#but honestly as i said it ended up not mattering.

[justevelynnnn]

Don’t open that!

Pairing: Mark Grayson x Reader

Summary: Mark slips up and sends you a picture but what he doesn’t know is you actually end up liking it…

Warnings: MDNI 🔞, Reader is written with being afab in mind but can be gender neutral, mentions of a d pic being sent to reader

A/N: This idea came up to me while i was at work so i had to get it out…but omg imagine this scenario with me😭 also I’m working on a lot of my drafts and requests tonight I promise😭‼️

It was just another late saturday night. You were trying decompress from working earlier that day as well as letting your dinner digest before bed. You lived a simple life. You had your own place now even though you were 20. It was nice, small but yours. It had ambient lighting, a candle here and there…lots of pillows….

Your bed was extra soft tonight too though it probably just feels that way because of how tired you were.

You also had a decent view.

Sometimes you’d leave your window cracked open just in case Mark stopped by. Ever since he got with Amber and then later Eve you haven’t seen him much, but he still came by occasionally. It was just hard. You were convinced you guys would get married and everything back in high school.

A crush might be an understatement to be honest, but saying you were in love was also too much. Especially because you were a teenager, like, what did you know about love? Even though everything still reminded you of him. Or you loved being around him no matter what you guys were doing.

Mark being invincible was weird too. Your ex best friend, a superhero. Flying and punching bad guys daily. Going into literal outer space. It definitely took some getting used to.

Now you were laying on your bed upside down and scrolling on social media. Aside from the occasional video that popped up and the cars honking from below it was quiet in your room. Nice and peaceful.

You didn’t know you had silent mode off on your phone though so that’s why the sudden DING! from your phone scared the shit out of you.

It was message. From Mark.

It said:

Just now | Mark💞 : [One attachment]

You quirked an eyebrow. A meme maybe?

Your finger moved to click the notification. It’s been days since he sent you anything honestly so part of you was excited. However, when you saw what it was your jaw dropped and your heart took a fucking screenshot.

If the angle wasn’t enough it was that dick. His.

Your eyes settled on it for a full minute. You assumed he saw you were looking because he had read receipts on…but you typed nothing. You couldn’t. What could you even say?

You couldn’t even be mad. You should’ve. It was an unprovoked dick pic. In the past, you’d be fuming by now, but, obviously, this was different. Right?

He had his phone angled so it was as if one were looking up at him, his shirt up on his torso so his abs showed, and right in the forefront was his hardened dick. Right there. His tip was flushed and oozing from what you saw too. You couldn’t hell but think that just like his face, his dick was just as captivating.

His face was in the corner but kinda cut but you could see his eyes half lidded and his face was rosy pink.

You mouthed, “Oh my god…”

Eve or Amber or whoever he was with now that was supposed to get this was lucky as shit. You tried to also ignore the rising jealousy for the mystery girl too.

It’s been 3 minutes now. Maybe he didn’t see it went totally the wrong girl? Part of you was scared it WAS meant for you. Not in a bad way. Maybe you were actually nervous.

Then those 3 dots appeared. Oh god.

You swipe out of your messages app. You couldn’t look and let him see you were still staring.

Then another notification just as quick as the dots appeared came from the top of your screen.

Just Now | Mark 💞: DONT OPEN THAT

Just Now | Mark 💞: Oh my fucking god

Just Now | Mark 💞: Don’t open it please

Just Now | Mark 💞: I’m so sorry

You wondered if he saw the little “read” under to his picture or not. Probably not if he’s telling you not to open it.

You waited a minute while he sent a few more panicked texts. Then you sigh and open the app again. What could you say? Something cocky? A joke? Maybe send an emoji? You had to say something because you already saw it and you didn’t want things to be awkward for days on end following this.

Your fingers just start to move.

You: It’s okay Mark

You: It was a mistake

You paused. You thought hard about sending the next text. Then:

You: Also i have to tell you, you’re really hot

You: Sorry if that’s weird.

Nothing. But it said read immediately. Your heart was still hammering in your chest from it all. This actually changes everything. Part of you wanted to know who it was for. A smaller part wondered why he couldn’t just check who he was sending this to.

Things are going to be awkward now for sure.

He starts typing again seconds later. This time you watch the dots. Anticipation building slowly as you wondered what he was going to say next. You had to look away from your phone and at one of your burning candles as you waited.

Mark 💞: It’s fine

Mark 💞: Sorry i fucked up so bad. i seriously didn’t mean to

Mark 💞: I know your traumatized, i’ll make it up to you i promise

Mark 💞: :(

You giggle a bit at the sad face. He normally used it when he joked so you liked how he could joke about this. Your heart now flutters imagining his reaction. His flushed face and sorry eyes behind his screen. Maybe that lip bite thing he does when he’s nervous.

You typed back slowly, deciding to take a risk.

You: I’m not traumatized….actually i kinda liked it..

Your breath hitches as you hit send and this time you actually threw your phone. You couldn’t look again. Hell no. This was the stupidest thing you couldn’t done-

Ding!

You flinch. You slowly turn your phone around so you could see your lock screen with the notification on it.

Just Now | Mark 💞: Oh?

Just “oh”. Now it your turn to be mortified. Has he figured you out? Does he think you’re weird? You hated how he didn’t use emojis so you knew how he was feeling. Even a hint. Was he intrigued? Or grossed out?

You open your messages to reply with an apology when you see just in time another message come through.

Mark 💞: Wanna see it again?

Your eyes widened for the hundredth time that night. You wanted to type yes in all caps immediately but you withheld. You took a deep breath. Things we changing, and fast. You wanted to do this right. Maybe this is your change to finally get with him in your own eccentric way.

You think hard before responding.

You: I wouldn’t mind

He doesn’t respond for a few more minutes. You wish you knew what he was thinking. And you prayed you didn’t go too far.

And just like that your prayers were answered. You sat up on your bed as you saw the second image come in.

Your face was lit up in the semi dark room when the picture appeared. If looking from outside your window, impossible for being on the tenth floor by the way, they’d see your mixed look of shock and arousal. They’d see how you bit your lip and just stares at your phone.

But no one could ever guess you were looking at your best friend’s dick for the second time that night.

You made a choice and hearted the image.

In his own room, Mark smiled. Sure it was meant for Eve because she decided to get back with Rex but your reaction just changed everything.

[corvusalbus93]

I like to join in.

There are things I agree with in both posts, but mostly with izumiphoenix. Now OP, glitteryinknores, seems to rely a lot on what was part of Astarion’s concept and in Early Access and the things is – there are probably reasons those things were cut out or changed.

I’m a writer myself, not just fanfic, I work on original stories in the background and it happens so often that I get ideas, got a character plan out, but later as the story develops, as everything gets more fleshed out, suddenly those original ideas don’t quite fit anymore or I feel I need to change things up. And Early Access is a way to see what works, what needs changing (not saying they always get it right, but that's a different discussion).

Now, I believe it was in the concept art book that it was mentioned that Astarion wasn’t just a noble magistrate, but used his position to provide Cazador with victims before ever becoming his spawn. That was clearly changed. Things like Astarion begging Cazador to make him a vampire so he can take revenge also don’t appear in the finished game, so I don’t think we can consider these things canon anymore. They were ideas and concepts they played around with, but didn’t make the cut.

BG3 is the finished product; only what is in there can be reliably deemed canon and from how Astarion tells it there, it sounds very much like he only met Cazador, when he was already at death’s door. No prior connections. He also doesn’t seem to have been driven by a need for revenge, but pure fear of dying, when accepting Cazador’s offer (though him wanting to get back on his assailants wouldn’t be out of character).

As to who Astarion the magistrate was... honestly, we can’t tell, and neither can Astarion. He doesn’t seem to remember much. One of the few things he does recall is the attack, the Gur beating him up because of a ruling he handed down. And at the end of the day that is all we can reliably say. And so, it doesn’t really matter in the great scheme of things; as izumiphoenix said, Astarion’s story is more about either continuing the cycle or breaking out and choosing who he’s going to be.

Now, I don’t like how OP intentionally or unintentionally indicated Astarion kind of deserved what happened to him or that the two centuries of torture taught him a lesson. In part because that is a bit messed up, and would depict Astarion as a very one-note bad person, only able to see the light thanks to getting a taste of injustice and Tav – they are important, but that’s a bit much.

This just does Astarion a great disservice and I don’t think the finished game supports that reading. We know Astarion tried to save at least one person in his early years as a spawn and got severely punished for it – this means he was quite capable to do the right thing before he’d undergone the worst of Cazador’s torture. And the many conversations you have with him indicate that he developed much of his cynical worldview, dog-eat-dog, people with power can do whatever they want in this unjust world in the past 200 years. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if being part of Baldur’s Gate elite and justice system already had him down that line of thinking, but it seems under Cazador, this worldview was truly internalized.

Speaking of being part of the elite.

As far as I’m concerned, I think Astarion pre-Cazador was just a normal person – not evil, but no saint. He was still very young for an elf (according to the D&D lore I know, he’d only be considered a full adult with 110), so a not fully matured magistrate in a city full of corrupt politicians and various noble families vying for power. I think it is fair to assume that Astarion, as part of the system, wasn’t unaffected by them. I could also image a situation similar to students getting hired by corporations/companies straight from law school – just with some wealthy patrician instead in this case. And as long as the system worked for him, he probably saw no reason to shake things up; as a magistrate he was enforcing laws/handing down rulings and sentences, not making them. If those laws were unjust or cruel, especially by our modern standards, he might not have really cared.

I suppose that would make him more lawful neutral or true neutral, which could make him look selfish, perhaps even evil or at least a bit apathetic to the hardships of others, depending on the law code of that day. We don't know. Again, I still think he had a moral compass, he tried to help at least one person long before Tav and our favourite band of weirdos ever arrived on the scene, but again - he was part of the system. I think this could combine the idea of him as a corrupt magistrate and yet being the undeserving victim.

Now let’s look at the Gur. I think we are all more or less aware of how most nations treat nomadic living cultures with itinerant lifestyles in the real world. We also see Astarion being rather prejudiced and Gandrel at least seems very much used to that kind of talk, even jokes about it. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if even 200 years ago Baldur’s Gate had some laws targeting the Gur, because the rich and powerful didn’t want them around. Maybe Vellioth and later Cazador lobbied against them, since they too were part of the elite, with their own interest in keeping monster hunters out of the city. Astarion was just the magistrate unlucky enough to enforce the law, who didn’t care, sharing the prejudice of fellow Baldurians – and was now the face of Baldur’s Gate elite to the Gur. And some took matters into their own hands.

So, yeah - in short I don’t think Astarion was an evil person, nor a fully good one, before becoming a spawn. Just a very flawed young man, possibly still immature/impressionable, who was part of a corrupt system. But as izumiphoenix said, despite what the suffered through in 200 years under Cazador, there is still a part of him that is good. Otherwise being around good people (even the goodest of good Tavs) wouldn’t have allowed him to grow into the person we see in Spawn-endings. What do you expect to grow, when there aren’t seeds to nurture? Tav and the others just created the conditions for them to sprout after a long, looong, winter.

