucky, accompanying him all around the city, taking endless notes in meetings and relaying messages to his legal team.  Per Bucky’s request she became close with all the assistants on his legal team, learning the process of working on a case and seeing how they all worked together.  She also scheduled everything in his personal life, making sure he was getting to doctor's appointments, picking up the dry cleaning, making sure the house cleaner was on time, taking personal phone calls during the work day, and handling anything else she could anticipate for him. 

Kamala was right, he was very particular and wanted efficiency above all else.  He didn’t like people wasting his time, and expected everyone to be at their best while at work.  There were times Y/N would catch him having a casual moment with one of the other partners, Steve, who was his best friend from childhood.  He would laugh at something Steve said and she’d be gifted with the sight of his full, real smile that he rarely gave anyone.  That being said, as the months went by he was opening up to Y/N, teasing her, making jokes and even at times bordering on flirtatious.

Steve was still looking for a new personal assistant, since his previous one, Peggy, he just so happened to start dating seriously, and since they struggled to differentiate work versus their personal lives she had resigned.  Every once in a while Bucky would lend Y/N out to Steve to help with some things that he needed while Pepper was in the process of finding him a new assistant.  “Good morning, Steve,” Y/N greeted him one day while she was helping him for a week.  She daintily put down a large coffee cup in front of him and his eyes widened.

“Oh you angel,” he whispered, grabbing the warm cup.  He brought it to his lips, taking a slow sip and he hummed appreciatively.  “You’re heaven sent, you know that?”

“I know,” Y/N smirked.  

“Oh I see how it is,” Bucky’s voice came from behind her.  She turned to find him walking toward her into Steve’s office with a teasing smile.  “One week with this jerk and you forget all about me.”

“Punk,” Steve spat as he sipped his coffee.

Y/N rolled her eyes and held up the other cup in her hand.  “How could I forget your cafe style sweetened matcha with three pumps of lavender and oat milk?”  Bucky hung his head and huffed a laugh as he took the cup from her.  “You just came here before I had a chance to come to you.  So needy,” Y/N teased him.  She took out her work phone provided by the firm and started scrolling.  “By the way, your date from last week keeps texting and calling.  What excuse do you want me to give dearest Dottie?”  

Bucky groaned and Steve laughed loudly.  “What was wrong with this one, Buck?” Steve snorted.

Bucky glanced at Y/N like he wasn’t sure how to talk about it in front of her.  “Well, judging by these texts, she’s very thirsty,” Y/N said in a deadpanned tone, making Steve almost spit out his coffee.  “Like, all of the time,” Y/N said.  “Shall I?” she smiled wickedly, waving the phone in front of Bucky’s face.

His eyes widened and he slammed the drink down before lunging toward her to grab the phone but she sidestepped him and ran behind Steve’s desk.  “Read it!  Read it!” Steve said, standing from his chair to block Bucky from getting to Y/N.

“Don’t you dare!” Bucky growled as he tried to go through Steve.

“‘Let me know when I can see you again, baby.  We can pick up where we left off,’” Y/N read, her voice taking on an exaggerated Bronx, New York accent like what she’d heard from Dottie’s voicemails.  

“Oooh where did you leave off, Buck?” Steve asked.  

Bucky tried to push past him.  “No where,” he grunted.

“These get worse by the day,” Y/N frowned as she read through them.  She had mostly ignored them every time she saw Dottie’s name pop up, not engaging in her constant ramblings in trying to get his attention.  This was why he gave out the work cell phone number rather than his actual, personal one.  “‘I want your tongue so deep inside me I can taste it,’” she read in the accent again, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised high.  “Good Lord.”

Bucky finally got past Steve and ran after Y/N as she squeaked and ran out of Steve’s office, Steve’s laugh echoing down the hallway as she moved as fast as her heels would allow her.  She ducked into an empty conference room and ran around the table, Bucky on the other side.  “‘I feel like a vampire, I wanna suck everything out of you,’” Y/N read, cocking an eyebrow at him.  “Jesus, Bucky, where do you find these girls?”  He edged around the table toward her and she jerked to the side, making him frown deeper at her.  He suddenly jumped and slid over the table, making Y/N screech as she tried to run but he caught her with his arms around her waist, hoisting her up off her feet.  She kept the phone out of his reach as he tried to maneuver her to take it from her.  “Ooh this one is really naughty,” she giggled.  Bucky pushed her into the corner of the room, making her face him as he grabbed at her hands.  He finally caught her wrists and as he held them together she read: “‘Fuck me like an animal.  I wanna be your little cum slut,’” she finished, laughing at the end of the phrase and losing the accent.

Bucky pried the phone out of her fingers.  Y/N’s laugh died on her lips as she looked up at him and saw the look on his face.  He wasn’t frowning or smiling, but looked surprised and…aroused.  Y/N realized the position they were in.  She was pushed in the corner, his leg between her legs with his knee almost cradling her core, the rest of his torso pushing against her front to keep her there, his hand holding both of her wrists against his chest and his face hovering mere inches from her face.  His eyes flicked back and forth between her eyes, then glanced at her lips.

Y/N gasped and pushed him away, Bucky quickly backing up with the phone in his hand.  He exhaled sharply, his eyes widening.  “I…I’m sorry, Y/N,” he said quietly.

“It’s okay, it’s my fault,” Y/N said, shaking her head and looking down.  “I’m sorry…I got carried away.  I’ll um, let you handle that and you can give it back when you’re done,” she said, glancing at the phone, then gave him a quick look and walked away.  She nearly ran to the bathroom, hiding in one of the stalls and sliding down to the floor as she tried to even out her breathing.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want Bucky to touch her, in fact she’d had way too many dirty dreams starring him doing much worse things to her since she started working here.  She would gladly fuck Bucky, but she didn’t want to lose her job or have to give it up like Peggy had with Steve.  She needed this job.  She needed to take care of herself, so that if he ever came around, she wouldn’t fall for it all again.  

***

The rest of that day she had focused solely on Steve and all he needed her to do.  When the day was over she marched toward the front door by the reception desk where she found Bucky talking to Kamala.

“Oh, have a good night, Y/N!” Kamala called out to her and waved.

“You, too, K,” Y/N said quickly, giving her a quick smile.  She glanced at Bucky quickly.  “G’night Buck.”  She walked fast out of the office toward the elevator down the hall.  She heard Buck say goodbye to Kamala then follow her out.

“Y/N, hey, hold on,” he called out to her.

She sighed silently as she pushed the down button and turned to face him with a polite smile.  “Yes?”

Bucky stared at her for a moment before the elevator dinged and they both entered the elevator.  Y/N pressed the parking floor level button and leaned back against the elevator wall.  Bucky’s mouth opened and closed multiple times before he finally turned to face her with a heavy sigh.  “I’m sorry, again,” he said, his voice sounding strained.  

“It’s fine, Buck–”

“No, it’s not,” he interrupted her.  “I shouldn’t have…roughhoused you like that.”

Y/N chuckled.  “Roughhoused?”

“Yes, I’m an old man, don’t judge me,” Bucky said, rolling his eyes, a small smile on his face.

“I’m sorry I teased you with the texts so much,” Y/N said.  “I just have a bit of a…history, and it threw me for a loop for a second.”  He looked at her quizzically but she didn’t want to explain.  “She’s got quite the vocabulary,” she said with a teasing smirk, changing the subject.

Bucky snorted, hanging his head as Y/N laughed.  “Yeah, it was uh…quite the date,” he said.  “That’s why I didn’t text her back.  It was all just a bit much.”  Y/N hummed and he handed the work phone back to her.  “I politely told her to get lost and blocked her number,” he said.  She took the phone and nodded.  “I really am sorry,” he repeated.  Y/N met his gaze.  He was sincere and repentant, a knowing look in his eyes.  “I didn’t mean to hurt or scare you.”

Y/N stared at him for a moment before giving him a small smile.  “I know.”

***

Y/N was walking by the reception desk one day on her way back in from lunch when she stopped in her tracks.  Kamala was speaking to a man that Y/N recognized.  It was Vic, her ex.  Kamala looked uncomfortable and met Y/N’s gaze with a concerned look.  Y/N’s eyes were wide and she shook her head minutely, hoping Kamala would get the message.  Kamala looked down then back up at Vic.  “I’m sorry, we don’t have anyone here by that name,” she said sweetly.  “Maybe you have the wrong address?”  She distracted him, making him face away enough that Y/N was able to slip by down the hallway.  Once she was out of earshot she ran into Bucky’s office, closing the door and locking it behind herself.  She was panting, trying to calm herself.

“Y/N?” Bucky’s voice came from behind her.  She whirled around to face him.  He looked confused.  She held her finger to her mouth and a call came into his office phone.  He frowned and answered the call.  “Yes?” he asked.  He listened for a moment before looking at Y/N.  “A Victor Creed is here to see me?”  Y/N shook her head frantically, her eyes stinging with tears flowing fast.  Bucky’s face shifted into a look of surprise at her response as he stood.  “I’ll come up front in a moment,” he said before hanging up.  He rounded his desk and reached out to her, taking her hands in his.  “Who is he?” he asked quietly.

“History,” Y/N whispered.  

Bucky’s face twisted in recognition at the conversation they’d had weeks before, then his expression became stony.  “Stay here.  Lock the door.  I’ll knock twice once it’s safe.”

Y/N sniffled and nodded as he squeezed her hands, then had her stay behind the door as he opened it and walked down the hallway.  She locked it behind him and stood stock still as she waited and listened.  She could only hear muffled voices for a few minutes, then Vic’s voice getting louder before a slammed door made her jump.  Footsteps came back down the hallway, then two quiet knocks on the door.  She sighed as she unlocked the door with a shaky hand.  Bucky slowly opened it, watching her carefully.  “He’s gone,” he said, taking a step toward her with his hands up.  “Kamala is calling security to have him trespassed from the building.”  Y/N nodded, gnawing on her lip as her arms were tensed and tightly wrapped around herself.  “It’s okay.  You’re safe.  Everything’s going to be alright,” he said quietly.  She swallowed harshly as her tears kept falling.  “Can I give you a hug?” Bucky asked.  

Y/N stared at him for a moment before a sob broke through, and she nodded as she hung her head.  Bucky stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest as she cried heavily.  She gripped the lapels of his suit jacket, shivering against him.  “I told him it was over,” she cried.  “I told him to leave me alone.”

Bucky’s fingers pet the back of her head, running through her hair.  “This isn’t your fault, Y/N,” he said quietly.  “He’s obviously stalking you.”  

She nodded against his chest.  After another moment of him holding her she pulled away and sniffed quickly, wiping her face.  “God, ugh, I’m sorry,” she grunted, clearing her throat.  “I’m so sorry to bring this…drama to the workplace.  I thought I had handled it but apparently not.  I completely understand if you have to let me go–”

“Why the hell would I do that?” Bucky scoffed.  “You’re the best personal assistant I’ve ever had.”  He stepped toward her again and reached for her hands, holding her fingers lightly as his thumbs ran over her knuckles.  “Here’s what we’re going to do.  He’s being trespassed from the building.  You will be escorted by security, or at the very least one of us, to and from your car every day.”

“Buck you don’t have to–”

“Like hell I don’t,” he interrupted her with a stern look.  “You’ll turn on your location on the work phone and share it with me and the others.  And you and I are going to go to the police station to make a report, go online and fill out a protective order or stalking injunction, then drop it off at the court later.”  Y/N’s tears came back.  She hadn’t been able to rely on anyone for years, had lost all contact and close relationships with her friends and family because of him, so to have someone worry and care about her enough to try to help her was overwhelming.  Bucky let go of one of her hands and reached that hand up to wipe away her new tears.  “Okay?” he asked.

“Okay,” she nodded.

***

Bucky, the other partners, and the entire office was a godsend to Y/N.  He had accompanied her when they filled out the protective order and turned it into the courthouse, then to the police station as she made a report.  Working in a law firm was helpful in that she was able to file a cease and desist by the end of the day, and with Bucky’s connections to certain officers at the station was able to know when Vic was served with everything.  Over the next few weeks she was accompanied to and from work from her car in the parking garage by someone, usually Bucky, Steve, Tony, and at other times by some of the paralegals.  Scott was one of her favorites, always making it seem like she was the president and he was the secret service.  

She was grateful to all of them for their efforts and willingness to help her.  It made her feel like a burden, but she was quickly reminded that they really didn’t mind when she brought it up.  Her protective order was granted, and she proceeded into getting a restraining order since they lasted longer.

Five months later as Bucky’s team was working late on a big case she packed up her bag.  “Alright, I’m heading out,” she announced to the room.

They all hummed or bid her half-hearted farewells, their attention all focused on the paperwork in front of them.  Bucky’s head snapped up.  “Hold on, doll, let me walk you down.”

“Bucky, it’s fine, honestly,” Y/N waved away his concern, backing up to the front door.  “It’s been months.  I’m sure I’ll be fine.  You shouldn’t have to babysit me–”

“Freeze,” he barked at her.  Y/N’s eyes widened and she stood still, everyone else falling silent at his raised voice.  “I’m coming with you,” he said with no room for argument.  He slipped his jacket back on and grabbed his keys before walking up to her.  “Let’s go,” he said in a quiet, much more gentle tone.

The ride in the elevator and walk to her car was silent.  Once she had unlocked her car door and put her purse in she turned to Bucky.  “Thank you–”

“Y/N, I need you to understand something,” Bucky interrupted her.  He was frowning, looking down at her with an intensity she’d never seen directed at her before.  “You are not a burden.  I am not babysitting you.  I want to help you.  I want you to be safe.  I need you…” he paused, swallowing harshly.  “I care about you,” he said quietly.  

Y/N stared at him in disbelief.  She had made good friendships at the office, and she and Bucky had become close, with her managing every aspect of his job and life for over a year.  She trusted him, and if she were honest with herself, she liked him as much more than her boss, and more than a friend.  But to hear it from him in this context made her feel emotional.  She felt tears start stinging her eyes and blinked rapidly to make them go away.

“Thank you,” she replied.  “I appreciate that.  I…I care about you, too.”

Bucky watched her for a moment before taking a step toward her.  He looked down at her for a moment, the intensity in his eyes making her knees feel weak.  His gaze fell to their feet then he wound an arm around her shoulders and hugged her, kissing her forehead lightly.  “I’ll see you Monday,” he whispered into her hair.

Y/N gently hugged him back, enjoying how his cologne wrapped around her like a blanket.  She closed her eyes as he held her, then opened them when he stepped away.  “See you,” she said quickly.  She gave him a small smile then got into her car.  Bucky stepped back and watched her drive away.  Y/N didn’t know what to think of the interaction.  It wasn’t necessarily work appropriate, but also not quite wrong between friends outside of work.  When she got home she tried to shake it off as another strange moment as she took off her heels and dropped her bag in the entryway.  She walked to the kitchen, pulling some things out to make a quick dinner when she felt like something was off.  She glanced around, then saw a shadow in the corner of the dining room.  She froze when she saw Vic standing there out of the corner of her eye, watching her.  Y/N knew it was too late, and subtly called the last number she had called, which just so happened to be Bucky.

As it rang quietly she turned around and faced Vic head on, looking him in the eye.  When she could hear Bucky pick up she spoke loud enough for him to hear.  “What are you doing here, Vic?” she asked, her voice sounding angry, which she was thankful for with how afraid she was.

Vic chuckled and stepped toward the kitchen into the light.  He looked rougher than the last time she saw him, like he hadn’t been eating, and he smelled like he hadn’t showered in a long while.  His eyes were bloodshot, and with how he swayed as he walked she could tell he was either extremely drunk or high on something.  “Hey princess,” he slurred.  “Just came to see how things are going.  How’s the new boy toy treating you?”

“Boy toy?” Y/N scoffed.  “Who are you talking about?”

“That boss of yours,” Vic snarled, stumbling toward her.  He tried to reach out and grab her, but she quickly stepped out of his reach.  He grunted as he righted himself.  

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Y/N said.  “Even if he was, you have no right to be jealous of me or who I associate with.  We are not together.”

“Right, you being an ‘independent’ woman and all,” Vic mocked her, making air quotes with his fingers.  

“Y/N!  I’m coming!” she heard Bucky’s voice muffled against her chest from her phone.

Y/N tried to keep her wits about her, thinking through her options.  Help was coming.  Bucky was coming.  Just keep talking.  “I am now,” she asserted herself.  She angled her body sideways, getting into a better fighting stance and turning toward the front door.  “You hurt me, Vic.  You controlled, isolated, and abused me.  And I deserve better than that.”

Vic laughed.  “You deserve what I think you deserve.  Which right now, is to be my little cumslut, like you used to be when you were a good little princess.  So, get on your knees,” he said, rushing toward her.  

