#he's reading a tale of two cities!
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discoonthegrass · 1 month ago
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The long-awaited polycule takes the stage, but perhaps our favorite captain should date you (yes, you!) instead?
If you want to send propaganda of your favorite ship, drop it in my inbox! Feel free to reblog in order to help this poll reach the most people! Remember to vote on the other polls in this round, listed here.
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faworsley · 27 days ago
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I was tagged by the lovely @grahhams to post 9 books I’m planning to read this year so here they are! Right now I’m about halfway through the Iliad and I DO want to finish it but I’m not listing it since it doesn’t count in my heart if I started it January 31 2024 lol
1. I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination by Francis Spufford
2. Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure by F. A. Worsley (HEART EYES EMOJI)
3. Shackleton’s Valiant Voyage by Alfred Lansing (Skeptical it was valiant on Shackleton’s part because I’m a hater but I will enjoy anyway)
4. The Aeneid by Virgil
5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
6. The Odyssey by Homer
7. Cook and Peary: The Polar Controversy, Resolved by Robert M. Bryce
8. The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
9. The Book of Common Prayer (kind of a long story and not really a light reading type book so I’m including a bonus)
10. May We Be Spared to Meet on Earth (I’ve been trying to get my hands on this one for so long, surely I can do it if I give myself another entire year lol)
And tagging some other folks who might want to do it heart hands emoji:
@wiwaxiacorrugata @c-horses123 @averagepolarexpeditionenjoyer
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regheart · 3 months ago
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my english lit professor said she doesn't love dickens either and also never finished les mis i feel vindicated
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rillabrooke · 2 years ago
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sydney carton is my blorbiest blorbo rn. such a skrunkly little man. he has such big feelings and is incapable of expressing them. self-introspection through this trainwreck character.
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therainbowwillow · 2 months ago
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Do we ever find out what Charles Darnay is actually doing in France?? I’m rereading A Tale of Two Cities and I realized that it doesn’t seem to be incredibly clear?
In the trial scene, we learn that:
-He goes back and forth between England and France and has been doing so for years.
-He claims he is not supplying the French government with English intelligence to aid the Americans in their revolution but will not reveal, even when his life is threatened, what exactly he is doing on those visits.
-He might be crossing the channel from Dover like Lorry and Lucie did but neither Lorry nor Charles confirms whether or not he was one of the mail passengers.
-He boarded the same ship that Lorry, Dr. Manette, and Lucie were taking for their return journey in the middle of the night, spoke with two Frenchmen in hushed tones, and exchanged papers with them.
-Despite all the whispering and secrecy, he doesn’t appear to hesitate in the slightest to help Lucie, who is a complete stranger, to shelter Dr. Manette from the weather. And he straight-up tells her, a person who—again—he has never met before, that he is secretly traveling under a false name??
-He knows enough about American politics to make jokes about George Washington.
-He might’ve been spotted near Dover, but Sydney’s defense pokes holes in that theory.
-He was once friends with Barsad the English spy and Cly was his servant? (How the hell did he even encounter these people??)
Yeah, Charles, what are you doing???
We see him go to France on screen only twice: to visit Évremond and on his ill-fated trip to rescue a friend from prison that nearly gets him killed.
The first visit is miserable! He literally just argues with his uncle about whether or not poor people should be allowed to exist, gets borderline verbally abused for daring to have morals, and hurries back to England after said uncle gets murdered (an incident that somehow genuinely seems to have nothing to do with Charles). They do talk about Charles’ plans for the family estate, but it doesn’t seem like a conversation they’d need to have repeatedly over a course of multiple years and, if anything, it seems to make Charles deeply unhappy.
The second visit is definitely a special circumstance and not his general reason for visiting France, but maybe his relative closeness with the guy (what’s his name?) who he charges with watching the estate could be a reason for him to visit previously for a reason other than seeing Évremond?
Does he have living family besides Évremond to protect? Friends? Is there some stipulation that he has to maintain a relationship with Évremond in order to inherit the estate? Is he making plans for what to do with the estate once Évremond dies?
What am I missing here??? Is he just weird? Is this the 1770/80s version of being forced to see your one awful uncle at Christmas dinner every year except Charles brings it upon himself?
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dcxdpdabbles · 1 month ago
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Holiday request: single dad
Bruce admits that he is unsure of the seriousness of his relationship with Daniel Fenton. He had never meant to run into the man after the parent-teacher conference. Yes, his introduction had a breath of fresh air, but Bruce was not naive.
It may have all been a trick, and Fentong was merely waiting to try to get closer to him or his money later on. He has always been optimistic about the good in man's hearts, but Bruce is also familiar with the equal darkness there.
That's why spotting the man in a busy cafe was such a shock. Bruce had gone on a walk between meetings, wanting something sweet to tie him over for the follow-up one.
He walked into a random family-owned place with a spicy smell. Bruce had been browsing the menu when he heard the soft melody for Fairy Tale Ending by Dumpty Humpty. Looking around a pillar, he found Daniel Fenton bobbing his head to the music while tapping away on his old beat-up laptop.
The cashier sees him staring and smiles apologetically. "We don't usually have people here, so we let him play his music. If it bothers you, I can ask him to get his headphones on."
"Oh no. I actually like the band." He assures her, paying for his drink and dropping a ten in her tip jar. He glances at Fenton again, then points, "What is he drinking?"
"Gingerbread Latte and a chocolate croissant," She responds easily, and at that moment, Bruce knows she hasn't recognized him. Not that he expects everyone on the street to point him out in a crowd, but it does mean she won't take pictures of him.
She doesn't know the photos could get her some money from down-on-their-luck gossip rags. He considers Fenton a little longer before nodding at her. "Can I have a gingerbread Latte? The exact same as his."
"You got it."
Bruce doesn't know what urges him to approach Fenton with the two drinks- though the cashier giving him a wink might have clued him in and clears his throat just as Fenton gets to the chorus. Blue eyes blink up at him. "Oh, Mr. Wayne. Hi."
"Good afternoon," Bruce starts, which causes Fenton to snort. With good-natured humor, he grins up at Bruce, and Bruce feels his intrigue rise just a few notches higher.
"Good afternoon to you as well, milord." The man says, one hand over his chest, bending his neck a little in a mock bow. "Has thy golden carriage brought to thy to me?"
"Having a golden carriage is a privilege for only the Roayl family. My carriage is made of silver, I assure you." Bruce laughs, stepping closer. This is different from the cashier. Fenton knows who he is, but he simply doesn't care.
Bruce is merely Bruce to him instead of the wealthiest man in the city and the country. It's....well, it's liberating, like being reminded that there are good and wonderful things still left in life. If this is how Fenton makes him feel only after the second meeting, what else could Bruce experience if he formed a bond with him?
Fenton's eyes catch the extra drink Bruce holds, lighting up when the other man offers it to him. He accepts the cup, offering the chair opposite from him. When Brue sits down, he asks about what he was writing where. Fenton admits to being a fantasy novelist and moves the conversation to what they enjoy reading.
Bruce arrived late to his next meeting but felt lighter, and a phone number scribbled on the back of his hand just like when he was a teenager and traveling states away to attend Dumpty Humpty Concerts.
The rest, like they say, is history.
Danny had quickly become a part of his life. It was odd how giggly the other man made him feel. Danny was a good balance to Bruce's brooding. Ironically, while Bruce believed the best in humans, keeping a calm center persona, Danny was cynical and bubbly. He assumed people were terrible, but there was no reason to give them any mind, and he was unapologetic for being himself.
After their third date, Bruce has worked up the nerve to ask Danny to be his boyfriend, only to have the other man laugh. "I thought we were boyfriends?"
"I didn't want to assume."
"Well, aren't you a gentleman? Look at those soft hands. You've never seen a day of work. Gentle-handed man," Danny teased while watching the people around them. Bruce knew there wasn't any real danger, but Danny had a habit of watching their surroundings in public places.
He didn't like being caught unaware. Bruce thinks he's in love. The thing is, Bruce has thought that before, and every single time, his relationship had fallen through.
He had a hand in it, but that didn't mean his partners never broke his heart one way or another.
But this time, things would be different.
Dick had pointed it out when he ran into the two at the grocery store. Danny had invited him to help pick out dinner while Dani had been on an overnight field trip at the planetarium. His eldest had cornered him when he returned the next day, smiling widely.
"Danny seems excellent. He's like an undercover goth dating an undercover prep. You both are literally the opposite of each other and seem to like spending time around each other."
Bruce wasn't entirely sure whether it was a bad or good thing, but he was happy that his kids approved of him dating again. He did get a little nervous about Damian, only to find out his youngest had come to idolize Dani, and that only made him hope the relationship would work out even more.
He could see it now, Danny tapping away on his laptop while Dani painted next to him in the Wayne Manor yard- Both preferred to be in nature- on cozy weekends. His children crowding the breakfast table while Danny sang songs from bands he'd never heard.
Birthday candles are being blown out with the cheering family. Christmas mornings followed the candle lighting of Hanukkah on the previous eight nights. Graduation ceremonies that will bring Bruce to tears despite claiming he has trained too hard to do so. Boyfriends and girlfriends, the two could tag team into scaring while their children regretted ever bringing them over for an introduction.
Danny would be the last thing he saw when he closed his eyes before bed and the first thing he saw in the morning light.
Bruce wasn't sure how their relationship was going, but he hoped, oh, he hoped.
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fuckyeahgoodomens · 1 year ago
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Peter Anderson: Hi, my name is Peter Anderson. I'm from Peter Anderson Studio and we created the title sequence to Good Omens Season Two. So this scene is quite literally a continuation from Season One.
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An interesting detail with this scene is the fly. The fly is significant because it stores Gabriel's memory.
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Gabriel is hidden in every scene. This is the first time we see it.
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This goat is half bird, half goat, representing a mistake in a moment of transformation.
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In the pickled herring barrel, we have literally red herrings sticking out.
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A lot of the gravestones have hidden engravings, easter eggs, all written by Neil.
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[This one says: HERE LIES THE FORMER SHELL OF BEELZEBUB referncing Beelzebub having a new face in S2 :), another ones are: EVERYDAY, JANE AUSTEN, Here lies ADAM (the Adam from Adam and Eve is meant)]
Another hidden Gabriel.
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Our same character that was trying to escape Hell in Season One titles is also trying to escape here, moving in the opposite direction to the rest of the procession. Except this time he's apprehended and dragged back into the procession.
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Our Hell spider from episode four makes a little appearance in the background here.
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Can you tell where the bus is going? Director Douglas McKinnon selected Powell and Pressburger's Stairway to Heaven to put on the billboard.
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Another thing to note here is the type is all handmade specifically for Good Omens. The Alphabet only exists within the show.
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The big floating turnip is a nod to Azirafel's magic tricks.
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The Ladies of Camelot poster we pulled from the show.
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We added plaques to the back of the chairs and Neil chose who to honour.
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[There are: A TALE OF TWO CITIES by CHARLES DICKENS, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by JANE AUSTEN, THE CROW ROAD by IAIN BANKS (twice!) and GOOD OMENS by TERRY PRATCHETT (Neil missing for some reason :) <3)]
Saraqael made an appearance from Heaven.
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Our Space is back from Season One. Aziraphale and Crowley are having a little dance here. A moment of flirtation. There's a tiny planet in the middle that comes into existence at this moment.
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Our Scottish tartan hills make an appearance here.
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The aeroplane and the airline is a little bit of a clue here.
