#THANK YOU AUTHORS YOU'RE THE REAL MVPS

[revenantghost]

Shout-out to Trigun fanfic writers for being some of the best creators in any fandom I’ve ever stumbled into; y’all are doing fantastic work and I send much love, gratitude, kudos, and comments your way

[mithrilhearts]

My takeaway from the past 24+ hours...

There are so many of us that rely on ao3, whether you're a reader or writer. It brings us joy, it gives us an escape from the real world, and it lets us come together as a community to share stories and scenarios about our favorite fandoms and characters. The amount of posts I have seen on multiple platforms lamenting over the DDoS attacks is overwhelming - but with most of them comes a delightful cheer to the volunteers working to resolve this issue.

I've seen so many statements of praise for those volunteers, which is exactly what they deserve, and more. Can you imagine working for over 24 hours straight, on a volunteer basis, against something like this? They're the real MVPs, and I think our appreciation for them gets lost until moments like this rise.

With that said, here is my first real takeaway...

Don't bitch when ao3 does a donation drive. They work hard to keep the archive up and running, and with that costs money. Every server, every new addition or feature you want to see added to help make the site better, it costs money. The legal team that is defending fanfic authors??? MONEY. SO! DON'T! COMPLAIN!

I'm not saying you have to go out and donate your paycheck to ao3 - but I will say that, especially with this situation, if you can donate even a little bit to show your support, it means more than you probably realize, and even if you can't donate (which is totally okay), be kind to those who work on the archive. Send them kind words of encouragement, rather than flaming the archive because it's under attack - because yeah, I've seen people bitching AT ao3 for not working fast enough, or for it still being down. STOP IT.

My second takeaway...

Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Ao3 themselves have advised that the group claiming to take credit for this attack is to be treated with skepticism. And not only that, let's NOT automatically make assumptions about who is responsible just because of an organization's name. It's just a NAME, it doesn't identify a person's origin, background, etc. But I'm not here to dive into that much further. Point: I better not see any Sudanese hatred on my dash, or I will bite you.

My third takeaway...

Treat your fanfic writers with respect. We all now see first hand how much we depend on these stories. As I said above, for some it's an escape, a creative release, and a way to communicate with other people through similar interests. It's a beautiful creation, neither above nor below any other kind of literature.

Consider commenting, reblogging, kudos, anything you can to let the authors know you enjoyed and appreciate their works. Everyone is free to communicate in the way that suits them best, but every little bit is appreciated - as a fanfic writer myself, I can tell you that even a little heart emoji has made my day. It's like receiving a second kudos, and tells me that someone appreciated my efforts enough to give me a double thumbs up.

Any form of communication with the authors is appreciated. It lets them know that people are genuinely interested. We live in a world where INSTANT GRATIFICATION is taking over, but creations such as this take time. Talk with the authors, ask them about their wips, tell them they're doing a great job. Do NOT pester about "when are you updating next?" or the dreaded AI option - again, I will BITE PEOPLE if I see you doing this. Just...have some respect, show your appreciation, it's more than JUST FANFIC.

At the end of the day I guess this post is about being kind. Not pointing fingers or slandering people due to a name. It's about appreciating the things we do have, and not taking them for granted. Whether it's the brave cyber warriors currently fighting these DDoS attacks on the frontline, or the authors writing for not only their enjoyment, but for others too. Let's all respect one another, and show our support when and where we can.

HUGE THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS AT AO3, YOU ARE THE REAL MVPS!!!

[naryrising]

Lots of people give shoutouts to their commenters, to the folks who bookmark and kudos their works, to their betas and so on. Today I want to thank the people who subscribed to me as an author, and who stay subscribed no matter what I post. You're the real MVPs here.

As an author it would be discouraging if it weren't so hilariously predictable: I post a work (any work at all) -> I lose a subscriber (or two, or three...). I get it, I really do. They probably subscribed to me for a specific thing (a fandom, a pairing, a type of fic) and they just got something that wasn't that. Maybe they had forgotten I existed until that subscription email showed up and they were like, "oh, this asshole," I don't know. I just know that it's extremely funny to me, in a "you have to laugh so you don't cry" way.

I know I jump around a lot and don't consistently write in the same fandoms, or the same genres, so probably that discourages people from staying subscribed. I'm not doing this to be marketable - I could probably tailor my output for maximum audience appeal but I wouldn't be having fun anymore. Still, knowing that there are X number of people who have agreed to get an email any time I post something is a big encouragement for me, and it's kind of a bummer when number go down.

So here's to the subscribers who take a look at whatever bullshit I just threw into their inbox and say "enh, this one isn't for me, but maybe their next one will be!" and stay subscribed anyway. I hope I'll write something you enjoy in the future! I love you!

[weballingsad]

Here are some shoutouts for Bi!Buck canon:

1. To the 32 authors who have already written fics about Buck and Tommy - I love you <3

2. To @envybuck on tiktok who posted the scene of the kiss with Buck and Tommy - I also love you <3

3. And to Oliver Stark, Lou Ferigno Jr and ABC - Y'all are the real MVP's and I will love you forever <<<<<33333

4. @mymycorrhizae here on Tumblr which is where I got ^^ from - you're post was one of the first I'd seen so thank you for getting this out so quick <3 (sorry mixed up who I got the gif from)

[aashi-heartfilia]

BnHA Thoughts: 8th Popularity Poll (Top 25)

Bakugo: The undefeated No#01 since last 7 years!! No#01 Hero or not, he'll always be the no#01 character of the series!

Deku: How the heck is there such a huge gap?!! Almost 6000 votes!! Damn. And here I thought he might be no#01 this time because of his rouge arc going on.

Shouto: Why is the vote gap so surprising? Usually Deku and Shouto have similar vote counts.

Endeavour: Not surprised. His fight against AFO was really something.

Iida: Vol 33 hype stays strong.

Kaminari: *surprised Pikachu face* he was always popular but him being no#06 despite the expensive voting, wow.

What's surprising is that Jirou is on 19th spot! She is the cool, musical girl of the show. She got her own concert arc and big moments against AFO and yet Pikachu manages to outrank her.

Aizawa: Always a fan favourite.

Hawks: Deserving. Literally the binding force for heroes. MVP!

Kirishima: Why are you here? He hasn't done anything since last 100+ chapters and yet managed outrank Ochako.

Ochako: Who was a major character in the Deku Retrieval arc, got some great character development and now fighting against one of the deadliest villains is ranked below Iida, Kirishima and even Kaminari.

It's so concerning that literally one female character made it to top 10 and yet she is also literally at spot #10.

All top 9, male. And why shouldn't they be? They're compelling characters with great backstories, character arcs, battles and screentime devoted to them. But when it comes to writting female character, even the author takes a backseat.

