#i love all these costumes so much but they were vexing me with all the space they were taking up

[rohirric-hunter]

Vault spaaaaaaaaaace

[thechekhov]

Dungeon Meshi Quick Reacts: CH.22

It's time to maybe hit the first plot milestone? While wearing some silly costumes, of course!

Maybe it's just been a while but I AM a little bit confused. They were down in the dungeon and then they were about 4 floors deep and went DEEPER and now there's... an island? That belonged to the dwarves, elves and humans? (Humans being different from tall-men? Or... is this another translation thing?) But if it's that deep, how did it belong to anyone before the dungeon was discovered?? I need history books up in here.

Huh, interesting. Is this a permanent gate? Or one that only opens when the spell is cast from the other side?

Absolutely intrigued with these Vex/Vax knockoffs. What is their deal? They haven't said that much, but their facial expressions intrigue me.

Hmmm.. I suppose in terms of economics, the dungeon must seem like a goldmine indeed. And if you can exploit whatever you can get from it...... Though in the end, is it a sustainable source of resources? Especially given how many people die there.

I reiterate: would love a history book that gives a more detailed explanation of how the sociopolitical map of the region is laid out, and how the discovery of the dungeon played into whatever conflicts they had.

Ah yes, a classic. That one spell with no karmic repercussions, I'm sure.

This gnome complained about how the Dungeon makes people too much money, but it turns out that his REAL issue is that it's the money that this dungeon-era CEO is concerned about. He wants to go HARDER on the evil power control scheme. He's disappointed with the lack of commitment to the villainy!

Or..... is this some sort of 4D chess play to get adventurers more resources...? What is his end goal here?

Maybe it's just the paranoia, but even this interaction feels weird. This woman clearly acts kind, and does all the right things, but what are HER motivations? Does she actually like Namari?

Don't mind the escorts...........

Hold up, is she looking for Falin?!! Falin got eaten by the Dragon, no??

Fuckin hell that's a bit. Dark. But understandable I guess.

1/13th huh...... So for an average 70kg human, that would be approximately 5kg of meat... so about a turkey size? oof.

NEW FEAR/DND IDEA UNLOCKED HOLY SHIT.

They say they're 20, but they didn't really react to Namari warning them about the dungeon. And they didn't really say specifically that they needed to get resurrected, just that they have Mr. Tance (Tansu?) if need be. Makes me wonder if they're some sort of weird Revenant or Homonculi.

She's too good for this world.... too pure.

[jokeringcutio]

Helloooo I have a Halloween request for Arthur Fleck x female reader

I was thinking it could take place on Halloween while he's working for Ha Has, so he's walking home in his clown costume not realizing it's Halloween until he's passing a house/apartment party and gets invited inside by someone assuming he's their friend who also dressed as a clown. Maybe he goes along with it because he's never been to a party he wasn't performing at, but doesn't know how to act. Maybe the host pulls him to introduce to the reader and he has to come clean that he's not the guy everyone thinks he is. And she's just really sweet relieved because she didn't like the guy she thought he was, and tells him how she's never dated so people keep trying to set her up.

So they bond at the party and meet up for coffee or something later. Bonus points if they lose their virginity to each other and fall in love.

Sorry if that's too long or not specific enough. I just like a sweet, supportive, Disney princess type girl that brings out the best in Arthur and vice versa 💞

Arthur Fleck x Reader - Sweet Halloween (contains smut)

AN: Follow me for more Halloween Reader Inserts. More stories will follow this month.

Fandom: Joker 2019 Pairing: Arthur Fleck (as Carnival) x Reader Rating: Explicit Summary: You mistake him for somebody else, but that might be the best thing that happened to the both of you, for you end up losing your virginity to each other.

Warnings: Sexual content, Virginity/First Time.

1.

Those downtrodden streets with their faded yellow lights that made everything seem grey and bleak were familiar to Arthur. As he walked his usual route home, hands buried deep inside of his pockets, clown shoes kicking dirt and thrown-away wrappers and cans. He stared at the potholed pavement. There seemed to be more of a buzz around him, more noises. But he gave it no thought.

His Carnival costume hung loosely around him, his body too thin and too slender. He hadn’t had a good meal for the past God-knows how many weeks, and the lack of food was starting to have its effect on him. Arthur had grown easily tired and vexed and felt as if his hunger had left him completely. And so he kept his eyes pointed at the street, careful where to place his feet in case he might trip over the too-big shoes he had been too tired to swap for his ordinary pair. He would do it at home, he figured. He’d wash off the makeup there.

Being completely focused on the ground in front of his feet, he didn’t notice how he approached a house with an open door. A few young people stood on the porch, observing him as he neared. He felt their gazes, however, and made himself smaller than he was. His shoulders up high, hands even deeper inside his pockets and turned into fists – invisibly to their eyes. He tried not to draw too much attention to himself, eager to pass by without being picked on, laughed at, or even worse – beaten. He knew he was an easy target like this. And though the people he passed usually didn’t care, sometimes they would.

“Ah, there you are.” Before he had time to react, a gentle hand laid firmly upon his arm and he was ushered between the youngsters, pushed passed them, and into the house. It all happened so swiftly, that he had no idea how to react.

Soft hands pushed the small of his back, urging him into a hallway where they paused. Low thumps of music came from down the hall. There definitely was a party going on here. He tried to turn around and protest, but everything was happening way too fast.

“Josh, you can find Emma in the kitchen. She’s busy prepping the punch,” Arthur heard a female voice say from behind. It was a pleasant voice. One that sent sparks of warmth down his tummy.

He slowly turned around to face you, prepared for anything but you. A princess in every sense of the word. From your voice to your looks. You were even dressed in one of the prettiest dresses he had ever seen. Surely, if you were to come to work for Ha-Ha’s you’d be paid maximum wages. You’d have a booking every day. You-

You must be mistaken, he realized crestfallen as he watched you breathlessly. His shoulders slumped, his green eyes upon you. You didn’t want him here. You expected someone else. Some kind of Josh. What should he do? What should he do next?

There was a warm smile on your face. “Come on, let’s get going. I know you came just to see her, and I promise, no one is going to come in between the two of you tonight. This house got more than enough rooms for a bit of privacy.” You smiled at him and, once again, placed your warm hands upon him, pushing against his belly, probably to usher him in the direction of the kitchen. Then your eyes turned wide. Had you spotted he wasn’t Josh?

“Oh, gosh,” you gasped. “You really need to get some food in you. There’s some great apple and cinnamon pumpkin-shaped pies.”

So you hadn’t realized your mix-up, he thought. He followed your gaze as your eyes slid down his form. What must you be thinking of him, he wondered? This shabby clown, tired after a long day’s work. Your eyes darted lower and he followed your gaze. “Your shoes are so big. How can you walk without tripping?” The words spilled from your lips, melodious to his ears. Then your eyes sought his again. But instead of the judgment he had expected, your eyes sparked with joy and admiration. “They are amazing,” you said, warming his heart once more.

He blinked at you, confused. “I- I don’t think,” he started, voice too soft and being drowned out by the loud music that came down the hall. The realization came that you hadn’t heard him when you gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder and smiled.

“I know. Size matters! Well, you have an impressive girth,” you joked.

And then you were gone. The crowd had swallowed you, like a phantom. A ghost.

Arthur stood baffled. Had that just happened? As if in a dream, he glanced around him. The hallway was getting crowded as more people seemed to arrive at the party. He looked desperately but found no clue of you ever having been there. Had he entered the house himself? Had you been another delusion?

He leaned against a wall, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Taking deep breaths, he tried to steady himself. Another delusion, he thought. Another dream vision.

But then, an unfamiliar girl came to stand next to him, dressed as a pirate in a very revealing short array. Her red bouncy curls danced around her when she reached up to pull him into a hug.

“Ah Josh, glad you could make it,” the girl said with a smile. Arthur could see how the lipstick on her lips cracked at the motion. “Come on over, there’s food and drinks waiting.”

Luckily, she let go when Arthur started to feel the hug was getting too suffocating, and then she gestured ahead, urging him to walk into the next room which appeared to be some kind of large hall, decorated as a ballroom. He felt the girl’s eyes upon him for a little longer, but when he glanced behind him she seemed to have turned away. He saw her at the far end of the hall. Not a vision then. But not the woman he had dreamed of either.

Carefully, Arthur, still dressed as Carnival the Clown, entered the festive hall. The chandeliers were adorned with bats and cobwebs. Tiny fake ghosts hung from the ceiling and pumpkins filled the corners, all with faces like clowns. He could not help but chuckle when he saw what a wonderful room he had walked into. Everywhere, people were dancing.

Had he held any hesitation, it vanished when he saw the pumpkin pies the princess of his dreams had told him about. They stood on a table in front of him, looking every bit as delicious as you had told. For once, he thought to himself, you deserve this. “Well,” he nasally said to himself. “I suppose one bite won’t do any harm. After all,” here he suppressed the upwelling laughter that threatened to leave his lips. “They invited me in.”

2.

The Halloween party was in full swing, the room bathed in a dim orange glow from the flickering jack-o'-lanterns lining the walls. Laughter and chatter filled the air as costumed guests mingled and danced. You expertly wove through the crowd, your body swaying to the haunting beats of the music. You were no stranger to dancing; it was an outlet that allowed you to escape the challenges of your life.

As you moved across the floor, a man dressed as a clown caught your eye. The colorful frills of his costume juxtaposed against the dark atmosphere of the party. You’d seen him before. At the time you had believed him to be Josh, that friend that Emma had invited because she wanted to date him. You knew better now. The real Josh had appeared half an hour later. It made you realize you’d invited a stranger into the house.

But this stranger, this man dressed as a clown… he was fetching. There was something about him that lured you in. Now that you knew he wasn’t Emma’s to claim, you became bolder, more daring. Moving closer to him, you deliberately started moving along with him, feeling the beat of the song resonate within you. When he noticed you, his eyes lit up like fireworks, surprise and delight radiating from his gaze.

The clown began to challenge you with his moves, his hips gyrating to the rhythm of the music. He had good moves, you noticed. Every gesture was graceful, like dancing came as natural to him as breathing. The rotating of his hips, while his eyes rested firmly upon you, was an invitation you accepted without hesitation. You danced closer, enticed by the mystery behind the painted face. His movements were fluid and surprisingly graceful, drawing you in even more.

As the song continued, you found yourselves dancing together, his arm snaking around your waist as he twirled you effortlessly. Your bodies pressed close, the heat emanating from him warming you as his scent – a mix of cologne and something uniquely his – intoxicated you. A sense of desire bubbled within you, fueled by the passion of the dance and the enigmatic connection between you two.

He twirled you around again and then pulled you in close, until your back was pressed against his front. You could feel his hot breath tickle your ear. His fingers splayed on your tummy, holding you like a lover’s embrace as you sensually pressed your hips against his. Your bodies fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle, and you had to suppress a moan.

The sensation of your bodies colliding with each beat was overwhelming. The dance became a sensual exploration, your bodies speaking a language only the two of you understood. And when the song came to an end, you lamented the fact that Emma stood several feet away, beckoning you to help her bringing the snacks from the kitchen. You reluctantly pulled away, feeling the sudden absence of his warmth. "Sorry,” you whispered, unsure if he could hear you over the starting tunes of a new beat, “I need to go help a friend.”

You felt your heart pounding in your chest as you saw the Clown’s lips twitch into a smile. You assumed he had heard you, and quickly turned away, unaware of how the clown doubled over as he watched you go, grabbing his stomach as he tried to bite back the laughter that threatened to spill from his lips. He failed though, and in an attempt to escape the judging gazes from those around him, he turned around and pushed his way through the crowd.

By the time you returned with the snacks, your eyes wandered to find your mysterious dancing clown, but found no trace of him. Crestfallen, you put the snacks down on the table and scanned the room once more. Your clown seemed to have gone. But the tingling sensation deep inside of you still lingered, reminding you of the dance you had just shared.

3.

Time slipped away, the evening deepening as laughter and chatter filled the air. You found yourself wandering outside to get some fresh air. The cool night breeze was a welcome respite from the heat of the party. You’d almost given up on finding him, almost convinced yourself that it didn’t matter, that this stranger you had met was someone you would never see again. But then, there he was.

Sitting on the porch and smoking, was the clown who had captivated you earlier. The sight of him stirred something within you – curiosity, desire, and an undeniable connection that you couldn't shake. You watched him for a moment, silently admiring his enchanting silhouette. Then you stepped closer to him.

"Hey," you called out softly, drawing his attention. “Are you alone?”

His eyes widened in surprise, the cigarette between his fingers momentarily forgotten. As he looked up at you, you caught sight of his vibrantly green eyes and your heart skipped a beat. So beautiful, you thought. You felt your cheeks flush.

"You're a really good dancer," you quickly said, smiling warmly at him.

The man seemed to hesitate, staring at you like a deer caught in headlights, but he quickly recomposed himself. His shoulders relaxed again. "Oh, uh, thank you." He seemed almost embarrassed by the compliment, his cheeks flushing beneath the white face paint.

"Mind if I sit with you?" you asked, gesturing to the empty spot beside him before bunching up your skirt. If you showed him a little leg, well, that wasn’t entirely an accident. You could tell he had seen it, that he must have spotted your bare legs underneath your skirts, perhaps even the outline of your panties, for his cheeks flushed and he quickly glanced away. But you’d seen his pupils dilate.

"Of course not," he replied, snuffing out the cigarette. For a moment he stared ahead while you settled down onto the wooden steps. The warmth of his body radiated through the thin fabric of your costume, sending shivers down your spine.

“I thought I'd dreamed you up." His words caught you by surprise and you stared at him with eyes open wide. When he finally turned to lock gazes with you, his lips carried a shy smile. Almost as if he was afraid to admit it.

“Not a dream,” you assured him. "Definitely real."

For a moment, his smile broadened, an imitation of your own, and you were lost in his eyes. Their depths, their vibrancy… This man made you feel warm and alive.

But then his smile faded like snow in the sun, and he tore his eyes away from yours. Shyly, he looked down at his hands.  A deep frown appeared on his face, twisting his features. "I'm sorry,” he said, voice hardly more than a low mumble. “I’d better go.”

He shifted, jumping up to his feet without a warning, but you grasped him by the sleeve, preventing him from stepping away. He turned to look at you, surprise visible on his face.

“Why would you leave now?” you asked, confused by his sudden change in demeanor. Didn’t he feel the same? You could swear he did. You’d seen it in his eyes, how the two of you had been lost in each other’s gaze.

The clown hesitated. You could see the thoughts running wildly inside his head, the deep frown when he licked his lips before he shyly admitted, “Because I am not who you want?”

“Nobody said that,” you smiled, the grasp on his sleeve diminishing until your hand just laid gently upon his arm. There was no pressure there. If he still wanted to leave, he could.

“But I,” his voice had turned nasal, like a whine. Whatever was going through that pretty head of his was making him worried. “I know you mistook me for a friend of yours," he finally admitted, a frown still on his features.

You shook your head and smiled, your hand slipping from his arm for a moment. But he did not run away. Instead, he remained rooted to the spot, standing there, looking down at you with eyes full of uncertainty. It was obvious he wanted to stay. And you did not want him to go.

Your hand reached out once more to gently touch his arm. "I want you to stay," you whispered.

In the dim light of the Halloween-lights, you could see how his eyes widened in surprise. You felt his body grow slack underneath your hand. "All right.”

Slowly, he sat down again. His hip slotted against yours, the warmth instantly returned, making you breathe a sigh of relief. He was here again, where he needed to be.

“My name's Arthur, by the way," he hesitatingly said, as if he were shy to introduce himself to you.

"Nice to meet you, Arthur," you replied, your heart racing as you studied his face. Beneath the makeup, there was a vulnerability that drew you in. Your thoughts raced, emotions swirling as you tried to make sense of the magnetic pull between you two.

"The boy I confused you with, he is Emma’s new friend,” you confessed, your gaze drifting to the ground. "She’s always dating, never able to go without a boyfriend for long, so I hadn’t really seen him yet.”

Arthur remained silent, just watched you, his gaze enough to encourage you. “She keeps trying to set me up, but it never feels right," you quietly admitted, feeling how Arthur shifted by your side. He placed his hands in front of him, fingertips touching.

“Truth is, I've never had a boyfriend before," you continued, voice a soft whisper. You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “I've never even dated.”

Your eyes gently slid back to seek his. He was still looking at your face, his eyes desperately seeking yours. And when your gazes met, you could tell there was a quiet understanding in his. A deep warmth.

“How come,” he started, but had to pause to clear his throat. His voice was hoarse, filled with emotion. “How come no one ever claimed you as their own? Who wouldn’t want you?” he asked you, warming you up inside because that was a high compliment. Who wouldn’t want you? Who would? Then again, you shrugged and shook your head.

With a small smile, you looked up at him again. “It’s not fully up to them, is it?” you said, a small smile curling your lips. It took him a moment to understand what you were saying, but then his lips curled into a smile as well, the red of his makeup curling upward even more.

“You didn’t want any of them,” he concluded, and you let out a sigh of relief that he caught your meaning.

“Never really felt a click with any of them,” you admitted. Your eyes drifted down to his hands. Carefully, you sought out his hand with your own, placing your palm on top of his. He allowed you to touch him, even waited till you liked up again before he flashed you another smile. Emboldened by his reaction, you gently squeezed his hand.

"I meant what I said earlier on,” you started, shyly but suggestive. “Maybe we could, uh, find some privacy inside?" Your voice was playful, teasing. "There are plenty of rooms."

Arthur's eyes sparked with mischief as he met your boldness head-on. "I'd like that." He returned the squeeze with his hand, then carefully rose, holding your hand in his own. He waited for you to lead the way, an unspoken invitation that sent a thrill through you. With your heart pounding, you led him back into the house, your warm hands still touching. You could hear his rapid breathing and realized he was excited too.

Upon entering one of the unoccupied rooms, you closed the door behind you and locked it, your heart pounding with anticipation. The room was clean enough, pleasant enough for sure. A cream-colored bed, ordinary and plain, invited you to take this further. If Arthur hadn’t wanted to go this far, he would not have followed you in, would he? And so you turned to face Arthur, who stood there, hesitantly shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Go on," you urged gently, "take off your costume."

He looked at you oddly, as if you had said something preposterous, but then slowly started to unbutton his waistcoat. “You want to do more than just talk,” he murmured, and you blinked at him. For a moment he had you confused.

“I mean,” you started, suddenly feeling insecure. Where you going too fast for him? Was this the right thing to do? “Only if you…”

A deep groan tore from Arthur’s lips, interrupting you before you could finish. The waistcoat slid down his shoulders and without hesitation, he started to unbutton his fly. “You think I’d say no?” his voice was husky and low, thick with arousal. Hearing it sent a spark of lust deep down your core, making your pussy slick and moist at the sound of him.

