#also lol i feel alone in liking that this is an ensemble show

[lycheelovescomics]

need people to pick up some modicum of critical thinking and wonder that maybe, it's possible, that the show is critiquing how it's always the same two men's dreams that come into conflict about how to move forward vs or with the rest of humanity ... and that maybe, just maybe, the answer could be (surprise!!) a secret third or even fourth option that doesn't include them?

because ororo did tell jean that they ought to believe not in a dream or for their gifts/powers... but in each other 👀

[kitten4sannie]

dolce and gabbana

pairing: san x guest! reader (fem)

genre: pure smut with a tiddlywink of plot

summary: san can’t seem to get you off his mind after sitting next to you during the latest D&G showcase, so he has no choice but to get you on his dick instead.

w.c: 3.3k

warnings: some alcohol use, subby until he’s not! san, dommy mommy who folds instantly when san asserts himself! reader, both reader and san mutually go after one another despite knowing one of them is MARRIED (hoes will be hoes what can i say <3), reader’s husband is a dick ofc, misogyny (from said husband), cheating, seduction, exhibitionism, mommy/daddy kink….. (i’m weak okay,,), teasing, ITS BIG BTW AND CURVED……, only praise and pet names (omg who hacked k4s???), groping, fingering, kissing, dry humping on a couch in a very crowded room, one neck bite, san cums untouched, oral (receiving), squirting, one singular pussy slap, san puts reader into a mating press on her husband’s side of the bed just for funsies, manhandling, size kink, breeding kink, creampies (sannie cums a lotttt)

a/n: as a pudding since day 1 i am in absolute shambles thanks for asking <3 and YES im very aware i posted yesterday but the fic demons cannot be silenced!!! and just fyi i’m sure san was very grateful and absolutely brimming with excitement to be at the show!! the way i wrote him here does not reflect his actual feelings towards anything,, its just a silly fic and i wrote what i wanted lol. also i wish i could tell you how many times “dolce and gabbana that’s on my titties~” played in my head while i typed this out 😭😭 (also i did not proofread this whatsoever so forgive me if there are errors) but anyways, i hope you enjoy :33

song recs: la romana by bad bunny, rover by kai, planet goddamn by mac miller

San knew eyes would be on him. Why wouldn’t they be? He was dressed to the nines, his hair slicked back to showcase his alluring, feline-like eyes, his sharp, angular features that could give someone a fatal cut if they looked for too long, and most importantly, he was all decked out in a sleek black custom-made top that perfectly adorned his broad shoulders and chest, one that even cinched securely around his impossibly tiny waist. Of course it did. It had been custom fit and made just for his body. Even the tailor had jokingly mentioned that Michelangelo himself must’ve sculpted him to perfection in the heavens before San was born, but San wasn’t laughing. He perfected his body through his own sheer willpower and determination alone, to be the best that he could be for his own self — and if people just so happened to drool over the results of his hard work, then that was simply a perk.

Holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the many camera flashes, he continued to make his way down the walkway, offering many of the starstruck guests a courteous, though charming smile, wondering if their wandering gazes were due to his breathtaking ensemble or what was sitting just below it. The thought tickled him. It continued to amuse him throughout the afternoon, taking picture after picture with eager guests and wealthy tycoons alike, quite pleased with himself when neither man nor woman could seem to control themselves around him, their eyes always drifting downwards to look San up and down like he were next up in an auction, their mouths pressed to their champagne flutes in an effort to quell the thirst they felt, their free hands lingering just a little too long on the small of his back when they bid farewell to him.

San relished the fact that these poor starving individuals could never get a taste of him, no matter how incredibly rich or influential they were. None of them would get a bite of the forbidden fruit without permission from God.

It was then that the show started, various eye-catching models sashaying their way across the aisle to showcase the latest D&G collection, all displaying their own unique set of features and charm. All flawless and angelic in their own right, but they were almost predictable in that way — like mannequins made solely for the rich and beautiful to gawk at. San couldn’t help but look past them, only focusing on the expensive, tailor made clothes that were framing their perfect bodies. And after a while, he almost seemed to grow bored. Of what, exactly? He wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the sheer gaudiness of it all, the lack of self awareness for things that really mattered in the modern world, and the almost nauseating amount of self-sucking the rich individuals around him seemed to be fond of doing. San would’ve pondered it more when somebody near him gently patted his thigh, causing him to look down at the small manicured hand, the diamond ring around your finger glinting in the light like a warning sign.

“Are you bored like I am?” you whispered softly into his ear from beside him, giving him a quaint smile when he turned his head to face you.

San blushed, leaning slightly in your direction. “Am I that obvious?”

“No, don’t worry. None of these drones will be able to notice.” You motioned your head to the crowd around you, their phones in hand, all whispering to each other about how revolutionary the new collection was, despite it looking eerily similar to the fall one from the year before. “You could whip your cock out and no one would bat an eye.”

“Oh?” San studied your flirtatious smile, then looked down just to make sure his eyes hadn’t deceived him. Yep, the ring was still there — and it probably cost more than a starter house. Delighted by your forwardness, San took it upon himself to tease you, reaching down to slowly unbutton his slim-fitted pants. “Well, if that’s the case…”

Your cheeks turning bright red, you reached downwards to shield his crotch from view, looking up at him with wide eyes, your faces now impossibly close. “I-i was fucking with you! Don’t actually take out your dick…”

San’s sharpened eyes flitted from your gaze to your cherry red lips, letting go of his zipper to gently take your hand in his, pressing it firmly down onto his thigh. “Yet…?” he challenged huskily, wondering if you were like all the others and would yank your hand back, scoff in disgust, and pretend as if it had never happened. It was then that San felt you squeeze your warm hand into the meat of his thigh, your fingers just barely pressing into the inseam of his pants.

“You can be a good boy and wait till the after party, can’t you?” you asked in a lower, sultrier tone, pressing your lips to his cheek to leave your mark on him, your hand moving further up his thigh, only pulling away when you felt something hard press into your palm. Smiling sweetly, you leaned in again, this time allowing your lips to brush over his. “Good things come to those who wait.”

And just like that, you turned forward to focus on the models all gathering onto the stage at once along with the designers, clapping along with the rest of the crowd when they all took a bow. You blew a kiss to one of the designers who caught it and pretended to put it in his pocket.

Still breathless from your short encounter, San nudged your thigh with his own, biting into his lip and tasting the sweetness of your lipstick. You nudged him back, glancing at him through the corner of yours eyes, licking at your own lips, like a predator would before pouncing on their prey.

San couldn’t believe he had finally met someone like you. There was a serpent in his garden — and he couldn’t wait for it to swallow him up.

-

The after party was predictable as always — strangers binge drinking and snorting powder off of your previously pristine marble tabletops, others telling embellished stories about their latest trip to their private islands to various locked-in acquaintances, some off doing god knows what in your many empty guest rooms, and you could not, for the life of you, care about what your husband was currently cackling over with his close friends, focusing on the crackling wood sitting inside the fireplace you were all huddled near. When you inevitably ran out of champagne, you patted your husband’s leg so that he could remove his arm from your waist.

He looked down at you with indifference. “What is it?”

“I need more champagne, honey. I’m going to get some.”

Your husband’s face scrunched up. “Haven’t you had enough? If you drink anymore, you’re going to lose your nice figure.” He looked to his friends for validation who simply nodded along in agreement.

Your husband’s chauvinistic comments didn’t bother you anymore, just his persistent presence in your life. He was like a mosquito that was always trying to drain you, one that you could never seem to swat away. Well, nothing a little dick couldn’t fix. “That’s funny, because I seem to recall the tailor coming in this morning for an emergency visit to alter a certain suit,” you mentioned, this time pushing your husband’s arm away from you, surveying his now quiet friends with an unbothered look, before wandering off, not registering the insecurity driven ramblings that your husband was sending your way.

Once you made your way into the crowded loft, you searched your surroundings for what you were looking for, humming at the sight of the pretty boy from earlier sitting on the large plush couch in the corner, a half-empty champagne flute in hand, his attention on one of the models that had walked for your husband’s collection a few hours earlier. He was even more handsome now that you could study his captivating details, your eyes drifting over his bulky frame, from his large arms and shoulders, to his delicate waist, and down to his spread thighs, zeroing in on what was between them, knowing that the beautiful stranger was blessed in more ways than one based off what you had felt earlier.

Without hesitation, you slowly made your way across the room, your stiletto heels digging into the fur carpet below with each concentrated step, licking your red lips when the model placed one of her hands on San’s thighs and squeezed it, his suddenly submissive expression causing more knots to form within your core. You were going to make him yours.

San could barely hear the pretty model’s words over the loud music and the many overlapping voices inside the loft, not knowing what to say when she moved closer to him, clearly going in for the kill. It was then that someone stood over him, their heel nudging into his loafer. He looked up, his once hazy eyes opening wide at the sight of you standing above him with a bottle of champagne in one hand, your other hand already cradling his face. “M-miss…there you are…”

“Here I am,” you purred, running your fingers along his jaw, satisfied with the fact that your lipstick print was still visible on his tan skin.

San gulped, just about spilling the drink he was still holding onto, unknowingly spreading his thighs open further, as if he was giving you an unspoken invitation to climb onto his lap.

Humming, you lowered yourself into his lap, your plush thighs and ass pressing snuggly against his lower half. “Look at you,” you cooed softly into San’s ear, not caring to give the now fuming model any attention, lowering the cold champagne bottle in between your bodies, chuckling at the soft whimper he let out when it pressed into the exposed sections of his skin. “You’re such a good boy, saving a seat for Mommy like this. Aren’t you, baby?”

“Y-yes, I am, s-so good for you…”

“Then, be good and open your mouth,” you purred, lifting the almost empty bottle and pouring some into your mouth. San’s jaw slowly dropped, not knowing that he was already beginning to drool. You didn’t mind, clutching the sides of his heated face and pressing your parted lips onto his, transferring the sparkling alcohol to him, but not without running your tongue over his.

San brought his hands up near the sides of your ass, his fingers trembling, not knowing if he was allowed to touch you, whimpering into your mouth when you sucked the alcohol off of his tongue.

“You can touch, baby.” You reached for his wrists and brought his hands underneath the hem of your short dress, gasping when he squeezed the softness of your ass in between his ringed fingers and began to slowly guide your hips, your clothed cunt rubbing back and forth over his stiffening cock. “Mm, someone’s eager, hm? You’re a naughty one, making the main designer’s wife grind on your cock like this in front of everyone.”

“It’s…Mommy’s fault…” San murmured near your ear, rolling his own hips up into yours, making you feel every inch of his trapped throbbing cock each time he ground himself into you, biting into his lip at the sound of your breathless moans, swearing he saw your grimacing husband from over your shoulder.

“My fault, huh? Mommy should make up for it, shouldn’t she?” you sighed back onto his heated skin, pressing kiss after kiss onto his collarbones, dragging your tongue along the constellation of freckles he had on his neck, making him shudder underneath you.

“Uh-huh…” San moaned out, your hand suddenly squeezing into and sliding back and forth over his erection, your thumb repeatedly rubbing over the pronounced tip, knowing he was staining his expensive pants with sticky pre-cum. “F-fuck, I’ll cum if you keep doing that…”

“So sensitive, baby, you’re so cute…but you’re not the only one, you know? Look what you did to Mommy~” You gave his balls a gentle squeeze just to hear him whimper, before letting go, instead reaching for his hand again and leading it between your legs, moving your soaked panties to the side just in time for San to fill you up with two thick fingers.

“You’re so wet…” San groaned, unable to keep himself from adding another digit inside your slick hole, beginning to pump them in and out of you, allowing the both of you to listen to the obscene squelching sounds your cunt made each time he finger-fucked you. Something switched inside of San when you began to whine and whimper, and fuck yourself back on his fingers, your eyebrows screwed upwards, begging him for more with your teary, half-closed eyes. “So fucking wet just for me, huh? Hey, Miss, did you know your husband is standing just across the room? Think he’s hard knowing I just got his pretty little wife wetter than she’s been in her entire life?”

“B-baby, don’t tease me like that,” you whispered, not wanting the control you had over him to slip out of your grasp, grabbing onto his shoulders, accidentally causing pieces of his solid outfit to fall off and land onto the leather couch.

“It’s San, Miss, but you can call me Sannie if you wanna be a good girl for me,” he chuckled, shoving his fingers into you up to the knuckles, rolling your clit around underneath his heavy thumb. “And, I’m not teasing you, my love, he’s really watching us, and he looks like he wants to kill me.”

Just as you looked behind you to catch your husband’s displeased gaze, San began to ram his soaked digits into your spasming cunt, feeling his lips, tongue, and teeth on your neck. “O-oh my god, Sannie, oh, fuckkkk…”

Just as your warm arousal began to pour out onto his fingers and lap, San bit down into the area where your neck and collarbone connected, letting out a few stunted groans, his hips jolting up into yours, coating the insides of his designer pants with white.

“Did you just…?” you began, before San stuffed his fingers into your mouth, growing quiet and sucking your arousal off of them. He pulled them out with a pop, but you didn’t even get the chance to continue your question because you were suddenly being lifted up into the air, strong hands clutching your thighs, your legs hooked around San’s waist.

Your defeated, emasculated husband was just a blur when San carried you through the crowded room and up the stairs, not stopping until he got to the largest room at the end of the expansive hallway.

“Which side does your husband sleep on?” San asked, once he stood at the foot of the kingsized bed.

“On the right. Why do you–O-oh,” you gasped as he quickly laid you out on the right side of the bed and lifted your dress up, forcefully spreading your thighs open so that he could bury his face in your cunt, repeatedly lapping at your slit and clit over your soaked panties until he couldn’t take it, reaching up to tear your panties off with ease. “Sannie, baby boy, what’s gotten into you?”

San looked up at you with dark, dilated eyes, reaching up to his broad body to rip off the rest of his outfit, his solid muscles flexing as he closed his fingers around your waist, yanking you lower so that your cunt was closer to his face, looking like he was about to eat you alive. “Daddy’s hungry,” he simply replied, diving back into your cunt to lick and slurp up your juices, tonguing your hole just to feel you clench around him, his nose nudging your clit as he ate you out like a starved man.

Sooner or later, you began to shudder and pant, tugging at the ends of San’s sweaty hair, your thighs pressing into the sides of his head until he forcefully held them down, quickly moving his head up and down as he dragged his tongue roughly over your throbbing clit, his focused eyes never leaving yours. “S-sannie, I’m really, fuck– I’m gonna cum…!”

