#seven psychopaths packs

[cillirishan]

Seven Psychopaths (2012) layouts

[chvoswxtch]

i love you

pairing: frank castle x fem!reader

summary: everything has led to this.

warnings: swearing, mentions of violence, blood, & weapons, all the angst in the world (like all of it)

word count: 6.6k

a/n: i think this is the longest chapter to date, & definitely the most jam packed. grab a snack, a blanket, some tissues, & settle in. i can't accept your therapy invoices, but i will be here to provide comfort after. :) as always, feedback is welcomed/appreciated!

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As dozens of Billy’s men filled the expansive underground space you were in, your ears picked up on several different sounds. The click of clips being loaded into guns, the rip of velcro straps on kevlar being pried open, the hiss of steel being sharpened to a fatal point. However your brain could barely focus on any of those sounds because the only ones that registered were the murmurs of casual conversations and the easy laughter that followed crude jokes.

These men might as well have been lingering around at a bar with a drink in their hand, not gearing up to go up against one of their own. Whether they were doing it out of loyalty to Billy, or just for the impressive paycheck waiting for them, you knew some of these egotistical fucks were doing it so they could be the one to say they did the impossible; to be able to say they brought down the Punisher.

Some of their faces you recognized from working with Frank when he was your bodyguard, trading off shifts with him, and providing extra detail when needed. It was a nauseating feeling realizing the entire time you thought you were being protected from the Defenders of Freedom, you were in the presence of an even greater threat and didn’t know it. How many of these guys wouldn’t have even hesitated to flip on you for the right price and take you out themselves?

These men knew where you lived, where you worked, who you knew, where you got your fucking coffee every morning, everything about you and your routine. They were prepping to go up against Frank, but you knew not a single one of them would bat an eye if Billy gave the order to kill you once he got what he wanted. Your eyes flickered over to his tall form standing across the room, watching him bark out orders to a group of men that looked like they were buzzing with anticipation for all hell to break loose. Every single person in this room wanted Frank dead.

And it made you sick.

Your mind was still reeling from learning the truth about him, about his past and who he really was. It was like you couldn’t process it. All the pieces were there, connected into place, but your brain refused to see the picture on top. How could they be the same man? 

Frank. Stubborn Frank that put up with your short fuse and shot back at your smartass remarks with his own. Thoughtful Frank that remembered your coffee order, that remembered every little thing you told him no matter how big or small, that neatly packed a bag for you full of your go to essentials and clothes when he brought you to Curtis. Sweet Frank that immediately apologized if he raised his voice too loud, that was going to sleep on the floor of a motel just to make sure you didn’t feel uncomfortable, that touched you like you were delicate glass he didn’t want to break.

Frank that had saved your life more times than you could count, and that had been by your side and protected you from everything he could for the last nine months.

That Frank, your Frank, was the same man that had been painted as a psychopath in the media for murdering thirty-seven people in cold blood.

“You still not talkin’ to me?”

Billy’s boots appeared in your line of sight, but you didn’t look up at him. After he’d forced you to put it all together, you’d completely shut down and gone silent. You weren’t even sure how long you’d been sitting in that chair still as a statue and mute while Billy and his men prepared for Frank’s arrival. While you were struggling to process the bombshell he’d dropped, one question kept popping into your head.

“Why did you give me that file?”

“Thought you’d wanna know. Seein’ as how you were such a big fan and all, writin’ all those articles praisin’ him-”

“I didn’t praise him.”

Billy seemed pleased with himself that he’d finally gotten you to look at him and speak to him. The cocky smirk that fleeted across his lips reignited a flame of resentment within you.

“You sure as hell didn’t condemn him neither.”

Clenching your jaw and setting your lips in a firm line, you looked away from Billy, glaring straight ahead. Your lack of response and attention made his smirk slip, and he let out an exhale of irritation through his nose while looking down at you.

“You know, I really thought you understood.”

Rolling your eyes in exasperation, you looked up at Billy in pinched cynicism and snapped at him.

“Understood what?”

“That things ain’t always black and white. That most things happen in that little gray area, where it gets a little messy. It ain’t always-”

“Oh shut the fuck up, William. Don’t try to preach at me to make yourself feel better about whatever shitty thing you did. I don’t wanna hear it.”

Billy’s eyes darkened at your sharp verbal lashing. He stood up a little straighter and squared his shoulders, his lips pressed together in a bitter line. He watched you turn your head and glower down at the floor as if it had personally wronged you, and he noticed how your bound hands slightly trembled from how pissed off you were. It was a complete 180 from your catatonic state five minutes earlier. He would’ve found it amusing if he wasn’t so annoyed.

Suddenly the lights went out, and the underground space went pitch black. The darkness was so opaque, you couldn’t even see your own hands when you looked down in their general direction. A murmur of confusion and irritation spread throughout Billy’s men, and the sound of guns being cocked and knives being unsheathed seemed to echo in the stillness. 

Not even a minute later, there was a loud click as the emergency lights from the backup generator switched on. It took your eyes a moment to adjust to the dull light coming from the intermittently spaced fixtures. All of Billy’s men were looking between each other and the various exit points in the underground basement that were shrouded in ominous shadows. Billy shifted quickly into a more guarded stance, his eyes hard and jaw taut while turning his attention to the man standing closest to his left.

“Carson, take your men and check the breakers. Power station’s on the south side.”

“Yes sir.”

As the team of six disappeared down the hallway on the far right, Billy turned to face the remaining group of his men with a stern expression.

“Alpha team, you’re on the North exits. Bravo, you’re on the South. When Carson gets me an update on those breakers, Echo I want a rooftop visual. You know who’s coming. You know your orders.”

“Kill Castle.”

A blonde man you didn’t recognize had a cocky grin on his thin chapped lips, emphasizing his point by cocking his gun.

“He ain’t gonna hesitate to kill you.”

Some of the men exchanged glances at that statement before looking at Billy with a nod of affirmation. His dark brown eyes flickered over each of them, looking for any sign of fear or weakness.

“He does not leave here alive. You do whatever you gotta do to bring him down. Watch your six. Remember, there’s half a million waitin’ for whoever brings me the body.”

Frantically glancing between Billy and his men as they fully geared up, you gripped the arms of the chair while looking up at Billy in a mixture of incredulity and confusion. You thought Billy had brought his men in for defense. It was evident none of them had a problem killing Frank, but you assumed the whole point of their presence was to protect Billy, and to force Frank to surrender by outnumbering him so that Billy could trade for the intel. If they killed him on sight, Billy wouldn’t have any way to get what Frank found.

“I thought you said this was a trade.”

Turning his head to look down in your direction, Billy could see the clear panic on your face. There was a wicked gleam in Billy’s eyes as a sardonic smirk slowly tugged at the edge of his lips.

“Nah, sweetheart. It’s a trap.”

An icy trickle of dread cascaded down your spine rapidly and your breath hitched in your throat. Billy didn’t give a shit about what Frank had on him. He hadn’t brought him here to bargain. He’d lured him into an execution, using you as bait.

A cacophony of rapid gunfire and shouting unexpectedly echoed from the hallway on the far right that Carson’s team had disappeared down, and everyone’s heads immediately snapped in that direction. Billy’s smirk swiftly dropped from his mouth, and he quickly went rigid. But before anyone could even react, the resonation of bullets ricocheting and panicked yells abruptly stopped, and it went dead silent.

The previous arrogant attitude the remaining men had up until that moment seemed to rapidly evaporate, and their heavy breathing and wide eyed gazes betrayed their true apprehension as the reality of the situation sobered up their egos. They knew what that sound meant. They knew who it meant.

And so did Billy.

“Get to your positions.”

Billy’s dark eyes flickered over his men with a hardened glare when they didn’t move quickly enough, and his voice reverberated off the walls when he yelled.

“Now!”

Immediately, they started to disperse like scurrying ants, and the sound of their boots hitting the concrete floor in every direction echoed like claps of thunder. When you looked up at Billy again, you saw something in him you’d never seen before, something you didn’t even think he was capable of.

Fear.

At first the sound was so soft and quiet that when Billy looked down at you and saw your head tilted downwards and your shoulders faintly shaking, he thought you were crying. But when it grew louder in volume, Billy’s short lived concern turned into pure irritation as it became clear that you weren’t crying.

You were laughing.

The edge of his lips curled into a faint snarl as he lunged at you, slipping his hand into your hair to roughly yank your head backwards which earned a grunt of pain from you. Billy’s nose was barely half an inch from yours as he bent down and glared at you.

“What the hell is so funny?”

Staring him down with equal animosity, your lips slowly spread into a wide and wicked grin. Leaning in even closer to get in his face as much as he was in yours, you spoke in a harsh taunting tone laced with venom.

“You are so fucked.”

Billy stared into your eyes, seeing nothing in them but pure stubborn rage. His own lips spread into a dark smirk, and he let go of your hair to wrap his hand around your throat instead, making a point to apply just enough pressure to make you inhale sharply. He could feel the thrum of your rapid pulse against his fingers, and his breath was warm against your lips when he leaned in closer.

“Nah, that’s where you’re wrong darlin’. I got you.”

The sound of a knife being unsheathed was sharp in your ears, and the glint of a blade reflected in your eyes as Billy held the serrated steel in front of your face. Cocking his head to the side menacingly, he dragged the flat side of it down your slightly heaving chest slowly. He kept his eyes locked on yours, and you refused to look away. A crisp rip suddenly sounded, and the pressure on your wrists was gone as he cut your restraints. 

“As long as I got you, I’m gettin’ outta here.”

Narrowing your eyes, you glared at Billy as he bent down to cut the restraints around your legs. When he rose to his full height, he slipped the knife back into the sheath on his hip and reached out to grab your arm tightly, tugging you up to your feet roughly.

“C’mon, you’re with me.”

When he took a step forward, you yanked your arm out of his grasp, glowering up at him as you raised your chin defiantly and spoke through your teeth.

“Pussy.”

Billy’s eyes flickered with both annoyance and amusement. He slipped his gun out of his holster and held it at his side, gesturing in your direction with his chin.

“Think I liked you better all tied up.”

“Yeah I'm sure you did.”

Ignoring your challenging stare, Billy grabbed your arm harshly again and started pushing you towards one of the exits that led down a long tunnel like hallway. The emergency backup lights lit up the path enough to navigate, but there were gaps of shadowed darkness in between them. You still had no idea exactly where you were, but it looked like some kind of abandoned warehouse or factory.

You struggled to keep up with the large stride of Billy’s long legs as he practically dragged you along with him. His eyes were focused straight ahead, his hand gripped tightly around the handle of the gun in his other hand, his index finger resting on the trigger. 

“Where the hell are you taking me?”

“Be quiet.”

Your eyes flickered down to the knife in the sheath on Billy’s hip. As your gaze darted quickly between the knife and Billy’s focused face, you took advantage of his diverted attention and impulsively reached for the handle to yank it out. The force of the movement caught Billy off guard and made his grip on your arm falter for a second. Ripping your arm away from his grip, you quickly took a few steps backwards and pointed the sharp tip of the knife in his direction. 

A crease formed between Billy’s dark brows as he glanced between the knife in your hand and the empty sheath on his hip before an expression of annoyed realization dawned on his sharp features. Letting out a deep exhale of irritation through his nose, Billy lifted his head and looked at you in pure vexation, clearly not feeling threatened by you in the slightest.

“Why are you so goddamn difficult? Gimme that.”

Billy held out his hand expectantly. Looking down at his outstretched palm, you lifted your gaze and glared up at him as you tightened your grip on the handle and grit through your teeth.

“No.”

Clenching his jaw in frustration, Billy took a step closer and cocked the hammer on his gun.

“Sweetheart, now ain’t the time-”

“You need me. You’re not gonna shoot me-”

Billy took another step forward and aimed his gun at your thigh, glowering down at you with a hardened look in his eyes. 

“Not in the head, but if you don’t give me that goddamn knife back and stop bein’ so fuckin’ difficult, you’re gonna be crawlin’ outta here.”

Staring up into his darkened eyes, your heart was pounding in your chest. You knew Billy was serious, and it made the adrenaline induced confidence in you falter. He could see that he’d unnerved you with his threat. He took another predatory step forward and held out his hand expectantly once again.

“Now, we’re gonna do this nice and-”

“Russo!”

Both of you instantly snapped your heads towards the other side of the dark hallway shrouded in unfiltered blackness as a familiar deep voice boomed from the end of it. The volume and intensity behind the war cry seemed to rattle your bones and left you frozen in place. Billy expertly swiped the knife from your grasp in a flash, pressing the serrated blade against your throat before you could even blink. He pointed his gun towards the end of the darkened hallway, his stance rigid.

“That you, Frankie?”