What a shame.

Dabi: The highest ranked villain and yet so low. Didn't make top 10.

Shigaraki: 2nd highest villain and 12th postion. Has been stagnant since AFO took over his body, so his place below Dabi is okay.

Mirio: pleasantly surprised. Guess UA coffin really gave him a boost.

Sero: Another surprise. He hasn't done anything big. Why are you here?

Rody: well... You're not even cannon...

Tamaki: UA coffin boost is real.

Present Mic: Shirakumo hype has died now?

Shinsou: got that cool costume upgrade but hasn't done anything yet.

Jirou: How are you so low?

All Might: The All Mighty No#01 hero at no#20. This is not a good sign. His popularity is steadily decreasing.

Toga: Our bloodthirsty Harley Quinn didn't made it to top#20? Guess Villains are really a bad omen in Japan. But she was such a big force, constantly talked about. Well, what do you know.

Monoma: Good role in final battle. Okayish ranking.

Momo: HOW THE HELL IS MOMO OUT OF TOP 20?!!! And that too below Monoma? The Class A vice-president, who single handedly defeated gigantimachia?! Not single handedly but still. How the hell is she soooo low?!!!

Iida literally did nothing that significant since Joint Training Arc and yet he always manages to make it top 5 and yet Momo who is an actual deserving candidate didn't even make it top 20? Guess misogyny is really high here.

Nejire: The only UA BIG 3 who didn't make it top#20. Why is it that Mirio and Tamaki got great backstories while all she gets is a half-baked page about how great Mirio and Tamaki were that they decided to befriend her. Seriously?

Mirko: Guess big thigs and badass fight scenes aren't enough to land you in top 20, huh?

Additionally, Tsuyu is 29 and Mina is 33. AFO is #39, Ayoyama #41 and Hagakure #43. Despite getting the big focus with Traitor reveal and Face reveal, Hagakure and Ayoyama are so low. Horikoshi #52 didn't make it to top 50.

Overall Impression:

It wasn't that bad. Remember when we had Shindou ranked #09 and literally no female characters in the top 10. That was the worst poll. Though it's still mildly concerning how there are just 2 girls in the top 20, Ochako and Jirou and no villains in top 10. Momo is really low and Nagant and Midnight aren't even in the picture. Bakugo remains the undisputed star of the show and with that we have reached our conclusion.

It was a really tough competition this year.

~Thanks for reading

[thecagedsong]

So I feel like I've learned something about how to get reviews nice from readers. Two things.

Ask a question in the author end notes of the chapter. And not something vague like 'what can I do better' or even 'haha, did I do this scene right?' Ask about the story. Point out a plot point and ask "Hmm, blorbo's inferiority complex or blorbo's abandonment issues?"

Ask 'Oh-no! how is this wet kitten of a man going to get the ring back?'

Ask 'Okay, but is it really X's fault? Y's probably at fault too.'

Readers will pass through stories quickly, they are in reading mode. But when the author's note breaks the fourth wall and asks them 'sure hope the conversation that got interrupted wasn't important, your thoughts?' It pulls them out of reading mode nicely, by asking them to think about what just happened and put words to the feelings.

Your readers probably have really insightful, interesting, and funny things to add and talk about, giving them a concrete detail to focus on stops the 'where I even start to talk about this amazing story' issue that prevents people from leaving a comment. They know where to start, and since they are already typing, they know where to go.

2. Respond to your reviews like a tumblr ask.

Your chapter is now an ask game. They write "It was soooo funny when X did that, I'm dying." You write "If only he wasn't so emotionally stunted, maybe he wouldn't have done X, lol. One day he'll learn the ways of the samurai". You contribute specific details for the commenter to remember and engage with they see your response in their Ao3 inbox. (Assume they've read other stories between their comment and your response to their review, help remind them of your story so they can follow up)

I learned this one from Dulcito before seeing how well it worked for myself. It can be kind of tempting to say "thank you for the review!" and leave it at that, but answering that way puts an end on the conversation. Instead answer with a meme, a comment on writing a part they commented about, ask which part was their favorite, converse.

Even if they don't continue the conversation on that comment thread, it will remind them of the story when they see your response. They will know that you're willing to talk with them about a story they love enough to read fanfiction for. And if you leave enough interesting comments in your responses, people will start commenting more and seeing what you're saying on other comment threads.

I'm too young for the good old forum days, but I'm pretty sure this is what it's like. It's about a community. Frequent or scheduled updates help too, so it doesn't fall off the radar of your previous commenters. but my goodness I love my reviewers so much.

These tips don't guarantee reviews. Nothing does. But I've had a much better time posting when I've done these two things. I thought I'd share.

And if any of my reviewers for Dear Hero or The New Keith Route are watching this, you the real MVPs.

[adastrafanfic]

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Ad Astra News - 7/2 - 7/8

State of the Archive

Okay, so listen up. This is important.A lot of people coming to Ad Astra have never been a part of the Ad Astra community back when we were still running on eFiction. They're new authors from AO3, especially, who are used to a certain kind of culture and looking for alternatives to AO3; that culture is often far more passive in its consumption and less interactive in general. While AO3 is an incredible resource, it's not really a fan community. That's not meant as a disparagement; AO3 serves its intended purpose (maybe even too well) of being a place where everyone can safely archive stories. It is not, though, a social platform, nor was it meant to be.

Ad Astra is, by contrast, a community. When you're over here archiving your stories frantically, distressed by what's happening with OTW, you're stepping foot into a place with a very long history that has been kept alive by a relatively small number of people who love it. Who have paid for its survival for years, even when we were broke and literally scraping change together from the core community to keep afloat. Even when we were quiet. Even when we lost two of our own to death by illness. And even when it felt hopeless. We have been, for almost fifteen years, a circle of people -- sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, sometimes just a few die-hards -- telling each other stories and celebrating each others stories around a campfire. This is what you're coming into. So I need you, the new people, to understand that you aren't owed this space. We invite you (general you) into it, and we will gladly -- joyfully -- fold you into our community, but you aren't entitled to this. If you want it to survive, if you want the efforts of those of us who have poured incredible hours of time and money and effort into this just so we could offer it to you for free to continue, then do your part to keep it alive. Celebrate your fellow authors. Write comments. Write recs. Talk on the forums, join a rewatch, host a rewatch. Join the weekly challenge. Get involved. (And, you know, follow my tagging rules and stop trying to sneak around them. LOL! I see you. If it's not useful for universal search filtering, it doesn't belong on the archive and I will cull it with glee. XD) Any fan community starts and ends with its people, not with its platform. I know you like the platform. Now come and celebrate the people, and let us celebrate you, too. Thanks.