“Cum for Daddy,” he demanded gruffly, stuffing three fingers into your cunt and pounding them into your g-spot, lifting your ass up with his other hand so that he could catch the stream of arousal that suddenly squirted out of you, some of it inevitably soaking into the satin sheets below you. San licked your juices from his lips, going down to give your puffy cunt one last lick to savor your taste, before standing up from the bed and unbuckling his pants.

“Y-you….Did you get possessed by a demon?” you asked half-jokingly, unable to keep your thighs from trembling, wiping the sweat from your forehead with the back of your wrist.

“And if I did? You’d still let me fuck you, wouldn’t you?” San smiled devilishly, his dimples appearing, kicking off his pants and running his closed hand along his curved, dripping length. He pressed his thighs against the side of the bed, running the tip of his cock over your lips, watching fondly as you sucked and licked the beads of pre-cum that leaked from the slit.

“I would.” Lifting yourself up so that you could completely rid yourself of your disheveled dress, you reached up for the handsome stranger, licking the saltiness from your lips. “Now, come here and show Mommy just how much Daddy wants her.”

San wasted no time climbing back onto the bed and folding you up into a mating press, leaning back to send a few wads of spit onto your cunt, smacking his hand against the wetness for good measure, before he plunged himself deep inside you.

You just about screamed, not ready for San’s unusual size and shape, the curve of his cock rubbing deliciously along your tightening walls each time he pounded himself into you. “S–ann–ie…! It’s so big, fuck– so good!”

“Aww, poor baby’s never had a big cock stretching out her pretty pussy before, huh?” San cooed into your ear, pulling all the way out, just to slam himself back in, hitting your g-spot dead on, making you cry out deliriously. “You’ll never be able to go back to your husband after this. You’re gonna be begging for me to take care of you from now on….” San pressed his lips against yours, sucking on your tongue as you moaned out for him. “Want you to cum for me again, baby…Squirt on my cock, okay?”

“S-Sannie, it’s too much,” you whined out, dragging your nails down his broad back, your toes curling just as San punched your next orgasm out of you when his curved cock once again came in contact with your g-spot.

As you began to cry from the overwhelming pleasure, San licked your tears away, gently pressing his lips into your cheek and jaw, shushing you. “Don’t worry, baby. Daddy’s here for you.” He clutched you close, holding still inside you, as his cock began to twitch. “Here it comes, princess, just for you.” A hot, creamy stream of cum began to shoot out into you, completely drenching your insides with his load.

You could hardly speak at this point in time, solely concentrated on the pleasure that still had a hold on your sore body and the warmth that was filling you up to the brim, suddenly realizing that your husband really wasn’t going to be happy with you. “Y-you shouldn’t have…nnnngh….”

San continued to roll his hips into you, his eyelids fluttering, groans spilling from his throat, your cunt still milking his pulsing cock for all it had, which was a lot, to say the least. Once there was nothing left to give you, San leaned down, pressing one last kiss to your lips, not caring that you had left your lipstick all over him. “Can I ask you something, baby?”

“Y-yes, San?”

San smiled, his glossy brown eyes glistening in the light. “When you have my baby, will you have the heart to tell your poor husband that it’s actually mine?”

Panting heavily and trying to process what the handsome stranger just said, you finally came to the realization that you let someone who didn’t even know your name possibly impregnate you. Well, at least you had something to talk about over breakfast with your husband, rather than hear him go on and on about his latest collection.

“I’m not sure about that one…”

“Can I ask you one more question?”

“Hm?”

“Should I name our baby Dolce or Gabbana?”

Apply for the taglist here ⇢ ♡

© kitten4sannie, 2024.

[differentclasss]

Christmas One Shot ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Neil Lewis x Reader

pairing: Neil Lewis x reader

summary: Neil throws a party at Gumshoe and admits his feelings towards y/n.

warnings: smut 9 (a handjob) and not really proofread writing. Neil is a little cringe in this lol. Probably not in character

a/n: I wrote this so quickly but I just wanted to get something out for the holiday! Also, send me requests! I have some free time so I'll probably start going through those again.

Honestly, you would’ve spent Christmas alone if it wasn’t for your friend Neil deciding to throw a last-minute watch party of It’s a Wonderful Life at Gumshoe Video that day. It was the most in spirit of the season activity you had done that December with the whole idea of Christmas spirit being a little lost on you recently. You didn’t know why you lacked the usual zeal compared to Christmases of years prior but the whole month of December just seemed like any other month. It was true, you were getting older but even so, you normally had at least a little bit of enthusiasm for this time of the season. You pushed these thoughts away, however, telling yourself you would at least have fun at the small gathering at Gumshoe. You would work for free every once in a while too at Gumshoe, when your schedule was free, so you knew everyone there. It would be fun, the same ensemble as usual all planning to go.  Neil was the planner of this whole thing too, which truth be told was the entire reason you were even going. You had a small crush on Neil, he was cute, and it was hard for anyone not to find him cute. He was the type of cute that would make you do something really stupid if you weren’t careful, which is why you admired him from a distance, only ever playfully flirting with him but all around keeping it pretty friendly. 

Christmas day came and you slept in, no reason to get up early with your work being closed that day and the watch party being at six in the evening. Eventually, four rolled around and you spent a bit of extra time getting ready, you told yourself you just wanted to dress up for the holiday but deep down you knew that attention-seeking part of yourself wanted to impress Neil, even in the slightest. Off you went, donning what you considered a festive outfit and grabbing a bottle of wine as a party gift, not wanting to show up empty-handed. When you got to Gumshoe you took note of all of the decorations in the windows. There were twinkling lights and a few cardboard cut-outs with those cheap Santa hats draped over their heads. You thought if anywhere could offer you single-use Christmas spirit, this would be the place. 

After making your rounds of brief catch-ups with some of your fellow regulars, you spot Neil. He’s over by the television, fussing with the VHS player. He curses under his breath as he clicks the on and off button a few times and waits for something to happen. 

“Is it broken?” You ask, appearing over his right shoulder.

 

“I hope not.” He mumbles. “Before you ask, I already unplugged it and plugged it back in and I’ve been pushing the on-off button for five minutes now.”

“It’s old,” You say and crotch down to the player's level. “You try hitting it yet?”

“What?” He asks, looking at you with a bewildered face. 

Without another beat, you lean over and hit the top of it with your clenched fist. Neil looks a bit shocked, maybe a bit afraid that you just broke it completely, but then it turns into a happy grin as the VCR turns on.

“It’s a Christmas miracle.” He says in his charming boyish way. 

“I just earned my wings from that.” You joke back and stand up, then hold the bottle of wine out in front of him. “Oh, here. I wasn’t sure what kind of wine you liked so I kind of eyeballed it but… Yeah. Merry Christmas, Neil.”

“Oh, thank you. Red?” He says with a small grin as he takes it from your hands. “It looks nice… Thank you. Oh! I have a, uh, gift for you too. You’ll like it, come on.” He nods his head to the office and walks in front of you.

 

His office was lightly decorated with a small Christmas tree on the corner of his desk. You watch as he opens a drawer and shifts through it for a minute. He pulls out a crudely wrapped small box, the same shape as a VHS, you can’t help but blush at the gesture. He hands it to you and you take it, looking at his poor gift-wrapping abilities. It’s sweet though, making you feel a little guilty about buying him a meager bottle of wine. He tells you to unwrap it and you do, pulling the wrapping apart revealing a tape of Vivre Sa Vie, you had been looking for it for months now and that pesky blush just got worse from the sentimental gift.

“Neil,” You say and look up at him. “You didn’t have to do this… Thank you so much. I’ve wanted for this ages now.”

“Don’t mention it.” He waves his hand. “I know you’ve been looking for it and you’ve been such a great help here lately.”

“Thanks.” You say again and smile. You want to lean in and kiss him on the cheek but you decide against it. “Well, we should probably go out there and start the movie, yeah?”

He nods and you both take your leave into the main floor of the shop. You sit down on the couch and watch as Neil does a small introductory to the movie like he always does at events like this. After he starts the movie, he opens the bottle of wine pours a glass for himself, and then pours you one. After he hands you the filled glass, he sits next to you and you feel his thigh against yours, making it hard to concentrate on the movie.

Somehow you managed the whole two-hour runtime without dying from some sort of sexually frustrated-related stroke. The wine didn’t help either. You were a little tipsy, Neil having poured too much in your glass, and being near him for so long made it clear to you that you liked Neil a lot more than you originally thought. When the characters Mary and George in It’s a Wonderful Life kiss like they need each other, you find yourself looking at Neil through your peripheral view. Once the credits were rolling, people were starting to get up and either leave or refill their glasses. Neil stood up to say goodbye to some people who were leaving and you could breathe for a moment, not having to feel his thigh against yours. After a moment of contemplation, you decided to leave, it would be the best option with how you were feeling. You knew that he was cute enough to make you do something stupid and with the right amount of wine, you would probably act on it.

“Leaving already?” Neil asked as he saw you put on your coat.

 

“Yeah, it was fun but… I should probably go home and get some sleep.” You said.

“Aw come on, it's not even nine yet…” He said with his best puppy dog eyes. “We were gonna Eyes Wide Shut next. You should stay. What else are you going to do?”

You went back in forth in your head for a moment, but in the end, you knew you were going to stay. How could you deny his pretty blue eyes? He was right, after all, you would go home and probably just watch a movie by yourself. 

“Alright,” You say with a small grin and shrug off your coat. “Just one more movie…”

“Great.” He says and then takes your empty glass. “I’ll get you another.”

You wanted to say no thank you but he was already grabbing the bottle and pouring another, thankfully not overfilling it like last time. Those who were staying, which weren’t many, all retreated to the couch and Neil sat back down next to you after putting the next film in the VCR. You tried to focus all your thoughts on the movie this time but your mind still wandered. You thought of his lips and his hands instead of the movie. 

This film was just as painful as the first, all because of Neil. You swore he moved closer to you while the picture played out. You finished the glass halfway through and decided against another, feeling a little hazy. Amid your hazy and lustful thoughts, you realize more people are leaving and get up to say goodbye. After you say your farewells, you realize it’s just Neil and you in the store. You feel awkward and grab your coat.

“Wait.” He said quickly, making you stop what you were doing. “I hate to ask but… Uh, could you help me clean up the place a bit? I just don’t want to have to deal with it tomorrow morning.”

You agree and set your coat down. After all, this will probably only take an extra half hour. You don’t mind spending more time with Neil either, you’re just worried you’ll ruin the friendship, despite not knowing him that long. You start by picking up any cups and he starts to sweep. You offer to mop but he says he’ll do it tomorrow. It ended up only taking twenty minutes and you both are okay with the results. It’s not spotless, but it will do for now. You stand next to him after you finish and then look up at him.

“I had a great time tonight, Neil.” You tell him. “And thanks for the tape. I don’t have to return this one, right?” You joke.

“Absolutely not.” He shakes his head. “I hope you like it.”

“I will, I’m sure of it.” You say. “Well, goodnight.”

“Wait.” He says and lightly grabs your bicep as you start to walk away. “I don’t know if it's the wine or the whole "sentimental-ness" of this holiday but… You look pretty and I was hoping I could, uh, kiss you.” The way he phrases it makes it sound like a question and you blush at the request. 

“We can chalk it up to the sentimental nature of the holiday and dissect it another day.” You say teasingly and walk up to him. “You’re in luck though, I’ve been thinking about kissing you for a while.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He puts his hands on your waist and kisses your lips at first softly, but then much rougher as it goes on. You both stumble for a moment as you try to find a solid surface to lean on. He lands on the back of the couch, leaning on it as he pulls you closer in your kiss. You try to keep up his kisses but they seem too quick to try to find a tempo. He squirms as he kisses you sloppily. His hips rut against you as one of his hands holds the small of your back and the other settles on the back of your neck. 

“You’re so pretty.” He mumbles between kisses. “Ever since I met you I wanted to kiss you like this.”

You can’t think of anything to say except little moans of praise. Your hand slinks between the two of you and finds his fly which you unzip and sneak your hand into. He grunts as you palm him through his boxers and eventually, pull him out. Your hands send shivers down his spine. He had thought about this for ages, how you would be in such an intimate moment. He never thought you would be so willing and so open to the idea of pleasing him like this. He keeps grunting into your mouth as your hand works up and down his cock, pre-cum spilling from the tip and on your hands. Based on how sloppy his kissing is getting, you don’t think he’ll last long. 

You kiss him harder and apply more pressure to his hand job, making him whine as his breathing gets shallower. His hips start to buck into your hand, wanting to get as much pleasure as he can through you. You think for a moment to bend down and replace your hands with your mouth but you like how he kisses you much more. You don’t notice his grip on you tighten before he bites down on your lip and muffles his moan. You feel something hot on your leg through your tights. His breathing slows and he comes to his senses.

“Shit,” He says and pulls back, looking down at the sheer tights you’re wearing. “I’m sorry. I can buy you new ones! I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine.” You giggle and look down at your now-ruined tights. “They were like, two dollars. Don’t worry about it. Just a little gross now.”

“A little?” He asks with an embarrassed laugh. “I’ll make it up to you. How about we go get dinner together this week? I’ll pay, obviously.”

“If you wanted to take me out to dinner, you didn’t have to come on my leg. You could’ve just asked.” You tease and then lean in to peck him on the lips. “I’d like that a lot though. I like you a lot too.”

“I like you too.” He says, blushing at the elementary confession. “Let me get you a towel. I’m sorry.” He adds and retracts from you to go find some way to clean up his mess.

It is probably the weirdest Christmas you’ve had, never before experiencing a love confession or for that much, getting your tights ruined by a guy's cum, but you feel hopeful weirdly. You feel hopeful because of Neil, come this time next year, you’ll be with him you hope. Maybe it’s not the perfect way to start a relationship but it is the start of one. One you’re optimistic about. 

