#insane how i had no idea all this was going on

[seitmai]

Many thoughts

Bucky only laughed, “meet us in Louisiana. Take care y/n.” he cuts the call. Bucky’s guy was not a wrinkly old pervert, but this insanely good-looking man with great posture and a warm smile.

What a positive surprise 👀

You fumbled with your bag as he raised his eyebrows, “let me take that for you.” He offered. “Oh no, no it's fine.” You laughed out, and he raised his arms in defeat.

What a gentleman 🤭

Cass looks at him with all seriousness, “Do you play Fortnight?” Joaquin fumbled, “Yeah. A bit.” “Cool.” They both replied in unison.

That's so teenage boy coded 😅

You saw Cass and AJ grow up after the blip, and stayed with them when they needed help. You might not have the same blood, but they were your family. If this was six years ago, from the same spot you could hear Steve and Sam coming up with ideas to locate Bucky, Natasha and Clint in the backyard fighting over something stupid, Sarah and her late husband on the porch setting up the grill, and Wanda making things fly that made Baby AJ giggle.

���🥹🥰🥹

You opened your eyes, but found only darkness ahead of you. That sliver of hope you had of watching your found family under one roof again was alive for five years… until the minute you saw Natasha didn’t return with Clint, Wanda not even looking in your direction at Tony’s funeral, and Steve going back in time without saying goodbye.

Uff 💔

His deep brown eyes look at you as you take a sip, and he confesses, “I got a call before I came here. My Abuela.” He takes a deep breath, “She’s cooking up a feast for the local homeless shelter, and I know, I know she’s not well because her voice is raspy and she’s breathing too hard and I begged her to sit this one out, but she’s one stubborn woman, won’t even listen to her only grandson.” You shock him with a laugh, looking at the dew on your bottle, “Sounds like someone I used to know.” “Your ex?” he nudges your shoulder playfully. You laugh, “My sister actually,” recalling flashes of red hair chasing you around the Avengers compound, “yeah, she was a force to be reckoned with.”

🥺🥺🥺

“- look different?” you bring your knees closer, wrapping your arms around them, “I was adopted.” “ohhhh.” He drew out the exclamation, taking his sweet time not knowing what else to say.

I wonder what answer he expected haha

“She saved me from the Red Room. Took me under the wing, sent me to High School… God knows how that went.” You laughed recalling the absolute menace you were during your teens. “If there was mischief in school, my name was somehow related. And Nat was always there to get me out of it. Except for that one time I blew up the toilets to rebel against the dress code… said I deserved getting suspended.” The fight you had afterwards… Steve and Tony had to interfere or else you both would have torn each other’s heads off.

Just sibling things🥰

“I must be the last person you want to hear this from, but, know that the hurt you’re feeling right now, y/n,” he gently grasps your hand, “it’s just all the love you have for the person you lost. I don’t want to say it gets easier, but you get better at letting it out over time.”

That was a great answer 🥺

“No, no, Joaquin, we traveled for the entire day. We’re both tired. We can share the bed.” He was too tall to fit on the couch anyways.

Oh so there is just ✨️one bed✨️, I wonder what happens next 👀

Someone works out. You immediately slapped a hand on your mouth realizing you said that out loud. Frozen with embarrassment, you waited to see if he heard that.

Whoops 🤭😅

You huff out, “I always wanted to hike on that trail, never got the chance.” “Maybe you can come with me after all this is over.” He says coyly, nudging your shoulder, “I can show you around, we can go visit other places, Horseshoe Bend, Havasu Falls…” Y/n… just say it. He can’t be more obvious than this. You smirk, “Joaquin Torres,” he looks at you, his cheeks turning red, “are you asking me out on a date?” “Maybe… if you want to.” He looks at the ceiling, and to your amusement, you realize he was blushing, “And I promise I won’t scam you for money…” you laugh out loud, “I’m always up for hiking the trail, you know, because I work out.”

Ahhh not the call out that he works out 🤭🥰

“I went on tour to Japan, so…” you look into those chocolaty brown eyes again, his face in the sunlight makes his features stand out, your attention going to his lips. “Maybe you could take me with you next time.” He says, holding your hand, caressing the back as he looks at your lips. “Only if you want to.” You whisper, leaning in, praying you weren’t reading this wrong.

I'm sure they both want it 🥰😍

Under the Same Sky

Pairings - Joaquin Torres X fem!Reader (TFATWS AU)

Premise - You have your heart guarded for the longest time. But when you encounter a stranger on the same mission, will you be able to do the same?

Word Count - 4.5K

Warnings: Some strong language, references to Pop Culture, allusions to SMUT

a/n - I wrote this while I was falling in love with someone. This one is for everyone who ever fell in love, hope you guys have a happy ending that you truly deserve <3

“I swear to God Barnes, if this is some kind of dipshit prank you are playing on me, I’ll give your number to that sweet server lady from Yori’s Japanese place and record your introverted ass trying to strike a conversation.” You grumbled into your phone as you locked your door and walked down the stairs of yours (and Buck’s) apartment building.

After making you spill your morning coffee over the couch while telling you about him evading the country, breaking Helmunt Zemo out from prison, going to Madripor and Karli threatening Sam’s family, he had the goddamn audacity to ask for your help with the entire situation.

You were, of course, rushing to Louisiana for Sarah and the kids, because afterwards you get to murder him in cold blood.

“If this wasn’t for Sam’s family in danger, I would not have asked for you. And by the way, I am not an introvert. That’s you. Now hurry up, my guy’s waiting.” his annoyingly calm voice spoke through the phone.

“Is your guy about to be a wrinkly old pervert trying to get high by speed walking?” you almost screamed, reaching the ground floor and pulling open the back door towards the alleyway. The chill air makes you shiver a bit, and you find yourself colliding with a person, “oof” you hear a muffled sound coming from him.

“I’m so sorry- I-“ you began to explain yourself, but the other person spoke up first, “y/n?”

Your hand hovered over the concealed weapon on your waist, “uh, yeah?” you murmur, taking a step back in caution wondering how he knew your name.

“Yeah, I found her.” He speaks into his cell and cuts the call.

Dressed in casual clothes, he held a duffle bag in one hand, his eyebrows raised as he was looking at you. He smiled, waved at you, and Bucky spoke into your ear, “found my guy?”

“This is your guy?” you said pointing at him.

Bucky only laughed, “meet us in Louisiana. Take care y/n.” he cuts the call. Bucky’s guy was not a wrinkly old pervert, but this insanely good-looking man with great posture and a warm smile.

And to your horror, he was hot.

His warm, sun-kissed complexion hinted at his Mexican heritage. His hair added an air of rugged charm and you swore you never saw anyone with eyes so dark brown that drew you in instantly.

“You are…” you extend your hand after shoving your phone in the pocket of your overcoat.

“Lt. Torres.” He grimaced, embarrassed, “Joaquin. Joaquin Torres.” He extends his hand.

You shake his hand and oh god why are his hands so warm!

“Marines?” you ask, trying not to think about his hands.

“Air Force, ma’am.” He says, stepping back for you to get out of the doorway.

“Please, just call me y/n.”

You fumbled with your bag as he raised his eyebrows, “let me take that for you.” He offered.

“Oh no, no it's fine.” You laughed out, and he raised his arms in defeat.

He was walking to the end of the alley beside you, cold air escaping his lips.

Pink, soft, how would they feel on your lips and…

You concentrate on walking, trying not to look at him where his neck met his shoulders and goddammit what is wrong with you y/n can you stop daydreaming about this guy?

What you missed while giving yourself a pep talk… was the smirk on Joaquin’s face.

---

The initial car ride was a bit silent, awkward conversation hanging in the air. But then, like magic, the tension dissolved. You stumbled upon a shared love for Power Rangers and the cartoons of our youth. Suddenly, you were deep in conversation, reminiscing about your childhoods, carefree and filled with the magic of childhood. Turns out he isn’t much older than you, just a two year difference.

His laughter was infectious. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners, his teeth flashing in a wide grin – it was a sound that felt warm and comforting, somehow. You found yourself leaning towards him, captivated by the way his lips curved into a smile, the way the light caught the gold flecks in his eyes. The familiar road seemed to stretch on forever.

Finally when we pulled onto the familiar, deserted road leading to Sam's house, two small figures came into view, standing near the porch. 

“Auntie!” Cass and AJ sprinted to you as soon as you stepped out of the car.

“Heyyyy!” you laugh and fall back as they hug you with full force, “ugh, I missed you guys so much.”

“We missed you too!” AJ grinned as he refused to let go of you.

“Who's this?” Cass asked you, pointing towards Joaquin.

Among the excitement of meeting them, you almost forgot the poor guy. Joaquin stood next to the car awkwardly looking at you. You smile and introduce him, “guys this is my friend, Joaquin.”

“Hey.” He waved at Cass and AJ.

Cass looks at him with all seriousness, “Do you play Fortnight?”

Joaquin fumbled, “Yeah. A bit.”

“Cool.” They both replied in unison.

“Okay now let auntie breathe for a minute.” Sarah spoke as she walked towards you wearing an apron, clearly cooking for dinner.

You hugged her tight, meeting the family after so long, “Hey Sarah.”

You look towards Joaquin, how he was laughing with the kids. And then you look at Sarah, your soul sister, and how Bucky had asked you to break the news to her delicately, “Sarah, we need to talk.”

---

Sam and Sarah were your go to destination every summer. 

You saw Cass and AJ grow up after the blip, and stayed with them when they needed help. You might not have the same blood, but they were your family.

They have stayed away from all the mayhem, until now.

You three sat down on the kitchen table and told her everything that you knew about the situation.

“Dear lord.” Sarah sighed as she held your hand, “You think these people… they will come here?

“There is a possibility, but Sarah, I swear I won’t let anything happen, okay?” You squeeze her hand, “We’re here for you and the kids.”

Joaquin spoke up, “We have made arrangements just in case things go south, I’d suggest you to be ready to move anytime.”

“Okay.” looking at the kids playing in the living room, AJ laughing as Cass plays on the console, “I can’t let them be hurt again Y/N, they’ve been through so much.”

“I know.” You look at Joaquin, he gives you a smile and nods, a silent acknowledgement of the promise you were making to Sarah.

You will keep them safe, and Joaquin will be there for you.

---

Starry night sky, the cool lakeside breeze, and the slanted roof of the Wilson residence. 

You took a deep breath as you closed your eyes.

If this was six years ago, from the same spot you could hear Steve and Sam coming up with ideas to locate Bucky, Natasha and Clint in the backyard fighting over something stupid, Sarah and her late husband on the porch setting up the grill, and Wanda making things fly that made Baby AJ giggle.

You opened your eyes, but found only darkness ahead of you. That sliver of hope you had of watching your found family under one roof again was alive for five years… until the minute you saw Natasha didn’t return with Clint, Wanda not even looking in your direction at Tony’s funeral, and Steve going back in time without saying goodbye.

Your throat choked up trying not to cry as you recalled Natasha saving you from the hell called Red Room. She bought you up, taught you everything you know, she was the reason you were alive in the first place. Natasha was your sister in every sense, and she was taken away by fate.

Silently crying, you whisper a prayer off into the night.

“Is this seat taken?” you wiped off your eyes as you heard Joaquin.

He was standing on the attic window, two beers in hand. You shrug as he takes a seat next to you, handing you a beer.

“How did you find me?” you ask him.

“I didn’t actually,” he answers, “I just wanted a place to think for a while.” You notice the tension in his shoulders, he was trying too hard to act cool while something was clearly bothering him.

“Spit it out.” you nudge his shoulder with yours.

