#the bit where he talks about his and his friends' treason not even getting to attempt state

[nightingalesails]

Contains spoilers

Still can't believe Julian looked at Avra who has spent a considerable amount of time accusing him of various crimes and trying to get him thrown off The Running Sun and still was like

yeah

this one's worth having a crush on

As normal and well adjusted as Julian comes off (especially in comparison to others) like. He is absolutely right that he feels kinship with the rest of the outcasts/weirdos/criminals

He has benthic zone levels of freak running through him

Like I feel like he and Laios from Dungeon Meshi would get along and vibe with each other

[seasprincess]

Stiles Stilinski x female reader

a chemistry project with a lot of chemistry

a/n: (that was a funny one thanks)

warnings: none just fluff!!

Stiles Stilinski is the biggest worrier in the world. All his friends know it.

However Stiles, well he has no clue just how much he worries. He can’t see it. It’s normal to him.

But it’s evident now as he scouts his room, making sure it’s all clean. Plumping up the pillows on his bed. He wants this to be perfect. He wants you to think the best of him.

God you’re only coming for the chemistry project. He’s acting like it’s an army inspection. That he’s going to get flamed if there is a spot of dust on his desk.

What if you think bad of him? What if you’re not comfortable? What if. What if. What if.

The doorbell signals your arrival and gives him a heart attack. He’s having to mentally prepare himself for this for the past day. You sprung on the question of doing the project at his house. He got excited and said yes a little bit too fast. Now he’s rather regretting it.

He’s had many people over to his house. And by many people he means Scott thousands of times.

Never has he had a girl over, especially not in his room.

“I got some chocolate if you want some?” Stiles says as he looks at you. Making sure you’re okay.

For the past couple hours Stiles has been checking in on you. And as sweet as it is. It is a lot.

“Or I can get you s-“

“Stiles.” As you say his name he shuts up, for the first time ever Stiles is quiet. Not that it will last. “I’m okay. Thank you.”

You smile at him and all he can do is melt. He thinks you’re the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. He’s never felt this way about someone, not even Lydia. And that was bad.

From the moment you joined the school he knew he liked you. The way you’d crack jokes, be sarcastic and get anxious at a lot of things.

You were so similar to him it made him connect with you instantly.

“Just let me know if you need anything.”

Gosh is he the sweetest. He’s been so kind to you since that day in chemistry where he invited you to sit with him. Joking between each other which eventually led you here. To his room.

On his bed.

“You’ve never watched Star Wars?!” Stiles’ eyebrows shoot up as he looks at you, sitting up a bit taller at your confession. God he is shocked out of his mind. “You’ve never watched Star Wars?!” He repeats again in utter disbelief. He feels he’s been stabbed in the heart. The girl he likes has bever seen his favourite franchise.

“I’m sorry!” You say as you hold your hands up in mock surrender. Smiling away as you look at him. You’ve noticed the posters of Star Wars in his room, the multiple shirts that are Star Wars themed that he owns.

You’ve just committed an act of treason in this house. “It’s just not my thing.”

“But it’s one of the greatest franchises in the history of cinema. I mean the whole concept of another-”

Stiles continues to ramble on about it. Not even pausing for a breath as he just keeps talking. That’s one thing you have noticed about him. He never shuts up.

Ever.

So you decide to take things into your own hands. Literally.

Your hands cup his cheeks as you look at him. His mouth closing and eyes looking onto you. Staring at you as he freezes up.

You smile at him before he leans in and kisses you. One way to shut him up.

For at least a couple of seconds.

“Shit I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!” He says as he pulls away, panicking like he’s late for something. He’s just fucked everything up. He thought it was going well too. Good job Stiles.

“You’re okay. It’s fine.” You say softly to calm the anxious boy down.

Unknown to him he didn’t fuck it up. Not at all. You’ve been wanting him to kiss you ever since you first laid eyes on him. Embarrassingly you’ve imagined it. Not that he’ll ever know.

You grab his cheek again before pressing your lips to his, slowly kissing the boy that’s been in your mind for the past month.

After a couple moments you pull back smiling. Stiles smile beaming on his face before he opens his mouth.

“Still can’t believe you haven’t seen Star Wars.”

a/n: i love stiles

divider- @tsunami-of-tears

tags- @mayfieldss @inlovewithdob

[findingcrow]

Can we talk about how breaking the burning bridge is for a second. Will goes off on his first-kinda-not-solo-mission and halt, who has come to love this fucking dumbass as his son, loses his mind for a little bit. He just starts throwing people into moats, and it gets so bad that Alyss has to go with him and he STILL THROWS SOMEONE IN A MOAT. And meanwhile, Will is panicking because his best friend and this random girl (who turns out to be THE CROWN PRINCESS) are RELYING ON HIM to get them out of danger. AND THEN HE HAS TO BURN DOWN A BRIDGE WHICH IS GOING TO BE USED TO TAKE OVER THE KINGDOM. And even though he’s never done any of this, even though he’s only been an apprentice for a YEAR, he does it without hesitation and SAVES THE KINGDOM. And then he gets kidnapped. And put in even more danger not only because he burned down the bridge, but because of a necklace he wears. THE GUY IS THEN SHIPPED AWAY. And Halt realizes what’s happening, he’s running so fast that he’s fucking up his steps- the one thing he was always trained to never do, and. He’s too late. No matter how many arrows he shoots, no matter how loud he calls, he never hears Will call back to him. Will can barely hear him. It’s over. Morgarath is defeated, but Will is gone, and the chance of his survival is so low that Halt is seen as crazy for committing treason for him. And Halt copes with the loss of his bright, kind, intelligent apprentice by making him a new bow. He cries about him, claiming that he was worth the tears. Will, meanwhile, only wants to go home, but because of the warmweed, he doesn’t even remember where home is. He doesn’t remember halt. He doesn’t remember the cabin in the trees. He doesn’t even care if there’s a future left for him. But Halt travels across seas, across countries, through every obstacle imaginable to get to him. And when they reunite, it’s been a year since they saw each other, and Will is just rambling and crying and hugging him and Halt cries too and god they make me sick

[yantalia545]

Can we also get reader trying to divorce the axis with the similar reasons as the allies' darling?

Japan:

Well, how...unfortunate for you. He had to pull a lot of strings and ask for backhand favors to push you to become his wife in the first place. He's not going to let that go all to waste. You're one of the few people he can actually stand and he's not about to let that go.

Don't you enjoy being his wife? Is there something that he's doing wrong? Whatever it is Japan is more than happy to work on it for you. He knows he's not much for physical contact but if you would like more of that then he'd be more then he'll push that boundary just for you.

Even though you will want to be friends, Japan still feels like you're trying to pull away from him. You better not be divorcing him because you're in love with someone else. Japan can't stand that thought. Why else did he work so hard to obtain you in the first place?

He wants to make sure you're his and only his. Japan may be a bit more closeted about his obsession but he definitely can be possessive over you.

He will show his much darker side after this fight the two of you had over a divorce. You won't leave him. Japan may even try to pull more strings to keep you bound to him. The house may be a bit tense after that but if it keeps you here then he's fine with it. After all, there's no way you can stay mad forever and if you dare try to drag someone else into your marriage dispute then he'll be forced to take even greater actions. He'll kill them brutely right in front of you to make a point. There most certainly will be no other lover.

I could definitely see Japan calling treason against your divorce. The two are you are together to strengthen your countries and your backing out would forfeit your end of the deal. This would lead to a whole mess of things where you'll be blamed every step of the way.

This is all your fault, you know. The two of you could have stayed a happy couple in a fair marriage, but if you want to be a brat a cause more trouble for him then so be it. Japan won't lose on this one. He'll shelter you in a dimly lit room to keep you in place if he has to.

Japan wouldn't let you go unhealthy though. It's his job as your husband to take care of you. You'll be given plenty of meals and exercise alongside him just as long as he's not forced to withhold them as punishment.

Italy:

Here comes the tears. Italy's first line of defense will always be crying. He'll cling to you all while begging for you to tell him what he did wrong and how can he fix it.

He was so happy being married to you. It was like a dream come true. Why would you ever want to leave something so amazing?

Again, Italy will make you look like the bad guy here. Guilt tripping you to the max in hopes that you'll just forget about everything and stay. When you still try to leave he'll latch on to you and cry into your legs. Probably sending you falling to the floor. The more you struggle, the more he cries. You can practically hear his heart breaking on the spot. Try to fight him off if you'd like, but when he's determined for something, Italy can be surprisingly strong. His grip on you is just so tight.

"We can talk about this (Y/n). Please don't go." He sobs pitifully.

You can try to coax him to calm down and release you, but you'll have to stay for the night. Either way, you'll end up in your shared bedroom with a locked door rather than Italy snuck out in the middle of the night to lock it on you, or he dragged you in there and then shut the door.

Italy will be paying Germany a late-night phone call, begging for his help with his marriage. He'll do anything to make you stay. He doesn't care how long you have to stay in your room or the number of hug therapies he needs to give you.

The two of you will fix this marriage.

Italy will gather anything and everything to fix your marriage from connection exercises to marriage counselors that are, of course, tailored to fit only his side of the argument. You're the only bad guy here. It's all your fault that he has to go to such lengths in the first place. There's no way his cute self could ever be capable of doing any wrong. Even if he is keeping you hostage in his small villa apartment.

If you ever want to feel the grass between your toes or the wind brushing through your fair again you better give in and fix your problem.

Germany:

Germany was in need of some serious comfort and support from you after he had lost everything in a grave war. He swore that you were the only thing he had left, and your stupid boss was trying to take you away from him.

Just the other day he informed you of filing for diverse and it was up to you to break the news to your disheveled husband. Some boss he was. Since Germany has quite a bad reputation for himself as of late, your boss thought that it was wise to withdraw your alliance from him to protect yourself.

And so, here you were in Germany's office with diverse papers in hand. You felt a sour taste in your mouth when you finally handed the papers over to the poor man. He was your friend. Someone you held dearly, but denying your boss wasn't really an option for nations.

Germnay's face hallowed as he quickly glanced at the papers bestowed before him. He should have known this was coming. He couldn't support you like he used to. However, he was selfish. He wasn't going to let you leave without a fight.

It wouldn't be long after Germany built up his forces that would he be knocking at your door. Demanding for your hand in marriage again. Your damned boss who thought to separate him from his love would be brought before you; shriveled and beaten. You were horrified as you were forced to sign the marriage contract Germany had conjured up for you.

And just like that, you were bound to him again. Germany, making sure you'd never slip through his fingers again.

[yeah-w-r-i-t-e]

Okay so I was thinking about the stark difference between the first three Mission: Impossible films, and while this is obviously due to the fact that they were directed by three completely different people, I think there could also be a good in-universe explanation as well.

This'll be a pretty long analysis post so more under the cut:))

In M:I1, Ethan is more contemplative, more prone to talking instead of fighting, etc. There are stunts like the train scene and the one where he steals the NOC list, but they aren't up to the scale of the stunts in later films (and the NOC list theft is extremely quiet and drawn out, relying on suspense rather than action).

But in M:I2, Ethan is reckless and flashy. He's in his famous bad boy era. Our first shot of him is him rock climbing with no safety gear whatsoever. He keeps himself up with just his thighs at one point and it's fucking insane. And don't get me started on this shot of him riding a motorcycle in possibly the worst way ever, which has not left my mind since I saw it the first time:

Also he seduces a woman by almost pushing her off a cliff with his car?? Listen we all know M:I2 was ridiculous so I don't need to explain that to you. What I think is interesting is the implications for Ethan's mental state.

In M:I1, Ethan's entire team dies. These people who he trusted, who he loved, all died. Two of them betrayed him and then died. We see a little bit of the effect of this M:I1, but Ethan is still essentially in shock throughout the whole movie. We don't see what inevitably happens afterwards: the breakdowns, the therapy (or, more likely, the avoidance of therapy), the first missions he takes without his team.

What we do see is Ethan, several years later, displaying previously unseen feats of recklessness. I think it's incredibly likely that Ethan, in the aftermath of the most important people in his life dying as well as multiple betrayals, became a little unconcerned for his own life. Up until Ghost Protocol, the only person we see Ethan really close with (other than Julia, who he can't be truthful with) is Luther. So Ethan hasn't healed from the loss of his team and found new friends; he just has Luther, who seems to be off on vacation half the time? The point is: he doesn't have much of a support system, he can't really trust the IMF considering how it keeps suspecting him of treason, and he has become a daredevil of sorts.

I know what you're thinking. How does this then connect to M:I3? (Okay, maybe you weren't thinking that. But you are now.)

In MI:3, Ethan is in his family man era. He's trying to be a normal guy and has to come to terms with the fact that...he can't. There's always going to be a new world-threatening event for him to rush off to prevent, and even when there isn't, there will always be someone ready to take away his world—the people he loves. We all know that, but how did Ethan get to this point? And what happened to Nyah?

They never tell us what happened to Nyah. At the end of M:I2, she and Ethan meet up in the park to have a cute little date. At the beginning of M:I3, Ethan is engaged to another woman. Nyah is never mentioned again, not even to say that she is dead.

Obviously, there are multiple things that could have happened. Nyah could be dead, killed by someone looking to hurt Ethan. Or maybe she died in a regular car crash. It's completely possible that the relationship just didn't work out, and they broke off. Maybe Nyah is travelling the world, living her best life. We all have our theories. The truth is that it doesn't really matter what happened to her; what matters is that she's gone.

