#the baddies all know where we are now. can we fuck off to new hosts so they dont find us'

[dullahandyke]

was gonna make a post bitching about how being a princess of heart works but then i remembered the whole union cross 'the 13 darknesses are sentient' thing and came up with my own theories but ive looped back around to being mad again. goddd why does shit actually work when you think about it im so mad

[babyboy-cody]

HI ALYSSA!!! 😃 What you wrote for grayson was beyond BEAUTIFUL. can you write something where they’re in a new relationship and she gets introduced on the podcast??? 🥰

i’m gonna try really hard to not go overboard this time 😭

The atmosphere was lighthearted and playful. Since 7am to the early afternoon, you’ve been extremely nervous and fidgety. Grayson recognized the early signs of an anxiety attack and made to bring out one of your sensory toys, the ones that make the popping and clicking sound. He brought you to a secluded corner of the house, away from everyone and all the noise, and blocked them with his body until you calmed down. The scent of him, the overall height of him, the gruffness of his voice, and the soft teddy bear vibes Grayson was giving off had you feeling more at ease.

“What if… What if they don’t like me, Gray? I mean, I’m not like the other girls you’ve hooked up with before. I’m not some insta baddie or a bad bitch. I’m me and they’re gonna hate it,” you quietly rambled to him while frantically popping and clicking your sensory toy, all the while keeping your eyes on your hand movements. Grayson allowed you to rant, not stepping in until you were fully finished. “I mean, Kris is different because she’s perfect for Ethan and she never really got any hate - not that I know of. She’s like a soft baddie, I’m not even 6% of a baddie.” This made Grayson smile as he crossed his arms and stared down at you. “Like, I’m not Tyson and it just… sucks feeling like this.”

“Look at me,” he told you, his voice low enough for only you both to hear. When you nervously peer up at him, no longer using your sensory toy, he places his large hands on your warm cheeks, thumbs gently stroking back and forth. “You’re not Tyson and that’s why I’m in love with you. You think I care about insta baddies? You’re the fucking queen, you hear me?” When you start looking down again, he quickly lifts your head. “Aye, I’m not done talking to you. You’re nothing like those girls and that’s what made me fall for you. Your kind soul, pretty eyes, and good vibes made me feel so comfortable that I always wanted to be around you 24/7. Ask Kris.” He smiles at the sound of your soft giggle and the way your eyes crinkled at the corners. “If I love with all my heart, the people who support us and want us to be happy will love you too.”

“Yo,” Ethan called out from across the room. “You ready?” He was looking at you, more so worried about your reputation than Grayson’s. “There’s no going back.” His tone was teasing and his eyes held no malice. You looked up at Grayson and he gave you a small nod and grin, as if telling you, ‘You got this.’ When you gave Ethan an enthusiastic nod, he excitedly claps his hands. “Lets do this shit!”

When you followed them to the room where they do their podcasts, you felt that anxious wave crash over you again. Grayson, being the extremely observant man he is, made sure you had your sensory toy in your hands as he rubbed your arms gently. He pressed soft kisses to your cheeks that felt like butterfly wings fluttering against your skin because of his growing beard. Kristina shot you a thumbs up from her spot in the kitchen as she ate some avocado toast. You felt more at ease as Grayson and Ethan shot playful jokes at each other back and forth. You took your spot beside Grayson on the swivel chair and took the headphones he hands to you. After setting up the mics and cameras, you got yours comfortable and sat a foot or two away from Grayson so that they’re able to do their intro without you in the frame.

“It’s now or never,” you quietly mumbled to yourself.

“Good evening, everybody!” Grayson enthusiastically speaks into the mic. “Welcome back to Deeper with the Dolan Twins. I’m one of your hosts, Grayson.”

“And I’m your other host, Ethan. If it’s a little harder to tell who is who, I wore white today and Grayson wore black,” Ethan states confidently. “Grayson is always wearing his greasy ass trucker hat.”

“It’s not greasy, shut up.” Grayson sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes, sending a look to the side as you covered your mouth to stifle your laugh. “So, today we are doing things a little bit differently.” You sat up straighter in your seat. “As all of you know, we had Kristina on our podcast to furthermore introduce herself as Ethan’s girlfriend.”

“And today,” Ethan rubbed his hands excitedly. “We have a very, very special guest. We are introducing… drum roll, please…” Grayson quickly tapped his fingers against the table. “Grayson’s very own girlfriend, Y/N!”

Grayson was quick to pull your chair closer to his as you held the mic and laughed quietly as they both cheered loud and clear. “This is my very lovely and very beautiful girlfriend, Y/N. Say hello to the audience.”

“Um… hello,” you awkwardly said, causing Ethan to snort. “Shut up, E! I’m nervous.” You shyly covered your face, groaning when Grayson pulled your hands away and placed his hand between yours. You immediately started playing with his fingers; a sense of calm washing over you. “Well as nervous as I am, I am extremely excited to be a guest on your podcast and I hope it receives good reactions.”

“On a lighter note, lets dive deeper into how the relationship between you and Gray… developed,” Ethan said and got comfortable in his seat.

“You tell the short story and I’ll tell the long story,” you told Grayson and lightly patted his shoulder while looking at him with such love-filled eyes that even Ethan can see from across the large table.

Grayson cleared his throat and never once move his hand from between yours. “Well we met a few years ago and started fully dating, I’d say, almost a year ago. And we met through Kristina because you’ve been really good friends story.”

“Okay, guys, people that are listening and watching,” Ethan interrupted. “Remember to get very comfortable because this story is going to be a fucking rollercoaster of emotions.”

“Oh god,” you facepalmed. “Now, for the long story. I’ve been really close friends with Kris since our childhood. I moved to Australia at a young age with my dad after my mom passed away, and we were just two peas in a pod. The way you and Grayson are with each other is the exact same way Kris and I are with each other.” Grayson leans his chin on his hand and never once looks away from you. His attention was all on you… and your lips. “And then, back in 2017 is when she started telling me about Ethan. And she had mentioned that you had a younger brother-”

“Younger by, like, 20 minutes,” Grayson interrupted with a scoff.

“Younger brother,” you emphasized a little louder, causing both twins to laugh. “And she had asked Ethan stuff about Grayson, to which she transferred back to me. So, she was like a bird messenger.” You giggled as you said that, causing a big grin to form on Grayson’s lips. “And then no sooner after that, we started talking more frequently and getting to know each other. And it just.. grew after that.”

“Didn’t Gray ghost you?” Ethan suddenly asked. Grayson groans loud beside you and covers his face embarrassingly. “I remember you freaking the fuck out because of it.��

“Yes, the motherfucker did ghost me for a few weeks. Wanna explain why, hm?” You teasingly asked him with a raise of your brows. Grayson blushed fiercely.

“So within the first three months of us talking, that was when I fully started developing strong feelings for you. And at the time, I had been fucked over so many times by so many people and was never really able to hold a long relationship. And I partially blamed myself for that because I tend to.. rush things, if that makes sense. I’m a romantic and when I fall for someone, I fall hard.” As Grayson passionately spoke and opened up his feelings, your eyes went from his eyes to his lips to his hands and back and forth. The way he spoke with his hands made you hide a smile by biting your lip. “And I was terrified because I automatically assumed that I was gonna fuck it up one way or another. The only way for me to cope was to push my feelings aside, and it just effected us both so negatively.”

“Yeah, from past experiences, it can be really difficult for someone to come to terms with the true emotions they felt. I was the same way with Kristina, you know. It felt like I had to walk around eggshells out of fear of fucking up the one thing that was good for me.” You and Grayson nodded in agreement. “I remember when we came to Australia after what happened and Gray was running back and forth, just writing what he wanted to say to you and he almost cried because his pencil broke.”

You quickly looked at Grayson. “Really?” You weren’t teasing him, you were shocked. Your voice was soft and you had a pout on your lips that he kissed away. “Stop, you’re gonna make me cry.”

“Nooooo!” Grayson yelled out and threw an arm around your shoulder to pull you into his side.

“That’s so sweet!” You whined and pouted some more. “I never knew that, Gray. I know that in the past, there were some hardships that we were able to overcome and the way we communicated with each other, it just made our relationship stronger.”

The conversation ranged from topic to topic. Your life growing up, the death of your mother, your dad’s rescue farm in Australia, your college degree, and some moments between you and Grayson. You felt so comfortable and carefree that Grayson noticed a changed. You laughed more and spoke louder. You playfully bantered with Ethan and provided your own insight on serious topics regarding the negative effects of social media and about mental health. He’s so sure in his heart that people who love and support him and Ethan are gonna love you the same.

[inspector-montoya-fox]

#7 - The Black Chateau

Setting: this is surprisingly one of my favourite hubs from the game. this is Paris at its prime: the music, the details, the cafes in the street, the little boats, the whole aesthetic is a mood. yeah, there’s danger around every corner, but it’s still the most romantic city in the world and we get to explore it. even its nightclub aspects give it that turn of the millennium, euro club let’s do coke in the bathroom scene. the interiors in this episode give me life, honestly. stoney, candle-lit underground tunnels that are connected to the nightclub is so Scooby-Doo but also France, and the theatre-related interiors showcase a certain grandeur and stand out on their own. i’ll also remind you that this is Sly’s home. we never get a definitive reason or backstory on the gang’s switching from railroad car to that huge safehouse they couldn’t possibly pay rent for, but this new version makes an appearance in Sly 3, so it’s safe to say that this is the gang’s home (although the concept art indicates that SP had plans for something else: https://inspector-montoya-fox.tumblr.com/post/182678860237/inspector-montoya-fox-cool-concept-art-for-band). anyway, having the first proper episode take place in Paris is perfect for the tutorials because there’s the comfort of failing whilst being at home. and this is what The Black Chateau truly is: a tutorial. as jam-packed with action and bedazzlement! as it is, it’s a crash course. and it works because it’s a perfect hub for learning the ropes with Bentley and Murray gameplay. other than that, i’d like to add that Sly 2 takes a new approach with its hubs. instead of having Sly make his way to the baddies by literally blasting himself to their lairs via canons or rockets (...), the gang tries to lure the baddies outside. you’ll notice that Dimitri, Rajan, the Contessa, Jean Bison and Neyla all make appearances before their bossfights, the former 3 also coming into close contact with us within the hub (eavesdropping, following, pickpocketing). this all being said, the gang’s way of luring the baddies outside is altering the hubs and the peacock’s collapse kicks it all off majestically (we then move on to bridge bombings, shooting planes, demolishing dams, etc.). amazing stuff.

Characters: i won’t be referring to Sly and the gang like i did with Sly 1 except if they have a turning point/revelation, so the Characters section will mostly be reserved for the baddies and Neyla or Carm. nonetheless, i would like to acknowledge Matt Olsen’s voice acting because he perfectly captures Bentley’s anxiety when out in the field. and now..... Dimitri. where to fucking start? the lizard is a star. his sleazy posture, how he’s a gay heterosexual, how strongly i’m able to imagine his scent of cheap cologne and Marlboro Golds. and the crime of using a demonic, robot owl’s tailfeathers to print counterfit cash suits him perfectly. he might not be your favourite character, but you have to admit the pimp is as well fleshed out as Mz Ruby, and that’s all because of the dialogue and the voice acting. fucking perfection. the dialogue is so well written, full of his nonsensical phrases and mannerisms, he literally engraves his mark onto the player’s brain, like i can hear him talking about clocks or whatever at will. having him go first was such a good choice because he makes a lasting impression whilst keeping it very ‘neighborhood crime’ with the counterfeit, in comparison to global drug networking. as we’ll find out by the end of the game, he too played a part in the Klaww Gang’s plans, but having his own counterfeit sidegig (which he prioritised, surely) is so him. however, what never made sense to me is his power, that static shock he shoots during his bossfight? is he a mutant lizard? like, Rajan controlling lightning i get, Contessa mastering hypnosis i get, but this is..... what?? i’ll let it slide because of his sick dj mix but still..... and then there’s Neyla. she retains her mystique even if she gives us a reason behind her assistance. the whole thing hits different when you know what she’s up to because lines like ‘Now, legally I can't enter Dimitri's nightclub without a warrant... but I happened to have obtained a key to his backdoor... which a person like yourself can use however he pleases.’ come across as seductive and evil, and we watch Sly fall for it (all of it) because she knows how to pamper his ego. prior to her big reveal (the first one at least), the way with which she moves and handles herself has us think that she’s Sly’s female counterpart, and therefore competition for Carmelita (as outdated as that sounds...). Carmelita’s presence in The Black Chateau is muted, almost non-existent. she only pops up at the end cutscene and SP masterfully uses her absence in order to play up Neyla as a potential ally and girlfriend, despite my thoughts on Carmelita having a bigger presence in the Monaco extension which was scrapped.

Themes: the theme of duality, first and foremost. Dimitri is complete and utter gutter trash, but is supposedly a high-class artist as well. he’ll scream and screech but is also one heck of a host, even if the world perceives him as a washed out artist. the level’s interiors are separated into two categories: underground and non-underground. the underground parts represent Dimitri’s true nature, a sleazebag and a crook, whereas the theatre and the club present him as a pristine pimp and professional nightclub owner. the two clash because of their nature, stoney and shady rooms for crime vs grand and majestic rooms for art. duality can also be seen in the Sly and Neyla partnership, the birth of a (short-lived) alliance. Paris as a theme instead of a location, because of such a dominant presence. this is not just any city we’re in. SP respects Paris and this is further proven by the fact that it’s the beginning and the end of the game. the fact that it’s a catalyst belongs in the final episode’s analysis, but in The Black Chateau the city is also a theme because it embodies humble beginnings, the warm comfort of going through trial error whilst at home. and it’s not exaggerated and pushed into kitsch, à la Sly 3′s Holland where the cheese acted as trampolines... what i mean by Paris as a theme is the emphasis on art and charm, showcasing Europe (because Prague is also a European city but is used as a basis for the trademark spooky level). nighttime and pleasure are two that go together. nighttime is used differently in every episode, or location. you’ll notice that this is the only episode in the game where the night sky is the traditional navy, dark blue (instead of purple, green, red or baby blue as seen in later episodes). it’s a traditional night for a heist, nothing out of the ordinary. it goes together with the theme of pleasure because Dimitri’s establishment is a nightclub and defines the episode to a certain degree. pleasure is interpreted as danger disguised as oblivious fun. the nightclub isn’t the common criminal base and the funky pink walls and disco balls come into contrast with the threat of the Klaww Gang’s operation. even the gang falls for it, trusting Neyla without second thought and failing to pick up on the greater scope of things. they think of it as easy fun, joking around while on the job. lastly, the motif of lights. Paris is known as the city of lights and all of the hubs (interiors included) capture this. the opening cutscene even mentions ‘the flashing lights’. it circles back to the pleasure theme because it can be seen as a distraction and a malicious trap to fall into oblivion (yes, i’m a writer).

What I Like: i freakin love Paris. everything about the setting’s execution, its detailing, the music and the hubs. all of it. i love how the hub is a circle, allowing you to run around in an endless loop, the rat guards striped shirts and red berets, that water tower Bentley enters. everything is just so European and petite and cute, like a well constructed Playmobil set.

What I Don’t Like: hmmmm............... although i love the title’s enigma, i’d really like to fucking know what the ‘Black Chateau’ represents or is connected to??? also, i wish we could explore more of the nightclub? like while it’s open? the episode’s strength lies in its interior missions, the best of the bunch being Theater Pickpocketing, where we get to explore the stage, the balconies, backstage, the dressing rooms, etc. i fucking love that mission and wish we could get more, instead of Murray throwing rats at those annoying security alarm machines that just happen to be violet.....

Quote: either Behold the majesty of gravity and inertia! or I have no idea what you're saying. And your suit sucks or anything Dimitri says because... Dimitri

[quirkydahlias]

A Plus Ultra! Holiday (Christmas Special) (Everyone x Reader)

The plan was to make a good-hearted fic between class A and B but it’s beyond evident that nonromantic writing just doesn’t appeal too much. So, my gift to everyone is a large headcanon of the characters with the reader on Christmas!

Jesus, help me write this. It’s gonna be a long one.

Akira Shiryoku

Christmas is that time of year for Akira

His chance to break out the cheesy and ugliest Christmas sweaters from his wardrobe and wear them with pride whether you want to or not

“Come on, it looks great!”

“Minty... I know you can’t see, but if you could see what this sweater looks like- let’s just say it’s something even you won’t wear...”

“Haw haw haw!

“...”

“Bet.”

“It’s a ripped Santa with a red bag in his hand.”

“Ooo~! Go on~.”

“The bag is labeled 'Gains' and running shoes and dumbbells are all over this sweater.”

“...What are you talking about? It’s a masterpiece.”

He even gets you a matching pair too! Couples who look like fools together stay together after all

And if he can find one that fits, he’s certain to have Wan wear a sweater as well so he can join in on the fun

One of the best things about the Christmas season is how easy work is for him. There’s just something about the cold that heightens his senses, making the air smell even crisper- his fingertips ever so slightly more sensitive to any and every sensation.

Sure makes tracking the baddies a cakewalk.

Another great thing about the holidays is GIFTING

And boy does this man have fun gifting you and his friends

Of course, he’ll give his favorite people to pick on gag gifts, but he’s always certain to put something they’d actually like alongside his little prank gifts

Still doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck getting a box of sea salt taffy labeled “Ear Wax Cubes”

One drawback of the winter season is the terrain

As much as he enjoys a nice walk with you and Wan, if he’s not careful he’ll probably end up slipping on some ice or snow and face planting or at the very least, tripping a little

“Uh, are you okay Minty?”

“Of course, never better!”

“Then why are you moving so slowly?”

“You said that the ground wasn’t salted. So I’m being... cautious.”

“I think you’re fine, want me to help?”

“Carry me~?”

“... You know what, I think I’ll just hang with you instead...nevermind the fact that I can’t lift you in the first place.”

Ejirou Kirishima

Kirishima loves the holiday season! Nothing warms his heart more than friends and family getting together and having fun before the mark of the New Year.

As a student at UA, he gets a nice week off starting Christmas day to spend time with his friends and loved ones, so of course, he tries to get everyone to stay in the dorms together for Christmas.

“Come on dude, it’s Christmas! How about spending it with (Y/N) and me?”

“Fuck off! Stop trying to get close to me you ass!”

“Aww, come on! It’ll be fun~.”

“My mom doesn’t want me back for Christmas, said something about traveling with my dad out of the country for the weekend.”

“Whoa, you got an answer that quickly? School ended like an hour ago-”

“Shut. It. I’m stuck with you, so cut it out.”

“Sweet! Let me go check if Mina or Sero are staying!”

A handful agreed to his plans- including you, seeing as either their home life wasn’t a very pleasant to return to or nonexistent in the case of Momo.

But for the rest, this was their chance to sign out for the week and spend some time with their parents and make up for lost time

Now, Ejirou had a family to return to as well

But this was the first time he could spend Christmas with his friends!

So naturally, his family pushed him to stay home at the dorms that year

Kirishima isn’t the type to be easily deterred, leading the charge in class 1-A’s celebration of the holidays

And amongst the chaos, he’s certain to drag his friends into helping him plan his gift for you, either by putting together a huge pillow fort in the living room just for the two of you

Or if Katsuki is there, to help him make a nice meal for the two of you to share 

As a pro hero, the holidays are much more hectic for him. Fresh out of high school and college, Kirishima has to patrol in order to catch those ready to steal potential gifts.

It’s for Christmas’ sake.

