#and then scott is third on that list with his ability to make connections

[kitkatwinchester]

WHAT THE F*CK?!

WHAT IS WITH THE FLY THING?!

IT'S SO GROSS!!

I F*CKING HATE THAT!!

And then the way it f*cking crawled into Isaac's IV and now Isaac's gonna be all slave to the Nogitsune and I JUST F*CKING HATE THIS!! STOP HURTING MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!

Also, like, I'm sure that it'll be fine for the moment, because the Nogitsune can obviously heal, but I DO NOT LIKE that he just CUT OPEN HIS HOST, because that does not bode well for Stiles, and it makes me very nervous, and I HATE THIS!

That said...

Holy crap these people fall apart without Scott or Stiles or Lydia. XD

Like, Noah made me all excited, thinking he had this whole big plan, and they were gonna get the upper hand, and it was gonna be great, and then their plan was half-cocked at BEST, and they still ultimately did exactly what the Nogitsune wanted, and I'm really wondering where the "new punch line" was supposed to come in. *shakes head*

And then Noshiko, oh my god lady, wtf. Because of course the perfect place to hide your last remaining resource to kill the Nogitsune is THE F*CKING NOGITSUNE'S LAIR. Wow. You really came up with a good idea there. Like, what was her angle? I guess maybe she feels guilty, since she apparently also called off the oni, and that's why she went there in the first place, but like, bruh.

Don't do things without at least one of our three smarties, because you apparently cannot come up with plans without them. XD

ANYWAYS.

THIS IS GOING SWIMMINGLY!!

(It's the head tilt for me. GodD*MN, Dylan. And then the switches between Void Stiles and Void Stiles pretending to be Real Stiles in order to manipulate them and try to get the Sheriff to shoot Argent and Argent to shoot Stiles I just...d*mn, Dylan. Seriously.)

[blueishspace]

Third Life with divine domains.

Part 4: Session 5 and 6

Fandom

For session 3 & 4 there isn't much to say this time, except that the god of forests dying to lava and then fire is...perfect. Thank you @easily-distracted-by-fandom for opening my eyes to that.

Also, sticking with Frosted Forest as a name for the BigB, Scott and Jimmy alliance... @shortystack75 convinced me.

Session 5

Frosted forest is fully complete, Scott finishes the walls and BigB finishes the castle.

While Scar is still yellow him wanting to attack the crastle can still happen as Pizza was still kidnapped by them... So Grian still comes up with the lava trap.

Martyn doesn't kill Ren, who is and remains green, meaning red winter isn't coming...yet... Who knows?

Ren still searches for alliances though and the first place he goes is Frosted Forest... In this timeline Scott and Jimmy dislike Grian and Scar a whole lot more and BigB... well, he joins Dogwarts in canon so... Frosted Forest creates a tentative alliance with Dogwarts, at least for now...though knowing Scott's indipendent stresm they remain separate groups. Allied, not joined.

Tango still broke the rules by wearing an helmet so to the firing range he goes... Though It's probably surrounded by a moat and water instead of flames that he dies... Bdubs wouldn't give him the free boost. Etho follows shortly after.

Cleo still burns Joel's base as revenge so Joel also still dies today... Followed by Bdubs as the lava trap does It's job.

Scar and Grian try to ally with Frosted Forest but are turned down by BigB (for stealing his cookie), Jimmy (for stealing his second life) and Scott (for stealing his cow...and making him deal with a red life Jimmy).

Grian and Scar still steal Skizz's banner but thanks to Grian's glowing ability and Scar speed escape before being found out... They aren't followed so Pizza doesn't die and the banner burns.

Session 6

Scar has no reason to get revenge on Etho with Pizza alive so no arson.

Joel still starts a dog army by breeding his dog with Etho's (scandalous I know)... And then burns down Scott's wall attacking one of Dogwarts allies in the process... He makes himself an enemy of Ren slightly before canon but that's it.

Good thing Scar and Grian are in desperate need of allies and have allied with Cleo already...

Etho doesn't need to get revenge on Scar because Scar never gets revenge on Etho so he doesn't steal from the sandlands and doesn't die in the progress... Which means most of the stuff at the end of the session caused by Dogwarts leaving to get Etho's things back doesn't happen including Cleo's death.

Lives

I think it's time to put a list of everyone's number of lives...to make my job easier mostly...but also to make this less confusing for you readers.

Grian, Scott, Martyn, Cleo, Ren, Impulse and BigB are green lives.

Etho, Joel, Scar and Tango are yellow lives.

Skizz, Bdubs and Jimmy are red.

Fandom p.2

Let's be honest, this is just me asking for comments again... I just find people being involved and partecipating really motivating.

So yeah! Suggestions! How does the fandom change? I'm interested! And if anyone has any ideas of how Hermitcraft would be connected, I'm listening.

Previous part

Next Part

First part

[crascet]

X-Men Movie Tier List Update- X-Men: The Last Stand

So they uhhh... They killed Scott in this one.

Already as a Cyclops fan, this should just get an F, but the movie as a whole just has a lot of missed potential, especially since this movie has two plots stitched together with the Mutant Cure and the Dark Pheonix Saga.

For one thing, Warren in this one felt so minor to this whole thing, even though I think he should've had a bigger role considering his father created the cure in the first place. I honestly think that there should be a couple more scenes with him earlier, maybe a scene with Warren and his dad arguing on whether he should get the cure, and maybe a scene with Warren contemplating on the cure while seeing news reports on other mutants protesting and with the X-Men, which would lead to him actually escaping. I say this because it would definitely fit in with how the last two movies all follow a young mutant first meeting the X-Men, like with Rogue in the first movie and Kurt in the second one (who didn't show up in this one sadly). The opening scene with young Warren can still be a bit expanded upon as it really disturbing to see a young kid trying to literally cut out the part that makes him different. This can easily establish his conflict with himself and can be a connection between him and Rogue.

Another problem is Rogue and her subplot with wanting the cure, in that she gets it in the ending. I understand that Rogue really wants to have a good relationship with Bobby and wanting to actually touch him without the chance of killing him. This sort of conflict is apparent in the 90's animated series as well as in '97, but in a movie where the message is that there is nothing wrong with being different, her just getting the cure is contradictory to that message. Maybe including a scene between her and Warren having a conversation on the cure either at the vaccination site or just with another mutant there that would've convinced her to leave the site, join back with the team, and be a part of the finale. She can still fight and can use ability to take on other mutants' abilities to fight too, especially with the Danger Room scene in the beginning showing her as part of the team. I do at least like the scene where Rogue leaves the school to go to the vaccination site and Logan has a conversation with her about leaving to the site and Rogue giving Logan her real name, Marie. It shows how great the dynamic between her and Logan and how it grows from the first movie.

It is to my knowledge that the cure is sort of temporary as Erik does still have his ability, but only a little bit as seen in the ending and with how Rogue

I would've also liked something more with Bobby and him seeing Kitty, like including Kitty's POV on the whole thing. Hell, Colossus and Kitty are just there for the entirety of the movie, which sucks since they're also 2 of my favorite X-Men characters!

There's also the fact that this is just a Logan-centric movie where he becomes the leader of the team. I don't mind it that much, but I don't really see him as much of a leader (except for Wolverine and the X-men surprisingly enough). Logan is at best a great supportive character that shows his growth from lone outsider to essentially becoming the uncle for young mutants and a great member of the team to me. If anything, Storm should've been the new leader after Charles and Scott die, since Ororo can have a great arc in being the new leader.

Mystique is just given the shaft here by Erik just leaving her the moment she was shot by the vaccine in an act of sacrificing herself to save him from the cure. I would've preferred if this was moved to like the third act or around the finale, like maybe making it be the first time Erik realizes that the guns with the cure are plastic and have him not save her due to possibly being outnumbered or something, but this decision is just bad to me.

And then there's the Pheonix... she's just fine. I just don't like how she's just a darker personality of Jean compared to the comic origin being a cosmic-space-bird deity. I don't know why they didn't get that origin in the first place for this movie, since there's telepaths, someone with a metal skeleton, healing abilities, and claws from inside his body, someone that can control metal, someone that can shoot blasts from his eyes, someone that can actually control the weather, someone that can phase through walls, someone with the ability to makes his skin metal, and someone that can summon ice. But apparently the cosmic-space-bird deity is just the most outlandish thing for this movie.

Other than the previously mentioned scene with Logan and Rogue, the two other things I like in this movie is Beast, who is also one of my favorite X-Men characters, and of course:

God, I can just stare at that all day.

TLS is just bad. Just add more character moments and a clearer story and it can just improve the whole thing imo. Next, I move from a Wolverine-centric movie to... Wolverine's actual first movie with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Where we can see Logan's life before the Weapon X program, a film debut of one of my favorite X-Men characters (I just have a lot of favorite X-Men characters, ok?), one of my favorite casting choices imo, and a merc without a mouth... but with Baraka wrist blades... and laser eyes.

[master-sass-blast]

Children of the Gods: Part Three, Chapter Two.

I had to input every single italic you see in this fic by hand because Tumblr doesn’t hold text format when I paste it innnnnn. *pained smile*

Please give this chapter some love, because that was fucking painful to do.

Summary: The aftermath of capturing Allison proves messy -both in dealing with the teen's evident trauma, and in all the skeletons in various closets that get unleashed soon after.

Pairing(s): Piotr Rasputin x Reader, Nathan Summers x Wade Wilson, Frank Castle x Karen Page, and Alexandra Rasputin x Nikolai Rasputin.

Rating: M for gun violence, depictions of death and injuries, depictions of emotional trauma, and gratuitous use of the word “fuck.”

Word count: 8.9k.

Set after “Children of the Gods: Part Three, Chapter One.”

Taglist: @marvel-is-perfection, @chromecutie, @super-darkcloudstudent, @girl-obsessed-with-things, @leo-writer, @emma-frxst, @sadstone-s

“What the hell were you thinking!”

“Ooh, careful there, Doohan,” Wade snarks, head rolling to indicate he’s rolling his eyes. “Get any more agitated and you’ll be saying all the no-no words.”

Scott scowls at Wade. “Stuff it, Wilson.”

“Every damn night, laser pointer.”

A mixture of grimaces, sighs, and groans go up through the crowd.

You’re all gathered in the medical wing of Xavier’s –the X-Force and nearly all of the X-Men. Allison’s off being examined by Dr. McCoy and Alyssa –to make sure she’s stable enough to be taken out of the handcuffs and the suppression band—and Frank and Karen are sequestered in a separate room until it's clear how everything's going to shake out.

Because, naturally, there’s been a wrench thrown in the situation.

Or maybe the whole damn toolbox, you mentally amend as Wade and Scott resume arguing.

“We cannot harbor a mob criminal here—”

“She’s thirteen, Summers!” Wade snaps. The eyes on his mask narrow into slits. “She’s not a criminal –and her parents’ choice don’t automatically make her guilty!”

“Murder, illegal theft and possession of firearms, assault, stalking, kidnapping,” Scott starts listing, ticking off each of Allison’s misdeeds on his fingers.

“She lost her family,” Nathan interjects, voice going to gravel. “Where the fuck were all of you when she needed support? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”

The room goes silent. Many of the X-Men members look away or hang their heads slightly.

“We had no way of knowing that Allison was a mutant,” Ororo speaks up. “Without the proper information, we can’t help. It’s unfortunate, yes, but out of our control all the same.”

“But you know now,” Wade argues. “You knew with Russell. You knew with all the kids at Essex house. You turned your back on him and those kids, just like you’re turning your back on Allison now.” He scoffs, disgusted. “Same shit, different day. You’re all a bunch of cowardly cocksuckers.”

“We do have limits,” Professor Xavier speaks up from his chair. “Russell and the other members of Essex house were considered wards of the state. Legally, that meant Essex house had custody of them until they turned eighteen. We wrote petitions. We did as much as we could to bring attention to the issue. Unfortunately, it got swept under the rug or stonewalled by anti-mutant members of the legal system. As for Allison…” He sighs. “Taking in wards with criminal connections put the school at risk. Not just for fear of retaliation –as would certainly be a risk with Miss Ricci’s connections to the mafia—but also our funding and licensing. As an orphaned mutant, she is certainly deserving of our help—” he pauses to glare sternly at Scott and a few of the more stubborn, self-righteous members present “—but we have to consider the needs of our other residents and students, too.”

“I think we’re overlooking that Allison is here right now,” Jean pipes up. “Whether or not she stays with us is one thing, but we need to decide what to do for at least the next forty-eight hours.”

“She stays here,” you say automatically. “As far as we know, she has no other guardians, potentially even nowhere to go. I don’t think it’s gonna kill us to give her a bed and some food to eat.”

“Absolutely not,” Scott fires back –and, behind him, Angel and Iceman nod. “She’s far too aggressive to possibly put the students at risk.”

“She’s agitated and traumatized,” you reason, “but that doesn’t mean she’s going to lash out at people left and right.”

“Doesn’t she have a guardian of sorts?” Neena pipes up. “Artemis? Has anyone gotten ahold of them?”

“We reached out with the number Miss Ricci gave us,” Xavier explains. “The call picked up, but there wasn’t any verbal response for the duration of the call.”

Well, that bodes well. “What about her attorney?” you ask. “If we can’t keep her here, wouldn’t her attorney be able to arrange some sort of safe place for her to stay.”

“Thus far, we haven’t been able to reach her attorney.”

And that bodes even worse. You fight the urge to sigh or roll your eyes, and instead mentally curse monkey wrenches and whoever thought to invent the damn things.

“For the time being, I’ve contacted some of our external resources” –the glance Xavier shoots at both you and Piotr tells you that it’s your uncle and Alexandra—“to help with matters until the dust settles. They should be arriving soon, so—”

There’s a loud crash from down the hall, the sound of glass shattering, and an angry screech that sounds suspiciously like, “Fuck you, Castle!”

You give into the urge to sigh before booking it towards the sound of chaos and rage. Great. Now it’s an entire toolshed.

***

Subduing Allison this time, at least, is easier for several reasons.

First, she’s still wearing the repression cuff on her wrist. Without her powers –without a way to pop in and out of this existence, specifically—she’s much easier to catch.

Second, she’s tired. It’s not just the bags under her eyes or the sweat glistening at her furrowed brow. She’s stumbling unevenly, panting as she tries to exact her revenge.

Third, Illyana happens to show up at the exact same time with your uncle and Alexandra (and Nikolai as well, though he has less involvement in the “subduing process”).

Alex reacts fastest. She hooks one strong arm around Allison’s waist, then scoops her away from Karen and a hangdog-looking Frank. “Alright, that’s enough.”

Allison, however, doesn’t seem to agree. (Though whether it’s due to general teenage contrariness or trauma-induced rage, the jury’s still out.

…Actually, it’s probably both.)

“You don’t even get it, Castle!” Allison snaps with a manic grin, eyes wide and haunted. “You killed a good man. My dad was getting out! He was going to testify against them—”

Alex clamps a hand over the teen’s mouth, making her cut herself off with a garbled grunt. “I said enough.”

Allison thrashes in the older woman’s iron-clad grasp –to no avail, unsurprisingly. Her face scrunches up, then her jaw starts flexing. There’s a moment where her expression goes slack when Alex doesn’t react, then her nose scrunches up again and her jaw starts working harder.

Alex sighs, then starts carrying Allison back down the hall (she’s astonishingly unfazed by been chomped down on). “Come on. Let’s get you calmed down, malen’kiy.”

At the other end of the hall, Neena pokes her head into the fray. “Someone who calls herself Artemis is at the front door.”

Professor Xavier nods, then says, “Please escort her back to Miss Ricci’s room,” before wheeling after Alex and Artemis.

You look between Neena and the Professor –then, in the interest of going where you’re actually allowed to be (and not being bored out of your mind because you’ll be literally shut out of the room), you head towards the foyer.

…

“Do you think Frank was set up to stop the trial?”

Your uncle shrugs; the two of you have taken up a spot at the back of the room, where you can watch things unfold and gossip like the two old ladies you are in spirit. “It’s possible. It’s also possible that it was retribution for Allison being a mutant. The Ricci syndicate is notoriously… intolerant.”

You grimace. You certainly understand just how far people will go against their own flesh and blood for intolerance’s sake. “Blood and water.”

Your uncle nods, expression equally sour. “You fucking said it, punk.”

There’s not much point in hashing it out any further –both from the standpoint of “forbidden knowledge” and digging up old trauma—so you settle back into watching Artemis go through the mandatory security check.

She’s tall, with broad shoulders. Her hair’s dark, just starting to streak with silver at the temples, and her eyes are deep, intense, borderline black color. Her nose is slightly crooked –comes with the territory in this walk of life—and she’s dressed in black motorcycle wear and combat boots.

She honestly looks so fucking familiar.

You frown, brows pinching together as you try and place her face in your memory. Failing your own abilities at recollection, you lean over and whisper, “Is she one of your team members? I swear I’ve seen her before.”

“Uh –no,” your uncle replies (and it’s too fast and shaky, but you’re too caught up in figuring out whom the fuck you’re looking at to notice). “I mean –everyone has a doppelganger, right?”

“I guess.” You squint at Artemis, as though physically narrowing your eyes will help your brain puzzle things out—

And then Alex strides into the foyer –wiping the hand that Allison bit, and if you look close enough you’re pretty sure you can still see a few bloody teeth marks—and the cloud of confusion lifts from your mind.

“Oh!” you gasp quietly. “That’s why she looks familiar! She looks like Alex.” You look from the Rasputin matriarch, to the other black-leather clad woman, then back again. “She looks… a lot like Alex, actually.” You laugh softly –coincidence is a hell of a thing—then keep rambling when your uncle doesn’t say anything. “Two women who love the color black and carry enough weapons on their person to stock an army. You’d think the universe broke the mold with Alex, huh?”

Your uncle shifts from foot to foot next to you, but says nothing.

“You really weren’t kidding about the whole ‘doppelganger’ thing, huh.” You cock your head to one side, then frown as another epiphany starts growing in your mind. “Actually… she kind of looks like you, too.”

Your uncle makes a quiet, pained choking noise. “Punk—”

“Yeah, she’s got more of your build…”

“Punk.”

“And her lower lip has that weird lopsided curve like yours—”

“Punk—”

You peer closer at Artemis’s face. “Actually, her nose looks like you took yours and Alex’s and mashed them together—”

“Punk.”

You finally look up at him and take in the pale, wide-eyed, tight-lipped expression on his face. “What?” When he doesn’t say anything, you look at Artemis, then Alex, and then back at him—

Oh God.

Oh God.

Holy fucking shit.

You stare up at your uncle, agape. “Wait a second –you and—”

“Okay, shut the fuck up!” he hisses, panicked, before dragging you out of the foyer and into the nearest hallway.

“You and Alex had a baby,” you blurt –albeit in a voice no louder than a harsh whisper. “Artemis is your and her lovechild!”

He winces, then holds up his hands. “I can explain—”

“I don’t think you can!” you hiss. “Why didn’t you tell me that I have a cousin who happens to be my husband’s half fucking sister! Oh God, does Piotr know? Do any of the Rasputins know?”

“I…” He trails off, then cringes. He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not sure, actually.”

You stare up at him, dumbfounded. “You’re not sure. How are you not sure? Nick knows who you are –what, you think Alex just kept a whole child from his knowledge—”

“I mean, he probably knows that there was a baby at one point—”

“The baby is in this fucking house!” you snap in a quiet growl, arms flailing wildly. “She’s a full grown adult who probably pays taxes and has a 401k going! Why wouldn’t Alex tell her husband—”

“Look,” your uncle interjects, cutting you off. “As far as Alex knows… she thinks she’s… dead?”

You gape. Then, as quietly as you can manage (given the circumstances), you exclaim, “What the fuck!”

“Keep your voice down!” your uncle hisses, gesturing wildly in panic. He looks over his shoulder, then when he’s certain no one overheard you, he sighs and looks back to you. “Look, it’s a long story—”

“I’m sure it fucking is!” You cross your arms over your chest when he winces. “How is it that you know your secret lovechild is alive, but Alex doesn’t? What, did she just abandon her?”

“No, no—”

“Didn’t think so. So what the fuck happened?”

He sighs, shoulder slumping, and runs one hand through his already disheveled hair. “Look –long story short, the people who ‘made’ Alex took the baby—”

“Artemis. Her daughter. Your daughter.”

He purses his lips, but concedes with a nod. “They took her away after she was born and told Alex she was dead –and that’s actually what prompted her to get out, but that’s another story for another day—”

“Okay, hang on a second.” You squeeze your eyes shut and hold up one hand. “Alex thinks her baby is dead –probably one of the most traumatic things in her whole life. You’ve known that she’s alive…” You open your eyes again and fix your uncle with a stern stare. “Okay, how long have you known for?”

He grimaces and shifts uncomfortably. “…well, the US took her, but she didn’t present early, so they turned her loose into the foster system because she didn’t have potential as an ‘asset’—”

“How fucking long?”

He ducks his head, carefully avoiding your gaze. “…tracked her down when she was ten.”

Your eyes widen –and then you slug him in the shoulder. “You fucking colossal asshole!”

He panics again, motioning for you to keep it down while checking over his shoulder. “Shut the fuck up!”

“No! Not only have you lied to Alex for decades—”

“She never asked—”

“A lie by omission is still a fucking lie!” you snap in a gravelly whisper. “So, not only did you lie to her, but you also abandoned your daughter to the mercies of the US foster care system!”

“My life wasn’t safe to keep a kid around!” he hisses back at you. “I couldn’t take care of you, and I couldn’t take care of her! If anything, it was safer for her if the government thought I didn’t know she was alive!”

You sigh, pinch the bridge of your nose, and wave dismissively with your other hand. “Okay –fine. That still doesn’t justify the whole lying thing, but whatever. Does Artemis know that you and Alex are her parents?”

“…Yes. She tracked me down when she was in her twenties and I told her the truth.”

“Well, it sounds like determination runs in the family,” you mutter. “But at least you two have kept in touch…” You look up, see your uncle’s grimace, and sigh. “You didn’t keep in touch with her.”

He shoves his hands in his jacket pockets. “I didn’t know how to handle it.”

“Pretty sure ‘not like that’ is a good answer.” You sigh again, then shrug and put your hands on your hips. “Well, you’ve probably solved your own problem. She’ll probably just tell Alex who she is just to spite you, assuming she got the ‘petty vengeance’ gene too.”

Your uncle’s eyebrows spike to his hairline, and his expression goes through the five stages of grief in a matter of seconds. “She –she can’t—”

“She can and she probably will.”

He hunches over, crouching, and grips the back of his head. “Shitfuckshitfuckshitfuckshitfuck—”

“Myshka?”

You and your uncle both jump, then whirl in unison and give your husband your best convincing, “we’re totally not talking about long lost, hidden family members and other poor life choices” smiles that you can each manage.

(Consider that you don’t look like you just shit your pants, you win.)

Piotr’s forehead wrinkles with concern. “What… is everything alright?”

“Just fine, baby,” you assure him, subtly kicking your uncle so he relaxes. “Just talking about what happens next.”

Piotr nods after a moment, likely picking up on that whatever’s going on right now isn’t life or death and that you’ll fill him in later. “I actually came to find you,” he says, gesturing to your uncle. “Professor Xavier still cannot reach Allison’s lawyer. He has asked for your assistance.”

“Right. Absolutely. On it,” your uncle says with a none-too-convincing smile. He shoots your husband a pair of finger guns, then books it out of the hall and towards the medical wing of the mansion.

Piotr stares after him, then shoots you a confused frown. “Is he okay?”

You shrug. “He’s doing about his usual.” You decide to further sidestep the issue by ambling over to him and giving him a gentle hug. “How are you?” Are doing okay?”

Piotr wraps his arms around you and kisses the top of your head. “I am fine now. Just a little sore.”

“Me too.” You nuzzle your cheek against his burly chest. “We really should invest in that hot tub we keep talking about getting. It’d be great for post-mission recovery.”

“Hot tubs are expensive, myshka,” he chuckles.

“Yes, but we’re not getting any younger. It’d be a good investment in taking care of our bodies.” You tilt your head back and grin up at him. “I thought you were all about that life.”

He sighs and shakes his head, feigning exasperation, but his amused smile is a dead giveaway. “Whatever shall I do with you, myshka?”

You grin wider. “You could kiss me.”

Piotr grins back, then dips his head and presses his lips against yours—

Mikhail appears next to you out of thin air. “Ah. Gross. Big meeting is happening. All hands on deck.”

Piotr rolls his eyes when his elder brother teleports away once more, then looks back down at you and strokes your cheek with his thumb. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine, baby.” You unwind your arms from his massive trunk of a torso, then slide your fingers between his as the two of you walk towards the medical wing.

…

“—I am telling you, Charles, not being able to reach this kid’s lawyer is a bad fucking sign.”

You and Piotr walk into a conference room to find your uncle and Professor Xavier locked in a heated argument.

Wade, Nate, and Neena are leaning against the table to watch, occasionally leaning over to whisper bits of commentary to each other (or, in Wade’s case, speak at normal volume).

In the corner of the room, where a couple of armchairs are positioned, Nikolai sits with his two other children; they’re speaking in hushed Russian, but none of them seem too concerned about everything else going on.

“As I previously stated,” Xavier says, words clipped, “we cannot release Miss Ricci without speaking first to her attorney. The X-Men operate as a special law enforcement service, and failure to comply with criminal and civil statutes will have enormous consequences for the Institute—”

“There’s going to be a bunch of fucking ‘enormous consequences’ for the Institute,” your uncle interrupts, growling through clenched teeth, “if you don’t evacuate this building right fucking now! Fuck’s sake, Charles –you hired me as a security advisor; just listen to me.”

Piotr frowns and curls one hand over your shoulder. “What is happening?”

“What’s happening,” a new, strong, feminine voice interjects from the hall, “is that we’re leaving.” Artemis shoulders past your husband –a feat not easily achieved by many—with Allison in tow, then holds up the teen’s arm that has the repression cuff still attached. She glares at Xavier (and God, she really looks like Alex when she does that), then spits out through gritted, bared teeth, “Get this fucking thing off my kid.”

