#rocket agent james

[lyovpple]

Partners in crime

[local-meme-lord]

Let's go

Blorbo chart. Free to use.

[yamujiburo]

Why I Love Hanamusa

I get this question very frequently but have never given a really in depth, definitive answer. All just kinda implied through my comics and spread out asks. So here's this I guess! Long post ahead:

First, as a Pokémon fan in her mid 20s, I love seeing a ship where the characters are both in their mid/late 20s. Already, they’re much more relatable to me and my current experiences. Most Pokémon ships are between preteens, which can be cute but ultimately don’t interest me as much as they used to when I was a kid myself. Not enough to get super invested in and draw a lot of fanart for anyways haha.

I’ll also start by saying that canon doesn’t always influence whether or not I’ll ship something. I’m much more drawn to potential. Could the characters work together? Do their personalities work together in a nice way? I feel like this so much of fanon is anyways. Especially with queer relationships because they’re rarely depicted in the first place. A lot of the context for these ships is usually up to the fans to piece together or make up in general. And that’s the fun part to me!

Jessie and Delia have only met in the anime a handful of times. Any interaction they’ve had has either been pleasant, or just a typical Team Rocket interaction, with Delia dismissing them/not seeing them as a threat. Already a great jumping off point for me since, truly, they don’t have any actual beef or true, ill feelings towards each other. It’s not TOO out of the realm of possibility for them to potentially fall for each other. “But Jessie chased Delia’s son around trying to steal his Pokémon!” That’s where that dismissive and aloof attitude that Delia has comes into play. I’ll go more into Delia’s whole deal a bit later but I do think this aspect of her personality is a large reason why this ship can work. It’s not that she doesn’t care that Jessie has a bad past, but she can tell that, on the inside, Jessie’s a good person. And, in a scenario where Jessie is trying to become a better person, is forgiving enough to give her a shot. I feel like this is such a solid foundation for a ship. A character who has done wrong but is trying to be better and another character who is willing to help them be better. A classic dynamic!

It’s not just one-sided though; where Jessie is the only one benefitting and learning from the relationship. I believe Delia could get a lot out of being with someone like Jessie. To understand why, I think it’s important to know these characters’ respective backstories.

Jessie is an orphan/foster child who grew up in poverty. Her mother Miyamoto (from The Birth of Mewtwo) was a Team Rocket operative herself, who went on a mission to find Mew. In order to do this, she had to leave Jessie when she was just a toddler. Unfortunately, Miyamoto went MIA on her mission leaving Jessie to more or less fend for herself. Jessie went through life with zero stability, evident by her MANY different careers and constant moving around. It’s implied in the show that she went from foster home to foster home, and later in life tried being an idol, weather girl, florist, wine connoisseur, actress, most notably a nurse and finally a Team Rocket field agent. And even while in Team Rocket, she, James and Meowth were always doing odd jobs to get by. We see that Jessie used to be a sweet kid, and even adult, but the world and her circumstances repeatedly did her dirty, leading her to become the character we know today. Hot tempered, mean, selfish, etc. But despite this, her soft side does still shine through for the people and Pokémon she cares about. She is incredibly loyal.

Delia, unbeknownst to a lot of fans, also had a rough past (see Pocket Monsters: The Animation). Like Jessie, she had a lot of dreams and aspirations like wanting to be a model and even a trainer. But when she was 10, her mother didn’t let her, telling her that she had to stay home and learn to run the family restaurant (she’s an only child). Delia’s father left her and her mother to be a trainer, and never returned. When she was 18, she married Ash’s father and became pregnant shortly after. But right after Ash was born, he also set off to be a Pokémon trainer. And soon after that, her mother passed away, leaving Delia with just the restaurant and baby Ash. This gives so much context to Delia’s attitude in the show. We see that Delia is pained whenever Ash leaves on a journey, but she never shows that pain to anyone. ESPECIALLY Ash. She’s very quick to shoo him off when he shows any sign of wanting to go on another journey and even when he returns home, she acts more excited to see Pikachu than him almost every time. Without all this backstory, it’s easy to just read this as a funny gag, BUT with context, I think it really shows how quickly Delia shuts down and detaches in order to not confront her own feelings. She’s afraid of losing people and getting hurt again.

All that said, I think Jessie and Delia provide each other with EXACTLY what the other needs. 

Aside from becoming rich and famous, Jessie’s biggest aspiration is to get married. In my opinion, this is more so an underlying want for love and stability. There is no one more stable in the show than Delia. Delia’s lived in Pallet her whole life, she’s worked at the same restaurant since she was young and she is always there when Ash comes back home. She has all the love, patience and stability Jessie needs and craves. While forgiving, Delia’s not stupid and can keep Jessie in check. Delia’s also just an angel, which I feel, would make Jessie want to be better. And on top of all this, on more of a surface level, Delia’s a chef and excellent cook. She shows love through cooking and Jessie, who grew up poor, regularly starving and eating snow, happily receives that love. Jessie’s able to live a happy and healthy life with someone like Delia.

Delia, as stated, is very stable. Likely pretty monotonous and solitary, especially living in such a small town like Pallet. This isn’t a bad thing but it’s a little sad when you consider that Delia also had dreams of traveling, being a model and a trainer. She had to give up so many dreams in order to fulfill her duties as a restaurant owner and mother. And even now, when Ash is off on his journey, she feels the need to always be home and be that stable pillar, leaving behind any ambitions she had, thinking it’s too late for her (she’s only 29 btw). But then along comes Jessie, dangerous, passionate, an absolute firecracker. Someone who’s whole life has been about chasing dreams and either, never giving up on them or finding a new dream to chase. Upon learning about Delia’s past aspirations, I could see Jessie pushing her towards them, letting her know that life’s too short and she has nothing to lose from trying. On top of this, Jessie’s also loyal. She, James and Meowth are depicted as doing anything for anyone who gives them food or shows them kindness. Delia does both so there’s no way Jessie would leave her. This fulfills an essential need for Delia, who is afraid of the people in her life leaving her.

There’s so much potential for mutual growth and learning between these two and I adore that. They compliment each other, they help each other and they bring out the best qualities in one another.

I’m not really sure how to end this and I could truly talk about them even more but I don’t want this to be tooooo long haha. OH I could end it with maybe the most funny aspect of this ship that I've brushed over and also what drew me to it in the first place. Jessie. As Ash’s stepmom. THE END.

[flowery-laser-blasts]

🐉🧧🧨新年快乐💖恭喜发财🧨🧧🐉

Happy Lunar New Year and ring in the year of Drakk-- I mean, Drakg-- the Dragon!