Y/N punched him, making his head whip to the side, then used his drunkenness against him as she pushed him as hard as she could away from her, making him stumble and fall to the floor.  Y/N held her phone as she ran to the front door.  As she was unlocking it Vic ran up behind her and lifted her off her feet, throwing her back toward the dining room where she fell hard on the floor.  The phone clattered a few feet away from her, and as she crawled toward it Vic grabbed her feet, trying to pull her back.  She kicked and screamed, hearing Bucky’s voice faintly yelling through the phone.  

As Vic was able to turn her to her back, she punched him again, enraging him further.  “You stupid bitch!” he screamed in her face.

Y/N screamed back in his face, then Vic was pulled back off of her.  She gasped as she saw Bucky wrench Vic away, put him in a chokehold and fall on top of him.  Vic struggled, scratching at Bucky’s arms and hands as he choked and gasped for air.  Bucky grunted and tightened his grip more.  “Go to sleep, fucker,” he growled.  After another minute Vic slowly lost control of his arms, his eyes rolling back in his head until he passed out.  Bucky let go of him, but stayed on top of him in case he woke up.  “Call the police,” Bucky glanced at her.  

***

She watched the police officers and paramedics work on Vic in the entryway, loading him on a gurney that he was promptly handcuffed to.  They checked her and Bucky over, treating the scratches on Bucky’s hands and arms and her bruises and scrapes. She was questioned by police officers as they took pictures of her and Bucky’s injuries as well as the knocked over furniture in her apartment.  Y/N answered them as best as she could, Bucky sitting with her the entire time until they finally left.  

“Y/N?” Bucky called to her, turning to face her.  She looked at him blankly.  He was watching her carefully, reaching a hand out and taking hers closest to him.  “Do you wanna stay here tonight?”  She shook her head fervently.  “You can stay with me if you want,” he offered.  “Would you like to do that?” 

Y/N nodded absentmindedly.  She couldn’t think of anything better in that moment than a shower and a different place to stay.  Bucky helped her pack a bag, then guided her out of her apartment to the parking lot.  He helped her into his car, and she melted into the front seat.  She felt numb, unable to get her thoughts together to form anything coherent.  The rational part of her mind knew that it was trying to protect itself from the trauma of the night, but she couldn’t quite come to that conclusion yet.  

She was almost falling asleep when Bucky pulled into the garage of a home.  He got out and helped her out of the car, carrying her bag as he guided her into the house.  He led her through the house until he walked into what looked like a guest bedroom, setting her bag on the bed.  He turned to look at her.  “The bathroom is there,” he pointed at a door in the corner.  He looked at her nervously.  “Do you…do you need, um, help?”

Y/N stared at him for a long moment.  She didn’t know what she wanted.  Her eyes flicked around the room.  “I…I don’t…know,” she whispered.

Bucky nodded.  “Okay, well, how about you go shower, and uh, here,” he opened her bag and pulled out some pajamas and underwear, walking to the bathroom and putting the clothes down before coming back out, “and I’ll wait here just in case.  Is that okay?”

Y/N nodded.  “Thank you,” she whispered.  She couldn’t seem to find her voice, afraid that if she were any louder it would somehow make everything real.  Bucky nodded and gave her a small, reassuring smile before he sat himself on the bed.  Y/N walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind herself.  She felt like she was jerky in her movements as she stripped herself of her clothes, heaping them in the sink.  She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment.  Her hair was a mess from fighting him off, her mascara streaked down her face from the tears she unknowingly shed earlier, and a bruise showing near her hairline from when she hit the ground.  She shivered and turned on the shower.  The water was too hot, but she barely felt it as she washed herself.  

Y/N turned off the water and walked out of the shower.  She wrapped herself in a towel as she dried off, fixing her hair and rubbing her face.  She looked at herself in the mirror again.  Back to normal, she thought.  But this wasn’t normal.  Nothing about tonight was normal.  Nothing about her life for the past few years had been normal.  The adrenaline seemed to all wear off in a second, and her sobriety made her gasp.  She doubled over as the soreness from the fight hit her out of nowhere, and she cried out as she held herself and kneeled to the floor.

“Y/N?” Bucky’s voice called out from behind the door.  “Are you alright?  What was that noise?”  She couldn’t answer.  Her throat was closed, choking on sobs.  “I’m coming in,” he warned her, then the door opened.  He looked around, finding her on the floor in the fetal position.  “Oh, doll,” he cooed, kneeling down quickly.  Bucky’s arms cradled her, moving her until he was able to help her stand.  “Come on,” he said, grabbing her clothes and leading her to the bed.  She cried as he held her, her face buried into his collarbone, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly.  He sat her on the bed and kneeled in front of her to catch her eye, reaching a hand up and wiping away her tears.  “Can I help you get dressed?” he whispered.  Y/N nodded as she hung her head in her hands.  She didn’t care about how awkward or inappropriate this was at this point.  Bucky handed her her underwear, then closed his eyes.  Y/N dropped the towel and put on her underwear quickly.  Bucky then blindly grabbed her shirt, opening his eyes while his head was facing down as he fixed the shirt, then closed his eyes again as he held it up so she could slip her head and arms through it.  He did the same for her sleep shorts, the backs of his fingertips sliding along her thighs and hips momentarily.  

Bucky then stood and opened his eyes, looking down at her as he stepped forward in between her legs.  He slowly cupped her face in his hands and made her look at him.  “I know it’s a really stupid question, but, are you okay?” he asked.

“No,” Y/N shook her head, a fresh wave of tears starting to fall.  “He…he was going to hurt me again.”

Bucky nodded.  “I know, but you did the right thing in calling for help.  I’m just sorry I couldn’t get there sooner,” he said, biting his lip when it trembled.  “And you fought back, Y/N.  You fought hard and you won.  Do you hear me?” he dipped his head down to be eye level with her.  “You won.  He’ll never hurt you again.  You protected yourself, and I’m so proud of you,” he paused, his voice wobbling with emotion.  “I’m proud of you for keeping yourself safe.  God, when I saw him on top of you I–” he gritted his teeth, frowning deeply.  “I can’t lose you.”

Y/N stared at him.  He’d confessed he cared about her earlier that night, but now he seemed like he maybe cared more than he’d let on.  “I’m just your assistant,” she said.

Bucky chuckled.  “Best assistant I’ve ever had,” he smiled.  “But you, you’re…like I said, I care about you.”

Y/N eyed him warily, but she was too exhausted to try to argue or read into it anymore for the night.  She sighed and nodded.  “I need to sleep,” she whispered, her body feeling like it could collapse at any moment.

“Okay,” Bucky agreed, moving to the top of the bed and turning down the covers, helping her get situated.  

“Please stay,” Y/N said, grabbing his wrist.

Bucky’s eyes widened but he nodded.  “Okay.”  

He sat at the end of the bed as Y/N got comfortable.  After she shifted repeatedly she looked at him.  “Could you, um…would you please…hold me?” she asked hesitantly.  

Bucky immediately nodded.  “Yeah,” he said, then climbed up the bed.  He settled under the covers and held his arms open to her.  Y/N scooted close to him, her head tucked under his chin, resting against his chest, and the moment his arms were wrapped around her protectively she cried again, this time quietly, her body trembling as it tried to relax.  “It’s okay, doll, I’ve got you,” he mumbled, kissing the top of her head.  “You’re safe.  You’re safe here.  You can stay as long as you want.  I’m right here…”  He rambled on for a while, his low voice helping soothe her nerves and lull her to sleep.  The last thing she felt was his hands rubbing her back gently, his lips kissing her forehead.  

***

Y/N woke up the next morning extremely warm and comfortable.  The bed underneath her was…moving?  She shifted herself, realizing that the bed she was on was a body.  Her head snapped up and looked to see Bucky.  He was still asleep, laying on his back with Y/N draped across his side, her head still on his chest, her arm across his waist and her leg hiked up over his groin and legs.  A flood of memories rushed in her head, making her shut her eyes tight at the headache it caused.  She laid her head back down on his chest, groaning at the soreness in her body.  His arm draped across her back that held her against him instinctively tightened and he hummed as his free hand bent up and under his head, making him look relaxed.  Y/N couldn’t help but to stare at him.  Getting to see Bucky asleep was quite the sight.  The nearly perpetual frown he had at work when focusing on cases and handling issues was gone, making him look younger and peaceful.  

Y/N reached a hand up and softly scratched at the beard hair on his chin, caressing his cheek and tracing along different parts of his face.  She felt like she was skipping a lot of steps, and that this was definitely inappropriate, but couldn’t find it in herself to care.  His eyes fluttered as she traced down his nose, and he started to wake up.  She tucked herself back into his side quickly, closing her eyes as Bucky started to squirm.  He groaned beneath her, stretching as best as he could with her nearly on top of him before she felt his lips on her forehead again.  “Y/N,” he grunted, then cleared his throat.  “Good morning.”  Y/N didn’t want to move.  She didn’t answer and his free hand shuffled from underneath his head to reach down and poke her side gently.  “Come on, doll, time to wake up,” he said quietly.

She hummed unhappily, shaking her head against his chest.  “Five more minutes,” she rasped.  

Bucky chuckled, making her shake.  “As comfortable as I am, let’s get you fed, huh?”  She shook her head again, her arms tightening around him.  He shifted himself to face her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.  “Were you touching my face?” he asked, a teasing tone in his voice.  Y/N hid her face into his chest to hide her blush.  Bucky chuckled again.  “Why were you touching my face?”

“I don’t know,” Y/N replied, her voice muffled in his shirt.  “You just looked so…peaceful and cozy.”

He hummed, the vibration in his chest warming her face.  She finally moved and looked up at him, meeting his tired gaze.  “Hi,” he whispered.

“Good morning,” Y/N whispered back with a small smile.

“How are you feeling today?” he asked quietly, reaching a hand up and moving her hair out of her face.

“Hm…tired, and sore,” she groaned.  Her stomach growled then, and it made him smile widely.

“And hungry,” he smirked.  “Come on.”  They both slowly got up, and separated for a few minutes to get cleaned up and ready for the day.  He met her at the door to the guest bedroom and led her to the kitchen, where he had her sit at the bar stool at the island while he gathered some food together.  “You like waffles?” he asked.

“I love waffles,” Y/N smiled brightly.  

While Bucky worked on breakfast Y/N took a look around the kitchen.  Since they had come to his house late at night and she had been merely surviving emotionally at the time she hadn’t been able to get a good look at the house.  She gazed at the design and layout of the kitchen that was open to the dining room, and just beyond an arched wall she could see into an office, sitting room area.  The entire house was a moody, dark academia style, making her smile again.  Dark and brooding but with charming aspects, like the man making her waffles.

“I love your house,” she said, catching his attention.  “Did you have it designed?”

“I did,” Bucky smiled, plating a waffle for her.  “My sister is an interior designer.”

“Your sister?” Y/N asked with raised eyebrows.  “How did I not know you have a sister?”

“Just because you’re my personal assistant doesn’t mean I’m gonna tell you everything,” he smirked as he handed her the plate, along with a butter dish and the maple syrup.

“Obviously not,” Y/N smirked back at him.  She buttered the waffle and poured the syrup before cutting into it and taking a bite.  She sighed happily at the taste, giving Bucky an appreciative nod, making him smile.  “So good,” she mumbled around the mouthful.

“Good,” Bucky said, then turned to make some more.  He cooked up some eggs and poured her some coffee and juice.  He leaned on the island across from her and ate as well, both of them getting their fill until the waffles and eggs were gone.  He took the dishes and put them in the dishwasher before turning back to face her again.  He stared at her for a minute before licking his lips.  

Y/N sighed.  She couldn’t keep playing this back and forth, weird sexual tension game anymore.  Her emotions were all over the place, and annoyance was winning.  “You keep saying ‘I care about you.’  What does that mean?” 

Bucky’s eyes widened as he frowned.  “It means I care about you.  I want to help you, like I said.  I’ve seen these things happen before and I couldn’t just let it be–” 

“‘I’ve seen these things happen before.’  So you wanted to save me.”  She knew she was lashing out, but couldn’t stop herself.  “But it’s never happened to you, has it?”  Y/N slipped off the stool, rounded the island and came toe to toe with him, Bucky backing up slightly at her voice raising.  “You don’t know what it feels like to be afraid every day.  You don’t know what it’s like to be stalked, harassed, beaten, raped, broken!  So why do you care so much?!”  She asked, her eyes burning with more tears falling.  

Bucky’s own eyes looked teary as he looked down at her sadly.  “My sister was in an abusive relationship,” he said quietly.  “He almost killed her.  She got away and didn’t want help, but it haunted her.  She was a shell of herself.  I couldn’t lose her, she’s the only family I have left,” he swallowed harshly.  “So I helped her as best as I could.  It took her a while, but eventually she got better, and is still healing.  I don’t know how it feels.  I don’t know what you need.  I just want to help,” he said, his lips pressing together firmly.

Y/N digested his words, her mind still feeling slow in processing things.  She blinked rapidly as she sniffed.  “Fine,” she agreed.  Bucky seemed relieved and nodded.  “I’m going to get my stuff, then I’ll be out of your hair,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Don’t do that,” Bucky said gruffly back.  

“Don’t do what?” Y/N asked.

“Don’t push me away just because I offered you help.  Don’t get angry and defensive because someone wants to take care of you,” he replied.

“I never asked for your help,” she said quietly.

“Stop it,” Bucky said, stepping closer to her.  “If you didn’t want help you wouldn’t have called me.”

She stared up at him defiantly.  He was close to her like that day when she teased him in the office a while ago.  Y/N wanted to push him, see how far he was willing to go in this back and forth they’d been having for so long.  “I care about you,” kept rattling around in her head as she tried to make sense of it.  Yes, he cared.  But it felt like something else.  Something more simmering underneath the words.  

“You care so much,” she sneered, stepping even closer.  “Why?”

“Because I’m a good person?” Bucky said incredulously.  

She shook her head.  “And?”

He looked like he was fighting against himself.  “I don’t need another reason.  And I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“Is it because you want something from me?” she ventured.  “You help me and I’ll be so eternally grateful I’ll throw myself at you?”

Bucky recoiled.  “Stop that.”

“Well that’s what you want, right?” Y/N pushed further.  “I saw it that day when Steve and I were teasing you, and it went a little too far.  You wanted more,” her eyes flickered to his lips and back to his eyes.  

Bucky shut his eyes and shook his head, taking a step back.  “Y/N, you just went through something traumatic.  You’re lashing out because you don’t know how to handle it right now–”

Y/N said, stepping toward him again.  “All I need is a straight answer.  You wanted more, yes or no?”

Bucky opened his eyes but couldn’t keep her gaze.  “It doesn’t matter what I want,” he said, his jaw ticking when he finished.

“Still didn’t answer my question,” Y/N said, sounding more annoyed.  “You wanna help me?  Think of this as my first round of therapy.  I’m working through some rough feelings right now, Boss.  I need an answer!”

“Yes!  Okay?  Goddammit,” Bucky said, throwing his hands up in frustration.  “Yes, I want more with you.  But that doesn’t matter.  Especially right now.  I’m not going to take advantage of a highly emotional moment in your life and try to slip in just to ‘get some,’ that’s not what I want.  And it’s insulting to me that you think that of me,” Bucky pointed his finger at her.  “Some people really do just care about you, you know that?  Some people really just want to help because they care about you, because they like you, they love you!”

Y/N was fully crying again, her arms holding herself even more tightly than before.  His raised voice was making her shrink into herself.  “No one loves me,” she whispered.

“I do!” Bucky yelled.

Y/N flinched and Bucky’s face crumpled.  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Y/N said, taking a step back.  “Just please stop yelling.”

Bucky sighed heavily, his hand rubbing his face harshly before he raised his hands in front of himself like he was surrendering.  “I’m sorry, Y/N, I didn’t mean to yell,” he said quietly.  “Please, I…I’m just trying to help.”

Y/N bit her lip as she tried to control her crying, but instead it just made her choke on a sob that broke through.  She wasn’t scared of Bucky.  She knew he would never hurt her, but the raised voice and yelling was triggering.  “I know, I’m sorry.  I’m sorry for questioning you and your motives.  I’m sorry,” she tried stepping away but he walked toward her.

“Y/N,” he pleaded.  “Don’t run away.  Please, I’m sorry,” he reached toward her, leaving his hand outstretched with his palm up as an invitation.  