[castlebyersafterdark]

I don't understand the hate about this outfit like he looks goofy but he was cute in this!!!

omg it's my time to shine hahah i love talking costumes! firstly, mike's shirt is described as orange here by the costume designer so its not part of the blue and yellow theory really, sorry y'all! but we dont need that as byler evidence cos theyre clearly in love anyway. will was definitely judging his ensemble and my fav part is the way it says 'SURF' splashed across the back in huge pastel letters. it's an all-round cringe shirt for mike wheeler whose personality does NOT suit surfer boy style let alone fake, ill-fitting surfer boy knock off style haha. so really what the costume designers were doing is not trying to make mike look objectively bad in terms of out of context outfit, but rather its so awkward for his character and delivers the awkward vibes in as little time as possible in order to set the tone of the scene. so we can add into this...

the camera angle showing him cluelessly looking around for them

the way he's wearing sunglasses indoors, a feat only julian casablancas can pull off. mike wasnt on the concourse, he was never exposed to sunlight since he got on the plane in indianapolis and perhaps not even then lmao, no need for shades!

his goofy wave and squeaky, performative voice 'oh! oh hi will! fancy seeing you here!'

and the biggest culprit of all: THAT HAT

I mean, what is that hat? its the way its sat on his head making his hair look like a wig. major worzel gummidge vibes tbh. that hat cannot be worn with hair down, it should be with a high ponytail which makes me think is this even a man's hat? subtle costume design.

and lastly, the clothes are ill-fitting (just like his hellfire shirt which hangs off him and washes him out, making him look pallid and weary in episode 1). the orange washes him out, making his skin look extra pale (compare to the warmth of the van scene and how golden his skin looks there). the purple shirt does the same, and the vest is far too big for him. finn described the whole outfit, but mainly the flip flops as 'gross' lol, but its made worse by the sheer contrast of mike to will and el and everyone. he's so not cool here, in every way. perfect costume design storytelling!

so yeah, these details are subjective really, but then again you could say all of art is subjective. they try to create a mood and make you feel certain things when watching, and some people just won't get it. thats not a bad thing, but i think recognising when your taste butts heads with the artistic intention is very interesting! i always found mike to be a babe but i cringed so hard when he rocked up in this ensemble lmao. and i think the duffers wanted me to! compare it to how much his brown hair and pale skin suits the forest greens of season 1 and 2. mike is an autumnal colour complexion, not spring/summer pastels :)

THANK YOU for this! I love costume and wardrobes but I don't really feel like my knowledge base is adequate to deep dive beyond surface level vibes and this was a cool read.

Also yes! to the minimizing 'color theory' a little - it's a nice element for these two but I think too much stock is placed in what's a minor detail when so much more is important about these characters. And agree, Will was totally judging - even if he's into Mike, it's so clear that he's doing something out of character and awkward and trying to put on a different image for his girlfriend. I don't necessarily think the outfit is ugly - simply not Mike. That's what I'm saying but oh man, so right on every point. It's a very good storytelling tool. Yes, it's ill-fitting and the coloring makes him look off, like everything about how he's presenting himself is wrong. Overcompensation. Desaturation. I find the mistaken effort endearing, which I think is the point as well. The cringe along with the oh, Mike. He tried so hard and it turned out so wrong. You feel for him!!

(Hides though 🫣 as I'd absolutely wear the hat, I love an ugly hat. Then again - I go out of my way to wear ugly fashion on purpose sometimes because it's fun and amuses me, but that's a pointed choice haha. Mike probably thought it all was cool. I am not trying to be cool ever.)

He is an autumn boy! Fall colors and fall in general! Loved your take, very good insights. Agree agree, there's a lot of meaningful layers here and reasons for what we saw in that scene.

[voidpunkanathema]

jasper

Why I like them: He turned out to be a much more complicated character than he seemed to be on the surface. It took me until his literal last scene in the game to realize this but damn if that scene didn't paint all of his actions in a new light. Like yeah he's still a bastard but you saw WHY he became the way he did. How easily it all could have been avoided. How he and Hendrik deserved the chance to move past the lies that poisoned their relationship without him having to be a ghost living in his armor. It hurt in a weird way. He became my first true character hyperfixation and honestly opened my mind to engaging with fiction in a whole new way. No one deserves to be painted in the Crying Lucifer Painting pose more than him lol 

Why I don’t: I will forever have a chip in my shoulder that he didn't get a redemption arc, sorrynotsorry. Even Party Chat tries to desperately downplay the significance of the armor scene if you check it on the now-memorial balcony. On a lighter note the fact I missed 99.9% of the Piers fandom is entirely his fault because I was too busy hyperfixating on him lol. Also, the classism. The classism is bad, mkay? :P

Favorite line: His melodramatic evil speech in the throne room where he lists love first as something he's given up on is hard to beat. Also his final line in the game being "we will never be apart again'...yeah 🥲😭

Favorite outfit: The evil queen ensemble. It's so...very.  Exactly the sort of thing a raging disaster gay that designs his own outfits (according to the character book) that's devoted himself to eeevil would wear. 

OTP: He literally only makes sense as a character if you assume he was extremely, painfully gay for Hendrik and sublimating it in a WEIRD way. And Hendrik certainly showed enough signs of feeling the same way (the way he clutches his necklace to his chest after his death in the first timeline...) Mordegon and Heliodor's toxic monarchy just got in the way... 

Brotp: Jade was apparently just as close to him as she was to Hendrik but the game NEVER EXPLORES THIS AT ALL. Also I think he and Sylvando could have been absolute terrors together lol. And I've always liked the headcanons where he and Mia bond over their shared pain and rage at their (perceived) abandonment. 

Head Canon: Quite a few, so I'll just share one that he wrote the MOST emo poetry as a pining teen, something he will never admit to on pain of death as an adult. I'll also bring up the fact he's successfully taken over the world but still paying for cake as proof he's not as happy as he thought he'd be and eating his feelings about it in Act 2 lol

Unpopular opinion: No one reads deeply enough into him, everyone takes the bullshit he tells himself at face value even when he directly contradicts himself *eyetwitch* I often suspected I was literally the only person right about him lol. Also, the Gay Armor Marriage was incredibly touching, but not enough. He shouldn't have died at all. Also while I've read Jasper/Sylvando fic and enjoyed it before I don't really ship him or Hendrik with Sylv myself which kinda feels like a minority take in this fandom 

A wish: At this point I can only hope he gets the Psaro treatment where his death is avoided entirely when the game is rereleased in like 25 years 

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I honestly don't want Square to revisit him, they treated him so harshly compared to other villains of the same caliber that pretty much got away with everything so yeah, just leave the angry wet cat man alone guys...

5 words to best describe them: Poor little meow meow supreme 💛

My nickname for them: Bastard son, the Purple Titty Monster (for Unbound obviously)

[outrunningthedark]

The part that I’m struggling with is somewhat circular logic because if Buddie doesn’t go canon then who do Buck and Eddie end up with romantically (if anyone) because at this stage with a show that has 2-3 seasons left (or actors that might only sign for 1-2 more seasons) how exactly do you create satisfying endgame arcs for both of them amongst an ensemble show especially with the both character’s histories. And if the answer is “we can’t do that” then shouldn’t it be Buddie canon….thus the circular logic 😭😭😭. Like if they could somehow introduce well acted and dynamic LIs for them then sure could make peace with platonic “family” Buddie. I just can’t handle another “meet cute” type LI that is “cookie cutter” with forced chemistry. Would prefer to have Buck and Eddie be alone in that sense than end up in a bland relationship with no substance. TBH if I was OS and RG would peace out at that point once my contract was up IF financial stability existed elsewhere. We all know how OS felt about BT and RG was vocal in earlier seasons about Eddie not being ready to date. So wonder what his thoughts are if this “dating storyline” is going to be a thing or not.

I understand the confusion over who Buck and Eddie would end up with if *not* each other, and because I've always left the door open for Buddie not going canon 'til the very end, I have also considered the possibility that Buck and Eddie don't end up with *anyone* in the end (if they're both still on the show at that time) and that would be the show's way of saying "We would've done it if not for the backlash." The GA would still view them as platonic dudebro besties, but having them in a family moment with Chris or whatever would be for the fandom to *know*. As much as I love(d) to talk about the "If not Buddie then why" aspect of their story (together and as individuals), there has consistently been that nagging feeling that I am (and we as a fandom are) giving the show too much credit. Just off the top of my head, I can think of four instances where a show went in a "romantic" direction that had longtime viewers cursing themselves for wasting so much time hoping for a happy ending: - That '70s Show (showing my age because I watched that finale in real time): Jackie (Mila Kunis) ended up with Fez (Wilmer Valderrama), who always had a crush on her, but she showed no interest in. The audience assumed she would get back with one of her exes. (And now that the show is being rebooted, the character is in fact with one of those exes again. LOL.) - Grey's Anatomy did it twice :) First with Japril getting divorced and April going back to the guy she left for Jackson right before Sarah Drew had to leave the show; then there was Alex running off to be with Izzie and their kids (kids nobody knew they had until then, lmao), leaving his then-wife a note in which he said he already signed divorce papers! - Listen. I never got into this show, but people sure were pissed at that HIMYM finale. Not the endgame couple anyone wanted. (Notice those are all het ships that got screwed over?)

It would not AT ALL be surprising for Buck and/or Eddie to end up in relationships last minute or without much development over a full season (again). It all depends on who's *really* in charge (Is Kristen still there? Is Tim still only offering his input from a distance?) and what message they want to send. And for what it's worth, the more showrunners take criticisms to heart (because "It's MY show and I do what I WANT!!") the more likely they are to do something that awards them the last laugh.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

🔥1, 7, 24?

the character everyone gets wrong

I answered this one already, but I'll take another stab at it wrt a particular element of Hannibal's character. Specifically, his response to feeling vulnerable or heartbroken in canon is either to lash out violently (as in Mizumono), attempt to regain his sense of control in some fashion (i.e. his attempt to eat Will's brain in Dolce - yes, Bedelia talked him into that, but it wouldn't have been persuasive if it hadn't spoken to pre-existing impulses), or manipulate (the amount of passive aggressive needling he does to Will throughout season 3B).

Which is to say, I'm not against Hannibal having emotions or feeling vulnerable in fic, but I often find him to be much too mellowed out and too outwardly vulnerable. When he loves someone the way he loves Will, and the way he loved Mischa, it makes him feel out of control, and he needs control and tries to project that outwards at all times. And even in a post-canon scenario, where he likely trusts Will and feels more confident in Will's affection for him than he does throughout 3B, I don't see him dropping the habit of masking physical and emotional pain. And he's definitely not going to ~own his feelings~ and take responsibility for them, lol.

(My most recent fic - No Second Troy - was actually in part an exercise in writing a vulnerable Hannibal that felt right to me, in which he feels insecure in his relationship with Will and is sort of internally flopping around sadly about that, but does NOT show (or, uh, tries not to show) that sad flopping to Will or at all communicate in a healthy manner about that.)

what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

I genuinely do not hate most characters on this show - my attitude towards the ensemble cast is generally "I love everyone in this bar."

That said - MATTHEW FUCKING BROWN.

Absolute nothingburger of a dude who has a philosophy towards murder that, according to the aesthetic ethics of this show, can only be described as "vulgar" (this dude doesn't even grasp that life is precious, something even HANNIBAL understands) and who Will doesn't even seem to like or respect much. Boring and unpleasant dude all around, and yet gets such an outsized amount of adulation.

(And yeah, I'll admit, I'm petty, because his fanon role, whether vis-a-vis Will or alone, is always a role I want to see other characters put into - Will's gay tryst outside of Hannibal? Jack is right there and has an actual developed relationship with Will in canon. Will influencing someone else vis-a-vis murder? Chiyoh is right there, complete with Hannigram parallels! A minor character who only shows up for a few episodes getting a ton of fanon attention? Give it to Miriam pls. Anyway I'll leave that because this is the most wanky I've gotten in these answers.)

topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

Anything to do with Will's neurodivergence is bound to do this (whether the prescriptivism as to how you headcanon him, OR the straight-up ableism in how people talk about him).

I've also seen a lot of takes on Abigail that uhhh.... REALLY demonstrate a lack of understanding of the psychology of abuse (even, I'd argue, when taking genre conventions into account). Let's just leave it at that.

[greensparty]

Movie Review: The Holdovers

Alexander Payne is truly the master of combining comedy and tragedy! His first few films Citizen Ruth, Election, and About Schmidt truly announced him with smart comedies that often times challenged the viewer. What really blew me away was his 2004 film Sideways. The comedy about two middle-aged friends in the Wine Country for a week before one gets married was such a LOL funny comedy one minute, sad about their mid-life trajectory the next. But in the end, it was about accepting where you are in life, not where you aren't. I out and out loved it! His next film 2011's The Descendants was a very multi-layered family drama set in Hawaii. I included it in my 10 Best Movies of the 2010s. I liked his 2013 father-son road movie Nebraska, but there was some pushback from audiences. God forbid a director tries to make a black and white slow burn! But I appreciated the ensemble cast and what he was going for. 2017's Downsizing was a misstep for Payne. I was all for him trying something different and stepping into wild Michel Gondry-territory, but the story was a little uneven. Now Payne has made a serious return to form with The Holdovers, which was actually filmed in Massachusetts last Winter, and reunites Payne with Sideways star Paul Giamatti. I got to attend a special IFFBoston Post-Fall Focus screening at Somerville Theatre and Payne himself attended for an intro and Q&A. There was actually a scene that was filmed at the Somerville Theatre and now the finished film was playing there!?!

movie poster

Set in Barton Academy, a private boarding school for boys, in 1970 New England just before Christmas break, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, an unpopular curmudgeonly teacher. He gets stuck supervising students who are unable to go home for the holidays. Hence the name The Holdovers. Also there during the break is lunch lady Mary (played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a scene-stealer from Dolemite Is My Name and the High Fidelity TV series). After all of the other students go away with one of the student's rich father, an unpopular student Angus Tully (played by newcomer Dominic Sessa) is left with Mr. Hunham and the two form an unlikely friendship.

This is easily one of the best movies of the year and one I'm sure is going to become better and better with each viewing during the holiday season. There is a serious early 70s influence, most prominently from Hal Ashby (Payne was among the interviewees in the 2018 documentary Hal about Ashby). But beyond the influences, this truly feels like the kind of movie that would have been released in the early 70s: the look, the feel, the sound, and the way the characters carry themselves. But like all of Payne's films, this balances comedy and tragedy. Without getting into spoilers, there is a sense of loss for these characters that is heightened by being alone during a holiday break. But that connection that is made is truly special. Sessa is a revelation. Payne has a knack for casting newcomers who swing it out of the park and Sessa is going places. Randolph is exceptional as a grieving mother. But it is definitely Giamatti's show. He's been consistently good in countless films since Sideways, but this is a part tailor-made for him. Someone who is highly intelligent, yet so antisocial. Payne isn't known for working with actors more than once, but we can only hope this is the start of more collaborations. All hail Payne!

