#rian’s over her ex!

[arianwyn-art]

being a lesbian is all fun and games until you have a crush on a girl and it’s like. carve out my heart and kiss me while i lay bleeding out

[crownrots]

R, O, and/or V?

RENO STEELE — best caravan player that ever lived, small time swindler and all around trouble maker hailing from the fictional town of gecko springs. he’s quite a hit with anyone he hasn’t pissed off over years and is in a ‘sharing is caring’ relationship with his best friend, richard, and @queennymeria ‘s, soledad. And RICHARD STEELE — is the resident and community appointed sheriff of gecko springs. he only got the job because he and reno were successful in chasing the things off almost indefinitely.

RIAN MCCORMICK — the most useless and hottest dilf the apocalypse has ever seen. he constantly screws up and somehow always survives by the skin of his teeth (and by sheer dumb luck). he and @queennymeria ‘s, mari cross, had a FWB thing going on after she saves him from the brink of death but … feelings and egos got in the way and before they knew it she was hiding something from him and he had gone off on a suicide mission to see if jackson was a real. Fast forward nearly a year later and they’re reunited, he finds out he has a kid (they very quickly have another one 😑) AND gains a new enemy in tommy miller. he’s done well for himself, all things considered, but it hasn’t been without major, life altering obstacles.

OPHELIA COHEN — my midnight m** baby 💚 she’s an author, divorced three times, dog mom with major trauma and clairvoyant. during a depressive episode (and to get away from her third EX husband) in boston, she found a listing for a house for rent on crockett island and booked it for at least a month. in the midst of all THAT SHIT ™ she ends up meeting a priest, @queennymeria ‘s dana, and the two confide in one another and end up falling for each other 💞

VIANNA SALVATORE — she’s a socialite and former heiress to a cyberware company (mom used to be a pretty relevant pop sensation in NC) she’s very uninvolved with the actual game, if we’re being honest! she ends up going on the run after she gives the maelstroms off market and prototype cyberware in order to get her best friend out of debt with them. the guy (her late father’s bestie) who took over her the company finds out and he’s up snitching to their parent company and she’s forced to go on the run from both the gang and the corporate feds. she’s lucky enough to have crossed paths with jackie at one point or another as he helps her out and she ends up becoming misty’s roommate / new best friend while she tries to navigate being BROKE and a slow burning relationship with @queennymeria ‘s jamie valentino. she also learns that her dad isn’t actually dead and that sends her down a huge rabbit hole 💀

VANESSA LENNOX — my main ‘V’. her mother is a gang leader still operating in NC, her older sister works as hired muscle and she herself was an enforcer / hit woman for her before her departure several years before the game starts.

[atldiscourse]

i get why some ppl stopped listening to atl even tho i didn't because every band from that time behaved poorly in one way or another and if i were to do that to every band i wouldn't have anything to listen to anymore, what i don't get is when ppl crucify jack but treat alex like a god when he behaved pretty poorly as well but had a "long-term" gf at home helping to maintain his sweet guy persona, and treats her like shit still to this day but no one bats an eye because she isn't liked

fr some people hate rian, alex & zack solely for their proximity to jack and it’s like well.. no.. they have each also done pretty fucked up stuff themselves that’s just glossed over to pin a sole focus on jack (serial infidelity! allergic to commitment & treating his long term partner like a disposable doll! keeping nudes of exes! these are all highly deplorable things that nobody really seems to talk about when shitting on atl lol!!!!)

i feel like fans’ treatment of lisa has LOOONG been steeped in deep deep misogyny & jealousy. i really loved andie and kind of don’t give a shit about savannah, but it’s not like present-day lisa is as evil as people make her out to be / inherently that much worse than andie or savannah. 2017 dallas maybe a diff story rofl

ig lisa had the misfortune to grow up at a time where she had a public relationship & was a peak social media oversharer (bring back her beanie rant i beg), and i think fans still dislike her for things she said a decade and a half ago when she was still very young and quick to bite at fans. she seems totally fine now. a little boring, but god, if boring is the worst thing for a 37 year old woman to be then we’re all going to be very embarrassed in ten years time

[tarisilmarwen]

Ahsoka "Time To Fly" Liveblog

Starting right in with Sabine training with Huyang.

You know I don't mind that Sabine asked Ahsoka for lightsaber training (offscreen, between shows) and I'm glad that her "Jedi training" is primarily that, but I still don't really understand Ahsoka trying to open Sabine up more to the Force.

She's below the baseline aptitude Ashoka, you're not gonna brute force her into being Force Sensitive no matter how much she wants it.

Anyone can channel the Force, sure, but the most Sabine will be able to achieve is maybe some heightened reflexes and mild precognition. No amount of training and hard work is going to make someone Non-Sensitive be able to perform Force feats.

I realize I'm wading straight into the heart of a crapton of Discourse with that opinion.

But yeah, my basic thought is you either have the Force or you don't, anyone can channel the Force but to actually wield it you have to be Sensitive, which means above a measurable baseline, this is the way I have always understood Force Sensitivity to work and I'm not changing my opinion now no matter how much Filoni really really wants all his favorite OCs to be Jedi no matter how ill they're suited for it.

Sabine once again overcommitting to her attacks, like she did back in "Trails of the Darksaber".

And Ahsoka quoting Force 101 at her. Even though Sabine would never be in much danger of Falling, due her being as Force Sensitive as a rock, the underlying Jedi philosophy of emotional regulation and control is still true and valid and useful.

Eyyyyyy Coruscant!

I never watched Resistance, was Kazuda's dad always an asshole or had he mellowed out and Realized What Was Important or something in the interim between now and the Sequel Era?

Oooof, Mon looks so frustrated by the fact that Ex-Imperials are still all over the New Republic infrastructure.

HERA HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY TRYING TO GET RESOURCES FROM THE NEW REPUBLIC TO GO FIND EZRA TAKE THAT WANKERS WHO FOR SOME UNGODLY REASON THINK SHE GAVE UP ON HIM.

Hera coming for some scalps today lol.

On the one hand the New Republic being so hands off and afraid of becoming another Empire that they allow the First Order and Imperial Remnant to gather strength right under their noses is annoying on several narrative levels, it's something that ties directly into the Sequels and the idea that complacency leads to the rise of authoritarian tyranny, which we already had demonstrated with the Prequels so it's redundant, it takes a lot out of the victory claimed by the whole Rebellion, that things would just collapse again not even 30/40 years later, and also it just makes my girl Mon Mothma look useless and ineffectual.

On the other hand the Sequel Trilogy desperately needed any kind of political background to make sense so I guess I appreciate the attempts to rehabilitate them and try to make them work, and it's not like the New Republic in Legends EU was free of problems either.

"He killed friends, people who were like family to me." Kanan. :(

The emoting is much better this episode, Hera's angry, "You don't know that!" is hurting me ouch.

JAAAAAACEEEEEEEEEEEEN.

Look at him. He's precious.

And thank god he has green hair. NO I'M SORRY I DON'T CARE I LIKE HIS REBELS DESIGN IT WASN'T BAD Y'ALL ARE JUST MEAN.

Filoni this would have been the perfect scene to actually explain WHY Sabine wants to be a Jedi.

And no, I'm still not accepting, "Anyone can use the Force with enough hard work and training! :D" That's not how it's worked for years and you know it.

Out of all things from the Sequels we really didn't need to rehabilitate Rian Johnson's dumbass, "The Force is for everyone!!11!" sentiments.

Ahsoka's shade at the Prequel Order is not appreciated, the Order didn't fail because they didn't accept barely Sensitive padawans, it didn't fail, they were genocided.

The Steeped Too Long In Rancid Fanon Osmosis part of Filoni's writing be coming out, much to my frustration.

"I need her to be herself." Okay now I'm confused. Is that line supposed to mean Ahsoka's indulging Sabine until she figures out that she doesn't have to force herself to be something she's not?

LOL Sabine snarking at the cup is actually a completely Sabine thing to do.

*whispers* Eye of Scion, Eye of Scion, Eye of Scion...

Hi Shin! Hi Marrok!

Shin continues to have the charisma of wet paper.

Man Ahsoka's ship has some great shields.

Sabine and Ashoka finding a groove for their teamwork. <3

It's a giant hyperspace ring, I knew it.

Okay yeah, I think we needed to let a few more hits in for this not to feel as much like Plot Armor.

Oh ho ho! Space lightsaber battle?

Not gonna lie, when Jedi go out into space with spacesuits and their sabers, it's an aesthetic I can't get enough of.

PUUUURRRRRRGIIIIIIIILLLLLLL!

AND THEY BROUGHT THE "HYPERSPACE" THEME BACK AW YEEEEEEEEAAAAAH.

These are big bois lol.

Sabine's face, aww. There's so much unspoken wonder and a twinge of hope.

Six hyperdrive engines, good lord.

"Theoretically if one knew the coordinates and navigation-" WELL THEY DO KNOW THAT HUYANG, IT'S NOT THEORETICAL ANYMORE.

INTERGALACTIC HYPERSPACE LANES BASED ON THE MIGRATION PATHS OF PURRGIL.

WE WERE RIGHT, WE WERE RIGHT, WE WERE RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.

Aw man is that it? Is that all we get this week?

Okay, well, aside from some frustrating but typical Filoni Headcanons being shoved into this episode I enjoyed it. I think this show needs to stick to its strengths, namely, the cool space mariner tech and aesthetic and all that mystical stuff. The character beats between Ahsoka and Sabine worked for the most part, but I wasn't keen on them until the space battle (due to the reasons I've already outlined).

So yeah, this show is making me nitpick about as much as I did for the Kenobi show thus far but I don't think we've quite gotten to the emotional ride highs that helped me pardon those just yet.

All these writing issues are so easily fixable, though. So I can't tell if the script needed more time to marinate or needed other perspectives to help polish and refine it. (Did Disney even let Filoni have any other writers to help? Or did they just let him do whatever?)

*brushes off keyboard* Nothing a little patchworking can't fix.

Hhghhnn but the episode ended way too early I wanted more. I wanted mooooooooooore, so I guess it's still doing its job.

Okay. Loins girded for next week, that one should be a hella ride.

[fangirl94stuff]

Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low)

Alex had been extremely busy with All Time Low since their latest single dropped, which you dealt with because it was all a part of dating a band member and it made you smile to see your boyfriend enjoying what he did every day. Even though your relationship was secret from the public, the other members knew along with the label and they supported the two of you.

Ironically you met at an All Time Low signing event, where you gifted each member a hand-drawn portrait since you took art in school and it was actually Rian who recognised your signature and gushed over your fan art of not just All Time Low but other bands along with photographs you had taken over the years and put on your Instagram. Alex joked that you could take a photo of him any day, and you took the brave step of stating he should name a time and a place.

Alex did get in touch with you after the signing and asked you to take some photos of him for Instagram which you agreed to. During the shoot the two of you hit it off, learning you liked similar things but had enough differences to intrigue the other person. After that day the two of you continued to chat and call one another.

You were hanging out at Alex's one day when your phone kept blowing up and Alex had enough and took it off you. Your ex-boyfriend was begging to get back together since you’d started to get more attention online because of the photos you took of bands. Luckily Alex didn’t judge you and instead asked you out on a date.

That was a year ago and today you were surprising him at a signing which was being held in the same location as the one you met in last year. it was Valentine’s and Alex had spoilt you rotten because he would be busy, but you had yet to give him the special gift you’d made for him.

Everyone but Alex knew you were showing up, so the label ensured you were the last in the line for the ultimate surprise. You eventually make it up to the long table where the band is sitting and Zack makes a heart with his hands and points to Alex, who is sitting next to him blissfully unaware you were up next.

‘Fancy meeting you here,’ you say proudly, standing in front of Alex who looks up with shock written across his face.

‘y/n...what are you...how?...why didn’t you tell me?’ he stutters, fumbling over the words that wasn’t really like him.

‘Let me get this on camera,’ Jack insists, pulling out his phone.

You open your bag, pull out a small photo album and place it in front of Alex, ‘I never got to give you your gift this morning, and you are my favourite member of All Time Low after all.’

Alex blushes a little picks up the album and starts to flip through it, ‘oh my god when did you take these y/n?’

You loved taking photos of people in general because you loved capturing emotions, and the best photos came when the person didn’t know they were being captured. There was a mixture of photos of the two of you, and photos you’d taken of Alex when he wasn’t looking.

‘Do you like it? Happy Valentine’s,’ you say, whispering the last part in case anyone around you heard and assumed something was happening between the two of you.

Alex nods, ‘I love it y/n, if I could get up and kiss you I would.’

This time you blush, and next to Alex, Jack and Rian make kissing sounds and gestures since the fans in front of you have left.

‘You can kiss her later,’ Zack calls out.

Alex smirks and winks at you trying to be seductive, ‘Oh I intend to.’

You laugh, ‘name a time and place.’

[astarionbae]

hiii!! apologies for not being familiar with your ocs, but are Rhyan Parker, Rian Parker, and Ryan Parker the multiverse variants of the same character?? asking since i noticed that they all have the same last name as well as similar first ones <33 also if you could give me some information on all three of them that would be awesome aksdkas (im sorry for asking but i wasn't sure from toggling their character tags :((

Yes, they're the same variant of each other!

Rhyan is in the Sam Raimi universe with Tobey's Spider Man as her twin brother. She gets bit by the same spider and becomes Spinnerett. Her costume is white and blue. She dates Harry Osborn (who I recast as Hayden Christensen) and is good friends with Mary Jane. In the third movie, where they fight against Venom and Harry's Green Goblin, She ends up dying from a pumpkin bomb blast on her own terms. Peter accepts this, but it still hurts him incredibly because it was her choice to save the day.

Rian is in Webb's universe with Andrew's Spider Man as her twin brother and is the ex girlfriend of Harry Osborn. She is just a normal girl who has a dream of being a fashion designer and she even made up concept art of what her brothers suit should look like and she actually makes his suit for the second movie. During the second movie, she befriends Max Dillion since she helps out at Oscorp with Gwen. She meets up with Harry who still isn't over the fact that they broke up because she always chose her brother over him and has a small resentment against Peter for that but still loves him as a friend. At the end of the movie, Gwen goes to Europe as planned and its up to Rian and Peter to stop Electro who knocked out the power grid. But then Harry comes in, mutated from the serum that turned him into the Green Goblin. With a pumpkin bomb, Rian falls from the platform on the clock tower and Peter catches her with a web. But Harry attacks Peter and the clock tower gears break, clipping the web that held Rian and she dies in the same manner that Gwen does in the movie.

Ryan is in the MCU with Tom's Spider Man and is a human who created her own rocket boots and got the Stark Internship. In Infinity War, she receives her own suit that's purple and black with a white Spider on the front and back. She gets separated from Peter when they enter space on the ship when trying to save Doctor Strange and the Guardians and Thor find her. She then meets up with Peter, Tony, and Strange on Titan, where they face down Thanos. During the fight, she jumps on the gauntlet to try and remove the Power stone as he uses it on Tony to bring down the moon to crush him. Using the stone created a blast and it shoots her back, with tendrils lingering around her body. Her body absorbed the blast and granted her with abilities such as creating force fields and being able to replicate powers from those around her. In No Way Home, she meets Peter's variants, who are all flabbergasted, especially Andrew's Peter, because before them, their sister alive and well. Then on the Statue of Liberty, she uses her powers to protect MJ from the pumpkin bomb blast and she ends up falling which calls for Andrew's Peter to save her.

[redrascal1]

Disney, #metoo and its toxic partnership

Anyone remember the days when Disney and the Star Wars saga were about entertainment?

They made some of the best films on celluloid. The Skywalker Saga was a terrific space opera, and totally unique as it blended sci fi with epic fantasy. It featured refreshingly flawed but immensely likeable heroes and a tragic villain that is still memorable decades later.

Disney meanwhile, were responsible for some of the finest animated films ever made - the original Beauty and the Beast was Oscar nominated.

