#the frame is from the dollar store lol

[strangefa11]

re-matted and framed him :3

most of the changes I made aren’t visible from the front (trust me it was a Mess back there), but I did replace the fake pins that I made out of sewing needles and paint with real insect pins which I think is neat :D

[the-winter-spider]

Waiting Room | 3/3

Bucky x avenger!Reader

Word Count: 6.3k

Warnings: Angst......

A/N: Yall i really had no idea where i was gonna take this lol lets remember this was suppose to be a one shot turn into a 3 part mini series lol 😂 not sure if i like this but its whats happening so lmao

Part One

Part Two

----

The med bay was suffocating, a stark, sterile room that felt more like a cage than a place of healing. The white walls reflected the harsh fluorescent lights, the steady hum of machinery filling the space with an oppressive monotony. The faint beeping of monitors, the quiet whir of fans in the equipment, and the faint antiseptic smell in the air were all reminders of where you were—trapped, restrained, and utterly disconnected from the life you once knew.

You laid rigid in the medical bed, your wrists bound by thick restraints bolted to the frame. The straps were reinforced—designed for beings far more powerful than the average soldier. They had to be, for super-soldiers, gods, and now, you. You stared blankly at the far wall, your expression as hollow as your gaze.

Tony and Bruce hovered near their workstations, their faces illuminated by the glow of holograms and screens streaming endless data. They barely spoke, their silence a testament to the weight of what they were trying to undo. Each test they ran came back with the same damning conclusion: the serum coursing through your veins wasn’t just making you stronger, faster, more dangerous. It was chaining you—body and mind—to commands that had been burned into your neural pathways. The serum wasn’t just invasive; it had fused with the super-soldier formula already in your system, weaving itself into the very fabric of who you were.

Bruce leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as if trying to massage away the weight of what he was reading. His voice, usually measured, wavered slightly. “This isn’t just physical,” he muttered, glancing at Tony. “It’s neurological. It’s rewriting her instincts, suppressing her emotions… amplifying aggression.”

Tony, who usually filled even the heaviest moments with quips or sarcasm, was silent. His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, his brows furrowed in concentration. “Yeah, I see it,” he said finally, his tone clipped and uncharacteristically somber. “This isn’t some dollar-store brainwashing. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They’re rewriting her at the molecular level. I’ve seen a lot of tech—nothing like this.”

Behind the reinforced glass separating the med bay from the observation room, Bucky sat slumped in a chair. His broad shoulders were hunched, his head bowed slightly, and his metal hand gripped the edge of the seat so tightly the frame creaked. The Bucky they knew was a composed soldier, a man who could compartmentalize his pain and push forward. But now, his mask was gone, his expression stripped down to raw guilt and desperation.

He watched you intently, his eyes never leaving your face. Your blank expression, your lifeless stare—it tore at him, unraveling what little hope he had left. He leaned forward, pressing his elbows to his knees, his voice soft and trembling.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured, his tone cracking with exhaustion. “Please. I know you’re still in there. You’ve gotta fight this. Fight for me… for us.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with longing and heartbreak.

You didn’t react. Not a blink, not a twitch. You were as still as a statue, your chest rising and falling in a mechanical rhythm dictated by the serum coursing through your veins. The vibrant light that once danced in your eyes was gone, replaced by a cold, unfeeling void.

Occasionally, you tilted your head, a small, calculated motion that seemed more analytical than human. It was as if you were studying him, assessing him as an object rather than a person—an obstacle rather than someone who loves you.

The silence between you was deafening, and it crushed Bucky like a vice.

He leaned back, exhaling shakily, running a trembling hand through his hair. His voice dropped to a whisper, as if speaking directly to the version of you he desperately hoped was still buried beneath the serum’s control. “I’m not giving up on you,” he said, though the cracks in his voice betrayed his struggle to believe his own words.

On the other side of the glass, Bruce and Tony exchanged a brief glance. Neither of them said it aloud, but the reality hung between them like a dark cloud: time was running out, and you were slipping further away.

-----

The common room felt as heavy as the med bay, the air thick with unspoken fears and fraying hope. The faint hum of the base’s systems was the only sound until Natasha’s calm, cutting words pierced through the oppressive silence.

“She’s not coming back on her own,” she said again, as if repeating it would make it easier for the others to accept. Her arms were still tightly crossed over her chest, her expression as unreadable as ever, but the way her shoulders were set betrayed her inner turmoil.

Steve stopped pacing and turned toward her, his frown deepening. “Don’t say that,” he said, his voice low but firm, like he could will her to take the words back.

Natasha’s eyes flicked to him, unwavering. “I’m being realistic,” she replied, her tone matter-of-fact but softer now. “You think I want this? Shes my sister! But every day, that serum, whatever it is, digs deeper. You can’t just power through something like this with good intentions. I’ve seen situations like this before, Steve. They don’t end how you want them to.”

Sam shifted forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. “She hesitated at the warehouse,” he said, his voice quieter, almost hesitant. “That means something, doesn’t it? She’s still in there. She’s fighting.”

“Yeah, and that hesitation nearly got us all killed,” Clint snapped, dragging a hand over his face. The frustration in his voice was barely masking the underlying fear. “What happens when she doesn’t hesitate next time? Because there will be a next time.”

Steve’s jaw tightened, and he clenched his fists at his sides. “We’re not giving up on her,” he said with finality, his voice brooking no argument.

Natasha’s sharp gaze softened as she glanced toward the med bay. For a moment, her mask slipped, and a flicker of pain crossed her face. “It’s not about giving up,” she said softly. “It’s about preparing for the possibility… that she isn’t the person we remember anymore and that maybe there is no way to get her back…”

The words lingered in the air, heavy and unrelenting. No one moved.

Then Bucky’s voice cut through the tension like a blade, sharp and trembling. “She’s not gone.”

The team turned as one to see him standing in the doorway, his broad frame silhouetted against the light from the hall. His face was raw, his eyes red-rimmed but blazing with a fierce determination that silenced any response they might have had.

“She’s not gone,” he repeated, stepping into the room. The words were firmer this time, carrying a weight that dared anyone to contradict him. He stopped near the center of the room, his metal hand flexing unconsciously as he looked at each of them in turn.

“And I’m not giving up on her, you shouldn't either” he added, his voice steady but filled with a quiet, devastating pain.

Steve stepped closer, his expression softening as he studied his oldest friend. “Buck—”

Bucky cut him off, his voice rising slightly. “I’m not giving up, Steve. I don’t care how deep that serum’s buried. I don’t care how long it takes. I know her! She’s in there, she’s still in there.” His voice cracked, but he didn’t flinch. “I know she is....”

Natasha pushed off the wall, her arms uncrossing. She held his gaze, her expression unreadable again, but her voice was gentle. “What if she’s not?”

Bucky’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, it seemed like he wouldn’t respond. Then he took a step closer, his voice low but unwavering. “Then we fight until there’s nothing left to fight for. But I’m not stopping... ot until she tells me herself that she’s gone.”

The room fell into silence again, but it wasn’t the same suffocating quiet as before. This silence was heavy, yes, but it carried the weight of something more than grief—it carried resolve.

Steve finally nodded, his voice steady but quiet. “Then we fight.”

Sam looked at Clint, who sighed heavily but gave a small nod. Natasha’s gaze lingered on Bucky for a moment longer before she turned away, her agreement unspoken but clear.

Bucky didn’t thank them, didn’t acknowledge their support. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked back toward the med bay. He didn’t have time for discussions or strategies. He had already made his decision.

As the door slid shut behind him, the others exchanged glances. “He’s not going to let her go,” Sam said quietly.

Steve crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. “Would you?”

Sam didn’t answer. Neither did Clint or Natasha. Because the truth was, none of them would, none of them wanted to.

--------

The lab had become a battlefield of hope and despair. The glowing holograms floating above the table displayed the intricate web of changes the serum had wrought on your body—twisted neurons, altered muscle fibers, and corrupted synaptic pathways that mapped out the story of how the fixer had transformed you into a weapon.

Bruce’s fingers hovered over the holographic display, tracing a complex string of data. His voice was quiet, almost reluctant. “This serum… it’s not just controlling her. It’s fused into everything she is. It’s rewriting her body, her mind. Every instinct, every reaction—it’s all amplified, all his..”

“It’s not just control,” Tony added, his voice devoid of its usual bravado. His face was drawn, his sharp features softened by exhaustion. “It’s enhancement. She’s stronger, faster—more dangerous than any of us combined. And the way it’s fused with the super-soldier serum…” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s no way to separate them without…”

“Without killing her,” Bruce finished, the words falling like a hammer. He avoided meeting anyone’s gaze.

The room was silent except for the faint hum of machinery. Bucky stood at the edge of the group, his arms crossed tightly, his jaw clenched so hard it was a wonder it didn’t snap.

“Then we don’t separate it,” he said, stepping closer, his voice low and deliberate. “We find another way.”

Tony exhaled sharply, his arms spreading in frustration. “Another way? Bucky, we’re talking about molecular-level integration. This isn’t a wound we can stitch up or a wire we can snip. If we don’t stop her, she’s going to take us all out. That’s not an if—it’s a when.”

Bucky’s eyes locked onto Tony’s, cold and unyielding. “We’re not stopping her, we’re saving her!"

Tony’s gaze didn’t waver, but his voice softened. “And what if there’s no saving her? What if the only thing we can do is stop her before she does something none of us can undo?”

"There's always a choice!" Bucky shouted, his voice raw. "You're supposed to be the smartest guy in the room, Tony. Act like it."

Tony's jaw tightened, but he didn't reply.

The weight of the question hung in the air, heavy and suffocating.

“It not an option,” Bucky said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Natasha leaned against the table, her voice cutting through the rising tension. “It might have to be.”

Bucky turned to her, his eyes blazing. “You don’t mean that..”

Her expression was calm, but her eyes held a trace of sorrow. “I hope I don’t. But if it comes down to her or everyone else—”

“It won’t!” Bucky snapped, his voice shaking with barely controlled emotion. His fists tightened at his sides, and he took a step forward, his frustration spilling out in a torrent. “Why does it sound like you don’t care? Why do none of you seem to care? It’s Y/N we’re talking about!”

Natasha flinched slightly, but he didn’t stop. His voice rose, trembling with desperation. “The one who knits us matching scarves every Christmas! Who puts Avengers-themed band-aids in all the med kits because she thinks it’ll make us feel better! The one who sings those stupid pop songs on the comms even though they drive you all crazy! The one I love!” His voice cracked, and he exhaled sharply, looking around at the others as if daring them to argue.

“And you’re all just ready to toss her away like she’s nothing,” he continued, his voice breaking. “Like she hasn’t been the glue holding us together. Like she hasn’t saved every one of us a dozen times over!”

No one interrupted. The room was silent except for Bucky’s heavy breathing, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“This is my fault,” he said finally, his tone dropping to a whisper. “I pushed her away. I told her....." He trailed off "I thought i was saving her, all I did was drive her straight into the arms of someone who turned her into this. I wasn’t there when she needed me, and now…” His voice cracked again, and he shook his head. “This can’t be how her story ends. This isn’t how our story ends.”

Steve stepped forward cautiously, his voice gentle. “Buck… no one here wants to give up on her. We’re just—”

“No,” Bucky interrupted, his voice rising again. “You don’t get to say that. You’re all standing here talking about stopping her like she’s already gone. But she’s not. I’ve seen her fight…. I know she’s still in there.” He turned back to the holograms, his voice trembling but resolute. “And I’m not going to let her go...I can't”

Steve sighed, his shoulders sagging as he glanced at Natasha and then back to Bucky. “We’ll keep looking. But, Bucky… we’re running out of time....She's running out of time."

That night, Bucky sat in the med bay, staring at the empty bed where you had been just days ago. The sterile light seemed colder, harsher, and the hum of the machines now felt like a mockery of the life you had once filled with warmth.

He sank into the chair beside you, resting his elbows on his knees and running a hand over his face. “I told them,” he murmured after a long moment, his voice raw. “I told them we’re bringing you home. They don’t believe it, not really. But I do. Because I have to. Because if I don’t…”

He trailed off, his throat tightening.

“I told you it was for the better, and it wasn’t,” he continued, his voice trembling. “It was the worst thing I ever did. You deserved better than me pushing you away because I was scared….. And I’m not going to let that mistake be the last thing I ever do for you.”