I personally don't think Ethan has much experience with relationships. He's a skilled honeypot and knows how to manipulate people's attraction to achieve a mission, as shown in Ghost Protocol when he gets that one rich guy jealous over Jane. But we've only seen him have three canon "relationships" so far (and even that is stretching it).

In M:I1, he kisses Claire. This isn't a relationship, but it's apparent that Claire and Jim used Ethan's attraction to Claire to manipulate him. This is sure to have fucked him up.

In M:I2, he falls in love with Nyah pretty much instantly. He's guilty over the fact that he has to basically pimp Nyah out to her evil ex-boyfriend, and she almost dies because he involved her in this whole mess.

In M:I3, he's with Julia, a regular civilian woman who knows nothing about the IMF. This could just be due to a lack of interest in anybody he knows from work. But it could also be because of Nyah.

Nyah knew about the IMF. She knew about Ethan. She saw firsthand the danger that came with his job. And she wasn't exactly a "normal" civilian from the beginning; she was a master thief. She was about as embroiled in Ethan's life as a lover could be without being part of the IMF herself.

But...that didn't work out, for whatever reason. Whether she was murdered or she left Ethan, their relationship didn't last. So maybe in Ethan's mind, he can't have a relationship with someone who is so involved in his life.

That brings us to M:I3, where Ethan is with a normal civilian Julia. He doesn't like keeping secrets from her, of course, but it's better than the alternative—her knowing all of him, and the relationship ending.

Of course, this happens anyway, but that's not the point of this.

The point is that while the first three Mission: Impossible movies are disjointed and completely unconnected, so much so that they could be set in completely different franchises if not for the fact that the main guy is named Ethan Hunt—there are links if you try hard enough to make it make sense! Which is something I enjoy doing. Ethan doesn't really become a solid character until Ghost Protocol, but if you think about where Ethan is at mentally in between each of the first three movies...you can see why he turned out the way he did by the end.

[noosayog]

[IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU] - ft. knight! iwaizumi hajime

warnings/content: princess! reader x knight/personal guard! iwa. a bit of angst, a little segue into the final chapter. no reader in this part, just a bit of groundwork for the final chapter

wc: 700

part 4.5. directory here.

--

The next course of action is not ideal for Iwaizumi. He has no choice but to return to Aoba Johsai by himself per your orders. And upon his return, he gathers Toru, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa to debrief them on the situation.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa are quick to disparage the foreign prince, calling him a sleazy womanizer and threatening to turn him into fried chicken (a slight to his unruly hair), but Toru remains uncharacteristically quiet.

“Well,” Toru says. “It is not uncommon for royal marriages. And my sister’s marriage is exactly that. Just a union of families and a show of good faith for foreign relations.”

“The Princess deserves to be happy!” Iwaizumi fires back, genuinely shocked at your brother’s clinic response.

Toru tilts his head in confusion. “You couldn’t have not known that this was a possibility with the years you’ve spent with my father.”

Iwaizumi freezes.

“To be honest, Iwa, I’m not sure I can support whatever you’re planning. You had years to act on my sister’s feelings but you always prioritized following father’s orders. How is this any different?” 
“How can you even say that,” he yells. “This is not about me. This is about your sister’s happiness. They aren’t even married yet and the Nekoma prince already has no intentions to make her happy!”

“You could have made her happy. But you chose not to. I fail to see how this is different. Why is okay for you to hurt her but not someone else?”

“I-“

“And,” Toru barrels on. “You don’t know that she won’t be happy. This might actually be a nice arrangement for her. She might finally get the freedom she has always wanted.”

Iwaizumi falls silent at this, all his flimsy excuses sliced cleanly through.

Toru lays a heavy hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I won’t help you if you’re not willing to admit why you’re really doing all this.” he says with finality, before getting up and leaving the group behind.

—

Iwaizumi drags Hanamaki to the training grounds to clear his head later that evening. The frustration growing a tangled knot in his ribcage shows no signs of loosening as he swings his wooden sword, Toru’s words still echoing.

What more does he need to admit than the shameful acknowledgement that he, your knight, has fallen in love with you and yearns for something above his station?

“- thinking about?” He hears Hanamaki ask.

Iwaizumi grunts, swinging again.

Hanamaki parries the weak blow. “Are you still thinking about what Oikawa said?”

Iwaizumi doesn’t respond, bringing his sword down again. Hanamaki swings easily, knocking Iwaizuimi’s weapon out of his hands.

“I’ll give you a hint. You should think about what happens after. Even if you are able to stop the wedding, what happens to the princess after? She comes back home and His Majesty finds another match for her? Would that make her happy?”

With a hard clap to Iwaizumi’s shoulder, Makki takes off for the night. 

Frustrated, Iwaizumi throws a fist to the ground. Don’t you think he’d entertained the thought of whisking you away the second he realized he loved you? Risk treason to be with you? 

What would make you happy? 

He’s sure now that being able to be together would make you happy. But how could that happen without you abandoning your family, your friends, your beloved home? And he, himself. He didn’t want to leave the knights and Toru behind either. Is it even possible to  find a solution where he could be with you and you both could be with the people you love? 

“You could talk to him, you know?” 

Iwaizumi snaps around at Toru’s voice. 

“My father,” the prince clarifies. “You can convince him of most anything. Can’t you tell by now that he values your opinion more than any of us?” Toru grins ruefully. “Guess your years of being obedient to him have paid off for this moment.” 

Iwaizumi realizes then that while he was hurt from having his value tied to Toru since youth, the King’s words impact Toru equally. His own father, constantly comparing. 

“Let’s do it,” Iwaizumi says, finding courage in the newfound camaraderie with the prince. “I want to make the princess happy.” 

Toru grins, offering his hand. 

Iwaziumi takes it.

[jly4ok]

Fanfic idea

Since Gravity Falls has been resurrected, I want to share my fic that has been sitting in my head for almost 3 years🫡

!!!!DO NOT STEAL AN IDEA!!!!

The end of the 60s. It all begins with the fact that the reader (I perceive her as a oc) moves to New Jersey with her parents. At school, she moves to the class where the twins study, but she does not immediately make friends with them. She has the image of the same cool girl who dates cool guys (her parents don't know anything about it). But all because of not the best relationship with her parents, because her father wants her to be a lawyer (the reader's father is a policeman). And she dreams of becoming a writer.

Once in class, the reader notices that her strange neighbor Stanford has 6 fingers on his hands. Of course, she did not remain silent and in a rather intimate context asked what these 6 fingers could do. And of course Ford panicked. Then, at the end of the lesson, Ford ran out of the classroom.

Briefly what happened next. Then she befriended the twins and broke up with her boyfriend (let's omit how). Everything is ok!

Then we cut to when she and Ford got married. In "Gravity Falls" she works as an English and literature teacher (she managed to get where she wanted) and simultaneously writes her novel. At first everything seemed normal, but suddenly he began to withdraw more and more into himself. She was a bit excited and started looking for the reason for this. One day she overheard Ford talking to himself, and he mentioned a certain muse. The reader suspected him of treason, but she could not believe it, because he is not capable of it. One day she couldn't stand it and asked Ford who this muse was. Of course, Ford did not want to answer, and the reader persisted. And then Bill moves on to Ford. The reader is in such shock that she needed to drink wine. But there is a "cute" dialogue between them (I haven't come up with it yet).

Why did she break up with Ford? But because Bill is still the geek. It was in Ford's body that he tried to do terrible things to her so that Ford would activate the portal. The reader could not stand it and broke up with him. She understands that Ford is not guilty, but she could not tolerate such an attitude either, especially since it is a demon in your husband's body. Ford didn't mind, at least his lover would be safe, even if he felt even more alone.

There is a continuation, but it will probably be in the second part.

Do part 2?

Sorry for mistakes, I don't speak English👉🏻👈🏻

[gallusrostromegalus]

Actually on the subject of anime/ whatever your preferred young adult media is and having terrible parents, what is Ichigo's dad going to be like?

(I have like less than passing knowledge on bleach but I know a lot of people don't like his dad and I am definitely going to read AEIWAM because it sounds fantastic and I'd love to hear more)

Actually I'd love to hear more about any of the parents, I've never really gotten why people want parents to be more active in the escapist stories but now I've read a couyple really good fics and stories with it and yeah I get it now and think there should be more of it. It's great

Anyways I'd love to hear about more of any of the parents (sorry for being a bit vague I don't really know the characters and it sounds like talking about some of the parents mentioned might be spoilers but I am so excited for the fic it sounds really cool! May you have a lovely time writing and creating with it!)

You have excellent taste in freshwater fish, so of course I'll oblige. It's key to remember that I've taken an excavator to the backstory of a good many characters in the fic.

So Isshin is a... marginally better dad? I think it's fundamental to his characterization that he's kind of a fuckup who prefers to avoid interpersonal conflict, which is not a sin, but it does not make good parent material in a shonen series.

So AEIWAM!Isshin... Kind of tells the kids the truth- or at least, the stuff necessary to keep them safe.

The way he tells it, there was a shinigami that lived in his family's attic when he was a little boy- that part is kind of true! In canon, all the shinigami that turn up in Karkura town have nowhere to stay and end up crashing at the houses of psychically aware people. He tells the kids that the Shinigami's name was Kaien Shiba, so if he started telling stories about his favorite nephew, it's just the guy who lived in his attic!

...Which is why he knows all about hollows, and tells his young children about them and to avoid them at all costs, especially after three-year-old Ichigo points at one circling over the house and asks what the "Big Bird" is. He signs Ichigo up for Karate that afternoon, because if his son inherited either of his parent's powers, he's going to need to learn to defend himself.

Isshin also explains why his children can see ghosts and he can't, as well as the fact that they never see their grandparents AND how he met their mother in the same story- What actually happened was that Isshin had met Masaki, an escapee of the Quincy cult (previously engaged to her cousin, Ryuken, who ALSO did not want to be engaged to his cousin, partly because Ew and partly because he was already married) and dying of hollow poisoning, and did a magical blood transfusion to save her, losing his shinigami powers and committing some mild treason in the process.

What Isshin and Masaki tell their children is that Isshin used to be able to see ghosts, just like them, but when he was a young man, he and his parents were out driving and got hit by a truck. They died immediately, but Isshin had a serious head injury and spent months in the hospital. But! In the next hospital bed over was a young woman who had recently lost her family as well, and had fallen gravely ill. Love may or may not be able to bloom on the battlefield, but it can bloom in the Hospital ICU. Mommy and Daddy's friend Ryuken is Masaki's cousin who treated both of them in the hospital. That part is even true!

Speaking of Ryuken Ishida, he's also trying his best.

He had a terrible loss some nine years ago, when his wife, Kanae, died. Ryuken was a pureblood (read: Highly Inbred. White-haired Anime Boy syndrome has the same cause and detrimental health effects as high-white merele in dogs) Quincy, but his wife was not, and when Yhwach decided to do The Big Slurpy where he sucked the soul energy out of every descendant of his except one particular line, she decided to go down swinging and take as much of the Quincy cult out with her as she could. Like Uryuu did in canon, she used her powers until they burnt right out of her soul and killed her, rather than let that cancerous, cult-leading sonofabitch go after her family.

Ryuken then had another terrible shock a year later when his father-in-law was killed by hollows while secretly training his son in the Quincy arts, something Ryuken had explicitly forbidden, but Soken thought it important that Young Uryuu at least learn to control his inherited abilities. Uryuu was saved from the same fate by an exceptionally powerful hollow that tore the others limb from limb as soon as she recognized the frightened cries of her son.

Much like his friend Isshin, sometimes true love can be found in the midst of tragedy, and now Ryuken and Kanae are reunited and raising Uryuu together. Karkura has more than it's fair share of hollows, and so she's on a modified Santa Clarita Diet to keep her hunger at bay. She's doing quite well on it even! It's a bit strange to say, but Ryuken is possibly even more madly in love with her now that she's a hulking monstrosity with an appetite for flesh than when she was still human.

[surrealisticduvet]

Album Reviews - The First National Band Trilogy

Magnetic South (1970)

You don’t need me to tell you Magnetic South is a masterpiece. We talk about it often because it deserves every bit of praise. 

Favorite parts of the album:

There’s so much going on here that I don’t even know what to highlight as a favorite part. Although there are a few songs he recorded with the Monkees on here, and a few covers, we know he had been saving up new songs until his contract was ended so he could have full control - there must have been a lot to choose from, evident by the fact that he released 3 albums within 2 years. But each song he chose for this first one was careful and impactful - a first step in a new direction. The sound is great, the band is fantastic. Michael has waxed poetic enough about Red Rhodes to fill a dozen reviews so I won’t be a broken record about it here. Just a wonderful album, and yes, Allmusic, Nesmith does yodel a hell of a lot better than the Eagles. 

Critiques:

Truly none. I don’t even know if the alternative album lineup theory from Loose Salute applies here (in an effort to make the album more commercial and streamlined, rather than following the artist’s intended track listing.) The “Nine Times Blue” - “Little Red Rider” transition is seamless and stunning every time. Wait, this is supposed to be the critiques section…

Conclusion:

Perfection! The extra bonus tracks are just the cherry on top, too. 

