#and then as I ran through it i realised that hes the most. tangible psychic seven member.

[undyingsunshine]

Otto as the Sense of Touch

(Spoilers for Psychonauts 2. Just in case :) )

Also before I start I'd like to say sorry if this is just... Super obvious. And kind of a pointless post. But I've been thinking about it for days and I needed to talk about it somewhere HAHA.

Alright so as we all know, in Helmut Fullbear's mind, Otto appears as his sense of Touch.

This originally struck me as a really... interesting choice. After all, Otto is constantly shown to be separated or distant from the rest of the Psychic Seven.

He's always on his own. In the wedding under the stage in Helmut's mind, Otto stands on one side, while the others stand to the other side. In bob's mind, he isn't at the wedding at all. Cassie's mind has him as someone who's full of himself. In Compton's mind, he's one of the judges. All of this adds up to suggest that he doesn't have the best relationship with members of the Psychic Seven, at least during the events of Psychonauts 2, and at the very least, we know that his relationship with Bob in particular might not have been the most peaceful.

In addition, he's the only one who's shown to be happy at the Motherlobe's opening ceremony, and is one of two original members to even remain there. And unlike Compton, he's much more present and active. Heck, this is stretching a little, but they're even on opposite sides of the Motherlobe.

All this distance - especially physical distance - as well as this sort of... "otherness", and yet he's the feeling of touch. A sense that most likely evokes images of closeness. It didn't quite add up.

Then I realised that he's most likely touch because of how he interacts with the mind. He builds machines, physically bringing his thoughts and dreams into reality. He keeps a whole stroage of brains - the physical form of the mind. He seems much more interested in the physical side of Psychonaut research, rather than the more abstract side - which is further enforced by the fact we never see that abstract side of him. We don't enter his mind, and instead we only get to see and interact with him in the physical realm, through tangible objects that he made himself.

He's. Literally got a hands-on approach to researching the mind. It even shows through the way he channels his psychic energy - through a pendant, rather than through his head, like all of the other Psychonauts we see.

Out of all of them, Otto is the one that's most in-touch with himself and the present; in-touch with his emotions, seemingly perfectly able and willing to talk about his emotions and express them, as we see with his gadgets and machines. ("I made that one when I was angry, I made this one when I was sad.")

He's more grounded, and though he does bare the scars from the battle with Maligula, he's not caught up in his own mental world with it, at least, from what we see. He has his regrets - he shows remorse for what happened - but he's also managed to keep moving forward, pushing and pressing on rather than dwell too much in his own mind.

While it's easy to get lost in the other senses - like sights and sounds - touch is often seen as something that tethers us to reality. To hold and to feel offers tangible comfort. This, in my opinion, suits Otto as the more tangible member of the Psychic Seven.

Quite ironic, though, that with all that in mind, it seems Otto had lost touch with the other members some time efore they all completely drifted apart.

[owl-with-a-pen]

Nia getting hurt and brainy turning to team-flash for help because he feels hopeless. Ty <3

- I've never written for The Flash characters before, so I hope this is okay! Seeing as Cisco recently left the show, I thought it'd be nice to focus on him. Thank you for the prompt! x

From day one, Cisco had learned that being a part of Team Flash meant staying on your toes, always keeping vigilant for the next attack and always being prepared for the subsequent counterattack Star Labs’ resident tech genius – aka him - could provide. It also meant, expect the weirdest thing imaginable and, then? Oh man, you gotta triple that.

Still, even with all of that in mind, Cisco was in no way prepared for an alien super genius to swoop in from God-knows-where and systematically dismantle his lab, not to mention steal his thunder in the process.

All in the space of under twenty minutes.

"Hey, so I’m flattered you came to us for help,” Cisco finally called out from the lab’s doorway. “But, this might be easier if you actually, I don't know? Talk to us."

Cisco had been watching in bewilderment as Brainy ran around his lab, muttering under his breath as he picked up various pieces of experimental tech with both parts appraisal and derision before throwing them each none-too-gently aside. Cisco flinched when Brainy threw one of his most recent experiments – an advanced interdimensional extrapolator designed in theory to breach the new universes that had been created by Crisis – onto the countertop. And it’d stay totally theoretical if Brainy continued to pay the same amount of care to Cisco’s handiwork as one might a discarded candy wrapper. God, he really needed to start marking these things as fragile - especially when company was over. Then again, he hadn't expected a visit from the fourth kind today.

"Hey, dude, talk to us, c'mon, we won't bite," Cisco prompted, holding up his hands placatingly. When Brainy continued without so much as a word thrown in their direction, Cisco turned to Caitlin desperately, nudging her arm. "Tell him we don't bite," he whispered loudly.