There's a LOT going on here so let me elaborate: - Mama Lipsky invited Dr. Drakken and Shego to come to GO City since it's been a while since their last get-together and she wanted to see what these 'Chinese line dances' are all about. - Drakken didn't know about this plan until two hours before the get-together, because Shego thought it would be more fun to see him panic around to get ready. As a last-minute revenge plot, he rang up GO-tower (good thing it's in the phonebook) and asked if Hego, Mego, and the Wegos were up for a house visit after lunch. Hego instead suggested that they could all meet up at a restaurant for dinner as a fun surprise for Shego. - The possibles coincidentally are also at the restaurant as a "Thank you for helping my boys out when his friends couldn't make it to the lion dance performance." "No big, really! It was an honor to help you all out with this!" "And these lion pants! They're so stretchy and elastic and they don't fall off even after dangling around on top of a tall pole! So say. Are cassava chips like the Asian equivalent of Tortilla chips? Because my man, do I have a spectacular idea coming up!" thus Ron rushed off into the kitchen to make a... well, sort of chips, noodles dish (he ran out to Bueno nacho when he couldn't handle the 'spice' of the cassava.) and well yeah.... 'Toodles' (Tortilla Chip Noodles) was born. Kim being left alone was then spotted by... "Drewbie? Isn't that your friend Kim?" "No." "Yeah, look it's Kim! The girl who helped you and Shego save the world? Yoohoo! Kimberly!! Over here, grab a seat dear! Really Drew, I still can't believe you lied to me about being a radio talkshow doctor instead of a secret service agent training and inspiring the next generation of heroes! Really, you can trust me to not tell others about it." "Yeah, how could you ever lie to your own mother about that, Drewbie." - Meanwhile, James found out that Jim and Tim had this idea of making an actual Dragon 'fly' by the power of science and some spare rocket parts in their dad's car. - Motor Ed simply heard the words 'get-together' from his aunt and invited himself over.

I hope everyone (who celebrates it) has a great time and may this year be a great one for all of us! <3 <3 <3

[pokemon-icon-factory]

Team Rocket Agent James icons — requested by an anon

Free to use, but credit is appreciated

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

Ahem ahem

After months of waiting!

I AM PRESENTING THE BRACKET FOR DUMBASS DUO SHOWDOWN!

CLICK FOR BETTER QUALITY!

The first 16 battles will happen at 8pm CET (gmt+1)!

Group 1!

Uhh btw some of these were put on one day accidentally

Roronoa Zoro & Monkey D. Luffy aka Zolu (one piece) vs Good times with Scar & Grian aka desert duo (hermitcraft)

Bill Preston & Ted Logan (bill & Ted’s excellent adventure) vs Jessie & James from team rocket (Pokémon)

Wayne & Raj (total drama) vs Denji & Power (chainsaw man)

Burton & Shawn (psych) vs Rosencrantz & guildenstern (hamlet & rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead)

Josuke Higashikata & Okuyasu Nijimura aka Josuyasu (JoJo’s bizarre adventure) vs Shouyo Hinata & Tobio Kageyama (Haikyuu!)

Isaac & Miria (Baccano) vs Jay Walker & Cole Brookstone/bucket aka Bruise (lego ninjago)

Ace & Deuce (twisted wonderland) vs Aang & Sokka (avatar: the last airbender)

Tommyinnit & Tubbo aka Clingyduo (dsmp) vs Shiver, Frye, & Bigman aka Deep Cut (splatoon)

Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) & Booster Gold (Michael Carter) aka boostle VS Mustard Lesbian and Ketchup Gay from this post

Mordecai & Rigby (regular show) vs Lindsay & Tyler (total drama)

Rui Kamishiro & Tsukasa Tenma aka Ruikasa (project sekai) vs Zuke & Mayday aka Bunk Bed Junction (no straight roads)

Ruffnut & Tuffnut Thorston (how to train your dragon) vs Jedediah & Octavius (night at the museum)

Merry & Pippin (lord of the rings) vs The Doctor & Donna (dr who)

Jedward (irish music history) vs Min-Gi Park & Ryan Akagi (infinity train)

Grif & Simmons (red vs blue) vs Beavis & Butthead (Beavis & butthead)

Bender & Fry (futurama) vs Porsche & Pete (kinnporsche)

GROUP 2

1/8-18:30 & 2/8 18:30

Kaz & Oliver (mighty med) vs Bobbi Morse & Lance Hunter aka Huntingbird (agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)

Henchman 21 & Henchman 24 (venture bros) vs Spongebob & Patrick (Spongebob Squarepants)

Galo Thymos & Lio Fotia (promare) vs Yusuke & Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Charlie Kelly & Mac (it is always sunny in Philadelphia) vs Donald, José & Panchito (the three Caballeros)

The Bros (the bro duet) vs Chai & 808 (hi-fi rush)

Markiplier & CrankGameplays aka Unus Annus vs Knockout & Starscream (transformers)

Caspar & Shez (fire emblem warriors: three hopes) vs Yukiko Amagi & Chie Satonaka aka Yukichie (persona 4)

Tk Strand & Evan Buck Buckley (911 on fox lonestar) vs Shane & Ryan (buzzfeed unsolved)

Ontario Pipping Plovers (birbs from canada) vs Kaminari Denki & Ashido Mina (My hero academia)

Rin Okumura & Kuro (blue exorcist) vs Adam Blampied & Sullivan Beau Brown (No barrels rolled)

Chip & Gillion aka Fish and Chips (just roll with it) vs Josuke Higashikata & Yasuho Hirose aka Yasugap (jojo's bizarre adventure)

Soldier & Demoman (team fortress 2) vs Cuphead & Mugman (the cuphead show)

Nott/Veth & Jester (critical role the mighty nein) vs Troy & Abed (community)

Walter White & Jessie Pinkman (breaking bad) vs Barbie & Ken (barbie life in a dreamhouse)

Cuddles & Toothy (happy tree friends) vs Heath Burns & Hoodude Voodoo (monster high)

Pete Wentz and Gabe Saporta (bandom) vs Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng & Nie Huaisang (MDZS/the untamed)

TAGS TO CHECK OUT!

#propaganda #dumbass duo showdown announcements #dumbass duo showdown update #round 1 #art gallery #polls

[sjsmith56]

More Time - A Private Man, Chapter 22

Summary: Bucky returns to Wakanda with Tracey, expecting the worst. In the privacy of their room she helps him deal with the guilt he feels for his decision.

Length: 5.2 K

Characters: Bucky, Tracey, Shuri, Rebecca, Janice, M’Baku, Toussaint, Nakia.

Warnings: Angst, feelings of guilt.

Authors notes: This further explores the bond between Bucky and Tracey and how much she supports him. She really is the love of his life. I also wanted him to learn how much the Wakandans respect him. Divider by vecteezy.com

<<Chapter 21

As Bucky came through the portal with Tracey, he noticed a full guard of Dora Milaje and Queen's Guard soldiers lined up on either side of the large reception room. Shuri stood on a dais, beside M'Baku, of the Jabari tribe, along with the council, while Rebecca, Janice, Nebula, and Everett Ross stood to the side. Feeling somewhat anxious Bucky was aware of Tracey's hand slipping into his own.

"It's alright," she whispered. "You're not in trouble."

"I killed people," he replied. "Of course, I'm in trouble."

She still smiled at him, and he grasped her hand firmly, walking between the two rows of guards. When they reached the end he disconnected his arm, offering it to Shuri.

"Thank you for sending the arm to me to use in the fight on the carrier but I'm no longer worthy to wear it," he said. "It should be given to Nebula, who will transport it to its new owner, as we agreed."

Shuri stepped down and took the arm from him, turning to Nebula who had stepped down with her.

"Give this to your colleague, Rocket," said Shuri. "His careful calculations in designing an explosive that was just big enough to stop an invasion of our country by hostile forces will always be appreciated. You and all of your colleagues are welcome to visit us in the future."

Nebula nervously took it, bowing her head slightly, then she returned to her place. Shuri turned her attention back to Bucky, trying to appear stern but she was too good natured a person to keep up the pretence and she smiled at him before addressing everyone.

"Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes has atoned for his previous assistance to an enemy of Wakanda by taking definitive action against a much larger and hostile army, that would have ravaged our country for its natural resources, would have enslaved our people as its captive workforce, and would have done so to provide profit to foreign interests. In so doing he didn't hesitate to give his own life to protect our country, as well as protecting the lives of his loved ones. He did so forgoing a promise he made to himself to never kill again, knowing that taking this drastic but seemingly necessary step was, at the time, the only way to stop the hostilities permanently. Bast and Sekhmet decided to smile upon Sergeant Barnes for his courage, sending him the means to undo his decision, giving him the time and the extra forces to defeat the enemy honourably. For his actions Sergeant Barnes will be forever known as White Wolf, Hero and Son of Wakanda. He and his family will always have a place in our society. He will always be welcome to use our future gifts to him." She leaned forward and spoke in a lower voice. "The new arm isn't quite ready yet but will be in a few days. Stay with us for a while and show your family your home country."

He didn't know what to say so he bowed his head quickly then went to Rebecca, hugging her for what seemed like an eternity. Even Janice received an affectionate hug. When he saw Everett Ross, he wasn't sure what to say to him, remembering the history he had with the man, but the former CIA agent just smiled and extended his hand to shake Bucky's.

"Just so you know, my ex-wife was always a bitch," he said. "Her ambitions always overrode her loyalty to our marriage. That's about the time I realized she brokered a lot of shady deals. I was here when you were undergoing treatment. They never shared the details, but I could see by their disgust that HYDRA did unspeakable things to you. I'm sorry for not realizing how much torture you went through to force you into compliance."

"Everett was our escape route out of Wakanda if they managed to get into the country," said Tracey. "He was going to pilot us out of here."

It was as if he saw the man in a new light and Bucky offered his hand again to shake Everett's then his gaze fell upon Nebula. She faced Bucky, holding his old arm, seeming almost afraid to look him in the eye.

"You brought my wife to safety," he said. "I am forever in your debt. Take the arm to Rocket. I had a deal to give it to him, in exchange for the little bomb he made me." She looked distressed and Tracey whispered into his ear about what giving the arm to Rocket meant to her. "He will still be thrilled that you're the one giving it to him. I know that he's very fond of you. For five years you only had each other and that's a bond only you two share. Believe that."

Suddenly he remembered something, and he gestured to the arm, removing his wedding ring from the ring finger and placing it on his right hand. He turned back to Tracey with a look of regret on his face.

"I'm sorry I left you. I feared that they would find a way to turn me, and I couldn't let them do it. Once I saw the dark sorcerer there, I knew. My biggest regret was leaving you and our son, not seeing him grow up."

"How do you know it's a boy?" asked Tracey.

Bucky shrugged, reluctant to say anything in front of the others. "A hint of a vision maybe that I don't even know for certain if I actually saw. I just knew. Do you forgive me?"

She stifled a sob and nodded as tears came to her eyes. "I do. For better or worse was in the vows we took. I still get to love and cherish you after death." A ragged breath came out of her, followed by a smile. "Don't you ever do that again, James Buchanan Barnes."

He held and kissed her passionately until a little cough interrupted them. Shuri was waiting.

"Come, you must want to change out of these clothes," she said. "We have something here for you. Okoye will go to the resort and pick up your baggage. Are you hungry, Sergeant Barnes?"

"Always," smiled Bucky. "I haven't eaten since last night."

Tracey took him to their quarters where clean clothing awaited him. While he showered the others went to the dining room and waited on his arrival. A feast was put out for all of them, and Bucky explained many of the dishes that were laid out, remembering them from his time in Wakanda. It pleased him that Tracey, Rebecca, and Janice tried everything that was given to them, taking seconds of many of the dishes. Tracey, especially, still seemed inclined to eat more than her normal amounts. He noticed Shuri watching Tracey. She must have sensed his scrutiny because she looked at him in anticipation of a question.

"Your Majesty, when we talked to you before we left for our honeymoon you said you wanted to examine Tracey," he said. "Were you able to learn anything from the samples you did get?"

Smiling she nodded. "Yes, nothing to be concerned about Sergeant," she replied. "But you mustn't refer to me as Queen anymore as we have a King." She looked at M'Baku who was at the feast. He nodded his agreement for her to say more. "We have an agreement that M'Baku will act as regent, taking on the role of King of Wakanda. I will stay on as head of science and technology as well as another role, that I take over from my brother."

"You're the Black Panther," stated Bucky, standing up as he realized the implications of what she just said. "You would have defended the country. I didn't have to ...."

She stood up also, putting her hand on his and smiled. "I didn't truly understand that was your intention when we agreed to give the raccoon the arm and I pretended I was still a queen. It suited our purposes for outsiders to think the country was ruled by someone seen as a child. Ross and Fontaine thought the death of my brother and mother made us weak and, in their quest to conquer us they made many assumptions and mistakes. When you made your sacrifice, it proved your loyalty to Wakanda and its people beyond all doubt."

M'Baku rose and stood next to her. "White Wolf, you have the true heart of a Wakandan warrior and took it upon yourself to protect our country, at the cost of your own life. Even though the battlefield was on the ocean the Avengers willingly came to our defence. With Shuri free to be the Black Panther and be part of the Avengers when she is called, and with me as king, no one will ever think they can take what is ours again. We will not permit it."

The big Wakandan gave Bucky a bear hug as proof of his thanks. Bucky didn't know what to say, as this news wasn't something he had ever expected to hear. It should have made him feel better but there was still a feeling in him that wasn't right.

"A full physical of Mrs. Barnes would still be advised," continued Shuri, as if nothing had changed, "just to clear up any discrepancies. Then we can talk about the pregnancy. There is no rush. I understand some damage was done at your home and it must be repaired before you return. Enjoy your stay with us. Both of your employers are aware of what happened and have given their blessing to you taking another week. I promised Mrs. Proctor and Mrs. Harris the opportunity to visit our border tribe and have the opportunity to pet the rhinoceroses. King M'Baku has extended a similar invitation to all of you to observe the white gorillas in their natural habitat. I understand your own village wishes to meet your family."

"Then I guess we'll stay," replied Bucky. "Thank you for taking care of them."

"It was our privilege and honour," said King M'Baku. "Now, return to the feast. There is much to celebrate."

Over the next few days, the group was escorted to tour the border tribe lands, the Jabari lands, and finally the village where Bucky lived during his treatment. In each place they were all greeted with chants of "White Wolf" as word had already gone out about Bucky's sacrifice. He downplayed what happened, still feeling uncomfortable with the acclaim, admitting only to wanting to keep Wakanda safe. At feasts held in his honour Rebecca was asked to tell stories of him as a young man which she freely obliged, including telling them about Bucky braiding her hair when she was a child. Their encounters with the rhinos, then the white apes and finally some of Bucky's now grown baby goats were all memorable for the group. As they flew back to the palace after the third day Tracey held Bucky's hand on the aircraft, knowing he was still unsettled by something.

"I understand better why you did what you did," she said. "This is an incredible country with amazing people. Ross would have ruined it willingly to get to their resources. You couldn't let that happen."

"I should have trusted that Shuri found a way to resurrect the Black Panther," he replied, looking down. "I just assumed that with T'Challa gone that they had no protector."

