#feels so nice to pull the banners out they're so good

[slasherslittlesimp]

Cursed (Avengers X Reader)

Series Masterlist

Part Five

You sit in the lab on a table as your eyes flicker between armor man and nervous man- whose names you were told are Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. The two men stand on the other side of the room as they quietly discuss how to go about removing your muzzle without causing you any harm. You're quite glad that the files apparently mentioned what happens when you try to carelessly remove the device. It saves you unnecessary pain as the two know what not to do.

It feels like hours pass by before the two finally turn towards you. Tony strides off to the other side of the room while Bruce moves a bit closer to you while still keeping a good amount of distance. "We're going to do some scans on the mask to see what components it's made of. Hopefully then we can figure out how to remove it." Bruce rubs his hands together as he gives you a tight smile that looks more like a grimace.

You nod in understanding before turning your attention towards Tony who comes towards you with a device in hand. He moves to stand directly in front of you- roughly a foot away- as he lifts the device to your face. A strange blue light emits from it as it scans over the mask resting over the lower portion of your face. It does this for a few moments before stopping, a screen nearby beeping as it pulls up the information gathered.

Tony and Bruce both move to examine the results, once again quietly discussing things with each other. You pull your gaze from them since you have no clue what they're talking about and instead focus on your still bare feet. They had offered you shoes but you had shaken your head, denying the offer. After so many years without wearing anything on your feet you've grown used to it. The idea of stuffing them into such restricting things seems unpleasant.

All you really want is to get your muzzle off so you can finally shower. Hydra was quite stingy with letting you cleanse yourself, only allowing it if you had been particularly well behaved that week. Any time you failed a task, training, or even started to show signs of remembering anything, they'd take away your shower privileges. It's been a few weeks since you last stood under the cold stream of water and washed away the dirt that seems to always stain your skin. You've grown used to the way you smell but certainly you smell horrendous to the people around you even if they haven't mentioned it.

You also want a nice hot meal. When you were fed, it was often small meals that were enough to keep you alive and to keep you from growing too weak but they were always cold or bland. Applesauce, plain jelly sandwiches, slices of thin cut ham, and water. That was all you were ever really fed. At this point, you're curious if your body will even be able to handle other food or if it will simply reject it. Maybe you should start with something light and work your way up to fuller meals. Not like you really know what options there even are out there.

The longer you sit there on the table lost in thought, the more pathetic you feel. You know you were with Hydra your entire life- it's all you can remember. What you can't remember is if it's always been like that. Small meals, scrappy clothes, rare showers. You know it's at least been like that for a few years now but what about in the beginning? Were you treated better? Worse? Not knowing the answers makes you uncomfortable, especially since the two strangers in the room seem to know more about you than you do.

You want to ask to see your files but you also are terrified at what you might remember as you read through them. Natasha had stated that there were multiple pages worth of files on you- on... what was the name? (Y/N)? You believe that's what she had said. It's a bit hard to think of it when so many different thoughts have been racing through your mind lately. Perhaps you should just ask for simple answers like your name and age. Start slow with it and then progressively try to remember more on your own.

"Ready Hannibal?" Tony's voice forcefully drags you from your thoughts as he suddenly stands in front of you. You had zoned out so much that you failed to realize the two of them had finished with whatever they were doing and that Tony moved back to his previous position of standing just a foot away from you. He holds up another small device, this one a bit smaller than the other one. "This is kinda like a jammer. We're hoping it'll block the signals in your mask which will make it unlock and pop off."

You sit up a bit straighter, feeling a bit nervous. It's been a long time since anyone has seen you without the mask and the last person who had was a target you needed to interrogate and kill. This will be the first time someone is seeing it in a long time without you having the intention to cause them harm. The last time was when the markings first appeared. Since then, you've only been allowed to remove it when alone or with someone you've been ordered to use your ability against.

"Alright, let's see that pretty smile." Tony flashes his own smile as he pushes a button on the jammer. You squeeze your eyes shut, half convinced that something with go wrong and you'll end up being painfully shocked. After a few silent seconds there's the sound of a mechanical click before the mask falls from your face and clatters onto the ground. Tony and Bruce both let out sighs of relief, glad their plan worked.

You keep your face angled towards the ground as you bring your fingers up to brush against the markings. You can't physically feel them but you know they're there, same with the one on your tongue. Neither you nor Hydra knew why the markings appeared along with the ability but you're almost certain that if the markings go away then so will your Cursed Speech.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce questions, watching you as you stare at the ground.

Taking a deep breath, you gather your courage before lifting your head so the two men can fully see your face. You give them a shaky thumbs up, not quite sure how else to let them know you're fine. They don't really seem to pay much attention to that though as their eyes instantly zero in on the circles and lines coming off both sides of your mouth.

Tony subconsciously reaches forward, his hand moving towards your face. You naturally flinch despite the fact that he wasn't moving very fast. He pauses when he sees this, realizing what he was doing. He clears his throat as he drops his hand to his side and continues to simply look at the markings instead.

"Now that the mask is off, why don't we let someone show you to a room where you can shower and rest?" Bruce cuts in, noticing how awkward things have gotten. You nod in agreement, sliding off of the table and side-stepping around Tony. Bruce informs the AI to send down one of the others as he leads you to the door.

Taglist: @desiree-lee @seventeen-x @svtbpbts @that-b-word-lol @keshet2k @cl0u-dy @randoes-world @nynxtea @cinnamoroll-things @emily2003azalga

[tommiieimagiines]

Umumum, did you see the kissing hcs you did for akito and tsukasa? I would like a rui one if that's okay :3

It feels weird to request something like this

𖦹 hii! don’t feel awkward about it, i’ve been waiting for something cute like this for a while! let’s stop torturing rui for a while, and let him kiss reader!! (o^^o) sorry for hiatus, i have a bunch going on rn but i have a ton of writing qued up now! i’m just using a short one first to tease u guys! lololllll! do u guys like the new bullet points btw? i just think they're the cutest thing! also, i was thinkin of opening up some sort of commission to help with my banners! i can write you a however long fic if you just give me some pointers… or make some for me… i can credit you under every time i use them as well! LOLOLZ

♪ no warnings! (see before one shot for those warnings tho! (＞人＜;))

Rui Kamishiro Kissing Hc’s + more!?

☆ For starters, he was TOTALLY freaking out before your first kiss

☆ He just wants to impress you! Is that so wrong?

☆ DEFINITELY the kind of person who accidentally keeps his eyes open… Scary…

☆ He had never kissed anyone, or even dated! He didn’t want you to think he was weird if he messed up!

☆ Held your cheek so nicely too

☆ He’s always so gentle with you… :(

☆ Was a total wall for a while, he was always really tense…

☆ He did of course lighten up after a while, but not without a fight

☆ After he realized you weren’t out to get him, he turned into a FIEND

☆ “Sweetheart, I've been doing so good, y’know? I think I deserve something…”

☆ “I really missed you today…”

☆ Kisses with him always have a bit of reluctance to them, though

☆ His signature move is the tried-and-true shifty eyes, darting his gaze from yours, down to your lips, and back up again. He just wants to make sure you look into it!

☆ After that, it's brow-furrowing, the passion exploding

☆ Spontaneous kisses are VERY possible with him, throwing himself over to you when something particularly works in his favor

☆ He enjoys kisses that come from hugging the best. Feeling you close AND getting your lips on his? Sign him up!

☆ He’s also one to tease you when you kiss

☆ When you guys are comfortable, you really should watch out!

☆ He likes to pull you back when you least expect it, and WHAM!

☆ Doesn’t just love your lips either! He’s OBSESSED with kissing the top of your head!

☆ Again with the teasing, he likes to play Romeo and kiss your hands too

☆ He likes to be kissed on the cheek a lot, especially if you wear makeup and leave a kiss mark!

☆ Parades it around like a trophy

☆ The most offended you’d ever see him is if you wipe his kiss off. NEVER wipe his kiss off. He’d never kiss you again in fear he’s an awful kisser

☆ His kisses never really get spitty. If you want constant teeth clattering or biting, he’s not the one for you…

☆ Only time anything hasty happens is when he’s really upset

☆ He loves you - a ton - so please be nice with him too..

ayyyyy!! who’s proud of lil ol’ me?? here’s a mini mini oneshot! not long at all, but i thought the idea was cute! now that i think abt it, this was more just my musing… has a kissy kiss tho, so yay! it’s REALLY OOC sry… i’m rly not all that proud of this work, but it’s embarrassing how long it’s been since i’ve posted so i decided whatever take wut i give ya!!

TW: small issues with eating (rui has autism and trouble with textures (mild ARFID), you help him by trying to make nutritious food he won’t want to spew. . lmao… his problem has NOTHING to do with body image/weight, he’s just very particular..)

Rui wants to kiss you, you want to kiss Rui, and its causing you trouble.

It's been 4 years since you've been friends, 2 days since you've been dating, and you've been staring at each other for… how long are these stupid periods? Whatever, the short story is; the teacher made a million-dollar mistake (letting you two partner up for a group project), and everybody in your class is suffering because of it.

It's a classic story, you talk like everything’s normal, brush hands, look away, sputter something out, stare at each other, and freeze when you realize the other is staring right back. People - yourselves included - have seen you two be so natural together, so the simple fact of you two being so awkward is… unsettling. Little did they know, you both are going through some of the worst identity crises known to the angst-riddled teenage mind.

Rui is scared. To expand, Rui is scared of how much he wants to kiss you. To expand further, Rui is scared of how much he wants to kiss you, because you look so nervous around each other all the time since the thing, and he knows that asking you would be awkward enough to want to dig himself a grave out of embarrassment.

He wishes you would just wear the pants and ask, as horrible as that sounds. Why should he be the man and make the first move? He’s hardly manly, he wears striped sweaters…

He finds that way of thinking farcical, he knows it’s dumb to wait for you to ask, but he can’t help it. You asked him out (kinda, it was a genuinely… unique experience), and you should be the one to initiate a first kiss. Rui had never kissed anyone before! Can’t you take one for the team? He’s sure you’ve kissed people, how could you have not?

You were thinking the same thing, of course.

I mean, you already had to make him sit through your painfully long-winded and uncoordinated confession, the least he could do is this! He's definitely kissed someone, you decide, you haven't! It isn't fair to expect you to know what to do!

To everyone else, said simply, you both look schizophrenic.

The way you two decide how to split up the work, the way you two talk to each other as if you're perfect strangers, is confusing for both of you.

“O-Oh, uh- I can- y'know- I can do the writing, I don't mind-”

Your hands graze the others while reaching for the cheap school laptop.

“Sorry!-” You both squeak in unison, pulling away as if you had burned each other. Damnit! This is so annoying! You have to speak up.

“Rui we’re- c'mon, you're still my best friend, so why’re we acting like this?-” You try to laugh, covering your face in frustration. “Be normal, we do this all the time.”

Fortunately, he loves you more than his embarrassment, so your words quickly calm him down.

You both are just so dramatic!

Later, the lunch bell saves you from the hell-sent assignment, and you meet at your usual spot for lunch. You pull two lunch boxes out of your bag, and he grows anxious.

He squints at the sun, his hand cupping his face. “It’s been warm out, even for me. Do you think so?”

Really, Rui? You want to say, small talk? Is this to get out of the real food you want to feed him? Yeah, right.

“You’ll be pretty warm when I strangle you.” You remark, handing him his. “Heard you get sweaty when you fight for air, so you better not piss me off.” You point for emphasis, forcing down your smile. He has to keep from smiling too.

“Well, now i’m feeling nauseous,” he looks away, chuckling. “I think I’ll call someone..”

“Yeah, right. Like you’d find someone else to cut you cutely-shaped vegetables.” You nudge him with your shoulder, pointing again to his lunchbox as if to say eat. Eat now, or die later.

“Maybe a toddler's mom,” He pokes his veg to the side, “or a professional lunchbox maker. Something stupid like that.”

“I bought you soda candy if you’re a good boy and finish all your vegetables.”

“Aye aye, cap’n!” He fake saluts, looking at his lunch with a new-found determination.

