#so it makes sense that he would change parts of it to make him seem like more of a heroic victim of fate

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

The Dangers of Dream Walking -Oneshot

Word count: 5748

Y/N hated her power.  The ability to dream walk was at times nice, but mostly it was a literal and figurative nightmare.  People dreamt crazy and unhinged things all the time, so it was rare to ever step into a happy dream.  She couldn’t understand why she was born with it, what good it did her or anyone else.  It wasn’t like she could manipulate the dreams.  She could only watch on as a casual observer.  Until she met the Avengers.

She had been knocked out by a piece of debris during another fight the Avengers were having, and had dream-walked right into a memory of Wanda Maximoff, who was temporarily knocked out as well.  But this time, Wanda turned and looked right at her in the dream and talked to her.

“You can see me?” Y/N asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Wanda said simply as her memory played out behind her.  “How are you here?”

“I…I dream-walk,” Y/N explained, walking toward her.  “I think I got knocked out and now…”  The image of a young Wanda and what Y/N figured was her brother playing in a field of wildflowers distracted her.  “I’m sorry,” she said, sensing the sadness in Wanda’s eyes.  “I don’t have control over it.”

Wanda tilted her head and analyzed her.  “But you can,” she replied.  “I can see it in your mind.  I’ll come find you, dream-walker.”  Then she and the memory disappeared, and Y/N hopped into a new dream.  A week later she was surprised to open her door to Wanda Maximoff in the flesh.  “I told you I’d find you,” she said cheekily.

From that day on she had been taken in by the Avengers.  She wasn’t an official team member, but had been working with Wanda on honing her power and using it to be able to tap into specific people’s dreams, then using the connection of being in their mind due to the dream and then going through their memories and thoughts.  She even learned how to start manipulating the dreams, changing the circumstances or interacting where she could to make it so nightmares turned into softer dreams.  It proved useful when she was able to get into an operative’s mind and find the coordinates and plans for the next attack.  And it proved even more useful once the Avengers fell apart, the Blip happened, and then Wanda disappeared.  After everyone came back she was lost for a while until Bucky Barnes asked for her help.

“We’ve got a new guy that has…well, some mental issues,” he explained.  “And I think your abilities might be able to help him work through those issues and make it so he can access his powers without the dark side taking over so easily.”

“I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but I can try,” she said.

That’s when she met Bob and started working with him extensively, and was recruited back into the New Avengers.  They became like family to her, and she loved being able to be a part of something bigger again.  She, Yelena and Ava would have girls nights.  Alexei would compliment her abilities heavily and praise her for her efforts with Bob.  Bob was awkward and quiet, but seemed to enjoy their quiet moments of reading together and then forming their own two-person book club.  Walker was still an asshole, but she was able to get him to simmer down most days.  Then there was Bucky.  Sweet but serious, sarcastic but kind, dangerously strong but soft, and devastatingly handsome Bucky.  

Y/N pushed her feelings for him down deep, not wanting them to affect her working relationship and new friendship she had made with him.  But it was getting harder the more he tended to seek her out after rough missions or bad mental days and she would help him drift off into a dreamless slumber, or as he sat next to her during team movie nights, or as the little friendly touches started between them that eventually morphed into long hugs and him kissing the side of her head before they left for another mission.  He was usually quiet, not the one to start a conversation and preferring to be a casual observer, but when they were alone he talked and asked questions.  

At night she usually took heavy sleep aids to help her completely knock out so she wouldn’t accidentally walk into the team’s dreams.  Something about the pills helped her mind go fuzzy enough to have her own dreamless sleep and not unwittingly walk into other’s minds as she slept.  Then one night a year into living at the Watchtower with them she had fallen asleep after a long day working with Bob.  The mental exhaustion had worn her out, and she hadn’t taken the sleep aids.  That was the first time she had seen it.

Her eyes opened in what looked like…Bucky’s room?  She looked around in confusion, then heard heavy breathing.  He wasn’t in his bed.  The edges of her vision looked blurry, and she realized she was dream-walking.  Shit, she thought.  I’m in his dream...dammit.  She didn’t mean to, and willed herself to try and wake up, but then the breathing got louder and turned into grunts.  Her curiosity got the better of her, and if it was a nightmare maybe she could at least help him ease out of it.  She followed the sounds to his bathroom where the door was slightly opened.  She peeked inside, then silently gasped, her mouth dropping open dramatically.

It was partially a memory from a few weeks back when he’d come home from a mission with a nasty wound along his chest and she had tried to help him clean it up since he refused to go to the med bay because, “I’m a super soldier, doll, I’ll heal soon.”  Bucky was sitting on the lid of the toilet like he had been weeks ago, shirtless with a bandage on his chest that she had placed there after cleaning it, but in this dream he was fully naked and she was now on her knees between his legs sucking him off.  Y/N’s eyes widened in comical shock as she watched herself suck Bucky’s cock lewdly, letting out little mewls, moans and gags as she tried to take all of him, her right hand fisting what she couldn’t and stroking him at the same speed as her head bobbed up and down on him.

“That’s it, doll, fuck,” Bucky groaned, his metal hand holding back her hair and his right hand cradling her jaw.  “You’re so good at this, you know that?  Such a good girl.”

Dream Y/N made an affirming sound as she pulled up off of him for a moment to breathe then smiled up at him.  “Your good girl,” she said seductively before lapping at the head of his cock, her spit dribbling down his shaft.

“Damn right,” he huffed.  “My good girl.”

Y/N had walked into wet dreams before, always quickly walking out of them with her hands over her eyes or ears, but this time she stayed and watched.  It was strange to see herself doing something so vulgar, so dirty, and enjoying it.  But all she could really focus on was Bucky’s face.  The way the ever-present crease between his brows was now from a look of lust and desire, his mouth agape as he breathed, every once in a while biting his bottom lip as his head fell back, then looking back down at dream-her with the most lovesick expression she’d ever seen.  The way his lips said the dirtiest words and praises to her, how gently he cradled her head and she could see him struggling not to thrust into her mouth.  

His breathing got faster, and the sexiest whimper bubbled up from his throat as he tensed.  “I’m gonna cum!” he whispered, then a moment later he held her head down and shuddered as he let out a long, loud moan that echoed in the bathroom, his hips rutting into dream-her’s mouth.  Dream-Y/N whimpered as well, swallowing as much as she could.  Bucky sat there for a moment before pulling her up and off his cock, wiping at her lips with his flesh thumb and smiling at her.  “Let me see, Y/N.”  Dream-Y/N obediently opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue to show him she swallowed it all.  “Atta girl,” he smirked, then kissed her deeply.

Y/N felt the pull in her mind and watched the vision go hazy, then she woke up, gasping for air as she sat up straight in bed.  She was in her room again, looking around frantically as she pieced together what she had seen.  There was a deep ache and wetness between her legs that made her groan in discomfort and she fell back on her bed in a huff.  “Fuck me,” she breathed exasperatedly.

***

She knew she shouldn’t pry, that she should take the sleep aids and forget she ever saw it.  But she didn’t.  She let herself fall asleep naturally from then on and purposefully sought out Bucky’s dreams.  He didn’t dream about her every night, but more often than not he did and she was the star of his fantasies.  His wet dreams were quite…colorful.  The positions he put Dream-Y/N into were intense, and the way he spoke to her was dirty but also sweet and endearing.  Every time she would leave his dream she’d have to cum afterwards, pathetically muffling her cries as she pleasured herself to the memory of his dreams night after night.  

During the day when they interacted nothing changed, but she felt herself looking at him more often, which was quickly picked up on by Yelena and Walker.  They teased her about it, and she tried to deny it but ultimately would just roll her eyes and walk away.  “I mean, he’s nice looking,” Yelena said as she nudged Y/N’s shoulder.  “Why don’t you go for it?”

“Go for who?” Bob asked.

Y/N jumped in her seat and wheeled around to face him.  “Jesus, Bob!  How do you just appear out of nowhere?”

“I don’t,” he chuckled.  “But seriously, who are you going for?”

“Bucky,” Yelena said.

Y/N turned to her and smacked her arm, making Yelena yelp as Bob nodded.  “Oh, yeah, you should,” he said with a small smile.  “He stares at you, too.”

She turned back around and smacked his arm, making him yelp and step away.  “Both of you stop it,” Y/N hissed.  

“Why are we smacking people?” Bucky’s voice chimed from the other side of the common room.

They all whirled around to look at him in surprise.  “‘Cause they deserved it,” Y/N said quickly, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, adding a little shrug at the end of the sentence.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at each of them then huffed a laugh and shook his head.  “I’m sure,” he smiled.  “Ready for your lesson, doll?”

“Yep!  I’m coming!” Y/N said in a more chipper tone, then turned to Yelena and Bob once Bucky was out of sight.  She made a “zip it” motion over her mouth to them, and they both snickered as she jogged away to catch up with Bucky.  He led her to one of the many training rooms, holding the door open for her as she thanked him and stepped in to find a table set up with guns lined up on it.

“Alright, first, I’ll teach you how to put one together,” Bucky said, his tone turning professional.  “Then we’ll practice shooting.  Sound good?”

“Okay.  Remind me why I need to know how to shoot a gun?” Y/N asked teasingly as she stared at the array of guns on the table.

“It’s a good skill to have,” Bucky said, coming up behind her and grabbing one of the assembled guns.  He flicked the safety off then with his other hand handed her some ear plugs.  She quickly took them and put them in her ears, then watched as he raised the gun and took merely a second to aim and shoot at a target on the opposite side of the room.  It hit the bullseye perfectly, the gunshot still ringing in her ears and making her wince.  He then met her gaze and shot at the other four targets without looking.  Her eyes widened as she held his stare, then looked at the targets.  Each of them were perfectly shot through the bullseye.

“That was hot,” Y/N said with raised eyebrows and a blush on her cheeks.

Bucky laughed, a blush painting his cheeks as well as he put the safety back on and set the gun back on the table.  For the next hour he taught her how to put one of the simpler guns together, how to load it, unload it, clean it, and then it was time to practice shooting.  Y/N wasn’t good at it.  The feeling of the gun in her hands felt unnatural, and the kickback made her flinch each time.  She still hit the targets within the outline of the body drawn on them, but not in any fatal areas.

“You gotta get behind it,” Bucky said with a slight laugh in his voice after watching her tense up after the last shot.  “The recoil won’t be as rough if you do.”  She took a deep breath and aimed, angling her body a little differently.  It helped as she shot, the recoil not making her feel so off balance.  “Good.  Again,” he said with a smile.  After a few more rounds he stepped behind her.  “Left foot forward,” he instructed, slightly kicking her shoe to make her step forward.  “Right foot back.  Square shoulders,” his hands directed her shoulders to face the target better.  “Lean forward to anchor yourself.  Elbows slightly out to absorb recoil,” his hands slid down her arms to put them in proper position.  “Engage your pec muscles to squeeze your hands together, wrists locked.”  His hands slipped back and down to her mid-back as a secondary anchor, barely touching her.  Then he leaned in toward her ear.  “Now aim.”  His voice dropped, and she had to suppress a shiver as she aimed carefully.  “Take a deep breath,” he said quietly, his breath tickling her ear.  She inhaled deeply.  “Let it out, and shoot.”

Y/N slowly let out the breath and shot.  The recoil wasn’t nearly as bad that time, and it hit right in the middle of the forehead of the target.  She let out a surprised huff of a laugh, and felt Bucky’s hands squeeze her sides.  “Good girl,” he said proudly.

She froze.  He said it.  He fucking said it.  In real life.  To her.  She tried to school her expression as she set the gun down and he stepped away on shaky legs.  “Um…thanks,” she said, clearing her throat.  “I, uh…excuse me.”

“What?  Where are you going?” Bucky asked as she stepped around him.  “We’re not done yet.”

“I just need a minute,” she said, walking fast out of the training room and towards the nearest bathroom.  The second the stall door was closed she leaned against the wall and stuck her hand down in her pants.  Once her fingers made contact with her clit she moaned, shutting her eyes tight as her mouth hung open.  She was already so wet just from him touching her during the lesson and calling her a good girl that she immediately pumped two fingers inside her sopping pussy, causing a full body shiver to roll through her.  Did she Pavlov’s Dog herself into nearly cumming every time he called her that from watching his wet dreams?  Just as her thumb was flicking at her clit and getting her close she heard the bathroom door open.

“Doll?” Bucky’s voice called out.  She silently cursed, her hand stilling in her pants as her eyes snapped open.  “What happened, huh?  Did that freak you out?  I’m sorry, sometimes that first lesson can be a little intense, actually shooting the target like that.”

“I’m fine, Buck,” Y/N said hastily.  “I’ll be there in just a minute.”

She heard him sigh and then walk toward the stall she was in.  “It’s okay, Y/N, just talk to me,” he said softly.

“I’m fine.  Seriously.”  Her wobbly voice did not help her case.  Her fingers twitched inside her and she lightly gasped, trying to be quiet.  

“Y/N, what are you…”  He stopped, then she heard the almost imperceptible sound of a deep sniff.  Goddammit, she thought.  Damn that super soldier serum.  There was a long pause, then he shuffled closer to the stall door.  “Are you…touching yourself?”

Y/N wanted the earth to swallow her whole.  This was so embarrassing.  Of course he knew.  How would she explain this?  There was no good explanation.  She’d have to tell him about the dream-walking, watching him fuck her crazy in his wet dreams for the past couple of months.  She ripped her hand out of her pants and flushed the toilet with her free hand, tucking the wet one behind her back as she opened the stall door.  Bucky stood ramrod straight, his eyes looking dark and analytical as he stared down at her.  “That’s crazy,” she said, skirting around him as best as she could.

