#not even gonna talk about the gratuitous hand shots in the first chapter

[starmocha]

Subjecting the fandom to my hand fetish, part 3, but apparently, this time Sylus also knows ｡:ﾟ(｡ﹷ ‸ ﹷ ✿)

[allys-diary]

stories i om-nom-nom'd :: october 2024

Finally got around to catching everything up (What is this? A life with an touch of "balance"? It almost doesn't feel right--)

End of Oct2024 Update: I was right, it didn't feel right. Life threw me a curveball literally second week of the month because I dared say the "q word".

movies

𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐨𝐭! (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒) – 𝟒/𝟓 ⭐️

An absolutely ridiculous movie with an insane dystopian premise, and yet somehow I went into it going "You know what, that could actually happen in this lifetime, shit's been fucked a long time…this feels like natural progression for some reason."

I had a pretty good time watching this and just seeing everyone turn up the goofball behavior to 11. Action scenes were good, and I'm pretty sure that this is a bit of a teaser on what Awkwafina's action scenes are gonna be like for when she comes back to MCU in the upcoming projects. Like you can tell that even though her character was meant to be on the "weak" side and unable to fight, the choreography kind of gave it away that she's been training 👏👏

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 (𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒) – 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 ⭐️

The only thing about this is that I wished we got more action scenes from Pom Klementieff. They fumbled the bag so hard making Joe's "final boss" fight be her right hand man/boy toy rather than actually having a face off of Joe v Antoinette.

tv shows

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏 (𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨)

(Putting in a gratuitous shot of shirtless Markiplier because why tf not, it's in the show)

I have beef with Jeff Bezos and the entirety of Amazon now for how spectacularly they failed at the marketing for this show and constantly moved the goal post to something that seemed impossible and made Mark's fanbase work on triple overtime. Especially knowing that they gave the most unethical YouTuber one hundred million doll hairs to reproduce some warped and somehow even more dangerous version of Squid Game but make it IRL.

But I'll probably do a deeper dive on that in the near-ish future. All I'm gonna say now is that I'm glad the series is finally out, and I really hope they make more because while the series did end the same way as Season 1 of the podcast did, there's something at the end a la Marvel that teases what could go down in Season 2. Ohh, and I wish the episodes were longer.

𝟐 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬

S01E01 "Pilot" After getting clips of this so many times while doomscrolling on YT Shorts, I've finally decided to get into the series, and so far even though I know that it's full of jokes that 100% would not fly in 2024, I'm living for it. The first episode introduces the titular "2 broke girls", Max and Caroline, and explains the backstory of just how Caroline got to cross paths with her future bestie. She's the daughter of a disgraced billionaire that scammed countless people out of their own money and now all of her assets have been frozen and she has nothing, leading her to a small diner in Williamsburg where she hopes to start over. By the end of this episode, we're introduced to what will be the central plot of the entire series: Max and Caroline are going to save up to start a cupcake shop together, "and all they need is 250k".

games

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫: 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

Chapter 23 : Vera follows Bluejay's advice and talks to Gabe about what she found in Inferno, giving him another suspect other than Lilly's ex Sam and pulling from their own history that stormy breakups don't necessarily lead to violence. At the end of the shift Jericho finds out that Vera's a barmaid at another club (you know, the one called Club?) and right before he can start putting the moves on her, Gabe pulls up and starts asking about who's in charge.

Chapter 24 : Jericho makes a big show of exactly how not to behave when being questioned by the police (he's full on defensive and combative and insists on his rights to not have to show anything, which just adds to the sus behavior), and our side mission is to answer any questions the cops have while still managing to get everyone's orders down in a timely manner (they weren't kidding when they said "time management"). At shift end, Gabe asks to see the back room, Jericho puts on more toddler behavior and refuses, but Ash is already coming in clutch and replaced some of the blood bags with strawberry margarita mix and explains that since they're a "goth establishment", it's just a gimmick, and even gives Gabe a taste of one. And now Gabe's doubting Vera and calling her an "overemotional neurotic"

𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

Episode 5, Day 1: Emily can't go to Ireland on such short notice because of the price, and Patrick tries to reassure her that everything's gonna work out and she doesn't have to go, but bitch ass Brigid's gotten it into her head that this is cockamamie ritual's the only way to appease Lady Mary, and even has the gall and wherewithal to look ohh so happy at the end of the shift when she finds out that the trip's been canceled since the ticket's so expensive.

Tell me Brigid, what good would this do again? Going out of your way and bending over forwards and backwards to thwart your son's wedding ?! It's not like he's gonna marry you , you fucking weirdo. The toxic boy mom energy's insane with this bitch , I swear to high heavens

Episode 5, Day 2: Francois once again coming in clutch and spending his lottery winnings on a ticket to Dublin for Emily . We all need a bestie like Francois istg. Side mission for this episode is to load up Emily's suitcases to the cab. Only thing as at the end, once again Brigid's looking more and more like she wants to marry her own damn son because she ends up announcing that she's going to Dublin with Emily and her family . And another thing at the end? Patrick finds the lucky penny at the restaurant, so Emily & gang (and Brigid, the fuck) are about to arrive in Dublin realizing that they went there for nothing.

𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝

Season 2, Episode 3, Part 13: Turns out that Sarah's an equal-opportunity bitch and starts throwing barbs at Monet, too…she just leaves her "best" jabs for Emily. Then Luca pops up revealing that the big wigs have decided that the Rising Chef episode won't air on prime-time because of some "shocking revelations" that were made, putting Emily in an internal panic.

Season 2, Episode 3, Part 14: Frank and Monet are scouring the net trying to see if they're the subject of the "shocking news" that led to the decision to take the show off of prime-time but find nothing, and Monet decides that he shouldn't let the public's perception of him dictate what he creates, or who he dates (ohh hey look that rhymed). He decides that in this round he'll create something as Felix the chef rather than Monet the artist.

Season 2, Episode 3, Part 15: Luca makes a comment about how underwhelming Monet's simplified menu for this round of Rising Chef is, sending him into a panic. Leroy walks in and announces to all the contestants that their slot on prime time TV has been bumped in favor of airing a special all about the engagement of Sarah's sister, Shivani. This brings up all of Sarah's insecurities of being in her sister's shadow all over again, making her down two entire glasses of wine in one go, and already looking tipsy afterward.

𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐩𝐩

We've entered a new event where the outfits to be won are basically "Tell me you made a Simpsons costume without actually saying the name Simpson because this isn't an official partnership", where Mia and Leo are looking forward to binging the new season of their favorite show and decided to dress like the show's main characters "Glomer" and "Farge"

youtube & tiktok channels that devoured my watch minutes

I haven't really been consuming anything other than ASMR channels to help me sleep, so once again I'll be recommending some channels that have been most effective in giving me that nice cozy vibe or actually straight up sending me to dreamland, along with a recommended video from them

𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐑

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐑

𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐑

𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐑

stories to om-nom-nom next

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞

Might not like The Rock/Dwayne Johnson all that much (barely at all), but I am a ✨whore✨ so obviously I'm gonna watch this for Evans.

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥

Just in time for spooky season, Game House Original Stories released a brand new game that centers around titular character Scarlet Harrington, along with her husband Charles and their son Ian, as they manage a hotel that she inherited from long-estranged great-aunt Maud.

I didn't have a lot of time to give when it comes to playing games with plot that I could write about in these posts because of family emergencies and the subsequent family drama that followed…all throughout October…so I wasn't able to get into any of the games or even get into as much movies, shows, or content in general. Hopefully it'll be different for November, we'll see…

[coldmail750]

Okay I feel like the complaint about Zaguan's denouement time might feel a bit weird or overemphasized to anyone who wasn't experiencing the finale of the manga as it happened so let me try and explain how absolutely surreal the way Beastars ended was (spoilers, obviously):

Beastars has five arcs. The Adler and Meteor Festival arcs are season 1 of the anime, the resolving-Tem's-murder arc is season 2, and since season 3 is supposed to be the final season it'll presumably be both the chill-vibes-and-worldbuilding arc and the Melon arc.

The last of these, the Melon arc, is also the longest, something like a third of the whole manga. It's also very uneven in terms of quality, swinging between inspired character moments and thematic commentary on the one hand and utterly inexplicable worldbuilding details and weird plot tangents that go nowhere on the other.

Its climactic final fight takes up the manga from chapter 174 to chapter 192, and very much matches the rest of the Melon arc in terms of quality, but, for our purposes here, what matters is that, around the time chapter 192 drops, Beastars fans get confirmation that this is indeed the final arc, and the manga's final chapter will be chapter 196.

Okay. So Paru Itagaki has given herself four chapters to tie together all the loose threads that emerge from having a manga with a near-ensemble cast and just shy of 200 chapters. Bold move, Cotton, let's see how it plays out.

So the fans wait a week, and chapter 193 comes out, and...

The chapter consists of Zaguan preparing to move back to the ocean, a brief tangent where the whale that stopped !WW2 (I'm not kidding about the utterly inexplicable worldbuilding) proposes to Yahya that the carnivores just eat fish (something that apparently nobody's considered up to this point????), and then Zaguan changes his mind about moving back to the ocean.

This is one of the final chapters of the manga, Paru still needs to wrap up Legoshi's story, Louis's story, Haru's story, Juno's story, everything with Jack, everything with Gouhin, everything with Pina, everything with Bill, everything with the Shishigumi, plus anything with Sebun, Gosha, Yahya, Riz, the rest of the Cherryton drama club, the rest of the 701 boys, and...

...we spend a full chapter on... Zaguan changing his mind?

Oookay, well, um, let's wait for next week and see what Paru does with chapter 194?

And then chapter 194 drops, and it is Louis's character progression being taken out back and shot like Old Yeller (a subject I have already talked about at far too much length), plus a single background panel of denouement for the Shishigumi.

Now, suddenly, the vibe is not just "wow Paru is gonna have to tie up a lot of loose character threads in a very small number of chapters", it's "wow Paru is gonna have to tie up a lot of loose character threads AND maybe hopefully fix taking Louis's arc out behind the woodshed in an EVEN SMALLER number of chapters".

So, chapter 195 and 196, whaddaya got?

Two chapters worth of Legoshi and Haru playing will-they-won't-they one more time for auld lang syne, with a gratuitous cliffhanger in between the two chapters, ultimately culminating in an ending that's perfectly fine for them, plus one page each denouement for Jack & the 701 boys, Gouhin, and the drama club.

Hrm.

So all these characters who we've spent the entire duration of the manga following and getting invested in, the one who we've been with since the beginning or at least the first half of the manga, the ones with all the really fun and interesting characterization and thematic commentary that made Beastars so engaging - the main characters get endings that are at best "fine" and the supporting characters get at most a page for their farewells?

But the comic relief seal whose recurring bit is being naked gets a whole chapter where nothing happens?

?????????

The fucking Zaguan denouement chapter™ is yet another absolutely baffling detail about Beastars's ending and I have no clue why on earth it exists other than "Paru Itagaki or someone at Weekly Shonen Champion REALLY liked the Jar-Jar Binks seal".

This isn't something where I have enough material to write an essay, but it's something where I nonetheless want to make it clear that this is one of the many Beastars-related hills I will gladly die on:

Zaguan is Beastars's Jar-Jar Binks.

He's a character from an underwater world whose primary purpose is to be wacky comic relief due to his strange underwater world customs and his lack of understanding of surface world customs, and it's obvious that somebody in the production chain really fuckin' likes him because suddenly he keeps showing up way more often than he has any right or need to (why is Jar-Jar now the senator from Naboo and the author of Palpatine's Enabling Act? why does Zaguan get a full chapter of denouement where nothing happens PLUS a Beast Complex chapter when much more established characters like Jack & the 701 boys, Gouhin, the Cherryton drama club, and the Shishigumi barely even get a page each?).

I'm sorry, but these are the same character, and they serve about the same level of narrative utility.

[everybodyscupoftea]

pursuit of happiness

college rafe x reader

three times rafe is denied and one time he isn’t

this is literally just 3k words of smut

pls let me go back to writing fluff after this, i beg

(warnings: cursing, smut)

Moving in with Rafe, Topper, and Kelce was the best decision you ever made. You’d met Topper freshman year and the two of you continued to hang out after the class you had together ended. He had to endure all your complaints about your roommate and how expensive living alone the next year was going to be because you had no intention of signing another lease with her again.

Then, suddenly, he provided you with an out. The two of you were sitting in the library, sipping on coffee, taking a study break, when he interrupted your latest tirade with, “My buddies and I have an extra bedroom.”

“What?”

“One’s name is Rafe, his dad owns the house so we get to live there rent free. All we have to do is pay utilities. We’ve been looking for a fourth roommate to fill that bedroom, so if you have no issues living with three dudes, the room is yours.”

Which of course you had no fucking qualms about it, so you responded, “God yes, when can I move my stuff?”

He laughed and told you he’d talk to Rafe and Kelce about it and get back to you. Of course, you were slightly worried about living with two guys you’d never met before, but it was an opportunity you felt that you couldn’t pass up. Pushing the worries to the back of your mind, you moved in and that was that.

Kelce was very chill; his room was across from yours and the two of you shared a bathroom. He was your designated drinking buddy, both of you being huge fans of Claws, and there was an entire shelf in the fridge set aside for the two of your’s stock. Kelce also heard all your school breakdowns and swore to keep them to himself. Sometimes he’d even leave a drink outside your door and knock to let you know.

Rafe was very flirty from the jump, and you were adamant you wouldn’t make things messy in the house by hooking up with him. Then, after several months of friendship, he started showing interest in you that went past sex, and well, he was cute. You decided to give him a shot.

It was great. The two of you managed to keep things chill in the house, not letting fights get too out of hand. Plus the separate bedrooms for a degree of separation if necessary. Topper and Kelce’s one thing was that they never wanted to hear two of their closest friends have sex. That was maybe easier said than done because Rafe really liked sex.

Because of that, one finals season, your most intense one yet, led you into a predicament. To be fair, you didn’t really realize what was going on until he finally snapped.

One

Your stats class had been kicking your ass all semester. It was boring and complicated and your test grades had been dropping every test, the last being a 67. After doing the math with your professor, he told you it was still possible to get an A if you managed to get an 88 on the comprehensive final because it would replace your lowest test grade.

You had been ecstatic, but of course, that also meant you had to reteach yourself an entire semester of stats in two weeks for the final. The kitchen was your favorite stats homework place, there wasn’t the distraction of being in your room, you could play your music out loud unlike in the library or a coffee shop, and it was close to the snacks.

The guys mostly stayed out of your way, preoccupied with their own classes and spring training for football, so you got the run of the house. One afternoon, he got home from practice to see you sitting at the bar in the kitchen, chewing aimlessly at a highlighter while reading about z-scores.

Lately, both of you had been pretty busy, and the two of you hadn’t had sex in at least a week. Rafe really missed you, and watching you biting at the highlighter had him feeling some sort of way. He pushed his sweaty hair out of his face as you took it out of your mouth to highlight some important formulas.

Replacing the highlighter with your bottom lip, you started working on it instead. He gulped and quickly fixed a glass of water to drink while waiting for you to speak to him. You could feel him watching you, but there were two practice problems at the end of the section you wanted to try before taking a quick study break to greet him.

Pulling your notebook across the counter to start working them out, you let go of your lip and subconsciously poked your tongue out a little. Rafe knew it was your focus face, and normally it didn’t do anything to him, but he knew exactly what that mouth was capable of and he missed it.

With a sigh, you pushed the notebook away after checking the answers and set a ten-minute break timer on your phone. Finally smiling at Rafe, you held your arms out for him to come give you a hug. He squeezed you tight and pressed a kiss to your forehead, “How’s the studying going, babe?”

“It’s going. I’m about halfway through the semester material, so just gotta keep moving along. It is getting easier to understand and I’m getting the practice problems right more often than not, so that’s good I guess.”

Rafe brushed some hair out of your face, “Told you that you could do it.”

You smiled, “Yeah, should’ve just put some effort in the first time around. Hindsight.”

Without realizing, you’d started biting at your lip again, and before he could stop it, Rafe brought his hand up and tugged it until you let it go. Just as you were about to ask what that was about, his lips crashed onto yours.

Letting out a surprised noise, it took you a few seconds to process what was happening and start kissing back. His big hands gripped your hips and lifted you up onto the counter for a better angle as he deepened the kiss, tongue slipping into your mouth.

Your eyes fluttered as his hand traced your kneecap a few times, and you put both of your hands in his still damp hair, pulling him even closer. Rafe groaned as you wrapped your legs around his waist and crossed your ankles, keeping him close.

His mouth trailed down your neck, halfheartedly sucking as his hand stroked up and down your leg, getting closer to your core with each one. Your head fell back as he finally traced you over your underwear, and before he could apply any real pressure, your alarm went off, startling both of you.

Ripping away from his lips with a gasp, you placed a hand over your heart in attempt to steady it and dropped your legs from around his waist. Rafe put both of his hands on the counter next to you and dropped his head with a groan, “Please tell me we can keep going.”

You squeezed his shoulder sympathetically, “Afraid not, Cameron. Now go shower, you reek, and maybe after, we can order some dinner and watch TV if I can manage to get through the rest of this chapter.”

He gave a little mock salute with another dramatic sigh before disappearing into his and Topper’s shared bathroom.

Two:

One afternoon, you were sitting on the couch doing some reading for your ethics class when you decided, fuck it, the weather was so nice, it’d be a good tanning day. Rafe was out in the backyard doing a workout, so you’d have company, and you could still do the reading.

You quickly went and changed into your bikini and grabbed a towel and some sunscreen. Rafe looked up from his pushups to see you standing there and smiled at you, “What’s up, baby?”

“Gonna come tan while I read for this final and keep you company.”

He finished up and stood, “I’ll be sure to show off extra.”

You laughed, “I’ll barely be paying attention. Reading, remember?”

Rafe winked, “You say that now.”

With an eyeroll, you sat down and held out the sunscreen, “Get my back.”