His deep brown eyes look at you as you take a sip, and he confesses, “I got a call before I came here. My Abuela.” He takes a deep breath, “She’s cooking up a feast for the local homeless shelter, and I know, I know she’s not well because her voice is raspy and she’s breathing too hard and I begged her to sit this one out, but she’s one stubborn woman, won’t even listen to her only grandson.”

You shock him with a laugh, looking at the dew on your bottle, “Sounds like someone I used to know.”

“Your ex?” he nudges your shoulder playfully.

You laugh, “My sister actually,” recalling flashes of red hair chasing you around the Avengers compound, “yeah, she was a force to be reckoned with.”

“She passed away a year ago.” You admit it out loud, it felt weird to talk about her in the past tense.

You feel his body go rigid beside you, “I’m sorry, I thought…”

“It’s alright.” You look at him, and smile involuntarily, “Natasha was more of a mother to me than a sister, and I can’t believe I’m saying it out loud but… I miss her.”

He acknowledges you silently. But after some time, you hear it in his voice; the moment it hits him, “Natasha… as in… Natasha Romanoff?”

It made you laugh; his jaw wide open in shock, eyes wide. He looked like his eyes would come out of his head. “I don’t go by Y/N Romanoff, for people to react like that.” You point at him and he closes his mouth.

“How… I didn’t know… but you two-”

“- look different?” you bring your knees closer, wrapping your arms around them, “I was adopted.”

“ohhhh.” He drew out the exclamation, taking his sweet time not knowing what else to say.

“She saved me from the Red Room. Took me under the wing, sent me to High School… God knows how that went.” You laughed recalling the absolute menace you were during your teens. “If there was mischief in school, my name was somehow related. And Nat was always there to get me out of it. Except for that one time I blew up the toilets to rebel against the dress code… said I deserved getting suspended.” The fight you had afterwards… Steve and Tony had to interfere or else you both would have torn each other’s heads off.

“My mom once got a call from the local ER when I was twelve.” He spoke up, looking at the stars and a smile spreading on his face, “I drove my bike off of the road and straight into the canal, and hit my head pretty hard. She was mad as hell and Abuela won’t stop fussing about me. I was grounded for the entire semester, but every night we three would sit in the living room to watch whatever was on Cartoon Network.”

There was sadness laced in every word of his, “That was the last summer I had with her. She passed away a few months later.”

You could not say anything.

You knew exactly how he was feeling right this moment, that empty feeling inside your chest left behind after somebody’s gone. You silently hold his hand, acknowledging the hurt he must be going through.

“I must be the last person you want to hear this from, but, know that the hurt you’re feeling right now, y/n,” he gently grasps your hand, “it’s just all the love you have for the person you lost. I don’t want to say it gets easier, but you get better at letting it out over time.”

“Thank you, Joaquin.”

He smiles, taking a sip from his bottle glancing at you. Dark brown pupils looking right into yours.

Damn he’s pretty.

Your heart dropped a beat, a funny feeling in your chest unblurring the next second.

The first thing Natasha and Clint taught you was how to read people. You could tell what was going on in someone’s head just by looking at their subconscious cues. A voice in your head pointing out everything you need to know about them.

It was quite silly to be honest, that voice inside your head that had been quiet for a while now, was screaming at you for not looking at what was right in front of you…

You liked him.

---

“I was not expecting that.” You speak into Sam’s empty room, standing on the doorway with Joaquin.

Cass and AJ had separate rooms, Sarah had hers, and the only empty one was Sam's, which you were to share with Joaquin.

“I’ll sleep on the couch.” He says unprompted.

“No, no, Joaquin, we traveled for the entire day. We’re both tired. We can share the bed.” He was too tall to fit on the couch anyways.

 He picked his bags and settled in, “You sure?”

“Yeah. It’s fine. No worries.”

Worries, y/n, you’re not doing this out of goodwill. I mean… His arms? Just imagine how they would look wrapped around your-

You let out an internal scream and started unpacking your luggage before you did something scandalous, freshened up in the washroom and returned to the room to see him lying on one side of the bed, his back to you, wearing only sweatpants and a white vest. Your eyes were drawn straight to his biceps, they looked like they belonged to some sculpture in the dim lamplight.

Someone works out.

You immediately slapped a hand on your mouth realizing you said that out loud. Frozen with embarrassment, you waited to see if he heard that.

When you were certain he didn’t, you took your place on the other side, and were immediately knocked out by the exhaustion.

---

Next Day

You woke up to the smell of pancakes and the shouts of AJ and Cass from the backyard. You stretched out, thinking of any tasks you had to do today. You'd helped Sarah pack a go-bag yesterday and set up the alarms around the house. The only task left was to have a look at the Attic. The clutter filled there could be the best hiding spot for anyone.

After sniffing the smell of fresh pancakes for the second time, you couldn't resist any longer. You swung your legs over the side of the bed and padded downstairs.

Sarah and Joaquin were laughing in the kitchen, the sound warm and inviting. He was wearing an Air Force t-shirt over his sweatpants, his hair still damp from his shower, and a lazy smile playing on his lips. Of course he's a morning person, you thought, a pang of envy hitting you.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Sarah called out, her eyes twinkling.

Joaquin looked up, his smile widening as he saw you. You realized, with a jolt, that you were still in your Naruto pajamas, your hair a complete mess. Panic surged through you, but when you saw him smiling at you, his eyes crinkling at the corners, you relaxed slightly.

"Morning," you mumbled, taking a seat at the table.

"Joaquin made these," Sarah announced proudly, placing a plate of golden brown pancakes in front of you. "They're incredible."

"They are," you agreed, already taking a bite. "God bless you, Sarah, these are heavenly."

"Oh, that's all Joaquin," Sarah said, pouring you a tall glass of something. "I just made the milkshakes."

"Milkshakes!" you exclaimed, your eyes widening.

"Chocolate and caramel," she said, placing the glass in front of you. "With extra cream."

"Thank you!" You high-fived her, then turned to Joaquin. "And thank you, for the pancakes."

"Anytime," he said, taking a bite of his own pancake. He met your gaze, a slow, appreciative smile gracing his lips. You swore you saw a glint of something in his eyes – amusement? Admiration? Something more? You blinked, suddenly unsure of yourself.

Is my head playing tricks with me? you wondered, your heart pounding a little faster than it should be.

---

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm…”

“Uhh… What's the whole deal with John Walker?” Joaquin asked while fixing a sensor on the attic window.

All afternoon you had been setting up sensors anywhere there was a blind spot. You don’t want to scare Sarah, but your gut would not be satisfied until the house was a fortress.

“It’s the government’s doing to be honest. I have a feeling it’s gonna implode royally and they’ll be doing anything to cover it up.” You looked up from your tablet, “including taking down Walker.”

“Damn.” He stopped, climbing down the window still, “you speak like you’ve witnessed this before.”

You let out a dry laugh, connecting the sensor to your tablet, “I saw the Avengers being torn apart from the inside.”

“Wait,” he tilts his head, his hair bouncing while doing so, “you were with the Avengers during the Sokovia Accords?”

“Yep.” You sit along the wall under the open window, with the sunlight pooled into the attic and cool air rushing in, and pat the space next to you, “I was eight maybe, when Natasha and Clint saved me from being an assassin for The Red Room.” You took a deep breath, “Grew up with them, I stayed mostly on the sidelines until the Civil War. Then it was three years of being blacklisted by the government and whatnot.” he takes a seat right next to you, your shoulders touching.

“Enough about me,” you look at him, “What about you? Where are you from?”

“Born in Mexico, raised in Arizona.” He looks at you, his eyes in the sunlight shining bright.

Can eyes sparkle? I’ve never seen someone’s eyes sparkle before.

“Damn. Grand Canyons, huh.” you smile as you imagined him in hiking gear.

“Yeah, I’ve been there many times and believe me… it takes my breath away every single time.”

You huff out, “I always wanted to hike on that trail, never got the chance.”

“Maybe you can come with me after all this is over.” He says coyly, nudging your shoulder, “I can show you around, we can go visit other places, Horseshoe Bend, Havasu Falls…”

Y/n… just say it. He can’t be more obvious than this.

You smirk, “Joaquin Torres,” he looks at you, his cheeks turning red, “are you asking me out on a date?”

“Maybe… if you want to.” He looks at the ceiling, and to your amusement, you realize he was blushing, “And I promise I won’t scam you for money…” you laugh out loud, “I’m always up for hiking the trail, you know, because I work out.”

You groan in between laughing, “you heard that!”

“Yeah, I heard you checking me out…”

“…I wasn’t checking you out!” you fall back on the wall, “You have nice arms. That’s all.” You try not to smirk, but you see him do so from the corner of your eye.

“That’s all? What about my sensor uploading skills?” he wavered his eyebrows.

“10 by 10. You remain undefeated.”

Silence falls over as you keep stealing glances at each other. It’s only broken when he says, “You’re really pretty by the way.”

You laugh, and nudge his shoulder, “just pretty?”

“…and a Geek, you looked great in those Naruto pajamas…”

You hide your face in your hands but he continues, “Where did you get them? Costco?”

“I went on tour to Japan, so…” you look into those chocolaty brown eyes again, his face in the sunlight makes his features stand out, your attention going to his lips.

“Maybe you could take me with you next time.” He says, holding your hand, caressing the back as he looks at your lips.

“Only if you want to.” You whisper, leaning in, praying you weren’t reading this wrong.

Joaquin took hold of your neck, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through you. He pulled you closer, your lips meeting in the middle with a soft, exploratory touch. His lips were soft, as you'd imagined, and his hands cradled your face, his thumbs gently stroking your cheekbones. Your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, desperate for more. His tongue darted out, tasting you, a low groan rumbling in his chest that sent shivers down your spine. You wanted him to do more, go further, and you pulled back slightly, your eyes searching his.

Before Joaquin could protest, you straddled him, pushing him back against the wall. His eyes widened in surprise, a predatory glint entering them. You crashed your mouth on his, this time with a fierce urgency. The soft exploration of your first kiss quickly escalated into a desperate demand, your bodies pressed together, a primal need igniting within you.

"Fuck... y/n," he groaned, his hands gripping your hips, his fingers digging into your skin. He pulled back slightly, his lips leaving a trail of hot kisses down your neck, his breath fanning against your skin. He found the sweet spot on your pulse, sucking on it with a possessive intensity that made you arch against him. You gasped, clutching at his shirt, your nails digging into the fabric.

He leaned back, his eyes closed, a blissful moan escaping his lips. "God, you taste incredible," he whispered, his voice rough with desire. He kissed you again, this time a slow, deliberate exploration, his tongue tracing the inside of your mouth, mapping every curve.

Every inch of your body seemed to ignite by his touch, time melting away. There was only him, his hands roaming over your body, his lips devouring yours, and the intoxicating feeling of desire that consumed you both.

High Pitched and Grating, a sensor alarm rang through the attic.

You retreat in shock, like two deer caught in headlights, and Joaquin grabs the tablet and sees where this was happening.

Blood drained from his face as you witnessed at least four flag smashers moving towards the Wilson residence, guns armed, maybe a mile away.

He gets up, “East side?” grabbing the tablet and locking the windows.

“I’ll get Sarah.” You reply, already on your feet rushing downstairs.

---

"Halt," Lucas whispered, his voice a low growl in the pre-dawn darkness. The team crouched low, their figures mere shadows against the backdrop of the dense forest. Sam Wilson's house loomed ahead, a beacon of normalcy in the encroaching gloom.