"We don't bite," Caitlin repeated exasperatedly. She’d been watching Brainy with care since he’d barged through Star Lab’s front doors. Because, seriously, could anyone just walk into this place? "Brainy - I understand you're worried for your girlfriend, but we can help you. Just tell us what you need."

Cisco knew that something big was going down in National City, enough that Kara had called ahead last minute to inform Team Flash that they’d be getting a surprise visit from one of the Super Friends. Surprise really had been the understatement of the day. Nearly the second Caitlin had been off the phone with Kara, Brainy had decided to make his grand entrance.

"I don't need anything from you," Brainy said through his teeth, quite possibly the first coherent sentence he’d directed to anyone since his arrival. He continued to move restlessly, shuffling through another pile of technology. "I require your equipment,” he elaborated stiffly. “Since the DEO's destruction, we are rather limited on supplies."

Cisco cringed. "Ooh yeah, I heard about that. Some alien god, right?"

Bad call, Cisco realised immediately. The second the words had come out of his mouth, Brainy tensed, hunching his shoulders.

"His name was Rama Khan,” Brainy said, his voice strained. “He came from a race of ancient beings."

“So, not a god?" Cisco said quickly, glancing to Caitlin for support. When she only shrugged, he fumbled for something, anything, to lighten the mood. “I mean, figures, right? Out of every form of media out there, it had to be Ancient Aliens that was on the right track.”

Brainy made a disgruntled sound at that, dangling another piece of tech out into his line of sight before making to throw it over his shoulder.

“My tachyon filtrator!” Cisco lurched forward, eyes wide. “Hey, hey, stop that!” He snatched his experimental baby from Brainy’s hands seconds before disaster, pointing an accusing finger at him. “No more throwing my stuff, got it?”

"Cisco," Caitlin murmured in warning. "Don't."

"Easy for you to say,” Cisco shot back. “He's not throwing your stuff." Cisco strode over to his workbench, collecting as many of his unfinished designs as he could carry into his arms and very deliberately placing them as far away from prying Coluan fingers as was humanly possible.

Cisco could feel Brainy’s eyes watching his every move, though he wasn’t sure if there was even a hint of an apology in his expression. From the short time they’d worked together in the past, he remembered Brainy as being pretty unfiltered when it came to conversation, if not a little socially inept. Still, he got his nickname for a reason. Dude was literally a walking talking supercomputer, capable of calculating probability to such a high degree of accuracy, he might as well have been psychic. In any other circumstance, Cisco would’ve been eager to pick his brain, maybe even get his input on some of his more complex designs.

Right now, though? Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, especially when he was so clearly distraught with what was happening over in National City.

Cisco had never formally met Dreamer before, but he’d seen her on the news enough to know that she was incredibly powerful. If something had taken her down, he knew it had to be bad.

And so, when Cisco was certain his tech was safe, he turned back to Brainy, eyeing him expectantly.

Finally, Brainy rolled his shoulders, closing his eyes. "Dreamer was affected by a meta," he explained carefully, lowering his chin. "The DEO had stockpiled technology, archived files on known meta attacks and their countermeasures. We- no, I lost that."

Well, Cisco didn’t need to be a twelfth-level whatever to know what Brainy was going through there. The guilt in his voice was practically tangible. Cisco seemed to remember that the DEO had had a sudden change in management during Lex Luthor’s reign, and if the files he’d been able to hack during that handover were true, then it’d been Brainy who’d been heading operations before the organisation’s literal collapse.

And now, Brainy’s girlfriend was in danger, caught in the crosshairs of a situation that couldn’t be fixed because of his mistake. Cisco swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat; he knew he wouldn’t have fared any better if Kamilla had been in that kind of danger.

"We've all done stuff we've regretted," Caitlin said carefully, stepping into the room. She folded her arms over her chest loosely, her brow furrowed with concern. "Look, maybe we don’t know each other very well, and maybe we can't even help advise you, but you clearly came here looking for something in particular so, we can at least supply you, right?” When Brainy turned towards her, eyes glimmering, Caitlin offered a gentle smile. “No one knows this lab's layout like Cisco, and if you need medical supplies, I've got you covered." Brainy held very still as Caitlin crossed the room and, when she was close enough, she reached out, hesitantly patting him on the shoulder. For all the confidence she was boasting right now, Cisco was far too aware that this was the closest alien encounter she'd had since meeting Kara, and for a lot of that time she'd been fronting as Frost.

"It's an extensive list," Brainy said warily. He didn’t shrug away from Caitlin’s touch, at least, which Cisco took as a small victory.