Weekly Challenge #10

For this challenge, you get to take a look at a 'turn right' AU. Or left. Or backwards. Pick a canon moment or a moment in the lives of a character, one of your OCs or even just in the universe and explore, in 100 to 700 words, what might have happened if it played out differently. If a different person stepped in front of the disruptor fire. Or if someone had a nightmare and backed out of that assignment. The sky's the limit; interpret however liberally or strictly as you like!

If you post it to the archive, add it to the Weekly Challenges collection with the tag Weekly Challenge: One Reality Over and post a link here in this thread so we can go see!

Challenge ends at 11:59PM Eastern on Friday, July 14th!

Also, a special shout-out to Beatrice_Otter, who was a total MVP this week by compiling about 90% of our Stories Archived section for me while I kept settling in to my new job. For real, she was amazing and thank you so, so much for the help, Beatrice.

Stories Archived

Star Trek: Discovery

by lah_mrh A Light in the Darkness - T - Michael Burnham, Saru, Philippa Georgiou Know You Better Now - T - Ash Tyler/Christopher Pike Yours If You Want It - T - Ash Tyler | Voq/Christopher Pike

by nonelvis It's All We Know Now to Never Go Back - Explicit - Gabriel Lorca/River Song The Winter Festival - G - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell War Games - T - Gabriel Lorca/Ash Tyler A Quiet Empire - T - Gabriel Lorca/Michael Burnham

by Pixie Fear of Falling - M - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell Soldier or Musician - G - Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Sylvia Tilly I can feel the flames on my skin - T - Gabriel Lorca/Katrina Cornwell Dracarys - G - Katrina Cornwell/Phillipa Georgiou

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

by lah_mrh Waiting It Out - G - Christopher Pike & Una Chin-Riley | Number One by StarryEyes2000 Extra Scenes, Codas, and Other Stuff (SNW Season 2) - T - Ensemble Cast Captain Honorary Dad - T - Christopher Pike, Ensemble Cast

Star Trek: The Original Series

by IDICdreads What If We Could - G - Spock/Christine Chapel There is no pain. - T - Spock, James T. Kirk, Leonard "Bones" McCoy Oh, the places you'll boldly go! - G - Ensemble Cast

by jamaharon Please - Explicit - Spock/James T. Kirk Mating Season (So to Speak) - T - Spock/James T. Kirk Hot Springs - T - Spock/James T. Kirk Care - G - Spock/James T. Kirk Leaving the Table - G - James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy

by lah_mrh Tea and Sympathy - G - James T. Kirk & Spock

by SLWalker Cinderella in a Party Dress - Teen - Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Montgomery "Scotty" Scott Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace - M - Montgomery Scott (Mirror)

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series

by daraoakwise If Only In My Dreams - T - Leonard "Bones" McCoy (AOS)/Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (AOS)

by StarryEyes2000 Dating Advice - T - Leonard "Bones" McCoy (AOS), James T. Kirk (AOS), Spock (AOS)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

by baktag To Boldly Go - T - Data & Guinan

by intothisshadow [Graphics] Star Trek TNG Wallpapers - G - Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi

by jamaharon Earl Grey, Hot - G - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker Death Letter Blues - G - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker Wild, Wild Young Men - T - Worf/William Riker Odysseus to Telemachus - M - Thomas Riker & Kyle Riker Cat Puberty - G - Data, Geordi La Forge, William Riker Mood Indigo - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker Conjoined - T - Deanna Troi/William Riker, Thomas Riker/Worf Parallels - G - Guinan, Ro Laren Live - M - Deanna Troi/William Riker Phantom Pain - T - Deanna Troi/William Riker A Bridge of Brass - T - Thomas Riker & William Riker Haptics - G - Data/Geordi La Forge Changes - M - William Riker/Data Starlines - E - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker Noli Me Tangere // Touch Me Not - M - Deanna Troi/William Riker The Enterprise Gets a Sex Change - T - Ensemble Worf's Warlike Battle of the Arms - T - William Riker/Worf Five Times Riker Staked His Claim + One Time Worf Staked His Instead - Unrated - Deanna Troi/William Riker/Worf Five Times Riker Didn't Want to Have Sex + One Time He Didn't Have To - E - Deanna Troi/William Riker Absent in the Spring - T - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker

by kimaracretak the tidings from our fading sun made me wiser - T - Deanna Troi/Ro Laren

by Pixie Lefler's Law 17 - T - Robin Lefler/Sito Jaxa

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

by jamaharon Just Doing His Job - G - Elim Garak/Julian Bashir

by kimaracretak the sky stirred - T - Winn Adami

by LordRobertBruceScott Star Beagle Adventures Episode 1: The Eye of the Beholder - Teen - Pel, original characters

by Pixie Meet Cute - G - Elim Garak/Morn

By sixbeforelunch Soldiers Were Children Once - T - Quark

Star Trek: Voyager

by nostalgia Where No One Can Hear You Scream - Mature - Kathryn Janeway/Chakotay

by Pixie Morale - G - Tuvok, Tom Paris Kindred - G - Kathryn Janeway & Tuvok, Kathryn Janeway/Tuvok,

Star Trek: Picard

by jamaharon The Drowned Girl - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker Head Like a Haunted House - T - Jack Crusher/Borg Queen Safe and Sound - G - Geordi La Forge, William Riker Nothing Heavier - T - Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker/Deanna Troi Boys Don't Cry - G - Deanna Troi/William Riker

Star Trek: Prodigy

by Pixie Limitless - G - Kathryn Janeway, Tuvok, Gwyndala, Jack Crusher

Expanded Universes

by DavidFalkayn Bellerophon: Into the Unknown - Mature - Ensemble Cast Opening Moves - Mature - Multiple Relationships The Big Dance - M - Ensemble Cast

by Gibraltar The Plebe - NR - Liana Ramirez

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Love Unleashed Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ Don't let fear hold you back, Risa. Falling in love, really going for it, is so scary. It might be the most vulnerable, scary thing we can ever do. I don't want you to miss out on your chance for that real, life-changing love because you're scared. ❞

❓ #QOTD What pets do you have and what's the story behind their name? ❓ 🦇 Parisa owns a holistic pet wellness center, while Malakai owns the traditional veterinary practice next door. To say they clash is an understatement. When they start driving one another's clients away, the two feuding vets go to war, only to realize their constant clashing sparks sexual tension and undeniable chemistry. Can these type-A veterinarians set aside their opposing methodologies to realize they have more in common than they realize?