Far forward to the 21st century, and what have we got?

#metoo.

When they were created, the #metoo movement was admirable. They were there to protect vulnerable young women from reptiles like Harvey Weinstein, and I was 100% behind them.

Then I lost all my respect for them with a comment they made after Johnny Depp’s court victory against his sociopathic abusive ex wife.

‘This is a bad day for women.’

Excuse me? That was a bad day for abusers - not women. Men can, and often have been, abused by their female partners. In the news in the UK recently, there was a terrible story of a young man murdered by his partner because he was too ashamed of telling the police she was repeatedly assaulting him. I’ve read other stories, including one young man whose partner enjoyed pouring boiling water over him in the bath, and repeatedly beat him with a glass ashtray.  Depp’s victory has actually inspired other victims of female abusers to come forward. Women as well as men. 

But, back to DLF.

#metoo are having a strong influence on them. Apparently they were ‘consulted’ when making the live action The Little Mermaid. It seems Disney are now asking for #metoo’s approval when writing romantic scenes, hence the changed lyrics to Kiss the Girl - a sweet romantic song whose original lyrics #metoo apparently found ‘offensive’ to females. 

The problem with #metoo is they are fast ceasing to be a movement designed to protect women from sexual predators and abusers....and are unfortunately becoming an organisation which dislikes men.

Look no further than TROS.

When we first meet Rey in TFA, she was an immensely likeable person. And she was flawed. To a degree, yes she was overpowered...but back then, it could be explained. Her winning the mental duel with Kylo in the interrogation scene could easily have been explained by him being completely taken by surprise that she was Force sensitive. When they fought in the forest he was weakened both by the emotional blowback of killing his father and his serious wound at the hands of Chewie - and further weakened by blood loss during his brief fight with Finn. Rey’s skills as a mechanic were possibly the most credible part of her ‘talents’...she had spent fifteen years as a scavenger on Jakku and therefore had learned to know spaceships inside and out in order to survive.

Then we get TLJ, and the film which truly explores the ‘duality’ between Rey and Kylo.

Rian’s wonderful film  set up a fascinating relationship between them, but most of all, he showed them as equals. This is hammered home when the lightsabre split, torn in half by the power of two immensely strong Force sensitives. He also showed how Kylo had become weakened by killing his father and how it had caused him to lose, in that clever scene where Snoke berates him. And look what happened when Snoke, an ancient FS with decades of experience, tortured Rey - he broke her defences down in seconds. Even Kylo had to trick him to defeat him.

And then...we get TROS.

Rey was no longer ‘Rey’, she was Jedi dogma made flesh. Aloof, untouchable, god like - as emphasised by her virginal white costume based on the young, virginal Leia’s costume in ANH. No man could touch her, as apparently Rey having a boyfriend somehow ‘tainted’ her purity, her sanctity of female empowerment. Hence Ben dying, and Jannah and Zorri introduced as future love interests for Finn and Poe (don’t get me started on Rose, please, still fuming about that.)

And she was of course, to quote Wolverine, ‘the best there was at what she did.’

Difference is Wolverine was a professional soldier with decades of experience. Rey was a Jedi padawan who had had one year’s training at the hands of Leia, herself only half trained. Yet somehow she is a better pilot than Poe - who’d been flying since he was a kid - a better fighter than Finn, who’d been taught to fight from as soon as he could walk, and a Jedi not only superior to Ben but to Luke, Yoda - centuries of experience - and even Anakin, the Chosen One.

Because neither Luke, Anakin or even Yoda....could destroy Palpatine alone. Yet Rey did by simply crossing her two lightsabres. People argue that Rey actually ‘died’ then, but as fans rightly pointed out...she didn’t ‘fade into the Force’. So DLF ‘retconned’ this by pointing out she ‘wasn’t really dead’. Yeah, right.

And also...Force healing was never ‘canon’ in the SW cinematic universe and rightly so, because if it had Anakin could have saved Shmi and Padme, and never would have become Darth Vader. Adding Force healing threw the entire SWU ‘out of sync’ ....especially as the only person who could wield it without dying was a Palpatine.

Nope...Rey was so magnificent because she’s female. And this is the real tragedy of #metoo and its influence on DLF - they are no longer promoting an agenda that women are men’s equals but that we are their superiors. They even hammered this home with cutting Adam’s scenes in TROS and reducing Finn and Poe to little more than comic relief.

And I’m sorry, but that is poisonous. You don’t become what you hate or there’s little purpose in fighting hate in the first place. Not just Rey, but Daisy herself is a prime example of how #metoo has started having a negative influence on entertainment. She enthused over Rey’s relationship with Kylo during promotion for TLJ, admired reylo art post TROS - and then suddenly it’s ‘I can’t get behind the relationship’ and ‘Rey doesn’t need a boyfriend’ pre TROS.

And what happened pre TROS? #metoo happened.

I’m absolutely sure their influence is what caused Daisy to change her attitude to ‘reylo’ after discovering that they had a major influence on the making of TLM, live action. They have become a powerful movement in Hollywood. Their influence is popping up in popular entertainment everywhere, but it’s particularly strong with DLF. And I’m sorry, but I dislike hatred of men as much as I dislike hatred of women. People were meant to be equal. What #metoo is preaching is toxic, as is their relationship with DLF. It helped destroy the Skywalker Saga. I never thought I’d agree with a poster on the JCF, but one individual was spot on when he said it was ‘wrong to destroy story to promote an agenda.’

Because that is exactly what DLF’s partnership with the #metoo movement is doing - destroying everything they touch. The Little Mermaid has been a huge box office fail in the US. DLF need to seriously rethink their future projects. 

Most of all, they need to rethink how they are going to move forward with SW post TROS. And this new Rey movie. Because so far nothing they are hinting at with the latter seems to show any sign of them changing their tune.

Stick to entertaining people, Disney. Not promoting a radical movement’s agenda.

[jigsawcheeks]

‘Memory’s Shadow’ Characters

Lauren Evans - Aura Witch (she/her)

The victim of a mind wipe spell, leaving her only able to remember her name and age. She, however, tries not to let her circumstances affect her, or at least tries not to outwardly show that they affect her.

Robert Johnson - Skeleton (he/him)

An ex-detective who has experience with mind wipe cases. Despite being the best man for the job, he wants nothing to do with Lauren’s case. He quit after the previous mind wipe cases for a reason.

Cynthia Khan - Fae (she/her)

A private investigator with a keen eye for detail and an incredible memory. She does not trust easily and is quick to hold grudges, leaving very few people in her social circle, but she is fond of those who are.

Brody Johnson - Skeleton (he/him)

Robert’s son and aspiring detective, with an incredibly strategic mind. He dreams of following in his father’s footsteps and so constantly seeks his approval, even if he rarely gets it.

Angela Morrick - Blood Weapon (she/her)

An outcast who desires freedom but must stay in hiding for her own safety and for the safety of those she holds dear. She can’t trust anyone when danger is lurking around every corner, waiting to strike.

Cameron Moss - Were-Hare (she/her)

The leader of a group of outcasts hiding in an abandoned bar in Wyver. All the important decisions go through her, though some use her appearance as an excuse to not take her seriously.

Vincent Calloway - Vampire (he/him)

Robert’s old boss and current Chief Inspector of Dragon’s Borough’s Police Station. A workaholic who can appear unempathetic, but ultimately takes pride in his work and the good he’s done through it.

Rian Moreno - Were-Hedgehog (he/him)

One of the youngest members of Cameron’s group of outcasts. He does he can to prove his worth and helps keep their whole group alive.

Becky Carter - Void Witch (she/her)

One of Cynthia’s neighbours. A Void Witch who becomes fast friends with Lauren and helps her gain a better understanding of her powers.

Vi Bloomer - Human (she/her)

Brody’s closest and oldest friend. An extremely talented computer science student with a strong sense of justice, and a big fan of self expression.

Sam Brooks - Human (they/them)

Vi’s older sibling and sole owner of ‘The Dragon’s Tomes’, a bookstore in Wyver. An introvert who is always willing to offer a helping hand.

Gia Johnson - Human (she/her)

Robert’s wife. An Italian woman who came across to the UK in her early 20s. A loving and attentive mother/wife who isn’t afraid to be brutally honest.

Bella Johnson- Sorcerer (she/her)

Brody’s younger sister. A seemingly emotionless sorceress. She always has a deadpan expression, but it’s undeniable that she loves her family.

Lewis Pratt - Human (he/him)

Brody’s ex-boyfriend who never got over the break-up. He suspects the existence of Mystics and believe their secrecy to be a sign of hostility.

Part 1 | Part 2

[herald-of-aurene]

[@sunsrefuge] Is it legal to ask you about,, everyone's dating routes?? ♥ If only one is preferable, theeeeeen Athinri? :D

(this is pain actually because i desperately want to ask about. all of your listed characters akjsdhsn they're all so interesting and so cool!!)

Okay so this is Super long, but here are Spite, Athinri, Tanwyn, and Lady Caligo's routes under the cut :D Sorry this took SO LONG OMG

If you’ve ever seen a dragon age romance, or played SLB:P a mix of these two genres is kinda how I imagine they’d function, approval and lockoffs, and different endings based off of what you’ve said and done. Also, unless i specify lock offs they don’t got any :))

Spites route would start sometime after Trahearne's death, probably around LWS3/PoF. At first it would mainly consist of you supporting her and just helping her be level headed. This doesn't mean always agreeing with her though, she has always liked the difference in her and her partners. Kinda the "opposites attract" kinda person, but not too much of a degree. As she develops feelings, she will make herself scarce at first, but then as Spite falls for you more she will be around you more and be very protective of you. Spite will definitely be the one to confess to you, and plan most of your dates. The dates would typically be focused on things either you or both of you love. However, there are a few things you have to be okay with or the relationship will not get too far.

Firstly, and arguably most importantly her relationship to Aurene and her duty as her herald. Aurene is one of the most important things in Spite's life, and up until EoD she is going to be by her side constantly. Also, if you simply hate Caithe it probably wont work out, excpecially after LWS4. They’re bound to Aurene and each other, like it or not. 

Second is her duty as the Commander. Usually every time something goes wrong, she's there to pick it up, and it always involves danger. It is going to be difficult to watch her walk into danger over and over again, but in times of peace she will be super doting and sweet to you. 

Lastly, her two cats, her fern hound, Rian, her Crystalline Raptor and Skyscale. Originally the two cats and fern hound was Trahearne's, but after they became mates she ended up loving them too.

Best ending: You become mates and spend the rest of your life together. She becomes devastated after your death, and in her next life, she finds you again and can feel something pulling her towards you. 

And of course, she falls for you all over again :)

Good ending: Although you do become mates, in your next lifes, Crystallight* finds you and you become friends, but never anything more.

Failed ending: Spite either breaks it off with you shortly after you get together, or while you are still in the flirting stage she cuts it off. Eventually she, not ghosts you, but it would be hard to get her to talk to you.

Crystallight is the name of Spite's next life :))

Athinri's route

Athinri's route is honestly a very sweet, first love relationship. Athinri definitely falls first, and it doesn't take much to get her to fall for you, and I honestly don't know how you would fail it? 

Your relationship will move very slowly, and even before you become official she is very physically affectionate with you, cuddles, hugs, anything but having your first kiss can and is on the table. You'd probably be the one to confess, and when you did she'd probably throw herself on you for a hug and cry. The dates she takes you on would be very spur of the moment “i saw this small pond in the forest and i thought you’d love it.” You’d both make a lot of mistakes and have a lot of talks, but Athinri would always try to make it up to you in different way ex: baking you a cake that she knows you love, buying you something you’ve been wanting et cetera et cetera. The toughest part of the relationship would come around the end of season 2 / HoT when she discovers she was Wynne in her past life and all of that angst happens.

There are a few ways this could go, if you had any connections to Wynne, especially if you were lovers with Wynne, she’ll push you away and honestly no matter how much she loves you for now she wouldn’t be able to continue dating you. There’s just too much fresh trauma going on in her head right now to be able to keep going on. For now she needs to distance herself from Wynne and figure out just who she is. 

If you push her to forgive OR to just straight up condem Caithe, hell, push her to make any decision that’ll really damage your relationship. Currently she needs a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen.

Best Ending: You help her get through HoT and live happily… at least till IBS… Honestly theres not much more to say, a very story book ending :))

Good Ending: She breaks up with you, she tells you how she just… cant be like Wynne right now, and her memories of Wynne and you hurt too much, and she needs time. She holds you at arms length, but eventually starts letting you get close again around PoF. After IBS but before EoD she opens up the idea of getting back with you, but she needs you to know she’s NOT Wynne, and if the reason you’re with her is because Athinri reminds you of her you can’t work out. For a few months you kinda need to prove to her that you love her for her.

Failed Ending: She breaks up with you, this results either forcing her into decisions or just being an ass to DW, DE, and just in general her friends.

Tanwyn's route: Okay so imagine trying to get Canach in a serious relationship. . . Yeah thats basically it. She got commitment issues, trauma and lots of it. IF you were asura it would make it a lot harder to do, but not impossible, BUT if you are or were inquest you would be locked off from getting with her. As a non-Soundless Sylvari it would kinda be mediumly difficult to get her approval, but not super hard. As a human you would have an average time, and if you were a Charr you would have the easiest time.

She’s very shy and sweet, but confident in her abilities. For most of it you’d be joking around and flirting with her, trying to get her to notice your feelings for her. She’s very oblivious, mainly due to not wanting to let herself get close to anyone, not wanting to misread your signals, and not wanting to ruin your friendship. IDK if you’ve ever played DA:I and DA2 but imagine a mix of non-sexual version of Isabela and josephine’s romances combined. It would probably take you literally telling her that you love her AND want to be (yes, you need to specify with her) for it to really begin. She tells you that, she doesn’t really think she could label you two as anything, but she still wants to try. Your relationship is still sweet, and you love each other but it really focuses on spur of the moment fun and what you’re doing right this second. There are a few things that can insta end your relationship. 

Firstly, forcing her into getting a real relationship, or trying to get to to turn back to the dream will practically insta end it. The second one shes willing to understand, but take it to a certain extent and she’ll end it. Hating Ceara. She obviously understands hatred of her podtwin, but Tanwyn still loves her, and has worked hard to help Scarlet heal, and she is a HUGE part of her life, and too much hatred and dissing of Scarlet will eventually make her break up with you.

Best Ending: You stay together and have fun :) maybe one day you’ll be official? I wouldn’t bet on it but its a def possibility.

Good Ending: You break up and go your separate ways.

Failed Ending: Either she gets hired to kill you, or Scarlet hurts you as revenge for breaking Tanwyn’s heart.

Lady Caligo’s Route: I’ll be honest, this is extremely unlikely, but I can see her on one of her missions and you catch her eye and Caligo just needing to know more about you. Not even in a omg look how hot they are i need u  its just plain curiosity. Out of everything she’s seen and done, you’re one of the only things that have make her so curious and so excited. You two would hit it off honestly and spend a lot of time together. Eventually, after her mission is done, she has to fake her death. Or at least this persona’s death. Infact she crafts a persona just for you. Eventually she tells you who she is and drops the face she was using. 

Honestly, I cant see Lady Caligo ending it at all. It would have to be you lol. Caligo would just completely dote over you, just imagine this immortal demi god making you tea and carrying you whenever you want her to. She would try desperately to find a way to make you immortal along with her with out raising you. Caligo would love you for just you. All of your faults and trauma she simply adores, not because she's happy your like that, but because it apart of you. Sorry Caligo’s is really short, but basically its just like the immortal being of immense power who adores their squishy mortal lover.