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[THY KINGDOM AIRWAYS 👀]
It's raining love hearts in reference to Aziraphale's attempt at making Maggie and Nina fall in love.
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Here are elevators to Heaven and Hell. A wee thing to spot. Here is Gabriel in the lift arriving from Heaven.
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We've updated our flags to reference some of the plotlines in Season Two. For example, The Second Coming.
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The movie poster artwork changes every week, representing the episode plotlines and the minisodes. We made the posters to look like the time period and in this case we've got a Good Omens version of Buddy Holly.
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[The posters are:]
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In the snack bar some of our popcorn is actually communion wafers.
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There are specific characters from Season One in the boxes watching the movie as the procession goes by. This includes some of our original concept art from Season One.
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The duck playing the accordion is from a newspaper headline that someone is reading in The Dirty Donkey from one of the episodes.
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[this is also from the Good Omens book :): "Daily Mail. 'Letter From America.' Um, August the third," said Newt. "Just after the story about the woman in Worms, Nebraska, who taught her duck to play the accordion."]
Each episode is showing a new movie on the screen, each one selected by Douglas, and has clues about what's to come.
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The season one phone box tumbles in the background.
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The big mountain is made of all the ingredients from Season Two and a couple of remnants from Season One. We are heading towards the biggest Easter Egg, which is the lift. We're heading towards the Second Coming..
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elixirfromthestars · 2 months ago
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Crossroads
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Pairing: Ex!Bucky Barnes x Neurosurgeon!Reader
Summary: On a rainy night on your way home, fate decides to cross your path with someone who used to hold the dearest place in your heart.
Word Count: 4.2k
Warning(s): ANGST / heartbreak / failed relationship / very tiny mention of a surgical procedure, not in great detail / I know I mentioned angst already, but this is all angst with maybe like a tiny sprinkle of fluff / medical career mentions (I did my research, but just in case I got anything wrong) / mentions of Bucky's trauma and hardships from his past
Prompt/Theme: chai latte (caught in the cold rain) + melancholy (write a tragic tale)
a/n: This is my submission for @the-slumberparty ‘s Winds of Autumn Challenge. Did I choose melancholy because of my name? Perhaps 🫢 In all honesty, it has been too long since I wrote a pure angst piece, so I knew I had to write something to get the heartbreak going. As a piece of advice, not everything is as it seems, so wait till the end for the whole story to come together. I would say happy reading, but instead, I'll wait here with tissues and a hug for those who need it after reading this. ( ´・・)ノ(._.`) Likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated!! ♡♡♡
bucky masterlist ♡ // main masterlist ♡
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Lightning crackles across the sky as you scurry across the puddle-ridden streets of New York desperately searching for a cab. The wind had rendered your umbrella useless, so the rain fell in harsh sheets against your body—soaking you from head to toe. 
You had been performing an emergency surgery on one of your patients in a different hospital from the one you resided in. Your patient had suffered from an aneurysm brought on by a complication from a previous surgery. She couldn’t be transported across the city as immediate medical attention was needed, so you were transported to said hospital via the hospital helicopter. 
Which you obviously couldn’t use to fly back home.
The surgery took longer than anticipated—eight hours to be exact. When you were close to being done there was unexpected bleeding coming from the surgical sight and you had to go back in and reexamine everything to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, there were no more complications after that and you could focus on stabilizing your patient so she could go and recover in the intensive care unit.
The downpour had started towards the end of your surgery. You were far from home and the already unfamiliar streets had blurred together amongst the harsh streaks of water obscuring your vision. It was still the early hours of the night and you were exhausted—longing to collapse against your bedsheets and wrap yourself in their warmth. Tiredness had seeped its way into your bones faster than the rain had seeped into your coat. 
As you cross another street you spot a bus shelter nearby and make a run for it. Knowing it might be a while before you can catch a cab and at least those glass walls would be enough to protect you from the icy wind that threatened to freeze you. Once inside you try your best to warm up your hands, observing the way your breath materializes in the air. You consider ordering a rideshare, but you know the numbness in your fingertips has to go away before you can take your phone out and order it. 
Fate, however, had other plans for you. 
“Y/n?”
Your body stiffens when a voice calls your name, flinching slightly at the way the thunder that follows rattles the glass shelter. The shiver that makes its way down your spine is no longer from the chilly air. 
This can’t be happening—not after two years. Not when you had finally moved on from him. 
He calls your name again, his presence cementing itself into reality. You don’t want to face him, but there’s that small part of you—the part that will forever be his—that begs you to look. That needs to know if it's him. 
Your head turns slowly, holding your breath as you keep your emotions in check as best as you can. Hoping the universe was playing a cruel joke on you and presenting you with someone who sounded exactly like him. 
But what stranger would ever utter your name with such heart-aching familiarity?
Deep down you knew there was no mistaking it. It was him. It was Bucky. You would know the sound of his voice even in the loudest of crowds—like a language only your heart spoke. Even now when it was on the cusp of becoming a forgotten one.
Your eyes meet his as a flash of lightning illuminates you both. Your heart squeezes in your chest at the way his eyes seem stormier than the sky. Filled with as many conflicting emotions as you know are reflected in yours. 
“Bucky. Hi…”
When you find your voice it sounds foreign to you—quiet and tight. The years of rebuilding every part of yourself are on the edge of crumbling down in a simple greeting. Bucky gives you a small smile, one that doesn’t reach his eyes as he looks between you and the bus shelter. He frowns for a moment as if having a silent debate with himself.
“Is it okay if I um…?” He nods towards the inside of the bus shelter as he trails off. This is when you finally notice the way the rain whips against his skin, soaking him where he stands, and it dawns on you what he’s asking. 
He wants to know if it’s okay for him to seek shelter from the rain with you. The man who used to insist on holding your hand wherever you went because he loved the feeling of your hand in his, the man who would hug you from behind and hide in the crook of your neck as he showered it with kisses when he missed you on the days you came home late, the man who cuddled you close every night and whispered how much he loved you between kisses that seemed to want to reach your very soul—that man was now asking for your permission to be in the same space as you. 
Oh, how cruel fate could be…
“Yes, of course. It's fine,” your response is polite—too polite, and your movements are virtually robotic as you take a few steps to your right to keep a stranger’s distance between you. He mumbles a small thanks before he steps inside, his hands firmly in his jacket pockets. Keeping to his personal space as much as possible.
Silence stretches between you—heavy with unspoken sentiments—interrupted only by the booming of thunder and the drumming of rain as it hits whatever is in its way. You try to distract yourself by counting the seconds between the stoplight changing from green to yellow to red and then green again, but it's no use when he’s but a few steps away from you. The man who you used to know like the back of your hand is now a stranger and it's causing you more distress than you’d like to admit. The inside of your cheek feels the brunt of that torment as you bite it incessantly. You have to do something about this silence before it consumes you. 
“How have you—”
“How’s it been—”
You both speak up at the same time, holding each other’s gaze for a fraction of a second before falling into an awkward laugh. He clears his throat before encouraging you to speak first. You look away, the civility of his tone crawling under your skin and unstitching mended wounds—some of which still had not fully healed yet. 
“Okay, well how have you been, Bucky?”
“Good. I’ve been good. You?”
“Oh. I’ve been good too.”
The exchange went by quickly between half-truths and hesitations. Then it crept up again—the silence. Gnawing at you both and mocking you for not being able to have a simple conversation. When words between you used to flow as freely as the rain that traps you here—really the lack of vocabulary now is laughable. Your past selves would have never been able to wrap their heads around how hard talking to one another would be. 
Your past selves would also never understand why you broke up.
Your current self still doesn’t entirely understand. 
Bucky shifts on his feet, lips in a tight line as he speaks up, “I read about your recent award. Congratulations, you deserved it,” the sincerity in his voice causes your head to snap in his direction. When you see his genuine smile, one that makes the corner of his eyes slightly crinkle, it tugs at your heartstrings in a way that threatens to pull you back to him. 
You won that award for your research achievements in neuroscience a few months ago. Which could only mean that at least until a few months ago, Bucky had been keeping up with you. A piece of information that left you speechless and with a million thoughts running through your mind.
Had he always kept up with you?
Or did he only just recently revisit a part of his past?
Were you on his mind all this time like he had been in yours?
There was so much you wanted to ask—to say—but instead, your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water until you were able to mutter a soft, “Thank you.” The sound so quiet it was almost swallowed by the rain. Bucky caught it, however, his body less rigid hearing the familiar cadence. He smiles a little wider, the kind of smile that chips away at the walls you built up these last two years and insists you spill a string of secrets you have locked away in the deepest depths of your heart. 
All secrets that revolve around him.
How you also kept up with him, never scrolling past a social media or news post highlighting anything that had to do with the Avengers in hopes of getting a glimpse of him. Visiting the coffee shop where you two met on occasions telling yourself it's because no other coffee tastes better, but really it's because of the memories of you two that lie in every corner of that building. The loss of him follows you even when you order takeout because you would rather deal with the lie of ordering for two rather than with the truth of ordering for one.
However, the biggest secret of them all pertains to those days when the ache, the longing, and the loneliness become a cacophony too loud to ignore, that you find yourself rummaging through your closet. Searching for the shoe box that’s tucked away amongst miscellaneous items. One that holds the pieces of your heart that shattered the day Bucky broke up with you.
A faded movie ticket from the Lord of the Rings marathon you took him to, gum wrappers folded into hearts that Bucky had a habit of doing every time you needed a new bookmark, photobooth pictures that always ended with you two kissing, a letter he wrote you on your one year anniversary where he told you he loved you for the first time, and other items you cherished with every part of you. 
Holding onto these things might seem to others like a mistake when your goal is to move on, but these were things you couldn’t find the strength to get rid of. And if that made you weak, clinging onto bits of what was the greatest love of your life, then so be it. 
You were weak—and quite frankly you didn’t give a damn.
The one thing holding you back from pouring your heart out to Bucky was how things had ended. The vagueness, the fight, the resentment and confusion. All of it took hold of you and screamed at you to be more cautious—to keep your guard up. 
Thunder snaps you out of your thoughts, grounding you in the present once more. You need answers, but you know you have to be careful about how you retrieve them. 
You cross your arms, pressing your coat tighter against your body in an attempt to comfort yourself—turning to face him only to have your heart skip a beat when you realize he is already looking at you. His gaze softens with a vulnerability that makes the words get stuck in your throat. 
You let out a shaky exhale, “I uh—I saw Sam became the new Captain America. I also saw you on the news fighting alongside him. Are you two friends now?” The question comes out innocent enough, making Bucky’s demeanor brighten as he takes it as a sign that you’re open to talking to him. Your hidden intention behind that question is a need for confirmation of something that eats away at you anytime you think about his reason for breaking up with you. 
Bucky runs a hand through his damp hair, “Yeah, sort of—it's a long story. We went on a mission together and I realized he wasn’t that annoying, so we became mission partners and I guess you could consider us friends now,” he explains to you with a fond expression, one that leaves a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Through the occasional flashes of lightning you’re able to get a better look at him and the sinking feeling is on the verge of drowning you. 
Bucky no longer had harsh dark circles under his eyes, his scruff was nicely shaven, and his posture was lighter as if the world was no longer falling heavily on his shoulders. His hair is shorter than when you last saw him, he had lost a bit of weight, and he had found a friend in Sam. Something you had encouraged him to do while you two were still together, but he refused on account of saying he only needed you. All of this verified to you the one thing you feared the most. 