The sound of heavy boots against the concrete slowly started to grow louder as they traveled down the hall in your direction. You knew who they belonged to. You’d recognize those footsteps anywhere. Your heart seemed to pound just as loudly in your ears as they got closer and closer. Swallowing thickly, the movement made the blade just barely cut into your skin, but you couldn’t even feel it from the adrenaline coursing through you. All at once, a sharp gasp escaped your lips and your eyes went wide.

A white skull spontaneously appeared in the darkness, floating through it like an apparition. As it came closer, you could see that it was worn and faded, darkened with dirt and grime, coated in several deep red streaks and splatters of fresh blood with various bullets lodged into it. A merciless and unforgiving symbol of wrath and vengeance the worst of the worst in New York had learned to fear.

Time seemed to stand still when he stepped out of the shadows, and your blood ran cold when you were face to face with the Punisher for the first time.

Frank.

His large hands were covered in blood, and his knuckles were split and bruised. Deep shades of violet were blooming on his left cheek and around a fresh cut that was bleeding on his right cheekbone. There was a small split on the bridge of his large nose, and one on the left side of his top lip. The dim light above cast menacing shadows on his bruised and bloodied face, emphasizing the storm of rage brewing in his eyes. 

Frank stopped directly under the light, just a few feet away. You thought you’d seen Frank pissed before, but the way he was staring at Billy made you shudder. He was furious. The anger radiating off of him in waves was palpable.

“It didn't have to be like this, Frankie.”

Frank’s index and middle finger on his right hand twitched twice as he spoke in his gruff voice.

“It wouldn’t be if Madani hadn’t been right.”

“Surprised she trusted you at all. You were there in Kandahar, Frank. Hell, you’re the one that pulled the fuckin’ trigger on her partner. She know that?”

“I was followin’ orders. You were workin’ with Rawlins and Schoonover, sellin’ out your honor. For what, Bill? Money?”

Hearing the blatant disgust in Frank’s voice, Billy tightened his grip around the handle of the gun and the handle of the blade simultaneously. 

“You shoulda just left it alone, Frankie. But you chose that bitch Madani over me.”

Frank tilted his head to the side slightly, his dark brows and face scrunched in a concoction of disappointment and anguish as he looked at Billy. 

“You think I wanted to believe her, Bill? You think I wasn’t lookin’ for somethin’ to prove her wrong, huh? You think I wasn’t hopin’ to God I’d find nothin’?”

The despair laced within Frank’s rough voice killed you. 

“You shoulda come to me. I was your brother, Frankie. All of this, it was unavoidable.”

Billy gestured between you and Frank with his gun before aiming it at Frank again. Frank hadn’t looked at you once. His attention was solely focused on Billy. The second those words left Billy’s mouth, you saw the way Frank’s face slowly morphed into a forlorn portrait streaked in betrayal.

“Was killin’ my family unavoidable?”

Frank’s grief stricken question felt like an electric shock. Snapping your head to look up at Billy, you watched as he visibly stiffened, his grip on both weapons faltering as his face fell slightly.

“You do it, Bill?”

Billy wouldn’t meet Frank’s eye, or yours. He dropped his gaze downwards, and what appalled you was his lack of a reaction. He didn’t look guilty. He didn’t try to deter Frank’s accusation or defend himself at all, didn’t offer any kind of correction or explanation. He was standing there quietly like Frank hadn’t just dropped a grenade of trauma between them.

“Look at me. Look at me!”

Frank’s loud voice booming once again made you flinch, and Billy finally lifted his head to look at him. Standing up straighter, Billy looked at Frank with unnerving calmness.

“I didn’t pull the trigger-”

“But you knew about it.”

Frank’s voice had been reduced to a wavering whisper. The dim light above highlighted the way his brown eyes had glossed over with treachery that threatened to spill at any second. The pain in his gaze and in his voice brought tears to your own eyes as you looked at him. Billy plastered an impassive look on his sharp features, giving a faint nod of his head and speaking with as much nonchalance as if he was discussing the weather.

“Yeah, I knew.”

Frank closed his eyes solemnly, a stray tear slipping down each of his cheeks, the clear droplets turning pastel pink as they mixed with the deep crimson stains of blood lingering on his face. Inhaling sharply, when Frank opened his eyes again, he looked away for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly as a muscle feathered in his jaw. His nostrils flared and his lips twitched as he faintly shook his head in denial and disbelief.

“She loved you. My kids loved you.”

“It was just business-”

“It wasn’t business when my kids were callin’ you ‘Uncle Billy’. It wasn’t business when Maria was makin’ sure you had somewhere to spend the holidays. It wasn’t business when I heard my family screamin’ for me. When I saw my wife and my boy…layin’ dead in the grass. When I held my baby girl in my arms, seein’ blood and meat pourin’ out of where her face should be.”

Billy’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he appeared to swallow down even the slightest flicker of remorse. Frank’s bloodied and beaten face was stoic, but his eyes gave away how distraught he was knowing that Billy had been involved in orchestrating the massacre of his family. It hadn’t been an inopportune tragedy getting caught in the middle of a shootout. It had been a premeditated execution. The bullet in Frank’s head was meant to be a killshot.

When Frank lifted his gaze and looked at Billy again, there was nothing but pure hatred left.

“No. It wasn’t just business then, Bill, and it sure as hell ain’t just business now. It’s pretty goddamn personal.”

“I never wanted this-”

“Yeah, well you got it.”

Frank’s bereavement had evaporated from the blaze of retribution that was now burning in his eyes. Billy watched as Frank physically morphed from a brokenhearted man in mourning into a vengeful memento mori right before his eyes. The reality of what Billy had done was so much worse than your wildest imagination could’ve ever conjured. It burned through the short fuse of your temper, and as a surge of adrenaline shot through your nervous system, you shoved the knife away from your throat while Billy was distracted. As soon as he turned his head in your direction, you struck your fist across his face, not even feeling the sharp pain that pierced your knuckles.

“You fucking coward.”

The unexpected impact made Billy stumble a half step backwards, dropping the knife that was in his other hand as it came up to clutch his jaw. He swiftly recovered from the hit and turned the gun on you. 

“Whoa whoa whoa, easy there, killer. Let’s calm that little temper down. I’d hate to ruin that pretty face-”

Taking a step closer towards the gun aimed at your chest, you stared him down and bared your teeth in a faint snarl.

“Go ahead. It’ll be nothing compared to what he’s gonna do to yours.”

Billy visibly stiffened at your razor sharp taunt, and his eyes darkened as he stared down at you. Cocking his head to the side slightly, there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he suddenly chuckled darkly at your fearless rage.

“Goddamn, Frankie. She this feisty in bed?”

“The hell are you doin’?”

At first you didn’t realize that Frank was talking to you. In the midst of your unfiltered anger, you were still glaring up at Billy. It wasn’t until Frank called your name in a harsh reprimand that you turned to look at him and saw that he was finally looking at you. A flash of confusion interrupted your adrenaline induced wrath noticing that his anger seemed to now be directed at you instead of Billy.

“What?”

“I said what the hell are you doin’? He’s got a goddamn gun, Y/N-”

“Yeah I can see that, it’s pointed at my fucking face.”

Frank clenched his jaw when you snapped at him with equal frustration. He let out a puff of air through his lips and shook his head as he glanced around in pure irritation.

“For Christ’s sake, you never fuckin’ listen, do ya? You’re always runnin’ your goddamn mouth instead of doin’ what you’re told. What’d I say, huh?”

A look of raw hurt and puzzled betrayal crossed your face when Frank yelled at you. You were taken aback by the hostility in his gaze and in his voice. He was staring you down in a way that almost made you shudder. 

“I told you keep your distance, yeah? I said stay offline. But you just push, you can’t ever let go of that need for control, can you? And now look at you, underneath all this shit, got your panties all in a fuckin’ twist. You never hesitate, do ya? Just like that day in the cabin.” 

Frank’s angry tirade sent such an unexpected shock through you, it took you a moment to register what he was actually saying, but the mention of the cabin abruptly made it click and a light bulb seemed to go off when you realized what Frank was doing.

Distance. Offline. Push. Control. Underneath. Twist. Never hesitate.

“You always aim for my goddamn nerves.”

Frank roughly smacked his palm against his own shoulder in what looked like a display of frustration, but you understood what it really meant. 

“Just do what I said. You got that?”

He stared at you with a look in his eyes only you could decipher, a silent communication passing between the two of you, and you steeled your expression as you swallowed thickly and gave him a subtle but imperceptible nod. 

“Yeah. I got it.”

“Show me.”

Billy had been looking between you and Frank, amused by your little lover's quarrel. Frank’s final words made his dark brows furrow in curiosity, and when he turned his head to look at him, you quickly surged forward and gripped the barrel of the gun in your left hand, pushing it away from you and slipping your right hand under Billy’s wrist. Twisting the barrel forcefully to the right, Billy grunted as his wrist unexpectedly twisted with it forcing his grip to loosen. The second you pulled it away from his grasp and stepped back, he lunged forward, and you fired a shot right at his shoulder.

“Fuck!”

Billy’s back collided with the wall behind him when the bullet ripped through his right shoulder, his hand immediately coming up to apply pressure. Before the shock of what you’d just done could even register, Frank rushed forward and nearly tackled you as he wrapped his arms around your frame and forced you forward into a sprint. He dragged you down another hallway, and by the time you finally stopped running, your lungs were burning and your hands were trembling.

Frank grabbed you by your shoulders, ducking his head to capture your frantic gaze.

“Listen to me, I need you to run.”

Staring up at him wide eyed, a crease of confusion nestled between your brows.

“What?”

“Madani’s waitin’ outside, Homeland’s got the place surrounded. Take this hallway all the way down. You run, and you don’t look back for nothin’, you got that?”

Your eyes darted back and forth between Frank’s rapidly. Your brain was still trying to process everything that had just happened, but the thought of leaving Frank seemed to snap you out of your shock. A stubborn look of refusal contorted your features as you looked up at him.

“Wha-no. No, I’m not leaving you-”

Frank cupped your face in his large hands and stared down into your eyes with a pleading expression.

“Hey…hey, listen to me sweetheart, listen. I gotta finish this. I can’t…I can’t let it go.” 

Frank paused as he swallowed thickly and looked down at you, a sheen of remorse shining in his apologetic expression. His next words felt like a shot to the chest.

“And you can’t stay. You gotta go, you gotta walk away.”

The second those words left his lips, it felt like the breath had been knocked out of your lungs. You immediately started to shake your head in refusal.

“Frank-”

“Go, now.”

“Frank, don’t do this-”

Frank leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to your lips, and you hated how much it felt like a goodbye. When he pulled back, he looked down at you with a tender expression and somber swirls in his warm brown eyes. His voice was the softest you’d ever heard it when he traced his thumb over your cheekbone gently.

“I love you, you got that? I love you, but you gotta walk away.”

Tears immediately sprang in your eyes as you slowly shook your head and begged him in a desperate whisper.

“Frank please-”

“Hey, shh shh shh.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips against your forehead in a delicate show of affection, allowing them to linger for a moment before he let go and took a step backwards.

“You gotta do this for me, baby. Please. Please, just this once, do what I ask.”

As soon as he stepped backwards, you stepped forwards and instinctively reached for his hand, gripping onto it tightly. Tears slipped past your bottom lash line while you looked up at him with raw emotion in your eyes, silently begging him not to go. 

“Go.”

Frank spoke in a gentle voice, giving your hand a faint squeeze before pulling his away, the blood that had been on his hand now staining yours. Without another word or glance, he turned to walk away, determined to find Billy and finish this. All you could do was watch him disappear, standing right where he left you, feeling like you’d just been shattered into a thousand helpless pieces.

With tears streaming down your face, you could feel panic start to rise in your chest. Turning to look down at the other end of the hallway, your fight or flight seemed to kick in and you started to run frantically. Just as you rounded one of the corners, one of Billy’s men popped out, drawing his rifle on you. Quickly you aimed the gun in your hand back at him, but before either of you could shoot, something suddenly flew out of nowhere and knocked the guy out.

He dropped to the ground with a thud, and you whirled around to aim the gun in your hands towards the shadow it had come from. Your breathing was ragged, and your hands were shaking as you gripped the handle until your knuckles turned stark white. A deep voice suddenly sounded from the darkness.

“Easy, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Soft footsteps approached, and out of the dark shadows, a pair of dark red horns glinted under the light. 

Daredevil.

Your eyes widened as he came into the light, his gloved hands help up in a show of surrender. You were completely stunned as he took cautious steps forward until he was in front of you, reaching out with one hand to gently place it on top of the barrel of the gun, slowly lowering it down.

“Go all the way towards the end of the hall. There’s an exit on your right.”

A look of confusion crossed your features as you glanced down the darkened hallway before looking back up at him. He’d come from an entirely different direction. 

“How do you-”

“Just trust me.”

