#so if he’s reappeared already yikes

[jzzxxy]

I need a return of Chat Blanc more than marichat rn Marrinette having flashbacks isn’t enough I need her nightmare to rematerialize and wreak havoc or at least for Adrian to find out something like that even happened

Also I’ve been meaning to draw scenarios of Adrian having dreams/night terrors of that episode cuz ik it was reversed blah blah time travel Bunnix blah blah but in my mind that level of trauma still exists in his body like his mind may have forgotten but his psyche is still reeling from that (+ephemeral a lil) Or even just searing headaches and blurry memories that he knows aren’t his but still too vivid to ignore need need need need need need need

[bedlamsbard]

700 words written today -- I think I got this particular scene working by just completely scrapping all the previous versions and doing it as a completely different scene. I am tired, and behind on stuff I need to do for work that I've been putting off (as usual: yikes, and since one of them is for a round table on Wednesday: further yikes), but also: blergh. At least this weekend is a three-day weekend.

Snippet from Of Home Near chapter 20.

Tony looked thwarted, like he had wanted someone else to blame.  It probably could have been anyone; Steve had just been the one who had walked in.  “What’s his problem anyway?” he demanded of Bruce. “You’re not still having your thing, are you?  New York wasn’t bad enough?” “He wasn’t coming out in Wakanda either, even when the –”  Bruce made an expansive gesture with his hands to indicate Thanos’s big alien lieutenant.  “– tried to rip my head off.  It’s his head too, remember?” “Funny way he has of showing it.”  Tony glared suspiciously at him, like he was daring the Hulk to come out.  Steve frankly thought that now would be a very bad time for the Hulk to make a reappearance, since they actually wanted the ship to make it off the ground.  That, and he didn’t want to find out if the Hulk had a grudge about Natasha too. From the glance Bruce slid towards him, he was thinking the same thing.  “Look, if he shows up once we’re there, then he shows up,” he said.  “If he doesn’t, well, it doesn’t change anything, does it?” “That’s my suit,” Tony complained, but it sounded pro forma rather than sincere. “You already have a suit,” Bruce pointed out.  He glanced at the cases again and then added, “I thought you had some kind of nanite thing going on.” Tony’s jaw set. “Ran out, so it’s back to driving stick.”

[nxght-shxft]

where are my yandere hcs 😔😏

i knew this day would come but i never knew it would be so soon...

anyways content warning for shitty behavior, stalking, kidnapping, maniulation, and general yandere behavior.

i'm not endorsing this behavior and i'm honestly just doing this for cringe ass nae nae fun :3

Not all of my ocs would engage in yandere behaviors so i’ll just include some of the ones that probably would in some (probably alternate) universe.

MEPHIS would probably be the most yandere in my regular au, excluding Sabayon. They’d be really REALLY possessive and critical of your every movement or decision, though they’d try not to outwardly show it. The last thing they’d want is you thinking there’s anything wrong with you. You’re honestly perfect in it’s eyes considering you probably show it decent respect for it to become enamored with you. You could honestly just say “good morning, Mephis,” one too many times for them to become obsessed with you. They’d definitely be the type to steal you away because “I need to make sure you don’t go off doing something bad,” hence the possessiveness. They are a puppetmaster so, they want the control. If you tried to reason with them to let you go they’d start getting angry and panicked, saying some bullshit like how you’d need to stay with them longer so you can understand that you’re happy, you just don’t recognize your own emotions. Yikes!!! They’re the type to have mood swings, suddenly thinking that you hate them and that your hatred needs to be corrected so you two can ‘be happy’. They’d probably try not to outright kill anyone over you, but they’d damn well threaten them. DON’T LET ANYONE TREAT YOU LIKE THIS.

SABAYON is pretty much already a yandere in my main au. Due to the cultural practices that he set in place, you better fucking hope that they don’t take an interest in you. Their behaviors with Afastyr show exactly how they’d be. You caught their interest somehow, and now you’ve found yourself far, FAR away from home, locked up in a cage or dark room or something. They can see and understand that you’re scared, this is such a new experience for you! They’d back off and give you some time to adjust, but you’d better adjust quickly, so help you gods. They’d start trying to acclimate you to your situation by offering you meat and drinks, leaving them in your cage/cell. If you’re, understandably, not trusting of the food, they’d start getting a little irritated. “You can’t starve yourself forever,” and “You’ll realize how generous I’m being eventually.” If you still refuse, that’s when it’d withdraw all attention entirely, until you’re finally asking or begging for food or water. Yes, the food is just regular meat, it’s not poisoned or anything of the sort, they use this moment for you as a “See, you can trust me!” type of moment. They would definitely kill over you, making sure no one even gets close to saving you. Unfortunately, if you’re another god in this scenario, you’re probably gonna end up sacrificed. ESPECIALLY if they develop a kind of soft spot for you, and find that they would want to keep living with you alive, they’d have to sacrifice you in repentance. Best of luck to you if you find yourself striking their fancy, you better hope you have some Afastyr-like luck. <3

RYKA, on a similar note to Sabayon, has something ingrained into her brain about relationships and love. She’s not a god, but she’s still powerful, especially with manipulation. Being a high priestess of Sabayon has always made her think that relationships have a power dynamic. She’s honestly probably the type to stalk you. You saw her at a meeting once, and now things in your room go missing, reappearing days later. And would you look at that, you’re meeting Ryka again at another meeting, and you’re having lovely conversation! She’d be so unassuming that it hurts. After a while of knowing her, having meetings with her, preparing for sacrifices or rituals together, you come to really love her company. She’s so understanding, and such a good listener. Your missing items and stalker’s behavior are getting worse, however. You finally decide you trust her enough to tell her all about your stalker problem, and oh she’s just so concerned for you! You poor, poor thing! Tell her all about it; hell, why not let her stay with you so you feel a little safer! You fool. You utter fool. This would be about the time you realize that she’s your stalker. You gave her easy access to your home, and she’s using it to the fullest. Now you’re noticing that when she visits, you’re missing a LOT more. Once you confront her about it, that’s when you’re really not getting out of her web. Now you’re not allowed to leave your house, you’re bound up in your own room while she comes and goes, acting like she lives here. “I don't know why you’re upset, have I not been your perfect companion through the time we’ve known each other?” and “You’re making a fuss over a few missing items, honestly, you should grow up. It’s not like you were kidnapped.” She’s just waiting for the Stockholm syndrome to set in. 😞

VAUXARIN is honestly not likely to be that much of a yandere, at least not in my main au, so just play pretend for me okay? I know my partner, who asked for these headcanons, was probably hoping to see him on this list, so suspend your disbelief. He, like Ryka, would also be a stalker. A total stalker. BUT, unlike Ryka, he doesn’t care if you know about it. In fact, he hopes you do find out. He hopes that you wander the Abyss, looking over your shoulder every minute, checking for him. He hopes that seeing him around, even minding his business, puts you on edge. If you confront him about it, he’d outright admit it. What are you going to do about it, really? Tell on him? Report him to the higher ups? Not only would they likely not believe you, his abilities would probably prevent him from ever being caught. He’d rub it in your face, all “Go ahead and tell them. Tell them that I sneak around, watching your every move.” He’d probably be the type to tell you what exactly he’s done. He’s detailing his every crime. He’d be horrible in court. “I broke your lock with my scythe and watched you sleep.” “I killed that other god for looking at you for too long. They said they didn’t even know your name, but I’m not taking chances.” “Yes you saw me dragging chains into my room, did you think I was just going to watch you from afar?” BOOM KIDNAPPED!!!! He'd just keep you chained up in his room, honestly. He doesn’t care if you don’t like him or not, he doesn’t care if you beg and cry and scream to be let go. You’re in no position to make demands, and he’s going to be keeping you.

OKAY THAT'S ALL. if anyone is still reading this and wants to know about literally any of my other ocs send me an ask :3 i love writing stuff like this im cringe im free

[innerchorus]

Arslan Senki Chapter 126 (Part 2)

And unlike Kmanga you don't even have to pay twice for the privilege of having it split into two. SPOILERS for this chapter, I can't stress enough that the ending is a huge fucking cliffhanger so if you don't want to get spoiled please don't look.

That's a piece of the (Un)Holy Master's cloak...

Nicely dealt with by Andragoras!

Anyway, this is proper confirmation that Team Zahhak's clothing has magical properties / a life of its own and can potentially be dangerous even when separated from the wearer.

Given how fast the Master can dodge (or more correctly this is a teleportation style of evasion that I mentioned before where he reappears behind them) it's impressive that Andragoras actually landed a blow, though it's not even close to being a fatal one. Still, he looks like he's aiming to finish the job until the Master tries to regain control of the situation by attempting to blackmail Andragoras with the location of his child!

These panels of a shocked Hilmes in the background just watching all this drama unfold, lol

Anyway, it turns out Andragoras cannot be blackmailed and he'd rather renounce his child than be manipulated like this, which is... very on brand for Andragoras, regardless of what the truth about the child turns out to be in Arakawa's manga.

The Master: tch! Hilmes: Yikes

(Is anyone of the Parsian royal line a good father? Doesn't seem that way in recent generations. Hilmes, please reverse this trend with Irina by your side, I'd love to see you both happy with a family!)

Anyway GUESS WHO'S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR IN THAT LAST PANEL? THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S ZANDEH, PUPPY BOY TO THE RESCUE! And he's still got that little guy who was one of Kharlan's soldiers with him, and that warms my heart for some reason, I hope he gets to live.

Hilmes... 😭

I wonder what Zandeh thinks? It's clearly not 'nothing at all'.

Anyway this makes me really sad because where we saw Arslan open up to his followers and receive their support, Hilmes... can't bring himself to do that. Personally, I feel that at this point, Zandeh would support him regardless (as would Sam, who unbeknownst to Hilmes already knows the truth) but Hilmes can't bring himself to admit it, to admit the fact that he's based his whole life around a lie. Without his claim to the throne, who is he?

It's sad that he can't see that the right to rule and the qualities that might inspire loyalty and love are based on so much more. I'm not saying that he's a worthy ruler right now, unlike Arslan he hasn't even thought about how he'll govern the country for the better, but I do find it sad that his mindset leaves him so isolated here when it doesn't need to be that way.

(I'm going to need an Irina mention soon. At least show that Hilmes is thinking of her, even if he feels he can't speak with her.)

That's it for Team Hilmes content this chapter, anyway.

Who should Team Arslan bump into on the way to Mount Demavant but the Zot with a leashed Don Ricardo, still clinging on to Rukhnabad! So while Arslan did deliberately set out to get the sword, in the end it looks like it's going to happen via a chance encounter (well, if anyone can ever persuade Don Ricardo to let go of it).

Gieve recognising Rukhnabad is a great moment! Even he is so shocked that it seems like he's struggling to form the words as he processes what he's seeing.

I feel pretty sorry for Don Ricardo, he hasn't really recovered mentally from his encounter with Zahhak, he doesn't look to be in a great state, and while the Zot are merely intending to hand him over to Arslan, they can't communicate with him so presumably all he knows is that he's their prisoner, he has no idea what his fate will be and nobody to reassure him. Likewise, they don't know what he's been through.

Team Arslan try to figure it out thanks to Estelle, but Don Ricardo is too distressed, so they decide to find a village to stay the night. It's at this point that alarm bells started going off in my mind.

Narsus says "It's too quiet." (I start thinking of the village he stayed in with Alfarid where Arzhang had killed all the villagers.)

The horses start freaking out (we know they react this way to Team Zahhak)

Team Arslan find bodies of villagers with only their brain eaten (and who do we know of who has an appetite for brains?)

OH FUCK, OH SHIT, OH FUUUUCK

A weird mist begins to seep into the scene; Zahhak in the novels was described as exuding a miasma of sorts, I think it provoked fear in those who were close to it?

PANELS THAT FILLED MY HEART WITH PURE DREAD

Gods, I hope everyone survives this encounter. I don't know how it's going to go down but it strikes me that this could be it, this could be the actual deciding fight as far as Zahhak is concerned, because we have Rukhnabad on the scene right here, it could really be happening in Arakawa's manga right now, and I'm not sure I'm ready?

My head is ringing with questions. What does Zahhak's full form look like (we see the snakes clearly but not what they're attached to)? Is he fully resurrected or are the shoulder snakes just operating on the instinct of hunger? What happened to Kaykhusraw's body? Are any members of Team Zahhak here with the Snake King? If Team Arslan do fight Zahhak here, how do they go about it? One on one? As the strongest warrior, will Daryun take him on? Will Arslan (with Estelle's help) manage to persuade Don Ricardo to hand over Rukhnabad, and will he opt to take on the Snake King himself with the sword's powers?

Man I wish Kubard were here... I've always said he'd set everyone straight about the notion of taking on a being like the Snake King in single combat... Just kill it, any way you can.

Part of me feels like Zahhak won't be defeated yet and this encounter will serve its purpose mainly in showing Team Arslan that he truly has been unsealed, so now they'll know what the sorcerers were working towards and they'll know what they're up against. But will they come through this unscathed? I'm not ready for character deaths!

My working theory as of this post: Zahhak is not fully conscious and is mainly being driven by the snakes' hunger; he is heading for Ecbatana for some sort of ritual involving the head jars where he will truly return in full. The final confrontation will take place after matters in the capital with Andragoras and Hilmes have been resolved, and may involve entering Team Zahhak's lair beneath Ecbatana (ArAkAwA sHoW mE tHe DaRk TeMpLe).

Guys... I am utterly exhausted, this chapter has wrecked me. I'll keep an eye out for raws / somewhere to read the simulpub for free and post a link if I see it.

[longhands-the-second]

Trimax vol. 5

This is a solid 30% “what will they do with this in Stampede?”

1- “this time of year”… what are seasons like there? Are they distinct at all???

OH. YIKES. JULY. I was wondering why we were starting here.

God, I hate to think of how many people Vash has lost over the years.

For him to openly weep is heartbreaking, knowing how often he just shuts down instead.

Im fucking stoked to see what they do with midvalley in stampede, if anything.

Meryl is leaving this whole thing fundamentally changed i think. Just a hunch.

2- This is maybe a little unclear? I see the vision though.

I fucking love manga milly you go girl

GOD DAMN IT VASH he keeps getting hit and it makes me sad

Ballerina wolfwood

Am. Am i gonna start simping for wolfwood now? Is this how it happens?

3- oh. Oh boy. That sure is a title page

I’m still so mad they stole ww’s nose in stampede. It’s so pretty.

Wolfwood being protective of people. That is all. :)

OH OH OH ITS HAPPENING EVERYBODY STAY CALM STAY FUCKING CALM

This is the first time that we’ve seen this w/o Knives’ direct involvement- is this something that just happens when he’s at his wit’s end? Has it happened before? (Is it just compounding recent events???)

Bevridge Bitch is here and his vibes are as rancid as ever

How recent was July? He has most of the same scars.

Man they really just took the sleeve off of his coat. Worst thing that happens here, surely (<- coping)

Nvm the sleeve magically reappeared.

Girl seriously though what the *Fuck*

Could he just not do it before? Is this knives doing it *for* him???

“Seeds”?

Oh no. Oh this is even worse than last time. Ick.

Somehow this is more explicitly uh. Y’know.

EW EW EW EW

Dude phrase that literally any other fucking wayyyyyy I’m screaming crying throwing myself out of the window

Vash didn’t answer. I think this is the only iteration that wouldn’t. Then again that might be entirely circumstantial.

DAMN.

4- I took a week long break after the last chapter. I WAS ahead but uh. Stuff and things. So i may have some rereading to do.

SO WAIT HOLD ON DOES TOUCHING THE FEATHERS LET YOU SEE HIS MEMORIES AND SHIT?

I wonder if wolfwood’s gotten his sight back? Is that gonna be recurring or was it just a brief thing?

God this is so fucked up. Poor Meryl is probably losing it

Midvalley continues to fascinate me. What he’s saying makes sense but like. Damn.

Oh fucking god damn it get this guy out of here i don’t want him

What the hell am i even looking at right now

LEGATO YOU BASTARD

5- i hate to say it but i was kind of rooting for midvalley? I wanted to see more of him at least. Fuckin brutal way to go.

Oh is this why zazie is like. Extra androgynous in stampede? Fully support this actually.

I don’t think any character gets under my skin the way legato does. Knives is a close second, but there’s just something about the type of cruelty he exhibits. It’s not quick or to the point. He lets that shit simmer on purpose. It’s not about power anymore, it’s about maximum suffering. For himself, too. It’s gross.

MERYL!!!!

Legato sticks his leggy out real far. Fr though those are spindly as all hell

I’m not sure how much of the angel arm use is Vash making a conscious decision? Guess we’ll find out later. (EDIT: or not damn. He’s so quiet about it.)

Ah. Elendira. Will i love you or hate you?

6- i swear i can feel the panic coming off of the page here

I wonder how much more shit happened with knives that we just haven’t seen yet. How much of it does Vash remember?

Is this happening in his head right now? Is that why his arm is extra fucked up?

I find myself wondering at this moment if the original japanese was more or less derogatory about elendira and tbh i’m just gonna stop thinking about it now.

I can already tell im gonna be obsessed with her dynamic with knives though. They both seem so over it in a way that i can only describe as “the only two queer people working at the McDonald’s.” This is in no way related to any personal experiences i may have had, pinky promise. (Me and that manager were like. Work besties.)

She’s so fucked up i love her already.

UGH UGH UGH BE NICE TO HIM DAMN IT.

EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO THEM MAN. (He’s not obligated to but holy shit do you know how much that had to fuck Meryl up?)

Yeah, i see where the japanese Rem headcanon comes from. The vibes are there.

End notes (semi related to the actual content):

- I am DYING to know how they’ll deal with the Earth ships. Can’t just start that plot thread and just destroy them. I mean, it could happen, but like. Why?

- Forever yelling about biblically accurate Vash. I’ll draw him at some point given the time and energy. I REALLY want to know how/if they’ll handle it in stampede- we sort of got it, sort of didn’t? I’d love to see that pushed further.

- I WILL FINALLY POST ANOTHER GOD DAMN COLORING THIS WEEK. It took me a full month so it’s from an earlier volume but i’m very excited to share! It *should* be done by Friday (questionable way to celebrate given the content) ((maybe I’ll post vash in the babygirl pose as a treat)).

- I got my silly little wwvd bracelet and wore it with my Vash cosplay this last weekend. It genuinely makes me smile every time i see it lol. Real mood booster through con crunch, too. (Also, shoutout to the vash cosplayers at akaicon who definitely won’t see this lol. I almost asked them if they were in on the bookclub based on conversations we had but I chickened out.)

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Attack on Titan S4

Heading into the next season b4 I can think too much about it

Who are any of these soldiers? What an abrupt change in narration, considering Armin has done every intro until now

“Wasn’t I just flying around with a couple of swords in my hands? And there were Titans too.” That is also what I’m wondering, Falco 

“The successor to the Armoured Titan.” PARDON?? ALSO DOES REINER HAVE A BEARD NOW??? THAT’S NEW

So wait, if the loss of Bertholdt and Annie’s Titans are what caused the war, does that mean this war has been going for a year, since the battle of Shiganshina? Or has more time elapsed that I’m not aware of

“This war has dragged on for four years now.” I guess that answers my earlier question, assuming my premise was true

I must once again offer a hearty ‘Military bad’ to all of this:

“Look, Colt, you’re the chosen successor of the Beast Titan.” How do ur Titan soldiers feel exactly when u tell them u’ve chosen who’s gonna eat ‘em

"Honestly, you might never find a warrior candidate who is as talented as me.” What I would give for Gabi’s level of unwavering self-confidence 

“I don’t shoot kids,” said an adult, for the first time ever in the history of this show

Honestly, the context that Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt knew about the outside world and then still chose to make things worse for the people already living in Titan Hell Island just makes them harder to understand

[Zeke yells out of a blimp] [Dozens of parachuting Titans are created mid-air] So the Beast Titan ability is just to fucking??? Yell people into Titans??? ZEKE WHAT ON EARTH

This does explain where all of those Titan ppl were coming from in Shiganshina tho

“I’m sick and tired of all these walls.” Is that why you kept destroying them, Reiner?????? 

As a sidenote, now that there are visibly brown people on screen: The ONLY action anime that hasn’t made me feel weird about their brown-skinned characters is Bleach; granted I haven’t watched that many shows, but the depiction in AOT is about as yikes as I expected 

[ATLA voice] “Did Reiner just die?” “You know, it was really unclear.”

“My father, Grisha Jaeger, set something great and terrible in motion on that island, and as his former son, I would like to be the end of it,” said Zeke, like he had nothing to do with anything terrible happening on Paradis and as if he can renounce paternity like a belief system

So it’s not a known factor that Zeke has royal blood? Also why is royal blood so important in this show lmao like isn’t a king just whoever conquered ur country most recently

Ymir confirmed for bury ur gays (poor Historia) but when one female Titan disappears, another one must apparently reappear 

Also weird that there have been a number of Titans who are women but Annie gets to hold the Female Titan title just cause her Titan got tiddies 

Reiner being an older brother figure to these Other Military Kids gives me acid reflux why am I compelled to have stake in someone who has done so many wrongs 

“Surpass Gabi to protect her.” You see, ACID REFLUX

Also nausea-inducing: The transparent H******** analogies!! WHY

We interrupt this griping to notice: IS THAT EREN IN MARLEY WITH THE BLINDFOLD? THAT LOOKS LIKE EREN’S HAIR

Setting other things aside, that they had to have Reiner’s uncle say “Sorry nephew,” as a way to intro the fact that Reiner and Gabi are cousins is funny, bc no one would say that, why not just have Reiner say “Uncle”????