But family and friends still remain the most important thing to him, so the fledgling pro is certain to bend his schedule backward in order to take Christmas day off and host a nice Christmas party with you, inviting both his family and friends over for a nice time and meal

Fumikage Tokoyami

Darkness has no place during the Christmas season

So, to some extent, our bird boy has no place during the Christmas season

At least, that’s what he likes to think

Celebrating Christmas with him is a real hoot, as he manages to take his dark persona and apply it successfully to such a cheery holiday

For example, he’ll use skull shaped ornaments to decorate a small tree he’s placed in his dorms

Or a pure black or monotone colored Christmas sweater

Just imagine how the Addam’s family would decorate their home

That’s Tokoyami

As a bird hybrid, he picks up small traits that are endearing to any onlookers

So just like crows and ravens during the winter, it’s not too uncommon to see him bundled in a blanket and spending more time “roosting” or napping on or near you

And when caught, he often flushes in embarrassment, finding it to be immature to let those small urges take over

“H-huh?”

“Have a nice nap?”

“Damn it, I fell asleep again, didn’t I?”

“Yep, it’s kinda cute, to be honest. No need to be hard on yourself, Tokoyami.”

“(Y/N). The truest, loneliest moment in one’s life is at the hour they witness their world falleth apart, and all they can do is stareth- expressionless...”

“There, there...can you move your head off my lap though? I think I’m loosing feeling there.”

When Christmas day comes a-knocking, Tokoyami takes the initiative to make breakfast for you, as a small gesture of love and appreciation. 

His gift is usually either something for you to remember him by or something he knew you’d like- either from passing conversation or by knowing you well enough

And once the sun sets, he’s ready for his big surprise.

Preparing some popcorn and some hot chocolate (with a convenient straw for him), Fumikage is ready to introduce you to his annual Christmas tradition

Watching the Night Before Christmas

Hawks

This guy is super busy

And the holidays are certainly no exception

But there’s just something about working during the cold, wintry seasons that really makes him warm on the inside, as odd as it may sound.

Maybe it’s the lovely views he can see from above and in the skies

Or perhaps its the cold air, the dense air allowing him to fly faster and with ease

Or it’s how cute you look bundled up from head to toe

“Nice look, (Y/N)~! You should keep up the look year round.”

“Ha. ha. You look ridiculous in your winter costume too, so don’t you give me that look Hawks~!”

“Ouch, my pride! And for your information, I definitely rock the extra feathers.”

“Uh huh. Sure.”

Living life on the fast lane, he’s confident that he can finish his patrols in time to spend a nice night with you on Christmas, probably ordering some fried chicken and browsing the TV for some sort of Christmas special to watch together.

However, should you be out and about too, either because of hero work or just because you happen to be when he’s finished with work, he makes a spontaneous decision to cancel all your Christmas plans for something much, much better

“HAWKS!”

“Well hello to you too, baby~.”

“You can’t just p i c k me up off the ground out of nowhere!”

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, can one of you guys grab (Y/N)’s things and drop them off at the office on your way out? Thanks, seeya,haveaniceChristmas!”

“Oh my goodness-”

“Hey, hey. Calm down a little (Y/N), I stopped flying up. Although...I wasn’t even going at my full speed, you know~?”

“Speed doesn’t matter! We’re hundreds of feet in the air! Not to mention the fact that you just ditched your sidekicks with all my Christmas shopping too!”

“We were just wrapping up anyway and you just happened to be in the area, its fate if I do dare say so myself~.”

“This is kinda kidnapping if I do dare say so myself~.”

“Oooh, great comeback. It’s good to see your sense of humor alive and well~.”

“You’re just lucky you’re charming. Why am I up here anyway?”

“Well, I heard from a little bird that Disney was having the parade a few miles away. And nothing’s stopping us from giving it a flyby, what do you say?”

“...You could’ve just asked me if I wanted to go from the start. Like a normal person.”

“Yeah, I definitely could... but where’s the fun in that? You’re cute when you’re scared~.”

Himiko Toga

The truest Christmas tragedy is being a villain during the holiday season

Not only are heroes crawling all over the place, catching petty thieves and criminals left and right

But surveillance is super high!

Don’t get Toga started on all the long lines and waiting that one has to endure during this Christmas season.

Unlike her colleagues, she has the ability to go about in public as long as she’s wearing a person’s identity

So for this holiday, she finds a pretty girl to knockout and kidnap, draining her of a substantial amount of blood before locking the poor girl somewhere so she can drag you out for a night of fun and mayhem in the town

First on the list is some thief, to get your her Christmas shopping done!

There’s no way she’ll want to put you in danger, as the love of her life, but she’s certain to use you in other ways to get what she wants.

“Oh (Y/N)~! Could you pretty please distract the manager when we walk into the store? I want to snag that pretty watch!”

“For me or for you?”

“Either one works! Now go, go, go, go! It might get a little bloody in the back hehehe~!”

Another thing on her to-do list for Christmas is a romantic walk to admire all the lovely decorations and lights. Something that, thankfully, requires no crime or villainy.

At least it shouldn’t

But eventually, you’re forced to persuade her to not steal an innocent’s cat-themed decorations.

And the final docket on her Christmas list is to do something “nice” to ensure that she’s on Santa’s nice list this year although it’s highly doubtful that one good deed would cancel about all her wrongdoings.

Not to mention the fact that she legitimately believes in Santa, though that could easily be because everyone is a little fearful of breaking the bad news to her.

Her good deeds can range from freeing the poor girls she kidnaps or buying (with her own money), gifts for all her friends and of course- you!

“Merry Christmas!”

“Thanks, Himiko! Er...what is it?”

“You’ve gotta open it to find out, silly!”

“...It’s not a human heart again, right?”

“Gross, that’d be boring. Hurry, hurry! I want to see your reaction!”

“Alright, you can stop bouncing, haha.”

“...well?”

“It’s a nice jacket, fits me well too. But, isn’t this the same jacket that girl you kidnapped had on?”

“Maybeee? She didn’t seem to mind giving it to me when I asked nicely, I didn’t even have to pull out my little knife either!”

Hitoshi Shinsou

Hitoshi loves the winter season

It’s just a great excuse to sleep in for him or laze about like a cat

Unlike many others, already planning their holidays with loved ones and friends, he lacks one because of his relocation to the dorms and the other because of the stigma surrounding his quirk

Even after joining into the hero program, he feels iffy around his few found “friends”, wanting nothing more than to train nonstop through the holidays and ignore those who chose to remain behind during the winter break.

And as dead set as Shinsou is, wanting to do anything to rise to the top and become a great hero, you can easily see the burnout in his eyes

So Christmas is a yearly endeavor to rescue him from his own work ethic, coaxing the purple haired boy with cats and naps

“Hey, Shinsou?”

“Hmm? What is it (Y/N)?”

“You’ve been training with that punching bag for the past two hours, want to take a tiny break?”

“You know I’d love to-”

“Cats.”

“...excuse me?”

“I got you a cat for Christmas. Mr. Aizawa said you could keep in your dorm.”

“Heh, either I’m too easy to read, or you know me better than I thought. You win, (Y/N).”

“Nothing out of the ordinary~! See you downstairs, Shinsou- got a cup of hot chocolate with your name on it.”

Another thing that he really enjoys is a nice bike ride to blow some steam

Granted, the streets are slippery and icy, but he has a pair of tires built for it

So Christmas night, you two sign out and take a long bike ride around the city, taking in the atmosphere and bright lights, Shinsou taking in far more than the sights

“Heh.”

���Oh? What are you snickering about, Shinsou~?

“We passed some lady on her phone a few blocks back, apparently, she was just cheated on. Her boyfriend was caught going out with her cousin, of all people.”

“How scandalous~!”

“Right? The things people say when they don’t think others are listening...”

Hizashi Yamada

Christmas may be super busy for all heroes during this time of year

But he may have pulled one of the shortest sticks when it comes to working during the holidays

Without a doubt, he can expect to hear his station manager call in and request for him to do a Christmas show, which means that he’ll have to stay up all night for Christmas and thus, not with you

And it’s not like he can just say “no” to his fans! So he humbly apologizes to you each year, always reassuring to you that he’ll make it up in spades the next day

And like many popular musicians, Mic’s radio show releases a cover of some classic Christmas song- sung, of course, by yours truly~!

It’s amusing to many of his friends, to hear both Mic’s voice on the radio, and to receive a copy of his Christmas album for the holidays

That alone produces a multitude of amusing reactions from both friends and family, Aizawa calling you to ask you to stop Hizashi and Midnight calling, on the other hand, to encourage you to continue pushing him to do his thing

Midnight even tried to get the voice hero to sing a cover of Santa Baby so she can have a good laugh for Christmas

Needless to say, he refused.

As for you, it’s often your tradition to listen in on his radio show, lounging around the house and enjoying the holiday air.

Even if staying at home during the holidays isn’t your thing, he’s always certain to make sure that you’re listening in on his radio show as his number one fan and partner!

Not just to show your support, but for you to listen in on his side of your little Christmas tradition

“Alright, alright listeners! Sorry to interrupt the scheduled programming and don’t worry, we’ll get back to more Christmas cheer and chill music as soon as possible. But first, a small announcement to a special listener out there! Now I know I do this every year, but I just gotta send out some good vibes over to my lovely (Y/N)! Hope you’re enjoying the holidays, even if I’m not over there with ya! Wait on me, baby, I’m coming home soon!”

When he does return home, it’s past Christmas and around 2:00 AM.

By that point, if you’ve fallen asleep, he’s happy to turn in with you, carrying you to your shared room and plopping into bed with you 

But if you’ve managed to keep yourself awake, he has your gift in hand, ready to spend a few more hours with you before the two of you physically can’t continue maintaining consciousness.

Inasa Yoarashi

He is the living embodiment of a kid on Christmas during the holidays

He loves everything about the holidays!

The lovely, soft snow

The bright lights and festive cheer in the air during this time of year!

E V E R Y T H I N G

He goes all out too, even trying his hand at baking Christmas sugar cookies for you and all his friends, just because he feels like he’s gotta do his part and spread the cheer around for the holidays

And there’s just something about his passion and the holidays that makes him even more infectious than usual

I mean, can you really say no to someone as bright and polite as Inasa offering you a plate of cookies?

Determined to do it without help, he always tries his best to look for something you’d like on Christmas. It’s, at least to him, the best way for him to test how much he really knows you and your tastes and by proxy, how attentive he is a boyfriend

Should he succeed, he’ll be a-glow with pride and happiness for the rest of the evening

Should he fail, however, he slams his forehead into the ground bowing for your forgiveness, hoping that his gift didn’t offend you

Buying a gift for him, on the other hand, is the easiest thing to do in the world.

And that’s not an exaggeration in the slightest

Hell, you could buy him a pack of crayons and he’ll thank you with sincerity and earnest in his voice, spending the rest of the day coloring and drawing with you

Give it a week’s time before he’s showing you his pretty amazing artwork and thanking you for inspiring him to dabble in a new skill and hobby

What would really make his holiday is you showing your love for him in some way, as his love for passion extends to you as well.

“Merry Christmas, Inasa!”

“Whoa! What is this, (Y/N)?”

“I saw you browsing for this online a few months ago, but it was super expensive, so it took me a while to make the money to-”

“I LOVE IT!”

“Haha, I’m super glad you’re excited, but you haven’t opened the box yet, Inasa!”

“That doesn’t matter, what matters is the hard work- the love, you put into getting me this gift! So please accept my humble thanks, (Y/N)! You truly are the best partner I could ever ask for!”

“Jeez, you’re gonna hurt yourself. Your welcome, now open it up! I want to see your reaction myself.”

Izuku Midoriya

Christmas for Izuku was usually spent with his mother, the green haired boy having a nice meal with his mother and receiving his gifts- usually the latest All Might merch before leaving to see the heroes work during the night, patrolling the streets and saying “hello” to fans as they conduct their patrols

But now, he’s attending UA

So Christmas for him is a little different.

As he is the subject of plenty of conflicts, either with his quirk or his involvement in many of the serious altercations throughout the year...

USJ attack, Training camp attack, Katsuki Bakugou’s rescue, etc, etc.

It was highly recommended that he stay on campus for the break

The school, however, was generous enough to bring his mother to him, giving her a visitor’s pass and allowing her to spend her holiday with her dear boy

This is also his first Christmas with you, so he’s excited to have two of the people he loves the most with him

Gifting for him is a no-brainer during the holidays, both Inko and you pairing together to get him a pricey piece of All Might merch

And boy, his face when he sees his gift 

P r i c e l e s s

There has never been a face more adorable than an Izuku Midoriya in awe

Being the dork that he is, his gifts for you are similar, in the sense that he appeals to what he knows you like.

Even with the perfect gift in hand, his presentation needs a little work

“Oh, hey Deku!”

“H-hey, (Y/N)! Um...here! I hope you like this gift I got you!”

“Ooo, what is it?”

“I know you love that character, I think it was from a movie we watched a few months ago? So I found some nice merch that I figured that you’d like. Um. You like it, right?”

“Of course! But um, Deku?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you wrap this yourself?”

“I did...it’s not that obvious, is it?”

“You used three pieces of tape to keep this flap down and the bow is a little crooked.”

“Oh jeez, it’s bad, isn’t it? I’m sorry, (Y/N)...”

“Oh no, it’s lovely Deku! I love it~. It’s very you~.”

“That can be taken to many places.”

“All positive, I swear. It’s cute~.”

Katsuki Bakugou

This guy is a little Scrooge during the holidays

Big surprise

But it’s not because he hates Christmas or the whole be nice and give presents to others bit of the holiday

He just dislikes the excessive noise

Even the slightest thing, if repeated over and over again can irritate this ash blonde. Usually, it applies to the chattering of his classmates or friends or Deku’s overbearing determination

But for the holidays? It’s all the noise that the city has to offer

From the increased traffic, both pedestrian and otherwise

To the fireworks and parades

As a guy who appreciates a good night’s rest, he is displeased.

So for Christmas, he spends it at UA to escape from the noise, happy to have some peace and quiet with the majority of the student body leaving for the holidays

And with you, it’s even better. The metaphorical icing on top of the cake

Speaking of food, this expert chef automatically puts himself in charge of any Christmas cooking. Not because he’s being nice, though that does play a part in it, but because he’s not gonna trust anyone with being able to make food efficiently for those remaining in the dorms.

“Come on Bakugou, you can just leave the slicing to me!”

“No.”

“Why not, I wanna help a little, you can’t just do all the cooking!”

“Last time you wanted to help, you used your own hands to cut the fucking food. Go fuck off to the couch, shitty hair.”

“Oof, you won’t even say my name anymore, my feelings are kinda hurt, dude.”

“Fuck. Off.”

“Why do you let (Y/N) help? That’s unfair!”

“Because I trust they won’t do anything as unsanitary as cutting food with their bare hands. Unlike y o u.”

It was one time! And I swear, my hands were washed!”

When it comes to gift giving, Katsuki is surprisingly very good at it.

Even when it seems like he’s irritated and not listening to the words coming out of your mouth, the fact that he always picks up on your interests and dislikes well enough to pick you the perfect gift speaks volumes otherwise

As for gifting Katsuki anything, the blonde will behave in a rather tsundere manner, huffing and telling you that he doesn’t want anything every. Single. Damn. Year.

Honestly, just get him something practical, he can appreciate it much more than trying your chances with a random, generic gift.

But if you know him well enough, gifting him some mountain climbing gear is the key to his heart.

“Hey, Katuski.”

“What?”

“Oh come on, wipe that frown off of your face. Merry Christmas~.”

“...”

“It’s a-”

“I know what it fucking is. It’s a Black Diamond Viper Ice Axe.”

“Ooo, you know your stuff~. I figured you’d like it.”

“...thanks.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

Kyoka Jirou

Kyoka’s house is filled to the brim with music during the holidays

And it’s not those songs you’d hear on the radio or on TV specials

Oh no

Her family makes their own music

And with her bringing you over for the first time for the holidays

You get to make your own music

Her dad will be the first one to try and coax you into grabbing the mic and singing karaoke with you

Her mother will be the first one to see if you can play any instruments and provide the instrumental for a handful of Christmas songs

And Jirou will be the first one to want this entire holiday to be over from pure embarrassment at her overbearing parent’s behavior

But it’s a jovial time in the Jirou household

And if anything, you’ll leave the house knowing how to play two to three more instruments then when you entered. 

So that’s a plus.

Gifts in the Jirou family usually are music based, so you can easily expect your gifts to be the same

Jirou however, takes Christmas to be a little more sentimental with her gift, although she knows full well that doing so in her household will lead to another huge wave of embarrassment

But for you?

“Yo, (Y/N).”

“What is it, Kyoka?”

“Merry Christmas, I...got you something.”

“Is this an album? A weird cover. I don’t even see the band on it.”

“Oh, it’s probably just-”

“Hey, give it over here! We’ll play it and see if we can figure out the musican~. Kyoka’s father is very good at discerning these things, you know?”

“NO. MOM. We absolutely don’t need to-”

“...Hey, er.. Kyoka. Is that your voice.”

“Kill me now.”

Mirio Togata

Oh boy, does this guy love to play jokes during the holidays

Nothing ill-intentioned, of course, just harmless gag gifts and playful behavior from this little angel

For example, he’d throw a snowball, striking you directly in the back of your head and because of his quirk, there was no way you could hit him back.

That is- until he ends up hopping around trying to get his clothes back on in the middle of the frigid cold

Honestly, it’s one of the more amusing sights to behold when it comes to Mirio Togata

However, he doesn’t have his quirk forever.

Losing it was a huge blow to him, both physically and mentally.

But if given the change, he’d do it over and over again if that meant that he could save Eri from Chisaki

That doesn’t mean that he’s immune to the long-term effects, however, the snow and cheer bringing back memories that make his heartache

Depressing feelings pushed aside, Mirio is determined to make sure every holiday with you is as special and fun as it was when he had his quirk.

Sure, the playing field is even when you two have snowball fights

And sure, Mirio can’t playfully threaten to get some sneak peeks at this year’s presents

But in place of that, he gets to help Eri make her first Christmas- her first real Christmas a special one.

And he enlists you to help him do it.

“What do little girls like anyway (Y/N)?”

“How should I know?”

“Hmm, I don’t know if she’s had many toys. Maybe a doll?”

“That’s a good idea Mirio, but remember, you bought her one for her birthday a while ago. Doing it again would be a little...lazy.”

“You’re right... maybe a cute dress?”

“I think Mic and Aizawa said something about taking her out to pick out her winter clothes.”

“Darn. Hey, look at this. What do you think about it?”

“I like it, but I don’t think Eri would.”

“Well, let me buy it for you. Think of it as a thank you for helping me, and... as an apology. I know you were looking forward to spending some time together this year, (Y/N)”

“Mirio, you don’t have to apologize for anything, I’m happy to be here. Besides, I don’t know about you, but we’re kinda spending time together already.”

“Haha, alright. Let me just go to check out, keep on searching, alright (Y/N)?”

Momo Yaoyorozu

On occasion, her parents and Momo move out of the country to their winter home for winter break- somewhere warm and tropical, to escape the bitter cold.

However, those are rarities 

Most years, Christmas for her has always been a bit... empty

Not in a physical sense, however, as she was raised in a spacious home. So she’s comfortable with a large estate to roam around in.

What does bother her is her family

Both her parents are especially busy during the holidays and often leave her with a ton of presents and call it a day with a small voicemail when she wakes on Christmas day

And she’s forever thankful for their yearly generosity

But...

Every time she looks on the television or takes a walk amongst the public, her eyes are drawn to the families holding hands and crossing the street.

Or the couples snuggling on a bench, warm drinks in hand.

Living at UA has changed all that for the better.

She’s surrounded by friends, some even staying with her for the break in the dormitory

And she has you. Someone who’s able to fill the void of the holidays, even if all her friends did leave for the break

Unable to ship her friends expensive gifts like a summer home up north or their own speedboat, Momo opts to keep her shopping small, visiting the mall and various department stores with you to pick out gifts for everyone.

And man, the moment she stepped into the mall, Momo was in awe.