For info on The Holdovers

4.5 out of 5 stars

Intro and Q&A:

The screening I attended, Payne gave an intro. He noted that this was the first screening on 35mm. After the film, critic Ty Burr (a friend and colleague of mine) moderated a Q&A. Here are some of the takeaways:

Burr and Payne at the Somerville Theatre

Local Crew: He had tons of positive things to say about the Massachusetts based crew that worked on the film. He mentioned of all the films he made outside of the state of Nebraska (i.e. The Descendants in Hawaii and Downsizing in Toronto), this is the one that has stayed in touch the most. In the audience at this screening were a ton of local crew members. You could hear cheering during certain scenes, locales and cast members. Payne mentioned that he didn't know New England, beyond visiting Dartmouth and some Ivy League colleges as a teen.

Somerville Theatre: in addition to being a location, Payne mentioned that they screened some 70s films for the crew in the cinema. He also added that the film had played festivals and had opened in NY and LA but this was the first screening on 35mm.

He talked about what he's been doing since Downsizing. He apparently flirted with directing The Menu and The Burial.

Screenplay: Five years ago he received a TV pilot from David Hemingson that was set in a boarding school in New England. Payne called him and said he didn't want to do the pilot but wanted him to write a screenplay in the same universe. This marked the first time he had directed a screenwriter as opposed to writing with a co-writer or getting a completed screenplay from a writer.

Casting: After not finding the right actor from a casting call, they began searching private boarding schools in Massachusetts. That's how Sessa was cast.

This event was a part of IFFBoston. For more info go here.

[magpiecaranthir]

Hi! Hope your ask box sitch gets fixed soon 💜 Do you have any thoughts or opinions about clothes and fashion in middle earth from any time period and any people? I’m doing a little fashion timeline project for myself and thought it could be fun to hear other opinions if you feel like it 💜

Oh, from what I hear it's not going to get fixed like, ever. But that's fine that's what I have this acc for now :)

Ok ok so you opened a big can of worms I'll try to keep the lid on best I can

So I'll ramble about the Dunlendings first because I have been knee deep into their existence with my recent fics I cant leave my babies alone. It's all over the place bc I got in ramble mode sorry. Also, it's very long lol.

Ok so dunlendings are said to be the descendants of some of the haladin, right? So their clothes are partially influenced by that in the same way gondor is influenced by former numenorean trends and the likes

I fucking hate the movie depiction of the dunlendings. Look at this shit. No. I refuse.

What I will take from that shitshow is the primarily dark hair and the preference for shorter (not more than like 5cm) unadorned beards, and some incorporation of furs.

The dunlendings used to live in the forests of Middle earth, not just in what would come to be Dunland. But when the numenoreans needed wood they chased them off.

Based on that I think they used more muted, natural colours like greens, deep reds and oranges, brown, the occasional black. They preferred light fabrics back then, especially in the settlements close to the shores and further south. They did a sort of tiedye to imitate natural fur patterns during hunting. That's something they do even in later ages.

When they were forced to migrate inland and into the mountains (what would be Dunland) their fabrics in general became sturdier. Thicker linen, more wool, and the likes.

They keep the population of larger predators in check in the mountains, so their furs make it into the garments fairly often. Usually used for children's clothing because they are very much mortal and they know babies and elders need a bit of extra protection from the cold.

Usually they also have ceremonial furs for special occasions (usually any type of bear for holidays of sorts)

And pelts with peculiar colouring/patterns or from mountain lions/wolves/other pack animals and the likes for special festivities relating to members of the community. (Think wedding, burial, birth).

Not everyone wears those to all celebrations. They are worn by the one who is the star of the show and their family, so to speak. Bride and groom's families wear those, while everyone else wears normal festivity clothes.

Those are accompanied by fairly unadorned clothes with sturdy but artful geometrical embroidery, usually around the hems, collars and cuffs.

Belts worn by the males are the centerpiece beside the felt, and are very artful, especially because in my hcs every village has mastered the art of burning patterns into leather. The belts are wide and loose, and usually are made from a prey animal of their formal fur garment bc they believe they should not deprive predator from prey, even in death.

Women wear usually dresses for celebrations, they are sturdy and have several layers so you can mix and match depending on the season. So several underlayers, chemises, stockings per ensemble.

The dresses themselves formal but not center-stage formal, but every single one has a decorative overskirt you tie around the waist. That comes on and off, and the dress is perfectly complete without it. That one has lots of embroidery.

The women in the family usually start embroidering a fabric when the baby is around 5 and shows some character, and its finished when they marry. Jts their dowry of sorts. If no women are in the family/can sew then theres usually elders who are more than happy bc while dunlendings do not particularly care for fashion statements, the overskirts are an expression of love from the community for the girl/woman.

Every day clothing is still muted in the later years of the 3rd age, and each settlement has their own preferred garment and usually pelt of choice. For example, you'll have a settlement close to the mountains of Dunland where the people prefer bear fur over wolf, while a settlement further towards Rohan/south prefers wolf pelt over bear. It's not entirely dependent on where they live.

Also families that havent moved away for a few generations have developed special embroidery similar to family heraldry, which gets more elaborate with every generation bc they take pride in their heritage and survival despite the numenorean's best efforts to get rid of the dunlendings.

I'll cut myself off here because it's already so long lol.

Idk if the dunlendings are something you're interested in, but imo much of these things (use of natural colours and tyedye to blend into woodland realms, use of ceremonial furs and artful belts and hand-me-down dedicated embroidery) are what have been passed down from the haladin people, and adjusted to the current time/living situation of the dunlendings

[raviposting]

for the ask game— i’m not too familiar with your other fandoms buuuut 9-1-1!!

AAAH ty pigeon ily <3

Favourite character: CHIMNEY AND RAVI <3 <3 <3 Chimney was my absolute favorite dude, so I wasn't expecting Ravi to show up s4 and I just!! Immediately was obsessed with him!! He gets such little screentime but he is a main character in my heart @ s7 make it happen please <3

Funniest character: Chimney <3 The comedian actually xoxo

Best-looking character: RAVI <3 He's so handsome

3 favourite ships: Maddie/Chimney (they're one of my OTPs, I love them so SO much!!), Buck/Eddie (if they became canon they'd become an OTP so easily, I can tell lmao), and hmmmm. Both Henren and Bathena are super cute but I think Bobby/Athena really have my whole heart; they're just such a precious ship.

Least favourite character: Oh god Abby. I thought about saying characters like Taylor Kelly or one of the obvious male antagonists but that's very easy and like, Taylor was funny ASDFJKL. But Abby showed up in season 1 and I love Connie Britton's acting and am usually super into whatever she's doing in other shows and I was still sitting there feeling like I was watching paint dry with Abby which was so asdfjkl. I was incredibly relieved when I found out she was leaving after season 1 because I would not have been able to watch her scenes beyond that asdjfkl

Least favourite ship: I can't really think of any ships I've seen that I've hated? Fandom seems pretty one-track, for better or worse, so I haven't really seen any doozies personally. I guess in canon, Hen/Eva lol

Reason why I watch it: While I get that s6 was more Buck centered, in general, I love this ensemble and the way it truly feels like an ensemble. The characters are loved and it's so clear in the seasons with their spread - sometimes an actor may need to film something or do time off here and there, and the show works around that and makes their return feel special and focused. Also the rep!! I'm not going to pretend this is a perfect show lol, for sure not, but I really love and appreciate how basically every single character is representative in some way - Bobby with addiction, Hen and Karen as Black lesbians, Maddie as an abuse survivor, etc etc etc - and that these are treated as regular facts about them. Their storylines may be informed by their representation, and those things are important about them, but it's not the whole of their being. I feel like a lot of shows will boil their characters down to these and forget to make storylines outside of that, or view the characters by their identity rather than who they are as people, and I feel like 911 honestly does a great job showing how people's identities inform who they are and show these characters as complex, three-dimensional figures!

Why I started watching it: I saw nonstop gifsets of Buck & Eddie with Chris and I was absolutely obsessed with this little family! I had to ask a friend if they were canon though because I fully could not tell with gifsets alone lmaoo

Send me a TV series

[isca-rambles]

5x01

Oh Annie. I'm so glad she could come back as Rosalind for a few more episodes. It's such a shame we couldn't have Rosalind for longer, because she is hands down the best villain they've had. This show was so lucky to have her as part of their story. Lucy giiiiirl. Reliving that kiss because of feelings and also because it's probably a damn bit nicer than reliving anything to do with Rosalind. Yeah close the door Tamara, let Lucy have another dream. Chenford Captain Lopez reporting for duty. Say that no a little less convincingly, Tim. It's not possible but I still dare you to try. Ugh. Fucking golden ticket. How. They've all done a million things just as vital and important as what Nolan did. Lucy especially. No way that should've earned him the ticket. I'm still so mad about that ticket. Nolan is the 'main' character, he's meant to struggle. The whole point of the set back was to make him fight for and earn his promotion to TO. And then they just sort of let him jump right over the obstacle they planted there. Also, Lucy looks so gorgeous in yellow good lord. And she is so quick to snap into character, Tim and Angela are impressed. Okay why is Bailey here for the Rosalind Dyer trial. Do the LAFD need to be here? I don't dislike Bailey, but boy they really are just pushing her into every scene physically possible. I know it's just how shows like this are and she's part of the ensemble, but just...it doesn't need to be every episode, guys. Ugh, hi Chris. Damn right everyone checking Lucy out. Whatever she wears, however she's made up, she just radiates perfection. Minor note, I'm forever in love with Angela's blazers. They always have these little embroidered or sequined details and I am forever envious I can't wear layers of any type without melting. Also also, Nolan really shouldn't be on this assignment. Did no-one think this through? Do not give Rosalind people to feed off of. But god, I do regret we didn't get more of Lucy and Rosalind. Not that I would want Lucy to have to go through the trauma of being anywhere near her tormentor, but god think of the storylines. Rosalind really should have been equally as obsessed with Lucy as she was with Nolan. Not that I wanted her to hurt Lucy more, but once again Lucy getting overlooked. Lucy and Tim able to give into those feelings they don't understand under the guise of UC, even if just a little. Their little touches are so natural. Take the stairs, in those heels? Jesus how do people walk in heels of any height, let alone that tall. Credit where credit's due. Also, really, leaving a serial killer with one guard? C'mon guys. Even if her lawyer is in there too and they're all outside, why on earth would you leave her with one guard. Ouch, I hope someone grabbed that poor guard's body. They give up on lifesaving measures so easily and I know she's probably beyond saving but still, get her away from the fire at least. Tim really does love her thighs.

Hajek reminds me so much of another actor and it's killing me I can't think who. Knowing my brain it's probably him in another role I'm thinking of. Maybe a broader Skeet Ulrich? Hmm.

Keeping Tamara safe. She's so adopted by the whole precinct and I love it. Though lol no-one thought to keep Chris safe.

Oh god Lucy. Okay so much as I wish there'd been more story between Lucy and Rosalind, seeing her spiral like this after the mention of Rosalind makes me glad they didn't. Just, oh, my poor girl. She's so unmoored and Tim instantly looks to her and takes her hand and tries to keep her tethered. As soon as they get in the bathroom you can just see her fraying. Her hands shaking and her eyes. Oh, my heart. All the A* to Melissa for conveying so much terror so subtly. And Tim wanting to protect her and keep her safe but also not overriding her. He has her back 100%. I saw a few other people saying the kiss was multilayered and yes, so much. Obviously there's the first layer of keeping their cover. A little tenuous since there were plenty of ways to make it look like they'd been hooking up without actually kissing. But Lucy's spiralling hard and she wants to make this work, so she's not going to leave anything to chance. There's also the plain fact that she has feelings and attractions and well, why not use this as an excuse. She knows she's not going to get many chances like this. And then there's just the desperate need for something to ground her. Something safe and tangible, tactile, something distracting enough to get her head back on track. She's adrift in terror and trauma and he's her anchor. And she's trying to handle all these reasons and keep them under wraps under the guise of UC so she's hyperfocused, which is why Tim is just constantly on the backfoot. But good lord he melts into that kiss just as quickly as the last one. God her poor hand shaking. The trauma, the hyperfocus, the feelings. It's a wonder she's not shaking more.

That car and the plane must've felt so claustrophobic for her. And that Tim can't comfort her or reassure her more than just catch her eye...ooooh my heart. Lucy really does just excell at UC work. I know I keep saying I don't think her heart is it in in later seasons and I don't. I think she's started on this path and she's scared to diverge. I think she'd make an amazing TO and I don't want them sending her down a dark road with UC storylines. But she is also just so brilliant at it, so I am conflicted because I want to keep seeing her being awesome.

Lucy defending her man. She finally got to use that hairpull. Though that waitress is such an idiot, seriously. Suspicions or not, why would you ever go up to the shady guys and tell them you think the other shady guy they're with is sus. No good comes from that. Stay the fuck out of it. Poor Sava though. She really did love Jake and he just fucked around and found out.

So the dealer is a UC as well, right? Because otherwise it's pretty damn risky to be talking so openly in front of them about everything.

Tamara doing investigative police work on her phone. Lucy has trained her so well. Please bring her back in S7.

The little glances. Tim is so concerned for her. The little compliment because he knows she thrives on it. Tim's brain short circuiting from a glance at her back dear lord this boy has it bad. The fact he's been thinking about the kisses the whole time she's been in the shower. And that he's confronting this and not just putting his walls up and ignoring it. And Lucy saying what she thinks she should be saying, but she gives him that chance to refute her. To say no, it means something. Her answers to him are all questions because she's scared and has no idea what anything means but maybe if she gives him the chance to tell her what's going on, what it all means. Agggh these two oblivious idiots. Obviously I wouldn't want them to have cheated on their partners (you can argue they already did emotionally and with the kisses, and with the almost, but still sex would've completely tainted any relationship they developed afterwards) but god the fics where they do give in are fucking gold. Angela you angel of a shit stirrer. Also Lucy how does your hair look so good right after showering c'mon this isn't fair. Idiot waitress is an idiot. Okay no but how is Lucy's hair also still so nice after being half dried? Tim just desperately glancing at the bathroom for Lucy while she's in there kicking ass. Lucy do not tease this man more than you existing already does. Ugh, Chris. Messing up all our plans. Also meh, I'm not fond of Del Monte. Chris have you ever tried looking at someone before getting into a car? Also I guess Rosalind killed a cop to get into that car? Do they ever mention that? They're also all way too trusting that Rosalind is far away. They have to realise it's way too easy. Side note, Luna is so gorgeous and that dress is just stunning.