There’s a longsuffering sigh in the hall, and then Alex steps into the doorway. “She has that cuff on for her own safety –as I already told you—”

Artemis whirls, face contorted by a vicious scowl, and snaps, “I didn’t fucking ask for you input!”

(Boy, if that doesn’t just scream ‘repressed trauma and mommy issues.’)

Your uncle looks like he’s about to pass out again, but Alex seems remarkably nonplussed. She merely raises one eyebrow at Artemis, as if to say ‘that’s all you got?’

There’s no way she knows, you think as you watch the two stare each other down. Not with how much she cares about her kids. There’s no fucking way—

“Actually, we’ve got bigger problems,” your uncle pipes up, voice quavering slightly before he clears his throat. “We can’t reach your kid’s shark.”

“They have other clients,” Artemis retorts, upper lip curling in a derisive sneer. Her dark eyes smolder with barely constrained hatred as she tosses a withering glance in his direction (daddy issues, too, this chick won the whole lottery). “Or maybe they got stuck in traffic.”

Your uncle narrows his eyes at that (and now the two of them look so much alike, overcome by ire as they are). “You cannot possibly be that fucking stupid.”

Artemis sucks a breath through her teeth, eyes widening with rage and hurt. “You fucking dick—”

In the corner of the room, Illyana bolts upright before going stock still. Then, she gasps and reaches out towards her mother. “Mama!”

(The way Artemis’s face mars with a pained grimace makes your heart ache.)

Alex tenses, eyes glowing gold as she starts scanning the horizon (presumably checking for heat signatures). “Gde?”

The room goes quiet –and then you hear it.

The sound of engines rumbling –multiple engines—and car wheels crunching against gravel. Doors thumping open and shut, followed by footsteps. Hushed voices.

You scamper over to the nearest window and float up, just enough to see several men clad in black and Kevlar and carrying rifles stalking towards the front door and around the sides of the house in groups. “Guys with guns. Lots of them.”

“Then get down!” Nate hisses before yanking you back from the window.

“Lights out,” Alex orders before hitting the switch herself. “Get everyone to a reinforced room.”

“There’s a safe room at the end of the hall,” Xavier says before wheeling himself towards the door.

Allison clings to Artemis’s sleeve, much like a baby koala. “What’s going on? What’s going to happen?”

“Go with the Professor,” Artemis says. She quickly –but gently—frees her arm, then clasps the teen’s face with both hands. “Look at me. Listen to the Professor, and stay put until I come get you. Okay?”

Allison’s forehead puckers, and her lower lip starts trembling. “But—”

“Is alright,” Nikolai interjects with a kind, reassuring smile. He gently ushers Allison towards the door, then down the hall before she can protest further.

A few doors down, Karen pokes her head out of the room where she and Frank have holed up. She frowns as she takes in the chaos. “What’s going on?”

“Mafia men with guns!” Wade chirps as he half-skips, half-jogs towards the mansion’s entryway. “Tell your boy to suit up!”

“There’s a safe room at the end of the hall,” Neena adds as she runs after Wade.

Frank squeezes around Karen and kisses her temple before falling in line behind the two assassins.

You step to the side so Karen can run past you, then turn and press a hasty kiss against Piotr’s cheek. “Love you.”

He kisses your cheek in return, equally as brief. “Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu.”

And then the two of you run towards the danger bearing down on your home.

***

In all the firefights you’ve been in, there’s always this moment of silence. A calm before the storm. A moment where everything goes still, while both sides wait for the other to make a move.

You duck behind a wall as the mafia gunmen continue hammering away at the front door, tucking yourself in a shadow. Your stomach tenses, breathing going quick and hard as your mind starts putting a plan together. Don’t want to risk collapsing part of the house by doing a pressure vacuum. Best option is to probably knock them to the ground so the others can jump them.

The door rattles. The wooden portal splits on one side, sending jagged splinters poking out into the air.

You slow your breathing, forcing yourself into a calm, focused state. Wait for them to get past the entryway so you can hit as many of them as possible.

In the back of the house, near the kitchen, you hear glass shatter.

They’re in. You clench your fists at your sides, watching as the front door slowly gives way. Three… two… one…

The door breaks open, swinging inwards as the first gunmen step into the foyer—

And then the door snaps off its hinges and slams into the men, taking them out like bowling pins.

Strike, a small, inane part of your brain giggles.

Shouts go up through the house. You can hear the sounds of rushed footsteps, shattering glass, and what sounds like people being bodyslammed through tables (and, given the type of people fighting for your side, it just might be that). Gunfire pierces the air –and is accompanied by the telltale, metallic plinks of the bullets ricocheting off your husband’s armor.

Angry screams emanate from the front step. Men barge in, firing down the hall, towards some unseen target (likely Alex or Nate, given the door trick).

You wait until as many men are piled into the foyer as possible, then send down a downdraft that blows out the windows on either side of the door.

The gunmen tumble to the floor, swearing in a mixture of English and Italian.

Nate, Wade, and Neena swoop in. They descend upon the mafia men like a pack of wolves, breaking bones, dislocating joints, and cracking skulls as they disarm –and, in some cases “un-alive”—the gunmen.

“It’s raining men!” Wade sings as he runs one of his katanas through the gut of one assailant. “Hallelujah! It’s raining men!” He ramps off a nearby wall, then t-bags another man before stabbing him through the temple. “Amen!”

You crouch, tracking the movement of the scuffle. You tense when you see a couple of the men jump Nathan, then charge towards the railing and dive over when a few more try to break past to run down the hallway. You flip in the air, land in the hallway ahead of them, and unleash a blast of wind right in their faces.

The mafia men fly out through the front door. They sail over half the front drive, then bounce off the gravel surface and roll several times before coming to a stop.

You let out a harsh breath, then dart down the hall towards the kitchen when you hear glass shattering and the sound of Frank bellowing angrily.

The kitchen and rec room are a mess. Glass shards from shattered windows coat the floor, glittering before being crushed underfoot. Doors are cracked from having people slammed into them. The rec room couch is overturned –and is sagging suspiciously on one side, hinting at a cracked frame. The entertainment system is shattered, with smoking bullet holes littering the TV, speakers, and media systems.

Frank has one of the guys pinned down over the sink. He’s snarling as he uses the lip of the sink to choke the guy out. There’s blood smeared his lips and chins, trailing back up to his chin.

Another gunman stalks in through the dining room, gun trained on Frank’s head.

You whip a blast of air at the second man, sending him sailing into the wall so hard the drywall cracks.

He drops to the ground, unconscious.

There’s some terrified shrieking –and then a gunman is punted up and out of the basement stairwell. He sails through the kitchen window headfirst, crumpling in a heap in the hedges outside.

Your husband storms up the staircase, teeth bared in an angry snarl. The waning daylight glints off his metal exterior, almost making him look like some sort of avenging angel. He stops short when he sees you, though; his irate expression vanishes, replaced by concern. “Ty v poryadke?”

You manage a smile and flash him a thumbs up—

And then a truck with a Gatling gun strapped to the roof rolls up to the back door.

“Get down!” Frank hollers before tackling you to the ground behind the kitchen island.

The room explodes into chaos. Bullets plow into the walls, sending up spurts of drywall dust in their wake. Wooden doorframes and floorboards crack, unleashing cascades of splinters in every direction. Glass shatters, raining down upon everything in its reach.

Frank positions himself over you, shielding you as fragmented bullets rain down upon your both. He cups your head with his hands, doing his best to protect you from the hellfire.

Over the din, you can just make out a loud, angry bellow –and then the sound of bullets hitting metal. Heavy, deliberate stomps make the floor shake.

The gunfire cuts off. A shriek pierces the air just before you hear what sounds like a car being tossed into a tree.

(As you’ll discover later, that’s precisely what you heard.)

Frank lifts his head, then carefully rolls off you. He crouches next to you and holds out a hand. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Your ears are ringing, and you’re pretty sure you’ve got glass shards and splinters in your hair, but you’ve been worse. You take his hand, flinching when you hear the sound of more gunfire outside.

Frank peers over the lip of the island. “Reinforcements. At least five more cars headed our way.”

You suck in a breath. “Piotr—”

“Is holding his own for now,” Frank says.

“I’m gonna help him,” you rasp out. “Make sure everyone in the house that’s not on our side… stays down. And that we’ve still got all our people.”

Frank nods, then runs off towards the foyer.

You catch your breath, then creep towards the back door (better safe than sorry). You flatten yourself against the wall next to the doorway, then peer around the broken frame.

Piotr’s facing off against the new influx of cars. He’s got one hand on the hood of one Range Rover, arm extended out like he’s fending off a five-year-old. With his other hand, he flips another SUV over, causing the thing to land on its roof and putting the vehicle squarely out of commission.

Your stomach sinks when five more Range Rovers tear across the lawn, leaving deep, muddy tracks in their wake –and are followed by three more trucks with Gatling guns attached to the roofs. You sprint out the door, take a flying leap over Piotr, then send out a shockwave of air when you land on the ground.

A few of the cars fly backwards, rolling across the lawn like tumbleweeds. A majority of them, however, manage to stay upright or bump into each other and recover.

Your eyes widen when one of the Gatling gun operators aims directly at you. Shit.

Piotr leaps in front of you, whirling so his back is to the gun. He curls his body over yours, shielding you as gunfire rains down on you both.

You grit your teeth, grunting. You can feel the impact of the gunfire resonating through your husband’s metal body. Worry clutches at your heart when Piotr lets out sharp, ragged groans; he’s largely invulnerable in his armor, not to mention his sense of touch is severely dulled, but you know that with shit like this he’s still feeling some sort of pain –and there’s nothing you can do. You’re both pinned down, and as powerful as your shockwaves are, they’re not enough to stop or even skew the trajectory of a bullet—

Blue light washes over both of you. The sound of the gunfire wanes, replaced by warbling, pinging noises instead.

You peer around Piotr’s side to see Illyana standing between the two of you and the oncoming cars. She has her arms outstretched, palms facing the onslaught of adversaries. A shimmering, sky blue shield with various magical incantations floating through it surrounds all of you, stretching into the sky for at least forty feet.

Illyana grunts. She’s being shoved backwards from the force of impact from the bullets. Her feet are digging into the ground, leaving ruts as she tries to hold her stance. “We need new plan!”

“How about ‘stay alive?’” Piotr shouts back as he digs shrapnel out of the grooves on his arms.

Wade, Neena, Nate, and Frank come barreling out the back door, faces streaked with soot and blood. They dive for the ground, covering the backs of their heads and necks with their hands—

An explosion goes off inside the mansion. The shockwave shatters windows on both the first and second floor, blowing out window frames and trim.

Piotr covers your body with his once more. He cups your head with his hand, shielding you from the falling debris and the worst of the shockwave.

You cough and hack as smoke billows out the broken windows and doors. You do your best to make a vortex to suck the smoke away and send it up into the air. Your lungs burn, and your ears are ringing like a bell from all the gunfire and the explosion—

Four more gunmen emerge from the smoke pouring out the back door.

You snarl, then whip blasts of air at them, slamming them into the exterior walls of the house.

One of them goes down, while the other three are merely stunned.

Mikhail comes barreling out next. He lets out a guttural battle cry, then sucker punches one of the men in the back of the head before aiming a blast of rust colored energy at another’s gut.

The man screams as he sails into the air, arcing over the tree line and disappearing somewhere in the canopies.

The third man aims his gun at Mikhail –then staggers and drops to the ground when a beam of golden energy sears through his chest.

Alex storms out of the smoke with Artemis and your uncle trailing close behind her. She glares down the remaining gunmen and cars, teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Blood is flecked across her face and spattered over her leather jacket. “House is clear!”

“Yeah, except now we’re about to be cleared out!” Wade hollers back. “As in, ‘all sales final, no returns, no exchanges!’”

“If we could make plan,” Illyana screams, voice strained with the effort of holding the shield, “would be very great!”

You look over to Alex –and see her eyes widen. You whirl towards the gunmen just in time to see one of them aim a rocket launcher at all of you. “Oh, for the love of—”

The first hit is technically deflected by Illyana’s shield, insomuch that the projectile and the shield both shatter the moment they meet. The force of the magic breaking sends out a shockwave of blue energy that flies backwards into all of you, knocking those who managed to get up back off their feet and stunning the rest of you.

You groan, head reeling. Your vision clears slowly, casting double images when you move too quickly. Shit.

You can make out Piotr, just next to you. He’s lying face down on the lawn, grunting and moving in slow, clumsy movements. He turns his head, brow furrowing when he sees you, and reaches out towards you.

You extend your hand to grab his –but he’s just out of your reach, no matter how far you strain. Your body feels heavy with fatigue and pain; everything inside you is screaming to get up, to fight, to keep moving because death is knocking right on your door, and you’ll be damned if this is how you go out—

Alex recovers first –no surprise there. She shoves herself to her feet, seething and growling like a feral beast. She hurls a blast of energy at one of the cars –and, from the sounds of the carnage, makes a direct hit. She storms towards the sea of mafia men like an avenging angel, hell bound on vengeance and blood.

Audible gasps go up from the amassed assassins.

You lift your head to see several of the gunmen backing away from the mansion and crossing themselves with shaking hands. You chalk it up to Alex being Alex, and make to drop your head back against the ground once more—

And then you see Allison standing in the ruined doorway.

She’s glaring down the gunmen with a viciousness that doesn’t suit the youthful roundness of her face. Her brows are knit together, and her mouth is twisted into an ugly scowl. Her eyes are glowing a brilliant shade of blue and give off little wisps of azure colored smoke. Her skin and hair are smoking as well, creating an aura around her body. Blood drips down from her nose and onto her shirt –which is stained with ash and soot. There are burn marks and indents on her wrists from where the repression cuff and the handcuffs used to be, respectively, but the restraints themselves are gone.

The ground begins to shake. Two patches of cerulean light appear underneath the grass, growing larger until they form swirling vortexes of magical energy. The ground begins to crumble at the edges of the portals, eroding away and growing wider until they make gaping tunnels that channel so deeply into the earth there’s no telling how far they truly go.

You recoil when the smell of sulfur and smoke blenches forth from the tunnels. Shit, did she hit a gas line? Fucking dammit, like this day can get any worse—

Echoing, blood-chilling howls emanate from the tunnels.

Your eyes widen –and then your heart starts working overtime when you see two, then four massive hellhounds (like the ones Allison summoned at the mall) crawl out of the tunnels.

Shrieks of terror sound from the gunmen. Several take off running, while others try to shoot the beasts.

The hounds snap and snarl at the gunmen, then charge at the group. Two of them go off after the runners, while the other two start lunging after the assassins like they’re rabbits.

You stare at the chaos in disbelief –and then a set of strong hands grab you underneath the arms.

“Get up.” You uncle tugs you to your feet, keeping you steady when you stumble. “You can’t be in the flow of traffic for this.”

Behind you, Allison is panting like she’s run a marathon. The aura of blue smoke is growing around her, trailing into the air and floating over the ground. Veins of light spread across her face and arms, glowing the same shade of vibrant blue as her eyes. Her breathing grows louder and more ragged, until she’s growling and shaking with each exhale— and then she screams.

Much like the first confrontation in the cemetery, all those months ago, the scream unleashes a shockwave of blue energy. This time, though, the shockwave is far from a decoy for escape. It washes over you, the X-Force, your uncle, the other Rasputins, Frank, and Artemis harmlessly enough –then slams into the mafia forces and vehicles like the wall of a hurricane.

Alex charges after the shockwave, carefully trailing behind it. She waits until it clears the first line of gunmen, then slams her fist into the face of the man closest to her. She blocks his attempt to strike her, then twists his arm –dislocating the shoulder, which makes him shriek in pain. Then, she wrenches his rifle away from him. She shoots him once in the center of his forehead, then turns the firearm on his fellow men and keeps firing.

Mikhail and Artemis go after the one surviving Gatling gun. Mikhail teleports onto the truck bed; he sweeps the back of one man’s jacket over his head, effectively blinding him, then kicks the other man present in the balls before shoving him over the side of the truck.

Artemis, on the other hand, stops a few feet away from the truck. She uses her telekinesis to rip the Gatling gun off its mount, then yanks the driver out through the windscreen –headfirst, no less—and dumps him on the lawn.

He doesn’t get back up.

“Come on,” your uncle says, pointing towards the further reaches of the property, where some of the gunmen are still trying to outrun the hellhounds. “Let’s give the dogs a helping hand.”

The two of you reach out, creating a wind current that slices through the air and slams into the stragglers.

The men careen into nearby hedges –and the hellhounds have it from there.

The familiar sonic blast of Nathan’s gun rips through the air. The shot slams into the last remaining SUV, rendering the vehicle to little more than glass shards and mangled metal.

The back lawn and gardens fall silent, save for the sounds of groans of pain and the hellhounds chewing on various gunmen.

Mikhail takes a fall off the back of the truck bed. He flops onto the ruined grass below, limbs splaying like a rag doll’s. “Alright. Is time for nap. Wake me… never.”

Illyana scoffs from where she’s sat next to a smoldering bush. She picks up a nearby stone, then chucks it at her eldest brother’s head (and hits her target, no less). “There is still clean up. Bezdel'nik.”

Mikhail flips her off, then groans as he rubs the bridge of his nose.

“She’s right,” Alex lectures her eldest as she picks her way through the carnage. She nudges one body with the toe of her combat boot, then shoots him through the temple when he groans.

“Mama!” Piotr gapes at her, expression scandalized. He sputters, looking between her and the body at her feet.

“Chto? Vy khotite yego zhivym? Chtoby on mog dolozhit' svoim khozyayevam? Chtoby on mog obrushit' adskiy ogon' na etu shkolu i vsekh, kogo vy lyubite? No –no.” She holds up her index finger and stares sternly at Piotr when he tries to argue. “You do not leave enemies on your six o’clock, medvezhonok. First rule of survival.”

Piotr swallows hard, then says softly, “X-Men do not kill.”

Alex shrugs. “And I am not an X-Man.”

“We’ll handle it,” Nathan says. He holds his hand out for Alex’s rifle, nodding when she hands it to him after a moment’s hesitation.

(Wade and Frank are already working their way through the sea of dead and wounded. Frank’s traversing the chaos methodically, sticking to minimal shots to kill the survivors, while Wade’s alternating between singing “Dancing Queen” and getting post-mortem revenge.

“You shot my dick off inside!” Wade gasps as he peers down at a –slightly chewed on—corpse. “Extra bullets for you!” He then shoots the dead body several times before resuming his pitchy serenade.)

“What now?” Allison asks, staring out at the carnage with a slightly shocked expression.

“‘What now?’” Artemis repeats, laughing incredulously. She stomps towards Allison, pulling a pack of tissues out of her inner jacket pocket. “What the hell are you even doing out here? You were supposed to stay in the safe room—”

“They had cameras in there,” Allison says with a roll of her eyes, as if that justifies her decision to join the fracas. “You guys were getting your asses kicked.”

“We would’ve handled it.”

“Yeah, except you weren’t,” Allison fires back. She scrunches up her face when Artemis starts wiping the blood off her face, but otherwise takes the mothering without any complaint.

“It’s not your responsibility to deal with this shit,” Artemis says, voice and expression softening for a moment. She cleans up Allison’s face –then scowls. “And where the fuck are your cuffs? How did you even get out of them?”

Allison shrugs. “I used my powers to short the repression cuff out and ash it off.”

Illyana’s, Alex’s, and your uncle’s heads all snap around to stare at Allison.

“Are you kidding me?” Artemis hisses through clenched teeth. “You could’ve fucking killed yourself!”

“Or caused magical paradox that ripped hole in space-time continuum,” Illyana snaps.

“Ruptured blood vessels in your brain and caused an aneurysm, made the cuff deliver a lethal electrical shock, turned your magic against your own body and rendered yourself to ash,” your uncle continues, ticking off items on his fingers.

“Well, I didn’t do any of that!” Allison snarls, glaring at the others while Artemis keeps cleaning up her face. “And I made sure you losers won the fight –so fuck off!”

“Get her something to eat and drink,” Alex says. “Her blood sugar is bound to be low after pulling a stunt like that.”

Artemis glares at Alex and opens her mouth to respond—

Across the yard, Wade lets out a pained shriek. “My balls are not fetch toys! Bad Fido! Bad!”

Your eyes widen as you watch one of the hellhounds swing Wade around by his legs. You bite down on your lip, holding in a shock-induced laugh.

“Where’s this mutt’s off-switch –hey, hey! No!” Wade wriggles in the hellhound’s mouth, panicking as another beast bounds towards him. “My spine is not a tug toy! Can someone get rid of Fido and Rufus before they rip me in half!”

Allison snorts –then, before anyone can stop her, holds out her hand and flicks her wrist.

All four hellhounds melt back into the ground, disappearing to the depths of hell from whence they came.

Artemis swears under her breath, then catches the teen when she stumbles. She moves frantically, grabbing more tissues as blood starts pouring out of Allison’s nose once more. “You fucking idiot. Why the fuck did you do that? When are you going to fucking learn that you’re not invincible—”

Allison lets out a sharp, hoarse laugh –then passes out.

…

The wreckage inside the mansion is heartbreaking.

You stare at the ruined furniture, the scorched walls, the splintered doors, the ruined rec room and kitchen, and you have to wonder what was the fucking point?

Part of you understands that the mafia came prepared for war; they were going up against powerful mutants, so –naturally—they would want to be prepared. Having the strongest, most powerful weapons available increased their chances of success. Logically –from a strictly tactical standpoint—it makes sense.

Glass crunches under your shoes. You stare down at a litany of fallen picture frames, heart wrenching as you stare at the ruined pictures of graduates, students, and workers inside. We’re just a school. We work with kids. What was the point of trying to wipe us out?

Piotr ambles up behind you. He puts his arms around your shoulders and kisses the top of your head. “Cleaners and repairmen will be here in less than one hour.”

You feel numb. You place your hand on his arm. “That’s good.”

“We have back ups of pictures,” he murmurs. He kisses your cheek. “Insurance to cover replacing damaged items. We will be fine.”

“I know.” You sigh, leaning back against your husband’s chest. “We’re just a school. What… what was the point? Why try to wipe us out?”

“I do not know.” Piotr kisses your other cheek, hugging you reassuringly. “Perhaps they believed we knew information about ‘family business.’ Or that we were protecting Allison for some reason.”

“She’s just a kid,” you argue, voice breaking as your grief and exhaustion wells up and threatens to overtake you. “She’s only thirteen…”

Piotr says nothing, merely holds you closer.

You sigh—

And then a door slams. Hurried stomps echo down the hall. There’s creaking as a door opens again, followed by more footsteps and exasperated shouts.

Allison storms past you and Piotr, heading towards the kitchen. Her jaw is set, fists clenched at her sides.

You and Piotr look at each other –then follow after her, if only to be sure that nothing else is going to explode today.

She slams her hands down on the island counter –and, on the opposite side, Frank and Karen both flinch and stare at her warily.

Allison glares at Frank, jaw working convulsively. Her shoulders heave with each breath she takes. Her eyes shine with unshed tears, making the bags underneath seem darker and deeper by comparison. She trembles, expression flickering wildly between grief, white hot rage, and the neutral mask she’s trying so desperately to hold. She sucks in a breath that sounds more like a pained sob, then stares Frank down and spits out through gritted teeth, “You leave my people alone, I leave yours alone. Deal?”

Frank sighs. He nods, expression heavy with grief and eyes shining with remorse. “Yeah, kid. You got a deal.”

Allison clenches the edge of the island so hard her hands go white. She lets out a strangled, angry laugh as the tears finally start to fall. She ducks her head briefly, then glares back up at Frank. “I fucking hate you.”

Frank grimaces, but nods and says, “I know kid. It’s okay. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“That ain’t worth shit.”

“I know… believe me, I know.”

Artemis –who’d previously been watching at the kitchen threshold—steps forward and puts her arm around Allison’s shoulders. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

Allison clenches her teeth together, but still lets out a choked sob. She presses her lips together, looking around the room to try and regain her composure, to stop the flow of tears. She manages a deep breath, then takes one last look at Frank and snarls, “If I have to see your fucking face again, I’m ripping out your guts,” before storming out of the room.

Frank, to his credit, doesn’t respond (though you suspect he feels too guilty to even consider arguing). He merely hangs his head, expression that of a kicked dog.

Karen leans against him. She interlocks her fingers with his, murmuring in his ear (likely about how it isn’t his fault, and while it looks like that may technically be the case, you’re glad you don’t have to walk the spider’s silk of a line those facts lie upon).

What a shitshow.

Piotr puts an arm around your shoulders and gently leads you out of the kitchen. “Come on, myshka. Let’s go find spot to rest.”

…

Frank and Karen leave shortly after “making the deal” with Allison.

Allison and Artemis hang back for a bit to talk to Xavier. You don’t get all the gorey details but from what you can tell, it’s essentially an offer to help train Allison’s powers so she doesn’t hurt herself rolled in with a warning to keep her nose clean, stay on the straight and narrow, etcetera etcetera.

The sun’s just starting its descent from the sky before the two of them walk out of the meeting room.

Allison is wearing Artemis’s jacket and looks downright haggard.

Artemis has her arm around the teen and is gently guiding her while she talks to Xavier (though, perhaps the term “talk” is too generous, considering most of her responses are nods or terse, one-to-two word replies).

The rest of the Rasputin family, you, Piotr, and your uncle are all gathered in the foyer to make sure Allison and Artemis leave without too much trouble (or causing more trouble themselves).

Your uncle is sweating bullets and looks like he just shit his pants; he’s glancing between Alex and their daughter so fast it’s a miracle he hasn’t given himself a headache yet.

Now or never, you think, watching him with pursed lips. Tell your secrets before they’re told for you.

Alex kneels down next to Allison. “Are you okay?”

Allison’s gaze doesn’t leave the floor. “The fuck do you think?”