💜 Elise Eliot's enemies-to-lovers rom-com is full of tension, wit, and banter. The arguments between Parisa and Malakai turned the first half of their story into an engaging rush. Their forced proximity means plenty of unexpected encounters that force both characters to realize they have more similarities than differences. The chemistry between them is undeniable from their first spat, and the growing tension helps keep the pace. I love that Parisa is Persian while Malakai is Italian, meaning they both come from backgrounds that prioritize healthy family dynamics. The secondary characters, including Parisa and Malakai's sisters, along with other vets at each practice, add an extra layer to the story (and provide the kick in the rear both MCs need when they're being stubborn). All in all, a cute and entertaining read. Special shout out to Cupid, Parisa Dalmatian, who is the story's true MVP.

🦇 The pacing does slow when Great Dane gets involved, giving Parisa an excuse to deny her feelings for Malakai a little longer. While Dane seems great on paper, he becomes increasingly frustrating--giving Parisa an easy out but making the relationship exhausting to read. There are a few areas where the dialogue is a bit unnatural, too. Parisa and Malakai don't get together until the story's very end, which makes the last few chapters feel rushed after readers stick around for an excruciating slow burn. Based on how the story ends (which includes a POV chapter for a secondary character), I wonder if we'll return to this story in a second installment.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who enjoys enemies-to-lovers banter, animals, and entertaining romance reads!

✨The Vibes✨ 🐾 Workplace Romance 🦴 Dual POV 🐶 Love Triangle 🦴 Enemies to Lovers 🐾 Forced Proximity

🦇 Major thanks to the author @eliseeliotauthor and publisher @booksgosocialgroup for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #loveunleashed #eliseliot

[thewebcomicsreview]

[crispy-chan]

a guide how to not f*ck over your writers

hello, i am joining the bandwagon with my own two cents on how tumblr interactions have gone from shit to lower shit.

first of all, let me just stress how much i appreciate readers who interact with fanfics. you guys are the true mvp's and i applaud you for doing god's work. (also let's be real a significant portion of those readers are fic writers themselves).

second of all, i want to say that i'm not trying to be “ungrateful” or sound like a prick, i just see so many writers leave this site because they feel unappreciated, alone or they think that nobody enjoys the fics they work hard on.

honestly, there were/are times where i think if this is even worth it. i get so much enjoyment from this, it's a hobby that allows me to be creative, to escape reality and have a little fun. yet i feel like what i'm doing is just good for nothing since it seems like people are allergic to me on this site.

it truly means a lot to us when you guys interact. it doesn't even have to be much, just a short comment, but it can still make our day

now onto the ways you can support your fave writers:

1. interact with the fics -- comment, reblog, send asks. trust me, you can't go wrong with this one. don't be afraid to send an incoherent wordspill or type out that essay in caps lock where you go nuts about your favorite scenes, comment on the characters and their development or compliment the author's writing style. again, i guarantee you'll receive answers that are similarly incoherent as the author tries to not lose their shit bcs what the fuck? someone is finally interacting with my stories

2. recommendations -- you can rec fics to networks for various events, send your recs to your moots or maybe even to fic rec accounts who accept recommendations. even by reblogging - you're already basically doing this. it can make our day when we see that someone recommended something we worked on to someone else :)

3. interaction -- usually, most authors on here wouldn't mind more asks that don't even have to be about fics. you can ask how their day was, talk to them about a favorite book/movie/song literally whatever. i feel like i don't really have much to say on this topic cause i don't really get these types of asks :} but yeah, i think most of us would feel really touched if people wanted to talk to us outside of our writings. note: if you're shy, you can go on anon :> it's there for a reason :P

4. criticism -- now be careful - this one is tricky. you should first make sure if the person is okay with you giving some constructive criticism. if it isn't mentioned anywhere on their page/at the bottom of their fic, just ask. i for one wouldn't mind hearing things like “just a suggestion but i think you could work on your descriptions more” or “be careful - you often use the same words in one paragraph” etc.

lastly, i wanted to stress that you shouldn't force yourself per se to do these. nobody wan't your feedback if it isn't genuine. i just feel like people think “oh well if i won't comment, i'm sure somebody else will-” bullshit! that's the problem here. this mindset is what has to change. if you want the writing community to not wither into dust, you'll have to give something. in this case it's interactions and feedback.

i won't go into the details of how long it takes to write but as someone who writes primarily long fics, i can tell you it's extremely time consuming. and i spent the past fifteen minutes typing this post instead of working on yellow wood @_@

so yeah, this is a desperate cry from me. i'm hoping that if you're a silent reader/serial liker who doesn't leave feedback, you'll learn something new here. thank you for reading so far and i hope you have a lovely day <3

[brehaaorgana]

Hands down the best tag on AO3 is #dead dove: do not eat

Because it's always true!! That's indeed a dead dove!! And I don't want to eat it!!! Thanks for letting me know it's a dead dove, authors!!! You're a real one!! MVP status!! every time you let me know there's a dead dove situation ongoing, I can avoid repeats of being on lj and accidentally stumbling across something like the infamous skullfucking fanfic.

[tihgnari]

AHHHHH It's over 😭! I have been reading ever since the beginning and always looked forward to every weekend when you decide to post another chapter. Your smau is one of the very first smau I have red and I loved every chapter of it <3

You're a very amazing author and I love how you constructed the story perfectly! It didn't seem cliche or anything like that and is actually interesting! Question, will there be more Xiao works in the future? Another smau maybe? 👀👀 (Jkjk, you can write whatever you want and I'd still look forward to it) ❤

yooo ur the real mvp for waiting every weekend! bc i personally cant do that like ??? my patience could never AHHAHA so i wanna say thank you for supporting the story 🥺

for xiao works 🤔 MAYBE? HAHAHA if i get the inspo hehe why not <333

[teenwerewoofs]

[Podfic] Coming Home

Written by Twisted_Mind

Read by bri

Teen Wolf - Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski - Teen & Up

Summary: She knows it’s stupid, that she’s a moth being drawn to flame, that his smirks and sass and intelligence are the siren song enticing her to crash. But she still feels a pull in her gut every time she looks at him, a desire to get closer.

Additional tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Always Female Stiles Stilinski, Rule 63 Stiles, Pining, Light Angst, Unresolved Sexual Tension, First Kiss, POV Stiles

Podfic Length: 0 - 10 minutes

Audio Format: Streaming or MP3

Yes, another short one! I recorded this at the same time I did the Stargent one but just barely got to editing it.

I hope you enjoy it! I really like the way that this author writes girl!Stiles and figured everyone could always use more in their life.

If you're not a fan of podfic, check out the original here.

And definitely check out more fics by Twisted_Mind on AO3. Their Teen Wolf fics are amazing!

