#bullet point two

[mousterian-writes]

War of the Scaleborn Lore Facts

The War of the Scaleborn: A Timeline

Mounting Tensions

The events of the novel start just over a decade after Galakrond’s demise (32). By the end, it has been around five centuries or so since the dragons were granted the titans’ gifts (368).

Tyr, worried the dragonflights needed to grow more quickly to face whatever threats might arise, commanded Alexstrasza to take primal dragon eggs from the wild and forcibly infuse them with Order magic (19, 24). Ysera and Nozdormu disagreed with this course of action, but Malygos and Neltharion persuaded the Dragon Queen it was necessary. Alexstrasza ultimately acquiesced to Tyr’s demand with one stipulation - that they only take unguarded eggs that had been abandoned (23-25). It seems, however, that this edict was not always obeyed; some of the primal dragons reported their entire clutches being stolen time and time again (83, 206).

The dragons placed no restrictions on ordering dragons who were with clutch as long as they consented (134).

The whelplings born of primal eggs taken from the Dragonwilds were aware they had been stolen, many remembering vague sensations of Order magic transforming them while still in the shell (53, 83, 133, 206). Vyranoth expected hundreds, if not thousands, of eggs were stolen over the course of the war (211). 

The Aspects engaged in diplomatic relations with the primal dragons for two centuries, Wyrmrest Temple acting as a neutral embassy between the factions. Unfortunately, the Winterskorn War only served to increase the primal dragons’ mistrust of the titan-forged and, consequently, the Aspects (44, 175). 

Iridikron launched a propaganda campaign against the ordered dragons, claiming they were responsible for everything from forcing Order magic on tarasek to the primal dragons being pushed out of their hunting grounds. Iridikron continued this campaign by forcing his clutch-sister, Ikronia, to burn down the towns of tarasek and mortals alike, spurring even more negative sentiment against the ordered dragons (74-76, 88). Some mortals actually joined Iridikron’s forces as a result (76). 

It was at this time Iridikron officially named his faction of followers the Primalists (117).

Raszageth and Ikronia terrorized mortal and tarasek settlements for 50 years (116).

While Raszageth often attacked ordered dragons on the edge of the Broodlands, she never dared to fully cross the border until her final attacks on the Reach (126). 

Despite Raszageth’s attacks on their borders and Iridikron’s rapidly growing army - stirred by primalist propaganda as it was -, Alexstrasza strove for peace (88). 

Neltharion attempted many times over the years to send emissaries to meet with Iridikron in Harrowsdeep, but all were turned away, sometimes even violently (88).

Alexstrasza allowed the primal dragons to hunt in the territories around Wyrmrest Temple so long as they did not harass the ordered dragons (111).

Alexstrasza forbade the drakes from fighting with the primal dragons unless lives were at stake (136).

A Rising Storm

Though it was not the case initially, the primalist forces outnumbered the Aspects’ at the onset of the war by three-to-one (115, 198-199).

Neltharion kept the truth of Tyr’s death from the dragonflights, though the Aspects knew (112). It was not until war officially broke out many decades after the keeper’s death that the ordered dragons found out the truth (230-231).

Stormsunder Crater, a region in the eastern part of the Forbidden Reach, was formed when Raszageth crashed to the ground during her assault on Neltharion’s dracthyr (154). 

Raszageth’s attack on the Reach came to be known as the Battle of Stormsunder (242). 

Neltharion did not want word of what transpired that day in the Reach - and the dark truth of what he did - to get out. Nor did he want Iridikron to turn the dracthyr against the Aspects. Afraid he could not manage either of those things without the control Oathbinder afforded him over the dracthyr, he gave them one last command with the remains of the destroyed artifact and sent them back to their creches (158, 164). A short time later, Malygos would freeze all of the dracthyr in a deep slumber (165).

Neltharion lied to Malygos about what happened at the Reach, telling his old friend that he’d personally attacked and incapacitated Raszageth before imprisoning her (161).

Malygos agreed to help Neltharion conceal the truth of what occurred at the Reach under two conditions: 1) that he would be in Malygos’ debt, to be called upon at any time, and 2) they tell Alexstrasza the Incarnates attacked the Reach right away (163).

Neltharion did not want to tell Alexstrasza about the dracthyr out of concerns that the Dragon Queen, dedicated to peace as she was, would disapprove of his choice to breed soldiers for war (161).

After Raszageth’s attack on the Reach, Alexstrasza declared all primal dragons banned from the Broodlands and Wyrmrest Temple (168). 

Battle Rages

At Iridikron’s behest, a newly-made Incarnate Vyranoth and the Primalist forces attacked Wyrmrest Temple in retaliation for Raszageth’s imprisonment. Aside from Raszageth’s attack on the Reach, this was the first battle of the war (183-184). 

Iridikron later launched another attack on Wyrmrest Temple in an event now known as the Battle of Dragonblight. The ordered dragons won, but at the cost of any territory they had beyond Wyrmrest Temple (219).

Iridikron and other primal dragons often sent earthquakes throughout the Broodlands in covert attempts to destabilize the ordered dragons’ efforts. In response, the blue and black dragonflights erected a series of magical obelisks along the Broodlands’ border that would make the land impervious to Iridikron’s earthly attacks. Each of these obelisks was connected to Vakthros through a ley line (86, 201). 

During the war, Malygos lobbied to alter the obelisks so that they would form a shield of sorts over the Broodlands. Unfortunately, Malygos warned the strain placed on them would cause the already old obelisks to give out in a year’s time. They lasted twenty-five, falling victim to sabotage from within at the last (201-202, 219, 225, 235).

The ordered dragons suffered only a hundred casualties over the first twenty-four years of battle while the Primalists lost about a thousand (220).

Nozdormu was the one to suggest building a vault to hold the Incarnates in perpetual stasis, though it was Alexstrasza who inspired the idea by insisting they not kill them (205).

Alexstrasza established flight academies for drakes at this time to teach them the skills they would need to defend the Broodlands (220).

Nozdormu saw a potential alternate timeline in which Alexstrasza hunted down and killed each of the Incarnates, one by one. The dark truth of what she had done in that timeline broke the alternate Dragon Queen’s mind, causing her to terrorize the world. In another, she forced all dragons to choose between Order magic or death (223). 

Nozdormu also told Alexstrasza that her death would inevitably lose them the war in every timeline (224). 

According to Nozdormu, Fyrakk was always the first or second to fall in the potential timelines he saw (246).

Six ordered drakes, among those who had been stolen from the Dragonwilds as eggs, turned against the Aspects in outrage when they learned the truth of their upbringing. Their ranks included Talinstrasz, Sirigosa, Ellegos, Nolizdormu, Azarian, and Ivarus. They were the ones who sabotaged the magical barrier protecting the Broodlands (227). Sirigosa would later claim she saw the error of her ways and repent (280).

Malygos was the one who captured and imprisoned Fyrakk in a conflict now known as the Battle of Flamesfall. He weaved an illusion over himself to appear as Alexstrasza, then whisked the Incarnate through a portal to the Vault once they engaged in combat. Ysera put Fyrakk in a deep slumber, allowing the Aspects to imprison the Incarnate once and for all (258-259, 265).

Five hundred of the Primalists’ forces were slain in the Battle of Flamesfall. It was the second single greatest loss of life during the war, second only to the Battle of Emberfall in which a thousand casualties were suffered between both sides (265, 267).

In the Battle of Emberfall, the brood-mother Oxoria made a push into the Reach to free Raszageth. Nearly two hundred of the black dragonflight perished in the battle (267).

The red dragonflight also had to contend with a growing force of djaradin encroaching on the Waking Shores at this time (267).

The djaradin had only become increasingly hostile in the last century, perhaps using the ongoing war to their advantage to claim territory in the Waking Shores (269).