She quirks her mouth to the side. “Not all that good.” Alex ducks her head lower, trying to catch Allison’s gaze. “You remember what we talked about?”

Allison’s eyes narrow. She moves her gaze away from Alex. “Go to hell. I know what I know.”

“Sometimes… it’s better to not,” Alex says. She stares at Allison for a moment longer, then pats her shoulder before standing and walking away.

Artemis stares after Alex, expression morphing rapidly between fury and shock. She sputters for a moment before snapping, “What –that’s all you have to fucking say?”

Alex pauses, turning slightly so she can see Artemis. She raises one eyebrow, otherwise looking unbothered. “Is there something else I should be saying?”

“You don’t have anything to say to me?” Artemis presses, crossing her arms over her chest. “Nothing at all?”

“Is there something you want me to say to you?” Alex fires back, smirking slightly.

Artemis stares at Alex for a long, hard moment. She shakes her head, eyes welling up with tears, then turns her glare onto your uncle. “You really didn’t fucking tell her.”

“What?” Alex’s expression sobers, going wary as she looks between your uncle and Artemis. “What didn’t you—”

“This really isn’t the time or place—” Your uncle tries.

And here it goes.

“I’ve gotta do all the work, then,” Artemis snarls with a vicious smile. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense, considering I’m not your favorite,” she tacks on with an angry glare towards you. She storms towards Alex, one hand outstretched, with a cruel, angry smile stretched across her face. “Hey, mom. How’s it going?”

Alex’s eyes widen. She stares at Artemis, eyes tracking over the younger woman’s face. “What…”

“You fucking heard me.”

Illyana, Piotr, and Mikhail look at each other, then at Alex, then at Nikolai. They explode into confused Russian, gesturing between their parents, Artemis, and your uncle—

Realization dawns in Alex’s dark eyes. Her expression trembles, tears welling up in her eyes as she stares at Artemis’s face.

And then she uses her telekinesis to yank your uncle over and decks him.

[wexarexmadxhere-archive]

Jordan Parrish; Muse Info

Full Name; Jordan Parrish Nickname; Deputy, Parrish Face Claim; Ryan Kelley Gender; Male Pronouns; He/Him Marital Status; Single Sexuality; Bisexual Age; 34 Date Of Birth; 1988 Occupation; Deputy Residence; Beacon Hills Species; Hellhound Shift; Hellohound  Family; Unknown Verses; None Biography; Jordan Parrish is a supporting character in Season 3, Season 4, Season 5 and Season 6 of Teen Wolf. He made his first appearance in the second half of the third season as a newly hired Sheriff's deputy at the Beacon County Sheriff's Station, where he worked under the leadership of Sheriff Noah Stilinski. After several weeks of working at the department, Parrish admitted to Stilinski that he moved to Beacon Hills because he felt drawn there, which was the first indication that he wasn't as ordinary as he seemed. During this time, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Sheriff, acting as Stilinski's second-in-command. This suspicion that Parrish was something more was confirmed in Season 4, when his name appeared on the Deadpool hit-list at the beginning of 2012, confirming that he was indeed a supernatural creature, though he had no idea what kind he was. His partner, Deputy Haigh, attempted to kill Parrish to get his his $5 million bounty by dousing him in gasoline and setting him on fire. However, Parrish miraculously walked away from the fire with no injuries, though he was covered in soot and had all of his clothing burned off in the process. Parrish quickly joined Scott McCall and his pack, and in Season 5A's Status Asthmaticus, it was eventually discovered by Lydia Martin during her research that Parrish was, in fact, a Hellhound, a spectral dog that is said to ride with the Wild Hunt of Germanic folklore and is known for being a guardian of supernatural places. However, since Lydia was driven into catatonia by Theo Raeken's attack shortly after this discovery, Parrish did not officially learn his supernatural identity until Season 5B's The Sword and the Spirit, when Gerard Argent confirmed it by attempting to set him on fire, which triggered him to reveal his Hellhound fangs for the first time. In A Credible Threat, it was revealed that the Hellhound is actually an amortal being who is beyond life and death and who can possess vessels when it is needed on Earth. The Hellhound, who is known as Cerberus and many other names, possessed Parrish when he was blown up in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan, which happened to occur at the exact moment that Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, and Allison Argent drowned themselves in the surrogate sacrifice ritual in Alpha Pact. Though the Hellhound claimed Parrish was dead, it was implied by Lydia (who, as a Banshee, knows when a person is dead or dying and who the person is through premonitions) that he had not truly died due to Cerberus' regenerative healing ability, and that it could be possible for the Hellhound and Parrish to work together to fight the Beast of Gevaudan. As Lydia predicted, Parrish and Cerberus ultimately merged themselves together, working as one unit instead of Cerberus taking control when Jordan was asleep and not allowing Parrish the conscious use of their powers. It was with the help of Parrish and his newly gained Hellhound abilities that the McCall Pack was able to finally defeat and kill the Beast once and for all. In Season 6, Parrish continued to help the members of the McCall Pack in fighting against the Ghost Riders of the Wild Hunt, who had arrived to Beacon Hills in order to capture its citizens and make them into more of their kind. Unfortunately for Parrish, his connection to the Hunt as a Hellhound caused him to be controlled by them, nearly freeing one of the Ghost Riders from a trap. His situation became even worse when Garrett Douglas, an Alpha Löwenmensch who had gained a portion of the Ghost Riders' powers by eating one of their pineal glands, took complete control over Parrish for some time, using him to open rifts between the living world and the Phantom Train Station. However, after Stiles escaped the Wild Hunt's control, he used liquid nitrogen to return Parrish to his true self and freed him from the Hunt's control. In the second half of the final season, Parrish played a large role in helping the pack and the rest of the supernatural community fight against the ancient shapeshifter known as the Anuk-ite and the Hunter army created due to the fear the creature induced of the supernatural community in Beacon Hills and across the globe. Parrish is an ally of the McCall Pack and appears to have both an emotional and supernatural connection (as well as possibly a romantic connection) to Lydia Martin, who, as a Banshee, is a harbinger of death just like him.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Employers, insurers push to make virtual visits regular care (AP) Make telemedicine your first choice for most doctor visits. That’s the message some U.S. employers and insurers are sending with a new wave of care options. Amazon and several insurers have started or expanded virtual-first care plans to get people to use telemedicine routinely, even for planned visits like annual checkups. They’re trying to make it easier for patients to connect with regular help by using remote care that grew explosively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates say this can keep patients healthy and out of expensive hospitals, which makes insurers and employers that pay most of the bill happy. But some doctors worry that it might create an over-reliance on virtual visits. “There is a lot lost when there is no personal touch, at least once in a while,” said Dr. Andrew Carroll, an Arizona-based family doctor and board member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Landlords and renters both struggling (Washington Post) In the covid economy of 2021, the federal government has created an ongoing grace period for renters until at least July, banning all evictions in an effort to hold back a historic housing crisis that is already underway. More than 8 million rental properties across the country are behind on payments by an average of $5,600, according to census data. Nearly half of those rental properties are owned not by banks or big corporations but instead by what the government classifies as “small landlords”—people who manage their own rentals and depend on them for basic income, and who are now trapped between tenants who can’t pay and their own mounting bills for insurance, mortgages and property tax. According to government estimates, a third of small landlords are at risk of bankruptcy or foreclosure as the pandemic continues into its second year.

Pandemic baby bust unprecedented in Bay Area, California history (San Francisco Chronicle) U.S. residents are having fewer babies this year. And California’s birth rates in January and February—around the time when early pandemic babies would be due—declined by 15% compared to the same period last year, the steepest year-over-year decline for those months since at least 1960, according to a Chronicle analysis. We used data from California’s Health and Human Services department, which collects monthly birth totals per county. We found that the state’s births declined from nearly 70,000 in the first two months of 2020 to fewer than 59,000 in the same period in 2021.

Zoom Court Is Changing How Justice Is Served (The Atlantic) Last spring, as COVID‑19 infections surged for the first time, many American courts curtailed their operations. As case backlogs swelled, courts moved online, at a speed that has amazed—and sometimes alarmed—judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. In the past year, U.S. courts have conducted millions of hearings, depositions, arraignments, settlement conferences, and even trials—nearly entirely in civil cases or for minor criminal offenses—over Zoom and other meeting platforms. As of late February, Texas, the state that’s moved online most aggressively, had held 1.1 million remote proceedings.

Mexico City metro overpass collapses onto road; 20 dead (AP) An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent a subway car plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring about 70, city officials said. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said 49 of the injured were hospitalized, and that seven were in serious condition and undergoing surgery. The overpass was about 5 meters (16 feet) above the road in the southside borough of Tlahuac, but the train ran above a concrete median strip, which apparently lessened the casualties among motorists on the roadway below. “A support beam gave way,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the beam collapsed just as the train passed over it.

El Salvador’s judiciary (Foreign Policy) Lawmakers in El Salvador voted to remove five influential Supreme Court judges and the attorney general over the weekend in a move U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has noted with “grave concern.” The motions to remove the officials passed with a supermajority in El Salvador’s legislature, now ruled by President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas party following a sweeping victory in February’s elections. Addressing the international community on Twitter Bukele dismissed rebukes over the move. “With all due respect: We are cleaning house … and this doesn’t concern you,” Bukele said.

‘Hospitals are full’ as Argentina COVID-19 cases hit 3 million (Reuters) Argentina coronavirus cases hit 3 million on Sunday since the pandemic began, as medical workers said hospitals were full to capacity despite toughened government measures to bring down the spread of infections. The government of President Alberto Fernandez this week unveiled a new round of tougher restrictions as a second wave of infections has battered the country, filling up intensive care units and setting new daily records for cases and deaths. Marcela Cid, owner of a business on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, said that Argentines were increasingly “locked into a situation” that while necessary, was of little help to anyone trying to move beyond the pandemic.

EU proposes reopening external borders (AP) In an announcement sure to be welcomed by travelers worldwide, EU officials on Monday proposed easing restrictions on visiting the 27-nation bloc as vaccination campaigns across the continent gather speed. Travel to the European Union is currently extremely limited except for a handful of countries with low infection rates. But with the summer tourist season looming, the bloc’s European Commission hopes the new recommendations will dramatically expand that list. The Commission hopes the move will soon allow travelers reunite with their friends and relatives living in Europe and support the bloc’s economy this summer. Under the Commission’s proposal, entry would be granted to all those fully vaccinated with EU-authorized shots. Coronavirus vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency, the bloc’s drug regulator, include Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Indian leader’s party takes electoral hit amid virus surge (AP) India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi suffered a resounding defeat in a key state election on Sunday, indicating his Hindu nationalist party’s political strength may be slipping as the country struggles to contain an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was unable to dislodge West Bengal state’s firebrand chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, after a hard-fought campaign. His party also failed to win in two southern states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. But the BJP secured a second term in the northeastern state of Assam and an alliance with regional parties led it to victory in the union territory of Puducherry. Even before the current virus surge, Modi’s party faced stiff challenges in these local legislative elections. Following the disappointing results, Modi stands weakened but faces no threats to staying on as prime minister until his term ends in 2024.

Formal Withdrawal from Afghanistan Begins (AP) US and NATO troops stationed in Afghanistan formally began the withdrawal phase over the weekend, a process that is expected to last through the summer and officially end Sept. 11. Roughly 3,000 US troops and 7,000 coalition troops remain in the country, along with a reported 18,000 Pentagon-employed contractors. The exit has been framed as nonconditional—meaning ongoing attacks by the Taliban against the Afghan government won’t delay the withdrawal. Many have questioned the ability of the Afghan National Army to provide security against the Taliban absent international forces. Despite assurances by Afghan officials, Taliban forces have established themselves across most of the country. Afghan forces control an estimated one-third of the country’s districts, with the Taliban controlling about 10%, and nearly half—areas that include a total of roughly 14 million people—currently contested.

Chinese man crosses Taiwan Strait by rubber dinghy, seeking ‘freedom and equality’ (Washington Post) A Chinese man appeared to sail undetected through the highly militarized Taiwan Strait in a rubber dinghy, fleeing his native China for Taiwan in search of “freedom,” according to Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration. The man, identified only by his surname, Zhou, left Shishi county in Quanzhou, a port city in Fujian province, at 10 a.m. on Friday, arriving more than 10 hours later at Taichung port on Taiwan’s western coast, Taiwan’s Coast Guard said on Monday. Officials said they were still investigating Zhou’s journey over the 100-mile stretch of sea between China and Taiwan, which is patrolled by hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese coast guard ships and naval vessels. Coast Guard officials, relaying Zhou’s account of his journey, told reporters he had traveled in a rubber raft measuring 8.8 feet by 5 feet that he bought on the Chinese e-commerce site Taobao and fitted with an outboard motor. The incident has prompted concerns about the security of the contentious waterway at a time when military observers worry that long-standing tensions between the governments of China, Taiwan and the United States, which is committed to defending Taiwan, could boil over into military conflict.

Australia warns its citizens of jail and $50,000 fine if they return from India (Washington Post) Even in the pandemic era of closed borders, Australia’s latest travel restriction stands out: Anyone, including Australian citizens, who arrives in the country after visiting India in the previous 14 days can face up to five years in jail, a $50,000 fine or both. On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended the move. Australia had seen a sevenfold increase in the percentage of people traveling from India who tested positive for the coronavirus, the prime minister told Sydney’s 2GB radio station. The decision to threaten even Australian citizens with jail time if they return home from India during its record-breaking coronavirus surge is a significant escalation of border restrictions for Australia, an island nation that had already mandated strict controls at its borders throughout the pandemic.

DR Congo declares state of siege over eastern bloodshed (Reuters) Militants killed at least 19 people, including 10 soldiers, in raids on two villages in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, hours after President Felix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege in two provinces. A surge in attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in the east have killed more than 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and U.N. peacekeepers struggle to stabilize the situation. The most recent attacks took place early on Saturday when militants raided two villages in North Kivu’s regional hub of Beni, local authorities said. Tshisekedi had declared a state of siege in North Kivu and Ituri provinces on Friday.

[authoressskr]

Write Into My Arms [3]

Characters: f!Reader, James “Bucky” Barnes, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Peter Parker, Hope Van Dyne, Natasha Romanoff, Scott Lang, Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Okoye, T’Challa, Shuri, Clint Barton, Happy Hogan, Dr. Strange, Wong, Bruce Banner, Thor, Amelina Rodrigez (OFC), Carol Danvers, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Peter Quill, Gamora, Nebula, Mantis and Drax.

Warnings: Language, Angst (mostly in last two chapters), Action (in last chapter) and no Beta (just me and Grammerly up in here)

Word Count: 11,278  ::  Pairing: Bucky x f!Reader

This was written for @jewelofwinter’s Writing Challenge!! I also incorporated a prompt for @jaamesbbarnes + @sgtjbuccky’s D&S’ Milestone Celebration!!

Prompt: “Tin Man lost Y/N.” (@jewelofwinter’s prompt) + “Publicly, I agree. Personally, I think it’s chickenshit.” (D&S’ prompt) Bolded in text below. Prompt #1 will appear in the third part while Prompt #2 appears in the second part. The next parts will be posted by the end of this week. All will be linked.

Summary: You’re a small time blog writer who is invited to interview the Avengers. ALL the Avengers.

*Note: Endgame happened - kind of. Steve didn’t go back to the 40s. Tony didn’t die. Natasha got brought back with the Bruce Snap. Bruce is not the Hulk mashup they had going on. Everything else happened. This takes place 3 years after defeating Thanos.*

[PART 2]

Please do NOT repost, copy & paste, post or share my works on any other platform without my EXPRESS PERMISSION.

-+- REBLOGGING is fine and very appreciated! -+-

Waking up later that afternoon to Bucky gently shaking your shoulder is...nice.

You open your mouth to apologize for your breakdown earlier but he just gives you a soft shake of his head, sporting a shy smile before yawning.

“Lunchtime,” He rumbles out and it’s a whole lot sexier than it should be. “But eat some of the fruit first and take a couple of aspirin.” His second yawn makes you yawn, but you manage to nod, slipping from under the covers and stretching a little before seeing the banana on the side table. You manage a few small bites before reaching greedily for one of the bottles of water, downing a third of the bottle before reaching for the aspirin. You shake out two pills and toss them back before offering the other water to Bucky who is slipping off the bed to get his boots. He shakes his head ‘no’ before pulling on his right boot. You set it back and finish your water, surprised at the ease of this whole thing between you two now and at Bucky appearing before you, taking the banana from your hand and polishing it off before flashing you a round-cheeked smile.

“Let’s go, chipmunk,” You mutter with a smile before slipping into a pair of flats and heading through the door, the handsome sergeant following behind you with his own smile flirting on his lips, this whole thing making the tired wheels in your mind spin.

Bucky couldn’t like you like you, could he?

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Lunch is served later than usual and you thank Tony quietly when you enter for it. He just gives you a genuine smile before reaching out to squeeze your wrist affectionately.

Your seat is in between Natasha and Hope for this meal, a beautiful salad set before you before it’s swiftly pulled away by Bucky, leaning over the giant ass table. He pushes his plate in front of you while you watch quizzically. He looks at the salad with a tiny hint of disdain before handing it to Steve and heading back to the buffet table.

Looking down at the plate, it’s loaded with food. Fried potatoes, antipasto salad, some cottage cheese, three slices of ham, and a little white frosted cupcake.

“Need something solid,” He remarks as he sits down with his new plate. You nearly start crying again - there is no reason for all of them to be so nice to you. Especially Bucky. “Eat,” Bucky orders around a mouthful of chicken, Sam shaking his head - at what exactly, you aren’t sure.

But they must all be in on it since most of the Avengers are giving you smiles like they know something you don’t but right now, you are simply too tired to care.

“Our space division will be here tomorrow, probably just before dinner,” Tony states loudly, disturbing the soft conversation you were having with Hope about adding the ability to “talk” to ants to her Wasp suit or if she could dare to control wasps since it’s her moniker. You meet his eyes and nod your understanding. “We’ll let you rest up the day after they arrive - they can show you around the ship and take pictures, but I want you to rest as much as possible.”

“I’m not doing anything difficult,” You reason, setting your fork down with a frown.

“But you’re still pushing yourself a little too hard, kid.” Unable to argue, you just tuck a piece of hair behind your ear and pick up your fork to continue eating. “I don’t want you run ragged, okay? Just rest up tomorrow and take it easy the day after and then you can go right back at it.”

“Fine. But I’m only agreeing to this because I don’t think I can win an argument right now.”

“Good.”

“And I’m still going to interview Happy after lunch.”

“Fine,” Is uttered through clenched teeth with a forced smile as Pepper reached over to pat his hand, while Peter grins from beside Pepper.

“It sounds like you’ve been adopted or are close!”

“Adopted?”

“Yeah! Mr. Stark shows his affection in not the usual way. He’s kind of compliments you, then tells you what you can do better. Then he starts to orders you to rest and to stay safe and will keep tabs to make sure you do.” He shoves a whole slice of ham in his mouth while Scott and Wanda both give little shakes of their heads.

“Um, thank you?” You look at Tony who just looks away before shoving some antipasto in his mouth.

“Maybe we just let her and Bucky nap some more?” Shuri sing-songs oh so innocently from the other end of the table by Clint and Vision.

When you look across at Bucky, his cheeks that cute pink you remember for your interview. You feel the heat creep up your neck at this as well, all though your eyes shift from Bucky back to Shuri.

“Well, not everyone can have my good taste. Thank you for lunch, Tony. Pepper. And thank you for the care, Sergeant.” And it takes all the confidence you can muster, but you slide from your seat with grace, taking your cupcake with you, and walk from the room with your head held as high as you could manage while nerves ate at your insides.

I just let that damn teenager rile me up...

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Tracking down Happy is a little more difficult, but by now you aren’t ashamed to ask FRIDAY to help locate people. It’s a big compound.

Happy’s in the garage after an errand run to Avengers Tower and he’s more than a little shocked that he’s included - which in turn makes you a little sad since he’s been with Tony longer than Pepper has.

He tells you of his life before Tony, after Tony, his boxing background and helping Peter navigate superhero duties now that he’s not just the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

“Kid thought AC/DC was Led Zeppelin…” He shakes his head with obvious fondness. “Tony bought him all of AC/DC’s stuff and told him he was gonna quiz him after that.”

“It’s a terribly dad thing to do.”

“After Tony assigned me to look after him, the kid called constantly. ‘A lady bought me a churro.’ ‘When do I get to help Iron Man again?’ But I know Tony picked him for a reason. Tony second-guesses nearly everything he does, but not that kid. Under-roos was a good choice.”

“Un-un-under-roos?” You cackle happily, bending over a little as you laugh and nearly jostling the recorder off your knee as you do so.

“The kid seems to like you.”

“To be fair, Peter seems to like everyone. He’s a very sweet young man.”

“They all do, honey. You’ve brought a lot of normalcy to them in a very short period of time. They won’t say it, but they get attached quicker than they like to admit. And they all like you.”

“There are a lot more interesti-”

“Not to them. They like the normal. They like the wit. They like your enthusiasm...that you can connect with all of them. They’ve been to space. Time traveled. Met a talking raccoon and tree. Trust me, they got interesting.”

“Are you implying I’m not interesting?” Happy looks flustered for a moment, backtracking like his life depends on it while you can’t hold your serious face anymore and burst out laughing. “I’m just screwing with you. I know what you meant, Happy.”

Happy is lightheartedly funny, teasing you more after that, and you make the notation that he’s obviously a very good influence on Tony and Peter. He also tells you he helped Rhodey change the signs from Stark Industries to Stank Industries, which still makes him smile every time he drives into the compound.

You take a break after that, twenty interviews in five days a lot to go over - and in your case, go over and over and then once more, just in case.

Spending the rest of the afternoon and early evening shut in your room as you type and listen, type and go over your notes, type and re-type. This has to be perfect. If you never write another story again, this has to be perfect.

For them. For all they’ve done.

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If she’s not interviewing, she’s writing.

And if she’s not writing, she’s taking photographs - the grounds, the woods, them.

When she’s not interviewing or taking photographs, she’s singing.

It’s soft, always under her breath when around them, like after lunch today when she came to grab some lemonade from the fridge. Sam told him it was an 80s song called ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. He mentally added that to the list he’d already compiled in the last five days from listening to her.

It’s a little spaced out, with whole verses skipped when she’s seated on one of the patios, furiously typing and rereading - typing and rereading.

It’s in her normal speaking volume when it’s early morning and she’s seated in front of the windows in her room, scribbling in her notebook or listening to her boss complain on speakerphone about deadlines, hiring decisions, or suggestions on things he knows already that she’s going to ignore.

He hears her softly singing as he heads towards the living room, silence breaking it up every so often, so he knows she’s typing. Part of him wants to go in and talk to her, but he knows he shouldn’t. She’s working and he needs to let her do that. It doesn’t stop the need burning in his chest but he just shoves it down as much as he can, knowing that he’ll see her later.

“You know, that means she likes you too Tin-Man.” Tony’s smirked-riddled words from lunch keep tumbling around in his head. Over and over and over again.

He grabs an empty bowl and some Lucky Charms from the cabinet, filling the bowl to the brim before pouring the milk and settling in at the bar top to eat his cereal. Peter is a few stools down, shoving a brownie into his mouth as Tony and Sam come in, Tony calling out a gruff “Hello freeloaders” to T’Challa, Shuri, Steve, Vision, Wanda, and Natasha who are all seated in the living room, watching Animal Planet. Shuri, Wanda, and Natasha all give him smirks while T’Challa grabs hold of Shuri’s hands, keeping them firmly on her lap while chuckling.

“Whatcha doin’, kid?” Tony asks Peter, stealing a brownie from the giant serving platter in front of the teenager as Peter looks at his phone with a smile.

“Sending some memes to Y/N. To cheer her up.” Bucky nearly drops his spoon into the cereal in disbelief.

“How’d you get her number?” Tony asks, his gaze sliding from Peter to Bucky, a big smile stretching his lips. Asshole.

“I asked,” Peter answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the history of things.

“Well, I’ll be damned. First DUM-E and now the spiderling…” Sam’s voice filled with the joy this revelation begins as Bucky’s voice overlaps his with an edge of shock.

“We can just ask?” Peter looks at Bucky like he’s confused for a second before his phone dings, Shuri appearing and looking over Peter’s shoulder at his phone.

“That’s a good one,” Peter tells her over his shoulder as Shuri laughs.

“That is a good one!”

“Y/N has a wonderful sense of humor,” Vision agrees from across the room, Wanda nodding in agreement.

“She has retained all of her phrases I’ve taught her so far. And sometimes rearranged them to make them humorous. You should just ask her out already, Bucky.” He feels the heat creep up his neck. He saves himself from answering Wanda by shoving a big spoonful of cereal in his mouth but glares at Sam and Tony who are still staring at him with big smiles. Dicks.

“She seems to like you too, Mr. Bucky.” Peter pipes up helpfully.

“Yes, you two looked very cute earlier,” Shuri adds with a wink.

“And the Guardians are supposed to be here tomorrow night, so you need to get in as much flirting time as possible, Mr. Bucky. Thor is coming. And he’s handsome.” When Bucky just stares, Peter clears his throat. “Everyone says so.”

“Everyone,” Natasha agrees as she gets up to refill her coffee cup.

“If Thor doesn’t try to steal her attention then Peter Quill will,” Tony adds loudly, his back to everyone while digging through the junk food cupboard.

“Star-Lord?” Stephen snorts from his spot on the loveseat in the corner. “I hope she’s a lot smarter than that.”

“Nebula said he wore Gamora down…” Tony argues, eyebrows raised as he shoves an oreo in his mouth.

“Well, we aren’t in space and he is in no way the pick of the litter here on Earth. Regardless of what he thinks.” Stephen comes over to steal a cookie from Tony.

Y/N comes down the hall with Wong, talking animatedly, making Bucky throw his spoon at Tony, who drops his oreo.

“What the fuck, Tin-Man?” Tony hisses as he looks forlornly at his oreo before bending to pick it up.