Because they’ve yet to check in at all with what has been going on on the island, it really does feel like a whole different spin-off

Annie’s being able to summon Pure Titans confirmed as a Female Titan ability

“Well, I’m running away as fast as I can,” said Reiner’s father, summing up the attitude of almost every parental figure on this show

Mad relate to Reiner becoming reliable to fulfill a need in the team

Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt don’t look older than 12 in the flashback, why must the core force of these armies always be pubescent 

What even was the point of Annie tracking Kenny? Bc he was Uncle Uri’s BF?

“His legs are saying it’ll snow today, right?” “Yeah, but his torso’s saying clear skies.” Thomas and Connie using Bertholdt’s sleep positions to predict the weather 😭😭😭😭😭 Boys ur friend is a douche

“Thing is, I don’t want this other candidate to be picked.” “Why not? Is this rival of yours a girl by chance?” It’s DEFINITELY Eren, and wow, Eren assuming the only reason u would not want ur friend to be a Titan is bc she’s a girl, quit projecting ur life onto Falco 

How exactly is Eren missing a leg can he STOP himself from regenerating? 

Also whose idea was it for Eren to be at exactly the place that wants to kill him the most kjghkgjh what kinda weirdass plan 

“I’m doing this for you!” “He really just up and said it!” The guards being invested in Gabi and Falco’s potential tween romance 

I really cannot follow the Commander and Willy’s conversations, are they going to overthrow the governments of the world orrrrrr

“My name’s Jaeger, I’m an internment zone physician.” Oh my god, Eren’s meeting his grandpa 

Ah, so Eren’s crazed rambling is hereditary, I guess

“I think I know why [this woman would save me]! She must be an Easterner from Hizuru.” Dshkjdhkfjh u must be East Asian in this Marleyan society in order to acquire empathy

Perplexed by the man in the kaffiyeh holding alcohol but perhaps that’s on me for not interrogating my own preconceived notions

“I got [Reiner] to come!” announced Falco to Eren excitedly, not knowing that he was facilitating a meeting of probably the two least sane people in the world at the moment 

Lmao @ the sudden content warning on episode 64, like should I be newly worried

“What do you plan to do?” “The exact same thing you did. As for why? That’s the same too.” Incredible that all it takes to threaten Reiner is ‘I’m rubber you’re glue’ (also yikes at Eren implying he’s gonna fuck-up one third of Reiner’s country) 

“I feel like I’ve seen you before.” Me too Pieck, I think Shady Helmet is Annie, and I love that for her 

Falco’s lesson of the day: Stranger Danger 

What exactly has Eren been doing the past four years that he now views himself as a villain and Willy feels confident to label him as such in a crowd of the whole world 

“If all that was to save the world, then you didn’t have much choice,” said Eren, even though Reiner definitely did, and Eren definitely does now (military bad!!!)

Eren has defeated Reiner through the power of empathy and 10 years of deep-seated psychological trauma 

“If I escaped while my people died en masse, the world would not rally to our cause.” Willy Tybur really willingly offered himself and a bunch of civilians to die to both smoke out Eren and to start a world war. And Eren really went through it, knowing he would be offering the first blow in the war, and killing a bunch of people of his same heritage! A game of cat and also cat (war crime edition)

“But I’m just as sure that we’re devils ourselves.” Who’s he calling the devils? Him and Tybur? The military? Non-Eldians as a whole? Commander Magath’s vibes are constantly oscillating, what’s his deal

I’m going to guess that the War Hammer Titan is Finé, since she is the only Tybur child to get a name 

Update from 6 minutes later: It’s Auntie War Hammer, actually

The parallels between Udo and Eren trying to lift something off of their loved ones who have been crushed by debris. Sickening 

Is it wrong to be happy that the Scouts are finally showing up? I mean, everyone is clearly on Murder Avenue, but hey, they are the protagonists 

“You’ve killed so many civilians. Innocent people. Kids.“ Not to be pedantic, Mikasa, but he did that in Stohess like five years ago with Annie, that ship has sailed 

Fascinated by everyone’s new looks now that they’ve abandoned most of their morality - not loving the slicked hair and goatee for Jean but Mikasa’s hair is fun 

“Are a bunch of humans... really about to come and kill me?” U can’t put people on Titan Hell Island for 100 years and expect them not to learn how to kill Titans 

“Stay alive; that’s an order.” Levi's steadfast look and personality are a welcome constant

I’m like, pretty convinced Eren is going to die at some point in this season, he seems pretty down and out and Armin ain’t the narrator for nothing 

Oh hey, speaking of Armin, been a while since we’ve seen you, your hair looks nice but I guess you are also Unwell™

Did Levi just detonate a bomb on Zeke’s Titan face while he was still standing on it, what kinda wild tactics

“Did I hesitate because of that kid?” We’ll call it a mild victory that we didn’t have to watch Jean murder a child in cold blood

Wow the scouts have blimps now? They’ve really seen some benefit from travelling across the sea; decades of knowledge in five years

But seriously what the fuck did Eren, Armin and Mikasa DO in the past four years that caused them to look so haunted? I get that they’re fucked up by what they’re doing NOW but it seems like a pre-existing condition

“You have a real kickable face, you know that?” Ah, it seems that Eren did not have permission to go live in a place where people wanted to eat him

“We’ve fought the New Eldian Empire’s first battle, and it ended in Victory.” Guess Titan Hell Island has decided to embrace their title as Eldians? They didn’t even know what that was five years ago jghjgh

“Honestly, I’m just glad that we made it. I know this isn’t fair to the others, but you guys will always be special, to me.” Connie treating being close friends with Sasha and Jean like it’s a betrayal to the military kjhgjkhg

“Mr. Zeke was killed right in front of us.” Oh so Zeke’s like, dead dead?

“You’re one of the good ones.” Again, I want to emphasize how much I hate everything that’s happening right now

YIKES @ Sasha being shot by a child, are they gonna kill Gabi now?

Once again I must be thankful that Jean doesn’t love murder

Whomst the heck is Yelena, I thought we would be seeing an Annie comeback?? RIP

“Quite the performance, coming from a mangy furball.” SO WE’RE WORKING WITH ZEKE NOW? THE HELL IS GOING ON 

“You noticed that trend [of rescuing Eren] and used it against us. Held yourself hostage to force our hand.” Both more manipulative and shrewd than I have come to expect from Eren; growth??????

I suppose we’re going to find out whomst the heck Yelena and Onyankopon are

“I was concerned for Historia’s safety.” Eren what happened to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu three years ago you were all still relatively.... yourselves

“Welcome to our defiled island of filth-blooded devils, you’re gonna to love it here.” Again, thank u to Levi for being who he is

“But as we gradually set aside the labels we have for one another, and worked to see each other as people, we can reach an understanding.” SCOOOOUTS WHAT HAPPENED TO UUUUUUUUUUUU WHERE ARE THE TEENS WHO PLAYED IN THE SEAAAAA

“Thank you for every tasty meal you made for her.” Ahhh Nicolo loved Sasha even despite their different upbringing that’s so sad

“Right, Annie? Say something, please.” Can’t remember if I brought this up when Armin first ate Bertholdt but imo it’s been an underpinning of Armin’s actions throughout the series that he has some deeper feelings for Annie, so it is not lost on me that both vessels of the Colossal Titan have liked Annie

It tickles me every time Hange calls Eren out for his crazed muttering

I can’t believe the pay-off for Mikasa being the only East Asian person on this island is that she’s a lost princess but of course, why not? 

“But I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect match than you.” Okay Historia, I see your subtle flirt with Mikasa, I am not opposed to wlw princess vibes 👀👀👀👀👀👀

“Zeke will pass on the Beast Titan to an individual who has royal blood, and that person must spend the 13 years they’ll have left bearing as many children as possible.” Gross. Also if this so-called royal blood is so important, it really should be Zeke who fucks as many child-bearing people as possible bc someone with functioning testes can typically make waaaaaaaaaaaaay more babies in that time than someone with a uterus 

EUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I HATE THAT HISTORIA IS HAVING A BABY JUST FOR MILITARY PURPOSES; GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh wait, she chose to find a partner and get pregnant in opposition to the military’s timeline? Hmmmm, still hate it 

Hahahaha I guess now we know why everyone’s so much beefier, they were building railroads

“You brats got taller. It’s like you’re sprouting up just to spite me.” Hahaha Levi 

Eren’s friends all going around and offering to be his Titan heir (and, as a result, EAT HIM) is so fucking funny, Jean being too smart, Connie and Sasha being too dumb, Mikasa being too valuable (not to mention the fact she could never eat Eren jkhgkjhg)

“Because you’re important to me. More than anyone ese. I hope... you’ll live long lives.” [Eren’s entire friend group blushes] I too wonder, Jean, what the hell kind of mood they’re trying to set here kjhgkhgkgh

Jean raises a very fair point about Eren not caring who lives or dies if he’s willing to send his whole friend group into battle 

Tho as a counter to Connie, he of all ppl should recognize laughter as a trauma response 

Like, laughing is exactly what Eren did when Hannes died, and he was definitely mourning then

Also good that we are finally getting some Current Emotional Narrative Focus on the literal PROTAGONISTS 

“All are welcome at the Braus Stables,” I can’t believe Sasha’s parents are taking in the kid who killed their daughter oh nooooooooo

Wow Louise, what an unexpected callback to the evacuation of Trost

“But [the invasion of Marley] was recent, and my mother was killed four whole years ago.” Kaya is also an unexpected callback, but damn, I don’t think u can talk Gabi out of her dedication to generational sin 

Side note: The legacy of Sasha rescuing a child vs the child who murdered her, super fucked up 

“You don’t have to apologize for Marley, you just happened to be born there.” Kaya killing Gabi with kindness

Incredibly pot-kettle for Reiner to have any objection to Zeke defecting lmao he did exactly what you did, dude 

“Well, you are a boy at that age; I bet you’d like to do all kinds of ‘discovering’ with Annie, if you could.” On one hand, Hitch u right, on the other hand, Armin would never get involved-involved with Annie unless it was reciprocated, and on a foot, he’s like 20 now right? Shouldn’t he have a grasp on his hormones by this point hgjhgkjhg

Yelena’s description of Eren’s divine fury is truly filling in the Venn diagram of Death Note and AOT fans huh

“You’re right that there would be no harm in letting us talk to him, so why would [Premier Zachary] forbid it?” My current guess is he’s testing how well Armin and Mikasa will abide by military orders

Well, Armin’s guess is usually better than mine, so I guess it’s Plan E(at Eren)

Did Eren just bisect the Premier?????????? Eren, once again I am asking, what the fuck??????????????

“We believe that whoever delivered the chair must’ve planted a bomb in it.” Oh good, it was not Eren, but it was probably those fanatic scout recruits 

“Armin. The hell is going on right now?” Same, Mikasa, same 

On a more lighthearted note, was the timeskip (aside from being a shorthand for large leap in character motives) mostly to age and beef Eren up, because it would’ve been harder to pull off this Messiah on the Hill moment if Eren were still a skinny fifteen-year-old?

“But as a result [of adapting to turbulent times] our prestige has been reduced to the point where we’re now derided as a pack of wretched, money-grubbing vixens.” Hey now, Lady Azumabito, what’s wrong with being a money-grubbing vixen

“Armin and I were there when the bomb went off; we almost got killed by the blast.” But whether Eren instigated the assassination or not (I suspect not) seriously I do not fuck with any version of Eren that would let Armin or Mikasa die what happened to the boy who was ready to have an all-out brawl with Levi on the chance Armin could get to live?????

Another mild bit of knowledge I recently had was that Eren would eventually look older and have long hair. In S3 Part II, I was incredibly convinced that that would come as a result of defection based on Armin’s death. And I’m not saying timeskips are always pointless, but they are often used to get around the fact the character you wrote just Wouldn’t Do That

Eughhhhhh they are finally explaining how Zeke has been long-distance Titan transforming, poor Ragako and Connie :(

“And seeing as you murdered every person who lived there, you should learn the name, you bearded shit.” Levi is the only person in this show that gives me any kind of peace

HAHAHAHAHA a moment of recognition for this dialogue (it’s me I’m the ladies - also RIP Petra)

Zeke: Doubt you were well-liked by the ladies. Considering how you think you know what everyone else is feeling.

Levi: I do know. And I was liked enough. So.

Zeke, who has never been liked by a lady, bitterly: Well, good for you!

“Guess that makes us even, you Eldian devil.” 1) The fuck, Nicolo 2) Is that wine poisoned or smth

Update from 7 minutes later: Yes, but also no 

Well I think with Gabi’s murderous monologue there goes the last of whatever sanity Nicolo had left

The Scouts still not wanting harm to come to Gabi despite her killing their friend :(

The way that Mr. Braus is holding that knife against his fingers really looks like he’s about to cut his hand a la the Titan Gang but that would be an abrupt change of scene 

“Way I see it, when it comes to shoulderin’ the sins and hatreds of the past, that burden should fall to adults like you and me.” MR. BRAUS <3

Kaya’s murderous rage about Sasha was entirely expected but still sad

So like...... everyone in the military who drank that wine will become a Titan whenever Zeke wants? HORRIFYING

“What the hell became of the hope we all looked towards?” Oh don’t worry Levi, things are about to get much, much worse 

“Why would I want that? Always with the killing. It’s like it’s all you ever think about. Just like someone else I know.” Armin said: Gabi, you remind me of my BFF Eren, who also loves murder <3

Eren said: Speak of the devil and he doth appear

Floch has never had a good opinion in his whole damn life, everything he says, I’m like ‘go fuck yourself, Floch’

“And you wouldn’t put us at risk either. You care about us more than anyone!” THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING MIKASA (itslazywriting.jpg)

“Then part of you has become Bertholdt. Within you is an enemy, who has feelings for another enemy.” I think Armin had feelings for Annie pre-eating Bertholdt, but maybe that’s just me 

Eren calling Mikasa, a survivor of human trafficking, a slave, is gross as hell. Eren can go fuck himself too. WHAT HAPPENED TO ‘YOU’RE IMPORTANT TO ME!’ THESE ARE YOUR FRIENDS, MAN!!!!!!!! THE NARRATIVE HAS YET TO GIVE ME A GOOD JUSTIFICATION FOR WHY YOU’RE SUCH A DICK NOW

“The mere sight of you has always made me so damn angry. And now I finally know why. I just couldn’t stand to look at a slave with no mind of her own, who always followed orders without question.” SHUT THE FUCK UP EREN, ARMIN AND MIKASA WERE YOUR FRIENDS FOR YOUR ENTIRE CHILDHOOD, AND YOU LOVED THEM, DUMBASS

“Believe me when I say this, Mikasa. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve hated you.” I will note that Eren and Mikasa’s relationship has always had a weird tone bc Mikasa was exuding a ‘siblings by chance <3 lovers by choice’ energy but Eren, despite not responding to those feelings, LOVED HER AS A FRIEND! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GUY WHO VOWED TO PROTECT MIKASA AND DISCOVERED HIS COORDINATE POWERS IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT HER???? WHY ARE WE IGNORING THE PAST THREE SEAAAAAAASONSSS UGH

HONESTLY? GOOD FOR ARMIN, I’D ALSO PUNCH EREN!!!!!

“Is there any wine left?” “Of course not, we’ve been here a month, there’s not a single drop left.“ If Levi becomes a Titan or is killed I will riot. This show is already hot wet garbage, I can’t see it getting any better in the remaining half season

Thank god for Levi, who has done so many wrong things, but has principles, and I love him with my whole dumbass heart 

“I want you to beat up the Commandant here mercilessly until he can’t stand anymore.” Eren and Floch 2022 for the Worst President and Vice President that any nation has ever seen 

Update from two years later: I can’t believe I am STILL watching this stupid fucking show

“Your throw has some serious heat behind it, Zeke!” You’re telling me that Zeke’s entire Titan fighting style and ideology is based on the fact that he’s good at baseball and Ksaver zoned in on his daddy issues

“The truth is, [your parents] never loved you,” said Ksaver to Zeke, in what might be a true statement, but still probably is something you shouldn’t say to a child 

So given his youth respective to Annie & co., Zeke is supposed to be what, max 10 years older than Eren? He’s 30? He’s aged like sour milk 

“Would it be possible for the Founder to make it so that none of us can have children anymore?” What’s the endgame of this eugen!cs plotline 4 real bc it makes me want to throw up

So Zeke’s plan... is to have Eren... enforce eugen!cs by way of mass sterilization????? Why would someone write this story? Why am I still watching this story? I hate it, I hate it so much 

“If the Eldians in this town had never been born, then none of them would have to suffer and die in the plan that you and I are about to carry out,” said Eren, like he and Zeke weren’t 100% responsible for each and every suffering from hereon out 

WHY DO PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE HAVE EREN POSTERS ON THEIR WALLS?? EREN GIVE ME SOME HOPE UR NOT ENTIRELY THE WORST AND YOU’VE GOT SOME OTHER OBJECTIVE OR PLAN IN MIND, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Me, still trying to finish this show despite the bone arsenic it gives me every episode:

I still don’t think Levi is dead despite being exploded upon (twice), however he dies (as I’m almost sure he will), he’s gonna go out fighting 

Now that I think about it, I assume he will fight Eren, and I hope he kicks him in the ass

“Assuming that he hasn’t just lost it, I don’t see him [hurting Armin and Mikasa] without having some kind of reason.” Finally, a word of sense. Jean and Levi 2022 for a Government Which Still Probably Sucks, But At Least The Public Can Trust That They Have Some Kind of Sense of the Common Good 

I can’t believe Gabi is STILL holding onto the Good Eldian/Bad Eldian dichotomy in spite of everything she’s seen

“But to think that your cause was so noble. It just touched my heart!” I am assuming Armin’s crocodile tears to Yelena also have some greater plot purpose

Eren said: Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal Pieck 

Turns out, I was wrong. Levi is dead. THANKS FOR NOTHING, AOT

WAIT, HANGE TOOK HIM, I’M HOLDING OUT MINIMAL HOPE

“I saw a girl I didn’t know, sculpting the earth to reform my body.” Queen Ymir, I guess? 

“I don’t trust Marley one bit. Having said that, I trust the comrades who fought at my side completely.” Pieck as the only person in this dumbass military who has some perspective

They really do just breeze past Gabi being chained to Pieck’s severed hand LMAO, where does the cuff go?

Yelena’s learning of Eren’s no. 1 skill: Not listening to anyone

“Who else could talk Marley into doing something so stupid?” Firstly, pot-kettle, Eren, and secondly, yeah, sounds about right. Reiner and Eren remain the most out of their minds of anyone in this whole show

Magath really talking about bringing an end to 2,000 years of hatred like Marley had nothing to do with it 

I’m not sure what the Jaegerists were expecting, their artillery isn’t really designed to fight people one-on-one

“I’d like to hear [Onyankopon] out at least. ‘Kay?” Armin’s kekkei genkai is immeasurable patience. My god

“[...] That the world is more interesting with different kinds of people. I think you believe that. And I think that belief goes against everything Zeke’s doing.” I just don’t understand what the end game is here! Like, what is the point!!!!!!!! What are you trying to say!!!!!!!!! 

“Do you actually believe Eren wants to stop all Eldians from having children? You honestly think he’d go along with that?” NO ARMIN, THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN SAYING FOR THE LAST HALF SEASON

All this said: Starting to lose my faith, buddy, seems a little too optimistic at this point

Fnfjnfjfnf Eren’s friends said: I’ll rescue him, but I’m not happy about it

Poor Falco and Nile, hate that that they’re sitting in a dungeon, waiting to be turned into Titans. Zeke, ur the worst

“I’m glad that we’re fighting towards a common goal, now.” Can I just say, I am glad that for once since this season began, the Scouts/104th cadet corps have some sense of agency? Good grief 

Quick question, what in the fuck is wrong with Yelena? What kind of Junji Ito-ass expression did she just make? 

Also, doesn’t bode well for Armin that Yelena agrees with him

If Nile gets shot for trying to help Falco see his brother, I’m gonna scream

“There were never any devils on this island.” FINALLY, GABI!!!!!!!!!! It took like, at least 4 different encounters with kind people (Jean and co., the Braus family, Armin, Nile) for the lesson to stick 

“So yeah, Udo and Zofia are dead ‘cause of me. And also, I’m in love with you.” Being 12-years-old is tough in this economy

Colt really has a lot of information to process about his brother today. Confessing to unintentionally facilitating mass casualty, love, and his imminent death/dehumanization 

“So that’s where my dear little Pieck met her end.” Is it though? No body, no death

Yeah, thought so. Zeke’s never been correct about anything

Does the ep title ��Two Brothers’ foreshadow both Zeke and Falco dying, as one of half of two brothers? Truly unfortunate for Falco, he’s just a little guy

The real question is if the Scream can also compel Armin, or Annie. They’ve never tried it on Intelligent Titans, I don’t think

Also, Annie was able to Scream Titans to do stuff, back in those woods. She could also be of royal blood?

Also speaking of the whole royal blood thing, if Zeke’s spinal fluid’s ability to turn people into Titans is unique, how were they doing it before Zeke inherited the Beast? Like how did the whole penal colony angle function if Grisha and Dina were turned BEFORE Zeke inherited? Does any Titan spinal fluid work, and if so, why is it so difficult to obtain? Riddle me that

I don’t even have the energy to process how fucked up what just happened was. Nile, Pyxis, and every damn soldier down there getting turned into monsters with no out but death. Falco inadvertently incinerating his brother (for nothing! Porco is going to sacrifice himself anyway!! Colt’s death served NO purpose other than demonstrating his love for his brother)

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

WHAT

WHAT

WHAT??????????????????????????????????