Alexstrasza forbade drakes from fighting on the front lines against full-grown primal dragons (270).

As time went on, betrayals became more common among the ordered dragons. Black dragons played double agent, bronzes attempted to reverse time to help the Primalists, and members of the green and red dragonflights made a bid to kidnap eggs from the life pools, among other things. Many of them were imprisoned beneath the Obsidian Citadel and later freed by the Primalists (270, 277-278).

Iridikron’s Rockfuries did not personally join the battle until centuries into the war (287).

Alexstrasza challenged Vyranoth to single combat. The terms were such that if the Dragon Queen were to win, Vyranoth would consent to being imprisoned within the Vault of the Incarnates or perish. The duel was held at the Icebound Eye, part of Vyranoth’s territory (290, 293, 300, 319). This event occurred over fifty years after Fyrakk’s imprisonment (266-267, 289). 

Upon Vyranoth’s defeat and subsequent imprisonment, her dragon companions swore to join Alexstrasza’s cause as long as she honored her original promise to Vyranoth and not force Order magic on them (321).

For centuries, Iridikron’s earthquakes had been part of a plan to carve out secret caverns and tunnels under the earth for an eventual underground attack on Valdrakken (298). 

For the next few decades after the battle at Valdrakken, Iridikron tried and failed to create more Incarnates to replace his lost commanders (331). 

It wasn’t until the end of the war - after three Incarnates had been imprisoned - that Iridikron turned to the djaradin (334).

After Razviik, Mithruz was Vyranoth’s third-in-command. He would fall in single combat against Ysera toward the end of the war (235, 325). 

Neltharion ultimately subdued Iridikron by using the gifts the Old Gods gave him. He vowed to himself it would be the last time he ever gave in to the whispers (371-372). 

As part of the negotiations made between the ordered dragons and the remaining Primalists at the end of the war, Alexstrasza promised to withdraw from the Dragonwilds and grant them to the primal dragons. She also swore that no primal egg would be stolen from its nest ever again (375). 

Alexstrasza then personally visited each dragon that had been taken and ordered in the shell, promising all of them a boon as recompense for the act she had committed without their consent (376, 378). 

Alexstrasza and the Aspects resolved to never speak of the War of the Scaleborn again, wishing to avoid imposing the horrors of it upon future generations (380).

The Vault of the Incarnates was bound with three magical protections: one of time, one of arcane, and one of stone (381). 

Alexstrasza & The Red Dragonflight

Before and during the War of the Scaleborn, a red dragon by the name of Saristrasz acted as Alexstrasza’s majordomo (5, 301).

Tyranastrasz, one of the Dragon Queen’s consorts before his death during the Second War, may have actually been her mate as far back as when they were proto-dragons (8). 

Alexstrasza knew the name of every dragon hatched at the life pools (133).

The Ruby Flamebringers served directly under Alexstrasza (272).

Neltharion & The Black Dragonflight

The black dragonflight’s majordomo was Nalaxa (159). 

A black dragon by the name of Umbrenion was principal architect of the Obsidian Citadel and various structures within Zaralek Cavern (29).

The Shadowscales were a military sect of black dragons dedicated to gathering intelligence on the enemy. They were led by Egnion (61, 86).

The Ironscales were one of the largest battalions in any dragonflight, numbering nearly two hundred (304). By the end of the war, they still boasted around one-hundred-fifty (346).

The Onyx Reavers of the black dragonflight were incredibly deadly in combat. They used their speed to their advantage, often dropping on unsuspecting enemies from above at such breakneck speeds that they would easily shatter their enemies against the ground (236, 254).

Custom dictated that the bodies of black dragons be burned, their bones interred in mausoleums in the Veiled Ossuary, and their ashes spread over the magma falls in the Waking Shores so that they could return to the earth from which they originally drew power (160, 242).  

Neltharion had heard whispers since even before he became Aspect. It wasn’t until sometime in the next two hundred years that they grew stronger, afflicting him with tormenting thoughts and whispers. He never told another soul about them (87).

Neltharion heard at least four separate voices whispering to him (87). This is of note since at this point, Aman’Thul had already dealt with Y’Shaarj, leaving just three Old Gods.

Neltharion experimented on mortals in secret for years, seeking to understand them so that he could create a hybrid army capable of withstanding the primals’ burgeoning might (105).

At this time, Rashok was captured by the black dragonflight and imprisoned within Aberrus (105-106).

Neltharion discovered Oathbinder deep within a titan vault. He asked the titan-forged to modify it so he could use it on the dracthyr specifically (149).

Neltharion was still mostly in control of his faculties after submitting to the Old Gods during the battle at the Reach, though he acknowledged he would never again be the same after letting them in (157). With time, the whispers would only grow stronger, sometimes even debilitating (195).

The black dragonflight spent 300 years preparing for war in secret, having started forging a massive cache of armor and weapons since the day after their oathstone was empowered. In doing so, they developed new forms of blacksteel and elementium, lightweight metals that could provide the dragons protection in the air (193).

The Blue Dragonflight

Beregos was the archlibrarian of the Azure Archives (220).

Centuries after Iridikron began his movement against the Aspects, the blue dragonflight learned how to summon and control arcane elementals (130).

The blue dragonflight frequently employed arcane elementals glamoured as dragons on the field of battle to make their numbers look bigger than they actually were (282).

Malygos and Nozdormu usually fought side by side (281).

Malygos was able to enchant stones that would portal a dragon at a moment’s notice, should the need arise (342, 361).

The Bronze Dragonflight

During the war, the bronze dragons discovered they could reverse wounds with time magic (267).

The Green Dragonflight

The green dragonflight’s majordomo was Vathira (208).

Toward the end of the half-century Raszageth perpetrated attacks against ordered dragons, Ysera oversaw the creation of the Eye of Ysera within the Dream (126).

The Incarnates

Thanks to Fyrakk’s help, Iridikron discovered the means by which primal dragons could imbue themselves with elemental energies and become Incarnates. It is unclear if this means Fyrakk uncovered the crucial knowledge, or if his being the first to survive the process simply helped Iridikron crack the code in his own discoveries (though the latter seems more likely) (33-34). 

Hundreds of primal dragons perished in the initial attempts to infuse themselves with elemental powers. Fyrakk was the first to succeed, followed by Iridikron, who then helped Raszageth through the necessary rituals (31, 32, 36). Iridikron did not consult Fyrakk when he opted to add Raszageth to the Incarnates�� ranks, something which greatly angered the fire dragon (31). 

While ideologically opposed to visage forms, the Incarnates decided taking on forms rooted in the elements could give them a tactical advantage in the war (116).

Fyrakk

Fyrakk is Alexstrasza’s cousin. He was the one who taught the Dragon Queen how to hunt and fight (21, 179, 248).

Iridikron

Neltharion and Iridikron had long been rivals by this time, though they were once close thanks to their shared interests in the earth. While it is unclear exactly when they grew apart, it seems likely their disagreements over the titans’ gifts caused a rift to form between the two dragons (22, 86, 124).

Even as an Incarnate, Iridikron was smaller than Neltharion (124).

Though Alexstrasza was close friends with Vyranoth and cousin to Fyrakk, she had never actually met Iridikron (22).

Iridikron had a sister named Ikronia who willingly submitted to Order magic and became a black dragon (70-71). Few of the primalists knew she even existed (169). Though allied with the Primalists, she perished at Raszageth’s hands during the Incarnate’s attack on the Reach (148).

Vyranoth

Vyranoth initially thought Iridikron no better than the Aspects, having altered himself for the sake of power just like them (46). Though he obsessively sought to recruit her to his side, she refused to pick either him or Alexstrasza over each other, instead desiring peace and neutrality (49). 