Y/N’s eyes flicked from his hand to his face repeatedly.  The dichotomy of wanting to run away and hide versus wanting to be comforted was making her panic.  Ultimately she slowly reached out and gave him her hand.  Bucky slowly stepped toward her, taking her hand and holding it gently but firmly as he pulled her towards him.  She stepped toward him hesitantly, and he moved slowly as he wrapped his arms around her, watching her reactions carefully.  He pulled her until their bodies were flush against each other and her arms wrapped behind his back, tucking her face into the crook of his neck.  His hand moved to hold the back of her head against him gently, running his fingers through her hair as they breathed deeply, and she matched her breathing to his to calm down.  “I do want you,” he whispered in her ear.  “I do like you.  If I’m honest, I’ve been falling in love with you since the moment I met you.”

Y/N huffed a short laugh against his skin.  “I knew it,” she whispered.

“Can you blame me?” Bucky chuckled, nuzzling her hair with his nose.

Y/N smiled.  “Thank you, Bucky.  I’m sorry I…I don’t know what’s going on with me right now.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Bucky breathed, squeezing her tighter.  He pulled away just enough to look at her. 

They stared at each other and she gulped.  “Can I have…could we try…one k-kiss?” she asked.

Bucky’s eyes minutely widened, inhaling sharply.  “I-I don’t know if I could…stop myself at one,” he confessed.

“That’s okay,” Y/N said.  

Bucky’s eyes flickered to her lips and back to her eyes.  His hands moved from her back up to her face, cupping her cheeks and angling her head upwards.  “You want me?” he asked breathily.  Y/N nodded as he leaned forward, angling his head and brushing his lips across hers first, like he was testing the waters of his own sanity.  He finally fully pressed his lips on hers and kissed her softly.  

Y/N sucked in a breath, kissing him back just as softly.  It was just as perfect as she had dreamt it would be, from all those nights she had fallen asleep to the thought of him, while chastising herself for her feelings and denying it.  It ended too soon when he pulled away, though not too far as his nose nuzzled her nose.  Y/N whimpered at the loss, and he had to shut his eyes tight again.  “Fuck, doll, that was a pretty noise,” he groaned.  His fingers slipped back into her hair.  “More?” he begged.

Y/N nodded and he kissed her again.  This one was firmer, heavier, and his grip on her was tighter.  Her fingers fisted his shirt, her arms pulling him by the waist impossibly closer to her as she angled her head more and pushed up on her tip-toes to deepen the kiss.  Bucky grunted, and before she knew it he was picking her up and setting her on the kitchen counter.  The kisses were passionate, Bucky’s tongue sneaking out to lick at her bottom lip and Y/N opening up to him easily.  They tasted each other, nipping at each other’s lips, their hands roaming each other’s bodies.  Bucky was standing between her spread legs, his hands now kneading her thighs up to her hips as she tasted him and sucked on his tongue.  

“Holy shit, doll,” he moaned when she released him.  “I just wanna make it clear that I’m not trying to take advantage of you in a fragile state–”

“Just fuck me, Bucky,” Y/N groaned, running her fingers through his hair and pulling him back in for a seering kiss.

“Yeah…yeah okay,” Bucky huffed against her mouth, picking her up and carrying her back to the guest room.

*** 

When they got to work that next Monday Y/N was greeted with excited smiles and hugs.  Apparently word had spread quickly.  “Oh!  I’m so glad you’re okay!” Kamala said, hugging her tightly.  

Steve stepped up afterward, hugging her like she was his little sister.  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said quietly.  “So proud of you.”

Y/N smiled appreciatively at him.  “Thank you.  Thank you, everybody,” she waved at them all.  “I’m fine, really.”

“Now quit distracting my assistant.  Fuck off!” Bucky said loudly, and they all went back to work in a hurry, Steve just rolling his eyes and smiling as he walked off to his office.  Bucky had his hand on her lower back as he guided her towards his office.  Once they were inside he shut the door.  “Take a seat, doll,” he said.  “Let’s go over the schedule.”

“Alright,” Y/N nodded, getting herself settled and her notebook and phone ready.  “And uh, thank you, by the way, for kinda saving me back there.”

“No need to thank me,” Bucky shook his head.  “Now listen, I know we’re in a weird spot right now.  I want this,” he gestured between the two of them, “to work, but I don’t want you to lose this job on account of that, either.  And you’re honestly the best personal assistant I’ve ever had.  So, I want work to be work, and home to be home.  Does that sound fair?”

“Yes,” she nodded, smiling at how business-like he sounded.  

“Great,” he nodded back.  “So…the schedule.”

THE END?

[evilminji]

I got distracted, BUT I REMEMBERED!

The Dr.'s Fenton? Would ABSOLUTELY fight a child.

Specifically, Hatsume Mei. Future CEO of Hatsume Industries! And ENGINEERING RIVAL of their's! They may be new to this whole "support industy" business, but they are SEASONED weaponry makers! And that brilliant little upstart is good! Audacious! A THREAT!!!

COME GET SOME!!! D:<

See, they needed to Move. Things were getting a bit... spicy. They may have made so unfortunate choices, back before they knew the truth about their Son and Ghosts in general.

Ignorance, bigotry, and academic bias are curses in their house for a REASON, after all. They never thought... after all the DECADES of facing it themselves...

Well...

Needless to say, they were, are, and will always BE horrified by how they acted. There may have be a whole host of reasons behind WHY they acted that way. But those WHYs aren't good enough. They should have been better. Done better. They don't offer any excuses, but but they can give an explanation, if it's wanted.

And, together, as a family, they got through Maddie n Jack's horrifying mistakes.

God they don't deserve those kids. Love them to pieces. The things they don't warn ya about parenthood, you know? The mistakes you might make. You think you're ready. Think everything's alright. Then your life's work KILLS your son and brings him back.

And you don't notice.

......what sort of parents DONT NOTICE?

They still have nightmares. Feel sick. God, if they were working in ANY other field. With ANY other materials! If it wasn't SPECIFICALLY ectoplasm? He... he wouldn't have come back. Oh god.

........

So.... so, yeah.

They're working on some things! As a family! Seeing a therapist from the Zone. Lovely... Them? They're a tree person. Neither Jack or Maddie is quite certain what gender pronouns, if ANY, they are supposed to use. They've been defaulting to They/Them just to be safe. Still! Alien therapist! Neat!

But, of COURSE. The BABIES in White throw a FIT. "Wah, wah, wah you've been compromised blah blah blah" oh PLEASE! Just because they've had a little personal growth! And stopped shooting at Phantom in public! And in general! You shoot ONE little Goverment agent for trying to shoot your baby and suddenly YOUR the bad guy!

He didn't even die!

So, yeah, BIT spicy.

Honestly? Feels like a long time coming. They were never very popular. This ultimately just feels like the ends of a road that began in college. Them, the two "crazies" with their backs to the wall, as the government closes in, trying to tear them down for knowing the TRUTH and refusing to shut up about it. Their reputations so deep in the mud, they're tasting bedrock.

At least they are together.

And thank god they've had years to plan for the inevitable.

So? They have the kids grab their go bags and head off too stay with Danny's new celebrity friend from another dimension, Mr Wayne. Nice man, little dim, but since he's willing to open his home to the kids in case of emergency? Perfect. And frankly, as long as Mr. Pennyworth is there, everything will be fine.

Besides! Lil Damian is a very respectful and responsible young man. Tim and Danny may get up to mischief, but they can trust the youngest to put his foot down.

THEM on the other hand?

Not so lucky. THEY have to stay with the house. It's not exactky like they can move the portal after all, it's built in. And this is where the kids grew up! Where Jack and her scrimped and saved, lived out of cars and off nickle noodles, to afford! This is their HOME! And no jack booted THUG is going to take that.

So the kids go first. They go to the command center. Jack takes pot shots while she fires up... THAT machine. The one they wired into the house itself, right along with the Ectoplasmic Shielding. It was all theoretical, once. But not anymore.

Now they have The Zone.

It's been collecting energy runoff from the open gate ever since it opened. Siphoning them into the sub-basment mega batteries. Enough to run two-thirds the planet for the next half a millennia. If only the damn patent office would LET THEM PATENT THEIR WORK-!

But that doesn't matter anymore. No, what matters is checking how full the battery banks are. Decently. It HAS been a while since they've done a controlled drain. Good, that means they have more then enough.

So, with no kids to witness things getting nasty? She pulls out her keys and unlocks the parental commands, flips the the shields to "strobe-kill". Let's see you crowd us NOW fuckers. With Jack freed up to help aim the house? They set to work.

It's... not EXACTLY an exact science, as much as they'd prefer it to be. More of a controlled jump. Set preferences, power jump, hop sideways an unknown distance. Land. Look around.

Is it what you want?

Habitable?

A zombie apocalypse?

Jump again. And again. And again. Until the battery runs out. Then sit... or float...or drift, there, until the batteries refill. You have to be mindful, of course, that you don't lose Shield coverage. Because it keeps the House air tight and together. If you jump and immediately lose power to the shields because you misjudged the energy left in the batteries?

Better HOPE you land somewhere with a breathable atmosphere and no zombies!

And Fentons don't rely on HOPE! They rely on good ol firepower and hutzpa!

Also advanced ectoplasmic scientific engineering! But that was a given.

It... takes a while. They run out of canned peaches. Have to stop TWICE to help cure a zombie plague, since they are the only ones with a still working lab. They were actually sort of joking with the kids about the zombies. Oof. Good thing Ectoplasm eats EVERYTHING. One specialized ecto shot and that disease is TOAST.

Granted, the surviors are all limnal now. But they don't seem to care in the slightest.

Then there was the whole "oop! Planet's gone." Couple of worlds. The one with the crabs. The ocean one. The ice age. The robots. The cartoon horses. The inappropriately dressed high-schoolers with weapons fighting God. The boring one. The one with ninjas...

I mean, they are just NOT having any LUCK!

Okay, next moderately stable world, they are doing a groceries run! A Man can not live off freeze dried meals forever! Well, you CAN. But it's making Jack sad, and frankly that's a war crime. Plus she's run out of tea! AND coffee! A life of no caffeine? She can't endure that.

She's started to eye her son's God awful energy abominations in a can, for God sake! Desperate time's and all that...

Zyeyooom!

Thunk!

Which? Is how? The ENTIRE class of 1-H? Turns to stare in ABSOLUTE HORROR at the cackling, head thrown back, hands clawed, mad scientist "it's alive! It's aliiiiiiive" type insanity that is Hatsume Mei and her "this green goo I found from some guys Quirk" powered teleport anchor.

It MADE A HOUSE.

On SCHOOL FUCKING GROUNDS. An ENTIRE house! Is... is that a blimp? That's English right? What's it say?! What the FUCK is that sh- OH MY GOD ARE THOSE PEOPLE!? MEI!!!!!

So begins... the Fentons Beef With A Child™.

Because! Mei will forever more claim! That SHE brought them to this universe with HER magnificent machine! But Maddie and Jack? At first, trying to be nice about it, helpfully point out, actually? No. THEIR house can and does reality jump. THEY brought themselves.

Mei ignores them.

Crows about her magnificent machine. Scoffs about them thinks they haspd anything to do with it.

Oh... oh it is ON, you tiny pink haired little shit!

Does the Japanese Government want to take control of the situation? Of course they do. They want these scientists and they want that house. Local Nedzu's say? "It's nice to want things" :) *sips tea mockingly*

They landed on HIS school's grounds. Finders keepers!

You may say "threat to national security" but HE says "free support gear for the students and security for the school"! Not to MENTION all this delightful FREE clean energy! They are a delightful couple. With a portal to the fabric between realities in their basement!

Not found of the laboratory, but that's a personal issue. The ZONE however? Oooohohohohoho~☆

It? Would DRIVE THE HPSC and Japanese government BATSHIT INSANE that they can't get at the portal? That threats and stealth Heros and every other method? Just... hits a brick wall. A big ol "lol nope!" Meanwhile Nedzu and occasionally random teachers or students are popping in and out of this house they can get into?

Nedzu especially standing just on the other side of the shields going >:3 neener~ neener~ neener~ Ha ha! I could be mature about this but am CHOOSING NOT TO BE!

@legitimatesatanspawn @mutable-manifestation @hdgnj @hypewinter @babbling-babull

[ravenromanova]

Sweet boy

Pairings: Assistant Bucky x Female ceo reader

Warnings: DO NOT READ IF YOURE UNDER 18+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUBBY BUCKY! (he’s just so pure and needy) but also a bit of dom bucky. Mommy kink, Nipple play, Oral m and f, unprotected sex, breeding kink (sorry not sorry) Riding, size kink, just really subby and needy bucky. MINORS DNI!!!!

Summary: You’ve taken quite a liking to your darling assistant.

Main masterlist - Send me requests!!!

~

You were the new CEO of Stark industries (it got passed down to you after your father stepped down) So being that you were the CEO you were incredibly busy. And you being busy 24/7 you decided to needed an assistant to help spilt the load. You had asked your secretary to put out an application and make a list of the best applicants, and that’s what she did as she was happy you were finally delegating.

So after countless interviews and countless people just wanting to get to you so they could get to your father, you finally found Bucky or James as you called him. He was the sweetest man you’ve ever met. When he walked into your office for the interview you were in awe of him, His long dark brown hair, Ocean blue eyes, Tall muscular figure. You almost died on the spot. And upon further inspection you found out just how smart he was. He went to yale and got a degree in engineering and wanted to get his foot in the door and the best technology company. You were quick to hire him after you finished the interview relieved that you found a good assistant along with some new eye candy.

That was about two months ago and in those two months you’ve grown extremely found of James as he did you. He was a very sweet and attentive man, always bringing you coffee and a bagel in the morning, forwards himself your emails if you’re swamped etc. You hate to admit it but you fell hard as fuck for him even though you shouldn’t. But in reality you didn’t care and neither did he.

Today was no different in the little routine youve both fell into. You had walked into your office after you greeted your staff, and settled into your office to do some paperwork. You had been in your office for all of fifteen minutes when you heard the very familiar knock on your door.

“Come in darling” You beckoned and as the door opened it revealed a very handsome Bucky walking in. He smiled as he walked in, shut the door and handed you your coffee and bagel.

“Thank you James” The words were sweet as they passed your lips causing a blush to appear on his cheeks. That was something that happened often, anytime you called him an endearing nickname or complimented him he would flush. Honestly it was the cutest thing youve seen and you couldn’t get enough.

“You’re welcome ma’am” He replied with that charming smile of his. He then took a second to look at you, your hair that was curled to perfection, the black dress that clinged to your supple body, the way your eyes glistened in the sun gods he was obsessed with you.

He shook is not so work friendly thoughts away when your voice broke the silence.

“i- uh i’m sorry ma’am what was your question” Bucky chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

You laughed at him a little before stopping to catch some air. “You’re adorable James” You chuckle out. “I asked if you would want to have lunch with me today.” Bucky’s eyes widen a little at your words and he chokes on air and starts coughing.

“I mean you could’ve just said no” You tease with a smirk. Bucky clears his throat again and walks closer to your desk.

“id love to ma’am” He said as he smiled before taking some papers off your desk and exiting the room with a smile on his face.

An hour passes by and you finally finish replying to your emails with a frustrated groan. You take your hair down and throw off your glasses before letting your head fall in your hands. You love your job you really do but you cant stand all the stress that it comes with. A knock on the door brought you back into reality.

You mumble a ‘come in’ before resting your forehead on your arms. The door opens and Bucky walks in with (your favorite meal) and a smile in his face but then it quickly fades. He notices how you dont even look up at him or say anything, he also notices your demeanor.

“Ma’am?” His voice is soft as he speaks and walks over to your desk.

You prop your head up on your elbows to look at him and give him a half smile. “Sorry James i’m just a little out of it today” Your voice is rough as the words pass your lips.

“Let me take care of your emails for the rest of the day ma’am” Bucky says as he comes up behind you and places his hands on your shoulders.

You dont know what comes over you, maybe its his breath on your neck, his hands on your exposed skin but whatever it is makes you feral. Before your mind knows what your body’s doing you stand up, grab his face, and smack your lips into his. It takes Bucky a second before he kisses you back as he pushes you against your desk. You let out a slight moan as your back hits the edge of your wooden.

“I want you” You whisper against his lips after you break the kiss to come up for air. He looks at you with blown pupils as you speak not knowing what to do.

“A-Are you sure?” Bucky asks hesitantly then his eyes got wider as you removed your shirt. He nods his head once he got the hint and removed your bra before taking a nipple in his mouth. Your head falls back as you moan at the contact of his warm mouth against you. Quickly you put your hands in his hair and tug on it earning a delicious groan from him.

Bucky takes one of his tattooed hands and uses it to push your skirt up against your hips. He then finds his way to your clothed pussy and starts rubbing your clit.

“Oh fuck baby-yea just like that right there” Bucky damn near loses his mind as the words leave your mouth unlocking something in him. He releases your nipple with a wet pop before he then slides your panties and skirt off leaving you fully exposed. Bucky grips your hips and places you on top of your desk.

