#even worse than what could be expected for a guy that sacrificed his daughter so he could go to war

[streets-in-paradise]

Troy (2004) Agamemnon is so like lotr films Denethor

[hadesisqueer]

How do you feel about Yang and how she’s summarized in Vol. 8 as suspicious and emotional?

Late, but better late than ever. I've been waiting for this one. It's probably the longest because as I said, I make either two lines or just an entire character analysis lol. And I'm going to do it properly this time.

Okay, I straight (gay) up don't know where to start. I love Yang. I truly love Yang. She's not perfect, she has many flaws, but that's what I like the most about her. I can't help but laugh when some people say she's a Mary Sue.

Childhood, first volumes.

Yang starts the series as the funny blonde hot girl that goes around punching people. And I liked that, but I also like how she wasn't just that, as I said with Nora being the comic relief. Like, there's so much more in Yang than that, just like Weiss turned up to be much more than just the bratty tsundere.

Yang's mother abandoned her. Her other mother disappeared. Her sister was a toddler that didn't really get what was going on except her mother being gone, and her father was so depressed that for a good while, he wasn't even able to raise her daughters. Can you imagine being in that situation? I imagine she was, at most, six when that happened. She was forced to become Ruby's mother figure at six. She was forced to become the fucking adult in the house at six.

Damn, you can even see the difference between how Qrow talks to Ruby and how he talks to Yang, at least at the begining. He talks to Ruby as her uncle, as her mentor. He may tease Yang a little because she's still his niece, but when he talks to her, he always talks like she's an equal. Like, Tai still considered Yang a kid, but Qrow treats her like an adult, and knows and expects her to be the mature one. Because he saw her all those years, being forced grow up so fast. He trusts her to protect and take care of Ruby, and she trust him to protect her as well.

And damn, all of this really explains her behaviour when the series began. As Ruby got older and started to be able to take care of herself, and Tai eventually started to be functional again, Yang had more freedom. Her personality and eagerness for adventure and parties and all of that - is just her trying to make up for her sacrificed childhood. But even then she still was, out of all the girls, the most mature and nurturing of team RWBY. She is the party girl, yes. The hot headed one that will break legs. But she's still the adult of the group.

And then volume 3 happens. She gets framed in front of the entire world, two of her friends die, Beacon falls, she loses her arm in the most traumatic way possible; Weiss, her friend, is basically taken away from her and Blake -her partner, the girl she probably already had feelings for at that point- left, triggering her abandonment issues. And of course, PTSD, because she isn't fucked up enough already. She's so fucking destroyed that she can't even talk about Weiss, about Blake, about what happened. She doesn't even want talk to Ruby, because she can't stand the thought of her little sister seeing her at that state. She is not used to be the one people have to take care of, and it becomes more and more obvious in the next volumes.

Disability, recovery, abandonment issues

I like how volume 4 treats her recovery. I mean, I wish her storyline was longer, but I also like the DC comics. Now, the thing is, she isn't really recovered. In vol 4, she learns to live with her disability, she learns how to use her new arm, she learns how to fight better than she ever did before. It's about physical recovery. But is she okay? No. She hates being taken care of. She forced herself to be okay, or at least pretend she was, so Tai would let her go with Ruby. And in vol 5, she's anything but alright. She is pretending to be for Ruby's sake, because she is her mother figure and Ruby can't see her like that. She has to face her abandonment issues, she still has PTSD, and she is just not okay. Weiss notices right away, and tells her that it's okay if she is not okay. She noticed how hurt she was about Blake leaving. She just could see through the façade because if Weiss knows about anything, is about loneliness and pretending.

Her conversation with Raven at the end of the volume is just one of the best scenes, because you can just see how much Yang has grown. That scene deserves a post of its own because it's just amazing. But she finally faces one of her fears -her own abandonment issues, though they probably will always be there- and sees right through Raven. Because just like her, Raven just puts a façade to hide her own fears and insecurities, and the moment her own daughter isn't just taking any of that shit, she just starts crying. Because Yang is right. And deep down, she doesn't want to let Yang take the lamp, but she isn't just strong enough. Deep down, she wants to be in Yang's life, wants to protect her, and I think Yang knew that. But it was just too late.

More abandonment issues and relationship with Blake.

Now, to Yang, Blake coming back was huge. Not only in the terms of shipping, but as a whole. In her mind, Blake left her, just like Raven, just like Summer (though Summer didn't do it in purpose), and technically, just like Ruby, though she knew why Ruby did it and understood. But she's probably wondering “what is wrong with me that everyone always leaves me”. And she always has to be the one looking for the person who left her.

Not with Blake. After that talk with Weiss (bless the wingwoman), Yang was able to understand Blake's perspective better. But she didn't think Blake would actually ever come back, because no one ever does. But she did. Not only did she come back; literally, all Blake cared about once she entered the room and saw Yang was her (for once, someone is prioritizing her). And later, she was the one to walk and talk to the team, and tell them she didn't plan to leave again if they accepted her back. She didn't have to look for Blake because she was already looking for Yang. She was the one who made the effort, not the other way around. And to Yang, even though they still had issues to work through, even though she was still afraid at that moment that Blake would leave and break her heart again (All That Matters), that was enough to forgive her. Or at least give her another chance.

Now in volume 6 they clearly have issues. Like, Blake is very nurturing to the entire team because she feels like she has to make up. But mostly, she is trying to make up to Yang. She still feels guilty because of Adam, and she knew that Yang had already abandonment issues before she left and she probably made them worse. She was just trying so hard to be there for Yang so she could understand that she would never leave her again that she made things awkward. Yang is used to be the one who takes care of people, not the other way around. She thought that Blake “protecting her” was her seeing her a weak when actually, it was just Blake just genuinely caring about her but with the wrong words. Blake understood after that, and she changed the phrasing in the fight against Adam. Protecting each other. Equals. It really applies to the Bees relationship as a whole. “You're taking care of me, yeah, but I'm going to take care of you as well, no matter what”. For once, Yang is allowing someone to take care of her (well, except Tai, but again, she wasn't completely sincere with him, so technically she wasn't really allowing him to fully help her). And that's what I love the most about their dynamic, and why I ship it.

PTSD

Now (I'm sorry I'm taking so long), I've seen many, many people saying that Yang's PTSD is poorly written, or that the writers messed it up in the fight against Adam. Now, I have to ask those people: what the fuck do you think PTSD is?

If a Great WriterTM reads this and tries to tell me I'm wrong, or that I don't know what I'm talking about and I don't know anything about good writing and blah blah blah: I have PTSD myself. Diagnosed. So yes, I acknowledge there are many things I'm ignorant about, but I'm quite familiar about this topic. Yang's PTSD is, at least by my point of view, very well-written. It isn't perfect, but it's still far so much better than most PTSD portrayals I've seen in TV, along with Korra's. And I've seen people saying that Korra's portrayal was so much better. Well, let me tell you, it isn't, or at least I don't think it is. It's just different, because the worst thing about PTSD (and what makes it harder to treat) is that it's different for every person; sometimes it can be really severe and obvious, sometimes it seems “light”. Damn, sometimes it doesn't appear until years after the event; mine didn't trigger til I was like sixteen, and the event took place when I was around five or six. And yes, sometimes I have nightmares or flashbacks about it if something triggers me, but it isn't the whole time like some of you apparently think it is. I'm not scared 100% of the time, what the fuck.

When it comes to the fight with Adam, saying it didn't affect her: did you watch the fight? First of all, at that precise moment, Yang was so full of adredaline and too busy keeping Adam from killing Blake that I don't think her brain even realised he was the cause of her PTSD. Second of all, when he triggers it, it does affect her; she starts shaking, he's able to land hits on her that he couldn't before. But PTSD is different in every person, and is a defense mechanism, not a freezing mechanism as some people think. If I see the cause of my PTSD in front of me trying to hurt me again, I'm not gonna freeze; I'm gonna do whatever it takes so they don't ever hurt me again. Same goes with Yang: some people think she should have completely freezed during the fight, like “oh my god this guy fucked me up really bad and now he's gonna do it again and there's nothing I can do oh my god”. No. As I said, PTSD doesn't work like that, at least not always. She's not thinking that, she's thinking “alright this guy really fucked me up once but there's no way I'm letting him do that again”. Again, PTSD is a defense mechanism. A fucked up one, but it's what it is. And the writers handled very well.

Yang being suspicious and not completely trusting someone.

Now, I'm not lying when I tell you that I have no idea about what this could mean. Well, it could be her disagreeing with Ruby and having a bad argument, and that would really break my heart because I just love those two sisters so much. It could also be about Ozpin; she's teaming up with Oscar and hearing Ozpin is back could bring some problems. Or maybe Raven just appears there and she's like Hell Naw. I have no idea.

Conclussion.

I love Yang. She's not perfect at all. She's a bit of a hypocrite with the whole Ozpin thing because she's keeping Raven's identity as the Spring Maiden a secret as well (or maybe she did tell them off-screen? Honestly clear that up already). But she's over all a really good friend and person, an amazing older sister and just one of the most inspiring characters in the show. I see part of myself in her, and I don't see that often in a character. I just love her.

Damn, sorry I wrote the Bible but my girl deserved that.

[crystalglassjar]

🦋 Butterfly Baby 🦋

-🦋 Butterfly Baby 🦋-

this isn’t exactly a fanfic but not exactly a list of headcanons either. it’s basically an “I suck at writing but I’ve already planned out an entire story”. is there a beginning, climax, and satisfying ending? no lmao

-📋 story description 📋-

xiao and hu tao get together and have a family. hu tao is 19 at the start of this fic if you’re wondering. I just really needed to get this story out my system...hehe...and reply to this post if you can figure out why the story is called Butterfly Baby

-‼️warnings‼️-

mild spoilers, also this was written on 2/7/2021 so some stuff might seem incorrect after more story quests come out. also major character death if you read the alternate ending

-📜 the actual writing 📜-

• hu tao and xiao start hanging out together (aka hu tao comes to bother xiao and eat almond tofu with him whenever he stops by wangsheng inn)

• xiao eventually grows fond for hu tao but makes many attempts to keep her at an arms distance, all of which were in vain

• xiao and hu tao are both in denial about being in love but obviously xiao takes his denial to a whole other level

• xiao doesn’t visit the inn for 2 weeks but eventually caves and goes back because he missed hu tao the silky texture of almond tofu

• ganyu finds out after overhearing verr goldet (desk lady at wangshu inn) reporting back to ningguang about her observations

• ganyu thinks it’s an exaggeration until she goes to wangshu inn for some business affairs sees xiao and hu tao chatting over some almond tofu and tea

• xiao pretends to not notice ganyu peering from behind a wall

• xiao brings it up during ganyu’s adepti training (ganyu story quest) and she just looks away and apologizes

• xiao knows she wouldn’t tell anyone so he doesn’t bother making her feel even worse than she already does

• xiao and hu tao start actually dating (in secret) but it’s hard to keep at least a few people from noticing an adepti and a funeral parlor director walking near the outskirts of town

• xiao once again tries to distance himself because he feels like he’s not worthy of her love after all the people he’s killed and that an adeptus can’t be with a mortal, hu tao shuts that argument down with “but I don’t care”

• hu tao is a bit hurt that he thinks it matters if she’s a mortal

• she laughs at the rumors that she’s dating an adeptus even if it’s true

• zhong li eventually hears about the rumors and is pretty sure it’s true because hu tao comes to his statue everyday and recently brought up questions about love

• fast forward 10 months of hush hush dating and he finally proposes. no ring or anything fancy, just a simple “do you want to get married?” while they stood at the peak of guyun stone forest

• hu tao says yes without even thinking about it and immediately kisses him and starts excitedly talking about wedding plans that she totally hasn’t been thinking about for the past 3 months

• xiao comes to ganyu to ask for help with wedding planning and ganyu nearly looses her head when she hears him say “so I’m engaged now..”

• hu tao somehow convinced zhong li to help her with planning

• zhong li isn’t too shocked about the engagement but hopes that xiao knows what he’s getting himself into

• hu tao, with a lot of effort, convinces xiao to move into the wangsheng funeral parlor with her

• xiao has a tough time adjusting to mundane life (haha get it because- no? not funny? ok I’ll stop)

• it doesn’t take much negotiation with ningguang to secure a venue at yujing terrace

• xiao would’ve preferred a private wedding at jueyun karst but didn’t know how to ask cloud retainer about it

• one month of planning later and they get married at yujing terrace

• basically everyone in Liyue attends the wedding including traveler

• the adepti got their invites delivered from ganyu and watched the wedding from afar

• I know nothing about Chinese weddings so uhhhh that’s for the reader to dream about

• hu tao throws a flower ball made of silk flowers into the crowd (customs of liyue, volume 1)

• may or may not have forgotten about contraception during their wedding night.....

• too embarrassed to go down to bubu pharmacy get morning after medicine

• hu tao prays to rex lapis that she won’t get pregnant

• zhong li, sipping his tea: I pretend I do not hear

• xiao doesn’t know if he should tell hu tao about zhong li being rex lapis so he just hopes he’ll never have to reveal that secret

• xiao nearly breaks his skull on the wall when he realizes what he’s getting himself into

• people of Liyue are still in shock about an adeptus marrying a mortal (since they were never confirmed to be dating beforehand) and nearly explode with buzz when the funeral parlor director starts growing a baby bump

• “have you seen the wangsheng funeral parlor director? last time I saw her, it looked like her belly was growing a bit. do you think she’s pregnant? oh my archons, a half adeptus baby? I can’t believe it!”

• xiao asks zhong li if he can go out an order a crib, rocking chair, baby clothes, etc for him

• zhong li obviously says yes

• fast forward 9 months and hu tao goes into labor just an hour before the funeral parlor was closing for the day

• zhong li rushes hu tao to her room and tells the undertakers to fetch the midwife

• hu tao calls for xiao and of course xiao is there within 10 seconds

• midwife nearly shits herself when she walks into the bedroom and sees an adeptus

•the midwife nervously asks if xiao was the father

• there was a popular (false) rumor going around that hu tao had an affair with zhong li and the baby was his, mostly because people refused to believe that hu tao was pregnant with a half adeptus baby. these rumors were only fueled further when zhong li was overheard asking a shop keeper if he should order multiple sizes of baby onesies just in case.

• zhong li just nods his head and xiao looks away in shame

• midwife gives helps deliver the baby while thinking “if I fuck this up, this adeptus is going to kill me”

• surprise! the baby is completely fine and healthy

• ganyu asked the qixing if she could take a day off (much to the shock of everyone who knew she wouldn’t even take her yearly vacation leave)

• ganyu has never ran so quickly down Liyue’s streets and nearly kicked down the funeral parlor door

• she’s super excited to know that there’s going to be another half adeptus in Liyue but is also incredibly worried about the idea of a half yaksha child

• I can’t come up with a name for the daughter so ill just call her daughter

• zhong li is named the god father and ganyu is the named god mother

• xiao and hu tao take the baby down to jueyun karst

• ganyu and cloud retainer both think the baby is such an adorable and precious little thing

• the rest of the adeptus are just like “xiao wtf...but ok”

• refer to my posts about xiao as a father if you want some more cute details but I don’t wanna just write a copy paste of my past post

• everyone at Liyue harbor is gossiping about it

• hu tao is a very fun and free mom and teaches the kid to become a tiny ball of chaos with the pyromania of klee and the sneakiness of yaoyao. aka the kid is now unstoppable

• pyro vision because of course

• hu tao teaches her daughter how to master pyro, how to write poetry, and most importantly, how to become a funeral parlor director

• the daughter actually prefers swords over poles and gets classes from the guhua clan, and more specifically,

• zhong li was very eager to give the kid a vision and was managed to get the pyro archons permission

• xiao confronts zhong li about the vision it in secret

• xiao: you gave her a pyro vision. do you know how destructive she will be? 

• zhong li, taking another sip of tea: ✨ I pretend I do not hear ✨

• hu tao overhears the conversation and puts two and two together

• hu tao and xiao have their first ever argument ever since they got married

• “why didn’t you tell me before?”

• “because it was a secret!”

• back and forth until they hear the baby waking up and crying

• they agree that there’s no point in arguing now and go off to calm down the baby

• they end up living a happy life as a family of three, and after hu tao’s death, xiao continues to raise the child as much as he can (with the help of zhong li and ganyu)

• their daughter becomes the 78th director of the wangsheng funeral parlor

~the end~

-↪️ alternate ending ↪️-

• osial somehow wakes up during one lantern rite

• xiao was distracted by a different, much smaller, demon

• the guizhong ballista and jade chamber had been repaired by now and were better than before, and they were able to defeat osial without sacrificing the jade chamber again

• however they didn’t get to the jade chamber fast enough and a small part of Liyue was destroyed

• one place in that part of liyue being the wangsheng funeral parlor

• xiao is overcome by grief because he believe it was his fault that he wasn’t able to protect this family

• he finally succumbs to the corruption

• what he didn’t know what was that hu tao did indeed die in the destruction, but his daughter (currently age 12) was still perfectly well and alive

• ganyu takes in the daughter

• zhong li took over the post as director after hu tao’s death and became the 78th director

• zhong li continued to teach the daughter about how to properly run a business and conduct flawless funerals

• the daughter becomes the 79th director of the wangsheng funeral parlor when she’s 18

• she also becomes the new demonslayer of the adepti, following in her father’s footsteps

• even through the trauma of witnessing her mother’s untimely death and being given the news that her father’s had also died, she made it through and raised a happy family of her own, while wearing the hat that her mom passed down.