His metal hand reached out, gently brushing against your wrist. “I’ll fix this. I don’t know how, but I will. I just need you to hang on a little longer, doll. Just a little longer, please."

And so he stayed, watching you in the dim light, his quiet determination the only thing keeping the weight of his guilt at bay.

---

The quiet hum of the med bay filled your ears, the sound of the monitors beeping in rhythm with your heartbeat. You weren’t entirely sure where the sound ended and the signal in your head began. It was constant now—a low, thrumming pulse that vibrated through your skull, tugging at your thoughts, distorting them, and twisting them into something unrecognizable.

You weren’t sure how long you’d been strapped to the bed, the restraints tight against your wrists and ankles. The team—your team???—had been coming in and out for days, speaking to you, pleading with you. You couldn’t remember all the words anymore. They sounded muffled, as though underwater. But one voice pierced through the fog: his.

The fixer’s signal was clear, sharp, and undeniable.

“Come to me. Complete the mission.”

It was like a hook embedded deep in your mind, pulling you with a force you couldn’t resist. You knew where to go. You knew what you had to do. The mission was clear. And yet…

A part of you—small, fragile, buried deep beneath the layers of control—was screaming.

“Don’t go. Don’t leave. Stay.”

You felt it every time Bucky spoke to you, his voice trembling with emotion as he begged you to fight. You felt it when Natasha stood silently by the glass, her arms crossed tightly, the mask of calm slipping just enough to show the hurt in her eyes. It was there in Steve’s steady, quiet resolve as he promised they would bring you back.

You wanted to stay.

But the voice grew louder, overpowering that small, desperate part of you. It wrapped around your thoughts like chains, drowning out everything else. The fixer’s voice wasn’t just in your head anymore—it was in your body, controlling every instinct, every movement.

“They’ll never understand you like I do. You’re meant for more than this. You don’t belong here. Come to me.”

The restraints on the bed groaned as you shifted against them, the serum-enhanced strength coursing through you making the reinforced bindings strain under the pressure. The voice was relentless, urging you forward, telling you that escape was the only answer.

“You need to leave. Now.”

The hum of the med bay sharpened into a buzzing, a dissonance that pressed against your skull like a knife. The monitors flickered faintly, your vitals spiking as the signal reached its crescendo. And then, something inside you snapped.

You didn’t remember breaking free, not really. One moment you were bound, and the next you were standing, the restraints dangling from the bed, bent and broken. The world tilted as you moved��too fast, too quiet, too precise.

“Get out. Go.”

Your body moved on autopilot, fluid and silent as you slipped into the darkened corridors of the compound. The alarms hadn’t started yet. You had time. You knew their rotations, their blind spots. You’d trained with them long enough to anticipate every move, to know exactly where to go.

But with every step, a tiny voice in the back of your mind whispered: Stay.

You passed the common room first, your shadow blending into the dim light spilling out from the slightly open door. Inside, Clint was slumped on the couch, his head tilted back as he stared at the ceiling. Sam sat beside him, his elbows resting on his knees, his gaze distant.

They didn’t see you.

The signal tugged at you again, stronger this time. “Keep going.”

The hallway stretched before you like a tunnel, the exit growing closer with every step. You could feel the pull of freedom, the fixer’s voice growing clearer with every breath.

“They can’t stop you. You’re faster. Stronger. This is what you were meant for.”

But the deeper you moved into the compound, the louder that small, fragile part of yourself became.

“Don’t go. Turn back. You’re one of them. You’re loved.”

The faintest image of Bucky’s face flashed in your mind—his wide, desperate eyes, his trembling voice as he whispered your name like a prayer. You hesitated, your steps faltering for the briefest moment.

But the signal roared back, violent and overwhelming. It drowned out everything else, silencing the tiny part of you that had dared to hope.

You pushed forward.

The armory was your next stop. The door slid open silently, the familiar scent of oil and metal hitting you as you scanned the rows of weapons. You moved with efficiency, your hands grabbing what you needed—a knife, a sidearm, extra ammunition. Everything was automatic, every action mechanical.

The compound was chaos incarnate. The blaring alarms drilled into the team’s ears, the red emergency lights casting jagged shadows that made the corridors feel narrower, more oppressive. Every step echoed with urgency as the Avengers scrambled to find you, to contain you before the situation spiraled further out of control.

You were a ghost, slipping through their defenses with inhuman speed and precision. The enhancements from the serum made your movements impossibly fluid, calculated, and lethal. Every strike you delivered, every dodge you made, was the product of something no longer entirely human.

Bucky was the first to corner you in the armory. His breaths came in ragged bursts as he blocked the exit, his metal arm raised defensively. The flickering lights above cast a faint, uneven glow on his face, emphasizing the desperation in his expression.

“Doll,” he said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his chest. “You don’t have to do this.”

You stood across from him, a silent shadow. Your head tilted slightly, studying him as though he were a puzzle to solve. The cold detachment in your eyes felt like a dagger to his heart.

“Come back with me,” he pleaded, stepping forward cautiously. “We can fix this. I promise we can fix this.”

For a fleeting moment, something in your posture faltered. A twitch of your fingers, a shift in your expression—it was subtle, but enough to make his breath catch. He clung to the flicker of hope as though it could tether you back to him.

But then, as quickly as it came, the flicker disappeared.

You moved first.

Without a word, you lunged at him, your speed a blur.

Bucky barely dodged the first strike, the wind from your punch grazing his face. The second came faster, and his metal arm caught it with a sharp clang. His feet slid back from the force, his boots screeching against the floor.

“Y/N!” he shouted, his voice rising in desperation as you struck again, your attacks relentless. “Stop! This isn’t you!”

His words didn’t reach you.

He didn’t fight back—not really. Every movement was defensive, an attempt to slow you down without hurting you. But you were faster now, stronger. When he grabbed your wrist to stop a blow, you twisted effortlessly, breaking free and delivering a brutal kick to his chest.

The force sent him flying into the wall, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. He crumpled to the floor, gasping, as you turned and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

By the time Natasha and Clint arrived moments later, weapons at the ready, you were already gone.

------

The next three weeks stretched like an eternity.

The team threw themselves into the work, pouring over the fixer’s files with a level of intensity that bordered on desperation. Holograms of molecular structures and fragments of decrypted codes hung in the air like ghosts, flickering reminders of how little they’d managed to piece together. Every breakthrough was fleeting, every promising lead dissolved into another dead end.

Bucky barely spoke. He spent most of his time in the gym, taking out his frustration on punching bags or lifting until his muscles screamed for relief. When he wasn’t there, he was in the lab or the common room, lingering just within earshot of the discussions about you. He rarely contributed, but his presence alone was enough to remind the others of what was at stake.

Tony paced back and forth, his hands gesturing sharply as he stared at yet another set of encrypted data on the floating holograms before him. His bloodshot eyes betrayed sleepless nights, his movements jittery from too much caffeine and not enough rest.

“We’re out of time,” he muttered, breaking the heavy silence. The strain was evident in every word, every line of his face.

Steve, standing nearby with his arms crossed, looked up sharply. “What are you saying?”

Tony stopped pacing and turned to the group, his expression grim. “She’s gone after him—the fixer, whatever he calls himself. He’s still alive. And you don’t need me to tell you what that means.”

Sam frowned. “That it’s a trap?”

Tony nodded, his voice clipped. “It’s a trap. He’s counting on us coming after her. But we don’t have a choice.”

“We’ve been chasing shadows for weeks,” Clint said, leaning forward in his chair. “And now, out of nowhere, we have a location? This smells bad.”

Steve’s gaze darkened. “If it’s a trap, we spring it. We’ve dealt with worse before.”

Tony let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah? Worse? This isn’t just some ambush, Cap. That stuff pumping through her—it’s not taking a break. Every second we wait, it’s digging deeper. Taking over every cell, every fiber, everything that makes her her….But if we wait any longer…”

“She’ll be gone,” Natasha said quietly, cutting in. Her voice was calm, but her words carried a sharp edge that made the others glance at her.

The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by the faint hum of the holograms around them.

Bucky, who had been sitting rigidly in a chair across the room, suddenly shifted. His metal hand gripped the edge of the seat so tightly it creaked.

“She’s not gone,” he said, his voice low and steady, though it trembled faintly at the edges.

Tony hesitated, looking at him. “Bucky—”

“No,” Bucky interrupted, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor. “You don’t get to say that. You don’t get to stand here and talk about her like she’s already dead. She’s not.”

Steve stepped closer, his voice softer now. “We’re not giving up on her. You know that, Buck.”

“Do I?” Bucky snapped, finally looking up. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his expression raw. “Because all I’ve been hearing for the past three weeks is what happens if we can’t save her…What happens if she’s too far gone. You’re all ready to bury her, but I’m not. I can’t, I won’t”

Natasha’s voice was quiet but firm. “Bucky, this isn’t about giving up. It’s about being realistic.”

Steve frowned, his tone hardening. “You’re saying we just let her go?”

Natasha’s gaze shifted to him, and her voice softened slightly. “I’m saying we can’t afford to keep chasing her if it means risking everyone else. She’s either going to come back to us, or we’re going to have to stop her. For good.”

The words sent a chill through the room, the weight of their meaning settling heavily over the team.

“None of us want to lose her,” Natasha said, stepping forward. Her voice softened slightly, though her expression remained hard. “But if this is a trap, we have to be ready for what we might find.”

Bucky stood abruptly, his chair screeching against the floor. “What we’ll find is her,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “And we’re bringing her home. I don’t care what it takes.”

Steve placed a hand on his shoulder, but Bucky shrugged it off, his jaw clenched. “I’m suiting up,” he said flatly. “We’re wasting time.”

-----

The quinjet was a tense, quiet place as it cut through the night sky.

Steve sat in the cockpit, his hands gripping the controls tightly. Sam was strapped in beside him, his gaze fixed on the horizon, his wings folded neatly against his back. Clint and Natasha checked their gear in silence, their movements brisk and mechanical.

Bucky sat alone near the back, staring down at his gloved hands. His foot tapped against the floor, a restless rhythm that matched the pounding in his chest.

“We’ll find her,” Steve said quietly, glancing back.

Bucky didn’t respond.

Natasha looked up from her weapons. “You need to get your head on straight, Barnes. If you lose control out there—”

“I won’t,” Bucky said firmly, cutting her off. He lifted his gaze, his expression hard. “She’s all I’ve got left. I won’t lose her.”

The rest of the ride passed in silence, the team bracing themselves for whatever lay ahead.

When the quinjet touched down, the facility loomed before them like a fortress of steel and concrete. Its towering walls were lined with searchlights, and armed guards patrolled the perimeter in tight formations. The stormy sky above rumbled ominously, lightning flashing in the distance.

“It’s a fortress,” Sam said, his voice low as he peered through the cockpit window.

“It’s a trap,” Natasha said, her tone dry.

“And we’re walking straight into it,” Steve said, standing and grabbing his shield. “Let’s move.”

The team exited the quinjet in silence, their movements practiced and efficient. Bucky fell into step behind Steve, his metal arm flexing as he scanned the facility ahead.

Every fiber of his being screamed that this was wrong, that the odds were stacked too heavily against them. But he couldn’t afford to think about that.

All he could think about was you.

This was it. One way or another, it would end tonight.

The cavernous room was bathed in harsh fluorescent light, a cold and unfeeling illumination that seemed to leech the warmth from everything it touched. The fixer stood at the center, his posture relaxed, his confidence unshaken as the team burst through the double doors, their weapons raised and their eyes scanning the space.

And there you were.

You stood at his side, motionless, your face devoid of emotion. The cold detachment in your eyes sent a chill through the team, freezing them in their tracks. You weren’t holding a weapon yet, but the tension in your posture was enough to set everyone on edge. You looked through them, not at them, as though they weren’t people, just obstacles in the way of your programming.

“Well, well,” the fixer drawled, his voice smooth and mocking as he clasped his hands behind his back. “Took you long enough.”

“Let her go,” Steve barked, his shield raised defensively as he stepped forward. His voice was firm, but there was an edge of desperation in it. “Now.”

The fixer smirked, shaking his head. “Oh, Captain. You’re still under the delusion that this is your game to win.” He gestured toward you, his eyes gleaming with triumph. “She’s not yours anymore. She’s not even hers anymore. She’s mine.”

Bucky’s voice broke through, raw and trembling. “Y/N!” he called out, taking a step toward you despite the warning glance Steve shot him. “You don’t have to do this! Fight it!”