He sauntered over as you opened your book back up and picked up where you’d left off. Rafe squatted down, moving your hair out of the way, and started slowly rubbing sunscreen all over your back and shoulders. You groaned at the mini massage and before he could walk away asked, “Babe, can you untie the strings in the back, I don’t want a weird tan line.”

Rafe paused, hesitating, before slowly pulling the strings until the fell to your sides. He cleared his throat, “That it?”

“Yeah, babe, thank you,” you responded, blowing him a kiss, before refocusing on your textbook.

Unbeknownst to you, Rafe was utterly distracted by you laying there. Your skin practically glowed in the sun and every time he dropped down to the ground during burpees, he got a gratuitous view of side boob. You shifted, your top twisting to where he felt he was dangerously close to seeing nipple and he gulped.

After about 10 minutes, you finished the chapter and decided to roll over for a little break. You tried to get everything back in place and flipped over, pulling the top strings over your head to stop that tan line and shielded your eyes to look at Rafe.

He was already staring at you, or your boobs, at least. You quickly double checked to make sure you weren’t giving all your neighbors’ backyards a show, and then looked at Rafe again when you were sure you weren’t.

“You gonna do some more squats or are you just going to stare at me.”

Rafe shook his head and strode over to you, squatting down next to you, “Can’t focus on proper form when you’re laying over here practically topless.”

You pouted, “Too bad, I was enjoying the show.”

He laughed and bent down over you to give you a kiss, surprised when you linked an arm around his neck to extend it longer than the peck he had planned. Switching from a squat to his knees, Rafe put more pressure into the kiss, and you tugged until he moved over you more, one leg going between yours.

You arched up so his thigh was pressed against you and started slowly grinding. Rafe growled and started slowly rubbing off on your leg. Pulling away from his lips with a gasp, you threw your head back and he picked one hand up to push your bikini top off. One of your hands slid into his hair, tugging in time with his hips.

Just as you were getting close, the back door slammed and you heard Kelce’s exasperated, “Oh my god, are you fucking kidding me?”

With a squeal, you grabbed the bikini top and covered your chest while Rafe dropped his head with a loud groan, “Dude, why?”

Kelce gave the two of you an incredulous look, “Maybe because you’re in public. The fence isn’t solid and we have kids living two houses down. Chill the fuck out, you horny bastards.”

Rafe sighed and pulled back, helping you adjust your top back, before asking, “Bedroom?” with a hopeful look on his face.

You shut your eyes, really wanting to, before shaking your head with a sigh of your own, “Can’t. I need to get through these few chapters.”

“Well I need you,” he responded with a pout.

You laughed and patted his shoulder, “Take a cold shower, buddy, maybe next time.”

Three:

It was Wednesday night which meant that it was Rafe’s night to sleep in your room. He’d been giving you some space to read over your study guides, but he was tired and wanted to spend extra time in your presence, so he went to your room fairly early and laid down in bed next to you.

What he wasn’t prepared for was for you to be propped up against the headboard wearing nothing but one of his football t-shirts, that had his name and number on the back, and a pair of panties. Your legs were sprawled way open, giving him a View when he walked in.

Rafe cursed lowly and shut the door, a little harder than necessary, causing you to look up at him in confusion. You asked, “Ready for bed already?”

He shrugged, “Wanted to spend some time with you, you’ve been so busy lately.”

You sighed, “I know, but tomorrow is my last final, so we can hang out after.”

“Hang out,” Rafe mimicked with air quotes before laying down next to you. He pressed his head into your thigh and you took the hint, starting to stroke his hair.

You went back to your reading, trying to focus because it was getting late and you wanted some good sleep before your last 8 a.m. final. After a few minutes of absentmindedly playing with his hair, you felt one of his hands pushing the hem of the shirt up your leg.

Looking over at him, you realized he wasn’t looking at your face, but at your leg as your panties came into view. Rafe reached out to touch the edge of them and you cleared your throat, swatting his hand away, “Cameron, let me finish this.”

Rafe grumbled, “No, you let me finish,” under his breath and you held in a laugh at his dramatic pout.

Going back to your reading, you ignored his pointed sighs and shifting around. When you reached the end of the study guide, you set it to the side and looked at the clock, seeing it was past 10. Rafe sat up eagerly and gently grabbed your arm, but you turned the lamp off and slid under the covers, “I have to sleep, Rafe. Early final tomorrow.”

He actually outright whined, “You’re wearing my shirt, and it’s hot, and I’m horny. Please, for the love of god, let me get off.”

“Tomorrow,” you promised, linking pinkies with him in the dark.

“Fine,” he grumbled, settling in next to you with one last huff.

+ One:

Rafe was gone to workouts when you got back from your test and you knew he wouldn’t be back for at least another 30 minutes, so you pulled your shorts off to wait for him, yet again wearing one of his football shirts.

You weren’t waiting for long after texting Rafe to come straight to your room when he got home. He burst through the door, still sweating a little and you wrinkled your nose, “Why do you never fucking shower in the locker room?” He opened his mouth to answer and you sighed, “You know what, never mind. Just come over here.”

Barely taking the time to close the door, Rafe came over, putting both of his hands on the bed and leaning down to kiss you. Dropping to his knees, Rafe started kissing down your neck and wasted no time in pushing the shirt up and tugging your panties to the side.

He stroked through your folds a few times before bending down and licking where his fingers just were. Nudging your clit with his nose, Rafe teased your entrance with his tongue and you grabbed onto his hair with a gasp.

Rafe dipped his tongue in briefly before going back to teasing you, throwing your legs over his shoulder when you tried to clamp your thighs around his head. He took his time, inserting one finger while holding you still with his other hand.

You leaned back, resting your weight on one hand behind you, the other still clinging to his hair. When he got to three fingers, he nudged your clit one more time with his nose before pulling away completely, and you cried out, trying to pull him back with your legs still around his shoulders.

“Patience, baby,” he told you, stripping completely and getting a condom. He sat on the bed and motioned for you to climb onto his lap. With shaky legs, you crawled over to where he was sitting up, against the headboard, and sank down onto him.

He exhaled shakily, hands going up to your shoulders to trace the letters of his name, and you took it as encouragement to lift up a little before sinking back down. With a groan, he leaned forward and started nipping at your neck, carelessly sucking a mark onto your collarbone.

One of his hands gripped your hip as you leaned forward so your chests were brushing and you sped up a little. Rafe groaned, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple and he pushed you back a little, stripping the shirt off fully before pulling you back to press your bare chest to his.

You were getting close, movements sloppier, and Rafe took initiative, trying to help you by thrusting his hips up in time with you. Dropping a hand, you started rubbing your clit, and Rafe snapped his hips one last time before coming, groaning loudly into the empty room.

With one last whine, you came, seconds after him, slumping forward into his chest while you tried to catch your breath. He rubbed your back gently as the two of you recovered and you smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his collarbone, “There, was that what you wanted?”

Rafe laughed, “Yes, thank you, sweetheart.”

Climbing off his lap, you motioned toward the door, “Good, now you can go shower because for real, you reek. Please use the showers in the locker room, I’m sure some of my tuition money funds those facilities.”

He stood up and held a hand out to you, “Share a shower?”

You stared at his hand for a few seconds, pretending to debate, and he huffed before reaching down to lift you off the bed. With a squeal, you told him, “Put me down, you can’t just manhandle me.”

Rafe laughed and carried you to the bathroom, “Come on, baby, you know you love showering with me.”

“Only because it’s good for the environment.”

[zargsnake]

Knightkiller: Anakin and Obi-Wan’s First Adventure

Chapter 9: Crix Spartak

Word Count: 2309 Links: Chapter 1, Table of Contents

*   *   *

Two Years Ago

Shmi sits at a desk by the windowsill in Watto’s shop, composing fake documentation for a shipment to a more legitimate planet. She used to do this kind of thing all the time for Gardulla on Nal Hutta, and she's very good at it. Forging and faking are probably her best skills. She knows legal-speak and formatting; she has a knack for coming up with random numbers and convincing names. When she has a sample of handwriting or writing style from a real person, she can imitate it flawlessly, which she has done for business leaders, crime lords, and even Senators. When she doesn't have anything from anyone real, she invents someone. She has no honest idea what the closest Senator's name really is, but she's invented a self-serious personality and a squiggly autograph that has tricked docking-receivers as far away as Rodia.

Watto has little use of this power of hers for his day-to-day needs, but he sometimes comes up with plots to trick his neighbors using Shmi’s forgeries. And, sometimes, like now, he needs her tricks to get rid of stuff, like these ten tons of toxic waste he ended up with from a bad bet, and that he now wants to pass off as fertilizer and sell to a gullible offworld farmer who won't be able to trace it back to him.

Writing isn't bad work. It’s challenging, and, malicious as it is, she knows she could enjoy it, if she let herself: getting into people's heads, living other lives, for just a short while. It is like solving a puzzle, to figure out how to make other people believe something that isn’t true. The cruel intention of the trickery is not her own, it never is, so she doesn't let that aspect of her work bother her, not anymore.

The only bad part, from her point of view, is the knowledge that her words get to go somewhere that she does not.

And the only good part, really, is that she gets to look at her little boy as she writes. He sits on the desk, next to her cobbled-together, whirring word-processor. He is carefully cleaning a fragile hyper-carburetor with a rag, putrid green gear-soap, and a very serious expression.

Suddenly Crix Spartak pokes head through the window: “Skywalkers!”

“Crix!!” Anakin nearly drops the carb, but of course his reflexes are too fast. He spins around on the desk and grins at the gladiator.

Crix leans on the windowsill -- then lifts his arm quickly from the heated clay, and leans just one calloused elbow on the sill. “Good morning, Ani.” He reaches across and tussles his hair. The boy nearly glows with happiness.

Shmi raises her eyebrows at the man her son admires so much. “Good morning, Crix. Can we help you?”

“D’you wanna go for a spin on the old speeder?”

“YES,” answers Anakin.

“We have a lot of work to do. Not all of us have 6 free days out of 7,” answers Shmi.

“I don't have any work, Mom!”

“I can think of one or two things for you,” she tells him.

“Just a loop round the block, Shmi? You'll be back in a minute.” Crix rests his head on his hand and smiles at her, looking just like a puppy.

She looks at him with a very deliberate expression. “I can't.”

“Take me!” says Anakin, heedlessly.

“Ani! You need to stay with me while I work. I don't want you zooming around, testing the limit on your tracker-bomb.”

“I've calculated for that,” says Crix. “Your tracker-bombs are the same as mine. The loop I planned wouldn't go anywhere near the limit.”

“Please, Mom? I'll work twice as hard.”

“No need for that.”

“I'll bring him back in ten minutes.” Shmi does not look convinced. “Five minutes.”

“Please?” Anakin begs again.

“Ten minutes,” she concedes.

Anakin sets the half-cleaned carb down, crawls off the desk, moves the carb onto a shelf, and climbs back onto the desk and over the word-processor into Crix’s arms.

“I'll bring him right back to you,” says Crix.

“If you don't, I will kill you,” says Shmi.

“I'm more afraid of you than any gladiator alive!” he tells her, laughing.

“Good! You should be!”

“Is that YOUR speeder?!” Anakin interrupts them.

“Yup! -- Well. Not really. But I won it, anyway.”

“It's BEAUTIFUL!”

“Ani!” Her son looks at her. “Keep it down.”

“Sorry!”

“Have fun.”

“I will!”

Crix grins at her, drops a big yellow flower on her desk, and points at it. She rolls her eyes and he blushes and carries Anakin to the speeder to drive him around. Shmi can't compose at all without her little muse at her side. She sits there, worrying, as they drive somewhere out of sight. A minute passes, and she picks up the flower. She doesn't recognize it. It must be an import. He must have won this, too.

They return in just eight minutes.

   *   *   *

One Year Ago

Anakin is not supposed to be in the audience of the death match. No one wants him here, not his master, not his mother, not even Crix himself.

But he just had to come. Everyone is talking about it. He’s never known anyone so talked-about, so famous. He feels so proud. Crix is like family. And everyone, all over town, is raving about him, how unstoppable he is, what a bloody, powerful killer he is. And now Crix’s master has rounded up a spectacular squad from faraway worlds, incredible people who are paying huge amounts for the chance to fight him, to fight Crix, to fight his mom’s cool boyfriend.

They say there’s monster-men, like Wookiees, and there’s even a Mando, whatever that means. Everyone is saying they’re crazy. Everyone is saying all his opponents are gonna die, shot by Crix’s bespoke mega-blaster or crushed in Crix’s bare fists. Anakin can picture it, but he can’t really believe it; he has only ever seen those hands used for good. It'll be Crix’s grandest fight yet, maybe even the grandest fight that's ever happened in the universe. No one can keep Anakin away from such a prospect!

He has an average amount of chores, but he sets his droids on them. His newest and, by far, most ambitious droid, C-3PO, isn't much for cleaning or repairing, yet, but he can speak, a little, and write, a little more. His mom bought Anakin a fairy-tale book and assigned him to copy out the letters to improve his handwriting. Anakin sets Threepio on the task instead, and hopes that his mom won't be able to tell.

He does feel guilty, but he's too excited to feel that guilty. He sneaks out without telling her. There was a sandstorm this morning; fortunately it has passed, but the leftover wind keeps kicking sand into the air.

The arena is in a different neighborhood than the slave houses. Anakin lifts up the tarp of a delivery truck and hides in there to hitch a ride. To his surprise, the truck is full of gross little creatures called gizka. They crowd around him and rub their big faces on his legs. He pulls one onto his lap and pets its soft horns and noses.

“I wonder why they're taking you to the arena? ... Oh, I bet the gladiators are gonna slaughter you.”

He finds it kind of funny, in a sad way, that these little animals are so cheerful; that their doom is close, and they have no idea. He pretends his hand is a sword and chops it on their heads, making them coo and squawk. He laughs.

Once he hears a crowd outside, he sneaks out of the truck and hides among the people. He is far from the only urchin running around, but he does not pick pockets. His mom forbids it, and they wouldn't be allowed to keep the money, anyway.

He follows the other children and soon finds the hole in the arena’s wall which they use to sneak in and out. He fits inside the thin crack without too much difficulty, and flits around the dirty, dark area behind the stadium seating. He finds a spot with a good view, between the legs of some pink-skinned person. He leans on the bench and rests his head on his arms, and watches the battles with wide eyes.

He almost doesn't recognize Crix, in a ridiculous helmet with a big feather, but the nasty red scar across his shirtless torso gives his identity away. He's touched that scar; it feels rough and scratchy.

Crix is more than just a killer; he is a performer. He yells and growls and taunts; he makes obscene gestures and even takes bites out of his opponents, both animals and people. Anakin feels shocked and uncomfortable to see him this way, but it does not lessen his affection for him. It only increases his amazement, that one person could contain two such different personalities.

Just as the pilots and farmers had predicted, Crix wins every battle with ease. His main strategy involves shooting to stun, weaken, and disarm his opponents, and then taking them down with glamorous, bloodthirsty wrestling moves. Anakin has never seen such gratuitous and extended violence before, though he has seen plenty of people die, from podrace explosions to mechanical accidents. Until today, the bloodiest thing he ever saw was someone's tracker-bomb explode their head, but some of these deaths far surpass that one. When he starts to feel dizzy, he looks away and takes deep breaths, but he is too invested to look away for long.

Something about all this murder makes him feel cold. But it isn't a real cold. And it isn't nearly as bothersome as this heat or this wind. He rests his sweaty forehead on his arms and swallows his own spit, but it is a weak comfort. The bench shakes under his arms as the audience bangs their feet on it. Anakin marvels at their energy. He wishes he was having as much fun as they are. He really is trying to enjoy himself, and he sort of is. The thrill of it all is similar to podracing, and the triumphs are satisfying. He supposes he will grow into liking it.

After forty minutes of this action, the host announces the next opponent -- the Mando, Chahlee Tiango. Anakin watches the helmeted warrior posture and pose as the audience frantically cheers and boos.

The little boy is starting to feel bored. This would be much more exciting if they were flying around on fast ships, not shooting and punching each other. The only real difference anymore is the color of the blood. But Chahlee looks like a human, meaning he'll just bleed red, which isn't anything new.

Anakin looks at Crix, whose helmet cracked in half in the last battle. Now that his face is visible, Anakin can enjoy his confident smile. He wishes his mom were here to see her boyfriend winning so much. He supposes she would hate it.

As Anakin's thoughts wander, the audience jumps to its feet and screams uproariously. Anakin fastens his eyes back on the battle.

Crix was shot right in the chest. He crumples. A wave of sand lifts from the ground and nearly covers him, like a blanket, hiding him, as if he were never there. Tiango takes a gleeful lap around the arena.

The audience is screaming far too loudly to hear anything from the announcer. The bench is shaking too much to remain a suitable armrest. Anakin stands up straight and stares ahead.

The pink legs that had framed Anakin's view now jump and move around with everyone else, obscuring the arena with cloaks and pants and boots. The other children in this hideaway start moving around, their own views also disrupted, trying to find better spots. Some of them move in front of Anakin. He lets them. He backs off further into the shade.

“Crix…” His initial shock starts to wear away, and he feels tears cross his parched face. “You were supposed to win! They all said you would!”

He had to lose eventually. No one can win every time. Mom told me he would lose, sooner or later. Everyone dies. It's okay.

It really doesn't feel okay. But this feels like podracing, too. Failing. Losing the game. He has been close to death himself a few times, especially when Sebulba is in the match.

He wipes his eyes and holds his fingers in his ears, which are popping from the terrifying decibel level of this audience. He squints his eyes and waits for the volume to settle and the people to sit back down.

What am I waiting for, though? They'll just continue with Tiango as the new champion. I don't want to watch that.

He makes a half-hearted attempt to get another good view, but one of the other children accidentally brushes up against him, and the feeling of being touched makes him deeply angry. He doesn’t trust these other kids. He doesn’t like them. They can’t understand. That wasn’t their friend who just died. It’s too loud here. And it isn’t going to get quiet. Not for a long time.