As she tried to walk away he suddenly grabbed her and pushed her toward the tiled wall.  She squeaked in shock as he caged her against it with his arms, his left knee moving between her legs and invading her space.  His metal hand reached around and gripped her wrist she was hiding and pulled it back around carefully and up to his face.  His bright blue eyes looked sharper than usual as he looked her over, his breathing heavy, and when her fingers were close to his face he broke eye contact and stared at her wet fingers, still soaked with her arousal.  His eyelids fluttered as he tilted his head and his nostrils flared as he sniffed her fingers.  He then met her gaze again and brought her fingers to his mouth, opening wide and licking at them.

Surely this was how she would die.  Her heart thundered in her ears, she blinked rapidly and her mouth fell open as she watched him lick then suck her fingers into his mouth.  He closed his eyes as he tasted her, and the hum he let out vibrated around her fingers.  She sighed, her head falling back against the wall.  Her knees shook, threatening to give out, and his flesh hand wrapped around her back to hold her flush against his body and keep her upright.  He finally pulled her fingers out of his mouth and opened his eyes, licking his lips as he stared at her.  “You taste delicious, doll,” he whispered.  “Why were you touching yourself?”

She swallowed thickly and dropped her gaze to his chest.  “I…I needed to,” she said weakly.

“Why?” he asked firmly, his metal hand letting go of her wrist and then pulling her chin up to make her look at him.

Y/N couldn’t handle the intense look in his eyes and the shame so she shut her eyes.  “I’ve been dream-walking into your wet dreams for the past few months,” she confessed quickly.  “I didn’t mean to, I just forgot my sleeping pills one night and suddenly ended up in your dream and I saw myself giving you head.  I’m sorry.”  She felt overwhelmed and inhaled shakily, trying not to cry.  “I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t say anything at first, then she felt him move and kiss the side of her mouth.  Her eyes snapped open as he pulled away and he smirked at the look on her face.  “What else did you see me doing to you?” he asked.

Y/N huffed.  “Y-you…you fucked me in the shower,” she whispered.  “And on your bed.  Then during a mission.  Basically everywhere,” she stifled a laugh at the memory of all the places and ways he’d dreamed of fucking her.  

“What was your favorite?” he asked, his metal hand sliding down to her throat and wrapping his fingers around it.  He didn’t squeeze, just held her there as he stared at her.  

“I…all of them,” she breathed.  “I loved all of them.”

His smirk widened into a wicked smile.  “Especially when I called you a good girl?”

Her eyes rolled back in her head unwittingly and she whined in his face.  “Yyyeeesss,” she grunted through gritted teeth.

Bucky moaned and kissed her.  Y/N gasped through her nose, kissing him back and trying to keep up with how passionately he was kissing her.  His tongue slipped into her mouth, and she could taste the remnants of her arousal as she entangled her tongue with his.  His flesh hand moved down her hip, over her ass cheek, then up to her breasts, kneading them and leaving a tingling sensation in his wake.  His metal hand slightly squeezed her throat, pulling another whine from deep in her chest.

“Fuck, doll,” he groaned against her lips.  “So responsive.  Just like in my dreams.”  He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers as they both breathed heavily.  “Lesson’s over.  Let’s go upstairs and you can choose which dream we recreate first.”

She nodded frantically.  He let her go and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the bathroom and walking with purpose toward the elevator.  The entire ride up he didn’t say anything or move, watching the floor numbers rise as he held her hand firmly.  When the elevator dinged he nearly ripped her from the elevator and dragged her to his room, shutting and locking the door behind her and then pushing her against the door.  He kissed her again, his hands roaming over her eagerly.  Y/N melted against him, letting him move her and kiss her any which way he wanted to.

“How do you wanna start, Y/N?” he asked as he licked at her neck.  “You wanna suck me off like that first time you saw me?  Or do you wanna fuck me?  I’ll do whatever you want.”

Her hands were shaking as she gripped his shoulders, trying to ground herself so she wouldn’t collapse.  “Do you…do you actually want to do this?” she stuttered, her self-doubt kicking in.  “I u-understand if you’re…mad or–”

“Stop that,” Bucky said, gripping her cheeks and making her look at him again.  “What you saw in my dreams is exactly what I want.  You.  I want you.  I’ve been falling for you from the moment we met, doll.  I want your body,” he kissed her lips.  “I want your mind.”  He kissed her forehead.  “I want your heart all to myself.”  He dipped down and kissed the spot over her heart, making her almost sob.  “I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours.”  The look on his face and the hope in his eyes was almost too much to bear as he gazed at her.

“I want that,” Y/N nodded.  “I want all of that.  I’m yours, and I want you to be mine.”

“Already am,” he shook his head with a knowing smile.  “I’m yours.”  He kissed her again, but this time it was softer, sweeter, and the tenderness made her whimper against his mouth.  Her hands moved up to hold him by the back of the neck and keep him close to her, and he used the leverage of her hands there to lift her and make her wrap her legs around his hips.  Bucky turned them towards his bed and laid her on it, continuing his kisses as he stayed there with her for a moment.

When he moved his kisses to her cheek and down to her neck she finally found her voice.  “I want…I need you to make me cum with your fingers,” she said.  “I need to cum so bad, Buck.  Please…please honey…”

“Mmh, I like that,” Bucky smirked against her neck.  He quickly stripped her of her clothes, leaving her naked and splayed out on the bed.  His eyes hungrily gazed at her as he stripped himself, and she ogled him openly as his flesh hand moved closer to her pussy.

“No, not that one,” Y/N said.

Bucky looked like he short circuited for a moment, his eyes widening as he stared at her in shock.  Then his eyes narrowed and he brought his metal hand forward, hovering it over her pussy.  “You want my metal fingers?” he asked, sounding perplexed and in awe.  She nodded, smiling softly at him.  He let out a long sigh, like he was relaxing after a long day, then brought his metal hand up to her face.  “Open up,” he instructed.  Y/N opened her mouth and he dipped his middle three fingers into her mouth.  She licked and sucked them, loving the way the metal felt against her tongue and giggling at the clink sound they made against her teeth.  When he felt like they were lubed enough he pulled them out of her mouth and brought his hand back down between her legs.  “Good girl,” he praised her with a knowing smirk.  

She visibly shivered at the praise, and he sunk two fingers into her without warning.  Y/N gasped, her back arching at the sudden but pleasant intrusion that her body had been yearning for.  He pumped his fingers slowly, letting her get adjusted to them and watching her carefully, making sure she wasn’t in any pain or discomfort.  His eyes couldn’t seem to decide whether to stay on her face or her pussy, mesmerized by the slick sounds coming from between her legs and the moans and whimpers falling from her lips.

She was so close already, and whimpered at the need and desperation that made her hips tremble in his hand.  The metal felt amazing inside her, somehow staying cool against the immense heat radiating from her pussy.  Bucky could tell she was struggling to finish and leaned over her a little bit, bringing his face close to her pussy.  He suddenly spit on her clit, and she flinched at the added warmth as well as the sound, her breathing getting even heavier at how hot that was.  His metal thumb started circling around her clit, rubbing in his spit as his fingers continued to fuck her.  He watched her squirm for a moment before getting close again and then licking at her clit.  Her hips bucked into his face, but that only seemed to drive him on as his flesh hand held her left thigh tightly to hold her down, his metal fingers moving faster inside her as the tip of his tongue flicked her clit.

“Holy fuck, doll,” he mumbled against her.  “So good…let go and cum, Y/N.  Be my good girl and cum.”

The build-up of her orgasm was finally about to tip over the edge.  She reached down and gripped Bucky’s hair in her fingers, tugging at it as her hips grinded against his mouth.  He moaned, sucking at her clit hard, then teasingly nibbled at his with his teeth.  She came with a shriek, her legs clamping against his head as she bucked against his face again and again.  Bucky kept moaning into her, his mouth and fingers refusing to stop and letting her ride out the orgasm as long as she wanted.  

Once she stopped shaking he gave her one last broad lick and eased his fingers out of her, then put them in his mouth and licked them clean.  She watched him enjoy her cum, the arousal rebuilding quickly.  “Honey,” she breathed.  His eyes flicked up to her face as he pulled his pointer finger out with a pop.  “That was so good…thank you,” she huffed.

Bucky smiled and wiped his hand on the comforter before climbing over her and slotting his hips between her legs.  His cock was heavy and hard laying on her pussy and lower stomach.  Her hips squirmed again at the feeling, and he smirked watching her writhe uncomfortably, her lustful frown as she looked down at him making him beam.  “So desperate for my cock, doll?” he teased, leaning down to kiss, lick and suck at her tits insistently.  

“Yes,” she said unabashedly, her fingers back in his hair and scratching down his scalp.  

“Is this how you want it?” he asked, dragging his lips across the skin of her chest.  “The dream where I fucked you hard and fast on my bed, with you begging me to fill you, huh?”

“Oh my…GOD YES!” she grunted.  

He chuckled against her sternum before moving back up and kissing her.  “On your stomach, doll,” he instructed.  Y/N immediately rolled over, planting her knees on the bed and raising her ass in the air with her face down in the bed.  She heard him huff another laugh and then position himself behind her, rubbing his cock through her soaked lower lips.  His flesh hand slapped her ass cheeks, and she whimpered again at the sting that he rubbed out gently.  “Such a good, obedient girl,” he said lowly, teasing her pussy with the tip of his cock over and over again.  “Go on.  Beg.”

She turned her head to try and look at him as best as she could, her eyes pleading with him as she shook her ass back against his hips.  “Bucky, honey, please…please?  I need you to fill me.  I want your fat cock to fuck me and fill me up, please.  Please please please, honey?  I’ll be so good.  Your good girl.”

His eyes rolled back at that and his mouth dropped open.  “Damn right you are,” he groaned, then thrust forward and filled her completely.  Y/N yelped at the sudden stretch and fullness, her face smooshing back into the bed as she dropped her head down and her own eyes rolled back.  He was perfect.  She had never been so full in her life, and she knew instantly that she was ruined for any other man.  Bucky let her adjust for a minute, a deep hum vibrating in his chest that she could surprisingly feel through her pussy, then he rolled his hips.  That pulled a whine from her, and from then on it was like a bargain between them.  A roll of the hips for a moan.  A hard snap for a whimper.  Widening her legs for a grunt and hands squeezing her ass cheeks.  They were playing with each other, learning what the other wanted and responded to the most.  Y/N had never felt so turned on or completely loved and cared for, and it made her sniffle as she started to cry.

“You crying, doll?” Bucky asked, laying his front over her back and kissing between her shoulder blades.  “Does it feel that good?”

“Yes, honey,” she moaned, her fingers grasping the comforter in a death grip.  “Never been so…mmh, full before,” she said.

“Really?  Aw, buttering me up, huh?” he asked, the teasing tone coming back full force, his lips tracing along her back and his teeth nipping at her randomly, making her tense up.  The way his beard was leaving goosebumps along her sensitive skin was tantalizing.  “Gonna keep praising me ‘til I cum deep inside this pretty, sloppy pussy?  God, you’re better than my dreams, Y/N.”

Y/N shivered at all the different sensations coming together to make her start tipping over the edge of another orgasm.  Her face thrashed against the bed as the pace of his thrusts picked up, snapping into her hips so hard that the slapping of skin echoed in his room.  His fingers gripped her hips hard, and she knew she’d be bruised and sensitive the next day, but that somehow made it even hotter.  “Oh fuck…fuck, fuck, Bucky I…ungh,” she groaned as her pussy pulsed around him.  “Fuck me full, honey!  Please!”

“Yeah,” he huffed, the pace getting even faster.  He leaned over and adjusted his feet on the bed, making it so he was mounting her.  He tucked his face into the side of her neck, his heaving breaths heating her ear.  “Take it, doll.  Take all of me like the good girl you are.  And all mine.”  Bucky bit her shoulder, not hard but enough to make her shudder.  “Mine,” he growled around the muscle in his mouth.

Y/N came careening over the edge, cumming so hard around his cock that she screamed and shook violently beneath him.  Her pussy pulsed in waves as the orgasm rolled through her body and to each extremity, her vision going white as her voice was muffled into the mattress.  Bucky clenched behind her, his hips pistoning into her a few times more until he whimpered in her ear and then shoved himself as far in as she could and stiffened.  Another deep hum vibrated through him as he came, and she could feel the warmth increase inside her as he filled her up just the way she wanted.  

It took her a few minutes to come back to herself, but when she did she could still feel him rutting into her from behind, his lips still at her shoulder but kissing and licking at the bite mark he left, and his hands generously massaging over her back, sides and hips.  He gripped his cock between them and squeezed, making sure to get every last drop of cum was emptied into her still undulating pussy walls, her hips twitching periodically.

“Good girl.  You’re such a good girl,” he said, his voice sounding tired.  “Did so good for me, doll.  That was amazing.  Thank you.  Thank you for walking into my dreams.  My pretty dream girl.  Fucking hell…”

She giggled as he turned to his side and pulled her with him, keeping his cock tucked inside her as best as possible as he settled them more comfortably.  “My dream man came to life,” she teased, reaching back and pinching his hip.

Bucky laughed and grabbed her hand, pulling it up to his mouth and kissing her fingers.  “Your dream man.  My good girl.”

