#i need to write the next installment asap

[jekacatrina]

hi i was re reading here here (again, for abt the bazillion time) and now im losing it jeka what have you done i was on a high from all the encouragement from shouto all might and literally everyone, and and the confession happened AND IM NOT OKAY you did not pull your punches with that scene cause when THAT happened, i felt like someone bitch slapped ME like wtf WHY im so unwell, im shaking hold me still pls, like i need to go on a walk to calm myself its not that serious BUT IT IS, WDYM, IM NOT MAD AT DEKU BUT BB WHAT DID YOU DO(TBF I WOULD BE THE SAME IF NOT WORSE, IF I WERE IN HIS PLACE BUT WHAT) have i told you just how much i loved your writing because fr, the wittiness and charisma of the characters, the brilliant action scenes, the tenderness, the love istg, the way you write katsuki, no joke, i was swooning over him during the interview part (and many other scenes but cant out myself too much ykwim ajjajaj) you just never miss jeka, your writing will Always have me in a chokehold hope all's well with you <33 sorry i just Had to come scream-text to you, like i just couldn't not do it

Oh my God, Rebe! Stop! You're so kind!

It's so mind-blowing to me whenever someone tells me not only that they read my work, but that they reread it?! Constantly?! Like??? WHAT??!

Funny story about the confession scene: I finished writing that chapter on a sunday night, and I sent it to one of my best friends. She said it was amazing, but she had a suggestion: She felt like there was something missing between Bakugou's confession and Midoriya's reaction. I've always been good with suggestions, as long as they come from someone I respect, so I took a look at the scene and wrote this two paragraphs in a frenzy:

"They had known each other for as long as he remembered. Katsuki was familiarized with how Deku looked when he was happy, excited, sad, angry, nervous or scared. So many years of watching those beloved eyes had made him capable of reading them like a book. He could see how his brain was going crazy trying to process the grenade Katsuki had dropped between them.

Katsuki could hear the music back in the party and the distant sound of chattering and laughter from the rest. Still, Deku and he were trapped in their own world, both frozen in a moment that stretched more and more with each second in total silence, trying to piece themselves back together after the blast of his confession had created an abyss between them."

I sent it back to her almost immediately, with a "How about now? Does it flow better?!" And she went: "Why would you hurt me this way?! I was expecting a line or something! Not this!"

It's one of my proudest moments akdjakdns

I will forever love Here Here, and I'm so happy it can bring as much joy to others as it brings me.

Thank you for your words, Rebe, this made my entire year 💚🤎

[sasslett]

and so the day is finally upon us - the FFXIVSwap name draw! The partners have been determined, and I will be messaging you over the next day with your recipient!

REMEMBER - this is a secret Santa-style gift swap! The person who you'll be making a gift for will NOT be the person who makes a gift for you!

When you get your message, please 1. Respond to it to let us know you got it, and 2. Reach out to your recipient to gather any OC info you'll need!

If you're unable to participate, please let us know ASAP so we can reassign your partner. And if you don't respond to our initial message with your pairing within 5 days, I'll assume you're no longer able to participate and reassign both your gifter and recipient - no gaming the system! This is a swap to do something nice for other people, not to be selfish and mean.

If you have any communication issues with your recipient, please let one of us know and we'll help you handle it, or even reassign you if need be.

And, as always, remember the rules!

Be kind - everyone has different levels of skill, but we're all doing this out of the goodness of our hearts to enthuse about each other's OCs.

Communicate! I'll be checking up to make sure everyone has heard from their partners. If you don't at least reach out, there's a good chance you may be removed from the swap for being seen as inactive/absent. If you need info from your partner, ask!

No being mean, making fun of others' OCs or creations or anything of the sort. If we learn that you've done such, you will be removed and your partners reassigned.

Have your OC info in a convenient form to share with your gifter! Don't make them have to read 30k words of a fic or trudge through a tumblr tag. Have a concise set of info ready to go - and remember, the more thorough you are, the better your partner can make something for you!

There's no time limit for the gifts, as everyone has different speeds and different things happening in their lives, but do try to communicate an idea of your time table. We'll be reaching out to anyone who hasn't finished their gifts in about one month, just to check in and keep track.

Remember that not everyone uses mods, and if you use mods for your character, your partner may not have those same mods/may not be willing to install mods for you. No harassing people about using/not using mods - if I find that you have, you'll be removed from the swap and your partners will be reassigned.

Only one OC per gift, UNLESS you have discussed this with your gifter and they have agreed to do multiple! More OCs are more work.

There are no rules on what the gift can be, so long as you put your heart and effort into it. Gpose, writing, art, whatever it may be!

Use the tag #ffxivswap to share your creations, so we can all enjoy them!

As always, if you have any issues, please reach out to me and I'll sort it out. At the end of the day, everyone who gives a gift will receive a gift, we won't leave anyone high and dry. Let's all have fun and celebrate each others' OCs and creations! Remember, we're doing this for the love of the community and the game, and by the Twelve, do not make me regret this.

[genericpuff]

in this week's episode of "sometimes life really goes for the balls"-

so last week was a nice little break from working on Rekindled, and my PLAN was to 1.) chill from working on comics for a lil' bit, and 2.) prep sketches for future episodes (I'm currently about 5 episodes ahead when it comes to storyboards)

but then i got sick ( : so the first half of my week off was wiped out by being stuck in bed

THANKFULLY it wasn't covid, just a nasty cold, but i've still got a bit of a cough that acts up 1-2 times a day

but w/e, i'm feeling better and it's time to work on the next batch of episodes-

and my tablet has stopped working.

the screen still functions fine, there isn't any problems when it comes to the display, it's just the tablet pen itself that isn't registering. I've tried uninstalling the driver and re-installing it, nothing. I've managed to jerry rig it back into working a couple times just by swapping the USB cable around but today i haven't been able to get it functioning at all, the device connection is just dead.

the irony is that banshriek was literally just dealing with tablet issues a few weeks ago that required them to replace the entire thing, so of course whatever force is at play here was gonna come for me next

i'm hoping it's just the USB part of the cable, i'm like 99% certain it's that because it doesn't work when i plug it into anthony's laptop and Windows keeps popping up the "a USB device has malfunctioned" prompt (and the few times i've been able to get it reconnected, the pen and screen have worked fine, it's literally just the USB portion of the cable).

unfortunately because it's a display tablet, i can't just use a different USB, it's a whole system of cables made up of a power cable, HDMI, and USB, so i ordered a new cable.

it's apparently not going to show up until the 8th/9th.

so this means no episode this week either, it'll be up September 16th instead. I'm really frustrated by that because I was really excited to get into the next few episodes and I really, REALLY don't like going back on my word. I'm really sorry if this is disappointing to hear. I'm incredibly annoyed by this whole situation, my tablet couldn't have chosen a worse time to shit itself (literally why couldn't it have malfunctioned last week when there wasn't gonna be an episode anyways ffs), but I know there's nothing really that can be done beyond replacing the cable and hoping that solves the issue. Shit just happens sometimes and I'm trying to be okay with that.

So I'm gonna be spending this week just getting back to asks in my inbox, writing up LO critical stuff, maybe I'll put out some pencil sketches. Might also try and script out the rest of S1 (hint hint).

I'm so sorry again for the inconvenience, thank you all so much for your patience. This has my brain firing in all directions right now and it's not being kind to me. Please send good luck my way, I'm desperately hoping it's just the cable and I don't need to replace my entire tablet. If you have any fun asks, send them and I'll get back to them ASAP !!

[anachronisims]

simming goals 2024

it's been a good year back for me, and i'm ready to spend as much of 2024 simming as i can. thanks to those who've stuck with me through the hiatuses; to those whose encouragement, examples, and support have helped me grow as both a modder and a player; and to everyone who helped make the pink flashing survey circulate as widely as it did. this is a wonderful community and every day i am thankful to be part of it.

now, the goals!

the pink flashing survey report is still on track for a (mid-to-late) january release. i've done about as much coding and data validation as i can with the responses (thanks SO MUCH to everyone who was so receptive to my follow up DMs!) and there have been some promising tweaks and fixes and best practices coming out of the guinea pig testing group. we may not eradicate pink flashing forever but we can substantially work around it in most instances.

2. i'm collaborating with @cityof2morrow on a big traits expansion project, which you may already know something about if you saw the poll for the nudist icon. work is chugging along; all the new traits packages have been created and i've started on the actual modding work as of this week. take a peek at our planning spreadsheet if you want to see the scope of work. i have no firm estimate of when this will be out but i really want to use it in my new hood, and i really want to play kinda asap, so, asap.

3. playing in mount topazos. enough said. before that can happen i am going to

3b. finish paring down my downloads folder. i have like, just so much crap, including waaaaay more duplicates than i expected. currently this project means using my testing hood to open one catalogue section at a time, writing on a legal pad any object that needs to be cut or recatagorized/repriced. i've done windows, doors, deco paintings, and deco misc so far. i also packaged all my decorated MT lots, then faux-installed them in a desktop folder so i could see which cc is actually in use, allowing me to sequester items from bigger sets that aren't actively in use to a holding folder on my hard drive.

4. hunting update as part of the sun&moon team. honestly, this is long overdue. i made a prototype update of the huntable deer in 2021 and have hardly touched it since, and there's a lot more functionality we've been chatting about in that time. and i just need to buckle down and get on it. after the traits update is released that is absolutely my next priority.

5. that is it for goals. i think all of these are doable and achievable and honestly i really want to play and screenshot and share the mount topazos hood, so once i get the report and mod work out of the way that's really what i want my focus to be.

love and hugs and best wishes to everyone for their happiest, healthiest new year.

[thegreatcaptainusopp]

🍲 🍣🥮 for the fic writer’s ask game!

When did you start writing and why?

Writing fic? Bc I was reading Naruto fic and really enjoying it and wanted in on the action lmao. Naruto was both the first fic I’ve ever read and ever wrote.

What helps you focus or get in the mood to write?

Honestly stern self-talking tos that I need to get something finished ASAP so that people don’t have to wait for the next installment for too long. I just kind of have to decide “ok focus time right now”

Do you have any writing milestones you're working toward?

Nothing concrete I guess, but I always try to make sure that the next thing I write is always at least little bit better than the one that came before. Like I try to take the stuff I didn’t like from the previous thing I wrote and improve on them in the next thing.

Fic writer asks

[donteattheappleshook]

CS fics by @elizabeethan you must read!

Happy birthday @elizabeethan ! @snowbellewells and I had the same idea apparently but you deserve all the love for your fantastic stories on your birthday! 