There is a level of deep, bitterly poetic and cruel irony in Astarion's death and his eventual fate as a vampire spawn. Laughable, even. Lamentable.

Where do I even begin. I once posted here my thoughts on who Astarion was before Cazador took him; and all my thoughts were based on what we can assume to be canon from scraps on information in - game and interviews with Neil. That Astarion Ancunin who was laid into the ground at Baldur's Gate cementary was a corrupt magistrate, a shining example of power abuse, indulgence, hedony, existence in privilege without any service to the world around.

We also know for a fact that Astarion is not a good person in a moral sense. Again, Neil Newbon himself talked about it. He has capability to grow, mature, open himself up, soak in the positive influence and feel for others, but he never will be the default upstanding type. That is simply not at his core.

This is why (I am aware we're talking a fictional character, headcanon is free to all in whichever way they think it suits and pleases them) I cannot for the world believe in all the fanfiction based on the notion of the tragic, tortured soul unjustly attacked and turned into a vampire, because to me - it misses the entire depth and essence of Astarion's personality and arc. He was not a "worthy" persona before Cazador; in fact, the beating he got from the Gur was well - deserved and the near - death experience... Probably so as well. Maybe if anything, this would open his eyes and force him to reflect at least a bit on his choices in the position he was occupying. (But given that he mentions begging Cazador to turn him to be able to take revenge, I highly doubt that.) So yeah... The man got what was coming to him. He deserved it.

But what he got in the end once Cazador allowed him to drink his blood and had him in his hold? Two hundred years of misery and abuse beyond description, being completely stripped of any identity and personhood? No one deserves that. Such fate should not be thrust upon anyone. Ever.

It is the cruellest, most wicked twist of fate that it took that kind of ordeal to change a corrupt little elf's view of the world and force him to even acknowledge the existence of evil deeds and abuse of power - something I am quite sure he never gave any thought to before. It took being transformed into an utterly helpless victim to make him truly see that there is good and bad and perpetuating the bad leads to pain and misery for the innocents (and you can never be sure if not for you as well), and only then, at his most pathetic, most vulnerable, after centuries of torment, it took meeting, trusting, admiring, being grateful to, befriending / loving and being influenced by a genuinely good and kind person (probably the exact opposite of who he was before) to shake and cause some shift in his inner moral compass, or rather the way he was choosing to use it. The full circle, a poignant, unwilling journey from the one abusing power, to the enslaved puppet of someone with considerably more power abusing it in the most inhuman ways possible, and this time to his own woe, to the one person able to break the abusive cycle given the right influence.

Isn't that simply poetic in the most sickly sense? A tragicomedy, if you will.

Forget about Astarion Ancunin. The grave was good for lovemaking and sharing an important moment, but whoever was laid there was not anyone worthy of your time (just like "Ascended Astarion" )The one who stands by your side now is. Your Astarion. The new Astarion, the same "lovable rogue" with a taste for theatrics, drama, debauchery, beauty, murder mayhem and loose morality, but - a better person all the same.

[follow up post here

https://www.tumblr.com/glitteryinknotes/733162725841289216/a-little-follow-up-to-my-previous-post?source=share]

[vettelsvee]

NEW YEAR'S DAY | Oscar Piastri

⋆ PAIRING: Oscar Piastri x Girlfriend!Reader ⋆ SUMMARY: A clumsy and unexpected proposal on New Year's Day is what you wouldn't have thought about after dating Oscar for almost five years ↳ Part of REPUTATION in MY TORTURED DRIVERS DEPARTMENT ⋆ WARNINGS: Curse words ⋆ WORD COUNT: 1722 ⋆ VEE'S NOTES: I loved writing this one! Hope you like it as much as me ☺️ Feel free to tell me in the comments <3 ↳ LET'S TALK/REQUESTS! | FORMULA 1 MASTERLIST

Oscar was nervous, really nervous… maybe even more than the day he won his first Formula 1 race and had no idea how to act.

“Which one do you prefer: blue pants or the black ones?”

“Oscar, sweetheart… it’s just New Year’s at our place. With your family. And with Lando. It’s all very casual, so stop overthinking what pants wearing!”

You answered from the kitchen island, struggling to cut a pineapple with a knife that was very likely the one Oscar had promised to sharpen. A promise, clearly, left unfulfilled.

Oscar looked at himself in the mirror and rolled his eyes at your answer.

The thing was you were supposed to be helping him. Instead, you were doing quite the opposite.

“I just want to look good, you know? It’s the first time we’re hosting New Year’s here, and, well… you never know what might happen. It’s a special night.”

“Come on, Osc, why are you so nervous?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at him. He avoided your gaze and sneezed instead.

“Okay… you’re definitely hiding something.”

“You think I’m hiding something because I sneezed?”

You nodded. You knew he always did that when he was dodging a topic, and then there was the way he kept fidgeting with his hands, tapping anxiously on his thighs.

“I’m not hiding anything, I swear,” Oscar said again. He tried to sound convincing, but the tremble in his voice gave him away. “I just want tonight to be… memorable.”

All you could do was smile. As much as you didn’t like being left in the dark, the way he kept secrets was, somehow, ridiculously charming. Especially coming from someone like Oscar, who rarely let his emotions show, no matter how hard you’d tried to help him open up.

As the hours passed and midnight drew closer, your home filled with people. First came Oscar’s mom and stepdad. Then his father arrived with his three sisters, who wasted no time grabbing cold beers while casting suspicious glances at your boyfriend. Lando, who was supposed to be one of the first to arrive, ended up being among the last. He said nothing until he reached the makeshift DJ booth he’d insisted you set up behind Oscar’s back. Even your cousin, who hadn’t been too keen on attending such a “different” kind of party, showed up unexpectedly, arm-in-arm with a guy you’d never seen before and who looked nothing like her usual type.

“Who let Oscar cook?” Lando asked, holding up a canapé with salmon that was, honestly, a little overdone. “This piece of toast looks incinerated.”

“Take it or leave it!” Oscar shouted from the kitchen, wrestling with an egg-shaped timer that refused to stop beeping. He slammed it repeatedly against the counter until it finally cracked open. “Holy shit!”

You shook your head, laughing quietly at the surreal scene, especially when Hattie walked over to Oscar and made him swear to buy you a new timer, plus something else she whispered in his ear that you couldn’t quite catch.

You tried, once again, not to read into the secrecy, but it got harder when his entire family huddled in a corner of the living room, politely but firmly refusing to let you join them.

Your cousin must’ve sensed your confusion, because when she came over, you finally felt like you could breathe again.

“Have you noticed how weird Oscar’s acting? Imagine if he proposes to you!”

“What? No, come on,” you replied quickly, doing your best not to get your hopes up. “In front of his whole family? On New Year’s Eve? That’s so not his style.” You shook your head. “If he ever did something like that, it’d be at home, after dinner or something low-key. He’s not the kind of guy who’d go public with that.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m saying it. Why else would he be this nervous, today of all days? It’s not your first New Year’s together… It’s too obvious.”

You brushed the idea aside, but no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t quite shake it off. Especially when, at 11:30 p.m., Oscar disappeared without a word and now, his sisters and Nicole were clearly stalling you.

Oscar tried to sneak into your bedroom unnoticed, but he knew he hadn’t succeeded. Did he care? Not one bit. Clutching the velvet ring box he’d hidden in his travel bag, he had bigger things on his mind.

“Okay, breathe… You’ve rehearsed this over ten times alone, and five with Lando…”

He crouched down, then stood in front of the full-length mirror to practice kneeling. But on the third attempt of “how to propose to my girlfriend without completely embarrassing myself,” he tripped on the rug and fell flat on his face.

“Shit…”

“Oscar, babe? Are you okay?”

Your voice made him scramble to his feet and instinctively toss the ring box to the back of the closet, terrified you’d catch him.

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s great! Just, uh… rehearsing how to celebrate the New Year with you!”

“Osc, sweetheart, this isn’t our first New Year’s together,” you said as you jiggled the door handle, trying to open it. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been acting a little… off today.”

And that was putting it mildly.

“I’m just nervous because, you know… this is the first of many New Year’s where I’m a Formula 1 world champion!”

You shook your head. At that point, it was obvious—Oscar was up to something. Whatever it was, good or bad, it was going to surprise you.

You said goodbye and reminded him not to take too long—only ten minutes left until midnight. He promised he’d be quick, just needed to stop by the bathroom.

Once he heard your sandals fade down the hallway, he let out a long sigh of relief and turned to face the mirror one last time.

“All right… ‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you, through the good and the bad. So… will you marry me?’”

[...]

"Five minutes to midnight!" Lando shouted from the terrace, half a glass of champagne in hand as he finally abandoned the DJ booth.

"God, it was about time he got out of there," Nicole whispered to you. "Do you have any idea how nervous that music was making me?"

While you kept chatting with your mother-in-law, Oscar stepped out onto the balcony looking much paler than usual. It was obvious something was up: he scratched the back of his neck, stared at the sky, shoved his hands into his pockets, then looked straight at you and gave you a nervous smile.

"Hey, Osc... are you okay?" you asked, walking up to him with a shyness you hadn’t seen in him since you first started dating back in high school.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m fine." He glanced at his mom, who was standing behind you. She gave him a discreet thumbs-up. "I just… really want to see the fireworks."

"Oscar. You hate fireworks."

"Exactly the reason why I’m nervous."

He swallowed hard.

You let the little lie slide; there wasn’t time to call him out anyway, because everyone around you had started the countdown. So you just smiled, wrapped your arms around him, and kissed his cheek.

Oscar, gently pulling away, reached into his pocket to grab the box… only to find it wasn’t there.

"No, no, no… shit… where the hell are you?" he muttered under his breath, pretending his panic was about the upcoming fireworks.

He checked the other pocket… nothing. Looked down… nothing. Then, as he fumbled with the back pockets, he finally felt the box. Unfortunately, in pulling it out, it slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a soft thud.

"Five, four, three, two, one…!"

And Oscar tripped right over your feet.

"Happy New Year!"

You dropped to your knees in a slight panic to help him up, praying he hadn’t hurt himself, because the sound of the fall had been anything but soft.

What you weren’t expecting was to find him kneeling in front of you, holding an open box with the ring. The one you’d been eyeing for six months.

You stared at him, confused… and then completely speechless.

"Wait… are you really serious? This isn’t a joke, right?"

He looked up at you. Hair a mess, shirt wrinkled and soaked in champagne from the bottle Lando had just popped. Tiny pieces of confetti stuck to the beads of sweat on his face.

"Yes and no," he said, a sheepish grin spreading across his lips. "I mean, sure, I think I’ve dislocated a hip and lost most of my dignity, but… I guess it was worth it."

Then, with just a few quiet seconds and a single question, your eyes welled up.

"Will you marry me?"

Silence wrapped around the room. No one screamed. No one pushed you to answer. You even noticed Lando thoughtfully turning the music down, switching it to Lover by Taylor Swift, the song you’d once told Oscar you wanted playing when you got proposed to.