Bucky had been right all along. He had been right in breaking up with you. 
Two years ago, Bucky had sat you down on his living room couch and told you he wasn’t ready for a relationship. That was it—that was his reason for ending things with you after almost two years of being together. He claimed he wasn’t ready for a long-term commitment, not after everything he had gone through. And seeing him now, seeing how much better he looked was enough proof for you. No amount of your love, your support, or your companionship would have been enough to keep him in your life. 
Bucky had been right all along, and you hated how utterly bitter that made you. 
How could you accept that what tore you to pieces mended Bucky back together?
The air between you shifts, it’s thick and acrid, and your heart races in your chest with fury as loud as the thunder that rumbles in the clouds. Leaving you wondering if Bucky can differentiate which one is more turbulent. He can sense the change in you and it causes the heaviness in his shoulders to return and his body to go rigid—his own heart threatening to leap out of his chest.
Your phone rings and you use it as an excuse to turn away from Bucky. You pull it out of your bag and check the caller ID—it's Nate. Your neighbor from down the hall of your apartment complex who moved in a couple of months ago, and was now a casual hookup of yours. You weren’t one for hookups, but after years of no connection you longed to feel something—anything with anyone. 
You were only human after all. 
You answer the call, needing to put your attention elsewhere before you say anything to Bucky you might regret later. You keep your responses short, knowing Nate could only be calling you at this hour for one reason and one reason only. Bucky didn’t need to know that reason, so you decide to keep the conversation as brief as possible. 
Bucky shifts his weight on his feet as he pretends to watch the rain. Focusing on a water droplet sliding down the glass wall as it races the other droplets to the ground. He’s tempted to use his super soldier hearing to listen in on your conversation, but he knows he doesn’t have the right to. There are only bits and pieces that slip through—like the fact that you’re talking to a man—and it has one soul-crushing thought come to his mind.
You have someone. Bucky comes to the conclusion that you have moved on. 
As soon as you end the call the words slip out of Bucky’s mouth before he can stop them. 
“Was that your boyfriend?” The word boyfriend tastes bitter on his tongue and he can’t help the prickly edge to his voice. You catch the way his jaw tenses and he averts your gaze—ripping the wounds of heartbreak right open. He has no right to feel any sort of way about you moving on. He knows it, you know it, and yet there he is troubled at the thought of you with someone else. 
Screw not saying something you’ll regret later. 
“Yeah. That was him,” you lie with the utmost confidence that even you believe it. A tiny voice in the back of your head scolds you for lying, but it's hard to hear it when the resentment fights its way up to the surface and wins. 
Bucky had fallen from a train, been brainwashed, tortured, beaten left and right in battles, gone to war, blipped out of existence, stabbed and shot more times than he can count and yet no physical blow could ever amount to the sheer devastating pain he was feeling right now knowing you had found someone else. Knowing there was someone else who got to see your sleepy smiles in the mornings, who got to cuddle you close to his chest on movie nights, who got to steal kisses from you while cooking dinner together, and who got to hear your laughter whenever he wanted—a sound that never failed to make Bucky all warm and fuzzy inside. 
There was someone else who now had the privilege and the honor to be loved by you, and to love you.
Bucky would never be able to recover from that.
“I’m…happy for you. I’m happy you were able to move on,” Bucky lies through his teeth as he says those words that feel like acid on his tongue. 
“It’s not like I had a choice in the matter,” you retort coldly, causing Bucky to flinch as if you had struck him. 
“Y/n I—”
“No. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear how you weren’t ready for a relationship. How ending it was for the best. Breaking every single promise you made to me like it meant nothing to you. You don’t tell someone you love them, that you want to move in together—you don’t talk about the future and then turn around and break up with them because you’re not ready for something long-term. Not unless…not unless it was all a lie from the start,” your voice cracks by the end and it takes everything within you to swallow the lump in your throat before it suffocates you. 
The thunder roars so loudly it shakes the glass walls around you and for a second you think they might break—but ultimately they don’t. Bucky doesn’t know what to say, taking a sharp intake of a breath before blowing out the air in what sounds like a choked sob. Every fiber of his being longs to break the distance, wrap you in his arms, and never let you go. Cradling you close to his chest like he used to whenever you were upset. 
He had lost that privilege—he’s well aware of that, and yet his wishes remain the same. 
Bucky knows there’s more he can say. Things that might not restore what was broken, but that will definitely give you answers or closure. Although, at the risk of hurting you even more he keeps them to himself and instead whispers a strained, “I’m sorry.” Letting the weight of his apology hang in the air.
Your tears threaten to spill, but you blink them away not wanting to cry in front of him. Maybe you shouldn’t be bitter and resentful—after all the man you loved with your whole heart ended up better off without you. If you truly loved him you should be happy for him. Despite that, there is no ounce of happiness that you can conjure up for him right now. At this moment, you are swimming in an ocean of negative emotions that are close to pulling you under into a very dark place. 
You can be the bigger person tomorrow—tonight you won’t be.
Bucky can hear it before it comes into view, a cab is finally making its way down the road. He steps out into the road to wave it down, the rain ricocheting off of his shoulders. Without speaking another word, he heads over to the cab and opens the door to the backseat, gesturing for you to go in. For a second, you hesitate to take the cab. You know once you do this is it—it's over. 
A beat passes until you make a decision. With a heavy heart, you force one foot in front of the other, stepping into the rain and then into the backseat. Accepting this small gesture from Bucky as a heartfelt goodbye. If you stuck around any longer that bit of animosity brewing in the pit of your stomach would’ve boiled over. 
You don’t look at Bucky as he closes the door, but you steal one last glance at him as you tell the driver your address. The sight squeezes your chest so tightly it might stop beating—Bucky is crying. He’s hiding it well with the rain and with the way he stands, but you know him better than that. At one point he was your other half and you can tell by the way his jaw trembles, his eyes narrow, and his expression molds to one of pain that he’s crying.
You hide your face from him as the dam breaks and everything you had been holding back comes flooding out.
Bucky steps back into the shelter of the glass walls and watches the cab drive off with you in it—taking his heart and his hope with you. 
Bucky tries to force the tears to stop, but he knows it's no use. Just like you, he had held back a sea of truths he wanted to confess. Truths he wasn’t sure you even wanted to hear or he even deserved to tell. 
Bucky is not doing good. He has to throw himself into work and missions every waking moment because if he doesn’t his thoughts will run straight to you. Every night he has to hold his pillow close to his chest because he got so used to sleeping with you cuddled against him, that he feels like a part of him is missing and it steals his sleep. He tosses and turns for hours and stares at the ceiling as if there he’ll find the answers on how to make the heartache go away. In the silence, he longs to hear your voice, so the radio and the tv stay on so he doesn’t have to sit with the uncomfortable. The food he eats lacks flavor and the world around him seems devoid of color. 
His existence feels soulless without you.
Sam is trying to get him to talk about it, but you’re the one thing Sam is not allowed to bring up. Not when Bucky is ashamed of the full story—of the truth. 
The full story—the full truth—was the one thing most of all that he wanted to get off of his chest and confess to you. Bucky didn’t break up with you because he wasn’t ready for a long-term relationship. That was the biggest lie he had ever told and one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He was ready. He was so damn ready he even bought the ring to ask you to marry him—to make forever official. That was until he noticed how his problems began to bleed into your life. So much so, that your career as a surgeon began to suffer from it. The one thing you were most passionate about—your dream—the one thing you worked blood, sweat, and tears for was in jeopardy because Bucky was still suffering from the baggage of his past as the Winter Solider.
Bucky felt like a burden. You would never call him that and he knew if you ever heard him call himself that, you would do and say everything you could to assure him he was wrong. You loved him so deeply and so selflessly that your career became an afterthought. When his nightmares plagued him, when his PTSD was triggered, when the world felt like it was closing in on him—there you were. By his side no matter the time of day to hold him close and reassure him he wasn’t alone, that he was safe, and that he was loved. Bucky had become so dependent on you he didn’t realize how it had affected you until he stumbled across the warning letters your job sent, the voicemails, and the overheard calls. The articles that came out questioning your morality for dating the Winter Solider—a cold-blooded killer.
Your reputation as a surgeon was on the line because of him.
That’s when Bucky knew he had to call it off. He had to be the one to end it and fix his own problems before his darkness ruined you. You had sacrificed so much and worked endlessly to prove yourself in your field, that there was no way he would let you risk all of that for him. He knew he couldn’t be honest with you over the real reasons—you would never accept them. So he made sure to find a reason that would lead you to hate him. 
Bucky knew he had to be the villain of the story. He was used to it, he’d be okay with it. As long as you were safe from the shadows that followed him, he would gladly be the bad guy. For some people that was all he’d ever be, at least in this case he could control the narrative and in the end it would benefit you.
Bucky couldn’t give you forever, no, but in letting you go he made sure you kept your dream—and that was enough for him. That meant everything to him. 
He had to suffer the greatest loss of his life so that the love of his life could be free. A hard truth that he would forever carry the weight of and that you would never know was done as an ultimate act of love—the selfless act of knowing when to say goodbye. 
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beomcoups · 4 months ago
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The 13 Gods of Olympus: A Seventeen collab
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We’ve all heard the timeless legends of the ancient Greek gods—tales passed down through the ages. But what if those gods were still alive, walking among us today? In this modern retelling collab, 13 talented authors breathe new life into these immortal beings, reimagining them as members of Seventeen. Once a Greek god, always a Greek god, but now their divine powers and personalities unfold in a whole new world.
Hosted by @beomcoups and @wooahaeproductions
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➵Title: Wisdom Doesn’t Falter to Thunder @drunk-on-dk ➵Pairings: Greek God/Heir!Seungcheol x Reincarnated (Metis) Fem!Reader ➵Greek God: Zeus ➵Genre: angst, smut, fluff, coworker au, reincarnation au, fantasy ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: Naturally, as one of heirs of his father’s tech company, Seungcheol had everything he could ask for in life - well, except for his father’s company. Seungcheol, like a thunderbolt, decides it’s time to take action regarding his stake in the company against his brothers, ultimately looping you, his wise advisor, into the mix. Will you be the one to help Seungcheol as he earns true leadership of the company? Or could the tale of you two be as disastrous as the story of Metis and Zeus?
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: as wild and untamable as the sea by @the-boy-meets-evil ➵Pairings: greek god!chan x reincarnated sea nymph!reader ➵Greek God: poseidon ➵Genre: angst, smut, fantasy, minor reincarnation ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: Chan remembers everything. Every little thing that's happened to him since his days as one of the twelve olympians. Poseidon to be exact. Even though he tries not to think about it now that he's living in modern times running a sad little aquarium, some memories are more vivid than others. Then, you stumble into his life and he can't explain the draw. You can't seem to figure out how this man is keeping an aquarium like this running when it seems like it's not that busy. Something about him really seems to put you off, despite the fact that he seems drawn to you. None of it makes any sense…until you start to remember.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: the soulkeeper’s betrayal by @hannieween ➵Pairings: greek god jun x reader ➵Greek God: hades ➵Genre: angst, smut, fluff, fantasy, mystery ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: when Hades realizes that something has gone awry in the underworld, he has no choice but to ask for help from his estranged wife. Though not without paying a price.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: Fated Strut by @beomcoups ➵Pairings: greek god!Jeonghan x model!reader ➵Greek God: Hermes ➵Genre: fluff, angst, smut, fantasy, doppleganger au ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: In a whirlwind fashion show, a part-time model's life takes a mystical turn when she becomes the muse for the captivating Greek God Jeonghan. Unbeknownst to her, she shares a deep connection tied to his past. As their chemistry ignites amidst secrets and rivalries, will love conquer their complicated fates?