Elizabeth have so many amazing, beautiful fics and so I’ve struggled to narrow it down to my absolute forever favorites. If you haven’t read one of them yet you’re missing out and you need to rectify that ASAP - your life will be better for it, trust me

The Sad Baker Killian series

Never More Than I Can Take 

holding my breath for you

From the Beginning 

What can I even say about this series - there aren’t even words. It’s the softest, most painful, hearbreakingly beautiful love story. Sad Killian is always one of my favorites but who knew that adding baker to that would just magnify it tenfold. Ugh this story is just - I can’t - just gfjdakvdsagl. Read it. 

Overboard  series

Ao3

Here we have a beautiful example of our lovely talented shipmate thinking she could get away with only writing us a oneshot of this breathtaking universe. And here we are 6 installments in and if you don’t think I would devour a hundred thousand more you’re wrong. I need this as a whole damn novel that just never ever ends. The sad silver Killian and damaged Emma, the way you’ve written the emotion and the love between these two, the way you created such a full and complete world which feels so real and beautiful while still keeping our favorite ship so true to their characters - I’m in awe. Sometimes I’ll just start thinking about this fic and sit there for a good long while in amazement at your talent. Did I mention I’m obsessed with this series already? Perfection.  

Watch the Sunlight Fade

UUUUGGGGHHHHHH this fic. It’s like you wrote everything I wished Sons of Anarchy had been and then multiplied the amazingness by a billion. This one is so so painful to read and so incredibly beautiful. Strap yourselves in for a hell of an angsty ride that will be 100% worth it. Prepare yourself to want to murder Neal like you never have before. Prepare yourself to want to give Killian a giant fucking hug and take care of him. The way you slow burned this fic too is just stunning too and I can’t even get my words to work right in saying how much I love this fic. Everyone needs to read it and give it the appreciation it deserves because WOW this story gives me life. 

Steal Away

So there’s obviously a pattern starting here of @elizabeethan hurts me to the deepest part of my soul and I thank her for it. I was obsessed with this fic from the moment you suggested the premise and honestly apart from Overboard which will forever be one of my all time favorite fics, this might be my favorite of yours. This fic starts as a robery gone wrong and then becomes something so much more than I ever expected or knew I needed. It had me crying, like ugly cry in public but don’t stop reading because you need to know what happens next, and then just feeling so many things that I couldn’t do anything but yell at you about it and then I think this one just renewed my belief in love because you wrote their characters and their story and their emotions so perfectly and everything feels so REAL and heartbreaking and then so so hopeful. This fic is a masterpiece and I would (have?) read it a million times over. 

Spaces Between Us

I remember this fic starting with “do you think people would be mad if...” and man I think that is how you need to approach everything you write forever lmao. Will it make them mad? I don’t know but it will absolutely make them rage at your horrible villains, want to cry for Emma and be begging you to let our babies have a torid affair and then maybe murder someone (disclaimer: there is no murder in this fic- but you’d consider it a reasonable choice if there were). You absolutely broke my heart with this story, poor Emma trapped in her relationship with Walsh, the second chance love story that felt so real that I was blown away. I’ve always found it hard to read those because I couldn’t get on board with my ship breaking up in the first place let alone how they’d end up together again but then you wrote this fic and I get it now. And you brought them together again in such a beautiful way with all the angst I could possibly handle. You write angst so well but you also have such a talent with bringing happiness and love and hope back to the story at the end of it all and this fic is a perfect example of that. 

Between the Morning and the Night

Finally I had to throw this hilarious little fic in. I swear I’d have listed every single one of your shorter fics - there were so many I loved and everyone should go read them all but I had to narrow it down for this list and I ahve to say that this might be my absolute favorite of your standalones. The premise is so fucking funny - Will noticing the scratches on Killian’s back and Killian in full blown panic about David finding out just who gave them to him - dead. Of course, beautiful, talented, amazing author that you are you gave us feels like you wouldn’t believe turning this funny little oneshot into a truly stunning piece of writing. I love this fic so much. Like just: 

“Good god, mate.”

He turns, surprise in his eyes when he faces his friend and colleague and is met with his shocked, horrified expression.

“What?”

He knows he’s red and sweaty after a workout, but it can’t be anything different from how he always looks when they return to the locker room.

“I mean, were you attacked?”

💀💀💀💀💀

Bless this fic and bless you for writing it

I hope you’ll all go and read the incredible fics that Slibby has written over the last couple years (she wrote 54 in like 2 years???? are you real though, girl??) and give her the love and appreciation she deserves on this the most special of days!

Happy birthday again @elizabeethan you’ve been the best pocket friend a girl could ask for and I’m forever grateful that the fandom brought us together 

@kmomof4 @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @undercaffinatednightmare @jennjenn615 @dramioneswan @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @batana54 @lfh1226-linda @csalltheway @xsajx @xarandomdreamx @onceratheart18 @ownedbycaptainswan @teamhook @pirateprincessofpizza @lostintheskyfaraway @zaharadessert @thejollyroger-writer @ultraluckycatnd @justanother-unluckysoul @spartanguard @jonesfandomfanatic @deckerstarblanche @jrob64 @klynn-stormz @wefoundloveunderthelight @sailtoafarawayland @tiganasummertree @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @stahlop @superchocovian @snowbellewells @xellewoods @sals86 @karlyfr13s ​ @ouatpost ​ @skairipakomtrikru @lonelyspectator12   @anmylica   @alexa-fangirl-forever @inspiredbystardust @marcella2727 @paradiselady19 @koryandr @killiansprincss

[feelin-kinda-cocky-bmc]

FKC Mini-Update 2/21/23

Alright, don't have a lot for this update, but hey, I thought I might as well keep posting so people are aware this project is still very much active! I'm currently on Mardi Gras break, and will be utilizing the next two days to work on writing Dustin's Route. There is a bit in Dustin's Day 1 that was originally going to take me a hell of a lot of time, in which I would be writing eight unique chunks of dialogue based on three options the player chooses in a row. However, for the sake of getting a rough draft out ASAP, I have streamlined it to where each topic will flow into each other without much of a missed beat. The eight interactions might appear in a later installment of the game, though.

However, while I'm here, I'd like to announce that the FKC Tumblr now has a new header image, courtesy of our new artist: Rose! I'm extremely happy with the art and I'm so glad we have another great artist on the team. Here's the full image because Tumblr dimensions are wack lol

Anyway, in an absence of content on my end, I'll go ahead and put out what is completed, what is currently being worked on, and what I'm hoping to achieve in the future:

The rough draft of Rich's route is done. However, in an effort to keep up with momentum during the earlier stages of writing when I wasn't on ADHD meds, I ended up skipping a whole part and promptly forgotten that I had skipped it. It's still very much a draft with a lot of repetition that I need to iron out, solely because when you work on something for so long in spaced out intervals, you forget what you did previously.

Once all of the incredibly messy drafts of each route are completed, I will be going back to revise them and hopefully get to a point where I can personally playtest the early stages of the game.

Also, in addition to completed routes, Rich and Jeremy's routes will have secret routes. These won't be as important and as high priority, as they are genuinely just me throwing some OCs into a fangame. But hey, if you like hot, borderline criminal bad boys, or flower-loving, theater kid soft boys, then I've got just the routes for you ;)

With the way I'm writing the routes, I'm also simultaneously coding. Or half-coding, anyway. I'm writing it all in a way that makes it easy for me to simply copy and paste it into ren.py, and then I just edit the Python from there. Double tasking woo!

I also have basic GUI assets that I made,,two years ago,,so I'll need to revise those. But aside from the title screen art, everything looks moderately okay and is completely functional.

At the moment, I'm working on Dustin's route. This is going to be heavily headcanon-based, I'm warning everyone now, but it doesn't stray far from canon. He's just a little unique because there's not a lot of canon information about him

Also, I don't know if I ever clarified this, but each route will be structured in the same format: The default exposition (where you choose your route), around 5 in-game events (or days), the dance day (where your bachelor of choice has invited Michael to the school dance), and if you're lucky, the date day (self explanatory, only available on good endings). In addition, each route with have a bad, neutral, and good ending. This does not include secret endings

After the Dustin Route, I plan to start Jake's, and then Jeremy's (sorry Boyfs shippers!). When all are completed, I'll start revision and the addition of the secret routes.

When the writing stage (which I'm almost entirely sure will be the longest) is mostly complete, we'll be going into the art stages. I have several talented artists already volunteered to help out, and I will likely make a hefty portion of my own. Art will include backgrounds, GUI assets, sprites, and possibly promotional pieces.

And after the art stage, we'll start playtesting a beta version so we can figure out bugs, adjust the stories as needed, and overall gauge the interest of the BMC fandom :)

I would love to create background music for the game at some point, and have the capability to do so, but that genuinely might not get there until later stages of development

Though this is far off, after the game's release, I'd also like to release events. These events would allow for a new storyline to be played regarding Michael and the rest of the BMC crew. These will largely be either self-indulgent or catering towards the fandom as a whole, such as writing all the characters in FKC into an AU. These sort of events would happen for things like Halloween, Christmas, Valentines, etc. Again, far off! But I'd like to make it at least known

Discord | Community Idea Drop

[nurainabila]

12/01/2023

Happy new year! I hope it's not too late for a new year wish. I've been going through a lot and busy as hell. I'm writing this during my working hour as currently I don't have anything to do.

Life updates; my relationship is still going strong and we are approaching our first anniversary in 2 months *yayy!* Our marriage saving almost RM1K uhuk and he got a new job end of last year. So we are hoping that we can save more to get married ASAP.

It has been 6 months since I started working here and I'm still getting this anxious feeling about work. I still hate this job because of constant pressure and people not giving me the cooperation that I needed. I wanted to settle my task quickly yet I had to wait for the other person to finish his/her task then I can finish mine. The people are okay but when it comes to work, suddenly not okay. I received the pressure a lot and I hate when I also needed to think about work when I'm at home or during my off day. I swear I hate this job more than anyone does.

I cancelled the booking for Perodua Axia as it took 8 months for me to received it and also because of my SA didn't update me about my car status. He didn't give me the cooperation since I'm the one that needed to ask him for updates. I had decided to book Proton Saga in November 2022 and currently waiting for it. I just paid for the downpayment RM8K+ yesterday and I really hope that I can get the car by end of this month.

I also booked for a braces appointment yesterday and my 1st appointment will be this Saturday morning. I'm so nervous as I know it would hurt a lot! One of my friend said that she regretted wearing braces. I've been imagining how painful it would be to extract my tooth and during the installation process. But heyy, beauty is pain (and hell expensive too) right? It has been my dream for a long time to wear braces and doesn't have to be insecure anymore because of my teeth. Since I have enough money now, so I thinks this is the time to achieve my dream. I'm so scared and nervous! But thinking that I have many friends that wore braces and they've been doing good, so I'm gonna be okay too right?

This upcoming CNY, I'm going for a camping with Paah, Shakila and Mesyi. I just can't wait to meet my girls. Oh and if everything goes well, I'm planning to start wearing braces after this camping.