"Because that is what you are, Sergeant Barnes," said Ayo, who had accompanied them on the tour. "You have always been a protector, from childhood on. It is why we were sure the HYDRA programming could be successfully removed from your mind. It is why you will be a good father and husband. Do not fret over what you did. Bast gave you a second chance and you succeeded in stopping Ross without the loss of life."

He gave Ayo a small smile, accepting her sentiments, even though he was still concerned he had overstepped his boundaries. When they arrived at the palace and returned to their rooms, he and Tracey finally had some time to themselves. In the privacy and quiet of their room they made love, with a sweetness and gentleness that was welcomed by both. As they lay in the soft bedclothes that were assembled around them Tracey's head was on Bucky's shoulder, his right arm cradling her next to his body. He told her about the two visions he had in the darkness in that final moment of his death before Dr. Strange brought him back.

"Funny that meeting Steve was the first thing that came to mind," he said softly. "But then I had just said goodbye to you. You were the last person I wanted to see. I'm still sorry I hurt you when I sent you back."

"You were protecting me," she answered. "Keeping my soul from being engulfed by the blast, I guess. How did you know how to find me?"

"I didn't," said Bucky, squeezing her closer. "It was laid out in front of me, like the Milky Way but brighter. I just followed it and I saw you sleeping. You were so beautiful, like a goddess, laying in a bower of flowers, except it was all light that surrounded you. My goddess, full of light and our child. Maybe that's where I saw him, his presence in you."

"How did Dr. Strange know where to find you?"

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know but he was there, in the darkness with me, and when I asked if he could show me my parents once more, he was so kind and pleasant to me. He can be very abrupt at times, but he was so compassionate. To see Rebecca as a child again, that was something. For all of our age difference we were so close. He asked if there was one thing I could change in my life what it would be."

His throat constricted and Tracey raised her head to look at him, seeing the emotion on his face as he struggled to reign in his feelings.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You can always cry with me."

"I chose more time with you and Rebecca," he choked out before weeping. It took some time for him to regain control while Tracey stroked his face and chest, comforting him. "I didn't want to leave you or her but there was no one else who could get to that ship and find out what was waiting for us. Once I saw the dark sorcerer, I knew what they planned, and I wasn't going to let anyone become enslaved like I had. I thought ... I thought with that one act I could make proper amends for all of it, all that I did when I was the Winter Soldier. Then to find out that it wasn't ...."

He began weeping again and Tracey laid on top of him, covering his body with hers. He raised his right hand to his face, covering it as he felt the despair overtake him. Calmly and softly soothing him, Tracey stroked and kissed his face and hand, until he was spent. Great sobbing breaths ripped through his chest several times before he was able to look at his wife with eyes that were still tortured.

"Can you sit up?" asked Tracey gently. "I want us to be eye to eye for this."

He nodded and used his single hand to prop himself up against the headboard while Tracey straddled him. Gently, she took the edge of the closest sheet and wiped the tears from his face, before placing her hands on his cheeks. Then she gazed at him, caressing him from his hair down to his shoulders, her eyes following her hands as she did so.

"I forgive you for leaving me," she said first. "I know that you only did it because you felt it was your last resort, the only chance to save your friends, Wakanda, Rebecca, and me. The guilt that you're feeling for making that choice is going to take time to dissipate. It feels worse because you learned the Black Panther still lives and you wonder now if your sacrifice was necessary. You also feel guilty because you killed again, not a single person, but hundreds at one shot. When you found out about Ross being a witness to your slavery, and he so cruelly dismissed it as collateral damage, it's because he knew it would trigger you, that it would destroy you, but it would bring him satisfaction. A man like him always has to be right, no matter who gets hurt, or killed, as long as he can twist it to his beliefs, he'll always think his way is the right way."

"You weren't there, how do you know this?" Bucky asked, puzzled. "That happened before you got there."

"Sam's video cams were active," replied Tracey. "We were watching it happen live, even when time stopped the cameras kept rolling. Then when you wanted to kill Ross yourself and Dr. Strange stopped time to give you the opportunity to do it, I knew I had to be with you. Shuri contacted Wong and he opened a portal and came with me. I wasn't going to let you face Ross by yourself. All the other times I've been with you, maybe not always right beside you, but with you in spirit and with love. Bucky, you did what you thought was right at the time, and it was right. If you didn't do that then they would have turned you and the Avengers, then Wakanda would have been invaded. They would have put up a good fight but all of the enhanced humans that were turned would have had no restraints on them and they would have overwhelmed the country. Ghost, alone, would have been able to defeat Shuri. Wakanda would have been lost, you would be a real monster, as would all the Avengers, and Ross would be the most dangerous man in the world, worse even than Alexander Pierce, because he would have the actual means to take over the world, all in the name of keeping American interests safe."

For the longest time Bucky stared into Tracey's eyes, trying to find the holes in her argument but there were none. It was true. At the time he activated the bomb that was the only option that could be taken.

"Dr. Strange didn't just happen to be there in the darkness with me, did he?" asked Bucky quietly.

She shook her head. "The others don't know this, but I had a vision as well after you pushed me away from the blast and I woke up screaming," she said softly. "They gave me something to calm me down. As I lay there, I saw a life without you. Rebecca, losing her will to live and dying before the baby was born. Me, trying to go on alone. Sam devastated ... all of the Avengers gutted that you made the ultimate sacrifice for them. Except Thor and Valkyrie who see death differently than us. To them you died as a valiant warrior. Shuri, Ayo, Okoye, and M'Baku were filled with their own grief and guilt that you took their fight on as your own and they didn't think you would take that final step of ensuring the country's safety without them. So much responsibility that you willingly take on and you don't have to because there are many who would gladly share it with you." Her lips trembled and she took several deep breaths. "I asked the universe for help in that moment and Dr. Strange was suddenly there, said he heard me through several universes. He knew what you had done and at first, he thought you were the Soldier again then he used his Time Stone and saw everything, not just you but the others, Ross, Mordo, what they did to Walker, everything, including if you didn't activate the bomb."

"What did they do to Walker?" asked Bucky, already sensing the answer. "They turned him first, didn't they?"

Tracey nodded. "He was their test subject, not willingly either. Mordo worked out the process on him so that by the time he attacked the island he was their soldier. But the process wouldn't ever turn off. You told me once that you could be reset if you were knocked out. That when you came around the Soldier would be gone, and you were either yourself or in a confused state. With Mordo's process it would be permanent. Once turned, always turned unless he reversed it. Dr. Strange saw a future where you were all turned and knew he had to undo what Mordo did, so he went back many times and saw all of it. He did all that in the fractions of a second before he finally appeared to you in that moment before you died."

"When he asked me what one thing I wanted to change," admitted Bucky, "and I chose more time with you and Rebecca."

"Oh, Bucky, don't you see?" asked Tracey, grasping his shoulders. "You could have gone back to the beginning, been 4F in the war, not become a Howling Commando, not got on the train, prepared yourself better for the shot that blasted you out the hole, found a different hand hold, not have fallen, so many possibilities. Instead, you chose more time with me and Rebecca. To the sorcerer that holds the Time Stone that was like music to his ears. All you wanted was a bit more time with the people you love."