“You're too easy, I should be a dog trainer.” You sit, watching him inspect the offending food. He knows you're watching him, and you know he knows you're watching him. You do it because it gives him a reason to actually try, letting him know that if he doesn't eat, you won't.

“You really went with a challenge today...” He squints.

“Why’d you think I bought soda candy?”

“Ah.”

A beat, you glare at him.

“Are you just going to look at it?” You prod, he ponders.

“What's my conversion rate?”

“Two bites to one candy.”

“That seems greedy.”

“Candy-flation. Its a real issue nowadays.”

Another beat, you have to pick up the silence again.

“So whats the plan?”

“You can eat, y'know. I'd rather you not starve to death.”

“Feelings mutual, Rui.”

“Touché.”

He picks one thing up, bringing it to his lips, and you do the same. You smile cockily, knowing he gave in.

“It's good, I promise. I only cooked ‘em for a little bit, so they shouldn't be too mushy.” You speak up, a piece of chicken in your cheek. “I even put meat in it, since you complained last time that it was too “vegetable-y”.”

He nods, chewing slowly with apprehension filling his body. As he continues to chew, however, his reluctance melts away slightly. He always doubts you for nothing! Why doesn’t he trust you? This isn’t bad at all.

“Good, huh? Proud of you,” you encourage. “Rui 2, broccoli 0. Hold out your hand.” You instruct, placing a candy on his palm. “Give me some feedback. Is the sauce a Rui yay or nay?”

“Makes broccoli better, so I like it.” He nods, confirming himself. You fist pump, thrilled he enjoyed it. He sighs at the taste of the sweet gummy, “I like this better though, if you could believe it.”

“Rui liking candy? I don't!” You feign surprise, holding a hand to your chest. He pushes you away playfully.

“Whatever,” he pauses, swallowing. “Do I uh- Do I have to finish?”

“If you wanna live, then yeah.” You joke, holding up an unconvincing first. He laughs.

You two forget about your shared desire, if only for a little bit.

It ends when he walks you home.

You guys were completely normal the whole school day! You both don't know where the sudden apprehension is even coming from, and it’s just…

awkward.

Rui clears his throat, pulling on his coat with an unneeded sense of urgency. You don't know why he felt the need to get your attention, you've been sneaking glances at him for the last 15 minutes.

“So, uh-” he starts, looking away. You know he's about to try for small talk, and it's welcome. “Tsukasa got sick, can you believe it?”

Ah, you were wondering why he didn't have anything to do today.

“I feel bad for his parents, I’d hate to have to nurse ‘kasa back to health,” you snicker, and he joins in reluctantly.

“Me too.”

Another round of silence overtakes the two of you, it’s suffocating.

“So I-“

“Would you-“

You both start, then stop just as quickly. The stifling atmosphere of your shared embarrassment leaves you both speechless.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry.”

You two don’t try to start again, not until you two reach your house.

“So…” you start. Everything feels so surreal. If you would've told yourself three days ago you'd be in a relationship with your best friend, you’d have never believed yourself.

“So.” He agrees, nodding. He's feeling as messed up as you are, he hopes you know that… “I can get started on that project tomorrow-”

“C'mon, Rui!-” you exclaim, grabbing his hands. You're sick of the tension - the apprehension - you just wanted to know where he was with it. Did he not want to be in a relationship with you? “I- Can you just tell me if you wanted to stay friends? This is so awkward!”

“It's not that, truly.” He defends, squeezing your hands. He can't believe you'd think that. Can you not see how endeared you are to him? A wave of relief washes over you, though. At least that suspicion wasn't confirmed. “I just- well…” He starts, getting flustered, “I get nervous…” His voice goes quieter, and he pulls you closer.

You swallow hard, your faces closer than before. The urge comes back- the feeling of desire to not only call him your boyfriend (something that already leaves a fuzzy feeling in your stomach), but to do romantic things with him. To touch him, hold him, breathe him in- even simply kiss him. Those things are why you decided to even tell him in the first place, why you were so discontent with your previous friendship.

Rui felt the same way too. He found his heart utterly devoted to the idea of you, and not much else. He saw in himself a restless animal, listening to every word you said like it was poetry.

All of this is to say that you two were at an impasse.

“Rui,” you beg, staring into his eyes, “let's be weird! I want to do things for the first time with you! I want to-”

A hand on your cheek breaks you from your monologue; your heart tightens.

Rui looks down at you, his expression something you can’t completely describe. He stares at you back, then he goes down to your lips, then back at you.

His voice is a whisper when he breaks the silence.

“Is this okay?”

You freeze. Is what okay? Why is he looking at you like that? Your knees turn into jelly as you realize.

Oh, he wants to kiss you.

You nod feverishly, leaning in.

Your collective thoughts quiet when your lips connect, and for once you’re not worried about trivial things like tension. It’s wonderful - still very reluctant, both being terrified of disappointing the other - but still heartskippingly amazing.

His eyebrows furrow as he deepens the kiss, moving off of pure instinct. He’s glad his first kiss is with you - he wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s no teeth, no fire, just small bursts of heat. You two have never been the kind to be rough with each other, after all, and it’s shown in the way you take care of one another.

His knees lock at the feeling of total gentleness from you, basking in the way you feel. It’s a calm reminder to both of you that; yes, you love each other, and no, you’re not just friends anymore.

like all good things, though, it came to an end eventually, as you two unfortunately had to breathe. (That isn’t to mention the fact that the blistering heat - combined with the strenuous activity, and embarrassment of doing this while standing on your very seeable porch - was leading you both to an embarrassing amount of perspiration.)

He looks down at your connected hands then back up at you, his face giddy and lopsided. “I should go home before it gets too dark, huh?”

You laugh too, heart pounding at the feeling of puppy love. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

It’s not a question, it’s a promise. A promise that you WILL be at school and WILL speak to him like normal.

“‘Course,” he confirms.

He walks home just a little quicker that night, anxious to tell Nene all about it.

(the ironic thing, is that as soon as you closed your front door, you texted her too.)

[leavingsunsets]

alsgakdgaksh sorry I know you just answered my request but, but, but what about dcst characters reacting to a reader who has a problem with daydreaming (maladaptive daydreaming)

basically they get so lost in their mind that they start acting out or quoting(? their thoughts, from the outside it just kinda looks like they're talking to themselves but they've got a whole movie in their mind 😭 (i legitimately subconsciously tripped myself because i imagined a character falling to the floor)

take care and don't rush <333

whooo this was a doozy. had to do a little research for this one, so i get to give yall some good rep or atleast make it feel a little more accurate tehee. anyways with this population sampling liberty ive decided to get 5 characters, 4 guys and 1 girl. enjoy 😋.

"𝔇𝔞𝔶𝔡𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔯?"

[𝖣𝖢𝖲𝖳 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐/ 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖺𝖽𝖺𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗒𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗋.]

𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙠𝙪 𝙄𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙞

Might be a little confused at first. Like, especially if it's at random times. Maybe he's busy tinkering with something, and you're in the same room. You do or say something and he automatically goes "huh?" because he thinks you're talking to him and you go "huh."

It takes some adjusting for him, but he learns much faster than the others. Though it's kinda funny during the beginning stages because whenever you said something aloud he'd pause whatever he was doing to stare at you blankly, and if you didn't look his way after a few seconds he'd take it as you weren't talking to him and resume his business.

He's a curious bugger tho so he obviously glances over at you sometimes to see what you were doing, whether you were both alone or not.

Seeing as your attention is a little harder to grab, he's got a custom habit of either patting or holding your shoulder. Like "yo [name]," and a little shoulder tap.

But with this development, it seems you've also learned to do the same. Now that he's used to you talking to yourself, to show that you're speaking to him, you have to either tap him or say his name.

Overall, pretty chill about it, even talks to you a lot just to pull you out sometimes.

𝙏𝙖𝙞𝙟𝙪 𝙊𝙠𝙞

Our sweet, underrated, heart of gold who I couldn't find nice aesthetic manga banners for (sorry for the jumpscare). Bet you didn't expect to see him on the list, huh?

Just a little longer in terms of adjusting. Like Senku, is a little confused and goes "?" when you do things randomly. Sometimes, you are interrupted because whenever he is in vicinity he's just bombarding you with questions.

"Hi! What are you doing?" "Were you talking to me?" "What's that mean?" "Were you saying something?" "What is that gesture?"

You either give him a very detailed description about the scenario in your head or just BS it.

"I was communicating with the trees." "Wow! Really? You can do that?" Accepts whatever choice you pick anyway. He will listen intently and he will take it literally. An open chance to tell him whatever you want and he would not suspect you at all. He is very intrigued at this new type of acorns called "Deez" that you found in the forest. Apparently it's part of the "Ligma" family of trees? Wow!

Easily snaps you out of your daydreams because his voice is just loud enough to do so.

You get to enthuse with him sometimes, and he will happily listen.

𝙏𝙨𝙪𝙠𝙖𝙨𝙖 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤

Also a little underrated, I swear.

Problem with Tsukasa is that he's a little nonverbal so when you do or say something, he just stares at you. Hulk of a man watches in confusion as you play out a whole soap opera or something.

But hey, what is Tsukasa if not a kind and gracious man?

Tries to understand you, and is a good listener if you ever need a guy to ramble to about this. And hey, gives him more insight on your mind in general.

Keeps a slightly closer eye on you, or is just more aware of your predicament in general.

This Tarzan would genuinely be gentle about it like he'd check up on you and stuff. Talk to you, or even sit down with you, maybe a little chitchat.

I imagine you as a duo would be him sipping nice tea and enjoying the garden meanwhile you accidentally drop your cookie in the milk so you borrow his teaspoon just to scoop it out and he lets you. Very weird analogy but he is just kind??

An enigma, overall doesn't change his usual equitable treatment towards you.

𝙆𝙤𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙪

I already had a vision of her reaction to this. Like, as an inquisitive type, she'd most likely ask you questions all about it as soon as she notices it. More answers lead to more questions. Forgive her, she's only curious.

Similar to Tsukasa, she wants to be aware and informed. Wants to know about what you're thinking about sometimes. "Hmmm..." and just watches you from the branches.

Of course, watchful, and vigilant. Observer type. If ever you're too out of it to notice something potentially harmful coming your way (or vice versa), she'd be there to tug you back to reality.

She's most likely less patient than Tsukasa, not the type for a sit down kind of conversation, but would still let you ramble while you both pick apples or smthn.

Overall a nice gal who wouldn't mind it at all.

I feel like she's the complete opposite of a daydreamer, so it's hard for her to understand what it's like. Still, she tries to be considerate and talks with you whenever she can as a way to learn about it.

[hannsluvely]

after hours

after hours : a live action buggy x fem!reader fanfiction

for some odd reason, you have no idea who he is. and he fucking loved that.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

chapter one

chapter two | red. rain. rotten.

his pov;

She was standing underneath a stripe-patterned banner that shielded her from the pouring rain. Her nimble fingers sorted through an assortment of fruits, trying to decide which were the ripest and tastiest of the bunch. Of course, she was by herself, with none of her peers or family around her. I knew she was close to them. But why must she always be alone?

The tan-suede coat I wore protected me from the cold, keeping my body somewhat warm. My gloves and hands were stuffed in my pockets as I peeked around the corner and watched the girl shop. I noticed her begin to shiver, which I dreaded. I was so selfish. I didn't need this coat. I've spent countless nights in the cold, the crashing waves of the East Blue only intensifying the breeze. I was almost immune to the cold, but her? Y/N's nose was reddening as her teeth shattered. Was any fruit worth suffering in the cold? A devil fruit, maybe. But even then, it wasn't worth it. "Y/N," I smiled as I approached the maiden. The girl's head rose as she picked up an apple then her body twisted, her eyes growing wide upon the sight of myself. She nearly jumped. "How-" She shook her head. "Are you following me?" Her voice and body shook. Yes. "No, of course not," I laughed, brushing the accusation off my shoulders as I took a few more steps toward her, closing the wide gap. "I was looking for something to eat and I spotted you. Am I not allowed to say hello?" Guilt was something I was tremendous at. Y/N still seemed skeptical but after a slight sigh, she smiled and nodded her head. "No, forgive me. I'm sorry. Uh," She turned her attention to the apple she was holding then let it drop among the others crowding in a small basket. "None of these apples look good."