“Oh my goodness! (Y/N)!”

“Hmm? What is it? Did you find something for Sato?”

“No, no, no. Look! This pretty dress is so cheap!

“Um, Momo, that’s 8,300 yen. Even with the discount.”

“I know, isn’t it amazing? I wonder how many other items offer in the shops here. Oh my, look at the clearance table!”

“Did you find a good deal?”

“I can’t believe these socks cost 100 yen. Could we please purchase a whole box of them?”

“For everyone?”

“Er...yes?

“Momo, what are you going to do with all those socks?”

“Use...them?”

“We grab a bundle, maybe pass a few packs to the other girls if they need any. Let’s move on, alright?”

“That sounds fair. I’m sorry for getting too excited.”

“It’s not a problem at all, it’s pretty amusing to see how excited you are holiday shopping~”

Naomasa Tsukauchi

Naomasa is astonished at how many villains try their luck every year, trying to commit crimes amongst the heightened police force, increased scrutiny against criminals, and increased hero presence in the streets.

And unsurprised at the amount who fail

He’s a little disappointed, wanting to spend his Christmas day with you and kicking back a little, but duty calls

However, he has a lifeline in his sister, entrusting Makoto to entertain you during the day with her company, though he knows that could easily go south with her rather strong will and penchant for trouble

Nevertheless, he knows you’ll be relatively amused around her for the time being while he files villain after villain into police custody

Once he does manage to escape the confines of work, he knows that he has to make it up with you somehow

And what better way than with food?

So he grabs some fried chicken and cakes and heads home

Entering the apartment the two of you share is always a gamble.

Either everything is just where it needs to be, meaning that his sister ruined something and the two of you spent time fixing the house

Or the place is overly decorated from the closet space to the bathroom in holiday decorations

Which meant that he had let her spend too much time in his house.

But regardless of the state of the house when he arrives, he’s always happy to see your face, wanting to give you your gift immediately 

However, he manages to resist the urge, opting to settle down first

But once he is settled and the three of you are sitting in the living room, his sister always wants to make a game out of his gifts and make you guess what’s inside before you open it.

“Okay, okay, you go (Y/N).

“Is it jewelry?”

“Nope.”

“He’s telling the truth. Next question.”

“Is it clothing?”

“No.”

“That’s a fat lie.”

“Naomasa!”

“It’s not really clothing...”

“Oooo! Is it lingerie?”

“Makoto! NO. It’s not!”

“Booooo. Boring”

“Wait, then what is it, dear?”

“Accessories. I just thought you’d like them.”

“And while you’re opening that one, I’ll grab the next present!”

“Can we not play this game, sister dear?”

“...Nah. We’re definitely playing this game.”

Nejire Hadou

Neijre loves gift giving!

It doesn’t have to be the holidays, just the act of giving someone something and seeing their face light up fills her little heart with joy

And now she has a special someone to gift things for the holidays~

Another great thing about gifting people stuff is you can gauge their likes and dislikes from their reactions and for the sake of doing just that, she gifts you a ton of small gifts ranging from the normal to the obscure

“Merry Christmas!”

“Thanks, Hadou, but this is the 14th present you’ve...”

“Do you like it?”

“Neijre.”

“Yesss~?”

“You bought me uranium ore.”

“I know! You’d be surprised to see what you can buy online these days.”

“What am I supposed to do with this??? Isn’t it, you know, radioactive???”

“Yep! Dangerously so! But the container says that it’s safe inside there and that there’s only a tiny amount.”

“Well, thank you? I guess?”

“It’s no problem, do you want me to get you it again for next year?”

“Please don’t. I love you. But please.”

“Wow, you really don’t like uranium. Do you have particular elements you like or are you just afraid of the radioactivity?”

“No and yes?”

“...interesting. Carry on!”

Weird gifts aside, she’s always jumping at the chance to drink her favorite tea and what better time than during the coldest months of the year? And with strawberry shortcake too!

These little tea parties of hers are an annual occurrence, a bit of a Christmas tradition between her and all her friends, and you by proxy

In fact, a lot of her friends will either bake their own goods or buy complimentary sweets, the entire group huddling together under a kotatsu to chatter amongst themselves about everything from everyone’s individual holiday plans to the latest occurrences in the hero world, be it new upcoming heroes or the latest line of support gear

Once her parties are over, however, there still leaves a ton of sweets and goods left over. So she naturally, drags them and you to the bed to snuggle and relax, taking in the latest specials on TV and watching the parades that go by.

Overall, it’s an uncharacteristically quiet end to such a cheery holiday and with one of the most cheery girls in the UA too.

But it’s a lovely one.

Nemuri Kayama

Romance and Christmas in Japan go hand in hand

So Midnight, of course, is excited to see the holiday season arrive in Japan

Although she has plenty of hero work lined up ahead for her in addition to whatever work she has as a teacher, she does her best to make time for you during the holidays because she would want you to do the same for her

Using her contacts, she manages to hook the two of you up with a reservation for two in a fancy restaurant, enjoying the entire process of dolling up for your little Christmas date

“Oooh, red or white?”

“Hmm, both look pretty nice on you, Nemuri.”

“Why thank you, darling~...But really, which one?”

“Red. It matches with the holiday.”

“Good choice~. Now to find the perfect jewelry to match the outfit.”

“Do I look okay?”

“Of course you do, (Y/N) could do no wrong~. Okay. I take it back. You need to change up your outfit. You have to match me.”

“Ha ha ha, alright. Is it because we’re a couple?”

“Is there any better reason~?”

When the two of you do go out, however, Nemuri enjoys teasing you along the way, pointing to the storefront of a boutique and asking your opinion on which lingerie set would suit her more

She’s also fond of embarrassing you, showing a little more PDA than ought to be shown just to see you blush in front of strangers

There’s just something about your embarrassment and flushed face that makes her heart flip~

But date aside, Nemuri is fond of dragging the two of you out to bother her coworkers during the holidays

Whether it's going out with Vlad and 13 for some bar food or dropping my Eraser and Mic’s place for drinks and good old fashioned fun, it’s bound to be a good time with Midnight around

Once Christmas ends, however, the exhaustion of traveling around, shopping, and visiting friends finally gets to Nemuri, the pro hero reluctantly beginning to feel her age as she prepares a nice cup of tea to lounge with

Honestly, it’s not an uncommon sight to see her passed out on the couch, booze, and food finally putting her to rest for the night.

Of course, she could always reserve herself and celebrate with moderation, but the two of you wouldn’t have your holidays any other way

Ochaco Uraraka

Cakes, sweets, and more

That’s what Christmas is about for Ochaco

Her family is by no means rich, so she’s learned to spend her money during the season on more practical items then on luxury goods.

For her father, she’ll buy some multivitamins that were on sale so he can continue to work hard without sacrificing his nutrition

And for her mother, she’ll snag a nice coat that was on sale, even if it doesn’t fit her mother exactly right in the hopes that she stays warm during the winter months

And for you, she’ll buy practical goods like shampoo and conditioner, choosing scents that she thinks would suit you the best

As frugal as she may be during the season, it’s not too hard to deviate her from her normal habits

All you need are sweets and cakes

Because Christmas is a holiday where cake is almost a requirement, many bakeries naturally put their goods on sale to attract more customers

Therefore, the lines are egregiously long (as if it could deter someone as persistent as Ochaco though from joining the rest of the masses in getting their cakes for the holidays)

She will not hesitate to go the extra mile and leave the house early on Christmas day to grab a cake for the both of you (mostly her) to enjoy.

Her love for sweets, if anything, makes her really easy to shop for.

Just beware, buying anything too pricey will without a doubt, backfire and make her feel really, really bad since she’ll compare her store-bought cake to whatever you’ve gotten her

Moving away from gifts and cakes entirely, the holidays are also a time for loved ones to get together

But for Ochaco, that was never the case

Her parents were busy people after all, and demand for workers only grew during the holiday season as more and more people took leave from the workforce 

Ochaco didn’t mind, however. She genuinely didn’t. To her, this was a good opportunity for her parents to make money

Besides, she had you

And her friends of course~! She could never forget about them

Inviting Deku, Iida, and the rest of her friends over to her house, Ochaco often moves to display all the cakes she bought with some tea for her annual flow of guests to enjoy with her, the sweets and company lighting up her small home

“Oh my, what a quaint home!” 

“Thanks, Momo! Sit down, (Y/N) helped me slice up all the cake for everyone. Strawberry or chocolate?”

“Strawberry, please. I heard you had cake so I was hoping that the tea I brought would be adequate.”

“...How expensive is this box?? (Y/N)! Look! It even has jewels on it!”

“It has been sitting in the kitchen cupboards for a while, so I figured that the two of you could ensure that the leaves aren’t put to waste.”

“We will! Oh, thanks (Y/N)! Here, take this slice, Momo. Merry Christmas~!”

Shouta Aizawa

The holidays just aren’t his thing

It was nice to get a break from work and to be away from his students for a while...but all he did was nap around the house. 

Doesn’t really make for an exciting holiday for you in all honesty

He’ll still get you gifts every year, so that’s a plus. But his gifts, for the most part, are all practical gifts, the man preferring to gift you something to help you with your career than something like accessories or fanciful gifts

He doesn’t mind if you don’t get him anything too, simply because he’s well aware of the fact that he’s a hard person to shop for. 

Honestly, get this man some fluffy blanket and he’ll be satisfied 

And as the Christmas day dies down, it’s his own little tradition to take a few gin and tonics and relax with you in the living room, just enjoying your presence in a blissful silence

And thus, ending your holidays on a quiet note

However, everything changes the year he adopted Eri

Well... the year the school adopted Eri

She had celebrated Christmas before, even receiving presents from a few of Chisaki’s goons

But with all the terrible memories surrounding her life under Overhaul's guardianship, she was in dire need of new, better Christmas memories

So naturally, Aizawa was placed with the task to oversee her safety and happiness for the holidays

Not wanting to involve you too much with his pro hero work like this, he tries to do everything himself

And for a person who doesn’t care too much for the holidays, he gets a surprising amount of progress done before eventually falling short and being forced to request your assistance

“Um...Shouta?”

“Yo.”

“What is that?”

“...a present.”

“Why didn’t you get the store to wrap it? It looks a little... tight.”

“What exactly is that supposed to mean, (Y/N)?”

“Honey. Sweetheart. Love. You tie people up for a living. I think that poor present is unrippable.”

“...Damn it. Can you hand me my knife? It’s my costume.”

“’Course, as long as you tell me what all this is for~.”

“Work.”

“Come on, Shou! I know you want to keep ‘home life separate from work life' but I’m i n v e s t e d now. Please?”

“...It’s for a little girl the school adopted, Eri.”

“The school? Or you?”

“...”

“Wait, is this the one from the Hassaikai Raid you told me about??”

“Yeah. I’m put in charge of making her Christmas...special.”

“Okay, I’m not taking no for an answer, I’m helping~.”

“Do what you want.”

And so began your involvement in Eri’s Christmas, Aizawa splitting up the work with you and leaving the wrapping to you for the most part

A couple of days before Christmas hits, he takes both of you out to shop for winter clothes for Eri, the little one taking an immediate shine to her adoptive father’s lover.

It was as if the three of you were like a real family

Once Christmas arrived, Eri was brought to your home, the little girl gawking at not only the presence of her friends and heroes, Mirio and Deku, but the numerous presents hidden underneath a beautifully decorated tree, the rest of the house decorated to perfection (Thanks to your help)

While she caught up with the two boys, Aizawa pulls you to the side to get some much-needed air on the balcony

“Here.”

“What is it, Aizawa? Is this a present?”

“Just open it.”

“...It’s... a necklace?

“Put it on.”

“Thank you, really. It’s lovely.”

“Eri suggested to me when we were shopping yesterday.”

“That’s...honestly the cutest thing in the world. But why would she suggest this, it’s pretty incomplete-”

“...”

“Shouta. Is this one of those split necklaces? For couples? Are you wearing the other half?”

“Yes...don’t look at me like that (Y/N), you know I can’t wear it to work. It’d be too dangerous.”

“I know, I know~. This is honestly the sweetest thing you’ve ever given me, thank you~.”

“It’s for helping me with all this.”

“Righttt. And that red face is just because of the cold. See you inside, Aizawa. Merry Christmas~.”

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N). Hey.”

“What?”

“What happened to the cat decoration we put outside?”

Shouto Todoroki

Shouto has always favored the cold simply because it reminds him of his mother

The white snow reminding him of better times with his siblings, his sister keeping the boys from getting too rowdy and overzealous while he happily watched from the sidelines

But those days are long gone.

If anything, he still looks forward to the holidays because of the infamous busy schedule of many pro heroes- his father taken out of the picture on an annual basis

Nothing is set in stone, his sister’s insistence that he come home for the holidays already setting off alarms in his head

Was his father going to be home for Christmas?

Not wanting to deal with that mess, he politely declined his sister’s invitation to come home and remained at the dorm

It was nice, to be with you and his friends for the holidays

It was also a little surprising to see how many stayed behind during the holidays, didn’t they have families to visit this time of year?

Just musing about his friend’s family, however, brought back the thoughts of his own family

It was awfully cold out. Though his mother was more acclimated to the cold than most, he hoped she turned up the heat in her room and drank warm liquids to keep her healthy

“Shouto?”

“...”

“Todoroki.”

“I’m sorry, I was just in thought.”

“Is it about your family again?”

“My mother.”

“You worried about her?”

“A little. I just hope she’s doing alright. The post is a little slow during the holiday season.”

“Maybe we could visit her? Ooo! We could buy her a nice gift!”

“...that’s a lovely idea, (Y/N). Let’s do it.”

And so the two of you set out one day during the break to go shopping for possible Christmas gifts 

That’s where the two of you were met with a dead end.

“So, what does she like?”

“...I’m not sure.”

“Really? What do you talk about when you’re with her?”

“Me, mostly. She always wants to hear about my progress in school and about my friends and you.”

“Darn it. Maybe a cake?”

“What flavor?”

“...ughhh. Shopping is the worst.”

“Don’t worry, we can figure something out.”

Eventually, the both of you decided that the gift should be of sentimental value. Something that helps her connect more to the ones she loves, her children.

But that meant that you’d have to brave his household.

Shouto’s family was accommodating enough, both of you skirting around Enji in order to search the house for something, anything to gift Rei

And that’s when you found it.

Up in the attic were pictures. Tons of them. All stuffed into a makeshift album, something Rei or Fuyumi must have kept. Everything ranging from Shouto’s first steps to Fuyumi’s first time at the train station was photographed and sealed away in the pages of the book.

After giving a rather informal goodbye to his sister, blatantly ignoring his father, Shouto walked right out the front door, Fuyumi knowing full well where he was headed with that old book shoved under his arm

“Hmm, it’s late... who’s there? Shouto?”

“Hello, mother. Merry Christmas...I hope you like it.”

Taishiro Toyomitsu

Ugh, being a hero sucks.

Especially when so much good food is on display and all you want is to ditch patrol and go grab something to eat

But Fat Gum takes his work seriously, so he forgoes the snacks and patrols the streets, a silent source of reassurance for the passing civilians going shopping

“Taishiro!”

“Huh? Oh hey, (Y/N)! How are you doin’?

“Great! I figured you’d be hungry so I grabbed some dango for you- it was a two for one special~!”

“Whoa! That’s amazing! Thanks (Y/N), you’re the best~!”

“How long are you going to be on patrol for?”

“Eh, Tamaki said that he heard that I was off at 10 tonight.”

“Heard?”

“Kid was too shy to ask my replacement or his sidekick about it”

“Well. Maybe I could grab you some food while you patrol?”

“Is this really how you wanna spend your holiday, (Y/N)? You could go home and get out of the cold.”

“I think I’d like to spend Christmas with the person I love the most. Besides, if any trouble happens, I’ll get out of line and out of sight, alright?”

“...fine. Just promise me one thing.”

“Sure, what’s that?”

“You’re gonna go home if you get too cold, I don’t think getting sick during the holidays is what you want this year, ha ha ha.”

“Reasonable. You have yourself a deal~.”

So for the majority of the Christmas day was spent with you accompanying him along with his patrols, Taishiro happy to cough up the yen for you to get yourself (and him) food and drinks as you two walked the streets

Once it did get late or once you had enough of the cold and left, Fat Gum was certain to bring home all the food his office got- thank you’s and gifts of appreciation from his fans, all edible.

“Whoa! how did you get all this food up the stairs?”

“Amajiki helped me, good kid. Gave him a cake and sent him home for the night.”

“I have some of your favorite specials recorded and some hot chocolate ready by the way. It’s on the counter.”

“You really are the best! Thanks (Y/N), Merry Christmas!”

“Come on, we can sort through the treats later. Grab a cake and meet you on the couch.”

“Roger that!”

Tamaki Amajiki

Oh jeez

Why are there so many people out and about during the holidays

Living in Musutafu, he figured that he’d be used to the hustle and bustle of the city, but it just isn’t the case for someone as shy and anxious as he is

His friend, Mirio, does his best every year to try and pull the introvert out of his shell a little, getting him to go out for lunch at a nearby cafe that was hosting a holiday special or to go catch a movie or two with him

But this year, Mirio was busy with Eri and his family, leaving the two of you to celebrate Christmas together instead

Wanting to try and be a good partner to you, he figured that he should do something for the holidays. Maybe a date or a nice present would suffice.

And as great as those ideas were, it was the execution that had him all flustered

Should it be food? Was food a good gift? Fruit maybe?

Or maybe you’re secretly allergic to something? What if he accidentally gives it to you!?

He’d love to take you out on a date, but most places are so packed, everything is reservation only

Which means that he’d have to talk to someone. A. Real. Person.

He’d have to talk to them over the phone and ahhh! It’s too much!

Deciding that celebrating the conventional way wasn’t going to work out very well, he opted to order everything he needed and have it delivered to his house, inviting you over for a small date

“Hey, Tamaki! You sounded a little panicked on the phone, are you alright?”

“I-I did? Oh...I was trying to ask you out on a date...”

“Haha, that part I understood. I didn’t get the rest though since you mumbled the rest as fast as possible before hanging on me.”

“Sorry, (Y/N). I’ll work on that. Do you want to, er, come in?”

“Sure, are we headed out for our date or is this an indoorsy one?”

“I wanted to stay in for the holidays, everywhere else is just too much.”

“Hey, it’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to leave the house! Please look at me, Tamaki. Aww, your cheeks are all red~.”

“(Y/N), you can stop teasing me now. I don’t know how much my heart can take...”

“Alright, alright. I’ll have mercy. Let’s go cuddle on the couch, I brought your gift over and I want to see what you think of it.”

Unsurprisingly, staying inside and out of the cold turned out to be a pretty good idea, Tamaki making mental note to do it more often when the winter months rolled around.

When it came time to give you your gift, he was certain to choose something he absolutely, 100% knew you liked or wanted.

That way, he decreased the likelihood of having that awkward situation where you’d reluctantly accept a person’s present just to be polite!

Seeing your positive reactions to his various presents just helps to build up his confidence year after year, eventually helping the hero voluntarily choose to spend the holiday with large groups of friends and even in crowded public areas

Tenya Iida

With his brother in a wheelchair and forced into early retirement, Tenya wants to forgo everything and everyone else in his life during the holidays to return home and be there for his older brother

But shutting out everything isn’t going to help him in the long run, it simply isn’t the answer

So unlike many other couples, making plans for the holidays and going out on dates, you show up uninvited and concerned for your boyfriend

He was certainly surprised to see you, but in the end, was far too polite to try and turn you away since you did give the extra effort to see him over the holidays

Upon seeing you in the doorway, his family turns into a tizzy, his brother wheeling himself over to greet you properly while his parents prepare another seat for the holidays

Figuring that you were here for his little brother, Tensei pulls back from his little brother, wanting him to spend less time worrying over his older sibling and more time actually celebrating the holidays. Even if Tenya is stubborn about it.