Bucky's face brightened and he gave a quick breath of realization as he accepted that his choices had mattered. Even though the decision to explode the bomb was undone, it had opened up possibilities that made a difference. Life would be alright, and he would be okay, because he chose more time with this woman who meant so much to him. Time with her and Rebecca was worth more than money, attention, fame, all of it. In a world that valued success and material things he had chosen something much more valuable. Smiling at her with all the love he felt at that moment, Bucky raised his right hand to Tracey's face and caressed it.

"I'm a lucky man to have someone who's much too good for me in my corner," he said. "You and Rebecca are everything to me. Don't ever give up on me."

"Not a chance," she replied. "Rebecca feels the same way. Now, how about you and I shower, we get dressed up in our real clothes that Okoye was kind enough to bring, and we start this next part of our lives knowing that it will only get better from here."

"Okay, but now that I have you here," he smiled, looking down at his lap. "We can be a little late for dinner."

She looked as well and embraced him, joining him in celebrating the transcendent essence of their connection. The calls made to their kimoyo bead bracelets were ignored while they explored each other's bodies with joy.

When they arrived at the dining room the difference in them both was noticeable as Tracey glowed in both her early pregnancy and as a wife on her extended honeymoon, while Bucky radiated the confidence and good nature he once did as a handsome young man, even with only one arm. He pulled a chair out for Tracey then sat beside Rebecca who leaned over and touched his hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her face concerned. "You seem different."

"I am different," he answered, squeezing his sister's hand with a grin. "We'll have a good talk later. Just know that you mean so much to me."

The Wakandans entered, to which they all rose in respect to King M'Baku. There were others following behind him including a young boy. Bucky was unsure who the boy was, having never seen him before, but he was wearing Wakanda's version of casual clothing. A few steps behind him was Nakia, who he knew had been King T'Challa's lover and rumoured secret wife. Shuri looked indulgently at the boy as they approached, then smiled at Bucky when they reached the table.

"Sergeant Barnes, may I introduce the heir to the throne, Prince T'Challa II, the son of my late brother, King T'Challa I," she said, in a voice loud enough for their small group to hear. "His existence is to be known only within these walls for his own protection, with the exception of you and your family. I would make the formal request that you assume the role of one of his mentors, so that he might learn the necessity of honour and sacrifice firsthand. Do you accept my request?"

"I accept, your Highness," he replied, with a small bow of his head.

"Outside of these walls the prince goes by the name Toussaint, reflecting his Haitian birthplace," said Nakia, who had joined them. "My King wished for him to be raised in a different environment, away from the court. "Toussaint, this is Sergeant James Barnes, known as White Wolf. You recall your baba talking about him."

"Yes," replied the young boy looking up at Bucky with a smile. "He said you were a man of honour and that you liked your baby goats."

Bucky chuckled, remembering the gentle teasing he received from T'Challa whenever he visited Bucky in the village. They were happier times.

"Your father was the best of men, your Highness," said Bucky. "I owe him my life. It would be my honour to be of service to you."

A pleasant smile from the boy reflected his acceptance of Bucky. With a wave of his hand M'Baku encouraged everyone to sit at the large table and the food was served. The conversation was lively and there was much laughter as stories were shared during the meal. When dinner was finished the King approached Rebecca and offered her his arm.

"There is something I would like you all to see," he said kindly. "We will take an elevator to the roof so that you have the best view of anyone in the city. Mrs. Proctor, if you please."

She took his arm, and the big man slowed his steps to match hers, entering a large elevator that took them all up to a viewing area on the roof. It was a stunning scene as the whole city was visible to them in the twilight. Assisting Rebecca to sit in her chair M'Baku stood in front of the group and faced the city. Somewhere a microphone amplified his voice so everyone in the city could hear him. The sounds of activity below lessened as attention was given to the King of Wakanda.

"This past year was both painful and tumultuous for Wakanda," he said gravely, "with the loss of King T'Challa and Queen Mother Ramonda. We were attacked by Namor and found ourselves at a loss of how to adequately defend ourselves without the presence of the Black Panther. Princess Shuri, with her intellectual skills, found a way to regrow the heart shaped herb and in the process was able to resurrect the protector of Wakanda, taking the mantle onto her own shoulders. We thought we were alone in the world but that is not the case. The White Wolf stepped up, along with the Avengers, to show the world they will not stand by when the sovereignty of an independent nation is threatened. Tonight, we honour White Wolf for his sacrifice and his service. This is your home, Sergeant Barnes, always."

A flaming arrow was shot from the roof into the air, exploding into a large firework display that covered the entire sky. As several Talon fighters skimmed overhead, trailing bright plumes of fluorescent smoke, thousands of drones assembled and began showing images of Bucky, starting from his original time in Wakanda, then moving on to the battle against Thanos. When people were turned to dust after the Snap there was an audible gasp, not just from the people on the rooftop but from the population who were watching, as a sprinkling of ash was visible, dissipating as it fell from the sky. The reappearance of the decimated brought loud cheers from the streets as it showed the combined armies of the world reassembling near the Avengers compound to fight Thanos. There were scenes of Bucky at work on the docks, his intervention in the robbery, the rescue at Coney Island, then the wedding, and finally his escape from the helicopter to landing on the aircraft carrier and destroying it, bringing more gasps from everyone. The reversal of the explosion was followed by resumption of the battle on the aircraft carrier with the appearance of the Wakandan force bringing cheers. It ended with an image of Bucky appearing first, dressed in an Avengers uniform with the other Avengers, including Shuri as the Black Panther spread out in a line to symbolize that they would defend Wakanda. When the drones turned off and flew away the fireworks continued for several long minutes.

Throughout the display Bucky watched impassively, even as Rebecca and Tracey stayed close to him, watching him for signs of distress. He was uncomfortable with the attention, that much was certain, but he did stay and watch it until the end, when M'Baku addressed the crowd once more.

"Good people of Wakanda," he began, "it was our desire to name this date the Day of White Wolf, so that James Buchanan Barnes would know how much we value him as a friend of our country. However, it is not his nature to seek recognition, or fame, or acclaim, for doing things that he regards are his duty as an honourable man to uphold. In keeping with his desire to be seen as no better or worse than any one of us, we will respect his need for a simple life by celebrating him for tonight only, as he is a private man. He is a good man, soon to be a father, a husband, a brother, and always a friend to Wakanda." He gestured to Bucky and leaned close to him when they stood side by side. "This once, take your due. It has been a long time coming, Bucky."

Lifting Bucky's right hand in his and raising his other hand M'Baku yelled out "White Wolf" then stepped back when the crowd repeated it and chanted. As music began playing below him, and songs were sung extolling his virtues, he stood and accepted the good will of the people in the city. M'Baku brought everyone up to support him; Tracey and Rebecca each had an arm around him, Janice was at Tracey's side, as the others stood behind him, except for Toussaint who stood in front of his new mentor, occasionally looking up at the man his father considered a friend. It would be a moment both of them would remember in the friendship they developed over the coming years.

Chapter 23>>

Series Masterlist

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[posttexasstressdisorder]

Heading into the 50th season of Saturday Night Live, fans of the show and its original cast may feel they already know all of the lore surrounding them and their iconic characters, such as how Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi took two white guys in black suits and rocketed The Blues Brothers to the top of the charts with a multi-platinum album in 1978 and a subsequent movie in 1980 that co-starred Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown—and in doing so, revitalized the careers of those music legends. And yet, somehow, there are revelations aplenty in a new two-hour oral history, Blues Brothers: The Arc of Gratitude, debuting Thursday exclusively on Audible.

