#the guy that made you cut off your arm and murder your best friend vs your loving boyfriend/husband of many years

[lazy-toad]

Of all the named characters in woe.begone, the only character to ever be named as being explicitly Mike's type is Ryan (game runner), whereas the only character that is named as being explicitly NOT Mike's type is Edgar. What an eye Mike has for men

[a-crimson-lion]

“It Makes Me Wanna Keep Him At Arm’s Length” An Overview On Katsuki Bakugo’s Development

[I should by no means be the one writing this analysis, but here we are. Obviously it’s an overview on Katsuki’s character development, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Keep reading if you want the details.]

Table of Contents

i) Prologue

I) A Brief Explanation

II) The “What The F*** Is Your Existence” Phase

II.A) Breaking The Barriers

III) The “I Can’t Let You Get Ahead Of Me” Phase

IV) The “Why Don’t You Care About Yourself” Phase

V) Final Address+Conclusion

Word Count: 4415

[Warning: Contains manga spoilers up to Ch. 284. Will also include spoilers for the movies and OVAs, as well as the special Deku & Bakugo: Rising two-shot manga. Reader’s discretion is advised. Not scared off yet? Good. Let’s do this.]

i) Prologue

Alright, no beating around the bush, I guess.

We all know this has to deal with Ch. 284, and the milestone that came with it. We got a rare look inside Katsuki’s perspective, and we saw firsthand how much his perspective has changed from the start of the story. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten such an in-depth look into Katsuki’s psyche since Deku vs Kacchan 2. It’s honestly impressive.

...which is why I’m so confused by a certain kind of response to it.

When you look past the swarms of tumblr posts absolutely losing their s*** over Katsuki getting further character development, you come across an… admittedly troubling response. The idea that “Katsuki always cared.” The idea that as early as the Battle Trial, if not middle school, Katsuki was secretly keeping an eye out for Izuku in their tumultuous relationship.

...no. Just-. No, what the-

I’ll get to why this particular response pisses me off in a bit, but before that, I wanna give a run down of Katsuki’s development, according to the narrative. Anyone who’s been around my blog long enough knows that I don’t exactly hold Katsuki in good graces. (Pretty much the opposite, actually.) However, in light of recent developments, that’s not what this post is gonna be focusing on. And as such, I’ll keep the snark and branch conversations to a minimum… to the best of my abilities.

So… how are we gonna do this?

I) A Brief Explanation

After we finish this brief “tutorial” section, the next three segments of the post will cover the various time frames of Katsuki’s development. I’ll be going through a general rundown of Katsuki’s perspective and the various evidence points that lead me to my conclusions. It’s essentially a glorified retelling. Sound good? Alrighty then!

II) The “What The F*** Is Your Existence” Phase

Time Frame: Ch. 1-Ch. 116 [Sludge Villain Arc-Late Provisional Hero License Exam Arc]

In case the Prologue didn’t make things clear, let me spell it out: Katsuki didn’t always care.

At least, he didn’t “always care” in the positive sense.

To clarify, this isn’t just 3rd Year Middle School Katsuki to UA Katsuki. This is all the way back to the River Incident. Katsuki has had this mentality for that long and then some when you shift out of backstory territory. We’re talking about the same kid who nearly murdered Izuku in the Battle Trial, blasted Izuku to kingdom come in the Training of the Dead OVA, and decked Izuku during the Final Exams. So…

The following hinges majorly on the line Katsuki stated in Chapter 284, and the title of this analysis: “It makes me wanna keep him at arm’s length.” Contrary to popular belief, this does not just apply to the idea that Katsuki wants to stick around Izuku to keep him from destroying himself.

...it’s also a major contributor to the reason Katsuki bullied Izuku in the past.

So let’s backtrack to the River incident. Katsuki takes one wrong step on a log, slips, and falls down into the river below. Izuku is the only one that goes down to help him. This infuriates Katsuki because he was fine, as was said by him and everyone but Izuku that was present that day. This is also the first time Katsuki becomes aware of something he echoes in the Ch. 284 flashback:

“He just… Deep down, he doesn’t take himself into account, y’know?”

This is Katsuki’s first run in with Izuku’s inherent selflessness. Initially, he takes it as pity; in his words, Izuku is “looking down on him.” And this bothers him a great deal. Then when it comes to Quirks, Katsuki gets one and Izuku doesn’t. This assures Katsuki of something he shortly discovered previously: Izuku isn’t all that special.

It’s a brief comfort. Because Izuku hasn’t taken the damn hint and stopped hanging out with him and his friends. The Quirked kids. The normal kids.

And worst still, he’s willing to get in Katsuki’s way just because someone else is in his line of fire. In the back of his mind, it’s the River Incident all over again, though he’s not being feared for; he’s being feared of. It’s all wrong. Deku isn’t strong like the rest of them. Deku can’t be a hero. Deku knows that.

...he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance, right? He knows how the world really works. Is he… is he putting on an act?

One of the few remarkable traits Katsuki has right from the get-go is his disdain against dishonesty. So, when he sees Izuku putting on a brave face and acting like a hero, and Katsuki decides that Izuku’s just “pretending,” Katsuki takes the matter into his own hands. He’ll get Izuku to show his true colors in due time. That’s what heroes do, right? Take down the bad guys? And Izuku faking about caring for others when everyone else clearly puts themselves first and foremost sounds pretty bad guy-like, at least at the time.

So, Izuku keeps on trucking, occasionally trying to join back up with Katsuki’s group on a near frequent basis. Even when that fails, he tries his damnedest to catch up.

But what many people forget is that at some point, Izuku stopped following, at least actively.

By Chapter 1, he’s making sure to keep from drawing attention to himself. He’s not as enthusiastic as everyone else in the class, he tries backing away from Katsuki and shrinking down on himself, tries defusing the situation. That doesn’t sound like Izuku’s still trying to keep up. Even in the special two-shot manga dedicated to Heroes: Rising, Izuku isn’t the one to draw attention to Katsuki’s presence. And even when he does go after Katsuki and the villain, his attention is more so focused on the villain, thoughts of staying out of Katsuki’s way to not offend him likely somewhere in his mind.

So then why does Katsuki keep antagonizing him in the first chapter of canon proper? And even before that, most likely?

“It makes me wanna keep him at arm’s length.”

...Izuku didn’t stop being Izuku. Izuku didn’t stop being selfless.

And his selflessness is what pisses Katsuki off to no end. So, he keeps pursuing Izuku, keeps trying to get him to “drop the act.” Makes him a “punching bag,” as Izuku states in Chapter 8. Because the way things work, Izuku should not be trying to be a hero. He should not be trying to put on a brave face when he’s scared s***less. He should not be sticking his neck out for others when he doesn’t (or rather, didn’t) have anything to stick up for himself.

Katsuki was born with something that made everyone consider him prime hero material. Izuku was born without that, and was considered the opposite… and yet, he still tries.

And this character trait, this selflessness, it drives Katsuki insane. And it continues to do so well beyond the Battle Trial Arc. Even when Katsuki is able to begrudgingly accept that Quirkless Deku has a Quirk now, somehow, his selflessness continues to bring Katsuki grief. While it’s never inherently brought up, this is the dividing factor between Izuku’s fight against Shoto in the Sport’s Festival and Katsuki’s fight with Shoto in the Sport’s Festival.

Izuku was willing to go all out at the cost of himself just so Shoto could accept what was his. Katsuki just wanted a good brawl, to be the undisputed first place.

This even continues well into the Final Exams, though the fact that Katsuki is running high on arrogance and anger does nothing to soothe matters. It takes a deck to face and later an explosive kabedon wall smash to get Izuku and Katsuki working together, and let’s not forget that when Izuku was trying to get Katsuki to realize they were still fighting All Might, regardless of whatever handicaps he may or may not have, he gets decked in the nose for his efforts. While it’s technically a subtler play on Izuku’s selflessness and concern for others, Katsuki likely took it as further mockery, another attempt for Deku to try and get under his skin and throw him off.

In any case, throughout this time period, Katsuki cares f*** all for Izuku or his philosophy, opting to brute force things up until the very end of the time frame. But what causes the eventual shift?

II.A) Breaking The Barriers

A number of things, actually.

None of the proceeding events ever do a clean cut on Katsuki’s worldview. It’s more like chiseling through a wall than breaking it down with a hammer.

The Sludge Villain is the first hint that Izuku might not be faking and Katsuki might not be at the top. While many claim that Katsuki leaves Izuku alone because he feels indebted to him but doesn’t want to admit it, it’s more than likely that he’s more focused on his own self-loathing. This incident is what defines him for a good chunk of the series, to his chagrin.

The Battle Trial is just another nail in the eventual coffin. Katsuki thinks he’s finally got Izuku right where he wants him, only for Izuku to pull a 500 IQ play and prioritize the exercise over his and Katsuki’s squabbles, taking the brunt of Katsuki’s attack and attention while giving Ochako the opportunity to capture the bomb. That look of frustration is Katsuki realizing that not only did Izuku get ahead, he got ahead with the very thing Katsuki despises. Needless to say, it f***s with him well until the aftermath outside of UA’s gate.

Shoto refusing to use his flames is another chip off the marble that is Katsuki’s pride. It reinforces the idea that Izuku is doing something that Katsuki isn’t, something that Izuku shouldn’t have in the first place, beyond a Quirk at least. So, Katsuki rages, because he can’t understand why it’s such a big deal, in both Izuku’s and Shoto’s cases.

The Final Exams just hammer the point home further. Katsuki’s one-track minded attempts to bring down All Might are met with no results. He would have failed that exam if it wasn’t for Izuku’s selflessness or Katsuki “lowering himself” to cooperate with him. Had Katsuki not gotten decked in the face and dragged off or got saved at the last minute while he was knocked out, he definitely would have failed on account of becoming a liability.

The Training Camp attack is an odd mix of Katsuki’s current philosophy and the next stage in it. He knows Izuku’s gonna go and save his ass, and he wants no part of that because hasn’t he made him suffer enough already? Hasn’t he already proved time and time again that he’s getting better, despite the fact that Katsuki doesn’t want or believe it? Despite the fact that it shouldn’t even be happening if things were right in the world? Izuku does recognize Katsuki’s wounded pride, however, which is instrumental in getting him out of All For One’s clutches during Kamino.

If we briefly direct our attention to the Make It! Do-Or-Die Survival Training! OVA, Katsuki is pretty adamant on claiming he only got the power back on in the underground mall to complete the exercise. And I don’t think that’s Katsuki’s “tsundere” talking, either: I genuinely believe that Katsuki’s only thoughts at the moment was getting the exercise done. Everyone else was just secondary. And remember, Katsuki hates dishonesty, which is probably why he doesn’t take credit for “saving” Izuku and Shoto. While his actions did save the two of them and everyone else in the mall, that wasn’t his intention, which is an interesting flip on Izuku’s performance back in the Battle Trial. Couple that with the fact that Katsuki is injured (and therefore weak, and in need of help), and it’s no wonder he’s in a sour mood towards the end of it all.

And this sour mood carries over to the final nail in his coffin: the Provisional License Exam. He only gets by the first half because other people had the sense to tag along, but the second half regards his undoing because he still doesn’t get the whole selfless aspect of saving people in the second half of the exam. This was also foreshadowed back in the aforementioned OVA with Katsuki’s excessive animosity towards the victim dummy. Whether they be real or fake, Katsuki’s disregard of either victim doesn’t grant him his hero license.

This is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Katsuki. And ultimately, this sparks the start in his shift to the second phase of his development.

III) The “I Can’t Let You Get Ahead Of Me” Phase

Time Frame: Ch. 117-~Ch. 257 [Late Provisional Hero License Exam Arc-Early Paranormal Liberation War Arc]

Since this is only the second phase of Katsuki’s development (and given that this is Katsuki we’re talking about), don’t expect to get much of an upgrade with this shift.

Essentially, it boils down to two things: Katsuki stops viewing Izuku as an annoyance, and starts viewing him as an obstacle. Simultaneously, he starts seeing the viability of saving, at least as a tool in a hero’s kit.

Let me explain.

While Deku vs Kacchan 2 is the first time Izuku and Katsuki have attempted to talk out their issues… not much gets addressed. Sure, Katsuki becomes aware of Izuku not looking down on him, but Izuku is never made aware of the deeper issues regarding Katsuki’s loathing beyond that. It primarily serves as a half-barebones narrative checkpoint, a segway for Katsuki to get in on the secret of One For All.

...let’s also talk about that, shall we?

So Izuku’s been getting better as a hero and with his Quirk. Then Katsuki finds out after he gets kidnapped and rescued that Izuku is the successor to their mutual idol. And that’s after essentially being told he can’t be a hero in his current state due to the PLE. And what is his usual response to adversity? He decides to get ahead of it.

He’ll surpass Class 1-A so there won’t be another Battle Trial. He’ll surpass Izuku and One For All so he can truly claim that he’s the best of the best.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to see more of this development until the Joint Training Arc. However, keep in mind that this is only the second stage. Katsuki wants to prove that he’s the best, so of course he’s gonna step up his game. That means taking advice from the LITERAL (former) #1 HERO, and making the victory as flawless as possible. After all, Katsuki himself said in Chapter 208:

“I’ve decided! We’re gonna win this match with a perfect victory! 4-0, with everyone unscathed! That’s the kind of victory there is for the strongest guys out there!”

...it might be a slight exaggeration when he says he’s hardly changed at the end of that chapter, but then again it is a stretch to even call it an exaggeration.

That aside, Katsuki also makes it part of his agenda to keep tabs on OFA. This would fit into the “Katsuki secretly cares” agenda, but we haven’t reached that point. Right now, in these moments, Katsuki figures that if One For All starts getting freaky, he wants to know about it so he can get a leg up. And maybe part of him still wants to call Izuku out.

He was minorly ticked when Izuku allowed himself to make a mistake during their unauthorized fight. And he constantly reminds Izuku to not forget that he’s supposed to surpass him (or the other way around).

Taking off the rose-colored glasses for a moment, it does make sense for Katsuki to say this beyond the context of positive motivation. We are talking about the same Katsuki who lashed out at Shoto for holding back. It’s reasonable to assume that he doesn’t want Izuku to do the same, and lagging behind more or less equates to holding back.

And Katsuki still isn’t completely invested in Izuku’s training for Izuku’s sake. After the Joint Training, Katsuki tries getting Izuku to manifest Black Whip again, and nopes out shortly afterwards when nothing comes of their sparring sessions in Chapter 217. This still isn’t the Katsuki we see in the 284 flashback. He’s still got a ways to go.

Yes, this even rings true for Katsuki during Heroes: Rising. While the film might be the ultimate Bakudeku dream come true, there really isn’t… much depth in regards to Izuku and Katsuki’s past. Y’know, the thing that most people are hoping gets resolved? It only gets referenced a few times in the film, but doesn’t overall factor into anything meaningful. Most of the time when Izuku and Katsuki team up, Katsuki only gets to the fight because he wants to throw hands with villains on an island where (if the status quo had remained unchanged) was likely selected because it had little to no serious villain activity. It just so happens that protecting and working with Izuku is an unintended byproduct of these fights. Katsuki even drops the infamous “lowering myself to work with Deku” line just before the big climax. And even with the transfer of OFA to Katsuki, it strikes less as overcoming a longstanding obstacle and more as plot convenience, especially since by the end of the fight OFA nopes back into Izuku so hard that Katsuki gets mind wiped about the whole thing.

Even during the Endeavor Arc, we don’t see much growth beyond the Ending fight, where Katsuki prioritizes saving Natsuo over throwing hands like he usually would, learning to take saving as more than a tool. This is significant considering it’s Katsuki, but unfortunately, there’s not much else thereafter. The entire arc won’t get referenced as an overall stepping stone until Ch. 284.

And thus, we head to the final phase.

IV) The “Why Don’t You Care About Yourself” Phase

Time Frame: ~Ch. 257-Ch. 284 [Early Paranormal Liberation War Arc-Paranormal Liberation War Arc (Present)]

So here’s an interesting tidbit: Katsuki can’t handle nonphysical confrontation.

Leave him with the fact that his kidnapping could have gotten most of the class expelled because they decided to go rescue him or avoided such while knowing of the operation? He’ll pay back Eijiro for the expensive night vision goggles and make Denki suffer Quirk overuse so he doesn’t need to be reminded.

Get stuck in the middle of a Todoroki Family Drama scene? He’ll try bragging about how he did better than the current #1 Hero to attempt curbing off the situation.

Put him in a discussion with Izuku where they address his additional Quirk manifestations and the full weight of his potential/legacy? Katsuki will brag about having a skill already in his toolkit to ignore the fact that he has the potential to fall behind.

This defines the earlier days of this phase. We don’t see what happens in the timeframe between that and the start of the War Arc until the Chapter 284 flashback. I believe that during the gap between 257 and this flashback, Katsuki allowed himself to process the full weight of what he and Izuku were told during that meeting.

And this marks one of his biggest revelations to date.

Izuku’s selflessness is no longer something annoying. It’s a potential fatal flaw.

For the first time, it’s hitting Katsuki that Izuku is no longer an obstacle, or just an obstacle. Izuku is a person who is working himself to the bone and past that, who would die at the drop of the hat if he thought the payoff was well worth it. He’s finally starting to see that what Izuku is doing to himself is dangerous, and he wants to know what he can do to prevent the serious ramifications.

This is a big phase in his development, no doubt, but um… it’s not the last phase.

If I’m being honest, we’re nowhere close. Why? Well, two reasons:

A) Katsuki still has yet to properly take a loss.

Any and all of Katsuki’s losses are either in his head or narratively negated. And his disproportionate win/loss ratio doesn’t do him any favors either. He’s culminated a philosophy that he can’t and shouldn’t lose, but losing is a crucial aspect of improvement and being human in general. In the case of the story, Chapter 275 suggests that Katsuki wants to face off against Tomura as payback for Kamino. He essentially wants to extend the narrative and treat that loss like a delayed win, as if the loss hadn’t happened yet. Many people claim that this is a bluff he used to cover his true intentions of keeping an eye on Izuku, but I don’t think that’s the case. While sticking by Izuku is a contributing factor, getting a win is equally so, because Katsuki hasn’t properly adjusted to a loss. His strategy for dealing with any kind of loss is just to bulldoze through it like nothing happened, instead of taking the time to understand why he lost and to apply that knowledge for future encounters.

Be aware of your surroundings during the Sludge Villain.

Focus on your priorities and communicate with others during the Battle Trial.

Don’t ignore the situation just to focus on your own intentions during the Training Camp attack.

HELP PEOPLE during the Provisional License Exam.

There are so many lessons Katsuki could have learned sooner if he had taken the time to properly digest his losses. But he didn’t. He still doesn’t. He might have learned some of them eventually, but the fact remains that he nearly ran head first into a suicide mission just because he couldn’t take the loss and was dead set on getting even.

And keep in mind, Katsuki was lamenting on struggling to keep up with Izuku earlier before their encounter with Tomura, and how he couldn’t afford to stay a loser, so this is likely less far-fetched than you think.

Okay, so then what’s the second reason Katsuki’s development is far from over?

B) He hasn’t fully connected the dots on what he did to Izuku.

So far, Katsuki has recognized that he was off-put by Izuku’s selflessness, and that he bullied him over that.

What he hasn’t recognized is how much of a role he played personally in that part of Izuku’s personality, or at least it’s present day incarnation.

Let me clarify a bit. Katsuki is aware that he was distrubed by Izuku’s selflessness. He is aware that bullied him and that, at some degree, was wrong. But I don’t think he’s quite connected the dots on how his intervention has led to Izuku’s current brand of martyrdom.

At the start of the series, Izuku just cares about others. After making sure he gets down to the river safely, he’s willing to lend a hand to Katsuki, who fell from a pretty concerning height ig we’re being honest.

But this unnerves Katsuki. And it leads to his physical altercations with Izuku from time to time.

Remember, Izuku followed Katsuki at the time, but somewhere down the line he stopped. But he never stopped being Izuku, so Katsuki continued to pursue him. Izuku had already been willing to give up in some degree on ever keeping up with Katsuki the way he used to. He knew, at some level, that he wasn’t accepted.

That he wasn’t worth as much as everyone else.

Katsuki bullied Izuku because he was selfless. But Katsuki’s bullying, coupled with the rest of society’s ostracization, twisted and warped that selflessness with low self-esteem, low self-worth, and self-destructive tendencies. Katsuki wasn’t the sole bully of Izuku, but he was a primary perpetrator. And his actions only made the very thing he despised so, so much worse.

...and until he can recognize THAT aspect of his relationship with Izuku, his journey is far from over.

So yeah, Katsuki’s making progress, but we’re still not out of the woods yet.

V) Final Address+Conclusion

So now for the obvious question: why did I write all of this?

I said it at the beginning, about how some people claimed that Katsuki cared all along. I brought up a bit about how it pissed me off. Why, exactly?

Because when people insist that Katsuki threatening Izuku to not go to UA comes from a place of concern, they disregard Chapter 1 Katsuki’s gigantic ego and utter disregard for others, much less so for Izuku.

Because when people insist that Katsuki’s shocked face at the end of the Battle Trial was because he was upset with how he hurt Izuku, they disregard the fact that Katsuki was willing to almost murder Izuku, and if not that then brutalize him, and that at this point Katsuki absolutely loathes getting shown up, which is what Izuku inadvertently did.

Because when people insist that Katsuki always cared from the very beginning, they (un)intentionally undermine one of the few things that draw people to Katsuki’s character: his character development.

On his own, Katsuki is an prodigious, antisocial and angry teen looking for fame and fortune in the industry who grows into a dedicated source of confidence and understanding as he finally allows himself to branch beyond his initial handicaps. If you insist that Katsuki always had the awareness and concern he displayed in 284’s flashback, what do you get instead?

A selfish, self-centered, fickle, emotionally-constipated asshole whose growth is more comparable to a ramp instead of a mountain.

...not as impressive, is it?

While I’m pretty sure this is just a minor trend, that doesn’t excuse the lack of care it demonstrates. If you aren’t willing to admit and live with the fact that Day 1 Katsuki is the worst of the worst and that he did progressively get better through trials and tribulation, why bother? When you insist a character like Katsuki was fine from the start, you take away part of what makes that character so endearing. If they were never an ass to begin with, then what the hell was their problem at the start, or even now? Why the hell would we condone that? It’s important to recognize character flaws and to give them their due, because seeing a character grown out of them is far more self-fulfilling and relatable than insisting that they were always in the right place from the start.

...but then again, that’s just me. Thanks for reading.

-Crimson Lion (20 September 2020)

[inkperch]

V8E13 Thoughts- Just OUCH.

Ok, so, this one is me live tweeting my second watching, cause there is no way in FUCKING HELL Im being coherant otherwise HOLY CRAP.

Jaune’s motion sickness coming up again is fun. The evacuation plan is pretty smart tbh. Ren’s fuCKING SMILE- if I didn’t ship Renora b4 this, I’d ship it now. Also, Nora can ride her hammer like a broom now, and its so casual Im genuinely trying to remeber if Im just being dumb and she could always do that? The subway scene is f-ing hilarious, but I can’t help but feel like they were intentionally being more cartoon-y than usual cause of the shit that happens later.

Everyones wonder at the portals is just *chefs kiss*. Especially May’s ‘figured you wouldn’t let us down!’- shes awesome, strong contender in the ‘probably only here for one arc+cameos’ best girl contest. Ilia’s still winning, but May’s a strong 2nd place. Really don’t like how fast Ruby gets back to mission mode tho- girl, let yourself appreciate the pretty golden bridges ffs, you definitely don’t by the end of the episode.

And I love how the biggest problem was something they just... couldn’t predict. The sandstorm wasn’t a fault in their plan, it wasn’t a villainous scheme, it just happened.