For the briefest moment, your head tilted slightly, your gaze flicking toward him. There was a flicker, something deep in your eyes that might have been recognition.

Then it was gone.

The fixer chuckled, pulling a small remote from his pocket. “Touching. Really, it is. But you’re too late. This is her final mission, it's a great one really, I think you'll all love it: either end the Avengers… or end herself..."

"Or you all die trying." He pressed the button.

A loud beep echoed through the room, followed by a harsh metallic clanking as a digital timer lit up on the far wall. It glowed blood-red, counting down from five minutes.

The fixer gave them a mock salute, his grin widening. “Have fun.”

Before anyone could stop him, he disappeared through a side door.

“Clint, go after him!” Natasha barked, her voice sharp and commanding.

“On it!” Clint was already moving, his bow raised as he sprinted toward the exit.

“Y/N, don’t do this!” Steve shouted, stepping forward with his shield raised. “You don’t have to listen to him!”

But the signal had already taken hold.

Your hand reached for the nearest weapon—a sleek pistol holstered at your side. In one fluid motion, you raised it and fired, the bullet ricocheting off Steve’s shield with a deafening clang.

“Y/N, stop!” Bucky yelled, his voice filled with desperation as he moved to block Natasha. “You don’t want this!”

You didn’t respond. Your movements were sharp, calculated, as though choreographed. You fired again, this time aiming for Tony’s chest. He raised his gauntlet just in time, the repulsor absorbing the bullet.

“She’s not holding back!” Tony shouted, his voice clipped as he dodged another shot.

Steve advanced, his shield up, but his movements were measured, almost hesitant. “Y/N, listen to me! You’re stronger than this—stronger than him!”

You turned on him, your pistol empty now, and dropped it without hesitation. Your hand reached for a knife at your belt as you lunged, the blade flashing in the harsh light.

Steve caught the strike with his shield, but the force of it drove him back a step. “Natasha, help me!”

Natasha moved in from the side, her movements swift and deliberate. She aimed for disarmament, her focus on neutralizing you without causing harm. But every move she made, you countered with ruthless precision, forcing her onto the defensive.

“Damn it, Y/N, fight this!” Natasha snapped, gritting her teeth as she narrowly dodged a high kick.

Meanwhile, Tony and Sam had turned their attention to the timer on the wall.

“Five minutes, huh?” Sam muttered as he landed beside Tony, his wings retracting.

“Four and counting,” Tony corrected, his HUD scanning the device. “And this thing is a beast. Give me a second to figure out how to disarm it.”

“You’ve got three,” Sam quipped, his eyes darting back to the chaos behind them.

Bucky wasn’t fighting. He couldn’t. His metal arm raised instinctively to deflect a stray knife you hurled in his direction, but his voice was soft, pleading.

“Sweetheart, please,” he said, his feet planted firmly between you and Tony. “This isn’t you. I know you’re still in there. You don’t have to do this.”

Your eyes met his briefly, but they were cold, unrecognizable. You moved toward him, your strikes quick and unrelenting, but he didn’t fight back. Instead, he blocked and dodged, his every movement defensive.

“I’m not giving up on you,” he said, his voice cracking. “You hear me? I’m not.”

“Bucky, move!” Natasha shouted, intercepting you with a spinning kick that sent you stumbling back.

You recovered instantly, your hand moving to the explosives strapped to your belt. You hurled one at the team, the small device landing near Steve’s feet.

“Get down!” Steve bellowed, throwing himself over the explosive as it detonated with a deafening boom. Smoke filled the air, momentarily disorienting everyone.

“Two minutes left!” Tony called out, sweat dripping down his face as he worked furiously on the timer. “Sam, hold this!”

Sam took over the wiring Tony handed him, his brow furrowing in concentration. “You sure this won’t blow us all to hell?”

“Not if you don’t mess it up!” Tony snapped, his fingers flying across his gauntlet’s interface.

Natasha and Steve regrouped, their eyes scanning the smoke-filled room for you.

“She’s moving fast,” Natasha said, her voice low as she raised her batons. “Too fast.”

“Nat, on your left!” Steve shouted as you emerged from the haze, a blade in each hand.

Natasha intercepted your strikes with her batons, the crackle of electricity filling the air as she deflected your blows. “Y/N, snap out of it!”

But you didn’t.

Bucky moved closer, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Doll, look at me. It’s me—Bucky. Remember? You know me. You love me, I love you."

Your hands faltered, the knives trembling in your grip. For a moment, the haze in your eyes seemed to clear, and you froze.

“Thirty seconds!” Tony shouted, his voice panicked.

“Y/N,” Bucky whispered, stepping closer, his hands raised. “Come back to me.”

But the signal surged, stronger than ever, and the haze returned. Your grip tightened on the knives as the timer ticked down.

“Twenty seconds!”

“Tony!” Sam shouted.

“I’m on it!” Tony barked.

The final seconds felt like an eternity as the room erupted into chaos once more.

The room was chaos, the countdown timer on the wall casting its blood-red glow over the flickering lights and the frantic movement of the team. The fight raged on around it—blades clashing, bullets ricocheting, and desperate pleas falling on deaf ears.

Bucky blocked another of your strikes, his metal arm catching the blade with a metallic clang. His face was streaked with sweat and dirt, his eyes glassy with unshed tears as he shouted your name again. “Baby, stop! Please, just stop!”

You didn’t respond. Your strikes came fast, precise, unrelenting. It was clear the signal had fully taken hold, driving you like a machine. The fixer’s voice, now silent in the room, still echoed in your mind. “Complete the mission.”

Natasha ducked under one of your swings, slamming her electrified baton against your side, but you twisted out of the way with unnatural speed. Steve joined her, his shield raised, deflecting an incoming strike meant for Natasha.

“We’re running out of time!” Steve called over the din. “Tony, what’s the status on that bomb?”

“Ten seconds!” Tony yelled, his voice tight as his hands flew over the exposed circuitry. “If I screw this up, we’re all toast!”

“You won’t screw it up!” Sam barked from above, sweat dripping from his brow as he hovered near Tony, ready to assist.

“Friday, guide me,” Tony snapped, his voice frantic. The seconds ticked down—nine, eight, seven—and then suddenly the timer went dark.

Tony exhaled sharply, leaning back against the wall. “We’re clear. The bomb’s deactivated.”

Relief washed over the team for a brief moment—but only a moment. You were still fighting, your movements relentless and mechanical. There was no victory here, only desperation.

“Doll, please!” Bucky shouted again, catching your wrist as you lunged at Natasha. His voice cracked, trembling with emotion. “I know you’re in there! Come back to me!” He begged

His words made you falter—just for a moment. Your body stilled, your breathing hitching as you stared at him. Something deep within you flickered, a small light in the overwhelming darkness.

“Doll, it’s me,” he said softly, his voice trembling as he took a cautious step closer. “Remember that time in D.C.? You dragged me out to that diner at two in the morning because you had to try their blueberry pie?” His lips quirked in a small, broken smile. “And then you made me order pancakes just so you could steal them?”

The knife in your hand trembled. Your head tilted slightly, your lips parting as if to respond.

“You told me I made you feel safe,” Bucky continued, his voice barely above a whisper now. “You made me feel safe. Doll, you don’t have to fight anymore. You don’t have to do this. Just come back to me.”

For a moment, everything was still. The haze in your eyes cleared, replaced by something fragile and human. You dropped the knife, and it clattered to the floor.

“Bucky…” you whispered, your voice cracking.

His heart leapt as he stepped closer, reaching out to you. “That’s it,” he murmured, his voice thick with hope. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

But then the darkness surged again. The fixer’s programming tightened its grip, dragging you back into its depths. Your body stiffened, your breath quickening as the command blared in your head: “Complete the mission.”

“No, no, no!” you gasped, your hands trembling. Your gaze darted wildly, panic etched across your face as you reached for something on your suit. Your fingers closed around a small syringe strapped to your chest.

Natasha’s eyes widened in horror. “She’s got cyanotoxin,” she said sharply, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “Y/N, put it down!”

The room froze.

You held the syringe to your neck, your hands shaking violently as tears streamed down your face. “I can feel it,” you said, your voice barely audible. “It’s in me. It’s all I can hear. I can’t stop it, Bucky. I can’t—I can’t!”

“You don’t have to do this!” Bucky’s voice was raw, his steps slow and deliberate as he approached. “We can figure this out! Just put it down, baby please!

Your tear-filled eyes met his, and for a moment, the pain in them was unbearable. “I love you,” you whispered, your voice breaking. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

“Y/N, stop!” Bucky screamed, his hand reaching for you. “Don’t do this! Stay with me—stay with me!”

“I’m sorry,” you choked out, your voice trembling. “It’s for the better.”

And then, before anyone could stop you, you plunged the syringe into your neck.

“NO!” Bucky roared, his voice echoing through the chamber.

The syringe fell from your hand as your legs gave out beneath you. You crumpled to the floor, your body already limp and lifeless.

Bucky was at your side in an instant, his arms wrapping around you as he cradled your body against his chest. “No, no, no,” he whispered, his voice shaking. “You’re okay. You’re gonna be okay.”

Tony rushed over, his gauntlet lighting up as he scanned for vitals. “Friday, give me a reading!”

A pause. Then: “No vitals detected,” Friday said quietly.

The words hit Bucky like a hammer. His breath caught, and then a gut-wrenching sob tore from his chest. He held you tighter, his tears falling freely as he rocked back and forth.

“How can any of this be for the better?” he whispered, his voice breaking. “How?”

The team stood frozen, their faces etched with grief as Bucky’s cries filled the room. The weight of your loss settled over them, heavy and suffocating.

For Bucky, the world had stopped. All he could see was you—your lifeless body in his arms, and the memory of your final words echoing in his mind:

“It’s for the better.”

[moonshynecybin]

if you could typecast the grid as stereotypical americans who would be who? (idk if i'm making any sense) but for example bezz gives very cali stoner energy.

god this one is hard because they are all so stunningly european. truly. american men do not act like that. the jean tightness alone. ummm. okay let’s start with the easy ones

pecco: pecco is from a suburb like three hours from chicago and he tells everyone he’s from chicago. framed bulls jerseys on the wall etc

pedro acosta: someone said baseball player from north carolina and yeah. i can imagine bumping into this guy at cookout. like he’s giving charlotte/macklenberg county. serving gastonia. he went to nc state with my friend thomas and he has strong basketball opinions.

bez: califoniaaaaa you’re right. of the surfer or skater variety… either way he’s in baggy as fuck clothes skulking around outside kicking it whenever he can. eating a sandwich

vale: new jersey. my trashy italian american clown princess

mav: screams boston 2 me

aleix: too european im being real. insane amounts of european. kind of breaking my brain sooo im not assigning him one

enea: gay ass san fran guy with his lil dog. walkin around the castro the dog gets hot. he picks up the dog. gay pride flag in the background. i cheer. he’s drinking espresso that costs fourteen american dollars. that’s like 12.50 euro google is telling me

casey stoner: this bitch is from vermont

luca: right across the river from vale in new york citayyyy… i think he would thrive in an environment where he doesn’t look insane wearing something very elegant and a lil dressier. like you can’t really do that in idk. most of the south or midwest or southwest or— anyways we’re sending him to nyc

jorge martin: i COULD see him hanging out in florida but like slutty florida not trashy florida. just on a beach in miami in the tiniest shorts imaginable with aleix comma also there europeanly. idk

joan mir: LOUSIANA. need to take his pissy ass to the bayou.

jack miller: attended the university of alabama and was perhaps too invested in SEC football culture. i would end this by saying roll tide for comedy but that would make me gag here in real life. anyways

marc and alex. hmmmmmmm. i could see outside austin texas as that seems 2 be hallowed ground for marc lol. alternatively. kentucky. horse boys. this is another hard one i’m open to suggestions here cuz nothin is jumping out at me tbh

franky: seems into mindfulness in a way that is giving seattle. runs a bookstore with REALLY good staff picks. big ass armchairs HUGE used book section that smells good. sitting there petting the store cat in a flannel with the sleeves rolled up. sipping his coffee. works nights at the local bar sometimes. who said that.

brad binder: denver.

