#a couple more views that i thought were really nice while exploring various moons!

[pinkplantmakesstuff]

[grigori77]

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 1)

30.  BODY CAM – in the face of the ongoing pandemic, viral outbreak cinema has become worryingly prescient of late, but as COVID led to civil unrest in some quarters there were a couple of 2020 films that REALLY seemed to put their finger on the pulse of another particularly shitty zeitgeist.  Admittedly this first one highlights a problem that’s been around for a while now, but it came along at just the right time to gain particularly strong resonance, filtering its message into the most reliable form of allegorical social commentary – horror.  The vengeful ghost trope has become pretty familiar since the Millennium, but by marrying it with the corrupt cop thriller veteran horror screenwriter Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact) has given it a nice fresh spin, and the end result is a real winner.  Mary J. Blige plays troubled LAPD cop Renee Lomito-Smith, back on the beat after an extended hiatus following a particularly harrowing incident, just as fellow officers from her own precinct begin to die violent deaths under mysterious circumstances, and the only clues are weird, haunting camera footage that only Renee and her new partner, rookie Danny Holledge (Paper Towns and Death Note’s Nat Wolff), manage to see before it inexplicable wipes itself.  Something supernatural is stalking the City of Angels at night, and it’s got a serious grudge against local cops as the increasingly disturbing investigation slowly brings an act of horrific police brutality to light, until Renee no longer knows who in her department she can trust.  This is one of the most insidious scare-fests I enjoyed this past year, sophomore director Malik Vitthal (Imperial Dreams) weaving an effective atmosphere of pregnant dread and wire-taut suspense while delivering some impressively hair-raising shocks (the stunning minimart sequence is the film’s undeniable highlight), while the ghostly threat is cleverly thought-out and skilfully brought to “life”.  Blige delivers another top-drawer performance, giving Renee a winning combination of wounded fragility and steely resolve that makes for a particularly compelling hero, while Wolff invests Danny with skittish uncertainty and vulnerability in one of his strongest performances to date, and Dexter star David Zayas brings interesting moral complexity to the role of their put-upon superior, Sergeant Kesper.  In these times of heightened social awareness, when the police’s star has become particularly tarnished as unnecessary force, racial profiling and cover-ups have become major hot-button topics, the power and relevance of this particular slice of horror cinema cannot be denied.

29.  BLOOD QUANTUM – 2020 certainly was a great year for horror (even if most of the high profile stuff did get shunted into 2021), and this compellingly fresh take on the zombie outbreak genre was a strong standout with a killer hook.  Canadian writer-director Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls) has always clung close to his Native American roots, and he brings strong social relevance to the intriguing early 80s Canadian setting as a really nasty zombie virus wreaks havoc in the Red Crow Indian Reservation and its neighbouring town.  It soon becomes clear, however, that members of the local tribe are immune to the infection, a revelation with far-reaching consequences as the outbreak rages unchecked and society begins to crumble.  Barnaby pulls off some impressive world-building and creates a compellingly grungy post-apocalyptic vibe as the story progresses, while the zombies themselves are a visceral, scuzzy bunch, and there’s plenty of cracking set-pieces and suitably full-blooded kills to keep the gore-hounds happy, while the horror has real intelligence behind it, the script posing interesting questions and delivering some uncomfortable answers.  The characters, meanwhile, are a well-drawn, complex bunch, no black-and-white saviours among them, any one of them capable of some pretty inhuman horrors when the chips are down, and the cast, an interesting mix of seasoned talent and unknowns, all excel in their roles – Michael Greyeyes (Fear the Walking Dead) and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant) are the closest things the film has to real heroes, the former a fallible everyman as Traylor, the small-town sheriff who’s just trying to do right by his family, the latter unsure of himself as his son, put-upon teenage father-to-be Joseph; Olivia Scriven, meanwhile is tough but vulnerable as his pregnant white girlfriend Charlie, Stonehorse Lone Goeman is a grizzled badass as tough-as-nails tribal elder Gisigu, and Kiowa Gordon (probably best known for playing a werewolf in the Twilight movies) really goes to the dark side as Joseph’s delinquent half-brother Lysol, while there’s another memorably subtle turn from Dead Man’s Gary Farmer as unpredictable loner Moon.  This was definitely one of the year’s darkest films – largely playing the horror straight, it tightens the screws as the situation grows steadily worse, and almost makes a virtue of wallowing in its hopeless tone – but there’s a fatalistic charm to all the bleakness, even in the downbeat yet tentatively hopeful climax, while it’s hard to deny the ruthless efficiency of the violence on display.  This definitely isn’t a horror movie for everyone, but those with a strong stomach and relatively hard heart will find much to enjoy here.  Jeff Barnaby is definitely gonna be one to watch in the future …

28.  THE MIDNIGHT SKY – Netflix’ big release for the festive season is a surprisingly understated and leisurely affair, a science fiction drama of big ideas which nonetheless doesn’t feel the need to shout about it.  The latest feature in the decidedly eclectic directorial career of actor George Clooney, this adaptation of Good Morning, Midnight, the debut novel of up-and-coming author Lily Brooks-Dalton, favours characterisation and emotion over big thrills and flashy sequences, but it’s certainly not lacking in spectacle, delivering a pleasingly ergonomically-designed view of the near future of space exploration that shares some DNA with The Martian but makes things far more sleek and user-friendly in the process.  Aether, a NASA mission to explore K-23, a newly-discovered, potentially habitable moon of Jupiter, is on its return journey, but is experiencing baffling total communications blackouts from Earth.  This is because a catastrophic global event has rendered life on the planet’s surface all but impossible, killing most of the population and driving the few survivors underground.  K-23’s discoverer, professor Augustine Lofthouse (Clooney), is now alone at a small research post in the extreme cold of the Arctic, one of the only zones left that have not yet been fully effected by the cataclysm, refusing to leave his post after having discovered he’s dying from a serious illness, but before he goes he’s determined to contact the crew of Aether so he can warn them of the conditions down on Earth.  Despite the ticking clock of the plot, Clooney has reigned the pace right in, allowing the story to unspool slowly as we’re introduced to the players who calmly unpack their troubles and work over the various individual crises with calm professionalism – that said, there are a few notable moments of sudden, fretful urgency, and these are executed with a palpable sense of chaotic tension that create interesting and exciting punctuation to the film’s usually stately momentum, reminding us that things could go suddenly, catastrophically wrong for these people at any moment.  Clooney delivers a gloriously understated performance that perfectly grounds the film, while there are equally strong, frequently DAMN POWERFUL turns from a uniformly excellent cast, notably Felicity Jones and David Oyelowo as pregnant astronaut Dr. “Sully” Sullivan and her partner, mission Commander Adewole, and a surprisingly subtle, nuanced performance from newcomer Caoilinn Springall as Iris, a young girl mistakenly left behind at the outpost during the hasty evacuation, with whom Lofthouse develops a deeply affecting bond.  The film has been criticised for its slowness, but I think in this age of BIGGER, LOUDER, MORE this is a refreshingly low-key escape from all the noise, and there’s a beautiful trade-off in the script’s palpable intelligence, strong character work and world-building (then again, the adaptation was by Mark L. Smith, who co-wrote The Revenant), while this is a visually stunning film, Clooney and cinematographer Martin Ruhe (Control, The Keeping Room) weaving an evocative visual tapestry that rewards the soul as much as the eye.  Unapologetically smart, engrossingly played and overflowing with raw, emotional power, this is science fiction cinema at its most cerebral, and another top mark for a somewhat overlooked filmmaking talent which deserves to be considered alongside career highs such as Good Night & Good Luck and The Ides of March.

27.  PALM SPRINGS – the summer’s comedy highlight kind of snuck in under the radar, becoming something of an on-demand secret weapon with all the cinemas closed, and it definitely deserves its swiftly growing cult status.  You certainly can’t believe it’s the feature debut of director Max Barbakow, who shows the kind of sharp-witted, steady-handed control of his craft that’s usually the province of far more experienced talents … then again, much of the credit must surely go to seasoned TV comedy writer Andy Siara (Lodge 49), for whom this has been a real labour of love he’s been tending since his film student days.  Certainly all that care, nurture and attention to detail is up there on the screen, the exceptional script singing its irresistible siren song from the start and providing fertile ground for its promising new director to spread his own creative wings.  The premise may be instantly familiar – playing like a latter-day Saturday Night Live take on Groundhog Day (Siara admits it was a major influence), it follows the misadventures of Sarah (How I Met Your Mother’s Cristin Miliota), the black sheep maid of honour at her sweet little sister Tala’s (Riverdale’s Camila Mendes) wedding to seemingly perfect hunk Abe (the Arrowverse’s Superman, Tyler Hoechlin), as she finds herself repeating the same high-stress day over and over again after becoming trapped in a mysterious cosmic time-loop along with slacker misanthrope Nyles (Brooklyn Nine Nine megastar Andy Samberg), who’s been stuck in this same situation for MUCH longer – but in Barbakow and Siara’s hands it feels fresh and intriguing, and goes in some surprising new directions before the well-worn central premise can outstay its welcome. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the cast are all excellent – Miliota is certainly the pounding emotional heart of the film, effortlessly lovable as she flounders against her lot, then learns to accept the unique possibilities it presents, before finally resolving to find a way out, while Samberg has rarely been THIS GOOD, truly endearing in his sardonic apathy as it becomes clear he’s been here for CENTURIES, and they make an enjoyably fiery couple with snipey chemistry to burn; meanwhile there’s top-notch support from Mendes and Hoechlin, The OC’s Peter Gallagher as Sarah and Tala’s straight-laced father, the ever-reliable Dale Dickey, a thoroughly adorable turn from Jena Freidman and, most notably, a full-blooded scene-stealing performance from the mighty J.K. Simmonds as Roy, Nyles’ nemesis, who he inadvertently trapped in the loop before Sarah and is, understandably, none too happy about it. This really is an absolute laugh-riot, today’s more post-modern sense of humour allowing the central pair (and their occasional enemy) to indulge in far more extreme consequence-free craziness than Bill Murray ever got away with back in the day, but like all the best comedies there’s also a strong emotional foundation under the humour, leading us to really care about these people and what happens to them, while the story throws moments of true heartfelt power at us, particularly in the deeply cathartic climax.  Ultimately this was one of the year’s biggest surprises, a solid gold gem that I can’t recommend enough.

