#part 1 is pretty much my gushing over my ship

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️ Ranking Richonne

#1: For The Future (S9E03) 🏆🥳🎉

This is the one. 🥹 The number 1. 🏆 My favorite Richonne scene. 😍 And it's quite fitting on TOWL eve to discuss Rick and Michonne's final irl dialogue from TWD. How lovely that Richonne's 'last' day together was this beautiful. 😭

Richonne's relationship illustrates what I've always felt true love should be like. What the characters of Rick and Michonne have is a radiant, vivid, and undeniable soulmate love. It's earned and organic, it's devoted and deep-rooted, it's heartfelt, it's fiery, it's passionately palpable, it's everything. And genuinely, this impeccable scene has it all.

So I adore this moment to infinity and beyond, especially because in this scene, we truly get to see Rick and Michonne revel in Richonne...

What's clear from my Top 5 is I tend to really appreciate scenes where Rick and Michonne talk about Rick and Michonne, and this scene is one of the best examples of that.

Throughout all these posts I’ve expressed the sides of Rick and Michonne's relationship that I adore - when they're doting on each other, desiring each other, leading together, parenting together, relaxed and domestic, fighting the fight, being playful and flirty, being reassuring, being hopeful, happy, honest, human, wise, vulnerable, encouraging, and enchanted by the other. And pretty much all of this was captured in this scene right here.

So while I have no notes for this scene, my extra self still has a lot to gush over and praise. I mean naturally, cuz this is my goated Richonne moment. 🙌🏾😌

I just marvel at how special this ship is for only continuing to top themselves with golden scenes to the point that Richonne's last moving dialogue irl is my all-time favorite moment between them.

And if Richonne just had to be taken from me for 6 years, then this was an excellent scene to hold onto as I patiently waited for their return. (which is tomorrow, can you believe it!? 🤗) And it's also an excellent moment for Rick and Michonne to hold onto as their paths part for years and they fight with everything in them to get back to each other. 👌🏽

The chemistry and connection between Rick and Michonne have always been so profound to me, and they’ve been operating like one for a long long time. And in this scene, you just see every single reason why they are meant for each other and how they're ready to take their oneness to new levels. 🙌🏽🎉

Also in this episode, it feels like this is the one time when Rick, Michonne, Judith, Carl, and RJ are all in some way involved as we officially know Michonne will be pregnant after this. 😭

Ok, so first we gotta talk about the great Grimes Family 2.0 sequence just before because it's attached to this #1 moment for me. The episode starts with Rick waking up in his bed with Michonne asleep, and I love any time we get to see their everyday life side.

I adore the way Rick immediately places his attention on Michonne when she sleepily tosses to the other side. And then seeing that she may be feeling a bit restless, he gently gives her a calming kiss on the shoulder. Such a sweet silent act of love for his wife. 🥰

And I love seeing that Rick wakes up with this instant affection for her, just as Michonne does in the next ep when she wakes up and adoringly kisses him while he sleeps. 🥹

Also, this moment makes me a bit sad cuz it’s the last time Rick and Michonne will wake up together like this for years. 😢 But thank goodness they will hopefully soon have mornings together like this again. 🙌🏾

And then, after showing love to his wife, Rick hears Judith cough and goes to gently check on her as she also is sleeping in a similar position as Michonne. Seeing Rick in this house with his wife and daughter, you just know these are the two he’d do absolutely anything for. Including fighting every day for years to get back to them. 🥲

And then they gotta get my waterworks going when Rick walks down the steps and touches Carl’s handprint. Oh how I wish Carl was asleep in another room for Rick to check on. 😭 But the fact that even tho Carl is gone, Rick still finds meaningful ways to feel connected to him is beautiful and makes it feel like he really managed to have a genuine heartfelt moment with his wife, daughter, and son this morning. The truest family man. 🥰

Then Rick takes a walk in the lush community and it’s just nice seeing him get to really take in how much life is growing around them with all the plants and food sprouting up. This is so reflective of what he and Michonne have impressively built together, and Rick deserves this satisfying peaceful moment so much.

If Richonne had managed to carve out even a semi-decent life a year and a half after the pain of losing their son and fighting a war it would have been commendable. But for them to have healed to the point where they were living a genuinely happy robust life together, speaks to the revitalizing power of their love.

Everything is fruitful and growing in their community, and I love that just like that ripe red tomato Rick finds, Rick is also ready to be fruitful and multiply. Amen. 🥳

And as if the sequence wasn’t already precious enough, Rick places the red tomato at Carl’s gravesite, and he has this quiet moment with his son which just hits my heart. It's like Rick's letting Carl know he's making his dream real just like he promised. 😭

I love that Rick is so devoted to keeping Carl’s memory and wishes alive, including Carl’s desire for Rick to build a bountiful future - specifically one where “Michonne is happy.”

I’ve always found Rick’s teary smile at Carl’s grave interesting because it makes me curious what they're implying he’s thinking. I personally feel like part of it is Rick thinking about the fact that he’s ready to grow their family and knowing Carl would want that for them too. 

So now onto my all-time favorite Richonne scene. 🙌🏽🥳

I truly love that they give Rick and Michonne this at-home, comfortable, living their everyday life moment in bed for their final irl conversation. 😍😭

Where my #2 scene from the season 5 finale was one I really appreciated for depicting Richonne's strength amid tough times, my #1 scene here is one I appreciate so much for depicting Richonne's strength during a time of overall calm. This moment wonderfully and angelically shows how Rick and Michonne's love soars when they finally get to live the peaceful life they fought so hard for.

So I of course love all the scenes where Richonne shower each other in love during high-stakes moments of adversity. But this rewarding scene is so special to me for being a moment of Richonne getting to shower each other in love during a rare time of normalcy after everything they’ve been through. 

So Michonne is up in bed and working on the charter like the Get Things Done Grimes she is. And Rick returns to their room and the moment is just so calm and casual as they ask each other how they slept, and Michonne admits her mind won’t shut off. As we know from their canon ep, they’re very good at helping the other just turn their mind off for a bit and so Rick is def about to help her with that. 😋

I love seeing Rick take his boots off and get right back into bed cuz I know that man already had his mind made up to take today off and just be with his girls. I think about how refreshed Rick was in s9 even though so many of his OG friends were all spread out. And a big reason why he can still seem so content is because as long as he has Michonne and his daughter every day then he has everything.

Then Rick is so encouraging when he tells Michonne she’ll have the charter figured out by supper. Like the charter is a big deal to figure out, but he knows his goddess of a wife can handle it, and I love that he always has so much belief in her. 

When Michonne smiles and says, "yeah, no," Rick is rightfully in full Michonne-stan mode as he tells her it’s good she's leading this place. I love how Rick knows and is grateful that Michonne is so capable of not just helping him lead but being a leader in her own right.

And I like that Michonne says, "with you" because it just shows how much she truly values their partnership and still only wants to lead if it’s with him. The “Me and you” way. 😊

It’s really sweet the way Rick says, "Nah, I’ve been at the bridge, here it’s you." He’s going to make sure Michonne gets credit where credit is due. And again, his reverence for her has always been so lovely to watch throughout this scene and this series. (Rick Grimes is a 'Michonner,' y'all 😋💕)

Also, it's great seeing that Rick is so comfy as he rests on the bed while letting Michonne know she’s the one whose been keeping this place safe and figuring out how to improve it. After roughing it in prison cells, the woods, and mattress-less rooms during the saviors' reign, it's great to see him get to just make himself comfortable in a warm bed with the love of his life.

And Michonne is all multi-tasking by listening to him, writing notes down, and setting a plan to take their daughter to the doctor. Like truly, Rick,...

But he already knows that. 😊

Then I love seeing this parents moment of them talking about Judith’s cough and taking her to the doctor. Rick assures that he checked on her and it’s probably just a cough but Mama Michonne still wants to be sure so she says she's going to take her to Siddiq just in case. And Rick is immediately on board saying he’ll join them. I love this dad, y’all. 🥰

Like this is what’s important to Rick always, so even as a leader with so much on his plate, being around for his family is always the priority, even for just an unassuming doctor's visit. 

And I also love this exchange cuz It’s so clear that Rick and Michonne are equally Judith's parents and obviously have a lot of care for her that they want to take precautions even if it’s a small cough. I'll also just never get over that we went from Michonne saying, "You could've just taken the formula" to now her and Rick talking about Judith as the daughter they're raising together. 🤗

Then my uncontrollable smiling has returned when Rick tells Michonne that they’ll have to promise Judith a Family Fun Day to get her to go to the doctor. 🥰 I love that they’ve coined this term, indicating Family Fun Days are something they do often. They really are such a beautiful caring family, and their eventual family reunion that I've been trying to speak into existence since 2018 is going to be HEAVENLY. 😇

The fact that the word "fun" can even be a part of their lives now is refreshing. And I also love how much this family fun day is something Rick genuinely wants not just for Judith but for him and for Michonne too. Here for it.

Michonne smiles when he says this and then has a realization moment as she asks, "Aren’t you headed back right away?" And Rick says, "I can take the day" and then says “We can.” That man ain’t tell a lie. Rick and Michonne deserve a day off, and I like how this is the beginning of Rick helping Michonne know that it’s okay to take a break in this scene. 😏 And once again, Rick demonstrates that when he's with Michonne...the world can wait. 😌

Rick says the last report was good and “Maggie will be there soon thanks to you.” Which again I love that every chance Rick gets he’s giving Michonne her props.

There's also something a bit sad about this because Rick is so convinced that the others can hold it down for a bit but that ends up not being the case and results in their family fun day getting cut short indefinitely.

I really feel like because Rick values Michonne’s influence and insights so highly in his own life, that’s why he felt so confident that Maggie would have become on board after a visit with Michonne - because he would have had Michonne visited him. He thinks everyone should get in formation when Michonne speaks just like he does, and Rick, sincerely...

Always intuitive, Michonne knows that Maggie is still angry and Daryl too so she tells Rick this and he nods and then he asks, "Well you want me to go?" And I was like now Slick Rick knows the answer to that is no lol.

Michonne places her hand on his and says she wants it to work. And by reaching for his hand it shows that ultimately she of course wants him to stay with her, she just knows how much they’re needed by the others. #SelflessQueen

Also, there's just something so moving to me about the way she looks at him in this moment. Like of course Michonne is known for her only-envision-winning mentality, but here there is also a part of her that needs some reassurance that everything they're trying to do and build really can work despite all the underlying division within the communities and tf.

Needing some reassurance, her husband so sweetly gives her just that when Rick says "It will" in the most comforting tone. And I like how he positions himself to sit up and really look in her eyes as he lets her know that even if everyone isn’t all in yet they will be, “just like we did.”

I love that Rick and Michonne are always a “we”. They’re a package deal cuz they’re one. And that line just felt like a bigger statement to their own journey. How they truly went all in with each other. 

And again the way Michonne looks at him is just heartwarming as she expresses agreement. Her love for him and belief is so visible and sincere. The way they can both always resonantly reach and reassure each other when they speak is perfection.

I love that she then says okay and touches his face, and I also was like sis, you know if you touch him like that this scene is gonna escalate lol. 😋

Then we get to one of my many favorite parts of my favorite scene when Rick looks at Michonne with such genuine abundant love in his eyes and tells her, "Thank you." 🥹

The way Rick always tells her thank you since season 3. 😭 I love the way he adores, praises, and reveres Michonne. Like, for Rick, it is always doting over Michonne hours. 

Michonne asks, "For what?" which just reminded me of when Rick asks her "For what?" when Michonne said she never thanked him in the s3 finale.

And then the way Rick takes a breath and smiles at Michonne on this bed after she asks this - it literally makes me want to shed a tear. It’s just a beyond beautiful wordless moment that really feels like Michonne taking his breath away as he’s overcome with love for her. And that might sound dramatic but hey...

Rick has been in awe of her since literally day one at that fence, and to see seasons later, after getting to know her in the deepest sense, he still has that awe of Michonne but amplified. It's great. And Rick just looks so unabashedly mesmerized by her in this moment which is heartwarming.

Like when she asks 'for what?,' you can tell Rick is just marveling about how incredible she is and how the list of reasons to thank her is miles long.

And this is not really Rick and Michonne's newlywed stage anymore, y'all. This is their married for a while, been through hell and back together after losing our son stage, and Rick still looks at Michonne like she hung the moon and the stars. 😭

And then Rick takes the scene to new heights of heartwarming when he says exactly what he's thanking her for, stating “For everything you’ve done. For everything you’re doing. For you.” Absolutely perfect. 😍😭😍😭

And it's so fitting cuz Michonne really has done so much of value, past, present, and for the future. But the best of the best is Rick saying “for you” because he’s not just grateful for what she does but who she is. And she is someone exceptional. 

I adore that in their final one-on-one irl scene Rick is outright thanking Michone for existing and for the lovely gift that she is and has always been in his life. Honestly, Rick's romantic heart needs to be studied because the things he says to and about Michonne are just everything and more. 🥹

Another thing that makes this scene and ep so special is Rick and Michonne don’t know this is their last day together. So for them, this is just another day. And I love it for showing how all this beautiful love and adoration they’re letting out is not because they’re trying to make their final day count - this is just how they are with each other on the regular.

And I love that we get to see Michonne’s reaction to receiving this genuine love and appreciation from her husband as he gives her her flowers. Michonne deserves every bit of this love. 🙌🏾💐

I am so excited that Michonne will get to have this type of love back in her life when she finally reunites with the man who adores her. 🤗 I firmly believe Rick’s awe of Michonne will only be heightened when he gets to learn how resilient she’s been in his absence for herself, their children, and their community. She’s had to be so strong for so many, and I love that she’ll finally be back in the arms of the one whom she can be most soft and taken care of with.

And the same goes for Rick. After being a man desperately looking and longing for his family while so alone for years - I am elated that he’ll be back with the woman who most makes him feel loved, sane, seen, and home. 

When Rick and Michonne see each other again you know this is about to be a direct quote from both their minds...

Also, something that’s so sweet about the love story crafted for Rick and Michonne is that adoring each other comes so effortlessly to them. They don’t have to constantly remind or force themselves to be attentive and expressive to each other, it’s the most natural thing in the world for them to love this person in front of them out loud.

