#oh yeah i will say i did have to take quite a bit of liberty with the audio in order to do what i wanted. forgive me

[abstractfrog]

Happy 1 year anniversary to Mr Sherlock Holmes! Here's a litttleee celebratory comic from me

[shysuccubusstuff]

Comfort with Sylus

Content: SFW stuff + boyfriend! Sylus + Vulnerable! Reader + Non proof-reading

Note: I just kind of love the option of the tete a tete cause he's just so sweet. I chose not to add an actual topic so thesfw reader was able to feel the liberty of imagining them telling him everything, I hope it was the correct choice!

You opened the door to your house, the sound of your keys left in the small table at the entrance. Today had been a rough day, moving from one side to another without even having a break to eat something. Not only that, but the ambience in your work was quite tense, with the holidays just ending, most of them were still getting prepared, with your boss constantly checking everyone's work and complaining about the most minimal thing, making everyone feel too uncomfortable to even rest for a bit. Just as you let yourself fall on top of your mattress, your phone started to vibrate, with your face still planted against the cushions, you lazily picked up the call, not even bothering to check who was calling.

"Guess who?"

"...Hello?" Your voice clearly denoted your current mood, as the voice on the other side quickly softened.

"It seems my kitten is exhausted, let me guess, a rough day in your work?" You answered with a deep sigh, the velvety voice on the other side making you relax, almost enough to get you to fall asleep. "I can't just ignore the weariness on you, give me a few minutes. I will send Mephisto while I get ready." Without allowing you to say anything else, the call ended.

Just as you were about to fall asleep, you heard a small knock in your window, too lazy to move, you stayed there, your whole body still limp as you soon stopped hearing the knock in your glass. Sligthly confused, you were about to lift your face, when suddenly two strong arms lifted you up, the warmth of his arms making you feel even more cozy making you nuzzle against his chest as an attempt to keep him from moving away. "Oh? This is something quite rare, my kitten with her guard completely down." Before you could even think of a come-back, Sylus' hand started to pet your head with a slow and caring emotion, almost as if he was afraid of breaking you. "No need to answer, let me take care of everything." With that said, Sylus started to walk towards your bathroom, using only one of his hands to put the plug of the bathtub, then opening the faucet, to finally choose the bath products you always used, his arm firmly keeping you lifted as he did all of this. Sylus then let you sit on top of the bathroom sink, his hands slowly undoing your buttons, then moving to your lower half, carefully folding them on top of your basket of dirty laundry. His arms once again wrapped around your waist, your body slowly entering into the warm water allowing the tension in your body to loosen up bit by bit as Sylus allowed you to lay inside the tub. "Much better now, let me shampoo your hair." Sylus took the bottle of shampoo, opening it and taking a few drops, his fingers starting to massage your scalp as he hummed a song only the two of you knew. After he ended, he took the small bottle of conditioner, starting to spread it only on the tips of your hair. As he let the two of them act, he took the sponge, rubbing it all over your body with extreme care, sometimes leaving soft kisses all over your body as he kept cleaning it.

"Sylus, you don't have to--" Sylus stopped you mid-sentence, one of his hands caressing your hair as he hushed you down.

"It's alright, kitten. Everyone needs to be taken care of from time to time, just let me do it for you, yeah?" His honeyed voice got you to relax once again, allowing him to keep scrubbing your body clean, finally getting you out of the shower after he made sure to get rid of all the shampoo and conditioner, rinsing the water before he wrapped your body around the already warmed bathrobe. As soon as he got you all ready, he got you to sit once again on the small stool, checking to get your hair all nice and dry before he took you once again in his arms, carrying you back to your bed, not letting you down until he made sure to let you all cuddled in bed. After kissing your forehead, he moved away for a few minutes, searching around your wardrobe for some clothes he had left the last time he had slept there. As soon as he changed clothes he quickly entered the bed, hugging you completely in his homely embrace, his comforting scent causing your eyes to swell up. "Now, would you like to talk about what is bothering you?" You clenched one of your hands around the fabric of his clothes, a knot forming in your throat as you tried to get the words out of my mouth.

"I... I just-- I don't know, it's everything I guess?" Sylus hands kept stroking your back, not saying a word until you had gotten everything out of your chest.

So you finally did, you started to cry in his arms as he kept moving his hands up and down your back as a way to comfort you as you began to speak about everything that was bothering you, from the small things like not getting the sweet little treat you wanted to much bigger topics, with Sylus constantly reassuring you each time you started to doubt telling him some stuff, after all, maybe it was you just being dramatic. But he stood there, surrounding you with his embrace and allowing you to be as vulnerable as you wanted. After all, you were lying in the arms of the most dangerous man in Linkon city, not only that, but a man that would give up everything he ever got just to get you to smile once more.

[hyunnie04]

“i smell something burning.” you sniff, poking your head through the bright room. seungmin and felix had just finished their daengnyang school live, texting you to quickly come over. you were already on your way to them anyways, but suspicion immediately came into mind once you saw the message.

you had no idea what they were up to, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. all you heard was that they were preparing something food related.

felix is amazing when it came to baking and cooking but when seungmin is involved, it all somehow goes down hill. what did the kitty cat and puppy do now?

you do a once over at the room, slightly amused of the damage they've caused in such a short amount of time. the condiments and other baking materials were scattered all throughout the table, the pan they've used also had burnt batter residue sticking to it, probably the sole cause of the slight fog that engulfed the room.

“y/n, try it! i made this for you.” seungmin practically beams, shooting from up his seat and holding a plate out. it was a normal enough looking bungeo-ppang, but he has a grin that says evil written all over it.

you glance over at yongbok, the blonde's face morphs into an immediate 'no don’t do it' face while shaking his head vehemently. now you're curious. "what's in this?"

"you have to guess!"

“is this gonna kill me?” 

“no, i promise.” he laughs, holding it to your mouth.

“if i die i'll kill you.” you decide to humor him, taking a very, very small bite out of it. it was spicy and a bit tangy, but the subtle sweetness of the batter contrasted with it in a strange yet palatable way.

“oh, it’s actually pretty good.” you say, grabbing seungmin's wrist to take another bite. felix just watches you with pure disappointment in his eyes.

“see!” the puppy says quite proudly, tail practically wagging.

“what’s in it?”

“sriracha and wasabi.”

“you are trying to kill me!”

"but you liked it!"

"you should try this one y/n." felix says, lifting up his own plate with his creation. you didn't need to think twice since yongbok made it, it's bound to be better than seungmin's. it was different, you thought, tasting cheese and some sort of sauce in the filling.

you went back to taste the sriacha wasabi bungeo-ppang and comparing it to the vaguely pizza flavored one. oddly enough, you found yourself still liking seungmin's better, the expression is clear in your face.

"what?!" seungmin laughs at felix's reaction, patting his back. "you're weird," the blonde snickered, shaking his head.

"we should give this to chan-hyung." the black haired puppy snaps his fingers. your eyes widen, just because you liked it, it doesn't mean chan is gonna think the same way. that man has an abysmal spice tolerance.

"you're planning on giving this to chan? are you trying to kill him?"

before he can reason out why he wants to give this to poor chan, you take the plate out of his hands. "…give it here."

-

a/n: yeah i know it wasn't that bad so i had to take artistic liberties HAHA but i would eat the sriracha one ok just to spare channie LOL

[kurishiri]

alfons v.s. ring . . . ring schwartz epilogue 💍

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost these or claim these as your own!

— cw: suggestive undertones.

Kate: If it’s come to this... then let’s do it! I mean, pretending to do naughty things!

Ring: Y-yeah, I do know that’s our only choice here, but... there’s no way I could do it.

R: Um, those kinds of things... I’ve never actually done them before!

R: But... s-since you’re really cute... I’m sure you have plenty of experience and whatnot...!

Kate: W-what do you mean, ‘plenty,’ there’s no way I have that much experience! Anyway, forget about that, we need to do something about this...

K: Ring, you go shake and push on the bed to make it creak!

K: And I’ll listen in on the other room and make sounds to match!

Ring: ...That seems more doable.

Ring went atop the bed and started to jump on it.

The bed did start creaking, to be sure, but it also was making some jarring noises that made me think the bed was really about to break down.

Kate: Could you be a bit more gentle though, Ring? It’s too much...!

Ring: Oh, umm, then... how about this!?

He briskly stepped off the bed before he put both hands on the bed and started to push down.

By doing so, he could create a good creaking sound that didn’t go too far.

Woman’s voice: The bed from the room next door has started creaking.

Man’s voice: In that case, they’re probably just a pair of lovebirds. Guess we were worrying ourselves over nothing.

Woman’s voice: ...That said, don’t you think it’s strange that there’s not a peep from the other side?

(Oh, that’s right! I have to make noise too.)

Kate: Ah, ahh... ahhn...

Ring: H-hey, um. I can’t say I’ve heard others doing you-know-what before, so I may be wrong, but...

R: When women do, you know, the deed, do they really sound this monotone...?

Kate: I mean, we’re not actually doing it, so that makes it harder...

Woman’s voice: The panting from the room next door sounds a bit strange, wouldn’t you say?

Man’s voice: It sounds real flat...

(First Ring, and now the two in the next room over are doubting me too...! At times like these, then...!)

Kate: I-I’m really, really sorry! I’ve been told by a lot of partners that my panting sounds suuuper flat!

At this point, I decided to play into the role of ‘a woman whose pants sound flat’ as I raised my voice.

Ring: N-no matter how you are, I won’t mind at aaalll!

While continuing to push down on the bed, Ring returned a fitting line in response.

...Very monotonously, may I add, for the both of us.

Woman’s voice: ...Huh, I guess they really are just one odd couple.

Man’s voice: I mean, seeing as they’re using a room of a strange manor like this, that would be a given, probably.

Kate: Oh, thank goodness, it seems they’ve bought the act...! Let’s keep this up then!

Ring: Alright... but, sorry, I’m a bit hot, so I’ll take my jacket off.

Seeing as the bed is hard, having to push down hard enough to make sounds continuously must have taken a considerable amount of stamina.

With that, Ring casually took off his top layer and put it aside.

(...)

Maybe because of the way his clothes fit his body so well, his well-trained muscles were brought to the surface.

The sweat that came from shaking the bed moved traced the back of his neck, making him quite sexy.

Ring: ...Kate? Is there something wrong?

Kate: N-no, not at all! It’s nothing——

Taken aback at having become more conscious of Ring, my legs buckled suddenly,

and, preparing for the impact, I closed my eyes then and there.

Kate: ...!

(Hm? Wait, it doesn’t hurt...?)

Ring: Are you okay?

When I slowly opened my eyes, there Ring was, nearby, as he asked with a touch of worry in his voice.

(So Ring is the one who saved me and stopped the fall...)

Our bodies were touching, and I could feel his body was a bit warmer than mine, and he gave off a pleasant, earthy scent.

(Even though he’s holding me in his arms, he seems completely unperturbed... his appearance hardly betrays the fact he must be training regularly.)

(...Wait, what in the world are you looking at, Kate!?)

Kate: T-thank you for saving me. I’ll let go now.

Ring: ...Wait.

Kate: Huh...

When his earnest voice stopped me stiff, Ring’s hand gently slid to my cheek.

(W-what the...!?)

Ring: Your face is all red. Did you hit it somewhere?

(Oh... so he was worried for me.)

Kate: N-no, I didn’t. I’m fine.

Ring: But...

Kate: It’s just... we’re so close together that I’m a bit nervous... is all...

Ring showed no sign of pulling away himself, so I opted to give him an honest answer then. And when I did, Ring also turned red, as though it had moved over from me to him.

Ring: I-I see... then, umm, I’m glad if you’re okay.

R: Sorry for keeping you like that. ...And should we continue then? What we were doing before, I mean.

After that, we continued our act of panting and shaking the bed until we exited the room.

Ring looked exhausted as we exited the room, and there was Alfons, waiting out in the hallway.

Alfons: Thank you for your hard work. Now then, were you able to listen in for what we needed?

Kate: Yes, all of it and everything...

Alfons: My word, is that a hoarse voice I hear? And not only that...

A: I see Ring has stripped his outer layer off and is positively sweaty as well.

A: Would it be safe to assume... you two have gone aaall the way, by any chance?

Ring & Kate: “No!” “Absolutely not!”

Fin.

will vs darius jude vs nica alfons vs ring

← prev fin

END NOTES: this story was so silly and makes me smile whenever i read it, haha. ring seems to be the most popular of the vogel trio, seeing he has gotten a dark mafia design, and it’s not hard to see why. his charm is in his innocence, and it’s like a breath of fresh air in this game, and i hope i could capture it too.

i’m overall curious about all the vogel members and feel this story event is a strong debut for all three. thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed! i’d love to hear your thoughts as well ♡

full masterlist 🪞💍

[0cta9on]

Fluffy though of gidle miyeon being an older girlfriend and introducing her younger boyfriend to her members

Hello yoohyeons-puppy98! I took quite a few creative liberties with this, hope you don't mind :]

You examine the mirror a final time, unsure of what you see in the reflection. “I don’t know. Are you sure I look okay?”

“Of course you do,” Miyeon reassures you, planting a kiss on your cheek. “You look very handsome.”

“These glasses make me look like a nerd.”

“A handsome nerd.” She gathers her purse, heading towards the front door. “Now hurry up, hun, we’re gonna be late.”

You’re getting promoted to the manager of a bowling alley—hardly a means for celebration. Yet, Miyeon always makes a big deal out of these kinds of things, no matter how big or small. Despite your reluctance, she insisted on setting up a picnic with all of your friends to celebrate your new promotion.

Well, her friends at least. Social interaction never came easy to you like it does for Miyeon. Where you would prefer to keep to yourself, she’s the type to go out of her way to make friends with strangers. A sort of black cat and golden retriever dynamic, she never shies away from showering you with affection. It can be a bit troublesome at times, but at the very least, life is much, much more interesting having her as your girlfriend.

“...And then she had the audacity to just walk off like nothing happened!” Miyeon exclaims, complaining about an interaction she had earlier today while on the drive to the park. “Ugh, the nerve of some people!”

“That sucks, baby.” Judging by her story, it seems like she’s the one in the wrong here, but you would never admit that to her, especially when she’s like this.

“Yeah, I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, just thinking about it is pissing me off,” she sighs. The frown on her face instantly fades, replaced by her pretty smile as she turns to look at you. “God, I can’t believe you thought you looked ugly in those glasses. You look so cute.”

You chuckle softly. “You’re just saying that because you bought them for me.”