Best Ending: You spend the rest of your life and unlife with her :)

Good Ending: You Spend the rest of your life with Caligo, and after your death she wears your face almost always in honor of you and her love of you

[agirlwithachakram]

hope you don’t mind me throwing this into the reblogs as I have a GREAT DEAL to say about this movie and trilogy

@obstinatecondolement

It's such a relief that people can finally express dissatisfaction with TLJ without immediately being branded as reactionaries who are elevating the evil, fanservice-blinded J. J. Abrams  over the virtuous innovator   Rian Johnson who supposedly breathed new life into the franchise. Like... sorry, I genuinely thought it was a bad movie that seemed to exist purely to spite TFA, a movie I enjoyed and wanted to see a sequel of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯

Yeah the discourse was a huuuge mess. There are aspects of TLJ that I genuinely like, such as the casino planet sequence giving us a window into the broader world besides these two factions having what could otherwise look like a ridiculous slapfight. Sure, we see planets destroyed, but we don’t tend to see the personal fallout of the tyranny, like Rose’s home, like the urchins. And I like that anyone can matter, anyone can have the force. Rey can be a nobody! She doesn’t have to be an heir to great power to have great power. The little boy who uses the force to summon his broom! great little moment. Also the crystal planet looks COOL as FUCK.

But like you said, it is not so much in conversation with Ep VII as giving it the finger, from the moment Luke tosses the lightsaber away (hey asshole, Mara might want that back if Rey doesn’t), when that is CLEARLY not what was intended when they wrote the last scene in TFA. And you’re always taking risks when you show that the previous generation of characters suck. Han being kind of a crappy dad and ditching Leia to keep pulling cons and smuggling makes sense, especially after their kid went evil. Luke giving up hope forever...yeah, you’re gonna need to show me more than just the one incident to make me buy that. It’s like Toph becoming a cop. No the fuck she did not and I’ll need about twenty seasons to buy that she did.

Like TROS also seems like it sucked (although I have not bothered watching it, because I was so disappointed by TLJ), but holy fucking moly, there was a hot second there where you were automatically an evil blackpilled edgelord if you didn't like TLJ and thought it was reasonable to expect a sequel to not openly despise the movie it directly followed on from!

Yeah. Hideous times. I may have been caught up. :/ I never loved it, but I did want it to make sense because I wanted my Star Wars to be good. (Which, at least now we have Andor. Which is phenomenal.) Luke Skywalker was the first love of my life! Star Wars was my first fandom, my first real obsession. I was eight. I never really dislodged its claws from my heart. So TLJ was very confusing for me. I also loved TFA.

TROS is pretty terrible, but it...also seems to exist to spite TLJ, so if you can tolerate the Reylo of it all, we at least get to see our trio doing quests together at long krething last. and Poe isn’t weirdly and artificially treated like a dumbass. (he is however given a past female love interest, which is weird, but IIRC, Oscar Isaac is a true ally and turned off his usually perpetually on fountain of chemistry with her. I do think JJ hates me personally because the role she plays in the story could sooooo easily have been Mara. but what can you do. Poe is also given a DRUG RUNNER BACKSTORY like I guess to mirror Han or whatever but UH HEY GUYS MAYBE DON’T?)

Also, yeah, the Laura Dern thing was such telling-not-showing bullshit. If Poe was wrong you can't just give us no reason to believe that he might be wrong and then dernus-ex-machina a justification out of thin air and expect us to go along with it?

Everything about that is really weird. “Just trust authority, especially when they’re acting shady!” should sure as hell not be part of the rebel/resistance ethos. And I thought there was a reason she was being tight lipped, I vaguely remembered her thinking there was a mole, but I just rewatched and...nope! She is just keeping her mouth shut for no apparent reason. No one knows you, ma’am. Everyone knows him! He’s their cool boss! You are, in fact, NOT strategizing well if you make the guy they know and like your enemy.

And like...when Rose and Finn’s mission gets a bunch of people killed, that just felt like a WILD ex post facto outcome that literally no one could have predicted. But it still could’ve been avoided if. Holdo. had just. told the commander. Any. Damn. Thing. At all.

dernus-ex-machina

lolol

There is something Rian Johnson likes to do that I think is good, which is that everyone has to look stupid at one point or another. I’m not against that. In theory. But the execution of it in this movie doesn’t work once. Not Rey’s little grass force moment, not Finn getting tazed, not Poe’s entire arc. If Rian had made a standalone flick, I bet he would’ve made a pretty good one. Instead he came to twist the characters to fit his own ideas, and in this case, it just didn’t work.

In conclusion: All That Shit is too big a price to pay to hear two beautiful actors say my name a few times. but I might hit the back five seconds button anyway while I’m here.

rewatching TLJ. Poe's story is exactly as stupid and infuriating as I remember. people keep stating his bad qualities because he doesn't actually live up to them and rian wants the story to work i guess.

[thedarkplume]

They'll get you anything with that evil smile

Pairing: Steve Rogers x black!reader x James ‘Bucky’ Barnes

Word Count: Over 15k!!!

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI, blood, gore violence, death, character death,, smut, hand jobs, drug use (marijuana and cocaine), profanity, slightly dubious consent.

AN: So, I did a thing and here we are! I want to give all my thanks to @georgiapeach30513 for not only being my Beta for this story, but for encouraging me to get back into my writing and spit balling ideas with me. I also would like to thank @foxgloveprincess @luxeavenger and @autumnrose40 for inspiring me with their amazing works! Thanks to @nix-akimbo for her gorgeous edits. Just looking at them helped bring this story to fruition.

Songs used: She’s A Rainbow by The Rolling Stones (1967), I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith (1998) & Union of the Snake by Duran Duran (1983)

Disclaimer: The characters within this story are the property of Marvel Comics, Disney, and Rian Johnson. I only own my OCs and Pocket the Cat. No copyright infringement intended.

p.s. I DO NOT consent to have my work posted on ANY third-party sites or apps!

Another café, another evening of a barely listening audience who is over my belting of Christina Aguilera classics. Oh, well, I thought to myself. At least the drinks were free while I performed. It still felt strange to be on a stage without my band at my side, but that’s what happens when you fuck the lead singer who neglected to tell you that the finances behind the band came from her fiancé. The song finishes with an impressive piano rift. I ended up receiving a smattering of applause for my efforts. Thank you and good night END OF THE LINE Café.

The closing barista, Justin, had my iced mocha and a giant M&M cookie waiting for me. “Cookie’s on the house.” He pushed his glasses back up his nose, smiling with those full pouty, pink lips.

“Was I that pathetic tonight, Justin?”

His cheeks tinged pink as he shook his head resolutely. “No, you were amazing as always.” He slid the sugar-laced snacks across the counter. His soft fingers linger atop mine a beat too long. “I have tomorrow off. Maybe we can do something?”

Justin’s hopeful expression turned the sour disappointment of my musical aspirations into an acidic form of guilt that almost made me chuck the mocha in the trash. “Not tomorrow, Justin. Some other time, okay?” his shoulders hunched disappointedly, and it was a gift from above that my cell phone started ringing. “We’ll talk later. I promise.” I turned away before he had the chance to respond. Justin was a sweetheart with a Mommy Kink that I would enjoy had I not been so deep in my own downward spiral. He deserved someone in the headspace to nurture and indulge his needs to the fullest. It would be selfish of me to take advantage of him when my thoughts revolved solely around my own problems.

The number calling my phone was one I didn’t recognize. Maybe it was my mom calling from her extended honeymoon in Jamaica with her rich husband to tell me she was extending it for another month. Again.

“Hello?”

“Don’t hang up!”

My eyes narrowed as I exhaled deeply. This should be good. “What do you want, Penelope?” the last thing I needed was to hear the voice of my ex-bandmate and girlfriend for all of two minutes.

She sighs sadly on her end. “I know you’re still mad at me. I would be mad at me, too, but I’ve talked it over with the other girls and they really want you to come back.” It didn’t surprise me. The other three Black Widows took to me quickly. They were the sisters I always wished I had growing up. I probably should have listened to them when they warned me against fucking Penelope because she came with the worst kind of baggage. My dumbass thought it might have been an STD. You know what though? An STD would have been preferable to what she did have attached to her ass.

“Yeah? And what does your fiancé have to say about that? The last time I was in the same room with you he fired me and promised by the time he was through I would only be singing on the streets next to the homeless begging for spare change.”

“Ransom did not mean that.” I scoffed, ready to hang up and block this new number alongside the others. “He didn’t! He says a lot of shit he regrets when he’s angry and, well, he did catch me sitting on your face. But he’s had time to calm down now and he sees what your absence is doing to the band and how it’s affecting me. He wants you to come back, baby.”

I could almost let myself believe her words. Of course, believing her words would mean purposely forgetting the messages and pictures Ransom started sending me earlier this week. They started off mean, telling me that Penelope would never leave someone like him for someone like me. Then the videos started. The first few were about the length of Snapchat videos, mostly of her kissing him and telling him how much she loved him and only him while he stared smugly into the camera lens. Those hurt the most. Seeing her draped over his body atop their shared bed, trading soft kisses and whispering sweet nothings to one another. It was the type of intimacy I always wanted for myself. Then they grew progressively worse. Longer, nastier videos of her sucking him off, riding him, letting him bend her over the bathroom sink. Finally, they started featuring just Ransom jerking off, moaning MY name, and whispering all the filthy things he wanted to do to ME. I’m not proud to admit that I got myself off to every video he sent.

“Don’t you mean he wants me to come back so that he can watch us fuck and have a turn himself?” I could understand the appeal of Ransom. He was tall, muscular, dressed well, and blessed downstairs compared to the other guys I’ve dated. He could provide for her, and she would never want for anything. Why she wasted both our time is something she still refuses to answer.

“So, what if he does? You’ve been in a relationship with a couple before!”

I could almost see her pretty lips pouting on the other end, but what she said confused and slightly pissed me off too much to veer down that avenue. “What the hell are you talking about?”

It was Penelope’s turn to huff. “Do you really think Ransom just let you in the band without vetting the shit out of you first? Hell, he found out everything about you! Even that time in the third grade when you slapped that fifth grader so hard with a lunch tray it knocked out one of his front teeth,” she snorted a laugh.

“He punched a fourth grader hard enough to split her lip because she told him she liked someone else,” I answered distractedly. “What do you mean Ransom let me into the band? You contacted me after seeing my YouTube and Tiktok videos of my singing.” Her silence spoke volumes. “Did you come to me because you wanted a plaything for the two of you? Penelope?!” her regretful sigh was all the answer I needed. “What the fuck? What gives you assholes the right to play with people like this?”

“Oh, don’t start playing the victim! The two of us fucking was always going to happen, I just kept it from Ransom in the beginning because I wanted you to myself a little while longer. Besides, you could have told me no at any time.” She took a breath to calm down. “I don’t want to fight with you. We all want you to come back. Will you at least think about it?”

“No.”

“Are you really going to let your stupid pride get in the way? Ransom has us auditioning for Universal next week. If they like us, we’re getting signed on the spot and we get three songs on our first album written by Diane Warren! You would turn that down to keep playing in cafes and shitty dive bars?”

“If that means keeping your fiancé’s Murder Dick away from me, then yes.”

“BITCH, HE WAS ACQUITTED!” It brought me a perverse sort of pleasure making Penelope lose her shit mentioning Ransom’s murder trial. Acquitted or not, he was guilty, and everyone knew it. Why the hell else would he settle that civil suit with that poor woman’s family out of court and pay an obscene amount of money to force them to fade quietly from the public eye? “I’m not talking to you when you’re like this. I’m going to give you a few days to come to your senses. Unless, you know, you lied and really want to keep living off your stepdad’s dime.”

Penelope hung up before I could respond. She could be a vindictive bitch at times. Probably the reason she and Ransom fit so well. My phone vibrated in my hand. It was another picture. This time from Penelope. She had cut her hair since I last saw her. It fell in delicate curls around her ears. Her glossed lips curled in a coy smile as she dipped her fingers down the front of her panties. She was not naked this time, but nearly every inch of her gorgeous reddish-brown skin was on display. She picked my favorite black lace lingerie set that did nothing to hide the shape and color of her hard nipples and widespread areolas.

Penelope sent another message, but I didn’t bother giving her the satisfaction of knowing I at least left it on Read. The one thing Penelope hated more than not getting her way was being ignored. Something I was all too happy to do. I felt eyes on me and saw Justin standing behind the counter twisting a towel anxiously between his hands looking like he wanted to come over and say something. I gave him a half smile and shook my head, knowing he would get the message. The way he smiled back and kept looking over at me every few minutes almost had me reconsidering my decision to not spend the next day edging him until he cried for me.

Shaking the thought away, I picked my phone up again and resumed my 1980s playlist. Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train began to play. Fitting. I sipped on my mocha and nibbled on my cookie, resolving to put Penelope and all her bullshit in the back of my mind. I grabbed my beat up, barely held together copy of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted. It was a gift from my great-granddad on my mother’s side. Every Saturday, he took me to the bookstore and let me pick two books. He would buy the same books for himself so that we could read and discuss them together. No one ever encouraged me more to always be whoever and whatever I wanted to be no matter what anyone else thought more than my granddad.

I had some time to kill before returning to the penthouse apartment I fought my mom and stepdad tooth and nail to not buy for the sake of my own independence. I remembered one of my stepsisters shrugging off my concerns. Dad’s always doing something like this. Has he started randomly depositing money in your bank account yet?

It took me no time to lose myself in Agnieszka’s first days in The Dragon’s tower. But then I felt someone watching me again. This time it didn’t feel like Justin. A tall man wearing a pair of Raybans sunglasses dressed immaculately in a Tom Ford tailored suit stood before my table with a briefcase in one hand and a steaming coffee in the other. Oh great. Is Ransom trying to sue me now? I was reluctant to close my book and stop my music, but this guy didn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

“Can I help you?”

“You sure can, honey. Mind if I sit?” he sat down anyway. “My name’s Tony Stark and I have a proposition for you.”

He seemed like he was waiting for some sort of reaction to his namedrop. The corners of his mouth dipped down in a mix of disappointment and offense when I continued to sip passively from my cup. The little I knew of Tony Stark was that he was supposedly this mega genius who was probably going to die as the world’s only trillionaire. How he made his money was a topic for debate because he never seemed to commit himself to one venue. Some people said his wealth came from engineering. Others, those who personally hated Stark, and his popularity said he gained his money in the blood of the third world nations he willingly sold weapons to. The simpler, and somehow more insulting belief was that he simply inherited everything his parents worked their lives for when they passed. Either way, I didn’t see any reason for Tony Stark to want to offer me anything.

“Christina Aguilera, huh? And not one of her chart-toppers.”

“I chose the song to showcase my vocal range, not to get the crowd singing and not listening.” My mood was quickly regressing to agitation and aggravation. “If you’re looking to book me for a private concert, my starting fee is $750 and $100 after the first hour. If you want cover songs, then that’s an extra $50.” Truthfully, I don’t need the money, but I want something of my own without it being undercut by my stepdad who figured the only way to bond with someone was to throw money at them.

“And that would all be perfectly reasonable if that was my purpose today.”

“Then what is your purpose, Mr. Stark?”

An odd shadow seemed to pass over Tony Stark’s face. Suddenly, I had the urge to end this conversation. To refuse whatever it was he planned to offer me. It was a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach impossible to ignore.

In a blink, the shadow was gone, and Tony Stark was his jovial self again. “I represent a band who is in dire need of a backup vocalist and is looking to bring a different sound to their music. Between your voice and piano skills, you are exactly what my guys need.” He popped open his briefcase retrieving a jewel cd case. “I know, CDs are nearing antique territory now, but the guys have a thing for nostalgia.” His eyes sparkled like he was telling a private joke.

“The 107th. Never heard of them.” Still, I opened the case and removed the glossy booklet. The album had eight tracks, all of which were war and military titles. “How long have these guys been around?” I noticed that the 107th’s label was, surprising, Universal along with some offspring company bearing Tony Stark’s name.

“Long enough,” he answered noncommittally in between bites of my pilfered cookie. Stark noticed my look. “Fine, I’ll get you another one. Actually, I should probably bring some back for the guys.”

