#just to see the level of coldhearted funny she can be (or if not in the Vault she'd have suitors outside too anyway)

[savingthrcw]

can we also talk about how (even if played for laughs) Lucy was hilariously uncaring/callous towards Chet though? Like, she's written as very pro-peace and pro-politeness and all, but I feel like there is a big chance that it's LUCY, and I mean just Lucy, who is that completely detached from her 's-exual partners' while some of them are basically screaming "I love you" and she doesn't take them seriously in the slightest? she's not married because everyone who is attractive is related to her but I *feel* she has had PLENTY men ready (look at her!) but her personality is a bit odd even by Vault standards and she accidentally stomped on their hearts without even realizing it

[kyber-crystal]

Baby Fever

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Words: ~2.4k

Summary: Sometimes, all you need to work up your courage is a little push. And Steve receives just that. When the two of you go to babysit Morgan, he gets a little sneak peek into what a future with you could be like - and he doesn`’t want to let that thought go.

Warnings: this sucks lol, but it’s just a bunch of fluff

A/N: so a lot of my oneshots are about getting INTO relationships instead of being in one prior, but I just couldn’t resist this trope ugh. I CANT RESIST DAD! STEVE UGHHH. also i decided to start making moodboards, inspired by @marvelsswansong teehee. dedicating this to @rynhaswritersblock​ , who recently joined tumblr! I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUU 

...

“Are you guys sure about this?” Pepper looked back and forth between you and Steve as she packed up the last of her things, rolling the suitcases to the front door. "She's a lot to handle...and I know you guys already have a lot on your plate and all.."

"I'm sure," you gave her a reassuring smile, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We're going to have fun, right, Morgan?"

"Yeah!" the little Stark giggled, raising her arms in the air, "We're gonna have so much fun together!"

"We'll be back by tomorrow night," Tony informed you, leaning down to kiss Morgan's forehead, "Bye, sweetheart. Make sure to behave for them, okay?"

"Okay!"

"I can't thank you guys enough," Pepper stated. "It's been forever since we were last able to get a break like this."

"You deserve it," you nodded, "now go! Shoo! Don't worry and just relax! That's the whole point of you going on this trip."

"Alright, alright," she chuckled, "see you soon, then!"

As soon as the door closed behind them, Morgan immediately jumped up into your arms. "Let's go play!"

"What do you want to do?" you asked.

"A tea party!"

"Well..." Steve looked down at his watch, "it's getting close to lunchtime, so how about we have something to eat first, and then we'll play, okay?"

"Yay!"

While you kept Morgan busy, Steve got set to making a simple lunch of grilled cheese for you all to eat. When he brought the plates to the living room, he saw saw you sitting in between Morgan's legs as she was plopped down on the couch, pulling your hair up into a high bun.

"Now, what's this?" Steve raised an eyebrow as he set down the food on the coffee table, ruffling Morgan's hair. "Did you bother her?"

"She didn't," you laughed lightly, "don't worry."

"Do you like it?" Morgan giggled. "I think she looks super pretty!"

"I approve," Steve nodded, giving the little girl a thumbs-up.

"So, Morgan," you cleared your throat, "Who's your favorite Avenger?"

"Daddy is!"

"Besides your dad."

"You!"

“And why is that?”

“Because you can shoot lasers out of your eyes and control the weather! And that’s really really cool!”

“I think you just hurt Steve’s feelings,” you reminded her.

“He’s my second favorite!”

“Really, kiddo?” Steve raised a brow, “after all I’ve done for you? Who took you out to ice cream after your dance recital? Who let you have dessert before dinner when your dad was too busy working? Who let you go sledding with their shield?”

“But Y/N is the cool auntie!”

"See that, Cap? She likes me more than you," you smirked, nudging Steve in the shoulder. "I'm her favorite."

Steve scoffed. “I’m right behind you. I’m her second favorite.”

"I'm better than you are, though."

After you were all done eating, Morgan grabbed Steve’s hand, then motioned for you to all follow her upstairs to her room. Within five minutes you were all dressed up with feathery boas, colorful scarves, bejeweled sunglasses, and bright pink birthday hats.

"You look ridiculous," you snorted as you adjusted Steve’s fuchsia feather boa and sunglasses. "I could just take a picture of you right now and store it for future blackmail use."

"Don't you dare," he warned.

Too late. You already had your phone out and he blinked in surprise as the flash went off. You giggled as you saw the surprise evident in his face.

"Ooh! Let's take a group selfie!" Morgan jumped up and down. Steve let out a sigh but as soon as he saw the eager look in her eyes he couldn't resist. You crowded together as you quickly took the group picture, making funny faces because she insisted on doing so.

Pepper was right in saying Morgan was a lot to handle. If being an Avenger was the most difficult thing to do, this had to be the second hardest job to take. By the time dinner rolled around, you were tired out of your mind from running around the backyard throwing a Frisbee back and forth, commentating on Barbie movies together, cartwheeling through the halls, climbing trees, and her undoing and redoing your hair.

"Why don't you take a break. I'll get dinner ready," Steve offered. "You need to rest."