"They've been sitting out for a while. The shop clerk doesn't take the best care of his fruits. It's why they're so cheap," I chuckled to myself and reached down to grab an apple. I twisted it and examined a large brown spot that was eating away at the once-bright red color. I huffed, "I'm sure you can find something else to eat."

"I can't afford anything else to eat."

My eyes widened and I took a step back, visibly and internally shocked. What? She couldn't afford to eat anything other than a rotten apple? "Why?"

"It's a long story," Y/N admitted. "But I don't wanna talk about it." The girl sorted through found one that looked reasonable, and started to dig in her pocket. She pulled out nothing. "Never mind, I can't even afford that." Letting out a pitiful laugh, she dropped the fruit. I frowned. Her absence of money was one of the few things I didn't know about her. And now that I was aware of it, I felt a puzzling and aggressive feeling in my stomach. Was she out of work? Did she not have any way of providing for herself? Raising my hand, I grabbed at my chin and scratched the bottom of it. "Let me buy you something to eat."

"What?" Her eyes widened and she immediately shook her head, waving her hands as a type of rejection. "You are not buying me anything."

"It's just lunch. It's no biggy," I remarked. "At least something small."

"Why?" She folded her arms over her chest. "Do you feel sorry for me? First, you see me getting picked on by some slob, and now, you see that I'm too poor to afford a rotten apple. What's next?"

"Y/N, knock it off. Stop. Just think of it as a friend doing something nice for their friend."

The questioning look remained stuck on her face as she stared up at me. I tried to maintain a serious expression though the look she was giving me made my lower lip purse, like a pout. How was someone so enchanting? I continued to stare into her eyes, making quick glimpses to explore her other facial features before she finally made a decision. "Fine, but just this once, okay?" "You got it." I winked. -=- Being the gentleman I am, I loaned Y/N my coat to wear despite her dismay and numerous declines. She was pouty the entire walk to the pub but I didn't care. I'd rather her in a pissy mood than feeling physically uncomfortable due to the rain. I, however, was shivering. I was starting to become drenched. I held a newspaper over my head in hopes of staying dry but the wind was strong and the rain was forceful, almost piercing through the thin paper.

When we arrived at the restaurant, she found herself a seat in the corner of the establishment, scooting far into the booth. I followed behind her, sitting on the edge of the seat. I'd rather her be sitting across from me than rather to the side but due to her current emotional state, I stayed quiet and slid her the menu. "Get whatever you want, alright? I mean it."

"Are you a man of money?"

"Something like that," I snickered and ducked my head down to examine the options.

"Have you killed anyone before?" Y/N asked as she folded her arms over the table, her eyes peering at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows and let out a soft laugh. "No," I lied. "I'm not like that. I wasn't that type of pirate."

"What kind of pirate were you?"

"What kind of pirates do you think there are?"

"I don't know," She said as she pursed her lips. "I don't like pirates."

I nodded, unsure of a proper reply. I didn't like lying to her. I was fine with lying, in general. I was the master of conniving and deception. But I wanted to be different for her. Maybe a better person, though that seemed a bit rash. I left the East Blue after discovering that Monkey D- or whatever his name was received a higher bounty than me. Double my own, to be precise. My normally high and mighty ego dropped down and was smooshed by a brick. I didn't want to show my face again, at least not for a while. I wanted somewhat of a fresh start. And when I discovered my presence in the North Blue was dim and almost non-existent, I decide to settle down and refresh.

Then I discovered her.

And my plans completely changed.

"Do you know what you're getting?" Y/N's voice interrupted my thoughts and I raised my head and peaked up at her, smiling softly.

"Hm, not too sure yet," I replied.

"Are you cold? You look cold. You can have your coat back, it's--"

"Nah, keep it. It looks better on you," I said with a grin. I reached for a napkin and started to dab at my forearms, trying to dry myself off. The lovely woman aside of me frowned and stayed quiet. I could tell she felt guilty, which, of course, wasn't my intention. So in hopes of brightening up the mood, I decided to tell a joke.

"What's a pirate's favorite type of exercise?"

Y/N smirked and scrunched her eyebrows. "What?" She laughed.

"The plank."

Her hand slapped over her mouth in hopes of keeping her loud giggles and snickers to a minimum but the more she proceeded to think about it, the more laughs she erupted. My face reddened. I glanced around me, noticing that every other patron and pirate were staring directly at us. Gulping, I reached forward and pulled her hand down from her mouth. "Come on, stop. It's not that funny."

"It's stupid, that's why it's funny!" She continued to cackle as she threw herself over the table, clutching her stomach. A smile crawled on my face, not a painted one. Hearing her laugh, while for no reason, was a beautiful sound. And seeing her laugh? That was even better. I rested my chin in my hand and watched her, smiling to myself. When she finally calmed down, she wiped tears from her eyes. Her face was stained red. "Gosh, I am so sorry," She sighed, shaking her head. "I needed that, thank you."

"It's no problem," I said as I dropped my menu.

Due to the lack of laughter, a waiter finally arrived and took our orders.

"I'll have a slice of apple pie, please. With a cup of milk," Y/N smiled up at the waiter as she read off from the menu.

I raised an eyebrow. Dessert?

"Then after that, I'll have the fish and chips. But I want the pie first, please. Not after." She announced and she folded her menu, sliding it forward. She smiled at me.

I looked at her, completely confused. "Uhm," I looked back to the waiter, "I'll just have a cup of coffee."

Now, Y/N was looking at me, confused.

The waiter nodded and left. "Hey," Y/N started. "Why aren't you eating? I thought you were on your way to get something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry. Plus I doubt you'll finish all of that. I might pick on your leftovers," I said with a grin then I started to munch on the small bowl of peanuts that sat in the middle of the table. "What's up with the apple pie though?"

"I like to eat my dessert before my food because that's what I'm looking forward to," She hummed as she leaned back in her seat. "What if during our meal, we are stormed by a group of pirates and killed at gunpoint? Or a sea snake comes and eats us whole?"

"Ha! What?"

"It's unlikely but it's possible. And I'd like to die knowing I was able to get to the good part of my meal." She wagged her finger at me.

"You make a good point there."

"I know," The girl said with a satisfied grin.

I chuckled and sat back, drumming my gloved fingers on the edge of the table. A thought pondered my mind but I didn't know whether to act on it or not. I wanted to, but I didn't want to overstep any boundaries. I felt Y/N and I were moving forward with our relationship if there was one. We were talking, enjoying a meal together. I made her laugh. She admitted a quirk about herself to me. I felt there was good progress. But I wanted more. I was an impatient man. And the fact that it took five months for me to finally talk to her, despite her initiating the conversation, was surprising. I was eager to get what I wanted. And Y/N was the only thing my mind and heart could agree on.

But the fighting halves of my brain finally settled and I rested my arm over the top of the booth, leaning back. "So, uh, earlier you said you needed to laugh? How so?"

"It's a long story," She mumbled, shrugging her shoulders.

"I've got no places to be, I have time," I said as I cracked a peanut open, discarding of the shells on an unfolded napkin. I watched as she began to grow uneasy with the topic but I was desperate to want to know what was the issue. Why was she stressing her pretty little head? I frowned. "Come on, talk to me. We aren't friends, I'm a stranger to you, no? Who am I gonna talk to or tell?"

"You make a good point," Y/N sighed and leaned forward, raising her hand to scratch at the back of her neck. "It's just- I don't know, it's a lot. I haven't talked to anyone about it."

“Why not?”

“Because it’s something I’m not proud of.”

What could someone as sweet and fragile as she has done that was such an awful deed?

“What is it?” I tossed a peanut into my mouth.

“Well, I was young when it all happened. But when Gold Roger announced the One Piece before he died, my dad was one of the stupid pirates who thought he could have a shot at finding it,” She announced as her eyes rolled and she started to chew on my inner cheek. “My mom kept telling him to knock it off and stop living in a fantasy but he set off, determined to find it. I haven’t seen him in fifteen years. But this came to me a few days ago,” The girl dug her hand into her pocket, rummaging around before she pulled out a crumpled piece of coffee-stained paper. She rolled the ball toward me.

I looked at her then back down at the paper ball. I reached forward and grabbed it, raising an eyebrow. Unfolding it, I smoothed the paper against the table and started to allow my eyes to trail over the letter.

‘Y/N,

It is with great sorrow that I write you this letter. I wish you the best in your youth and I hope you amount to incredible things, such as creating a new destiny for you and your mother. I am sorry I wasn’t able to be a better father for you. Greed is distasteful. I won’t see you again. At the time of writing this, I will be long gone. But please, do me one thing: never stop smiling.

I love you, kiddo.

Love, Dad’

I clenched my jaw and looked back up at her. “Damn, that is a lot.”

“I told you,” She whispered as she tore the paper out of my hands, crunched it into a ball, and then shoved it back into her pants. “I didn’t think he’d be dead. Not this soon. My parents had me when they were young. And to think that my dad died doing something everyone warned him of. It’s horrible. It haunts my mind every day,” She frowned, her eyes tearing up. “Do I write back?”

“Do you have things you wish to say to him?”

“So much. But if he’s dead, then there’s nothing I can say, right?” Y/N rubbed at her nose and took a deep breath as she looked up, her hands waving in hopes of drying her tears. “God, I hate crying.”

“Maybe just write your heart out. Say everything you wish you could say to him. Then seal it in a bottle and toss it into the sea,” I suggested. I looked down at my gloved hand and hesitating, I reached forward and took hold of her small hand. I gave it a tight squeeze. “What do you want to say?”

“How I hate him for abandoning me and my mother but I still love him because he’s my father,” Y/N murmured, the rest of her words muffling as her lower lip quivered. She broke down in a fit of sobs as tears ran down her gorgeous face. I swallowed, never knowing how to react when someone cried. As a child, I hated to be touched whenever I was upset. I wondered if she was the same way. “I don’t know, I don’t,” She repeated as she buried her face in her hands.

I looked around the bar, nervous that others were watching this scene. First the obnoxious laughter and now this? Her emotions were spiraling.

“Hey,” I whispered, my thumb rubbing along her wrist. “Let's say we get the food to go and I’ll take you back home. Eat where you feel comfortable and so you can properly feel your emotions.”

“Huh?” She raised her head, the light mascara that accentuated her eyelashes, now dripping down her cheeks.

“I’m going to go tell the chef to wrap your meal up. Then I’ll take you home,” I continued and I raised my free hand, snapping my fingers to signal we needed assistance. “But don’t worry, I’ll turn around when you walk inside.” I cocked a smile but the comment remained unheard as she continued to cry.

I finally found a waiter and instructed him that we were taking the meal to go. He looked at Y/N with a concerned look but I told him she was alright. But I didn't even know that.

On the walk back to her place, I think I managed to get her to calm down. My hand rubbed at her back as she dipped her head in her hands. I guided her through crowds, instructing her on where to go since her eyes were covered and swollen with tears. A small frown fell on my face despite the red-painted smile I wore so proudly. The face paint I wore was smeared and dripping due to the rain from before. It was continuing to rain but not nearly as frequent and hard as earlier.

I had no idea she was this emotional. It made me feel guilty, even though, as far as I knew, I had nothing to do with why she was crying so much. I hated seeing her so sad. Normally, if it were anyone else apart from her, ridiculing would be my goal. I never cry. Pirates don't cry. But my nose burned with an odd sensation as I helped her up the staircase to her small, run-down building. I blinked rapidly and the feeling went away. Letting out a sigh, I gave Y/N a pat on the back and informed her that we were finally home. Her head raised from the confines of her hands and she revealed a wet, red face with strands of her hair sticking to her skin. A frown stayed on my face. I pulled my hand from her back and dropped the takeaway down on the doorstep. I clenched my teeth together and watched as she fumbled to push the door open. "Here," I whispered, using my foot to nudge it open. It gave way, revealing a disorderly room with an unkempt bed and a woman sleeping under the sheets. It was probably her mother.