“Oh no, my beauty,” Arthur continued, the words drawn and a low hum. His hand revealed his aching cock, firmly stroking up and down the hardened flesh. “No, pretty girl, I am going to make you all mine.”

Your mouth had turned dry at the sight of him. So eager. So wanting. “You’re beautiful,” the words spilled from your lips, earning you a groan as Arthur squeezed his cock hard.

“Don’t lie to me, princess. I am not much to look at,” he grunted, moving his hand up and down his shaft. His eyes never left your frame though, silently undressing you with his gaze. “Too thin, too meager. Not much of a man at all.”

“I disagree,” you said without giving it a moment’s thought. Your hands moved up your sides, slowly peeling the dress from your body, revealing all that you had hidden beneath it. His eyes lit up at the sight of your skin, then darkened with sinful desire. "You're more handsome than you give yourself credit for, Arthur."

He blushed at your compliments, his cheeks warming beneath the fading clown makeup. Despite his thin frame, you were drawn to him, captivated by the vulnerability in his eyes. The dress pooled at your feet, and then you stood there in just your underwear. His eyes roved over you, eager to take you all in. You loved it, loved the way his eyes took you in as if he wanted to remember all of you.

"Come here," you whispered, beckoning him closer. And when he was within reach, you cradled his face in your hands, looking deeply into his eyes before pressing a sweet, lingering kiss upon his lips, uncaring of the makeup that would surely smudge your own.

When you broke apart to catch your breath, the words that escaped you were a whisper.

"I want you to be my first, Arthur."

Something seemed to shift within him then, as if your words had unlocked a hidden desire. His restraint vanished, replaced by a hungry passion that matched your own. Arthur's hands found their way to your back, pulling you closer as he returned your kisses, tracing the contours of your body.

The two of you moved together as if you were dancing again. His body fit perfectly against yours, his hands led the way. You didn’t even notice that he had led you toward the bed until you felt the back of your knees bump against the mattress. His wig cap tumbled off his head, revealing brown curls underneath. It suited him, you thought. He was gorgeous.

Another kiss as his lips met yours hungrily. His hands ran past your skin, fondling your breasts eagerly, squeezing a bit too hard but making you feel exceptionally good.

Breaking the kiss you were sharing, you murmured against his skin. "Be gentle with me."

His green eyes sparked as he lay you down on the bed. The world outside the room ceased to exist; all that mattered now was this intimate connection between you and Arthur. The way his hands ran past your body and his fingertips danced down your skin, the way his scent enveloped you entirely like an embrace, the way he sunk deep into your core, letting out a shuddering moan.

If there had been pain initially, it soon ebbed away at his gentleness. He allowed you time to adjust, panting heavily above you while his eyes sought out yours. When you felt he was able to move again you gave an encouraging nod. He followed your command without a pause, gently thrusting his hips, first shallowly but deeper and deeper as time and your body allowed.

There was an experimental thrust of his hips, followed by another moan from his lips. His eyes squeezed close and his face contorted in ecstasy. As he slowly started to pick up a pace, murmuring obscenities about how good this all was, you suddenly realized that this might be his first time as well. As your bodies entwined and he gently rocked inside of you, you arched your back, spreading your legs to give him a little more access to rock deeper inside.

Arthur bit his lip and grunted. Another thrust, this time firmer, bolder. He hit a delicious spot deep inside and your walls fluttered around him as a result. It tore another deep moan from him. Again.

“There,” you pleadingly said, “there.” He obliged, seeking the right angle and thrusting inside of you with deep strokes.

“Is that good, princess?” You heard his low voice rasp. He sounded nearly dangerous now, voice drenched with lust. “Do you like my cock deep inside your pretty little cunt?”

“Y-yes,” you stammered, hardly able to speak as pleasure overtook your body. Your pussy clenched down hard on his cock, gripping him like a vice, making him grit his teeth and groan.

“Hmm, too tight, princess,” the low murmur sounded near your ear. He was bent over you, rutting into you like a frenzied animal. You loved this wild side of him, his forceful thrusts. They helped sent you over the edge.

The intensity of your shared passion was overwhelming, yet you both navigated your newfound intimacy with care and tenderness. Your breaths mingled, hearts racing in unison as you reached the peak of your shared experience, an exhilarating crescendo that left you both breathless.

Exhausted and content, you held each other close, your body pressed against Arthur's as he cradled you in his arms. As the adrenaline subsided, you looked into each other's eyes, warmth and affection radiating between you.

"Was this…your first time too?" You gently ran a knuckle past his cheek, caressing him as you softly whispered your question.

His green eyes held yours even as he nodded, barely able to speak as he muttered, "Yes...” A pause, a bob of his throat as he swallowed. And then an admission. “I love you so much."

He buried his face against your shoulder, cradling you close to his chest. His brown curls brushed past the skin of your jaw. A smile formed on your lips as you basked in the feeling of being held in the afterglow. It felt good to be held by this man. It felt good to have been pleasured by him and to know you’d given him pleasure in turn.

You knew that something truly special had just transpired, a moment of beautiful vulnerability shared between two souls in a world where such tenderness was all too rare.

“Happy Halloween,” you whispered.

~ Fin ~

AN: Hope you enjoyed it :) ♡ Support me on Ko-Fi ♡ Love you all

[elephant-in-the-bloom]

Lady Mary Sharma is a bad mother (to Kate at least)

There are many reasons to love watching Bridgerton, or even to defend it to haters - costumes and music aren't meant to be historically accurate, the show is known to be a frivolous escapade and audience should embrace it. But one thing I will never be able to get behind is how badly the characters are written. Let me start with an arguably fringe character - Lady Mary Sharma from season 2. Spoilers below.

What Lady Mary says about herself and her actions are completely at odds with each other, but the audience is supposed to accept the former and ignore the latter. It's not a problem for a character's words to contradict their actions, oftentimes that's how the depths of a character and a text is created. What Iago says and what he does are never in unison, that's how we know he's a snake, that's how Othello guides audience to read him as a villain. Same thing with Kate and Anthony - Bridgerton shows the chemistry and sexual tension between these two by having them spend over half the series saying how much they despise each other, while their eyes and actions show how they cannot help being drawn and eventually falling for each other. It is the spasm between their words and actions that forms the backbone of season 2, that deepens the delayed gratification which, when it is finally granted, is immensely satisfying because the odds between what these characters say and how the act are resolved. Are the audience to take what they say at face value? - "you're the bane of my existence", "you vex me" - the show itself suggests there is more than a mutual animosity. Were the audience to miss the longing gazes they constantly make at each other, they would have lost the plot.

Now back to Lady Mary Sharma - the tension between words and actions which forms the drama of season two is completely unaddressed when it comes to this mother of two. Despite her telling her parents that she has two daughters, her telling Kate that K doesn't have to do anything to make herself deserving of a mother's love, that she loves Kate as a daughter, when Kate needs her most, Lady Mary is absent. If Lady Mary truly treats both her daughters equally, why then was Kate tasked with preparing Edwina for the marriage market with so little of Lady Mary's assistance? Why was Kate enlisted by Lady Mary help raise Edwina "so [E] would never know [Mary and Kate's] struggles"? Throughout Edwina's childhood and adulthood, Bridgerton implies, Kate was a parental figure - a father figure even - as Kate acts as gatekeeper to Edwina's suitors, much as Anthony did for Daphne in season 1. Kate is older than Edwina by less than 10 years, she was going through the turbulence of teenage years herself, not to mention the pain of losing a father when she was tasked with raising her little sister alongside her stepmother. We are never shown what kindness and maternal guidance Mary has ever given Kate, the show simply has Mary say how much she loves Kate too and this is what the audience is supposed to accept.

Except Mary's grand speech is never shored up by her actions. At Kate's most vulnerable moment, she's not met with Lady Mary's protection but criticism and abandonment. When the Sheffields drag the Sharma women as gold diggers and put Kate on the spot, Mary immediately turns against her - her "what have you done" is uttered with such venomous coldness that it would be a brilliant piece of drama if Bridgerton could steer the audience to see this as a reveal of Mary in light of an evil stepmother. That of course did not happen and so it lost an opportunity to give its characters (esp. Mary) more depth, instead Mary remains on the fringes of society, suffering from being ostracized and bad characterization. Again, as Edwina fled the alter and unleashed her fury on Kate, Mary's reaction and attitude to her adopted daughter had zero maternal understanding or even concern, all she told Kate is to leave.

My problem with all these isn't that Lady Mary Sharma is a horrible mother to Kate, it is that Bridgerton is trying to suggest otherwise - we're supposed to accept that Mary, despite all her failures, loves Kate as much as she loves Edwina?! "I loved you the date I met you". "as a daughter, I never saw you as anything else". We're supposed to take her word at face value after everything that happened to Kate? (Keeping her emotions and longing to Anthony bottled up? Putting her younger sister before herself at all times? Having her heart broken believing that Anthony never loved her? Carrying the guilt of losing her family the Sheffields' fortune and sealing their fate of poverty and social expulsion? Lady Danbury whom Kate's met only a few weeks ago had offered more fatherly and motherly advice in one episode than Mary has done in the entire series.)

With the same lines, if Bridgerton truly possesses half the daring some critics have credited it with for its "colourblind casting", Lady Mary could have been illustrated as a selfish, calculating mother by changing the sentimental lighting and music when she uttered her grand speech of love, and she would have become a much more juicy and rounded (and frankly plausible) character. Her speech near the very end of the episode would have been bets she places after realizing that it is her elder "daughter" who might foster a link with the Bridgertons instead of Edwina, and the whole script would make so much more sense. Now that Kate tearily has lapped up her stepmother's great speech of love, Bridgerton only makes the heroine looks stupid and Mary an inconsistent character that doesn't even have real plot function. (Think about it - the Sharma sisters could have come to Lady Danbury, an old friend of their dearly beloved but deceased mama, and the whole plot of season 2 would not only still make sense but be even stronger).

[nochiquinn]

legend of vox machina episode 3: the feast of realms OR mercy machine broken

this is my THIRD time watching this, first w/mala right before the stream last night and then on my tv this morning bc I Could and now for this

the moment I realized what this was I just started going "oh. oh no. oh NO."

ptsd dreams really do be like this

also what kind of bloodborne-ass outfits

mask: happen me: I don't LIKE IT

"bad dream?" "is there any other kind?" while INCREDIBLY emo also means this is pretty much the only dream percy ever has, no wonder he never sleeps

the run-down old keep they were given vs grayskull being built for them

idk, something something thematically appropriate

PIGEONS

"seven to two" grog can only count when it's funny

percy in a shirt and vest is v nice

"maybe you should cut loose once in a while" remember you said that vex

I love vex's "oh shit, that's tonight"

see I didn't like scanlan going after pike in the stream so much bc he was so Scanlan about it but with the benefit of hindsight and character development him ONLY knowing how to Be Scanlan About It and that just not working on pike is much more fun to watch

percy: I swear I won't let them nutcheck a diplomat

(edit from the future: oops)

travis had way too much fun with grog's sobbing

so glad we got to work sam's live show costumes in

(grog's getup just makes me think of the wedding oneshot - "this is the most clothes I've ever worn in my life!")

vax probably having had pRoToCol drilled into him when they were living in syngorn and actively refusing to utilize any of it out of spite

(percy teaching them all things he started learning when he was in diapers and unconsciously imitatng his parents, only realizing what he said the moment after he said it and struggling not to visibly react)

all of the Elf Matts are the same character. he has 5 jobs bc the emon economy (emonomy) is in shambles.

his name is still matt but now it's short for matt'hew

kraghammer reference!!

I enjoy scanlan's eyeshadow

"or, y'know, do whatever" I don't know what you expected

"doofus."

I know the side-by-sides of this and taliesin the first time the name was said on-stream already exist but GOD the fisheye lens is the perfect representation of that

....was this on purpose. did they do this as a little "tee-hee giggle foreshadowing no one will ever see" moment or did I just pause in EXACTLY the right place

him instinctively going for his gun

making a safeword makes NO SENSE here bc they don't have the earrings but they couldn't not address "jenga"

like what was vax gonna do, scream it down the stairs (probably)

this is how I pictured allura all the time, with the one big braid and the cape and shit

I started re-watching the briarwoods arc in like october and I STILL forgot percy was disguised as vax. but they also took out vax's immediately-discarded plan with assum and also moved when percy told them everything, so it wouldn't have made sense

also percy just sitting across from them SEETHING for the whole meal, forgetting his manners (ha) even though he's the one who pestered everyone else about them so much

honestly it's probably only due to pRoToCoL that he didn't just jump over the table and start trying to choke delilah out with his bare hands

percy's little eye twitch

pike you have the worst stealth rolls in the game, why did you think that would work

(mala: that never stopped her from trying!)

(also I want whatever they're eating)

"walk over to the briarwoods, say hello to break the ice, and then punch them in the face"

love seeing vax's stealth actually in action

SIMON

he has an EYEPATCH

am I starving or does that steak look fucking AMAZING

I know he's charming uriel but please imagine what this looks like without context

just sensually stroking the king's hand all "haha nooo don't send troops to whitestone ur so sexy"

still absolutely baffled by the decision to include the twins' surname on the posters when they have not once used it in the show. and like yes it's only episode 3 but if vex was ever gonna leverage it I'd imagine it would be here? make it clear she Knows Somebody so delilah can't shrug her off without risking actual consequences?

fully believe the "beads" conversation is based on something that actually happened between sam and marisha

...keyleth would ONLY know what anal beads are because of scanlan, wouldn't she

NO vax you take everything out NEATLY so you can put it back without it being obvious it was moved

I want a pop-up altar >:(

ha, residuum d20 on the side table

...and what I assume have to be eyeballs

percy you were being baited :(

grog and pike holding onto percy :(

YES percy finally got the anime eyeshine he deserved BUT it just looked like they used the fill tool on his glasses

the only thing I would add here would maybe be a couple of flashes of the dream from the beginning of the episode, just to tie what he's saying more firmly to his night terrors. a pause to give the "murdered my entire family" slightly more punch.

stop staring at the firEPLACE VAX

something something parallels between vax and percy instinctively reaching for their weapons

"gosh you guys are good-looking"

I know it was a desperation move but I don't know why even in a panic vax thought he could barrel past sylas. look at him.

"plus he's got the squirts!"

according to the cast live-tweets sam dropped these songs on them completely unprepared. just showed up in the booth with them.

I've said this in like two other places but matt took sylas as his main role so he wouldn't have to give up flirting with liam

I know twinsense is an overplpayed trope but. twinsense.

pike just throwing grog at every problem they have in this episode

"C'MERE FUCKSTICK"

would also have loved vax's "keyleth, beautiful under the trees" death vision but it really would have felt out of place without 100+ hours of buildup lmao

keyleth getting punched out of wildshape was really smoothly animated

percy unjamming his gun in the background while vex shoots at delilah

"NO ONE KILLS VAX BUT ME" we love a pair of besties

"thanks, pickle" lays in the floor and cries

vax and pike are one of my favorite dynamics, so glad there'll be more chances for it

percy: [shoots silas in the shoulder] grog: :D sylas: [heals] grog: D:

BACON EDGE

'cause all craven edge ever has to do is death of a thousand cuts, even a little blood makes it embiggen

oh the mood whiplash

enjoy this way of showing a concentration spell

(I do not know what this would be, though. bless? is bless concentration? it's been 84 years)

keyleth's Panic Vines

desmond didn't deserve that. or anything that's about to happen to him.

"come visit sometime, percy! you're always welcome back home~" GOD she's such a BITCH

this is presumably the first time percy has truly *yelled* at any of them - been short-tempered and cranky and insufferable maybe, but not the way he is here, and definitely not at keyleth, and ESPECIALLY not for saving his life

a little bit orthax, a little bit trauma

also: pike :(

GOD whatever taliesin is doing with his voice here I am INTO

going from that bottomed-out bass when he spots desmond to panicky, cracking and breaking, back to the reverb bass when orthax takes over

also you just HAD THE MASK ON YOU

(would have dug a scene of him like. seeing the mask and hesitating before picking it up as they were leaving)

the orthax shadow!!

YOUR SOUL IS FORFEIT

aaaand pusheen-level whiplash going into the credits

are they gonna release a scanlan-only album. they could. whether or not they SHOULD is another question but they totally COULD.

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Alright another compilation headverse post bc the week long blackout through me off more than I thought and I still haven’t done a finalized version of Roy, so here’s a blitz through a bunch of ideas under the cut

The Golden Age Red Hood, now a composite character (I guess?) with Arthur Fleck. Not much of a stretch since Pre-Joker Red Hood’s whole deal is just being an anonymous schmuck in a bad position and becoming the worst guy in the world, but I see this version rifting a bit on Phoenix’s Freddie Quell performance, that sense of displaced/misplaced “chaos” that’s still sort of playing into the system that allows it to exist and thrive...anyway next is Ghost-Maker

Nothing to say here really. I’m not really keeping up with Tynion’s run and I don’t want to get too in the weeds with my opinions on it, which is maybe overly evident in how unpolished my take is. If anything, I was mostly struggling to draw the character at all. He’s got a needlessly busy design that Jimenez commits to and Ortiz does some really fun stuff with, but my first batch of takes all came out like Deadpool. This version...still does? I played with the idea of making him into an identity for headverse!Lincoln March as a big Racer X joke, but who knows.

Pivoting off that, I’m much happier with the new World’s Finest piece. Early career Superman, who’s a pretty standard Clark but I was really happy with the linework for him, and I think the first image I’ve posted of the setting earlier, major OC: Aloysius Fox, Lucius Fox’s father, and the secret First Batman. So, full disclosure, Aloysius’s earliest versions were essentially Luke Fox in the original purple gloves costume bc I love that first costume, with the “grandpa was a secret OG superhero” angle kinda transparently lifted from Lindelof’s big Hooded Justice retcon. All of THAT is then filtered through all the weird mid-late 80s attempts to “fix” Golden Age continuity by subbing in characters like Flying Fox and Iron Munro in place of Batman and Superman. Aloysius will be more fleshed out when I get into Gotham’s headverse history and the Coney Island Justice Society stuff, but for now he’s just a cool design I like to tinker with.

Teth Atem, the Black Adam of Kahndaq, Ancient Champion of Shazam, Lost Master of the Lightning, Cream of the Garden of Eternity’s Corp, Theodore Adams of Fawcett and general multi-hyphenate. Again, I think making him bald is maybe leaning too hard into the live action version wrt The Rock (oh wait, The Rock, Rock of Eternity, that’s funny actually lol). His story role in the headverse is gonna wait until I loop back around to the Shazam Family and Thunderworld, but I love Teth and he’s definitely making into the next edit of the JL group shot lol.

