#it's a tree-radiation-supersoldier thing

[shrikeseams]

# still beating the ol' 'elves and orcs are a lot more like each other than either side would care to admit' drum # to be clear this is more 'the orcs are still elves' than 'elves are just orcs' # orcs move like disabled humans not because disability is a mark of the marring # it's because their bodies just don't move like human ones # and elves move in a very similar way for the same reason # also NOCTURNAL ELVES NOCTURNAL ELVES NOCTURNAL ELVES FOREVER # elvish societies sleep during the day and are active at night change my mind # calaquendi are basically the only elves you'll see going out in the sun without parasols or sunglasses or whatever # it's a tree-radiation-supersoldier thing # even so their vision is... a little substandard # constant sunlight exposure when the sensible thing to do is to wrap a dark cloth over your eyes and navigate by hearing will do that # ... though their ridiculous healing powers do compensate for that a little. fuckin' valar - @feanorianethicsdepartment​

Yea! Fae elves are the best. Elves that look vaguely human shaped but could never be mistaken for humans, elves who are uncanny in their voices, in their movements, who can move on all fours and mimic bird cries perfectly…

-@outofangband

elves never quite look right standing up straight. their fingers and toes are long and prehensile, designed to pick through dense dark forests rather than run across the plains, and their bodies twist and curve to a degree almost impossible in humans. their speaking voices will occasionally hit notes just outside of human hearing, they can go completely still and silent in a fraction of a second, and they're never entirely comfortable out in broad daylight, no sheltering trees between them and the sun

if you look at them from the right angle, they move a lot like orcs

(@outofangband)

[buckyskorpion]

“i thought you’d like this” please ?💕 i’m very excited for the fourth part of your story and i love your blog!

sorry this took so long!! hope you enjoy this, it’s a bit of fun in these not so fun times 

Nat comes into the boardroom with a tiny smirk on her face. You share a glance with Bucky - this can’t be good.

“I thought you’d like this,” Nat announces, throwing herself into the chair next to you and dumping her legs in your lap, effectively pinning you down. She clears her throat theatrically and pulls out her phone, reads, “Former Winter Soldier and current Avenger James Barnes spotted taking newest recruit on a date in Central Park.”

Bucky starts coughing so violently you’re worried he’s going to pop a plate in his new arm. You, on the other hand, feel the colour drain from your face almost immediately. A date?

Nat is grinning, now, which is somehow even more terrifying than when she’s mad. Bucky has to stand and grab some water from the cooler in the corner, leaning on the wall for support. Good to know the concept of hypothetically going on a date with you is so horrifying to him. You have to say something, the silence is stretching on and it’s so awkward and tense you might explode. Maybe that’s a good thing. Then you’d never have to meet Bucky’s eyes ever again.

“Where did you get this from?” you ask Nat hoarsely, swallowing past the way your voice cracks. Her eyes are sparkling, she’s so happy - this isn’t natural. You make grabby hands for her phone and, reluctantly, she hands it over.

There are photos attached to the article, because of course there are. It’s a TMZ release (who else) and the photos are disturbingly high-quality. It was the morning after your last mission, when you’d woken up aching all over and tired in a way not even a good nights sleep could fix but Bucky was knocking at your door asking if you wanted to go for a walk with him. Of course you said yes, even if it felt like torture to drag yourself from bed. It was Bucky — you would always say yes.

He bought you coffee and you walked around Central Park in mostly silence. There wasn’t a lot to say, it was just nice to be quiet in each other’s company after the chaos of the mission. Fall was starting so it was getting cold, but not unbearably so, and not enough for the trees to lose all their green. It was beautiful - you hadn’t seen something so beautiful in a while. It was like Bucky knew it was what you needed, and you’d turned to softly thank him only to find him already look at you.

This is what the camera had caught, the photo plastered on Nat’s phone with the offending article. You, smiling up at him with the most awful, fond look on your face you wish you could burn and Bucky, head bent towards you, also smiling. His face matches yours. Since when? You were there, you remember this moment but you don’t remember Bucky looking at you like that. He couldn’t. Could he?

“Well,” Nay says pointedly, asking for her phone back with a hand held out towards you. You pass it over, fingers numb, mind going a mile a minute. “Good to know TMZ had to ask your girl out for you, Barnes. Pathetic, honestly.”

“What?” This was officially too much. Bucky is looking at Nat like he wants to actually tear her vocal chords out of her throat and she’s still smiling, having the time of her life, and you want to scream. So you do, essentially. You slam your hand on the table and cry, “Can someone please explain what the fuck is going on? Who’s girl where?”

“Calm down before you hurt yourself,” Nat says, cutting you a side eye. You blush, immediately embarrassed by your theatrics but honestly, who could blame you? TMZ has a lot to answer for. With a raised eyebrow towards Bucky, Natasha says, “Well? She’s asking you a question.”

“Can you give us a moment, Natasha?” Bucky grinds out, a scarier look on his face than even the Winter Soldier could muster. Nat laughs, head thrown back, like this is the funniest thing in the world.

“Oh no,” she says, still somewhat giggling. “I’m not missing this for the world.”

Bucky’s sigh could’ve shaken the walls of the boardroom. You were supposed to be having a mission debriefing for crying out loud, but now you’re here, absolutely confused to hell, staring at Bucky hoping for some enlightenment but he’s just chewing his lip and avoiding your eyes. TMZ thinks you went on a date with Bucky when you know damn well that only happens in your dreams, and Nat is somehow involved, and Bucky is being evasive, and no one is filling you in yet. Maybe this is a dream of yours, morphing into a nightmare as the silence ticks by.