"But St-" you began.

"It's fine," he waved you both off, "you deserve it."

"Thank you," you yawned, stretching your arms up in the air. As soon as you flopped down onto the couch, you drifted off.

“Auntie Y/N? Where are...oh!” Morgan hopped over and peered over the sofa, seeing that you were fast asleep. She picked up the blanket that had been strewn aside from earlier, and carefully pulled it over your body, before patting your forehead and skipping off to the kitchen to find Steve.

“Uncle Steve!” She tugged on the super-soldier’s pant leg, and he looked down from where he was chopping up cilantro at the counter. The heavenly smell of Italian spice blends began filling the air. “What are you making?”

“Garlic tomato basil chicken,” he responded with a soft smile as he set his knife down and washed his hands, crouching down to her eye level. “It’s almost ready. Is Y/N still asleep?”

“Uh huh.”

“Why don’t you wake her up for me, while I go set the table. Sounds good?”

“Yup!”

"Y/N, WAKE UP!" she began jumping up and down wildly. "Wake up wake up wake up wake up!"

You groaned and stirred awake, rubbing your eyes as you stood up. "Who woke me u- oh, hey!"

"Were you tired?"

"Yes, Morgan, very," you gave her a tired smile, "so I took a nap. Are you not tired?"

"Nope!"

“Alright,” you exhaled, picking her up. “Let’s go eat!” She instantly rested her head against your shoulder.

Steve watched you pick Morgan up and spin her around as she let out a squeal - and felt a rush of pride wash over him in seeing you being so playful with the little girl. You'd make an excellent parent to his future child, he thought to himself. All you needed now was a ring around your finger. 

He felt his heart race at the thought - since when did he start feeling this way about you?

"Dinner's ready!"

"Uncle Steve, are you one of those chef guys on TV?" Morgan's eyes widened in awe as she slid into her seat, looking down at her plate. "This looks super cool! How did you do this?"

"No, I'm not," Steve laughed, "This just takes a lot of practice."

For the majority of dinner, Morgan retold little memories along the lines of 'Remember when that one time you came over for Daddy’s birthday and then Uncle Steve came too and I went sledding with his shield? That was so fun!" 

The five year-old was definitely talkative, but nobody minded at all. She was too adorable that it didn't matter how chatty she was - even you, the tough, seemingly coldhearted Agent Y/N had warmed up to her.

After a long, jam-packed day, Morgan was completely knocked out, splayed out across the couch clutching her favorite stuffed duck. You quietly crept towards her and picked her up, carrying her upstairs to her room and gently laying her down in bed.

You lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching as her brown hair fell around her face like a little halo, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. A small smile found its way onto your face as you stood there.

Suddenly you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind.

"Hey," Steve exhaled, resting his chin on top of your head. You could feel his warm breath against your neck as he spoke. "What're you standing here for?"

"Hmmm...just watching, making sure she's alright..." you hummed, placing your hands over his as he gently rocked you both from side to side. "Uh...what time is it?"

"10:30."

"Wow. Who knew she could tire you out so quickly," you let out a yawn. "I normally don't go to bed until 1 or 2, or at all for that matter."

"You should get ready for bed, too," he suggested, leaning down to kiss your temple. "Come on. You’re sharing the guest room with me, if you don’t mind."

"Sounds good," you yawned again as he released you from his hold, closing the door before turning around and following him down the hall.

You were too worn out to change or wash up, crawling underneath the covers and pulling them up to your chin. Steve slid into bed besides you, and within minutes you were both fast asleep.

"Yeah!" Morgan squealed, jumping up and down on the mattress. "Auntie Y/N! Uncle Steve! Stop cuddling and get up because it's time to eat!"

The two of you slowly stirred awake, then when you realized the compromising position you were in you quickly pulled apart, sitting up as you rubbed your eyes and ducked your heads slightly to hide the blush on your faces.

"Are you guys dating?"

"No, we're not!" you and Steve replied in unison. 

"Uh huh."

Much to Morgan's delight, you ended up eating Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes for breakfast. Afterwards you took to playing Frisbee and several other games outside for a couple hours before heading back in and bingeing several episodes of Sofia the First while eating macaroni. 

Though sometimes when you glanced over at Morgan laughing and enjoying herself throughout the day, you felt a pang in your chest. You'd missed out on so many years with your parents - your early graduation from Penn State, being promoted to commander of SHIELD’s strike team at just 21, becoming an Avenger - only being able to experience a fraction of your life with them before their lives were unfairly cut short.

"Are you okay?" Steve glanced at you worriedly, placing a hand on top of yours.

"Yeah...I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Come on...what's up? Just tell me," he pleaded. "I don't like seeing you sad. It makes me sad, too."

You bit your lower lip, squeezing your eyes shut. "I miss Mom and Dad...seeing Morgan reminded me so much of what I was like as a kid...the memories came flooding back. It’s been so long since then, but..."

"I know. I miss my Ma and Dad, too," he sighed. "I know it hurts, but...don't worry. Time heals all wounds. You’ll be alright."