He worms out the crack in the arena wall and sees a truck that looks similar to the one he used to get here. He hides under the tarp again -- it is now empty inside. The truck jostles along, though it doesn't take exactly the same route back. It takes Anakin a little closer to home, but then it makes a turn he did not expect. He wonders if the truck will eventually come back around to the slave houses. He has no way of knowing. He fears it will wander out of range of his tracker-bomb. He jumps off the cart and walks the rest of the way home.

Chapter 10: Gafia Chumpi

[damn-stark]

Crossed Stars Ch.9

Star Wars x Marvel

A/N- y’all we are almost done with this series! I can’t believe that! I love how this chapter turned out! I hope though guys like it too. So do let me know what you guys thought!!

Warning- ANGST, swearing, LONG chapter

Pairing- Poe Dameron x reader, Steve Rogers x reader

Takes place- DURING ENDGAME

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

“Thanos found the soul stone on Vormir.”

At the sound of the planets familiar name you quickly look up to the screen and then turn to meet Poe’s gaze, who’s was already on you, both sharing a knowing look at the planets familiarity.

“What is Vormir?” Natasha asks as she keeps writing on her paper.

You shift in your seat to sit up straighter, putting your drink on the table before you begin to answer her, “it’s a planet at the very center of celestial existence. It’s said, or at least where Poe and I are from, that the people that die in the cold vacuum of space their souls end up getting lost in Vormir. I’ve always thought it was just a legend.”

All eyes fall on you, an uncomfortable silence covering the room until Nebula broke it—not that her comment made everyone feel better. “It’s a dominion of death. It’s where Thanos...murdered my sister.”

The room was now covered in an awkward and deafening silence. Steve’s deep sigh breaking it but not making anything better.

Just like Scott’s comment. “Not it.”

—

After a lot of briefing, small arguments, takeout food and a sleepless night planning, or mapping was all finished. The opportunity to see the people you all lost was closer than ever—only if everything went according to plan. Which you hoped it would. It had to work.

“All right. We have a plan. Six stones, three teams, one shot.” Steve announced as you all looked at the screens that contained said plans, filling everyone with determination, hope and fear. Some more than others.

Once the group dispersed to finish what they needed to do before traveling through literal time, you sat on a chair around the table and rested your head in your hands to let out a shaky sigh. Tears stinging your eyes, but not wanting them to roll down your cheeks. Not like you really had the chance to when you heard someone sit next to you.

“Everything okay?”

You lift your head to meet Poe’s worried gaze, taking in a deep breath before you assured him, “I’m fine...it’s just all this you know? It’s just hard.”

Maybe you should’ve known better then to lie to Poe, he could see right through you. Even if he didn’t follow up on your lies. He wanted to but he knew now wasn’t the right moment. Instead he responded to your previous comment and left what he wanted to ask for later. If their was a later.

“I understand, but just now everything is going to be fine. It’s going to work out.”

You smile at his reassurance, letting him take your hand in his to give it a comforting squeeze. The both of you holding each other’s gaze for a moment too long before you had to look away and pull your hand away, deciding to somewhat change the subject. Letting the anger from his previous decisions return.

“Are you sure going to Vormir is the right choice? You’re not lying and just flying home are you?”

Poe narrowed his gaze on you, deciding to be the bigger person and not continue with an argument you only wanted of have. “Natasha asked me to fly the ship since neither her or Clint flown in space.” His serious demeanor then turns cocky at the choice of his next words, “plus it gives me an advantage when we get to tell stories to our friends. Now I’ll be the one with the better stories.”

You quirk your eyebrow, the anger you wanted to feel vanishing regardless of what you wanted, a scoff escaping your lips at his comment but choosing not to follow along since you knew you would get nowhere, and instead choosing to say something else.

“Why don’t you travel to New York with Steve and me?”

Poe’s smile falters at the sound of a certain name, something that reminded him of why he needed to leave, even if you asked him not to, and as much as it hurt him. Regardless of how he now felt though he kept his smug smile plastered on his face. “Worried?”

You can’t help the smile that spreads on your face, really hating the fact that you couldn’t stay mad at him—“even if I’m still somewhat mad at you...you’re my best friend Poe, I—yeah I’m worried.”

His smile turns more genuine, hating some words that you said but taking it and feeling his heart skip a beat. And before he could say anything, you had to ease the thick tension that now surrounded the both of you.

“Plus you aren’t as agile as before since you know...you are getting older.”

“Ha! You really believe that?” He remarks with a visible smirk.

“Yes.” You pause, once again holding each other’s gaze that made the thick tension increase tenfold, a feeling you had to break by clearing your throat and looking down at your hands that rested on the table; “but we are traveling through time, so obviously I’m worried.”

“I’ll be okay. We’ll be okay.” The pilot reassured you, the moment after that falling into a comfortable silence, something that made you stand up with the intention to leave, but before either of you could the both of you stood close to one another, the habit of holding each other’s gaze not seeming to break even if you wanted to. Had to. And just before Poe could choose to close said space you pulled him in for a hug and rested your head on his shoulder.

At first Poe was taken back by the interaction, shocked and clueless on what to do, his senses later returning to him making him return the hug. Tightening his hold around you to pull you in closer, having every intention to never let go and just hold you there in his arms. Taking in every single detail, like the way your perfume smelled so sweetly against his nose, the way you leaned your head on his shoulder and held onto him like your life depended on it, memorizing the way you felt in his hold and how you made his heart swell.

It was a moment and feelings he needed to remember because he knew that he would never get to live them ever again.

Anyhow the tears on your cheeks fell onto the material of his shirt, seconds later releasing a shaky breath before you talked to him in a soft whisper, “Come back in one piece Dameron, we have a family to reunite with.”

Poe smiles, holding back his own tears before he responded, “you got it sweetheart.”

—

Walking up to the platform was unsettling, even if the sight of all of you in uniform caused goosebumps all over your skin. It was just the not knowing if this was really going to work that made you nervous and unsure. To the point where you felt sick. The only thing that seemed to sort of ease you was Steve’s motivational speech.

“Five years ago we lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. Today we have a chance to take it all back.” While listening to Steve’s speech you look to Natasha, flashing her a smile. A gesture she easily returned before pointing her head in Steve’s direction, rolling her eyes in a exaggerated manner in means to make fun of the man.

You shrugged, holding back a laugh and showed a playful smirk before the both you returned your attention to Steve. “You know your teams. You know your missions. Get the stones. Get them back.” The group of you brought your fists towards the center, in a way to motivate each other and show that this was a team effort. It was a gesture that made all of you smile; “One round trip each, no mistakes, no do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. That doesn’t mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Lookout for each other. This is the fight of our lives and we’re gonna win. Whatever it takes. Good luck.”

You look to Poe across from you, the both of you showing each other a assuring smile and sharing a knowing look that spoke thousands of words that you didn’t have to express verbally, a quiet and meaningful interaction overall—completely missing the way Steve caught on to said interaction.

“He’s pretty good at that.” Rocket shared, earning an agreeing comment from Scott.

“Right?”

“All right, you heard the man. Stroke those keys, Jolly Green.” Tony interjected in a loud voice.

Said...sentient? Responding back. “Trackers engaged.”

Rocket then turned to Poe, crossing his arms as he saw said man hold onto his now tiny ship on his palm. “You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?”

Poe shrugged off Rockets comment in such a...Poe way, something that made Clint chuckle beside him, “yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“As far as promises go that was pretty lame.”

Poe smirked as he looked down at Rocket, “I’m the best pilot, I’ve got this.”

You snicker at his comment, only earning a side glare from said man; watching Hulk join the circle in means to finally begin this waited mission. The sick feeling in your stomach returning—Natasha’s side comment only slightly making you feel better and letting a smile tug at the corner of your lips.

“See you in a minute.”

—

“All right, we all have our assignments. Two stones uptown, one stone down.”

The words Steve was saying barely registered in your head as you felt the vomit in your throat, the feeling you felt right as you fell into the multicolored swirling tunnel presenting itself in a disgusting way—of course you’ve flown before and the feeling didn’t feel that different but their was just something about traveling through time that didn’t sit right in your stomach.

The only reason that you didn’t throw up on the spot was because of the loud thud that happened a few feet in front of you, the sound of a loud roar and a crash frightening you to the point the throw you felt was swallowed back.

At the sight of who had done such nonsense your eyebrows knotted in confusion, your eyes lighting at the recognition of Bruce—younger and more angrier Bruce—Hulk?

“Maybe smash a few things along the way.” Steve added, causing Bruce to tear off his tank before responding.

“I think it’s gratuitous but whatever.”

After watching Bruce leave you all followed by sneaking through alleyways to get to the big tower that they said they once lived in, avoiding those weird monsters as best you could along the way.

“Does this feel like home?” Tony joked.

A joke you didn’t get right away; “What does?”

“Those aliens dogs.”

You blink to look at Tony with a glare, a loud scoff leaving your lips. “Do you think space is just filled with these things?”

“Yes.” Scott added in.

You roll your eyes and set a hand on your hip to educate these uneducated earth beings; “space is filled with millions of different species. A lot of them that are great people and or considered hero’s. Earth just fills your minds with these insane cliches about “aliens” that are untrue. Not all of us are green big headed creatures with no form of intelligence.”

Scott stayed quiet, his lips parted in disbelief to your words, while Steve smiled and Tony chuckled at the man’s shocked and speechless reaction. You could go on for hours about space, all things that earth gets wrong about where you’re from, all the beauty in it and those who live in it....all the things you missed about it and the ache you felt to go back home.

—

“Got it on?” Steve questions, his back turned to you while you changed into the shield uniform you had “borrowed”.

“Yep, you can turn now.” Why was their a need to turn around? It’s not like he hasn’t seen you unclothed before—then again it would’ve been awkward if he saw you undress...it just would have made things more awkward than they were. You’ve barely shared a word with Steve since you caught him admiring the picture. You really didn’t want to be distant but...well he’s had years to tell you about her and he didn’t. Knowing that just made things worse. Was there something to hide about her? Did he still...care?

Stars. Things are just confusing. What you wouldn’t give to just live through war again. As bad as that sounded at least then you didn’t have to deal with all the shit you dealt with now.

“Okay let’s head inside.” Steve instructed as he faced you, seconds later guiding you through the towers lobby.

“Stars this feels like being in a stormtrooper uniform—at least I can see in this thing.” You complained while adjusting your vest, earning a weird and puzzled look from Steve, a reaction that made you quickly follow up on, “right uhh, well this reminds me of these uniforms from these soldiers I used to be at war with. It’s a long story for a different day I’m afraid.”

“Can’t wait to hear it,” Steve responded, a soft smile on his lips that only lasted a couple seconds before Tony came in through the uncomfortable ear piece.

“Better hustle, Cap. Things look like they’re just about wrapped up here.”

Steve nodded and responded through the ear piece, “got it, y/n is waiting in position, I’m approaching the elevator now.” Before Steve could disappear in the elevator he turned to talk to you, “be careful down here, okay? Tony should meet you here shortly.”

You nodded your head in comprehension before sharing a small smile and a quick salute; “don’t worry I’ve got this. You be careful too and remember avoid running into yourself.”

Steve chuckled, responding with a quick nod before he walked into the elevator and left you out here to wait and wait. All the while you missed the weird interaction Tony had with Steve about his “ass”. It was weird but also something you wanted to laugh at, but couldn’t. Not if wanted to remain blended in and remain “professional”.

So unfortunately you remained quiet and stayed waiting until Tony joined you wearing the same uniform. The both of you standing by one another and acting as natural as possible.

“Coming down in 3,2,1.” Right on cue the elevator dinged and out came a younger Tony and younger...Thor? Along with a chained up unknown person in between them. “Thumbellina, do you copy? I’ve got eyes on the prize. It is go time.”

“Bombs away.”

“Y/N, get in position this is going to happen fast.”

You nod and turn your back to him, casually watching your intended target and ignoring Scott’s unnecessary comments. The nerves you felt before returning as the situation began to rise.

“All right, move it, Stuart Little.” Tony inhaled sharply as he turned away. “Things are getting dicey out here let’s go.”

“Promise me you won’t die?” Scott commed in.

“We’re just giving me a mild cardiac dysthymia.”

You glance at Tony with a worried look, “that doesn’t sound mild.” Your attention was soon stolen by the argument that was beginning to break out in front of you, whilst Tony became more urgent when he saw nothing happening to stop it.

“Do it Lang! Windows closing pull my pin.”

Shortly after Scott came in, “here it goes.” That making the crowd stop and for young Tony to gasp out before he collapsed to the floor—you let out shaky breath before standing up straighter and following with your eyes as the case with the stone in it slid and stopped in front of your feet.

Double checking no one was looking you immediately crouched down and swiped said case, a proud and nervous smile now present on your features.

“Good job, L/N.” Tony complimented as you both discreetly strode towards the stairs, his next comment directed to Scott, “meet me in the alley we’re gonna grab a quick slice.”—you placed your hand on the doorknob and just as you were going to twist it to open said door you were violently thrown back, crashing into Tony and hitting the floor with a harsh thud, the case in your head slipping and sliding somewhere you didn’t see.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen, was it?” Scott wondered.

“Oh, we blew it.”

You groan and struggle to lift your aching head, noticing the stone no longer in the case, “Stars.”

—

“Cap!” Said man turned to Tony’s call, “sorry buddy, we have a problem.” His eyes then landed on you to notice your head in your hands, a concerned look flashing in his eyes.

Scott scoffed and remarked Tony’s comment, “yeah we do.” Making said man’s head whip Scott’s direction.

“I’m sorry, it was my fault.” You strained, “I lost the stone.”

—

“What are we gonna do?” Steve stressed.

“You know what? Give me a break, Steve. I just got wiped out by your girlfriend, who by the way got hit in the head with the hulk.”

As if your headache didn’t hurt enough, Scott shouting just made it a hundred times worse, which is why you tried your best to ignore him and now Tony arguing. The exact thought of what exactly was I doing here running through your head. You’re a pilot, someone who’s supposed to be in the sky, not screwing things up on the ground—maybe it would’ve been better if you had gone with Poe and Natasha. That or stay—

“We’ve only got one particle left. Each!” Scott’s comment made you lift your head, an idea coming to mind, something that seemed to have struck Tony too.

“I got it! Why don’t we just travel to a place where the particles and stone were in the same location or at least close by one another?” Steve and Scott look at you with a curious gaze, while Tony nodded and got out of the car, adding on to your idea.

“Exactly! Did you read my mind or something?” Tony then looked at Steve and continued, “there’s another way to retake the tessract and acquire new particles. Little stroll down memory lane...Military installation, garden state.”

—

If you do this and it doesn’t work you’re not coming back.

What the hell were you doing? Traveling further into time like if nothing was on the line, like if you didn’t want to go back to....certain people.

Then again too late now. You were in some place called New Jersey. In the location the idea of Captain America was born. The only way back was by this going well. Or else and at least the problems you were faced with before were going to be part of the past—the only positive thing was the dress you were wearing, it out beat the heavy uniform you had to wear before by a landslide.

“The bruise on your face is new, what happened?” You questioned Steve, somewhat easing the situation at hand while the both of you hurried and snuck into the lab the particles were at.

Steve opened the door and let you in before he could, a playful smile seen on his lips before he passed you in search for what was needed, all while you kept watch—“I did the thing you warned me against....I ran into myself.”

You chuckle, “I would ask how it went, but I kind of get the idea.” The feeling of what was before between the both of you resurfaced, feeling as if nothing had gone wrong, as if...neither of you had caught anything strange or that nothing was changing.

“Got it!” Steve exclaimed happily, enjoying a moment of success with the new particles in hand.

When he rejoined you, you beamed up at him and the both of you shared a high five. “Way to go team Cap!” You congratulated, earning a shy smile from said man. “Now let’s go before we get caught.” Doing just that, the two of you make a hasty escape, striding side by side, avoiding the looks you were given and having to stop as the lady from the elevator turned the corner with a couple guards on her back.

“You’ve never seen these people before?”

“No, I’ve got an eye for this. They looked fishy.”

“Can you describe them.”

“Well one of them had a hippy beard.”

Steve took your hand and quickly pulled you into a room. Not really making sure if it was occupied, but coming out lucky in that matter—and at first neither of you shared a word, the only noise heard was the rapid beating of your heart at what could’ve happened if you had been caught, adrenaline bumping through your body all the same. Just as you were going to actually say something regarding your situation you saw Steve pick up a picture of...himself. Pre-serum him that is.

He looked back to the door, an unreadable expression flashing through his eyes before he set down the picture frame and let you pick it up to admire it with a soft smile on your lips—cute. You looked up to make a comment about what you saw, but it was then you noticed something that made your heart drop, your smile dropping alike. It was the women from his picture. She was there on the other side of the window. And just like before you saw his face reflected on the window. The same longing gaze that was filled with so much love that was just directed and felt...for her.

He still cared.

As if feeling your eyes on him, Steve eyes fell on your own reflection, the realization of what you had caught hitting him as he saw the tears that gleamed your eyes, the sight causing him to turn to you with an apologetic look. One you quickly avoided and shrugged off with your words.

“It’s time to go.”

—

The feeling of joy of having this emergency mission succeed didn’t feel as exciting as you had thought. The feeling of returning back to your normal time didn’t feel as exciting. That hopeful smile that was shown before was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a deep frown. An obvious sight to anyone or at least a specific someone who’s first instinct after traveling through time was to look for you.

A relieved breath of air exhaled by that specific someone when he saw you fine—somewhat fine and well. A puzzled look flashing through his eyes at the sight of you in a dress that you didn’t have on before, but one he couldn’t lie and say you didn’t look great in. And you would have looked for him too, but your attention was far from this room, the only thing pulling you in was the sound of Bruce’s question.