She nodded and leaned her head back into his chest, and he kissed her top of her head near her hairline.  “Your good girl.”

@nerdreader

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Breaking Point Chapter 3

Whitebeard Pirates x Teen GN Reader

4.3k words

First / Prev

Summary: You're in the thick of it now. On a pirate ship surrounded by enemies and powerless against them. What will these bloodthirsty brutes do to you now that you're at their mercy?

Warning: mild suicidal ideation, mentions of drugging, cancer mention, trauma responses

Many questions race through your mind as Elise pushes you down the long hall of the Moby Dick. Namely: Why you? What did you do to deserve this fate? What would that fate even be?

One thing seems certain. You won't survive this. Of course you won't. You're completely defenseless around one of the most powerful pirate crews on the planet, and you're a marine. Well, a former marine, but you doubt they know or care about that fact. 

Sweat is beading on your face and back as you sit in a petrified silence because even the heavy dose of sedatives you believe they have you on can only numb your mind so much. An inescapable sense of dread looms over you, getting heavier every second as you draw nearer to the door at the end of the hall. 

Would Elise take you back to the infirmary if you pretended to faint? It might be worth a shot… Or maybe that would just make her double down on her alleged quest to get you fresh air. You're usually an enviable strategist, but your disordered and foggy thinking does nothing to bely that fact. You couldn't think your way out of a paper sack right now. 

Thatch quickens his step to get to the door first. He looks completely relaxed and carefree about this funeral procession in disguise. Which you suppose makes sense. A marine's death is probably downright mundane to a pirate. You don't fault them for such a mentality. Admittedly, a pirate's death was just as unremarkable to you as a marine. It was a fact of war. 

And now it was your turn to be a casualty of it. 

The sunbeams that shine through after the door is opened momentarily blind you, which is equal parts relieving and distressing. You're spared the sight of what is to come, but your brain is left to fill in the blanks on its own, and it never shows you less than the worst case scenario. 

Images of pirates lying in wait with their weapons at the ready flash through your mind. In your mind, they’d been given a covert heads-up that you were on route to your life’s terminus. This medical gurney would become your deathbed in a matter of seconds as they used your body as a pincushion for their weapons. 

As your eyes adjusted to the light and made sense of their surroundings, you found yourself… very much not surrounded. Thatch was there, and you could assume Elise was still the one pushing you, but no one else was in your immediate vicinity.

That’s not to say that there weren’t any other pirates here, you could see many. But they were just casually milling about with no real sense of urgency. They haven’t seen you yet. Perhaps the assumption that they knew you were coming was off base. Certainly their behavior will change once they realize you’re here.

Elise hums as she pushes you over to the taffrail so you can have a scenic ocean view as you’re murdered. How considerate. Maybe they plan to simply toss you overboard and let your devil fruit status take the reigns in your demise?

Rather than taking in the sight, you scan the open deck of the ship. More specifically, you’re logging who all is here. Much to your mounting horror, you spot a majority of the division commanders. Diamond Jozu, Flintlock Pistol Izou, Vista of the Flower Swords, all of the heavy hitters of the Whitebeard’s are lurking nearby. Even Fire Fist Ace is here, and now you don’t have the means to counter his flames. You are so dead. You wouldn’t be able to fight your way out of here even if they removed the seastone cuffs.

Lastly, your eyes settle on the large and imposing figure of Whitebeard himself. You were well versed on who he was, any marine worth their salt was, but even still you were startled by the sheer size of him. His looming frame cast a wide shadow across the deck and all the way over to you, encompassing you fully.

Height aside, there was something else that struck you about him. There was talk of his failing health, but no one had clear answers on its severity. You never would have guessed it was this bad. The drip stand behind him had multiple IV bags hanging from it, several chest tubes were attached to him, and he even had a nasal cannula that you almost missed thanks to his mustache. What appeared to be an entire ward of nurses were hard at work around him.

Then the absolute worst thing happens. While you are blatantly gawking at Whitebeard, he turns his head and makes eye contact with you. You instinctively look away and press yourself back into the thin mattress of your gurney as if it will swallow you up and take you far away from here. It does not. Woe.

A rumbling laugh rolls off of the captain as he bears witness to your nonsensical actions. You sink back even more, but you can’t help but look his way again. He’s still looking at you, and he appears to be amused more than anything. It seems strange to you at first, but you suppose someone like yourself really doesn’t prompt a serious reaction from someone as powerful as him. You were nothing to him even in peak condition. Even in his poor health, you know better than to underestimate him.

His grin was relaxed as he regarded you. “So you’re finally awake,” he shifts and props his chin up on one hand, “and in better spirits, I hope?”

What the hell were you supposed to do with that? Answering felt ridiculous, but ignoring him felt downright stupid. Whitebeard wasn’t someone that you could just up and snub! That would be like telling Big Mom to piss off! Should you be honest and say that no, your spirits are in fact quite abysmal, or are you supposed to lie and say that you’re just peachy keen?! Oh, but now you’ve been silently staring at him for too long, you’re making it weird! In a frantic attempt to save face and not give him a reason to be angry at you, you nod your head up and down and blurt out an answer, “I-I’m fine, sir!”

Whitebeard’s eyebrows raise slightly, then he laughs again, this time much harder. Probably over the way your voice cracked, if you had to guess. You sounded like one of the fresh recruits rather than a seasoned marine. Akainu would never approve of you speaking in such a disgraceful manner.

“It’s been a while since someone called me that. You can drop the formalities, my child, this is a pirate ship.”

What did he just call you? Is he… belittling you? By using such a juvenile term to describe you, it certainly felt that way. Is this a joke to him? Are you a joke to him?

“Hey!” You're startled by the sudden proximity of a new voice. You break away from your staring contest with an Emperor and see that Fire Fist Ace is strolling on over to you. He flashes a relaxed, boyish grin your way and perches himself up on the railing next to you. “You're looking like you're feeling better. That's a relief.”

A relief? You fail to see how that would be “relieving” to anyone here. You eye the pirate suspiciously, trying to figure out what he's up to. He's seemingly trying to get you to lower your guard, though you have no idea why. Such a tactic is unnecessary when you're already physically restrained and weakened. As you size him up, you notice some bandages on his right hand. 

Isn't he supposed to be a logia fruit user? Injuries shouldn't be a problem for him. 

Ace follows your gaze to his hand. “Oh, you don't have to worry about that. It's not that bad, I'll be fine.” He lifts the hand up and flexes it open and shut as if to prove his statement.

His wording confuses you. Is he implying that you have a reason to be worried about that? Did you do that to him? Surely you didn't. Your zoan fruit would be largely ineffective in a physical attack against him, and you feel pretty confident in assuming that you didn't spontaneously develop Armament Haki and then forget about it. 

Damn whatever medicine they gave you and the memory loss that came with it. This situation is bad enough as it stands. You don't need to heap confusion on top of it. 

“So this is the marine you and Marco caught? I'll admit I was expecting a bit more… fury?” The flower swords wielder, Vista, had come up on your other side and was now bent down to examine you closely. “Come on, don't you have some threats to shout? Curses to hurl?”

Before your sluggish body can retreat back from having your personal space invaded, Elise pushes his face away with a huff and then swats at the hand he had placed on the sidebar of your gurney. She speaks sternly, reminding you of a mother scolding a child, “Don't antagonize them, I much prefer them like this to how they were. And watch where you're putting your hands, you almost snagged the IV line.”

Yet again, you were in awe of her fearlessness when confronting infamous pirates. Was she truly that brave, or was she somehow naive to how dangerous criminals like these people can be?

Vista, shockingly, immediately concedes and holds his hands up in a placating manner, “Sorry, Sorry! I'll be more careful next time, ‘lise!” 

Elise rolls her eyes, but there's a playful lilt to her tone, “Yeah right, I'm sure I'll have to correct you again before my shift is over, flower boy.”

The way they conversed reminded you of what you'd hear amongst your platoon. A well earned rapport built up over months or even years of a kind of teamwork that can only be wrought from surviving life threatening situations together. Genuinely speaking, you'd never really thought about the fact that pirates would have such bonds. The treachery and the survival of the fittest mindsets that were so commonplace in piracy would surely sabotage such a relationship from forming, right?

Dwelling on this puzzling revelation isn't really an option for you, unfortunately. Not when more of Whitebeard's crew was encroaching on you. 

No doubt, you were probably something of a roadside attraction to them. A (former) high ranking marine whose reputation was built around the fact that you were the child of Admiral Akainu, but now you were reduced to some aloof inpatient strapped to a bed. You suppose the way they stare at you isn't all that far off how you gawked at their captain. Both were sorry falls from grace- not that you would ever even think to dare to say that of Whitebeard. The drugs in your system were keeping you from being that suicidal. 

Ace slipped down from the railing and propped an arm up on the top of your raised up gurney. As you turn your head to see what he's up to, his other arm darts out and tosses your blanket up over you so that it's covering your exposed arm. 

For a moment, you're just vaguely confused. What was the point of that? Did he think- and moreover, care- that you were cold? You stare down at where the thin sheet is draped over your arm, hoping that answers will jump out at you given that you've been sorely lacking in them today. What about your arm was worth hiding?

Wait. 

The scar. 

He was covering up your burn for you. In typical fashion, you feel a distinct lack of clarity despite technically getting an answer. Everyone on this damned ship spoke nonsense, and their behavior was even more mystifying. What was his angle? What did he have to gain from helping you cover a scar before the whole crew could spot it? His expression belies no clear answer. He's looking away and acting like he didn't do anything. 

More and more pirates were meandering over to you, which kept you from trying to press the Fire Fist for answers. Flintlock Pistol Izou was standing near the foot of the bed and looming over you with an intimidating presence as his eyes pierced into yours, seemingly looking for something that only he knows about. 

His painted lips quirk into a half smile, “So what is it like to be on a pirate ship for the first time?”

The straps on your legs and the handcuff around one of your wrists are brought fully to your attention following his question. You make a display out of squirming uncomfortably against them, “A little restrictive, if I'm being honest.” Also terrifying, but you aren't about to vocalize that. 

Some chuckles echo through the crowd you've amassed. Thatch shifts on his feet, then consults Elise, “It wouldn't hurt to let them walk around, would it?”

Elise sighs and looks conflicted, “It would be good for them to stretch their legs, but I was hoping to wait until Marco was back before we tried that.”

Hold on. Were they seriously considering it? Wow. You really aren't shit to them if they're fine with the idea of freeing you. It's a bit of a blow to your ego, frankly.

Vista interjects, “All of us are here, we can help keep an eye on them.” Elise makes a hum of continued uncertainty, so he tacks on, “Just let the kid walk around a bit, it’ll be fine.”

“Fine,” Elise relents. “I'll go get a portable stand for the IV.” She fishes a key out of her pocket and hands it to Thatch before departing. Given that she was the closest thing you had to a safety net around these pirates, her absence was immediately felt. To an extent, you felt like she was keeping everyone else at bay, but now they were free to act however they want.

Thatch approaches you casually, coming off as entirely unconcerned about what you may or may not do upon release. His carefree attitude left you feeling enviable. You were anything but right now. Your eyes flit back and forth between the faces of everyone crowded around you. There had to be dozens of people circling you, not counting Whitebeard himself in the distance. 

Yeah, it made sense why no one was worried about you harming anyone. You had no chance against anyone here, even one-on-one. The whole mob could easily tear you to shreds. Why they hadn’t already was beyond you. Maybe they wanted you free first for the sport of the hunt. Not that there would be much of a hunt. There was nothing in this world left for you to flee to. Laying down and dying was much more appealing than fighting a pointless battle.

The cuff that was locked around a bar on the bed clicks open. Thatch stares at the other one, looking considerably more uncertain about undoing that one. He gnaws at his lip for a moment, then sighs, “We should probably leave that one on until Marco’s here. Let me just…” He holds the cuff on your wrist, grabs the chain connecting it to the other, and then rips it clean off on the first try. “There we go. That should be more comfortable.”

For a few seconds, you just stare at him wide-eyed. That casual display of strength HAD to be an intimidation tactic. This was apparently absolutely nothing new to him, seeing as all that he did after casually ripping apart seastone cuffs was set to work on undoing the straps still holding down your legs.

This crew really was on a whole other level from anyone else. They’d earned the right to be a part of an Emperor’s army.

Once all of your limbs were free, he held out his hands to you, “Here, let me help you down.”

“No,” you recoil back and shake your head, “I can do that on my own.” Thatch holds his hands up and steps back to give you space, which surprises you, but you try not to dwell on it. You resituate the sheet so that it’s draped around you like a shawl and covering your arm. You’ll just say you’re cold if anyone asks. You slide off the gurney and onto your feet, then immediately start backing away from the crowd.

But Vista abruptly grabs your arm and pulls you back. Involuntarily, you flinch. Your shoulders jump up and your free arm raises into a defensive stance. Here it was. This was it. The pack was ready to tear you limb from limb for everything that you’d done as a marine.

“Whoa there.” His grip on your arm loosens, enough to be noticeable, but not enough for you to be able to pull away. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but you were going to rip your IV out if you kept going.”

Your… Oh. Dammit. You’re so stupid! In a sorry attempt to save face, you mutter out a quiet, “I wasn’t scared.” Ugh. That sounded fake even to you. The slight tremble in your voice was a dead giveaway. How pathetic. You get a little bit of drugs in your system and you’re reduced to a whimpering cowardly mess.