You lifted your head from where it was resting on his shoulder, smiling slightly at him. "You know, I think that's the wisest thing I've heard you say. Not Captain America hasn’t said a lot of wise things, though."

"You think?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm happy to help...you know I'm always here for you, right?"

"Mhm. I love you."

"I love you too."

When Tony and Pepper arrived the next day, they saw all of you sprawled out across the living room, cuddled up together amidst fluffy blankets and pillows. You were clinging to Steve like a koala, while Morgan was using his arm as a pillow as she hugged her stuffed duck close to her chest.

"They must've been exhausted," Pepper chuckled, resting a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"They're completely knocked out."

Morgan was the first to wake up. "Daddy!" she giggled, rushing forward and jumping into Tony's arms. "You're back!"

"Hi there," he ruffled her hair, "how did you like spending time with them?"

"It was awesome! They were the best!"

Tony's expression immediately softened as he glanced over at the still-dozing you and Steve. "I'm glad to hear that, sweetheart. Now. Let's wake them all up so they can head back to the compound."

"Hey, Cap? It's time to head home," Pepper gently shook Steve awake. He stirred slightly before sitting up, blinking several times in confusion before he saw her in front of him. "Hey."

"Oh, hi, Pepper..."

"It looks like Y/N isn't about to wake up anytime soon, though..." her brows furrowed together in concern. "She must've done a lot, huh."

"Yeah...she did..."

You stirred awake, sitting up and yawning loudly. “Oh. Tony, Pep...hey! Did I...”

“You knocked out completely,” Steve laughed. “I’ll drive. I know you’re tired.”

"Thanks,” you yawned again, placing a hand over your mouth. “I owe you.”

“No worries.”

He nodded, carefully scooping you up into his arms as Bucky woke up.

"Alright...let's get going. And Tony...it was great seeing you again."

"Likewise, Rogers. We still up for Barbados next month?"

"Definitely."

After a last round of goodbyes, you were on your way back to the Avengers HQs, leaning your head against the cool glass of the window as Steve drove.

"So,” he exhaled, adjusting his grip on the wheel, “you did good over there, putting up with her. She was a lot to deal with.”

“But we had fun, didn’t we?” you turned your head to the side, giving him a soft smile. “I now have a dozen new perfect blackmail photos of you to bring back with me.”

Steve just laughed and shook his head, “I have some of you too, you know.”

“Are you serious.”

"It’s nothing bad, you just fell asleep and I took a picture. You looked cute, if anything.”

You felt heat rise to your cheeks. “Oh.”

“You’re really good with kids, Y/N.”

“...Thanks. You are, too...Morgan loves you.”

“I’d think you’d be an amazing mother to my child someday.” The words came out so swiftly, so smoothly that he didn’t realize what he’d said until he saw your reaction.

You froze in shock. “What did you...what did you just say?”

“When can we have kids?”

“Did I just...hear you correctly...”

“But if you’re not ready to start a relationship, then I understand...I’m in it if you are. When I saw you playing with Morgan...it was like getting a little glimpse to what life with you would be like in the future, of starting a family together...and I don’t want to let go of that idea.  I can't imagine doing that with anyone else other than you."

"What's with the...sudden...confession?" you spluttered, cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.

“I love you,” he said softly, gazing at you out of the corner of his eye, “I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know it seems early for me to be saying something like this but I couldn’t be more confident in my answer. And if you’re willing to let me in, then...I’d be more than happy to become that ideal man you’ve always wanted to have.”

“I think I’m falling in love with you, too.”

[userlando]

The Rogue [Grayson] Part One

Summary: Being the little sister of a cartel leader is hard. Your skills are put to the test when you’re forced to go undercover and destroy one of the country’s most dangerous cartels, The Rogue. What you weren’t planning on, was to get involved with their leader.  Word Count: 2,081 Warnings: Mentions of drugs, abuse, death, sexual intercourse, cussing. A/N: So, this idea just came up to me and I feel like it’s probably not a good idea to start up a new mini series when I’ve already put two of them on hold. But maybe this is what I need to break free of my writer’s block. I wanna thank my lovely Katie ( @twininspiredwriting​ ) for being a huge help through my block. Without further ado, I present to you The Rogue.

The Rogue Masterlist.

"Your brother is a coward, you know." Slater laughed mockingly, letting his dark eyes roam over your helpless body before tearing them away. He looked at the knife in his hand, twirling it like he was a kid and it was a knife made of plastic. "Sending his little sister to fight his battles. You girls, you're just as weak as everyone say you are."

You tried to keep the look of disdain off your face as he uttered those sexist words, but your lips scrunched together like you'd eaten something sour, eyes narrowing into slits as you looked up at him. The thick rope was starting to chafe around your wrists, burning your sensitive skin as you wrung your hands around in a desperate attempt to free them so you could kick his sorry ass. But it was useless, you were bound tight by the ankles and wrists, sitting on a chair in the middle of a beat down warehouse. Slater and his three guys were surrounding you, the three of them looking on with no emotion showing on their faces as Slater blabbered away.