I swear Cinder’s the animation teams favourite, her expressions are always 100% spot on. And RWBY squaring up, altogether again, is badass. 

And just- the way she’s still super shaken? But comes up with a perfect plan regardless? Wow. Like- she took exactly what needed taking from Watt’s speech, how to get Neo back on board and, as we see later, exactly what to tell Watts to get him on her side. V1-3 Cinder’s back guys, and she’s more dangerous than ever.

And Jinn’s moment of hesitation before answering Cinder is great- Jinn may be a solid True Neutral, but she still doesn’t particularly want to doom Ruby’s plan. She knew exactly what answering the question would lead to, after all.

Actually- Hey, Jinn seems to get linked to Ruby like, a lot. Obviously Ruby was the first person we saw ask her a question and, while Yang got them the lamp, Ruby was the one carrying it all the way to Atlas pretty much. And then theres the big, obvious one- when the Spirit of Knowledge admits your clever, your clever. Food for thought.

Cinder’s troubled response to seeing Emerald- seriously, animation team popped off this season. And the fucking SOUNDTRACK DISSONANCE! It sounds like something out of a ballet, and then we’re shown them casually enter a room full of people and seal the door- then cut to a room full of corpses. Without so much as a blip in the happy, airy music. Cause really what’s changed? Everything’s coming up Cinder! (also, Neo beating a survivor around the head got a guilty laugh, I’ll admit.)

The #1 Dud mug hit different.

And Robyn’s spitting facts. Marrow is the best, wasn’t sold on him, then he went and did this. Also, FUCK HARRIET. Saving her own ass so she can go doom Mantle. Didn’t even fuckin TRY to wait for Wacky Tube Man and Adult Nora. And Robyn’s face- ok, fine, I’ll shut up about the animation team. No I won’t, but I’m running out of creative ways to say they’re awesome.

Also, fuck Jaques! I was fucking CACKLING when Ironwood shot him! Just- fuckign hell, I know it shows just how far he’s fallen, willing to execute a prisoner who, even in the case of escape is harmless now, but also, it’s Jaques, the guy’s a fucking hate sink for a reason, best choice Ironwood’s made all season! I guess it’s pretty clear he’s dead now huh?

Also- Cinder keeping the attention off of Neo- like, I only noticed it here but holy crap, Cinder isn’t lying in her speech- this is great teamwork, and it’s the kind of teamwork Cinder excels at- she makes some form of spectacle that furthers her goals, then uses it as a distraction for an even bigger part of her goals- we first saw it at Beacon. Like I said, Cinder’s back~ rip any redemption arc tho, she’s just better at being worse- it’s actually a really, really good villain arc, without becoming a redemption arc and I love it.

And then, Yang’s sacrifice- ok, like the Penny one I’d had this mildly spoiled for me. Unlike the Penny one, I had 0 hope of her getting out of this intact. Because as soon as there was that black screen, I knew Yang was fucked- cause, remember what other scene we saw shot like this? Close up of Yang’s face, then she activates her semblance and throws herself forward? All because someone she loves is in danger? Yeah, I was having big V3 flashbacks at this point, so I knew Yang wasn’t gonna be ok.

Also, something I didn’t notice until rewatch, but the reason Blakes the only one fast enough to react is cause Ruby’s on the floor. Kinda neat attention to detail. First watch I just joked to myself her reaction times shit.

And Blake just missing- wow. Fucking OUCH. She’s probably having V3 thoughts too. And just generally the way this is framed- just fucking OUCH. The heartbeat sound, the black frames, the slowmow- just OUCH. Speaking of OUCH, that ‘YAAAANG!’. Like. Excellent voice acting (and animation, again, seriously wow.) And the FUCKING ECHO! Just- OUCH. That’s just a summary of this whole scene, just fucking OUCH.

Also, as we learn later, if Yang had fallen a second later, Penny would’ve been through the portal before she could react. Think about that for a second- Penny would’ve gone through the portal, guilty about leaving her friends behind to fight, only to her a heartbroken cry of ‘Yang!’ literally as she stepped through- only to realise she can’t go back.

Also, RUBY IS NOT OK. GIVE RUBY A FUCKING HUG. HER SISTER JUST DIED AND BEFORE SHE CAN PROCESS THAT, SHE HAS TO FIGHT FOR HER FUCKING LIFE AGAINST THE PERSON YANG JUST DIED TO SAVE HER FROM. Seriously, give Ruby a fucking break holy shit. That quiet ‘Yang?’ and then she is immediately back in mission mode? O U C H.  

Also, Neo is smiling in that fight, wow, holy shit- wait, theres the other V3 scene this gave me Deja Vu to, it’s the fucking Roman fight! Neo just did to Ruby what Ruby did to Neo, but flipped- she ‘ring out’ed Yang to her death, when Ruby ‘ring out’ed Neo and then ‘killed’ Torchwick. Wow, holy crap.

And, again, ANIMATION TEAM OUCH. Seriosly, why are they so good at animating sobbing? Also, cute detail with Weiss holding Blake back. Don’t know why I’m calling it cute, nothing here is cute, holy shit, this episode is ouch. And the fucking anger, it’s so well animated holy fuck. And Neo refusing to even fight Blake, cause Ruby’s her target- yeah, that’s gonna fuck both them up. I am not looking forward to the end of these fight scenes- and seriously? Was this what Yang having her back turned in the OP was foreshadowing???

Weiss vs Cinder is awesome- Weiss has been on good form when it comes to winning fights again this season. Helps that, other than the ones who can fly, she’s in the best position to fight here what with her glyphs and all.

Penny trying to draw her swords and not got a laugh out of me, I’ll admit. To be fair, I was laughing at anything and everything at that point, cause they just fuckin killed Yang. Also, Rip Penny’s feet, imagine the friction burns? Like, ignoring how shes running around barefoot rn, i m a g i n e the friction burns from getting thrown like that with no shoes. Whole different kind of ouch.

And, Ok, so, are Penny’s swords made of rocks? Because they don’t look particularly rock-y. They look like something out of TRON tbh, don’t really seem Maiden-y to me. 

Weiss protecting everyone with her sword is badass. Blake being forced to chose between protecting everyone, and murdering Neo is heartbreaking just- 

This fuckING FRAME!

Also, yeah, FUCK HARRIET. Also, Robyn ramming them had me fucking cackling so hard- just, like, Wacky arms guy almost, almost talked some sense into her (Not really, or she wouldn’t go back on it so quickly, but almost), meanwhile in the other jet, Robyn ain’t letting anyone kill her people. Especially not mid-evacuation, that’s just a dick move. FUCK HARRIET. And like... was Harriet into Clover? I’m reading that right, right? Cause like... that’s some yikesy foreshadowing on the back of YANG GETTING KILLED OFF.

But also, still, FUCK HARRIET. Qrow throwing himself through the windshield was 10/10, would fight intro again. And Arthur finished his apple before hyjacking the bomb.

And then, the Winter scene. Is Ironwood just in a Schnee- killing mood? Ironwood’s speech is... honestly, heart-breaking. He is the definition of a fallen hero. If he wasn’t blinded by paranoia and driven to rely on no-one but himself and a very select few, would he still have come believe he was the only one who anyone could trust? Because that’s, ultimately, what has brought him here- he doesn’t think he can trust anyone but himself, and so, he must be the only one who can save Atlas, right?

And Winter’s FUCKING RESPONSE- ‘I’ve never wavered in fighting the enemies of this kingdom... and I won’t start now.’ No emotion, no hesitation, no anything. Just resolve. Made even more badass by how clearly pained she is- and like, I don’t mean emotionally, that’s cool too, I mean that she’s physically in pain, but still won’t even hesitate to fight the guy who took a whole team to fight in a sneak attack last episode. And Ironwood’s response... I really can’t praise the animation team enough.

And then there’s the other side of the portal- Ren is MVP ngl, that’s a stupid amount of people he sheilded for a stupid amount of time, all on his own.

Ok, so, next week’s big fights. RWBP vs Cinder and Neo inside the bridge world, Qrow vs Harriet, with plane assists from Robyn and who the fuck knows from Wacky arms man in the atlas/mantle set for the last time probably. Winter vs Ironwood. And Oscar, Emerald and a half-dead Ren vs a massive, massive crowd of Grimm all while doing an escort mission.

...I’m not going on Youtube for a week.

[breadoffoxy]

Jin - Joke’s on You

Pairing: Jin x f. Reader

Words: 2,905

Summary: You blame everything on Jungkook. Sure, the prank war started because Jin and you wanted to put the brat in his place, but it takes an unexpected turn neither of you expected.

You laugh as you mix the red icing in the bowl. Your best friend leans against the counter with a satisfied smile on his face. You just received one of Jin’s famous puns. No matter what, they always make you laugh.

“How do you even come up with this stuff?”

“What can I say I’m just a genius.”

“Oho genius sure.”

“Speaking of genius.” Jin pics up a salt shaker next to him on the counter and gently shakes it as he smirks.

“And how does that make you a genius?”

Jin makes a show of pulling out a small bowl and spoon. You let him take a small scoop of icing that he dumps into the bowl along with a pile of salt. You grin at him and give him a thumbs up. He looks proud of himself too as he mixes the two ingredients together.

This all started because of Jeon Fucking Jungkook. The three of you are in the middle of a prank war because that man brat has the nerve to keep calling you the O word. The unspeakable word. The two of you took action by hiding some of Jungkook’s things around the house, like just one shoe and one glove. It drove him mad looking for it. Your’s and Jin’s snickering kinda gave it away so young man planned his revenge. He planted fake spiders around the men’s shared apartment, which led to lots of screaming and jumping on furniture. The screaming turned worse when Jungkook flung the spider at Jin.

After giving Taehyung some pocket money, he distracted Jungkook with enough time for the two of you to sneak into his room. There you changed the hot keys on his computer hoping it would frustrate him as Jin held Jungkook’s cell phone and filled his storage with many attractive photos. These actions resulted in you coming home to your apartment filled with pictures of Nicholas Cage. You still find some to this day. Jin came home to a strategically placed cut out of Nicholas Cage. It surprised him so bad everyone ran to his at his scream to check up on him. Yoongi even brought a knife.

Things like this have been going on for the last week. And frankly all your other friends who share a living space with Jin and Jungkook are getting tired of it. But no one is going to stop until the other party forfeits. Which doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon. Especially since he keeps calling you both-

“Hey Old Couple, when are the cookies ready?”

Your hand tightens on the spatula as you grind your teeth. For starters, the two of you weren’t that old. The both of you are just a few years older than the brat. If he considers you both so much older, he should show some respect. Secondly, you weren’t a couple despite how nice that sounded to your ears. You’ve known the man for what seems like forever and– oh no he doesn’t!

A resounding slap echoes slightly in the kitchen followed by a yell. You’re glad Jungkook’s hand tried to steal some of your precious icing. It broke your train of thought and gave you a reason to hit him. The young man examines his hand and licks the small amount of icing the spatula left on him before winking at you. Another slap rings out. Jungkook grimaces as he rubs the back of his head.

“Yah! Don’t come in here making demands and stealing things. Out, out!” Jin waves his own spatula around and periodically pokes Jungkook with it until he makes his way out of the kitchen. You examine Jin as he continues to wave his spatula, all the while complaining about the nerve the youngest has to call the two of you old and to boss you around. He mentions nothing about being labeled a couple. Does it even matter to him?

Jin and you grew up together and are practically glued to the hip since diapers. You survived the awkward teenage years, late study nights, and the shitshow that is adulting together, well that last one is still in question. Your moms always tease the two of you about being in a relationship, and your pretty sure they already have a wedding planned out. However, all of that made you uncomfortable growing up. The both of you were upset that boys and girls couldn’t be just friends. Now though you wished the opposite.

“You OK, or are you just dazzled by my face that much?”

You jump slightly, almost spilling the bowl of icing. You fumble with it a second before you start mixing again. “Yep, sorry just lost in thought.”

His gaze is questioning as it lingers on you. You nervously look away. Jin can read you like a book and you hope he doesn’t know about your feelings. You’ve been awkward lately by avoiding his touch, not giving as nearly as much eye contact, and always nervously biting your lip because the butterflies are too much. You were hoping it would just be a simple phase that would quickly pass but you feel yourself falling deeper at the compassion he has always shows you and even when he tells you an awful pun.

The oven dings signaling the cookies being done and his gaze finally leaves you. Jin pulls the cookies out of the oven. For a minute you are both silent as you wait for the cookies to cool.

“Have I ever told you the one about the alpaca?”

You smile at his efforts of trying to make you more comfortable again. “Hit me with your best shot.”

The two of you fall into comfortable conversation as the cookies cool. Once they do so you start icing them while making sure to keep one separate for a special someone. The two of you make a plate for each of your friends and take them to the living room. There most of your friends are sprawled out watching a movie. Oos and Aaahs fill the room as they scramble for their plates. You and Jin give a high five as Jungkook sputters on his cookie that he inhales.

“What the hell guys!”

Everyone stops and stares at the body standing in the hallway. The voice that yelled was not Jungkook but an angry Yoongi. A very pink haired Yoongi.

“We match!” Jimin points and yells. His eyes turn into crescents as he giggles. He collapses into himself and falls out of the chair. Taehyung barely catches his friend’s cookies as the young pink haired man is a giggling mess on the floor.

Your eyes are as wide as saucers as you stare at the pink hair on the glowering man. It would be unbelievably cute if Yoongi wasn’t glaring daggers at you, Jin, and Jungkook.

“It looks very nice- “Hoseok gets cut off as Yoongi holds up a finger.

“Not. Another. Word. Except that is for someone to tell me who fucking did this.”

Ok this was not how this was supposed to go. You were not supposed to meet your untimely end because of these pranks. Yes, it was you who waited for everyone to leave the apartment and sneak in with the extra key Jin gave you. It was you who took some of Jimin’s pink dye and funneled it into Jungkook’s shampoo. You were sure you put it in the right bathroom. Then why the hell is Yoongi’s hair pink!?

You pale as Jungkook smirks at you. “I saw Y/N going to your bathroom earlier Hyung, it must have been her.” Oh if this is how he wants to play then you’ll play.

“You couldn’t have seen me since I did it earlier today while no one was here, and I put it in your shampoo Jungkook.”

Jin nods and adds, “Yeah Jungkook. Then explain then how it got into Yoongi’s shampoo if she put it in yours.”

“So, let me get this straight.” Yoongi intervenes. “It’s all three of your faults then.”

“They pranked me first!”

“You switched the dye!”

“Yah how could you think that!”

Yoongi ignores all of your outbursts as he stares coldly at the three of you.

“Ok this has been all well and lovely but I think it’s time to go now!” Jin grabs your hand and darts for the door before you know what’s happening. You stumble behind him as you make your escape. You barely hear Jungkook’s startled pleas, sounds of a scuffle, and the mixture of laughter and giggling as the two of you run down the hall.

The two of you continue running to your nearby apartment. By the time you get there you’re both panting.

“Is it…do you think it’s safe?”

“Yeah…for now. He’s probably too busy murdering Jungkook.” Jin throws a cautionary look over his shoulder anyways just in case.

“And too lazy to follow us.”

“Yes, that too. Unfortunately, he’s more the type to plan his revenge and drag it out.” He brings a hand up to his head as he sighs. “Ah, I’m too handsome to die.”

You go to pat his arm and that is when you realize his hand is still holding yours. You quickly pull your hand away and angle yourself so he doesn’t see your burning face as you pull out your keys. “Um…do you want to come in? You can stay if you want till it’s safe…um safer?”

He laughs lightly, “Thanks. We’re in this together right. I can stay here forever?”

Opening the door, you shake your head. “At least until Yoongi doesn’t completely murder us.”

“Yep because slightly murdered is a lot better.” He steps in behind you and the two of you slip off your shoes. “Hey since I’m here let’s finish our tournament. You game?” He can’t help but laugh. You snicker slightly and give him an eye roll.

“Set up the game loser and I’ll make some popcorn. I’m hungry and we didn’t even get to eat any of the cookies.”

You walk into the kitchen, pull out the popcorn, and start heating it in the microwave. The ding of the game system starting up fills the small apartment. When the popcorn starts doing its thing you feel your phone vibrate. Pulling it out you instantly freeze when seeing the sender. Yoongi’s name displays threateningly across your screen. Ever so slowly you open the message.

‘The pranking stops now. If you do one thing for me, I’ll maybe spare you.’

Hesitantly you type back, ‘and what would that be oh great genius who I love more than anything.’

Your phone dings back quickly. ‘Flattery won’t buy you anything. And we know that’s not true. We all know you love Seokjin so tell him your feelings. Or else.’

Ok so its certain death vs tell your best friend that you have strong secret feelings for him. You think you may be leaning towards death.

“Uggh! What is that smell!?” Jin rushes into the kitchen and rips open the microwave door. Smoke blows out and you spot a rather black bag of popcorn that smells pretty disgusting now that you notice.

Hurriedly you turn on a fan and try to wave some of the smoke away. “I am so sorry! I got distracted.”

Jin reaches into the microwave and carefully pulls out the bag. There is no salvaging it. “Must have been some distraction.” The popcorn goes into the trashcan with a thunk, and he gives you a pointed look. He knows how much you detest burnt popcorn. You’ll complain about the smell for the rest of the day.

Ok. This is it do or die.

“Um…its nothing really.”

Dying it is then.

“Bullshit. You’ve been acting weird lately, and don’t deny it.” He adds on as your about to open your mouth. His gaze then moves to your phone you left on the counter in your haste to turn on the fan. Crap.

The both of you dive for the phone at the same time. With his longer limbs he makes it there just before you do. You scramble with him to try to reach it but he holds it barely outside your reach.

“Give it back!”

“Not a chance!”

His fingers rapidly start typing in your passcode. Your breathing increases as you panic.

“I got a text from Yoongi!”

He stops right before hitting the last digit. “Oh?”

You’re silent and his finger starts slowly moving closer to screen.

“He said the pranks have to stop!”

“And?”

You bite your lip as you look down at the ground. Nails bite into your palm as you make tight fists with your hands. Why does this have to be so difficult.

“Hey, its ok!” Jin puts the phone down and grabs your shoulders with both hands. His thumbs start rubbing small distracting circles. Surprised at the action you glance up at him and you let out your breath. Quickly you find that you can’t hold his gaze, something about it too tender and soft, so you turn your head quickly away again. Almost immediately a large hand leaves your shoulder and is placed on your cheek. It guides you to look back into Jin’s eyes. “I’m just worried about you.”

You lean into his hand slightly, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. You decide you can’t keep worrying him like this. It wasn’t fair to him and it definitely wasn’t fair to yourself. You felt like you couldn’t completely be yourself and you decided you no longer wanted to feel like a lie. Plus, you didn’t survive so much together for your friendship to end here or so you hoped. You open your eyes and do your best to look Jin in the eye.

“Errr so OK he gave me an ultimatum you could say. Either you know the certain death or um I tell you something.”

“You know you can tell me anything right?”

You nod. “Yes. Its just…hard. Sorry I’m trying.” Again, you can’t look him in the eye anymore. “You see the thing is…I um…for awhile now…” In the smallest voice you can muster, you manage to say,” …I like you…a lot.”

You feel Jin’s hold stiffen for a moment before the hand on your cheek moves to your chin and your eyes meets his once again. He’s looking at you in a way you’ve never seen before. His eyes are shining and he’s wearing a grin as he chuckles. Honestly, he has never looked as handsome as he does now. His breath hits your face as he chuckles.

“I got a text from Yoongi too.”

“…You did?”

His thumb traces over your lips as his eyes drift down. A small gasp leaves your lips and his eyes meet yours again.

“I like you too Y/N, a lot.”

The next thing you know there is a pair of soft lips touching your own. When you press back you can feel the smile on his lips. The hand on your shoulder slides down your arm until it reaches your hip and drags you closer. Your hands come up and grip Jin’s shirt as you fall into the kiss.

You only pull away to take a breath of air. Jin’s forehead comes to rest again your own. “Thank you for telling me.”

You huff, “You could have easily told me first.”

He kisses your forehead. “I know. Sorry for taking so long, but I’ll make it up to you.” His lips lightly graze yours again. “I promise.”

“I look forward to it. Right now though I hate to ruin the moment, but I really can’t stand the smell in here.”

“What this isn’t romantic enough for you?” Jin stuffs your face into his chest and his arms wrap around your head. “Here, try to smell only me.”

The sounds of his laughter fill the room along with your screams of protest.

When you and Jin walk back to his apartment you do so hand in hand. Cautiously you open the door and peer inside. No one is there ready to murder you as you walk through the door so that’s a good sign. A head peeks around the corner and your relieved to see its just Taehyung.

He stares openly at your hands before sending a wink your way. “I thought you’d love birds would be gone longer.”

You groan as Jin answers, “We would but someone’s house smells like burnt popcorn.”

“Huh.” Taehyung points behind him into the living room. “Also, you may want to see this.”

He disappears as the two of you take your shoes off. Curiously you round the corner and are surprised at what you see. There before you is still a pink haired Yoongi but instead of being murderous he’s wearing his gummy smile and laughing with Jimin. The two are taking selfies and being super adorable with their matching pink hair. Jungkook spots you from where he’s sitting and grins.

“What’s going on?”

Yoongi doesn’t even bother looking at you. “You know I think pink is a nice look.”

“Eh?” Both you and Jin are equally confused. Jungkook’s grin only gets larger.

“I figured out you messed with my shampoo when I got home, and asked hyung if he’d help me out. He wanted to have fun too.”

“Got you!” Yoongi yells out as him and Jimin take another selfie.

“What!?”

[daresplaining]

What If? Daredevil Vs. Elektra

    I have been meaning to write a full post about this chilling alternate universe, and Halloween seemed like the perfect time to do so. With the success and popularity of Spider-Gwen’s Hand ninja Matt Murdock, it can be easy to forget that he is not the only one. The first story of a Matt whose life took a darker and more ninja-y path was told in the one-shot What If? Daredevil Vs. Elektra, which is a chilling tale of murder, regret, and painful memories that won’t stay buried. 

    The story is told from the point of view of Elektra Natchios, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who, in the midst of a successful career in espionage, is forced to face again a traumatic event from her past-- a hostage situation in college, in which her boyfriend tried to rescue her and was killed. 

[ID: A flashback to Columbia University, Elektra’s origin story. Cops outside a building shoot into an upper window.]

Cops: “They’re killing the hostages! Wait... what’s that? I can see something... Yeah, a clear shot, and I’m taking it...”

Elektra: “Matt!”

[ID: Young Matt Murdock gets shot multiple times. Young Elektra kneels on the floor, holding his body in her arms.]

    It’s a memory she has learned to live with, a little piece of trauma she has long since buried, but then, suddenly, people around her start dying. She and her fellow agents begin to investigate scenes of carnage, carried out with terrifying stealth and skill by an unknown enemy. 

[ID: The Kingpin’s office, chaos. The Kingpin sits at his desk while a ninja in red clothes and a devil mask fights Bullseye. The ninja slices Bullseye’s head off with his sword and then advances on the Kingpin.]

Elektra (off-panel): “His bodyguards slaughtered upfront, Fisk’s personal assassin... Poindexter... Bullseye... whatever they called him... was the Kingpin’s only prayer.”

    Elektra, horrified but still clueless about how this connects to her buried memory at this point, investigates further. Her character development is an interesting variation in this universe, which presents a fairly clear-cut role switch between she and Matt. Her experience in college was painful, and her career as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent has given her a fairly jaded view of life and people, but she has retained some of the optimism and naivete that was snuffed out in the 616 universe by her father’s death. Elektra wants to see justice done, even if the only people so far killed have been dangerous criminals. She asks around, and eventually finds a surprisingly informed old blind man in a bar. 

[ID: A bar. Stick is playing pool and talking to Elektra, who is dressed in a black coat and red head scarf.]