Tim being a dork. Lucy finding those loopholes. Tim's brain breaking once again. Dear lord the UST. Again, I'm glad they didn't manage to go any further because it would have tainted things even more but jesus christ the UST. Thank god for fics.

They're like awkward teenagers with all the UST their raging hormones can summon. And then Tim's eye roll on seeing Chris. Same, brother, same. Ffs Chris stop ruining that nice sofa. Poor Lucy is so frantic. She might not love him but obviously she doesn't want him to die. And then the guilt. Oh the guilt. Good for angst, bad for my heart. And for Lucy's heart. But this is another reason why Chris being an acolyte or fanatic would've made sense. Rosalind doesn't just let people live. And he would've been dead looong before they got back, unless Rosalind was timing it and only left him very recently. Or she got someone else to do it for her. I need a fic where Rosalind or her new acolyte (coughchriscough) waits until Lucy gets home. Tim doesn't go in with her. Maybe they got back earlier. Where she goes after Lucy and not Chris. That'd make the 'make sure someone checked on Lucy' line so much colder and weightier. Again, I do not want Lucy to get hurt in canon but...y'all know I love my feral!Tim and feral!foundfamily and Lucy being protected fics.

5x02

Ugh, hi Chris. Convenient of you to survive a serial killer who doesn't tend to leave survivors. HUH?! I know I know, but I still think it would've made sense of how off a lot of his actions/mannerisms are. Imagine if he wasn't an acolyte but just a fanatic and he's acting like he's in league with Rosalind until she gets in touch with someone and is like 'um, no, he's not one of mine thank you very much'. Or she comes back to take care of him herself. God Lucy's outfits are so pretty I would kill to be able to pull anything like that off. Yellows and oranges and light colours just wash my pale ass out. Detective Porter saving us from what would've been a passionless kiss. There is a god. But also Lucy girl why are you leaving your door wide open. Also, why is that sofa at such a weird angle to the tv. That is not comfy for viewing. Just saying. Rare moment of Lucy getting recognition for being amazing. More of this please and thank you. But where are these major units poaching her from patrol, please and thank you? Not that I want her off patrol. Again, I'm so conflicted because she's amazing at UC but I just love patrol!Lucy so much.

Nolan getting a 98 on his exam and yet being a subpar TO in reality. Yep, checks out. Look, I don't hate Nolan. I really don't. I just don't think he's been a great TO and I feel like a main character needs more conflict in their life. The whole struggle of the hero's journey, ya know? And they seem to give up on that in S5. Not completely and it'd be boring if he was all struggles but...idk.

Oh Grey, you precious angel. Aaron, you are also a precious angel. He's gone? Just...you're not going to even try some CPR? Maybe police are taught differently but they just give up so easily on this show. Unless there's obvious incompatibility with life (ya know, the head not being attached to the body or rigor mortis), I feel like CPR/AED until paramedics arrive is just basic first aid training.

Angela, oh captain my captain. Can you use your evil genius for good in S7.

I love how we got Wesley into the DA's office so we'd have someone in there for when they got rid of Chris. Wes my sweet. I love the cop group name gag. I really want someone to suggest a name for our lot sometime in S7 and for everyone to just turn on them with a 'don't you fucking dare' look. Lucy you literal sunshine human being.

Guys, maybe try moving the suspiciously body shaped body when it's not the middle of the day. Grey's face when he thinks he's going to hear baby news from Nyla. Another actual sunshine human being.

Should I buy a baseball bat? Everyone in film/tv always has one when they think someone's broken into their home. I mean baseball isn't really big in the UK. Maybe a cricket bat. Looking around my room right now I have literally nothing to hand that'd do decent damage aside from a fossil.

I know it's ridiculous but Nyla is so wonderfully epic.

Okay so Angela had Guatemala, and Nyla has a home invasion. So Lucy's pregnancy story is going to be even more epic, right? Tim so happy to have his sister and nephews close. Oh, sweet boy. Aaron c'mon. No way Nolan is your favourite TO. You had Nyla. Lucy only likes cooking shows when she's watching them with Tim. Or literally anyone who isn't Chris. But oh god Tim and Lucy please be less oblivious please it hurts. The miscommunication. You're so in sync in every other aspect of your lives but please. My heart. The way the smile just drops from his face when he leaves. Uuuuugh.

[beyondxmeasure]

As a fellow Aquarius I love that you can't follow the rules. I was gonna ask top ten but thought that might be to much. I am interested in your whole top 18 though. My top shows are in no order

Cold case. I honestly lost count of how many times I have watched this show.

Suits. This show introduced me into the fanfic world and I haven't been able to leave.

House. Grew up watching this show. It will always be one of my favorites.

White Collar. Just did a rewatch and I still holds up.

New York undercover. I used to watch this with my dad. So I reminds me of that time.

Resurrection Blvd. Again something I watched with my dad. But I love boxing and hate that I can't find it on streaming. I own the first season on DVD so manly thats what I'll watch.

The Mandalorian. Honestly hadn't watched anything star wars ever but my little brother was obsessed. He had heard about it and since he wasn't able to watch had me write him about it. I needed up really liking it.

Currently watching the new percy jackson series and am liking it so far. Also started The Rookie and am enjoying it.

Ok I just realized I like mostly crime shows. That would make since given my childhood of watching America's most wanted every Saturday night. Also documentaries but those aren't tv shows.

I need some fluffy shows any recommendations? I have never really looked into them.

Yes, I definitely see the trend! I have not seen any of the shows you’ve listed unfortunately. I did go through a true crime phase but that was more with documentaries and podcasts. For a time I was really into SVU and all of the ‘Chicago’ shows (Chi Fire/Med/PD) but that’s about it. White Collar interests me a little because after Fellow Travelers I’m kind of jonesing for any Matt Bomer content.

Anyway… for the remaining faves that didn’t make the cut. Here they are in no particular order…

Boardwalk Empire- of the two post WW1/roaring 20s era tales, this one pulls me in more- the music, the costumes, characters, the feel of it all. Even though it’s the underworld of the prohibition era, it’s more enticing.

Peaky Blinders- The darker, grittier and slightly more violent post WW1/prohibition era tale from across the pond.

*Downton Abbey- For Violet Crawley’s clap backs alone.

*Call The Midwives- I don’t have kids, don’t want kids and don’t particularly care for them but somehow a show about nuns delivering babies in the East End of London in the 50s just fills me with joy.

Deadwood- Wild West shenanigans and they say fuck a lot. Like, a lot. The interactions between Al Swearengen and Mr. Wu is worth the price of admission. Basically just anytime Al is on screen is gold.

*I Love Lucy- I grew up watching Nick at Nite and loved all those classic B&W sitcoms but Lucy was always my fave.

*Our Flag Means Death- gay pirates, what’s not to love?

Sons of Anarchy- motorcycles, mayhem & murder. It’s a wild fucking ride, but worth every mile—buckle up.

*Shrinking—a show so brilliantly funny with such a stellar ensemble cast you almost forget it’s about a family dealing with grief. It’s a bit of a slow starter but stick with it for the real payoff. Harrison Ford high on gummies was a high point for sure.

*Sex Education- worst name for a show that’s about so much more than that title makes it sound like. I feel like a lot of people slept on this show because of the title or the idea it was just some throwaway teen sex comedy. Far from it.

*Parks & Rec- if The Office is my wife, then Parks is the sidepiece I’m hiding uptown in a luxury townhouse and I’ll never give her up.

Rescue Me- There’s one scene that still haunts me to this day. I got chills just thinking about it, and the music throughout was superb. TBH I have a weakness for pretty much all firefighter/first responder shows (or as I affectionately refer to them—my ‘wee-woo’ shows🚨 LOL) but this one’s my OG fave. My newer faves are: 911 Lone Star and New Amsterdam

So, I’m noticing a trend with this list… if it’s British or old-timey I’m into it, and if it’s British and old-timey then I’m really into it.

Not sure what you meant exactly by ‘fluffy’… like rom-com-y? Or just something on the lighter side and easy to watch? Because I’ve never been much for most sitcoms (other than the ones I listed) but my last ask that I answered with the original list had quite a few lighter/comedy shows on there. Otherwise I could definitely recommend Downton Abbey or Call The Midwives if you want something to get lost in something with a feel good wholesome vibe to it. I’ll put stars next to anything else above that I think might hit the mark as far as fluffy vibes. Enjoy!

[livlepretre]

Okay so I'm in love with this series!!!!

It's funny bc I just finished it today and didn't know the 2nd season was out on the 1st lol I had some good timing there.

I'm very sad however that they had to recast Mat for whatever reason.

I'm not quite into Rand yet. Maybe will take a bit more time as I quite like everyone else.

I'm a bit confused as to one thing in the last episode: that one dude that showed up on bel tine and then to take the horn, said all 5 of them essentially are needed to take on the Dark one. Does that mean they are all the Dragon reborn? Or is it still just Rand?

Anyway, wheeeee! L of time hehe

YOU ARE SO IN LUCK!

(but!!! when you finish gobbling up season 2, and are eagerly awaiting season 3, remember that the books are PHENOMENALLY FUN and are waiting to be read or listened to! Rosamund Pike even narrates the first book!)

Hmmm I'm actually relieved Mat was recast 😅 The actor himself did a fine enough job in terms of acting, he just did the poorest job of the main cast of capturing the essence of the book character in my opinion. Like, he just doesn't seem like MAT to me at all. (There are so many character moments in the show that aren't in the books that would make me shout HA! SHE/HE WOULD!) Perhaps that might have changed in time, but as things stand, I'm actually looking forward to seeing if a different actor can get a truer grasp on the character I love so much. Like, I understand that lots of plot points have been changed for the show, which I am cool with, I just didn't recognize Mat Cauthon in season 1 practically at all. Probably only in the scenes where he was talking to children and you could see the kinder side of him.

AS FOR RAND. Wow. Let me tell you. Hang on. He's not my special favorite for nothing. (Really hard for me to decide whether he, or Elayne, who will be introduced in season 2, is my favorite character-- I flip back and forth constantly!)

But that did get me thinking-- the first book is mostly from Rand's POV, except for when they are all split up after Shadar Logoth and we get Perrin and Nynaeve telling the story as well, but then once they reunite it reverts back to solely Rand's POV again. Book 2 has a lot more POV changes in it, but is still Rand POV heavy. So, we simply get to know him really, really well right off the bat. In the ensemble-- especially with all of the stuff in the show trying to build mystery over who the Dragon Reborn is, and also, giving us lots of scenes and moments with characters who did not get POV time in the first book, perhaps he just doesn't have the same time-- ESPECIALLY because he is such an "interior" character-- so much of who he is is about what he is thinking and how he is feeling as opposed to what he is saying. We get a lot of moments in the show of Rand quietly looking out over the horizon, or watching his friends in concern, and that is very him.

And of course, he is on the path to the most gruesome and devastating hero's journey of all time. Being the Dragon Reborn in no way saves him from the horrors of being a male channeler, or from the horrors of the actions he will take. Part of why I love Rand so much as a character is that he goes through trauma and depression and PTSD and mental illness and physical disability with so much realism and there is just so much empathy in me for that journey.

So, to answer your question:

Rand is the only Dragon Reborn, but that doesn't mean that the others don't all play an integral role in facing the Dark One.

What's great about this is that this directly references something Min (the seer they meet in Fal Dara) tells Rand in the first book-- that all five of them are essential if they are to have any hope of winning the battle.

Moiraine herself contemplates early in the series that she was wrong to place so much importance on Rand alone; although he is the most important, in terms of winning the Last Battle, the others are also extremely important. This plays into how Rand is not the only one who is ta'veren. In the books, only Perrin and Mat are confirmed as also ta'veren, and the idea that maybe Egwene is too is played with but never confirmed (she's probably not, but there is enough gray area there to speculate). Making the female characters ta'veren as well is something that works well for the show, I think, and helps drive in this point that it is about the teamwork of these 5 young people (as well as the teamwork of many, many more).

(Interesting that you should ask if a soul can be split on reincarnation-- I remember this being a question that would come up back in Ye Olde Fandom Days 20 years ago. The answer is no! But the mechanics of reincarnation are probably going to get fleshed out further in season 2!)

[kathonydaily]

I truly do not know how to feel about Kate being present more than Anthony. I know Kate is her own person and a woman’s role is not related to her husband but it would break my heart to see Kate alone again dealing with Bridgerton drama after she was left on her own in her season, especially because back in April both Simone and Jonny went on to say many times that they would work together as a unit. Did something change? Is that the reason why Simone toned down her answers about her future on the show in June? I don’t like the thought of Kate being a single mother like Daphne. If it really goes that direction I do not know if I will be able to hear her say “Anthony is dealing with business back ah AH” or maybe ignore his absence like they did with Simon. It was bad enough already, it’s only going to be worse with Anthony since he is head of the family. The weirdest thing is also the fact that at the moment it seems neither SA and JB seem to be on set. I really hope they got it figured it out and that I’m panicking for nothing. Sorry for the rant.

What I've meant with Kate being more present than Anthony is that she will be dealing with stuff that usually are things reserved to the role of the woman of the house. Have we ever seen Anthony organizing balls, teaching one of his sisters how to debut or organizing the stuff of the house? That's the role of the new Viscountess and something Kate will probably deal with Violet IN THE MOMENT, then going to Anthony in his study or late at night in their room, venting her frustrations if there is something to vent or talk about, and Anthony being supportive or giving her counsel. Those type of one on one scenes can be filmed in blocks whenever Jonny is ready. I don't know how this idea that they will ship Anthony out of town for most of the season is coming from, frankly. He's still going to be there, maybe he's not going to be there in all the group scenes if Jonny is busy, but he's definitely going to be there as a supportive husband, a supportive brother and a lovely father, expecially knowing Jonny and how much he was looking forward to dad!Anthony.