26.  THE LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME – Body Cam’s fellow heavyweight Zeitgeist fondler is a deeply satirical chunk of speculative dystopian sci-fi clearly intended as a cinematic indictment of Trump’s broken America, but it became far more potent and prescient in these … ahem … troubled times.  Adapted by screenwriter Karl Gadjusek (Oblivion, Stranger Things, The King’s Man) from the graphic novel by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini for underrated schlock-action cinema director Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3, Colombiana, the last two Taken films), this Netflix original feature seemed like a fun way to kill a cinema-deprived Saturday night in the middle of the First Lockdown, but ultimately proved to have a lot more substance than expected.  It’s powered by an intriguing premise – in a nearly lawless 2024, the US government is one week away from implementing a nationwide synaptic blocker signal called the API (American Peace Initiative) which will prevent the public from being able to commit any kind of crime – and focuses on a strikingly colourful bunch of outlaw antiheroes with an audacious agenda – prodigious Detroit bank robber Bricke (Édgar Ramiréz) is enlisted by Kevin Cash (Funny Games and Hannibal’s Michael Carmen Pitt), a wayward scion of local crime family the Dumois, and his hacker fiancée Shelby Dupree (Material Girl’s Anna Brewster) to pull off what’s destined to be the last great crime in American history, a daring raid on the first night of the signal to steal over a billion dollars from the Motor City’s “money factory” and then escape across the border into Canada.  From this deceptively simple premise a sprawling action epic was born, carried along by a razor sharp, twisty script and Megaton’s typically hyperbolic, showy auteur directing style and significant skill at crafting thrillingly explosive set-pieces, while the cast consistently deliver quality performances.  Ever since Domino, Ramiréz has long been one of those actors I really love to watch, a gruff, quietly intense alpha male whose subtle understatement hides deep reserves of emotional intensity, while Dupree takes a character who could have been a thinly-drawn femme fetale and invests her with strong personal drive and steely resolve, and there’s strong support from Neil Blomkampf regulars Sharlto Copley and Brandon Auret as, respectively, emasculated beat cop Sawyer and brutal Mob enforcer Lonnie French, as well as a nearly unrecognisable Patrick Bergin as local kingpin (and Kevin’s father) Rossi Dumois; the film is roundly stolen, however, by Pitt, a phenomenal actor I’ve always thought we just don’t see enough of, here portraying a spectacularly sleazy, unpredictable force of nature who clearly has his own dark agenda, but whom we ultimately can’t help rooting for even as he stabs us in the back.  This is a cracking film, a dark and dangerous thriller of rare style and compulsive verve that I happily consider to be Megaton’s best film to date BY FAR – needless to say it was a major hit for Netflix when it dropped, clearly resonating with its audience given what’s STILL going on in the real world, and while it may have been roundly panned in reviews I think, like some of the platform’s other glossier Original hits (Bright springs to mind), it’s destined for a major critical reappraisal and inevitable cult status before too long …

25.  BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC – one of the year’s biggest surprise hits for me was also one I was really nervous about – the original Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and its just-as-good sequel Bogus Journey have been personal favourites for years, pretty much part of my geeky developmental DNA during my youth, two gleefully dorky indulgences that have, against the odds, aged like fine wine for me over the years.  I love Bill and Ted SO MUCH, so like many of the fans I’ve always wanted a third film, but I knew full well how easy it would have been for it to turn out to be a turd (second sequels can be tricky things, and we’ve seen SO MANY fail over the years).  God bless Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves for never giving up on the possibilities, then, and for the original screenwriters, Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, for writing something that does true justice and pays proper respect to what came before while fully realising how much times have changed in the TWENTY-NINE YEARS that have passed since Wyld Stallyns last graced our screens.  Certainly times have moved on for our irrepressible pair – in spite of their convictions, driven by news from the distant future that their music would unite the world and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity, Bill and Ted have spectacularly failed to achieve what was expected of them, and they’ve grown despondent even though they’re still happily married to the Princesses and now the fathers of two wonderful girls, Billie and Thea (Atypical’s Brigette Lundy-Paine and Ready Or Not’s Samara weaving).  Then an emissary from the future arrives to inform them that if they don’t write the song that unites the world TODAY, the whole of reality will cease to exist.  No pressure, then … it may have been almost three decades, but our boys are BACK in a riotous comedy adventure that delivers on all the promises the franchise ever made before.  Winter and particularly Reeves may have both gone onto other things since, but they step back into their roles with such ease it’s like Bill and Ted have never been away, perfectly realising not only their characters today but also various future incarnations as they resolve to go forward in time to take the song from themselves AFTER they’ve already written it (a most triumphant and fool-proof plan, surely); Lundy-Paine and Weaving, meanwhile, are both absolutely FANTASTIC throughout, creating a pair of wonderfully oddball, eccentric and thoroughly adorable characters who would be PERFECT to carry the franchise forward in the future, while it’s an absolute joy to see William Sadler return as Bogus Journey’s fantastically neurotic incarnation of Death himself, and there are quality supporting turns from Flight of the Conchords’ Kristen Schaal, Anthony Carrigan, Holland Taylor and of course Hal Landon Jr., once again returning as Ted’s grouchy cop father Captain Logan.  The plot is thoroughly bonkers and of course makes no logical sense, but then they’re never meant to in these movies – the whole point is just to have fun and GO WITH IT, and it’s unbelievably easy when the comedy hit rate is THIS HIGH – turns out third time really is the charm for Matheson and Solomon, who genuinely managed a hat trick with the whole trilogy, while there was no better choice of director to usher this into existence than Dean Parisot, the man who brought us Galaxy Quest.  This is the perfect climax to a trilogy we’ve been waiting YEARS to see finally completed, but it’s also shown a perfect way to forge ahead in new and interesting ways with the next generation – altogether, then, this is another most excellent adventure …

24.  TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG – Justin Kurzel has been on my directors-to-watch list for a while now, each of his offerings impressing me more than the last (his home-grown Aussie debut, Snowtown, was a low key wallow in Outback nastiness, while his follow up, Macbeth, quickly became one of my favourite Shakespeare flicks, and I seem to be one of the frustrated few who actually genuinely loved his adaptation of Assassin’s Creed, considering it to be one the very best video game movies out there), and his latest is no exception – returning to his native Australia, he’s brought his trademark punky grit and fever-dream edginess to bear in his quest to bring his country’s most famous outlaw to the big screen in a biopic truly worthy of his name. Two actors bring infamous 19th Century bushranger Ned Kelly to life here, and they’re both exceptional – the first half of the film sees newcomer Orlando Schwerdt explode onto the screen as the child Ned, all righteous indignation and fiery stubbornness as he rails against the positions his family’s poverty continually put him in, then George MacKay (Sunshine On Leith, Captain Fantastic) delivers the best performance of his career in the second half, a barely restrained beast as Ned grown, his mercurial turn bringing the man’s inherent unpredictability to the fore.  The Babadook’s Essie Davis, meanwhile, frequently steals the film from both of them as Ellen, the fearsome matriarch of the Kelly clan, and Nicholas Hoult is similarly impressive as Constable Fitzpatrick, Ned’s slimily duplicitous friend/nemesis, while there are quality supporting turns from Charlie Hunnam and Russell Crowe as two of the most important men of Ned’s formative years. In Kurzel’s hands, this account of Australia’s greatest true-life crime saga becomes one of the ultimate marmite movies – its glacial pace, grubby intensity and frequent brutality will turn some viewers off, but fans of more “alternative” cinema will find much to enjoy here.  There’s a blasted beauty to its imagery (this is BY FAR the bleakest the Outback’s ever looked on film), while the screenplay from relative unknown Shaun Grant (adapting Peter Carey’s bestselling novel) is STRONG, delivering rich character development and sublime dialogue, and Kurzel delivers some brilliantly offbeat and inventive action beats in the latter half that are well worth the wait.  Evocative, intense and undeniable, this has just the kind of irreverent punk aesthetic that I’m sure the real life Ned Kelly would have approved of …

23.  MUST MERCY – more true-life cinema, this time presenting an altogether classier account of two idealists’ struggle to overturn horrific racial injustices in Alabama. Writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12, The Glass Castle) brings heart, passion and honest nobility to the story of fresh-faced young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his personal crusade to free Walter “Johnny D” McMillan (Jamie Foxx), an African-American man wrongfully sentenced to death for the murder of a white woman.  His only ally is altruistic young paralegal Eva Ansley (Cretton’s regular screen muse Brie Larson), while the opposition arrayed against them is MAMMOTH – not only do they face the cruelly racist might of the Alabama legal system circa 1989, but a corrupt local police force determined to circumvent his efforts at every turn and a thoroughly disinterested prosecutor, Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall), who’s far too concerned with his own personal political ambitions to be any help.  The cast are uniformly excellent, Jordan and Foxx particularly impressing with career best performances that sear themselves deep into the memory, while there’s a truly harrowing supporting turn from Rob Morgan as Johnny D’s fellow Death Row inmate Herbert, whose own execution date is fast approaching.  This is courtroom drama at its most gripping, Cretton keeping the inherent tension cranked up tight while tugging hard on our heartstrings for maximum effect, and the result is a timely, racially-charged throat-lumper of considerable power and emotional heft that guarantees there won’t be a single dry eye in the house by the time the credits roll.  Further proof, then, that Destin Daniel Cretton is one of those rare talents of his generation – next up is his tour of duty in the MCU with Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while this seems like a strange leftfield turn given his previous track record, I nevertheless have the utmost confidence in him after seeing this …

22.  UNDERWATER – at first glance, this probably seems like a strange choice for the year’s Top 30 – a much-maligned, commercially underperforming glorified B-movie creature-feature headlined by the former star of the Twilight franchise, there’s no way that could POSSIBLY be any good, surely? Well hold your horses, folks, because not only is this very much worth your time and a comprehensive suspension of your low expectations, but I can’t even consider this a guilty pleasure – as far as I’m concerned this is a GENUINELY GREAT FILM, without reservation. The man behind the camera is William Eubank, a director whose career I’ve been following with great interest since his feature debut Love (a decidedly odd but strangely beautiful little space movie) and its more high profile but still unapologetically INDIE follow-up The Signal, and this is the one where he finally delivers wholeheartedly on all that wonderful sci-fi potential.  The plot is deceptively simple – an industrial conglomerate has established an instillation drilling right down to the very bottom of the Marianas Trench, the deepest point in our Earth’s oceans, only for an unknown disaster to leave six survivors from the operation’s permanent crew stranded miles below the surface with very few escape options left – but Eubank and writers Brian Duffield (Spontaneous, Love & Monsters, Jane Got a Gun, Insurgent) and Adam Cozad (The Legend of Tarzan) wring all the possible suspense and fraught, claustrophobic terror out of the premise to deliver a piano wire-tense horror thriller that grips from its sudden start to a wonderfully cathartic climax.  The small but potent cast are all on top form, Vincent Cassel, Jessica Henwick (Netflix’ Iron Fist) and John Gallagher Jr. (Hush, 10 Cloverfield Lane) particularly impressing, and even the decidedly hit-and-miss T.J. Miller delivers a surprisingly likeable turn here, but it’s that Twilight alumnus who REALLY sticks in your memory here – Kristen Stewart’s been doing a pretty good job lately distancing herself from the role that, unfortunately, both made her name and turned her into an object of (very unfair) derision for many years, but in my opinion THIS is the performance that REALLY separates her from Bella effing-Swan.  Mechanical engineer Norah Price is tough, ingenious and fiercely determined, but with the right amount of vulnerability that we really root for her, and Stewart acts her little heart out in a turn sure to win over her strongest detractors.  The creature effects are impressive too, the ultimate threat proving some of the nastiest, most repulsively icky creations I’ve seen committed to film, and the inspired design work and strong visual effects easily belie the film’s B-movie leanings.  Those made uneasy by deep, dark open water or tight, enclosed spaces should take heed that this can be a tough watch, but anyone who likes being scared should find plenty to enjoy here.  Altogether a MUCH better film than its mediocre Rotten Tomatoes rating makes it out to be …

21.  PENINSULA – back in 2016, Korean director Yeon Sang-ho and writer Park Joo-suk took the tired old zombie outbreak trope and created something surprisingly fresh with their darkly satirical action horror Train to Busan.  The film was, deservedly, a massive international smash hit and a major shot in the arm for the sub-genre on the big screen, so a sequel was inevitable, but when the time came for them to follow it up they did the smart thing and went in a very different direction.  Jettisoning much of the humour to create something much darker and more intense, they also ramped the action quotient right up to eleven, creating a nightmarish post-apocalyptic version of Korea which has been quarantined from the rest of the world for the last four years, where the few uninfected survivors eke out a dangerous day-to-day existence amidst the burgeoning undead hordes, and the value of human life has plummeted dramatically.  Into this hell-on-earth must venture a small band of Korean refugees, sent by a Hong Kong crime boss to retrieve a multi-million dollar payday in stolen loot that got left behind in the evacuation, led by former ROK Marine Corps Captain Jung-seok (Secret Reunion’s Gang Don-won), a man with a tragic past he has to make up for.  Needless to say, nothing goes according to plan … Train to Busan was an unexpected masterpiece of the genre, but I was even more bowled over by this, particularly since I got to see this on the big screen on Halloween night itself, just before the UK cinemas closed down again for the Second Lockdown. This certainly is a film that NEEDS to be seen first on the big screen – the fully-realised hellscape of undead-overrun Seoul is spectacularly immersive, the perfect cinematic playground for the film’s most impressive set-pieces, two astounding, protracted high-speed chases with searchlight-and-flair-lit all-terrain vehicles racing through the dark streets pursued by tidal waves of feral zombies. Sure, the plot is predictable and the tone gets a little overblown and maudlin at times, while some of the characters are drawn in decidedly broad strokes, but the breathless pace rarely lets up throughout, and there are moments of genuine fiendish genius on offer here, particularly in a truly disturbing centrepiece sequence in which desperate human captives are set against slavering undead in a makeshift amphitheatre for sport, as well as a particularly ingenious use for radio-controlled cars.  And the cast are brilliant, with Don-won providing a suitably robust but also pleasingly fallible, wounded hero, while Hope’s Lee Re and newcomer Lee Ye-won are irrepressibly feisty and thoroughly adorable as the young girls who rescue him from certain death among the ruins.  Altogether, this is horror cinema writ large, played more for thrills than scares but knuckle-whitening and brutally effective nonetheless, and in a year where outbreak horror became all too real for us anyway it was nice to be able to enjoy something a little more escapist anyway – given the strength of its competition in 2020, this top-notch sequel to a true genre gem did very well indeed to place this high.  I’ll admit, I wouldn’t say no to thirds …

[bubble-tea-bunny]

where the grass is greener

[sebastian x reader]

author’s note: just a quick thing i wrote over the last couple days, idk where the sudden inspo came from but enjoy <3

word count: 4,532

The twinkling lights of Zuzu City are the stars of some faraway galaxy, and Sebastian wishes he were an astronaut.