There were five members in the band. Thor Odinson the lead guitarist, Clint Barton the rhythm guitarist and backup vocals, Natasha Stark bassist and backup vocals, James Barnes the drummer, and finally Steve Rogers as lead singer. The names seemed so familiar to me but try as I might I could not place them. Stark returned to the table with a brown bag loaded with three boxes of cookies and other pastries for the band.

They were all uniquely attractive dressed in their leathers with varying degrees of tattoos and piercings. I found myself studying Steve and James the most. Steve seemed to always have a shadow of a smile on his face as if he knew something no one else did. James, on the other hand, seemed angry, angry, and barely holding it in. In all the photos displayed in their album booklet, they seemed to always be beside one another, just shy of touching. Interesting.

“Performing is tough work, as you know.” I missed everything Stark said up until that point. “So, you ready yet, honey?”

“…ready for what?” I questioned, cautiously.

“Ready to meet the band of course! I told them I was bringing you around tonight.”

I looked down at myself. I had no plans to meet anyone after this gig. An orange Bardot knitted mini dress and matching Windsor block heels was not exactly the type of outfit you wear to a rock concert.

Checking the time on my phone, I realized the café was just about an hour from closing. I shot a quick text to Justin.

This guy sitting with me is TONY STARK. He’s taking me to meet his band. Not sure where, but I’m keeping GPS on my phone turned on. Should be fine. Save this message jic!

“Group texting your friends and family to make sure they know who to find in case you turn up missing, honey?”

I didn’t find that as funny as he seemed to. “No, but I did text my sister to stop by and check on Pocket since I’ll be coming back later than I thought.” I packed my book back inside my satchel and kept my phone in my hand as Justin shot me an incredibly concerned look from behind the counter. I smiled back, silently telling him everything would be fine. Hopefully.

“And who or what exactly is a Pocket?”

“Pocket is my cat.” Like any loving Cat Mom, I opened my photo gallery and showed him the latest picture of my beautiful Bombay. I had to laugh. The last picture I took was of us cheek to cheek with me smiling the biggest smile. I loved my baby.

“Cute. Didn’t peg you for a Cat Mom though,” Tony remarked offhandedly.

“What did you think?” I asked, curiously.

“You seem more like the type to have this really elaborate aquarium system and just sit with the lights off, listening to music, and watching the little guys swim around.”

“Who says I can’t have both?” I had to give it to Stark. He had a relentless personality that made it difficult to be wary of him or designate him to the list of classist assholes who run the world.

I followed Stark outside of the café to his car. Usually, I would just walk back home because I lived down the street. He drove an Audi because of course Tony Stark would never be caught driving anything less than an Audi.

“So, what is a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist doing managing a band?” I asked him, settling in the passenger seat with my bag across my lap.

“Thought I might change up my career a little. Don’t get me wrong, I would probably go crazy if I had to spend weeks at a time away from my lab, but Natty loves music and thought it would be a good investment so here we are.”

“And Natasha is your wife?” I glanced at the ring on his left hand. But then Stark made the same wet noise in the back of his throat Pocket makes whenever she hacks up a furball. “Stark?”

“God, no!” he visibly shuddered. “My wife’s name is Virginia. Natty is my sister, baby sister.” He shook his head a little as if to dislodge the disgusting thought from his mind. “Here, open the glove box. I thought you might have questions, so I prepared a small presentation.”

Shrugging, because how much weirder could this get, I opened the glove box and grabbed the only thing inside, a pearl white iPad Pro. As soon as I turned it on a PowerPoint Presentation began detailing a brief history of the members of the 107th.

Steve and James grew up together. Their mothers were best friends and when Steve’s mother passed away, the Barnes family took him in. They both enlisted in the Army after high school. I skimmed over the major battles they fought and skipped over to the other members of the band. Clint Barton was also a member of the military, Special Ops, specifically and was set to join the CIA. The story gets a little vague from there as to how he ended up in a rock band. Thor Odinson’s story was a little surprising. He was a highborn member of a royal family in Sweden, but he fell in love with a woman who was not of royal blood. The Queen, Thor’s mother, flipped her shit when she discovered her only son wanted to make a commoner his wife. Thor’s biography went on to say he renounced his birthright and left for America to start a new life. Oddly enough, there was nothing in the slides about Stark’s sister.

“I still don’t understand why you or the band for that matter, would want to add an extra member. You’re already near capacity with five—”

“It worked for Foreigner,” he muttered

“—adding me would only cut into their profits.”

“Or increase it,” Stark countered. “Besides, it would be more an exchange rather than an addition.”

“Who’s leaving?”

“My sister.” There was a story there, clearly, but Stark turned on the stereo before I could ask. “This is the first album they recorded.” The record opened with a deep voice speaking in…Russian? Nine words in Russian. It sounded pretty good, if not a little odd. “That’s Steve.” Then an answering voice, different than the one before, angrier, answered back. “And that’s James.”

“What’s he saying?” I asked, softly, not wanting to miss any of the haunting melody from the first few chords of the guitar.

“Ready to comply.”

I expected Stark to drive us to a concert hall. Or a stadium. Maybe even a nightclub. Instead, he took us to the train station. There were dozens of cars already parked and a line almost to the ticket booth. I tried to busy myself by checking my reflection in the visor vanity mirror. My riotous curls held up well in the beige wrap keeping it off my neck. I adjusted my black choker a little, checking to make sure the locket hanging at the base of my throat was secure. The last thing I needed was to lose it in a place like this. I had my piercings in—eyebrow, Monroe, and a stud in my nose—a perk I could finally enjoy again after leaving the Black Widows. Ransom always said my alternative look didn’t fit the image of the band he was crafting.

I glanced over at Stark to find him already watching me. That was just a little bit creepy. At least I always carry a little backup in my bag.

“You look like you’re getting cold feet, honey.”

“There’s no point in that now,” I shrugged. “We’re already here.” Stark’s hand caught my arm in an easily breakable clutch. My eyebrows lifted. “Stark?”

He licked his lips a little anxiously. “Are you sure? I mean, I…I can just tell them that you weren’t interested, and we can just find someone else.”

It sounded a lot like he was trying to tell me something else. But the music was still playing in the stereo and even if I was a little nervous and on the edge of dreading what was coming next, I said, “we’re already here. Might as well see if me and the band mesh.”

That strange look returned to Stark’s face. This time it was a mixture of relief and frustration. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Stark made me wait in the car for him to open the door for me. It was ridiculously chivalrous and helped put me at ease even if it was only a little bit. He disregarded the line completely, taking me three or four cars down. Stark seemed to notice my apprehension. “We thought you might have a better experience watching from the VIP car.”

That made sense. Listening to the band on the way over piqued my interest. It would improve the overall experience of seeing the 107th live without being surrounded by their screaming fans.

“Just one question,” I stopped, not allowing Stark to lead me on the car. “If I step on this train, I’m not going to end up in the middle of a fight to the death between the tail-enders and front enders, right?”

Stark snorted a laugh. “You’re funny. I suppose that makes you a Chris Evans fan, huh?”

“I enjoy his work,” I answered easily, following him up the steps to the car. “Are you?”

“God, no. The man’s a menace. He has the charisma of Jim Jones and the physical appeal of an early 30s, pre-Scientology Tom Cruise. At least we have Dodger,” he lamented.

I wanted to be offended that Stark could even conceive comparing Chris Evans to Jim Jones, but I suppose us fans were something like a cult following to him and his body of work.

“So…does that mean you’re a Sebastian Stan fan?”

Stark groaned. “He’s even worse. I’ll tell you who’s a phenomenal actor. That RDJ. Man’s a genius. You ever watched Less Than Zero? Greatest piece of cinema to grace the screen in the last thirty years.”

The car we entered was decorated in ornate reds and golds with lavish, glistening cherry wood walls. There was a minibar, a plush red loveseat, two armchairs, and a television set covering the window facing the sofa. Stark made a beeline for the bar, leaving me to settle on the sofa.

“When are they going to start?”

“Should be in a few minutes. Have to give the fans time to board.”

“Yeah, but the car they’re all going in is only so big. There’s no way all those people we passed are going to make it on.”

“No, but they’ll be the first to board for the next show.”

My forehead crinkled as I replayed his words. “Hold on, does the 107th always play on this train?”

“Yes. It helps with crowd control, and you would be surprised how much money that saves instead of having three or four tour buses.”

“But—”

“Hey, hey! I brought tacos!” a tall, wisp of a man dressed in ripped blue jeans, a pair of black converse sneakers, and a black and white long-sleeved 107th baseball shirt, nearly danced in the room carrying four Taco Bell 12 pack boxes. “Ooohh, she’s pretty. Are we finally going to have some class in this goddamn place?” he set the boxes of tacos on the table and sat down uncomfortably close to me. So close I could smell the faint scents of sweat, Calvin Klein cologne, and weed.

He was grimy and everything about him screamed roadie and drug supplier, but I felt more at ease around him than I had since the moment Tony Stark approached me. “We’ll see how the show goes,” I smiled.

He smiled wide, bright white teeth gleaming beneath the light. “Scott Lang,” he offered his hand. “Roadie for the 107th and your friendly neighborhood supplier. Just tell me your poison and I’ll hook you up.”

I shook his hand with a laugh, telling him my name. Scott was still staring at me expectantly. Oh, what the hell? I was technically at a rock concert. “I’m not into the heavy stuff, but I’ll take some weed.”

Scott clapped his hand and rubbed them together. “Coming right up!”

Stark brought over a tray with a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a charcuterie board with a mix of cheese, crackers, meat, and fruit. “You kids play nice. I’ll be back later.”

I glanced up from the board watching Stark walk away. “Hey, don’t disappear. You’re my ride, remember?”

Tony Stark turned back to me. He gazed at me in an eerie silence for a long time. Then Scott nudged me to pass a freshly rolled blunt and lighter. “Don’t worry, honey,” Stark finally said. “I won’t be far. Enjoy the show. And Scott? Don’t forget to show her that thing when it’s over.” He rapped his knuckles once on the door before pulling it shut.

Scott clicked on the tv and opened the boxes. “Now tell me, hard, soft, or DLT?”

“Any nacho cheese flavored?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Then DLT me.”

Scott kept up a nonstop flow of chatter in between bites of tacos and the cookies Stark brought back from the café. He told me how the guys took a chance on an ex-convict and made him a roadie for their band. He mentioned he had a daughter who was about as intelligent as Stark and would be starting her first year of college in the Spring. Scott was almost too easy to talk to or maybe it was the joint we were sharing because I started telling him exactly why I was kicked out of my previous band.

“What an asshole!” Scott exhaled. “It’s not like that with the 107th. Fucking is optional, not mandatory.” I was biting my third taco when the crowd roared a deafening scream when the band walked onstage. “These guys are great, Sissy, you’re going to love them.”

The lights went down until only the stage remained visible. I hardly knew where to look when James twirled his sticks with one hand, signaling the start. Having Stark play their music in the car left me vastly unprepared for the raw talent and synergy of the 107th. Each member complemented the other, and Jesus, Steve had a beautiful voice. Natasha’s accompanied vocals weaved around Steve’s in an ethereal symphony that I could never hope to match. I suddenly felt like that ten-year-old kid performing in front of the entire school for the talent show. I would be completely out of my depths with the 107th. At least with the Black Widows, Penelope and Brittany were the showstoppers. My only job was playing the piano and concentrating on harmonizing low enough so that the crowd did not hear me over them.

“Stop thinking so hard,” Scott playfully nudged my shoulder, helpfully pouring me a glass of wine. “You wouldn’t be here if Stark thought you might disrupt the flow of the band.”

I scoffed, gulping down the wine and wiping my mouth with the back of my hand when he poured me another. “I don’t know how any of you can possibly know that.” The heavy burn in my chest helped stave off the sudden bout of anxiety blooming in the pit of my stomach.

“You sure you don’t want something a little stronger to ease the tension?” Scott offered, producing enough bags of coke and pills, probably X, to get us both buried under the jail.

“Nah, my dad spent most of his adult life on and off drugs. I’m not going down that road.”

“Then this is going to have to do.” Scott passed me a fresh joint.

We kept smoking and drinking and eating tacos and cheese until I was able to let myself go and enjoy the concert. Thor had two guitar solos and damn if he was not the best I’ve heard in years. He was as good as Eddie Van Halen at his peak, maybe better. If Thor was Eddie Van Halen, then Clint was without a doubt the second coming of Hendrix.

By the sixth song, my anxiety disappeared completely, along with four blunts and two boxes of tacos split between Scott and myself. Scott’s body sunk laxly into the sofa, his feet on top of the coffee table. At some point I can’t recall, my legs ended up across his lap with my shoes off and Scott mindlessly rubbing my feet.

“The show’s coming to a close soon. The guys are going to clean themselves up a bit, but then they’re coming back here.”

The weed and wine kept me calm. “Audition time?”

“Something like that.”

“Any advice?”

“Barnes is the one to sell it to. Everyone else trusts Stark’s picks, but if Barnes says no, they say no.”

There was something about this conversation that felt off to me. Not only was this an odd scenario for a band audition—no one I knew wanted to hear an appeal from a prospective member after a concert—the location for the concert was off. Why a train of all places?

“What about Natasha?” I asked, hoping to shake off the rising uncertainty. “She’s leaving the band, right? She doesn’t care who replaces her?’

“Hell no!” Scott snorted. “She’s been as ready to get away from all this as she’s ready to leave Steve.”

My eyebrows crinkled in confusion. “Natasha and Steve are together?”

“As together as two people can be who despise one another. They’re married,” he blurted out (un)helpfully.

“Stark didn’t mention that his sister was married to Steve.” In the grand scheme of things, it probably didn’t mean as much as I was making it. Still, the longer the night went on the stranger this whole band business felt. Ugh, my head was starting to hurt.

“You’re thinking too hard again, Sissy. Hey!” he yelled, almost making me flip off the sofa. “I’m supposed to show you the thing.”

“The thing?”

“The thing.”

“What’s the thing?”

“The thing!” Scott stumbled off the couch and started feeling along the wall across from the minibar.

“Uh, Scott…?”

“Hang on, it’s here somewhere!”

“You look like my cat when I turn on the flashlight,” I snorted, standing with a stretch.

“Oh hush, just give me a sec.”

Flickering my gaze back to the tv I could see the band winding down. They were closing the show with a drum solo. Whoever was recording or operating the camera zoomed in on James. I found myself drifting closer. He looked so focused. Even the crowd grew enraptured as he hit each note with precision and ease. Watching the drummer just lose it like they’re playing for no one but themselves was always my favorite part about going to band concerts. James’s eyes suddenly lifted and stared right at the camera. I bit my lip looking away, feeling ridiculous as I did so. It’s not like it was at all possible for him to see me. He stared unflinchingly as he worked the drums as though they were a mere afterthought. James really was handsome with his pouty pink mouth and glimmering nose ring. I wondered for a moment what he would think of mine. A slow smirk danced at the corners of his mouth. It was all the warning I had before James opened his mouth and let his tongue loll out below his chin like Gene Simmons. Although, seeing Gene Simmons’s tongue never left me so warm and restless.

“Found it!” Scott’s loud, happy voice scared the shit out of me. “It’s right here.” He pressed a spot on the wall like it was a secret switch. But then the panel slid up and behind it was a— “What do you think? Feel like playing something?”

It was a white baby grand piano. A Steinway. James and his impossible stare down became a distant memory as I drifted by Scott to the piano. “It’s so beautiful.” I don’t know why I was whispering. Maybe it was because the last time I played on a piano that nice was in my great-grandmother’s living room. My uncle sold it when she died and promised he would buy me a better one with the money. Still waiting for that to happen. Or maybe it was because I was stoned off my ass. Whatever Scott had was better than what my guy sold me. My finger lightly pressed one of the keys, giggling absurdly over the sound it made. “Is she mine, Scott?”

“She could be. Ooh! I know! Play something by the Stones!”