I guess this is the end of my latest update. It has been quite a long time since my last post hehe :3 Till the next time!

[0pticblast]

Day 3

I installed Tumblr on my phone so I can write as I go since I'm not on my desktop all the time.

I listed cards while speaking to my high school bestie and her husband. It sucks how I've been getting taken advantage of in my fantasy bball league. They told me next time when a trade gets proposed to show them since they know whether or not it's fair. I had 3 more proposals and it just upsets me how low ball they were. I saved money buying breakfast by eating a good 30% of my cereal. I was able to nap and go to church afterwards.

I met up with my cousin JJ at Perfect Rares to practice and catch up with some friends. They said that they miss seeing me around and I told them that I need to focus on my health. I picked up JJ's cards and competed last minute. I got 0-4 which bummed it up a little. I think I can make this deck work, I just need to do my 10,000 hours.

I saw Ashley afterwards to pick up supplies for our order. Someone finally offered/counteroffered correctly and made a Funko POP sale. I went to Cali Tacos to order Angel Fries and it was a long wait. Crazy enough I ran into my coworker and he's a chill guy. I was also able to strike a conversation at the salsa bar because we touched hands reaching for the salsa cups. She said she likes my NERD hoodie I wore and that Pharrell is one of her favorite artists.

I got home and food coma'd, Albertacos is the OG but Cali Tacos gives hella portions. I sent photos to Brenda, I miss her and it's dumb. We text here and there but she's not a priority. I started feeling sad when I went downstairs to work on cards. One was because the box I got doesn't fit our order so I need to find a box that fits ASAP. I also got sad because it's the holidays. All the dumb cheesy Christmas movies are out and I don't have anyone to watch it with. I haven't felt this feeling of loneliness in a long time.

[fixational]

― @kozmcblves 📓

given that the first official meeting had just ended, cameron was quick on their feet, taking in their next task to follow demian allenswood to meet his daughter ― the main reason why the operative was there to begin with. she was the glue that connected all things. without her, none of them would've been there in that safe house. probably, that very safe house wouldn't have existed, otherwise. in any case, cameron allowed themselves to wonder for a spare moment.

❝ this way. ❞ the father announced while taking a turn left and heading down the hall. although there were several doors ahead, there were a couple of guards standing post at one particular door. as soon as the pair approached, the guards straightened up, shooting a suspicious look cameron's way, to which, they responded with exactly the same type of glance. one look was enough to tell that these two were not armed bodyguards. probably did carry a taser or a baton, but nothing close to an actual gun. and right now? given the dangerous complex situation the family was in? yeah, they did need a new security detail. ASAP.

❝ thank you, gentlemen. ❞ were the only words that demian addressed the guards with before opening the door to another spacious room with gigantic windows. clearly not an ideal room to keep your biggest treasure hidden, now is it? ❝ hey sweetheart, i've got some help, just as i promised. ❞ agent reid made sure to let demian take the lead for the introudctions and all that, meanwhile they were already inspecting the state and safety of the room they were currently in. one could never be too careful, these days. especially in situations like this one.

❝ this is cameron reid. they will be your personal bodyguard from now on. they'll escort you to events, to work, any place you'd need to go. they'll be there every step of the way and will make sure that what went down today... won't happen ever again. ❞ upon hearing demian finish up his introduction, cameron stepped forward so that they were now standing side by side. the woman, however, was on the other side of the room and cameron did not dare to cross any invisble boundaries that might have been there. after such traumatic experiences, anyone would require time to get back on their feet emotionally, let alone an omega. so it was adviced to keep a safe distance, especially being an alpha, which by itself, could be quite intimidating.

❝ miss allenswood, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. i'm private security operative reid, here to provide security and protect you from any potential harm that might come your way. ❞ with a firm nod, cameron flashed the tiniest of reassuring smiles towards the woman. ❝ i highly suggest for you guys to stay here for a couple of days. first thing tomorrow we will be hiring a new security detail and heading straight to miss allenswood's apartment to install required surveillance equippment to help us track any potential break-ins and other suspicious activity surrounding the residence. ❞ the agent moved forward, taking another step and visibly placing a notebook with a pen on a drawer so juliette could spot it and take it when she was feeling comfortable enough. there was no need trying to approach her and possibly agitate her further. they were there to make sure she was feeling safe and secure, after all. ❝ i will be needing the keys to the apartment and for you to write down a list of devices you are using on a regular basis, such as PC's, laptops, mobile phones, smart watches, anything that requires internet connection or WIFI. ❞

usually whenever they would bring this topic up, many would get defensive and would refuse to give access to their devices in fear of them possibly discovering their browser history feed and all the interesting, "taboo" websites people tended to secretly visit these days. so, without waiting any longer, cameron proceeded to add right away, their next point, to ease up any of juliette's potential worries. ❝ that is essencial for online security. to avoid any cyber attacks at this time. if someone dared to attempt an attack in person, in broad daylight, who's to say they won't try to track your devices or hack your online accounts? ❞ there was a certain confidence to their tone, the type that revealed that they knew what they were talking about. firmness, too. they were speaking about protecting a human being, after all. so any slip-ups or careless beahvior would be simply unacceptable.

[karahalloway]

This was great from start to finish! ❤️🏈

Aww thank you! Glad you enjoyed! I was super nervous about writing this chapter because I had no idea how I was going to do the football game (given that I don't really watch/follow football, and felt like a massive fraud trying to write this up!)

Drake's prayer made me a little teary. He really loves Harper and boy does that man have a way with words! 🫠

Same! 😭 Drake actually surprised me with the whole saying grace part (not part of the initial plan, but then I've been flying by the seat of my proverbial pants during the entirety of this series, so everything ends up being unexpected 🤣)

I love the way Drake just fits right into their family dynamic. It's a room filled with love and there's more than enough for him, too! Harper is incredibly lucky to have such a great foundation to come home to! ❤️

Yes! I am hoping to explore Drake and Harper's family a bit more in the next instalment of Extraction (which is also like a year overdue lol) Bc like you said, their interactions are a great combination of sweet, fun, and cringe, which makes for some awesome moments!

They'd better not elope or Mom might skin BOTH of them 🤣 and I LOVE that she's going to walk her down the aisle. The 'dad gets the first dance' line was GOLD and SHE'S NOT WRONG. YOU TAKE WHAT’S YOURS, MA'AM 👏 👏 👏

Hahaha thanks - I have to admit, I cracked up a bit at this interaction bc I didn't realise Harper's mom had such strong feelings about any of this until I wrote this scene 🤣 But then that's one of the things I love about Harper's family especially - they just come out with lines that are solid gold

The football game had me DYING! I am Drake when watching football (especially recently because KC SUCKS rn) 🤣🤣 AND HE GETS MAD ENOUGH TO CURSE IN FRENCH 🤣🤣🤣🤣💀💀💀💀💀💀🤣💀🤣💀🤣

Aww thanks! That is such a huge compliment! Like I said, I have very little interest in football, so I basically only watched a couple of games for 'research' ���� And noted down some of my husband's reactions 🤣 Some of the lines in this fic are direct quotes lol

Also, it's hilarious that Drake's the only one allowed to curse, and BOY DID HE. I was like SIR YOU NEED TO CALM IT DOWN JUST A TAD. Or perhaps stick with French 🤣🤣🤣.

Hahaha - that ship sailed a while ago 🤣 Once Drake gets into a game, there's very little that will reel him back in, apparently

HE BROKE THEIR TV 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 Okay... I've never been that upset, but damn close! He should've taken the pie. Pie makes everything better! AND IT WAS APPLE DRAKE, UM - HELLO?!

Honestly, not what I thought would happen, but then it happened and even I was like...

But the apple pie comment 🤣🤣🤣But basically everyone said the same thing. Which just cracks me up bc when I wrote this chapter, I didn't expect the pie to end up becoming such a focal point (at least from a reader perspective)

I sincerely hope he's going to the first electronics store he can find to replace their TV (maybe with a better, bigger one)! Come on, Drake! It was going so well! 🥺 You gotta fix this ASAP!!!

I guess he will have to now, bc literally everyone has mandated that he needs to get the Gales a new TV 🤣🤣🤣 That said... braving the Black Friday, crush... Not for the faint of heart! Especially at an electronics store!

I loved this! It was great and now I REALLY wanna watch a game with all of them 🤣🤣🤣❤️🏈

Thanksgiving - Part 4

Fandom: TRR - (Un)Common Attraction universe

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series: Thanksgiving

Synopsis: Harper and Drake fly to Bozeman, MT to spend their first Thanksgiving together with Harper’s family. 

Word count: 5,400

Warnings: E (swearing, fluff, religion, references to smut, aggro, violence no human casulaties)

A/N1: So, this installment was supposed to wrap up Thanksgiving night at the Gales', but (as per usual), it ended up running away from me, so there will be at least one more part (I know I said that last time as well, but I don't control these characters)

A/N2: Once again, apologies in advance for any errors or misinterpretations in relation to the American football. I sliced and diced the Broncos vs. Cowboys game together based on real life comments I transcribed from my husband over the course of a few games we watched together, so pretty much all of the reactions in the fic are genuine yes, hubby is a very opinionated spectator 😆

A/N3: This is also my second submission for @choicesholidays' 2023 Winter Holidays Prompt Event, and the prompt that this installment fits with is Week 1: I’m thankful for you and Week 3: This is definitely going to land me/you/us on the naughty list!

"Oh, look who decided to show up..." grouses Tyler as Drake and I descend the stairs.

"Sorry," I say, pulling my cardigan over my shoulders. "We—"

"Used up all the hot water?" my brother offers dryly. "And then some?"

Justin gives him a shove.

"What?" Tyler objects offendedly. "They were in there for almost two hours!"

"I pulled 36 rose thorns outta her," Drake tells him.

Tyler visibly blanches. "Shit."

"You okay, Harp?" asks Brody, stepping up to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assure him with a wan smile. "Just —"

"Oh, honey!" cries Mom, flying out of the kitchen with outstretched arms. "That's terrible! Do you—?"

"Ouch!" I hiss as her concerned arms fly around me... pressing inevitably into my wounds.

"Oh! Sorry, sweetie!" she exclaims, yanking her hands back. "I didn't mean to hurt you! I just wanted to give you a hug!"

"Yeah, those are going to have to wait a while..." I mutter sourly, rubbing a particularly tender spot on my shoulder.

"Such rotten luck..." she bemoans with a sigh. "Especially on Thanksgiving!"

"Trust me, I know..." I assure her, glancing wryly at Drake. "It was definitely not part of the plan!"

He shakes his head with a smirk as he helps himself to the twelve-pack of Busch that Brody had already opened up.