"Thank you," Y/N finally spoke, her voice croaking. "I appreciate it, honestly. I'm sorry for ruining your meal."

"Don't apologize. Things are fine. Go eat then get some rest, alright?"

"Yeah, okay." She rubbed her nose and nodded her head. "I'll see you around." Her body twisted and she hunched over to grab the uneaten food. She stepped inside.

"Y/N," I started, stopping her in her steps. She turned around. As I dug through my pocket, I pulled out a few berries, placing them in the palm of her hand. "Take these, okay? It's not a lot but, it should last you a little while."

"What?" She looked in her hand, shaking her head. "Buggy, no, I can't accept this. This is too much."

"Come on, take it. It's okay. You need it more than I do."

"But this is like," She counted the bills in her hands, "forty-three hundred berries... Are you completely sure?"

"Yes, I am," I said with a smile.

"I'm going to pay you back for this, I promise."

"No need."

"No, I want to. Please. I won't take this unless you allow me to repay you for this. Okay?" She slipped the money into her pocket, wiped her palm on the side of her pants, then held it out. "Deal?"

Chuckling to myself, I nodded my head. "Deal." I shook her hand. "Now, come on, go eat. I don't want to take any more of your time."

"Okay, okay," The beautiful girl agreed with a large grin, which was a much better sight than her crying. "Buggy, thank you. Thank you so much." And with those words, she stepped back, gave me a quick wave and a sincere grin, then shut the creaky wooden door behind her.

The sound of the door shutting nearly made me jump. And when I realized I was left all alone, the same sensation in my nose appeared. I gulped and walked down the stairs, now standing on a wooden dock. I hugged my arms and my eyes widened.

Y/N still had my coat.

[sashaisready]

Chapter Twenty-Four - Yeah, idiot

Bucky Barnes Mob AU x Femme Reader

You're hard at work in Pepper's Bakery when notorious mob boss James 'Bucky' Barnes darkens your doorway one typical afternoon, and life is never the same again.

Warnings: Sexual references, references to panic attacks, tooth rotting fluff

18+ - see Masterlist for full list of warnings

Chapter 25 Series Masterlist

Steve had been entertaining you with stories from the past. You'd been screeching with laughter as he told you about what he and Bucky got up to as kids in Brooklyn, terrorising the local bullies and getting up to mischief. Steve was apparently a scrawny, sickly kid and didn't fill out until much later in life, so Bucky kept an eye out for him. You saw a lot of yourself in Steve's memories of Bucky - a headstrong kid jumping into fights he couldn't always win just to help his friend.

You were happy to learn more about Bucky's past, but also grateful for the distraction to keep your mind occupied and not be left to think about last night.

"Seems like we're having fun in here" came a gruff voice from behind you.

Bucky had walked into the kitchen. Dressed impeccably as always in a perfectly tailored navy suit. You felt a short flurry of butterflies in your stomach upon seeing him again, his eyes sparkling as they landed on you.

"Hey Buck" you greet him shyly.

He smiles and approaches you, giving you a kiss on the cheek. Then he carefully inspects the cut on your face, moving your head gently with his hand.

"This seems to be healing alright but I might ask Banner to check it out to be sure it won't scar - he has some medical training".

"I think it looks kinda cool" you retort.

Steve and Bucky exchange amused looks.

"Did we eat?" Bucky asks.

"We did" replies Steve. "Greedy over here was like a garbage disposal with those eggs".

"Hey!" You squeak at his teasing.

Bucky smiles. "Good. Glad to hear it". He paused to pull out his phone and stare thoughtfully at the screen.

"Thanks Steve" he continues. "Can you go find Sam and have him fill you in on this morning".

Steve nods, flinging his jacket on and heading for the door. "Nice hanging with you, cupcake".

"Thanks for breakfast, Stevie".

He shoots you a mock salute and a big grin and disappears out of the kitchen. Bucky moves to the kitchen island, pulling up a chair next to you.

"...Cupcake? Stevie?" He questions, the tiniest hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Mm. We hit it off. Do you know if he's single?" You wink.

Bucky rolls his eyes. "Don't do that..."

"What?" You ask innocently.

He smirks back at you before becoming more serious. "So, how are you feeling? Honestly?"

You squirm in your seat a little and grip your coffee cup. "Fine. A bit tired. But fine".

He cocks his head at you and it's clear he's not buying it.

"...I mean I did have a panic attack in the shower" you relent. "But other than that..."

Bucky smiles at you sympathetically, kissing your temple as his arm protectively finds your waist. You lean back into him, savouring his touch.

"And how about you? How did it go with your men?" You ask.

He grimaces. "Everyone is a bit shaken up, of course. But okay. They're pleased we got you out and didn't lose anyone from our side – a few injures and scrapes but that's all. We've got some guys on the road making sure we didn't miss anyone from HYDRA and I'm making progress on finding the rat".

You nod. He says it all so casually but it spooks you slightly as you consider the implications for those two things. It's not likely to be a friendly chat for anyone involved.

You look at the time on your phone, it's early afternoon now. You start to mentally make a list of all the things you need to do - call Wanda, clean your apartment, think about what you'll be making at the bakery this week...

"I should probably head out" you tell him. "I need to rest up for work tomorrow".

"Obviously you aren't going to work tomorrow" he scoffs.

You frown. "What do you mean? I'm back on the schedule for tomorrow".

He rolls his eyes in annoyance. "After everything you've been through? You can't just pretend everything is normal, Doll. You need to rest. Just stay here a few days, let yourself recover. You don't want to have a panic attack while you're with customers". His tone is light but there's a real scolding beneath it.

"Oh c'mon Bucky" you huff. "I'm not a weak little sick person who needs you and your men taking shifts to babysit me..."

"I didn't said you were..." Bucky warns.

"Well you had one guarding me last night and one cooking for me this morning. It's sweet but not necessary. You can't keep me locked up in your house forever".

Bucky turns to you, clearly furious. "You're not locked up. Why do you have to fight me on everything, Doll? It's exhausting. Can't you just relax and let me take care of you for a few days?"

"I don't need to be taken care of...." You fire back, aware of how petulant you sound.

"I know that!! I'm painfully aware. Hell, the first thing you did when I found you was hit me across the face...I'm very aware that you can look after yourself. I just want to..."

He's practically shouting now, you can see the fire in his eyes as he tries to keep himself calm. He gets out of his chair and paces aimlessly through the kitchen.

"Why do you even care so much?" You yell back at him as you get to your feet.

"Is all this just because you feel guilty? Are you trying to absolve yourself or something?" You spit.

"No idiot, it's because I'm in love with you!" He yells.

The word hangs thickly in the air as you both stand in silence. Your mouth has fallen open in surprise and your eyes are wide. He's turned away from you, clearly embarrassed that it managed to escape from him.

"You are...?" You ask. Your voice is much softer now, any annoyance extinguished by his accidental declaration.

"Yeah" he admits begrudgingly as he looks at the floor tiles.

You approach him cautiously, taking him by the shoulders and spinning him to face you. He doesn't meet your eye but you take a second to drink in his beauty, practically vibrating as you take his face in your hands.

"I love you too, Buck".

His eyes shoot up to yours, his face softening into an expression of relief and joy. "Yeah?" He asks.

"Yeah, idiot" you grin.

*

You and Bucky had gone another round in the kitchen after both dropping the L bomb. He'd kissed you hard against the sink and before you knew it you were bent over the counter screaming his name. Funny how life goes.

You had relented and agreed not to work tomorrow. That second orgasm may have made you a bit more agreeable. You knew he was right, but didn't want to admit that to his face. The fact was you weren't feeling yourself and were anxious about having another panic attack while at work, and you knew it was too soon.

As luck would have it Pepper actually called you rather than the other way around. Tony had filled her in after Bucky had asked him for help and she was just so relieved you were okay. She was surprised to hear you were involved with James Barnes (but then so were you...) although she trusted your judgement – and was pretty impressed with his philanthropy. She suggested you had a week off to rest and recover, she'd hired that new assistant baker anyway so would have her start early. She told you they'd miss your expert eye but they'd make it work, and you feeling more like yourself was the most important thing. It was a relief for you, one less thing to think about.

Bucky had gone back to work while you called Wanda and filled her in. She was aghast, horrified and extremely worried to hear about what happened with HYDRA but like Pepper was mainly just relieved you were okay. She was surprised about your date with Peter but admitted he sounded like he'd be fun to hang out with one day. She was more surprised about your update on Bucky, but not too surprised, as she pointed out she had essentially watched the two of you fall in love over in front of her over the last few months. She was nervous about your adjacency to his business though, and the risk that posed to you (as HYDRA had proved).

You had responded that you were nervous too, but trusted Bucky to keep you safe. You didn't have all the answers right now, and of course you had your doubts too, but this felt right to you and you needed to explore it. Wanda trusted you, she just wanted you to be happy. You'd agreed to meet up with her this week as she wouldn't see you at work.

The next few days passed in a blur. You had moved from the guest room to Bucky's room, stopping at your apartment briefly to pick up some clean clothes and toiletries. Bucky had asked that you spent the next few days at his place just so you were close by and he could keep an eye on you. It initially made you feel antsy but you'd agreed under the condition you were free to come and go throughout the day which he accepted. You didn't want to be under house arrest. Compromise seemed to be the way forward.

He worked a lot in the daytime so you were left to your own devices. You hadn't been away from the bakery for this long in a while so it was nice to catch up on your reading, take baths (that copper bathtub was as good as you'd imagined), let your body and mind heal. You sometimes played cards with Scott or Mario Kart with Thor which always made you laugh. You made yourself at home, quickly becoming part of the furniture. Bucky would come and check on you when things were quiet, a constant game of hide and seek as he'd try and figure out which corner of the huge house you were in.

You had been texting Peter and made plans to go for a drink as friends with Wanda, and he was going to bring Drax and Rocket too. Bucky wasn't super keen on joining the party himself for obvious reasons, but wanted you to have fun.

Your panic attacks crept up on you and were debilitating in the moment, but you were getting better at coping with them and when Bucky was around he'd help you through and soothe you until you calmed down again. You'd have nightmares too, so Bucky insisted on sleeping close every night so he could be there when you needed him.

You mostly saw Bucky in the evenings, he always ringfenced dinner with you as 'your time' and made sure work was cut off for then. He would order take out or you took turns cooking and you'd chat and drink wine. Sometimes Steve or Sam would join, or even others if Bucky was feeling generous. He didn't go into too much detail about his work and you knew not to ask. Sometimes you'd squabble like old times, but it felt domestic and comfortable now – not constant one-upmanship and game playing. You had started to accept that Bucky just infuriated you and that was a fact, but you loved him all the same.

One afternoon you had commandeered the kitchen to make cupcakes. It had been days since you'd baked anything and you were itching to have a wooden spoon back in your hand. You'd made a grocery store run and returned laden with ingredients, bags straining with the weight of your haul. It must've been a strange sight to see Bucky's men part at the entrance of the well-known mob boss' house to allow the safe passage of edible glitter and pink cake cases.

It was instantly therapeutic. Mixing, stirring, pouring. You didn't even need measuring equipment as you knew the recipe like the back of your hand. You flipped on the radio and sang unselfconsciously along to the songs. It was a beautiful ballet lead by your hands, you glided around the kitchen and savoured the expanse of the space. You even whipped up some brownies once you get in the zone. You couldn't believe how much more like yourself you felt.

Some of the men popped their heads in once they smell the unusual aroma coming from the kitchen, shocked to find baking going on. You gladly send them on their way with brownies and before you know it you were out and making a new batch. Steve came and chatted with you, leaning on the counter with a brownie and a coffee as you laughed and put the cupcakes in the oven. It felt good to be baking and feeding people again, this is what you do.

Later, you're deep in concentration finishing the frosting when an unexpected visitor arrives in the kitchen.

"It's much easier to track you down when you make the kitchen smell this good, Doll" Bucky growls in your ear as his arms wrap around your waist.

You flinch violently and nearly drop the cupcake you're holding when you notice he's there. There's a flash of panic in his eyes when he realises what he's done.