~the end~

-📝 author’s note 📝-

ok...so that was longer than expected. let me know what you guys think! see any typos or anything off? please mention it! if you guys have a header for hu tao please do share~

[epicstuckyficrecs]

Weekly Recap | July 27-August 2nd 2020

Another big one this week! I discovered a new writer, can you guess who it is? 😆 

Complete

[Bucky is typing] by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 4K | Mature): Steve just wants to wind down, post mission, with the silly cupcake game Clint downloaded onto his stark phone. He doesn't know who 'Bucky' is, or why he's texting Steve so aggressively. He doesn't mean to answer the phone and argue with the charming voice on the other end. He certainly never meant for the arguing to be interpreted as flirting... But maybe he should just go with it? Maybe Bucky is exactly the leap Steve needs to take, to find his way in the world again.

d-sides and rarities, Chapter 11. balcony + fairy lights  by Deisderium/ @deisderium​ (Shrunkyclunks | Teen): Pepper's PA keeps helping Steve with gala events and public appearances. Steve's trying to keep it professional. Good luck with that.

Helping You Out by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (PWP | 3,7K | Explicit): Steve is not having a great time here... attempting to find his own prostate. So of course, Sam's gorgeous best friend Bucky chooses this exact moment to walk into Steve and Sam's dorm room unnanounced.

Saké It To Me by Kalee60/ @kalee60​ (Shrunkyclunks | 8K | Teen): Being roped into speed dating was not how Bucky imagined spending his Friday night, especially when he realises some of these people might just be a little bit over his pay grade. But then Steve sits down, gorgeous, friendly and full of genuine warmth. Within mere minutes he manages to completely charm the pants off Bucky (or so his future self hopes). So why then, after such a strong connection, didn't Steve call him?

Tap That by Kalee60/ @kalee60​ (Meet-cute | 2K | General): When Steve is distracted while waiting at a busy crosswalk on the way to an important meeting, he inadvertently meets the man of his dreams - but only after making the most mortifying social gaffe of his life.Red faced and apologetic he tries to forget the incident.But sometimes when things go wrong - they suddenly turn out spectacularly right.

Pressure Points by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 3K | Explicit): Bucky Barnes hates to fly. And this flight is starting out worse than normal. Except for the hot, built, blond sat beside him... Who has shoulders for days, a voice like molasses, and some very interesting ideas about how to ease Bucky's anxiety... (Part 1 of 💙 Pressure)

Under Pressure by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 6K | Explicit): Bucky is still high off the sexy encounter he experienced with the super hot guy from his flight yesterday.Only today is not turning out quite so great. He could really use some more of that stress relief that Steve doled out so graciously on the plane.And he left Bucky his number right? Which means Bucky could just call him... See if he's busy...He's doing it - he's calling him. It's ringing. (Part 2 of 💙 Pressure)

High Pressure System by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 8K | Explicit): So Steve ran out on him.Ran out saying 'I'll call, you' which everyone knows means Bucky just got ghosted. Except it turns out his booty call might be more than Bucky bargained for. How deep is he willing to dig to chase the answers to his questions? And why is he finding it so impossible to say no to this guy? Steve Rogers, who ARE you... (Part 3 of 💙 Pressure)

Pressure Rising by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 7K | Explicit): Waking up in a farmhouse, on an apple orchard, in the arms of a man who could bench press a minivan, with eyelashes like a disney princess and shoulders like a greek god is Bucky's fantasy turned reality.Except this is sort of a kidnapping.And his life might be falling apart in the real world.And Bucky might not give a shit, because Steve Rogers is like a drug, and Bucky just can't get enough.Also, it turns out, maybe Bucky is a drug for Steve too... (Part 4 of 💙 Pressure)

Pressing You Down by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 8K | Explicit): Steve Rogers is a master tactician, a supersoldier, a born leader. So why is it, as the team are closing in on an epic mission, two years in the making, that Bucky Barnes (and his thighs, lets face it, men have bled for less) and the possibility of he and Steve having a future together, might be enough to compromise everything his team have worked so long for.Actually, maybe it doesn't have to...Maybe everything is about to work out exactly the way Steve wants it to.Well... A man can dream. (Part 5 of 💙 Pressure)

💙 and the next by mcwho (Time traveling | 12K | Explicit): They have him in the common room of all places, and they won’t let Steve see him. or: a time-travel glitch lands 1936's bucky right in 2025 steve's lap

Reading in progress

Adorably awkward by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 32K | Explicit): The one where Bucky uses Steve's car window as a mirror and Steve can appreciate the view...

WIP

💙 Heirloom by 2bestfriends/ @addyetc​ (Royalty AU, Arranged Marriage | 4/5 | 17K | Explicit): King Steven Grant Rogers of Aphekion is only 20 years old. He relies on the wisdom of his advisors, the strength and honesty of his people, and the love and kindness his mother left to him. He wants nothing more than to honor them all by bringing peace to his kingdom. So much has been sacrificed already. If he must sacrifice his hope for love, then so be it.

💙 Revenance by JJK/ @trenchcoatsandtimetravel​, SinpaiCasanova (The Old Guard AU/The Song of Achilles AU | 2/? | 5K | Mature): And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone. Or, the one where Steve and Bucky are immortal and used to be known as Achilles and Patroclus.

💙 With Only You by brucespringsteen (Time Travel | 6/9 | 35K | Explicit): Steve, semi-retired and still a bastard who doesn’t follow rules, touches a cube that sends him to 1938, eighty-six years in the past. He takes it well. Bucky, twenty-one and baby-faced, takes it even better.

💙 Sergeant Barnes and Colonel Rogers: Lessons in Lust, Longing and Inappropriate Erections. by darter_blue/ @darter-blue​ (Shrunkyclunks | 1/4 | 5K | Explicit): Bucky Barnes is a decorated (though young) Sergeant in the United States Army, a Ranger with the 75th regiment, a sniper of unparalleled skill; he still expects his first day as an Avenger to be challenging. He is not at all prepared for the greatest challenge to be one hot as fuck, steely eyed, Colonel Rogers. More specifically, he is not expecting the greatest challenge to be keeping his dick under control whenever Colonel Rogers, with his broad shoulders and his authoritative command and his fucking thick, gorgeous beard, enters into Bucky's immediate vicinity.

💙 Tender is the Ghost by Hark_bananas/ @harkbananas​ (Post-WS | 6/12 | 70K | Explicit): This thought is uncontrollably followed by another one: I’m not alone anymore. He looks over his shoulder, through the kitchen door, to where Bucky is sitting at his usual place at the head of the dining table, and he feels an unconstrainable smile breaking out across his face, the barest hint of threatening tears along its bright edge. Bucky is still looking past Steve’s left ear, but slowly, gingerly, one side of his mouth quirks up. Steve feels giddy, he wants to shout, or faint, or something to relieve the carbonated pressure that is bubbling up inside of him. Instead, he laughs, short and cheerful, and opens the oven door. (Part 2 of Tender is the Ghost)

💙 A Call to Motion by JJK/ @trenchcoatsandtimetravel​ (Uni AU | 2/? | 16K | Explicit): He was a jock, he did ballet, what more can I say? (aka: Steve’s football coach sends him to learn ballet to improve his game, Bucky is the dance TA tasked with teaching him).

💙  Bespoke by the1918/ @the1918​ (Shrunkyclunks, ABO AU | 7/10 | 72K | Explicit): “I love you, too. So fucking much,” Steve answered. His voice sounded cracked and exhausted, an exposed nerve ending in the shape of a man. “Some days I still don’t believe you’re real. Feels— feels like somehow, I’ve always loved you. Even when I didn’t know you.” Bucky smiled softly at that and felt his heart threaten to explode. Still straddling his lap, he reached a hand up to cup Steve’s cheek. “You’ve always known me,” he stated, simply. “I was made for you, remember?” (Part 2 of 💙Compatible)

💙 Songbird by chicklette/ @chicklette​ (Singer Bucky, Fake relationship | 13/15 | 61K | Explicit): At 43, James Barnes is a washed up old man. He’s got a dozen Grammys in the hall closet, an agent that can’t get him a deal, a decade-old case of writer’s block, a moody teen-aged daughter, and the gorgeous actress Natasha Romanova for an ex-wife. Enter Steven Grant Rogers, struggling twenty-something, orphan, and someone who has no idea who Barnes is. The two men meet by accident, doing nothing more than passing the time in a quiet bar. But when a pap gets a shot of the two men embracing, Bucky takes it as a chance to finally come out as bisexual, and his agent makes him a proposition: Ten new songs and one very sweet boyfriend will get him a new record deal that will maybe, just maybe put him back on top. Now all he has to do is write the songs, convince the kid, and not fall in love. Should be easy, right?

[trvelyans-archive]

i think the idea of a game where you play from the "good guy's" side and the "bad guy's side", and i think it could be really cool. it could be about how good and bad are subjective depending on who you're playing as and how there is no true antagonist/protagonist because both are both. like. that would be cool !!!

but putting that in one of the most beloved franchises in gaming.... and making you play as the character who a) killed one of the most beloved characters in gaming and b) is actively trying to kill the other... who wants that ? i saw a review where the guy was like "why would i play as abby for half the game to try and kill ellie ? why would i want abby to succeed?" and he's right !!!

even if joel's actions have to come back to bite him in the ass, i get that... EVERYONE in this world has killed someone's brother, sister, daughter, son, etc ! abby probably has too !!! the revenge angle is so petty and to me feels almost forced. this is a harsh world where people are incredibly accustomed to killing lol - especially after she travels with the WLF, i'd be willing to bet that she killed a lot of people !!! does she expect them to come after her ? no !!! because why would they do that !!!

the first game is about joel figuring out what fatherhood is again, and the result of that is taking away what ellie wanted for his own reasons because he wanted to protect her. having him die 2 hours into the game in such a borderline pathetic way is like spitting on everything the first game did, let alone the relationship struggles his lie set up !!! those are just thrown away and the only thing they do in the second game is make his and ellies relationship kinda tense lol !!! like they served no real purpose !!!

he should have had to properly own up to his actions and THEN, the only way he could have saved ellie again was by sacrificing himself instead, instead of once again taking her autonomy away from her. say dina and ellie and even jesse are looking for a cure !!! say they figure it out but one of them has to hold back infected, hit some sort of Button while the others escape ? thats when joel dies !!! heroically bc, to the audience, he's been more or a less a hero and he deserves to go out like one !!! but he was just treated as a plot device for a plot nobody wanted ???

the whole game spits on the concept of endure and survive bc joel was actively unhappy without having someone (ellie) to survive for before the first game and then realizes that's what he's been missing on all along which is why him not surviving FOR her would be so powerful, and then ellie goes down that same route in tlou2 where she is surviving (but at what cost) and... doesn't get a happy ending ? she's worse off than she's been in her entire life ? and WE play as the character who did that ?

.... ANYWAY, that's all i have to say on that !!!

[facelessfrey]

I woke up mad and have been mad all day so let’s discuss the disrespectful absurdity that was Bellamy’s death on the 100 some more. 

JRoth’s tweet really pissed me off a lot. Ultimately, he’s not wrong when he says the 100 has always been a dark show about hard choices and what people would do to survive. It’s just that I don’t think any of that played into Bellamy’s death at all. I’ve been thinking about all of the other major character deaths across the seasons and how, even the ones I hated and have massive issues with, still somehow seem more respectful to the characters than what he did to Bellamy. Keep reading for the rant:

Season 1 - Wells (and to an extent Charlotte)

Wells - Wells is a bit of a tricky one since it happened so fast and I know there are people still upset about it. But it set the tone for the show, the tone that JRoth is so proud of and referencing for Bellamy’s death. But I think you can get away with a shock value death in season one to kick things off. They also set up the situation fairly well, playing up just how harsh things are on the ark, that most of their parents had been floated. I can understand how Charlotte, who is just a child, reached that conclusion, especially with Bellamy’s maybe misguided advice (although that’s clearly not what he meant). I also don’t know that there was really a place for another presumably male lead in season one alongside Bellamy and Finn. So I get it. But also, Wells still had a chance to repair things with Clarke before he was killed. She discovered the truth and knew that he lied to protect her. He didn’t die with her hating him. It was a truncated arc, but it was something. 

Charlotte - And arguably, Charlotte’s death kind of needed to happen. There wasn’t really any way for her to continue on with them after what she’d done and at least it was her choice, however tragic it all was. 

Season 2 - Finn and Maya

Finn - As with Wells, Finn’s death is something I think you can get away with and can be viewed as edgy in an early season. It’s upping the stakes and reminding you that this is a show that will put these characters in impossible situations. And they still had a male lead left in Bellamy, plus Murphy and Jasper and even a character like Miller were rising in the ranks and there to fill in the gaps. Plus a whole host of new characters. Killing Finn was a gutsy move but one I could respect. They took him down a dark path and instead of absolving him for it because he was a main character, they made him pay for it. But unlike Bellamy, Finn realized what he did was wrong. He couldn’t live with the guilt. He couldn’t live with the way Clarke was looking at him. He knew the truce with the Grounders was important and he knew he was the key. He made the choice to give himself up. He had agency. He got to have one last escape attempt with his friends, say his goodbyes to everyone. And even still, they let him die with some amount of dignity rather than being tortured to death. And Clarke killing him worked in a way her killing Bellamy doesn’t. What he did was directly tied to her. Only she could forgive him in those final moments. There were multiple episodes of build up to this death, it was the story of the whole episode it happened in. It was expected but also a bold move for the show. 

Maya - This was a death about hard choices and survival. The audience had grown to like Maya throughout the season, seeing her stand up for what was right and going against her own people. She didn’t deserve the end she got. But Clarke and Bellamy and Monty were put in an impossible situation and it was either the lives of all their friends and family or death in a very inhumane way because the mountain never would have stopped. And the way it was set up, with us and them watching Raven and Abby being drilled into, the choice was painful but clear. And it had been building to this moment for an entire season. 

Season 3 - Lexa and Lincoln

Lexa - Lexa had arguably one of the most controversial deaths on the show. And I know there were behind the scenes reasons for it with the actress having another show to film. I don’t know how much availability she would have had. I don’t know how necessary it was to remove her from the narrative. I don’t want to get into it I will just assume for these purposes, that she had to be killed off. And I’ve always said with respect to Lexa, that I didn’t mind that they killed her off, it was how they did it. But compared to Bellamy’s death, even her controversial one feels less disrespectful to the character. It may be worse due to lesbian death tropes and that’s a larger issue, but in terms of the show story, I don’t think it was as bad. First of all, she was only a character for a season and a half. Second, her death directly affected the plot that had been hinted at all season and carried out in a major way through the rest of it. Now I hate that she died immediately after having sex by a stray bullet from a guy who should not have been holding a gun in the first place. I hate it. I would have much rather she went down fighting or stepping in front of a bullet for Clarke or something. But at least she got to finally resolve things with Clarke. They reconciled. They said they loved each other. She knew was was going to die at the end and she got to have her final moments with Clarke. Clarke got to do the whole may we meet again speech. Despite the issues, it was a beautiful moment. 

Lincoln - This death has always been the one that pissed me off the most. Again I know there were behind the scenes issues and he also had another show. Again I don’t know how much filming availability he would have or how necessary his death was. Again, let’s assume it was because people can’t just go off somewhere else for a new start on this show. But I still always hated how he went out, being executed in the mud. He should have gone down fighting at the very least. However, even more at the very least, because that’s what we’re getting into here, Lincoln did die because he was defending his people. That’s the bare minimum here but at least he had that. He was true to himself. I hated that he didn’t really get a final moment with Octavia, but hey, at least she was present. Extremely low bar but still, better than Bellamy’s death from a writing perspective. 

Season 4 - Jasper (Roan, Illian, Luna)

Jasper - Jasper’s is a sad tale. He spent two seasons basically completely depressed after the events of season two. There really wasn’t anywhere else to take his character at that point, so I understood and was ready for him to go. It made sense as an end for his character and he got to go out on his own terms and not take the spot in the bunker of someone who truly wanted to live. He got to have his final moments with Monty. It was a good end for him. 

Roan, Illian and Luna - I wouldn’t call them major characters per say, perhaps Roan and Luna but we got to know all of them fairly well. They were expendable characters for the most part but they at least got to die fighting for their people and that’s a respectable way to go out. 

Season 5 - Jaha, Monty and Harper

Jaha - Jaha was a character who did go down a sort of cult path. It probably would have been easy to kill him off in season 3 as a result of that. And if it had been a high stakes, last resort, have to kill Jaha to get to ALIE to save everyone, I could have respected that. But they didn’t. They let him survive that. They let him see the error of his ways. He spent season four determined to save his people from what he helped to unleash. He didn’t do it in the right way but even then, finally, in season 5, he was redeemed a bit, helping to maintain the peace in the bunker and helping Octavia gain control. And he had Octavia and Marcus and Abby there at his end. It was fitting. He got to say his goodbyes. 