EREN?????????????? WHAT???????? THE FUCK????????? 

“Those chains around your neck.” “I was starting to wonder if you ever going to say anything about that. Well, even if it took a while, I appreciate your concern.” Zeke said: Don’t worry, we may be in Titan Purgatory, but I have still retained my passive aggressive personality

“Do you seriously believe I’d euthanize the Eldian people?” FUCKING FINALLY EREN! PLEASE TELL ME YOUR PLAN IS TO GET RID OF THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM INTO TITANS

“I waited to hear your true feelings, and that was the right decision.” This really is the season of sudden but inevitable betrayals

What’s the point of having a Founding Titan or Coordinate at all if you need royal blood to use it? Seems redundant, since it seems like Zeke can more or less control Titans on his own. Is it only the biology thing

“He sacrificed his children on the altar of nationalism.” Absolutely hate to say it, but Zeke, for once in his life, has a point

If the rest of this season could be Baby Eren chasing butterflies, that would be much appreciated. I’d watch 10 hours of that

“He was a shitty human being who did a shitty job as a father.” I like it that it’s Dumping on Grisha Hours, it’s vaguely cathartic 

Lmao at Eren ‘you’ve undone his brainwashing’ hahaha u could hold ur stupid fucking plan for months or years, but somehow u think this’ll work? Same old impatient guy

“Why did he wait so long [to take the Founding Titan]?” Hahaha Zeke’s finding out the reality that not all siblings are raised equally

“He set aside his mission for the sake of his son. Would’ve been nice if he could’ve done that for me. Good for you, though.” Take a shot every time Zeke is passive aggressive and develop severe liver damage

The one bit of world-building here that doesn’t give me bone arsenic is that people can develop autonomy within these memories, and seem to have some access to the future. It’s interesting

“I came into this world ready for a fight.” Eren said: Murder is my only personality trait 

“I won’t move on if it means abandoning you.” Wild that both Grisha and Zeke decide to put their plans on hold for Eren’s sake, when Eren seems to care so little for it in response 

Eren really does have his dad’s whole face, huh:

“The power of the Attack Titan offers us brief glimpses into the lives of those yet to inherit it. Meaning, it allows to witness events in the future.” Ohhhhhh so it turns out Paternity-TSD is not just a Titan thing, it is an Attack Titan thing

“Eren will get everything he wants.” I can’t believe that Grisha’s fall from grace comes from EREN being the one to force his hand, through memories alone, to kill the Founding Family. Eren said: Uno reverse, Dad! I AM THE SHITTY FATHER EVERYONE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

Imagine, momentarily, being followed around by a grown version of your 9-year-old who incites you to commit violence. No wonder Grisha’s like this

“But even so, I will always love you. If only... I’d let you be my son instead of trying to make you a soldier.” Is this a hurtful or a healing experience for Zeke

So ur tellin’ me Founder Ymir got Titan powers by falling down a well inside of a tree? Okay Grimdark Inuyasha

Pretty fucked up that the royal family got the Founding Titan power through coerced reproduction, but what in this show isn’t fucked up? I’m so tired

If Maria, Rose, and Sina all had kids, I still think Annie could be from the royal blood line. We’ve got Zeke and Historia from two different blood lines, that still leaves one blond to go

Also also also this backstory doesn’t answer the question of how everyone else became a Subject of Ymir. Is everyone from Titan Hell Island her direct descendant? That doesn’t make any sense, because then everyone would be descended from Fritz also. Honestly the thing I suspect (and have suspected, ever since Ragako) is that anyone can be turned into a Titan, not Eldians specifically

Although, this Foundervision makes it seem like all Eldians do specifically have a specific link to Ymir. Is the implication all the people in that society had a little piece of her? Honestly none of the royal bloodline stuff makes any sense if you think about it for more than a few minutes

“The Titans of the Walls will continue their march until every trace of life beyond our shores is trampled flat, and the people of Paradis, are all that remains of humanity.” Eren said: Survival of the craziest

To paraphrase a tumblr post: If you go to the circus for advice, don’t be surprised when it’s delivered to you by a clown

This episode is called Thaw, which means FINALLY Annie. I have been waiting for her to come back to the side of the Scouts!

Honestly, kind of surprised it’s taken Reiner this long to give up LOL

“We’re doing what they feared we’d do, because we have to.” Do you have to, Jean? DO YOU?

“He did this for his friends. Eren wants to protect us, even if it means killing everyone else on the planet.” [B99 VOICE] COOL MOTIVE, STILL MURDER, JEAN 

Well, Connie’s psychological break is much to be expected, I guess

The Braus family and Nicolo automatically protecting Gabi despite how much she’s hurt them personally <3 I love them

“There’s a devil in me, Kaya. And in you, and in everyone else. That’s why our world’s the way it is. There’s a devil inside us all.” I mean, yeah, but I fail to see why you use this framework of oppression metaphors if ur suggesting that everyone is on equal moral standing, because it reeks of ‘there are bad people on both sides’ which like. Then why frame it as slave and subjugator? Why not just frame it as a conflict of nations? They are different metaphors

Armin thanking Pyxis and wishing him rest as he puts him down. Ahhhh oh Armin :( <3 

“You survived.” “Damn, no need to sound so excited about it.” That’s also how I feel about Floch, Jean

“I can’t say for sure, but if Eren could do [a Titan transformation reversal], I think he would’ve done it for our comrades that Zeke turned into Titans, instead of leaving them for us to kill.” Armin still hoping for empathy from Eren despite his plot to kill everyone in the world

Although, this does make a bit of sense as to why Eren also reacted so strongly to Zeke trying to scream. He couldn’t undo what Zeke was about to do

“When he brought the walls down, he did it by breaking all Titan hardening, everywhere.” ANNIEEEEEEEEEEE

Turns out Hitch, Annie’s former roommate and prison guard, is voiced by the same VA as Wendy from Fairy Tail. I knew she sounded familiar LOL

Gjklgglhgkjh @ Annie’s story being ‘your found family can also be garbage’

Annie [Tiktok audio voice]: Traumatize ur parents BACK

LMAO @ THIS BANTER, GUESS IT’S BEEN ROUGH FOR ANNIE NOT TO BE ABLE TO SAY ANYTHING FOR THE PAST HALF DECADE

Hitch: Okay wait. I don’t need to hear your entire life story.

Annie: I didn’t need to hear about every failed relationship you’ve had in the past four years. It’s not going to kill you to let me talk for a few minutes.

Did Annie’s dad just die???? It remains unclear

Not to state an obvious point but the Jaegerists are so icky. Who has the capacity for a military coup in the middle of a mass casualty event which affected EVERYONE, including them. Fuckhead Floch, that’s who

Also Shadis admitting he’d let the recruits attack him on purpose and advising them to not fight the coup! He really is a good teacher

“There’s no point in worrying about Eren. We can’t stop him, he’s a lost cause!” Armin has finally reached the limit of his near infinite patience

Not Mr. Braus calling Connie a decent sort to Gabi when Connie’s mid-way through a plan to murder her friend

“Be as annoying, selfish and arrogant as you please.” “Well, that’s kinda rude.” Jean truly deserves to be the protagonist of this show

Connie and Armin going to bat who will be the most mentally unwell companion to their traumatized 12-year-old. Based on Armin’s “Levi saving the wrong person” comment, there seems a very real possibility that Armin might offer to let Connie’s mum eat him instead

“He’s just a poor bastard who refuses to die.” LEVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LOVE U, NO BODY NO DEATH

I can’t believe Hange’s explanation for Levi not dying via explosive blast is ‘he’s just built different’

I guess he did lose a couple of fingers but my real question is why have u advanced in all technologies except for prosthetics. Feels like that should be a common need here

Appreciate Levi stating Pieck (Finger) and (Theo) Magath’s full names for exposition lol

“Sasha. Would you have understood what I’m about to do?” Considering all of Sasha’s love towards her siblings and protecting kids, no, probably not, Connie 

DEAR GOD. THE BEST PLAN CONNIE COULD COME UP WITH IS ASKING FALCO TO BRUSH HIS TITAN MUM’S TEETH. HE TRULY IS THE DUMBEST OF THE ALIVE SCOUTS, AND THAT’S INCLUDING EREN

Full disclosure I had to stop watching this episode bc of all the things this show has made me watch, the concept of Connie trying to Hansel and Gretel this 12-year-old child has pushed me to my limits. I’m back now and I’m gonna try my best

PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME WATCH ARMIN DIE AGAIN, I WILL CRY. PLEASEEEEEEEE 

Update from 1 minute later: OH THANK GOD 

“I want to try and become the kind of soldier my mum would be proud of,” said Connie, as the child he’d almost murdered wheezed in the background 

“Guess whatever you’re worried about doesn’t really bother Jean.” Is it weird that I am kind of hoping Mikasa and Jean end up together? There’s something compelling about how they’re both simultaneously so fucked up in slightly opposite ways now

KFJHKFH the comedy of Annie just being sat right beside Armin and Connie as they theorize about her 

“Goodbye. Sincerely, your gloomy roommate.” Me whenever I leave the house

[Mocking] “And I get to live out my life with your sad little gang of xenophobic shitheads?” Onyankopon makes a direct and accurate hit

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I KNEW JEAN WOULDN’T MURDER HIS FRIEND!!! GO SCOUTS!!!!!!!!!

“Don’t you ever brush your teeth [as a Titan]?” “You shouldn’t ask such things, I’m a lady, remember?” LMAO Hange asking the real questions about titan dentistry 

“Then that burning pile of bones would’ve haunted me for the rest of my life.” Jean truly has never stopped being in love with Marco this whole time. Bisexual king 

“Let’s go.” “Go where?” “To end this, and save the world.” Alright, alright, they do know how to refocus my attention:

The scar on Jean’s dream wife’s cheek showing he still has feelings for Mikasa <3 Ahhh

I appreciate this retrospective on how they coordinated the attack, though it does probably mean the last eps in this part will not advance the narrative that much 

“I’ll do it. Eren’s killed too many already. I won’t sit back and watch him steal more lives.” Good for Mikasa!!!

“You remember Willy Tybur’s speech. What’s the world gonna do when we prove him right?” Jean reasonably points out that Eren has essentially guaranteed the destruction of either civilization (Paradis v. the Outside World)

I continue to be surprised about how explicit Armin and Hange have been about the fact Eren is committing geno-[GUNSHOT NOISE]

I know it was established last episode that this was still about Marco for Jean but it’s brought into sharper relief when they have a mise en scene dedicated to every single person they’ve lost, and then Marco gets his own panel. Everything always returns to unresolved trauma and transparent metaphors for bisexuality: 

“Hange. In the end, I’ll always be a Scout.” Jean said: I will prevent our friend from committing crimes against humanity, but I’m not like, happy about it 

“Compared to the sum of the carnage and misery wrought by Eldia, your island’s suffering is a joke.” I know Magath is probably trying to test their conviction in standing against Eren, but what a dick thing to say to the people whose lives and homes you have been actively destroying for ten years

Also Magath being a poster child for propaganda efficacy

“If we’re going to be at each other’s throats, let’s stick to arguing about stuff we’ve lived through ourselves.” That’s what I’m saying, Hange

God. Mikasa and Armin STILL wanting to get through to Eren to convince him to stop the Rumbling AFTER everything that’s happened. The residual loyalty Eren has proved himself beyond reciprocating 

“We shouldn’t be fighting,” said Annie, right after provoking Mikasa to fight

Are we finally going to see the fucking point of Yelena as a character? Being from Marley makes sense for her, but honestly I feel like all she’s done is be like, Non-Island Floch (inciting violence and planning insurrection in her group of volunteers/Jaegerists), and we don’t really need two of those, do we?

“Who wouldn’t want to imagine themselves as the saviour of hundreds of millions of innocent lives? To wash the bitterness of hatred out of their mouths with the honeyed taste of righteousness. From where I sit, it seems like that’s what all of you are doing right now.” Yelena said: Actually, you guys are stopping the wholesale slaughter of all other people on earth for selfish reasons 

How the fuck do any of these guys trust drinking alcohol after what happened with Zeke??????????? JEAN YOU WORRY ME

Kind of glad the Scouts got an explanation from Reiner and Annie for how Marco died? At least they get some closure 

“We all just started fighting, and assumed it had to be to the death.” Well. In more direct terms, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie did actually try to kill you all, Jean, but I see what you’re saying about non-lethal force being an option in your lives 

“Don’t forgive me. I’m truly worthless.” Bold of you to assume anyone was gonna forgive you, Reiner? LOL

Yeah, Jean beating him up is a very fair response 

“Gabi. I’m sorry about kicking you. You okay?” “I’m tougher than I might look, I’m fine.” “I’m glad. Reiner, you’re not getting an apology.” Hahahaha love every bit of this for Jean <3

The way the ep preview is a pic which looks like it’s promoting Armin and Connie’s buddy comedy film, Unhinged and Unhinged-er

I’m glad the Scouts still advocate for non-lethal force, however idealistic

“For now, just stay out of it.” Annie and Reiner said: Our bad for destroying your homeland <3 We will kill your friends so you don’t have to; that’s teamwork! 

“Forgive me. All of you. I was... a fool. I’m sorry for my behaviour last night. We were never in the right. I deluded myself into thinking we were the good guys. I wanted to believe the evil I’d done was justified as part of some great cause.” What an absolutely rapid as hell turn-around for Magath, choking out Yelena one (1) time and hearing Gabi and Falco plead for help caused him to self-reflect? Or more likely it’s a Erwin-esque Inspire-to-Death speech

“There’s no way to avoid spilling more blood today. So please, look the other way.” “I’m not doing that. I refuse to let someone else stain their hands in my place.” Armin said: We can murder our OWN friends, thank you very much, Magath

“You won’t make your world any less violent by making it smaller.” Lady Azumabito having some of the realest dialogue of any character

“In any world, it’s important to understand our place [...] This [island] is the world now. You need to recognize your place in it.” Floch said: Have you heard of racism? I have reinvented it 

You see? This is why we don’t need two Flochs. One is already too much

Floch has never said anything worthwhile in his whole damn life. Get got Floch. I don’t have a lot of faith in Armin’s plan, but if Floch dies, that’s probably a win for everyone 

Fully didn’t realize Daz, Scout who loved to cry about how he was going to die, was still alive. I imagine not for long

Update from 8 mins later: RIP Daz and Samuel 

“We’re with you. Eren has to finish the job or this island is doomed.” Armin. This is the best plan your huge brain could come up with? Connie has rubbed off on you in a bad way 

It’s a good thing being shot through the face cannot kill Armin atm

Better to have tried and failed at a non-violent solution, I guess

There go the last crumbling threads of Connie and Armin’s mental health

How did Floch NOT die at point blank range of two Titans transforming? Proximity to one transformation was enough to kill Colt! Unbelievable

Well, he got his about 15 minutes later, so there we go

This entire season is just a glorified trolley problem, huh? 

“Violence will always be part of human existence. Won’t it, Captain?” Levi looks exhausted. Me too, man

Falco has really handled being in charge of one of the world’s only nine sentient biological weapons as best he could for being 12. He’s trying his best to help

SHADIS!!!!!!! I was curious who took out the reinforcement train

“Last chance for you to take a swim.” “No. I’ll stay. I’ve been looking for a good end to this life.” Shadis said: I must die in the most dramatic way possible

“It’s far too late, but I’ve finally realized how happy I would’ve been if those kids could’ve led normal lives.” Magath is the only adult in this show ever to admit that having child soldiers is bad LMAO:

I’ll hand it to Shadis and Magath, that was a pretty cool way to die

Though Magath’s comment about Shadis being remembered as a hero doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering he was about to explode any and all witnesses to Shadis being there 

Annie taking the inevitable loss of Liberio the hardest (unsurprising as everyone else there has lived through the hell of the past four years, while Annie was quite literally frozen in time, regardless of physical aging)

“I don’t want to fight anymore. Not with any of you. Not even with Eren.” Oh, Annie

“It could be that he’s always been like this inside. But if this is the real Eren Jaeger, what did I see in him, that made me keep him so close?” A question we’ve all perhaps been wondering, Mikasa 

“They’ll try to feed the car carrots if they manage to catch it.” “Hahah, give them more credit than tha—Wait, are they buying carrots?” I appreciate that we get this reprieve after all of the violence

Also I haven’t said much about Onyankopon because he’s normal and nice, but I do enjoy him 

“Well, look at that another enemy immigrant.” To be clear, this show DOES feel like it’s hate-criming me but it seems redundant to discuss that when they’re in the middle of a [LOUD FORGORN NOISE]

LMAO @ Levi being the one to cause the scene after his snark

“You’ve come to make it known that the people of Paradis wish to coexist in peace?” Well, that plan didn’t go very well, it seems

“Mikasa, what am I to you?” Eren said: It is time to talk about the unspoken crush you’ve had on me for 9 years, Mikasa

Hahaha good for the 104th cadets, getting to party and let loose with one another like actual teens for once. Also the way that Mikasa, Eren, Armin and Jean are laid out in the centre does pull at my heartstrings:

“What If I’d given him a different answer? Would we still be in this situation right now?” Mikasa, I don’t think romance would’ve fixed Eren

Eren would literally rather kill everyone on the planet than make Historia become a Titan and have children for the military’s sake. Chivalry is not dead I guess, unlike everyone else on the planet

I can’t believe Eren floated this plan by Historia!! Replacing one burden with an even heavier burden 

“There are straightforward explanations for all the behaviours you’re describing, that have nothing to do with genetics or conditioning. [Mikasa] doesn’t slaughter Titans out of some inborn compulsion to keep you alive. She does it because she adores you.” LOL @ Zeke having to be the one who explains this to Eren. The closest he ever comes to actually being a big brother

Now that I’m thinking about it: Where the hell is Zeke? He seems nigh unkillable, are we saying that Eren’s transformation did him in? No body, no death

“That’s what I need. For them to live long and happy lives.” 1) Did you really think, knowing your friends, that any of them would be happy with you killing everyone? 2) Armin is on a timeline just like you, so if we have to take the 13-years-since-Titan-inheritance to live at face value (Idk that I do. I do think it’s something they could lie about), he’s also got less than ten years to live and 3) Doing cruel things out of love does not make them any less cruel!!

Can I just say a big fuckin hoo boy to Eren’s whole life 

Their vaguely-brown accents have gotten a lot worse since that first battle with Marley LMAO. 3/10, hire a brown person 

“I imagine, we learn that our wish isn’t possible. We never find a way to save Paradis.” My name’s Eren Jaeger and I was born with the gift of self-fulfilling prophecy

This genuinely is sickening to watch. What’s the fucking point 

Of course Eren is killing his and Zeke’s grandparents. Why not?

“It’s weird how at ease I feel,” said Armin to Annie, as if it were not kind of a dick thing to say whilst her hometown was being trampled

“What I wanted was to see you.” Armin said: It’s time to talk about MY unspoken crush I’ve had on Annie for the past 4 and a half years!!

“Good is just what people call people who help them.” Armin really dropping some of his most compelling moral philosophy mid-confession

“So when did this start?” “When did what start?” It is SOOOOO funny that they’re choosing to address the romance angle between Annie and Armin NOW, when the whole fucking world is being brutally, unforgivably murdered. YOU COULDN’T HAVE DONE THIS, LIKE, A COUPLE OF EPISODES AGO

Are Yelena and Pieck the same voice actress because they both have a mild lisp like they’re talking around a retainer

“Even trying to say sorry feels presumptuous.” It is, Reiner! You’re learning something. Perhaps, like 10 years too late, but still!

Annie hugging Reiner goodbye even after acknowledging he’s the one who started all this. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

It’s very kind of Team Save the World to all be so understanding of the fact Annie no longer has any desire to fight

Floch said: I would like to be a problem one last time before I mega-die

“Armin Arlert. As of now I appoint you 15th commander of the Scout Regiment.” Hange said: I volunteer as next for mega-death!!!!

Levi scout-saluting Hange on her heart instead of his.... Ahhhhhhhh

Hange joining all the fallen Scouts in what seems like a very chill afterlife. Good for her

“Killing Zeke should end the Rumbling.” Ah, apparently Zeke is somewhere in his little brother’s Titan body like an extremely fucked up babushka doll. Or a tick

“He died cursing my name. Calling me a traitor, while I told myself I was saving the world. Was it the same? For your team? You, Bertholdt and Annie. Is this what it felt like?” It is also extremely funny that whenever someone does something really terrible to a huge group of people they look at Reiner and go, ‘Is this what it’s like to be you?’ and he goes, ‘Yeah. :(’

It’s also a callback to when he and Bertholdt were Connie’s dads. Shout-out to a less complicated time

“It’s like he wants to find how we’re going to respond to what he’s done.” 

Eren Jaeger 🤝 Itachi Uchiha

Deciding the appropriate judgment for committing a pre-emptive massacre against a huge group of people is having your loved one(s) beat your ass

The fact that Eren’s friends are STILL trying to talk him down. God. It is so much more than he deserves:

“But from you, I will take nothing.” Except most of the buildings on our island, the Scout leadership’s influence over the government, the fellow recruits I have radicalized for my cause, at least two of our closest friends who died as a direct result of my actions, every friend you made in Liberio, your sense of personal agency over the future, any hope you had for peace, and any remnants of sanity that you have left

“You will only stop my advance when you stop me from breathing. And you are free to try.” Eren said: We interrupt this plane ride for a message from our Founder. Hey besties, please beat me to death!