"Oh fuck, Doll I'm sorry – I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that" he pleads.

You smile warmly at him, he knows you're still jumpy. You lean back into him and stroke his cheek affectionately.

"You're fine" you whisper soothingly before he gives you a quick kiss.

"You keeping my men fed, huh?" he asks.

"Mmm. It was meant to be just a few brownies and cupcakes but it snowballed somewhat..." you mutter as you look at the endless racks of cakes cooling.

Your eyes move to the mess of mixing bowls and spoons next to the polished finished product and you grimace.

"Sorry Buck I know I've made a mess...I'll clean it up..." you tell him anxiously.

You move to the sink to start cleaning but he holds you tightly. "C'mon Doll, you know that I don't get upset over stuff like that".

He presses a kiss to your temple as you smile and enjoy the feeling of his body on yours.

"Hit me" he tells you.

You break of a piece of brownie and feed it to him. He moans with pleasure and closes his eyes.

"Yep. You've still got it" he says with a mouthful.

"I gotta say..." he begins as he swallows down the last bite. "When I came in I could see how happy you were, just in your element doin' your thing. I love to see you like that".

You turn into him and beam, pushing your head into his shoulder.

"It's my favourite place to be...Well, one of them at least..." you wink and look at him lewdly.

He grins back. "Don't tempt me Doll..."

He pulls you flush against him and moves his mouth to your ear.

"And I also love seeing you like this because it reminds me of when we met" he purrs. "All covered in flour, teasing me in those overalls..."

You giggle, kissing him softly as his hands travel along the curve of your waist.

"Wait...you didn't try the cupcakes..." you interrupt.

You slide away from him and lean over to grab a finished one from the rack. You break a bit off in your hand and move to feed it to him like you did with the brownie.

He smiles and parts his lips in readiness but at the last second you smash the rest of the cupcake into his face, frosting first. It covers the entirety of his nose and top lip in a glaze of thick pink frosting and for a moment he can only stare at you in horror.

Your amused grin drops when you see his eyes darken.

"Oh...I see" he says calmly as he reaches for a paper towel.

"Bucky...I'm sorry...it was a joke..." you tell him softly, your attempt to be solemn immediately overshadowed by the threat of a smirk as you watch the frosting slide down his chin.

"Imagine how dead you are?" he sighs mildly.

You go to run but he's too fast for you, he has you pinned to the kitchen tiles by his metal arm before you can even make it a few feet. You shriek as he straddles you, fruitlessly trying to push him off as you giggle helplessly.

He manages to pull the frosting bowl off the counter and mashes his flesh hand into it, rubbing big streaks of it in your hair and across your face as you squeal. He leans over and kisses you amongst the mess.

You could get used to life with him if it's like this. You understand him better now, you know how to communicate and compromise. And you're never going to be fully on board with his work. But that's alright. There are some things you just won't talk about. Maybe in time you will have the capacity for more, when your panic attacks have faded and your nightmares are occasional blips rather than nightly occurrences.

For now you will enjoy your time with him, unpeeling his layers and learning more about who he is, who you are when you're together.

He's flawed, but so are you. You find a way together.

And that's what love is.

[jtl07]

Ok, here it goes. Hopefully an easier one that last time around: birthday, secret For any and all fandoms 👀

I SEE YOU AND YOUR SNEAKINESSS OKAY. and because i see it, i will actually do it: here's an attempt at gelphie ...

Elphaba wakes up to the sound of whispering. Hissing really - but it's different from the snake whisper of her father's admonitions. This is more like a vine creeping over a wall, flowers turning toward the sun.

Ah, Elphaba thinks, her eyes still closed. Galinda.

She focuses more and hears a second pair of footsteps with a heavier, lankier gait. Fiyero, she guesses - and is proven right when something tumbles and Galinda whisper-shouts his name. Elphaba almost wants to shake her head at them. Wonders how Galinda had managed to pull off those stunts when they'd first started living together, what with how loud she's being now. Galinda and quiet don't exactly go well together, Elphaba muses. But she wouldn't want to change a thing.

"Oh look, Elphie's smiling. She must be having a nice dream."

"...Do you think there are rabbits in her dream?"

Elphaba barely keeps herself from laughing as they bicker, forces herself to stay still so they can keep doing ... whatever it is they're doing. She had suspected that the two of them were up to something a week or so ago. Their furtive glances and swift topic changes whenever she'd joined them weren't exactly subtle. But Elphaba trusts them, knows they'll let her in on their secret in time.

She listens to them shuffle about for a couple minutes more and catches Fiyero whispering goodbye. Hears the soft sound of their kiss before she herself is surrounded by a familiar scent - a mix of horse and coffee and evening - before feeling a kiss is pressed onto her own forehead.

A door opens and closes.

Then the far side of her bed squeaks.

Elphaba holds back her own squeak, holds herself still as she feels Galinda wiggle under the covers and shuffle closer. Closer. Close enough to feel a sigh on her cheek.

"You can open your eyes now."

Elphaba contemplates continuing to feign sleep just to be stubborn but as always, Galinda is her undoing. Feels a gentle warmth brush against her jaw before settling against her cheek. "Please, Elphie? For me?"

And really, who is she to deny that voice, this girl, anything?

When Elphaba opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is Galinda. Eyes sparkling even in the low light, smile as soft as the gold hair splayed out on her pillow. Then she catches sight of green over Galinda's shoulder.

Elphaba lifts her head and gasps in wonder. Decorations of all colors cover nearly every surface of their room, the most prominent being a handpainted banner with two words she hasn't seen or heard in many years: Happy Birthday.

At first she thinks it's a mistake - they're beyond pranks now but Galinda is prone to jumping to the wrong conclusions. But then Elphaba thinks on the month; counts the days.

"Is this all right?"

Elphaba turns to see Galinda biting at her lip, her fingers playing nervously with the blankets.

"I just thought," Galinda starts, uncharacteristically hesitant before she finds her confidence, "Well, we knew you wouldn't want anything big, but we still wanted to celebrate you. I want to celebrate you." She drops the blankets and takes up Elphaba's hands instead. "Because you deserve to be celebrated, Elphie."

The colors surrounding them start to shimmer and blur - Elphaba doesn't realize she's crying until she feels Galinda's hands back on her face, wiping the tears away. "It's okay," Galinda murmurs, smiling the way she does when it's just them.

Elphaba nods because it is okay, more than: it's good. Good to be remembered, to be seen, to be heard - feels the press of lips against each cheek, and thinks as she feels them against her own mouth - to be loved.

[hermitscratch]

7 or 16 - Bdubs/Joel?

Send me a pairing + a number! || Accepting

16. A kiss while someone watches, Bdubs/Joel, 849 words

Honestly, Bdubs saw this coming ages ago.

Since Double Life, in fact. He'd have to be blind, deaf, and stupid not to notice the way Etho and Joel clicked. Like two halves of the same whole that had Bdubs wondering, not for the first time, if the game knew something they didn't. Bdubs hadn't been surprised when Etho came to him two sessions in to say that being with Joel felt Good. The kind of capital-letter-warranting feeling that Etho used to describe how he felt with people like Doc, like Beef, like Bdubs. Bdubs was sure at that point that Etho was in love. He was just as sure that, in time, he'd love Joel as well.

A lot had happened since then. Limited Life, the Rift debacle, The Decked Out 2 invitations, Secret Life. Season Nine had ended. When Season Ten began, Joel was there, and he took to being a Hermit like sparks to dry kindling, getting happily caught up in the whirlwind of early-game adventures.

Joel always seemed busy. Never too busy to indulge a conversation with any passersby who grabbed his attention, never too busy to pay calls and visits to his wife, and certainly never too busy to build- but busy enough that by the time he showed up on Bdubs' doorstep, Bdubs hadn't seen him since the season introduction.

It was nice, having Joel to himself for a while. They chatted, they caught up, they talked about their building plans as Bdubs toured Joel around his house and the space he'd cleared for future projects. Joel was a great rubber duck, taking all Bdubs' ideas and bouncing them back a little to the left, helping him see what could change for the better. Using the tree as a living indicator of the passage of time? Genius.

Bdubs tried to be the same, when it came time to tour Joel's base, but what could he add to perfection? His builds had so much visual interest, each decorated sign and hanging banner significant to the image as a whole. It felt like a part of a city, chiseled right out of the mountainside, and Bdubs was incredibly impressed. Verticality, especially, was a tough thing to work with.

They were on their way through the shopping district when Joel stopped. Bdubs walked a few paces ahead before he noticed, and stopped as well to let Joel catch up. The next time it happened, Bdubs paused with him. "You alright?"

Joel seemed to stare at the corner of the building they'd just passed. "Fine," He said, turning back around and gesturing with a nod for them to keep moving. As they did, Joel continued, "Any ideas why your boyfriends are following us?"

"What?" Immediately, Bdubs tried to backtrack to the corner Joel had been staring at, but Joel grabbed him by the arm.

"Shh! Bloody- don't make a scene of it. Etho's lurking behind the building," Joel nodded towards the shade behind the oddly tall pop-up shop, "And Impulse is going from roof to roof."

Bdubs had known for a long time that he was going to love Joel some day.

He just... didn't expect it to start here, with enchanting eyes glinting mischievously and a smile that made compelling promises as Joel said, "We should mess with 'em."

Bdubs' throat dried. Now wasn't the time to be looking at Joel's mouth. "Yeah, uh-huh," He said with a nervous-excited chuckle, "They've got it coming! Wh-what do they think they're doing, spyin' on us!"

Joel giggled back, and the sound made Bdubs' heart do these funny little flips that he hadn't felt since he and Impulse were bound in Double Life, "Gotta make it convincing," Joel warned.

Oh. Joel's lips were soft.

Softer than Bdubs would have expected from a man who bit them while he thought. Warm, as well, and Bdubs' awareness narrowed to that point of contact. It was tame, as far as kisses went. Joel wasn't much for tame, and possessed by resentment that Joel might be doing something stupid like holding back, Bdubs grabbed Joel by the folds of his kimono and pulled him closer, kissed him harder.

They broke apart with a gasp only after hearing the sound of Impulse falling from his rooftop perch.

For a moment, there was nothing. They both stared at where Impulse had been, then to the dissipating smoke of his lost life, his items scattered haphazardly around the area. They looked at each other, kiss-drunk and surprised, like they'd forgotten that this started as a way to get back at Etho and Impulse for stalking them through the shopping district. Like they'd forgotten that they're very much still in the, very public, shopping district. Admittedly, Bdubs might have forgotten his own name if they'd kept up like that for much longer.

They laughed.

"That's enough of that," Joel finally said, "We should get Impulse's stuff put away, before it despawns on 'im."

Bdubs nodded his agreement, already in the process of crafting a chest. "And what happens then?"

"After that," Joel had that mischievous flicker in his eyes again, "I think you and I've got a lot to talk about."

[wintaerbaer]

things we don't say: part 5 TEASER (kth)

banner credit: @itaeewon

summary: Three years after graduating college, everything seems to be falling into place for you: stable job, cozy apartment, and a long-term boyfriend with a ring box hidden in his desk drawer. But when a mutual friend makes a remark that your best friend of nearly two decades is clearly in love with you, you realize that life may not be as simple as it seems.

pairing: Taehyung x Reader (with some VERY brief Seokjin x Reader and Yoongi x Reader)

rating: 18+

genres: best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, slow burn, angst, fluff

word count: 721 (for the teaser; full chapter is expected to be 8-10k)

chapter warnings: weddings!, feelings, seventeen is here now because i fell into a rabbit hole and needed fill-ins, jimin kinda ruins everything, jk is relatively well-behaved, kissing?!

a/n: given that it's been the craziest time of year for work (and i may be focused on a jk oneshot rn), i figured i'd throw out a teaser since it's taking me longer to write! i'm heading into my job's off-season soon though, so i'll have more time to write and will aim to have this next part out by end-of-year :)

PART 4 // SERIES MASTERLIST

You look up to find Taehyung's eyes gazing steadily down at you, a small but confident smile playing on his lips.

"Dance with me?"