So yes it’s an active daily choice to love, but I appreciate that it also feels so aligned with how Rick and Michonne want to naturally operate - head over heels in the most grown, grounded, yet grand way. 🥰

Then, after saying something so authentic, accurate, and beautiful by thanking her for pretty much everything, the two share a sweet kiss. And their every kiss is so special to me. Like it’s always passionate no matter what. And just the way he looks at her after 😭 heart-melting. They're irresistible to each other and always have been. 😍

I especially love that Michonne then leans in and kisses him again as her own thank you for his kind words. Those magnets within them mean we’re always gonna see more than one kiss. 😋

And then she slides her hand down his neck and chest and once again I was like - now sis, you know things are about to escalate if you do that. 🤭

And sure enough…😋

Rick starts closing the books and moving them away as he invitingly says, "Why don’t you take a break?" 😏 I love it. It’s cute that Michonne is instantly tickled by this too. She knows what’s up. And she knows she’s down. ijs. 😋

But first she asks, "You want me to stop working?" and she knows good and well the answer is yes - but I love that Rick has always been a little extra when it comes to Michonne so he doesn’t only say yes. Instead, he takes the pencil out of her hand and flicks it away as he says, "yeah" in a way that will never fail to have me smiling and kicking my feet cuz like...

And Michonne was undeniably amused already, but she got especially tickled when he tossed the pencil. That man always has her smitten. 😊

I adore seeing this playful side of them and this reminder that Rick and Michonne are husband and wife and also best friends who could always make each other laugh. 

Even more, I love how Rick fully believes Michonne can do any and everything…but he also knows she shouldn’t have to, especially not all the time. Which is why I appreciate his consistent thing of wanting to give them a chance to have a break and time to themselves.

It's sweet too how, without even fully seeing his face, you can still see from Rick's profile that he has this genuine proud smile upon seeing he made his wife laugh. Her joy is truly one of his favorite things. 🥹

Rick smiling at her here reminds me of how happy he was to have made Michonne smile when he came home with mints to give her in their canon ep seasons ago. #TheirLoveNeverFades

I adore that from season 3 saying "Good, cuz I see things" to this moment in season 9, Richonne stayed flirty with each other, both when strangers and when married. 🥰

And then Michonne teases as she asks Rick, "You want me to stop creating the foundations of a new civilization?"...The questions are just foreplay at this point because they both know what's about to happen rn lol. She and Rick both know that what he wants is in the first three words of her question. 😋

I love the way Michonne talks to him and looks at him and the way Rick can’t help but touch her and study her while she speaks, knowing this is the woman he is so ready to have another child with.

Somehow in this moment, Rick seems to be intently listening to her while also distracted by her all at the same dang time. 🤭

So Michonne is all cutely smiling at him while waiting for his answer... and then Rick gives an unforgettable answer.

(also the way even Rick and Michonne's movement is in sync in this scene is just 👩🏽‍🍳💋. they're magnets fr)

Rick looks right at Michonne and then says, “I can think of another way to build for the future” and it’s just ahhhhhh. The best. 😭 What a great way to reveal that Rick wants to have a baby with Michonne.

The scene organically transitions from like playful causal morning vibes to a huge serious declaration of love and development for their family and I'm too here for it. 😍

Rick wanting this baby is a huge deal, especially just a year and a half after losing Carl. And him being at this stage has everything to do with his belief in Michonne and him together and knowing he's with the love of his life who has in so many ways healed him with her one-of-a-kind presence.

He's seen the way he and Michonne work so well together in any role - parents, partners, lovers, leaders - and Rick has always known that the two of them can do anything, from reordering the world to raising a growing family.

So then Rick passionately kisses her after he says this - but like this is a giant statement and Michonne knows what he’s implying is a big deal, so she has this curious look at him. And then I absolutely adore this next moment of them transitioning to a more intimate position.

The way Rick is ready for her to do this little maneuver always felt like a nice little suggestion that they’ve done this often. And it’s just so sensual and romantic. 😍 But I also love this shift for showing how Michonne goes right out of work mode and wants to be so fully present and focused on him as she confirms that Rick is really saying what she thinks he’s saying. Their consistent ability to be present with each other deserves another shoutout cuz it's gold. 👏🏽👏🏽

Also, the way Rick just stays with his eyes glued to her as he holds her and the way Michonne tenderly holds his face in her hands. They knew they were gonna have little Richonner hearts everywhere doing front flips with this movement alone. And I ain't mad at it. 😋

Michonne looks right in Rick's eyes as she says a hopeful, "Yeah?" Then Rick says such a certain, "Yeah" that lets you know having a kid with Michonne isn’t some out-of-nowhere idea that just hit him but something he’s thought about and is sure about. Rick is always sure when it comes to him and her. 👌🏽

And you just know Rick loves their future baby already too, especially because the baby will be part of the woman he's madly in love with.

Michonne smiles and softly says, "okay" and then I love the way Rick eagerly pulls her in closer to him. 😊🧲

Then the last line of the scene is Michonne so sweetly repeating Rick's words back, as they so often do throughout their relationship, as she says, "For The Future." 🥹 

Perfect. x1000.

What a fitting final line and final scene to conclude Richonne's last private exchange like this. Especially for two reasons.

One; thinking about the long-term future used to not be a luxury they had at the start of the apocalypse so it shows how far they've come. Two; Rick and Michonne were two people who, even before they met each other, fought to believe in the future even when others around them (and at times their own past partners) didn't. But in finding each other, Rick and Michonne found the one who could fight to live like them, believe in the future like them, and hold onto hope like them - And now here they are in love and getting to feel so hopeful about their future together. 😭

It’s great that such a major decision like having another kid is one Rick and Michonne were both so quickly on the same page about. They both are ready for this. Both want their splendid love to take form in a new life being brought into the world. 🥹

And again it’s such a testament to their powerful relationship and the way they were able to help build each other back up after losing Carl to the point that they could be healed enough to want another kid. I'll never get over it.

Then I adore this shot of Rick looking up at Michonne with the two bathed in light. It feels so reflective of how highly Rick's always viewed her and how Michonne's been the light in his life. She's his future. And he's hers. 🥰

The scene concludes with Rick and Michonne sharing their last irl passionate kiss as things finally escalate, and they savor each other as they do best. And this whole scene and final moment is just so beautiful it makes my heart hurt. Richonne is stunning and their love is a work of art. 🙌🏾

'Epic love story' really is the best way to describe Richonne, and I love love love that Rick and Michonne always enjoy reveling in Richonne. We have that in common. 😋

I just so appreciate that before he left the show, it was made crystal clear that what Rick wanted for his future was to bring life into this world with Michonne, the ultimate and unequivocal love of his life. 👏🏽 And he’s going to learn that even apart, that dream was still achieved. The Get Things Done Grimes got it done. The baby Rick loved before he even was made, lives. Oh I CANNOT wait for Rick to learn about and meet RJ!!! 🥳😭

Knowing Rick and Michonne's individual journeys, it genuinely moves me that two people who went through so much and lost so much but continued to fight for the people they love got personally rewarded with this gorgeous and deep love that’s just for them. And they didn’t shy away from the love that was there, rather they valiantly and completely embraced it and it’s truly what they deserve. They both deserve to be loved this wholly.

I know this is my undeniable #1 scene because each time I watch it, it warms my whole soul and I get fully enwrapped in it - just mesmerized and overjoyed from start to finish. Watching this #1 scene, during every single part I'm just like...

And Rick and Michonne Grimes bathed in bright sunlight and sharing a passionate kiss while acknowledging they want their future and their love to now take shape in the form of a child is just such a fitting final private exchange between them on TWD and so very special. They're a shining light to each other, to the franchise, and to me, y'all. ☀️

When I say Richonne is everything it’s not just a phrase. They literally have everything going for them and are everything to each other. And every scene from my 30th to this #1 moment masterfully illustrates their resplendent love.

This season 9 scene feels like a love letter to Richonne and it's my all-time favorite for capturing everything I adore about Rick and Michonne’s relationship all in one. Tens across the board. 

I look at this whole scene and whenever I see it I just think - This is Richonne. For me, this scene is their definition. ♥️👌🏽

Richonne is truly love incarnate, and this beautiful top-tier moment captured that flawlessly. 👑🤍😌

[utilitycaster]

1/2 What I find gets glossed over so much for "pretty lesbians kiss" with regards to Laura and Marisha's characters is that they consistently, across all main campaigns, create characters who really Do Not Understand each other. Like, it's most obvious with Vex and Keyleth (which is why it's so baffling to me how popular that ship is, Vex basically cringes every other time Keyleth opens her mouth and barely tolerates her for the majority of the campaign), but it's clear with Jester and Beau too

2/2 too, especially in regards to their relationships with their respective fathers and also Jester's relationship with Artagan, that they have drastically different viewpoints that aren't really compatible. Anyway, it's somewhat interesting that, while their characters Do Not Understand each other in equal measure across all campaigns, they are outwardly much closer in each subsequent campaign. Do you have any thoughts on this or have had any similar observations regarding this?

Hi anon,

I definitely do have thoughts about this. I don’t think it’s been intentional, per se, that their characters have never been entirely aligned but they’ve become closer (ie, I don’t think that they planned for their characters to be at such odds in Campaign 1, to be friends in Campaign 2, and to be romantically involved in Campaign 3). I also should note that while I agree that Vex/Keyleth is a uniquely terrible ship that deeply misunderstands both characters; and while I vastly prefer both Beauyasha and Fjorester to even a hypothetical in which Beau and Jester took the time to understand each other and a believable and compelling romance could conceivably develop, I do actually enjoy both of those as non-romantic dynamics very much. Part of the problem with Imogen and Laudna is that, at least thus far, the problems with it as a romantic relationship are the exact same problems with it as a platonic relationship. It's flat and uninteresting no matter how you slice it.

As for why this has happened: I think Marisha and Laura’s chemistry with each other as scene partners is unexceptional among the cast. That doesn’t mean it’s bad - everyone in the cast has baseline good chemistry - but it has never stood out to me. Like, I have never personally had strong feelings about any romantic ships between Laura and Sam’s characters, but they do often occupy similar thematic spaces (selfishness/selflessness; a desire to be liked vs. a desire to be yourself) and I have always enjoyed how they’ve played off each other and looked forward to it, and I don't feel the same about Laura and Marisha. While it’s hard to pin a theme on Laudna (more on that later), Beau and Keyleth (and for that matter Patia) all engage with the expectations of one’s family, and that doesn’t have a natural “in” with what Laura usually does (or vice versa). I will also note: many of the best scenes between Laura and Marisha’s characters, and that includes in Campaign 3, have been arguments. The gnarlrock stands out as one of the only interesting Imogen and Laudna interactions (as well as, to be honest, one of the only interesting Laudna and Delilah interactions); Vex yelling at Keyleth in episode 1x45 is one of my favorite scenes in the campaign; and when I think of Beau and Jester I think of Beau’s irritation as Jester gushes about the plot of Tusk Love, and their quietly growing distance due to the disagreements you brought up about Artagan and their fathers (while still remaining good friends, just ones who don’t agree on everything and don’t need to) in the latter half of the campaign. The lack of conflict between Imogen and Laudna is not just uninteresting from the general grade school premise of "stories need conflict"; it's also depriving them of their strongest source of chemistry as actors.

As for why it’s so widely shipped across all three campaigns; I really suspect a major factor is simply that Ashley was frequently absent so this was the only F/F PC/PC option, week to week. There really is no other good explanation for Vex and Keyleth, a couple so terribly unsuited it verges on the dynamic of a 90s straight sitcom of a man who hates his hot wife. I used to be more generous towards that (ie, wanting an F/F ship between PCs even though it had no redeeming qualities other than being an F/F ship between PCs), but my patience for anyone claiming the cover of Campaign 1 norms ran out some time ago; we’ve been living in a fandom environment that overshot in trying to correct for the assholes during C1 for far too long.

Anyway: I don’t know why exactly things fall so flat in Campaign 3, in the sense that these characters were, as far we know, supposed to be designed as friends. I don’t want to keep harping on it but given Laudna’s directionlessness I wonder if that lack of lived-in backstory extends to their time together. At the very least, if they did plan out what those two years looked like in any depth, it has not come through in the story, either through their words or to an extent their acting. The relationship really only makes sense as mutual security blankets; but I don’t find that remotely interesting. Which brings me to the final points.

I’ve been trying to tread carefully around the term “roving slash” not in the least because I think it unfairly condemns queer relationships after quite literally centuries of mediocre and tacked-on M/F relationships that occur simply because one is a man and one is a woman and not because there’s any romantic tension or reason for them to see something in the other. With that said, I’ve found that there’s a lot of fandom popular F/F pairings that fit a very specific mold of each other being the only one who understands the other - but in a bland and flawless way, as victims of circumstance who expect nothing of each other except to be there, and not as people who can uniquely relate to each other’s flaws. It is an idea of romance as something without conflict. [I will note as an aside, however, that this idea often exists simultaneously with the incompatible desire to tell queer stories based in oppression. There can't be any stated desire from these fans for conflict for the characters, internal or external; but I also think that they secretly want some third character to represent a nebulous, problematic force. For all the hate piled upon, say, Percy in his interactions with Keyleth, or the current wave of hate towards Orym, I think they want those characters so there is something to demonize and to further set apart how pure and wronged their ship or their favorite character is; and, as always, to take away the agency - which comes with responsibility, which comes with fault - from women.]

I can’t stand that. As others have recently put better than I could (and we’re talking Cronenberg and Tolstoy here), stories need conflict, and the fandom culture of characters being effortlessly good, and going from traumatized to completely unchallenged, and endless softness is unbearably dull to me. Even things claimed to be held in the highest regard, like recovery, must hit the most pinprick target by fans with this mindset and anything else is a failure. It’s exhausting. For Imogen and Laudna’s relationship specifically, I’ve found that the repeated comparisons of past Laura Bailey Character Romances - both of which are my favorites for their respective campaigns - really puts the flaccidness in her Campaign 3 romance in stark relief. With Percy and Vex, there is a sense that if he does not take the mask off when she calls him darling, it will close a door. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that they only come together romantically after she has faced some of her own inner darkness with Saundor, and he has defeated Orthax and the party has helped kill Ripley. Similarly, with Fjord and Jester, when Jester asks “would you do anything to get them [his Uk’otoa-granted powers] back?”, there is a palpable sense that were he to have answered “yes”, it would have meant something. And they, too, only commit to a romance once Fjord has done all he can to sever his ties to Uk’otoa, and Jester has begun to slowly explore expressing negative emotions. To compare it to Imogen and Laudna’s noncommittal total lack of narrative tension (maybe we should harness it! Maybe we shouldn’t! Doesn’t really matter because we’ve stated there’s zero stakes either way!) just accentuates the Mariana Trench-level drop in quality.

That digresses a lot from your original question, and so I think what I want to get at is that I have shared these observations. However, I feel that the characters’ differences were well-handled in prior campaigns and felt organic and interesting. I don’t know why it’s so lacking in Campaign 3 and I don’t think my speculation here would be helpful to any argument; I just know that it is exceptional only in its dullness.