He wastes no time in getting on his knees and taking your clit into his mouth.

“OH FUCK!” You shriek from how good his mouth feels on you. You lay back on the desk and make your way to his hair as you grind yourself on his face. Bucky moans as he tastes you and eats you like a man starved. He takes his time as he licks and sucks on your clit since at the moment all he cares about is pleasing you.

“Fuck baby-i-im gonna cum” And just like that your orgasm rips through you just from him eating you out. He moans as he tatses your juices on his tongue,

“You taste so good mommy” He utters out not even realizing what he called you or how it set a fire within you. You bring his face back up and then bring him in for a passionate and sloppy kiss. The moan you let out when you taste yourself on his lips is sinful. You move your hands to his shirt and waste no time in taking it off. Once Bucky’s shirt is off you take a second to admire the black ink that goes from his arms to chest. You trace your fingers over the delicate patterns earning a shiver from him, the softness of your fingers on his skin set him off even more. He then grabs you and kisses you with more passion than before. Instinctively you move your hand down his chest to his bulging cock begging to be set free.

“Please mommy” He whines as you start to palm him through his pants. You’re quick to undo his belt and then slide is pants off along with his boxers. You then marvel at his red stricken cock that’s begging to be touched, never in a million years did you think you find a mans genitalia attractive but fuck his is.

You take his cock and rub it along with the precum that came with it all over your waiting hole. Bucky throws his head back once you finally put his cock in your warm pussy. He thrusts into you softly as to not hurt you but finds it hard to control himself.

“Oh fuck baby you’re so big-filling mommy up soo good” You praise him when he bottoms out. He moans as he starts picking up the pace making you mewl in pleasure. Bucky places him hands on your shoulders to get better leverage and hits all the right spots.

“F-Fuc-k mommy -i-im not gonna last long” He whimpers against your lips needing to touch you even more. Your eyes roll into the back of your head as he starts to pound into you.

“y-yes baby right there fuck- god i wanna have your fucking kids” You beg and then his pace starts to stutter as you’re both reaching your high.

“Gonna fill you up mommy i promise” He groans as he starts at the place where your bodies are intertwining. Your office is filled with salacious sounds as he fucks into you at a relentless pace.

It doesn’t take long before your orgasm builds up again and you’re grinding your hips against his cock. Bucky moves his hands to your hips as his thrusts falter and his grunts grow louder.

“F-Fuck i-im-“ His words are cut off as his orgasm rips through him and he spills his cum into you.

“Good boy baby” You praise as he continues to fuck his cum into you since he’s holding you to the whole kids thing. After a few more thrusts he’s satisfied that he wont drip out of you he pulls out. You moan a little at the loss of him in you but he’s quick to make you forget as he kisses you again making your brain go fuzzy.

“We should do that more often” He says smiling after he breaks the kiss.

“Y-Yea we should” You admit with a nod and attempt to find your clothes. Once the moment is over the reality of what you just did seeps in.

“oh fuck” The words are barely above a whisper as they leave your mouth. He notices how your demeanor went from happy to frantic in a matter of seconds.

“Hey Hey Hey what’s wrong” He asks concerned as he walks back over to you putting on his shirt.

“I-I just had sex with my assistant” You mumble as you run your hand over your face in utter disbelief.

“And it was amazing” Bucky said with a chuckle and lifted your chin to look at him.

“But it shouldn’t have happened” His happy demeanor soon faltered as the words left your mouth. He thought that he had finally had a chance with you. Truthfully he’s been wanting to do this for a while since he’s been madly in love with you since you hired him.

“Well we both wanted it to happen so i dont see the big deal” He say with a shrug not understanding the position you both were now in.

“Bucky you’re my assistant- im your boss this is completely unethical” You scoffed at yourself.

“Well what if i wasnt?” He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Huh? You’re gonna quit?” You asked offended that he was just thinking about leaving you and the company.

“Well yes but not because of this- i got an offer with Maximoff inc last month but i turned it down because i couldn’t stand being away from you. But if me staying is going to stop us from happening then ill take the position if it means i get to have you all the time” He confessed as he took his free hand and grabbed yours to put it on his chest.

“It’s kinda hard to say no when you look at me like that” You said with a fake pout as you stared into his adoring blue eyes.

“Then dont say no” He said leaning in for another kiss that was filled with love and passion. In that moment you two became more than just boss and employee. You two melted into one another and melded into one another’s soul.

Who knew your sweet assistant would be the man you’d fall for? Funny how fate works.

~the end~

i do not give permission for my work to be copied or translated on other cites

[st4rdom-if]

oh my god i am so so sorry for that rude ass anon i was fucking shocked reading the sheer entitlement. i can bet my entire LIFE they've never created any type of content ever in their life. "why not do all the research before??" like it's not an ever evolving process??? like you owe anything to anyone??? i understand the frustration of waiting for a new chapter, because that's what happens when you get involved with something that's still being worked on, but to treat you like you OWE them anything and like you're not well within your write to 1) give up if you so wanted to, 2) take as much time as you want and need is simply infuriating. life doesn't always work out the way we want it to and even if it did, that's no guarantee for anything. all in all, and even though it's not my job, as a content creator myself i just wanted to apologize. you're doing your best and there are people out here who will respect and wait as long as needed. it's clear you put into a lot of thought and time into your writing and choices, and that's something that can't be rushed in order to keep its quality. thank you for all your hard work, it's not being taken for granted by everyone

Hey, I really appreciate this, honestly. Was already having a tough day and then I end up getting that ask and just…like God, I’ve gotten crap about how it sucks that this game is female genderlocked, I don’t need this as well about calling quits to this game that I started because I knew it would a dream come true for so many kpop stans and even introduce some people to the Korean entertainment industry.

[kydrogendragon]

Oooooh, Sex Professor Hob and/or Porn Star Hob, please!

Yesss, I love both of these honestly, so have snippets of both! I think, technically, these both came from asks on Gabe's blog. The Porn Star one was an older one at this point. I'll have to see about tracking down the links. Since these are longer, I'll shove them below a Read More.

Porn Star Hob:

"Dream?" Hob asks, eyes wide as he watches the King of Dreams and Nightmares slowly slide to his knees in front of Hob's naked form. A set of cool and pale hands rest on the dip of his hips, thumbs caressing the tan skin beneath. Before he can get another word out, Dream's warm tongue reaches out, licking up his length. He moans, hands darting forward to claw into Dream's shoulders. A few heads turn in the studio at the noise. Hob's cheeks warm, suddenly feeling more self-conscious than he ever has before in this line of work. "Dream, what are you—" "I would attend to you personally, if you are amenable," Dream says, the tip of Hob's cock resting on those pretty red lips as he stares up through his lashes. It's a sight that just about breaks him. His grip tightens, closing his eyes so he doesn't cum all over his lover's face right here and now and ruin the entire shoot. Though, if he's honest, Dream could probably get him hard within minutes again if he tried. Hob's pretty sure his body's become hardwired to respond to Dream and that damn smirk of his by this point. Taking a breath, Hob opens his eyes again. Dream sits, resting on his knees, still looking up at him with that intense gaze Hob loves so much. But he doesn't move further, clearly waiting for Hob's permission to continue. "I—God's wounds, Dream. Yeah, of course, I'm always amenable, but—" Hob licks his lips. "—I just can't cum yet." Dream smirks. "I am well aware of what this job I would take would entail, Hob Gadling." As if to ensure Hob believed him, Dream moves a hand from Hob's hip and circles his fingers around the base of his cock and squeezes. The pressure is perfect and taunting and Hob's beginning to fear for his sanity. Normally, the fluffer's that he worked with would either give him a simple handie or hold him in their mouths. It worked, kept him hard, but that was about it. With Dream here, now, looking like the porn industry's twinky wet dream—ha—yeah . . . Hob's fucked. He'll be lucky if he makes it through the rest of the shoot at this point.

Sex Professor Hob:

(For some context, this one features Ace Dream who's working through his own internalized acephobia [kinda] and Hob's his tutor [who also fucks his willing clients])

“Who's making you smile so much?” “It is no one.” ‘As you deserve too. You getting that cake you talked about?’ “No one my ass. You get a new girlfriend and not tell me?” Jessamy reaches for his phone, but he pulls it closer to his chest, ignoring the blush at his cheeks. “I am still quite single, thank you for the reminder.” He sighs, clicking the screen off. He will send Hob a picture once it is made as he promised. “It was just my history tutor. He sent me a picture of his cat.” Jessamy rolls her eyes and leans back into the seat. “Should have guessed it was a cat. Makes much more sense in hindsight.” Dream shoots her a look which does nothing but make her giggle. “Who're you seeing by the way? I've got that Early Asian history class on the docket next semester and I know I'll be desperately in need of help.” “His name is Hob Gadling. I think you would like him. He's an exceptional tutor.” Jessamy's eyes go wide. "Oh my god," she says, slamming her drink onto the table. Dream is grateful for the lid lest it end up all over him instead. "The sex professor?" Dream's brain stops. "The what?" "Gadling! Colloquially known as the Sex Professor? Oddly attractive tutor? Does English and History 'officially' but most people go to him for the sex?" Dream feels as if he's been tipped into an alternate reality. "Professor Gadling. Hob Gadling. Sleeps with his clients? His younger clients" "Okay, you make it sound bad when you put it that way. Never heard a bad word about him in that regard. People say it's always very consensual and that he's also a very good lay. Lucienne's gone to him." "Lucienne has slept with him?” "Yup! Told me it's where she learned some of her moves." "I do not need to hear this." "Are you gonna sleep with him? Lots of people claim he's the best they've ever had. He's apparently as good of a teacher in bed as he is behind the desk." "Jessamy—" "You could probably use some stress relief. Maybe he'll give you a reward for passing that test of yours?" "Jessamy, please stop." She blinks and raises her hands in surrender. "Okay, I hear you. Topic: dropped." "Thank you." He folds his head into his arms where they rest on the table, trying not to think too hard about everything he just learned from Jessamy in a matter of two minutes. Of course he'd manage to find the one (he hopes it's just one) university level tutor that also offers "sex education" on the side. He can hear Desire's voice in his head already. “Dream!” His name is called from the counter. He takes a deep breath in before extricating himself from the booth. He grabs their items, his own drink secured between his chest and arm, and sits back down. The crepe cake does look delicious, but now as he looks down at it, all he can think of is what Jessamy had said. Had Hob been trying to coerce Dream into sleeping with him? Is that why he was texting him things unrelated to their sessions? He takes a sip of his coffee and tries to focus on Jessamy's trailing story about the latest art department drama. He never sends Hob a picture of that cake.

Wip List

[sageandlily]

October 2023 favourite reads (Kpop boygroup edition)

🕸Hi! another month come to an end quite fast this year and it's the spooky season month, Ocrober. I didn't read that much fic this month because I got caught by a lot of stuff in my life and social media has been draining me for some reason. But, this month fic recs mostly in greek gods, mythical creatures and bridgerton-ish theme. Once again I always wish that both the stories and the writers (who are amazing, beautiful and talented!) gets more recognition and appreciation.

May November be an amazing month for all of you who came across this post🖤

Viewfinder (🔞Seungmin x reader x Lee Know) by @seospicybin

Absolutely love the dynamic between reader and the boys. What a roller coaster!

Collateral (🔞I.N x reader x Hyunjin) by @seospicybin

As somebody who currently trying her best to applying job in magazine industry, this fic really hit something on me.

Gladius Maximus (Son of Zeus!Bangchan x reader) by @neo-shitty

I'm a sucker for anything demigod or percy jackson inspired so when this fic came on my for you page, I immediately click on it and I'm not regretting it.

Star Lost (Son of Zeus!Bangchan x reader) by @neo-shitty

The sequel for the fic above.

Enemies to lovers (Son of Aphrodite!Hyunjin x reader) by @taelme

I just wanted to tell you how much i love this fic and you're such a talented writer bcs i re-read this fic 3 times!

Too Hot Too Handle (🔞Felix x reader) by @seospicybin

In conclusion: the title tells you all😵‍💫🥵.

The Secret Admirer (San x reader) by @edenesth

I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers trope and San is so ashuekwlfh.

For Me (Mingi x reader) by @hwanchaesong

I'm waiting for the sequel dear writer!

Patience (🔞Seungcheol x reader) by @fantasyescapes17

I'm in my bridgerton rabbit hole when suddenly this fic came out in my for you page and I am HOOKED.

The Siren's Call (🔞Felix x reader) by @petrichor-han

Just a beautiful writing also Felix as a siren?? i can imagine how majestic he is.

The Most Lonely Creature (🔞Yeosang x reader) by @atzfilm

Honestly as a Yeosang biased atiny, this was one of my fav mythical creature fic of him. I've re-read this twice hahaha

Project Omen (🔞Wooyoung x reader x Hongjoong) by @atzfilm

I just wanted to tell you how much i really like this fic bcs this one has been in my mind since i read it last August?? I decided to re-read it several times and it still got me. Kudos to you, such a talented writer!

Thank you for checking this post! See you next month🖤

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

The Girl Who Accidentally Broke The Universe

Hi, so I've had a little bit of interest on here recently about the book I've written and am currently querying so thank you guys for that, I've honestly taken a little creative hit because publishing is a tough industry to break into and the rejection is quite draining but I'm really trying to fall back in love with my manuscript right now so I thought I'd tell you all a bit about it!

A lonely goddess. A girl who's the last of her kind. A lost boy. A garden child. A missing princess. A monster. And the end of the universe. What could go wrong?

Oh, that's right - everything.

Meet Kala Sparsdon: the girl who broke the entire universe

… Twice.

In her defence, it was an accident. Sort of. Up until around eight months ago, Kala had about as normal a life as she thought she'd get - yes, it's a bit boring, and yes, she's haunted by her constant nightmares, and yes, she has no idea what she's supposed to do with her life, but she's happy and safe and all she needs in the world is the love and support of her best friend Olivia Greene. But when Olivia is killed before her eyes and Kala flees the crime scene in panic, everything she's ever known is thrown into question. As she runs from Olivia's attacker, she meets the mysterious Sienna Haden and Karter Kershaw - who claim not to be human. What started as night terrors becomes an all too real world of magic, mystery, politics, and danger as a bewildered Kala is named the saviour of this enticing new society on the verge of war with its own gods.

The Girl Who Accidentally Broke the Universe is a retrospective narrative recorded by a group of historians attempting to create an accurate and accessible account of the supposed end of the universe. Their first point of call for interview was Kala and she agreed to help create the account on the condition that it must be told almost entirely in her own voice. Upon agreement from the historians, Kala recorded herself explaining her story for it to be transcribed by an editor, who adds further details, any necessary explanations, and occasionally personal opinions to the story through footnotes over the course of the book.

As much as I have a never-ending love/hate relationship with my own writing, I know that I truly love this story and I had so much fun writing it (even if sometimes it made me want to bang my head against a table) and it would mean the absolute world to me to one day be able to share it as an actual book. If anyone wants to hear anything more about it in the future then please let me know, and thanks so much for reading this post because even just this little bit is (excluding the industry) the most I've shared about it anywhere except for in long rants to my friends (who I'm sure are fed up of hearing it by now, love you my darlings thanks for putting up with me)

[h0odspice]

Diary Entry One: New Year, New Point of View🎉🎊💓🩷💞✨!

So happy new years, honestly the last month of last year was super good yet dramatic. I quit my retail job and THANK GOD for that because it was draining the creativity out of me. Honestly I’ve felt so so so much better and creative. Getting more confident with the modeling. I genuinely need to practice more gonna insert some photos down below. Idk I feel so confident about everything I accomplished last year I’ve been working in fashion for a year straight. I’ve worked in the fashion district in my city, I had my first modeling gig at anime expo and walked my first runway. I got invited to my first PR event and was given exclusive merch. I’ve been going out. I’ve been putting myself put there on TikTok and YT and updating my website with quality content. 2024 was a great year and 2025 will be even better.

I really want to make modeling a priority since thats the main career I’ll be doing and attempting to put myself out there more. Idk what it is but I definitely feel more confident more self assured. More me and more authentic when it comes to what it is that I want, my interests, my aesthetics, and bringing the vision of what I want for my life TO LIFE like Dr. Frankenstein like the monster he created without the internal issues/ insecurities he had with creating Frankenstein lol.

I feel more free, more creative, more feminine, more unencumbered. Maybe it’s the Sagittarius/Pisces placements in me. I feel unrestricted and truly free. Been romanticizing my life and falling in love with myself, everything feels so new and fresh…because IT IS. Super glad that my sense of wonder hasn’t vanished and i’ll do more than enough to continue to keep it alive. I genuinely feel that I am in a great place that feels like such a fresh start. Everything always works out for me and I’m glad that it is.