“Hi everyone! Wong told me we’ll be having dinner in the mess hall tonight. Does that mean the Guardians will be here sooner than planned?”

“No, still due tomorrow, but Nebula said it might be around lunchtime when they arrive. Tony, Pepper, and Natasha just want to work out schematics,” Steve pipes up from the couch, shooting you a bright Captain America smile.

“I was thinking,” You begin nervously. “I’m sort of glad Tony is forcing me to take a break. It gives me time to finish up my notes on you all but also gives them some time to recharge and ask you guys about me.”

“I’m glad you’re gonna rest some, imposed or not. Plan sounds perfect to me,” Pepper answers with a bright smile, taking the oreo package from Tony and closing it as he frowns slightly at his cookie loss. Then Bucky sees Peter slip him a brownie. Tony shoots you a wink as he accepts it.

“Good!” You perk up at the acceptance before you and Wong continue to what Bucky assumes is the library.

Scott and Hope walk in with Okoye and Clint, Scott looking excited.

“Thor’s gonna be here soon!” He rubs his hands together as Peter, Shuri and Sam laugh.

“What did I say?” Scott wonders aloud, looking at Natasha as she pats his shoulder once as she returns to her seat on the couch.

“They’re obviously trying to get the White Wolf to make a move before Thor comes. He may have gained some weight, but he’s still very handsome. Funny. Powerful. Pleasing to the eye and ear.” Okoye comments as Scott and Peter nod along eagerly.

Bucky drops his empty bowl into the sink and sulks off to his room.

Would you really like Thor better?

Of course, you would. Thor wasn’t a former brainwashed assassin who still have difficulties remembering his past as a normal person should. He probably doesn’t sit up nights after rough missions and hate that he can still feel the person he used to be. He can offer you charm and laughter and he was fucking royalty. Space royalty!

Bucky was a man out of time with more blood on his hands than any man should, he was a man who couldn’t offer you a lot...all he had to give was his damaged self.

He was just a semi-stable soldier who liked watching your beautiful eyes light up as you get excited about the smallest things and who liked to follow you around to hear you sing - how could he compete when he was possibly up against an actual god?

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It’s after midnight, so it’s mostly cleared out, with the few who are still awake settled on the patio with a few bottles scattered across the glass tabletop, soft words and the soft clink of glass on glass is all you hear from the partially opened patio door as you slip into the kitchen.

You open the junk food cabinet to find the tin of cookies Bucky had gifted you with two days ago is still there (how you don’t know, but you’re thankful) and still half-full of the little sugar cookies identical to the ones you had the other afternoon. He’s so thoughtful, you muse.

You’re almost back to your room with your tin of goodies when it happens.

A loud boom echoes far too close for comfort, making you jump while you clutch the tin to your chest, fighting back a scream. Then you hear the sound of gunshots, your heart rate already rising.

There is nowhere safer to be. There is nowhere safer to be. There is nowhere safer to be! You repeat the mantra in your head as you automatically head towards Bucky’s room at a run.

He’s not here. Panic blooms in your chest as you throw open his bedroom door and find it barren. No. No. No! He’d gone to his room when you had after dinner...where could he be?! You close his door and rush back down the hall towards the kitchen. Kitchens have knives, you reason to yourself. Killers don’t look that often in kitchens, right? Velociraptors, yes. Bad guys, hopefully not so much.

The lights go out as red alarm lights begin flashing overhead, spurring your feet to move faster.

That’s when suddenly you crash into a hard body.

You’re praying it’s Bucky or Steve.

It isn’t.

The man in black tactical gear grabs your arm, forcing you to face the wall before shoving you into it harsh enough to make the precious cookie tin slip from your grasp. You gasp loudly at the pain shooting through your cheek he’d smashed into the wall and at the angle he’s still got your arm in. Your back is to his chest, so you do as Gracie Lou Freebush taught you and SING!

You bring most of your weight onto your right heel, shoving in at the tip of his boot before snapping your head back hard against his face. He yelps out a few expletives while you thank whoever that this dude was just a little taller than you and not Steve or Bucky’s size. You spin around now that you’re free of his grasp and bring your knee up as quick and hard as you can into his groin, hoping that the tactical gear isn’t that thick there, before flattening your palm like Natasha showed you and thrusting it up and into his nose. You fist that same hand and jab at the uncovered skin you can see by his Adam's apple. He doubles over and while you know it’s stupid and cliche, you grab your cookie tin and continue past the gasping man faster towards the kitchen.

When you run into a second body, you decide you’ll try out the whole tossing your foe over your shoulder thing, but then you feel the cool metal against your wrist before Bucky pulls you against his chest roughly. He releases your wrist, metal hand cupping the back of your head and pulling you tighter against his chest.

“Scared the shit out of me, doll.” He breathes against your hair as you cling to him. Safe. He pulls back to look at you and he frowns, eyes running frantically all over you. “Are you hurt?”

“Not really.”

“Where’d this blood come from?”

“I think I broke a guys nose,” Your voice is unsure but Bucky looks proud.

“Good. Good, babydoll. Okay, we gotta get you to the safe room now.” You nod shakily as you pull away, your hand slipping into his easily before your eyes widen. Bucky drops your hand and pushes you behind him, looking at the six men now standing in the hallway, blocking your way to the kitchen and wherever the fuck the safe room is. Bucky looks around before tapping the comm in his ear. “Hall blocked. I’ve got Y/N. Sending her outside to safety.”

Sending you OUTSIDE to safety?! What sense does that make, Bucky!?

“Run for where you saw the 3 bucks,” Bucky orders sternly before grabbing you, throwing open a little hatch in the wall and tossing you through the tight metal shaft.

You scream most of the way down until you land on mostly soft things. You shove your hand down to steady yourself on the - fuck, he threw you down the garbage shute! Climbing through the giant dumpster trough is a feat in itself, only to reach the sides and find them sticky with residue that nearly makes you faceplant back into the dumpster. You manage to wrangle yourself out and shimmy down the side, with only minor scrapes and cuts your sides and hands, trying not to gag at the scent that now clings to you. At least you’re safe...Well, safer. You still need to get to the clearing.

You aren’t sure how many are outside, so you press yourself against the dumpster as close as you can and ease your way around it until you can almost see the corner that will lead you to the patio and the edge of the woods.

But that’s when a man holding what looks like an electrified baton, steps out of the shadows just feet in front of you, teeth gleaming menacingly in the moonlight.

“Well, fuck,” you huff out angrily before searching the ground around you for a weapon.

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

“Where’s Y/N? Anyone have eyes on Y/N?” Steve yells through the comms before soft grunts echo through.

“Tin-Man lost Y/N.” Tony’s voice comes in before there is a crackle of lightning right beside Bucky as he exits the house in a mad dash for the clearing.

“Fuck you, Stark. I didn’t lose her, I simply misplaced her. House is clear. Eyes? Anyone?!” He’s sure he’s panting because his chest is so tight with worry. Fuck, he did lose her. There is no answer, which means no one has seen her. Sweet Jesus, please don’t let anything have happened to her...

“All clear on the east side,” Clint’s voice confirms, not easing the worry bubbling inside Bucky.

“All clear on the north side,” Natasha huffs out. Shit. Shit. SHIT!

The clearing is empty, no sounds coming from the forest. NO! Bucky spins on his heel and heads back for the compound.

“The west side is clear,” T’Challa’s voice comes over. “No sign of Y/N, Bucky.”

“Southside is clear. Except for the debris and unconscious dudes,” Scott affirms before adding softly. “No Y/N here either.”

“Alright - everyone spread out and find her. Queens and Bruce can stay out here while Thor, Strange, Wong and Vision all start to round up these morons. Buck, where do we start?”

“I tossed her out the chute by the kitchen and I just checked the clearing and she’s not here.”

“I’m sorry, you what?” Wanda asks, disbelief clear even through the comms.

“He tossed the girl he’s been mooning over for a week down the damn kitchen garbage chute!” Sam chortles while Bucky fights the need to punch something. Anything. Preferably Sam.

Okoye, Shuri, and Natasha all are headed towards where she was last seen when Okoye stops.

“Do you hear that?” The others stop, straining their ears. They hear a few soft grunts followed by a soft “Help” so breathy if they hadn’t stopped they might not have heard it.

Hope and Steve are coming from the opposite direction, all of them looking around before the shouts grow louder.

“Help! Please!” A pause. A cough. “HELP!” Bucky comes huffing up behind Steve, searching you out.

“Doll?!”

Hope is the one who peers down into the open incinerator hole, “Got her!” she yells before Steve jumps down to help you out.

When Hope and Okoye pull you up, you’re beyond relieved but you only manage to get one semi-clear breath in before hands are cupping your face, making you look into relief-filled storm blue eyes.

“Are you alright? Is anything broken? Are you hurt? Doll, answer me.”

“I don’t think anything’s broken,” You answer before feeling the rage you’d felt earlier returning. “You threw me down the garbage chute.”

Bucky tenses at your angry tone. “It was the safest option at the time, sweetheart.” Tony and the rest of the Avengers and Thor come around the corner about this time, your eyes never leaving Bucky’s as you get angrier and angrier.

“You. Threw. Me. Down. The. Garbage. Chute.” You shove his hands from your face. “And safe?!” You wave the baton you’d taken from black tactical uniformed asshole #8. “That asshole,” pointing the baton down towards the hole you’d both tumbled down, with you luckily landing on him to break your fall. “Was waiting out here ready to electrocute my ass into either compliance or peeing on myself, but yeah, I’m sure sticking with a fucking former sniper and super soldier was a bad plan.” Bucky is grinning with relief, he can practically feel it coursing through his veins like a drug. Now, his mind supplies with glee. And Bucky heeds the call, reclaiming the little space you’d put between the two of you, his hands cupping your face before his lips gently meet yours. He can hear you inhale sharply, moving his lips gently against yours.

And for a few moments, you surrender. It just feels so nice. You don’t want it to stop. But the anger reminds you that you could have died from the fall while your brain reminds you that you didn’t. And his lips feel so damn good.

You pull away, taking a deep breath as Bucky looks at you with hope dancing in those blue eyes.

“I need a shower,” You snap, withdrawing further from Bucky and marching back towards the compound’s closest patio. They can all hear you talking to yourself as you leave. “Maybe update beyond a plain chain-link fence? Who the fuck attacks the fucking Avengers compound, huh? Maybe put a stupid cover over the giant ash and fire pit in the ground! Stupid asshole, he’s lucky he broke my fall. What is in my hair?! Can’t believe he kissed me...fucking cookies...”

Pepper and Wanda follow after her while Natasha shakes her head at Bucky.

“A garbage chute, Barnes? And then she fell into the incinerator pit?”

“I didn’t plan it that way! I figured she’d get to the clearing and be safe!” Bucky defends, throwing his hands in the air.

“I thought you were smooth with women back in the day?” Rhodey asks, gesturing from Bucky to where you’d gone.

“You must go and make this right. But you might want to wait a bit since she still had a very firm hold on that stick.” Thor offers with a cheery smile. “I like her already!” Cookies. The thought of her holding that tin so tightly to her chest spurs Bucky to begin searching the ground before heading over to the garbage bin.

“Whatcha doin’, Tin-Man?” Tony asks, hovering to watch him.

“She had her cookie tin when I found her,” He grunts out, shoving the garbage out of the way to see the bottom of the metal bin.

“It’s not in there, Sergeant Barnes.” Vision confirms, making Bucky jump out with a huff.

“You can make her some more as an apology, Buck.” Steve huffs out as he dusts off the ash from the pit.

“Yeah…”

“You’re going to need a lot more than cookies,” Wanda’s voice is a whisper through the comms.

“Why?” Bruce asks, looking at Wong who shrugs.

“Whatever was in the dumpster, it mixed with the ashes and residue in the incinerator and it’s clumping in her hair. Pepper has her in the bathtub, trying to work it out as you would gum, but it’s not all coming out. We’ve got some of it...Maybe Shuri or Bruce can help? Otherwise, Pepper is going to call her hairdresser…”

“Oh shit. Yeah, you’re gonna need a whole lot more than cookies if you’ve fucked up her hair. I know that from experience,” Sam affirms before giving a shiver and heads back to where they tossed all the intruders.

“Best way is to admit you were and are a dumbass, then give her a few of her favorite things...oh, and she liked those chocolate chip pancakes you made - make those!” Bucky groans, looking from Clint - his suggestion is the best, after all - to Steve who is ready to begin doling out orders for cleanup.

“I’m just gonna give her some time. I’ll apologize in the morning. With pancakes and cookies.”

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

After Pepper and Wanda try to work the solidified goo from your hair for almost two hours, you give up and just ask Pepper to call her hairdresser.

You didn’t know she’d come right away.

You barely step out of the shower when Wanda knocks to let you know she’s there.

It takes her about twenty-five minutes to cut all the wads from the ends of your hair, the highest luckily only coming a couple of inches up. You had wanted to cut your hair anyways you suppose…

She evens it out beautifully before smothering your hair in a mask as a knock on your door, draws all of your attention to the door. Part of you wants it to be Bucky. Needs it to be Bucky... The other part is hesitant - mostly because now you’ve had time to calm down and think about everything - you had said some harsh things. You had basically rejected him. And it hurt that you did that to Bucky.

The person at the door isn’t Bucky, it’s a nurse to check you over. You have a few scrapes on your hands from the metal edges of the trash bin and a few cuts on your arms and neck from wrestling with your assailant. You have a nasty bruise on the back of your left thigh from landing on it but right now it’s just a dull ache. She adds split lip and an electric-based burn on your forearm to the papers.

“Nothing major, thankfully!” She’s far too chipper for you right now so you just give a little sigh and nod.

After everyone leaves - having to placate Wanda and Pepper several times over that you are alright - you stand there in the middle of the room, bewildered. What do you do now? Is this how they all feel after battles?

You wander over to the desk, looking over the interviews you were working on before the attack, but you can’t seem to settle.

Just like before.

A shiver runs down your spine at the thought.

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

Bucky is lying in bed, rubbing both hands roughly over his face while his mind goes over the last couple hours like fucking torturous instant replay.

A groan bubbles up in his throat as he stares at the ceiling.

He knows he’s made things bad but he hadn’t wanted you to see him like that.

Because he had felt more unhinged than he had in a long time...he didn’t know where you were and then someone had hurt you. The rage he had barely contained was let loose the moment he had turned around from shoving you down the chute. The six men were lucky. The man who had limped from the hallway after he finished with the six idiots, was not.

He’s so lost in his thoughts, in his selfishness - he barely registers the knock at his door. Huffing out a breath, he tosses his sheet over to cover his nudity...Steve didn’t seem to care but Sam threw a hissy fit every time he barged into his room and found him naked.

“Yeah,” Bucky calls out gruffly, tossing his flesh arm over his eyes, trying to prepare himself for whatever lecture he was about to receive.

“I don’t want to sleep alone.” He pops up at the sound of your voice, drinking the sight of you in like a thirsty man who had just crossed the desert. “I’m scared.”

His heart breaks. You should feel safe here. That’s all they had to do was protect you and he failed. Miserably. You look so small against the dark wood door, the oversized shirt from before is gone - a dark blue tank top in its place - but those tiny little shorts still there. Those would have been considered underwear back in his day.

You move forward slowly, coming to a stop at the empty side of his bed.

“I’m...um…”

“Naked?”

“Yeah.” She turns her back and sits on the edge of the bed with a soft sigh, perhaps relief? “Okay,” Bucky is standing by the bed in his black boxers, searching your face for what he’d seen earlier, but all he sees is tiredness and tears sitting ready to spill. “Come on.” He eases back into bed, watching as you mimic him.

Bucky can hear you swallow once you’re settled, staring up at the ceiling as he had done earlier. The both of you lie on your backs with a small space between the two of you, the soft breathing the only thing to break the silence.

“I’m sorry for how I acted. You saved my life. I should have been more grateful.”

“I shouldn’t have tossed you down that chute like that. I didn’t - I couldn’t - let you see me do what I did. You’d have been safer if I would have kept you with me.” You don’t reply - not verbally, at least. Your hand finds his under the sheet, gripping it tightly before linking your fingers through his. “I’m sorry about your hair,” Bucky whispers in the dark room, half-afraid to look at you.

“It’s just hair. It will grow back. Maybe I’ll cut it shorter once I get used to this length. I cried a little when Pepper was working on getting it out...seeing chunk and chunk of that stuff on one of those plush white towels...I honestly think it was the whole ordeal that made me cry. The hair was just the kicker.”

Bucky doesn’t know what to say, just squeezes your hand before he feels your gaze on him. Like a siren call he can’t ignore, his eyes meet yours.

“Stop blaming yourself Bucky. You thought you were keeping me from seeing you beat the ever-living fuck from those guys and keeping me safe by getting me out and away from where they all were.” He can hear your voice break as you fight back tears. “Please don’t take that burden. I’m fine. I’m safe.”

“With me,” Bucky breathes out, releasing your hand for the second time that night, turning on his side before drawing you closer, as close as possible. “You’re safe, babydoll. Okay? I’m a dumbass. I should have done what made sense and keep you close.”

He can feel you chuckle against his chest, inhaling the sweet scent of your shampoo as he idly rubs his cheek against the top of your head.

“You are a dumbass, Barnes.” He sucks in a breath, a tightness already forming in his chest. “But you are an achingly good person, so I’m going to forgive this incident. Next time, I’m not gonna be so lenient.” It’s all mumbled against his chest, your fingers digging slightly into his back as you cling to him like he is doing to you.

“I’ll make you chocolate chip pancakes and cookies ‘til you pop.”

“Mmmhmm,” You hum against his chest, giving a little wiggle before taking a few deep breaths. “Goodnight Bucky, you handsome dumbass.”

“Goodnight, doll,” Bucky waits until he hears your breathing even out before he adds. “Your dumbass, sweetheart.”

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

Everyone wakes up to find Steve panicking that Y/N isn’t in her room.

“She’s gone!”

“Calm down, Steve.” Natasha orders, handing Clint his third cup of coffee.

“I checked the surveillance cameras, she didn’t leave the compound,” He rambles. “And I’ve checked the grounds, she isn’t anywhere to be found.”

“Did you ask everyone? Maybe she’s talking to Wong or Bruce or Okoye. Get ahold of yourself, Rogers. A man your age doesn’t need the added stress.” Steve shoots her a glare that clearing has some language undertones.

“Morning,” Tony says brightly, tossing the morning newspapers onto the kitchen bar top and taking a seat.

“Tony, Y/N is missing.”

“Ah. Is she now? FRIDAY?”

“Yes, Boss?”

“Is our little writer still on the premises?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“See? No need to worry, Steve. A man your age could have a heart attack.”

“Oh hardy-fucking-har har,” Steve spits out while Tony grins, just before they all hear a loud gasp.

“Captain!” Shuri has her hand over her heart dramatically. “Language!” Steve throws up a hand.

“One more language or old man joke and someone - or multiple someones - are getting some shield. Understand?” They all fucking snap to attention and salute, T’Challa walking in with a sigh.

“Please say this is for him and not for me.”

“No, it’s for the Captain,” Peter clarifies with a bright grin before schooling his face back to serious.

“Alright then.” Steve nearly snaps when T’Challa joins in, trying to hide a smile as he stands at attention.

“Fine! I’m going to keep looking for Y/N!” And stomps from the room.

“You guys really should have shouted ‘America’s Ass!’ when you snapped to attention,” Scott muses as he heads towards the coffee pot.

“Damnit! Why didn’t I think of that?!” Tony groans out before Natasha slides him a glass of orange juice and smiles over the rim of her glass.

“There’s always later, Tony.”

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

“Bucky! Have you seen - AHH!” Bucky shoots up, making sure to angle himself to cover you as he held a gun pointed at the intruder.

“Jesus, pal. Maybe knock next time?” Bucky grumbles out, replacing the gun next to his lamp on his bedside table as he feels your fingers on his bicep. You sleepily peeking around him to look at Steve with murder clearly written on your face is the epitome of too cute.

“I didn’t - I’m sorry - I-I was just looking for -”

“What time is it Steve?” You yawn out, interrupting him.

“It’s, um, 8:30.”

“AM?!”

“Yes.”

“What the actual fuck? I didn’t get to sleep until after 3. Not cool, Rogers.” And you toss yourself back down before reaching up to pull at Bucky’s arm with a little whine at the back of your throat.

“Oh, yeah. I’ll, um, I’ll just go then. See you when you get up.” Even Steve doesn’t understand what you mumbled out, his brow furrowed as he pulls the door closed quietly behind him as Bucky waves him off. Bucky wiggles downward, changing their positions from last night - his face pressed against your collarbone as he feels your fingers slip into his hair, winding his arms around your middle with a sigh of contentment.

You both drift off wrapped up safely in each other again.

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

“You find her?”

“Yep.” Steve walks briskly into the kitchen, reaching for his coffee cup.

“Well, don’t leave us hanging in suspense!” Hope chides as Steve adds some brown sugar to his coffee before moving around Sam towards the liquor counter. All eyebrows raise as he pours a healthy amount into his coffee cup.

“She was with Bucky.”

“What?!”

“After what happened last night?!”

“Did the old man finally get laid?” They’re all talking over one another or talking to each other about this development.

“I don’t think she’s gonna have sex with him after that. Maybe she just went in to talk and they fell asleep together. I don’t know. I didn’t get to ask too many questions. She’s not a morning person and running on less than five hours of sleep doesn’t make her any more of a morning person.”

“Well, where are they?”

“She pulled him back down and they went back to sleep.”

“That’s adorable!” Wanda gives a little squeal of delight before adding a dollop of whipping cream to Steve’s cup of Irish coffee.

“It seems the endeavor to bring them together has worked,” Vision expressed, nodding at everyone like they had done a good job.

“He has to ask her out. That’s the goal.” Wong utters as he waits for the tea kettle to warm up.

“Wong’s right. He’s gotta ask her out.”

“Who has to ask whom out?” Thor asks as he struts into the kitchen. “I am glad I came ahead. I got to have some fun before the interrogation.”

“Interview,” Okoye corrects with pursed lips.

“Ah yes, interview. But who is asking who out?”

“Bucky needs to ask Y/N out,” Pepper clarifies, hugging Thor before taking the barstool next to Tony.

“She seemed upset with him earlier this morning.”

“He threw her out the trash chute,” Shuri reiterates.

“Better than a high window. Or into the vacuum of space.” Natasha shoots Clint a look at Thor’s words, which just makes him chuckle loudly before gesturing at the Irish whiskey Steve left on the counter. She rolls her eyes and hands it to him.

“Yes. Very right, Pikachu. But what else can we do? We’ve pushed them together at mealtimes, they’ve napped together - now they’d slept together,” Thor opens his mouth but Bruce just shakes his head and Thor closes his mouth. “Sleep, not sex, Thor. He’s been smiling more, following her around when she isn’t interviewing...maybe we should send them to town for supplies make up an activity to do and then we all bail?”

“What scares me is you are a certified genius…” Shuri utters with a hearty sigh. “This isn’t a Lifetime movie, people.”

“It wouldn’t be a Lifetime movie anyway!” Scott argues, drumming his fingers on the countertop. “We need, like, a ‘You’ve Got Mail’ scenario.”

“That’s not gonna work! They’ve met. They aren’t competitors,” Clint argues back, shaking his head vehemently. 

“Okay, everyone gives ONE idea!” Stephen pipes up as he leans against the coffee bar.

“We should go over tropes!” Peter jumps in with the first offer.

“Finally! A good idea!” Shuri agrees with a broad smile.

“Alright, let’s make a list,” Pepper pulls out her phone. “Trope one?”

“Bedsharing. Check.”

“Could we do a sick/injured one?” Natasha asks, looking from Shuri to Peter.

Peter nods seriously. “I’ll allow it.”

“Sending them on a blind date?” Hope offers, smearing butter on her toast as Scott hands her a jar of peach preserves.

“Oh, yes. That could work. Add that please, Pepper.”

“Why are we listening to children?” Stephen looks around the group, hands wide with a universal ‘what’ gesture.

“Cause we are very intelligent. And you aren’t throwing out any good ideas, Strange.” Peter snorts at Shuri’s comment.

“Mutual pining for sure,” Sam adds, cracking open an energy drink.

“Poorly timed confession? When he kissed her?” Okoye slips into the last barstool, Shuri grinning from ear to ear at her addition.

“You know so much, Okoye.”

“It is my job, Princess.”

“Anger born of worry, definitely a possibility for Y/N…” Tony mutters more to himself than anyone else, as he scrolls through his phone, looking at the list of tropes he found.

“Innocent physical contact?” Steve peers over Tony’s shoulder. “Hand holding when they napped.”

“Sleep intimacy.”

“Well, that didn’t seem to help. We just made a list of things they’ve done,” Thor looks at Sam’s can before rooting around in the fridge for a similar one.

“Exactly, Mr. Thor. We need a starting point. They both seem to be sort of dancing around each other, so we have to also go with what they’re comfortable with.”

“Excellent, Spider-Parker. Continue.”

“Just go old school. Send her flowers in his name. She thanks him, he plays along, if he’s smart he asks her out - Done.” Bruce vocalizes, Hope offering him a slice of toast.

“Or…,” T’Challa begins, “We could take them to Vegas, get them drunk and get them married. I have now solved all the future problems they’ll encounter as well. You are welcome.”

“Why not just get them drunk here and since I’m ordained, and you’re a King, we could just marry them?”

“Is this really what we’re going with?” Skepticism is rampant in Pepper’s voice as she sets her phone down, eyebrow raised at Rhodey - who has been remarkably silent in the corner, a guardian of the newly brewed pot of coffee.

“Listen, if he’s not smart enough to see he needs to snap her up, I can’t help the man.”

“I just think he needs a little push,” Wanda expresses as she picks at her fingernail absentmindedly.

“Or we just watch and hope he pulls his head out of his ass,” Stephen mutters, pouring more hot water into his cup with a grimace.

“God, it’ll be another 70 years,” Steve groans, polishing off his Irish coffee.