Staring up into the dark lenses of his cowl, you turned your head to look back in the direction of where you’d just run from, where Frank had disappeared. All at once, the gravity of the situation felt too heavy, and you almost buckled under it.

“I…I can’t. I can’t.”

“You need to leave-”

“I can’t leave him.”

Hearing how panicked your breathing was starting to become, he stepped forward, gently grabbing your shoulders to get your attention, and you looked up at him in blurry hopelessness. 

“Listen to me, I'm not gonna let anything happen to him, alright? I promise.”

You couldn’t move. The daunting possibility of losing Frank was overwhelming. This whole thing felt like a devastating nightmare you desperately wanted to wake up from. Feeling your hesitation, Daredevil gently squeezed your shoulders again and spoke in an even softer voice.

“Y/N, Frank asked me to help keep you safe. Please let me do that.”

The way he said your name ignited a spark of recognition in your head, and it had a calming effect. You knew that voice. You’d heard it before. Something about him seemed…familiar, and not just because you’d covered articles about the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Something about the way he said Frank’s name sounded familiar too. Letting your eyes wander over his figure in the red and black suit, the gears started turning in your head as you studied the bottom half of his face that wasn’t covered.

“Say his name again.”

“What?”

“Just say it.”

Even with half of his face covered, you could tell that he was clearly puzzled by your request.

“Frank.”

Immediately, it hit you like a bolt of lightning. Your eyes widened as you stared up at him in shock, a breathless whisper of his name leaving your lips in disbelief.

“Matt?”

His plump lips parted, and he pulled back as he stood up straight, tilting his head to the side slightly. Before he could stammer out a response, he abruptly turned his to the left, and he dropped his hands from your shoulders.

“There's seven heavily armed men coming this way.”

Turning your head, you stared down the darkened hallway he was looking at in puzzlement. You couldn’t see or hear anything. Looking back up at him, you blinked a few times before tilting your head to the side and staring up at him in complete bewilderment.

“What? How the fuck do you-”

“It’s complicated.”

“Like being a blind lawyer but also Daredevil.”

Matt pursed his lips at your dry tone and sass. He took a step away from you and bent down to pick up the baton up off the floor next to the unconscious man. 

“Down the hall. Exit on the right. Go.”

Watching him pull out another baton, you threw your hands up in exasperation, still gripping onto the gun in your hand.

“And what the hell are you gonna do? You said there’s heavily armed men coming and you’re gonna, what? Throw your sticks at them?”

Matt cocked his head to the side as he glanced in your direction, slightly amused by your irritated skepticism. 

“They’re batons.”

“Oh, excuse me. Batons. You’re gonna throw your batons at the group of ex-special forces coming this way with automatic weapons.”

A cocky smirk stretched across his lips at your dry sarcasm, and he started to walk backwards.

“Have a little faith, sweetheart.”

When he took off running down the hall, you ran your hand stressfully through your hair, glancing around in complete disbelief. Your boyfriend was the Punisher. Your lawyer was Daredevil. And you were at your wit’s fucking end.

“What the fuck is going on.”

The second you pushed the door open to the exit that led outside, a blinding flash of light had you bringing your hands up to your face, including the one still holding the gun. A swarm of agents wearing protective gear and aiming guns in your direction swiftly rushed towards you, yelling out orders that had you freezing.

“Drop the weapon! Drop it now!”

In a panic, you quickly dropped the gun and held your hands up in surrender. There were police cars, S.W.A.T. trucks, helicopters floating above, and dozens upon dozens of various officers and agents surrounding the area. They were yelling at you to get down on the ground, and you were glancing between all of them anxiously, feeling like you were about to start hyperventilating as you tried to stutter out an explanation. 

Before you could get your limbs to work again and comply, a familiar voice carried over the aggressive demands.

“Stand down, now!”

Madani forcefully broke through the line of agents that had you surrounded, shoving her gun into the holster on her hip as she all but ran over towards you. Her brown eyes scanned over you intensely, quickly assessing for any sign of damage or injury. 

“What happened? Is Billy still in there? Where’s Frank?”

“I…I shot him.”

A crease of perplexity formed between Madani’s dark brows hearing your shaky response.

“What? You shot who?”

“Billy.”

Madani arched one of her dark brows in surprise, and what looked like a hint of pride. She took a step closer, lowering her voice.

“Is he dead?”

The anxiety coursing through your system was cresting, threatening to crash over you and trap you beneath the tide. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and you were shaking uncontrollably. 

“I don’t…I don’t know.”

Madani reached out to grab your arms, giving them a reassuring squeeze as she attempted to keep you calm while she looked at you.

“Y/N, where’s Frank?”

“He-”

All at once you froze. Madani felt you freeze up, and her brown eyes were darting back and forth between your own rapidly for an answer when she saw your eyes go wide with recognition and shock. She called your name again, but it was muffled in your ears and distant, like your head was underwater. A shaky whisper slipped past your lips as they parted.

“I didn't say it back.”

Madani was watching you intently, trying desperately to figure out what was going on and what had happened.

“Didn’t say what back? What are you talking about?”

In an instant, your eyes welled up with thick tears that turned Madani into a blurry silhouette, and you gripped onto her as though someone had punched a hole through your chest and ripped your heart right out. A choked sob caught in your throat when the gravity of what you had missed hit you with enough force to send a crack through your soul.

“I didn’t say it back, Dinah.”

Turning your head to look back at the abandoned factory behind you, the burden of your mistake fractured your rib cage, and a tide of agony and regret burst through the broken pieces like a wrathful flood. Madani caught you in her arms as you collapsed against her, pulling you into her chest when you succumbed to the grief and completely broke down in tears, letting out a wail of his name that tore through your throat and left it raw.

Frank had told you he loved you, and you didn’t say it back.

You didn’t know if you’d ever get the chance to.

tags: @thyme-in-a-bubble @day-dreaming-goddess @messymissy @itwasthereaminuteago @strawberry1042 @queenofthenoobs @wanda2themax @xcastawayherosx @avengerstower-houseplant @stevenknightmarc @ponyosmom35 @babygal-babygal @wellwwhynot @oldermenaremyreligion @combustiblemeow @tired-night-owl @fairykiss32 @danzer8705 @calkissed @fxckahs-blog @lemon-world1 @polskiperson @imperihoe @v4leoftears @harperdoodle @spideyvibez @joalslibrary @cherry-berry-ollie @sorrowfulfragmentation @kdogreads @sumo-b98 @blackhawksfanatic @gloryekaterina @whistle1whistle @starbritestarlite @callmebrooklynbabes @hallway5 @scarletfvckingwitch @bifuriouslatina @soupyspence @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @wonwoosthetic @linguist-breakaribecca @nerdytreeflower @mrs-bellingham @smhnxdiii @s3riou2 @slavic-empress

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Stuck Between a Jock and a Metalhead

Summary: Nancy, on a whim, decides to visit Steve at Scoops Ahoy, which leads to her overhearing confessions from Steve that leads her to think about the decisions she's made. A few days later, she decides to come back. She finds him being hit on by the town freak. What's a girl to do? Oh, get stuck in a freezer with the both of them.

@nightmareglitter

Warning: Very Anti Billy Hargrove. Lucas talks about his feelings on the subject like he deserves, too. Angst all around as the kids talk about their feelings.

Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Chapter Eleven - Chapter Twelve - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Nancy paced in front of her boyfriends and Robin nervously. The piles of notebooks on the table seemed to be staring at her. They all stood in Steve's mostly clean apartment. There was still a lot of work that needed to be done, like getting a new AC unit and appliances for the kitchen as well as new furniture. In order to do all that, Steve needed a new job. He was managing to cover most of it with the compensation money, but most of it was going towards the furniture. Steve was going to have pay for the AC unit and things for the salon downstairs, which meant getting a job, something he was looking for with Robin.

"Whatcha thinking about, Nancy?" Eddie asked.

"Steve," Nancy replied.

"Aww. Me too. He is looking particularly handsome today," Eddie cooed at him. "Look at those pretty pink lips. I think somebody put on their lip gloss today. Our boyfriend is insanely hot. Stop it, Steven. Distracting Nancy like that. Can't you see she's trying to think?"

"I'm sorry. Next time, I'll put a bag over my head," Steve said sarcastically.

"Well, that's a bit dramatic, but now you're thinking ahead, baby," Eddie said.

"No," Nancy laughed. "I was trying to stop myself from overthinking this whole thing with the kids, so I started thinking about the things that need to get done around here."

"Did it help?" Robin asked.

"I don't think so. Do you think we're doing the right thing here? What if they hate us?" Nancy asked.

"I think what they're going to see is us trying our best to help them get through this," Steve said. "They're probably going to be little assholes about it at first, but they'll come to their senses."

"I hope you're right," Nancy said.

"You're doing the right thing, Nancy," Eddie said. "These kids need people to talk to."

Before they could say anything else, they heard the sounds of footsteps, and then there was a knock on the door. Nancy opened it, and one by one, the kids came in. The only one who was missing was Max.

"No Max?" Nancy asked Lucas.

"Uh, Billy's dad skipped down, so she's helping her mother pack up," Lucas said. "They're moving to Forest Hills."

"That is where we live," El said and smiled before frowning.

"Yeah, kiddo," Eddie said. "Don't feel bad about being excited about seeing your friend more. You're allowed to be happy."

"Okay," El said softly.

"It's going to be right across from you guys. Your uncle is helping them," Lucas said and paused. "Even if that wasn't the case, I'm not sure Max wants to see any of us right now."

"That's understandable," Nancy said.

"Why have thoust summoned a council meeting, milady?" Dustin asked.

"I can see why he's your favorite," Nancy heard Eddie whisper to Steve.

"I thought we should touch base and see how everyone is holding up. We went through a lot of shit recently, and I know it hasn't been easy for me. I just wanted to let everyone know that we're here for you if you need to talk about anything. This is a safe space," Nancy said.

"I'm fine," Mike shrugged.

"You're fine?!" Eddie asked, his eyebrows raised. "Nancy, I think your brother might be a psychopath. I am so sorry you had to find out like this."

"Okay, you don't have to talk about it, but there's no way you came out of it fine," Nancy said, rolling her eyes and ignoring her boyfriend.

"Okay, I don't want to talk about it," Mike said.

"That's okay. Like I said, no one has to talk. We're going to talk, and if someone wants to speak up afterward, then that's okay too," Nancy said.

"I'll go first," Steve said.

"Are you sure?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah," Steve said. "You know, most of the time, I can't sleep now. It was bad before, but never this bad. I lay awake, wondering if the Russians are going to break into my house and come for me or if they're going to come for Dustin and Robin. . . Just everyone I care about. And when I can't go back to sleep from the most God awful nightmare, I go out in my car and drive down everyone's street, just to make sure you guys are safe. And the nightmares. . . I dream that they come for me, and they take me away to a dark place where they take me apart piece by piece. Sometimes, it's the Russians. Sometimes, it's a demogorgon, and sometimes, it's my parents. When I wake up, I have to go out and make sure we're all still here."

"Holy shit, Steve," Eddie muttered and placed a comforting hand on his back, leaning heavily against him.

"I don't know how to make it all better except when I see all of you guys again, and I know you're safe," Steve said. "I know I complain a lot about doing things for you guys, but the truth is I love doing them. You're my family, and my biggest fear is that something will happen to you. I can't let that happen," Steve said.

Dustin suddenly threw himself into Steve’s arms, hugging him tightly.

"It's my fault you got hurt, Steve," Dustin said, sniffling. "I should have left the Russian transmission alone, and you wouldn't have gone down there."

"That's dumb, I made my own choice to go down there, and if we hadn't gone down there, then the others wouldn't have known where to go to shut off the machines," Steve said.

"Hopper died," Dustin sobbed.

"He made his own choice, too," Steve said softly. "He chose to save Hawkins. We wouldn't have made it out of a lot of situations without you."

"Yeah, but we wouldn't have gotten into certain situations if it hadn't been for me like when I tried to keep Dart. What if he had killed my mom and not my cat?" Dustin asked.

"But he didn't," Steve said.

"Sometimes, I have nightmares about him eating mom, my friends, and you. Now, I also dream about the Russians hurting my older brother," Dustin said. "I don't know what I would do if you died because me."

"You are not responsible for what happened. The Russians are and the mad scientist who started all of this," Steve said softly and clutched him tightly to his chest.

"I know it doesn't look like it, but I question myself all the time, and I wonder if I'm making the right decisions," Dustin said.

"We all do that, Dustin," Nancy said softly. "You're not alone in that."

"Even you?" Dustin sniffled.