"Do you need anything?" my mom presses. "Ice pack? Hot water bottle? Painkillers?"

"Something stronger?" quips Nana as she puts the finishing touches on the apple pies.

"I'm fine," I tell her. "Drake already loaded me up with Advil upstairs. They should be kicking in any minute."

"Let's get you fed, then," declares Dad, hoisting the steaming turkey out of the oven. "Everything should still be hot."

"Sorry for making you wait," I say as we all make our way to the dining table. "Anything we can do to help?"

"Nothing — apart from digging in!" he replies, placing the oversized bird into the middle of the table.

"Not before we say grace!" Nana reminds us imperiously, arriving as well after having loaded the pies into the oven.

Groans rise up from my brothers.

"Can't we just eat?" asks Tyler. "We'll miss the start of the game!"

Nana whips him with her kitchen towel. "Not on your life, buster! You may not go to church like you should on Sundays, but you can still take two minutes out of your day to think about something other than yourself! Especially on Thanksgiving!"

"I think about stuff!" Tyler objects, rubbing his arm.

"Like that pistol at the gun range?" smirks Brody. "Who's more likely to shoot you than date you?"

"No..." snips Tyler, looking studiously away.

"Suuuure," grins Justin, elbowing his brother meaningfully.

Tyler reddens further.

"I quite like the tradition," interjects Mom with a smile. "Helps remind us of all our little blessings in life. Like the fact that we have food on the table... A roof over our heads..." She reaches out to clasp my hand under the table. "Things to celebrate..."

I return her smile as I give her fingers a squeeze.

"Okay, fine," accedes Tyler. "But can we skip the hand-holding? I'd like to keep my fingers— Ow! The hell was that—!"

"Language!" warns Dad.

"We're doing this properly," decrees Nana, snapping the kitchen towel back onto her shoulder. "Without any goofing around!"

She offers her hands with a decisive note of finality.

Tyler stares at it for a long moment before taking it with a beleaguered sigh.

"Now your brother," she prompts.

Tyler holds his hand out grumpily.

Justin takes it with an equally crabby expression.

I hold my free hand out to Drake, who laces his fingers through mine with a warm smile as the rest of my family link up as well.

"Right," declares Nana. "Who wants to do the honours?"

Awkward silence descends on the table.

I heave a breath. Guess I'll just—

"I'll do it."

My head snaps to my left. "Really?"

Drake responds to my surprised outburst with a shrug. "Someone's gotta. Plus, like your mom said — we got things to celebrate."

My heart swells with emotion as I feel him run his thumb over the engagement ring sitting on my finger.

He meets my gaze with that molten mocha look that always gives me butterflies before turning back to the rest of the table.

My family's eyes swivel onto him expectantly.

Drake clears his throat. "I'd like to say thanks. To everyone at this table. Not just for inviting me to share Thanksgiving with y'all, but for welcoming me into your family. I know we didn't exactly meet under the best circumstances — the first, the second, or hell... even the third time!"

Chuckles rise up from around the table.

Tyler leans into Justin accusatorially. "How come he gets a free pass for cussing?"

Brody punts him under the table.

"So, I'm grateful for the trust you placed in me — continue to place in me — when it comes to your daughter... your sister... your granddaughter," Drake continues, meeting everyone's eyes in turn. "It goes without saying that she's smart, beautiful, got more grit than a gravel road, and obviously banged her head at some point—"

More chuckles float into the air.

"—because I still have no clue what the hell she's doing with me," he adds with a wry smirk, glancing over at me. "But I know that I love her, and will go to the ends of the Earth for her, come hell or high water. And I know we're not quite married yet, but I truly am grateful for every day, every minute, every second I get to spend with her, because life is too damn short, and I honestly don't deserve her."

I squeeze his hand as my vision becomes blurred with feeling.

"And I know that the past six months have been tough — for everyone at this table — but I don't regret the outcome. Because each hurdle, each hardship led to this little moment right here — all of us 'round this table, sharing a Thanksgiving meal together."

I feel my mouth curve into a small smile of agreement.

Drake takes a breath. "So thank you, Lord, for blessing us with this bounty — not just the food that we are about to eat, but the bonds of love and family that we get to share and strengthen each and every day. Amen."

There is more than one hoarse voice as my family reciprocates the traditional affirmation.

"Oh, Drake," croons Mom, wiping the heartfelt tears from her eyes. "That was beautiful!"

"Yeah, seriously," grunts Tyler 'round a sniffle. "What gives, man?"

"Are you actually crying?" asks Justin in bewilderment.

"No..." mutters Tyler, blinking rapidly. "Just... just got a stupid eyelash..."

"Uh-huh..." comments Brody... though Drake's speech must've touched him as well, because he sidelines his usual ribbing in order to reach up to flick a wayward drop of wetness out of the corner of his own eye.

"At least now you know how to do it for next year," declares Nana. Reaching across the table she adds, "That was lovely, dear. Thank you."

Drake accepts the gesture with a soft smile. "Just spoke from the heart, ma'am."

"As you should," she affirms wisely, settling back into her seat.

I lean into Drake with a wry smirk. "Now the rest of us will never measure up..."

"Not everything's a competition, Gale," he murmurs, lifting my hand to his lips to drop a kiss on my knuckles, his mocha eyes dancing.

I flick my foot against his as I stifle a snort.

"Yes, thank you, Drake," acknowledges Dad with a nod. "And now, for the main event."

Brody shunts the turkey closer to the edge of the table as Dad pushes himself up and reaches for the carving knife and meat fork.

"What piece do you want?" I ask Drake as my dad sets to work dissecting the steaming bird.

"Y'all take first dibs," he replies. "I'm easy."

"You sure?" I press. "There's usually a fight for the wings and the legs. So, if you want in on that, you'll need to jump on it."

"I'm good," he assures me. "You just pick what you want."

"Drake?" asks Dad, as if on cue. "Breast, wing, or leg?"

"Please don't say wing..." prays Tyler. "Please don't say wing..."

Brody elbows his brother in the side, eliciting an annoyed grunt.

"I'm good with anything," Drake replies.

"Nah, son," Dad insists. "You were kind enough to say grace, so you get first pick. So, what'll it be?"

Drake glances 'round the table like it's a high-stakes poker game.

My family eye him in turn, waiting for his decision.

Looking back up at my dad, he says, "Breast is good."

There is a collective exhale from my brothers.

"You sure?" Dad asks, repeating my own question from earlier. "There's plenty of—"

"I'm good," Drake confirms, holding his plate out.

"Okay," shrugs Dad, slicing a decent chunk of meat off. "Just don't be shy about seconds."

"Learnt my lesson yesterday," Drake assures him with a grin.

Knowing laughter bubbles up around the table.

"Harper?" asks Dad, turning to me.

"Hey!" objects Tyler. "Why is she next?"

"Because she's the only one of the four of you not living here anymore," Dad replies. "Which means she's a guest, and guests get first cut."

Tyler slumps back into his chair with a dejected huff. "Never gonna get any wings at this rate..."

"Leg for me, please, Dad," I say. "And a wing."

Tyler throws his hands up in the air. "See!"

Dad ignores him as he proceeds to dole out the request onto my plate.

"Thanks," I say, placing the food back in front of me.

"You're welcome, honey," Dad says with a smile before turning back to take orders from the rest of the table.

I reach for my fork and knife.

Drake leans in again. "Shouldn't we—?"

He goes mute as I dump half the turkey leg onto his plate. "Here."

His eyes snap up to mine. "Gale, I said I—"

"You can thank me later," I tell him, giving him the wing as well while nabbing some breast from him in exchange.

Drake stares at his plate for a moment before reaching over to give my knee a squeeze.

I pat his hand under the table.

I know he'd been trying to be polite, opting for his third choice instead of his first or second, so he wouldn't cause any upset. But I also know that he loves wings — I mean, who doesn't? — and the darker meat always tastes juicer than the white. So, I'm not going to let his Southern sensibilities cheat him out of genuinely being able to enjoy his Thanksgiving meal. Especially after everything he's done for us today — fixing the oven, prepping the food, and spending thirty minutes with a needle and tweezers plucking thorns out of me with infinite patience and precision.

"Help yourselves," Mom urges, shoving the mash towards us. "You know you don't have to stand on ceremony with us."

"Thanks, Mom," I say, taking the dish from her.

While the various sides and garnishes get passed around, Dad finishes carving up the turkey, and we settle into easy conversation in front of loaded plates.

"So, I hear you're flying down to Texas tomorrow?" Nana asks as she spears an asparagus.

"That's right, ma'am," nods Drake, swallowing down the bite he's just taken. "Need to make a quick detour for my Aunt Lee."

"She forgot something?" queries Nana.

"No," I correct 'round a mouthful of mash. "We need to get her."

"She's never flown before," Drake clarifies. "Or been out of the country. But my sister wants her to come to the wedding, so..."

"We're her VIP escort," I finish wryly.

"VIP or not," notes my Mom, "I'm sure she'll appreciate the company. Airports can be very bewildering!"

"You just need to follow the signs," I say.

"Hey," interjects Tyler, jabbing a forkful of turkey at Mom. "You're talking to the parent who got lost in Costco."

"They put the petunias in the wrong place!" objects Mom.

"You mean outside...?" deadpans Justin.

Mom huffs wearily in reply.

"Have you decided where the two of you want to get hitched?" asks Dad, strategically changing the subject.

"No," I admit. "We've been so involved with Savannah and Bertrand's wedding that we haven't really had time to think about ours..."

"Well, I know it's nothing fancy, but you're more than welcome to have it here," he offers. "The yard's plenty big enough.. Or there's the church down the road, if you were thinking something more traditional..."

"Thanks, Dad," I say graciously. "We'll definitely—"

"And I can make the cake!" adds Mom with gusto. "With those little sugar flowers, and—"

"Stop trying to plan their wedding!" chides Nana. "They might want to get married in Texas! Or New York! Or Hawaii!"

"Well, like I said," I interject diplomatically. "We haven't quite decided..."

"But if not," accedes Dad, "you know we're more than happy to chip in. In whatever way you need."

"Including helping you elope," winks Justin.

Mom throws her bread roll at him. "Don't you dare! If I find out my one and only daughter got married without me, I'll... I'll..."

"Well, there goes Plan A..." mutters Drake as my mom heaves a shuddering breath.

"Told ya..." I whisper back with a grin.

He leans in closer. "Fine. But I expect you to make it up to me on the honeymoon."

I smack his arm.

His hot gaze bores into me. "You think I'm joking..."

Despite our earlier escapades in the shower, I feel the heat flare between my legs in response to the intensity in his eyes.

Especially as he adds in a low voice, "We'll be doing nothing but each other for two weeks, baby."

"Okay, enough wedding talk!" declares Tyler. "It's game time!"

"No, it's not!" objects Justin. "I'm still eating!"