And the fact they aren't filming right now means truly nothing. They could have filmed the entire last week for ex. and then nothing for this week or the week after, then filming again for a week, and then nothing for other 2/3 weeks and so on. Bridgerton is an ensemble and other than the leads, the supporting actors have a very light schedule, even if they have a substantial plot. That's one of the reason why Jonny could accept other projects without affecting his Bridgerton's schedule IMHO.

This is also the last type of answer i'm going to give to this subject because it seems to me that the more I try to reassure people the more damage I do lol I'm personally not worried, I think they will find a way to make things work.

[namtanlovesfilm]

axelle judges non bl shows > The Player

summary: A group of rich and influential people get tangled into a murder mystery that might cost them their reputation.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

- this is definitely an entertaining show. the mystery is there, and you wanna follow along for the ride very easily. I frankly never got bored in front of it, and patiently awaited new episodes to have more answers.

- the locations, color-grading and outfits were really great. still living for giwi’s colorful but luxurious-looking wardrobe. you can tell quite a bit of thought went into the show & its visual elements were really great.

- the cast has practically all of my faves so for that reason alone it’s a must-watch show to me!

cons:

- the ending was quite disappointing imo, nothing that I wanted to see happen, happened...

- the characters aren’t the most lovable in my opinion. let me compare with 2 other gmmtv shows with ensemble casts and sort of “messy” storylines like this one, that form a sort of gmmtv holy trinity of mess imo with the player. friend zone is a good example bc it has the same director, and in its season 1, while watching all the drama unfold is definitely fun, it’s hard to feel attached to these characters bc we don’t know much about them & the show definitely is more drama-focused than personality-focused. however, in season 2, I personally felt much more attached to the characters bc there was character development, not only since the first season, but also all throughout the sequel. the third show, ps: I hate you, though, manages imo to have compelling characters from the get-go, bc while they’re all extremely flawed, we’re also allowed to see their pain since the beginning, and the character development already seems to be there in the first few episodes. ALL OF THAT TO SAY, that the player doesn’t really do that?? most characters end up exactly where they started, or imo in a worse, less interesting place. it was hard to care for eve, bc she was presented as perfect & then SHOWN as perfect during the show. tim went from fuckboy with daddy issues to goody two-shoes out of literal thin air & I’m sorry to say he became boring. tin was cute but boring af. the only interesting characters were giwi, chimon’s character, mims, and drake’s character. and even then, apart for chimon & drake, I didn’t really care if they lived or died. pitch was interesting in his own rights but again, he had very little development. therefore, the meat of the show, the characters, felt actually pretty empty & imo failed to leave a long-lasting impact on its viewers.

- the ships were so fucking boring, man. tim & eve are literally one of the worst ships I’ve seen in a while, which sucks bc I love both jane & joss. tin & mims were a bit more interesting but still sooooooo fucking unhealthy & boring most of the time. pitch & matt definitely were interesting, but them ending up together after all was fucking terrible lol. overall for me this show promised 3 things: a messy entertaining storyline, a character-focused story & ships. it only delivered on one of these things.

would I rewatch it: I mean if the occasion calls for it, yes, but in general, no.

Overall this is still a show I would recommend because it is definitely fun to watch even though the ending was disappointing. Definitely not at the top of my list of the best thai dramas though.

[yelena-bellova]

Safe Haven: tfatws!Bucky Barnes x fem!reader - Chapter Ten

chapter nine - Chapter Ten: Heroes - chapter eleven

Series Masterlist

Plot: Y/n, Sam and Bucky make one final effort to stop the Flag Smashers.

Warnings: spoilers for episode.6, violence, character death (major), wounds, blood, ANGST ANGST ANGST, Bucky and Y/n are a badass couple, Sam and Y/n are a badass sibling duo, everybody’s a badass, inaccurate medical care (unless you consider google legit then it’s for real lol)

Word Count: 8.6k

A/N: GUYS. SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER. HOW DID WE GET HERE?!?! This one was challenging to write because I wanted to still make it mainly focus on Sam and not detract from his story while incorporating another one, hopefully I did it justice. Smaller amount of Bucky Y/n fluff purely because of plot. Imma shut up now and let you guys judge it for yourselves, hopefully you enjoy ☺️

----

I’d always wanted to visit New York, I just never thought that the circumstances in which I’d come would be so dire.

Surprisingly, flying from Delacroix to the city hadn’t been as draining as I’d thought, the adrenaline rushing through me was enough to keep my stamina up. Once I got into the state I shot up higher, the only way to pinpoint the city’s location was by sight alone. The mass of flashing red, white and blue lights served as a literal guiding light and I followed it till my feet made contact with the ground. I landed in between two buildings, a safe distance away from the commotion but close enough that I could intervene if needed. Sam had told me to go ahead of him and meet up with Bucky, the two of us would be on the ground while Sam took care of business with the senators. “Something’s different…” the voice I’d gone days without hearing announced from behind me, “New haircut?” I smirked and turned to face Bucky, “Do you get bulletproof suits for all the girls that catch your eye?” “Only the ones I really like,” he smiled, cradling my cheek in his hand and giving me an overdue kiss before pulling back to admire the suit, “Looks good on you.” The suit that Bucky had the Wakandans design for me was made almost entirely of Vibranium. It was sapphire blue, the same color of my energy with accent lines of silver running through it to define the shape. It clung tight to my body without showing off too much, the v neckline ended just below my collarbone. Hidden behind Bucky’s note in the case had also been a note from Shuri, the princess of Wakanda, listing that the suit was bullet proof and should I choose to channel my energy through a specific part of my body, the Vibranium would absorb and redistribute it to amplify my strike. The whole ensemble made me feel an official member of whatever club I’d decided to join.

I opened my fingerless glove adorned palm out to Bucky, offering him one of the comms Sam had given me and placing the other in my ear. “Ready?” he asked.

For once, I could answer feeling fully confidant in my capabilities. I reached out and squeezed Bucky’s hand, giving a single nod, “Ready.”

The two of us made our way out from between the buildings and headed into the heart of the chaos. There were news crews, police officers, soldiers and SWAT teams while innocent bystanders quickly fled the scene. 

“Sam, where you at?” I said into my comm.

“I’m almost there,” he replied.

“What’s the plan?” Bucky asked from beside me.

“Karli’s gotta be close, keep your eyes open.” “Well, it could be anybody…” Bucky said quietly as we passed by a group of officers.

We headed for the building in which the senators were being held, the SWAT team immediately parting to allow Sergeant Barnes and myself to enter. Whether or not he was paying attention to anything other than finding Karli, I wasn’t sure, but I smiled internally at the fact that they’d recognized him for what he should have been recognized for all this time.

“Oh, we also called in some backup,” I relayed to Bucky.

“Excuse me, sir, ma’am,” we turned to see a man in a beanie following us, “Are you supposed to be here?” Bucky looked stunned and slightly concerned while I stayed calm, recognizing the signal. Immediately, Sharon ripped off the technologically advanced mask that concealed her identity. “It’s me.” “Sharon, what the hell are you doing here?” Bucky asked.

I gestured to the woman, “Backing us up…” “Relax, no one’s looking for me here,” she said, pulling on Bucky’s arm in an effort to get us away from the crowd. “Is that Sharon?” Sam asked over the comms.

“Unfortunately,” Bucky answered, earning a light, disapproving smack from me to his chest.

“Hey, Sam, I thought I’d get the band back together,” Sharon said into her earpiece.

“Thank you, you’re risking a lot coming here.” I took a step forward towards the blonde, “If you want me to fly you out of here, now’s the time.”

She gave a little shrug, “I hear pardons aren’t all they’re cracked up to be anyway.”

“Depends on the therapist,” Bucky grumbled.

“They’re gonna move on the building soon. Be ready,” Sam’s voice flowed into my ear.

“Same goes for you,” I replied, trying to compartmentalize the constant anxiety that ran through me in regards to my brother’s safety. Though knowing he wore vibranium wings now did help ease my fears a little. I turned my attention back to Sharon and Bucky, “Let’s split up and do a perimeter check. Front’s clear so I’ll take the back, you two take the sides.” “Wow,” Sharon smirked, “Give you a suit and suddenly you’re Miss Take Charge.” I shot her smirk right back at her as she headed down her side of the building while Bucky and I went around the other way. “Somethin’ changed while I was gone,” he observed as we walked. “You made amends,” I replied, flashing back to my visit to the graveyard, “I made peace.” I expelled energy from my fingertips to float above him and fly to the back of the building, not a soul in sight.

“Y/n, Sharon, Bucky, what’s going on on your end?” Sam asked.

“Nothing, all quiet,” Bucky answered. “Same here,” I said, taking another look around me to be sure,

“No one’s moving toward the building,” Sharon added. 

“Karli’s not coming in. She’s trying to force everybody out,” Sam said, “It’s a misdirect, we gotta keep everybody inside.” 

I levitated once again and headed to the front of the building, finding Bucky and Sharon waiting for me. Once I landed, we entered through the glass doors. “You guys are gonna have to do something,” Sam panted through the comm, “Don’t let ‘em out of the building.”

We passed through the building’s metal detectors one by one with no issue, till the alarm sounded off on Sharon. “Oops,” she muttered unconvincingly. “Here’s one of them,” Bucky said, gesturing towards a man in a security uniform, a Flag Smasher, “We’ll get the evac.” Bucky and I winded around the halls but didn’t get far before a woman came walking towards us with a phone extended out in her palm, “Mr. Barnes, Miss. Y/l/n, it’s Karli.” How she knew my name baffled me, Bucky reached for the phone regardless and took note of the orange handprint projected on the screen. He placed the call on speaker, “Karli?”

“Aren’t you two tired of fighting for the wrong side?” the young girl asked.

Bucky scoffed as we stepped down a staircase, “I’ve done this before, kid. I know how it ends.”

“It doesn’t matter if I don’t survive this,” she replied, “I’m fighting for something bigger than myself. With all the bodies you’ve collected, have you been able to say the same?”

“You don’t think I ever fought for something bigger than myself?” Bucky asked, “That’s all I ever tried to do. And I failed twice.” I tugged Bucky’s arm so the phone was in front of me, “Karli, all I’ve ever wanted was to use my powers for good. I respect the fight you’re fighting but this isn’t the way to win it.” “Believe me, I know all about your father’s crimes,” she spoke back, “I looked you up after meeting you in Riga, and trust me, the side you’re on is no better than the one your dad was one.” My heart clenched at her words, I knew that she was a black and white person who only dealt in absolutes, but it didn’t mean hearing it didn’t hurt. “If you wanted to do any real good, you’d have joined us,” Karli continued, “You’d have needed to get your hands dirty, but you’d have made an actual difference.” “You think your cause justifies all this death,” Bucky stepped in and took the wheel, “But in the end, the nightmares won’t go away. You’re gonna remember all the ones you killed. Trust me. Don’t do this. Don’t go down this path.”

There was a hopeful pause over the line, followed by a disappointing response. “If that’s how the both of you feel, you should sit this one out.” I glanced over at Bucky, sharing the same tired, yet determined look I was displaying. “That’s not gonna happen.” “Well, thank you,” Karlie replied, “I’m glad you took my call, you’ve been a big help.” She hung up then, the realization hitting me immediately as to why she’d called us. “The evac,” I breathed, “It was a deterrence.”

“Damn it,” Bucky growled with a clenched jaw, “Come on!”

We raced through across the floor of the building, making for the winding staircase lit up with flashing emergency lights that would lead us to the parking lot. Since we were the only two fleeing the building that particular way, it was a safe bet to make that the hostages had already been evacuated. Once we were in the parking lot, Bucky took the lead and led me to a parked row of motorcycles, quickly hot-wiring one.

“Seriously, guys, you had one job,” Sharon popped out from behind a pillar to critique us.

“You worry about your guy,” Bucky grumbled as he swung his leg over to straddle the vehicle, I promptly did the same, “Good?” Locking my arms around his torso and scooching forward so my Vibranium chest was pressed against his back, I nodded. “Good.” Bucky floored the gas pedal and we rode off with an echoing screech, finding our way through the garage’s exit. A blockade of soldiers yelled at us as we quickly approached them, shooting through the gap between barriers and whipping around the street corner. On any other occasion I’d have enjoyed clinging tight to Bucky’s body as we rode through the cool New York evening air. Sadly, there was no time to savor the moment.

“That’s one down,” Sharon’s voice came through my comm. “How’d you manage that?” Sam joined in. “Mercury vapor, amongst other things.” Bucky made a sharp turn down one of the streets causing me to clutch his middle tighter, “Any idea where they’ll be headed?” “I thought you were the one in charge,” Bucky retorted over the engine’s noise. “You better speed things up, Sam,” Sharon said, “The chopper’s about to take off.” “Bucky, Y/n,” Sam called, grunts following directly after. Bucky halted at a light, determining the rest of our course. “I don’t fly, man, that’s your guys’ thing.” He revved the bike and turned down a different street.

I pressed a hand to my ear, “Meet you there.” Placing a reassuring hand on Bucky’s shoulder, I levitated off the motorcycle and watched him continue on his path while I turned in the opposite direction and headed back through the city. From across the way, I could see the silhouette of Sam’s wings as he jumped off of the building after the helicopter. The chopper had taken a nose dive and was headed for the street, pulling up just before it hit the overpass. I quickened the speed in which I was flying over the bay, catching up to Sam soon enough. He flew lower than me, his new wings dipping into the waters before he shot back up.

“Plan?” I called into the comms as I kept close to the rear of the chopper. “We gotta take out the pilot,” Sam answered, “Take the left side.” I flew to my designated spot and reached out a hand to grasp onto one of the bars of the plane. Reabsorbing my energy, I put full faith in my grip as I dangled off of the helicopter in mid flight. I poked my head out to the window on the pilot’s side only to be given a front row seat to his attempt to kill Sam, firing a machine gun till my brother was forced to pull back and off the chopper. The pilot whipped his head around to lay eyes on me, aiming his gun. Lightning fast, I let go of the bar and narrowly escaped the shots fired, throwing my hands out and expelling energy to resume my flight. Sam wasn’t far behind, we took off in tandem with one another with him sending Redwing ahead to see if any of the hostages had flight training. As the chopper plunged towards the water, we moved in synch with it, just a few hundred feet behind in a dance of sorts. In the distance, I could barely make out the shape of an almost identical vehicle headed towards the one we were tailing, this one bearing the logo of the NYPD. Our chopper rammed itself into the front of the police copter, sending it spinning in a spiral of smoke and fire. If we didn’t get there in time, it would crash into one of the skyscrapers or worse. Sam and I changed course and made a beeline for it. “Get the co-pilot,” Sam yelled as he swerved to my left. 