“I’m saying that because it’s true.” She waits until you stop in front of the red light before grabbing your chin and turning your head towards her. “I picked well though, didn’t I? You’re giving ‘sexy nerd’ vibes, like you’ll explain the Pythragoran theorem to me before taking me to the bedroom and f—”

“OKAY!” you exclaim, cutting her off before she goes into anymore detail. “First of all, it’s pronounced ‘Pythagorean’ theorem—”

“—So hot—”

“Second of all,” you stifle a chuckle at her overexaggerated lip bite, “Are your friends already at the park?”

“Yeah, I think so.” She leans back in her seat to check her phone, the sunlight through the window dancing on her flawless skin. “Yup, they’re all there. Just waiting for us.”

You breathe deeply, trying your best to calm your nerves. Miyeon, sensing something wrong, places a reassuring hand on your shoulder.

“Are you alright?” she asks.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just a little nervous, I guess.”

With how often she talks about them, you basically know everything about Miyeon’s friends, maybe more than you should know. However, you’ve never actually met them in person. You know they’re good people (Miyeon wouldn’t constantly sing their praises otherwise), but the thought of making a good first impression still fills your mind with worry. 

“You have nothing to worry about, honey,” she says. “I talk about you so much, they basically like you already.”

“Oh really?” The corner of your lip lifts with curiosity. “What did you tell them about me?”

“Well…” That sly grin growing on her face tells you more than enough about the kind of ramblings that go on in her group chat.

“Christ, Miyeon!” you groan, heat rising to your cheeks. “I don’t need them knowing all about… that!”

She simply shrugs, chuckling at your reaction. “It’s a girl thing, I don’t expect you to understand. Besides, I tell them other things about you too, like how sweet and hardworking and attentive you are…” She leans in close until you can feel her breath tickling your earlobe. “...and how you like to call me ‘noona’ in bed—”

You come to a grinding halt pulling into a parking spot. Your entire face becomes enveloped in a burning heat, while Miyeon breaks down laughing in the passenger seat. If there weren’t so many people around, you would’ve already been pounding your face against the horn until your skin became one with the steering wheel.

“I’m just joking, honey!” she exclaims, clutching her stomach as she comes down from her hysterical high. 

Knowing Miyeon, the possibility that she did tell them is still non-zero. All you can do is hope that none of them mention this damning piece of information during the picnic, otherwise you fall victim to awkward future encounters at worst or a lifetime of teasing at best. In hindsight, maybe it would’ve been easier if you didn’t get the promotion in the first place.

______________________________________________________________

The golden sun hangs overhead, complimenting the aquamarine of the clear skies. A cooling breeze offsets the heat emitting from above to a perfect point. It’s a great day for a picnic, all things considered. Somehow, these kinds of things always work out when Miyeon plans them. Perhaps she’s secretly a goddess, bending the universe at her will whenever she wants, even for something as small and inconsequential as a picnic. Or perhaps you just don't pay enough attention to the weather app these days.

Miyeon skips ahead of you, the grass dancing in the wake of her every step as she makes her way towards the five girls sitting on the picnic blanket in the shade of a large tree. You purposefully slow down, making a small show of the cooler you’re dragging getting stuck on a rock, just so you can control your breathing before meeting them. It didn’t help that you’re still all hot and bothered from Miyeon’s previous teasing. The least you can do is not make a complete fool of yourself from the get go.

“Girls, this is my man, I’m sure you know all about him at this point.” Miyeon clings to your arm, shooting a sneaky wink that does little to calm your nerves.

“Hello,” you say, giving them a polite bow.

The rest of them exchange greetings with you, quickly putting you at ease as you fall into pleasant conversation. Most of your time is spent listening to another one of Miyeon’s rants (They all agree that she was in the wrong, but of course, you take her side anyways), but every once in a while, the others will tell stories about their own personal lives. 

You learn about Soyeon’s budding rap career and Shuhua’s inability to hold a stable job for more than a month at a time (You figure you could mention that your place is hiring, but quietly decide against it after hearing about her work ethic). Minnie tells you about her visit to Thailand last month to see her family, showing the group her many pictures of her adventures, while Soojin and Yuqi vent about the different kinds of customers they meet at the bar they work at. They’re such an eclectic group of interesting people, you almost feel embarrassed that they’re all assembled here to celebrate your promotion at a dingy bowling alley

“Congrats on your promotion!” Soyeon exclaims. “It must be fun working at a bowling alley.”

“Eh, it’s alright,” you say, scratching the back of your head. “Mainly just cleaning and general customer service, I would hardly call it interesting.”

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Miyeon chimes in. “Tell them about what happened last week, with the drunk guy and all that.”

The rest of the group lean in with intrigue, putting a spotlight on you. “Um, it wasn’t anything really—”

“C’mon, tell us!” Shuhua screams. “Don’t be a wuss!”

“Hey, don’t be rude.” Soojin slaps her on the shoulder, scolding her. “But yes, we would like to know what happened.”

“Alright, well…” You take a quick breath, trying to recount everything that happened. “There was this big group of guys that came in, I think it was for some guy’s birthday party or a bachelor party or something. They ordered a bunch of alcohol and started terrorizing the other lanes, just being really rowdy and stuff. My coworker told them to chill out, and one of them started getting physical with her, so I, uh…” You pause, suddenly feeling self conscious about all the attention you’re getting. Miyeon rubs your back, looking at them with a knowing smirk.

“...I slip—”

“He knocked him out!” She exclaims, finishing your sentence.

The girls erupt into a chorus of cheers, patting you on the back and singing your praises about how “cool” you are. In reality, you only knocked the guy out after slipping and accidentally headbutting him in the nose, but it’s already too late to correct them. So you settle for keeping quiet, letting them believe in the facade that Miyeon presented them.

“Wah, that’s so cool!” Yuqi cheers. “No wonder you got promoted to manager!”

“Remind me to hire you as my bodyguard the next time I visit home,” Minnie teases.

In the midst of all the commotion, Miyeon pulls you to the side, gently cupping your chin. “See, I told you they would like you,” she whispers, kissing your cheek.

“They like the lie that you told.”

“I didn’t lie, you did technically knock him out.”

“Yeah, on accident—”

Miyeon shuts you up with a peck to your lips, brief yet sweet enough to leave you wanting more. “I just want them to know how cool my boyfriend is, okay?”

You sigh, sinking your face deeper into her touch. “Okay. Thanks.” You lean in and return the favor, giving her a peck of your own. “Noona~”

Miyeon covers her face with her hands, a light pink hue peaking through the gaps of her fingers. The others exchange weird looks, unsure of what to make of her sudden reaction, but all you can do is shrug. For all the teasing she does, it’s a wonder how easy it is to make her topple.

[the-winter-spider]

The View Between Villages | Part Seven

Word count: 3.2k

Pairings: Bucky x reader, TASM!Peter x reader

A/N: promise ill put this fic on my masterlist eventually lol

Masterlist

—-

“Bucky told me he came by,” Sam said, his voice hesitant, waiting for any sign of acknowledgement. When none came, he sighed, feeling a bit foolish talking to a door. He closed his eyes, pretending you were right there in front of him. “Y/N, I know you’re hurting. I can’t help you, or even try to understand what you’re feeling, unless you let me in. We’ve dealt with loss, and it hurts. I get that—I really do. But we need to carry on for them, to pave the path for the future.”

You lay on the couch, your eyes fixed on the ceiling fan as it spun endlessly. It had been six weeks since Bucky stopped by. He hadn’t called, he hadn’t texted. You were almost certain this was Sam’s last attempt to coax you out, but the truth was, he wasn’t Natasha, he wasn’t Steve, he wasn’t Tony. And you weren’t even yourself anymore.

You wanted to try for Sam. He was good, so full of light and warmth, and he made talking seem easy. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t bring yourself to talk to him—because if you did, everything would spill out, and you had no idea what would happen after that. Maybe Sally, the news anchor, was right. You were unpredictable, unsteady, and not safe to be around. You didn’t even want to be around yourself.

“I’m not sure how much news you’ve been keeping up with, but a lot has happened,” Sam continued, his voice softening. “Bucky and I are going to be working together again. Who knows? We might even become friends. He’s going to help me with our family boat—we could use your help, too. Not just with the boat, but to keep us from killing each other,” he added with a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ll text you where we’ll be. Call me anytime, Y/N. Take care of yourself.”

You heard the floor creak as he turned to leave. In your mind, you tried to picture Sam standing there, but the image was fuzzy. You couldn’t quite remember what he looked like anymore, just like you couldn’t clearly remember any of them. Their faces, their voices—all of it was fading away, burning memories fraying at the edges. You knew you’d forget the sound of his voice soon, just as you had forgotten the others.

Sam paused at the door, almost as if he was debating whether to say something else. Finally, he added, “Oh, I almost forgot… we got the shield back.”

The words hung in the air, a bittersweet reminder of the weight they all carried. But it wasn’t enough to lift you from the darkness that had taken root inside. You heard the door click shut, and then you were alone again, the silence pressing down like a suffocating blanket.

You turned your head slightly, staring at the phone lying on the coffee table. Sam’s text would come through eventually, and maybe you’d read it. Maybe you’d even respond. But not today. Today, the fan kept spinning, and so did the endless loop of memories that you wished you could forget.

—-

Statue of Liberty

“Are you guys almost done?” you shouted over the wind, your voice barely carrying over the clanging of metal and the distant sounds of the city below.

“Yeah, just placing the last one,” Peter 1 called back.

“Cool, cool,” you muttered, leaning over the scaffolding as Peter 1 jumped down, perching effortlessly beside you. Peter 2 and Peter 3 landed gracefully on either side of you, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.

You turned to face Peter 1, your universe’s Peter. “Y’know, I don’t think Steve would’ve liked this,” you said, gesturing to the construction of the shield on the Statue of Liberty.

Peter 1 smiled, a bit sheepishly. “It really is a big honour.”

Peter 2 chimed in, “This guy must have really been something for them to do all this.”

You swallowed hard, the weight of your grief pressing against your chest. You missed Steve more than you allowed yourself to admit. It still hurt—the way you never said goodbye, the way you couldn’t bring yourself to face him after he returned—an old man, having lived a life you could only dream of. The jealousy that bubbled inside you felt like poison, and you hated yourself for feeling it. Steve had been your hero, your friend, and it hurt to think that you weren’t there for him when he needed you most.

“He really was,” you whispered, your voice thick with unshed tears.

Peter 3 placed a hand on your shoulder, his touch gentle and reassuring. “You all are, honestly,” he said with a small smile. “Ever since I got here, all I keep seeing and hearing about are these amazing heroes. I just wish my universe had more of them.”

You managed a soft smile, looking up at him. “They have you, Parker. That’s all they need, and you are pretty amazing.”

“Yeah,” Peter 2 agreed, beaming at Peter 3. “Why are you so hard on yourself? You’re the amazing Spider-Man!”

Peter 3 shrugged, trying to play it off, but you could see the doubt lingering in his eyes. “It’s just… you guys all fight such cool villains, and I just have a lizard. I wonder if my universe has aliens.”

“Probably does,” Peter 1 said, laughing a little. “They all have to, right? But maybe they just haven’t been provoked yet.”

“What do you mean?” Peter 3 asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Like… there are so many superheroes here,” Peter 1 explained, pulling out his phone. “Mr. Stark once told me it shows life outside of Earth that we’re ready for a fight, so maybe that’s why we get all the crazy stuff.” He paused, frowning at his phone. “It’s an unknown number.” He hesitated for a moment before bringing it to his ear. “Um, hello?”

Peter 3 raised an eyebrow at you, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “Think one of the villains got a phone?”

You chuckled softly, shaking your head. “It’s a necessity nowadays; I wouldn’t doubt it.”

Peter 1’s expression shifted, his eyes locking onto yours. “Yeah, she’s here,” he said, clearing his throat. “It’s for you.”

Your heart skipped a beat, a cold chill running down your spine. “Who is it?” you asked, even though deep down, you already knew.

Peter 1 gave you a sympathetic look, holding out the phone. “Sergeant Barnes.”

All the colour drained from your face, your hands trembling slightly as you took the phone from him. “Oh,” was all you could manage.

“I can tell him you’re busy,” Peter 1 offered, reaching for the phone, but you shook your head.

“No, I… I’ll take it.” You stepped back, bumping into Peter 3, who steadied you with a gentle grip on your shoulders.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice soft, his brown eyes filled with concern.

You nodded, though you weren’t sure if you were convincing either of you. Turning away from the group, you moved further down the catwalk, trying to put some distance between yourself and the others so they wouldn’t overhear your conversation. But their voices still echoed faintly in the background, Peter 2’s curious question reaching your ears: “Who’s Sergeant Barnes?”

You took a deep breath, pacing back and forth as you held the phone to your ear. Your thoughts raced, your emotions teetering on the edge of control. You remembered Tony’s breathing techniques, forcing yourself to inhale slowly, exhale just as slowly, trying to keep everything from spiralling out of control. You pinched the bridge of your nose, fighting the urge to scream, cry, or just… disappear.

“Hello?”

“Y/N.” Relief washed over Bucky’s voice, but there was an edge to it. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, we saw you on TV with the Spider kid… Now I’m hearing about bad guys showing up. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, Bucky. We have everything under control.”

He scoffed. “What, you and that kid? And you’re bringing the fight to the Statue of Liberty? Are you serious?”

“It’s not just me and Peter, we have other help.” You were trying to stay calm, saving your energy for the real fight.

He sighed, frustration evident. “I know, Y/N.”

“Know what?”

“About the night of Steve’s funeral.”

Your mouth went dry. It felt like you were swallowing cotton. “Which funeral?”

“Doll,” he pleaded softly, not wanting to say it out loud.

“Don’t.” You shook your head, voice trembling.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve—”

“You would have what, Bucky? Stayed with me out of pity? Afraid I’d do it again? You said it yourself, we’re not the same people anymore.”

“I still love you. I’ll always love you, Y/N. I just needed time to figure out who I was, but—”

“What about what I needed?” you yelled, cutting him off. “What about me? I lost Steve too, I lost time too, I—I lost everything… I needed you, Bucky!”

“I’m right here, doll. I’ve always been here. You could’ve called me whenever, and you know I would have come running.”

“But you weren’t there. You were supposed to be there.”

You could hear his heavy breathing through the phone, and you were sure his brow was furrowed. “I’m right here, please, sweetheart, just talk to me, I-i miss you.

“You’ve been doing fine for the last six months.”

“How do you know that? You aren't here!”

“You left me, Buck. Remember? And you were right to.”

“I was right?”