Monty and Harper - I was very sad to say goodbye to them but they went out on their own terms. They got probably the happiest ending out of anyone on this show. They got to live their lives how they chose and be together and having a son. And they did all of that while finding a way to give their friends, their family, their people a fresh start. And they got to say goodbye, albeit through video, but it was touching and lovely. 

Season 6 - Shaw, Kane and Abby

Shaw - Shaw was another one that was killed off because he had another show, which is fine. It sucked for Raven and it was sad the character only got one season. Although considering the seasons that followed, I think he should count himself lucky really. But again, he died helping out his friends and Raven. It was a sacrifice and he knew what he was doing. 

Kane - Again, another person who had other commitments. And they did some weird body swap stuff to extend his time a little longer. But I loved that they had actual Kane there at the end anyway to say goodbye to Abby even if it wasn’t really him that she was seeing. It was a nice touch, and a better way to say goodbye to the character. He also chose to let go. It was on his terms and he got his goodbye with Abby. And there were good parallels to floating both men she loved. 

Abby - I’m not fond of the way they killed off Abby since she was basically dead once they took over her body. So that was unfortunate. But at least prior to the body swapping, she did have that last scene with Clarke where they kind of reconciled. And if I recall, she had some last moments with Jackson and Raven too. And those matter. 

Season 7 - Diyoza and Bellamy

Diyoza - By season seven, I’m honestly kind of over major character deaths. I don’t really want them. I just want to see these characters that I love survive all of the trauma of the show and find peace, but I understand that I’m never going to get that. It’s fine. I was sad to see Diyoza go, but her sacrificing herself for her daughter, for the people who became her family, kind of “for all mankind” to use a phrase I hate now, was a fitting way for her to go out since she was introduced to us as a terrorist. And she got to say her goodbyes. This is clearly an important theme for me. 

Bellamy - And then we circle back to my rage. Bellamy kind of took the path of Finn in a way, or perhaps his season 3 arc, which he didn’t really pay for so much. Not the way Finn did anyway because all of a sudden Blood must not have Blood. Plus, Pike was the rightful scapegoat for all of that. But this season saw Bellamy get caught up in yet another man’s bullshit idea of what was right. That was frustrating enough, but I guess it was somewhat in character. It’s just all the more frustrating because the Second Dawn/Shepherd nonsense is just that, nonsense. His sudden anti grounder status in season 3 were motivations that made at least some sense. He’d been fighting them since day one basically. They betrayed them at Mount Weather, which meant they had to kill everyone there, which meant he lost Clarke. And then Echo’s betrayal killed his three episode girlfriend, Gina. Plus Pike was a man he’d respected on the arc. The motivations always felt fairly thin to me since Gina was so minor, but overall, they make sense. 

This season has been all over the place. The storylines have been mostly nonsensical. The nature of the different timelines meant that there were many episodes where we had to backtrack to fill in gaps, which meant the story was basically at a standstill for the whole middle of the season. We have zero sympathy for Bill and his cult followers. They’re not interesting. The Mount Weather people were brutal and doing terrible things, but I understood their need to survive. These Second Dawn people don’t have that same motivation. They’re fine. And so much of it is driven by the flame, which Bill wants for selfish reasons along with the stupid key code. He wants to know if there’s any of his daughter in there, which goes against all his teachings and what he’s trying to suck Bellamy into. And all of that is really just to set up a spinoff no one is going to want to watch at this point anyway after all of this. It’s kind of insulting. 

And we see all of this Bellamy development in one episode late in the season and then he just betrays all his friends and family. He only shows the slightest hint of questioning. He just flat out tells Echo she doesn’t matter more than the cult. He doesn’t even have a scene with just his sister. He gets one good scene with Clarke but then is like “eh torture her it’s fine”. And then we get to this episode, where he barely interacts with his friends that he’s with. They spend most of the episode rolling their eyes at him and mocking his clothing choices. They set up the stupid sketchbook in a rushed little scene with Madi and Clarke just so in the last thirty seconds Sheidheda, who my god should be dead now (Indra I’m looking at you), can say “hey check out that book”. And Bellamy picks up this book that we’ve seen like once or twice earlier in the season that was fairly inconsequential then. We don’t even fully understand what’s in it that’s so crucial that Bellamy can’t show Bill. And that’s what Clark shoots him for? Really? And shoots to kill? Which was highly unnecessary to get her hands on that book. And then she didn’t even take the stupid book in the first place. 

So Bellamy Blake, main male lead of the series, hero and leader to his people, gets murdered by his closest most trusted friend, his person, without getting to realize that the cult stuff was bullshit, without getting any chance to redeem himself, for a book that really doesn’t even seem to matter. And he dies alone. None of his family or friends are around. No one is reciting the may we meet again speech. He never got a final scene to reconcile with his sister. He never had any real final moments with anyone else. He just disappeared in the first five minutes of the premier, showed up eleven episodes later, a brainwashed cult follower and that’s how he died. That’s frankly bullshit. And a massive disservice to his character, to Clarke’s character, to the show. And the fact that they barely had Clarke try and shake him out of his brainwashing. The fact that his friends just mocked him instead of trying to help him. It’s just not what this show was built on. It’s not. It’s one absurdity after another. It’s insulting. 

And the fact that every other character I’ve listed here at least got something, some kind of minor positive to their passing but Bellamy got none of those things?! Not fighting for a cause or a people the audience is rooting for or siding with. And no final goodbyes with the people he loves. Even Clarke only did her crying once she went through the stupid portal. I’m just mad. I should feel devastated by his death, but at least feel like he died for something. He died for nothing and that’s the saddest part of it all.  

[leahxx129]

Heaven’s on Fire (Castiel x Reader)

This is my submission to the talented @lettersofwrittencollective​ ‘s 1K Celebration challenge. Congrats once more! :))

I had this idea in the back of my mind for quite a while now and her challenge came as a heavenly sign to write & publish it, so here we go. My prompt can be found in bold in the text. I hope you all enjoy it! :) Oh, and if you want to listen to the song mentioned in the fic, you can do that here.

Disclaimer: Tumblr is being weird again so if you’re using the app, the ‘Keep Reading’ cut off line may not be visible inspite of the fact that I always insert one.

Summary: You’ve successfully managed to get off the grid but thanks to your best friend, the one person you wish to see the least finds you and reveals a surprising truth. Will it be enough to bury the hatchet though? 

Warnings: angst, cursing, mentions of sex

Word count: 2.790-ish

You are tapping your fingertips against your glass as you watch the ice cubes slowly melt and dissolve in the bourbon. Is this your second? Or third? You have no idea. And frankly, you don’t even give a damn.

This Friday night is just like any other in the past year – you find a bar, have a few drinks… sometimes you leave alone, sometimes you don’t. It depends on your mood and on how attractive the person trying to get in your pants is. Truth be told though; you haven’t been so picky lately as you’ve realized that when you close your eyes, they all look just like him.

You’ve been here for about an hour now and only two candidates have summoned the courage to approach you but sadly, none of them measure up to your lowered standards. You roll your eyes in annoyance and down what’s left of your drink. Just as you’re about to get up and leave, another bourbon is placed on the small round table in front of you. Your look of disapproval soon turns into bewilderment as your eyes travel to the face of your server.

“Feathers?” you blurt out and despite your best efforts, the pet name sounds more like a question than a statement.

A faint smile is playing in the corner of his mouth.

“It’s been a while since I heard that one.”

Castiel sits down across you and takes a sip from the booze he got for himself. Hundreds of questions are racing through your mind and you’re having a hard time deciding which one to ask first.

“Which one of those asshats sold me out?” you eventually settle on one. Around the apocalypse situation back in 2010, the angel branded your ribs with the spell that keeps people off the celestial radar, too, so he couldn’t have found you all by himself.

“Assuming you are referring to the Winchesters, it was Sam.”

“Should’ve thought so…” you say dryly. “When I texted him my location, I thought I made it clear that I’m only available in case of emergencies. “

“I sort of tricked him into believing this was an emergency.” he admits, and you can’t believe what you’re hearing.

“What do you want, Cas?”

“I wanted to see you, Y/N.” your name rolls off his tongue the softest way possible. “When I was sent back to Earth from the Empty, I was perplexed not to find you in the bunker.”

“Yeah, well, I needed some space and a breath of fresh air.”

“A thousand miles away from there? From me?” he adds the last part reluctantly.

“You do not have the right to guilt-trip me, okay? If anything, I should be doing that to you…”

He draws his eyebrows together in confusion.

“I do not understand.”

Of course he doesn’t... You try to blink them away but a couple of hot teardrops stream down your face, nevertheless. He instinctively grabs your hand you’ve been resting on the table and squeezes it.

“Please look at me.”

Every fiber in your body is protesting because once you look into those ocean eyes, he wins… but you comply anyway.

“Explain?” he murmurs.

You hear the appeal leave his lips but all you can concentrate on is the way his fingers are pressing yours. It conjures the memory of the very first time you held hands...

You finished applying lipstick and checked your complete makeup in the review mirror. A sophisticated trophy wife was staring back at you, which meant that you accomplished your goal. You silently thanked the Lord Sam and Dean weren’t with you because you would never hear the end of their mockery.

“Okay, I’m done. Tell me, Feathers, how do I look?” you turned to Castiel who’d been riding shotgun before you parked your dark blue 1970 Ford Fairlane in the church’s parking lot.

“Uhm, you look lovely, Y/N, although you do not quite resemble your everyday self.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“For the sake of this mission I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“It was meant to be one.”

You shrugged then proceeded to give him a once-over.

“Well, you look dashing as always, but I suggest losing the trench coat. It doesn’t suit the occasion and we certainly don’t want to raise Father Milton’s suspicion. If he senses something is off, he’ll never lead us to his angel-hearing daughter.”

He appeared torn for a minute.

“But my angel blade is in my trench coat. If I leave it in your car and things take a turn for the worse, what will I use for protection?”

You pulled your chiffon skirt up, revealing a .45 Hardballer attached to your thigh. His eyes followed your abrupt movement but as soon as he realized where his gaze landed, he looked away. If you weren’t imagining, he even blushed a little.

“As long as we’re dealing with humans, this shall do.” you pulled the skirt back down. “Now c’mon. We need to find this Anna girl before the demons do.”

You both got out of the car and walked to the church’s entrance but before you went in, you adjusted his tie.

“Okay, Castiel, remember… we are Mr. and Mrs. Novak, expecting our first child, and we are here to see the girl who hears the angels so she could bless our baby.”

“I still believe this is a ridiculous cover story.” he commented.

“They’re religious people, they’re gonna buy it, trust me.”

With that, you took his right hand and laced your fingers with his. He almost yanked his arm away - you could tell from the little twitch you felt – but stopped himself from doing so.

“What are you doing, Y/N?”

“We have to make our cover realistic and this is one way to do that. Relax a bit, would you? You’re stiffer than a stick…”

“What you’re saying is not humanly possible for my vessel, but I suppose I perceive the insinuation.”

You rolled your eyes at his awkwardness and pushed the church door wide open.

The memory makes you smile and when you look up to his face, you see him replicating your expression. He must’ve been reminiscing about the same thing.

You pull your hand from his grip and first you swallow your glass of bourbon, then his, too, not minding the puzzled look he gives you. You need all the liquid courage you can get.

“You want an explanation? Here you go!” you reply, feeling the warmth of alcohol spreading through your body. “I simply cannot be in your immediate proximity anymore, Cas, I just can’t! I have no idea when these feelings for you developed exactly, but they did. And every single time you sacrificed yourself for the greater good over the years, I died a little inside… which is crazy, because you’ve never seemed to be interested in me like that… So, when Lucifer killed you for the second time, that was the last straw. I couldn’t keep breaking my own heart for somebody who just sees me as a really close friend with occasional benefits. I had to get away in order to piece myself back together.”

He sighs your name passionately and the next second he leans over the table, gently captures your chin between his thumb and index finger and locks his lips with yours.

You’re not sure what amazes you more – the fact that he’s kissing you or the scene that starts outlining in your mind.

You remember the place that comes to life in your head. It’s the higher scale pub where you had your farewell drinks at with the Winchesters, Bobby and Cas the night before Sam let Lucifer wear him to the prom. Not counting the five of you and the bartender, the joint was empty - courtesy of the angel’s heavenly persuasion technique applied on the bouncer so he wouldn’t let anyone else in. 

But something isn’t quite right…this is not your memory. 

It’s Castiel’s, you realize.

Cas, Bobby and Dean were sitting around a table, the latter raising a hand to order another round of the most expensive scotch the place served. The world was ending, saving a few dollars on cheap drinks seemed utterly pointless. You and Sam were attempting to dance to an overrated pop song a few tables over, laughing whole-heartedly throughout the process. With a little liquor in his veins the man was a real talent on the dancefloor – or at least that’s what he thought.

“You do realize, Dean, that a few glasses of alcohol will not numb me to the point where I would forget what is ahead of us, right?” Cas inquired but before Dean had the opportunity to come up with a comeback, Bobby jumped in.

“They might not numb you but they’re sure as hell working for me!” he said as he took a sip from his newly arrived quality booze.

“All I’m missing is a hot babe on my laps...” Dean added “What do you guys say, shall we get ourselves some fun female company?”

“I do not know about Bobby, but it is a pass from my side.” Cas replied indifferently then averted the topic, asking what he’d been dying to know all night. “Why are Y/N and Sam dancing so close to each other? Their bodies are touching. Is there… is there something romantic between them?”

Dean and Bobby exchanged a curious glance.

“Cas… are you… jealous?” Dean chose his words carefully and asked in a tone only the three of them could hear.

“I don’t know, honestly. Emotions are a novelty to me.”

“Okay…how do you feel when you see them dancing that close?” Bobby tried approaching the topic differently and succeeded.

“I do not like it. I feel like it is wrong. I would like to be the one that close to her. But apparently, she is completely content with Sam’s proximity.”

“There’s nothing romantic between them, Cas.” Dean declared. “They used to date when they were high schoolers, but that’s it. They’re not an item anymore. So, go get your shot with her while you still can.” there was a short silence, but he continued “Man, my little brother must know something… I mean, staying friends after a breakup? I’m a ladies’ man and not even I can do that!”

“Enough of the bragging, idjit! Order another round instead, would ya? I’m still thirsty…” Bobby scoffed and downed the remainder of his drink.

The rest of the night went by fast. In the end, Bobby and Dean had to drag a very drunken Sam out of the bar as his own legs failed to support him. You returned from the restroom to find Castiel all alone.

“Hey, Feathers… were you waiting for me?” you asked with the sweetest smile he had ever seen and suddenly his heart began beating faster.

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I was. I’d like to talk to you about something.”

“Go on…”

Instead of phrasing his thoughts, he just cupped your face and kissed you. After a short while you were the one to break the interaction and he instantly felt embarrassed, so he uttered the very first thing that came to his mind.

“Thank you, Y/N, for being such a great friend. I deeply appreciate it.”

“Uhm, you’re welcome, I guess…Is there anything else you wanted to share or…?”

“No, we can leave. The others are waiting outside.”

“Okay.”

He knew he screwed up. He had his chance and he totally blew it. But the worst part was that he had no idea how to make it right.

The flashback ends as Cas leans away and your eyes flutter open.

“You… you had a crush on me?”

“Ever since I met you, Y/N.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I was convinced that a fierce, beautiful woman such as yourself could never accept a frail underdog such as myself to be by her side.”

His confession startles you immensely and you need a few seconds to collect your thoughts.

“You’re an idiot, Feathers.”  

“So I’ve been told.”

You both chuckle and this time it’s your turn to kiss him.

“There’s so much we need to catch up on…” you whisper against his lips, but he frowns, making you regret your words immediately.

“Uhm, we can’t just yet… first, there’s something I need to take care of.”

“What’s that?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both.”

Funny how a four-letter word can hurt even more than any physical injury you have ever obtained during your career as a hunter.

“I see.”

“Y/N…“

“Don’t. Just leave, please.”

A flutter of wings indicates he complies with your wish. You call a taxi to take you to the motel you’re staying at as you’ve had enough to drink and don’t want to risk crashing the Fairlane. You are not in the mood for small talk, and sensing this, your driver turns up the volume on the radio. Heaven’s on Fire by KISS blasts through the speakers and it evokes the memory you associate with it.

Sometimes you just needed to take a break from hunting for the sake of your sanity and the estate in the Nebraskan countryside your grandma had willed you a couple of years prior proved to be an excellent safe haven. So consequently, when the Winchester found a very much so human Castiel, it wasn’t even a question where to hide him from the community of pissed off fallen angels.

On a particularly humid afternoon, you finished working on your car and took a quick shower to get rid of all the dirt and oil sticking to your skin. Having only a towel on, you proceeded to the kitchen with the intention of pouring yourself a glass of wine. Cas insisted on doing the grocery shopping, so you were all alone. Suddenly, Heaven’s on Fire by KISS started playing on the radio.

“God, I love this song!” you exclaimed and took a sip from your glass.

“I must say your taste in music is quite similar to Dean’s.” a voice spoke up behind you, making you jump.