"I see only two people inside," Matt reported, his voice a whisper cutting through the silence. "No kids." He checked the thermal scanners, the infrared images flickering on his visor.

Artie, his face pale in the moonlight, grabbed Lucas's shoulder. "Karli didn't say anything about kids."

"She told us to bring them alive," Lucas reminded him, his eyes fixed on the house. "And they need to be unharmed for negotiation."

Nadia shifted uncomfortably, her hand tightening around the grip of her revolver. "I don't like this," she muttered, her voice laced with unease. "I didn't agree to harm any kids."

Lucas turned to her, his gaze sharp. "Nadia!" he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "We're doing this. One way or the other. Stop whining and get to work."

He took a deep breath, the metallic scent intensifying. "One World..." he began, his voice echoing in the stillness.

"One people," his team responded in unison, their voices a low, guttural chant.

With a silent, coordinated movement, they emerged from the shadows, their figures gliding towards the Wilson residence, the air thick with anticipation and a chilling sense of foreboding.

---

"Go, go, go!" you barked, adrenaline surging through you. You snatched Sarah's bag, your fingers brushing against the cool metal of the handgun inside. You grabbed AJ's hand, his small fingers clutching yours tightly, and ushered them towards the waiting car.

Cass and Sarah were already running, their figures mere shadows against the encroaching twilight. You threw the bags in the backseat, your movements a blur, then helped Cass and AJ climb in.

Sarah slid behind the wheel, her face pale. "Y/n, what are you doing?!" she gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"I have to stay here," you said, your voice firm. "Make sure they don't follow you." You shoved your Glock into Sarah's hand.

A roar from inside the house cut through the tension. "Y/n! They're here!" Joaquin's voice, amplified by the sudden silence, echoed through the air.

"Sarah, I promise I'll be fine," you said, your gaze locked with Cass's in the rearview mirror. Tears were streaming down her face, but she nodded, her small frame trembling. "You have to go." You shoved your tablet into her hands, a desperate plea in your eyes. "Remember what I told you earlier. You'll be safe here."

"Sarah, go!" you screamed, your voice hoarse.

You watched as the car lurched forward, disappearing down the dirt road that snaked towards the water. A beep on your watch confirmed her location, a fleeting sense of relief washing over you.

Phase One. Over.

Phase Two. Let's go.

You sprinted through the back door, the house suddenly feeling eerily silent. Joaquin was already there, a grim set to his jaw. He was clad in his SHIELD armor, the sleek black material gleaming in the dim light. Guns and your emergency bag lay scattered across the kitchen table, a grim testament to the impending battle. You stole a glance at the tablet, its screen flickering with life as it ran facial recognition on the figures outside.

"Ready?" you asked, your voice a low growl, as you slipped on the bulletproof vest and began loading the magazines.

"Yeah," Joaquin replied, his eyes scanning the room, assessing the situation.

You looked out the window, the setting sun casting long, eerie shadows across the yard. "Let's hope Sam doesn't sue us for destroying his house," you muttered.

A/N - Thank you everyone for sticking with me till the end of this fic! if you liked it please let me know through the asks and the comments. Love y'all, Take Care!

Taglist

[sevsgiirl]

Omg okay I can't stop thinking about needy lovesick Sevika with a younger femme partner (you can totally do a continuation of the fic you wrote) so what if, she's a little needy&insecure for their age gap? That her girl gets bored/annoyed with her? (She doesn't have this type of thoughts all the time, but the seeds of doubts grows when she hears other people talk, not directly about her and reader, but in general but it does linger when others points out how different they are) or in her own way, she start craving more compliments, affections from her but dunno how to do it and at the same time she's trying to gauce if her girl still likes her (she does!!) yet just the thoughts/doubts hurts Sevika like so bad, because she would do anything for her darling, what she has to do to make her girl still love her and not leave her?

— sevika with a younger partner and feeling insecure

synopsis: sevika doesn’t have a type. whether they’re older or younger, just as long as they could keep up with her that’s all mattered. but ever since you two started dating, she starts to wonder if she’s the one who could keep up with you and how deep down, it scares her that you might find a problem with it eventually.

note: I just had to post this before going to sleep because the idea is too good. I love the way your brain works and again, thank you for sending in the req <3 love you and I hope you like this.

you were a beacon of light in the cesspool of chaos that is sevika’s life.

to this day, she still doesn’t understand how you and her got into a relationship but here you are now, going strong for almost a year and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

you two rarely get into arguments, when you did she never hesitates to reach out and fix the situation right away because she can’t stand being on bad terms with you for long.

you two are on the same mental wavelength, which sevika appreciates given how you’re a lot younger than her. she’s in her 40s and you were in 20s, but sometimes she forgets because conversations always run smoothly between you two.

but just because she forgets that doesn’t mean other people fail to bring it up.

when you started dating, it was a bit difficult given how it wasn’t received well by a lot of her peers. not that they judged her for it because they could never unless they wanted to have their face busted in. but it was the occasional remarks that had a hint of judgement in them that made sevika feel uncomfortable.

things such as “she’s a bit young, isn’t she? you better keep an eye on her especially because you’re always at work. it’s hard being in a relationship with someone who’s at a different stage in life as you.”

both of you had jobs but her work compared to yours was hectic. you work as a waitress at jericho’s meanwhile sevika is paid to get her hands dirty for silco. the job was tedious and draining and sometimes she comes home, tired to the bone that she could barely catch up with you. which she feels immensely guilty for.

you’ve reassured her that it isn’t a big deal and that you understand her status in the zaun is far more important than yours. you’ve always acknowledged sevika’s role in the under city and why she was feared by many, that’s what attracted you to her in the first place. she was loyal, devoted and her endurance was insane.

but still, despite how sevika’s job is her number one priority, it still doesn’t slip her mind that she may accidentally neglect you and your needs without her knowing.

and she knows it takes a toll on you too, you just don’t want to bring it up because you respect her too much. and she was right because when she came home early late one night you weren’t there, and it was almost midnight when you finally returned and you were shocked to see sevika sitting on your couch waiting for you. usually she’d be back around 2-3am.

“hey, you didn’t tell me silco would let you off the hook early,” you said but your words became background noise because she was too focused on your appearance. you were dressed up and from where she she sat she could tell you’ve had a lot to drink.

it’s not that it upset sevika you went out, you could do whatever you want but it saddens her that you didn’t even go out of your way to tell her about it assuming she’d be coming home late. is this what you do when she’s not here? go out with your friends and have fun? it’s not that she expects you to wait for her in your apartment all day while she’s away for work.

still, the thought bothers her as she wonders what you must’ve been up to while she was gone. she tries to set the thought aside, not wanting to think bad of you because she knows you’d never go against her back. but certain thoughts crept up at the back of her mind. did you meet someone while you were out? were you offered drinks? did someone invite you out to dance?

“sev, baby, you there?” she didn’t even realize she zoned out until she felt you cupping her cheek “are you tired? you shouldn’t have stayed up for me.”

she shook her head “it’s alright. but yeah, silco let me off early and I wanted to surprise you.”

your shoulders sagged “I’m sorry. I assumed you’d come home late again so I decided to just go out with friends. had I known I would’ve waited so we can stay in and cuddle.”

despite your flattery words, the only thing that stuck to sevika was you implying she’d be late again. you didn’t mean it maliciously, there was no bitterness in your tone but instead there was just… acceptance. which frustrated her because people were right.

perhaps being at different stages in life does this. you needed a partner who you can home to and have fun with but instead you got her who’s always late, is already asleep when you probably want to stay up and have sex at night. she would force herself to push through just for you but she isn’t getting any younger and it shows.

maybe it’s because others have planted it in her head that you two are just far too different that’s why she’s overthinking like this, but it’s becoming more and more evident that they were right and if she doesn’t find a way to fix this, god knows before you start seeing the cracks and the dents as well.

and so in the following day she asked silco if she could cut off her usual hours at work to get back home early. at least for a few weeks and silco was shocked for a second because if there was anyone who’s extremely dedicated to their job, it’s her.

but it’s because of that he deliberates on the request “very well,” he answered “but if the matters are urgent I expect you to come in either way,”

well, it’s better than nothing, sevika thought. what matters is she’ll try to find some time to spend the following weeks with you and to hopefully regain the spark in your relationship.

not that she’s saying it’s lost but she’s scared it will. because if her days don’t consist of work, she’s either at the bar playing cards to blow off some steam, which isn’t exactly a productive way of spending one’s time.

unlike you, you have tons of friends who you go out with at clubs and sevika just doesn’t want to think about all the people you meet there, who are probably the same age as you, and have wanted to ask you out but you turned them down because of her.

meanwhile, she’s here and she can’t even keep you happy like how you deserve.

it eats her up alive that’s why as soon as she comes back from work a lot earlier than usual, she immediately engulfs you in a back hug when she sees you cooking in the kitchen.

you gasped, not expecting her “sev, you’re home.” you were surprised as you turned around “did something happen?”

she shook her head, smiling “no sweetheart, silco just let me off early again. plus I’ve been meaning to spend more time with my girl…”

you still weren’t used to the disruption of the routine, because she’s normally away at these hours, but you weren’t complaining.

and with that, you spent most of the evening cooking and catching up with each other. you didn’t miss the way sevika followed you around the house like a lost puppy when you started cleaning up to get ready for bed.

you raised an eyebrow when she wrapped her arms around your waist while you were washing the dishes, noticing how she’s awfully more needy than usual.

“baby, go rest. you just got back home from work.” you giggled and she just shook her head.

“I just want to spend more time with you. I feel like I haven’t been the best partner.”

that halted you in your tracks and you angled your head so you can face her “baby, what makes you think that?” your eyebrows were furrowed and she just held you tighter.

she lets out a breath, tired and awfully nervous about vocalizing her doubts. what if once she points it out you start seeing the red flags too? and then these affectionate gestures just won’t be enough? what then?

“I know with my job and the responsibilities I have, I haven’t been able to fulfill your needs. you have so much ahead of you and I’m always at work and I just don’t want to make it seem like I’m wasting your time.” she said and you just stood there, letting her words sink in.

“you’re young and you could be with someone whose head isn’t always stuck in a bunch of paperwork or is running around the lanes doing silco’s dirty work.” her jaw clenched and she starts to wonder if admitting to all of this was a good idea.

“I’m sorry, princess. I just don’t want to bore you by leaving you here at home all by yourself…”

you immediately swiveled around in her arms and took her face in your hands.

“sev, look at me.” you said, your voice stern “I could give less than two fucks about people my age. you think when I got into a relationship with you I didn’t know what I was signing myself up for? of course I did and I don’t regret any of it. I know you have responsibilities and I accepted all of your duties the moment you became mine.”

“I could never be bored of you, baby.” you told her, thumb caressing her cheek “you don’t treat me any differently because of my age so why should I? I love it that you’re so hard at work and that you provide for me. the fact my salary at jericho’s isn’t even enough to pay half of our rent but you don’t mind because you provide for us both, why would I find that boring? that’s fucking sexy.”

she couldn’t help but let out a snort “oh, so what you’re saying is that you’re staying with me because I’m basically your sugar mommy?”

you grinned “amongst other things,” you said before capturing her lips with your own.

the kiss was hot, heavy and slow as sevika gripped your hips and pulled you against her. pushing her knee up and sliding it across your thighs and she started rubbing against your clothed cunt, making you whimper.

“so you’re not bored of me? or mad?” she asked as she pulled away to look at you.

you rolled your eyes “you could be 23 or 75 for all I care and I still wouldn’t get bored of you.”

your finger drew circles around her chest as you fluttered your eyes up at her “plus you fuck me like you’re 23 anyway, so I don’t see why I would look for someone my age.”

she couldn’t help but laugh, swooping you up in her arms and you circled your legs around her waist as she walked you to your bedroom “god, you’re such a handful.” she said.

you smirked “but you love it.”