He’s yearning for the great beyond, and that’s the natural course of things, isn’t it? To look past the edges of the world within reach, and hope to one day explore the unknown, a search for life, for the future, for a place to call home. The rolling hills of the valley never seem more restrictive or suffocating than when he stands here, high on a cliff, elevated enough to view the bustling city. For a while now he has felt an urge deep in his gut to go there and experience a life so different from his own as it is currently, with the noise and the vastness. The mountains are walls keeping him contained and in the hours that bleed into days that bleed into weeks, he resolves that he’ll break past them when he’s older, and he’ll set course for his goal, for those glittering skyscrapers. What should he name his space shuttle?

Winters in Pelican Town are a special kind of cold, colder than normal due to the basin-like structure with the mountains on either side. The cold crawls in, settling at ground level, and the heat rises and seeps out. Pelican Town, sitting right in the middle, is forced to deal with the remaining chill.  

This morning, the tip of Sebastian’s nose is flushed red from the harsh winter wind. His preference for not wearing scarves leaves him with nothing with which to shield the sensitive skin of his face. It may reasonably be believed, then, that this is cause to hasten his trek to the town center, but his decision to take the long way into town serves evidence to the contrary.

An old man had once owned the large farm to the west, but since his passing, the weeds have festered, and the few buildings on the property are in various states of disrepair. Sebastian walks by on occasion, observing the debris and decay. In winter, the weeds have rotted away and left the wide field barren save for rocks and stray logs. But by spring, they’d be back, and perhaps the new bursts of color from the trees still standing there will lessen the eyesore the steading has become.

Some nights Sebastian comes here to sit with himself and think because he knows he won’t be disturbed. No one comes this way anymore. He likes to sit on the edge of the porch and observe the expanse before him. The small house behind him has darkened windows, once illuminated with a soft yellow glow in the late hours. If Sebastian were to pull open the door (which would require some tools, given that it’s been boarded up, though acquiring them wouldn’t be an issue given his mom’s profession) and glance inside, there would only be cobwebs and silence.

The ponds on the property are frozen and snow clings to dead tree branches and Sebastian can see it all even without the aid of lights, for there are hardly any in this tiny town. Instead, the moon is the main source, a gentle white glow washing over the farm. Sebastian takes a long drag from his cigarette and exhales steadily. The cloud of smoke looks like a puff of air similarly breathed out in cold weather like this, except without the numbness he loves to find in the stick between his fingers. His brows furrow and he glances down, flicking off the ash. It lands on his jeans. Is he just tired all the time, or has he been carrying a pack of sleeping aids in his pocket?

Tired of this place… Sebastian huffs, is faintly amused, is exhausted.

Spring arrives and with it, another year bundled together with another bout of wishful thinking. Sam’s sitting by his desk, one leg crossed over the other and strumming lazily at his guitar. Sebastian sprawls out on the bed, staring at the ceiling and focusing on the sensation of the blood rushing to his head. They’ve been looking into securing a small gig in the city, nothing too big, but something to get their name out there. It stirs Sebastian’s thoughts of moving to Zuzu City permanently, and he loses himself in them as Sam experiments with riffs for the opening of their newest song.

A wrong note is plucked and Sam curses under his breath, then with a heavy sigh he sits up straight to stretch out his spine. During this momentary break, he seems to remember something, for once he relaxes, he grabs Sebastian’s attention.

“Hey, did you hear?”

Sebastian hums and he isn’t certain whether it’s meant to be a hum of question (Hear what?) or of half-hearted approval (That progression sounded good). Perhaps it’s neither, merely a signal to show he’s actually awake, listening for whatever Sam has to say.

“Someone’s moving onto the farm this week.”

Upon this revelation, Sebastian feels a mild irritation. He’d enjoyed having time to himself on that property. It offered an isolation he couldn’t get anywhere else in town, since he was basically the only person to bother passing through. The only ones to know about his late night visits to the abandoned farmstead are Sam and Abigail, but they don’t interrupt him when he’s there, understanding his need for space. Now, however, Sebastian would have to return to the train tracks.

“So the old man did have relatives after all,” he comments quietly.

The reason nothing had been done to the property is that no one in Pelican Town had the authority. After the previous owner’s death, the land had come into the possession of his family. The news had been passed along to said family a while ago, but there wasn’t a response, nor did anyone even come to appraise the farm with the intention of selling it. So there it remained, untouched for months, long enough that some grew skeptical that anyone would ever come to reclaim it.

Sam chuckles. “Guess so. But you have to wonder why now.”

“Yeah…”

If Zuzu City is a galaxy, you’re an asteroid drifting away from that system into the vacuum of space, floating aimlessly until you’re pulled into the orbit of another. And perhaps it is your aspirations and dreams of what you hope to find in this sleepy town that reside within the shooting star Sebastian sees pass overhead a few nights later, outshining the rest who hang in place.

Though if Sebastian’s honest, he has no idea what dreams might involve the valley and the town. It might be a great place for tourists to visit, sure, to bask in the quiet and the freshness, a temporary change of pace from the city. But for him, the quiet is too overbearing to stay here, and he wants to get away. He’d like to switch places with you. You, for some reason, have growing interest in the country life, and he has always had vested interest in the city life. A fair trade, right?

You’ve got quite the fixer-upper to take care of, that’s for certain. However, the sheer amount of work it will require to get the farmstead in an acceptable state doesn’t appear to deter you. You make many trips into town to buy supplies, and Sebastian has seen you when you stopped by his mom’s shop, the two of you working out blueprints for adding a new water well here or a chicken coop there.

The first time he spotted you had been in passing as he ascended the stairs from his room with the plan to get lunch from the kitchen (his first meal of the day). He heard the front door open and close and his mom’s friendly greeting, and he turned to see you walk right up to the counter she stood behind.

You didn’t look like someone from the city. He wouldn’t have guessed that you were if he hadn’t been told previously by Sam, who’d heard it from his mom, who’d heard it from Pierre. You wore a yellow t-shirt beneath light blue overalls (scuffs and dirt marks already marred the denim), the bottoms of which were rolled up neatly, and a pair of dirtied work boots. A red backpack sat on your shoulders and you had your hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

He briefly listened to your conversation, and you sounded bubbly, excited as you shared your ideas for repairing the farm. And he still might not understand why you had the dreams you did of leaving the city and coming to Stardew Valley, but they’re yours, and you’re making them real, and he’d never fault anyone for that.

Day by day, new life is breathed into the steading you’ve come to call your own. The rocks and logs have been cleared out and you’ve set aside a small section to grow crops. There’s a fenced off area designated to be the site of a new chicken coop, with work beginning tomorrow. You even have a dog now, a stray Marnie came across and brought to your doorstep. Her name’s Daisy. She follows you into town sometimes.

Sebastian sees you often but hasn’t talked to you, other than a curt hello during your first meeting. The short of it is that he doesn’t have much interest in being your friend. He likes his small friend group, and when he isn’t hanging out with them, he’s perfectly content to be alone in his room. Maru brings up over dinner how nice you are, having stopped by the clinic earlier to drop off a basket of strawberries. Then she turns to him and mentions how he really should talk to you because You’ll like her, she’s sweet! But instead of convincing him, it does the opposite and only continues to dissuade him, and he merely sighs, shrugging noncommittally.

Sam and Abigail have taken a liking to you too. They wave you over on a Friday night at the saloon, and you join them in the game room. You excuse yourself from a conversation with Gus and walk over, but once you see Sebastian, you slow down, standing by the doorway. Grinning politely, you lift a hand to wave and give a quiet hello. Evidently you’ve been able to sense Sebastian’s disinterest in you, having kept a similar distance as he at any other time. But tonight, given Sam and Abigail’s invitation, such a distance would be impossible to maintain.

The two of them tell you to relax, and Abigail assures with a laugh Don’t worry, Sebastian doesn’t bite! and you chuckle good-naturedly but Sebastian can surmise you are nervous. For Sam and Abigail’s sakes, he will be a good sport and be friendly. He’s not so childish as to carry on as if you aren’t there. So with a smile, he grabs another pool stick for you.

“We can reset the game,” he informs you as you gently take the stick. “Sam was getting his ass kicked; I was expecting him to ask for a do-over soon anyway.”

“Wha—I was not!”

After that, Sebastian is considerably less averse to speaking with you if you happen to run into each other. He’s still curt, and never tries to carry on a conversation longer than the basic hello’s and how-are-you’s. You don’t push or pry either, to get him to open up, and he appreciates that. You understand he likes his space, and you let him have it.

Ultimately, it’s Sam who encourages him to get to know you better, and he won’t take no for an answer. She’s got plenty of stories to tell about the city, he remarks. I’m sure she’d be happy to share them if you asked.

Sebastian begrudgingly agrees to have an actual conversation with you the next time he’s able to, and he already knows he can’t lie and pretend that he has because you’re friends with Sam, and Sam will inevitably ask if you and he have talked lately. Though ironically, after this, Sebastian doesn’t see you a lot. The end of the season has you scrambling to harvest and ship the remaining crops, and your farm has grown quickly since you’ve been here, which means you’re out in the field most days.

It isn’t until the final day of summer that Sebastian gets the chance. The appearance of the moonlight jellies has everyone out on the beach this evening. Multiple lanterns have been placed on the water to provide better illumination, both for the purpose of viewing the jellyfish and to ensure no one accidentally slips off the edge of the docks. You’re one of the last to arrive, looking tired but satisfied as you speak with Elliott. You make your rounds saying hi and sheepishly brushing off comments on your diligence in preparing the farm for the next season.

Conversations die down to quiet murmurs as the ethereal glow of the jellyfish illuminates the water. Sebastian notices you in his peripherals coming to a stop a few feet away, sitting down and letting your feet dangle over the edge. He hesitates momentarily, but takes a deep breath, resolving himself to just do it, and, sticking his hands in his pockets, he walks towards you.

His boots thud quietly on the wood but if you notice, you don’t react. Not until he talks.

“No Daisy tonight?”

You blink and glance up to see him standing next to you, at a far enough distance that you don’t need to crane your head back painfully to meet his eyes. At his question, you smile lopsidedly and shake your head.

“No, she was too tired to come. She’s been working hard all day.” Usually Daisy accompanies you to the beach, running up and down the shore while you get comfortable on the docks, fishing rod and bag of bait in hand.

Sebastian smiles too, then points at the space to your left. “Mind if I join you?”

“Oh, of course!” You scoot over slightly as Sebastian sits down. The jellyfish are closer now.

“I was thinking of bringing her tomorrow,” you continue the original topic regarding your dog. “To take in that crisp fall air.” The humidity of summer had been fading this past week, leaving in its wake a colder, fresher breeze.

“I bet she’d really like that.” Sebastian might not have much to say, but what he does, he finds himself saying with ease. Perhaps it’s due to to the relief of tension now that he’s finally talked to you past a few courteous remarks, that he’s no longer anticipating the moment because it has already come to pass. And suddenly the prospect of talking to you more doesn’t seem so bad, despite his initial reservations.

“I hope so,” you respond quietly. You flash him a quick smile, then you both turn your attention on the ocean.