It was a drug deal gone wrong, your brother was supposed to sell him a chunk of cocaine but the deal had gone down the drain as soon as Slater had pulled a knife on the delivery man. So your brother, the leader of your cartel, had sent you out to finish this guy off. But you hadn't expected to get ambushed like this, and you knew that you were in for it as soon as you'd been punched unconscious and bound to a chair that wouldn't stop creaking whenever you tried to wring your hands free. Just a bit more.

"I'm surprised you've even been within five feet of a girl with that attitude of yours." You said, watching as he turned around. He was observing you, sinister smile wept out of his face as he stared you down. You saw it coming from a mile away so you managed to hold your tongue as he took a step forward and raised his beefy hand, delivering a stinging punch to your sore cheek.

Your head hung to the left, feeling lightheaded with how strong the blow had been against your cheek. A headache was creeping up, but you were too proud to show any kind of emotion as you raised your head that felt as heavy as lead, spitting on the ground by the side. Crimson. The coppary taste was taking over your tastebuds and you licked your dry lips, almost wincing as you felt the gash on your lowerlip.

"Your brother made a grave mistake." Slater's voice lowered and you saw him nearing your face from the corner of your eye but you continued to glare down at the concrete with a stubborness that you'd developed from your brother. The man reached forward and gripped your chin, jerking it up so you could stare each other down. "You're dead, kid."

It was then that you heard a yelp coming from one of his guys behind him, and before you coud blink you heard a gun go off. Slater spun around at the sound, knife raised and you took the chance to free your hands, bending over to undo the ropes before grabbing Slater by the knees, punching him right in the knee cap. He buckled over with a loud cry, swinging his hand back in hopes of stabbing you with the knife he was holding. But you were quick, managing to get away with a small scratch as you pulled your hand back, delivering a punch to his face. He fell back against the concrete with a thud that echoed through the warehouse and you brought your hand close to your chest, wincing as your fingers brushed against your bruising knuckles.

You raised your head as you heard steps in front of you, and a weird sense of relief washed over you as you caught sight of your brother. He didn't look happy, his lips were pulled into a tight smile and he was seething, staring you down as you sat on your knees by the body of Slater.

"I can't believe you let me track you down by myself and actually help you out of this mess." He said, nothing but disdain in his voice as he holstered his Glock.

"I wouldn't even be in this mess if you hadn't sent me out." You said, pushing yourself up on your feet as you frowned. Hayden's eyes narrowed into slits and you almost shrunk back, but you managed to hold his stare, back straight.

"I sent you out as a test, to see if you could handle going into the Rogue Cartel mission," He paused, eyeing Slater's unconscious body meaningfully. "Clearly you failed."

Your eyes widened as you realized what he was saying, hands falling to your sides as you took a step forwards. Hayden eyed you with an emotion shining in his dark eyes that you couldn't put your finger on, almost like he was challenging you to talk back. You'd never been one to obey his rules, which wasn't weird because ever since your parents died, he'd been the one who raised you so you picked up on his habits. One of them was not backing down from a fight.

"You can't take me out of that mission!" You didn't mean to yell, but he just couldn't do this. He couldn't. You'd trained for months to get into that mission, to be ready and do whatever it took to do your best. Only so the other guys in your cartel would stop looking at you as Hayden's privileged little sister and start looking at you for what you were.

Hayden reached behind him, gripping his pistol and clenching it in his rough hands as he cocked it, pointing it at Slater that laid a few feet away from you. You watched with wide eyes as he pulled the trigger, the bullet going straight through the man's forehead, right between his eyes with an incredible precision.

"Watch me." He said lastly, when the silence had stretched on for too long and the ringing in your ears had subsided. His eyes fell to your side, gazing at the small gash on your arm. "Get that cleaned up."

And with that, he turned around and walked out of the warehouse, his footsteps echoing loudly.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"What part of you're out of the mission did you fail to understand?" Hayden's voice boomed as he pushed the door open with a force that almost made it fall off its hinges, his tall form stepping inside your room with long strides.

You looked up from where you'd just zipped up your bag, standing up straight and staring at your brother. There was no emotion in your eyes or on your face, you'd learnt to hide it pretty well and this time was no different. You were scared though, scared that he might lock you up and actually take you out of the mission.

"I'm going, H. I've been training and preparing for months now, you can't just pull me out of it just because of one tiny mistake." Your voice was calm and you thought that maybe if you tried to reason with him, he might let you.

But he narrowed his dark eyes and that's when you knew you'd said the wrong thing.

"One tiny little thing? Really, Y/N? You were two minutes from having a bullet wedged into your brain. You would've died if I hadn't showed up, and that goes to show how well you can actually take care of yourself." You opened your mouth to speak, protest, anything to defend yourself. But Hayden continued, "One small mistake and The Rogue will catch on, they'll skin you alive. Don't you understand that?"

You understood, you really did. The Rogue were dangerous and they were competing with your own cartel, anything to stand out and make themselves look like they were number one. They were known for having killed snitches and liars in the most outrageous ways, which was why Hayden was so concerned to send you out to finish one of your biggest missions. He might've seemed coldhearted, but he was anything but. Hayden just had a funny way of showing it; as a leader he had to seem like he was this stone-faced, dangerous man so people would respect him. But you knew how important family was to him, and you were the only family he had. Well, by blood anyway.