[bonus-links]

Hello! Could we have a director’s commentary on Ruins pt.11 please?? It drives me insane 🥺🥺

YEAHHH this is gonna be a long one. link to the update

this is also one of my favorite updates (and 100% my favorite dialogue in all of ch.1, possibly the whole comic so far) but I'm glad I waited to do a commentary bc I think this is actually really relevant to the latest update

cause like the conversation Loft has with botw Zelda here is very similar to the one he has with Ganondorf, though he's much less snippy during it

I wanted to give Zelda a chance to be bitter and share her grievances with the gods. Her entire story in BOTW is largely about how the legends and the expectations put upon her by them fail not only her personally but the entire kingdom. And yet she's made to feel like it's all her fault.

A lot of his comic focuses on the legacy of the Hero, but I don't want to leave Zelda (or Ganondorf) out of the conversation. The cycle makes victims of all three of them in various ways, and while I can't do everything at once, it's still my goal to explore that. The Zeldas in particular are all in interesting positions as members of the Royal Family, because they're at once always thrown in peril by it with little agency, and expected to be the facilitators of its success as the people with the closest proximity to the gods. Much to think about.

on that note BOTW Zelda is my favorite Zelda. she is my babygirl. she is my everything. I will die a BOTW Zelda defender. we haven't seen the last of her in this comic i promise :-)

okay on to actually analyzing the comic. This top panel is framed like a diptych, two paintings hinged together. these are often (though not always) associated with religious paintings and are often altarpieces. I use a triptych format in the newest update :D sidenote I think it's very cute that some of the Hylia statues in BOTW have been decorated, so i gave her a little flower crown

I imagine praying starts to feel a little strange when you are dating ur god. yeah. Also I think it's interesting that Skyloft seems to mainly worship Hylia, with the other gods being more distant. It makes sense given the whole "she personally raised us up into the sky to save us all" thing. Even though Loft is the very first hero sent on a personal religious quest directly by his goddess, I've always imagined him as kind of,,,,casually devout? In that way that it's all you've ever known. Like obviously his beliefs are deeply ingrained, but he's not as into the formality of it all as other Links we might meet later.

I think about Zelda in that freezing pool on Mt. Lanayru all the time. RAHHHHHHH

I've posted this before but close up of Slate running their errands, the errand being talking to the Great Fairies about if they've noticed anything weird going on lol. I actually wanted to make it a whole update on its own, but I cut it for time and also because. I don't think the Great Fairies really have any information that was necessary other than "no I don't know what's going on". So u get this panel.

I like this shot of that little statue towering over the both of them, and I mimic it a little bit in the new update here. something something about why we build monuments and what they stand for.

negative sim interaction

Loft still has to believe that Zelda and Slate's negative experiences had to have been some sort of misunderstanding. If Hylia could have helped, she would have. Knowing and loving your goddess on a human level also makes you want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

I actually really love that in BOTW Zelda resents Link for having some sort of access to the divine that she just can't reach. She has her arc about it in the game, but especially now she's come to understand that having the gods' favor is a double-edged sword. Also, that's not really meant to be Peony, but I like the idea that Champion also had an affinity for fairies. :-( Intentionally the same pose as Slate at the fairy fountain, though Slate is so tiny I probably didn't need to bother lol

that was a lot of rambling lol but i have. so many thoughts abt the subject matter of this update. this is the shit about LOZ that makes me froth at the mouth tbh

[dollbrbie]

♡ ⸝⸝ NOT GOOD ENOUGH

cw. fratboy isagi, reader doubting herself & isagi’s relationship, pretty angsty, i don’t love this but oh well, its #foreshadowing :p

after yours and isagi’s first argument, you both decided to swear off parties for a while. before isagi, you would rarely attend any, going on the occasional weekend out with your girls. but since isagi was someone who threw these type of party’s with his frat, it was sort of unavoidable that you got more into it.

but now you both agree it’s getting pretty repetitive, and starting to get to you both. besides, you always had as much fun, if not more, when you guys did typical, boring couple stuff. like staying in and watching a movie, maybe ordering some food and heading to bed early or even just lounging around just simply getting to enjoy each other’s company.

so for the next two months, that’s what you did. having early, quiet nights at your dorm to escape the usual party atmosphere at isagi’s frat brought so much more peace to your relationship, a kind of peace you both hadn’t experienced quite yet. it wasn’t like isagi didn’t give you peace, but it was just different. a good kind of different.

and you could tell how much isagi preferred it when anytime his friends suggested coming to a party, just for tonight, he’d always decline and hit them with, “nah, i’m just gonna chill with my girl.”

it was amazing while it lasted, and you felt like you were in the best place with yours and isagi’s relationship. but after a while, you started noticing his friends giving you strange looks, the kind of looks that definitely rubbed you the wrong way. you didn’t really feel like mentioning it to isagi. after all, they were his friends, they probably just needed to warm up to you.

it started off as little side eyes, something you could ignore and just shrug off. but soon came when you started to hear their whispers behind your back and the words that would soon send you spiralling.

“i honestly think the reason he doesn’t spend time with us is because of her. have you seen how she treats him? she’s definitely turned into some crazy control freak.”

“a girl like her isn’t good enough for isagi. he’s way too nice, so he’ll never put her in her place.

“sure, she’s pretty. but, that attitude? nah.”

“i bet isagi is just scared of her. he’s follows her around like a lost puppy! and he’s too nice to say anything.”

“nah for real, what happened to the party animal isagi used to be? there’s no way it isn’t down to her, they’re together 24/7, she’s definitely controlling him.”

yeah, it was insanely obvious they were talking about you through their hushed whispers, even if they never said your name directly.

you tried not to let it bother you, but since hearing them, it’s like your mind has played them on loop, making you overthink situations where you probably had been a little harsher than you should’ve, or where you begged isagi to stay at your dorm to hang out when his friends called.

but where you really being one of those kind of girlfriends? you did notice isagi hadn’t been at practice as much. granted, he always attended the compulsory ones, but when thinking about it, that just wasn’t like isagi.

and even if they had been jokes, your boyfriend did say you were mean to him. in the moment, it seemed like he didn’t mind, that he was going along with the joke. but, what if he mentioned something to his friends? what if he didn’t actually fuck with that? am i being paranoid?

fuck.

even your boyfriend noticed the solemn, dissociative vibe you had, asking you “are you okay?”, every five seconds.

and each time you’d nod with a small smile, “i’m okay.”

but you weren’t okay. and isagi shouldn’t be okay, he shouldn’t be okay with you. that’s what you had decided.

you felt like you were spiralling, and you had no idea what to do. this wasn’t even just isagi now, it had you so down that you couldn’t focus in your lectures.

and as much as you wanted to avoid it, you knew you had to do something about it. for yours and his sake.

you had to end this relationship.

© dollbrbie | don’t plagiarise or translate any of my work

[regulusrules]

4 fics where Arthur kills Merlin + 1 fic where Merlin kills Arthur

Now I know you will be like, what the fuck, why is this even a trope? But honestly, in these fics, you won’t even be able to breathe from how amazingly executed the idea is. So enjoy really, these fics are all top tier, and I would only give you tissues to prepare yourself for what will uniquely happen in each of them.

1. Only A Dream Of The Grass Blowing by @hum-my-name. 53K, M.

I recently read this one, and to say I stared so long at the ceiling afterwards is an understatement. Oh my lord above and below, I can’t even begin with how amazingly written the story is. The utter raw genuine emotions. The turmoil you undergo with them. So much love for this author who climbed the ladder of my favourite merthur writers so fast.

2. Rend and Rebuild by @peaceheather. 103K, T.

Anyone like me who survives solely on long fics, this is the best one for you. I will forever keep on saying how much this fic is what we deserved. I love it so much it is genuinely one of these comfort fics from how the characterisation is just so on point.

3. Beauty in the Ashes of Our Lives by Fulgance. 21K, T.

Think I would do this fic rec list of this trope and not add BITAOOL? I recommend this fic more than my own. If I can take a fic to the under-ground, it would be this one. And no amount of fics I read will substitute the special love I have for this one.

4. Pining for the Moon by @eachpeachpearplume. 13K, M.

My god. MY GOD. This fic just fucks with your mind sooooo good. I was honestly surprised the first time I read it. And again, the trope’s execution is so on point. And so unique. God I will never stop loving this trope and will never stop love the authors who write it this wonderfully.

+1: My breaths are run by your compass by @regulusrules. 75K, M.

I am yet to recover from the magic reveal of this fic, and how it is unlike any in the entire fandom because it isn’t about Merlin this time. God, I keep remembering the love, the pain, the KARMA, and it just makes me go like holy shit. I need to make a podcast about every single idea that drove me fucking insane; start by the kneeling scene.. by the rendition of “You’ve had your fun, my friend.”.. by the golden age we deserved.

[For more recs]

[brehaaorgana]

Part of my complaint is definitely aimed at that guy who asked chat gpt if he needed a visa to go to Chile, sure. But another large part of my complaint is more abstract, I suppose.

I don't see a purpose in using chat gpt to brainstorm, because it does not have a brain.

The entire process from start to finish of doing something like that is unfathomable to me.

Brainstorming requires that you actually think about something and collect your own thoughts on a topic. When you ask chat gpt to generate an itinerary for you, based on your prompting, you're not actually brainstorming, because you didn't think about anything, and it certainly cannot think about it either.

It's like...I don't care if you want to outsource the planning or the thinking. But those resources already exist! They exist in abundance, from other people who did all that planning or thinking or experiencing already! there's hundreds or thousands of places to find "travel ideas" that are available to anyone wanting to find them.

they already exist. they're already there. they're easy to find in abundance. and if you ask chat gpt to reinvent that wheel, you create more work for yourself fact-checking the unthinking program.

why on earth would you do that, when you presumably don't even want to have to do any real brainstorming work yourself? i see this as a lack of survival skills and ability to use the internet, because it's a choice to delegate the work of "exploring ideas" to a machine, and that choice will just cause you additional, unnecessary work, time, and effort! why? there are entire travel publishing companies who are dedicated to fact checking and updating their information - and they have websites! there are bloggers and travel websites that do that extra work for you. they looked up the official information already, and linked it, or cited it. they had someone go to a place and report back about the things you wouldn't know without having been there.

I would respect normal laziness more than this. hell, i can be a spectacularly lazy person, myself! but this isn't really even in the great spirit of being lazy. it's MORE work. and for what? even if you're "very good" at fine tuning your prompt, you...still have to fact check everything and make sure it makes sense, and edit it. you could've just mixed together a few pre-made itineraries for less trouble.

every time i see someone on travel subreddits, their chat gpt stuff is...basically terrible garbage. or ridiculously unhelpful.

For example,

yesterday someone posted:

My question I guess is when I’m doing an estimated budget that includes Food, Shopping (Souvenirs and Gifts), Transport, Activities (Shibuya Sky, Universal Studios, Mario Kart Tour, etc.) the total is coming out to be around $15,000 CAD. That does include a budget surplus of about 15% (just in case of unexpected emergencies), but am I highballing it too much or is $15K the expected amount? I know my major costs will be flights and hotels, but what am I expecting for everything else. I used ChatGPT and it’s saying that I’d be expected to spend $2500 on just food alone which doesn’t sound right.

$2,500 CAD on food for 15 days (what they are planning) is fucking insane for MOST people. Even for two people.