Scott’s excited jumping up and down almost made me dizzy. I choose to believe I sat down gracefully on the bench rather than falling on my ass. I exhaled lightly placing my hand on the keys. The man wanted The Rolling Stones, that’s what I’d give him. Scott started singing after barely a minute of me playing.

“She comes in colors everywhere

“She combs her hair

“She’s like a rainbow

“Coming, colors in the air

“Oh, everywhere

“She comes in colors

I closed my eyes, tuning out Scott’s offkey wailing, and continued playing. This was the only thing I wanted to do. Play my music, make people happy and want to dance when they hear it, maybe write the occasional song or two, but with the horrendous state of music, that dream was looking less and less likely. Being rich or world-famous meant next to nothing compared to my music.

When I played the last note, something felt different. The very air around me grew thin and colder. Even Scott was suddenly quiet as a mouse. That was the most alarming realization of all. Exhaling sharply, I turned around on the bench. The band, the 107th settled around the room as if they had always been there. Two of them, Clint and Thor, were seated on the couch munching on cold tacos giving me huge smiles. Natasha stood by the door watching me unblinkingly. She did look a lot like her brother, but the sometimes jovial, mostly somber look Tony Stark held most of the evening I spent with him, was absent in Natasha’s eyes. She stood amongst her band with no other reactions other than the desire to stare me down. Did Stark mislead me? Did Natasha really not want to leave the band? Slowly, she started to clap. The rest of the band joined in applauding me and it was like I could feel that weight of self-doubt and weeks of mounting anxiety fade away.

“I can always count on Anthony to come through when I need him.” Natasha seemed to glide to me, or maybe it was my inebriated fumbling to stand that made her look so graceful in comparison. She had porcelain skin and apple red cheeks accentuated by the crimson painted across her lips. Her hair was the color of chestnuts, long and curled, tapering at the small of her back. She had her brother’s almond eyes that didn’t shine as brightly as they could. Unlike the rest of the 107th who wore all black leathers, Natasha wore a white lace bodysuit cleverly disguised as a top by her cutoff jeans, white zippered booties, and a lace choker. “You’re a perfect fit.”

I shook my head trying not to smile like that overeager girl invited to her first party by one of the cool girls. “You haven’t heard me sing yet.”

“Oh, there’ll be enough time for that soon.” Natasha’s smile shriveled. Her fingers tightened reflexively around mine before sidestepping Steve. He paid her no mind, clearly used to this behavior. He took my hand in a surprisingly gentlemanly move for someone so tall and burly. “I’m Steve.”

He smiled at me, and something fluttered in my belly. I’ve never seen someone like Steve in a rock band before. He had the face of the all-American quarterback the football dads argued and started fights about in the bars…at least from the neck up. Perfectly coiffed blonde hair, plump red lips that put Justin’s to shame. Baby blue eyes that were more wicked than pure and still looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. From the neck down, Steve had a sleeve tattoo on his right arm and more intricately colored swirls on his left. There were more tattoos on the left side of his chest, but the writings remained obscured by Steve's unbuttoned leather vest, which showed off his delicious abs and blonde happy trail peeking over the button of leather pants. I knew I was staring too long at the unmistakable bulge behind his zipper when he pressed his finger under my chin to draw my eyes back up to his.

“Let me introduce you to the rest of the guys.” Steve thankfully chose to ignore the embarrassment I was dying from. “Thor,” he pointed to the hulking blonde whose smile brought cute crinkles at the corners of his eyes. “Clint,” the shorter member of the band smirked at me before snorting one of the lines Scott cut on the coffee table. “And our leader.”

Up until then, James had hung back foot against the wall and arms over his chest. His bare chest with pink pierced nipples. I pinched the back of my hand so I wouldn’t start staring at James the same way I had with Steve. These were my future bandmates! I had no business objectifying them like this. But James seemed wholly unconcerned fishing a pack of cigarettes out of those tiny leather shorts. He lit a cigarette, tossing the pack and the lighter to Thor, who had his boots propped on the table watching us like he was watching a show. James inhaled and exhaled slowly. His eyes flickered to mine the same way they did during the concert. The rest of the room seemed to dissolve into white noise around me as James crooked his finger, beckoning me closer. Like a puppet on a string, my feet carried me to James who’s gaze languorously roved along the dips and curves of my body. In the far recesses of my mind, I knew I was already doing the one thing that cost me my place amongst the Black Widows, thinking with what’s between my legs rather than what’s on my shoulders.

He pushed off the wall, startling me in place. “So, this is the little songbird?” he paced slow circles around me like a predator moving in for the kill. “When Stark said he’d found someone for us, you’re not at all what I expected.” He tilted his head away from me, blowing a puff of smoke from his lips that obscured my vision of the others in the room. “I thought as an ex-Black Widow you would be all pink outfits and white boots.”

I tried and failed to hide my grimace. Ransom’s vision for Penelope and the group was reinventing the girl groups of the 90s, complete with bright colors and straight wigs. It was stereotypical and racist to a point, but I held back my complaints and followed his directives thinking with his backing I would at least get a record deal out of the shitshow he was creating.

“That’s what the manager wanted.”

“Why did you go along with it then?”

“I just wanted to play my music.” James bit his lip, surprising me by wrapping his arm around my waist and drawing me flush against him. I could feel how hard he was beneath his leather shorts. “James.” My nails dug into his shoulders as he ground his hips. His skin was oddly cold for someone who just spent hours performing. He was so pretty up close. His eyes were the most startling shade of gray. I had too much weed in my system. I needed to stop. But then James started kissing and sucking on the special spot on my neck. My panties were getting sticky as James angled his hips just enough to put pressure on my aching clit. “We shouldn’t.” I tried and failed to regain perspective on what we were doing. The band was still there, and I could feel them watching us.

“But we’re going to anyway.” James grabbed my thighs wrapping them around his waist, carrying me back to the wall. His mouth covered mine, swallowing my objections. “Knew you were the one when Stark showed us your videos.”

“James!” I moaned, feeling the heat spreading quickly through my body.

“Go on, songbird,” he huffed, grinding harder. “Make a mess on me.” My teeth clamped down on his shoulder as I came harder than I ever had from dry humping. James’s fingers gripped my thighs harder as he groaned into my neck, finishing in his shorts. He pulled back after a moment, brushing the tip of his nose against mine. Nose kisses. Cute. “You should get cleaned up. Stark will be back with a copy of your contract.”

“I’ll take her.” James stiffened against me when Natasha spoke. He turned his head to glare at her over his shoulder. I only saw about a fraction of the look on his face, and it was enough to give me chills. “Oh, don’t be that way, James,” Natasha purred. That sweet disposition from earlier had twisted into something a little cockier. “She is to be my replacement after all, and it’s only right that I gift her with my experiences of being surrounded by four swinging dicks on the daily.”

My eyes widened at the animosity that was simmering beneath the surface of this band. Scott laughed a little uncomfortably. “Yeah, right, never thought how it might feel from a woman’s POV.”

I wiggled a little in James’s arms until he set me down. My fingers touched his chiseled jaw. “It’s okay. She’s not going to say anything that will make me leave this band.”

James turned back to me, a little smile curling the corners of his mouth. “Oh, songbird, even if she did, we would never let you go.”

I could only blink at him as he sauntered away to the table, dropping to his knees to snort lines off Scott’s mirror.

Natasha looped her arm through mine. “My mother tried to teach me to play the piano. It never worked out.”

________________________________________

The high from the wine and blunts was diminishing at a rapid rate. I carefully perched myself on the edge of the bed, thankful the lamplight was hiding the ominous shadows this train seemed to draw. My quick trip to the washroom brought me a little more clarity. I accepted a ride from a virtual stranger onto a train in the middle of nowhere to join a band I’ve never heard of then gorged myself on weed and wine and let the drummer of said band dry hump me to orgasm in front of the other members of the band. And to make things worse I was hungry again.

Natasha sat across from me. Her lit cigarette burning idly as her critical stare burned through me.

“This is my room,” she said, softly. It was a full bed taking up the car's back end with a desk and two chairs.

“It’s nice,” I said, trying not to let my discomfort show on my face. Natasha was beautiful, but not my type. “Steve must get a lot of writing done in here. Or do you write the songs?”

“I said this is my room. Steve has his own somewhere else on this train.” She took a puff off her cigarette. Her eyes flickering sideways to the Howard Miller ticking on the desk. 11:45pm. It was late. I needed to get home.

“Would you call your brother for me? I have to get home.”

“Don’t you want to know why Steve and I don’t share a bedroom?” her dark eyes glittered with contempt and exhaustion. “Surely, you have a few minutes to spare to the woman you’re replacing.”

“I, I’m not trying to replace anyone,” I said, guiltily. “Stark said you were leaving. He didn’t tell me why or anything about you and Steve being…estranged.”

Natasha’s beautiful laugh had a sharp tinge. “Estranged? Is that what I should call it? Huh.”

“Natasha—”

“I met Steve after he was discharged from the Army. He was suffering from PTSD and depression. I didn’t know that at the time, but looking back on it, I don’t think it would have made a difference. I was working out in the gym and this asshole guy kept hitting on me. I tried ignoring him and then he started getting physical with me. Steve came almost out of nowhere. I think he broke the poor bastard’s jaw. It was a hell of an ice breaker.” She smiled, but there was no joy or happiness in her eyes. It was almost an involuntary reaction. “I asked him for coffee after our workouts. It was the least I could do when everyone else seemed to ignore that guy practically assaulting me. Steve was so different from what he is now. He still had this boyish charm and was the last true gentleman in the world. Anthony hated him on sight. He even had his people perform a full background check on him. That was the first time my brother and I ever had a real fight. He believed Steve had too many issues to fully commit to a relationship with anyone. I didn’t look at the file myself because the things in Steve’s past were not my business.” Natasha glanced at her left hand. Looking at her wedding ring seemed to bring her more pain than happiness. “He proposed to me six months after that coffee date. I thought it was a little soon, but Steve, he told me, why should he wait? He already met the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And stupid me,” Natasha said, with a watery laugh. “I never dreamed he was talking about someone besides myself.”

I wanted to leave. God, I wanted to go home and curl up next to Pocket and pretend this night never happened. We could watch Guardians of the Glades together. Bands be damned. I could take the ridiculous amount of money my stepdad deposited into my account and take a road trip to New York. I could take Justin with me. I’ve always wanted to visit Max & Mina’s. Or maybe The Comfort Kitchen. Who wouldn’t want the option to have Thanksgiving dinner year-round? But another part of me wanted to hear the end of this.

“We had three weeks left until the wedding when Steve received a phone call about one of his military buddies. Bucky.” Natasha’s lips curled in a snarl.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” I asked in spite of myself.

“Steve never spoke to me about Bucky, but from what he didn’t say, and all that Anthony tried to tell me, Bucky went missing on a mission and was declared dead. Turns out he was captured by the enemy and tortured for over a year. Steve blamed himself for leaving him behind. He started having nightmares again. He would wake himself up screaming Bucky’s name. The work he was doing with the VA started to lapse. He would spend hours away from home, each time he came back looking more lost than when he left.” She paused again, looking like she would start crying at any moment. “My Stevie was changing before my eyes. I begged him to let me postpone the wedding, but he was adamant about marrying me as soon as possible.”

“Natasha. I really think you should call your brother now.” The hysterical edge that crept into her eyes and reverberated in her voice scared me more than I had ever been scared in my life.

“The wedding was everything I hoped it would be.” She opened the top desk drawer and retrieved a beautiful photo frame. It was vintage gold decorated with different color pearls. The wedding photo was black and white. Steve and Natasha stood face to face, him kissing her hand as he stared deeply into her eyes. She wore a gorgeous white wedding gown with long lace sleeves and Steve adorned a handsome tuxedo. He looked at her with so much love and awe. How could it go wrong? “I let myself think that this thing with Bucky was over. After the reception, we were supposed to take Anthony’s plane to the Amalfi Coast. Steve had other plans. He said that he wanted to try something different. So, he brought me here!” the fine hairs at the back of my neck began to stand. The longer Natasha talked, the more deranged she sounded. “It was odd sure, but I just thought he was being spontaneous and romantic, carrying me over the threshold of the train and bringing me to this room. We made love on that bed.” Natasha took the frame from my hands laying it face down on top of the desk. Enough was enough. I eased off the bed determinedly. If she was going to keep stalling on finding her brother, I would just do it myself. “And then he slit my throat.”

My lips parted as I struggled to find something to say. Steve tried to kill his wife? I found myself staring at the lace choker around her neck. Was it hiding Steve’s shameful act? What the hell had Stark dragged me into?

“Look, Natasha, if Steve really tried to kill you, that’s something you should be telling the police. And probably not starting a band with him.”

Natasha laughed harshly. “Is that what you think? Steve tried to kill me? Steve didn’t try to kill me. Steve did kill me.”

“M’kay. I guess you might have gotten into Scott’s stash before the concert. So, I’m going to go find your brother and thank him for reaching out, but this is not the band for me.” My bag was still in the viewing car. Along with my phone and my 22. I just had to run back there and grab it and get the hell off this damn train. But the door to the car slid shut on its own before I could leave. “What the fuck?” the lamp flickered off beside me bathing the room in darkness. “Natasha.” The car lurched forward, making me lose my footing against the wall. “Is the train moving? What the fuck? Natasha, turn on the light!”

A series of bone cracks filled the silence of the bedroom. “Turns out that when Bucky’s old team realized he was still alive, their newly appointed captain decided to lead the rest of them into a raid to find him.” It was still dark, and I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face.

“Natasha, turn on the light.”

“Bucky’s captors found out Steve and his team were coming and left his body as a gift.” She sounded closer to me. “Steve was the one to find his body. He was never able to accept that Bucky was gone. So, he did the unthinkable.” Her voice sounded thicker. Was she crying?

“Natasha, please. Turn on the light and let me out of here.” It was taking everything in me to stay calm. Her story was starting to sound completely insane. Either she really was high, or Stark came to me to get her out of this band and away from Steve before she lost her mind completely.

“He found these old books on spirits and demons and these witches that can raise the dead.” I stopped struggling with the car handle. My great grandparents on my father’s side were root doctors. They knew and often practiced voodoo. I even read a few of their books. The books all agreed on one thing. You NEVER bring back a soul once it has crossed over. “He needed three things to complete the ritual. A physical vessel,” the train. “A host,” Bucky’s body. “And the blood of a willing sacrifice,” Natasha boarding the train without force. “Steve had it all planned out. But the thing he missed in all his planning and researching, every ritual requires a sacrifice from the practitioner. Now, he’s like the rest of us.”

“Let me out, Natasha. Let me out right now!”

“I’m going to give you the most important thing Steve took away from me. A choice.” The lights clicked on almost blindingly bright. I had to blink a few times just to be able to see clearly. This can’t be real. And when I did…Natasha looked exactly as she did in her wedding photo, except her beautiful white dress was stained with the blood pouring from her opened throat. This can’t be real. “You’re not leaving this train. I’ll make it quick and then you will never have to worry about Steve and Bucky getting their hands on you.” Natasha hefted a bloody axe above her head.

I dived out of the way mere moments before she brought the axe down where my head would have been. The blade sunk into the door with a loud whack! Natasha grunted, the bones in her body making that awful crunching, like trying to straighten out a body in the stage of rigor mortis. While she struggled to pull the axe from the door, making headway as pieces of wood fell to the floor, I desperately searched the room for any sort of weapon I could use against her.

The photo frame!

I grabbed it, swinging back as hard as I could, bringing it down across her temple. She fell long enough for me to pull open the door and run into the hallway. I had to get the fuck off this train! The hall was empty. I needed my phone, but I couldn’t go back to the viewing car. If what Natasha said was true about Steve and whoever the hell this Bucky was, then the others, Thor and Clint had to be ghosts as well. And what the hell was Stark for that matter? He knew what his sister was and what Steve did to her. Why did he pull me into this madness?

“Fuck, if I just find the way we came in—jumping from a train is crazy, but it’s either that or get axed to death by the bride from hell!”

Wait.