“They told us back in training that the Female Titan can manifest the abilities of the rest of the nine by taking in parts of their bodies.” OHHHHH so THAT’S why Annie can scream Titans to do stuff. I still think she could be descended from royalty, but this does explain it in part

Hmmm is Zeke’s spinal fluid why Falco had the memory of flying around with swords in his hands? A pre-transformation memory from Zeke? I had wondered if it was from Cadet Ymir 

Turns out Annie’s father is NOT dead, nor are any of the immediate family of the other Marleyan Warriors. Instead, they’re probably going to die very shortly

“We cultivated hate. Nurtured our resentments. Let ourselves believe that could save us. And what came of our failings, we simply dumped onto the ‘Island of Devils.’ This is the result. Those failings gave rise to the monster you see. And it’s marching our hatred back upon us.” General Muller said: Turns out, oppressing people for their ethnic heritage is BAD! Who knew!!!!

All the Marley Eldian parents being like. My bad for inflicting generational trauma onto my children, xoxo

Is Zeke straight up throwing LIGHTNING NOW? Zeke has chidori? What is going ON

“The forces of Paradis are trying to end the Rumbling.” Oh HELL YEAH they are

I’m going to be real honest with you, I am incredibly attached to most of the remaining Team Save the World, so when some or even most of them inevitably die, I will cry. Or be sick. Or both

“Exactly one minute from now, I’ll blast these bones apart.” Armin preparing to kill his best friend to save everyone else. Awful

EREN JUST SWALLOWING HIS BEST FRIEND WHOLE INTO THE FUCKED UP BABUSHKA DOLL WITHOUT HESITATION???? WHAT?????????

“He’s being restrained, but he’s not hurt. The problem, is that he was whisked off towards Eren’s ass.” What a thing to say at a time like this, Levi

“Theses husks are the people who bore the Power of the Nine before us. I don’t know if their minds are still in there or not. But I’m betting the Founding Titan has the ability to resurrect them as many times as it needs to.” Eren said: Hey besties, please fight these Big Fucking Skeleton Ghosts of Your Ancestors and Friends

I suppose the friends part disproportionately affects Reiner, since he was closest to the most former Titans (Marcel, Porco, on top of them all being friends with Bertholdt)

Bertholdt crying in Armin’s Founder Ymir-Induced Suffocation Scape implies the former Titans are CONSCIOUS of being used to hurt their friends and commit gen-[GUNSHOT NOISE]? HATE THAT

“Do you still think we can win?” “Nope. But I don’t care. I wanna fight to the bitter end.” I am in love with you, Jean Kirschtein 

“You’re kinda in the way, Mikasa!” ANNIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Colour me bananas, but if Falco (I see why they named his character that now) was so certain he could turn into a Bird Titan, why’d he have to do it ON the boat. Couldn’t HE have been on one of the little lifeboats, transforming in the water and swooping away? 

“Hang on, where’s Arm—I mean, where’s Pieck?” Annie, you’re allowed to care that Armin’s alive, it’s not weird HAHAHAHAH. It’s weirder that you said it that way

“Your childhood friends sure have a way of getting themselves captured,” said Annie, as if she had not been the first person to capture them 

“Damn it. I had a long list of things to tell that dumbass off about.” This is Levi saying how much he loves Eren and doesn’t want to kill him :(

Gjgkgkjgjgjg Annie’s advice to Mikasa about how to deal with their comrades killing the man Mikasa loves: Try not to think about it

“That one. Isn’t it an okapi?” “What the hell’s an okapi?” I too would like to know what an okapi is, Mikasa

“Erwin, I didn’t choose you, and I don’t regret that. I’m entrusting the future with the same look in his eyes as all of you.” I LOVE YOU, LEVI, AND I LOVE YOU ARMIN

The subsequent cut to Armin screaming at his inanimate body about how much he hates it and himself. This show is exhausting

“I should be in a Titan’s mouth right now, so how do I know what’s happening to my friends?” This is a question I also had Armin, but I wasn’t really expecting an answer

“You still seek to multiply? Why? Is continuing the species really that important to you?” Zeke said: Actually, y’all are saving the world because you wanna fuck (Zeke and Yelena fight over who projects a more insane motivation onto the Scouts)

“This strange, lovely thought popped into my head. I felt like maybe I’d been born to race Mikasa and Eren up that hill.” Oh, Armin

Armin seeing this object in the paths as a leaf that reminds him of Mikasa and Eren while Zeke sees it as a baseball him and Ksaver played with. Everything always comes back to baseball and absent fathers

Is the payoff for Armin being Babushka'd for a solid thirty minutes going to be that he’s going to convert all of these Former Titans in Purgatory (aka the Paths) to stop being Eren’s Skeleton Ghost Army? Incredible 

I was wondering when Cadet Ymir was going to make an appearance. Good for her! 

I also appreciate that Eren’s own (skeleton ghost) father is among the people actively fighting against him. PARENTING 

Zeke, as he gets decapitated, probably: See, I CAN be helpful!

“The rumbling just stopped.” THEN WHYYYY are there 45 more minutes in the episode!!!!!!!!! What are you going to do!!!!!!

I would like an explanation on what the glowing-worm-spine-thing that gives people Titan powers is. An alien? A sea creature? A really vengeful spirit? Explain!!!!

“If [the Titan Worm] survived that explosion point-blank, we can’t kill it. The one we should target is Eren. This nightmare won’t end until we take him down.” To be fair, Levi, you just had Armin try to explode Eren too, so can you really kill him?

“Could this be the same gas they used on Ragako village?” “Mikasa, Pieck, get on Falco, we need to leave. Cause only Ackermanns and Titan wielders are immune, remember?” OH MY GOD THEY’RE GOING TO TURN JEAN AND CONNIE INTO TITANS. I KNEW THIS BATTLE WASN’T GOING TO PASS WITHOUT KILLING SCOUTS, BUT OH MY GOD. JEAN. I AM CRYING, THIS IS THE WORST POSSIBLE WAY HE COULD DIE. THE WAY ALL OF THESE PEOPLE’S FAMILIES COULD DIE. I HATE THIS. I AM SICK. 

“You’re gonna live without me for a long time. So forget you knew me. Forget, and be free.” I don’t care about this Eren-isn’t-a-mass-murderer fantasy sequence. Any remaining energy I had for this narrative died with Jean

Mikasa kissing Eren AFTER decapitating him is an incredibly weird way to end this battle. Why write this show? What was the point?

HKFHKJFHKFJHFKJHF not them having Eren appear as a child and say sorry for the mass murder!!!! What kinda Naruto behaviour is this!!!

“So you did all that to push us away, huh? To make us turn against you and become the heroes who prevent the annihilation of the human race by killing you.” “You got it. Every human left outside of the walls will owe you a debt of gratitude.” This is the most backwards ass, stupid ass plan I’ve ever heard of. I can’t believe THIS is the excuse for everything I’ve had to witness. 

Eren Jaeger 🤝 Itachi Uchiha

If I do ALLLLLL the murders, no one will think badly of my fellow people, even though I am one of those people

“You’re hoping we can all become like the Tybur family and protect Paradis from reprisal.” Except for Jean and Connie who are mega-dead, and Annie, Armin, Reiner and Pieck, who will presumably all die in less than ten years, Falco who has thirteen years left, which leaves Levi and Mikasa to stand for their whole island? 

“Founder Ymir, she loved King Fritz.” Of course, who doesn’t love someone who murdered their parents, enslaved them, ripped out their tongue and then [redacted] them and had their kids [LOUD HONK OF A CLOWN CAR]

The way they’re cycling through Eren and Armin’s ages. It does hurt me 

“The past and future, it’s all happening at once. And so, I had no choice That day, in that moment, Bertholdt would’ve died, but he had to live, so I sent it away from him and towards mom.” So, not only are you saying that Eren was retroactively controlling Titans from the wall’s breach, but also that HE is responsible for his mum getting eaten? Why does Eren have to be responsible for everything? Can’t things be also Reiner and Bertholdt’s fault?

“You’re a selfish heartbreaker, and I hope she does forget about you because she deserves to be happy!” Sweet of Armin, but I can’t take this seriously inside of everything that’s happened 

INSANE OF ARMIN TO BE MORE MAD ABOUT EREN DISREGARDING MIKASA’S FEELINGS THAN HE IS ABOUT THE GENOC!DE. Armin said: Two can play at the unrelentingly crazy takes on what chivalry means, Eren!

“But hey, the good news is, I know of one charming young fella she’s pretty close to already.” You mean Jean, whom Eren’s worm ally Titan-murdered??????

[Sobbing] “No. That’d break my heart. I don’t want her to find someone else. I want to be her one and only love! Even she does get over me, I think it should take her ten years at least!” “Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn’t think you’d say something that pathetic.” HAHAHAHAHA I genuinely just can’t absorb Eren saying this dialogue as true, because it feels so stupid and out-of-character, however, Armin’s response is VERY funny

“Twenty-percent of humanity is all that you manage to save. It’s been determined.” “’Been determined?’ But you determined it. You’re the one who kills them!” Eren said: [Count Frollo voice] It’s not my fault, it’s in God’s plan

“I trampled the world because I wanted it.” This is like, the third set of motivations Eren’s played his hand at. When will we land on one that sticks?

“Why? Why did it turn out this way? I finally know. Because I’m an idiot. I’m nothing more than a garden-variety idiot who got his hands on power. That’s why this is the only resolution I can bring about.” I guess this is motivation #4

“You’ll be joining me? Where?” [Pleasantly] “Assuming it exists, in hell.” Armin’s dialogue is so unrivaled in how crazy it is, I almost admire it

“Yeah. Look for me in hell. I’ll be waiting.” “Right. We’ll be together, for all time.” This is the opposite of meet me in gay heaven energy. Meet me in White Boy Hell:

God. Armin’s scream when he sees Eren is dead. Unbearable

“He said that you would make a choice, and that in the end it would cause the Power of the Titans to be erased from this world.” JEAN AND CONNIE AND GABI ALIVE? ARMIN AND REINER AND ANNIE AND FALCO STAYING ALIVE? ALSO WHY WAS THIS NOT AN OPTION BEFORE? Finally, a reason for all of this. The longest, most chaotic, worst path to a reason, but a reason nonetheless 

Eren being like, surprise!!! Here is my post-mass-murder voicemail about how much I love you all, besties! Except you, Pieck, I don’t know you. And everyone’s just like, ‘Aw, I missed him!’

I was worried for a moment that Levi seeing the fallen Scouts was an indication he was dying, but it seems like it’s some kind of goodbye present from Eren

“My name is Armin Arlert. And I killed Eren Jaeger. I stopped the Attack Titan and ended the rumbling.” Armin said: I am not afraid to take credit for the murder of my best friend

“All this time it was you, peeking into my head.” Mikasa’s headaches are actually Maternity-TSD from Founder Ymir? Sure, why not

I suppose it would be unrealistic if the fraction of people alive DIDN’T want to retaliate against the Island. What else could you expect? 

“But if we must fight, let it be for an end to fighting.” Historia finally gets some agency after her Farm Pregnancy Arc LMAO

“You know, it’s a real shame your life got longer, Reiner.” HAHAHA Jean. This is the kind of bullshit I missed 

HAAHAHAHAHAH ARMIN, I see you and Annie haven’t gotten any better at communicating:

Armin: Don’t forget that we’re Scout Regiment. We’re a bunch of dreamers who don’t know when to quit.

Annie: But I was in the Military Police. 

Armin, ignoring her: Anyway—

“After trying to kill each other again and again, we put down our weapons and began to call for peace.” I suppose this is the most tolerable possible resolution to an incredibly deranged show

I can’t believe this series has beaten me down so hard with its bare fists that I feel like 80% of the world dying is not the worst outcome. That is OBJECTIVELY AWFUL. I guess it helps that there’s no death/fighting scenes for last third of this episode. It’s just been so unbearable that if I’m not crying or actively nauseous, it’s some kind of victory. What a horrible show

Are we suggesting Eren has been reincarnated as a bird? Sure, fitting for a wings-of-freedom Scout metaphor moment, I suppose!

I’m not going to comment on the mid-credits scenes. This show has put me through enough. I have followed it through to its conclusion, and its conclusion was as brutal and absurd as the rest of it. Goodnight! 

[snappedsky]

Fanatics 99.5

Round 2 begins with Dib.

*Links to previous and chapter in reblog*

--

Greatest in the Galaxy Part 5

“Happy morning, my dear viewers and audience members! Who’s ready for round 2!”

Johnny and Skoodge watch on the TV as the audience in the stadium erupts into cheers. They both turn away when they hear the door open and Devi and Tenna walk in.

“You’re late,” Johnny states, “it’s already started.”

“Some of us have to take the bus across the city to get here,” Devi points out.

“You should just stay here.”

“There’s no where to sleep,” Tenna argues.

“Big deal,” he scoffs.

“Without further ado, let’s begin the second game!”

In the stadium, the audience and players all watch as the holographic screen in the sky spins a wheel with different game names.

“The game will be...the Obstacle Course! Players must race against each other around a series of obstacles. First to the finish line will receive five points for their team and second place will get three points! Now who will the players be?”

The screen displays five wheels, each spinning through the different members of the five teams.

“It shall be...Lakk of Irk, Agil of Swif’el, Wrinch of Techon-3, Deloid of Mus’ular, and Dib of Earth!”

“Alright, Dibsters, you’re up,” Pepito says, giving Dib a smack on the back.

“Make us look good,” Zim orders.

“Don’t screw this up,” Gaz snaps.

“No problem, I got this,” Dib grins as he leaves the sky box and heads down to the stadium grounds.

“A race would’ve suited Squee better,” Tak remarks.

“Dib will do fine,” Squee argues, “he’s slippery.”

The five players gather in the middle of the arena and look up expectantly at the screen above them.

“Players, prepare for teleportation to race track 3.”

They’re engulfed in a bright light and disappear from the stadium. The holographic screen changes to a sky view of a starting point of a race track as the players reappear there.

They’re in some kind of enclosed tunnel. The track runs down the middle with gaps on either side and large spotlights shining up from the very bottom. The track itself appears empty, just a straight run from the start to the finish.

“Where are the obstacles?” Pepito asks.

“If any players are knocked off the track, either by the obstacles or their opponents, they will be teleported back to the stadium and disqualified! Ready and...begin!”

Immediately, the track comes to life with flames shooting out of the walls and blades sawing across the floor or swinging from the ceiling.

“There are the obstacles,” Squee remarks as everyone blinks with surprise.

“Yikes,” Dib squeaks. His opponents immediately take off and he chases after them.

On Earth, Colton, Maddie, and Carmen race through the door of Tak’s house. “Are we late?” Colton asks.

“The game has already started,” Skoodge replies as Johnny, Devi, and Tenna are glued to the screen.

“What is it- oh my god!” Carmen exclaims at the sight on the television.

The cam-bots stick close to the players as they run past the obstacles. Lakk is in the lead, his spider legs helping him to nimbly dodge the swinging blades and spitting fire. Agil is close behind him, her natural speed and agility letting her slink around the obstacles like a snake through the grass. Not far behind them is Deloid, who stops all the blades with his massive strength and doesn’t seem at all bothered by the flames as they lick against his hide. Next is Wrinch, whose small stature allows him to easily dodge all the obstacles. And coming up the rear is Dib, who struggles to bumble his way forward while clumsily dodging the blades and fire.

“He is so beefing it,” Gaz groans.

“To be fair, this wasn’t exactly what we were imagining when we pictured ‘obstacle course’,” Squee points out.

“Come on, Dib,” Zim urges.

As Dib stumbles down the track, the wall spews fire and he falls onto his chest to just barely dodge. He glances to the right just in time to see a saw blade whirring towards him. He shoots up onto his knees and the blade just barely passes in front of his nose.

He remains kneeling and watches with disappointment as his opponents get farther and farther ahead. “I’ll never win at this rate. I can’t catch them with just running. I need a strategy.”

Just ahead, a saw blade on a metal arm extends out of the wall and swings over the track. Dib watches it, timing it in his head.

“I can’t be careful. I won’t win if I don’t take risks.”

He stands up and runs right for the blade. As it swings at him, he jumps up and lands perfectly on the flat side of the blade. He rides it down the track and jumps again as it reaches the end of its swing, the velocity sending him shooting ahead. He cries out excitedly as he flies past blades and through fire, covering his face. Thankfully his jacket is fire resistant and he doesn’t get too burned.

When he starts to lose air, Dib hits the ground running but he’s still not close enough to catch up. He sees another blade on an arm swinging down from the ceiling, perpendicular to the track. As it nears him, he jumps up and grabs the arm. The spinning blade cuts through his sleeve and nicks his skin but he ignores it as he swings down the track. Then he lets go and again the velocity sends him flying. His opponents all look back with surprise as he catches up, whooping excitedly.

“Wha-!” Wrinch exclaims in shock. He’s so distracted that he trips over a passing blade. He cries as he starts to fall off the track but something stops him.

Wrinch looks up with shock as Dib holds him and lifts him back onto the track.

In the stadium, his friends all groan. “Ugh, Dib!”

“That blasted moral compass of yours,” Zim scoffs.

“Why’d you save me?” Wrinch asks.

“You needed help,” Dib replies plainly.

“But you’re gonna lose now.”

“Not yet, so gotta run!”

Dib waves as he runs off. He grabs the arm of another swinging blade and flies ahead.

“Excuse me!” he shouts as he shoots past Deloid.

“Hey!” the alien barks after him.

Dib hits the ground running and while he’s much closer to Agil and Lakk now, they’re still too fast to catch up to. And the finish line is just ahead.

He watches as they pass by a spout in the floor, shooting up flames in five second intervals. Dib quickly takes off his jacket and throws it onto the spout during its pause and stands on it. It fires its flames and sends Dib flying down the track. He shoots past Agil, who’s so surprised she runs into the broad side of a blade.

The finish line is closing in. Lakk’s antennae twitch at Dib’s shouting and he looks back to see the human reaching out and grabbing one of his spider legs.

“Hey!” Lakk barks.

“Sorry,” Dib says, “but you’re just another obstacle.”

Dib jumps off the appendage and dives for the finish line. Lakk scowls and lunges after him.

Dib hits the floor and skids across the finish line.

“We have a winner!”

Dib lifts himself up excitedly but his excitement quickly drops when he sees Lakk lying beside him, his spider legs splayed out ahead of them.

“By mere inches, Lakk has taken first place for Irk! In second place is Dib of Earth!

“Booooo!” the Earth team shouts.

“That shouldn’t count; Dib was ahead of Lakk’s body!” Pepito snaps.

“I’m Irken, and even I think that’s stupid,” Zim scoffs.

All of the players are teleported out of the race track and back into the arena. Dib stumbles to his feet, out of breath and covered in scrapes, cuts, and minor burns. He smiles as he looks up at the screen overhead displaying the scoreboard.

“Earth is still in first place, now with 13 points. Just behind them, tied for second, is Irk and Swif’el with five points! But anything can happen, folks!”

“Well, at least we’re still in first,” Dib sighs.

“Don’t get used to it, human,” Lakk growls as he walks past.

Dib shrugs and leaves the arena.

When he reaches his team’s sky box, Shmoopy immediately ushers him to the table so she can look at his injuries. His friends quickly gather around him.

“Sorry, I only got second, guys,” Dib says.

“It was only on a technicality,” Squee points out.

“And at least you didn’t lose,” Gaz grunts.

“And we’re still in first place,” Zim adds.

“As long as we keep winning the battles, nobody will be able to catch us,” Kio states

“You need to take it easy now, Dib,” Shmoopy orders, “your injuries are minor but I need time to heal them.”

“Let’s keep this train moving and start the battle!”

Everyone but Dib and Shmoopy go out onto the balcony to see who will be selected for the next battle.

“The players will be...Zinather of Irk, Hastee of Swif’el, Bo-olts of Techon-3, Flexor of Mus’ular, and Dib of Earth!”

“What!” the Battalion gasp.

“What...” Dib groans.

[duskholland]

The Fame Game (Part Eight) - Tom Holland

Summary �� Time is ticking, and Tom can’t quite comes to term with it.

Warnings ↠ Angst, Tom is really stupid, nsfw smut scenes (as in part six, it’s outlined with line breaks so you can avoid it if you want). 

Word count ↠ 5.7k

A/N ↠ Yikes.

EIGHT: Time Is Ticking (T)

Tom’s back in LA, and he’s missing you. 

It’s been a while since he’s seen you. Several weeks, since he’d flown over to New York for fashion week. He’d had a great time, and owes a lot to your team for allowing him the opportunity of walking the carpets by your side. As much as he’d tried to understand the world of high-fashion, Tom hadn’t quite grasped the point of watching a line of identical models strut down the catwalk in obscure outfits, but he knows he’d sit through it all again if you were at his side. Tom knows he’d do almost anything for you.

It’s hard, now. There’s less than a month left before your relationship is dismantled by PR. In order to stir up some doubt about the status of your union, Tom’s under strict instruction he’s not allowed to interact with you publicly anymore. No Instagram stories, no tweets. No tagging you in his favourite memes because the fans would see it. And of course, Tom just sends the memes through DMs, but it’s different. It’s different, and it feels like hiding, and he hates this feeling of impending doom.

Tom is being crushed by the weight of what’s to come, and he really, really does not want your relationship to come to an end. 

“Chin up, moody. Wouldn’t want the wind to change direction and leave you stuck like that.”

Tom grimaces, looking up to see Harrison grinning at him, a brightness in his eyes that makes Tom bristle. He’s so deep within his brooding that the sight of someone feeling so happy makes him annoyed.

“Shut up,” he mutters, bringing up a lazy hand to flip him off. “You’re such a bully, Harrison.”