As always, big thanks to authors that give permission for their work to be podficced! Y'all are the real MVPs. 🤗

[multiverseforger]

Taskmaster is a mysterious figure believed to have been born in Bronx, New York City. He has the ability to mimic the physical movements of anyone he witnesses; writers differ on whether this counts as a "super power". He claims that he has had this ability since childhood. He works as a combat instructor and trains others to become lackeys for other villains by utilizing the techniques he has learned from his observation of superheroes and participates in mercenary jobs from time to time. Initially portrayed as a villain, he has also been shown training U.S. Agent and other neophyte superheroes at the behest of the US government. As a mercenary, he has no ideology except that of his employer. Due to his ability to imitate the techniques and armory of other heroes and villains, Taskmaster has occasionally been used to impersonate other characters.

Tony Masters first demonstrated unusual abilities during childhood. After watching a cowboy show on television, he found himself able to duplicate the sophisticated rope tricks he had just watched the cowboy perform. Psychiatrists, called in at the mother's request, determined that the boy had a form of photographic memory which they called "photographic reflexes". He employed his power several times during his youth for personal gain, most notably when he became a star quarterback of his high school football team after watching one pro football game. Upon graduation, he briefly considered a career as a crime fighter, but opted instead to be a professional criminal, which he perceived to be far more lucrative.[6]

He then began a program of observing the fighting techniques of numerous costumed heroes and villains (using archival television news broadcasts). He initially used his fighting skills to execute several successful grand larcenies, but he had not properly anticipated the dangers involved. He decided to use his stolen capital to establish a center for training aspiring criminals to turn into polished professionals. His goal was to become a supplier for criminal organizations around the world.

Designing a costume with a white cowl and skull mask, he took the name "Taskmaster" and began to train many thugs at criminal academies he had located around the United States. However, his existence was eventually revealed when Pernell Solomon of the Solomon Institute for the Criminally Insane (a front for one of these academies) used the school's resources to create a clone of himself when the administrator required an organ donation due to possessing an extremely rare blood type; the clone (learning of this fate) managed to contact the Avengers. Taskmaster captured Yellowjacket, the Wasp and Ant-Man when the Avengers invaded the premises;[7] but the Avengers followed, exposing his front operation. Taskmaster held his own against Captain America and Iron Man, however, was subsequently forced to flee after a confrontation with Jocasta since his lack of experience with Jocasta's abilities made it impossible to predict the robot's next move.[6] Taskmaster later established a new training academy in Manhattan, where he battled Spider-Man and Ant-Man, and then escaped.[8] He later used a traveling carnival as a mobile base, where he battled Hawkeye and Ant-Man, and then escaped again.[9] He next trained henchmen for the Black Abbott. Alongside Black Abbott, he battled Spider-Man and Nomad, and escaped yet again.[10]

Deciding to further explore the use of a circus as a front for his academy, Taskmaster took over yet another small outfit, and used it for many months to great success. However, while it was playing a small town in Ohio, the Thing and Vance Astrovik (who would later take the name Justice) assisted a government agent in foiling Taskmaster's activities. While escaping, Taskmaster was captured by a group of U.S. Secret Service agents and taken into custody.[11] There is reason to believe that Red Skull was behind the Taskmaster's capture, since a group of normal men were able to capture him.[citation needed] Through Douglas Rockwell (the head of the President's Commission on Superhuman Activities), Mr. Smith arranged for Taskmaster to train John Walker in order to make him appear to be the real Captain America.[12] In order to conceal Red Skull's involvement, Rockwell had the Commission work out a deal to have years taken off Taskmaster's sentence in return for training Walker. After Taskmaster successfully trained Walker, Red Skull arranged for him to escape from the Commission's detention center so he could continue training lackeys and Red Skull himself.[volume & issue needed]

Having escaped the authorities, he set up a base in a derelict graveyard in Brooklyn, where he battled Spider-Man and then escaped.[13] Taskmaster then competed in a contest against Tombstone, where he battled Daredevil and the Punisher.[14]

Taskmaster's more skilled, successful, and notable students include such characters as Crossbones and Cutthroat (both Red Skull's henchmen), U.S. Agent, Hauptmann Deutschland, Diamondback (Captain America's one-time girlfriend), Spymaster, Spider-Woman, and Agent X. On the other hand, Taskmaster also trains many of his students to serve as low-rent henchmen and cannon fodder. In his early appearances, Taskmaster mentions putting intellect-reducing drugs in the diet of his students. He also routinely sent groups of his more disappointing students to serve as "sparring partners" for Red Skull, routinely engaging several of them at a time and killing them all (Hauptmann Deutschland infiltrated the academy and used one such session as an opportunity to kidnap Red Skull). He has also employed other supervillains, such as when he hired Anaconda as his academy's calisthenics instructor.[volume & issue needed]

On another occasion, Taskmaster was hired by the Triune Understanding—a religious group secretly masterminding a smear campaign to paint the Avengers as being religiously and racially intolerant—to stage an attack on a Triune facility. Posing as Captain America, he contacted Warbird, Ant-Man, Silverclaw and Captain Marvel, claiming that he needed their help to destroy a Triune building containing a mind-control machine. Although they saw through his deception and subsequently defeated him—thanks to Captain Marvel transforming into Rick Jones mere milliseconds away from Taskmaster, thus causing a complete change of attack before Taskmaster could react—the building was destroyed in the ensuing battle and Taskmaster escaped, leaving the heroes lacking any evidence of their story.[15]

Taskmaster continued to train numerous villains and thugs until the Avengers began to search out and shut down some of his academies across the United States. Taskmaster began to spend more time working as a mercenary in order to make up for the loss of profit. This led him to join Agency X at the behest of his love interest Sandi Brandenberg, in missions from time to time, while continuing to teach at his academies around the world. More recently, Taskmaster is once again seen as a hired mercenary, contracted by the Committee to kill Moon Knight (Marc Spector). Taskmaster was misled with information that Moon Knight was broken, friendless and desiring death. During the conflict these factors all proved to be false as Marc's ex-girlfriend and butler came to Spector's defense and found the will to fight back. Despite his superior fighting abilities, Taskmaster was defeated. Moon Knight then carved off part of Taskmaster's facemask, though left him alive.[16]

Taskmaster also worked at training henchmen to copy fighting styles of specific heroes. Taskmaster unleashed Deathshield (trained to fight like Captain America), Jagged Bow (trained to fight like Hawkeye), and Blood Spider (trained to fight like Spider-Man) to face off against Spider-Man and Solo. The three were defeated, while Taskmaster escaped yet again.[17]