What was that?

Something moved in the distance. Something with three heads?

Clint stepped forward, but that thing was not Clint. “What the fuck?”

“This too weird for you?” the three heads of Clint on a dog’s body asked in sync. “No, this isn’t too weird for you. Scott says you’re cool.” His tail wagged behind him like a happy puppy. A happy puppy with huge paws and three heads filled with sharp teeth. “I know, I know, we’re supposed to leave you be, but it’s been a while since I’ve been with someone I didn’t eat afterwards. Why don’t you come over here, pretty, and let me take a bite? Just a little one. You’ll barely feel it.”

Clint’s tail wagged a little faster when I started backing up. He was going to chase me. He wanted to chase me. A low chuckle behind me left me reluctant to take my eyes off Clint the Cerberus, but I could feel the danger at my back. “Let’s not be hasty, Barton. Perhaps the lady prefers one head.”

Clint snorted a growl. “And one eye.”

Thor stepped from the shadows and, Jesus, was this entire train full of goddamn monsters? Thor looked even bigger and wider. His long hair streaked with blood and…one eye centered on his forehead. Thor moved closer, herding me back towards Clint. I could feel his three noses snuffling against the back of my thighs and biting at the hem of my dress.

“Please, please, please,” I hated how powerless I felt in between them. “Please let me go.”

His large blue eye stared at me unblinking. Pityingly. His towering frame curled forward so that instead of his abs at my eye line, my face squished against his chest. “That’s not possible, love.” Thor’s hand rubbed my back consolingly. My hands gripped the lapels of his jacket as I choked out a fearful sob when all three of Clint’s tongues pushed underneath my dress. “The less you fight the easier this will all be.”

“Thor, why don’t we just take her for ourselves?” one of Clint’s heads suggest while the other two kept snuffling and biting at my dress. “They brought us here and they never let us keep any for ourselves!”

“Take care in how you speak. They are our brothers.” He swayed us back and forth to a melody only he could hear. “I’m sure in time they will be willing to share.” Thor pressed his nose to my hair, breathing deeply as he squeezed me a little harder. “But you are right. She smells divine.” His large wet tongue flicked against my neck, and I could feel just a hint of his teeth against the fragile skin there.

“See?” Clint danced in place with an excited yip, his three heads panting with his tongues lolling out. “We both know once they have her, Stark won’t give a damn about us anymore. He’ll bring the fans, but we will never get another chance like this again.” I squeezed my eyes shut when the nose of his left head nudged the seat of my panties. “But I could do it. Right now. One bite and it’s all over.” Clint’s middle head pulled back with a canine whine. “She smells so good, Thor! I haven’t smelled anything so good since that one time in Budapest!”

“I said, no!” Thor growled, throwing me aside just as one of Clint’s heads almost bit my leg.

I landed hard on the floor, dazed, but only for a moment because Clint was running towards me, all three jaws snapping and teeth glistening drool.

“BARTON, STOP!” Thor boomed, wrapping one large arm around Clint’s necks drawing him back from me.

I had to get away. I rolled over onto my hands and knees, ignoring the snarls and growls behind me. I had to get away. I ran until I made it to a different car, sealing the door behind me. Thor’s shouts and Clint’s growls faded until blissful silence surrounded me. Several doors lined each side of the car. It looked more like the hallway of an apartment complex than a train car. I tried opening all of them, hoping that if none of them led me to outside then at least one would have a weapon.

None of the doors worked. I knew I had to keep moving. Maybe I would find the engine car and stop this haunted train.

I stopped moving, hearing something. A voice.

Was that someone singing? Offkey?

“And I don’t want to miss one smile

"And I don’t want to miss one kiss

"Well, I just want to be with you

"Right here with you

"Just like this

Scott.

Wearing white AirPods.

Wailing Aerosmith at the top of his lungs offkey while he…

Oh, God. I doubled over vomiting up every taco I’d eaten earlier in the night. Scott was in the train car that must have been where the concert took place. Now there was nothing but pieces and limbs and organs of bodies on the floor covered in an inch of fresh blood.

Scott was still oblivious to me hacking my lungs up as he pushed the broom around the bloody floor, using the handle as a makeshift microphone. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I stood back up. I didn’t have a weapon to really confront Scott with, but the funny thing about anger and adrenaline, it made you feel like fucking Superman.

Scott spun around, pausing mid-verse. He stood frozen, gaping at me so wide I could see the whites of his eyes. He let go of the push broom, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter. “Hey, Sissy! You’re alive!” he backed away as I charged forward. “Not, not that you wouldn’t be, b-because you’re strong and smart and—!”

Grabbing handfuls of his shirt I shoved him into the wall. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?”

“Uh…” he was either scrambling for an answer or stalling for time. “Oh!” he smiled happily, and I braced myself for whatever bullshit he was about to say. “Sissy wants to know what’s going on. Marko, what’s going on.” My lips parted. There was no way he was— “I don’t know. What’s going on, Paul? Wait a minute. Who wants to know? Sissy wants to know.” He stared at me expectantly.

“Fucking Natasha just tried to axe me to death!” I shrieked, shaking him. Not by much. For a lanky Paul Rudd, he was pretty sturdy. “And you’re standing here quoting fucking Lost Boys to me?”

Scott frowned. “I’m sorry, Sissy. Natasha was not supposed to hurt you. She was supposed to be getting you ready.”

“Ready for what?”

Scott’s shoulders sagged. “To take her place. Look, I’ll level with you. One, because I like you, and two, because I really want a break from cleaning up this shit while my high comes down. This train will not stop until your heart does.”

Tears rose to my eyes as I stubbornly blinked them away. “Then I’ll hurl myself off it and let what happens happen, Scott.”

Scott’s eyes widened as he shook his head. “Hell no! It’s not worth that!”

“Scott,” I said, my voice so calm it unnerved even me. “Clint turned into a fucking three-headed dog and started sniffing under my dress. Thor is a cyclops and had it not been for his clearly misplaced loyalty to Steve I would have been in the center of the most insane threesome anyone ever thought of.”

Scott winced sympathetically. “Yeah, I can see how that would be a downer.”

“Scott, please. I just want to go home.”

Whatever little humor he was holding on to vanished. “That’s all any of us want. But once you willingly get on this train, you’re never getting off.”

“But my mom, my family, they’re not going to—”

“You’re already gone from their memories. It’s the malevolence of this place.” Scott slid to the floor, settling in the only semi blood-free spot. I fell heavily beside him, clutching his arm. “I don’t know exactly who conducts this train, but I’ve heard the rumors. It’s supposed to be this witch from centuries ago. She was the daughter of the most powerful witch to ever walk the Earth. When her mother ascended to Divinity, she was meant to lead the coven and her daughter after her and so on. They even had her betrothed to the son of the coven’s familiar.”

“I thought familiars could only be animals or reptiles.”

“Nah, that’s just J.K.’s bullshit to make her witches stand out from the others. The witch’s daughter was content to follow her coven’s plans for her until she met the guard that would protect her, her husband, and whatever children they had together. They fell in love and even after she married her betrothed, she still maintained a hidden relationship with him. But when she gave birth to her first and only child, that’s when the coven realized it’s not always sunny in Philadelphia. The baby was a half-orc. All green skin and tusks and the loudest cries you’ve ever heard from a newborn.”

It occurred to me at that moment that while Scott may not be a monster like the others, he was definitely not human. Instead of asking him about this, I said, “the witches used orcs as their guards, why?”

“You’ll never find a more fearsome, battle-ready clan of monsters than the orcs. Her mother was furious and even more embarrassed that her pride and joy would lower herself to lay with filth. The worst thing a witch could do was give her body to the beasts. Even pretty fauns were a big no-no. They planned to sacrifice the baby in a ritual that would cleanse the witch of her sin. Didn’t work. She flipped her shit and used her magic to slaughter every member of her coven until only her mother remained standing. While this was going on, her orc lover took their baby and fled. Now there were no witnesses to the daughter’s sinful union, but on the other hand, there was also no coven left. No one knows why, but the witch was said to have trapped her daughter on this train. Bound her magic to its engine to keep it running until the natural world returned to the fire from which it was created.”

“Why the monsters?”

“The daughter, mostly. The only ones she wanted near her were the monsters that reminded her of her orc lover and her child.”

“Then why the music? You all could pose a front as literally anything other than a rock band.”

“Sex, blood, and rock and roll. What could be better?”

I hugged my knees sobbing softly. “It can’t end like this. I never,” I had to keep breathing to stop myself from hyperventilating. “I never told my dad I forgive him for being weaker than his addiction.”

Scott’s head dropped against my shoulder. “I never got the chance to see my little girl grow up. Stark brings pictures sometimes when he boards. Her mother remarried. Stark said he’s a nice guy. Cop. Bit of an asshat.”

I laughed a little, sniffling. I wonder if his daughter has his sense of humor. “What does she think happened to you?” I turned to Scott who started sniffling too.

“Overdose. Thinks that I spiraled when I realized her mother wouldn’t take me back so we could be the family she deserved. God, it was probably like that really sad movie Chris Evans made. You know the one.”

“Yeah, where he was the lawyer. I cried when they found his body.” I closed my eyes, wishing I would be back in my apartment when I opened them. “Do you even get to see movies on this train?”

“Sure! Well, DVDs anyway. It is a ghost train after all.”

“Scott, is James a zombie?”

“Bucky’s more like a ghoul actually. He likes the warmth and blood, but only after they’ve been dead a while.”

“If I had anything left in my stomach, I might have spewed it all over your lap.” I wiped my eyes, letting my head fall back against the wall with a thump. “So, James is Bucky. I should have seen that coming. How was everyone able to hide themselves as human?”

“Just a part of the curse. They can change back and forth at will, but once midnight strikes, the change happens involuntarily, and they stay that way until sunrise. It’s why they reacted to you the way they did. The feral part of them takes over.”

“Oh. Can I just wait here for them to come and do whatever it is they’re going to do?”

“Yeah,” he answered softly.

“Are they going to hurt me, Scott?”

His hand wrapped around mine. “Yeah, I think they are.”

“Can you…can you give me something to make it easier? Please?” I turned to Scott whose lips thinned looking more serious than he had all night. “Scott?”

“I can try.” He pulled me up from the floor, little flakes of dried blood chipped away from my thighs. He led me towards the same way I came through, glancing down at my sick that was drying on the floor. “Dude, come on!” he whispered.

“Like you didn’t vomit the first time you saw a person ripped to pieces and eaten alive!”

“No, I didn’t because I was full of narcotics at the time!” he bickered back. “Just shush and follow me!” He glanced down both sides of the car before pulling me behind him. I didn’t waste time asking where we were going. Hopefully, it was somewhere with enough drugs to knock me out until it was over.

“SCOTT!” I grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him back just as Natasha swung her axe, embedding it into the walls where his head was.

“Goddamn it, Natasha! You’re not supposed to kill her!”

“Why should Steve get his happy ending?” she wrenched the axe from the wall, her dark eyes wide and livid. “If I can’t kill Bucky, then I’m going to take away their little plaything!”

Scott reared back and punched Natasha in the face before she could swing again. “Scott!” I hissed, punching his shoulder. “You can’t hit her; she’s a girl!”

“First of all, ow,” he complained rubbing his arm, knowing damn well it didn’t hurt. “Second of all, that girl not only insulted you, she tried to chop your damn head off and would’ve taken mine if I stayed in the way.”

He was right. Of course he was right. “But still.”

Scott rolled his eyes. He grabbed my waist and lifted me over her prone body with two hands like I was a bag of flour. “Come on. She won’t stay down for long.” We went through two more empty cars, and along the way, I could feel eyes watching me. I squeezed Scott’s hand, making him glance back at me. “Ignore them. It’s just the souls of everyone who died on this train.” Because that’s not unsettling. He pulled open a random car and ushered me inside. He turned the locks and made me sit on the bed. There was a Pink Floyd poster on the wall next to Motley Cruë and Led Zeppelin next to that. He kneeled by my feet, lifting the mattress and retrieving a wooden jewelry box with a crescent amethyst jewel embedded in the center of the box beside a tree of life. “If you put a drop of this on your tongue, Steve and James won’t be able to change you.”

The handle to the car started to shake.

“SCOTT, COME ON BUDDY, WE HAVE TO FINISH THIS.” That was Steve. “I THINK IT’S SWEET THAT YOU TWO ARE BONDING, I REALLY DO, BUT TIME’S UP.”

“LITTLE MAN,” Thor rumbled. “LET THE WOMAN OUT SO THAT WE CAN PLAY.”

“YEAH, MAN!” Clint panted, scratching at the door. “I MIGHT’VE GOTTEN A LITTLE EXCITED IN THE HALL EARLIER, BUT IT’S ALL GOOD NOW. PROMISE.”

“SCOOOOOTT, I CAN SMELL HER IN THERE WITH YOU. SHE’S TERRIFIED. HER HEART KEEPS POUNDING BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! BA-DUMP! SHE KNOWS THERE’S NO WAY OUT. YOU KNOW THERE’S NO WAY OUT. OPEN THE DOOR.”

“Scott?” I whimpered, fearfully. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t ready. I would never be ready to face whatever horrors those monsters had waiting for me.

“I need you to listen to me, Sissy. I never gave this to anyone on this train because I never really cared what happens after they board. That makes me an asshole. I know. But you have to take a drop of this.”

“What is it?” it looked like a potion bottle you could buy from Etsy. It even had a label that read Veritaserum. Yep, good ole Etsy.

“It’s a witch’s bottle.” He uncorked it, huffing at my gagging. “I know what you’re thinking. Elaine had one in that movie that she made from piss and menstrual blood from a tampon. Probably Mint.” He shuddered in disgust like mint was the problem in that scenario. “But I’m seventy-five percent sure that this is NOT piss and menstrual blood?”

“Scott, when this is all over, remind me to kill you.” I closed my eyes and stuck out my tongue. I coughed and gagged. The taste was bitter and rank like spoiled milk and snot.

“YOU BETTER NOT BE DOING WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE DOING, SCOTT!” now it sounded like Steve was ramming himself against the door.

“AWW!” Clint whined, his paws carving into the door. “WHY DOES SCOTT GET TO PLAY FIRST?”

Scott hurriedly shoved the bottle back inside the box. “HEY, ASSHOLES, STOP DESTROYING MY DOOR! YOU’RE SCARING HER!” He pushed the box back under his mattress. “Are you alright?” he whispered to me. I could only nod, still coughing as chills swept over my body. “Good.” A painful pinch struck me in the left side of my throat. I wobbled feeling dizzy. Scott gazed at me sadly. The syringe dangled loosely from his fingers. Betrayal coursed through my veins alongside whatever drugs Scott injected me with. “It won’t be so bad being with us. You’ll still love tacos. We can shop together on Etsy to make this place more luxury hotel and less Horror Express. And you’ll get to meet the pets. James has the cutest cat.” The door burst open behind me as I fell to my hands and knees. Why was I so cold? Was this what dying felt like? “Eventually, thinking of your old life won’t hurt so bad.”

“The m-memories,” it was getting hard to speak and keep my eyes open. I could faintly hear Clint’s nails clicking against the floor as he padded towards me, sniffing me all over. God, I hoped he wouldn’t try to pee on me. “Do they ever…ever go away?” I fell on my face, too weak to keep holding myself up. Someone turned me over and I could not see who it was. My vision blurred as everyone crowded around me.

“I remember all of them.”

Just before I passed out, I saw Natasha in the doorway. She was no longer holding the axe and her bloody wedding dress was gone, replaced by a pink sundress. She smiled at me looking relieved, happy, and so sorry. It started with her feet and then progressed up her body. Her body disintegrated into dust before my eyes. She was free.

There was something under me. Something soft and warm. It felt like fur. The only furry thing in my apartment was Pocket and I would sleep on the floor before I ever slept on top of her. I was still on the train. Cold fingers caressed the side of my face making me hiss.

Hiss? Wait.