[rorywritesjunk]

Down in the dark where the waves won't go, I'm bound to find my way.

Sunny and Buggy disagree over the next steps of their life together leading to them spending time apart.

Rating: PG-13 to be safe for swearing and arguing. Warning: Each chapter will have a specific warning. This chapter focuses on Sunny and Buggy with bonus Shanks and Rayleigh. Sunny ends up gushing a bit about her husband, kid Buggy gets upset, and Shanks eats his weight in beignets. Word Count: 2,588 A/N: The direct sequel to "No locked upon land...", the fic that started it all. I do not use "You" in this as now that Sunny is an established OC I decided not to go that route. This will be several chapters. Originally (lol) it was just two parts but... but I had to expand but I don't expect it to go much longer than the original fic. It's a few chapters longer than the original fic.

Title comes from "Sailing Song" by S.J. Tucker

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 + Chapter 10 + Epilogue Taglist: @hey-august @lostfirefly @ane5e

Chapter 6

Rayleigh was amazed how Sunny managed to handle directing both Buggy and Shanks in the kitchen. She made him and Roger wait for breakfast as the boys wanted to cook up a feast for the two of them with Sunny's help and well, she was managing to do it while favoring one foot. 

She put Shanks in charge of the eggs and bacon while Buggy handled coffee and toast. Sunny stood between the two to prevent arguments as she already explained to them how important it was to be safe in the kitchen. If they even began to bicker then both of them would be dismissed and she would make breakfast herself without help.

Neither of them wanted that so they were on their Best Behavior for Sunny.

Rayleigh wondered if they could recruit her for the ship. He'd never seen the boys go so long without arguing before.

She checked the eggs and bacon that Shanks was watching before giving him the next instructions. Once Buggy had the coffee poured and toast ready, she put him to task with pancakes. It was kind of nice not having to do a single thing but watch the two. They seemed eager to spend time with her and she was okay with that. The two of them were sweet.

Once everything was ready, she helped the boys plate the foot before directing them to the table. She limped after them before taking a seat at the table.

“Enjoy! The boys worked very hard on this meal for us.” She said with a smile as the boys beamed at the praise. “Once we're done we'll clean up as well, and later today maybe make some beignets for fun.”

The boys had no idea what beignets were, but if Sunny thought it would be fun then they'd want to help. 

~

The jacket wasn't ready yet. An apprentice came to the ship to break the news. Sunny recognized the girl as someone who had been finishing up her apprenticeship when Sunny joined, but she didn't say anything. She shouldn't really go around saying she was from the future, but it was hard when Buggy made it clear who she was when they all first met the day before.

Instead she was made to sit back and rest while the boys did their chores. She was given a seat on the deck so she could be outside while she propped her foot up. There was a bruise and it was uncomfortable to walk, but she would be fine. Buggy kept coming to check on her to make sure she was okay, but after a member of the crew teased him about it he didn't come around for a bit.

If Rayleigh didn't show up when he did to bark orders at the man, Sunny was pretty sure her fists would have needed icing. 

“Do they all really tease the boys like that?” She asked him as he stood beside her. “I just… don't get it.”

“It's just the way it is on here.” Rayleigh shrugged. “They don't mean any harm, but Buggy just takes it far too personally sometimes which creates a bigger issue.”

“Maybe they need to stop and think before making their dumb jokes.” Sunny sighed. “I've known my husband for over 10 years and he still is sensitive to that sort of thing. It sticks with you, you know?”

“I have to say, when Buggy announced who you were, it was surprising.” Rayleigh told her. She looked up at him and frowned. “I know he's young now, but he isn't someone I thought would want to get married.”

“Well, it was all him.” She replied. “It happened so fast. He was a customer of mine at a shop I worked at, we became friends, but he's kind of that… love at first sight type. He was very… Buggy about everything, from dating me to proposing, it was very sweet.” She smiled softly as she leaned back in her seat. “He gets so passionate about things and has a blind stubbornness about him when he knows what he wants. I cared about him but I wasn't really in love with him until he was doing little things to show me he cared, and I saw someone who needed to be taken care of and he let me, so that's kind of why I fell for him.” She paused and looked up at Rayleigh, her cheeks pink as she realized she rambled on. “I shouldn't be saying all of this.”

“No, no, it's sweet.” Rayleigh chuckled. “Buggy deserves someone like you in his life.”

She went quiet, watching the two boys sweep and clean up the deck. They had yet to argue once this morning which Sunny was pleased by, though she knew it could still happen. Buggy kept glancing over in her direction and she smiled at him which seemed to help his mood a bit. He looked rather grumpy from being teased, but since Sunny wasn't doing anything other than look over at him, it seemed to help him relax.

~

The boys brought lunch out to her outside. It was kind of nice to be waited on. Usually she was the one bringing food to her husband but the boys insisted on bringing it to her. Buggy carried a plate of food while Shanks had a drink for her.

“I could get used to this.” She chuckled as she took the items from them. “Thank you, boys.”

“See? You should stay and then we can do this all the time.” Buggy told her with a smug look. “I'd take good care of you.”

“I know, honey.” She smiled. “But you still got pirating to do before anything else, okay, so we aren't changing your path. I'm only here for a little bit, remember?”

He huffed softly, looking a bit defeated. “I know.”

“Can we still make bennies today?” Shanks asked. Sunny took a moment to figure out what he was asking.

“Oh! Yes, if you two are done with your chores for now, we can make beignets.” Sunny told them. “Can both of you check with the cook to make sure we have all of the ingredients first?”

~

Sunny had to warn them again about not arguing while they were in the kitchen for everyone's safety and she was pleased they listened for a second time around. For a little bit.

Dealing with oil to fry up the beignets was the most dangerous part and even after explaining the best way to put the flat pieces of dough in the hot pan, the two argued about who was doing it wrong and Sunny immediately kicked them out of the kitchen.

Shanks wasn't too bothered but Buggy was upset. While the red haired boy waited outside the kitchen hoping to at least eat a beignet, Buggy went elsewhere on the ship to sulk. She opened the door to the kitchen when she was done, expecting to find the two boys, but she was surprised to just see Shanks.

“Where's Buggy?” She asked as she held a plate of the powdered treats. The boy shrugged and took two for himself.

“He went off somewhere.” He replied as he started to eat. “Don't know where.”

She sighed and wondered if she needed to go looking for him. She needed to get off her feet for a little bit but she was worried for him. She gave Shanks another treat before she went to go find Buggy.

It only took her fifteen minutes. He was down in the crew’s quarters on his cot, glaring up at the ceiling with tears in his eyes. 

“There you are! You need to eat these while they're fresh.” She told him as she went over to him. He turned over so his back was to her. She wasn't too bothered by that. “C’mon, Shanks already had three.”

“Aren’t you mad at me?” He mumbled as she sat on the edge of the cot and helped herself to a treat. “You said not to argue in the kitchen and I did.”

“Yea, well, you made a mistake knowing the consequences.” She told him. “I told you both what would happen if you started arguing in the kitchen around me, and since the two of you decided to do so, I had made you both leave. It’s all about safety, you know, the kitchen isn’t always safe.” She finished off the beignet, licking the powdered sugar off her fingers. “I’m not mad at you, Buggy. A little disappointed, yes, but I’m not mad.”

He rolled back over to look at her with tears in his eyes. “You’re disappointed?!”

“Wha- I mean, not now? Earlier, yes, for a few moments, but I was disappointed in the two of you, not just you.” She told him. She shouldn’t have been surprised by his reaction but it caught her off guard. “It’s okay, Buggy, because even as an adult it will happen. It’s a very normal thing to do, it doesn’t change anything.”

“But-But I tried to be good, but it’s-it’s hard because I want to be the best but then Shanks or someone says I’m doing it wrong when I’m not and I don’t want you disappointed in me!” He sobbed as Sunny helped herself to another beignet before holding one out to him. He took it from her, sniffling loudly as he held it in his hands, not ready to eat just yet. “I’m so-sorry, I don’t want you to be mad at me!”

“Buggy, honey, I’m not mad.” She assured him as she set the plate down and scooted closer to him, being mindful not to leave sugary fingerprints everywhere. “I promise I’m not mad. Like I said, I was a little disappointed but I was never mad at the two of you.”

“I don’t want you to hate me!” He cried. Oof, this was a little too close to home. There were times when Buggy would have too much to drink and get sad-drunk, sobbing in her arms about the littlest things and how he didn’t want her to hate him because he forgot to wash a plate properly or he didn’t make the bed like she asked that morning. He would beg her not to hate him for messing up and he didn’t want her leaving him for some other better looking pirate.

She rubbed his back as he clung to her, crying in her arms as she tried to think of what to say. Maybe she’d just let him cry it out to get it out of his system, maybe just use gentle reassurance that she did care for the boy and that she didn’t hate him, but for now she just let him cry. The plate of beignets was forgotten about.

~

Buggy calmed down after a while. He asked to hold Sunny’s hand as they returned to the deck and she allowed him. A few of the men started to tease Buggy but he chose to ignore them, scowling as he led Sunny back to the kitchen to help Shanks clean up. He had Sunny sit down and wait while he and Shanks finished off the beignets and cleaned up. She wondered if either of them would want dinner later after stuffing themselves with sugar.

Thankfully the boys got along while cleaning and she didn’t have to kick either of them out. Rayleigh came to check on the boys later, pleased to see them getting along once more. He looked over at Sunny as she sat back with her foot propped up once more while she sipped a cup of tea.

“What’s your secret?” He asked. “To keeping them quiet for longer than fifteen minutes?”

Sunny shrugged. “Buggy just doesn’t want me to be disappointed in him, that’s all. Shanks just goes along with whatever I ask but Buggy is the one who wants to be good.”

“Huh.” 

“Yep.”

~

When bedtime rolled around, Sunny was back on the cot in the captain’s room. He wasn’t there yet, doing nightly rounds to check on the crew and the ship. This was one of the few times Sunny had been by herself all day. If Buggy and Shanks weren’t with her, then Rayleigh or Roger were checking in on their guest. Some of the crew came to check her out, literally, asking if she wanted a proper tour of the ship to see some of the more secretive places. She turned them down, thankful as well that Rayleigh was nearby to hear some of that. She never saw grown men scatter so fast. 

Spending time with the boys was… tiring for her, but in a good way. Sunny was finding herself starting to miss her husband at times whenever she’d have to comfort Buggy. It was no different than comforting him as an adult, just less alcohol was involved. One part of her was relieved to have distance from her husband. She… she felt it was needed. She was still thinking things over, such as still wanting kids but at what cost? Her husband was stubborn. If he didn’t want to do something then he wouldn’t do it, so if he really did not want kids…

She wiped the tears forming in the corner of her eyes and cleared her throat. No, no, she wasn’t going to start crying. It just was hard. She found herself wanting to be a mom finally and she really wanted Buggy to be a dad. In her mind she thought he’d be wonderful at it. He had always been good with her little cousins whenever they’d visit her family, and often he’d be the first to end up with a baby being shoved in his arms even without asking. He didn’t usually freak out too much, just accepted he’d be carrying around a baby while entertaining the younger kids with his Chop Chop abilities. 

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Was she being unfair dropping this request on him? It wasn’t anything they really talked about much lately, but the fact he did mention it a few weeks ago in passing sparked something in her. She couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy when she thought of her husband holding their child, one she hoped would look just like him, from the hair to his nose to matching scowls. 

Maybe they just needed to revisit it and talk it out. 

“Sunny?”

She hastily wiped her eyes and cleared her throat before sitting up. Buggy was in the doorway in his pajamas, looking at her with concern. She smiled at the boy, hoping he didn’t hear her.

“Hey, honey, are you okay?” She asked. He shrugged a bit and she opened her arms for him. He hurried over to her, crawling into her lap as she wrapped her arms around him. “Have you been asleep yet?”

Buggy shook his head as he leaned into her. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Honey, I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” She insisted. 

“You seem sad.” He told her. She forced herself to laugh and smile.

“I’m fine, really, don’t worry, okay?” She assured him as she hugged him. 

He frowned at her. He didn’t believe her but he didn’t want her to get mad if he kept pressing the issue. He just leaned into her and closed his eyes, wondering if she’d let him stay with her again for the night. He found he slept a little better when she was around.

[nikethestatue]

I was thinking it doesn’t seem like SJM likes Elain much (beyond a, aw she’s sweet, kind of feeling). Rarely includes her in the stories anymore and didn’t include her in the crossover. She never talks about her in interviews and doesn’t really respond anymore when interviewers ask about her. Which bums me out. I do, however, hope this works to Elain’s advantage. The characters SJM LOVES seem to get ruined. SJM latched onto Nesta, and we know how that went for Nesta’s character and book. In that bracket tik tok game she did, she chose CASSIAN over RHYSAND. Yet Cassian had possibly the worst story I’ve ever read. Rhys is lucky he had his story told already in book 1-4 when SJM was still writing good, because lately she seems to love using him as a meanie which is getting really annoying (on SJM’s part. I’m not mad at Rhys or anything). SJM gushed about Tharion and look at that mess. She said Manon was a character she felt she needed personally, and Manon had the oddest romance story I’ve ever read (no offense to Manorians).

You know who SJM doesn’t have a track record of gushing about beyond a few comments here or there? Elorcan. One of her best ships and storylines. Even chaolyrene, who had a pretty widely loved story. And honestly, I know SJM has gushed a lot over Feyre in the past, and her love for Feyre is obvious, but in recent years it seems like she…moved on? from feyre. Sort of not into writing about her anymore it doesn’t seem like. Yet Feyre had one of the best arcs and romances I’ve ever read and is widely considered SJM’s most popular series.

I guess my point is, it bums me out she doesn’t give Elain much attention but I hope this will lead to SJM being a bit objective about her and able to craft a very well written story that is true to Elain. Azriel on the other hand? He seems to be her next victim so yes I am scared for him.

I legit agree 100% with everything.

the moment she 'falls in love' with a character, she destroys them or makes them be SO OUT of character, they might as well be completely new, since they are now a figment of her current imagination.

I hope that she doesn't fall in love with Elain. Ever. I hope she leaves her alone and doesn't make her a girlboss, and doesn't do stupid 'trauma' slog with her.

I feel like she never really loved Feyre. Not like Aelin. Feyre is too normal. SJM LOVED(S) Rhys, so he played an immense role in Feyre's story. Everything in her story is connected to Rhys. On the flip side, since she doesnt care for Cassian, she didnt know what to do with him. I am fully prepared for the demolition of Azriel's character.

It's hard for me to understand how she writes, because I write the opposite, and i think that most of the authors that i like also write the opposite of her.