Vyranoth hadn’t laid a clutch of her own in centuries, having declined to take a new mate ever since Galakrond slew her last one (50). 

Alexstrasza and Vyranoth used to meet for a hunt at least once a season (61). 

Razviik, once of the proto-drakes Vyranoth had taken under her wing, was the one to bestow the moniker “the Frozenheart” upon her (206).

The Mortals

A tribe of trolls took up residence in Apex Canopy, a small region in southwestern Waking Shores. Having seen that they would shape the fate of the world in time, Nozdormu informed Neltharion who then told the other Aspects of his plans to reach out to them. Each of the Aspects, cloaked in an invisibility spell by Malygos, descended upon the settlement to investigate the mortals (63-65).

Neltharion claimed the trolls migrated to the Broodlands from larger well-established civilizations in the south (65).

The Aspects debated over how best to approach the mortals. Ysera thought they shouldn’t interfere with their development, but Nozdormu insisted a relationship between dragonkind and the mortal races would be important in times to come (65-66). 

Ysera was the first one to propose the dragons don visage forms to empathize with and understand the mortals (66-67).

Malygos initially wove illusions around the Aspects, trying to mimic mortal forms to little avail (67). 

Alexstrasza eventually sent emissaries to the mortals cloaked in temporary visages developed by Malygos (103).

Both the green and red dragonflights took to visage forms much more quickly than any of the other flights. As a result, the mortals forged strong bonds with the green dragonflight and moved in great numbers to the Emerald Plains (112, 131).

After five years, the mortal settlements in the Broodlands grew to triple their initial size (103).

By this time, mortals had trained wolves to hunt alongside them (104).

The dragonflights began forging relationships with Northrend’s indigenous mortal races as well (111).

The dragons gifted technology and knowledge of projectile weapons to the mortal tribes living in Apex Canopy so that they could defend themselves in the event of an attack (176).

Locations in Lore

The Aspects were the ones who conceived of Valdrakken, not the titan keepers. That said, Tyr may very well have influenced its building by teaching Alexstrasza about cities (4, 11).

While the Dragon Isles were originally known as the Broodlands, the vast expanse of territory beyond them - stretching far into modern-day Northrend - was called the ‘Dragonwilds’. The Aspects’ law covered the disparate territories of the Broodlands, but did not extend to the Dragonwilds. As a result, many primal dragons averse to the titans’ influence chose to live there instead of the Dragon Isles (14, 31-32).

Iridikron was rather reclusive and usually kept to his underground den, a place called Harrowsdeep near the Stormscale mountain range, part of what is now known as Northrend (22, 31, 39). Vyranoth’s aerie was in the ‘Frozen Fangs’ - likely Icecrown - while Fyrakk made his home in the ‘Caldera’ (33, 49, 81).

Raszageth’s aerie, the Whorl, was the closest of the Incarnates’ dwellings to the Broodlands (169).

Wyrmrest Temple was constructed simultaneously with Valdrakken (32).

Twenty years after Wyrmrest Temple was built, construction finished on the Obsidian Citadel. Shortly after that, Vakthros was completed as well (43-44). 

Alexstrasza had an upper tier added to the Ruby Life Pools two centuries later after its original establishment (48).

Construction on the Vault of the Incarnates was completed after twenty-five years (222-223).

Stormsunder Crater, a region in the eastern part of the Forbidden Reach, was formed when Raszageth crashed to the ground during her assault on Neltharion’s dracthyr (154). 

The mountain range at the northern edge of the Dragon Isles is called the Scalecracker Peaks (159).

The mountain range housing the Obisidian Citadel is called the Black Mountains (254).

The mountain range on the eastern edge of Thaldraszus was one of the tallest mountain ranges in northern Kalimdor, rivaled only by the Storm Peaks (266).

Some of the many new regions mentioned in the War of the Scaleborn, exact locations unspecified, include: Icewing Rift, the Molten Abyss, Emberstone, the Glacial Maw, Frostfire Chasm, Cinderfrost Vale (220, 237, 249, 254). 

Sawtooth Mountain was near Wyrmrest Temple (336).

The Icebound Eye was a natural sinkhole in the Frozen Fangs (294).

The earth tendrils curving around the Vault of the Incarnates are not naturally occurring structures. They were made when Neltharion ossified lava Iridikron pulled from the surrounding magma pools during their confrontation at the Vault (316).

Misc

Drakonid are actually tarasek who have been transformed by Order magic, not unlike the dragons (14).

Ordered creatures apparently take on a subtle scent of something akin to “smoke and stardust” (15).

Only one in four whelplings in the primal dragonwilds ever made it to drakehood. Alexstrasza supposed barely half of those even saw half a century of life (25).

Primal dragons often abandoned their young when they grew into drakes, though one brood mother - Oxoria - was notorious for raising broods with sustained familial bonds (200).

The ordered dragons’ whelplings were raised communally, allowing their parents to be as involved in the upbringing as they desired. Sometimes this meant they chose not to be involved at all, complete strangers to their offspring (53, 135). 

Dragons can be identified by their scales (92).

It is not unusual for one to experience great disorientation and vertigo after their first portal travel. It can take hours to recover (259).

Captain Drine has been guarding Valdrakken ever since the War of the Scaleborn (305).

The dragons were under the impression that they needed titan keepers to create more Aspects (322, 326). 

The Dragon Isles are the djaradin’s ancestral lands (334).

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: slight questioning of gender identity / ]

Leo learning he’s trans and having various reactions to it.

1) Uncaring - not like anything really changed? It’s like learning your blood type. Leo is Leo, that’s all.

2) Existential - how the heck did he miss this for so long??? Wait is this gonna change his perspective of gender for himself or is he overthinking things??? He’s comfortable in his own skin and all but what if he’s not, actually? Should he think about this harder? Are there other things about himself he doesn’t know of yet-?

3) Peeved - what do you mean he could have had sick long claws and a cool long tail?

4) Relieved - WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE COULD HAVE LOST HIS STRIPES???

[splickedylit]

Things I never get tired of writing

weird cultural worldbuilding, especially with strange, intricate social norms and power dynamics

characters playing little made up card games with implied bizarre, convoluted rules where I blatantly rip off the vibe of Pokemon, MTG, Duel Monsters/Yugioh etc

we see one of my favs from an outside POV: they are hot, badass, terrifying, tragic, or any/all of the above

[wassupmygays]

i hope someone recorded the 10:15 live bc sg and tilly talked about marcia and marbit but i fear i cant reliably paraphrase all of it. heres what i remember tho

- sg is hesitant to say that marcia and bev remain friends

- mostly bc bev burned "one of marcias boyfriends" (two-bit)

- marcia talks bev about two-bit at the drive in and bev is like ew

- sg says eventually marcia learns to not follow the crowd

- eventually after the plot of the show, marcia and trip break up and she starts seeing two-bit

- all 3 say they probably dont officially date bc its dangerous, but they do meet up/see each other a lot and sg says they want it to be better so they can date

- (this is where it gets foggy on what i could hear) i think sg says during marcias senior year shes learned to not follow the crowd and probably (?) isnt friends with the soc group

- and then marcia manages to get out of tulsa and move to Hollywood

[bildads-shoes]

I feel like Crowley has often played the role of 'philosophy teacher' in his dynamic with Aziraphale, and I think this is probably what ultimately led to most of the backlash against Aziraphale immediately post-Season 2, especially from casual viewers.

The Resurrectionists episode is super obvious about it, big Philosophy 101 energy, but it's of course a big running theme in the show, often addressing the classic philosophical/theological question 'if God/Heaven are all-loving and all-powerful, why do they make us suffer?'

In these situations Aziraphale is often needing to learn to break free of his black and white thinking. Of course, we, the viewers, agree that morality is not black and white, so we start trusting Crowley's ability in the teacher role.