Another weird re-work in the vein of FleckHodd: KRONA AS THE SPECTRE. This one I actually really liked as a concept (illustration is...fine considering I was flying through these), with the basic idea going back to Hal’s Spectre days (and partially his DKSA portrayal) combined with the Spectre’s own history of choosing hosts and turning it into a more generally cosmic entity that the weird superhero interpretation of Christian Mythology it functions as now. I kinda see the Spectre in the headverse as a step between Ion and Aya as a living expression of Willpower “energy” and Krona using his position as a host to develop the mass-produced Krona Gauntlet and later Green Lantern rings, as opposed to Spectre’s overwhelming possession aspect (and death/resurrection aspect, natch). Krona at this point in the time has probably just met or is about to meet Volthoom, so hasn’t totally wilded out, but there’s a reason Spectre still becomes known as “God’s Vengeance” in this canon.

Finally, Cor-Vex! No meta here really, Krypton retconning Jor-El’s birth name is just fascinating (and kinda funny) to me. The “II” being the giveaway that this version isn’t Jor-El, but Kal, in an alternate timeline where Jor kept the name but also has an adult son who went to Earth got superpowers. Cor-Vex II isn’t headverse canon, but Jor-El being named Cor-Vex in other realities and universes will be, with a totally original homebrew alt being the setting of a major Superman story that will let me use Mr. Oz without getting kinda weirded out that Lara was already having a bad day when her husband spontaneously transformed into an old, old man and she just died bc for whatever reason no one wants to write about Lara beyond being the tragically faithful wife and mother.

...this post is already too long (idk how much of this to even tag, it’s sort of all over the place) but Lara Lor-Van’s personal history is a particular fascination of mine too, so she’s getting some development eventually too. (Probably after I finally do that Wonder Woman post I keep mentioning and putting off)

Anyway, sorry this is a mess, been a weird week, but hopefully have more soon!

[cryptiique]

gimme the whole list uwu

Gives nose/forehead kisses gilmore because the height advantage, and vax shoves his head into gilmore's space bc he assertively requests affection, please. and i figure vax's head is like a cat's head. you can't resist kissing it.

Gets jealous the most like you said, jealousy doesn't really spark because they get really good at the communication and knowing that it's just the desire for attention that they can fulfill through discussion. but even so, either before vax gets accustomed to the communication, or because he's pining, he does sometimes get a little jealous. mostly because he's been so spoiled by harboring gilmore's attention so often, especially if they spend most of their time at home. it's more of a 'ugh, he's paying attention to someone else now, i want him to pay attention to me All the time' sort of jealousy rather than anything else.

Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive gilmore, totally. there have been many times where vax calls gilmore (in modern) from a bar where he's wasted with his friends and wanted to hear gilmore's voice, and the conversation ends with gilmore coming to get him and bring him home (probably bc vax tries to talk gilmore into phone sex while he's sitting at the bar and gilmore's like darling, it's time for bed).

Takes care of on sick days vax. he's very attentive. and it's kind of cute to see his big powerful sorcerer in bed with a red nose and sniffles.

Drags the other person out into the water on beach day vax, but he might not succeed. he has a hard time getting up the nerve to prank gilmore, and he can easily be persuaded into just staying wherever they've camped out to have beach make outs instead. he's weak.

Gives unprompted massages v a x, it's one of his things. he actively loves giving massages, and does it often. gilmore is likely to receive at least a shoulder massage every day. it's a great way for vax to calm his twitchy hands while also serving his boyfriend.

Drives/rides shotgun modern vax is probably such a car guy, but he's also the bottom bitch, so it can go either way.

Brings the other lunch at work vax, when he's in any position where he has the luxury of seeing gilmore, he's eager to attend him. in modern, he has all his odd jobs, so he can sneak to his shop between them.

Has the better parental relationship gilmoooore.

Tries to start role-playing in bed they're both equally likely to start it. in fact, they probably start it at the same time with the 'oh hello stranger, come around here much?~' play. but i'd say vax is the first to initiate.

Embarrassingly drunk dancer vax, he gives no shits.

Still cries watching Titanic neither, though vax does like the movie. he's seen it enough times at this point, it doesn't make him cry.

Firmly believes in couples costumes vax, and he will DRAG gilmore into it. he will keep poking at it. coming up with a costume that can match gilmore's Aesthetic.

Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas gilmore, but they both know that. sugar daddy.

Makes the other eat breakfast whoever wakes up first. vax might try to wake up first just to make gilmore breakfast, but he feels very warm if gilmore beats him to it.

Remembers anniversaries both!

Brings up having kids vax would mention it, just to see what gilmore's plans were. vax doesn't have strong feelings either way. he's perfectly happy to be the fun uncle to vex's kids, they'll practically be his anyway.

[writings-of-a-daphodil]

Fire Keeper: Chapter 16

Douxie x fem reader

Chapter 1

Masterlist in bio!

Series Summary: You are Jim’s older sister who is taking a break from college and has moved back home to Arcadia. You end up joining Jim and his friends on their adventures.

Chapter 16 summary: You go with Aja, Krel, and Stuart to the moon to rescue Varvatos.

If there was one spell you were using more often it was the lullaby spell. You quietly sang to the baby in your arms. It was late and you had caught her crying. Thankfully she hadn’t woken any of the other babies and your lullaby was helping her fall back into a peaceful sleep.

Just as you put her back into the crib you felt your phone vibrate. You took it out of your pocket and saw that Toby was calling. You quickly left the house so you wouldn’t wake anyone.

“Hello?” You asked, answering it.

��Hey, Y/n, so my friends, Aja and Krel need help with something and I immediately thought of you.”

“Oh, I know Aja and Krel. What do they need? Is it another bounty hunter?” You asked, concerned. You had only known them for about an hour, but you had grown to care for the siblings. Your older sister instincts had kicked in.

“They need help finding their friend and since you were able to track down Glug I thought maybe you could help them out.”

“Yeah, I can figure something out,” you said. You knew you couldn’t ask Archie to help Aja and Krel, but you could look for their friend’s aura. “Text me the address and I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay, and Krel said you might need a disguise.”

“Got it.”

~~~~

After dropping Mao off at Douxie’s you arrived to see Aja, Krel, Eli and Toby waiting.

“He should have been here by now. Those Durians are always late!” Krel whined.

“And this is all one big rescue mission for your geezer friend?” Eli asked.

“For Varvatos, yes,” Krel corrected. “He's being held at a bounty hunter outpost on the Earth's moon.”

“The moon? So flipping cool!” Toby exclaimed. “Although, probably not so much for your friend.”

“Wait we’re going to the moon?” You asked.

Krel, Toby and Eli turned to you. “Oh, hey Y/n. Thanks for coming,” Toby said.

“Um, yeah. I’m here to help.”

“Thank you,” Krel said. “Our friend Varvatos is trapped on the moon in this Bounty Hunter’s guild and we don’t know how big it is and Toby said you could help us find him.”

You smiled. “Yep, I just need you to tell me about him.”

“We can talk on the way there,” Krel said.

Aja paced behind you, talking on the phone. “I told you, we're at a sleepover with our friends Toby, Y/n, and Eli.”

Aja sighed. “Y/n does. I'll find out more and report back. Tomorrow.”

Aja hung up and turned to Toby and Eli. “Thanks for covering for us. Did you bring the gear?”

“As requested,” Toby said, patting a box. You jumped as a spaceship appeared behind him.

Eli gasped. “Awesome!”

“Sauc-er!” Toby joked and you shook your head, smiling at his pun.

“Greetings, Your Majesties. Your chariot awaits. Ah!” The green alien yelped as the ship sputtered.

“That doesn't inspire confidence,” Krel muttered and you nodded.

“And how long is it going to take us to reach the moon... in that?” Aja asked, jumping onto the ship.

“Assuming we make good time, 20 to 30, tops,” the alien said as Krel hopped on after his sister, with the box. He almost fell backwards, but you caught him with your magic. You levitated onto the ship.

“Wow! Minutes?” Eli marveled.

The alien laughed. “Very droll. Ha! This one's a comedian. No, not minutes, hours! So, if you have to use the john, do so now or forever hold your pee.”

“Oh dear,” you mumbled, slightly regretting your decision to help out. However, you weren’t gonna chicken out now, you really wanted to see the moon.

You hopped into the ship and took a seat.

“Who’s she?” The alien asked.

“I’m Y/n. The sorceress, but, uh, you can’t tell anyone that last part. Toby thought I could help, so here I am.”

“Well, I’m Stuart. Welcome aboard,”

~~~~

You yawned, waking up to hear the same song playing that you had fallen asleep to. “How long have I slept?” You asked, confused. In your sleep deprived state you had expected yourself to get a lot more, but the song was still playing.

“Most of the journey,” Krel said.

Aja groaned. “Why do I feel like I've heard this song a thousand times?”

“Ah, ah, ah! It is Uncle Stuey's turn to pick the music,” Stuart said.

“But I'm the-“ Krel started.

Stuart cut him off. “Yes, yes, king-in-waiting. It's a nice try. Out here, rules of the road, thank you very much.”

“But there are no roads,” Krel protested.

“I'm so bored!” Aja groaned.

“Are we there yet?” Krel asked.

“No,” Stuart said and you sighed.  

“Are we going to be there soon?” Aja asked.

“No,” Stuart replied.”

“How much longer?” Krel asked.

“Not for a while,” Stuart answered vaugly, which was beginning to annoy you.

“Like, ten mekrons?” Aja asked and you wondered what a mekron was.

“No.”

“Twenty mekrons?” Krel suggested.

“No!” Stuart snapped.

“Thirty mekrons?” Aja asked.

“We'll get there when we get there! Oi!” Stuart yelled. The ship settled into silence again and you decided it was time to try your hand at entertaining the kids.

You did a few magic tricks, mostly creating things with magic, but they were entertained nonetheless.

~~~~

Krel chuckled. “Huh.”

“What?” You asked, turning away from the game of chess you had created using magic.

Krel gestured out the window where you could see earth and the sun rising behind it. It was a beautiful sight.

Aja yawned, as Krel woke her up. “If you're waking me up, we better be there,” she threatened.

“Come on! You're gonna wanna see this,” Krel said excitedly.

“Oh, lively!” Aja breathed.

“You know, for a dump heap, it's really quite beautiful,” Krel admitted and you gave him a look.

Aj smiled. “Or as Vex would say, glorious.”

You continued to admire the planet when you heard gas hissing from Stuart.

“Ah!” Krel cried.

You plugged your nose. “Really?”

“Ah! Stuart!” Aja scolded.

“That was rank, even for you,” Krel said.

“The fact that you'd assume immediately that it's me, it's really very offensive,” Start said as he pulled down towards the moon's surface. You marveled at it.

“As far as I’m aware, I’m the first sorceress to step foot on the moon,” you said excitedly.

Aja patted your back. “Lively.”

Stuart called you over to the computer screen. “According to the computer, there appears to be an anomaly in quadrant two hundred and forty five, here in sector fourth five.”

The spaceship docked, and you, Aja, and Krel rushed out of the spaceship. You were glad to finally be out of the cramped ship.

Aja gasped. “Get me out of here!”

Krel        took a deep breath. “I can't take it anymore!”

“I can breathe!” You cried.

Aja jumped to the ground, but she instead hovered in the air. “A moon with low gravity. So lively!”

Krel jumped after her. “I got you, I got you!”

Aja sighed. “Great, but who's got you?”

Stuart jumped up to get them and he sighed contentedly as they floated to the ground. “Ah! I forgot how much I love it here. You weigh less, you've got none of that unnecessary oxygen clogging up your respiratory system.”

They reached the ground, landing in front of you. “Y/n how are you breathing?” Krel asked, suddenly realizing the lack of oxygen.

“Magic,” you said vaguely. “I cast a spell when I realized we were going to the moon.”

Krel nodded as the four of you continued walking.

“Zadra's ship! Alpha must have taken it when he captured Vex!” Krel stated excitedly. You and Krel had exchanged life stories on the long ride over, so you knew what he was talking about.

“Then the intel from that hammer guy was right. They're here,” Aja said.

The siblings went to walk away, but Stuart grabbed them. “Yeah, whoa, whoa! Easy there! This is the Hunter's Guild Lunar Outpost, where the most dastardly bounty hunters in the galaxy refuel and reload. It's also got a temporary prison. Humans would call it a drunk tank.”

“Oh yuck!” You exclaimed, you did not want to deal with a bunch of intoxicated aliens.  

“I get it! It's a rough crowd,” Aja said, shrugging off Stuart's hand.

“Which is why we're going to stick to the plan, thanks to Toby and Darci,” Krel said, spinning the box and tossing it. He held his arms out for the box, but it took awhile for it to fall. He sighed. “Let's do this.”

Krel took out the mole mascot costume and he put it on while you put a large black cape around you to hide your face and body.

“Oh!” Krel cried as a cup hit him when you walked in.

“Bounty hunters are a touchy lot. You have to stay alert.” Stuart warned.

“You try staying alert without any peripheral vision,” Krel pouted.

“Psst. Zeron Brother, 12 o'clock,” Aja warned. You looked to see a weird coyote looking thing.

The Zeron guy pulled a dagger on the robot. “I didn't order this.” He cut the robots head off and you shuddered. “Heads up, comrades. I have a drink I call the energizer. Light it up, Tronos.”

Tronos laughed. “With pleasure! Bottoms up!”

“Heh, rough crowd,” Stuart chuckled.

“Psst, keep them busy,” Aja ordered as the two of you went to find Varvatos.

The two of you eventually found him after you looked for an aura similar to Aja and Krel’s.

You approached the cell and Varvatos growled. “You enter this cell, Varvatos Vex promises you will only be hastening your own dismemberment.”

“That wasn't the reaction I was looking for,” Aja said smiling.

“Aja? Queen-in-waiting!” Varvatos exclaimed.

“Shh! That guard could come back any mekron,” Aja warned.

“Varvatos thought you were-- What are you doing here?” He asked.

“Krel and I thought a little rescue mission might make for a fun summer vacation,” Aja explained.

“A suicide mission is more like it. This place is replete with bounty hunters! Varvatos did not train you to be this foolish,” Varvatos reprimanded.

Aja grinned. “I'm glad to see prison hasn't changed you, Varvatos.”

Varvatos sighed. “This prison is a fitting punishment for what Varvatos did. Now go, and leave him to rot.”

“Haha, I didn’t come to the moon just to see it. Krel told me all about the amazing Varvatos Vex, I’m here to save you too,” you explained, hoping to encourage the poor Ackaridian.

“And who are you?” Varvatos asked.

“She is Y/n. A sorceress, but you can’t tell anyone that last bit,” Aja explained, obviously losing patience.

“Don’t worry, Aja,” You soothed. “We’ve got this.”

Aja grumbled. “We don't have time for this! As queen-in-waiting, shouldn't I decide what's a fitting punishment?” She cleared her throat. “By order of the Akiridion-Five throne, I grant you a royal pardon. I overturn your banishment and sentence you to the protection of House Tarron. Come home, Varvatos. We need you.”

Aja didn't wait for Varvatos to answer, she blasted the key pad, but it didn’t open the door.

“It's no use. The diavelant laser grid can't be deactivated without the prison guard's key,” Varvatos explained.

Aja began to scream. “What are you doing? You'll alert the guard!” Varvatos warned and you realized what Aja was doing. You began to scream too.

“I'm getting the key,” Aja said.

You didn't have to wait long for the guard to come. “Hey, what's with all the noise down here?”

You and Aja hid and when he walked to Varvatos’s cell she attacked the guard.

Unfortunately the guard fought. Back and you did your best to blast them without hitting Aja. The guard growled when your magic skimmed him.

“This is some rescue, really,’ Varvatos said.

Aja huffed. “A little patience? Or did you forget that part of your warrior training?”

Soon enough the two of you were able to kick the guard towards Varvatos’s cell. “No touching!” Varvatos warned as the guard fell into the wall. He then fell to the ground unconscious. Aja got the key and freed Varvatos.

“Varvatos was wrong to doubt your tactical prowess. It is most impressive.”

Aja smiled. “You taught me well. Wait, you're missing something.”

“Varvatos' serrator?” He laughed as Aja handed him his protractor like weapon. “Oh, how he has missed you, sweet mistress of death!” He kissed his serrator.

“I can't tell if you're happier to see me or your serrator,” Aja laughed. You began to lead them out of the dungeon, but Varvatos stopped.

“Wait. Wait one delson. Where is Zadra?” He asked.

“Come on,” you interrupted. “We need to go, I can hear fighting.”

The three of you made your way to the bar. “A room of Foo-Foo fighters. A battle of the ages!” Varvatos laughed.

“There they are!” Aja said, ignoring him. You ran over to Stuart and Krel.

“Glorious!” Vex yelled, as he watched the fight between what appeared to be all the bounty hunters.

A robot that looked like a rabbit found a gun and started firing it while you hid. “Die, die, die, die, die, die!” It yelled.

“Vex, wow! Looks like someone's been getting beefy in the clink. Really digging the lats, brah. Boom-boom!” Stuart joked.

“Hello, Stuart,” Varvatos said, but he didn’t seem too excited. His eyes lit up though when he saw Krel. “Your Highness!”

Aja interrupted the reunion. “Run now, reunions later.”

“Varvatos approves of this plan.”

The rabbit robot continued yelling. “Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die--“ Varvatos jumped out at him. “I'm dead.”

Varvatos grabbed the rabbit and began to spin it around. “Now come get some!” Varvatos challenged.

“Let’s go!” you called, creating a shield around your group as Varvatos took care of the bounty hunters.

“Varvatos thanks you for the light exercise,” he called as you left the bar. You burst out of the doors only to stop when the low gravity made you run slower.

“Varvatos Vex!” The coyote bounty hunter yelled. “Your death is mine!”

“Glorious!” Varvatos yelled only to be slowed as he exited the building. “The gravity here is most unhelpful.”

“Kleb!” Krel cursed.

“Yah! They're mine!” Coyote guy slammed the doors to the bar, keeping the other bounty hunters out.

“Hurry! He's right behind us!” Aja called.

“If we want a shot at outrunning these guys, we should take Zadra's Stryker,” Krel said, pointing.

“Hey, what are you trying to imply about my ship?” Stuart protested. You ran towards Zadra’s ship only to stop when it exploded.

“Ah!” Krel sighed. “Oh, but I'm sure we can make it work.”

“You three, go ahead. Varvatos Vex will hold him off.”

“We came all this way, we're not leaving without you,” Aja said.

“Alpha killed Varvatos' family. Varvatos must end this.”

“Now give Alpha a glorious death,” Aja encouraged, running off.

You made it to the ship and helped Aja up.

“Is no one gonna back up Vex?” Stuart asked.

Aja shook her head. “The Zerons killed Vex's family. This is his fight.”

You hopped into the ship to help get it ready, just in case you had to make a hasty getaway.

You heard shouting outside.

“Do you think he's winning?” Stuart asked. You heard something hit the ship. “It sounds like he's winning.”

The lights outside the ship turned off and you heard Varvatos grunt.

“Any idea what's going on out there?” Aja asked, concerned for her friend.

“Still too dark to see,” Krel said.

It got quiet. “I’m going out there,” Aja said.

“Me too,” Krel agreed.

“Here,” you cast a spell that lit up the hanger. Aja nodded to you and left.

Eventually they came back and you smiled at them. “Who’s ready for the up to thirty hour journey home?” You asked, sarcastically excited.