Aykroyd, now 72, narrates and presides over the retrospective, which features previously unheard audio from Belushi (who died in 1982), some of the last testimony of his widow, Judith Belushi Pisano (who died earlier this month), as well as anecdotes from Blues Brothers musical director Paul Shaffer, band members Lou Marini and Steve Jordan, plus drummer Willie Hall, Belushi’s real-life inspiration Curtis Salgado, filmmaker John Landis, and his wife, costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis.

As Belushi’s widow explains, the real origin story of The Blues Brothers involved a lot more than what we saw on screen.

“They were characters. No doubt about it,” Pisano recalls. “They were somewhat alter-egos, as well. They were sort of characters on the stage of life. It wasn’t a bit, exactly, that they ended up doing. I know that it’s often referred to The Blues Brothers as developed from a skit on Saturday Night Live, and you know, that’s really just not true. It’s not how it happened.”

From road trips to roadhouses to 30 Rock

While the Aykroyd-Belushi partnership officially began on stage in Toronto at The Second City—after which they did listen to a live blues band that very first night and share their common tastes in music—the idea for them to perform music in addition to comedy came a bit later when the duo drove cross-country. “They sort of jokingly said, let’s do a band,” Pisano recalls. Belushi, then already a star of The National Lampoon’s off-Broadway musical, Lemmings, as well as The National Lampoon Radio Hour, had recruited Aykroyd from Toronto, and he was sleeping on a mattress on the floor of the studio apartment Belushi shared with Pisano on Bleecker Street.

Belushi would get up onstage with bands in NYC or on road trips and sing the old Robert Johnson tune, “Sweet Home Chicago,” which Pisano says “was a well-known, popular, easy to play song.” Lorne Michaels saw one of Belushi’s performances and suggested he do it to warm up the studio audience at Saturday Night Live. Belushi got Aykroyd involved. Willie Nelson gave Jake and Elwood their first big break

Belushi already had befriended Willie Nelson, according to Aykroyd, and they laid out their initial concept for a blues band to Nelson backstage during his residency at The Lone Star Cafe, a former nightclub on Fifth Avenue. “Within a few minutes, Willie had agreed to lend us his band as a backup for a trial show in which Jake and Elwood would open for him,” Aykroyd says. He and Belushi learned a few songs for the gig. “The reaction was favorable, although clear that neither John nor I were conservatory-trained artists, we had a good feel for the music, and we knew how to feature an all-star band.”

Comedian Lenny Bruce helped inspire their signature look

“The wardrobe was inspired by Lenny Bruce, who always wore a dark suit, black string tie and white shirt,” Aykroyd says. “The hat and shades were meant to emulate John Lee Hooker from the photo on the cover of his album House of the Blues. It delighted us that we were compared to IRS agents, Men in Black, and the reference in the movie when Aretha Franklin says that we resemble Hasidic diamond merchants.”

“They found the stuff in thrift shops,” Pisano adds, “and then once the movie hit, they were on—you got yourself a designer, and custom-made suits before you know it.”

Enter Landis’s wife, costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis, who had outfitted Belushi’s “COLLEGE” sweatshirt for National Lampoon’s Animal House, and later picked out the fedora and jacket for Indiana Jones, as well as Michael Jackson’s red Thriller jacket. She recalls how haphazard their early outfits looked as Jake and Elwood: “They were using any jacket and any pair of black trousers, usually didn’t match. So they were not in suits, they were unsuited. And any hat, and any tie, and any shirt, and any glasses that looked OK.”

Lorne Michaels was initially skeptical the idea would work

That their first blues song onscreen happened in their SNL “Killer Bee” costumes? Not part of the plan. “Which John hated,” Landis alleges. “And I think it was Lorne sticking it to him.” But after that performance of “I’m a King Bee” on the Jan. 17, 1976, episode, SNL’s musical director Howard Shore dubbed Aykroyd and Belushi The Blues Brothers, and they were off and running.

Belushi tasked Paul Shaffer, an original SNL house band member (and later longtime band leader for David Letterman’s late-night reign), to hire the rest of The Blues Brothers band, which originally included Shaffer on keys, Marini on sax, Al Rubin on trumpet, Tom Malone on trombone, and Steve Jordan on percussion. “I just knew I was having a better time than I ever thought I would have in my whole life,” Shaffer recalls. “Everybody was having so much fun.” And of Aykroyd and Belushi, Shaffer says: “They were explosive individually,” but together, “like a tornado, that’s what the two were like.”

Malone suggested getting Otis Redding’s guys, Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn on lead guitar and bass to fill out the rhythm section, and then they added another guitarist, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, after seeing him perform elsewhere in the city.

“An odd mixture of people, but man, it worked,” Marini says. “But Lorne didn’t dig it. And then one of the shows late in the season, they were short, and he said, you guys want to do your silly song? Go ahead and do it. And so we did it on the show. And it was a tremendous hit. People just went crazy for it.”

Belushi was furious at anyone who dared criticize the band When The Blues Brothers scored a #1 hit with their debut album, 1978’s Briefcase Full of Blues, Belushi found himself that fall with the top album, along with a box-office smash in Animal House, to go with his fame on SNL. But he was not without his critics.

In a previously unheard interview conducted with journalist Steve Bloom for a 1979 profile in the Soho Weekly News, we hear Belushi brushing back criticism of The Blues Brothers as a novelty act or appropriating black culture.

“It’s just weird, you know. Why would I do these things?” he says. “First of all, it has nothing to do with ego. It has nothing to do with money. Or the need to be loved by an audience. I don’t have any of those feelings. What the fuck do these people think I am, anyway? I can’t fucking understand why they would attack—see when they attack me, they attack the band. And I hate when they attack the band, because then it makes them look like schmucks for doing what they did for me.” One famous scene from ‘The Blues Brothers’ film was inspired by real life

Aykroyd reveals that one scene in their 1980 film is a nod to their actual record deal: “Where we are about to escape from the Palace Ballroom and commence the final run for Chicago. A 350-pound, 6-foot-4-inch man resembling a Turkish spa attendant lunges out from the wings to offer a record deal. This scene is a direct reprise of what happened when John and I left the stage as The Blues Brothers that first night. In the dressing room halls of 8H, at the page stand, Michael Klenfner, who played the guy in the film and was an acquaintance of John’s, grabbed us and said, ‘You guys should do a record. I’m Michael Klenfner from Atlantic Records. Ahmet (Ertegun) will love this.’” Klenfner died at 62 in 2009.

Film distributors didn’t think Southern audiences could handle the film’s ‘Black’ music

Landis says he intended to make a 70mm “road movie” complete with an intermission, but he and Universal couldn’t even convince cinema distributors to roll out the film nationwide. He and Aykroyd claim exhibitors—Landis singled out Ted Mann of Mann Theatres, who’d bought the Fox Theater chain—worried that audiences in the South and elsewhere would object to a film filled with predominantly “Black” music and performers. So they only debuted in 600 cinemas instead of 1,400, and tried to mount a live concert tour to promote it.

Aykroyd saw none of the film’s massive box office profits

Even though the movie brought in more than $115 million at the box office, Aykroyd saw none of it. He says he received a $225,000 salary for writing and performing in the movie, “for which I was grateful then and am now, as I was only a net points participant in the proceeds, this is all the fee and money I have ever received from The Blues Brothers movie. Universal’s position is that due to the high costs at the time, my net points remain worthless.”