And it happens again in the Final Fifteen: we cringe at the stark oversimplification of 'you're the bad guys', we agree that Heaven and Hell are 'toxic' with their rigid rules and roles. Having seen so many examples of this dynamic at this point, this can instinctively feel like a continuation of Crowley's 'morality is not black and white' lessons. Therefore it makes sense to me that the instinct can be to agree that Crowley 'understand[s] a whole lot better' than Aziraphale.

I could go on for days about why I feel Aziraphale's character is so much more nuanced than that, but I want to focus on Crowley here. When you start trusting someone in that 'teacher' role, it's easy to assume they have it all figured out. That's why the whole 'Crowley is an unreliable narrator when it comes to his Fall' confirmation always had me so intrigued.

It seems (to me at least) that Crowley probably made some very complex, grey choices as an angel (choices that were not as bad as Heaven feels, but not as good as Crowley likes to think, to paraphrase NG) and he is yet to accept the reality of those actions. To me, it feels like he's coped with that cognitive dissonance by entirely detaching from that identity at times, almost as though those were the actions and experiences of another person (the angel you knew is not me) whilst returning to the first person in moments of vulnerability (I only ever asked questions). Judging by the hints at Angel!Crowley throughout S2, I think (hope) we'll learn more about the Fall in S3, and thus see him finally need to internally resolve this

I think it'll be very interesting to finally see that dynamic flip, to see Crowley in the role of the student, trying to solidify his moral code and sense of self as we have seen Aziraphale do throughout the show.

I suppose I hope that in potentially having Crowley's own struggles with morality becoming more explicit on screen in Season 3, the broad attitude towards Aziraphale and Crowley will become a bit more balanced again. I think it'll be lovely to see them grow in their understanding and acceptance of themselves and each other, and finally reach a place of joy and freedom as individuals and together. We'll always have our own personal character interpretations, and I think that's wonderful and fascinating to hear about, but at the end of the day we're all rooting for their happy ending, and I can't wait to see them finally get it.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

do you have any personal headcanons about charles that you’re willing to share? if so i will go on my hands and knees and beg on behalf of all your followers for the juicy deets, this is your chance to yap about him for as long as humanly possible 🛐🙏🏻✨

ooohhh im bad at hcs..... but i do have. a few:

firm believer charles is a model-kit enjoyer and likes keeping his hands busy overall: started off with ship-in-a-bottle kits but over time gravitated towards cars and aircrafts

on that note, he's a slight vintage car buff/appreciator

has great upper body and core strength. he doesn't get a lot of opportunities to demonstrate it, but it catches people off guard when he can

can play at least ONE instrument. money's either on piano or violin. not much of a singer, but might hum to himself

probably gives killer shoulder massages

started collecting hats as a teenager and has numerous baseball caps. despite this, he isn't super into baseball itself and the hats themselves are probably the least worn of his collection. nowadays, despite not wearing hats as often as he used to, he favors fedora and bowler hats

wrist watch collector. has an anti-magnetic set in his collection, though rarely actually wears them

certified rambler this isn't even a hc but i must assert it extends beyond inspirational speeches and lore drops. ask him what book he's reading and he'll give you a verbal dissertation about it

favorite tea's chamomile

dyes his eyebrows to be darker (this is partially a joke.. and yet.....)

[theinfinitedivides]

category 5 Devil's Minion San Fran '73 moment ('it'll feel like a bath. rest. like honey on your tongue.') vs category 5 Loumandiel Dubai '22 moment ('what's he taste like?' 'i didn't ask that.' 'you were thinking it.' 'stay out of my head.' 'honey and pineapple. he stuffs himself with both for days before he offers himself to me. would you like to sample?')

[fictionadventurer]

Remaining Thoughts About Jane Eyre:

Diana may be the best character. Love Diana. Maybe the best-adjusted person in this story. When she responds to Jane's refusal to marry St. John with, "You're absolutely right, girl." So good. Not used to that level of sanity here.

St. John fascinates me. He's a foil to Rochester and Jane, but also similar to them in ways that he doesn't see. He's all about suppressing personal attachments and emotion, so you'd think he doesn't care about others' opinions, and yet, all his ambition is because he wants to be something the world considers great. He says himself he wanted to be some great statesman or lawyer or whatever--missionary's just the path he chose since he was already a clergyman. The religion is secondary at best--at worst, he values it because it's a means of power over people. His religion is all about duty--it's not a relationship. His inability to relate to people as anything other than a tool for his own glorification extends to his approach to God.

Also, the fact that Jane sees this, yet still insists he's a good man...I'm not onboard. He probably means well, may well be doing his best, but there's an insidious underlayer to everything that undermines it. He's kind of the definition of Eliot's, "This last temptation is the greatest treason/Doing the right thing for the wrong reason."

I'm still sad that he's dying in India, though. He should come back home disabled just like Rochester, and gets to learn some humility by needing help from other people.

Pretty darn convenient that Jane's prayer to know what to do gets answered immediately via miraculous means in the middle of her conversation with St. John. It's a good thing Jane's got God looking out for her, because she wouldn't have done anything in this story without miraculous guidance.

It's such overt author interference--so easy and simple--that it's hard for me to buy into a Providence reading. Wilkie Collins did it better in No Name.

I did love how Providence brought Jane to her family. It should have felt so cheap that she just happened to run into her only remaining cousins, but the fact that running away from the sinful romantic love of Rochester allowed her to know the love of a family--that got to me.

Okay, anyway, back on track.

Jane coming back to Rochester and immediately assuming they're going to get married now feels uncomfortably like, "Oh, good, now that your wife's dead, we can get married now." Like the only issue between them was the existence of his wife and not his incredibly toxic behaviors and history.

Curayl did this much better. Recognized that the convenient death of a spouse makes it awkward to pursue another relationship.

Also, Rochester's character development isn't complete enough. Like, Rochester's humbled, he recognizes that God was punishing him, but I get the vibe that he feels like it was only for the attempted bigamy and not for all the other things he did wrong.

No one calls him out for how horribly he treated Jane. No one calls him out for the mistresses--maybe they did mention it and I'm forgetting. There's a lot of bad stuff they gloss over because they love each other and they're perfect for each other, so of course they should be together.

I do like how Rochester called Jane out for just leaving with no money and letting her know that she could have asked for help.

I like how they handled Rochester's blindness. His eyesight gets better over time, so he's not completely helpless, but it's not like it's a miraculous cure. Nice way to have a happy ending while maintaining some realism.

"A good English education cured Adele's French defects" may be one of the worst lines in the book. I still feel like I'd rather have Adele's story. (You especially have to wonder how she feels about the about-fifteen-ish-years-younger "brother" showing up.)

I really worry about how Jane and Rochester are going to raise children. Their attitude toward Adele doesn't give me much hope that they're going to be affectionate parents.

For all my issues with it, the book did work much better than I expected it to going in. I'm glad I reread.

[goldenchocobo]

My Fic is here!

Derecho

This took a long time to write, but I'm very happy with the result and can't wait for you to read it! Google docs says I started this on the 17th of February '24, but I had been planning this since late '23. And I finished the final edits on the 14th of December '24, with the final drawings being completed after that. So- a very long project.

I hope you enjoy reading this journey as much as I did writing it.

[mxflowercheck]

So did you ever think about Mycroft giving Lestrade the shovel talk about Sherlock, when they started working together?

Just imagine, you found some eccentric man, who's clearly a genius and he solved your very cold case. But he is also a) absolutely insufferable b) refuses to be a policeman or a private detective ("consulting detective", he says!) c) has zero concerns about social norm and politeness

You go home, tired, confused, a tad mad, hoping for a quiet evening. Suddenly you notice how whenever you pass a phone it rings.

Your phone rings.