~~~~

You watched the window as earth steadily got closer. While space was fun, you really missed earth.

“Varvatos must admit, he is looking forward to returning home. If you were to grant him that honor, despite his own failings.”

“Hey, we've all made mistakes and we've all lost people that meant the world to us,” Krel consoled.

“But the three of us are a family,” Aja said and you smiled, it was sweet seeing them happy. You were glad you could help.

Stuart cleared his throat and you all chuckled. “And Stuart,” Aja added.

“And Varvatos will not fail his family again.”

You watched as Stuart pulled you closer to Arcadia and you were excited to see your home. That excitement suddenly disappeared when someone shot at you.

“Somebody is shooting at us!” Varvatos yelled.

“But who?” Stuart asked.

“Maybe it’s the government lady,” you suggested, falling as Stuart did his best to make a crash landing.

You coughed as the door opened and Stuart fell out. “Uncle! Uncle! We come in peace. Ah! Ouch.”

“I thought you were an enemy ship! I could have killed you!” An Acaridian who you believed was Zadra said.

“Well, you... you definitely tried,” Stuart pouted.

Aja cleared her throat and Zadra came over to her.

“What? You said you were at a sleepover,” Zadra said.

Aja laughed sheepishly. “I am sorry. I feel bad about that.”

“You have no idea how much I worried! I nearly took up knitting!” Zadra said and you laughed.

“Such is the pain of raising teen-agers,” Varvatos said as he came out of the ship.

Zadra narrowed her eyes at Varvatos. “I didn't ask for your opinion, nor did I authorize the rescue of a traitor.”

“He's family. We had to rescue him,” Aja protested.

“We will discuss your actions later. For now, I fear a far greater battle lies ahead,” Zadra said ominously. You heard your phone beep from your pocket and you checked the message.

You sighed. “As much as I’d love to stay and hear about this great battle, I’ve got to get going. Thanks for bringing me along.”

“Any time Y/n,” Stuart said.

“Thank you for assisting,” Varvatos said.

You smiled and turned to Aja and Krel. “If you need anything just call me. I’m here to help, okay?”

“Thank you, Y/n,” Aja said, hugging you.

“Of course. Just send me a text if you need to. I’ll be visiting my brother Jim in New Jersey next week, but I’ll still be available to talk.”

“Bye Y/n, thank you!” Krel called as you walked away. You turned and waved at them before settling in for the long walk in the heat to the bookstore. You were glad Douxie had air conditioning.

~~~~

“Where’s my darling?” You asked, walking into the book shop.

“Up here!” Douxie called and you followed his voice to his living room. Mao was curled up with Archie next to Douxie.

“Aww, see you had nothing to worry about,” you said, gesturing to the adorable kitten sleeping peacefully.

“At first she was a little hesitant, but she warmed up to him,” Archie said.

“Of course she did, I never had any doubts.” You took a seat next to Archie and leaned back into the couch. It was pretty comfy and his home was so cold.

"So, what was the errand that called you out in the middle of the night?" Douxie asked.

"I went to the moon," you said excitedly. "I made friends with these nice kids who are from a planet far from here. They needed to rescue their friend from a bounty hunter's hide out on the moon. It's a long story."

Douxie chuckled. "Huh, who knew."

"Arcadia has a lot to offer." You smiled brightly, it warmed your heart that Douxie didn't even hesitate to believe you. You had really fallen for him. He was just so great.

~~~~

The two of you continued chatting for quite a while longer until you grew tired.

The past few days had been very eventful for you and it has been over a month since the eternal night so you were out of routine. Not only had that made you tired, it was the crying babies who currently at your household. You adored them, but you where definitely much more tired than normal.

Archie and Mao cuddled up close to you and Douche brought you a blanket and pillow. He understood what it was like to be exhausted and he wanted to do his best to help you feel better. Unbeknownst to you he really cared for you. He really liked you.

****

Thank you all for reading, I really appreciate all of you and I hope you have fantastic weekends and stay safe! Next half chapter will be you visiting Jim in New Jersey, so stay tuned for that next week!! 💕

P.S. if you want to be on the taglist feel free to ask. I hope it works and please message me if it doesn’t.

P.P.S. I'm totally open for requests on fluffy half chapters! If you have any ideas for the half chapters send them in and I'll do my best to include them.

[pepperonitimeline]

Multiple Timeline Theory........ 2!

Here is the original post!

So, if Steven Universe is made up of multiple timelines, but shown in an order that makes the events seem linear, how many are there?

Uhhhh at least 3?

There are 2 timelines we already know about, Steven Classic (episodes 1-22) which ceases to exist after being Sanded in the last act of Steven and The Stevens. And the new timeline created by that event. 

But *Yoda voice* There Is Another

🌟📽The Actor Timeline🎞🌟

Let’s...... start with the Dove shorts. Here’s a playlist with all of them. They’re technically commercials, but there’s no mention of Dove apart from a vanity card at the end of each of them. They feel like shorts. Staff from the show worked on them as well.

In regards to whether the Dove Self-Esteem Project shorts were canon, RS gave a nebulous answer via Instagram: 

New SU Dove short out today -Stevonnie & Social Media! Featuring more beautiful animation by @chromospherestudio to anyone wondering if these shorts are canon, please know that I write them myself!

So like........ that’s not a no? 

If we are looking at them as being a part of a distinct timeline, all the characters are actors. What's odd about it is everyone seems to be playing themselves in a show about their lives?

In many of them the characters go off script- for example in Body Talk (seen above) when Bismuth goes off-script she recounts the rebellion, in tandem with Pearl tearing up and saying "I'm just so glad you're back!"

So to an extent the events of the show really did happen? But also at some point they agree to make a show? 

In Media and Celebrities, Lamar Abrams, real storyboard artist is directing.

I’m not sure if the person next to him or any other human in these shorts are based on someone real. 

Wait, isn’t Steven Universe from the perspective of Steven? Steven’s not present in some of these. Or is he?

In Appearance Related Teasing and Bullying it would seem Steven isn’t there, until Jasper wrecks the set. He’s behind the background thingie. It’s possible he’s around in all of them, just not on-screen.

Moving on the the actual show, remember when A Very Special Episode had that twist ending where the whole episode was a PSA about time management?

As Sunstone skates off the set...  it’s the set from Media and Celebrities. In the background there’s even a portrait of Peridot and Lamar.

Sunstone's debut is in Change Your Mind, where they immediately talk to the audience, that’s their whole shtick, is being like a cool mascot that reminds you to memorize your phone number and change the batteries in your smoke detector. I don’t think CYM necessarily in the Actor Timeline though.

In one episode of the podcast, Battle Of Heart and Mind, it’s stated that all Garnet fusions can see the fourth wall. They all have this ability, in general. But only one other fusion shows it off. Yard Sard!

In another episode of the podcast, Vol.1 Episode 10: Leading The Way a fan asked "Is Steven Universe canonically just a cartoon and if so is Sardonyx aware of this?"

RS answered within the show it's reality. But Sardonyx has a "transcendent mind" and can "see outside of what's going on".

What’s interesting she only begins to do that after entering her room, which is like a weird void where she summons things as needed. It should be noted that we’re seeing things from Smokey’s point of view (as all episodes are from Steven’s POV and Steven is currently fused with Amethyst aka Smokey) so as far as *they* can tell, it’s just a weird void. But to Sardonyx…?

There’s also that part where Smokey asks about the audience she’s like “I made them myself 88^)”

So what can Sardonyx see? The audience? Or is she seeing into another timeline? Like one where she’s on a set? Like one Sardonyx Tonight is a real late night talk show? Because she’s famous?

She segues to commercial, whispers to someone we can’t see if they have to pay Sugilite and/or Nicki Minaj for using a clip of her voice, asks someone named Jorge to “play (them) over to stage right”. Smokey asks who Jorge is but is ignored. Sardonyx doesn't seem to know that Smokey can't see what she's seeing.

She’s also aware she’s on Cartoon Network? When they came back from “commercial” she did say "Don't those cartoon characters make you want to buy those products? I sure hope so, or else I'd be off air!"

Has she become aware they’re in a cartoon? Mmmmaybe?

There was a time when CN aired live-action shows for some reason though. But then again Sardonyx also seems to think her room is just Like That? A post for another time perhaps....

Anyway, Know Your Fusion isn’t in the Actor Timeline, either, but Sardonyx can see it.

But The Movie- particularly the ending where they’re suddenly on Broadway for no reason?

As Nerea pointed out, the backdrop used here is the same one used in the S1 opening. Are the openings the in-universe opening for their in-universe show as well?

Say Uncle isn’t canon. It’s actually an in-universe crossover with Uncle Grandpa (known in the other timelines as “Inter-Dimensional Family Friend”) As was Crossover Nexus.

Following that logic, Uncle Grandpa and OK K.O. are shows inside Steven���s world. That’s not too outlandish, considering Steven Universe is a show in Craig of The Creek’s world.

(from The Other Side: The Tournament)

(this one’s from The Pilot)

Not to mention OK K.O. is a video game in Steven and Craig’s world. Anything is possible in OK K.O.

(Power Punchers)

We already went over UG but look at this (from the episode Costume Crisis)

Personally (meaning this is a reach but I just think it’d be fun if it were true) in addition to everything else, I think all materials that break the 4th wall + had heavy involvement from the crew like books, shorts, etc. are real versions of in-universe products from this timeline. The Classroom Gems feel like PSAs that would play after the show aired on TV to teach the audience about Gems as if they were real.

Also they look like they were animated by whoever makes Crying Breakfast Friends in-universe?

Fusion for Beginners and Experts feels very much in the same vein, an educational book on fusion as if it were real. (check out love-take-work’s rundown of the book!)

Like obviously these things exist to be cute, easy-to-understand guides on concepts from the show. And to be merch. But what if?

I don’t know how to end this. That Steven plush from Craig is based on a real plush (not my picture)

He vexes me...

[thequeenofmyownscreen]

Following the end of campaign 1, since I'm sticking to the chronological order, I've watched the numerous one-shots Critical Role did between the two campaigns. Man, the hiatus was long !

Some of them I appreciated less than others : wherever it was a tone of the one-shot, or the mood I was in... for example, I think I didn't enjoy enough the "Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise" (this one was, I think, because there was a weird inbalance between the fun dating cruise with explicit details, and the horrifying aspects of the fairy tales), or the "Epic Level Battle Royale" (this one was definitely because of the rythm, which suprised me because the precedent battle royale was so much fun ! But Liam made it real hard for the audience even if it was in character), or the Kobolds & Catacombs one-shot (this one was because perhaps it was a "normal" one, maybe too normal, and even if it was with a guest, there was a lot of combat and the universe did not vary very much from usual).

My favorites were, in order :

"Honey Heist", because I'm a Marisha Ray fan above all else. The system itself was really simple, and the story had a simple goal, but it's a demonstration of how you don't have to have a complex RPG system to have lots of fun : Criminal bears ! Plus the cast was just so great : seeing Matt as a player is a delight, especially as Trinket. Brian as a honey badger on a bender, Liam and Taliesin as brothers that have "roaring 20's criminals from New York" accents, Sam as panda that just can't shut up about being a vegan. I love that there were rolls to see what role the bears played in this heist, but also rolls to see what hat they're wearing. Bits and pieces :

"With these hats, there’s no way anybody in the town of Westruun would think that we’re bears !!"

Liam and Taliesin are playing it like honey is cocaïne, while Peddy Tuxpin tastes honey like a wine, because this is Sam.

Marisha as Vex, and Marisha as Victor, she's amazing.

The couple of criminal cows that are called Bonnie and Cow

Brian's personal challenge to make as many euphemisms as possible.

Tova, who survived the Nine Hells - it's canon ! - and is part of an order called 'the High-Bear Nation' (this pun is amazing, and so is Liam Las Vegas' line : "Listen, to one extremely high bear to another...").

And of course the game at the safe's door, this all sequence is hilarious.

Matt, to Marisha : "I'm so proud I married you."

Paddy had to ressuscitate Trinket who was uncounscious, by making "snout-to-snout", or "BPR", and Sam had the audacity to shout in character : "Trinket, if you died, I would be so upset !"

"Thursday by Night" was so great !! I know nothing about the system of Vampire: The Masquerade, but when Taliesin talked about vampires, I was on board instantly. Add to that the cast playing "themselves as newbies vampires" and you just know it's going to be great. Everyone dressing up vaguely goth (they are handsome people), and then for the 2nd part on Halloween in costumes, was great. Like Liam's one-shot, they all begin in a familiar place (the Nerdist set), that is strange and overturned by a calamity ; and Taliesin really brought the weird in the building ! And I love that it was destined, in his mind, to be a TPK since they are newbies vampires and he knew his friends would be reckless in this world ; but Laura saved her and Travis' non-life by staying true to her good heart, and this made for a very statisfying end. Bits and pieces :

Taliesin keeps mispronuncing "stamina" into "stanima".

Sam doesn't know anything else in the building except the Critical Role set.

Matt and Marish dying super early because they had to go prepare their wedding (Marisha, when Matt dies "We always knew you would be the first to go in the apocalypse", and Sam asking in-game if this means they get a refund on their wedding gifts, cracked me up).

The True Blood (Sam's only reference when it comes to vampires) and the Twilight (Travis' only reference) things.

The fact that they made secret alliances with each other, sometimes using mind-control (Liam was such a little shit ! I love it) so that in the end they all betrayed and double-crossed.

Travis saying "Can I take my shirt off..." and Taliesin, Liam and Sam simultenously responding "Always".

The lizard people living in the L.A. sewers, because of course there is, and some of them are fans of the cast because Critters are everywhere.

The whole sequence where Liam hunts a human that turns out to be Will Friedle, and stuff his body inside the hole of a porta-potty (Taliesin : "Actually you can shove a whole body in a porta-potty hole. Don't ask me how I know that")

The "Shadow of War" one-shot, because I'm a huge LoTR nerd and also Darin De Paul is such a treasure that I would watch anything he's in.

The Grog as a DM one-shot was so much ridiculousness that it won me over. It was very relaxing, since there were no high stakes at all, except Scanlan trying to kill Trinket. Also Seeing Travis panicking as a DM was a delight.

[finnskeeper]

Critical Role - Campaign 1 (Thoughts Machina): Episodes 69 - 80

AKA: BIG DAMN HEROES, SIR!

Raishan showing up in Whitestone is a fucking power move. KEYLETH IS PISSED YO

Keyleth: "CALL ME CHILD ONE MORE GODDAMN TIME!" Grog: "I go stand behind Keyleth!" (I know it was probably more an intimidation tactic, but the way Travis said it so quickly made it sound like he was getting out of her way.)

"Have you tried Greater Restoration?" ROFL

Oh Liam...sweetie...Larkin is...alright, he got it, good.

Scanlan just cast a 9th level spell at level 13? 14? SUCH A BADASS AND THEN FUCKING DOMINATES IT?!?

This "kill the dragon" plan is much better than the last one

Surprise sneak attack? Oh this is gonna fucking hurt.

84 POINTS...AND THEN HE TELEPORTS ON HIM?! BEAUTIFUL (Vax just really cannot resist teleporting into/onto a dragon)

Oh HERE'S where the plan goes ass up

jengajengajengajengajenga

DIVINE INTERVENTION FINALLY WORKED!

Where the fuck are those Ravenites?

3 down...2 to go!

ROFL There they are, late to the dragon killing party.

Sam just broke Liam and Laura (and me) with that Tibs tribute

Keyleth: *turns into an elephant in Percy's workshop* Percy: *climbs up on top* “Let’s go prank Grog!” FAILS AT DOOR The saviors of Tal'Dorei, ladies and gentlemen

Oh god, between the Victor costume and the Sun Tree voice, I don't think Liam's gonna survive this episode

Sam: "The Fire Plane isn't like Dallas...it's a horrible place where we can all die." Taliesin: "So, Dallas." (As someone from the DFW area, can confirm)

Liam, in reference to them going to find the Plate of the Dawnmartyr in the City of Brass: "I've hidden a sweater in Manhattan, go get it."

Man, Senokir is giving me major Mister Teatime vibes

He's so creepy! But he's gonna turn out to be a sweetheart, I think. Calling it now.

LOL Scanlan stop gambling

Pike teaching Grog the alphabet is giving me such life.

FLOWERS FOR GROG-ERNON OMG MATTHEW

"That'll die soon." Creepy. As. Fuck.

Aww, Vex edged into chaotic good

Hey pit fiends...that should be fun

Yup, y'all are fucked

Laura: "This isn't like the lava we were in before?" Matt: "This is the Plane of Fire." Sam: "It's dire lava."

These songs fucking slap, Sam.

Laura is committed to not meta-gaming and I am impressed

ScaNLAN gets the Pit Fiend kill? With his Vestige? AMAZING

CALLED IT. Senokir is such a sweetheart. I love him.

Uh oh, Fort Daxio (who besides me remembers old Spaghettios commercials?)

"I open the door...COMPLETELY NAKED."

Man, that potion prep + Heroes' Feast is saving their asses right now

GILMORE NO

FUCK HIM UP, VAX

Oh god, we're doing this? Seriously? Okay...

It’s not looking good fam...

I think that was as close to a TPK as they've ever been. My heart cannot take any more games like this.

Character Thoughts (as of Episode 80)

Vax - Really leaning into the paladin levels now. Those wings are coming in clutch. I really love that he got the kill on Thordak as well. That was a lot of hit points to burn through.

Keyleth - I feel like she’s getting shafted on these high level spells, but nonetheless she manages to demonstrate why you should definitely be terrified of high level druids. I am loving this animosity with her and Raishan, though, and can’t wait for that to come to a head.

Vex - Oh man, I was really hoping she’d hit with that dragon-slaying arrow plus sneak attack. But I have to say, I absolutely LOVED everything about her actions with the two Aasimar kids, and that she edged into Chaotic Good.