The approaching jellyfish are soundless, and with everyone silent, all that can be heard is the gentle lapping of the waves on the support beams of the docks. Spots of light move beneath the surface, the blurry forms of moonlight jellies venturing closer. They pass beneath your dangling feet and the lanterns on the water are poor competition for these creatures.

Sebastian feels you tap on his shoulder a couple of times to grab his attention, and he glances at you. But you draw his attention back to the jellyfish, pointing at one in the distance. Whereas most of the jellies are blue, as is their natural coloring, you’ve spotted a lone green jellyfish. Sebastian smiles and whispers you have a good eye. He’s not sure if anyone else has noticed, but he doesn’t bother to speak up, the silence so full of awe and wonder that he doesn’t want to break it.

The jellyfish congregate near the docks, as if to say goodbye, then slowly they drift back out to sea, and maybe the galaxy called Pelican Town has its own twinkling lights right here.

Green leaves fade to brown in the following days. They detach from the branches and float to the ground, and they’re the satisfying crunch beneath Sebastian’s shoes. The temperature has dropped quickly, and many townsfolk are bundling up to fend off the impending winter chill. The Stardew Valley fair comes and goes, and Sebastian doesn’t understand quite how to appraise the grange displays, but from the passing comments he overhears from Lewis, you put up an impressive arrangement for your first year. However, you don’t win, coming second to Pierre (it was close though).

Sebastian waits to the side as all the participants are given ribbons. You saunter over to him afterward, red ribbon in hand, and Sebastian pulls out his hands from the pocket of his hoodies to clap a few times. You smile shyly and rub the back of your neck, muttering a thanks.

“Hey, not bad for your first go of it,” he commends.

You shrug as you glance down at the ribbon. “I’ll win next year,” you resolve, and he doesn’t doubt it one bit.

The next event on everyone’s minds the second the sun sets on the valley fair is that of Spirit’s Eve. Sam, in particular, has begun to brainstorm costume ideas, first only for himself until he proposes a group costume—for him, Abigail, Sebastian, and you. He starts rattling off movies and games from which to draw inspiration, and Sebastian guesses he was meant to give his approval (or disapproval) for each idea, but Sam is listing them so quickly, excited as he is, that Sebastian hardly gets the opportunity to speak up. But he’s fine with simply listening.

“We really should have a costume contest,” Sam murmurs, voice low in a way that Sebastian isn’t sure if he’s talking to himself. “I wonder if I could ask the mayor to have one this year…”

Sebastian chuckles before he sits up and stands from Sam’s bed. He stretches his arms above his head and glances out the window: it’s completely dark out. The daylight is minimal this time of year, so this fact isn’t satisfactory evidence for the time of night. Rather, it’s the glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand that alerts Sebastian that it’s time to leave, for it’s growing late.

“I think I’m gonna head out,” he announces once Sam’s rambling has quieted down.

Sam nods and stands up as well to walk Sebastian to the front door, but pauses with his hand on the doorknob of his room as he twists around.

“You wouldn’t be taking the long way to your house, would you?”

Sebastian tilts his head. Walking past the farm? He hasn’t done that since you moved in. “I wasn’t planning to. Why?”

“Well it’s just my mom patched up one of [Name]’s shirts and asked if I could give it to her when I see her, but I figure if you’re going to pass by tonight…”

Sebastian nods. “Sure.”

With a smile, Sam picks up a folded long-sleeve from his desk and hands it to Sebastian. “Thanks, man.”

It feels strange to make his way towards the bus stop instead of the park on his way back. He hadn’t taken this route for almost a year, having never been one of the people to pay a visit to your farm. He’s not sure why he never did. Perhaps he didn’t want to be a bother. You’d always given him his space, and he figured it would only be right for him to do the same in return. Though unlike him, you never shy away from visitors, always glad to greet whoever comes over for a quick chat. So perhaps you won’t mind. Hopefully. The last thing he wants is to be in your way.

He’s unsure if you’ll even be awake at this time because you work a lot, and it leaves you exhausted. You don’t tend to stay up late. But as he approaches your farm, he not only spots the light shining through the windows, he sees you sitting on the edge of the porch, right where he has sat so many times prior.

He calls out your name to grab your attention and you look over, smiling when you see him.

“What’s up?" you ask as he comes closer, and your smile widens when he holds out your shirt. “Oh, Jodi’s fixed it! That was fast… I’ll have to bake her a cake to say thanks.” Then you turn to Sebastian and thank him for dropping it off.

But he’s not in a rush to leave, and he inquires what it is you’re doing staying out here so late. You shrug. Just basking in the quiet I guess… and taking it all in. You motion to the field, and Sebastian understands why you’re content to sit and observe the fruits of your labor. He hardly recognizes the expanse, so different from the way it was just a year ago. You’ve poured your love into it and it shows.

“You deserve to be proud of it.”

You smile and the lack of lights conceals the reddening of your cheeks at the compliment. Momentarily your eyes are downcast at the ground, but then they slide back up to observe Sebastian standing there. You take the thermos next to you and hold it out.

“Hot chocolate. Want some?”

He glances at the thermos but shakes his head no thanks, and you retract your hand. The nights are increasingly colder as winter nears, and even if he’s wearing a hoodie and jeans, you’re certain that he’s feeling the brunt of the weather. You speak up again.

“Okay. But it is cold and, well…” You grab the edge of the large, fluffy blanket around your shoulders and stretch out your arm to extend it. “There’s room for two.”

Sebastian catches on to your efforts to ensure he doesn’t freeze, and while he isn’t bothered to stand in the chill for a few minutes, he appreciates your gestures and agrees to this one, closing the gap between you in a several short steps and settling down on the porch. You drop the blanket around his shoulders as well, and both of you look out on the farmstead. In place of weeds and stray rocks are crops and pastures for the animals you’ve started raising. You’ve mentioned before they can be a handful given how many there are when there’s just one of you, but you’re happy to have them. And Daisy helps with the herding at the end of the day, so it could be worse!

The silence is comfortable, but Sebastian finally breaks it.

“Why’d you leave?”

You glance at him, confused as to what he’s referring to. He elaborates.

“The city.” He turns his eyes from the field to you. “What made you want to come to the valley? I mean… it’s so quiet, too quiet sometimes. I’ve always wanted to move to Zuzu City. I want to get away from here. But you did the exact opposite.”

This is the most he has ever opened up to you, and it surprises him how easily it slips out. But it’s too late to take back the words now, as they hang in the air between you, and his breath catches in his throat because, frankly, he’s embarrassed. He’s never this quick to share his feelings, his thoughts, his one wish to leave this sleepy town and not look back. And he’s worried what you’ll say, what you’ll think, of the candidness springing up from nowhere.

You don’t respond immediately, which fuels his concerns even more, but he realizes it’s the time spent putting your own words together carefully, as you smile gently, a reassurance that it’s okay to talk about these things. You’ll listen to whatever he has to say, and you’ll still be there even if he says nothing.

With a deep sigh, you face forward again to survey the farm. And you explain to Sebastian that you’d been in the city your whole life. Before your grandfather passed away, he left you a letter with explicit instructions only to open it when you grew tired of the hustle and bustle, of the fast pace of the city and the same thing day-in, day-out at your corporate job. I thought I could handle it, you muse, but I just cracked one day. One boring day… I can’t even remember if it was a Wednesday or a Friday because they all felt the same. You chuckle dryly.

Sebastian is watching you closely, patiently waiting for you to continue. You’ve followed his lead and opened up, and he has found himself intensely curious to discover more about you.

You take another deep breath, acutely aware of the crisp air that floods your lungs. “In the letter, he called the valley the place where he truly belonged. And I thought maybe it would be the same for me.” You stay quiet after this for several moments, both of you contemplating what you’ve said, but then you perk up and look at him. “Of course, if you want to go to Zuzu City, if you truly feel you’ll thrive there, then go. I’m not trying to dissuade you.”

It’s Sebastian’s turn to give you a smile of reassurance. He has taken no offense to the story you shared. He understands where you come from. People are different, have different desires and goals. But he’s not ready to turn the conversation on himself, still wanting to focus on you, if only for a minute or three longer.

“Is it the same for you?” he inquires quietly. “Do you feel this is where you truly belong?”

It’s a reasonable follow-up to your story, yet it still gives you pause and you mull it over. Even before you speak, Sebastian can already see the answer in the softening features of your face, as you stare at the field you have worked so hard to turn into something worthwhile. He’s not sure what you’re thinking, but he’d like to have penny for your thoughts because your eyes slide towards him now, and they are fond and your smile is soft and he wonders if it means anything.

“Yes,” you state finally. “I think it is.”

You watch each other, and the corner of Sebastian’s lips lifts in a small smile, unable to be contained after witnessing yours. His chest tightens and he wonders if all this—the town and the valley and him and you—if maybe it means everything. Because the air seems fresher and the moon seems brighter and he finds he doesn’t want to lift off in his space shuttle if it takes him farther away from you. So maybe he’ll stay on the ground just a little longer.

He drops his gaze to the thermos you hold. “I’ll take some of that hot chocolate if you’re still offering.”

You laugh and nod, twisting off the lid. “Yeah, here, hold on…”

The autumn evening is beautiful, and for once, the valley feels like home.

[arcadiaoaksusedbooks]

Event: Fountain of Youth

As his mother took a nap, Balor took her phone and tapped around the address book for a certain number. It should be about noon where she was in the world, he just hoped his aunt would pick up the phone when it rang. It ran about three times before going straight to camera mode.

“Hai, moshi moshi~!” Alora chirped with a high pitched voice. She had on sunglasses, a sunhat that didn’t flatter her at all, wearing a tank top and jean shorts while sitting in a grove of pink trees. All of this, along with the audio, took Balor a couple seconds to respond.

“Mushy mushy?” he greeted back with confusion, making his aunt laugh.

“That’s how you answer the phone in Japan. How are you doing, Balor? You’re just in time for my flower viewing picnic.”

“...what?” he asked flatly. Alora turned the phone to a small square shaped box with various foods Balor didn’t recognize in them. There were several more boxes nearby, unopened, as his aunt listed a bunch of foods and words he didn’t know. He was mostly tuning them out until Alora tilted her phone to bring her face back into view.

“...but you didn’t call to see what I brought on my picnic. What’s up with you and mom?”

Finally. Balor slumped in his seat as he tried to explain.

“My birthday is coming up--”

“Yep! I’ve got you a ton of stuff from here that I think you’re gonna like a lot.” Alora chuckled. “But you can’t have any of it until the end of the month, okay?”

“--but what I want most is a sibling.”

Alora paused before suddenly bursting out laughing. This just made Balor feel worse about his thoughts, and he slumped harder. Alora recovered after a few seconds.

“Booger, that’s up to your mom and pop, not you.”

“Everyone says that!” the young troll growled.

“Okay, well, why do you want a sibling so bad? You lonely? Need someone to share your toys with? Need someone to take the blame when you eat all the condiments from the freezer for the third time in a month?”

“No! I just want my mom to be happy!” Balor blurted out loudly. “She’s super sad and distant all the time, and all I really want more than anything else in the world is to just see her happy and smiling again! She’s always happy around babies! So I want her and dad to make more babies so she’s finally happy again!”

He felt like crying after that outburst and he wasn’t sure why. It also made Alora go quiet. She moved herself to lean against the tree, no longer smiling or teasing.

“Balor, you’re a kind and caring kid. You’ve really inherited your mother’s generous spirit.”

“BUT?!” Balor spat out, daring his own aunt to continue. She didn’t seem threatened at all.

“Wanting someone else to be happy for your own benefit is pretty selfish. I know you love your mom, and you want her to be happy or make her happy, but if you’re just doing it for your own peace of mind, well, that’s not a very kind thing to do.” This made Balor pause and start to wipe tears away. “Besides, it’s your birthday this month, not hers. You could save the ‘make mom happy’ wants for next month when it is her birthday, alright?”

“Yeah...” Balor groaned. “She’s just been sad a lot lately. I don’t like seeing her like that.”

“Something happen?”

“I don’t know. We don’t talk much anymore, or do anything together.”

“Have you asked her?”