You get in the car, your hand close to the gun you still have, no answers, just endless list of questions once again.

You end up in front of a polite-looking man, he's suit is brand-new, his hair is neatly combed, his umbrella is more for decoration - he's nothing like a tired you in your old jacket, jeans that still have stains from today's messy chase.

The man all but scans you, smiles (sincere, but sly - oh, you know that look), offers you a sit. And a pain medication for your head. And talks about the case you (Sherlock) solved today.

He looks you in the eyes and is so very polite, but you feel like that's a snake in front of you.

"I heard that Sherlock Holmes helped you today. And a couple of other days."

Oh God, that's gonna go really well or really, really bad and perhaps bloody.

[sidetongue]

this beautiful idiot went to live with someone else and honestly, both of our QOL are much better HAHA

[irrealisms]

it's different this time, there's water liner notes

fic here if you haven't read it!

the original title for this fic was the (possibly) last summer, from this margaret atwood poem. this has been true for a couple months, since it was just a fic idea that i probably wasn't going to write. i was so excited for it! i love They are hostile nations & i haven't gotten to use it for a fic title yet! and i Do still very much recommend it both qua poem and as a pairing for this fic

(i got the fic idea after the first vitalasy stream on s6; it changed from "fic idea i probably won't write" to "yeah okay i need to write this" after the second one)

but then i was struggling with Writing Happy Things and batting around ideas of what specifically they're doing in the fic and got the idea for a Funnest Room Competition Take Two, and soooo recently i had been thinking and talking about the vitalasy & zam conversation i transcribed, where zam is convincing vitalasy to come down a 1x1 hole and vitalasy mentions the moment from s4 where zam jumped down a similar 1x1 in order to kill herself on dripstone and vitalasy followed immediately and died as well, and zam says It’s different this time, there’s water and I’m down here. the way that this is a physical representation of the ways it's different: in s4, when zam wanted to prove her love to vitalasy, she killed herself, in a microcosm of so many of the problems in their relationship. in s6, she tries to recreate something that vitalasy loved. it's safe; there's nothing there to kill herself or anyone else. you can't take fall damage or die on dripstone. there's water. and-- in the original Funnest Room, vitalasy's room had a secret entrance which led to a room with a lectern. the room with the lectern (and what was hidden behind the lectern) is, i think, familiar enough to all eclipse fans that i don't need to belabor the point too much, but it's a similar concept: making their base again, but it's different this time. no dripstone, no secret passages. they're trying again, but this time they're doing it without the problems that tear them apart. so. new title

btw have new fans seen the OG funnest rooms. they're so incredibly ugly. i love them so dearly. look at these and know that they all three have even more details that i couldn't get in the screenshot, such as "an end crystal" and "concrete powder being repeatedly shot up and then falling back down"

look at them. aren't they wonderful. anyway back to the fic

i...sort of considered either "zam-and-subz conversation about eclipse" or "zam coming out" having more of a presence. but it was never more than sort of; i was pretty solid early on that i didn't want this to be a reconciliation fic, i wanted it to be a post-reconciliation "tentatively learning to love each other again" fic. all the big dramatic moments are in the past. now: a moment of happiness, together.

something i wanted to make clear is that it's a very temporary moment of happiness. vitalasy is only on the server for very short periods of time. zam and subz have other plotlines and alliances going on (or, in subz's case, lifesteal public) that they can't & don't want to drop. the server itself is going to end. but....it's still real? and what it symbolizes in their relationship, that they're repairing it and getting closer as friends again, is going to keep being real.

the idea to intersperse some of the most painful moments of s4 is one i went back and forth on a bit but eventually decided in favor. they have a lot of very genuinely hurtful history that is sort of coloring every interaction. in the present day, they're able to move forward from it, but it's not...small? it was really bad, they all hurt each other a lot.

related to moving forward. something i said on discord about this fic: "i have written two Not A Fix-Its that do canon divergence from s4. i have broadly maintained my stance that they are doomed from the moment they got together & you cannot fix them. but it turns out that you can fix them and the way to fix them is by going forward instead of backwards."

uhhhhh i'm not sure how obvious this is but all three of them are sort of on high alert trying to Be Careful and Manage everything so everyone stays happy and nothing explodes horrifically. this is most obvious from vitalasy bc he's the one whose pov we're in but rest assured: zam and subz are doing it too. this will get better with time as they get used to each other & nothing continues to happen.

which: i do think that in fact it will not explode horrifically! not only have all of them grown as people since s4, there's also a thing of... eclipse federation only went as bad as it did in s4 because their long-term season goals were fundamentally opposed and vitalasy had important reasons that he could not tell zam the full truth about things. neither vitalasy nor subz have long-term season goals in s6; none of them have material reasons to lie to each other or keep secrets. i think they'll be fine.

change vs staying the same is another big thing. subz isn't a builder anymore, zam is. zam's a girl. but also there's the same hammock, the same familiar friendship. the things that are the same, the things that are different. once again this ties into the title & where it came from & why it applies to the fic.

uhhhhh zam gives subz slime blocks bc they were the walls of subz's funnest room. what zam may not know is that they were ALSO the walls of the post-s4 vitalasy&subz house. anyway that's a thing

vitalasy's cat isn't referred to by name because its name is vitalapuss and vitalasy is a PG streamer who tends to avoid the name. sorry vitalasy.

vitalasy smiles a LOT in this fic and there are two references to vitalasy's face hurting from smiling. this is because i watch vitalasy pov when he streams on s6 and when he puts on facecam he is ALWAYS smiling so so so big and occasionally mentioning how his face hurts from smiling so much. lifesteal makes him happy 🥺 (this in turn makes me happy)

similarly: vitalasy cubito often spins when Particularly happy and i so rarely get to include this bc i usually write vitalasy miserable. but he gets to spin here!!!

behind the scenes fact: i wrote the entire first draft of this fic a week ago in a single 6-hour sitting, from 11pm to 5am, while incredibly sick and off-and-on feverish. and then a week later (today) i did a bit of vod review, did 50 words of edits, and posted it. halfway through writing the first draft vitalasy tweeted that he was going to upload again accompanied by a gif of eclipse federation. i take nothing but Ws forever

discord message by me at 3am: "i cant believe he did this. he Heard me writing eclipse federation happy ending and was like Not to worry. i will make this real for you"

also i mentioned this earlier but i struggle SO MUCH with writing happy things. i'm proud of myself for both this fic and my previous one (memory foam, the tgcf fic, not the previous lifesteal fic) for being happier than my usual? in both of those fics there's still very much The Past Horrors but i'm expanding my repertoire! and from the reaction i think i did a good job of it ^w^

for eclipse fed particularly though there's also a thing of.... the reason i didn't see myself writing happy things for them wasn't just bc i'm bad at writing happy things, it's also bc they were doomed when they were together and incredibly unhappy when they fell apart and i couldn't imagine a path from where they started to a happy ending. certainly not in s4, and s5 didn't really give me hope there, either, with zam refusing to talk to vitalasy about the previous season, and then with subz and vitalasy both banning themselves off the server and quitting content creation (cutting off the possibility of any future reconciliation or even further interaction within the context of the lore). and then, well, s6 happened. vitalasy and subz are back; vitalasy and zam had a genuine conversation about s4 which went better than i could have imagined. this happy ending hasn't happened for them, and it may never, but i have genuine hope for them and the future of their relationship on lifesteal in a way i never have before, even when they were together the first time. i'm-- genuinely, truly so glad to have been wrong.

[legoliomanikas]

"Rather than collecting jewels that have already been shaped... I'm more fascinated by the process of turning an unrefined stone into a precious gem"

[Instagram]

(bonus images under the cut)

If you can't read my handwriting:

"Had a headcanon that some of Aventurine's most-used jewelery were gifts from Jade during the early days of him joining the IPC...