I flew up to the side window and shot an energy blast towards it, smashing the glass and startling the co-pilot. I then levitated him out of the chopper and flew the two of us down to the bridge below us, Sam was right behind me with the pilot. The plane was losing altitude fast and was headed straight for our rescue party. Before I could even think to build a force field, Sam shoved me and the pilots down and shielded us with his wings. I felt the Vibranium shake as the plane bounced off of us and over the edge of the bridge. Sam retracted his wings and the two of us rose to our full heights, him in all his red, white and blue glory.

“Go, I got this,” he instructed, taking off into the skies before I could put up a fight. 

I levitated high above the bridge to get a birds eye view of the city, “Bucky, where are you?”

“42nd Street, heading west,” he answered

“I’m a tourist, those words mean nothing to me.”

“I’m passing a building with white and red lights,” he modified his answer. My eyes searched for the building he was talking about, spotting it quickly and taking off toward it. I looked below me to see two humvees and multiple bodies running around them. “Found them, they’re trying to build a-“ “I see ‘em, coming in hot,” Bucky interrupted, I could see his motorcycle speeding down the street and toward the barricade the Flag Smashers had arranged. Taking a leap, or rather a fall of faith, I absorbed my energy and free fell, throwing my hands out and releasing it just before my feet hit the ground. Bucky wasn’t far behind, leaping off his motorcycle and diving forward to tackle one of the Flag Smashers. The man jumped to his feet and Bucky engaged him in combat, the two exchanging punches with Bucky having more favor. In a split second of separation between the two I shot a blast of energy at the man that sent him flying backwards into the side of a truck, creating a super soldier shaped dent in the car. A sudden explosion sounded off nearby, I turned to see that one of the humvees had been set ablaze. Bucky and I ran to the vehicle, I sent an energy blast towards the high tech lock that had been placed on the back doors. It did absolutely nothing.

“Hold on,” Bucky shouted to the screaming hostages as he used his Vibranium arm to pull on the door handle. Even he couldn’t get it open. “Help me!”

I focused all my energy on the lock, sending unsuccessful blast after unsuccessful blast. Letting out a frustrated cry, I backed away giving Bucky another chance to try. He began throwing a stream of relentless punches, his determination growing with each hit. Eventually he’d done enough damage that he switched to pulling at the door’s bar. The pain on his face as he pulled was heartbreaking, the tendons and muscles where his prosthetic met his flesh stretching to too great a length. Making one last ditch effort, I extended my energy towards the handle to help him in his efforts. Together, we strained and struggled until the lock finally broke and the doors opened. While Bucky kept his footing, I fell backwards doing a very ungraceful somersault and landed on my side. What I saw happening in front of me was almost too shocking to believe, and yet not at all. 

John Walker was getting his ass kicked by the Flag Smashers. 

With a replica of the iconic shield that was definitely not made of Vibranium and his suit, he was lying on the ground being pummeled by the super soldiers. With the vigor in which they were attacking him, I knew that the metal wouldn’t protect him forever. The man that I hated, who had tried to kill me, Sam and Bucky, who had shed innocent blood on Steve’s legacy…I could have let them kill him and I should have wanted to.

But even in my hatred, I couldn’t let a man die.

I rose to my feet and sent a stream of energy towards two of them, knocking them a few feet away from Walker. The third who I deduced to be Karli, came charging at me. I threw up a force field to act as a shield and met each one of her punches with the energy. She let out grunts of frustration, going for a roundhouse kick but giving me just enough time to drop the field and levitate her into the air. I held her there a second, watching her flail about trying to escape before tossing her several hundred feet away from us towards the end of the street. The two Flag Smashers that I’d knocked over came charging back toward me, it was time to test out just what the suit could do…

I focused my energy out through my elbow and hit one of them square in the jaw, the energy sending him rolling down the road far greater a distance that I’d have been able to cause without the Vibranium amplifying it. I turned around to the other one, dodging a quick punch before sending my energy down to my foot, landing a kick my attacker’s stomach that caused him to go airborne and land on top of one of the trucks. Unfortunately, the first guy didn’t stay down as long as I needed him to and came up from behind me and landed a kick to my back. I fell to the road with a groan, felt the burn of the asphalt as it shredded my cheek. I heard the man rip something metal followed by the sound of his thick boots coming my way, undoubtably he’d grabbed something to use as a weapon. As I rose to take another stand, I saw Bucky come running past me and turned to watch him knock the Flag Smasher over, the man dropping the toll meter he’d been holding as a bat over me. Bucky strode forward and they began fighting one another with punches and kicks while I looked around to see Karli welding the unattended meter. She swung it towards Bucky, his avoidance of the hit and my creation of a force field around him totally in synch. Karli took another swing at him and met resistance, unable to move the weapon as I froze it in place with my energy.

“You don’t have to do this,” I urged her.

With a yell she let go of the weapon and dove for me, being hit in the face with a chain that Bucky had picked up. Before I could stop it, the Flag Smasher who had originally intended to hit me with the toll meter landed a kick that sent Bucky flying backwards. His metal hand scraping the asphalt as he desperately tried to hold on before going over the edge of the nearby construction site. “BUCKY!” I cried as he screamed into the night air just before Karli kicked me down herself, and landed a punch to my abdomen. The Vibranium, while giving me protection, still allowed some of the blow to reach me and I was in just enough pain that I couldn’t go after the Flag Smasher that leapt down into the construction hole Bucky had landed in. I sent a blast of energy at Karli, throwing her back and allowing me the time to stand up and regain my footing. At the same time I rose, so did Walker, the two of us sharing eye contact that was oceans away from the last time we’d met on the battlefield. Separating once again, he turned to lift one of the Flag Smashers up by her throat while I landed a punch on one that was coming for me. The second van of hostages was brimming with horrified screams, both my and Walker’s attention being redirected to them. Karli, who stood a few feet away from us, made a run for the humvee and Walker and I chased after her. Walker braced himself with the shield and the two of them came face to face with one another. Giving another insignificant try, I sent a stream of energy towards the lock in an attempt to break it but couldn’t without Bucky’s brute strength. Behind me, I could hear the grunts and groans of Walker and Karli moving around as they fought one another. When the noises got too distant to still be close by, I knew I needed to go back Walker up.

I looked through the everything-proof glass window to the terrified faces of the senators. “We’ll get you out, I promise,” I yelled, taking off towards the fight. 

Karli came running out from where they’d disappeared behind, I sent another blast her way that she dodged. She leapt into the air with a cry and raised a fist, I threw up a force field that she bounced off of and rolled to the ground. “This isn’t change, Karli,” I spoke up over the noise of the fire, “It’s murder.” The only response I got was another yell, Karli came charging towards me forcing me to throw up another shield to deflect her punches and kicks. I didn’t want to hurt her, I didn’t even want to fight her. It was different than with Walker where there was a mutual disliking of one another since almost the very beginning, she was just a kid looking to fight anyone who got in her way. Her cause was even something I agreed with, but I couldn’t stand by her taking innocent lives in the process.

Karli caught my exposed neck, gripping my neck tightly and holding me in the air. The bruises from Walker’s assault hadn’t fully healed and Karli was squeezing far tighter than he had. Thinking quickly, I swung my legs around to the back of her knees and forced my energy out of my feet as I slammed into her legs. The two of us fell in a heap, Karli on top of me with her grip loose enough on my throat that I could get out of it and flip her over. I pinned her hands to the asphalt on either side of her head using my energy, “You can stop all of this right now,” I urged over her furious cries, “Karli, please.”

Karli snarled at me before moving her knees to hit me in my back, throwing me off balance and giving her the perfect opportunity to launch me down the same hole Bucky had fallen down. I caught myself mid air and looked down to see Bucky and one of the Flag Smashers fighting with a metal beam, Bucky gaining the upper hand. I dropped to the ground and ran to him as he landed a final strike against the man, knocking him to the ground. As my hand reached out for his arm, there was a violent crash above us. We looked up to see that the humvee filled with the hostages had been driven off the road and was balancing on top of the construction. It teetered on the edge, ready to slip at any moment and finish Karli’s plan. I extended my energy to steady the vehicle, I wasn’t sure what made me think I could keep a couple thousand pound vehicle suspended in midair but the fact that I’d never used my powers like this didn’t matter. I had to try. As it rocked back and forth against my energy, I took a stance and dug my heels in the ground, sending up the steady streams I’d recently discovered I could produce. They curved around the front of the vehicle, protecting it from falling any further. The screams of terror from the hostages were my motivation to keep going, to do everything in my power that I could do save who I could.

After a few seconds of bearing my teeth and groaning in struggle, the load lessened slightly. I opened one of my eyes that had been squeezed shut in concentration to see Walker’s homemade shield near my feet, the decommissioned captain above me pulling the truck from the back. For once, we were working as a cohesive unit. Who would have thought…

All was short lived though as the second we were making progress on getting the humvee away from the edge, Karli and two other Flag Smashers jumped Walker and attacked him. Unable to hold them off, they toppled over and fell into the pit alongside Bucky and I. I cried out as the full weight of the humvee became mine to bear once again, fighting harder than ever to keep it from falling. Every muscle in my body clenched as I kept the streams flowing while also slowly rising off the ground, wondering if it was possible for my body to run out of energy with how much I was throwing into my stand. I had to save them, so long as I was able to fight, I wouldn’t allow any more innocent bloodshed. My hands shook, causing my streams to shake and I groaned as my body sent every signal that it couldn’t continue on.

As I started to falter, I felt something come up beside me and some of the heaviness was taken away. Looking to my left, Sam was in the air bracing the weight of the truck alongside me. I felt renewed with his help to rise with him as we used our combined strength to steadily raise the humvee back onto the beams of the construction site. Once it was secured, Sam and I both landed on either side of the truck and faced the crowd. I made the easy decision to fly back down into the pit, the moment belonged to Sam and no one else. Bucky was at my side at once, his hands on my arms and a careful set of eyes watching to make sure I was okay. I rested my forehead on his shoulder for a too brief second and nodded through my heavy breathing. 

From in front of us, Karli launched a spear towards Bucky’s head that he easily got throwing it to the side as he stared her down. Sam’s shield came flying out of nowhere, hitting Karli and rebounding off of the other Flag Smasher before landing back on Sam’s wrist. Karli shed her mask, looking at him with disgust and shock. “You of all people bought into that bullshit?” she asked, examining his patriotic suit from a distance.

“I’m trying something different,” Sam answered, his voice steely, “Maybe you should do the same.”

A sudden explosion was set off, a grenade landing at our feet setting off smoke that blinded us. I quickly covered Sam, Walker, Bucky and myself in a large force field, as my eyes tried to make out Karli’s figure. “This way,” Sam directed, using the tech in his goggles to spot them. I dropped the shield and followed him, the only person I could make out semi-clearly in the haze. We ran down and through a nearby tunnel, weaving down underground hallways in search of the remainders of the group. “Hey Sharon,” Bucky said into his comm, “We’re underground. We entered the tunnel on William. Heading south.”

“Looks like they split up,” Sam announced, he pointed down a corridor, “Here.” Walker took off without a second thought, while Bucky paused in front of Sam and I. “I got it,” he pointed to my brother, brushing his fingers against mine before heading down the hall. Sam and I both watched them leave, my anxiety rising with each step Bucky took away from me. Shaking myself out of the spiral I knew I’d go down if I gave it any more thought, I followed Sam’s lead as we continued on our way. The sound of the Flag Smasher’s signature whistle echoed off the walls causing Sam and I to freeze, he determined where it may have come from and motioned for me to come forward. 

“If something happens, you get the hell out of here, got it?” Sam whispered. “Nice try,” I replied, having flashbacks to the various times in the past week or so that we’d had conversations like this, “I’m not leaving you.” Suddenly, two shots were fired nearby. Sam and I bolted in the general direction that the sound had come from, fear flooding my body at the thought of Bucky being on the receiving end of one of the bullets. The worry caused me to run faster. We made it into a wider room, Karli standing in the middle with a gun aimed at a helpless Sharon, laying on the ground with a hand over her abdomen. I spotted the blood staining her shirt and threw a force field around her as Sam clipped his shield to his back. “Sam, stay back,” Karli warned, her eyes flicking to him briefly before landing back on Sharon.

“So, what’s next, huh?” Sam asked, taking careful steps toward her, “You kill ten this time, then, what, a hundred? Where does it end? Please,” he lowered his tone, “Let me help you.” “Don’t try and manipulate me,” Karli replied, looking between the blue barrier I shielded Sharon with and me. She twisted her body to aimed her gun at me, my resolve to protect Sharon stronger than protecting myself. 

“Karli, don’t!” Sharon cried.

Sam dove forward and tackled the girl to the floor, somersaulting away from her as Karli raised a piece of cinderblock. She launched it at Sam who deflected the makeshift weapon with his shield. Karli swung at him and Sam jumped on top of a small staircase, his shield in front of him at all times. “I’m not gonna fight you!” he yelled, leaping off the stairs. 

Karli continued her attack, Sam dug the tips of his wings into the concrete and met her fist with the shield. “Karli…” he urged just before she ripped the shield away and walked him backwards, Sam completing a series of jumps and flips. Karli grabbed a metal pipe and swung it at Sam, knocking him to the ground. “Stay down!” she growled.

Every instinct I had told me to go after the person who was endangering Sam’s life, anybody’s would be. But I knew that it was pointless to fight her, it was only giving her what she wanted. The serum enhanced people’s personalities, Karli had always been a fighter but now, she was looking to fight anything and anyone and would do it ruthlessly. I couldn’t buy into it.

I retracted the shield I’d built around Sharon and flew around Karli, placing myself between her and Sam. “Karli, the fight is over,” I breathed. 

“No!” she shrieked, barely giving me enough time to throw up an energy shield before she threw a punch. Her fist bouncing off of it only angered her more and she began a relentless attack, banging her hands against the force field, taking swipes anywhere she could. I levitated over her head and landed a few feet away, luring her away from Sam. Karli was furious at the fact that she couldn’t touch me or get me to try and battle her. It didn’t take long for Sam to spring to his feet, throwing his shield out in between Karli and I. Karli focused her efforts on Sam then, punching the shield relentlessly as Sam walked her away from me. “Fight back!” she screamed in my brother’s face.