We'll be right back with reviews for Loose Salute and Nevada Fighter just as soon as you turn the record over (click read more!)

Loose Salute (1970)

LS is probably not objectively better than MS, but it is my favorite of the trilogy just because of the song lineup. It has a more mellow, introspective feeling than the other two, which I think is actually very similar to Tantamount to Treason, later on.

Favorite parts of the album:

After MS, he had sort of knocked out the heavy hitters he’d written during his stint with the M*nkees (after the MS dedications, he would not mention them in public again until 1979, I believe), so he was free to have fun with songs like “Dedicated Friend,” “Tengo Amore,” and “Bye Bye Bye” (which he did soo many takes of to get it right - I like the alternate released version with the audible grunting <3). The version of “Listen to the Band” on this album is my all-time favorite - it’s snappy. I really love his cover of “I Fall to Pieces” as well. And can I just say the "Different Drum - Alternate Version" is definitely his best take of it? Hmm.. have I mentioned every track yet? I love every track. Well - almost…

Critiques:

By this time, he was feeling pressure from the record company to make a hit, for goodness sakes… so the track listing does not flow the way you would expect it to on one of Michael’s albums, and he changed the title of “Carlisle Wheeling” to “Conversations” like a coward – apparently there were some complaints that casual listeners wouldn’t know what the song was called? This is extremely foreign to me - there are people who just casually listen to him?? Anyways, my one true gripe with this album is that I hate the intro to “Hello Lady” - I listen a lot while driving and it always makes me think there’s something wrong with my car. And it is just not a very inventive song. Ah, well. Other than that, no real complaints, just a nitpick - “Silver Moon” sounds better about twenty/thirty years down the line. At 27, he had no business thinking he understood high lonesome.

Conclusion:

I can’t prove that this is his best solo album - but I will say that it’s the one I listen to the most! 

Nevada Fighter (1971)

Generally considered to be the weakest link in the FNB trilogy, but FNB albums are like sex, or pizza… mmm! Where were we. 

Favorite parts of the album:

Side one is pretty much perfect in my opinion - we get a final cut of “Propinquity” (spelled correctly this time) and although I am kind of preferential towards live or early versions, this one is still very good. In fact, many of these side one songs are well suited towards live shows - “Grand Ennui” kicks hard and “Nevada Fighter” is right up there too. Side two is covers, which I still like. The best is “I Looked Away” which is just fantastic, and comical when you consider the LS radio spots where he just decided to promote Clapton’s album instead of his own.

Critiques:

I don’t think “Texas Morning” is the best song he’s ever chosen to cover, and although it and “Rainmaker” sound good, and are done well, I can think of so many things I’d rather hear from him. This album is no shorter than the others, so maybe it’s just because there are less full bonus tracks, but it does feel like you’re getting shorted a few songs. 

Conclusion:

Altogether, I don’t dislike the sound, and I don’t skip listening, but it was definitely the end of an era.

[eofoc]

day 6: past

AHHH we got to my favorite part - backstories!!

i wish i could write about all of my 6 ocs, but i dont think uni will let me lol so i decided to spin a wheel for each of the days!!!!

...and then funnily enough it landed on Yuze who has the most developed backstory

(rambling about his past under the cut)

i dont want to get too much into the worldbuilding here... his parents were vampires and immigrants who got a job as tailors in the Lazarus estate (home to two young nobles, Juliet and Ange, around Yuze's age)

hes always had a pretty good relationship with his parents! i think funnily enough he was a bit spoiled by them, especially his mom, who he always clung to and admired. he has also always respected his parents greatly :'] esp. his father, sometimes even a bit too much (was often scared to approach him)

yea and then they were executed for treason when he was like 9 years old

um before that happened he also became friends with Ange. but that was like. almost entirely inconsequential to him UNTIL he convinced himself that Ange was responsible for his parents death (as people do) which is really funny to me because Ange wasnt very important to him UNTIL he started to center his life around getting his revenge lmao

well. he entered his parentless era and was sent to an orphanage. he met an older girl there who kind of took care of him and guided him :) her name was Csilla (he called her Lila) and well. she also died due to the negligence of the poorly funded orphanage. for years he thought she ran away without him Btw

then he entered his epic dissociation era where he was in.. like.. how do you even call it... this old dude (named Damien Eligioto) whos a retired vampire assistant of the late emperor "takes care" of young vampires who are poor / have no parents / etc. they get uniforms and rooms to sleep in and even education. but its not very fun its lowkey child labor factory and fulfilling his power fantasy most of the time.

yea anyways this Might be the most traumatic period for Yuze. he doesnt remember almost anything from that time. he only remembers learning thar Lila died and the day when Eligioto took interest in him (mostly the fact that he didnt talk to anyone and always did everything without a word) and offered him a way to make some extra money by killing / injuring people he didnt like. giving this job to a 16 year old is very stupid however it makes sense since he saw those teenagers as disposable pawns that u could make the fault fall on if they got caught

oh and the physical abuse also Yeah (the scars on his body Yeah

and so Yuze entered his very very brief era of being a teenage fuckigb assasin before he was like "wait... if i can do this to others then i can also do that to that guy i hate" and he straight up killed Eligioto and ran lol

and then he lived a few years in a little tiny village doing nothing <3 letting the mental illness consume him. until there came a proposition to work at the Lazarus estate... the dreams of revenge awaken again... and this is basically where the plot of the whole thing starts

Waow! He shouldve been at the fucking club

[birthdaycakeplate]

same anon asking for Blitzbee fic recommendations, tried to message you but unfortunately your account is set to only people you follow doing that.

but hmmm, I'd say my personal taste in fics are actually slow burns, I really like fics that focus on Blitzwing and Bee forming an unlikely relationship based on their 'home lives' in a sense of it, where neither are understood and often viewed as annoyances/loose canons leading both to a feeling of isolation and a mild desperation/willingness to connect with anyone even at the risk of 'treason' for interacting with the other side.

I also enjoy the progression for Blitzwing of seeing Bumblebee as a harmless amusement to him somehow becoming a bit of a hyper focus that causes the big bad con to develop some empathy and *gasp* morals.

Meanwhile Bee is just a cocky little bastard who refuses to accept Blitzwing as the actual threat he is and then feelings are caught when his view of the world is shifted and he finds out Decepticons are also actually just people with complex feelings and motivations (also bonus if break down of autobots 'all warbuilds are evil because' bs is broken down)

I realize now I'm rambling so apologies its just a very fun ship to babble about.

If I was to ask for any fic, if you could set one in your Nemesis AU that be amazing, the size difference you give in that is spectacular like omg I stare so politely.

Also the concept is just very fun to me and I'd love to see that au world expanded.

As for spicy content I don't really have any ideas? Sorry I'm actually terrible at writing it my only preferences are Blitz top and preferably consensual.

for ease if we keep talking like this I'll sign off as

Curiosity

GOD, of course I invited you to talk with me and then blocked you from doing that elekkeem 🌝 I think I fixed my messaging where I’ll get your stuff now, if you’d like to try again 😭 I swear I’m always this dysfunctional.

But anyway, your message here is good, true, andfantastic. I CRY. Your view on the ship is perfect and pure D,8

I LOVE when Blitzwing is stunned when his desire to squash the useless yellow gnat and be done with him is suddenly evaporated by the sudden realization this guy is slowly becoming the only thing in his life fun and full of life (and kind of precious if he’s being honest, ok???). Because their chemistry is crazy- they’re both wrekcless little freaks when left to their own devices, but full time loyal, fucked up little creatures to the ones closest to them. The handful Blitzwing can afford to let in to his life, even if ‘friends’ isn’t the word he’d use, and the few Bumblebee can make real connections with, when he’s a mischievous ant with a complex to make ‘something great’ of himself.

But he already IS great and bad boy Blitzwing needs to make it his immediate life’s goal to get that through to him and give him lots of love. (I ramble, too, you’re in good company)

I’m bad at stating my thoughts, I get overwhelmed when it’s my own emotions. But I typed and retyped something along the lines of how I’m noticing we have lots of similarities here in terms of what our favorite flavor of Blitzbee is 🩷🩷🩷 I bet lots of ppl who read this would agree with you and appreciate you throwing out there the love language of these complete messes of men✨

Does that mean my attempt to translate these tastes into fiction beside my ideas will make for good reading and also provide you a happy source of top Blitz/blitzbee? God, I HOPE so. You deserve it and I’m going to try.

I have the first chapter half written, because-

OH MY GOD, YOU LIKE MY AUTBOTS JOIN THE NEMESIS AU STUFF EKEKKEE

OoooOOOHhhh aAHHHHHHHH

I SCREEEEEEAM 💕💕💕 thank you???!!! That means so much to ME and makes me insanely happy, because I was so surprised when you said that, and I REALIZED how amazing it is to hear a thing like that. That I’ve got a thing going I didn’t imagine would become liked enough for a fic request for it.

I’m hoping to finish this first chapter by next Friday. Probably sooner than that? But I’m scared life won’t allow it. Thanks for your messages💕

(The other anons who messaged me, too, about some top Blitzwing fic stuff, I see you and I’m elated to hear from so many of you, thank you✨)

[simmetrycal]

white roses ♱ · .

synopsis:

in which reader is obsessed with a certain vampire prince.

word count: 7777 (woah)

18+ warning, minors DNI

cw and tags: gender neutral reader, smut, blood kink if you squint, penetration, yearning, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, reciprocal feelings, victorian era, use of “y/n”

a/n: this was sort of an unintentional cinderella story. also i wrote an entirely different vampire!ash/reader fic but i fully hated it so i scrapped it and this iteration is what you’re getting. i believe it’s way better and i spent so long on it so id rlly appreciate a like and comment yayy! and as always ignore writing mistakes, i know i make a ton but ya girl ain’t got time to fix all that. enjoy lovelies! <3 - sim

♱ · .

working at the castle where the fuel of your passion for life resides was strenuous. you tired yourself daily with trying to not make yourself seem overly obsessed with the prince.

though, the other servants caught on pretty quick when you first arrived. they come up to you often and poke fun about how you spend almost all your time daydreaming and ogling at prince ash.

but it wasn’t your fault he was so handsome. and not only that, he was kind and gentle and funny. nothing like his father, the king.

the king could not care less for mortals, to which you were (along with the rest of the staff) so you all walked on eggshells around his majesty. but there’s a rumor that he and his family weren’t all that merciless. they don’t prey on or harm the citizens of the kingdom unless they commit treason.

it seemed like a good trade off to you: commit no crime and live under the rule and protection of the king, or forsake the law and die a most painful death by having all the blood in your body go to the bellies of the king and his family. however much you believe this silly myth is yet to be determined.

you were grateful to be a servant in that sense though. it was easier to get by unnoticed. not that you weren’t doing anything unlawful, but they allow you to go about your own life within the castle as long as you fulfill your duties.

your own life within the stone walls however wasn’t of much interest. you spent your time cleaning and washing clothes, tending to the garden and anything else the royal family may need.

it was always scary coming up to them as they sat on their thrones. all pale and sickeningly beautiful. it was especially nerve wracking when you’d bow in front of them to ask what was needed of you— they all watched you with their piercing red eyes.

king wayne was always passive, shooing you off when he was done with your service. his wife, the queen, was more gracious than him. always giving you a smile and an appreciative thanks for whatever you were providing. the princesses were bossy and rude, but not so discarding. and lastly, there was the prince.

he always made an effort to make conversation, ask you about your day and if you needed any help with cleaning up. the first time he ever offered, king wayne shoved an elbow in his direction. they spoke low but you picked up on the king saying something along the lines of “you’re a prince— not the help.”

prince ash simply rolled his eyes and took his business with you elsewhere, following you to the laundry room as you walked with a basket of sheets.

you didn’t know if the two of you were becoming friends, and if you were, you had a bit more than friendship on your mind.

not like you would ever act on that though! afterall, you’re a mere human in the grace of a tall vampire prince who’s been around for centuries. he must’ve killed thousands like yourself.

perhaps you were his next victim.

no. no! don’t go there. you’ve never even seen him drink blood. not in the six years you’ve worked at the castle.

but it doesn’t matter. blood sucker or not, it can’t work anyway. he’s royalty and you’re his attendant. what would people think if they even caught a glimpse of the two of you just talking? it’d be an outrage! a scandal!

it doesn’t seem like the prince cares about that fact. he continues to chat with you wherever and whenever he can. on your way to the kitchen, your bedroom chambers, the garden, he follows and picks your brain. asking you things about humans and such. like “what’s it like to sleep?” or “how does it feel to see your reflection or your shadow?”

today, when he followed you out to the garden with a parasol, shielding himself from the sun, he asked you if the warmth feels good on your skin, for he has only ever known its stinging, searing torment.

at some point the wind blew his parasol upwards a bit and the sunlight hit his face. his expression was twinging with pain and discomfort as he fixed the shade over himself.

the first time he ever came outside with you during the daytime it shocked you. you were worried that he’d burn or turn into dust, but he assured you he’d be fine. he said he would only just experience some “mild” irritation. though you knew mild was an understatement and he probably suffers in the sun more harshly than he lets on.

you hated to admit it— the thought made you sick but— you wanted to see him make that face again. of course, you don’t want him to be in pain, but his expression all pathetic and torn up like that… it turned you on.

you said nothing as you returned to clipping the hedges of a white rose bush, listening to him talk some more. his voice was calming and sultry, yet cheery and filled with excitement. it seemed like he was always content. as if nothing in his life had ever gone awry.. but you know that’s not true. he’s probably suffered greatly. this life he lives couldn’t possibly feel freeing.