Stick: “Ever heard of the Hand?”

Elektra: “As in ‘talk to’?”

Stick: “You’re a barrel, too, y’know that? The Hand. Corrupted ninja order. Heirs to the Beast. Intent on infiltrating the empires of man. In other words-- one bad outfit. Their current leader, ‘the Advocate’, is a servant turned master. He uses a unique approach to taking out his foes. He finds a discontented underling, exploits their dissatisfaction, nurtures it into betrayal... then attacks from within.”

Elektra: “Very Hong Kong triple-feature, old man. How does it connect to Fisk’s murder?”

Stick: “The Kingpin’s lawyer. Talk to him. And while you’re at it, talk to your boss... he just might help you find another blind guy whose kung fu is better than yours...”

    It doesn’t take Elektra long to find the Kingpin’s lawyer, Foggy Nelson. She discovers him sitting alone in his apartment, a bitter shell of the Foggy we know in the 616 universe. Losing Matt hit him hard, and-- as is true in several other alternate universes as well-- sent his life into a tailspin. 

[ID: Flashbacks from Foggy’s life: in the library with Matt in college, Foggy sitting at a desk in the Kingpin’s office, a body (Ben Urich) with a bag over its head, Foggy defending the Kingpin in court.]

Foggy (off-panel): “The two of us had high hopes... aspirations. We were gonna open our own practice once we passed the bar... and change the world, or what little of it we could. Funny how life goes. After law school I could barely pay back my student loan. I was desperate for money. Fisk made me an offer I would have been an idiot to refuse. A six-figure retainer. When he was on trial a few years back for placing a hit on Bugle reporter Ben Urich... having an honest, decent man shot dead... body dumped like trash... I fought for his freedom like my life depended on it. Probably did. In the end, it was the judge who’d been bought, but I was party to it. My life had become a sick joke.”

    He is bitter with regret and disgusted by the person he has become. He admits to Elektra that he was the weak link in the Kingpin’s organization-- the person indirectly responsible for his murder. He also gives her the name of the man who did the deed-- the Advocate-- along with some terrifying news: that  his next target is S.H.I.E.L.D. Sure enough, ninjas attack one of the helicarriers shortly afterward, killing Nick Fury and many of Elektra’s other friends and co-workers. Elektra realizes what she is up against. She realizes who she is up against. The Hand have brought Matt back from the dead and turned him into a killer, and she has to do something about it. 

    Elektra returns to Stick. She trains with him, attempting to prepare herself to face the Hand. When Stick suddenly vanishes, Elektra takes things into her own hands. She takes the name Sai and forms the new Chaste (one of my favorite alternate universe teams). They prepare to attack the Hand at their home base, and finish things once and for all. 

[ID: Elektra, now dressed in her 616-verse red outfit, addresses a group of other heroes: this universe’s versions of Wolverine, Black Widow, Power Man, Iron Fist, Echo, and Silver Samurai.]

Elektra: “Our differences may be many, but we share common ground. Each of us has lost someone... something... to the Hand. We are now the Chaste. The only ones who can stand against them. This is how we go in...”

Caption: “Old names forsaken, each member of this new order of seven took on another one to signify rebirth-- Claw. Sting. Stone. Flame. Seer. Sword. Sai. Woe to the Devil and evil men.”

    This comic is relentless in its carnage, which feels exactly right for the flavor of the story it is telling. When the new Chaste storm the Hand’s headquarters, Elektra discovers that Stick is dead. Matt has killed his first teacher, and Elektra knows she is out of options. She has to stop Matt herself. 

[ID: In the Hand’s fortress. Elektra has discovered Stick’s severed head.]

Elektra: “Stick... teacher, I’m sorry... you were right. Time to grow up.”

    She seeks him out. Of course, he is expecting her. 

[ID: The Hand’s fortress. Elektra approaches Matt from behind. He is dressed in a red ninja outfit but without a mask. His eyes are an unnatural red. Elektra has her sai; Matt is holding a gun.]

Elektra: “I’m here to stop you.”

Matt: “From doing what? Bringing order to chaos? Imagine these widowmakers without my guidance. You’re still holding onto the ideals of youth. Your father raised you in a sheltered, protected bubble allowing you limited contact with the rest of the world. Clouded your thoughts with fairy tale notions of ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Isn’t that why you hate him? You know this world is a savage garden. Beauty in duality. Good and evil intertwine like copulating serpents. Indistinguishable. It’s not worth saving because there’s nothing to save.”

    Here, we see the other half of the role switch. Reanimated Matt is brainwashed, and that is part of it, but his words have the feeling of a deeply ingrained truth. His existence has been nothing but pain. An attempt at heroism cost him his life, and since he has been back, all he has seen is the worst of people. His words echo 616-verse Elektra’s mindset in the wake of her father’s murder-- that the world is a cold and uncaring place and all one can do is attempt to survive in it as best one can. And like 616 Matt in the equivalent situation, Elektra is horrified to see what has become of the hopeful, caring person she knew in college. 

    They fight, and Elektra realizes the inevitable-- there is no saving Matt. And she is Elektra, no matter the universe, and so finds the strength to do the deed. 

[ID: Elektra shoots a bullet past Matt’s head. He drops to his knees, his hands pressed to his ears in pain.]

Caption: “The gun is S.H.I.E.L.D. ordinance... with a built-in sonic disruptor. It sends the Advocate’s senses into overdrive.”

[ID: Elektra draws her sai and stabs him through the chest.]

[ID: Matt lies, dying, on the ground. His eyes now look normal. Elektra kneels beside him.]

Matt: “Elektra...?”

Elektra: “Matt...?”

Matt: “Terrorists... taken care of... you and... your father... safe?”

Elektra: “Yes, darling... we’re safe... we’re safe.”

    It’s a beautiful little one-shot, bloody and tragic and poetic as the best Elektra and Matt comics are. I’m sure I’ll discuss it again, but for now, I wanted to give it the attention it deserves as an important alternate universe story and a compelling re-exploration of Matt and Elektra’s relationship. 

[stusbunker]

Known: Two Halves, Three Hearts

A Supernatural Dark Fan-fiction

Featuring: MOC!Dean x Female OC, x Demon!Reader, Claire Novak, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Crowley

Summary: CC learns to navigate more of the Winchesters’ associates. Meanwhile, Dean crosses the line to end Cain’s reign of terror. He finds her vulnerable, will she let him sate himself in every way imaginable? Can he run from what he is becoming? Is she enough to keep the evil at bay? Crowley finds our Reader and offers a path to redemption, if she can trust what he’s selling.

Warnings: Post murder haze, torture, period sex, blood, blood play, stabbing, dub!con smut, subtle mention of past sexual assault, disassociation, humiliation, and loss of sense of self.

Series Masterlist

*^*^*^*

December 11, 2014

The Bunker

           It was nearly dawn when Chloe felt the air tighten against the Impala’s entry into the garage. Something was wrong; Sam was driving. Dean sat in the passenger seat and in the back, Castiel beside a blonde who had cried out a week’s worth of mascara and eyeliner. Dean was bleeding, but that wasn’t what was wrong. He stared ahead, lost and empty, covered in others’ blood. It was human, every last drop, CC could tell just by the smell. An ability she would have appreciated if it didn’t lead to the implications on Dean’s clothing.

           Other than the upset teenager, no one else seemed to have been touched by the fray. Sam rapped on the hood, giving CC his best ‘I can’t explain this away’ eyes. He was worried mute. CC finally moved toward the car, both Sam and she eventually earning swats as Dean came to, silently protesting their help.

           “How many?” CC whispered against his retreating form.

           “Look, they were loan sharks and they were going to use Claire-,” Sam started.

           “How many people did he kill?”

           “Four.” Castiel cut in, glimpsing back to the girl in the backseat.

           CC’s stomach pitched, a phantom whiff of manure and dust drifted past her nose and into her thoughts. She didn’t allow herself to focus on the reality of Dean’s crimes, instead she moved the conversation along. “What are you going to do with the kid?”

           “She won’t stay here. I was going to take her to a motel in town. Chloe, I’m sorry, CC, would you be willing to accompany me?”

           Sam huffed. “Is that really a good idea, Cas?”

           “I just thought that, maybe an older female might be able to get through to her.” Cas looked wrecked, his vessel wearing his worry like a neon sign. He felt more human to CC than he ever had.

           “I’m not babysitting.” CC stared between Sam and Cas and back again. Her annoyance and concern reciprocated in one form or another. She should be checking on Dean, not playing Big Brother Big Sister to Castiel’s ward. Dean didn’t want to see her; he had made that painfully clear. CC fiddled with her knife as the girl’s ghostly eyes challenged them from the backseat. “I’m not ready to leave the wards, not yet. But, if you guys need a minute, I can get some food in her? Keep her out of your hair for a—”

           “Thank you,” Sam mouthed to CC as he and Cas nearly ran out of the garage and the blast radius all she could do was reply with a single finger. CC walked around the hood of the Impala, hands tucked in her back pockets as she watched the girl glare and roll her eyes.

           “What do you want?”

           “I want to go back to bed, but since that’s not happening. Coffee?” CC gave Claire five seconds before walking away, nodding over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. Claire followed CC dejectedly, hunger trumped petulance apparently, if barely.

           “So, who are you anyway?”

           “You can call me CC.” She almost smiled over her shoulder, dropping down into the sunken kitchen.

           “Which one of them is your–?”

“My what?” CC pushed the automatic drip setting from delayed brew to ON and started rifling through the pantry for English muffins once Claire made up her mind to join her.

           “Dean, huh? Figures. Well, your man’s a murderer, if you didn’t know.”

           CC didn’t really look up at the girl while she started preparing their hasty meal, but it was evident that her bitterness was far from fading. CC slammed the toaster lever in place and leered down at Claire, who was sitting on the kitchen table with her feet on the seat of a chair. “Alright, Miss Teen Bitch. First off, you are in their home, so I’d watch who you call what. Secondly, yeah, I did know. Pretty much every hunter has the bad kind of blood on their hands, that includes me.”

           The creak of the muffins’ release broke the silence. There was more eye rolling and tongue tisking, but eventually Claire began to listen for the answer to her more pointed questions.

           “What are you even doing with him?”

           CC shrugged, “I could ask the same about you and the angel.”

           “Gross.” Claire recoiled. “Besides, they came after me! I just swiped his wallet for some spare cash. They should have just let me go! If they had—- Fuck! You know what? Screw you lady. You’re on their side. You’re not gonna listen to me.”

           “Hey, cool it, alright?” Claire threw her fists down at her sides and folded them over her stomach. CC could see she needed to keep prodding because Claire was so close to the next hurdle. “Let’s get things straight. This isn’t a black white, us vs. you scenario. They thought you were in danger and did what they thought was best for you; to keep you safe. Sucks not being able to make the call on your own life, don’t it?” CC waited for Claire to acknowledge the helplessness they shared.

“Yeah, well, I might be Dean’s whatever. But I know all too well about Winchester intentions. For the record, me and Castiel? Not friends.”

           “He’s wearing my dad’s face. Do you have any idea how fucked up that is?”

           CC dropped onto the bench below Claire, handing her a plate. “Just a little weirder than living in an underground bunker with the guys that sent your closest friend to Hell?”

           Claire nibbled on the toasted olive branch, tearing it to pieces before finally relaxing. She was scared and desperate, it came off in every gesture of her defensive attitude. CC started to wonder just what was going to happen with the kid now that she had been brought in.

           “I hate them, all of them. I hate them for what they did.”

           CC’s mouth twisted in sad empathy at the girl, knowing that the grief she wasn’t processing was much more palatable as rage. It was like looking into a fun house mirror of her past: overdone make up and culturally rebellious hair style. All just more things to help in the lie to herself about how empty she felt.

“What?! I do.”

“I know.” CC rolled back up to her feet, nodding toward the fridge. “Let’s see what else there is to eat. There’s one thing that’ll piss Dean off more than messing with his car and that’s eating the last of his pie.”

“Okay?” Claire huffed out an unamused agreement, a reluctant warmth shone from her eyes.

*^*^*^*

February 2015

Dean had gone cold turkey. He stopped drinking, stopping lurking outside CC’s room at night, and started eating egg white omelets, apparently. Fat lot of good it did. The Oz Case with Charlie gave him whiplash, seeing his friend spilt into parts as if she was just the sum of her emotions rubbed him the wrong way. Breaking her arm was something he was never going to be able to forgive himself for; his knuckles still scabbed over from decimating her porcelain face. Her dogged determination and forgiveness still got him in the throat. Ever present, CC had stood, unflinching as the boys and Charlie had their goodbyes.

Now as Sam casually mentioned Tina from the Hansel and Gretel run in, something akin to jealousy flashed in her steely eyes. Something he had no desire to press her on nor any hope that it could lead to getting her back. She had helped out with Claire, had researched the hell out of the Bunker’s stacks alongside them through it all, and she had all but admitted the demon was the one moaning his name, the one that used her body to make his every nerve sing. If that wasn’t enough to drive him to drink again, nothing was.

*^*^*^*

February 16, 2015

A festering cavern, Hell

           Blinding daylight burst from an unseen door to your left. Once your eyes adjusted a figure appeared, breaking through the shafts of light, like a key in a lock. His footfalls were leisurely, the clipping beat of his obscenely expensive shoes barely gaining ground. Crowley walked into your isolated prison like a birder on a Sunday stroll.

           “Oh good, you’re conscious.” His big eyes teetered on compassion as his words fell in a nice noncommittal little heap. You wanted to reply; the empty air loomed as your mouth tried to form words. You couldn’t remember how long it had been since you had used your voice. Your tongue thick and coarse in your throat as it strove to remember language. Crowley squinted, but waited as you grew frustrated with yourself. You sighed, nodding in exasperation before he could mock you for it. You weren’t certain he was real, but the thought of a visitor, even one seeking twisted entertainment, was better than another decade alone. Eventually you decided that you couldn’t have made him up; you had better imagination than that.

           “I wasn’t aware we still used places like these. These rubbish heaps were from the initial days of Hell. The time when the fallen Angels fought for control and some unseen judicial system weighed the disloyal and usurpers’ crimes. You got off lightly, by the old standards. It takes a lot of energy to maintain this kind of torment; it simply isn’t worth the output for a single demon here or there. Then again, we all must answer for our crimes; no matter how seemingly noble the reasoning. Rebels against an outdated hierarchy—”

           He continued to drone on, though your exhausted mind could hardly keep up and when it did; you found yourself unaffected by his rallying attempts. You were too downtrodden to feel any comradery with the man who held the keys to your cage. To all the cages. Hate was a delicious main course that followed the apathetic appetizer. You began to wade out to the swells of emotion. Things that hadn’t reached you in years carving through you until you were ready to swim in the rage as he spoke, eyes beetle black and bulging as he spat his points.

           Finally, you fissured as the sound erupted from your mouth, a frustrated wail that shut the King up well and good.

“What do you want?!” you demanded between staccato breaths. You glared down at him, his human form was nearly a head shorter than you, but the inches of debris locking your ankles in place nearly evened the field of vision. You hoped the words you used made sense; because he was taking his time answering.

           “I need someone to do a little digging on a certain individual. Someone who owes me and who won’t go gossiping to the demon next door.” Crowley tongue worked his cheek. “In short, I am offering you a one-way ticket back, what do you say?”

           “Who?” The confusion began to clear as the delirious hum of hope rang in your ears.

           “Can’t tell you here. Now–” Crowley looked over his shoulder and raised his fist in the air. “Let’s get you somewhere a little more accommodating, shall we?”

           Before you could even nod, he snapped his fingers, freeing you from the slop and stench.

*^*^*^

Tale End of Executioner’s Song

Dean has killed Cain

Dean comes up from the dark with rasping breaths. His tendons are locked into place and his wrist is screaming from strain, a frequency he has yet to process. He doesn’t remember telling his feet to move, but his legs have carried him this far: away from the evidence and back down to those waiting on him. All pretense shrivels as he hears Sammy’s voice close by, persistent but muddled. Then Crowley’s, asking for his arm, no, the blade. Right, it isn’t a part of him after all. He should really let go, he isn’t sure what part of him is making these decisions, but grateful it doesn’t seem to be as hard as it feels.

Dean turns the weapon handle out and passes it to Cas. His eyes have focused enough to see the disbelief on the demon’s face at the gesture. Dean isn’t here to suffer fools; however helpful they had become. He reveals his deceits, unblinking as Crowley disappears. Sam catches him then, before his legs finally catch up to the path that got them there and Dean wonders what God sees in man.

The fog of battle clung to his mind, the Mark dulled, but never silenced. His blood flowed hot and vibrant, pumping through his veins in and out of his heart, that very human organ thumping in his gnawing chest. Dean moved as if he was tailing himself, looking down on his movements from some unimaginable higher ground until he slid into the Impala and drove away. Everything was reflex, instinct, autopilot. The moment the driver’s side door creaked open, he smelled it. Blood, faint and intoxicating. That hot beat inside of him pounded deeper.

He threw his duffel to the foot of his bed and shrugged out of his jacket. The Mark peered beneath the rolled cuff of his flannel, a garish pink against the dark fabric. Somehow, Dean found himself in the kitchen and despite the caffeine and the cheerleading from Sam, he felt hollowed out. Dean’s vision tunneled as he dodged out of further conversation to march down the hall. Finally, he could seek what had been calling to him.

CC froze over the washing machine as he loomed in the doorway. Her eyes closed as she felt him scent her, she didn’t turn an inch in his direction. Her bare legs, plump and smooth, beneath her tiny pajama shorts were just enough exposed skin to do some real damage. She fell back, heavy on to her heels. “How was it?”

“Final,” Dean said after stopping to consider an appropriate description for an assassination.

Chloe finally saw him, torn between shadow and shame. “I was scared you’d—"

“Yeah, well. I did.” Dean crossed his arms over his chest, shoulders hulking as he considered her concern.

“Is there something you wanted to ask me?” CC swallowed more air, the fear and electricity making her lightheaded. She moved to rest her hand on her knife handle, but it slid over the missing weapon. Her oversized sweatshirt sleeve covering her hand as it dangled in unfulfilled habit.

“How you doin’ Cease?”

“What?”

“How are you?” Dean said each word with a step forward, head bowing as he watched her straighten to face him.

“Uh, pretty crabby, but okay, I guess.”

Dean hummed, eyes squinting as she nervously looked to the door and back to space between their feet. “Anything I can help you out with?”

She blushed, a warmth twisting around her eyes and an awkward smile pulled at her cheeks as she centered her ponytail, giving her itching hands something to hold on to. “Dean?”

“Chloe?” Dean’s eyes darkened, the dangerous smirk pulling far enough back to let the overhead lights glint on his impossible teeth. He was gaunt and sallow; yet power continued to radiate from all over him.

“How are you looking at me like that,” she whispered in disbelief, pulling her top lower over her wide hips. “I am disgusting right now.”

“Yeah, well, compared to my butchered mug; you’re as tantalizing as ever, Cease. Besides, I could use a distraction or two, however dirty they might be.” Dean’s voice dropped another octave, an invisible fist clenched inside her. She groaned, letting her head fall in indecision. Dean closed the distance between them, big hands taking her shoulders firmly as he leaned down, earning a grin as she found his eyes suddenly playful beneath lush lashes.

“Seriously, I’m gross.”

“Not to me you’re not,” Dean purred, wide thumb stroking her strong cheek bone. “Let me make you less crabby.” CC’s head rolled to the side; her nose nuzzled into his comforting stubble.

At long last, she caved, her spiced skin slipping beneath his cracked lips as they danced over her collar bone. Dean’s entire body hummed with a need nearly as wide as the void inside him. They collided, grabbing and shoving until Dean started to wonder who was truly strongest. Then CC nipped below his ear and he tossed her on top of the washing machine she had set to HOT. She pinched her knees together, twisting side saddle on the hissing appliance, lips parting as Dean’s tongue took its time riling her up from the inside out.

Dean’s hands widened, tips and palms digging into her fleshy thighs, begging access until he demanded it. She groaned into his mouth before pulling back, her uncertainty crumbled beneath his singular focus. She tasted the iron from his split lip, a bit of coffee and something unimaginable. Even bad decisions need to be made to prove their consequence. Chloe grabbed Dean’s forearms and pushed him back, his gaze slow to move up from his target.

“Shower room?” she asked hopping back down on her bare feet.

Dean barely shook his head, nose buried in her hair. Her arms threaded around his waist as his thumb cocked up her face, his fingers threading into the loose strands at the nape of her neck.

“My room? It’s farthest from Sam’s?” Dean answered with clashing teeth and a fistful of Chloe’s ass.

There was a threatening rhythm to their efforts, hefty pauses ending only after the other started to teeter; to break. They had gotten to CC’s room, clothes shoved and forgotten along the way to the bed. Dean grasped the nape of her neck, his arm locked as he stared through her, eyes unfocused and mouth open against a horror she couldn’t see. She tried to pull him closer, to sit back and take him with her, but he was frozen. She slid her palm under his elbow and pushed up, her other arm braced across his chest to keep him back, in case his reaction was less than friendly.

His jaw worked over all the words that wouldn’t form, eyes dropping closed as he came back from the brink, grip softening as his forehead fell to her shoulder. CC couldn’t stop from shaking as the moment passed, Dean’s mouth finding her pulse point more than conversational again. All that hovered over them: fear, power, destiny and damnation, fueled them until they were desperate and starving, knowing that the other was just as empty. Just as wanton. Dean’s hands pulled her thighs apart and his teeth ran the edge of the faded cotton. The iron sang through his nose as it mixed with her arousal; a signature cocktail he couldn’t refuse.

CC swallowed as his fingers dragged down the last barrier between his mouth and her coated folds. No sound could reach her as she battled the disgust and desire, Dean’s tongue threaded through her lips, nipping and sucking them swollen. He moved in to circle her clit; the heat of her shame began to burn away as yearning eclipsed all custom and ceremony. CC’s head fell back, and when she closed her eyes knots of wood looked back.

Suddenly she was suspended from her every nerve, tucked away from feeling Dean shove three fingers inside her mess. In a bubble of warmth and muffled sound, CC drifted. It was calm and quiet there, a place without resistance or time. She began to wonder if this is what Death felt like, if the veil could manifest itself to tease her. To coax her immortality from her by sheer tranquility. There was something pulling at the back of her thoughts, something she was forgetting, something that demanded her opposition even, but CC couldn’t be bothered to think on that. Not quite yet.

Dean doesn’t realize he’s lost her, he just keeps finger fucking her until the thinning blood is snaking down his arm. His lips pull at her, thirst crazed and blind. The beat inside his head overtakes her pulse, heavy and languid, building. Her breath catches and he feels the gentle trickle, a silent compliment for his efforts. Her body pulls while he pushes, deeper, solid, unmoving as the shuttering of her walls loosen outward in waves.

Dean pulls his hand back and admires it in the light, rust rimmed nails and ruddied knuckles as the skin cools beneath the liquid as it dries and cracks. It’s not enough. His eyes search the desk and dresser, knowing it must be here, somewhere. He isn’t thinking, he is only moving. The battered leather sheath lays across her boots, handle smooth and solid as he grips it in his right hand. It’s smaller than he thought, but the spellworked blade dazzles as Dean pulls it from its case.

She hasn’t moved safe for her chest rising and eyes scrunched against the ceiling. Dean should know that isn’t a good sign, but either he doesn’t register it, or he doesn’t care. He moves to her side, where he can feel her curves against him, her lungs expand as he lets his weight fall against her. Her head lulls to the side and a soft whimper passes her lips as he slides home, blood thick and gritty along every inch of him. Dean almost cums at the sight of the gore he pulls out of CC’s channel. He pushes back in, shoving her knees obscenely against the comforter, letting every ripple of her thighs and ass urge him on.