"Of course, you idiot," you said, tears rolling down your cheeks as you helped him up and pulled him into the tightest hug, burying your face in his chest. "But promise me you won’t be this nervous on our wedding day."

[...]

"Do you think it was too… casual?"

The party was over, and now the two of you were curled up in bed, sharing a McDonald’s burger because, as it turned out, Lando was right—putting Oscar in charge of New Year’s dinner had been a mistake you wouldn’t repeat.

"Well… you tripped over a rug while rehearsing, then fell again and ended up with confetti all over your face. So I wouldn’t call it casual. I’d say… unique."

"Yeah… It definitely didn’t go as planned."

"But it was perfect anyway," you cut in.

Oscar sat up, holding his Big Mac box like it was a sacred artifact, and looked at you.

"Really?"

"Of course! If there’s anything that defines us, it’s not just how much we love each other… it’s also how ridiculously clumsy we are."

"Right… And listen, speaking of clumsy…" he said with a guilty grin. "I think it’s very much fair you tell Lando that you were the one who burned all the food and ruined New Year’s dinner."

© VETTELSVEE (2025). Please, do not steal, copy, translate and share my works in other platforms. Thanks for reading!

[sly-is-my-name-loving-is-my-game]

Fuck you thunderbolts headcannons. Cause I have so many and I cannot keep them to myself anymore.

Before we get started, it's important to note that the end cut scene means next to nothing to me. The russo brothers wrote that, so I do not care.

John chews tobacco. Did it for a bit as a kid but quit so he'd be healthy in the army. Once he took the serum and Lemar (Who was a huge influence on John quitting) died he started again because he knew it wouldn't necessarily kill him anymore.

Bucky still smokes on occasion. Not as much as he used to back in the 40s because he's been told how bad it is for him now and also because the taste has changed too much for him.

Yelena actually doesn't like vodka that much, she mainly drinks it because it reminds her of her family.

Alexei can cook in theory. The problem comes in the fact that he can only cook prison food.

Similar story with Bob but instead of prison food it's broke/high food. I'm talking spaghetti noodles with ketchup and hotdogs.

Not all of them are medicated but God they probably should be.

As a group they have a call and response codeword to check how bad they're feeling.

Goes something a little like this.

Call: Light levels?

Bad response: Low

Good response: High

At first, it was just for Bob until Bob used it for someone else, and then it spread to an entire team thing.

Someone has genuinely said something to the effect of "Yeah, but he's our asshole" about John before. Probably Bucky.

Every mission has a situation in which one team member has to reign in another one. At least once, the highest count was 15 times in one mission.

One time, the tower had a group watch of a JFK assassination documentary, and Bucky had to jump in and correct dozens of different mistakes.

Bob is super into Dungeons and Dragons but has never gotten to play. Instead he likes watching/listening to actual play shows.

Whenever someone is looking way too tense Alexei takes them to the training room and helps them punch it out. Via sparing or using left over boxing mits. This works a surprising amount of time

Alexei also has very strong opinions on American boxing.

They have collectively broken. So much furniture. Honestly most of the time it's an accident but still.

John only drinks really really strong coffee, everyone else in the tower puts something in it to offset the taste but it's just like straight jet fuel. This only becomes everyone else's problem because John is always the first person awake enough to make coffee in the morning.

Bob in contrast can't even have the most sugary taste covering coffee because somehow it will still taste bitter to him. No matter whats in it.

Ava is a coffee creamer girly but doesn't add extra sugar. Yelena in contrast doesn't like creamer but does add at least two spoons of sugar to every cup she drinks.

Ava loves pumpkin spice, Bucky also does but not as much and in secret. When Ava found out about this they started going to get coffee just the two of them to gossip.

One time they got lost in the wilderness post mission and while waiting for a pickup were arguing about what they were gonna eat. John pulls out like 10 MRE's. No one knew he had these on him and he claims to always be carrying at least one.

Alpine does live in the tower. Bucky just walks around the tower with Alpine hanging out in his jacket. It took a solid few days for the team to realize that the cat existed.

Alexei is allergic and does not care he will snuggle with the cat anyways.

Ava once got stuck on the couch for two hours with Alpine on her lap before just phasing out underneath them cause she felt guilty about trying to stand up.

Yelena did get a second guinea pig to keep the one she rescued company. Their names are Mak and Cheese.

Mak 100% has superpowers. There's a betting pool on what they are but Mak has not revealed them yet.

Fanny does not live in the tower, and is still staying with Kate Bishop. Yelena just worries she won't have enough time for a more active pet. Because Mak, Cheese and Alpine are all pretty self sufficient.

Ava likes to start games of tag and then phase through multiple walls to get away.

They once had a week long game of tag in which towards the end they were actually on a mission. Game only ended because the person who was 'it' last got injured.

Due to the fact that each of their serums are different the super soldiers are usually guessing what the other ones are like. Non super soldiers think they are the same but they do in fact have minor differences that really only matter to themselves, other super soldiers, and people trying to recreate the serum. The serum seems to be defined by the following things: Strength, durability, speed, agility, stamina, reflexes, and healing factor. (I personally would combine speed, agility and stamina but what do I know) ((Personally heightened senses should also be thrown in the mix but those are whats on the wiki))

As for how the three super soldiers of the Thunderbolts obviously they have all of these categories but: Alexei's serum gives him slightly better durability and healing factor, John's is mostly in speed, agility and stamina, and Bucky's falls more into strength and reflexes. It would be very close in all categories if they somehow were competing but those are the categories I think they would slightly better in. As for senses I think Alexei has the least best and John has the best best. All of them have crazy senses but John is the one who faintly hears heartbeats when standing next to people I fear.

When Clint found out Yelena was living in the old avengers tower he called her to tell her about all the old secret places he and Natasha had. As well as any other secrets that he remembered. Some of them were gone but most of them were still around.

The most popular nickname for John other then just straight up calling him an asshole is "Captain Taco John" or just "Taco John" he thinks Yelena started it but it was actually Alexei.

They've been banned from every axe throwing place on the East Coast. New ones that open on that side of the country get called by competitors warning them in advance.

John and Bob learned that no one else on the team had been to a waffle house before and then demanded they go.

When they finally did go post mission they found out that Bob is banned from most waffle houses in Florida and lower Georgia for reasons he cannot remember.

John is literally the worst liar once you get to know him. Like literally the most obvious tells in the world. No one tells him this though so he still thinks he's a decent liar.

Alexei did sign up to be a mall Santa one time. Yelena ended up being one of the elf helpers.

Yelena and Bucky are tied for most languages spoken on the team, with Ava in third and Bob in last.

Bob is learning how to speak Russian though.

Bucky threatens to shave his head whenever the others are up to crazy shit. Says it'd be faster then having to pull his hair out.

Bucky has a large collection of second hand paperbacks from the bookstore.

The most genuine everyone on the entire team has ever been is when they did secret Santa and everyone actually tried. It wasn't even like a requirement they all independently decided to try.

John talks to Lemar's parents but not his own. I refuse to believe that man had a good relationship with his parents look at him. He's a people pleaser and in the few scenes we get of him in Georgia I believe he doesn't even bring them up let alone go see them.

John has a weekly phone call from Lemar's parents. The others find out when they overhear him talking about them. Though he leaves out a lot of big and scary details as not to worry them. Actual quotes from this phone call "Mama they're all awful awful people." < said with a smile his face and heard through his voice proceeded immediately with "Of course I'm keeping em fed Ma'am they're all so bad at cookin'."

You can pry John Walker with a covered up southern accent from my cold dead hands. That man is from Georgia for petes sake. He tries to keep in understated because people in the military took him less seriously with the accent.

All of the group has a habit of talking with one another's accents which gets so brutal when two of them are Russian, one of them is British, two of them are southern, and the last one is a New Yorker.

Out of all of them the only one who has been able to defuse a bomb is Ava. Yelena is an explosives expert but only at setting them up. This comes up as a problem far more then you would think.

John, Ava, and Yelena are banned from having the remote while watching action movies because they will pause the movie and talk about the weapons/tactics being used for thirty minutes before continuing the movie. Only to do it again 5 minutes later.

Yknow that one episode of Phineas and Ferb where doctor doofinsmirtz is trying desperately to get this doll his daughter wanted when she was a child? Alexei did the same thing. To the point he went off grid for two days and came back just before the team was gonna go looking for him. Showed up covered in blood and bruises holding this pristine little doll out to her.

Yelena treasures that doll. It has special shelf in her bedroom. Though she did tell Alexei that if he ever pulled some shit like that again she'd beat his ass.

They all honestly did not want to get super close to each other at first. But when you live and work together for any significant amount of time you're bound to just start knowing shit about those people that you don't expect to know.

Also every single relationship between all of them was super rocky and unstable for a long time and still kind of are. Lots of things are going unspoken that probably shouldn't be but they're working it out together one thing at a time.

All of them know that the other people on the team are smart but sometimes it's easy to forget just how scarily competent your teammates are when they do weird dumb shit all the time at home.

Bucky is most of the teams emergency contact. Bucky's emergency contact is still Sam.

The first time any of them called the Watchtower home was when Yelena was a little delirious from being injured and it caused the entire rest of the team to freeze for a moment before continuing to get her medical help. After that they all kinda started doing it.

Alexei loves learning new things about pop culture and then trying to tell the others about it like they don't know. This would be more annoying if he wasn't right and most of them they actually did not know about it.

All of them have such wildly inconsistent pain tolerances that they find it hard to tell when one of them is actually injured or not.

Ava is still in contact with Bill Foster who upon hearing about the New Avengers travels to New York to figure out what is going on and if she's ok.

Ava also still has the teddy bear that Bill gave her.

They've given each other the most fucked up parody high school superlatives. John got worst post nightmare reaction, Bucky got most targeted weapon in a fight, Alexei got most likely to be a PR nightmare, Ava got least likely to break something important, Yelena got least likely to derail the mission to fight someone, and Bob got most likely to have the most randomly useful knowledge.

All of them are bad drivers, but the only ones actually authorized to drive are Alexei, Bucky, and John. Yelena always drives like she's in a car chase even when she definitely isn't, Ava never learned how to drive and doesn't want to because she's scared of phasing through the vehicle, and Bob also never learned how to drive properly (he can drive in theory, not as much in practice). As for why the other three are shitty drivers, despite owning a driving business I refuse to believe Alexei knows American driving laws, Bucky is still learning how modern vehicles work (other then motercycles he's got those down), and John drives like every vehicle is a military jeep aka borderline indestructible and very clunky.

The entire team actually hates being called the Avengers. Most of them are hoping Sam wins the copyright case, if not sometimes doing shit to try and help the case. Bucky in particular is trying to separate them from the government.

The relationship between the team and Valentina is very much one of mutual destruction. Both sides have social and physical ammo stashed away for the second the other side turns.

On missions they usually are joking around at least a little bit but the second anyone even might be hurt they all turn into the most serious scary motherfuckers. This also applies to people they work with on occasion, like Kate.