“B-But, brother! I can’t just leave you here to go shopping today! It wouldn’t be right!”

“Dude, just go have fun with (Y/N), school is going to come back sooner than you think. Enjoy your break while you can. I’ll be here with mom.”

“...Are you certain that this is really okay?”

“Yep. Thought about inviting a few of my friends over too so you two kids being occupied is fine with me.”

“Alright, I guess I did need some fresh air, did you need anything?”

“Eh, maybe an order of Hayashi rice? Mom keeps trying to feed me ‘healthy’ stuff for my recovery. And, it is Christmas. So a cheat day is in order.”

“Okay! I won’t return until (Y/N) and I have found the best possible Hayashi rice for you!”

“There’s a place a couple blocks down the-.... anddd he’s gone.”

During your little outing, Iida regrettably finds himself enjoying it a little more than he ought to have

His brother was still recovering for Christ’s sake! And what was he doing?

Enjoying a hot drink with you and shopping for presents for his family and loved ones, you specifically being included in the latter group

Even if he didn’t verbally voice it, his body language speaks volumes- the boy is an open book after all.

By the time you wrapped up all the needed last minute shopping, the sun was setting, marking the perfect time to sit Iida down and get him to loosen up.

“(Y/N), we really should be back home. The rice is getting cold-”

“Iida, Iida, Iida. Calm down a little, we just got the rice. Come sit with me.”

“...Alright, but we’re gonna head back in 5 minutes.”

“Sure.”

“...”

“Hey, Iida, you know why I’m here, right?”

“You were worrying for me, weren’t you?”

“That’s the sharp hero I fell for~.”

“I really do appreciate you visiting, thank you, (Y/N). Truly.”

“Your whole family wants you to be happy, Iida. Why else would your older brother shoo you out the house?”

“For rice?”

“Ha. Ha. But really, the stress is in your face, Iida! We can’t have our class representative returning to school all down, can we?”

“Y-You’re right! The break is meant to keep the morale of the class high, and if I were to be the sole one to return to campus-”

“Sad?”

“Yes! It’d be a travesty! We should make the most of the break while we can, (Y/N). To alleviate my family’s worries, for the eventual return to school, and ... for...myself.”

“Hey now, sit back down, Iida. You said we had 5 minutes! Just take a breather~. Besides, look around us.”

“What?”

“The lights, they’re all being turned on, one by one. It’s pretty romantic, isn’t it?”

“Yeah...it is...it’s nice.”

“Look at you, relaxing~! Merry Christmas, Tenya~.”

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N). Thank you again, for coming for me.”

Tsuyu Asui

The holidays are extra stressful for Asui in particular

Her parents work late hours during the holiday, which she doesn’t mind since it’s nothing out of the usual for her

Her siblings, however, are another story entirely

They were manageable on a day to day basis

But during Christmas?

They were bouncing off the walls with excitement, always wanting to do something or go somewhere

Which, again, was something she was used to.

However, because of the cold, wintery weather, she often felt drowsy and keeping up with her sibling’s antics was a difficult challenge

Thank the skies above that the effects worked both ways, so her siblings could only be excited for short bursts of time.

Tsuyu invited you to her place for the break, figuring that you could visit and meet her family in the process

However, she was certain to accompany her invitation with a disclaimer, apologizing in advance for the rowdy kids and hectic home life she has during the break

Upon arrival at the Asui household, it’s buzzing with life, her father, Ganma, and mother, Beru already preparing to head out for work, leaving Tsuyu and you in charge of her two siblings, Satsuki and Samidare.

First on the docket for Christmas day was breakfast, Tsuyu cranking up the thermostat so she could stay awake and finish making everyone something to eat.

The next was the presents, Tsu slipping yours, something small to say “thanks” for joining her when you could easily spend your time with your own family

“I hope you like it, (Y/N).”

“Wait, how did you know I wanted this? I don’t think I told anyone...did I?”

“Nope, ribbit.”

“Tsu, how did you know? Or are you some mindreader~?”

“I just picked up on the fact that you wanted it by watching you. You’re a little obvious when you like something, (Y/N).”

“Well, thank you, Tsu! I hope you like my present for you~.”

“It’s very functional, hopefully, I can add it to my costume to keep warm during the winter. Wasn’t this in the latest Christmas catalogs?”

“Yep, took me quite a bit of yen to pre-order it, I really hope it’ll help.”

While she stays bundled whenever she leaves the house with you during the break, it’s a little cute watching her frog instincts kick in.

For example, the two of you could be sent out to fetch some cakes for Christmas, Tsu dosing off on your shoulder on the train ride to the mall.

Or another example would be her small yawns, trying to not show just how severely the cold was affecting her and the adorable warmth in her face when she’s caught and you hand her a warm drink you bought- priceless.

Yagi Toshinori

Every year, around Christmas, the latest support items are released to heroes across the nation, many pros treating themselves to a nice upgrade for the holidays

When he was still in his prime, All Might would always keep an eye on the various catalogs, wanting to stay sharp and ahead of the villains.

However, he’s far past that point in his life

So this year for Christmas, All Might wanted to spend some time with his closest friends and family.

But his master was gone, Gran Torino preferring to stay warm in his home during the holiday season.

And as for friends...

He didn’t really have many of those. At least not the ones that knew of both All Might and Yagi Toshinori.

Naomasa was busy with the villains during the break, so he couldn’t really contact him. And even if he wasn’t, Yagi knew that the detective cared for his sister and was probably with her over the break

Shield was across the seas, working on support items in the west, the very same ones that end up on every pro hero magazine and catalog in the country.

So all he really had was you.

For his co-workers, he’s certain to leave them all gifts before taking his leave for break, just out of the pure desire to build rapport with them and deepen their friendship

As for you, he doesn’t want to be too overbearing for the holidays, pushing you to go and be with your family for the holidays. It’s not often that everyone has free time on their hands like this after all

But please, dear God. Invite the poor man with you. He needs the company.

Graciously accepting your invite, he’s a bit nervous on what to bring his first time there. But if this isn’t his first time around the block, then he’s far more confident in his ability to pick an adequate gift for your folks.

In all honesty...

Never in his life did he ever think he’d make it here.

Being with someone he loved.

To meet and hang out with people he could hopefully call his own family

It was uplifting, extremely so.

And as the holiday ends, he’s certain to pull you aside for a final, quiet moment. Just the two of you.

“It’s very lively, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is, Yagi. My family and friends tend to be a little rowdier than usual this time of year. I think the season just does that to people.”

“It’s pleasant. Thank you for letting me in for the holidays, (Y/N).”

“It’s no problem at all, I love you. So, isn’t it natural that I’d want to spend my time with you during this holiday?”

“Haha, I guess you’re right! Still...you didn’t have to.”

“Are you alright, Toshi?”

“Perfectly fine. It’s just... so difficult to put my feelings into words.”

“Then don’t.”

“Wha-”

“...”

“...that. Was very pleasant.”

“Kisses tend to be like that. Merry Christmas, Toshi~. Hey, you’re definitely coming over next year right?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, (Y/N)”

Yuga Aoyama

Christmas has always been a time for his family to stop working and huddle together, enjoying their time together before school and work pulled Yuga apart from his family

Memories of the bright, sparkly Christmas tree his parents always put up every year always flows into his mind around this time of year

The scent of sugar cookies and cinnamon always bring back the memories of the large meals his family would share when he was younger.

But then those memories are corrupted, replaced with the one time his quirk went out of control, blasting the tree he admired so much with his naval laser.

The scent of cinnamon and spices burning in his nose as he remembers accidentally blasting the chair opposite him when eating with his family, thankfully, an empty chair

With the mixed feelings brewing in him concerning the holidays, Yuga spends a bit of time every year browsing all the websites and catalogs he can, searching for the latest support items released for use of all pro heroes around the world.

Hoping that one day he could find something more efficient at containing his naval laser

And considering his faulty quirk- anything to improve his abilities, so he’s able to use his quirk for longer lengths of time or to improve the strength of the laser itself

Just watching him brood over the various magazines is enough to squeeze your heart

It eventually becomes an annual endeavor to cheer him up in time for Christmas, which is honestly not too hard to do.

After all, he’s been dealing with these issues for a majority of his life.

Taking him out on walks to see the lights being put up always puts a small smile on his face, being an avid admirer of all things lovely and shiny

He also finds it fun to bring you out shopping. No need to buy anything, Just the process of browsing and trying on clothing is enough to entertain him for hours on end.

But make no mistake, if he really likes something on you, he’ll buy it.

There’s just something about being with you that takes the edge off of the holidays, making the season more palpable and pleasant for him

It’s as if being with you paves over all those memories he has of the holidays, the beginning of his relationship with you truly marking a fresh start in his life

Besides, what kind of boyfriend would he be if he let his mood drag down the entirety of Christmas for you?

“Here, I figured you’d like it~.”

“Oh, shampoo and conditioner? Rose scented?”

“Something to remind you of me~.”

“I love it, Yuga~. You always do smell lovely.”

“I do? I MEAN- ahem, of course, I do, it’s only natural that someone as stunning as me smells just as stunning~!”

“Alright, alright. Open up my gift now. I want to see that ‘stunning’ smile of yours~.”

“Haha, as my (Y/N) commands-...Is this a support item?”

“I spotted it in a small catalog from America, it helps to focus light. And while it’s supposed to be for people with laser vision, I think we can make adjustments to make more out of your quirk~.”

“I love it. So, so much. Thank you, (Y/N)”

“Oof! Your hug is a little tight there, sweetie. But I am glad you liked it. Merry Christmas, Yuga.”

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N). I swear, I’ll make it up to you next year. I promise~.”

[trashpandaorigins]

Understanding

After the events of Heaven Can Wait Groot must tell Bucky and Steve about Rocket....

*Contains Spoilers for Heaven Can Wait We’re Only Watching the Sky and other GRSB Scenes from a Life series*

…...In another hundred years this technology could be utilized in every country on earth. Bucky let out a small belch and took his gaze off the documentary and down to the empty ice cream container propped against his belly. Damn, all gone. He shrugged, turning back to the TV. There were many things in this century he was still getting used to, many things he didn’t like. But Netflix. Netflix was fantastic. He smiled to himself and licked the spook free of chocolate ice cream.

“Groot?” Bucky thought he heard Steve question from the other room.

“Steve is that…?”

“Yes, yes of course come on in,” Bucky knew that tone without seeing his face. He groaned, heaving himself to a sitting position on the couch as Groot lumbered in. He was taller, brown twigs stuck out of his limbs where leaves should have been. His eyes sunken and forlorn. Groot’s eyes slid to Bucky, then to the TV, narrowing. In a single motion the long wooden arm swiped up the remote and the screen clicked to black.

“Hey man, what gives?” Groot turned on his large feet and looked down at him with some unreadable look between remorse and a scowl.

“He said he had something to tell us,” Steve inferred, coming and standing beside him. Groot lifted his lithe fingers gesturing shortly with his hands in the ASL Steve had taught him.

“R….Rocket?” Bucky pieced out. “Where is the little fucker?” Groot signed again, this time slow deliberate.

“....d...dead?” Steve guessed with quite trepidation. The flora colossus nodded curtly.

“Yeah right,” Bucky scoffed, standing up and looking between the two of them. “I’m not buying it. He’s tried this before it’s not going to work.”

“Tried what?” Steve’s confusion redirected to him. Bucky only waved his good arm dismissively. “I’m not giving him anymore money”

“He faked his own death to get money off you?”

“Oh don’t worry I’ve done the same thing to him.” Bucky grinned impishly. “Only he falls for it every time!” Steve only raised a brow, folding his arms. “Ive been emotionally blackmailing Rocket  to extort him for money and weapons for years!” He forced a laugh, “That’s like the basis of our friendship.”

“Dare I ask how many times the two of you have done that to each other?”

“What!? I have to channel my impulsive violence somehow!” Steve cracked a smile that quickly diminished by Groot’s furious words,

“I am GROOT.”  Bucky huffed,

“Your not...you're not serious.” But the flora colossus only blinked, looking at him incredulously. It couldn’t be. He saw Rocket just a few months ago and the raccoonoid had been as scrappy as ever. Maybe a little worse for wear, some white fur encroaching on otherwise silky brown grey fur but that was to be expected. He was getting older, they were all gradually getting older.

“When?” Steve murmured, but Bucky hardly heard him. The severity of Groot’s words closing in on him. Rocket couldn’t be gone...that brash heat packing reckless thief had broken out of who knew how many prisons, (98 the last time Rocket bragged about it), he’d faced down a celestial, he helped defeat Thanos, he’d taken on baddies ten times his size! Hell he’d survived much the same torture Bucky himself had gone through. He couldn’t be...dead. Yet somehow looking at Groot, Bucky knew. No wonder the tree like creature looked miserable. His bark was flaking off in sloughs, his eyes not just sunken but exhausted and hollow. Bucky ran a hand over his face,

“Was he alone?” Bucky murmured, staring anywhere but those large dark eyes. Groot shook his head. “Was....was he in pain?” The flora’s frown deepened, large shoulders shrugging.

“You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know?!” Bucky accused, stepping dangerously close. He shook with indignation, jaw clenched. So that was how it was going to be? Had Rocket had died in pain...trying to claw the metal out of his flesh? Was that to be his fate then too? A sharp throbbing at the stump of his shoulder where his own skin met metal was the only answer.

“I...a...am Groot,” Groot breathed, holding his arms out helplessly.

“How?” Bucky suppressed the growl in his voice. He watched Groot’s now trembling hands, slowly bending and forming the words.

“Age?” Steve guessed before Bucky could. No that isn’t right. If Rocket is going go down it should be fighting the biggest scariest space demon, going down in a blaze of gunfire pulling the largest heist the galaxy has ever scenes or tail deep in Asgardian whiskey in his room full of gold coins and units...anything but age. Age was too typical to calm for the thievish ringtail. Too mundane.

“I want to see him,” Bucky managed, still trying to grasp the news.

“I am Groot?” Groot signed with guarded rigidity.

“I don’t care,” Bucky bit his tongue before he could shout. “I want to see him.” Steve’s warm hand gripped his shoulder, steadying him.

“Buck...now might not be the best time to….”

“He was my friend too,” He measured Groot’s look of shielded sorrow with his own. Dark and challenging and righteous. The flora said nothing, but nodded, motioning for the two of them to follow.

---

Bucky marveled up at the Benatar’s arching iron ribs, so huge and yet graceful? Or at least it would be if there wasn’t trash thrown about, wires and exposed pipes in bad need of repair. Had Rocket really been gone that long? The sharp scent of too much axe mixed with the ichor of engine grease and weaponry and candy of all things. Groot guided them through the echoing halls to the main bridge.

“I am Groot,” he announced as Gamora, Quill, the bug lady, Nebula and the tattooed guy, turned to face them. Steve’s smile was almost as strained as his voice,

“Groot was kind enough to let us aboard...he told us...about Rocket. We were hoping to see him...to say goodbye.” Most of the time Steve’s running mouth got the two of them into a host of troubles but it was times like this Bucky was grateful for it. Quill planted his hands on his hips,

“Well, seeing as this is my ship. He really should have asked me first.But I’m feeling generous today so,”

Bucky tossed his hair from his face, instinctively reaching for his pistol. The man’s arrogance was unending.

“Cut the bullshit,” he hissed. “we’re here for Rocket. Not you. Get this ship  the air and take us to him and we’ll be on our way. It’s thanks to Rocket this thing is even flying at all” Quill’s mouth gaped like a fish, blinking mutely.

“We cannot take you to Rocket,” the tattooed man who’s name Bucky could not and did not really care to remember intoned, “There is nothing left of him. Besides his cybernetics. Fur and flesh will have rotted away by now.”   Nothing left of him besides his cybernetics. Sour churning bile rose within Bucky at the thought, he fought the urge to gag and redirected his murderous glare to the muscular alien.

“Planet X2 four systems away,” Gamora intervened before Quill could come up with some lame comeback. “It won’t take long. But you’ll want to find something to hold on to when we announce the jumps.”

“Thank you,” Steve answered for the two of them. Groot slid around the tattooed man and Mantis, taking a seat in the pilot’s chair and punching in the codes.

---

Bucky fiddled with the odd package in his hands, is this supposed to be food? It was impossible to tell what time it was from the endless void of space. The ship drifted forward with the similar movement of the naval ships he’d been aboard during the war. Smooth, with the occasional pitch and throw. Steve had sought out Nebula, the two of them not having seen each other since the battle with Thanos. Bucky thought he heard Steve mention Tony, thus he and cyborg woman had fell into a somber but good natured enough conversation. He found himself wandering the ship alone until coming upon the kitchen area. He gazed at the symbols on the metallic wrapped package and shrugged, sliding into the diner style booth against the wall.  

Footsteps alerted him to someone’s presence a few moments later. He craned his neck and watched the green woman stride in. She instantly looked at him with a passing curiosity and finally walked over to the table, sitting down on the opposite side.

“What happened?” Bucky broached the inevitable subject with what he hopped was sensitive respect. It was the elephant in the room and his morbid curiosity would not abate. Gamora kneaded her hands together. “Please, I can’t ask Groot,”

“Nor should you,” she quipped sharply, her eyes meeting his with a fierce protectiveness he knew too well. She held him there in that gaze for a moment before looking away, shoulders dropping. “There’s not much to tell. He just got old. It’s not like he took good care of himself. With the biology of a terran animal that only lives a few years...combined with the injuries he suffered and the untold volumes of alcohol...a history of insomnia…..it caught up with him.” Bucky bit his tongue, he could only imagine the aches and pains that were going to get his goat one day. Too many fights in too many narrow stairwells. Too many falls from too many heights.

“He...died….in pain…?” He repeated, clearing his throat.

“Yes.” Gamora answered, clinically. “Won’t we all?” She scrutinized him, the silver metal webbing etched into her flesh gleamed in the passing stars. Bucky looked at his own vibranium arm, rubbing it unconsciously with his good hand.

“Guess so,” he forced through the sudden lump in his throat. The confirmation of Rocket’s suffering riled in his stomach. “Why didn’t you take him to a medic?” He challenged, anger was easier than grief. “Your the Guardians of the fucking Galaxy, one of you must have known someone, someplace that could have fxed him!” His fists clenched, leaning forward against the table. “You could’ve taken him to Wakanda!” His voice rose in rage and helplessness.

“We did everything we could,” Gamora answered calmly. “And nothing that he didn’t want us to do.” Her eyes landed on Bucky’s arm. “He didn’t want to go to Wakanda,” she finished with a breath. Bucky watched her facade momentarily betray her. Like an expert, she hid it instantly, clearing her throat and looking down to fiddle with her rings.

“Who cares what he wants! It’s not like he had a choice at that point….” the words died in his throat and he covered his face with his good hand, forcing himself to breathe.  You know what sentience means Barnes?! Choices! I could make my own dast choices! The memory of Rocket’s words rang loudly in his ears.

“I’m sorry,” he finally managed, the fight gone from him. It was a stale sorry, forced and awkward and both of them knew it. But that was what you said didn’t you? When someone died and you didn’t know what else to say? It was sircumcript. Gamora’s frown only deepened. Her observation of him uncomfortably impeccable, scrutinizing him further with the eyes of a trained killer. Looking for any signs of hostility, identifying the places where he concealed his knives and the one gun he’d brought along just in case. Old habits die hard.

“Don’t let Groot bother you,” she continued as if she weren’t sizing him up. “He hasn’t been the same since…”

“Ahh,” Bucky leaned back, stretching his arms above his head. “I’m used to people treating me with contemptuous resentment. It’s better than the alternative.”

“What’s the alternative?”