“Clint where’s Nat?”

Said man fell to his knees, a look of utter grief shown in his eyes. That alone speaking what he didn’t, what he couldn’t. A tragedy that shouldn’t have happened but did....she was gone. Natasha was gone.

—

“I’m surprised you’re not with your boyfriend.”

At the sound of Poe’s words you look back to see him walking towards you, the bitterness he had at the slight thought of what he said completely disappearing at the sight of the tears rolling down your cheeks.

“I don’t want to talk about him right now.” Your voice cracked as more tears slip down your cheeks, proceeding to watch as Poe took a seat on the chair in front of you, his own frown present on his lips.

“Everything okay?” In that moment after that question you missed the way Poe’s eyes darted across your face to try and get any hint of what you were thinking, of what could possibly be the answer. An answer he secretly and selfishly hoped was a ‘no’ something that would lead you to return with him. But when you truly answered he was disappointed to hear you change the subject and talk about what he should’ve considered instead.

“It’s just all this,” you sigh, “it’s hard. It was hard. We went back in time to save what we lost but we ended up losing someone in the process.” You muttered sadly.

“Natasha did what it took to get what we went for.”

“But she shouldn’t have.” You interject in a louder tone, blinking up to meet his gaze, “she should have gone and got that stone but came back. She shouldn’t have died. She should be here enjoying the fact that we did it. That it worked out after all.” You tried to sound mad, but those efforts soon failed when more tears escaped your eyes.

Poe looked to the floor, his own eyes watery at the memory of what he had seen, of what he had to go through—“she had to do it or else we wouldn’t have gotten the stone. That red sentient said it himself...a soul for a soul. Clint nor I could do it...only her.” Poe wanted to add something else, but choose not to, not if he wanted to keep you from getting angry. Because he knew if he shared the extent of what had happened in Vormir, you would be pissed.

“She just deserves to be here.” You cried, dropping your head in your hands to let out a sob that had to do more than just with Natasha’s death.

“I know,” Poe sighed, carefully moving to wrap his arm around your shoulders and rest his head on yours. A gesture you found comfort in and eased into, a gesture that made you cry that much more. “I know.”

—

“All right, gloves ready. Question is who’s gonna snap their freakin’ fingers.”

You quietly looked around the room, searching for the volunteer—Now if you could do it, you would, but their was no way you could even attempt, the effort would kill you before you could even snap your fingers.

“I’ll do it.” Now seeing Thor step up was an option, but seeing his current condition perhaps it wasn’t the greatest choice.

“Excuse me?” Tony exclaimed sharply.

“It’s okay.” Thor assured the group as he continued to walk towards the glove, only to be stopped before he could even attempt to touch it.

Steve gently pushed said man back, trying in the nicest way possible to shoot him down. “Thor, just wait. We haven’t decided who’s gonna put it on yet.”

“I’m sorry. What we’re all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?”

“We should at least discuss it.” Scott interjected.

“Look sitting here staring at that thing is not going to bring everybody back. I’m the strongest avenger, okay? So, this responsibility falls upon me.”

“Normally you’re right.” Tony tried to calm Thor down, trying just like Steve had to turn him down, but to no avail. All the arguing just making you impatient.

“Just let me! Just let me do something good. Something right”

“Look,” Tony tried again, “it’s not just that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent. I’m telling you. You’re in no condition.”

“What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?”

“Cheez whiz.”

You snort at Rhodeys comment, the rest of Thor’s argument going to the back of your head. And before the overthinking could start Bruce’s comment made your ears perk up—“it’s gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive.”

Poe stepped up and looked to Bruce, “how do we know you will?”

“We don’t. But the radiation is mostly gamma. It’s like...I was made for this.”

—

“Okay, remember everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago, you’re just bringing them back to now, today. Don’t change anything from the last five years.” Tony reminded Bruce. Something that Bruce nodded to in agreement before responding with two simple words.

“Got it.”

Bruce followed by carefully putting on the glove, the sight alone making your stomach twist and the nerves return tenfold. It was now or never. Natasha’s sacrifice had to mean something—it was going to mean something—and as if Poe could hear your heart beat in your chest in anticipation, he met your gaze to share an assuring smile before pushing you behind him as the both of you stood behind Tony and the shield he activated.

“Artoo, BB8 stand behind me.” Said droids didn’t fail to listen, the little orange and white ball standing between your feet, only poking his head out to watch what was about to unfold.

And shortly after Tony’s commands to his A.I., metal doors surrounded the outside building, shielding everything that could be affected by what could come. The dark lightening contained by those same doors making this feel much more eery and nerve-wracking. The sight of the stones lightening up on Bruce’s hand causing your heart to pump much faster, hearing him groan and grunt out in pain as the energy of the stones burning his arm making you feel that you couldn’t breath, that you had pent up air in your lungs.

Hearing everyone’s concerns for their friend in anguish making you want him to stop. But knowing that he was close, stopping you from expressing such worry. The sight of him struggling to stand up and try to bring his fingers together causing you to hold Poe’s hand in fear, the final step and sight of seeing Bruce snap his fingers causing you to close your eyes for a brief moment to avoid the bright light that shone after the action.

To then open your eyes as Bruce fell to the ground, grunting in pain, the sound of the metal doors opening grabbing your attention, while the natural light crawling through the windows hit you with the realization of what you were still doing and making you instantly drop Poe’s hand. Neither of you commenting on it, but instead focusing on the soft songs of the birds that now flew outside.

Birds that weren’t there before, that just lacked altogether. That single sight bringing a soft smile to your face and tears to sting your eyes, bringing hope and truth.

You looked to your long time friend and the both of you shared an emotional smile, the words you were thinking said out-loud by Scott.

“Guys I think it worked—” just before you were going to say something, a blast crashed into the building.

Having one moment of clarity get crashed by sudden darkness.

.

.

.

Tagged- @itsbuckyb1tch​​​​​​, @kaitlynw011​​​​​​ , @blushingwueen​​​​​​ , @80sthottie, @thescarletknight2014​​​​​​ , @bbuckysbeardd​​​​​​ , @ellvswriting​​​​​​ , @sakurashortstack​​​​​​ , @whatthefrickfrackwereyouthinking​​​ , @danicalifxrnia​​​​​​ , @lanatheawesome​​​​​​​ , @perryoncw​​​​​​ , @panic-onthegroundsofbrooklyn​​​​​​ , @abysshaven​​​​​​ , @valeecruz16​​​​​​ , @gummy-bears16 , @winchescumberholland​​​​​​ , @a-somehow-functioning-dumbass​​​​​​ , @randomhanabananas​​​​​​ , @just-a-sad-chicken-nugget-xxx​​​​​ , @awkward117​​ , @itsfangirlmendes​

Permanent taglist- @ms-dont-care​ , @commondazy​

[lady-divine-writes]

ACITW AU one-shot “Favorite Family Traditions” (Rated PG13)

Summary: Kurt is a sentimental man - especially on holidays when they can get the whole family together. But this year, on the fourth of July, gathered underneath the fireworks over a decade later, their family has grown by one, and a handful of traditions are about to be passed on. (1406 words)

Notes: Here's another one-shot I had hiding on my computer that I just got around to finishing. It starts with a portion of Cacophony's dialogue from ACITW, with a few minor additions by me.

Read on AO3.

“Come on now Livvie, there are children present!” Julian teases, and Olivia flips him off even as she dislodges herself from where she was practically attached to Brian’s face.

“Oh leave her be, Jules,” Charlotte says gently. “There’s nothing wrong with kissing under the lights.” She punctuates her words by leaning over to kiss her husband, which of course makes all her kids groan. Not to be outdone, Burt plants one on Carole too, and Finn covers his eyes though it just makes Kurt smile.

“Oh, yuck! Mom! Burt! Just … just don’t! Okay? That’s unnecessary!”

“Says you,” Carole shoots back with a chuckle as Burt continues to assault her cheek and jawline. “I married the man! I have every right to make out with him whenever and wherever I want!”

“How in the world do you kids think you came into this world?” Burt adds.

“Yeah!” Greg says, ready and willing to lend his support to any argument of Burt Hummel’s.

“Stork,” Julian replies. “Maybe some kind of woven basket floating down a river.”

“Ha!” Olivia barks so loudly, a white rabbit rooting through the underbrush comes racing out of hiding and scurries across the grass. “You wish!”

“Come on now boys,” Julian teases a second later, deflecting attention away from himself. “Aren’t you gonna give us poor single folk a show, too?”

“Yeah, Seb. Plant one on him!” Olivia crows.  

“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” Finn starts to chant, grinning a goofy upside-down grin at Kurt and soon everyone (even, to his everlasting horror, his own father) takes up the chant.

Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

“What d’ya say babe? Do we give the people what they want?”

“Kurt?”

Kurt blinks slowly when he hears his name, caught between here and his daydream, and Sebastian’s voice - his voice from the past - fades from his brain. Unbeknownst to Kurt, he’d been staring at those gathered getting situated on the grass. Amid the talking and the ongoing game of tag, the laughter it elicits, the family lays their blankets underneath the indigo sky, hunkering down together to wait for the fireworks to appear. There are more members of their clan now than there were over a decade ago, but they migrate to the same sections of the hillside - Greg and Charlotte in one corner; Olivia, Brian, and their brood in another; Julian and Cooper dead center and attached at the mouth like lampreys, ignoring the world at large, completely focused on one another. They’re acting a bit more PG-13 than most everyone seems comfortable with, but as the sky grows darker, they make it a point to politely look the other way.

It’s Cooper and Julian’s behavior that spurred Kurt’s memory of the first time he spent the fourth here. Despite the vulgar noises Julian and Cooper are making in front of a gaggle of impressionable children (probably on purpose to garner a reaction out of Olivia, who keeps tossing tufts of grass their way), Kurt smiles. It’s nice to see the two of them so happy - content considering the long road the two of them traveled to get here.

Every year Kurt sees them, Cooper makes it a point of telling Kurt and Sebastian that Blaine sends his warmest regards. Kurt’s not entirely sure what to make of that. He knows that after all this time Cooper still carries guilt over what happened between Kurt, Sebastian, and his little brother. The chapters of Kurt’s life where Blaine features prominently are as far behind him as he can possibly put them, but he’s glad Blaine found his happiness.

So many things have changed in their lives.

So many things have stayed the same.

“Kurt? Babe?”

“Huh … what?” Kurt shakes his head, pulling close to the warm body cradled in his arms.

“You’re thinking hard. I was wondering what about.”

Kurt breathes the cold air in deep. It stings his nose, brings him fully back to the present. “Nothing much …” Sebastian raises a skeptical eyebrow. Kurt’s eyes dart away. “Just … are you sure these things aren’t going to crush her head?” Kurt changes the subject, gazing lovingly, but worriedly, at the impossibly tiny baby girl in his arms, head compressed by a humongous pair of noise canceling headphones.

Sebastian doesn’t buy Kurt’s excuse for a second, his shift in conversation. Kurt is sentimental to a fault, especially when they manage to get the whole family together. The more of them they wrangle to one place, the more memories flood his brain like the beach at high tide. He gets so caught up in them, it’s like he’s splitting time between the past and the present. It’s his way of savoring every second he has with the people he loves, probably a side-effect of losing his mother so young.

Sebastian will let it go, see if he can get Kurt to talk with him about it later, when they don’t have such an invested audience close by.

“She’s fine,” Sebastian reassures his husband, bending down to lightly kiss their baby’s wrinkled forehead. “I mean, look at her! You have her bundled like a burrito and she’s sleeping like a …” Sebastian stops short and snorts over the words about to leave his mouth “… well, you know.”

“A baby?”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, but yes. And she doesn’t look like she’s going to wake up any time soon.”

“If she’s going to sleep through the show, why did we drag her out here, the poor thing? I’m sure we could have found a babysitter to watch her down at the house.”

Sebastian stares at his husband, comically aghast. “Uh, no! I will not have some stranger watch our precious angel down at the house while we’re up here enjoying the most magical night of the year!”

“We could have stayed inside with her,” Kurt presses. He’s bluffing, of course. He wouldn’t miss watching the fireworks with his family for the universe. But he knows arguing will irk his husband, get his hackles up. “We can see the fireworks from the house and besides, it’s warmer inside.”

“Sitting out in the cold till our asses go numb while our combined family makes out to the horror of all is tradition! A tradition she needs to be a part of - unconscious or no!”

“Goodness gracious,” Kurt mutters.

“When little Elizabeth here gets older and has an s.o. of her own, we’ll inflict the same trauma on her. It’s what being a parent is all about. And I, for one, embrace those parental duties. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Sebastian, you’ve only been a parent for about three weeks!”

“I’ve had plants,” Sebastian says quickly in his defense, and Kurt can’t decide between tutting or laughing. “But more importantly, I’ve been a son my entire life. I know what it feels like to be traumatized by my parents. I can’t wait to pass that experience along to my children.” Sebastian’s gaze drifts over Kurt’s shoulder. He swallows hard and motions with his chin. “Case in point.”

Kurt turns his head, looking in the direction Sebastian is currently staring. Charlotte and Greg, lying on their own blue gingham flannel blanket, are cuddled so closely together, they’re nearly a single entity, joined at the lips the same way Julian and Cooper are, only with a lot less gratuitous moaning involved. Sebastian frowns, shaking his head in disgust. Kurt gives his ridiculous husband a lopsided look.

Kurt isn’t too keen on a stranger watching their little girl, either, even if it’s just at the house for about an hour, two at the most. Eventually they’ll get her a nanny. A thoroughly vetted nanny. One who’s been fingerprinted, whose had their background checked by local police, the CIA, and the FBI. Their hectic work schedules pretty much demand it, though Sebastian has been toying with the idea of working from home, possibly taking a leave of absence. At this point in their lives, they don’t really need the income. And as much as Kurt teases him, Sebastian would make an excellent house-husband. Either way, they have time.

Their little girl isn’t leaving their sight any time soon.

“Traumatizing a newborn for life it is then.” Kurt leans over their baby’s head, his gaze fixed on his husband’s lips, ready to get started by aiming for their first kiss of the evening. “Not gonna argue with that.”

[thedeaditeslayer]

Dead Doll's Eyes: Bruce Campbell Talks New Evil Dead and Calls Out Martin Scorsese’s Bulls—t.

You can choose to read the interview below or click the link above to listen to the ten minute recorded version. 

Bruce Campbell burrowed his way into our hearts as a dashing B-movie icon with roles in a litany of cult classics, from Evil Dead to Bubba Ho-Tep.

After returning to his roots to play Ash Williams for three seasons of delightfully gratuitous gore in Ash vs Evil Dead, Campbell put away his chainsaw for good when Starz cancelled the series in 2018. However, much to fans’ delight, Evil Dead trilogy director and Ash vs Evil Dead producer Sam Raimi recently announced a forthcoming entry to the franchise with Campbell attached as a producer. Even better: although Ash won’t return to fight Deadites in live action, Campbell will lend his voice to an upcoming Evil Dead video game.

To accompany the rerelease of his memoir Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor — now with an added “Requiem for Ash” chapter — Campbell is dropping by the Alamo City next week for a screening of Army of Darkness and audience Q&A. He promises it’ll be a good time — “There’s lots of stories about the making of that ridiculous movie.”

We caught up with Campbell over the phone, and he shared his thoughts on retiring Ash, teased some upcoming projects and even offered a few choice words for Martin Scorsese.

After Ash vs Evil Dead was cancelled you decided to hang up the character and retire him.

I did, didn’t I?

Unlike other actors who retire their characters, it’s not so much that you’re sick of Ash Williams, but that the demands of filming such a special effects-heavy series led you to reach something you’ve called “The Latex Point.” Could you expand on the on-set demands of Ash vs Evil Dead and why they’re so taxing?

Well, my wife sort of put a finger on it — as she so often does. She came into the trailer one day the last season of shooting, and I’m sitting there miserable because I had to put down plastic sheeting everywhere I went. I’d stick to everything because I was always covered with blood.

She goes, “I know what your problem is — you got Poopy Diaper Syndrome.”

I’m like, “What’re you talking about?”

“You’re like a 3-year-old or a 2-year-old sitting in a poopy diaper, and you can’t get out of your poopy diaper. No one will help you change your poopy diaper.”

So really, it’s that. It’s a series of lying face down in cellars. And it occurred to me multiple times. I’d be lying there literally face down, waiting for a shot, covered in blood in a dark cellar on the dirt, and I’m like, “Is this where I belong?” And the answer was “yes” for a long time, but it’s not a permanent place where you wanna be. Not as a 60-year-old man.

I wanted to avoid that Star Wars crap, where they’re holding these actors up with baling wire and cotton balls, you know what I mean? Feeding them their lines of dialogue through earbuds. I couldn’t do that. I could still pull the character off, so I wanted to finish while I could still do it.

And not have it kind of become…

Uh, sad. We don’t want sadness.

But you’re not leaving Evil Dead. You’re attached as a producer to a new movie, and it’s going to bring new blood into the franchise, including a director hand-picked by Sam Raimi. How does it feel to be able to step back, but still help usher in this new era?

Well, fantastic. Because, look, we can work with these directors. We can support them in the ways that we’ve always wanted to be supported. We can punish them in the ways that we should have been punished. We can hire actors that are good and well behaved, because I know what to look for. And when we get an actor, we can tell them how to best use their time and not party. We’ve learned a lot over the years, so we can share and torment these directors into making a good movie. There’s definitely a place for us. We’ll be there behind the scenes pulling the strings on these little monkeys.

How does it compare so far to the development process for Fede Álvarez’s 2013 Evil Dead? Or is it too early to say?

It’s too early, and every director’s different. Fede was very specific. I’d never worked with Fede, so I wanted to make sure he could work with actors. I sat in for only one day during auditions, and I could see how he would see a take, work with the actors, and the second take was better. After I saw two or three of those, I was like, OK — I’m outta here. This guy knows how to get a better take out of an actor. Done. That’s a huge accomplishment. And he was already very astute with special effects.