You felt the air around you hum with electricity; they were close. “We’re just not who we were anymore… You made that pretty clear because my Steve and my Bucky would have never hurt me the way you two did. Never.” You wiped away a tear, the pain in your chest intensifying as you said the words you’d been avoiding for so long.

There was a long pause on the other end, and when Bucky finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “I never meant to hurt you, I thought I was protecting you.”

“By leaving me alone? By making me feel like I was the only one who couldn’t move on?”

“I couldn’t move on either,” he confessed, the rawness in his voice cutting through your defences. “But I didn’t know how to stay and not drag you down with me.”

You swallowed hard, fighting back the tears. “You didn’t have to do it alone, Bucky. You didn’t have to shut me out.”

“I know that now,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “But back then… I didn’t. And I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m so sorry.”

For a moment, you couldn’t respond. The words hung between you, heavy with all the things left unsaid. But there was no time to dwell on it—not now, not with the fight looming ahead.

“I have to go,” you said finally, your voice tight with emotion. “They’re here.”

“Be careful,” Bucky pleaded, the desperation in his voice evident. “Please, just… come back to me, please don't do anything stupid, Sam and me, were on our way there, I'm gonna be there this time… please doll, i love you”

You closed your eyes, feeling the weight of everything you were carrying, focusing on your breathing and turning back towards the group. You took a minute to yourself, just taking the moment to observe them, the calm before the storm. Your Peter was perched up top, while the eldest stood by, and the Peter you were willing to risk it all for leaned against the railing, his mask in hand. He was smiling from ear to ear, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Almost as if he could feel you staring, he turned to you, giving you the kindest smile before offering a small wave, which you returned.. “I love you.” You tore your gaze away from the Spider-Men, looking out over the edge. “I’m not sure I can ever love anyone the way I love you... But I can’t do that here, not when every corner I turn reminds me of everything, everyone I’ve lost.”

“What do you mean, here? Y/N, what are you going to do?” Panic laced his voice. He knew you had powerful abilities, but he didn’t fully understand them. You were still learning about them when he was in the safe house before Wakanda, but he knew enough to be scared of what you might do.

“James, I’m going to be okay…everything’s going to be okay.”

“Y/N, answer me.”

“I love you Bucky, god i love you so much” You clicked the phone shut.

You walked back over to the boys. “Thanks, Pete,” you smiled, tossing his phone back to him.

“You okay?” Peter 3 asked, concern in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You mustered the best smile you could, but the way Peter 3’s eyes searched yours told you he could see right through it. That stung—someone you just met could see you weren’t okay, but Steve and Bucky couldn’t? Or maybe they could and just didn’t care. You quickly pushed those thoughts away, refocusing on the task at hand. “Are we ready to kick some ass?”

A series of nods followed. “Good, because they’re here.”

“How do you—” Peter 1 perched up. “You guys feel that?”

“Yeah,” Peter 2 nodded. “How did you know before us?”

“I’m one with everything, and all that hippie stuff.” You shrugged it off, activating your suit. The nanobots covered you from head to toe, transforming from an inky black to a colorless white, your eyes glowing with a cold intensity. The sky began to crackle, lightning flashing throughout.

“Y/N?” Your Peter questioned.

“Not me.”

All three men put their masks on, everyone fully alert. A man appeared, his arms crackling with electricity. “Sup, Pete? You like the new look?”

“Oh well, that’s pretty cool,” you said to no one in particular.

“Who’s this?” Electro turned his attention to you. “Look, I don’t wanna hurt a lady. Just give me the box, and everything will be fine.”

“I wouldn’t be too worried about hurting Y/N,” Peter 1 said. “She’s pretty badass.”

“Is that a challenge?” Electro smirked.

“Nope, no, no, Max, it’s definitely not a challenge,” Peter 3 said, trying to step in front of you. But it was too late—Electro sent a massive bolt of electricity surging toward you.

Without flinching, you caught the energy mid-air, the force of it pushing you back slightly. You held the electricity in your hand, feeling the raw power surging through you. A glowing line formed between you and Electro, the air around you crackling with tension. Your eyes glowed brighter as you lifted off the ground, hovering a few feet above the scaffolding.

“Oh shit,” Electro muttered, eyes wide.

“You know,” you began, your voice echoing with power, “that thing on your chest was designed by a very dear friend of mine. He wouldn’t like this—being on the wrong side of the fight and all. So I’m gonna have to do something about it.”

With a flick of your wrist, you sent the energy back toward Electro, forcing him to his knees. The arc reactor on his chest pulsed wildly as it tried to compensate for the overwhelming power you were feeding it.

“Any day now, Parker!” you shouted through gritted teeth, struggling to keep the feedback loop stable.

Peter 3 snapped out of his stupor and rushed forward, yanking the arc reactor off Electro’s chest and slapping the cure onto him. Electro collapsed, the energy dissipating in a burst of sparks. You slowly lowered him onto the scaffolding as Peter 3 knelt beside him, checking for any lingering signs of danger.

You dropped to the ground, adrenaline still coursing through your veins. “We need to find Peter!” you said, already moving. You passed Peter 2 as he successfully cured Sandman, the grains of sand swirling around him before settling into a calm pile.

As you rounded a corner, you collided with something—or someone—solid. Stumbling back, you looked up to see Doctor Strange standing before you.

“Y/N?”

“Strange.”

“You’re alive.”

“You thought I wasn’t?”

“I stopped hearing from you. Logically, I assumed the worst.” His eyes narrowed as he studied you. “Please tell me you’re not helping the kid.”

“We’re curing them. It’s working if that’s what you’re asking.”

He ignored your comment. “Your eyes are glowing.”

“It’s a new thing. Just started happening, I guess.” You shrugged.

He nodded, a calculating look in his eyes. “You’re unlocking it.”

“Unlocking what?”

“Everything. Your full potential.” He stared at you for a moment, almost as if he were reading your every thought. “Tread lightly, Y/N,” he warned before opening another portal.

You followed him, knowing exactly who he was going to. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means—”

“Pete, watch out!” you screamed as you saw the Lizard tackle Peter, your Peter, sinking his claws deep into his abdomen.

Strange quickly whipped out an Eldritch Whip to restrain the Lizard as the other two Spider-Men rushed in to cure Doctor Connors. You shakily knelt beside your Peter, who was gasping for breath, his suit torn and blood seeping out.

“Oh, Pete.” Tears welled in your eyes, guilt clawing at you as you applied pressure to the wound. “I’m so sorry.”

His hand weakly covered yours, his eyes filled with pain but also a reassuring warmth. “Don’t… apologize, Y/N. It’s not… your fault.” His breath hitched, and he tried to smile. “I know… what you’re—”

You shook your head, determined. “I’m going to fix this.”

“This is too much, Y/N. It’ll—” His voice faltered as he coughed, blood staining his lips. “It’ll take you out… if not worse.”

Your vision tunneled, focusing solely on Peter as you ignored the chaos around you. You weren’t aware of the hand on your shoulder or the shouts of the other Spider-Men. You placed both hands over Peter’s wound, your eyes glowing brighter as you began to pour every ounce of energy you had left into healing him.

“Get her off of me! This could kill her!” Peter 1 shouted, his voice desperate.

Peter 3 tried to pull you back, but you thrust out your left hand, mumbling a weak “Sorry” before blasting him away, a forcefield-like bubble forming around you and Peter. The bubble hummed with power, blocking out all outside interference. You vaguely saw Strange on the other side, using everything he had to break through.

“Y/N, please stop,” Peter begged, his voice breaking.

But you pushed on, one wound down, two more to go. The energy around you flickered, your vision pulsating between reality and darkness. You were fading fast, but you couldn’t stop, not when Peter needed you. You continued to channel everything into him until his vitals stabilized, the wound fully closed.

Just as you began to collapse, a bone-chilling voice echoed through the sky.

“Can the Spider-Man come out to play?!”

Peter shoved you out of the way just as the Goblin hurled a barrage of pumpkin bombs at the scaffolding. The force of the explosion sent you tumbling off the edge, the world spinning around you as darkness closed in. The last thing you saw was Strange struggling to keep the Goblin at bay, and the last thing you heard was someone screaming your name as you plummeted into the void.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S06E15 - Wag the Dog - Part F

See, I think they choose to direct well just a few episodes each season lol

Charlie figures out that because he hears the beeping outside and inside the earbud, the bomber is close by. Smart.

Yes, yes. We know. A bit too much, this line.

Joe: "How the fuck."

Ah, yes. Why would anyone think different? I was thinking the other day, because The Rookie had premiered, that Charlie has quite a few of Nolan's annoyingly heroic traits (some of which are displayed in this episode), except they don't become as infuriating because at the end of the day, Charlie would definitely kill for the woman he loves, for his dog, and for quite a few other people as well. Which makes him more human and therefore more endearing to me than a character who refuses to kill his wife's wannabe murder even if that meant he could save said wife.

Sidenote: This does not necessarily mean that Charlie would put Sarah and Rex's lives over the dozens of people that were gathered for Fulford's announcement. That, I admit I would have liked to have seen. They're cops, they know the risks (I'm taking the liberty to assume that Rex does as well), but would Charlie do it?

Yeah, well, it annoyingly turns out that even in this case, he had a plan. I say annoyingly like I didn't give him credit for thinking of it.

So, during that lengthy pause, who thought that Charlie wouldn't answer, or would just answer no? Also, who nearly fainted when he answered "Not yet"?

S6 Part 1: "Charah? Who or what is Charah? I don't know them." S6 Part 2: "But whoever they might be, they may be getting married soon."

Did I share my new conspiracy theory? No? So, because we all agree that this is the exact episode that any stable mind would choose for 100th episode (not you, CityTV, I said stable), there could have been a proposal scene. Because, well, you have to follow that up with something. I mean, Charlie shows that he's ready here. When someone wants to marry someone else, when they got that cleared in their mind enough to admit it out loud, they don't really wait. Anyway, I think there could have been a proposal scene that they cut because that ended up not being the 100th and therefore not the last episode.

Oh. She knows he would kill for her. (I'm paraphrasing, that's a stretch.)

This is the part where I realized the bomber's motive and the person they truly held a grudge against. I hate it when I figure it out in time with the characters lol

I love the music and the vocals in this scene!

I did not have "Superintendent Joe Donovan making silly noises" in my bingo card.

To be continued in Part G.

[dynamic-k]

If you're accepting asks for this right now, I've always been curious... do you have colors for some of the villains in the Super Sticks AU? Some colors were probably mentioned and I forgot them, but overall I don't remember all of the villains' colors being revealed.

This ask has been staring at me for quite some time, and I did honestly try much earlier to muster up some brain cells to give an answer-

I am always always accepting asks, it's just a matter of me answering on my own time. Theeeeesss one took me a whhiiile~ sorryy

To be honest, if there are not descriptions in the fic or bonus features, than I just don't have a description.

Sometimes, that's how I write. I have the semblances of a character design in my head, but I am definitely more on the word-oriented side of making an AU.

-

I will say that Madame Pop-Up has a pretty heavy design, actually. She was supposed to look a very specific way.

While it might sound strange to hear all at once, that's how it is so deal with it- /silly

-

Madame Pop-Up has a creamy-white [with like- barest hint of pink/red] skin with rosier and more prominent pink patches/splotches.

#fffffa, for the creamy white

#e6b3e5 for the rosy pink

Boots: #b80b45 [Ankle boots or higher, take your pick, she could wear either.]

Gloves: (which go about mid arm length) #fc0859

Poppy flower shade: #fc0820

With yellow middle.

She's supposed to be like a glamourous movie star look. I have yet to decide if I want her canon identity to be famous in that way or not, but it is tempting and matches my envisioned style of her to a T. :]

[The patches should look sorta streaky, like thick stripes. Large brush stroke stripes, of a sort? ]

Think a patches cat. Occasional spots, mostly stripes, a bit random but it looks nice because again: she is very showoff-ish and glamorous.

U U

An intimidating movie-star style though. She terrifies Chosen for a REASON, guys-

Oh and Madame has these color eyes: #bf0d52

-

Those are pictures I found online that match closely with how I imagine Madame's hair. Take creative liberties or variations if you want. 

Oh yeah, hair color: uhhh

[*digging in my worn cardboard box of hexcodes-*]

#520642

There-

-

Now uh-

I DID try to make a sketch.

...It got a little..

...coffee-d. Q Q

..Oops.

[And no, she doesn't have only one arm, I just- Didn't draw it-]

I BLOWDRIED THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THAT PAPER, WE'RE FINE-

I went back to my initial Arc One description, apparently Madame has a mask. I almost forgot about that: Like I said, I'm more word-oriented and delve deeply into plot.. and leave designs lacking sometimes-

I try my best, I'm glad the Ladybug Brothers have solid designs at least-

I'm gonna work equally hard with how the Color Gang will look in Arc Two, but that's still gonna be a while-

Uhh, the mask is..

You know what- 

I am just gonna explain how the style is. If someone wants to draw my OCs, use the style descriptions and go ham with whatever you deem fitting.

:]

I love all my fanart, no matter the 'accuracy' or whatever. :)

-

Uhhm, so let's move on to Mudd.

He is really easy to describe because I spent barely any time making him.

I'd just started the AU and needed some bully guy. And then ended up making him Red's nemesis- By accident-

Okay- XD

Uh.. Mudd has an arm canon on his left arm, and he can use it to funnel his acidic mud wherever he pleases at varying pressure rates.

Due to the acidic qualities, and occasional rocky clumps within the dirt substance, it does pack more of a punch than it might sound.

Mudd doesn't really create mud out of thin air, it's more like he manipulates the dirt around him and makes it into acidic mud via his sweat because I thought the way Bakugo's quirk in MHA worked was epically awesome and took creative liberties-

Then he can manipulate his mud into the arm canon and fire it out quicker than he could utilize effort to thrust it himself. Energy saver.

Uhm. He's a bulky figure. Simple brown-themed costume with maybe occasional black, no cape, generic mask.

There ya go. U U'

-

-

Moving onto the Alcoholic family:

-Vodka and Whiskey, the twins.

-Rum, the mother.

-The Jade Pretzel, the father. [And a british dramatic variant of Jade from A Second's Tale.]

-

-

The twins are the thin, wiry sort.

If anyone is familiar with this Junkrat and Roadhog animation for Overwatch:

Junkrat's build is similar to how the twins are. Actually the hair too, a bit, now that I think about it.

It sticks up and outward a little more for Whiskey; the younger of the twins. 

Take creative liberties with the costumes, honestly. 

All I know is that Whiskey is more greener themed, because his abilities are relatable to the nausea effect in Minecraft.

Vodka is more like...

Pinky browny? 