You turned to see the ex-angel standing in the door with huge bags in his arms. He was back early.

“Jesus, Feathers, don’t sneak up on me like that! I almost threw my drink in your face and this shit is expensive! Every ounce of it should be treasured not wasted.” you scolded him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you it’s just… I just…” he was visibly struggling to express himself, but his gaze told you more than his words ever could as he slowly dragged it all over your body, examining every curve along the way.

“You’ve never seen a woman in a towel, have you?” you asked, not being able to suppress a smile.

“Only once in a movie about a pizza man.” he admitted shyly.

“A pizza man?” you furrowed your brows but soon enough you remembered the story about this. ”Oooh, I get it. In that case... put the groceries on the counter.”

He appeared a bit confused but did as instructed anyways. When he turned back to your direction, you undid the knot on your towel and let it pool around your legs.

“Now, I want you to show me what you learnt from that pizza man.”

“Are you okay, lady?” the driver asks, turning the volume down a bit and you realize you’ve been crying.

“Uhm, yes… I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” you reply while wiping your eyes.

You roll down the window and let the cool air dry your wet cheeks. This is the last time you allow yourself to be devoured by sorrow because of Castiel. Tomorrow you’ll retrieve the Fairlane and get gone, not leaving a trace you can be found upon.

Cas on the other hand goes back to Lebanon, Kansas, and roams the streets for hours. Eventually he stops in front of two liquor stores adjacent to each other. He wants to make up for all those years you two lost, he really does… but getting together with you would mean the world’s greatest happiness to him and that’s when the Shadow from the Empty would come and drag him back to the land of eternal slumber. He needs to find a way to defeat the Shadow first and then he’ll look for you. But until then there is one choice to make – which one of these liquor stores should he drink to numb the ache in his chest? Maybe both.

[just-dreaming-marvel]

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SEVEN - THE TIME HEIST (1)

LEGACY: A Tony Stark Daughter Story

FULL STORY MASTERLIST

ENDING ONE MASTERLIST

< previous

Word Count: 1,324ish

Summary: Bailey finds Clint in the training room early in the morning. The Team goes back to get the stones.

 I woke up early in the morning, unable to sleep due to what I knew was going to happen. I made my way down to the training rooms, eager to get all these emotions out. When I arrived, I noticed Clint already there, shooting arrows. After grabbing my bow and arrows, I entered the shooting range and shot just after him. My arrow hit dead center, splitting his arrow that had landed there just before mine. His head spun in my direction. I gave him a mischievous smirk as I made my way to stand beside him.

“I see why Nat said that you could rival me,” Clint commented. “Why are you up so early, kid?” He asked as he readied himself to shoot.

“First of all, I could ask you the same thing,” I responded, following his lead. “Second, I’m not a kid anymore. I’m twenty five.”

He sent an arrow flying towards a target. “You’ll always be a kid to me, B.” I rolled my eyes before I rapid fired a few arrows, each going to its own target. “I’m going to ask this just one more time, why are you up so early?”

I shrugged, not making eye contact. “Just couldn’t sleep.”

“You’re too young to be taking after your father in that aspect, kid.”

“I didn’t get it from him… I’ve just always been this way. It’s just been getting worse the stronger my abilities get.”

He set down his bow without me noticing and walked up to me. I was ready to shoot when he walked up and gently guided the bow down. I let him take it from my hands and set it down before his hands grab my right arm and inspect it.

“I’m so sorry, B,” he whispered as his fingers grazed over the scars on my arms. “You should have never had to go through any of that.”

“There was nothing you could have done, Clint… No one could have stopped what happened.”

His right hand moved to hold onto my hand as his left cupped my cheek. “I don’t think you realize what a blessing you are to this team… I wish my family could have known you more.”

“When we get them back, I’ll come and visit. Maybe even train Lila better than you can.”

He chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

I pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for being part of my family, Clint.” I whispered.

He hugged back. “Your welcome. Thank you for being part of mine.”

We broke apart when Natasha knocked on the open door. By the look on her face I knew that it was time for them to start getting ready. We made our way over to her and I engulfed her in a hug. She was a bit taken back, but returned the gesture.

“I love you, Nat,” I whispered.

“I love you too.” She whispered, rubbing my back. “Everything’s going to work out.”

I simply held her closer and stayed silent, knowing that my voice would give my emotions away. The three of us made our way to the platform, Nat and Clint changing along the way. The Team gathered on the platform as I went to the control panel. 

“Five years ago, we lost. All of us,” Cap stated as he looked around. “We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back…”

“You know your teams, you know your missions.”

“Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know, that doesn’t mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we’re going to win.” Tony and Steve looked at each other, Tony raising an eyebrow slightly at him with a smirk plastered on his lips. 

“Whatever it takes. Good luck.”

Rocket looked at Scott. “He’s pretty good at that.”

“Right?” Scott agreed. 

“Alright, you heard the man,” Tony said. “Stroke those keys, kiddo.”

“Tractors engaged,” I informed them as I did as he commanded. We made eye contact and he motioned me to jump into his head. “I love you, Daddy. Stay safe.”

“Always. Love you too, B.” 

Clint was looking at the miniature sized ship that Rocket had agreed we could use. 

“You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?’ Rocket asked. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” replied Clint. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”

“As promises go, that was pretty lame,” Rocket muttered.

Natasha looked to Steve, smiling. “See you in a minute.” 

  He gave her a faint smirk before turning to look at me. I quickly entered his thoughts. “I love you,” Steve stated. “I’ll see you in a minute.”

I smiled, trying not to show the sadness in it. “I love you too. Be safe.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Steve gave me a small smile and a slight nod before everyone’s helmets slid on. I pressed the button that opened the portal. 

I watched it open and everyone jump in. The minute that followed was the longest minute of my life. As soon as everyone returned, I was bombarded with everyone’s experiences. Steve, Tony, Bruce, and Scott succeeding in getting the Mind Stone and the Time Stone, but then Steve and Tony going to 1970. 

There, Steve saw Peggy and Tony talked with Howard, as well as successfully got the Space Stone. 

Thor talking to his mother and him and Rocket getting the Reality Stone. 

 Rhodey and Nebula getting the Power Stone. Then, last, Clint getting the Soul Stone after Natasha sacrificed herself. 

I fell to the floor as I became overwhelmed with seeing everything and all the emotions. Bruce questioned where Nat was, and the look on Clint’s face was enough to answer. 

Everyone slowly exited the room, heading to change and mourn. Tony and Steve noticing me on the floor and immediately went to me. I quickly got up and made my way to the dock. Slowly, Bruce, Thor, Steve, Clint, and Tony joined me. We were all mourning.

“Do we know if she had a family?” Tony wondered, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” Steve answered with tears rolling down his face. “Us.” 

I held in a sob and Steve quickly came up behind me, carefully wrapping his arms around me. His longing for Peggy hit me in that instance, but I knew now was not the time to talk about it.

“What?” Thor asked, confused.

“I just asked him a question—“ But Thor cut Tony off before he could finish. 

“Yeah, you’re acting like she’s dead. Why are we acting like she’s dead? We have the stones, right?” He glanced at everyone. “As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn’t that right?” He came over and gripped Steve’s shoulder. “So stop this shit! We’re the Avengers, get it together.”

“We can’t get her back,” Clint plainly stated. 

“Wha-what?”

“I’m sorry,” Thor laughed dryly. “No offense, but you’re a very earthly being. Okay? And we’re talking about space magic. And ‘can’t’ seems very definitive, don’t you think?” 

“Yeah, look, I know that I’m way outside my pay grade here, but she still isn’t here, is she?” 

“No, that’s my point—”

“It can’t be undone!” Clint shouted. “Or that’s at least what the great floating guy had to say! Maybe you want to go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and you talk to him!” 

He took a deep, shaking breath and looked at all of us. “It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamned stone. She bet her life on it.” 

Bruce picked up a bench and threw it across the water in anger. “She’s not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to.”

Steve turned us around and looked at everyone. “We will.”

next >

[shanikin]

Forbidden

Hey guys! I have been sitting on this story for a while. This is my first post on tumblr, please let me know what you think. Feel free to send me requests in my submission box 😊 Bucky/You

Summary: The hatred between the Russian Mafia and the Italian Mob in New York City has always been strong. But things are quickly getting worse. In order to save themselves the innocent daughter of one gang is married to the empty Captain of the other. Their marriage is toxic, full of anger, hatred, and lust. Will they survive it? Arranged Marriage AU

The Italians and the Russians never got along. It went way back, the distaste springing from their mother countries original hate for one another. What caused the original spark? No one really knows. They spoke different languages, held different customs. It was likely they just hated one another because they were different. As much as we would like to think we are advanced, that we've come so far since the beginning of time, we really haven't. We still fear the unknown. It was sadly human nature to hate what was different from you.

It didn't help when both peoples came to America, only to find that they hadn't escaped each other. It was made even worse when the separate mobs began forming. Two violent, cruel gangs whose people hated each other right from the start. Both wanted to control New York City, but could never truly because the other was in the way. The only thing that both could agree on was that they hated one another.

And that hatred went deep. They had been killing each other off for nothing short of fifty years. Men, women, even the children had been taught to hate and kill. They didn't discriminate. This life was to cut throat for anyone to be soft. They were just getting better at it to. The police had no idea what was going on right under their noses.

Many rumors circulated about where the feud truly began.

The most popular said that the deep hatred began when a man and a women, one from the Italian mob the other from the Russian Mafia, fell in love. They kept it a secret for years, running back and forth to each other and avoiding their family's scrutiny. To make a long story short, the girl's father found out and shot her. Right between the eyes. The Russians didn't tolerate disloyalty. She was supposed to be married to one of his high ranking members, but she was impure. He had to make an example out of her. The Italian man swore vengeance.

He shot his lovers father, rather publically. The two gangs had avoided each other since then, each constantly plotting how to destroy the other. Or so the story goes. Many people don't believe it. A Russian women and an Italian man, both from the mafia, would have never fallen in love. It just didn't make sense.

It had been a long time since the hatred began. Now no one cared why it started, they only cared how they were going to finish it.

In a mansion just outside New York City, the head of the Russian mob, Alexander Pierce, stood staring out the window. Pierce knew that he was a cruel man. He did what he had to do to stay in power. That often meant sacrificing the weak for the strong. Many didn't approve of his methods, but he did what needed to be done. He didn't lose sleep at night and that's all that mattered to him.

Pierce was pleased with himself. He had been giving himself an imaginary pat on the back for the past few months. He had failed at the same task so many times, he had been about to give up. But Pierce never took anything sitting down. It had taken years of work and fake documents, but he had finally gotten a man on the inside. The Italians had no idea that the mole was present.

Sam Wilson seemed like an average guy to the untrained eye. He was ex-military, mid-twenties, looking for money… He was the perfect stereotypical guy who would be looking to enter the mob to make more money. He was a good guy, but when times get rough even good people did bad things. Pierce wondered why someone like Sam had gotten so desperate, he didn't seem like a criminal. But he didn't really care enough to ask. This man was a means to an end.

Getting him inside wasn't easy. Pierce had to pick the man carefully. If he had been too involved within the Russian Mob, the man would be caught. But if the man wasn't loyal enough, they would simply switch sides and give the Italians intel.

Don Salvador did extensive background checks before employing anyone new, so it took no small amount of effort to get Wilson in. Wilsons all around wholesomeness is probably what got him in. Salvador probably didn't expect an ounce of dishonesty from that man. He hadn't been assigned to anything important, just protecting one of the boss's daughters. But being so close to her, he was inside the mansion itself. He would be able to hear things that went on in private meetings. At least that was the goal. Wilson came back to report every other week.

So far, he had come up short.

"What can you tell us about them?" Pierce demanded. He didn't bother to mask his irritation anymore. He was growing frustrated with the constant lack of new knowledge Wilson was bringing back. It had been at least two months since he brought any information worth listening to.

"They're good. Getting better." Wilson responded, standing behind him. "They've been taking a new backroads route to transport their weapons. The transports have between six to eight men. Two sit in the front of the truck, the rest in the back with the goods."

Finally something useful.

That's why his men couldn't get hits anymore. Pierce had to come back from Russia because the American side of the business was falling utterly short. They hadn't managed to steal weapons or drugs from the Italians in months. It was causing some tightness in their funds. It also turned Pierces attention to the lack of strong leadership. After he figured out a way to take them down, he was going to send Barnes to run the show.

The Winter Soldier was cold, empty, and cruel. He had no problem doing the dirty work that lesser men shivered thinking about. He did what needed to be done to make money and further Pierces agenda.

"Interesting" He said.

That still didn't explain how they were managing to avoid them at every turn. Every time his men seemed to be getting a lead, it would slip right through their fingers. They would come up empty. Maybe it was time they simply obliterate the competition.

Something needed to be done. The Triad was beginning to become more and more bold. They couldn't fight both the Italians and the Triad. They would lose ground quickly. A full blown street war between the Russians and the Italians would be catastrophic. The winning side would be weaker, allowing for The Triad to come in and simply wipe out the survivors.

"What about the mansion?" Pierce mused. "The grounds? Would we be able to sneak men in to get rid of them?"

If they cut the heads of the snake, they wouldn't be able to organize a counter attack. Making it simple to sweep in and destroy them in the middle of the night.

"Not likely." Wilson snorted. "The Salvador's mansion is locked tight, a small army patrolling the grounds constantly. The mansion is a fortress as well. You'd never be able to get inside, even if you did kill the men guarding them. You're losses would be too great for the mission to be worth it."

Useless.

"Not even with a man on the inside?" Peirce asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think so Sir." Wilson responded honestly.

"Well what do you think then?" Pierce said, visibly irritated. "What useful information do you have?"

"I don't have access to much. I've been assigned to guard his daughter for months." Wilson responded. He wasn't trained to hide his emotions. Not like most of Pierces men were. He could see a flicker of fondness in the ex-soldiers eyes.

"Which one?" He asked uninterested.

"The youngest." Wilson responded.

"The most useless you mean." Peirce deadpanned. His test had worked. He saw a flicker of irritation flit through Wilson's eyes. He liked her. But enough to betray them? Probably not. Just enough that he would hesitate if Pierce's command was to shoot her between the eyes. Not a threat. Not yet.

"…Yes, Sir."

He wanted to laugh at his sentiment. The girl would probably have him skinned alive if she found out who he was working for. It had surprised Pierce when Salvador had used someone with a skill set like Wilson's to guard his youngest daughter, rather than do something more useful. Wilson wouldn't have had to have any training because of his military experience, been able to jump right into raids… Instead he had chosen to assign him to his youngest daughter.

Sentiment. This is why Pierce didn't have children. They made for clouded judgement and foolish decision making. Having strong men constantly guard his children is probably necessary. His enemies constantly trying to destroy what he loves.

That's it.

"If we can't destroy them, maybe we can control them." He thought out loud. "Tell me, how many children does Don Salvador have?"

 "Five." Wilson responded automatically. "The oldest is his son, four daughters follow after that."

"I bet you he's trying to find suitable husbands for the girls." Pierce said, a wicked grin slowly forming on his face.

If they could control the Italian Mafia, make an ally out of them for a short period of time, they could take out the Triad together. Pierce wasn't a fool. He knew that the Italians would never in their right mind make an alliance with the Russian mob. He didn't want to be anywhere near them either. But if they take out the Triad, it would no longer be a two front war. The Italians would feel a false sense of security, then he could strike.

Even if they didn't help willingly, Pierce didn't need an ally. He needed a puppet. Love is the easiest way to control someone. Perhaps this could work…

Pierce looked up to see Wilson with a sour look on his face. Pierce thought that maybe this could be done.

But Wilson didn't seem convinced. Salvador may not be overly found of most of his children, but he would never give the Russians a mean to control them. Salvador wasn't a soft man. He had his son, his heir. Girls were only useful when rewarding men with beautiful wives in this world. The only child the mob boss was fond of was his youngest daughter. The rest he could do without. Salvador certainly wouldn't allow himself to be controlled. If Salvador gave one of his daughters to Pierce and the two mobs clashed, that daughter would certainly be dead. Then Salvador would have to retaliate or look weak to the people he leads.

"Salvador isn't a stupid man." He explained, saying each word slowly. "He wouldn't give up any of his children, not even his least favorite, to the Russians. Not willingly at least."

"It'll take no small amount of charm, but any man can be fooled." Peirce said. "I already have a plan in the works."

"What can I do?" Sam questioned. He wanted to be involved. He knew that Salvador would never give Marina up willingly, but he owed it to her to at least try and help her avoid that fate.

"Does Salvador own anything that he would be willing to trade for one of his children?"

"I…" Sam wanted to say no. But he knew that wasn't true. "Yes. A weapon. It's just recently been designed. It's deadly. He may consider it then."

"How would we get it?" Pierce asked.

"I can take care of that…" He mumbled. This wouldn't be an attack, it would be a stealth mission. One man. If he could get that one man inside unnoticed, than the plan would be a success.

"Good man." Pierce said. He chocked his head toward Sam slightly. "How long have you known about this new design?"