[90s-2000s-barbie]

Hi 90s-2000s Barbie I want your help! My room looks modern and boring how could I make it 2000s nostalgia?? Here some photos of my room

I don't think my parents would allow me to repaint my room to a fun color :( I'm ok with painting any of my furniture's except for my desktop (I put so much time and effort to finally make the posters look nice in there ;-;)

Hi! Sure I think I can try to help. You room is super cute BTW. So 2000s are everything but what is your favorite things from that time? Favorite shows, music? What is your style? Do you like girly? Do you like goth Hot topic style? Rooms when I was growing up is always about personality. Representing your favorites! I love Britney, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC. I found dead stock posters for $8 on eBay. I also went to goodwill and thrifted lots of cheap NSYNC framed photos for $2-$4 dollars a piece. If you like girly, 2000s were all about beaded curtains, bed canopy’s, you can even make them super affordable. I think people have some tutorials on Pinterest. I’ve seen cool wall hangings with old CDs and that was popular in the 2000s. 😄The y2k era brought back a lot of 1970s styles like flower power, mod circles, butterflies in bedding and wall art. Glow in the dark starts are cheap and we’re super popular. You can even find wall clings of simple flowers probably somewhere. I put a bunch on my walls. I bought a Lisa Frank calendar from the dollar tree and used all the art as little posters! lol if you have things stored from childhood or parents or anyone u know lived through it or maybe was a little older, ask if they have anything in storage that they don’t want or ask parents if they kept any of your old stuff or toys. Family may help out if they still have some cool older stuff. My mom saved our old Lisa Frank trapper keeper, she saved my old Pokémon stuff and I didn’t even know till I asked. You may have some stuff hiding right in your house! lol also I always recommend thrifting. I could go to my local Goodwill today and hunt for 90s-2000s stuff and find it everywhere and I use that as decoration. I find y2k bedding and curtains and vintage toys! You can find the coolest stuff so cheap and affordable. 😊 not sure what color you’re thinking of painting your furniture. But even working with basic white isn’t a bad thing, you can put all the colors in the decorations and really use the white to your advantage if u wanted to keep it simple. It would make decor stand out.

If you like the hot topic alternative style, bands, that would be a whole other style. And I can help u if u like that as well. Music posters are the best for that for sure. My rooms were plastered with bands and skulls. lol

If you have a more questions, fill free to ask. I’ve been obsessed with decorating my whole life. lol 😆 🩷

Thanks so much for the ask and good luck! I bet whatever you decide, will look so cute because it will be you! Your personality. 😄

Here is my room if it could possibly help for inspiration?

[handweavers]

just mentioned this to someone but if you want to get into papermaking you can make a mould and deckle for really cheap by getting a pair of matching picture frames from a thrift store/dollar store and tightly stapling a sheet of mesh onto one of them like that's literally all it is. and you can make your own pulp with recycled paper incl newspaper and a used blender that you also got from the thrift store/fb marketplace. and you don't need anything fancy to pull the sheets onto you can use cut up t-shirts or a roll of blue shop towels and they can be reused for a long time.

the amount of craft equipment in general that can be (relatively) cheaply diy'd with no noticeable difference between your diy and a purchased product is much greater than you might think tbh. like as a weaver, new bobbin winders are very expensive ($100 minimum) and electric bobbin winders even more ($300+) so i made my own with some hardware and wood from home depot and a sewing machine motor i bought off ebay for like $60 total and it works and looks just like the ones at my school's weaving studio lol.

[himbopunk]

quick rundown of different ways i've made patches

for @pescabianca cuz they asked lol

gonna start by saying i'm far from an expert on any of this, especially proper screenprinting and blockprinting. i'm just some guy that's been winging it for the past 3 years and it's just kind of what i do now? idk. here's the methods i've used for making patches

method 1: stencil and fabric paint

in which you're making a stencil and painting by hand. first time i made patches i hand carved out the letters on some cricut vinyl (i didn't have a cricut i just used a craft knife and taped it to my desk), put it down on top of a piece of fabric and sponged on some fabric paint. you can also use cardboard or cardstock you tape down for the stencil and tape down, whatever you got, i just find the vinyl was the easiest to make it not bleed as much. pretty simple, pretty accessible. the vinyl option is more for a single patch, smth like a cardboard stencil is better for multiple. make sure to use an iron to set in your paint once it dries

method 2: diy screen with mod podge

you can make a simple screenprint with mod podge, some kinda mesh fabric and an embroidery hoop. take voile or chiffon, pull the fabric taut on the embroidery hoop, and sketch on your design with a pencil (be careful as to not rip the mesh). remember that the flattest part goes down on your fabric, so make sure youre drawing inside the hoop.

paint on the mod podge in the negative space of your design, let dry. you can at this point use screen printing ink or continue with fabric paint, i think this was the time where i first bought screen ink. put your screen flat onto your fabric, some ink/paint at the top of the screen, then use an old gift card or id as a squeegee to do the actual printing part, dragging it down in a scraping motion. pull away and leave the patch to dry. you probably wanna iron it to set in the ink once you're done.

this is good esp if youre printing a bunch at once but doesnt wash very well so it can be kinda one and done sometimes? i used fabric mod podge so it lasted like 2 gos before getting all gross. but if you already have this kinda stuff laying around for other crafts, its pretty simple and introduces you to screeprinting somewhat without spending too much money

inspo/instruction link

method 3: screenprinting

getting/making an actual screen, you can just buy them online tbh, though it's not too hard to diy imo, especially if you're good with wood (haha) at all. i'm not, the way i diy'd it initially was finding some cheap wood picture frames from the dollar store or smth, pulling the screen mesh taut with a big embroidery hoop cuz i didn't have clamps and such, and using the staple gun to staple them onto the frame. it works just as well tbh, but i don't know how much i can speak on the longevity of dollar store frames or how well i attached the screen mesh, those are kinda skills in of themselves you gotta hone which is why this is all so much more involved

speaking of which, the next part is emulsion. i use jacquard emulsion fluid because it's cheap and i'm used to it. speedball is fine but i bought a bulk bottle once that was expired and i've never forgiven them for it. emulsion is a fluid thats mixed with a photosensitive fluid that causes it to cure and harden in uv light. you spread that across your screen, leave it in a dry, dark place to dry overnight (i used to use the bottom shelf of a bookshelf with a curtain over it, then the top drawer of a dresser. you can put it in your closet or something, depends on the space you have.) keep it in that dark place until you're ready to use it, otherwise you risk hardening it by accident.

once you've got a screen prepped, you want to have a transparency of your image in all black so light can get in everywhere but your design, and then expose it either to the sun or a lighting set up that you've bought/made. once you've cured it, you can then remove your transparency and you should be able to rinse out the emulsion fluid that was under it, leaving you with a screen to use!

for lighting setup, i use a flood lamp type thing that speedball sells that i bought years ago off of blick, i think? since the places i've lived have very specific times of day where you get direct sun to reliably use, at a certain point getting the lamp became worth it. depending on what you're using both in terms of your emulsion fluid and light source, the curing time can be very different, but this method allows for fine detail that can be difficult to attain by hand. stuff like screentones to create gradients, and the ability to make several screens for different color layers. it can be tricky to do sometimes but the ease of making more complex designs and having longer lasting screens can be worth it

also at this point you definitely want to be using actual screen printing ink, probably. you can buy a squeegee, i often still just use old credit cards and such, especially with my smaller designs, so it's up to you on that end. make sure you're using fabric ink, not acrylic ink, for your patches. just in general be aware of what type of ink you're getting, i use water-based inks that rinse out the screen easy with a spray bottle of water and some paper towels (you can also just rinse em in the sink but mine is too shallow lol).

i'll link to some tutorials i used when starting out, cuz this stuff is a lot easier with a visual aide and i don't think i explained it very well skdjf

youtube tutorial // tutorrial 2 // tutorial 3 // screens i used to get // emulsion fluid i use

method 3.5: screen filler

if you liked method 2, you can use the screen filler method to make screens, i've never done it but i understand it's similar in that you are basically panting on the negative space or something? again, i've never done it, i've just used emulsion after moving on from the mod podge method.

method 4: blockprinting

block printing is pretty straightforward, imo. basically you take a block of rubber or linoleum (or wood but i've. never done wood printing but it's fairly similar in basic method afaik) and trace or draw a design onto it. you then carve out the negative space of your design, leaving an impression of only the part you want to print. you then take a brayer/roller, roll it in ink until it's covered and then roll the ink out onto the raised part of the block that remains once you've carved it. take your fabric and press it flat onto the inked block, using something smooth like the back of a spoon to press it down and make sure your ink gets in there. i usually always make at least one more patch than i need with this method, since the first print often tends to be a bit rough/light and it improves over time. like your first pancake bein the worst one i guess. when you're done, you can wash the blocks with soap and water, maybe using an old toothbrush to get in all those crevices. but that's it, it's intense on focus, time, and physical effort, but pretty straightforward

note that when you blockprint something, the image will be reversed, so if you're drawing directly onto one keep this in mind. what i usually like to do is take some paper and put it over my original sketch, draw over it with a soft charcoal, then press it down onto the block to transfer the image. that way it makes sure your image is flipped, and it's a hell of a lot easier than any of the weird printer methods i've seen.

btw you can get a plate for rolling ink onto but i'll be honest? for about a year or two i just used like panes of glass i had from the picture frames i used for screens or i'd tape a piece of plastic or transparency down onto the table/desk. it's like, slightly easier now that i have an inking plate, but only just because it's a bit less waste, but it doesn't change much, imo. i even sometimes prefer using a gel printing plate, which is not really supposed to be used the way i'm using it! honestly, as long as your surface is flat and smooth it seems to be fine.

theoretically you don't even really need to use block printing ink, but i'd always struggled using other stuff? idk. if you're making patches, id suggest getting some fabric blockprinting ink. it'll take a day to dry, a bit longer than screenprinting ink, but it'd very sturdy. you can iron it to help secure it like the other stuff, but if you let it dry a couple days you might not even have to.

youtube tutorial/inspo // carving tools i use // some rubber blocks to start with // rubber brayers for rolling ink

note: if you can find any art supply exchanges, they're great for getting supplies for the latter methods on a budget. in chicago, there's a like, art supply thrift store of sorts called the waste shed where i got most of my early blockprinting supplies for pretty cheap, and if i didn't have those, i probably wouldn't have started making blockprints when i did.

note 2: this is all for printing on fabric, but you can also get acrylic screen printing ink or block printing ink for making prints on paper if you want!!

[blackstarchanx3new]

FSR rambles PT 2

FSR rambles PT 2

More stuff I like about my own comic (Head cannons about why stuff is the way it is too)

So like, yeah Vio had a panic attack. He’s relatable to me. UwU (I write shit I can relate too. Lmao. Deal with it. X’D)

Also Vaati’s curse: Dark Link, I won’t say too much about his “Powerset” or what he does since most of yall can deduce so far what he “Can” do atm.

Smth about Vio/the four swords gang that has always struck me is:

HOW EXACTLY ARE THEY SPLIT UP? (Not physically, I think they’re magical bodies and Link’s body is somewhere in the spiritual realm but that’s a head cannon)

Like, it’s not just “They reflect emotions” that breaks down after Blue and Red. Anger and “sad/emotional” respectively. Green’s like a weird husk of the original Link. (Like…Idk he basically acts like any other Link in any other manga but bland. X’D which is why I gave him depression in FSR. He's infamously the most under- memed character in FS. He’s effectively bootleg/dollar store Link. Worse without the other 4 and bare bones Link by himself. Flavorless Link if you would. Watered down fountain soda because you added too much ice Link.)

Vio, at least, is really hard to pin down what part of the link he IS. (At least imo)

Let’s break down Vio’s traits:

At the start of the manga, he’s selfish, lowkey, rude/blunt, the ‘Smart” one (All of them are smart in their own ways tho so that’s not ALL.) He’s cunning, manipulative, rather cold, and generally “Negative” traits.

I think he’d be insecure about that. Identity crisis. Because well, he IS mostly “negative” traits. Or at least ones that are SEEN as negative and it’s obvious to ME at least, he feels alienated from the other 3. He comes off as lacking empathy too.

Basically: Vio’s own moral ambiguity makes him very uncomfortable. Because there’s no outrunning it.

This frame is fun, because Vio was reaching for his sword which, because he’s in the “Headspace” , wasn't there. But as Shadow Link mentions later, Vio was reaching for it in reality too.

I’ve gone on my rant, but imo this was a bold faced LIE. X’D

WHY DID YA DROP THE SWORD THEN FUCKER???