[*more digging in my worn and torn cardboard box of hexcodes-*]

#a36c6c

Have at thee-

O vO'

-

Rum is a bit more on the deep purple end of color scheme. With a RUM RED littered about as the complimentary color. She is fairly muscular, and has a stockier build than her sons.

-

Now, uh- The Super Sticks variant of Jade-

I found a stick-figure piccrew and made ST!Jade and SS!Jade respectively- [not 100% accurate, but the vibes are present-]

He has a monocle. Canon. You heard it here folks, I HAD to- 

It's got a gold rim, clear glass. 

It's actually attached to his mask, which is green and gold themed, so the monocle doesn't easily get knocked off if he moves too fast or something.

I will.. describe more of him when I actually complete the chapter where the Ladybug Brothers are battling the Jade Pretzel- 

The fight scene eludes me at the moment, so I keep writing more color gang shenanigans for future chapters instead- And probably a good thing too, since the ending homestretch of Arc One really didn't give our Color Quad the spotlight they deserve, so I'm putting more focus on them in Arc Two~

-

Uhhh, and that's it..?

[*brain buffering-*]

...Do I need to describe Primal/Prime a little bit since at one point she played a villain role-

-

Okay, yeah, why not~ 

:]

Primal is cool. She's got emo vibes, but is browner/tan themed rather than black or something you'd find on an emo-stereotypical design. 

She prefers practical over stylish canonically, but ends up appearing rather well-designed anyway, in the eyes of others.

And her hair alternates from side, over-the-shoulder braids, to long back-ponytails on a whim.

Yes, Vic has a side braid too, but it isn't that long so it sticks out sideways in the back, and doesn't touch the shoulder.

Primal's hair is also a different length. It's aboooout mid-upper chest. :)

And that, I think, is all. 

-

...I really hope I don't immediately remember a villain OC I just forgot to speak of after hitting the Post button-

Thank you for the ask, and I deeply apologize for how long this sat in my Inbox. Fret not, your ask vehemently stared me in the face until I was intimidated enough to gather my notes together and some braincells too-

U U

Have a lovely day~

Edit: Do ignore that gloved hand in my sketch.

...Just ignore that. We all know I can't do hands.

I went powerpuff mitten style purely for some saving grace- XD

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1254: A Kiss Filled Christmas Morning~ (Persona 5 X Sonic)

9:13 a.m. at LeBlanc Café...........

Morgana/Lavenza: (Happily Presents Their Gifts to One Another) Merry Christmas/Happy Three Year Anniversary!- (Eyes Widened a Bit Before Giggling Softly Afterwards)

Lavenza: ('Sighs Happily') To think we've managed to stay together as a couple for this long~

Morrigan: (Snickers a Bit at the Memory Him and Lavenza Shared Three Years Ago) Yeah, and it all started when we both confessed on Christmas of all days.

Lavenza: (Giggles Some More) That was a silly moment we both shared indeed~ (Smiles Softly) But I'm glad it all happened all the same.

Morgana: (Smiles as Well) Me too. (Gives his Girlfriend the Gift He Got For Her) Here's hoping you like the gift I got for you this year.....

Lavenza: Come now, dear. (Opens her Gift Up) You know better than I do that I'll adore whatever gift you giv- (Suddenly Let's Out a Loud Gasps as her Eyes Starts to Sparkle at the Gift She Starts Picking Up in Front of Her) Mona-Chan!~ I-I-Is this what I think this is?~

Morgana: (Crosses his Arms Together With a Proud Smile on his Face) The exact Pochita plushie you wanted for a good while now? Why, yes, I do believe that's certainly what it is. You like?~

Lavenza: (Smiles Brightly) I love!~ (Happily Hugs her Plushie Tightly) It's the most second cutest thing I've ever seen!~ (Playfully Pulls her Boyfriend's Cheek, Making him Giggle Instantly) First being forever you, of course~ It's a shame we are not old enough to watch Chainsaw Man quite yet.

Morgana: (Opens his Present Next) Considering how graphic and mature Ryuji describes it to be, I say it's for the best to wait for no- ('GASPS') No way.... (Pulls his Gift Up in Front of Him) You got me a night robe!?

Lavenza: (Happily Nodded) In your definitive size~ I took the liberties of buying it for you at the mall the other day when you weren't looking. (Watches Mona Putting on the Robe) Is it nice and comfy on you?

Morgana: (Smiles Brightly While Showing his Dark Blue Colored Night Robe He's Now Wearing) Heck yeah! I feel like a million bucks already. (Hugs His Girlfriend Lovingly) Thanks, Lavenza~

Lavenza: (Hugs Morgana Back) You are always welcome, my dear Morgana~ Oh!~ And addition to that- (Smirks Seductively) Guess what's up in us at this very moment~

Morgana: What's above u- (Eyes Widened a Bit at What Lavenza is Pointing Him To) Ohhh God is a mistletoe. I didn't even know it was up there. (Turns Back to Lavenza) Did you?

Lavenza: (Twists Her Finger onto her Cheek While Moving her Upper Body Side to Side in an Innocent, Playful Action) I may have discovered it's placement when we first walked into the café together~ But that's neither here nor here at the mo-

Morgana cuts Lavenza off mid sentence by suddenly kissing her on the lips for a few seconds before pulling back, causing the young Velvet girl to blush.

Lavenza: (Places her Hand onto her Cheek With a Bashful Smile on her Face) O-Oh my~ Feeling eager today, aren't we, Mona-Chan?~ (Suddenly Hears the Sound of Mumbling) Mona?

Lavenza looks over to see a completely flustered out Morgana rambling on to himself, contemplation on what he did just now.

Lavenza: (Giggles Softly) (And there he goes, being as cute as always. It'll probably take a while for him to come back to his sense...) (Forms a Bright Grin on her Face as She Holds Up a Blue Colored Lipstick She's Now Holding in her Hand) (It's nothing a few kisses can't fix!~ (Forms a Mischievous Smirk on her Face Afterwards) (Especially now with this new lipstick I have yet to try~)

Tae: (Watches Lavenza Properly Putting Lipstick All Around her Lips While Sittong Next to her Girlfriend, Sae Niijima, On the Bar's Table) ('Sigh') Young love......It's way more tooth-rottenly sweet these days than I last remembered it was years ago. (Takes a Sip of her Cup of Hot Coco)

Sae: (Turns to Tae) You've started dating in a young age as well, Tae-san?

Tae: Yeah. Back when i was like...11 or 12 I think? It wasn't really anything special to it besides the kissing and the hand holding. (Rolls her Eyes a Bit) Even more considering the guy I was with at that time, was way more immature than yours truly. Appericated the learning though. (Leans Over to Sae With a Smirk on her Face) Got any dating stories you wanna share as well, my empress?~

Sae: I've only dated one person in the past. (Crosses her Arms Together With an Annoyed and Disgusted Look on her Face).And it was with Chad of all people.....

Tae: Ooooh~ He sounds like an asshat already~

Sae: (Sighs While Rolling her Eyes) You don't know the half of it. He was one of the popular kids in my sophomore year in high school and his narcissism and ego were as cheer as the bright sun. Unfortunately for younger me, I never realized how terrible he was up until the day he another girl right in front of me, during prom. (Takes a Sip of her Hot Coco)

Tae: (Eyes Widened in Disbelief) You're joking.

Sae: (Simply Shrugs) Wish I was, but.... it's the truth, no matter how much I want to deny it. He humiliated me and broke my heart so badly that I decided to pit complete focus on my work before and during my prosecuting career and vow to never get caught up in any romance related nonsense ever since. (Shyly Turns Away a Bit While Blushing) At....least until the day I've starting falling for you, of course.

Tae: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness) Awwww~ I rekindle your need for romance?~

Sae: In a way. I still find the concept ridiculous at times, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy exploring with you this whole time. (Turns Back to Her Girlfriend Next to Her) So thanks....(Smiles a Bit) For loving me.

Tae: (Smiles Brightly) Likewise~ (Looks Up at Another Mistletoe Hanging Above Them Before Turning Back to Sae With a Seductive Smirk on her Face) You know, I think I may have found a way to celebrate this lovely of occasion right now~

Sae: Really? (Smirks Back at Tae) I was thinking the same thing before you even mentioned it~

Tae: Then guess what we're both thinking then, genius?~

Sae: Mistletoe time?~

Tae: Bingo~

The two girlfriends lean over and lovingly make out with one another under the mistletoe, exactly what they were both thinking of doing.

Futaba: (Giggles Softly While Twirling Herself Around and Holding Up her Christmas Present of the Year, Astro Bot) Welcome to one of the homes of our big, nutty family, little guy!~ Hope you enjoy your stay for years to come.

Astro Bot: (Happily Raises Both his Hands Up in Rejoice Before Hugging his New Friend)

Futaba: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness Before Hugging Astro Bot Back) D'awwwww~ I love you too, Astro~ (Gives Astro a Big Kiss on his Metal Cheek Before Turning Over to the One Who Gave Her the Gift in the First Place) Thanks again for the awesome gift, Big Sis Tae!~

Tae gives The Oracle a thumbs up while still making out with Sae under the mistletoe.

Futaba: (Covers Astro's Eyes) Don't mind those lovebirds over there, bud. It's just them being cutesy and icky for the holidays. (Starts Blushing a Bit) Not like I'm any better with Inari, but still~

'Mechanical Sounding Sigh'

Futaba: (Turns to See Omega Sitting to her Left, Sulking Before Pouting at Him) And what gotten you in a grumpy mood, mister? The time for joys and cheers has begun, ya know?

Omega: I'm aware.

Futaba: (Pulls a Closer Stoll Up and Takes a Seat Right Next to Omega and Pulling Astro Down on the Table) Then talk to me, big guy. What's wrong? You don't like the presents you got this year around?

Omega: (Shakes his Head) Negative. I am intrigued with the gift I've received this year, especially that masterpiece over there. (Points the Duo to a Punching Eggman Bag on the Other Side of the Room) Even if it's nowhere near as highly advance as your new robot companion.

Futaba; (Snickers a Bit) That's a real funny lolking punchba- (Slowly Turns Back to Omega) Wait a minute, new robot companion? Omega, are you jealous of Astro Bot right now?

Omega: (Eyes Widened a Bit Before Quickly Turning Away) I cannot confirm nor deny that accusation..

Futaba: (Gives her Robot Friend a Stern, Sisterly Glare) Omega, tell me. (Pulls her Phone Out her Shorts Pocket) Or do you want me to tell your moms about your poor communication skills again.

Omega: (Sighs in Defeat While Turningaback to Futaba) I confess. I am jealous....and afraid that i will be replaced as your best robot companion by a smaller, more superiorly adorable robot model to your left.

Astro Bot: (Frowns at his Bigger, More Fearsome Fellow Machine)

Futaba: (Clenches onto her Chest, In Disbelief at What her Best Friend Just Said) What? ('Groans') Come here, you big dumb-dumb!~ (Gives Omega the Most Loving Hug Imaginable) Everything you said just now is completely bogus. There's no way in heck I'm replacing my best robot buddy!

Omega: Do you...truly mean that?

Futaba: (Looks Up at Omega With a Reassuring Smile on her Face) 100%!~ We've been friends for a good long while now and I always cherish every single moment I shared with you, including this one. Do you really think I would throw that I would go out of my way to replace you after all of that?

Omega: (Looks Down onto Futaba's Genuine Eyes For a Brief Second Before Shaking his Head) No. That would be illogical at best.

Futaba: (Happily Nodded in Agreement) Exactly. I love you, big guy, that won't ever change, so don't you dare forget for as long you live, got it? (Picks Asteo Bot Up) Also, please don't be too hard on this little guy. He looks up to you a lot.

Omega: (Raises an Eyebrow at the Duo) Is that right?

Astro Bot: (Happily Nodding at Omega Along with Futaba)

Futaba: Yep-Yep! Before we followed you downstairs, he's been wonderful who you were and I basically I had the honor to brag about how awesome you truly are in the battlefield. Now he wants you to teach him your ways.

Astro flexes his small, robotic arm to Omega while giving him a proud thumbs up.

Omega: (Leans Closer to Examines Astro Bot in Front of Him) Hmmmm........You seemed to be showing a lot of promise despite your tiny arms and cute design.

Futaba: (Smiles Brightly) Right!? Especially the cuteness side. He can definitely use that to his advantage! Just give him a chance, will ya? (Shows Omega Astro's Cute Puppy Dog Eyes) You don't wanna say "no" to this face- (Gives Omega the Puppy Dog Eyes as Well) Or mines too, do you?~

Omega: (Stares at the Two Puppy Dog Eyed Duo Fpr a Few Seconds Finally Coming Up Woth the Conclusion) Very well. I, E-123 Omega, will instruct you on how to fight, as your mentor and big brother figure.

Astro Bot: (Happily Claps his Hand in Rejoice)

Futaba: (Happily Pumps her Fist Back) Yes!~ Knew you come around, big guy!~ (Fprms a Cheeky Grin) And what better way to reward for your kindness than to recommend kisses from yours truly, under the mistletoe, hm?~ (Points Up at the Mistletoe Above Her and Omega)

Omega: (Shrugs) Tradition is tradition.

Futuba: That's the spirit. (Tries Reaching Up to Omega's Height Only to Give Up Shortly After) This is not working. Hey, you mind slouching your elbows down a bit?

Omega: (Hunches Himself Down to Futaba's Level) Like this?

Futaba: (Smiles Brightly) Perfect! Now come to Momma Oracle!~

Futaba hugs Omega once more before kissing one side of his head piece, all while Astro Bot runs over and hugs the other side.

While that's going on, the entirety of the café has been a kissfest of the making with Lavenza testing her new lipstick out by kissing a still flustered Mona on the cheek and the two girlfriends, Sae and Tae, are still making out without breaking a sweat.

Little did any if them know however, is that Sojiro and Yusuke has been watching them for a little while now, in the background.

Sojiro: ('Sigh') Look at this madness. Had I known it would turn out this way, I would've left only left one mistletoe up there a long time ago.

Yusuke: (Artistically Examines the Kiss Fest From Afar) You should give yourself more credit, Sojiro-San. You've just given me an idea for the holiday's artwork this year.

Sojiro: (Raises an Eyebrow in Curiosity, at Yusuke) Oh really? (Snickers a Bit) What're you gonna call it? "A Mistletoe Ball" or something?

Yusuke: (Happily Nodded to Sojiro) Yes, actually. (Presents Sojiro his Artistic Vision) Imagine, you will, a nice, exquisite dining hall where many sets of mistletoes are seen hanged above the area as the guests would be seen kissing and receiving kisses from their love ones close by, as they dance and socialize the Christmas night away until the very next morning. A fascinating premise for a potential masterpiece indeed, no?