But yes, one of her superior love stories--Elorcan--i dont think she even remembers them. My greatest wish is that she follows in those footsteps with Elriel. I mean, a traveling circus? come on! that was awesome. "You are my husband". "I don't want to be your husband." "Too bad, you are. End of." It was great.

[maningrey0204]

for character ask meme, emiya alter ^^

(based on this post)

thank you, anon :D I hope I'm not too late to this ask meme thing in the FGO fandom, because I will happily gush about Emiya Alter to anyone who asks. that man needs more love.

favorite thing about them just one? all right. Emiya Alter's gone through so much-to the point where it clearly had lasting & damaging effects on him-the nihilism, abysmally poor memory, self-destructive tendencies, etc etc. he's symbolic of the "Hero of Justice" role to its furthest ends, a "weapon" meant to be of service whilst his own identity is pretty much an afterthought. but he also dives for Melt, giving her the second chance he never had. he guides Ritsuka out of his own hellish mindscape, and gives them a tow cable-a lifeline-for a Valentine's gift. he assists Voyager in saving Erice, and there's at least one or two lines where he can relate to her being an agent of death. there's hope for him yet, even though he's reached his own tragic ending. his ideas of "help" can be messed up, obviously, but he's going out of his way to try if nothing else. moreover, he needs some peace of mind after basically going through hell and back.

least favorite thing about them his original JPN design, obviously. the racism surrounding it has become indelible and synonymous with his character. obviously we don't know for sure, but it would not surprise me to learn that the reason he's received little attention in Craft Essence art is because of the controversy surrounding his character.

favorite line "Don't apologize. Good intentions are like sandpaper." I've probably analyzed this line to death, but I believe it summarizes Emiya Alter perfectly: a man whose own charity and constant vigilance for justice has eaten away at him. at the same time, he tries to disregard his own state of being as if it's no big deal; however, since he does not perceive himself as human anymore, the outcome is a lot more distressing than perhaps he might expect.

brOTP maybe Assassin Kiritsugu? I know, I know, Kiritsugu's basically a father to Emiya, but Assassin diverged from his own path in Fate/Zero so I'm sure it's fine here. my other brOTP idea is of him secretly thinking Hijikata's swordmanship is cool, even if he can't understand why Hijikata's so hellbent on upholding the Shinsengumi all the time. I can also see Alter putting up with Tamamo Berserker's outrageous behaviour towards him in a "I can't stand this, but she won't stop and it'd be a waste of energy" kind of way, and it developing into a strange but heartwarming bond later on.

OTP Emiya Alter x Yan Qing. I've only seen one (1) piece of content about it on pixiv, but they've got enough similarities (being Shinjuku villain Servants and having identity issues) and differences (Alter's serious and to the point, forging weapons-while Yan Qing is more flippant in a laid-back manner, using his fists & feet as weapons) that I'd love to write a fic shipping the two of them.

nOTP apparently a few people have shipped Alter with Kiara, of all people. I'm also personally not very fond of the Emiya Alter x Jalter pairing.

random headcanon Emiya prefers to eat alone, but he'll tolerate it if other Alters sit at his table. he wishes Nitocris Alter would stop talking about death so evocatively, as if it were a service she were performing upon other people; he sees death as an aid to his toolkit, and nothing more.

unpopular opinion I love his edgelord behaviour. it's incredibly comical how cynical he gets (his brooding over board games in BGA comes too mind), which is part of the reason. but there's something that just hits in how played straight his character usually is, and how genuine the depths of his despair go.

song i associate with them No title by Reol. a fitting song name for someone who's wholly embraced being Nameless. the chorus' lyrics particularly come to mind: Slowly and gently, it crumbles and breaks Wrap it slowly around my neck til I can't breathe And the me from yesterday was killed Slowly and gently, our scattered ennui When I hear you speak so unethically It turns to a voice I don't know

favorite picture of them he doesn't have a lot of FGO art, but I've always loved Emiya Alter's Formal Dress CE. it's sleek, sharp and overall just...so cool-looking. the pinstripe suit brings his self-ascribed mercenary role to a focal point; such suits are typically worn in professional settings, natch. then there's the smaller details, like the gears on his tie and how the tie bar on it has a Chaldean symbol. I also appreciate how his grey polo shirt is strained, emphasizing his muscles and torso.

[eolewyn1010]

Dragging Frankenstein - Chapter 20, part 1

Moody lighting, slate claps, here goes! This is honestly my favorite chapter of the entire book. The quandary around the Distressing Damsel, the conflict between the Creature and the creator taking the deciding turn, Victor FOR ONCE proving insight and strength of character? This here. This is why it's worth to read this book. Since my talk about this got way long, I'll split my recap in two parts for once.

I’m quite shocked that Victor actually does some reflection on how fucking clueless he is about the Distressing Damsel, same as he was about the Creature. Not repeating the own mistakes? Who is this, an actual scientist??

Of course, he only thinks about how miserable said mistakes have made him (William and Justine whomst?), so he still gets IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 21

I LOLed pretty hard at him also, and fucking finally, subverting the Saintly Girl stereotype that was set up all throughout the book, by randomly assuming that the Distressing Damsel might not only be more prone to violence, but also more sadistic about it than the Creature. Don’t worry, honey; he’ll grow into the sadism just fine on his own.

And there’s this: As I noted a few chapters back, Shelley’s God-Adam-Satan parallel has always avoided an Eve character insert. The women in this story are passive and pure; they don’t take on a proactive role. For the first time, Victor acknowledges that this hypothetical woman could be different, and it scares the shit out of him. In his role as God wannabe, it’s ultimately him who chooses not to complete the Creation story at hand. It’s incredible, it’s much too late, but it is a sign of direly needed humility, as he has no power over her.

I’m even more shocked that Victor of all people reaches the conclusion that no one else could reach around here, not Victor’s family in regards to Elizabeth and certainly not the Creature – that the whole ship-at-first-sight thingie might not work out. Like. Where did he suddenly take the brain from (and I don’t mean the one he’s setting into the Distressing Damsel)? No one else around here ever assumed that “he was a boy, she was a girl” doesn’t automatically lead to “they hit it off immediately”.

“She also might turn with disgust from him to the superior beauty of man” …or, y’know, woman. But this reminds me of how the Creature very much gushed about the beauty of Man first; he had a pretty bad boner for Felix, so count it I shall. DAS GAY: 31

Of course, even with the reflection on how unforeseeable the Distressing Damsel is, the book still works on the presumption of absolute superficialness. Perhaps the reason why she’d dislike him is because, y’know, he’s a grooming, self-centered asshole?

And then it gets interesting. Because Victor fears that they might reproduce. That’s for one pretty fucking stupid bc – he’s the one putting the Distressing Damsel together. Just don’t give her a uterus?

But also, he works on the assumption that the Creature absolutely is capable of procreating. And he’s also the one who put him together. Evidently fully functional. Capable of the entire erection AND sperm dealie. DAS GAY: 32

INCEST VIBES: 14

Hey, I’m not here to kink-shame the monsterfuckers, but he’s still kind of the Creature’s father.

Also, gotta love the line “yet one of the first results of those sympathies for which the demon thirsted would be children”. Thanks for lampshading again that the so-called sympathies are really just a case of The Horny™.

And how he trembles at the thought of “little devils”! Didn’t he want to be the father of a new species? How the turns have tabled. Victor is also thinking of future generations of humanity now, and for ONCE not of himself. This chapter is truly baffling. Paul Cantor’s essay (highly recommend) calls that his “abstract benevolence”, in that Victor himself suffers and makes those around him suffer, but mankind as a whole is too big for him to surrender to an incalculable evil.

Eww, the Creature grinning up at Victor during the window while the latter is working on the Distressing Damsel makes me think he gives him a really nasty horny expression.

And that’s the end of the Distressing Damsel, the single female character in this book who had any potential. I will miss her. Reminds me of when I read Dracula and lowkey wanted Mina to change fully because then Dracula would have created himself a powerful enemy out for vengeance. Would’ve been so cool. Why can’t we have nice things?

Left the room, locked the door, made a solemn vow. Uhm, bitch? Maybe destroy the laboratory? Set everything on fire so it’ll never be found, especially by your smartass pseudo-offspring? Dumbfuck.

We get a foreboding night mood (how come I still enjoy these landscape descriptions? Probably bc it’s the only time Victor isn’t talking about himself), and then it’s on. Creature’s turn to talk about himself and how hard his life is! IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 22

[naritaren]

I was tagged by @sybilius to do this! Let's jump into it I guess!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? I have 71 attributed to me currently. I have two more that will be revealed this weekend, bringing the total to 73!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

Including the two unrevealed fics, 245,147

3. What fandoms do you write for?

NJPW, AEW (not often), and Hockey RPF. I have stepped away from HRPF due to some interfandom issues, but have recently started a couple of wips.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos? Rare is this love, keep it covered (hrpf) a whole lot more than riches and muscle (hrpf) you had my soul, I felt it taking hold (hrpf) waiting for my day to come (hrpf) symphonies in the dark (AEW)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! I have been holding off on responding to the ones from the Three Count Exchange because I want to gush publicly about the fics lol

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Selling My Soul is pretty angsty, so is one of my unrevealed ones ;)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Symphonies in the Dark or a whole lot more than riches and muscle have marriage proposals at the end, so I guess those.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not anymore I don't. That was part of the interfandom drama in hockey rpf that drove me away.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I absolutely do. I do things from your basic vanilla fucking to delving into kink stuff.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have not! I tend to lean towards AUs instead.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

God I hope not.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, BUT, I have had a whole fic podficced before!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have in the past, but not too recently. @debbiechanclub and I tried though lol

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

My main ship in hrpf was Mark Scheifele/Blake Wheeler and my main wrestling fic is Shota Umino/Ren Narita, so I'll say those two.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The damn accidental wish kid fic I started like 4 years ago. So much has changed since then, including my writing style, so I don't think I'll ever revisit it. I do plan on revisiting the concept though!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've had a ton of people tell me it's how I do emotional connection and getting the reader into the headspace of the character, so that I guess.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I can be a bit on the more clinical side. I do think it's because I'm currently a post-grad student and a large part of my work requires me to write clinically, so it can be hard to disconnect from that. Some habits that I have to have for school and work are hard to break out of for fun.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I fucking panic every single time. If possible, I try and run it by someone who speaks the language to make sure I'm not fucking shit up. I know I can use Google translate, but I also know that it isn't a perfect solution. For example, I had like 4 people look over this one line from my Despe/Douki fic: “Tu gatito encontró a tu alma gemela”

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I *would* have said Star Wars, but the discovery of my old notebooks from high school say otherwise. From wrestling I begin and to wrestling I returned.

20. Favorite fic you've written? For years, it was a whole lot more than riches and muscle, and I'm still super proud of that fic. But now? Can you paint our picture on a star? Just read that and the whole series and it would bring me the greatest joy Tagging anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

[kurakusia]

Reviewing Some of Edgar Allan Poe’s Short Stories

DISCLAIMER: I am not an English major or anything like that so don’t expect an actual detailed review, I just picked up a collection of his short stories one day because BSD has me in a chokehold. Also, my recollection of the stories may be inaccurate as I’m going mostly off of memory.

Manuscript Found in a Bottle - 4/10

- Basically the story is written as if the reader found a bottle in the ocean full of, you guessed it, manuscripts (letters)

- The letters themselves are meant to be written by a guy who decided to journey out to sea and writes about all the strange events that happen while he’s out sailing

- Now this would probably be an interesting story, but Poe stuffed so many technical ship terms like ‘beam-ends’ and ‘ballast’ that I spent more time trying to figure out what he was describing rather than understanding the plot itself

- Because of this, all I really managed to grasp of the story is that there was a strange storm and then all the crew members started acting weird before some weird phenomenon happened in the ocean that killed everyone

- It wasn’t a bad story but I really couldn’t keep up with all the technical lingo (did people back then just casually know these terms?) which reduced my enjoyment a lot, but I liked the concept of the story being a series of letters left behind by someone at sea

Ligeia - 8/10

- Now I actually really liked this one, the story is told through the words of a man who is reminiscing about his deceased wife, Ligeia

- About 1/3 of this story is the narrator describing how absolutely infatuated he was with his wife and how pretty and smart she was, which introduced me to some of my favourite quotes of all time, such as:

‘They became to me twin stars of Leda, and I to them devoutest of astrologers.’ (in relation to describing Ligeia’s eyes)

‘In beauty of face no maiden ever equalled her. It was the radiance of an opium-dream - an airy and spirit-lifting vision more wildly divine than the phantasies which hovered about the slumbering souls of the daughters of Delos.’

- Yeah I wasn’t kidding when I said this guy was INFATUATED with her. After he finishes gushing about her, he starts to talk about her falling ill and that she recited some cryptic poem about God and death shortly before she died

- After Ligeia’s death, the narrator falls into a form of depression, moves out into a mansion in England and marries a woman named Rowena, who he doesn’t like nearly as much as Ligeia

- He then continues to describe his entire mansion in painful detail (like he describes EVERYTHING about this mansion, good god) and talks about how his new wife, Rowena, also eventually fell ill

- THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING, Rowena becomes so severely ill that she eventually dies and gets wrapped up in bandages or something of the sort to preserve her body before her body can be collected to be buried 

- At night, the narrator goes into Rowena’s room and sits by her corpse while smoking opium (poor guy is really going through it at this point). As he sits there, he notices that Rowena’s body starts to breathe and move as if its alive, with some occasional sounds coming from her mouth. When this happens, the narrator is reminded of Ligeia and this whole fiasco continues for a while until eventually, the corpse gains enough life(?) to stand up by itself, at which point the bandages fall from its face and reveals the face of Ligeia *audience gasps*

- Yeah so this story had all the good stuff, beautiful descriptions (if not a bit excessive at times), an engaging storyline, and a nice creepy ending. Genuinely, I read this one very late at night and that whole part with the corpse coming back to life actually left me a bit antsy, in my opinion it was written quite well.

The Man that was Used Up - 6/10

- So uh, this entire story felt like a fever dream. So many sections of this story repeat over and over again that it makes you feel like you’re going mad. I think this was intended to be a mystery but it kind of read a bit more like a comedy because of that. Also Poe uses so many random French words and phrases in this one. I think it was like ‘fashionable’ to use random French in your conversation back then, and this one is written through the point of view of a guy who lives among upper class society (I think).