Vista hesitantly releases your arm, his hand hovering over it briefly to see if you’d try to move away again. You didn’t. He pats your shoulder before pulling away, “See? Everything is okay.”

It most certainly was not, but you don’t say as much. You’ve made enough of a fool of yourself. The last thing you needed was to keep running your mouth and start crying or something else humiliating like that. You pull the blanket around yourself tighter and stare down at your feet. There wasn’t much of a point in watching the people around you when there was nothing you could do about them. Whatever happens, happens. 

A door opens nearby, and you can hear a set of footsteps and the sound of wheels rolling over the wooden flooring of the deck. Pink shoes come into your line of sight. Elise is back. The liquid inside the IV bag swishes softly as she moves it to the mobile stand, “There we go! How are you feeling? Are you lightheaded at all?”

You shake your head, “No. I’m fine.” You hazard a glance at Elise and see her smiling back at you. What was there to be so damned happy about?

Her smile persists despite your terse response, “That’s great! Now, what do you want to do?”

Huh? “What do I… want to do?”

“Yeah. Do you want to go for a walk? We could go to the kitchen and get you something to eat if you’re still hungry.” She stares at your mystified expression expectantly, but her smile starts to droop when all you do is continue to stare at her. “Or we could do something else if you want. What do you usually do for fun?”

“For fun? I was a marine, I didn’t have time for “fun”, don’t be ridiculous.” Your entire life has been training, sparring, and studying. Fun was for children, not soldiers.

Elise’s mouth hangs open in surprise, the smile finally gone. She shakes her head and steps closer to you, “Hey now, don’t say that! Come on, surely you had at least one hobby. Like something that you did to relax after a long day?”

���To relax after a long day? You mean sleeping?”

“No!” Elise pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs sharply, “No, I mean an activity, not something you have to do to survive. Something fun.” You just stare at her blankly, and her hands find purchase on her hips, “Give me an example. Tell me something that someone might do for fun. It can be anyone or anything.”

Why was she so hung up on this? You huff out a sigh and look down at the floor again. What was something “fun”? Well, one thing comes to mind. Memories of Akainu tending to his precious bonsai trees flash behind your eyes. “Does gardening count?”

“Yes! Do you like gardening?”

“No.” Your expression twists into a bitter scowl, “I do not.” You hated those damned trees. They were completely useless, yet Akainu treated them better than anything and anyone.

“O-Okay! Um, how about we try something new then?” It would seem the hatred within your words took her by surprise. It honestly surprised you a little, too. You never emoted this much.

Similarly, you were never this confused, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that you should give a new hobby a try. I think that would help you to feel much better.” Elise is smiling hopefully at you.

She really was bound and determined on this matter, wasn’t she? “What am I even supposed to do?”

Thatch steps forward, “A lot of people enjoy baking as a hobby. I could show you the ropes if you’ll let me.”

Izou speaks up next, “Tea preparation can be an artform in and of itself if you take it seriously enough. You could try that.”

Elise claps her hand together, “Oh, what about watercoloring? I would be more than happy to share my supplies with you!”

Everyone around you starts calling out random hobbies with enthusiasm. Sewing, reading, flower pressing, hiking, pottery, origami, fishing, the suggestions don’t end. This was completely and utterly baffling. It was entirely nonsensical. They should be killing you, or ransoming you at the very least. Why were they doing this?

What even was this? You didn’t have a word to describe their actions.

—

Teach sat away from the crowd. He had no desire to be around that cutthroat little shit. Last time he was this close to you, you damn near slit his throat open. His finger ghosts over the scar on his neck from where one of your talons cut him. Had you aimed just a little higher, his jugular would have been torn open.

What the fuck was Whitebeard thinking? His old age was definitely getting to him.

A quick glance up at the captain all but confirmed his thoughts. The old man was watching the spectacle with open bemusement. He’s definitely gone soft. An unsurprising development given his poor health. Anyone’s mind would begin deteriorating when cancer was eating them alive from the inside out.

“Are you really sure about this, old man?” He can’t help himself, he needs more insight on what’s running through that fool’s mind.

Whitebeard turns his head to look at him, “Am I sure about what?”

“That marine.”

“That child is no more a threat than any of the nurses on board.” Teach begged to differ on that front. The worst any of them had done to him was wrinkle their noses at him. “Besides, from what Marco told me about what they said after being captured, it sounds to me like they are a former marine.”

Does that make any difference? Once a marine, always a marine. Hating and killing pirates was in your blood.

A quiet, rumbling chuckle escapes Whitebeard, “Come now, don’t tell me you’re scared of the kid.”

“Me? Scared? Perish the thought!” Teach laughs and hopes that it sounds convincing. “I would just hate to see anyone get hurt because of them.”

His concern is waved off, “You worry too much, my son. They aren’t going to hurt anyone, I can tell. I’ve been around for a long time, I have become a good judge of character by this point.”

Teach chuckles at his words, “Yeah, you’re right, pops. Sorry I ever doubted you.” Good judge of character, his ass. What a stupid old fool.

“Pops!” One of the crew members not fawning over the marine hurries over to the captain. What was his name? Teach couldn’t be bothered to remember. There were far too many people crammed onto this ship for that.

“Yes, Colsman?” How the hell was Whitebeard able to keep track of all these names and the unremarkable faces attached to them? Ridiculous. 

“You have a call coming in.”

Whitebeard sighs, “That Admiral really isn’t getting the hint, is he?”

“It isn’t coming from Marineford.” Colsman inches closer, a combination of confusion and apprehension on his face, “It’s originating from Totto Land.”

That definitely got the old man’s attention. And Teach’s, if he’s being honest. Big Mom was quite literally the last person he was expecting to hear from today. Whitebeard sits up straight, “What does Lin Lin want?”

“That’s the weird part, it isn’t Big Mom on the line. It’s a different woman, but she’s adamantly refusing to disclose who she is to anyone but you. She insists that the matter is urgent and involves,” he cocks his head back at the marine, “them.”

Whitebeard stares at Colsman, then at you. He nods, “Very well. I’ll take the call in my quarters.” The nurses all set to work on mobilizing his medical equipment to follow him, and Teach finds himself wanting to do the same. Then again, he’s sure that the nurses will be forced out of the room for the duration of the call. He doubts that he’d be able to eavesdrop without being caught.

Teach looks over at the marine again. What could the Big Mom Pirates possibly want with you? Was there some use to you that he wasn’t aware of? He supposes that he’ll have ample opportunity to find out so long as he continues playing his cards right.

Your wings have been clipped, after all. He doesn’t need to be scared of you now.

Taglist: @twotrucksinatree @tigerstarstorm @mu5hro0m @brooks-real @one-piecelover @ratchetprime211 @ithoughtthinks @simpfor2dpeoole @vinillies @selfindulgenceisthekey

[cosmica-galaxy]

I love your child! Witch reader series; It’s so wholesome and I love how you’re able to incorporate each character’s personality well!

I had a thought for an AU, where instead of PV/the current ancients finding and taking care of the child, what if it was pre-corrupted beasts? Since SMC is the counterpart for PV, it would make sense for him to be the primary caretaker.

How would the pre-corrupted beast help raise the child? how would the reader react to them eventually becoming corrupted and having to be locked away? What abt the beasts feelings? Things like that.

(Sorry for bad grammar and if this doesn’t make sense, English isn’t my first language.)

Oooh, very interesting! In this alternate timeline, I imagine that the Good Witches of Earthbread and the old fallen heroes used to be closer than depicted in the cutscenes. So much so, that the witches themselves would entrust their YOUNG into the care of said heroes from time to time by making them temporarily cookie-sized to assist the heroes in the process of caring for them until their guardians came back.

The old fount of knowledge is often used by one of the witches as a part-time babysitter for their powerful offspring while their parent is off taking care of issues in the new world. He didn't mind it, as the baby was very well-behaved and seemed to enjoy listening to him yap and yap about various things in Earthbread. They especially love his specially-made pop-up books that he would read to them during story time. During his visits with the other not-yet beasts cookies, they used to adore the Herald of Change and The Bringer of Happiness. The herald was amazing at keeping the child entertained and happy, by tossing them about in his numerous arms and rocking them when they get a little fussy. He was a great caretaker when the fount needed to do something really quick. The bringer of happiness was also the perfect step-in mother figure for when the child would grow to miss their guardian, rocking them to sleep or singing them lullabies when they get a little fussy during their visits. The child wasn't as close to the keeper of Volition, nor the knight of Solidarity, but they still hung out from time to time while the fount was busy elsewhere. Each one making sure that their needs were met and that no harm came to the child until the fount came back. But then...the fall began. The fallen heroes gave in to the calls of darkness one by one while the child was in the care of the now abandoned role of the fount of knowledge. He turned to deceit and believed that he would raise the child far more effectively then the witches themselves, which angered the baby's true guardian. A fight broke out in the tower of fallen knowledge after the beast of deceit began his reign of terror over the land. This battle...happens to result in the murder of their true mother and the ex-fount of knowledge to incur the wrath of the ultimate witches. Not wanting to lose what he fought so hard for, he uses his magic to imprison the child into something inconspicuous as a way for them to be safely tucked away for retrieval later. A gem, a card, a chess piece, or an item. Doesn't matter which, as he places them in there for him to retrieve later on--pausing all time, illness, needs, and dreams until he lifts the curse from the item later on once he deals with the witches. That...did not come to pass.

The beast of Deceit is imprisoned with the rest of the beasts under the silver tree sapling and the item that he imprisoned the baby witch into is lost from his old tower and sent adrift elsewhere in the ruined world...with him not knowing what has become of them. The item exchanges many hands for years. It is sold, stolen, shipped, dropped, carried, and studied over the years and even long after the dark flour war. Still carrying the essence and being of the little witch inside of it, unaware of the world and what has become of their old caretakers...or even their own mother. Then one day, it just happens to wash up on the beaches of the Cookie Kingdom and is found by the curious Gingerbrave bunch, who try to find out what it is. Which begins the journey of the little one finally being released when a curious Pure Vanilla holds it for the first time and it reacts to his familiar soul jam. Revealing the relic's precious cargo to the cookies. And the new timeline develops the same as before.

[mylastmoleculeofserotonin]

How is Silco actively trying to make her mental health worse for his personal gain

Did we watch the same show??

I’m planning to make a post going more in depth on this later, but basically it boils down to:

1) He takes her history with Vi and twists his with Vander to make it seem similar as a way to create a false sense of closeness and solidarity between them. He uses this as “proof” that she cannot rely on anyone else, making her extremely dependent on him and him alone for everything from getting her basic needs met, to emotional support. Which alone is bad enough for one’s mental health, not to mention that his approval and affection is connected to how well she performs in missions/what she does to further his plans. Now where I got the intentionality from is that what happened between Silco and Vander was, to put it generously, a conflict of ideologies between two adults, whereas what happened with Vi and Powder was the heat of the moment getting the better of Vi after Powder accidentally killed their whole family as kids. And Silco knew this: prior to the time skip, the only things he says to/about Vander are about their ideologies, how he doesn’t hate him for trying to murder him, and that this whole thing isn’t personal, it’s a necessary step in his plan, the base violence necessary for change. However, that narrative changes completely when he talks to Jinx about it. Silco overemphasized/exaggerated how close he and Vander were and completely downplayed the ideological reasons that pushed them into conflict since that was 100% not what came between Vi and Powder, instead implying it came out of nowhere. Also he talks about it a lot to Jinx even though he was supposedly over it, creating too much disparity for there not to have been at least some level of twisting the story. (Now, even if he genuinely did see it as that harsh of a betrayal and truly is a deeply still affected by it, dumping it onto his teenage daughter who supposedly went through the same thing and using it to tell her to never rely on anyone else while he fully trusts and relies upon at least Sevika if not some other of his operatives, making it still an intentional action to worsen her mental health).

2) he encourages her conflict of identity: Jinx, in season one, is still torn between her identities as Powder and Jinx, and the mentally healthy and constructive thing to do would be to help her accept both parts of herself to create an identity where “I destroy everything I touch” isn’t the core of it (as we see with AU Powder). But that’s the exact opposite of what Silco does. He creates a false dichotomy between Powder and Jinx, saying that one is the source of all her weaknesses and needs to die and the other is perfect and can do no wrong. Accepting and embracing one’s shortcomings is necessary for good and stable mental health, however, Jinx feeling like she’s not allowed to be weak and has to be perfect like Silco says she is, lest she disappoints/lets him down is one of the worst things for one’s mental health. Plus the fact that what made her become Jinx was one mistake and the Powder=mistakes=weakness/Jinx=perfection=strength narrative he spins for her doesn’t allow for her to process her trauma and encourages her to push aside any mistakes she makes and bottle up the subsequent emotions which also is awful for her mental health.

3) He gives a very young, traumatized kid military grade weapons and has her run jobs to hurt her community for his crime empire. Not to mention that one of those said weapon is explosives, the very thing that caused her so much trauma. Also, he has her make another hextech explosive and when she says no, it’s too traumatizing, he still forces her to do it and uses it as an opportunity to bring up the first two points.

4) He only shows his approval/gives her affection when she is successful. The only times we see him be affectionate/approving of her is when she steals the hex tech gemstone and helps him with his eye. Meanwhile, when she is clearly suffering after the mission in episode 3, he only addresses it in terms of “what happened and how can we fix it” while barely looking at her before sending her away. The last thing Jinx needs is to be deprived of connection when she fails at something/makes a mistake as that was also at the center of her past trauma, which Silco is fully aware of and yet still does to her anyway.