Scanlan - So many good moments in this set of episodes for Scanlan. I love that he got the kill on the pit fiend and that was what set off his vestige. And that Tiberius tribute was so good. Also, gambling with his friends’ lives on the Plane of Fire is such a boss move.

Grog - I’m so glad for these RP moments with Travis and Ashley. They are so cute. And Grog learning the letter G first is just *chef’s kiss*

Pike - I’m so glad she finally got her vestige. Matt’s description of that armor was beautiful. And that ability to immediately revive and damage everyone around her? QUEEN

Percy - Listen, I love that Percy, from afar, has this look of authority and being someone who has his shit together but anyone who spends any amount of time with him realizes he’s just a shithead little brother with terrible impulse control and an exorbitant amount of wealth. 12/10

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Hawkeye #1-4

September, 1983

Listen to the Mockingbird

Now for something completely different.

-OR- Further justifying why the posts are titled Essential Avengers when I’m just going to put a colon and then an Avengers to get Essential Avengers: Avengers. Its because sometimes its not Avengers!

Sometimes its Hawkeye.

Since I’m doing four issues in one post, I’m not going to go as in-depth as I usually do.

So, last times on Avengers as related to Hawkeye: Hawkeye was cut from the Avengers due to a limited roster. He eventually got a job as the security chief at Cross Technological Enterprises with the same lack of restraint that got him a job with the Avengers. He’s been doing that for a while, since pre-200. Recently the Avengers needed beef up their roster and Cap and Iron Man convinced him to rejoin, which Hawkeye has done while also keeping his security chief job.

During an Avengers mission TO RESCUE THE PRESIDENT, he broke his leg and was put on medical leave from the team. He got one of the CTE people to build him a rocket-sled that he could putt around in. Judging by the lack of cast, his leg is better but he’s still using the cool rocket-sled.

And that’s where we are. Hawkeye has a cool rocket-sled and is actually holding down an actual job at Cross Technological Enterprises. He’s seems to still be on leave from the team despite his leg being better.

The miniseries starts with Hawkeye congratulating himself on getting a cool rocket-sled, even though it cost all of his money.

Hawkeye: “‘Bad guys beware -- Hawkeye’s in the air!’ Hmmm, not the worst slogan an aerial archer could have... but close.”

At least he’s self-aware. Some days that’s all you can ask of Hawkeye!

He spots three suspicious characters suspiciously sneaking and swoops down on the rocket-sled, taking them out with ease with his totally sweet trick arrows.

Hey, note to comic makers of our modern day. Trick arrows are sweet. I don’t need to see people getting shot in the eyes with arrows when I can see like a net arrow or whatever.

The three suspicious characters are actually CTE employees that Hawkeye asked to come in on their off time to help him get a hang of archering from the rocket-sled. Including the scientist, Jorge, who built it for him!

Wow, Hawkeye!

Jorge at least was happy to do build the thing because he feels like his talents are wasted at CTE and Hawkeye encourages him to go into business for himself.

Which is probably the kind of thing that’s going to get Hawkeye a reprimand but hey, good looking out, Hawkguy.

One of the other CTE employees asks why Hawkeye uses a bow and arrow instead of... a gun. Why not just shoot people with a gun.

Hawkeye: “The bow is quieter, more versatile, and in my hands the deadliest weapon in the state. Or hadn’t you noticed, Howie?”

He doesn’t mention that its also more believably non-lethal than if he were going around with a gun. Because Hawkeye says its the deadliest weapon in the state but he’s also a huge proponent of “superheroes don’t kill!”

But point being, you can buy a comic book guy pinning people to walls with arrows or using trick arrows or shooting weapons out of their hands without killing anyone way more than you could if Hawkeye was just using a magnum.

Also, this:

I believe he is literally flexing on that dude.

CTE’s new public relations lady Sheila Danning shows up for a date with Hawkeye because I guess there’s no rule about dating co-workers. Or at least if they’re not in the same department?

Having a woman showing positive attention to Hawkeye is his cue to have a little internal monologue that’s a little bit sad.

Hawkeye: Man, this is the life! A ridiculously high-paying job, a fast machine between my legs, and a foxy lady who’s nuts about me. What more could a guy want? Until Sheila came along, I thought I was put on this world for women to dump on. Women... like the Black Widow and Scarlet Witch. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t get them to care for me like I did for them. Sheila’s different. Even though we’ve been seeing each other for only a month, what we have is special, real, like nothing I’ve ever known.

I don’t want to ruin his good times but I will remind the audience that he once rage-quit the Avengers because Scarlet Witch didn’t want to kiss him.

Anyway, Hawkeye is pretty enamored. He’s even thinking maybe it’s time he settles down.

He takes her back to his place and they start dancing to some Mantovani as he recaps his entire backstory to her.

In fairness. In faiiiirness. She asked.

But you should know the drill. Clint and Barney ran away from the orphanage to join the circus. Swordsman saw potential in Clint and trained him in archery and Clint began seeing Swordsman as a father figure so threw himself into training in hopes that Swordsman would be proud of him.

Which is funny in an odd way because there’s some same-face going on and Swordsman looks just like Tony Stark!

I wonder if Clint ever slipped up and called Tony dad and had to cover it up by continuing into a daddio.

Anyway, he caught Swordsman with stolen money and Swordmaster left him in a broken heap and skipped town when Clint wouldn’t promise to keep quiet.

Later, he saw the adulation that Iron Man got when he flew over the circus and thought wait I can do that. Got a costume and tried to become a hero. Oops, tripped into being a supervillain and enemy of Iron Man. Annd then joined the Avengers.

Hawkeye: “I’ve done many a stint with my Avenging buddies, but I think I’m finally ready to wing it solo for good. Much as I like ‘em, they cramp my style a bit too much.”

Sheila: “Fascinating story, Clint. Looks like I’ve got a real self-made man. How about if I try to unmake you a little?”

And then they’re about to do sexy times when Clint’s emergency beeper goes off. Because somehow the emergency always knows when you’re horny or mid-ablution.

Hawkeye has to suit back up and head out back to work

Hah.

But anyway, he catches a lady in a very sleevesy costume prowling around and during some back and forth and further back and forth pinned you no pinned you action, she introduces herself as Mockingbird, an ex-shield agent and freelance crimebuster (I think that means superhero?).

Some underworld contacts of hers led her to investigate Cross Technological Enterprises under suspicion that CTE is manufacturing mass mind control technology right under a certain Avenger slash archer’s nose. I.e., Hawkeye.

She wants him to lead her to warehouse 10 but their conversation is interrupted by a security night shift who rush in and surround Mockingbird despite Hawkeye ordering prior to the action scene to let him handle it.

They cuff Mockingbird and take her away but oddly claim that they thought Hawkeye sent the signal for them to charge in.

Hawkeye is perplexed and vexed wondering if there’s anything to Mockingbird’s story. He doesn’t know the full extent of what CTE manufactures and there was some shady business in Marvel Fanfare #3 where a vice-president was using CTE facilities to manufacture a bomb.

Mockingbird’s story bugs him so much that he returns home to Sheila and tells her that there’s something he has to take care of and sends her home in a cab.

He returns to Cross on his sweet rocket-sled and investigates warehouse 10, finding it empty but with a lot of fresh tracks in the dust, like something was moved in only the past hour or so.

Also, a bunch of security staff show up and point guns at him.

That’s also a red flag.

When reminding them he’s their boss doesn’t settle them down, he rolls to the floor to shoot out the lights like a cool action guy and then starts taking them out in the dark just by shooting whenever he hears one of the idiots make a sound.

But one of the guards has Sheila hostage even though she was supposed to have gone home so Hawkeye has to surrender.

The guards toss him into a pit with Mockingbird. Just an oubliette that CTE has on premise, as ya do.

Hawkeye demands to speak with Sheila so he knows she’s alright and whoops she’s in on it.

Sheila Danning, heartbreaker: “Barton -- you stupid fool! Why did you have to be so conscientious? It was my job to keep you distracted so you’d have no time to notice the operation Cross had been contracted for -- a very costly, deadly operation.”

Hawkeye, heartbroken: “What are you talking about, Sheila? Are you saying they paid you to -- to --”

Sheila: “Yes, they paid me. I was pretty convincing, wasn’t I? You never had the slightest idea that I could sooner love a dog than a cornball Romeo with delusions of adequacy like you.”

Hawkeye: “You can’t mean that! They must’ve brainwashed you, poisoned your mind against me! Or -- or maybe you’re not Sheila at all, an imposter, or a robot -- !”

Sheila: “Don’t kid yourself, Barton. I’m the one and only. The woman who could barely keep from snickering when you told her your carnival story this evening.”

Ouch.

I like to mock Hawkeye because he deserves some light ribbing but ouch, she slipped a knife right between those ribbings.

That poor dolt was thinking about proposing and she was paid to distract him by feigning interest. Oof ouch.

Anyway, since CTE has suddenly become Bond-esque, they start dumping liquid industrial waste into the pit to drown and/or melt Hawkeye and Mockingbird.

The stuff is like acid but Hawkeye is kind of wallowing in being dumped and doesn’t care.

Hawkeye: “I ain’t moving. All my life I’ve been dumped on. I’m beginning to enjoy it.”

Mockingbird tells him that if he lets himself be melted by industrial waste because he feels sorry for himself, his ex wins. But that doesn’t move him so she has to mock him into action. This is what she was named for!

Mockingbird: “So this is what they taught you in the Avengers? What a bunch of jerks! They should see you now. I’ll bet you let them down in a pinch, too. Whenever your feelings get hurt.”

Hawkeye: “SHUT UP! I’m gonna get us out of here, lady. Then I’m going to kill Sheila for what she did to me. Then you’ll get yours, too.”

Mockingbird: “Sure, sure. Get us out first.”

Hah, I like Mockingbird.

And I like Hawkeye too. He makes good use of what he has to escape this Bond-esque trap. He doesn’t have his bow or his arrows but he keeps a fifty foot length of cord in his boot and spare arrowheads in his tunic. He calls his rocket-sled with the remote control, ties the cord to a spare rocket arrow-tip and rockets himself and Mockingbird out of the pit and up to his rocket-sled.

Then Hawkeye says he has to go attend some private business and Mockingbird is like cool, I’ll wait for you and hops onto a roof.

Hawkeye rams the rocket-sled through the window of Sheila Danning’s office and jump kicks the guards she has with her and confronts her.

Hawkeye: “You hurt me, Sheila... More than anything ever hurt in my life.”

Sheila: “Stay back, Hawkeye! I - I --”

Hawkeye: “I could kill you for what you did to me. But I won’t. I... can’t. I just don’t care anymore... about you or about whatever scheme Cross is up to! Give me my bow and quiver back and I’ll go.”

Tangentially, like an anime, his shirt is a lot flimsier than his pants and melted off in the acid while his pants are tattered but intact. If only they made shirts out of pants...

And if only they made any outfit out of lady outfit. Mockingbird’s outfit has a few holes and tatters but her whole top didn’t dissolve like Hawkeye’s did!

Sheila does give Hawkeye his archery stuff but warns him that he Knows Too Much and Cross will come after him.

Kind of a weird flex to pull on AN AVENGER WHO KNOWS THOR but you do you, Cross Technological Enterprises.

Hawkeye just takes off on his sweet rocket-sled without responding, zooming past where he left Mockingbird who has to jump onto the moving rocket-sled because he does not slow down for her.

Mockingbird: “Got your business taken care of, sport?”

Hawkeye, crying a little: “Shut up, just shut up. If you hadn’t shown up, none of this could have happened.”

Oof.

That’s the hurt speaking buddy. Ignorance wouldn’t have been bliss here because as soon as Cross didn’t need to distract you any longer, Sheila probably would have found some excuse to dump you.

Also, their scheme was asinine! They don’t have other facilities? Just build the mind control doohickey somewhere else instead of paying someone to distract Hawkeye with horny!

October, 1983

POINT BLANK!

So after having his heart broken and wallowing in some acid sludge in the last issue, Hawkeye is in a bad place. Emotionally. And also geographically.

He’s standing on some abandoned railroad tracks under the West Side Highway and shooting arrows at a bullseye he crudely drew on a cement block.

And Good Archer Hawkeye has not hit a single bullseye because of all the emotional turmoil. Also, since he’s shooting at concrete, he’s breaking all of his arrows.

He’s also wearing his no-shirt acid-tattered costume.

And he’s been here for 42 hours without sleeping, eating, or managing to hit a bullseye.

He’s in a bad place.

So he passes out and he’s eventually found by some random street toughs who recognize him as an Avenger (although they think his name is Nighthawk womp womp) and decide ‘hey lets kick his ass and do him a murder maybe.’

Hawkeye comes to, as one might when people are kicking them in the head, and manages to nail three bullseyes on the three toughs he didn’t kick unconscious.

Hawkeye: Three bullseyes. Two kayos. Five sleezos in dreamland. Thanks, creeps. You gave me a reason to go on living. I’m just not sure what it is!

But now Hawkeye is at a loss of what to actually do. He refuses to go to the Avengers for help because blah blah blah muh pride. He can’t go and “mooch” off of them. So he decides to go check out the apartment he had through Cross Technological Enterprises and see whether they’ve cleared him out or not.

They have.

Everything he had to his name except the clothes on his back and bow in his hand gone. Arrow-making tools and spare costumes gone too.

But he also finds Mockingbird waiting for him.

Mockingbird: “Hello, Hawk. Can I buy you some breakfast?”

Hawkeye: “MOCKINGBIRD! Lady, you’re not one of my favorite people, but I know a good offer when I hear one.”

A free breakfast is a free breakfast.

Mockingbird takes Hawkeye back to her apartment and apologizes for blowing up his life but also says that it would have happened eventually anyway even had she never come along.

Which, yeah, you can only pay a person to pretend to love someone they hate for so long before the mask slips.

She also offers to mend his costume. Not sure how she’s thinking. Its not torn. Its half gone.

Hawkeye says yeah sure but hey why don’t you narrate your ENTIRE BACKSTORY.

So Mockingbird introduces herself as Barbara Morse, Bobbi to her friends.

She was a biology whiz at Georgia Tech and went with her favorite professor when she signed on to a government project to recover the super-soldier serum that made Captain America so super.

SHIELD was one of the sponsors of the project so Bobbi got to know several SHIELD agents and realized ‘hey being a spy sounds AMAZING’ and signed up with SHIELD’s spy school.

She graduated top of her class and was sent on a mission to track down Ka-Zar who SHIELD wanted to hire.

Mockingbird: “I found the jungle man all right. Even got involved with him, if you know what I mean. But things never quite worked out between us.”

Oh my god, what a power move to brag about nailing discount-Tarzan while recapping your life story.

Later, she investigated SHIELD itself at the request of a Congressman under the identity as the Huntress. But not the crossbow one. But because of her actions, she gained the reputation as a traitor to SHIELD.

So she changed her name to Mockingbird and took the evidence of corrupt agents to Nick Fury. And got shot a couple times in the attempt.

She had to spend six months recovering and after turned down a SHIELD promotion to go solo.

Mockingbird: “Not that I had anything against S.H.I.E.L.D... I just got used to operating alone. It wasn’t long after I got back into circulation that I came across the lead that took me to Cross Tech and I bumped into you. So that’s my lifestory in a nutshell, Hawk.”

I don’t know why I thought Mockingbird debuted in this series because she has a lot of backstory here. She showed up in Astonishing Tales #6 unnamed, was introduced as Dr. Barbara Morse in Astonishing Tales #12, was introduced in her Huntress (but not that one) identity in Marvel Super Action #1, and even Mockingbird debuted in Marvel Team-Up #95! Geez, Bobbi!

Annnnnd then Mockingbird realizes that Hawkeye fell asleep on her while she was recapping her entire life!

Bobbi doesn’t hold it against him, realizing how exhausted he must have been.

She tucks him in and heads off to go pick up some supplies to fix his costume.

Later, someone picks the locks to the apartment door and silently comes up and puts a gun to the sleeping Hawkeye’s head.

Perhaps it is instinct -- a survival sense honed in hundreds of life-and-death struggles... But somehow Clint Barton feels the cool gun metal at his temple, instantly recognizes it for what it is -- and reacts.

(We actually see a hint of this dingus at Hawkeye’s apartment when he meets Mockingbird there. Implying that he somehow followed them from there to Bobbi’s apartment. Somehow. Even though Hawkeye and Bobbi took Hawkeye’s sweet rocket-sled. Good tracking, this guy.)

Hawkeye manages to dive away from the guy’s gunfire and hide behind one of those tables that looks like a giant spool. He weirdly realizes that the assassin’s gun isn’t making any sound when he fires and the bullets aren’t making any noise when they hit.

He’s in a tough spot unable to reach his bow in time when Mockingbird comes back to save Hawkeye, flipping the assassin and telling Hawkeye to grab his gun.

The assassin jumps out the window rather than deal with the both of them (Bobbi speculates its because she’s not on his hit list).

Hawkeye tests the gun after and discovers that its not silenced which means that the silencer was all in the guy’s suit, muting all the sounds he makes.

He dubs the guy Silencer and he has a pretty neat gimmick but doesn’t seem to ever appear again after this issue.

Shame. Imagine this guy against Daredevil.

Anyway, Mockingbird also managed to make Hawkeye a new outfit while she was gone.

Mockingbird: “Here -- better put this on. Half-naked men with guns make it hard for me to concentrate.”

Hawkeye: “Sure.”

God. Hawkeye’s non-reaction to that blatant flirt makes me laugh. He may as well have Saitama meme’d.

So the new outfit.

The blue is a lot darker now. The dangly part of the tunic is a lot less dangly now. And the outfit has some asymmetrical sleeves. Also, its not entirely clear on this shot but the gloves are weird. They don’t cover the sides of his fingers. I don’t know if that’s an archery thing or what and I don’t know if that’s going to be a detail that lasts once other artists start drawing this costume.

All in all, not a bad looking new outfit. Its better than that time he didn’t wear pants.

Later that night, Hawkeye figures that they need to return to Cross and figure out who hired them to build that mind-control thing. But, they’ll need help getting back into Cross.

(Hey, I just realized. Hawkeye was double Cross’d by his employer. Hah.)

They go to visit Jorge Latham, the guy who built a sweet rocket-sled for Hawkeye so probably the guy he trusts the most now.

Jorge: “What happened to you, man? We got a memo two days ago that you were fired for incompetency, and I haven’t seen you since!”

Aw man, insult to injury! They told everyone that Hawkeye was fired because he sucked too hard!

Hawkeye tells Jorge the story, in brief, about how Cross is up to something, gets information on where the special projects are done, and tells Jorge to maybe get his resume in order in case he accidentally shuts the whole company down in the course of blowing this thing wide open.