“Murderous unadulterated loathing.” He smirked, “I have that effect on people. It’s a gift.” Gamora flashed a smile with a satisfied huff to boot. Bucky returned the grin, sharing the levity for a moment. She had a nice smile, rare but genuine.

“We don’t have much extra space,” she stood after a moment, back into her distant severity. “But you and Captain Rogers can settle down wherever.”

“Thanks,” Bucky nodded to her as she turned to go, halting in the doorway

“We’ll be on X2 in 10 hours terran time.”

---

Maybe it was because he was sleeping in a new place, surrounded by new people. Maybe it was because it had been a long time since he’d last had night terrors this bad and the universe just liked to fuck with him. Or maybe it was because the only other person to have nightmares like these was no longer dreaming at all. Whatever the reason, Bucky jolted awake in a sweaty daze, chest heaving, trying to shake away the feeling of prying gloved hands poking into his flesh.

“Buck,” Steve’s quiet voice beckoned him from the terrors, one arm sliding up his back, rubbing between his shoulders in small smooth circles.

“He didn’t deserve it Steve,” Bucky’s voice trembled. His fingers curled around the metal bench on which they’d squeezed themselves. “R...Rocket he didn’t deserve what they did to him.” He tried to suck air between words as if he was drowning. “he shouldn’t have died Steve, not like he did. Not...not with metal festering in his insides.”  Bucky’s breath came in ragged gasps no matter how hard he tried to settle himself.

“Bucky...shhh….” Steve tried, but the man continued.

“He didn’t deserve what happened to him...but...I, I did.” Bucky shut his eyes against it, trying to concentrate on Steve’s steady touch.

“What are you talking about?” Steve asked softly,  Bucky lifted his head from his hands, meeting Steve’s steady gaze with his own.

“I killed those people Steve,” he choked.

“That wasn’t you James, Hydra made you do those things,”  the fervor in Steve’s face spoke for itself but Bucky only let out a shuddering sigh.

“Not Hydra,” Bucky cut him off with more vitriol then he intended. “Before that,” he ran a clammy hand over his brow, silently praying none of the Guardians were awake. “I killed those men in the war...and when Hydra took me,” he leaned against Steve’s chest. “It wasn’t just brainwashing. They took that violence and just...enhanced it.” Bucky turned over his shoulder to look at Steve’s determined face. Still seeing the best in him, even after all he’d done. After everything the two of them had done. “Rocket was a little animal before they...c..created him...he was innocent. But...me...I…” he swallowed. “I was already a killer.” Steve opened his mouth to continue but Bucky leaned forward, kissing him roughly.

“I’ve killed more men than you,” Steve breathed, hoarse. “What does that make me?”

“I have killed more men than either of you. And women too. I am not sexist. I hold enormous respect for women.”  Steve and Bucky leapt up from their cot to see the large tattooed man emerge from the shadows.

“D...Drax!” Steve stepped between the Destroyer and Bucky. “That’s not what sexism….wait...how long have you been standing there?!”  The muscled man only looked between the two of them.

“Groot sent me to get you. We are approaching X2.” Without further assurance Drax turned on his heel, motioning for them to follow.

Out the window of the cockpit, still trying to calm his racing heart, Bucky gapped at the teeming planet before them. Enormous alone in the galaxy but for the stars and colored in a thousand shades of green.

“Hold onto your butts,” Quill smirked, slamming on the controls sending the ship speeding forward.

Steve hissed in shock, slamming his hand on a fake break,

“Fuck!” Bucky let out a small laugh, catching Steve around the waist as they plummeted closer to the surface.

---

Bucky did not know what to expect, but this certainly wasn’t it.  Trees of every shape and size covered the planet in a rainforest like density. Streams of clear water gilded around trunks and through spindly roots. He arched his neck to look upward at one of the four suns circling the planet, their rays of light streaming in gilded brilliance through the canopy. Flowers bloomed fragrant and bright along their path, giving of sweet scents the likes of which he had never smelled. Bucky looked over his shoulder to where Steve was gazing in wonderment, he knew the man well enough by now to know when he was suppressing the urge to whip out a sketchbook or notebook. Steve’s unfettered curiosity made Bucky grin despite their somber destination.

“Too bad you left your khaki shorts at home,” he couldn’t resist teasing, brushing a large fanned leaf out of the way. Steve smirked, stepping over a large low lying root. Bucky looked forward again, making out the top of Groot’s head through the dense foliage. Gamora followed him, then Drax and Mantis, who remained close to Nebula, clinging on the bionic woman’s arm. Pointedly, Peter had refused to go no matter how much Gamora had pressed him. The last place Bucky had seen the man before they set off was the main corridor, down which Quill lumbered, headphones on, going to brood no doubt. Bucky knew it was wrong to hate him for it, but something about the cowardice, set him smoldering.

Bucky ducked his head under a low hanging branch, stooping over and then stood.

“We’re here,” Gamora gestured to the clearing before them. A sloping hill arched upward to the edge of a drop off  overlooking the vast vista of forest and pools beyond. On the crest of the hill a noble sprawling tree grew strong and taunt, its large crown wide and full. The thick roots bore deep into the earth and spilling off the edge of the cliff.

“I am Groot,” Groot pointed towards the tree stoically. His face un-readable. He looked to Gamora who only nodded in confirmation, turning on her heel and walking towards the large tree. Bucky swallowed, mouth dry and turned to Steve.

“You still want to do this? No one will judge you if you don’t.” Bucky could feel Groot’s narrow gaze on him.

“Oh I know someone who will,” he smirked sarcastically and followed Gamora up the hill.

---

“There,” Gamora breathed now that they stood before the large tree. Something about the place made Bucky feel small and quiet, a hallowed ground of its own kind. The tree itself was no distinct species as far as Bucky could tell. He followed her eyes to a notch in the tree dark and perfect size for a small creature to curl up inside. He stood there a  moment, frozen in what to do. Not dissimilar to after he’d gone on a spree, after he’d murdered someone, taken someone out. Head in a fog, on the verge of running in a panic, fueled by nightmares and whatever else Hydra had pumped into his veins. This time however, he did not run away. Bucky reached out, fingers brushing the rough bark of the tree with the same hesitant tenderness he had used to touch Rocket’s fur. In their years of friendship Bucky had stroked Rocket’s fur a total of three times. (Besides the handful of occasions on which he’d grabbed hold of that ringed tail to yank Rocket out a jam in the heat of some drunken brawl or the target of some enemy five times his size). Once shortly after they met and it was revealed how alike the two of them were. The second time when he’d had to save the raccoon’s life by re-assembling his cybernetics, using the howling voices in his head to guide him and lastly when he had told Rocket the true nature of his creation. A prototype made by Hydra as a test run for making howlies.

Bucky willed himself to take a deep breath, resting his palm flat against the tree. What had Rocket done after this violent discovery? He’d curled up in the man’s lap, and  fallen asleep. It was a trust Bucky had not earned, had done nothing to deserve and yet, Rocket snored and slept content and Bucky hadn’t shut his eyes a wink that night in the dimly lit apartment. Instead he ran his  hand over the raccoonoid’s side rhythmically, letting the warm soft fur calm his mind and ease his fears.Watching as with each little breath of the sleeping creature, skin pulled tight across metal. Yet Rocket curled in his lap, not unlike an abused dog who finally came to rest content by your feet.

Bucky looked up, into the leafy crown of the tree, squinting his eyes against the sunlight. He swallowed, hand still resting against the tree. Stop being such a sap Barnes, Rocket’s husky voice mocked in his mind, laced with irritation. If only the raccoonoid would reprimand him now. A hundred different sarcastic cutting remarks ran through the man’s imagination. How Rocket would tease him if he could see the tears pressing against the back of Bucky’s eyes. He waited for it...for any grating laughter or flick of the tail. But no, he’d never hear that sarcastic voice again. Rocket would never make fun of him. They’d never spend another night at some dive bar getting increasingly drunk and daring each other into dumber and dumber acts of brazen stupidity. They’d never exchange weapons or old tales of battle. Rocket would never perch up on Groot’s shoulders or scream over a hail of gunfire in blood thirsty joy. They’d never look warily at each other, knowing the other had spent the night in a terrorizing nightmare. They’d never steal a sympathetic glance when they thought the other wasn’t looking especially during the drizzly days when the metal in their skin ached particularly bad, or during the sweltering heat and frigid cold. They would never share the shame of the things they’d become, the things they’d done. Guess I’m the only monster left. But if the little abomination could drift off peacefully...surrounded by a family he’d found in the arms of the person he loved most in all the world, then well, maybe there was some hope for Bucky after all. He could only hope for as much.

The spell broke after a moment, his hand slipped away and he stepped back gazing at the lush grass. Gamora, Drax, Mantis and Nebula stood some distance away lost in their own thoughts. Steve gave him a sad smile, squeezing his shoulder before stepping up to say his own goodbye. Bucky looked out across the immense forest, his gaze gliding in a haze over it’s beauty until he saw Groot. Back turned to the tree, form rigid and away from the others.

“I’m sorry I shoved you earlier,” he tried approaching the flora slowly. “If there’s anything you need or want….just...let me know.”

There’s nothing I need or want that you can give.

Bucky nodded, “I know...I just mean...well...if you ever want to…” his heart tried to find the words, muddling through the thick black tar of grief. “He was my friend too and….I know it’s obvious but...he really loved you.”

He loved you too.

“Ha, I don’t think….wait,” Bucky turned to the flora in slow comprehension. “Groot, I think I….I think I understood you. Wait say something again!” Groot turned to him, face still drawn but no longer contemptuous.

It’s about time,

“Ha! No shit! I’ve been trying to understand you for years!” A laugh broke through Bucky’s melancholy. How many hours had Rocket tried and subsequently failed to teach him?

Only when you truly listen do you begin to understand.

“Is that some zen buddhist saying or what? Shit,” he shook his head in disbelief. “I guess you're right!”

What is zen?

“Ask Quill later,” Bucky waved a dismissive hand and the two of them resumed their silence, gradually turning around to face the large tree where Rocket lay.

I guess he was right about one thing

“What’s that?”

He promised not to go until someone else could understand. I thought he meant them, Groot gestured to the other Guardians.  It seems I was wrong.  But Rocket was right after all. Those large eyes looked at Bucky with renewed appreciation. Bucky felt something inside him inflate, joy or sorrow or something in between he couldn’t quite tell. Maybe it was one in the same. He rubbed his eyes, watching the suns set against the magnificent tree casting a glowing golden light upon them all.

“Guess he was.”

[lhpxawol-amalgam]

Popular AWOl Ships in a Nutshell

Long post ahead.

WonderMod

Suwon:

Won x Soomi

Queen of all ships

Intellectual meets philosopher

Funniest couple you will ever meet

Agdjkfdgdaf there’s just so much chemistry

Stans have like written full-length thought-out analyses on this shit

When they dance together it’s the best cause Won can dance like no one’s business and Soomi is just trying her best but they still look awesome together

Gyuju:

Gyuri x Jinju

Both have two siblings

Both play guitar

Both are the two tallest in their group

Both do modern dance

At this point no one knows if the only reason this ship is so popular is cause they just have so much in common

But they do kinda balance each other out

Gyuri’s the drill sergeant and Jinju’s the cheerleader

Hyeju:

Hyerin x Jinju

Leader/maknae stuff, ya know

They’re actually pretty cute together

“Oh my god, they were roommates”

These shippers will never get over the one time Hyerin made Jinju ramen when she was super stressed and helped her to take a break from working

WonderMod stans be like “I ship Hyeju” and LOONA stans be like “but with who tho”

Hareum:

Hanbyeol x Areum

Hanbyeol can cook and Areum loves to eat so

Also lots of dad energy for some reason 

This one’s only as big as it is from that one fanfic “I’m Trapped in a Hareum Anime”

Shenanigan

Sangeun:

Sangwoo x Jaegeun

It’s a duo group

Of course it’s a ship

Generates lots of enemies-to-lovers fanfiction for some reason

Sangwoo’s the flirty one and Jaegeun’s the dapper one so you get all the cute shipping dynamics

AK6

2Woo:

K.O. (Kiwoo) x Woori

“Oh my God, they were roommates”

Scary but weak meets buff but softie 

Honestly could become real

I mean K.O.’s bi so

The fans feel vaguely justified

Uwu

Lites Out:

K.O. x Lite

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: 2Woo vs. Lites Out

K.O’s stage persona is almost aggressive enough for Lite’s actual personality

Jk she’s soft for like one person and it’s him

Need to host a variety show stat

DeLite:

Lite x Luxe

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: Lites Out vs DeLite

Fashion king and queen

They got that yin/yang thing going

Watch them like actually get away with murder tho

Labyrinth:

Miro x Luxe 

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: DeLite vs Labyrinth

The thinking man’s ship

They’re always the ones to sit back and lovingly shake their heads while everyone else does something fun but stupid

No one really sees this ship going anywhere sexual but it’s got all the good memes so

Forget-Me-Not

Hanhwan:

Hanbin x Joohwan

That name tho

Poetry

Absolute softies for each other

If this were a fanfic it’d be a slow burn cause they’re so goddamn oblivious

Hanbin’s a sex-demon on the outside and a cinnamon roll on the inside

Let’s just say people suspect the opposite of Joohwan

Kim Woo:

Kim Gyeong x Siwoo

More leader/maknae

Try and make this one sexy and watch yourself get kicked out of the fandom by angry stans

This is why Forget-Me-Not doesn’t have ship wars

PINEAPPLE

Shinmin:

Shinyoung x Minchul

We don’t know how anyone let this happen

They’re cousins

Like not even distant cousins

I know the internet sucks

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: Shincest or Mincest

Lots of pining jokes cause gEDDIT they’re in pINEAPPLE

But yeah this one gets all the shame it deserves

a.LOVE

Jangyoung:

Gayoung x Tokki (Jangmi)

Their MV characters have a sorta abusive dynamic so

This one gets a lot of eyebrows raised

But IRL they’re both just trying to out-care for each other

So the fics are either hardcore angst or total fluff 

I would say “oh my God, they were roommates” but they’re all roommates so like

Sungyoung:

Gayoung x Sungmi

The Unpopular Ship™

Oh look it’s another enemies-to-lovers Sungyoung fic

Half the time they’re both j chilling and the other half they’re the literal definition of sexual tension

MiMi:

Tokki (Jangmi) x Sungmi

Technically leader/maknae but like

It feels different

It’s just really cute man what can I say

They’ve got that tsundere/genki girl dynamic going

*insert meme man* Show ALL the affection!

GSG

Yangbin:

Yang x Sebin

All the chemistry, all the feels, and sadly also all the annoying straight girls fetishizing Asian men

But like seriously when they dance together it’s absolutely golden

Yang’s all flowing and expressive and Sebin’s all sharp and aggressive

Kinda matches their personalities too

It’s just sad that so many stans have to be all sasaeng-y about it

AB Yang:

AB Young x Yang

Who wants to bet it’s just for the name huh

But no it’s low-key cute 

You wouldn’t think they’d have too much chemistry at first

They’re like the “don’t match on paper but perfect irl” kinda couple

More platonic vibes than the Yangbin shipping content

Kyunghorang:

Horang x Kyungho

Literally just Sangeun all over again

Everyone wants to protecc our precious maknae Kyungho from bad boy Horang

But they’re actually both really good for each other and Horang just gets him ya know

You know what it is? It’s Good Omens. That’s the dynamic here.

DGRM

Moyeon:

Moya x Doyeon

Also called Doya by people who are stupid

Should really start their own pranking channel

Who’s ready for h/c fanfiction~~~

No but seriously Moya has helped Doyeon through panic attacks a lot

She’s tall so she can fit all the comfort in her

And Doyeon’s short bc

Um

Ok it’s just cute how much taller Moya is compared to Doyeon lol

Duanjung:

Jung-ah x Duanphen

Softies trying to be baddies

Like Yangbin in their dancing styles

So much poking fun at each other it’s not even funny but like it is tho

All the cuddles, all the selcas with cutesy filters

And then BAM new set of teasers comes out and they look sexy as FUCK

Yufang:

JD Fang x Yuyan

No one would’ve shipped it until the behind-the-scenes vid for Midnight Girl came out

And now they’re just weirdos together

They’re like the Sith: One master, one apprentice

Yuyan is the dark mysterious inner core JD wishes she had

And JD is the stability and reasonableness Yuyan has been searching for her whole life

JD Aika:

JD Fang x Aika

It’s 99% because they kissed in a music video

But like COME ON THEY KISSED IN A MUSIC VIDEO

AND NOT HALFHEARTEDLY EITHER

Honestly gorgeous fan art for this couple

Not as much obvious chemistry as some ships but fans are always like “omg thEIR HANDS tOuChEd”

Yiyan:

Yifei x Yuyan

There’s something about whenever they have lines or screen time together that just works

Both trying to soften each other up but in different ways

And usually succeeding

They’re just really good close friends ya know

The kind you could see accidentally developing a crush on each other

RFei:

Yifei x RJ

“Oh my God, they were roommates”

Ultimate good girl/bad girl ship

But secretly they’re both just nervous wrecks

We know Yifei helped comfort RJ a lot after she came out and heard back from her parents so

Get ready for more h/c fic~~~

Ho-J:

RJ x Hoa

The actual baddies

*stifles laugh* hoe-j

Remember the “sugakookie with a cup of tae” jokes? Yeah it’s that bad

They’re both just too sexy for the fans to handle so naturally what better ship could you get it’s just basic math

Also need to host a variety show stat

Triple D:

Duanphen x DaO x Doyeon

It’s a joke ship that some people started taking seriously

Don’t ask, no one has an explanation

SET! (Korean soloists)

JZo:

Jihoon x Zo

Because Jizo is an objectively bad name (ok sure it looks fine but try saying it out loud)

Also occasionally known as Jezus

Lots of uncle energy (?)

Zo would totally be Jihoon’s real life manic pixie dream girl if she wasn’t, ya know, a strong and badass woman with her own agency who also happens to have quirky hair

Mayoon:

May x Hayoon

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: Do you pronounce it like “May” or like “Hayoon”

Tbh this ship died pretty quickly

Since we’re all pretty sure now that May’s aroace

And like they’re young, we don’t get in the way of their friendship

That iconic answer-your-tweets vid where someone asked “how do you pronounce Mayoon” and Hayoon was just like “you don’t”

But for real they have the BEST FRIENDSHIP HANDS DOWN

PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER

Mesmere

Jaereum:

Jaegeun x Areum

The thing with Mesmere is that there are canonical “couples” in the MVs

Which were decided based on which members were like “yesss I’m so down for this concept” and which ones were like “this could be fun to try I guess”

Jaegeun and Areum fall into the former category

The shippers tend to be very kinky

So much smut but like most of it’s inspired by Mesmere’s original concept so it shouldn’t be surprising 

Is there real chemistry? Who knows? Does it matter? Not to the fans it doesn’t

Robin:

Miro x Hanbin

The “this could be fun to try I guess” gang

Everyone stans bc omg that ship name is adorable

If Jaereum is the “sweet on the outside, sexy on the inside” pair, Robin is the “sexy on the outside, sweet on the inside” pair

This one always throws AK6 and Forget-Me-Not fans for a loop because no one expects them to be THAT SEXY

BUT THEY ARE

Fireflower

Seiko: 

Seori x Teiko

Another tsundere/genki girl ship

Except the genki girl is surprisingly intimidating in that “she’s not scary she’s just hot” way

New fans never expect Seori to be the head-over-heels type

But she is~

Someone make this into an actual book please it would be so cute

Harumi:

Haruna x Mega (Megumi)

1 ball of energy + 1 ball of energy = perfection

No but literally they have so much enthusiasm

They could be a perpetual motion machine where they both just survive off the other’s energy

Opposites attract more like no I love Harumi

Firepower

Junto:

Hiroto x Junya

Obligatory main-vocalist ship

Surprisingly pure ship until you realize you just haven’t looked hard enough

Like seriously it’s all fluff or all smut with this one

Irl they’re fairly cute together but mostly because they’re good friends

Good friends who happen to be very sexy

Yoshico:

Yoshi x Nico

The one fans actually care about 

Partners in crime except they would suck at any actual crime

All the memes. And when I say all the memes, I mean all. The. Memes.