5) the only time where we really see that he may genuinely care about her is when he is prepared to sacrifice the peace treaty for her. However, we get to hear his true thoughts about her and it is clear that he sees her as his undoing bc he couldn’t help but grow attached to her. Which definitely implicates that he was actively trying to avoid forging emotional connections with her while he makes her so dependent on him. This is reinforced by the fact that he saw Vander’s kids as prizes to be won, not children to be adopted or even people to be cared for, but tools to be used.

6) and this one isn’t one that he would have for certain known and actively used against her, but Powder’s main motivation is to help those she cares about, and with Silco, helping him is equated with hurting others, which again world exacerbate her conflict of identity and making it extraordinarily difficult to see herself as a good person, which is also a key factor in children’s development and mental health.

And out of doing all this, he gains an unwaveringly loyal teenage super soldier who everyone in the undercity is deeply terrified of.

Now with all that said, this isn’t meant as any hate towards Silco or anyone who likes him. I find him an extremely well written and compelling character. I just think he’s an awful person.

[myhouse-mychair-myfics]

Building Bridges

Part 2 of Suppressed Bond

Ridoc Gamlyn x Marked!Reader

“You are still mopping over your princess, pay attention,” Aotrom chastised inside Ridoc’s head as he once again lost focus in class, daydreaming about you.

“Since when do you care?” Ridoc fired back, “besides, she’s not a princess.”

You weren’t. The daughter of a former Tyrrish lord, yes. Not a princess, but close enough in title that he liked to call you that. Liked to imagine you if you weren’t forced into the harsh hell that was this godsforsaken military academy. Liked to imagine the life you could have lived if not for the fate of your family.

“Demoting her doesn’t seem like a good first step in mating her.” Ridoc felt Aotrom’s laughter in his chest more than he telepathically heard it.

“Would you piss off?” Ridoc thought, scribbling notes in frustration.

“If you want any chance of getting near her in the sense you mean-“

“-She’s more than just a quick-“

“I am viscerally aware of all the things you feel for her, both romantic and otherwise. If you want to win her esteem and attention, you’ll have to get through her father of a dragon, first.” Ridoc imagined Aotrom preening at the next part. “For that, you will need my help. So no, I will not piss off.”

“Had to make it about you, didn’t ya?”

“Do you want my assistance or not, Gamlyn? Or are you content for Andell to scorch you on sight?”

“Cadet Gamlyn!” Professor Devera called over Battle Brief, “If I could have your attention, please? It would be greatly appreciated.”

“Sorry.” Then, to Aotrom, “Look what you did!”

“What I did? I am nowhere near. I remain an innocent bystander.”

“Innocent my ass,” Ridoc grumbled under his breath.

“Psst,” you whispered from your seat beside him, bumping him with your elbow, “what’s going on?”

Ridoc mimed the beating of leathery wings with his hands, pointed at his head, then made the yapping signal, eliciting a giggle from you.

Ridoc would swear in that moment, that sound, changed the shape of his eyes to hearts. He prided himself on making those around him laugh, part of his charm, he’d always said. But your laughter? The sound of your amusement? The fact that he could pull that sound from you after all you had suffered throughout your short life?

It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

And he’d do whatever he could to hear it again.

“Oh brother,” Aotrom complained inside his head, “this is going to be a long handful of days.”

Had Violet not been up to whatever weird and secretive shit she’d been dealing with from a day to day basis, she would likely have had something smart to say about him pouring over a book.

Colonel Kaori’s Guide to Dragonkind, to be specific.

“How do you get another dragon to like you?” Ridoc thought aloud, absently.

“If you want advice, you can ask me.”

“And,” Ridoc spoke to his dragon aloud, a fun little habit he’d unwittingly picked up from you, “you have made it clear you don’t have any interest in being helpful.”

“You are serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Yes!” Ridoc exclaimed, tossing his hands up in the air.

“…Tell me about her,” Aotrom said.

“Seriously?”

A grumble of draconic impatience in his head.

“Well, she’s beautiful-“

“-By human standards, sure.”

“Ass.”

Aotrom said nothing, but there was a feeling through their bond that had Ridoc imagining the dragon sticking his tongue out.

“She’s smart, brilliant even. Violet doesn’t talk about it in any detail, but she was apparently indispensable during that battle in Resson-“

“Her having seen combat so early, with that relic on her arm, is likely not going to help Andell’s protectiveness…” Aotrom mused, sounding as if he really was thinking through the problem.

“I just want… I just want her to be happy. To see her smile. Make her laugh. She isn’t just another girl to me, you know. She’s… I… I’m in love with her.” Ridoc could hardly breathe, having finally voiced the inkling of a thought that had hung in his head for weeks.

Ridoc heard Aotrom hum in his head. “Wait,” he said, “you actually are going to help me?”

“As much as I enjoy getting my amusement at your expense, Gamlyn, I enjoy working with you, rather than against you. I also… happen to find this cause a worthy one. Of course I’ll help you.”

“Hey, uh, thanks,” Ridoc said.

“Keep the sappiness out of it.”

“Sure thing,” Ridoc laughed, “Sure thing.” He felt ghosts of dragon laughter, but let it go. “Alright, dragon expert, pun intended by the way, where do we start?”

“Are you alright?” Andell’s soft voice filled your head with his usual check in after most of your year filed out of the flight field. You did not have anything to compare it to, but something in you felt Andell’s voice was uncommon among his kind.

Someone had ambushed you leaving breakfast this morning. You had a bruise on your cheek Andell had already seen and fussed over, demanding to know if any rider was responsible so he could take it up with their dragon. You’d told him truthfully that it was one of those infantry thugs Colonel Aetos had been sending and he’d been summarily dealt with.

“Besides all the threats upon my life? Great!”

Andell snarled, his front claws churning the dirt beneath him.

“Not the time for jokes about that, noted.” You switched into mental communication for the next part. “How’ve you been doing? I know you know what I mean,” you thought, kindly but firmly.

A mental sigh reached you as Andell lowered his head as you approached. “This is a decent day. You?”

“I’ve had better ones in this regard. Two days ago would have been a family birthday.”

Andell’s head reached the right height as you held your hands out to either side of his face. Carefully, you held your foreheads together and just breathed. Your go-to way to comfort each other.

You smiled at him as you sat down at his feet, resting your back against his leg. You could feel Andell sigh contentedly as he curled his front around you. The two of you alone in the field, resting your weary souls together.

You were not alone in the field for long. Andell sensed it just slightly before you. He shifted his leg, protecting you between his claws as he raised his head slightly in the direction of crunching dirt.

“Hey!” A familiar male voice called, “funny catching you guys out here!”

Andell’s growl rumbled in his throat, but you placed a hand on his leg.

“Play nice,” you said, “it’s just Ridoc and Aotrom.”

Andell’s attitude did not change.

“Relax, Ridoc’s a… friend. You can trust him,” you whispered, shifting fully into telepathic communication for the next part, “I know you’re jumpy after everything but my friends aren’t part of the whole Post-Resson shit.”

“Not what I’m worried about…” Andell grumbled, his gaze flicking between Ridoc and Aotrom. “And watch your language.”

“Very funny,” you said sarcastically, earning a chuff from Andell.

“Ridoc,” you addressed, moving beyond Andell’s protection a fraction. Enough that Ridoc could reach you without getting his head bitten off, but not enough for Andell’s anxiety to spike. “What brings you by?”

“Well,” Ridoc drawled, crossing his arms behind his head as he flashed his boyish smile, “you two always seem to have fun sitting out here. I’ve had a lot on my mind, I thought it might be nice to sit out here too! Take the edge off.”

“A lot on your mind,” you said, amused, “that can’t be good. Like what?”

“Like,” Ridoc began, but then his eyes finally lit on your cheek, at the fresh purple bruise there. “Like who the hell did that to you.”

“Challenge accident, my fault” you said, easily, the go-to lie.

“Respectfully, Princess,” Ridoc said, a bit of outrage mixing with his voice, “that’s horseshit.”

“Ridoc?”

“I was at challenges with you, I watched all your fights. No one hit you there. You never let them.”

Shit. That’s right.

The dragons were silent as they watched you both, Andell taking an ever so slight step forward. He didn’t care if Aotrom was right there, if Ridoc proved to be a threat to your safety, to the fragile happiness his beloved human had to chisel out of this place with a pickaxe, he’d tear the boy to shreds.

Instead, Andell was surprised when he heard Ridoc snarl, “who did this to you?”

“Ridoc, it’s fine,” you said, “I’m putting a salve on it and it’s healing just fine. I don’t need you to-“

“Who did it?” Ridoc asked again and you fell silent. You’d never seen Ridoc this angry. Both dragons were shocked too, their heads pulled back, eyes wide.

Sensing your unwillingness to answer, Ridoc continued his tirade. “Is it some bullshit about your family? Of all the shitty things to do. I’ve seen the other marked ones beat up as well. This is about that isn’t it? You guys are being targeted.”

“Ridoc-“

Ridoc was lost in the other world that was his outrage. He was furious at the injustice of it all and said as much, “Why the fuck isn’t leadership doing anything!? You guys are already forced to be here! What more blood do they want!”

“Ridoc!” You finally shouted and he stopped, wide eyes gaping at you.

You crossed closer to him, mildly surprised that Andell did not voice any trepidation at your movement.

You placed a hand on Ridoc’s shoulder and said, “while I find your outrage on my behalf sweet, I can fight my own battles. The cadet who did this won’t be doing it again. Tyrrish kids are made of sterner stuff than most. I’ll be fine.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to like seeing you hurt,” Ridoc said, almost a whisper.

“Then let’s do this, hmm? We can take care of and look out for each other, stepping in when asked or absolutely necessary. That way neither of us lose our cool or pull a Dain, sound fair?”

“Yeah,” Ridoc said, “look there’s been something else I’ve wanted to tell-“

Ridoc stiffened as Aotrom spoke to him in his head, his eyes taking on that same glazed quality whenever their dragon spoke to them. Present in the moment but listening to something only for them. Once the sharpness returned to Ridoc’s eyes, he glanced fearfully up at Andell.

Your dragon stared down his snout again, blowing a stream of steam out over him. No one moved until the smoke dissipated. Ridoc’s eyes remained on Andell as the dragon stared at him again for a long moment, expecting him to run. Ridoc stayed right where he was, softly holding your hands.

Andell’s head bobbed slightly once in a way you couldn’t even figure out the meaning of.

The moment came and went as you turned back to Ridoc, “what was it you wanted to tell me?”

“Uhh…” Ridoc gulped.

The shout of your last name and Ridoc’s over the flight field suggested that the two of you had been missing for too long. Andell leveled his head in the direction of Dain’s voice and growled, loudly.

“No, no, we should go,” you said, not in the mood to pick another fight, verbal or otherwise. “I’ll see you later big guy,” you told your dragon who you could almost swear pouted before surging off into the air, Aotrom soaring quickly behind looking for all the world to be nagging your older dragon.

“Come on,” you said to Ridoc, mentally preparing for the rule laden speech you’d receive from your Wingleader.

Ridoc tried to come up with something to say, some joke to make, but for once he was at a loss for words.

Maybe appeasing your dragon was the easy part.

A/N: And yes, I am absolutely planning on writing a third part! <3

[amirsnothere]

Found Home

Bucky X Reader

A/N - Just like everyone else, I watched Thunderbolts and I'm back on my Marvel loving shit. It's been a few years, but I'm excited to be back in it! I definitely had to take time to revisit all the Bucky content in preparation for this series though! Right now, the series is intended to be timeless, but I personally sorta picture it being before/around FATWS timeframe.

The first part is set in Bucky's POV, but all the rest of the parts will be Reader POV

Series Warnings: slow-burn, swearing, shouting, slight violence, pregnant reader (with another man's baby), Bucky's trauma, reader has trauma, mentions of verbal & physical abuse (let me know if there's more!)

Summary: Bucky has loud neighbors. One day he decides to pay them a visit.

Word Count: 695 (following parts will be longer)

Pt 1 Pt 2

Bucky minded his own business. After everything, he had earned his peace. Or what semblance of peace he could get.

The nightmares hadn't stopped, everyone who may have once loved him was dead. But he had a consistent place to call "home" at night, and he even had a regular visitor at the bird house he had attached to the dining room window. The bird house was a gift from Sam, a man Bucky thought he might consider as a friend, he said to remember him by. Three solid wood walls, the fourth replaced by the window itself, allowed Bucky to see anytime he had a visitor.

Bucky had named his little bird friend "Sam Junior" in his memoriam. When Sam heard, he protested, but he was laughing the whole time he begged Bucky to change it. After a bit of bribery, Sam was able to convince him to just to call the bird SJ, so that no one would know that his entire legacy lay in a cardinal.

The occasional visit from SJ to his window often felt like the best of sense of "home" Bucky had had in a very long time. Unfortunately, SJ didn't stick around for long when the yelling was happening.

Bucky didn't want to get involved in other people's problems. Hadn't his own parents had the occasional fight? Well, when he moved in, maybe it was just occasional, but since then, the fighting became more frequent, and much harder to ignore.

Bucky saw the women who lived next door almost every day. She usually left for work around the time he went on his morning run. They'd often walk down the stairs together, sometimes commenting on the landlord's ridiculous new policies, or making small talk about the weather. Bucky noticed she seemed to always run cold - whether it was raining, snowing, or 90° out, she always wore a sweater. He couldn't help but be impressed by her collection.