“will you be attending the masquerade tonight?” prince ash asks, picking a tiny white rose. it was barely the size of your palm, and it looked even smaller in his hands.

you quickly shake your head and laugh off the image of you ever attending such a ball. it happens every year and it’s the grandest event in this region. “no, my lord, i could never. servants aren’t allowed to attend. surely you must know that.”

“you’d get by.”

“..what do you mean?”

he walked over to you and smiled, gently tucking the little rose into a pocket of your shirt. “no one would recognize you.”

you looked up at his deep red eyes, a lock of his ink black hair falling in front of them.

“and what if i get caught? what about the king?”

prince ash rolled his eyes and huffed. “he wouldn’t care.”

“no, you wouldn’t care, if you were king. i’m absolutely sure his majesty would have my head if anyone caught someone like me, a peasant, attending his annual masquerade ball.”

the prince shifted in his stance but his feet remained planted firmly in front of you. you were so close in fact that you were under the shade of his parasol.

“if anything should happen, i shall deal with it. it’ll be my consequence, not yours.”

you look away, looking at the bright green grass in hesitation and wonder.

what if you really did go? what if you threw caution to the wind and just attended under the anonymity of a mask? but that brought up another issue.

“i cannot go, your highness, i have nothing to wear.”

he laughed, it was sweet and boisterous, before leaning down to your level.

“is that your only concern, dear?”

your face flushed and your heart rate quickened when you heard that nickname again. you hated when he called you that because you had no idea if it had a romantic connotation or a friendly connotation. you fear it’s the latter, so you brush it off.

you nod in response with fake bravado, turning your attention back to the rose hedge to seem busy and act like you’re above all this. to act like you didn’t even want to go to the ball or be around the one man that makes you absolutely melt.

the sun continued to gleam into your face again when you left his cool shade.

“if that’s what you’re worried about..” he tapped his chin. “meet me at my chambers this evening. i’ll get you taken care of.”

the royal chambers? but you’ve never dared to even step foot in that wing of the castle! you’d get in serious trouble if anyone caught you walking to his room with no host. and at late hours no less.

you were going to respond to the prince but before you knew it, he disappeared. you turned around and saw him walking into the castle once more, lowering his parasol when he met the shade and tossing it into a basket where the rest of them held.

him leaving with the last word was his way of saying you don’t have a choice and that you’re coming to the ball.

♱ · .

the stone was cold against your hand as you held it out and walked through the corridors, touching the surface as you went.

your stomach churned but you willed it not to. it’s not like you’ve never seen a ball. your place is amidst the shadows, carefully standing watch along with the knights and the other maids and servants. tending to his kingship and family if need be. it’s almost like you’ve attended every year.

sure you’ve never been in the middle of the room but did you really need to? the answer is no, you don’t have the need to be the center of attention.

the prince on the other hand, it was like it was his whole life. he needed to be out there and be talking to everyone, be an entertainer. a partier.

which is why you find it extremely difficult to understand the circumstances you’re in. why you? why a servant? he could choose anybody to become friends with.

hmm.. you’d have to ask him about this later, persistant to get the answer out of him.

as your feet carried you along the velvet carpet runners of the corridors to the royal chambers, you felt someone coming around the corner up ahead. then you heard her.

the princess.

and it wasn’t the kinder one out of two sisters prince ash has. it was princess kylie, menacing and intimidating just like her father.

you looked around in haste and worry— there was nowhere to go. you couldn’t hide anywhere and the distance behind you was too long to walk away and disappear around another corner.

her voice got closer, along with whoever she was walking and chatting with. you couldn’t make out who it was until the two of them turned the corner, practically bumping into you.

on one face, there was disbelief and disgust, on the other, there was surprise and a warm smile.

thank your lucky stars.

it was prince ash with her. you were incredibly grateful that it was him and not anyone else. they wouldn’t save the way ash will.

“what do you think you’re doing here, pleab?” the princess spits. she was much shorter than her brother and they didn’t look super alike on account of only being half siblings. the late queen, the prince’s mother, had a tragic ending a few centuries ago, a tale long forgotten by most.

the princess had long glossy blonde hair and different shaped eyes and nose. though, her and her brother both had their father’s jaw.

you stuttered, wide eyed at her tone. you always knew she was harsh but being shouted at and insulted never feels good. you wanted to tell her you’re on orders but it wouldn’t sound good coming from you. she thinks lowly of attendants.

luckily, the prince stepped in and spoke for you, standing in front of his sister.

“i required their help with preparations for tonight’s masquerade,” he said to her nicely, yet his words held strength. she dared not question her brother, as he was superior in power. “i gave my permission.”

the princess simply lifted her nose and eyed you evilly when she swiftly passed you.

“didn’t know you even had a name,” she mutters, low enough for only you to hear, and makes her way down the candle-lit corridor, her crimson dress flowing behind her.

your jaw was slightly agape, you couldn’t believe she had just said that to you. you wondered if prince ash heard it but you assume not with the way he’s looking at you earnestly.

his face makes you forget all about being offended, and his voice only encourages more lenience. you decide against telling him about his sister’s comment and instead you follow him around the corner he just came from.

perhaps later you’ll lay in bed and remember princess kylie’s hurtful words and mutter hexes under your breath. granted, it never works. you can’t seem to curse anyone no matter how hard you try and how much you don’t like them. perhaps it’s not in your best nature, and deep down you know that.

“i apologize for her, she’s normally kinder.” the prince says, leading you to the private chambers.

maybe to you, you want to say, but you hold your tongue. mostly due to being in awe at this part of the castle. it was all so new to you. it looked nothing like the areas you and the rest of the servants were used to, even in the nicer parts.

there was so much more warmth along these corridors, more candles and woodwork, priceless relics and paintings and more color.

you weren’t used to seeing paintings, nor any other type of artwork in the help quarters, and you wanted to stand in this hall and just stare at each piece. you wanted to feel the drapes of fabric and take in how soft it all probably was. you wanted to appreciate how lit up it was too, the detailing in the oak and in the marble.

finally the prince walks you to a door. it was grand and engraved, like all the other doors in this upper wing. he eased it open and the light from the corridor pooled in.

it smelled of aged fabrics and polished wood, especially near the racks of luxurious velvets, silks, and lace. prince ash walks you in after grabbing a candle from a holder in the hall and touching it to the other wicks inside the room, lighting up the place.

your fingers brush over the clothes, looking for something that’d suit you well, to help you blend in with the many civilized guests, but you had no idea where to even begin.

ash noticed this, furrowing his brow when he set the flame down. he came up behind you, perhaps too close. you felt his body inches from yours but if you so much as turned to look, you’d crash into him.

“let me help you,” he says, bringing his arm in front of you and pushing garments by.

he had asked you “this one?” over and over again, each time you shook your head, squinting. none of these were quite right.

you shake your head and just pick one, “we don’t have all night, my lord, i’ll just wear this.”

prince ash stops you by grabbing it out of your hands with a serious look on his face. “who said we don’t have all night?”

“the masquerade will be starting soon,” you say, not making eye contact with the vampire and instead attempting to grab the silky garment from his majesty. “i suggest you let me change as soon as possible.”

“you suggest? who are you to give me orders?” he teases, holding it further away from your grasp.

“i wasn’t giving an order, sir, now please just hand that to me.”

“sounds a lot like ordering.” he jousts, tossing the garment behind him. “at any rate, i will find you the perfect thing to wear, just give me a moment. besides, i tend to be fashionably late to the masquerade every year, you must know this by now.”

you do know. you make note of how late he is every year.

but you say nothing— not wanting to appear in love at all.

you simply go to sit on a chair on the opposite side of the room, watching him sift through silks and satins, his cheek twitching when he sees something rather unattractive every now and then.

after a while, he turns around. his expression was highly satisfied. “i believe you owe me an apology and a thank you.” he says as he holds up the most perfect, wine colored piece.

it looked like it’d fit you like a glove, hugging you in all the right places. and lo and behold, it did. the matching shade of your face when the prince watched you change though was not ideal.

what was even more unideal was when you looked your perfect self in the mirror with prince ash and saw only you. his reflection not rendering in the slightest.

you exhaled, feeling melancholy yet excited. now all that was needed was a mask.

♱ · .

you were right about the prince always needing to be in the center. he was naturally an entertainer.

what you didn’t anticipate though was to lose him in the crowd almost as quickly as you arrived there with him. there was no one to dance with. no one to stick by when patrons and noblemen came up to you.

masquerades were all about illusion, you realized. the people here were more odd than you’d ever realize. especially from where you always stood on the sidelines. you’ve never actually entered the fray and talked to the invitees.

as if sex was the only thing on their minds, which it probably was with all the foggy energy in the big ball room, every comment made towards you was hinting for something more. you wondered if this was what all balls were like and if the decency was always like this.

to make matters worse, you never saw the prince after the two of you separated.

perhaps it was for the better. at least this way if you got reprimanded for attending the ball it wouldn’t be as bad as if you got caught with the prince. wherever he was.

you tried not to feel bitter. you really did. but as you made your way out of the many exits, sick of all the swinger-like masquerade madness, you realize that yes, you are bitter about it.

tonight was supposed to be so grand. a once in a lifetime opportunity and you were meant to spend it with the prince who you thought, at a baseline, was at least your friend. not even a romantic interest because you could not fathom him being in love with a human at all. simply, a friend at the bare minimum.

you make your way down the empty halls, the orange warm glow of the lights in the ballroom and the grandiose music faded the further you got.

the stone corridors were going to lead you straight out to the garden. it’d be your second time out there today but this hour is much more your speed. the sun was no longer present, it’d been replaced by its forbidden lover, the moon.

as you walked, you wiped a pathetic little tear that escaped the inner corner of your eye. you couldn’t exactly place your finger on the exact emotion that was filling you from top to bottom but all you knew was that you wanted it to disappear. now.

you straighten up and act like you’re fine as you see someone coming down your direction. your eyes are blurry with tears but you blink away to see them more clearly.

oh no.

fuck.

it’s the king.

it looks like he’s coming right at you, coming to confront and have your head for being a servant in stolen clothes— and nonetheless talking to the prince earlier!

but he passes you, glowing crimson eyes meeting yours for a mere second in acknowledgment. you bow and address his courtship like how anyone should, internally panicking as you hope and pray he doesn’t recognize you.

but why would he? he hardly paid attention to any of the help.

he continues on his way none the wiser, but you’ve noticed something at the very last millisecond. he had a smear of dark red blood on the corners of his lips.

none of my concern. none of my concern. none of my concern. you repeat in your head as your feet carry you even further down to the garden, the windows of the halls letting in the silver moonlight. it made the stone floors look almost white.

once you push open the ornate grand doors leading to the garden, you’re met with the cool air. you exhale, it was a good feeling in contrast to the stuffy warmth of the ballroom. it was also such a relief to be as far away from the king as you could be.

you forced yourself to not think about all the horrors that could have happened between the hours of earlier to now. whose blood that was shouldn’t concern you.

but it always did.

every time the king fed himself and his family for the month you shuddered. those were real people. with real lives and real families probably. it didn’t matter if they were criminals to you— what the king does is so inhumane.

but what do you expect? humanity can’t possibly be found in them when they are quite literally inhuman.

you continue to walk in the cooling night air. the garden is a massive labyrinth of hedges, flowers and stone statues. the paths are mosaic in the moonlight, leading down winding sections.

you make your way down to the gazebo, where the other white rose bush grew. out of the two this one was your favorite, it came up around the whole perimeter of the gazebo, lining the pathways. it also produced bigger, healthier looking flowers. perhaps because this area gets the perfect amount of sunlight whereas the one out there gets enough heat to make them wilt.

you picked a flower, knowing that no one would notice a single rose had gone missing. you felt like you deserved it. the one you received earlier today was small and given to you out of pity you believe.

or maybe it wasn’t, who knows. but it doesn’t matter.

this rose in your hand was bigger, fuller, and white as the moon above you. it felt perfect in your touch when you leaned against the railing of the gazebo, dangling the rose over the edge as you rested your arms.

you sighed, tonight needed to be over already.

“he loves me..” you plucked off a petal and let the wind carry it away. “he loves me not..” you picked off another one.

you shook your head when you had plucked off about half— what am i doing..? this is so pathetic.

your eyes widened as you heard the creak for a gazebo step. daring not to turn around when you heard the prince speak.

“i’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

what is that emotion in his words? you can’t quite determine it. anger? disappointment?

he steps up again, coming closer. “where have you been?” there’s a barely noticeable whine in his voice.. ah, the emotion is concern.

you don’t give him much of a response so he comes up right beside you and leans his back to the railing, trying to get you to notice him.

you still don’t look, and instead you just grip the half plucked rose.

“what’s wrong?”

oh nothing just that you made me come to this crazy masquerade knowing it compromises not just my position but my life, and you leave me high and dry the second we entered the ballroom and it made me feel like even more of an outsider.

you stayed silent once more. you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything, especially that, to his majesty.

“listen.” he begins, turning around to get in the same stance you’re in and placing his elbows on the rails, mirroring you. “i know i lost you in there, and you probably hate me for that.”

your eyebrows jump in a “no shit” way.