I extended my energy and pulled her away from Sam, throwing her a few feet away from us. Karli let out a battle cry and leapt forward, Sam and I coming side by side and holding up our respective shields. Karli’s fist rebounded off of my energy and spun around to hit Sam’s shield, he then grabbed her by the waist and turned on his thrusters, flying them across to room to slam Karli into a beam. “Stop it,” he ordered, gripping her by the lapels of her jacket. Karli replied by throwing him above her head into the ceiling, I used my energy to yank her away from Sam and in front of me. 

“Listen to me, Karli,” I urged, earning a super-soldier shiner to my cheek, “We’re not your enemies.” Karli dropped me to the ground like I weighed nothing, the vibranium suit creating a dent in the flooring. I let out a groan at the shock and she ran off to deal with Sam. “Fight me!” she screamed as she clawed at the shield, “Fight back!” She flipped him over.

He fell.

The shield fell out of his reach.

Karli picked up the gun and aimed it at Sam.

He rose, accepting his fate.

Gathering the strength I had left, I got to my feet.

With trembling hands, knowing what I was about to do, I levitated and landed in front of Sam.

Karli’s face shifted, though I couldn’t read it as my emotions overwhelmed me. 

A supercut ran through my mind.

Sam.

Sarah.

AJ and Cass.

Mel.

My mom.

My father.

A legacy rewritten.

Bucky. 

Would he forgive me for what I was about to do? I hoped so.

“Go ahead,” I whispered, staring Karli down and blinking away the tears before she could see them, “Do it.” Karli’s face scrunched up as her finger prepared to pull the trigger when suddenly, three gunshots went off from nearby, hitting her. The gun fell to the ground and so did she. My eyes flew to where the bullets had come from, the sight of Sharon holding the smoking gun awaiting me. Sam dropped to his knees to cradle Karli’s head, the young girl staring up at him wide eyed and afraid. I knelt down on the other side of her, slipping her still warm hand into mine and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered, staring up at Sam before looking to me. The only thought that ran through my mind was she’s just a girl, she’s just a girl…As I watched the tears well in her eyes before the life drained from them and they shut, the sudden innocence overwhelmed me. She was just a girl…

I didn’t let go of her hand even when it went limp, holding it to my heart as I wept over her. Sam cradled her cheek as we sat quietly, the only sounds were my soft sobs and Sharon’s labored breathing. I couldn’t face her right now, my feelings were too mixed about the way she had saved my life.

Eventually, once an undetermined amount of minutes had passed, Sam lifted Karli into his arms and the two of us rose to leave. When I turned to tell Sharon to come with us, she was already gone, probably having slipped out a back hallway. Sam carried Karli’s body the entire way out of the building, I hardly registered when we made it outside in the night air.

“I’ll clear the way for you,” I mumbled, extending my energy and shooting into the air, Sam not far behind me. The wind blowing against my dried my tears off of my cheeks as I flew toward the glow of ambulance lights outside the building we’d started the night at. There were crowds of news crews, there were the senators we’d saved and officers cleaning up the wreckage that had been left behind. They all noticed as I flew up, landing in the midst of it all and scanning the crowd for Bucky. Once I spotted him and Walker towards the very back near the ambulances, I ignored the reporters asking me questions as I weaved through the chaos. Bucky strode forward as I neared and wrapped me in his arms, I let go of the breath I’d been holding in my chest as soon as our bodies met. He was okay. My hands held the back of his neck as I dug my face into his shoulder. He tapped my waist and I turned to see Sam flying in, resembling the an angel with his outstretched wings as he landed. He carefully passed off Karli’s body to the paramedics who placed the girl on a stretcher, carrying her off to who knows where. 

Sam walked towards the crowd, doing the same as me and ignoring the reporters flooding him with unimportant questions. He had flown in carrying the dead body of a kid and here they were, asking him if they should refer to him as Captain Falcon. He stopped in front of the senators who were busy thanking him for dealing with what I heard one refer to as ‘terrorists.’

“Are you still going forward with resetting the borders?” Sam asked.

They answered, and while I couldn’t hear their words, I could read Sam’s face well enough to know it wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“You have to stop calling them terrorists…” “What else would we call them?” one of the senators asked. “Your peacekeeping troops carrying weapons are forcing millions of people into settlements around the word, right?” Sam continued, “What do you think those people are going to call you? These labels, terrorists, refugees, thug. They’re often used to get around the question ‘why.’

“Those settlements that happened five years ago, do you think it is fair for governments to have to support them?” another senator asked. “Yes,” Sam said plainly. 

“And the people who reappeared only to find someone else living in their family home, they just end up homeless?” the bearded senator pushed back, “Look, I get it. But you have no idea how complicated this situation is.”

Just as he prepared to walk away, Sam spoke up. “You know what, you’re right, and that’s a good thing. We finally have a common struggle now. Think about that. For once, all the people who’ve been begging and, I mean, literally begging for you to feel how hard any given day is, now you know. How did it feel to be helpless? Now if you can remember what it was like to be helpless and face a force so powerful, it could erase half the planet. You would know that you were about to have the exact same impact. This isn’t about easy decisions. Senator.”

“You just don’t understand,” the senator replied, probably the most ignorant response I’d ever heard.

Sam scoffed, “I’m a black man, carrying the stars and strips. What don’t I understand? Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are going to hate me for it. Even now, here. I feel it. The stares, the judgment, and there’s nothing I can do to change it. Yet I’m still here. No super serum. No blonde hair or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better.”

Holding onto Bucky a little tighter, the tears that I shed had morphed to those of joy. There my brother stood, in front of the government and the entire country saying what we all needed to hear. He spoke without reserve, unapologetic in his stance, and I had never been prouder of him.

“We can’t demand that people step up if we don’t meet them halfway,” Sam’s voice rose with passion, “Look, you control the banks. Shit, You can move borders. You can knock down a forest with an email. You can feed a million people with a phone call. But the question is, who’s in the room with you when you’re making those decisions? Hmm? Is it the people you’re gonna impact? Or is it just more people like you?” he paused, collecting himself before gesturing to where Karli’s body lay in the ambulance, “I mean, this girl died trying to stop you. And no one has stopped for one second to ask why. You’ve got to do better, Senator, you’ve got to step up because if you don’t, the next Karli will. And you don’t want to see 2.0. People believed in her cause so much that they helped her defy the strongest governments in the world. Why do you think that is? Look, you people have just as much power as an insane god,” Sam’s voice broke for only a second, “Or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is how are you going to use it?”

With that, he walked away from the crowd that had been watching him so intently and made his way towards us. He stopped in front of Walker, the two of them sharing a look before nodding to one another, a non-verbal truce being declared. Walker also turned to me, in the end he had stepped up and done the right thing, but I knew that the two of us would never be on good terms. I’d never forget his tightening grip around my throat, nor would he forget that I wasn’t afraid of him and would tear him apart if he ever tried anything like he had in the warehouse again. But I had saved the guy’s life and because of that, his stare softened for only a second as he nodded his thanks to me. I watched as he disappeared into the crowd, off to whatever his next mission may be…

“Sorry, I was, uh, I was texting and so, all I heard was, um, “a black guy in stars and stripes,” Bucky broke the tension of the moment as Sam approached us.

The three of us shared a chuckle before Sam and I locked eyes, not having spoken a word yet about what had happened underground. I threw my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my shoulders, sharing probably the best hug we’d ever had. Our shared goal of keeping one another alive had been achieved. “Love you,” I whispered in his ear. “Love you too,” he replied, a hint of emotion choking him up. He squeezed a little tighter before releasing me, the three of us walking off together.

“Nice job, Cap,” Bucky said, patting Sam’s back that displayed the shield before sliding his hand back around my waist. A few feet away, hidden behind one of the ambulances and leaned up against the car was a familiar blonde figure.

“Sharon?” Sam called.

“Blocking my light,” she retorted, holding a gauze pad to the gunshot wound on her abdomen. “We need to get you to a hospital,” I strode forward, examining her injury as best I could.

“She’s not gonna listen,” Bucky grumbled as he looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was following us. Sharon panted as she shrugged, “Hey, it’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me all week.”

“Told you…” Bucky said at my side. “Yeah, I don’t care,” I shook my head, “We’re take care of this.” “Uh, Cap?” an interruption came, the senator that had been on the receiving end of most of Sam’s impassioned speech. “I think he’s talking to you,” Sharon said before turning to both Sam and I, “Look, I’m sorry for how things ended down there. For what it’s worth,” she looked Sam up and down and genuinely smiled, “Suit looks good on you.”

Sam chuckled, “Thanks.”

Bucky nodded along, humoring the conversation for as long as he could. “All right, look, can we get out of here, please?” he asked, placing a hand on Sharon’s back to urge her forward. Giving up, she allowed him to lead her away. 

“I didn’t forget my promise,” Sam called to Sharon, referring to the pardon I hoped he could secure for her. 

I turned to my brother, “Meet you back home?” 

He gave a long sigh, his eyes flitting between Bucky’s departing figure and me, “Why don’t you stay here a couple days?” I knew what he was offering and how hard it was for him to say the words, he was trying to give me time with Bucky. I did my best to conceal my smile, “Are you sure?” “You risked your life all week, you almost died trying to protect us,” he stated with a scoff, “I think you deserve a little time off. Now go,” he looked back to Bucky and scrunched his face up a little, “Before I change my mind.” Unable to hide my grin any longer, I reached out and clasped hands with him, bringing each other in for another hug. “Go get ‘em, Cap.”

The two of us let each other go, off to tend to our business before eventually reuniting back in the house we’d grown up in. It was crazy to think that I owed almost every great thing in my life to the boy who’d sat next to the lonely girl in first grade. Now here we were, dressed in Vibranium off saving the world, or at least doing what we could to make it a better one.

——

“Superhero, nurse…you’re full of surprises, Y/l/n,” Sharon commented before sucking in a sharp breath as I placed another suture.

I laughed softly, concentrating on my work, “I took a first aid class a couple years ago. When you’re living with two boys, trust me, it comes in handy a little too often. But I’ve never had to remove a bullet.” We were seated on the floor of Bucky’s Brooklyn apartment with me tending to Sharon’s wound using his first aid kit. Bucky was waiting in his bedroom to give us privacy, Sharon had her shirt pulled up and her pants unbuttoned to give me full access to her stomach. I’d had to place sutures once when Sarah had accidentally sliced her finger open with a knife, pulling out a lodged bullet was entirely new to me.

“I saw you tonight, with the truck,” she said as she watched me work, “You did good.” 

I supposed now that I had shown my powers to the world, I’d have to get used to people paying me compliments but for now, I still didn’t know how to take them. “So are you gonna stick with it? The hero thing?” Sharon asked.

I tied another suture, closing the sterilized hole in her abdomen. “I think so. Captain America needs a right hand man, why not have it be his sister?” Sharon hummed in agreement, a beat of silence passing. “You don’t think you’ll strike out on your own? You seem a little too independent to follow orders.” “Yeah, well,” I started working on the last stitch, “Sam and I work better together than I would with anyone else. Maybe one day I’ll do my own thing but for now, I’m fine where I’m at.” “Well, I guess you’re finally in a position to do all that good you said you wanted to,” she sighed, “Just don’t forget to keep your eyes open, opportunity’s everywhere.” “Alright, Miss Madripoor,” I chuckled, sterilizing the wound one more time with an alcohol wipe, “Your hustler side is showing.” 

Sharon shrugged and gave a little smirk, “All I’m saying is there’s a lot of ways to effect change, but I’m sure you’ll find that out.” Storing her advice away in my head for a later time, I placed a gauze pad on her abdomen and secured it. “Alright, you should be good. Just promise me that you’ll actually get checked by an actual doctor or whatever you have in High Town?” “Sure thing, Doc,” she replied with a smile as she adjusted her clothes again and rose to her feet, “You’re good, Barnes!” Bucky stepped back out into the room, peering around the corner carefully before entering fully. Despite the fact that he was in his own apartment, he still hadn’t changed out of what he’d worn to the fight. “What happens now?” I asked, looking to Sharon, “Hotel? Hidden apartment in some dodgy part of the city?” Sharon chortled at my suggestions, “I’ve got a plane waiting to take me back to Madripoor. The longer I stay here, the more of a chance they’ll find me,” she gave a small smile, “It was good seeing you guys again.” “It won’t be the last,” I confirmed, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Sam’ll get that pardon, you’ll be back before you know it.” “That’d be nice,” she sighed longingly, clearly thinking about all the freedom that would come with coming back home. Coming back to the conversation, she patted my arm and regained her full voice, “But until then, keep them in check. God knows they need it.” “The hell does that mean?” Bucky grumbled from his position outside his bedroom, leaving Sharon and I to share a laugh before she walked to the front door. “I’ll do my best, and hey, thank you for what you did for me...” I called out just before she shot us one last knowing smile and left, the door shutting behind her. While I wanted to worry about her walking the streets of New York and possibly getting caught, I’d seen enough of her in action to know that she could handle whatever came her way. 

Bucky slowly made his way to the door, locking it and turning around to face me. It was the first time of the night we’d been completely alone. Our eyes met, tired and traumatized but still alert and seeking one another out. Bucky crossed the room in a few long strides, taking his time in approaching me as if he was savoring the moment. I reached out once he was close enough and interlocked my hand with his, tugging him close to me. He dragged two featherlight fingers over the nasty bruise that Karli had given me, his brow furrowing as he examined the side of my face. I ran my thumb over the long red bruise across the side of his forehead, the pressure increasing when he leaned into my touch.

The night could have ended so differently. If Karli had pulled the trigger, if Bucky hadn’t fought on such high alert, we could have ended in tragedy. Such thoughts were better buried away and not thought of, but I couldn’t help it. Lucky, blessed, whatever word you wanted to use…we were it. With no battles on the horizon to fight, we could focus on figuring out just what spark there was between us. 

No words needed to be spoken, not for now at least. Tonight, all I needed was to hold Bucky in my arms and remember that despite every odd and every trouble thrown our way, we were alive. And as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a tender but still passionate kiss, I had never felt more alive.

----

A/N: Oh, but we’re not done yet...We still have some time off and a cookout to attend 😉 I really can’t thank you all enough for sticking with this series the past few weeks, it means the world to me that I’ve been able to bring a little joy to people’s days. Let me know what you thought and if you’d like to be tagged for the LAST CHAPTER. 

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