When she came home from work, he was often making his own way back from errands or meetings or whatever else he did to occupy his time. They'd walk back up the creaky stairs together and he'd listen as she mentioned the latest gossip from her job or what she planned to make for dinner. Sometimes they ran into each other outside of this predictable routine - maybe he would offer to help carry her groceries - she would always politely decline.

He almost never saw her partner. Bucky heard his loud, usually angry, voice frequently enough, that he knew the man still lived there. The ring on her finger suggested she was at least engaged, if not married, but he wished she would just dump the guy already. He sounded like a bully at best.

But Bucky really was trying to mind his own business, and if it was anyone's place to bring up their concerns, her ex-assassin neighbor certainly wouldn't be at the top of the list. Sometimes after a bad night, he would really consider saying something more forward to her, but the look in her eyes and the sharp corners of her smile warned him not to. So he stuck to talking about the weather.

Bucky could hear the yelling from outside of the building when he got home later one evening. Usually, he would just hear the man shouting at the woman. Occasionally she would let out an exhausted cry of protest, but it normally just sounded like a the typical argument she had likely grown used to losing.

As Bucky climbed the stairs to his floor, a deep feeling settled in him. Something about tonight did not feel normal. Reaching his floor, he paused, clenching the handrail until it started to warp under his grip.

Bucky was used to the man sounding angry. Somehow the word "furious" seemed more fitting now. She usually sounded frustrated. Now, he couldn't help but hear fear.

Bucky took a deep breath, a deep strech in his chest as he tried to steady his exhale. He flexed his fingers as he let go of the handrail. So much for minding his own business.

He walked up to the neighbors’ door and knocked.

[leaawrites]

My Girlfriend

Part 2 to Your Girlfriend

Eli Hewson x fem!reader

Summary: when Eli meets up with an old friend, he's far more interested in his girlfriend

Warnings: making out, toxic relationship (not Eli), swearing, breaking up with your boyfriend for Eli

Wordcount: 2.9k

Masterlist, Inhaler Masterlist

The hours ticked by in slow motion, her eyes drained on the still unopened door of her flat. Phone, still turned on, laying on the little table beside her, reading the text Tom had sent 30 minutes ago.

'I'm heading out now, be there in five.'

Nothing else.

It was the first text he'd sent that day, not texting again after leaving her with Eli, a person she barely knew, in a cafe because of his work. No extra apology, no 'hope you got on well enough and he wasn't too annoying', no question as to whether she got home safe that day or not. It was complete radio silence until he made sure that she was still free for him.

Engaged but not living together. It was laughable. Comical in a sense that made her want to cry. When bringing up the topic of moving in together, it was always the same on his side. An eye roll, gushing about how she was acting so clingy before answering with an, 'My apartment is like my second office. If we move in together you'd feel like a part of it. I don't need more distractions than I already have.'

So after a bit, she stopped asking altogether.

Keeping their private lives separated by five streets. His work place in the middle of it all. A five minute walk away from her flat. A five minute walk that took him thirty minutes and soon a full hour until the lock finally clicked and Tom came walking in. Throwing his keys on the dresser and his coat over her own when a free hanger was available for him. One she emptied for him.

"What took you so long?" she asked, watching him as he walked into her kitchen, brewing himself a cup of coffee. Acting like nothing was wrong.

If she was being honest, she couldn't stop thinking about Eli's words. He wasn't paying attention to her, wasn't asking questions. He stood in her kitchen like it was theirs, treating her home like it was his when he made it clear that he didn't want that to be a truth. Making her wait like she was depended on him.

In the span of 5 minutes, Elijah Hewson had asked her more questions than Tom did in 3 years. A guy she only met was more interested in her than her own fiance, the man she was gonna spent her life with. She deserved better, right? She deserved to have someone that loved her and showed it too. But for how long would that hold?

Eli was sweet, he was nice as they talked. But how long would it take for him to get bored of her? It wasn't like she was the Rockstar's girlfriend dream. There was nothing that made her stand out to anyone that knew her after college. Over the course of college, every girl seemed interesting to guys. Afterwards, they had the whole world.

"Do you remember the guy I told you about?" Tom asked, pulling her out of her daydreams. "The one who wanted to invest in the company with quite a big sum?" Humming quietly she tried figuring out where this was going. "I'm having dinner with him in an hour. Would it be a problem if we rearrange ours?"

At his question, her face fell. "You mean, our engagement dinner date?"

"Yeah, that one. We can do it another day, can't we? This is just really important to me. I'm also gonna take a shower and change here, because the restaurant is nearer to your apartment. That way I can relax a bit beforehand. It would be nice if you could leave me on my own for that time though. If it isn't making any complications. But you've got nowhere else to go anywhere, so I bet it won't be a problem for you. Now would it?"

He couldn't be fucking serious, now could he?

Putting on a sickly sweet smile with pressed together lips, she tilted her head as he wasn't even looking at her anymore. Already making his way into her bedroom to take out the clothes he had put away in her closet.

"Be my guest," she said, standing up to follow him.

Taking out clothes herself to go out in, she couldn't even look at him while he stood next to her. Changing out of her comfort clothes and into the ones she planned to wear for their date, throwing her leather jacket over it, she made her way towards the door. Stopping as she watched his keys laying on her dresser from the corner of her eye. Her own keys in her jacket pocket. The all too familiar shape gracing her fingers as she loosened her own from his key chain. Stuffing them into her pocket so he wouldn't find them, even though he would hardly look for them.

Walking out onto the street, she could see the light in her apartment still burning. His frame walking through in shadows.

She had nowhere to go, right? If only he knew.

Looking up his name, she quickly found his band too. Inhaler. Putting a mental note up for herself to ask him about the name later, she kept on looking. Searching for the venue they were playing at, purchasing a ticket and making her way down the street soon enough.

Arriving ten minutes after doors, she found a place close to the bar. Waiting with her eyes glued to her phone as her finger hovered about the 'follow' button on his profile. He wouldn't see it now anyway. Why was she still so afraid of the possibility of him recognizing her?

Trying to remind herself, that no matter where this might lead, whether it would be only a night or a lifetime, she was grateful that he made her realize that she didn't need to be treated the way Tom treated her.

While checking for the time, her eyes recognized something else on the top of his profile. 'Accept following request'.

Pressing down on the blue button, she quickly followed him back before stuffing her phone away. Waiting for the show with a drink in her hand.

The show was incredible. It didn't matter that there were only a few hundred people gathered in the small space, the buzz and energy was the same as in a stadium filled with thousands. The people knew the songs, they new the guys. She only knew him. Watching Eli move and sing wasn't as hard as she thought at first. He was magnifying. Knowingly looking extra slutty with his lips stuck to the mic.

Besides singing a few of the choruses she picked up throughout the night, she kept mostly to herself. Cheering when a song ended and eventually pulling out her phone to get a video of him. Already planning on becoming obnoxious about attending this small gig once they've gotten bigger. If this night was going nowhere, at least she got the memories of attending the gig with her forever.

"Thank you so much for coming," Eli spoke into the mic, both hands holding on to it. Sweat running through his hair as he ran his hand through it. The shirt he wore over the white tank was now somewhere backstage. Laying helplessly after being tossed away in the heat of the moment. "We love you all. Good night."

And then the stage lights went out, their bodies disappearing into the shadows, rushing away to get ready to go home. Bodies tumbled against each other. Faces streaked with tears and smiles. The big lights turning on, blinding the people that were used to the colorful tainted bodies of the band. They were back to normal.

It was over.

Finishing her drink, she kept on looking down at her phone. The screen showing only the picture of the sea she took last year in Italy while on holiday. The holiday Tom had spent writing e-mails and losing track of time hunched over his laptop until she went out without him.

Just like now. An endless circle of misery. One she was gonna break the moment she walked outside and her phone lit up again. A text notification popping up.

'So you've been thinking about our conversation from yesterday'

Another one following shortly after.

'Or am I gonna make a fool out of myself when I say that I think I saw you at the show tonight?'

Laughing at his message, she started typing before she could think clearly. Butterflies swarming her chest. The feeling had grown so foreign in the last couple years. It was always just a sense of familiarity in every situation. Good or bad, it felt all the same. Every touch felt like an accidental brush. Every word felt like it was spoken in a foreign language. One she wasn't willing to learn just to understand it. She wanted it to feel natural.

'I may or may not have just filled half of my memory card with your face'

In the room inside the building, Rob was raising his eyebrow at the smiling boy opposite him who hadn't reacted the first three times his name was called. Eli's eyes never wavering from the screen in front of his face after they settled down in the backstage area to calm down from their high.

"Dude, what's going on with ya?" He asked, the other three lads already looking his way too. Exchanging looks of suspect and high interest.

They haven't heard the end about how his old friend had become this complete douche who had no idea what kind of woman he was able to call his fiancee. At least that's what he hoped she wasn't anymore.

'So you were the girl who couldn't stop filming?'

"It's nothing," Eli replied casually, still not looking up. A wide grin tucking on his lips.

"Sure," Ryan trailed off, stretching the letters a bit more than convincing. "You lot ready to go out?"

'I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only girl with a phone in her hands'

'You got any good shots then?'

'A few solid ones, yeah'

'Maybe you could show me? You know, for promotion and stuff. It's always good to have fan recordings. Makes it seem more organic'

'If you want to see them, you're gonna have to rescue me from the cold streets'

"I might skip tonight." Finally lifting his head. Already grabbing his jacket and starting to put it on.

'Where exactly are you?'

"You got somewhere else to be already?" Josh asked smugly from the side, trying to hide his laughter behind his hand as him and Ryan exchanged a knowing look.

"Is it by any chance a girl you've met yesterday that's most likely leaving her fiance for you?" Ryan asked, almost busting into laughter in between his words.

"Shut up," Eli muttered before leaving the room with quick feet and a huge grin covering his face.

The cold air outside made his breath visible as his eyes frantically searched for her silhouette. About two other people were also waiting, realizing rather quickly who he was as they'd just seen him live for approximately 90 minutes. Asking for a picture he didn't decline and when he looked into the camera, she was standing just a few feet behind it.

His eyes looking past the lens, watching as her focus shifted from her phone screen and towards where he was stood. A small smile grazing her lips at the sight of him. His own widening only a bit more as the camera flashed and the girl, that he had his arm thrown over her shoulder, was squealing in excitement. Thanking him sincerely before moving on, getting into the uber that arrived for them in time.

With slow steps, Eli walked closer to her, trying his best to look like it wasn't a big deal to him that she showed up. To his show. For him. Alone.

"Hey," she said, as he stepped in front of her. Hands anxiously tapping against her leg as she shivered from the cold.

"You're actually here," he said, chuckling at how dumb it sounded once he said it.

Laughing with him, she started to turn around, walking somewhere he wasn't aware of.

"You were really good," she complimented him, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks, but he quickly put it onto the cold air and not on how fast his heart was beating in his chest at her presence and her words. "I'm glad you made me come see you."

"I'm glad you came to see me- us."

"Where's Tom now?" He asked, not quite sure what would be an appropriate question and what was too much to ask. Though it seemed rational in his mind to ask. After all, the ring on her finger was now missing.

"At some dinner with someone I don't know," she explained, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets where it laid. The cold metal gracing the skin it once laid on. "We were supposed to go out as an engagement celebration, kind of. Work was just too important once again for him." Nodding her head as if she had to think about her next words, she continued, "I also couldn't stop thinking about your words. That I deserve someone better, someone who's actually interested in what I have to say about something for once. I guess, I was just too scared to realize that too before now."

"Why? I mean, you're great. Why do you think you have to end up with someone like him?"

"Tom always went on and on about how women, the moment they are out of uni, have minimal chances of getting a good man anymore because most are already in a happy relationship at that point. If you hear something enough times you start to believe it. I never thought anyone else would ever be interested in me again, so I kept the one who tolerated me."

It sounded pathetic when she said it, words she knew weren't true but seemed to feel realer than anything else she'd ever heard about real life as an adult. Most of her friends were happily committed when they left uni, it just made sense to stay that way. It was suffocating but it wasn't killing her immediately like loneliness would've.

"What made you change your mind then so quickly?"

With him it felt like she could breath for the first time.

"If you meet the right person, I think you just know. It doesn't have to be the right person forever but sometimes a moment in pure ecstasy is enough to go the right way." Looking up at him, the two of them stopped in front of her apartment building. The light of the hall illuminating their wide eyes and heartbeats pulsating through their veins. "Little consistent heaps of adrenaline are what bring you to the end of life, not convenient breathing."

Her words were stuck on his mind as Eli tried making sense of what she was saying and his own thoughts trying to intertwine them. Was he one little heap of adrenaline to her? Was he a moment of pure ecstasy to her when she was the only thing on his mind ever since he saw her?

"Are you gonna go back to him again tomorrow morning? Is he gonna return to your bed when his dinner is done and the ring he bought you is back on your finger?" Eli asked, leaning back against the wall to bring a convenient distance between them that wouldn't scare her off.

Truth been told, he would take this little moment on her mind if it was all that she was willing to give him. Even though he knew he shouldn't let her, he didn't take her fingers away when they grazed his jaw. Fingertips trailing over his cheek and lips. Falling down against his neck and fixing the collar of his leather jacket.

"My keys are gone from his key chain, I took them off when I left. I don't want to go back to him, not when you are still by my side in the morning."