"Hey,” Cisco said, puffing out his chest, “you’re talking to Team Flash, here. I think we can handle it.”

Brainy’s eyes darted away from them both for a long moment, scanning empty air. When he blinked back into reality, he nodded, bowing his head. "Very well," Brainy relented.

With that, he made a vague gesture towards his head, pointing underhandedly with two fingers towards Cisco's pocket. In the same instant, his phone buzzed twice against his leg, indicating a text notification. Cisco fished it out of his pocket in confusion.

"I have transferred everything I need to your phone,” Brainy said by means of explanation.

“Huh. So you have,” Cisco said, eyes wide as he stared at the list of tech, trying very hard to keep his cool instead of grinning like an idiot at that awesome display of alien superpower. Maybe once he’d finished locating this stuff for Brainy, putting together the right machine to help his girlfriend, he’d have a chance to actually ask him some questions.

For now though, finding all this stuff took priority.

Cisco bit his cheek, nodding firmly. “Alright then,” he said, cracking his neck. “Looks like we should get started.”

Even though Brainy’s returning smile was pained, it was still a smile, which was definitely progress.

And hey, maybe Cisco would see a genuine one once Dreamer was safe and sound. Because he was gonna make sure that happened.

After all, that was what Team Flash was all about.

[barnes-belle]

Beauty and the Barnes (11)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU

PAIRING - Bucky X Reader

WARNINGS - Lots of Smut, Light Hints of Non/Dub-Con, Prostitution, Swearing, Dark Bucky. (I can’t stress enough that this is kinda dark, Buckys an asshole and the kind of behavior that goes on in this fic is in no way acceptable in the real world)

When your father falls deathly ill you fall into a lifestyle you would have never predicted for yourself. Selling your body as a high-class escort isn’t ideal but it’s the only way to find the money you need to help your father, until your first client offers you another way.

Bucky’s mean, coarse and gets a kick out of watching you squirm but he is willing to help your father. All you have to do is sign yourself over to The Winter Soldier, body and soul.

Trapped in The Avengers compound, serving as a PA to a man who’s an absolute beast you find yourself wondering if there’s such a thing as a happy ending?

Masterlist

Chapter Eleven

“What are you three doing?” Steve demanded.

 Tony, Peter and Sam were huddled in front of Bucky’s door and they all simultaneously turned around and shushed him before they pressed their ears to the door again.

“Will you just sit still!” You pleaded loudly.

 “It stings!” Bucky hissed.

 “It wouldn’t sting as much if you would just sit still!” You told him exasperatedly.

 “It wouldn’t sting at all if you hadn’t ran away.” He snapped.

 “I wouldn’t have ran away if you didn’t tell me to get out.” You threw back.

 “I wouldn’t have told you to if you had just done if you were told.” He said petulantly.

 “I would have done as I was told if I knew why I was told it.” You argued with forced calmness.

 “They’ve been like this for the last ten minutes. We have a bet on how long it will take her to stab him.” Sam sniggered.