What you have to do is find out what the director’s strength is and encourage that, and find out what their weaknesses are and either fix that or discourage that. Some directors are great with actors but they suck at special effects, some are great at special effects but they don’t know how to talk to actors. It’s a really delicate dance. The modern movie is very delicate, because the modern movie has way more special effects now.

In Captain Marvel, even the cat was CGI most of the time he was onscreen.

Lemme tell ya, I’m gonna make a bold statement here.

The Irishman has more digital effects than the most recent Marvel movie, but you just don’t notice. Which why I call B.S. on Marty Scorsese calling out the Marvel movies. It’s like, bullshit! You just used more digital effects than a Marvel movie, and you’re telling me that’s cinema but the other one isn’t?

But the point is, I don’t buy it. I mean, I can’t wait to watch that movie, because I’m gonna be driven insane by Robert DeNiro at 42, Robert DeNiro at 47, Robert DeNiro at 31. It’s just gonna drive me insane, because I’m gonna look at it and I’m gonna be looking at dead doll’s eyes and, you know, they’re gonna do a good job, but they’re all gonna look like sharks.

Now that you’re no longer beholden to the intense schedule of TV production, are there any projects that you’re able to look at that weren’t an option before?

Well, one of two things can happen. I finally told my agent, “OK,” because I had to pass on some things in the last couple years that were decent projects, because I had a bunch of other random stuff going. If you open up your schedule, you can allow for stuff like that. All of 2020 is currently completely open. I have zero bookings for the first time in probably 15 years. I like booking my year — I like knowing what’s going on — but, in this case I’m gonna leave work open to fall off the truck from my agency.

But I also have a TV project that I’m pushing and a feature film project. I will go back under the TV knife under the right conditions, and I have a project that I would do that for. “Under the knife” meaning to sign a contract.

The beauty of it is with these limited series now, no one has to commit to shit these days. One season, two seasons, three seasons, you know. So, we’ll see what happens. I just wrote a feature film — a political satire — and I wanna make that next, so I’m in the process of shopping it. I’m hat in hand right now.

You’ve been in the director’s chair, both for Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess as well as your horror comedy My Name is Bruce. Would you be interested in directing again, possibly for the movie you just wrote?

All the projects that I’m currently gonna be involved with now, moving forward, I’ll be directing in some way. Raising money for low budget movies — I have as much experience as anybody now, so there’s no reason to look for anybody else. I’ll just direct myself.

It’s time for the new sheriff to come into town.

Another thing that makes Evil Dead so compelling is the long-running team behind it. Even if it’s not Evil Dead, would you be down to act in future projects with Sam and Ted Raimi, or your Ash vs Evil Dead costars?

Well, I would be happy to work with any of them again, but I just can’t say. Sam, who knows? Sam’s off making these 10-minute shorts. I forget the name of the company, but everyone’s making shorts now, so go figure.

Kind of like YouTube — getting on that train?

Yeah, I don’t know. It’s all new to me. I’m sticking with the true-blue formats for now.

If you had the opportunity to reprise any other characters that you’ve played previously, like fan favorite Brisco County, Jr., would you be interested? Or do you want to focus on all new material and characters?

New stuff is always my favorite, but I would definitely do Brisco Rides Again, and I would definitely do more Burn Notice. We’re sort of circling the building now with Burn Notice. Maybe it’s time to save the world again. The world needs us.

You recently updated your memoir Hail to the Chin with a new “Requiem for Ash,” and are making appearances tied to the book’s rerelease. How do you integrate tours and press appearances without blowing out your schedule, and how do they differ from press junkets you do for film and TV?

The beauty of working with a company is when it’s time to do press, they’ve really got it down. I saved a bunch of my itineraries from Ash vs Evil Dead just because of how ridiculous they were, so I can look back and show my grandchildren “this was a press day in New York City.” So, you really got the support. The only difference is when you do low budget stuff, or even books, you’re kind of on your own, and it’s way more down-home. It’s Twitter, it’s Facebook, it’s Facebook ads or whatever. It’s no national TV — nothin’. It’s a whole different ball game.

You know, I’m a one-man band. I’ll miss a few interviews because I forgot or didn’t put it in my schedule or whatever. Someone’ll call, I’ll go, “What do you want?” They’re like, “We have a phoner.” I go, “Really? Ok, great.” This one I happened to remember. We do what we can.

A Conversation with Bruce Campbell and Screening of Army of Darkness: $29.50-$125, 8 p.m. Friday, October 25, Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 812-4355, theaztectheatre.com.

[what-is-your-plan-today]

One Shot: This belongs to me.

So @the-omni-princess requested some gratuitous smut to distract me from my damned laptop eating 4 chapters of my story so here it is..

Characters Steve Rogers x OFC- Katie Stark- Star Spangled Banner storyline

WARNING- REALLY NSFW! Over 18s only!! **********************************

 Steve moved to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, sliding it over the counter towards Katie.

“I don’t want water.”

“You’ll thank me in the morning.” he looked at her.

She shook her head “No thanks”

“Stop being a pain in the ass.” he said sternly, shooting her a look.

“Stop using your Captains voice on me.” She pouted at him. “You can’t shout at me.” “Oh, and why’s that then?” He said, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow at her, biting back the laughter that was bubbling in his chest.

“Because…” she paused before she sniggered “You’re in my apartment.” “Try again.”

“Yeah, I’ll get back to you on that.” she said after a moment’s thought. "Drink the water.” He instructed with a laugh. Glaring at him she grabbed the bottle. Flipping off the sports cap, she raised it to her lips and drained it pretty much in one go before she tossed the empty container at his head as she turned and walked out of the kitchen.

Steve easily caught it, the plastic crinkling in his hand before he tossed it into the recycling and shaking his head, smirking, he followed her down the hall.

“Just so you know Captain America is an asshole.” she paused and turned, narrowing her eyes at him.

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He said his voice flat as he leaned against the wall opposite her.

“A bossy asshole” She nodded

Steve was now actively trying to stop himself from laughing out loud as she stood, glaring at him, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol she’d drunk at the party, soft tendrils of her hair were falling out of the bun she had fixed it up into earlier that evening and her hands moved to her hips. She cocked her head to one side as she studied the man in front of her, all blue jeans and tight black shirt before he pushed off from where he was leaning with effortless grace and strode towards her. “Well that’s too bad” he sighed, shaking his head as he walked “because he’s kinda fond of you” Despite herself she felt a grin cross her face "I prefer Steve” “Hate to break it to ya Doll face but they come as a set.” he said.

She sniggered as he reached her, sliding her hands up his arms “I like coming as a set…”

Steve cocked his head to one side, as she bit her lip and he let out a low growl.

“You’ve been biting that lip all night.” he said, gently grasping her chin with his finger and thumb. And she had. All damned evening. He hadn’t seen her for almost a week with the work she’d been doing and due to him running late after a training session had gone on a little longer than it should he had hit a fuck tonne of traffic on the way over meaning the first time he’d laid eyes on her had been when he had walked into Pepper’s birthday party at the Tower. He had spotted her instantly, ridiculously tight black dress, trademark high heels and boy he’d wanted nothing but to drag her out of the room right there and then.

She looked up at him from under those lashes, her eyes flashing, and suddenly his trousers felt ridiculously tight.

“Oh fuck this…” he mumbled, his lips crashing to hers and he felt her grin before the kiss became heated as he roughly shoved her backwards against the wall of the hallway, a low groan bubbling in her throat. He reached down and slid his hands up under her skirt sliding the black material up over her thighs, when he stopped and pulled back to look at her.

“You’re not wearing any panties…” he said, slightly shocked.

“Ruins the line of my dress…” she smirked as he squeezed her hips.

“You’re a goddamn tease.” he growled.

“Don’t worry, I kept it all covered…”

“Good, because this…” he said, his hand straying to her bare centre as he gave a harsh rub, causing her to gasp “belongs to me…”

“Yes Captain…” He let out a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a moan before his lips crashed back onto hers and she began to frantically undo the buttons on his shirt, pushing it down over his arms, her hands groping his bare chest. He pulled up one of her legs so that it rested over his forearm and began rubbing his still covered crotch against her centre. She moaned at the rough denim of his jeans grinding over her spot before he reached down and grabbed the other leg, hitching it around his waist. He continued to rut up against her, and her head banged back against the wall with a heavy thud, causing him to pause.

“You ok?” “Yes, fuck, don’t stop!” She whined at him, causing him to grin again before his mouth was on hers and he turned them, walking the few steps to the bedroom. He set her down, spun her round so her back was pressed to his chest in one fluid movement, giving her no time to think about anything as his lips found her neck. She moaned as his 5-0clock- shadow scratched her skin, rolling her head to the side as his fingers unzipped her dress and slid it downwards. He let out another groan as he realised she wasn’t wearing a bra either.  His hands moved from her hips to her chest, gently tweaking and she let out a moan again, leaning back into him as his mouth nipped at her neck before his hands gently parted her legs and he began to tease her softly.

She felt her knees buckle slightly at the touch and he drew more and more from her, until she was begging.

“I want you…” her chest heaved with her words, her head lolling back against his shoulder and he smirked against her neck.

“yeah?” he stopped “Whaddya say?” “Please.” she panted, eyes closed. And when she begged like that, how could he refuse?

“I got you baby.” he whispered huskily into her ear, quickly undoing his trousers and working himself out of them before he gently moved them forward. With one easy movement he placed an arm round her waist, and lifted her lightly so her knees found their place on the bed, the other hand gently between her shoulder blades as he bent her forward, her hands grasping at the duvet as he sunk into her in one fluid motion. They both let out a loud groan as he  bottomed out staying still inside her for a moment before pulling back and thrusting deep again setting a brutally fast pace right away. He pulled down on her shoulder and hips the same time he thrust upwards entranced by the way her ass bounced off his hips staring intently down at where they were joined. He kept up his brutal pace until she was mewling underneath him, and with a loud cry she came, her hands giving way as she fell forward and he paused pushing deep into her and staying there as her climax washed over her, as she clenched tight around him. He groaned letting her go and spinning her around so she was on her back, and without any pause he sank back into her, her hands sliding up his back as he buried his face into her neck and bit and sucked at the skin there.

“So fucking good,” he muttered into her neck, licking the sweaty skin there, “Doll, you feel so good”

She let out a loud groan digging just the tips of her nails into the skin of his back, "Keep talking.” She begged.

“I love you,“ he said next and her eyes rolled back when one of his hands slid down between them, playing with her clit, "I love you so much. Fuck!” He snapped as she rolled her hips upwards and he felt himself teetering just along that edge.

“Steve…I’m…” she groaned, feeling another orgasm creeping up on her.

“Yes,” he hissed, “C'mon sweetheart…”

“I’m gonna…” She keened into his neck and his response was a broken moan, quickly losing his battle against his self-control “Are you close?”

“Yeah.” He groaned almost painfully rubbing her clit desperate to get her there again before he lost complete control. “Yeah?” “Uh huh.” He muttered before losing the battle and feeling himself start to spill within her, “Fuck baby -” he cut himself off moans and babbled spilling from his lips and he buried his face into her neck biting into the skin there as his orgasm took him over. Katie followed him right off the edge, a final cry of his name leaving her lips as they both collapsed, clinging tightly to one another. They lay breathless, bodies slick and her hands gently started their usual habit of combing through his hair while he stayed with his face buried in her neck, the only sounds in the room were their quiet breaths, both coming down from a kind of high they could only get to when together.

Eventually, he lazily moved his head, his nose rubbing against hers, hands gently smoothing back her hair.

 "I love you.“ he said, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you too.” She said catching his lips in a lazy kiss that they both smiled into.

Steve rolled off her and he worked the duvet down, and the pair of them lazily shimmied underneath before he pulled her to him, her head laying on his chest.

“That was amazing.” Steve admitted, his hand gently running up and down her spine. “Hmmm.” Katie said, her hand tracing shapes across his chest “You can tell Cap he’s still an asshole but I’m willing to overlook it given the circumstances.“

[mirkwoodshewolf]

Chapter 11; Operation Time Heist is a go

*Author’s note*

And so it begins. The epic rising action of our fic so buckle up everyone because here’s where things get a little funky, wacky, emotional feels and of course ANGSTY. So for all you Marvel fans out there who knows what’s to come, BE PREPARED WITH YOUR TISSUES. 

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@psychosupernatural​

@ixchel-9275​

@platawnic​

@waddles03​

___________________________________________________________

NEW YORK. 2012

It was during the Chitauri invasion when Loki first came to Earth in search of the Tesseract.  The battle that first brought the Avengers together.  As the six main Avengers at the time were preparing for the battle of their lives, Steve, Scott, Bruce, Tony and I appeared out of an alleyway in our disguise for this mission.

Scott, Steve and Tony would grab the Space stone while Bruce and I went to the New York Sanctum to retrieve the Time Stone.

“Alright we all have our assignments. Two stones uptown, one stone down. Stay low, Keep an eye on the clock.” Said Steve.  It was then we saw 2012 Hulk come into sight and began to overkill a few Chitauri aliens by smashing a taxicab on one of them, then bouncing up and down on the cab, going way overboard with the killing.

Before going after the second Chitauri that fled after seeing the Hulk kill it’s comrade. We all turned to Bruce who looked away shamefully and embarrassedly, not even believing that he once acted like that.

“Maybe smash a few things along the way.” Steve continued as he turned towards Bruce.

“I think it’s a little gratuitous, but whatever.” Bruce said as he ripped his shirt off and tried to go full Hulk.  But he only softly growling and hardly put in any effort as he lightly slammed his hand against a car, then picked up a motorcycle and tossing it aside weakly roaring.

“Alright c’mon big guy. The Sanctum’s this way.” I said. He then leaped on ahead and I followed behind using my magic to help my fly.

We finally landed at the roof of the sanctum and thankfully it was cleared by now.  Just before I could open the door a voice said.

“I’d be careful going that way we just had the floor’s waxed.” At that point my heart stopped.  I looked up and there she was, The Ancient One.  My eyes widened and I can’t believe I was seeing her again. Unfortunately I wasn’t there when she died, in fact the last time I saw her was here during this battle.

I had come for some counseling with her since she had heard of my ‘Jaguar’ persona and she asked me to come to the New York Sanctum for all that I had done by using my magic against mortals instead of the interdimensional threats.

But then when the Chitauri came down, I assisted her before at this point she sent me to try and keep the army away from the hospital where Stephen Strange was performing surgery.  She had asked me to protect him because he was to be important in five years to come at this time.

“Ancient One.” I muttered in awe.

“Morowa. But then again, not my Morowa.” I slowly walked up to her and she cupped both sides of my face. “You’ve grown weary my child.”

“You have no idea.” I choked out.  She smiled and leaned her forehead against mine.  I must’ve been crying because she wiped away a tear that had fallen down my face and that’s when Bruce said.

“Sorry to interrupt the reunion but uhh—we’re looking for Stephen Strange.”

“We’re five years too early Bruce.” I said to him as both I and the Ancient One turned to face him.

“She is correct. Her past self is currently protect Stephen Strange who is currently performing surgery about 20 blocks that way.” She said as she walked a bit away from me before pointing to the direction I went to in the past. “What do you want from him?” she asked turning to Bruce.

“That actually.” Bruce said pointing to the Eye of Agamotto that the Ancient One was wearing around her neck.

“Ahh! I’m afraid not. And you know that Morowa.”

“I know, but please Ancient One this is an emergency.” I said.

“Plus we weren’t really asking.” Bruce said as he walked towards her.

“You don’t wanna do this.” She warned him.

“Ah, you’re right I don’t. But I need that stone….”

“Bruce no!” But it was too late.  The Ancient one took Bruce’s hulk hand and immediately palm strike his chest sending his astral form out of his physical.  Bruce now appeared human while his Hulk body collapsed unconscious to the floor.

I looked at him with a ‘told you’ look as he turned back towards the Ancient One and she said.

“Let’s start over, shall we?”

ASGARD. 2013 *Rauri’s POV*

Thor, Rocket and I arrived in the prison cells of Asgard and we snuck by Loki’s cell who was throwing what looked like a cup up in the air before catching it in his hand.

Finally we arrived at the upper levels of the palace where Jane Foster was being kept.  The three of us watched as a servant handed her a dress and when Jane asked if they had any pants, of course the servant girl was confused.  

But Jane told her it was fine before she finally bowed to Jane and took her leave.

“There’s Jane.” Thor whispered as the servant left and Jane went back into her room.

“Alright. Here’s the deal, tubby.” Rocket said as he hopped off the pillar. “You’re gonna charm her, while big bad wolf here holds her down and I’m gonna poke her with this thing and extract the Reality stone and get gone lickety-split.” Rocket explained to the Thor and me the plan.

“Why must I be the one to hold her down?” I asked.

“Because you’re the intimidating one out of us. Next to that wife of yours of course. Hell you might be more frightening than her.”

“Don’t speak about my wife like that!” I snarled down at the raccoon. It was then I heard a sniff and I knew it was Thor as he just merely watched our argument before saying.

“I’ll be right back, okay? There’s uhh—the wine cellar is just down here. My father used to have this huge barrel of Aakonian ale. I’ll see if the scullery has a couple of to-go cups.” Un-fucking-believable.

“Hey! Hey! Aren’t you drunk enough already!?” hissed Rocket.  Suddenly there was a sound of a door opening.  We all ducked down and as I peeked over, I saw an older woman with long blonde hair wearing a blue dress with armor plates mixed in.  

She was surrounded by younger woman, probably her servants or something, and just by getting a quick sniff of her, she smelled of authority.  Much like my (y/n).

“If you could send Loki some soup?”

“Yes Milady.”

“And ask our librarians to pull some volumes out of the astronomy shelf.” I looked towards Thor and he was just in shock as he stared at this woman.  As Rocket came up on top of my shoulders he asked.

“Who’s the fancy broad?”