- Basically, the narrator is talking to his friend who mentions a guy called ‘Brevet Brigadier-General John A. B. C. Smith’ (he was referred using his full title like this throughout the entire story and it drove me up the wall). This John Smith guy apparently was very ‘heroic’ and killed some Native Americans in something called the ‘Bugaboo and Kickapoo Campaign’. Yeah nowadays I think he would be considered scum of the Earth, but seemingly back then this was a thing that people were praised for.

- In any case, the narrator hears of this ‘heroic’ act and thinks nothing too much of it until his friend mentions that there was something very strange about Smith’s appearance. The narrator then grows obsessed with finding out what this secret is and it becomes the entire plot of the story. He goes round to multiple people asking them to describe Smith but they somehow get interrupted every. single. time.

- Eventually, the narrator ends up going directly to Smith’s house to see for himself what the big secret is. He is greeted by Smith’s valet, who takes him to Smith’s room. The narrator hears Smith’s voice coming from a clump of clothes(?) on the floor, and slowly the valet starts to assemble Smith using various prosthetics. The narrator begins to realise what Smith’s secret is: he is the man that was used up.

- Now while the ending is quite cool and the general idea behind the plot is interesting, the entire build-up to this ending was a headache. Having to read the narrator go on a wild goose chase to figure out this secret while every other paragraph was repeated word for word made me feel like I was reading something straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Kind of interesting but a painful process to get to the good part, which only lasts for a paragraph or so once you get to it.

The Tell-Tale Heart - 9/10

- This is personally my favourite short story from Poe’s collection. I first read it in secondary school and have loved it ever since. It’s written in a way that is easier to understand than a lot of Poe’s other stories, and it’s not too descriptive either.

- This story essentially follows the narrator’s descent into madness as he grows obsessed with the idea of killing an elderly man who lives with him. He eventually manages to kill the man and hides the body under the floorboards. However, due to the noise he made, the police are alerted and come over to his house to see what’s going on.

- The narrator, satisfied with the murder he just carried out successfully, gets cocky and invites the policemen into his home. However, as the policemen sit and chat amongst themselves, the narrator grows increasingly more and more paranoid that the policemen actually know that he murdered the man, and that they are just toying with him. Throughout this whole ordeal, the narrator becomes more and more convinced that he can hear the dead man’s heart beating from under the floorboards, and he becomes convinced that the police can hear this too, despite them not showing any signs of doing so.

- Eventually, in a fit of panic and desperation, the narrator flings open the floorboards and reveals to the policemen the corpse of the elderly man, as well as his ‘hideous heart’.

- The way Poe has written the narrator’s descent into madness is so believable. When the narrator grows paranoid believing he can hear the corpse’s beating heart, it felt so convincing that I felt as if I could relate to the narrator’s emotions myself. At one point, I was on the edge of my seat, wanting the narrator to be able to carry out the murder undetected just as much as the narrator wanted to. This will always remain my favourite work of Poe’s, unless I find a better one.

[perpetuallytiredandtired]

Reaction Time: STARMYU episode 7 (1/2)

Oh my God...

I was pretty much giggly every few minutes and had to stop to breathe properly. I really loved the fact that Hoshitani’s reactions are perfectly accurate for his character... and that I would have to describe it as a awkward first love of a high schooler with a pure heart. 

YES I MEAN IT THAT WAY

I MEAN LOOK AT THIS 

AND THIS

OF COURSE SUPPORTIVE HIRAGI-SENPAI

Otori just had to walk in just in time

My poor baby so embarrassed at the sight of his senpai

BONUS: Pure-hearted Maiden!Hoshitani and Oblivious!Otori

[joshbruh10x]

Who is your favorite FNAF character?

Ohhh boy, ok I'm that type of person who if you'd ask who their favorite was, I'd weigh facts about characters and compare them only to say yeah I don't have a favorite but I adore all of these guys!!!

(this is gonna be a long read so you can scroll away rn if you wanna)

So imma explain it but it's chopped up into different parts

Fnaf 1, my favorite was most definitely Foxy. He was like everyone's favorite at the time, I never really knew why but he just clicked in my head and he was ofnwjdjsj yes

Fnaf 2, I really got used to drawing at this time so I'd usually draw Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica or even BB but my favorite in this game was The Puppet, would you believe me I dressed up as the Puppet in Halloween once, and my previous friend dressed up as BB

Fnaf 3, I didn't really play it much considering how I got stuck at night 3 but all I gotta say is Phantom Foxy, one because I was still obsessed with Foxy and two, all the Jacksepticeye memes about him

Fnaf 4 was Nightmarrione, it's design was so cool. I played the Halloween update and instead of getting scared I just gushed over Nightmarrione and how it's design was so cool

Fnaf SL dropped and even with just the teasers and trailers I instantly went crazy over Ft. Freddy and Bonbon, eheheh BONBON GO GET EM

Fnaf 6 rolled around and unlike all the other games, I've never played it before but I have watched all gameplay, lore, endings, etc. And my favorites would be Lefty or Rockstar Foxy, Lefty was like really mysterious but also pretty calm and was a nice add to the roster of characters and Foxy FINALLY had a bird partner.

We're gonna skip Fnaf AR and VR because they didn't really add much characters except skin variations and stuff

Fnaf SB Les gooo, so this is the game tht gave the animatronics more emotion and I love it for a REASON. Anyways as the trailers and teasers released, I really liked Glamrock Chica and was excited for what they would look like since this time they only posted the dark silhouettes of the animatronics on stage. So then FUNKO of course, Funko released what the animatronics looked like and then fanart started rolling in. I really then got attached to Freddy's design. Then I saw Monty and I went to my friend and was like Lmao people be simping over this gatorcrocodile/dinosaur, bet...

Few months later and I got to play the game and we can all guess what happened? BOOM GIVE THIS GATOR ANGER ISSUES AND A TROUBLED PASS WHILE HE TRIES TO HIDE IT AWAY WITH UNHEALTHY COPING MECHANISMS

You got yourself a character I'd love till my heart's content, the fact he was sorta portrayed as buff and hot was all from the fandom so him being a giant loveable himbo was just a cherry on top for the character.

Let's finish this off with a few more facts

As much as I love Monty's character, the fandom giving in made me obsessed with Freddy and somehow, Bonnie who wasn't even in the game. So creating the Fazcule ship for my 3 favorite characters was just swell

Favorite Human Character I'd have to say is Gregory or Cassidy, Cassidy is a chaotic little shit that won't leave William alone and Gregory is also a chaotic little shit that probably won't leave the animatronics alone until they are decommissioned enough.

Least favorite character? Ballora and Rockstar Bonnie

Ballora because of Fnaf SL's NIGHT 4 and UCN jfbejdnsns

Rockstar Bonnie can go fuck his guitar somewhere else

Anyways sorry for the long post I just felt like doing that lmao

[minty-mumbles]