And in spite of the unease that had plagued you only moments ago, you don't hesitate to let him wrap up your small hand in his large one and lead you to the dance floor. His palm settles on your lower back to pull you in close, and maybe it’s the proximity or the intoxicating smell of his cologne that weakens your resolve, but you find the words spilling out.

"Did you get her number?"

Taehyung looks at you quizzically, brow furrowing in confusion. "Whose?"

"The woman at the bar."

His face relaxes as he realizes. "Oh, yeah. I did."

"Good." You manage a smile. Why does it feel so hard? "It really is…good you're getting back out there. Are you going to ask her on a date?"

He laughs, mischief in his eyes. "I don't think her fiancé would like that." And now it's your turn to look confused.

"Her fiancé?"

"I met the two of them through Hoseok a couple times so we've chatted. Nice people." He nods his head, and you look over to see the woman now dancing with a man not too far from you. "They just got engaged, and she knows I'm a photographer so she asked if I'd be interested in doing the wedding. I said I'd call her this week to talk about it."

"Oh." You can feel your face flush, but there's no doubting the relief that floods through you. And Taehyung surely notices, grinning down at you in amusement.

"Were you jealous?"

"No!" you say, but perhaps a little too quickly because Taehyung laughs, his fingers applying a gentle pressure to your back to pull you closer.

"I'm here with you," he murmurs matter-of-factly.

You shake your head at him. "It's fine, Tae. If someone catches your eye…like I said, it could be good—"

"I'm here with you," he repeats, more firmly this time. He releases your hand for a moment to tuck a stray curl behind your ear, and you have to look away. You spot Hoseok and Sunny swaying together in the middle of the dance floor, pressed closely together and smiling at each other like they're the only two people in the world. What it must be like to have someone look at you like that, you think, to hold you like you're something precious to be cherished. You had thought Jace made you feel that way, but now, watching your friends gaze at each other so delicately, so in love, you're no longer sure he even came close.

"What are you looking at?" Taehyung's voice rouses you out of your thoughts, and you suddenly notice his hand has drifted a little higher to where the back of your dress dips down low, exposing your bare skin.

Trying to pass off the shiver that involuntarily runs through you as a nod, you gesture at the newly married couple. "They're so good together."

Taehyung follows your line of sight, watching Hoseok lean down to murmur something in Sunny's ear that makes her giggle and press her face into his chest. "They are."

"Can you imagine loving someone like that?" Your voice is a bare whisper as if the words slipped out of their own accord, like a wish you didn't even realize you were making.

Taehyung's fingers splay at your spine, gently tugging you in until your hips are bumping his. Startled, your eyes snap back to him, breath catching in your chest. He's gazing at you intently, but as opposed to the intense fire that you've seen from him at times, there's only a deep warmth to his brown irises that you're not sure you've ever seen before. He looks at you with softness, with both a sense of familiarity and wonder that can only be attributed to your many years of companionship, and you see it all swimming behind his eyes—every day spent together seeking refuge from your families, every stupid childhood fight, every time you comforted each other through the bad days. And before you can deflect, can explain away the question as a rhetorical slip of the tongue, you hear his answer come out on a breath.

"Yes."

[yearnstarved]

ELLY TRAN'S TIMELINE ( inspired by @promdeath ) - canon arc

SEASON 01 / elly's debut has her already seated at the support group circle or placing little handouts in each seat. she chastises people for showing up late to establish 1. (a false first impression) she's an insufferable busybody, 2. maybe not everybody takes this as seriously bc it's actually a joke but they still elect to show up bc they're good noodles.

s1 was so good at playing on misinformed first impressions, that i think the audience would think elly's your typical 90s mean girl/bitch. elly watches maddie like she's picking the new girl part atom by atom. she'll come off a little annoying and suspicious the way she tails maddie here and there and reports it back to (INSERT CHARACTER HERE. this could be you!) and it comes off so catty and gossipy.

it's around the time everybody learns she can talk to simon that elly softens. we find out she's fascinated with maddie, actually. on some level, elly was envious that everybody accepted maddie so quickly and easily. elly tries, she tries so hard to fit in with everybody and to try to nail mr. martin's assignments so she can cross over. it's when she finally talks to maddie about how she died, how the others found her looping, that we see elly stop moving like she has to prove herself. no actual flashbacks though.

nonetheless, she would die for maddie by the end of this conversation LOL she believes that if maddie wins, they all win essentially!

the last we see of her is when she reminds everybody about homecoming celebrations and organizes things like the banner painting.

SEASON 2 / mr. martin's betrayal leaves elly at a full loss given her relationship with blindly relying on authority figures for guidance. everything points to what feels like an inevitability of them being trapped here forever and being transformed into shells of themselves. after a hard talk with rhonda, elly chooses to enter her scar much to rhonda's dismay. the audience experiences elly's scar as she confronts it for the first time in almost 30 years. she comes out of it running into wally and letting yet another friend see her in a vulnerable state.

she is SILLIER this season. she pops up unexpectedly like that scene in the office where angela pops up and dwight is jumpscared. but otherwise she has her nose in all the books scanning mr. martin's notes and essentially summarizing things for the others. this is just WHAT SHE DOES.

and while the other ghosts are paired up or smashing she will be taking her first steps alone out of the school building at night bc she's never gone out without someone accompanying her due to the way she died. she has a fear of looping and nobody finding her but now she gets to conquer that!!!

as the group speedruns through their scars, i think it would be fun for one of the ghosts to smash the window on the car that elly died in. think of the imagery of the red smoke billowing out and her friends defending her against her mental bullies like, "anybody else have anything they wanna say??"

and likewise, we don't see a lot of her physicality through the show. maybe when wally dropped the football elly deftly weaves between football players and picks it up, passes it to charlie, who then throws it back to wally. (y'all rmr when rachel berry played football? LMAO)

SEASON 3 / she would be nice to simon bc she knows he's special to maddie tbh!!!

if wally takes over simon's body, she and others will literally go pull him back by his ears somehow DON'T PISS ME OFF.

[hansolmates]

you good? | 04

banner by @theluttleprince

summary; hansol vernon chwe is crying at his doorstep like a taylor swift music video, and you’re for some reason there to help  pairing; hvc / reader (f) genre/warnings; neighbors to friends, friends to lovers!au, slice of life, fluff, angst, mentions of sex, tw—cheating, mentions of pregnancy related to cheating, profanity w/c; 1k a/n; thank you god of music [masterpost]

“It’s him, isn’t it,” Jihoon juts his petal pink lips towards the door next to yours, and you can’t help but slap him on his chest. “You have a crush on him?” 

“Had a crush, had,” you pout, pressing your back against the open door frame of your apartment. 

“Once a crush, always a crush,” he reaches over to wipe the sweat off your brow, flicking his thumb over your flushed cheek. “Was he the friend you had over for dinner the other day?” 

“What will it prove if I say yes?” 

“It’ll prove that I have competition,” he teases, pinching the apple of your cheek. 

“Stop it,” you whine, tugging at the waistband of his haphazardly reapplied sweatpants. They're barely hanging on his hips, as you two were rushing to reclothe due to future commitments. 

"What?" He laughs, "he seems like a nice guy. A little crazy for trying to move out at 5AM last week but I feel for him."

"I don't even know anything about him, at least not anymore," you frown. To be honest, you don't even know the aftermath of what went down with Vernon and Yoojung. You really want to, but you don't feel like you're on that level to ask any follow up questions. Which brings you to your next point, he's getting over a long term relationship that ended messy. There's no way you could entertain a crush while he's still crushed. 

"But you want to," Jihoon nudges you close, and pulls you into a hug, "no shame in that." 

Jihoon's grasp feels so familiar, your arms fitting in all the right spots and your head tucked snugly in his shoulder. You peruse the thought of pursuing your landlord, it would be so easy. You suppose, you're already compatible both physically and mentally. It's just the pesky issue of trying to develop feelings. 

The door next to yours opens and you squeal, pushing yourself away from the embrace. You pushed so hard, hard enough that if Jihoon didn't grab you by the arms you'd be knocking your back against the wall. 

"Oh, hi guys!" Vernon is tugging a gigantic garbage bag outside, one lanky leg propping the door up and the other leg stretching to get the trash bag out. 

"H-hi Vern!" 

You can feel Jihoon’s smug grin, knowing that you’re acutely aware of both boys staring between you like an Oreo sandwich. 

“You good?” Vernon asks, tilting his head between the two of you. 

“Ah, yeah. Just had to fix a leak,” Jihoon shrugs, and you want to choke at the way it’s so easy for him to lie, “but we’re all good now.” 

“Cool. Actually, now that you mention it,” Vernon tugs with all his might at the trash bag, and with a big ugh! It’s out the door and into the hallway, “I noticed that my shower faucet is a little loose and sometimes it causes more water to leak out? Everytime I try to tighten it I feel like I’m gonna break it.” 

“That’s ironic, her leak was also in the shower.” 

What the actual fuck? 

You turn away from both boys, stare at a speck at the ground so you don’t get caught. Jihoon really wants you to die, right here, right now. 

“I can take a look tomorrow, is two good?” 

“Sure—wait, AM or PM?” 

“You really want me to come in at 2AM?” 

“Op, my bad,” Vernon chuckles, “two’s good. Text me when you come down. Let me know if you want pizza or something. You good with pineapple?” 

“Pineapple’s great,” Jihoon agrees, “I’ll see you then.” 

“Thanks Landlordie, you’re the best!” 

While the two of them talk like long lost friends, you’re spiraling. Of course, there’s no way that Vernon could know the double entendre Jihoon is trying to pull. Yet, it starts to make you paranoid. Your back pinpricks, and you think back to not an hour ago when you two were in the shower. I mean, the shower is on the opposite side of the apartment, there’s no way he could have heard you, right? 

“Good night hyung,” Vernon’s voice breaks you away, and you notice that Jihoon is already down the hall, waving the both of you goodbye. “Good night neighbor,” Vernon says, quiet and reserved for you. 

You tack on a smile and watch as Vernon catches up to Jihoon to the trash room, dragging the trash bag with a sharp metal object peeking out of the corner. “Night,” you reply, waiting until both boys are out of the floor before going back into your apartment. 

Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, leaning against the door and letting the cool surface calm you down. 

You are so confused.

[evilisk]

Monthly Reverse Gets: 2.2 Edition

It's been a while, the first of 2025 at least.

New characters since the last post:

J: I thankfully managed to get him though I had to skip over the 2.1 characters... not that it was a hard decision. Tuesday would have been a waste without Sotheby and I didn't need another Plant Sub-DPS like Argus.

Barbara: Still managed to get Barbara on the first 10 pulls of Tuesday's banner though. R1999 has made it so that the first 10 pulls on brand new banners always gives you a 5* character. I lucked out with Barbara though still pulled on Argus with the excuse of building pity for 2.2.

Kaalaa Baunaa: I decided to try my luck on the Golden Thread right at the end of 2024. It was right for my account since I realized how badly I needed more Mineral and Beast characters, and I was guaranteed at least one of those. I admit that my account needed a Beast character way more, but KB was a fine backup option after seeing my Jiu and Semmelweis struggle to hit 850K on Marsh Creation.

Ezra: My free 6* for the 2.2 patch. Despite liking Ezra as a character, I was definitely a little mad at this. Just because I figured that, with almost no Beast 6* characters on my account, I had a better shot of getting one from the selector. I actually ran the numbers afterward and apparently I had an equal chance of getting a random Star vs Beast character, because R1999 just has that many Star characters for some reason.

Lopera: AKA the Colombian Terminator is finally here to save my account from being Chronically Beast-less. She's soooo good. Thanks to her Bullet gimmick I can actually run Tennant and Mondlicht in challenging content (like using Mondlicht in Limbo or having Tennant hit 1.13M damage in a specific Raid).

Mr. Duncan: While Lopera is nice, I still need more Beast characters, so I ended up pulling on the Anjo banner just for him. I ended up with a P3 Duncan. He is... okay. Definitely feels a bit too much like Desert Flannel (and not in a good way) and he actually doesn't synergize that well with Tennant or Mondlicht, but he's okay.