"Especially me," Nancy said. "I've made decisions that could have the cost the lives of this entire town. I know what it's like to feel responsible for the decisions you've made. The minute you realized that you messed up with Dart, you tried to fix it. I mean, you did it by yourself, and he ended up escaping, but you did try. You ended up reaching out for help, and in doing so, you got a big brother out of it. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is take responsibility and do better rather than stewing in the regret of the decisions you've made. It took me a while to even realize that I messed up. Even longer than you. I still feel like I have so much to make up for. You're not alone in feeling like that, and you're not alone in feeling like everything is your fault either. Just because you were responsible for one thing doesn't mean that you're responsible for another."

Dustin moved from Steve’s arms to Nancy's and hugged her tightly. Nancy sighed and removed his hat to kiss the top of his curls. She put his hat back on his head and pinched his cheeks. Dustin scowled and sat back down. He cracked a smile as he adjusted his hat.

"I feel small," Robin blurted out. "Like, I saw everything, and I just felt so much smaller now that I know what's out there. I just feel like everything in my life doesn't matter, or at least that's what I think, but then it's like maybe it matters even more now, to live your life the way you want to without anyone's expectations bringing you down. Just when I think that I'm going to do that, the feeling of being small comes back, and I think about all those people stuffed inside that fucking monster. It honestly scares me that your life can just be snuffed out like that. If that makes sense."

"It does. On one hand, you want to be true to yourself, but on the other hand, you're afraid that your truth might scare the people you care about most away," Will said. "Even if you know that they wouldn't care, there's still this irrational fear that they might be carrying that secret like the secret you carry."

"Exactly," Robin agreed.

"And at the end of the day, you have to risk trusting them because you want the people in your life to know you," Mike said. "Because you never know, they might understand more than you think."

"And you just have to decide if they're worth the risk," Robin said, smiling at Steve. "It's all about perspective."

For several moments, no one said anything until Lucas started sniffling and shaking his leg.

"What's up, Lucas?" Steve asked.

"I just - no, it's too awful," Lucas sniffed.

"Hey, safe space here," Nancy said. "We're not going to judge you."

"It's just that I'm glad that Max isn't here, that she broke up with me because I'm not sure if I'd be able to look at her if she knew what I was thinking," Lucas said. "There's a part of me that's glad. . . That's glad that Billy is dead because at least he can't hurt anyone anymore. The monsters, they're scary as shit but Billy scared me more than anything else because he wasn't a monster from another dimension. He was just a person who targeted me because of the color of my skin. He held me against the wall, and he threatened to break me. I still have nightmares about him holding me there, and what if Steve hadn't intervened in time? What if he held me to the ground and beat me until I couldn't wake up? Then I dreamed about him going after my dad, my mom, and my sister. He makes me watch and tells me he's going to break us, that we don't belong. . . then I'm back at the Byers again, and he's holding me in the air, threatening to break me as Steve lies dead on the floor. Billy scared me more than anyone or anything because before he got possessed, he was a real monster, and there's more people like him out there who wanted to see people like me dead. It scares the shit out of me. I feel like I should feel bad, though, that he's dead, but I don't. I only feel bad for Max."

"Lucas. . . You're not a bad person for feeling the way that you do. Billy Hargrove was a terror, and you're right. He was a monster. You had every right to be scared of him, and you have a right to be relieved that he's not around to hurt you anymore," Nancy said softly.

"He scared the crap out of me, too. Remember when he tried to run us over and he almost killed Steve? I am super glad he's not around to hurt my friends anymore. Do I feel bad for Max? Yes. Do I feel bad that Billy's gone? No. In my book, that's another bad guy who's not around to hurt our family anymore," Dustin said.

"I felt sad that his father was so mean, and that his mother left him alone, but that does not mean he should act like Papa. I am sad for Max, but I will be glad that he will not be around to hurt Max or any of my friends," El said. "He will not be missed, which is sad, but he made his own choices, and he chose to be bad."

"I'm glad he's gone even more now that I've heard what he's done to you kids. He was a psychopath. You could see it in the eyes. He definitely had it in for my friend, Jeff, which is further proof that he's a racist shithead," Eddie said. "Fucking sexist too."

"See? You're not alone in feeling that way, Lucas. It doesn't mean you're a bad person," Nancy said.

"Then why do I feel bad about not feeling bad?" Lucas asked.

"Because you're a better person than he was," Steve said.

"He saved us, saved El," Lucas said.

"A bad person can do one nice thing his entire life, but it will never make up for all the shitty vile things he's done. . .that takes constant work," Nancy said. "It took El digging in his head to pull out the one shred of decency that he had buried deep inside."

"You can either end the cycle of abuse your parents' beat into you, or you can pass it on. Billy chose to pass it on, man," Steve said. "He had every opportunity to give Max the older brother she deserved, but he waited at the very last minute to do the bare minimum. You're not a bad person, Lucas. Billy was, though."

Steve got up to hug the crying Sinclair, but Erica had beat him to it. She threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.

"You're my brother, and you can be such a dumbass but I love you. I'm glad he's not around to hurt you anymore either," Erica said softly.

Lucas sniffled and hugged his sister back just as tightly. Everyone fell quiet as they watched the siblings hug. They sat back down, and the silence continued as they let Lucas mull over what's been said. Nancy pulled out a box of tissues and laid them on the table. Lucas gladly helped himself to some.

"I don't want to move to California," Will blurted out.

"Have you told your mom about that?" Nancy asked.

"No. I know how much she wants to leave, and I get it. She was put through hell here. We all were, but this is our home, too. All of you are here, and what if something happens again? I also don't want to be the one to make my mother miserable here," Will said. "I just wish I had a choice like El did. I want to stay here too."

"I think maybe you should tell your mom that. I think she'd understand about you wanting to stay," Nancy said. "I think she'd be happy with whatever choice you wanted to make."

"I mean, it's not like we'd never see each other again if we did move to California," Will said.

"I don't want you to move either," Mike blurted out. "You're my best friend. You're our best friend. Why does it have to be all the way in California? I mean, can't it be somewhere closer? First, we lost Hopper. Now we're going to have to lose you? You have to lose us? It's not fucking fair?! It's not right! And what about us? What if something happens again? We're just on our own again?! It's not fair!"

Will stood up and pulled Mike into his arms, squeezing him. Mike sobbed and hugged him.

"I'll talk to my mom, okay. I'll talk to her," Will said softly.

Lucas stood up and joined the hug. Dustin soon followed, and then it was El who joined the hug after them. Dustin cleared his throat and looked over at the others. Nancy moved with everyone else, and soon, they were all holding onto each other. They all stayed like that for a while until Dustin let out a gaseous cloud that dispersed them immediately.

"Oh my God! Steven! What are you feeding that child?!" Eddie exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! So many things were released today! What's one more toxic thing?!" Dustin exclaimed as everyone gagged.

El started giggling, which set off a chain reaction that caused everyone to laugh. They laughed harder when Robin dramatically threw open the windows. They didn't stop laughing until they all collapsed on the ground.

"I have to ask though, what's with all the journals?" Lucas asked as they all stood up.

"I got those for all of us to write our thoughts, feelings, and dreams down in," Nancy said.

"I do feel a little better now that I got some stuff off my chest," Lucas said.

"And I got stickers for you to decorate your journals with," Eddie said.

"Why are there so many My Little Pony stickers?" Mike asked.

"The question is: why isn't there more?" Erica asked.

"That's all they had in the store," Eddie said. "I LOVE My Little Pony."

Nancy and Steve shared an amused look as Eddie got into a heated debate over My Little Pony with Erica and Dustin. It had been a good idea to do this because it was another step forward to moving on and receiving the proper healing that they all needed. Nancy only hoped that they could keep this up. She knew that there were still hardships ahead, but as she gazed at them all, she could feel hope on the rise.

Chapter Fifteen

[mikelogan]

maybe i'll do them in the order of the results for funsies

synopses below the cut:

i am legend

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth...but he is not alone. Every other man, woman, and child on Earth has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?

the black phone

Jack Finney is thirteen, alone, and in desperate trouble. For two years now, someone has been stalking the boys of Galesberg, stealing them away, never to be seen again. And now, Finney finds himself in danger of joining them: locked in a psychopath's basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children. With him in his subterranean cell is an antique phone, long since disconnected . . . but it rings at night anyway, with calls from the killer's previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo

In this entrancing novel "that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all" (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

and then i woke up

In a world reeling from an unusual plague, monsters lurk in the streets while terrified survivors arm themselves and roam the countryside in packs. Or perhaps something very different is happening. When a disease affects how reality is perceived, it’s hard to be certain of anything… Spence is one of the “cured” living at the Ironside rehabilitation facility. Haunted by guilt, he refuses to face the changed world until a new inmate challenges him to help her find her old crew. But if he can’t tell the truth from the lies, how will he know if he has earned the redemption he dreams of? How will he know he hasn’t just made things worse?

exit west

In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet--sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair, and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors--doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As the violence escalates, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. . . . Exit West follows these remarkable characters as they emerge into an alien and uncertain future, struggling to hold on to each other, to their past, to the very sense of who they are. Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, it tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.

a certain hunger

Food critic Dorothy Daniels loves what she does. Discerning, meticulous, and very, very smart, Dorothy's clear mastery of the culinary arts make it likely that she could, on any given night, whip up a more inspired dish than any one of the chefs she writes about. Dorothy loves sex as much as she loves food, and while she has struggled to find a long-term partner that can keep up with her, she makes the best of her single life, frequently traveling from Manhattan to Italy for a taste of both. But there is something within Dorothy that's different from everyone else, and having suppressed it long enough, she starts to embrace what makes Dorothy uniquely, terrifyingly herself. Recounting her life from a seemingly idyllic farm-to-table childhood, the heights of her career, to the moment she plunges an ice pick into a man's neck on Fire Island, Dorothy Daniels show us what happens when a woman finally embraces her superiority.

just for the summer

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka. It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

you like it darker

“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again. “Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful.

a death in door county

Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids—creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It’s a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she’ll never give up on. So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the Death's Door strait to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake—but if they’re not careful, they just might be its next victims.

disturbance

As the sun sets on a feverishly hot July evening, a young woman spies on her teenage neighbor, transfixed by what looks like an occult ritual intended to banish an ex-boyfriend. Alone in a new town and desperate to expel the claustrophobic memories of her own ex that have followed, the narrator decides to try to hex herself free from her past. She falls in with the neighbor and her witchy friend, exploring nascent supernatural powers as the boundaries of reality shift in and out of focus. But when the creaks and hums of her apartment escalate into something more violent, she realizes that she may have brought her boyfriend’s presence—whether psychological or paranormal—back to haunt her.

the bell jar

Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.

city on fire

New York City, 1976. Meet Regan and William Hamilton-Sweeney, estranged heirs to one of the city's great fortunes; Keith and Mercer, the men who, for better or worse, love them; Charlie and Samantha, two suburban teenagers seduced by downtown's punk scene; an obsessive magazine reporter, Richard, and his idealistic neighbor, Jenny, - and the detective trying to figure out what any of them have to do with a shooting in Central Park on New Year's Eve. The mystery, as it reverberates through families, friendships, and the corridors of power, will open up even the loneliest-seeming corners of the crowded city. And when the blackout of July 13, 1977, plunges this world into darkness, each of these lives with be changed forever.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Armed guards and drone patrols: Some election workers face a new reality (WSJ) As Nov. 5 looms, the election headquarters in the most populous county in the crucial battleground state of Arizona has become a fortress. “You’d have to be a psychopath to say you enjoy this,” said Maricopa County’s top election official for voting by mail, Stephen Richer, a Republican. The building has added metal detectors and armed guards. On Election Day, as workers tabulate ballots behind new fencing and concrete barriers, drones will patrol the skies overhead, police snipers will perch on rooftops and mounted patrols will stand ready. Across the state, election workers have gone through active-shooter drills and learned to barricade themselves or wield fire hoses to repel armed mobs. At the ready are trauma kits containing tourniquets and bandages designed to pack chest wounds and stanch serious bleeding. Arizona is one epicenter for threats against election officials propelled by years of false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Four years of baseless allegations of election fraud have created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among election officials from Atlanta to rural Washington state, transforming the way workers in many parts of the country are approaching the most fundamental of civic duties.

Number of Young People Accused of Serious Crimes Surges in New York City (NYT) The number of people under 18 accused of major crimes, including murders, robberies and assaults, has increased sharply in New York City in the past seven years, Police Department figures show—a steep trajectory that has alarmed law enforcement officials. Last year, there were 4,858 major crimes where a minor was accused or arrested, up from 3,543 in 2017—a 37 percent increase. Those accused or arrested in felony assaults, in which a person is seriously injured or a deadly weapon like a gun or knife is used, have jumped by 28 percent since 2017. Robberies have risen by 52 percent. Killings in which a young person was accused rose to 36 in 2023 from 10 in 2017. The number of young victims also rose dramatically, climbing 54 percent by 2023 compared with 2017. “Most of what we see is youth-on-youth crime,” said Chief Michael LiPetri, head of crime strategies for the Police Department. Crime committed by adults also rose in the same period, and the proportion of youth crime in 2023 remained a very small fraction of overall crime, about 3.8 percent, the same as it was in 2017. Still, police officials say that a rise in serious incidents involving minors can portend even more serious future violence.