Jorge is a lot more chill about learning he might be unemployed soon than I think a lot of other people would be. Although he had already expressed he wasn’t really satisfied in his job.

Hawkeye: “The info he gave us is going to save us a lot of hassle. Sure is good to have a few folks you can trust.”

Mockingbird: “You still don’t quite trust me, do you, Hawkeye? Even after I saved your life.”

Hawkeye: “No offense, lady. But it’s going to take me a while before I can fully trust any woman again.”

Geez, really hope that doesn’t last. He already teetered into disrespect of women without becoming a full-on misogynist.

Drink your respect women juice, Hawkeye.

The two return to Cross Technological Enterprises and Hawkeye uses his electronic security neutralizer arrowhead to neutralize the security on a window so they can jimmy it open and get inside.

.... Why do you need an electronic security neutralizer arrow? The way he uses it is tracing the circuit in the window and I don’t think you could shoot an arrow in a way that did that. And if you did shoot an arrow at a security system in a window, I think you’d break the window and set off the alarm?

What a mystery.

Hawkeye has never been in the special projects department but it doesn’t take a genius to find some filing cabinets.

Mockingbird: “Locked, of course. It also doesn’t take an electronic gizmo to open a locked file. Just a hairpin. See?”

Hawkeye: “Showoff.”

This would be banter if Hawkeye didn’t look so somber.

But Hawkeye gets to be useful too when he pulls out his....... penlight arrowhead?

WHY WOULD YOU EVER NEED TO FIRE A FLASHLIGHT? WHAT PURPOSE DOES THAT SERVE??

Mockingbird: “I just don’t know how I ever got along without you and your handy tools, Mr. H.”

DON’T ENCOURAGE HIM

The Silencer guy sneaks up on the duo as they’re snooping the files and something cues Hawkeye in to swivel around and fire an electro-stun arrow. Couldn’t have been a sound so lets say air flow?

The electro-stun doesn’t stun the Silencer so him and Hawkeye end up grappling right out the window. Because that’s the kind of life Hawkeye leads.

Luckily the rocket-sled (although he’s changed the name to sky-mobile by this point) was hovering right outside so the two wind up grappling on it as it rockets around the CTE compound.

The two wind up falling off the sky-mobile and onto a smokestack... God, its starting to be like one of those giant chicken fights...

Anyway, the Silencer catches the edge but Hawkeye misses and goes plummeting into a smokestack, hopefully not to find a Spider-Man skeleton.

The Silencer drops his guard to try to figure out how the heck he’s going to get down from here and Hawkeye reemerges, yanking the Silencer down and pulling himself back up.

Not sure if the implication is that Hawkeye killed him. Hawkeye is famously vehemently ‘Avengers don’t kill!’ and the Silencer isn’t confirmed dead but also never shows up again.

Hawkeye summons the sky-sled (the caption changed the name on me again) and rockets back to where he left Mockingbird and in the meantime she’s found all the information they need to find who hired Cross to build the thing.

Hawkeye: “Run into any trouble?”

Mockingbird: “Not really.”

Hah. Apparently she beat up a room full of guards while he was gone. Good on you, Mockingbird.

November, 1983

Beating the ODDS

Pretty neat cover.

Also, pretty neat logo. I didn’t mention it earlier but yeah you have a neat logo, Hawkeye.

Mockingbird and Hawkeye return to her apartment after breaking into Cross Technological last issue.

Something that they may have done well to ponder is whether maybe it wasn’t a safe HQ anymore if that Silencer guy was able to track them there.

What I’m getting at is that there are two more assassins - Oddball and Bombshell - watching from an adjacent rooftop as the heroes head inside.

And then the apartment explodes.

Hawkey and Mockingbird manage to escape the explosion though because Mockingbird never sweeps and noticed footprints in the dust and Hawkeye used a thermite-tipped bomb-sniffing arrow.

... Okay, that gimmick arrow is valid.

Mockingbird watches her apartment burn “in increasingly sullen fascination” for two hours before Hawkeye suggests maybe coming back after everything is cooled down.

Alas, the sky-mobile was destroyed in the explosion. Alas, alas, we barely knew ye and now you’re gone.

Mockingbird has an odd sense of what’s romantic because she decides that her apartment burning down and losing all of her possessions is.

Wow, she’s been friendly and flirty with Hawkeye but she’s downright into the lug. Right during the one period in his life when he wouldn’t enjoy that. How’s that for bad timing?

Also, someone is clearly shipping these two.

Mockingbird has assorted appearances before this miniseries so I wonder who got the idea to throw her together with Hawkeye. I’ve heard rumors that it was to copy the Green Arrow/Black Canary pairing. I don’t know if that’s true or just an assumption.

Anyway, Hawkeye also finds an 8-ball in the wreckage which is odd and a clue because Mockingbird didn’t have one of those.

The two heroes realize that Cross obviously sent more hitmen after them so they got to figure out this plot before they get got.

Mockingbird withdraws the rest of her money from an ATM (only $97. Freelance superheroing just doesn’t pay...) and Hawkeye insists on spending some of that money on some arrows since he’s down to his last one.

Mockingbird: “I thought you needed specially made arrows.”

Hawkeye: “My new modular arrowheads fit on any target arrow... get ‘em at any sporting-goods store.”

This issue is a gift.

And since they now don’t have enough money to take a cab to where they’re going, they get on the subway.

Where in one of those amazingly contrived comic coincidences, Steve Rogers Captain America happens to be riding the same car!

Cap recognizes that Hawkeye is on a mission and offers to drop everything to help him.

You’re a cool guy, Cap.

Hawkeye has concerns.

Hawkeye: Aw, no. Cap is Mr. Avengers himself. I know I’m at the end of my resources, maybe way out of my depth, but if I let Cap in on it, he’ll wind up running the show... and I’ll end up on the sidelines again, just like it was back in the Avengers.

Pride goeth before something, Hawks.

Although, knowing vaguely what I know is soon upcoming, its a very timely time for Hawkeye to worry about running the show.

Hawkeye: “Ah, it’s nothing I can’t handle, old timer. Just the same old bopping the bad guys stuff.”

Cap: “I read you, soldier. Anyway, you know how to reach me if you get in a jam.”

You’re a really cool guy, Cap.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird get off at the next stop and Mockingbird grills Hawkeye about the hunky stranger, recognizing that he was probably in the superhero biz. Adding some context to Hawkeye not wanting Cap involved perhaps. Although its still a lot of dumb pride.

Hawkeye: She meets Cap in his civvies and is bowled over. No wonder I always looked like a piker around him. You know, I never realized how second rate Cap makes me feel. I’ve just go to solve this whole mess on my own. If I don’t, I may never be able to stand on my own two feet.

Anyway, then an 8-ball rolls and bonks into Hawkeye’s feet and he sees one of the assassins lurking around the corner doing him a taunt.

This issue is a gift for out of context panels. I swear.

Hawkeye realizes Oddball is baiting him but also is the exact kind of impulsive person who takes the bait. So he runs off after Oddball.

Oddball is..... apparently a juggling based assassin. Dunno why that’s such a common thing in comics. But here we are. He’s a juggling based assassin.

Hawkeye runs on ahead after Oddball and Mockingbird gets ambushed by a nun as she follows.

Its that kind of book, I guess.

Also, the nun is the other assassin Bombshell.

She’s got a Black Widow style wrist launcher for incendiary charges.

Hawkeye and Oddball get into an archery vs juggling based standoff, yes really, and then Oddball jumps onto a subway train, further luring Hawkeye. Who should really know better but ignores the part of his brain that some call common sense.

Oddball, by the by, is somewhat of an oddball. He’s just giggling and joking his way through this mission to kill an Avenger. He’s definitely following the maxim that if you do what you love, you don’t kill for money a day of your life. Or something.

When he jumps on the train he goes with “We’re having fun now, all rightee! Care for another shot, sport? I’ll match my speed to yours anyday and twice on Sunday. Time’s up, gotta go. Ta-ta!”

Hawkeye jumps onto the back of a departing subway train to keep up the pursuit and you know what, he seems like he’s having a good time too?

Hawkeye: Man, there’s nothing like a good chase to make me feel great about myself again. Wonder if Oddball would consent to be my regular sparring partner? Cap’s got the Red Skull, Iron Man has the Mandarin. Me, I never had anybody all my own.

He must be feeling some chemistry with this dude if he wants to make him his archnemesis after only one fight.

Although after this

Hawkeye decides that Oddball is way too much to be his nemesis. He’s got standards, dammit!

Oddball runs off the train, pursued by archer.

Oddball: “I could pick him off any time I want. I know I can throw faster than he can shoot. But I’m having just plain too much fun to cut it short.”

Sure, guy.

Oddball and Hawkeye wind up having a stand-off in the rafters of the subway station because that’s the kind of guy Oddball is.

Hawkeye manages to pin the guy down with an arrow to his throat but while he’s been chasing an oddball, Mockingbird got her ass kicked by a bombshell.

So a distracted Hawkeye gets knocked out via bomb to the back of the head.

Bombshell catches Hawkeye as he falls from the rafters and Oddball wonders why not just let him die.

Bombshell: “I just got a call from [the boss]. He wants these two birds brought to him to use in some kind of experiment.”

And so the third issue ends with Hawkeye and Mockingbird being carried off to the perpetrators which saves some time but being brought in as prisoners is less than ideal.

Shoulda taken up Steve on his offer, Clint.

December, 1983

“TILL DEATH DO US PART...”

I guess Hawkeye fuckin’ dies.

He sure has a lot of friends but Johnny Storm looks like he’s annoyed that he has to attend. ‘What the heck, I barely knew the guy!’

Anyway, between issues, Oddball and Bombshell have dragged Hawkeye and Mockingbird to a place and strung them up on a thing.

The place is apparently a mortuary.

And they’ve been strung up for hours judging by how their limbs feel.

The man behind it all shows himself and guy knows how to make an impression.

Not necessarily a good one.

The cross shaped codpiece is killing me.

As is Oddball juggling in the background to remind us that he is a juggler.

Crossfire: “I am Crossfire -- master subversive, brainwasher, and entrepreneur.”

Credit where its due, that’s a funny line.

Crossfire: “In the typical fashion of someone who holds all the cards, I’m going to divulge to you more than you will need to know about me and my business...”

I want to question this but he’s too self-aware about how stupid it is. I have no room to operate here.

Here is something I WILL make fun of.

Crossfire’s real name is William Cross. He is related to the guy that founded Cross Technological Enterprises. So them screwing over Hawkeye was like a family activity.

But he’s using Cross in his codename. Like if Hawkeye was instead Bartonman. It’s a choice.

Anyway, Crossfire was a CIA agent but when he realized that his real interest lie in fomenting disorder for profit, he decided him and the CIA weren’t on the same path.

Which. Guy. Dude. Fella. No.

Crossfire also realized that superheroes would eventually get in his way so he decided that his first goal is to eliminate all costumed superheroes.

Moon Knight and the Thing thwarted a prototype over in Marvel Two-in-One #52 but Crossfire managed to get away to refine his plan.

(For bigger)

His plan is pretty ingenious actually.

He’s going to kill Hawkeye. So far so good. Then dump his body in Central Park where it will be easily found.

The Avengers will find out about his death and have a funeral for him. And Crossfire made sure they’ll use Restwell Funeral because it has the best name! But more seriously because its the funeral parlor the superheroes used for Whizzer’s funeral and because Crossfire will make sure every other mortuary is booked.

HE’S PLANNING EVERY ANGLE.

Then at the service, he’ll activate the Undertaker machine which will send a subliminal RAGE signal to all the superheroes and they’ll fight to the death.

Crossfire: “Yes, I fully expect my lovely chapel to be thoroughly demolished. Don’t worry -- insurance will cover it.”

This is such a hilariously mundane concern.

Anyway, probably the whole funeral party won’t kill each other but it’ll thin the numbers, the survivors will forever be traumatized at what they did, and the government will crack down on superheroes.

And as for why he chose Hawkeye?

Crossfire: “I would think it was obvious, Hawkeye. You are the weakest, most vulnerable known costumed crimefighter in town.”

Ouch.

There’s planning to kill a guy as part of a larger scheme to kill all his friends and then there’s just being hurtful.

Further insulting injury? Crossfire is not just going to kill them. He’s going to make Hawkeye and Mockingbird kill each other by testing the Undertaker device on them.

That settles it. This guy is a dick.

The Restwell mortuary has a super sealed room for testing the device. Twelve inch thick concrete and steel walls and a door sealed with electronic lock. It would take even the Hulk some effort and Hawkeye and Mockingbird don’t even have their weapons.

Plus, there’s three cameras watching the room and the Undertaker speakers are hidden and durable.

Alas, Crossfire wouldn’t make a good Bond villain. He’s too not leaving a blatant way out of his death trap out of arrogance.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird get up close with their backs to the camera so they can whisper and make a plan.

Unfortunately, they can’t really think of a plan other than ‘try to resist brainwashing I guess?’

Mockingbird knows some SHIELD techniques and Hawkeye just promises he’ll try really hard to resist.

Hawkeye: “I really don’t want to hurt you. In the last couple days, I’ve actually kind of started, well, liking you.”

Aw.

Aww.

But Crossfire is a dick still and activates THE UNDERTAKER right after they kiss.

They try to resist but yeah that plan wasn’t a plan and wasn’t even a concept. They start fighting to the death. Ironically, Bobbi “I know SHIELD techniques” Morse throws the first kick while Hawkeye is still trying to resist.

And Mockingbird is a lot better at martial arts than Hawkeye whose muscle memory keeps tripping him up into using a bow that he doesn’t actually have.

This issue is a gift.

But yeah, Mockingbird beats the crap out of Hawkeye. Not that he doesn’t get some hits in. He even manages to surprise Crossfire who was heavily betting on Mockingbird to easily trounce his ass.

Also, during the fighting, Mockingbird manages to kick one of the cameras, jarring it so it points at the ceiling.

And then double kicks Hawkeye in the dick.

Oof.

Watching two people fight to the death, Oddball has a question. How long does the brainwashing sound effect last after being turned off?

Crossfire decides hey actually that’s an interesting thought and turns off the machine to see. Plus, for dick reasons, giving them a brief respite will “make their plight all the more poignant.”

What a dick.

The brainwashing ends almost as soon as the sound does and the two heroes stop beating the crap out of each other to be disgusted by what they were doing.

In desperation, Hawkeye finally comes up with a plan.

It’s not a good plan but he had only a couple seconds and its impressive that he has a plan at all in that brief period of lucidity.

Hawkeye huddles into the corner that the jarred camera no longer covers and goes through his spare (mispelled as space for some reason, shrug) arrowheads and finds a hypersonic arrowhead.

And if he puts the arrowhead in his mouth and activates it, it will be really loud and drown out the ultrasound! Also, shooting hypersonic frequencies INSIDE HIS SKULL will probably be bad for his hearing but what can ya do.

Crossfire reactivates THE UNDERTAKER and Hawkeye activates the mouth arrowhead with his tongue. Which feels like a “dull knife lacerating [his] brain” but at least he doesn’t want to murder all the time.

That’s something!

(Also, it’s a neat touch but the EEEEEE of the hypersonic arrowhead covers the NNNN of the ultrasonic signal. Good SFXing.)

With his wits about him, he can actually beat Mockingbird by using his strength advantage, closing in, and not letting her use her fancier jumpy techniques.

After beating the shit out of Mockingbird and feeling like shit for having to do it, Hawkeye tosses her to misalign another camera, and then feigns that he collapses from exhaustion.

Crossfire thinks that there’s no way that Hawkeye could play dead under the effect of the RAGE NOISE so he’s really down. He sends Oddball and Bombshell to retrieve the two heroes to examine.

While being carried like a potato sack, Hawkeye grabs one of Oddball’s odd balls and knocks out the juggler and then bonks Bombshell unconscious as well before she has a chance to react.

Then, he runs to get Crossfire before the guy has a chance to figure out what’s going on.

Except, Crossfire has cameras all over the dang place and knows what happened and decides that Hawkeye is such a resourceful, worthy foe that he deserves to die by irony.

(Hawkeye has no idea what the guy is saying because he can’t hear a thing after sticking a hypersonic arrowhead in his mouth)

Crossfire tries to kill Hawkeye with his own bow but whoops, remember when Hawkeye was flexing on that guy earlier about his bowstring having an absurd draw weight?

Yeah.

The dingus got irony’d by his own ploy at irony.

Hawkeye ties up Crossfire, grabs his bow and arrows because they make him happy, and runs back to check on Mockingbird.

Hawkeye: “Mockingbird -- ? You with me, sweetheart? We won. I beat them. Every last bloody oen of them. Mock -- ?” She’s not breathing. I - I killed her...!

Mockingbird: “Those tears for me, sport? Aw, shucks.”

Even beaten to hell, Mockingbird gonna sass.

And then they kiss. Which strikes me as... not a good time for it? Her face is all bruised up and she’s got a little blood going on. Ah, whatever.

Awww.

An hour later, the police show up to arrest Crossfire, Oddball, and Bombshell. Presumably Mockingbird called them as Clint still cannot hear a single thing.

Which is unfortunate because Mockingbird comes over to talk and Hawkeye is like ‘geez what is she saying right now? I hope it’s not important’ and decides to get out of the conversation ASAP before she finds out he’s gone deaf and gasp pities him!

Mockingbird: “Look, I’m not much of a joiner or anything. But I must admit that the two of us made one heckuva team. I was thinking... maybe we ought to become an item, you know what I mean? After all, you are one of the cutest --”

Hawkeye: “Yeah, well, see you around then.”

Hawkeye, you absolute fool.

THANKFULLY

Thankfully, Mockingbird isn’t the type to just go ‘wow what a jerk’ without going and ripping a person a new asshole, verbally.

So she did do that. She ran after Hawkeye and ripped him a new asshole, verbally, forced him to explain himself, probably rolled her eyes, and then dragged him to get a hearing aid.

And one week later, they’re married and relaxing in a heart-shaped tub!

Wow, they operate fast!

I mean, in fairness, we knew Hawkeye was like that. He’d known Sheila Danning for like a month before he was contemplating marriage. And we can assume Mockingbird was like that too considering she knew Hawkeye like a minute before waggling her eyebrows and insinuating sex at him.

Mockingbird: “You owe me, pal. Sure, you saved my life. But what I’m going to do to your life is more than just a one-shot deal. I’m not just talking about helping you get a hearing aid. Or the blood test, or the license, or even arranging for a quaint little cottage in the woods. I’m talking about the rest of your life, and the difference having me around is going to make in it. Maybe eloping was my idea, but I’m going to see to it that for the rest of your life, you believe that it was the best idea you didn’t quite hear.”