Also speaking of being free I feel like I’ll be experimenting more with my style and seeing what that looks like. I have over 10 years of Japanese experience and I’ve been super into Onnegyaru オネギャル, himekaji 姫かじ, and other GAL substyles I really want to incorporate in my new look. I also want to try circle lenses they would look so good on me especially since I’m into the dolly look atm. Idk I just feel like I want my life dedicated to creativity and all of its various forms and thats finally whats happening. But this is my first tumblr diary entry and i’m so happy about it idk what it is but I really wanna document my modeling experiences, and post my shoots and chronicle my journey through the industry as well as my personal life with fashion, beauty and interests so thats what I’m gonna do.

[loonarii]

Ari's K-Pop Roundup: June 2024 (LISA, Red Velvet, NAYEON, NewJeans, KATSEYE, CHUU + MORE)

Hope everyone had a nice pride month - I unfortunately was chained to my textbooks for the brunt of it and didn't do anything pride related, but I did see Taylor Swift, so I guess it wasn't all bad. This is the 5th installment of this series - genuinely didn't think I would make it this far - you can check out last month's roundup here, or see my full masterlist here. Enjoy :)

ROCKSTAR - LISA (BLACKPINK)

It's very rare that we see a kpop idol's pure, unadulterated vision for the music they release due to the manufactured, consumerist nature of the industry, but here we have Lisa, arguably the most popular female kpop idol of all time (at least internationally) free from the company that is widely known for formulaic, repetitive music. Will she stick with the brand YG has created for her and reinforce the box Teddy has placed her in sonically, or will she forge her own way?

Right from the teasers, I knew we were in for something a little different. Although conceptually the chrome, futuristic vibe is nothing new in kpop, seeing Lisa without those god forsaken white washing filters was very exciting. And the fact that k-netizens are taking to it very well?? Lisa is here to rock the boat. 'Rockstar' is only a single with no mini album, but hey, it's Lisa, meaning she doesn't need to boost the length of her releases to snatch those extra sales, she do well commercially regardless. Usually a single album would annoy me, but BLACKPINK are back to releasing music, so today I will let it slide.

With a Kendrick Lamar 'Humble' visual reference in the music video, a Tame Impala sample, and a sneaky little writing credit, Lisa clearly wants to reshape her framing in the industry - with 'Rockstar' she's rejecting the somewhat diminishing 'idol rapper' status, and seeking that 'rapper rapper' reputation. She wants to sit at the table with Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, and 'Rockstar', in my opinion, does a decent job at securing her seat.

You can't reference Kendrick and not put in a double entendre in your lyrics, and Lisa (and her fellow writers) delivered in that category with quite a lot of success actually. In the line 'been MIA, BKK so pretty, Every city I go to is my city' 'MIA' is used to mean either 'missing in action', referencing how absent Blackpink has been from the music industry thanks to YG's interesting management choices, or as a reference to the Miami IATA airport code just as BKK means Bangkok, Thailand - in this context its an allusion to Lisa's multilingualism and her international influence as a member of Blackpink. It's a really good line, is what I'm trying to say.

Most of the issues I have with 'Rockstar' stem from the songs length. With the base track clocking in at 2 minutes 18 seconds (oh my god what have we come to), the song feels like it's just begun when it's all over. Excluding the choruses, hooks, and pre-choruses, and pasting what remains together, we are left with one singular, honestly quite short verse. Yeah it's a pretty good verse, both in flow and lyrical content, but one verse in what is clearly trying to be a rap song is unacceptable.

'Rockstar' is frustrating to me because while it has its genuinely great moments, like when 'lala' is used in reference to singing and to Lisa's real name when bounced onto the next line, a lot of that greatness gets eclipsed by the track's shortcomings (pun somewhat intended). However, although she's done solo work before in YG this is undoubtedly something of a debut, and through that lens, while it is flawed, the track shows potential. 'Rockstar' knows exactly what kind of song it wants to be, and even though it doesn't quite measure up, it's still a step in the right direction. I'm very excited to see what Lisa does next with her career. At the very least, 'Rockstar' was fun, for sure.

Cosmic - Red Velvet (Cosmic)

When I write these reviews, I try to describe the feelings and emotions and energies the song in question evokes, and I have found that when I struggle, the song is good - and I mean exceptionally good. 'Cosmic' is one such track - I fucking love every part of it - it's so addictive to the ninth degree, from that gorgeous music video to the low and slow verses to that utterly euphoric chorus. From Joy's slightly psychotic edge to her lines that she perfected in the 'Peekaboo' era, to Seulgi's vocals in the hook, and Wendy's high note pulling us into that final chorus; everything about 'Cosmic' WORKS. Lines like 'I'm riding on your rhythm through the solar system' and 'love is cosmic' work both in their catchiness and emotiveness. This era is obviously inspired heavily by the 2019's 'Midsommar', a visual feast of a horror film about a disturbing Scandinavian cult, and let me tell you, if 'Cosmic' is a cult, consider me initiated. Not to spoil my end of 2024 ranking or anything, but as for right now, 'Cosmic' is taking the cake for the best kpop song of the year, no questions asked.

Red Velvet b-sides always hit, and the 'Cosmic' mini album delivers as expected. 'Sunflower' furthers that 'i just took an edible and i found my way onto Spotify' energy, and that hook of 'OOH WOW FEELING SO FUN FUN FEELING SO FUNNY' is hilariously good, this is a standout for sure. The other b-side I want to highlight is 'Night Drive', the album closer. With elements of citypop and 80s synthpop, 'Night Drive' feels like exactly that - a 3am drive around a city you hardly know with people you know better than yourself. It's a celebration of music, and that's putting it lightly.

SM might be working up to shunting Red Velvet into their peripheral vision, what with the new 12 member girl group debuting soon, but 'Cosmic' proves their legend status once and for all. We freaking love you RV, never change. (And I would in fact join a cult if Seulgi was my fearless leader xx)

ABCD - NAYEON (NA)

Look, JYP may be my op until the day I die, but I'm not going to sit here and lie - he knows how to write hits when he wants to, and 'ABCD' is a HIT.

2022's 'POP!' was just that - pure, unadulterated pop music, exactly what was trending in Korea at the time - the image of modern kpop. And don't get me wrong, I loved it, but when it came for Nayeon's first comeback, I was worried she was again going to pull from the current trend cycle, and right now that means airy, Pinkpantheress type beats with a UK garage adjacent vibe - and that's not Nayeon. Her voice is full and powerful and rich in colour and flavour, a song like that just wouldn't work for her. I was nervous, for sure, but when the teaser dropped, I knew it was going to be good. In 'ABCD' Nayeon is rejecting the trend cycle almost entirely - it still flaunts that 00s vibe unabashedly, but here we are pulling from a trumpet fueled 'Crazy In Love' Beyoncé energy, and oh boy does it work. The lyricism in this song goes crazy, that chorus is masterfully written and unbelievably catchy, and that post chorus build up is INSANE. Nayeon's range is on full display here, and she sounds incredible.

The rest of the mini album is pretty amazing too. 'Butterflies' has some super interesting vocal layering, and many great moments like 'a little mental picture, every time I'm with ya' - and although it's pretty clear this was supposed to be a TWICE track once upon a time, with Nayeon even appearing to imitate the members' styles of delivery (it's like I can hear Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung on this track clear as day) it's still an easy hit that I can't help but love. 'Heaven' doesn't quite work for me, it's not unlistenable, but the feeling that it has simultaneously too much and not enough energy perserveres, unfortunately. 'Magic', the song that my girl Julie features on is pop perfection, and these girls work so well together - Julie's interjections are so catchy and her parts steal the show entirely. 'Magic' is a bonafide hit. 'HalliGalli' is very AKMU (as to be expected), but I can't help but feel like it's a little immature, both for Nayeon and this album. It has some fun elements, but the complete track just isn't it for me. 'Something' is a fun pop song, if a little dull at moments, but that post chorus is a stunner. 'Count It' brings down the tempo of the album a little, in a groovy track with some beautiful vocal production - it's exactly the punch up the tracklist needed after the weaker couple of tracks that precede it.

Nayeon is my blog namesake, and she has done me proud on this album. Yes, some tracks were on the weaker side, but the overall product is strong, with Nayeon's oustanding performance on every track, and a killer title song in 'ABCD'. In terms of other TWICE members getting solos, I would love to see how Sana approached a song on her own, or even Tzuyu, who despite being the maknae and visual, tends to get lost in the sauce of a lot of TWICE releases. We will have to see, I suppose.

Right Now + Supernatural - NewJeans

God, I sound like a stuck record every time NewJeans drops some new music, but holy hell is it always good. Following their 2nd single album 'How Sweet' earlier this year, the girls are dipping their toes into the Japanese market for the first time with two tracks - 'Supernatural' and 'Right Now'. NewJeans have captured the attention of all of South Korea pretty much, it's now time to look further afield.

'Right Now', drenched in sassy lilting vocal runs, is bedroom pop at it's finest. The up-and-down choral melodies evoke the energy of a 2am gossip debrief at a sleepover with your best friends. The dichotomy of Minji's languid repetition of 'I don't care' with a chorus that speedy and spirited is humorous and perfectly captures what it is to be a teenage girl with a crush. NewJeans know who their audience is, and are making music directly for that.

'Supernatural' came next, embracing that New Jack Swing sound wholeheartedly - its very 'early 00s street dance movie'. It's quite a bit more mature than 'Right Now', the girls decorating those gorgeous synths and groovy instrumentation with a genuine collected confidence. As always, it pushes the boundaries of the y2k trend and thematically pulls from the era itself, not other people's recent interpretations of the era. It's experimental for NewJeans I think, which works for a debut, and while it takes a lot of the right risks, and makes a lot of the right choices, the chorus leaves a little something to be desired. The melody and hooks are perfect, I have no issues with them, but the vocal direction needs tweaking. A song like this demands a chant style chorus with all the members in my opinion, and while the vocal layering of the individual members singing attempts that anthemic feel, it comes off as slightly limp-fisted. I'm kind of dramatizing this issue because to be frank, it is rare I find something in a NewJeans track that I can pinpoint as a problem. The song is still of a supremely high caliber, and to be honest, any thinness in the chorus vocals just inspires the listener to fill in the gaps themselves with an impromptu karaoke session.

Lyrically, both 'Right Now' and 'Supernatural' break the kpop-takes-on-the-Japanese-market formula by including not only a blend of Japanese and English lyrics, but some Korean lines too. I find it quite clever, like saying 'this is NewJeans' debut in Japan, but they will always be a korean pop group first and foremost'. While some groups like Girls' Generation and Twice find their discographies split into 2 - kpop and jpop, NewJeans are clearly making an effort to unite both markets under 1 discography.

As a debut, this works. Two tracks united by classic NewJeans production and differentiated by themes and tone. It's really been a rough year for these girls, what with the whole Min Heejin vs HYBE drama and with Hyein's injury leaving her out of promotions for both single albums altogether, but there's a light at the end of this tunnel, and as long as the music stays consistently high quality as it has been, I will have no complaints.

(sidenote: the fact that I wasn't at Bunnies Camp in the Tokyo Dome is a little sick and twisted.)

Debut - KATSEYE

I mean, maybe expectations were unrealistically high since KATSEYE is HYBE's first real stab at the western market, but come on, we all deserved better than this. A half-hearted pop song that fails to innovate in every sense of the word, and they have the audacity to not even make it three minutes. IT'S BARELY EVEN TWO MINUTES. Kpop companies pulling from PinkPantheress constantly is truly a double edged sword, on one hand we get fucking incredible songs like 'LOOP' and 'Super Shy', and then on the other we get every kpop company waking up and deciding that actually it's totally okay to release 2 minute songs and act like it's a completed product. As a British girl, seeing the effects of the recession and the cost of living crisis on the people around me in real time is one thing, but seeing fucking SHRINKFLATION weed its way into pop music as well is like the burning cherry on top of my cesspit sundae.

I genuinely don't know what happened in the production of this song, like they got Ryan Tedder, who has contributed so much great music to this world, and then somehow the end product was so dull and uninspired.

The worst part is these girls are absurdly talented and they are getting served dirt. HYBE - that mini album coming later this year better be good istg. Ok, I'm done ranting.

BUT OH MY GOD TWO MINUTES AND THREE FUCKING SE-

Strawberry Rush - CHUU (Strawberry Rush)

(obligatory note: if you want to stream Chuu's old solo tracks, or any other old loona songs, please stream via the loona podcast or the twelveM account on spotify in accordance with the boycott)

Having the LOONA girls free from that cesspit of a company is one thing, but getting new LOONA music this often is certainly an unprecedented win for me.

Following her re-debut under ATRP in late 2023 with 'Howl', Chuu is back for her first comeback with 'Strawberry Rush'; a mini album drenched in electric pink and cherry red and sunny yellow. Chuu has an innately magnetic quality and Strawberry Rush as a title track takes full advantage of that. It's an utterly adorable song that I genuinely can't imagine anyone not loving. That disco synth thrumming the song's heartbeat is reinforced with a killer baseline, and Chuu's gorgeous vocal colour gives the track even more energy than it already has. The intro and opening are perfect at punching up the mood and setting the scene for the chorus, but it's when Chuu comes in with 'packing that heat, packing that heat, packing that PEW PEW PEW' that the song truly swings into motion and you know that this is going to be a fun one.

The mini album doesn't quite match the energy of it's title track, with it maintaining a more relaxed vibe, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. 'Honeybee' is an acoustic track decorated in summer daisy chains and buttercup bouquets, and it works wonderfully with Chuu's more airy vocals. 'Daydreamer' follows a similar sonic theme to 'Honeybee' but with a more late night nap with the cicadas vibe - Chuu's ability to switch between powerful, call-to-action vocals in 'Strawberry Rush' and featherweight tones in the b-sides is truly commendable. 'Lucid Dream' comes next, a perfect midpoint between 'Strawberry Rush' and 'Daydreamer', heartfelt and addictive. It's a real stand out on the album for sure. 'Chocolate' was released as a single a while back, and I enjoyed it then absolutely, but it makes so much more sense on this album - somehow it just got even more catchy.

Effortlessly adorable, effortlessly catchy, effortlessly perfect - Chuu, you have done it again.

MINI REVIEWS:

Boom Boom Bass - RIIZE: absolutely no notes, im obsessed. I've literally never loved a boy groups music like this before. wow.

Inner Dance - tripleS Glow: tripleS' ability to establish their own sound and musical motifs so early on in their career has served them very well, and 'Inner Dance' shows that clearly. Light and casual and airy, it's the perfect backtrack to your summer break.

Summer Festa - IVE: I usually don't dignify these type of advertisement songs with a review, but this one is actually kind of a bop. A little bit 'Espresso' coded; it's something fun for the summer that inadvertently encourages getting blackout drunk at the hotel bar in Bali. I'm still not drinking Pepsi though. Or Coca Cola for that matter, NewJeans pipe down.

BADVILLAIN - BADVILLAIN: (requested by @a-moth-to-the-light) Although apparently capturing the eyes and ears of seemingly the entire kpop community, this one wasn't hugely to my liking. This might be controversial but my first impression was in fact 'wow this sounds like something babymonster would release' - I can see the appeal but unfortunately these songs just aren't meant for me. I do enjoy the classical influenced production and for the most part the vocal performances were fun too, but with the hook I wish they had bumped up the high note at the end of 'villain' another octave - that's such a nitpick I know but the thought struck me immediately when I heard it. '+82' on the other hand impressed me immensely, such a powerful, call-to-action type song. That background production is a killer, and perhaps I just have Kendrick on the brain from my Lisa review, but the beat feels somewhat along those lines. And holy fuck can these girls dance - wow.

Sabotage - Kwon Eunbi: Can Eunbi release a flop title track? Turns out, once again, no she can't. I love 'Sabotage', it's so hilarious and catchy, and singing along feels like accusing an imaginary boyfriend of gaslighting lol. Woollim giving this song to Eunbi feels a little ironic, considering since she left IZ*ONE, it seems all they've done to her career is sabotage her with poor promotions. The song is fun, and Eunbi sounds excellent as always, with 'Sabotage' boasting many a vocal riff, especially following the bridge. Give this one a listen, and whilst you're there, go check out the rest of my girl's discography, she's truly a hidden gem.

[rock-n-macabre]

Mild Pro Wrestling Rant

I apologize in advance for ranting on here in regards to a pro-wrestling topic. But, seeing as this place is honestly the only place I have encountered so far in regards to being actually open to discuss topics without the smarks jumping down your throat.

For those that know me, know I was involved in the pro wrestling scene for about 5 1/2 years. Not long, but I am grateful to say I learned a lot from really great vets in the industry in my journey. I have done valet , managing, ring announcing, and even went through some wrestling training by one of the guys in the indies I looked up to for his lucha style. I have been around locker rooms, and hanging around after shows , as well as seminars...all in which provided lots of learning, passed down by those who made their mark in the scene.