Shit. Sam really didn't know about it until recently. But he didn't want to say anything to Pierce. He hadn't really known what he had gotten himself into when he signed up to be a double agent, but betraying them didn't sit right with him. Sam didn't report it when Pierce originally asked, so he knew he had to tread very carefully.

"Not long." Sam sighed. "I wasn't sure if it even existed until a few days ago."

"And you didn't think to report back sooner?" Pierce said raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't want-"

"Cut the shit, Wilson." He interrupted. "I'm not a stupid man either. I know what it looks like when a man wants to protect someone. Remember where your loyalties lye or you'll regret it. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Sam said.

Sam knew that he wouldn't ever be able to truly keep anything from Pierce. He was trained in deception and cruelty. He was trained to see when a man was lying or trying to hide something. But Wilson still felt that guilt. Don't make the mistake of thinking he cared about the man he worked for. He didn't have any loyalty to Salvador. The man was cold and cruel and everything that was wrong with the world. He was a lot like Pierce.

It was the person under Sam's care that made him hesitant.

"And what man would want to marry a member of the Italian mob?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"Leave that to me." He said, waving his hand dismissively. "Tell me about the women."

And Sam did. He told him about the oldest girl, Vera, she was twenty seven. She was harsh and cruel but had deep knowledge of strategy. He had seen how she tried to pick on Marina. Sam always did his best to avoid her and keep Marina away from her. Vera knew the inner workings of the Italian mob, so she would be useful if they could fool her somehow. But same knew she was the least likely to be controlled. If she didn't have an older brother, Sam was positive she would have inherited the entire show.

The second was Alana. She was twenty five. The girl, for lack of a better word, was a whore. Images that made Sam want to gag flew through his mind. He had caught her more than once in closets with guards in compromising positons. She spent most of her time flitting around the mansion trying to seduce the guards. Her father had a hard time keeping them away from her. She had even tried coming after him when Marina slept. She didn't have much of a brain, but she made up for that with her other assets.

The third was Selena. She was the intellectual, twenty four years old and utterly dull. She spent most of her time reading or working on designing weapons. She would be the most useful if they could convince her to make weapons for them. For someone with such a large brain, she lacked in personality. The girl sounded more like a machine than a person.

Finally, there was you. You were the youngest, a few months shy of your twentieth birthday. You a had a different mother than your older sisters. Your father had remarried after his first wife died in a tragically suspicious fire. While all of your siblings were bitter, you were sweet. You saw the good in everything and was far too innocent to be forced into a marriage with a man you had been raised to hate. So he tried to make you sound as useless as possible. But it was no secret that you were your father's favorite.

 Later

That night, Sam had left the front door of the expensive home unlocked. It was long after darkness had fallen over the city, a shadowed and silent figure sat motionless in the trees. He watched and waited, his focus sharp and unbreakable and all the more deadly for how undetectable it was. The guards had no idea he was there. He had easily jumped silently from tree to tree, making his way closer and closer to the house completely undetected.

This was no easy task. Slipping in and out of the Italians mansion was going to be difficult. But he was the best. He heard those beneath him. The rumors about how he had an unnatural devotion to his job. Some of the rumors made him want to snort. Some made the cold emptiness in his chest deepen. They talked about how he had lived up to the fearsome reputation that he had gained over the years. How he would kill simply for thinking of doing something wrong.

But none of this fazed him. He knew what he was.

He was going to jump down from the tree and make a run for the house. He hadn't seen anyone in hours. It had to be almost 3:00am. He just needed to slip inside, acquire the weapon, and then finish the mission. The back door opened with a loud creak causing him to pull out his knife. He would make quick work for them, a hit to the jugular and he would be good to go.

He paused. A girl. Young by the looks of it, with wild chocolate brown hair. You looked troubled. You were humming some irritating repetitive tune while walking down the stone pathways.

Damn. It was one of Salvador's daughters. He couldn't kill you, so he'd just have to wait for the stupid little thing to get bored and leave.

He watched you follow the stone path, to a small comfortable looking chair. You were so small, standing face to face you would barely reach his chin. But he didn't let that fool him. He could tell you were strong. The way you carried herself told him that. You looked around for a few more seconds, before settling in the chair and pulling out a book.

He didn't understand what a spoiled little mafia princess could be so troubled over. The women in this life had is easy. The hardest thing they had to do was marry, sometimes to men they didn't know. But even then the men in this life were rich, powerful, and could give them everything they could ever want so long as they keep their husband happy. They had no idea the horrors they were being kept safe from. They should be grateful for the safety that they're provided.

Every Italian women he had met in this life was spoiled, stupid, and a pain to be around. Most of them were prisoners. One's he couldn't execute fast enough. The Russians didn't raise their women to be so weak. He wondered what this girl was so upset about. Did her father not buy her the shoes she wanted? If not that, it was probably something equally as vain. She probably wasn't even really reading that book.

He hated them. More than anything. The Italian mafia was the reason he had turned out this way. So empty and cold. They had taken everything from him. He wanted nothing more than to take that weapon and kill every person in that damn house. It took so much not to jump down from his hiding spot and throttle you were you sat.

After a few more minutes of waiting, you seemed to be pretty distracted. He could sneak past you easily-

"Pretty little Y/N." A sharp voice interrupted his thoughts. A massive girl, nearly as tall as him, was stalking towards the chair. She looked foul, but not because she was ugly. Her face was scrunched up, like she was constantly frowning or like she was smelling something bad. She looked like she was coming to pick a fight. This was going to be very interesting.

"Leave me alone, Vera." The girl, Y/N, soft voice responded. Your voice fit her small frame, timid and musical. You sounded resigned, trying your best to avoid the massive female. You didn't seem like you wanted to fight this girl, your attention remaining solely on your book.

"Why?" She snorted. "Are you gonna run and tell Daddy?"

Salvador. He's not surprised that he produced the foul creature yelling at the tiny girl in the chair. He was a disgusting man, so it only made sense for him to have disgusting children. He had seen men who take pleasure out of hurting other people. Vera had the same smirk on her face. He could hardly believe that the two girls were related. They looking nothing alike. Their temperaments also seemed very different.

"No." You said, still focusing on the book in front of you.

 "This is a joke to you." Vera said, crouching down to your level. She was trying to get a rise out of you. It didn't seem to be working. "It's been so easy for you. We've all had to sacrifice. Everyone but you. All you have to do is bat your eyelashes at him and he gives you anything you want."

You sighed, closing the book and letting it fall to your lap.

"I don't want anything." You said.

"Maybe not." She said, sick smile still in place. "But he's protecting you from that savage."

"Antonio is hardly a savage. I've seen how he treats you. Like an equal. That's much more than you could ever hope for in this life." Y/N was trying to show this girl the bright side of a situation, when her body language clearly was screaming she wanted to crush the tiny girl. You picked the book up again. "He's fairly handsome to."

"Hope for? What do you know about that? You'll never have to marry anyone. You wish for anything and it's yours." She hissed in your face, trying to snatch the book from your lap. The girl seized your wrists in her hands and began squeezing, her words coming out faster and faster. They were being fueled by anger. "Our father will keep you locked up here forever. He doesn't really love you. No. You remind him of his dead bride that he killed my mother for-"

A sickening crack and Vera's howl interrupted the silent night. Did she just…

"Enough." Your quiet voice came.

"Stupid girl." Vera hissed, cradling her arm. "You're lucky father adores you. I wish someone would take you, kill you, I don't even care! I would snap your little neck if-"

"Hello little one."

Sam Wilson. The rat. He had interrupted Vera's threat. She had silenced her incoherent rant when she had seen the body guard come to Y/N's aid. He could see the veins in her neck pulsating from her anger as she stormed back into the house, still cradling her dislocated arm.

He sat next to her with a sigh. Wilson grabbed Y/Ns's wrists, flipping them over to reveal dark purple bruises already beginning to form on her forearms. He looked pained. Pierce was right. He would report this back. Wilson cared about the young one.

Idiot..

"I can get your dad-"

"It's okay Sam." You interrupted with a small smile, withdrawing her arms. "Her bark is worse than her bite."

"Alright." He sighed. "I'll be right inside if you need anything."

"Thank you."

He completed his mission quickly after that. Wilson had made it easy for him to sneak past the guards.

The manor was quiet when he returned from his mission. He knew that Pierce would be up and waiting for him. To hear if he had succeeded in taking the weapon. He left the motorcycle in the garage and silently walked inside.

He thought back to the small girl in the garden. James Barnes hardly ever found himself surprised. That little girl had snapped an arm out of place like it was nothing. He didn't want to say he was impressed. But that took strength and skill.

Interesting. Very Interesting.

The Next Night.

The Salvador's had discovered that their prized possession was missing in the middle of the night. They weren't even sure what its capabilities were yet. If the Russians decided to use it on them, he was sure that they would be wiped out within the month. All they knew was that they needed it back.

It hadn't even been an hour since they discovered that it was missing that they had received a call. Their price, no doubt. His man had given him the phone quickly with an urgent nod of the head.

"You took the tesseract." Salvador said coolly after taking the phone.

"We did." Alexander Pierce replied. Salvador wasn't surprised it was that snake behind the robbery. He saw no point in dragging this any longer than it needed to be. He would give this snake anything he wanted for that weapon back. There was no doubt Pierce knew that already.

"Get on with it then." He said. "What do you want for it?"

"It seems to be worth quite a bit. Maybe we'll keep it?"

"You wouldn't be calling if you didn't want something." He sighed, growing bored of this false banter.

"Fine." Pierce said. "One of your daughters."

One of his daughters? That hadn't been what he was expecting. He wanted to say no, but Salvador knew his men wouldn't allow this weapon to be in the hands of the Russians because of something as simple as sentiment. Saying no would make him look weak. He had four daughters. He could spare one. Maybe Alana. The girl was useless. But not without knowing the true reason.

"Why?" He asked slowly.

"Insurance." Pierce lied simply. "You won't use this against us."

"Really?" Salvador scoffed. "If you were so afraid of that you would just keep it. My daughters are beautiful, but not worth the weapon. Tell me the real reason."

"Either you give me what I demand, or I destroy all of you were you stand." Pierce snapped.

"Fine." Salvador bit out. "Which one?"

"My Captain will decide which he wants for his bride." Pierce said, before the line went dead.

Your POV.

"Y/N. Please come down." Sam called up into the trees. He couldn't see you, but he knew this is where you retreated to when you was trying to get away. Sam could tell you didn't enjoy being the daughter of a gangster. You didn't enjoy the money or the guns or the glamor. Not like your sisters did. You often hid up in the tree's to get away from it. He had told you countless times not to climb, but he knew trying to tell you to do anything was useless.

"Why?" He heard you call down from the trees. He heard the playfulness in your voice. It was so hard to be stern when you sounded so sweet and good.

"You're father requests your presence." He said sarcastically. He saw a blur and before he could blink you had landed gracefully on the balls of your feet directly in front of him.

"Oh?" you gasped, putting her hand on your chest in mock surprise. "What does my father want pray tell?"

"You could break your leg falling out of that tree." He mumbled. He saw you roll your eyes and continue walking. He spoke louder when you laughed at him, "I wouldn't have a job after that."

"You worry too much Sammy." You said turning back and smiling at him.

"How many times am I going to have to ask you to stop calling me that?" He sighed more to himself than anything.

"At least once more." You shot back.

"Girls. Come in." Her father said seriously.

You looked up and felt unease come to you. Your father's face was pinched tight, something was very wrong. Not many things made your father anxious. He had seen many awful things, so nothing small would make him squeamish. You hadn't seen that look on his face. Not since your mother was killed. If the look on his face wasn't a dead giveaway, the white-knuckled grip he had on the door was.

"What's wrong?" Vera deadpanned, as she pushed past him and walked into the office. Never one to beat around the bush. You could see the bruising near her elbow. Whoops.

"You all should probably sit down." Her father said, gesturing for the luxurious sofa near his desk. Your mind raced. What was going on that required all four of them to be there? You weren’t involved with your fathers… less legal activities. So this couldn't be that kind of meeting. You had no relatives besides your sisters that you knew of, so no one important could have died.

Your mussing could have gone on and on but your father had beat your mind to the punch.

"The Russians. They got in here last night."

You wanted to punch herself. She had known. There was someone in the trees. You knew it. You had felt eyes on you while you sat out in your chair, you should have listened to your instincts. You should have told Sam, should have said something. If you did, maybe they wouldn't be in this situation.

"What?" Alana said, her red stained lips forming an O.

"We don't know how yet." Her father continued. "There didn't even seem to be any sign of forced entry. But they took something. Something valuable. "

"How are we going to get it back?" Vera asked. She was ready to jump into action, storm the field right then and there. But she noticed her father stiffen further when she asked that question. Something wasn't right. Your sisters didn't notice how tense he was.

But you knew your father.

"That's what we're here to discuss." Your father said each word slowly, drawing them out like he was trying to soften the blow.

"Just tell us." Vera snapped.

"One of their terms." He said. "One of you is going to marry one of their men."

Your jaw nearly hit the floor. You had expected something entirely different. You had thought up some really impossible things throughout your life. Things to escape the reality of her situation. But this was something you had never imagined. How could your father expect one of you to marry a Russian? You didn't know very much about life inside the mafia, but did know the two gangs did not get along.

You also knew it was a Russian Mobster who had shot your mother.

You never expected her father to trade one of their family members for something so expendable. They could rebuild a weapon, replace it, or steal it back. They could never replace family. You couldn't believe he would give up a daughter to one of them. Everyone knew that your father adored your mother. He went on a rampage when he found out what had happed to her. This was so unlike him. You didn't understand.

 "You expect us to marry one of them?" you asked. You sounded genuinely concerned. "For a weapon?"

"You're not going to marry him." Her father scoffed, like the idea was completely absurd. "You're only in here because this is family business. He'll prefer one of your older sisters-"

"Hold on." Vera said, a sarcastic laugh bubbling in her throat. "This man won't even get the chance to prefer her. Let's not pretend you are going to let little precious Marina anywhere near him. She's going to be tucked away somewhere safe, so it's guaranteed to be one of us."

Silence. Her father didn't look guilty, he just rolled his eyes. His irritation with Vera was evident. You knew that he didn't care for your sisters feelings. You could tell he thought she was just wasting his time with their accusations. This was something he thought his sisters should know. One of them would be marrying this man. Not you. He would never willingly give you up to any man. He would tell them to their faces that he loved you more.

You knew you would pay for this later. They would probably all gang up on you this time so you wouldn't be able to get away.

"Own up to it." Vera commanded, after a period of silence.

"Do you think I care for your petty insecurities?" Her father snapped. "Learn your place. Y/N is too young to be married. She'll be staying here."

"Of course she is."

You flinched as your sisters glared at you, storming out of the office.

The Next Day.

"They hate me Sam." You said, sighing wrapping your hands tighter. The tape you used around your knuckles would always come loose when you were sparing. You didn't really mind though. You wore the bruises on your knuckles like a trophy. It showed how far you had come. Your father had insisted you learn to defend youself from a young age, but he had no idea you would take such a liking to it.

At first he tried to discourage it because it wasn't lady like, but he didn't have the heart to deny you something you truly loved. It was a plus that you fought better than most men twice your size. You could tell Sam struggled to keep up with you sometimes.

"It's not your fault." He said, trying to comfort you and whipping the sweat from his forehead.

You knew it wasn't your fault. But that didn't make you feel any better. It didn't make your sisters love you. They looked at you like you were a demon summoned from their personal hells. You were an outsider in your own home. You always had been. It got even worse once your mother died. You wanted a family. You wanted to live somewhere away from the crime. Maybe even be normal. What you wouldn't give for your father's favoritism to be placed elsewhere.

"I remind him of my mother." You said finally. "That's why he's so…. Protective."

"What about your sister's mother?" Sam asked. "Do none of them remind him of her?"

"Yes. I think that's the problem." You wanted to laugh at his innocent question. You hadn't been born yet, but it was a well-known fact that your sister's mother was a wretched women. "It was an arranged marriage also. From what I hear from the staff that remember her, she was a horrid women."

"Jealousy is an ugly emotion." Sam sighed.

"Your right." you said shrugging her shoulders. "I shouldn't blame them. I wish he didn't favor me so obviously."

You had finished tapping her hands.

"Now come on." You said, holding up her fists. "And stop holding back."

You stood there, waiting for him to strike. For such a large guy he barely made any noise when he was walking around. You knew he was waiting, trying to get you to let your guard down. When he finally lunged at you, he gripped her wrist with crushing force. You managed to whip around and break the hold easily.

He had swung at you, but you were faster. Gripping his wrist, you used your momentum to kick off from the back of his knee and swing her legs around his shoulders. Your elbow slammed into his head. Sam fell straight on his back, with you triumphantly sitting on his stomach.

You stood and straightened your clothes carefully.

"Why do you fight in a dress?" He asked, as you reached down to help him up.

"Why don't you fight in a dress?" you asked, your tone sarcastic.

You fought in a dress because when you truly needed to fight, you weren't going to be in a little sports bra and leggings. You were going to be in your everyday normal clothing. You preferred dresses to pants, so that was what you would be wearing if you were going to be out and about. The logic made sense to you.

"That'd be a sight." Sam snorted. You saw a giant bump forming on Sam's head, right were your elbow had connected.