Sometimes the group have complete mind meld moments. Like full on don't even need to say a goddamn word because the other person already knows what you're asking them to do and is on it.

One time they ran into Sam while on a secret mission and he happened to be looking rough at the time. The last two things happened and scared the shit out of him if he's being honest.

One time in an interview someone asked if they would slap one of their teammates for a hundred dollars. Bucky responded that he gets to throw John out of windows for free. Johns only response to this was a shrug.

It's generally agreed upon that Ava is the scariest person on the team. She takes this honor and title very seriously.

Bob is the king of dropping the craziest shit you have ever heard mid conversation and then moving on.

Yelena loves rock climbing, borderline could do it competitively. There's a specific rock climbing gym nearby the tower that she becomes a regular at.

Ava has a label maker but she basically never uses it to organize things. Instead using it to write out short jokes/insults and sticks them to people, walls, doors, and one memorable time the ceiling.

Ava is a Paris Paloma listener. Her favorites are Labour and The Fruits.

One time Bucky used his detached arm like a baseball bat to knock an explosive away from them. The entire rest of the team proceeded to turn to look at him like he was crazy.

Honestly they all own far too many weapons. Like entire stores worth of weapons. They're scattered literally everywhere through the main areas of the tower, their bedrooms, and on their persons. It's mainly an issue because you have no idea if when you open something there's gonna be a fucking knife or a gun in there.

It is considered a big deal(tm) if someone hands you one of their weapons. Even if it's like trading or they just don't like/use it anymore.

John is a competent engineer and could fully fix/reverse the tacoificafion of his shield. For the first few months it a matter of pride on why he doesn't just fix it but after the like third injury because he isn't working with it right they have an intervention and he gets a new one.

There have been multiple arguments that span days at a time over tea. When the topic of any kind of tea comes up John 'what do you mean you've never had sweet tea' Walker and Ava 'Do none of you own a fucking kettle' Starr do have to be separated.

As much as they all work together really well. No one is as ride or die for each other as the 4 from the vault. Do not get it twisted they fight like cats and dogs but they are the only ones allowed to do that with each other.

Bucky is still trying to convince basically the entire team that he did not kill Princess Diana.

All of them collectively truly do not know how to be normal people not a single one of them. It is. Very noticeable.

Bob is one of those guys that has too many hobbies. They worry about him getting bored when he's at the tower alone but really he now just has access to so many things to do so many more hobbies then before so he is keeping his hands busy.

A byproduct of this is that Bob actually gives so many gifts to others. A good percentage of their decor is just stuff Bob has made or found.

He's also trying to get the others into having actual hobbies that aren't things like weapons training and jumping off buildings. It's been semi successful for the most part.

Bob actually isn't all that keen on physical touch, both because he doesn't want to send people into the void and because he just really is not used to it. It takes a while for him to even get used to pats on the back.

All of them have at least been arrested in the states before. They have a bail money fund at this point cause they keep accidentally getting involved in things they should not be involved in.

The reason most people just almost automatically default to calling Bucky Bucky is because he genuinely just looks so awkward and a little uncomfortable when you call him literally anything else. Barnes is ok ish but like. If you call him James he kinda just looks at you until you like feel the need to correct yourself. This is because when he initially started to break through the mind control the first name he'd been called other then the winter soldier in 70 ish years was Bucky.

Physical touch is also a big deal for everyone, mainly cause it has so many different meanings. When Ava touches you its either her reassuring herself that she can be solid or it's checking that the person she's touching is not about to fall apart. When Bucky touches you it's either to reassure the person he's touching that he's there to help or it's him trying to keep them from doing something stupid. When Alexei touches you it's him making sure the person has a pulse by feeling it in whatever limb he's touching or he's trying to get them out of a situation he thinks is bad. Yelena also touches people to feel their pulse, but because of her lack of serum she has to do pulse points, or she's trying to help the person calm down and be reassuring to herself and them. John touches people to thank them without actually thanking them or he's trying to get their attention. Bob doesn't typically initiate touch unless it's to help someone out or to keep track of them and how they're doing.

People like to talk about the codependency between Yelena and Bob and don't get it twisted they are the most guilty and the peak of it but also that entire team is codependent as fuck. They barely function without each other, if one person were to die every one else would die in the process of getting revenge and or afterwards. They all have no sense of chill about each other no matter how much they all like to pretend otherwise.

Alexei actually likes to sketch and draw. He designed all of his tattoos and has no idea that this is something he has in common with the original Captain America.

[chaacakez]

After Hours.

Pairing: Nanami Kento x F!reader

Word count ~1.8k // 10.1k char.

Content Warnings: established relationship, oral sex (fem giving), praising, focused male pleasure, arousal without climax (F!), cock worship ,cutoff ending.

MDNI.

The clock blinked 8:47 PM. You knew Nanami would be here soon. Your thoughts proved you right on time as you hear the sound of the door unlocking near you. Soon opening to reveal Nanami stepping through the door, jacket still on, hair slightly ruffled as it could be assumed he dragged and swiped his hands through his hair multiple times of the day, the quiet drag of his briefcase hitting the floor his only greeting.

His shoulders were tight beneath the fabric, thick forearms flexing as he loosened his tie with one smooth tug. Composure bleeding off him in elegant drips. He hadn’t even looked at you yet, but the ache between your legs was already blooming hot, needy.

How could he look so good just by simply coming home? His actions weren't something to be flustered over, but here you are.

You were waiting, curled at the edge of the couch in his shirt, nothing underneath but bare thighs and the thrum of anticipation under your skin. You'd never sleep without him being home. You'd always wait for him every time, no matter how late it was. You were waiting on him.

Your legs rubbed together unconsciously, aching from how wet you'd just gotten just imagining his voice. Imagining the taste of him on your tongue. You'd been thinking about it honestly since he first left.

When his eyes finally landed on you, something shifted. The stiff, work hardened set of his jaw relaxed, just slightly. His gaze dragged down your body like he was scanning something confidential, slow and intent, mouth parting with a silent inhale.

“You’re still awake.” he said, voice low, deep, tinged with fatigue but steady as always. His hands dragging against his temple and down his face in exhaustion. Looking back to you with the same stoic glare as before. His eyebrows knitting in frustration at your actions.

“You should’ve gone to bed." "There's not a singular point in waiting on me for so long late into the night for my return.”

“But then I wouldn’t get to take care of you,” you murmured, unfolding from the couch, walking barefoot across the room making your way over to him. Your steps, slow but with purpose. Almost stalking as you kept your eyes on him while going towards him.

His eyes tracked every step you made. You stopped in front of him, close enough to feel the residual heat from his day, to smell cologne and exhaustion and man. Taking a look up at him before your fingers moved up, slow, deliberate, undoing the first few buttons of his dress shirt before moving to do the same to the last few. Standing on your toes to reach the inner crevice of his neck, dragging your lips along the base of his throat. Taking in his scent as you breathed him in deeply.

“Let me help you, hm?” Your only words said in a quiet mutter. Eyes flicking up to him before going down his body. Hands dragging lower against his skin, trailing down to his pants, tracing over the bulge starting to form. Your words were simple but had a deeper meaning to what you wanted from him.

He knew. You knew. You both knew.

That's why he didn’t answer. He never gave in with words. He wouldn't dare let you know that he was already anticipating whatever you had in store for him. He gave in with breath, with tension, with the way his hands fell useless at his sides as you worked his pants so eagerly without any further conversation. His cock was already hard. Thick. Hot. Aching.

You let out a soft hum of a moan. Proceeding to Sink on to your knees in front of him. Continuing your purpose of trying to get what was hidden underneath the fabric of his clothes.

Your hands wrapped around his waistband diving into his pants before you pulled them down completely, hearing the cloth hit the floor right below you.

The outline was obscene. Thick, veiny, and curved perfectly against the fabric of his boxers. precum already staining into a wet spot near his tip. You hadn't even touched him yet and he looked like this? It made you mouth water.

The second you pulled to free him from this confinement, it slapped out against his lower stomach. Thick and flushed. a bead of precum trailing down the tip to his base. You stared a little wide eyed. Lips parting like your body moved before your brain. Your mouth actually watered. A pulse flicked between your thighs. You grew dizzy with how much you wanted to taste every inch.

Closing your mouth as you gave yourself a wait. Your hands wrapped around the base, lips moving in brushing against and breath warm against the crown of his cock like an airy kiss.

You didn't just want to suck his cock. You wanted to memorize it. The taste, the shape, the way he twitched against your lips. You wanted him to moan your name while his cock was buried deep in your throat.

You took him into your mouth slowly. Like it was your first time again. Tears welled immediately. You didn't care that your eyes were about to close due to the tears blurring your vision. The stretch that filled your mouth was worth it. Every inch of him tasted like stress and salt and something man made you could never get enough of.

Pulling him back out of your mouth with a sharp inhale, looking up to meet your eyes with his, you had to let him see what he was doing to you already. “You walked in like this?” you whispered questioningly against him breathlessly already. Your tongue diving back to flick against the shape, teasing. “From just thinking about me?” Keeping eye contact with him once again.

“From knowing what you look like when you’re desperate to please me,” he muttered, deep and dark as the words exhaled through like he was admitting weakness.

You moaned, body already responding, throat tight, pussy clenching with every second of this. “Sit,” you whispered.

He did. On the couch now in center spot, legs spread, cock free and proud, flushed dark with heat. You sank to your knees in front of him again in this new spot, your hands wrapping around the base again, lips brushing more closely on his tip with a kiss, dragging your tongue slow across the slit.

His breath caught. Sharp, audible. You didn't look up. Just letting your tongue flatten and drag below his tip to his base, you can feel a vein pulse against the surface of your tongue. Slow and savoring.

He twitched. His head tilted slightly, breath catching.

“Fuck.” he murmured, his hand finding your hair, not to control you. just to feel. Have only a bit of control over you after all of it was halfway gone by the way your lips moved against his shaft. His hand dug deep into your hair, his grip tightening, only with a slight pull of assertiveness.

You feel tingles down your spine as his hand was in your hair. Feeling around your scalp. You took him into your mouth deeply, savoring every inch, letting the stretch burn your jaw. He exhaled harder when you swallowed, jaw relaxed, tongue pressed flat.

“That mouth of yours, darling, shit...” he said low, strained out in the air, “always knows how to ruin me.” He'd groan after that, letting his head fall back onto the couch's backrest, breathing deep and hard.

You moaned around him, eyes closing, spit starting to wet your chin as you put yourself to work, you dragged your head up and down bobbing on his cock. His pleasure. Measured, strained, controlled only drove you mad. You wanted more. You needed more.

You started moving faster, sucking harder, tongue working the underside, fingers pumping the base in rhythm with your mouth. Moving from base to his balls as you cup and caress them. Nanami’s thighs tightened. His fingers gripped your hair harder now. Breath heavy, gritted teeth barely keeping the groans from escaping.