Hawkeye: “I hear you, Mrs. Hawkeye. I hear you.”

Awwww. They’re a cute couple. And I do like their chemistry.

So that was the Hawkeye limited series. And it was pretty good!

It introduces some lasting changes like ‘being deaf’ and ‘being married’ to the character. Of course, because comics, both of those things will come and go. And in some cases come back. Lets enjoy them while they last.

Next time on liveblogging: something a little different.

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I just covered a miniseries. And then I had to redo the fourth issue in just an hour because tumblr didn’t save it. Please reward me. Also, like and reblog if you’d like to reblog.

[3hobbitsinatrenchcoat]

Real Love Myself Hours are at 5AM Apparently

I got tagged by @halogalopaghost and @endae so I guess it’s real love myself hours. (5am is a good time for that, right?)

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 8 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome work!

I’m gonna get really sappy right here in the first half... I was in a huge rut before June this year. Yeah, I made a Whole Entire Hobbit costume... but it’s still lacking a jacket so I’m not gonna count that as finished yet. BUT... in June I watched Gravity Falls and fell into the fandom so hard I think my head is still spinning. To date I have written 22 works on AO3 (to the tune of over 79k words), plus my 50k+ unfinished NaNo project, and drawn more in the past two months than I have in the past two years.

And it’s all thanks to Gravity Falls and the wonderful people I have met through this fandom. ANYWAY *cracks knuckles* here’s my 8 top hits of 2020 (and boy was it hard to pick.

1. Age is Just a Number and Gender an Illusion This one takes the first spot because it’s the first fic that I wrote in the Gravity Falls Universe. I was just looking for fics where the main characters were enby and there weren’t a lot of Stan. So I made one of my own. There are a lot of inconsistencies with this fic because I was still getting a feel for the universe, but I still love it a lot.

2. A Small and Trusting Thing I wrote most of this in a insomniac fever dream on my phone at like... 3am. And then the image of Mabel floating in front of the open black maw of the portal wouldn’t leave me alone so I drew it. This takes such a high ranking because... it’s the first legitimate art that I made in well over 3 years. I hadn’t regularly drawn anything since I kinda... dropped out of The Hobbit Fandom, so this was a huge accomplishment for me.

3. Soosly 2020 Entries Ok, so this is kind of a cheat but I honestly couldn’t pick just one. Soon after I rejoined tumblr (after being functionally gone since 2016), I discovered Soosly and... well... I had to celebrate my favorite lad. Of these four works... “There’s Wisdom in the Delicate Art of Punching” and “A Real Family Man” are my two favorites. I feel like I really got the tone of Stan and Soos’s son-ployee relationship down in those two pieces and I... I’m just so soft for them, yall.

4.The Invitation Another thing I did as soon as I returned to Tumblr was create an AU because that’s what all the cool kids seemed to be doing. XD So I came up with my Professor Stan AU... and promptly wrote nearly 10k of utter chaos. I love my little robot dino mayhem disaster with all my heart.

5. Packing Heat This is still one of the silliest, plotless little bits of domestic mystery trio nonsense I have ever written. It requires minor knowledge of gender affirming devices but like... what’s funnier than yeeting your gross homemade ding dong at someone who is vexing you? Nothing. That’s what.

6. how do I feel by the end of the day I said I was gonna do it and by golly I did it... to the tune of 14k words. So far this is my longest FINISHED fanfic of all time and I couldn’t be prouder of it. It was a wonderful chance to examine all of Stan’s years on the road and write about his family caring for him.

7. Imposter Bill Cipher We’re getting into the art now and there’s... not much yet, I hope next year there will be more. But this dumb Among Us Bill Cipher is kinda... I love him. He’s shaped like a potato. A murderous potato with homicide on the brain.

8. No thoughts, head empty. Just a girl and her pig. I drew this as a reaction to being told my art was getting better. And. Yeah. With this drawing I started to see it. I love Waddles’ lil cheek squish, I drew my favorite Mabel sweater, I drew a hand I didn’t immediately hate. I... somehow got 400+ notes which hasn’t happened on anything original of mine since I made that stupid Forcibly Escorted meme format post about the One Ring. XD I hope to improve more this coming year... but for now this simple art of a girl and her pig serves to remind me that I CAN do it. And that means a lot to me.

Honorary mentions: This Hand and What it is Attached To I refuse to link the actual image because tumblr nerfed it the first time, but it’s the best Stan I have ever drawn. In a similar vein... all the smut that I have written this year also goes in honorary mention. I like all of it too much to pick a favorite.

Thank you so much for tagging me in this, it was a wonderful walk down memory lane. I’m always weird about tagging people in stuff like this but... @avi17 and @singing-sorrowless, you were the two people that immediately came to mind. You don’t have to do it, but I wanted to tag you just in case you wanted to. ^^

[mollymauk-teafleak]

“there’s something on your shirt. you – that’s blood!” + Vaxilmore

I kind of feel like we wrote this together with how much you helped me with the campaign 1 crash course :,) 

Also on Ao3 if anyone would like to leave a comment! 

---------

Shaun Gilmore looked like a man who enjoyed noise.

He looked like a man made for excess, for festive music and loud, wine fuelled laughter, for company high on fine food and dancing and whatever else they cared to bring to a party. With his embroidered edges and dripping gold jewellery, he would never strike anyone as someone to enjoy the silence after the end of a long day.

And there were some places where Shaun Geddmore and Shaun Gilmore blurred, where he couldn’t remember which likes and dislikes, what features of his personality he'd carried since birth and which had been carefully woven into the costume he’d worn to find success in Tal Dorei.

But this wasn’t one of them.

Shaun did like quiet. He liked his own company, he liked peace and silence, the ache in his muscles and clinging scent not unlike burning that came with a job well done and a lot of magic expended. He was content now, as he retired for the night in the evening stillness, locking the chamber door of the house he kept in Whitestone with full intention to not speak to another soul until the sun came up.

His work with Allura on the city defences was rewarding, a way to put his skills to a loftier use than selling trinkets and making the lives of common folk easier. Here, he was defending them. He was protecting people. It was just so exhausting.

He took a long, indulgent bath, though so much of him just wanted to collapse into bed and sleep away the brain fog. He knew the soak, the warm water, the scent of the herbs and spiced oils that always reminded him of Marquet, would do him better in the end. He made himself take his time as he took out all of the clasps in his hair and beard, combing the thick, black curls through, as he cleaned the salt of the day from his face. So it was nearly midnight by the time he wrapped himself in a silk robe and padded to the canopied bed but he certainly felt fresher and more relaxed.

A few pages of his book and then a generous handful of hours to sleep. Shaun chuckled to himself as he slid under the blankets, imagining what his love would say if he could see him. Most likely he’d be teased at how pampered he’d grown, at how one day of hard work could leave him so tired when he spent all his time tramping through gods only knew where, sleeping on the hard ground and living by his blade. Facing unknown foes every single day and now this business with the dragons, risking death in countless ways-

Shaun forced himself to stop, closing his eyes, fingers gripping his book tight enough that there would be indents left by his nails when he eventually let go.

You cannot help him by worrying he told himself with the weary sternness of a parent who’d told their child not to climb that tree a million times only to find them amongst the leaves again, you’ll only make him feel guilty when he returns.

When. Because his little bird would always fly home to him, every time, he promised whenever they had to part. And one day it would all be over and he could finally put a ring on his finger and he would never have to worry about where Vax’ildan was ever again.

Shaun had to believe that.

He made himself focus on his book, lighting the candle by his bedside with a wave of his hand, extinguishing the ones in the adjoining bathroom in the same gesture. And after a while, the tension eased and he could let go of his worries. Though his fingers still itched for the feel of soft, dark hair under them, his chest wouldn’t have felt so hollow if it had the gentle weight of a head pillowed on it.

Dawn would have found him slumped back against the pillows, glasses slipping off his nose and book slipped onto the floor if it hadn’t happened.

The magic had an unfamiliar, unpleasant scent, not unlike the dank, wet earth smell of a grave. That grabbed Shaun first, had him nearly up and on his feet, power crackling in his palm, before the sudden flash of energy even engulfed the room. He braced himself, muscles taut and face lined in cold concentration, ready for the attack.

But the flash faded, dissipating from the room like smoke, a powerful but uncontrolled moment in time, gone as fast as it had appeared.

And there was a new weight in the bed beside him.

“Vax’ildan?” Shaun cried in a strange mix of relief and horror.

His love was curled in a tight ball, still in that awful rank armour of his. His black hair had fallen across his face but what skin showed between the fronds was ashen and he trembled softly all over. Mud and ash and grime smeared Shaun’s silen sheets where it met his body.

Something was very wrong.

“Vax’ildan,” there was only urgency in his voice now, “Vax, speak to me. You’re safe, you’re here with me, it’s all okay…”

“Shaun?” his voice was a strained whisper, sounding strangely vague and disconnected like it didn’t come from him at all.

Having to fight to keep his calm, Shaun touched his shoulder gently and rolled him, wanting to see his face.

“Vax? Little bird, it’s me, you...what...there’s something on you, what- oh gods, that’s blood.”

All questions fled to the back of his mind. There was a large, dark stain of it spreading across his middle, soaking the padded shirt he wore beneath the armour. Shaun wished feverishly that it was someone else’s, a thought he’d feel guilty for later, but when he pressed gently, more welled up and Vax’s breathing turned shaky and pained.

“Oh Vax, my love, what happened?”

He asked but didn’t expect an answer, nor did he wait for one. He ripped away the light, leather plate, letting it fall carelessly to the floor, not stopping until the half elf was down to his undershirt. That went too, so he could see the wound. Small, nothing that wouldn’t heal in time, but he still found it so hard to look at, that ragged hole against the pale skin, where he’d placed who knew how many kisses.

“There was an arrow…” Vax mumbled vaguely, very out of it, “Must have left it behind…”

“What?” Shaun didn’t understand, he just jumped up and dived for the small medicine kit he kept amongst his travel bags, coming up with rages, bandages and a salve, summoning a bowl of clean water. He wasn’t as skilled a healer as some but he’d been around long enough to know how important it was to learn the basics.

Vax hissed and moaned through the process, the cleaning and the binding, the wound may not be fatal but it certainly was painful and it would only get more so as it healed. If it healed. If it didn’t get infected. Stop that.

It was only when the wound was securely bound and the herbs were doing their numbing work that Vax found his voice again, as his fingers groped blindly for Shaun’s. Even though there was a bowl of dirty water, bloody rags and armour that reeked of death waiting to be cleared away, Shaun clutched them tight and knelt by his side, not realising until he did so just how much he’d needed it.

“Sorry,” Vex exhaled weakly, “Didn’t mean to drop in on you like this.”

“But how?” Saun shook his head, trying to reconcile it with his own knowledge of magic and coming up with only one, seemingly impossible anwer, “Vax, was that a teleportation spell?”

“Was it?” Vax murmured, still a little vague, “I’m still getting used to all this…guess it could have been, it’s not like she gave me an instruction manual…”

Shaun felt a cold hand grip his insides. He didn’t have to ask who she was. Just another thing he’d been folding away, admonishing himself for thinking about.

It would be okay. Vax had promised. He had to believe that.

“We were on the way to Draconia...got jumped on the road, didn’t even see their faces. If it was just fucking high road bandits I’m going to be so pissed…”

“What? Getting yourself here all the way from Draconia...Vax, easy, try to focus. Slow breaths, that's it…” Shaun squeezed the slender, callused fingers held in his own, “You were attacked? Were you with the others?”

“Uh huh,” Vax tried to take deep breaths, wincing when it moved some clearly bruised ribs, “Was. But then I saw the arrow coming. Right at me, was going to bury itself right in my guts. Ever seen someone die like that? Slow. Messy. Your own poison leaking into you, no way to stop it…”

“Vax,” Shaun hoped his love was too out of it to hear the break in his voice, “You’re not going to die, it didn’t go deep enough.”

“No,” Vax managed a rough laugh, though it cost him another groan, “Because I left. I saw my own death coming...for the second time, I mean...and…”

“And?” Shaun prompted, his vision starting to swim.

“And all I wanted was to be with you. If I was going to die and it was gonna stick this time then...all I wanted was to see you. And I guess the random magic kicking around in me took that as a request.”

Shaun felt his throat tighten and all he could do for a moment was press Vax’s hand to his lips, his turn to tremble.

“Can you send a message to them?” Vax mumbled, “Stubby, she’ll be out of her mind. We were so close...”

“I will,” Shaun nodded, clearing his throat, “Of course. I’ll bring them here once I’m strong enough, Pike at least, so she can heal you. And then...then you’ll be back out there before you know it.”

He made the words leave his mouth, when everything else in him wanted to beg him to stay. To never leave the safety of Shaun’s arms, to leave the rest of the world to its dragons and it’s apocalypses, let the gods have their games, and just be his. As selfish as it was, Shaun would have given so much just to have the chance to say it and thus make it true.

Eventually the adrenaline leeched out of Vax and he slipped into sleep, no sign of it other than his breathing levelling out and his hands going slack in Shaun’s grip. He didn’t want to leave him sleeping in dirty sheets, still in his mud splattered boots and trousers, but the rest was what he needed now. There would be time in the morning.

He didn’t move from Vax’s side until he was sure he was fully asleep and wouldn’t miss him. Only then did he stand to send the message, over by the window. Before he summoned the strength from his frayed nerves, he looked out over Whitestone, at the shimmering transparent barrier that crowned the city, only visible when you looked through it and noticed the stars were swimming slightly. Or perhaps it was the tears in his eyes.

He’d built that barrier, he and Allura, to protect the city and every soul within it.

It seemed that Shaun Gilmore could protect everyone but the person he loved the most.

[kykyonthemoon]

(So I like this event so much that I wrote a fic for it uwu)

Masterlist: x

Orange Juice

One afternoon when there was a dance event at Cassell College...

“Why are you making so many bottles of orange juice, KyKy?” Cery asked her roommate – who just filled the kitchen with fresh orange fragrance.

“Well, because it’s hot, and I want something nice to drink...” KyKy tried to avoid eye contact with her friend. But Cery already knew what she was thinking.

“Oh, just that?” Cery chuckled. “It must be nice to have a bottle of juice after dancing all day in this kind of weather, don’t you think?”

“Mmh-hmm.” KyKy continue bottling the drink. She even decorated each bottle with adorable cat stickers. But there was one that had the most stickers on.

“I know who you’re making drinks for. Just admit it! You only use these cute stickers for people you like!”

A faint blush was caught on KyKy’s face. “What are you talking about? I’m making this for... my friends, of course!”

“Your friends, including me, right?”

“No, because you’re teasing me.”

“C’mon!” Cery pouted. “Just two bottles, please? I won’t tell the whole college that you made these for Chi—”

“Alright!” KyKy’s face became bright red. She quickly took two bottles of orange juice on the table and gave it to Cery. “Here. Better to drink while it’s still cool. And better to drink with someone.”

Cery held the bottles and winked, “You know me well. Thanks!” And with that, she went off to share the drink with her crush.

***

KyKy took the drinks she made to the campus, where the dance party was happening. It was crowded with people, dressing in nice costumes and dancing despite the hot weather. Summer was here, and everyone was in a great mood now that exams were all over.

The bag KyKy carried with her felt lighter every time a bottle was gone. She gave the drinks to her seniors and friends; Caesar, NoNo, Luminous, Finger,... Even EVA wanted one though she could not drink. Among the crowd she saw the pinkish head of her roommate Cery – standing somewhere near the lake and handing a bottle of juice to Johann.

Participating in the event at Cassell were special guests from Japan as well – Chisei and Chime Gen, and Erii Uesegi. Caesar insisted on having them for a dance off. They gathered lots of attention from the student at Cassell, of course; to the point that Caesar jokingly regretted inviting them.

Having known them from her previous missions in Japan, KyKy felt happy that they came to Cassell for the party. Erii complimented on her drink and asked if she could have another bottle. But it was harder to meet Erii’s brothers. They were always surrounded by a group of girls and KyKy found no chance to talk to them alone.

“What are you having there, KyKy?” Chisei Gen spotted her standing under a porch.

“Ah, it’s something I made for you guys.” The girl smiled at him. There were only two bottles of orange juice left in her bag. She took one out and handed it to Chisei.

“Orange juice? Just what I need right now. Thanks!”

Chisei gratefully took the bottle from KyKy’s hand. His eyes fell on the last bottle in her bag. “I assume this one was for Chime?”

KyKy hid her blush with a bright smile and a nod, though it felt quite sad saying so. “Yes. But I think he doesn’t need it anymore.”

Her gaze drifted to the open yard filled with twilight, where Chime was still standing among a group of ladies. They were talking very loudly. Some of them even gave him drinks and tissues. He took them all with a smile.

“He looks helpless there.” Chisei made a big grin. Then, he turned to KyKy and said, “Chime could never turn down his fans, you see.”

“Kazama is indeed popular.” KyKy commented. After all, he was the idol Ruri Kazama - one who was loved by many in Japan.

“You should give the drink to him by yourself, KyKy.” Chisei spoke after talking a sip of the orange juice.

“Huh?”

“Well, I think this drink is very good. It’s different from the usual orange juice I drink. My brother would like it a lot.” Chisei grinned again.

“Thank you,” said KyKy with a sheepish smile. She started learning cooking when she came to Japan for the first time, and met a ramen master. He told her to put her heart into every dish she made. That was the best ingredient a chef could have. So she followed his advice and place her feelings into these bottles of juice as well.

“Come on. Have some confidence!” Chisei nudged her in the arm. “This morning he kept asking me if he looked good enough to see you.”

KyKy’s heart skipped a beat when hearing so. Her mind tried to deny it but her heart already believed in what Chisei had just said.

“So don’t be shy, okay? Maybe it’s your drink that he’s been waiting for.”

***

Chime Gen watched his brother and the girl from afar. They talked. She gave him a drink and he laughed. She seemed to be blushing. A strange emotion stirred up inside him that he could not explain.

They looked happy without him.

It felt like he was left alone among the crowd that he did not even know. Chime wanted his brother having a good time, and KyKy too. But seeing the two of them together, without him; somehow he became vexed. He could not pay attention to the conversation with the girls from Cassell anymore. His gaze kept wandering off to that porch where there were his brother and the girl whom he was looking for that whole day.

Eventually, Chime found his way out of the crowd. But both his brother and KyKy had left.

It was late afternoon and he could see the evening drawing near by the horizon. Chime sat down all alone. He enjoyed this quiet atmosphere. The crowd was gone, to another location where they would put up a big camp fire for the night. His brother and KyKy must have joined them too.

They had left without him.