“but i had important business to tend to.”

“and what may that be?” you ask, your first words since you departed with him in the ballroom.

“i..” he shuts his eyes. “it’s classified,” is all he can mutter out.

“classified?”

“yes, classified.”

“fine, do not tell me, my lord. i’m sure i don’t even deserve to know,” you say and begin to walk off, knowing you’re being slightly petty. he catches your arm in a steel grip to prevent you from leaving.

it’s so unusually tight that it almost hurts, making you squeeze the rose on accident. you hissed in pain as the thorns pierced the inside of your palm, and the prince let go immediately. his dark gaze now filled with innocent worry.

“i’m so sor-“ prince ash cut his own words off with his hand coming up to his mouth. it wasn’t the grip on your arm that had you in pain he realized, it was the thorn that was now drawing blood from your hand.

blood that overrides his senses with a primal energy.

he could barely handle the way his instincts threatened to take over— it told him to grab your hand and start there but he willed himself to back away.

“i’m fine, really,” you say, but you start to realize that the prince is probably not. you look up to him and he has his eyes screwed shut and his hand over his mouth, his other one gripping the rails, white knuckled.

“my lord?” you ask, trying to wipe off the blood with your other hand and make it go away because it really didn’t hurt all that bad, but the wound didn’t yet relent its blood flow. “my lord are you alright?” you repeat.

he huffs and his eyes open, finding yours. the color of them stunned you— they were so brilliantly glowing yet terrifying.

he said nothing, instead watching your actions. he wasn’t about to send you away— for to be apart from you wasn’t what he wanted. but he also couldn’t ask you to come closer, he just couldn’t.

..no matter how badly you wanted him to.

fine, if he wasn’t going to ask, then you’d make a move yourself. tonight has already been filled with surprises, what’s one more?

you take a step towards him and he instinctively flinches away, worried not about himself but about you. about what he could do to you.

“y/n…” he shook his head. “don’t.”

“why.” you didn’t say it as a question, it was more like a statement. why can’t i come forward, you wonder.

“because i’ll lose control.” prince ash admits, lowering his hand that covered his mouth. he swallowed hard and his eyes wandered down to your bloody palm.

“that’s okay.” you whisper, wanting to smile. what the hell has gotten into you? you’re normally never bold like this.

“no, it isn’t okay. it won’t be okay when i take your hand,” he moved closer, grabbing your wrist and pulling your hand up to his mouth. “and put my lips on it.”

“i promise, my lord, it’ll be fine.”

he chortled, rolling his eyes like you weren’t getting the full picture. but what was so bad about letting him indulge? it was only a small amount on your hand, and the more you waited the more you got eager and turned on. this was something you didn’t know you were into until now it seems.

“you don’t understand.. i won’t stop, y/n.” he admits, kissing the back of your hand. you batted your lashes in confusion and he further explained.

“once i start,” he begins trailing a line down your arm. “the venom will spread, it’ll go all throughout your body.” prince ash’s line he was tracing was now to your shoulder, and he slid his finger up your neck and along your jaw, making you shiver. he got to your chin and held it, looking at your lips with focus. “and you’d become like me.”

“is that such a bad thing?”

he smiled at your whisper but it wasn’t a real smile. it was pitiful.

“yes, it is. you’d be in immense pain for days. and i cannot bear to see that.”

“why not?”

“because i care about you,” his eyes flickered from your lips to your eyes, meeting your gaze. “i have for a while now. why do you think i enjoy your company so much?”

fucking finally. clarity.

you’re overjoyed to hear this from him— your feelings are reciprocated. by some will of god or something a man like this, your obsession, was finally telling something you’d been dying to be told.

but a sense of dread filled you.

this is wildly forbidden. even if prince ash wanted to be with you, he can’t. he isn’t allowed. you aren’t of any royal descent and you aren’t a noble to any degree, nor do you have any family who are.

but tonight the two of you should be allowed to do anything, and you’ll take all the advantage.

“kiss me.” you voice lower than a whisper.

he didn’t hesitate. it was that easy to let him know you wanted it just as badly as he did and he showed you how he felt. he showed you with his lips— the force of them on yours.

he was almost too strong, but he couldn’t help that vampiric side of him.

he also couldn’t help the way he immediately went to cup your jaw and pull you in closer. your bodies colliding in such a fervent manner. he wanted it so badly and you loved how he showed that.

a noise left his mouth and it vibrated in yours as he felt your body. his hands traveled lower and lower and he had no shame in touching any parts he wanted— at least for a second. in a snap he remembered his manners and removed his touch, just deciding to place them on your hips until you told him otherwise.

“bring them back,” you pushed, noticing his hesitation. prince ash was quick to resume, feeling you where you really fucking needed to be felt.

you pulled away from the kiss, shocked and hissing in air as his lips went to your neck and his palm rubbed between your legs. his whole hand covered it, and his fingers moved against the fabric. he bit the skin on your clavicle just barely— of course not enough to pierce it and draw blood, otherwise he’d take this in another direction.

you let out a whine, the friction he was giving your crotch was starting to feel too good, and you didn’t want to prematurely finish so you held his hand away in stillness.

he was panting, coming up from your chest that he started to leave marks on. “what’s wrong?” he asked, his red eyes clouding with lust.

“nothing,” you say. “but i fear we’re a bit public.”

he looked around at the dead empty moonlit garden and cocked a brow. “there is not a single person here besides you and i.”

“but what if someone were to come? what if we get caught?”

he exhales and stands up straight, nodding. “perhaps you’re right.”

for a second you think this is it: that this make out session with heavy petting will be how far you go with the prince, and that nothing more is to be explored. but before you know it, he’s led you to his bedroom chambers swiftly and silently to avoid getting caught.

there was an aspect about doing this despite it being forbidden that turned you on so much, but you dare not to admit that. you felt it especially when the prince dragged you by your hand along the corridors, eager to bring you somewhere to have you. all of you.

magnificent didn’t even begin to cover what the inside of the prince’s bedroom looked like. it was nothing like you had ever seen before and if this is only for a prince it made you wonder how much more extreme the king’s quarters were.

“don’t mind the mess,” he had the audacity to say, as if there were any actual mess in this room. the most disorganization was at a desk with parchment and quill and ink scattered about. the rest of the room was in tip top shape.

your eyes gravitated towards the giant regal bed with black drapes coming all the way down from the ceiling, giving the entire frame a canopy. you forgot about how he doesn’t sleep, remembering that he probably only has a bed for instances like this.

jealousy courses through you as you think about him using it for that sort of thing. but you can’t be mad, you won’t let yourself. the man is thousands of years old, of course he’s had lifetimes of experience.

but you hadn’t. which set a power dynamic on top of the one that was already present simply for being mortal.

the prince led you to lay on it, letting you remove your clothes on your own.

he admitted it was something he loved watching. he told you how often he imagined watching you undress and that in the darkness of the night he’d even self pleasure at the thought.

it all made sense now— that moment in the storage room when he found you this perfect outfit.

said outfit was now discarded on the floor, leaving you in only your undergarments. he grinned, grazing over your whole figure with his eyes and hands.

him being fully clothed still didn’t help the power dynamic. it only further established where you stood with him.

still though he attacked your body with marks, finishing what he started on the gazebo.

his body on top of you felt heavy and comforting, and you felt his erection through his pants, poking your loins like it had a mind of its own.

“my lord,” you panted, gripping his silky hair when his kisses became especially intense.

“drop the formalities, please,” he said against your skin and even though you didn’t see his face, you felt his smile.

“what shall i call you then, sir?”

“just ash, if you will. after all it’s only us here.”

you nodded, not yet ready to say his name knowing it’ll sound weird coming out of your mouth. but despite that, he expected you to.

“tell me what you want.”

you blushed, looking away. it was suddenly too hot in this room, and you could not bring yourself to say the words representing his member. so you settled for buying something less expensive.

“take off your shirt, please.” you ask innocently, watching him oblige your request.

his body was addicting to look at. once you got a look at this sight in front of you, you wondered how you were ever going to look away. this needs to be the only thing you see for the rest of your life. his chest was perfect and firm, along with his abdomen. and his shoulder and arms made you desperate for his hands on you again. you needed to mark his pale muscular skin because it was practically begging for an imperfection.

“cmon, ask for what you really want.” he says, knowing what you truly desire to ask for.

you opened your mouth but no words came out, embarrassingly so.

he took your hand and guided it to the eager tent in his black pants. “this?”

nods weren’t enough for him apparently, no matter how desperate you looked. why was this difficult? did he like teasing this much? apparently, you guess.

“use your words. you can do it, i know you can.”

it took courage but you muttered something along the lines of i want your cock in me please.

“please what?” he smiled.

“please my lord.”

“try again.”

fuck. no, you can’t say it. his name was naked without the formality of the word “prince” before it.

but by his request, you knew you were obligated.

“i want your cock in me, ash.” you muttered, adding a please so you weren’t all that demanding.

as if his name itself turned him on— or maybe the way you said it— or maybe it was you, the prince bucked his hips into your palm, needy and excited.

“call me that again.” he said, undoing the belt and buttons on his pants before pulling them down.

you say his name once again and he becomes even more desperate, yanking your own undergarments to your ankles so he may line himself up with your entrance.

he doesn’t insert it until you tell him to, and even then he teases you with the tip. by this point you’re dripping, ready to be filled but he just can’t help but take his sweet time.

you pull him down to kiss you and it forces him to slide in, the two of you grinning against one another’s lips at the feeling.

“fuck,” he mumbles, grabbing one of your legs to put atop his shoulder. the position was lewd and erotic, opening you up in such a way that allowed him to fully fill you with his cock. it was deep and you winced at the stretch.

after a minute with his careful movements, the discomfort began to ebb away, getting replaced with an intense feeling of arousal. it made you move in sync with his hips, getting into a steady groove where the two of you became more and more fervent for each other.

he’d quicken his pace everytime you whined, which became often so now the noise that accompanied it was the slapping of skin to skin.

and once that position ran its course, he slowed to nearly a stop, picking you up by your hips and swapping you on top of him.

this one was clearly one of his favorites, you saw it on his face.

perhaps it’d become one of yours too, you could finally see him better, the candlelight nearby illuminating his handsome face. his sex-drunk expression was enough to make you drool.

your hands found his toned chest as you rode him, feeling his cock way up inside you. every grind, every bounce, every movement you made you got to watch his reaction to, all on display below you.

his smile and lidded eyes were to die for, and you ponder that seriously for a moment. to die for, what interesting sentiment. would you? would you die for him? would you grant him his one true craving?

might as well ask him.

“sir,” you start, raspy with your low tone.

his majesty looks at you, wordlessly asking you to correct yourself.

“ash..”

this earns a smile from him. “hmm?”

“how would you feel if you..” oh, this wasn’t easy to say, you realize. “if you…”

“if i what, dear?”

dear?

so it did have a romantic connotation after all..

how could you have been so blind to it all? it makes so much more sense now.

“if you did have my blood.” you finish, slowing down your pace of riding him.

he didn’t look at you. his expression was rather cold and you didn’t like it.

no.

go back to how it was just moments ago, with his pretty smile and his cloudy eyes.

“i’d feel wonderful, at first. your blood is something i’ll forever imagine getting to taste, to be honest,” he says, gripping your hips. “but..”

there was a long pause before he spoke again. “it would never be worth it. your value is much greater than i can afford to lose.. no matter how much i may want this,” prince ash holds up your hand that was pricked with the rose. “it’d leave me with nothing. you’d be gone. therefore i’d never, and it’ll stay that way.”

you’re silent, impressed with how well he articulated that. and you’re sure there were many more reasons as to why he holds back but.. wouldn’t it be something? him sucking your blood and getting absolutely intoxicated on it.

of course, you both can’t let that happen. otherwise it’d be over just as soon as it’d start.

“y/n…” he says, caressing you carefully and gently, expertly controlling his vampiric strength. “aren’t you terrified?”

“no,” you reply honestly. “i’m not.”

“why?”

“because i trust you.” you whisper, leaning down to place the softest, kindest kiss of the night to his lips. “granted, i have fantasized about you in that way.”

“in the way that i could kill you?”

you flush red, no! ..yes? maybe..

“it’s complicated. but yes, technically i am aroused at the idea..” god, this was embarrassing.

the prince throws his head back onto the pillows in laughter, sharp teeth on perfect display. he squeezed the skin on your hips even more.

you felt a rush of embarrassment cover your cheeks, was he laughing at you?

no, it had to be with you, surely. you smiled a bit, feeling left out of the joke and like you needed to play along. but you were fully serious. you are into the idea of him being that way with you.

“ahh,” he came down from his giggles and blinked a bit. his cheery expression went from 100 to 0 real quick, studying your seriousness. “oh. you.. aren’t joking.”

you shake your head.

he thought for a moment, turning his head to have his cheek on his pillow as he held you. tight enough to make you wonder if he was afraid to let you go.

“would you like to know where i was earlier?”

is he serious?

duh.

“yes, your highness. i would.”

he speaks slowly. “i.. well- we, my family and i, partook in a sort of annual ball ritual. it’s the reason why my thirst for your blood is subdued. i’m quite satiated at the moment.”

“ritual?”

he chuckled and rolled his eyes, “it’s not like satanic or anything, it’s just a routine i should say. a tradition.”

you waited for him to continue after a pause. it must be strange to talk about. you were probably the only human to be told in confidence.