LU Survey Responses Part Three: Favorites and Least Favorties

Part One: Demographics

Part Two: General Questions

~~~

#1:

#2:

#3:

#4:

Other Responses: Legend/Ravio/Marin (4), Wind/Tetra (2), Wild/Ravali, Time/Nabooru, Hyrule/Aurora, Four/Dot/Shadow, Every single WLW Zelda ship, Some variation of "I love them all, fuck you" (4), Who cares about ships I want found family

#5:

#6:

#7: An assortment of answers from the free response, under the cut because there are many:

:p

The Snail From the New Update!!!!!!!!!!!

🌹 for you!

I love the Legend of Zelda and Linked Universe! Also I don't dislike any of the Links, and Legend is pretty much tied for favorite with Time for me. Really just depends on my mood or something (or how recently I've played one of their games).

Consider the following: Golden Sword FI

Froggie

i wanna see shadow in the comic so fucking badly jojo please 😭

One time I was playing the og Loz and I couldn't find the second dungeon to go to but I managed to find the second last dungeon or something by running past a horde of lynels and I managed to bs my way through half of it until I got stuck in a room with an enemy I had to kill to leave but wasn't able to kill with my lack of tools and it couldn't kill me so I had to restart the whole game and I haven't played since. Also if you attack a cucco in Twilight Princess, it doesn't attack you; instead you become the cucco for a few seconds and can flap around and scream

Do u like Mac and cheese

yeah twilight princess is my favourite game and i haven’t played it but in my defence i’m a goth

the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon DX remake of the song "Sky Tower" bangs and you should check it out (if you want)

Four is all but canonically the spirit of the Four Sword, and there's so much evidence for it in his games and even his personality in LU, but I feel like this is underrepresented in people's headcanons because people don't know as much about Four.

i hope youre having a good day <33 -@soul-of-rei

Fun Fact: The “Ballad Of The Windfish” from Link’s Awakening is in the melody of the Hyrule Castle main theme (outdoors) for some reason snd I noticed it like yesterday and I can’t tell if they did this with consideration for lore or if they just used it because the Ballad Of The Windfish only shows up in one game and is therefore a less well known and less likely to be noticed detail so they reused the song to not have to make a new song. On the other hand, TP and SS were two other games remastered for Switch and beyond simple convenience both games have a lot of interesting details that show up in and add to botws lore so maybe Link’s Awakening has significance to botw or botw 2 too and no one noticed hrmmmmm sorry this became an unintended theory ramble

Why does ganon hate the internet? There are too many links hehehehe

Tell your followers they're amazing!!! - Nayra

I really like linked universe. There’s so much room for creativity in the fandom. I love to see all the different interpretations of Link! :)

Vultures throw up when they feel threatened

We got a new kitten, his name is Maui, and he likes head boops. This has nothing to do with LU but I thought it was important.

the ocean is soup. this is an undeniable fact.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

This section I like to call "gushing over the various Links"

i don't think enough people realize that wind killed a man

I love wind so much he's my little guy I wanna pay for his college tuition

Wind deserves much more attention in the fandom he's my little pirate dude

Shout out to my boy Hyrule for being so cute

#BringSkyBackFromTheGasStation

Wind is best boy

Wolfie is best boy

Wild is my comfort for my mental health. I guess I project?

Grandaddy Wolfie >>>>

The fact I could only choose one favourite hurt, I was here for like 3 minutes deciding who to pick between Sky and Warrior's :'D

spent a solid 10 minutes trying to decide who i could say was my least favourite link because i love them all so much

And I'm not pasting the whole thing in here, but let it be known that the entire bee movie script, the wikipedia page for the chair, and the fitness gram pacer test were submitted

[rainydaydream-gal18]

(The Bad Batch) Tech x Reader: Pause - PART 2

(Set during episode 3 “Replacements”)

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 3 below if you haven’t seen it yet!

Note:  I had multiple people ask for a second part to the first one, and I had so much fun writing it, so here we are!  This had me swooning at 8 in the morning while I was writing up the end!  I really hope you enjoy!

Link to Part 1 (set during episode 2)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

   “I should’ve gone with them,” you muttered to yourself, staring through the viewport of the ship into the darkness outside.  “Omega is so young.  She really shouldn’t have gone in the first place.”

   “Hunter will look after her,” Tech spoke up as he welded a few parts of the ship together at one of the main consoles.  He didn’t take his eyes off the project in front of him, only spoke over his shoulder.  It gave you room to admire his profile for a moment while he so diligently worked.

   “You’re right,” you sighed.  “But still, I can’t help but worry.  Please give me something to do so I don’t drive myself crazy thinking about it.”

   Echo chuckled as he worked on a separate console on the other side of the cockpit, nodding you over.  “You could hold these sheets of metal while I screw them back into place.”

   “Yes, sir.”  You clambered past the assorted parts and pieces that littered the space, catching your foot on a particularly heavy chunk of metal.  It made your eyes water.  “Okay, ow.”

   “Are you alright?” Tech actually paused his endeavor and pulled his helmet up to glance your way.

   “Yeah,” you replied, shaking off the pain.  “I just tripped on this thing.”

   “Be careful.”

   “No worries, I’ll try not to break any of the parts.”

   “The parts weren’t what I was concerned about.”

   Your gaze found his for a split second before he lowered his helmet back on and resumed welding.  Rather than dwell on it too much, you turned your attention back to Echo and took hold of the metal sheets so he could screw them into place properly.  Wrecker was causing a bit of a commotion in the back of the ship, most likely putting together the room he announced he was going to make for Omega after she and Hunter had departed.  You were touched by his gesture and listened with amusement to the sounds of stuff being dragged around and dropped back there.

   “Hey, _________!” he called.  “Could you give me a hand with something?”

   You exchanged looks with Echo who had finished replacing all the sheet metal on his side by now.  He gave you a nod, letting you know he could spare you for a minute.  

   “I’ll be right back,” you told him.  You headed down the hall to see Wrecker holding a strand of lights in his hand with the other hand ghosting over the spot where he hit his head during the crash.  “What’s up?”

   “Can you hold this end of the strand?  While I hand the other side?”

   You smiled.  “Sure.  You know,  this is really nice of you.  Omega is going to love it.”

   “You think?”

   “I know it, Wrecker.”  The two of you exchanged grins before setting to work on hanging the lights.  Wrecker paused when he reached the end of the strand, and you were struggling to hold it up so high.  “Uh, what’s the hold up?”

   “I took too many hooks,” he said.

   “Oh,” you nodded.  “Well here, you hang the last part, and I’ll put the rest of the hooks away.”  He dropped the set of hooks into your palm, and you made your way to a compartment where the squad kept miscellaneous supplies.  On your way through the doorway, you encountered a figure on its way out.

   The first thing you registered was Tech’s eyes widening slightly in surprise as the two of you ended up squeezed in the small space together, nearly chest-to-chest.

   “Sorry, ________.”

   “No, it’s my bad,” you insisted.  “I didn’t look before going in.”

   “Well, I didn’t look before going out.”

   Meanwhile, neither of you had moved from the spot.  His close proximity sent your heart racing as he gazed down at you, close enough that you could lean in a few inches and kiss him if you wanted- which you did want, of course.  Did he?

   “Everything going okay up there?” you asked.

   “Yes, most of the individual parts repairs are complete.  “All we need now is that capacitor.”

   “That’s good news.”  Your face fell a little.  “I just hope Hunter and Omega both make it back alright.”

   His gaze was so sincere as he responded, “they will." The hand he had just rested on your shoulder twitched as he hesitantly pulled it away.  “We, ah, never had a chance to talk on Saleucami.”

   You nodded.  “Yeah, things have been a little crazy.  What was it you wanted to talk about?”

   “I recall we both had something to speak to the other about.”

   You suddenly felt bashful and tore your eyes from his and let them fall to the floor.  “Well, you first.”

   He went quiet for a moment.  “Alright.”  He inhaled deeply as if gathering the nerve.  “I wanted to speak with you because over the course of our missions together, I’ve developed feelings-”

   “_________!”  Wrecker called, his thudding footsteps nearing the closet.

   Tech clamped his mouth shut while you replied before he reached the closet.

   “Yeah, Wrecker?”

   “Omega’s room is done!  Wanna’ see?”

   “Oh, awesome!  I’ll be there in a minute!”

   His footsteps faded down the hall again, and you glanced back at Tech with a chuckle.  He adjusted his goggles, a small smile on his face at the amusement of the situation.  You were convinced that he was about to say what you really, really wanted to hear. 

   “Anyway, as I was saying,” he continued.  “I’ve developed feelings for you, _________.  It’s never happened before, and I only know from what I’ve read that the proper thing for me to do would be to tell you and to ask to court you, if you wish to do so.”

   Your heart was fluttering, eyes were watering, and the smile on your face grew even wider.  “Tech, I feel the same way,” you told him.  “I know this situation we’re in as a squad isn’t conventional, but I do have feelings for you and would love to ‘court.’”  The last word broke off into another giddy laugh.  You only had to move forward a few inches to wrap your arms around his form in an embrace.  It wasn’t super comfortable with his armor on, but it felt right when you pressed your cheek against his chest plate, and you felt his chin on your head.  The two of you stood there squeezing each other for a minute or so and listened to the quiet breaths that filled the air.  Then, you pulled your head away to angle your face up towards his, and he accepted the invitation.  His eyes fell closed as he kissed your lips.  It was warm and a sort of relief washed over you as your hands traveled up to grip his shoulders while his pulled you in tighter.  He was still a little rigid at first, but as soon your lips moved against his he responded.

   Your back fell against the cool metal wall as his lips chased yours.

   “Ah, sorry,” he murmured.  You bit your lip and smiled, leaning in for another kiss.

   “It’s okay,” you assured him.  “Didn’t bother me.”

   The moment was beautifully awkward as he pulled away to stare at you like he had many times before.  The pause went on longer than you expected, so you finally spoke again in a humorous tone.

   “What?”

   “I’m just admiring your beauty,” he said, reaching up to run his thumb down from your forehead to the tip of your nose, a small gesture that made you smile again.  “So many times I wanted to have this moment.”

   “Well, now it’s here.”  Then, your brows went up.  “Oh, I need to go see Omega’s room.  I told Wrecker I’d be there in a minute.”

   Tech was hesitant to let you go, but he seemed to understand.  He most likely also wasn’t up for a situation where Wrecker would come looking for you and see the two of you in the supply closet.  Even if he didn’t see any lips making contact, the jokes would go on and on for the rest of the time on this moon.  Neither of you were entirely up for it.  You’d let the rest of the squad know about your new relationship when the time was right, though Hunter might pick up on it before then.  He was pretty observant.

   “I’ll go with you,” Tech said.  “Wrecker will want me to see the room anyway.”

   “Okay,” you nodded.

   “Ladies first.”  He gestured to the small doorway, and you grinned.  You took his hand and headed out the door first, him following behind.  Neither of you let go until you neared the room where Wrecker was showing Echo already.

   “There you two are!” Wrecker said.  “Check it out!”  He gestured to the room past the lifted curtain to show the space he had made for Omega, and you gushed at how great it looked while he stood there proudly.  The lights shone in your eyes and reflected off Tech’s goggles beside you.

   There had been some rough times behind you, and there were sure to be more ahead.  The galaxy was in disarray while this new Empire claimed it was order.  The squad had lost one member.  Everyone missed Crosshair, but there was hope of bringing him back.

   This moment felt like another pause from all of that.  It was a day of new beginnings.

[newcaptainofsquad9]

To Be Loved And Deserved~Myoui Mina x black! fem! reader

Pairing: Mina x reader

Genre: Fluff, Romance, angst, smut, hurt and comfort

Summary: With the distance you created due to your anxiety and self doubt, Mina sought to lessen it and show you how much she cares about you.

Word Count: 1, 962

Author’s note: A continuation/sequel to this fic. Smut ahead, so there’s your warning, 18 plus from this point. Also, sorry if it’s trash I’m having a hard time focusing and finishing things so I finally got something done! Hope ya’ll enjoy!

Cosplay is always fun for you, especially when your girlfriend, Mina joined in the fun. At first, she loved to only gush about you and your presence and flair with the craft (her words), but with enough pleas and kisses, she gave it a try. The first cosplay the both you did together was Korra and Asami from The Legend of Korra, and the first you both shared on tiktok. It wasn’t the last as the both of you delved into some of your favorite pairings/partnerships, or ships in general from media: Renji and Rukia from Bleach, Jon Snow and Daenarys Targaryen, and various Marvel characters (Mina insisted of course).

There was one that people criticized you the most for and that was your cosplay of Princess Bubblegum, in all her pink and pretty glory, yet many commenters didn’t feel the same way about you. Like how they thrashed you of your sailor moon and other anime cosplay, they stressed over how Bubblegum wasn’t black and how you weren’t built for cosplay as much as Mina was. It hurt, damaged you as much that you began to distance yourself from your girlfriend. You only told her you need space, of course being Mina she didn’t question until it became weeks--your phone blew up with texts from a worried Mina which escalated to calls, tik tok and Instagram messages. You cut yourself off from her and the comments, only leaving your room when necessary. The calls soon stopped. 

Instead, a knock echoed throughout your home, jerking you from your burrito like position wrapped around your comforter. You knew she’d come over eventually, but the conversation isn’t something you’re looking forward to. Did Mina want to break up with you? You didn’t, you loved her so much that it hurt but she wouldn’t understand how much you felt. People only praised her when she tried, not calling her ugly or telling her a cosplay isn’t right because of her race. 

You got up from your bed, sighing at the cold that fit your tummy and toes once your comforter fell. It took a few shuffles but you found the front door as more knocks continued. Your heart pumped with each thud before you gathered enough courage to open it. 

Mina’s fist was still raised as she ceased knocking.

“Y/N,” she said.

“Mina I--”

You were cut off by Mina throwing her arms around you.  

“Thank God,” she whispered against the skin of your cheek. “You’re OK, you’re actually OK.”

Your arms wrapped around her back instantly as the emotion that bubbled up inside you came crashing down through a heat of tears that rushed. 

“S-So, does that mean you don’t want to break up with me?” you asked.

Mina pulled back immediately. 

“What? Did I do something wrong?” she said. “Y/N please just--”

You cut her off with a deep sob, no longer holding on without her. Mina’s arms wrapped around your waist, cooing softly as she cupped your cheeks. She stepping with you, slow and steady as the both of you moved as one towards your room. 

Once you reached it, she lay back against the bed next to you with enough space between you both.

Your eyes dart to the covers beneath you as silence fell. Mina opened her mouth to speak, yet closed it as you began to speak as well.

Mina’s hands flew back to your face as her face flushed with a bit of red.

“You should go first,”she said. 

You nodded, it’s the least you could do since you kept her in the dark for awhile.

“You did nothing wrong Mina,” you started. “I-I had a bad time on Tik-Tok, my anxiety got out of hand and--”

The sound of Mina’s gasp cut you off, her face serious yet again. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she said. “I always check in with you when things are hard for me.”

You nodded; the sadness Mina expressed breaking your heart more and more. 

“I know, and I wanted to talk to you, believe me I did but,” you paused. Mina tilted her head.

“But?” she asked before silently telling you to go on.

“My problems, are completely different from yours, you get so much praise from our cosplays,” you said. “I scrolled through thousands of them all commenting on how accurate your cosplay is, even if it wasn’t completely all there--no one called you names or sought to stereotypes to discredit you.”

Mina’s lips parted, looking to speak but she only nodded and rubbed your back. 

“A-And I’m not blaming you, it has nothing to do with you,” you declared. “But seeing how they brought you up, just to yank me down made me resent you--just for a moment! That’s why I needed space.”

Mina blinked away tears, forcing your own to build up as she wrapped her arms around you. 

“I’m sorry Mina,” you whispered against her chest. 

“You don’t need to apologize,” she said. “You let me back in, even if we have different problems, I’m always here to listen and support. OK?”

Her hands traveled up and down your sides, making the shirt you wore ride up a bit to bare soft skin. You nodded, then a shudder rippled through at Mina’s contact; your girlfriend noticed and narrowed her eyes. 

“I missed you,” she whispered. “Every part of you.”

Her words followed with a few pecks to your lips, across your jawline then down to your neck. 

“I-I missed you too.”

Mina smiled. It was her toothy smile with her adorable gums and the shininess of her eyes. 

“Yeah? I hope you didn’t just miss me and lay here all day,” she said with a hint of teasing. 

“No,” you said, heat flushing to your cheeks. “I-I watched a lot of Netflix, thought about things and ate some cookies.”

Mina giggled.

“Oh? What kind of cookies?” she asked while her hands still lingered at your sides softly. 

Her touch almost made you lose your train of thought. You shifted around the bed, flopping to the other side before reaching over to the dresser to grab the pack of cookies. 

“Strawberry cream ones,” you said in between a few bites. “Want some?”

Mina smiled as you chewed, then eventually swallowing.  