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: All Is Fair In Love And War @okiedokrie ➵Pairings: Aphrodite Reincarnation! Joshua x Fem!Detective!Reader ➵Greek God: Aphrodite ➵Genre: Crack, Smut, Fluff, some angst ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: Joshua is the king of Los Amsterdam, not by blood, but by having the biggest network in the state. He gets caught up in an investigation regarding the assassination of one of his former clients, where he meets a detective who is strangely immune to his godly charms. Oh, right, he's the reincarnation of Aphrodite. Together they solve the case and find more than the mastermind in the process, maybe, they'll just find love.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: Kadō @daemour ➵Pairings: Demeter! Dokyeom x Florist! Reader ➵Greek God: Demeter ➵Genre: Fluff, Angst ➵Rating: T for Teen ➵Summary: When the most notorious divorce lawyer in the city becomes a regular at your little flower shop, you're pretty sure it's a bad omen, for both your love life and your store. But with each passing moment, it looks like your flowers are doing better than ever…and perhaps your heart beats just a bit faster seeing Lee Seokmin.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: Orion’s Constellation @staytinyville ➵Pairings: God!Vernon x Hunter!Reader , Vernon x Reader ➵Greek God: Artemis ➵Genre: Fluff ➵Rating: T for Teen ➵Summary: The story goes that Artemis fell in love with Orion but Apollo was jealous of that love. So he tricked Artemis into killing her love. This is a different retelling. One where rather then the huntress killing the hunter—the hunter followed the orders of the gods. And was repaid graciously.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: The Prophet and His Muse by @idyllic-ghost ➵Pairings: greek god!woozi x reincarnated lover!fem!reader ➵Greek God: Apollo ➵Genre: romance, angst, fluff, smut, romance, fantasy, soulmate au, reincarnation au, deity au ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: In a world where ancient myths whisper through the fabric of modern life, a poignant tale of love and redemption unfolds. A god reunited with his eternal love. As this ancient bond stirs to life, he must navigate the delicate interplay between myth and reality—striving to rekindle a romance that defies time and embraces destiny’s call.
Read Here
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➵Title: Forging the Threads of Time by @wooahaeproductions ➵Pairings: Professor/Greek God!Wonwoo x Reincarnated Female Reader ➵Greek God: Hephaestus ➵Genre: angst, fluff, smut, college au, reincarnation au ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: Wonwoo never expected to meet the mortal love of his life ever again and you never thought you’d feel so drawn to your welding professor.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: king of kings by @aaagustd ➵Pairings: kingpin/crime lord!mingyu x journalist!(f)reader ➵Greek God: hestia ➵Genre: angst, organized crime au, arranged marriage, childhood enemies to lovers, mystery, supernatural, smut, loosely inspired by the story of King Thrushbeard ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: If you’d known all those years ago that you would have to compete for his heart, you would have never torn it to pieces.
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: the union of bacchus by @hobeemin ➵Pairings: dionysus/artist! xu minghao x (f) oc ➵Greek God: dionysus ➵Genre: supernatural, fantasy, greek god au, smut, romance, angst ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: As the God of Wine, you’d think he’d be just as lively. But no, this enigma of an immortal always kept others guessing. That is until he met her. She was more than he anticipated–mortal or otherwise. Somehow, she put him under a spell. Had he found his equal?
Teaser Read Here
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➵Title: Do No Harm by @soongyeopsal ➵Pairings: doctor/greek god!hoshi x fem reader ➵Greek God: ares ➵Genre: romance, angst, smut, coworkers au ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: Ares proves to everyone that he can change by living his modern life as Dr. Kwon. But does that matter if you stay the same? This do-over’s prognosis isn’t exactly promising.
Teaser Read More
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➵Title: unforgiven by @haologram ➵Pairings: greek god!seungkwan x reincarnated!reader ➵Greek God: athena ➵Genre: angst, second chance romance au, fluff…suggestive ➵Rating: 18+ ➵Summary: seungkwan may have been represented by his considerably heartwarming traits, but he ruined his own fate with his vengeful & prideful behavior. despite his flawed outlook, he can still see you in every lover — until it’s you, again.
Teaser Read Here
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Thank you @hobeemin for creating the graphics for this collab <3
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Okay time for the PBS Kids essay
Read it under the cut!
:readmore:
In 1968, before there was PBS Kids proper, there was Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. While it came several decades before the children’s block, it laid the foundation for the themes and values present in every facet of the network’s history.
Mr. Roger famously hated children’s programming at the time. To him, it all was droll and useless. But he didn’t dissuade the medium entirely— he saw potential. Potential that led to a few smaller television jobs, and eventually the creation of Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.
Rogers didn’t invent educational TV for children, but he did perfect it. He poured real heart and soul into probably the most sincere, heartfelt program in history.
Honestly, he could have his own essay. The more things you learn about the real man of Mr. Rogers, the more you’ll like him.
Anyway, the biggest thing that makes PBS different is the fact that it earns money through grants, fundraisers, and private donors— not through sponsorships and merchandise sales. This way, PBS Kids can push programming that it feels is important, rather than programming that merely sells well.
This also means PBS is less afraid of pushing social boundaries. Money doesn’t go away when their shows become subjects of debate— and Mr. Rogers took full advantage of this.
For context, this was 1969. The Jim Crow era had just barely, barely ended. Pool segregation was still very much legal.
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Mr. Rogers sharing a pool and a towel with the Black Mr. Clemmons was a pretty big deal at the time— especially on a show made for children.
Rogers was far from the untouchable sacred cow of today. When he was alive, he had a large number of detractors. Let’s just say that scene didn’t fly nicely by everyone.
Just one year after the debut of Mr. Roger’s came Sesame Street.
While Mr. Roger’s was made for all children, Sesame Street had the explicit goal of supplementing the education of underserved communities— especially inner-city Black (and later Latino) children.
While it was made to be accessible to children of all races and income levels, they definitely went the extra mile to make it something special for inner-city Black and Brown kids. (Why do you think it it’s “Sesame Street” and not “Sesame Cul-de-Sac”?)
At the time, a wholesome, sweet show set in a brownstone street was practically unheard of.
Jon Stone, the casting director, deliberately sought to make the cast as rich with color as he possibly could, bringing on a huge amount of Black talent such as Loretta Long, Matt Robinson, and Kevin Clash, as well as featuring Black celebrities as guest stars. Later, the show would expand its horizons, bringing on actors from Latino, Asian, Native American, and many more backgrounds.
White actors were and still are a minority on show.
In addition to letters and numbers, the purpose of Sesame Street is clear: make kids of color know that they’re smart, beautiful, and loved.
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It doesn’t get more explicit than this.
I want to point out this comment because it’s funny
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You’re telling me this bitch isn’t Hispanic???
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Anyway, these two were followed up by Reading Rainbow in 1983. And guess what?
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That’s right. Non-white focus.
These three shows, (along with other, lesser-known programs like Lamb-Chops Play Along, Newton’s Apple, and Shining Times Station (who featured Ringo Starr himself?? seriously how did that happen and why does no one talk about it) and some other nostalgic favorites like Bill Nye the Science guy, The Magic Schoolbus, Arthur, and Thomas the Tank Engine) aired on the new PTV block, which evolved into PBS Kids in 1999, bringing along Between the Lions, Dragon Tales, and many more.
Arthur is another stand-out that I’d like to talk about— it doesn’t have the same racial focus of Sesame Street, but it does focus on different income levels. The characters have various housing situations, from apartments to mansions to no home at all.
It also takes cues from Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s in regards to talking about tough topics, though as Arthur has a slightly older target audience, it discusses things through stories rather than talking directly to the audience.
Cancer, religion, workplace discrimination, along with current (at the time) events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are all discussed on the show.
Another big focus on Arthur is disability. For once, they don’t stick a character in a wheelchair and then pretend he’s not in a wheelchair. A striking number of major characters either develop or get diagnosed with physical disabilities and/or neurodivergences, such as asthma, severe food allergies, and dyslexia, and they deal with them in very realistic ways.
A handful of minor characters have more obvious disabilities, and THANK GOD they go beyond the trite messaging of “disabled people can do everything abled people can do! everyone clap now!”
One episode in particular has the awesome message of “holy shit stop trying to help me all the time— it’s patronizing as fuck. I can get around just fine without you stepping on eggshells and trying to be the hero all the fucking time”
There are sooo many other shows I could talk about, but I can’t write about them all. I’m definitely gonna point out some more standout ones, though.
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat
Created by Chinese-American woman Amy Tang
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Dragonfly TV
Features a multitude of female and non-white scientists to foster an interest in science with kids in those groups
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Maya & Miguel
One of the network’s first Hispanic-led shows
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SciGirls
I shouldn’t have to explain what the goal of this one was.
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Molly of Denali
When was the last time you saw a show that treated Native Americans as people? Much less a children’s show? 90% of the cast is Athabascan, and the show revolves around Athabascan culture, not shying away from topics like boarding schools and modern-day racism. Most of the writers are also Athabascan, and the show even has an official Gwich’in dub!
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It’s this commitment to real, authentic social justice that makes PBS Kids so much different from its competitors. Could you imagine the Paw Patrol dog looking at the camera and earnestly discussing what happened to George Floyd? I don’t think so— but Arthur talked specifically about it, Sesame Street did an hour long special about race in general, and the network itself made a 30 minute special.
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Disney Jr. could never. (Other than trying to teach colorblindness, of course.)
I’m gonna have to cut this into two parts, since I just hit the image limit
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inthehouseoffinwe · 5 months ago
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Hear me out. Maedhros would make an incredible high king not only for his own skill, but because he has six brothers keeping a close eye on everything.
Maedhros: The Leader. Inspiring. Strong. The strategist unbeaten. The one who survived what no other elf has. An incredibly strong personality that can bring even the most stubborn into his command. Undefeated in battle, feared by Morgoth himself. The diplomat who can bring together groups of people who hate each other to a common goal. A King in every sense of the word with a presence that sends the enemy scattering and elves thinking several times before daring to cross him. 
Maglor: PR and Media. Songs that can turn stupid costly mistakes into tragic tales of heroism and strength spread far a wide until no one can remember a version of events other than what he says. A great right hand able to take over when needed. Commanding, responsible, charming, can get anyone to tell him anything and great at establishing diplomatic connections. The people person. Loud and powerful or the quiet shadow at Mae’s back, always watching. Reading the court before the elves even know what they think and exposing them with deceptively soft words.  
Celegorm: The Hunter. Keeps the lands safe. Keeps them fed. Keeps an eye on the hunters and the army in general. You can’t escape him. You can’t hide from him. And with all the languages and tongues of birds and beats he speaks, he hears all. 
Caranthir: The Tradesman. The money man. Keeps everything running, keeps an eye on the economy, great at establishing trade routes that leave the Noldor in the best position. Good with materials and knows exactly what they need when. For what time of year. When to trade it. Smart and shrewd, you can’t double cross him, and he’ll always get you the best prices. 
Curufin: The forge master. The armourer. The architect. Nothing beats his work, and Mae’s armour especially is literally impenetrable. He’s the one who keeps the city at its peak, no stone at anything but perfect condition and weapons unlike any other. Hidden passages and secret stores. But he’s also a silver tongue like his eldest two brothers and he’s *very* good at convincing people, but also tearing them down and making sure they’ll never be a threat again. He can and will destroy your life before your eyes and you’ll never recover.