Scatter and Survive: Inside a U.S. Military Shift to Deny China ‘Big, Juicy’ Targets (WSJ) The remote Pacific airfield used to launch the atomic bombings of Japan during World War II is being revived with a different foe in mind: China. Runways emerging from the encroaching jungles on the tiny island of Tinian, a U.S. territory, are part of a sweeping shift in how America’s military would respond to a possible conflict in Asia. Instead of relying on a few large air bases, the U.S. would disperse its warplanes to make them less vulnerable to China’s enormous arsenal of missiles. That means identifying, upgrading and reviving airstrips across the Indo-Pacific that could be pressed into service. The U.S. Air Force calls this effort Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, and the rebuilding on Tinian is a key piece of that. For decades, the U.S. didn’t need the airfield. It consolidated its presence at a small number of large air bases—in Japan and on the American territory of Guam, for instance. It can no longer afford to do so. In a conflict, China could direct its significant firepower at those well-known bases to destroy aircraft, crater runways and cripple U.S. air power.

Cuba grid collapses again, raising doubts about a quick fix (Reuters) Cuba's electrical grid collapsed again on Sunday, the fourth such failure in 48 hours, raising fresh doubts about a quick fix on an island already suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine. The blackout, after weeks of rolling outages, sparked some small protests around the Caribbean island, where a tropical storm threatened to hamper efforts to restore power. Cuba's national electrical grid first crashed around midday on Friday after the island's largest power plant shut down, sowing chaos and leaving around 10 million people in the dark. The grid has collapsed three times since, underscoring the precarious state of the country's infrastructure. Local officials have announced emergency measures to curb electricity demand, such as suspending schools and canceling nonessential services. Yet experts worry that the incident may only worsen the country’s already concerning humanitarian and economic crises.

Thin margin for EU membership in Moldova vote (BBC) Moldovan voters appear to have backed the Eastern European country changing its constitution and committing to joining the EU by the thinnest of margins. Official data put Yes on 50.31% and No on 49.69% on Monday morning, with over 99% of votes counted. Moldovan media said many of the votes yet to be counted had been cast abroad and would likely lean towards Yes, as the Moldovan diaspora is broadly in favour of closer ties with the EU. The knife-edge nature of the vote has come as a shock to many. The referendum had been widely expected to comfortably pass in the country of 2.6 million, which borders Romania and Ukraine.

Russian opposition squabbles (Washington Post) They share the same dream of a Russia without President Vladimir Putin, but the Russian opposition is at each other’s throats—again. With Russia’s war against Ukraine in its third year and no end in sight, opposition supporters say it has never been more urgent to form an effective, united front against Putin, as the number of soldiers dying on the front rises, the Kremlin imposes new taxes to fund the military and society only grows more nationalistic and repressive. But a scandal that sparked accusations that one opposition figure orchestrated a shocking attack with a hammer on another—a claim denied publicly—shows how the splits have intensified since the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny earlier this year. Many Russians who want to see change are increasingly doubtful that the opposition in its current form can lead the fight to transform the country. “It is a disparate array of individuals and small groups who basically do not even pretend to be one, who do not have a vision for Russia that they share,” said Maria Lipman, visiting scholar at George Washington University.

War against Hezbollah goes beyond military infrastructure (BBC) Israel has carried out air strikes across Lebanon, saying it's targeting branches of a bank used by Hezbollah. In a statement on social media, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said: "Beirut in flames ... Hezbollah has paid and will continue to pay a heavy price for its attacks on northern Israel and its rocket fire." The first airstrikes happened about 20 minutes after the Israeli military issued evacuation orders, at around 21:30 here last night. There were chaotic scenes in some parts of Beirut, as people tried to get to areas they thought would be safer, and thick plumes of smoke were seen over the city’s southern suburbs. The targets were branches of Al-Qard Al-Hassan, a financial association linked with Hezbollah. It offers services to civilians in Shia Muslim communities where the group has strong support. The branches are often located on the ground floor of residential buildings in busy districts.

A Mideast Shift Is Underway, Without Israel (NYT) A year ago, Saudi Arabia was preparing to recognize Israel in a normalization deal that would have fundamentally reshaped the Middle East and further isolated Iran and its allies while barely lifting a finger to advance Palestinian statehood. Now, that deal is further away than ever, even after the killing of the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, which has been widely seized upon as a potential opening for a peace deal. Instead, Saudi Arabia is warming relations with its traditional archenemy, Iran, while insisting that any diplomatic pact now hinges on Israel’s acceptance of a Palestinian state, a remarkable turnaround for the kingdom. A diplomatic détente is underway in the Mideast, but not the one envisioned by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who continues to say that his administration can clinch a deal with Riyadh. This month, the foreign ministers of the Persian Gulf states met for the first time as a group with their Iranian counterpart. It is a shaky, early-stage rapprochement that will only chip away at centuries of sectarian antagonisms, but it represents a sharp shift in a region where the rivalry between Riyadh and Tehran has drenched the region in bloodshed for decades.

He Dreamed of Escaping Gaza (NYT) He was the son his mother boasted about: He memorized the entire Quran as a boy, and rose to the top of his university class. He wanted to become a doctor. But most of all, Shaaban al-Dalou dreamed of escape. Since Israel launched its devastating retaliation for the Hamas-led attack just over a year ago, Mr. al-Dalou wrote impassioned pleas on social media, posted videos from his family’s small plastic tent and even launched a GoFundMe page calling out to the world for help getting out of the Gaza Strip. Instead, the world watched him burn to death. Mr. al-Dalou, 19, was identified by his family as the young man helplessly waving his arms, engulfed in flames, in a video that has become a symbol of the horrors of war for Gazans, trapped inside their blockaded enclave as the international community looks on. On Oct. 14, Israel said it conducted a “precision strike” on a Hamas command center operating near Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, a coastal city in central Gaza. Dozens of families like the Dalous, forced to flee their homes, had set up tents in a parking lot inside the hospital compound. They had hoped that international laws forbidding most attacks on medical facilities would ensure their safety. The Israeli military said that the fire that erupted afterward was probably caused by “secondary explosions,” without specifying what that meant. It added that “the incident is under review.”

A million people hit by flooding in South Sudan (BBC) Over a million people in South Sudan have been affected by floods across much of the country, the UN’s humanitarian organisation, Ocha, has said. More than a quarter of those—many in the north—have been forced from their homes by rising waters. Ocha said the displaced were seeking refuge on higher ground, but the rains have also meant that getting aid to those who need it had become increasingly difficult. This is one of the worst flood seasons that South Sudan—a country with a population of more than 11 million people—has experienced in recent decades.

Costco has a formidable magazine (NYT) Costco, the members-only retailer that will serve you a sample of ravioli, sell you a TV and offer you a deal on a 35-pound bucket of peanut butter, also publishes one of America’s most popular magazines. Each month, the store sends 15.4 million copies of the magazine, Costco Connection, to its “executive members,” a reach far larger than that of The New Yorker and The Atlantic combined. Oprah has made time to speak with the magazine, and so have Tom Hanks and Bruce Springsteen. “A lot of people want to be on the cover of Vogue or Rolling Stone,” said Jimmy Kimmel, a Costco obsessive who begged his publicist to land him the spot. “For me, it’s The Costco Connection.”

[shitty-mechs-headcannons]

i didnt plan for this to be so long but my brain didnt shut up about this for days and kept adding on to this so now you have to suffer too

so we all know that jonny is a cannibal. he also doesnt have a problem with killing the other mechs and probably enjoys doing that. he is also fucking crazy. what im saying is jonny would absolutely hunt the other mechanisms for sport. but because he is a pretentious story teller asshole he wouldnt just want to hunt them on the aurora. he would still do that but he would become really bored after about seven rounds of "jonny is crawling through the vents, brutally murdering the other mechs and packing up some of their organs for later use". (yes he also kills brian and the toy soldier because he refuses to let them get away unscathed. he just gnaws on them a little and gives up when the toy soldier is giving him splinters.) so he gets raphaella in on this insane plan of his because he needs someone to help him kill the others for long enough and she has just the right poison for him. raphaella is of course happy to help because she can try out her new poison and jonny promised her nine of his livers. what is jonnys plan exactly you may ask and i will answer. he kills all the mechs for long enough to transport them to some weird abandoned planet. they are in a forest, forced to survive all on their own and find a way of this planet. theyre hunted by a fucking insane cannibal and all of their adopted toy soldierlings are missing even though these annoying bastards never leave them alone (they are still quite cute). the clue to to their escape seems to be finding their missing soldierlings.

jonny set up a real life game of The Forest. because he is a psychopath. and yes, he is planning to make an album out of this.

good for him, king shit, I hope he has a fun time!!!

[ofgraveblud]

    ❝ How the little piggies will grunt when they hear how the old boar suffered. ❞

ASBJRON ⸻

Named after his paternal grandfather. The eldest twin of Tatia and older fraternal twin brother to Aethelwulf who triggered his werewolf curse at the age of seven.  Like his younger brother, Asbjorn was raised with the typical Northman conduct. He values his family and is devoted to his mother. Since he was young, he had yearned to become a warrior like his mother. As he grew Asbjorn began to hate the Mikaelsons like as his brother did, after losing his mother at the age of 10. Yet because of his mother’s love for the mikaelson siblings and the fact that she was in love with klaus, he decided not to pursue the path of revenge and had convinced his bother to do so as well in their mother’s memory. He has his mother’s curiosity for other cultures. He is restless like his uncle, Ubbe, who had more hand in raising him than floki did. Like Ubbe, he is vain about his appearance, taking great pride in his battle scars, his bearskin cloak and his tattoos - his tattoos and hairstyle are clearly modeled after the ones his father had in his younger years, as their mother had described as well  as the ones in the pack he had the chance to meet. Asbjorn has  displayed good leadership qualities in his days, as he lead men during raids, assisted in strategics with his brother and uncles. He shows extreme loyalty to his brother despite his sadistic ways and  is smart enough to be wary of Aethelwulf and his temper. Still, he understands his younger brother’s instability, manipulative nature, and ferocity. He shows quick thinking and resourcefulness in battle, leading the men under him to victory. He is a skilled warrior, fearless on the battlefield; however, Aethelwulf is the great tactician out of the two brothers. Like his mother, while to fellow Northman, Asbjorn was an exemplar of virtue, his beliefs and his devotion to his beliefs makes him appear as a bloodthirsty force of nature to outsiders like the Saxons; to whom his cultural nuances are terrifyingly alien. Predictably, Asbjorn intentionally plays up this conception for the purposes of psychological warfare.

AETHELWOLF ⸻

Named by his mother, is the psychopathic second born son of Tatia and younger twin brother of Asbjorn, who had triggered his werewolf curse at the age of 4. As a child he was always the mischievous one and always eager to learn how to fight and would often spar with his mother and brother. He looks more like his mother than his father. He swore revenge on the mikaelson’s for killing his mother but was stopped on his pursuit in finding them by his older twin brother, Asbjorn, due to the fact that Tatia loved the siblings and would not want that. Despite it going against their very nature. A viking never gives up on their revenge. But his brother always holds him back on that pursuit. Aethelwulf is perceived a monster by many in his years, he has shown to be easily angered and very arrogant, selfish, cruel, sadistic and psychopathic. He does not care about the settlers slain in Wessex, even his own uncle refer Aethelwulf as “Crazy”. However, Aethelwulf has shown moments where he is remorseful when he breaks down in front of his brother saying it is hard being the son of Tatia and how much he misses her.  Having been mentored by floki, their other uncle, from a young age since their mother’s passing, Aethelwulf shares his hatred for Christianity. Aethelwulf admires his mother for her great fame in her youth and successful raids and deeply loved his mother as she was the only person that showed him a great amount of attention and love, and after her death, he is only close to his brother, Asbjorn and uncles. Like his mother, he shows devotion to his family and his people, as well as a fierce devotion to the Norse Pantheon.