“my father chooses someone from the ball, someone who’s odds are stacked against them.” princes ash’s brows furrow, like he’s upset about something. “men usually. they tend to bring harm to others. commit deeds that we as a society should be looking down on.”

you could tell he wasn’t going to explain the actions of the wrongdoers, the topic being inappropriate enough as is. but you silently knew what he was talking about.

“it’s my fathers way of bringing them to justice, we think.”

the prince looks up at you, studying your face to see if there’s any chance of you running away. (not like you very well could attempt it, you’re naked and on his dick.)

“how do you feel?” he asks.

you offer a genuine small smile, a token of your appreciation. this was what he was worried about? this is what he didn’t want to tell you? he, his family, and especially the king, have earned your respect. you had previously thought that the rumors weren’t true; the ones about king wayne only killing individuals for their crimes. but the prince has confirmed it for you in the most firsthand telling.

to think you thought that they were merciless killers, that the king was a merciless killer. sure he may be dismissive but what he’s been secretly doing for the good of the nation seems fair.

“i think that is just.” you reply honestly.

“yeah?”

you nod, giggling when the prince moves your hips against him for you, grinding you down. how his fangs practically glimmer when he grins has your stomach doing flips. or maybe that’s his cock deep inside you responsible for that feeling.

either way, the two of you lay beside one another after finishing. it was the most satisfying feeling you’d ever felt, not just from having sex but also because you can finally admit to yourself that perhaps you’re fine with being in love with the prince.

you won’t deny yourself any longer.

♱ · .

bonus:

you had no idea what to expect when the prince took you downstairs to the ballroom. it was empty and desolate, trash along the edges and tables that surely you and the other servants must come and clean in the morning.

come to think of it— it could very well already be morning. the sun must be coming up any moment but how were you to know? what with the way you were swept off your feet to the center of the ballroom, only accompanied by his majesty and an orchestra.

how much the prince paid for their extended private service wasn’t a number you should be concerned yourself with. they played beautifully, the pianoforte and violin and whatever else blended together in harmony.

he leads you, easily guiding your steps and chuckling handsomely when you miss them.

what? no one taught you how to dance.

you verbalized this to him and he thought for a moment, never meeting your gaze until he thought of his response.

“never?” he asked.

you shake your head no and he squints.

“how shameful, dancing isn’t opulent. it’s a right, an expressive way to let the body speak when words prove to be inefficient.”

his voice is sultry, toying with a hint of playfulness as he continues to guide you through the dance. each step, though foreign at first, becomes more natural as you give into his persuasive lead.

he’s quite tall, you note, and it makes dancing with him rather difficult, especially since you’re practically nose to chest. his new clean clothes he put on after intercourse are perfectly pressed and clean, hugging his body. and the scent of him is intoxicating, making you want to breathe it in forever.

“relax,” he whispers, as if he caught onto your stressed demeanor. “you’re doing fine.”

you sigh with relief, feeling yourself ease up a little. the music was helping— it was loud and grand and it helped drown out the anxiety you felt.

how on earth did you end up like this?

yesterday morning you were folding sheets and dusting the armory, thinking about how the prince is so gorgeous yet so unattainable. you even chat about it to the other servants your age, giggling and gossiping about how attractive you all think he is. and now? you’re hand in hand with him waltzing in the ballroom. they are never going to believe you— but should you even tell anyone?

♱ · .

*pleab: someone who is of lower class. a commoner. it’s not a very kind word.

more authors notes: fuck you tammy for reading this over my shoulder. i except to see you fumble at work soon. (for karma reasons that is a joke. love u universe + love u tammy.. -_-)

[contrivedchaos]

So Sera and Carmilla after Carmilla falls keep seeing each other why let a little thing like treason and banishment get in the way of a good relationship. Sera makes portals and sneaks to hell they spend some time together usually in bed it's pretty casual it's not like they can do that much but it goes on for a few thousand years till Carmilla breaks it off someone in hell asked her out and she likes him and well she knows what she and Sera has can grow into something more. Sera knew it would happen eventually and doesn't hold any bad feelings to Carmilla she deserves to have a real relationship not a once a month liaison. They go their separate ways Sera raises up the ranks of heaven gets Emily to care for and is very successful if a bit lonely while Carmilla starts dating this guy and marries him they have Odette and Clara and she grows her empire. Than suddenly her husband dies somehow (stares at Sera. I'm kidding she wouldn't murder her ex's husband that is too evil and would make Carmilla sad. She was happy when she heard the news than felt guilty about being happy.) More years pass Carmilla adjusts to being a widow and single mom while running her empire and Sera keeps climbing the ranks of heaven. Carmilla starts to feel lonely and eventually askes Sera if she would like to meet up. (Sera has a similar reaction to the phone call as Lucifer had to Charlie's though she doesn't answer the phone like he did.) They meet up and well get back together as they had been before though now they occasionally do dates as well either Sera disguised in hell or Carmilla disguised going back to heaven. The girls all suspect something is up with their mom/sisters her monthly night where she can not be distributed but have no idea.

Yeeeeeeeessssss! We love a good covert rendezvous between lovers-who-should-be-enemies. If anyone powerful in Heaven found out, they would probably face serious consequences, but they do it anyway, because they love each other! They always have! 😭😭

Carmilla probably thought she was doing the right thing by ending things with Sera. When they were lower on the totem polls of their respective societies, it was easier to get away with seeing each other. But once Sera started taking on more responsibility as a Seraphim, and allowed Adam to do his Exterminations every year, it drove a rift between them. Carmilla thought that it would be better to go their separate ways -- she couldn't justify continuing a relationship with the person allowing her people to be slaughtered.

Eventually she met Clara and Odette's father, another overlord who was allied with Zestial, who was also rising up in the ranks in Hell. They started a relationship and were able to cobble together a comfortable life. They started Carmine Industries, she took his last name, and they had the girls. Maybe at some point he got careless and was killed during an Extermination, and Carmilla never fully recovered. That's why she's so tough on her girls to always be careful, never takes risks, and rules over her empire with an iron fist. She doesn't want to lose anyone else.

But she's not immune to loneliness, and while Zestial is still around, and they are very dear friends, she misses her husband and that close companionship. In a moment of weakness, she calls Sera, who doesn't answer at first. But Carmilla keeps trying, and starts leaving messages that she wants to speak. When they do finally talk, Sera confides in her that Heaven isn't all it's cracked up to be. She has a job to do, but it brings her no joy, and now her only purpose is making sure Emily is safe. She and Carmilla find common ground on wanting to protect their girls, and spend long hours talking before finally agreeing to try again. Except it's even more dangerous this time, because they are both in positions of power. Emily, Odette, and Clara eventually find out, and agree to watch their backs and cover for them. But how long can they keep this going before one or both are found out?

[jackiequick]

Friends over the years [Agent Carter fic]

Pairing: Jason Grey Underwood and Howard J. Stark

Summary: A friendship that goes beyond a average kinda bond. They loved each other like brothers, treat one another like friends, respected their relationship like a pair of lovers. Sadly it goes downhill due to a stupid painful argument…

Romantic or Platonic Relationship

Fandom: Marvel, Agent Carter

Spoilers for Agent Carter season 1 & season 2. A bit of Iron Man 2.

Warning: Fluff, angst, mention of treason and one side conversations

Characters shown/mentioned: Peggy Carter, Maria Stark, Nurse Violet, Edwin Jarvis, Ana Jarvis, Daniel Sousa, Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Dr. Jason Wilkes, and SHIELD in general.

Note: Glen Powell played Hangman, my HC is that Hangman is BI so will be Jason haha

—

It started out to tender so sweet then they got me smoking out the window…

“What’s your name, champ?” Said Stark with a classic charming grin, holding out his hand.

“Jason, Mr. Stark.” I replied shaking his hand with a politic accent and smile to go along with it.

“Mr. Stark? Call me Howard everyone does! What brings you by?”

“Uh, Peg said you have new pairs of gun for me?”

“Ah, Peg sent you! Well your in luck pal, cause I have the perfect hand held guns made just today. Better than ones I manufactured back in 42’ I’ll tell you that much.”

“Anything is fine, Howard. As long as it last me up to more than 50 hours a bullet, I’ll be doing just fine.”

“Your my type of man, Jay! Can I call you, Jay or JJ?”

I chuckled, “Of course you can.”

~~~

He walked and talked about everything, “Great! You seem familiar, have we met before?”

I chuckled once again, “Actually we have, a charity in the park back in 43’.”

“Don’t remember.” He shrugged.

I sighed, “You were wearing a cherry brown tie and a freshly tailored suit.”

“Ah yes, now I remember! I was looking snazzy in that suit, I remember bringing home a lovely lady that very evening. She was Italian and the champagne was devilishly delicious—”

“Howard!”

“What?”

“Focus.”

“Yeah, right! You were saying.”

“I’m here because I’m working with the SSR on a case involving Dorothy Underwood and a Russian therapist who framed you and your weaponry.”

“Ah yes! I invent stuff but I always make sure what I’m doing correctly, what do you got?”

“Easy, we’re tracking them down for each movement. I know where Dorothy is and Peggy is tracking her down while The stupid Russian therapist is currently at SSR headquarters. Before anything gets messy, do you have any relations to any of those two?”

“Uhhh no? I met a lot of people how do you expect me to stay on track with that. I’m a busy man, JJ.”

~~~~

It took time but he started to connect the dots on how he was related to Dorothy Underwood’s case, then we were on the roll. After what felt like hours with Howard, Peggy and Jarvis we were able to settle down on a plan. Howard was used as bate to lure our bad guys out while Daniel, Jack, Peggy, Jarvis and I were ready to attack. Quickly Howard was kidnapped by them as we raced after him. Once we arrived Howard was flying a plane straight headed near the New York City Harbor as he being mind control by the therapist to his practical deathbed!

Daniel, Jack and I instructed Jarvis to fly the plane as we kept marched up to track down the threats. Peggy was fighting Dottie while all of this was happening, I swear i was getting a headache sooner or later from all of this. Thankfully the day was saved, Howard was brought back to the ground, Jack and Daniel returned back to work and Peggy was giving a seat nearby the stakeholders at the SSR allowing herself to get a more flexible job.

A week later, I headed over to Howard to discuss moving out to LA since it cleared up to see that my sister, Dottie, wasn’t gonna be a huge problem anytime soon. There was always crime to be solved in LA especially after Daniel Sousa offered be a positive choice there, why not take the offer and run with it? So I did!

-//-

-> In Los Angeles, everything felt pretty cool! Howard’s penthouse and other living corners were very much a good fit for me. Breakfast in the morning next to the poolside, a nice walk in the park. Heading to set for movies we’ve decided to film together and afterwards in the afternoon, I spent hours at the SSR for detective and paperwork duties ordered by my friend, now Chef Sousa.

“Morning, handsome.” Howard teased coming up from his workshop, grinning and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“What have i told you about late night in your workshop?” I replied taking a bite of my toast and taking a sip of coffee.

“Uhhh don’t do it?”

“Exactly! I swear I’m one of the reasons you’re still alive today.”

“Heyyy! You love me!”

“Never said I didn’t, hot stuff.”

I stood up and walked over to the kitchen island, standing next to Howard ruffling his hair a bit with a smile. Howard smiled and being his usual flirty self. It results in a laugh and a eye roll.

He moved closed and joked yelling, “Quit it!”

“Be good today.” I joked back sending a charming wink to him, as I walked out grabbing his jacket.

It was good. Real good.

Until it wasn’t.

Sadly, that same week I crashed my car during a horrible lightning storm driving around the countryside of LA to see Peggy and our friends for a unsuspecting case. The weather got chiller and air became thicker as all time froze up, leading me gasp for air after being unconscious for 20 minutes straight.

I was fine and arrived back home with a few cuts in bruises leading to, Nurse Violet, to help patch me up as we all discussed the crime rate activity in LA with the group. I fell for this woman hard. A gentle soul.

-> During the invading investigation which lets everybody working and spending in Howard’s lab for answer on Miss Froster connection to Zero Matter.

Jason was calculating a design for a machine to cover up and consent the rest of issue, especially involving their new friend, Dr. Wilkes, who joked how much Jason and Howard seemed to care each other. The respect they had for one another. He joked back with a shrug saying that Howard was his idiot in more ways than one, at that same time Jason felt a heatwave climb up his jacket and slightly dizzy.

Howard and Peggy noticed and rushed over, lifting Jason off the ground before he fell back. He insisted he was fine but he was tired and overwhelmed, Peggy remember that Jason didn’t even bother to go to hospital after accident.

Jason was given a opportunity for plenty of examinations and refused to say on bed rest that night, until Peggy practically threatened him to do so. Jason was examined again and again, even got a cast on his sprained ankle. But nothing crazy happened and the results came down to a small fever.

Nurse Violet and Ana took care of him that the next few days. Jason would admit he was eternally grateful for that, especially for Violet since she was sassy angel gifted to be by their side. He took his shot and asked her out on a date, but she told him to wait for that time to come. It was a small promise that was made.

Thankfully it was fine and the fever went away, they all assumed it was side effects from the accident, the stress from the case and work in general. And it was.

—-

Everyone got back to work and weeks went by, months along the way Ms Frost was put away behind bars and Dr. Wilkes was offered a job at the SSR.