“That’s my mother. She dies today.”

“Wait, as in today-today?” I asked.  At that point Thor exhaled heavily and began to shake his head.

“I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have come. It’s a bad idea!” he began to panic. Alright that’s it.

“Come here.” I said as I gestured him to come closer with my finger.

“No, no, no. I think-I think- I think I’m having a panic attack.”

“Just—just come here. Right here.” I said pointing in front of me.  As he kept babbling nonsense, I slapped him across the face.

“You think you’re the only one whose lost people? What the hell do you think we’re doing here?! I lost my wife of only 24 hours five years ago because of that purple wanker! And Rocket he’s lost his entire family. All my remaining friends they’ve lost people they’ve loved. Everyone in the entire world, no galaxy has lost people they’ve loved. Now Thor I get you miss your mum. But she’s gone. Really gone. And there are billions of people who are only kinda gone, and it’s up to you to save them. So is it too much to ask that you suck in those tears, brush the crumbs off that damn beard of yours, smooth talk your ex-girlfriend and when she’s not looking, suck out the Infinity stone and help us get our families back?”

“Okay.” He choked out.

“Are you crying?” asked Rocket.

“No…..yes! I feel like I’m losing it.” He sobbed out.

“Hey listen to me. Pull yourself together.” I said as I gripped his shoulders. “You can do this.” He exhaled as I told him again, “This is your moment God of Thunder.” He took a deep breath as we both stared at each other.

“We good now?” asked Rocket.

“Yes I can.” Thor said.

“Good boy.” I patted his cheek before walking away from him with Rocket walking beside me.

“Okay heartbreaker she’s alone. This is our shot.” Rocket said but as we turned around, Thor was gone. “Thor? Thor!? Gah!” Rocket growled.

“Damn that god! Now what do we do?” I snarled.

“Well we could go to Plan B. And have you flirt with pretty pants. I mean at this point between the two of you, you’re the more attractive one.”

“I’m a married man, I won’t betray my wife’s trust with a woman of the past!”

“Okay, okay fine. We’ll have to improvise then. Follow me.” He walked on ahead and I followed behind.

NEW YORK 2012 MOROWA’S POV

‘Please, please.’ Bruce pleaded in his astral form.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you Bruce. If I give up the Time Stone to help your reality, I’m dooming my own.” The Ancient One said as the three of us walked along the balcony.

‘With all due respect, alright…I’m-I’m-I’m not sure the science really supports that.’ Ahh Bruce, thinking like a scientist and not believing there is an alternate way.  It was then the Ancient One created a magic stream that stretched out far and wide from either side.  The six infinity stones soon came in front of us spinning around in a circle as she explained.

“The infinity stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one of the stones…and that flow splits.” She took the Time stone out of the equation which allowed a black time stream to form another way. “Now, this may benefit your reality. But my new one, not so much. In this new branch reality….without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world will be overrun. Millions will suffer. So, tell me, Doctor. Can your science prevent all that?” At that point Bruce didn’t know what to say, but I did.

“It won’t. But we can erase it.” She turned to look at me. “You once taught me that alternate realities can be prevented if an object taken from a certain timeline is returned to its original place. Once we’re done with the stones, we can return them to the exact time point in which they were taken. So chronologically, in that reality” I grabbed the illusioned Time Stone and put it back into the circle with the other five stones which made the black stream disappear. “It never left.”

“Yes, but you’re leaving out the most important part Morowa.” She said as she walked away from us.  She walked to the edge of the balcony before turning back towards us. “In order to return the stones, you have to survive.”

“We will. I will. I will see to it that the stones get returned myself if I have to.” I assured her as I walked up to her.

“I can’t risk this reality on a vow. Even if it’s from one of my own. It’s the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to protect the Time Stone.”

“Then why the hell would Strange give it away?!” I yelled.  She looked at me stunned.

“What did you say?”

“Strange he gave it away. He gave it to Thanos!” Bruce pipped in as he walked up and stood beside me.

“Willingly?” she asked more as a demand than a question.

“Yes.” I answered.  She went silent before snapping.

“Why?”

“I have no idea. Maybe he made a mistake.” At that point she grew quiet.  She then walked right up to me, her face just inches away from mine as she whispered.

“Or I did.” She lifted her hand and made a twisting motion which sent Bruce’s hulk body back towards us and Bruce’s astral form returned to his body.  After that she stepped away and opened the Eye of Agamotto which revealed the Time Stone. She took it out and had it levitating between her index and thumb. “Strange was meant to be the best of us.”

“So he must’ve done it for a reason.” Both Bruce and I said.

“I fear you both might be right.” She then handed me the stone.  I held it in my right hand and clenched my fist over it.  I felt her hands cup my face and she said to me in a desperate tone, “I’m counting on you Morowa. We all are.” I nodded and she wrapped her arms around me.

I took in the hug for as long as I could knowing that this would be the last time I would ever see her.

“Alright come on Morowa. Let’s link up. Hopefully Tony, Steve and Scott got the Mind and Space stone.” I separated from her and I tried to tell her something about what was to come but she told me.

“No Morowa. I know of what my future is to be. Just continue being the woman I know you are. I can tell you’ve achieved great things in your time. Keep fighting, and know that I will always be with you.” I smiled sadly and as Bruce and I revealed our time suits, we linked up and Bruce counted down from three and soon we were gone.

ASGARD 2013. RAURI’S POV

Jane Foster was sound asleep in the bed and as she awoke from her sleep, Rocket peeked out the head of her bed and activate the extraction and snuck up behind her.  He hopped up onto her back which made her scream.

“Wolf boy now!” he exclaimed.  I came out and pinned her arms down and covered her mouth with my free hand.

“Shh! If you know what’s good for you you’ll stay quiet. We’re just going to extract the stone inside you.” She muffled from my hand and that’s when Rocket poked her arm with the device and soon the Reality stone went out of her body and into the device.  Once it was all out of her, she passed out and we left the room.

“Alright we got it. Now to find drunkard and—you gotta be kidding me.” Rocket said as we exited her room.  At first I don’t know what his second statement was about but that wasn’t until I looked up and saw an army of guards standing before us.

“Bugger.” I cursed.

“Get them! They’ve attacked Lady Jane!” one of them cried out.

“Run for it!” I phased into my wolf form and Rocket and I took off running.  As we ran down the corridor Rocket kept screaming out to Thor that we got it. Bloody hell at this rate, we’re not getting anywhere.

It was then I picked Rocket up by the scruff of his neck and carried him onward.

“No! No damnit not again! Put me down! First your broad and now you! I’m not a damn chew toy!”

“Get the rabbit and wolf!” I heard one of the guards proclaim.  I ran faster which left the guards in the dust.  It was then I caught Thor’s scent and I took a sharp left then a right and raced onward towards the door and slammed right through them.

“Damnit black wolf, give me warning next thing before you bust through the door like that.”

‘Be thankful I carried you when I did, otherwise you’d be a hat right about now!’ I growled through my collar.  It was then we stood before Thor and his mother. “Oh hi.” I said phasing back into my human form.  She waved at me, “You must be Queen Frigga.”

“We got the thing. Come on, we gotta move.” Rocket said as he held the device.

“Oh, I wish we had more time.” Thor said to his mum.

“No. This was a gift.” His mother said as she took his hands in his. “Now you go and be the man you’re meant to be.”

“I love you mom.”

“I love you.” The two of them hugged each other. As he stepped back his mother advised him to eat a salad.

“C’mon we gotta go.” I urged. I looked down at my time watch and counted down from three. But before I could get to one, Thor exclaimed.

“No wait!” he then held out his left hand but nothing happened.

“Wait what are—what are we looking at?” asked Rocket.

“Oh sometimes it takes a second.” It was then appearing in his hand was the famed Mjolnir hammer.  Thor laughed ecstatically and said as he held it in his hand. “I’m still worthy.”

“Oh boy.” Rocket rolled his eyes. “C’mon you two.” Our time suits reactivated and as Thor said one final farewell to his mum, Rocket finished punching in the coordinates and soon we left Asgard.

We traveled through the quantum realm before finally reaching back home to our present timeline along with everyone else. As the time suits faded away Stark asked.

“Did we get them all?”

“Are you telling me this actually worked?” asked Rhodey happily.  But it was then I notice Clint fall to his knees, his face grim and his body was soaked in water.

“Clint where’s Nat?” asked Bruce.  He didn’t respond.  Oh no. When Nebula had said that Thanos murdered her sister on Vormir, I had believed that it was an actual murder but—now I’m thinking he actually used her to get the Soul Stone, and now…..Clint had done the same thing with Natasha.

But I could tell he didn’t want to do it, Nat must’ve sacrificed herself knowing that Clint would be the one to probably do it.

Everyone was heartbroken as Bruce fell to his knees and punched the floor.

[rose-gold-romantic]

Whatever It Takes: Chapter Ten

A Loki x Reader based in the Tesseract fic universe! Avengers: Infinity War follow-up fic. Next in the Tesseract fic series. Links to Tesseract, Lokasenna, What Heroes Do, and Fidelity. Also to my AU Feel You.

I WOULD LOVE FEEDBACK! Want to be tagged in updates? Let me know!

@malignentmac @fandomsfanman @i-am-supermerwholoked221b @markusstrayya @sincereleygmg @pandaqua​ @person-born-winchester

Just a forewarning, this one has a major POV shift from the past entries, since Reader was Dusted at the end of Fidelity! Keeping with my recent trend in fic titles, it’s named after a track on the official soundtrack. I also constantly watch this Video, and recommend it to hype you up!

Steve, Tony, Bruce, Scott and I all warped to a city street not far from Avengers tower. The Chitauri had already started coming down from the portal, and Hulk could be heard smashing through the enemy in the distance.

“All right, we all have our assignments.” Steve said as we all disengaged our Quantum suits to reveal the outfits underneath. “Two stones uptown, one stone, down. Stay low. Keep an eye on the clock.”

As Steve finished his speech, 2012 Hulk came smashing through the street adjacent to us, destroying a car before leaping away. Bruce put a hand over his face, obviously embarrassed at his past self’s behavior.

“Feel free to smash things along the way.” Steve suggested.

“I think it’s gratuitous,” Bruce said, removing his shirt to more closely resemble his past self. “But whatever.”

Bruce continued to pretend to smash a car in a sarcastic manner. He lightly punched the vehicle, making a small dent, all the while making ridiculous growling noises. He picked up a motorbike and threw it at a wall, wincing as it made contact. It took a lot of my self-control to not laugh at his feigned outburst.

Steve and I began making our approach to Avengers Tower, and Tony took to the sky in his Iron Man armor, with Scott tagging along for the ride in miniature form. Steve and I sneaked into the tower, riding in an elevator up a few floors before getting out and walking down hallways I had never seen before.

“Got to hustle, Cap.” Tony said into the coms, “Things look like they’re just about wrapped up here.”

“Got it.” Steve replied, “I’m approaching the elevator now.”

“Uh, Mr. Rogers.” Tony continued, “I almost forgot that that suit did nothing for your ass.”

“No one asked you to look, Tony.” Steve sighed, causing me to smile.

“I think you look great, Cap.” Scott interjected, chipper as ever. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass.”

“Who are these guys?” Scott asked, doubtless meaning the Shield agents that Steve and I were soon to meet.

“They are Shield…Well, actually Hydra.” Tony answered. “But, we didn’t know that yet.”

“Seriously, you didn’t?” Scott said, “I mean… they look like bad guys.”

“Tell me about it.” I added, laughing.

“You’re small, but you’re talking loud.” Tony cautioned. “And I was a little more concerned with you at the time, Loki. You did just throw me out of a building.”

“Ladies.” Steve cautioned.

“Alright, you’re up, little buddy.” Tony said, “There’s our stone.”

“Alright, flick me.” Scott said.

After a moment’s pause, Tony leapt from the tower, the suit carrying him safely down.

“All right, Cap, Loki. I got our scepter in the elevator just passing the 80th floor.” Tony said as he continued down to his next destination.

“On it.” Steve said. “Head to the lobby.”

“Alright,” Tony agreed. “See you there.”

I shifted my appearance to that of a Shield agent, and followed Steve to the elevator doors. As the doors opened, the agent in charge seemed surprised to see Steve.

“Captain. I thought you were coordinating search and rescue?” he asked, bewildered.

“Change of plans.” Steve said as we entered the elevator.

“Hey, Cap.” one of the others nodded.

I looked around the elevator briefly, only to be shell shocked. (Y/N) stood in the corner, leaning against the wall with another agent offering minimal support. She looked every bit as beautiful as I had remembered her, and it took everything within me to not audibly gasp.

“I just got a call from the secretary.” Steve said, pulling my attention away from (Y/N) for a moment. “I’m gonna be running point on the scepter.”

“Sir?” the agent said, doubtful. “I don’t understand.”

“We got word that there may be an attempt to steal it.” I added, hoping that direct truth would be enough to confuse them into listening.

“I’m sorry Cap.” the agent named Rumlow said. “I can’t give you the scepter.”

“I’m gonna have to call the Director.” the first agent said, moving to pull out his phone.

“That’s okay. Trust me.” Steve said, leaning over to whisper into the agent’s ear, “Hail Hydra.”

The agents seem completely mystified. They hand over the case to Steve, and we waited for our floor to arrive. I glanced back at (Y/N) once more, who was already looking at me. I offered a brief smile, and my heart ached at my inability to say anything, or even touch her. She smiled at me warmly in return, reaching out to touch my hand. I was startled by her action, but had no time to react before our stop arrived, and Steve and I exited the elevator.

“Are you alright here?” I asked Steve, reverting back to my normal self once the elevator doors had closed once more. “There’s something else I’d like to do quickly.”

“I’ll be fine, yeah.” Steve answered. Just don’t mess anything up.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.” I said, before teleporting to the bottom of the building. I transfigured to being a Shield agent once more, only this time, I kept my real facial features and only changed my clothing. I walked into the bottom floor of the tower, watching for the elevator that (Y/N) was riding in. As they exited, only two agents guided her out, and I approached them, masking my voice.

“I’ll take her from here.” I said, gently grabbing her arm from the others.

“Affirmative.” one of the agents said, “The ambulance is waiting for her around the corner.”

The agents turned to leave, and I began walking with her. Once we were out of the building and almost to the ambulance, I stopped.

“Are you going to tell me how you managed to escape this time?” She asked, pulling the goggles away from my face.

Before I could verbally work up a response, I wrapped her up in my arms as tightly as I could without hurting her. I inhaled deeply, the floral scent of her hair instantly relaxing me.

“How did you recognise me earlier?” I asked, drinking in every second of being in her presence. “I didn’t even look like myself. How did you know it was me?”

“Your eyes.” she smiled, leaning away from me. She looked at me closer, slightly confused. “When did your hair get so long?”

“I can’t really explain.” I said, “And I can’t really stay. Just promise me you’ll be alright?”

“You… you’re not my Loki are you?” she asked. “You’re not from now, that’s how your hair is so long. Where-when are you from?”

“Always so perceptive.” I mumbled, smiling. “I’m not from now, no. But I wanted to see you again while I was here.”

��Am I not around where you’re from?” she asked, her face falling.

“Not by choice.” I answered. “But that’s why we came here, to amend that. Among other things. I have to leave now, my lo-…” I paused, catching myself. At this point, (Y/N) might not have had any real feelings for me yet, and I didn’t want to mess anything up. “I have to go. Stay safe.”

I pressed my lips firmly to her forehead, breathing her sweet scent in, wishing so strongly that I could stay. She gave me her dazzling smile, and I finished walking her to the ambulance that would take her to the hospital. As the EMTs closed the doors, my comm buzzed in my ear.

“Yes, Steve, are we ready to leave?” I asked.

“Meet us in the alley.” Steve said, his voice troubled.

I teleported there, to be met with Tony and Scott sitting in a wrecked car, and Steve pacing back and forth.

“Give me a break, Steve.” Tony said, “I just got hit in the head with a Hulk.”

“You said that we had one shot.” Steve argued. “Are there any other options with the Tesseract?”

“No, no, no. There’s no other options.” Scott said, “There’s no do-overs. We’re not going anywhere else. We have one particle left. Each. That’s it, alright? We use that… Bye, bye. You’re not going home.”

“Yeah well if we don’t try,” Steve countered, “No one else is going home, either.”

“Is there a way to get more Pym particles?” I offered, “Are there any here in New York right now?”

“None.” Scott groaned. “We screwed up. We screwed up big.”

“I got it.” Tony said, pointing to me. “There is another way. To retake the Tesseract, and acquire new particles. We’ll stroll down memory lane, Steve. Military installation, Garden State.”

“When were they both there?” Steve asked.

“They were there at a…” Tony trailed off. “I’ve got a vaguely exact idea.”

“How vague?” Steve pressed.

“What are we doing?” Scott asked, frustrated.

“And I know how I know.” Tony continued to Steve.

“Guys, what’s up?” Scott asked, “What is it?”

“Well, it looks like we’re improvising.” Steve said.

“Right.” Scott agreed. “What are we improvising?”

“You two aren’t improvising anything.” Tony said, gesturing to Steve.

Steve tossed the scepter to me, “Loki, Scott, get this to the compound.”

“Suit up.” Tony said, activating his Quantum suit. “0-4…” he began reading off numbers to Steve, which Steve repeated back as he punched them into his Quantum suit.

“Are you sure?” Scott interjected, “Cap. Captain. Steve, sorry, America. Rogers. Look, if you do this, and it doesn’t work, you’re not coming back.”

“Yea thanks for the pep talk, pissant.” Tony whined.

“Do you trust me?” Tony asked Steve.”

“I do.” Steve replied.

“Your call.”

“Here we go.” Steve said, counting off our departures.

We were sucked back into the Quantum tunnel, instantly spat back out onto the platform.

“Did we get them all?” Bruce asked, holding the time stone gingerly.

“You telling me this actually worked?” Rhodey said, removing his helmet.