Wouldn’t surprise anyone to know that Yoshi and Nico made all the memes themselves

They don’t like it when fans box them into a specific romantic relationship but they’re also like “yeah we ship Yoshico too” to be funny and cute about it

Flower+Power

Coco:

Teiko x Nico

The Cute Ones™

Sometimes it seems too perfect and you have to wonder if it’s just an idol personality thing they’re putting on because they’re supposed to

Until you remember this is AWOl we’re talking about

Probably just friends but still

More food puns

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: Coco vs Ho-J

Ryouna:

Ryouga x Yuuna

So #sophisticated

Shipping Ryouna is a wild ride cause like

First of all they’re both hot as hell, especially together

And there’s just something about most Ryouga/Yuuna biases, they tend to be very hardcore stans (let’s just say neither of them are the Jungkook of their group in terms of popularity so if you stan them you STAN them)

And they are well aware of this fact

And love to tease fans with like “pretend” kisses on stage or during variety shows 

There’s just so much Ryouna content like who cares whether or not it’s real

We all know they’re gonna fall in love eventually

Other

WorldWideWoo:

K.O. (Kiwoo) x Sangwoo x Siwoo

AWOL’s version of the Dinosaur Triplets

Sangwoo came up with the name himself so you know it’s legit

All flirtatious bad boys on the outside, all surprisingly courteous once you get to know them

On their own they’re genuinely cool people, but for some reason whenever they get together they all become the kind of person to (un?)ironically use the word “swag”

So of course someone’s gotta ship it

Kim Hyerin:

Hyerin x Kim Gyeong

The pure one

Kinda overdone so

You either love this ship or you hate it

And either way it’s because they’re both such caring people that it becomes an unstoppable-force-meets-immovable-object problem

But everyone tends to agree that it’s at least kinda cute 

It’s also funny ‘cause in Korea women don’t take their husband’s names

Hyesang:

Hyerin x Sangwoo

Because Sangrin is an objectively bad name

The sexy one

They did ONE performance on e.LIVE together and now no one can get over how hot they are

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: Kim Hyerin vs Hyesang

No seriously the number of Kim Hyesang love triangle fanfictions is kinda insane at this point

The shippers love to pull the “they’ve known each other longer, of course they’re emotionally closer” card and then make absolutely no content that reflects that

Naozo:

Ah yes, the ultimate ship war: is this referring to Naoko x Taizō or Naoko x Zo

Of course it’s Naoko x Zo they’re so much cuter together

Naoko and Taizō kinda go together as the two Japanese soloists but like

Naoko and Zo~~~

The chemistry~~~~~

NaoZo > Naozō

Why

Because it’s gay you fools

Cococo

Naoko x Teiko x Nico

Ok this is just ridiculous

[manifestoonmoralmanlove]

Gormless Ch. 1 - Alexia’s Thug Fuck Quest

A well-meaning friend gave me a book series that is hilariously bad.  The first book was Souless and my riffs were entitled brainless. This second book is entitled Changless and these riff are then gormless.

I mean to say I have entitled them gormless! Not that my riffs are dumb, and the effort I spend on them stupid since I’m the only one who enjoys them. HAHA!

The story is SUPPOSED TO be about how a badass lady hits baddies with her umbrella and bangs her hot werewolf husband.  In reality it’s mostly poor attempts at being witty, flirty, and superior.

For the last book check out the brainless tag.

If you want the TL;DR version but want to read these new riffs anyway?

This story is set in supernatural Victorian steampunk England.  Alexia is our NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS protag.  She is a soulless, which means she’s able to negate the abilities of vampires and werewolves by touching them. She’s recently married a big oaf, named Lord Connel Maccon.  He is an important werewolf man.  Their relationship is mostly arguments about how Maccon can’t tell her fucking anything.  Alexia has also recently become head of ~Soulless affairs~ in Queen Victoria’s government.  She also has a family full of evil women.  These women are evil because they do the same shit Alexia does...but like...while blonde.

Chapter 1 - Alexia’s Thug Fuck Quest

So the last book opened with Alexia dispatching a vampire at a ball. I can admit that’s a good intro. It catches your attention.

This one opens with her husband (Maccon) being woken up early to head into work. You ever in that situation? Hardly pulse-pounding.  Okay I’m being a bit glib.  He is head of the Supernatural (BUR) police and it’s an emergency. However we’re only given vague details, and when he refuses to tell his wife the vibe is not ~I don’t want her to panic~ but rather she’ll find out about it at her meeting tonight anyway.  Again, that doesn’t exactly leave you excited.  Despite the incident sounding severe, he doesn’t seem upset or in much of a rush.  He putz about getting ready, and plays a bit of tonsil-hockey with her before he heads out.

This scene does have to give us a bunch of exposition but I still think it could have been tightened up considerably.  Alexia eventually staggers outside to be surprised to see a bunch of werewolves from Maccon’s pack setting up on the lawn. This upsets Alexia, cause she’s gonna host a party in a few days. (This party never actually happens by the by.) But I mean GOSH! How untoward of them!  Her husband has not and will continue to not tell her fucking anything because they both don’t have functioning brains.

She’s confronted by Major handsome handsome of the studly handsomes, that being (his real name) Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings.  This isn’t even a funny name.  Where’s Luke the Duke? Major Minor? Have you not heard the Earl of Sandwich is full of Bologna? Are any of these GOOD jokes? Not really but they’re more fun than just having a stroke while masturbating to the bland brick, known as Channing Tatum.

However, this guy is not only physically attractive but he’s a violent, condescending, nitwit, so totally Alexia and by extension every woman’s type.  He assumes she’s a servant, tells her not to worry her purdy widdle head, and that if she’s good he might fuck her later. Alexia starts bashing him over the head with her umbrella.  They make a clear point to say that, since he’s a werewolf and she doesn’t have supernatural strength that this assault would not actually hurt him in any way.  Which, like, I can get behind that. Dude was being a jackoff, so he should totally get a whap to the noggin that could not possibly actually hurt him.  But because violent men are hot, he responds by almost striking her.  Luckily one of Maccon’s male servants Tunstell intervenes.  He smacks Tunstell, and then begins to turn into a wolf in order to ~discipline~ them both.  

We have to make a note here that even as a wolf he’s totally hot.  Unnecessary and inappropriate book! UNNECESSARY AND INAPPROPRIATE!   As he lunges at them, Professor Lyall (Maccon’s 2nd in command) and also in wolf form, intervenes and wins.  The two transform back to humans.  Lyall explains that she’s Maccon’s wife not servant.  So Channing is humiliated and the pack goes to set up their tents on the back lawn instead of the front.  Apparently Channing is the 3rd in command of the pack, he does not get along with Lyall or Maccon but acts mostly respectable to them, and they’re back early from some military excursion due to something ~irregular on a boat.~  But of course we don’t care about that.  Alexia inquires if Channing would actually be down with fucking her. However Lyall tells her to not fuck him.  She’s like, “Why?”

DAMN GIRL ARE YOU FOR REAL? She was way into marrying her husband, we’re told in text they’re in love and having lots of great sex. They’ve only been married monogamously for like a month, she’s never had sex with anyone else, and she’s seriously considering cheating on her husband with his inferior that hates him.  All this doesn’t even consider that in the brief time she interacted with Channing cubed he treated her like a child and would have beat the shit out of her if two separate people hadn’t intervened.  

FUCKING WOW GIRL!

I don’t think it was the author’s intention to make it sound SO SPOT ON as if Alexia is plotting to fuck this hotter, younger, Neanderthal but I’m no longer a pre-teen, I have the reading comprehension skills to pick up a love triangle this disgustingly obvious.

Anyway in response to WHY she should steer clear Lyall responds he only likes taming feisty women. To paraphrase:

“Some women are into being refined” says Lyall

“Yeah and some women are into needlepoint, it’s not my thing,” Alexia responds.  Thanks for not kink-shaming and showing us where Alexia stands in her personal preference.  

Despite this, money down, right now, he tries to rape her and Maccon comes in to save the day. Double money down if her and Maccon fuck right after that trauma and they do a shitty job of acting like near rape is a trauma.

So we leave off this chapter with Alexia getting ready to go to a meeting at the Shadow Council, but is interrupted by her old pal Ivy Hisselpenny showing up.  Ivy says she has exciting news. They banter so inelegantly and for far too long about how Alexia doesn’t give a shit she’s busy but oh you must know!  Eventually Ivy spits out that she’s engaged.

Guessing right now, it’s not the guy she was supposed to be flirting with at the end of the last book. That it’s some new dude who’s bad for her, and that this is some cutesy subplot where Alexia, and dude she flirted with last book comes in and saves her too.

Golly!

Say something nice faps:

They’re making the bad guy (Channing) sound like an actually bad guy despite being a hot love triangle man.

Shit did happen?

She did some decent exposition.

[littlemisssquiggles]

RWBY Musings #16: In honour of the next episode of RWBY Volume 5 taking us back to Raven and the Branwen Tribe, I leave the fandom with this curious question to ponder on.

Do you think it’s possible for the Maiden powers to ever reject a host?

This is something that I’ve been curious about in regards to the Maiden powers. So far, this question has been proven false considering that Cinder did successfully manage to acquire the Fall Maiden powers despite taking it by force from its past user after killing her.

Nevertheless, since not a lot is known about how the succession of the Maiden powers work, this leaves a lot of leeway and opportunities left for speculation. Personally, I wonder if there is a specific trait or rule to one gaining the Maiden powers. I know there’s the one where the power can be passed on to a person who the past Maiden was close to or at least was in their thoughts last before passing on. But is there more to it than that? I ask this cause up until this point, this particular knowledge of the Maiden powers succession has been working in the villain’s favour so far.

The evil baddies want the Magic of the Maidens to attain the relics. Fine. Just hunt them all down one by one, kill them and just make sure that one of your female lackeys are standing ripped and ready to take it. 

I found it interesting the way how Cinder used a particular kind of Grimm (one that resembled a spider if my memory serves correctly) to steal the Fall Maiden, Amber’s power or at least some of it. It makes me wonder if it wasn’t for the fact that Cinder had successfully retrieved a portion of Amber’s power forcing the rest of it to go to her, would it have been possible for the power to reject her.

Is it possible for the Maiden’s magic to reject its user, thus destroying or at least physically impairing the unworthy ones in the process? 

I ask this because I’m curious to see just how Salem and her forces plan on taking the remaining Maiden powers; not just to see their methods but mostly to see who is going to be the vessel to harbour such a high potency of magic. As shown in the World of Remnant tale about the Old Hermit Wizard and the First Four Maidens, it is possible for one person to harbour all the powers of the maidens or at least it seems like it.

Before blessing the powers to the first maiden candidates, Ozpin hosted most of the magic in his own body. That means it should be possible for one person to carry the Maiden powers, right?

So, is Salem planning on turning Cinder into this Avatar version of the Four Maidens where instead of separate Maidens, it just all of their magic within one body with the individual being the master of them all? If Salem’s ultimate objective is to turn Cinder into the; I’m just gonna refer to it as the Avatar Maiden, Master of all Four Seasons so that she can have someone who can access the power of the relics under her control then that’d actually be a fascinating addition to the story and would certainly add more intimidation to Cinder’s character and role in the series.

However, herein lies one potential underlying flaw. Cinder herself. This is why I ask the question of if the Maiden magic can reject a user. What if...Cinder and the gang attempt to take the Spring Maiden’s power by force, the same way they did with Fall. The interesting countering twist this time is that the power ends up full on rejecting whoever is forced to be its next successor. Amongst the villain ranks, this could be either Emerald or Cinder.

Either way, what if...Team CMEW attempt the steal the Spring Maiden’s power and it fails completely. In order for the Spring Maiden power to be obtained, this would disappointingly mean losing Vernal. 

This is sad for me because I quite like Vernal. Don’t know much more about her character as yet but I’d like to. I certainly like her character design and the interest to learn of her story and see her fleshed out is there.

She’d have to get in line behind Oscar Pine but I genuinely want to know more about Vernal beyond her Maiden title. I’m praying this time around viewers do get to actually know the current Spring Maiden before her so-called inevitable fate to die for her powers. I’m definitely hoping it’s not gonna be a running gag where the Maidens are only there to be axed off immediately and since we never got to learn about Amber beyond the fact that Lionheart said she was inexperienced as a Maiden, I hope that we do get to learn a bit more about Vernal.

If she is to survive, let her last for at least another season and even be instrumental in the potential Victory for Haven.

I’d like to see Vernal and Yang somehow bond like sisters too or at least have a friendship or respectful comradery. They both share close relations with Raven that could be presumed as mother-daughter. As I made mention in my ♦last musing, I pegged Vernal to have a somewhat child-parent relationship with Raven.

The concept of her also having a romantic bond to Raven is still on the table though. After all, we don’t know how old Vernal was when she became a Maiden nor how much time she’s been in the Branwen Tribe since she was taken in.

We don’t even know how old Vernal is now. Since the RWBY models for female characters are ambiguous when it comes to guessing a characters true age, I’m going to assume that Vernal could possibly be in her early twenties (19-22).

She definitely strikes me as being over or at least the age of eighteen. Either way, she’s legal...I guess. So if the CRWBY did go in that direction for their relationship, I guess I can see it happening, perhaps.

Y’know like Slade/Deathstroke and Terra from DC Teen Titans: The Judas Contract only less...fucked up messy.  Or a better example Batman and Batgirl in some versions of the story where they were actual a couple despite the age difference and the fact that some fans have always mostly viewed Batman as a mentor character to Batgirl (I’m looking at you The Killing Joke).

I’m neither saying that this is true nor am I saying that I ship it (I more favour the mother-daughter relationship for Vernal and Raven better). I’m just saying it’s possible  Ruling out all the cards here guys.

There is no doubt in my mind that of all the bandits in the Branwen Tribe, Vernal is closest to Raven. She seems to be one of her most trusted allies. Maybe even her second in command. She certainly has the authority as evidenced in Chapter 3 of Volume 5.

But if Vernal is sadly to be taken down, I hope her sacrifice would not be in vain. As a matter of fact, if the CRWBY writers do intend on not allowing Vernal to last another season, I’d like to see two things happen.

Firstly, let her go out like a badass. If a full-on brawl between Maidens is to occur in the next episode or at any point in the future, I can definitely see Vernal having the upper hand, not just because she has Raven and the entire Branwen Tribe on her side but mostly because she has had way more time and experience mastering the use of her powers than Cinder (which I imagine would be a pleasant shocker to our one-eyed Fall Maiden).

But if for some reason, Cinder does overpower Vernal or use some sneaky underhanded tactic to force her to submit to her powers being stolen, this brings me to my second want.

In a surprising twist of events, let the Spring Maiden power go to Raven. I can see this being a huge possibility because of what Qrow informed Team RNJR back in Volume 4. According to Qrow, the Maiden power will go to whoever was closest to a Maiden or was in their thoughts last upon their deaths. If Raven and Vernal are indeed close, it would make sense that her powers would go to her.

I would very much love to see this happen because not only would it be a great way to integrate Raven into the main cast with the chance to develop her side of the story beyond the title that she’s the proclaimed bad mother to Yang, but it would be a huge metaphorical middle finger to Salem and her forces.

You thought you could just saunter into the Branwen Tribe, kick everyone’s asses, disrespect their leader and steal the Spring Maiden’s power? Well jokes on you. Spring chose a bird to be the next Maiden.

Spring would chose Raven and I would not be shocked if this is something Raven has prepared for beforehand. Unless it’s a twist within a twist that Raven wasn’t expecting for Vernal to die nor for her to become so attached to the young girl.

Making Raven the new Spring Maiden succeeding Vernal would be great because it would mean she’ll have to be protected by the main team. She’ll probably wish to run away but I can imagine Qrow convincing her to stay where she can be protected which would add for some glorious Branwen Siblings conflict and resolution.

It would give Raven and opportunity to grow close to Yang since she’ll have to protect her now; healing that wound with time.

It would also mean a very awkward reunion with Ozpin, finally cracking open that delightful can of worms that is their past history together.

It can also open the door for an example where a Maiden successor did not want her power and responsibility. Yes Vernal ran away but initially she did accept her role as the Spring Maiden.

If Raven is forced to be the new Spring Maiden without knowing that Vernal had already chosen her a long time ago, it would be funny because then Raven would be like Ozpin. Cursed with powers and responsibilities that she was forced to receive (the Spring Maiden powers) because she failed to stop something in the past (the Death of Vernal) and now she’ll have no choice but to live with that curse; the only freedom being in death.

And even then, she can’t bring herself to accept death because if she died, how else was she going to get vengeance and justice for her fallen comrade.  

But that’s just a hunch. Who knows what’s to come for the remainder of this volume, much less the rest of RWBY.

I’m not even sure how tomorrow’s episode will play off.

Beyond my continuing aspiration and episodic campaign for Oscar to get more screen-time and development as HIMSELF AND NOT OZCAR (seriously it’s been THREE BLOODY episodes now. COME ON CRWBY! GIVE BEST FARM BOI SOME DEVELOPMENT WHILE THE SEASON IS STILL YOUNG) I don’t know what to expect from Chapter 9 other than it focusing on Raven’s group for most of it. However, I still stand by my hunch from last time that I want Raven to be captured by Cinder and her posse and used as leverage to lure out, not just the Spring Maiden but also the Mistral Team.

I also still stand by my previous hunch that in the event of Raven being abducted, she’d make sure to send Vernal safely to Mistrel into the arms of Qrow. I want a rescue mission to save Raven because this would prompt Yang having to save her mother which would be a lovely parallel to what Raven told Qrow in Volume 4.

Raven told Qrow that her promise was to save and/or protect Yang once. That was her deal. She’d continue to watch over her from afar but would only intervene to protect her life once which she already did way back in Volume 3 against Neo. If Raven needs to be saved, I can definitely see Yang dealing her mother the same hand. She saved her once and now it’s Yang’s turn to save her once, that way they’d be even.  

Yang would probably save Raven and then totally revert back to hating or at least not liking her guts afterwards but at least Raven would be safe and might even be proud of and respect her daughter and her strength afterwards.

It’s funny though. Yang probably figures she needed her mom in her life to make her strong, failing to realize the true meaning behind why her mother left. I wonder what kind of person Yang would’ve been if Raven was more present in her life.

I’d imagine it would’ve gone like that one alternate reality episode of Grey’s Anatomy where Meredith dreamt how her life would’ve gone if her mother had been happy and it turned out to be not as great as she expected.

Maybe Yang would’ve been a power-hungry huntress obsessed more with strength than compassion if she was raised by Raven. Tai Yang did say that Yang possessed some of her mother’s qualities so if Raven had decided to take Yang and raise her in the Branwen Tribe rather than leave her behind with her father, not only would Yang have possibly turned out more like Raven but she would’ve never had her close relationship with her sister Ruby.

We’ve seen how great of an influence Yang is on Ruby’s life and how deep their sisterly/family bond goes. We’ve seen how devoted Yang is to her family, particularly her little sister. If Raven had raised her, Yang might not have been who she is now. Maybe it’s for that very reason Raven why left her behind.

She didn’t want to raise another version of herself, thriving on the same things that drove her down a rather grim path. Raven didn’t want Yang to become more susceptible to making the same mistakes Raven made and are still paying the price for.