This was the feeling he felt when he was a little. It was not only jealousy. It was also self-pity. Chisei was always perfect, while he was just plain. Despite being an idol, Chime still thought that he could never compare to his brother, in every way. Needless to say, KyKy would like his brother more, wouldn’t she?

“There you are.”

A soft, adorable voice that was familiar to his ears was heard. Chime turned around and to his surprise, it was the one he wanted to see the most.

“I thought you had left. To the camp fire. Lucky me, you’re still here.”

“KyKy. Why are you here?”

“I... have been looking for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes... May I sit with you?”

Chime, still in surprise, nodded and moved aside. KyKy sat down next to him. She took out something. It was a bottle of drink, but only half-filled.

“I wanted to give you some orange juice I made... But there were so many people around you... and I got shy... Then Luminous said that the vending machine in our campus was broken, again.” She suddenly lowered her voice and spoke so fast. “And-I-gave-him-the-bottle-which-was-supposed-to-be-given-to-you.”

“That’s alright.” Chime smiled at her.

“I... went back to my dorm and made another bottle for you. But I ran out of oranges... So I could only make half a bottle...”

Chime noticed how tight KyKy was holding onto the bottle of juice. He could not help but smile.

“It’s full to me.”

“Huh?”

Chime placed a finger on the bottom half of bottle, feeling the coolness playing with his fingertip. “This part is filled with the drink.” Then his finger traced up all the way to the bottle cap. “This part is filled with your care and effort. So the bottle is full to me.”

KyKy was speechless. She blamed the summer heat that made her cheeks feel like burning. Chime found that expression of hers was cute. He struggled to hold back the sudden urge to touch her face.

“So, would you still want me to have it?”

“Of... Of course!”

KyKy beamed as she handed the bottle to Chime. He opened it and took a sip, letting the cool drink refresh his body and mind. He no longer felt so miserable like just a moment before, when she was not here.

“How is it?” KyKy asked softly.

“It’s the best drink I’ve tasted.”

“You’re teasing me again, Kazama!” KyKy turned away. It would be embarrassing to let Chime see her all fluttered because of his words.

“I’m not. I was worried that you hadn’t made one for me.”

“Oh... But I thought that you wouldn’t need my drink... Since you had so many...”

Chime’s frown soon turned into a warm smile. “So that’s why you didn’t come to see me earlier?”

KyKy nodded. “I know, it’s kinda stupid... But I was a little upset that there were so many people around you...”

Now it was Chime’s turn to blame the summer heat. His face glowed in red and he found it so hard to keep eye contact with the girl next to him. Her eyes were always like a sky of stars, especially when they gazed upon his.

“Emm... It’s not stupid at all...” He whispered, hopefully she would never find out how silly he was just that morning. He literally tried on all the outfits he brought with him and made Chisei choose the best one; because he wanted to look best when he saw her again at the event.

A moment of awkward silence fell upon the two as they both wanted to hide the fact that they were seeking for this moment of being together all day long. Then, they decided to break the silence and spoke at the same time.

“Would you make me a drink tomorrow?”

“Can I make you a drink tomorrow?”

The two stared at each other for a beat, and then they laughed. It was awkward, and silly. But they did enjoy the moment very much.

“Please do.” Chime said. “Please make drinks for me.”

“I will.”

“I want to ask you something too. There will be a dance off tomorrow. Who are you going to cheer for?”

“Your team, of course!”

KyKy gave him a firm nod; her eyes were shining when she bet on him without a moment of hesitation. And Chime thought, it was not about win or lose, it was her being there for him that all mattered.  

-The end-

[7deadlycinderellas]

I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry 3/4

AO3 link

When Arya had last seen Sansa, she had been thirteen years old and full of giggles and sunshine.

She still exuded sunshine, but there were far fewer giggles. She had sprouted up during adolescence, her height making her look all the more regal. The gown she wore was a pale blue silk adorned in gold. It wasn’t as extreme as some of the southern gowns Arya had seen- it wouldn’t scandalize anyone at Winterfell- but Arya couldn’t help but wonder if she was cold.

She seems comfortable enough at supper though, even if Arya swears she can feel her eyes burning into the back of her head.

Margaery is beautiful and friendly, and the kind of woman who always has eyes on her. She is near exactly how Sansa described her in her letters.

It’s after supper, when Sansa corners Arya and asks if they could talk alone. Arya nods and the two make their way to the little solar down the hall from the children’s bedchambers.

When they shut the door behind them Arya turns and asks,

“OK, what do you want?”

Sansa looks offended.

“Can’t I want to privately catch up with my little sister?”

Arya raises an eyebrow. When Sansa’s face remains earnest, she sighs.

“Sorry, I guess I forget how long it’s really been.”

Sansa pokes her on the cheek, and then produces from her waist pocket a piece of cloth wrapping four lemon cakes.

While they’re munching on them, Sansa interrogates her.

When Arya tells her about having met Gendry on the street of steel well before knowing he was any sort of noble, Sansa practically squeals.

“That sounds so like you,” she insists, “Sneaking off and getting in trouble. But finding a bastard prince that way? It’s straight out of a song.”

Arya groans.

“I didn’t know any of that when I met him. He was just a smith and I was just a pest to him. “

Sansa raises an eyebrow.

“And now?”

Arya turns red.

Her embarrassment is interrupted by the door opening and Gendry entering, wide-eyed and frentic.

“Is that other woman you came here with-”

Arya rolls her eyes.

“Margaery Tyrell, you have to try harder to remember.”

“Whatever. She’s staying in the guest house, not near here right?”

Both of Arya’s eyebrows are raised. Gendry sits in one of the unused chairs.

“Cornered me after you left, plied me with questions. She’s terrifying.”

Arya snorts. Margaery looks like she’s studied and practiced every bit of the art of flattery and charm on high born men. No wonder she frightens Gendry.

Sansa laughs softly, and Arya reaches across to rub Gendry’s hand soothingly. She then notices Sansa go stiff, and remembers her insisting that they talk alone.

“I’ll apologize for my friend’s behavior. Southern ladies can be very different from us demure northerners, and the Tyrells are nothing if not ambitious.”

The nature of Sansa’s comment enters Arya’s mind and she feels her stomach twisting. Margaery did indeed seem very forward, and to Arya’s knowledge was still unwed. She spares Gendry a glance, he’s pale and jumpy and she feels a rush of affection. She doesn’t think she needs to fear.

Sansa coughs, and Arya squeezes Gendry’s hand reassuringly.

“I think we’ll head off to be, I’m sure you’ll be safe from her here,” Arya assures him, standing and leading Sansa off so that they’re alone again.

Once they’re in her room, Arya turns to Sansa again. They’re sitting on the end of her bed, and Sansa’s idly digging her fingers into the plush of the fur.

“Okay, what’s on your mind. I could tell there was something up just from your letters.”

Sansa frowns, and looks away. When she speaks, she does not answer the question.

“Your Gendry is quite handsome…”

Arya snorts.

“Don’t tell him, he’ll get a swelled head.”

She’s deflecting, but Sansa is not vexed.

“You like him, that much is easy to see-”

Her voice changes.

“But do you desire him?”

The question takes Arya aback, and she doesn’t know how to respond at first. With the back of her neck pink, she tries not to think of the strange feeling that’s come to sit in her gut whenever she thinks of her marriage, or of the dreams that have begun coming to her after they spend the day together, just talking and laughing.

“I-” Arya’s voice falters, “I don’t know, truly. I’m not sure what desire really feels like? But, when we’re alone, I do wonder what it would be like if he touched me sometimes. I want to know what it would be like.”

Sansa smiles grimly, but doesn’t speak. Arya interrupts her silence.

“Sansa, do you still want to marry Willas?”

Sansa sighs deeply, tucking her knees up under her chin, no easy feat with her voluminous skirt.

“Willas is wonderful. He’s courteous and kind. He’s always interested in what I’m talking about, and I’ve never heard him have an unkind word about anyone. I could spend every day of the rest of my life in his company and be perfectly content. I could probably come to love him, as Mother often speaks of how she came to love Father. But-”

Sansa bites her lip.

“I don’t want him, not as a woman wants a man.”

Arya is confused. True, Sansa had never spoken about lust or desire being involved in her vision of marrying a perfect man, but this is still an odd confession.

“Do you know, Sansa? How it feels? Otherwise, how would you know?”

Sansa presses her chin to her knees and wraps her arms around her shins.

“Yes. I have felt desire. But not for a man.”

Arya’s brain is spinning. She’s heard some about things of this sort, but always in places she wasn’t supposed to be listening. She thinks of what Sansa’s told her before.

“...Margaery?”

Sansa’s nod is so tiny Arya barely notices. When she speaks, her voice is mouse-like.

“When I first got to Highgarden, she was incredibly gracious. She’s Mace’s only daughter, but the whole keep was full of her cousins and daughters of other minor houses from the Reach. I think she realized that with the age difference between Willas and I that I might feel...alienated. “

“She taught me to ride better, took me through nearly every inch of the lands surrounding the estate. She helped me prepare for every ball and every masquerade. She was always surrounded by other girls, but she always made time for just us as well.”

Sansa’s voice has become clipped, as though she is short of breath.

“It was last year, when she was helping me with my costumes for the harvest masquerade. One minute she was helping me fix my hair so it would fit under my mask...the next we were kissing. I’m still not sure which of us started it.”

Sansa’s rubbing her wrists, seemingly unconsciously.

“I remember it started with her hands on the back of my neck...I never knew a person’s neck could be so sensitive…”

Arya’s words have frozen in her throat, so she just lets Sansa talk for a bit. Sansa’s gaze has gone off into corners.

“Her grandmother sent her with me because she’s trying to convince her to go against her father’s advice and seek a betrothal with Robb.”

Arya cocks her head when she responds.

“Do you think she will?”

Sansa sighs deeply, squeezing her knees as if trying to make herself as small as possible.

“I don’t know. It’s so hard sometimes to know what Margaery wants for real. She wears the mask better than anyone else I’ve ever met. When we’re alone...it seems like she wants me then, but it’s so hard to tell otherwise. She’s been being molded for this her whole life, more than we ever were.  I’ve seen her charm men as old as our father, and never break, not once. But if she marries Robb, she’ll come to stay at Winterfell and I’ll hardly ever get to see her again…”

Arya is at a loss for words.

“What are you going to do?”

Sansa sighs again.

“Mace Tyrell’s plan was to wed her to Renly Baratheon. She would still leave Highgarden, but Storm’s End is so much closer...and I feel like Renly would understand my pain a bit more.”

Arya crinkles her brow.

“What do you mean by that?”

Sansa snorts softly.

“Renly has often been a guest at Highgarden, but he is not enamored of Margaery. He seems to prefer her brother Loras.”

Arya snorts in response.

“Oh you seem to have found yourself in a mess Sansa,” she says, trying to sound sympathetic. She then rights her face and goes more serious, “You should tell Margaery how you feel. Whatever she does after that, at least you can say you’ve done your part.”

Arya quiets after that, her mind going through far too many things at once.

“Have-” her voice catches again, “Have you ever done more than kiss her?”

She doesn’t even have to look at Sansa to know both of their faces are glowing red. At some point, they’ve both flopped back against the furs on her bed, and she can’t even make herself look at her.

When Sansa breaks her silence, it’s with the same small voice from earlier.

“Quite a bit. Nothing that would- I’m not even sure there’s anything she could do to me to make people question my maidenhead.”

Arya’s shocked, not some much at what she’d done, but what she’d admitted. She still can’t look at her when she asks,

“Any advice?”

Sansa giggles, and they talk into the night. Sansa falls asleep at the end of her sister’s bed for the first time in forever, to the great confusion of the maid who’d been sent to look for her come morning.

The last moons leading up to the wedding are full of all kinds of things Arya dislikes. Seating plans, formal invitation writing, decorations.

And sewing, so much sewing.

“I still don’t see why we need to put so much work into a gown I’m only going to wear once,” Arya complains, when Catelyn accidentally sticks her with a pin.

“You’re soon to be named a princess, Arya, and possibly a future queen.” she chides, “People will expect you to be presented as best as possible.”

“Besides,” Sansa interjects, holding up multiple different colors of embroidery thread against the fabric, “This is the day everyone gets to come and admire you before you have to start the real work. This is the day you should put all of the fuss in, you can be practical every other day.”

Of course Sansa would think of that as a positive, so Arya bites her tongue.

She does refuse the gown being made of the fine silk Sansa had returned with from the south.

“It’s far too cold to wear silk,” she insists, “And the wool is produced here in the north.”

Regardless of marriage conventions, Arya knows she will never stop being a Stark.

In fact, winter is clearly creeping up upon Winterfell. The snow falls heavier and the wind nips and bites at more every day.

Gendry’s blood still hasn’t caught up to the north, and every minute he has to spend outside results in shivering and muttering under his breath. His annoyance makes Arya smile and tugs at her chest in a way she doesn’t understand.  

She tries, desperately, to sneak a snowball down the back of his shirt, but alas, he is too tall.

They eventually finish her gown, white lambswool with silvery-gray embroidery, and her cloak, heavy and lined with rabbit fur. They sit in her chambers, existing in the moment only to be stared at.

A moon’s turn before the ceremony, Arya goes to meet Gendry in the forge, and he scampers to cover something up.

She makes a face.

“What?”

Gendry frowns, sheepish.

“It’s not finished yet.”

She noses around a bit more, but Gendry won’t budge.

Two weeks before, one of the guards calls a party approaching from the Kingsroad. Arya feels her laughter spring into life when she recognizes who it must be.

Ned is older, more lined, with more gray in his hair. The years in the capital have taken their toll. But when his daughter, seven and ten and all arms and legs, flings herself at him, grinning, he is as young as he has ever been.

At supper the night he returns, Ned passes a scroll bearing the royal seal across the table to Gendry.

“This is the official decree,” he tells him, “As of the day of it’s writing, you are Gendry Baratheon.”

Arya sees Gendry go very red from across the table, and takes the chance to ask Ned.

“What are they going to do about the queen and her children?”

Ned sighs, and takes a sip of his ale.

“I think I managed to talk him into just exiling the children to Casterly Rock. They have done no wrong-”

Well, the younger two have done no wrong, Arya thinks spitefully.

“But Cersei’s fate is entirely up to him. Even if I was there right now, I don’t think I could stop the blood from flowing.”

Especially with the rumors about the Queen and her brother, that he fought so hard to keep from the King’s ears. He hopes his absence will at least allow a long enough time for the bodies to stop falling. He’s watched for far too long as the man who was once a dear friend be seduced by bloodlust and paranoia.

Gendry manages to excuse himself from the table early, and Arya stares after him.

Bran elbows her.

“You don’t have to try and be so sneaky, he’s just going to work on your wedding present.”

Arya squints at him.

“How do you know that?”

Bran shrugs.

“People say all kinds of things in front of me now. It’s like they think I’m a piece of furniture.”

“Gendry does not treat you like a piece of furniture.”

Bran exhales roughly.

“No, he doesn’t. But he does talk quite a bit about you to family members who aren’t you.”

Bran can’t walk off and leave her confused like he clearly wants to, but he doesn’t say anything else all the same.

Winterfell fills up with both guests and the huge numbers of staff that a lordly wedding requires. The crowds and fires do a great job at keeping the chill away. Things keep piling up and it hits Arya that she’s exactly a week away from being married, and somehow it’s not that, but the beyond that frightens her more.

But it’s a week before that she explodes with joy when the raven arrives with the news she’s spent so long hoping for.

She skips down to the forge where she knows Gendry is. He hastily tucks what he’s working on under a cloth before turning to find out why she’s bouncing off the walls.

He doesn’t even have to ask.

“The Night Watch gave Jon leave,” she tells him excitedly, nearly out of breath, “He’s going to be able to be here for the wedding.”

Gendry smiles. He’s never met Jon, but he can feel Arya’s joy radiating off her. And he knows the way she’s spoken of him over the years, that she still steadfastly calls him her favorite brother, still talks about how much she misses him.

It’s after a long moment, that Gendry realizes she’s still staring expectantly at the bundle on his workbench. He sighs.

“I suppose it’s close enough that I can show you,” he starts, rubbing it with the cloth a bit, “It’s not like I can give it to you in front of your mother anyway.”

Arya cocks her head in curiosity when he pulls back the cloth.

“Oh,” she exclaims, reaching out with one hand to touch the shining metal.

“I know how attached you are to Needle,” Gendry assures her, thinking about what she said about Jon, “But Arya, it’s basically a toy in your hands now. You need something with more heft.”

He reaches and guides her fingers over the design on the grip.

“I did have Bran give me a drawing of how Needle looked though, so I could make it as close as possible.”

Arya is touched, so touched she feels her eyes grow wet. She blinks rapidly to make the tears disperse, and wipes her face with the back of her hand. She can already hear her mother and her septa’s scolding voices going on about princesses not being supposed to carry swords, but right now, right here, in this dirty forge with her intended, not one bit of that matters.

She looks at Gendry’s face, so hopeful. She’s certain that he would never once ask her to stop playing with swords, or befriending the smallfolk, or speaking her mind. In fact, he seemed to welcome these things.

Gendry’s still looking at her expectantly, but his eyes turn a bit shocked when she sets the sword aside and reaches one hand out and gently shoves him until he’s sitting on the bench, his face now nearly at level with hers.

“I love it,” she whispers, voice feeling strangely breathy, “Thank you.”

They’re so close together that Arya’s next move is easy. She’s never kissed anyone before, not for real anyway. Even when she might have had a glimmer of curiosity with one of her male friends from the village, she never said anything. Most might have refused out of fear of getting in trouble for kissing a Lord’s daughter, but Arya suspects some of the others might have refused, then laughed at her, then stopped being her friend. She had never wanted to risk it.

But now? Arya would have admitted for years that she liked Gendry. Affection was something she knew and understood. But desire, what Sansa had asked her about, was something foreign, something she didn’t quite understand.

She wants to kiss him, she wants to know what his skin feels like against hers. Wants to know if that soft scent of skin and soot will stick to her.

She leans forward and closes the gap between them.

Gendry’s lips are softer than she expected. She feels the brush of his stubble against her chin, and that draws a sound from her that she didn’t even realize she knew how to make. Arya’s hands grip the edge of his wool tunic. He reaches up and brushes the back of her neck before running his fingers through her hair and she makes another vaguely embarrassing noise. Turns out Sansa was right about the neck thing.

Eventually, they have to stop to breathe. Arya studies Gendry’s face, her heart skipping a beat when he starts to grin.

Then he sneaks one more kiss to the corner of her mouth, grins even wider and whispers, “Told you you wanted a piece of this,” completely ruining the moment.

Arya rolls her eyes, shoves him back onto the bench and stands up.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she yells over her shoulder. The sword is still on top of his bench.

She’ll find a way to sneak it inside tomorrow.