When the "Civil War" broke out, Taskmaster was hired by the government and enrolled into a team of Thunderbolts and given temporary amnesty to take down the Secret Avengers.[18] He later battles the Secret Avengers in New York. He attempts to kill Susan "Sue" Storm, only for Reed Richards to take the bullet. Enraged, Sue crushes him with an invisible telekinetic field, rendering him unconscious.[19] He was sent to the Negative Zone Prison with the other "Major-League" members of the Thunderbolts army such as Lady Deathstrike,[volume & issue needed] but was apparently freed by Deadpool.[20] In order to regain his own reputation as a mercenary, Deadpool frees Taskmaster from his imprisonment to have a showdown with him while potential merc contractors watched from their captive position in a nearby prison. Taskmaster is again referred to as Tasky by Deadpool, and a fight ensues between him and the manacled Deadpool. He mentions his professional ethics, but this simply comes down to deciding to simply maim his opponent rather than kill him. In the end, he is defeated by Deadpool who, in spite of the victory, fails to impress his captive audience. After being thanked for letting him win, Taskmaster tells Deadpool that he had not let him win, "The truth is... You're that good. You've always been that good. Which won't get you a cup of coffee until you figure out how to be a professional..."[21] Taskmaster was given a full presidential pardon for his efforts in testing the security of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, in which he was able to break in and place Deputy Director Maria Hill in his sights. Though he was allowed to leave, a threatening message left in Hill's private bathroom revealed that if he ever desired, infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. would be no difficult feat.[volume & issue needed]

Taskmaster replaces Gauntlet as Camp Hammond's drill instructor and is tasked with training registered superheroes for the Fifty State Initiative. Taskmaster would also be involved in MVP's cloning process inputting (via technology) the original's move set for the Scarlet Spiders as well as the move set of Spider-Man.[22]

Taskmaster is hired by Deadpool to help his old enemy and occasional friend defeat the Thunderbolts. Being disguised as Deadpool, he gets captured and is about to be beheaded when the real Deadpool saves him. Deadpool finally pays him, but he expresses annoyance at being paid from an ATM due to his major villain status.[23]

During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Taskmaster is chosen to lead the Shadow Initiative after the Skrull invasion, with their first mission to take down Hardball's HYDRA cell in Madripoor.[24] Along with Constrictor, Bengal, Typhoid Mary and Komodo, Taskmaster stealthily leads the group into the country, but they are soon discovered by HYDRA.[25] Norman Osborn appoints Taskmaster to train criminals for the new Initiative, to behave like heroes. His first task is to retrain Penance.[26] Also, when Blastaar takes control of the Negative Zone prison 42, Taskmaster is ordered to lead a squad to take the prison back.[27] Later, he gives Night Thrasher a severe bullet wound to the head, allowing Osborn to take Night Thrasher prisoner.[28] When Emma Frost and Namor resign from the Cabal, Taskmaster is offered membership.[29] Taskmaster was present at a meeting when Osborn discusses about Asgard.[30][31] He is severely wounded at the meeting as a result of an attack by Doctor Doom. While recovering in a hospital, Taskmaster declined to join the Cabal. Osborn cut the oxygen tank next to Taskmaster's bed, reminding him that it was Osborn who plucked him from obscurity. Taskmaster then agrees to join in the siege of Asgard.[29] During the battle, he fights with both versions of Captain America (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes).[32] As Asgard falls, Taskmaster finds Constrictor and the two beat a hasty retreat, but not before Taskmaster taunts Osborn about how Taskmaster helped Deadpool. After Osborn's defeat by Captain America and Iron Man, Taskmaster and Constrictor went back to mercenary work.[33]

A false rumor is spread that Taskmaster is leaking information about the criminal underworld to Rogers's new 'heroic' regime. A bounty of $1,000,000,000 is placed on the Taskmaster's head by the mysterious Org. The hordes of AIM, HYDRA, the Secret Empire, ULTIMATUM, the Cyber Ninjas, the Black Choppers, the Trenchcoat Mafia, the Legions of the Living Lightning, the Militiamen, the Sons of the Serpent, and the Inquisition take up the chase to claim the money. Taskmaster, ambushed in a small diner, manages to best his opponents. But the diner's waitress, Mercedes Merced, gets entangled in the saga and is included in the bounty. Taskmaster reveals to Mercedes that his powers cause him to lose his explicit memory, meaning that he cannot remember anything about his personal life, and the only way for the whole ordeal to be over is to re-discover Taskmaster's origins.[34] Taskmaster and Mercedes' quest takes them to Mexico to battle the Don of the Dead,[35] and then to Bolivia to the village where everyone is Hitler. Inside an exact replica of Himmler's Wewelsburg Castle, Taskmaster regains his memories. He remembers being S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Tony Masters that had been sent to Bolivia to terminate Horst Gorscht, the Nazi scientist responsible for a corrupted version of the super-soldier serum. Gorscht had developed a new serum that could unlock the mind's potential to absorb knowledge instantaneously. With Gorscht's serum and test notes destroyed, Masters injected the last of the serum into himself. Having regained these memories, Taskmaster recognizes Mercedes' voice as being the same as 'The Hub', a mysterious voice who works for the Org. Taskmaster shoots Mercedes in the shoulder and threatens to kill her if she doesn't start talking. Mercedes reveals that the Org is a S.H.I.E.L.D. front, and that she is not only an agent, but also Taskmaster's wife. Miles above the Wewelsburg castle in an airship, the Minions' International Liberation Front (a secret group composed of henchmen from all of the major terrorist organizations), led by Redshirt the Uber-Henchman, reveal their deception and plot to rule the criminal underground by using Taskmaster to lead them straight to the Org.[1] Redshirt leads the Minions' International Liberation Front (or the acronym MILF for short) into battle against the Taskmaster and Mercedes. Mercedes convinces the Taskmaster to trust her and work together to fend off the forces of MILF. During the battle, Taskmaster regains his memories of Mercedes and how he fell in love with her. Before they can reconcile, Taskmaster is attacked from behind by Redshirt who has genetically altered his body and mastered superior fighting skills to those of Taskmaster. Redshirt gains the upper hand as the pair push each other to the limits. Mercedes tries to intervene to protect her husband, but is quickly and effortlessly cast to one side. Enraged, Taskmaster attacks Redshirt and delivers a killing blow using Redshirt's own fighting style (which causes Taskmaster to lose his memories once more). Taskmaster, not recognizing Mercedes or his reasons for being there, flees and leaves Mercedes alone once more.[volume & issue needed]

Avengers Academy student Finesse later seeks out Taskmaster, thinking that he may be her long-lost father. When she finds Taskmaster, Finesse ends up sparring with him. After much sparring, Taskmaster finally relents to tell Finesse that he very well might be her father, but that the powers to learn so much about others’ movements and techniques have caused him to forget important things in life. Knowing he likely will not remember the conversation in a couple days, Taskmaster tells Finesse that he wanted to fight her so he might remember her.[36]