That being said, WWE's current decision on signing a Track and Field athlete didn't sit well. Yes...wrestling is very much so about athleticism. To be frankly honest, no type of regular workouts can really prepare you for what is felt in ring. The most I could say comes close to prepping you is having background in some sort of martial arts. That can help, as well. You do your regular workouts to supplement your strength and endurance in ring, but nothing really prepares you for in ring work except for actually in ring training.

What caught me heat from my post - and ATTACKED by marks (not the good kind) - was the fact I simply stated how there are PLENTY of amazing talent in the indies that hustle their asses off...they put themselves out there and a lot actually have made quite the names for themselves and have worked internationally...they are more deserving of a contract but get surpassed. Yes, wrestling does have a lot of needing to have the 'look' for the sake of branding and drawing in the marks. It's business. But for frigging marks who have not been part of the business and act like they know more about it than those who have actually worked in it......FYI to those folks....it does NOT make you look cool or smart, and the talent actually really can't stand your ass lol.

I know I've been utilizing the term 'mark' a lot in this....mark used to be not a negative term, and actually is one of the many carny terms that are used. Wikipedia states it pretty good, "Mark a slang term that describes a fan who believes that the characters and events of some or all of professional wrestling are real. The term can also be applied to a fan who idolizes a particular wrestler, promotion, or style of wrestling to a point some might consider excessive." Hell, workers will even say to one another "Omg, I marked out over _______!" But nowadays, if a worker calls you a mark....from what I've seen in the locker room...it's not a good thing.

I won't lie...I miss the scene in a way. I miss the fellow talent I worked with...I miss being in the ring and the rush from it....Hell, that week of holy shit my muscles kill after training and post-show feels....That I miss. What I don't miss are the fans who aren't fans for the right reasons..the ones that belittle other fans and try to act like they know more than workers...the creeps (that actually were more than likely the same people who act like they know it all) that touched us female talent without our consent. That is why I left. You can only keep shit kayfabe so much until you just get sick of it. The good fans though? Gods, I miss them. Having little kids look up to you and getting to interact with them and see how they actually appreciate the show for what it is and the amazing work the talent does. Anyways, sorry for my blabbing and 'unpacking' like some say....but....I just couldn't sit quiet on this. Probably will catch some heat from angry marks on this..but.....fuck it. It needed to be said. To those that actually are fans of wrestling and aren't like those assholes: THANK YOU. You rare folk are talked about in good light in the locker room and motivate a lot to keep going despite the BS. (Also, thank you for making amazing signs and showing your love and support for talent who deserve the recognition for their hard work and passion!). To the asshole marks : Shut the fuck up and pass over your money.

[yuseirra]

Onk spoilers(166)!!

Found out what happens in the last chapter!!

Oh seriously though??? It was the worst in a lot of ways but actually, I'm SO RELIEVED because

It explains literally nothing... There is NOTHING at all to take away. I really can believe in what I theorized with so wholeheartedly. That really IS the best way to make things work. I'm going to attach drawings to go with it and upload it on pixiv with the explanation because, it DOES make everything come together without even having to change a single thing. Believe me, I really think that should be the way, maybe the ONLY way to make things ACTUALLY WORK.

gosh I was prepping for the WORST of the WORST and it's helped. It's so bad but I can still draw. I can still theorize if it's like this but what is the point of doing that for a series that's been completed huh????

This is so half-baked;;;extremely so...

No but you can't write like this unless you just ditched the writing. Nothing is explained. Oh wow. Thank goodness I can still draw hikaai, I really DON'T THINK HIKARU HARMED AI. HE MUST HAVE JUST TRIED TO SEND A BOUQUET. What the heck though??? Shouldn't they explain the truth??? Shouldn't they really.. Reveal what happened regarding him and Ai before the series go? What if he REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING? Do I HAVE to believe Aqua's thoughts that Kamiki manipulated Ryosuke to kill Ai by showing him a toothbrush that she's left in his apartment? How can Ryosuke's actions be justified?? And how IS that manipulation? How can you be so triggered over a freaking toothbrush. It would NOT have had ANY EFFECT on normal people. Ai even drew a cute heart next to her name, could be out of habit but considering how she is afraid of revealing herself and opening up to people, I figure she was quite happy and relaxed when she was around with Hikaru you know. They WERE loving.

What I wrote earlier EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. About how the star eyes work and came to be, what Hikaru had been doing and why he was so attached to Ai and was so desperate on seeing her again, how Ai is a "star", the idea of gods and missions and what each twins had as their mission, it also explains how Ruby "shines" brighter than anyone, the part about wishes, why Aqua had to take those extreme measures and give up his all, how Hikaru managed to do all these weird stuff and why people kept dying around him, and it also predicted the ending pretty well. That theory I have CAN explain everything in a very coherent sense. It makes everything add up together. That HAS to be it. It really just... Only adds to what this whole story is. It can't be otherwise. Because nothing is explained.

But the writers have to...take responsibility for their work, this is really like a normal ending in a video game that you get when you fail to collect all the hidden items and all. Can't they draw out a true ending??? It really seems like everyone failed in this particular timeline we're seeing as a comic. Since they stated everything is fiction, can't there be multiple endings then?? Aqua took the wrong route. I honestly.. See this piece being so. He should have followed his mom's wishes(grow up healthy, help the dad) idk, collect more items. This really DOES feel like a bad ending of a video game but surprise!!!

It's not the worst for me because we still don't know what the heck Hikaru is and I sincerely believe he really is a noble god who fell after being tainted by the industry. And we STILL don't know if he is the one responsible for Ai's death so I might as well believe him because WHY THE HELL WOULD HE GO AFTER HIS ONLY LOVE. HE WAS SO PASSIVE. I studied psychology that guy can't do it. If he were to get back at her he would have done it not so short after the moment she left him, why wait four years and...attack her when she called him up to come visit their children who strikingly resemble both him and his beloved Ai. They look so much like him too... He said himself he has paternal feelings and I believe that!! Because why wouldn't he, they take after him and the one he loves so much.. Wouldn't THAT be so precious?

And the fact that Ai really loved Hikaru didn't get refuted so that's a solid fact. Even if they add something in the final volume, there's no way they're going to overturn it so my interpretations of her feelings to him and him towards her are SAFE. Thank goodness.

But there's still NOTHING to take away from. In fact, it makes the message even worse;; not going to say much but it even negates this idea that was set forth in the recent chapter as well?? So what are they trying to say with this piece?

Oh but at least my favorite characters are SAFE from the author's hands!!! Nothing is worse in terms of them. In that case, I can feel free. I can draw them. I had no idea that they wouldn't even make a single appearance in the final chapter but that may be better than showing up and being horrible portrayals, at least what they had with each other's set in stone. That's good news. See? I can hope! My chest is actually lifted because it isn't too different from what I thought would be. The 4 recent chapters(I'm being so generous here) have NOTHING to offer. It doesn't have a point.

Hikaru drowning, let's say, that part can be actually from the myths if he's the embodiment if Sarutahiko. I care for him but I can see how that is. Everything after that point though? Oh, I can draw out something while maintaining the themes and message while making Aqua live and Ruby "shine" bright as an idol as "Amaterasu". I'm sure many artists will be willing to as well.

They have to get back to these ideas about gods and missions, why aren't they doing that? It really IS what that can make this story come together so why don't they do it?? Why were those things there? I really think that must have been it!! It explains everything!! It works!!

[daisybell17]

Protecting You — Loki

Warnings: abusive & manipulative relationship, toxic relationship, abuse, physical violence, mentions of drinking, swearing, mentions of death, this fic mentions abuse in relationships so read with caution, and of course do NOT read if topics such as these make you uncomfortable or offended

WK: 4070 - Long fic ahead!

——————————————————————————

Asgard is known to hold some of the greatest theatre plays in all the nine realms, Midgard being their current competitor in the industry. Nonetheless, you never stopped your passion to be an actor. So when your agent contacted you about a role in an Asgardian performance, you couldn’t pass this opportunity.

Loki, Prince of Asgard, too shared this passion in the art of acting and theatre. Performing since he was just a child, his talented ability to capture audiences and his co-stars never failed, making him a world or shall I say, realm class celebrity.

Thus on the first Monday of rehearsals, you had met not only your idol but your partner in the lead role.

“H-Hi! My name is Y/N…I’m from M-Midgard and h-honestly, all this still s-seems unreal to me…b-ut! It’s an honour to meet you Mr. Laufeyson!” For as awkward as the first meeting was, Loki chuckled at your response and shook your hand.

“Well it is lovely to meet you Y/N, and please, please! Call me Loki” His eyes seemingly piercing your own. God he knew you were gorgeous on the stage, but seeing you in person and this up close? you were the most incredible being he’s ever met

Your mind was running laps as you shook his hand. Loki Laufeyson was your co-star. You were performing on Asgard. This is a dream come true!

“Ok then! Loki…I look forward to these next couple months working alongside you. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the Prince of Asgard and the talent he brings to the stage…And I might be coming off too strong here but I am a bit of a fangirl myself when it comes to your work”

“Really now?! Well I could only thank you for watching my work, I truly love all this and just hope to bring my best foot onstage” Loki was grinning like an idiot, keeping his composure as you two conversed

“And you hit the spot every time! Your take on some Midgardian performances left me speechless! The Asgaridan version of Hamilton was one I didn’t expect much from and yet it delivered perfectly!” Loki couldn’t hold back his laughter and smiles as you praised his work. He found himself blushing a little at your words, dazzled by the praise you were feeding him.

“You are truly too kind darling, I’m just glad to bring some of Midgaridan works here to Asgard, the theatre Midgard has is more my style as compared to what majority of Asgardians like…gods this is why this play is a big leap for us, but I have seen your works in the romance side and I am certain we can execute this perfectly”

Your eyes lit up as he said this…Loki has seen your work?! More specifically your romantic trope stories?! You were speechless

“You have?! Wow! I am…You have no idea how much that means to me! I have to admit that this sounds like an ego boost but I do consider them my best performances”

“Nothing wrong about being proud of your best works and darling you put on quite a show! Most shows here on Asgard are focused around war, politics, kingdoms and royalty so a little romance here and there surely brings out the humanity in me”

You had smiled as his response, and you two continued on with your conversation, getting to know one another and the passion you shared for theatre. As the day went on, you both went over your lines, practicing the timing, the emotion, delivery and much more. It was obvious to you both that It’s as if these roles were made for you both. A forbidden love story between god and woman, both finding their own ways in this world together, all the while they were ridiculed by the universe. You loved your role, you loved your co-stars, you loved sharing the stage alongside the talented man himself Loki Laufeyson. Life on the stage is one you wouldn’t trade for anything…

Although…while you shined on the stage, it would be idiotic to not admit that the magic you felt onstage did not translate to your real life.

“That’s a wrap for today! I will see you all on Wednesday!” Just like that the day was over and you had to part ways with everyone.

Packing up your belongings, you could hear footsteps approaching and upon turning your back you were met with Loki

“Hey Y/N! It was great working with you today and I must admit you truly have talent like no other”

You blushed at his comment and shot him a quick “Thanks” and “You too”

“You going straight home?”

“Uhm Yea? I have to get dinner started and all” You replied, packing the last of your stuff up.

“Oh…I see I see…Well I was actually wond-”

“Y/N Are you still fucking in there?!” A voice boomed through the room

Your eyes went wide and you quickly swung your bag behind your back “I-Im sorry Loki but I really have to go…”

“I-Uhm yea okay…I just really wanted to ask if-”

Suddenly you saw your boyfriend walk in, clearly angry at something. Loki’s eyes immediately shot at his direction as he watched this angry and slightly intoxicated man burst inside and you running to him an small panic

“Honey! James, I told you that I was working late today! Why are you even here?!”

“Honey? James?” Loki felt both confused and sad.

“No?! You said you’d be done by 4! That’s why i’m here…what? My girlfriend doesn’t come home to the time she said she was and you expect me to not be pissed?!”

“Honey what are you even talking about?! I never said I was off at 4! I even texted you I’d be home by 7!”

“You’re a liar!” James shouted and you quickly shushed him as to not attract any attention

Loki stared at you two. First he felt sad and quite disappointed to find out you had a boyfriend…he’s never fallen for anyone this quickly but something about sharing the stage with him and the passion you both shared brought out this lovey dovey feeling he had deep down inside. And with this being the first of many meetings, he knew he was bound to fall for you further. Second he felt rage towards your pathetic boyfriend, the cursing?! the shouting?! his intoxicated rage towards you?! and the attempt at manipulation was just below pathetic. Loki despises assholes like him, but of course he couldn’t do much about it.

“You’re calling me the liar?! Check your phone! I texted you!” You whispered shouted as you smelled the alcohol reeking from him

“God James are you seriously drunk as well?! You’ve been drinking too much lately”

He scrambled for his phone and saw the text you sent, grumbling to himself, he hissed an looked at you “Whatever I didn’t read it so its still on you! And i’m sorry? Does my drinking pose a problem with you? You’re barley home anyways, out here performing and shit. God I thought this was just some hobby or some shit”

“James?! Are you serious right now?! For the hundredth time…this is my life! my passion! Don’t you dare try to say its just some hobby!”

“Seriously Y/N?! It is! I mean look at this! Its a fake production of a fake story with real people just projecting a fantasy! its pure bullshit!”

You grumbled in frustration “You know what if you seriously have a problem with it why are you even here with me? Why did you come to Asgard huh?! Why!”

Loki knew he wasn’t supposed to be listening, but he couldn’t help himself as you were both arguing quite loudly. He wanted to destroy that pathetic man

“To protect you of course! And…ugh are you really going to make me say it?

“What?!”

“Ok i know its all bullshit but your work is the exception because its you! and UGH yes its bullshit but you blow my mind away sometimes…and you NEED me to protect you…I dont know who might steal your heart here on Asgard?”

“…mhm mhm…Ok can we just go home please?” You asked feeling both hurt but ok at best

“Yes we can go” James said and grabbed you harshly to the exit

You turned at Loki and waved a quick goodbye and mouthed “Im sorry” and walked away…Loki was beyond furious that poor excuse of a man could treat you that way. Calling theatre and acting bullshit?! Bringing your passions down?! Grabbing you in that manner? God it revolted him. You deserved better…so much better, but alas it wasn’t any of Loki’s business nor could he do anything much about it.

Loki never questioned you about that day, seeing as it was something quite personal to share, but he did ask you if you had a boyfriend and how long you two were together. He wasn’t quite happy to hear you’ve had to deal with this man for 2 years now. James would show up to pick you up after every session, either drunk, pissed, in no mood at all, or just being annoyed but he sweet talked his way to make you go home with him each time…even though, deep down inside it was like you were drowning, there were parts of you that were screaming to leave him but you just couldn’t, he was all you had. The most you could do is fantasies and take the small wins, even though you craved more, even though your soul craved better…Oh the guilt you felt when you saw Loki interacting with another co-start…you wished it was you…but- wait, why the hell am i even thinking that?! I have a boyfriend for god sakes! and Loki is just my co-star! Stop it Y/N.

The weeks went on and you and Loki continued to work together onstage. Offstage the both of you got to know one another better and because of this the more he fell for you, for someone he couldn’t be with. He was amazed by you. By your passion, your personality, your kindness…everything…and he knows better than to fall for his co-star but you were the breaker to his rule.

He couldn’t put into words just how amazing you are. Like a blast of energy that you couldn’t contain, just filled with so much drive, passion and life and he hated to admit that this became a small factor to motivate him everyday. To see you, to talk to you, gosh it was like he was a teenager again, eager to see his crush at school, but this was much different.

Although this one week, when you came in for the day, Loki had greeted you as usual, asking how things were or how you were liking Asgard and you gave a half-hearted reply, brushing him off almost entirely and you sat in the corner of the room, going over your lines on your own. Odd behaviour that Loki wasn’t used to and he was split between asking if you were ok or to leave it as is. This didn’t affect your performance onstage but it affected Loki. He didn’t like seeing you this way, and when James came in to pick you up that day, he made sure to stick with you as you both waited. That same week you came in looking worse and Loki decided to finally ask what was wrong, but you shot him down, not really wanting to talk about the horrible comments James had thrown at you last night about you, your career, your cooking or the fact he even threw the glass vase at your wall, sending glass flying and cutting your arm, though that was a scar you could hide. Loki didn’t push you on it anymore but he did request if they could finish earlier today.

“I think we should end a little early today seeing as you all have been working hard these past couple weeks. See you all on Friday!”