“No...” Balor mumbled, hiding his face.

“That sounds like step number one to me. Ask her what’s up and what you can do. And think about what you’d like for your own birthday. Maybe ask in a passive way what she would like for her birthday, then focus on that when your celebrations are over. How does that sound?”

“I guess...” The whelp continued to mumble. Alora made a thinking face before smirking a bit.

“Is the adolescence kicking in finally?”

“...what’s that?”

“It’s the stage between childhood and adulthood. Most trolls sit through it for a good two hundred years. It makes you moody and indecisive, aggressive and not wanting to do anything people tell you.”

“Mmmmmph!” Balor grunted, making Alora chuckle.

“Sounds like you’ve got it tough. Double the reason to tell your mom about how you’re feeling. She can’t help you if she doesn’t know.”

“She treats me like a baby whenever I talk to her...”

“....have you told her that?”

“Whenever I do, she backs off and... stays backed off. Like she can’t help.”

“I think she’s just trying to give you space. You’re a growing boy, and as a Shardborn troll, you’re growing waaaaaay faster than a normal troll. You look and sound about a hundred and ten, and it’s your FIRST birthday coming up! You’re going through a lot in a very short amount of time, and it’s gonna be a couple hundred years until it all catches up. Or at least until you’re considered your average troll. None of that is your fault, and you’re Nadia’s first child. She has zero experience raising a kid, human or troll. You’re both working through your trials together, so you need to tell her how you’re feeling and what’s going on, and she needs to listen.”

Balor tried to listen, feeling more and more miserable as Alora explains, sounding pretty serious for once.

“....sometimes I wish I wasn’t Shardborn.” Balor grunts.

“Hey, I know it’s hard.” Alora sympathized. “But it’s not all bad, right? I heard you went to the zoo the other day and got to pet an elephant, ride a camel, feed some goats and chickens, watch a wolf howl..... you wouldn’t have been able to do that if you were still a diaper wearing baby, would you?”

“No.”

“Or explore your woods. Or get your own floor of a wizard’s tower. Or know magic that makes even your mom jealous. Would you rather not have any of that until two hundred years from now?”

Why did Balor hesitate? What made him wish he was just a normal troll? He did like doing all of those things, he liked who he was, but at the same time he hated feeling this way. And if being a quickly growing Shardborn troll was the price he had to pay to have all these wonderful things in life but feel so confused and horrible....

“No. I like doing those things now.” he said numbly.

“I know Elisi is visiting, and she’s raised at least fifty Shardborn trolls in her life. I bet she knows exactly how you feel and what’s going on. Why don’t you ask her, I’m sure she can help you out better than I could. And you know you can tell her anything, right?”

Elisi was one hundred thousand times more protective than Nadia was, and was terrible at keeping secrets. So was Alora, but at least the former Gumm Gumm didn’t judge like her sisters did. Balor wasn’t sure how to talk to Aunt E without feeling like a baby again.

.....wait.....

He felt an epiphany grow rapidly in his thoughts, and just barely kept his excitement at bay. He had the most AMAZING IDEA!

“Okay. I’ll do that.” he agreed to Alora, hoping to end the call soon. He had a lot of work to do. “But thanks for talking to me, Auntie A.”

“Anytime, booger.” Alora chuckled, which just made Balor frown again.

“...stop calling me booger?” 

“Anytime, shitbird.” Alora teased. “Anything else going on that you wanna chat about?”

“Nah. I need to go ask Auntie E about some stuff. Can I call you back later?”

“Sure. I’ll be out here for the rest of the day, having my cherry blossom picnic. By myself. I’ll send more videos with stuff I found I think you’ll like. Cheer up, my dude, okay?”

“Okay.” Balor nodded. “Have fun in Japan. Love you, Auntie.”

“Love you too, kiddo. Ja ne~!”

“Jaw-nay...” Balor wished awkwardly, and the call hung up. Quickly and carefully leaving his mom’s phone where he found it, he rushed off into the woods.

There was a lot to gather in a short amount of time!

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

Moon up, Nadia and Elisi were just finishing dinner. Nadia was in a turkey mood and Elisi helped with some potato gratin and steamed veggies. Both were chatting about their day so far, things they wanted to catch up on, and plans for the rest of the week. Disneyland was in the cards, but it was going to get busy closer and closer to the weekend.

The conversation got a bit more hushed when it came time to talk about Balor’s birthday present.

“I’ve been hard at work on it for a week.” Nadia giggled in hushed tones. “Glasswork isn’t what it used to be. Now it’s just a matter of what to put in the tank.”

“How big is it?”

“Sixty gallons so far. And I’ve made an oval shaped one just in case. I think it’s a nice shape.”

“Fish prefer corners.” Elisi explained. “So the rectangle one will be better. Gods, it’s been ages since I last tried to raise fish. I’m sure someone at the pet store can give better advise than me.”

Nadia smiled brightly. Balor loved fish so much, so it was natural to assume his own fish tank with plenty of fish to care for would be perfect. He wouldn’t be so lonely, and maybe the pestering for baby siblings would stop for a month or so. By then, she’d be ready, maybe...

There was a thump in Balor’s room, which sounded like him falling out of bed. Again. Elisi chuckled.

“Speak of the handsome little devil.” she chuckled. “Want me to tell him dinner’s almost ready?”

“I’ll get him.” Nadia insisted, stepping away from the stove to Balor’s room. Elisi let her go to start putting turkey meat and veggies onto plates. Not even a minute goes by when the shriek rose in pitch up and down the tower. 

Elisi dropped the plate to run for it, immediately spilling food and porcelain all over the kitchen floor. She bounded up to the third floor of the tower to try and find her sister and nephew, ready to beat whatever startled or hurt them. The second she stopped in front of Nadia, she looked around frantically for the fight waiting for her. There was none.

Nadia was crumpled on the floor, with a look of horror, hyperventilating as her body commanded her to shed tears and cry. Balor was nowhere to be immediately seen. Elisi’s nerves started to freeze up. Something terrible happened and she couldn’t pinpoint what.

“Nadia?” Elisi asked in a frightened whisper. Nadia looked up to her older sister, and slowly raised herself to her knees, holding a cloth bundle in her hands. Something wriggled in it, peeping for attention. Elisi slowly came foreword, and moved the cloth away to see what Nadia was holding for dear life.

It was a baby Yateveo pup. No bigger than Nadia’s palm. Tanned in color, eyes still unopened, moving his head around and peeping for food. Some familiar horn jewelry was shuffled from the movement and clambered to the floor, with no owner to wear them. Or at least, the owner was now too young to wear them. 

Elisi was still not sure what was in front of her. Where was Balor? Who or what was Nadia holding? Before Elisi could instinctively call out for her nephew, a parchment of paper and a glass bottle caught her attention on Balor’s bed. She walked to it to investigate. The bottle was bone dry, and smelled sweet but strong. The paper had Balor’s handwriting on it.

Mom,

You’ve seemed really sad lately. But really happy when you have babies to take care of and watch over. I grew up from being a baby, so you stopped being so happy. So I changed myself back into one. I’m sorry if I scared you, but this way, you can raise me like a normal troll and I can grow as one. So we can be a normal family again, and you have a baby to take care of if dad won’t give you one.

I love you, mom. All I want is to see you happy every day again. Being a baby again is the only way I can do that. It’s all I want for my birthday.

See you again in a couple hundred years,

Balor, Son of Angor

“Balor, what the fu--” Elisi exclaimed as Nadia again shrieked in horror. Neither had any idea what to do now. Both were panicking. 

Tiny little Balor peeped louder and louder until he started to cry in despair. He was so hungry.

[thecrazydragonlady]

The Immortal Pharaoh Chapter 5

Yugi stretched himself as he walked out of the tent. A shiver racked through his spine; even though he had been highly prepared for the overheated daylight hours, he wasn't prepared for how cold the nights became. It was nice to get out though. They had spent the last several weeks in camp, digging in the area a stone's throw away from his work space, but it wasn't all beauty and perfection in the camp. For example, Doctor Hopkins' granddaughter Rebecca. At first, the young blonde child treated him like a nuisance. She snapped at every little thing he did wrong, especially when it came to cataloguing all of the information related to the dig: the exact place and measurements of where each tiny piece of pottery was discovered, the way they were dusted and cleaned, and so on. Yugi had been irritated with her behavior at first. That was, until about a week and half after the dig started. He had been sitting in the cataloguing tent, looking at some of the pieces of pottery, before he realized that it was just one giant puzzle he was staring at and, without thinking, he began to put them together. It came together rather quickly. He held up a small piece to the lamp to get a better view.

"What in the world are you doing? You're going to mess up the data!" He jerked, nearly dropping the shard he held, turning to find Rebecca glaring at him, hands on her hips as she tapped her foot in clear frustration. He looked abashed. She stomped towards him. She started to snatch the piece from his hand until she spotted the puzzle that he was working on. Her eyes went wide. She pushed around him to get a closer look, "Did you... Did you do this?"

"I- I was curious," he stuttered out. Licking his lips, he continued with, "It looked like a puzzle and I love puzzles so I couldn't resist...."

Rebecca raised a hand to silence him. "This is... brilliant," she slowly stated. "This looks like the beginnings of a... statue of some kind." She moved around, trying to see it from all sides without touching. Once her scrutiny was passed, she hummed, "Have you used anything to hold it together?" Yugi shook his head. She began moving around the tent, gathering various odds and ends that were stored on the shelves there, before she sat them in front of him. "Move over. I'm going to show you how to apply both the mesh and the Pollyfilla. The general rule for structural integrity is that a shard has to have to two points of contact in order to be secured. Start with the mesh and use this cyclododecane in these cracks...." Yugi's head spun a bit but he nodded, keeping up with the impromptu lesson he was receiving on how to rebuild and structure the pottery. They spent all night going over his new information. The next few days were filled with them doing the same lessons until she felt confident enough to leave him to his own devices. It took him three weeks to piece what he had had back together. Yugi felt rather accomplished. Rebecca grew more impressed the more he completed. Having warmed up to him, she presented him with his next assignment. He felt pleased by this; especially because her words were no longer sharp or to the point.

Malik got an absolute kick out of the change.

Yugi had been squinting at a particular shard he just couldn't seem to figure out. Malik was sitting behind him on one of his rare visits. He was looking at a book or magazine, Yugi wasn't sure, but he raised his eyes from it when Rebecca walked in, speaking to Yugi in a soft manner about finding another set of pieces they thought belong to another statue and they were wondering if he could put this one together as well. He nodded and said he would start as soon as he finished with the bowl he had been given. She nodded, a pleasant smile crossed her face before she left them alone. Silence. Then Malik let out a loud laugh which startled Yugi who turned, surprised.

Malik had a hand on his forehead. Tears were streaming out the corner of his eyes as he gasped out, “Oh man. I think I’m going to show up for this show more often!” He leaned forward to stare Yugi in the face. Yugi blushed. “You do realize she was flirting with you right?” Yugi sputtered.

"Wh-what?" Malik started laughing again.

"You seriously missed that? She was flirting!"

"No, she wasn't," he scoffed. "She was only here on business." Malik blinked.

"For someone who's so brilliant when it comes to piecing together these boring clay pieces, you're a complete dud when it comes to the ladies right?" Yugi’s blush turned brighter.

"So what if I am?" Malik rolled his eyes.

"You are never going to get a girlfriend like that." Yugi bit his lips and turned back to his work; he didn’t bother to voice the question of whether or not he was even interested in girls. He was still young. His options could always be explored. Malik moved closer. He poked Yugi in the cheek and this only set Yugi to pouting. "I could help you know. Help you and her..."

"I'm not interested!" Malik blinked. Yugi stood up then, placing the shard on the table, before he simply left. He wandered into the Egyptian night. The sand seemed to move out of his way but he didn't slip. A soft breeze pushed his bangs out of his face and he hugged himself a bit for warmth until it stopped. He kept moving forward.

The dig wasn't too far from a valley where two large rocky face cliffs rose up on either side. He climbed up a bit. His head pounded a bit from the exchange and he sighed as he reached the top, sitting on an exposed boulder. The view was breath taking; the sand seemed to sparkle in the light of the full moon and a smile found its ways to his lips. Who would have imagined that his summer would have spent like this? Wait until he got back and told Anzu all about it.