(...since his continued retaining of material objects serve as an extension of his character, representing different eras in his life:

Still holding onto items from his family (child era)

Wearing multiple rings on one hand + a watch in his main outfit (post-slavery era; emulating the style of his old slaveowner)

Ratio's note being a physical reminder to continue living (post 2.1 era; ratio being a 'supporting role' to aventurine's own mental health reflection + representing a bond he has in the current day, despite all his past losses).

Given Jade's importance in him becoming Aventurine a Stoneheart, it would make sense if he has something from her as well to represent that significant life transition.)

...so it was very funny that after I started drawing this it was confirmed that she does gift her proteges stuff LOL.

(And then it sat on my computer for a bajillion years until I posted it now RIP.)"

[hpowellsmith]

These haphazard ideas for blogposts keep rotating in my brain:

writing interactive sex scenes in ways that I personally think are appealing and characterful

how characterisation can interweave with dom/sub dynamics in interactive sex scenes and how to make those dynamics feel well-rounded (I feel like this could be its own thing in addition to the above)

my specific feelings about the kinds of cute/adorable characters that are often called golden-retriever

various ways to write nonbinary MCs and NPCs without being weird about it

various ways to write gender-selectable characters in a way that I personally enjoy

[ask-thearchivists]

wait so if you spawn in children but if you have a partner then do you just rock paper scissors who spawns it in?

The Conservator: Oh, father told me a bit about this! There are a couple different methods but it is all just about mixing magic. Like all partners drawing their magic out and pooling it together, and once it is all mixed, they use their intent to command the magic into the proper spell- The Nova Spell. Think of it like mixing ingredients to make a cake, and the intent "bakes" the mix into what it needs to be, solidifying it into its final form. This creates a new "family" type of Collector, where the child looks either like a mix of traits from both parents, or the "true" appearance for which they would get their name. One example father gave is that a Moon and Comet would have Asteroid children.

[wexhappyxfew]

Hihihi!!!

I am absolutely floored by these prompts, seriously. So to start it off, I humbly request:

“this isn’t up for discussion. i know you’re used to looking out for yourself, but i need you to understand that you don’t have to live like that anymore. i’m here. for as long as i’m around, i’m going to come between you and anything that wants to hurt you.”

For Kennedy and Bucky if you feel so inclined. They are one of my fav couples (although it is so close let me tell you), but obviously only write if it speaks to you!

Can’t wait to see these pieces, Shannon!

-☀️

HI SUNSHINE ANON!!!! (enthusiastically waves) thank you so much for sending this in (plus your others, thank you so so much)! i got so excited seeing this kennedy x bucky request as i was already half-way through writing and realized how well things lined up when i got this request and decided to use it! thank you for the kennedy x bucky love truly!! they are seriously so fun to write and craft and getting to look at a more intimate, raw and emotional side of them here (with that lovely dose of angst and whump and comfort) was exactly what we needed with them! so i humbly present kennedy x bucky in the Stalag :) thank you so so much again! TRULY!! <33333

she'd fight a war herself

(a/n): HELLO FRIENDS!!!! if you recognize any of the few lines here and there from things i've posted related to kennedy and bucky here in the past few days, this is the piece! and the request really lined up with what i was going for here, so i combined the original kennedy x bucky piece i was working on with this one! and here we are! and im sobbing! okay! please enjoy! :)

"Knock, knock."

Kennedy's bruised knuckles tapped against the wooden door to the small library in their bunkhouse, where Bucky Egan was currently sat with one of those older wooden chairs pulled up against the window, staring out into the hazy afternoon. His large overcoat was wrapped around his body, hands shoved deep into the pockets, his hair a little more unruly than normal, and a sour look on his face.

Kennedy had been looking for him for at least an hour since she had left the group which had shifted outside - Annie and Buck's idea of 'getting some sunshine' into the group now that it was finally out.

Gray skies and storm clouds had been their friend for the past few weeks, with muddy pathways and cold winds. Now, with the sun out and a warm breeze in the air, there also seemed to be hope floating about.

Bucky, however, was here, sat inside, closed off, and completely alone. Bucky's eyes slowly shifted from the dusted window, his look both stern and far-off all at once, and his shoulders stood tall. She watched his eyes trail to her hand there on the door - the bruises, the ones she had earned herself, along with the one underneath her eye - and offered nothing but a small smile.

Ever since the kiss, in this very room, Bucky Egan had suddenly become everything.

At breakfast or dinner, where she tried to get herself by his side, or out when they managed to get outside, she'd find a way for just the two of them, to talk, to work through whatever the other was feeling, to take hold of the other's hand. Sometimes, when the nights were long and cold, she'd find herself in his bunk, soft kisses being shared back and forth between the two, his warm hands roaming her body underneath her overcoat and button-up and blanket, keeping her both sane and alive all at once. Things were different. And she tried to hold onto every bit of that in every way. The bruises though were different now. And Bucky had been a pistol about them ever since.

"Whatcha doing in here all alone?" Kennedy said, some of the voices outside coming through the walls, the sunshine coming in through the hazy window, half-reflecting off of Bucky's face in a way that made his skin glow in a way it hadn't in a whole, "I was looking for you." At those words, the corner of Bucky's lips curled upwards a bit. She always seemed to get him to grin.

"Just doing some thinking." Bucky said slowly, a nod to follow, "In my thinking spot." Kennedy chuckled and stepped into the room more, shoving her hands in the pockets of her poor, tattered A2.

"In your thinking spot, huh?" Kennedy said, tilting her head to the side, a small smile on her face, "What's bouncing around in your brain?"

Bucky watched her deeply for a moment, it felt like he was looking at her as intently as he could, as if memorizing her face, her dimples, her freckles, her hair the way it was (and it wasn't pretty). He seemed distracted, off-guard, on the low. Her smile fell and instead, worry began to consume her. Bucky was usually far from the person sitting in front of her now. Her heart pounded a bit.

Moving closer, Bucky looked up at her as she came to stand beside him - she offered an attempt at another smile - before reaching forward and running her fingers over those few loose, wild curls of hair against his forehead.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly, a bit more urgency to her voice, retracting her hand, the touch having been, evidently, both gentle and welcome, "You're never this quiet, Bucky, you're worrying me."

"C'mere." Bucky said, voice low and gruff as he reached out his hands and spread his knees a bit. Kennedy watched him for a moment, the desperation in his eyes, making her heart hurt a bit, as she stepped forward and settled between his lap and leg, wrapping her arm around the back of his neck and reaching up her other hand to cup his cheek.

Softly, she guided his face to her own and watched his eyes again, her thumb brushing gently on his stubbled skin. His hand found her waist, thumb brushing back and forth against her jacket as his other hand came to her knee, the warmth of his hand tingling her skin underneath her pants. It felt so natural to be like this, so close and intimate. If it weren't for the war and their circumstances, she would've said it felt like home.

But with Bucky, she was home.

No matter where they were.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly again, her voice soft as he continued to watch her, gripping her like his life depended on it.

Slowly, her leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips - soft, sweet and slightly desperate, but longing enough that her stomach flipped - she was still getting used to this between them. After everything they said to each other, that moment they shared. Pulling back, he watched her again. She offered a small smile.

"We can't just stay here forever." he said quietly, "This place. Now with the SS showing up." Bucky continued to hold her gaze, the look in his eyes both stern and persistent. He looked crazed deep-down inside. "After hearing what the British did…..those holes. We gotta find a way to do something. To get out. Or even just try….." Bucky whispered, his voice dropping, "There's so much more than this place, Kenny. I know that." Kennedy watched him, cheeks warmed from his touch and his presence and him. She slowly nodded.

"I know." she said softly back, "And we will. But for now, it has to be kept on the low. Nothing crazy. You don't want yourself hurt or killed."