You were surprised to finish early today, but I guess it meant you had more time working on dinner. So you packed up and got ready to leave when Loki stopped you

“Y/N…I was wondering if maybe you’d like a cup of coffee before you go home for the day seeing as we finished earlier than usual”

“I uh..hmm” You thought about it, go home to James and cook earlier…or go with coffee with Loki…After last night you needed a break

“Ah why the hell not…coffee and….macaroons?” You asked in hopes to try of Asgardian pastries

“Coffee and macaroons it is! I know a great place near here, ran by a good family friend of mine, im sure you’ll like it”

“Can’t wait to try it” You smiled and let Loki lead the way to this mystery cafe.

Upon reaching the place, you were greeted to a busy yet lively scene. Calling this place beautiful would be underselling it.

“I’ll order us both a latte and grab one macaroon of each flavour, how’s that sound?”

“That sounds great” You smiled and reached for your wallet. “I’ll cover half, how much do I owe you?”

Loki’s faced contorted in confusion “W-What? Y/N!” He chuckled “It’s ok I got it! Treat is on me” He smiled

“What?! No no please! I can’t let you pay for all that! Please let me pay half”

“Nonsense this is on me, that’s final” Loki smiled “Its okay I promise, you deserve a treat, well I guess we do after the work these past weeks”

You sigh and accept his offer “Ok well…Thank you, you are too kind Loki…But next time we get a treat it’ll be on me ok?”

Next time. Ah so there would be a next time. Loki grinned at the thought…although reality snapped him back when he remembered your boyfriend “Hmmm, I would still treat you next time…but if you insist, next time you’ll treat us”

You nodded and Loki went and got the coffee and macaroons.

He came back with your treats and…they were the best damn macaroons you’ve had in your life

“Holy shit these are delicious! There has to be actual magic in these…amazing! amazing!”

Loki watched as you ate the sweet treats “Told you I knew a place and if you must know, they don’t have magic, just made with love”

You laughed “Ah yes…Love! Ok but seriously I need to bring a tray of these when I go back to Midgard, just one big tray of em all for me”

“You know I could do that for you? Perhaps we can share…if you are willing”

“Share?! Never! the imaginary tray of macaroons is mine only hehe” You smiled “okay maybe you can have one”

“Just one?!” Loki said in a dramatic tone “So you get a whole tray and I get one?!”

“Yes! One!” You laughed “I’’m so kind I know”

“Sure…sooooo kind! Y/N gives Loki ONE macaroon!” He teased…He wished you could both stay like this forever

As you were both enjoying each other company and the nature around you, James had spotted you as he was too on a coffee run and approached you both

“Y/N?! The hell you doing here?! I thought you were at work?!”

“Oh! H-Honey we just finished early today and L-Loki here invited me for some coffee and macaroons…I hope that’s alright by you”

“You should have told me first…or why didn’t you go home and start with dinner?”

“I uh…i’m sorry it slipped my mind and I was t-thinking…we could just…take out some dinner?”

“Y/N you’re better than this! I need to know where you are…and yea whatever we can get dinner out”

Loki sat there feeling awkward and so quickly cut the silence by introducing himself “Hi I am uh Loki…co-stars with Y/N…she’s told me about you James…uh nice to meet you”

Confused by this, James hesitantly shook his hand “Uh nice to meet you Loki…i guess…So what has Y/N said about me?”

“Uh…you both have been dating 2 years…and..yea..” Loki replied awkwardly

You watched James expression and you knew having these two meet was a horrible idea…but not much you can do now.

The two continued their VERY awkward conversation and soon James pulled you up and demanded you both went home

“Uhm…See you on Friday Loki” You say as James dragged you off

“Uh See you…” Loki was fuming…

Friday came around and one again your demeanour had shifted. You were shut off, closed, awkward and of course Loki noticed this. This wasn’t the real you, the you he had coffee and macaroons with…he was worried…he knew you deserved better, he knew he could treat you 100 times better. God he wished he could be yours…he would love you so much more than any other being. The day went so-so and Loki had waved you goodbye…all he looked forward to was the next week in which he could see you again…

So when you unexpectedly did not turn up the following week for practice, he was sad, but from his sadness quickly grew concern after seeing the nature of your boyfriend and how he treated you. He couldn’t focus the entire day, worried about what happened to you or if you were ok. Once the day was over, he quickly rushed to the nearest restaurant and bought some takeout for you to have, in case you had just come down with some sort of flu.

Approaching your temporary living space he immediately heard screaming from none other than James. Loki dropped the food at the doorstep and peaked through the window. He could only see James’s face as your back was facing the window. Loki couldn’t grasp the focus of the argument as James was mainly throwing horrible insults at you

“You bitch are you serious?! Why do you alway lie to me? After all I have done for you?! For us to get here!”

“James…its called ACTING! do i have to explain myself all the damn time?! And you better stop calling me a liar, I told you about the play, about the theme, about the scenes…and It’s fine its just acting…”

“Are you being fucking for real?! Are you serious now Y/N?! You expect me to believe that you’re telling the truth right now?! That these so called scenes weren’t just written in after you said yes to this?! God why couldn’t they just cast a single woman? Not someone with a boyfriend?!”

“BECAUSE JAMES IT WAS OFFERED TO ME! Because I have talent! I have passion! I am a performer, have been all my life! Sorry they casted me! Sorry they casted a woman in a relationship but its not like I can do anything about it?! Nothing is ever enough in your eyes and I don’t even know why I care for your opinion!”

“YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CARE I AM YOUR BOYFRIEND AND I AM NOT LETTING YOU GO WITH THIS PROJECT ANY FURTHER”

“WHAT NO?! you cant control my life like that asshole?!”

“THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME??? Y/N I DONT CONTROL YOUR LIFE BUT IM SURE AS HELL GONNA STOP YOU FROM ALL THE STUPIDITY YOUR DOING” James approached you, backing you up against the wall

“James! JAMES! STOP IT” He raised his hand over you

Loki’s eyes shot wide, accidentally knocking on the window and immediately James’s attention went to the window “HEY WHO THE HELL IS THERE?!” Loki scrammed immediately, leaving you and James to your own business.

After that incident he knew he has to something about it, he wasn’t going to watch as you get hurt by that horrible man.

You came in for the next practice session…with James which threw off everyone but instead of greeting your cast mates or even Loki, you darted straight to the hair and makeup station. Loki saw you zoom by and immediately tried to catch up with you, which only increased your walking speed, practically jogging at this point. James locked the door to the station and you ignored Loki completely. Passing conversations can be heard from you both…although Loki no longer cared, he was worried for you, he couldn’t stand the thought of what your bastard of a boyfriend could have done to you and so he forced himself in.

“Loki?! What the hell you broke the lock!” You say in shock with James sharing the same reaction as you

“I know but I can’t stand this anymore!” He marched towards you and went to grab your shoulders in an attempt for a hug, causing you to flinch and move back. Thrown off, Loki looked at you confused and “Y/N your face…” Loki got a real good look at the bruise on your arm, cheek, and neck…

Loki looked at you, then at James, and clicked.

“YOU BASTARD!” Loki launched at James

“HEY! HEY! HEY!” James shouted, blocking Loki’s hands and body

“What the hell did you do asshole? You did that? YOU hurt her?!” Loki managed to push past James’s block and locked his godly hands and arms onto his shoulder, gripping on so tight it caused your boyfriend to flinch and squirm in pain

“Hey man let me-”

”NO!” Using his magic, Loki blasted James against the wall, causing his body to shake as he fell to the ground “The hell is wrong with you?!” he screamed

“ME?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Loki approached him and placed his foot on his chest, letting his entire body weight shift to his foot.

“Ow! Jeez!”

“You know I don’t care who you are, I don’t care that you’re dating Y/N, you pathetic little man I will ruin your life for touching her, I will end your stupid, worthless, pathetic little existence for what you did to her! You understand me?! There is a special place in Hel for assholes like you! Bastards that think hitting, cursing and treating their partners like shit is even ok!”

“Loki stop it!” You shouted

He ignored you and grabbed James’s face “You ever come back here, you ever even think about seeing her again, or so help me god even think about laying another finger on her, I will snap your body like a twig and make sure you suffer a long…painful…demise” he growled

You saw all this happening and while you were terrified, part of you felt relief…it was over…it was finally over….right?

James struggled against Loki’s grasp, Loki looked like he was actually going to end him

“Loki look at me!” you shouted

He immediately did and saw your eyes, he saw that as much as James was an asshole…you didn’t want Loki to actually kill him

Loki looked back at James and let him go “This is your only chance to go…SCRAM”

And just like that James ran out, leaving your life for good

You and Loki stood there in awkward silence

…

“Loki?” You whispered

He immediately looked at you “Y/N!” He ran towards you, about to bring you to an embrace but remembering you were probably not comfortable at the moment “Are you ok…?”

“Not…really…but better” You admitted “Thank you…” You smiled at him.

“Of course…I-I couldn’t go on just working with you knowing or not knowing what was happening…I’m just glad you don’t have to deal with that asshole anymore…right?”

“Yea…its over…after yesterday…I knew we were through, I just didn’t know how to end it…so thank you…so so so much…You’ve done more for me than most people have about all this…” You hugged him as tears fell from your eyes

He hugged you back carefully as to not startle you “I love you to much to see you like this” Loki blurted. Uh shit?! Not the time?!

“You love me?” You pulled away and asked

Loki went red at your question “I-I Uh…yea? I do…I do love you…look I know were just co-stars and hell you just went through such a shitty thing and this is the worst way to say it but yes I love you…a lot” he fumbled at his words

You smiled at him “Despite everything…and I wont lie… but I love you too”

You both embraced each other as you felt the safety of his love and his arms

——————————————————————————

(a/n): this took awhile for me to get out bc tbh i dont really know how to write a story like this...very well...but either way i got through it! hope you enjoyed and james is an asshole

TAGS: @jennaortegaswifeyy

[aeoki]

Number Eight - Take a Chance: Chapter 4

Characters: Rinne, HiMERU, Kohaku & Niki Location: Los Angeles Townscape

Niki: *Munch munch* ☆ Ahh, I’ve peaked in life…♪

The West Coast is all about chilli dogs~ I’m gonna pig out on these!

Kohaku: It makes me smile seeing you eat so well.

Still, who would’ve thought this was the West Coast in America? The “IFF” was held in the east, so it’s interestin’ to see how the vibes are so different.

HiMERU: They’re about a few thousand kilometres away from each other. There’s nothing to compare that to in Japan.

It’s so far you won’t be able to get there even if you’re on the move for twenty-four hours straight. If anything, we should be happy we were able to find lunch within an hour.

Rinne: Yeah. We were even rewarded with a GPS for our car after completing the mission. That should make driving around easier now.

Anyway, the problem lies with the dice. The first mission would’ve been completed if we held out long enough, but that might not be true for the next mission.

I’ll roll the dice next. Start praying to the gods that I get something good, guys…☆

Here I go… Tap ☆

“Take a picture with the instant camera”...? Do those old cameras still exist in this day and age?

There wasn’t anything like that in the boot, right?

Kohaku: I don’t think so. I checked the boot when we got to the restaurant, but I don’t think I saw anything that looked like a camera.

Niki: I don’t remember, either. I was busy looking for food, so honestly, that was the only thing on my mind~

HiMERU: Which means we should interpret the next mission as “Find someone who will take a photo of us with an instant camera”.

Fortunately, HiMERU can speak a bit of English. HiMERU will go ask around.

Niki: I’m confident in my gestures too! I’ll give it a go and see if I can ask someone!

Rinne: Thanks.

…But is this what we should be doing for the show?

Our missions so far have been pretty normal. It’s a piece of cake compared to “The Minotaur’s Labyrinth”.

It’s nothing like the old show which basically did all that illegal stuff.

Kohaku: Yeah. We’re not being chased by a ragin’ bull, either. We’re overseas but nothin’ special has happened yet.

People are going to start doubtin’ the show, seein’ as it was rumoured to have participants drop out because of its absurdity, but this is all we’re doing in the revived version.

HiMERU: In HiMERU’s eyes, everything has worked out as desired, though.

It’s as if they prepared all this just to give us an easy opportunity to perform.

There is no guarantee there won’t be a mission on the remaining dice faces that will remind us of the show in the past, but if things continue like this, it will be quite easy.

Niki: Yeah. It feels like all our suffering has finally been rewarded ♪

Oh, excuse me, I’d like another chilli dog for takeaway, please ☆ *Niki gives a thumbs up*

No, that’s a hamburger! I wanna eat a chilli dog!

Rinne: I thought you said you were confident in your gestures?

Well, it’d be careless to just charge straight into things. Let’s try and find a private house. Maybe some of ‘em are nice to strange travellers~

We’ll take one of the camcorders from the car each, and then we’ll start asking around.

HiMERU: We have to take a photo, don’t we?

It seems far too easy. Is HiMERU overthinking and worrying over nothing? 

Niki: Nahaha. It’s nothing like that! We’ve had to face all sorts of cruel things so far, so our common sense is just a bit skewed!

HiMERU: Hmm. It’s normal in the TV industry to torment the participants to increase viewership, but it’s unthinkable to leave the success of the entire show to just idols.

(It would also be a hard blow to “Crazy:B” if nothing TV-worthy is filmed.)

(Everything will succeed if we’re on a roll. On the other hand, everything is bound to fail if the opposite happens.)

(It sounds like something from the occult, but this is the truth.)

(The producers and staff will lose their enthusiasm and interest in the participants, and as a result, it’ll look as if things are heading downhill.)

(This sort of thing occasionally happens in the entertainment industry.)

(...The possibility of “Number Eight” being that sort of TV show is something HiMERU wants to avoid thinking about, but there are different risks that occur when we blindly follow what the producers tell us to do.)

(Amagi will surely do something like he always does, if there is nothing worthy to film. But that's something to keep in mind.)

(After all, the only one who can save me in the crucial moments is no one other than myself.)

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[soyouareandrewdobson]

Nintendo-vember Level 2: Howard and Nester: How you are not supposed to pay tribute to a comic

Ahhhh, Nintendo Power. Published by Nintendo of America from 1988 till August of 2012, this magazine was part of the childhood of many Nintendo fans. A magazine that functioned as a gaming guide, advertisement for new games and just fun overall for people enthusiastic for Nintendo.

While we did not have Nintendo Power like that where I am from, we had a similar magazine called “Club Nintendo”, which ran from the 90s up till the early 2000s (2002 to be precise), after which it unfortunately got unceremoniously canceled. I had access to these issues thanks to relatives who enjoyed them a lot and honestly, I enjoyed them too. Very informative, highlighting many games and filled with some really fun comic stories here and there.

Now, Club Nintendo wasn’t entirely like Nintendo Power though. For example, among our comics in the magazine we did not have the subject of today’s post: Howard and Nester.

Now for those unaware who they are, a short explanation: Howard and Nester were the characters of a short series of comic strips from the very early days of Nintendo Power. Howard was an adult business man with a bow tie that Matt Smith may like, while Nester was a ten to eleven year old redhead NES player. In other words, he was a little shit.

Howard himself btw was based on Howard Phillips, initially a warehouse manager for Nintendo of America, who at a very young age (he was only in his 20s when he started working for Nintendo) joined the company and would play a major role in the marketing of the NES launch in America. He was also an avid videogamer of the “olden times” so to speak and was Nintendo of America’s spokesperson number uno. Liked by many within the industry, he did however eventually leave Nintendo in 1991 (at only 32 years old), to pursue careers in other companies. Which did not work out quite as well, according to Wikipedia. Though he is still hanging around, kicking, playing and working in the industry, for some german firm no one really knows about.

Man, he even looks kinda like the eleventh Doctor.

Anyway, back to the comic itself: The comic strips were essentially just meant as short, two page fillers ad would feature the caricature of Howard Phillips and Nester, the later supposed to represent Nintendo fanboys, finding themselves in environments related to a current videogame and dealing with whatever situation. Most of the time just ending in some comedic pratfall for a rather impatient Nester to suffer.

Then, after 25 strips, Howard, in relation to Howard Phillips leaving Nintendo, also left the comic, resulting in the thing ending and Nester going on some mini adventures on his own.

Now honestly, reading those strips I don’t think they are really bad. Howard as a character is rather supportive, there are small hints to games they thematically integrate in the comics here and there and some of the scenarios are kinda fun. Plus even the linework is okay for this sort of comic.

However, I genuinely think that Nester is a little bit of a shit. Especially in his first two strips.

He just comes off as smug and a bit of a know it all. Believing he is better than Howard, not grateful for any advice and trying to come off like he is an expert in the eyes of younger, impressionable kids.

Oh god, he is Dobson!

Though that may be what adds to the pratfalls he suffers then. In addition, I am a bit baffled by what games they supposedly star in or how some of the games they talk about are executed in comic.