[ofcvrnage]

    ❝ How the little piggies will grunt when they hear how the old boar suffered. ❞

ASBJRON ⸻

Named after his paternal grandfather. The eldest twin of Tatia and older fraternal twin brother to Aethelwulf who triggered his werewolf curse at the age of seven.  Like his younger brother, Asbjorn was raised with the typical Northman conduct. He values his family and is devoted to his mother. Since he was young, he had yearned to become a warrior like his mother. As he grew Asbjorn began to hate the Mikaelsons like as his brother did, after losing his mother at the age of 12. Yet because of his mother’s love for the mikaelson siblings and the fact that she was in love with klaus, he decided not to pursue the path of revenge and had convinced his bother to do so as well in their mother’s memory. He has his mother’s curiosity for other cultures. He is restless like his uncle, Ubbe, who had more hand in raising him than floki did. Like Ubbe, he is vain about his appearance, taking great pride in his battle scars, his bearskin cloak and his tattoos - his tattoos and hairstyle are clearly modeled after the ones his father had in his younger years, as their mother had described as well  as the ones in the pack he had the chance to meet. Asbjorn has  displayed good leadership qualities in his days, as he lead men during raids, assisted in strategics with his brother and uncles. He shows extreme loyalty to his brother despite his sadistic ways and  is smart enough to be wary of Aethelwulf and his temper. Still, he understands his younger brother’s instability, manipulative nature, and ferocity. He shows quick thinking and resourcefulness in battle, leading the men under him to victory. He is a skilled warrior, fearless on the battlefield; however, Aethelwulf is the great tactician out of the two brothers. Like his mother, while to fellow Northman, Asbjorn was an exemplar of virtue, his beliefs and his devotion to his beliefs makes him appear as a bloodthirsty force of nature to outsiders like the Saxons; to whom his cultural nuances are terrifyingly alien. Predictably, Asbjorn intentionally plays up this conception for the purposes of psychological warfare.

AETHELWOLF ⸻

Named by his mother, is the psychopathic second born son of Tatia and younger twin brother of Asbjorn, who had triggered his werewolf curse at the age of 4. As a child he was always the mischievous one and always eager to learn how to fight and would often spar with his mother and brother. He looks more like his mother than his father. He swore revenge on the mikaelson’s for killing his mother but was stopped on his pursuit in finding them by his older twin brother, Asbjorn, due to the fact that Tatia loved the siblings and would not want that. Despite it going against their very nature. A viking never gives up on their revenge. But his brother always holds him back on that pursuit. Aethelwulf is perceived a monster by many in his years, he has shown to be easily angered and very arrogant, selfish, cruel, sadistic and psychopathic. He does not care about the settlers slain in Wessex, even his own uncle refer Aethelwulf as “Crazy”. However, Aethelwulf has shown moments where he is remorseful when he breaks down in front of his brother saying it is hard being the son of Tatia and how much he misses her.  Having been mentored by floki, their other uncle, from a young age since their mother’s passing, Aethelwulf shares his hatred for Christianity. Aethelwulf admires his mother for her great fame in her youth and successful raids and deeply loved his mother as she was the only person that showed him a great amount of attention and love, and after her death, he is only close to his brother, Asbjorn and uncles. Like his mother, he shows devotion to his family and his people, as well as a fierce devotion to the Norse Pantheon.

[loopheadline]

Wedding Crashers Cast: Where Are They Now?

Who doesn't remember the gut-busting laughs and unforgettable antics of "Wedding Crashers"? This 2005 comedy flick brought together a stellar cast, turning it into a cult classic almost overnight. With Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn leading the charge as two mischievous bachelors crashing weddings for fun and, well, more, the movie quickly became a fan favorite. But what has the Wedding Crashers cast been up to since then? Let’s take a journey down memory lane and catch up with these stars.

The Dynamic Duo: Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn

Owen Wilson: John Beckwith

Owen Wilson, with his signature laid-back charm and quirky humor, stole hearts as John Beckwith. Since "Wedding Crashers," Wilson has kept busy, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Acting Ventures: Wilson has continued to shine in comedies like "You, Me and Dupree" and "Night at the Museum" series. He's also taken on more dramatic roles in movies like "Midnight in Paris" and "Wonder," showcasing his versatility.

Voice Work: His distinct voice has made him a favorite in animated films, voicing Lightning McQueen in the "Cars" franchise.

Personal Life: Wilson has faced personal challenges, including struggles with depression, but he’s come out strong, focusing on his family and career.

Vince Vaughn: Jeremy Grey

The quick-witted and fast-talking Jeremy Grey, played by Vince Vaughn, brought an unforgettable energy to "Wedding Crashers." Vaughn has maintained a steady career in Hollywood, transitioning from comedy to more serious roles with ease.

Comedy Staples: Post-"Wedding Crashers," Vaughn starred in hits like "The Break-Up," "Couples Retreat," and "The Internship," often pairing his comedic talents with fellow funnymen.

Dramatic Turns: Vaughn has also proven his mettle in dramas such as "Hacksaw Ridge" and the second season of "True Detective," where his performance was widely praised.

Producer Role: Beyond acting, Vaughn has stepped into the role of producer, working on various film and television projects.

The Ladies: Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher

Rachel McAdams: Claire Cleary

Rachel McAdams brought depth and warmth to the character of Claire Cleary, making her a beloved figure in "Wedding Crashers." Her career post-film has been nothing short of spectacular.

Blockbuster Hits: McAdams has starred in a slew of successful films, including "The Notebook," "Spotlight," "Doctor Strange," and "Game Night."

Award Recognition: Her role in "Spotlight" earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Diverse Roles: McAdams continues to take on varied roles, from romantic leads to action-packed parts, proving her adaptability as an actress.

Isla Fisher: Gloria Cleary

Isla Fisher’s portrayal of the eccentric and obsessive Gloria Cleary was a standout in "Wedding Crashers." Fisher has since enjoyed a robust career in both film and literature.

Comedy Queen: She’s appeared in comedic gems like "The Brothers Grimsby," "Confessions of a Shopaholic," and "Now You See Me."

Author: Fisher is also an accomplished author, having written several children’s books.

Personal Life: Married to comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, Fisher balances her career with family life, often stepping out of the spotlight to focus on her children.

The Veterans: Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour

Christopher Walken: William Cleary

Christopher Walken’s portrayal of the authoritative yet loving father William Cleary added a unique flavor to "Wedding Crashers." Walken’s career is legendary, and he’s continued to be a force in the industry.

Diverse Roles: Walken has taken on a variety of roles in films like "Hairspray," "Seven Psychopaths," and "The Jungle Book."

Television: He’s also made memorable appearances on TV, including hosting "Saturday Night Live" multiple times.

Enduring Talent: Walken’s ability to seamlessly switch between drama and comedy keeps him relevant and admired in Hollywood.

Jane Seymour: Kathleen Cleary

Jane Seymour, who played the seductive and slightly kooky Kathleen Cleary, has remained a beloved figure in entertainment.

Television Star: Seymour has continued to grace the small screen, with roles in series like "Jane the Virgin" and "The Kominsky Method."

Author and Entrepreneur: Beyond acting, Seymour has penned books and launched a successful lifestyle brand.

Timeless Beauty: Known for her ageless looks and grace, Seymour continues to be an inspiration for many.

Supporting Cast and Their Journeys

Bradley Cooper: Sack Lodge

Before he was a household name, Bradley Cooper played the villainous Sack Lodge. Post-"Wedding Crashers," Cooper’s career skyrocketed.

Major Roles: Cooper has starred in critically acclaimed films like "Silver Linings Playbook," "American Sniper," and "A Star is Born."

Directorial Debut: He made his directorial debut with "A Star is Born," earning multiple Oscar nominations.

Versatility: Cooper’s range as an actor, from comedy to drama, has established him as one of Hollywood’s leading men.

Keir O'Donnell: Todd Cleary

Keir O'Donnell’s quirky performance as Todd Cleary was memorable. Since then, he’s built a steady career in film and television.

Television Roles: O'Donnell has appeared in TV shows like "Fargo," "Ray Donovan," and "Legion."

Film Appearances: He’s also continued to work in films, often playing supporting but impactful roles.

FAQs About the Wedding Crashers Cast

What is the "Wedding Crashers" cast up to now?

The cast members have continued their careers in various directions, with many achieving significant success in film and television, and some exploring new ventures like producing and writing.

Did the "Wedding Crashers" cast reunite for any projects?

As of now, there hasn't been a full reunion for a new project, but there have been rumors and discussions about a possible sequel.

How did "Wedding Crashers" impact the careers of its cast?

"Wedding Crashers" was a major hit that propelled many of its cast members to greater fame and opened up numerous opportunities in Hollywood.

Conclusion

The Wedding Crashers cast from Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn’s comedic brilliance to Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher’s unforgettable performances, has left an indelible mark on Hollywood. Their careers have flourished, with many taking on diverse and challenging roles, showcasing their range and talent. As fans, we can only hope for a reunion or sequel to recapture the magic they created on screen. Until then, revisiting Wedding Crashers is always a delightful trip down memory lane.

[a-distant-lurking-dream]

dreamed last night that i was going to visit my friend & this was approximately a five mile walk through the woods directly north of my house which was Also in the woods, & id made these little clay sculptures of her & her partner but they were soft so i meticulously packed them in ice, & then me and puss in boots (1988) christopher walken began our trek to my friends house but we had to pass through this vampire wizards property but babydoll (walken) threw a net over him so we could get by & then we got there & we were sitting in this like stony clearing & i had to like crack open the ice shell on the sculptures

& then i dreamed that my dad & i were driving somewhere at night & i couldnt see At All but the place we got to was like??? i dont even remember but my brother was there too & he was the one who needed something there so i was waiting around in like this supply room looking at a sack of weird fantasy fruits & shit & then i was helping 2 of my kids start a reaction youtube channel

other recent dreams ive neglected to log:

-someone on my dash started getting obsessed with frankie valli (bc i was lamenting the night before about how nobodys ever posting him on the web) but they just posted the most dogshit images of him

-was at a relatives house which i guess started out being my moms cousins house but then it was my grandparents old house & we were having some kind of family get together & my moms other cousin & her crew arrived with my grandma & i remember opening the door for them & everyone was all happy & laughing & it was nice bc normally my Grandparent Dreams are very unpleasant. & also i fucked around with their radio & i was like "btw sorry i set the radio to thai" & just didnt fix it. & then i was cleaning the bathroom & one of my kids was helping me & she was in charge of holding debris but she kept dropping it back in the tub .

-extended version of seven psychopaths where woody harrelson & his henchman were like In Love & there was this whole subplot about them getting together & there was this goofy shot where like one of them took a paperclip from the other as a wedding ring metaphor. & also i cracked open an egg &i was so mad bc the yolk was the size of a tiny marble & harrison ford was there at some point

-i was on an epic quest to go to the dentist with a small band of people (it wasnt even my appointment i was just coming along) but we got thoroughly lost going through some building instead of going around it bc instead of taking a normal route we were making a totally straight line from point a to point b & like cutting across fields & shit

-i was regularly going out to like. a casino?? & became friends with some older dude named tunsel & he came over my house i miss him

[idolskpop]

‘The Escape of the Seven’ Continues to Generate Major Drama Buzz, + ‘Moving’ Cast Lead Actor Rankings

The Escape of the Seven and Moving are the two K-dramas that have been generating the most buzz online for the past week. The thrilling mystery series and the action-packed webtoon adaptation have captivated the viewers with their gripping plots and stellar casts. Here are some of the reasons why these shows and their actors are trending on various online platforms.

'The Escape of the Seven': A Revenge Story That Keeps You on Edge

The Escape of the Seven is a makjang drama that follows the story of a high school student who seeks revenge against seven people who made his life a living hell. The show is created by the same team behind the hit series The Penthouse: War in Life, and it features a similar blend of suspense, violence, and melodrama.

(Photo : SBS ) The show has been topping the most buzzworthy drama list for two consecutive weeks, according to Good Data Corporation. The company collects data from blog posts, online news articles, videos, and social media posts in various online communities to rank the current and upcoming K-dramas that viewers are talking about. Check out the top 10 series that made it to the Most Buzzworthy Drama list. - "The Escape of the Seven" - "Behind Your Touch" - "Arthdal Chronicles 2: The Sword of Aramun" - "Destined with You" - "My Lovely Liar" - "The Kidnapping Day" - "Live Your Own Life" - "Twinkling Watermelon" - "The Killing Vote" - "Unpredictable Family" Some of the factors that contribute to the popularity of The Escape of the Seven are: - The intense and unpredictable plot that keeps the viewers guessing who are the seven villains and what are their motives. - The stellar performance of the cast, especially Uhm Ki Joon, who plays the dual role of a charismatic teacher and a ruthless psychopath. - The controversial and provocative scenes that depict violence, abuse, and torture in a realistic and graphic manner. - The social commentary on the issues of bullying, corruption, and injustice in the Korean society. The show has also received some criticism and complaints for its excessive depiction of violence and sexual content. Some viewers have expressed their discomfort and dissatisfaction with the show’s direction and tone. “I can’t watch this drama anymore. It’s too disturbing and disgusting. How can they show such things on TV?” - A netizen on Naver TV “This drama is not for everyone. It’s a dark and twisted revenge story that exposes the ugly side of human nature. I think it’s well-made and well-acted, but it’s definitely not easy to watch.” - Another netizen on Naver TV

'Moving': A Webtoon Adaptation That Delivers Action and Emotion

Moving is a webtoon-based series that tells the story of a top-tier agent who infiltrates a high school to protect a student who holds a secret that could change the world. The show is produced by Disney+ and it features a star-studded cast of Jo In Sung, Han Hyo Joo, Ryu Seung Ryong, Go Yoon Jung, Kim Do Hoon, and Lee Jung Ha.