“We’re talking about Bucky, Steve - not you,” Natasha reasons, patting his forearm and flashing a cocky grin.

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

Tony staring down at the marble countertop with his hands on either side of his head with Pepper sitting beside him at the kitchen bar top reading something on her tablet. Bucky is making breakfast - well, more like brunch and a brunch overload at that - pancakes, coffee, bacon, sausage, ham, waffles, and he’s working on eggs when everyone drags themselves back into the kitchen.

“Where’s Y/N?” Shuri asks as she pours herself some juice.

“In the garden,” Bucky answered distractedly before taking a long drink from his black insulated tumbler.

“How is she?”

“She’s been on the phone since she came out of Mr. Bucky’s room,” Peter pipes up happily before walking by Tony and squeezes his shoulder. “Did you guys see she posted the first interview?”

“Who did she post first? Was it me?”

“No, uh, sorry, Sam. She posted Mrs. Pepper’s first.”

“How many times have you read that Tony?” Steve asks, taking his own long drink from his coffee cup as his blonde hair sticks up everywhere.

“Four. He didn’t even tell me until the third time,” Pepper answers for him.

“Five now,” Tony corrects, leaning back in the barstool. “It’s everything I could have wanted.” Natasha takes the tablet from in front of Tony, bracing her elbows on the counter before scrolling to the top and settling in to read. Pepper hands her tablet to Steve as Thor climbs into the seat besides Tony, taking a few waffles from the pile and dousing them with far too much syrup.

“Kid, tell her breakfast is ready,” Bucky orders softly, Peter already out of his seat and out the wood covered patio door before Bucky gets to the word ‘ready’. Repairs to the windows and door the intruders broke will be fixed later today, Pepper confirmed earlier since Tony was distracted, for now, they’re just boarded up.When Peter returns with her, there is just the sounds of Bucky finishing up and soft shuffles as people shift where they’re sitting or standing. Almost everyone is looking down at their devices or eating, which makes you more nervous, he can tell.

Bucky had woken up to an empty bed and his giant tumbler filled with hot coffee sitting on his bedside table, the sweet smell and pale color tipping him off immediately to what his doll has been up to. He didn’t know exactly what she’d put in it, it was different from the other times, not as chocolatey but sweet enough to appease his sweet tooth.

He watches you from the corner of his eye as he carefully plates the two biggest, warmest pancakes onto a plate for you, balancing two pieces of bacon and a couple of pieces of sausage at the top of the plate while you slip into the barstool on the other side of Okoye who had claimed the seat by Pepper.

Bucky carefully slides the plate before you, a silent offering of apology. Even if you’ve said multiple times he doesn’t need to apologize...he knows he has to. You deserve every apology he can muster.

“Morning,” He rushes to say it and it comes out rougher than he planned nearly wincing at his overeagerness.

“Good morning,” You reply softly, “Thank you for breakfast.”

“Of course, doll.” Everyone is trying not to look at the two of you and you both appreciate that.

Tony points to the tablet in Natasha’s hand.

“We need to talk about this later, kid. Wonderful stuff.”

“Really?” She’s beaming, the nerves she had suddenly gone - like a weight lifted from her shoulders. Tony nods as he takes a big bite of sausage.

“Yeah, kid. I love it. I really do.”

“When we get done eating, can Thor join me in the garden please?” Bucky fights the need to tense up at your words, putting a few pancakes on his own plate before adding a heap of eggs, smothering his pancakes in buttery syrup as if every action will somehow prolong the inevitable. But you slept in his bed last night. Woke up wrapped around him. The thoughts don’t stop the jealousy already clawing at his belly.

Thor just looks at you with happiness painted on his features, extending a hand behind Pepper to shake yours.

“I did not think last night was a good time to introduce myself. Thor, Son of Odin and Frigga.”

“Y/N, Daughter of Lily Lee. Pleased to meet you.”

“You as well. I like your hair cut. I know what it is like to have no decision in removing your hair and I am sorry. But it will grow back.” He adds cheerfully, spearing a forkful of eggs. “This is only 8 years worth since that madman on Sakaar shorn me like a sheep!”

“Asgardians hair must grow fast.” Thor bobs his blonde head. “Where is Sakaar?”

“It is a place I would never take a lovely woman such as yourself. It is a prize fighting planet filled with thieves, vagrants, and mercenaries which is ruled by a sexually-deviant man called the Grand Master.” He shoves half a waffle in his mouth, cheeks round as he smiles and points his fork at Bruce. “You remember Sakaar, don’t you, Bruce? Hulk was top fighter there!”

Bucky watches your eyes widen as your gaze falls on Bruce.

“You didn’t mention Sakaar, Dr. Banner.”

“Why-why would I? It’s a terrible planet, like-like Thor said. Plus, I-I was Hulk and don’t remember everything about that time.” Thor and Bruce nod along together, Bucky nearly rolls his eyes at the two. Their sublty and Shuri’s absolutely needed some work.

“Of course. I’m sorry to prod, Bruce.”

“No problem. No problem at all.” Tony is looking at Bruce, confusion written all over his face,  who shrugs as soon as you look away.

“Well, I’m going to get my things, Thor. I’ll see you in the garden.” She rises from the seat and puts her dirty plate in the sink, Bruce stuttering out he’ll wash it before her hand falls on Bucky’s wrist. “Thank you again for breakfast, Bucky.”

Now it’s his turn to stutter. “O-of course, doll.”

As you disappear down the hallway, Bucky meets Thor’s gaze, the god smiling knowingly at him.

Asshat.

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Thor starts your interview with a hug, complimenting you on the stories that Nebula shared with him from the many electronic mails that Tony had sent.

“I’m glad you liked them.”

“Oh yes. I think even my brother would have had to admit they were well written.”

“How is your brother?”

“I have seen him but twice on my travels with the Guardians. But he seems well. He is not the brother I lost to Thanos, not as mature, he is more Trickster...but he seems to avoid getting himself into too much hot water.” He sighs, absentmindedly stroking his beard. “I suppose I am just happy he is alive and well. I dare not ask for more.” You pat his knee as you nod.

“We can’t change our family. But the family you found is always here and welcoming.”

“Of course. I am very grateful for such a family.”

“May we begin?”

“Yes. Let us begin.”

“What was it like growing up on Asgard?”

“Beautiful. Peaceful. Even when we were being trained to be warriors, there was still joy in me. I was always happy to protect Asgard.”

“It’s been mentioned to me by others that you are actually not the King of Asgard as many news agencies constantly report.”

“No,” He gives a little chuckle as he looks over the roses. “No, I am not King of Asgard. I never wanted to be. Loki should have been King, he was more for politics and intrigue and silver-tongued words. I am a warrior. It is that simple.”

“Is it?” Those electric blue eyes bore into you, brows furrowed slightly. “‘Cause you let your home planet be destroyed to protect your people. You ferried quite a few Asgardians who were flung across the cosmos back here to live with their own people. I’d say that’s more than just a simple warrior.”

“You flatter me, my lady.” You laugh at his words.

“I’m not terribly into flattery, so you won’t be getting any more of that from me.”

“Noted,” He remarks, his serious face being held for only a few seconds before it breaks into a wide smile that reminds you of the sun. Did his mother ever look at him as a baby and think ‘this is Thor - my little god of sunshine’? You’d bet a fair amount of money she did.

“Things on Asgard were medieval-ish in terms of the way you spoke, the way you dressed...yet you were far more advanced than even we are now. Probably more than we will be in a hundred years. Why visit us so long ago, when we were far less advanced than now?”

“You were a simpler people. Not stupid, but not quite ready to dream of going out into the stars. All of the cultures we visited were so different...good medical knowledge, fairly good at outlining the stars, planets, and constellations, all very clean and focused on the betterment of their people. And then I believe it was the Dark Ages and you lot seemed to take a few dozen steps backward. Like you had all, as one, forgotten the hard-earned knowledge of your forebearers. We did not come back for a great many years after that. But you have relearned most of what was lost. Wakanda seems to be the best because of it, seeming to have lost the least amount of knowledge over the centuries.”

“Have you read any of the Viking mythology?”

“Tony has made a few mentions of it during our time together, but I did not understand all of his references.”

“Viking mythology is quite different from Asgardian fact. You are the oldest legitimate son of Odin, so you would still be King. Loki is still a Frost Giant raised as an Asgardian. But Hela is not your sister, Hela is Loki’s daughter - well in some versions. He - um - in a certain story,” You wiggle a little on the bench under his intense, but friendly gaze. “Turned into a mare and let himself be impregnated by an Asgardian stallion. He then gives birth to a nine-legged horse that Odin uses named Sleipnir.”

Thor bursts out laughing, deep, rich and from his belly as he slaps his hand on his knee a few times before taking a deep breath and wiping away a few tears.

“Oh! You MUST send me more of these stories! They are wildly inaccurate and very, very amusing!”

“What’s your favorite thing about Earth?”

“Besides these stories I have just learned of? I enjoy the clothes but dislike the lack of armor. I like coffee! I add a little bit of Asgardian mead to mine to make it more enjoyable. I enjoy the fact that you are all so resilient. Most of you so willing to do what’s right, you just act upon that need - it is quite endearing. Selfies! I have become quite good at taking selfies with people! You all also opened your planet to me and my people when we were in need. I also enjoy those Oreo cookie things that Quill packs onboard that I steal and share with Rocket and Groot.”

Another snack thief… You make a note under Thor’s name, before adding Oreos just under it.

“You left New Asgard to go travel with the Guardians. Is Quill still the leader?”

“Yes. Of course.” You giggle at his face.

“Your mouth says yes, but your eyes don’t seem to agree!”

“You have a lovely laugh. And I suppose I am used to being the leader or, at least an equal to the leader, and 3500 years of that is a hard thing to break. I will call it a toss-up on most days.”

“Thank you for that compliment, Thor. Are you a morning or a night person?”

“I like all times of the day, but I do enjoy sleeping in when I can.”

“What would happen if you summoned lightning and I was holding onto Stormbreaker at the time?”

“You would not be able to wield such a weapon, little one. But you have nothing to fear, I would not let any harm come to you - lightning or attempting to wield Stormbreaker. The lightning would simply go where I wanted it to and I would be wielding the ax, so no harm would come from you hanging onto it.”

“How do you deal with all the loss you’ve had in the last fifteen years?” Thor gives you a sad smile.

“One day at a time, as do we all. I have very much to be thankful for, so I think of that often when I feel weighed down.”

“Do you take fruit from Tony’s farm when you go into space? Have you tried giving them space fruit?”

“Yes, Tony has had some. As well as Rhodey. I am not sure the others have tried any. I should bring a few big crates for them to try next time we come to visit!”

“Would you like to tell me more about your family and growing up?”

“What else would you like to know, little rose?” You cover up the shock at the nickname with a bright smile, nodding eagerly before flipping to another page of questions you have for him.

::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx:::xxxxxxxxxx::

You’re all about to sit down when FRIDAY announces that the Guardians are about to land on the east side of the compound. You snatch up your camera, which had eerily reappeared in your room this morning, from the kitchen counter and run outside to snap a few pictures of the landing.

Meeting “The Space Division”, as Tony lovingly refers to them, is amazing!

Carol is funny, sarcastic and a bit dry, she immediately reminded you of a lot less weighed down version of Tony. Maybe a mix of Tony, Wanda, and Clint. That thought gives you a little concern.

Nebula glares as you extend your hand before giving a little huff and shaking it roughly. You don’t mind, Tony and Thor have warned you she was rough around the edges. You give her your warmest smile and allow her her space afterward.

Gamora gives you a firm handshake, sizing you up before offering a tight smile. “Don’t mind the idiots too much, I’ll help keep them in line for the questioning.” She says softly before dropping your hand and stepping aside.

Thor wraps his arms around you in another hug, tighter than the last, before pulling back to introduce you to Groot and Rocket. You manage a thank you as he releases you, seeing Bucky come into your line of sight behind Thor, you smile again - this one just for him since he looks a little glum.

“These are my very good friends, little rose. Tree and Rabbit,” His voice is filled with pride and glee, so you try to school your face when he calls Rocket a rabbit.

Groot shakes your hand and smiles wide, “I am Groot,” falling easily from his mouth as he beams down at you.

Rocket perches up by Groot’s elbow to shake your hand afterward, “I’ll be translating for him during your interrogation thing.” You thank him profusely as Thor gives a little frown beside you.

“Interview, friend.”

“Right. Right.” Rocket agrees with a little shrug before a giant wall of muscle stands before you - shirtless.

“I am Drax the Destroyer.”

“Y/N Y/L/N,” You pause. “The writer.” He nods as if the title is exactly what he needed to hear before yanking your hand away from your side and giving it a few firm shakes before dropping it and moving to the left.

“This is Mantis. She knows she is hideously ugly, so there is no need to bring it up again.” Your brows furrow at Drax’s summation as you look at the woman before you. She isn’t ugly. At least not here on Earth.

“Hello, Mantis, nice to meet you.” She keeps her hands clasped together lightly before her, giving a nod at you instead

“Don’t mind Drax. His vision of beauty is horribly skewed,” A male voice says from behind Drax, pushing him out of the way to reveal a nice looking man in red leather who has plastered on his most charming, boyish smile as he extends his hand. “I’m Peter Quill, you may know me as Star-Lord.”

“Of course,” You answer brightly as his other hand comes up to clasp tightly around the hand he still has a hold of, stepping a little closer as he does so.

“You have beautiful eyes,” He begins before Steve clears his throat loudly to your right.

“Lunch?” He reminds in a tone that leaves no room for argument. Bucky appears at your side like magic, offering his arm as he stares ahead. You gently slip yours through it, setting your other hand on his forearm. Thor is holding the door open and smiles brightly at you, blue eyes nearly electric with the light shining in them. Bucky gruffly thanks him before escorting you to your seat, which is opposite the Guardians. Bucky makes sure you’re settled before he takes his seat beside you, with T’Challa on your other side.

Lunch passes much like the first dinner you had with the Avengers, with you recording and feeling a bit like an interloper, but at the same time more comfortable in the group. The Avengers really help you not feel like the odd man out, and it does seem to ease something in Carol and Nebula as they interact with you. Quill and Thor keep smiling overly friendly at you, Bucky’s arm landing on the back of your chair about halfway through dinner. T’Challa says something to him in isiXhosa that nearly has Bucky sputtering into his wine, making you pat his back roughly before rubbing a few circles as you make sure he’s okay.

“Fine, doll. Just fine. Sometimes T’Challa’s humor throws me off.”

Dessert is individual layered desserts with cookies on the side and you nearly squeal when you see the homemade sugar cookies on your plate with the colored sugar on top. You bite into one eagerly, making a little noise at the sound, a chuckle sounding to your right as Bucky watches your happy little wiggle.

One of the things you learn quickly is that Nebula doesn’t talk much, and when she does, it’s blunt. Quill, on the other hand, talks a lot. Especially about himself. Which you don’t mind - just look at your chosen profession - but it’s cocky and you aren’t one for this ego-boosting performance. Especially overly dramatic, long-winded ones... Rocket is rolling his eyes at the story Quill is telling, his hand miming talking while he mouths ‘Blah, Blah, Blah’. Then Quill throws one of his cookies as Rocket, who ducks and it hits Groot - and while you’re sure he’s physically fine, the look in his eyes is one of betrayal and you pick up your unused soup spoon and throw it at Quill. He looks more startled than anything at the turn of events, rubbing his chest where your spoon hit.

“Don’t worry,” Drax shouts as he shovels in the last of his dessert. “He does not have sensitive nipples!” You try desperately to smother your laughter with your hand but fail for the most part.

“Good to know,” Clint replies for you further down the table as Bucky leans over to whisper in your ear.

“No one needed to know that, doll. And that was a hell of a shot with the spoon.” You turn to face him, foreheads almost touching.

“Did you doubt my spoon throwing skills, sir?”

“Haven’t come across a spoon thrower…” He rumbles out, smiling so wide his eyes are wrinkling on the sides again.

“So that makes me all the more impressive. I mean, you are over a hundred years old…” He leans back a little, hand over his heart.

“Ow. Bringing my age into it, doll? Rough.”

“Don’t be such a baby. Sam brings up your age constantly.”

“Does he? I ignore him most of the time…”

“No you don’t, you old fogey!” Sam hollers from a few seats down, making you laugh again. Tony leads all of you into the lounge, complete with a fully stocked bar. Bucky brings you a dirty Shirley Temple before sitting beside you with a big glass full of whiskey, Thor making himself comfortable on your other side.

He regales you with stories from his journeys throughout the nine realms, about his brother and his friends the Warriors Three. You listen to a particularly suspenseful one, Steve smiling as he leans against the bar edge a few feet away, your hand shooting out to grab onto Bucky. You miss the shocked expression when you grab his knee, squeezing it before you sputter out an embarrassed apology.

“I was - I’m sorry - I just - I was so caught up in the story…”

“It’s fine, doll. Startled me was all since I was talking to Stevie is all.” He pats the hand that was just squeezing his leg, his small smile comforting. Thor coaxes your attention back to him, finishing the story with gusto.

About two hours later you’re excusing yourself off to bed, saying you’d like to get better pictures of the outside and inside of the ship before you start the interviews. Quill eagerly agrees, offering to give you a tour until Rocket makes what you assume is a crude comment under his breath since Quill tries to kick him before flashing a bright, flirty smile at you.

You don’t see Bucky glaring menacingly at him, standing at his full height just to your left as you say your goodnights. When you turn to wish Bucky sweet dreams, his face is normal - his eyes even softer than usual as he wished you sweet dreams in return.

You don’t hear the sound of a whip Sam makes but you hear a few soft grunts just before the door clicks closed behind you.

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[PART 4]

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Tagging: @jewelofwinter @sgtjbuccky @jaamesbbarnes @thewhiterabbit42 @nobodys-baby-now @unleashthemidnight @stay-frosty-royal-unicorn @chelsea072498 @clockworkmorningglory @sakurablossom4 @marichromatic @blondecoffeecake @ourloveisforthelovely @whinywingedwinchester @feelmyroarrrr @rowdyhooliganism @everythingisoverrated @iloveyouthreethousand-o6 @puddinsqueen @emotionallysalty @maraudingmarauder @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive @strangersstranger @thefridgeismybestie @transcendent-heroes @jotink78

A/N: Found the pic online and edited it, props to Google and all rights/privileges/ownership goes to who took the photo and to Marvel who made up all these characters.

[lothirielswanmarvel]

FACING GALACTUS: Avengers x Guardians of the Galaxy x X-Men (movie versions)

Word Count: 2904

Romantic interest: Thor (+ Star-Lord Love Triangle)

Summary: Our favorite Marvel heroes across cinematic franchises come together to battle the Destroyer of Worlds: Galactus.

—Character List: Movie Versions—

(NOTE: This list is provided because some Marvel characters may be referred to as their actual names, and not their hero titles. Also: two Fantastic Four characters were added to this sneak peak, but they may not be included/have a major role in the actual story.)

Reed Richards . . . Mr. Fantastic (member of Fantastic Four)

Shuri . . . Badass Princess of Wakanda (member of Avengers)

Susan Storm . . . Invisible Woman (member of Fantastic Four)

Scott Lang . . . Ant Man (member of Avengers)

Erik Lehnsherr . . . Magneto (member of X-Men)

Thor . . . Thor (member of Avengers)

Peter Quill . . . Star-Lord (member of Guardians of the Galaxy)

Mantis . . . Antennae Lady (member of Guardians of the Galaxy)

Steve Rogers . . . Captain America (member of Avengers)

Wanda Maximoff . . . Scarlet Witch (member of Avengers; relations with X-Men)

Sam Wilson . . . Falcon (member of Avengers)

Jean Gray . . . Dark Phoenix (member of X-Men)

Ororo Munroe . . . Storm (member of X-Men)

Carol Danvers . . . Captain Marvel (member of Avengers; relations with Guardians of the Galaxy)

Stephen Strange . . . Doctor Strange (Antisocial Sorcerer Supreme; relations with Avengers)

Evangeline Green . . . Angel (member of Avengers; relations with Guardians of the Galaxy)

Galactus . . . Galactus (Planet-eater. Douche of the universe. Do not engage under any circumstances)

—*—

I had three options. I was selfish, and I was a coward, so I chose the third.

“Just like Star Trek,” Reed Richards murmured at the control panel, next to Shuri.

“I’m more of a Star Wars guy,” Scott Lang said, stuffing his face with a peanut butter sandwich. To any other person, it was a harmless action. Innocent, even. In the dim lighting of the spaceship, all I could see was Scott’s jaw moving up and down. Destruction was rhythm. Crushing. Grinding into paste. Then he swallowed.

I shivered and turned away.

The first option was the simplest: killing myself. A few months ago, after the Moon Experience, stuck in space with no memories, I would’ve happily obliged. It would have been so easy. Quick, even. But I was selfish, and a coward. I chose the third.

Erik Lehnsherr and Susan Storm took up positions beside the massive machine. Their job was to keep the projector from becoming overwhelmed and obliterating us all.

His footsteps were loud. I felt his presence before his huge arms wrapped around me, holding me together like I would break into a million pieces if he didn't. Thor whispered softly in my ear, “You worry too much.”

Thor didn't really care who was around: he made it a known fact that we were together. I shook my head slightly, the back of my head brushing against his shoulder. “Can you blame me?”

“No. I don't blame you.” He was talking about more than just my nerves.

“Do you think I made the right decision?” I bit on my lip to keep it from trembling.

“I will support whatever decision you make,” Thor noted, pressing a kiss into my hair. “I don't like the thought of putting you in danger, but...I agree that there is no simple way to end this. It may be difficult, but I trust your judgement.”

“Do you really mean that, or are you just saying that to make me feel better?”

“No—I will never lie to you, my love,” Thor assured me. I felt his hot breath against my ear. “However, I am starting to favor that dream of yours where you bail on everyone and flee to the realm called Mexico.”

I sighed, and tried to enjoy the comfort of his closeness. “Don't cross that one out yet. Wade said he had some extra sombreros in his apartment.”

Wanda Maximoff floated above the ground and landed near us. She looked out the large glass window that displayed the vast vacuum of space. She nodded to us. Her expression was steady, but in her eyes, I could see the terror. “He’s getting closer.”

People gathered about the machine. Wanda joined Jean Gray, Carol Danvers, and Ororo Munroe as they positioned themselves by the massive cannon-like structure.

Option two was to restrain my advanced manipulation of gravity that brought Him here. Weaken them. Weaken me. The people in this room detested the idea. They stood against it. I knew Stephen Strange didn't imply anything personal with the proposition, but I couldn't go along with it. I was selfish, and a coward. I chose the third option.

I spun around to face Thor. He cupped my face in his hands. They were strong, large, and warm. It broke my heart to drag him into this.

“If this doesn't work…” I started, knowing he wouldn't like the proposition I was about to make.

“Then we leave this world together.” Thor prompted. His confident yet swift answer shocked me.

“Wha—no! I refuse to drag you down into the fiery pits of hell with me—and I know that’s where I'm heading, I've stolen too much of Tony’s scotch that's not for company. If there is any possibility of you surviving…” I trailed off underneath the intensity of his cerulean eyes.

“Evangeline, I am not going anywhere. You are all I have left—”

“Your siblings are still alive.”

“But they’re annoying and depressing. They stab everything.” Thor’s expression turned foul for a minute, his thoughts traveling to Hela and Loki. He shook his head and returned to the present. “You are the light of my life—you are my life. I've already learned of a world where you don't exist, I don't wish to return to it.”

The last line sealed my lips. The last few months hadn't been kind to him. They weren't exactly a walk in the park for me. I looked down. Thor’s hands fell from my cheeks and captured my hands. He squeezed them gently.

“Together.” I repeated. “If we die, that's all I want.”

“So do I.”

“...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything.”

Thor raised my hand to his lips, pressing a loving kiss on one, then the other. “None of this is your fault. And if this is the price to pay for a future with you, it's worth it.”

Thor’s hands returned to my cheeks and leaned down for a kiss. I tried to memorize every detail. The clash of his soft lips and the scratchy, ticklish feel of his beard. The hotness of his breath. Every detail of Thor’s exterior should’ve been rough and intimidating, but it was too soft, too gentle.

“I love you,” He murmured against my mouth. “Just remember, darling: the glass is half full.”

“Only if that glass is full of vodka, sweetie. I love you.”

He laughed against my lips, pulling me in for one last kiss. We broke apart reluctantly. Thor tucked a loose hair behind my ear, and joined the others by the machine.

Wanda and Scott stood together. They must’ve watched the exchange, like the infamous eavesdroppers they were. Together, they wore dubious looks.

I glared and did something that Wanda hated. WOW MY THOUGHTS ARE REALLY LOUD, SOUNDS LIKE I'M SHOUTING, GOOD THING NO ONE CAN HEAR ME.

Wanda flinched. Jean Gray tossed a scowl at me. Carol glanced between Wanda and I. “Are you guys doing a staring contest? I used to do those with Nick, I'm really good.”

“Nick Fury?” Scott asked.

“Yeah.”

“Woah. He lets you call him Nick? He doesn't even let me address him in public.”

“Hmm.” Carol stayed quiet, but her eyes widened as she turned away. Scott didn't miss this detail, and ate his sandwich with more intensity.

Peter Quill approached me next. He wasn't thrilled that after my four months spent in space with the Guardians, I rejoined my old life, specifically my giant of a boyfriend.

He stood two feet away, hands hanging casually around his belt buckle, but his shoulders were too stiff to be nonchalant.

“All the tech’s good to go.” Quill said.

My head tilted to the side. “You don't have to be here, Peter. I don't want you to risk your life because of me.”

“I want to.” He insisted. The way he said it reminded me of a kid. I smiled slightly, and Peter must’ve taken it as a good sign.

“I'm not goin’ anywhere. But...it's times like these that I wish I was still half god,” He mused.

We glanced out at the extended panel of stars. Night and light, mixed into one. Mystical and frightening. If I wasn't about to die, I might’ve found the display beautiful.