"Oh God! Sorry!" You squeaked.

"It's fine." Sam chuckled, swaying a little when he stood. "That's- That's just enough for today."

"Come on then." You said, laughing a little at his stuttering. "Let's go to the kitchen for a snack."

They walked through the house, chatting about nothing. He would always ask about what books you were reading, even though you knew he wasn't actually interested. It was sweet. He actually listened to what you had to say and didn't turn his nose up at you. When you thought about it, Sam was your real friend.

Which was sad because he was paid to be around you.

You walked past your father's office and sighed. You knew you should go in there and see what he wanted to eat. When he was working, he would often go without food for an entire day without even realizing it. He worked himself nearly to death and he wasn't getting any younger. Just because you was angry, didn't mean you should avoid him.

You pushed the wooden door open.

"Papa. Let me get you something to-"

Your words stuck to the roof of your mouth and your tongue felt like sand paper. You saw your sisters first. They were all dressed in their very finest. Tight dresses and make up. They looked nothing like themselves. Then you saw a man standing near her father, stiff and regal looking. Alexander Pierce. You recognized his face.

"Y/N." Her father whispered in horror.

"Papa!" You said, whipping your head around. "What's….going on?"

You saw movement behind your father and your gaze followed.

Your eyes locked with a man standing in the corner. You looked around. This must be the man that was picking his bride. But he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but that room. He was young, somewhere in his late twenties. Certainly not the decrepit old man you and your sisters had been imagining.

You could feel your eyes go wide as saucers when you stared at him.

He was handsome. You didn't want to admit it, but it was frighteningly so. He was tall and strong, the suit he wore stretched over his chest. He had long dark brown hair, one side tucked behind his ear and the other hanging in his face. His jaw was sharp and covered in a thin layer of stubble that made him that much more beautiful. His skin was lightly tanned, his mouth was pulled tightly into a scowl. He stared at you with dead, strikingly blue eyes.

That stare. You could feel that this was the man in the trees by his glare alone. It was so intense you swore you could feel in burning through you. But you were drawn to him. That was wrong, wrong, wrong. Your attention was drawn when your father gripped your shoulder and attempted to shove you out the door.

"Y/N, leave." Her father all but shouted. Before you could recover, the beautiful man was speaking.

"Eta devushka" He said to the other man, his voice rough like gravel. He mustn't talk very much. You couldn't help but be fascinated, the Russian language was fascinating. He didn't have time to wonder what he said before Pierce was staring at you.

"Her." Pierce said, nodding towards you.

He couldn't mean her her, as in you. You looked behind you, but you were the only one standing on that side of the room. Your heart rate was beginning to speed up, but you couldn't move from where you were standing. This couldn't be happening.

"Not her." Your father tried to argue. "She isn't old enough."

"Her." He confirmed.

The Russian men that Pierce brought with him had begun advancing on you, but your father stepped in front of you. They were holding automatic weapons much too close to them for comfort.

"I said not her." He tried to reason. "Take any of the other girls. Not her. Please"

You were shocked. You had never heard your father beg before. You thought he would always be too proud for anything like that. But his pleading didn't seem to have the desired effect. Pierce simply smiled, nodding his head. Your father showing his weakness did nothing but solidify that you were the one who would be going.

"Our deal was he could pick which one he wanted." Pierce shrugged "He chose. Take her."

"You're not taking her anywhere!" your father insisted, pulling out his small hand gun. He pointed it between Pierces eyes. But you heard the clicking of five automatic rifles being aimed at your father's chest.

"Enough!" Pierce snapped. "We'll kill everyone in this house, starting with her, if you don't give her to us now."

"I won't." He said shaking his head. Pierce sighed.

"Barnes. Grab her." The handsome man moved forward, shoving your father out of the way. He grabbed one of your wrists and all but dragged you to the door.

"Don't touch me!" you yelled, snapping your arm down and breaking his hold. His shock bought you some time. You turned to run to your father but he had easily caught you around the waist and pulled you to him.

"Let me at least say goodbye to her!" your father finally snapped, silencing the chaos.

"Fine. Two minutes." The man dropped you to your feet.

"Y/N, listen to me." He said, gripping your chin to get your attention. "Listen! It's going to be fine. I won't let them do this to you. I'll figure something out. We have the tesseract back, it'll only be a matter of time before we get you out of there. We'll destroy them all. They can't force you to marry him either. They can't do it without your consent. Do you understand? Don't let them trick you into signing your life away. No matter what they tell you."

"I understand." You said, trying to regulate your breathing.

"Good girl. Now be calm. Don't let them see-"

"My weakness. I won't." You nodded again, letting your father's words harden your resolve. You knew it was hardly as simple as not showing weakness. You were going to be taken to these monsters home. You were going to live with them. You wouldn't be able to break, not even in the solitude of your own room. You prayed that your life wasn't over and your father truly was going to find tou a way out of this. You prayed you weren’t going to spend the rest of your life tied to a man you despised.

 You really couldn't see a positive outcome. Each scenario that played in your brain was worse than the last. You told yourself you would survive. For your father. For yourself.

"You're strong. You'll be fine." He said, gripping her shoulders. You could tell he was trying to convince himself, not you. He turned to the man next to you.

"Can she take her body guard with her?" your father asked.

"Fine." Pierce said waving his hand. "Blind fold her and take her to the car."

He watched as they dragged  away, for the first time feeling helpless.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Viren has always been this power hungry character and aaravos exploits that weakness and manipulates him to do his bidding. If there is a scenario where viren does get all the power and more at the cost of something high like claudia or only getting to live past a week or erased from everyone's memory, what do you think he'll choose? would he walk away?

I get the feeling that Viren’s insecurities go really deep into his soul, anon. I think he’s spent a lifetime not walking away from opportunities for power, so he’d reach out for whatever he could get. At least until he learned the cost. And then he’d try to change the odds, change the parameters, until it suited him.

I like the three options you suggested; they’re each very different, and I don’t think Viren would like any of them. I don’t think Viren would want to be erased from everyone’s memory. He wants to be seen and remembered. He likes being the guy who can make pronouncements and get crowned in public and attend meetings and be in the room where it happens. He wants to be present and accounted for. He believes he’s vital to the success of anything he takes on. Only living for a week presents the same problem: what happens without him? He wouldn’t trust anyone else to run his plans after he died.

Claudia... is a little more complex, I think. She’s Viren 2.0, at least to Viren. She’s probably the thing he’s least willing to part with in the whole world. Except for himself. If it came down to the two of them and one absolutely had to die... I think it might go the way that PotC: On Stranger Tides went. The father expects the loyal daughter to sacrifice herself, and she’s actually willing to do so. But I really hope not. I think that currently, Viren claims that Claudia is more of a daughter than an asset, but Aaravos sees through that. And I’m hoping that at some point, that balance will switch for Viren, and Aaravos won’t be able to use it against them.

We’ve seen Viren hungry for power, yet able to test it for traps before he dives right in. I think he’d do the same with other massive power opportunities, too. He’d try to learn as much as he could--he does like research--and he’d poke at the situation to see if it was fluid enough to offer him more benefit before he committed. But if he can find a way to get what he wants and either minimize or delay or offset the price? Oh yeah, he’s all over that.

He’s glided through his own history, sacrificing others who go along with his ideas, turning others dark around him, getting their loved ones hurt and killed. There’s almost no one in this show that Viren’s actions and influence haven’t changed for the worse. He’s caused chaos among the human rulers and their armies, and because of his egg shenanigans and the fallout that followed, he’s caused chaos among Rayla’s family, too. He’s even convinced Claudia to weaponize her innocence to lure and kill a unicorn. 

Stellar guy, Viren. The end always justifies the means, and why pay the price for your sins today, when you can find a creative solution to avoid it, neutralize it, or make someone else pay it for you?

I don’t think Viren will ever walk away from power. He’s a moth to its flame, and it’s already killed him once.

[tchalla-rogers]

surprise

 ENDGAME SPOILERS // read at your own risk or don’t.

a/n: apologies for if some of the script is off, literally got it from a site and i don’t think most of it is accurate and also didn’t want to download the film illegally to get the script.

This thing on? Hey, Y/N...Pep. If you find this recording...don't post it, on social media. It's gonna be a real tear-jerker. I don't know if you're ever gonna see these. I don't even know if you're both still...Oh, God. I hope so...Today is day 21... uh, 22. You know, if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I'd say, I'm feeling more better today. The infections run its course, thanks to the blue meanie back there. You guys would love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic. Some fuel cells were cracked during battle, but we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge to buy ourselves, about, 48 hours of playtime. But it's now dead in the water. We're 1,000 lightyears from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. That'll be it. And, I... I know I said no more surprises, but I gotta say I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like...Well, you know what it looks like. Y/N, Don't feel bad about this. I mean actually if you grovel for a couple weeks, and then, move on with enormous guilt. I should probably lie down. Please know that...when I drift off, it will be goodbye. The whole time...I'll think about you both.

It's always you.

***

Nothing could’ve prepared you for this very moment. Not everyone you know turning into dust after Thanos snapped his fingers or Natasha sacrificing herself to bring them all back. You were beaten and you were bruised and you strongly hoped you could win this war without having someone else close to you die. It would’ve been devastating no matter the person, but Tony was completely someone you weren’t expecting.

When he snapped his fingers, your heart clenched tightly in your chest and felt like it was about to explode. It was worse than when Thanos was in his very spot five years ago because you knew there was no going back now. It was the endgame.

As Tony laid there, you couldn’t move. Eventually, you fell by him as Peter was talking to him but you couldn’t breathe. It was hard to breathe as sobbing gasps racked your body. Someone who saved you from so much trouble from the day you were born to now, was slowly losing his life by the minute to save people in and out of your own galaxy.

You held Tony’s hand and thought back to how you never called Tony what he deserved to be called. He adopted you when you were very young and fought for you with everything he believed in. Tony was everything you knew before the Avengers. He didn’t neglect you when he found out you were enhanced and instead worked on helping you control your powers and use it to your own advantage. You took this as him gearing you up to join the Avengers. He didn’t want you to be a part of it at all but you were just as stubborn as him. There was no way you wouldn’t fight for what you believed in. And so from that point, he swore to himself to fight and protect you. He fought for you in every battle and protected you and he did it again, one last time.

It was hard to watch Peter sputter out his last words to Tony, mainly because the tears were clouding your vision. His hand was practically limp in your bloody and bruised hand, but you still held it tightly. “We won and you did it, sir. You did it,” Peter wept. This only caused you to gasp for air as your sobs took control of your breathing. It was only worse when Pepper stepped in, someone who treated you like she was your mother and you knew now the care would only double in Tony’s place. 

“Tony...look at me. We’re gonna be okay,” Pepper said, grabbing your other hand that wasn’t grasping Tony’s. “You can rest now.” She kissed the top of his head as a final goodbye and his eyes still held a distant look as if he wasn’t there.

You knew by now it was time for you to say goodbye to someone you called home, but you felt your throat closing up. Pepper held you tightly, consoling you and allowing you to breathe for a moment to let out some final words. Your voice felt strained when you first spoke, almost at a whisper. “Tony, it’s gonna be okay,” you silently whispered, clearing your throat. “And I know...I know you know that. For yourself...for Pepper...a-and for myself. You did it. I love you, Dad.” Tony’s hand twitched in your hand and it felt like he was holding it tighter as his goodbye gesture. You held his hand back, whimpering uncontrollably at this point and your head fell onto his slowly unmoving chest.

There was no need to ever avenge his death and you knew that. Everything happened for a reason for him to be the one to do the final snap. The last look he gave you before he snapped his fingers screamed of love for his daughter, adoration and pride for what you’ve become, and saying sorry as he knew what would come for his last surprise. You felt him but you knew he would never be gone and you would make sure the entire world remembered him.

[krreader]

EXO reacting to you and your teenage child fighting.

pairing: exo x reader fandom: exo warnings: language ; mentions of sex genre: crack ; angst ; mentions of smut

a/n: you don’t know how happy you made me for requesting something exo related, so I really hope you like it!!!!

ask box | masterlists | faq | twitter | ko-fi | youtube (coming soon - I hope lol)

kim minseok

The day had started out so well. He and you had sex this morning, then he had taken his youngest children out to the playground, had come home to the best lunch from the best wife in the world, had spent the evening with former members and then come home to.. well.. this.

“You're just angry because you know you're not attractive anymore! You know that I'm prettier than you and that makes you upset!”

You stared at her with your mouth open, then you started laughing. Wholeheartedly.

“You seriously think I'm jealous of you? Sweetheart, I don't think you realize how proud I am that you’re this beautiful..-”

Not the response your daughter had expected. She was looking for a fight, apparently.

And well, Minseok was on your side here. He didn't think this would have to end in a fight.

“Your mother is right. We really are proud of you for being so beautiful, but..-” and then he decided that it was time for payback. Because nobody talks to his wife like that, not even his oldest daughter, “I do have to say that it's always incredible to see your mother's face when she has an orgasm. Makes me think there is nothing more beautiful than that..”

And even though he was looking at you and you at him, you could both hear your daughter gagging and then running upstairs.

“Childhood trauma, sweetheart,” you said, however, a small smile on your face.

“She deserves that one, though.”

kim junmyeon

What do you do when your child suddenly yells at your wife, the mother of said child? Do you punish the child? Do you try to laugh about it? Do you comfort your wife first?

Junmyeon tried to figure all of that out as it happened, the words of his son still echoing in his ear.

“You're the worst person on this fucking planet, mom!”

A glance in your direction told him you were upset, but also angry. A glance in his son's direction told him he was ready to continue if he wasn’t stopped.

So Junmyeon decided to get you and him away from each other for now.

“Youngjae, go up to your room right now and no, there will be no discussion about it. You and I will talk later. Alone,” he waited for him to get up and leave, his eyes following him every step of the way. Then he turned his head back to you and grabbed your hands, “And you.. don't try to take it to heart, alright? He's a teenager now. He doesn't mean it, he just can't control what he's saying anymore.”

“We didn't raise him to be an asshole, Jun,” you shook your head, “I'm more disappointed in myself than in him.”

“Don't be.. please. I promise that it's just a phase. Give it a few weeks, maybe a month or two, but he'll be normal again soon.”

He better be.

zhang yixing

“Dad! Say something!”

That was the first thing Yixing heard when he walked into his house. He couldn't even take off his shoes before his daughter dragged him into the living room where he found you standing with crossed arms.

“What's going on?”

“She's having a bad day,” you said with a sigh, “Your father won't have a different opinion than me. You're too young to go on that trip.”

“Well, you were nineteen when dad got you pregnant, so what's your excuse, huh?! Being a slut?!”

You wanted to yell at her for that, but your husband just wrapped an arm around your shoulder and kissed your temple.

“Her excuse is that she looked so fucking hot that I had no other choice but to fuck her against the hood of my car.”

Mic fucking drop.

Needless to say, she did not go on that trip, because she stopped arguing after that sentence.

She didn't want to talk to either one of you for a little while now.

byun baekhyun

“I could call you every ten minutes so you know I'm not drunk or high,” your son tried to argue.

You were sitting in bed, nonchalantly skipping through the pages of your magazine, while your husband was waking out of the bathroom.

“What's this about?”

“He wants to get high with his friends.”

“No! Fucking hell, mom, you're not even listening to me! Are you stupid or did dad fuck out your brain cells?!”

He didn't think about his words properly. He should have.

He expected a scolding, but instead, his father did something much more worse.

“I don't know, I think a few of them are still in there,” he pursued his lips and then looked at you, “What do you think, (Y/N)? Should I fuck them out as well?”

“Please do..-”

And when Baekhyun crawled on top of you, that was the moment his son sprinted out of the house and decided to stay at a friend's place tonight.

No way he'd listen to his parents have sex.

kim jongdae

“Don't you think I'm old enough to decide for myself when I start dating, mom?!” your daughter followed you downstairs, quickly looking at her father and her baby sister sitting on the floor and playing something she was too old for.

“You're fourteen. He's nineteen. Not only is the age gap too big, but it's also illegal.”

“You're so fucking stiff, mom. It's so obvious that you're not having enough sex.”

Jongdae turned his head from his little daughter to his older one, then again to you, before both you and him started laughing.

“It's funny you say, that..-” you sat down on the couch and grinned at her, “Because I'm pregnant again. Not the way I wanted you to find out but while we’re at it..”

“Stop shitting me, you two are too old to have another baby.”

“Actually, we were too young when we had you,” Jongdae said, a smug look on his face, “So now that we're older, we figured we might as well have a few more. So congratulations. You'll be a big sister again!”

Probably not what she wanted to hear today by the way she stormed off, but you and your husband couldn't care less.

park chanyeol

He came home late that night, had been out with his former members.

But when he walked upstairs, he found his son sitting in front of your shared bedroom, his head hanging low in shame.

“What the hell are you doing?” he laughed, thinking he might be drunk and couldn’t go to his room.

“I.. I fucked up, dad.”

It was the nature of a parent to worry instantly. So Chanyeol crouched down in front of him and started inspecting his face for wounds, but his son gently pushed his hands away.

“What happened?”