(Photo : Disney+) The show has recently ended its first season with a cliffhanger that left the viewers wanting more. The cast of Moving dominates the most buzzworthy actor list, with six out of ten spots occupied by them. Some of the factors that make Moving a successful and popular series are: - The action-packed and fast-paced plot that combines espionage, sci-fi, and comedy elements. - The impressive production quality that showcases stunning cinematography, realistic stunts, and seamless CGI effects. - The charismatic and talented cast that brings their characters to life with their acting skills and chemistry. - The emotional and touching moments that balance the thrill and humor of the show. - The faithful adaptation of the original webtoon that respects the author’s vision and satisfies the fans. The show has also received some praise and recognition from critics and industry insiders. It has been nominated for several awards, including Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Action at the 2023 Korea Drama Awards. “Moving is one of the best webtoon adaptations I’ve ever seen. It’s not only entertaining but also meaningful. It deals with themes like identity, family, friendship, loyalty, justice, and love.” - A critic on Daum “Moving is a masterpiece that deserves all the awards. It’s a rare gem that combines action, comedy, sci-fi, romance, drama, suspense, mystery, and emotion in one package. It’s a must-watch for everyone.” - Another critic on Daum The Escape of the Seven and Moving are two K-dramas that have proven their popularity and quality with their high rankings on the most buzzworthy drama and actor list. They have different genres and styles, but they both offer engaging stories and memorable characters that appeal to a wide range of viewers.

(Photo : Disney + Korea Instagram) Here's the list of the most buzzworthy actor rankings for the last week of September, as cited by Good Data Corporation. - Jo In Sung ("Moving") - Lee Jung Ha ("Moving") - Go Yoon Jung ("Moving") - Han Hyo Joo ("Moving") - Ryu Seung Ryong ("Moving") - Kim Do Hoon ("Moving") - Kim Nam Gil ("Song of the Bandits") - Rowoon ("Destined with You") - Lee Joon Gi ("Arthdal Chronicles 2") - Hwang Minhyun ("My Lovely Liar") If you are looking for some K-dramas to watch or rewatch, you might want to check out these two shows. You can find them on SBS (The Escape of the Seven) or Disney+ (Moving). What do you think of these two K-dramas and their actors? Which one is your favorite and why? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

[cillirishan]

Marty Faranan layouts | Seven Psychopaths (2012)

[chopperpirate]

Filled with rage, the man-deer's eyes focused solely on the warlord before him, his body shaking with righteous, barely contained fury.

"Ask the people of Ikko Ikki when you meet them, you remorseless psychopath!!!" Chopper ran straight at the woman, his body transforming as he sought retribution. Chopper almost instantly transformed into a human, but not just any human. The pirate was now seven feet tall and covered with muscle, similar to The Incredible Hulk, but brown instead of green. His fur was gone, aside from a mane around his neck, revealing a full six pack and tons of muscle. His hooves were now replaced with large, human hands and feet that dwarfed the size of a normal human’s head, and his antlers seemed to shrink into nothing as he transformed. The only inhuman thing about him, aside from his size and muscles, was his blue nose.

"Take this, monster!" An ironic war cry as his large fist slammed down at her, likely to destroy the seat beneath Nobunaga whether she dodged him or not.

@chopperpirate said: "You..." Eyes full of hatred glared upon the heroic spirit. "Of all the thousands of comrades and the tens of thousands of enemies, you alone... obscured the vision of my dream."

Oh? How irritating.

Her head tilts, eyes narrowing in annoyance.

Nobunaga had suffered various barrages of insults in her mortal life, the result of building a nation with such infamy. There was no shortage of rumors about this self-proclaimed demon king. The amount of things this creature could be referring to, whatever horror story he'd been fed about her reign - she didn't know if she had the patience to decipher it.

"What dream could that be? I can remember doing no such thing."

She gives a kick of her foot as she sits cross-legged, rather unphased by the accusation.

"You clearly know who I am - but you've not given me the same honor. Maybe a name might refresh my memory?"

Though her behavior is condescending, she's not reached the level where she'd throw insults. After all, she's being addressed as far more than just a drunken fool. For that reason, she is merciful.

"Enlighten me. Have I burned down a temple you loved ? Stolen your followers? Disgraced your family? Had one of your friends executed under my command? I await your answer. "

[tricksters-captain]

Bucky Barnes Imagines - Some Sunny Day Part 3

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

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

(PART 1) (PART 2)

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

Word Count: 3,457

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hey... You okay?” You asked softly. 

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

“I’m fine.” Bucky replied quietly. 

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

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

“I’m not.” 

You didn’t push.

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

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

You turned when the zip reached the top. 

“Thanks.” You whispered. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You remained silent as you brushed through your hair. 

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

“No.” You said almost too quickly. 

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

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

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

You groaned and closed your eyes. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Not like that.” Sam shook his head. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

The party seemed to suddenly start. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bucky released the creep and stepped back. 

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

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

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

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

“What are you doing?” Bucky asked you. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“They know how to party.” Zemo agreed. 

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

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

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

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

You all entered the container cautiously before Sam contacted Sharon. 

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

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

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

Suddenly, it shifted and a hidden door opened. 

Soft music played from below along with a muffled voice. 

It has to be Nagel. 

Sam, Bucky and you all went in armed. 

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

“Dr. Nagel?” Sam inquired. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But...” You gestured to your ear. 

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

You sighed but listened to Sam. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Well, what happened to her?” You pushed

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

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

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

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

“No.”

“Now what?” Bucky asked you and Sam. 

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

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

“No!” Sam cried out

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

You screamed as you went blind. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Supercharged.” Zemo gestured to his ride. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No.” Bucky shook his head. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sam then got a call with the information on Madani. 

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

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

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

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

“Yeah.” Bucky nodded. “Come on.” 

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

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

“You good?” Sam asked. 

“Yeah.” Bucky nodded as he stepped away. 

“Be careful.” You warned him. 

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

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

But that was a bad feeling in your gut. 

(PART 4)

Bucky Barnes Tag List

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

[august-bleeds-red]

You could make my request from Slashers with S / O being affectionate and cute ... Imagine a scenario where Slachers (Michael, Jason, Brahms and another killer of your choice) is stressed or grumpy for some reason and S / O the find them and makes your voice affectionate and cute something in the sense "Honey! I need a big hug and kiss from my beautiful man!"

How would Slachers react to this behavior of your S / O? And they will succumb to the cute voice of their S / O and lose that maumor or stress; or are they going to ask for time alone and are going to dispense with S / O?

Michael –

Even without the seven-inch carving knife he’s repeatedly stabbing into the tabletop, you can tell Michael’s in a bad mood. The tension in his broad shoulders, the white-knuckle flexing of his fingers, the way his head jerks to the side when you close the front door. Your stomach drops a little – of all the men in this godforsaken world, you had to fall for the most dangerous one there was.

 “Hey,” you say softly. In any usual relationship, a partner might use pet names to soothe a bad mood, but not with him. The only time he allows you to call him anything other than his name is after sex – and even then, the choice is limited.

 “You know, that table used to belong to my grandmother.”

 The glare he shoots you tells you he doesn’t give a rat’s ass, but he slams the knife down on its side, nonetheless.

 You sigh, dropping your bag and coat on the couch and sitting down in the chair adjacent to him. He shifts his gaze to meet yours, long hair obscuring most of his face, but those dark, fathomless eyes still stay fixed on you.

 “You wanna talk about it?” you ask, placing a hand gently on his wrist, risking a smile. “Come on – where’s my handsome guy?”

 Within half a second, the fingers of his other hand are on your throat, not choking, but squeezing enough to remind you that he could kill you in less than a heartbeat. Now’s not the time to be cute.

 “Okay,” you whisper, brushing the fingers pressing on your windpipe with your own soft caress. “I’d like you to let me go, please.”

 Slow as moving granite, his fingers relinquish their hold on you, dropping to rest at your collarbone. You stand and move toward him, taking his head in your hands and resting his forehead against your chest. His hands find your elbows and cup them with surprising tenderness.

 “There he is,” you close your eyes and breathe in the familiar scent of his hair. He’s a psychopath, but he’s your psychopath.

 Jason –

Jason is pissed.

 The moment you heard the sound of industrial machinery, you knew shit was going to go down. Bloody, ruthless, machete-to-the-face shit. So many years spent living in the forest surrounding Crystal Lake gave Jason a deep attachment to it, and any defiling was deemed punishable by mutilation.

 Jason Voorhees – eco warrior.

 You find him wiping the excess blood from his machete with a dirty rag, the disembodied head of a deforestation worker wedged in a bush some twenty feet away.

 “Jason,” you sigh. “We talked about this.”

 You understand it’s his modus operandi to hack people into pieces, but it makes some aspects of your relationship a little difficult – like maintaining a little peace and quiet for more than three days in a row.

 He huffs and hunches his shoulders, removing his mask briefly to wipe the worst of the bloody smears from the yellowish-white surface. He never used to take such care of his appearance. When you first met, he had blood stains three fingers thick on his clothes, and then last week you found him scrubbing his shirt in the bath with a bar of Dove soap.

 “Would you remove that, please?” You nod towards the head staring at you with a look of such surprise it’s almost funny. Almost as funny as the way Jason picks it up and lobs it into the trees like a football. You can’t hold back your giggles, but Jason doesn’t join in your mirth. He sits down heavily on a felled log, elbows balanced on his knees and staring into the grass.

 “Jason?” You kneel beside him, resting a hand on his arm. “What’s up, big guy?”

 Lifting his right hand to his chin, he forms a claw with his fingers and drags them downwards.

 Bad mood.

 “Oh, sweetie,” you shift position to crouch between his knees. “Look at me.”

 The hazel eyes trapped behind the eye-holes flit upwards to meet yours.

 “Want a hug?”

 He doesn’t reply, simply folds you into his arms. Seems even the undead can have bad days, but you’d always be there to brighten them up again.  

Brahms –

You have never known anyone to throw a temper tantrum quite like Brahms Heelshire.

 Surveying the scene of carnage before you, you lean against the doorframe and bump the side of your head against the wood. You’d just cleaned in here two days ago.

 “Braaaahms,” you call to the sprawling mansion at large. “Your presence is required now.”

 As you start clearing up the dozens of books – many priceless first editions – that litter the library floor, you hear the subtle creak of a floorboard behind you followed by deep, even breathing. He knows you’re angry, his large hands twisting together behind his back, milking the sorry little boy act.

 “Why, Brahms?” you sigh in sheer exasperation, brushing off the cover of Great Expectations. “I’ve told you a million times – there’s nothing going on with me and the damn grocery boy.”

 You can practically see the scowl blooming behind his mask.

 “You laughed.”

 “What?”

 “I saw you,” his voice is fluctuating between childish resentment and dangerous possessiveness. “He was talking, you laughed.”

 You throw up your hands. “Oh, heaven forbid!”

 He flinches and moves to escape back into the wall. You sigh. “Sweetheart, wait.”

 Shoulders hunched, he waits for you to reach him, clasping your fingers tightly when you offer them.

 “Who’s my handsome boy?”

 He softly taps the centre of his chest and you smile. You know later he’ll reinstate his ownership of you in a much more adult way, but for now he’s playing it cute.    

 “I’m sorry,” he whispers, though you can never quite tell if he means it.

 “That’s alright,” you nod. “Just . . . please don’t kill this one, okay?”  

 Bo –

“God fucking damn it!”

 The ear-splitting bang of the door jerks you violently out of the nap you were taking on the couch. Bo is standing in the doorway, one hand clutching his shotgun, the other pressed to a wound in his shoulder.

 “Oh Jesus,” you rouse quickly and grab the med pack you’ve taken to keeping under the couch. “Honey—,”

 “Don’t fuckin’ ‘honey’ me, you dumb bitch!” he snaps, pushing your concerned hands away and stomping to the kitchen. He throws open the refrigerator and grabs a beer, cracking the top off on the countertop edge.

 “Bo,” you venture a caution. “You know that’ll only make the bleeding worse.”

 He ignores you completely, chugging back the alcohol and dropping the empty bottle in the sink. Taking a deep breath, you come up behind him and place a hand on his uninjured shoulder.

 “Come on, let’s take a look at that.”

 He allows you to steer him to the couch, sitting down heavily. His forehead is damp from perspiration, the curls at his hairline sticking to his skin. Very carefully, you roll back his coveralls and assess the wound.