"Look," You paused, trying to level your voice as you shouldered your bag and made your way around your bed to stand in front of him. "I know I fucked up, I really did. I know what could've happened if you hadn't showed up and saved me, but I've been up until dawn to train and to prepare. You have to let me do this."

"I don't have to do anything, Y/N." He said, jaw working as he clenched his teeth.

"I know. But I do know you, Hayden. I know you're not going to let me go out there by myself, you're gonna send out your best people and although that bruises my ego..." You gave him a small smile but he didn't move an inch. "It makes me feel safe."

"I'd hardly call Jayce one of my best people." He said after a long stretch of silence and you knew he had caved. So without thinking about it, you flung your arms around him in a tight hug, squeezing him to you.

He stiffly wrapped his arms around your torso, sighing heavily into your shoulder before letting go of you. You stared up at him, trying not to smile too hard as you looked at each other.

"So I guess you already know what you're suppposed to do?"

You did know. Somehow, you'd managed to gotten an in when Jayce hooked up with a girl from The Rogue, she was on kitchen duties so she happened to know that they needed new staff since a few of them had weirdly "disappeared" into thin air, leaving the cartel heavily understaffed. Jayce had then scored a position as a security guard overseeing the security cameras during night. And you? You were the new maid working in the kitchen. When you first found out, your mouth had scrunched up like you'd eaten something sour and you'd glared at the guys in your cartel. Jayce had smirked, knowing how independent and stubborn you were. But you decided to bite down on the sour apple, knowing that if you just made one wrong move, you'd be dead.

So as you wandered through a long hallway in a shady building in the middle of nowhere, you turned to Jayce, trying to read his expression. But he wasn't giving anything away, eyes shifting over your face as he sensed you looking at him. His eyes glanced away just as quickly, and you were about to frown when you heard the clicking of heels echo in the hallway. You turned just in time to catch sight of a beautiful black haired girl, strutting over in her very tall heels. She looked deadly, but there was something with her eyes that put you in a strange trance as she settled her eyes rimmed with black makeup on you, looking you over.

"So, you're finally here." She said lastly, stopping when she was just a few steps in front of you. There was a distinct accent there, something like a Russian dialect hiding in her words as she uttered them. So this was Natasha.

You'd read about her, almost admiring her credentials as you studied her file. She was a femme fatale, using her gorgeous looks to lure her targets in before sinking her teeth into the victims. Well, her sharp knives.

"I'm Jayce, this is Y/N." Jayce stepped up, nodding at you before stretching his hand out to shake hers, but she didn't even bat a mascara coated eyelash, only looking down at his hand like it had offended her. She wasn't playing around at all.

Jayce cleared his throat and you almost smirked when you saw him bring his hand back from the corner of your eye. Natasha nodded slowly, blinking her eyes like she was already bored with a conversation that you'd just started.

"Come with me." And with that, she turned on her heels and started walking away, you and Jayce silently following her.

Part 2.

[weareafuckingmess-blog]

Song of the Day - June 21, 2017

BTS - Spine Breaker

[M] So Spinebreaker is an older BTS track and the fact that they recently made a video themselves for this track is golden. The thing about Spine Breaker is that the song has a really profound message and probably gets lost in the level of derp that occurs in the MV. Spine Breaker is from the Skool Luv Affair album and address the issues of class and trend focusing on the youth and how these effect them primarily. BTS’s message in the song (which I highly recommend watching with subtitles) is pretty much just calling out everyone on there constant need for the newest, expensive and best items despite the strain it puts on relationships, parents, etc and the class divide that seems to be growing more and more everyday. 

In the padded jacket, your greed fills it up Even after seeing your parents’ curved spines, you’re so coldhearted You complain that all your friends have it and that they should buy it for you (Ayo baby) stop being so immature You won’t freeze just because you don’t have that jacket Fill your head with good sense before it’s too late

The MV in a way goes very well with the song but the handi cam element and BTS’s usual meme level personalities detract a bit from the greater meaning of the song. However that being said do keep in mind this video was shot by Jungkook in a hotel room with Jin choreographing. BTS are especially extra and as much as I enjoyed their creativity and inventiveness with their very basic sets and limited props I understand why BIG HIT foots the bill for their MVS most of the time. So to end my very long winded review of another Bangtan track can someone tell me what is up with J-Hope’s fascination of being filmed in a toilet? It occurred in RUN and we see it again here, Hobi, what is it - better lighting or something else?

[S] Spinebreaker and Tomorrow are the two songs that originally got me into BTS. I am someone who is a sucker for lyrics with meaning and I really liked how this song was not just a typical Kpop song. However I cannot say I am a fan of this ‘MV’ not only is it not even the whole song but the meaning of the lyrics are easily lost in the fact that BTS is just derping around and to me at least the song feels like it has been cheapened? by this parody. I just kind of low key wish they had left spinebreaker breaker alone. I appreciate BTS derping around as much as the next person but maybe not to this song? I don’t know I just really REALLY wish they had left spinebreaker alone. To me the song was perfect without a weird funny video.