 Steve gave them a stern disapproving look for all of three seconds before he leaned closer to the door as well.

 ~~~~

 Bucky turned his head away, refusing to even look at you.

 “I was trying to protect you!” Bucky shouted.

 “I’m not psychic, I didn’t know that. I was worried about you because despite every attempt to push me away, I care about you.” You insisted.

 “Well, I don’t want you to care.” He mumbled childishly.

 “Tough.”

 “Why are you so stubborn?”

 “Pot… Kettle.” You said pointedly.

 “Brat.” He muttered.

 “Beast.” You rebutted.

 He glared at you for a moment before the corners of his lips twitched and he sighed and settled back, letting you resume cleaning the bullet hole.

 “Thank you… for coming after me. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t. You saved me.” You said softly, wiping his shoulder free of blood.

 His hand pulled yours away from his shoulder making you look at him. His eyes were heavy with the weight of a thousand conflicting emotions, none of them pleasant. But the longer you sat there, patiently gazing at him, the calmer he seemed to become. When he leaned closer something hit you, something that should have been glaring obvious before now.

 He had never kissed you.

 He had had you in the most intimate of ways, your lips had tasted each other but the two of you had never actually kissed. You could hear your heartbeat thundering in your ears, echoing like a drumbeat as his gaze flickered to your lips and he moved closer. So close that you could feel the heat radiating off of his skin and the world narrowed down to the two of you, leaning towards each other like an invisible force was pushing you together.

 “Belle..” The name was a whispered plea, filled with a longing so tangible you could feel it in the air.

 You rested your hand on his chest, his heartbeat pulsing beneath your splayed fingers as you closed the distance between you, your eyes fluttering closed as you felt his shuddering breath across you face and then…

 *CRASH*

 “Sorry!!!”

 You turned around to see Tony and Peter stood at the door, torn between shocked and amused and Sam and Steve tangled in a mass of flailing limbs on the floor in front of them.

 “Graceful.” Tony snorted.

 “Man, get off me!” Sam yelped, trying to wriggle out from underneath Steve’s body.

 “I’m trying!” Steve insisted, trying to stand up without crushing Sam anymore than he already had.

 “What the fuck are you doing?” Bucky snarled.

 Everyone went deathly silent for a moment, embarrassment at being caught adding to the palpable tension in the room. Your laughter cut through it all, loud and uncontrollable as you leapt to your feet and hurried over to help Sam up, giggling all the while.

 “I got your car!” Steve yelled quickly.

 “Thank you Steve.” You said kindly, brushing lint off of Sam’s shoulder.

 “You know, you’re entitled to a company car instead of that piece of junk.” Tony offered.

 “I’m perfectly happy with Phillipe.” You laughed.

 “Phillipe? You called your car Phillipe?” Peter asked.

 “Well I could upgrade ‘Phillipe’, add some extra features…” Tony pressed forward.

 “We can discuss it tomorrow.” You said pointedly while Bucky looked at them like he was trying to set them on fire with the power of his mind.

 “Well, we were just coming to tell you we found your car. All of us. Because it seemed like a team effort.” Steve said, scratching the back of his neck and studying something very interesting on the ceiling.

 “Well done team, another successful mission. Avengers disassemble.” Sam snorted.

 “Belle, get some rest. You’ve had a long day. Take a few days, no working.” Steve instructed, throwing a warning look at Bucky.

 You expected Bucky to say something snarky but he just looked extremely chastised, suddenly finding his metal hand very interesting as you waved the four men out of the room.

 “Have you only just noticed that thing?” You joked weakly, taking your seat next to him again.

 “He was right. You have been through a lot, you should go and rest. You need to… heal.” Bucky muttered, shooting furtive glances at your neck.

The truth was, you were exhausted. You couldn’t remember ever being so tired in your life before and everything was hurting something awful. But you were relishing in the pain and tiredness because it was taking up so much of your thinking power and the second any of it eased you would be forced to think about the fact you had killed someone. You didn’t want to think about that, you weren’t ready for that.

 “I’m ok Bucky.” You said gently, picking up a piece of gauze and some medical tape to cover his already healing wound.

 “I’m sorry.” He whispered, almost inaudibly.

 “I know.” You whispered back.

 As soon as you patted the tape down to make sure it was sticking, he was standing up.

 “I’m going to go after Steve, see how and why Hydra were so close to the compound. It’s not good, I need to speak to him. Go to bed.” He instructed.

 “I will, I just need to clear up.”

 “No. I’ll do it.” He said and you looked up at him in surprise.

 “You will? You mean you know how?” You asked.

 “Be quiet.” He growled, rolling his eyes at you.

 “Do you want me to at least show you how to use the pedal that opens the bin?” You offered.

 “Stop.”

 “Oh god, do you even know where the bin is?” You asked, biting the inside of your cheek to temper the laughter threatening to bubble out of you.

 “I’m leaving now.” He warned.

 “Wait!” You yelped, standing up and grabbing his hand.

 He turned back to you with an expectant look and you faltered. He seemed to realise that you were struggling and pulled his hand out of yours to cradle the back of your head.

 “I won’t be far, Friday will be here if you need me.” He promised, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

 Warmth bloomed through your chest at the affectionate gesture and you nodded to show you understood and were ok. As soon as the door closed and you were alone you sunk back down onto the sofa, tears stinging at your eyes.