“You’re too good at this,” he bit out. Hands gripping at your hair harder, “I swear You’re gonna make me-”

You didn’t slow. You couldn’t. If anything, His voice did something to you, made your nipples ache, your pussy throb. The low tremor of it, the way it cracked when you flattened your tongue just right, when you let him hit the back of your throat and stayed there, eyes watering, moaning like he was feeding your addiction.

He hissed through his teeth.

“Shit!- don’t-don’t stop.-”

Your eyes rolled. You started to grind against your hand that had reached down into the heat between your legs, thighs trembling from the heat that soaked through you. He twitched hard in your mouth, hips jerking up once. The muscles in his stomach clenched, and then his voice dropped. Raw, broken. Croaking out

“Gonna- cum.”

You moaned your approval, taking him deeper down your mouth, your other hand working him fast and tight where your lips couldn’t reach. His moan cracked this time, full-bodied, strained, and you felt the first pulse against your tongue. Hot, thick, spurts of his seed flooding inside of your mouth.

You swallowed as it flowed out of him, Warm. Salty and sweet. lips still working, letting him ride it out with your throat flexing around him, taking it all. You didn’t pull off until he hissed at the overstimulation, hips twitching, chest rising in shallow, stunned breaths.

He breathed your name like he’d been holding it in all week.

When you were done. He was twitching and softening just slightly in your mouth, with your chin soaked and your fingers still cradling his length with reverence. Only then did he tug you up into his lap off of the floor.

Your face felt hot. Your lips? swollen. Thighs only trembling from neglect and heat needing to be satisfied. He held you there, panting slightly, hazel eyes heavy lidded and dazed, a shaky hand cupping the back of your neck. Holding your head to get a good look at him.

“You didn’t have to.” He whispered close to you in a raspy tone with a hint of husk soon to come down.

“I wanted to,” you whispered back to him with no hesitation, leaning into his neck, pressing your wet mouth to his throat. Your new assault of kisses trailed up his neck to the shell of his ear as you kissed it once. Your hand cupping the side of his face as you rubbed gently. Giving a small lick to his ear as well before speaking softly into it, “Watching you fall apart… it makes me wet, Nanami.”

You rubbed against his thigh, shameless now. He groaned, forehead falling to yours.

“You’re insatiable,” he murmured.

“One of us has to be,” you smiled teasingly. “Let me ride you now, hm?” Your tone and eyes filled with plea and still-found desperation for him.

His cock twitched again. His hands gripped your hips.

“Get on,” he said, voice rough, grabbing onto your hips with returning found eagerness. “Now.”

#3rd post/story!!! you guys liked my last post a lot so i hope you like this one!!! <33 happy beginnings!

reblogs, likes, comments, any of that stuff is always appreciated...

ℓo͟v͟ꫀ ყoυ .ᐟ

#iheartbusinesshuzz <3

[gojoest]

OK wait I think I missed out hugetime on the Mr vienna lore. I mean I did see u post about him but I thought he was one of ur admirers. Honestly not my fault you get stopped by people all the time ! 😭 I need the lore please fill me in on it or boom.. meanwhile I will do my own research.

ough you have no idea… the mr vienna lore runs DEEP. we’re basically the best friends to lovers trope incarnate LOL we’re like the rachel and ross HAHAHAH it’s been over 10 years of history, chaos and feelings 😭 ive shared bits and pieces here but long story short

we met back in high school, different schools but same friend group (through my cousin). at that time he was actually dating another friend from the group but they eventually broke up. after that we got super close as besties but we both lowkey liked each other more than that. you know THAT kind of tension

my cousin was also part of that friend group and he and mr vienna were practically best friends at the time. there was this one moment where someone jokingly suggested mr vienna and i get together and my cousin (who btw is basically like a brother to me, we grew up more like siblings than cousins) deadass said “i don’t want my best friend screwing my cousin” 💀

so when mr vienna and i did start dating we kept it a complete secret from everyone LOL we were sneaking around and making out in cars like literally doing that whole thing jhajahaj eventually ofc ppl started catching on and when we finally came clean everyone was actually super happy for us!

then we graduated and he moved to vienna for uni while i stayed here. we did long distance for a while but i was in a very different headspace back then and wanted to explore basically. i was the one who ended it and i actually hurt him a lot in the process. we took some time apart to heal but it always felt wrong not having him in my life

we stayed friends, like really good and close friends but it was never just platonic . ever . it was always this on and off kind of bond, we’d get together and break up, get together and break up and it was always me ending things and he was always the one waiting 🥲 he was always ready to come back the second i gave him the chance (and i know it was very wrong of me to play with him like that but i was young and confused) and honestly that never changed in the past 12 years no matter what we do, we always find our way back to each other

he’s told me more than once during those long and heart to heart conversations that i am “the one” for him but sadly i am always “the one that got away” 🥲

we reunited again this february. it started with one call at midnight on new year’s eve — HE called me like he always does and then he called again five days later on my birthday. we face timed. he was like “you should come to vienna for a weekend” but i hesitated 🥹 and when i jokingly suggested that he should come 😭 he literally bought tickets the next day 😭

we’ve been together ever since, or once again. long distance still sucks but i genuinely can’t imagine myself with anyone else :,) he’s seen me at my absolute worst and at my best. i hurt him a lot and ive changed a lot in those 12 years but somehow he still chooses me, always has 🥹 there’s so much more but that’s like the short intro version LOL

[tryandbehappy]

I just don’t understand the logic here.

They tried to push the idea that Nick is bad just because he’s a Commander. That’s it. They didn’t actually show us anything else to back that up (even him staying doesn’t prove anything, he has a son damn it) The only argument seems to be “he’s a Commander = he’s bad.” That’s it. That’s the whole case.

They even mirrored that scene where Serena tells Wharton “you’re bad because you’re a Commander,” ignoring the fact that he’s also a literal monster who upholds Gilead’s laws and wants to enslave women. Or take June’s mom, who said “they’re all bad, they’re all Nazis.” But then… turns out, they’re not all bad? Because apparently Emily had a “decent” Commander. And Lawrence? He dies heroically. So he’s allowed to be considered a “good” Commander now?

So what is it then? Are some Commanders redeemable but Nick isn’t? Just because they needed a scapegoat?

And I can’t with Tuello 😂, who suddenly drops the bomb that he’s a Commander too at the end (on a different side)— like, why the hell did we even need that information? Also every time I think about him I’m like, God, what an idiot this character is. Drooling over Serena just because she’s pretty? You have to be really stupid for that. Especially now that we know more about him — like how destroying Gilead matters to him so his son won’t have to do it… and he falls in love with one of the architects of Gilead? Seriously? Knowing everything she did? (I’ll find you 🤢)

And he’s been soft on her for ages. It just makes zero sense. Either it’s some bizarre writing choice, or a deeply depressing statement about men in general — like, are we meant to believe they completely shut their brains off the moment a hot woman shows up? Just forget about all values and morals?

I honestly don’t even know how to comment on all of this anymore.

The only thing in this show that was consistent, compelling, and logical was Nick and June’s storyline and they flushed it down the toilet.

[btskitten7]

Cam Girl | can do no wrong.

Ship: Idol!Jungkook x Cam girl!Y/n

au/genre: sex cam worker au

rating: M

wc: 2.7k

Chapter warnings: Masturbation, mutual masturbation, sex talk. Vivid wet dreams. Breeding kink.

summary: The members have an odd obsession with you.

tagss: @shadowyjellyfishfest @baechugff @maunosorioh @shelylamc @princess-sunshyn @scuzmunkie @wanceu @coldcoffee2121 @maunosorioh @massivelyfullenthusiast

Chapter two: can do no wrong. 

He instantly ended the call without letting you say anything else. “What is happening?” He asked himself. How did you already have that much control over him? Just like that? He couldn’t touch you. He didn’t know how you felt but 

Those dreams were real.

If they were even dreams. 

He could feel the water hitting his body as he would stroke your cunt. He would feel the tightness of your core wrapping around his throbbing member. 

“Hey dude are you ready- hey are you okay?” Namjoon asked how the younger one was sweating in the middle of winter.

“Huh? Yeah? Yeah, I’m fine I’m fine just, I think I’m going to stay home this time, I’m kinda tired.” Kook said, taking his jacket off, cranking up the AC, and throwing Joon out before he could even try to protest. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laying in the bed, you were finally ready to sleep

If only you could. 

All you kept thinking about was Jungkook, for some reason. The way he got off the video call made you think you did something wrong. You’ve thought about it for a few minutes before getting back up and logging back in. 

One thing you hated the most...

As soon as you log in, if the desired person has your notifications on, they’ll know exactly when you log in, and it’ll let them know. Most times your followers would harass you. 

So you had to be quick, hoping that everyone was asleep. You pulled up Jungkook’s chat log.

Taking a deep breath, you decided to reach out, ignoring the instant flood of ding, ding, ding

“Hi 🥺, um I just wanted to say, I’m so sorry if I crossed any boundaries, I know you’re still new to this.. and if I did, please forgive me. I’m so sorry, from the bottom of my heart.. seriously...” You hit send about too close the window when you received a response. You frowned thinking there was no possible way he read that and replied that quickly.

 “I’m sorry for leaving that quickly... I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. I just got nervous” 

Then there was another 

“What? No no. I asked you.”

“If there were boundaries crossed I would have told you about them. I honestly really enjoy the ASMR ones that you do... maybe too much lmao. They’re really fun and different.” he replied a third time. 

That relieved you. You ran your fingers through your hair and sighed happily  “Good, I thought I had done something, well my little Koo I must go to bed now. I’m very happy that you enjoyed it. It’s one of my favorites.”

“That’s been on my mind since the call ended..” you replied. 

“Oh, yes! Please go to sleep, if you want to talk again we can, tomorrow.. only if you want😇”

 you giggled to yourself replying, 

“So cute, Goodnight Koo, I'll talk to you tomorrow.❤️” 

“My little Koo huh?” Jungkook thought

You slowly drifted off to sleep...

You then woke up in a beautiful bathroom with a beautiful view and amazing decor. You looked at the fixtures and the designs, getting lost in your beautiful bathroom. That was when saw a beautiful man tower you in the mirror, smiling brightly,

Wrapping his arms around your silk-covered body, softly leaving kisses down your neck. “You know I always loved the robe, no matter how many times I ripped it off, it just still looks so sexy on you,” Jungkook said, rubbing your waist underneath the robe and pulling you to face him.

He’s such a beautiful man, so strong, you knew he could handle you. “Don’t rip this one baby.” You whispered. Jungkook laughed softly. “The kids are asleep, why don’t we have a little fun of our own now?” He said smiling slowly taking your robe off and kissing your neck, marking it

for him to admire the next day. Soft moans left your lips and both sets of hands traveled each other's body. Kook paused and turned the shower on eyes never leaving your naked body and your eyes stuck on his. 

Pulling you into the shower, his tongue danced all over your mouth

Inching down, he began to kiss all over your thighs and navel. You moaned softly watching him kiss sensitive parts you haven't kissed in a while. 