[C] I was kind of scared to watch this when I found out they made their own video for it because the lyrics are so deep so a derpy video almost kind of ruins it, both by themselves are wonderful though. Like S, Tomorrow and Spinebreaker are songs that really had me wondering who these guys were after she sent me the lyrics to the songs. That aside though I still really love this song, it will always be one of my top favourite BTS tracks.

[johannesviii]

Vanishing Point

Some highlights of the last EDA I’ve read (Vanishing Point).

I took these screens while reading, along with my reactions. As usual, this is full of spoilers.

I don’t really know what to think of this book.

The story isn’t bad but not particularly memorable either, its message is heavy-handed, there’s too many chases involved and the ending is a cop-out. But the regulars are great and the extras are pretty good too. You actually care about them. You want most of them to be okay.

It has a lot of good scenes, too. And a few good laughs. And something amazing which immediately went on my “to draw later” list.

So at this point, I can only compare it to some previous average-good books in the range to give it a proper score. Did I enjoy it more than Coldheart? No. But was it better than Shadows of Avalon? Definitely not either. So there. 6,5/10

Hmmmmm nope. Nope.

Doctor you really have a sixth sense to detect problems and run right into them haven’t you? Also there’s only him and Anji here, where’s Fitz

Apparently Fitz has managed to hurt himself before this adventure actually started, this might be a new record!

SCREAMING

FITZ FELL FROM AN ACTUAL CLIFF EDGE AND HURT HIMSELF JUST BECAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO IMPRESS EIGHT

[insert joke about classic who companions and twisted ankles]

I have no words

Fitz nO

Good job, Fitz, you’ve actually killed a guy. Holy shit.

[sounds of Sydney Newman mumbling “no bug-eyed monsters” in the background]

They put him in the tiniest bed in the whole house omg

This scene is way too cute oh no

ROLL CREDITS

If we don’t get to see what’s in these mountains by the end of the story I’ll be disappointed

Well I don’t know about that, but I do know what I’m going to listen to for the rest of the book.

Oh my god Fitz

I laughed way too hard

Still laughing by the way

Eight please try to focus

EIGHT YOU IDIOT

Friendly reminder that the Doctor is juuuust a little bit uncanny

Nice try.

Concern for Fitz Kreiner intensifies

Take me there

Well this isn’t ominous at all

Uh. That’s interesting.

Also I bet someone was expecting me to make a trigger joke but those have never been particularly funny so I’ll pass my turn

Concern for Fitz Kreiner reaches alarming levels

Oh! So he wasn’t brainwashed after all? Or did it fail? I bet it failed.

Well to be fair he’s technically Remote, so this might also explain it.

This terribly ableist moment was brought to you by Fitz’s 60s education

Thank you Anji

Hello Vettul I like you

My, my, how the tables have turned!

Breaking News: local alien cannot stop thinking about his dorky friend

Well obviously someone gets it. Probably a villain we haven’t met yet.

I love this recurring joke tbh

Oh Eight you idiot

CONCERN FOR FITZ KREINER REACHES CRITICAL LEVELS

Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Well this society is pretty f█cked up isn’t it

Was this whole planet originally colonised by eugenists or what

Haha now that’s what I call a transparent villain name. It's French for “nightmare”. And to think I thought naming a nice guy “Dark” was a fun trope inversion.

Okay I laughed like an idiot

Anji come on, the guy is wounded, give him a break

asfgjjkgkgk cute stop it you two

Fitz you know exactly what this is about but you’re just not used to it happening to you & you didn’t consider Vettul as a potential girlfriend because you think she looks weird, so shame on you

“I met someone special”

Also this went from “embarrassing” to “sweet” in record time

Well well well

I guess that makes Vettul Fitz’s girlfriend number... number... damn I think it’s number ten or something. Also that means the chances of her dying in this story have suddenly skyrocketed.

Anji making a conscious effort not to hug Eight, everybody

Do you think he still remembers the part when he had no shadow, on some unconscious level?

This week, on “Eight finds interesting new ways to hurt himself”

Omg Fitz

Actually Fitz the best course of action now would be to shut up

And also pull your pants up

Father Time references!

I shouldn’t have laughed but I definitely did

Fitz NO

Fitz you little shit admit it you’re absolutely terrified

You’re all going to get yourselves killed

This is cute though

Friendly reminder that Eight can be accidentally terrifying

Holy shit Doctor

Again, this is funnier than it should be

I’m not gonna lie, this is very interesting and I like where this is going.

Eight your “accidentally terrifying” moment has passed, stop trying to scare this guy it’s hopeless now

Okay this is the best scene so far and I doubt anything will top this

ASFGSJKDLLMDMGHKDGHSD

I TAKE IT BACK

I TAKE IT ALL BACK

OH MY ACTUAL F█CKING GOD

“ALMOST ROMANTICALLY” THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO KNOW

“LIKE A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS” I AM NOW OFFICIALLY DEAD

I NEED TO DRAW THIS

You are a bunch of idiots, all of you, and I love you with all my heart

Anji criticising the plot, everybody

Interesting.