Harrison rolls his eyes. “Would a bully fly all the way to LA, just to keep you company?” He replies.

Tom snorts. “You’re my assistant, Harrison.” He smirks. “Why don’t you be a good one, and run off and make me some tea, eh?” 

“Oh, you’re a twat.” Harrison hesitates, but then much to Tom’s amusement, he stands from the sofa and stretches out his arms. “I will make tea,” he says, “But only because I want some too.” 

“Whipped.”

Harrison turns around when he reaches the doorway, raising an accusing eyebrow. “Rich coming from you, Tom.” 

Tom doesn’t particularly want to linger on that, so responds by lying down over the large sofa and yawning as he pulls a blanket over his figure. He’s staying in a large rented house in Hollywood, working on his new film. It’s a rare day off, which means he’s spending his time getting harassed by Harrison and trying not to let his thoughts descend down same rabbit hole he’s been circling since he realised how near your relationship’s expiration date is.

Tom hates feeling powerless. He hates that there’s no way out of this. It’s not like he can ask to extend the contract - what right would he have to do that? He’s sure you’ll be eager to get back into the dating game, keen to leave him behind. The arrangement has done so much for your image already, Tom’s almost certain you’ll be out of it the moment you can. But he’ll miss you, and he’ll miss openly tagging you in memes and watching the fans coo over your relationship, and he’ll miss walking down red carpets with his hand on your lower back. He’ll miss you beyond anything he could comprehend, and that thought is truly terrifying.

“A tea, for Mr Hollywood.” Harrison reappears, carrying two mugs of steaming brews. Tom smiles, looking up from the sofa to watch as his friend clumsily places one of them down on the coffee table, a line of brown liquid spilling over the top.

“You spilt a bit just there,” Tom points out, grinning mischievously when Harrison snarls at him. 

“Anyone ever told you that you’re a proper wanker?”

Tom laughs as Harrison sits down on the edge of his sofa, pushing Tom’s feet off the cushions. “I’ve heard that once or twice, yeah,” he replies, thinking of you, and you, and you.

Tom can’t stop thinking about you.

There’s a few moments of silence, and Tom can feel Harrison gearing up to say something. He has that perplexed expression on his face - his eyebrows pulled together, eyes shifting around almost guiltily. 

“Are you okay?” Harrison asks, after what feels like an eternity of watching him open and close his mouth. “You’ve been a bit… stressed, recently.”

Tom shrugs, finally sitting up so he can start drinking his tea. “I am stressed.” His fingers go to the bridge of his nose. “Everything’s so messed up.” 

“With Y/N?” 

Tom shrugs haplessly. “I’m not allowed to see her.” 

Neither of you had known that the last time you’d be seen together, happily, would’ve been a restaurant date last week. Tom hadn’t known as he’d pulled out your chair that it’d be the last time he’d perform the action, hadn’t known as he’d played footsie with you under the table that it’d be the last time he’d make you laugh. Management plan to reunite you in four weeks for your ‘break up’, but the circumstances then will be far different to the night you’d spent together, drinking wine, dining fine, and holding hands across the table. Tom would have done so many things differently if he’d known that would’ve been the last chance he’d had to kiss you.

Harrison raises his eyebrows. “You’re not allowed to be seen with her,” he corrects. When Tom looks at him blankly, Harrison reaches out to hit at his knee. “Mate, you’ve got a day off today. What’s stopping you from seeing her?” 

Tom blinks a few times. “But… They said we aren’t allowed to.”

“And? Fuck them. We can work something out.”

Tom takes a sip of his tea, looking up at Harrison over the brim. “Love you, bro.” 

In the end, it turns out to be a lot more complicated than either Tom or Harrison had anticipated. The house they’re renting is tucked up in an exclusive part of the Hills, and the gates are always lined with paparazzi. If they were to spot you entering the district, it’d be reported that the two of you were on perfect terms, violating PR’s golden rule. 

So, Harrison goes out in his car, picks you up, and makes you hide in the backseat when you go past the gates. Tom stays behind, but he’s there to greet you when you fall out the back of the car, grimacing and stretching out your sore muscles. You’re in a pair of sunglasses and there’s large hoodie pulled up over your head, and you light up when you see him. 

“Hey,” you greet, hobbling over to Tom. You press your lips to his cheek, and the touch makes him smile. 

“Hi, darling.” One of Tom’s hands goes to your shoulder, and the other pulls down your hood and pushes up your sunglasses before he has time to really think about it. He just wants to see your pretty eyes again, and his heart softens when you blink up at him, smiling warmly. “Sorry about Haz. I hope it wasn’t too uncomfortable for you.”

You roll your eyes, turning around to look at where Harrison’s sitting in the front of the car. Seeing both of you staring, he waves sheepishly.

“It was alright,” you say. “I mean, hurt a bit. He made me hide in the footwell. But it should be worth it.” You smile up at Tom, almost shyly, rocking back on your feet. “Harrison’s going out for a few hours, but he said he’d take me back home afterwards. So…” You trail off, stepping a little closer. Tom’s breath hitches as your hands wind around his neck, and all he can focus on is the scent of your sweet perfume. “What are we going to do?”

Tom starts off by giving you a grand tour of the house. You gasp and coo as he guides you around, and you don’t shake off his hand when he slips your fingers together - in fact, you only seem to sink further into him, leaning into Tom’s arm, cheek on his shoulder. Tom loves the feeling of you so close again, but it messes with his head. There is turmoil wrestling in his heart, and it’s growing worse by the second.

“So, that’s the place,” he finally says. You’ve finished up the tour in the kitchen, and you’ve made yourself at home sitting on the polished marble counter. Tom watches as you swing your feet, your customised converse hitting off the cabinets. “What do you think?” 

He doesn’t know where to stand, what to do, where to look. There’s a hot flush at the back of his neck, and Tom finds himself nervously standing back against the cupboards across from you, trying his best to meet your eyes. He doesn’t know why he’s finding it so hard to look at you, but the tightness in his chest is almost painful. It’s as if his body knows that heartbreak is inevitable, and it’s trying to do everything in his power to rebel against it. 

“Pretty swanky,” you reply. “The bachelor pad to rival all bachelor pads.” You stretch out your hands, looking at Tom curiously. “Why are you so far away?” You ask, almost a whine. “Are you hiding from me?”

Tom realises he’s cowering in the corner of the kitchen and makes a very conscious effort to loosen up. When he sees you’ve still got your hands outstretched, he moves forwards and takes them, linking up your fingers and hoping you can’t feel his sweaty palms. 

“Just…” Tom trails off, trying to sort through his feelings. You roll your thumbs over his knuckles, and he settles between your legs, pressing up against the counter as he tries to decide which of his emotions he should part with, and which he should keep close to his chest. You bring one of his hands to your mouth, and Tom’s breath hitches as you kiss gently over his knuckles, looking up at him with warm eyes. “I’m glad I could see you again,” he says slowly, a little distracted by the way you’re continuing to kiss his hands, over and over. “I wasn’t sure we’d be able to meet up again, before the breakup.”

You hum, finally moving his fingers from your mouth. You drop his hands, and Tom rests his palms on your knees. In return, you drape your fingers over his shoulders. 

“Yeah,” you agree, voice quiet. “I’m glad, too.”

There’s silence between you, and Tom can feel your mutual despondence. It’s hard to put into words the feeling, but in your eyes is a weakened sadness he can feel in his heart, heavy and unrelenting.

“Hey.” He squeezes at your knee, and your lips quirk into a slight smile. “At least we have today, yeah?”

“Mm, true.” You seem to shuffle around on the counter, pulling Tom a little nearer. It’s so easy, how you’ve got your arms draped around his neck, your fingers playing with the tips of his hair. Tom stays still as you bring one hand up to his face, tapping with a few fingertips over the warm skin of his forehead. “What’s going on up here? You seem a little off.”

Tom’s smile becomes forced. Of course you, like Harrison, have picked up on his turmoil. You’ve always been able to see right through him.

“Just thinking.” When you raise an eyebrow, Tom bottles it. He can’t talk to you about it. Not when it involves a conversation to do with feelings that will become redundant and unnecessary in four weeks. Your fates are sealed, so what’s the point opening up when doing so will ruin your last day together? “Thinking about how beautiful you are, love. Did I tell you how lovely you look today?”

You seem to like that. Tom smiles genuinely as you bite your lower lip, your hand slipping down to cup his face. He’s so close to you, he can almost count your eyelashes. 

“I know you’re just saying that to change the subject, but I appreciate it anyway.” You pause, your eyes alight with something Tom can’t quite place. “You have so many freckles, Tom,” you add, thumb passing over his cheek. “They’re pretty.”

“Thanks,” he replies, voice softer. There’s a warmth in his face, spiralling out from each point of contact, and Tom can’t stop looking at your lips. He wants to kiss you, just for a moment. Just a moment of your lips together, light and easy, like always. He craves it. “Can I kiss you?”

A small smile breaks out across your face, and you nod quickly. “You don’t need to ask, Tom. I like kissing you.”

Tom’s cheeks are hot and his throat feels dry, but he nods. “Okay,” he says. It’s a little awkward now, but you share a laugh, and he knows you feel some of the discomfort in the air. Tom clears his throat, and then closes his eyes, leaning in.

You kiss, slowly, but it isn’t light and easy like he’d wanted. There is no escape from the turmoil in his heart. Tom’s hands slip up to your waist, resting on the curves of your figure as your lips move together, but the whole time you’re connected, Tom feels at odds, conflict rife in his chest. Part of him wants to kiss you forever, but another wishes he’d never touched your lips because he knows he’ll need to pull away in a few hours, and that’ll be the end. He wishes he’d never known how nice it was to feel your lips on his because the pain of knowing he’ll never feel them again is like a sledgehammer to the heart. 

“Loosen up, Tom,” you murmur, your mouths still together. You pull away, pressing your forehead to his, and Tom feels you run your hands through his hair. You smell of sweet flowers. “You’re thinking too much.”

He chuckles, the sound coming out through his teeth. Tom tries to unclench his jaw and takes a moment to look at you. He tries to compartmentalise, tries to sort through his feelings, and shelf some of them for a few hours. He doesn’t want to spend your last day together worrying over the future - he wants to spend it wrapped up in you.

“You always know what I need,” Tom murmurs. He smiles at you, and this time it’s easier.

“I try my best,” you respond, your lips mirroring his. Tom kisses you again, and his arms curl around you properly this time. You sink into him, your hands slipping down to hold his back as you push yourself closer. It grows heated quickly, and Tom feels you whine into his mouth when he drags his tongue along your lower lip, his body humming to life with dazzling electricity as he tries to drink it all in. Drink you all in.

“Mm, Tom.” You pull back, breathless, and Tom notes with a smirk that your pretty lips are puffy and inflamed. Your eyes dance with lust, and Tom jumps as you reach down and slip your hands beneath his shirt. Your fingers are warm against his skin, and Tom lets you pull him nearer. “G’nna miss kissing you,” you admit, murmuring. “I love kissing you.” You pause, and Tom’s heart is in his throat. “I love your lips, too. And your hair.” You lean in, kissing Tom’s cheek before nuzzling your face against his head. Your hands drop away from Tom’s back, and he holds you in a tight hug, his eyes watching the way you turn away from him as you bury your face in his chest. “I love your hugs as well.”

“Seems like you love a lot of things about me.” His voice is weak, slightly clipped. 

“I do.” 

“Funny, isn’t it?” Tom’s still hoarse, his voice failing him. 

“What?” You peel away from his chest to look at him, eyes wide. He sees insecurity floating around in your gaze, and he feels a little like he’s shattered you. “What’s funny?”

Tom gulps. “Just, uh, how much things have changed.” He shifts his hands up to your face, cupping your cheeks and trying to coax a smile back onto your face. “Wouldn’t have thought we’d be capable of feeling anything other than hate towards one another. Crazy how a few months can change so much.”

You’re scrunching up your nose, a line forming between your eyebrows. “Well, I suppose.” Your softer tone has gone, replaced by a more rigid sense of finality. Tom gets the very prominent feeling that he’s somehow managed to ruin a special moment, and he fumbles to correct his mistake.

“Anyway,” he mutters. He inhales, and on the exhale, his lips twist back into a slightly suggestive smirk. You sit up straighter, clearing your throat as you toss out your hair and move your hands back to his waist. “I don’t think we were finished kissing, were we?”

Somehow you end up in the living room, kissing, and kissing, and kissing. Tom feels sixteen again, full of teenage jitters and nervous hands. His palms are sweaty and he can feel the flush on his cheeks, but you don’t seem to care.

**** sfw has left the chat ****

No, you seem perfectly content exactly where you are - which just so happens to be half-naked, laid out over the curves of Tom’s sofa. Somewhere between the kitchen and the bedroom, he’d suggested you bunker down and take a break on the couch, which had spiralled into this: you, bare from the waist down, in only a lacy bra up top, legs spread as Tom burrows himself between your thighs. His hands are on your hips, holding you down as he runs his tongue through your slit, moaning as he watches you unravel above him.

It’d escalated quickly. What had been a few eager kisses in the kitchen had surged to something far greater, and the second Tom had pulled at your waistband and heard you whine in response, he’d been fucked. He’d decided, after the last one night stand, that he’d never take on this activity with you again - not without clearing the air and figuring out which page you were on, but… Well, he couldn’t help himself. What was he supposed to do, stop with his tongue on your clit to ask you if you’d like to dissect the ins and outs of your relationship? As if.

But he knows he has to. Knows it in his bones. Tom is only too aware that today is the last chance he has to make things clear to you, and he’s finally resolved that he’s not going to blow that chance. He just might stall the conversation with a few orgasms first, though.

“Fuck,” you whine. Your hands are buried in his curls as you guide his movements, and Tom lets you use him as a prop. He’s learning your body, mapping you out with his hands and his mouth, and he’s delighted to slip two fingers into your wet heat and feel you cry out in pleasure. “Shit, shit, shit, shit.”

Tom hums, his mouth sucking around your clit. Sounds of your arousal fill the air as he fucks his fingers into you, opening your passage until you’re moaning.

“Tom, Tom.” Your voice is like music to his ears. The loveliest sound, lilted like an angel. He brings his gaze up in response, and Tom feels his cock twitch as he takes in the sweaty glow on your face, the lust in your eyes. “So- so good, fuck.” Your breath hitches and Tom hums against your cunt. “Wait, wait, I don’t- No, I don’t want to cum like this.” You’re pulling at his curls, and Tom immediately pulls away, letting his fingers draw back from your entrance. “Don’t look so worried,” you add, voice breathless, “Just wanna cum with you inside me.”

“Oh.” Tom’s head spins as you pull him above you, and he lets you drag off his shirt. As you run your fingers over his chest, he lets a small curse fall past his lips. “Not got any condoms in here, love,” he mutters. “I’ll have to go and find some.”

To his surprise, you follow him as Tom stands from the sofa, your hand slipping into his. Your other goes up to his mouth, and Tom laughs as you wipe the mix of spit and arousal from his lips before leaning in to kiss him, tenderly. Your mouth lingers on his for a moment, and Tom smiles at you.

“Lead the way, movie star.”

After cursing you out a fair amount, Tom leads you up through the large house. He has to stop every few moments, overcome with a giddy desire to kiss you or run his fingers through your hair, or just look at you, and as he lays you down on his bed and boxes you in with his arms, he feels a deep swell of appreciation for you. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he mutters, speaking beneath his breath. Tom groans as you spread your legs and shuffle down the bed, and you push his hips until he’s settled between your thighs, his cock pressing up against your entrance. Tom’s head dips down, and he can’t quite look at your face as he scatters his lips across your collarbones. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“Oh, shush,” you say, giggling when Tom playfully nips at your skin. You’re running your hands over his back. “I’m lucky.” You twist some of your fingers into his hair, and Tom knows exactly what you want. 

“Are you ready?” He asks, drawing a line up to your ear with his lips. Tom’s already taken the time marking up your neck, has enjoyed hearing your small whimpers of enjoyment as he’d staked his claim over the column of your throat, disregarding all the warnings from PR. Your voice like honey, mewling for him. He loved hearing those sounds. 

“Yes.”

You come together, your figures intertwining as Tom fills you with one slow thrust. He grabs your hands, linking your palms together as he grunts, setting a pace that has your eyes rolling back. It isn’t fast by any means, but there’s purpose behind his actions, an innate desire to please you. He pays close attention to the movements of your body: the gyration of your hips down to meet his, the arching of your back, any hitches in your breath. Tom wants to know every part of you, and you’re spread open like a book for him. 

“Love it,” you whimper, your face a picture of pleasure. The hand not joined with Tom’s slips between your figures, and Tom adjusts himself so you have access to your clit. He wishes, briefly, that he would’ve been able to unravel you on his tongue earlier, but when you cry out and clench around his cock, he knows this is better. This is so, so, so much better. “So good, Tom.” 

His lips move over your skin, kissing you, and after a while of Tom paying special attention to the base of your neck, you tug at his curls and bring him back to your face, kissing him. There’s a sense of deep understanding between you - mutual enjoyment as he works you up with deep, fulfilling thrusts. Tom kisses you until he runs out of air, and fucks you until you’re whimpering. 

“Feels so fuckin’ tight around me, darling,” he murmurs. “Gorgeous girl.” Tom wishes he could find a way to immortalise this moment. “Are you going to cum for me, lovie?” You nod, and Tom pecks your lips a final time. “Go on, then, sweetheart. Let go.”

Your climax triggers his own, and Tom feels you spasm around him as he spills into the condom. You cradle his cheek in one hand, and you moan into his mouth as you move together, bodies perfectly in sync. Tom’s almost shaking, his body on fire as he gradually slows down, his eyes full of a shaky film of tears. His length slips out from you as he pants for breath. 

**** sfw has entered the chat ****

Like last time, Tom finds respite on your chest as he recovers, your hands finding home in his hair as you soothe him with your touch, calming him, grounding him. 

“Fuck,” you exhale, voice a breathless whisper. Tom tilts his head, looking up to meet your eyes, and he quickly blinks back the tears that hang thick in his gaze. “Are you alright?”

Tom nods. He’s got a lump in his throat, so is quick to pull away from you fall beside you, sinking into the mattress with a shaky sigh. One of his hands rests on his stomach, the other linking with yours.

“Yeah,” he mumbles, looking over at you. When he sees the concern in your eyes, he kisses the back of your hand softly. “Think I need a tea, or something. Feeling a bit weird.”

You quirk your eyebrow, but hum. “Well, tea can fix almost anything,” you agree. “I can go make you one, if you need to rest.” You’re up and standing before Tom can stop you, and he realises you’d managed to carry all of your clothes to the bedroom. As you start to draw them back on, he pulls himself together.

“I’ll come with you.”

After a brief stop in the bathroom, and with a pair of loose grey sweats hanging low on Tom’s waist, he follows you back through the house, into the kitchen. His mind is spinning at a thousand miles an hour. Now that he’s had you - kissed you, held you, loved you - there’s nothing left. There’s nothing left to stall with, there’s nothing left to lose. Time is ticking by, and one glance up at the clock confirms that he only has about ten minutes until Harrison comes back. That realisation drives a wedge of anxiety into his heart. 

“You take it strong with no sugar, right?” You call out. You’ve poured the hot water into two mugs, a deep line carved between your eyebrows as you prod at one of the teabags with a metal teaspoon. 

Tom looks at you. He looks at the way you carefully poke the teabag and the way you seem to glow. He remembers the feeling of your hands roaming over him, the sounds of your voice in his ear. He thinks about how happy his heart feels whenever he’s around you, and how stark that contrast is compared to how he used to think about you. Tom’s insides clench as he thinks about the contract, the relationship agreement, the clock that’s counting down on the wall, and he can’t take it anymore.

“Eh? Tom? No sugar, yeah?”

Tom can’t keep it inside any longer.

“I love you.”

What?!

“W-What?” You drop the teaspoon with a clatter. Your eyes are wide, posture stiff all of a sudden. Complete and utter shock sticks to your features.

Tom finds himself stammering, his brain catching up, slowly, to the furious beating of his heart.

“I- I love you.” He doesn’t know what he’s saying, doesn’t know where to look. “I…” 

You look shocked. Tom isn’t sure he’s ever seen someone so astounded before. Immediately regret pangs in his chest, and he finds himself cursing himself for opening his big, selfish mouth and ruining everything between you. He can see your eyes darting everywhere, resting on the front door, and he panics. 

“-No… Wait, no.” 

“No?” You have a hand on your hip now, your face the picture of hurt confusion. 

Tom’s hands clench into fists at his side, and he knows he’s made a mistake. He had been prepared to ask you to stay, to tell you he wanted a relationship. He had not been prepared to tell you that he loves you, least of all because he himself hadn’t considered the possibility until he’d blurted it out. Why’s he picked now, out of every other moment, to profess this love for you, infuriates him. You’re looking at him, flabbergasted, and Tom can practically see your fragile friendship disintegrating before his eyes. 

“I mean- I- I got confused. Sorry, Y/N.” Tom’s running a hand through his hair, his face on fire. “Sorry, I… The feelings get confused. The- The lines between what’s real, and fake. Especially with the- the-”

“The sex.” You’re almost nodding now, stroking at your chin, but Tom can see the pools of hurt in your eyes. “It gets confusing, doesn’t it?”

Tom manages a tight laugh. “Yes. Yes, it gets very confusing.” You’re in agreement, but he knows you aren’t on the same page. You are so far from the same page, he wonders if you’re even reading the same book. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s... okay.” You rock back on your feet.

A silence descends between you, and Tom can’t say a thing. Can’t think a thing. His brain is trapped, moving between you, and you, and you, and his heart. Does he actually love you?