“She looks so pretty for me, dripping just for me, I can hear her begging me to devour her huh?” He said leaving small sucks on your clit. You gripped his hair softly and nodded. “S-she always gets like that, when she knows you're near.” You moaned, propping your foot, so he had more access. He slowly slipped his tongue into your core, letting your juice saturate his tongue. 

“she knows I own you.”

A few minutes later. His fingers were shaking deep in your core as his mouth sucked and fucked your clit. Your legs were shaking and you were moaning loudly. “Fuck! Kook! Fuck right there please” Your eyes began to cross slowly as  Jungkook picked up speed on your clit.

“Hush!”

“You better not wake up our kids jagiya, or I’m going to punish you,” he said sinking his member deep into your wetness. Clinging on to Jungkook, your head in the crook of his neck, moaning as he fucked you better than anyone had ever done. 

“Am I still your cute little Koo?”

You woke up in a cold sweat, breathing a little too hard, the sheets were soaked around you from your dream. 

“My little koo huh?” You sighed to yourself replaying the dream over and over in your head.

~~~~~

You woke up the next morning, feeling a bit more energized for some odd reason. You did your normal routine and began to make yourself breakfast. 

Kook on the other hand also felt a bit more energetic as well. Practice was running smoothly for him, not that he had an issue before it’s just that, he’s more entertaining and energetic than usual. “Why are you so happy Maknae?” Joon asked after chugging his water. 

“I don’t know, I just feel free and lightweight for some reason,” he shrugged. Which was true, he didn’t know why he felt this way.

He didn’t know if it was because of you or if it was just because he finally got some good rest. But what he did know, 

He’s going to make another request tonight. 

He wanted the same ASMR vibe but he wanted to see if he could stick around to see how you reacted afterwards.

As soon as he got home, he went straight to his room. He’s been getting notifications that you’ve been posting all day. Ofc, his hyungs stopped each time to see what you had posted but he didn’t. 

He didn’t want to distract himself because if he had gotten horny, there would be nothing he could do about it. 

Jungkook laid on his bed and logged in. He had only followed you on the website so finding your page wasn’t hard. You were the only thing flooding his timeline, and his mind. 

He started from the very first photo you had posted.

It was a simple photo, you wore a silk robe, breast barely exposed but still suggestive, and that beautiful wild hair that Kook loved a lot. It was beautiful. 

You had gotten 1k like on it but compared to your more suggestive videos and pictures which easily held 20k+

It didn’t stand a chance. Kook looked through the comments and was disappointed at how no one was saying how breath taking you looked. 

They just wanted you to take your clothes off. 

“Show us some skin sugar” 

“Show me them pretty titties baby” 

Kook shook his head.

He decided to leave a comment. 

“You look absolutely beautiful, love. I like these types of pictures the most” and he left similar ones on all of your normal ones. He understands, your content is xxx but you’re still a person and a beautiful one at that. 

You’re different

He decided before he messaged you again, he was going to have dinner with his Hyungs. 

They were talking about your recent videos and pictures you posted. No one talked about the first photo. 

“What do you think about her good morning photo?” Jungkook asked.

“It was pretty, but that’s not what I’m there for,” Hoseok answered truthfully. Everyone agreed. “Yeah she’s a beautiful girl but she should know that, that’s not what we’re on her page for” Yoongi added. 

Jungkook slouched in his chair, mood ruined by his Hyungs comments.

Jimin realized the change of Jungkook’s mood. “What did you think of the picture, Jungkook?” 

“I thought it was better than all the other ones she posted today,” he said truthfully. All the Hyungs looked at him confusedly, “Huh? Did you not see the other ones?” Tae asked.

“I did” 

“And didn’t you like them?” 

“I did”

“.... so-“ They all waited for Jungkook’s answer. 

“I like the normal pictures more, it just looks more comfortable, like she’s more comfortable that way versus the other ways” he said finally taking a bite of his food. “She didn’t look uncomfortable to me” Jimin responded as he thought back to all the photos you’ve posted today.

“Yeah me neither,” Seokjin added. “Were you looking or were you looking somewhere else?” Jungkook asked. 

No one answered “oh” he said finishing his food, cleaning up and headed back to his room. His computer chimed, he headed over and saw that you had replied to his comment

“Thank you baby Koo, you’re too kind ❤️” he loved the way you actually called him Koo. He wondered how it would sound in person, how it would roll off your tongue. His computer chimes again, this time a message from you. 

“Hi baby Koo, how are ya doing today?”

He smiled brightly and replied. 

“I should be asking you that, but I’m doing alright love. How are you?” Giving you his full attention as he watched the three dots blink. 

“I’m doing alright, I kinda wish I didn’t have to hop on live today.” That broke his heart.

The fact that you felt you HAVE to do things and you can’t take a break messed with him. “Why don’t you take a break? What’s going on?” 

“I’m feeling a little sick and I’ve lost my voice. I wish I could but the one day I don’t go live when scheduled everyone goes bananas”

Jungkook’s heart dropped. He frowned, why did he care so much for you. Why did he want to take care of you? 

“No way, if you're sick, please get some rest. If they can’t understand then let them go bananas, I want to see you yes, but you at 100% nothing less. Rest please”

You smiled that he was being so understanding, you wished all your following was like him. You just needed a break from time to time. That’s all. 

“Thank you so much for understanding, you’re right, I think I’m going to just post some content and go to bed.”

Kook’s heartbeat slowed back down when you said you were going to get some rest. That relaxed him. 

“Good, good, and if anyone has a problem, they can take it up with me. 😌” you giggled and blushed 

“Awww my little Koo’s gonna protect me?” 

“Of course. Without a doubt❤️”

Later that night kook had another dream. 

~~~~~~~~

“I’m going to get us out of this, I promise” kook whispered in your ear. Tonight, Kook had managed to get you both a motel room for the night. The owner owed him for some work and rather than giving him money, he gave kook this

room for free, just for the night. 

“You’ve done so much for him though, he should have at least given you some money so you could eat.” You said looking at the burger, he had managed to get you. “I’m fine honey, you need the food not me.” He said, referring to your new pregnancy.

“Kook I promise I’ll be fine, at least eat half of the burger and some fries.” You pleaded. He shook his head. “No baby please eat, I didn’t wanna argue tonight” he said rubbing your leg. 

“Please just one bite baby... please” you begged him. He hated when you did this.

You always put him first when you were the one that needed this the most. He sighed and nodded. You nodded and smiled softly, feeding him the burger and a couple of fries. You tried giving him another bite. But he refused. 

“No baby please, you eat it. Please”

You sighed and wrapped the little food left and sat it on the stand. You sat on the bed and began to sob. 

Kook hated this more. 

“Jagiya, please don’t cry-“ 

“I’m sorry I can’t help you more, I wish there was something I could do, this shouldn’t be all on you” You cried.

Kook got up and kneeled before you. “Stop it, baby, you can help me by growing a strong beautiful child for me. That's how you can help me, let me worry about all this” he said rubbing your small belly and looking in your eyes tears burning his own. 

“Baby, I’m-“

You were cut off by someone barging in the room with a dark grim look. Kook immediately stood,  guarding you and his unborn child. “I told you, you had till tonight to give me what you owe,” the man said. 

“I don’t have it, I’m sorry, just please give me-“ 

“I gave you plenty of time”

“You either give me the Money or you give me the girl and I’ll forget all about it” 

You gripped tightly onto kook softly crying terrified for him and yourself. “I’m not going to do that, I can get you your money, but I’m not giving you my wife” kook said trying to mask how

scared he was himself. 