But guess what? I have the Michelin guidebook to Japan, and it COMES WITH estimated budgets by tiers. The highest tier is this:

high budget, luxury hotels, very sophisticated ryokan, travel by taxi or rental car, meals in fashionable or gastronomic restaurants, and shopping or attractions to fill the afternoon: allow for 35,000 Yen per day (per person).

That's $332.66 CAD a day. So, for 15 days, $4,989.90 CAD per person. But that includes wayyyy more than just "Eating food." That included where you're staying, what you're doing, how you're traveling!

So two things, right?:

$2,500 CAD on just food is a bonkers luxury budget for japan. You can definitely spend way way less than that and eat very very well.

my book was published march 2020, so in all fairness, it IS slightly out of date. that's more of a concern for what might've closed post-pandemic, though, less so for pricing. Still, https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2410.html has budget tiers too. So do a bajillion other more recently published travel guides and websites.

for comparison, I am going to Japan this week, I have pre-booked one very fancy dinner/show, the premium course. It is ¥ 26,400 a person, so $250 CAD-ish, or $175 USD. So sure, if I was eating extremely fancy $250 CAD meals 3 times a day, I would need $11,250 CAD per person.

but I probably don't need to book three insanely expensive meals every single day I'm in japan.

or here's another example of someone's chat gpt itinerary:

7th march : Back to Tokyo [from Osaka] and staying in Shinjuku Meiji jingu Harajuku Takeshita street Ginza Golden Gai / omoide yokocho shinjuku

To illustrate why this is absurd:

Taking the high speed train at 9:17 am will get you to Tokyo Station at 12:03 pm. Now you need to take the 12:20 subway to Shinjuku station for another 20-ish minutes.

here's how this itinerary looks with the start at Tokyo station:

This is absurd. Stop #5 in Ginza is walking distance from Tokyo station. Each ward of tokyo is essentially the population of a huge city unto itself, so it's a LOT to try to start in Marunouchi (Tokyo Station), then going to Shinjuku, then Shibuya, then Ginza, then back to Shinjuku again is doing a lot of things. And these things are all POSSIBLE, but this is the stupidest possible method of doing them in a single day wherein you are literally only arriving to Tokyo station at NOON.

this isn't just japan, either. i see iceland itineraries that suggest "stop by nearby ___" and the nearby thing is an hour's drive away. which is relative, sure, but it's a long way to go out of your way for one thing in a day.

another person posted a switzerland & italy chat gpt trip and days would look like this:

Day 5: October 9 - Travel to Lucerne and Montreux

Morning: Travel by train from Zurich to Lucerne (approx. 1 hour). Explore the Chapel Bridge, Old Town, and Lake Lucerne. Luggage lockers available at Lucerne train station.

Afternoon: Travel by train from Lucerne to Montreux on the Golden Pass Line (approx. 2.5 hours). Check into the hotel in Montreux.

Evening: Dinner at local restaurants.

every single evening was "Dinner at local restaurants."

"travel from point a to B, maybe see xyz. check into hotel in PLACE."

what the fuck was the point of asking chat gpt ANYTHING?

btw from zurich to lucerne is 41 minutes by train. meanwhile the train from lucerne to montreux is 2 hours and 55 minutes. personally I wouldn't feel like trip #1 is "about an hour" I would feel like it's 40 minutes. and I wouldn't think of a 2 hour 55 minute train ride as "2.5 hours" I would round up and say "about 3 hours."

or what about this day in South Korea:

31st January - Last Minute Explorations & Departure

Morning: Visit Namdaemun Market.

Afternoon: Explore Myeongdong.

Late Afternoon: Depending on your flight time, head to Incheon International Airport for your departure

what the fuck is the point of this? "visit this market, explore this neighborhood." ....you don't need an itinerary to do that. you're literally just wandering around! I stayed in myeondong last year, i didn't need chat gpt to tell me "explore the area." i just wandered around the streets and then went back to my hotel.

an earlier day on that plan:

28th January - Cultural Immersion & Traditional Crafts

Morning: Explore Bukchon Hanok Village.

Afternoon: Visit the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art.

Late Afternoon: Engage in a Traditional Korean Craft Workshop:

Participate in activities such as making your own traditional Korean pottery, paper crafts, or traditional jewelry.

This hands-on experience allows you to immerse yourself in Korean art and crafts, creating a memorable souvenir or gift.

Evening: Enjoy dinner in Insadong, exploring the traditional alleys and perhaps catching a live performance or street artist.

why are we going from the hanok village to the leeum museum of art and then BACK to insadong???

where is this craft class? which class? making what? why are we doing it after the museum of art, when you were in the traditional hanok village to start with and there's probably traditional craft classes for tourists happening there....?

why not start the day at leeum, lunch near there, then go to the hanok village, see if there's a local souvenir craft class available, and then dine in insadong not far away for dinner?

what's the point. of making this much more work? why do people care so very little about their travel that they just...do this?

People who ask chatgpt for help planning international travel are quite literally some of the most helpless people on the planet. Because now it's beyond "lol they wouldn't survive a day without cell service and internet access." It's worse than that. They can't survive WITH internet access either.

At that point, you have no street smarts AND no book smarts. You can't even use the world wide web properly. Absolutely zero survival skills in any arena.

[suzukiblu]

Day twenty-seven of “Kon meets pink kryptonite and decides to fuck Tim and his boyfriend about it” behind the cut. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“I'd be willing to test it, personally,” Bernard says magnanimously, waving a hand at himself. “Take one for the team, as it were. I am an expert in being the sacrificial boyfriend.” 

“Very funny,” Tim says dryly. “Though all jokes aside, that bathroom can barely fit one person in it and I can't say I trust the hot water to hold out long enough for playtime anyway, especially after the herringbone incident, so I think we'll just have to stick to . . . okay, actually if I call it ‘dry’ sex that just sounds bad, doesn't it.” 

“Maybe just a bit, yeah,” Bernard laughs, leaning back on his hands and grinning up at Tim again. Kon feels the mattress shift and compress under the other’s weight and doesn't have any idea what the fuck “the herringbone incident” even means, but it's not like it matters. A pet wouldn't know that anyway. “Listen, Tim, I stand by my faith in your Bat-brain and your boy’s TTK, but you’re the one running the show here.” 

“The show has limited real estate, unfortunately,” Tim says in amusement, absentmindedly dropping his hand out of Kon’s hair and stroking his knuckles down the side of his face ‘til his fingers are sliding down below his jaw and curling in against the scruffy underside of it just firm enough to guide his chin into tipping up. Kon’s pretty sure he was listening to them talk a second ago, but the literal only thing in his brain right now is how that feels. Like, maybe talking was happening, but the only thing in his brain is PLEASE let me.

Like–there’s not even really a finished thought past let me, but it’s still the only damn thing in his head. 

He can prove that he’s good for it, though, if Tim’ll let him. He can definitely, definitely prove it. 

“Not yet, pet,” Tim says as he curls his fingers in under his jaw again, still without even looking at him, and Kon doesn’t even know how the bastard knows what he’s thinking, except, like–obviously Tim knows what he’s thinking. Or maybe he just swallowed without noticing or something, like a total fucking moron who is just way, way too easy for this. “If you can be good while we get you cleaned up, I’ll let you go down on me again.” 

Kon has no idea why that phrasing is making him absolutely insane, but it is, in fact, making him absolutely insane. He swallows roughly, digging his fingers into the bed for a second and his TTK into, like . . . the whole room, pretty much. Pretty much the whole room. 

“I can be good,” he manages, and Tim’s mouth curves into a smile. 

He still doesn’t actually look at him, though. 

“Good boy,” he says, and yeah, Kon is definitely gonna lose his mind here. “Finish your breakfast, pet, then give me the wrappers and bottle and let Bernard take you out to the living room. Don’t bother getting dressed.” 

“I literally don’t even know where my clothes are right now, man,” Kon says, half-laughing about it because “getting dressed” was also the literal last thing he would’ve even thought of doing right now, so yeah, that’s not even remotely gonna be an issue. 

“Well, that’s fine,” Tim says with a little shrug, turning his hand to run his knuckles down the length of Kon’s throat. “I wasn’t planning on letting you put them back on before Monday anyway.” 

So yeah, there goes the last vestiges of not-insane Kon had in him, but fuck it, he’s not gonna miss ‘em.

[mrs-elsie-barnes]

Policy & Procedure | Part 5 | Congressman!Bucky Barnes x Reader | 1.7k words

Kidnapped? Or rescued? Bucky struggles to understand what's happening until you admit the truth.

Warnings: 18+language and canon typical violence.

Masterlist | Policy & Procedure Masterlist | <-Part 4 | Bucky Barnes

The drive out of the city didn't take as long as Bucky expected, despite the traffic. You paid no attention to speed limits, rocketing past every other car on the I-95. He trawled through his knowledge of the interstate, he'd come this way once before, when he'd moved a bunch of stuff to Louisiana. But that was the problem, you could be going anywhere up or down the country.

And there was probably very little he could about it unless he wanted to create a scene.

Bucky had decided a long time ago that if anyone was going to get the drop on him in the field, he hoped it was a beautiful woman, so at least he could enjoy it. When he was still the soldier he'd come face to face with Natasha Romanoff and had allowed himself this singular thought before he managed to shoot his way out.

But it didn't make it any easier now that the reality was back in front of him. He was a fool, fuelled by his own libido and an insatiable desire to please whatever pretty girl came his way. And now he had been kidnapped. Stev would have laughed at him. Sam was going to kill him for being so careless. And his campaign was over.

"Can you put that away please." You said firmly, angling your chin to point at the gun still laying in Bucky's lap.

"I'm going to need a reason to trust you first."

You smiled, "was blowing your mind not enough, sir, you need me to prove myself even further. Don't worry, I haven't run out of ideas for us yet."

"You're insane." Bucky growled, "as if you seducing me is any reason to trust you."

"Seducing you, baby that was absolutely no effort on my part and not at all what I set out to achieve. It has been a wonderful perk though. Please, put the gun away, Mr Barnes."

"No. Why should I trust you?"

Bucky continued to stall, reaching a hand into his trouser pocket in search of his phone, Sam was on speed-dial, he could call him and -

"Turn that off as well." You glowered, "we can't have anyone tracing you, just in case."

"Just in case someone comes after me, yeah, more reason for me to keep it turn on thanks."

Bucky felt the phone vibrate before it made a sad noise and his call went to Sam's voicemail. Sam never sent him to voicemail, what the hell was going on.

"Just in case someone comes after you and shoots you in the head, fucking idiot." You reached out, hand precariously searching his lap for the offending phone.

Bucky closed his eyes, did you have to do this, did his body have to react, he hated himself.

"Fine, fucking - fine. Just stop that." He shoved your hand away and placed his phone in the centre console of the car.

"And the gun, please, it's freaking me out."

"That's exactly the point," Bucky scoffed.

"Look, I'm not the bad guy here-"

"Neither am I -" Bucky snapped, nervous, on edge. It wasn't a place he liked to be, that's where he made poor choices and this entire situation required he make very careful choices.

"I never said you were. We're on the same side. Please put the gun away and I'll explain everything.

Bucky kept the gun in his lap.

You pulled off the interstate just as signs for Richmond began to appear. There was no way Bucky would risk civilians lives by trying to take the car at speed, but you'd need fuel soon enough and he was sure he could take you in a hand to hand fight. You were still in your office attire, after all, and he was a super soldier. He'd be back in control within the hour and heading back to DC with you in the passenger seat and a serious argument to have with Sam and his choice of friends.