CC feels the first slice between her breasts. Like a tuft of hair caught in a necklace she is pulled from her weightlessness and placed back in reality. The sweat stings her skin as it opens, her granddad’s knife dangles above her as Dean catches her eye. He thrusts into her with clenched teeth, eyes dark and muscles constricting as he shifts lower. Her legs lock around his waist as he stands, still buried inside her. She tries to sit, but his free hand pushes her back down, rough palm burning against the mangled flesh.

He grunts and gasps, and CC finally sees it, the terror in his eyes. He’s frozen once more. The knife is shaking in his hand, a not so invisible force extending over his forearm. CC needs to do something; Dean’s panicking as his body moves without him. She rolls her hips and threads her fingers around his wrist. Dean’s eyes go wide as she sinks the metal beneath her ribs. She shushes him, nodding and rocking into his body. Dean looks away and moves again, entering her doubly as the Mark takes her offering to free him. She tries to keep breathing, to stay conscious and keep watch on Dean.

Her hand slips up from his wrist and over the cursed brand in his white skin. She focuses on it, stomping on the tendrils of control with her mind; it remains immobile and unnerving. She feels the darkness pulling at her, trying to put her under, to stow her away. Dean’s face falls to her neck, he pulls the knife from her side, leaving jarring pain shooting through her as the wound registers. Dean cries out, clutching her head to his, arms tight and knife falling.

CC thrashes against him, breaking through with a fist through his near headlock; they roll back, clinging to each other like a life raft. His scruff prickles her throat and CC coughs, breaking the stalemate. They pull apart, limbs and groins untangling in guilt riddled silence. Dean clears his throat and sits up, hand hovering over her wounds. He’s mesmerized and apologetic, biting back any sorry when CC inhales against the pain. She waves him off and pops up onto her elbows. Her eyes take in the damage and she frowns in consideration before closing her eyes.

“Cease?” Dean whines a worry as her skin starts to glow.

“It’s okay. I’m gonna be fine, just, uh, just gimme a sec.” CC wills the walls of her organs to fuse, her muscles knit together, and the skin zips closed and clean before Dean’s eyes. She pants from effort and falls back to the bed, a gentle smile twisting on her face before she opens her eyes. Dean’s are like saucers, his slack jawed expression made worse by the patches of blood and slick crusted in his scruff. All CC can think is how his mix of scary and stoned is causing her heart to catch in her throat.

“Hey?” CC whispers, slipping her hand over his, despite the nausea that was creeping back up. “You good?”

Dean lets her question sit unanswered, floating in the space between his guilty hands and her enabling eyes. The world seemed to tilt before he falls into the damp darkness of unconsciousness.

^*^*^*^

Dean woke to the sound of his own screams, his fist jutting up into some unseen enemy. He swung against her as CC tried to pull him back, her hand cool on his left bicep. He smelled soap and felt damp pillows; he couldn’t remember showering. Finally, the room righted itself and he could piece together what little furniture she had accumulated since they’d been brought back to the Bunker. Since the demon inside her had helped Sam cure him. He spotted her empty boots and the images of her knife in his grip flashed in his mind’s eye; his stomach twisted against the memories he forced himself to swallow.

           CC let him work through it, she was sore and exhausted and couldn’t find the words that would bring him back from the brick wall he kept running himself into. His recoil from her every touch set up her haunches as it was, maybe she should have dragged him to his own bed after all. Having him here felt like they were hiding, but the only person she felt any guilt for was no longer in this phase of existence.

He whispered a desperate ‘fuck’ into the early morning quiet. Finding his undershirt; he ducked into the neck before turning to face CC. Whatever he was hoping to find in her face, it wasn’t there. Her tired eyes were set deep atop her full cheeks, her uncertainty and caution bordering on annoyance.

“What?” Her voice warbled.

“Forget it.” Dean closed his eyes as her hand snaked over the sheets to cage his in. “I’m sorry I woke you up, I’ma head back to my room, let you get some rest.”

“Dean? You don’t have to—” She didn’t even try to sell it.

“I know, but, I just keep going through the thing with Cain and, you need to recuperate now, so.” Dean shrugged, left a peck on her forehead and threw on the rest of his clothes before either said another word. Once he was free to the safety of the empty hallway Dean shivered, his bare feet and wet head oddly comforting in the confines of his body and bones.

CC watched him leave, quick and painlessly. There was so much lacking between them that it didn’t even register as a rejection; they were simply saying what they thought the other wanted to hear. They were quite the lop-sided pair: the cursed hunter and Heaven’s bastard’s mistake. Both broken, in very different directions.

*^*^*^*

Next Chapter: The Mark

[c-is-for-circinate]

I wrote so much thoughtspew about the first two seasons of Farscape and serialization vs episodic plot in late-90′s TV and character progression, and then I put a cut there because I’m not an animal.

An interesting thing that happens in Farscape (and I’m a couple of episodes into season 3, and have not been particularly good about any sort of liveblogging, as expected): we don’t actually see the first time John Crichton, intentionally and in his right mind, specifically chooses to and succeeds in killing someone he’d consider a person.

I was keeping an eye out for it--I knew it would happen sooner or later, and early Season 1 Crichton, who thinks he can talk Crais out of his vendetta by explaining it was a car accident; who brokers a deal with the Genesis and then sends a Marauder crew of Peacekeepers off of Moya alive; who spends the entire first episode confused and captured and shot at by various people and then insists, when he’s finally the one with the gun and the handcuff keys, that the Moya crew rescue Aeryn right along with him--that Crichton is so deliberately and fundamentally not a killer.  It’s one of his firmament truths about the world.  You don’t kill people.  That’s not how the world works.

And it was so clearly one of the things that was going to get stripped away in the breaking-down of John Crichton (which I remembered enough about Farscape to know would happen, but could not have described the trajectory of).  So I was keeping an eye out for it, and I realized, we never quite get it.

There’s a moment in Maldus’s trap, with Crais, where he decides to hell with it and tries to kill Crais--but fails.

There’s the virus that takes him over, uses John’s own two hands to beat a Peacekeeper scientist to death--but John doesn’t remember that, wasn’t in control, isn’t really to blame.

And then there’s the Peacekeeper ship that leaves Moya at the end of the episode, that John figures out how to blow up by its trail of cesium fuel--but the only person on board the ship is possessed by the virus, is a zombie, could never be saved, and everyone knows killing a zombie isn’t the same as killing a real person, right?

There’s the firefight as he escapes the Gammak base, and maybe he hits someone lethally and maybe not, but who knows?  There is, of course, the plan several days later that destroys the base completely--ignites an entire moon, and surely dozens, hundreds (thousands?) die with that.  So maybe that’s it.  Maybe that’s the moment.  Or maybe by that point the moment’s already passed.

By the fourth episode of season 2, John stabs T’raltixx straight through the chest with a quolta blade, stone dead, up close, at a range to see his face and his blood, but of course he’s half-crazed from light emissions at that point, so that’s not quite right either.  But by that point it doesn’t feel new or horrifying any more anyway.  By that point John carries a pulse-pistol as a matter of course, and has probably used it off-camera and we haven’t even seen it.  By the time his caveman and superbrain doubles show up he’s ready to shoot first and ask questions later.  By the time he’s kidnapped by the Scarran on the commerce planet, he thinks of himself as a person who’s killed, who’s grown callous to the suffering of others, who his mother would be ashamed of.

John spends a lot more time threatening to shoot people than actually shooting them, but his aversion to pitched battle in the timeslip episode near the beginning of season 3 has a lot more to do with timeline integrity than avoiding death.  He goes into a firefight of pitched battle at the end, and shoots to kill, and succeeds again and again and again, and the only people whose deaths he regrets at the end of it are the ones he tried to save.

The thing is, I’m really into how these gradual character shifts happen.  I’m intrigued by the lack of a clear-cut start/stop point.  Because I think that’s how it happens for the characters, too.

John Crichton never wakes up and thinks, I’m a different person today than I was yesterday.  He doesn’t notice the first tilot me he really kills someone, on purpose--it’s a thing that happens in the middle of ten thousand other things, and by the time he has time to sit down and process the fact that it happened, it has happened, and has been happened, and there’s something else new to worry about now anyway.  

John stops wearing his IASA flight suit and it’s just sort of a thing that happens, and maybe it’s laundry day or maybe it’s the day he dressed up to pretend to be a Peacekeeper and everything went to shit, and in retrospect it matters but at the moment it’s nothing.  You can point to the end of S1 as a major turning point for him, but plenty of things turned around before that point happened.  And of course, you can point to the chip as the explanation for so much of the rage and the violent impulses John’s throwing around in season 2--but it’s not like one of the (many, many) one-off mindfrells that dissipate at the end of an episode and leave whoever-it-is alone to be themselves again.  Season 3 John may be ‘himself again’, but whoever his self is, it’s a pretty far cry from who he was when the chip first went in.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this gradual style of character development, where the Big Meaningful Things just sort of happen in the background and you don’t notice until they’re over.  And I wonder how much of it is about the way episodic TV happened in the late 90′s vs today.

In the late 90′s, nobody made TV shows for people to marathon.  I remember 1999.  We had a VCR, which nobody in the house knew how to program, and no cable which meant that any episodes of Farscape I watched were on tape at my best friend’s house and usually out of order.  Any shows I did watch as they aired were often out of order: some weeks it’s a new episode, some weeks it’s a rerun, some weeks you go to your sister’s play and miss it entirely, some weeks it’s preempted by The Sports.  Serialization was a thing, but there was absolutely less continuity from one episode to the next than you might get from, say, Sens8, or Steven Universe, or even something like The Good Place--which is an episodic sitcom, but still builds each episode off of events in the episode before.  I remember watching The Wire for the first time, on DVD, in 2010, and saying to my friends, “this is a different kind of tv show”.  Every single episode acted as a chapter in a story, rather than a stand-alone piece that could be shuffled into a different order within the guidelines of a couple of specific signpost events.  And the kind of character development you do in a show like that, a show made for the internet generation, a show whose creators expect it to be binged, is different.

Farscape has a lot of continuity, but it also uses the status quo as a tool.  Half the episodes start of in media res.  We don’t need to know the specifics of how we got to wherever we are today, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the last episode.  We know the generalities: we’re on Moya, we’re generally in trouble of some kind, and now we’re going to find out what new difficulties today has brought.  Along with that, we know the status quo of characters.  In Season 1, we know John Crichton is desperate to go home to Earth, is confused and out of place, would rather talk than hurt anybody, or let anybody hurt anyone else.  That’s who he is.  Episodes where he doesn’t act that way--trying to kill Crais and then very nearly killing Maldus--they’re anomolies.  One really bad day.  That’s why it’s so easy to shrug off the time he explodes the Peacekeeper shuttle with the virus-infected captain in it.  That can’t really be Crichton committing murder, because that’s not who he is.  That’s not who the status quo says he is.  If that’s who he is, it changes the status quo.

And the thing is, using status quo as a tool like that allows the show to do a lot of very gradual character development without the audience or the characters themselves actually noticing.  Season 2 Crichton is so angry all the time, but--well, it’s just bad days, because we know Crichton, and he’s a good guy who doesn’t like violence.  Or, once it’s been going on long enough--okay, I guess this is the new status quo, he’s just an angry guy.  Was he always like this?  Guess he changed while we weren’t looking.  The show doesn’t start to reveal what’s up with the chip until the back half of the season.  And then suddenly there’s a reason Crichton’s been acting like this, and that makes sense, but also by that point it’s become part of the status quo.  Crichton knows how to do violence and is so frustrated all the time.  That’s part of who he is now.

And I think the show really benefits from being watched with that mindset, because it feels like the characters are just as used to thinking of themselves and their friends in terms of status quo as we are.  I’m thinking about the episode where Zahn and D’Argo and Rygel rip off Pilot’s arm and then turn on each other.  By that point they’ve stood by each other through all sorts of problems, risked their lives for each other, and for Pilot and Moya, no question.  But the opportunity to go home comes up, and they each think about who they are, who they think they are, and they think, ‘I am a person for whom going home is the Number One Priority’.  Never mind how little time they’ve spent seeking out a way home compared to how much time they’ve spent taking care of each other.  By season 3, John loves Aeryn, loves Moya and her crew, would die for them and has actively tried to do so on multiple occasions, but he puts them all in danger for a chance at a wormhole and a way home.  Not because going home is actually more important to him than their safety--if you set out the choices in front of him, if you said ‘You go home but Moya and everyone on her will suffer or die’, he’d give up the chance to go home without question.  But the option comes up, and the little self-identification flag in his head goes, ‘Astronaut John Crichton, US of A, wants to go back to Earth more than anything in the world’, like a one-note character description blurb.

Farscape works really well when viewed as a show about a bunch of people who spend very little time actually thinking about where they’re going and why.  They drive around in circles getting into and out of trouble, trying to keep safe and keep fed, reacting to one problem after another, and not one of them has any kind of plan for getting the things they say they want.  Ask anybody on Moya if they intend to spend the rest of their lives there, they’d say no (or, ‘probably, and it looks like that’ll be about half an arn, now shut up and let us figure out how not to die’).  But not one of them have an actual plan for leaving her.

[powerovernothing]

Questions? Questions? Tell me about how Korbin and his brothers have been?

Awww, why hello there, my darling Sarah!

So, let’s see here, in regards to how the boys have been over the last little while:

(*~*Updates, And Lore Related Talk Behind The Cut~!*~*)

In terms of their storyline in general, they have been taking a little bit of a much needed break from the crazy world in which they inhabit! Nothing really new has been happening in terms of adventures, as I am currently doing my best to finalize some of their older tales, so I can get around to uploading them on both here and Ao3 when they’re finally finished.

As of right now I am currently around 80% completed with a hurt/comfort story based around Lucien and Korbin, entitled “Everything’s Alright”.

Next on the list will be editing a humorous oneshot with the title “Bruma Winters, vs The Knight, The Emperor, And The Assassin.”, along with a currently untitled, more serious although gentle, one shot dealing with Lucien soothing Martin in the aftermath of Mysterium Xarxes related nightmares, and then one where Lucien endures nightmares himself. (”In The Dark Of The Night”)

Ironically, all of these are based around the concept of sleep, as it seems that even after all these years, I cannot let go one of my favorite things to do while I’m writing. And that is to end an emotional story with the characters falling asleep together. Should I probably try to find more creative ways to end my tales? Probably! But will I? Most likely not, hah!

And there is also my take on The Battle of Dagon, entitled “If This Is To End In Fire”, which is currently at around 60% completed – at around 12K words – but is on hiatus because of the length, and the fact that I lost sight of where the story was heading at the moment. But it should be picked up sooner or later!

If any of you guys are curious about these stories, or any of the others that I am currently working on, please feel free to drop me a message! Inbox, or Ims, I assure you that I never mind talking about them, and I welcome your curiosity with open arms!

However, if you are curious as to what the newest thing I have done for them lately was, well it was a touch of characterization and world building, actually!

I gave Martin’s adoptive father – the one who raised him on the farm, as he mentions in game when you find him in the Kvatch chapel – a proper name, backstory, and personality. When you look at Darius Surus at first glance, you probably wouldn’t really notice anything familiar, but if you know my past and one of my favorite old and lovable shames… Yeah, Darius is based off of Jonathan Kent because I couldn’t help myself. Outside of that, I also gave him an extended role in Martin’s life, and made his death be the reason that my version of Martin turned to drinking – and ultimately towards Sanguine.

Angsty, perhaps, but then again, have you met me?

Outside of that, I also did more development for Korbin’s mother, Erisia Kynrick, and his father Corvus Redd, who were incredibly loyal Dibella worshipers and who believed their love making to be tainted once Erisia became pregnant with Korbin, and assumed that their Daedra Lord would look down upon them for what they had done – when in reality it would have been anything but, as Dibella would have favored Korbin highly by having been conceived from an intimacy session in her honor – and from their own selfish fears, lead them to abandoning Korbin at the age of five on the streets of the Waterfront in the Imperial City.

Again, incredibly angsty, but rest assured that even though they abandon Korbin outright, and go on to enjoy their lives without hardly a blink of an eye in relation to what they did to their son, they wind up getting their karma in the form of a shadowy protector years down the road. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that Lucien murdered a family member for a sake of a contract, or personal feelings.

But outside of that, and outside of some Next Gen related conversations that I have been having with my dear friends in the Discord Server, not much has really been happening lately! There’s the occasional Incorrect Quote here and there, and some Sims related shenanigans, but overall it’s been pretty relaxed! And honestly I think the boys deserve to take a little break now and again, don’t you?

Thanks again for asking, and I hope you enjoy these answers~! Lots of love and kisses for you! ♥~

Wanna drop me a message, pick at my brain, or ask about something relating to my Oblivion related stuff? Feel free~! Just be warned my replies may be kind of lengthy, hehe!

[apriki]

WARS OF THE STARS

So ya homegirl finally saw the last jedi and oh, there are THOUGHTS to be HAD below the cut for spoiler purposes but guys. GUYS.

I LOVED IT

I LOVED IT 

IT WAS WEIRD AND AMBITIOUS AND OVERTHREW THE CONVENTIONS OF THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE IN A WAY FORCE AWAKENS SPECIFICALLY DIDN’T AND I LOOOVVVED IT

when luke threw the lightsaber over his shoulder at the very start i was like OHHHHH YES BITCH...... ITS FUCKIN ON

‘this isn’t going to go how you think’ INDEED

my heart siezed when i saw leia ugh.... and this film treated her with the gravitas she deserved and i loved that 

POE IS A COCKY FLYBOY BUT OKAY THE HUX SCENE WAS LEGITIMATELY FUNNY and domhnall gleeson is having THE MOST FUN 

ROSE’S SISTERRR and i feel like this film took pains to show a more diverse range of people in the resistance and also in the background on the star destroyers? and i really loved that

snoke’s red room of pain lmaoooooooooo. and his mara jade bodyguards

snoke forcing kylo to take his helmet off because he knows kylo needs it to disconnect shut the fuck up

kylo tantrum™ and him wrecking the mask because snoke shattered its meaning to him but also YOU DON’T GET TO WEAR THE MASK IN THIS MOVIE, KYLO. A BITCH IS GONNA BE OUT HERE VULNERABLE AS FUCK

the timeline of this movie was... odd? i feel like we were meant to think rey was with luke for weeks but the rebellion plot was suuuuuper super fast. i employed some mental time dilation to make sense of it lmao

KYLO NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE SHOT AND KILL LEIA

EMO SON LOVES HIS MOM 2K17

holy SHIT i really thought they were going to kill leia off 20 MINUTES IN for a hot minute there

but then she FORCED HER WAY BACK INTO THE SHIP? SUCK ON THAT DUDEBROS WHO SAID SHE WASN’T STRONG WITH THE FORCE LIKE DIE

SPACE LAURA DERN

We Need To Talk About Rey And Kylo’s Sense8 Plot

THAT FIRST SCENE WHERE SHE DIDN’T HESITATE, BITCH

and he FELT IT. HE FELT THAT BLASTER

THEIR FACES when they force felt each other what the guuud FUCK

kylo: you will lead me to skywalker

rey: i think the fuck not

‘i don’t see where you are... only you’

BI.......TCH

THE REST OF THE WORLD FADED AWAY AND THEY WERE STUCK WITH ONE ANOTHER

luke’s sad hermit routine lmfao

luke: the jedi weren’t shit really

me: absolutely fair and true

when rey was like ‘please take this lightsaber and all the responsibility that comes with it’ and luke was like ‘this bitch empty YEET’

porgs are whatever. i wouldve eaten that one on the stick lmao chewbacca is a softie

am i the only one who like doesn’t remember the millenium falcon’s dice in the mirror lmao

sidenote like, adam driver’s voice. right? right?

KYLO CALLING HIMSELF A MONSTER WAS WHAT MADE REY START TO BELIEVE HE WASN’T? WHAT KIND OF BYRONIC NONSENSE......

‘i’d really rather not do this right now’ / ‘yeah me either’

I CACKLED. 

THESE TWO SHIT KIDS WITH A SENSE8 CONNECTION THEY DON’T WANT DROPPING IN ON EACH OTHER’S NARRATIVES

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS MOVIE IS REAL.

i heard that kylo ren had a sixpack. that kylo ren is shredded

DON’T YOU HAVE LIKE, A COWL OR SOMETHING?????????????????????

MAZ KANATA IS LIVING HER OWN ACTION FILM SHE DOESN’T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR BULLSHIT

loved the casino world that was so obviously based on monaco and dipping into the muddy waters of arms dealing and showing how deep the fight between tyranny and freedom runs in the galaxy. it can get quite baroque with the skywalkers and their drama and i felt like it was a smart smart move to have finn team up with rose to see how exploitation and cruelty don’t always have to be in the form of sith lords or first orders

this movie is so busy dismantling the ideas of heroes and villains. it’s just people making choices and that’s the point and it’s TRRRUUUUUUE

benicio del toro is the new era boba fett and i love HE

poe getting SLAPPED and BLASTERED like multiple times lmaoooooooo like i like him well enough but bitch listen to your betters!

i kind of loved that finn and rose went off on this grand plan to save the resistance and it.... didn’t work. like everything they kept trying just DID NOT WORK but there was still hope at the end? friends it was beautiful

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

KYLO SLIDING OUT INTO THE CORRIDOR IS UHHHHHH THE STRAIGHT UP BEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN

HE’S A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD LINKIN PARK FANATIC AND I LOVE

rey in the rain

the first time she’s ever felt it?

and then the world goes QUIET AGAIN

WHAT KIND OF WOLFGANG AND KALA BULL SHIT

and okay the end of this scene where kylo pulls his hand away

AND WIPES OFF

THE RAIN

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

CANNOT

I CANNOT.

WHAT IS THIS AGE OF INNOCENCE FUCKING BUFFONERY SCREAAAMM

‘did he tell you what happened?’

and like, kylo could just say it himself

but he knows rey wouldn’t believe him 

and luke fucking LIED

‘THAT SKYWALKER BLOOD’

me two years ago: what’s an adam driver

me now: (laughing nervously) what the f

‘why does the force keep connecting us?’ BITCH ME TOO LMFAO 

the way the world STOPS ALL AROUND THEM

oh my god the flashbacks

like i feel like we got more than enough of this alluded to in force awakens but some people need it in black and white i guess and HERE THE FUCK IT IS

‘and the last thing i saw were the eyes of a frightened boy whose master had failed him’

and okay WOW @ ME EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS CONTINUALLY SAID HAN, LEIA AND LUKE DIDN’T FAIL KYLOHE LITERALLY TRIED TO MURDER HIM

look.

i am the most stoic bitch in a movie theatre. like shit does not phase me but i fucking teared UP my face just CRUMPLED LIKE UGHHHHH

AND ADAM’S DRIVER’S STUPID FUCKING FACE AND HIS DUMB EYES

HIS PARENTS SENT HIM AWAY BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID OF HIM AND HIS UNCLE TRIED TO FUCKING MURDER HIM

‘YOU WERE WRONG TO THINK HIS HEART HAD DECIDED!’

and THIS is what’s at the heart of the last jedi - dismantling the myth of the hero. there are no heroes, only people, and luke is the embodiment of thatto rey he’s a myth but to kylo he was a man and that’s how he stumbled but he stumbled because he believed his OWN myth i’m just..... dying slowly

THEIR HANDS TOUCHING

THEIR FINGERS

FUCK OFF

THE ELECTRICITY

I FEEL THE CONFLICT IN HIM

REY CRYING AND KYLO TEARING UP

GOODBYE BITCHES I’M FUCKIN OUTTA HEEEYYYYA

rey: i saw you at my side

kylo: well i saw YOU at MY side

me: fellas,

REY BLASTING OFF RIGHT INTO THE HEART OF THE ENEMY CAUSE SHE BELIEVES SHE CAN SAVE BEN’S SOUL

REY GOING INTO THE DARKNESS AND NOT BEING AFRAID

AND TRYING TO SEE HER PARENTS BUT ONLY SEEING HERSELF

snoke claiming that he mainpulated rey and kylo looks up in FURY because he realises he was manipulating him too

LIKE HE ALWAYS KNEW

BUT HERE IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE

his fingers twitching 

the saber moving

me in my seat: boy he bout to DO IT

AND KILLS

HIS

TRUE

ENEMY

i SCREAMED

well i didn’t scream because i was in a theatre but i screamed on the inside. i would watch kylo or ANY character kill every person who ever manipulated abused used them and HOW oh my GOD 

HE COULDN’T KILL REY AND HE KILLED SNOKE INSTEAD.