Lol so this is a headcanon: 

But basically: Why the hell would Vio formulate a plan with Shadow Link (One that even guarantees Zelda's safety as if he was REALLY trying to make it work…), just to drop it in favor of a “Quicker” solution?

He was uncomfortable as hell by Shadow Link’s confession, so decided “Yup, mirror shattering time.” Emotions make him uncomfortable. Especially Shadow Link’s because the very act of manipulating Shadow Link is very Un-heroic of him.

He couldn’t play the long game because it made him realize his own “Failings” as a hero, but that was the OG plan after gathering his thoughts in the woods. (At least to me.)

Infiltrate/get friendly with Shadow Link, find out who or what is behind Vaati after learning of “Gannon”, destroy Vaati, save Zelda and defeat Gannon.

He went with Mirror shattering because: 1. It makes the most logical sense. Cut off Gannon’s power supply AND destroy Vaati. Shadow link is an unfortunate victim but “It’s worth it”

I find it funny BLUE is said to be the one who’s “Willing to do anything to win” When I feel that is WAY more applicable to Vio. X’D Bitch was willing to do a LOT to save Zelda and defeat Vaati. And...similar to how he states at the beginning of the manga "Team schmeam I don't need any help". He goes off to invade the enemies ranks ALONE.

Art wise the Vaati wings on Dark link block out and make fire lol. Which I imagine makes Vio uncomfortable after that whole “Almost getting burned alive from lava” thing.

This is smth brought up in the twilight princess manga, which is fun because Vio’s outfit is very similar to that Link’s. X’D

The weight of being a hero and it's title being a heavy burden for whoever is "Link" at the time.

Now that Vio isn’t “The hero” doing something towards a hero goal, “Who the fuck is he?�� FSR is kinda a thing where it's like "Okay sure Vaati's here...but he's like...a non issue lmao" they're kinda aimless. Who are they if not THE HERO. LINK.

Hahahaha

Okay these frames are so pretentious but here we go:

Dark Link is literally his insecurities being suffocating. X’D

Specifically: Considering Shadow’s words and his status as a hero.

Also all the eyeball imagery, so many people watching him fail/judging him.

Fun things art wise: Human teeth are scary as fuck.

I like the panel where Dark Link hugs him. Because an embrace can either be VERY UNCOMFORTABLE or very comforting depending on the context. Here it is very much NOT a comforting hug.

Also side note: Dark Link might come off as “Confusing” as a character…He’s very INTERESTING as the series goes on.

Vio snapped out of it but he’s still ain’t okay lol. Shadow Link didn’t hear Dark Link’s part of the “conversation” so he really just heard Vio mumbling utter nonsense. That would be scary as hell. Especially when he’s reaching for his weapon like dayum I’d cry too Shadow.

~Shadow Link blames himself~

He still feels like he’s on eggshells around Vio, he's aware their relationship atm isn't very stable. 

Lol so this is some of that sexy “Character development” i keep joking about with Shadow Link.

He’s still  a creature of darkness but he cares very deeply about Vio. 

Lol so smth you may notice is how: I fucking love how SINCERE Shadow Link is as a character. Like bro puts on a spooky act, but he’s just a sweet little guy that wants friends and he’s super open with his feelings. (I think he was just talkin’ his feelings in the woods too but that’s a head cannon. X’D He’s so weirdly soft with Vio out in the woods like…Bro)

It was a trait that bit him in the ass as a villain but I think that it shows that he is a good boy on the inside.

Lol so we all know how much Shadow Link hates pity, he doesn’t pity Vio, he emphasizes. And i think bro just really wanted to be hugs (HE’S SO TOUCH STARVED LMAO)

Even lines like “They’re all a big happy family in the dark world” (Paraphrased) show to me Shadow just REALLY wants a support system/family/SOMEONE he can rely on. X’D

So he says shit he wishes someone had said to him.

Also he hasn’t been able to physically HOLD someone in 7 years, Shadow Link misses physical touch like crazy.

Hug didn’t work lol.

Vio’s still frazzled.

I fucking love Shadow Link’s face “CURSE WHA-” like Vio’s really talking utter nonsense and it’s kinda funny ngl.

Vio didn't mention Dark Link so, to Shadow Link: Vio brought this up just because he's spiraling atm.

*cough cough* “You’re guy’s house” *cough cough* he doesn’t consider it HIS house too…

Continues to apologize for…nothing. Ouch.

Still blames himself for setting Vio off- oof.

Lol. Everything Vio says in the library is very telling of how he feels the pressure to be the one to come up with a plan to fix things. Because “He’s the smart one”. Even when LITERALLY NO ONE has put said pressure on him to fix things as Blue and Green outright don’t wish to be Link again, and Red complained back in the headspace

*Dies* Shadow Link is best boy. He tries to hard. TTuTT

Also Vio continuously gripping Shadow Link because he wants Shadow Link close to him. 

You can tell he isn’t trying to hug Vio anymore because that didn’t work lmao. He touches Vio a lot less and only in comforting ways (Patting his arm, his head, rubbing his arm ex), Vio’s actually the one who keeps pulling him closer.

Vio is correct here: He’s TECHNICALLY in no physical danger.

Dark link choking him in the headspace didn't do squat to him. It’s Vio’s own thoughts that are fucking with him.

Lol that statement is very bloated. Vio realized “Holy shit, he’s still here after EVERYTHING.”

The manipulation in the past, the panicking. 

Shadow Link’s just, still there for him. He isn’t leaving, and shows no sign of wanting too.

100% accurate. Shadow has no obligation to be helping Vio rn in any way. At all. Especially after how Vio’s treated him. Shadow's even looking for books to help with the curse that MAY OR MAY NOT even be affecting Vio for all Shadow Link knows.

Cause Shadow link: Is cool.

Lol so he DOES wanna be touched.

Okay funny story about pages 63-65 : These look so sketchy because I literally was like “doing line art for these expressions would ruin them” So they’re sketches. X’D

About the panels themselves: Shadow Link’s response to getting thanked in the manga makes me think he REALLY wants to do good things and get complimented for them. So when Vio thanks him (Smth he didn’t expect) he gets embarrassed.

Vio is FINALLY HONEST WITH SOMEONE ABOUT HOW HE FEELS.

He can’t run from it anymore lmao. So he has no choice but to tell him.

Lmao funny story: OG draft Shadow Link laughed at the "I'm a bad person" line. X’D

I’m glad I cut it but it also would have been very funny because like…Objectively no. Vio you’re not a “typical” bad person. And from Shadow’s perspective Vio is anything BUT a “Bad” person. He’s the “Hero”.

While not directly apologizing, Vio does admit to feeling like utter shit for what he did. Which is, SOMETHING. “Sorry ma i goofed up” vibes. XD

Lol. Of course you don’t. Simp- I say as a joke. But fr, from Shadow's perspective, this is kinda a weird admission. Vio's "Naughty" if you'd word it that way- X'DDDDD

*Implodes*

Okay fr out of ANYONE he could have shape shifted into during the vaati fight…Shadow Link chose VIO.

We know he can look like Green, so…The choice to look like Vio was very…deliberate. X’D

Almost like he looks up to him or smth...

Vio being utterly bamboozled by this information. X'D "YOU WHAT!?"

Fun thing about this being a fan comic: I can make them explicitly gay. X’DDD SO THEY ARE.

And that's all for now. I might do more later with more pages. X'D

It's fun to just, go off about my own crap. Cause I only get to do that with my friends usually.

[obx-pogue4life]

My Weirdo

Authors Note: Ok 🙈 So this ones a little out there and I completely blame @maybankforlife for this one lol bc without her, this weird ass idea never would have popped into my head 😂 Don’t take it too seriously and don’t think I’m crazy, this ones just silly and fun! Enjoy!

Summary: JJ calls you into the bathroom to help him with something but things get a little heated before he even has the chance to ask

Warnings: Swearing, kissing, very light smut- there are no real warnings I can think of 🤷🏻‍♀️

"Babe," you hear your boyfriend, JJ,  call to you from the bathroom. He was just getting out of the shower and you noticed him staring at his reflection, fixing his hair in the mirror. The way the towel was hanging so lowly on his hips made you instantly bite your lip, lost in thought. He was so sexy just standing there, he didn't even have to try. It just flowed out of him completely effortlessly.   

You walked up behind him and casually smacked him on the bottom, "what's up, sexy?" you say.

He looks in the mirror at you and flashes that million dollar smile of his and you feel a blush creeping onto your cheeks.  You kiss his shoulder and he spins around to face you, leaning back on the counter top and pulling you in for a kiss. His kiss envelopes your entire body. His touch, his scent, his power he has over you. He is rough but gentile. Hard but soft. Sexy but cute. The pheromones this man was throwing off had you completely intoxicated and you couldn't get enough. You lean in as close to him as you can get and let him dominate your kiss. His tongue tastes so sweet and the way his hands frame your face makes you weak in the knees. As he starts shifting against the counter top you pull away and look down between the two of you and notice a small tent starting to form in the front of his towel.

"Is that for me J...," you trail off and start to run your hands down his chest, stopping just short of reaching the towel. 

"Always," he manages to get out as you notice him shifting again and the bulge start to move around and get bigger. "I'm so hard for you right now, Baby. I could fuck you...so good," he says, leaning down to whisper the last two words in your ear. 

With wide eyes and using every single ounce of willpower you have, you kiss him quickly on the cheek and take a step back. "You know if we don't leave soon, we are going to be late," you say to him, sighing. 

"I can be quick," he grins. "Come on baby, let me make you feel good," he pleads. 

"Oh I know you can be quick," you say with a wink, overdramatic fake hurt washing over JJ, causing you to laugh.  "But we really don't have time right now," you say sadly. 

"But later?," JJ eagerly propositions you, smiling like a kid in a candy store.  

"You can bet your sweet ass on it," you say, smiling back just as hard. 

As you start to leave the bathroom so that he can finish getting ready, you remember that you came in here for a reason. "Oh hey! What did you want before when you called me in here?" you ask. 

"Oh, I just wanted you to shave my ass. I can't quite reach and thought you could just do it for me," he shrugs and says nonchalantly.  

You playfully roll your eyes and give him the "are you freaking serious right now" look, trying not to laugh and sigh. "Way to kill the mood, JJ, way to kill the mood," you say shaking your head as you walk out the door. 

"SO IS THAT A NO, BABE?," he jokingly shouts after you. 

"THAT'S A HELL NO BABY! YOU ARE GONNA NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THAT HAIRY BOOTY ON YOUR OWN!," you shout back, desperately trying to hold back a fit of giggles. 

"I can hear you laughing," he says chuckling, and walks out of the bathroom and sits down next to you on your bed. "For real though, will you? And my back too?," he seriously questions. 

"Yeah sure, J. Tomorrow though. We really gotta go," you say getting up and heading out the bedroom door. You turn back towards him and smile as he lets his towel drop and bite you lip once again. "You're lucky I love you," you say, smiling. 

"Don't I know it!," he grins, and spins around, shaking his naked booty towards you, letting everything hes got fly free. 

"My weirdo," you say sighing and shaking your head. He blows you a kiss and you smile and wink at him. "My weirdo," you laugh as you walk out the door. 

[miniventures-photographed]

Like these? (Pardon the pic of pics, I don’t have the OG files offhand)

The top left photo was taken next to a wall in my hallway (has the same texture as my bedroom wall that you see there).

The photo below it just has a piece of construction paper behind it.

And the picture of the right uses a bit of framing and a macro lens to blur the background to be more abstract- I took it at work from the main desk/counter and our main office has a lot of clutter in it otherwise.

Use what you have available to you. It was mentioned before, but going outside would still make for a nice background too if you have a safe place to do it. If you have a dollar store (Dollar Tree is USA based and I know Dollarama is in Canada), look to see if they have poster board. You can decorate it to whatever scene you want. Then all you have to do when your shoot is pose your models. Dollar Tree also usually has wrapping paper and contact paper to make the scenes a bit more interesting. Backing them on poster board or any floating cardboard you got will help them stay upright. There’s a MyFroggyStuff tutorial on making interchangeable walls with foam board, popsicle sticks (I can find big ones at my Dollar Tree), and scrapbook paper to make rooms that can easily store flat. It’s the Fortnite room.