“No, but I’d much rather enjoy lovely strawberry kisses,” she whispered. 

You nearly choked on the rest of your cookie as Mina giggled and caressed your face, gently while you finished the few cookies you decided to eat. 

“Is it OK, if I kiss you?” she asked, leaning in to touch your forehead with her own. “And show you how much you are loved?”

Her words were tender, you barely reacted as her lips ghosted across your throat, jaw then cheek. A sigh escaped you; Mina’s kisses got harder, most likely leaving bruises and marks but you didn’t care. All you cared about was the warm feeling your girlfriend spurred within you. Mina noticed your silence and pulled back with soft eyes. 

“Y/N? Are you OK?”

You nodded. 

“Yes,” you said before initiating the kiss this time.

Mina moved fervently against your lips, hands moving down your sides to lift your shirt just enough to caress more skin and soft noises from. 

“Mina,” you moaned. 

“What would you like me to do, baby girl?” she whispered. “Anything you want, just let me love you.” 

Your hands tangled themselves in her curly hair while she trailed kisses down your neck and parts of your chest exposed to her thanks to your v neck. 

“I just want to get lost in you,” you said. “Make me feel good. Make love to me, Mina.”

Mina’s kisses ceased once you told her, eyes sparkling with as much love and passion that you almost cry again. She kisses you once more. It’s softer now while her hands gently pull up your shirt; you help by taking it off completely. A knowing smile spread while her eyes wondered down and your bra-less chest. 

“Y-You, I-I,” she paused as she tried to get her words together. “S-Stunning.”

You pulled her back to be flushed against you. Hands and fingers moved everywhere and all at once: Mina’s tracing each curve and stretch mark she could find; you tried to chase and follow her movements by unbuttoning her own shirt and tossing it on the floor. 

The both of you ended up panting on the bed. Mina straddled you with you lain on the bed in a heap of breathless giggles. She continued marking you to the quick moves of her hips, making you gasp at her clothed heat.  

“M-Mina-”

You were cut off by her getting off of you for a moment to pull you to the edge of the bed where she sat on her knees. The pajama bottoms you wore slipped off by Mina carefully, underwear following as she slipped them off in a matter of seconds. Her lips traced your legs, up thighs and lingered near the place you needed her the most.

“I need to gear you up, baby,” Mina whispered against the softness of your skin. 

Her fingers swiped slowly at your folds. The sensation had moans slipping from your mouth; Mina smiled and coaxed you through are her movements as she slipped a finger inside you. 

“Please, Mina--”

She finally followed your request, leaning up to climb over you, pulling her jeans down and kissing you fiercely. Her tongue slipped through, both of you not fighting for dominance over one another but the lust that was pent up for weeks. Your hands traveled down to Mina’s forearms, gripping tight as she sunk down: both of your soaking cores meeting. Her thrusts started up again with each kiss from your lips, jaw, chest then neck. The sensation wasn’t enough for you to handle. Mina smirked at the mess you were already with the moans building from you. When your eyes met, your heart-rate spiked up and the breath you barely had left; her eyes were shiny, careful and too pretty to look at. So much so, you couldn’t help but get teary eyed--you wanted to blame yourself again but Mina’s movements grew softer as her thrusts lessened.

“I love you so much,” you said, choking on the sobs that rocked your body. 

Mina bit her lip at the slowed movements, both of you so close to climax while being lost in each others feelings and emotions. 

“I love you too,” she panted. “Every part, do you understand? You’re beautiful OK?”

You nodded, adverted your eyes. Mina shook her head before gripping your chin.

“Say it, babygirl,” she purred. “Tell me, look at me. Tell me you’re beautiful.”

The deep, huskiness of her voice sent you over the edge, climax taking over while the words spilled from your lips.

“I-I’m beautiful!” you cried. 

Mina beamed down at you with a sense of passion mixed in with enough cockiness to force you to climax yet again. 

“I’m not the one you have to say that to,” she said. “But it is sexy seeing how I could make you do that and come.”

You rolled your eyes, then tried to roll over only for Mina to hold you by the arms while slipping from between you and onto the soft sheets beneath. 

“Are you still thinking about what happened with those disrespectful people on Tik-Tok?” she asked while playing with rubbing her fingers softly down your arms.

“No, not when my girlfriend is here cheering me up and telling me how loved I am,” you said. “And you’re right, I need to start learning how to love myself better.”

Mina pressed a hard kiss to your forehead before burying her face into your neck.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way baby. 

[casualmaraudering]

Youtuber Sirius AU

yes i’m making a post about a yt au in the year of the lord 2020 get over it

sirius’s channel is pretty varied - he posts with no particular schedule, or theme, he just. posts whatever he wants

there’s gaming videos. there’s just chatting about stuff. song covers - electric guitar, piano, or singing. but he also does a little bit of cinematography sometimes, or live streams where he composes songs

titles including: “why is Mr Darcy the perfect man” (which is 47 minutes long btw), “properly caring for a motorbike engine (tips)”, “beach trip + getting terribly sunburnt (no, i’m not actually a vampire)” “pranking my flatmate pt 39”

james features on his channel quite a lot, usually as a victim of pranks or someone to play games with

he gets famous cause his videos are so chill, and often super funny, not to mention he has a fucking fantastic voice and his covers are some of his most viewed videos on his channel. and welp. he is good looking

known as the eye candy of youtube pretty much 

he’s got a wide fanbase and a huge instagram following, got quite a few interviews on TV and even a magazine cover

he didn’t expect to be famous, especially since he did it just cause he was bored, as a hobby more than anything, but hey, he has a great community and it works out fantastic tbh. the money is a plus, yes, but he already had a very cushy life cause of inheritance, so he donates most -if not all - of his yt income

remus isn’t famous at all. he's a student who works at a bookstore. he’s very much a Normal Person TM

he has the biggest fucking celebrity crush on sirius which is real unfortunate cause sirius has like 30mil subscribers and is pretty much a model on ig. and remus. remus is remus

he stumbled on one of his videos by accident. and sirius was gorgeous and funny and talented. and then he binged his whole channel. and the crush hit so hard 

they get together somehow i don’t know, i didn’t plan out this post too much don’t judge me, but it probably involves remus freaking the fuck out about it a lot

sirius has always been pretty nonchalant about his sexuality but when he finally makes a video about it - titled “yes i really am gay it’s not just for a twitter meme” - it’s actually a rather serious video (aside some jokes) cause he wants to be a good role model for the younger queer boys that might be watching him

when they start dating, he doesn’t mention remus that much, but he does mention A Boyfriend, and his fans pick up on that quick cause hello, that’s new

remus’s guilty pleasure is scrolling through social media and seeing memes/posts about the mystery boyfriend and how whipped sirius seems

at first, remus doesn’t appear in sirius’s videos at all, for like a good couple months

when he does start appearing, at first it’s through comments off camera - it’s also when the people learn his name

cue fanmade videos like “remus bullying sirius for 29 minutes”, “remus being sassy (compliation)” or “sirius being gay for remus part 1/2347823432″

which just get better when remus finally does agree to be on camera

“compilation of remus looking at sirius like he’s the dumbest being on earth” “sirius hearteyes black” “remus being relatable for 12 minutes and 29 seconds”

sirius loves posting photos of them being cute together just because he loves his boyfriend okay? usually they involve remus hiding his face cause he’s insecure, but that’s so adorable sirius can’t be mad

sirius starts posting an awful lot of love song covers

honestly sirius probably reads fics of them for the laughs (and sometimes sends remus the hilariously bad ones so they can laugh together)

sirius saves every fanart he sees of himself and remus or just of remus. he has to

people go badshit when sirius posts an engagement photo and sirius is so fucking happy that he gets to just gush about his fiance on twitter as if he’s a schoolboy

like honestly. sirius’s twitter? remus. so much gushing about remus

their wedding video is the most viewed video of the year, and one of the most viewed videos of all times

remus ends up tweeting like “funny how five years ago i had a celebrity crush on that one hot youtuber and yesterday i married him” he’s living the dream tbh

sirius has fucking field day with domestic videos: “giving my husband cooking instructions except i only speak french (spoiler: it’s a mess)”, “mario kart with my husband” “reacting to memes of me and my husband”

a couple months after they’re married sirius has a chill live stream where all he does is literally just. talk about remus and how fucking happy he is in his life. it’s so gay. and so wholesome

there’s an ongoing meme within the community that everyone likes remus more than sirius. sirius runs with it and loves it cause he loves people raising his baby’s confidence. generally posts about remus? 10/10, reblog/retweet, saves them, sirius is his no.1 stan

there’s people hating on them, of course. people who shipped sirius with james. homophobes. people who are just jealous of remus. at first that hits remus a lot, like, he’s not used to getting hate DMs, so that sucks extra hard. but sirius always tries his best to cheer him up and hey, it doesn’t matter what the people say, cause sirius would drop his career immediately if remus as much as asked

another fandom favourite meme: sirius being a simp for remus. sirius never denies it 

[tricksters-captain]

Bucky Barnes Imagines - Some Sunny Day Part 3

Summary: Before the Blip, you and Bucky were close. After you both returning and Tony’s funeral, you decided to go back to your home town to spend time with your family. When duty calls, you return.  

In this chapter: After finding Sharon in Madripoor, you learn about the creator of the soldier serum (Based on S1 EP3)

(PART 1) (PART 2)

Pairing(s): Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader, Sam Wilson x Platonic!Reader

Word Count: 3,457

Warnings: Spoilers for episode 3, violence, strong language.

Once you arrived at Sharon’s you were itching to get out of the costume Zemo cooked up for you. 

“Looks like breaking all those laws is treating you well.” Sam gawked at Sharon’s place which was full of art work and collectables. 

“I thought if I had to hustle, might as well enjoy the life of a real hustler. You know how much I’ll get for a real Monet?” Sharon shrugged as she lead you through her gallery. 

“Easy...Deactivate your hustle mode. You sell fake Monets.” Sam didn’t believe her as he stared at the artwork. 

“No. She means real. This gallery is specialized in stolen artwork. Monet. Van Gogh. Classics.” Zemo defended Sharon as he followed her.

“It’s true. You know, half the artwork in museums like the Louvre is fake. Real stuff sits in places like this.” Bucky informed Sam. 

“Okay, guys, I see what you’re doing. You’re more worldly than good old Sam.” Sam pulled out his phone and started searching a nearby paining. 

“Yeah. What’s Google say?” Bucky teased him for it. 

“No shit.” Sam muttered as the realisation hit him. 

“You guys need to change. I’m hosting clients in an hour.” Sharon beckoned you along to which you were silently thankful for. 

Sharon was kind enough to let you look through her vast collection of clothes until you picked out something you liked. 

“Hey... You okay?” You asked softly. 

You and Bucky were alone with your backs to each other as you changed in one of Sharon’s many rooms.

“I’m fine.” Bucky replied quietly. 

You knew he wouldn’t be fine after having to act like the winter soldier again. You watched him at that bar. He didn’t hold back when he attacked those men. 

“Buck, you know you can’t lie to me.” You tried to keep it light but Bucky wasn’t having it. 

“I’m not.” 

You didn’t push.

“Hey, will you zip me up?” You asked after stepping into your dress. You didn’t turn but you could hear Bucky’s footsteps as he approached you. 

You felt the cold of his fingers brush against your back as he slowly zipped up the dress. 

You turned when the zip reached the top. 

“Thanks.” You whispered. 

Bucky’s eyes were burning through you as he admired your choice of dress. 

“You look beautiful.” Bucky murmured, his eyes taking in every detail. 

“You scrub up quite nicely yourself.” You smiled as you admired Bucky in the suit Sharon had given him. You couldn’t deny the butterflies in your stomach as you thought about a possible normal circumstance Bucky could wear something like this. Like a date. 

“Come on.” Bucky took your hand and lead you to the door that would take you back to the others. 

“It’s alright. I’m gonna sort my hair out. Running through Low-town didn’t exactly do it any favours.” You retracted your hand and returned to the mirror. Bucky hesitated didn’t question you. 

“What’s going on with you and Bucky?” Sharon’s voice filled the room as you  heard the door open again. “Thought the two of you’d be together by now.”

“We’re coworkers. We’ve always been coworkers.” You were wary of Sharon’s new found attitude.

“Oh please. You two have wanted to jump each others bones the whole time I've known you.” Sharon rolled her eyes at you as she slump down on the love seat beside you.

You remained silent as you brushed through your hair. 

“Oh come on.” Sharon rolled her eyes. “You two have never?” 

“No.” You said almost too quickly. 

“Well it’s only a matter of time. I don’t know why you are dragging it out so long.” Sharon sighed dramatically as she picked at the fabric on the settee. 

“I don’t know why everyone is so invested in mine and Bucky’s relationship.” You spun around to face her. “You. Sam. Steve. You all poke and prod but you don’t take into consideration all the factors.”

“No you don’t take into consideration that there’s only so much time before one day you’re shot or killed or you have to go on the run and never see him again. You need to grow some balls, (y/n).” Sharon didn't bother sticking around after that. 

You groaned and closed your eyes. 

When you finally decided to rejoin the group, they were discussing Sharon’s status in Madripoor.

“What’s going on, Sharon? You don’t ever wanna come back home?” Sam asked as he put on a shirt. 

“They’ll lock me up if I step foot back in the States. Madripoor doesn’t allow extradition.” Sharon replied pretty matter-of-factly as she walked over to her desk. 

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t call, but after the Blip and the chaos, I just––” Sharon cut Sam off before he could explain himself. 

“––Look, you know the whole hero thing is a joke, right? The way you gave up that shield, deep down, you must know it’s all hypocrisy. 

“He knows. And not so deep down.” Zemo felt the need to jump in. 

“By the way, how is the new Cap?” Sharon asked.

“Don’t get me started.”Bucky grumbled.

“Please. You buy into all that stars and stripes bullshit. Before you were his pet psychopath, you were Mr. America! Cap’s best friend.” Sharon smirked as she sat down beside Bucky.

“Wow. She’s kind of awful now.” Bucky said as he looked over at you.

“Karli Morgenthau and at least seven others have taken the serum.” You took the initiative to change the topic back to the reason you were here in the first place. 

“You guys really should steer clear of all of this for your own safety.”Sharon warned you as she shook her head. 

“We know it’s a risk, but we won’t leave until we find the one who cracked the code.” Sam took the chair beside Sharon as he spoke. 

“We got a name. Wilfred Nagel.” Bucky told her. 

“Nagel works for the Power Broker.” Sharon informed you as she stood to pour herself a drink. 

“We need your help, Sharon. I can get your name cleared.” Sam offered. 

“You haggling with my life?” Sharon smirked again.

“Not like that.” Sam shook his head. 

“I don’t buy that. You pretending like you can clear my name.” Sharon leant back against her bar. 

“Okay, maybe it is hypocrisy. Maybe you’re right. What happened to you. But I’m willing to try if you are. They cleared the bionic staring machine, and he killed almost everybody he’s met.” Sam approached her with his good old puppy dog eyes. 

“I heard that.” Bucky frowned, unimpressed by Sam’s use of example. 

“I don’t trust charity.” Sharon sighed. 

“All right, a deal then. You help us out, and I get your name cleared.” Sam offered his hand. 

“Well, I sell to some pretty connected people. Lay low, blend in, enjoy the party. Try to stay outta trouble. I’ll see what I can find.” Sharon took the deal. 

The party seemed to suddenly start. 

Within minutes the whole place was jam packed. Music suffocated the space and the smell of sweat and alcohol was growing.

You stayed in between Sam and Bucky as you walked single file through the gathering. You reached back and linked fingers with Bucky’s to make sure you didn’t get parted in the crowd. 

As the bar came into view, you felt a hand grab your ass. 

“Hey!” Bucky took hold of the stranger and slammed him against the nearest wall. Holding him by the throat. 

Sam was there to diffuse the situation in a second. He placed a. hand on Bucky’s shoulder to pull him away. 

“Lay low remember.” Sam repeated what Sharon had told everyone over the blaring music. 

Bucky released the creep and stepped back. 

That gave you enough space to send your own punch. The man cried out, sliding down the wall and cradling his gushing nose. 

“Looks like she does not need help.” Zemo chimed in. 

You all left the guy without drawing too much attention to yourselves. 

The music wasn’t exactly your taste and you knew that it definitely wasn’t Bucky's but that didn’t stop you from taking him away from Sam and Zemo. 

“What are you doing?” Bucky asked you. 

“Got a bit boring just standing there, no?” You smirked. 

“You can’t expect me to dance to this, can you?” Bucky grimaced at the pulsing beat that classified as music. 

“You can try.” You smirked as you brought yourself closer to the man. 

You moved your body to the music, smiling widely him as he awkwardly tried to sway to it. 

“I thought you were a good dancer?!” You teased Bucky as you watched him. 

“I was!” Bucky defended himself. “When the music was Louis Armstrong and Glenn Miller!” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at the man before wrapping your arm around his neck. 

“You gotta move a bit more like this.” You tried to show him, taking his hand and placing it on your hip. 

Bucky was starting to look a little less like a grandpa as he got into the groove of it. 

His eyes were locked on you, a small smile on his lips. He looked undeniably handsome. 

“I think you’re getting it.” You leant up by his ear to tell him. 

“Well, we can’t look any worse than Zemo.” Bucky pointed through the crowd where Zemo was dancing. 