“It's a whole new world, Jasmine.” Peter replied. It was his hobby to nickname me after Disney princesses. I didn't feel like a heroine: I was dooming everyone on the ship.

“Unless you stole a genie lamp that can get us out of this mess, I don't want to hear it.” My tone was mocking, yet somehow I managed to smile.

Quill shook his head, reinforcing his hands around his waist. “Nah. But you know...if I got one wish…”

His face turned from the glass to me in a sly yet dramatic way. His gaze was trained on me. His expression was almost peaceful, day-dream like.

“...It would be to make that smile reach your eyes.” Peter replied softly.

I didn't know what to say. Thankfully, Reed Richards came to the rescue. “Star-Lord, we need you at this control panel.”

He winked at me as he backed away, and returned to the board of buttons. Sam Wilson glanced around the room, “We look good...as good as we’ll get. I think we’re ready.”

Erik’s fists tightened. “We will be.”

Jean Gray straightened. Her red curls fluttered around her elbows like thirsty flames. “It's time.”

Steve Rogers and Mantis appeared at my side as my moral support. I looked out the window, and I knew I would need it.

Option three was the most difficult, the most impossible. Galactus wanted me to become his new “Herald” for my manipulation over gravity. One incident—I barely made the planet move an inch—and I was being hunted across galaxies. I harbored these abilities for four months now, after the Moon Experience, and it felt like I was fully connected to myself, like there was an extra sense of reality that I was now tuned in to. I didn't want to dispose of them. I didn't want to die. I was selfish, and a coward. I was going to fight Galactus.

I knew He had arrived, because the lights in the sky were going out. Something was blocking our view of them—something colossal.

As the lights were snuffed out across the horizon, Mantis’ hand fell upon my shoulder. “Relax,” She said. Her tone was usually silvery and light, but now it was brittle and cracked with fear.

Steve held up his shield—everyone knew it was useless, but it was a failed attempt to calm my nerves.

“We are Vul-CANS, not Vul-CANTS,” Shuri sounded younger than before. “We can do this. Begin firing!”

They reacted in unison. Thor, Carol, Wanda, Ororo, Jean—all took aim at the massive machine in the center of the room. I looked away as the room was filled with light. My eyes burned, and dark splotches danced before my gaze as the brightness seared every surface. The air in the room was alive now, like electricity. My skin was riddled with bumps—from the fear or immense energy source, I couldn't tell which.

I watched the reflection of the spectacle on the glass. Erik and Susan had the most tortured expressions, hands outstretched, trying to keep the machine together under the stress of so much power. I unclenched my fists at my sides as pain overwhelmed my palms.

“It's not enough!” Reed shouted over the noise. Lightning crackled from Ororo and Thor. “Scott, deploy the Pym Particles!”

The machine roared out with distaste. Steve pulled Mantis and I close, his shield angled at the source of blinding light. Apparently, his discomfort with technology hadn't lessened. In this moment, I couldn't blame him.

I could feel the energy against my scalp and rushing across my cheeks. I glanced back at the window. Most of the stars were gone in the sky. It was just darkness now. Night and light were separated by the fragile glass barrier.

“They didn't do this in Star Trek!” Shuri cried out.

“Everything Zachary Quinto does looks effortless! We’re almost there, keep up the pressure!” Reed’s eyes were protected with thick sunglasses. His dark hair whipped about his face.

“Didn't Uhura dump his logical ass?” Sam shouted.

“He still has Kirk!”

“STAR WARS IS BETTER! STAR WARS NEVER PUT US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ALMOST DIED!” Peter nearly screamed to be heard.

“STAR WARS NEVER HAD LEONARD NIMOY—SHUT UP AND DO YOUR JOB, QUILL!” Reed’s face was slick with sweat.

The entire ship started to groan. I was focused on our view of space. Two lights now flickered in the sky. They were perfectly aligned with each other.

He's here.

Erik’s reflection staggered. His arms remained up, but one knee touched the ground, and I could see veins popping out across his face. Ororo’s lips were spread apart, teeth clenched together as beams of electricity flashed from her fingertips.

Mantis’ touch couldn't stop my heart from staggering when my gaze flickered to Thor. He was doing alright...sort of. His face was shiny with sweat, but that wasn't the most concerning part. Jagged bolts of lightning protruded from his body and flashed across the interior of the ship, sending up a shower of sparks. Erik and Susan could barely handle the projector—could they keep the ship from tearing apart?

“NOW!” Reed Richards held onto the edge of the panel for support.

Shuri pulled a lever. Energy shot out of the projector, exploding across the dark canvas.

It was what the light illuminated that made me hesitate. The outline of the helmet was like the hands of God coming together, slightly caved in on themselves, but never meeting. The grooves of a face were sketched with light, creased but not wrinkled, and the rest was hidden by the massive helm, like it was shielding the being from any association with humanity. It was a face that asserted dominance, even cruel regalty, with two inhuman orbs that showed no emotion.

This was the cosmic terror that the Silver Surfer warned be about. This was the monster that left Xandar as a dust cloud. This was Galactus.

The ship had gone dead silent in the absence of the energy surge. Reed’s voice mustered me from my terror. “Evangeline! Now!”

Every action from that point on was instinctual. I was just an observer, floating out above my body watching the spectacle. I saw my arms rise in front of me, almost cupping the little speck of light in the sky. I focused on that tiny little pinpoint, pressing down against the laws of reality, imagining myself punching a hole in space.

I hoped I was doing this right. I never made a black hole before.

I caught a flicker of movement at my side. Wanda had moved to the window, crimson bands weaving between her fingers. Her second job was manipulating density. Susan joined us as we concentrated on our task.

My focus remained on the light. It started to shrivel, becoming smaller and smaller. I heard the hiss of someone’s breath. It sounded painful. I felt a new pressure pull down on my limbs as I continued to condense the tiny sun.

The small spark of light slowly shrank and melted from existence. An eternal horizon of night lay in its wake.

“Alright, that's enough. Scott, send in the rest of the Pym Particles. We need to get out of range—activate the teleporters, Quill.”

The voice sounded faint, blurry even, like it was submerged underwater. I think it was Reed’s.

It took a minute to will myself to stop. My role as an astral observer wore off and I reconnected with reality, feeling aches and pains. Susan collapsed on the floor.

Light consumed my skin and my surroundings vanished. We returned to the Grandmaster’s ship.

I winced at the brighter walls leaned on the nearest wall for support. Wanda lowered herself to the ground and lay flat, staring up against the ceiling. “I think...I’ll take that little yellow pill that Wade Wilson offered me a long time ago.”

I sank down to the floor next to her, sitting up against the wall. “Do you think I’ll get a neighbor discount?”

Thor’s boots appeared before me. I couldn't make my chin move up. He sat down next to me, wrapping a burly arm around my shoulders. His skin was usually hot, but it was blazing against the back of my neck. We communicated without words as I scooted closer to him and our fingers entwined.

Stephen Strange walked up to our party. “Did it work?”

Reed’s arm stretched out and clicked some of the buttons on the wall. The surface became reflective glass. “Let’s find out.”

I glanced over Thor’s hand at the endless night. It was too dark. Too deep, too terrifying. And those two orbs still penetrated the black veil, inching closer.

Thor’s quick reflexes shielded my eyes before the explosion of light hit. It was blinding and made my body freeze, like I was Cap stuck in the ice, numb. It was that moment in the movie theater when the music escalated unexpectedly in the dark and it made your heart skip a beat and you stiffened with terror.

The light faded. I turned, feeling Thor’s chest press against my back as we looked out at the result. Everyone was eager to see—even Wanda propped herself up on her elbows to witness the outcome.

“What...what is that?” Jean Gray was the only one standing besides our tech support. An eerie yellow shade made her porcelain skin glow.

“The event horizon,” Reed Richards answered, his words tinged with awe.

Shuri gasped. “I should add this to my story...that would really show my brother and his pathetic cat videos.”

Scott nodded dully. “Yeah...I’m never watching Star Trek ever again.”

Carol Danvers leaned forward, peering at the fiery ring at the center of space. “Hold on...I’ve seen black holes, and that is not supposed to happen.”

I felt Thor grow rigid behind me. Three words escaped my mouth. “Oh my God.”

The pitch black of the sky morphed into a magenta hue. The mass of color moved, seeming to swat at the black hole.

The swarming mass dissipated.

The magenta background gave off it's own luminescence, and the face of Galactus reappeared. His expression was still neutral. Undaunted.

“Holy shit…” I heard Peter say. “What now?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Hi Awesome Adventurers, thanks for reading! I’ve been playing around with the idea of this novel for awhile, but I’d like to hear personally from you guys before I start publishing actual chapters. But thank you so much for reading, and please, if you enjoyed this, I’d love to hear from you! If I do start hearing from people, I will post this story on Tumblr, Archive of Our Own, and Wattpad. Your words are powerful, and I’d love to hear them c: love, fortune and glory to you!!

*Also, a few other things on this chapter: I included the Fantastic Four, but it is highly unlikely that they'll have a huge role in this series: they're just kinda thrown in here for the hardcore Marvel fans and to poke fun at Chris Evans. I also consulted a relative of mine with a physics degree, including my own research done on the topic, for this chapter. I know it's not the most perfect theory, but the idea came to me and I thought it would be cool to do! Thanks for reading!

[noticelifewriting]

A Reflection on Creating a Commonplace Book

A commonplace book is a way for a reader to catalog the interesting, perplexing, moving, and useful words, phrases, passages, and thoughts they come across while reading. Commonplace books act as memory holders as well as memory aids. The purpose of a commonplace book is to retain useful information that a writer could possibly incorporate into his own work. For our class, we were not concerned with collecting items for later use. Instead, our goal was to read the assigned texts for the course and curate a commonplace book filled with what resonated with us. We wanted to interact with the text and the authors and use what we found to explore our own thoughts and ruminations. At the beginning of the semester, our class goal for the commonplace book was not as clear to me as it is now. However, the process of constructing my own commonplace book allowed me to negotiate with the complex ideas, themes, and histories we were reading while also furthering my education of what memoirs are as I discussed them, and, in a way, created my own form of life writing.

The first challenge I had while making my commonplace book started at the very beginning of the process and the problem was how should I create the actual “book.” There were so many different avenues I could take that the options became overwhelming. I have kept many journals and composition books before that I filled with ruminations, quotes, poems, and drawings, so, I thought that I could organize my entries in a notebook. As soon as I tried to make the first entry in the notebook, I knew immediately that it wouldn’t work. I felt uninspired and I could not envision how the notebook would turn out in a way that I would be proud of. I abandoned that I idea and began looking for new ways to curate my project.

Last semester, I took the digital portfolio course in which I learned how to build a website and I spent a lot of time learning how to use Wordpress. All students at Agnes Scott College are required to make a digital portfolio in the form of a self-designed website. While working on the portfolio, I learned that I could make a subdomain, which is basically a website within a website. After the notebook idea failed, I thought that I could create a subdomain for my commonplace book. I visited the library guide on how to create a subdomain. With that knowledge, I created the subdomain, which I named Noticing Life Writing based on the course and Professor Stamant’s famous quote “notice what you notice.” However, not too long into the process I began to feel discouraged. It had taken me months of work last semester (and over my four years at Agnes) to build my website. Having to start over from scratch was so daunting that I did not know how to proceed. Consequently, I again searched for a way to house my entries. This led me to create a Tumblr. With Tumblr, you do not have to build an entire website. All I had to do was write a post and pick an image.  After creating a few posts, Tumblr seemed like the best fit and I was finally happy with the format of my commonplace book. Nevertheless, the journey did not end there.

After I had made around twelve posts on my Tumblr, I started thinking about the website again. I never deleted the subdomain I had created and I now had something that I could actually put on the website. I revisited the subdomain, and as a test, I copied and pasted a few of the posts I had made on Tumblr. When I saw the posts on the website I felt reinvigorated. I began looking at themes, and, when I found one that I liked, I felt inspired to keep going. I played around with the theme some more and I started working on the pages. The first page I had was the posts page, which did not require actual building. I moved on to creating an About the Blog page where I explained who I am and what the blog was for. The hardest page to create was the page where I listed the books I had read. I wanted to find a layout that allowed me to display the covers of the book while also linking the viewer to the posts that were made about a certain book. It took me days of sifting through add ons and widgets before I finally found one that worked. After I got the books page finished, the only thing left to do was finish the posts and simply make a page for the reflection.

The posts were both extremely difficult and incredibly enlightening to make. When I first started the posts, they were only analytically focused. However, after the third post, I was like a crash test dummy in the way I slammed into a wall. I couldn’t come up with anything else to say. I made a meeting with the professor to talk about the problem I was having. When I was told that the assignment was not supposed to be difficult and that I should be writing my thoughts, I was able to find new inspiration. Instead of trying to write a thesis-driven essay for each post, I wrote from a more introspective place. I began constructing my posts around personal connections I had to the text, and I realized that I could still be analytical while allowing myself to write what I wanted to write. When I freed myself from the restraints I placed on myself, I was able to write posts more easily.

The entire process of creating a commonplace book allowed me to learn more about myself and write down thoughts I have had for years concerning racism, family dynamics, human mortality, memory, etc.  Each post brought me closer to myself and to the authors as I felt bonded through similar experiences. I felt most connected to bell hooks who comes from a similar background as I do. She discussed her childhood growing up as a black girl and I related to almost everything she wrote. The ability to connect with the authors, as I did with hooks, and my inner self allowed me to create posts that were like my own life writing, giving me an even deeper appreciation for the memoirs we were reading in class. Through this project, I learned how important it is for writers and readers to always be interacting with and challenging the text. It is so easy for a person to forget or to let important words, phrases, passages, perspectives, and messages they read escape their conscious if they are not engaging and negotiating with the text. With my commonplace book, I have stored thoughts and ideas and experiences that have shaped me and will continue to shape me as a person.

[scotthilse-blog]

Hilse Goes Above and Beyond

Scott Hilse is a dropshipping genius. Drop shipping sounds like a fantastic choice on the surface. But before you delve into constructing an online shop from drop shipping service design, it's excellent to look at its strengths. Your e-commerce software and website style, are likely to run up the most prominent tabs. There's no question you require far less loan on average to get up and running with an online store constructed on dropshipping.

Less supply chain inconvenience: Retail entrepreneurs who manage the bulk of the supply chain-- from saving products to delivering them-- have to wear lots of hats to run an effective organization. With drop shipping, you cut out time-consuming and expensive jobs like stocking goods, handling your stock, leasing storage area for your items, and packaging and shipping orders. If you're offering well, you do not have to stress about putting out more capital to buy more products. You will not require to construct out more facilities around inventory or order management, either.

Whenever possible, you'll want to set up drop shipping arrangements straight with the producers of the items you wish to offer. The fewer middlemen you need to go through, the bigger your revenues will be. Tougher to differentiate: Providers usually partner with more than one online merchant, which means you aren't the only one offering their items. One of the most robust parts of succeeding with a dropshipping service design is getting to clients before the competitors do.

Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a term for any organization, or industrial transaction, that involves the transfer of info throughout the Internet. It covers a range of various types of businesses, from consumer based retail websites, through auction or music websites, to organization exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is presently among the most crucial elements of the Internet to emerge. https://medium.com/@reviewshere/simplified-dropshipping-review-scott-hilses-course-4904ac3ac223

Have you seen there are hundreds, if not thousands, of sites offering big mish-mash choices of low-cost gift items ... things like plastic gnomes and porcelain figurines? That's since there are a few large drop shipping business that imports these products and after that recruit websites to offer them on their behalf. This is not the way for you to go if you're getting started with drop shipping. Visit now to discover more information. There are already a lot of present large sites out there-- and way too many competitors for you to reasonably expect to be successful at it.

The process can be an advantage to web entrepreneurs; you ought to understand the benefits and drawbacks to this service model before getting started. Most companies you get in touch with will be more than pleased to speak with you-- after all, you're going to be selling their products for them. Just ask to talk with somebody about ending up being a vendor for their items when you call.

Scott felt that the secret to his success lay with optimizing his website to enable Facebook's pixel to collect as much data as possible. This pixel, which is a line of code placed on the site, can track who is visiting your store, enabling you to build up a profile of individuals who are interested in your product. Using this profile, you're able to create Facebook marketing that is active and super-targeted effective. Indeed, it's the key to Facebook's strong advertisement game.

If unaware of e-commerce concepts and what e-commerce is expected to do for your online business, the road to developing an active online store can be tough. Looking into and comprehending the guidelines needed to effectively execute an e-business plan is a crucial part of ending up being successful with online shop structure. https://twitter.com/scott_hilse?lang=en

Remember the old door-to-door salesman who used to go around selling products? They didn't have those items at their house; they simply took the orders. You're sort of like that, minus the wrong suit and shady sales tactics. Fewer control Businesses aren't best. If you rely on a third-party with a core part of your company, you have to give up some control. 

A higher rate per product suggests less wiggle space on your customer cost point. What this eventually means for your service is you'll have to sell more items to make the very same amount of earnings you would if you purchased your inventory outright.

Cons of Dropshipping: E-commerce enables consumers to digitally exchange goods and services with no barriers of time or distance. Electronic commerce has expanded quickly over the past five years and is anticipated to continue at this rate, or even accelerate. Shortly, the boundaries in between "traditional" and "electronic" commerce will end up being significantly blurred as increasingly more companies move areas of their operations onto the Internet.

A distributor is merely a company that keeps a big stock of another business's products and disperses those items to smaller sized business. The most excellent method to find a supplier is to ask the maker of the product to recommend one merely. Another terrific way to discover a distributor for the type of item you want to sell is by looking through related trade publications. Effectively beginning and nurturing an eCommerce business requires a lot of effort, particularly if your resources are restricted. If you don't need to be worried about fulfillment yourself, a lot of complimentary time is unexpectedly readily available to you, permitting you to focus on consumer management, service, and marketing.

Electronic transactions have been around for quite a long time in the form of Electronic Data Interchange or EDI. EDI requires each supplier and customer to establish a devoted data link (between them), where e-commerce supplies a cost-effective technique for business to develop numerous, ad-hoc connections. Electronic commerce has also resulted in the advancement of electronic markets where suppliers and prospective customers are combined to conduct equally beneficial trade. In other words, you are essentially offering items made by, kept by, and shipped by someone else. Your main task is to sell the items.

Second, no stock likewise suggests no leftovers. If the item you offer all of a sudden becomes outdated, just plain or obsolete untrendy, you aren't the one with a room or warehouse full of stock nobody will purchase. Numerous online merchants find themselves needing to offer deep discount rates-- and taking significant losses-- on old products merely to get them out of their homes or storage facilities to make room for more stock.

Third, you'll be able to include brand-new items to your website nearly immediately. Given that you don't need to fret about equipping inventory if you discover your consumers demanding a particular issue, it's not impractical to expect you could add the item to your site is merely a couple of days.

In addition to not having to worry about shipping products yourself, there are a couple of other advantages to this organization design. It conserves you the expense of constructing your stock. If you resemble many people starting a small company, you don't have a lot of money lying around, so the last thing you wish to do is bind your cash in stock that you might or might not have the ability to offer.

Instead, spend some time investigating different sort of items that you may wish to sell. The things you pick should be in demand however not extensively readily available online. It's most likely more effective to target a niche market rather than try to find an item that everyone wishes to buy.

In addition to taking a look at its strengths, it is essential to know where drop shipping can restrict your organization. What are a few of the knocks against a dropshipping model for your e-commerce company?

This is a particularly important point if you're good at sales. Drop shipping enables you to concentrate on the thing you're proficient at (separating people from their cash) and hand over the time-consuming jobs of the ship.

The organization to Company or B2B refers to electronic commerce between businesses rather than in between an organization and a customer. B2B companies frequently deal with hundreds or even thousands of other organizations, either as consumers or suppliers. Scott Hilse concluded that hundreds of countless individuals were following the same suggestions and pointers about dropshipping and getting mediocre outcomes; he understood he required to stick out.

If you have been interested in starting your internet, but you have been trying to avoid the hassles of things like developing and producing products, tracking your inventory, setting up storage facility space, and preserving a confusing shipping/receiving infrastructure, then drop shipping may be your response. It permits you to sell quality, brand-name products on your website for substantial earnings, while somebody else takes care of product advancement and order satisfaction.

The best method is to call the maker straight and ask if they have a drop shipping program for you if you know the exact product you want to drop ship. This is a perfect situation since you cut out all the middlemen and get the most excellent possible rates if yes! They are most likely working with some wholesalers instead if the manufacturer does not offer a drop shipping program in place. Then ask for a list of their wholesale distributors. You can contact these wholesalers to see if they drop ship and inquire about setting up an account.

AliExpress drop shipping is among the most popular dropship designs for eCommerce business owners. Most sellers on AliExpress are overseas makers; their costs are competitive. You can pay for items at wholesale prices and have them shipped straight to your clients. Nevertheless ... Although AliExpress is taking care of validating suppliers itself, you still are cautious when picking your drop shipping provider. Here are our pointers: Prevent suppliers with brand products. Known high-end brands on AliExpress are unusual. Remain away from any suppliers selling brand items to prevent reselling fakes and knockoffs.

[amylillian22]

Like Father, Like Son - Part 4 – Theo and Dean Crossover

Based on the request and headcannon by @theoraekendeserveslove

Word Count: 3, 413

Warnings: Guns firing, precious werewolves and Dean being shot at.

Author’s Note: There are a lot of changes. So, consider this an Alternate Universe/Ending from the Series Finale episode.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 5]

[My Teen Wolf Master List]

“Ugh,” Theo groaned, leaning forward and placing his hands on his knees. Castiel had zapped all four of them back to Beacon Hills within seconds. “I seriously think I’m going to be sick,” Theo rushed to the dumpster to throw up.

“You’ll be fine, son,” Dean said as he walked up to Theo’s black truck, once again admiring the automobile. “I swear, this could be Baby’s sister,” Dean told Sammy as they threw their bags in the back of the truck. Sam rolled his eyes at Dean.

Theo came back, feeling much better. He pulled out his keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors before all four of them climbed in. Sam and Castiel sat in the back as Dean took the passenger seat. Theo started the car, his phone immediately connecting to the truck’s Bluetooth. Within 10 seconds after driving back towards Beacon Hills, Theo received a call from Scott. He pushed the phone button on his steering wheel.

“Theo, are you back yet?” Scott’s voice echoed through the speakers.

“I just got back. What’s-“

“My mom just called from the hospital. She’s trapped in the hospital with Y/N, Liam, Mason, and Corey,” Scott quickly interrupted, not giving Theo a chance to finish what he was going to say.

Hearing the word ‘trapped’ and Y/N’s name concerned Theo. “What do you mean trapped? Is this Monroe’s idea?” Theo gritted the hunter’s name between his teeth as his grip on the steering wheel tightened, making his knuckles turn white.

Dean and Sam didn’t let that go unnoticed. Sam couldn’t help but smirk knowing Dean reacted the same way when someone he loved was taken as bait.

“Just buy us more time. Wherever Liam and the others are, get them out of there as soon as possible,” Scott said.

“Am I buying you time to come up with a plan or to get help?” Theo asked. “Because I certainly got some help.”

Scott let out a small sigh of relief. “Okay, good. Call me back if you need anything.”

Scott hung up as Theo stepped on the gas pedal, eager to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Again, Sam couldn’t help but smile. Dean would go above and beyond to save him or anyone else Dean cared for, and watching Theo react the same way made Sam feel stupid for thinking Dean and Theo should do a DNA test.

“What are you smiling about?” Theo snapped as he saw Sam from the rearview mirror.

Sam quickly wiped off the smirk before letting out a chuckle. “Nothing. You are your father’s son.”

Theo was confused and Dean fought against glaring his eyes at his baby brother. Ignoring him, Dean looked back at Theo. “So, what’s the plan?” He asked.

“We’re going to sneak into the hospital. I don’t know how if they’re locked in, but we’re going to save them.”

“I can get us inside,” Castiel offered.

Theo shuddered at the thought of having to be zapped again. He really didn’t want to get sick again. He’s still queasy from traveling at lightning speed the last few times, but he’s willing to do it once more if it meant saving Y/N, Liam, and his friends.

“Fine,” Theo said as he parked the truck about 3 blocks away from the hospital.

“Why are we parked so far away?” Sam asked from the backseat, not seeing what Theo and Dean saw from the front seats. From a distance, there were black SUVs, trucks, and Hummers parked in front of the hospital.

“See those cars?” Theo pointed out, causing Sam and Castiel to lean forward to get a better look. “That’s why.” Theo unbuckled his seatbelt and lightly shifted to see everyone. “Look, these hunters show no mercy. They are driven by fear and want to kill us. If they see that you’re with me, they’re going to aim for you too. So,” Theo hesitated for a second before looking back at Dean, “watch out.”

“Do all the hunters know one another?” Dean asked.

“What do you mean?” Theo asked confused.

“Are there so many of them, they wouldn’t know if two new hunters joined Monroe’s side?” Sam asked.

“I don’t think so,” Theo said.

“Okay,” Dean nodded as an idea crossed his mind. He looked over to Sam, who gave him a nod with a knowing look, one that said he was thinking the same thing Dean was.

“Castiel, you ready?” Sam asked.

“Is there anywhere specifically I should zap us to?” He asked Theo.

“I would say the safest place would be rooftop or the elevator,” Theo thought out loud. “I doubt there would be any hunters there.”

Dean shook his head. “If they have the hospital doors locked, then there will be hunters up on the roof waiting for you guys knowing that’s a way out.”

“Elevator it is,” Sam said.

Dean and Sam held out a hand for Theo to grab. He looked at them for a second before he realized they needed to be connected in order for Castiel to zap everyone. Within a second, all four of them were in the elevator.

The doors opened to the top floor and it looked empty, but there were things thrown and broken everywhere. Smelling two familiar scents, Theo believed Y/N and Liam fought against the hunters. Then, he heard something.

“What the hell-“ Dean started only to be shushed by Theo. Theo closed his eyes and focused on the whispering. It was Corey and Mason. They just said they loved each other for the first time before agreeing to leave the room and fight against the hunters.