 “It’s not that deep.”

 “Whoopdy-fuckin’-do – still hurts.”

 You select some clean gauze and clean the bloody mess surrounding the puncture. “How’s the other guy?”

 “Blew his damn head off.”

 You roll your eyes, but don’t let him see. “Vincent will be thrilled.”

 “Fuck Vincent.”

 You shrug. “Well, if you insist. Didn’t think you liked sharing.”

 He snorts despite himself, gripping tight to your wrist as you disinfect and patch up his wound. He’s still glowering, the rage simmering just below the surface.

 “Hey,” you brush the sharp line of his jaw with your fingers. “Beautiful Bo.”

 At first, he’d found the nickname nauseating, and told you so repeatedly, but nowadays it seems to calm him a little. A reminder that, for all the fucked up things he does, the things he says, you’ll never walk away from him. He lays a soft hand on your waist and rests his forehead against your chest.

 “Sorry I called you a dumb bitch,” he mutters.

 You stroke the back of his head and press your lips to his crown. Perhaps you are dumb, or just plain crazy – why else would you stay with such a man as Bo Sinclair? He pulls back and gazes upwards into your eyes, his baby blues pouring words of gratitude you know he’ll never say aloud.

 Right – that’s why.

[deadmunds-ghostbee]

Little bummed there’s no time for me to write anything for Kate week so I thought I’d drop another preview of my WIP. This little bit comes from chapter two, set in the “Now” and picks up exactly where the first preview left off. In the actual story we’ll get about 8-9k of “Then” in between these scenes but this part is much more fun to tease. 

Hope you enjoy!

**

Kate had been back in town for three weeks and she wasn’t hiding anymore, or at least that’s what she told herself.

Of course she’d come back to visit in the past seven years, especially since Edwina had left home and wandered right back into the same city that sent her running, but it just wasn’t the same then.

On a holiday, she didn’t trudge past the pharmacy with its solid brick walls whose ridges she still felt on her back in her loneliest nights. She didn’t have to walk the same streets that she used to race down at dawn, when she used the sting of the cold to bring tears to her eyes because she wouldn’t let herself cry on her own.

On a holiday, she could pretend the wailing sirens didn’t sound like his bedroom past midnight, and that the buildings didn’t tremble with the echo of memories.

Her move, her new job, her “beginning” (as Mary liked to call it) had its growing pains but she didn’t want to hide anymore. And that felt like an important step.

In fact, she began walking Newton through the park near campus, across the street from that one bar where she’d spent more than one fateful night. She ironically began calling the practice a ‘reclamation of the streets’, so to speak.

It was nice, because the park had benches and her new sofa wasn’t due in for a couple of weeks, and if she faced southeast her eyes could avoid the setting sun and the flickering storefront of the bar behind her.

The return home always felt a little depressing though, no matter how successful the reclamation had been. She still sat on a folding chair in the middle of her unpacked flat eating lukewarm takeaway with Newton on her lap, watching competitive cake decorating shows by herself.

More than depressing though, it was just a bit boring. Despite being thoroughly knocked about by life the past few years, Kate was still abuzz with energy nearly every waking moment.

Sometimes she’d wander the supermarket for hours after work, talking to Mary on the phone. Or if she tried to listen to just one of the hundreds of audiobooks Edwina recommended just to pass the time, she’d have to do jumping jacks to keep herself from going crazy, which of course then roused Newton into such a frenzy that she feared he’d tear a ligament.

Edwina’s solution to this boredom was predictable:

“Come out with my friends and I!”

“Edwina,” Kate sighed into the receiver. “I cannot spend every weekend night tagging along with a pack of twenty-two-year-old grad students—if I drink flavored vodka I’d have to get my stomach pumped.”

This incredibly reasonable excuse of course lead her sister to propose an even greater terror:

“Then find yourself someone to pass the time with instead.”

Kate paused warily. “…A man, you mean?” She glanced around the craft store (she told herself she’d learn to knit because painting wasn’t fun anymore, but thus far had only used the needles to play fetch with Newton), but found nothing but teen girls and grandparents littering the aisles. “I don’t hang out in the same places as eligible bachelors.”

“The gym?” Edwina asked.

Kate wrinkled her nose. “Ew.”

“Fair,” her sister admitted. And then, “You could sign up for a dating app.”

Kate laughed harder at that than she had at anything in years, but when she found herself tipsy on three glasses of wine a day later, she downloaded one of the damn things and was asked out on a date by someone she was 90% sure wasn’t a psychopath within seventy-two hours.

It was mid-September and still sticky outside so she wore a sleeveless dress. The seafood restaurant they were going for dinner was actually ridiculously nice, (so much so that she was beginning to expect this man might be modestly wealthy—strike one), so she wore heels too.  

She walked in five minutes early, eager to get her bearings in unfamiliar territory, while she was still on the phone with Edwina. She gave the restaurant address, her date’s name (Tom), any other details in case of attempted abduction, and made for inside.

The moment she noticed a change was the same moment she stepped over the threshold. She was saying goodbye to Edwina and swinging her purse in her hand as she spun through the revolving door, but the air grew thicker as the glass whipped around, teasing the hem of her skirt to whoosh about the knees in the foyer of the restaurant.

And then she felt eyes on her.

It wasn’t just the tingling of awareness—it was a zeroed in sixth-sense, the feeling of being pried open, stared at, taken stock of, and it left Kate stumbling under the weight of her newfound confidence.

Even though she could never fully believe it, she told herself she looked good. No, not as good as her sister on any given day and certainly not as good as a number of wealthy people wandering around the restaurant, but she could be charming. She could be pretty when she put herself in a nice dress and she could be good enough. Good enough for her date and even herself.

It had taken less and less to convince herself of this with age. Especially since she realized that no one was really looking at her or even paying attention to her, much less judging. Someone like her could blend in, and on the odd occasion that she could muster the confidence to feel like more than an object in the periphery, she might even cause a second look.

A third, though, was unheard of. Much less a stare like the one of undeterminable origin she still felt lapping her up at the moment.

The sensation was an alarming one at first but then she looked up and realized: Tom was already there. Sitting in a nearby table for two, with one eye trained on his phone and the other glancing upward periodically toward the door until it finally caught on her.

She smiled at him. He smiled back.

And then her phone was away in her purse as she strode across the dining room. But oddly enough, even with her date sitting straight in front of her, she felt eyes on the bare skin of her back, on her hair, on her exposed calves.

She shrugged off the sensitivity and greeted Tom with a pleasant smile that hid her wariness.

Then she sat down and everything changed.

Because as she turned around to hang her purse on the back of her chair, she flicked her hair away from her face and took an absentminded look up—and was met with the face of someone she never thought she’d meet again.

Him.

Anthony.

She blinked several times but his unfaltering form still sat there, 30 feet across the room at a long table full of people who looked just like him.

Facts and anecdotes she stowed away long ago resurfaced. 8 siblings, 4 girls and 4 boys, one mother and no father.

They were all there—even Benedict whom she used to know personally—laughing and shooing hands and even aiming pieces of discarded bread at each other’s heads (much to their mother’s chagrin), but Anthony was different. Separated, somehow.

It had been his serious stare ripping through her, locked-in with such brazenness that she shivered.

When she caught his gaze, somehow not the least bit hesitant, the charge was still there; a zing of interest, a flash of long departed familiarity.

So Kate did the most logical thing a grown woman could do: excuse herself to scurry to the bathroom and call a twenty-two year old for advice.

No matter how fast she walked or how big she smiled or even how much she pretended not to notice him, pretended she wasn’t running from him, his eyes trailed behind her right up to the moment the women’s restroom door shut.

And then, just to be safe, she locked herself in a stall.

Let’s see how easy it is for Anthony Bridgerton to stare me down in here, she thought childishly, pulling up her phone contacts. But then she had to fend off the mental image of Anthony in there with her, that same darkening stare pinning her against the partition as they converged, which was a hearty task in and of itself..

God, she needed to get laid.

Kate tapped her foot impatiently in the stall as the phone rang.

The bathroom door opened and closed as she waited, but she ignored it. She was panicking; she was aware she was panicking, but knowing it never stopped her vision from tunneling, or kept her breath from growing hollower, and most of all it never took away that growing certainty that she was going to die.

Thankfully she never made it that far because Edwina picked up a second later, her voice crackling through the phone. 

“Kate, are you okay? It’s been five minutes. Are you getting abducted?”

Kate schooled her voice into something she hoped was casual, but the resulting wobble in her voice was a little pathetic. “Maybe. Probably not.”

“What?” she squawked, but then there was a brief pause before Edwina began skeptically, “From the tone in your voice…do you want to get abducted and you like, want me to talk you out of it? If you catch my drift?”

For the love of god.

“No that’s not it.” Kate grasped for the right words as she ran a restless hand through her hair. “It’s just—he’s here.”

Kate put all the correct emphasis on he—there had only ever really been one he—but somehow Edwina didn’t understand.

“Your date?” she tried.

“No! Him. Well yes my date is here,” Kate amended, “but he’s also here.”

A dull silence and then: “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“It’s. God, it’s him. Bridgerton!” The moment she said the name her leg kicked involuntarily at the wall partition. And it hurt.  “Fuck! Ow!”

“Oh.” Edwina replied, much calmer than she should have as Kate hopped around on the tile. “So Anthony is at the restaurant?”

“Yes and I can feel his stupid eyes all over the back of my neck whenever I’m in the dining room,” Kate hissed. “He’s here with his whole family, so he hasn’t said anything but…he’s just—looking.”

She could almost picture her sister’s thoughtful frown.

“You can make up an excuse to leave?” Edwina suggested. “Or invite your date back to yours if it’s going well.”

“With my folding chair and the sack of dogfood in the main room?”

“Point.”

“And besides, I’m not entirely sure I want to leave,” Kate admitted.

She had no idea where the words came from, but there was no denying they were true. And she also wasn’t in the interest of lying to herself anymore, so she took a deep breath and continued. “I want him to see that I’m better now. Whatever that means.”

“Oh Kate, you have nothing you need to prove to him. You know that.”

“I do. But also I just—I feel more like myself now than I ever did back then,” she said, voice getting smaller. “I want him to see me.”

Edwina sighed into the receiver and in that moment Kate knew she understood. “Are you sure you don’t want to be abducted by him too?” she teased.

“Edwina!” Kate cried.

“I’m sorry. You just never got your closure. You should do more than just let him ‘see’. Even if it’s nothing, it would be good for you to talk to him.”

Kate shook her head rapidly for no one but herself. “I can’t do that!” she insisted. “It’s been seven years, that’s basically just announcing to him that I never really got over it.”

“You didn’t,” Edwina said.

Which was honestly just uncalled for.

“He probably doesn’t care. Hell, he probably doesn’t even remember half of it,” Kate argued.

“If I can recall anything correctly, it’s that he always seemed to care from where I was standing. He probably cared more than you wanted him to.”

She was using that voice she always did when she was being creepily wise for her age. And the shittiest part about it was that whenever Edwina used that voice, both sisters knew she spoke the truth.

But it didn’t make the truth any easier to deal with.

So what if he cared then? So what if he cared now? What’s done was done, and Kate was sure you didn’t get second chances when you rip apart the way they did.  

“The only reason I feel this way is because of what you said: I didn’t have closure and my brain is just trying to find the proper end it wants.” Her throat was getting tighter and tighter with emotion, but she swallowed down the tension convulsively and said, “It’s nothing more than that—but I can’t Edwina. I just can’t.”

The line was silent for several seconds, Edwina no doubt processing the words with careful attention. Finally she spoke and her voice seemed nearer and softer than it had been since they started talking.

“Then show him you’re better now, if that’s what you need. If that’s all you can do right now.”

Kate nodded quickly to keep from sniffling and concentrated hard on the tile beneath her feet. “Yes, okay, thank you. I need to go now. I love you.”

“Love you too. And hey! On the bright side, he’d probably shoot down your date if he tried to abduct you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Kate laughed.

She hung up, and a minute later she righted herself and exited the stall.

Her hair looked a mess in the mirror from her anxious hands and her lips were bitten to a swell, but she figured she looked okay enough to march back out with her chin held high to continue her date.

He would see, she told herself, and then she could finally forget.

But then her reflection and all her fears wasn’t the only thing she was facing, because the stall next to hers opened up and out walked a young woman with familiar features.

The oldest girl, her mind provided numbly. ABCD—Daphne.

Kate’s heart stuttered as her mind raced through her memory. The door had opened at the beginning of her conversation with Edwina.

Which meant—oh no.

**

If you made it this far, a fun update if you’re interested: I have a little more than 65k written and will begin posting either the week of the 21st or 28th! Chapter 10 (the last chapter I want to finish before then) will be a bit of a monster but after that I’ll feel very comfortable in my place :)