During the 2011 "Fear Itself" storyline, Taskmaster comes to the aid of Alpha Flight when it comes to forming a resistance against the Unity Party that was formed by Master of the World.[37]

In order for the Masters of Evil to obtain the Crown of Wolves for the Shadow Council, Max Fury hired Taskmaster to retrieve it only for Taskmaster to demand more money for the job and he hid in the Hole. The Secret Avengers went to the Hole in order to get the Crown of Wolves before Fury got his hands on it. This led to a fight between Taskmaster and Agent Venom.[38] However, Taskmaster escaped and returned the crown to Fury, only for Max to apparently kill Taskmaster when he asks for payment. When the crown's effects don't function for Max, Taskmaster takes the crown for himself, which saves his life by making him the Avatar for the Abyss.[39] As the Abyss spreads, the Secret Avengers members Venom and Ant-Man are able to remove the crown and stop the spread, while Taskmaster and the Masters of Evil are left behind when the Avengers leave with Max in their custody.[40]

The criminals of Bagalia imprison Taskmaster and are preparing to offer him up to the highest bidder. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Secret Avengers come to rescue him and offer him a position. As their inside man, Taskmaster is part of the new High Council of A.I.M. as the Minister of Defense.[41] Mockingbird later goes to A.I.M. Island to assist Taskmaster in helping make contact between the Iron Patriot A.I. drones and James Rhodes.[42] After the mission goes south and Mockingbird is left stranded on AIM Island,[volume & issue needed] Taskmaster works undercover to free her.[volume & issue needed] But when he gets the chance to get her off the island, she doesn't respond to anything he says until both are captured. While being interrogated, Taskmaster is shot and seemingly killed by Mockingbird apparently under the control of Scientist Supreme (Andrew Forson).[43] However, Mentallo discovered that Mockingbird purposely missed any vitals and Taskmaster survived.[44]

At the time when Captain America was brainwashed into being a Hydra sleeper agent by Red Skull's clone using the powers of Kobik, Taskmaster later relocated to Bagalia where he became its sheriff.[45]

When Taskmaster and Black Ant (Eric O'Grady's Life Model Decoy counterpart) found out what was done to Captain America to be made into a Hydra sleeper agent, they planned to have a parley with Maria Hill to discuss this with only for the new Madame Hydra (Elisa Sinclair) to get to them first.[46] Impressed with the fighting skills of the two of them, Madame Hydra made them bodyguards.[47]

During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Taskmaster appears as a member of Hydra's Avengers.[48] During the battle in Washington DC, Taskmaster and Black Ant witness their teammate Odinson having enough of working for Hydra and striking them down. The two of them defect from Hydra and free the captive Champions. When Taskmaster and Black Ant asks for them to put in a good word for them, Spider-Man webs them up anyway.[49]

Taskmaster and Black Ant later attack Empire State University where Dr. Curt Connors was teaching a class. As the inhibitor chip prevents Connors into turning into Lizard, Peter Parker sneaks off to become Spider-Man. During his fight with Black Ant and Taskmaster, Spider-Man is exposed to the Isotope Genome Accelerator that splits him from his Peter Parker side.[50]

In a prelude to "Hunted", Taskmaster and Black Ant work with Kraven the Hunter and Arcade in capturing some animal-themed characters for his upcoming hunt.[51] Black Ant and Taskmaster are talking about the Hunt. Taskmaster betrays Black Ant saying that Black Ant is an animal-themed villain and tasers Black Ant to get more money.[52] Lizard finds Taskmaster at the Pop-Up with No Name. Lizard proceeds to poisons him by slipping a poison into her beer. Lizard offers Taskmaster the antidote if he can take Lizard to Central Park. While traveling there, Lizard and Taskmaster defeat Vermin, freeing innocent bystanders. Taskmaster helps put a taser chip in Lizard's body, and takes him to Arcade.[53] Taskmaster frees Lizard from his binds and Lizard tells Taskmaster that the poison will wear off in 24 hours.[54] Taskmaster makes off with Black Ant before Yellowjacket, Human Fly, Razorback, Toad, and White Rabbit can take revenge on him. As they leave, Taskmaster states that Black Ant would've done the same for him. When Black Ant asks "Do you mean the betrayal part or the rescue part?" All Taskmaster can say is "yeah!"[55]

During the "King in Black" storyline, Taskmaster is among the villains recruited by Mayor Wilson Fisk to be part of his Thunderbolts at the time of Knull's invasion. While having argued with Mister Fear over who was the first villain to wear a skull mask, Taskmaster becomes the de facto field leader of the group. Following the deaths of Ampere and Snakehead, Taskmaster couldn't stop Rhino from walking off and tells the remaining members not to help the Manhattan Defenders. He and the Thunderbolts arrive at Ravencroft to meet with Norman Osborn who Mayor Fisk claims can help them defeat Knull.[56]

[what-the--curtains]

Braving the Elements

Chapter 5: Training day

TW: Possible PTSD, burns, fighting (friendly)

Authors note: shout out to the very few people following this you guys are the real MVPs!

Song youre listening too when the boys enter

When youre sparring with Sam

You awake to a high pitch beeping of what you can only assume is an alarm clock. “Fuck off” you yell putting a pillow over your head before tossing it in the general direction of the sound. You let it beep for another minute before climbing out of bed. Feeling defeated, you find the alarm and turn it off cursing when you read the time. 6:30AM. You stretch your arms up over your head causing various bones to pop and squat down over the pile of clothes that you had left on the floor the day before. You pick up a pair of grey leggings and a matching sports bra. Pulling them on before reaching down to grab an oversized t-shirt that you throw on to conceal your figure. You really hated it when people ogled you at the gym. You put on a baseball cap and pull your hair through the back opening, tying it up in a ponytail with an elastic. You walk into the kitchen and over to the island where Wanda and Nat are sitting. Grabbing some toast you turn to join the conversion at hand. “Odds someone tries to explain to you how to use weights today?” Nat asks, biting down into a bagel.

“I’d wager pretty high.” you respond still slightly groggy.

“Very high!” yells Shuri from another room causing you all to snigger.

“How are you all so awake?” you ask

Handing you a coffee Wanda replies, “ Well as you know crime doesn’t sleep!” Rolling your eyes you fill up your water bottle. Shuri walks into the kitchen and hands you a phone

“Here all employees need them, and if you need anything just ask Friday he’s linked up to all the systems in this building”

So that's the bastard who woke me up, you think to yourself.

“This is great, thanks Shuri!” you say as you admire your new possession. You down the rest of your coffee and head off to the gym, getting there at 7 on the dot.