 A few months ago you had been in university, studying hard and looking forwards to the future. Now, you were bruised, covered in blood that wasn’t your own and you were a killer. A whore and a murderer.

 You had fallen so far and so fast and you were still falling. You were hurtling towards the ground with nothing to hold onto, except Bucky.

 If you fell, would Bucky Barnes catch you?

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 You dreamt of ice and snow and pale moonlight on a lake of blood. You were running through the snow, away from something or towards it, you didn’t know. With every step you sunk further down into the bone numbing cold white snow, until you couldn’t run anymore. All you could do was freeze.

 It was a gunshot that woke you.

 The bang still echoing in your eardrums you fought desperately with the blankets, trying to free yourself. If a gun had been fired that meant there was danger, it meant Bucky was in danger. You had to get to him.

 “Hey, hey, calm down.” Someone instructed, grabbing a hold of you.

 You screamed and pushed at them, throwing yourself back, away from them. It was when the heel of your hand smacked against their shoulder and you heard a grunt of pain that you realised who it was.

 “Bucky? Oh god, Bucky are you ok?” You demanded, grabbing a hold of his arm.

 “I’m fine, you barely hit me.” He assured.

 “The gunshot, who was it? What happened?”

 “What gunshot? I heard…” You gasped, looking at your hands.

 The strangest feeling was tingling in your palms, like you’d just been holding something cold and heavy. You could still feel it. Bucky covered your hands with his own, squeezing them.

 “It was a dream, Belle. Just a dream.” He promised.

 “A dream?”

 “There was no gunshot, I swear.”

 You looked into his worried eyes, your mind calming as you came out of the nightmare fuelled terror. You looked around the room, noticing the chair that had been pulled up next to your bed.

 “Were you watching me sleep?” You asked him.

 “Yes.” He said unashamedly, unapologetically.

 “Why?”

 “Because I didn’t want you to wake up alone from a nightmare.” He explained.

 “Oh. Well, good thinking I guess. Did I hurt you?” You asked, smoothing your hand over his injured shoulder.

 “No.”

 “Liar.” You huffed.

 “It’s nothing compared to how much I hurt you when you woke me from a nightmare.” He said regretfully, gently caressing your throat with his flesh hand.

 “Give me a bionic arm and super strength, see what happens.” You scoffed.

 “I’d rather not.” He chuckled.

 “What time is it?” You asked, noticing it was till dark outside.

 “it’s early, you should go back to bed.” He tried to encourage.

 “So should you, you could join me.” You said, biting your lip nervously.

 “I’m not tired.”

 “That wasn’t what I was suggesting.” You said, a slight blush burning across your cheeks.

 Bucky couldn’t have looked more taken aback if he’d tried and when what you were suggesting fully sunk in, he swallowed thickly.

 “You’re hurt, you’re emotionally and physically exhausted. You need to rest.” He protested.

 “You’re right.” You agreed, your actions saying something else entirely.

 You slid the rest of the covers off of yourself and climbed onto his lap, straddling him. He inhaled sharply when your thighs settled on either side of his and your hands slid across his chest. He looked pained as he closed his eyes so he didn’t have to look at you.

 “I can’t.” He choked out.

 “But… Isn’t this why I’m here?” You asked him, confused and hurt.

 His eyes snapped open, anger clouding his features.

 “It’s not the only reason. If I just wanted an easy fuck, I could have chosen anyone. I wanted you, I needed you. I still need you but I can’t touch you, not when my handprint is bruised into your fucking throat.” He growled, gently dumping you back on the bed.

 “That wasn’t your fault Bucky, you didn’t mean to do it.”

 “Story of my life. Didn’t mean to do it, did it anyway.” He said bitterly.

 “Bucky, I…”

 “Don’t!” He interrupted, shaking his head.

 “I know you forgive me, because that’s just who you are. But I still did it, even if I didn’t mean to do it. How the hell can I take any kind of pleasure from you with that staring back at me? I just.. I need time. I need to let you heal, from all of it. I need to figure it out, how we move forward. Steve said that this can’t happen again and he’s right. I’m dangerous, even when I don’t mean to be. That’s ok, that’s just who I am but I won’t be a danger to you Belle, not ever again. I won’t ever hurt you again. In any way.” He vowed.  

 “Ok.” You agreed, crawling back across the bed to kneel on the edge.

 He looked at you suspiciously as you leaned up and  pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. You were leaning on his chest for balance and felt his heart flutter when your lips touched his skin. All the tension in his body melted away and as you pulled back, he instinctively leaned forward, following you. You laughed under your breath and wrapped your arms around his neck, kissing him on the other cheek as well. When you pulled away to look at him, his eyes were alight with wonderment.

 “Goodnight Bucky.” You whispered.

 You released him and lay down, putting a monumental effort into not laughing at him when he nearly fell on the bed.

 “N’night.” He stuttered, and it was dark so you might have been wrong but you thought you saw traces of a blush on his skin.

 He at back down on his chair, prepared to keep his vigilant watch and ward off any more nightmares. It made you feel calmer, and infinitely safer as you drifted back to sleep.

 Maybe Bucky Barnes would be there to catch you after all.

Belle: *Kisses Bucky on the cheek* Bucky: What was that? Belle: Affection... Bucky: Disgusting. Do it again. Tony, Peter, Steve and Sam: But do it louder so we can hear it through the wall!

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