Ambarussa: The Spies. You don’t see them coming. You think Amrod’s gone only for Amras to take his place. Light footed and underestimated, they route out any schemes. They’re also the best connected to the green elves, so easily overlooked but smarter than most give them credit for. They’re the resident healers, and can make a poultice out of anything.
Celebrimbor: The Inventor. The one whose creativity knows no bounds. The creator of incredible Power infused devices like the rings to keep his people and family safe. A leader in his own right trained by his father and uncles who Maedhros is proud to call his heir. 
Feel free to add your own thoughts!
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kwanisms · 29 days ago
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It’s the season of love, or lust. Here’s a collection of 14 separate tales to keep you company this Valentine’s season. demon/incubus!Idol × fem!Reader
» back || playlist || taglist « ❑ WORDCOUNT —  ❑ WARNINGS — adult language, female reader, shorter reader, reincarnated reader, chubby!Reader, smaller reader, jealousy and possessiveness, mentions of: marriage, travel, homesickness, food & alcohol consumption, history of drug use, depression & thoughts of suicide, feelings of isolation, past love, heartbreak, major character death, reincarnation, severe depression, loneliness, minor character death, food & alcohol consumption, occultism, witchcraft, demonic summoning & rituals, PTSD, graveyards, ghost hunting, communicating with spirits, hospital environments, long working hours, bodily trauma, blood, gore; see each part for full warnings! ❑ CONTENT — angst, fluff, smut; supernatural, fantasy, demons & angels, biblical, established relationships, office setting, boss!Reader, coworkers to lovers, ER doctor!Reader, demon!Idols; non idol au, demon au, farm au, hospital au; see each part for full content lists! ❑ NOTES — happy valentine's, my loves! Here is something no one asked for but I'm delivering anyway! I've got 14 stories here, 11 of which are sequels to existing aus I've created and three new ones! They're all of my existing demon aus! From Seventeen to Stray Kids to Day6, all of my demon characters are being revisited here! Taglist is open and will close at the end of January so sign up now! Thanks for the support thus far babes and as always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.
MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED. AGELESS BLOGS WILL BE BLOCKED.
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 ➥ incubus!Kihyun × fem!Reader summary: After the events of her story, Y/N has had her curse broken and succubus powers removed, allowing her to live a normal life. She has managed to keep a low profile, getting a job in a diner, her entire world is turned upside down when one of the men she was tasked with seducing in her previous life shows up at the diner late one night with a bone to pick with her. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 1
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 ➥ incubus!Hongjoong × fem!Reader × Seonghwa summary: After being banished to hell, Hongjoong manages to find a weak point and escapes back to the mortal realm. He only has a short time before the hounds of Hell are sent after him to bring him back and he makes the most of his time by tracking down his former servant only to find Seonghwa’s vampire curse has been broken and that he’s now happily married to the woman who destroyed everything Hongjoong built up. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 2
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 ➥ incubus!Jisung × fem!Reader summary: Now that all his friends are seeming to settle down with their respective partners, Han decides to venture out on his own and explore a new city. While there, he meets someone who flips his world upside down and turns it inside out. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 3
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 ➥ demon!Jeonghan × fem!Reader summary: Jeonghan lost his chance at love by being stubborn and cruel. Since then, he’d been drifting through the world, finding no meaning at continuing his meaningless charade. He refused to return to Hell but being on Earth was even more torture. He thought about just ending everything when the world came to a halt upon spotting a familiar face on the streets of Paris. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 4
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 ➥ incubus!Johnny × fem!Reader summary: Y/N has been living her best life, having climbed the social ladder at work and now heads her department, thanks to the promotion she landed. She can’t forget the reason for her success and one night while at the office working late, the demon she made a deal with comes back to check in. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 5
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 ➥ demon!Mingi × fem!Reader summary: Summers spent in the country used to have a sense of nostalgia but now, as you helped clear out your aunt’s old farm house, it was just hot and all you did was sweat. When you come across an old, tattered black book, things go from hot to hotter when you are transported to an alternate dimension where you meet a mysterious man who inhabits your aunt’s house on what he calls the ‘Other Side.’  read now »» coming Feb 6
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 ➥ incubus!Sungjin × fem!Reader summary: Since the incident at the museum, involving the old grimoire, Y/N has kept a low profile and quit her job at the museum, instead getting a job at a bookstore in a quiet part of town. It’s been three years and she still has the book, keeping it locked in a glass case in her house. The demon has not appeared since but she can’t shake the uneasy feeling she has as the fifth year anniversary of the Summoning approaches. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 7
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 ➥ incubus!Yeonjun × fem!Reader summary: After a visit to the old graveyard with her friends, Y/N has had this uneasy feeling of being followed or watched. Maybe she’s being paranoid, or maybe it's the result of playing around with a Ouija board but one thing is certain; she keeps seeing someone or something watching her from the window in her bedroom. read now »» coming Feb 8
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 ➥ incubus!Jongho × fem!Reader summary: As a result of passing his seduction test, Jongho has become a full-fledged incubus. He’s now among the ranks of those who have made names for themselves. He finds that being an incubus comes with a great amount of freedom and responsibility. Responsibility he shirks because he can’t seem to stay away from the one who helped him pass his test: Y/N.  read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 9
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 ➥ demon!Seungmin × fem!Reader summary: Your idea of fun was playing video games with your friends or playing beer pong at a frat party. It did not include summoning a demon in the basement of the creepy, old abandoned house at the end of Willow Avenue.  read now »» coming Feb 10
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 ➥ demon!Chan × fem!Reader summary: Ever since she summoned him, Chan hasn’t been able to get Y/N out of his mind. He returns to her after some time and insists that she accept the proposal he made to her the last time he was there. He wants to be bound exclusively to her. Y/N is hesitant but Chan tells her to think it over while he makes his trip to visit her worth both their time. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 11
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 ➥ incubus!Chanyeol × fem!Reader summary: Since their encounter and Chanyeol’s nature as an incubus exposed, he and Y/N have had a secret relationship which tends to bring out the worst jealousy in both of them. They often sneak around the hospital, meeting in secret places.  read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 12
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 ➥ incubus!Hyunjin × fem!Reader × witch!Felix summary: After his visit, Hyunjin has moved into the house next door to Y/N and Felix, making himself at home as their neighbor and tormenting Felix by plaguing Y/N’s dreams. Hyunjin seems determined to make Felix’s life a living hell and drive a wedge between the witch and his girlfriend. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 13
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 ➥ incubus!Joshua × fem!Reader summary: Ever since that fateful night where Joshua revealed himself as a demon, Joshua and Y/N have built a life for themselves, living together in her house and working at the antique shop together. When Joshua decides to take her out for a romantic Valentine’s dinner, his jealous side emerges when he thinks the waiter is flirting with Y/N so he takes her home to remind her who she belongs to. read part one | read part two »» coming Feb 14
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©️ kwanisms 2018 - 2025 | all written and artistic works on this blog are protected under copyright. reposts, continuations, and translations of my works are not permitted. All graphics made by me.
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The Scarecrow || Recommended Reading || Master List
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For your reading pleasure, here follows a master list of all SCARECROW-CENTRIC comics (cameos and one/two page appearances will not be mentioned) listed roughly in order of release. Note: some comics are included even if Scarecrow is not the main antagonist, but only if he plays a centric role in the overarching story
Feel free to message me if you think I missed something! This list is comics only, and does not include children's books or other media.
GOLDEN AGE
World’s Finest #3 - Riddle of the Human Scarecrow
Detective Comics #73 - The Scarecrow Returns
The Brave and the Bold #197 - The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne!
SILVER AGE
Batman #189 - Fright of the Scarecrow
Batman #200 - The Man Who Radiated Fear!"
Detective Comics #389 - Batman's Evil Eye
BRONZE AGE
Detective Comics #503 - The 6 Days of the Scarecrow
Batman #373/Detective #540 - The Frequency of Fear/Something Scary
The Super Friends #32
Detective Comics #571 - Fear for $ale
Joker #8 - The Scarecrow's Fearsome Face-Off!
Batman 400 - Resurrection Night
THE 90s
Batman #455-#457 Identity Crisis: Part 1 + 2/Master of Fear 
Batman: Haunted Knight- Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1  - Fears
Batman #495-#496
Batman: Long Halloween (Series)
Shadow of the Bat #1
Shadow of the Bat #16-18 “God of Fear”
Batman Dark Victory (Series)
Batman: Haunted Knight - Fears
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1
Batman Annual #19 - Masters of Fear
Batman Adventures #4 - #5 - Riot Act
Batman Adventures #19 - Troubled Dreams
Batman Adventures Annual #1 - Study Hall
Batman Gotham Adventures #32 - The Remote Controller
Batman/Scarecrow 3D
Catwoman #58 - #60, #93
Fear of Faith (Legends of the Dark Knight #116, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84, Batman #564, Detective Comics #731)
New Year's Evil: Scarecrow - Mistress of Fear
Batman Crimson Mist
Nightwing #9 - #11
2000 - 2009
Batman Daredevil - King of New York
Detective Comics #820 Face the ɘɔɒᖷ
DC Super Friends #8
Batman #608–619 (HUSH)
Batman Gotham Knights #16 + #49 / Batman: Black and White
Legends of the Dark Knight #137-141 - Terror
Gotham Knights #23 - Fear of Success
Superman/Batman: Torment (#37-42)
Batman #626-630 - As the Crow Flies
Superman/Batman #38 - 40
Batman Eternal #47
Batman and Robin Eternal #6, #14- #15
DC Halloween Special #1 - The Ballad of Ichabod Crane
Gotham After Midnight (Series)
Joker’s Asylum: Scarecrow
Year One: Batman/Scarecrow
2010 - 2020
Blackest Night #6 -Blackest Night
Untold Tales of the Blackest Night - Blackest Nightmare
DC Halloween Special '10 - Trick for the Scarecrow
Forever Evil: Arkham War (Series)
Batman the Dark Knight #10 - #15 - Cycle of Violence
Batgirl Vol 3  #2-3 - Batgirl Rising: Point of New Origin
Detective Comics v2 #23.3 Scarecrow
Swamp Thing #19-20
Harley Quinn #28 - #30
Batwoman #7 - #9 - Fear and Loathing
Green Lanterns #17 - Darkest Knight
Nightwing #50, #53 - #56
Batman ‘66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E (series)
Batman '66 #28 - Scarecrow Comes to Town
Kings of Fear (series)
Batman/TMNT Adventures #4 - To laugh so not to cry
Shazam #12 - When Strikes the Scarecrow
Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #4      
Legends of the Dark Knight #16
Batman: Gotham Nights #17 - Harvest of Fear; He Who Eats Last...
Batman: The Adventures Continue #10  
Fear State (Series) (FS Alpha + Omega, 106, #111–117, Detective Comics 1056, Harley Quinn #6)
Future State Harley Quinn #1- #2
2021 AND BEYOND
Truth and Justice #10
ArkhaManiacs #1
Man-Bat (Series)
Wayne Family Adventures #55 - #56
Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant #1
Detective Comics #1049 -1050 - House of Gotham
The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #8 - #9
Knight Terrors: Nightwing (Series)
DC's I know what you did Last Crisis
Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood #2
Batman: The Audio Adventures Special #1 + #6
Batman '89 Echoes (series)
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7
Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #3
Little Batman: Month One (series)
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #19
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thorns-and-rosewings · 25 days ago
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(Behold what happens when I have ideas that far surpass my skill level... ^^; Here we have tall-ish Lunar, roughly Bloodmoon height, only taller if his hat gets counted. And this universes versions of the Gemini twins)
Okay so this needs some explaining; this here is Asylum AU's version of Lunar and the Gemini twins. I didn't put their information on my last post about this AU because:
A. I genuinely enjoy these guys little side tale so much I wanted to attempt to give a good visual to go along with their bit.