One morning after having a moment to actually catch their breath after all that chaos, Howard appeared next to Jason nearby the pool of their house, handing him a beer.

“Thank you.” Jason repiled, taking a sip with a smile, “You alright? A penny for your thoughts?”

“Y-yeah. Just thinking about the future.” He replied with a playfully nudge.

“You’re film? You’re gonna make that happened with Frost public?”

“Maybe? I mean no! Well not that worse idea. I can win an award winning director for that. Can you imagine?!”

“Howard. Focus.”

“Right sorry! I was thinking a bit more closer to the present. Everyone deserves a bit of normal after everything right?”

“Of course they do. But maybe we shouldn’t settle for normal life, domestic romanized life maybe.”

Jason met Howard’s dark brown eyes, and he felt like he was lost for words, in the sweet warm of it all. Damn Jason wanted to test the water and try something a little different. Howard met his eyes seeing a life with him, deep down a part of always smiled knowing shining light in them. Damn Howard could tease the waters with him, he liked his women and men, especially this one. They moved closer to one another with soft grins laced on their faces laughing at the fact how silly they are being about this whole thing.

“What’cha thinking, Howard?” Jason asked with a tease in his voice, “I know that look. Very well.”

It was rare to see Howard this silly, vulnerable and honest. Only ever him and Peggy seen it.

“How much almost I lost you and our friends two weeks ago? I can’t live with myself if I did. I just can’t, JJ!” Howard admitted to him with a sigh and smiles, “Look at me? What am I doing?”

“You’re being honest with me. Your one of my best friends, Howard Stark, maybe even more than that. You will never lose me..I hope?” Jason replied with a chuckle.

Howard joked with a smirk, “Is this the part of the film where the guy kisses the girl?”

“Or so I’m girl in the scenario huh?” Jason joked back with a smirk.

“Well if you insist.”

“Hey wait-!”

Before neither one of them to say a word or even finished that very sentence, Howard leaned in and placed his lips onto his best friend tasting the liquid gold from the beer. Jason chuckled honestly didn’t care who say, locking lips tasting the tequila shots from earlier with him cupping his chin.

They were rather tipsy but won’t admit it. The two stayed like that for a little while, sparking a sweet open love and tender laughter from how ridiculously fun it was.

The two friends knew that the kiss meant nothing, it was just a fun thing of accidental attraction. They laughed about it. They’re young! Besides what’s friendship if you can’t experience and experiment things together?

——

Over the months, Howard and Jason did almost everything together. It was a very casual thing the two had together, but they cared about one another much. It was a rather open friendship, they dated and talked about who exactly decided to be their lucky ladies. Jason started finally dating Nurse Violet and was admiring their blooming romance.

You could’ve sworn they were like an two old friends or even, old married couple.

But that award went to Maria Stark and her loverboy Howard. Maria, Jason and Howard were a young trio within itself, noticing everything that happened. Along with Peggy, Jarvis and the rest of their friends. Matter a fact, it was Maria and Ana that pointed that Jason’s slight deep wrinkles that were previously made from the smile lines were fading gone and the effectiveness of the curious blew up. As they realized that it seemed over the last few months the aging process stopped completely for him.

Howard, Daniel. and Peggy worked long enough to figure out a way to seek what happened to him. They spend months doing tests, case films and files, examining his every single movement and reading books for answers. But nothing came up, Jason believed it was a giant mistake, a curse that happened due to the lack of caution he reflected on not having.

Maria reassured him that it wasn’t his fault, they couldn’t have known for this to happen. Peggy agreed knowing that they didn’t knowledge this beforehand as Howard was deep into a book, who trying to figure out what went wrong with his equipment and such, agreed.

~~~~

One night Jason felt defeated and went home to tell his girlfriend, Violet, what pained him.

“Honey, I’m sorry, so sorry. You don’t deserve me..” He said standing in the middle of the living room.

“What do you mean?” She replies knowing what happened, cupping his hands.

He kissed her hand gently and replied, “You deserves somebody who can grow old enough with you. I can’t give you that..”

She nodded looking at him with love in her eyes, “Hey sugar, I know it’s bad for us right now.”

“I don’t want to be a burden on you and have you wake up one day regretting your decision to be with me..”

“Then I’ll love you for as long as you’ll have me..”

Jason smiled softy and didn’t hesitate to lock lips with the woman he loved dearly. That moment he knew, Violet Bolger, would be his girlfriend for as long as they’ll have each other.

—> However being the loyal man he always tried to be and knowing how much he loved Violet, a two and a half years later, he let her go. Their relationship was slowly dying out, he didn’t want to a burden who was holding his sweet girl one down. He wanted to see her happy, loved and most importantly an opportunity for a life where she can travel, grow old and make memories with someone even greater than.

~~

Years went by the group slowly grew older but Jason stayed the same way. He didn’t mind it too much, yes it pained him very much to not be able to grow old with his friends, who he considered family, and sometimes being seen as the youngest one. However it is what is! At least he had the support of his family and lovers beside him. Maria and Howard.

And when baby Anthony Edward Stark came along, or Tony for short, let’s just say everyone was happy. Poor Edwin Jarvis though, he had to change diapers. Peggy and Ana were delighted to be aunties. Maria was excited to be a mother and Jason was always wanted to be a uncle. The first two years, Howard was very attentive and on top of things when it came to his son. Bring Tony everywhere and anywhere possible, the days he wasn’t working at SHIELD and in his lab downstairs that is.

When Tony became 3 years old, almost 4 however, that’s when the plane started to take off. Bickering, arguments and feelings just either hurt or ignored. Yes it was normal for couples, or in this case, sorta throuple always fought. Especially this one! Howard was always working more than Jason ever did and Maria was always part time working at the jewelry store she co-owned with a friend of hers. They always made time for one another, especially when it came to their family and friends.

~~~

One afternoon Jason returned home from a long trip on a mission to Las Vegas, Nevada to collect samples of a metallic suspicious bonds and examine that at SHIELD headquarters. He appeared in the front door to hear running of tiny footsteps, followed by much larger ones. The giggles came along with the footsteps made Jason roll his eyes and chuckle.

The tiny footsteps zipped by and before they can reach the living room, Jason caught him. In his arms lay the giggles and yells from the charmer himself, Anthony Stark, his hair was a mess and in his hands held a toy screwdriver.

“Uncle JJ!” Tony yelled finally registering who’s arms he was in and giggling tightly hugging him, “You’re back!”

He laughed hugging his nephew tightly showing him in plenty required tickles for being gone for too long and asked, “Yeah buddy, I’m back home! Now why were you running? You knew the rules.”

“Jar’vis is making me clean my f-feet!”

“What?”

It didn’t register in his mind what his nephew meant until he looked down to see the shoeless feet that rested against his button down, that were covered in dirt. He sighed deeply realizing now that he had to clean up a cheeky little 4 year olds dirty, probably muddy, feet from playing in the backyard without his shoes. He carried the young boy into the bathroom and requested for Jarvis to get him some towels as he washed his feet.

Tony explained what he was doing today after attending dentist appointment that his mother had earlier, which involved him building outside, drawing, watching his favorite cartoons and helping his mother with the dishes. He even slipped out that he accidentally found himself in his father’s workshop just wanting to hang out in there as Howard kicked him out, resulting in Tony hearing his mother and father bickering as he was carried out by Jarvis.

Jason sighed deeply once again and internally groaned in annoyance at what happened today. At this point, it didn’t surprise him at all, with the amount of time they fight it surprises him how Maria, him and Howard still live under one same roof. To be honest, they all walked out of this house more than once, due a argument

Tony pouted and spoke up, “A-are you mad at me?”

“Buddy why would i be mad?” He asked, scrubbing his feet gently.

“Cause..i walked into daddy’s workshop..i know i can not go only if you guys let me.”

“For starters we don’t want you in there unless supervised because it can be dangerous and you can accidentally get hurt.”

“Okay..I’m sorry. A-are you gonna talk to daddy and momma?”

“Well why did you do it in the first place?”

“Be..cause i wanna play with daddy but he too busy for me..he don’t love me anymore..”

“No buddy, don’t say that. Of course he loves you, he’s just gets too caught up with work that’s all.”

“I just wanna play with him, uncle J..”

“I know buddy, i know. You’re father does things for a reason, he just keeps carried away sometimes..”

~~~~~~

Then Tony asks him a question he didn’t expect for the four year old, then again he was smart for his age, but still. The young boy sighed deeply, sometimes he picked up on from seeing his uncles and aunties doing a lot. Tony asked, “A-are you love, JJ?”

“What?” He asked with a soft smile, adding some more now to his feet.

“Are you love? Momma says that you don’t date anymore..and that you love her and daddy more.”

“Well buddy, i do love them both very much. With all my heart. As for dating, uh it’s hard for your uncle to find himself a girlfriend with work and no one wants to date someone with crazy dance moves..”

Tony giggled at that and yelled, “You do dance funny!”

“You see! Auntie Ana says i dance like a chicken.” Jason replies chuckling, drying off his feet now.

“You dance like a funny chicken who ate too much candy!”

“A chicken on a sugar high?”

“Yes!”

The two laughed, smiling. Yes there was truth to that part to what his uncle told him about not dating, was that he didn’t age and rather not live a life with somebody who can, but Tony doesn’t need to know the whole truth just yet. He was still a child.

Jason place a fresh pair on shoes, thanks to Jarvis, onto Tony’s little feet as he said, “You see! If i went on dates every night I wouldn’t have time to talk with you.”

“You are right! No dating, i do not want a date either! Girls are eww!” Tony replies giggling, walking down the hallways following Jarvis and his uncle downstairs. That resulted in both men to roll their eyes and laugh at the young boys words.

The three of them found Ana and Maria serving lunch greeting the women, as Howard came, slightly late, upstairs to eat with them. It was good, real good for a while. The rest of the day was just fine, per say.

————

However it soon got to a point where the tension ran high the next few months and possibly even years. The water to the cup started to soon overflow, but Jason kept quiet, it wasn’t his place to talk about certain things. He knew his limits and where he stands, but sometimes it annoyed him. It made him question everything he ever knew…

He noticed how Howard and Maria changed perspective on certain things, Maria got more annoyed about things and Howard kept acting like everything was fine. When clearly he was ignoring stuff around the house and even his son. If those was thing that made Jason’s blood boil was something that involved his friends and family, especially his young nephew who didn’t know any better.

One Wednesday afternoon, he had enough of this bullshit. He knew Maria wouldn’t say anything about it and handles everything her own way, but he wasn’t her. Jason stormed into the lab downstairs that now held so much stuff, it looked like a madhouse in there. No wonder why Jarvis always complains about Howard’s messes!

Howard was working on a few equations and running his fingers across some equipment he’s building to showcase Hank Pym later that week. He didn’t even hear the door shut or the fact that there were rough clapping of footsteps followed up within seconds. He heard a simple ‘can we talk? Now.’ And he only received a half nod in return.

Jason tapped his foot onto the floor, with his arms crossed and waited for his friend to stop what he doing to stand up straight and look at her.

“What?” Howard asked removing his sunglasses and runs his fingers across his hair, “If it’s that i forgot to pick up the presents for Ana’s birthday and forgot to pick up Tony from school, I’m sorry.”

“I-ahhh, that’s not it!” He replied, pinching the bridge of his noses knowing how much a idiot he is, “Actually this is about Tony.”

“Is something wrong with him?”

“Yeah, he’s not being treated fairly by you.”

“W-w-wh-what?!”

He scoffed, “Howard you’re more focused on your work than your own family! You’re overworking yourself and literally kick out your poor son whenever you get the chance.”

“HEY! Everything i do is for my son, you know that!” Howard remarked pointing a finger at him, “To give me a future i never had!”

“I know that!”

“So just let in work in peace, huh? You don’t understand what I’m doing here.”

“Oh really? Yeah of course, the futurist everybody! The last few years you have been so disconnected from everything. You barely go on date nights anymore with Maria or watch the stars with her, you don’t give Tony a bedtime story anymore and you just said it yourself—you forgot to pick him up at school!”

“It was a accident. Am i not allowed to make accidents as a parent huh? Everything i do is for my kid.”

“You just said that and i know. But Howard..” Jason sighed, “Tony doesn’t need any of this, he just needs you. You’re time and energy, that charming smile of yours to shower him in love! Not you working night and day, over and over again where you can’t breath or take a second of your time to relax with us. You’re forgetting sight of who you are!”

Howard growled, “Don’t! Don’t tell me how to raise my son, Jason. He’s not your kid, he’s mine! You’re just his uncle. As for Maria, you don’t need to defend her here, if she has a problem with me then she should just tell me herself!”

“That’s because she’s doesn’t care anymore! I’ve seen that women fight with you over and over again, to the point where she just accepted that, that’s the way you are now.”

“Yes I’ve changed JJ! People are allowed to change, that’s part of human evolution.”

Jason paced back and forth, turning around hearing Howard’s long winded speech about evolution and change. Howard leaned against his desk scoffing and dryly laughing, “You’re hilarious. This is all some joke to you right?”

“I—what did you just say to me?” Jason stopped and whipped his face toward him.

“This is a joke to you. You believe that your right here and I’m wrong, Jason. Just because you live here with us and know how this works, you think your right here.”

“BECAUSE I AM HOWARD! When was the last time you got out of here, huh? When was the last time you told Tony ‘I love you’ or took time to take Maria’s dancing or go bowling with me? Ever seen you started SHIELD, you’ve been noticing but a consuming jerk!”

“Is that really what you think of me? A jerk?! You don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand?!”

“Yes!”

“You weren’t acting one in the beginning, but the months and years after, yes you have become a bit of a jerk. One day you’re gonna regret what you’ve done.”

“I won’t.”

“You will!”