"Well, eat faster then!" urges Brody, wiping the gravy from his plate. "The kickoff waits for no man!"

"What about dessert?" asks Mom. "Don't you want to—?"

"I think the pie will have to wait," I note dryly as my brothers push their chairs back.

"Drake?" she asks hopefully. "Do you want—?"

"Thanks, but J was right," he replies, leaning back in his chair. "I'm stuffed fuller than the poor bird sitting on the table."

"There's always room for dessert!" Nana counters. "Especially when your missus made it!"

"It wasn't just me," I tell her. "You helped too!"

"It's yours in all the ways that matter, dear," she insists with a proud smile. "I just helped you put it together."

"Well, if it's anything like the pancakes, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait," Drake assures her.

"Ha! Your boy's got more silver on his tongue than I have teeth in my mouth!" exclaims Nana. But I can tell that she's pleased with Drake's response.

"What about some apple pie moonshine?" asks Dad conspiratorially. "Got any room for that?"

Drake considers the offer. "I can be tempted..."

"Good," approves Dad with a grin, slapping Drake on the shoulder as he gets up. "I'll grab the bottle."

"Yo! Texas!" calls Tyler from the living room. "You comin', or what?"

"Go," I tell him. "I'll help with the clean up."

"You sure?" he asks, running his gaze over me concernedly.

"Yes," I assure him. "It's not like I broke an arm or anything."

His mouth twitches. "Opinions may vary...."

I give him a shove. "Want to rethink that prognosis, Doctor?"

He leans in to drop a kiss on my cheek with a chuckle. "Fine. But you better holler if you need help."

"I'll be fine," I tell him, turning my head to peck him on the lips. "I need to work all this food down somehow first, anyway."

His breath tickles my mouth. "Well, if you want suggestions..."

"Oh, my God!" I cry in exasperation, snacking his chest. "Just go already!"

"You sure they're not married already?" asks Nana prosaically. "They act like they've been together fifteen years!"

"Oh, not you too!" deplores Mom, dropping her head into her hands.

"What?" objects Nana. "It was just an observation!"

"Well, don't give them ideas!" exhorts Mom. "I'll walk at least one of my children down the aisle, if it's the last thing I do!"

My head snaps 'round. "Isn't that Dad's—?"

"He can have the first dance," declares Mom with a dismissive wave of her hand.

I stare at her in bewilderment.

"What did I do now?" queries Dad, reappearing with the jar of moonshine.

"Nothing!" Mom assures him with an angelic smile. "Just wedding talk!"

"More like wedding sabotage," mutters Nana around the rim of her gin and tonic.

"Umm..." is all I can manage as Drake tries and fails not to choke on his own snort of laughter.

"They're kicking off!" hollers Justin from the living room.

"Better excuse yourself quick, son," advises Dad, grabbing a pair of glasses out. "Otherwise you'll be stuck at this table for the rest of the night, wondering what possessed you to propose in the first place!"

"Robert!" exclaims Mom in outrage.

"Go," I urge Drake as my dad disappears into the living room. "We'll join you in a minute."

"Okay," he accedes. Turning back to the table, he adds, "Thank you for dinner. Y'all really went all out."

"Oh, you're welcome, sweetie," Mom tells him with a beaming smile. "But are you sure you had enough?"

"I'm sure," he assures her, patting his belly. "But I'll be back for some of that pie at halftime!"

"We'll keep it warm for you," Nana assures him.

"Appreciate it," Drake grins in reply.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Mom exclaims as Drake turns to follow my dad. "I should get the ice cream out of the freezer — let it warm up a little."

"I can do it," I offer, pushing my chair back. "Seeing as I did nothing earlier."

"Don't you want to watch as well?" asks Mom in surprise.

"With that much testosterone crammed into one room?" I quip. "I need some apple pie first!"

"Good thing we made two, then!" agrees Nana.

"I'll get some plates out," Mom declares, getting up as well.

Dispersing from the table, the three of us set about our designated tasks while the sounds of the game float through the house to the accompaniment of various exclamations coming from the sofa.

"Boom!" yells Drake. "That's how you sack!"

"What the shit, ref!" erupts Brody at the same time. "He was over first down!"

"Yeah, right!" scoffs Drake. "He was—"

"Shut up, Texas!" shouts Tyler. "Your opinion doesn't count!"

"Actually, he's right," steps in Justin. "He got pushed off before—"

"Whose side are you on?!" Brody and Tyler yell back.

"Sounds like an exciting game," observes Nana as she pulls the pies out of the oven.

"A little too exciting," I reply dryly, grabbing a spoon out for the ice cream.

"Oh, they're just having fun," Mom assures me, popping a bottle of caramel Bailey's open. "You know how boys get when they're together..."

"Yeah," I mutter. "That's what I'm worried about..."

The last thing I need right now, on top of everything else that's gone sideways today, is Drake and my brothers falling out over a stupid game when they've been getting along so well with each other. Especially when there is actually money — and pride — on the line.

Maybe this had been a bad idea...

Peeking 'round the corner, I catch sight of the guys on the sofa, eyes glued to the TV.

"Stop him!" urges Drake as the Broncos receiver makes a dash down the field. "Flatten the bastard!"

"Keep going, Patrick!" counters Brody.

"Sweet fuckin' Jesus!" groans Drake as the Cowboys defence finally manage to push the Denver player out of bounds. "How many of y'all do you need to stop a runner!"

"The whole team," laughs Dad from the other side of the room.

"Seriously?" objects Tyler. "You're not gonna call him out on the f-word?"

"Oh, just let it go, T!" groans Brody.

"Maybe if you learn to drink 'shine like a man, Dad'll give you a free pass too!" Justin tells his younger brother.

"I make no promises," comes the deadpan response.

I feel a smile quirk at my lips. Okay. Maybe it's not so bad.

Picking my plate and glass up, I make my way over to the sofa as well...

...and nearly spill everything onto the carpet as Drake erupts into a fit of rage just as I'm about to sit down next to him.

"What the hell, Diggs!" he bellows, throwing his hand out at the TV. "How could you let that go!"

Brody jumps up from the couch with a celebratory fist-pump as the Broncos’ offence snaps the ball out of the air and tumbles across the line. "Ha! In your face, Texas!"

"One job! One fuckin' job..." growls Drake under his breath as he stares daggers at the screen.

The Broncos quickly line up for their field goal, adding a one-point conversion to their score.

"How's the game going?" asks Mom, coming over with Nana to join us.

"Depends who you ask," I tell her dryly, spooning up a forkful of pie while Drake continues to fume next to me.

"Broncos are winning," Brody declares proudly.

"Not for long," Drake mutters as the Cowboys line up for their first snap.

Dak Prescott gets the ball and launches it down the field.

"Catch it, Lamb, catch it...!" urges Drake.

Yellow flags fly into the field as the ref's whistle blows.

"What the fuck?" comes the outraged exclamation from next to me. "There was nothing—!"

"Personal foul," advises Justin. "Cowboys offence."

Sure enough, one of the Dallas linemen gets called out for holding.

"Oh, fuck you, ref!" objects Drake as the slow-mo replay is shown. "That's a bullshit call!"

"Not really," counters Justin. "That Cowboy all but ripped Browning's jersey off!"

"It didn't interfere with the damn play!" insists Drake heatedly. "We're owed that yardage!"

"Not according to the refs," shrugs Brody.

"Putain de bordel de merde..." cusses Drake under his breath.

"Jesus!" exclaims Mom as the teams reset. "Things must really be had if we're swearing in Spanish now!"

"It's French," I correct wearily.

The ball is snapped again and the Cowboys manage to gain some ground, despite stiff opposition from the Broncos’ defence.

"The fuck, Darby! That was an easy pass!" exclaims Drake as the Cowboys fumble the ball.

"Cowboys are choking!" sniggers Tyler gleefully. "It's what they do best!"

"Shut up!" snaps Drake in response.

I lay a comforting hand on his knee, but he's too engrossed in the game to notice...

...especially when the Broncos take advantage of the turnover to score another touchdown.

"That's why you don't tackle like that!" yells Drake, springing to his feet in a fit of rage as the ball crosses the end zone.

"Ha!" gloats Brody victoriously as the Broncos convert the down. "16-0 against the number one offence in the league! We'll have you beat by the third quarter, easy!"

"Fuck you, man..." Drake grits, downing the remainder of his moonshine angrily.

"Top up?" offers Dad.

"I'm not sure that's—"

But my feeble protest gets very viscerally overruled as Drake thrusts his glass out in front of me.

I sink back into the sofa. This is going to be a long game...

The rest of the first half ticks down, with Dallas managing to squeeze a touchdown in just before the whistle blows.

"Fucking finally...!" grumbles Drake as the game cuts to ads.

"Someone suck the juice out of Cowboys?" asks Nana. "They're all over the place tonight!"

"I thought they were supposed to be one of the top teams in the league," adds Mom, chewing thoughtfully on a bite of pie.

"Just... Just don't..." says Drake with a shake of his head as he flops back onto the couch.

"Who wants pie!" I ask, trying to lighten the mood a bit — and change the subject — before Drake has a total meltdown.

"I'm good," says Brody, reaching for another can of Busch instead.

Tyler and Justin shake their heads as well.

"Drake?" I ask hopefully.

He tips the remainder of his drink back by way of reply.

"All the more for me, then!" I declare with excessive chirpiness as I tramp back into the kitchen.

But if Drake picks up on my heavy dose of sarcasm, he doesn't react to it.

Arriving at the centre island, I reach for the serving spoon.

I know he got like this sometimes — way too engrossed and overtly involved. Especially when his team failed to live up to expectations and he was left watching helplessly from the sidelines.

Which grates on him all the more, given that he played for a college team during his first two years at the University of North Texas, and knows first-hand the difference between a good play and a bad one.

So, I can empathise with his outbursts. Even if I don't agree with them. Because, at the end of the day, it's just a stupid game played by a bunch of belligerent jocks who get paid way too much money to run up and down a field for a couple of hours.

And that's part of the reason why I never really caught the football bug despite growing up in a house with four brothers and a dad who live and breathe the game.

Dumping another serving of pie onto my plate, I dress it with a liberal dollop of ice cream before making my way back to the living room...

...but not before I grab a fresh glass from the cupboard as well.

Dropping my plate on the coffee table, I nab the bottle of moonshine and pour myself a couple of fingers. Because the way this game is going, Bailey’s isn’t really going to cut it.

"You're drinking too?" asks Tyler in bewilderment.

"You used to hate that stuff," adds Justin with wide eyes.

"Drake's a bad influence," I reply dryly, screwing the mason jar closed again.

"Has good taste, though!" quips Nana as she reaches for the amber-coloured liquor as well. "You really outdid yourself with this batch, Rob!"