Trust me, my family has been close to poverty my entire life, and if you want something to look nice, you have to put the effort in to make something nice- usually with whatever you have available. It’s not an easy solution, but there are some. I’m still learning this lesson lol 😅

People of dollblr, would anyone have any tips on how to make better doll photos? Mine are usually not that great of a quality since they all sit on this wall shelf or tv stand and the lighting is horrible but I'd like to know so I can take better shots of my dolls (and also for a reference for when my creeproduction Frankie arrives.)

[empty-movement]

Empty Movement’s (Belated) Black Rose Saga 25th Anniversary/Utena & Anthy Dollfie Dream Drop/Pride 2022/We’re Broke and Selling Stuff/Whatever Party!!!

What up friends! Here's the deal. We bought two sets of the Utena and Anthy Dollfies. Vanna’s (my) hope was that selling one set, alongside a feeding frenzy of merch we still have from the Japan trips for the musicals, will be sufficient that I can afford to keep the other set. We've also hit uh, some other bills, but let's be real. This is about the dolls. I want money so I can keep them.

Wow so greedy lady overextends her credit and it's your problem? NOT AT ALL FRIENDS. IT'S YOUR WIN. Why? Because we’re gonna throw a *party.* We’re gonna stream musicals, give away stuff, and *everything being auctioned starts at cost.* Why? I mean it’s Utena’s 25th anniversary, and this is right when the Black Rose starts, and the dollfies are cool and I actually wanna keep a pair, and we all just need something to do that isn’t doomscroll...and I hear our streams are pretty cool? Wild? Ahem. So what’s incoming???

FREE UTENA MERCH GIVEAWAY: 

Now - July 8th, 6PM EST: Enter our giveaway! What’s there to win?

- First, a Pride ‘22 Revolution Denim Jacket, designed by Vanna and donated by Rat. This will be made to your size and color preferences based on what’s available in the store!  - Second, a deck of the ‘series accurate’ playing cards Vanna designed a few years ago. These have slightly edited face cards with references to Utena throughout. These are donated by us. - Finally, a sealed copy of the 2019 Musical Utena ~ Blooming Rose of Deepest Black Blu-ray, with the live pre-order limited music box that plays the musical’s opening banger. This is donated for giveaway by an anonymous wonderful person!

Check the application form for details and rules! There aren’t many. We’re literally just givin’ y’all stuff. :D We’ll hold on shipping until after the auctions.

AUCTION OF A BRAND NEW PAIR OF UTENA AND ANTHY DOLLFIES:

July 4- July 11th on eBid.net, at our store! (No there’s nothing there until these dates lol) That’s right, sealed and unseparated and starting at cost. If the bids get driven up, might include the Volks Magazine that announced them. They’ll end in the US time zone evening somewhere. SOMEWHERE IN THIS TIME FRAME we will post an unboxing of the other pair or something of SOME kind to show these ladies off, but idk yet, we’ll get back to y’all.

AUCTION OF A TRULY LUDICROUS AMOUNT OF OTHER UTENA STUFF:

July 5-July 12th, on eBid.net, at our store! Preliminary list here, sorry for the ugly. THESE ARE IN CANADIAN DOLLARS Didn’t get your Dollfies? Well holy hell do we have a ton of merch left for you! THE SERIES ACCURATE TEACUP AND TEAPOTS WILL BE UP, as well as a deluge of most 2019 Musical Utena merch. We are going to list the bromides individually, which is a lot, we know...but this is about letting everyone get exactly what they want instead of trying to batch the characters up. These will end in US evening time zones, with a delay between each so you have time to bid. The bromides will all go last. This merch is all opening again, at cost. We’ve had it stored for so long it’ll feel like profit anyway. :)

NOT QUITE LAST AND DEFINITELY NOT LEAST: MUSICAL UTENA FOR YOU, NO SLEEP FOR US WEEKEND:

2018′s Musical Utena ~ Bud of the White Rose: Friday July 8, 7PM EST/4PM PST Saturday July 8, 11AM EST EUROZONE UK: 4PM, France: 5PM 2019′s Musical Utena ~ Blooming Rose of Deepest Black: Saturday July 8, 7PM EST/4PM PST Sunday July 9, 11AM EST EUROZONE UK: 4PM, France: 5PM

We will be streaming as always on Twitch, and this time we’ll be doing Euro runs as well! These take a LOT out of us to do but they’re so worth it when we can. <3 Remember, these will be *after* the merch giveaway but *during* the run of the auctions.

Actually finally:

The auctions will end on July 11th for the Dollfies and July 12th for the rest. They’ll end in the evening hours in the US, to be decided! Afterward we will contact everyone about combining shipping and such.  “But Empty Movement,” you might say. “what if we just want to give you money?” WELL. I mean, that option is also available, as always, via Patreon. We also sell merch via our Printful store!  Once this frenzy is over, look forward to a HUGE new interview translation, more gallery stuff, a doujin scan drop, more everything. So much more everything that there’s now another domain, emptymovement.com! But for now, let’s celebrate these gorgeous Dollfies, and the 25th anniversary of the Black Rose Saga, which premiered at the beginning of July in 1997. Cool huh? We didn’t schedule all this for *the correct* weekend coming up here, because frankly, with it being on Canada Day and Independence Day weekend, we suspect the internet will not support the streaming. Also, sorry this isn’t all prettier but there’s just so much to do! See you soon!

Love,

Vanna & Yasha

[limitlessimagines]

Hi! For the event in June... how about an imagine where Yoru and the reader go on a fun date at the amusement park? But a scenario where Yoru is a thrill-seeker and the reader... not so much lol

[I mostly do headcanons on this blog! Imagines are meant for events. Hope you understand. And thanks so much for the patience. I know this is at least 3 months old 0.0. -cheese]

The moment Yoru and you enter the gates, he’s tugging you along to get on the first roller coaster he sees.

You’re tugging him back, because there is absolutely no way you are going on one of those… death traps!

Yoru tries to convince you to go on one with him. You manage to get him to go alone, and browse the store while you wait for him.

He returns, big smile on his face. He really enjoyed it, but he’s a bit annoyed that he couldn’t enjoy it with you.

You suggest something without drops, like the arcade shooting ride next door. It’s more tame, and has a shooting aspect to it. Yoru and you sit in the same ride car, and he’s moving it left and right trying to rack up the points. You’re holding onto the sides for dear life.

When the two of you exit the car, you hold onto him, because your head is spinning. That’s when Yoru realizes he needs to tone it down a little. It was your idea to go to the amusement park, and the least he can do is make sure you have a good time.

He makes little suggestions here and there, like watching a stage show (even though he falls asleep on your shoulder because it’s too boring), or an automated dark ride from a movie without drops. Those are more enjoyable, especially since you can do them together.

Every now and then you’ll notice his eyes drift to a scary ride, one with loops, or water guns. You let him go on his own, and watch from afar, trying to get a photo of him at the drop.

One of your final rides of the day is a water ride with a small drop. Yoru is able to convince you to go with him by showing you the drop in the waiting area. It doesn’t look too bad. You go with him, holding his hand the entire time. Yoru squeezes it to make sure you don’t feel pressured. But you want to do this and show him you’re not that weak.

When the drop approaches, Yoru wraps an arm around your shoulder, and you feel for the handles. As you drop, your hands instinctively wrap around him instead. At the end of the ride, you can see your picture. It would be really cute, the two of you holding onto each other- except Yoru has a devilish grin, while your eyes are shut, and your head is buried in his chest.

Yoru buys the photo for $50 dollars with a frame. You hate him.

[chicago-geniza]

slept in roommate's old room! slept better than i have in ages! actually ate enough yesterday so of course feel extremely nauseated today, which means we are having lemon ginger kombucha & zofran for breakfast & finishing last night's editing before a whirlwind tour of several apartments today. process is very weird because it is my mom's money but she keeps saying defer to me but obviously nobody is going to so that, also *she* doesn't do that, also everybody involved treats me like i am a fucking idiot because my affect is daffy & ditzy & developmentally disabled. they *are* humoring me; i have no real authority or expertise here (stepdad is a career handyman/house repair guy & he's been going over the inspection reports, for example). i'm just the mobility-impaired person with access needs who can't afford their own place & has the means to take money from their parents about it lol. my frame of reference is "does this have bedbugs or black mold. does it have more than one flight of stairs. what is the laundry situation bc i can't carry clothes to a laundromat if it's too far & CTA keeps running ghost busses. coin laundry is also a problem when there's a national quarter shortage with no sign of ending soon. yes this is a paradoxical poverty mindset given my mom is paying for my apartment but that's like a one-off thing & i still have to live the rest of my life in my regular income bracket (low). is there a grocery store nearby & if there is one is it a food mirage. you can't stock up on staples at trader joe's & whole foods isn't a viable option. i know the map also says family dollar is technically a supermarket but you & i both know it is not, don't tell me it counts. do local, smaller groceries take SNAP. is there a pharmacy within walking distance--no not walgreens, a pharmacy that accepts illinois medicaid. is it within walking distance of public transit,"

[cherryyharryy]

this request went above the character limit so basically the one with 🌸 is the continuation.. my request is basically an angst to fluff where y/n and harry are together the fans know it’s not confirmed but everyone knows they’re together and she’s been getting lots of hate recently and she’s frustrated and upset harry won’t defend her and she’s pestering him why in a fight and he says something along the lines of “ i don’t want people to know i’m with you” meaning he’s scared if he confirms...

don’t from the one ending in confirms .. he’s basically scared if he confirms y/n is his gf the hate will get worse but she takes it to mean he’s embarrassed by her and essentially gives him an ultimatum kinda ( idk a better word than that) of either he sticks up for her and tells them to stop hating on her or she’s breaking up with him bc she can’t be with someone who can’t bother defending her

*****

Thank you! I liked this idea, but I still feel like I suck at fluff lol. But I hope it’s okay

WC: 1.4K

*******

The starchy scent of cigarettes replaces the bite of pasta you slip into your mouth. You choke down the food and subtly cover your nose, although it does no good.

“Okay?” Harry squints across the table, the spring air catching on a few curls laced together across his forehead.

You nod, but roll your eyes, angling your head to the man sitting not far enough, with a coffee and ultra lights. His face is hidden by a newspaper when you turn to catch a look, smoke escaping from behind. “I can taste it.”

“Yeah that’s kinda rude.”

You wait a moment before speaking. “Yes. It is.”

When you look again, a plump, hairy arm extends across the table to dig the bud into a tea plate. You let your irritation slip away and continue eating, only to double up on your anger when you hear the flick of a lighter once again.

“I’m gonna ask him to stop.”

“Wait.” Harry catches your hand before you stand up. “We can just go inside.”

“What? No, we shouldn’t have to move because he’s being inconsiderate.”

“We’re outside, love, not much anyone can tell him.”

“I can tell him to stop being an ass.” You push away from the table, but Harry grabs your wrist. 

“Baby, please, just let it go. Don’t start a scene.”

“A scene?” You settle back into your chair. “Are you kidding?”

“What?”

You suck in a breath, regretfully, as it’s filled with smoke. “Do you have any idea how many times you’ve said something like that to me in the past month?”

“I just don’t want you to draw unwanted attention to yourself.” He shrugs and sips his coffee. The tips of his ears are red, he’s clearly uncomfortable, but you’re in no mood to let him off. “Don’t want you to have to deal with it.”

“Is that so?”

He nods, unsure if answering you is what you even want.

“I’ve had to deal with a lot of shit,” you lower your voice and lean over the table, “and no one even knows for sure that we’re dating.”

“Shhhh.” You see his brows dip down below his sunglasses, frowning behind the tinted frames. 

“Oh I’m sorry. Forgot how to act for a minute. Y’know, maybe you should write up a list of rules you want me to follow so I know how to behave.” 

You don’t wait for a reply, successfully leaving the table this time as you march off the patio and towards Harry’s car parked down the block. In an alley. Where the two of you waited until foot traffic died down before going to lunch thirty minutes ago. 

The door’s locked so you lean against it, shuffling your feet so you’re not in the sun, or in sight of any passersby. 

The car beeps before you see Harry round the corner. His head is down until you’re both inside, turning the air on and pulling out onto the street without a word. Until he can’t take it anymore.

“Listen, I know I make things harder, but it’s only for security.”

“Security of what exactly?”

“Us…”

“I’m not sure what security you’re referring to, because I’ve gotten more death threats in the past two weeks than I would have liked.” You roll your head to look at him, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the road. 