Theo’s eyes flew wide open. “Castiel, I have two friends of mine on the bottom floor, Mason and Corey. Get to them and save them.”

“They’re not supernatural?” Sam asked.

Theo shook his head. “Mason is human, but his boyfriend has the ability to turn invisible. He doesn’t have fangs, claws, or super strength. They need help, but there’s a good chance Corey might hold on to Mason’s hand to have him invisible too. So, you might have a hard time seeing them.”

“Invisible?” Dean asked in disbelief. He knew there were a lot of supernatural creatures and magic in the world, but he’s never met one person whose power was turning invisible.

“Yes. Now go,” Theo demanded at Castiel.

Theo turned around to look at Dean. Again, he was about to say something, but Theo raised his hand to silence him. He closed his eyes and focused on hearing a voice.

“Liam, we have to go,” Theo heard Y/N’s worried voice.

“Y/N? Liam?” Theo spoke out loud, hoping one of them would hear him.

“Theo?” Y/N responded back.

“Tell me where you are?” Theo asked with his eyes still closed. Dean and Sam didn’t say a word. They just stayed quiet and watched Theo carefully.

“Third floor,” she answered.

“I’m on my way.” Theo opened his eyes and saw Dean and Sam with a confused look on their faces. “What?” He asked.

“Chimeras have telepathic powers?” Dean asked, as Sam waited anxiously for an answer.

“No. We have enhanced hearing like werewolves, remember?” Theo asked. Dean and Sam just stared at him, not knowing what to say. “We need to get to the third floor. That’s where Y/N and Liam are.”

“Does Monroe know every hunter on her side?” Sam asked Theo.

“Like I said before, I don’t know. It’s hard for us to keep up with them because there’s so many of them. At this point, it seems like everyone in Beacon Hills is against the small group of supernaturals in this town. So, I don’t know if she would know every single hunter.”

“That’s what I thought,” Sam nodded. This only confused Theo more. Like earlier, he didn’t understand what Sam was thinking.

“So here’s the plan, we’re going to separate,” Dean started, only to be interrupted by Theo.

“What? No. We stick together,” Theo argued back.

“We can be a double agent,” Sam added, going back to why he asked Theo if Monroe recognized every single hunter.

“We’ll pretend to be new hunters looking for you guys. If we run into some serious trouble, or if hunters trap you, we’ll stop them before they can hurt you. That’s the plan,” Dean explained.

Theo thought about it. It could work. They would cover more ground and they would probably take down more hunters with Dean and Sam’s plan. Plus, it’s a quicker plan to save Y/N, Liam, Corey and Mason if they all worked together all at once. It was a good plan, but that didn’t stop the worried feeling Theo had in the pit of his stomach. Something didn’t feel right.

Theo sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “If you see Y/N-“

“We’ll save her,” Dean promised. Theo looked at him and he didn’t have to hear Dean’s heart to know he meant it. Dean would do anything to protect and save Y/N. Theo had a feeling Dean would do the same for him.

Theo nodded. “Thanks.” Theo walked to the elevator and pushed the button. He turned around as he waited for the doors to open. “Dean? Sam?” He called out. The brothers stopped before opening the door for the fire emergency stairwell. “Be careful.”

Sam nodded at Theo. Dean gave Theo a small half smile. “You too, son,” he said before Theo walked into the elevator and pushed the button for the third floor.

Theo’s mind raced with a million thoughts as the elevator slowly made its way down to the third floor. He couldn’t shake the horrible feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. The sound of guns firing startled him. He quickly moved against the side of the elevator before the doors slowly opened. He could hear two heartbeats and caught Y/N and Liam’s scent. He slowly leaned forward and saw their backs facing him. Theo pushed a button on the elevator, quickly grabbed Y/N and Liam by their jackets and pulled them into the elevator as the doors closed.

Liam and Y/N were startled by the sudden action and it took them a couple of seconds before they could catch their breaths. As soon as she saw him, Y/N wrapped her arms around Theo’s neck, pulling him close to her. “You came back,” she whispered against his ear.

“I promised you I would,” he hugged her back tight. 

Liam cleared his throat, causing the two of them to pull apart. “We have to figure out a way to get the hell out of here. All the doors are locked and we’re trapped in a building with hunters.” 

“I know. Scott called. I brought some backup. I think we can take the hunters down if we all fight together,” Theo said as he grabbed Y/N’s hand. She squeezed his hand, knowing exactly who he brought as backup and she was proud of him. She knew it wasn’t easy for Theo to ask Dean for help.

The elevator doors opened. No one was in sight. They slowly walked out, scanning every inch of the place and listening for any signs of hunters coming. They took a turn and walked down another hallway, only to run into Melissa and Nolan. Liam immediately growled at Nolan. Theo placed his hand on Liam’s shoulder as Melissa spoke, “he’s with us.”

“I doubt it,” Liam said. “He’s the one who brought me here for the hunters.”

“I didn’t know. They set me up,” Nolan immediately defended himself.

“He’s telling the truth,” Y/N spoke.

“So, calm down,” Theo ordered Liam. 

Before Liam could argue against Theo, the sound of another gun was fired. Everyone turned around to see Gabe and two hunters by his side pointing guns at them.

“Run!” Theo yelled as he pushed Y/N in front of him. They ran as Gabe and the hunters fired their guns. Liam roared as a bullet hit his leg. Y/N pushed Nolan and Melissa behind the nurses’ front desk. Theo snarled as a bullet pierced his shoulder. Y/N helped Liam as the three of them turned another corner and stood up against the wall, breathing heavily.

“You have nowhere else to go,” Gabe called out. “So, you might as well give up now!” 

“Let me see,” Y/N whispered quickly as she reached for Theo’s shoulder.

He shook his head. “I’m fine. We’ll deal with this later. We have a bigger problem at the moment.”

“We need a new plan,” Liam hissed as he tried to ignore the pain in his leg. 

“You got one.” The three friends turned their heads to see Dean and Sam walking towards them with their guns pointed to the ground. Liam let out a low growl, not knowing who they were.

“It’s fine,” Y/N said. “We know them.”

“They’re with us,” Theo added.

“Who are they?” Liam asked.

“Backup,” Theo answered. He looked back at Dean. “What’s the new plan?”

“We’re going to pretend we caught you,” Dean said.

“Just follow our lead,” Sam said as he gestured them to walk in front of them. Dean and Sam put the safety on the gun and pointed the guns at the backs.

“Walk!” Dean yelled. 

Together they turned the hallway and walked towards Gabe with their hands up in front of their chest. Gabe didn’t recognize the hunters behind the trio. “Who the hell are you?” He asked.

“Old friends of Gerard,” Dean lied. “He called and said he needed our help.”

“I believe you were looking for them?” Sam asked as he shoved Liam. Liam growled and glared at Sam. He knew it was for show, but did Sam really have to push him with a bullet laced with wolfsbane inside his leg?

“I don’t recognize you,” Gabe said as he eyed both brothers carefully. The hunters by his sides mumbled and nodded their heads with agreement. “Why did you join us so late?” Gabe asked.

“We were busy killing the supernatural creatures in our hometown,” Sam lied. 

“As soon as we killed them all, we got Gerard’s message. We got here as soon as possible,” Dean added.

“You killed all of them?” Gabe asked in disbelief.

“Small town, not a lot of supernatural creatures,” Dean shrugged as if it was no big task for him and Sam.

“I don’t believe you,” Gabe said now shifting the gun to Dean. Theo swallowed hard, slightly scared Dean’s plan wouldn’t work and someone would get hurt.

“You don’t?” Dean asked sternly as he clenched his jaw tight. He hated being called a liar. Technically, in this moment, he was, but he was only lying to protect his son and his friends. He took a deep breath knowing he had to lie some more to convince Gabe. He only hoped Theo wouldn’t believe what Dean was about to say next.

“See this kid right here?” Dean shoved Theo forward. He stumbled a few steps before Dean continued. “This son of a bitch is my kid. His mother meant nothing more than a one-night ‘wam, bam, thank you, ma’am’. Then, I found out he’s a werewolf and so are his little friends. But, you know what? I don’t care if he’s my flesh and blood. He was never my son, and no monster will ever be my son. I have no problem teaming up with you to take down him and his friends.”

Sam swallowed hard. He knew why Dean did that, but it was still harsh. He only hoped Theo knew Dean was lying. Except, Theo knew. Theo paid close attention to Dean’s heart.

Y/N also knew Dean was lying as she paid close attention to his heart. She wasn’t too worried about Dean’s words hurting Theo, because Theo’s chemosignals weren’t radiating with sadness, hurt, or anger. Oddly enough, Theo was perfectly fine. Y/N believed Theo had faith in Dean’s plan. She knew Theo made the right decision to bring his dad and uncle as back up.

On the other hand, Liam was too focused on the pain in his leg to pay any attention to Dean’s heart. “He’s your father?!”

Suddenly, the hunter on Gabe’s left side fired his gun, shooting Dean in the forearm. The gun slipped from Dean’s hands to the floor. “Son of a bitch!” He hissed out in pain.

The hunters were firing their guns at them. Sam grabbed Dean and hid behind a nurses’ cart. Raged with anger, Theo shifted and charged towards the hunters, Y/N following his lead. The two knocked the guns out of the hunters’ hands and began fighting them. Liam slid Dean’s gun across the floor towards him. Dean grabbed it and held it in his left hand. He can shoot, but he has better aim with his right hand.

Theo and Y/N were throwing punches at the two hunters as Gabe managed to get away from them. However, Theo and Y/N were moving too much and too fast for Dean and Sam’s liking. “We can’t shoot,” Sam said.

“I know,” Dean growled, ignoring the pain in his forearm. “But, we gotta do something!”

Suddenly, Melissa and Nolan popped out from behind the nurses’ front desk, as the hunters were now closer to them. Melissa pressed the button on her stun baton before running to help Liam.

“What’s wrong?” She immediately asked him.

Liam hissed. “The bullet is still in my leg and it’s making it hard to fight, let alone heal.”

Melissa rolled up his jeans and saw the end of bullet, which meant it wasn’t in too deep. “I’m going to take it out-“

“What?!” He shrieked. “With what?” He asked nervously, knowing they weren’t in an operating room with the right tools.

“With my fingers.” Liam’s eyes grew wide. “It’s not too deep. The second I pull it out, you should heal and you can help Theo and Y/N,” Melissa explained. Liam nodded. He didn’t like the idea but he had no other choice. He refused to let Monroe win and his friends die in the process.

Nolan saw Gabe reaching for one of the guns on the floor. He tried to get it before Gabe did, but it was too late. Nolan hit his arm, immediately dropping the gun from Gabe’s hands. Nolan didn’t like what Gabe did to him and the sudden rage he had for him made it real easy to punch him in the nose. Nolan grabbed the gun and hid behind the nurses’ station. At the same time, Liam had let out a loud growl as Melissa removed the bullet. Liam’s leg slowly began to heal.

Theo and Y/N ducked at the same time the hunters fired their guns, the bullets missing them. Instead, the bullets pierced someone else, Gabe. He stumbled down to his knees as his blood immediately started coming out of his mouth. While the hunters were distracted by the fact they just killed a high school kid, Sam and Dean took the opportunity to shoot them once in the shoulder and once more on the leg. It was an area they knew wouldn’t kill the hunters and they would only be in a lot of pain. The hunters stumbled to the ground, yelling in pain.

Dean groaned as he sat up and leaned against the wall. Theo hurried towards Dean and noticed how much pain he was in. He wanted to take the pain away, but he didn’t know if he could do it since he failed before trying to take away Mason’s pain. He slowly kneeled down to be eye level with Dean. Dean opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it shut when Theo placed his hand on Dean’s forearm. Theo looked down and saw his veins finally turning black. Dean let out a sigh of relief as the pain slowly vanished.

“Does it hurt anymore?” Theo asked.

Dean shook his head. “No. Thanks, son.”

Y/N stood behind Theo with tears in her eyes. She was so proud of him as she knew he could take someone’s pain someday. She never expected it to be his father. Something about this moment made her realize Theo cared more than he lead on. She only hoped Theo would give Dean a chance to get to know him and have a relationship after this.

“You’re going to be okay,” Theo said to Dean. “We’re going to be okay.” sam winchester

[rfield87]

Writing Advice from Best-Selling Authors: Jason Reynolds

This week’s re-blog was written by J.D. Myall and is titled: Sunny Author Jason Reynolds on Publishing, Writing, and Advice for New Writers. It was published on July 20, 2018. If you would like to read the original post on the Writer’s Digest website, I will leave the link below.

https://www.writersdigest.com/be-inspired/jason-reynolds-author-sunny-writing-publishing-advice-new-authors

Sunny Author Jason Reynolds on Writing, Publishing and Advice for New Writers

Award-winning YA novelist Jason Reynolds has cemented his place in literary history with titles like When I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit and Long Way Down. Here we talk to Jason about writing, publishing and his advice for new authors.

Jason Reynolds is one of the most gifted YA novelists of this time. With titles like When I Was the Greatest, The Boy in the Black Suit and Long Way Down, Reynolds has cemented his place in literary history.

Recently, Reynolds had three titles on the New York Times Best Seller list at the same time. He has been honored with a collection of awards, including several Coretta Scott King Book Award honors, an NAACP Image Award, and his novel Long Way Down has won the Edgar Award. He’s been a National Book Award finalist and has graced stages with Ta-Nehisi Coates and Rep. Jon Lewis. Reynolds has also been featured in the pages of People magazine. He has appeared on television shows such as The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Here we talk to Jason about writing, publishing and his advice for new authors. 

What was your life like, pre-book?

I was a happy shop worker. I got to dress nice going to work every day and I liked that. I saw people at these high-end stores in New York City making a lot of money. I would have been happy to do that, but I wouldn’t have been reaching my full potential.

Best advice you have heard on writing?

Sharon Draper told me that to write a novel is to climb Mount Everest. When you climb Mount Everest, the whole time you’re thinking, I don’t think I can make it. When you reach the top, you think, now I know I can climb Mount Everest. But what you don’t account for is that on your way down all the footholds change. So, when you climb again it’s not the same route. It’s difficult all over again...every time it’s a new climb.

Do you have any advice for new authors on creating a satisfying ending and a thrilling beginning?

My uncle use to say that the good books begin with “...and shots rang out.” Shots rang out is a cliche, but what he meant is that no one has time for you to get us to the minefield. Drop us in the minefield in the beginning. Drop us off in the mix and you can move backward and forward from there. End in the mix. Don’t answer any questions. Leave me in the muck at the end, too. There can be less muck, but all the loose ends shouldn’t be tied up. There should be something unreconciled. That’s life. Nobody’s life is tied up in a bow. Stories that end in a bow are kind of disrespectful to the reader. If you want your story to be compelling, let it fade to black without reconciliation.

How do you know when a novel is finished?

You always end it a chapter early.

What has novel writing taught you?

Patience. Diligence. Every time you write a novel it’s like writing one for the first time.

Your poetry is amazing. Do you have any advice for writing poetry that connects with readers?

You have to be honest. You have to choose words that breathe. It doesn’t have to necessarily be correct English, but you need words with life. Gwendolyn Brooks once had a list of goals that was published. One of them said she wanted to speak proper English. One of her most popular poems was “We Real Cool.” That’s not what anybody would call proper English, but those words breathed.

You have collaborated on writing with editors and writers. What is the key to making a collaboration work effectively?

Humility. If we are collaborating, we both need to only work for the good of the product. Nothing is sacred to me. If my best line has to get sacrificed for the good of the project, I am not in fear that I’ll never have another good line. If my editor says, “this isn’t working,” and she explains why it’s not working...it’s just not working. It’s that simple. I want to create the best thing. I don’t always know how to make the best thing by myself. Sometimes I can be way too close to something...to actually see it.

How did you connect with Marvel to write Miles Morales: Spider-Man? And can you tell us about the project?

They called me. I wish I had some romantic story about it. I was writing a lot of young, black urban males and they wanted a Spider-Man like that. They reached out to me. Then, I had to think about what that would mean. What are superpowers? Heightened senses? All of our mothers have taught us to have those, so we can stay safe in the hood. I had to ask myself what the kid’s neighbors and family are like. How does it feel to wear a mask and then take that mask off and still feel like you’re not seen? For a kid like this, his super villain would be while supremacy. So, I had to figure out how to change that thought into a comic book.

Tell me the story behind the story. How did your current novels, For Everyone and Sunny, come to be? What are they about?

Sunny is the third book of the track series. I wanted to explore what it means to be black and to be strange...I think our kids deserve to be able to stretch out imaginatively and live their best lives...even if that means being a little left of center. It’s beautiful to tell a story like that.

The other one is called For Everyone. It was basically a love letter wrote to myself when I was twenty-five years old. I decide to quit writing. It was like a curtain call, a sun setting on my career. Looking back on it, (that thinking) was very melodramatic. I thought I’m twenty-five years old and this is it for me. I’m Done. So, I was writing what it feels like to fail. Then, over the course of the two- or three-year process of writing it (things) evolved. It became less about failure and more about what it feels like to want something. We often look at freedom as attaining something. Really, it’s the ability to even have the gumption and the space to dream you could have it in the fist place.

Do your current novels address social issues? If so what themes or messages were you hoping to convey to readers in regard to those issues?

For Everything addresses the fear of living a full life. Sunny addresses depression and  grief...and the breakdown of a family due to a young person’s misunderstanding of their parents. Parents are human. They deal with things like grief, depression and anxiety. To a young person that can feel like dismissal, abandonment, and other things.

Looking back what do you think you did right that helped you to become the novelist you are today?

Be honest. When I was 21, my first editor said that my intuition would take me further than my education ever would. She said what she knew about me was that I had a golden gut. I could put on a page that what felt good to me. I don’t care about the rules. If it feels good, I go with it and that hasn’t let me down yet.

How has your life changed since publication?

I feel more responsibility about what I put out in the world because a lot of people are going to read it. I feel more pressure so there are moments when it isn’t as fun. Moments when this feels like a job. I am appreciative and the fun is there, but there are times when it feels like a job. I’m on the road 100 days a year. Visiting schools, speaking at events, but I have to show up and be the Jason that everyone came to see. It’s hard on me and it’s hard on my family...but you can’t show that.

What are the biggest surprises and learning experiences that you discovered during the publishing journey?

How hard it is. The editors are like collaborators. They do a lot of work, but most writers don’t give them enough credit. (I’ve also learned) how hard it is to sell books. I would encourage everyone to go outside and try to sell fifty things to strangers and see how difficult it is. People underestimate how difficult it is...so when you land on a (bestseller) list it can feel like a miracle.

How do you respond to finding out you made the New York Times Best Sellers List? How do you celebrate?

I don’t celebrate things that have to do with me. I celebrate other people. My National Book Award medal is in a desk. My awards are in boxes. When those things happen, it’s awesome. But there is so much work to be done. I don’t have time to bask in it...People who drink their own Kool-Aid have their career cut short. I can’t believe my own hype. It’s cool to have people say nice things about me. But I have work to do.

Your novel Long Way Down was optioned for film by Universal, with John Legend scheduled to produce it. How involved will you be in that?

I don’t know. I would like to be in the room. I’d like to consult. There are slippery parts of the book I would like to be sure they understand, but other than that, I am not a movie maker. I don’t have that weird thing authors have (when they say), “Don’t ruin my book.” No one can ruin my book because it already exists. What they are creating is a different product. Having that distance helps you enjoy the process.

What matters more to you as an author: winning awards or making best sellers list?

What matters most is creating a book that will withstand. I am here to make art, but if I had to pick between the two, I would pick the awards because awards last forever. Bestsellers are nice, but you may only be on there a week. You’re only as good as what comes out that week. If you make that list and the next week Stephen King or John Green come out it’s a wrap for you. You ain’t on there no more. I think Long Way Down was on (The New York Times Best Sellers List) for seven weeks...but it won the Walter Award, and that’s forever.

Final advice for aspiring writers?

Excellence is habit. The way you live your life is the way you approach your novels...If you work to be great at every part of your life, writing a novel will feel natural for you. Excellence can’t be turned off.

What’s up next for you?

I want to work on a contemporary adult novel. Sunny and For Everyone are available now and I will continue to work hard and put out more books. I want people to scratch their heads wondering how I can put out so many books at this level. I’m my own competition...I’ll keep trying to best myself and try to be of service to others.

[slenderframe71]

There was a level of clandestine stealth and security surrounding the means by which Clash first got to hear the selection of tracks chosen to offer a teasing taster of the forthcoming fifth 30 Seconds To Mars album that was unprecedented in all our past experiences with advance listens - but then 30STM are no ordinary rock band.

It’s the last day of May, and London is in full bloom amid an early-summer heatwave (which, as it turned out, was our summer), and we’ve followed top-secret directions to an undisclosed address where an LA record exec will allow us, under watchful gaze, access to his laptop and the handful of songs they’re prepared to share at this stage. Unmixed and some weeks from completion, they still sound epic: we’re pulled into giant, welcoming landscapes that share a positive and reassuring energy, made all the more invigorating in this agreeable climate.

Buoyed and fortified by this quick burst of expansive power, we’re led upstairs to meet one-third of these songs’ creators: the prolific and proficient lead singer, who’s the cause of today’s heightened secrecy.

It strikes us, as we prepare to step into Jared Leto’s suite, that today’s covert operations were entirely justified; more than just an exclusive playback of new material, this was an audience with a platinum selling, award-winning rock star, an acclaimed award-winning director, and an A-list award-winning Hollywood movie star. We were about to hang, we realised, with someone that owns an Oscar.

In a career spanning almost 25 years, Leto has remained an enigmatic and compelling talent whose pursuits have consistently afforded him a pan-generational iconic status; to those of a certain age, his turn as high-school heartthrob Jordan Catalano in 1994 TV series My So-Called Life was the catalyst for many an adolescent crush fantasy, and since 1998, 30 Seconds To Mars have risen to become stadium-filling, anthemic heroes to a legion of fans who favour a more profound and progressive brand of rock, while his on-screen conquests (including Fight Club, American Psycho, Requiem For A Dream, Chapter 27, and the imminent Blade Runner 2049) combine to form a range of immersive and stimulating roles - most triumphantly, of course, his portrayal of transgender AIDS patient Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club would earn him the Best Supporting Actor statue at the 2014 Academy Awards.

This moment, therefore, was bound to be unforgettably significant for all of us - it was the first step towards his most coveted accolade to date: a Clash cover.-

Three months later, with the capital’s tropical conditions a distant memory, we have reconvened in Central London to make this dream a reality.

A fortnight ago, 30 Seconds To Mars premiered to the world ‘Walk On Water’, the lead single from the still as-yet-untitled new album, at the MTV VMA’s in California, with a visually and physically spectacular performance captured by thermal cameras that featured a guest appearance from Travis Scott. Shannon Leto, Jared’s older brother, band co-founder and drummer, is centre stage, surrounded by an army of dancers, hammering the track’s pounding heartbeat, while guitarist Tomo Miličević intrepidly prowls amid the throng. Leering directly into camera, Jared forcefully delivers the call-to-arms’ leading question: “Do you believe that you can win this fight tonight?”

If the answer was in the trio’s self-assurance and resolve, then it would be an irrefutable ‘yes’. It’s been four-and-a-half years since the group’s previous outing, ‘Love, Lust, Faith & Dreams’, and 30 Seconds To Mars on that stage look like lions released from their cages. At our second meeting with Jared, with this track out in the wild and its successors to follow, he’s noticeably ready - and hungry - for the fight.

And so, with a new record comes new responsibilities: namely interviews. As Clash begin our line of questioning, we can’t help but wonder what the difference is, for the ultimate renaissance man such as Jared Leto, between talking about music and the other mediums he’s so involved in.

“That’s a good question,” is the welcome response. “I think the difference with music is that it’s a very intimate and personal process. When you make a film, you work with really a large group of people and it is very collaborative. When you make music, it’s a much smaller team. Over the years it’s been mostly my brother and I - we’ve done this since we were kids - so sharing that with family makes it different right from the get-go. It’s just special; it’s hard to really compare it to anything else. Writing music starts from the most simple, most humble beginning and can turn into something that really connects in such a powerful way around the globe, so it’s a very beautiful process that a thought, an idea, can in turn end up touching so many people and in such a deep way. It certainly has for me in my life; music has changed me. It has been my soundtrack, it has been my companion, it has been my inspiration, and so many artists have taught me about life and the world through their writing.”

Unlike the punishing press schedule that actors endure, musicians are less obligated to promote their product - Frank Ocean, for example, is refusing all interview requests - so, if his music is so personal and intimate, why doesn’t Jared simply let it speak for itself?

“I guess I’m motivated to do [interviews] because I recognise that it’s a great way to spread the word,” he reasons. “Music is meant to be consumed, just like… I guess it’s kinda like cooking; if you’re at home and you’ve made a big dinner and you put all the food out on the table, it’s certainly a lot nicer when people show up and consume the meal. In order for that, you need to invite people to do it, so I think I look at this as like the invitation process.”

Facing this mouth-watering banquet he’s laid before himself, Jared is practically tucking a napkin into his collar and sharpening his knives - he’s more than ready to gorge on music once more. “It’s been a long time coming, and we’re excited about the new music,” he attests. “In four-and-a-half years a lot happens, and the world changes - you change - and I think you can hear that change on the album. I think it’s a different album, and I think people are going to be pretty surprised by the songs they hear.”

As persistent and intense as always, on these new songs, 30 Seconds To Mars have refined the electronic inflections of ‘Love, Lust, Faith And Dreams’ and the more expressive qualities of it predecessor, 2009’s ‘This Is War’, to create something palpably vivid in its passionate perspective and connectivity.

Jared’s boundless enthusiasm can also be put down to the relief and gratitude he feels to even be in this position again. His 2012 documentary, Artifact, captured the traumatic experience of 30STM battling with their record label, EMI, in a $30 million breach-of-contract lawsuit that threatened their very existence - “We went to war,” he says, “and it wasn’t easy.” The conflict would ultimately produce the justly dramatic ‘This Is War’, but the whole brutal ordeal did little to dampen the band’s creative spirits. “There was a lot at stake, and that experience changed our lives. It taught us about ourselves, this business of music, and there were great lessons to be learned in that experience.”