B. I thought it was long enough already.
So I'm gonna write their whole little bit below, as with everything I write it's gonna be LONG, but hopefully a fun read.
Enjoy ^_^
.
Lunar: As with all this universe's characters, he started off life built by Eclipse to assist him... But the main difference was that this Lunar was treated infinitely better than our Canon Lunar was right from the get go. Not to mention that he had his Star Power right from the beginning as well...
How did he have that you may ask?
Simple... Doc Eclipse acquired some meteorites that contained an unknown alloy. And he genuinely went 'What the hell, why not?' and used it to build Lunar's body. Which apparently contained some residual Star Power and thus, this Lunar has his powers.
Right from the beginning, Lunar didn't want to fight with Sun and Moon and he began trying desperately to get everyone to stop fighting. So to make a very long story short, eventually, he was successful in getting the fighting to actually stop because Sun and Moon grew to care about Lunar like a brother. Although the fighting didn't stop until there was significant damage done to the motor control of Eclipse's left leg... There's an uneasy peace between the two halves of Lunar's family as the result of this.
Free to choose what he wanted to do with his life, Lunar took his love for games to the next level and started a gaming company. (But also made Beanbag chairs as well) Lunar's commitment and genuine love of the games that the company made reflected in their products and it didn't take long before Lunar's company not only became successful, but a MAJOR name in gaming.
By the time Asylum AU starts, Lunar's gaming company, Starfall Games, (The logo being the blue star emblem Lunar is creating and has on his clothes) is considered the number one gaming company in the world. Their claim to fame is their games quality. As they have never once released a game with any major bugs. Lunar is a very good boss and although he demands a great deal from his employees, but he is never unreasonable. And he regularly rewards his staff who go above and beyond.
He's a tough, but fair boss.
Lunar owns a huge tower in the middle of the city, which he lives in. It's so advanced it would make Tony Stark jealous. He lives in the penthouse on the upper stories while the lower stories contain the main headquarters for his gaming company. His tower is seemingly crafted from obsidian, with neon blue lights running throughout it. The dress code for the staff actually follows a similar theme, with everyone wearing bright seemingly neon colors. Or have some sort of celestial, space or star theming.
Lunar's powers in this area also 98% mastered, with the problem 2% to be addressed in a bit. Like Canon Lunar, he has electricity. But this version, rather than weather powers, his focuses on electricity, lightning and electro plasma. He actually powers his entire tower with his abilities and is in negotiations with the city to possibly power the entirety of that as well in the near future. His lightning powers are incredibly deadly if used in combat, but fortunately he next to never needs to use them offensively. In the rare instances he does need to fight, he is skilled enough to actually manipulate the electrical currents in a human body and essentially short-circuit a human temporarily. It's even more potent against animatronics.
But it's his plasma powers that he is actually the most fond of, as he's so skilled with wielding them that he can literally craft various things out of the plasma and then dissolve them on a whim. He can literally create tiles or stairs that allow him to walk in the sky. It's not uncommon to see him stroll across the sky near his tower at any given time...
But his favorite thing by far to create is his Plasma Cycle. Essentially a futuristic Tron-esque motorcycle that can reach nearly unfathomable speeds and drive over every type of terrain and even drive in the sky with him creating a plasma road below and in front of the bike to drive on.
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(Essentially like this but in a brilliant blue)
Ultimately this Lunar has a very good grasp on things, but there are still some... Drawbacks...
Lunar didn't get to where he is in life without having to deal with A LOT of shit. With the one thing he has grown to value THE MOST in people is loyalty and honesty. He has endured many betrayals and been in the midst of liars and he finds people who partake in these negative things to be the lowest of the low.
He's not crazy and understands small lies and fibs can be understandable, even necessary. As he regularly lies about how good his Suns homemade 'Mint Sugar Cookies' are... They're damn near inedible, have the texture of a mix of toothpaste and sand, but nobody has the heart to tell Sun.
Aaaand then there's his family and that often deeply uncomfortable situation...
The thing Lunar loves the most, more than his company or anything else, is his family. His deepest wish and desire is for them all to stop hating each other and get along. Which is the one thing he wishes for every year on his birthday, when he invites everyone to either his home, or another location to spend the day together...
And every year without fail...
It's a total disaster...
It would seem Moon and Eclipse, in spite of their love of Lunar... They can't not fight for even a single frickin hour. They will fight, Sun will cry, Solar Flare will try to make peace, Bloodmoon stays the hell out of it, aaaand things proceed to fall apart before they can even have dinner. Let alone cake...
Every year Lunar just endures this. His heart breaking a little more each time... A tiny part of him wondering if he means so little to his siblings that they can't just get along for him for just a few hours. But, he just buries it and smiles and says that next year will be different. The stress of his family fighting is the only thing that can cause him to lose a grip on his powers. Sometimes leading him to short out an area and have to pay a hefty bill to repair the place he accidentally wrecks.
...fortunately he has his best friends, Castor and Pollux, by his side whenever these nightmares happen...
...the two people he trusts most of all...
...yeaaaah...
.
Castor and Pollux: In this dimension, the Gemini twins were drawn to the bizarre Star Power usage on this planet, eventually tracking it to Lunar when he was at his company. And they came with literal perfect timing, as Lunar had just started wandering through some of the floors of his company and they just appeared there.
One thing about this Lunar is that he is more than a little... Oblivious...
So oblivious in fact that he didn't notice the two clearly inhuman beings in his presence. But, to be fair, his companies dress code could have allowed a normal person to make such a mistake for maybe the first time... Not consistently every day for several years.
Now Lunar was in work mode, so he was wandering through the halls and checking in while being flanked by these two who were trying to talk to him. All while he initially thought they were just trying to pitch an idea to him, something that happens a lot. But as they continued to dog him, (And growing more frustrated at Lunar brushing them off) It finally occurred to Lunar that their behavior wasn't like someone trying to pitch a game idea... And then it dawned on him...
They had to be the new assistant the agency sent over...
Although why would the agency send two people and not just one?
Castor, decently annoyed by everything going on and seeing the opportunity to at least get the information that they need, doesn't exactly lie pre say... he merely says that they are there to 'Observe and offer help as need be.' And how they were a two-for-one deal.
Lunar just shrugged and went with it...
So over the course of the next few years, Castor and Pollux are by Lunar's side nearly constantly. They had to learn a fair bit about games and paperwork, but fortunately they are incredibly fast at learning and adapting. So they went from just being the assistants that Lunar admittedly went through fairly quickly... As a lot of them got too comfortable and got a bit powermad having access to the bosses attention. The two Astrals not only became invaluable in helping Lunar with his day to day responsibilities, but also became his closest companions and friends. To the point that they literally moved into his penthouse with him, updated their respective wardrobes with more human-esque clothes (Lunar actually crocheted them their scarves and added the star logos) and they are even so joined at the hip to him that he now instinctively manifests a pair of sidecars onto his Plasma Cycle which allows his companions to join him on his fun high speed insanity.
...at first they were just doing their jobs, observing Lunar and assessing if he was a threat or not...
But after a while things drastically began to change...
Lunar had a very good handle on his abilities. Had the good sense of when to use them. But more than that... He was giving, kind and just overall a nice guy who did everything he could to bring joy and happiness to the people around him.
And he succeeded in ways he couldn't imagine...
Lunar had somehow, made Castor and Pollux feel overwhelming joy and happiness. Given that Astrals don't feel emotions like mere mortals can... It was a jarring experience when Lunar somehow brought these emotions out in them and it made them realize that they actually, genuinely, cared about Lunar. A LOT...
But given everything...
They were now stuck in a bad spot...
While they never 'technically' lied to Lunar, they sure as hell know that they haven't been honest. Telling him the truth about themselves, about the Astrals in general, star power, his powers, everything... Given how Lunar values honesty and loyalty...
Oh yeah, they know they are in deep shit...
Not just with Lunar either. As they have been deliberately misleading what involvement is required of them to the other Astrals. While stating the situation is under control, but being extremely vague about what it even is. Aaaand even doing a few things to keep their fellow Astrals distracted from asking too many questions...
...like sending Scorpio an entire industrial roll of bubble wrap for them to stab with their tail...
...Giving Aries multiple wool pillows for them to rest comfortably on while meditating and using their dream powers...
...and last but certainly not least, sending Leo a beanbag chair completely packed full of catnip...
Courtesy of these little distractions, they have managed to avert deeper questions regarding what they have been up too. Except for Taurus who is getting suspicious about what exactly is going on down on earth. The only thing that has prevented him from heading down there to see for himself is with how busy he's been trying to track Rez.
But back to things on earth; given the closeness that the siblings have with Lunar it is now understood that in the company, they now wield as much power as Lunar himself. Referred to as Lunar's right and left hands respectively. They do, subtly, lead Lunar to occasionally have days where he takes some time off to just trains his powers. Pointing out one can never have too much control over such powerful abilities... They usually convince him to do this with the promise of having a picnic and just having a day to chill and unplug from everything. They have made an effort to do this every few months ever since they witnessed one of the hellish fiascos that Lunar's birthday turned into...
That was a horror show...
Made worse by how having his whole family together for a day was the only thing Lunar could talk about for a whole week...
Pollux: (Her hands clamped over her mouth as everything just spiraled out of control. So completely stunned still)
Castor: (In disbelief and his eye twitching) What is happening here?
Bloodmoon: (Surprisingly staying out of it) Not sure. But we're about a minute away from stuffing our pockets full of shrimp and getting the hell outta here...
Everything was over in under an hour, leaving Lunar heartbroken and usually a venue wrecked. The Bloodtwins at least making sure that Lunar got home alright, to which the Gemini twins then took it upon themselves to cheer Lunar up, always being sure to have a little 'Backup Party' ready to cheer him up.
And this has just become a solemn tradition...
Lunar gets his hopes up for a happy time with all the people he loves the most, it gets ruined, the twins take him back home. They handle the incoming apologetic phone calls that follow, Castor swears at them... a lot... Then they watch movies, play games and have some ice cream cake.
And Lunar asks how he got so lucky to have them in his life...
And they feel that knife of deception twist in their proverbial hearts...
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volkswagonblues · 3 months ago
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a bibliography for us Daniel Malloy freaks
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(a loosely pulled-together reading list about print journalism, New York, the 1970s & 80's, and the AIDS Crisis. Most of the credit goes to @islandbetweenrivers who started this)
On Daniel Molloy, California Boy
The show never explicitly states if Daniel went to college, but since college students were exempt from the Vietnam draft, which ended officially in 1973, it could be interesting to imagine Daniel in Berkeley.
Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Joan Didion
The White Album by Joan Didion
Berkeley Barb archives (link) -- weekly underground newspaper that ran in Berkeley between '65 to '80
The Daily Cal First 150 Years (link) -- student newspaper at Berkeley
On Journalism
Iphigenia in Forest Hills by Janet Malcolm
From her reporter's seat, Malcolm observes that a trial is merely "a contest between competing narratives". (Guardian review)
The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm
“"Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible," wrote Malcolm in an opening sentence that caused a sensation in the tiny, self-referential world of posh American journalism.” (Guardian review)
The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice by Trisha Romano
“The Voice’s origins were proudly amateurish. One early contributor was a homeless man recruited from a local street; equipment consisted of two battered typewriters, an ink-splattering mimeograph machine and a waste paper basket for rejected submissions. Morale spiked when a staff member discovered that dried pods used in fancy flower arrangements contained opium, which was boiled up in the office when the time came for a coffee break.” (Guardian review)
Note: The Village Voice was THE alt-weekly newspaper and it was run out of Greenwich Village in NYC. Lots of incredible writers start there and then move onto the Times, Vanity Fair, etc. Very much the sort of crowd a young Daniel would be mixed in circa 70's and 80's.
The Night of the Gun, by David Carr
David Carr redefines memoir with the revelatory story of his years as an addict and chronicles his journey from crack-house regular to regular columnist for The New York Times. Built on sixty videotaped interviews, legal and medical records, and three years of reporting, The Night of the Gun is a ferocious tale that uses the tools of journalism to fact-check the past. (amazing rec from @archive-z)
Note: imagine if Daniel did this and then fact-checked his way into remembering that vampires existed
Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe
Keefe can paint complicated portraits of victims and vigilantes alike while covering their lonely pursuit of justice. He intuits why a Dutch woman who has exposed the crimes of her gangster brother might lie about her present whereabouts. He understands why a man who lost his brother in an aeroplane bombing might spend the rest of his life trying to find the culprit. Again and again, Keefe surmises that even the most detailed of investigations can only speculate about human motives. (Guardian review)
Note: the sort of deeply human longform profiles that feels like the sort of writing Daniel does, based on his masterclass clip and what he reveals in his interactions with Louis
On New York, New York (in the 70s)
Notes from Underground, by Eric Bogosian + Perforated Heart, by Eric Bogosian
In four billion years the sun will explode. But before that we'll run out of fresh water and before that we'll all die of some mutation of AIDS that's spread by coughing. It's not my fault anyway. I can't think about this any more today. I'm going to masturbate.
Note: The OG. What else is there to say.
Ladies and Gentleman, the Bronx is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City by Jonathan Mahler
In the long sweep of American history, of course, 1977 is not exactly 1865, 1941, 1968 or 2001. Yet from porn shops to gay bathhouses, from Yankee Stadium to City Hall, from the blackout to Son of Sam, from Rupert Murdoch's New York Post to the rise of SoHo and Studio 54, the city was living through what Mahler convincingly calls "a transformative moment . . . a time of decay but of rehabilitation as well.” (New York Times review)
Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina, by Chris Franz (2020)
Frantz’s account of the early days, when the Heads lived in the pre-gentrified Lower East Side of New York, an almost literal war zone. While searching for a loft to live in, they viewed one building that was on fire. One spring afternoon, Frantz walked over to the now-legendary club CBGB to ask for a gig. The place smelt of “beer, roach spray, dog doo [the owner, Hilly Kristal, had a free-roaming saluki] and Chanel No 5”.
Winter’s Journal, by Paul Auster
Note: To me, Auster is one of the closest real-life Daniel Malloy analogues: born around 1950, literary career in NYC, moved to Paris in the 1970s for a few years, troubled middle-class background. Novelist though, not a journalist. There’s an anecdote in this book about a car crash that feels like a deadass Devil’s Minion fever dream. Crazy stuff. One of my personal favourites
On the AIDS Crisis
And the Band Played On, by Randy Shilts
The book chronicles the discovery and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with a special emphasis on government indifference and political infighting—specifically in the United States—to what was then perceived as a specifically gay disease
The Journalist of Castro Street: The Life of Randy Shilts, by Andrew E. Stoner
Biography of Randy Shilts that’s very helpful for imagining Daniel in the early 1980s newsrooms covering Karposi’s sarcoma
How to Survive a Plague: The Story of How Activists and Scientists Tamed AIDS by David France (2017)
It’s not easy to balance solid journalism with intimate understanding of a subject, and even harder to write eloquently about a disease that’s killing your friends and loved ones. France pulls it off, in his own words (his description of finding a college roommate’s panel in the AIDS Memorial Quilt is heartbreaking) and in letting his articulate sources speak for themselves. (SF Gate review)
Timeline of AIDS (link)
Overview of HIV (link)
And some films, just for fun
The Panic in Needle Park (1971): Drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg. Al Pacino is a heroin addict and small-time dealer in Manhattan who falls in love with another addict.
Serpico (1973): biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet. Al Pacino is a hippie cop (yes, I know, its part of the plot) with one foot in the 1970s bohemian art scene
American Graffiti (1973): teen movie set in 1973 Modesto ("I'm just a shitty kid from Modesto"--Danny Malloy)
The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974): More grimy 1970s NYC stuff
All the President’s Men (1976): THE ABSOLUTE JOURNALISM MOVIE??
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Cruising (1980): 1980 crime thriller written and directed by William Friedkin. Al Pacino is a cop (again) but this time he goes undercover in NYC gay leather clubs
Almost Famous (2000): Set in 1973, it chronicles the funny and often poignant coming of age of 15-year-old William, an unabashed music fan who gets the chance to write for Rolling Stone
Spotlight (2015): More journalism movies! The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese
everyone say thank you to @islandbetweenrivers for starting this, I just polished up our google docs and posted it on tumblr.
Also if anyone has something to add please let me know!
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solar4seekstron · 2 months ago
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Sparkling Trapped
TFBayverse!Yandere!Optimus Prime x Cybertronian!GN!Reader Oneshot
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Content: 18+, Soft Yandere Optimus then Possessive Yandere Optimus later near the end. OP is in LOVE with Reader
TW/Tags: A few smut scenes (Will be in red), Bit of Noncon, a little bit of Megatron x reader, Manipulation, Takes place after the events of tf5 (if you want one in another movie instead let me know), Reader is basically who they are but not a knight but still joined the Autobots, mild cursing, smut will be in purple as usual, I think that’s all.
Notes: Before the war- I imagine Megatron looks like he does in TLK and OP looks like his form in 2007. This is connected to my bayverse introduction, but like different alternate universe. You’ll understand once you start reading.
Introduction Movie Oneshot Masterlist
When you and Optimus were much younger, you both met when he was just announced as a knight by the others. But the two of you couldn’t really talk thanks to him being so busy.
You worked in delivery and one days you noticed a certain clerk there.
He really liked his red and blue color scheme.
He didn’t ever notice you there though. So while you made your way to the archives. You saw him he was looking over some data pads and speaking to other archives.
He seems concentrated so you decided you’ll stick around and wait for him to notice you. ..Eventually.
And so you looked over a few data pads and reading over the knights adventures written. Some of them seems like a certain someone named Sentinel told the writers to write certain things in the data pads.
You chuckled as you continued to read over a few. Sitting in a chair sort of in the middle of a lobby. Though don’t hear a certain bot coming up behind you. A few data pads held in one arm as the other is down.
He looked down at you. He’d look at what you’re reading, leaning a bit over you.
You were reading about one of the 12 knights who stayed on earth. He’d soon have a warm smile on his dermas. He never forgot about you.
As he moves infront of you, him passing made you notice him. He soon starts conversation.
”Fascinated by the tales of the fellow brothers are you?”
You’d give a small nod as you let out a soft chuckle.
“You were too busy to ask directly. I wish to learn what happened somewhere from all of these years.” He takes a seat next to you as he listened.
”Well if you truly are that interested in learning about the knights. How about we arranged..a date?” He looked down at you with narrowed optics.
“Date?” You ask curious. Him then letting out a deep chuckle. “A day to meet….of course.”
You did have a bit of a small blush as you looked up at him. He stared at you for a moment. You then nod as you then spoke. “Sounds like a plan. Where to?”
You ask as Optimus smile only grew a bit more as he gently took your cervo and kisses the back of it. Then speaks of the place and date before standing and walking to the other archivists.
He then stopped and his helm turned a bit to glance at you. Blue optics bright. “Until then.”
———————————————————————————
The date went as wonderful as you can imagine.
A place of the nicest energon you can eat as he told you of his adventures and stories with Sentinel and the others.
His choice to step down as a knight and to live as a clerk while Sentinel took on the more higher up jobs.
Along with how he also hoped to start a family. You too would tell him of your past and your story. Being a weapon specialist and delivery bot at the same time.
After splitting the check (something you deeply encouraged him to do with you) you both walked out and went for a stroll through the city. Eventually when the night sky was dark, yet so bright from the stars.
You and Optimus stopped your talking and would look at each other. Your night ending with a kiss.
Passionate. Long. A little heated at the end
Until it was time to return home. The two of you planning for more “dates” when you both didn’t work and when Hound and th others didn’t need you. You would go on to meet Optimus closest friends.
Sentinel, Megatronus, Elita-. It was an interesting meet up.
You and Optimus continue to get closer and closer.
Years went by and as your and Optimus courtship soon started.
———————————————————————————
You and Optimus were in you apartment. You were on his lap. You cervos against his chest as soft moans and sighs leave your dermas. Optimus under you in the berth as he held your waist. Looking up at you with almost closed optics.
Your valve tightly around his spike. The pleasure almost uncontrollable. He is rather girthy.
His spike twitching inside you as he gets closer to overload in you. Your valve clenching tightly. Causing him to constantly groan and let out rough moans.
Your body moving up and down in a slow but touch paste. His cervos almost putting dents in your frame while your own ceros scratch at his chest. He watched you with dark blue optics.
His helm leaning back against the berth as he closed his optics tightly.
Eventually as you got closer to your own climax you were fast to move the paste. You soon creating louder moans as Optimus does the same. Metal against metal being heard in the dim room.
His larger cervos gripping into your waist tightly.
Almost hurting. But the pain his cervos gave you isnt what caught your attention.
He wanted to overload in you. He wanted you to have his sparkling. Before he can finish inside you. You lifted up your hips. His load landing on his leg and on the berth as you stayed over him.
You’d look down at him. His helm turned to the side as he calmed down from his climax. His arms wrapping around your waist and brings you closer.
Your frame closer to his. Soon flushed against his as your helm rests against between his neck and chest.
One of his cervos on your lower back and the other on your upper back. Your valve against his spike. Almost like a sting since your valve is pretty sentiative.
Your cervos still on his chest as you finally calm down as well.
You knew he wanted to cum in you..but why? You both never talked about it…so why?… He then turned his helm to look at you. Gently kissing your forhelm as he moved the cervo once on your upper back moved to gently hold your chin.
Making you look at him. You slowly opening your optics.
His dermas soon connecting with yours. Both of you letting out soft sighs as you both held each others embrace. When you both pulled away. He’d then put the cervo once on your chin back to your upper back.
He’d then look out the window. Tinted so no one can see inside….He lets out a soft sigh as he feels you softly sleep on him. He almost looked angry. Not being able to load into you.
Seeming almost angry with himself as his arms around you grip only tighter.
But he wont give him…until you are with his sparkling.
———————————————————————————
One day though while packing up your deliveries with the twins, Megatronus came to you with an idea he has. At the time he was still named Megatronus.
As you both spoke. The twins excused theirselves thanks to Megatronus looking scary.
“Y/N please if we do this we can make the planet a better place for the lower class! Sentinel and Optimus won’t listen to me. But Soundwave and Shockwave have a plan! With your skills and mind we can create a most powerful cause!”