Wait, so it means the whole TARDIS team AND Vettul are all technically invisible to the “Creator”. That’s a real advantage.

Ooooooooh okay.

Don’t make me say it

Damn it

[insert flashbacks from Natural History of Fear here]

Well this is a good way to sum it up

Okay so last time their plan to protect Etty was a disaster, I hope they’ve found something better because I’m concerned

...........are you kidding me oh my god

1) This plan might be even worse than the first one

2) I love how nothing has been able to cure Eight of his primal fear of hospitals and everything related to them

You don’t say

Doctor no

Or maybe yes

idk

Doctor no²

Hey would you look at that, a villain who really really wants to tell you all his plans! (Well this one has a good motivation but still, cliché)

So all the abled inhabitants of the planet carry literal alien convicts in their dna. They are prison cells. That’s pretty original.

A good explanation but I’m still a bit disappointed.

And Cauchemar is external to this system and plans to destroy “god”. Still disappointed. Oh well.

“The Doctor fell in an undignified pile on the floor”

Also take a shot if you’re playing a certain drinking game

Wow it’s almost as if he was a villain or something

Okay so at this point, either there’s going to be a deus ex machina, or the Doctor is going to do something ridiculous in 3, 2, 1

This is exactly the kind of ridiculous shit I wanted him to do

Stop making me laugh with things that shouldn’t even be funny

Guys I don’t want to alarm you but the shit hasn’t hit the fan yet

GET IN THE BACK OF THE VAN CAR

The “tapping his feet anxiously & biting his lip” bit is extremely relatable

Well what a fucKING SURPRISE, TAKE A SHOT

This is a trainwreck

This is a fun little twist, I like it!

Oh Eight

Cool landscape.

That’s the best you could come up with, eh?

Holy shit Doctor

Holy shit Doctor

Eight, your One is showing

When all else fails, you can always throw rocks, I guess

Doctor, this is all well and good but you do know Cauchemar is a million miles away from changing his mind at this point, right

Holy shIT

Well I hope so because this is getting kinda long

Anyone playing that drinking game is probably more than a bit tipsy at this point

Woah literal deus ex machina!

Also congratulations, this is horrible!

Aaaaah you little idiots I love each and every one of you

Oh nooooo

Everything’s okay and nothing hurts, the end

SPOKE TOO SOON

FITZ COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE DONE

Story of my life.

[graceivers]

Review #18 - The Protector

The Protector Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas Genre: Bodyguards, Contemporary Romance, Military, Romantic Suspense Rating: ★★★★★ Recommendation: worth reading; would read again Summary: When Camille Logan’s life is threatened, her father hires Jake Sharp to be her bodyguard. Jake almost passes on the job, but he craves work to keep his demons at bay. When the two grow close and attached, though, it becomes apparent that Jake isn’t the only one doing the saving.

Female Lead: What I loved about Camille Logan’s character is pretty much what Jake loves about her. She’s incredibly strong and not at all the girl people think she is. So, yes, her background is not quite squeaky clean. She was in a relationship with an abusive guy who also happens to be a drug addict and sucked Camille into that lifestyle for a while. Because of who her father is, she’s all over the tabloids and of course the media only cares about juicy gossip and not the real story. The real story is that Camille is nothing like the girl she’s been portrayed as in those pictures. Jake finds this out quickly, and it’s everything.

Yes, Camille lives a glamorous life. She is wealthy; she’s a model; she’s obviously beautiful. But she has career goals and wants to be more than just a pretty face. She wants to launch a fashion line with her friend. Great. What’s even better? The tiniest detail—that she refuses to bend to investors terms because she wants to create a line with sizes that fit ALL WOMEN—is so, so important to her character, and I commend Malpas for including such a small thing that really shows us the kind of person Camille is. She’s not afraid to be independent and live on her own terms when it matters.

And then of course, her resilience must be mentioned. She kicks her minor drug habit and comes clean; she cuts things off with her abusive ex. That’s strength right there—knowing what’s wrong for you and leaving it behind to live a better life. And then after suffering through another traumatic ordeal, the pinnacle of this book, she bounces back so quickly. There wasn’t any real physical harm done to her, but Camille seriously took like a day to recover from the scary incident and was basically back to her old self in the span of two to three days. Part of me thinks this decision was a little hasty on Malpas’ part because she needed to close out the book with a happy ending. But another part of me sees this as just part of this character’s strength. Regardless, Camille is still a great character and a heroine readers can get behind and root for. Male Lead: Malpas writes a rather tortured character here. Jake Sharp is demanding in that you can feel his presence. He commands attention because he is in fact lethal and dangerous but also, of course, because he has an attractive aura to him. He absolutely fits into that category of the guy that girls want to be the only one that can get through to him and fix. Camille doesn’t necessarily fit the female role there, but I think Jake slots into that tortured soul saved by a woman, his one true love, very well. It’s not a bad thing. Jake’s past mistakes haunt him and he becomes a coldhearted and closed off machine until Camille comes into his life.