Anjo Nala: Since the pity wasn't going to carry over, I went all the way to 60/70 pulls on her banner. I was really hoping I'd lose the 50/50 but I ended up getting Anjo. Despite being desperate for Beast characters, Anjo is disgustingly OP so she's going in the "never seriously leveling you up" box with Lucy.

Leveled Up:

I have a bunch of new Maxed Out characters: Leilani, John Titor, Mondlicht and Pavia. Leilani I went ahead and finished since I didn't like her being R9. Pavia is another character I already had trained up (I tried to max him out early on my account). John Titor and Mondlicht were done since they're getting free Costumes in future patches, though Mondlicht ended up being an excellent level up now that I have Lopera. I think The Fool will be next since he's getting a costume in 2.5.

J, KB, Lopera and Duncan were all finished up.

I still have a lot of characters stuck at Insight 3. Brief Cacophony is just ridiculously scarce.

I ended up getting Bunny Bunny and Ms. Radio to Insight 1. Just because of the UTTU replacement mode in 2.2 Bunny Bunny has specific shenanigans due to how Insights work, while I used Ms. Radio for one stage purely to have her die / block enemy Ults on Turn 1.

Future Plans:

Like 2.1, 2.3 is just not a good patch for my account. Willow is another Poison character and while Flutterpage will be nice to have, I need Fatutu/Liang Yue way more. I will be leaving 2.3 with Brimley though. If I don't get him from the first 10 pulls, he'll still be on my account since I have enough Golden Cassettes saved up.

Gonna pick up Fatutu from 2.4 since I still need to fill out the Mineral side of my account.

Liang Yue is too cool not to pick up, though it also helps that she's a Star Reality character (I don't currently have one, just an untrained Erick and low Portray Blonney).

[capsarcastica]

Deadpool & Wolverine Review

This one is the weakest in the Deadpool series but also has so much to enjoy. It's more like the swan song of the Fox X-Men series rather than an MCU entry.

First the bad. It's pretty tame compared to the first two Deadpool movies. It may be because it's now under the official Disney-Marvel banner, or maybe it's because the Writers and Actors strikes during development. Whatever the reason, it seems like it's pulling its punches. It still has plenty of bite, but there's some obvious stuff the movie avoids going after.

Already, some of the worst of the MCU is bleeding in. Mostly, that it relies too much on other works. Don't know the entire history of Marvel movies including undeveloped ones then the cameos don't feel special. Some of the stuff can go over the heads of casual fans. Didn't see Loki on Disney+? Then a lot of the second half won't make any sense. Deadpool has always used references to other Marvel work, but this is the first time it's necessary to the plot to know this stuff.

Sadly, the supporting cast seems to have been tossed aside. There's the party scenes that bookend the movie, but they're entirely gone. None of the fun interactions with Colossus, Negasonic, Dopinder, etc that made the first two so much fun. There's a moment that seems like a set-up to a side story about them rescuing Wade, but nothing comes from it.

The movie doesn't have the emotional core that the earlier two did. The first was a love story and the second about family. They had personal stakes. This one is about the destruction of the universe, which is big but lacks that personal touch. It also doesn't connect to the end of the second film as far as where the characters are. Too much of the in-between has to be explained when it would've been easier to just rewrite some scenes.

There are two villains, but neither are interesting. Both seem to do whatever furthers the plot but not what makes sense. Neither have a plan that seems thought out, just to make the most problem at any given moment. The previous two had great conflicts, and this points to that lack of personal stakes.

And finally, the Multiverse. Marvel and DC Comics have made great use of alternate realities, What Ifs, and possible futures. The movies not so much. I love seeing Patrick Stewart, Michael Keaton, and Tobey Maguire back in costume. But bringing back beloved actors, and occasionally listening to fan castings, seems to be the extent of what the movies are doing. The Deadpool Corps are also wasted. The idea of dozens of alternate Deadpools coming together should be cinematic gold. Instead they're mostly treated as cannon fodder.

Now the good. The titular duo are amazing together. Reynolds and Jackman know how to bounce off each other. Both are in perfect form, showing the kind of rapport that's straight out of the comics. This is a team up that's been fifteen years in the making, and it doesn't disappoint in that regard. Though it's definitely more Wolverine's movie. It acknowledges how terrific Logan is, but gives this new Wolverine plenty of depth in what might be the best example of having its cake and eating it too.

The movie does for the X-Men movies what No Way Home did for Spider-Man. It expertly includes the previous movie into the MCU while making a great case for their continuation. The X-Men and Spider-Man movies are the reason the MCU even exists so it's nice to see them treated so lovingly.

Just like the original Deadpool did, the movie expertly brings the R rating to the MCU. In fact, there's more blood, swearing, and carnage than the other Deadpool movies. The only thing I know they couldn't do is hardcore drug use, and this makes for some fun scenes with Blind Al. This may be under the family friendly Disney banner, but Marvel seems to realize it's best for some franchises do their own thing.

Deadpool has always had fun with Easter eggs, cameos, and references. This one more than most. The fight at the 20th Century Fox logo being a big one. It brings back a lot of characters from the franchise, and some from others like the Russian guy from the Thomas Jane Punisher movie. It may be more in-your-face than the previous two, but it's a lot of fun for the hardcore fans.

This one feels like Avengers: Endgame. Too many problems to really match up to the previous entries, but too much good stuff to be bad. The MCU has been in a rough spot, but if anything this movie proves that Marvel can acknowledge that and work to fix it. Hopefully this won't be the last we see of Deadpool and Wolverine.

[be-more-chill-evan-hansen]

Actually got to watch UKsies finally! Putting my thoughts/things I like under the cut + a final thoughts (live blogging)

I like the little added stuff at the start. It's a cute touch.

Jack and Crutchie actually looking at a physical picture during Santa Fe (Prologue) was a cute touch. They have such good chemistry.

Crutchie showing fear when getting his papers from the Delanceys because it was right after they pushed him down was a nice touch. It makes sense! We love continuity!

I love the parts where they're running in the crowd because they run in front of the camera and you can hear each individual member as they pass it. It's just kinda funny.

I'm liking the chemistry with Jack and Katherine a lot more in this one. His flirting being more playful (my friend described it as "boyish") definitely helps their chemistry. She seems to be more amused than creeped out, and it just helps it feel more authentic.

Ryan's Davey is so lovely! I think his version has definitely become my favorite by FAR. The way he holds onto Les is just so cute.

One of the scabs actually looking ashamed of himself while Jack's talking :(

Crutchie spinning around on Mike(?)'s back during Seize the Day is something so personal to me

Crutchie is actually sobbing and I'm crying with him

The picture makes a comeback in Santa Fe aww

THE BELT!!! We love to see it

Elmer actually lunging at the "there's a headline even Elmer could sell" pls that's so funny

Spotlight changes for each person at the start of King of New York that's so clever!! I love lighting design!!

Les dance solo

Katherine dance :)

They're driving the tables that's so cute

The spinning on the lights!! Does someone know if this was an intentional nod to the fan part in the 1992 King of New York? Was that ever confirmed or anything? It just reminds me of it, and it feels like it's too much of a coincidence to be unintentional.

The spoon crown is adorable!!

Letter from the Refuge 😭

Left handed Crutchie!

Oh his voice is so good

The way Medda lifted Jack's chin up 😭

His "we are inevitable" I love him

Davey rolling his eyes at Jack lmao

His "poor guys head is spinning" is so good!!

Davey and Jack's eye contact at the end of Watch What Happens (Reprise) was a bit too long iykwim

I think it's interesting that Katherine chose to hide instead of Pulitzer hiding her.

Jack's laugh

Oh she hid so she could run out to explain herself this hurts even more

I wish I could've seen Jack's face for the Katherine reveal

Katherine pushing Pulitzer's hand off of her arm lmao

The Delancey's cackles are sinister

BROOKLYN :D

Girl Spot my beloved

I love the idea of one of the Brooklyn girls having a broken arm (I'm assuming)

Not him pushing Davey off of him :(

Spot throwing him down and threatening to punch him!! Yes!!

NOT HIM KNOCKING LES OVER

I love when Jack actors go to lean back in for another kiss/Katherine backs away after the first one! It makes more sense in why he questions her intentions later because she pulls away from him! Of course it makes him confused! It's such a good choice!

Her getting emotional and having to take a breath with the "so I could keep looking at you" line!! I. LOVE. THEM.

Her lookback at "angel"

THEIR CHEMISTRY!! Best Jathrine hands down

The lanterns are a nice touch! I love this!

The Once and For All lyric change! I love it so much!

The choreography!! The lanterns!

THE BIG BANNER AND SILHOUETTE!

Jack looks so proud of Davey for telling Pulitzer off lmao

Him gushing with Davey about Roosevelt

The drumming stopping at "think of the happiness you'll bring those children" it makes it so dramatic

*looks at Jack* *looks at Pulitzer* *looks at Jack* "You can do this" pls

JACK FALLING PRETENDING THEY LOST THEN TELLING THEM THEY WON! WHEN JACK HUGGED DAVEY!! THEY WERE SO HAPPY!!

Crutchie wearing a police hat 😭

I melt every time I see Jack hug Crutchie he cares about him so much

Jack and Katherine: *Having a moment* Davey and Crutchie: *fully in the foreground*

Jack giving Katherine a newsboy cap I'm going to cry they're so cute

***

Final Thoughts

I think this one definitely topped Toursies as my favorite. Everyone had such good chemistry! Jack and Katherine's relationship felt much more authentic!

Davey's arc felt more authentic as well. I love everyone who has played him before, but Ryan definitely understood the assignment with this one. Davey is supposed to be very reserved until he realizes that there's a fighting chance, and that's exactly how he played him!

The original choreography (original compared to the bway/tour/recording choreo that's mostly the same if not identical) was so clever and well done! The little moments they added were also really nice touches!

They blew it out of the water with this performance, and I'm so happy that I finally got a chance to watch it!

I think this production officially holds the title for my favorite versions of the characters and the show! This is definitely one I will be watching again!

If you read this far I'm so sorry

[crystalelemental]

"books-are-my-life-stuff: Maybe SS Leon, SS Cyrus, and Classic Elesa are meant to give people the illusion of "oh yeah Pokefairs might get a rerun or they might not" to make people more willing to pull for them, I dunno. I don't want for banners to get overwhelmingly dense every month than they already are, but I also want a rerun of the old pairs...it's confusing."

I think it's one of those challenging decisions, in the sense of yes, you want to enforce the idea of scarcity and FOMO, pull now to avoid potential calamity, so some have to go a while. But Masters takes absurdly long times to rerun some things, so much so that it has to be preventing profits when pairs that good get sidelined. Maybe it's because people only need one pair for them to function? SS Cyrus and C!Elesa, I mean. They're really fine at 1/5, so maybe that factors in? I couldn't say. But I think frequent reruns of older, well liked PokeFairs is a good way to address both the need for reruns and the increasing number of limited pairs. People don't really like Variety, but they would love some extra reruns. But then your whales don't spend much. So is that worthwhile from the company perspective? Without knowing more about the insider information, it's really hard to say what the correct call is on that front, but I do think reruns can be easily managed and not be a problem. But if the Mix Scout is anything to go by, given the presence of Variety Giovanni, Rei, H!Phoebe, and...the fourth one I forgot, they're more likely to rerun the really good stuff under that paid scout. Which is Not Great!

"books-are-my-life-stuff: I'm surprised they didn't mention 4/5 and 5/5 grids which I think also had a fair amount of controversy. A comment said those grids are optional and often not needed, but some units, like OG Gloria and OG Diantha, have pretty crucial grids that help them to catch up with modern units or patch up their glaring flaws. I still don't like it. EX roles did improve SS Serena and Paulo, but the introduction of it in master fair paid gems ruins it for me too I think."