Tom hasn’t ever contemplated the fact that he might, actually, love you. He knows he wants to be with you, knows he does not want you to walk out of his front door - but love? Maybe it’s crossed his mind, once or twice. Or a few times. 

Staring at you now - at the way your eyes are full of tears, and your hands are shaking at your sides - Tom feels it. With a sick, twisted stroke of fate, he realises he’d been speaking from within. Tom realises that he loves you.

It’s been the small things. The way you are so competitive, the ambition that you bring to everything you touch. Tom remembers the day he’d gone to the cinema and found himself in pieces over your performance, in admiration over your ability to take him to another world. He thinks about your trip to London, and how easily you’d slipped into life with him - his family loves you, his dog adores you. He adores you. 

Shit, Tom adores you. He loves your smile, and your laugh, and almost every single thing about you. And he’s absolutely fucked it. 

“I’ve made things really awkward now, haven’t I?” Tom mutters, scratching at the back of his neck. He hopes you can’t make out the outline of his heart, beating painfully quickly in his chest, but you seem to be avoiding looking at him. He doesn’t know what to do: backtrack and tell you that he, for a second time, spoke inaccurate feelings? Tom knows that’ll just further hurt your friendship, add insult to injury. It is so clear from your demeanour now that your view of him has soured.

“Yeah.” Your phone buzzes on the counter, and you scramble to pick it up. “Harrison,” you mutter, still avoiding Tom’s gaze. “He’s outside. I’m going to go.”

The path to the front door winds by Tom and he manages to pull himself together just fast enough to reach out and grab your arms, stopping you in your tracks.

“Love.” You aren’t looking at him, even as Tom brings a hand up to hold your cheek. You flinch away, and he immediately drops all contact with your figure, feeling guilt hang heavy in his heart. Tom doesn’t know if he should keep talking or just shut up. He doesn’t want to do more damage by laying out his heart for you, doubts you’ll even care. “I’m sorry.”

You finally look up at him, your jaw set resolvedly. 

“It’s fine,” you say. “You’ve never been the smoothest, Tom. You put on a big act in front of the cameras, but I know you.” You reach up to pat his shoulder, but quickly move off as if the contact hurts. “I know who you really are.” 

It’s cryptic and layered, and Tom’s still puzzling it as he watches you walk around the living room, collecting your things. 

“Do you want to stay?” He asks. You look up as you pull on your jacket, shaking your head. 

“No.” You slip your phone into your pocket. “I don’t think we have anything left to talk about, Tom.”

He can’t get a read on you, beyond the fact that you’re hurt. Tom wonders if you’re near tears because both of you know this is the last time you’ll be privately together, or maybe if you’re mourning the loss of your friendship. He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that his stupid big mouth, with his confused, contradictory statements have tainted the last eve of your relationship. He isn’t sure clarifying it would make it better, even. Your reaction to his initial declaration of love had been one of shock - and that in itself had told Tom all he needed to know about the likelihood of reciprocation. Maybe that rejection had spurred him on to shoot himself in the foot.

Or maybe, simply, he’s a fool.

“Bye, Tom.” 

You’re at the door now, halfway over the threshold. He isn’t sure if you’re going to turn around, until you do, and toss out a brief, broken smile. He realises you’re wearing the shoes he’d decorated. 

“Bye, Y/N.”

As the door clicks shut with a crisp, cold sound, Tom slumps against the counter and bangs his fist on the marble top. Above the noise in his head and the ache in his chest, one very prominent thought rises to the surface:

He’s fucked it - Tom has fucked it. He’s confused his feelings, and in his attempts at speaking from the heart, he’s managed to tear down the entire structure of your friendship. Your friendship - which has taken five months to construct, and a mere five minutes to completely shatter. With no more scheduled encounters with you before the breakup, Tom knows he hasn’t even got time to fix it. 

Tom knows, above everything else, that he has steered your relationship straight into the rocks, and he has done that all by himself. This is completely his fault, and he doesn’t know if he can fix it. But he knows, too, that he has a responsibility to try - a responsibility to try and stick these messy, broken pieces back together. He doesn’t want to lose you.

He knows he needs to try. 

↠ next part

[mcheang]

Lila lies about being friends/related to a retired Italian superhero called Gardenia who can control plants. Gardenia's arch nemesis hears this and goes after Lila to get back at Gardenia. Lila reveals that she was lying, and to keep herself from being killed, Lila says that she'd help him get the Miraculous like she's doing with HM. Unknown to her, everything was being secretly broadcasted. Gardenia teams up with LB and CN to defeat villain, Lila is arrested. Bonus: Gardenia is Gina Dupain.

Gardenia

If I had to describe her appearance, I’d say she looked like Marimonda. The forest villain who moves like a fairy, or at least rhymes like a fairy tale. Plus the hairstyle seems like Befana’s...

Befana never flaunted her true powers because she values secret identities.

In reality Gina is Gardenia, the lively heroine who has been saving Italy for decades. Seriously how does she keep her skin looking so young?

Gina relies on the green pigmentation and youthfulness of her alter ego to hide her true identity.

When all her super villains had been defeated, Gardenia announced her retirement and promptly vanished.

When her nemesis, Magmas (volcano themed) is freed from his boat prison, far from any volcanos or tectonic boundaries, he wants revenge. Except while he was terrorising Italy, Gina was kind of busy and didn’t notice he had returned.

Magmas’ priority was Gardenia and revenge. Turning Italy into Pompeii could wait. He wanted Gardenia to witness his triumph.

And so he spent his time online trying to find clues as to Gardenia’s whereabouts.

Her old hideout? Abandoned, and soon-to-be melted by lava

Her beloved forests? Hikers reported no sightings of a green lady.

There was some green lady in Gotham but she was a red-head villain or something. Not Gardenia.

Somewhere in between pages 70-80, he found a link to the Ladyblog. Apparently there was this Lila whatever who was friends with lots of famous people, including a Ladybug and Gardenia.

Huh. Of course this being so far back in the search list, it was doubtable this Lila was the real deal. Still, a lead was a lead.

Magmas arrived and pretty much burned Lila’s home. Frantic, she insisted she is a liar but she knows how he can find Gardenia.

Just catch an akuma and make a deal with Hawkmoth. Give him miraculous jewels and he will give you super tracking powers.

For all of Marinette’s dislike about Lila, it really is astounding that she chooses to expose Lila by bugging her house via Tikki.

Ok, sure she had her suspicions that Lila was working with Hawkmoth because he seemed kind of prepared for Scarlet Moth with her powers of deception causing mass negative emotions.

And yeah, Lila is working with a supervillain, just not Hawkmoth.

Looking up Gardenia, Marinette decides to ask her grandmother for her take.

Gina is alarmed. Magmas has returned??? And he will use Hawkmoth to track her. Uh oh. With his power, he can expose her secret identity. Unless she is already in hero mode.

Gina tells Marinette that the way to contact Gardenia is to whisper to the trees and they will pass on the message to meet with the Paris heroic duo.

Ok, that was a lie but Gardenia does reappear to call out Magmas. He stands ready to face the 3 heroes. Hawkmoth decides to give him a butterfly but Magmas did his research after meeting Lila. He knows the akumas mean Hawkmoth can influence you. No, thank you.

Did you know Chat can touch lava while using cataclysm? The hot magma instantly hardened before disintegrating into ash on the wind. Yikes, better hope the miracle cure clears the air pollution.

As Gardenia tries to hold off Magmas, Ladybug realizes her lucky charm is actually knock-out gas. Sure enough, Magmas goes out like a light bulb.

This time, he is sentenced to hibernation prison. Kind of like Clayface from Teen Titans.

Ladybug shows the video to the police to arrest Lila. The latter accuses her of invasion of privacy. Ladybug denies being the one to bug her house. But she admits that her powers (Tikki) were responsible for providing this evidence.

Eh. Innocent enough.

Lila is arrested, and she is so clearly not BFFs with either hero.

[iwillbeinmynest]

Safer Behind It - Newt x Reader(f)

Authors Notes: Well here it is my first Maze Runner fic! Hopefully y'all like it, or at least don’t hate it. This is based on moments from The Scorch Trials (book). Bold words are direct quotes from the book. I do not take any credit for Dashner’s work.

Word Count: 1.7k

Notes/Warnings: mentions of injuries, mentions of violence, mentions of trauma (from the maze), some fluff and angst if you look hard enough.

Masterlist

 Jorge found them after the lightning storm. Eleven new faces in the building on the outskirts of town. You listened as Jorge gave them the rundown of how things were going to go. When he called for the rest of you, you followed Brenda close.

You and Brenda hadn’t known each other too long but she was good and you trusted Jorge more than anything.

One of the new kids- a boy with dark hair- asked for a few minutes with Jorge.

“Me and you,” The kid begged. He stood over another boy who looked like he had been fried by lightning. Maybe he had, that storm was brutal.

“Ten minutes. Alone. That’s all I ask.” He went on.

You were surprised when Jorge agreed. He must have seen something in the kid you didn’t.

He told you and the others to watch this new group and to kill them if they made any moves. You knew he was being dramatic, adding the threat of death to remind the other Cranks behind you that he was in charge.

One of the boys you were supposed to be watching caught your eye. He was blonde and thin. He had a limp - you’d noticed it as he walked over and checked on the others in his group.

Brenda caught you staring at him. “Careful, Y/N.” She said quietly so the Cranks couldn’t hear her.

You rolled your eyes. “I can handle myself.”

“He’s not gonna like it if you don’t keep up the facade.”

“What’s he gonna do, have you run me through?” You tested.

You saw the twitch of a smirk at the corner of her mouth. “Just don’t be stupid.”

 You tugged up on the thin, tan, scarf that covered your nose and mouth. You didn’t like it to be down.

You walked over to the limping boy. You say boy, but really he was near your age if not a bit older. “You need to sit down,” you told him.

He looked at you carefully. “I’m just making sure these guys are alright.”

His voice sounded funny but you kinda liked it.

“I’m not going to ask again.” you drew the makeshift dagger you had from where it usually was sheathed at your lower back.

 He sighed but sat on the hard concrete next to the fried boy. He pulled a knee to his chest and mumbled, “Bloody shank girl.”

You smirked at that.

“What’s your name?” You asked him.

He looked up at you and there was no hiding the annoyance in his eyes. “Newt.”

“Newt?” You almost laughed. “Like the lizard?”

The boy next to him chuckled.

“No.” Newt huffed. “Like Issac Newton.”

 “I think I like my reason better, lizard boy.”

“Hey!” One of the Cranks behind you caught your attention. It was an older man, you didn’t know his name but you knew you didn’t like him. “What are you talkin’ so much about?”

“None of your business, old man.” You turned to him and left no room for him to think you might be afraid of him, which you weren’t.

“Back off, Murph.” Brenda said calmly as she whacked the flat side of her machete on his chest. “Let her have some fun before we rip them to shreds.”

It seemed to tide him over and he walked away but not before he stared you down again.

You rolled your eyes when his back was turned and exhaled a silent groan. You looked to Brenda.

She had her eyebrows raised and was clearly waiting for you to say,

“Thank you.” You muttered.

“Mhm.” She grinned. You knew she’d never say it out loud but she was starting you like having you around.

You turned back to Newt and crouched down, your sharpened letter opener gripped tightly in your hand. “So, tell me, Newt, What brings you out into the Scorch?”

“Don’t tell her klunk, dude.” The burnt boy said with spunk.

“I bet you’re the fun one.” You teased him, “You look like garbage. What happened to you?”

“He got struck by lightning,” Newt answered, “Or close to it anyways.”

“Yikes.” You responded. You’d been right.

“Didn’t even hurt.” He lied.

“Shuck off, Minho. You’re not fooling anyone.” Newt rolled his eyes.

“Screw you, man.” Minho all but pouted.

 “Why do you cover your face?” Newt asked, ignoring his friend. “No sun in here.”

You paused but tried to cover it and said, “So you don’t get distracted by how pretty I am.”

He smirked at that.

He had a nice smile. It lit up his eyes.

You stood up quickly and walked back to Brenda. Why did you care what his smile was like?

“You good?” She asked low again.

“Fine.” You lied. Actually you were scared by how much you were starting to like Newt. No sense in hurting yourself by getting attached.

Jorge and the dark haired boy reappeared from down the back hall.

Jorge told everyone that he, Brenda and yourself were going to take these few to get some food and that you’d all meet back up at the tower.

You didn’t know what he was planning but it had to be something, because he was putting on quite a show. He mentioned cutting off Minho’s fingers for punching him earlier and you honestly thought he might be serious about that part.

The other Cranks left and you walked behind Brenda as she led the way to the tunnels where you had hid the stash of food.

You helped pass out cans of food and watched as Brenda sat by Thomas - you’d recently learned his name.

You looked around, wondering where to settle amongst these new boys and found Newt looking at you.

“Here goes nothin’” you muttered to yourself beneath your mask.

You made your way over and sat against the wall beside him.

“Enjoying the meal?” You asked. He sure looked like he was.

He nodded, mouth full of cold beans.

“When was the last time you ate?” You realized that he, and everyone else that he’d come with, were eating like they’d been starved.

“Not but a few days ago,” He said when he’d finally swallowed. “But we were out in that bloody heat for so long.” His eyes stared into nothing for a moment and you could tell he was reliving something awful.

“How long were you actually out there?”

“Three, four, five days,” he asked himself. “I’m not sure.”

“Where did you come from?”

“You ask a lot of questions.” He returned to the present and out of the bad memories he’d been replaying. You watched him plaster on a smirk.

There was that smile again. You were glad your cheeks were covered because you were pretty sure you were blushing.

“Do I get to ask you any?”

You nodded, “Sure.”

“Why do you wear that over your face?” He repeated.

“Why do you care?”

His head ticked to the side. You’d asked another question.

You relented. “I already told you.”

“But we both know that wasn’t the truth.” He said before taking another bite.

You sombered and sighed. You were trying to find the words.

“I only partly lied.” You finally said.

 Newt stopped eating and shocked you with what he said next. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business if you don’t want to talk about it.”

It was so...considerate of him to say that. It had been a long time since anyone other that Jorge was considerate to you. Even Brenda was harsh when you’d met her and she still makes comments about it.

The look in your eyes must have revealed something to him.

“You really don’t have to tell me.”

For some reason you did, though. Maybe it was his soft voice, maybe it was the random kindness he’d displayed, but suddenly, you wanted to show him. Almost like a test to see if he was genuinely kind at heart.

You slipped your index finger under the cloth near your nose but before you pulled it down you said, “Just...brace yourself.”

You pulled the mask down below your chin, revealing the angry red scar that ran from your upper lip, just below your nose, all the way to your ear, which had a notch missing from it.

Newt barely flinched. He just looked at you.

Your scar had healed thick which made it distort your lip slightly.

“When I was first sent here, after finding out I had the Flare, a crank attacked me with a shard of glass. He got me pretty good but Jorge was there and he saved me. He couldn’t do much to make me look better, though.” You pulled your mask back up. “Most people just stare at it, instead of me. So, I cover it up.”

“You shouldn’t.” He offered a hint of a smile as he switched to his second can of food. “Nothing wrong with the way you look.”

You sat stunned.

“I broke my leg in three places. That’s why I have a limp. Do you only see the limp when you look at me?” He asked.

You shook your head, unable to think of anything to say.

He shrugged his shoulders. “See?”

 You bit down a smile that threatened to spread across your mouth. Good thing your mask was on.

“I’m sorry I called you lizard boy.” You felt bad for teasing him, now.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been called worse.”

The two of you sat in silence for a short while. Then, you wondered something.

“What’s a shank?”

He chuckled, “Just something we say. Why?”

“Back in the building you called me a ‘bloody shank girl’.”

His cheeks flushed and he stared down at the can he was eating from. “Sorry.”

“So, shank isn’t nice then?”

“Depends…” He smirked, almost embarrassed he’d said that about you.

“And here I thought you were soft.”

He looked at you. “Nope, just wrong on occasion.”

“I’m Y/N, by the way.” You suddenly realized you’d never told him your name and now you wanted him to know it. To say it.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N.” He paused a moment before adding, “ I have a feeling I won’t regret it.” He glanced over at you again.

“You won’t.” You promised.

 *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

TMR Tags: 

@mo320 

[refinedbuffoonery]

Looking Through A Window (7)

macriley married undercover au

masterlist.

Sorry for the delay! I either have my shit together in real life or fandom life, but never both at the same time lol. Anyway, I got endless joy from reading all your reactions to last chapter’s clifhanger (sorry not sorry). I didn’t respond to comments because I don’t trust myself not to spoil anything, but just know that I appreciate every single one of your theories. Also, many of you were at least somewhat correct. (Yikes am I becoming predictable?? Gotta fix that.) This chapter ends at a good stopping point, so I’m going to switch gears and write a couple chapters of other fics (which I encourage you to read!!) before coming back to this. But fear not! I have big plans for the future of this fic, and I’ll send you all down the theory rabbit hole soon enough. xoxo

*****

The world narrows until Mac is only aware of two things: his racing heart and the fact that Riley is gone. 

The blood is fresh, but there’s no sign of a struggle—no sign of anything, really. The windows are locked and unbroken, the bedroom door is half-closed the way it always is. Not a single thing is out of place…except for Riley. 

So, where the hell is she? 

His body goes taut as the worst case scenario plays in his mind. Please don’t be gone, Mac silently begs. Please. 

The apartment is quiet. Too quiet. So when the shower turns on with a loud thunk, Mac flinches. Hard. Without thinking, he scrambles out of bed and lunges for the bathroom door. 

As he bursts through the door, Mac’s awareness shifts to three things: Riley is alive, she’s naked, and she’s screaming. 

“Mac!” She hisses, glaring over her shoulder. If looks could kill, he’d be very, very dead by now. At least her back is to him. “What the hell?” 

Mac barely hears her over the roaring in his ears. He scans her naked body, trying and failing to be professional as he scans for injuries. 

His eyes land on the blood smeared between her thighs, then the thin stream rolling down the inside of her knee. As understanding dawns on him, Mac holds out his own blood-covered hand in silent explanation. 

Riley winces. “Sorry about the blood.” 

Mac still feels a little disconnected from his body when he says, “I was afraid you were dead.”

Embarrassment floods Riley’s face. She begs,“Can we please finish this conversation when I’m not naked and bleeding all over the floor?” Mac’s gaze automatically flicks to the drops of blood between her feet, but he doesn’t move. His limbs are still frozen in place, the way they’ve been since he found her. “Get out!” Riley snaps. 

His own embarrassment finally taking hold, Mac stumbles backward, tripping over the door frame on his way out. 

While Riley showers, Mac busies himself by stripping the bed and washing the sheets and blankets. Not just because it needs to be done, but because it’s easier to process emotions when his hands are busy. It feels like he just experienced the entire spectrum of human emotion in the span of three minutes, and now all these untethered feelings are floating around in his head. As he works, Mac examines them one by one. 

He woke up this morning wanting to cuddle with Riley. Not just wanting to, but comfortable enough to act on that desire. 

When his hand landed in the blood, his brain immediately jumped to the worst case scenario. He is deeply afraid of said scenario. 

Then panic set in, as he desperately tried to prove himself wrong. 

Followed by relief at finding Riley and learning the blood was not from an injury, but from a normal bodily function. 

Then embarrassment, because he freaked out and barged in on her over something he could’ve deduced for himself if only he’d just stopped to think. He’s supposed to be smart, so why couldn’t that big brain of his, as Jack would say, figure this out? 

The answer to that question, at least, comes easily: Because it’s Riley, and he doesn’t always think with his head when it comes to her. 

For example, while he’s mortified at seeing her naked, a part of him wishes she’d been facing the other direction. 

Mac starts the washing machine and decides to do the mature thing and hide in the kitchen for the entire foreseeable future. He spies Harley lying on the couch, gazing out a window. “And where were you for all of this?” he asks. “A heads-up would’ve been nice.” 

Harley stares at him for a few seconds before resuming her vigil, and Mac hears the message, loud and clear: You’re on your own. 

When Riley still hasn’t emerged from the bedroom long after the shower turned off, Mac suspects that she’s hiding too. He doesn’t blame her. 

It’s late morning by the time the laundry is finished, and Mac can’t hide any longer. Clutching the still-warm sheets and blankets to his chest, he cautiously ventures into the bedroom. Riley is lying on the bed with her knees tucked up to her chin, and a pang of sympathy echoes in Mac’s chest. Her eyes are closed, but Mac doubts that she’s actually asleep. 

Dropping the sheets on the floor, he asks, “Are you alive?” 

Riley groans. “No.” 

“Could you please go die on the couch then, so I can make the bed?” She groans again and mumbles something incoherent. “Also you’ll feel better if you eat something.” 

“No I won’t.” She sounds like a whining toddler, and Mac has to stifle a snort. Still, a bit of the awkwardness dissipates. But only a bit. 

“Yes you will. I know you, Miss Hangry.” 

“I’m not hangry.” 

“Says the one who skipped breakfast.” 

“I was hiding from you.” 

“So was I,” Mac confesses. Riley cracks a single eye open at that, just in time to see his cheeks heat. “Trust me, I am way more embarrassed than you.” 

It takes him a second to notice that she’s blushing too. “Wanna bet?” 

Mac starts putting the fitted sheet on the unoccupied side of the mattress. “I didn’t see anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Nothing he hasn’t seen before, anyway, but Mac wisely decides to keep that part to himself. “Victoria’s secret is still a secret,” he adds with a wink. 

Riley rolls her eyes. “You did not just say that.” 