"Just like they did to you?" Bucky said back to her, reaching up to take her hand on his face and gently hold it out beside him, fingers tracing the delicate, broken skin on her knuckles before looking back at her, "I don't want them touching you again." Her insides twisted warmly at his words, that protective bite to his voice that made her warm all over.

"I know, baby," she whispered quietly, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead, a sigh escaping his lips as he leaned his head back against the wall behind the chair, "we'll get through this. You know that." Bucky watched her, the corner of his mouth lifting upwards.

"How many more times do we have to say that before it's true?" he asked her quietly, his words almost hollow, like he was fighting to believe it, "I wish I was more like you with that." Kennedy watched him with a small smile and shrugged.

"Ask Annie Bradshaw and maybe she'd know. She's got quite the effect on a person." Kennedy said and Bucky managed to smile a bit at that.

"You've got quite the effect on me." he said, as she felt her cheeks warm at his words - something she was always trying to fight away - since when did she blush? Bucky continued to watch her and she let him; watching as his eyes explored her face, his hand coming up a few times to wipe back the ginger hair falling from the poorly done braids behind her head. His eyes rested a few times on her own eyes, before they'd fall to her lips or freckled cheeks and then back to her eyes. It seemed to calm him. Keeping him steady. She wanted that for him.

"I've never wanted to get out of a place more," Bucky whispered quietly, a catch almost in his voice, "you know that?" The thoughts just seemed to cycle and he seemed to spiral.

"I know." Kennedy whispered, reaching up to drag her fingers gently through his hair, his grip tightening on her waist, "We all do." Bucky watched her and leaned closer.

"Do you want kids?" he asked her, catching her the slightest bit off guard there - suddenly she felt every part of him touching her, his eyes on her face and she felt her body warm. Watching him for a moment, she nodded.

"Yeah," she said, "always have." Bucky suddenly seemed to grin at her, genuinely grin and she watched as he reached up and ran his fingers over the end of her braid.

"Bet they'd have your hair color. Bright red hair." Bucky said with a small chuckle, "Our kids." Kennedy watched her, her heart hammering in her chest, her eyes fighting to well with tears.

The thought of being a mother had always been a dream of hers - she had a girl in middle school tell her before that she didn't seem like someone who could be a mom. And Kennedy carried that quote with her everywhere she went. Even when she was dating boys from the country club and they'd tell her about the fortunes and promise rings of her future and the chances of what their kids would inherit. Even when she was home, broken-hearted over that loser from her father's business who had told her 'she was too much'. Kennedy always wanted to be a mother, always.

It was something inherent to her very being, to her entire make-up as a woman. To her.

"Your eyes." Kennedy said, testing the waters right back, her voice sounding strained and choked as she spoke, silently hoping Bucky didn't realize too much, "Definitely your eyes." Bucky met her gaze and smiled at her.

"Nah, nah," he said, "your eyes, my ears. Probably." At that, Kennedy let out a snort of laughter and sniffled a bit, looking towards him again.

"I don't want this to sound dumb, but I promised I'd never try to hide things from you…but, you want to have kids? With me?" she asked him quietly, watching as worry and concern built up in his eyes, straightening his shoulders a bit as he did so. She tried a joke. "But I'm a Red Sox fan." Bucky watched her, jaw set, eyes on her.

"I do." he said quietly, entirely serious, "I hope you know this-" gesturing between them, "isn't just nothing to me. You know that. I'm serious about you, Kenny. Why do you think I want to get out so bad? I sit here, day after day, knowing what we could have outside of this shit hole. I'm real serious about this. About us." Bucky continued to watch her. "You know that." Kennedy melted against him a bit, leaning closer, cupping his cheek as she tilted her head to match his.

"I know, I just…." she started, "I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to be a mother in a world like this so….hearing you say that. It just, ya know, made me want it more. With you." Kennedy's big eyes trailed up to Bucky's and she watched him watch her back.

"Why'd you say it that way, Kenny?" Kennedy stared at him, those words from middle school ringing in her head. Over and over. Like a bell toll in the church, an echo off a never-ending cave wall.

"Someone, who clearly was very upset with their life, once told me I wouldn't make a good mother." Kennedy whispered quietly, "And I took it to heart and believed it. For a period of time. For a while." Bucky's eyes grew dark and his grip tightened on her.

"You still believe that shit?" Bucky asked her, voice louder than he seemed to want it to be.

"No." Kennedy said, "I used to let it get to me, but….not anymore. Not after being with this group. With you." Bucky watched her, his gaze softening a bit more as he watched her grin.

"Good." he said quietly, a silence falling between them as they watched each other, these small, shy smiles on their lips in a way Kennedy had never seen Bucky even be before. It was honestly enough to make her giddy inside.

"I just know our kids would be Red Sox fans." she whispered and she watched a wild grin appear on his face as he shook his head.

"No! Nah, nah, you've gone too far there," Bucky said, his face starting to glow, "the second they're able to walk, I'm taking them to a game, Yankees, alright? They're getting the playing cards, all that happy horseshit, okay?" Kennedy let out a laugh as Bucky held her closer.

"But what happens if they choose Red Sox, huh, what would you do?" she said, holding her chin high as Bucky smirked and shook his head.

"Wouldn't you like to know." he said softly back and Kennedy nodded with a grin, "Either way, you'd be the best mom those kiddos would ever have, I know that." Just hearing words like that, some deep and genuine and truthful from someone like Bucky made her heart race and her emotion take hold.

"I don't usually go soft on Red Sox fans anyway, but you might've gotten me, Kenny." Bucky whispered softly, catching her gaze as she stared at him. She brushed her thumb across his cheek again and leaned forward to press a kiss to his lips.

With how close they were, she couldn't help but feel him deepen the kiss there, this cracked-open rush of feelings enough for her to feel starved for him as his tongue swiped her bottom lip and a sigh left her lips.

She pulled herself as close as possible to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her hands exploring his hair as she tilted her head to get more of him to her.

Breaking apart, slightly gasping for breaths of air, his lips danced across her jawline, dotting along her neck before he was there, sucking gently on a spot near her collarbone. It made her giddy, sitting here, despite the situation, with a man, tall, brooding, and a little goofy, kissing her neck and her of all people, like it was life itself.

It made her a little crazy inside - that he wanted her? He wanted a future, a life, kids…with her? Maybe it made her a little crazy, but it was true. Kennedy let out a giggle leave her lips and Bucky pulled back, eyes soft as he looked to her and grinned lazily.

"What are you laughing about?" he asked her, his voice making her insides twist again.

"Us." she whispered back, "You and me." Bucky watched her with a smirk.

"What about us?"

"Our futures." she said quietly, "God, imagine what our lives could be like."

"You see why I'm pushing the get-the-fuck out narrative now, right?" he said and Kennedy cackled at his words and nodded. Bucky watched her fondly and grinned.

"Well, since the door has been shoved wide open, no longer just a foot in the door, you gotta hit me with those baby names, Kenny, let me have 'em." he said, winking at her and grinning effortlessly, like some cool guy in a movie, "I gotta know what little Egans we'll have."

"You're leaving the naming to me?" she asked him with a laugh and Bucky grinned.

"Hell yeah I am," he said with a wider smile, "seriously, what are they." Kennedy softened and then smiled.

"I always thought Florence was a pretty name. For a girl - Flo for short. Margaret - Maggie for short. Charlotte - Charlie for short." Kennedy said and Bucky grinned, "For boys, well…..Gregory for sure. I've always loved Clark or James, Jimmy for short. Robert….Bobby for short."

"You sure are a nicknames type of girl aren't you?" Bucky said and Kennedy grinned.