I was always more positive on 5/5 than most, but then I had the means to make it work. I can see people getting upset with something like Gloria for sure. Her 3/5 sucks, and she doesn't get much until at least 4/5. But that's a higher investment than should be needed. In part, it's a matter of expectation. Had 5/5 grids always been there, I don't think anyone would bat an eye, just be mildly annoyed at all the good tools being at max investment, like how we get slightly annoyed when a pair only has good traits at 3/5. But I do think that this is easily circumvented. Take Cynthia and Lance, for example. As the only pairs with both 3/5 and 5/5 expansions, you get the sense that 3/5 is where all the traits to make them super strong went, and 5/5 is utility to make them easier to use. Even Diantha, good as she is, follows that pattern. You can actually deal better damage with all three with just 3/5 and pushing more power into sync, so they're far from unusable. Gloria's the odd one out, in that...had her tools been 3/5, I don't think anyone would've cared. But because it's only 5/5, it's damning. If she had a 3/5, and it also had good powerup tools? I think she'd be less of a problem. And the 5/5 tools felt like a nice incentive for whales; I've liked having them available, anyway. It was the least intrusive monetization angle they pulled, with the most benefit for players who bothered favoring a character that hard.

The EX Roles are also a bit an issue of presentation. I think his point of, if they hadn't done paid only Master Fairs for cake? People probably would've been fine. It's a neat mechanic! Maybe a little grumbling from people like me who wanted it to be customized and more available to older pairs, but far from the level of irritation. I actually love the PokeFair angle; that also feels fair and great. PokeFairs now come with rewards for pulling, and they have the added draw of "Why don't you go to 5/5 for the full cake?" incentive. They've had some really good ideas that are mutually beneficial. They're just wrapped around...really questionable ones, often interspersed with the good, and it muddies the waters.

[titanicfreija]

Subclasses

"Guardian. Sunny."

"Empress!"

"Hoi."

"I have more questions about the Light."

"Alrighty."

"Why do you have the preference to solar alignment?"

"... Can I use the w-word?"

"... No."

"Aww, come on!"

"If it kills you, I will change the rules."

"Ugh! Fiiiine! Shut up, it's not funny. I don't know. It feels the most natural. Comfortable, safe. I'm good at using it without thinking too much about it, which isn't true of the others. We all have our things. I like the grenades, the way the fires shape when they're thrown. The hammer feels nice and solid and the impact goes all the way up my arm and into my core, you know how that one is, you have a hammer."

"I do."

"Yeah, I hear it, you know exactly what I mean. Actually, just that. That feeling, but all over. And wa.... Uh. Hotter. Shut up!"

"It's just so funny!"

"I see. Do the others have sensations as well?"

"Oh yeah. Absolutely. Which one first?"

"Void, I believe the purple one is called."

"Alright... These might all just be me, I know we all have our preferences and I'm pretty sure being true makes the unpleasant sensations stop-- but so. Void is.... empty? Like... To line myself up with it, I have to kind of forget myself and then call up an outline? And the outline holds that thing I'm forgetting?"

".... this may be the first time you've lost me."

"Aww! I liked you understanding me! Sunny's a jerk about it sometimes."

"Continue. We will reestablish the communication."

"Hm... So, you ever been hungry? I mean I know you have but that feeling before it hurts, after you've started working, and you notice that hollow pit in your... Wherever you put food, it is a stomach, right? I forget you're an alien. Non humanoid."

"These are familiar sensations. Continue."

"Good! Alrighty, so, that. But... Take that hollow feeling and stretch it out of your wherever, ours is in the middle, but stretch that around you and let go of the ends so that they free-float into the nothing around you so you're covered in nothing until it soaks in and you're nothing."

"A sense of absence. Hmph."

"Nice! Yes! Like being... Well, remembering you're space dust."

"Hmph!"

"So that's what lining up with Void feels like. I don't like it, but sending that nothing into stuff and making it implode is fun. Swallowing the impact of enemy attack by wrapping it around myself. I'll run it in Iron Banner for the bubble shield too, it's more useful."

"Hmph! And the electricity? Arc?"

"Ugh."

"You do not like arc."

"It itches! It's all crawling in my lungs and makes my stomach twist and my legs all twitchy and I get so fucking hyper--and I know you both think I'm hyper already, but that's just it, I get that much worse."

"Hmph!"

"I'll say exactly one good thing about it-- running feels good. The flow when I can get moving, I just wanna stay moving like that. You can feel every cell in your body moving with you, heart going, blood, air, all of it. I guess that's how arc feels all the time for the people who use it all the time, but the moment I have to stop, it starts itching all over again."

"Hmph. You also use the Darkness,."

"Uh. Strand, sometimes? But not stasis."

"Oh?"

"Strand feels... Eh. Like... I don't know, I guess it just feels like being. A little more than nothing, cos I'm still there, but I'm just one more thing in a sea of things. It's kind of boring. Even using it feels like not much, like I'm pulling loose strings on cloth. The effect is huge but I'm really not doing much."

"Do you find stasis too cold?"

"Kinda? It's too... Still. If arc speeds me up, stasis slows me down. In the right hands, it's a glacier in the whole, massive unstoppable way. But I don't like that inch at a time shit. I don't like the chill, you're right, but it's not even a chill so much as it sucks the heat out of me and everything around me. Anti-warm. If void is emptiness, stasis is a vacuum. You still exist but you're pinned by nothingness. Out in open space without any protection. Plus I hate the way it feels to use. It's like being a hammer instead of using one. And I mean that in a, you-don't-even-have-legs, you-are-the-block-of-metal-on-a-stick way. And you have to move yourself by sheer force of will against all inertia and friction."

"Ha!"

"You like that one? Sunny did, too. Made the joke when I picked my hammer back up after my stint with it."

"Did you hesitate at all to use the Darkness?"

"Uh... I'd be lying if I said yes. As much as I want to. Obviously everyone said not to do it, but at the time I was fresh, I hardly responded to my name fresh, I was just answering a distress call in the middle of nowhere. Didn't even know that guy was a big deal until Sunny said something. And like I said, everyone said not to, but the only reason I really hesitated at all was because they kept fucking with Sunny, but then the only way to get that to stop was to figure out how to stop it myself. So I went ahead. And the meditation and new way of thinking was good for me, but I missed my fire. Took my lessons and went home. How I usually do with new things."

"That was a relief to find out. It worried me, how deep she got. Turns out she just does that."

"Ugh. We got her name from one of our arguments. Sort of. I was sweet talking after one. I suck up no matter who won, she pretends to hate it. We argued because I wanted to mess with it and she was begging me to stop. But after one, I called her Sunbeam. I called her my Sunbeam, said she lit my way, could keep me warm until I returned to the Light, something like that. She melted. She was mad at how mad she wasn't. I'm still proud of it, too. I wish I remembered it better."

"She can be so sweet and then other times I want to just beat her head in."

"I can't remember exactly how the conversation went, but Sunny picked her name out of Sunbeam and we kept it."

"Hmph. Sunny, why do you prefer the void?"

"--The shields just make sense!"

"--The shields just make sense, she said it every day for months and then every other day for a year longer, before she finally gave in and let me have my flame in peace."

"Oh?"

"She used Void for about six weeks."

"She likes the shields because they stop or slow the incoming damage, but unlike my fire, the damage stays done. Before it breaks, I'm supposed to be beating my way out to reposition, recharge and do it again. I can do it, but if I screw up, I don't recover well and I usually die. I don't know how those other guys do it. I've heard them say the same thing about me, though. They like the sunspots, but it's just not the same."

"Hmph!"

~

@annieruok94

[random-thot-generator]

Soap x Fem reader

Johnny is a panty thief and you're determined to prove it

cw: non con- reader spies on Soap, panty kink, masturbation- m and f

mdni banner: @cafekitsune arrow divider: @saradika-graphics

You don't notice it at first, when your knickers go missing. Things are such a mess after your new roomie Johnny moves in. Dirty clothes get jumbled together in the hamper, his gym shorts somehow end up in your laundry, your T-shirts turn up stuffed in one of his drawers. You shrug it off, figuring if he finds your knickers mixed in with his clothes, he'll return them like he does everything else.

They never turn up again, though.

After several months pass, you begin to notice a pattern. While Johnny's deployed, not a single pair of panties get lost. It's only when he's home on leave that your knickers start to go missing again. Doesn't matter if they're your sexiest pair of lacy thongs or the stained cotton granny panties you wear during your period, eventually they all disappear, never to be seen again.

Johnny swears he has no idea what's happened to them. He jokes that the laundry monster that eats his socks must have got a taste for your knickers too, then laughs, throwing a beefy arm over your shoulders.

"Dinnae worry, bon. I'll take ye t'buy more. My treat."

It gets to the point that you end up having to go to work commando one morning. That does it for you. Enough is enough, you decide.

Not sure how to handle the situation, you complain to your friends about it, asking them what you should do.

"Get a nanny cam," one of them suggests. "Put it in your room, and when he comes in to steal your knickers again, you'll catch him at it on video. No way he can deny it then, the cheeky perv."

So, that's just what you do. You feel like a proper spy, setting up the tiny camera on your bookshelf, making sure the angle is just right to capture a good view of your dirty clothes basket in the corner by your bed. You even shuck off the knickers you're wearing and leave them lying on top of your dirty clothes as bait.

You act like it's business as usual when you leave for work the next morning, accepting the travel mug of coffee Johnny gives you, along with one of his wet cheek smooches.

"'Ave a good day, bon. I'll order us a takeaway t'night, aye?"

You nod and say goodbye with a sweet-as-pie smile as you slip out the door. He doesn't see the wicked glint in your eye as you turn to leave.

It's around ten that morning that curiosity finally gets the best of you, so you hurry off to the loo with your phone and lock yourself in a stall. With bated breath you open up the nanny cam app to review the last few hours of recorded footage. What you see leaves you hot and flustered.

About a half hour after you leave, Johnny comes into your room and goes straight to your clothes basket. He hooks your dirty knickers out of the basket with his finger, then wads them up in his hand before shoving his nose in them. You can see his chest expanding with each deep inhale, a sight that has you squirming on the toilet seat.

Christ, he's really getting off on sniffing your panties, reaching down to squeeze the prominent bulge in his sweat pants. Your mouth drops open when he pulls himself out, tinny grunts and groans coming through your phone speakers as he proceeds to give himself a nice, slow handy.

You feel like you're on fire, burning up from the inside out as you watch him stroke his drooling cock. It's lewd and filthy but you can't look away. Starting to sweat, breaths getting shallow, you worm a hand down the front of your pants and begin toying with your tacky clit. Just a few minutes into the video and you're already slick and needy.

You have to choke back a moan when he falls back on your bed, one hand holding your panties to his nose while he jerks himself off with the other. The camera angle gives you the perfect view of his heaving chest, the flex of corded muscle in his forearm as his fist shuttles over his leaking cock. The fapping noises are barely audible, but your straining ears catch the soft, wet sounds, the frantic staccato beat leaving you panting through your parted lips.

He's almost there and so are you, thighs clenching around your stiff, circling fingers. His hips rutting, he finally brings his other hand down, fucking his cock into your balled-up knickers until he gives one final hard thrust and climaxes while groaning your name.

You come instantly, nearly dropping your phone it hits you so hard. Hips bucking, your knees clamp together and draw up towards your chest, a high whine filtering through your clenched teeth. You've never come so hard in your life.

Now slumped on the toilet, you come down from your orgasm while watching Johnny come down from his. He lies there panting, his body lax and sated, splayed out on your rumpled comforter. He looks damn good lying in your bed.

You actually titter out a little giggle when he grimaces at the mess he made in your knickers. He looks bloody adorable, all flushed and shame-faced as he tucks himself away. Scooting off your bed, he shoves your ruined knickers in his pocket, then straightens the bed and slinks out of your room.

Well, now you know what happened to all your knickers. Jesus, that was the hottest thing you've ever seen, but now you're not sure what to do about it. You toddle back to your desk on shaky legs, your thoughts on Johnny for the rest of the day.

You decide not to confront Johnny when you get home that evening. In fact, you don't mention it to him at all. As for your disappearing knickers, you don't bring them up anymore, either. You just ask Johnny to take you shopping when you start to run low.

And when you finally 'accidentally' catch him in the act a few weeks later, you give him something better to wrap around his cock than your knickers.

-