You burst into laughter at the sight of the war criminal dancing and buried your face into Bucky’s neck. Bucky laughed next to your ear. It was a rare genuine sound that sent tingles through your head. 

“Come on.. Let’s get some water.” You left the dance floor and rejoined Sam by the bar where he had started to speak to some other guests.

Sharon approached you a little while later with some good news and so you all immediately left the party. 

“Madripoor could give New York a run for its money.” Sam stated as you arrived at the location of Nagel. 

“They know how to party.” Zemo agreed. 

You followed Sharon through the shipping container yard as she searched for the right one.

“With that bounty on your head, the longer you’re in Madripoor, the less likely you’re ever leaving.” Sharon stopped and pointed over to a red container. “All right. He’s in there. Container four-two-six-one. I’ll watch while you guys talk to Nagel. But hurry. We’re on borrowed time.”

“You want me to stick around out here with you in case you run into trouble?” You asked her as you all took an ear piece. 

“I’ll be alright. I’ll call if I need any back up.” Sharon dismissed your offer before walking away. 

You all entered the container cautiously before Sam contacted Sharon. 

“Hey, Sharon. You sure this is the right one? It’s completely empty.” He was right. To the eye, it was empty. 

“Positive. It has to be.” Sharon replied. 

You shared a look between Sam and Bucky as Zemo felt around the. back of the container. 

Suddenly, it shifted and a hidden door opened. 

Soft music played from below along with a muffled voice. 

It has to be Nagel. 

Sam, Bucky and you all went in armed. 

You silently negotiated between each other which urged Sam to go ahead and cut the music. Nagel spun around at the intrusion. 

“Dr. Nagel?” Sam inquired. 

“Who are you? What do you want?” The man wasn’t intimidating and didn't seem to have any weapons around him but you had learnt in the past not to underestimate your opponent.

“We know you created the super-soldier serum.” Sam informed him. 

“Get out of my lab.” Nagel demanded pretty boldly considering Sam was the one with the gun. 

“Hey! You know who he is, right?” Sam asked as he caught the shocked look on Nagel’s face at the sight of Bucky.  This is Baron Zemo. I know you’ve heard of him, too, right? You seem like a pretty smart guy. So you better become conversational real quick.”

“How about a counter proposal? Make me a better offer and I’ll talk.”Nagel smirked. 

“Guys, we have company.” Sharon’s voice whispered through the ear piece. “Every bounty hunter in the city is here. We gotta go.” 

“I’ll go up.” You lowered your gun from Nagel and went to turn when Sam stopped you. 

“No, we might need you.” Sam meant he might need your powers. 

“But...” You gestured to your ear. 

“She didn’t ask for back up.” Sam argued. 

You sighed but listened to Sam. 

Bucky moved Nagel over to a chair. He held his gun to the man’s temple. 

“Here’s your counter offer.” Bucky shot next to Nagel’s head which worked wonders to make him talk. 

“Okay. Okay. I was brought into HYDRA’s Winter Soldier program to pick up their work after the five failed test subjects in Siberia. When HYDRA fell, I was recruited by the CIA. They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god. I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different. No clunky machines or jacked up bodies. Mine was going to be subtle, optimized, perfect.”

“How have we never heard about this?” You asked, your eyes flicking over at Sam. 

“Because… Before I was able to complete my work, I turned to dust. Then when I returned, it was five years later, program had been abandoned, so I came here. The Power Broker was more than happy to fund the recreation of my work.” Nagel explained. 

“How many vials did you make?” Sam asked. 

“Twenty. Karli Morgenthau stole those, so I can only imagine what the Power Broker has planned for that poor girl.” 

“Where’s Karli now?”You stepped forward, rolling up your sleeve as a warning.

“I don’t know where she is. But a couple of days ago, she called and asked if I could help someone named Donya Madani. Poor woman has tuberculosis. Typical of overpopulation in displacement camps like that.” You took a mental note of the name Nagel mentioned. 

“Well, what happened to her?” You pushed

“Not my pig. Not my farm.” Nagel shrugged. 

You looked back at Sam with a look asking if you should check if he's telling the truth but Sam shook his head. 

“Is there any serum in this lab?” Bucky asked. 

Nagel sent Bucky a deep glare but Bucky’s gun brought forth the answer. 

“No.”

“Now what?” Bucky asked you and Sam. 

“Guys, we’re seriously outta time here.” Sharon bursted in, looking a little battered. 

All of a sudden, Zemo pulled a gun out and shot Nagel. 

“No!” Sam cried out

You lunged forward and reached for the man’s arm. If you could catch his final moments of life leaving his body you could still get the memories but as you hand touched his skin all you saw was darkness. 

You screamed as you went blind. 

You felt a pair of hands pull you up from the ground to which you could only assume was Bucky. 

“What did you do?!” Sharon gasped at Zemo’s action. 

“I can’t see, Buck.” You felt your whole body go limp in his arms as you muttered those final words before you passed out. 

When you felt your eyes open again, you were out of the container. Gun shots were muffled in your eyes as you heard Bucky and Sam arguing. 

You were covered in dust and you didn’t have your gun. 

“Where’s my gun?” You asked. That’s when the boys realised you were awake. 

You only managed to crawl over to Bucky to take it from him and start to fire. 

Your aim was off from how exhausted you were but the adrenaline was there enough for you to get a good few shots in. 

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked you as the firing stopped. Zemo was busy taking out the remaining bodies so it gave you time to sit back again. 

“Not really.” You shook your head. Your body felt cold and darkness still clouded the corners of your vision. It’s what happened when you tried to get the memories from a dead body, all you could see and feel is death. Your powers only worked on living people or people close to death. 

“Come on.” Bucky lifted you up, tucking his arm underneath you to keep you steady on your feet. 

You only lasted being half dragged/half running before Bucky picked you up. You hated being carried but this was a life or death situation. 

“Buck!” Sam shouted as some more bounty hunters appeared. Bucky put you down and you fell against the container door as he used a broken off pipe to fight them off. 

“Let’s go!” Sam tugged you both inside.

Bucky kicked open the back of the container so you could escape, only for you to be met by Zemo in a swanky getaway car. 

“Supercharged.” Zemo gestured to his ride. 

“You’re going back to jail.” Sam told Zemo. 

“Do you want to find Karli or not?” Zemo asked. 

“He’s right. We need him.” You tried to speak but your throat was hoarse. 

“And there’s only three of us, and at least 20 of them.” Bucky added. 

“Fine. But if you try that shit again...” Sam warned him. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Zemo stated. Not that he was to be trusted. 

Sam helped you into the back seat. There was concern painted across his face. 

“Well, that was one hell of a reunion.” Sharon sighed as she placed her hands on the car. 

“Come back to the States with us.” Sam tried to persuade her. 

“I can’t. Just get me that pardon you promised me.” Sharon reminded him of the deal they made. 

“Thanks for everything.” Sam nodded. “You’re not gonna move your seat up, are you?”

“No.” Bucky shook his head. 

You laughed weakly as you remembered the same conversation back when Steve was still around. 

Back on Zemo’s plane, you took a position on the small couch with Bucky. You were resting your eyes but trying to stay awake as you listened to the boys talk. 

“Donya Madani. She’s a refugee, yeah.” Sam had contacted Torres about the woman Nagel had mentioned. “Call me if you get a hit. --- Thanks, Torres.”

“You okay?” Bucky asked Sam as Sam slouched down.  

“Yeah. Just thinking about all the shit Sharon had to go through. And Nagel referring to the American test subject like Isaiah wasn’t even a real person. Just makes me wonder how many people have to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal.”

“Well, it depends on who you ask. That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives.” Bucky looked up from cleaning his hand. 

“Yeah, I get that. All right. Maybe I made a mistake.” Sam confessed. 

“You did.” Bucky agreed with that statement and so did you but you kept your eyes closed. 

“Yeah. Maybe I shouldn’t have put it in a museum. Maybe I should have destroyed it.” Sam didn’t say what you expected. 

“Look, that shield represents a lotta things to a lotta people, including me. The world is upside down, and we need a new Cap, and it ain’t gonna be Walker. So before you destroy it, I’ll take it from him myself.” Bucky turned to face Sam as he spoke. You felt the couch shift.

Sam then got a call with the information on Madani. 

“They found Madani… Dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea.”

“I have a place we can go. I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli. Oeznik, we’re changing the course.” Zemo’s voice was the last thing you remembered before waking up at landing. 

“Hey sleepy head.” Bucky whispered quietly. He’d rather be caught dead than let Sam hear him say that. 

“Have we landed?” You asked as you rubbed your eyes. 

“Yeah.” Bucky nodded. “Come on.” 

It didn’t take too long to get to Zemo’s place but when you did, Bucky decided to break away. 

“I’m gonna go on a walk.” Bucky announced before you entered the building. 

“You good?” Sam asked. 

“Yeah.” Bucky nodded as he stepped away. 

“Be careful.” You warned him. 

You knew Bucky needed his space sometime but now wasn’t the best time for him to just be wandering the streets. Especially if Walker clocks on it was you three that broke Zemo out of prison. 

“Always.” Bucky winked at you before finally leaving. 

But that was a bad feeling in your gut. 

(PART 4)

Bucky Barnes Tag List

@florencxs @mystictimetravelcolor @yourphotographyteen16@shannon-posts @darkbluenovember @sexwithhiddlesbatch@thefandomimagines @mydarkness-itsnotmyfriend @sad-huffle-nerd @glitchingghosts @themaddies-obx @avenging-parker @delilahsdaydream​ @felicityofbakerstreet​ @purplewcrld​ @opheliaaaa​

[nightowlfandom]

Billy Loomis and Stu Macher x Reader- 27 (Part 3/Finale)

Read Part 1 | Read Part 2 

CHECKOUT MY MASTERLIST HERE!

Alright you weenies, here’s the last part of 27....

I realized I’ve also made an error, I forgot that they already killed her other boyfriend, so let’s say the ex they killed in the previous chapter was a different ex.

leggo

...

Today was the day and you were excited.

Vengeance, the cherry on top, the final piece of this damned puzzle. You had snapped. You were completely bloodthirsty now and you WISHED someone would try to stop you. You had come a long way. A VERY long way. It was safe to say both Billy and Stu rubbed off on you a tremendous amount and you were absolutely fucking ready!

It didn’t help that you had two killers hyping you up to all hell. From Billy whispering how many hours were left in the day to Stu commenting about how hot he’d think it would be to have sex in a pool of blood.

When it came time to leave, the boys offered to walk you home.

“So who you gonna get first?” Billy held your hand as Stu stood your opposite side with an arm around your shoulder. 

“Definitely the old man.” you declared. “I want to watch the life leave his eyes. He’s the reason behind all this.”

“How so?” Stu asked.

“He’s convinced I’m not really his child, he’s been trying to get me out of that house since I turned 12...” the guys noticed your significant mood change. “Nevermind that.” you shook your head. “My mom can fuck off with the rest of them, her and her can-do-no-wrong, perfect home bullshit.” you seethed. “I’ll explain while everything’s going down.”

...

“I’m home...if anyone gives a shit.” you grumbled the last part. You walked in to see your mother and father along with Hannah’s mother and father. They were all sitting at the table. Hannah’s mom and dad were bawling their yes out while your parents comforted them.

“Y/N...I’m glad your here.” you father spoke up. “We were talking about funeral arrangements.”

“For the daughter you wish you had instead of me? Not interested.” you rolled your eyes. “If you need me, I’ll be doing homework. Parentals, friends. Friends parentals.” you shortly introduced Billy and Stu to your folks. 

“Nice to meet you.” Billy managed to express. Stu put on a fake smile and waved. 

“Keep your door open so we can hear you!”

“Why would I close the door? You guys would just kick it open anyways.” you grunted. 

You had no reason to be cordial with your family anymore, just because they wanted to put on a show for your guests, you’d give them a damn show.

“Y/N don’t talk to your mother like that.”

“Then I’ll talk to Hannah’s family.” you turned to the two mortified adults.

You could see Billy and Stu out of the corner of your eyes, both looking like they were about to burst out laughing.

“Y/N we have nothing against you.” Hannah’s mom wept. “We knew Hannah could be a bit much.”

“Hannah was much? Oh No Mrs. Doyle. Your husband screwing around with your teenage secretary was much.” you crossed your arms. “Your daughter was a fucking nightmare and I’m glad no one has to put up with her shit anymore.”

You wanted to see just how far you could take this before your parents exploded. 

“Y/N L/N!” Your father rose from his seat, ready to storm over.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Stu was first to stand in front of you. “Mr. L/N with all due respect, I’d advise you against that.”

“And just who do you think you are?” 

“The man whose about to be responsible for your funeral if you take another step.” Billy stood next to Stu, the both of them making a human wall, separating you from them. “Geez Y/N you weren’t kidding.”

“You should see our security camera footage.” you scoffed. 

“Well this has been a lovely chat but we really must be going.” Mrs. Doyle stood to her feet. 

“Oh nononono~” Billy sang with conviction. “Sit your asses down...let’s play a little game.” (I know Saw hadn’t been made yet, just go with it.)

...

Watching back the camera footage hurt a lot more than you thought it would. You couldn’t imagine how everyone else was feeling. Both of Hannah’s parents were tied up with blindfolds over their eyes. Stu had knocked out your dad and tied him to the table while Billy handled your mom, duct-taping her hands and wrists to a chair...

“Look at that. An innocent little girl...” Billy shook his head as he listed to your parents berate you to your face. You blocked everything out while you watched. How Hannah and her would smile in your face all the while being your biggest tormentors. How you couldn’t tell your mother or father because they never believed you the first ten times you tried. 

It was all crashing down on you now.

There was an eerie silence as your crying voice filled your own ears. You were used to crying yourself to sleep by that time. All of this happening a little before you met the boys.

“Y/N, whatever you have to tell us, we don’t have to involve them.” your mother sobbed.

“Mommy....you’re crying.” your voice broke as you opened your mouth to speak for the first time in a couple of hours. “But what about when I was crying?....What about when I was in the hospital scared for my life? What about when you guys were threatening to ship me across country....” much like you did with Hannah, you kicked the chair sending your mother falling back.

“And you.” you turned towards your dad. “I know you don’t believe I’m your biological daughter...and guess what...I hope I’m not either.” you growled, staring down at the now cowering man. “You are pathetic...both of you.” you turned back towards the TV screen. A video of you in your bedroom (since your parents didn’t believe in privacy) was playing. You were on the phone with your friend Kyla.

“No, no I know Ky.” you laughed. You had a much different laugh than you do now. “...I don’t know, it’s hard to trust cute faces like theirs.”

Your eyes widened as you listened to what you were saying. Before you could go to turn it off, Stu had taken you in a hug. “Oh no princess, don’t be rude...let the video play!”

“Do I like them?....Maybe...okay totally!” you watched yourself squeal as you threw the pillow you were hugging across the room. “Kyla I wish you were here to see them THEY ARE SO-” you covered your mouth to stop from shouting too loud. “They are so cute and so hot and they wanna be seen with me!...of all people! No I’m not gonna make a move on them.”

“Awww Y/N has a crushy wushy on us!” Stu gushed. “We love you too baby!” Stu abruptly kissed you, right there. You almost forgot Billy was standing there. 

“Woah...” you almost lost balance. 

“Young lady! How dare you-” You father tried to said.

“Oh shut up!” Stu took it upon himself to finish the job. 

(OKAY SHEILD YOUR EYES NOW)

Stu wrapped a hand around your dad’s neck and applied pressure, so much to the point where his face went blue within a mere 5 seconds. Stu laughed maniacally, only seeming to tighten his grip while Billy continued to antagonize your mother, laughing in her face while she watched the horror happen with her husband.

“Y/N...why?” your dad choked as he struggled.

“Why not...and while we’re here.” you shrugged. “I killed Hannah.”

“WHAT?”

You almost forgot Hannah’s parents were in the room, listening to everything go down.

“Oh yeah.” you shrugged. “Bitch had it coming...the better question is what should I do to you two.” you crossed your arms as you thought.

...(Time skip)

“Pretty isn’t it.” You gazed up at the stars. 

“Not as pretty as you.” Billy flirted, using his sleep to wipe your face. As you all sat on the front steps of your porch, ambulances and cop cars lined up the street for many blocked.

“I agree.” Stu wrapped an arm around you waist. “Be honest, how do you feel?”

“I feel free.” you replied, letting out a large sigh. The cops had just finished questioning you. Your story was clear. Your dad lunged at your mom first and Hannah’s parents saw too much...then he accidently tripped and hung himself. Perfect crime. Billy and Stu were walking by when they heard your cries for help and they hopped in.

As to how you three managed to escape unscathed, they got you out of there in time just as he was hanging himself. As for the tapes playing on the T.V...they were watching old videos to find something to ground you for. (Something they usually did anyways.)

“Good.”

“I just don’t know where I’m gonna live now. My aunt lives the next city over and that’s a long drive.”

“Hm...just gonna have to live with us now!” Stu shrugged, we’ll all be like a married couple!

“All...as in-”

“Yes, the three of us.” Billy grabbed your attention. “Lucky you, eh?” He pecked your lips when the officers wasn’t looking just as Stu planted a smooch on the back of your head.

“Young lady.” the officer walked up to you three. “You’re lucky to have escaped them, that psychopath stabbed your mother 27 times...who does that?!”

You paused before you gave your answer. “I guess he was just fed up, officer.” 

Stu tried hard to contain his laughter while Billy coughed into his hand, you all knowingly shared a look.

Yes...fed up indeed.

(So...I guess this slasher stuff might be a regular thing...I kinda like it)