I mean, the Ducktales comic for example has nothing to do with Ducktales really aside of the moon duck enemy thing kinda being in it (though that may have been related to Disney telling them not to use Scrooge)…

And then there is the fact, that a comic based on the Golgo 13 game was made.

You know, THE Golgo 13? The game based on the famous manga about an assassin for hire?

I mean, what next? A comic based on them in the setting of Home Sweet Home? Though that may have been cool.

It is just, I can see how the duo left some impression on early readers, but I can’t see how they could get quite the appeal, that back in 2008 Nintendo Power would release THIS comic, featuring a now adult Nester talking to his son about the good old days. A little manga-esque like tribute, some people enjoyed.

Not so much You know who though, who decided to draw instead THIS comic in order to “honor” the two and the style of the comic. And in doing so just ended up showing that he kinda never understood the character of Nester, nor the concept behind the original tribute in the first place.

So, why does the comic suck? Because it is just an excuse for Dobson to project his own shitty opinion about how Nintendo “dishonored” the origins of the characters he claims to love onto Nester. All while making also both characters accidentally come off as losers and creepy. Particularly Howard comes off as horrible in the comic. After all, based on the set up established via the first two panels, I can only assume that the guy kidnapped a ten year old boy against his will and put him into cryostasis. Separating him from his family and friends, only to thaw him up again twenty years later. And for what? To show him how far games have come since then?

I get that the comic is supposed to be a joke (though I see nothing in it that makes me laugh), but… well..

For that set up is rather unfortunate and feels more like it should be part of some existential horror story about someone finding themselves completely displaced in time and seeing, how their disappearance tore apart their loved ones. I for one rather ask myself, what happened to Nester’s parents? Were they accused of killing their son and send to prison? Did they commit suicide? Did Howard just kill them to get to Nester in the first place?

And the “motivation” to freeze him -I want to show you how games are played in the future- is just… that doesn’t even feel like a plan. I am genuinely at loss for words to explain the “logic” that Howard must have had and how none of that helps “the joke”.

Like look, the idea that Howard would e.g. pull out some magic item or machine to show Nester how in the future games are played and giving him a bit of a cultural shock only to return back to the present, feels like a set up that could have worked. But this is not the set up of this comic. This comic has Howard use an extreme measurement to achieve his goal, that comes just off as psychotic.

But hey, why bother elaborating on the ramifications of Howard having tortured a child like that (which feels like a great disservice to the real Howard Phillips), when there are games to play.

Or rather, complain about, because that is the only thing Nester does, starting from his shock at seeing Link now having blond hair.

Which is stupid as shit. I am sorry, but considering the kid had been on ice since the late 80s according to this comic, I think his first reaction to seeing game graphics from around 2008 would be “holy shit” as a result of a cultural shock. Not the fact that Link now has blond hair.

Also, way to prove how Nester is only a phony Nintendo fanboy, because he calls Pit by the name of Kid Icarus

See, little trivia bit here: The tendency of calling little Pit (btw, one of my favorite characters in the Nintendo canon ever since I played Uprising. I love that little shota) Kid Icarus, came mostly because of the awful Captain N: The Game Master cartoon from 1989, which named him by his game title. All while the game was a stable of the NES library since 1987 and Pit’s name was a stable in its freaking manual

Look for yourself: Page 7.

Also, getting riled up over Mario not being from Brooklyn when that was NEVER a point in the actual games anyway or Link’s hair color?

Hm, doesn’t that sound familiar…

Look, I am not much a fan of Nester based on the strips I saw, but it would be obvious even to Helen Keller, that Nester here is not himself. He is a stand in for Dobson and his shitty opinions on how Nintendo “betrayed” the old NES fans by making Mario and Co more marketable and ignore their “true and honest” origins. The “real” Nester based on the strips comes off to me more like someone who would freaking geek out at seeing his favorite game characters being these detailed, cartoony badasses fighting equally great villains.

After all, playing as Link who can ride on a horse and fights a giant sized pig demon? Mario throwing planets at Bowser? Mario and Link duking it out with other heroes? Seeing Pit and Palutena in Smash Bros Brawl? Which btw came out in January of 2008, so Nester complaining about not seeing Pit- oh I am sorry “Kid Icarus” would be inaccurate too.

The point I am trying to make is, that if you grew up with the bare minimum presentation some NES games had, you would be gushing over anything “modern”

Heck, considering the sort of stuff Nester played or was into in the comics, he would likely drop the Wii once he learnt about stuff like God of War, Ratchet and Clank and other “badass” and “cool” games other consoles can offer.

But no. Nester is simply overwhelmed with the concept of 3D and “realism”. Though lets be real here, I think realism in videogames is an oxymoron, independent of what console we talk about. I mean, what is e.g. “realistic” about Mario, Sonic, God of War, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil etc? I know at least half a class of biologists who cry each time a new Resident Evil scientist comes off with a new variant of the virus.

Anyway, he is so overwhelmed, he simply just wants to go back to the old days and the game he used (or rather “use”. Btw, great job at even failing at simple past tense) to play.

Only loving the Nintendo Wii once Nester tells him about the online shop and that he can play on it the same shlock he already likely has memorized before Howard put him into cryostasis and as such deprived him of a proper childhood.

Meaning that Howards “plan” to show Nester the future of gaming failed, because instead of embracing the new while also loving the old, he simply rejects the former and embraces the later even more tightly, putting it on a pedestal the same way Dobson does.

Which frankly, is one of the aspects I find the most annoying about Dobson in general when it comes to Nintendo. I get it. He grew up with the NES and I admit, the console had some really great games that build the corner stones of many franchises and the Nintendo empire.

But, and you can crucify me for saying that, by modern day standards (or heck, even standards set up by the follow up console, the SNES) the NES era was kinda bad and many games, even a lot of the classics, can’t stand the test of time as much anymore than they once did.

Before you burn me on the stake, let me explain: I myself grew up with the SNES and GameBoy as my first consoles, so I never played the NES games, even though I was aware of them through Club Nintendo. Only in recent years, thanks to the NES mini and some game collections I downloaded on the PS4, I got to play some of the classic games. And frankly, I think a lot of them suck in some regard. Like the technical limitations of the time, the at times unfair programming to make certain games extra hard and how quick you can actually get through the game once you know what to do, make some games a bit of an underwhelming experience.

Granted, unlike Dobson I will admit, that my opinion is very biased. Coming from my own love of the SNES, as well as decades of playing other games too, including sequels to many of these starter games that managed to polish up things in term of gameplay and presentation. And there is no denying, that there have still been many great games on the console by Nintendo itself, but also third party publishers such as Capcom, Squaresoft, Enix or Konami.

Kirby, Mario Bros 3, Megaman 3 up to 6, Ducktales, Castlevania 3, Contra, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Earthbound are at least some titles that come to my mind.

But it was also the console that gave us stuff like the LJN published videogames, got a shit ton of unnecessary equipment like the Power Glove, established the term “Nintendo Hard” and frankly, I find myself unable to genuinely play the NES Zelda games or Kid Icarus without feeling them quite underwhelming and a bit flawed. So bottom line, I think it was important, I think good stuff came out of it, but it was only the first steps into the right direction. The NES learnt how to walk, so the Switch could run.

Dobson meanwhile worships the era like it was the greatest thing ever, never topped and shoves his opinion into Nester’s mouth. Resulting in the strip’s entire message boiling down essentially to the following:

The past was greater than what we have now and is the only thing I love. Oh, and fuck you for making me try new things.

Which is ironic, coming from the person who among other things would claim that such a behavior is toxic years later. Going onto rants how Kylo Ren is such a nostalgic nerd and criticism of “toxic fans” when he ranted about Star Wars – The Last Jedi and that critics of it are all Nazis. Even though Kylo is the one saying “let the past die”.

There is also just the fact, that the comic obviously misses the idea behind the original Howard and Nester tribute comic from Nintendo Power.

Like sure, the comic in the magazine was flawed. The manga inspired art work wasn’t that great and Nester felt like he grew up into the sort of young adult who made videos on youtube in the late 2008s, trying to emulate the AVGN by reviewing old NES games and acting like he is hardcore for enjoying “The Wizard”. All while being in reality more of a dork, especially in the eyes of a son that actually comes off as way older than he likely should be if Nester is only in his late twenties or early thirties.

But I think that was kind of the point. Making Nester more a caricature of the “gaming nerd” of the time period, while also indirectly playing a decent tribute to the old days and showing Nester having gotten older, though not necessarily wiser. But considering his kid seems to be doing okay, I doubt he is that terrible of a dad.

Which begs the question though, what is it about the comic that pissed Dobson off that much? The “manga” style? Granted, I think they could have gone more with a style akin to what the original comics had, which is the only thing Dobson has going for his page, that I can actually appreciate. But it could have been worse.

Is it the idea of Nester actually changing as a person, growing up? I mean, considering how allergic Dobson was often times to the idea of change (except when it was related to dumb reboots that may piss off republican strawmen in his head), I could actually believe that.

But if that was what pissed him off and his idea was to make a comic doing a tribute to these two the “right way”, Dobson failed miserably. Because all he did was make Howard come off like a psychopath for freezing up a kid to show him some games and Nester like a moron who can’t appreciate positive change in the media he consumes. All because Dobson was rather focused to vent his own frustration about Nintendo through their mouths, rather than respectfully draw a story with them. Something he even admitted

The artwork may be decent here, but the writing is a failed assignment.

The most ridiculous thing about that being, that either some time later or before, Dobson made a way better comic starring NEster, that actually gets the vibe of the original

And before someone claims I can only complain and not bring some alternative to the table how to execute the comic, here is what I may have done:

Start the comic as Howard and Nester in the Back to The Future NES game, supposedly having just finished it. Only for Nester to end up playing with the controls of the DeLorean and in doing so transporting him and Howard into the future. Materializing in 2008, they then learn about the actual positive things happening to videogames ever since , though Howard may also learn to some degree about the bad stuff whe he reads up an article titled “Rise and Fall of videogames” or something related to Jack Thompson). Have Nester for example geek out about Smash Bros, question what a Pikachu is, hitting himself in the head accidentally with a Wii Remote, but overall try to also give a positive message to it all.

Like Nester befriending  bunch of kids via Wii playing. The comic then ending with the two travelling back to 1988, Nester all pumped up about the prospect how great videogames will turn out in the future -perhaps also being a bit impatient at the prospect to wait 20 years to play Smash Bros Brawl again- while Howard muses about the things yet to come. The final panel perhaps being set in 2008 with an older Nester looking over a little brother who befriended by accident his younger self, challenging the younger one to a rematch he had “lost” in the past.

I know, sounds corny as fuck, but it at least would nullify the entire “I kidnapped you and froze you up” implications of the original comic by Dobson.

Now, unlike Dobson, I do not intend to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the readers, so I want to end this post on a sweeter note by informing you about the following:

When Nintendo Power eventually ended on issue 285 in December of 2012, someone at the editorial team must have remembered Howard and Nester, because they decided to have this little two page comic in it.

Nester, drawn in the classic style, as a way more well adjusted adult than in the 2008 comic, reminiscing about the magazine that he owes his existence and had brought him many hours of joy. His son helping him accept that it may be over for the magazine, but that the enjoyment will never 100% go away. Even adding a little framed bow tie in the background of the last panel, symbolizing that in hindsight Nester likely came to appreciate Howard as more than just an annoying mentor sort of figure. All before heading out to play a new Mario game with his son. Leaving the past behind but close, while embracing the future.

A comic, that in my opinion hits on the sweet “bittersweet” spot of such things as Fullmetal Alchemist or Amphibia. Giving the “story” a proper wrap up and assuring people that it is over, but that the characters themselves in a way are -unlike Dobbear- never gone.

And if you want to read all the strips of Howard and NEster, here is a link to the archive I found for this post.

Level 2 is done. Time for some bonus round and then the next level soon. Cause now we are really going deep into his whinning over the superiority of the old Nintendo canon

[ryuichirou]

Replies

A couple of miscellaneous replies.

Anonymous asked:

I used to be pretty indifferent to the NRC school staff, but your art and headcanons made me warm up to them a lot, especially Crewel, so thank you!

Aside for his crush on Trein, what do you think Crewel's sex/love life is like? Does he prefer one-night stands or is he interested in finding a more stable relationship? Would he use dating apps or does he just go with the flow?

Aww you’re welcome and thank you, Anon! We don’t get nearly enough of the NRC school stuff in the game itself, but I still love them a lot, so I’m happy you also got invested in them and Crewel specifically.

I like to think that Crewel has quite an active sex/love life. For some reason I imagine him as someone who goes to very specific types of clubs and bars and meets people there (+ maybe people from the fashion industry?) but he could also use dating apps when he’s in the mood for those. Although he seems like the type who needs to see a person with his eyes first, to “smell” them and make sure that they have chemistry.

He doesn’t date; he’s never dated anyone “seriously” in his life. He has a lot of partners though, and he isn’t the nicest person to a lot of them. He doesn’t abuse them or anything, just ghosts a lot of people. He’s a bit of a mess, to be honest lol

Anonymous asked:

I read your twst first time HCs and I laughed at the ones for Jamil. He totally is that guy who’s either really experienced or he’s a total virgin who people just THINK is experienced. Plus that thing about sex as a form of self-punishment is just so on the nose for him I feel.

If Kalim was his first time when do you think it would’ve happened? After Overblot, before Overblot, at the Firework festival, etc.?

Thank you, Anon!! Yeah, Jamil has such a seductive vibe sometimes, as if he knows exactly what he’s doing, but in actuality it’s so possible for him to not even want to have sex at all lol he has too many things to worry about. I’m also happy you noted the self-punishment part! I feel like I come back to this idea every time I think about poor Jamil.

If Kalim was his first, I would say it probably happened after Jamil’s Overblot. We haven’t seen the Firework festival yet, so I’m not sure about the level of tension between them during this period… But maybe during Ch5? When they were staying at the Ramshackle, for example. Or even earlier, right after Ch4. Maybe everything that went down made Kalim reflect on his feelings towards Jamil and realise just how much he desires him.

Or maybe they were having sex actively already by the time we met them lol Kalim seems to be so comfortable around Jamil, it wouldn’t be very surprising to learn that all of his sexual awakening was tightly tied to his closeness with him. So I guess it all depends on his horny or childish you want Kalim to be.

artfulhero-m asked:

After all this time I think your art has convinced my brain to finally ship Lilia x Silver (because you're the only artist that I follow that ships it lol) and my brain has decided to tell me by showing me Lilia teaching Silver how to have a good time if you catch my drift wink wink (source: it was revealed to me in a dream)

Ahh, welcome to this wonderful ship! <3 Honestly more people should ship these two lol so any new shipper is always good news.

BUT OH GOD PEOPLE KEEP HAVING THE BEST DREAMS LOL Your brain literally went “do we ship LiliSil? Take a wild guess, here is a hint”..

It’s completely right though, Lilia has taught Silver everything he needs to know to have fun both by himself and with someone else~

Anonymous asked:

do either of you have a yuu/twst oc?

Not really, we aren’t that into yuus and stuff.

Anonymous asked:

Opinions on Kalim x Vil?

I loved that scene where Vil demonstrated a proper skin care routine on Kalim’s silly face lol it was fun.

Don’t have a lot of thoughts about them as a ship though, maybe it’s because we haven’t seen the events in which they interacted more.

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Me and my Tumblr fans have brought the life of something: Kalim Harem. Everyone is dating and sleeping with Kalim.

So here's the thing I can't help but focus on: Orgies

Like SO MANY ORGIES MY DUDE!!

I'm talking a fucking CHORE CHART WHEEL for those who are boning with him throughout the week until Orgy Date and something about Kalim just casually mentions the date in public is so fucking funny to me!

I feel like the first few times it was awkward for everyone to look at each other but soon it led to the others in the poly to bone each other without Kalim

So my question to you is; Thoughts of dorm orgies? I just get the vibe everyone's TOO CLOSE and the staff either doesn't know or know just refuse to say anything

Alright, it took me waaaaay too long to reply to this one, sorry for the wait!!

Yours and your fans ideas are quite creative as always lol And honestly you never know with Kalim. He seems so unassuming and innocent one moment, but he’s also full of surprises. He could be quite horny, and boy oh boy what a surprise it would be to the Scarabia students lol

(I’m saying it as someone who drew a comic of Kalim NOT fucking his harem because he’d rather sing and dance with them…)

Out of all the dorms, I feel like Scarabia is the most likely to have this type of ehh ARRANGEMENT. Other than that, Savanaclaw might do this type of stuff too lol

Oh and the staff won’t do anything about it anyways, Crowley is going to act like it’s not happening or it’s some kind of bonding moment for the guys lol