He paused. If Anzu was even going to speak to him. While they had been friends for years, it only seemed that in the most recent, she had been growing distant from him. It was not surprising to him that she had grown into her own in high school, becoming a rather mature and beautiful young woman with a world confidence to match it. She wasn't particularly cold with him but neither had they been hanging out like they used to. Maybe he could use this as an excuse to speak to her again. He scoffed.

"Anzu's not that shallow," he chided to no one in particular. "Besides, you're small... and withdrawn... and into games more than people...." He stopped. In frustration, he ran his hands through his hair rapidly while letting out a scream.

What kind of life was this!

He groaned. Not much of one if it was to be considered. He smacked his cheeks with his hands. No, no, no! He wasn't going to start feeling even sorrier for himself right now. He was having a better summer than he had originally planned for and he wasn't going to let some dark thoughts from stopping that.

Still... back home... it would be nice if he had even just one really good friend he could turn to.

Yugi sighed, "Who am I kidding? The way I currently am is just going to cause more trouble..." A gentle breeze rushed through the valley, ruffling his hair. He shivered a bit.

A loud noise somewhere further into valley caught his attention, sending the hair on his neck on end. His curious nature got the better of him and he found himself climbing further into the valley, up higher just to be safe. This was some straight out of Tomb Raider adventure. The noises had softened a bit but the closer he got to their source, the steadier they became in volume until Yugi found himself staring over the edge of a rise easily some twenty to thirty feet above where the noises were originating from. In the dusty night time, he could easily make out what looked like military grade trucks and... yikes. Some of the weapons in the hands of some of those guys looked really serious. He ducked down behind a boulder to see if he could continue to get a better look.

Most of the people where men, that much he could tell. He swallowed hard. Whatever was going on here, he wasn't certain it was legal nor safe. A Jeep suddenly appeared from the other end of the valley, coming from the opposite side of where their dig was. It stopped short of where the bigger trucks were. Someone climbed out of the driver seat and went around to the passenger side where Yugi could see a tall man with long white hair, some covering half of his face, appear from where the door opened. He was wearing a red suit and all he could was wonder: how the hell was he currently not dying?

Another man approached him. He looked like a local and he wrung his hands. Yugi could only here snippets of their conversations, thankfully in English, but his face paled when he caught the words "tomb," "finding," and "explosives."

They were going to blow something up? Here in the valley? He swallowed hard. Moving to see better over his hiding spot, his foot slipped and a couple of rocks fell, tumbling down the craggy rock face with near deafening thuds. Yugi ducked down and hoped they weren't heard. His hopes were dashed though when he heard someone shouting orders and, in a panic, he looked around. Their running footsteps sounded so loud. Yugi scrambled towards the solid rock wall, looking for anywhere to hide. Relief flooded through him when he found a cave hidden by more boulders. It was hard to spot. The shouts grew louder and a light swept across the area. Yugi gasped softly and he scrambled inside to safety. A couple of armed guards appeared where he had once been. Yugi’s eyes darted between the entrance and rest of the cave before deciding that he was far too close to them for comfort. He crawled back a few feet before climbing to his feet. Yugi ran.

He must have easily been about halfway back into the cave when there suddenly came a rumbling. He stopped, trying to stay balanced.

His face paled.

No way... they actually....!

The explosion must have been too large as it rocked the whole valley. Rocks began to tumble from the ceiling, covering the ground in the places where he had been standing. Fear coursed through his system.

He was going to be buried alive!

Next

[evanstandefensesquad-blog]

Paper Moon Part 13

MB - @thecountessakasha here once more. Part 13 is finally finished. There’s a bunch of smut in it to make up for the last chapter.

I’m going to tag a couple people who I’ve told about this and my really special love who keeps betaing this for me @evansscruff - thank you, darling.

A/N: Bucky and Steve end up at a venue that has a 40s night and meet an OFC, Melissa Rose, a singer in a local club. They both are smitten by her, and start to vie for her affections. They end up finding out more about themselves in the process.

This honestly started out as maybe a one shot but as I got going, I decided it’ll be chapters. How many? No frigging idea. This is my absolute first time writing a fic of any sort and yes I did base the OFC on myself. I hope y'all enjoy.

Word count: 3200+ because I am a wordy bitch.

Warnings: Minimal angst. Mega smut. And as always, a lil fluff.

STEVE’S POV

Bucky and I finished cleaning up the kitchen while Melissa was still in the bedroom. We could hear her tearing apart her closet and muttering to herself obviously trying to find the perfect thing to wear to the tower.

“Maybe we should go help her, man. She’s gonna drive herself crazy.” He’s running a hand through his hair and looking at me with his brows knit in worry.

I glance down the hallway as I hear the thud of shoes obviously hitting the wall. “I mean, maybe? I don’t know. I don’t know how to do this. To navigate this.”

Laughing softly, Bucky waves a hand at me. “It’s fine, Steve. I got it.” He gestures to the living room, “Maybe you can clean the rest of this place up while I help her, alright?”

“Alright. That’s sounds like a plan.” I get to work on the living room, straightening up. I didn’t intend to do a deep clean, but as I got into it, I figured I may as well. She deserves the world, but for now a nice clean apartment will do.

While cleaning, I’m also exploring. Learning more and more about her. She clearly values comfort over appearance. An overstuffed couch, two big recliners, an old oak coffee table covered in little nooks and crannies to organize things. Warm and worn hardwood floors, small lamps placed here and there give an inviting atmosphere.

Floor to ceiling windows make up the wall her couch faces. They give a perfect view of the busy city street below. The other three walls are lined with bookshelves that are stuffed to the gills with everything from classics to non-fiction tomes on the Holy Land to current newspapers and magazines.

I run my fingers over the spines of the various books as I dust, feeling as if I can get a sense of her by touching things she obviously holds dear. These books are well loved, well used.

There are pictures in frames everywhere. Family, friends, fans I assume. Her stunning wide smile is ever present in all the ones she’s in. Even those that are clearly her as a child. I love how she’s memorialized these experiences.

Making my way around my eyes land on one that gives me pause. It looks older, like a picture from my time. A beautiful young woman with dark waves, near crystalline eyes, and a small smile that looks as if she’s holding a secret.

She looks so much like Melissa.

I make a mental note to ask her about it.

New Orleans street scenes, shots of the Gulf of Mexico, fleur-de-lis, magnolias, oak trees, pelicans, and stylized skulls in the manner of Dia de Los Muertos make up most of the art pieces that join the photographs littered about her apartment. Nearly every square inch of wall and available table space is covered by something.

I spy a couple of hand woven reed baskets overflowing with spare blankets, a large standing empty ashtray by one recliner, and a huge brass hookah with what looks to be about 4 pipes is in one corner. I’ve never seen her smoke, never tasted it on her. Maybe she has it for guests.

On a little table perched beside one of the recliners is a large, messy stack of sheet music with lyrics handwritten on the pages. I gather the papers, intending to merely put them in a more orderly pile but curiosity gets the better of me and start to thumb through them.

Looking them over, I see she has written little notes for herself near the titles. “Tennessee Whiskey in the style of Chris Stapleton. At Last in the style of Etta James. Between the Bars in the style of Madeleine Peyroux. Hallelujah in the style of k. d. lang. Brave by Jhene Aiko. WWOZ by BTE.” I’m reading them aloud, wondering what they would sound like in her voice.

I come to the next one and my eyes widen, “Fucked My Way Up To the Top by Lana del Rey.” With grin and a shake of my head, I straighten the papers and set them back on the little end table.

“Find something interesting, Steve?”

I nearly jump out of my skin at the proximity of her voice. “Holy shit, Melissa. You can’t sneak up on an old man like that.”

Her head falls backwards as she gives one of her full, loud laughs, “And here I thought you were a super soldier.” She reaches out running a fingernail down my forearm.

Turning to face her, my eyes take her in. “Melissa…you look great.” I can see nearly all of her tattoos, the ones decorating her legs, her arms, her shoulders, a tiny peek of the one down her spine. My knees weaken a bit when I realize I can also see the outline of those delicious little barbells through the material of the dress.

She looks down at her dangerously low cut sundress then back up to me, her cheeks and chest flushing pink at the compliment. She hooks a thumb over her shoulder, “Bucky’s suggestion.”

I see him grinning behind her nodding his head. “As soon as I saw it, stuffed all the way in the back of the closet I might add, I knew that’s what I’d want to see her in. Seems you like it, too.”

“I do!” I grab her in my arms, spinning her around, her feet swinging off the floor. She starts laughing loudly, “Bucky help me!”

“Hey, you’re on your own, Angel. Ya gotta take the consequences for being so beautiful.”

She groans loudly at the cheesy statement. “God, y'all are dorky.” I start to laugh as I plant her back on the floor, taking note of the black strappy sandals adorning her perfectly pedicured feet.

I lean down kissing her gently, taking her a little by surprise. “I was just looking around. I love seeing all the pictures you have.” Gesturing to the one I was most curious about I continue “Who is this beautiful dame? You look an awful lot like her.”

Melissa reaches out for the picture, holding it gingerly in her hands. “My maternal grandmother. She’s the one who gifted me with her knowledge of wartime era fashion. Her and my grandfather taught me all the songs. They also taught me all the dances. Everyone in the family always said I was her spitting image.”

Bucky gives a soft hum of approval, “Then we owe her a great debt.”

She brushes her fingers tenderly over the image. “They all said it was like she’d been made again in me. I was just like her in temperament and personality. Looks, too. Except for one thing.” Her eyes meet mine. “She had ice blue eyes and I ended up with the Irish green from my father’s side.” She shrugs a little.

“And a stunning green they are. My favorite color.” I slide my hands down her arms then take her hands in mine. “Are you ready, doll? I know this is still very overwhelming for you. But we’ll be there. Right beside you. Each step of the way.”

“They’re gonna love you.” Bucky’s low voice comes out muffled as he’s taken up the position standing behind her, his lips attached to one of her exposed shoulders.

She wraps an arm around my waist resting her head on my chest, then pulls Bucky closer behind her. “If you two think you’re ready, then I’m ready. I won’t say I’m not scared. I am. But some things in life take risk. And I believe you two to be worth that risk.” Her eyes find mine as she speaks the last sentence, and I can see the worry. I can also see how sincere and how heartfelt her words are.

“Merci, Maîtresse.”

“Thank you, Angel.”

BUCKY’S POV

While I make Steve clean her apartment, I quietly slide into her bedroom. What I see makes me stop in my tracks. She has torn apart her closet, her dressers. Shoes and clothes are strewn everywhere.

She’s sitting on the floor, back against the bed looking on the verge of tears. “Angel? Melissa? Are you alright?”

Shaking her head she gestures toward the room, “I have nothing to wear. I can't… I can’t go to the tower. I can’t meet the team. They’re your family, Bucky. I need to make a good impression.” Her voice is small, soft, tinged with fear.

I sit on the floor beside her and gather her in my arms, “Hey, hey. It’s ok.” My fingers slide up the sides of neck and I cup her cheeks turning her face to mine. “Listen to me. You’re beautiful. No matter what you wear, you are beautiful. I want you to be comfortable. That’s my main concern.”

“It’s going to be enough of a shock to them about you and Steve. When they meet me and realize the part I play in this, they’re going to hate me.” She’s trembling as she says these words. “And so are your adoring fans. I just …I don’t fit the bill. Not to mention when we go public with our relationship. People won’t be able to handle it.”

I tighten my grip on her. “Melissa, we are all adults here. This is our choice. So what if people don’t like it? They don’t live our lives.” My thumbs brush her cheeks. “And Steve and I want you. More than that, we need you. Neither he nor I have felt as good in our lives as we have since you came along. It fits. You fit. You belong with us.”

She seems as if she has some reply, some counter, but she closes her mouth and just looks at me. Really looks at me. After a moment, she places her hand on my chest and shakes her head. “Oh, Bucky.”

Seeing her like this, I’m overcome. She is perfection and she just doesn’t believe it. I give a shake of my head and suddenly I’m pressing my lips to hers. Her eyes widen a second then she’s kissing me back, sighing softly into my mouth. Her small hands grab for me, tugging at my shirt.