HE COULDN’T KILL LEIA AND HE COULDN’T KILL REY

JUST A BOY IN A MASK

THE EYES OF A FRIGHTENED BOY

like he just wants someone to to TRUST and they all keep FAILING for all his talk to rey of her constantly looking for parental figures like all he fucking wants is to belong to something??

it’s whatever.

like i can but i also can’t believe we actually got this character so shaped and formed by abuse and manipulation KILLING HIS ABUSER. like KNEELING IN FRONT OF SNOKE and being beaten down and down and FINDING THE STRENGTH TO KILL HIM ANYWAY

the conflict of this series is happening in the galaxy but it’s also happening in ben solo’s heart and that’s just about enough for me to mcFREAKING lose it

THE WAY REY CONSISTENTLY CALLS HIM BEN.’

BEN. BENJY. BENJO BOY

REY AND KYLO FIGHTING

BACK TO BACK

BACK! TO BACK!

REY WITH THE CROSSGUARD SABER KYLO WITH ANAKIN’S SABER

KILLING THOSE RED DUDES MAYBE THE KNIGHTS OF REN? THE SLOW MO

FIGHTING TOGETHER................. 

POETRY

I DIED

I FUCKING STRAIGHT UP ASCENDED

REY CALLING HIM BEN AND HIM FLINCHING

EVERY

SINGLE

TIME

‘you’re nothing to the story - but not to me’

LOOK,

LISTEN,

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS MOVIE IS REEEEAAALLLL

when kylo asked rey to join him i swear to god i heard the opening synth of carly rae jepsen’s ‘run away with me’

FORCE FIGHTING FOR THE SABER

DARKNESS AND LIGHT TO MEET IT

BUT ALSO DARKNESS IN HER AND LIGHT IN HIM

THE BALANCE

THE BALANCE!!

THEY’RE EQUALS THEY’RE SO EQUAL THEY FUCKING

TORE

THE SABER

APART

i seriously thought this was going to be the film’s climax but there was like 40 more minutes after this ksadjfkdsfj

LAURA DERN AND LEIA wow that was some BUSINESS 

and leia explaining to poe about doing the right thing vs. looking like a hero MY GOD this film is on another level. how the fuck did it both take star wars to town over like its most fundamental conventions but still feel true to the series and respectful and genuine? I AM... AGOG

LAURA FUCKING DERN LIGHTSPEEDING INTO A SPEED DESTROYER HOLLLLYY SHIT

and the no sound CRACKING APART of the cruiser the LIGHT 

this movie was shot so beautifully thanks disneymarvelfox conglomerate

honestly i’m still astounded that a film so rooted in nostalgia, nearly dependent on it in a way, firmly and deeply embedded a ‘let the past die’ moral through its narrative. LIKE, WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF BLOCKBUSTER???????? but i loved it, i loved that luke and kylo were both so determined to bury the past and rey was equally determined to dig it up. because how can you have balance without it? 

the whole hoth version 2 snow planet was beautiful and the BURGUNDIES the contrast i love an aesthetic!

(tastes red substance hesitantly) ‘Salt.’

i want a crystal wolf

LMFAO YODA JUST BEING A FUCKING TROLL WHAT THE HELL

they couldn’t phone ewan mcgregor for a yung hot jesus obi wan cameo? i’d be into it

LUKE’S FOOT NOT SHOWING A RED PRINT THAT’S WHEN I KNEW HE WASN’T THERE

kylo: .........i’ll destroy the girl

luke: no you wont

kylo: yeah no i wont u right u right

LUKE AND LEIA OH MY GODDDD the GRAVITAS of mark and carrie!!! it was so beautiful

when kylo gave an order and hux repeated it super loud and kylo GAVE HIM THE WILDEST SIDE EYE I FUCKING CHOOOOKEKEKKEKEKED

i’m glad somewhere along the way they realised hux is like the biggest joke character lmfao

bye phasma

finn’s storyline really god sidelined this movie huh? i loved rose a LOT and i loved them together but did we need the poe plot like really

all the scenes with the og trio have been so layered and beautiful you can 

though i thought luke died in the fire and it was his force ghost not him like force astral projecting lmao

LUKE WALKING OUT OF THE RED SMOKE FROM THE GUNFIRE DDDAMMMMNN

‘do you think you got him????????’ KDBFKSHDFKHDS

ooof that final confrontation scene though

damn right you should apologise luke lmfao

SEE YA, KID

kylo’s anger in the last third is just wooooof like he thinks he can destroy every person and every remnant that rejected him but he’s just running on his own anger until he realises luke isn’t really there and there’s nothing else for him to fight

OOOOF

THE BINARY SUNSET

that GOT me i was verklempt

rey and poe meeting was cute

i hope they’re not setting up a love triangle cause like that shit is tiiirrreeeedddd

i like finn and rey and also finn and rose like im happy to go down whatever road they take

THAT FINAL SCENE

SNOKE WAS WAY FUCKING DEAD BUT THEY WERE

STILL

CONNECTED

HIM BENEATH HER ABOVE

YES BITCH LOOK AT EACH OTHER

and shutting the door but like the FALCON

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S GONNA BE TWO MORE YEARS

is the fucking novelization out yet?

or the script?

i want to swim in this movie god stay tuned as my thoughts #develop and #grow

[imaginetonyandbucky]

‘we’re on a roadtrip with some friends and we have to share a hotel room and there’s only one bed and a whole lot of sexual tension’ AU Would be nice if it was smutty. Steve and Sam totally set them up. Later Bucky and Tony realise they are both fools since they've been in love with each other since the beginning of their acquaintance.

A/N: I went way overboard on my first run at this prompt - that version is going up on AO3.  

So Open Up, I’m Climbin’ In

“You know, Sam,”  Tony groused, “just because Rhodey deputized you as my new best friend when he deployed doesn’t mean you have to drag me along on all your shenanigans.”  

“C’mon, Tony,” Sam pled.   “Just see what they have to say.”

“You hardly know these guys and you wanna get stuck driving three quarters of the way across the country with them?”  

“Steve was my partner on that group project from hell in my Structural Integrity class last semester,” Sam responded. “We bonded through adversity.   I kinda feel like I owe the guy.”

“But Bruce and I are at an important place in our project.”   Tony knew he was making excuses, but he had a bit of an ulterior motive.

Bruce Banner, Tony’s  ‘science bro’  was a pre-med major with a focus on neurobiology; it had been his idea to explore the possibility of developing an external neural interface to control an upper limb prosthetic. This would allow for less expensive prosthetics to be produced.

Bruce reached out to Tony for his programming and electronics skills, and they’d managed to talk a couple of their professors into supporting the effort.   The fact that Stark Industries had made quite a large donation to the school recently certainly didn’t hurt;  thanks to this act of quasi-nepotism, Tony and Bruce were able to score a private lab area and even offer compensation to their test subjects. Enter J.B. Barnes, a fellow student who was missing the lower two-thirds of his left arm due to a car accident the previous year.    

[more under the cut]

Tony found himself making excuses to hang out in the lab,  because Barnes was absolutely gorgeous.  Long, dark hair, a strong jawline, legs that went on for days, and stunning blue-grey eyes.  Sure, he had a bit of a Resting Murder Face going on,  and he didn’t talk much; which was a shame, since Tony could have listened to that smoky baritone read an error log and still probably pop a boner.  The day he walked in the lab to see a shirtless Barnes – Bruce was measuring his residual limb in order to start building the prosthetic – was one Tony still replayed in his mind.

So it was a hell of a shock to walk into the diner where he and Sam had agreed to meet Rogers and his friend and see a familiar face: Rogers’ pal was none other than Barnes.   Apparently the two of them had known each other since they were kids and had always wanted to go see the Grand Canyon.  Rogers – a shrimpy, artsy type – did most of the talking, while Tony wondered what he’d done to piss off Lady Fate lately.  

“Me ‘n Buck were never much for the crazy Spring Break beach vacations, but figured this would be kind of a last hurrah before we graduate and start our careers.” Rogers explained. “Figure with another driver or two, we can actually make the trip without killing ourselves or each other.  So, are you guys in?”

Tony had never done anything like this before – his family vacations had involved exotic locations and having every wish catered to – but it sounded like an adventure to him and having Barnes as a travel companion was a definite bonus.  Sam was up for it as well,  so they hashed  out a basic route and other logistics. And just a few days later, they were piling into Rogers’ car and getting on the road.

They had to average about six hundred miles a day to get there and back within the nine and a half days they had available to them,  so there wasn’t much time for sightseeing.   They hit a couple of  landmarks along the route –  Niagara Falls  and  the Gateway Arch in St. Louis were the highlights on the way out, and Sam had lobbied hard to stop at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio on the way back.   But the majority of the trip was spent in the car and in close quarters.

While Tony had loaded his tablet up with movies and books, he found himself being pulled out of his shell, mostly by Sam but also by his other travel mates as they talked to pass the time.   Bucky and Steve were Brooklyn boys, born and bred and  Sam was happy to talk about growing up in Baltimore with his extended family.

Tony was probably the most reticent, as just about anything he said would come out sounding like he was a spoiled brat.  After all, the name Stark was emblazoned on skyscrapers on both coasts, and he’d grown up in a mansion with servants at his (well, his parents’) beck and call.  But he had a few innocuous anecdotes he felt comfortable sharing, and was able to hold up his end of the conversation well enough.

One bit of surprisingly pleasant news was that Barnes was both gay and single; he’d recently broken up with his boyfriend, who sounded like a real asshole.   Tony knew a little something about that; after a disastrous attempt at a romantic Valentine’s Day the month before  – romance and Ty Stone apparently being polar opposites – Tony had given his own boyfriend the boot.  

He and Bucky – Tony had finally accepted the idea that a grown man was going by the name  ‘Bucky’ – also found themselves bonding over a love of science fiction, arguing good-naturedly about the best novels by the Golden Age writers vs the New Wave and more modern writers.

Both of them had been inspired by their reading to pursue their majors - civil engineering for Bucky and  mechanical engineering and computer programming for Tony.  

“In fact,”  Tony said, “the computer on Star Trek and  Mike in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress got me interested in the idea of artificial intelligences.   I’m working on something along those lines myself.   Remind me to show you  Dum-E when we get back.”

“You named an artificial intelligence Dummy?” Bucky laughed and shook his head.  “Better let Banner have the naming rights on the rig you guys are working on.”

Tony bristled for a moment, then realized Bucky was just teasing him; apparently they’d reached that point in their burgeoning friendship.  “It stands for Digital Mechanical Entity,” he explained.   “He’s a robot with a learning algorithm.  Has independent control of his arm and camera.  I’m working on voice commands at the moment.”

“Sounds impressive. Maybe I could meet Dum-E sometime.”  Bucky smiled, and Tony felt his heart skip a beat. Thankfully,  Sam interrupted with the announcement of an impending pit stop, and Tony worked to regain his equilibrium.  

“You’ve got a thing for Bucky, don’tcha, Tones?”  Sam murmured as they stood together contemplating their junk food options.   Steve and Bucky were checking out, having already restocked.  

“No! Well, not really. Maybe?”   Yes, the guy was practically sex on legs, and they were getting along pretty well now that they’d found they had had interests in common.  However, Tony didn’t want to put that possible friendship in jeopardy by hitting on the guy and making the rest of the trip awkward.  “But nothing’s gonna happen.  He’s way out of my league.”  

“Uh-huh.” Sam crossed his arms and looked unimpressed.

“Just drop it, Samwise.  I don’t want to ruin the party.”

They made it to the Grand Canyon  on Tuesday around noon and spent a few hours exploring the park, with plans to stay the night in Flagstaff before heading back home    Bucky made a  suggestion to visit the Lowell Observatory that evening. Tony was game, but – after exchanging a mysterious look – their companions demurred.  Sam had called ahead to the hotel and booked the last two rooms, saying that they’d have the front desk hold a key for them.  Tony had been sharing a room with Sam up to this point in the trip,  but supposed he could keep his developing crush on Bucky under wraps for one night.

The Observatory tour was entertaining and informative; they even got to take a peek through the Pluto Discovery Telescope.  As they walked back to the car, Tony reflected on how nice it was to spend time with someone who liked the same things he did.  It was almost as if they’d been out on a date together or something.  Not that Tony had a lot of experience with that.

The two of them stopped to grab a bite to eat on the way back to the hotel and lost track of time; it was almost eleven  o’clock by the time he and Bucky got back to the hotel.  The front desk clerk slid the room keycard over once they’d identified themselves.  “Have a lovely evening, gentlemen. Breakfast runs until ten in the morning.”

“Son of a bitch - I bet Sam did this on purpose!”   Tony fumed, looking around as he stepped in the room which contained a single king-sized bed. Quickly assessing his options, he added  “Listen, I’ll grab the bedspread and curl up in the chair or something.”

“Nah, that’s okay.” Bucky replied, giving Tony an assessing look.   “But why do you say this was on purpose?”  

Tony felt his cheeks heating as he replied,  “Sam seems to think I’ve got the hots for you.”  He hadn’t intended to be quite so blunt, but the long travel days must’ve gotten to him.

Instead of laughing, or looking annoyed or disgusted,  Bucky stepped right into Tony’s personal space.  “Well, do ya?”   His question was unexpectedly soft, and somehow hopeful.  

Tony, at a loss for words, simply nodded slightly.  “Good. ‘Cause the feeling’s mutual,”   Bucky purred, tilting his head down to capture Tony’s lips in an exploratory kiss.  His exhaustion evaporated as the kiss moved from something cautious and unsure to confident and insistent.  

Tony opened his mouth eagerly to Bucky’s questing tongue, reaching out to pull him closer, to feel that magnificent chest pressing against his. Bucky threaded his fingers through Tony’s hair to hold his head at the perfect angle, deepening the kiss.  

A hot rush of want ran through Tony’s veins as he realized Bucky was walking him backwards towards the bed, licking and nipping at his neck and collarbone. Tony wondered for a moment if they were jumping into the physical aspect too soon; but then again, the time they’d spent together easily equalled  four or five dates, and wasn’t that usually the ‘make it or break it’ point? But despite the pounding of his pulse and the heat and press of Bucky’s hardon against his leg, Tony wanted to clarify something; make sure things didn’t go too far too fast.  

“Just so you know, I wasn’t planning on getting laid on this trip, so I’m fresh out of condoms and lube.”  

“Same here,” Bucky replied with a rueful grin, panting slightly.  “But I can think of a coupla other things we could do.  I’ve been told I give good head – wanna find out for yourself, darlin?”

Tony’s knees went weak, as much at the unexpected endearment as the offer itself. “Sure, as long as I can return the favor, sunshine.”

Bucky grinned and tugged at the waistband of Tony’s jeans.  “Drop ‘em.”

Tony was eager to comply; hastily pushing the covers back to sit on the edge of the bed. He grabbed a pillow for Bucky to kneel on before stripping out of his jeans and briefs.  Trembling with anticipation, Tony couldn’t hold back a moan as Bucky sank to his knees and ran his hand up Tony’s thigh.  

“I figured you’d be a vocal kinda guy,” Bucky smirked. “S’always good to be appreciated.”  He wrapped his hand around Tony’s cock, giving it a few firm strokes before flicking his tongue against the tip.  That wrung a gasp from Tony, his hands flying out to grab blindly at Bucky’s shoulders.  

“God, yes, more,” he begged, as Bucky began sucking his dick.  Bucky hadn’t been exaggerating as to his skills; those plush, sinful lips and talented tongue were taking Tony apart.  The brush of Bucky’s long hair against his thighs combined with the slow circles his thumb was rubbing into Tony’s hipbone just added to the sensory overload.   He could feel the orgasm building in his system as Bucky bobbed up and down, taking practically all of Tony’s cock into his hot, wet mouth.

“M’ getting close, sweetheart,” Tony gasped.  “Where do you want me to come?”  He figured it was only polite to ask.

Bucky pulled off for a moment, squeezing the base of Tony’s cock tight. “Wanna taste ya, sugar.  Suck every last drop outta you.”  

The dirty talk combined with  Bucky swallowing Tony to the root was his undoing; Tony came hard, his keen of pleasure probably waking the neighbors. Bucky gentled him through the aftershocks; but instead of the lassitude he’d expected after such a strong climax,  Tony felt energized, hungry to give Bucky the same pleasure he’d just received.

“Allow me to join in the choir singing your praises,”  Tony said,  responding to Bucky’s questioning look.   “How and where do you want me to go down on you, hot stuff?”

“It’s not gonna take long,”  Bucky admitted. “Might as well get in bed, so’s we can fall asleep after.”     He stood and shimmied out of his jeans with more grace than Tony would have expected.   He paused before taking off his shirt,  and gave Tony a raised eyebrow.   Tony realized he was still wearing his AC/DC concert tee.

Tony skinned the shirt over his head before he could reconsider; his scars were nothing compared to what Bucky had gone through.  When he caught the brief widening of his companion’s eyes, he explained. “Heart murmur. Had to repair a valve or two, no biggie.”   It was easy to minimize now, a year or so after the fact.  “But enough about me.  Time to focus on you, sweetheart.”

Bucky finished undressing – a simple flesh-colored sock covered his stump – and stretched out on the bed,  an anticipatory grin on his face.  His cock was hard and throbbing; apparently he got turned on by giving head.  Good to know.   Tony prowled up Bucky’s body, claiming a hard, fierce kiss before moving down to nuzzle at his neck,  sucking marks across Bucky’s collarbone. His hands roamed restlessly over his partner’s body, tweaking a nipple here, reaching under to grab a handful of ass there, doing any and everything  that seemed to drive Bucky even further into the throes of passion.  

Bucky wasn’t exactly a quiet bedmate either; an almost continuous stream of gasps and moans pushing from his lips as he rutted shamelessly against Tony, leaving smears of precome on their skin.     “C’mon, darlin,” he begged,  “need to feel your mouth on my dick.  Show me just what kind of a cocksucker you are.”

Bucky was both longer and thicker than what Tony was used to – which, admittedly, was only Ty, and one anonymous mutual handjob outside a club late one night – , but ‘adapt and overcome’ wasn’t  Tony’s motto for nothing.  He  wrapped his fingers tightly around the base of Bucky’s cock, stroking up and down as he licked and sucked, swirling his tongue around the tip, alternating hollowing out his cheeks and pressing Bucky’s cock hard against the roof of his mouth.  

Bucky touched the back of Tony’s head.  “Can I?  Promise I won’t push or hold ya down or nothin’.”   Tony hummed his assent, and Bucky carded his fingers through Tony’s hair as he continued bobbing up and down.  “Wanna come down your throat, sugar.  Is that okay?”  

Tony responded by going as deep as he could, then coming back up with a grin.  “Toldja I’d return the favor.”   He took a breath, then swallowed down as much of Bucky’s cock as he could, fighting his gag reflex. Bucky was true to his word; even as he came; shaking and shuddering with a low, staccato moan, he didn’t hold Tony down or push him even deeper.  Tony looked up to see a sleepy, satisfied expression on Bucky’s face as he murmured “C’mere, darlin’.”

“So, in all that paperwork I filled out for your project,” Bucky drawled, as they got settled into a comfortable, spooning position, “I don’t recall nothing about a ban on fraternization. Is that right?”  

“As far as I can remember.  I’ll check with Bruce in the morning.”   Tony tried not to read too much into Bucky’s question, but fell asleep with a hopeful heart that whatever was going on between them could grow into something more than a one night stand.

“This,”  Tony declared as he looked around the table,  “is the best birthday ever. Thank you.”  He felt tears of joy stinging his eyes as he leaned over and blew out the candles on his cake.   What a contrast from the year before, when it had been just him and Rhodey and a stale cupcake from the dorm vending machine.   Or even just a few months earlier, before that crazy road trip, when he spent his weekends in front of his computer instead of spending time with people he cared about, and who cared about him.    

Sam had made the cake from his momma’s recipe, and once it was cut and passed around, out came the gifts.   Bruce had bought him a gigantic coffee mug, and Bruce’s girlfriend Betty,  who Tony had only met a couple of times, had knit him a scarf.  Steve presented Tony with a sketch of his favorite building on campus,  and Rhodey – whose presence was gift enough in Tony’s opinion – gave him a vintage physics book dated 1898, the same year the electron was discovered.  

Bucky had given Tony his present over breakfast – a bronze bracelet depicting the astrological symbols of Pluto and Charon.   Inside, it was inscribed “I am your moon, you are my moon.”   It was a perfect reminder of their visit to Lowell Observatory and the events of that night;  they’d both gotten a little misty eyed when Tony opened the box.

Now,  Bucky was sitting right next to Tony, his right arm wrapped casually around Tony’s waist as he slowly ate using the latest iteration of the prosthetic in a real-life test.   Tony wasn’t sure what he was prouder of;  the work that he and Bruce had put into creating the prosthetic and the interface, or the work Bucky had put in to learn how to use it.  Regardless, he found himself cheering internally each time another bite of cake was successfully consumed.

“Wanna try feeding me a bit, sunshine?”

Bucky looked over at Tony’s empty plate.  “Uh-huh - you’re just anglin’ to get more cake, aren’tcha?”  But he focused his attention and maneuvered the fork over in front of Tony, only to smear the frosting on his nose. “Oops! Sorry, sweetheart,” Bucky apologized, but he couldn’t keep a straight face for long as he leaned in to lick the errant icing off

“Fine motor control test complete.”  Bruce commented dryly, as the rest of the table dissolved in laughter.  Tony hadn’t needed to make a birthday wish this year;  he had everything he wanted right here.  

[onceuponamirror]

rating: T

summary: Jughead was supposed to be the one that got away. He wasn’t supposed to feel the flames licked at his feet, the rattling sound of a snake moving through grass; rubber on the road, blood on the tongue, a whispered eulogy to the quiet little boy who just liked his books.

Or, he gets himself in over his head with a bet and a drag race, it’s the first time he sees his girlfriend since she’s broken up with him—and he doesn’t know what he’s feeling, except that he’s feeling it all.

notes: about the amount of angst you might expect, but not all is lost. based on spoilers, speculative for 2.06. working through some of my thoughts in fic form. 

read above on ao3 or below the cut. pretty please drop me a review if you do! x

A drag race.

Like a fucking idiot, he had agreed to a drag race. And, well, there were a few problems with that.

One, he doesn’t have a license. This one is probably the least of his worries, given his new affiliations with certain notorious gangs. And he technically can drive, if one counted slapstick attempts at it at midnight in a grocery store parking lot.

Two, and rather much more glaringly, he doesn’t have a car.

Three, and the one that didn’t necessarily get him into this mess but certainly did not fucking help it along, he definitely shouldn’t have ever told his father about the Serpents.

But—he’d find out soon enough, and Jughead had thought it was information better delivered personally. He had expected the reaction he received; he just didn’t expect the consequences.

His father, who told another father, who told his son. Who felt it was his place to make sure Jughead didn’t do anything stupider—rich, coming from the guy who turned himself into a viral epitaph. Who had gotten annoyingly good at hiding in the shadows, who had followed him, who the Ghoulies had smugly demanded be Jughead’s passenger in said race.