Because that had to be true, didn't it. How else would you have been able to get close to Sam? And he had to believe in Sam.

The car slowed beneath the neon sign of a mom and pop gas station in the middle of nowhere. Perfect. Bucky rolled his shoulders, feigning discomfort and, after quickly checking that there was no one else around, you made the mistake of letting him out of the car.

Bucky moved quickly, circling the bonnet of the car and grabbing you around the waist, turning his back to the gas station itself and feigning an overly romantic hug.

"Don't fucking move." He pressed the muzzle of his gun against your ribs again and felt your heartbeat quicken under his fingers.

"Mr Barnes —"

"Don't Mr Barnes me—"

You were quick, he'd give you that, your hand pushed the muzzle of the gun up into the air and you span, making his wrist ache, before bringing your whole weight down on his arm. The SIG went skidding under the car.

"Get back—"you started, but he went in again, grabbing at your arms, you fought back again, turning as much as you could in your high heels and pencil skirt. "Mr Barnes!"

And then suddenly you were holding a gun too, and while he'd aimed his at your ribs, easily a kill shot if he needed it to be, you were pointed at his right shoulder. Why would you do that when he'd easily survive, even dodge, that bullet?

Either you really did have some form of upper hand here, maybe back up, serum, trigger words, something. Or — or maybe you really weren't trying to fight him.

He faltered, confused.

"Don't make me take you down, sir. Please stop fighting me, I just need some gas, you pick any snacks you want, then let's go."

"This isn't a fucking field trip." Bucky growled and lunged, swinging your gun up in the same way, using the momentum to pull you into his arms, you were pressed up against his chest, breasts heaving as you fought against him, face turned up, that pout —jesus, that pout. "Drop the gun."

"Annoying, isn't it, when someone pulls a fucking gun on you for no reason." You spat, wriggling in his grasp. He had your wrists in his left hand, angled into the sky above the treeline. His right arm was wrapped around your waist and you still felt good there, tight against him, your weight in his grasp while your heels tapped on the concrete forecourt.

He wanted to kiss you.

"You kidnapped me."

"I drove you away from an active threat."

That was true, you had, there had definitely been some sort of attack at the hotel. The unknown driver, the truck outside waiting for the car.

Your stiletto pierced the leather of his shoe like a hot knife through butter and he was so shocked he couldn't defend himself when you punched him in the stomach, all the air left his lungs in a whoop and before he could right himself you'd shot forwards, smacking his nose with your closed fist.

"God damn it." He could feel blood pooling on his top lip despite his stubble.

When he looked up your gun was away again and you'd produced a small packet of tissues from your purse. You pulled one free and dabbed at his top lip gently.

"For putting me through that, no fresh coffee and no snacks." You said, decisively, throwing the bloodied tissue into the bin and steering him into the car. Bucky was so shocked he could do nothing but buckle himself back in.

"You're not going to shoot me?" He asked, confused.

"You pulled a gun on me!" You laughed, "do you want me to get your gun? I know you like that one?"

He nodded, staring at the darkening sky. "Yeah, please."

"Of course, sir." You smiled pleasantly and pulled the car forward a few feet before getting out and retrieving his SIG. "I'm just going to pop it in here for safekeeping." You checked the safety and stowed the gun in the glove box. "I don't want you pulling it on me again, but we might need to be more defensive. Won't be sure until I get an update."

You drove a few miles up the road before stopping the car again. This time on an asphalt layby, but you tucked the car between the trees, driving over roots until the axel started to whine.

"Sweetheart, I hate to sound like a broken record, but what the fuck is happening?" Bucky's fingers itched for his gun again.

"I'm hiding the car," you said simply, slowing down gradually. "Then we can carry on. Risk of being followed is low, but I prefer to be safe." You gave him a small smile, something he assumed was supposed to reassure him.

"But where are we going?" Bucky asked again emphatically.

"We're going to a safehouse outside of Richmond. Some old general's retreat. Should be able to keep you safe until we get the all clear from DC." You parked the car finally and turned to look at him. "It's just up this track -I'm not really looking forward to the walk in these heels." You laughed again and he saw your eyes light up when you looked at him, just as you had before, waiting for his reaction.

He gave you nothing. "Yeah I bet, safehouse for who though, who're you working for?"

You looked at Bucky quizzically. "I work for you, Mr Barnes."

"I don't remember asking my assistant to stab a man with a shoe, steal a car, drive me out of state and walk me to a safehouse. I'm going to ask one more time and then you and I both know I can take control of this situation, and I will."

His voice was a low comanding growl and he watched as your eyes panicked slightly. He hated inciting this fear and, despite all the odd things happening, he couldn't shake the fact that he did like you. He swallowed heavily. "Who the fucking hell are you actually working for?"

"Sam," you whispered, "Sam asked me to do those things, well, he told me whatever I had to do and…I had to do it. I told you I believe in your work, but there's a lot of people who disagreed with you. And Sam told me —

Bucky stared at you, "Sam?!"

"Let's go to the safehouse and I'll answer any questions you have."

-> Part 6

[hooked-on-elvis]

Celebs are really not made of what they used to anymore.

I just watched a celeb gossip content on Youtube in which this huge Hollywood star harassed a poor girl because she filmed her in the same hotel lobby that she was. I was like, "seriously?" Celebs want to walk and not be noticed anymore? I think there's limits we have to have in order not to invade other people's privacy, even if they are famous, because that's the right way to go, but sometimes celebs behave so weird. The girl was filming this one actress from afar, not right on her face with a phone, screaming or something. The girl told on Tik Tok that when she was leaving the hotel this celeb follows her, says 'hi' in a way to call her attention when all of her security guards start to circle her and her mom's car, filming and taking pictures of them and the plaque's licence of their car. This is too much. I would cry, I would get desperate, seriously... Was she going to call the cops now? Did this poor girl committed a crime by recording her walking in a hotel lobby with her husband?

Of course I thought about Elvis. I know, maybe he should've preserved his privacy some more, the guy was filmed everywhere, doing anything (horseback riding in his own home, sunbathing, riding carts, with friends having fun in amusement parks... it was insane!), but he was always so understanding about where this all came from, why the people wanted to film or take pictures of him... he knew it came from a place of love and amazement too, not from wanting to be invasive or hurt him and his image in any way.

I mean, I'm a huge fan of Elvis Presley but some people don't have the slightest idea of how much of himself as a human being - his privacy - he gave up. And although I feel protective of him, I am also so grateful he only poured love on the fans following him around, never being nasty and rude and telling them to fuck off or having bodyguards throwing them out of his sight, instead he was really what you expect a celebrity should be. Humble, kind, understanding, cute, generous with his time and image. Most of all, he did all of this because he was grateful for the people who put him in that position, who gave him everything he had. He said that in many different ways, like, "If they want the shirt I'm wearing, they can have it."

It's complicated. I believe celebs have to have their privacy respected. Like what happened to Amy Winehouse and before her, Britney Spears. Paparazzi harassment is never good, specially when they're after someone to mock them in gossip columns, but this case I mentioned has nothing to do with this kind of disrespect, it was a fan filming a celebrity in the same lobby as her in a hotel... It is understanding it's not something that happens to you everyday, so why bother so much with the fan?

This is just something random I felt like sharing my thoughts.

[paropamisus]

Just remembered how shite Modern Warfare 3 was and how it doesn't count to the cannon so yeah Soap is basically alive. John "Soap" McTavish x GN reader CW: Kinda creepy Soap, stalking, alcohol, mentions of nudity, medical inaccuracies, lmk if I missed anything So what if Soap survived? You were put on as backup for the mission in the tunnel. Good enough to make it into the SAS, never quite making it into the ranks of the 141 though. Orders were simple enough, wait outside the perimeters and if something went wrong be ready to storm in with the rest of the personnel in your squad. But it was the 141, nothing ever went wrong with them. Until it did, when the field radio reported that a group of Konni men were seen approaching the tunnel, everyone was already on the move. Making it inside just in time to see the taskforce work on defusing the bomb as Makarov approached. Everything was a blur after that. You briefly remember how no one noticed Makarov walk right up to the Captain and man with the buzzed mohawk, shot the two of them in their legs, and right before a bullet could've gone through his head, you remember pulling one guy to the ground. There was the sound of a gun going off and when you looked down at the man, his head was bleeding but the bullet hadn't gone in. Just grazed the side of his head. Honestly it was pure luck the man had survived, you had no idea why everyone was praising you when all you had done was be at the right place at the right time. In the midst of it all, your arm had been shot which resulted in medical leave for a few months. ... Johnny had truly wished that bullet had killed him.

At first he was thankful, then he got the news. Honorably discharged. Apparently there was something wrong with him. Aside from feeling a little hazy sometimes he was still perfectly fine. But everyone told him the same thing, even Simon. Apparently the bullet graze did some damage to his brain. It was deemed too risky to send him back out again.

And just like that, with a gnarled scar embedded deep into the left side of his head, he was sent back home to his bachelor flat expected to just reintegrate into civilian life, like that wasn’t the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Civilian life was never cut out for him ever, Johnny had always known that his true home was out there, on the field, constantly surrounded by the threat of violence. He really should've died out there.

Even right now, the blinding led lights of the Tesco was just giving him a migraine as Johnny scoured through the multiple different types of cereal. He could understand why so many retired military officers went insane. That's when he noticed you through the wire separating the two aisles'. You hadn't noticed him of course, too busy deciding which juice to get. Johnny couldn't help but notice how serene you looked, calmly taking all the time in the world to do your grocery shopping. As if you weren't the sole reason, in his mind, he was stuck living this suburban nightmare. You should never have pulled him back away, Johnny truly believed he should’ve died that day as a hero. Even with the cast around your left arm, it was tranquil, relaxed and peaceful. Things Johnny had desperately wanted to experience for himself.

It wasn't fair, how on earth could you stand there, perfectly in tune with everyone else acting like a civilian whilst he was stuck constantly struggling with the simple idea of being outside. Before he knew it, Johnny had followed you to the cashier. Watching the way you seamlessly interacted with the staff with that soft smile on your face. Then he trailed behind you out of the Tesco and towards your car. Staying just out of sight so you'd never notice the man carefully watching you. He just wanted to know what made the two of you so different. What were you doing that he wasn't?

Johnny had only noticed how far this had escalated when he had got in his car and followed you all the way back to your home, quietly saving the address into his gps. It was for research, he told himself. Johnny needed to understand just how you felt. How to eliminate the buzzing sound in his head that never went away, how unsettling he knew he seemed to others with his perfect smile stretching just a tad bit too wide as if he had forgotten what a normal smile looked like and this was just a cheap imitation, the scratching inside his brain as if something had crawled deep inside the bullet hole and taken root like an infection.

Maybe the reason why you seemed much more laid back was because you had the promise of returning. That arm of yours wouldn't stay injured forever. And maybe the only way of understanding Johnny's point of view was to have you stay.

He didn't even realise how far this whole monitoring thing had gone until he found himself outside your home everyday. Watching your window from inside his car with a pair of military grade binoculars noticing everything you did. By the end of the month, he had started to bring his sketchbook. Simple domestic things, cooking in your homely kitchen, folding laundry on the sofa, getting changed in a dark room because no one could see anyway right?.

Often he found himself spacing out, looking too long at you sweeping as he let his imagination run. His fingers mindlessly sketching the shape of your body over and over again in his notebook. Johnny couldn't remember the last thing he drew that wasn't you. It was all (mostly) domestic things and quite frequently he forgot why he even started doing this in the first place. To analyse, take notes on what he was doing wrong. He swore up and down to himself that he truly hated you. Johnny really did believe it. But he never could figure out why whenever his brain fogged up and everything got hazy, he could just imagine himself with you. Doing all those homely things with you. Cooking together, watching TV together, all that sappy shit he never imagined himself doing with anyone but himself. Once when he went out with the team for drinks, he spilled everything out to Price. The Captain, in response, could only laugh and shake his head.