Without another thought, Eli leaned down to press his lips against hers. Chasing after her mouth every time she pulled away to catch her breath or let out a laugh at how messily his hands were tangled in her clothes and hair.

"You wanna go inside?" she asked, the sounds muffled against his lips as he wouldn't let her go.

Nodding his head and humming against her lips, he didn't wait for her to open the door before picking her up, unlocking the door and carrying her towards the elevator.

"Eli," she said, trying to push him away with a laugh as they waited for the lift to come down. Trying again and again until she held his jaw tightly in her hands, not letting him move. "This is fun and all, but I actually like my neighbors and don't want them to have a heart attack because most of them are too old for that to happen to them and them getting out alive."

"Just wait till we're behind closed doors, alright?" she tried again as he whined, reluctantly letting her thighs go from his grip and helping her balance herself on weak legs once the elevator pinged and opened it's doors for them.

[hestblossom]

PERSONALLY I think that if Nora decided to put Kevin in the middle of the Jerejean's romance now it wouldn't be very cool in terms of development and it would seem like just abandoned fanservice.

We followed two books focused on Jeremy and Jean getting to know each other and creating a relationship, with an appearance by Kevin in the second one that didn't come to add to their romance, but to add to the issues of the Kevjeans' past. If she decided to put him in the game now, in Jean's last book, it would be a bit out of place and rushed. If it were in Kevin's second book (which apparently ended everything) I imagine it would still be out of place. Besides there being so much emotional baggage between Kevjean that I can't see them together, at least not without MANY years of therapy. And honestly, if she just did a time jump with this step in Kevin's book just to get them together at any cost it still wouldn't feel well developed to me. All the options seem like a sudden change of route to me, if it was just tsc and there was a ROMANTIC interaction of the THREE in tgr it would make a little more sense (and no, their interactions in tgr are not enough to define romantic development FOR ME PERSONALLY)

"So jerejeaners can have fanservice, but not kerejeaners?" There is a difference between making a fanservice around a dedicated development and deciding to put another fanservice in the middle of that development in the last part.

And I understand Kevin and Jeremy's perspective because he's obsessed, but given the way things are I think they both just see each other as a good friendship.

But that's just my personal opinion :)

[cinnamon7girl7]

"THROUGH THE SILENCE, I WILL RETURN TO YOU – PART 2."

♡ — Summary: I thought I had it all — Satoru’s love, Megumi’s warmth, and Suguru’s trust. But even the strongest love can break when truth hides behind silence. One betrayal changes everything; pain drives them apart, yet memories and a love still alive won’t let them go. Now, Satoru fights for a second chance, and she must decide if, after all the hurt, love is still worth it. ♡ — Author's note: This is the second chapter of this story, and I recommend reading the first part first so it makes more sense. I know it's a little short, but the next part is the fight between you and Satoru. I’m really happy you enjoyed the first chapter, so here’s the next one. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: “What You Didn’t Tell Me”

The night breeze slipped in through the half-open window, and although the city seemed to sleep, something inside you couldn’t find rest. You had been smiling, as always, holding onto the routines that made you happy… but that night, you couldn’t ignore what you'd been feeling for weeks now: a soft, invisible, but constant chill growing right between you and Satoru.

The days went on, but his eyes no longer held the same steadiness as before. His answers grew shorter. The jokes you used to share before bed were no longer daily. Sometimes he left without telling you exactly where he was going… and returned late, kissing your forehead with a soft, distracted excuse, one that felt almost rehearsed.

—“I’m fine, it was just work,” he would say.

But you knew him. You knew him the way you know someone who lives in your soul.

And you knew he wasn’t fine.

One ordinary afternoon, you had made mochi for him like in the old days. He loved that gesture. He always said that taste reminded him he had a home.

—“Remember the first time I made this and almost set the kitchen on fire?” —you joked, offering him a piece.

Satoru smiled. But it was a dim, almost uncomfortable smile.

—“Yeah… how could I forget,” —he replied, his eyes falling to the floor.

Then he hugged you quickly, almost as an automatic gesture, and murmured something barely audible:

—“Thanks for still being here.”

You froze for a few seconds. Why would he say that? Why with that tone?

With Suguru, you had always shared a quiet trust, a bond that needed no words. But lately, even he seemed different. Quieter, more distant.

One morning, while you were making breakfast, you sat beside him with a smile.

—“Do you know what’s going on with Satoru?” —you asked casually, pretending it didn’t hurt.

Suguru went silent for a moment. He looked at you, then turned his gaze to the window.

—“It’s nothing serious… he’s just tired. You know how the job is.”

But he didn’t meet your eyes.

And in his pause, in his voice, you knew he was hiding something.

Megumi noticed it too. Even though he didn’t say much, his actions spoke for him. He sat with you longer than usual. Sometimes he hugged you without a word. Other times, he stared at Satoru with an expression that seemed to carry too many questions.

Until one day, while you were folding laundry and he played with his stuffed fox, he suddenly said:

—“Mom… do you think Dad always tells you the truth?”

You turned immediately, surprised. He avoided your eyes.

—“Why are you asking that, Gumi?”

—“I don’t know… Sometimes I feel like he hides things. Like he doesn’t want you to know.”

And in that moment, your chest tightened. Something inside you clicked. As if the pieces were starting to fall into place.

That night, you went downstairs for some water. The house was silent, but as you passed near the study, you heard their voices. They were whispering. It was Satoru and Suguru. The door was slightly open.

—“…sooner or later she’s going to find out, Satoru. You can’t keep this from her anymore.”

—“I know, but I don’t want to lose her. Not yet.”

—“You will if you keep lying to her.”

You froze.

They never knew you heard them.

But from that moment on… nothing would ever be the same again.

[andorerso]

I'm sorry for coming onto your blog to rant but I feel silly for being upset about it and it's nice to kinda vent with people who feel the same so I hope you don't mind <3

Because it's the final arc of Andor tonight obviously a bunch of interviews are coming out etc and Diego Luna in one of them called Bix and Cassian's relationship "Everything! They're each other's home and family and their relationship is every possible angle of love" and I don't know if I've just been watching every episode with my eyes closed but huh?!?!?

With my rebelcaptain goggles on and off this makes no sense to me. Like the "family" part i can completely understand, they've know each other for a large part of their lives, she (as shown in season 1) was very close with Maarva so yeah they're relationship being classed as family and that aspect of love i agree with, I also understand the romantic love aspect, in this season they were together for years BUT it was barely explored or given time to let us really feel it, bix and cassian were pretty much only on screen together when bix was in distress in some capacity and they were making andor play the knight in shining armour and then she took such a monumental choice from him and left. I know that they were going for "wow so tragic and beautiful" but like sorry they weren't successful and that's not really giving "every possible angle of love"

The main issue I think, which I know a bunch of people have spoken about here, is that they shot themselves in the foot withe the window of time they played this relationship out, if Cassian was younger you could understand him feeling like this was his one big true love, his first love, he'd "saved" her etc etc typical teen young adult feelings when it comes to love and relationships but to have this happen 1 year before Rogue One??? eh

It just feels like they're really trying to rewrite what we all saw in Rogue One between Cassian and Jyn, making it so that Bix was "waiting" for him and he could never love someone else when him and Bix are "Everything! They're each other's home and family and their relationship is every possible angle of love" it just stings idk why I'm feeling it so personally but ugh :(

well, this was sent before the release of the last arc and now with all that.... yeah. I agree. I already did but this last arc really solidifies it. like I'm not gonna change my mind about rebelcaptain but I kinda feel like that was Gilroy's intention. he seems very resentful of Rogue One in general, doesn't seem to care about Jyn, nor Cassian for that matter to mischaracterize him so badly. I think he wanted to take this story and make it his own. I'm not sure what his problem is, and I don't even mean to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist shipper, but I genuinely do feel like he has a problem with people shipping rebelcaptain and did everything in his power to try and undo their connection. like I'm not even saying everyone has to see it as romantic or whatever!! but it was AMBIGUOUS, and that was the POINT. you could interpret them however you wanted to. now (and again, personally, it changes nothing for me and I know for many of us) but it feels like he's trying to discourage people from seeing it as romantic. look, Bix promised him they'd find each other! they have a baby! he hints at the fact that he may find her later! isn't this the ultimate doomed love story? don't you think he would have found her if he lived? don't you think they would have been together? doesn't this change how you see Jyn and Cassian??

like Jesus Christ, Gilroy, what's your issue?! I'm not at all against Cassian having a relationship (though I don't think it makes sense this close to R1 but that's another issue), but this feels actively malicious to me. like he's trying to say we're stupid for ever thinking there was something romantic between Jyn and Cassian because he was meant to end up with Bix. I hate it. I hate that we're apparently supposed to see them differently now.

well, I don't. you fucking failed.

[thescrapwitch]

Finwe for the meme?

Yes yes yes I was hoping someone would ask me about him!

How I feel about this character: I have slowly grown more interested in him over the years, especially now that I’ve begun to write in his POV. There are a lot of interesting layers to him: his time before the crossing, meeting the Valar, his very tangled love life, his brilliant but doomed children (and grandchildren), his role as king. He seems to me like someone whose gentle and calm demenor hides pure steel. He approaches conflict very differently than his sons and that makes him a fun change to write.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I love the idea of an Míriel/Finwë/Indis trio who love each other deeply but keep getting separated. Its a tangled sort of relationship that only makes sense to them. When Míriel dies, part of what brings Finwë and Indis together is that shared grief and understanding. And when Finwë dies and Míriel comes back to life, she and Indis cling together for the same reason.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I like the idea of him being very good friends with Thingol! I’m looking forward to writing their reunion and figuring out how that friendship works (its one of those things I won’t know until I actually sit down and write it and let the characters interact, but my writer brain is buzzing at the chance to throw them in a room together because I know there will be so much fun stuff to explore between the two of them!)

My unpopular opinion about this character: Him choosing to go to Formenos with Fëanor was not him picking a favourite child! It was the move of a very worried father who sees that his eldest son is (a) in the process of separating from his wife, (b) getting too much attention from Melkor, (c) clearing going through some sort of breakdown, what with snapping so badly he pulls a weapon on his half-brother, (d) has now been forced into exile by the Valar AFTER said breakdown which will remove him from other people who could support him, and (e) is taking all his kids (and his grandchild!) with him into said exile. Of course Finwë went with him! How else can he make sure that Fëanor got help?

(and it must have been working, somewhat, since Fëanor did leave to go on a hunt with Fingolfin right when the Darkening happened. He must have been doing everything he could to mend that rift and help his child. But, well, we all know what happens in canon…)

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: I wish there could have been a bit of him and Fëanor reuniting in the Halls.

[qwordavoider]

Tease Tidbit Tuesday

No one tagged me but I’ve got a lot written for my secret service au so I decided to share more of it, this time from Tommy’s pov. Follows this snippet.

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If you had told Tommy 5 years ago that he would be smuggling the president’s son out of the White House, he probably would’ve had a stroke. For so much of his life, Tommy had been a stickler for the rules and following them to a T. He found that life was easier that way. Not necessarily better… but always easier.

All of that went out the window when he was assigned to lead Evan Buckley’s personal detail. Prior to that, he had worked security for the family on the campaign trail and then at events after Margaret Buckley won the presidency. But the former agent in charge of Evan, Sal Deluca, had to take a step back from active duty because he and his wife, Gina, just had a baby. Deluca had now taken over the training courses at the Secret Service Academy, JJRTC. When the director, Agent Grant, had called him into her office, Tommy hadn’t expected to leave with his job.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he didn’t expect to be promoted to Sergeant either. Nor to be responsible for all of the officers protecting the first son. Most of the time, it was just him and one or two other agents. Sometimes, when they were among other members of the administration or at the house, it was just him. So it was more manageable than supervising a large team or the entire Secret Service like Athena. But that didn’t mean he took his new role any less seriously.

He probably didn’t even need to be as close to Evan as he typically was. He told himself that it was just because he took his assignment very seriously, and that’s why he sat in the kitchen while Evan and Bobby cooked. Or why he sometimes kept Evan company in the private residence, even when they had additional agents at all the entrances.

Another part of Tommy couldn’t help but stick close to Evan, because if he didn’t, who else would?

His sister was running the women’s shelter she founded in Boston. Evan’s parents were usually never around. Which made sense for his mother, since she was running a country. But for his father? There weren’t so many necessary engagements that he couldn’t make time for his son if he really wanted to.

He didn’t have a lot of opportunities for friends either. Evan was extremely social at all of the engagements he attended, but none of them were calling him to hang out on the weekend. It was an isolating existence, and Tommy felt for him.

Even when Tommy had first met Evan on the campaign trail, interacting with thousands of people a day, he still seemed lonely. The speeches he gave were very well received, and he had to give Evan and the campaign team props for a job well done. But Tommy could tell they were manufactured. The second Evan would step off the stage and into a vehicle to move on to the next event, Tommy would watch the way his mask would drop, and the exhaustion would take over every line of his face.

There wasn’t a whole lot he could do while they were on the campaign trail. But occasionally he would be the one behind the wheel, chauffeuring Evan between events. Those times, he would drive the pre-approved route as slowly as he possibly could. Sometimes going 5-10 mph below the speed limit. It had driven Donato, Maddie’s personal detail, absolutely nuts. They had followed in the car behind them a couple of times when the siblings attended events together.