The Belushis fared a bit better, as Pisano said John Belushi used $150,000 he’d received as a bonus from Animal House’s success to subsidize the 1978 album recordings, which took place live at Universal Amphitheatre while they served as Steve Martin’s opening act. “We weren’t repaid [by Atlantic] until well after we recorded everything and they’d heard it, so I think we were probably a little naive to assume we were getting that money back,” Pisano says. “But: Best investment I ever made.”

Sean L. McCarthy @thecomicscomic

[frank-o-meter]

JAMES BOND in DR. NO

When I was in high school I read many of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. But I mostly remember them from the Sean Connery films. Recently I came across some BBC audio dramas based on the books and I’ve listen to Dr No and Goldfinger. They are both pretty good.

The audio dramas follow the plots from the novels and are also set in the 1950s when the early books were written. Toby Stephens, son of Maggie Smith, plays Bond. He’s good and could have been great as 007 in a movie. Instead Stephens’ played a Bond villain, opposite Pierce Brosnan, in Die Another Day (2002).

I’m not sure if I ever saw the Dr No film (1962). If I did, I don’t remember many details - mostly that the Chinese villain was played by a white actor. And the first appearance of Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder rising out of the ocean in her white bikini. This scene would be recreated twice in later films. First by Halle Berry as Jinx in Die Another Day (2002) wearing an orange bikini. Then again in Casino Royale (2006) with Daniel Craig wearing snug blue swim trunks.

In the audio drama David Suchet played Dr. No. Suchet is famous for playing Hercules Poirot, his best role. I absolutely did not recognize his voice in the audio drama. Suchet’s Dr No is very creepy.

This week I decided to rent the Dr. No movie on Amazon Prime. Sean Connery is incredibly handsome in it. Immediately you understand why he became so popular.

Between the 1960s and 1990s, Bond films were famous for the Bond Girls. And that was all introduced in Dr No. Connery has sex with at least 3 women:

Sylvia Trench, a beautiful woman he meets in a casino early in the film (she was originally intended to be a recurring girlfriend in the Bond films.)

Miss Tao, a double agent in Jamaica. Bond has sex with he even tho he knows she was plotting his death.

Honey Ryder - the beautiful bikini clad sea shell hunter played by Ursula Andress.

But there are several other women (receptions, hotel clerks, and Miss Money Penny of course) who swoon at the very sight of Bond. A couple make a point of checking out his butt as he walks away.

I used Wikipedia to compare the plot of the book to the audio drama and to the film. Most of the changes involve the villain Dr No. But they all agree on his main effort - he uses radio waves to disrupt rockets launched from Cape Canaveral.

Dr No is played by Joseph Wiseman. He isn’t even mentioned by name until 35 minutes into the story. And he doesn’t appear on screen for another 30 minutes. He has one scene where he monologue’s his nefarious to Bond. On the whole, Wiseman forgettable (David Suchet in the audio drama made a much stronger impression.)

Bond also meets up with his CIA counterpart - here played by Jack Lord (who would later become famous for the Hawaii 5-0 TV series). Lord had been asked to return for Goldfinger but he wanted a lot more money. He didn’t realize how easily he could be replaced. (BTW - Felix Lester was played by 5 different actors between 1962 and 1973.)

Here’s another piece of trivia… Ursula Andress’ voice was dubbed. Although she had been in Hollywood for nearly 10 years before the movie was made, she still had a heavy Swiss accent.

Is Dr. No as great Bond movie? Truthfully no. While Connery is good, the pacing is slow, too much time is spent on procedural stuff, the fire breathing “dragon” is laughable, and the villain is weak. But if you are a Bond fan, Dr. No is worth watching, to see how the building blocks evolved.

[trustymikh]

Queen give us more of your Rocket admins agenda I love to see it

oh boy, I do have a lot to say regarding these four, so here are a few hcs

Petrel and Proton started off as an agent duo similar to Jesse and James before being promoted to admins

Every day Petrel wakes up and chooses to be as annoying to other executives as possible

Do not mess with Proton, he is not above bypassing a pokemon battle to throw fists directly

Archer is unreasonably jealous of Giovanni’s Persian. Hates that thing (the feeling is mutual)

[not-that-syndrigast]

Stucky fanfic recs

below you can find some of my all time favourite Stucky fics that have ruined my life 💕 not really sorted except for the first three which are my all time favourites

creative | canon adjacent | AU | modern AU | small steve | sexual content

United States v. Barnes, 617 F. Supp. 2d 143 (D.D.C. 2015)

The Associated Press @AP

Winter Soldier set to stand trial for Washington D.C. massacre and treason apne.ws/1og6SWE

(Creative, canon adjacent)

End OTW Racism | Steve Rogers at 100: Celebrating Captain America on Film

“Heil Hydra,” the enemy agent shouts.

“Heil this, motherfucker,” says Captain America, shooting off a rocket.

Steve and Bucky find out Hollywood has been busy since they went away. A historical survey, including but not limited to: one set of exploded genitals, a brief interlude in France, Mel Gibson and other masterworks of casting, eight Academy awards, several dinosaurs, and something Tony Stark has ominously dubbed “the masterpiece.” Art included.

(creative, canon adjacent)

A long winter

In 1945, Steve Rogers jumps from a nosediving plane and swims through miles of Arctic Ocean to a frozen shore.

In 1947, Steve Rogers marries Peggy Carter.

In 1966, the New York Times finds the lost letters of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.

(AU)

Just say you do

Steve just wanted a job. He wasn't expecting a marriage proposal. And he certainly wasn't expecting to accept.

(Modern AU, small Steve)

ain't no grave (can keep my body down)

It's six in the morning, and Steve is heading out on a run when he nearly trips over a bouquet of sunflowers on the front steps of his brownstone.

For a second paranoia takes over, and he kicks the flowers a little, waiting for them to explode. They don't. They also came with a card, which he picks up. The front of the card has a tasteful picture of the Brooklyn bridge at sunset. It's very nice and sedate, like the kind of card you would buy to give to your boss. On the inside someone has written a short message in big, shaky block letters.

I AM SORRY FOR SHOOTING YOU.

Steve sits down hard on the steps.

(Canon adjacent)

casual encounters

“You have never once been careful in your entire life.” Bucky huffs out a laugh. He looks away. “Maybe I’m offended you didn’t think to ask me.” He says it like a joke, but he can’t bring himself to laugh again.

“Bucky,” Steve says, scandalized. “You’re my friend. I’m not gonna use you to experiment sexually.”

(Modern AU, small Steve, sexual content)

If they haven't learned your name

Steve gets out of the hospital in two days, but just barely. “I’m fine,” he tells Sam, Nurse Eunjung and the phalanx of doctors assigned to make sure Captain America didn’t bleed out and die and get bad PR all over their nice clean hospital. “I have an advanced healing factor. It’s fine. See? I’m standing.”

“That is not standing,” Sam tells him.

“You’re bending the IV stand,” Nurse Eunjung adds pointedly. “Let go and sit down, they don’t grow on trees.”

aka Steve and Bucky's Global Honeymoon Revenge World Tour.

(Canon adjacent)

choices we're given

Steve Rogers is a good man and a good agent. There's really no excuse for the assassin in his bed.