No one was there yet so you plug in your headphones and stretch for a few minutes before starting on the punching bag. Your back’s facing the door and you’re blaring your music so loudly that you fail to notice Bucky and Sam enter the room laughing about something.

“Someone’s early.” Sam says in your general direction. No response.

“Guess she’s not a morning person?” He says. Bucky shrugs, dropping his bag on the floor. Sam walks over to you placing his hand on your shoulder. Startled and without thinking you grab his wrist and throw him to the ground. Realizing who you had just slammed into the ground you begin to apologize profusely while removing your headphone “Shit Sam, I’m so sorry I didn’t hear ya come in!” you exclaim, pulling him up. He gives you a disgruntled look before turning to Bucky, who has been in a fit of laughter since Sam hit the ground.

“Shut up man! She caught me off guard!” As the two friends argue you couldn’t help but notice how amazing Bucky’s body was. He was in joggers and a muscle shirt showing every curve of his perfectly sculpted arm. How the hell were you supposed to focus with someone so muscly walking around? I mean seriously he’s built like a Greek god! Whose ogling now you think chastising yourself for objectifying him.

“Well I can promise that’s the only one your gonna land on me kid” Sam states as you follow him onto the sparring mat

“Alright kid, hit me with your best shot!” You dance around each other for a bit. He swings first. You lean back to avoid contact, he swings again and you duck somersaulting behind him. You jump on his back and pull him down using your weight. Your side slams into the mat first, but you quickly get Sam face down on the mat pushing your shin bone down on his back keeping him in place. You smile relishing your win before looking up just in time to see Bucky’s steel blue eyes dart off you and back to the pull up bar.

“Alright, alright,” Sam says “not bad let’s see if you can do it again.”

“I’ve already done it twice” you remark, pulling him up.

“Don't get cocky now.” Sam retorts. The two of you banter back and forth for a bit before squaring up for the second round. You swing first this time. Sam blocks it easily, and grabs your arm, twisting it behind your back. You stomp down on his foot causing him to release you. You’re about to turn back to face him when you catch a glimpse of Bucky doing chin ups. You zone out for a second, mesmerized by the way his arm muscles clenched as he pulled his weight up. Unfortunately, your little daydream gave Sam just enough time to press his foot into the back of your knee and flip you down onto the mat.

“You know you're gonna have to get used to that. His muscles look just as big in his get up.” Sam says quietly enough so only you can hear him.

“Shut up!” you say, sticking your tongue out at him as he helps you up. You square up for the third round. You swing first again, he ducks and puts you in a headlock. Then, all of a sudden, you're back in that room with Romans hands wrapped around your neck, feeling helpless. You can sense the anger rising in you. Before you can make sense of what’s happening you connect your hand with Sam’s bare arm burning him.

“Ow! Fuck! No powers allowed!” Sam shrieks pulling you back to reality. Looking down at his arm he continues to yell

“I’m RUINED!”. The commotion causes Bucky to walk over “What the fuck?” he says noticing the slightly charred skin on Sam's arm.

“Sam, i'm gonna need you to calm down and let me fix it!” You reach for his water bottle removing the liquid and lowering it onto his now, medium rare arm. You move the water from side to side and slowly the cells begin to regenerate until the blistered flesh is completely healed.

“There.” you say putting the water back into the bottle “All better now drama queen?”

“How did you do that?” Bucky asks evidently amazed.

“Charles taught me how to do it, I used to accidentally burn lots of people so he said least I could do was heal them up afterwards!”

You pull Sam up

“Alright” he says “I think that's enough sparring for today, and remind me not to drink outta that bottle. Let’s go see if you can light the weights on fire.”

“Rude.” you says before following Sam over to the squat rack

“So, you ever seen anything like his arm?” Sam asks hoping to get a rise out of you. Bucky rolls his eyes returning to his workout.

“You know I used to know a guy made of metal” you respond coolly, much to Sam’s dismay.

“Exterior?” Sam asks

“No interior all his bones were metal, well I guess I also knew a full metal guy and hey! He’s Russian do you know each other?” you shout over to Bucky who's moved on to bicep curls.

“C’mon not all Russians know each other.” He huffs.

“Well I just figured that metal people may have some kind of support group!” this comment causes him to crack a small smile

“So what’s the coolest power you’ve ever come across?” Sam asks as you do your squats.

“Well there was this guy, named Darwin, who could literally adapt to any scenario…” Just then Shuri walks in.

“Hey workouts over, I got your suit ready come check it out!”

“Yay!” you say in pursuit of the princess.

“So what’s she like? Fighting wise?’ Bucky asks Sam

“Why are you so interested tin man?” He responds.

“Fine, keep your secrets” Bucky says holding his hands up in surrender and returning to the weights.

“It’s weird, she fights like she’s invincible. I can’t imagine the toll it takes on her body. She literally slammed her side onto the floor so she could get the upper hand on me! It was insane.”

“Shit,” Bucky laughs “sounds like you kinda liked it.”

“Oh please like I didn’t see you staring at her from over here while she beat me up!”

“Maybe I was staring at you?” Bucky responds and Sam rolls his eyes

“Here” Shuri said, showing you the blue, black and gold suit she had designed for you. “Amazing!” you say under your breath before high fiving the princess. It was full body spandex like Natasha’s, but with a scoop neck and exposed arms. Shuri brought out two gold arm bands that went half way up your arm. “These convert humidity in the atmosphere into water so you can have unlimited access to it. I've also installed lighter fluid so you can make flames any time you want.”

“Awesome” you say, testing out the arm gadgets on two nearby dummies.

“ The suits are also designed to keep you cool so you don’t accidentally flare up and burn someone.” she explains handing you a belt with various attachments for ammunition and two leg attachments with holsters.

‘This is amazing Shuri! Thank you!” you exclaim hugging her. “When do I get the guns for these holsters?” you ask

“Not until you're cleared by Tony.” she says

“So never then.” You say

Ignoring your last comment Shuri continues “ If there’s anything wrong with it let me know and i'll fix it! Looks like I finished it just in time. Suit up! you’ve got your first mission to get to.”

[bidisaster1307]

APOLOGIES!!!!

I'd like to apologize to all the authors I follow and have frequently commented on over the past month or more. I'm so busy and have been for the past week because I have assignments, exams as well as personal commitments. I am still reading your stuff I'm just short on time and comment what I really want to. I will try my best to leave a small comment for you when I can😣 but for now I'm so sorry if I don't. You're all doing amazing and have done perfect so far. Thank you for all your content💕💕

@lysjeon @yojeongin @ciielclaiir + all authors I read from. Y'all the real mvp's for providing me content to use for study breaks. Ily all💕💕