”Megatron-“ He took the box you were holding and gently grabbed your cervos.
“Please for the children and those yet to be born. Join me!” You just stared at him as he kept looking at you with blue optics. You’d then glance to the side. He can tell you were deep in thought.
“Megatronus..I just-“
“I’ll return to Optimus. Maybe if I say I spoke to you he’ll change his mind! Meet us at the archives once you made your choice!”
He then runs off.
You stood there before looking down at your boxes…maybe he had a point?…
But you never made the choice. You’d make your way to the archives to try to talk some sense to Megatronus with Optimus. But….then the explosions happen..
———————————————————————————
Millions of years went by. You and Megtron always fighting each other.
You by Optimus side as you all fought against the Decepticons. Eventually the time came when you and Optimus couldn’t agree with each other.
He chose earth over the planet. You understood but couldn’t rule under him much anymore. You two barely able to see each other anymore. You becoming the one that got away.
You, Hound, Crosshairs, and Drift all staying far from the events including Optimus as you all handle smaller situations on other parts of the world like small towns.
You and Optimus reuniting when he calls for the five of your help at a desert.
There has has his old night look. You with Crosshairs was skeptical about the humans who came with him. Your guard only going down a little when Optimus mentioned they saved him.
Later that night everyone watched the death of Ratchet. You held back your tears as Optimust took a knee in respect of his fallen friend.
You just looked away. Finding it hard to watch your old friend get attacked as he call for helm. Hound placing a cervo on your shoulder to comfort you. Something Optimus noticed but said nothing.
Returning to look at the scene as you stayed close to Hound.
At some point during the night as the others and humans have fallen asleep. Optimus took te first night of patrol. But then you felt a poke at your hood. When you awaken it was Optimus telling you to follow him.
It must be important if he’s waking you up instead of the others.
Once you both were far enough. Making it to the cliff of one of the mountians. He transformed first. Looking down at you as you stay in your alt mode.
”Can you..transform please?” His optics narrow and his voice low. A sigh can be heard from you as you then transformers. Optimus let out a small breath. Your looks still as breath taking as when he first met you.
Your optics sttill shinning as the stars do in his as he stared at you.
The two of you missed each other. But you made you choice when he made the choice to pick earth over your planet.
But you’ll never stop being loyal to him despite everything.
”I..I miss you Y/N …And I’m sorry for what happened between us all those years ago.” He took a few steps towards you. His cervos gently grabbing yours as you stared up at him. He then closed his optics as he kisses the back of both your cervos.
“Optimus I…” He lets the cervos rests against his chests as he looked down at you to let you speak.
“I missed you too Optimus…But I can’t trust-“
He then interrupted you with his voice almost booming. Good thing you two are far from the others.
”I messed things up between us. I realized where I messed up and please. If you can give me another chance then I promise I’ll do better. I will.”
”Optimus we both just gone different paths.” You tried to create some distance betweeen you two. But he didn’t let you pull your cervos away from his chest. His cervos having a firm grip.
”But look. We meet again because our paths are intertwined. We are meant for each other-“
”Optimus.”
”We are meant to be together-“
”Optimus.”
”And you are meant to be my sparkmate.” He said in a bit of a darker tone. One of his cervos still keeping two of your cervos pinned against his chest as his other cervo moves to your waist.
Pulling you a bit closer as you both stared at each other.
”Will you truly deny me the chance to take back what I love? To make your leader suffer more after abandoning your place by my side as a worrior of the Autobot cause?”
”Optimus.”
”You’re place is with me! The view of the humans now is what changed my mind. Showing the true nature of these life forms and how I was wrong! Please you must understand Y/N. Just..one more chance I beg you…”
His optics are hopeful and you cant help shake this large feeling. The feeling of guilt, sympathy….and fear.
His forhelm pressing against yours as he keeps looking at you. You seem to be…struggling to almost breath for a moment.
Your frame only shaking a little as he noticed. Slowly blinking as he then spoke.
”Please….just one more chance sweetsaprk…”
You’d let out a shaky sigh and closes your optics. Slowly nodding. Too scared to even try to pull away. Maybe…it would be best.
Having a soft smile on his dermas. Leaning down as his dermas connect with yours. You had fear in your optics but…you did miss the feeling of his dermas against yours.
Your arms slowly moving to around his neck as his own move around your waist.
The kiss continueing to be more passionate. As the kiss soon got heated he whispered muiltiple times between kisses. His optics slightly opened as yours remained closed. “I Love You”
That night you both bonded. And he made sure you’ll never leave him…ever again…
———————————————————————————
You were under him this time. On your knees as your aft sticks up. The upper half of your frame against the dirt as it moved back and forth. Optimus hips slamming aggressively against your aft.
One arm wrapped around tightly around your waist and his other supporting him up as his front presses against your back.
While his thrusts are fast and sharp. He can’t help but to stare down at you. The side of your helm against the dirt as you at times looked back at him. Begging him to go slower.
He lifts his helm up every now and then too be sure no one was watching or aware of you two. It becoming hard for him to focus at times as you valve clenched around his spike. He’d then move his cervo once on the dirt to support him to now wrap around your spike.
Bringing you closer to your climax as he stroked it in a fast paste. Causing you to moan even more.
He has to find someway to distract you. As you both continue he slowly becomes more animalistic. It soon becomes almost too much for you. Between moans you’d speak.
“Optimus please..I need a break!”
You both already went a few rounds before. He ignored you. So he tried a different tactic to shut you up.
One of his cervos gripping your waist as the other grips your hip. His thrusts rough but slow. His intake letting out moans and sighs I his rough voice. When you tried to lift up your helm his cervo once on your hip moved to press your helm back down.
His helm leaning down at times as he closed his optics.
The pleasure being so much for him as it is for you. At times lifting it up but seems to be struggling to think as he continues to thrust deep into your valve.
But once he felt his climax growing closer and closer he moved his cervo from your helm to your upper back.
Pressing you harder into the ground as his thrusts grow rougher but at a slow and rough paste. But that didn’t last too long.
Thrusting faster as he places both forearms support him up against the ground. On both sides of your helm. Since he was much larger his frame completely engulfed you.
His helm past yours forward as he groans. Shutting his optics closed tightly as he thrusts harder and harder.
As his chest is pressed harshly against your upper back.
Both your bodies moving back and forth as he groans above you. You moan his name while his hips continue to brutally slam against your aft. Until Optimus finally released a loud groan.
Pressing the knot forming in his spike into your valve.
His spike completely gone as his hips are flushed against your aft. He stays over you.
Not moving as he feels his legs shake. His frame shuttering against yours as you feel your own climax. His knot giving you both pleasure and pain.
After what felt like almost an hour…He was able to finally pull out of your valve. He was able to lift himself up a bit. Your body was tired. When he pulled out fully your valve was hit with the cold air.
Then you were on your side as you couldn’t keep your lower half up anymore.
Once on your side you were then gently pushed to be on your back as your lower half remains on it’s side on the floor.
He’d move up a little, looking down at you as you stay between his cervos. Before leaning down to kiss once more before he says something that sends a shiver down your spine. “It is Done.”
———————————————————————————
You and the others continue with going after the man collecting your fellow Autobots body parts. You being there keeping your gun pointed at the bald man until Optimus gently pushed your blaster down.
Saying they where done here. Ignoring the human as you and hound groan annoyed.
Eventually after everything with Lockdown and the humans ended. Optimus would soon leave to go deal with the creators of your spieces. He made sure to kiss your forhelm before giving his goodbyes.
Aftr he left the others questioned you what was up it’s that. So..you told them.
Hound was excited. Not only were you back with Optimus but turns out you were with sparkling. He was practically your sire before the war. So it made sense he’d want to be the first to hold the sparkling.
Meanwhile Drift and Crosshairs were excited. Seeing their selves becoming the sparklings uncle. Then again the four of you were really close.
Bumblebee said he will train the small one like a cool cousin or something. You always chuckled when he spoke about teaching the sparkling to fight. Crosshairs wanting to teach the ankle biter to shoot. Drift wanting to teach them to be another worrior like Optimus.
Hound wanting to teach the sparkling to be a soilder like him. Only time can tell what’ll happen.
———————————————————————-
Three years have went by. Your sparkling was big from a humans point of view.
When you hold your sparkling you two look like a regular parent holding their infant child. You all lived at some junkyard.
Naming the small sparkling after your closest friend before the war. Red Alert. Your sparkling ended up being a girl. She looked like a mix of you and Optimus having your yellow piercing optics.
She was a strong one too. You’ll never forget when Hound and the others first held her.
Hound was gently. But also chill holding the little one with one arm as he would tell his war stories. Red Alert always staring up at him as she would nibble on her own cervo and at times reach at his beard.
Crosshairs didn’t really know how to deal with sparklings. But he wouldnt mind if she wanted to nibble on his goggles whenever she reached for them.
She would get most excited when he would show off his sniper. And with Bumblebee he was a bit more excited about seeing a sparkling. He was pretty young when the war started and never really got a chance to even old a sparkling.
And with Cade- well. He babied the crap out of Red Alert. Telling her and even you at times stories about when his daughter was a baby.
Times when she would be just the cutest baby int he world.
Sometimes he’ll get carried away he would stop himself and look at her. Who just does a frog blink as she stared down at him.
Eventually Cade and Bee left you you stayed with the others and the new girl who came. You sparkling being only 3 years old now and slightly bigger now.
She’s definitely going to be bigger then Optimus once she’s a full adult.
Eventually you and the others get a call to help out bee and Hotrod. Though you and your sparkling had to stay far since Red Alert is too fragile to be on a battle field.
After the battle is over and you all reunite. Optimus and the others choose to leave Earth to rebuild their home world. Bidding goodbye to their fellow humans. As you stood with the others and Optimus waved at Cade.
Red Alert did the same. Making Cade almost tear up as he waved goodbye to her.
As everyone got on the ship they gave you three privacy since he has been gone for a while. But you can feel a pit in your stomach as he approached you both.
When Optimus and you with Red Alert stand at the “lobby” of the ship while the others were busy.
Optimus was able to finally take a moment to embrace you both. One of his cervos resting on the side of your waist as his other gently rests on the back of Red Alert.
Who stared up at him with wide optics.
And keeps reaching for him with her little cervos. He gently kissed her forhelm before leaning to you. His dermas connecting with yours. “I’ve missed you.” He whispered as he looked down at you.
But with a bit of a shaky voice as you responded.
“I missed you too Optimus.” He then takes Red Alert from your cervos. You almost feel…worried.. Red Alert giggled and as reached for Optimus face.
He has a smile on his dermas as he watches the sparkling.
”What did you name her?”
”Our old friend. Red Alert. He would’ve love to have met her.” His smile only grows as Red Alerts cervos started gripping and patting at his chest for his attention.
“You may be here as we rebuild our world my little one but I promise you. You’ll learn the greatness of our planet my little one..More and your carrier will show you how to be one of the strongest and noblest of them all!”
You tried to keep your smile.
Even as he holds her with one arm and his other goes around your waist pulling you closer. His cervo on the side of your waist.
Keeping you close as little Red Alert giggled. You gently holding her smaller one as she waves her other one around. Optimus giving you a kiss on the top of your helm. He was so happy. And you were…..
Happy.
Oh boy there were so many drafts but I honestly like this one. I hope you guys enjoyed and yes I think I’ll do a red alert fic. But I’ll need a good scenario lol.
As always a repost is appreciated and I hope to see you guys in the next post!
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