My fingers slip into her robe, pushing it off her shoulders to let it pool around her hips. I’m groaning against her skin as I move from her lips to her jaw making my way to her chin. “How can you not see that? How can I make you understand?”

She’s melting under my touch, her fingers slipping into my hair pulling me close. My lips move against the hollow of her neck, “Everything about you makes me crave more and more.” My tongue darts out licking along her collarbone, teeth nipping at the muscle connecting her neck and shoulder.

I have never heard such delicious sounds from anyone in my life.

“Bucky…” she’s whining. “I have to get dressed, baby boy.” I slip my hand lower, the backs of my knuckles just barely brushing against the wetness between her legs.

I growl against her neck, “But you’re soaking for me, Angel. How can I resist?” My fingers part her folds and I find her little swollen bundle of nerves, pressing against it lightly.

A gasp falls from her lips and I bring my left hand up to cover her mouth. “Shhhhh, lover.” She gives a little whimper as I pull her onto my lap, and I quickly shimmy my sweats down. My hardness slides against the damp heat between her legs making me groan.

Our lips crash together, the kiss all tongues and teeth. She wraps her body around mine as I slide into her, sheathing myself fully. “Oh fuck…” she whispers, her forehead pressing against my chest. Her fingers glide into my hair and she yanks my head back forcefully, her eyes meeting mine.

The gaze is heated, longing and we stare at each other for a moment before her hips start to move a bit, letting me know it’s ok to begin. I grip her ass, fingers digging into her flesh as I start the push pull of her on my cock.

“Quickly, baby boy. Harder…” She has one hand still tightly wrapped in my hair, tugging. Her other raking nails down my back filling me with a shiver of sweet pleasure at the pain. Her hips rock in time with my thrusts.

I take one hand and slip it between us, finger tripping over her clit in small circles as I keep thrusting up into her. “That’s it Bucky baby… yes just like that..fuck I’m close…”

She bites into my shoulder to muffle her screams as her orgasm washes over her. “Fuck Angel you’re so Goddamn tight…!” and I’m spilling into her, her climax setting off mine. We shudder together then still, breathing heavily wrapped up in each other’s arms.

“I hope I didn’t break your skin.” She laughs darkly, licking the spot where she bit me.

I snort, “Somehow I don’t think you’ll lose sleep over it if you did.” I pull back and place a kiss on the tip of her scrunched up nose. “Now, where were we? Oh yes. Let’s find you something to wear.”

MELISSA’S POV

Yep. The death of me.

I’m dressed in a rather revealing sundress that Bucky picked out. The bodice of which is a deep blue that fades into a lovely aqua by the time it reaches the hem resting just above my knees. I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with it. I do love these strappy gladiator style sandals that wrap up and around my calves, though.

Both he and Steve have assured me I’ve never looked more beautiful and that it’s the perfect thing to wear for the “mission” we’re undertaking. If they are happy, then I am happy.

They’re currently my giant bookends as we walk the few blocks toward the tower, arms linked, chatting between ourselves. Occasionally they’ll lean over me and peck little kisses on each other’s lips and it makes my heart swell.

I look up at each of them just before we reach the tower. A little gasp comes from me as I get choked up, teeth pressing harshly into my bottom lip. “Y'all. Can we just …can we hold up for a second?”

They stop immediately looking down at me as I stare at the massive building across the street from us. My eyes move from the bottom all the way to the top spire and the gigantic A adorning it.

I’m taking slow, deep breaths. Steve moves in front of me, fingers sliding around the back of my neck, thumb brushing my cheek. “It’s ok, Melissa. I promise. We promise.” I feel Bucky’s arm around my waist, squeezing my side reassuringly.

“I trust you. Both of you.” I reach for Steve, kissing him hard. Pulling away from him I turn and do the same with Bucky. I close my eyes, once again taking several deep breaths. My hands clench and unclench. After a long moment I link my arms into each of theirs and give a sharp, quick nod of my head. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Stepping off the curb and crossing the street we make our way into the lobby. A couple of quick turns, a couple of quick hellos to random employees and we reach a deserted corridor. A female voice comes from somewhere, greeting the boys.

“Captain Rogers. Sergeant Barnes. Glad to see you’re back.”

Steve pipes up, “F.R.I.D.A.Y., we’ve brought a guest. She’ll be visiting often. Her name is Melissa Rose. Can you please set up a profile for her?”

A profile? What the fuck…?

As Steve speaks to this… F.R.I.D.A.Y., Bucky realizes I’ve frozen in place. His fingers link through mine and he runs a hand down my arm, “It’s ok. It’s just a matter of precaution. We want you to be safe here. And that requires some security measures.” He brings my hand to his lips, placing a feather light kiss on my palm.

“Of course, Captain Rogers.” Steve guides me to a wall with scanners and such on it. “State your name, please, ma'am.”

“Melissa Anne Rose.”

“Now, please step forward and place your hand against the plate. Lean in and keep your eyes open so that I may scan those as well.”

At least her voice is comforting. I do as she asks, giving her a scan of my right palm as well as my eyes. Suddenly, red beams are scanning my whole body. After a few seconds, she speaks again.

“Thank you, Ms. Rose. I have everything I need.”

“O..okay.” I turn to the boys, “Well, now y'all know everything, huh?” my lips quirking into a small smirk as they laugh.

“Come on, Angel. Let’s head up.” Bucky takes my hand, pulling me to the elevator as Steve follows.

“Lounge floor, F.R.I.D.A.Y., if you please.”

“Of course, Captain Rogers.”

The elevator doors close and suddenly they’re both pressing against me. Steve has his face buried in the crook of my neck as he’s pushing me back against Bucky’s chest. “You look so beautiful, it’s been hard keeping my hands to myself.” He paws at me, making my knees weak. Bucky is holding me up, keeping me steady on my feet as Steve takes advantage of the small space.

I feel his thumbs scratch against the material covering my nipples and it’s then he realizes I’m not wearing a bra. He tugs lightly on the barbells, grinning against my neck. “Melissa… you’re so naughty.”

“This dress doesn’t have a need for a bra, mon petit Capitaine.” I feel Bucky’s hands on my hips, gripping them tightly as Steve growls against my neck. His hand travels down reaching the hem of the dress. He tugs then lifts it slightly, rubbing his fingers against my clothed core. I immediately start to soak through the flimsy cotton, my knees buckling, “Shit, Steve.”

I hear Bucky chuckle darkly behind me. “What’s wrong, Angel?”

“You know Goddamn well what’s wrong, Sergeant.” Steve takes advantage of Bucky distracting me to slip two fingers inside the waistband and into my dripping cunt. “Steve! Fucking hell…”

“Oh god, Maîtresse. You’re soaking.” He quickly kneels down, his strong arms parting my legs as Bucky continues to hold me up. I feel Steve’s tongue press against the fabric covering me, then he roughly pulls it aside to assault my folds with his mouth.

I cry out loudly which brings Bucky’s hand to cover my mouth. “Quiet, Angel. No need to arouse suspicion.” He drops his mouth to my neck, nibbling and licking as Steve devours my pussy. His grunts and groans sending vibrations all through my body.

I cum hard and quick, all over Steve’s talented mouth, my screams muffled by Bucky’s hand. I release Steve’s hair, which I had bunched tightly in my right hand, and he stands after fixing my underwear and my dress. Licking his lips, he grins, leaning in to kiss me. God I love tasting myself on their tongues.

He then grabs Bucky over me, kissing him hard so that they share my flavor. I feel Steve’s hand on my breast, tugging gently at the barbell there through the fabric of my dress. I giggle softly, trying to fix his hair.

Separating as the doors open to the lounge floor, we exit the elevator with huge smiles plastered on our faces. As we step into the large room, the boys grab my hands in theirs as they bracket me. Steve gives a wave to the room.

“Hey guys.”

Tagging:

@alievans007 @buckysbackpackbuckle @justareader @anice-1 @ya-girl-evanstrash @hardcollectiontrashworld @mewsiex Thanks everyone!

[tsfrbss]

Paper Moon Part 13

Bucky and Steve end up at a venue that has a 40s night and meet an OFC, Melissa Rose, a singer in a local club. They both are smitten by her, and start to vie for her affections. They end up finding out more about themselves in the process.

This honestly started out as maybe a one shot but as I got going, I decided it’ll be chapters. How many? No frigging idea. This is my absolute first time writing a fic of any sort and yes I did base the OFC on myself. I hope y'all enjoy.

Word count: 3200+ because I am a wordy bitch.

Warnings: Minimal angst. Mega smut. And as always, a lil fluff.

STEVE’S POV

Bucky and I finished cleaning up the kitchen while Melissa was still in the bedroom. We could hear her tearing apart her closet and muttering to herself obviously trying to find the perfect thing to wear to the tower.

“Maybe we should go help her, man. She’s gonna drive herself crazy.” He’s running a hand through his hair and looking at me with his brows knit in worry.

I glance down the hallway as I hear the thud of shoes obviously hitting the wall. “I mean, maybe? I don’t know. I don’t know how to do this. To navigate this.”

Laughing softly, Bucky waves a hand at me. “It’s fine, Steve. I got it.” He gestures to the living room, “Maybe you can clean the rest of this place up while I help her, alright?”

“Alright. That’s sounds like a plan.” I get to work on the living room, straightening up. I didn’t intend to do a deep clean, but as I got into it, I figured I may as well. She deserves the world, but for now a nice clean apartment will do.

While cleaning, I’m also exploring. Learning more and more about her. She clearly values comfort over appearance. An overstuffed couch, two big recliners, an old oak coffee table covered in little nooks and crannies to organize things. Warm and worn hardwood floors, small lamps placed here and there give an inviting atmosphere.>/p>

Floor to ceiling windows make up the wall her couch faces. They give a perfect view of the busy city street below. The other three walls are lined with bookshelves that are stuffed to the gills with everything from classics to non-fiction tomes on the Holy Land to current newspapers and magazines.

I run my fingers over the spines of the various books as I dust, feeling as if I can get a sense of her by touching things she obviously holds dear. These books are well loved, well used.

There are pictures in frames everywhere. Family, friends, fans I assume. Her stunning wide smile is ever present in all the ones she’s in. Even those that are clearly her as a child. I love how she’s memorialized these experiences.

Making my way around my eyes land on one that gives me pause. It looks older, like a picture from my time. A beautiful young woman with dark waves, near crystalline eyes, and a small smile that looks as if she’s holding a secret.

She looks so much like Melissa.

I make a mental note to ask her about it.

New Orleans street scenes, shots of the Gulf of Mexico, fleur-de-lis, magnolias, oak trees, pelicans, and stylized skulls in the manner of Dia de Los Muertos make up most of the art pieces that join the photographs littered about her apartment. Nearly every square inch of wall and available table space is covered by something.

I spy a couple of hand woven reed baskets overflowing with spare blankets, a large standing empty ashtray by one recliner, and a huge brass hookah with what looks to be about 4 pipes is in one corner. I’ve never seen her smoke, never tasted it on her. Maybe she has it for guests.

On a little table perched beside one of the recliners is a large, messy stack of sheet music with lyrics handwritten on the pages. I gather the papers, intending to merely put them in a more orderly pile but curiosity gets the better of me and start to thumb through them.

Looking them over, I see she has written little notes for herself near the titles. “Tennessee Whiskey in the style of Chris Stapleton. At Last in the style of Etta James. Between the Bars in the style of Madeleine Peyroux. Hallelujah in the style of k. d. lang. Brave by Jhene Aiko. WWOZ by BTE.” I’m reading them aloud, wondering what they would sound like in her voice.

I come to the next one and my eyes widen, “Fucked My Way Up To the Top by Lana del Rey.” With grin and a shake of my head, I straighten the papers and set them back on the little end table.

“Find something interesting, Steve?”

I nearly jump out of my skin at the proximity of her voice. “Holy shit, Melissa. You can’t sneak up on an old man like that.”

Her head falls backwards as she gives one of her full, loud laughs, “And here I thought you were a super soldier.” She reaches out running a fingernail down my forearm.