Dad raises his own glass cordially in reply as the TSN commentators wrap up their predictions for the second half and the game resumes.

Downing my drink in one, grimace-inducing swig (Nana's right — it is good... just very strong), I take my seat again with some trepidation as the Broncos kick the ball across the field to the Cowboys.

As regardless of the outcome, beer cans and f-bombs are guaranteed to go flying as soon as the final whistle blows. It's just a question of who will be the perpetrator — Drake, or Brody.

"Run it! Run it! You're wide op—!" Drake emits a pained groan. "Oh, got the love of—!"

Brody jumps up from the couch with a celebratory fist-pump as the Bronco's defence tackles the Cowboys runner to the ground. "Suck it, Texas!"

"We still got possession," Drake reminds him as the Cowboys line up for a snap.

I continue to chip away at my pie in tense silence as Dak Prescott gets his hands on the ball and looks for a receiver.

"Throw it, dammit!" urges Drake. "You're gonna get—"

Prescott launches the ball at the last second before he gets sacked, but it goes wide, hitting the ground even though Lamb makes a desperate run for it.

"27 yards, man!" groans Drake. "How the fuck did you miss?"

"Broncos gonna win!" sing-songs Justin as he does a little shimmy on the couch. "Broncos gonna win!"

"Shut up!" snaps Drake.

Ten tense minutes later, Drake's mood only fouls further.

"What?!" he berates the screen as the ref denies the Cowboys some much-needed points. "What the hell do you mean 'he wasn't in control'! That was a goddamn touchdown!"

"Sucks to be you, Texas!" Brody chimes in gleefully as Dallas is forced to rerun the play.

Drake shoots daggers across the room even as the Cowboys fullback manages to throw himself over the top of the double line of blockers and land the ball in the end zone.

But the touchdown, and the subsequent field goal, seems to galvanise the Cowboys, especially since they know they're quickly running out of time to make up for all the points they conceded to the Broncos in the first half.

Possession switches to Denver, but the defensive coordinator must have been screaming at the linesmen while they had been sat on the bench, because the Broncos have to fight tooth and nail to make any headway down the field.

"67-yard field goal...?" asks Justin in disbelief as the Broncos’ kicker is brought on.

"He'll need more than a prayer to pull that off," agrees Tyler.

"He'll make it," Brody assures himself, hands clasped in front of his face in apparent prayer. "He'll make it."

Even McManus looks like he's seeking divine assistance as he prepares himself for the kick on the field.

The kicker's foot pulls back, and the ball goes sailing through the air. The Cowboys scramble to catch it...

...but the football sails decisively through the bars of the goal.

"Fuck yes!" screams Brody, shooting up from the couch with his arms in the air.

"I can't believe he made it..." gasps Mom.

"Boy's got some thighs on him," affirms Nana.

Tyler and Justin are staring at the screen in awe.

Even Drake looks moderately impressed.

The rest of the third quarter winds down, and after yet another ad break, the final fifteen minutes of game time rolls around.

"Now or nothing, guys," murmurs Drake fervently as the last quarter kicks off.

I finished my second helping of pie ages ago, so I have nothing left to keep me distracted from the almost choking anticipation in the room.

The teams battle it out on the screen as the clock ticks slowly down.

"Run it, run it!" yells Drake as the Broncos close off Prescott's options.

"He's behiiiiind you!" mocks Tyler 'round a pre-celebratory slice of apple pie.

"Oh, for the love of—!"

My eyes suddenly widen as I see the Dallas QB pull his arm back. "He's going for a Hail Mary!"

Drake rounds on me. "To who? There's no one fuck—!"

Prescott must've sensed the Broncos' linebacker bearing down on him because he launches the ball into the air at the last possible second. The football hurtles through the air as players scramble on both sides...

...and Cooper manages to snatch it from the air!

"Where the hell was that during the first half!" deplores Drake as Cooper lands on his feet and pegs it down the field, leaving the Broncos' defence to dust.

"Run, you piece of crap!" yells Brody at his team. "Run!"

But it's too little, too late, and Cooper somersaults the ball into the Denver end zone with a massive grin on his face as the crowd in the stadium goes ballistic.

"Fucking finally!" gripes Drake, slumping back into the couch in relief as the Cowboys gain their hard-fought six points.

"Not gonna help you, Texas," Justin reminds him. "You're 22 points down with two minutes to go."

"Two minutes is a long time, man," Drake counters as the Cowboys line up to attempt a two-point conversion.

And I don't blame them — they desperately need the points, even though it's a risky play.

"Not if we sack you first!" exults Brody as the Broncos take their revenge and the Cowboys' gamble backfires.

"Asshole!" cries Drake, shooting to his feet in anger. "Why the fuck did y—!"

Tyler's laughing on the floor. "Should've taken the kick, Texas!"

Something inside of Drake snaps. "Fils de pute!" he roars aiming a kick at the coffee table and sending it flying...

...right into the TV stand.

The 50’’ flatscreen teeters precariously, as if trying to decide its fate, before opting to crash unceremoniously to the floor.

Silence drops on the room as everyone stares at the carnage, the garbled sound of the TSN commentators' voices crackling feebly out of the busted speakers.

Even Nana is speechless.

Dad is the first to recover his faculties. "Well," he observes prosaically. "That's a new one..."

I finally manage to tear my gaze away from the scene of destruction to look up at Drake...

...only to find a blank space beside me.

"Dra—?"

Pissed-off footsteps echo down the foyer before the front door slams shut with a loud bang.

I heave a breath. "Great."

Thanksgiving continues in Part 5 - Coming Soon!

A/N: Before anyone asks, yes, I HC that Drake had a Christian — specifically Catholic — upbringing. Both his parents hail from areas where church attendance, Sunday school, baptisms, etc. would’ve been prevalent when they were growing up (Texas for Jackson and rural Cordonia for Bianca — if you recall, I switched their nationalities around for my rewrites), so it would make sense for the Walkers to have continued this tradition with their kids, especially when they were younger. I know a lot of people write Drake as an atheist (or even downright aversive to the concept of God and organised religion), and I can understand why people make this choice, but this is not the route that my Drake decided to take. And while in my fics he is not ‘actively’ religious (he doesn’t go to church, he’s not particularly insistent on having a church wedding, etc.), that religious upbringing is still part of his character (readers may have noticed this in some of the expressions and turns of phrase that he uses; the concept of prayer is also something that I’m planning to explore towards the end of (Less Than) Noble Intentions), so he would know, and not balk at the thought of, saying grace at the dinner table.

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Thanksgiving Only

@burnsoslow

[glenthemes]

using javascript on tumblr pages – how to ask support for permission

✧ What is happening?

As of early May 2022, you might have gotten this message when trying to save edits on your custom pages or when trying to install new ones:

“Looks like you’re trying to add some Javascript or invalid html to your page. You’ll need to contact Support if you’d like to use Javascript.”

✧ Why is this happening?

Tumblr is preventing potential malicious uses of javascript and decided to ban any form of javascript on your pages, and for now the only way to re-enable it is to “contact Support”.

More info: https://help.tumblr.com/hc/en-us/articles/5869629271319

(2024: Tumblr has deleted this article. You can still find it archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20230320133928/https://help.tumblr.com/hc/en-us/articles/5869629271319)

✧ How to contact support:

Just “contact Support” is vague enough in itself, so here’s a quick guide on what to write in your request to them so you can get approved asap. Please note that it may take some time for them to process your request. This exact method isn’t guaranteed, but here’s what I did that got me approved within a week.

🌟 To get started, make sure you have a FREE page ready. When asking staff for permission, you’ll need to send the code. If you plan on using a paid / premium page, just send in your request under a free page first. After that, you’re free to do whatever you want.

1. Go to https://www.tumblr.com/support

2. In the Category option, choose “Customizing your Tumblr”.

3. In the message box, include the following:

List out all the blogs you want to use custom pages on.

Give a brief description of what you use those blogs for.

The page name, and the maker’s username.

A link to the page code, aka where you got it from.

Most theme makers share them through Pastebin or Github.

Here’s a template:

(Remember the please & thankyous! Staff are flooded with requests right now so be mindful).

4. Skip the Attachment part, because you’re only allowed to upload images, and codes aren’t images.

5. For the Relevant Blog option, pick your main blog (the very first blog you created on your account)

6. For the Account Email, enter the email you use to sign in to Tumblr

7. Complete the Captcha and wait for the tick ✓ to show

8. Click Next.

9. You’ll reach the “Does any of this help?” screen. No, it does not. Scroll to the bottom and click “No, send my thing”.

And done! You’ll receive an automated confirmation email from staff that they’ve received your request.

✧ How long will it take:

It may take them several weeks for an actual member of staff to get back to you, so be patient. However, there’s a chance that you may have been approved for javascript usage *before* they reply. So you can check your custom pages every now and then to see if you can save any edits, or if you can install any new pages.

As of 2024, the wait time is almost indefinite. Personally, I’ve requested it on multiple side accounts and blogs and I haven’t gotten a response since 2022.

If you don’t want to wait, you can use a page as the theme of a new side blog. Instructions here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t-9--14V525_iMKTYobS3chUiEL22KIXFjANgFgGtcU/edit?usp=sharing

🕒 Last updated: 2024-06-11

[withahappyrefrain]

need the blurb where Jake is a slut for girls wearing glasses like asap mama.

We will see some of it in the next "Parking Spots" installment

but I could be easily convinced to write a separate blurb because who doesn't want more of Jake Seresin pinning after women

[mkstrigidae]

Slight APWH Announcement:

Nothing concerning!!!! The story is still being written, I am still working on it, and have no intention of stopping, so if you are prone to wearing your anxiety pants, you can take them off now. Don't put them on in the first place. At least put on a cozy sweater with them or something comfortable.

tl;dr: I'm going to be doing some mostly minor revisions to the beginning chapters of the story. Nothing will fundamentally change in the story, but I've been wanting to do this for a while, for a number of reasons, so here's a heads-up. (So if you are really attached to this specific wording of the beginning of the story, go download it on Ao3 ASAP). More elaboration below the cut if you're curious:

I think part of the reason I'm having such a bear of a time with the most recent APWH installments is that I've grown as a writer since beginning the story, and made a few choices in the beginning that I would rather not have been there. Nothing huge, but I think I was too eager to tip my hand on certain aspects of Oberyn's assessment of Petyr, and I really hate the scene at the newspaper with Jeor and Lyanna. I've also always disliked how I wrote part of Sansa giving her statement to Oberyn, and have wanted to edit a throwaway comment of Aegon's inviting Theon to Winterfell a while back.

There are things about the story I really feel like need to be edited, in short, lmao.