Why did he tell his dad? Why did his dad have to tell Fred Andrews? Why—

He knows why.

In lieu of his words, his father had banged a loud fist against the plexiglass separating them in prison. Jughead had watched the way that fist had sort of melted, weary, witheringly, his fingers slowly spreading out against the windowpane and dragging down it like a last breath.

His father, unshaven, his eyes red.

Disappointment.

And he knew why; Jughead was supposed to be the one that got away. He wasn’t supposed to feel the flames licked at his feet, the rattling sound of a snake moving through grass; rubber on the road, blood on the tongue, a whispered eulogy to the quiet little boy who just liked his books.

Jughead had steeled himself for all of that, perhaps even figured that his father might call someone, try to stop it, maybe even expected that it would be the Andrewses—he just didn’t think it would work.

Jughead still doesn’t know how, and he sure as hell doesn’t know why, but maybe it’s the fact that golden boy Archie Andrews, onetime-perhaps-longtime-owner-of-Batman-pajamas, general Spiderman theologian, just can’t help himself from girdling into his superhero pants and trying to save the day.

And now, Reggie glares at him from across the shop room, in the high school that seems now so far away.

Attempting to ignore him, Jughead moves forward towards the popped engine, prepared to see what kind of machinery he has to work with. Granted, he doesn’t know much about cars, just what Betty had—

He cuts that thought right off, furious it even dared to appear.

“Not you,” Reggie barks at the same moment, looking murderous. “I don’t want your little snake hands in the engine.”

“Snakes with hands are called lizards,” Jughead growls under his breath, attempting to count backwards from five. “And newsflash, Reggie, I’m going to have to touch the car at some point, if I’m going to drive it.”

“That so, Ponyboy? I can still change my mind,” Reggie sneers, his lips thin. He jumps up from his slouched post against another car, looking ready for a fight.

“Hey, hey,” Archie interrupts, both of his hands pressed out into the air, as if up against two invisible walls. “Come on guys, we’re all on the same side here. For now,” he adds pointedly, as Reggie’s mouth opens with a snarl. He faces Reggie fully. “We don’t like the Ghoulies any more than they do, remember?”

They, Jughead hears, as a little inch of pain flares across his cheek, at the spot where Sweet Pea’s brass knuckles found purchase.

Years and years of Reggie and his yolk’s us vs. thems and it never truly felt real until Archie called him a they. He is they. He is finally the other his whole life was prophesized to become.

And that’s what you wanted. Or at least what you chose, he reminds himself, straightening and meeting Archie’s eye now. “Enemy of my enemy,” Jughead summarizes tersely, unable to hold the gaze and quickly turning back towards the engine.

“I still don’t want him touching the insides,” Reggie snaps, and Jughead throws the rag over his shoulder across the room in frustration.

“Well then what the hell are you proposing, Schrodinger? How can I simultaneously be inside the car, driving it, and never touch it? Any other theoretical paradoxes you want me to take a whack at?” Jughead bites out, his patience, already so long tested, feels perilously thin, limply dangling around like the bare stem of a dandelion with all the wishes blown off it.

Reggie’s mouth opens and closes, his lip curled. He fidgets so that his arms re-cross, clearly without an answer. After a moment, his eyes slide over to Archie for assistance.

“Betty,” Archie sighs, more to himself than anyone.

“Forget it,” Jughead says immediately, his skin suddenly feeling hot and sticky and clammy and he feels the way Betty looked right before he kissed her for the first time, her brain whirring, her eyes wide, on the precipice of— “This isn’t worth it. I’ll find another ride.”

He makes it about a second before he hears Archie’s footsteps quickly after him, and a moment later there is a wall of letterman blocking his exit strategy. “Get out of my way,” he says, a ticking in his cheek.

Archie stares at him, and for a moment, Jughead might swear there’s something very, very wrong with his expression. Raw, to the point of pity. Not quite regret, but bit and swallowed down, like a secret, a warring thought.

And then it’s gone.

“I’m terrible at shop. This car, and Betty, are our best options,” Archie says, in the matter-of-fact voice he always uses when he hasn’t actually thought anything through.

“Our?” Jughead repeats dubiously, a scoff bubbling up like acid. “Our? Archie, there is no our. It’s just the Serpents, and me. My neck on the line. I’m the one who made the deal. You were just—just—there!” He sputters through the last bit, anger running up his neck and clouding his thoughts.

“Yeah, I was. And I’m part of it now, whether either of us like or not. So we need to win. And I don’t know a lot about cars but I know that one’s fast,” Archie counters, throwing a splayed hand out towards the sleek black Camaro. “We’re not going to do better than this. I’ll go talk to her, okay?”

Whatever modicum of logic had been building in his head clutters to the ground like proverbial Jenga.

“Perfect,” he growls, his hands flying up around his face. “Yeah, yeah, you go talk to her. She a-a-always listens to Archie, right? She’ll do a-a-anything for Archie.”

He doesn’t recognize his own voice.

Even out of the corner of his eye, he sees Reggie’s head dart up, tuning in on the conversation.

Archie blinks, that earlier, pitiful look returning, and he fucking hates it. “Jug—”

“Why do something as cliche as break up over text when you can send a former crush, right?” He says bitterly, stomping away from Archie and back towards the car, for he has nowhere else to go with his once-twice-lost-best friend still blocking the exit.

The faraway look in Archie’s eye grows, and it appears as though he’s trying to find something to say, but the words must burn out of him, because he deflates and shoots a withering look at Reggie. “Make sure he doesn’t leave,” he says firmly, and Reggie rolls his eyes, but appears to take it as an order.

And then Archie is turning on his heel and disappearing down a school corridor, off in pursuit of the absolute last person Jughead wants to see.

There’s literally no point in sticking around, he tells himself, and immediately makes for the door.

“Not so fast, Baby Driver,” Reggie tuts, pushing himself off from his perch, his arms swinging.

“What are you gonna do Reg, slam me into a locker? Dump out my bag? Rip up my homework?” Jughead presses dubiously, but much to his surprise, Reggie has cut around him and dug one hand into his chest, shoving Jughead back a step.

“Always knew you were a little punk,” Reggie replies in an odd, strained voice, like perhaps that, for all his years of bullying and taunting, this is the first time he truly doesn’t know how he feels about him. Something straddling the line of I feel sorry for you and I want to punch you in the face.

“Yeah, well, finally decided to live up the aesthetic,” Jughead returns curtly. “Let me pass, Reggie.”

“Archie said to stick put.” He smiles below the eyes, clearly relishing in his role as enforcer.

“Didn’t realize you were his lackey. Thought you were the team captain,” Jughead mutters, hoping a little bit of manipulation of a jock’s ego will get him out. He starts to get a little nervous when Reggie looks briefly frustrated, but doesn’t budge from his post. Another couple of seconds pass, and Jughead begins to pace.

He can’t be here when Betty arrives.

His last memory of her is at Pop’s, the whispered wish to run away. The way she’d clung to the kiss and beamed at him from over her shoulder. A face so at odds with the words Archie had thrown at him; the words Jughead had known to be true.

He knew he couldn’t have her and the Serpents, and he’d already chosen by the time the axe fell.

Greater good, he’d reasoned. The Serpents were running wild with people like Sweet Pea in charge. They were talking about bombs. Greater good. Of all people, couldn’t Betty understand that?

Apparently not.

But.

Romeo and Juliet, she’d offered tearfully. With a happy ending.

“Get out of my way,” he barks at Reggie, his heart fluttering madly against his chest, a bird feverishly looking for an exit, rustling wings he can hear all the way up to his ears.

“You’re gonna have to—” But Reggie doesn’t finish the sentence, because the door swings open, and through it materializes Archie, and a moment later, Betty.

Jughead’s first two thoughts make absolutely no sense together.

One, she is still beautiful.

Two, she looks terrible.

She is always beautiful, he reasons, and always has been, long before they were anything to label—but even on the moments where she was anguishing over Polly’s disappearance, edging closer and closer to truth and becoming more frazzled and frayed for it—she never looked like this.

Something is very wrong, he thinks, well before he can help it.

Her hair is loose in a limp bun, uncharacteristic locks of blonde falling against her forehead. Long gone seems the perky, bouncy ponytail he used to catch himself following.

Her eyes, normally so luminous and green and filled with the book of her that he grew up reading—are empty and dull, purplish bags slung low underneath, little hammocks of sleeplessness that he has never once in sixteen years seen on her face.

Her head is bowed, and slowly rises to meet his attention. Betty’s bottom lip immediately quivers and she sucks it between her teeth as her eyes dart away and onto the car.

She walks past him, books squeezed tightly against her chest, her knuckles wrapped so firmly around the covers that he can see them burning white. His instinct is to reach out and uncurl each finger one by one and hide a kiss there, and the memory of such lashes through him with a searing pain.

“This is a nice car,” she says softly, in the direction of Reggie.

Her voice, much like her eyes, is listless.

It doesn’t make any sense. If this is what she wanted—if she was so ashamed of him, if she was the one who pushed him away—her, of all people, after all honesty he’d shared, after all abandonment issues aired like dirty laundry swaying on the line—why does she look so miserable?

His gaze bores into her, trying to riddle through it.

What if she regrets it? He thinks, in a childish, rushed voice. Did her mind change? Does she know about Toni? Shit, Toni.

It brings reality down hard on the feverish spot of hope taking form under his skin—even if… Well, there was no coming back. He’d let Toni kiss him, kissed her back even, let himself be lost in someone wanting him, accepting him, admiring him.

For every time he’d ever cringed over Archie’s wandering eye, every time he’d stashed the word fuckboy in the back of his thoughts, Jughead had gone and taken what someone could give him even as his chest beat out a staccato to another name.

His shoulders slacken. Numbly, as if from another vantage point, he watches himself watching her, tracing the movements as she sheds her coat and deposits her books onto a table. Betty’s motions are slow, ghost-like.

Something is very wrong, he thinks again.

“Engine looks fine,” Betty says a moment later, her head underneath the hood. She reaches up and rubs her cheek, leaving a spot of oil that he can’t help but find adorable. Stop it.

“So are we good to go?” Archie says, coming up next to her and peeking inside for himself.

“Um, there’s one gasket screw that’s a little loose. Nothing that I think would really be an issue, but I can tighten it up for you just in case,” Betty sighs, looking over at Reggie. She seems to be trying very hard to keep her eyes from Jughead, but as he’s standing next to the football player, they shift slightly onto him, almost unconsciously.

They quickly dart away.

“You know, it’s hot when a girl knows her cars. You can always take a look under my other hood, if you ever wanted,” Reggie says, in a slick voice, sliding closer to her alongside the worktable he’s now leaning against.

Jughead can’t believe what he’s hearing. She can’t be single for five minutes without Edward Sleazy Hands finding an innuendo to throw her way?

He knows he has no leg to stand on, especially given the problem with Toni and the lack of attempt he’s made to stop it before he hurts her too, but that doesn’t mean he has to stick around and watch this unfold.

Before he can go, however, Betty glances over at Jughead once more, her eyebrows in a knot, and his mind empties of rage. He tries to focus on the spot of car oil on her cheek. Tries to think about anything but the fact that the girl he loves is already a memory.

“Down, Reggie,” Archie cuts through his thoughts, breaking the moment for all of them. Jughead can’t decide if it makes him angrier than grateful. He wonders why Betty didn’t shut Reggie down herself—he thought she’d gotten better at standing up to that. But she just curls further inward, as if already having mentally checked out.

Reggie’s eyes flick onto Jughead for a moment and then he puts his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, jeez,” he mutters.

The ringing of the school bell spares them another round of awkward staring around the circle, and Reggie starts to gather his things.

“Come on Andrews, we got practice. I trust Betty with the car,” he says, shouldering into his letterman jacket. Archie doesn’t move, glancing at Betty nervously. “You can’t miss your first day back or Weatherbee might cut ya again, bro.”

“Go,” he hears Betty say softly. “I’ll stay and finish this.”

“You don’t have a paper deadline?” Jughead asks before he can help himself. It’s a Friday at 3:30—normally, Betty would be running around in a tizzy trying to finalize bylines, not offering to do someone’s favors.

Betty stares at him, her teeth swiping over her bottom lip once more.

“Archie,” Reggie urges, pushing on his arm, when he still doesn’t move, watching the two of them carefully. “Cannot—be—late.”

“Go,” she says again, and then the two of them are at last gone. He is alone with Betty, and although he’d like nothing more but finally grasp his opportunity to flee, he finds his feet rooted to the spot.

“You don’t have a paper deadline?” He repeats, for lack of anything better to say.

“No,” she says, after a long moment. “Um, the paper’s on—well, it’s on hold. For now.”

He gapes at her. “What?”

“He didn’t want—” She starts to say, and then her eyes widen, and her mouth snaps shut. “It was just too much for one person’s plate,” she explains quickly. “Until I find another writer, I couldn’t…”

She trails off, and the words unsaid hang between them.

Jughead blinks as she turns and buries her face in the engine; watches as her shoulders shake and shudder almost imperceptibly.

And despite how hurt and angry he still is, despite the hammer banging down a name he doesn’t want to deal with, he thinks once again that something is very wrong, and makes his choice.

He moves to stand beside her, unsure what to say at first.

“Betty,” he murmurs, his voice choked around the word. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Slowly, her head rises, looking up at him. Her eyes are still blown and still broken. She looks, unmistakably, on the verge of tears.

“Everything,” she whispers tremulously. “Everything is wrong.”

Up close, he can see much more purple under her eyes.

Betty opens her mouth to say something else, her gaze roving over him and glossing over, looking absolutely nothing short of tortured—and then her phone rings.

Blaringly loud and jarringly poppish, some kind of jangle of yesteryear, they both jump back from one another. He hadn’t even realized how closely they’d moved together, but now she’s scuttling far away from him, grabbing for the buzzing and singing phone shockingly fast.

She buries it against her chest and hastily gathers her books and jacket. “I have to go,” she says in one breath, and he’s sure there’s something sliding down her cheek because he can see water trying to mix with the stain of oil there.

Oil and water, he thinks bitterly, watching her go, not bothering to call her name.

It’s an apt metaphor for the two of them, and he hates it. Hates everything. Hates himself for thinking it, hates her for abandoning him when she’d assured him things would be okay.

And yet, blindly, furiously, stubbornly, like a candle he can’t blow out, knows it’s not hate at all. Never could be.

He stares after the place where she disappeared, and thinks it to himself once more. 

Something is very wrong.

[eremji]

Thoughts on Infinity War, and Thanos' Motivation

Disclaimer: I'm not a Marvel expert. Some of my information on comic plots was collected from wikis and secondary articles, due to a lack of access to a primary source or the simple inaccuracy of my own memory. I also mostly enjoyed Infinity War, and any criticism herein should not be taken as decrying the whole.

Spoilers behind the cut. Please close your eyes and scroll super fast, block tags, duck and cover, etc. if you’re on mobile, because, seriously, spoilers.

An extremely simplified version of movie production:

From a production standpoint, Iron Man was a huge risk for the studios fronting the money for it. After critical and box office flops from 90s Batman films and other various superhero action flicks, studios typically found comic book movies to underperform in comparison to budgetary requirements for good visuals, making them unattractive. Marvel has taken a large step away from making comic book movies, to making comic book adaptations, because what works on the page doesn’t work in a moving picture.

Marvel Studios’ cinematic success has almost nothing to do with how compelling the source material is – because some of Marvel’s library is pretty much slush pile garbage. This was before your average artist or consumer realized you can get pretty literary while still having cool pictures on a page. They’re valuable because they propelled the comic industry to widespread success, but the source is best examined with a critical eye towards tone deaf and anachronistic viewpoints on race, sexuality, gender, and pretty much everything else. Marvel Studios has done a fairly consistent job of divorcing the cinematic canon from the original medium’s baggage, to which I attribute a large portion of the films’ success in comparison to very lukewarm iterations of DC or X-Men.

As media consumers, we’re accustomed to having a finished product to hold and analyze. When considering story, in terms of plotting and pacing, I personally believe it’s most helpful to compare the scope of the MCU production to be similar to that of a television show, rather than a traditional movie or movie series. It may be startling to know that even very successful television shows, like Breaking Bad or Stranger Things, often don’t even have all the episodes completely written out prior to beginning filming of a season.

Marvel Studios’ movies have been in production for ten years, with many, many different hands in the pot, and earlier scripts don’t always set up the best planting and payoff of character or plot elements later in the continuity. (For visual learners, Lindsay Ellis has a very layman-friendly example using clips from Mad Max: Fury Road.)

You can see where this might start to cause some consistency issues.

Crossover event comics and the necessary sacrifice of emotional development:

For anyone walking in to expecting Avengers: Infinity War to have a lot of character development, I’m very sorry for your loss.

There was never going to be a grand emotional reunion for Steve and Bucky, and there was never going to be whole hours dedicated to bonding and witty bickering and new friendships that weren’t absolutely vital to the plot. That we got things like the Steve-and-Bucky hug, the jealous Star-Lord vs. Thor moments, and Steve introducing himself politely to Groot were for the benefit of the audience more than advancing the plot, which is a huge victory in terms of crushing as much as possible into a theatrical cut.

A film production has a finite amount of screen time to allocate before a movie becomes bloated. When people joke about Infinity War being the most ambitious crossover event, I don’t think some of them realize how on the mark that is from a production standpoint. Hard decisions have to be made between what isn’t vital to advancing plot in a compelling way and what was retained to meet audience expectations. Infinity War often felt like it tried to recapture that Joss Whedon-ish sassy-but-kinda-flat comedy from the first Avengers, and that meant punchlines for jokes sometimes land at emotionally inappropriate times because characters just don’t have cinematic space for witty banter between shooting aliens and losing everyone they ever cared about.

There’s a difference in author-audience expectations of what’s important in these team-up movies, and also gaps between fans actively participating in fandom because they love the characters and casual moviegoers looking for a blockbuster. It all comes down to how much each party in the creative transaction is willing to settle for. Traditionally, Marvel has set up the character-driven plots and subplots in individual comics with occasional crossover cameos for a few issues when another character or baddie is relevant to the plot. The large crossover events, like Civil War, Contest of Champions, or Infinity are almost always plot-heavy and character-light.

This is so much easier in comic book format, where multiple series can be coordinated in regular, paced releases, and different comic issues may happen parallel or directly before/after the event crossovers. Movies take a significantly larger amount of time to produce, through pre-production, filming, post-production, marketing, and distribution.

A brief (I’m serious, they’ve been making comics since the 1939) explication of source material:

One of the largest disconnects for me, as a fan of both the comics and the movies, was the change in Thanos’ motivation, but not his mission. For those who aren't aware of the origins of his character, he essentially wants to murder people to impress a girl – Mistress Death, to be specific. He wants to kill half of all life in the universe so that he can be her equal and win her affection. 

Dorkly did a pretty solid breakdown of some of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet story and the innate misogynistic slant of his character, including comic panels from the original source material, that paints comic!Thanos an internet Nice Guy™. (Feel free to skim the article; it's a bit slow to get to the point.) Perusing the comic panels, you can see Thanos is hella into negging and is spiteful when Mistress Death shows interest in another dude (spoilers: it’s Deadpool). He clearly believes love is possession, and if he can’t have what he wants, then, good golly, no one can.

He’s also really off the rails – dubbed the Mad Titan even before his objectification mega crush on a badass corpse with a wicked bod – and is personally responsible for destroying Titan. He’s not a villain that believes he’s the hero, and this shift away from his motivation being dangerous-and-horrible to dangerous-and-misguided casts the first shadow on the premise.

My (very personal) opinion on the execution:

MCU essentially played keep away with some of the more supernatural elements of the source material, at least until introducing Dr. Strange. In doing so they had to construct Thanos’ motivation for a comic-book-inspired task out of whole cloth. There is no Mistress Death. Secondary characters that were discrete entities are often pulling double duty*.

(*Or triple. See also: Bucky Barnes, who is wearing the backstory of Captain America's gay best friend Arnie Roth and now White Wolf. If you were previously unaware of this factoid, please enjoy the irony that Marvel’s biggest pro-American propaganda piece had an openly gay best friend circa early 80s but Civil War ham-fistedly had to work in that awkward-as-fuck smooch between Steve and Peggy Carter’s hot young romantic surrogate niece.)

So, okay, they have to reinvent Thanos, who we've only seen in a handful of post-credit scenes and vicariously learned, through Loki in the first Avengers movie and then Gamora in Guardians, is a conqueror and also really Bad News™.

I buy everything so far. And why not? Black Panther made me love Killmonger and his rage, and the parallels to contemporary issues made him fairly empathetic without highlighting that his perspective was necessarily the ‘correct’ one. Similarly, Spider-Man: Homecoming’s villain, Vulture, was believable in the sort of suffering everyman-turned-desperate way, highlighting the fallout of the Space Invaders vs. Avengers destruction without suggesting the audience should root for Vulture.

In general, I am on board for these movies going straight for the throat on the big baddies of the comic universe because movie production is lengthy, expensive, and time-consuming. Dear Marvel Studios, Give me Avengers vs. Dr. Doom. Love, Me.

A villain can be built up over the course of a single movie (or two). Armed with this optimism, and heartened by recent Marvel Studios successes in characterization, I walked into Infinity War expecting as much gratuitous violence, universe-cleansing genocide, and genuine fear of Thanos as I could possibly expect from something Disney-adjacent.

I knew people were going to die. Let me say – there was no way to spoil this for me. The Infinity Gauntlet comic series starts with half the universe dying. I expected there to be ‘casualties’ and even though the Russo bros said that this wasn’t two parts of the same movie, it’s certainly serial. At minimum, I was expecting Thanos bent on conquering the cosmos, worshiping at the altar of death in the abstract, if not groveling for an inevitable-cosmic-force-turned unattainable woman.

And yet. And yet.

We got the purple version of the Kool-Aid man with some seriously unaddressed parent-child issues (mirrored in Tony Stark’s loss of Peter Parker) and a wholly unimaginative motivation. I won’t go too far much into the movie’s alarming efforts at framing Thanos as a sympathetic character despite his genocidal and horribly abusive tendencies, because I am A) not an expert at identifying film technique and B) the push for Thanos to be an empathetic villain has been analyzed elsewhere.

Phenomenal, limitless cosmic power and all you want to do is break shit? For all the immaturity of it, Thanos’ comic book motivation was more believable.

To those arguing that the his motivations in the movie are predicated off of him being the Mad Titan and therefore not rooted in logic: The film did not explicitly plant the idea – except in the way that we know genocide is bad due to an innate sense of morality – that he was unhinged and power-mad, nor did they really give the audience any payoff.

Instead, we get, ‘I don’t really want to do this, but I must.’

There was a point where I started wondering why the hell he wasn’t just being steadily roasted by the Avengers for not receiving some sort of basic education in the evils of wealth disparity and resource distribution.

As an audience member, was I meant to believe this incredibly powerful entity at the center of a massive fleet, accompanied by a group of talented and sycophantic followers, couldn’t think of a better way to bring ‘balance’ to the universe?

Perhaps Thanos’ justification is simply the conceit of the way the universe operates, required to propel a plot forward. However, this is also poorly explained. There are many unanswered questions: Why is it a given that killing half the universe will create balance? What does balance look like? Is this state permanent or is it a routine, necessary evil in order to stop entropy? Is balance a socioeconomic state, or does it have some greater cosmological significance? We know that Titan fell after rejecting Thanos’ extreme solution, but would the population have actually endured and flourished if his plan had been carried out?

For a movie that did so well at handling a cast so phenomenally large as the one involved in its production, Infinity War really didn’t go in very hard on selling Thanos. I would have been perfectly happy if Marvel Studios had taken the risk to lean in hard on making the movie Thanos-centric, given Thanos even more screen time to develop his character, motives, and the rules of the universe – and then make Avengers 4 about, you know, the actual avenging.