Speaking of his mistakes, the tiny issue I had with that was the way it was portrayed. Malpas made it out like he did some horrendously egregious thing when in reality his mistake wasn’t that big. Yes, he absolutely made a mistake when his personal life clouded his judgment in his professional life and got people killed, but the way Malpas kept referring to it until the truth was revealed made it sound like he was the one that pulled the trigger and point-blank killed the people who were dead as a result of his actions. He didn’t. He absolutely didn’t. He made bad decisions, but he wasn’t beyond redeeming. And he was wronged too, which likely helped readers—myself included—sympathize a little more. Plot & Writing: The Protector is bodyguard plot done right. There is a legitimate threat that Malpas doesn’t skimp on. She goes there, writes the nitty gritty, and isn’t afraid to insert violence into the book. Maybe I’ve just been reading the wrong books or something, but this is the first time I really felt the suspense when dealing with life-threatening situation plots. Jake is a real presence when it comes to physical protection. There’s physicality, actual fighting, and a gun that isn’t a prop but actually put to use. Again, I’ve probably been reading all the wrong books when it comes to these kinds of plots, so this was a real treat and definitely what I consider romantic suspense done right.

The relationship between Jake and Camille is intense and amazing. Do I believe they fell in love within the span of a few weeks? Yes, I honestly do. The characters may not know every single tiny little thing about each other but what they do know—the big, important, character-telling stuff—is enough for me to be sold on this couple. Jake’s emotions and love for Camille is so potent and strong every time we get his POV. And Camille, it’s evident that she’s attached to him, that she feels safe with him, that he’s the first true man to see her for who she is. It’s not hard to accept their love and that Camille is saving Jake just as much as he is saving her. She’s his angel, and he’s her savior. It’s freaking perfect.

One minor thing. Or maybe two. Every scene was just about perfect except two parts. One, the part where Jake takes Camille to his place in the countryside and they have their weird little Adam and Eve moment naked in the woods/garden? And then the scene right after they make love there and Jake teaches Camille how to use a gun? That was so, so out of place for me. I didn’t need a physical scene where we find out Jake is an accurate shot; it was already well-established that I didn’t think Camille needed the physical proof and I definitely didn’t think she needed to handle a gun. Their little Adam and Eve moment, meh, I can chalk up to a little out of character for Jake and maybe just not my thing, but juxtaposing that with the gun scene right afterwards? Didn’t make sense to me.

And then my maybe second minor thing. I question how necessary it was that Malpas made Jake have a daughter that he all but abandoned until the way end. Personally, I think the book would have been the same if the kid was eliminated. She was super cute and sweet, but again, I felt she was a little out of place. I firmly believe the end would have been basically the same without the presence of Jake’s daughter. The ending was great and I didn’t even miss having an epilogue, but I think everything was already resolved without throwing a child into the mix. Jake and Camille’s relationship throughout the book and leading to the end was already perfect as it was. I didn’t need a happy little family ending—even though both leads are aware of the fact that it’s going to take time before they get used to it all—but this decision by Malpas to include the child made the ending a little too neat for me when I all wanted was Jake and Camille together after working through the issues of their respective pasts and the threats to her future. Secondary Characters & Plots: Huge shoutout to Heather, an amazing friend to Camille. Before Jake came along, Heather was absolutely Camille’s rock. She was the only one that knew about the abusive ex and has been there for Camille through all the bad times. Malpas writes the dynamic between the girls well, and their friendship is so amazing to read. Together, the girls are funny, serious, determined, and loyal. If you want to talk about friendship goals, look no further than here.

Actually, I commend Malpas for writing great secondary characters all around regardless if I liked that particular character or not. All of them had distinctive personalities, and all of them felt necessary. No one was bland. Camille’s father is a disgusting human being, as is the abusive ex Sebastian, but Malpas weaves them into the narrative so well. And there are people like TJ, Camille’s mother, and Lucinda who all have their respective parts. These were interesting characters to read about, and I enjoyed their presence in the book.

Likewise, Malpas does an amazing job with incorporating secondary plots within the circle of characters in the book. It’s not some random threat from some random person that is so distantly related to the characters. And though we never see/meet the people behind the threats, their motives are nicely woven into the main storyline. Major props to Malpas for connecting everything cohesively. Favorite Part(s): Obviously when Jake saves Camille from Sebastian and then carries her out of the nightclub. OBVIOUSLY. There is nothing better that that singular moment—her shaken and slightly bruised body cradled in his arms as he walks out of there with one thing on his mind and that is to protect her. That’s it. That’s the essence of the whole book. He’s her bodyguard at first, yes, but he’s gone beyond the call of duty then. Jake is Camille’s protector. The message is loud and clear there, and it really doesn’t get any better than that. Final Thoughts: Like I said before, The Protector is the bodyguard plot done right. There’s emotion and depth and character and relationship exploration and development and just about everything is amazing. I can’t get over Jake and Camille—how much they need each other, how they save each other, how they come to love each other. Their relationship is pretty epic, which perfectly fits the grand and intense plot. Malpas delivers on many levels, which makes The Protector a highly recommended read from me.