He didn’t know if it ever made that much of a difference in his mood, but Evan did call him out one time when he was driving. Pointing out that he was consistently the slowest driver of all the agents working the campaign trail. That had also been the start of the “old man” comments. Tommy was happy to pretend to be annoyed by them, if it meant giving Evan a reason to smile during his otherwise exhausting days.

Now his strategy had changed. He was focused on keeping Evan as safe as possible while still allowing him some of the freedom he seemed to so desperately crave. So he drove the getaway car and helped him bribe Daryl to give Evan even just a few hours of peace.

Tonight was no different. They didn’t say anything the entire drive, Evan instead opting for silence while watching the DC buildings pass by. Astrid was one of Tommy’s favorite people whom Evan liked to visit. Tommy drove the route to her place on autopilot after so many visits and found the back entrance to the building easily, despite the darkness.

Tommy had barely parked the car before Evan was unbuckling and jumping out. He practically ran up to the building to where Astrid was standing, keeping the back door propped open with her body.

Tommy watched Evan approach her and found himself holding the door open for them as Evan wrapped Astrid in a tight embrace and, to her delight, lifted and spun her around before following her inside.

“Astrid, you look beautiful as always,” Evan flirted shamelessly

Tommy heard her giggle in response. He trailed a few steps behind, scanning all of the different places someone could be hiding. Tommy knew the building had a high level of security, but he still didn’t want to take any risks.

-

This is part of my make me write if you want to see more feel free to send me an ask 😌

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Tagging my fav @moonydanny 🩷 so you can see this and in case you need/want a little motivation to post a snippet of any of your wips or fic ideas because I’m obsessed with all of them (obviously no pressure either way 🙂‍↕️)

[bleue-flora]

Thought I might as well respond because this topic is fascinating and I have thoughts. :)

I mean like I said, for the most part I also don’t think there was a plan post prison, outside of whatever the saw room was for and the plans of revenge. And I do think that Sam and his abuse of power and corruption was a huge factor of Dream’s failed plan for the prison. But I’m not sure about Dream proposing worse conditions that Sam declines therefore proving his trustworthiness, as I believe the only thing I can remember at the moment is that Dream didn’t want the prisoner to have books originally. Which doesn’t really say much about Sam, though it does serve as another point of evidence for Dream never intending on revealing the revival book nor using it at this time. Showing that it was truly his last card to play to save his neck… anyways, but Sam changed the steak to potatoes and closed off the courtyard, so it’s not like Sam really did much to prove himself in that manner. I think there are other reasonings why he trusted Sam to be a just and fair Warden, even his foundation in engineering [post] for one…

Anyways, I think it’s also important to note a few things in your reasoning that seem perhaps flawed to me personally. Firstly, I don’t think Dream did it to unite the server, something I just wrote a separate essay about [here] (so that this didn’t become too long lol). It doesn’t really align with his reasonings as far as what he says and does. So in that manner his prison plan didn’t fail because it was never the goal at least in my personal opinion. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Instead, I think he thought he’d be let out, something he says to Tommy and Sapnap, so he didn’t have a concrete escape plan because of that. Techno’s favor was his last card then, should things go wrong. He just wasn’t prepared for how wrong they could go, as his visitors got cut off and then Quackity… as for Ranboo, my theory is that it wasn’t actually an attempt to escape, but just to trap Tommy with Dream so they would be forced to reconcile… the reason Punz wasn’t involved in Dream’s prison break was because another part of staged finale was a clear divide between Punz and Dream so Punz wouldn’t be attacked because of Dream. If Punz stepped in that would undo the only remaining point and really make it all useless. So I imagine Punz was advised to not get involved for that reason, hence the favor which would give Techno a reason to help Dream without being Dream’s friend or ally therefore not making him a target… but that’s just the theory that makes the most sense to me given the things we know…

Tbh thinking about the plan stagedduo had, we kinda know what their objective was but we dont know how they were gonna achieve it. We can speculated about the bits of their plan we know, like why the staged finale and the prison, on how there might have been a plan for cdream to speedrun his stay to soon go meet punz outside, the death experiments etc etc. But im gonna be honest, I dont think they had a very concrete plan after the prison. We know that whatever plan the had for the prison went wrong, but after that we dont see much of them trying to achieve their objective.

Bc of the talk we saw while they planed staged finale, punz knew about dream objective of wanting the server as a family united, and agreed with it and that didnt change even in the finale. So they really didnt do much to achieve that post prison. We saw mostly punz encouraging dream in his revenge plans and this plans failing. We actually see dream lacking a lot of initiative here. We never see them do much to achieve this, the closest thing it's when in the finale they want to reset the server but for what it seems, it's a last minute plan and could be half lie half true for how they're telling to c!clingyduo. We even saw punz almost leaves the prison but decides to stay still which means he wasnt in a hurry to leave either, so didnt have any urgent to do. Hell, whe ctommy went back to the prison they were just there vibing not even doing anything.

I just think that, whatever they had planned to do for post-prison or got discarded seeing how badly the og plan backfired dream or they didnt plan so far in advance and were hoping something will come to their minds once they were done with the prison. I think c!stagedduo didnt have a plan really for that part, they knew what they wanted to achieve, but after some point they were improvising for me tbh

Mmm good thoughts good thoughts. So I’ve thought about this a lot and honestly my opinion continues to change and has shifted quite a bit since the finale. But I’m at the place now that I’m starting to wonder just how planned out Dream was…

So I mean we very much do know what their objective is, Dream has said it multiple times and Punz has supported that multiple times. I think it’s fair to say we know what that set out to do, what they desired, what they were motivated by. They wanted their family back, they wanted “everyone to live and be happy together”. The question is how?

Well, I don’t think there was a Plan at the beginning. Dream was just doing things with the motivation of keeping people together, which changed stream by stream with Punz often backing him up. Then things start to take a turn and there becomes a sub motivation - survival - because in order to keep trying to bring the server back together, Dream and Punz kinda have to be alive and so does his family. So, he makes the deal with Schlatt for the Revival Book, actively going against his original goal for the sake of being able to keep his family alive. What I think he didn’t realize was just how much that would piss people off and how much hatred he’d start gaining as he tries to keep people from forming nations and further dividing. Thus comes the next sub motivation - become not The enemy - after all, is life worth living if everyone hates and wants to kill you? So, he changes the original use of the prison as some form of deterrent and safety, into his path to a redemption arc. Likely based on the thought that if it’s fear that’s making them hate him, then if he is powerless and they no longer fear him then surely they can grow to like him again or at least see him as just a person instead of this all-powerful monster needing to be slain (ha so much for that lol) [<>] [<>].

Plus there is also that safety aspect. Clearly, running into the woods, away from everyone didn’t stop them from going after Techno, so he’d let them win. But instead of killing him permanently, he’d provide the prison as an alternative so he gets to survive. Punz however isn’t really hated so much, so instead of bringing him down with him, it makes the most sense to stage a divide - hence we end up at staged finale.

Now here’s the thing, now that we know the experiments happened post-prison [<>] it makes the most sense to me if Dream actually didn’t tell Punz about the book before staged finale. In fact, I’m not sure he even meant to reveal he had it until the time it was needed. Perhaps he was just experimenting on his own with it like maybe trying to bring back Spirit and using it to influence Ranboo. But then Tommy is about to take his finale life, with no protest from the others, thus revealing that he has something that’ll keep them from killing him…

In other words, I talked about this before [<>] but I think Dream underestimated people, not their skill per se but their loathing. I think he didn’t think they’d try and kill him permanently. I think he thought that maybe Tommy didn’t hate him that much or other people would stop him. I think he thought, people would visit him in prison, that Tommy would visit him, that they would let him go after that saw how he wasn’t scary after all. But then the sentence became forever. Then Sapnap said he’d take his last life. Then Tommy said he wouldn’t visit, no matter what Dream did, no matter how pathetic he was or friendly or whatever, Tommy was never going to let him leave. No one was. Tommy killed his hope. Then he killed the cat, the only nice he had left and Dream broke.

So, he bashes Tommy’s head in with a potato once again going against all his previous goals. But who can blame him really? Tommy had punched him like 45 times (yes I counted [<>]), and he had spent 41 days in a lava covered box (12 in mostly isolation and 29 of which with a kid constantly insulting him, hitting him, and hoarding food.) And then he brings him back, proving that they need him alive. Which ends up with unintended consequences as Tommy is determined more than ever to end him and Quackity convinces Sam to let him torture the book out of him…

And what started as a path to ‘redemption’ turned into a path to hell and instead of 11 days like Exile, he spent close to 11 months in prison. He lives, sure. But everyone still wanted to kill him, now more than ever. Even his closest friends. It didn’t matter what he said, it fell on deaf ears...

So now, after months of torture and a complete failure to achieve his other goals, he forms a new motivation - to never be in that position of helplessness and misery again. So he hides in the prison, it’s the most secure place and surely no one will think to look for him there. And he forms new goals like - revenge. Not only did Quackity make him suffer, but Quackity was also perhaps the biggest threat to Dream, with as much vigor as Tommy but more resources and allies. Clearly, he is only good for turning people against Dream and dividing people up, so if Dream doesn’t wanna end up dead or under the knife again, Quackity’s gotta go preferably in the most painful manner possible. He may have failed to obtain his other goals in prison but maybe he could attain this one thing.

So that takes care of his torturer(s) (he doesn’t even have to try for Sam), leaving the reason he was tortured - for the Revival Book, which he didn’t give up because he didn’t want to die. So he shares the book with Punz, now he has insurance for next time. But still there is the fear of death so they do some experimenting… etc.

So what was staged duo’s plan? Well I’m not sure how much they had of one. I mean clearly they had a plan for the saw trap room, and clearly they didn’t seem worried about the potential of the whole server coming after them like, as you point out, they are just chilling when Tommy shows up, mind you chilling in the freaking cell (which will forever baffle me). So clearly they must have had some plan or maybe they just had the knowledge of the impending reset. Maybe they didn’t seem worried because they knew it was too late…

I don’t know. Maybe they caused the reset or maybe not [<>] [<>] All I can say is that I don’t think they had a big plan for very long, if any, as far as some grand thing to bring back their big happy family. They did however have the big plan of staging a divide with Punz’s betrayal to send Dream to prison and to protect Punz from being killed. So despite what Dream says in the finale, I don’t think he did it for some strategy to live forever because “who would think to kill both of us” I think that came later. But it’s not like Dream is going to admit that to clingy duo. He’s supposed to be a big scary villain after all and it looks far better to pretend it was his master plan all along than admit how helpless he was or that the staged betrayal was actually more so just about him being attached and fearing they would hurt Punz to get to him.

So yeah, I think there maybe wasn’t a lot of a plan and yeah after prison they lacked a lot of initiative, something we see from Dream in general as far as his revenge and following up on his threats and such. But it’s not hard to understand why. Because like honestly, Dream can’t show his face without becoming a target and a fight breaking out, how are they supposed to bring people together? The server is so fractured into half formed nations how is he meant to do anything? His own “brother” doesn’t even care that he was tortured, like what do you even do after that? How do you form a big happy family if everyone hates you?… so maybe instead of bringing people back together, it became about trying to make things simple again by going back to a time of happiness and friendship where they still liked him, because that was the only hope he had of a better future…

Had things not gone down like it did, had everything gone to plan, I think they would have continued to try and mitigate, keep the peace, prevent further separation, bring people together like they had been trying to do before. I don’t think you can really make a larger plan for that goal as it depends on the circumstances and Dream just has to improvise the best he can in the moment. Their motivation still isn’t any less strong one way or another, that was their desire but you just can’t force peace and stuff through some master plan. You have to work with the individual and try to bring them together. And ideally he would have became friends again and stuff since they let him out so that’s certainly a step in the right direction…

[longagoitwastuesday]

ngl it sort of pisses me off the way adults regard Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen at times. Which could be a very interesting and poignant point in a good way if well written, but as it is it becomes mainly just frustrating and sad in a negative way.

Nanami saying Gojo never cared about anything or anyone other than himself crashes interestingly with Kusakabe saying the whole situation was just all his fault because he refused to kill Itadori. The students are very aware of those aspects of Gojo's personality, but overall they seem to regard him with way more kindness and fondness even when at their rudest, not truly coinciding with either Nanami's or Kusakabe's views.

[beloved-child-of-the-house]

for the most part I actually don’t see Harry and Draco as being the get married types or at least not the have a wedding types but it’s also fun to just. Have them do it anyway. Weddings are fun and fun to write and read about!

[look-better-in-gold]

one thing i think one piece fans forget is that for most of the characters in it having the d initial doesn’t mean anything. we don’t find out it’s anything to think about until skypiea while robin is talking to gan fall (who met roger) and he says “d.? i see. one letter of his name… that can’t just be a coincidence!!!” and laughs. we only know what we do bc luffy’s the main character. i guess you could argue kureha saying roger’s name is gol d. roger at the end of drum counts but it’s brushed off and you’re not like. encouraged to think about why it’s different. she only knows this bc she’s a REALLY old lady who was around when roger first set out. and gan fall met roger. law knows about it from cora, Who Used To Be A Celestial Dragon. nobody who knows about it is a normal citizen. the world government wants it to be a secret. they successfully wiped out 100 years of history. “the will of d.” or those “eat like a d.” jokes are NOT something everyone is making!!! GUYS. WE ONLY KNOW BECAUSE WE’RE THE VIEWERS. WE’RE WATCHING THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. NOT EVERYONE WILL KNOW WHAT THEY DO!!!!