“Well,” he didn't want to tell his father, but he knew he would have to, “I had.. a girl over. It's not serious, we're just.. messing around with each other. And mom came in with the laundry and found us and.. I don't know, I just started screaming at her to get out and I said a bunch of mean things and.. god, I didn't want to, okay? I just panicked.”

And then his worry for his son shifted to worry for his wife. He immediately got up from the floor and knocked twice, before he carefully entered his bedroom.

He found you lying in your bed, the blankets up to your chin.

And when he laid down behind you and pulled you against him, his heart shattered with the way you started sobbing.

Not what he had hoped to come home to.

do kyungsoo

You had both tried your hardest to have a normal conversation with your daughter, but while you tried to keep your voices low, she just continued screaming.

Until she suddenly said: “I wish you weren't my mother!”

And that wasn't fair. Because it wasn't just you who was not letting her go to that party, it was your husband as well. But it seems like whenever something like this happened, she went off at you. You were always the bad guy.

Only that this time, she crossed a line that made you get up and leave the room.

Your daughter was breathing heavily, slowly regretting her words, but only fully understanding what she had done when she looked at her father.

“I've never been more disappointed in you, you know that?” he got up with a heavy sigh, “This woman sacrificed everything when she found out she was pregnant. She knew I wouldn't be there a lot, so she gave up her career to take care of you. And this is how you repay her?”

“Dad, I didn't..-”

“Zip it. I don't want to hear it,” he buried his hands in the pockets of his pants and walked past her, “Go to that stupid party if you want to. But leave your mother alone for now,” and with that, he walked up the stairs to comfort you.

She didn't go. 

Instead, she made dinner that night and breakfast the next morning, hoping she would calm the situation down a little..

kim jongin

It happened over dinner.

Your son had been in a bad mood all night long and neither you, nor Jongin knew the reason behind it. But throughout your seventeen years of being a mother you realized one thing: sometimes it's just better to let them be before they snap.

But while you and your husband knew that, your youngest daughter didn't. She just wanted to play with her oldest brother, so she kept poking him, hoping he would do it back like he usually did.

But instead he started yelling: “Will you fucking stop?! I swear to god, all women in this household are fucking stupid. You're just like mom.”

“Oooookay, that's the moment I leave,” your other son, only two years younger than your oldest got up and picked a crying younger sister up to carry her upstairs, “Come on. Let them talk it out. You and I can play with each other.. how about a tea party, hm?” he tried to soothe her as he walked away.

“What did you just say?” Jongin asked, his voice incredibly low. So much that your son had to gulp.

“I.. I didn't mean to snap, I was just..-”

“This is about me?” you narrowed your eyes at him, “What did I do?”

“You didn't want to let me go to that party last night. And.. and they said everyone was there. Everyone but me.”

“Because the last time we let you go to a party, you came back piss drunk, despite us giving you the one and only rule not to drink!” Jongin threw his napkin on the table. Angrily so, “You will apologize to your mother first, then to your sister. Then you will go upstairs and stay in your room until I come and talk to you alone. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” he said, not wanting to anger his father any further.

And once your son had said he was sorry and went upstairs, you turned your head to Jongin and said: “It's probably bad timing, but.. you just made me really horny.”

Needless to say, his son had to wait a little longer.

oh sehun

Yeah, he was a little overwhelmed.

He has never seen his daughter and you fight like this, so when he stood in the living room and found you two screaming at each other, he looked a little out of place.

“It's been going on for an hour now,” his son, and also the twin of the one screaming at his mother right now, said, a spoon in his mouth and a bowl full of ice cream in his hand.

“And you apparently made good use of that, hm?” Sehun raised his eyebrows at the amount of ice cream that he was eating so close to dinner time, but his son just shrugged with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Anyways, I'll be upstairs and play some Overwatch if you need me, I don't really want to deal with this today. Join me if you want, I'll leave some ice cream for you.”

At first Sehun really thought about whether or not he should intervene, but it seemed like you handled it all rather well. You always were the one with the pants in this relationship after all.

So what he did was go upstairs, eat ice cream with his son and play Overwatch with him until you two were finished with the screaming match downstairs.

[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 30

Last time: May Chang ducked just in time, Doc lost patience with his patients, and Ed decided to go for a double-major. Onwards!

Roy? Faded-out colors? Wait, are we getting a flashback episode? Come on, we just started progressing the plot again, especially after Beard’s episode-long mental debate. Ok, fine. Some old guy in a sickbed is refusing to teach Roy “Flame Alchemy” (aka the one thing he’s known for so I can tell how this is going to go) because he’s joining the Military. Obviously Roy’s teacher, given the different hair color I’m guessing not related. Student!Roy keeps talking about how Amestris is under threat from all sides, that the military needs Alchemists to protect their homes, but Master refuses to hear it. Even an appeal to Military funds to deal with the rundown house doesn’t work, since Master doesn’t need a grant for “something I’ve already completed.” What was Master researching? Master muses about he’s created “the most powerful alchemy”, and he’s grown complacent since completing it. The guy is definitely a Ravenclaw, saying that Alchemists have to hunt for knowledge all their lives, that he’s “been dead for a long time.” Oooh, and now Master’s coughs are a bit more wet sounding, we know that Roy figures out Flame Alchemy later but it’s not going to be from this- [Student!Roy]: “Are you all right?! Master Hawkeye!” [Master Hawkeye]: “Look after… my daughter. She’s in possession of… my research…look after...” Whoa, Master is Riza’s father? Was Riza’s father? Ok scratch my earlier complaining, I am totally down for an episode on how Roy and Riza met! Episode 30 - “The Ishvalan War of Extermination “ ...of course. I get all excited about seeing how my #2 ship first met, and of course it takes place during a friggin genocide. Thank Leto, their first meeting wasn’t in the middle of the ‘Civil War’. I guess they met up when Roy studied under Master Hawkeye, they seem familiar enough as they stand in the graveyard at her father’s headstone. Uh, Roy? I may not have much experience flirting or dating, but I’m pretty sure giving a girl your number literally over her father’s dead body is a slight faux pas. Beyond that, we get Roy giving his idealistic “I wanna make a difference in this country” speech, Riza saying she thinks it’s good to care. And with that, she trusts him with her father’s research. Back to modern day it seems! Gratuitous shot of Riza in the shower good LETO what is that on your back? Ok hold up, Riza’s always been one of the few in their merry band who doesn’t use Alchemy, faces down foes who can generate and manipulate matter with only her pistols or maybe a rifle. But that giant tattoo on her back (scars aside) just screams Alchemy, with something like that I’d expect her to be throwing lightning around with the best of them. What’s the story here? Barking dog? Oh yeah, Riza was walking a dog back when Barry made the poor decision to attack her. And Ed continues his streak of losing horribly to canines, he’s stopped by to catch up with Riza after everything’s that happened. Oh, and to return the gun! Riza’s cleaning it as Ed says he never had to use it. Or rather, he could never use it. Face to faces with Envy, he- Never mind, he’s talking about the time he dropped the gun facing Scar, and then stopped Winry from shooting him. Yikes, keep talking down about Riza’s method of combat as “something evil”, I’m sure she’ll take that well. (And hoo boy, this is gonna be an interesting episode if we go into the ethics of firearms, isn’t it?) Riza says he’s just dwelling because he made it back alive, he just needs to focus on living, to help Winry. [Riza]: “How else can you protect her? I mean after all, you love her, don’t you?” [Ed]: *spit take on the dog, frantic denials* Ha! But back to serious business, Riza’s saying that she’s killed too many to feel sorry for herself, that she chose this path. Yikes. Need to remember that although I don’t think we’ve seen Riza kill anyone on screen so far, she was involved in Ishval like all the other State Alchemists. Just like in another reality, Hawkeye can be a good friend, but they’re still a trained killer. Speaking of Ishval, Scar’s questioning Doctor Marcoh about his involvement in the genocide! Then we’re back to Riza, talking about the Ishvalan homeland and people. A place of sand and rocks, with a resolute people. A faction protested their annexation by Amestris (so was there a war of conquest before this, or did Amestris just roll in one day and say “You lot pay us taxes now”?), a random soldier/Envy shot a kid, the torches and pitchforks were taken out, and civil war raged for seven years. Huh, that long? With how calm and peaceful the Ishvalans seemed in past flashbacks and the sudden shock of cannons firing on Scar’s town, I thought this was a much quicker affair. Then, the Fuhrer signed a little piece of paper called “Executive Order 3066”.

Obligatory comparison is obligatory. So the Ishvalan War of Extermination began, and we get the now-familiar clips of cannons firing and blue-eyed soldiers marching in, with flashes of State Alchemists doing their thing. And- oh, Leto. By this point Riza had joined the military. As a sniper. That’s… that scene of seeing the Ishvalan through the scope… her eyes... [Riza]: “Most combat is blind. A normal soldier might fire erratically without a clear target in mind. But it’s different for snipers. Someone is sure to die when we pull the trigger. Where other soldiers don’t always have a direct line of sight on the effects of their actions… snipers do.” And then we’re back to the State Alchemists, who share a sniper’s viewpoint. Some pompous guy who I dimly remember getting HoD’d by Scar. Roy snapping his fingers. A familiar metal glove slamming down and Earthbending up a wall to block fleeing Ishvalans. And young Armstrong kneeling behind that wall, trembling as he listens to the Ishvalans being gunned down on the other side. ...why did I agree to see this show? We’re in the Amestris camp now, a guy who I’m pretty sure is Mr. Monopoly is ranting about “the savages” taking his leg, when Hughes (guuuuuuuuuh) spots Roy walking through the white cloaks. He turns around to show the same eyes as Riza. And as Hughes chats with Roy cleaning up, the Flame Alchemist points out those same eyes behind those shiny glasses. A letter? Aw, Hughes got a letter from Gracia, after the initial glee attack he starts worrying that being all alone in Central some creep’s going to hit on her. Awwwww. Wait, no. No! [Roy]: “Hey, Hughes? I got a little advice for you. It happens in movies in novels all of the time; the soldiers who never shut up about their girls back home? *finger gun* They don’t make it.” HOW DARE As heartbreaking as future events will be, it is good to see Hughes happy, having something to look forward to tomorrow. And then the mood goes RIGHT BACK DOWN as Riza shuffles up and greets Major Mustang, asking if he remembers her. Leto, this is the first time they’ve met since her father’s grave?! “Damn this war” indeed! Two mid-ep pictures of gratuitous-Riza with her tattoo? Although in the first one there’s no scarring… The three are sitting in camp now, wondering why they’re being ordered to kill citizens rather than protect them. [?]: “Because that’s the job we State Alchemists have been given to do!” Wait. Wait wait wait. I don’t have subtitles anymore, but that face… Mister Smiley? Oh wow. Mister Smiley is an ass. Guy’s happily saying that their job seems to be causing tragedy, and then slams Riza by asking if she feels satisfaction and pride when she shoots an enemy. Yeah, Asshole. Get this guy in the show proper so I can see his ass getting kicked, writers. Roy confronts Kimblee, who insults him for putting on a uniform and then being “surprised’ when he has to kill and arguing that the only thing worse than killing is turning your eyes away blah blah blah just SHUT UP you ass. This whole situation is messed up beyond anything our characters know at this point, but by no means can you sit there and say that it’s right. But it’s time to get back to “work”. Kimblee saunters off with a smile, and Hughes has to go as well. While explaining to Roy that his reason to fight is simple; he doesn’t want to die. Back to Marcoh, overseeing some Ishvalans getting ritually sacrificed to make a Stone. And to be completely honest… I’m a bit underwhelmed at the size of the sacrifice. Maybe it’s just how Leto-damn dark this show is, but with all the talk about the Ishvalan War being a cover to make Philosopher’s Stones I was expecting to see a heck of a lot more people dying to make the MacGuffin of the series. Or maybe…? This Stone was given to Mister Smiley, who Scar recognizes as the one who killed his family. We see the Crimson Alchemist laughing madly as he turns the battle around with that single stone, ranting about the “beautiful sound” of destruction. Again, get this ass into the show proper so he can suffer. Teatime with Riza again, now talking about how the Ishvalan High Priest surrendered personally to the Fuhrer- who mocks him for his ‘arrogance’ at offering his life as an equal exchange for every other Ishvalan’s, and when the guy’s flunkies declare God will punish him Bradley taunts them about how God hasn’t struck him down yet, how if they want to see him struck down for all his atrocities (his word, not mine, the guy literally calls his own actions ‘atrocities’) that they should use their own hands. Easy for you to say, buddy. You’re not the one with their hands tied behind their back. So the war ends, Roy gives his “I’ll protect my loved ones so they can protect their loved ones” speech now set to much more menacing music than last time, and after he has a staredown with the Fuhrer he’s sitting in his office when Riza walks in. Wait, “decided to take this path after all”? I would have thought that her serving as a sniper meant she was already in the military, how does that work? Or maybe it’s that she’s still continuing in the military even after what she’s seen in Ishval. [Riza]: “If the world truly operates based on the principles of Equivalent Exchange-” EEC: 11 “-then we soldiers have plenty to give back.” And with that, Roy assigns Riza to be his assistant, to watch his back. Aww, the couple’s finally- [Roy]: “Although, I expect you understand what this means. You’ll be able to shoot me in the back as well. If I ever deviate from this path, then I want you to shoot me. And I’m trusting you to do so. Do you accept my offer?” [Riza]: “Of course I do, sir. I’ll follow you into hell if you ask me to.” ...well ok then. I guess that’s one way to ask someone on a date. Back to tea time, Ed’s asking how things can be fixed even if Roy becomes the Fuhrer. That’s right, he’s grown up in Bradley’s military state, hasn’t he? Riza talks about restoring democratic principles, bringing back Parliament, charging the ‘heroes’ of the Ishvalan War as war criminals- wait, what?! Wow. Ok then. So even if our good guys beat the Goths, uncover the corruption of the Military and restore power to the people, they set themselves up to take the fall. That’s… wow. Ed protests that it wasn’t their fault, that the Goths were pulling the strings, but Riza just says that regardless of who started it they still carried out the orders. No hiding behind the chain of command, here. Ouch, Riza. You’ve carried around Mister Smiley’s words all this time, about never forgetting those you kill? I mean it’s great that you turned around that monster’s meaning, but still. What a way to live. Al’s saying bye to the Doc when May stops him, to thank him for saving her and her panda. She’s surprised to learn he’s an Elric, gripes that he probably looks like his mean older brother- Al, no. Al, NO! YOU KNOW NOT WHAT YOU HAVE UNLEASHED! Well ok then. That was a Leto-depressing episode for the most part, we got introduced to a character that I can’t wait to meet a painful demise, there’s an intriguing mystery of Riza’s tattoos and scars, and then we ended on Al making the second-biggest mistake of his life. Can’t wait to see how that turns out. After credits scene: Envy’s knocking on a door, asks if the Doc’s decent. Notes that it’s dark and quiet when he brings in food- and yup, Scar got his Vengeance on the one who empowered his family’s murderer. One down...

[daz4i]

What’s the difference between handsome jack and Timothy and like that other guy 🤭

jack is a dictator and a bitch, tim is an actor and valid, and i assume the other guy in question is rhys :? he’s a bottom

asdfkjdfhgfd ok but fr i assume this is about my post abt wanting to go off about their parallels? but like. backwards, with differences? bc that’s also an interesting take and idk if you expected me to start rambling but i WILL either way so lemme put it under a read more bc it gets long like all my rambles

update after i finished typing this: this turned into a full-on essay i am so sorry. also there’s big spoilers for bl2, bl:tps, tftbl, bl3 and the bl3 dlc. so everything, basically hehe.

their driving forces are different: jack’s is, technically, wanting to make the world a better place (that’s what he genuinely thinks he’s doing, even tho he’s coming at it from the wrong direction). he just thinks killing like, most of pandora’s citizens counts as making it better, and he views order as his top goal basically, and wants to achieve it at any cost (which i will elaborate on soon too!)

rhys’s driving force is kind of selfish? success, honestly. of course it gets deeper and more complex as the story goes along, and he’s got more time-limited goals, but at the end of the day his dream is to run a company, and then when he achieves it his goal is to keep his company safe

tim’s driving force is mostly just. to survive. he takes the body double job to pay off his student loans (bc unfortunately you need money to survive), he kills other body doubles in the casino as self defense, he cuts off his own hand to stay alive and get out of the casino (and well. for moxxi and other people in it. but let’s focus on the staying alive part)

there’s also the whole thing of how they achieve their goals (i said i’ll elaborate on it. and here we are) 

jack, as i mentioned, wants to achieve his goal at any cost. he stops at nothing. he kills countless people - one of them being roland, wipes out entire towns, enslaves his own daughter, kidnaps lilith, all to get to his goal of solving pandora’s problem, aka its residents. he doesn’t value other people’s life, and puts his own life and his own goal before others

rhys and tim both however, lean more into the sacrificing agenda, both giving up actual parts of their bodies to achieve small-time goals (ending jack, saving the casino) that eventually factor into their main ones, and in order to keep other people and themselves safe. BUT! they also kill people on the way. because that’s how borderlands is, really

but other than that, tim sacrificed his entire self to keep living even before the whole casino thing. he technically sold his identity - you could argue he also stops at nothing to achieve his goal, but only when the cost is himself, and he hurts other people only when the moment or the small-time goal calls for it

rhys is a mix of them both, technically, but this is also his development. he starts like jack, stopping at nothing to get his goal - backstabbing, stealing, using people - but in the end falls into that sacrificing role like tim, but also into a different role: working with others. you could argue both tim and jack also worked with others during their stories and development, and while it’s technically true, it wasn’t a significant part of their story (well. for jack i guess it was the betrayal by the people he worked with that helped turn him into something else, but i’m talking more abt people like nisha and wilhelm) like it was for rhys. 