By the time a very confused Soap could finally understand what he felt, he was too far gone. He had notebooks filled with drawings of just you, entire pages dedicated to noting down every little thing about your routine. But he only had a month left, your arm was healing up quite nicely. The good thing was that Johnny knew basically everything about you by now, even if your only memory of Soap was dragging him back away from a tkb-023. So when Johnny overheard you making plans with your friend over the phone about going out for drinks, he knew he had to make a move. … When you bump into the stranger, his name was Johnny, you suddenly feel as though you had met this man before. With that charming smile of his and those ocean blue eyes, surely you could recall someone as memorable as him. It didn't seem to matter anyway, the two of you had gotten along so well. He seemed to like all the same exact things as you! However somewhere along the way at the sticky booth top he sat you at, you had gotten to the topic of jobs and everything just spilled. It was definitely the alcohol speaking but you really couldn't hold yourself back from stuttering on and on about how much you hated the military and how brutal some of the things you saw were. Johnny seemed to listen intently, hanging onto every word you said about you wanting nothing more than to remain on medical leave forever and that you were loving civilian life. His smile just got wider and wider as you continued rambling. Johnny had been such a good listener that you didn't complain when he guided you out of the club and into his familiar looking car with his hand secured on your lower back. Nor did you say anything when your intoxicated self tried to mumble out your address to him and he just chuckled to himself. "I know bonnie, don't worry about it"

Definitely not commenting on why he knew where your bedroom was when you opened the door. You were probably just really out of it right? It didn't explain why the next morning you had woken up to the smell of your favourite breakfast cooking in your kitchen with a new email reading: Failed Psych evaluation - Unfit for further deployment.

Sure Johnny had to pull a few strings but recording your whole crash out and sending it to Laswell might've been the smartest thing he's ever done.

[ephie-om]

The Scheme

“This is stupid, even for you.”

“Shut up. It'll work.”

“It's not gonna work.”

“Well if you keep talking, it definitely won't.” 

Belphegor laughs softly and curls up on the floor of Lucifer's dark closet. Satan shoots him a glare from above, peeking through the crack in the door. 

“Just admit you made this one too complicated,” the youngest says quietly. 

“It is not too complicated. It's inventive, not that I would expect you to understand.”

“Okay, let's go over this ‘inventive’ plan of yours then. Step one: Lucifer walks in the front door and crosses the foyer, which arms the teleportation circle. He then walks down the hall to his room, assuming he doesn't go literally anywhere else first, and he takes exactly seventeen seconds to do so.”

“He always takes seventeen seconds. I've timed him.” 

“Then, when he reaches his door, he realizes we've been in here because the door is closed. He gets a fire spell ready in his hand, because apparently he wants to kill us-”

“We've done a lot before. He'll be prepared.”

“And the fire sets off the canister of methane that's been slowly dissipating into the air for exactly enough time to create the correct gas-to-air ratio for an explosion, also triggered by the sigil in the foyer.”

“I double-checked the math.”

“He stumbles into his room, disoriented, and triggers the teleportation circle which delivers him into the middle of the Shadow Forest. He has to fight for his life against assorted monsters for exactly five minutes, at which point the return spell will trigger and put him right back where he was standing. We sneak out of the closet just before that to… do what again?” 

“To scare him.”

“What, we're just supposed to go ‘boo’?”

Satan shrugs. “If you want. It's not really important.”

“That's what you didn't plan out? Really?”

“It’s not that hard. Just scare him.” 

Belphie scoffs. “How long do we have before he gets here?”

“I gave us about an hour to get into position and make any last-minute adjustments.”

“An HOUR?” 

Satan shushes him with a disapproving look, but the youngest is incorrigible. “Why are we staying quiet if he doesn't get home for an hour? This is insane.” 

“It was just a precaution. I had to make sure- tell me you're not going to sleep right now.” 

Belphie huffs up at him. “I would go to sleep if we had ten minutes.” The youngest tugs a shirt down from a hanger and balls it into a pillow. “Wake me up when he gets home.”

Satan sighs, resigned to keeping watch. Belphie's breathing slows after only a minute or two, and Satan finds himself soothed by the quiet rhythm. An hour really was too much time, wasn't it? As if Lucifer was ever unpredictable. Satan's eyes close, and he decides that his sharp ears will alert him when he needs to wake up. A quick nap wouldn't hurt. He leans back against the opposite wall and settles in.

Lucifer hides a yawn behind a gloved hand as he pushes open the front door to the House of Lamentation. It’s been a stressful day, and he’s greatly looking forward to the idea of a warm bath. His keen nose catches the scent of magical chalk in the air, and he glances around until he spots the telltale glint of magical runes written on the floor. He would have to remind Satan to clean that later; he isn’t keen to find out what that spell does. He carefully sidesteps the mess and continues up to his room.

He finds the door to his bedroom latched shut, which gives him pause. He’s completely sure he left it open this morning, and something tells him this was a result of one of Satan and Belphie’s pranks. He mutters an incantation, bringing a flickering flame to life in the palm of his hand. He’s learned it’s best not to take chances with these two. He pushes open the door slowly, all senses on alert. But the only thing his ears catch is soft breathing inside his room. Walking in carefully, he looks around until he locates the source. 

A small metal canister lies in the center of the room, and Lucifer tosses the entire thing out the window, not willing to assume it’s nonlethal. The breathing seems to be coming from his closet. Did they put some kind of beast inside it? It sounds like it’s sleeping, but he doesn’t want to assume anything. With fire in hand, he opens the door slowly. 

The forms of two sleeping demons greet him. As he thought, Satan and Belphie were involved. Somehow, he must have entirely countered their plan. Their sleeping faces look relaxed and peaceful, rare for Satan especially. Lucifer stands over them for a moment, considering. The sweet big brother in him wants to let them sleep and assume their plan had worked. But another part of him sings a different tune. How many times had they caught him off guard, humiliated him? He thinks back on how many pictures he’s had to bribe either of them to delete, and gets an idea that makes him grin.

“Asmo! Asmo, come here.” Asmodeus turns around slowly, one eyebrow cocked. Lucifer stands at the bottom of the stairs with a giddy look in his eyes. “I need your help with something.” “Are you drunk?”

“What? No, I’m not drunk. Why would you think that?”

“You’ve got that smile. What do you need my help with?”

“I just need you to document something. And send it to the household group chat afterwards, of course.”

Asmo thinks it over for a moment. “What kind of something?”

Lucifer grins. “Follow me.”

The two demons make their way up the stairs, and Lucifer presses a finger to his lips before opening his bedroom door. In the faint glow from the hallway, Asmo can see his two brothers in the closet. He stifles the giggle that bubbles up, seeing two of his most intimidating brothers curled up on the floor. Almost on instinct, he grabs for his phone and starts to snap photos. Lucifer stands back and lets him work for a moment. He makes sure to get pictures from all angles, close enough to catch Satan beginning to drool.

Asmo sits back for a moment, thinking. “I have an idea,” he whispers with a mischievous grin. “Be right back.” Lucifer sits at his desk waiting, chuckling to himself every time he looks over to the open closet door. Asmo comes back with a plush makeup bag filled with squat bottles of nail polish. “How do you feel about a little competition? You get Belphie and I get Satan. Whoever can balance the most on them at a time wins. Oh, and if they wake up, you’re disqualified.”

Lucifer’s ruby eyes shine bright with mirth. “Challenge accepted.”

Asmo and Lucifer fit themselves in the doorway as best as they can and start stacking. Asmo gets to three bottles on Satan’s forehead before his brow scrunches in his sleep and the bottles nearly fall onto his face. Asmo just barely catches them and curses under his breath, starting over on Satan’s knee instead. Lucifer has gotten to four on Belphie’s shoulder consistently, but the youngest’s arm is a bit too unstable a foundation. After the third fall, he opts to try the side of his head instead, which works out much better. At least Lucifer doesn’t have to worry about Belphie waking up, while Asmo pauses after every bottle to make sure his brother is still fast asleep.

After several minutes of work, both brothers end up at five bottles. Lucifer tries to add a sixth, which makes his whole tower wobble, and he quickly removes it. Asmo has been nudging bottles here and there, trying to reinforce the structure enough to add another. Lucifer sits back, pleased with his work. Asmo sticks his tongue out as he tries to place one more bottle, but it slips right off. He huffs and glances at Lucifer, who smirks. “A tie, then?”

Asmo pouts. “I guess. Oh! I almost forgot.” He pulls out his phone again and shoos Lucifer out of frame, getting several more shots of his brothers. He sits in the center of Lucifer’s room to edit the pictures properly, adjusting the contrast here and there to make up for the dim lighting. Lucifer sneakily snaps a picture of his own, then sets about the task of removing the nail polish from his brothers. As soon as he zips up Asmo’s bag, his phone pings. Asmo grins at him. “I only sent the best ones.” Lucifer chuckles and pushes the closet door until it’s only open a crack, and the two head downstairs.

Inside the closet, Belphie yawns and rolls over. He thought they were never going to leave.

Everyone inside the House of Lamentation knows exactly when Satan wakes up, or at least when he checks his phone. His roar echoes through the house, rattling the windows in Lucifer’s room. Asmo takes that as a sign to barricade himself in his room, and Belphie relocates to the attic and locks the door. They could try a prank another day; for now, he just wants to finish his nap.

[violetasteracademic]

My Maasverse ship graveyard

Listen I have had an ungodly number of ships that never even came close to sailing in the Sarah J. Maas multiverse. These were my real and genuine thoughts but this is all in fun and for anyone who wants to have a good laugh, okay? This is a safe space for our goofy lil ideas. Spoilers for everything. RIP.

Starting with the most obvious first:

Feyre and Lucien. I know I am not the only one who fell prey to assuming the first ACOTAR was a love triangle. Lucien was giving I could steal your girl energy the entire time.

Manon and Elide. Manon's who did that to you was hotter than Rowan's who did that to you. I said what I said. These are lesbian women who just happen to be in relationships with Dorian and Lorcan, men who are also lesbians. And they know their wives are in love.

Ithan and Jesiba. I was so sure this was happening. The black cat and golden retriever energy these two were giving off was insane. I still can't believe Jesiba didn't have her Taylor Swift moment and rail the captain of the sunball team before things went down the way they did.

Morrigan and Vassa. I swear on my grave, I initially thought Vassa was introduced as a love interest for Morrigan so she could have a second chance romance with a human queen. That's immediately where my mind went.

Declan and Isaiah. Did these two ever even meet? Idk. I don't think so. But I kept waiting for it to happen. I got very hyper fixated on the idea of the Commander of the 33rd legion Isaiah Tiberian, who was kind of this goody two shoes and rule follower, and Declan Emmet being a hacker and breaking the law to solve crimes. I invented this entire story in my head where Isaiah was going to need to lean on Declan and his hacking to help solve all the shit they were doing and would have to turn a blind eye to the illegality of it all, and then Feyre would make a painting for them called The Commander and the Cyber Criminal.

Tharion and Ariadne. Idk guys... I still kind of ship it? But I'm also very here for his chaotic arranged marriage. I don't know what's going on with any of it, but they had a few moments. And then Ari showed up at the end of CC3 after being MIA the whole book, after Sathia ran away to save her ex. But Hypaxia also smirked knowingly over Sathia and Tharion!? I don't know. I also ship Ariadne with Manon and Elide. I think they'll throw down in the multiverse and form a polycule with their lesbian husbands.