Sojiro: Yeah, riveting. You're more than welcome to make that piece a reality after you help me prepare for dinner layer on. The sooner we get it all done and accounted for, the better. (Walks Back to the Kitchen) Hopefully the kiss fest will end along the way I'll tell you that much.....

Yusuke: (Simply Nodded to Sojiro) Of course. Bit let's not waste too much time. (Walks into the Kitchen as Well) My vision is still at large as we speak.

Sojiro: Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Inari.

Merry Christmas To Alland To All a Goodnight!!

@princekirijo

@bestpony666

@decibelcoatl

@caleb13frede

[macravishedbymactavish]

Social Butterfly | Antisocial Moth (Keegan Russ x GN! Reader)

TW: A little bit of swearing? Total imposter syndrome for the social butterfly bits as the authors personality aligns closer to Keegan's. Creative liberties taken in backstories as there's next to nothing from the games.

Blog HQ

What do laws of physics and horoscopes have in common? Both say opposites attract.

Which may be the reason why you're sitting at lunch in the mess hall, chatting with the 3rd person that approached your table while your boyfriend sat silently beside you. In the span of 30 minutes.

"No way, of course did." You smiled, laughing at Harper's story about her middle child -- Noah who has been desperately trying to keep up with a girl he likes during gym class. Because if we run together af the same speed, then I get to talk to her more.

"He's gotten better, told me he shaved 5 seconds off his total time last week" the two of you chuckled. Your food barely touched, despite your boyfriend being almost done his. "Oh anyway, I should get going and let you eat. See you, bye Keegan!" He gave a short nod and awkward smile, as you bid your colleague goodbye.

"Oh my gosh, I love her. Her kids are so cute" you smiled over to the quiet man beside you. Like with your past 2 interactions at this lunch alone, Keegan was provided with context and background on all of them. Such as:

Parker - who recently got a new dog named Ranger. 6 month old Husky who argues with him on the daily. The dog is so cute babe, can we get one? Our dog and his dog could be best friends! Then Logan can bring Riley over for a playdate and all the dogs would be so happy. Please!

Then Finn - his girlfriend, Raven (your favourite mechanic on base who he will HAVE to meet) just got home from visiting her friends from back home. He really wants to propose but isn't quite sure if this is a good time for them. I think he should do it because they are literally soulmates.

Did he really care about any of this information? Not overly. Keegan was your opposite. Preferring a smaller, tighter knit social circle than knowing everyone on base. Even if that meant you teasing him about his social circle consisting of his team, even then he didn't know a whole lot of details about them.

"I know plenty about them" He argued one night while getting ready for bed.

"Yeah? Like what?" You challenged, leaning back on the bed, watching your boyfriend roll his eyes. He was the antisocial moth to your social butterfly.

"Uh Merrick started in the seals before he was a Ghost. Knew me since I was 18, so he's pretty much my family. Loves cats, camping and his kids" You raised an eyebrow, internally adding that his wife was the best baker you've met, and that his son played hockey for many years while his daughter played soccer.

"Ajax is the most stubborn, kindest asshole I've had the pleasure of working with. Extremely smart, one of the best mentors and friends I've had" His in-laws also own the local bar downtown and donate meals to the local homeless shelters every week. His partner plans on taking over the buisness one day to continue the good deeds.

"Uh Elias knows his stuff. I couldn't ask for a better commander. Been through hell and back but continues putting the team first, he's also the one who recruited me onto the team". He also lost his wife 8 years after his youngest was born and has been balancing his life between raising 2 sons and commanding a team. He feels bad every so often feeling like he didn't give them a proper childhood, or forcing David to grow up a little too fast to take care of his brother. Even though he loves the bond the two have formed. He is the dad friend of every social circle.

"Logan is good, young and full of potential. Doesn't say much, but knows what he wants out of life and is working his ass off toward getting it. Picks up on things extremely quick, has your back at all times, loves Riley and any other animal he comes across. A bit on the quiet side but that's not a bad thing" You laughed softly, realizing every single description Keegan has given you so far is 95% work related; so continuing in the current format. You bit your lip, in an attempt not to add that Logan was a very sweet kid, of minimal words as your boyfriend pointed out, sure. But he told you once that he hoped to make his family proud with what he was doing. Then got extremely red the day you and his brother told him just how proud everyone is of him.

"What's so funny over there, chuckles?" Keegan smiled at you, walking over to join you in the bed. Opting to lay between your thighs with his head on your stomach. Fingers automatically going to his hair, you felt him relax into your touch.

"I think it's funny that everything was work related. They do lead lives off base, like you and me" you felt him shrug silently. "You forgot about Hesh and Kick". Not bothering to move, he continued.

"Everyone in California knows Hesh's life story, and Kick is just a smartass". He had you there. "And not everyone is as open and talkative as you hun."

--

"Hey, it's been so long I've seen you. How have you been?" Another competitor entered the ring that was your shared table.

"It's been tiring, honestly. Coming back to work from extended leave has killed our motivation" hand finding Keegan's under the table, you were immediately engulfed in conversation with another face he didn't recognize. Lunch forgotten as your interest in the subject grew.

It was when Hesh Walker (the only person on base who held a candle to your social attitude) joined that Keegan decided he was done with lunch. Squeezing your hand 3 times under the table (a silent "I love you") he got up.

"See you guys" he responded to the 3 voices bidding him goodbye, as he went to drop his tray off before leaving.

"Tell me, how is it that the quietest soldier ended up dating the one of the loudest ones?" He heard Kick ask from behind him, walking alongside Elias and Merrick. "Your person could talk to a brick wall and become best friends with it in under 5 minutes". Keegan shrugged, falling in step with the group.

"They bring out the best side of our dear old Keegan though" Merrick clapped him on the shoulder with a mischievous grin. He found it rather comical watching you and Keegan out in a social atmosphere.

You working the room, chatting with anyone and everyone. Remembering random details about most people you've talked to. Him quietly watching you from across the room, or by your side nodding along to conversation. Things none of the senior team would've expected from their sniper 3 years ago, before he met you.

"Yeah. They're pretty great" Keegan smiled, allowing himself to fade into the background and listen to the conversation in front of him turn to whatever sports game the guys watched last night.

Your personalities may be day and night from one another, but he wouldn't give it up for th-

"Keeg! We aren't done talking about the dog we're going to adopt" he heard you yell from somewhere behind him. Causing him to freeze in place as the men in front of him began laughing. Feeling his face burn, knowing all passing eyes were now on either him or his ball of energy jogging up behind him.

But what can he say, opposites clearly attract.

Taglist: @bloodonmyhands-1221 @ai-luni

[dominickeating-source]

Star Trek Magazine Issue 121 (2005)

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK  Abbie Bernstein catches up with Dominic Keating - Star Trek: Enterprise's Security Officer Malcolm Reed 

At the time of this interview, the bad news hadn't officially broken, but Dominic Keating already seemed adjusted to the idea that after four years, his tenure playing Lt. Malcolm Reed on Star Trek:Enterprise was drawing to a close. "There's a definite sense that this could easily be it," he says, philosophically. "There's no one at Paramount any more that has any interest in the show. There's no one at UPN who has any interest in the show, there's no one at Paramount who could talk to anyone at UPN, even if they did have an interest in the show, in having it remain. I'm planning my life that we're off. Financially and otherwise, I'm moving ahead like [a fifth season is] not going to happen." 

Keating is happy with the fourth season so far: "It's going good. I've finally got a little bit more to do, which is nice. About the first 10 or 11 episodes, I'm not doing very much at all, just perfunctory stuff, and then it hots up. I've got quite a nice little four-episode, five-episode run." 

What's been the hardest thing Keating's had to do this season? "Wear the blessed spacesuit!" he laughs, referring to the Romulan arc stories. "I did two episodes, back to back, four or five days in a row in that spacesuit. Man, I tell you, it grates! A long day in that spacesuit is a long day." 

Even after the spacesuit has been physically doffed, it continues to plague the actors in post-production, Keating reveals: "Even when you take the helmets off, the suits themselves are so thick, with the rubber they use, they creak and crinkle, so you have to loop it [re-record the dialogue] anyway. If you move at all in that suit, you're looping. I just looped United today - it took two hours!" 

The spacesuit episodes - Babel One and United - see a return to the Shuttlepod One dynamics of Reed and Connor Trinneer's Trip finding themselves facing life-threatening jeopardy while separated from their colleagues. Keating still finds this a blast : "Oh, definitely. Connor's my mate now. We got the dynamic more than ever, because we're friends outside of the show now. We live around the corner from each other. We're chums. He's the guy I rang to help me take my car to the shop today - it's got to that," he laughs. "So yeah, the chemistry - we don't even have to think about that now." 

Keating is pleased with the turns the series has taken since Writer/Producer Manny Coto has taken on Show-runner responsibilities : "Manny's really stepped up," he feels. "In some ways - I'm not the one best really to say this - but I understand that he has righted some of the wrongs that some of the stalwart fans felt were made by the show in our early episodes. Some fans felt that we took certain liberties and apparently he's righted those and made it look like the liberties were taken for a reason. So that's fairly clever. And some of the stuff he's given us to do - the two episodes I just got to play were some of the best I've ever done on the show, and they were Manny's stories." 

There's also enjoyment to be had in the Mirror Universe two-part arc, In a Mirror Darkly, with a first episode scripted by Mike Sussman. "We're in this [parallel] universe where we're all bad mother******s. I played my first scene as a badass Reed with aspirations to - I can't tell you what - and it was great fun!" 

This called for a slight alteration in Reed's usual look, Keating adds: "I accentuated the scar I already have on my lip - a dog bit me when I was 17 - and I slicked my hair down a bit more severely than usual. Anthony [ Montgomery] went through a transformation - he looks amazing. Scott, too." 

Although it hasn't happened on ST:ENT, Keating reveals "I have a dream to direct, so whenever I'm not in a scene, you'll generally find me behind the monitor, watching what's going on." 

What are some of the things he's learned through observation? "Trust the Director of Photography and just be interested in the story and direct the story. I got very immersed in shot-making. That comes with experience. But let the Director of Photography make the shot. Ask the actors to come somewhere with you and have a vision, obviously, but when you actually think about the myriad and multitude of choices you've got, let the Director of Photography be that guy choosing the lenses. That's his job. You'll have a much better run, too, if you give the DP something to do, because he's involved. It's a consensus, with one guy - the Director - steering the ship." 

Does Keating have an ST:ENT Director he' d especially like to emulate? "That's a very difficult question," he considers. "They're all so unique. If I could pinch a bit from here and steal a bit from there...I like the way David Straiton is on the set. He has a lovely way with him. I like the passion that LeVar Burton has on set. I like the attention to detail that David Livingston has, and I like the efficiency and workmanlike attitude - that's not to say that he doesn't have all of the above as well or that the others don't have all of the above, either. Jim Conway has a very efficient, workmanlike attitude that threw me for a bit of a loop during the filming of the pilot, but he's actually directing again today, and it was very refreshing to be around that no-nonsense style. 

"When you've done a show for four years, I want to come to work, get it done and go home," Keating adds. "I have a great time doing it, but I don't need to spend three extra hours!" he laughs. 

What does Keating see himself doing next? "Lining up other work,"! he says. "Going out auditioning like a nutter!"

Source: www.dominickeating.com

[dweetwise]

The Long Con (part 1/6)

Happy Oktoberfest! 🍻 With the festival starting today in München, I figured it would be the perfect time to start posting this fic 🥰 Please also check out @ell-clavel's amazing riconti art that inspired me to write this AU in the first place 🧡 Rated G | 1.5k words | ao3 link [next]

"Man, look at all these people!"

Meg's grin was bright as she jogged past Ace and looked around in awe, her bow-adorned braids bouncing in time with her steps.

Ace hadn't expected quite this much of a crowd, either. It was only a Monday afternoon but the festival area was quickly filling up with groups flocking to the large beer tents or shopping at the stalls lining the central street.

He knew Oktoberfest was popular, but not this popular.

"I wonder if they're here to see Denson too." Ace smirked. "You might have some competition for the spot as her number one fan."

Meg's face scrunched up. "Shut up. You're the one who insisted on flying all the way out here, not me. Oh, look, there's a chocolate fruit stand!"

Ace smiled and bit back a snarky comment as Meg excitedly took in what the festival had to offer. The girl was an avid fan of country artist Kate Denson's work—Ace had a sneaking suspicion it was something she'd listened to with her late mother—and after an off-hand comment that Denson would be performing in Münich at this year's Oktoberfest?

Well, Ace simply hadn't been able to resist.

Just like he couldn't resist obnoxiously cooing, "Want me to buy you some choccy bananas?" when Meg kept eyeing the food stall.

Meg bristled. "I'm not fucking five years old."

"Really? Could have fooled me, with those pigtails."

"I'm just blending in," Meg said. 

She did a twirl to show off the rest of her outfit: a frilly top and floral bodice combined with full-length lambskin pants. She looked like she'd jumped straight out of one of those quaint paintings of a girl yodeling in the Alps.

"Which is more than I can say for some people," Meg snarked.

Unlike Meg’s outfit, Ace’s get-up had been thrown together on a budget. The fancy red waistcoat he’d…acquired from a casino’s staff room and it clashed horribly with the cheap fake bundhosen bought from a tourist shop. Hopefully, the random scarf and traditional Argentinian belt he’d tacked on would make it seem more like a fashion statement instead of an insult to Bavarian culture.

"So I took some creative liberties," Ace said.

"Yeah, that’s probably for the best." Meg smiled smugly. "You're about sixty years too old to pull off leather pants, anyway."

Ace gasped. "Attacked by my own protégé! The audacity!"

"Wonder where I learned that from," Meg said dryly. She looked around again. "I'm gonna go scope out the other tents before the concert."

"And here I thought you wanted me to hold your hand at baby's first festival."

Meg rolled her eyes and pointed at a large tent with something resembling a clock tower next to it. "That one looks the busiest. You go check it out and I'll come find you once I'm done."

Ah, ever efficient. Ace had taught her well.

"Remember to have some fun, too," Ace said. "All work and no play makes Meg a very dull girl!"

"And you remember what we're actually here for." Meg's piercing blue gaze bore into Ace's. "If I find you in a beer chugging contest again, so help me—"

"That was one time and the frat boys dared me!"

"Ace."

Ace smiled and shook his head. "Of course. Who do you take me for?"

Meg raised an eyebrow. "I bet I can score more than you."

"Oh, really?" Ace countered. "Maybe whoever loses should pay for lunch the rest of the week, if you're so confident."