“Know that.” He grips the wheel and exhales through clenched teeth. “But it could be worse.”

“I doubt that.” You pull up instagram and scroll through some of the latest comments you’ve gotten, looking for one in particular. Clearing your throat, you recite the message. “I don’t know why you bother with him. It’s sad, how clingy you are and obviously using him. How does it feel to have a dollar sign as a boyfriend? Pathetic. Use that car he gave you to do something useful and run yourself over.”

“Baby, please stop—”

“No, Harry, you have no idea what kind of fucked up things are sent to me. And we haven’t even confirmed anything!”

“I do know! You think I haven’t gotten shitty messages? Like I haven’t been through all this before?”

“Then what’s the point! Why even bother hiding our relationship if none of this goes away? It really hurts when you don’t at least stick up for me when someone makes a snarky comment when we’re in public. Girlfriend or not, I’m a human being, and you just let everything slide so we don’t cause a damn scene.”

“I do too stick up for you!”

“No you don’t! You just suggest we leave. One time you walked away and left me in the middle of a store.”

“I just don’t want people to know we’re together!”

Silence.

Not another word, not another sound until the gate to Harry’s private property screeches open and he pulls up to his house. You’re out of the car before it’s even parked, storming inside with no plan other than to get away from him before you say something you’ll regret.

He calls after you, your name echoing through his huge house, as you make your way up a set of stairs and into a guest room. You slam the door and fling yourself onto the bed, finally letting the tears fall.

He knocks at the door but doesn't wait for your answer, barging in with one last cry of your name. He deflates upon seeing you, crumbles upon hearing your sobs. “Baby.” His hand settles between your shoulder blades as he leans down to brush your hair from your face. “I didn’t mean it like that. Not like it sounds.”

“What the hell could you have meant?” Your words are choppy and tight, catching in your throat before you force them out. “If you’re not gonna defend me, then I can’t have this. Us. I’m not gonna be with someone who cares more about protecting the feelings of complete strangers than his own girlfriend.”

“I do care about you—”

“Like hell you do. That’s why you buy me all kinds of stuff. Make me over so I’m presentable. If you’re that embarrassed to be with me, why would you even ask me out?” A sob takes over. Harry tries rubbing your back, but you shake him off. 

“What—embarrassed? The last thing I am is embarrassed. I’m proud to be with you. I love you, and I only buy you stuff because I can afford to do so.” You turn to face him, your vision blurred with tears. “Then why can’t you stick up for me? I’m not asking you to fight with everyone who leaves a negative comment, but something, Harry. I need someone who’s on my team.”

His voice stutters. Similar words he’s used before, referring to the two of you as a team, strike a nerve. He blinks away a few tears of his own. “You’re right. I’m so sorry, baby. I’m sorry I’ve been letting you down.”

You shuffle up on your knees, encouraging him to join you on the bed, and in a hug. “You’ve never let me down. We just haven’t been on the same page with all this.” You sigh, wiping away a few remaining tears. “I understand why you haven’t wanted to say anything, but I think we’re past the point of keeping us a secret.”

“Was tryin’ to hold onto that as long as I could.”

You both climb off the bed, and Harry takes your hand, pulling you into his chest. 

“We can have privacy without secrecy.”

He kisses your head. “May not be as private as you think.”

“I know…” You step back to look up at him, letting your hands slip down his arms to rest in his palms. “But it’ll take a little pressure off.”

His brows raise in thought, and he drops your hand to pull his phone from his jacket. Without a word, he scrolls through his photos until he finds one he likes, holding it up for you to see. “My favorite.”

Next thing you know, he’s posting the picture of you two from a few weeks ago—when you’d gone out to dinner with Jeff and Glenne, all dressed up with less than sober smiles on your faces—to Instagram.

“It feels weird now,” you mumble.

“Don’t tell me you change your mind?” Harry chuckles.

“No, no—I’m happy. Proud to call you mine.”

“Never gonna let you feel like I don’t have your back,” he leans down to kiss your nose, “ever. Promise.” 

[meltwonu]

| 🍒 CH-CH-CHERRY BOMB! 🍒 |     [CHAPTER 5]

pairing; dom!seungcheol x camgirl!reader

this chapter’s notes; camshow, use of toys(sybian), squirting, the long awaited chapter 5 😳💕 do they finally meet?!?!?!?! hehehehehehe also sorry for not being able to post this yesterday, had a busy week and when I tell ya I woke up at 3pm today 😗 💕💕💕💕 as always, thank you so much for your continued interest!! I'm already writing ch 6 and im SOOOO EXCITEDDDD hHEHEHEHEEHEH 💕💕💕💕💕 HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEKENDS! 🍒 

chapters; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - ? 

“You guys! I--you have to see this!”

You can’t wipe the smile off of your face when you shimmy to the side, excitedly showing off the new gift that Seungcheol had sent in the mail.

sleepy_wonu: holy hell

universe_WZ: that mustve costed hella

alphagyu97: nothin like feelin extra poor amirite lads

angelhan: it was only a matter of time before dom.cheol was untouchable lol 

You giggle slightly as you adjust the camera so that you and your new sybian are in frame. “Hey~ Don’t say that!! Y’know it’s not the amount of money you spend on me… I’m glad you guys are always here with me~” The sound of coins clinking goes off in the back as you read a few more comments.

dom.cheol: well princess, don’t u wanna show them how you use your new toy? ;)

tangerine_kwan: fuck i bet it can get u to cum so fuckin fast

hoshi_tiger_xx: yessss

dom.cheol has donated $100

hoshi_tiger_xx has donated $50

“Hmm~ How many times do you think I can cum with this? Oh! Why don’t we do this~” You pause, sliding your wet panties down your legs before tossing the material to the side. You grin, swinging a leg over the toy until you’re straddling it. “Rapid fire question! Whoever guesses the right amount of orgasms I can take before I call quits… Wins a special unreleased photoset of me! Go!”

dom.cheol: 5

universe_WZ: 4

sleepy_wonu: 6

angelhan: 3 artist8hao: 5

alphagyu97: everyone took all the good numbers already!!! 7!!!!!

gentleman_josh95: DMAN IT 3

tangerine_kwan: 8, fuck

kitty_junjun: ugh i was gonna say 4!!!!

xcaliburDK: i was gonna say 5!!!!

therealchan99: 2? thats so low tho….

chwenon: as if anyone is gonna say 1, lmao. Uh 6…. If sleepy_wonu happens to disappear

hoshi_tiger_xx: im gonna say 10, but… seems… risky

Reaching for the remote, you situate yourself until the raised part of the toy sits directly on your clit. A shiver runs up your spine at the feeling; already excited for what’s in store. “Um, to be fair I haven’t tried it myself yet so I’m not sure either... Hehe, but I guess we’ll find out together, huh?”

Gulping, you set the sybian to its lowest setting, the air getting knocked out of your lungs immediately as your body lurches forward. “H--holy shit!” The vibrations are already harsh on the lowest setting; your fingers gripping the remote tightly as you try to adjust to the feeling. “O--oh my g-god, I--”

dom.cheol: aww can ur cute lil clit take it?

xcaliburDK: maybe one of the lower numbers was right lol…

The moans spill freely from your lips, garbled noises getting lost in the mix when you start to grind against the vibration. “Fuck, it--it feels suh--so good, hah, already feel like ‘m gonna cum…” You whine, already getting lost in the pleasure. For a second, you’re tempted to raise the vibration intensity but you hold back, letting your wetness coat the toy as you continue to grind down onto it. The sound of donations and comments sound fuzzy to your ears; only the sound of the sybian buzzing reminding you that the camera was still even on.

“Ngh, g-god, I’m--I’m gonna cum!”

tangerine_kwan has donated $75

xcaliburDK has donated $50

dom.cheol has donated $200

dom.cheol: cmon, lets see that pretty pussy cum

Your legs shake as you cum, only a squeak coming out of your mouth as you lurch forward atop the toy. The grip you have on the remote loosens while simultaneously trying to turn it off in the midst of your orgasm.

dom.cheol: awww cumming so hard on the first setting? Cute

therealchan99: lol baby is in trouble now

angelhan: maybe 3 was right lmao

“I--a-ah, fu--fuck!” You cry, shaky fingers finally managing to shut the toy off. Your body immediately untenses; chest heaving with how sensitive you already were and it had only been your first orgasm and the lowest setting of the toy. “O-oh my g-god, I--I didn’t know i-it was that s-strong…” You mumble, body buzzing with the remnants of your orgasm.

sleepy_wonu: well mr dom.cheol did pay top dollar

gentleman_josh95: imagine if u had this for yesterdays show lol

“Oh god, if--if I had this for yesterday’s show, I would’ve been too boneless to do today’s show!” You laugh airily, slowly grinding against the toy already. “It feels really nice though… I’m already super curious about how strong the other settings are…” Trailing off, you reach for the remote again, throat dry as you fiddle with the knob.

kitty_junjun: what if u set it to the max setting

chwenon: idk if her cute lil body could take it

dom.cheol: its okay baby, take ur time. I wanna see how sensitive that pussy of yours can get

“But ‘m already so sensitive~ I dunno how much more I can take~” You tease, biting your lip when all the comments flooding the chat are words of encouragement.

You knew when you started camming that it’d be no easy job. Building up your fanbase and subscriber count had taken you months upon months to even get within the thousands and camming was physically exhausting. Some days your viewer counts were low and some days they were above average and sometimes you didn’t make as much in one show than another.

tangerine_kwan: was therealchan99 right with 2 then? Heh

therealchan99: finally FINALLY ITS MY TIME TO SHINE

Giggling, you slowly start turning the knob; body twitching when the vibrations kick in at full force.

Seungcheol watches in amazement at the way your body jerks atop the machine.

He can see the way your legs twitch unbearably when you cum for the third time; your brows furrowed at the intensity of the vibrations and your taut body when you can barely manage to turn the machine off.

Licking his lips, he slowly thrusts up into his closed palm, spreading the precum down his shaft as he watches you catch your breath.

“I--ngh, fuh--fuck, I---I don’t--don’t know if I--I can cum a-again…”

Seungcheol moans at your breathy whimpers; the arousal in his body pooling up quickly when he sees the fucked out expression in your eyes. His eyes flit to the wetness that coats the silicone portion of the toy, smirking when he realizes how much you really seemed to enjoy the gift he’d gotten you.

Mentally patting himself on the back, he praises himself for making the right decision.

angelhan: please tlel me im the winner im begging

universe_WZ: NO

dom.cheol: is the princess tired already? ;)

You catch your breath, not wanting to give up despite how fuzzy your head was getting and how much your body was buzzing. “I dunno… We still haven’t tried the last setting, you guys… And I’m just so curious...” You whisper, hazy eyes staring into the camera.

hoshi_tiger_xx: god u look so pretty like this, all fucked out

artis8hao: right? fuck, id kill to be that guy who can get u off like this

xcaliburDK: goddamn same

The sound of coins clinking mixes with the ringing in your ears; fingertips already on the knob of the remote.

You take a deep breath, letting the adrenaline kick in as you quickly set the knob to the highest setting, a high pitched cry spilling from your lips when you let go of the remote in favor of holding onto the machine instead. Grinding down onto it, you meet the toy's harsh vibrations as it quickly forces another orgasm out of you in the matter of seconds.

Choked cries spill from your lips as your entire body tenses up; body twitching uncontrollably as you cum for the fourth time. You lean back with whatever energy you have left, bracing yourself on the back of the toy as you relieve your swollen clit of the buzzing machine. Your orgasm refuses to stop and you can already tell how obscenely wet everything’s gotten when your head starts to clear.

alphagyu97: fuck you squirted all over the toy baby

universe_WZ: fuck fucki fuck

universe_WZ: wait did i winf kjfhdsjk

You shakily slide off of the machine, resting on your side as the machine still buzzes with life next to you. Your entire body won’t stop shaking, head muddled as you fight the urge to shut your eyes and sleep for the next 5 days. “I’m--I--” You whimper, still feeling the phantom vibrations between your legs.

“I--ho--holy fuck, I, w-wow, I--I don’t--that--I’m, I’m just… wow.”

dom.cheol has donated $400

dom.cheol: knew you’d like it ;)

universe_WZ: THAT MEANS I WON

universe_WZ has donated $150

angelhan has donated $150

therealchan99: well, at least some of us got close

hoshi_tiger_xx: fuckin speak for urself man i said /10/

You end the show after letting ‘universe_WZ’ know you’ll contact him soon, shutting your eyes as you lay on your soiled sheets.