While Episode 6 of Volume 5 made it seem as if Raven thinks very little of Tai Yang, that doesn’t change the fact that once upon a time, she did believe he possessed certain good qualities.

Good qualities that she not only fell in love with him for but also wished for him to instil in their daughter.

Sure Raven left for her own reasons but, why would she leave Yang with Tai if she didn’t think she would be better off with him? Yes, Yang eventually had to take the reins and help raise Ruby after Summer left and Tai became somewhat distant with work but before all that happened, Yang was admittedly in better hands. She was in a family among people who loved her and cared for her and valued things like trust, empathy and compassion with strength being secondary; values I don’t think are a core aspect of the culture in the Branwen Tribe. Doesn’t seem that way to me. Call her a bad mom as much as you want but, Raven doesn’t strike me as the type to just abandon Yang with her father if she didn’t think he was good enough or trustworthy. 

After all, if that’s the case then why is he still one of her very few close bonds even after all these years of separation?

Maybe that was Raven’s intention all along.

But, what do I know? I’m just a fan with some musings. Dunno what’s to come in the story tomorrow but like always, I’m uber excited.

That being said, see you all in RWBY Volume 5: Chapter 9!

~LittleMissSquiggles (2017)

[aishicc]

Robbie Reyes: Comics to AOS Part III

KK this will be a collection of random scans I came across that I think could make interesting stories, for the show or otherwise. This one will be more random but I hope it will still be interesting and so worth looking at. On with the show.

Now I could see this being adapted for the show since Lord knows HYDRA would order a truck full of people for very bad things. The Watchdogs could even steal one of those modules and be kidnapping Inhumans, and here I am giving myself fic ideas again. The Robbie is Latino is an added reason this kind of thing would set him off but no one on the Team would put up with this kind of shit. Do with it as you will writers.

With Christmas coming up I could see a few writers taking this story and working with it. There are a ton of God damn adorable AOS Halloween One Shots on AO3 so why not X-mas too? Also Robbie choking out a demon dressed as Santa amuses me far more then it really should.

Now on AOS Robbie is not exactly in the same boat as comic Robbie but a nice chat between Johnny and Robbie about what the Hell the Rider is and what they do is always welcomed. Hell that is part of the reason I started my The RiderWhisper series. Exploring how Robbie is different from other past Riders even if not to the extent as he is in the comics is fascinating to me.

An army of Riders who could pass this image up? The idea of team ups to save the world is interesting. Now since AOS Riders can't talk this would likely hinder this being used. I could see an Armageddon or 2 being stopped with a mass of Riders, seriously what else would bring this many together? Also Gabe looks so happy AOS Gabe would be a bit more creeped out by all the flaming skeletons and his brother car surfing.

More Robbie being a fiery force of nature is always welcomed of course but CGI is a budget eater, kudos to AOS' because they did awesome work in season 4. Now Human Robbie already threw that one guy like 10 feet in the air so having him crushing some one's hand like this is not out there, and if it is and LMD's they can get away with more. That drill in the eye scene was sweet, Robbie was pissed and I love watching him pissed when he fights. Seeing what human Robbie can take without transforming could be good to know.

Team up people! I read a few complaints on YouTube about how while AOS and the Netflix shows are great they don't feel connected. Now I have watched all 4 shows and the Defenders and they do have a point. Sure the Incident happened, they are all in NY so yeah it comes up. And that Judas bullet was used against Mace, which was awesome because exploding sniper bullets! But you have 5 shows set in NY which is where Stark Tower is, Yeah he was moving in Homecoming but still. AOS and the movies yeah, Netflix not so much. Yes ABC and Netflix are not the same but Marvel owns all this stuff so they can make some cameo stuff happen right? As is it I am batting around a crossover with the Defenders since the Hand dabble in bad things, and the Rider is no fan of demon worshiping cult groups in Marvel. Also another Chinese food scene with Robbie and Daisy makes me smile.

Crossing over the show with comic is something that is far from new so yeah. The Show already hints at the comic so this is more a fan fiction idea mill here. I have no doubt I will want to do some of this after getting some of the comics, even if I may start with adapting some story plot points into an AOS fic. There is room for both and the more love Robbie gets the better. Love ya Gabe you happy makes me giddy for hours.

Baddies from the comics added to the show. Now some would be too costly to do without CGI since this is a show and not a movie, but this guy could be worked with. Dr. Strange and Ghost Rider have opened the door to more magic and demonic based evils to enter the MCU. Baby steps but the comics are full of nasty things that can take human form and so could be used. We can all name a few without having to try. A magic/demon baddie for one group to deal with while the rest deal with their cannon fodder minions could work for a season right? Will need to look into a few baddies for fic ideas. I am working on series with 2 Riders and maybe Dr. Strange, still haven't decided, so more then 1 demons would be fine. A little baddie and a bigger one sounds fine to me, or some thing like that.

Yeah AOS Robbie can't talk as the Rider but I would love a scene where he saves Gabe, the Russian send some 'Puppies' and Robbie is supper fucking pissed so burns them all. Seeing Gabe he freezes and Gabe just holds out his arms and Robbie falls to his knees and hung him still the Rider. Why do I do this kind of thing to myself? Will likely end up doing a scene like that in a fic rather then a One Shot so.../sniff.

Some fallout from the deal he made to save Mack. Working with S.H.I.E.L.D. in my works means he has to curb his kill them all, almost all sometimes, approach. Seeing how much he ahs to struggle with the Rider outside of a fic would be interesting. We see it in the jail but that was really it, saving Mack was not a normal situation for them. We know Mack and Elena are religious while Daisy is not much of one, but Robbie? I mean yeah he's Latino so he was likely raise religious but before becoming host to a Rider I wonder if he was? It is something else you can enjoy exploring in fics.

And that is the end of this part, yeah I'll do one more random scan thing before moving on to other things.

[aurimeanswind]

Autumn—Sunday Chats (10-1-17)

Fall has finally arrived, and boy do video games just not stop.

Podcast Train Stop

I’m curious if anyone else has tun into the issue where their podcast rotation just stops? I’ve basically stopped listening to all my podcasts except for My Brother, My Brother and Me. I am not sure why, but I’ve fallen off of all of the GiantBomb Podcasts, any other video game podcast, except for really The Easy Allies podcast. Of the group, that one that I’ve gotten into the most recently still sticks with me for whatever reason.

Maybe it’s the want to not listen to hours-long podcast recently? Which is odd because I usually binge many podcasts together back to back. I think the most likely answer is that I had fallen behind and then not been able to catch up. 

This is unfortunate though because podcasts are typically my main source of news and now I am getting a little aloof with the gaming news. But I still manage to keep up thanks to the show I help host!

Has this ever happened to any of you? What do you do, try and listen to all the episodes you missed or just jump right back in?

What’s on Tap

Danganronpa V3

This is the big one. Consuming most of my time like Danganronpa is ought to do. 

It’s very good y’all.

Danganronpa has a great talent of building off of its predecessors in completely unorthodox ways, essentially carrying forward concepts but in logical ways so it doesn’t seem like all of the characters are jumping to conclusions based on nothing. It just seems like this different group of people decided to take a wildly different approach. Chunsoft then ties that to the personalities and style of those same characters, and it’s a brilliant mix-mash of those intelligent designs.

These games always play with my expectations and take me by surprise, but boy... this one really is messing with me.

Not only that, they’re using loss in a way that is even more emotional and moving then it has been before, which for me has been a first in the series. I actually got choked up after the first chapter because of how this was done.

These games are so good, and Danganronpa V3 is not a disappointment by any stretch of the imagination.

Destiny 2

Finished the raid this past week, and hopefully soon will be finishing it with my original team.

We’ve run into plenty of trouble, but I know we have it in us to knock it out.

Metroid Samus Returns

Uh, y’all? It’s still so good.

Got to some of the new and added stuff to the game and it was absolutely phenomenal. 

Very tense, very cool, and very, very fun. I love it.

Questions

Remember to look for my tweet with the hashtag #SundayChats in it on Sunday afternoons and reply to it with your question! That’s the way to do it!

Normally I would have asked a question to you all this week, but I’m holding it off until next week.

So, real quick, as I was going through questions, I noticed a ton of SNES-classic related questions, which reminds me I’ve been playing that too! Let me insert that real quick...

SNES Classic

It’s so cute!

This is the one I wanted, I got it, I’m v happy.

So I jumped right into Zelda A Link to the Past and played through the opening, and it’s still wonderful.

It’s fun playing on an OG SNES controller, though I do really like the classic controller form the Wii Era. The original too, not the pro, because you get a little best of both worlds.

The big one I sank the most time into was actually Super Mario RPG. It’s been so long since I played that that it’s basically a whole new game for me. Plus, I was a kid, and had no clue what the hell was happening. It’s been super funny and super fun to really see that game with fresh eyes for the first time ever.

Okay, back to questions.

Yay! I didn’t know this!

I’d say I am at about an 8.5. I really like the Jackbox games, and they’re especially fun to get a new one before ExtraLife, when we have a ton of people watching a stream and also a ton of people in the room. With the streaming improvements from JBPP3, I think this one is gonna be pretty stellar. Curious to see what games are in there. Hopefully a Quiplash 3!

This is a very gross question Tyler, not because of the subject, but because you narrowly refer to a character as a “bubble butt baddie” which, at the end of the day, I don’t even know what that narrows it down to? Like, who qualifies for that?

I dunno, but the one answer that came to mind was Miranda from Mass Effect 2.

Oh man this is a pretty good question. I never really got into Costume Quest, which, I know, is sacrilegious to say, but it’s true. The text speed was too fast? I know, dumb complaint, but I’m a terrible reader, so I couldn’t keep up.

Anyway, I’d like to think I’d either turn into some kind of lame superhero, or just straight up Banjo and Kazooie. I don’t know why, but that’s the first thing that came to my head...

Here’s the deal, there is no correct way to play video games. Full stop. You can take your time and savor something, but you can also rush through something and savor it too. Like, I played Persona 5 at what I considered to be a slow pace, because folks like Nabeshin beat it before me, because I wanted to “savor it”. That being said, I still beat it in 2 and a half weeks, and 103 hours split into two and a half weeks is still a whole lotta hours per week. But neither of us played it “wrong”.

Like, folks that get qualified as “casual” are going to be seen as the ones that play it slower, but it’s likely because they have other things they need to do. Like sleep. And eat. I don’t do these things! At least not regularly! 

On the subject of Destiny 2 specifically, I think it does have minimal post-game content, mainly the Raid, the Nightfall, and Trials of the Nine. Which, like, still seems like more than the original, to be fair? There are hidden exotic quests too, and I have a feeling as we roll into Iron Banner this month, there will still be plenty for folks to do after they’ve finished the game. But ultimately the folks that charged through to 280 in the first weekend knew exactly what they were doing and got themselves into that situation. I just started up my third and final character on Destiny 2, so getting that guy up to 280 is going to be a fun trip for me still.

I dunno, there isn’t a right answer to this i think. But power through games or savor them however you like, because I think you’re the best judge of how fast or how slow you should play a game. Plus, you’ll probably put a different amount of time into a given game depending on how you feel about it, so I get it either way.

Weird. Uneasy. Aroused? Horrified. 

Also, it has taken me the full twenty minutes since I screen grabbed this to now when I am typing this answer to form the line “ready to smash” in my head, and I hate me, and you, and everything.

Pumpkin Spice is trash.

I said it.

I’ll say it again.

Take your trash and get out of here.

November is right around the corner. And you know what that means?

Motherfucking Gingerbread Latte.

Aww yay! Favorite month! A lot of folks love October too because they’re into that cool spooky fog feeling! Which is rad, I am not, personally, but I do like the silly Halloween aesthetic. I just don’t like actual scary stuff. Except the occasional scary video game. 

As for me, December is my favorite month, for similar reasons. It is the beginning of Winter, which is my favorite season (unpopular opinion, I know) and it’s also when Christmas and new years happens, and if we’re lucky, a bit of snowfall. Ideally, it just means I’m getting plenty of my hot cocoa on.

This a great question. and I think it comes down to what kind of game you want to play. Like, Earthbound is quirky, and with Undertale having just hit the PS4, maybe it’s time to get into that. Mario RPG is cool and timing based and funny, and it may be a great trip for folks who haven’t played it, or don’t remember it, like me! Final Fantasy 6 everyone keeps telling me is great but I haven’t been able to get into it. That said, it’s super traditional, so if that’s what you’re in the mood for, it’s calling. Secret of Mana has the edge because it’s an action RPG, so it’s different then all the rest. Knowing you like Tales, I’d start with that, since it may be the most fun! Also, goddamn is the music in that game great. But it is in all of these.

For me it was either Mario RPG so I could finally really truly play it, or Earthbound, which I was a bit too intimidated at the time commitment to jump into first. For you, Brendan? Try out Secret of Mana! And keep what I said about the rest in mind.

Baked Potato is the superior potato, IMHO. I really love just barely slicing open a baked potato, loading it up with cheese and butter, closing it back up, letting the cheese melt all in it, then cutting it open again, mashing it a bit, then eating it nice and chunky style. It’s a pure delight. 

Oh, and I don’t eat the outer skin, but I’ll like rip all the potato I can off the skin, and it’s amazing. I love it.

I just fucking love potatoes though. I’d eat mashed potatoes all day if I could, I just prefer baked potatoes.

Here we go, two lists, back to back. Now since you just said top 10 SNES games I will not limit myself to the SNES classic list, but damn that’s a good one to pull from. In NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

Zelda A Link to the Past

Super Mario World

Secret of Mana

Chrono Trigger

Super Metroid

Super Mario RPG

Mario All Stars Collection

Mega Man X

Final Fantasy 2 (Final Fantasy 4)

Kirby Super Star

I know I’ll get a lot of flack for choosing FF4 over 6, but Sunday Chats readers should know my current situation with FF6. Maybe someday...

Now I do want to say this tweet turned into an N64 hatefest, which I am not a fan of, I love the N64 and the PSone, that era holds something special for me. I understand its issues, and probably in the grand scheme of things, It’s the weakest of the console generations, but there are undeniably great games for those systems.

Now, this list will be tricky, but I’ll give it a shot:

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

Super Mario 64

Zelda Ocarina of Time

Zelda Majora’s Mask

Mario Kart 64

Star Fox 64

Pokémon Snap

Yoshi’s Story

Paper Mario 

Super Smash Bros

Bomberman 64

This was actually way easier than I thought it’d be. I even left out a few games that I’d have love to see on there and opted to keep the ones I really like there. I kept to the no Rare rule even for Diddy Kong Racing (better than Mario Kart 64) and DK64, even though those would definitely still make and N64 Classic. 

There are few more to shoutout too, but I’ll keep my list at my 10. Boy, looking at this I’d actually totally be down for one of these.

That’s all I got. I know I am bad at covering all my segments recently, but my life has been a bit of a mess as of late. So I apologize!

But thank you for the amazing questions, I adore you all, and I am gonna go let Danganronpa eat my whole soul now.

Thank you all. From the bottom of my heart. For your support. I’ve been terrible about making things lately and you all have not waned with your patience for me. It means the world. I won’t wast your time for much longer, and hopefully this patience will breed something.

Keep it real.

[awed-frog]

Hey! So obviously everyone loved the episode last night - there was just so much destiel feels in there it's enough to fill up an entire football stadium. BUT I keep thinking that the writers might be trying to set Cas and Kelly up, because you know, it's supernatural, and I just feel like the possibility of destiel going canon is too good to be true. I mean, Kelly is great, but it would be the worst romance ever - weird and force and kinda cringey. Maybe I'm paranoid, idk. What do you think?

(via @anon) Idk if i like where this story is going… i dont want to see cas kelly baby stories and him raising the child :/ i want cas with the brothers :(

Hi - I’m squishing these two asks together, hope you guys see it. :)

The Nephilim: what’s next?

Look, the thing is - maybe the Nephilim will die in the finale, or maybe he’ll be the Big Thing in S13 - we still don’t know. What we do know, on the other hand, is that it would be very hard to work him into the story in a way that’ll keep Cas away from Sam and Dean. Like, you know - from a narrative point of view, what do you do with this thing?

Option 1 It’s born and it grows at a normal human rate. If this happens, the Nephilim will have no place whatsoever in the show, because babies are both hard to work with and boring boring boring, and as much as we, the demented viewers, want to see Dean and Cas making nonsense noises and cooing at this second Antichrist, it’s not going to happen. If this is where they’re going, we’ll have a Jesse situation: the Nephilim will be carted off to live with some other hunter (not Cas, because Cas is one of the main characters and is needed elsewhere), and we’ll never hear from him again. 

Option 2 It’s born and grows Amara-style, turning from adorable creepy baby who moves stuff with his mind to overly attractive teenager who winks at Dean and makes him uncomfortable. I hope they’ll avoid this narrative, because we’ve seen the exact same thing last year, but if they do something like that -

Option 2a If the Nephilim is a bad guy, he’ll probably become S13′s Big Baddie, and Cas will have no reason to stick with him, so we’ll have the usual ‘only you can break me free from this mind control spell but nobody knows why’ trope and TFW will spend the rest of the season staring gloomily into space and wondering how to kill a semi-god, again.

Option 2b If the Nephilim is a good guy, he’s gone. There is simply no way they can keep around an allpowerful and benign deity without having massive problems. This is why they keep hurting Cas, remember?, because if Cas had his wings and his courage and his cold logic and his angelic self-confidence, Sam and Dean could spend their days playing beer pong in the Bunker. Cas would simply teleport himself wherever a monster has been spotted, look around with his x-ray vision, and then lift a finger and make a whole abandoned neighbourhood explode. And that’s it. So, well - like they did with Jesse, and even with Amara and Chuck - if this new kid is a Good Person, he’ll probably wander off on his own.

Option 2c If the Nephilim is a Gabriel-like morally grey trickster, it’s likely the Winchesters will still vote to hunt him down and kill him. They did it to Gabriel, after all, and if he hadn’t died (*wails forever*) in the war against Lucifer, I’m sure Sam, at the very least, would have gone after him. Tricksters work fine, or more than fine, as characters, but you don’t want one living in the same reality as you. Look at the messes Loki manages to whip up every couple of weeks - nope, if something is too powerful and you can’t understand how they think and feel, unfortunately the best option is to take them out. Better to be safe than sorry.

It’s still possible, at this point, that something happens and the Nephilim dies, likely with Kelly. This would make sense for a number of reasons, including that everyone except Cas, Lucifer and Kelly really wants this thing gone. The Host is gunning for him, Crowley would surely prefer he died, the BMoL (if they knew about him) would probably launch a nuclear grenade wherever Kelly is and to hell with ‘collateral damage’, and even Sam and Dean - they want to be normal and kind, but they might have no other choice, and if it comes to that, they know they must at least try to kill this child, because, yeah, NOT A CHILD, PEOPLE, and look at what happened with Amara. So maybe it’s not the Nephilim’s life that’s the big plot of next season, but his death and how it happens. We know we’re headed for some massive family conflict, and, in this sense, what’s going on with Cas is part of that. It’s those old what’s right and wrong, who’s your family, who do you trust questions Supernatural likes to throw at us, but, as we’ve seen in the past, whatever happens the endgame is what Dean just told us to our faces - him, Sam, and Cas working together, Team Free Will, because they’re better together and they’re family and that’s not gonna change, demonic baby or no demonic baby. So don’t worry too much - Cas won’t stay away for long.

Cas and Kelly: a romance in the works?

As for the romance part - I really don’t think that’s going to be a thing. I’m actually very surprised by the fact Supernatural’s gone out of its way, both in S11 and in S12, to show us that what you’d consider as ‘normal’ and ‘appropriate’ love stories aren’t a good idea at all. While we’ve seen some (brief but) wholesome examples of queer relationships, there’s usually something wrong with straight ones - from Kelly sleeping with Lucifer to those rabid people breeding in the street in The Chitters to that guy killing Sam to save his wife in Red Meat all the way down to the most glaring example - Amara’s unhealthy obsession with Dean - it seems the show is doing a lot to question the ‘normal’ way of doing things (getting married, having babies, ???, profit). 