"What can I say?" she said, "I thought your name was actually Bucky before I found out that was only a nickname and your name was actually Major John Egan. I was convinced, I'll tell ya." Bucky chuckled at that and smiled at her, reaching up to run some strands of hair back away from her face. He watched her in that sickeningly sweet way that made every part of her body melt in a way she couldn't describe.

"What'd they do to you?" Bucky whispered, reaching up to brush his calloused thumb near the tender part of her bruise, his touch gentle on her skin and her body inviting his touch; she felt in every lifetime, she'd invite his touch like a warm spark, a match with a flame waiting to blow.

Kennedy's smile fell as she watched him - the memories raw, it all seemed fresh in her mind and usually nightmares chased reality away. Instead this time, it was both a mix of reality and nightmares that were her everyday waking truth.

"I knew those Kraut doctors would have something for Bessie's cough." Kennedy whispered, pretty mater-of-factly to him softly - she liked this, whispering with him like things were a secret and that for once it was just the two of them - and she liked hearing his voice whispered back, so low and quiet and soft on her ears. She loved his voice. Bucky watched her, thumb brushing on her bruised cheek gently as he did so. She wanted him to look at her like that forever, however long forever could be if it were him.

"I would've done it for you," Bucky said quietly with a nod, "scrounged it for you-"

"No." Kennedy whispered softly, her eyes flashing to his, "You've already done enough for me, Bucky-"

"You got hurt, Kennedy." Bucky said, his voice thick with emotion, choked somewhere in his throat, "They hurt you." Bucky's eyes flashed with pain and Kennedy shut her mouth slowly.

"I know that." Kennedy whispered, "I've gotten hurt before. All the time. Even when I was a kid. And for a friend, for someone like Bessie, I'd do it again." Bucky watched her still.

"They hurt you." Bucky repeated, this time his voice firmer, but shaky, like he was standing out on a balance beam, waiting for the wind to take him and tip him towards the abyss.

Silence fell between them and suddenly Kennedy felt more emotional than she had in days. He cares, her mind seemed to scream, he's saying this because he cares! But her mind couldn't seem to make sense of it, she couldn't seem to get that picture in her mind. She was still in that flightless mode, that build-up-your-walls-and-you-are-fine mode.

"I know." Kennedy whispered her voice shaky, "But I'm okay." Bucky's eyes moved back and forth frantically between hers for a second before focusing on the bruise on her cheek again.

Being this close to him, staring into his gaze, his eyes, knowing that if felt like he could see the deepest parts of her, scared her. In so many ways. In ways she didn't want to have to think about.

Sitting in this silence with him wasn't something she was entirely used to - and she couldn't get her mind to work, to get words formed on her lips. Instead, all she could do was stare right back at him. Convince him with a look that she was okay.

"I don't want you to have to worry about me." Kennedy said quietly, looking up slowly at Bucky with a shy look, "You shouldn't have to worry." Bucky's face moved with a near-grimace, a pained expression flourishing on his features in a way that made Kennedy want to eat her words.

"But I will." Bucky said, his voice louder this time, "Kennedy, look, I…." Bucky's eyes trailed towards the window again, before pulling back to her, "You know, me worrying about you. It….it isn't up for discussion. In my eyes. I know you're used to looking out for yourself, but I need you to understanding that you don't have to live like that anymore." Kennedy's eyes watered.

"I'm here," Bucky said, cupped her cheek firmer this time, looking right into her eyes, desperation flooding his own, "for as long as I'm around, I'm going to come between you and anything that wants to hurt you. Okay?"

"Bucky…." she whispered, but he shook his head and adjusted his grip on her before leaning closer to her.

"They hurt you, Kennedy," Bucky whispered, "and the thought of them laying a single fucking hand on you makes me wanna lose my mind. Touching you. Because you were doing something for a crew member-"

"I don't want you hurt because of me." Kennedy told him quietly, watching as his eyes flicked to hers, pausing mid-sentence.

"Kennedy, I'd taking a fucking bullet for you," Bucky said, watching her with a steady gaze, "I'd do anything for you." Bucky grew quiet. Kennedy watched him back with big eyes.

"Fuck, Kennedy, I love you, I'm in love with you," Bucky whispered, looking up into her eyes, with the purest form of grief and pain and love swirling in his vision, "you worry about the people you love. I'm always gonna worry. Even if you're right beside me."

Kennedy's heart slammed against her chest as she sat wrapped in his arms, breathing the same air he breathed, watching those eyes, memorizing each freckle on his face, every time the muscles moved in his face to make him smile or frown.

Love was a word that had physically hurt her to even say in the past - to her mom, her dad, her brother, to those few guys she had dated and sworn promises and lives with.

Love had never been a word she used well or even understood well.

With Bucky though, she felt she understood love in every which way. In ways that were still to be explored. And no one had ever looked at her with a love like he had - even when she had come to the Stalag, dried blood up half her face, dirt and mud caking her form, starving for life and food and touch, barely being able to acknowledge anything but a bed for a few days, craving everything that was both human and not.

Scorning the world and the place they were in, and every single person.

And Bucky had been by her side and fed her soup and told her stories and held her in the dark as the nightmares and reality seemed to clash in her mind, wrapping her in calming words and blankets made of nothing but thin wool and telling her everything that came to his mind.

It had been Bucky. It'd always be Bucky.

"I'm so in love with you Bucky, you don't even know," Kennedy managed out in a sped up version of what her mind had managed to come up with, "I love you so much. And I don't want you hurt." A tear squeaked out down her face as he watched her.

Slowly, their foreheads met in the small center of space between them, inches between them as Bucky pulled her as close as he physically could to him, the clothes on their very bodies almost too much between them even now.

Slowly and almost achingly, Bucky pressed his lips to hers and she let herself go in that moment. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, hands mused into his hair, his own hands pushed up underneath her shirt and warming her cold skin, dancing near her bra strap and holding her in such a delicate manner, she was sure she could cry about it 10 years in the future.

Bucky's lips were soft, but hungry and by the time his tongue had slipped inside, she couldn't think about anything else. His soft sighs into her mouth, her own mind going a thousand miles a minute with him there so close to her, Kennedy was sure she had entered a world she never wanted to leave.

They came apart gasping for breaths of air before his lips were trailing her jawline, before settling on her neck, and she giggled, curling into his own neck - his jacket nearly smelled like home.

Like Thorpe Abbotts - that hug they'd shared that long night when bombs were going off overhead and Bucky couldn't seem to contain his words or his alcohol.

And God, she had stared at him and sworn she would never think of him again, but here she was, the two of them holding each other in a way she'd never been held before and was thinking of every outcome of their lives past this very point in time.

Bucky's teeth grazed a bit at that soft spot on her neck, before he softly pulled back and kissed her skin gently, peppering that same spot with soft kisses that made her grin into him.

Then, she couldn't help it - giddy with the feel of him there with her and the way he had kissed her, so desperately and hungry, she let out a laugh into his neck and he seemed to feel much of the same of whatever energy she was feeling, because he laughed, too. A low rumble that she felt against her cheek, from his throat, which made her hold onto him so tightly that she never wanted to let go.

"Bucky?" Kennedy whispered against his neck, listening to his heart pulsate - she loved the feel of him right here beneath here - every inch.

"Kenny?" Kennedy pressed a soft kiss to his neck and watched goosebumps appear and a shiver run over his entire body.

"I've never loved someone more than you." she whispered quietly. Bucky tilted his head back and watched her and seeing his eyes so big and soft and there, right in front of her, made her suddenly feel like everything was worth it.

"I love you," he whispered, pressing a peck to her lips before pulling back and smiling at her, "the thinking spot has never let a person down now, has it?"

And then, she was laughing again, clasping a hand over her mouth as she launched her head back.

Laughing with Bucky, God, she'd fight a war herself just to live in this moment with him every night there was in her life.