Parting notes:

What are we left with?

Infinity War gifted us with some badass action clips, a fairly jarring death performance by Tom Holland, Cheerful Goatherd Bucky Barnes, and emotionally traumatizing bubbles. It never really sells the conundrum it sets up via Thanos. You'll never hear me insist a peice of art or entertainment is required to carry some sort of social commentary or moral message, but I feel like this could have been, tonally, a vastly different film had it considered the core of Thanos' motivations the same way it considered Vulture's or Killmonger's.

Also, where the hell is Adam Warlock (set up at the end of GotG: Vol. 2; revisit planting and payoff) to shit talk Thanos’ lack of villainous veracity when we need him?

[salvationfell-au]

Chapter 1 — Ink vs. Phantom (+Cross)

Characters: Ink Sans, Classic Sans, Error Sans, Cross Sans, Murder Sans, Underfell Characters, Underswap Characters.

AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11953509/chapters/27027009

INDEX: https://salvationfell-au.tumblr.com/post/164615456027/dogs-cats-owls-wolves-maybe-griffins-and-what

AUTHOR’S NOTE

\!/ IMPORTANT, REALLY IMPORTANT: I’m not a native speaker. I speak portuguese, but studied english during some years. I already did translations (english > portuguese) and wrote small texts, but nothing big like a entirely story. So, please, be patient with me. I REALLY want to learn and corrections are always welcome. But, again, be nice with me. I’m trying my best \!/

UNDERTALE belongs to Toby Fox CROSS SANS belongs to @jakei95 INK SANS belongs to @comyet ERROR SANS belongs to @loverofpiggies HORRORTALE belongs to @sour-apple-studios MURDER SANS belongs to @biozonic UNDERFELL belongs to the AU Community UNDERSWAP belongs to the AU Community

aaaaaaaaa, so many people!!!

Enjoy!

Timelines vs. Pets

Ink vs. Phantom (+ Cross)

 With a quick and precise movement, his wet paintbrush cut through the air, opening in front of him a dimensional slot.

"Are you leaving already?" He heard Blue ask joylessly.

Ink turned to his version in the Underswap timeline and smiled uncomfortably.

"Sorry," he said, Scratching his nape. "The party in celebration of the founding anniversary of New Home is very awesome, but it's time to go. I need to do some rounds out there and see if the other universes are doing as well as here. You understand, don't you?"

Blue's expression looked like a child who lost his favorite toy while playing in the playground, and that almost made Ink give up on leaving, but then the little one sincerely smiled at him.

"It's all right. This is important for you and for everyone, right?" He made a wide gesture with his arms, as if he wanted to show all the timelines that existed. "And it would not be cool to prevent our other friends from having your help"

"Thank you for understand." Ink gently placed his hand on Blue's shoulder. "And thanks also for inviting me to the party. I can't believe the city you guys founded after leave the Underground has now two years old!

"Mwehehe... We are thankful for your visit too! It's fun to have you around! You always have cool stories to tell us".

"You make me embarrassed", he laughed as well, a soft colored blush taking over his face. "Well, it's time. Until any day, Blue.

"Bye! Have a good trip!"

Waving, Ink entered the crack, leaving behind that timeline and falling into another. The cut he had done showed Blue on the other side waving for a few seconds after he passed and then closed. Ink was alone in another world now.

Let's see..., his heterochromatic eyes went through everything around him, collecting as much information as he could.

“Horrortale”, he thought out loud. "It seems to be as usual... But it's good to have a look around".

With his shoes sinking into the thick layer of snow, Ink walked through the morbid and silent Snowdin Forest. Everything looked the same as in all other alternative universes, but if you had enough time to watch more closely would notice its horrifying details. Especially the countless marks of blood and handfuls of dust scattered around; in the trees' trunks and leaves, in the snow where he stepped, on stones and benches... It was a little scary and could even cause him chills, but Ink didn't hate that universe, or even avoided visiting him. Instead, he really hoped that just as Underswap had found his peace and happiness, so Horrortale was.

But it looks like it will to take a while, he thought dejectedly.

Finding the lookout station a few meters ahead of him, Ink searched for Sans, another version of him, but a little more wacky.

"Someone here?" He called out loud, looking around. "Sans? Papyrus? Aliza?"

Silence.

Oookay, he thought, rather uneasily. Time to take a shortcut and see if I can find someone.

Ink was ready to go deeper into the Underground, until he heard a strange moan. He stopped what he was going to do, and squinted, looking for the sound.

Left, right, behind... Left again... Nothing.

One more cry, but now he could discern it better. It was the yelp.

"Oh, no!" He shouted when he saw, under a pine tree, the wounded body of a puppy.

Running to the little creature, he knelt in front of it, resisting the need to nestle it against his body, as it could worsen its delicate condition in the process.

The puppy's fur must have been white, but now it was filled with blood and dust. There was a cut on its ribs and its breathing was erratic.

Covered with concern and pity, Ink took his coat tied around his waist and, very carefully, took the animal's body and wrapped in it.

The patrol will have to stay for later, he thought, as one arm gently held the injured animal and the other wielded his brush.

Another cut in the air, a few steps and he was back to Underswap.

. . .

Blue was in a line to buy a hotdog when he saw Ink's silhouette walking through people and monsters celebrating New Home's birthday. The party in the main square of the city was far from over and he was glad to have his friend back.

"Hey, Ink, here!" He nodded, but unsuccessfully catching his attention.

Making a sulky face, Blue stepped out of the line and followed him.

"Ink! Ink!", He called him among the revelers.

When Ink finally noticed him, the expression on his face was of someone very, very worried.

"Glad I found you, Blue... I really need your help".

. . .

The celebration had lagged behind, and now four monsters and a human were clustered in Doctor Undyne's half-messy house, all somewhat concerned about the condition of the wounded puppy in the arms of the visitor of that universe.

"Where exactly did you find it?" The scientist asked, clumsily looking for the first aid kit she kept in the cabinet of her living room. "Were there any others with it?"

"I found it on another timeline... In one where monsters were still trapped in underground. And no, it was alone", Ink replied, his voice heavy with worry.

Feeling his sleeve's shirt being pulled, he noticed the human Chara at his side holding a cardboard box. They held out the object to him, the childish little face showing saddness for the little animal. Ink tried to give her a comforting smile and passed a hand over their head.

"Thank you, Chara", he said. "Sure our little friend is going feel a little better now that it has a good bed to rest on."

The human placed the box on the sofa in the living room and Ink put it inside, still wrapped in his coat. Papyrus approached, his hand on his chin and eyes semi-closed, watching him closely.

"It may be a "normal" dog, but it can also be a "monster" dog... There is dust and blood here, but we can't tell which one is from him and which is not", he mused. "We're going to try both treatments".

"Bandages and medicines for a regular dog", Undyne said, coming up with her first aid kit. "And only monster food if it's a monster dog. But even if it seems the simplest option, in such state it won't be easy to make it eat something"

Blue shown up with a red dish, where there was a piece of steak cooked in boiling water chopped into several small pieces.

"Wich are we going to do first?", he asked.

"If it's a normal animal and we don't do anything fast, it will die from blood loss. Let's take care of the bruises first", Ink declared and then glanced at Dr. Undyne. "I'll hold it, and you'll clean the wounds, can it be like this?"

"O-of course", she swallowed hard, feeling a little anxious about the great responsibility placed upon her.

"You want me to do it for you?" Papyrus rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I-It's fine! I used to took care of many monsters in Underground"

As soon as Ink put the puppy in his lap and took off the coat that wrapped around it, she knelt in front of him, ready to clean the injuries.

While she progressed with her care, Undyne called Blue.

"I think you might start trying feed him. Give very small pieces and make sure he is chewing well before giving another"

"Right!"

"He?" Inquired Chara, clinging to Papyrus's orange sweatshirt.

Undyne let herself smile a little, even if a little nervous.

"It's a little boy", she explained, glancing up at Ink. "You should already think of a good name for him, because I don't intend to let the worst happen."

For a moment he felt a small relieved and tenderly caressed the puppy's head.

"Do not give up, buddy, you're surrounded by people who want to help you get better"

Was a long and slow work, but two hours after bringing him there, the puppy was much better than in the beginning. But was quite strange how things happened. Both, the monsters' food, as known to instantly increase the HP of those who ingested it, and the bandages and medicine, had had an equal effect on the animal. There was no point in that, but after all that effort and worry, Ink could not be less concerned about the logic of the situation.

At the moment, then, all five were still in Dr. Undyne's living room, each occupying a different place. The house owner and Papyrus were seated at the dinner table, facing each other, Chara was kneeling on the floor, peering with curiously into the box they had brought, while Blue was sitting next to Ink, who was holding in his lap the improvised bed that the human had brought with good intentions for the little puppy.

"Well, wich name we shall give him?" Blue asked.

Ink stared at the rescued animal, focusing on the bandages that covered the deep cut on his ribs that had almost stolen his life. After so much suffering, now he was sleeping wrapped in a blue blanket given by the skeleton sitting beside Ink; the breathing was slow and deep.

"Snow?", Ink suggested, although not very satisfied. "What do you think, Chara?"

The human blushed slightly as they caught his attention, but considering his question.

"Mr. Fluffy?", they said, tilting their head to side.

"But what if he's grows big and fierce?" Ink joked, making they laugh.

The dog yawned in its box and started to move.

"Oh, that's a good sign," stated Papyrus, approaching with Dr. Undyne.

Five pairs of eyes were now watching him, curious to know what's gonna be the next movement of that animal they tried so hard to save its life.

A lazy moan of someone who had just awakened from a long and comfortable sleep, a slight wag of tail, and then ... He opened his eyes.

"Oooh, this is so cool!", Blue commented, excited.

Left red, right a brown so dark that looked black, the pup had heterochromia.

A name has formed on Ink's mouth.

"He's name is going to be Phantom", he said.

They all stared at him.

"Is that dark humor?" Papyrus laughed. "Go back to the puns, it suits your better"

Everybody giggled too.

"But is still a good name", Undyne commented.

"Absolutely cool!" Blue agreed, as Chara nodded.

"So that's it, Phantom" said Ink. "Guys... Thank you so much for helping me. Without you, I don't know what would had happen to us.

Phantom wagged his tail more vigorously, as if approving the name. Ink can only smile with relief and happiness.

In his chest, something seemed to happen. A sixth sense that tried to warn him that something good was coming.

"We're going to have so much fun together..."

. . .

 UNDERFELL AU - Underground

"NO, PHANTOM, NO!"

Ink was running until his bones were in pain and he teleported as much as his magic stock allowed, but none of that was enough to stop the wolf.

Yes, wolf. The puppy he had brought from Horrortale almost dead to his friends in Underswap, eight months later, as it grew up, soon turned out to be something much more "grand" than just a simple dog.

 "A wolf", Papyrus remarked, one hand on his chin and a cigarette between his teeth. "And the big ones".

Playing with Alphys and Blue, Ink watched the animal, which probably not even have one year old, but was big enough for a child to ride on it like a horse.

"And he will grows up even more," added Dr. Undyne, scared and admired at the same time.

Papyrus gave him a friendly nudge with his elbow.

"Congratulations, Ink. You got a great partner for your travels.

"Yes...", he replied, surprised and full of anticipation. "Is gonna be awesome"

 Well, it was really awesome for Ink travel with Phantom, however, he couldn't say if the other ones who they come across had the same opinion.

 All along the way, as the adrift wolf ran while throwing snow everywhere, Snowdin's inhabitants rushed desperately out of his reach, afraid of being a victim of his not-too-kind games. Exactly, those supposed violent monsters of Underfell were afraid of a white furball.

I have an idea, thought Ink.

Teleporting should be the most effective way to stop his wolf, but Phantom seemed to have sharpened senses, because every time Ink suddenly appeared in front of him, he was able to dodge him at the last second.

But Ink had a better idea.

Using the rest of his magic and another too many inaccurate calculations, he teleported to behind of Phantom, and flexing his knees, he shoot himself forward and grabbed Phantom's loins with all his strength.

Skeleton and wolf rolled through the snow, in a mixture of bones, paws, fur and pigments, that for those who watched was inpossible to distinguish owner of animal.

When that chaotic mass finally stopped, Phantom had all four paws in the air, fallen on Ink, who was still wrapped his arms around the wolf.

"You won't scape this time!" He proclaimed victorious.

"There you are!", he heard a rude voice shout.

Turning his head to the side, Ink saw Red approach. His skull carrying an expression of pure hatred and bloodthirsty rage.

"Oh, hi", the only thing got to say, sitting in the snow and still hugging the Phantom, now seated between his legs.

"Hi? HI?!", he shouted, pointing his finger at Ink. "To hell with your hi, colorful bastard!"

Coming to them, Frisk grabbed Red's waist, trying to stop him.

"Do you know what this... This wild animal did to me?!", he went on, not noticing the little human. "He had the damn courage to jump on me and chew on the bone of my leg like I was the remains of a greasy barbecue!"

"Please, Red, I'm sure it was unintentionally...", Ink tried. "Phantom just wanted to play with you."

"PLAY?!"

Ink felt that if Frisk wasn't holding him, just as he was doing to his wolf, Red would have already flown toward his neck trying to squeeze him.

"By chance dragging a monster around, like he did with me, for two miles it's a playing?! And, as if that weren't enough, he peed on my Gaster Blaster when I tried to annihilate him!"

"Ah, Red, you must agree with me that in this case it was self-defense".

He widened his eyes, shocked.

"SELF-DEFENSE?! HOW DO YOU DARE TO TELL ME THAT?!", He shouted. "ENOUGH! I'LL TURN YOU TWO INTO DUST AND THEN PISS ON IT!"

But before Ink had suffered a painful death, a tall and thin figure started to gat close to them with merciless steps. Red stopped in the same second and Ink swallowed hard.

"B-Boss..."

Papyrus pointed his clawed finger at Phantom.

"In consideration of the tiny human, the executions in the public square were banished from the Underground", he said quietly, but overflowing hatred and revenge. "But using the throne room garden as a bathroom was the last straw, colored copy. Either you disappear from here with this hairy abomination, or you two will become the first rule exceptions".

"It's understandable", Ink blurted out, breaking out in a cold sweat. "Come on, Phantom, I'll take you for a walk."

Cutting the air with his brush, he opened a crack in the game codes. Pushing his wolf to the other side, Ink looked one last time at the three of them.

"Hm... Sorry", and jumped in another AU.

When the crack closed, he let out a relieved sigh, looking at Phantom with an angry face.

"You were a very, very bad wolf. No nibbles for a whole week!

Phantom wagged his tail and barked. He seemed happy.

Another sigh, this time tired.

"You need to behave, buddy. Or you won't be able to make new friends to play with.

"So, what do we have here?"

Suddenly, Ink turned back, covering the Phantom figure with his own body. Slowly and unconcerned, Murder was coming toward him. His uneven-colored eyes and smirk accompanied him, giving shivers to anyone who dared to stare at him for a long time - if they survived to do so.

Ink was not entirely surprised by his presence, had actually chosen to come to Dusttale, after all, there was only one monster in the basement, which made the perfect AU to bring Phantom. But in a place as big as the Undergorund, it was really bad luck to fall just as near where Sans was.

"See you here makes me so happy", Murder said in his calm, languid voice. "Papyrus and I were getting bored here. You know, an empty Underground can be very, very lonely".

"Oh, sorry to disappoint you, Murder... But I'm just passing, so..."

But he kept coming toward Ink, always smiling, while bones with pointed ends started to materialize around him.

Until he suddenly stopped. The bones disappeared into the air and Murder stuck in place. He looked at something above Ink's shoulders.

"Get out of the way". he ordered.

"What?"

"Get out of the way, Ink".

But he didn't move.

"It's just my wolf, Murder... Please don't hurt him...".

"Get out of here now", he shot.

"Excuse me?", Ink blinked in disbelief.

"Don't you speak my languege, you pervert by colors?" He raised his voice for the first time, very angry. "I told you to leave. NOW".

"Okay, okay, I got it!"

Calling Phantom with a whistle, Ink opened another crevice with his brush and jumped into the next universe, leaving Murder behind.

With an absurdly tired sigh, he looked at his wolf.

"What are we going to do, eh? This way it's hard for both of us to travel"

"Look who we found here", Ink heard on his back, followed by a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"How's it going, buddy?"

He turned around, finding his original version next to his human, now 14 year-old.

"Hello, Sans. Hello, Frisk", Ink tried to smile, courteous, but also worried about the possible behavior his furry friend might adopt at any moment.

"Phantom!", exclaimed the human, throwing their arms around him and giving Phantom a big hug.

Luckily for Ink, his pet loved humans, or rather, human children. So maybe he should not worry so much.

"You don't look so good, man", Sans commented. "Some problem?"

"Kind of", Ink sighed for the ... Hundredth time? "I think you must know, I suppose".

"Oh, I wasn't going to comment about it, but since you raised the subject... Yes, the news that your wolf is a sort of public calamity has already spread through the multiverse".

"I'm not surprised".

Ink looked around, realizing that he had fall into the middle of a wooded park on the surface. As he found a bench, Ink walked up to it and sat down, very tired. Sans followed, standing beside him.

"You know, I love Phantom", he began. He needed to unburden. "Or rather, I love him unconditionally. He is a great friend and I am happy to have him as company throughout my travels... But I can't just let him wreak havoc on other people's lives. If it used to happen only sometimes... But everywhere we go he leaves a trail of destruction".

"I'm so sorry about it", Sans patted him on the back comfortably. "You said you found him as pup in the Horrortale universe, right? Why don't you try to go back there and find his family? I know it's going to be difficult for you, but I'm sure Phantom will be very happy to review his own family"

Ink was about to answer, but Frisk ran to them, their clothes covered with drool and mud, but also with a big smile on their face.

"I'm going to get a stick to play with the Phantom, okay?", She asked.

"Sure, kid" Sans replied, passing his hand over their head. "But don't go too far".

"Riiiight!".

The human ran across the park, looking for some twig and leaving Phantom alone a few feet from the bench, digging a huge hole in the well-trimmed lawn that covered the area.

"As I was saying", Ink resumed. "I already thought of that possibility, but I realized it would eventually lose its effect".

"Why?"

"Oh, how am I supposed to explain...? Do you know what are dimensional cracks?"

"I have a little notion, but since I've never seen one, I'm not sure if I can imagine how they exactly work"

"Very briefly, they are cracks in the codes that sustain each universe. It's like a hole that opens randomly inside a universe, momentarily creating a quick passage to another timeline. But, as I said, although it may be quite common to happen, these holes often appear in random locations and don't stay too long open. So, in general, hardly someone sees or perceives it happening. But for some reason Phantom has the odd ability to sniff these cracks. Then when he finds them, he simply passes them and falls into another alternate universe".

"Hey, Ink".

"That's why I can't leave him in another timeline, because one hour or another a crack will open and he'll find it... And escape into another universe".

"Ink, man..."

"What I really need is someone who shows authority and manages to train him"

"INK, just listen to me!", Sans shaken him. "I think he's doing it right now!"

"What?"

Ink looked at where Phantom was digging his hole, just as the wolf jumped unceremoniously into a dimensional slot that had opened in front of them.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He even tried to run, but was too late, the wolf by the crack had completely disappeared, causing Ink to fall on the ground.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

Sans hurried to him, helping Ink to his feet.

"What do I do now?! What do I do now?!", he shouted in despair.

"Hey, calm down!", Sans grabbed him by the shoulders. "You travel by the timelines, it will be easy to capture him back".

"EASY?! Do you know how many alternate universes are there?! Thousands! And Phantom will destroy each one of them! Ah, no... I can already imagine the wanted posters and the headlines in the newspapers "MAD WOLF SOW CHAOS". It's the end! It's the end! And all because I wasn't a good enough to train..."

Sans slapped him in the face.

"Dude, seriously, you have to control yourself. Especially before..."

Ink tried to cover his mouth, but he wasn't fast enough, he threw up a gush of black paint on Sans' clothes.

"Before it happens..."

"Sorry", Ink apologized, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

"Don't worry"

Sans took a deep breath, then stared at his alternate version.

"My suggestion: start with the universes that you have acquaintances, because it will be easier to obtain information if Phantom has showed up there. And either try to contact other friends who also have the habit of traveling through the timelines. The more people trying to find him, better. You understood me?"

"Yes, yes, traveling, finding friends", Ink repeated, half disoriented. "I got it".

"And I know I'm being repetitive, but you really have to calm down. No wonder the wolf is anxious, he is just like you"

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT, I KNEW IT!"

"Shit", Sans cursed.

. . .

The hollow noise echoed again as Ink knock on his forehead against the wooden table for the thirtieth time. Sitting both beside him, the Underswap brothers tried to comfort him in some way.

"I don't know what to do anymore...", Ink sighed, raising his head. "About finding Phantom and how to train it. You know, he may be very messy, but he's a great mascot. Outside Red, he has never really tried to hurt anyone. Not to mention he loves kids! Phantom can get along with any Frisk and Chara. Even Aliza, who is afraid of almost everything, likes him".

"You'll find him, Ink, I'm sure", Blue hugged him. "And you'll find a way to make him behave, too. You always get a creative solution to the problems".

"Oh, thanks", Ink smiled at him, happy to have a good friend. "To be honest, it's very lonely to be without him. It's good have company while I travel, you know? Doing this kind of thing always alone, as I've been doing, can sometimes be very difficult".

Blue gave him another hug, this time tighter.

"And that's why I believe at some point you two will meet again! Phantom probably just thinks you are playing hide and seek".

Ink let himself laugh.

"I hope so".

After drinking some coffee with cookies offered by Papyrus, Ink thanked them and left the brothers' house, ready for another trip in search of his wolf.

"Oh, thanks", Ink smiled at him, happy to have a good friend. "To be honest, it's very lonely to be without him. It's good have company while I travel, you know? Doing this kind of thing always alone, as I've been doing, can sometimes be very difficult".

Blue gave him another hug, this time tighter.

"And that's why I believe at some point you two will meet again! Phantom probably just thinks you are playing hide and seek".

Ink let himself laugh.

"I hope so".

After drinking some coffee with cookies offered by Papyrus, Ink thanked them and left the brothers' house, ready for another trip in search of his wolf.

He was crossing the lawn, already preparing to take the brush he carried on his back and open a portal, when he felt something curl up around his wrists and ankles and then pull out suddenly.

The image of Underswap's universe was rapidly receding before his eyes, as he felt himself being dragged by a dimensional crevice, and then fall on the ground.

Stunned, Ink sat down. He was in another universe, though he did not know which. But how did he get there?

So he looked to the right, seeing Error standing by his side.

"ERROR!", Ink cried out, standing up and throwing himself on him with outstretched arms. "I need your help!".

The destroyer of universes, however, moved to the side with a face of pure disgust, turning away from Ink and his irritating euphoria.

"No. Touching", he hissed.

"Oh, Error, I need your help so bad. My wolf is missing!"

"Don't you think I already know? All over the multiverse people only talk about him and the trail of chaos he leaves behind".

"Don't tell me that", Ink put his hand over his face, closing his eyes tightly. "I don't know what else to do. Phantom is kind and brave, besides always keep me company, but things can't stay like that... And I think the real guilty for his bad behavior it's me, because sometimes I feel like being always traveling from universe to universe stresses him, and he needs to find a way to calm down. But I need to keep following from one timeline to another, so I don't know what I can do to help him... Oh, Error, I want so bad find a solution to this dilemma".

Ink breathed in, deep, finally staring at him.

"I'm so lost".

Error, who had been listening to him impatiently and with his arms crossed, rolled his eyes, also sighing.

"Finished?"

"Yes", said Ink. "Thank you for listening to me".

"You are welcome", he said wryly. "Now that the pitch a fit is over, can you answer me one thing?".