"Deal." Meg turned around, waving over her shoulder as she walked away. "Smell you later, old fart!"

"Have fun, Firecracker."

Meg disappeared into the crowd and Ace allowed himself a moment to appreciate how far they'd come. It seemed like just yesterday that he'd taken the girl in.

A few years ago when he'd been stateside, Ace had managed to cash out big after a blackjack win streak. When he'd left the casino, he only made it two blocks down the street before someone bumped into him and Ace was very aware of the weight of his wallet disappearing from his pocket while he struggled to right himself.

The thief had run off in a blur of red hair and sneakers pounding on pavement. After feebly trying to chase after them, Ace had stayed in the area and waited, and only a few hours later the pickpocket—a teenage girl—returned to the scene of the crime. She was clearly tailing a woman in a fur jacket and designer purse, but even across the street Ace could see that both the fur and bag were obvious fakes.

Amateur mistakes, really.

This time, Ace had familiarized himself with the surroundings beforehand and even as the girl spotted him and took off in a sprint, he eventually managed to corner her in an alleyway.

And after some angry screaming from the girl and a kick to Ace's shin, they'd ended up in a 24/7 shoddy diner with Ace buying her a meal in exchange for her story.

Meg had been homeless for months after her mother passed away from cancer. At only seventeen and with no close relatives, she'd been forced out on the streets and struggling to survive; it was only her sharp reflexes and years as a track star that kept her afloat by doing petty crimes.

And maybe it was the situation that was eerily similar to Ace's own childhood, or the fire he could see in her eyes, but Ace had only smiled before critiquing her pickpocketing technique and asking if she'd ever thought about being a con artist.

That was how Ace ended up taking Meg under his wing and teaching her everything he knew. With his experience and her quick feet, they made a surprisingly good team and had traveled across the States stealing and scamming much more efficiently than Ace usually managed on his own.

Having another person in on his schemes made a big difference. Meg could do anything from pretending to join Ace's poker table as a stranger to emptying someone's purse while Ace was doing magic tricks as a street performer. Meg had only been caught once by the police, and she'd been so convincing at sniffling pathetically and claiming she was only fifteen that the officer had taken pity and simply called her father—a.k.a. Ace's burner phone—instead of taking her down to the station.

But easy money or not, Ace hadn't expected their arrangement to last long. A few months later when Meg turned eighteen, she'd already earned enough to start her life anew—yet when Ace asked where she was planning to settle down, he only received a look of pure betrayal. And then there was screaming and crying and Meg accusing him of abandoning her, just like her dad and everyone else.

Ace had never wanted children, but as he dared to hug Meg for the first time and she merely clutched at his shirt and sobbed in his arms, he decided he'd do his best to be there for her the way nobody had been for him.

That was four years ago and Meg was still here, so he must have been doing something right.

Ace knew that their friendship was unorthodox. A middle-aged man and grumpy young woman who were visibly not related often garnered suspicious looks, especially whenever they went out to eat in a proper restaurant or money was tight enough that they had to share a twin instead of booking separate motel rooms.

Which was ironic, because it was Ace who hated sharing a room with Meg. She took ages in the shower, always sat on Ace's bed to eat and got crumbs all over the sheets, and stayed up way too late watching crappy late-night TV when Ace was trying to get his beauty sleep. It was like she knew exactly how to annoy him and did it with a smile every chance she could.

He tried not to show how proud he was of her mischievous streak.

Ace chuckled to himself. He couldn't have asked for a better partner-in-crime and he was glad they'd had enough extra cash to make the trip to Germany. Even if she tried to play it cool, Meg was clearly excited about seeing both the country and her favorite musician.

The fact that this happened to be one of Europe's biggest festivals, with countless drunk, rich patrons for easy pickings and dense crowds to quickly disappear into was simply a bonus.

Ace took a steadying breath and straightened his shirt—patterned with tiny card suits that hopefully nobody would notice weren’t traditional Oktoberfest checkers—and slipped on a familiar confident persona. As long as he pretended that he belonged here, everyone else would believe it too.

With a carefree smile and a spring in his step, Ace made his way to the beer tent to people-watch for a worthwhile target.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Greek Interpreter pt 2

We have literally 0 plot to theorise on so far, just Mycroft in all his Mycroftian glory.

"I have had something quite after your own heart--a most singular problem--submitted to my judgement. I really had not the energy to follow it up save in a very incomplete fashion, but it gave me a basis for some pleasing speculation. If you would care to hear the facts--"

This is a bit like when my Mum tells me that I should look at the crossword she's started. Mycroft wants to share his enjoyment with his brother. Such a good older sibling. Also, he's too lazy to actually do the legwork required. But that's what younger siblings are for, isn't it? Or at least that's what my older brother tells me.

"This is Wednesday evening," said Mr Melas. "Well then, it was Monday night—only two days ago, you understand—that all this happened. I am an interpreter, as perhaps my neighbour there has told you. I interpret all languages—or nearly all—"

...He interprets all languages.

All languages.

All languages. Or nearly all. That's a lot of languages, my dude. I know some people who speak a lot of languages, but none of them comes close to speaking all languages. 5 or 6 I think is the most I've ever encountered, and only fluently in 3 or 4. There are definitely people out there who speak more, but nearly all. This man is officially the most knowledgeable person who has ever appeared in a Sherlock Holmes story. He's a linguistic genius.

The Internet tells me that historically the person who is said to have spoken/understood the most languages was Sir John Bowring, a 19th century governor of Hong Kong. He understood 200 languages and spoke 100.

The person who currently holds the record lives in Brazil and claims to speak 59.

The BBC website tells me that there are up to 7000 different languages, although 90% are spoken by less than 100,000 people. But Mr Melas does not specify that he speaks all the common languages or all the popular languages. He says he speaks nearly all languages.

Yes I am taking this literally purely to be difficult. It's more amusing that way. I know this is a case of hyperbole for fiction's sake, but I like the idea that Mr Melas speaks 6000+ languages. This is another case for random supernatural occurrences within the stories.

"I was not surprised, therefore, on Monday night when a Mr Latimer, a very fashionably dressed young man, came up to my rooms and asked me to accompany him in a cab which was waiting at the door. A Greek friend had come to see him upon business, he said, and as he could speak nothing but his own tongue, the services of an interpreter were indispensable."

First, I like the note that Mr Latimer is a fashion-conscious man. Second, how did he and the Greek man come to be friends if they could not speak each other's languages at all. Have they always spoken through other people? Maybe you should try learning some Greek, Mr Latimer.

"It was certainly more roomy than the ordinary four-wheeled disgrace to London, and the fittings, though frayed, were of rich quality."

Mr Melas is a cab snob. 'Four-wheeled disgrace to London' is a delightful turn of phrase.

"I had ventured some remark as to this being a roundabout way to Kensington, when my words were arrested by the extraordinary conduct of my companion. "He began by drawing a most formidable-looking bludgeon loaded with lead from his pocket, and switching it backward and forward several times, as if to test its weight and strength. Then he placed it without a word upon the seat beside him.

Well, this can't be good. Shenanigans are afoot. I like that Mr Latimer is very clear about this, though. Oh yeah, I'm a bad guy. Look at my bad guy credentials. There's no beating around the bush, just straight up threat of violence. Clear. To the point. No need for words.

"'This is very extraordinary conduct, Mr Latimer,' I stammered. 'You must be aware that what you are doing is quite illegal.' "'It is somewhat of a liberty, no doubt,'"

This is such a polite exchange. 'Uh, you are aware that kidnapping me is illegal, sir?' 'Yes, it's a little rude of me.'

So casual, so matter of fact. If I were kidnapped I wouldn't say 'hi, you know this is illegal, right?' But then i don't speak 6000+ languages, so what do I know about talking?

Realistically, this is terrifying, but Mr Melas' account is hilarious.

'I beg you to remember that no one knows where you are, and that, whether you are in this carriage or in my house, you are equally in my power.'

Less hilarious. More terrifying.

"'Well done, well done! No ill-will, Mr Melas, I hope, but we could not get on without you. If you deal fair with us you'll not regret it, but if you try any tricks, God help you!' He spoke in a nervous, jerky fashion, and with little giggling laughs in between, but somehow he impressed me with fear more than the other."

Yep, this guy seems unstable. Also 'no ill will'? You literally kidnapped him with a threat of violence. Yes ill will. Much ill will. I don't think you know what ill will means.

"'But say no more than you are told to say, or--' here came the nervous giggle again--'you had better never have been born.'"

Yep... this is the sign of a totally stable and reasonable person and absolutely not a creepy murderer. At least we already know Mr Melas survives to relate this tale, or I'd be certain he was about to be buried under the floorboards.

"'You are to ask the questions, Mr Melas, and he will write the answers. Ask him first of all whether he is prepared to sign the papers?'"

The fact he is not allowed to talk indicates that something about his voice would give something away. If they don't know Greek then writing and speaking are pretty much interchangeable for getting information across, so there would be no need to stop him from speaking because he can write incriminating things just as easily. Unless, one of them can read Greek, in which case why get an interpreter? So I stand by my thought that his voice must be incriminating. Or he's mute. Always possible.

"I took to adding on little sentences of my own to each question, innocent ones at first, to test whether either of our companions knew anything of the matter, and then, as I found that they showed no signs I played a more dangerous game."

Resourceful and intelligent. He tests the water first with non-incriminating stuff, then gets more in depth.

"'Harold,' said she, speaking English with a broken accent. 'I could not stay away longer. It is so lonely up there with only—Oh, my God, it is Paul!' "These last words were in Greek, and at the same instant the man with a convulsive effort tore the plaster from his lips, and screaming out 'Sophy! Sophy!' rushed into the woman's arMs Their embrace was but for an instant, however, for the younger man seized the woman and pushed her out of the room, while the elder easily overpowered his emaciated victim, and dragged him away through the other door.

OK, so Sophy seems to have been having quite a pleasant time of it all told. While poor Paul's been going through it. Kind of dumb of them to let her walk in on them, though. I assume that they had a plan to avoid that which somehow went wrong. Also, if she's being held of her own free will, this seems like it might put an end to that? Unless she's very gullible.

So, brother? I'm thinking relative because he has to sign something before she can get married? Or he wants her to be married? Presumably there's some sort of fortune involved.

"'We should not have troubled you, only that our friend who speaks Greek and who began these negotiations has been forced to return to the East. It was quite necessary for us to find some one to take his place, and we were fortunate in hearing of your powers.'"

'forced to return to the East' is that like saying he's in the cellar looking for a cask of amontillado? Maybe he just had a family emergency... maybe?

Also 'your powers', yes. Mr Melas's linguistic skills are clearly a super power.

"if you speak to a human soul about this—one human soul, mind—well, may God have mercy upon your soul!"

This threat clearly worked well, considering Mr Melas has so far told at least two souls about the situation, with great glee. I get the impression that Mr Melas is a stifled adrenaline junkie and this is the best thing that has happened to him all year.

"I cannot tell you the loathing and horror with which this insignificant-looking man inspired me. I could see him better now as the lamp-light shone upon him. His features were peaky and sallow, and his little pointed beard was thready and ill-nourished. [...] The terror of his face lay in his eyes, however, steel grey, and glistening coldly with a malignant, inexorable cruelty in their depths."

Sounds delightful.

Honestly, it's the little pointy beard that clearly marks him as a villain, though. Everyone knows that.

Although if he doesn't put more care into maintaining it, the league of villains will have him cast out for failure to maintain proper villainous standards.

"Any steps?" he asked. Mycroft picked up the Daily News, which was lying on the side-table. "'Anybody supplying any information to the whereabouts of a Greek gentleman named Paul Kratides, from Athens, who is unable to speak English, will be rewarded. A similar reward paid to any one giving information about a Greek lady whose first name is Sophy. X 2473.' That was in all the dailies. No answer."

Well now they're definitely going to know he said something. Subtle.

"In the meantime, Mr Melas, I should certainly be on my guard, if I were you, for of course they must know through these advertisements that you have betrayed them."

You don't say? No, seriously. I'd be worried if I were him. But apparently he's just got absolutely no fear.

"Then the brother--for that, I fancy, must be the relationship--comes over from Greece to interfere. He imprudently puts himself into the power of the young man and his older associate. They seize him and use violence towards him in order to make him sign some papers to make over the girl's fortune--of which he may be trustee--to them."

OK, so clearly that's entirely wrong because it's Watson's thoughts on the matter. So back to the drawing board. Not to disparage Watson, at all... but there's no way it's right if it's his theory.

"I really fancy that you are not far from the truth."

Really??!? That's probably the biggest surprise of this whole story so far.

Sophy seemed to have no inkling of any crime or ill-intent on the part of the bad guys, so they're clearly being subtle with her. Or they were. You don't just wander around a kidnapper's house going 'I came to find you Harold, because I was so lonely all alone up there'. Unless you're actually a character in an erotic thriller novel, then I guess that probably is a thing you would do.

I don't think this is an erotic thriller, however.

Did Watson really get this one right? I guess we'll find out next time.