“Honestly!” Nat exclaims, throwing her hands in the air. “You are both useless! (Y/n), what did you tell me the other day after training? ‘Bucky could never like me back, we’re just friends!’ My ass!”

Oh no, this isn’t happening. This is definitely a nightmare now. But Nat isn’t done, ignoring the strangled noise you make and how you slump down in an attempt to hide.

“And you,” Nat says, eyes narrowing at Bucky while she points a finger, “If you ask me one more time for advice on what to do about your schoolboy feelings for (y/n), I will physically remove your spleen and enjoy it.”

With that, Nat finally removes her feet from your lap and storms from the room, letting the door slam shut behind her. The silence is a physical thing, fogging up the room and choking you out from the inside. You stare at the wood grain of the table, reeling from Nat’s outburst and the absolute wasteland that is your pride. You never want to look at Bucky again, the shame is too much. But he’s walking over to you now, pulling out the chair next to you and sitting so you’re between the ‘v’ of his legs, so close you can feel his supersoldier body heat radiating over you. Or maybe that’s just your burning cheeks from the sheer embarrassment of the situation Nat has put you in.

“Did you really say that to Nat?” Bucky asks, soft but the sound still makes you flinch.

“I’m sorry,” you say, avoiding his gaze that’s burning into the side of your face, “I shouldn’t hav said that, it’s not fair to put you in this situation and you probably think I’m some kind of creep-“

“(Y/n),” Bucky says, and his tone makes it almost sound like he’s laughing. That can’t be right. And then he puts his hand on your neck, urging you to look up and over at him - you’re powerless to resist the warmth of his skin and the rough slide of his palm as he shifts to cup the back of your head. You look at him, finally, to find him smiling at you in the same way from the TMZ photo.

“Bucky?” You’re unsure what he’s doing, what’s going on, but you can’t formulate coherent sentences at the moment so you settle for that. He laughs, then draws you forward and thunks his forehead against yours. You close your eyes breath him in, the only thing you’re capable of doing when your mind is screaming what the fuck is going on?

“I can’t believe you thought I’d never feel that way about you,” Bucky says, hushed. You find yourself blushing again, squirming in his grip to pull away but he doesn’t let you. Damn super strength.

“Feel what way?” you ask, defensive, “You mean as completely platonic friends and coworkers?”

“You’re a brat,” Bucky huffs, but when you peek an eye open you can see he’s smiling. He’s still holding you close, and you can’t find in you to pull way even as you’re trying to distance yourself verbally. He shakes his had against yours and says, “I can’t believe it because that’s what I’ve been sayin’ about you this whole time.”

“Wait, what?” you ask. Now you’re lost. Bucky can’t be saying what you think he’s saying - he can’t.

“Nat’s right, we really are useless,” Bucky laughs, and then he pulls away. You try not to feel disappoint but it hits you in the gut anyway - only for a moment. Bucky doesn’t go very far, just enough to physically turn your chair so you’re facing him, in between his legs, and holds your face in his palms so he has to look at you. It’s a lot of manhandling and your head is spinning a bit. Why does he have to be so sexy?

Looking at you dead in the eye, Bucky says, “I don’t need TMZ to do this for me. I love you, (Y/n), I think I have from the moment I met you. I’m sorry for being a stupid, scared punk - it’s never gonna happen again.”

And then he kisses you, pulling you into his chest hard enough you have to hold onto his shoulders to stop yourself from toppling over. You muffle a yelp into his mouth but it’s quickly lost in a moan as he fists your hair and holds you close, kissing you rough and bruising like you always imagined it would be. It’s not until you think you might be seeing stars from how lightheaded you are that you pull away, breathing heavy and mouth probably just as swollen as Bucky’s looks. It’s a hot look. You can’t help but kiss him again, quick, just for looking like that.

“I think it will happen again,” you say, tilting your head at him as Bucky’s brow furrows. He looks upset, until you add, “I dunno how you’re gonna stop being a stupid punk, that’s practically in your DNA.”

“Oh, now you’re in for it,” Bucky growls, and your laughter turns into a squeal as he stands up and throws you over his shoulder, heading out of the boardroom with you pounding on his back.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Put me down, Bucky!” you cry, practically in tears from how hard you’re laughing and how difficult it is to breath with a giant metal shoulder digging into your stomach. Bucky puts you down gently, which belies the angry look on his face as he stares down at you. You grin, reaching up to take his stubbled cheek in your palm, and you know he’s just playing but you still need to say, “You’re a stupid punk, but you’re my stupid punk and I love you.”

“Romantic,” Bucky says flatly, but you barely have time to roll your eyes before he’s kissing you again. You’re probably the first person in history to think, thank god for TMZ.

[feanorianethicsdepartment]

Yea! Fae elves are the best. Elves that look vaguely human shaped but could never be mistaken for humans, elves who are uncanny in their voices, in their movements, who can move on all fours and mimic bird cries perfectly…

-@outofangband

elves never quite look right standing up straight. their fingers and toes are long and prehensile, designed to pick through dense dark forests rather than run across the plains, and their bodies twist and curve to a degree almost impossible in humans. their speaking voices will occasionally hit notes just outside of human hearing, they can go completely still and silent in a fraction of a second, and they're never entirely comfortable out in broad daylight, no sheltering trees between them and the sun

if you look at them from the right angle, they move a lot like orcs

(@outofangband)