“Made you laugh, didn’t it?” Mac gives her a shit-eating grin, and despite her best attempt at hiding it, amusement slips through the cracks in Riley’s unimpressed facade. 

“Whatever. We don’t have to do anything today, do we?” Mac raises his brow at the question. For all the years he’s known Riley, she’s always been more of a ‘suck it up’ kind of person, not a ‘stay in bed’ person. So her question is surprising, if not mildly concerning. 

“Nope.” He pauses. “Are you okay? This isn’t like you.” 

Riley rolls onto her back. “Dude, it feels like someone took a cheese grater to my insides.” 

Mac winces at the mental image. “Ouch.” 

She pauses, as if contemplating her next words before she says them. “I got a new IUD a couple months ago, and this one makes my cramps way worse. I used to be able to ignore them, but this sucks.” 

Not knowing how to reply to that, he squeezes Riley’s ankle in a way he hopes is reassuring. Mac flicks his gaze up to meet hers and finds Riley already looking at him. Her gaze is warm and steady, but Mac can see hints of pain clouding her dark eyes. He thinks it isn’t fair that her body turns on her like this. 

"I'm getting back in bed the second you're done making it," she warns. 

"Go right ahead." 

Riley wanders into the kitchen, and, true to her word, reappears right when Mac finishes smoothing down the comforter, with Harley at her heels. To Mac's surprise, Harley jumps on the bed, waits for Riley to get situated, and then tucks herself into Riley's side. A smile blooms on his face. Riley puts an arm around Harley, pulling the dog into her stomach before moving to scratch her head. When Harley licks Riley’s face in return, Mac suddenly gets the feeling he's watching something private. 

Satisfied that Riley is in capable hands, Mac leaves without another word.

*****

Beneath the weathered wooden conference table, Harley’s head rests on Mac’s foot as she dozes through the Patriots’ council meeting. When they arrived, no one looked more put off by their presence than Conrad, but, true to his word, Ethan welcomed Mac and Riley with open arms and encouraged their participation. A murmur of dissent snaked through the room, but no one openly questioned Ethan’s decision to include them. 

Twenty minutes in, Mac would rather be anywhere but here. The “meeting” so far has been very little business and mostly rehashing some fishing trip a few of the guys went on over the weekend. Mac is holding out hope that it won’t be a complete waste of his time, but said hope dwindles each time someone exaggerates about the size of a fish. 

There’s nothing interesting to look at in the room, save for Riley. No art, no plants, no wall of guns. Not even a clock. Just drab gray walls with no windows. And he doesn’t dare study any of the men for longer than a second or two each. Making an enemy is as easy as looking at someone the wrong way, and Mac has no desire to antagonize the other members of the Patriots…at least not yet. 

Extricating his foot from beneath Harley’s head, he’s just about to make an excuse about needing to use the restroom when Ethan’s phone rings. After quickly checking it, Ethan excuses himself from the meeting with a curt nod to Conrad. Mac understands the look; he’s given and received it countless times himself, after all. Permission to continue without him. Because despite his tendency to toe the line, Conrad is still Ethan’s trusted lieutenant. The exchange is subtle, practiced, and apparently insignificant to the other men at the table, who are somehow still talking about fish. 

When the storytelling finally lulls, Conrad clears his throat. "Let's start with recruitment. Report." No nonsense, right to the point. Maybe he’s tired of the fish conversation too. 

As Conrad steers the conversation through the various items on the agenda, Mac realizes two things. 

One, the Patriots are far more organized than he originally made them out to be. This is no grassroots startup, and their plans go much deeper than protests and parking lot shootings. 

Two, Conrad is careful not to let anyone share too much information, instead asking everyone to give their detailed reports in individual meetings. And it's more than just trying to keep him and Riley in the dark. It's almost as if…almost as if Conrad doesn't want anyone to see the big picture besides himself. 

Mac decides to take his theory for a test drive. "I know I'm new here," he says, "but why have everyone meet with you a second time individually instead of sharing their full reports now? Wouldn't that be a better use of time?" 

Conrad sneers. "On the contrary, boy, why would I waste everyone's time making them listen to information they don't need to know?" 

It takes every ounce of Mac’s self control not to roll his eyes. 

Beneath the table, Riley grips his knee, nails digging in through his khakis. Mac wants to tell her that he’s thinking the same thing she is, but he can’t. The best he can settle for is a brief touch on her arm before needing to do something with his hands to distract himself from the way his skin burns under her touch. He elects to drum his fingers on the table, mostly to push Conrad’s buttons even further. 

If Conrad’s furrowed brow is any indication, it works. 

“Do you mind?” Conrad says with a pointed glare at Mac’s hand. 

Feigning ignorance, Mac replies, “Mind about what?” 

“The tapping.” 

“Oh!” Mac makes a show of sliding his gaze down to his hand before flattening his palm against the table. “My bad.” 

Looking none too pleased, Conrad moves on, but to Mac’s surprise, the man sitting beside him leans in to whisper, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. He's not the one to piss off." His words are tinged with genuine concern, and under different circumstances, Mac would appreciate the advice. 

"He's a man," Mac whispers back, "just like everyone else at this table." Minus Riley, of course. 

The man presses on. "The previous occupant of your seat was shot point blank for asking too many questions." Mac's brows raise at that. "You're sitting in a dead man's chair." 

Mac pockets that little detail gratefully, but he hesitates before ultimately heeding the man's warning. He fiddles with the button on his sleeve, impatiently waiting for the meeting to end so he can share his theory with Riley. 

What Mac doesn't anticipate is Riley beating him to it, pulling him aside before they're even back in the car. "Conrad's compartmentalizing information," she says in a quiet, confident tone. 

They’re too exposed to be having this conversation. Mac nervously checks for eavesdroppers, but doesn’t spot any. Deeming it safe for now, he replies, "Yeah I thought so too." 

"He's made himself essential. No one else knows how everything works." Riley pauses, eyes catching on something over his shoulder. Barely audibly, she adds, "An asshole and a control freak." He doesn’t need to turn around to know she’s looking at Conrad, not when she has a white-knuckled grip on Harley’s leash. 

"So if we eliminate him…" 

Riley nods in understanding. He’s controlling everything in an attempt to rise through the rankings and seize power. So if they eliminate Conrad, the whole organization may very well come tumbling down in his wake. 

Now they just have to figure out how the hell to accomplish that. 

"What if we help him?" Riley suggests, reading Mac’s mind. 

"What?" 

"We've spent all this time looking for the weakest link, but maybe…maybe we need to attach ourselves to the strongest one." A stray curl falls in Riley's face, and as she brushes it behind her ear, Mac absentmindedly wishes his fingers were brushing it back instead. Riley continues, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we should help him become more powerful than he already is. That way, we can do as much damage as possible when we take him out." 

A man they don't know walks by, and Mac nods in greeting. Waiting for the man to move out of earshot, Mac drops to one knee, giving Harley a good scratch. She wags her tail and opens her mouth in a smile, clearly enjoying the attention. When the coast is clear again, Mac says, "You just made this op so much longer, but I think you're right." 

Riley snorts. "What, is there somewhere else you need to be?" 

Gazing up at the woman before him, the answer is obvious. Not unless you're coming with me. 

*****

In the gray hour before dawn crests over the world, Mac wakes to something tickling his nose. He exhales sharply, trying to blow it away, but the tickle persists.

His face is pressed into the nape of Riley's neck, and a deep inhale causes a few strands of her hair to go up his nostrils. Reaching up to brush Riley’s hair out of his face, he hesitates right before his calloused fingers brush her skin, afraid that even the barest touch will shatter the moment. As soon as Riley wakes, he'll have to hide behind his mask of indifference, and Mac isn't ready to do that yet. 

For as long as he dares, Mac allows himself to imagine what it would be like to wake up with Riley for real, in his own home. He sees her curled in his bed, sheets pulled up to her chin, hears the soft, steady cadence of her breathing, smells the lingering traces of perfume on her skin. 

Riley stirs in his arms, and the vision blurs, moving out of reach. Mac grasps for it, but it evaporates into nothingness as she settles back against him. 

He shifts his focus to the very real sensation of Riley’s body tucked into his. Her back to his chest, his leg slotted between hers, her ass pressed against his—

Shit. 

Mac jerks backward, trying to put as much space between them as possible before Riley wakes and realizes just what she scooted back against. 

Except, in his haste, Mac doesn’t realize there’s a third party present until his foot slams into the small, warm body lying at the foot of the bed. Guilt washes over him at Harley’s ensuing yelp. 

Awake, Riley mumbles, “Did you just kick the dog?” 

“It was an accident!” Mac insists, sitting up. He turns his attention to Harley. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. You can come back if you want.” He pats the bed in a way he hopes is reassuring, but Harley merely eyes him with suspicion before slinking out of the room. 

“I can’t believe you kicked the dog,” Riley says, still half-asleep. “She finally slept with us, and you betrayed her.” 

“I told you it was an accident!” 

“Betrayal.” 

Mac rakes a hand through his hair. “You’re never going to let this go, are you?” 

“Nope.” Riley sighs, rolling back to her side of the bed, and Mac isn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Or maybe a little bit of both. “You better go apologize.” 

Mac scoffs. “And let you take over the entire bed while I’m gone? I don’t think so.” 

And there it is. The closest they’ve come to acknowledging the evolution of their bed-sharing habits. Particularly the newfound lack of sticking to their respective sides. If he’s being honest with himself, Mac doesn’t know where to go from here. He wants to see it as a sign of things changing between them. Obviously Riley is aware of their precarious positioning, but based on her casual relocation, she doesn’t see this any differently than the dozens of times they’ve slept squished in a small space together in the past. Whether she’s aware of the other thing, she doesn’t let on. 

“Your funeral,” Riley says, pulling Mac out of his head. 

Right. 

The dog. 

The dog whose forgiveness he needs to earn via extra breakfast. Maybe extra dinner too. 

Sighing, Mac goes after her, cursing his inability to get things right with either of the females in this house. 

.

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[aurorawest]

Do you have any thoughts about the scene in the Avengers where Thor and Loki are conversing on that mountain top? I don't know, to me, Loki seems almost young and vulnerable there.

This scene is my favorite in Avengers, actually! Thank you for asking! And it turns out I have a lot of thoughts, so let me place them under a read more.

I agree, Loki is terribly vulnerable in this scene. That moment where Thor lands on the back of the quinjet and appears, and Loki sees him for the first time—man, there are a lot of emotions on Loki’s face in that split second reaction shot. He’s afraid, he’s overjoyed, he doesn’t want to be either one of those things. There’s some disbelief there too; I think maybe part of him thought he’d never see his brother again, despite the fact that I also think part of him had to feel like, well, if I attack Earth, that will get his attention.

The conversation they have on the mountaintop is a masterclass in them talking past each other. When I’m trying to really capture them doing that in my writing, I keep this scene in mind (the other is the escape from Sakaar sequence in Ragnarok, including the elevator). But where the scene in Ragnarok is almost like a dam about to break—both of them are struggling but trying, I think—in the Avengers mountaintop scene, neither of them has a clue. Neither of them seems to even realize how badly they talk past each other and how much dysfunction each of them contributes to the relationship. All they can see is that the other is spouting absolute bullshit, and why can’t he just understaaaaand???

They’re both guilty of this, by the way. I have to break this scene down line by line because like, it’s classic.

Thor: Where is the Tesseract?

Loki: [laughs] I missed you too.

The conversation gets off to a bad start. In Thor 1, Loki lets go of Gungnir because of what he perceives to be Odin’s rejection. I don’t know what Loki went through in the year between Thor 1 and Avengers 1, but I have extensive head canons, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t experience anything good. In any case, it culminated with Thanos, who you know, we all think tortured Loki, so. I wonder how many times Loki longed for his family to find him, to save him?

And now here’s his brother, and the first thing he says to Loki, the very first thing, is “Where is the Tesseract?” There’s not a shred of doubt in my mind that Loki’s “I missed you too” is actually sincere, but it’s wrapped in layers of sarcasm and poison because as far as he can tell, Thor didn’t miss him at all. Thor’s first act upon their reunion is another rejection.

Now, to be fair to Thor here, he thought Loki was dead. To his mind, Loki either survived but didn’t tell anyone or, even worse, faked his death from the start. Either one would be a huge violation of trust and Thor clearly feels rejected too. I think he’s also afraid that Loki not being his biological brother will lead to the fracturing of their relationship. We can see that Thor’s hurt in these next lines:

Thor: Do I look to be in a gaming mood?

Loki: You should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth.

Thor: I thought you dead.

Loki: Did you mourn?

Thor’s anger falls away here. I think he kinds of gets it, a little. The venom in Loki’s voice when he says ‘your precious Earth’—I think Thor realizes how he’s just come across. But he thought Loki was dead. And then Loki shows up on Earth, and he’s on a rampage; and why didn’t he tell anyone he was alive? Didn’t he want to come home? Why wouldn’t he want to come home?

Thor: We all did. Our father—

Loki: Your father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?

Womp womp. Thor doesn’t know how to deal with Loki like this. Loki is so angry. All the anger that Loki never gave free rein to, it’s finally on display in all its glory. Loki is sarcastic and cruel, he’s biting in a way we only see twice in Thor 1: once with Laufey, and of course the final fight with Thor. Thor sounds so lost when he says “We all did.” Like, Loki, of course I did, of course we did. He simply cannot process the fact that Loki thinks anything else would have happened.

Thor: We were raised together. We played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?

So Thor starts to get angry again. Loki is his brother. Of course he mourned, and to suggest otherwise is insulting. Remember how Thor 1 ends—it’s a huge downer. There’s no triumph; it’s just this family’s grief. Yes, Thor has learned his lesson about his arrogance, but then he says to Odin that he’ll never be as great a king as Odin is, and you know what, the way Anthony Hopkins plays that moment is brilliant. All you can see on his face is grief and doubt and the knowledge that he failed.

This is what Thor knows happened: he lost his brother and he grieved. Yes, he found out that Loki was adopted...but he doesn’t care. At no point does Thor give any indication that it matters that Loki isn’t related to him by blood, let alone that Loki is Jotun. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but Thor never once brings up the fact that Loki is a Frost Giant. It’s immaterial to him.

And yet, Loki is questioning that. Loki thinks Thor didn’t mourn; he thinks that Thor would care that they aren’t related by blood. Does Loki care that they aren’t related by blood? Loki has already shouted at Thor once that he isn’t Thor’s brother and never was. That can’t have been a nice thing to hear (I think I’ve talked before about how Loki doesn’t say ‘you’re not my brother,’ he says ‘I’m not your brother,’ which is an important distinction, IMO). And here, again, Loki is insisting that they aren’t real family. As Loki fans, it’s easy to sympathize with Loki here—but this all has to be hurtful to Thor, too. He loves Loki, and Loki is throwing it back in his face.

Oh, but just wait, Thor!

Loki: I remember a shadow—living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss; I, who was, and should be king.

Loki. Looooki omg. Okay so, I think Loki is absurd in this scene. I think he’s magnificent, but like...yikes, Loki. It’s pretty clear that he’s not in his right mind. He thinks this happened. He honestly thinks Thor threw him away, instead of hanging onto him and begging him not to let go. What Loki says here is such a warped version of reality. This has no basis in fact.

And again, Thor doesn’t know what Loki’s been through. Thor doesn’t know that Loki is under the influence of the Mind Stone, that he’s been to the darkest corners of the universe, that he’s been tortured. All he knows is that the brother who he thought was dead for the past year has suddenly reappeared, not bothering to tell his family that he was still alive, and is now saying this stuff—that Thor essentially tried to kill him, that their relationship wasn’t real, that Loki never mattered to Thor.

So Thor gets angry again. Because that’s how Thor deals with stuff...by getting angry.

Thor: So you take the world I love in recompense for your imagined slights?

Imagined slights. Loki looks like he’s been punched in the chest when Thor says this. It’s another rejection and Loki slips further into a state of unreality. Thor doesn’t care what Loki’s been through, he doesn’t care about Loki’s pain, he doesn’t care how Loki felt...ever.

And I don’t know...if Thor had not been so angry at first, would he have gotten through to Loki later when he says ‘you come home?’ I’m not sure. Loki is pretty far gone here. But I think you can see in his eyes in that moment that he wants to. I think there’s a little flash of sanity there, of being able to see past all the dysfunctional bullshit. But of course, then it’s gone. :(  Loki needles Thor again and Thor gets angry.

[muninnhuginn]

DC (you can choose which one)

Sorry for the delay on this! I started it then saved it in my drafts and proceeded to forget that drafts were a thing OTL.

Anyway, I'm going to go for the Detective Conan DC because my knowledge of the other DC is... lacking.

The first character I first fell in love with: Haibara. Her character arc is still my favourite even now. She was very much traumatised in a number of ways and that wasn’t much shied away from. Like, she’s actively terrified of Gin and Vermouth and when we first met her she’d just lost her sister. But despite that, she still managed to open up over time. And it wasn’t a linear path because she still freaks whenever someone from the BO is present (and I know the entire BO sense is kinda weird in terms of how much of it is like a magic realism thing vs her panic response but there’s some of both of it in there). But she is happier after her development and her friendship with Ayumi is precious honestly. The case about being able to call her by her first name was legit sweet.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Akai, I think. He was pretty clever without getting nerfed for it and saw through the Conan shtick, same as with Yamato and Koumei (who are both also charas I like). But then, I was just incredibly amused by his Okiya act. I have no idea how much of it was intentional trolling but turning up with curry to incredibly non-subtly check up on Haibara cracked me up. And obviously alongside that you have how he was freaking Haibara out and it just led to a lot of scenes with tension between them where Akai wasn’t communicating his reasons (because he got her sister killed. yikes.) and Haibara had enough pieces to have an idea but not enough to complete the puzzle as to Akai being a “good guy”, so to say. It was fun, I think. Even if the setup of characters not communicating definitely started to become frustrating after a while. But anyway, Akai has the range. He has the clever dangerous side and the “wdym, I’m just here for curry” memeability.

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: This isn’t an “everyone” thing exactly but I’m not sure there is any one character who is universally liked by the entire fandom. Anyway, I find Conan frustrating nowadays. I think he was decent up past Desperate Revival (maybe even Vermouth reveal?) but after that stagnated big time. The main issue is that DC is a long runner and so at some point character development has to be put on hold. It’s more obvious with Conan because we literally see him every case as opposed to the other characters who have fewer appearances. But I think to narrow it down further, the problem is how Conan is not allowed to make mistakes that are punished by the narrative (aside from perhaps when it’s time to show off Yuusaku). Say for instance, he can actively refuse an information exchange with Akai because he doesn’t want to confirm his identity despite the fact that Akai already knows who he is. And this is treated as though it’s fine and logical even though it really isn’t? I don’t mind character flaws. If anything, I want characters to have flaws. But when the manga continues to twist the narrative around to try and pretend like character flaws aren’t flaws, it really puts me off that character.

The character I love that everyone else hates: This is more a case of the potential than that I actually think she's super well done, but early era Sera was actually pretty good? I find the later choices (especially once Mary is introduced) to be too inconsistent with her previous characterisation and strongly dislike how her intelligence gets retrospectively nerfed by the revelation that Mary was helping her out all along. But Sera in her first few cases and especially in the case with bomb at the detective agency? She was being the most realistic person there and it was really refreshing. (I feel like talking more about this could go off topic but basically I get that Ran is supposed to be the kinda pure more idealistic style morality because that’s what Aoyama is gunning for with her chara and that’s what Vermouth likes about her and Shinichi, but what Ran did with blocking the snipers’ views there was actively dangerous. It would have been safer for everyone else if they’d just gone with Sera’s plan and let the sniper take out the bomber)

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Gin was a pretty intimidating and challenging antagonist all the way up until maybe around Clash? I just feel though that he’s become less and less of a serious antagonist the more spies get revealed within the BO? Peak Gin was Dark Footprints though imo and since then, well. Nowadays, I really struggle to see the hype around him.

The character I would totally smooch: Uh... none, sorry.

The character I’d want to be like: I was so stuck on this question but I’ve settled on an answer now. I’d go for Haibara because even though her science knowledge keeps getting nerfed (ngl, so salty she didn’t know basic physics in the Maria case) she does have that biochem background. And even though she’s quiet and not actively trying to fit in she still manages to gain friends willing to put in the effort for her. It’s sweet and I’d like that.

The character I’d slap: Shuukichi. This guy. He decides without consulting her that he will ghost his girlfriend so he can win a shogi title “for her” which will somehow prove that he’s worthy of marrying her (????). He hasn’t even told her he plays shogi professionally before he does this. What. Maybe I’m just someone who would appreciate communication in relationships of any flavour but I don’t think I’d ever want to marry someone who breaks up with me out of the blue to ghost me for years only to reappear and say he wants to marry me because he’s won some competition I don’t even care about. And Yumi doesn’t care about shogi or she would have known years ago he plays professionally, especially considering it’s aired on TV.

A pairing that I love: TakaSatou. In a series where most of the relationships start with some kind of childhood connection, TakaSatou is definitely refreshing for entirely bypassing that and gunning for a more mature relationship overall. That said, there are a couple of their stories that rely way too much on second hand embarrassment for me to rewatch.

A pairing that I despise: Okay, I'll just go for the worst offender here with Shuukichi/Yumi. See my answer on why I would slap Shuukichi for reference and also the fact that I’m about 95% sure Aoyama is going to make it canon despite this. I wouldn’t mind half as much if the manga actually critically examined why Shuukichi pulled his ghosting stunt, but it’s just brushed over as a big romantic gesture. So yeah. I’m out.