[forgottengodfrey]

ok so since the above we've uhhhh developed some of the stuff that's gonna impact these two alksdfjklsdjf i feel like godfrey is still hoping tho to -- should he learn of it, himself! -- expose valentina and cassimir's mistreatment of the og girls but yeah like i said...i don't think he at present knows anything abt that bc im just guessing BAHAHAHA but i doubt @forgottensebastian 's first move was to run and confide in not!uncle godfrey when he learned abt that hahaha but anyway if he ever did learn, he'd def make hayyyy w getting that out in the open! LOOK HOW THESE CRUEL INVADERS [don't think too much abt the fact that they're pre!roderick....] ARE TREATING EVEN THE NOBLEST ASTAIRANS, AND NOW EVEN FORCING THEM INTO MARRIAGE TO ESCAPE THIS VILE TREATMENT! RISE UP, ASTAIRA! FREE URSELF! etc

leaving that bit to the side for now tho, i def agree that godfrey ~will be taking in the terrain at least insofar as the og girls are beloved by astaira and the new ones are uhhhh noT lakjsdfkjdsf and w edmund already having a relationship there ( @forgottenedmund do you think edmund will tell his uncle abt what's going down there now re: the battle of m, etc? he'd deffff be looking to repair that! *facepalm* 'pls just be friends!!!!!! i need you all to be really put through the ringer/possibly die terribly w edmund as ur only defender here ok!!!!!!! lets repair this rn!!!!!' rosie probs: 'tristan and edmund are so nice why does his ~other uncle have weird energy rn/seem a lil ~too into our probs pre!doomed-anyway-from-the-v-start relationship????...oh well its probs just good intentions! wow, edmund's mom must be really nice that must be where they get it' heh ;D only ~kind of kidding ;DDDDD amira must just be so nice!!!1 laksjfkljdsfkjlsdf)

but anyway, as we've established, godfrey is here to help save them from the flames (yknow just as a favor to his brother and nephew!! and bc its the right thing to do and he's had enough!! def nothing nefarious here shh! ;DDD) and i def think he'll be wanting to put them out in front of rebeles he's cooking up to encourage them etc that yes we need to fight back or roderick will just keep burning defenseless, innocent women to death!!!!!!

and yes!!!! since edmund doesn't have a ~full sister, idk if this is how edmund actually feels or not hahaha but i do think godfrey will be making all kinds of noises abt how its roderick who is barring women from the throne!!!! but edmund truly believes they ought to be able to rule!!! etc etc and when he's stepped over his own older sister to claim his throne ;D he'll allow women such liberties!!! don't think abt this too much!! ;DDDD akjsfksdhafkjhsdf no, but tbf i ~do think there is a good bit of truth to what he says (godfrey ~is def of the school that you gotta have truth in there after all!!! it won't fly otherwise!!) bc like lbr if guin ~hadn't been born a girl, it probs wouldn't have occurred to roderick to wait to name an heir and yeahh that probs would've been clear from day one ngl!

yeah, ouch! arthur would DEF be hella hurt if eithne first rejects him for ~cassimir of all ppl, and then turns around and endorses edmund al;ksdjfkljsdf arthur: 'jeeze i didn't realizee you actually hated me all along' lkajsdfkljsdjf arthur, man, newsflash: ik ur tryin ur best but not everything is abt you, bud! ;laksjdflkjsdkfjsdf arthur: '??!!?!???!'

anyway, i do think godfrey does drop by malconaire when he's got a spare moment esp since he's doubtless noticed that edmund spends a lot of time there etc. i do think godfrey is a pr charming guy, and obv he's in a powerful position as both brother to amira and lord of hanthom in his own right as well as i think effectively running kolchis (tho idk that that's quite as big a job as it sounds bc bart's ofc overseeing the empire so gofrey's more like a...glorified governor kinda position than like a little king or anything like that, i just mean he's administering and so forth), etc, so im ~confident valentina, at least, is glad to see him (too bad he's already spoken for bc otherwise...he could be yet ~another sonya back up smdh)

for rosie's part, she is super eager that godfrey like her (unfortunately for her, godfrey emotionally tries to tune her out since she's an innocent he's gonna have to use! fortunately for her, he's VERY good at appearing ~to care!! rosie's sold!) since, obv, she's got smth going w edmund so she'd like all his relatives to like her etc, but edmund does seem to be esp close w godfrey etc so yeah! that relationship's big in her head! and i def think she's like 'pls be nice!' to her sisters since that all means a lot to her etc. i mean, idk that eithne needs anyone telling her to be kind to anyone HAHAHAHA but you know what i mean hahaha anyway, idk what eithne would think of ~any of that hahaha but yeah! there it is hahah

for his part, he's always super polite, tries to step in and save the girls from valentina and cassimir and their interference, is generally pr charming and kind, plus he's got edmund and tristan there to recommend them and, until eithne's unfortunate tea part expereince at the palace (godfrey: damn it, amira, why're you always ruining my plans!), i doubt anyone had met amira who uhhh def casts a cloud on that lil family unit lakjsdflkjsdfjksdf oh well l;akjsflkjsdkjf but yeah! that was a v, v long and involved way of asking...what do you think eithne generally makes of godfrey? lkjsadfakljsd

OOC | Godfrey & Eithne

eithne honestly deserves so much better and godfrey is sorry that all of this is happening to her!!! i kind of feel like, since godfrey wants to align astairan interests w edmund, he'd love to play up edmund's friendship w the malconaires and maybe even help them cast off the shackles of cassimir and valentina to make a public statement that way, but for that to be really dramatic, their servitude situation would have to be known about publically, (or else get much worse,) and im not sure if it is? but anyway, as a result, godfrey's simultaneously wishing both worse and then better for them so!! that's fun!! hahah w the hope of ultimately helping all astaira attain at least a modicum of liberty via emperor edmund lkadjsfjkdsf

[zoeykallus]

angsty ER visits with tbb? (either reader or bb needing medical attention) tyyy

Coming right up... it's not all angsty, though. I took the liberty of going into the different personalities in this scenario. One is a bit angsty, one quite intense, the rest is rather fluffy. There is some drama, some angst, fluff and a bit of humour.

The Bad Batch x Reader HC's - Emergency Room

Warnings: A little angst/ a little hurt/ Fluff

Hunter

The burn on his arm looks pretty bad, and he is in pain too. He's playing it cool, but you can see it in his eyes.

"I hate this place"

You look at him, surprised.

"Last time we were here, you said Kix was the best medic you know"

Hunter smirks at you.

"You were scared like a little puppy, what was I supposed to tell you?"

Kix comes in and says, "Good to know, Hunter"

"Oh, hi Kix", Hunter says with a wry smile.

Kix looks at Hunter's arm. "That's not a blaster burn. How did you burn yourself there?"

You end up telling Kix the story how Wrecker and Hunter played some stupid game with throwing burning logs at a fire place when they were boozed after a mission.

Kix mutters, "You've got to be kidding me"

"Wish I was", you mutter back.

Hunter smirks, "Hey, it was all fun until Wrecker stumbled and hit me with the burning log"

Hunter hates needles. He will pull himself together, but you can still see it in his face if you look closely. He's a bit tense throughout the whole treatment and obviously relieved when you leave the med bay together.

"My brave man", you say with a slightly mocking undertone.

Hunter pinches you softly into your side, saying "Cocky thing"

Echo

He hates the med bay, he hates it so, so much. The machines, the scans, the sterile environment. It feels intrusive and sickening to him. It takes him back to a very dark place, one where he lost most of his human body.

"I feel fine. We should go", he mutters.

"Echo, it's okay, I'll stay with you and watch out for you the whole time", you promise him softly.

He seems rushed and shaky, his eyes twitching unsteadily from one corner to the other, every noise making him cringe.

Gently, you take his hand.

"Look at me, Echo"

He looks at you, out of wide eyes, you see in them a deep pain and a deep-rooted fear. Echo is a brave man, always ready to give everything on the battlefield, and he has proven that many times. But here and now he is really afraid.

When Kix walks in, Echo breathes a sigh of relief.

"Hey Kix, didn't know you were on duty today."

Kix smiled, "Hi Echo! I saw on the list that you had an appointment today, so I thought I'd take over. How are you doing, brother?"

"Pretty good, actually."

Echo was very grateful that Kix took the time. Actually, he had today off. Kix knew his medical history and knew about Echo's PTSD, he knew Echo would feel more comfortable if he took over the examination.

You smiled at Kix, very grateful that he was here.

"And you have your pretty girlfriend with you too, so this shouldn't be a problem today, right?"

Echo smirked at you.

"Yeah, I think I'll be doin' just fine"

Wrecker

He's pouting. He hates the med bay, most of all he hates needles.

"The blaster shot only grazed me, it's hardly worth mentioning," he grumbles as you push the giant ahead of you into the treatment room.

You say indulgently, "I know honey, you've said that at least five times now. But it still needs to be treated. Relax, Kix is on duty today. You like Kix, don't you?"

"He's a friend of Echo's," Wrecker says, "The guy's okay."

Kix greets you kindly and looks at the wound.

"You're right Wrecker", he says with a smile, "Just a graze, hardly worth mentioning".

Wrecker looks at you meaningfully, "Told you".

But as Kix prepares an injection, your brave giant jumps up from the treatment table.

"Yeah, well I really don't need that"

Kix raises his eyebrows and says, "I'm your medic and I'm saying you need this unfortunately so there will be no infections. After that, I'll put an ointment on it, a bigger band-aid, and then you'll be rid of me"

Wrecker looks from one to the other. Meekly, he finally looks at you and asks quietly, "Can you hold my hand?"

Kix blinks in surprise, but says nothing.

"Of course I can," you say with a smile and take his hand.

Kix is careful, and the matter is quickly settled. As you're on your way out, Kix calls out, "Hey Wrecker, catch," and throws him a lollipop.

" Since when do you guys have these?"

"Since the non-clone officers come here with their kids".

Tech

Tech grumbles, "I'm perfectly capable of providing my own medical care"

You nod and say softly, "I know that Tech. But the rules require this check-up."

He is not afraid of exams, he is usually quite curious about scans and the like. But most medics don't have much patience with him. He asks a lot of questions, talks a lot, and it wasn't uncommon for people to be rude to him. Tech always felt like a little boy who was being reprimanded and he didn't like that.

"Today Kix is on duty," you say encouragingly.

In fact, Tech relaxes a little when he hears that.

When Kix walks in and sees Tech, he smirks and says, "Ah, the most curious of patients."

Tech blinks in disconcertment, but Kix says, "It's okay. You can ask as many questions as you want"

You suppress a giggle, you know Kix better not have said that. Tech starts talking and asking questions and practically stops listening. During the scan he has to keep his mouth shut because he's not allowed to move, but as soon as he comes out of the tube his talking continues.

Kix is very gentle and patient, but you can see in his face, he'll be sighing with relieve when this is done, and you leave the med bay with Tech.

Kix looks at Tech seriously and interrupts him, "Have you had any headaches lately?"

Tech falls silent instantly.

"Was there something on the scan," he asks in an almost whisper.

Kix shakes his head.

"No, your stats are okay so far, but your vision has continued to deteriorate. You need even stronger goggles. Laser surgery might not go amiss, either. We can't restore full vision, but we can improve it. Otherwise, you'll have to wear binoculars soon."

Tech sighs and lowers his head, shoulders slumping even further.

"I guess laser surgery would make sense," he says quietly.

You stroke his cheek.

"It'll be fine."

Tech sighs, "That's not the problem. The problem is that I'm the only clone who needs constant medical touch-ups, even if I don't get injured in combat"

"That bothers you?"

Tech blinks, takes the goggles you put in his hand and puts them back on.

"It's not necessarily very good for my self-esteem".

You kiss his chin, and Kix looks away for a moment, preoccupied with something else.

"You'll always be my hero. My very special genius. The person I love the most"

Tech smiles at you.

"That's more than enough for me, Mesh'la".

Crosshair

He never goes to the med bay. Unless he is forced with force, or he is really badly hurt. He has everything else treated by Tech. He doesn't trust all these reg-medics. Crosshair feels uncomfortable among them. This animosity is mutual. The regs don't feel very comfortable in his presence either.

However, he has no choice right now. He is strapped to a stretcher, he has taken several shots, blaster burns in his torso and back, one in his right thigh. Tech has stabilized him, put him on an IV, and given him pain meds. It's all like a dream. A bad dream.

All around him are regs and medic droids. He sees you in the background, your face is wet with tears, and you look as if he were already dead. He wants to tell you not to make such a fuss, that everything is half as bad, but he can't open his mouth.

Crosshair can feel his own heartbeat, all dull and way too loud. Adrenaline. A reg leads you out of the treatment room. Crosshair wants to reach out to you, tell them not to take you away, but he's strapped down. His breathing is getting more restless, his chest seems to be getting tighter, and the pain is slowly coming through the painkillers.

Panic. Crosshair swallows, shaking. Again and again his gaze wanders to the spot where you were standing before. Everyone around him is so hectic, the restlessness is transferred to him.

"He's hyperventilating," he hears a reg say.

Kix's face appears in his field of vision. A relief.

"Hey buddy, it's okay, we got it covered here. Your girlfriend's waiting for you outside. You just need to hang in there for a bit now. I'm going to give you an anesthetic. When you wake up, she'll be sitting by your bedside, okay?"

Crosshair can't nod, but he blinks and his breathing slowly calms.

"There you go. It's going to be okay," Kix says with satisfaction, and with a helper droid and two more medics, he prepares everything for the treatment."

_____

When Crosshair wakes up, you are really sitting at his bedside. You fell asleep in your chair. Your eyes are puffy from crying, your mascara a little runny, and yet he's never seen anything more beautiful.

"Kitten"

His voice a little hoarse and his mouth all dry.

"Kitten, wake up"

You blink. Realizing that Crosshair is awake, you jump up from your chair and hastily come to his bedside. He lifts an arm heavily and wipes away a tear.

"Stop crying already," he says gently, "I'm not dead yet."

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@puppetswithteeth

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 10 - Bad Influence [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s an extra chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: Some nights are more hectic than others.

Series Masterlist

Oh hell no.

Tonight was supposed to be a normal night. Boring even. You were supposed to stay at home, watch a cliché horror movie, eat noodles and worry about whether your fake boyfriend, who didn’t know he was your fake boyfriend, was safe and sound on yet another secret mission of his.

Okay, maybe not that normal of a night.

But what was not supposed to happen was your ex-boyfriend showing up out of nowhere at your door.

“I know we left things off a little awkward but that’s no reason to point a gun at me. I was just doing my job.”

“Walk away,” you said, “Go back to the circle of hell they unleashed you from.”

“I heard you’re fake dating Barnes?” he asked, “He looks like your type.”

“I’m going to give you three seconds, then I will start shooting.”

He hissed in a breath,

“Except you can’t,” he stated, “You have to keep your cover. Milkshake waitress having a gun? People would start asking questions.”

“You’re right,” you said through your teeth, “A knife would be much more silent.”

“What’s taking you so—“ Keith called out but he stopped talking as soon as he saw you two. His eyes narrowed almost immediately and he took a step but you threw yourself in front of him, knowing he was about to punch him.

“Keith, I got it.”

“What the fuck are you doing here dickhead?”

“Nice to see you too Keith,” Julian said, “Am I interrupting something? I always kind of wondered what was going on between you two.”

“Ew!”

“If I didn’t want to punch you before, I certainly want to do it now,” Keith stated and you shook your head.

“I got it,” you said, “Really, it’s fine. Go back to the living room.”

He gritted his teeth, “I’ll fuck you up the moment I get you alone, Julian.”

“I can pretend to be scared if you want,” Julian deadpanned as Keith walked back to the living room and you tucked your gun into the waist of your shorts again, crossing your arms.

“So what crossroad is missing its demon right now?” you asked and he tilted his head.

“Y/N.”

“Why are you here?”

“I wanted to say hi,” he said, “Is that so bad?”

“Yeah. Considering the shit you pulled, it is bad.”

“You would’ve done the same thing.”

“No I really wouldn’t,” you said “What, am I supposed to believe you’re here to say hello?”

“Yep,” he said, “It’s customary to meet or re-meet your team leader on a mission.”