“Oh? Then I’ll just take her and (...) you” the man pulled out his gun and-

~~~~~~~

Kook woke up in a cold sweat breathing very deeply, unable to catch his breath. He began to grip his sheets as his pants got louder and his gasps got louder. 

Jimin and tae being on both sides of him, heard him and decided to go to his room. 

“Kook?! Kook?! What’s wrong?” Tae said, handing him some water and rubbing his back. 

“Did you have a bad dream? What happened” 

Kook couldn’t say anything, he couldn’t do anything but cry.

Why was he having these dreams, why were they so real, why were they always about you. Despite this being the first non-sexual one, he couldn’t understand. 

What were his dreams trying to tell him?

[thee-morrigan]

For the RO Jumble: Holland and F? 👀

Grouping yours and @agentnatesewell's to answer together—and thank you both for asking!! 🫶🏼

(answering for Felix specifically, but I'm not sure there'd be any real difference for Holland if it were Farah instead.)

They might take a bit longer to develop because I think Holland’s kind of unsure what to make of Felix at first—probably not until the last third of Book 1 does she start to get a good read on him. She doesn't dislike him: she just isn't totally sure how seriously to take him.

BUT—once she gets to know him better, Felix would honestly be such a breath of fresh air for Holland in so many ways. She’d definitely have to adjust how she handles relationships—she’s pretty secretive and guarded a lot of the time, always looking out for some catch she assumes comes with everyone. And Felix is so open and straightforward, I think it might take her a minute to get used to that because, honestly, there just isn’t any catch. Once she lets herself trust that openness and believes in him and their relationship, I think she’d find it super freeing.

Another big thing I think would matter in their relationship is how unwavering Felix’s confidence in Holland is. In canon, there are so many threads throughout the books where lack of agency (ha) is/can be brought up, and where they focus on what the MC is or can be instead of who they truly are. That doesn’t bug some of my detectives, but it really gets under Holland’s skin in a way usually reserved for feelings about her mother. She’s not an object or a thing to be owned, she doesn’t belong to anyone, she’s not just a vessel or a tool or just human—or at least she doesn’t want to be.

But Felix has never, ever treated her like she's anything other than her own person. He doesn’t try to fix her, change her, or talk her out of what she wants to do, whether for her protection or whatever else. He just loves her, and genuinely believes she’s more than capable of handling whatever comes her way.

Also, you know the flirty banter between them would be top-tier.

"It's not funny."

"Who's laughing?"

"You are. You're smiling."

"Aww, babe. Can you blame me? You're cute when you're all ruffled."

Holland scowled. "I'm not—" They brushed past another knot of shoppers, her breath coming out in a puff in the cold, "—ruffled."

Felix laughed. It was a light sound, unburdened as ever as it tumbled over the murmur of the crowded Christmas market, and Holland felt it dance up the back of her neck. It pulled at something inside her: an odd flutter in her chest she didn't know what to do with.

"Okay, okay," he was saying, easy and amused. "Maybe 'ruffled' isn't the best word..."

"Not the best word?" she echoed. "Honestly, I'd venture to say it might not even crack the top hundred."

He laughed again, then, at that; his eyes were like a sunbeam splitting the clouds.

"Frazzled?"

She looked down, nudging a piece of gravel off the icy sidewalk with the toe of her boot. "That's even more flattering."

There was a shift in movement out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked up again, it was to find Felix had slowed his steps so that he was closer than before. Holland felt her mouth twitch.

"Adorable?"

He was beaming, his voice a conspiratorial whisper even as he slung an arm over her shoulders.

Holland gave a long sigh, like something loosened within her against her will. "You're missing the point."

"Nope," Felix said cheerily. "I see the point, babe. I just think you're looking at it from the wrong angle."

They were rounding the corner of the square, the number of holiday stalls beginning to thin out with each step. Most of the stores along the street were shuttered, all closed up for the night, and aside from the odd pedestrian hurrying through the cold or bundled-up family leaving the market on the opposite end of the square, the town was quiet. Everything was bathed in moonlight, a kind of sleepy, faded-blue tone that made the cobblestones, the frost-touched grass, and even the wrought iron fencing along the storefronts look oddly otherworldly, like they'd wandered into some sort of monochrome dream. There was something...peaceful about it all. Serene.

Holland moved closer to his side automatically, to feel the soft heat of him bleeding through the heavy layers of fabric, chasing away the night's chill. It was nice. Sometimes, she forgot she was cold at all until she remembered what it was to be warm.

Felix tipped his head towards hers. "There's an easy fix to this, you know?"

Her bootfalls were softer on the sidewalk than they would've been at any other time of day. It was always like this, being out at night—it was like the entire world got just a little bit quieter, a little bit calmer, even when she was smack in the middle of town. Like nothing had any edges anymore, and everything that seemed sharp during the day was dulled into something soft and soothing.

She tipped her head back, glancing up at him. "Enlighten me."

"You could just admit I was right."

Holland snorted. "You weren't right."

The flash of his grin in the darkness was wide and instantaneous.

"Oh, I was so right." He grinned down at her, eyebrows raised. "And deep, deep down—way, waaaaay down, maybe in a place that I could only find with the aid of advanced geological equipment—you know that."

"I think you might be overestimating how deep—"

He kissed the tip of her nose, just a chaste brush of warmth in the crispness of the night, as quick and fleeting as the glimmer of a falling star. "Nah," he breathed. His smile hadn't slipped. "I don't think I am."

Holland took in a slow, measured breath. That strange little flutter in her chest was back. Something about the bite of the frost-chapped evening, or the shadowy blue darkness falling in silky waves over the square, or the soft glow of the multicolored lights strung between the nearby trees seemed to just...throw things off-kilter somehow. Almost like they were wandering along the borders of reality, treading across some strange threshold she could barely even admit existed.

Or maybe it was just him that made it feel that way.

"You," she said, "have an incredibly high opinion of yourself." But she was already giving in, lifting her arms and sliding them beneath his open jacket to wrap around his waist. She pressed close, her nose skimming up the column of his throat, breathing deep. "But since this is obviously so important to you..."

A smile against her hair, the edges of it clear and vibrant even if the expression itself wasn't visible, like a landscape brightening under the rising sun.

"I appreciate that," he murmured. There was a curl of humor in his words, and another of something warm, a crackle of kindling on a distant, unseen fire, "Almost as much as I appreciate the chance to say 'I told you so' for the second time today—"

"Don't push your luck," she warned him, though the threat fell short even to her own ears. Her words were all fondness, a low murmur into his collar that made him tighten his arm over her shoulders. It felt nice to have that weight, something to lean into.

Felix just grinned, his eyes glittering in the moonlit darkness like bits of the sky had gotten stuck in them.

[tangents-within-tangents]

Hot take:

Crosshair does not have the Imperial disillusionment and redemption arc of The Bad Batch

Emerie does.

Crosshair has an arc for sure yes but it's not that.

I was thinking about this scene:

and how it got right what this scene kinda didn't:

(It was so close but then bad writing decided to undercut the moment with a joke rip)

And I think it's really interesting that these characters who were more or less raised into the Empire/First Order and chose to leave it are all directly asked why.

But take a look at Crosshair's answers in comparison:

Different context for the asking, yes, but still, compare that to clones like Howzer, Cody, Slip and Cade who left or turned against the Empire because they knew what the Empire is doing is wrong and they weren't just going to blindly follow orders:

Crosshair - Loyalty, Purpose, and Survival

Crosshair didn't choose to join the Empire (though the show isn't very clear or consistent about how much control the inhibitor chips have) but he did, for whatever reason, choose to stay. By the end of S1 we know his chip has been removed and as he definitively says "This is who I am." There were likely still other influences on his decision, but listen to how he talks about the Empire in the S1 finale:

Hunter: Crosshair, I've seen what the Empire is doing. Occupying planets and silencing anyone who stands against them. You know it's not right. Crosshair: You still don’t see the bigger picture, but you will. Hunter: Can't you see they're using you?

Crosshair: We’re not like the regs, we never have been. We’re superior. The Empire can’t protect the galaxy without strength, this is what we were made for. Think of all we could do, together!

Crosshair: You all are meant for more than drifting through the galaxy. It’s time to stop running. Join the Empire, and you will have purpose again.

Hunter: They destroyed an entire city! Crosshair: They did what needed to be done. Kamino, regs, the Republic, that time is over. The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it. Hunter: Don't fool yourself. All you'll ever be to them is a number.

He undeniably knows what the Empire is doing, but he does not care. In fact it sure sounds like he actually supports it and finds self-meaning in it. Hunter spends those episodes trying to convince him it's wrong, he doesn't change his mind. In the end they offer him an out and he doesn't take it.

Wrecker: You coming with us? Crosshair: None of this changes anything. Hunter: You offered us a chance, Crosshair. This is yours. Crosshair: I made my decision.

The next we see Crosshair in "The Solitary Clone" (S2:E3) he follows orders and shoots the Desix governor, right after Cody heartbreakingly tries to do what's right and find a peaceful solution.

Cody: Tell me something, Crosshair. This new Empire, are we making the galaxy better? Crosshair: We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done. Cody: You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices. And we have to live with them too.

After this (glorious!) conversation, Crosshair stays. Maybe this began to seed some doubts, but he actually smiles a few scenes later when Rampart assigns him another mission. It seems like for him it truly is as he said in S1:E1 (chip not enhanced yet but still influencing him enough for his brothers to notice he's acting strange):

Crosshair: Republic, Empire... what's the difference.

Crosshair: Orders are orders.

This unethical mission that finally pushed Cody over the edge does not change Crosshair's mind about the Empire, at least not enough for him to take action.

But what does?

Mayday: And here we are, the survivors. Combat troopers stuck babysitting cargo shipments. Crosshair: Mission’s a mission. Mayday: Yeah, I used to say the same thing.

Mayday: After all the clones have done, all we’ve sacrificed. We’re good soldiers, we followed orders. And for what?

This mission has nothing to do with how the fascist Empire treats the galaxy, it's about how they treat their soldiers. It's about how Mayday loyally fought and served his whole life and Lieutenant Nolan let him die

Lt Nolan: He served his purpose as a soldier of the Empire. Crosshair: You could have saved him! Lt Nolan: Perhaps you didn’t hear me, he is expendable, as are you.

Crosshair thought he could find purpose within the Empire, and Nolan shows him exactly what that will be.

His turning point is accompanied with this powerful visual of the ice vulture, a symbol (and threat) of death, and also set up within the episode a symbol of survival:

Mayday: Vicious creatures, but you have to admire ‘em. They find a way to survive.

This critical moment (that gives me chills, oof this episode is a masterpiece!) comes right after Nolan calls him expendable and directly threatens him:

Lt Nolan: And if you speak to me again with such disrespect I'll see to it you meet a similar fate, clone.

then Crosshair sees the vulture's shadow and turns to Mayday's dead body (ahh visual storytelling my beloved) then makes his decision:

Crosshair turns against the Empire not because he believes Hunter was right about this:

Hunter: I've seen what the Empire is doing ... You know it's not right.

but because he was right about this:

Hunter: All you'll ever be to them is a number.

Redemption (both in fiction and irl in my humble opinion) comes with making amends and reparations (which is why death 'redemptions' bother me so much but that's a rant for another time). Unlike Emerie, Crosshair never explicitly denounces the Empire or his own actions within it. He never says anything to specifically show if and how his views have changed from what he said on Kamino. He makes amends with his family (sending the warning message, helping Omega escape, making up with Hunter) but that's about it. The most we get in terms of acknowledgement is this:

Crosshair: I thought I knew what I was getting into with the Empire. I thought I was being a good soldier. Hunter: Nobody really understood what was happening back then. Crosshair: I’ve... done things. I’ve made mistakes. Hunter: I have regrets too, Crosshair. All we can do is keep trying to be better, and who knows there just might be hope for us yet.

Which is nice and all but it's more about them making up as brothers so it's way too excusing tbh ("no one knew what was happening back then" ummm? "The Empire will control the entire galaxy, and I am going to be a part of it" remember? And even if at first Crosshair was being controlled by the chip, the fact that he chose to stay after it was removed* means he condones and is therefore still accountable for those actions).

There's also a bit of self-destructive guilt:

Crosshair: Omega, don't risk anything for me. I belong in here.

Crosshair: Omega needs you both. So I’m doing this alone, it’s what I deserve. Hunter: Don’t even think about plan 99, Crosshair. Omega needs all of us.

(which thank you Hunter for pushing back on the death redemption bs and oh look is that a wrap up for the purpose thing?)

But there's no action taken on his part to make up for what he's done or to stand against the Empire (aside from the bare minimum of help with Tantiss, only after it became personally relevant, which like yeah he had trauma to deal with but still).

While I do think the implications/follow-up of Crosshair's turn should have been handled better in S3 (like rip Howzer! he deserved an apology, but that's a rant for another time), I don't necessarily** think this arc is a bad writing choice. It's just saying different things than we expect:

Maybe Crosshair's story is not about standing up against an unjust system, like we see with many other characters (who deserved more screen time but that's a rant for another timeeee). Maybe his story is about how even those who are loyal to the Empire, who actually believe in it, still suffer under and within it's rule. Not to garner sympathy, but to show that there is no winning.

Crosshair has another 'so what changed' convo in S3:E14 with Rampart, in which they draw parallels to each other:

Rampart: You used to believe good soldiers followed orders. Crosshair: Depends on who's giving them. The Empire betrayed us both. Rampart: And you think you can fight them? That's not you. You're like me, loyal to no one but yourself. Crosshair: I've changed.

(note how he says who's giving the orders, not what the orders are)

"Loyal to no one but yourself" describes Rampart much more than Crosshair, since we often saw Crosshair pride himself as a loyal soldier of the Empire whereas we saw Rampart abuse power to be self-serving within the Empire (like when he killed Wilco to save face). But they were both betrayed either way. Vice Admiral Rampart, snively Imperial opportunist through-and-through, shouts "I was following orders!" as he is arrested for the Empire's purposes. (Edit: and where Crosshair rejected the Empire and found new purpose fighting for his family, Rampart was still self-serving in the finale. He still tries to gain power for himself and he gets his comeuppance).

Even Hemlock, the final boss immoral Imperial scientist, who has to be benefiting the most from this system, echoes the expendability idea:

Hemlock: What I am working on is beyond your understanding. Something so vital to the Empire it makes me indispensable.

Then there's CX-2, also set up as a parallel/foil to Crosshair (fight me), who in the end is discarded as no more than a weapon, a tool that served it's purpose, showing us what would have become of Crosshair if he had stayed.

There is no winning in the Empire. Loyalty is not rewarded, it "doesn't go both ways." Everyone has to fight for their value. Even high ranking individuals** who for a time benefit from the injustice, in the end are just pawns to be used up and cast aside at a whim for the Emperor's gain. Even people who are motivated by self-interest alone cannot survive within this system, the only viable option in this galaxy is to fight the Empire and dismantle that system. (unless you conveniently find a magically safe island to hide away on but that's a rAnT fOr AnOtHeR tImE)

Which brings us back to...

Emerie - Cooperation, Compassion, and Choice

(Okay this post has already gotten away from me but I still want to talk about her to show the contrasts.)

Emerie may not have been given a lot of screen time to really flesh out her development, but there is a lot that is pretty clearly implied with her:

Crosshair: They’ll never turn her [Omega] over. Hemlock: They don’t have a choice. She is a clone, and therefore Imperial property. *Camera cuts to an angle more centered on Emerie’s face*

Crosshair: Give me your access card! Emerie: It won’t get you outside!

Emerie: I tried to warn him what would happen if he did not cooperate with the Doctor.

Emerie: Prisoner? Omega, you are no such thing. It will take time to adjust, but you will acclimate. It is far safer in here than out there.

Emerie: You should go back to your room. Crosshair: You mean her cell?

Emerie: Why children? Hemlock: Children are easier to attain and more agreeable to the subjugations. They are unaware of why they are here and what they possess.

Emerie: They're children. Like I was... Was your plan to discard them too? Nala Se: The Empire will keep them in order to control them.

We don't know a lot about Emerie's background, but it's clear that she had a lot less choice than Crosshair and less opportunity or ability to leave. Unlike Crosshair, we never directly hear Emerie's views of the Empire (and she was most likely 'taken under Hemlock's wing' before the Empire even came to power), but lets look at how she talks about the Tantiss:

"Remain calm. Cooperate and you might survive."

"Don't make this worse, Crosshair! There is no escape!"

"All of us serve a purpose here."

"The Doctor will inform me, if it's necessary."

"It's best not to ask questions."

"Escape is not possible, Omega. This is for your own good."

She honestly does the best she can within the system she is also trapped in. She tries to help Crosshair, Omega, and the vault kids in the only way she knows how (warns Crosshair about the hounds and security, tries to protect Omega from Hemlock, tells Scorch his "actions were extreme" with Jax, insists on overseeing Bayrn's retrieval, double checks his m-count (to give him an out), and tries to find out where he came from). When she gives Omega, and later Eva, the doll, I think it shows just how little she really is able to do here (and it's kinda heartbreaking imo).

The framing of this shot especially (after Jax's escape attempt) visually shows how Emerie herself is trapped/imprisoned:

Despite the fact that very little of this is Emerie's fault, she has very little power and she is doing all she can, the narrative does not excuse her role in the Empire:

Nala Se: What will you do, Emerie? Emerie: There is nothing I can do. I don't have that kind of power. Nala Se: Don't you?

Emerie: I- I was doing my job. Echo: Yeah, I’ve heard that before. You’re a clone. How can you be part of this?

These fighting-the-Bystander-Effect conversations parallel these exchanges:

Hunter: We made a choice, and so did you. Crosshair: Soldiers follow orders. Hunter: Blind allegiance makes you a pawn.

Crosshair: We’re soldiers, we do what needs to be done. Cody: You know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions, our own choices. And we have to live with them too.

which did not change Crosshair's mind. And honestly, all respect to Echo's disappointed mom glare™ but I think it's clear Emerie had already made her decision, she just needed help to actually be able to do anything about it. When she stopped Echo, with her voice wavering on the verge of tears (ahhh v good voice acting), she clearly had no intention of turning him in. She's on her own in the Empire's most secure facility with very little resources, if she had tried anything on her own she most likely would have failed and been killed

Omega: Emerie, you don't have to do this. Emerie: (sigh) I’m sorry, but I do.

but as soon as she is enabled by an ally, she immediately turns around to help: giving information and getting Echo through security, helping the kids escape, and giving Omega the tablet that allows them to free the other clone prisoners.

Where Crosshair's turn is accompanied by the symbolic imagery of the ice vulture, Emerie's is the removal of her (literally rose-tinted!) glasses:

Symbolizing how she has shed her previous views/indoctrination that altered her perception of the Empire and blinded her to it's wrongs. It's disillusionment.

Emerie's story shows us that even those who are raised and indoctrinated into this system can, should, and will escape (with needed help). Even those who did not choose to be apart of the Empire and are not making the decisions still have the responsibility and ability to act on what they know is right.

Emerie, whose name means 'Home strength' 'Brave' and 'Powerful', and "reflects the importance of leadership and authority in the workplace".***

While Emerie is only in one more scene after her turn, so the wrap up is a bit rushed, she still very simply does what Crosshair does not:

Emerie: Because I was wrong about this place. And I'm trying to do the right thing.

Echo: I’m sure Senator Chuchi would find what you have to say very helpful for our cause. Emerie: I have a lot to make up for. I’d like to help out however I can.

She admits wrong, takes accountability, commits to making amends, and leaves with Echo to go take on the Empire (which hopefully we will get to actually see more of some day).

So, in short, she's showing us how redemption is done right!

---

Notes:

*Whether this writing choice was good/logical/in-character or not is another discussion entirely, but I'm going off of what we were given, what the show is presenting in the canon text and (reasonably inferred/intentional) subtext. Crosshair is pretty multifaceted and I could only touch on so much here. There's a lot of ways to interpret his character/choices, but I tried to avoid the realm of speculation or fanon explanations (even if they sometimes make more sense lol).

**History and political theory are not my area of expertise at all, so I have NO idea how well this aligns with real-world fascism stuff and therefore what implications this storytelling choice could have. I think the message of like 'if you think you could survive or gain power by doing what the Empire/fascist system wants you are wrong' could be good (like how everyone is actually harmed by the patriarchy type of a thing), but I hesitate bc maybe there are those who would benefit, since it's a hierarchal system, right? If anyone more knowledgeable than me has incite to share, by all means

Either way, I do think it works in-story and in-universe though. It's just in the execution. The main problem (even from a strictly theme/character arc stand point) is the lacking follow-up/consequences for Crosshair in S3. Like you gave your character accountability by removing the chip and I think that's great setup for an arc but you gotta follow through with that and actually hold him accountable!

***I'm always curious when clones have 'normal' names, like why did they chose the name Emerie of all things? So I looked it up. Idk how reliable sources are for name meanings so take it with a grain of salt but it's still fun. Fits pretty well, and clones names have definitely had significant meanings in the past (like how Rex and Jesse both mean 'king') so I'm pretty sure it was intentional.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my tedtalk

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

First and Last appearances of Poorly-Drawn-MDZS Season 1!

[sunlightfeeling]

ugh……kinda need a sad drama to neutralize all the happy that was Hito ni Yasashiku’s ending

[demigod-shenanigans]

Honestly, there not being a right or wrong way to read their dynamic is part of why it brings me so much joy. Like the previous reblogger said, their relationship doesn't have to be romantic, but if it were to develop in that direction, the kind of close friendship they have would be a very solid base for a romantic relationship too, if that makes sense? (I’m demiromantic and also huge on friends to lovers so that always contributes for me personally lmao)

Jason being Leo’s anchor and his number one supporter and the person who can read him better than anyone and is so, so gentle with him after all the ways he’s been hurt makes him a wonderful friend, and would also make him a wonderful partner. He also gets Leo to open up in a way no one else really can.

Leo on the other hand gently pushes Jason out of his comfort zone and being with him allows Jason to question things he’s never dared to before and also lets him be a kid which he never got to be before meeting Leo. Jason gets to be a person first and a leader second and he’s never been able to figure out what that means before.

Their fatal flaws are also really fun to contrast, because Leo’s greatest fear is not being trusted but while Jason’s fatal flaw leads him to always overthink every decision to death because he doesn’t want to do the wrong thing, when it comes down to it, he always trusts him, no questions asked. Jason cannot trust his own gut but he does trust Leo’s with his life. There’s something really beautiful about that to me.

Platonic or romantic, these two are just good for each other, and they complement each other really well, and I think a lot of us just think they’d make each other very happy.

As for more specific romantic reads, I do feel like Leo pays more attention to how Jason, specifically, looks in comparison to everyone else—contrasting the way he describes Jason as handsome in the Demigod Diaries while he’s relatively objectively describing Piper is very funny to me. And he puts a lot of emphasis on how perfect Jason is (bringing up several times with Calypso how she would have fallen in love with Jason immediately because he’s the perfect hero, saying he doesn’t pay attention to the appearance of other guys, etc), which can be read purely as jealousy, but also ended up making me raise my eyebrows a little bit because it does sound like he finds Jason attractive lmao

Combine that with the fact that Jason has a couple of moments that make a queer read on him pretty easy too (thinking specifically of his reaction to Cupid being trying to tell Nico “I get it”. Twice.) and him talking about Leo like he’s utterly in awe of him? They just make sense to me.

They’ve also been linked together by the Fates and that prophecy since before they were even born, and the whole “one of us will end up dead”-aspect (including the way it goes down) is very Romeo and Juliet/Pyramus and Thisbe to people, so that adds to them being read as romantic, I think. Lots of love out there for doomed queer romance.

Also, the lost trio having that dynamic of “we are all queer and incredibly confused” is just fun to me.

In an aroace Leo context they would also make a very cute queerplatonic relationship. I think in the end it just comes down to the fact that they grow and change for the better specifically because of each other and they would die to protect each other in a heartbeat and no matter which way you interpret their relationship, they just mean the world to each other. They just have a really healthy, supportive relationship, and I love that, be it as a friendship or in a romantic context.

what is valgrace

hardcore jason fan and defender, but i never got valgrace at all bcs i loved aroace representation and as one myself i thought leo was the perfect dude to do that, was disappointed with caleo

oh i hate lightning mclean too. i was always more of a jeyna person idk until i found out thalia x reyna exists

um so someone get me into valgrace and why it is cool bcs im not even kidding id actually thought leo focusing on jason's scar is because he pays attention to the littlest things

n also i thought jason is just the type of dude who cares about anyone, and would freak out knowing his best (prolly only actual male friend till the argo II) bcs leo doesnt judge him like camp jupiter does

[vaguely-concerned]

sophia seeing cailan's body hanging there when they go back to ostagar, and suddenly all she can see even through the rot and the ruin is just how much he looked like alistair...... :'(

a mental image that totally will not haunt her through alistair's many years on the throne as rebellions and assassination attemps come and go. doesn't send her unhinged and unwise even a little

[kavehayati]

Chappel Roan saying she’s sad she’s demisexual and then there’s me being aroace as a whole like don’t you think I’m even more sad 😭

[lostin2012]

“#I am a little overcome with love for him and I want everyone else to be too. I hope it’s infectious” It seems like everybody who researches him becomes infatuated with him in some way

How could you not be... very charming animal