My eyes came to a halt on Barton, who stood staring down, fighting down tears. One by one, everyone else noticed what was amiss.

“Clint, where’s Nat?” Bruce asked.

Clint’s silence told everyone all that they needed to know. They had completed their mission, but at a dire cost. Bruce fell to his knees, pounding the platform with his fist in grief.

After placing the stones in safe containers, we walked out to the lake next to the Compound, Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, and Bruce all choosing to mourn Natasha together on the dock.

“Do we know if she had a family?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, us.” Steve answered.

“What?” Thor asked, confused.

“I just asked him a question…” Tony replied, just as confused.

“Yea, but you’re acting like she’s dead. Why are we acting like she’s dead?” Thor asked, his anger slowly building. “We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn’t that right? So stop this shit. We’re the avengers, get it together.”

“We can’t get her back.” Clint said horsley.

“Wha-what?” Thor responded.

“It can’t be undone.” he repeated, “It can’t.”

Thor laughed dryly. “I’m sorry. No offense, but you’re a very earthly being, okay? We’re talking about space magic. “Can’t” seems very definitive, don’t you think?”

“Look, I know that I’m way outside my paygrade here, but she still isn’t here, is she?” Clint snapped back.

“Now that’s my point-”

“It can’t… be undone. Or, at least that’s what the, the red floating guy had to say.” Clint said, beginning to shout. “Maybe you wanna go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and you talk to him.”

Clint’s face fell, his voice shifting from anger to grief.

“It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed herself for that goddamned stone.” he choked out. “She bet her life on it.”

Bruce let out his first real outburst since we had began, throwing a bench across the lake. His anger spent, he turned to the rest of us with a sorrowful, resigned look across his face.

“She’s not coming back.” he sighed. “We have to make it worth it. We have to.”

“We will.” Steve confirmed.

“Let’s get this done.” Tony said, getting up and walking back to the compound.

[concussed-to-pieces]

More! Part One

Fandom: My Hero Academia/Boku No Hero Academia

Pairing: Eventual Tenya Iida/OFC

Rating: Holy shit M

AN: Hello all, it's time for the first chapter of my prime indulgence! To any of my anime-inclined broskis out there, welcome aboard!

In The Shadow

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: For gratuitous,canon-typical violence and facial trauma. Stay safe!]

Tenya had been informed time and again that college was slightly different from high school. He endured a few weeks of mental gymnastics when he realized that he wouldn’t have a uniform. College was different and yet...not. Certainly, no uniform to iron the night before and the ability to make your own schedule were boons. Nearly all of his ‘new’ classmates were old friends from high school which meant that he wasn't lacking in company, but many people didn’t seem to share Iida’s enthusiasm for continuing to better oneself even after the preliminary quirk training of high school! He wanted to be the best hero he could be, he wanted to make his family proud!

That was why he made the choice to attend college in the first place, with Tensei's wholehearted support behind him. He knew that any time he wanted it, he could have a job at his family’s hero agency. So why not be the best possible fit for his future job? Tenya was incredibly fortunate to have a secure career, and he took his studies very seriously.

Leona Moore wasn’t a troublemaker, though the way that she dressed had set off warning bells in Tenya’s brain. It was the pants, he decided, the overlarge cargo pants that had too many pockets. She was notoriously early for her classes, sometimes by an hour or so. Tenya admired her dedication, consistently fifteen minutes ahead of schedule himself. She always had a lollipop stick protruding from her mouth, her shoulders hunched slightly underneath the leather jacket she usually wore. She couldn’t seem to decide on whether she wanted to make herself seem larger or smaller, her clothes all slightly too big for her frame and her jokes never failing to make Kirishima snort with laughter at the worst possible times.

Her quirk made her a little touch-shy, Izuku had kindly pointed out to Tenya when Iida was confused over her standoffish behavior during their warm up period before general training. “She’s had to be pretty careful, Iida. She didn’t learn how to use her quirk until halfway through high school. Before that, she didn’t even know she had one!” Iida could only imagine how volatile the situation for that revelation must have been, seeing as she had a quirk that doubled the power of any kinetic force she withstood.

She also had control, seeming to have mastered the ability to turn it off and on at will. Tenya's misguided pity had turned into genuine admiration after watching her perform in their college sports festival. Granted, next to the explosive display of Bakugou versus Ururaka or the emotional minefield of Todoroki and Deku's battle, Leona's bout wouldn't stand out overmuch to the average viewer.

Leona had been paired up against Mineta, who made the fatal mistake of immediately pelting her with his ammunition in an attempt to incapacitate her. The kinetic energy from his rapid-fire slinging seemed to send her into overdrive, the young woman slamming an uppercut to his jaw that landed him in the lower stands. One punch, and the round was over. Iida silently approved of the way she had turned and bowed to the crowd before leaving the field. As a hero, one of many priorities would be to end fights quickly and decisively. Another one was courtesy to bystanders and officials-

...

How strange, he mused, thinking about her at a time like this. His rage continued to boil and yet…

He closed his eyes. Just for a minute. God, it was strange. Would she be proud of him? Proud of his rabid behavior? What about his family? Fear lanced through Tenya's heart, the first he had felt in ages. What if his parents lost him to this ill-advised fight? What if...what if this was the end?

The blade in his shoulder twisted sharply and Tenya bit back a sound of pain. He refused to show any more weakness to this monster, regardless of what he might endure.

“Hey, what the hell are you doin' to my class rep?!”

Tenya's eyes shot open. No. That's-

“You've got the nerve of a bull elephant if you're takin’ on ‘Genium. Who do you think you are?!”

“Run More! Get away from here!” Tenya yelled. “He’s got some kind of paralysis quirk, don't let him get close to you!”

Stain grunted, obviously a little startled by the young woman's abrupt presence. From what Tenya could see out of the corner of his eye, his classmate Leona (hero name More for reasons he had yet to discern) looked red in the face like she’d been running for a while. Her shoulders were still heaving up and down even while she raised her fists.

“You're another trainee. Interesting.” Stain remarked, almost as if he was talking to himself. “So you're also from the college. And you called him the class rep, which means he and you are in the same classes.”

“Mind like a steel trap on ya’.” Leona replied dryly. “Any other obvious insight you want to share, or can I beat the shit out of you now?”

Tenya bit back the reflexive shout of language!, shocked out of his impotent bloodlust by how brazen his classmate was being. It was an admirable strategy. Or at least, it would have been if she actually had backup.

“Another fake hero who needs to be cleansed from the planet.” Stain eased his blade out of Tenya's arm agonizingly slow.

“Thanks, but I'm plenty clean. Took a shower this mornin’ and everything. The name's More, and I'm no fake!” Leona called to Tenya then, her voice sharp with poorly-concealed worry. “How you holdin’ up, Calf Crusher?”

Tenya groaned. Her nicknames never ceased to send the class into fits. “I can't move. I'll be no help at all. He's just going to kill you. Why did you interfere?”

“You've gotta' be shittin’ me right now, Rep. Like I would just stand by and watch you get fucked? What kind of friend would that make me?” She sounded incredulous. If Tenya didn't know any better, she actually sounded a little irritated.

“One that keeps living, that's what kind!” Tenya snapped. We're barely friends! his mind added traitorously.

Leona pounded her fist into her palm and then jerked her hands up in a way oddly reminiscent of how Iida would move when he was excited. “I know who this guy is. More importantly, I know who you are and I figured out what you were up to when you picked Hosu for your internship. It's okay.” She reassured him.

You're going to die. “I'm begging you. Please leave.”

“I'm not gonna’ let you degrade yourself by beggin’ me, bud.” Leona retorted. “Second oldest son, heir to the Ingenium name, badass extraordinaire and all around decent dude, shut the fuck up and let me do what I can to make sure you can keep doing the best that you can!” She all but shouted, leaving Tenya speechless as Stain stepped over his body.

“‘More’, huh? Why, because you're always trying to be the best? Maybe because you want to protect more people. At least, that's what you would say, right?” Stain sneered, brandishing his sword.

“No way man! ‘More’ because the more the merrier when it comes to me!” She shot right back, that teasing grin firmly fixed on her face. “I may not be fast or smart like ‘Genium...hell, I'm not even all that special compared to the other people in my class, but I'm still here!” Tenya's eyes widened as she advanced on Stain, extending a hand. “I look forward to apprehending you, sir!”

“You'll be fun to kill.” Stain lashed out a second too late, Leona barely ducking his blade in time. “Another false hero, proud to wear the title and unwilling to do the damn dirty work that comes with it!”

“I feel like this is pretty dirty work right now.” She pointed out, catching his next strike with her gloved hand and grunting at the impact against the padding of her gloves. “Whew, a little harder next time and you'll take me down for sure!” She encouraged sarcastically, twisting the blade and coming close to ripping it clean out of the villain's grasp. She was so focused on his sword that the knife thrown at her arm caught her by surprise.

Stain’s speed and raw power were devastating. The blade sank deep, so deep, too deep. Tenya's brother in that hospital bed was burned into his mind, I can't feel my legs I can't feel my legs. “More!” Tenya had thought he felt helpless before, but it was now multiplied tenfold. “Damn it, I told you to run!”

“It shouldn't be too tough to keep him here until the pros arrive. I'm in for the long haul, Calf Crusher. Don't worry.” Leona said calmly, her rational words only serving to confuse the engine hero. She was built to take hits and he had never witnessed any particularly mindblowing strategies from her. Maybe he had written her off too soon. Maybe-

Stain rushed her, that deadly sword smeared red with Iida's blood. Moore jerked the knife out of her arm and used it to hastily deflect the worst of the cut from the sword away from her torso, snagging the blade under her arm instead. Stain drew another knife, this one serrated, and slashed at her face with it. One of the teeth on the knife caught the edge of her mouth and split it open nearly to her cheekbone. Leona staggered back, holding her cheek.

Stain turned up the pressure, releasing his sword momentarily in favor of cracking a fierce punch into her wounded face. Blood spattered from the impact, Stain's knuckles that sick red. “That all you got? Gimme’ more!” Moore slurred through her broken mouth, that infuriating grin still-

Oh. Tenya felt like an idiot. She was the endurance hero. She absorbed punishment like it was oxygen, a kinetic battery that could only be charged by violent outbursts. And when she decided to strike back, she doubled the output...but her body had limits, he had seen them in action during training. Midoriya had given her a kick at her request and instead of explosively discharging the extra power, she just passed out.

His heart slammed in his throat. If she pushed herself too hard, Stain wouldn't even have to do anything.

She swung at the hero killer and the doubled power of her blow threw him to slam his back into the alley wall. Stain wheezed for breath, clearly confused by the force behind her hit. “Just who the hell are you?” He panted.

“Beat me an’ maybe you'll learn.” Blood was spilling between her gritted teeth, running in a brilliant trail down her chin to drip off the bottom of her jaw. She was smiling like a fiend.

“I've never met anyone so eager to die.” Stain grimaced, rotating his shoulder and then shaking it out.

Tenya heard a strange crackling noise, almost like electricity. Midoriya rocketed over his head and bounded off the walls of the alleyway, a green missile with fist extended to crash into Stain. “Smash!” He yelled. Green energy, lightning, whatever it was it was blanketing his body. The Hero Killer was flung further back in the alley from the impact. Izuku skidded to a halt beside Moore, shaking his hand and hissing in pain. “Sorry I took so long!” He said brightly, like he hadn't just given the man responsible for killing a multitude of heroes the most thunderous of haymakers. “How you doing?”

“Take care of ‘Genium. He can't move, help him get out of here!” Leona said urgently.

Tenya refused to meet Midoriya's eyes, ashamed at how his own filled with frustrated tears. Midoriya reached for him and then went stiff. Tenya's heart fell into his stomach when he noticed the small tear in Midoriya’s glove and the blood blotting the fabric. Just enough. “Uh...I can't...move either?” Midoriya muttered slowly.

Tenya watched Leona freeze as well, her arms grinding to a halt. “Stain, your fight is with me! Leave them alone!” Tenya yelled, his voice cracking.

Further down the alleyway Stain grinned, giving his knife another lick. “I think I'd rather play with your friends. At least they landed hits on me. Unlike you. How does it feel to know that this is entirely your fault, fake hero?”

An ugly noise of agony fought free of Iida, rasping in his throat like sandpaper. It was true, wasn't it? Tensei worked so hard because Tenya believed in him, looked up to him, and the eldest Iida wanted to make his little brother proud. If Tenya hadn't been such a child, maybe…maybe his big brother wouldn't have tried so hard to rid the world of injustice. Maybe his big brother would still be able to walk. Fake hero.

And his classmates, friends, tangled up in this mess because of him! Midoriya crouched so close and yet so far away, his eyes darting around as he tried to figure out where Stain would come from. Moore, frozen in place with her back to the two of them while she was forced to face down the Hero Killer. “I'm so sorry.” Tenya breathed finally.

“Don't apologize! I should be apologizing. I should have gotten you to talk to me after what happened to your brother.” Midoriya looked tearful. “I should have said something. I just didn't want to pressure you. I'm sorry I'm a bad friend.”

Tenya was at a loss for words, losing his ability to stave off the tears streaming down his face.

Flames suddenly illuminated the whole alley, the gout of fire threatening to cook Tenya in his armor. “Next time you send your location, give a little more info.” It was Todoroki! And he was using his left side! Tenya was aghast. How many acquaintances had his blind rage dragged to this slaughter?

“Easy! I think you singed my hair!” Midoriya fussed at the icy hot hero. “That was all I had time to send!”

Stain hammered a fist into Moore's side, making the endurance hero spit out a mouthful of blood. Her arm wound up for a swing of her own, body sluggishly chugging forward like she was moving through molasses. The fact that she could move at all, though-! Was it because she absorbed the momentum from his hits? Or was Stain’s control weaker the more people it was spread across? Tenya found himself pondering the ins and outs of the man's quirk even as Stain pummeled Moore. She was defenseless, where was the honor in this?! Tenya's fingers twitched, uselessly tapping the cracked blacktop.

Todoroki drove Stain away from Moore with a combination attack, fire and ice arcing through the air as he switched rapidly. Leona slid one foot back, then the other, spitting more blood off to the side and slowly raising her arms in a defensive move. “Icy Hot, you-”

“I know. Keep my distance. Shouldn't be too difficult.” The flames on Todoroki's left side burned even brighter. “I'm not one hundred percent comfortable with my fire yet, but I can't deny its applications here.”

“How many children will throw themselves upon my blade tonight?” Stain cackled incredulously. “Bad enough that your friend in the armor didn't have the brains to run and get help just like his stupid brother, but now the rest of you feed yourselves to me!” He shook his head. “This next generation of heroes gets weaker and weaker. At least I'm lessening the workload on your professors.”

“You be quiet!” Iida shouted, fingers digging into the asphalt. “Ingenium was the model hero, the perfect example of selflessness and respect for others that a villain like you couldn’t possibly understand! I'll never forgive you for hurting my brother!” He screamed, able to move his neck now so he could look up at Stain while he issued his ultimatum. He didn't care how idiotic he must look, barely managing to wiggle his fingers while he yelled his fury at this man, this villain, this monster who had fractured his family.

“You're selfish. Dragging your friends into this fight because of your petty need for revenge. You're the furthest thing from a hero. You're a weakling.” Stain sheathed his sword, drawing two smaller knives instead and lunging at Todoroki and Moore.

“Don’t listen to him!” Midoriya said fiercely, somehow already able to move again! Was Tenya really that weak? Or was Stain’s quirk overpowering him because he had been the first one hit? “He’s just-”

“No. He's completely correct.” Tenya cut him off dully, clenching his hand into a fist. “If I hadn't been so consumed with this...if I had just been stronger, maybe…” Emotion closed his throat.

“Knock it off!” Leona yelled, startling him with the fury in her tone. “You don't need to be a fuckin’ martyr, Iida! What good does it do your brother if you get your ass killed?” Her voice was rough, words hard to understand through the injury she had sustained. “Think about how your parents will feel, and especially think about how your brother will feel! We're here to help, Rep, but you gotta’ take our hand!”

“Ingenium wouldn't give up!” Todoroki continued where she left off. “Be Ingenium! Get up and fight!”

As though a switch had been flipped, feeling surged through Tenya's arms and legs. Pins and needles so harsh it made him wince, and it was nothing compared to the pain in his limp arm, but he was up, he was up-

He staggered to his feet, splaying his stance just to stay vertical.

Stain hacked Midoriya’s leg out from beneath him after barely avoiding another Smash and then rushed Todoroki, nimbly dodging the fire and ice attacks in an attempt to bring that sword down on Todoroki's left arm, he would sever it clean at his shoulder-

Tenya felt like everything shifted to quarter-speed. Leona's fingers grasped desperately at Todoroki's shirt to try and pull him out of the way in time. She was still too slow, still sapped by the hero killer's quirk. Shoto's eyes went wide in realization, the young man attempting to recoil backwards away from the blade. Midoriya was yelling something, Todoroki's name no doubt, tears shining in his eyes.

Tenya's breathing echoed in his ears. In, out, in--

The engines in his calves came roaring to life in a glorious rush of Reciproburst! and without a thought for his own safety, Tenya was there between Todoroki and that sword. His armored knee shattered the blade before he whipped his whole body around via bicycle kick and re-aimed his leg at Stain's side. The hit made landfall accompanied by a shower of blue sparks from the heat of his engines, essentially drop-kicking the villain out of midair.

Stain was flung head over heels. Iida stumbled as his right leg gave out, clumsily dropping to one knee. His engines sputtered to a halt, shudders of pain from his calves flickering over the all-encompassing agony in his wounded arm. Fleetingly he wondered if he had ruptured something in his frenzy.

“Iid-Ingenium!” Todoroki shoved the larger man behind him and issued another burst of flame, barely warding off the rallying villain in time. “He’s fighting like a rabid animal. Be careful!”

“Give me a good kick, ‘Genium!” Leona suggested eagerly. “I'll get his ass back down to ground level so you and the others can wreck him!”