~~~

Both men were furious at this point, they have been yelling loudly and screaming for more than an hour, bringing up moments from their past. Some stuff was even throw on the floor at this point. That fire due to the years of love, the friendship and the curiosity was going out..or maybe the fire was already gone?

Howard grunted, “I’ve done nothing much work my ass off and made sure to investigate and invent things to make the world a better place. I’m doing what i think is right here! You just don’t see it!”

Jason scoffed, “Yeah and the world has hated you and thanked you for it! Must i remind me about what happened in 56’? Or in 46’, when you were committed for treason for holding glorified weapons and the whole state was after your ass? And we had to save yo—”

“Don’t finished that sentence. What do you want me to do, huh? Give me my lives work? I’m a inventor, if I don’t invent something or work my ass off, i will probably explode. I-is that what you want? What are you gonna do if i do continue this lifestyle? Leave me?”

“If i could i would take Maria and Tony somewhere else, away from you for a while, I would. But we both you would sent the best lawyers possible and god knows what after me, so I won’t. I won’t do that to you..or them.”

“Ah, you know me so well. And i know you..”

“You do and i love you for everything you do. But this…I can’t!”

“Jason..I can’t change what i do Jason, you know that! I just can’t. I’ve come so far and you just don’t see it.”

“Stop it!”

“Stop what?”

“You’re playing the pity card again. You don’t think Maria, Peggy, Jarvis and I don’t see it? We do! Hell, Tony see it!”

“So why don’t you let me do it? Leave me alone to do my work! I’m trying here. Look what at I’ve made and I can’t stop it now.”

“Yes you can!.”

“No, I can’t!”

“Look, I’m not exactly asking you to leave everything behind. But understand this, I rather you show Tony this world of yours, instead of shutting him out! All of us out. Take a break or..”

“Or what?”

“Or you’re gonna lose the people you care for the most…you know what? What’s the point? I can’t do this...”

~~~

The next words that escape Howard Stark’s lips came out of pure anger and annoyance, “Do what? You’re gonna leave me? If so, get out. You clearly don’t want to be here anymore.”

“You don’t mean that.” Jason replied with slight shock in her tone and blinked a few times.

“Yes i do. You don’t need to be here unless you don’t want to.”

“Howard stop it. Listen to what you’re saying! I care about this family too much to see it fall apart.”

“This is my family! Not yours. You don’t get the final word, i do.”

“You don’t listen, do you?”

“Enough Jason! Get out.”

“You’re gonna regret this! Don’t come complaining to me when you’re son hates you.”

“Get out! There’s the door.”

~~~~

If there one thing Jason Underwood was and that was persistent, so before he left. He said, “When are you gonna realized your greatest creation isn’t those weapons you made or SHIELD or anything related to that, it’s your legacy. Your son!”

“I’m not gonna ask again. Please go..I don’t ever want to see you again.” Howard said with a pissed off sigh, blinking a few times.

Those last words hit Howard hard, as he stood up finding one of his older cameras and place it securely on the tripod with a half smile.

One of his friends, the man he once called a love in his life, the uncle to his only son and supporter walked out of that door without a second chance to help his case. Howard sighed deeply with his head in his hands. He was angry, tired, and annoyed. A part of him knew that his friend was right. He’s a workaholic man with no respect or anything like that for other people, depending on the situation. Always focused on the world’s future, but not sure on the future he set for his family. His only concern was Tony and Maria. His greatest creation being his son.

Without a question later, he turned on the camera and started to film himself, try to speak again like the focused, honest and vulnerable man he tended to be. He decided on leaving his door open just in case his wife called or anyone walked in in general.

Meanwhile Jason was packing his overnight bag for possible a two day stay at Jarvis house. He already had a house in Miami but he was only willing to stay with Edwin and Ana for a couple of days to get himself straightened out before leaving for good. Maria tried to convince him to stay, even if a part of her agreed with her husband instead

But his mind was already set on leaving and possibly visit in the future. Jason ripped out a sheet of paper from his notebook and wrote a note to his nephew, one to Maria, as well as one to Howard. He played them secretly onto in places where they knew they’ll find them one day in life. To say Jason was hurt like this was a understatement, breaking up with a girlfriend was one thing but with your friend of almost 20 years or more.

All he wanted to do was save something in this family of theirs, but knew he couldn’t. And that’s what pained him, he wanted to scream and possibly cry, maybe even let out cloud of smoke out the window.

The men may have been on separate grounds of the house, pissed off and hurt from their two hour argument with one another, but they knew one thing. They still somehow had respect, admiration and compassion for each other, no matter how much hatred and annoyance came from that. A part of them knew it.

——

Over the months and years, their friendship grew sadly apart. Their friends knew it. And what made it more interesting is that they still saw each other, weather they liked it or not. At work, parties, gatherings, birthdays, graduations, a ceremony for some special they were invited to.

Howard would always being pushed to speak to Jason and vise versa, only ending up in small talk between the pair, then walking off to speak to other people. They would be found speak to family members but not one another, Howard even though of not allowing Tony nearby to his uncle for too long, would be better during those events.

It was plainly stupid on both of their parts, but they both had their rights to be angry and bitter. It hurts.

Jason always wanted and most importantly, tried to explain to Howard the situation, hopes for his forgiveness after that nightmare of a week. But Howard’s huge ego, witty jokes, stubbornness and willingness to hold a grudge never let him see the light…

—//—

I hope you all enjoyed this story. It was a long and a interesting one to write. Remember to like, comment and share

This was an AU tales of two friends I wrote a long time ago before the whole MCU x Agent Carter fic thing

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @triptuckers @ohgodnotagainn @msrochelleromanofffelton @gcthvile @drspencereidhotch @mandylove1000 @t-nd-rfoot @topgun-imagines @blackheart-beauty @meiramel @eliohasmyheart @rooster-84 @yetanotherwells @blueboirick and etc

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

can we....can we hear a little bit more about Sig? 👀

CAN you! absolutely!

first of all, it has to be said, i was not thinking about the fact that loki's mythological wife's name is sigyn when i named this guy sig, i just did what i did for all of my asgardian OCs and looked through a list of norse names until i spotted one that felt like it fit. also my childhood crush on sig from the jak and daxter games may have had something to do with it shh

ANYWAY. sig is my obligatory "regular asgardian citizen" viewpoint that we don't really get if we're always focusing on thor, loki, val, or heimdall. any of the asgardians are many times stronger than the average human, but he doesn't have magic like thor and loki do, and he doesn't have centuries of training like val does. he DOES have centuries of smithing behind him, so like, he's not a twig, but until ragnarok he'd never really seen any serious battles, and he'd certainly never killed anyone - that marauder he killed with loki's sword was the first. he's gonna get through that with minimal angst though, because asgardians have different perspectives when it comes to killing in battle, and also because he's got his daughter to worry about, so there's bigger fish to fry. like, this man will try to 1-v-1 against the collector if given the opportunity and if his daughter's in danger. asgardians are brave idiots and he is no exception, and also, after ragnarok, runa is literally all he has left

so like, sig is a dad above all else. he's a nurturing kind of person, he's really good at talking to people and kind of coaxing them out of their shells (hence his first interaction with bruce) and he's sort of taken it upon himself to look after runa's friends, since their parents didn't make it through ragnarok. he's not the only person caring for runa's friends, since asgard has sort of by necessity become more of a communal situation where there's a lot of childless parents and parentless children, but he's always keeping an eye out for them (when he's not light-years away being dragged on an adventure to save his daughter from an infinity stone and a bunch of bounty hunters and a superpowerful megalomaniac, anyway)

as far as his relationship with the revengers: he sort of implicitly trusts thor, because that's asgard's golden boy and everyone is sort of in agreement that they'd all be dead if thor hadn't shown up in a blaze of lightning and fought hela off while they escaped. he VERY implicitly trusts heimdall, and honestly no one on that ship doesn't after he kept them all safe during hela's attacks. he's a little starstruck about val but manages to be cool about it, and he loves that there's an honest-to-god valkyrie on the ship with them, because it certainly makes their precarious situation feel a bit safer. bruce, he's immediately bonded with and now considers a friend. and loki... okay so it helps if you know that my headcanon is that all the asgardians knew or at least suspected that it was loki posing as odin that entire time, they just didn't care because there were no wars going on and he wasn't actually doing a bad job as odin, so they just sort of... let him get away with it?

so, you're sig. your planet's been destroyed, you're grieving your wife and your home and the rest of your family, you're trying to keep your daughter safe, but now she's been possessed(?) by an infinity stone and the only person who can probably help her is the guy you'd only heard stories about before, who was impersonating the king for a few years and also might have committed some treason at some point, you don't really know the details. but now he's teleporting you and your daughter across the cosmos, and he's definitely saved you and your daughter more than a few times even if he's being kind of standoffish about it, and also he might be suffering from a little infinity stone possession of his own, but shit, you don't know how any of this works, he's the magic guy, but also it's a little concerning that the guy who's supposed to be helping you with your daughter's infinity stone problem also kind of looks like he's got a foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, and his eyes and his veins keep glowing blue which, i mean, that can't be a good sign, can it?

fast forward way past the events of the revengers to avoid spoilers, but i like to imagine that eventually, the little mini-oneshot i posted on tumblr happens (you'll find it under my "revengers: the show" tag if you haven't already seen it) where runa seeks out loki years later and demands to learn magic because the whole infinity stone situation sparked an interest in it, and she wants to know how to do all that stuff he does, and THAT would be the "meticulously crafted 100K of slow burning build up" that i was referring to earlier, where loki's teaching her magic and sig's, like, VERY reluctantly allowing this to happen. because like, yeah, he and loki are cool now, but he's seen how out-of-control magic can get, he's seen how reckless loki in particular can be, and this is his daughter. loki is on thin ice forever as long as runa's involved.

but yeah, that's sig. and you may have seen me mention this before, but i've fancasted him as dev patel from the beginning. it just feels right, and that's who i'm picturing when i'm writing his scenes :)

[i-spilled-my-soup]

what are your thoughts on will's (presumed) main insecurity being 'powerless' compared to the other apollo campers? (im saying this prior to reading tsats so ig nothing is really 'confirmed') cus some ppl think it's goofy some ppl think it's interesting

he got minmaxed into damage reduction so i get that he feels insecure around all the dps people around him. but also the "weak but actually op" trope is very prevalent and i. kinda want to see an average built main character? like no fancy tricks? nothing glamorous? it would be so cool if will was killing people without even plague "powers" just really efficient methods of assassination(but i guess riordan wouldn't want kids to know how to do that) kinda goofy but i hope he stays powerless

tangent into my personal response to riordan books

whenever i think abt riordan demigod powers i gripe a little. a decent amount. cause the riordan storyline is a parallel to kids with absent parents, and that the kids are thrust into danger by their parents who don't even acknowledge them, right? and its huge character moment when the kids get even a little recognition, or when the gods straight up appear to talk to their kids? but in ancient myth, thinking homer, virgil, ovid, the demigods have no control of the elements or anything like that. their greatest power is their leverage of godly bias. cause the gods are everywhere. so the ancient trope and riordan trope are pretty much fully contradictory so i can't. it'd hard to add historical interpretation into riordan for me

and. it's so. it's y. you can be so cool without magic.

yes riordan's characters are cool and their scenes are noteworthy because they are flashy. because they can summon waves, and terraform, and shoot fireballs, and it must have been imperative for riordan when writing this series for a younger audience. but now i'm looking at these guys doing it constantly, and their strength keeps increasing, and the physical rebound keeps increasing, and i've . hit a wall in my interest? like no one is weak and no one is making mistakes and the greatest character flaws are jealousy, stubbornness, and... selflessness?

it all feels predictable at this point. like, i could not have predicted that this guy who survived three successive bouts of treason cause of his otherworldly rizz had said flutes were un-liberal as a kid, leading to flutes getting removed from the school curriculum, and also he had a sexy lisp. i couldn't have predicted that two bros would force sparta into their first ever military defeat, the philosopher bro using 3d chess strats in his phalanxes and the bodybuilder bro clutching with his 300 strong gay bodybuilder gang.

but. tsats preview where there's another obscure deity and she wants to hear about these teenagers' love lives? and it all begins with a star wars reference? yeah that's about what i could have expected

it just feels like there's no stakes at this point. i still stand that things would be way more interesting if they just died at this point, cause it's been drilled in that "you were so close to death" "you could have died" "you will die" and so on. but even so somehow i didn't feel much when the side characters or main characters died in hoo or toa?

it could be the direct characterization . riordan , especially in recent days, really loves his direct characterization. i think so, cause i did like the bits in tower of nero when the characters were just being silly and being friends.1!! like. just talking about cows. just throwijg each other around. the good stuff. the characters just feel like flat pngs and riordan adds filters to them every other chapter

tl;dr: my tastes have shifted to out of pocket ancient greek and roman myth/history and i don't enjoy romances