Almost a decade after their legal wrangles, Jared is optimistic about the progress made by the music industry in that time that now allows 30STM to prosper - the business, he says, is “more transparent, and I think it’s got better, because musicians have the ability to have a louder voice and to speak to their audience directly. We were signed a decade before Facebook, or more. We were signed six or seven years before YouTube. The world has changed so much and I think for the better.”

Adding to Artifact and the series of 30STM videos he’s directed, Jared is continuing the tradition of marrying his two favourite mediums - music and film - in album companion pieces with A Day In The Life Of America, which picks up on the themes present in this new album. “Times are changing,” he warns in ‘Walk On Water’, and this film aims to document their impact on modern America through the viewpoints of those both within and without the country. “It really could be about any country in the world right now,” he argues. “I think so many of us are going through similar things. We’re all so connected now. I mean, people are asking really crucial questions - who are we, who do we want to be, what kind of country do we want to live in - and I think that it’s hard to tell the story of America without telling the story of the world.”

Having sent out 92 films crews across all 50 states, and extended a global invitation for a submission of clips, they have amassed reams of contributions, “from the Middle East to China to Africa and beyond,” that promise to form an insightful and objective portrait of our planet today.

Clearly, Jared relishes being in the distinctly fortunate and enviable position that allows him to exercise his inquisitive and inventive mind in a number of fields - in addition to music and movies, he’s become further aligned with fashion, more recently appearing in campaigns for Gucci at the behest of his best friend, the brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele - but, like the fearless looks he’s rocked on red carpets of late (Gucci, naturally), his judgements have always followed a rather maverick trajectory - as exemplified in his diverse choice of non-conformist movie roles.

“I like to be challenged,” he says of his attraction to projects. “I like to be provoked creatively, and I like an opportunity that pushes me to a new place and teaches me something. I love to learn, and it’s a good opportunity when you’re doing these things to be slightly off balance, to be on uncertain creative grounds.” He points to A Day In The Life Of America, the VMAs and the experimental nature of their new songs as representative of his latest forays into unknown territories. “And it’s not just the result,” he adds, “it’s the process of how do you do these things, how do you prepare for these things, how do you craft and figure out the production and the technical side of things that is part of the journey itself.”

It’s a particularly individualistic journey that Leto has undertaken, one driven by instinct and inspiration, but not one he could necessarily do alone. “You follow your gut and your heart and your head,” he says of his method of working, “and you build a great team of people who can help bring your vision to life.”

When it comes to 30STM, therefore, how lucky he is to have such an attuned collaborator as his brother. “[Shannon] is the reason that we are doing this,” he states. “He was the one that kinda led the charge with music. He was the one that always saw the future here… To have been doing it for this long is absolutely mind-blowing, and we don’t take it for granted for a single second… You know, we talk often about how fortunate we are and how grateful we are to be in the position that we’re in.”

That familiarity also enables Jared the freedom to truly be who he wants to be on stage: himself. Though screen characters have required drastic physical transformations - he piled on the pounds to play Mark Chapman in Chapter 27, and became practically emaciated for Dallas Buyers Club - and a method-like immersion in character (his Joker wreaked havoc on his Suicide Squad co-stars, who claim never to have met Jared Leto), there is no mask worn by the lead singer of 30STM. “Music is incredibly personal,” he affirms. “It’s about pulling the veil back. It’s about sharing as much of yourself as you can, or your thoughts, whether it’s your head, your heart, or your guts, whatever. Your spirit - whatever that is. You know, it’s not about taking on an imaginary set of circumstances and building a character. I’m never more of myself than when I’m standing on stage. There’s an absence of character.”

Daunting to some, that prospect is entirely natural to Jared Leto, who professes to feeling more comfortable performing in front of 140,000 people than he does holding a conversation with one person in a restaurant, and it’s the foundation of 30STM’s unfaltering relatability that ensures they remain a pertinent and provocative band for our times. “You can never stop learning,” Jared says of their perceptive and exploratory nature, which thankfully shows no sign of ever abating - unlike our conversation, which draws to an end as cryptically as it began. “Craft isn’t something that ends. Songs are elusive - they’re like dreams,” he smiles knowingly, “they’re hard to catch a hold of.”

[ramajmedia]

Will Smith’s 10 Best Movies, According To IMDb | ScreenRant

Often called the most charismatic actor working Hollywood today, Will Smith is one of the last of a breed of movie stars who can do it all. His career as an actor was never something that Smith took lightly and, much like comparable superstar Tom Cruise, he built his roles carefully. The result has been a long career at the top, with far more hits than misses. His movies appear to only get better, and more beloved, the older he becomes. Smith provides one of the best qualities a star can possess: the impression that their best work is always still ahead of them.

RELATED: 10 Best Spielberg Movies Ever, According To IMDb

Here’s Will Smith’s top ten highest rated movies on IMDb right now.

10 Men In Black 3 (6.8)

Will Smith’s last appearance, so far, in the long-lasting media franchise that he helped to forge was the most expensive of the series but also the highest grossing.

It would be easy to think that appreciation was a gimme for the beloved Men in Black series, especially for a movie that was seen as a comeback after the disappointment of the previous movie a decade prior. But Men in Black 3 genuinely remembers the aspects that made the original movie work so well and reconfigures them to feel new and exciting for an audience fifteen years down the road from that initial success.

9 Bad Boys (6.9)

The debut of Michael Bay as an action director, and Will Smith as an action star, would change both men’s careers and the face of Hollywood forever. The buddy cop comedy with Martin Lawrence was big, loud and stylized beyond reason. It was a perfect vehicle for a world that didn’t yet know Smith as a leading man in movies and still associated him with his musical persona, popularized by The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. (Which was still going at that time.)

RELATED: Will Smith's 10 Most Memorable Characters, Ranked

Bay and Smith would reteam eight years later for the similarly beloved sequel, with the belated third installment slated for a 2020 release.

8 Independence Day (7)

Released less than two months after the final episode of Smith’s defining TV hit The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the monster success of Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi spectacle secured Smith as not just a bankable action star in major Hollywood movies but an actor with a whole new career lying ahead of him beyond the Fresh Prince persona and the world of music.

Independence Day also, crucially, demonstrated Smith’s abilities as a team player. The movie was by no means all about him but he was still able to shine while playing one member of an ensemble and one half of his buddy pairing with Jeff Goldblum’s character.

7 Concussion (7.1)

It may seem odd for an actor so closely associated with action blockbusters, but Will Smith’s most popular movies seem to be his smaller dramatic roles. Even when, like Concussion, they’re largely unloved by critics and the box office, relatively speaking.

RELATED: Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 5 Best & 5 Worst Episodes, According To IMDb

Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu in the movie, a Nigerian-American physician credited with the discovery and exposure of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in professional American football players and its resulting health issues. The movie chronicles both Omalu’s struggle for acceptance and respect as a Nigerian in America and his clash with the NFL over his research.

6 I, Robot (7.1)

With the possible exception of the next movie on our list, 2004’s I, Robot is the most unashamed star vehicle for Smith as a leading action hero in his IMDb top ten.

RELATED: 14 Sci-Fi Movies With 0% On Rotten Tomatoes (And 6 With 100%)

Its connections to the collection of Isaac Asimov stories from which it takes its name is tenuous, at best, and the movie contains wall-to-wall product placements but it’s hard to feel unsatisfied when you’ve seen Will Smith blowing away robots with a machine gun. Part whodunnit, part cyberpunk epic, I, Robot is relentless in its goal to entertain the audience by any means necessary.

5 I Am Legend (7.2)

The third movie adaptation of Richard Matheson’s seminal post-apocalypse novel of the same name had been cooking for over a decade before it made it to the big screen, with Smith originally being attached to star in an earlier production, directed by Michael Bay, that inevitably fell through. (If you think that sounds weird, wait until you hear about the one before from Ridley Scott and Arnold Schwarzenegger.) It certainly wasn’t without its problems, demonstrated quite well by its two completely different endings, but the idea of spending a few hours alone with Will Smith in New York was clearly too good of an offer to pass up for audiences.

RELATED: Kevin Smith's Movies, Ranked By Rotten Tomatoes

I Am Legend’s continual script problems mattered a lot less when it became obvious that Smith could improvise his own dialogue, or just say nothing at all, and still be hugely compelling.

4 Enemy Of The State (7.3)

Tony Scott’s paranoid thriller sees Smith play a successful lawyer who becomes embroiled in the coverup of a government assassination via a random encounter with an old acquaintance. It sounds like the perfect set up for a classical thriller but Enemy of the State is far more new school than old school and it’s because of this that it still strikes a chord today.

For all the outdated technology that plagued most 90s movies, Enemy of the State was one of the decade’s many action thrillers that were remarkably ahead of their time. In 1998, the movie depicted the NSA engaging in surveillance practices that would be vehemently denied until Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing in 2013. Today, they’re generally accepted as fact.

3 Men In Black (7.3)

Loosely based on a comic series from the early 90s, Barry Sonnenfeld’s sci-fi action buddy comedy spawned a verifiable media franchise that’s lasted up until today with sequels and a spinoff. The original movie was another demonstration of Smith’s power as a team player. He stole the movie by himself without it being structured all around him.

RELATED: The 10 Most Bizarre Weapons In Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

The overall strength of the cast, coupled with Danny Elfman’s hugely memorable score and Rick Baker’s Oscar winning special effects, cemented Smith as an actor who was more interested in being recognized for good movies than just recognized as a movie star.

2 Seven Pounds (7.6)

Another example of a critically-unloved small-scale drama from the lower half of Smith’s box office rankings that has only grown in popularity since its release, even potentially becoming identifiable as a cult movie.

Seven Pounds is a small-scale emotional drama that’s gained popularity and interest over the years since its release almost certainly because how unusual it is for a Will Smith movie and because of its more mysterious attributes. With key information being revealed slowly throughout the course of the movie, leading to a shocking conclusion.

1 The Pursuit Of Happyness (8)

It’s not difficult to see why Smith’s portrayal of real-life entrepreneur Chris Gardiner during a time of great financial struggle and homelessness has resonated with so many since its debut in 2006. The performance would earn Smith his second Oscar nomination and prove a huge hit at the box office on release but the message of determination in the face of overwhelming hardship has only grown more relatable over time.

The Pursuit of Happyness would also mark a significant change in Smith’s onscreen star persona as he became no longer the only Smith on screen. His son, Jaden, making his debut in the movie.

NEXT: 20 Interesting Facts About Will Smith And Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Marriage

source https://screenrant.com/will-smith-movies-imdb-best/

[dr0wning-in-hell]

The Cheater and a Witch - Liam Dunbar pt 2

summary : the pack tried to switch Y/N’s emotions from anger and hatred, to something more positive, but can’t do the job.

word count : 1.8k

warnings : angst, sad liam, angry reader, damaged reader, sadness and more angst.

pairing / characters : Liam Dunbar x witch!reader, Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, Malia Tate, Lydia Martin, Deaton, Hayden Romero

prompt : (61) “I hope someday you get a taste of your own medicine.” (63) “Is this how little you think of me?” (77) “Maybe I’m meant to be alone.”

A/N : MY LITTLE BABY LIAM. AHHHHH

master list | requests | prompt list | my wattpad

Once the pack had been told that Y/N was a witch, they all started to ask questions. How was she a witch? What triggered it? What happens if she tries to hurt them? Or worse? Is thee friend still inside the new Y/N? All these questions had answers, but they were yet to get the answer.

The next day at school was torturously awkward, but only between Liam and Hayden. They didn’t know what to say, or if they should say anything at all, but they were the cause of /N’s power unleashing. Liam mostly blamed himself since he was the one who cheated on her. Liam kept pushing Hayden away whenever she got to close, he didn’t like having her so close anymore. It reminded him of how broken Y/N looked the night she walked in on that scene.

Y/N was currently sitting next to Hayden in their Chemistry class, scribbling notes down in her notebook as the teacher went on with the lesson. Hayden kept whispering to her, trying to get her attention but Y/N continued to ignore her. After a few minutes Hayden gave up and slumped in her seat. Y/N snickered to herself, continuing on with her note taking. Not even two minutes later her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket. She tried to ignore it until it buzzed two more times. Groaning, she pulled out her phone and hid it under the table.

The several text messages were from Liam, who was staring at Y/N intently. Y/N scanned her eyes over the text messages, her grip tightening around the metal and glass.

Cheater : Y/N/N, please let me explain.

Cheater : We need to talk about this.

Cheater : Baby, please, I need to talk to you.

How dare he, think he has the right to talk to you after what he did? He has nothing to explain, and you have nothing to say. He lost any and all chances of being with you, and he will never come back from that. Shoving her phone back in her pocket, Y/N tried her hardest to ignore both Hayden and Liam through out the rest of class.

Yeah, that didn’t quiet happen.

After class Y/N was followed outside by her least favorite people.

“Y/N please just let me talk to you!” Liam shouted as he jogged up beside her. Y/N shook her head.

“I have nothing to say to you, Dunbar, and I sure as hell don’t want to hear your bullshit excuses anymore. Now go along and play with your little girlfriend.” Y?N spat.

Liam huffed. “She’s not my girlfriend!” Liam argued.

“And neither am I!” Y/N’s voice rose, and her eyes little up a bright, violent purple. Liam and Hayden stepped back. “Now leave me alone, I don’t want to talk to or see either of you.” With that Y/N marched off, leaving the smell of anger, disgust, and sadness behind her. Hayden and Liam headed back inside, looking for Scott or Stiles.

The two wolves found their friends in the library, talking in hushed tones. Scott looked up from a book everyone was surrounding.

“Liam where were you?” Scott questioned.

Liam sat in a chair beside Malia. “I was trying to talk to Y/N. Her eyes...they- they turned purple.” Liam said. Stiles’s head raised.

“Purple? That’s odd. I only thought werewolves and jaguars had different colored eyes?”

Lydia had her head stuck in the book that was on the table. “Nope, not true. There are different types of witches and it seems like Y/N may be a witch fueled by her own emotions, from the description of her eye color.”

Before anyone could say anything else, the bell rang and signaled that their break time was over. The teens gathered their things, and agreed to come up with a plan to talk with and figure why Y/N’s powers surface right now.

After school they met up at the Animal Clinic, so they could also ask Deaton questions about this type of witch that Y/N is. While Liam was explaining, Deaton was going through things in the clinic.

“If Y/N is a witch, fueled by her own emotions, then you all need to be careful. These types of witches can be very hard to keep calm and under control. If Y/N’s powers did surface because of Liam and Hayden, it may be that her magic is more anger and betrayal than anything else.” He walked over to a cabinet, opening it and exposing a group of herbs and plants only meant for the Supernatural world. He pulled out a mason jar with the same symbol Y/N had on her necklace, on the side of the glass container. “Put some of this in her food or drink, and it’ll get her powers to subside, but only for a little bit. After that, it’s up to you to try and change her emotions.”

The group left the Clinic and decided to have ‘pack meeting’, when really the just needed to be around Y/N without tipping her off or making her suspicious. They bought pizza, some drinks, and put everything into place for when Y/N would arrive.

It was around 5:00 p.m. when Y/N arrived. She greeted everyone, except for Liam and Hayden. The three werewolves and werecoyote could smell the hatred coming off of Y/N. They all sat around the table. While Lydia and Stiles were getting the food and drinks ready, they put the crushed up herbs into her food and beverage. They were all hoping that this would work.

The food was passed out and everyone dug in. No one was really sure when the herbs would kick in, but once they saw her face starting to pale and her eyelids drooping, they knew it was working. Y/N couldn’t even get through her third bite of pizza before she passed out on the floor. The teens tied her up to a chair, making sure that there was no way of her getting out.

Liam did not like this one bit. His heat ached to see the girl he loved tied up a chair. He knew what he did was wrong and that he she will never ever forgive him, but if this could change just something about what he did to her, he could forgive himself.

Y/N stayed asleep for about twenty more minutes before her eyes fluttered open, her natural eye color faltering back and forth from natural to that violent purple. She groaned as she moved against the ropes. She looked up, her eyes narrowing at the people in front of her.

“What the hell? What is this?” Y/N growled. Scott sighed.

“Y/N, do you know what you are? What you can do?”

The witch scoffed. “Of course I know, I know my family history. It skips every other generation, but that didn’t happen with me.” She  shook her head, trying to het her hair from her face. “I knew about the Supernatural before I met you all, that’s why I knew so much about Lydia before any of you did. And the same goes for Kira. A witch, doesn’t matter the type, can always sense a supernatural creature or a potential supernatural creature.” Y/N sighed. “What is this about?”

“We want to help you, Y/N/N. Right now you’re a danger to yourself and others, we don’t want anyone to come after you.” Liam sighed.

“The only person I’m a danger to right now, is you and her.” Y/N’s words were venom as she looked from Liam to Hayden. “Why do you think I’ve been distancing myself from you? All of you for that matter. I know my emotions at trigger my magic, that’s why I can’t be around you.”

Everyone went silent. They know that Y/N and Liam had a strong connection, apparently so strong it unleashed her abilities. They didn’t know is that Y/N couldn’t control herself when Liam was around.

“Guys, can you give us a minute?” Liam asked. Scott looked at his beta worriedly, but nodded. The pack left the room, leaving Liam and Y/N alone. Liam sighed and kneeled in front of Y/N. “I’m sorry, I never meant at of this to happen you. I never wanted to hurt you, but I’ve done more that.” He shook his. “I’m sorry.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Stop saying you’re sorry Liam, it can’t and wont fix anything. Sorry is just an excuses for your dumb mistakes. I hope someday you  get a taste of your own medicine.” Liam’s eyes darted up towards the witch.

“W-what?” He stuttered.

“You didn’t really thing I was going to go back to you, did you? After what you did to me? I don’t care how many times you say you’re sorry or how many times you say you didn’t mean to sleep with my best friend, I am never coming back to you. And I hope someday, this same, shitty, mess happens to you and you go through this pain.” Y/N’s voice had lowered, and her eyes flickered purple. The ropes restraining her snapped, causing Liam to fall back. The pack came rushing back in once they saw Y/N standing above Liam.

“Y/N, don't!” Lydia yelled.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to do anything, Lydia. As much as I want to hurt Liam physically at the moment, emotional pain is so much worse.” Y/N walked past the group and grabbed her bag. “See you all tomorrow.”

When Y/N arrived home she headed straight o the bathroom. She ran herself a hot bubbly bath with candles loitering the floor. Stepping into the tub, Y/N let herself relax and fall under the soothing water. Waving her hand the candles lit quickly, illuminating the room. Y/N liked having this power, liked how she didn’t feel useless anymore. She felt strong. She no longer had to rely on the pack to protect her, she could protect herself from now on.

As much as Y/N liked the power, she didn’t like how her emotions were slowly damaging her body. It was almost like she had to much power, or maybe it was the fact that her power was being fueled by hatred, and anger. She really didn’t know right now.

Once the water ad gone col, Y/N dried herself of and headed to bed. She had grown more tired since her powers had surfaced. Crawling into bed she shut her eyes, and was consumed by darkness.

[zjarondinelli]

“7 Covers in 7 Days”: A Reflection

Yesterday, I concluded the “7 Covers in 7 Days” challenge that has been circulating around Twitter. I was nominated for this by Narda Robbins, a very dear friend and mentor from East Elgin Secondary School in Aylmer, ON. The challenge, in a nutshell, is to post 7 covers of books that you love without giving any explanations or reasoning beyond a simple image of the cover. I followed the rules exactly as prescribed during the challenge... but now, since it’s over, I figure I can bend them a little! So today, I’ve decided to write a reflection about my experience during this challenge!

When Narda originally nominated me, and I decided to embark on this challenge, I began by making a list of books that I thought had impacted me in some way throughout my life. This list quickly became far too long, which made me realize just how important books have meant to me in my life. [Side Note: The materiality of printed books is something that I am still incredibly fond of, likely stemming from my voracious reading as a child. I wonder whether my sons, growing up as they will in this Digital Age, will have the same affinity for physicality and paper as I do?] 

Another difficulty that I found was balancing the inclusion of comic books with traditional prose novels. Obviously, since my primary research is in comic books and their potential as sponsors of literacy, I wanted to include the ones that’d had the greatest impact on me, but I also wanted to reflect the importance of all literature (multi or monomodal in design). 

Below, I will explain each of my choices and provide a reflection about why I felt they were important.

DAY ONE:

For the first day of the challenge, I selected Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta (1988). I have often said in the past that this book is my favourite comic of all time... There is something about that iconic Guy Fawkes mask that inspires... Just look at how it has been subsumed by popular culture recently (Anonymous, etc.). However, recently, I don’t know that I could even claim it to be my favourite Alan Moore comics anymore (my original hesitancy towards Watchmen and it’s intense popularity has begun to wane some, and I am recognizing it for the genre-defining achievement that it is...). All of that said, V was the first comic that I had the privilege of teaching. 

During my LTO at West Elgin SS in West Lorne, ON, I purchased (myself) 30 copies of the graphic novel in order to teach it in my ENG 3U class. I was young, and so I can say with 100% confidence that while I will never teach it the way I taught it then, it was still monumental for me and an achievement that I am proud of. I have dedicated my educational journey towards the support of comics in the classroom and, while my love of comics began long ago, I believe that my passion for the power of the sponsorship of comics in literacy began with the experience I had teaching V for Vendetta with those students.

DAY TWO:

For the second day, I chose George Orwell’s Dystopian classic, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). I read this novel in my ENG4U class with a teacher (Ms. Colleen Quinn) who, in collaboration with my History/Sociology teacher (Mr. John Zeaman) influenced my decision to become a teacher. I remember being completely enamoured by this novel... the nuance and sense of discovery that I had every time I can up with a new idea or thought associated with the book. I remember it was the first time that I bought the book myself for the class instead of using a school copy... I wanted to highlight and write in the margins and leave an archive of my experiences and learning as I consumed the then 50+ year old story. I will forever remember the experience of reading and learning about Winston and Julia’s journey to reclaim themselves (or attempt, anyway), but more importantly, I will remember how this novel played a role in sparking my love of literature!

DAY THREE:

The third day saw me select The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008) by Garth Stein. 

This novel is one of the most inspirational that I have ever had the pleasure of reading and it is a book that I think about the lessons that I learned from the canine protagonist, Enzo, very frequently. It is also a book that I select to read to my classes on #ReadAloudFridays whenever I have the opportunity!

More personally, I remember during my wife's pregnancies (for both my boys), I would read this novel aloud to my wife’s belly. The novel has been incredibly important to us, and so, when our second little boy was born, we decided to name him after story’s protagonist, Enzo. Lorenzo (Enzo for short) came racing into the world in a 30-minute labour and so it just seemed appropriate!

DAY FOUR:

Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics (1993) has impacted my theoretical understanding of comics more than any other. While there is much that I have grown to recognize as outdated within this book, and have found new, contemporary ideas to influence my own theories, this book will always be the cornerstone of my theoretical perspective. As a comics scholar and theorist, I know that all of my thinking derives from McCloud and I owe him and this book a great debt for putting me on the path towards becoming the person that I am today.

DAY FIVE:

House of Leaves (2000) by Mark Z. Danielewski is the first piece of Ergodic Literature that I ever read. I remember that I began reading it the summer after high school and I quickly became infatuated by the way that the book embraced and explored the unique affordances of the printed book. 

Experimental literature has always been something of particular fascination for me and it most certainly began here. I highly recommend this book! While I certainly love this book, the main reason it is impactful for me is the way that it lead me to the prose novel that has had the single most impactful influence on me....

DAY SIX:

James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) is the book that I am the most proud of saying I’ve read... and that I’ve read multiple times!

Joyce’s experiment in Modern Literature was a novel that fascinated me long before I actually read it. I tried a few times in my early University days, but never got anywhere with it. However, my semi-obsession with Joyce (the man) and the book led me to focus in on 20th Century British and Irish Literature during my time at Western. 

At the time, I had been taking English courses during my Music degree. Joyce, a well-known singer (and tenor, even) had an obsession with music the way I had an obsession with literature. I felt a connection with Joyce as the other side of his coin... Where he worked primarily in literature and loved music, I was the reverse.

When I got the opportunity to take a Joyce seminar course in my fourth-year (and study this alongside Dubliners and Finnegan’s Wake) I couldn’t resist... I dedicated myself to the course like never before and found so much within the book that I am still, to this day. grateful for. It was a tremendous experience!

DAY SEVEN:

Asterios Polyp (2009) by David Mazzucchelli was one of the earliest “graphic novels” that I remember reading. It’s no wonder then why I disliked it so much. As a young comics reader, I didn’t yet have the background, understanding or ability to recognize the power latent within it’s pages... It took me a second reading (only three months ago) to really understand why it is so tremendous a book.

Intrigued by a discussion that I had heard on the YouTube channel, Strip Panel Naked, I decided to embark on reading this large comic again. What I found inside was a brilliant exploration of what the comics medium can do when used most effectively. It is a tour-de-force that utilizes colour, space, gesture, pictorial, and other modalities in such a meaningful and integrated way... I recommend it highly. But, that said, it may not be a great “first step” towards loving comics!

IN THE END:

I had a difficult time selecting these seven books. As I mentioned previously, the original list was long... But, I believe that these seven reflect important moments in my life, and the way that literature has impacted me.

Through this exercise, I really thought about the ways that books have impacted me... They’ve led me to moments of pleasure, they’ve led me to be challenged, they’ve led me to be inspired, they’ve led me to be affected... This is barely the tip of the iceberg for me and I think, if I’m challenged again (fingers crossed!), I could have a totally different experience considering the way that other books have impacted me and my life.

I’m an English Teacher. I’m a Literacy Researcher. I’m a Comics Scholar. Books (with a little help from the people who made and shared them with me) got me to where I am today.

Thanks for reading!