You can still feel your fingertips twitching when your eyes slide shut, chest heaving in deep breaths as you try to relax yourself, momentarily cursing yourself for pushing your body too far for tonight’s show. 

Groaning, you reach for your phone, the screen lighting up with a text from Seungcheol, a simple ‘don’t forget to drink water ;)’ in your notifications and you can’t help but pout.

Seungcheol was nice, almost too nice. Definitely not in a murderer kinda way though, you think. 

He bought you expensive gifts and never asked for anything in return which made you feel bad sometimes. And while the donations and tips you’d made through your camshows was enough to get by with, Seungcheol’s generous donations helped you always make your rent and bills on time without worrying if you’d have enough or not.

You quickly text him back with a smile on your face; hoping that he’ll like what you had to offer.

Seungcheol feels the exact same way he did when you first contacted him offering him a free show, except maybe ten times worse. At first, he’d been a little sad that he hadn’t won your quick little game but this made up for it 20-fold.

The six simple words read ‘want to meet up next friday?’, a small heart emoji next to the question and he’d almost thrown his phone when he read it, hands shakily responding with a simple ‘I’d love to.’ to make it seem like he was calm when he was most definitely not.

His immediate next order of business after replying was to text Namjoon despite how late into the night it already was, begging for the day off and offering to take any shifts or pay cuts in exchange for it. 

All he needed was one day and he swore he’d never miss a day of work ever again.

Namjoon responds with a quick ‘sure, why not’, momentarily confusing him as to why his boss was awake while simultaneously sending Seungcheol into complete panic when he realizes he finally gets to meet you.

The week goes by extremely quickly to Seungcheol; his mood on a completely different level when he offers to pick up Yoongi’s Sunday shift without a complaint. He cleans up all the messes around the roller rink and even offers to do jobs that aren’t his which have Jeongguk raising a brow at the older male.

In the days that lead up to your meeting, Seungcheol looks up a few cafes that you might be interested in and even goes to get an STD exam, not that he’s expecting anything. Safety first, he says.

Your Wednesday show comes and goes, Seungcheol too excited to even get off when he watches you and he even donates an extra $600 at the end of the show; travel spending money, he offers.

And Thursday comes without a hitch and he all but skips to the employee backroom once his shift is over, humming a tune while he changes out of his uniform.

“Hey hyung, no offense, but are you okay?” Jeongguk rests against the locker next to Seungcheol’s open one, brow raised at the blue haired male that beams back at him. “I’m scared, why are you so… giddy. You even offered to take Yoongi-hyung’s weekend shift? What the hell was that about? I’ve never seen him that giddy either.  Man, this place is getting weird, maybe I should quit...”

Seungcheol can’t help but laugh, patting Jeongguk on the shoulder before shutting his locker.

“I have an important meeting tomorrow, that’s all. And don’t quit, ‘cause who else is gonna give me free food.”

While the excitement had him since Saturday, now that it was finally Friday, he was downright nervous.

The two of you had agreed to meet at 2PM in front of the cafe that Seungcheol had picked out and you’d gotten a hotel in town to make it easier on yourself instead of trying to get back to your place too late. Seungcheol had offered to come pick you up, but you had politely declined; instead opting to meet him first before letting him do anything else for you.

And by nature, Seungcheol gets to the cafe 15 minutes early, fidgeting and continuously running his fingers through his hair as he patiently waits. He can feel his palms getting sweaty when he rubs them against his jeans, mentally trying to keep calm and his head floods with all sorts of thoughts; mainly, how he even got into this position with you in the first place. And he gets so distracted that he doesn’t realize you’d be standing watching him zone out for the last 5 minutes.

“Wow, not sure what’s got you so focused but you’re standing so still!”

Seungcheol hears your cute airy laugh that follows, a cherry blush on his cheeks when his eyes meet your smiling face. “I--oh my god…” He whispers, taking in your appearance.

He feels his face buzzing, fingers twitching when he sees you in a cute simple  sundress. “W-wow, you--you’re just… so beautiful. I mean, you’re beautiful on cam too but just, wow, in person? Incredible.” The blush reaches his ears when he realizes he’s rambling, a nervous laugh spilling out of his lips.

“S--sorry, I, uh, usually I’m more chill than this but y’know…” He trails off, to which you nod. You step closer to Seungcheol and he gets a hint of your sweet smelling perfume, mentally groaning when your cute eyes peer up into his.

“That’s okay! I totally understand~ I’m kinda nervous myself too, to be honest…” You pause, a pink blush coating your own cheeks. “But let’s talk over some food, huh?”

Seungcheol doesn’t want to pry, but he’s not sure if he should address you as ‘Cherry’ in person, or if he should avoid calling you by anything at all.

He watches as you go through the cafe’s menu, biting the inside of his cheek as he itches to ask.

“‘Cheol… I can feel you staring, y’know.. Penny for your thoughts?” You ask, concerned eyes meeting his nervous ones.

“I just-- Sorry, I didn’t mean to be awkward, I just was wondering how I should address you in person? I don’t want to overstep my bounds, I know you don’t put your real name out there so…”

You place your menu down, closing it before leaning on your palms atop the small table. Seungcheol is cute, too cute, you think. You knew this would be a question when the two of you eventually met and you had given yourself the time to get used to the idea that he’d know your real name.

He eyes hyperfocus on your glossy lips, watching as you say your name for him for the first time.

Seungcheol’s heart threatens to beat out of his chest when he hears it; repeating it over and over in his head before he says it out loud.

“Wow, it sounds nice when it’s you saying it~” You tease, leaning back in your chair. “I don’t mind if you call me by my name, by the way! The pet names are cute but maybe we should keep that to the bedroom~” You end in a whisper, winking at the male.

Fuck, he thinks, just as his cock throbs at your comment. He really wishes you wouldn’t say things like that because he’s weak and he knows it, especially when it comes to you. “Okay, cool! Yeah, sorry, I just---I didn’t want to overstep, I know you don’t really let that be public information.”

“Of course! And thank you, I really can’t tell you how much you’ve done for me. I really… really wouldn’t be able to do all the things that I do if it weren’t for your constant support.”

You want to say more, but the waiter comes to take your orders, cutting you off until he leaves again.

“By the way…” Seungcheol looks at you with curious eyes, lips puckered around his drink straw. “Tell me about yourself, ‘Cheollie! I feel like we didn’t really get to talk that one time!”

He swallows the water in his mouth, licking his dry lips. Here goes nothing, he thinks.

“I swear, and please don’t think I’m a loser, but I--I work at a roller rink. It’s really not cool, I’m not some high paid CEO or whatever, I--I just, I work hard?” Seungcheol chuckles, running a hand through his hair as he waits for your reply.

“Wait, that’s so cool! Oh my gosh, I kinda wanna go!”

The surprise washes over Seungcheol, eyes wide as saucers when he hears you saying you’d want to visit his workplace. “Wuh---wait, seriously!?”

“Yeah! It’s kinda, like, retro! I haven’t been to one since I was a kid!” He quickly offers to bring you to the roller rink on Sunday so you could have somewhere to hang out while you were in town.

“And sadly, I took a shift on Sunday so you can hang with me while I work.” 

Seungcheol grins, watching as you jokingly roll your eyes at him. “So you did it on purpose, huh…” The two of you share a laugh, glad that your first meeting seemed to be going okay so far.

“Well, I mean, if it makes you feel any better, my best friend works the concession stand so I’ll make sure to get you a free pair of skates and food whenever you want?”

“It’s a deal!”

The two of you continue to talk over your late lunch, Seungcheol telling you of the various work hijinks he’d gone through at his time working at the roller rink.

“Which, by the way, that morning show you did… Hope you know I holed up in the restroom for an entire hour for that ‘lil stunt.”

You can’t help the tears that fall from your eyes when you laugh, only feeling slightly bad for the blue haired male. “But I told you! Sometimes it’s just like that, y’know~” You tease back, heart blooming at the way you and Seungcheol got along.

In all honesty, there’d been something on your mind since you first sat down and you didn’t know when the right time to ask was, or if it was even appropriate.

The smile slips from your face as you bite the inside of your cheek in thought.

Seungcheol takes the bill from the waiter, slipping his card into the holder before you can even offer. But he notices the way your expression falls, noting the hesitance in your eyes when he looks at you from across the table.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” His voice is gentle, soft and caring when he leans over the table to make sure you’re alright.

“Yeah! Just---Can I ask you for a favor?”

[its-short-for-jackalope]

my birthday present yesterday was being able to go nuts at the dollar store and pick out a bunch of crafty stuff, and I had so much fun 😊

one thing I got was this package of tiny wooden cubes! (shown here where they are currently being stored in some of the tins I also bought)

last night I filled up a spread in my sketchbook with some mockups of what I wanna do with these. (I've really only explored one idea—these lil guys have so much potential! could definitely see myself getting more in the future)

I haven't sketched anything for it yet, but I also plan on adding polymer clay to the tins. I have four little ones and two bigger ones. not really sure what would actually go in them for storage (aside from tiny wooden cubes) but whatever, lol. I'll figure it out.

oh OH and going back to the cubes, I'm excited bc im getting a little hand drill (pen drill?) so I can put holes in them myself and not have to borrow my dad's electric drill. that thing does have small bits I could use but I do not wanna have it spinning really fast that close to my fingers w/ how small these cubes are, lmao

and since I'm here have a couple more pictures:

a selection of various fabrics I loved (18x21 inches each)! the patterned ones are most visible in the pic but I also got a few solid colors. I'm planning on using these for patches, but also maybe embroidery and........ doll clothes?? @/strangegutz has me highkey wanting to try making dolls. (check out his blog, the dolls they make are seriously so freaking cool)

I also got some funky picture frames!! when I went looking for a frame for my color wheel idea I saw these and fell in love, but at the time I didn't buy any. fixed that yesterday, lol. I almost capped it at two 4x6 frames but then I just grabbed one of each size they had. and a hexagon just cuz I liked the shape. trying to decide if I want to save all the holographic frames for a series/collection that all goes together or if I wanna just do whatever with them. I could always just get more later. 🤔

not pictured bc I dont feel like it are my set of little rubber-tipped clamp-clips, a small cutting mat thing, a wooden snake (might customize him like the sharks if they go well!), and a glass tankard that makes me feel powerful when I hold it. 😌

[cosmictulips]

Okay so an update on the Etsy store.

to keep it short (if you want to read the whole rant then go ahead lol) ::

I'm moving the store.

I will be opening a new store on ... idk just yet. maybe Ko-Fi. maybe on my own website. idk. it's all a work in progress still.

Aside from being HORRIFICALLY behind, I'm really tired of using etsy. frankly I find the platform to be horrible for tarot readings. yea it's easy recognition because there's demand for tarot readings

but

and that's a huge

BUT

A LOT of the customers??? HORRENDOUS

the policies in place? horrendous

My year has been hell and there has been no relief from etsy. I get it, I'm running a business. I used to hate the other Tarot sellers on Etsy because I didn't understand why I'd pay 15 dollars for 2 paragraphs that was vague as shit.

but now I get it.

to not only keep up the demand but to keep Etsy off my ass, I'd have to make sacrifices like that. I HAVE to cut my 20 page reading to 2 pages to meet their fucking "time to ship" frame. and I can't change it unless i want to lose all traffic from my store.

and A LOT of the customers DO NOT understand how some things take time. no one reads the listings, they're constantly degrading me. calling me a scam artist, this that and the other thing.

even my updates that are automatic, no one wants to even understand WHY my readings take so long.

and I'm fucking tired of it.

they've suspended my store because I refuse to sacrifice my quality for quantity.

I love some of my customers. don't get me wrong. and some of them have been waiting awhile. (but I've explained that whole situation. I ain't joking when I say this year has been bad).

but I'm fucking tired of it. I'm tired of trying meet a demand that no one takes seriously and Etsy's ... ??? shit hole of a standard doesn't make any sense.

I'm burned the fuck out.

No one reads ANYTHING no one understands anything because they refuse to read or even communicate. they wonder why all the tarot readers are leaving the website or they're a big chain from tik- tok.

Etsys standards are dumb as fuck. even with my own rules and shit put into place. and I can't keep up with it anymore.

I am one fucking person.