So I think I might go back and make a few changes to the first few chapters- The content itself wouldn't change, for the most part, just the way things are presented. I know you're probably not supposed to do this with a fic, but this one turned into a behemoth, and when I began the story, I had no idea what the plot was going to be. Now, I have a very clear idea of what the story arc looks like, and it means that I'm writing in a less serial fashion, and am able to get into case details in a way that doesn't feel absolutely absurd. There are also a few pieces of intended foreshadowing at the beginning that are no longer really relevant, and some things I really feel like would benefit from being reworded.

Like I said, I know this isn't necessarily a typical approach to writing a fic, but A. It is my story, haha, and It's not perfectionism so much as it is genuinely enjoying doing some harmless revision (okay so it's a little bit perfectionism, but i haven't been beating myself up over these mistakes- Jon Arryn would have had to be in like, 3 places at once between chapters 5 and 13 with the way i've name dropped him (not to mention the ever shifting location of Sansa's lemon tree) and while I'm not exactly losing sleep over it, it has been annoying me), AND B. I genuinely do not have any intention of changing this story to make it fundamentally different. I'd like some specific spots to be less clunky, and would like to correct some continuity errors, and in one case, remove a scene where I fundamentally really got journalistic ethics just blatantly wrong. But the story is not going to change.

I'm not sure what the reaction to this will be, but it's going to be something I handle before the next chapter of APWH gets posted (the delay is largely that I'm writing like five chapters at once, because events really spill into each other after this chapter and so I'm treating this next block of chapters as like, it's own story arc. Then there's a subsequent smaller arc involving Sansa at school that sort of runs into the trial arc, and then finale stuff (which i'm keeping quiet about for now but I so desperately want to post- I have such a perfect end oh my god), so like, there is a structure here!!! I promise.

I have NO intention of giving up on this story, ever. Sometimes, it can be a fucking chore to write (all hobbies are like this at some point and this story is SO LONG), but I have such a deep and abiding love for the versions of the characters I've written, and usually, I absolutely love working on this story and pulling all the threads together.

There's also the fact that this story is WAY more popular than I ever expected it to be- like holy shit I never expected people to love this weird concept the way I did. So while I write this story for myself, it's also a labor of love that I love that I get to share with all of you who have enjoyed it so far- everyone who's left kudos, and added the story to rec lists, everyone who's bookmarked it, who've reblogged my new chapter posts- you make me so extremely happy. To those of you who leave me comments- who tell me your theories in the comments and use so! many! exclamation! points! (!!!), who have told me how much you feel for Sansa, for Robb and Ned and Cat and all the Starks- I love you. I don't always have time to respond to all of them, but every comment you leave is just so loved and appreciated. To those of you who send me tumblr asks about the story with your character questions, wanting to know fun facts about the characters and know more about the universe I've created, I love everything about you always, and answering those is so much fun. To the anon who sent me an ask about whether or not Sansa's case ended up on Buzzfeed unsolved in the APWH universe- how does it feel to have left me the single best piece of feedback I've ever gotten on the story? How dare you be funnier than me on my own story? I absolutely adore you.

Anyways, I love you all, I love writing APWH, and I hope you all will not be too irritated by this particular decision. I can guarantee that there are numerous scenes in the future that will make up for any mild inconvenience this may cause you to feel at the moment. Plus, you'll have a good excuse to reread if that's your thing!

I hope you are all having a wonderful week, and that you find a perfectly ripe piece of produce at the grocery store that's also on sale (I have an entire bag of oranges in my fridge because I share Sansa's citrus obsession).

[thiscrimsonsoul]

{out of paprikash} So... my laptop decided to fry its harddrive this morning, and that means a lot of very negative things for me. Explanation and bit of a rant below, but I can’t promise how much writing I will get done tonight. It depends on time, mood, muse, and whether I even feel like being here, given my extreme mood drop. I will try to do what I can.

This has hit me hard for a number of reasons. First, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t backed up my files in six months. That means I’ve lost six months of writing progress on various projects, six months of work on Tumblr (files with tags, info dumps, headcanons, icons, reaction gifs, anything I’ve updated in my archives... it’s just how I organize my brain), and six months of music and photos.

The most heartbreaking of these losses is the writing/editing progress I’ve lost on various WIPs, but also I lost an entire folder containing pictures and videos of a pet that died recently. I had removed them all from my phone already, thinking they were archived on my computer, but hadn’t backed them up yet. It’s like losing him all over again. I also had pictures from my grandmother’s birthday, going out with my dad to our favorite pub, and other family things I can just never get back.

Understandably, and especially given that lately I’ve just been hit with one thing right after the other for several months now and I’m exhausted, this has very much taken me down and made me feel quite defeated. It is especially infuriating because I was planning on backing up all my files today, since I would have some time to finally do it and I just had a terrible feeling like I needed to do it soon. One more day... could have changed so much for me. But here I am.

I do have a backup laptop that I am using right now, but it is very old, very slow, and it has the processing power of a drunken snail. I can’t do the majority of daily things I do with my main laptop on this one, but at least I can still work and answer email so I won’t lose my job and I can do basic writing. No games, nothing with pictures or videos, but just basic stuff. But of course, that won’t help me get any of my files back. My dad is going to work on the drive to see if anything is salvageable, but there is absolutely no guarantee at all that it will be.

But the worst part... is that as of midnight tonight, my students have their first two forums assignments due. Which means... by tomorrow... I will have 600 forums posts to grade by Thursday, and now I have to do that on a slow, old, clunky computer that freezes up or shuts itself off if you so much as look at it funny. To give you an idea, it usually takes me about an hour and a half to grade one section of students. I have five sections. And that timing was with my fast-as-hell main laptop. On this slow ass boi? Who knows how long it will take me now.

And lastly, I cannot be without a fast, reliable computer. My entire job is online. The majority of my hobbies are as well. So... I will have to run out in the next day or so to purchase a brand new computer, having very little time to research which one I want to buy and paying full price because there are no sales going on right now to speak of. This is going to kick my finances in the ass like you would not believe. And when I get it home, I will have hours’ if not days’ worth of installing, configuring, file populating, organizing, anti-virusing, and settings adjusting to accomplish ASAP.

I will likely be getting the new computer Wednesday, since tomorrow I have to work all day, and I need tonight to try to do some research on what to buy. I’m not going to go on hiatus from all my blogs because I think doing some writing will help keep me sane, but my activity may be low until I get the new computer and can situate myself with it.

I’ll update on my other blogs as they are scheduled this week to let you know what’s going on. Please bear with me and sorry for yet another reason why I can’t just be here to write like I want to. Eventually the universe has to run out of things it can fuck up in my life, right? Right?  R i g h t ?

[milliedazzledust]

War Rages On: part 2 (Bucky Barnes imagine)

Words: 3234

A/N: Still don’t know where I’m going with this story but I’m really having fun writing this and I hope you’ll like it! Don’t forget to tell me if you want to be tag for the next parts :)

Previously: part 1

Steve had found Bucky deep in the forest of Wakanda. Escorted by the kind T’Challa, he led him to the man they called the White Wolf. He had found his redemption away from mankind. Surrounded by trees and animals, Y/N and him had lived a simple life inside their cottage up until that moment. Before this, Steve had no intention to bring them back. He had planned to come visit the couple but most importantly to let them have their happy ending, to keep them from monsters that had tried so many times to tore them apart. He couldn’t imagine two people more deserving of peace than them. The King of Wakanda had outdone himself to make sure this was achievable.

“Do you remember the last time you saw her ?” Steve asked him.

Bucky sat on a rock near a river, hastily ruffling his hair.

“She left a couple days ago” He recounted. “She had a message from Stark on the burner phone you gave her”

“What did it say ?”

“Need your help asap - Romanoff compromised. An address was attached”

He got worried when he saw Steve dropping his head and rubbing his eyes in frustration. He had known him long enough to guess something was bothering him.

“Buck’, Tony didn’t send anything.” The Soldier confessed.

“What do you mean ?”

The familiar sensation of anxiety started to form in the pit of his stomach despite the lack of information. He knew he wouldn’t like what he was about to hear.

“I don’t know what happened, but somebody pretending to be him wrote that message”

“That’s impossible” He shook his head, refusing to believe him.

“Buck’ ..”

“She left, Steve. She left to go help him” He vehemently cut him. He stood up and started pacing. His friend could see his whole demeanor slowly shifting. “If she’s not with Stark, then where is she ?!”

“I don’t know” The Captain replied. Admitting it to his friend was almost too painful.

“Have you talk to the others ? Do they know anything ?”

He was looking more and more like a madman. His body had already understood what his mind failed to grasp.

“She send Sam an SOS”

“What ?” He said it in a whisper, instantaneously freezing on the spot.

“Bucky, I’m sorry but she’s missing”

“She can’t be” He felt the panic beginning to creep into his chest.

He turned back to look at his friend.

“That’s not … She said she’d be back” He explained, as if it would make perfect sense that she couldn’t be gone, as if that promise had been enough to keep her safe “.. She … She always comes back to me”

He dropped on the floor, the captain barely had enough time to catch him. His breathing became more rapid, more shallow. He felt it hit him like a hurricane. There was a logical explanation, but the only one he could think of was worst than any nightmare.

“Steve if it’s …” He suddenly sounded alarmed.

“It might not be” The Captain answered. He didn’t know which one of them he was trying to convince the most.

“Who else ?”

His friend stayed silent. His mind couldn’t wrapped around the fact that this could be happening, that they were potentially facing another threat.

“They’re still after me” The Sergeant muttered. “It’d make sense”

“Even if it’s Hydra, we’ll still find her” Steve promised.

“What if it’s too late ?” Bucky dared to think about that possibility, his eyes drifting into space.

“It’s not”

The soldier put a comforting hand on the Sergeant’s shoulder. When he glanced up at him, he saw the reassurance he so desperately needed. He knew this look by heart, he had seen it so many time on Steve’s face growing up. He had that same determination every time he went on to fight someone twice his size, the confidence and fierceness that had built Captain America.

“C’mon, get up.” He ordered with force. “We’re gonna find her”

He silently followed him, his mind running a mile an hour. He couldn’t remember a time he had felt so vulnerable. The mere thought of her somewhere with Hydra was enough to reopen his deepest wounds. He knew what they were capable of, he had lived through the endless torture for years and to picture a fraction of it being done on her was too much.

Steve had taken him to a jet. After several hours of flight, they had landed in a location he didn’t recognize. The place looked like headquarters, abandoned in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by large trees. When they walked out of the plane, Bucky recognized the distinct sent of mint and pine mixed together. He glanced around, trying to find a clue as to where they were, but all he could see was the woods. No other indication.

“What is this place ?” He asked Steve as they walk inside the building.

Before his friend could answer he heard another voice speaking, the sound resonating on the walls.