ANOTHER ASPECT!!!!! if i already mentioned working with others!!!! is trust, and betrayal! 

i’m gonna start with the one i have least to say about regarding that aspect, and that’s tim, because it’s not a very prominent part of his story. even when one betrayal gets him VERY screwed in thjp dlc, he’s... technically not the main one getting betrayed? or rather, the way that part if written and played n all, it doesn’t feel like it, even though he’s the one that suffers most from it in the end. the betrayal itself doesn’t sting as much, because i doubt there was much trust there in the first place.

gonna move on the jack bc the betrayals he’s suffered are p straight forward: everyone he trusted. he even says it in tftbl, to make it clearer (”i’ve been betrayed by everybody i gave a rat’s ass about”). those betrayals turned him worse, made him care less, but not trust less, is the thing - and he ended up getting betrayed again and again, because he didn’t learn from them and kept hurting people or doing such terrible things that made others not want to associate with him and take him down. 

rhys’s whole trust thing is really interesting and this is where i become that one image bc i’m bringing up my favorite arc from bl3 to both play and analyze, but starting with tftbl! (this is going to be so much longer i’m sorry) rhys comes from an environment that basically forces him to doubt people. hyperion is full of backstabbing and people trying to one-up each other - hell, the first time we see him is when vasquez screws him over. and then, throughout the rest of tftbl all the way to the last episode, we see rhys getting betrayed or think he’s being betrayed over and over. with vaughn (thinking he’d sell him out to vasquez), with yvette (actually selling him out to vasquez), with sasha and fiona (thinking they ditched him on helios), with jack (just. all of ch4′s ending and ch5′s beggining). H O W E V E R despite all that!!!! he keeps on trusting people. you get a chance to forgive all of these people except for jack, you get a chance to mend your broken connections later on, and. well. now comes my favorite part of bl3: you see rhys blindly trusting someone, no matter how many people tell him not to the writing in bl3 is far from perfect, including in that part, and most of it is for comedy honestly, but i still love it and what it says abt rhys’s character, even though it became a bit flatter. he trusts zer0, and he refuses to listen to anyone trying to make him question them, even though it puts him and his driving force - now being keeping atlas safe - at risk. of course, that trust ends up paying up at the end - and well. that’s also a repeating motif in the betrayals rhys experiences, and part of it might be the reasoning for them

jack experiences those betrayals because he’s a dick and keeps hurting people. rhys experiences those betrayals because he’s got stuff people need and is kind of unlucky (and also half of those betrayals aren’t even real but rather just Look like ones), that’s why they get resolved, and that’s why he keeps trusting people. and well, as i said about tim, he doesn’t really get betrayed in a way that affects or is affected by his character, but the one he does experience is the same as rhys - because he’s got something someone needs and is kind of unlucky. 

ok i!!! think i ran out of things to say. for now. it’s 4:30 am and i worte an essay comparing borderlands characters. but i had fun so it’s okay. thank you for the ask anon and shoutout to anyone who read through the whole thing :P 

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of August 7th, 2019

Best of this Week: DCeased #4 - Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano, Rain Beredo and Saida Temofonte

This book went out with a bang and it’s only been four issues of the six!

Captain Atom is one of the strongest heroes of the DC Universe. He’s right on par with Superman and under the reigns of the government, he’s an asset that they have complete authority over. The Atom, likely Ray Palmer, has dived into the body of an infected girl to see if there were a way to solve the crisis before it gets any worse, but then he goes dark. Captain Atom tells Amanda Waller to just way for The Atom to chime back in, but she orders him to go outside and clean the mess up. 

He does so, but soon realizes that something is horribly wrong. The next thing we see is The Atom tearing his way through Captain Atom's body, infecting him with the Anti-Life Virus.

We cut to the aftermath of the last issue with Clark bringing Martha Kent to the Daily Planet, crying about Jonathan as the entire Kent Family embraces each other over the loss. One of the big themes of this issue is the loss of family as there will he two big examples later on, each feeling more devastating than the last. 

Soon after Superman returns, he's ready to go back out there and rescue more people, but Dinah reminds him of the danger everyone could be in if he were to become infected. He counters that with the fact that he's been using x-ray vision to counter the effects of the virus as it's transmitted through screens. Lois makes a transmission to any hero or villain still alive and tells them to all come to the Daily Planet building. 

It's one of the few bits of hope that we get in this issue as we see that some people have boarded up their homes, some of the Titans are still alive and even Lex Luthor is listening in. Best of all, the transmission makes it to Themyscira and Wonder Woman makes her presence felt as she tells her mother and an arriving Mera that she's going to Metropolis. 

In Keystone City, Superman and Green Lantern Canary find Flash and Kid Flash who are doing their best to stay down as them becoming infected would be a nightmare for the world. In Gotham, Harley is being rescued by Ivy, who kills the infected versions of Catwoman, Huntress, Batwoman and Batgirl. I really liked this because, on top of finally getting one over on the Joker, Harley is saved by the true love of her life, albeit in a gory and bloody manner that I'd hoped I'd never have to see for some of my other favorite characters. But they do make for a really adorable couple. 

Back in Metropolis, however, things have taken a horrible turn for the worse. Hairsine struts his stuff in an amazing double page spread that shows an infected Giganta tearing her way through the city like a Kaiju. She looks absolutely monstrous with a giant scar running down her face, eyes and clothes caked with the blood of untold tens or hundreds of people that she's likely killed or eaten. With only Black Lightning, his daughters, Green Arrow, Robin and Superboy to defend the Planet, things look incredibly dire.

That is, until a surprise Batwing appears and distracts her… only to get knocked out of the sky, but saved by a returning Canary, Superman and the two Flashes. Wonder Woman also appears and prepares to cut the head off of the infected Giganta as she is knocked over by Superman. However, he stops her, pleading that there may still be something left there.

The little bit of hope that he may have had is crushed as Cyborg reappears and blows a hole straight through her head, explaining that none of them are alive anymore. While it's a mostly clean shot, the few bits and blood that do fall out feel gnarly as hell and her dead eyed expression is enough to send chills down the spine. 

While the other heroes are talking, the Batwing's hatch opens and Damian somehow expects it to be Batman only to be met by Alfred. He hugs his grandson and tells him Bruce's last words before his untimely passing and we're brought back to another tearful embrace.

*HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD*

But this somber moment doesn't last as Hawkgirl appears, crashing down into Diana's arms, telling everyone that Captain Atom is infected and that he's about to explode. Superman and Wonder Woman do their best to contain it, but the sheer power of Captain Atom proves too much as his eruption destroyed Washington DC, then Baltimore and eventually...Metropolis where Black Lightning tells his daughters to close their eyes as he embraces them, the bright light engulfing them all.

*SPOILERS OVER: PRESS ON*

DCeased has gone way beyond the gimmick that a lot of us thought it might have been. Exploring themes like the loss of family, love and hope versus hopelessness, we see these characters placed in a new light where they have to adapt to a harrowing situation that no one was prepared for. Black Canary taking over as Green Lantern after Hal gets infected is a new and fresh take for her and she absolutely fits the role like a glove. Superman having to dissociate in order to keep himself focused on saving people gives him more depth as it clashes with who he is as a hero. Diana is far more willing to cut the head off of Giganta where normally she would try to talk her down or knock her out, she’s ready for the high stake over the situation. Also seeing Damian actually show his feelings, crying as Alfred hands him the briefcase of Batman’s gear, gives a lot more humanity as he’s been showing a lot of it because this is legit one of the first times he’s been truly afraid and didn’t have a plan. 

Trevor Hairsine’s art by itself is enough to sell the book on. It has a flavor of horror that hearkens back to some of DCs Vertigo stories, but also has the color and flair of normal superhero stories. The feelings of despair are very clearly shown and the gore, for how little there is in this issue is still unsettling to see. It’s all very high quality and appropriate for the story. Unlike most Marvel Zombies books, I’m actually scared for everyone here and I love it. High recommend. 

---------------------------------------------------

Jarro is the best new member of the Justice League and I will not be persuaded of the otherwise. 

Runner Up: Justice League #29 - Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Bruno Redondo, Hi-Fi and Tom Napolitano

Since the events of No Justice (2018), the Universe has been without Starro, the sentient and powerful telepathic starfish that served as the Justice League's first ever villain. In an uncharacteristic act of heroism, the conqueror sacrificed his life in an effort to save the universe from being destroyed. All that was left a small part of him that was kept in a jar and maintained his sense of heroism, becoming Batman's newest son, Jarro.

Jarro is the epitome of "doing his best" as this book involves him single handedly taking on the Legion of Doom. 

Lurking in the shadows of the Hall of Doom, listening to their top secret plans, lies Jarro dressed as Robin! He waits for the perfect moment and strikes at Lex and the others! They're all stunned that someone had the knowledge of their location and the gall to attack them. They all think that they can overpower him, but forget that Jarro still has all of the memories of his former self and creates an energy weapon that knocks them all back, including Sinestro and his constructs.

Though things take a turn, even after Jarro manages to take control of Braniac for a moment, and Lex gains the upper hand, pinning Jarro to a wall. As he's about to lay the final blow, the Justice League arrives to save their companion!

Throughout the book, however, there are numerous questionable things that makes it seem like it's just too good to be true. Jarro is referred to as Batman's favorite Robin by Sinestro. How did Jarro even find the Hall of Doom and how did the League track him? Hell, when Batman sees Jarro, he SMILES. That's a huge red flag. 

When Jarro begins to spawn more stars and takes over the minds of the Legion, Batman chides him for his actions and eventually realizes that he's had a star on his face the whole time. Jarro had been showing the good guys a vision where the League wins after deciding that control is the only path to victory after the shared vision he had with Starman in the last issue. 

It's all very reminiscent of any time that the Black Mercy plant is used and while what Jarro did was horrible, Batman manages to convince him that everything will be okay. So he releases the hold on everyone, jumps on Batman's shoulder and tells the others to prepare for war. 

What this book does best is simply allude to the idea that not everything is as it seems. It has little hints planted with things that only a could would say about themselves or their parents thoughts. Told through Jarro's perspective, it's good to see that Batman has raised him to be a being of hope and a cute one at that. Even his little Robin costume made me absolutely giddy and excited for the little guy.

Once again, it's Batman that has to save the day because he's always the most sound of mind. Though what this story does is shine a light on just how powerful Jarro could be. He managed to take over the minds of the Justice League without anyone being the wiser and shows just what an asset he is. It's even implied that he has a potential that even he can't see yet and I'm excited for his future.

[marssspellmans-blog]

To Be “Family”

To Be "Family" Introductionary Chapter

Summary: Mars Moreau is a young urban witch living in an orphanage tied to the Church of the Night. She was the daughter of an old friend of the Spellman's, and in times of trouble, witches should gather.

"Dear employee,

We are sorry to inform you that we are downsizing. If you have received this e-mail, sadly you will no longer be working with us.  We will imburse your last month's payment to your bank account. We thank you for your service."

Her eyes skimmed through the text four more times after reading it, it couldn't be true. After working until the last drop of her energy was drained, for two years? She couldn't believe that she was the one sacrificed. Being fired over an e-mail was even worse than being dumped over a text. Even though she felt all her efforts are thrown on the scrap heap, her gut didn't let her be angry.

Mars took ten deep breaths as the guidance counselor advised her to, and she turned off her phone. Her friends could wait until they group up to go out this afternoon. She was like the piggy in the middle of two bad ideas: calling the boss to ask what the hell was this e-mail, or doing absolutely nothing but pitying herself. She caught a glimpse of her reflection on the dark screen of her phone, the disappointment was masking all over her face and she had lost the warm, welcoming smile she usually had.

"It's okay," she whispered to herself with an asserting tone, convincing herself, "something good will come out of this."

She walked at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for a cab to pick you up in New York City was just as pointless as her plans to hex the employer. He wasn't guilty, after all.

As soon as she put her arm up in the air, a taxi passing through -not interested in stopping in the busiest road of NYC-, stopped right in front of her. A group of people waiting before glowered at her, but today she couldn't care less. Mars was thought not to use her powers for mundane things, but she simply -again- couldn't care less at that moment. She opened the car door and sat with her backpack on her lap, her nose wrinkled with disgust as she picked up on the sweaty, sharp smell in the cab. The signature scent of NYC transportation was unavoidable. She tried to inhale as less as she can while faking a neutral expression so she didn't offend the driver.

"Hi, 320 7th Avenue, please," said Mars, leaning quite forward.

 She decided to turn her phone back on just in case Ms. Carson, the matron in the orphanage, had something urgent to say, which she seldom has. But there were texts from her roommates and friends that were waiting for her. She decided to call Ms. Carson before responding to any of them. Ms. Carson picked up immediately, she was always so easy to reach in times of trouble.

"Hey, it's Marsienne."

"Hello, Marsienne. How are you? There are going to be a few visitors from the Academy, they want to see all the witches and warlocks here. I know you will be out with your friends, but will you be able to come before 6 pm? This might be important."

Marsienne smiled as she went on and on, right after asking how she is. She was always talkative and energetic, not like a regular matron, right? Mars knew she made the right call to lift her spirits, even though she never really liked the idea of leaving New York to the Academy of Unseen Arts.

"Sure, I will try. I called for something else though." Her thoughts were all over the place as she tried to find the right way to break the bad news.

"What is it, sweetheart?", her comforting tone encouraged Mars.

"I can't work anymore, I'm fired. They said they are downsizing." She gazed through the street while looking for her wallet as she was getting closer.

"Oh, Marsienne... I'm so sorry to hear that."

"But my scholarships are still valid, I won't have to worry about college money. Also, this is going to be my senior year, maybe I can get even more scho-"

"Are you still determined about college?" Ms. Carson's voice wasn't as enthusiastic anymore. This was the one and only topic Mars didn't agree with her about.

"We'll talk later, Ms. Carson. I need to go, I'm almost there." Mars rushed wearily, this was a topic to avoid while talking to Ms. Carson and she accidentally blurted it out, again.

"Marsienne...Fine, but you must come to the Academy's introductory meeting."

"I will. See you there."  Ms. Carson hung up.

The taxi pulled upright where Mars showed them to. Usually, Mars didn't like using magic to make people do certain things, but this time it was only for saving money purposes.

"Hey, excuse me." The driver turned to face her. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. The driver lost the expression on his face, just blankly looking into her eyes, mesmerized. "Thank you for the free ride." She got off the car and started walking to their designated meeting point, the diner. She saw Zara and Dan ordering, and rushed.

When she finally sat down next to them in the booth, her friends were already laughing at something.

"Hey, Mars, we ordered for you too. But listen, I got a joke." Dan gushed. This was probably not funny at all but he could never contain any emotion in himself, so he was spreading happiness all over.

Before even Mars could ask, Zara shushed him from across the table.

"Shut up, seriously! Mars, he was constantly talking before you got here. My brain hurts."

Mars laughed, "Come on, can't be that bad. What is the joke?". Dan excitingly clapped his hands and changed his expression as if he is going to tell them something extremely important.

"What happens when a Jordanian, a Bosnian and a French-American walks into a bar?"

Zara and Mars looked at each other in the eye, resigned. Dan shook his hands to remind them to ask the question and get their attention back. They continued his joke, even though they both knew what's going to come out of it.

"What, Mr. Novak?" mumbled Zara. She seemed like she had enough.

"They get drinks, talk, and have fun. What'd you expect?" concluded Dan. His audience wasn't amused.

"Wow," said Mars, "if I had a mom I'd see this on her Facebook page." Zara laughed along and added, "Girl, I already did."

As they continued to make fun of each other, their food arrived.  After the waiter served and left them alone, Mars decided to give flash news to her closest friends.

"Okay, I have a joke." Typical of her, always trying to make her problems funny so that they have less power over her.

Zara rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on, let me just eat in peace."

Dan hit her hand jokingly and turned to face Mars. "Proceed."

"Guess who has two thumbs and got fired today." No one said a thing. "Me!" she added. Nobody can tell why, but they laughed. After Zara calmed everybody down and asked what happened, Mars explained, they ate more, got milkshakes. This wasn't the worst problem that the booth has witnessed. As they continued to talk about other things that matter to highschoolers, hours went by.

"Guys, I need to leave. I promised Ms. Carson to help around with the babies. Maybe we'll hit the mall tomorrow, after school?" Mars explained -and lied- as she prepared to pay. They hugged and said goodbye.

Mars never liked lying to her friends, she never liked how sometimes she needed to disappear from a "normal teenager" scene. "Maybe in college," she always thought, "maybe in college I will be free."

She wished it was that easy.