This is not surprising, since Supernatural, despite the monsters and the occasional blurring of focus, can be really ferocious in its social critique, and the breaking down of traditional marriage, just as the current erosion of women’s rights, are just as apparent as Supernatural’s traditional motive: the deindustrialization, and death by unemployment and desperation, of rural America. Like, I know we’ve all noticed that rich people normally equal jackasses, and we all joke about the ‘abandoned factory of the week’, but watching this show from Europe, where our traditional media vision of the US is glittering cities and top models and trust fund kids sipping cocktails by the pool, is really shocking. Those rapidly depopulating towns they stop into, the motels in the middle of nowhere, and even - can’t believe they went there - some meat processing plant kept alive by human sacrifices - that’s powerful stuff, and part of the reason, I think, this show is so appealing to Republicans. And, as I said, Supernatural’s been showing the breaking down of traditional families as well - only this season, we’ve spent some time with Jody and her unusual household of stray and rejected kids, and seen Mary walk away instead of assuming her ‘appropriate’ role of stay-at-home mom for Sam and Dean. 

Cas and Kelly, I think - that’s the same pattern. Apparently, Kelly now regrets her relationship with President Whatshisface (“embarrassingly unprofessional,” she terms it) which is, again, a reversal of the traditional ‘the commoner married the prince and they lived happily ever after’ trope, because Kelly seemed happy and in love and it looked like the perfect thing, right? And we now know it wasn’t. So, again, this thing with Cas - on the surface, it could be a perfect ‘a child needs a mom and a dad’ kind of situation, but Supernatural’s message, which has gotten almost deafening over the last two seasons, is that free will and love trump all - that you shouldn’t do something just because that’s what we’ve always done - that you should queston things, find your own way, be true to who you are. So, well - Kelly is not a 1950s Stepford mom (she used to work in the White House, remember? which means she’s incredibly career-driven and most likely a shark) and Cas is no longer a mindless servant of some divine entity. It’s perhaps easier, for both of them, to go with that for a moment, because this is what they’re supposed to be - women are supposed to take care of children and be mothers even if it kills them, and angels are supposed to be fully dedicated to the mission and follow orders no matter the price - but the truth is, we have free will. We can decide who we want to be, and this is why Cas and Kelly teaming up rings so wrong and will never be framed in a positive light. So, again - whether Destiel becomes canon or not, Cas’ place is with the Winchesters, and this is just one more obstacle to overcome. That it takes the shape of that traditional family Cas was encouraged to form as a human and Dean can never give him (the pretty wife and the chubby baby), well, that was unnecessary and yet another fuck you to legally enforced normativity.

[havemyweedcookies]

Cooking 101 with Wade and Petey (Spideypool Fanfiction)

Chapter 1 If somebody cared enough to ask Deadpool to comment about his love life, Wade would puff his chest with pride and said that he and Petey was an item. Despite their different preference in serving justice to baddies, there were many things they shared the same interest with each other. Like their red-themed spandex suits.

Or their love for cooking.

Well, this was where their similarity in the culinary realm ended. Here is a fact: Wade was a great cook. Everyone who had a chance to taste his dishes admitted that, though reluctantly. One the other hand, Peter couldn’t cook even his life depended on it. Although, the kid loved to think that he could and Wade was the one paying the price with his life. Wade didn’t exaggerate that dying part too. He did actually die.

It never occurred to Wade when he and Peter started dating that Peter knew no shit about cooking. After all, cooking was the basic survival knowledge that everyone should know, right? In his entire life, Wade never met anyone that couldn’t. And here was Petey. At the beginning of their dating, Spidey was still keeping his civilian ego out of their vigilant association so treating each other with homemade breakfast was out of the table. Most of their rooftop date night usually consisted of pizza, greasy Mexican and Chinese take-outs which were delicious but Wade was a kind of guy who felt the urge to provide the people he cared about. Feeding, nurturing were the only way that sated his primordial urge. Understandably, Wade was on the moon when they, actually just Peter, were out about their secret identities and Peter starting crashing over Wade’s. Now, he had many chances to show off his culinary prowess.

That was six months ago, now Peter and Wade recently moved into their new apartment, with a really meticulous kitchen Wade personally commissioned. Because he secretly was a party girl who dreamed of hosting a chick party in his so glam kitchen. But more importantly, he just wanted to be the best waifu for his Baby Boy. This was how he started noticing the other side of his bae that he never had a chance before.

 __________________________

It was a really nice ordinary day. Wade was lounging on their very comfortable very velvet-y red sofa, killing time on his phone, as he waited for the time to go to work. A miscellaneous non-mercenary job that he threatened Weasel to find for him as Wade already quitted his mercenary job. Peter was busying with his college assignments, cute glasses perched adorably on his little pixie nose. Wade got up from his sofa, sighed loudly as today was still a rat-terminating job. Again. He announced,

“Daddy is going out. I might stop to pick some items from the store for our dinner. Need anything, babe?”

Peter went a little rigid then he said,

“Actually you don’t need to cook for us tonight.”

Wade gasped. Horrified.

“W...Why! Was that Pad Thai I made last night didn’t satisfy you?—you seemed to enjoy it though, stuffing it like a chipmunk which was so cute by the way. Did you hate it? Why haven’t you told me earlier, Sweety-pie? Communication is the most important part in relationships!”

Peter blushed hard. “My mouth was not stuffed!”

Wade stared at him.

“Okay, I might do that. Whatever, that’s not the point! I told you not to cook because I’m going to take a charge tonight.” Peter continued. “You have been the one cooking for us like since even before we moved in together. I want to cook for you too.” He finished, blushing again.

That was so cute. Wade almost squeezed Peter’s cheeks. After all, science has it confirmed that cute things really did bring out people’s innate aggression and his Petey was the cutest. Only Wade allowed to touch him though or someone was going to get murdered. So, unsuspicious almost ignorant to his fate, Wade left for work, heart growing three sizes as he dreamed of the spaghetti meat sauce his Baby Boy promised to make.

----------------------------------------------

 Wade came home to find his once very neat kitchen destroyed. He almost convinced that somebody got killed here as the red substance was spilled everywhere even on the ceiling until he realized that the mysterious substance was supposed to be tomato sauce. A very bad tomato sauce. That should be a warning sign if he wasn’t traumatized to read.

Peter appeared silently at his side, sheepishly scratching his ear.

“Wade. I’m really sorry. I promise I’ll clean all the sauce, the soot. And buy you a new set of pots and bowls that I Kinda broke them. Unintentionally! Please don’t be mad.”

How could Wade be mad at that Bambi eyes, especially when Peter turned them on to him full power? That was not fair at all.

“Dinner?” Wade sputtered, snapping back from his traumatic state of realizing that half of his precious kitchenware were gone.

“Oh, yeah! You must be hungry! I set the table in the living room as the kitchen is kinda messy at this moment.”

-------------------------------------------

 Peter’s spaghetti meat sauce looked innocent enough to deceive Wade of its malicious nature. From seeing the table, Wade knew how much effort Peter put into making perfect for Wade. Plates set neatly, food still warm. Realization dawned on him that this was the first time Peter cooked for him and it melted his heart. So Wade picked up a fork and ate. He shuddered. As in pre-vomit stage kind of shudder. Some of the pasta was overcooked and went gooey. But some was still dried? Did he smell the burnt? And the sauce. That was the true horror. It didn’t taste like something edible at all. So acidic and bitter. Meatball also undercooked. It was fucking raw! (He internally shouted in a Gordon Ramsey’s accent).

Peter waited for his comment patiently, looking anxious and worried. Wade knew that Peter was exhausted every day with all of his college stuff, Spider-Manning and getting shouted from his jackass boss at the Bugle. The last thing he needed was a disappointment. Wade just couldn’t. So he said,

“Um, just need lil more salt and you can go open your own restaurant!”

Peter beamed.

“Sweet talk would get you nowhere, but you can have all the spaghetti.” Wade shrieked internally. Oblivious, Peter continued. “I’m not hungry. Cooking is really an exhausting work. Have no idea how you do that all time for me. So thank you, Wade.”

Peter’s smile was so warm and bright so Wade dutifully ate the abomination that was Peter’s cooking. A tongue was just an insignificant anatomical part compared to Peter’s love. Wade would willingly sacrifice anything for Peter and it was still incomparable to all the things Peter had done for him, a man so fucked up that everyone had given up saving. Wade slurped the last portion the spaghetti that was made with love. Peter looked surprised and very pleased.

Worth it.

 ------------------------------------------

They were doing the washing and drying dishes when Peter brought up the question again. “Is my cooking that really good? Aunt May and my friends always say otherwise. You have to tell me truthfully, Wade”

Wade stilled.

This was the moment he should tell Peter the truth of how bad that dish was to Wade’s poor stomach and that he should not even think to cook again. Ever. But an imagination with Peter disappointed with himself had Wade carefully readjusted his sentence.

“…Not bad. You really have potentials for someone who seems to --never step a foot in the kitchen before. But still! You have to admit that I’m the prettier one in an apron.”  Such a sublime compliment with a subtext of truth. Wade was such a smooth bastard.

Peter rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.” They fell into a peaceful silence, Peter pondering something important and Wade looking forward to visiting the toilet. Then, Peter said

“I’d love to cook for you from now on. What do you say?”

Fuck!

 --------------------------------------------- Hi, this is my first fanfic is the Spideypool fandom. I hope it’d be entertaining. English is not my native so I’d love to have someone beta it.

J�� �

[thisiswhatwereupagainst]

616 Donald Pierce Part Four: The Shadow King, the New Mutants, the Young X-Men, and whether he can pee

Pierce's first appearance in the 2000s is in the X-treme X-Men 2001 annual. It's a very minor role though. The main bad guy of this issue is the Shadow King, who, if you didn't know, is a disembodied psychic consciousness who needs to take posession of others in order to interact with the physical world. He picks Pierce for this, in order to use his Reavers to attack the X-Men, and because his primary target is Rogue, who he wants to corrupt into his Shadow Queen and gain access to all the stored powers she has, and being in the body of Pierce will make him immune to her touch since he's largely robotic. Pierce doesn't even get a speaking part, he's just a flesh suit for the Big Bad, but he does get to look hella creepy with the Shadow King starts warping his features while creeping on Rogue. After the Shadow King's defeat, Rogue dumps him at the cops. Not one of Pierce's greater moments. I mean, he's regularly a loser, but this is fucking exceptional even for him. I have a really perverse curiosity about how things would have been for Pierce if the Shadow King had retained posession of him. See, the Shadow King is addicted to eating. Any time he has prolonged posession of a host, they usually become hugely obese because of this. And...we see Pierce is able to eat, but like...would that work with him? Can a cyborg get fat? I guess it depends on what parts of him are still fleshy, and like I said, that tends vary WIDELY at different points and is pretty ambiguous. But, yeah, I wanna know. While his debut in the new millennium is minor, Pierce features pretty largely as the bad guy in the 2003-2004 New Mutants series. Guess what, he still REALLY HATE MUTANTS! Which...okay, not surprising. He's now out of jail and looking for new Reavers, and is holding a meeting of regular humans who just hate mutants and are interested in signing up with a gross hate group. He encourages them, of course, to become cyborgs too, claiming this is their best best to combat the super-powers of mutants. While I do think he wants these people to kill as many mutants as possible, I also think it's a “misery loves company” thing, but more on that in my upcoming section on his psyche. Anyway, he's kidnapped the father of Sofia Mantega, one of the new students at Xavier, in order to lure the X-Men into a trap. Karma and Danielle Moonstar (two of the original New Mutants, now grown to adulthood and teachers at the Xavier's School) arrive along with some of the kids to rescue him. During this, one of the recently recruited would-be Reavers, Josh Foley, discovered, ironically, that he himself was a mutant, a healer. He got to put his talents to good use when Pierce stabbed one of the mutant kids, Laurie Collins aka Wallflower. In retaliation for her apparent death, her classmate Wither, who had a death-touch ability, touched Pierce to kill him. And since Pierce started to deteriorate, I guess he does have organics left in him after all! Pierce reached out to Josh, begging him for help, because I guess mutants are okay if they can save your life when you need it, but Josh instead chose to heal Laurie. Moonstar, meanwhile, had to force Wither to let Pierce go by using her own abilities. Josh left the scene, not ready to join a “mutie” school, though he would join by the end of the issue and would become the student known as Elixir. As for Pierce, they left him in his pretty fucked-up state, with all his remaining flesh decayed right off his metal bones...but if there's one thing this guy is good at, it's recovering from a fucked up state!

Pierce was imprisoned in The Cage, a facility used to contain supervillains, where an energy field kept his cybernetics turned off except for life support, leaving him barely alive. And soon, it wouldn't be even “barely” anymore, as he was scheduled for the death penalty in a month. This is the first time we get to meet any family of Pierce, his nephew Justin, who visits him. So Pierce must have a brother or sister! Justin is an FBI agent with the Metahuman Crimes Division who tells him that if he testifies against Wither (who was being accused of other murders) then his sentence would be changed to life without parole. Pierce agreed, but with the additional condition that he be transferred to an American prison (The Cage is an international facility built on an island in the Pacific Ocean) While Pierce was being transferred to the JFK airport, he killed his FBI guards, but left Justin alive because “Unlike you, I value family” (he had earlier said that Justin wasn't a “real nephew” because if he was, he would have helped him escape The Cage) This is a really interesting thing coming from Pierce, because it's the only time he ever shows mercy or anything resembling any traits that AREN'T terrible. I wish we learned more about his family, since clearly they matter a lot to him. Pierce got back in contact with the Reavers, telling them they could now attack the “mutant enclave” aka the school, which was currently in a very vulnerable state (read: total shambles yet AGAIN) and that if they succeeded, they would prove themselves worthy of receving cyberneticenhancements like himself. They also brought Pierce some skin to get grafted back on his face. I really don't wanna know how they did that or where they got it. Since Pierce thanks them “for bringing me my skin back” maybe they just cloned it from some old tissue of his or something. That's the least awful option so I choose to go with it for my guess. Because seriously, the number of times this guy gets blown up or ripped apart or skinned or so on, I think he just must have a fucking stash of cloned flesh and organs somewhere to keep having anything human left to him at all, there's no other explanation. Long story short, he gets his ass handed to him. Moonstar bodyslams him. Cannonball blasts through his big knife arm thing. And Magma blasted his nice new skin off with some fireballs and we see that a cyborg can lose consciousness! ...I know even the biggest and baddest villains still lose nigh-every time, but Pierce just always seems to fail particularly hard. I think that's why he's endearing to me. Lots of people love trash villains, but I have a thing for trash LOSER villains in particular. Justin Pierce says the FBI will make sure that Pierce stays locked up for good this time but LOL OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN They don't even bother to explain how or when Pierce escaped this time, because at this point it really doesn't matter. All we know is that Pierce shows up in 2005 wanting to take over the Hellfire Club again and get revenge on Shaw, and he's built himself some new cybernetic mooks he calls The Cleansing Crew. And proving he hasn't learned shit, he's fucking dumb enough to attack Shaw, Tessa, Sunspot, Bishop, Storm, and Wolverine all at once. Admittedly, he does have some defenses against them---bullets designed to counteract Logan's healing factor, modifications that make him immune to Storm's lightning strikes, and blue laser claws to cut Shaw with in a way so he can't absorb the energy—but none of this saves him from SEBASTIAN SHAW PUNCHING HIS GODDAMN HEAD OFF THAT'S RIGHT, NOT ONLY DOES PIERCE LOSE HIS HEAD LITERALLY ONCE AGAIN, IT GOES BOUNCING ACROSS THE FREAKING PAVEMENT LIKE A BASKETBALL! Have I mentioned I love Sebastian Shaw? Because I love Sebastian Shaw. He is always 200% done with Pierce's bullshit and ready to do something awful to him, it's great. Seriously, if Pierce can't learn not to fuck with the X-Men, you think he'd at least learn not to fuck with Sebastian Shaw. In 2008 he shows up in the third series of X-Force. As with the X-treme X-men annual, this time he does not go after the X-Men by choice, but is a forced pawn for another baddy. Dude is just minding his own business getting his cybernetics updated in Prague because someone (he does not know who) has been chasing him across two continents and HE'S PRETTY SCARED. But they catch up with him and, at the point of several very large guns, tell him that “your presence has been requested.” I would like to add that Pierce is wearing a rather fetching brocade vest; yet more longing for his Hellfire Club days perhaps? Anyway, these people are The Purifiers, led by Bastion, and they are gathering up all the most famous and accomplished of mutant-haters.  What for? The hurt and kill mutants, of course! Now, I'm sure Pierce and the rest would very happily do this willingly, but Bastion nonetheless infected them all with the Technarch transmode virus...I guess I can see why. It puts them under his control just in case they get ideas about who's in charge, it grants them the very valuable power to nigh-instantly repair damage to themselves, and it also brought those among them who were dead, such as Stryker and Graydon Creed, back to life. Pierce, of course, wasn't happy about it, screaming  “You don't know who you're dealing with! I have friends in powerful places do you hear me?!” I'm sure you do, precious. And his apprehension proved to be correct, as apparently the process was rather painful. After this...reprogramming, if you will...Pierce is DEFINITELY wearing frilly Hellfire garb. I can only guess this is his choice since I don't think Bastion would give a shit about dressing him in it. We also learn the kill count for each of these bigots, and for Pierce it's 348. I'm not sure if that's by his own hands directly or includes those who died at the hands of his minions and hate groups as well. I think it might be an indirect count thing, because one of them, Bolivar Trask, inventor of the Sentinels, is credited with 16 thousand something kills, and I don't think he ever hurt a single mutant PERSONALLY himself. By the way, only Trask and Stryker have a higher count than Pierce in the group. X-Force storms the place, and many of the nameless human Purifiers are killed, but Pierce and the other Technarch-infected bigots don't get into the fighting, Wolverine just glimpses them while battling Bastion. I guess Bastion didn't want to risk damaging his new toys too soon, since when that happens he whisks them away in a bigass jet. They proceeded to begin to plan their plots about mutants. Plan their plots? Is that redundant? I guess I just should say “plan” or “plot” not both. Anyway! Pierce was tasked with going after young mutants, which seem to be his specialty—TV Tropes points out he's probably afraid of what adults will do to him. Which, between Shaw and Cable and the X-Men, he has good reason for. Cut to the first issue of Young X-Men, in which Cyclops assembles a team of Xavier's students to personally train:  Dust, Ink, Rockslide, and Wolf Cub, plus Blindfold because Rockslide wouldn't join without her. He takes them to subterranean ruins beneath the wreckage of the school, which he calls the Danger Cave, where he trains them to take down the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants...which, bizarrely, he claims are the adult New Mutants (Moonstar, Magma, etc) Surprise, it turns out that this “Cyclops” is actually Donald Pierce using an image inducer, trying to once again use child mutants to kill adults just like he did in the original New Mutants story! I kinda like that, haha. Both because it's win-win for Pierce no matter which side dies (since either way, mutants are killed) and because...like, he tried to use the New Mutants like this, now he's using the next generation against them the same way, it's a good low-key callback to their first confrontation. Naturally, Pierce is foiled, but one of the kids, Wolf Cub, dies at his hands. With his dying breath, he begs his enraged teammate Rockslide not to kill Pierce, because X-Men don't kill. During the fight, Pierce says he going to “use your skull as a latrine” to Rockslide and like...how? Does Pierce still pee? I guess if he still eats, he still excretes. These are the serious questions. And these are the IMAGES for this post! ETA: Two additional images from his fight with the Young X-Men!