“Secure location not far from Warsaw, outside of the radars”

Bucky didn’t hide his surprise when he found himself face to face with Tony Stark. The billionaire saw him tense, his body instinctively going into defense mode.

“At ease, soldier” He sighed. “We’re not here to fight”

Still he didn’t ushered a word and looked back and forth between the two men in front of him.  After what had happened between them before he found shelter in Wakanda, he wasn’t sure how to behave around Stark.

“Have you find anything ?” Steve inquired, folding his hands behind his back.

“Sam checked the address you sent me” Stark started to explain. “We were about to take a look at the security footage”

He guided the soldiers to a room that seemed like it had been restored at the last minute. There was a violent contrast between the dust on the floor, the half broken chairs and the high-tech computers Tony had most likely installed. It definitely looked like a hideout. He first noticed Natasha Romanoff leaning on the large table at the center of the room. She was studying a file. Next to her was Sam Wilson, scrolling on a tablet he was holding with intense concentration.

Steve greeted both of them with a simple nod and Bucky noticed the side looks he was being given but chose to not acknowledge them. Stark started to type on his computer and the enormous screen he had placed on one of the wall turned itself on.  

“Here’s what we know so far” Tony told them.

Bucky recognized a screenshot of the message sent to Y/N on the burner phone, the very same one he was carrying in his pocket.

“I was not able to trace the id or the location”

As he spoke, Stark watched the Sergeant from the corner of his eyes taking a sit on a half torn armchair.

“But whomever send this was pretending to be me”

“How were they able to get her number ? Only you and I are supposed to have that information” Steve interrogated.

“I’m getting there, Captain.” Tony answered. “Somebody infiltrated my system and discreetly hijacked it to get into classified data”

The Sergeant suddenly raised his head and with a flick of the fingers, Stark projected details of his firewall system on the screen.

“They left a trail. Sloppy work if you ask me”

“Get to the point, Tony” Natasha reminded him.

The man rolled his eyes before continuing his explanations.

“They searched through every files I have on Barnes. What they were looking for exactly? I don’t know, but I have a vague idea”

“My location” Bucky whispered.

“Bingo. They were after you, and when they realized I was smart enough not to put any compromising informations, they moved to plan B”

“What’s plan B ?” Sam severely asked.

“If you can’t find the Winter Soldier, then let him find you.” Stark directly offered the hypothesis.

“They’re using Y/N as leverage” Steve finally understood.

“Exactly”

Bucky rubbed his eyes in frustration. This was looking more and more like Hydra’s modus operandi.

“Who is they ?” Romanoff questioned.

“I might have an answer to that” Sam replied, waving his tablet. “I found something on the security footage”

A video without sound started playing and instantly Bucky stood up. His eyes traveling from one corner of the screen to the other, he was closely studying every movement. Whomever was doing this had smartly brought the woman in the middle of the city and away from any camera that could incriminate them.

“Y/N is waiting in the corner of the street, then this man approaches her. She takes a step back, probably figured out something was wrong.” The Falcon explained. “All we can see is her reaching for her phone behind her back, which we know now was to send an SOS”

“Any identification on the guy ?” Natasha inquired.

“No. He stayed hidden from the cameras. He knew exactly where they were”

“Why didn’t she attack ?” Tony pondered. “She could have taken him easily”

“Busy street” Bucky answered mechanically. “If you want somebody to comply, lure them in the middle of a crowd. One move and someone else die. Works all the time”

“Of course you’d know about that” The billionaire muttered under his breath.

Steve hadn’t talk yet. His eyes were glued to the screen. Something wasn’t adding up and he didn’t know what. He watched the video playing four times, his hands on his hips, deep in concentration.

“Rewind it” He ordered Sam.

The man didn’t question the request and did as he was told. Shape after shape the Captain analyzed every detail until the information he was missing was right in front of him.

“Stop there”

The video froze and they stared at the frame, trying to figure out what he was seeing.

“What is it, Steve ?” The Russian spy inquired.

“Can you zoom in ?” He asked, ignoring the first question.

Tony took the tablet in his hand and started to play with it.

“What am I looking for ?”

“His neck” He simply said. “He has a tattoo”

His friend raised an eyebrow in surprise, but got to work. Typing on his keyboard, he cut the video’s frame, zoomed in and used a program to polish the picture and create a clear image of the ink on the man’s body.

As soon as Bucky saw it, he felt a cold shiver running down his spine. What he feared the most had only been theoretical until then, there was still a slight hope he was wrong, a one percent chance he was holding onto that he wasn’t living his worst nightmare. And all that came crashing down when he recognized the pattern of a skull he knew by heart.

“No..No, no, no, no” He kept repeating, pacing around the room, panic striking in his veins. “This is not happening, this is not…”

The Captain stopped him in his track, putting his hands on his shoulders.

“Buck’ ..”

“They have her, Steve. They have Y/N” He was terrified, and his friend could clearly hear it in his voice.

The others were following their interaction, not yet understanding what was happening. Steve raised his head, still holding his brother emotionally breaking apart, and looked at them with an alarmed expression that did nothing to ease their worry.

“We had our suspicion on who might have pulled up something like this » He told them. « Frankly, I was hoping we were wrong”

“Who is it ?” Romanoff demanded.

“…Hydra” Bucky murmured, his head low and his human hand shaking.

They all tensed in the room and the silence that followed was frightening.

“Are you sure ?” The Falcon asked.

Steve stared at the projecting image on the wall, pursing his lips.

“Yes, Sam. It’s them” He answered with a heavy voice filled with concern.

Bucky felt the tears on his cheeks before he realized he was crying. His breathing had become unsteady and he was slowly faltering. He quickly excused himself and left the building. He needed the air.

He was trying so hard not to panic but he seemed paralyzed. There was suddenly a menacing aura around him, holding him in a tightening grip. He could feel his temperature rising, a clear sign of his anxiety, his fear. It was a living force creeping over him like a hungry beast, fed by the agonizing possibility he might lose her. He started to take shaky small breath, like Y/N had taught him every time he had a panic attack, but without her to guide him, it was useless. His pulse was beating in his ears, blocking all the other sounds, and he was sweating. There was a lump in his throat, an emotion so large it was aching to be released. He wanted to scream, to punch something, to beg for mercy. Alas, he closed his eyes, trying to focus his senses on one thing only, find her.

And just as the thought crossed his mind, he felt the tiny device he had in his pocket vibrate. He took his phone out, but nothing was displayed on the screen. Then he realized it wasn’t the right one. Fishing in his pants, he found was he was looking for and grabbed the burner phone. One message. When he opened it, the color quickly drained from his face.

« She won’t stay alive for long, unless you come home. Not Romania, not Brooklyn, your real home. No Avenger. You know the consequences of disobedience »

Attached to it was a photo. His heart stopped and his metal fist clenched the phone so hard he accidentally broke it when he saw the picture of the woman he loved, arms chained on a ceiling, body dangling in the air and covered in blood. He absently stared at his hands, thinking back to their time in Wakanda, in peace, away from the world. Just the two of them. What a difference a couple of days could make. He knew what he wanted to do. There was not an ounce of hesitation in him, only the desire to make sure she would make it out of there alive.

So engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn’t hear someone creeping in behind him. Natasha silently stood next to him. Was it out of pity or emotional support, he couldn’t tell. She observed him for a moment, furrowing her eyebrows like she was trying to read him, before she turned back to look at the sky.

“You know where she is”

It wasn’t a question but a statement.

“What makes you say that ?”

“Two fossils from the 1930’s with the same instinct of preservation and the same tendencies to make stupid decisions based on emotions. Not exactly hard to put two and two together. You and Steve have a lot in common”

He pursed his lips.

“Are you gonna tell them ?” He asked, looking back at the abandoned building.

“Still debating.” She admitted. “You’re not really stupid, Barnes. You know you can’t take them all by yourself”

“That wasn’t my intention”

“Then what’s your plan ?”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to, she could see it in his whole demeanor. It was in the way he stood up straight, in the way he was clenching his jaw, in the way his eyes held so much determination and purpose.

“You don’t intend on coming back, do you ?”

“I can’t let them kill her” He explained.

“A suicide mission is by far the most stupid idea you could come up with”

“It’s the only one I’ve got” He replied, resigned.

He turned to look at her. The calmness he was displaying was enough to know he had made up his mind and honestly, it frightened her.

“I don’t think you know how much she means to me, Natasha. I don’t deserve her love, I really don’t, but somehow she saw something worth fighting for in me. She saw all the cracks, all the flaws and all the mistakes I’ve made and she didn’t run. She stood by my side and fought for me. She’s my sanity. She’s all the good that’s left in me. She’s the name I whisper when I’m scared my memories are fading. I can’t take the risk to lose her because if that happens, I’ll lose myself and there will be no come back this time”

The lump in his throat prevented him from saying anything more and he gulped, trying to make the feeling of anxiety subside.

“Whatever it takes, and whatever I’ll have to do, I swear she will get out of there alive” He nodded to no one in particular, a silent and simple sign he would not change his mind.

“At what cost ? What are we suppose to tell her when you won’t be here anymore ?”

“That I fought for her the same way she did for me”

His response shut her up. His voice held so much serenity and resolve she knew it would be useless to argue. She understood where he was coming from, just like she understood the sacrifice he was ready to make.

“There’s a version of this where we win, Barnes. Keep that in mind. It doesn’t have to end in pain or worse. Fight with everything you’ve got and don’t stop until both of you are safe”

He sadly smiled.

“You’ve definitely spent too much time with Steve”

She rolled her eyes before turning to stand in front of him. She hesitated a moment, words on the tip of her tongue.

“I’m sorry this is happening” She gloomily confessed. “But you know why they want you, right ?”

“The Winter Soldier” He replied, closing his eyes. “They want him back”

“Just so we’re clear here, Bucky, and just in case, you have to be aware that the moment you’ll get there, they will torture you to get him back. Your mind is already damaged, you won’t hold long”

“I just need to hold long enough to get her out of there” He vehemently assured her, gritting his teeth.

“Your plan is to walk out with her” She reminded him, insisting on the words.

He glanced down at her and judging by the look in his eyes, she knew what he was about to ask her before he even spoke.

“If it comes to the worse, if I become … him again …” He started.

“I know” She cut him. He didn’t need to say the word, she knew thinking about it was already more than enough pain for him.

She stood there, watched him get into the jet him and Steve had taken to get there, and did nothing. It was useless to try to convince him to stay, he was too stubborn to listen. And she knew this was his best shot at getting back the woman he loved alive. She was aware Hydra would not spare the lovers and she prayed they were ready for the fight that was ahead of them. The Avengers would find them eventually, hopefully before it was too late. She turned around when she saw the jet flying in the air and walked silently back inside the building. She would keep that conversation and the promise she had made a secret, and hope whatever Bucky had planned, it would be enough to prevent the worse from happening.

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