“There she is!” he cooed softly. “Welcome back, little songbird.”

“James?” it was so hard to open my eyes. Everything ached. Even my eyelashes fluttering from James’s soft breaths made my nose twitch in irritation.

“Bucky, baby, call me Bucky.”

“Steve murdered Natasha for you, Bucky. I’ve never seen someone in so much pain.” The fur beneath me started moving. I groaned. “Am I laying on top of Steve?”

“You sure are.” I could hear the grin in Bucky’s voice.

“Mmm, no. I’m too heavy.”

Steve snorted beneath. “You’re just barely heavier than a blanket.” I could feel his nose pushing through my hair to my neck. It felt wet.

“Oh, no,” I groaned, wiggling on top of Steve, wanting to bury my face in his fur and sleep for fifty years. “Are you a dog like Clint or something?”

“Or something.” Steve’s hot tongue licked my neck from below my earlobe to the top of my collarbone. My fingers gripped the, no, his, fur beneath me. The heat of his tongue felt too good to worry over what sort of monster could have a tongue long enough to do that.

“Stevie did go a little crazy,” he said so glibly I braved the pain to frown. “But love makes you crazy sometimes.” This was why summoning a soul from its eternal rest was expressly forbidden in the magical world. Whatever comes back is only a shadow of who they were before. Bucky’s cold fingers moved down my face to my arms to my sides. “I was a little upset with Scott for giving you the serum. I was looking forward to changing you like me but damn, doll. You were gorgeous before. You’re perfect now.”

“I can’t feel my legs,” I realized. “I—I can’t feel my legs. Why can’t I feel my legs?” through force and gritted teeth that ground together in an odd way, I made myself open my eyes. James—Bucky leaned over me. His kohl liner was still impeccable. His hair was still sleek and silky. The only obvious clue that Bucky was a ghoul was the glowing red eyes and the blue veins spanning all over her face. “Sshh,” he whispered leaning over me until I could see nothing but his eyes. “Do you feel this?” his cold fingers touched something that made me gasp and arch, brushing my lips against his. “Oh, yeah, you feel this.” His fingers stroked harder, little slick sounds taking up the silence in the room.

“You in there yet, Buck?” Steve asked. His tongue and sharp teeth pressing into my skin just shy of drawing blood. Two huge golden paws cupped my breasts, rubbing my pierced nipples.

“Not yet, Stevie. You got to use two fingers.” The wailing sound I made when his two fingers pushed inside of me would have embarrassed me if I were not chasing the wave that was surely crashing towards me. “There you go.” Bucky nipped and sucked at my lips before pushing his tongue in my mouth. He tasted of blood, soil, and a tinge of something sweet. Steve pried one of my hands free from his fur and brought it down the length of Bucky’s naked torso until my fingers wrapped around his hard cock. He was warm there, so warm. “Aah!” Bucky groaned throwing his head back. His Adam’s Apple bobbing just so. I wanted to bite it. “Just like that, doll.”

Steve guided my hand, teaching me the ways Bucky liked to be touched. Behind me, Steve nuzzled Bucky’s hand, growling softly. I turned a little watching them kiss. Steve did a horrifying thing to his wife and caused countless deaths just to get to this point, but watching them like this, ghoul and werewolf, I wondered if anyone would ever love me enough to do the same.

I came with a loud cry, tightening my fingers around Bucky who spilled over my hand and Steve’s, while Steve finished with a room-shaking howl against my back. We lay tangled together more on top of Steve than the actual bed since his hulking frame seemed to take up most of the mattress. A part of me wanted more from Bucky and Steve. A part of me wanted to close my eyes and let sleep drag me under.

But I could neither because I still needed to know, “why can’t I feel my legs?”

Bucky and Steve exchanged looks over my shoulder silently communicating. They must have come to some agreement because Bucky climbed off the bed, completely naked. The blue veins covered his skin. They looked nice. Steve carefully eased my body off his. He stood beside Bucky. He was so beautiful. He was a werewolf towering at least eight feet tall. He was even wider than his human form and his fur, his fur was the same beautiful blonde color as his hair. His big bushy tail swayed ever so slightly behind him. As thick as his fur was, I could still make out the colorful ink of his tattoos. It was amazing how much he did and didn’t look like himself. I reached out wanting to touch his warm, soft fur again.

But then I saw my hands. My claws.

“Hey, hey, sshh, sshh,” Steve says, kneeling before the bed, cupping my face between his paws. “You’re fine. Everything is exactly the way it should be.”

“Stevie’s right, songbird.” Bucky digs through the closet across the room. He had more tattoos on his back. Tattooed over his spine was a picture of a dead tree with broken branches filled with ravens and a full moon at the back of his left shoulder. “The serum is different for everyone. That’s why there are no two of the same monsters here.” He finds a bonze accented floor mirror. He purposely keeps the mirror turns towards himself as he drags it over. Bucky passes the mirror to Steve who still keeps it turned away from me. “We’re going to let you see who you are now. I don’t mind if you cry because tears make my cock throb,” he says plainly. “And your tears mixed with the scent of your fear,” he takes a lock of my hair between his fingers rolling his eyes into the back of his skull so easily it would even make The Undertaker jealous. “Fuck. We don’t have to show her right now, Stevie.” Bucky starts stroking his leaking cock in front of me. I should be disgusted, but I sit up, forcing myself to not look at the problem below my waist. “Look at her. Look how bad she wants it.”

“BUCK!” Steve growled irritably. “We have all the time in the world for that. She needs to see.”

Bucky pouted at Steve, grudgingly releasing his cock that seemed to be pointing at me.

“Honey,” Steve called to me, nose and ears twitching in humor. “Focus, please.” Satisfied that he had my attention, Steve continued. “This is going to shock you. Probably sicken you, but no matter how you feel, you really are beautiful, honey.”

Steve flipped the mirror towards me. My eyes scanned every inch of my reflection in the mirror. I was still myself, but completely different. At some point during my transformation, the guys stripped me of my clothes. I could see everything.

“I’m a snake.”

“You’re a lamia,” Bucky corrected me.

“A lamia,” I echoed, softly feeling numb. “That explains why I can’t feel my legs.”

My face looked the same except for the red, orange, and yellow scales where my skin should be. My eyes were alarming. They were completely black save for the red slits in the center. Thankfully, my nose was still normal, so I didn’t have to slither around looking like a female Voldemort. My lips were still mine. Curiously, I opened my mouth. I startled myself when my fangs unsheathed. They had to be at least four inches long. My tongue was as I feared. Forked. Forked, long enough to brush against the top of my breast, and about an inch and a half wider than a normal snake's tongue. My fingers were longer and narrower with two-inch razor-sharp nails curling downwards. I brushed my hair back, looking at my ears. They were pointed and wiggled on command. My breasts were bigger, at least a full cup size more. They still felt soft as I squeezed them in my hands, ignoring the dual groans from Bucky and Steve. My purple and blue butterfly tattoo was still on the left side of my stomach. It stood out even more against the scales. From under my chin and down the length of my body resembled the underbelly of a snake, white scales that felt rougher than the others. Where my legs should be was a long snake’s tail. There was a thin slit exactly where my pussy should have been.

“It’s still there,” Bucky says gruffly. “Do you want me to show you?”

The way Bucky was looking at me mirrored the same way Steve looked at me. It was overwhelming and exciting and frightening.

“Voices in your body coming through on the radio

"The union of the snake is on the climb

"Moving up it’s gonna race it’s gonna break

"Through the borderline

I was spared from answering when Scott ripped open the door serenading me with Union of the Snake of all songs. Thor and Clint shuffled in behind him. Scott’s big smile faltered seeing Bucky’s angry red eyes focused on him and Steve’s lip curling back in a terrible snarl.

“Too soon?” he asked me.

“Yes, Scott.”

Clint’s heads sniffled purposely. “Smells like a good time in here.”

“Your new form suits you, my lady,” Thor admired me with his unblinking eye.

“Thank you, Thor. What are you all doing here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Bucky huffed, hands on his hips. Still naked. Still hard.

“I come bearing gifts!” Scott announced happily. “Some clothes for your change back.”

“When is sunrise?”

Scott checked his watch. “Forty-five minutes from now.” He held up a black and white sweater dress that would cover my slit. “And a surprise gift, but only if you show can me you can handle your new tail.”

I didn’t think I could, but Scott’s eyes shined with concern. I bit my lip, ignoring the fact that I apparently have fangs now, and imagined my tail was my legs. The tail slowly unraveled from the bed and hit the floor with a low thump.

“You’re going to need to work on that. Silence is your best friend when we’re hunting food.”

Right. Because that’s what humans were now. Food. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This body was new, but it was still mine. I stood up and slithered, actually slithered, to Scott. Maybe a little too fast when I accidentally crashed into him.

“Whoa! Okay, Sissy, that was mildly terrifying,” he laughed nervously. “Even if you look like a pretty corn snake.”

“I’m sorry, Scott. I think it’s going to take me a little while to navigate my speed. I don't even like snakes,” I felt myself pout.

Scott's eyebrows lifted, clearly not believing me. "You must have at some point for the serum to give you this form."

I huffed, folding my arms across my chest, distantly grateful my hair was long enough to cover my naked breasts. "I may or may not have taken a garden snake as a pet in secret for three days when I was little. Then my mom found out and screamed so loud she scared the neighbor's dog."

"The serum never lies," Scott said ominously.

"Oh, yeah?" I challenged. "Then what about you?"

"Ah, that is a story for another time. Maybe I'll tell you when I show you the library car."

"You have a library here?"

"WE. WE have a library here. Go on."

I reached for the dress then stopped. It was moving in his hands. “What the hell?” my eyes flickered up to his unsurprised to see mischief shining back at me. “What’s going on, Scott?”

“Tony dropped off some new things for you along with some other stuff from your apartment. Go on.”

I trusted Scott. Sort of. The thing wiggled even more the closer I got to it. I pushed back the last layer of the dress and— “Pocket!” I gasped. She stretched her little body blinking up at me before freezing. “Oh no. No, baby, please don’t be scared of me.”

“She’s not scared,” Bucky assured me, being a cat owner himself. “She just needs to reorient herself with you and your new scent mingling with your old one.”

I’ve never been happier to see that Bucky was right. Pocket rubbed her small body against my hand, purring like always. Pocket was the last link to my old life. My parents, step-siblings, friends and enemies, and even my old lovers will have no memory of me now. Pocket and the guys were all I had left.

“You’re tired,” Thor said idly, sensing my growing sadness. “Last night was a long and difficult one for you. You should rest.” Thor nodded once and left the car.

Clint’s mouths stretched open, showing off his impressive teeth and pink tongues following Thor out. “I could use a nap, too. Then when we wake up, we can get to work on recording that new album Stark’s pressuring us for.”

Scott watched them leave, carefully taking Pocket from me. “Anything you want when you wake up?”

“Tacos,” I answered, surely. “And make sure Pocket has plenty of milk, water, and cat food. Purina Pro Plan wet and dry. And don’t let Clint eat her.”

“I’m offended, babe!” Clint called from the hall. “I eat people, not pets.”

Scott put his hands on my shoulders, ignoring the growls from Steve and the death glares from Bucky. “It’s a rough start, but everything will be better now. Besides, we got a show in three days!”

“Right, this is still a band.”

The others laughed already having gone through the strange disorienting experience I was having. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring the music later with your tacos. I already have three new songs I need to write. See you soon.” Scott pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, laughingly dodging a swipe from Steve’s claws.

I admired my dress a little longer before carefully hanging it over the chair by the desk. Steve and Bucky were still watching me. I slithered towards them, my glide surer than before. I reached Bucky first and used the end of my tail to wind around one of Steve’s legs to urge him near us.

“Bucky? Steve?”

They surrounded me then. Steve’s fur warm against my back and Bucky’s cold bare skin against my front. Steve nibbled on my neck drawing a thin trickle of blood that pooled in my collar bone and slid through the crevices of my scales. Bucky's glowing eyes watched my forked tongue flicker through my lips with rapt attention.

“Yeah, doll?”

“Show me.”

Steve picked me up, his monstrous strength daunting and arousing, and put me back down on the bed. He stroked his heavy, leaking cock in front of my face, making my mouth water. My tongue flicked out tasting his weeping tip. He growled in pleasure, muzzle vibrating when my nails dug into the meat of his thigh. He fed me his cock, inch by inch until my wet slurps and Steve's growling pants echoed around the car. Bucky crawled up my body, his cool breath hitting my quivering, wet, slit.

“Do you remember what we said, earlier about singing?” his lips kissed and sucked softly on my nub peeking out from my pouch. I hissed and mumbled some sort of answer, mouth still full of Steve. Bucky chuckled darkly. “Good, now sing for me, songbird.”

Taglist: @autumnrose40 @foxgloveprincess @avintagekiss24 @angrythingstarlight @stargazingfangirl18 @xxindiglow @boxofbonesfic @gotnofucks @luxeavenger @jobean12-blog @afriendlyblackhottie @lotusss-flowerbomb @navybrat817 @nellblazer @giorno-plays-piano @slothspaghettiwrites @the-iceni-bitch @river-soul @sweetlyscared @caffiend-queen @syntheticavenger @mypoisonedvine @geminixevans @cherienymphe @ozarkthedog @starryevermore @starlightcrystalline

[abbatoirablaze]

Kiss Me Again

Word count:  1.4k

Warnings:  implied smut down the road, sexual tension, friends to lovers.

"This girl is fucking killing us," JD laughed, making sure to say it under his breath.  I laughed at how even though he was trying to keep the mood lighthearted his irritation was palpable, "eleven takes, and she can't get it right."

"It's not that hard," I laughed, shrugging my shoulders, "she looks like a girl who got on her knees to get the part anyway...how is it that she can't pretend to want a man?"

"Acting is really hard," the actress said, coming up to me.  I frowned, realizing that she'd heard me critiquing her performance, "You think you could do so much better? I'd like to see you try it."

"Try what?" I laughed, "acting?"

"Come on," Clayton laughed, adding into the drama of the actress was adding.  I playfully glared at him, knowing he was trying to fuck around, "show her how it's done."

"I'm a writer, not an actress."

"Then maybe you should keep your comments to yourself," the girl said in a smug tone, "writing and acting are a lot different, you know.  One actually takes talent."

I bit my lip and started nodding my head.  Richard smirked, seeing the gears grinding in my mind.

"Oh shit, she's gonna give it to ya now," Richard laughed, sensing that the actress had pushed my buttons, "ey yo, MIKEY! DINNER! Come ere."

"What's going on guys?" Mike, our executive producer and director said, trying to keep his composure in front of the girl that was quickly putting us behind schedule.

"Ey, ET over here is calling RiRi out on her shit," he chuckled, "let's do a take with her."

"I'm not an actress, Richie," I said, shaking my head, trying to definitely get out of the situation the men had built up, but also trying to keep a straight face over the fact that he called the girl ET, or extra talent, to her face rather than her name, "lets just-I'm not going to-"

"Guys, let's just take a break," Michael said, trying to calm everyone down.  He gave me a pointed look and then turned towards the actress, "we'll come back to the scene in 10. Amanda, let's get your makeup touched up."

"That's what I thought!" the girl said, smugly walking off towards one of the makeup people.

"Rian, come on," he smirked, putting an arm around me, and leading me over to Irby, Frankie, and Emilio, "you practically wrote this scene by yourself. Ey yo, Irby, run the scene with RiRi so you stay fresh."

"It's not me that needs to stay fresh, Richie," he sighed. I gave him a sympathetic look. I could see the frustration written across his face, "Hey Rian."

I gave him a sympathetic look and he chuckled.

"Come on, we'll all do it," Richie encouraged, "you know while we're waiting on the ET to get touched up."

"Richie I'm not an-"

"I know you're not an actress," he shrugged, rolling his eyes, "apparently neither is the girl that got cast. Just help us out, please?"

"Might as well," Irby sighed, "but hey, let's improve it. Maybe if she fucks up again I can try to throw us back on track."