You blinked a couple of times, gawking at him before you let out a bitter chuckle.

“Oh fuck no.”

“Hey take it up to the General, I didn’t ask to be put on a mission where you play the honeypot,” he said, “Speaking of, is Barnes head over heels yet? I know how charming you can be when you want to, call it a first hand experience.”

“You’re not a part of my team.”

“I sort of am.”

“It’s my team,” you insisted, “I didn’t give okay to you being on my—“

“I’m afraid that’s above both of our paygrades,” he pointed out, “Nothing you can do about it. Trust me, I won’t enjoy this either.”

“Oh you won’t?”

“You think I will enjoy watching you have a relationship with the goddamn Winter Soldier?” he asked, “As fake as it may be, it will look real.”

“You’re so full of shit.”

“So I take it he doesn’t stay over yet?”

You ran your tongue over your teeth, shaking your head, “You know what?” you said, “I think I’ve had enough of this bullshit for the night. It’s always a displeasure to see you Julian, fuck off now.”

You slammed the door on his face and ran a hand over your face, making your way to the living room.

“General put him on the team?” Keith asked, “Is he serious?”

“Looks like it,” you checked your wristwatch, “I need to talk to him. Do you think I can-”

“Don’t call the General right now,” he interrupted you before you could finish your sentence, “You’re angry, and I get that, so am I but wait until tomorrow.”

“Keith, he can’t be in my team!” you insisted, “He can’t be trusted, you know he can’t!”

“Hey,” he grabbed you by the shoulders, “I know. I know what he’s done, I know he can’t be trusted. But the rest of your team got your back, okay? Especially me and Chloe. What happened at that last mission won’t happen again.”

You threw your hands up, “Ugh, fuck this shit!”

“We got this—” he started but then your phone started vibrating on the couch, making you both turn your heads. You leaned over to check the screen, then snatched the phone off the couch when you saw Bucky’s name flashing.

“I should take this,” you murmured and made your way to the bathroom to close the door behind you. You jumped into the empty bathtub and answered the phone.

“Hi Bucky.”

“Hi darling.”

Even the sound of that was enough to make a small smile warm your face and you closed your eyes, leaning your head back to the bathtub.

“You could’ve just texted, you didn’t have to call.”

“Nah I wanted to hear your voice.”

Your smile widened as you bit down on your lip.

“I wanted to hear your voice too,” you murmured, for once dropping the act, “God, you have no idea what kind of a terrible night I’m having.”

“What’s wrong?”

You scrunched up your face, scolding yourself in your head. “Just a…just a bad night.”

“Girls at soup kitchen are giving you a hard time?” he asked and you let out a chuckle.

“No,” you said, “I just heard some less than ideal news.”

“Do you need me there?”

You raised your brows, “Aren’t you on a secretive and highly dangerous mission?”

“Yeah,” he said, “Doesn’t matter, I’ll come if you need me. Do you?”

The clear difference between your ex-boyfriend and your current, albeit fake boyfriend was impossible to miss and you felt your throat getting tighter before you coughed.

Fuck no, you didn’t cry.

The last time you genuinely cried was when you were 16, and quite frankly you had no idea if you were even capable of doing it anymore.

“It’s fine,” you managed to say, “It can wait. Date night when you come back though.”

“Of course.”

“And actually I’ve been thinking about that,” you said, “It’s my turn, right? To pick the place?”

“Mm hm, we last went to Brooklyn.”

“So I was thinking what if we did one modern and one old times?” you asked, “I can pick the modern dates and you can pick the old times dates.”

“Huh,” he said, “That’s a good idea. Wait, you’re not going to drag me to one of those nightclubs, are you?”

You giggled, “Would it be that terrible?”

“Please don’t do that to me.”

“You don’t like dancing?”

“Not that kind of dancing.”

“You know, I keep waiting for you to actually utter the words ‘back in my day’, but it’s not happening.”

He chuckled, “Back in my day, we wouldn’t call that dancing.”

You hummed, slipping a little in the bathtub, “Good point,” you said, “So okay then, it’s settled. I got the modern and you got the old dates covered. What does that entail anyway? Home cooked meal dates?”

“Nope,” he said, “We’re dating, not married.”

You pulled your brows together, “How is that relevant?”

“Me being at your place or you being at mine would be very frowned upon,” he tut tutted, “Us together, without anyone else. Inside and privacy and all. Scandal, there’d be lots of gossip about your virtue.”

A clear laughter escaped from your lips and you covered your mouth with your hand, trying to pull yourself together.

“Right, my virtue,” you played along, “So I take it you have never been alone with a girl back in your day then? Since virtue was a huge deal?”

There was a pause on the other line, “I mean it wasn’t— it wasn’t that huge of a deal for everyone…” he trailed off, and you clicked your tongue.

“But overall, no Netflix and chill?”

“What’s Netflix and chill?”

You bit inside your cheek, trying to ignore the warmth at the pit of your stomach, “I know you hate to hear it, but you’re so cute.”

“No I’m not.”

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” you taunted him, “I won’t tell anyone.”

You heard Sam calling his name and there was a shuffle before he cleared his throat.

“I gotta go,” he said, “Promise to be safe?”

“Right back at you.”

“Good night sweetheart.”

“Good night.” you said and hung up, pressing the phone to your lips before you shook your head at yourself. You got off the empty tub and opened the bathroom door to step out, then found Keith busy with the noddle boxes in the kitchen.

“It’s still hot, and I took the liberty of texting Chloe,” he said, “She’s on her way.”

You tried to offer him a small smile.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he grabbed the chopsticks, “But we might want to finish Scream before Chloe gets here, because knowing her, she will make us watch a rom-com.”

                                                ***

You should’ve known trying to change the General’s decision was a lost cause. He listened to your multiple reasons why it was a bad idea to have Julian in your team, but you could’ve been talking to a wall and it still wouldn’t have made a difference.

“I’m aware of your past with Julian,” he said with a sigh after you were done listing your reasons, “Trust me, this wasn’t an easy decision to make.”

“It’s not about my past with him, sir.” You forced yourself to say, “He can’t be trusted. He’s not a team player, he doesn’t think about anyone but himself-”

“It wasn’t just my decision to make him a part of the team, it was all your superiors’,” he said, “We believe that you’re professional enough to pull this off.”

You gritted your teeth, “Sir, it’s not—“

“He’s in your team and a part of the mission now,” he cut you off, “You’re dismissed, Shrike.”

You dug your fingernails into your palms and nodded, then left his office to march up to Chloe and Keith who were huddled over Chloe’s desk.

“What did he say?”

“That he’s not going anywhere.”

Keith clenched his jaw while Chloe heaved a sad sigh.

“I can try to talk to him if you want, but…”

“It won’t make any difference,” you said, “I know.”

Keith crossed his arms, leaning back to the desk, “I mean we could always poison Julian.”

“Keith.”

“Or he could get caught in the crossfire. Spies die like flies, you know that.”

“Don’t say that!” Chloe exclaimed, “You guys are spies too and I already feel way too worried about you.”

“No worries, the only type of death Y/N will get from Barnes is la petite mort.”

You smacked him on the arm, “Fuck you, we’re not sleeping together yet.”

“But you sort of want to,” Keith said, “I heard your giggling last night while talking to him.”

You shifted your weight and threw your shoulders back, “Yeah, so? It’s my cover.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t want to fuck his brains out.”

“I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer!”

“I’m kind of excited about that too,” Chloe said and both you and Keith turned to her.

“Please tell me you don’t want to sleep with Barnes—“

“No!” Chloe said, “No I just… when Y/N wants to, we’ll go and get some vintage inspired lingerie so I’m excited for that.”

“We’re not going to do that Chloe.”

“Yeah, let the guy see the good things 21st century has to offer Chloe,” Keith winked at you and you rolled your eyes.

“You know what, I didn’t give you shit when you were the one undercover in Brazil and had to—“

“Y/N,” Julian’s voice reached your ears and a shiver ran down your spine, making you clench your teeth, “You have a minute?”

Chloe stole a look at Keith who glared at Julian while you raised your brows.

“Not for you Julian, no.”

“I just joined the team, you have to update me.”

“Actually she doesn’t because I already gave Sarah your file and I know that she gave it to you two hours ago,” Chloe stated and Keith nodded.

“Yeah and you’re standing a little too close, so why don’t you step back a little?”

Julian shot you a look, “Seriously? And you’re okay with this?”

“He’s right, you’re standing a little too close,” you stated, making him sigh.

“Y/N, we’re on the same team,” he reminded you, “We need to get along.”

“Actually, you’re on my team,” you corrected him, “I’m the leader in here. So technically, I don’t have to get along with you. You have to get along with me, seeing that you work under me.”

A small arrogant smirk curled his lips. “Wouldn’t be the first time I worked under you,” he said, “Brings back the memories.”

Your eyes narrowed and you tilted your head.

“It really does,” you mused, “The memory of the most boring ten seconds of my life, you tranquilized mattress.”

Keith snorted out his coffee while Chloe gasped, staring at you. You smiled at Julian sweetly, then grabbed your phone.

“Well, I’d better go,” you said, “Some of us have a mission to lead after all. I’ll see you guys later.”

“Have fun,” Keith said without taking his eyes off Julian, “I know we will.”

You winked at them and walked out of the bullpen, grinning to yourself.

                                     ***

The following two days were an actual disaster. Bucky wasn’t in the city so you had nothing to do and nothing to report about. Not only that, you had also made it your own mission to avoid Julian but so far that mission had been a success.

You were beginning to suspect Keith and Chloe had something to do with it.

There was also something at the pit of your stomach. Something that made you both sad and uncomfortable at the same time, like an itch you needed to scratch and no matter what you did, it wouldn’t go away.

Chloe had this genius theory of you missing Bucky, but she was absolutely wrong.

You were just done with counting the money and locking the register when you heard the wind bell by the door chime, but you were way too busy with trying to place the mason jars on the shelf to even look around.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” you said but there was no answer. You froze for only a second before the spy in you kicked in and you grabbed the mason jar tighter before reaching out to grab the nearest knife. The footsteps didn’t signal that it was more than one person and you would throw the jar and judging by the angle of his shadow he would probably lean left to dodge it and that would be when—

“Hi beautiful.”

You whirled around, still holding the jar tight before you dropped it on the counter with the knife, staring at Bucky standing by the door.

“Oh thank God….” you rushed to jump into his arms and he caught you, lifting you off the floor as you wrapped your arms around his neck, inhaling his scent deeply. Somehow just his presence was enough to make up for these last terrible days and you closed your eyes for a moment while his hand cradled the back of your head, pressing a kiss on your temple.

“Hi,” you giggled as you pecked him on the lips, “I didn’t know you were back!”

“Oh we just arrived,” Bucky said as he put you down, “Sam went home and I came here. He says hi by the way.”

“Hi back,” you said and the duffel bag on the floor caught your eye, “Wait, you literally just arrived?”

“Mm hm.”

You hummed, pinching his chin between your fingers as you turned his face, making him smile.

“No bruises,” you commented “That’s a good sign. You scared me though, I thought you were a robber!”

“Yeah, speaking of,” he said, “Where’s your friend?”

“Tara? She had a date, and the part timer had an emergency, so I’m closing today.”

“By yourself?” he asked, “That’s not exactly being safe.”

“I can take care of myself,” you taunted him, “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Glad to be back,” his smile widened, “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“Oh you don’t have to, you know I live close by. You should go home and get some rest, you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“Y/N,” he said patiently, “It’s night time—“

“Meh, evening more likely.”

“It’s dark outside,” he said, “I’m walking you home, come on.”

You thought for a moment, then heaved a sigh.

“Okay,” you said and looked around to see whether you had missed anything, then grabbed your jacket and switched off the lights. He adjusted his duffel bag over his shoulder as you locked the shop then you both started walking.

“So I take it the mission was a success?” you asked, entwining your fingers with his vibranium ones. He still wasn’t used to it and he hesitated for only a second before he held your hand.

“Something like that.”

“How are you going to celebrate?”

He frowned, “Celebrate?”

“Yeah!” you said, “A nice thing happened, why wouldn’t you celebrate it?”

“We don’t really… celebrate missions.”

“Why not?”

He thought for a moment, “I don’t know,” he admitted, “Can I- can we celebrate it then? Together?”

“Oh we absolutely can,” you nodded, “How does tomorrow sound? It’s my time to pick the date, and I’m picking a bar with lots of celebration drinks.”

“There won’t be any dancing in this bar, right?”

“Not yet,” you wiggled your brows, “But I’m warning you, I have plans. We will push you out of that comfort zone of yours.”

“My shrink would like you.”

You tilted your head, “Is that a good thing?”

“Yep,” he said, “How about you? Do you feel better?”

You heaved a sigh and made a face, “Trying.”

“Anything I can do to help?” he asked, “Anything at all, I’m serious.”

A small smile warmed your face and you looked up at him.

“It’s fine,” you said “Thank you for asking though. It means a lot.”

He squeezed your hand like he was trying to assure you and you turned around to see him better as you stopped in front of the building.

“I’d ask if you wanted to a cup of coffee upstairs but…” you sighed dramatically, “My virtue and all.”

“Right,” he played along, “Of course not. We can’t have your neighbors get the wrong idea.”

“No chaperone or anything…”

“I’m astonished you’d even think of such a thing miss,” he said, trying to keep a straight face and you bit down on your lips.

“Well, thank you for being the perfect gentleman, mister,” you taunted him, then stood on your tiptoes to brush your lips against his, his arm around your waist tightening. He looked down at you as you pulled back, that soft light crossing his eyes again.

“Good night Bucky.”

“Good night,” he stole a kiss from you again and you giggled, then made your way into the building. You took the elevator and as soon as you reached your floor and stepped out, you found Keith fumbling with his keys by his door. He looked over his shoulder and you tilted your head, staring at his blood stained clothes.

“Why are you covered in blood?”

“Why are you grinning like a high schooler with a crush?” he asked back and you tried to control your expression. “Something tells me the answer to both of those questions is the same.”

“Mission?”

“Mission.”

You hummed and went to unlock your door as well while Keith leaned sideways to his doorframe.

“At least one of us is having fun on missions,” he pointed out and you curled your lips, shooting him a look.

“Aw you poor baby,” you said, “I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

“No I’m not and you know why?” you pointed at him, “You didn’t bring me coffee the other day.”

He gasped dramatically and you let out a laugh, then closed your door behind you.

“That Barnes guy is a bad influence on you young lady!” he called out before closing his door as well and you chuckled to yourself, shaking your head.

“Yeah,” you murmured, “I think you might be right.”

Chapter 11