(Modern AU, sexual content)

through the woods

There’s a legend in Mansewood, nearly as old as the town itself, about a pack of werewolves that once lived in the forest. They say only one survives; a monstrous and snarling beast with fur like a blizzard and fangs the size of daggers. They say it guards the lands and all creatures in it, and no hunter has faced it and lived to tell the tale.

Steve doesn’t care about any of that. He only wants to know if it prefers T-Bone or ribeye, and would it please stop tracking dirt through his house? He just mopped the floor.

(Modern AU, sexual content)

[lucygart]

The Twins "Jezebel and Jasper"

Another of my vampire designs for last year's Halloween event. I was thinking Team rocket, Jesse and James as a dark vampire assassin twist.

They are secret service agents for the head vampire coven. The ones you call when things need to get messy but need to fly under the radar.

[yamujiburo]

How would you define the personalities of Jessie and James? (their personality traits) and what are their main differences in your opinion? Thank you.

Ooooooooh amazing question I could probably go on about this forever. Let's seeeee

Jessie is an incredibly passionate, vain woman who is usually pretty quick to anger. She has a very hard exterior but has shown many moments of softness when it comes to those she cares about (her friends, her Pokémon, even Ash and some of the other twerps). She's excitable and arguably the dumbest of the TRio, often asking James or Meowth to explain things to her or on the opposite end, getting mad when they correct her on something she was wrong about LOL. Prior to being a Team Rocket field agent, she was very cold and closed off (as seen in Training Daze). And before THAT she was a cheery, much softer version of her current self. I think it's sweet that she kinda went back to being happier and sillier after befriending James and Meowth. The world truly was just cruel to her.

James (I'm very excited to talk about this I have a lot of thoughts) slowly but surely made a quite drastic change in character over the series. I can ALWAYS tell when someone's only ever watched season 1 of Pokémon depending on how they describe James. In the early seasons, James is very flamboyant, quite mean, has a sharp tongue. Jessie would often strongarm him in early seasons but he'd bite back without hesitation. He was also shown to be vain to a similar caliber as Jessie. HOWEVER. In later seasons, the vanity, bitey-ness kinda dies off and James' character changes. You wouldn't really be able to tell if you watch the series over time, but if you watch an S1 episode vs one of the S20+ episodes, you can really see it. James becomes more of a silly, sweet, nerdy boy. He's often the voice of reason and geeks out about various things like sports, Pokéballs, fishing gear, bottlecaps etc. Now when Jessie gets on his ass he more or less just deals with it with either a sigh or something akin to "it is what it is". He's very down to follow Jessie's lead unless it's something he's really passionate about, in which case, Jessie takes a back seat and lets him do his thang. As far as how James was before Team Rocket, there's not too much to go off of. As a child he seems very sweet but sad, given his rough, stifling upbringing. In Training Daze, he is much less silly and a bit more guarded (but less guarded than Jessie)

I'd also like to note that Meowth in earlier seasons felt like more of the leader? Like he was always keeping Jessie and James in line. But nowadays, he and James both take that role and tolerate Jessie's antics as a unit.

I think that's all I got to say. I could talk about this forever hahaha

[docgold13]

Profiles in Villainy

The Team Rocket Trio

Team Rocket (also known as the Rocket Gang) is a villainous organization that endeavors to capture, experiment upon and exploit Pokémon for the purposes of gaining power and wealth.  The operation is based in the Kanto and Johto regions and is run by its vile and scheming overboss, Giovanni.

The Team Rocket Trio, consisting Jessie, James and the talking Pokémon Meowth, are agents of the Rocket Gang tasked with abducting a particularly powerful Pikachu from the young Pokémon trainer, Ask Ketchum.  

Although clever, resourceful and creative, the threesome have never been able to capture Pikachu, usually due to mishaps, bumbling and just plain lousy luck. Not that it had deterred them as the three continue to come up with complicated (often harebrained) schemes to get their hands on Pikachu.  

Jessie sees herself as the leader of the squad.  She is a vain and ambitious young woman.  Her mother had also been a member of the Rocket Game, but was lost during a mission resulting Jessie having to live in foster care for much of her childhood.  She sublimated her feelings of loss and deprivation into a drive to win and at any and all costs.  Although she often acts haughty and conceded, Jessie harbors a great deal of sadness and insecurity.  She is a shrewd tactician and demanding leader.  

James is Jessie’s partner and best friend.  He came from a wealthy family where his every action and activity was controlled by his overbearing parents and governesses.  He was betrothed at a young age to the daughter of another wealthy family and was planning on marrying her until he saw that she was just as mean and controlling as his parents.  As such, he ran away, leaving behind everything and joining a criminal bicycle gang in Sunnytown.  

Sometime thereafter, James was recruited into the Rocket Gang and partnered with Jessie.  Although the two came from very different backgrounds, the pair got along extremely well.  James is a master of disguise; his soft features and lithe frame enables him to disguise himself as a girl in a very convincing fashion.  

Meowth, meanwhile, is an especially clever Pokémon who taught himself to speak because a Persian he was in love with appeared to prefer the company of humans.  Meowth had previously been the personal assistant to Giovanni yet his recurrent clumsiness resulted in his being demoted and reassigned as a partner to Jessie and James.  

Meowth is far and away the smartest member of the trio.  In that he is a Pokémon, however, Jessie and James rarely pay heed to his warnings regarding how a plan is sure to go awry.  

The nefarious intentions of the Rocket Gang notwithstanding, The Team Rocket Trio are not truly villainous souls; they have even often showed moments of honor and compassion.  The three just want to be valued and feel like they belong and they do not share the malevolent attitudes of Giovanni.

Actresses Akiko Hiramatsu and Megumi Hayashibara provided the voice for Jessie in the anime series (with Rachael Lillis and Michele Knotz voicing the character in the English dub); whereas actor Shin-ichiro Miki voices James in the anime (with Ted Lewis and Carter Cathcart voicing the character in the English dub); and Inuko Inuyama voices Meowth (with Nathan Price and Maddie Blaustein voicing the character in the English dub).

Team Rocket first appeared in the second episode of the original Pokémon anime, airing on April 8th, 1997.

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Team Rocket Agent James genderfluid icons — requested by an anon

Free to use, but credit is appreciated

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Contestants:

Chibiusa Tsukino from Sailor Moon

James Bonde from Moriarty the Patriot

Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½

Agent 47 from Hitman Series

Kuzco from Emperor's New Groove

Peeta Mellark from Hunger Games

Midorikawa Nao from Pretty Cure Series

Mr. Shark from The Bad Guys

Lance Sterling from Spies in Disguise

Brain from Inspector Gadget

Bloom from Winx Club

Double Trouble from STPOP

Yayoi Kise from Pretty Cure series

Penny from The Amazing World of Gumball

Moka from Rosario + Vampire

Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros

Robbie Rotten from Lazytown

Magica De Spell from Ducktales

Vin from Mistborn books

Honey Kisaragi from Cutie Honey

Seiya Kou from Sailor Moon

Don Paolo from Professor Layton games

Loki from Norse mythology

Twilight Sparkle from MLP:FiM

Spy from Asterix and Cleopatra

Maya Fey from Ace Attorney

Transfer from Around the World with Willy Fog

Rapunzel from Tangled

Team Rocket from Pokemon

Dr. Jekyll from Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Loid Forger from Spy x Family

Rose Quartz from Steven Universe