Turning to face her, my eyes take her in. “Melissa…you look great.” I can see nearly all of her tattoos, the ones decorating her legs, her arms, her shoulders, a tiny peek of the one down her spine. My knees weaken a bit when I realize I can also see the outline of those delicious little barbells through the material of the dress.

She looks down at her dangerously low cut sundress then back up to me, her cheeks and chest flushing pink at the compliment. She hooks a thumb over her shoulder, “Bucky’s suggestion.”

I see him grinning behind her nodding his head. “As soon as I saw it, stuffed all the way in the back of the closet I might add, I knew that’s what I’d want to see her in. Seems you like it, too.”

“I do!” I grab her in my arms, spinning her around, her feet swinging off the floor. She starts laughing loudly, “Bucky help me!”

“Hey, you’re on your own, Angel. Ya gotta take the consequences for being so beautiful.”

She groans loudly at the cheesy statement. “God, y'all are dorky.” I start to laugh as I plant her back on the floor, taking note of the black strappy sandals adorning her perfectly pedicured feet.

I lean down kissing her gently, taking her a little by surprise. “I was just looking around. I love seeing all the pictures you have.” Gesturing to the one I was most curious about I continue “Who is this beautiful dame? You look an awful lot like her.”

Melissa reaches out for the picture, holding it gingerly in her hands. “My maternal grandmother. She’s the one who gifted me with her knowledge of wartime era fashion. Her and my grandfather taught me all the songs. They also taught me all the dances. Everyone in the family always said I was her spitting image.”

Bucky gives a soft hum of approval, “Then we owe her a great debt.”

She brushes her fingers tenderly over the image. “They all said it was like she’d been made again in me. I was just like her in temperament and personality. Looks, too. Except for one thing.” Her eyes meet mine. “She had ice blue eyes and I ended up with the Irish green from my father’s side.” She shrugs a little.

“And a stunning green they are. My favorite color.” I slide my hands down her arms then take her hands in mine. “Are you ready, doll? I know this is still very overwhelming for you. But we’ll be there. Right beside you. Each step of the way.”

“They’re gonna love you.” Bucky’s low voice comes out muffled as he’s taken up the position standing behind her, his lips attached to one of her exposed shoulders.

She wraps an arm around my waist resting her head on my chest, then pulls Bucky closer behind her. “If you two think you’re ready, then I’m ready. I won’t say I’m not scared. I am. But some things in life take risk. And I believe you two to be worth that risk.” Her eyes find mine as she speaks the last sentence, and I can see the worry. I can also see how sincere and how heartfelt her words are.

“Merci, Maîtresse.”

“Thank you, Angel.”

BUCKY’S POV

While I make Steve clean her apartment, I quietly slide into her bedroom. What I see makes me stop in my tracks. She has torn apart her closet, her dressers. Shoes and clothes are strewn everywhere.

She’s sitting on the floor, back against the bed looking on the verge of tears. “Angel? Melissa? Are you alright?”

Shaking her head she gestures toward the room, “I have nothing to wear. I can't… I can’t go to the tower. I can’t meet the team. They’re your family, Bucky. I need to make a good impression.” Her voice is small, soft, tinged with fear.

I sit on the floor beside her and gather her in my arms, “Hey, hey. It’s ok.” My fingers slide up the sides of neck and I cup her cheeks turning her face to mine. “Listen to me. You’re beautiful. No matter what you wear, you are beautiful. I want you to be comfortable. That’s my main concern.”

“It’s going to be enough of a shock to them about you and Steve. When they meet me and realize the part I play in this, they’re going to hate me.” She’s trembling as she says these words. “And so are your adoring fans. I just …I don’t fit the bill. Not to mention when we go public with our relationship. People won’t be able to handle it.”

I tighten my grip on her. “Melissa, we are all adults here. This is our choice. So what if people don’t like it? They don’t live our lives.” My thumbs brush her cheeks. “And Steve and I want you. More than that, we need you. Neither he nor I have felt as good in our lives as we have since you came along. It fits. You fit. You belong with us.”

She seems as if she has some reply, some counter, but she closes her mouth and just looks at me. Really looks at me. After a moment, she places her hand on my chest and shakes her head. “Oh, Bucky.”

Seeing her like this, I’m overcome. She is perfection and she just doesn’t believe it. I give a shake of my head and suddenly I’m pressing my lips to hers. Her eyes widen a second then she’s kissing me back, sighing softly into my mouth. Her small hands grab for me, tugging at my shirt.

My fingers slip into her robe, pushing it off her shoulders to let it pool around her hips. I’m groaning against her skin as I move from her lips to her jaw making my way to her chin. “How can you not see that? How can I make you understand?”

She’s melting under my touch, her fingers slipping into my hair pulling me close. My lips move against the hollow of her neck, “Everything about you makes me crave more and more.” My tongue darts out licking along her collarbone, teeth nipping at the muscle connecting her neck and shoulder.

I have never heard such delicious sounds from anyone in my life.

“Bucky…” she’s whining. “I have to get dressed, baby boy.” I slip my hand lower, the backs of my knuckles just barely brushing against the wetness between her legs.

I growl against her neck, “But you’re soaking for me, Angel. How can I resist?” My fingers part her folds and I find her little swollen bundle of nerves, pressing against it lightly.

A gasp falls from her lips and I bring my left hand up to cover her mouth. “Shhhhh, lover.” She gives a little whimper as I pull her onto my lap, and I quickly shimmy my sweats down. My hardness slides against the damp heat between her legs making me groan.

Our lips crash together, the kiss all tongues and teeth. She wraps her body around mine as I slide into her, sheathing myself fully. “Oh fuck…” she whispers, her forehead pressing against my chest. Her fingers glide into my hair and she yanks my head back forcefully, her eyes meeting mine.

The gaze is heated, longing and we stare at each other for a moment before her hips start to move a bit, letting me know it’s ok to begin. I grip her ass, fingers digging into her flesh as I start the push pull of her on my cock.

“Quickly, baby boy. Harder…” She has one hand still tightly wrapped in my hair, tugging. Her other raking nails down my back filling me with a shiver of sweet pleasure at the pain. Her hips rock in time with my thrusts.

I take one hand and slip it between us, finger tripping over her clit in small circles as I keep thrusting up into her. “That’s it Bucky baby… yes just like that..fuck I’m close…”

She bites into my shoulder to muffle her screams as her orgasm washes over her. “Fuck Angel you’re so Goddamn tight…!” and I’m spilling into her, her climax setting off mine. We shudder together then still, breathing heavily wrapped up in each other’s arms.

“I hope I didn’t break your skin.” She laughs darkly, licking the spot where she bit me.

I snort, “Somehow I don’t think you’ll lose sleep over it if you did.” I pull back and place a kiss on the tip of her scrunched up nose. “Now, where were we? Oh yes. Let’s find you something to wear.”

MELISSA’S POV

Yep. The death of me.

I’m dressed in a rather revealing sundress that Bucky picked out. The bodice of which is a deep blue that fades into a lovely aqua by the time it reaches the hem resting just above my knees. I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with it. I do love these strappy gladiator style sandals that wrap up and around my calves, though.

Both he and Steve have assured me I’ve never looked more beautiful and that it’s the perfect thing to wear for the “mission” we’re undertaking. If they are happy, then I am happy.

They’re currently my giant bookends as we walk the few blocks toward the tower, arms linked, chatting between ourselves. Occasionally they’ll lean over me and peck little kisses on each other’s lips and it makes my heart swell.

I look up at each of them just before we reach the tower. A little gasp comes from me as I get choked up, teeth pressing harshly into my bottom lip. “Y'all. Can we just …can we hold up for a second?”

They stop immediately looking down at me as I stare at the massive building across the street from us. My eyes move from the bottom all the way to the top spire and the gigantic A adoring it.

I’m taking slow, deep breaths. Steve moves in front of me, fingers sliding around the back of my neck, thumb brushing my cheek. “It’s ok, Melissa. I promise. We promise.” I feel Bucky’s arm around my waist, squeezing my side reassuringly.

“I trust you. Both of you.” I reach for Steve, kissing him hard. Pulling away from him I turn and do the same with Bucky. I close my eyes, once again taking several deep breaths. My hands clench and unclench. After a long moment I link my arms into each of theirs and give a sharp, quick nod of my head. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Stepping off the curb and crossing the street we make our way into the lobby. A couple of quick turns, a couple of quick hellos to random employees and we reach a deserted corridor. A female voice comes from somewhere, greeting the boys.

“Captain Rogers. Sergeant Barnes. Glad to see you’re back.”

Steve pipes up, “F.R.I.D.A.Y., we’ve brought a guest. She’ll be visiting often. Her name is Melissa Rose. Can you please set up a profile for her?”

A profile? What the fuck…?

As Steve speaks to this… F.R.I.D.A.Y., Bucky realizes I’ve frozen in place. His fingers link through mine and he runs a hand down my arm, “It’s ok. It’s just a matter of precaution. We want you to be safe here. And that requires some security measures.” He brings my hand to his lips, placing a feather light kiss on my palm.

“Of course, Captain Rogers.” Steve guides me to a wall with scanners and such on it. “State your name, please, ma'am.”

“Melissa Anne Rose.”

“Now, please step forward and place your hand against the plate. Lean in and keep your eyes open so that I may scan those as well.”

At least her voice is comforting. I do as she asks, giving her a scan of my right palm as well as my eyes. Suddenly, red beams are scanning my whole body. After a few seconds, she speaks again.

“Thank you, Ms. Rose. I have everything I need.”

“O..okay.” I turn to the boys, “Well, now y'all know everything, huh?” my lips quirking into a small smirk as they laugh.

“Come on, Angel. Let’s head up.” Bucky takes my hand, pulling me to the elevator as Steve follows.

“Lounge floor, F.R.I.D.A.Y., if you please.”

“Of course, Captain Rogers.”

The elevator doors close and suddenly they’re both pressing against me. Steve has his face buried in the crook of my neck as he’s pushing me back against Bucky’s chest. “You look so beautiful, it’s been hard keeping my hands to myself.” He paws at me, making my knees weak. Bucky is holding me up, keeping me steady on my feet as Steve takes advantage of the small space.

I feel his thumbs scratch against the material covering my nipples and it’s then he realizes I’m not wearing a bra. He tugs lightly on the barbells, grinning against my neck. “Melissa… you’re so naughty.”

“This dress doesn’t have a need for a bra, mon petit Capitaine.” I feel Bucky’s hands on my hips, gripping them tightly as Steve growls against my neck. His hand travels down reaching the hem of the dress. He tugs then lifts it slightly, rubbing his fingers against my clothed core. I immediately start to soak through the flimsy cotton, my knees buckling, “Shit, Steve.”

I hear Bucky chuckle darkly behind me. “What’s wrong, Angel?”

“You know Goddamn well what’s wrong, Sergeant.” Steve takes advantage of Bucky distracting me to slip two fingers inside the waistband and into my dripping cunt. “Steve! Fucking hell…”

“Oh god, Maîtresse. You’re soaking.” He quickly kneels down, his strong arms parting my legs as Bucky continues to hold me up. I feel Steve’s tongue press against the fabric covering me, then he roughly pulls it aside to assault my folds with his mouth.

I cry out loudly which brings Bucky’s hand to cover my mouth. “Quiet, Angel. No need to arouse suspicion.” He drops his mouth to my neck, nibbling and licking as Steve devours my pussy. His grunts and groans sending vibrations all through my body.

I cum hard and quick, all over Steve’s talented mouth, my screams muffled by Bucky’s hand. I release Steve’s hair, which I had bunched tightly in my right hand, and he stands after fixing my underwear and my dress. Licking his lips, he grins, leaning in to kiss me. God I love tasting myself on their tongues.

He then grabs Bucky over me, kissing him hard so that they share my flavor. I feel Steve’s hand on my breast, tugging gently at the barbell there through the fabric of my dress. I giggle softly, trying to fix his hair.

Separating as the doors open to the lounge floor, we exit the elevator with huge smiles plastered on our faces. As we step into the large room, the boys grab my hands in theirs as they bracket me. Steve gives a wave to the room.

“Hey guys.”