"Okay, I can improvise" I nodded, heading over to the marker at the bar. I turned to the guy behind me, "changing it up for a take, pretend to be with me and put your hand on my lower back."

"Okay," he smiled, eager for the opportunity, "anything else?"

I shook my head, "just go with it."

"And go," Richie smirked, "action."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I heard Irby utter in his gruff voice, quickly falling back into his Bishop character. The music was low enough so that the dialogue could be heard, "what the hell is she doing here?"

"Who's that, pres?"

"It's his ex," Frankie sighed. I made idol conversation with the guy, giggling over what he said, until I felt his presence behind me, "yeah...that's her."

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

I felt myself shiver at the contact of his breath on my neck. I turned slowly, letting my expression go from surprised to angry, "you following me now, Bishop?"

He scoffed, "you wish. Now answer the question, querida!  What are you doing here?"

"None of your damn business."

We were toe to toe, and I could feel the tension in the air. Even if it was just a scene, it felt too real. He got a small smile on his face, "Maybe you were following me then, princess..."

"You wish," I said, mocking his earlier response.  He cocked a brow, and I leaned in, "I wouldn't waste my time on you."

"I don't know," he laughed spitefully, "I was the one to break up with you."

I let a pained look cross my features, before hiding it. This is where the extra jumped in, "everything okay bab-"

"Don't baby me, Andy," I replied, not bothering to turn my attention away from Irby.  He smirked again, "you know, Obispo, you have a lot of nerve coming up to me like this, and in front of my date..."

"There is only one person that gets to call her baby," he smirked, looking to my 'date.'  The man took a step back as Bishop continued, "you should probably leave the lady alone now, pal."

Damn that devious smirk.  Even knowing we were in a scene I couldn't help but get turned on.  I felt his hands trail down to my waist, and I'm sure in a second my lust was given away. I didn't speak, and we just stared at one another.

This is nowhere near the script.

We were way off base from what I'd originally written.

"Baby," I said, remembering my line, as if I was lost in a memory. I removed his hand from my waist and put my own hand up on his chest, as if to separate us, "speaking of which, didn't you break up with me because I was too young for you?"

He looked down at my hand then moved it over to his heart, "we both know where this always ends up, querida. Let's stop with the games."

"Why?" I asked in a sultry tone, letting my hand slip a little low, "If I remember correctly, the games, the chase...that was always your favorite part."

He took a sharp intake of breath as I stopped at his belt. His eyes flickered up to me and I could see the lust. Hell, I could feel the lust, it was palpable.

"You're playing a dangerous one, amor."

"You're right," I replied, dropping my hand, "I'm tired of games. Dance with me...that is if you still remember how to dance...old man..."

He chuckled, as I continued to try to throw us back at the script. His eyes held a glint of curiosity as he cornered me against the bar, "we know where dancing always leads us...the same place as the games do."

"Don't worry, Obispo," I purred, leaning in so I was whispering against the shell of his ear. He shivered as I put my hand between us again, balancing it on his belt buckle, "I'm not interested in that."

"Then what are you interested in?" I looked down at his lips, and then back to his eyes. He chuckled, "you're a damn liar...and you never change."

I felt my hand gliding up his chest and to his face as I pulled him in. He caved into the kiss and pushed me up against the bar. Breathlessly we pulled away a second later.

This was supposed to be where the MC made comments and I told them to back off. I looked over to the guys and they were standing there with smiles on their faces.

"Holy shit," Richie grinned, breaking character, "that was fire, right there."

"MIKEY, DID YOU CATCH THAT?" Emilio yelled to our executive producer.

I looked back to Irby. He was nodding his head as he backed up, "not an actress, huh?"

"I'm not," I laughed, "that's just where the moment took us."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted to kiss me," he whispered as we started towards the edge of the set where the rest of the guys were going over the footage the camera had caught, "felt like you did, anyways...the chemistry felt amazing."

"I could say the same for you...you're the one that kept leading the scene into that," I laughed, playing into it. I felt his hand loop around to my waist as he pulled me closer to him. I gasped as I felt his hardened length against the back of my thigh and poking my ass, "Michael!"

"Who says I didn't?" he purred against my ear.

[frontproofmedia]

Dolo Flicks: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery -Glass Onion Is An Entertaining But Lesser Chapter For A Benoit Blanc Case

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By Hector Franco

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Published: December 29, 2022

"It's a dangerous thing to mistake speaking without thought for speaking the truth. Don't you think? "  -- Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig)

Following 2017s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson was at a crossroads in his career. He put out a vision of Star Wars that turned out to be not only the most divisive film in the franchise but of the 2010s. Critically and financially, The Last Jedi excelled; however, the vitriol and toxicity associated with the movie left the fandom in disarray.

Instead of continuing down the path of crazed fan-based intellectual properties, Johnson went back to his roots of developing original stories. 2019s Knives Out, a murder mystery, was well received by fans and critics for its writing, characters, and exceptional ensemble cast. Knives Out brought Johnson out of the doldrums making him once again a favorite of cinephiles.

The success of Knives Out fell on the writing and Daniel Craig's infectious performance as Benoit Blanc. The southern drawl, Craig's comedic timing, and overall chemistry with each of the cast made him a fan favorite. When he does decide to retire, he may be better known for being Benoit Blanc than James Bond.

The strength of the script and the intrigue in developing follow-ups with Benoit Blanc solving more murders led to Netflix paying over $469 million for two sequels. With Glass Onion, we have the latest Benoit Blanc murder mystery.

Undoubtedly, Daniel Craig again delivers a magnetic performance in Glass Onion. He is the foundation of the film and is the one aspect that is almost guaranteed to excel. However, in a movie that centers on mystery and the strength of its troupe of characters, it's essential that the plot is engaging.

Rather than centering on an eccentric family, Glass Onion follows a group of friends invited to a private island for a mystery weekend. The cast for Glass Onion, much like its predecessor, is first-rate, including Edward Norton as billionaire Miles Bron, Janelle Monae as school teacher and Bron's ex-business partner Helen and Andi Brand, Kathryn Hahn as Connecticut governor Claire Debella, Leslie Odom Jr. as the development scientist for Bron, Lionel Toussaint, Dave Bautista as social media streamer Duke Cody and Kate Hudson as supermodel Birdie Jay.

While the cast does a wonderful job portraying each character, they all feel like caricatures. That could be the point for each character to represent some member of our current culture; however, only Hudson's Birdie Jay offers anything memorable. Of the cast, she is the comic relief playing a person that isn't aware of how others interpret her actions. To make it simple, this group of characters isn't as enthralling as the inner workings of the crazed and delusional family in Knives Out. There isn't one to root for like Ana de Armas' Marta. What happens to these characters is inconsequential because we don't care for them as much.

The mystery behind the murder in Knives Out was layered, keeping the audience engrossed as each discovery was made. Glass Onion's plot and mystery bring about more apathy than captivation. By the time we arrive at the film's finale, there is a sense of relief that the end has come.

The ingredients of a well-made film are throughout Glass Onion, from the acting, writing, cinematography, and editing. But something is missing that grips the audience's attention. This latest chapter in the Benoit Blanc story isn't as good as when we were first introduced to him, but Rian Johnson's Glass Onion is of enough quality to look forward to the investigator's next case.

3.75/5***

(Featured Image: John Wilson/Netflix)

[forceprojecdin]

In The Last Jedi Luke helps guide Rey to the "Knowledge of Good & Evil" (Also, the history of the Sith should be that they were "good" people who were killed for teaching this and went into hiding)

Luke's 2nd lesson to Rey in #TheLastJedi completely obliterates any misconceptions about The Force. It's so on point, so exacting in fact to the basic #JosephCambell distillation of the dualistic Spiritual/Physical Reality (beyond morals) of Creation - that it actually boggles my mind that #RianJohnson pulled off that upheaval (in such a tersely competent cinematic way). It's revolutionary. It was abandoned in #TheRiseOfSkywalker, perhaps because higher ups realized the core SW fanbase isn't ready for it? Though, the mainstream audience likely is, I think the Western World is hungry to evolve from the Old Myth. Luke doesn't teach her anything, he simply directs her to find It for herself. Basically, gnosis - That she is All Of The Divine, as is Everything Else That Exists In The Infinite Of Every Universe All Of The Divine.

Btw, the ONLY way to write the real history of The Sith, is to make their beginnings to thousands of years prior be a sect who believed this "knowledge" of The Force (Gnosis)" and were victims of brutal murderous Crusades - that would kill heretics who didn't ONLY adhere to the Light Side of the Force (In Creed - no one actually cares about in practice). In any case, the Original Sith would simply want all beings to know their Self (sounds like Sith) to know they are equally connected to The Force. They would thus want structures to represent this equality. They would challenge established order of the Elite keeping The Force for themselves. Thus, The Sith would have to go into hiding. Somewhere along the line the good-intentioned Sith would be infiltrated with ill-intentioned would-be Tyrants, with a secret society plan to simply take over the Galaxy for themselves. Leading to Palpatine's fulfillment of the plan, and twisting this in saying to Anakin, 'If you want to be a wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of The Force." True in essence, but twisted just for Palpatine's purposes.

This ultimately leads to Luke understand The Great Mistake and working to dismantle any Elite control of The Force in the Galaxy, by helping Rey see it All inside herself.

If Star Wars goes beyond Episode IX, it needs to go in this, or it will continue to be Spiritually irrelevant like TROS. Finally, some mythologists, authors and historians have argued that the Snake in the Garden of Eden, was actually a twisting of an older Sumerian Garden of Eden myth where the God Enki was teaching that women shamans of the matriarchal society the "knowledge of good and evil." Enki is said to have desired to free people from the mental and physical slavery of his brother Enlil on the Sumerian people. He is always represented with fish scales, or as a snake. So the fish / snake God Enki appeared to women in Eden. This was then intentionally manipulated by men (with a long-term plan to change the cultural myth for their power) to be "Evil", and in so doing they would tarnish the perception of women in society, because they were guided by Enki. Thus, they said Enki only appeared "good" with good intentions, but his true self was evil. The word Satam was also used for Enki - some say that this is how the myth of the Devil came to be. In any case, Luke is shown to catch a big fish, and even wears it over his shoulders. This is called "syncretic" mythology. For ex., the Egyptioan God Thoth later becomes the Greek God Hermes or the Aphrodite (Greek) becomes Venus (Roman) etc. I have to wonder if Rian Johnson was trying to portray Luke as a kind of Enki - that he was smart enough to go back to the very roots of Western mythology and attempt to undo the damage done to Enki.

Above: Ancient Sumerian carving of Enki as Serpent (left) Below: Ancient Sumerian carving of Enki in fish garb

Above: Luke a large fish, almost as if he is wearing it (like Enki)

* * *

Din is singer of F-105 and The Soles and enjoys researching mythology, spirituality and history. He is also a visual artist

[sir-subpar]

I have a question when did Rian and April meet? And how much do they love eachother? And what do they love to do with eachother (besides going to planets doing shows)

Rian and April met sometime after Mars and Rian broke up (Mars and Rian dated in high school). They've been together for about 2 years.

Over all they're a very relaxed couple. They trust eachother and are very open with one another.

An example: after Rian first introduced April to Mars early in their relationship, he let her know that Mars was in fact his ex boyfriend, but they've remained close friends. April's response? Cool. No jealousy or anything like that. She made it a priority to become Mars's friend because A: she knew that it would be important to Rian that the people he care about get along and B: didn't want any tension between them.

They get into arguments sometimes like any other couple but none that ever made them consider breaking up. They might go off and sulk for a bit, but they eventually talk things out.

Neither of them are too bright. They aren't complete dumbasses, they're just a bit hapless is all and tend to get into sticky situations. They mean well, but they don't always think things through.

Both are cuddly, and can be a bit clingy.

They love watching movies together (bonus if they make a pillow fort). Other activities they do together (outside of their singing careers): playing video games, cooking, tattoos, and more

Sorry the post was long, I've been thinking a lot about their relationship lol

[redrascal1]

I am becoming seriously fed up with Finn fans, and unfortunately, with John Boyega. 

First of all, Finn was originally conceived as ‘Sam’, a smuggler who befriended Rey. There were a number of actors lined up to play him, and they were all white. One of them was SpiderMan’s Tom Hollander.

Eventually the character’s name and his role of smuggler was changed to an ex stormtrooper named Finn, but two things remained the same - his personality, which is why so many comment on him being ‘too jokey’ for a former brainwashed child soldier - and the fact that he was never meant to be Rey’s boyfriend. Just her friend.

Then JJ Abrams cast Boyega, who did a good job of playing Finn in TFA and TLJ - I won’t mention TROS.

Boyega is a good actor. He’s also firm friends with Daisy Ridley, hence their brother/sister on screen chemistry. But,post TROS Boyega has been making a lot of complaints.

That he should have been male lead, and not Kylo Ren. That Adam Driver hogged what should have been his lead role. That he should have had the romance with Rey.

His eager fans on the JCF are lapping this up and flinging their support behind him.

Most of all, they are supporting his claims that the only reason he didn’t get what HE wanted, and his fans think should have been his by rights...is because of his ethnicity. In short, Finn wasn’t leading man and Rey’s boyfriend because he was played by a black man.

There are two things here which Boyega and his adorers have chosen to ignore. The central protagonist was always meant to be Rey. And Adam’s character, Kylo Ren, was the last of the real Skywalkers. So of course he would have a major role. Look at the promo posters. They focused on Rey - protagonist - and Kylo, antagonist. 

Finn was conceived as a supporting character. Boyega actually had far more screen time than Adam in all three films. But it wasn’t enough. 

Boyega wanted ....Rey.

Boyega wanted to be Rey’s boyfriend. 

And now he is whining because he didn’t get that role.

He blames Adam, and he blames Rian Johnson. According to Boyega and his JCF groupies, DLF didn’t have the guts to go ahead with an inter racial romance. They are RACISTS.

Excuse me?

I despise DLF post TROS. But they cast a mostly non white group of actors as the leading characters in the excellent Rogue 1. They cast Sam Jackson as Mace Windu in the PT. They want to make solo series about Cassian Andor and Lando Calrissian. Both played by non white actors. They are anything but racist.

Boyega’s claims are ridiculous, childish and petty. But more than that...he’s a hypocrite.

Because there was an inter racial romance in the ST. Between Finn and Rose. And you know who helped quash it - Boyega.

He didn’t like the romance and therefore JJ Abrams erased it and reduced Loan Tran’s role to just one line in TROS. Just as he regressed Adam’s character and reduced his screen time to push Rey, supported by Terrio, and, I suspect, sadly, by Daisy Ridley. I might be wrong about Daisy, but her comments ‘I can’t be behind it (reylo) and ‘Rey doesn’t need a boyfriend’, both made before TROS, lead me to suspect that she had an influence on how her character’s story went. Whatever.

The treatment of Loan, Adam and even Domnhall Gleeson was nothing short of disgraceful. Hux was killed off early in the film and replaced by an older version of himself. Unnecessary. Kylo, the last of the real Skywalkers, was pushed into a background role. And Rose...

Words cannot express the disgust I feel for how Loan was treated. They even shoved a weird slug alien into the role of mechanic at the beginning of the film - a role she could easily have played, as Rose was a mechanic. If anyone had the right to accuse DLF of racism, it’s Loan. And, like Adam and Domnhall, she has done nothing but show dignity, class and admirable restraint post TROS.

Abrams and Terrio crapped all over these talented young actors, to push their favourites. Childish, petty and eventually....a huge mistake because ‘the Trio’ turned out to be  a crashing bore, as did Force Goddess Rey, Adoring Force Acolyte Finn and Han Poe Solo. But ultimately Boyega’s attitude is what truly sucks. 

He helped scupper Finn/Rose. Because apparently an Asian girl wasn’t good enough to be Finn’s girlfriend. No, only the white girl was good enough. And that John, is one of the worst examples of racism I have ever seen. Despicable.