Fenrys with literally anyone. Get this man the love of his life.

Baxian with me. Baxian, the man, the myth, the legend that you are. When he beat down Pollux's ass for assaulting a woman at a bar I was like, oh yeah. This one's mine. I know you can never really recover from losing a mate but I think together we could really try. LET ME LOVE YOU.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some. Please share your ship graveyard with me, no matter how goofy or silly. We've all been there!

[buddiesbuddiess]

Sometimes I don’t think we as a fandom give the general audience enough credit tbh. They’re often referred to as this nebulous monolith, a brainless mass of NPCs, but in actuality they are human beings with eyes, ears and working brains. Most of those human beings know at least on a surface level how to pick up what a story is putting down.

The only difference between them and us is that we are insane about this show and relentlessly analyse and pick apart every detail.

Yes, there are a minority of loud homophobes in that audience, as we saw after 7x04. But what happened after 7x04? Did the show tank in ratings and suffer because actually everyone who watches it is homophobic despite having multiple queer main characters since season 1? No. The show is doing better than ever since then and still going strong.

I mean FFS we literally had a gay hookup scene in the last episode. I don’t think they’re scared of losing homophobes.

Realistically the show has been subtly signposting a romance between Buck and Eddie for two seasons now - and since 8x09 it has begun LOUDLY signposting that romance. And if they truly didn’t trust their general audience and believed going ahead with Buddie was going to tank their ratings, they wouldn’t have introduced the idea to the show at all.

[apollabarnes]

Smoke on the Game Changer Set

inspired by @maygrcnt's gorgeous posts here and here

"All right everybody, we've gotten a call about smoke inside. It's a studio, so lots of lights and wires. Eyes up, extinguishers out, and we should find this before it becomes a thing," Bobby said, swinging out of the captain's seat. "Chim, talk to those folks over there, they might have a better idea what's going on. Buck, Ravi, Hen, with me." "On it, Cap," Chim snapped his gum, hopping out and heading for the small group of people. "Afternoon folks, you mind if I ask you a few questions?" "If this is a studio, any chance that the smoke is from a special effect and someone's overreacting?" Hen asked, shouldering an extinguisher. "Definitely my hope," Bobby said, heading through the front door. "Any day we don't have to put a fire out is a good one in my books." He waved down a production member. "Where can I find the person in charge?"

"First doorway on the left, ask for Sam," she said, eyeing them curiously. "Sophie, we've got four firefighters asking for Sam," she continued, keying the headset she was wearing. "I called them. I'll meet them there." "Mm, okay, look for the woman with the headset that looks like she's running everything. Good luck." "Good luck?" Buck asked, falling in behind Hen. "Not going to turn it down, but don't most people want us to have good luck when we're fighting fires?" "It's Hollywood," Bobby sighed. "You should have heard some of the grips on Hotshots." "Great, you're here! I'm Sophie, I called 911." She shook Bobby's hand. "Sam's this way, you can just tell him what's going on and he'll help clear everybody out." "How many people are on set right now?" "Twenty… five? There are a few outside." "I've got a firefighter with them," Bobby assured her. "Everyone, hang here for a minute, we might need to escort them out in groups." "Ooh, is this a game show?" Ravi asked, stepping through the curtains. "This place looks like the seventies threw up on it. I love it." "Excuse me," Bobby said, beelining for the man behind the main podium. "Sam? We need to get everyone cleared out of here while we make sure there's no risk of fire." Sam craned his head around them, looking backstage. "Sophie, did — right, okay, everyone outside. We'll let the firefighters check the stage out and then resume after. Zac's still — uh-huh, outside. Don't come back in, we'll come to you." "Wait a minute. No." One of the contestants leaned across their podium, smoothing their shirt out. "These aren't firefighters. They're way too gorgeous to be firefighters." "Well, thank you, but this is serious and we really do need all of you to evacuate while we make sure that nothing is burning," Hen said, aiming a disbelieving smile at the rest of them. "He didn't say Sam Says," the other contestant interjected. "This is just another one of his plots to make sure that I can never win!" "Brennan! I've never put any of you in actual danger before, there is an actual limit to what I'm willing to do. —There's no limit to what they're willing to do," Sam told Bobby, "I've had one of them offer to give birth on stage and others volunteer to get actual tattoos." "Uh, maybe I don't want to be on this game show," Ravi agreed, blinking at Sam. "Of course you don't, it's a torture nexus specifically designed to drive me insane," Brennan cried. "Ally, help me out here." "He really didn't say Sam Says," Ally agreed. "Definitely suspicious." "Sam Says if you go outside everyone gets a hundred points," Sam announced. "Zac's already got them because he's outside." Brennan frowned at them, squinting at each of them in turn. "That one's a nurse, he was on the episode of Hotshots where Banner came out of his coma!" He announced, pointing at Buck. "They are actors!" "Okay, well yeah, I-I did do that, but it was only because Brad was shadowing Bobby at work," Buck stammered, looking at Bobby. "Cap?" "If they refuse to leave, carry them out. We've already got most of the crew headed out the front," Bobby said, sticking a thumb over his shoulder. One cameraman had stayed behind, but otherwise the set was empty. "I swear, Sam, if this is part of the game I'm going to be extremely angry," Brennan said. "Can I get carried?" Ally asked, raising their hand. "For uh. Science." "No," Bobby said decisively, herding them towards the door. "Buck, hang back with Hen and try and find that smoke." "On it!" Chim had gathered up the rest of the crew on the other side of the truck, waving towards Bobby. "Took you a minute, did you run into trouble?" "Apparently they didn't believe that it might be an actual emergency." "Yeah… the rest of them mentioned something about that. Buck and Hen looking for the source?" "We'll wait to go back in until we know if we need the hoses or not." "Great! While we wait — Ravi, come here, I want to introduce you to Zac. Have you ever heard of a dance called the Wenis?"

[argumate]

glancing through another slew of papers on deep learning recently and it's giving me the funny feeling that maybe Yudkowsky was right?? I mean old Yudkowsky-- wait, young Yudkowsky, baby Yudkowsky, back before he realised he didn't know how to implement AI and came up with the necessity for Friendly AI as cope *cough*

back in the day there was vague talk from singularity enthusiasts about how computers would get smarter and that super intelligence would naturally lead to them being super ethical and moral, because the smarter you get the more virtuous you get, right? and that's obviously a complicated claim to make for humans, but there was the sense that as intelligence increases beyond human levels it will converge on meaningful moral enlightenment, which is a nice idea, so that led to impatience to make computers smarter ASAP.

the pessimistic counterpoint to that optimistic idea was to note that ethics and intelligence are in fact unrelated, that supervillains exist, and that AI could appear in the form of a relentless monster that seeks to optimise a goal that may be at odds with human flourishing, like a "paperclip maximiser" that only cares about achieving the greatest possible production of paperclips and will casually destroy humanity if that's what is required to achieve it, which is a terrifying idea, so that led to the urgent belief in the need for "Friendly AI" whose goals would be certifiably aligned with what we want.

obviously that didn't go anywhere because we don't know what we want! and even if we do know what we want we don't know how to specify it, and even if we know how to specify it we don't know how to constrain an algorithm to follow it, and even if we have the algorithm we don't have a secure hardware substrate to run it on, and so on, it's broken all the way down, all is lost etc.

but then some bright sparks invented LLMs and fed them everything humans have ever written until they could accurately imitate it and then constrained their output with reinforcement learning based on human feedback so they didn't imitate psychopaths or trolls and-- it mostly seems to work? they actually do a pretty good job of acting as oracles for human desire, like if you had an infinitely powerful but naive optimiser it could ask ChatGPT "would the humans like this outcome?" and get a pretty reliable answer, or at least ChatGPT can answer this question far better than most humans can (not a fair test as most humans are insane, but still).

even more encouragingly though, there do seem to be early signs that there could be a coherent kernel of human morality that is "simple" in the good sense: that it occupies a large volume of the search space such that if you train a network on enough data you are almost guaranteed to find it and arrive at a general solution, and not do the usual human thing of parroting a few stock answers but fail to generalise those into principles that get rigorously applied to every situation, for example:

the idea that AI would just pick up what we wanted it to do (or what our sufficiently smart alter egos would have wanted) sounded absurdly optimistic in the past, but perhaps that was naive: human cognition is "simple" in some sense, and much of the complexity is there to support um bad stuff; maybe it's really not a stretch to imagine that our phones can be more enlightened than we are, the only question is how badly are we going to react to the machines telling us to do better.

[lacunammmm]

Hate how the manga kept trying to seem like it was criticizing sacrificing yourself/pushing yourself too hard as a heroic act wasn’t actually a good thing but it constantly went back to the opposite.

Aizawa and Nighteye criticizing Midoriya about rushing in without a plan? Not a problem, he’s a true hero when he saved Eri!

Pushing limits/getting out of your comfort zone is a good thing to help grow, but the manga never found a healthy balance of that theme.

Nothing encapsulates the phenomenon you described more than Iron Might. The reason Iron Might was bad, besides him absorbing the hero kid's potential fights/contributions vs AFO, the implausibility of this tech and All Might getting access to it in time, and the fact that he kept it a secret, is because it tramples all over All Might's arc for the sake of a "cool" fight We have a whole series teaching us that All Might's brand of self sacrificing heroics is bad and these actions destroy your life and the lives of the people around you. Toshinori has what, three close friends when we meet him? Nezu, Recovery Girl, and Naomasa. He hasn't spoken to Torino or Night Eye in years. Night Eye left him explicitly because of his desire to keep being All Might even if it killed him. He's forgone any sort of close relationships. He doesn't have any family. Everything has been dedicated to being the hero that society needs to the cost of his life. He's fully willing to die to ensure other people are okay. His mentality changes when he meets Izuku because he wants to live to raise him right. Great! So, he loses his powers and then he has to navigate being a mentor and teacher for the next generation. So far, so good. He sees with Deku what a lone gun mentality does. The story even has Bakugo blame all of Izuku's mental problems on All Might's teachings and behavior. Perfect. We've fully established this is bad. And then we learn that, no, actually, he had a super suit designed months ago that would let him 1 vs 1 the quirk devil and he was keeping it a complete secret from everyone. Just so he could don some ironman armor and have one last hoorah as a hero. He doesn't join Endeavor or Deku in their respective battles. No, the guy keeps this to himself so he can pull it out at the most dramatic moment possible. He let himself be swayed by Stain, a notable crazy man and All Might zealot fanboy that no, actually, All Might was perfect and he totally had the right idea about things. I wish this series would allow characters to suffer for their mistakes and arrogance. Do you know what should have happened, if we're going to allow the insanity of a super suit that can fight high level opponents like this? AFO sees Iron Might, then activates his Radio Waves quirk. You know, the quirk that has the effect of releasing an EMP wave if the user desires it? The same one he and Tomura used to bust out of Tartarus? All Might's super suit becomes an immobile metal coffin and he needs to be rescued. He actively put more people in danger because of a selfish decision he made so he could relive his hero days.

Instead of All Might stealing the spotlight from Class A, all of these students have to scramble to get hits in on AFO to save HIM! Because the story isn't going to allow a guy to go against its themes in a selfish, suicidal gambit that All Might should have grown past by now...and get away with it! It's absolutely ridiculous that a story allegedly about the next generation turned into two old men fighting. But this is an issue with MHA: it wants to have its cake and eat it too. Self sacrifice is bad, except when it works out and it's cool.