[petite-ely]

Afraid // JJ Maybank

two - the calm after the storm

Pairing: JJ Maybank x fem routledge! reader

Warnings: bad language (as usual), underage drinking, fear of drowning and deep waters, mention of a hurricane, probably some mistakes too lol

Description: After the surge hit the island, the pogues decide to enjoy a nice day out on the hms pogue, until they find something unusual hidden in the marsh.

A/n : hey there buckaroos, I know I just posted the previous part but I felt so bad for not updating sooner. So here ya go. Hope you like it :)

Previously next

Afraid masterlist

Song recommendation:

There was always something really weird about the day right after a hurricane. It was like that feeling when you know something isn’t right but can’t quite put your finger on it, at least that’s what it was like for y/n. She found those days both extremely stressful and relaxing at the same time. As a child she never had to worry about the stressful part, but as someone who lived alone with two teenage boys and no adults, it was pretty nerve racking. She used to wake up really late on those days, enjoying the silence and comfort that reigned inside the Château. It was not something she did anymore.

When big John disappeared, John B and her had to learn how to take care of themselves. And that also meant becoming more responsible. So here she was, at 9:30 in the morning, standing in the fruit aisle of the grocery store, debating whether to buy cherries or peaches.

Fuck it, she thought putting both in her shopping cart.

You see living without parents at 16 also brought a thing called learning things the hard way. For example, if ever there’s a big storm or hurricane hitting your town and there’s a chance of the power being cut, you have to go grocery shopping before. Otherwise you have only two options. Either wake up at the butt crack of dawn and hunt down which grocery store is still open (and that’s only if no one else raided it before you ). Or you have to survive on the only things still good in your pantry - probably molded bread and peanut butter- until the nearest store opens.

Y/n being the intelligent teenager she was, decided to go with option one. So she woke up super early, wrote a note for her brother - which he probably wouldn’t even see, carefully attached a cooler to back of her bicycle and made her way into town. It was now almost two hours later. She had finished buying the necessities for the next few days and had already put all the perishable things inside her cooler and taped it shut so it wouldn’t spill its content onto the road.

She looked at her phone quickly. The hurricane had not only taken away the power but also the cell service towers. Which meant she couldn’t contact any of her friends at the moment. A sigh leaving her lips, she made her way to Kie’s house, hoping the other pogues hadn’t already picked her up.

“Hey, girlie,” her friend greeted as she turned into the driveway. “Hey, cutie,” y/n responded, placing her bike against the side of the house. “The pogues haven’t come by yet?”

“Nope, it’s just you and me for now. Come, we’ll go chat one the deck until they come.” Kiara motioned to the dock further away. “So, how bad is it at the chateau?”

“Oh you know, the usual,” she sat down beside Kiara, “no power, leaking roof, the yard is pretty dirty too, oh and I think a tree fell down.”

“Yikes.”

The two girls looked away in the distance as they heard the sound of a boat engine approaching them. “I think that’s our ride.”

Y/n saw her brother nudge JJ’s arm and point at her. “See, I told you she’d be here.”

“I left you a note, dumbass, didn’t know you couldn’t read anymore,” she put her cooler and her backpack onto the boat before getting in. “I went to get food for the week so we wouldn’t, you know, starve.” JJ snickered at her comment.

“Well, good morning to you too, y/n/n.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Here’s your breakfast, you greedy cow.” She tossed him a breakfast burrito. It was still warm and fresh, bringing a tasty smell in the air as it flew from y/n’s hand to her brother’s.

“Hey, no need for such words, I was only being polite.” Stated John B. “Thank you, for feeding me, my dearest sister.” Y/n cringed at his horrible impression of a British accent.

Just as she was going to make a joke about it, she noticed something sticky on her arm. Turning her head to the front of the boat, her eyes landed on JJ. He was, once again, trying his stupid beer trick, which failed and only resulted in splashing alcohol everywhere but in his mouth.

As she heard all of her friends complain about his behaviour, she decided it was enough and got up. She was about to take the bottle out of the blond’s hand, when the boat crashed into something. The impact had been hard enough to eject JJ out of the boat and make him fall right into the marsh.

“Ugh,” y/n groaned loudly. Since she had been standing when the boat stopped, she had tripped and fell into a very uncomfortable position. She had landed butt first on the hard metal edge of the boat, hitting her thigh at the same time.

“Jesus, Pope!” Kie said from where she was seated.

“You okay, JJ?”

“I think my heels touched the back of my head.” Usually, this kind of remark would have made y/n laugh, or even smile, but right now, she was not in the mood for laughter.

“Is everyone else okay? Y/n? Kie?” John B offered his hand to his friend. “Yeah, I’m good.”

“I think I broke my ass,” y/n winced as pain shot in her leg. “God, I never knew I was that flexible.”

The girl untangled her legs from the unnatural position they were forced into and reached for the cooler, taking a beer bottle inside. To minimize the pain she walked in a penguin-like way, taking very small steps. She must have looked very ridiculous doing so due to the weird look Pope gave her. She hissed as the cold of the bottle hit her leg. “What even was that?”

“Sandbar. The channel changed .” JJ swam back towards the hms. “No shit.” “Ugh this is probably gonna mess this whole place up.”

Pope approached the end of the boat, looking down with confusion painted on his face. “Guys,” his eyebrows scrunched even more, his eyes focusing on something hidden in the depth of the water. “I think there’s a boat down there.”

“Shut up.” “What?” “No way.” “Uh?” Y/n furrowed her eyebrows and looked down at the spot where Pope’s gaze was fixed. To her surprise there was actually a boat there, sunken and stuck into a pile of sand.

“Oh my god.” She looked back at her friends behind her. “He’s right!” She focused her attention back to the boat, trying to catch details of it. A thought crossed her mind. Could it be? No, it couldn’t. It wasn’t possible. There was no way that was her father’s boat down there, right?

“Guys.. Is this?” Y/n looked at her brother, he had thought the same thing as her. “It’s a boat!” Pope shouted with excitement.

“Holy shit he’s right, let’s go!”

Y/n’s friends all rushed to remove their clothes and jumped into the water. They seemed so excited. A small feeling of anxiety grew in the pit of her stomach. She felt left out, but at the same time she was scared. She practically knew the marsh like the back of her hand and yet she couldn’t help but worry. She looked down at the boat, it was way too far, she could never swim that deep.

The girl winced as she sat on the tip of the boat. She was looking at her four friends, their figures slowly shrinking as they swam deeper. When she looked at them it seemed so easy. Here they were swimming so carelessly. Why couldn’t that be her. Maybe one day she’d get over her phobia, but for now, it seemed impossible.

She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when the heads of her friends reappeared at the surface. She could hear them talk with excitement, but they were too far for her to understand exactly what they were saying. Clearly, they had found something.

“You guys found anything cool?” She offered her hand to Kie. “It’s a Grady White,” JJ shook his wet hair. “A new one of these is like 500 Gs easy.”

“It’s a primo rig.”

“Yeah, that’s the boat I saw when I surfed the surge.” JB added, making his sister’s smile disappear. “Maybe it hit the jetty or something.”

“You surfed the surge?” Kiara’s tone dripped with worry. “What the heck.” Her voice lowered down as she spoke those last few words. “That’s my boy! Pogue style!” JJ encouraged, giving a slight pat to John’s back.

Y/n frowned at his words. “Please don’t encourage him, J.” She crossed her arms on her chest. “It was a very stupid thing to do.”

“Wait, wait. Do we even know whose boat it is?” “No, but we’re about to find out.”

“Wait ,” y/n gripped her brother’s arm, “ are you sure it’s safe?” “Yeah dude, it’s too deep.”

John B bent down to pick up the anchor from the compartment where it was kept. “Only for the weak and feeble JJ.” “Well, I’m not resuscitating you I’m just making that clear.”

“That’s fine.” He turned to his sister, who was looking at him with worried eyes. “Please be safe, okay bird?” She was using the nickname their father had given him when they were younger. She barely used it anymore, so he knew she was really worried.

“I promise,” he nudged her shoulder softly, “little bug.” “Diver down, fool.”

“Diver down.”

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This means it wouldn’t let me tag you :(

[toe-ruoikawa]

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summer loving- an oikawa x reader smau/classic fanfic ABANDONNED

3. The Diner

(y/n) runs - or, well, bikes - to the miyagi prefecture during summer break to escape her stifling family. while she's out in miyagi, she meets a cute boy named oikawa tooru.

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yeah, you loved suga's mom probably more than your own, but without suga there to actually create a bridge between the two of you, your conversations were dull and awkward, and you had left the house as soon as you thought she wouldn't mind.

for a few hours you had gone around the town, taking pictures of whatever seemed pretty to you. you had taken at least 50 by the time afternoon rolled around. that's kind of your thing; photos.

your camera roll was full of gorgeous landscapes-rolling hills and swaying trees, gigantic buildings and fluffy clouds, delicate flowers and creeping vines. it was a shame that you had lost some of your best shots when you had gotten rid of your old phone, but at least now you have a clean slate to fill all over again.

you're just finishing up a mini shoot of some train tracks when it hits you.

the single most delicious smell in the entire world hits your nose, and you almost black out it's so wonderful. it smells like frying oil and ice cream, and you almost cackle in glee because you had brought money for food and you just found the best place to spend it.

following your nose like a bloodhound, you start to walk past all the cute little buildings that had served as background for your railroad pictures. the smell keeps getting stronger, mixing and dividing into similar, more specific scents, like french fries and fried chicken. you feel your artist heart squeal with excitement as you round the corner on the block and find yourself in front of a cute American-themed diner.

the name of the restaurant is written over the door in fluorescent green lights, and there are similar signs hung in the windows of the diner. as the sky gradually darkens, you can tell that this is your photographer paradise. the booths in the diner are bustling with people who you swear are all smiling, and there's a bar where a few loners and couples sip at their extra thick milkshakes, with the overflow cup on the side. you haven't even set foot in the building and you could bet away your life's savings that the floors are checker tiled.

"ah," you don't even realize you've gone into the diner until the bell at the door jingles above your head, and you just gaze at it in dreamy shock. your feet are pulled to a red leather stool at the counter where you sit and swivel around a few times.

"what can i get to get you started?"

you swear you almost die when you see the outfit the waitress is wearing. the entire retro vibe of the restaurant has your artist heart weeping tears of bliss and the uniforms are just icing on the cake.

you order your favourite flavour of milkshake and a side of fries and then glance at your phone to see what you've missed from suga.

you don't really ever understand most of his vague volleyball tweets. from what you can gather, the team is a bunch of hooligan children that suga babysits, with the help of daichi, who you only know through suga's texts.

seeing as you don't even want to know what watermelon and hills have to do with volleyball camp, your thoughts drift to your other best friend, aki. you had blocked her with your new twitter account so there would be no chance of her stumbling across it, but you couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt as you look at her account. she's probably the closest thing you have to a sister, which is why you had to leave her behind, too.

sisters are lovely but they're also snitches.

you put your phone face down as the waitress from earlier reappears, setting down a plastic basket full of fries and a milkshake, as well as a large metal cup filled with refill milkshake. ah, the glory of retro american diners. you're about to dig in when the bell rings and you hear laughter from someone your age.

the idea that it could be someone that recognizes you jumps into your head and you spin around in your swivel stool so quickly that you almost launch yourself off of it. in your commotion your eyes lock onto the warmest brown eyes you’ve seen in your entire life and you swear time slows.

they belong to a cute brunette, who has come to the diner with a group of friends. he is quick to look away, playing it off like he had been glancing around the restaurant. he waves to the waitress, who smiles bashfully, and follows his friends to a booth table that you know by the way they are drawn to it is undeniable their booth.

the boy with the warm eyes does another sweep over the diner as his group settles down, and as the chocolate irises linger on you, you realize that you’ve been staring at him the whole time.

flustered and feeling heat rise to your face, you jerk yourself back around in the seat so you’re facing your meal and take a long sip of your milkshake. ignoring the sting in your skull from the sudden cold, you flip your phone around and quickly open your texts. 

taking a deep breath and steeling yourself for the embarrassment you’re about to undergo willingly, you turn around in your swivel stool.

much to your bewilderment, the boy is already staring at you.

he waves at you and you freeze for a moment, taking in his dark hair and his huge, intelligent brown eyes that are gazing right back into yours, and then you offer him a small smile and meek wave of your own hand. the lazy smile that had stretched across his face brightens in return.

instead of earlier when he had entered the diner, now the boy seems content to keep eye contact with you, and, with each quickened beat of your heart, you feel yourself becoming more and more comfortable with his gaze in yours. 

you almost start to daydream when one of his buddies elbows him, clearly jiving him by the way the other boys are laughing. he turns his attention to them exclaiming something you don’t hear that makes the booth burst out into raucous teenage guffaws.

coming to your senses, you’re certain your face must match the shade of red on the ketchup bottle that you clumsily dump on your fries. you shoot suga a few more texts, stuffing a handful of fries in your mouth to keep yourself from squealing.

the mere idea that this beautiful and pretty boy might even consider to be interested in you has your heart melting in purpley yellow puddles of pure simp essence and your brain turning into honey. you find yourself slurping down the rest of your milkshake in an attempt to beat back the steady blush that burns on the apples of your cheeks and the tips of your ears.

sadly, whenever you turn to look back at the booth the boys are eating in, he never has his attention turned on you. you know there’s a chance that you’re just not catching him at the right moments, but as his laughter continues fills the space throughout the evening, your certainty that your shared gaze was a one time occurrence grows. 

eventually, disheartened and a tad embarrassed, you give up on trying to catch the boy’s attention again. you pay for your meal before going to the washroom.

when you return, the group had left. disappointed in yourself, you’re trudging over to the door when you notice a turquoise and white jacket laying in the seat of the booth.

“excuse me, but the group that was sitting here earlier just left, right?” you call out to the waitress that had served both you and the group.

“huh?” the waitress looks up from the table she’s wiping down. “oh, yeah. they’re gone. did matsukawa leave his jacket again?”

“yeah, i guess,” you shrug. an idea pops into your romance driven brain, and for once you don’t wave it away immediately. “if you don’t mind, i could run it out to him. i’m leaving anyways.”

“that’d be a big help, sweetie, thank you!” the waitress graciously accepts your offer and then turns back to the table she’s cleaning.

you’re exiting the diner with a ring of the bell overhead, turquoise and white track jacket in hand with the words ‘aoba johsai’ printed on the back, when you stumble into a wall of warm fabric.

“woah there!” the voice you’ve been tuned to for the past hour replies, and the cute boy’s grabbing your shoulders gently to steady you. you gaze up into the calf’s eyes that you had been so fixated earlier, and they focus back on you for a brief moment, before trailing to the jacket in your arms. “oh, look! you’ve got mattsun’s jacket.”

“oh, yeah, here,” you hand the boy the jacket, only now realizing how much he towers over you in such close proximity. despite how that thought makes your heart race, you jump at the chance to get to know the boy a bit more. “so you’re not matsukawa, then?”

he laughs, not unpolitely, throwing his head back the slightest bit. “no, i’m oikawa tooru.” he fixes you with a sunny smile, like you’ve surprised him in the best way possible, and it’s like you’ve never realized how gorgeous a smile could be.

“(l/n), (y/n),” you grin back. “so oikawa-san, what’re doing here coming back for a jacket that’s not even yours?” on the inside, you’re practically screaming; when did you become so bold?

“well,” his grin turns sheepish. “i meant to ask you for your number earlier but iwa-chan kept breaking my train of thought, so i figured i could try again now.”

“oh, thank god you’re asking,” you let a sigh of relief as you pull out your phone. “i wanted to ask you earlier, too, but i chickened out.”

the two of you exchange phones and enter your numbers in a new contact, while oikawa makes a little joke about your default wallpaper, which you laugh a little too hard at.

“let’s go out sometime this week!” oikawa says as his words of parting, and you hum in agreement, waving goodbye.

once you’re far away enough from oikawa, you check your phone as if making sure the contact is real. you giggle once you realize what he’s put as his name. maybe this summer won't be so bad after all.

[mymoonagedaydream]

Witness Protection (Part 7)

Summary: You trusted Bucky to protect you. He tried.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x y/n

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: Language

Author’s Note: I really appreciate all the love for this story so far :)

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Despite yourself, despite everything, you did trust him. Completely. 

You were still stunned. Silent. And maybe just a little turned on. All you could do was nod. You hoped you were mirroring his intense, devastatingly attractive smoulder but in reality, you probably looked like you’d just been tasered. Like a rabbit in the headlights. 

‘You alright?’ He whispered, hand moving under your chin to raise your face a little. 

Nope, still nothing. You appeared to have lost the use of language. Entirely reasonable, considering the circumstances. The man who you think you might be properly in love with, but who you should still hate for destroying your life, had just told you that he’d rather put himself in life-threatening danger than have you change yourself. Yikes. Kill the director. 

‘Say something,’ he prompted, ‘you’re worrying me a little.’ 

‘I am... well.’ 

What the fuck was that, huh? Fucking idiot. You sounded like a hysterical wife from a 19th century novel. Next thing you’ll be fainting in the drawing room and dying of a wandering womb. 

He was laughing, at least. ‘That’s good.’

‘Sorry, I’m fine,’ you finally managed to cobble your words together, ‘and I do trust you.’

Hearing that seemed to ignite a new kind of spark in his eyes and his smile widened. His hand was still firmly holding your chin as he moved his face closer, bringing his forehead to rest on yours. You closed your eyes, concentrating on how his soft breath felt sweeping over your face and how he brushed his nose against yours as he got closer. 

Just before his lips touched yours, you stopped him with a gentle whisper.

'I'd still quite like to learn the basics. Just in case.' 

'We can do the basics. You just gotta try concentrating on something other than my legs.' 

Perceptive bastard. 

He closed the gap, pressing his lips softly to yours. You lifted your hand to cradle his cheek and felt his mouth smile against yours in response. If the swimming in your head and the fluttering in your stomach didn’t calm down soon then you’d definitely end up on the drawing room floor.

Reluctantly, you let him pull away, feeling a lingering kiss on your forehead a second later. Your head fell forward to rest on his chest, and he pulled you into his arms. There was a comfortable silence between you for a few minutes. You listened to the TV but left your face buried in Bucky’s neck.

Eventually he piped up. 

‘You wouldn’t believe how much convincing it took to get me to your flat that night.’ 

‘Yeah? Why’s that?’

‘I don’t do parties. Especially not with Nat’s friends.’

You scoffed, not sure whether to be offended. ‘Cause you’re scared of being older than everyone else at the party combined?’

‘You know I’m not actually that old, right?’ He craned his head to try and catch your eyes, ‘I’ve spent a lot of time on ice.’

‘Explains quite a bit.’ You looked back at him, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ‘I’ve seen you try to work a smartphone, Buck. You don’t even know what Narnia is.’

‘Right, that’s it.’ He feigned offence, pulling his arms away. ‘I’m going to bed.’ 

He went to stand up. You put a hand firmly on his shoulder. 

‘Um, you’re already on your bed. Where the hell d’you think you’re going?’ 

Without responding, Bucky lunged towards you, lifting you off the sofa and carrying you towards the bedroom. You beat your fist on his chest playfully, quickly stopping when you started to worry that he’d actually put you down.

You fell asleep wrapped in his arms, in a safe house in the middle of nowhere hiding from people who wanted to kill you, utterly content.

---

You were woken in the middle of the night by Bucky violently bolting upright. 

‘Did you hear something?’ He whispered.

‘Apart from your creaking bones? No.’ There was a thud from the front room. You propped yourself up on your elbows. ‘Ok I heard that.’

‘Stay here.’ He quickly swung his legs out of bed and pulled his clothes on. Suddenly he was holding a handgun down in front of him, you had no idea where it’d come from. 

He slowly rounded the door frame, then disappeared into the darkness. You heard his footsteps padding into the front room. You barely dared to breathe. The front door creaked open slightly before closing again. 

Then silence. 

Five seconds. 

Ten seconds. 

You wanted to call Bucky’s name but you were too frightened. Cautiously sliding one leg out of the bed, the cold wooden floor hit the bottom of your foot. You had no idea what you were doing or why, you were no more use stood up than you were lying in bed. 

Bucky reappeared in the doorway. 

‘Fucking Christ Buck, you scared the shit out of me.’ You breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Is everything alright?’

‘Someone’s been here. While we were asleep.’ His face was grave, he still had a tight grip on the handgun.

‘Well, is anything missing?’

‘No. Nothing. Go back to bed, I’m gonna keep watch until morning.’ He disappeared back into the darkness. 

You lay down, knowing full well you wouldn’t be able to sleep, but you didn’t want to question him. The last time you’d seen that look in his eyes was back when the compound was under attack.

You tossed and turned for a few hours, tensing up at every tiny sound. Low light eventually crept underneath the curtains. You rolled out of bed and tiptoed to the door. Bucky was perched in front of the window, arms folded, gun in hand. 

‘Hey,’ you said softly, hoping not to startle him, ‘everything alright?’

He didn’t turn around, still staring outside intently. ‘We need to move. This place might not be safe. I’ll contact Stark soon.’

You just nodded. He was speaking to you like Nat did back in that safe room, like you were an inconvenience that needed babysitting. Like everything he’d said to you the night before was a thousand miles away and didn’t matter anymore.

You heard a noise behind you. Smashing glass. Before you could begin to spin round, Bucky had sprinted past you. There was a scuffle. A gunshot. Bucky shouted your name. Told you to run but you didn’t get the chance.

There was a hand over your mouth, and everything went black.

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Part Eight

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@zizzlekwum @calwitch @shower-me-with-roses @supernaturalwintersoldier @the-romanian-is-bae  @shadowed-wax 

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