“My Reciproburst shot my engines and I don’t think a regular punch would offer you sufficient damage, I've overheated and I need more…time...” Iida paused, his eyes narrowing as a thought occurred to him. “Todoroki! Can you freeze my legs without plugging my exhausts?”

Todoroki opened his mouth to reply and Stain roared in outrage, bolting through Todoroki's flames in the distraction for another attack on the icy hot hero. Tenya and Moore moved at the same time, Tenya extending his good arm in front of Todoroki’s chest to offer him the protection of his armor while Leona rushed forward to fight Stain one on one. “You're in the way!” Stain snarled at them, leaping backwards up the icy pillars Todoroki had created.

A folding knife found its mark in Tenya's upper arm after penetrating his armor and he gritted his teeth in pain, doing his best to hold fast. “Todoroki please-!” A larger serrated knife followed the first, slamming into Tenya's forearm so hard he was forced prone. The wind was knocked out of him by his abrupt change in posture and Tenya choked for breath, still bewildered by the Hero Killer's power and tenacity.

“Iida!” Todoroki actually stopped his elemental attacks on Stain in favor of reeling back his fire-wreathed fist and whacking a heated punch into Moore's shoulder (to Tenya's dismay). Leona laughed (also to Tenya's dismay), easily accepting the blow while the air began to reek of smoldering cloth and lycra. Todoroki quickly slapped his other hand down on the burning area of her vest, extinguishing the heat before it could get out of hand.

“Just freeze my legs!” Iida yelled, startled by the fierce cry Moore let out before she lunged upwards at the retreating Stain.

A distraction, a distraction, he realized suddenly, take the punishment and double it to give us time. Please Leona!

Midoriya was back up again, limping badly. Cold ripped at the armor covering Tenya's calves, the frigid temperature almost too much to bear. This was an incredible risk he was taking, pushing on past the natural boundaries that his quirk and familial training had instilled. He hadn’t had enough time to recover naturally from his last Reciproburst. If something gave out under the strain, he would be incapable of defending himself.

It didn't matter. Tenya felt his engines choke, sputter, and then rev wildly. His left arm was useless at this point. He used his teeth to pull out the knife in his right, retching at the sour taste of old blood on the handle. Both arms were effectively unusable.

It didn't matter. He would use his legs. As long as Leona could land a hit that would get Stain off-balance enough for himself (and possibly Midoriya, but it might be presumptuous to rely on him) to capitalize on, that was all that he could ask for.

Iida stood, bending his legs at the knees as he prepared to leave the ground. Leona wisely aimed at the building directly beneath where Stain had jabbed the remaining stub of his sword in to perch, the doubled power from Todoroki's hit easily crushing the cement to instability. Thank God the buildings were long abandoned. Stain at least picked fights far away from where people would frequent, isolating his victims. A solitary, fiendish predator.

Iida crouched as low as he could, his exhausts glowing bright blue with the horsepower he was putting out. A new word came to mind.

“Recipro-” The engines in his calves stalled and keened, out of sync with one another as the ice dissolved into rivulets of moisture on the heated surface of his armor. “-extend!” He left the ground behind, a cloud of dust billowing in his wake.

If I just…

Tenya rocketed towards Stain, his eyes locked on the villain.

...use my leg…

He was vaguely aware of Midoriya out of the corner of his blurred vision, a brilliant streak of verdant green that seemed to hang in midair perpendicular to his path of upward motion.

...that's all I need…

His knee threatened to hyperextend even with his armor to brace him. Iida squinted fiercely and gritted his teeth.

...to beat this guy!

Midoriya’s fist planted in Stain's jaw the same time Iida's foot crashed into the villain's unprotected side. The impact rang in Tenya's ears, metal on cloth on skin on metal, high reverberations that sent shivers down his back.

Even after that tandem strike, the conniving villain still managed to swipe wildly at Tenya with one of his many knives. Tenya barely moved his head in time, feeling the blade just catch on the top of his dark locks. He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the fact that the three of them were now rapidly returning to the ground. Izuku started scrabbling at the wall, trying to grab a handhold.

“I will defeat you Stain!” Iida shouted passionately. “Because you are a criminal, and I am a hero!” His second kick didn't miss the free-falling villain either, cracking into Stain’s side so hard Tenya could feel the older man’s ribs collapse as they plummeted towards Todoroki and Leona in the alley far, far below.

Arms locked around Tenya's hips and Leona pushed off the wall in an abrupt redirection, moving Tenya so Todoroki could have a clear shot at the villain. How had she jumped so high, so fast?! She skidded to a stop on a pillar of ice that Shoto had made, still holding tight to Tenya’s waist. Iida shifted his weight as low as he could, trying to help so they wouldn’t go over the edge. His legs felt like gelatin, like they would fold underneath him, and he was immensely grateful for her strong hold on his armor.

Shoto's mastery of ice was intimidating enough up close and personal, but his barely-controlled flames were a sight to see. Tenya supposed it probably had to do with man's deep-seated primal terror involving fire, if he had to chalk it up to something. A massive fireball engulfed Stain, missing Midoriya by the barest of inches.

“Deku!” Leona yelled, sighing in relief when the young hero gave her a thumbs up and a wavering smile from his own slippery perch.

“Get up and keep fighting, you three! I doubt that was enough to…” Todoroki trailed off, his eyes widening in confusion. Stain had crash landed on yet another of his icy plateaus, the villain’s eyes rolled back in his skull. He looked like he had been knocked unconscious.

Is he dead?

Tenya hated the sick, joyous thrill that sang up his spine at the thought. He had been so selfish, so blinded in his fury that he believed his actions righteous. It was terrifying that he could so coldly rationalize the taking of another human being’s life, even one so horrible as the Hero Killer! He would never forgive himself if his own mistakes had urged Todoroki forward into doing the unthinkable.

Moore went limp against Tenya’s back, her relief palpable. “Icy Hot, I think we’re all going to need an assist at this point.” She slurred. “I’ve lost...a lot of blood. Head wounds, you know the drill.”

“Your mouth! Moore, are you-”

“I think he knocked out one of my teeth?” She mumbled over Tenya’s frantic question, moving to sit beside him and then carelessly dragging the flap of skin from the split side of her mouth aside (presumably so she could count her own teeth). Tenya fought a wave of nausea at her rough actions, thankful that at least the destroyed side of her face was outside his limited field of vision. His own pain and injuries he could take in stride, but someone else’s because of him was…

He didn’t care for the sensation at all.

Todoroki eased them to the ground through careful manipulation of his quirk, until finally the three heroes and one villain were safely down. Stain had indeed been knocked unconscious, but whether by the punch, kicks or outright fireball was anyone’s guess. Shoto wasted little time securing the villain with some clothesline he found in a dumpster, practically mummifying the older man with the half-frayed rope.

“We need to get him to the street. The pros and the police should be able to handle it from here.” Todoroki said calmly.

“I can drag him!” Tenya offered immediately, taken aback when Todoroki shot him an incredulous look.

“Have you forgotten about your arms, Iida? What will you drag him with?” Shoto deadpanned. Tenya deflated a little. He had almost forgotten the beating he had taken, if he was being honest. Adrenaline.

Moore’s snicker was a half-hearted gurgle at best, the endurance hero scooping Midoriya up onto her back and starting the slow limp to the street. “C’mon Calf Crusher, let’s get you home. I’m sure your pros are really worried about you guys.”

Iida trailed silently after his classmates (friends, he reminded himself), flushed with shame. Moore hung back for a second, letting him come up alongside her and Midoriya.

“Hey, you know that this isn’t your fault, right?” She murmured as best as she could. “I would have done the same thing no matter who the hero killer was going after.”

“I wish I had said something at the train station that day.” Midoriya whimpered. “I could tell that you were hurting, Iida, but I just...I didn’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.”

Iida shook his head dejectedly. “Don’t apologize to me, Midoriya. It’s not your responsibility to look out for my emotional wellbeing. I ought to have better control over my-”

“As your friends, it’s absolutely our responsibility! We need to pay attention to each other in this line of work, Iida!” Midoriya actually interrupted him. “You never know...you never know what could be the thing that pushes someone over their edge! You’ve always been there for the whole class since high school and the one time you needed us, we weren’t there for you!” Izuku was always so passionate about hero work, throwing himself headfirst towards any new challenge they faced. It should be no surprise to Iida that he would have a speech prepared for this situation.

So why were tears blurring his vision further? Tenya tried to no avail to wipe them away with his limp arm, ending up smearing blood across his cheek instead. Moore clicked her tongue at him (an impressive feat in and of itself due to the wounding of her oral cavity), pausing in her forward motion to dig in her pocket and tug out a red bandanna. “Never know when you’ll need a field dressing.” She shrugged, using the cloth to clumsily mop at Iida’s face. “There. That’s better. Look a little less damp.”

“I’m relatively certain that I’m the furthest thing from ‘less damp’ right now. But…” Tenya hesitated, unsure if this was overstepping a classmate or coworker boundary. “Thank you for your, er, concern. I will...do my best to rectify this grave error in judgement.” His bow was, as ever, perfect. “I humbly beg your forgiveness.”

“You don’t need to, Tenya.” Moore using his first name snapped Iida’s eyes up, the large man startled. She gave him a thumbs up and a grin that was a wince, her facial expression a little more kindly than he was used to seeing on her despite the gruesome flap of skin that hung from her cheek. “Let’s go, dude.”

“Will you pull yourself together? You’re the class rep. You're practically our mascot.” Todoroki complained, the hint of a smile tugging at his mouth.

Gratitude closed Tenya’s throat and he nodded hurriedly, trying to blink back the fresh wave of tears.

[scarletjedi]

Do all the fanfic asks you haven't yet! (And for ones that require a specific fic, go with your original stor ♡)

Cut for length

things that inspire you: Good writing in other people

things that motivate you: panic, fear, love

name three favorite writers: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Gail Simone

name three authors that were influential to your work and tell why:  J K Rawling was a real inspiration as this book, loooooong ago, began life as a HP fanfic. Samuel Delaney was a major influence mostly because he was my graduate advisor and gave me some of the realist writing advice that I'm only now coming to understand. PG Wodehouse taught me how prose could be like poetry--and be cutting and funny at the same time. (Pratchett did the same thing, but I read Jeeves first)li>

since how long do you write? I’ve been writing since I was very wee, with a dedication to writing for publication since I was 16, and a dedication to improving my craft since I was 18 or so. 

how did writing change you? It gave me a greater appreciation of script, and a greater appreciation of the way language works. Anything other than that, I’m not sure because it’s been me for so long. *shrug*

I’ve already answered this :P

what time are you most productive? Morning, which means vacations are not productive because I sleep in. 

do you set yourself deadlines? Nope. When I do, I don’t meet them and it spirals. 

how do you do your researches? google, usually. For something more complicated, I have access to several different academic libraries :D

do you listen to music when writing? I do and I don’t. I do when I need to focus, and I don’t when I can’t focus. I try, and if it doesn’t work I shut it off. 

favorite place to write: My office

hardest character to write: My protagonist, Chris. He’s the main focus, so he has to be perfectly executed, and there’s a lot of pressure. 

easiest character to write: Jamie, his romantic interest. He sprang fully formed into my brain, and he’s a delight. 

hardest verse to write: 3rd? 

easiest verse to write: 1st!

favorite AU to write: TIME TRAVEL AU

favorite pairing to write: Jamie/Chris (my main pairing)

favorite fandom to write: right now, I’m diggin Star Wars - it’s been a love for so long. But I miss LOTR, and I’m trying hard to get the next chapter of WAMW out. 

favorite character to write: Katie, the protag’s little sister. (she’s 16)

least favorite character to write:  Pat, the dad. 

favorite story you’ve ever written: fanfic - Comes Around Again, though Old Man Luke is creepin’ in and I have a fondness for Pineapple. Original fic, I’ve got a porn ficlet called “Thanksgiving” that may see light sometime soon. 

least favorite story you’ve ever written: It’s not that it’s my least favorite, but I posted “Love Letters” before I was completely happy with it, and it twitches sometimes. 

favorite scene you’ve ever written: In fic: Bilbo recounting the Winter in CAA. In my book: interviewing The Beast. :D

favorite line you’ve ever written: “Everyone in the room wants to fuck me,” Jamie said airily, his smile sharp. “Lesser mortals use Tinder, now.”

story you’re most proud of: Comes Around Again, the BEAST

best review you ever got: I was told my fic, “Drowned in Moonlight” said *exactly* what someone wanted to say, they just couldn’t find the words. 

worst review you ever got: i was told CAA moving towards the movie ‘verse was lazy writing and they “thought better of me” 

favorite story/poem of another author: Sansukh - god, that last chapter killed me. 

hardest part of writing - getting it out initally. 

easiest part of writing - Revision

alternate title for (insert story title) - My book has had several titles, all terrible. It’s currently “The Beast” but it has been both “Weather Magic” and “Breaking” 

alternate ending for (insert story title) the original ending of the book involves a cross-country escape and a full-scale battle. it’s scaled back now, and better for it. 

alternate pairing for (insert story title) - there has never been another pairing for my original fic. Pineapple could also be Obi-Wan/Rex or Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon/Rex

single story or multi-part story? MULTI

one-shot or multi-chaptered story? MULTI

canon or AU? depends on the AU. GIVE ME TIME TRAVEL

do you reread your own stories? On occasion. sometimes, the story I really want, is the story I wrote. 

do you want to be published some day? VERY BADLY. 

which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series. I’d love to see my book on TV. My wife and I talk about fancasts all the time. I think Netflix could do it - they’d make it gay enough without the gratuitous violence (HBO). That being said, the fact that CAA wont be filmed PAINS me. 

one song that captures (insert story title): Uuuhhhh….

do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind? I write from an idea, whatever it is, then I plan a bit, then I write between main points. 

would you ever write a sequel for (insert fic title here) My original work is the first in a series. :D

do you write linear or do you write future scenes if you feel like it? I write out of order. Usually, I have an idea, then a moment later in the work (like the climax) that I write out, then i fill in the blanks. 

share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet: BOY DISCOVERS MAGIC IS REAL, the Gods are real, and the world is about to end. Also, he’s bisexual. 

share a scene of a story that you haven’t published yet: Meet my main boys:

Chris sighed, knocking his knuckles against the car window. “You gonna tell me where we’re going, yet?” he asked. Jamie tapped his lips with his finger, humming, and Chris rolled his eyes. “I will hit you,” he said, mild.  

“Sure, why not.” Jamie said at last, and ran his hands over his steering wheel in a quick, practice move. “We’re looking for Burnt Mill Road.”

“Oh, that’s not ominous,” Chris muttered. He squinted to try and make out the writing on the street signs as they passed, but was hard to see; Mid-August rain had soaked the roads, and now it rose as a lingering, ground-hugging fog. That, combined with what felt like two-hundred percent humidity, meant that the letters of the street signs blurred in the headlights and didn’t come into focus until just as they were passing by.

Jamie grinned, his dimples casting shadows in the scruff on his cheeks. It was too short for a beard, but Jamie made sure to keep the edges trimmed like the vain peacock he was. Fuck him, if it didn’t look good on him. Adult. “Are you scared?” Not that he acted like one.

“No,” Chris said, strangled, and he winced. He wasn’t, really, but there would be no way of convincing Jamie that when his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “How many time have we done this shit? Have I ever been scared.”

Jamie barked out a laugh. “Every. Time.”

Chris sighed. Every. Single. Time. “I’m not scared, I’m cautious.”

“Uh huh,” Jamie said dryly, chancing a glance over at Chris. “Did caution check the flashlights three times? Did caution make me wait half ’n hour while his phone charged?” HIs voice dropped, like he was in on a secret, and he glanced down at Chris’s lap. “Is caution wearing your lucky underwear?”

Chris’s mouth twisted, and he sucked on a tooth. “It’s practical,” Chris ground out.

“You fucking are,” Jamie said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you just admitted it. What’s practical about lucky underwear?”

“Not that!” Chris said, rolling his eyes. He was, in fact, wearing his lucky underwear. They were comfortable, okay? But there was no need for Jamie to know that. “I meant the phone.”  

“Yeah,” Jamie snorted. “If we get a flat tire, not for ghosts.”

Chris looked out the window, conceding the point. He folded his arms. “How do you even know what underwear I’m wearing?” he grumbled.

Jamie sighed, overly put-upon. “Hello?” he said, sing-song, and rolled his hand to gesture at himself. “Gay. What do you think gay-dar is?”

“Knowing who in the room would fuck you?” Chris offered, shooting Jamie a lopsided grin.

“Everyone in the room wants to fuck me,” Jamie said airily, his smile sharp. “Lesser mortals use Tinder, now.” Chris laughed, finally, and Jamie’s grin brightened.  

They drove on, and Jamie ended up behind a boxy old Chrysler, its back end covered in bumper stickers that had been bleached white in the sun. One of them was one of those ribbon magnets, but Chris couldn’t tell which cause it supported. Maybe it supported all of them, or none of them. Schrodinger’s ribbon. A street sign caught his eye, and he frowned.

“How many “Pine” streets are even in Jersey?”

“All of ‘em,” Jamie answered without pause.

Chris crocked his head, still looking out the window. They passed a sign that said Welcome to Atco. What was in Atco? He pulled out his phone, and typed “haunted Atco” in the search bar. Loading. Loading. Loading. Fucking 3G. “All of the streets are called ‘Pine’? or all the streets called ‘Pine?’ are in Jersey?”

Jamie hummed. “I stand by my earlier statement.”

“I request clarification,” Chris said, closing the app and darkening his phone.

“Request denied.”

“Ass,” Chris said, with a crooked smile.

“Ginger.”

how many unfinished ideas/stories are you working on at the same time?: 7!

three spoilers for (insert story title): The boy gets the boy, the Beast Speaks, HE CAN FLY

open question to the writer: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS I’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER AN HOUR!!