"Of course".

"If it's for the good of your lunatic wolf, would you agree to leave things as they are?"

"All I want is to Phantom be happy, Error. But frankly, I didn't understand what you meant".

"Follow me", he said harshly, turning his back on and starting to walk.

Ink followed, walking right next to him.

"Too close", Error complained, putting one step away between them.

"Sorry".

More calm, Ink stopped for the first time to observe which alternative universe he was inside. Since he wasn't the one who opened the portal, he wasn't sure which was, but by the blue summer sky above their heads and the sea to their left, he believed they were in a world where monsters and humans had once again lived side by side .

"Error, where are...".

He stopped talking, surprised by the image that came into his eyes.

They were both walking along an apparently empty beach, but many feet ahead, he saw Cross sitting on the sand watching the waves and... With Phantom lying quietly on his lap. The soft wind of the sea swinged his white fur, and Cross was making a tender caress on his head.

And Phantom looked absolutely in peace.

He was quiet and comfortable, enjoying the pleasant weather that surrounded them.

"How is this possible...?", Ink couldn't believe in what he saw.

"I found him a week ago", said Error. "Apparently, in his first encounter with Cross, he stole his scarf and buried it somewhere, but I don't know how, shortly thereafter they began to get along very well".

"Oh", was all he could say.

Phantom finally noticed them, or smelled, and stood up, wagging his tail. Cross looked at his direction just as the wolf began to run to Ink.

He knelt down to greet his canine friend and hugged him as owner and pet finally reunited.

"How long, my friend", he said, feeling melancholy and happy in equal parts.

"Hello to both of you", Cross greeted with his serious way of act, reaching them. "Is he yours?

Error gave no sign of care to say something.

"So so", Ink lied, standing up. "I found him wounded in another universe and I was trying to find a good owner for him. You know, living always traveling is not easy, so I guess I can't keep him. Wanna adopt Phantom?"

Cross studied him carefully, frowning.

"I know you travel, too, but it's less often than I do. I think this quieter routine suits him better. Phantom likes to travel, but he needs some quiet... And that's the kind of thing I saw when I got here and watched him resting with you"

"Hm, I have admit he's a good fighter", pondered Cross. "And also brave".

"And you have a steady hand", Ink added. "I bet he respects you a lot".

He thought for a few moments, until he made up his mind.

"It's fine for me. But what about you?".

Ink tried his best to fake a carefree smile.

"That would make me very happy and relieved. It was on time for this big boy here to find a good mate".

Returning his knees to the sand, he gave one last, big, tight hug to Phantom, burying his face in his soft fur. The white threads tickled his skull, and the warmth of that big wolf heated his clothes and bones up. He would really miss the comfort that Phantom brought to his days.

Finally releasing him, Ink stood up.

"Thank you", he managed to say. It could be to Cross, or to the wolf... He couldn't say. And it didn't matter.

"I was waiting for the sunset" ,Cross broke the uncomfortable silence that started to grew up in the group. "I heard that in this universe it's especially beautiful. Wanna join us?"

"Pass", Error replied without bluntly, before even thinking about the proposal.

"I'm sorry", Ink said, half embarrassed. "I need to solve some issues that can't be left for later. But thanks"

"I understand", Cross did't insist.

"Well... That's it... It was good our time together, Phantom. You will be fine. This guy can be really cool when he wants to. And behave yourself, okay?"

The wolf barked and wagged his tail.

"Okay, I got tired, I'm leaving now", Unceremoniously, Error turned his back on them and started to walk away.

Ink gave a slightly uncomfortable smile.

"I think I'll take a ride with him", he said, scratching the back of his neck. "See you guys around!"

As Cross gave goodbye wave, Ink hurried to reach Error, trying hard to not look back.

"Argh, aren't you going to cry, right?", He spoke in disgust as Ink approached.

"Hahahaha, of course not!", he laughed, wiping his face quickly with the sleeve of his blouse.

"Weak".

Error stopped, extending his arm to open a new portal. When Ink looked in he saw something waiting for them.

"Is that a cat?", He asked, pointing to the amber-eyed feline figure.

"It's none of your business", he cut off. "Come in or open your own portal".

"Right, right"

They both passed through the portal, but before Error closed it, Ink glanced behind one last time, watching Cross and Phantom walk side by side along the beach. In fact, watching from afar, they seemed to complete each other very well.

Knowing that made him smile.

"Goodbye, buddy", he said softly. "I will miss you".

And then the portal closed.

AUTHOR’S FINAL NOTES:

Portuguese is a mess English is a mess This text is a mess And "me is" a mess

Sorry if my bad, very very very bad English, has offended you. I'm not trying to hurt your eyes. Really.

But, whatever, I loved to write this mess. I loved to play Ink, Error and Cross. I thought it would be hard, but I really loved. I do not know how to explain, it just brought me a feeling of happiness and familiarity.

This idea come from a headcanon about Cross. I don't know why, but he always reminds me a white wolf... And then I just felt I had to write about it. But I don't know why, Ink just turned into the protagonist of this chapter and Cross just appear in the end. But I still want to write about those two okay? I just need the right inspiration.

So, just as me, I hope you had some fun here, okay? Thanks for read this big mess.

As you may have noticed, it is a collection, so we will have a chapter for each Sans with a different pet. However, my priority is my AU, so I can not say it will have a frequent update. But whenever I get a new inspiration, I'll try to write, okay?

BUUUUT, I already know which pet I will gave for some alternatives Sans. You can check some of then I the index (ut just which sans). But if you are one of the owers just ask and I will tell you. 

[darling-blurbs]

Why Aren’t You Scared of Me? Chapter 1

rSummary: While everyone prepares for the exam, Esther watches her friends hard-work while doing her own. The day of the exam surprises everyone. Class 1A stuff happens too.

Disclaimer: All warnings and all the info you need to know is on my Masterlist which can be found in my description. Also I write these chapters between 12am-5am so the writing is shit.

Esther was walking with her big brothers when she heard some grunting near the beach. She paused her walking and turned her body to see Izuku cleaning the beach. 

“He is doing well Toshi,” Esther said as All Might walked up from behind her. “You don’t need to worry about his abilties and you know this.” She turned to stare at her best friend. 

“I am not-” Toshinori Yagi sighed. “Fine. You know why I am worried, you don’t need to look into my head to see why I am scared.” 

Esther hummed as she looked back at Izuku. She snapped her fingers as her cloak’s hood dissappeared. She jumped down in front of Izuku, scaring him. “B-Bunny! W-what are you doing here?” He looked everywhere except at her.

“You know, you can make this so much easier on yourself if you want his quirk,” Esther said bluntly. 

Izuku choked at that, “H-how?” He looked behind her to see Yagi shake his head and chuckle. 

“Esther is an old friend. I have known her since she was 4,” Yagi said. By then, Esther’s brothers already have left.

“H-Huh?! Why didn’t you tell me? That explains so much...” Izuku went back to his muttering until he was smacked in the back of the head by his friend. “Bunny...”

“I have to leave as Kacchan needs someone who can actually attack him. I would stay longer but my own quirks need help.” Esther muttered the last part to herself as she walked away after hugging Izuku and waving at the pair.

“W-what just happened?” Izuku muttered as he sweat-dropped.

-

“You are doing it wrong,” Katsuki jumped at the sound behind him.

“HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET INTO MY HOUSE?!” Katsuki screamed. 

“Your mother let me in and can you stop screaming. Izuku already gave me a headache,” Esther mumbled as she tried to rub the headache out of her forehead. 

“You went to see him before me?!” Katsuki growled. 

Esther shrugged. “It was on the way. He was, like, training on the beach or some shit...” Esther yawned and faceplanted onto Katsuki’s bed. “I’m tired.”

“We have like a week until the exams and your tired?! We haven’t even started fighting yet!”

Esther lifted her head to glare at Katsuki and mumbled something before lifting herself up. “Fucking fine then you asshole. Let’s go to my house and use that field.” Katsuki flushed at the though of going to her house with no one there. The only thing Katsuki knew of her family was- nothing really. 

“Nevermind. I think at least half of my brothers are home and they might murder you if they see you.” Katsuki sweat-dropped.

-

All-in-all, Esther didn’t train for shit. She just slept in the entire summer and didn’t train at all. 

“You sure you are ready?” Apollo, the greek god of sun and some other things, asked his younger sister.

“You have your jacket right? I don’t want guys to look at you with what you are wearing,” Kronos, Titan of Time, said bluntly. 

Esther wore a black training bra and black short-shorts. Her jacket was more like a cape that landed at her feet where her knee black boots were. It had a hood on it as well. (It looks like this , It’s also her hero costume as well as her training outfit)

Esther rolled her eyes. “Bye guys.”

-

Esther walked up to the school and say Izuku trip and blush at a girl. It was true that he blushed at talking to any girl, even Esther whom he have known since they were 5.

Katsuki appeared next to her as he glared at everyone which was normal.

Shit. What if I don’t get in? People are gonna be disapointed in me, even that old hag.

Esther grabbed Katsuki’s hand and rubbed his hand, which made him jump and look down at the small girl. “It will be fine. You will be the Number 1 Hero and you will surpass All Might.” Esther looked up at Katsuki with a closed eye smiled which made him look the other way with tinted cheeks. 

“Ya. I know.” 

“Kacchan. You don’t know what my quirk is but the one think is I can tell when you lie. I’ll be more honest with you I promise.” Esther said as they walked into the auditiorm. Esther sat right next to Katsuki as they listen to the test.

Some guy asks a question and then says something and Izuku’s muttering making Esther perk up. 

“Well, Mr. Stick up your ass, maybe if you took your stick out you might see that he is nervous,” Esther mumbles making Katsuki snort and try to clear that up with a cough. 

-

Esther stands at the mock arena. She goes to Izuku, who seems to be in the same one as her but see that boy again. Esther snaps her fingers making her appear in between the two boys. 

“Hello again, Mr. Stick up your ass. I don’t think picking out others flaws is the best hero flaw,” Esther hissed. The dude was shocked. “Maybe you see someone’s actions before nitpicking everything. You fucking remind me of my late mother and that isn’t a good thing.” 

Esther turns her back to the male who seemed speechless. “Are you alright Broccoli?” 

“Oh! Bunny? I didn’t know you were also competing?” Izuku had an obvious blush on his face from his best friend’s outfit. 

A strong START!! Is sounded as Esther waves at Izuku before letting her wings appear.

As the other participants look at awe at the wings, she lifts off and flies into the arena and slams down making the arena have a dark black fog appear that seemed to slow the robots as well as other as she goes into the fog after winking at the participats.

-

The fog cleared after a half hour as Esther wasn’t that mean. She already had the most points. She knew this as Toshi told her to stop before no one had any robots to fight. So instead of fighting robots, she sat on a building with her wings lying behind her. She kept her eyes on her best friend before she saw a girl who she remembered was the gravity girl. Izuku ran at the 0 pointer. 

“Red!” Esther’s eyes flash red as her dragon-like wings erupt from her back. She caught Izuku and laid him down on the ground. The gravity girl looked hurt.

“Hell Raiser!” Fire everywhere made the robots crimple in the fire as Red as well as Esther’s anger burned through the arena. She crept towards the female and sat in front of her and wrapped her arms around her, making her black blood seep into the female’s skin and cure her of her cuts and burns. 

Red left as she finished fixing the female. The female woke up a little to see Esther eyes change from blood red to their normal icy blue before she fell as well as Esther, who cushioned the fall. 

-

Esther walked into UA and slid open the door to class 1A. It wasn’t a surprise that she got a bunch of points as she saved many people as well as destroyed a bunch of robots. She say that Katsuki got second while Izuku also got in, thanks to her as well as the Gravity girl. 

She took notice of the young female as well as that dick who were talking to Izuku. Esther hummed as she walked past them and slumped onto the desk in front of Katsuki and slammed her head onto her desk. 

She could hear the gruff voice of Aiwaza as he said something. Esther lifted her head from her desk when she felt multiple eyes on her. 

She yawned as she got up from her desk and rubbed the fogginess from her eyes. She heard a much of muttering as she got a PE uniform and walked to the female lockers. 

“Hey! You got first didn’t you?” A pink colored alien person looked at Esther as she took off her shirt. “I’m Mina Ashido! I saw that you saved two people at once! What is your quirk? Do you have two?” Mina kept talking as Esther half-listened. 

The girl that Esther deemed Gravity female up until this point tapped Esther on the shoulder as she put on her PE Shirt. “I want to thank you! I already thanked Midoriya but I never had the chance to thank you! Whatever you gave me helped a lot!” 

“It’s called Black Blood...” Esther mumbled as she put on her shoes. 

“H-Huh?!” MIna said. “What kind of name is that?” 

Esther stood up and left the locker room to go to the field. 

-

“Since Esther got first with more points than anyone has ever gotten since forever, she shall show us what to do,” Aizawa said as gave her a ball. “How much did you get in middle school?”

“I have no clue. Maybe like 50 meters I guess?” She said.

“Try now with your quirk,” Esther shrugged as she grabbed it. She turned to look at Aizawa to learn which quirk. “Either one is fine. Just don’t make Red scare everyone.”

The class were confused until Esther looked at the field and closed her eyes. She opened them again for them to be Red. She kissed the ball and then threw it. 

The ball flew up until no one could see it. Esther lifted her hand as the ball came back down. Her eyes were still closed as the ball that was erupting into fire landed into her hand. Aiwaza turned the thing around to show In One thousand meters. Esther opened her eyes to show they were red with a smirk before she blinked and they turned back to blue. 

“That is so cool!” Rookie mistake from a classmate. 

“The person who gets last will get expelled.” Aiwaza said. 

That might be the biggest lie I have ever heard.

Aizawa turned to Esther after she said that. 

-

Test 1: 50 Meter Dash

Esther watched as everyone ran. She yawned as she watched everyone run. People were scared of her, she thought to herself. The actually reason no one was talking to her was that she just was so... her. Like she looked like a hero.

“Eijiro Kirishima vs Esther Osoro” Esther walked over to the line as she looked at the red head. 

“You look like Red Riot. Is that a thing?” Esther said spooking Eijiro. 

“H-how did you know?” Esther shrugged. 

“Your thoughts are too loud.” Esther stated as the start was said. 

Esther winked before her white wings appeared on her back, ripping her school uniform. The class was in awe of the beautiful sight. Esther knew she could just teleport but she also knew that she would get under 1 sec and that would not be very fair. She landed at 2.01 seconds. Faster than the engine asshole. 

Esther felt multiple gazes on her wings as they folded back into her back, letting people see the scars that litter Esther’s body, some new and some old. 

-

Test 2: Grip Strength

Esther didn’t know what the fuck she was doing. She gripped the thing and got a few kilograms. She shrugged before going to the next test.

-

Test 3: Standing Long Jump

You can guess.

-

Test 4: Repeated Side Step

“What the hell? Are you shitting me?” Esther mumbled as she watched a guy in the between of two grapes go back and forth.

Esther stood there glaring at the ground before she just used her main quirk, fear, to create a kangaroo to do the jumping for her while she slept in the pocket of it. 

“How is she already tired?!” She heard them exclaim.

-

Test 5: Ball Throw

Since she and Katsuki already did it (He did it as an example after her), Esther stood next to Katsuki as they watched people throw the ball. 

“If Midoriya continues like this, he will get expelled.” The Mr. Stick up my ass said.

“He is quirkless, he can’t do shit!” Katsuki countered. Esther placed a hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. 

“Kacchan, we both know that isn’t true,” Esther responded as Katsuki calmed down right when she put her hand on his shoulder. 

Aizawa used his quirk and said something. “Shouta, Isn’t that a bit mean to question someone like that?” Esther said when Aizawa put Izuku down. 

Aizawa shurgged as he walked back. “I gave your quirk back.”

Izuku used his quirk as Esther looked over at Yagi at the edge of the building. Esther winked at her best friend as well as parent figure and she turned back around to see everyone talking about Izuku’s quirk. 

-

Katsuki is held back by Aiwaza’s scarf. 

“What the fuck?” Esther said. “Why are you fighting again?” 

“This happens everyday?” The gravity girl says. “How do you know?”

“Well, I have known them since I was 5 so I guess you could say that they are childhood friends,” Esther says, turning to the girl. “What is your name?”

“Oh! I am Ochaco Uraraka!” Ochaco says with a smile. 

“Can I call you Ura? I am not good with names...” Esther mumbled as she dropped her head. 

She heard a bunch of awes. Esther looked like a bunny, note the nickname bunny that Izuku calls her. 

“Ya, you can!” Esther lifted her head and sent a smile her way. First time she smiled and she already has the whole class’ hearts.

-

The results... Esther got first while Izuku got last.

“By the way, the expelling was a lie.”

“Didn’t you guess know that? It was pretty obvious- I remembered that no one else in this class has mind-reading quirks.” Esther says.

-

Esther walks out of school. The sky was a mix of orange and pink, making Esther glow from the light. 

“Hey!” a female voice catches her attention. She turns around to see Ura with Izuku and the guy with the stick up his ass. 

“Hey Ura, Broccoli and guy with a stick up your ass!” Esther says with a smile. “I was about to find Kacchan but I guess I can talk a bit.”

“Kacchan?” “That’s not my name!”

“Kacchan is Katsuki. Izuku gave him that name, it just stuck,” Esther says.

“You call Midoriya by his first name? Isn’t that uncultured?” Mr. Stick up his ass asked. 

“I-I’m fine with it Iida!” Izuku said, waving his hands in front of his face. 

“So your last name is Iida? I know your brother but at this point which Pro-Hero do I not know,” Esther said as she tilted her head and closing her eyes in thought. “Ah! Your name is Tenya! Your brother talks about you a bunch when I see him.” 

Esther’s phone beeps and she sees Katsuki is calling. She picks it up. 

“Ya Kacchan. I’m still at school.” 

“No, I’m not with Broccoli.”

“You can just wait longer you impatient swine.”

“Okie, I’m coming now them before you explode that kid’s head off.”

Esther clicked the end button. “Well, I have to go before Katsuki murders someone.”

Esther waved as she walked away.

“Why didn’t you talk to her Midoriya? Didn’t you want to ask about her quirk?” Iida turned to see Izuku shaking with sweat pouring down.

“Are you alright?” Ura asked with concern.

“S-she is so cool... I wished I had half the confidence Katsuki had,” Izuku said as he fell over.

---

Author:

So I only did like half of episode 6 but it is enough for me! This is Esther’s name for everyone:

Mina

Ura

Broccoli/Izuku

Kacchan/Explody Dork/Katsuki

Mr. Stick up your/his ass

Kiri

She knows like no one else in her class but people are gonna be talking to her so be ready for that!

[i-mushi]

Izzy

I’m on a roll! Izzy was only mentioned briefly as Jesse’s friend in the beginning of Fire Touched. (Whose first chapter I wish I could pin on my wall. Mercy vs. the Multi-Level Marketer.) She isn’t mentioned again as far as I know, but I wanted to peek into Jesse’s life, especially when the revelation about werewolves and her dad became public. I know it didn’t go like this and she probably didn’t have many friends sticking up for her, but in my head Izzy was there. Also, Adam would totally be that hot dad teenagers have passing thoughts about because come on, we’ve all been 16 and crazy. 

Izzy

Izzy swallowed for the third time as she drove down the dead-end street to Jesse's house. She and Jesse had been friends since third grade, and she was a wholehearted supporter of almost anything Jesse did. (Dyeing her hair with Kool-Aid was the only time Izzy had truly regretted that blind loyalty. It stained. Badly.) She loved Jesse and they were best friends, but Jesse's dad would always be intimidating to her.

He was, unfortunately for Izzy's hormones, attractive, all while somehow looking young despite being at least thirty-five. Christy, was starting to show her age, though woe be on anyone who mentioned it. They'd been divorced for a while now, and Jesse's dad worked a lot, so Izzy didn't see either of them much, but whenever she had he'd been hard to look in the eye. Her grandmother had always stressed being polite, shaking hands, and making eye contact, but Izzy had never managed the last one. She'd only seen him truly mad once and that had been enough to scare her badly.

She'd once even tried to tactfully bring up how… well, she couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about him. But despite being best friends forever, Jesse didn't talk about her dad or his colleagues and friends much, though Izzy had seen them around the house before. She wondered if that impromptu party, work event, or something she'd seen had been why Jesse came to her place now and she didn't go over anymore.

This lab project had to be done though, and since Jesse was grounded for getting that temporary tattoo at a party she wasn't supposed to be at (and making her dad believe the tattoo was real for a couple of minutes), Izzy had to go to her. She just hoped her dad didn't open the door; Izzy had kind of been dating a guy named Dave in school, but she was old enough to know the difference between boys and men.

She pulled up and grabbed her backpack as she got out of the car, jogging up the front steps before she lost her cool. Just because Mr. Hauptman looked like he could read her mind and was uncomfortably good looking sometimes, didn't mean he actually could or could tell she noticed.

The door opened before Izzy could hit the bell, but it wasn't Mr. Hauptman at the door. "Oh, uh, hi Mercy," Izzy greeted with an awkward smile. She was never quite sure how to act around Mercy, who Jesse loved like a big sister and who Jesse's dad was obviously smitten with. She was a family friend who Izzy had only met tangentially.

"Hi Izzy. Jesse's in her room with the music turned up. Can she change that scream-o metal for something a little more… classic rock?"

"She'll know you wanted me to ask that," Izzy pointed out.

Mercy shrugged with a smile. "Had to try."

Izzy headed up the stairs, spotting Mr. Hauptman as she passed Mercy. He smiled at her and she waved before focusing slightly harder on the stairs than necessary.

Jesse was flopped back on her bed when Izzy opened the door, the music indeed very loud. "I'm not turning it off," she said before Izzy could get a word in.

"I like the third track better, but the whole album is good." Izzy dumped her bag and crawled on the bed to lay down beside her best friend. "Any chance your mom could come back and plant a different bush under your window so you could jail break?" Being grounded sucked. Outside of school she hadn't seen Jesse in almost a week.

Jesse snorted and blew her stylish purple bangs off her forehead. "Probably wouldn't work anyway."

"Why not? We got out of my house over the garage roof."

Jesse rolled over until her face was planted in the pillow and muttered something, but Izzy couldn't make it out.

"What?"

"Not important. Let's get this lab done so I can get Mr. Bailey off my back."

Izzy frowned, sensing one of those secrets Jesse kept from her. "Is something going on Jesse? Is your dad and Mercy—"

"No, though she's been around more often recently, and he's better when she is. It's nothing, really." The way that Jesse turned away quickly to dig out her homework felt like a betrayal.

"You can tell me anything Jess, you know that. I don't keep stuff from you."

Jesse seemed to consider that, then scooted closer on the floor until she was at Izzy's feet, beckoning her down. Izzy sat cross-legged on the floor too and watched confused as Jesse pulled the heavy comforter off her bed and over them.

When their knees were touching and their breath was starting to heat up the impromptu tent, Jesse leaned her forehead forward until it was on Izzy's shoulder. "I wish I could tell you," she whispered, barely audible above the stereo blaring and the muffling of Izzy's shirt. "But I can't. Just… let's always be friends, okay? No matter what?"

Izzy put her arms around Jesse without thinking twice. "Of course, you couldn't keep me away. Who'd dye your hair after all?" Izzy's mother was a hairdresser who'd lent her talents and time to showing Izzy how to properly dye Jesse's hair and how to undo the horror that was Kool-Aid coloring. Jesse had been most impressed at how calm Izzy's mom had been when she'd walked into what looked like a murder scene in the bathroom.

"Ha," Jesse said without humor.

"Is it your dad? Or your mom?" Izzy considered how awful Jesse's mom was sometimes, and then how intimidating Mr. Hauptman could be. He worked in security, had Jesse seen something? "Witness protection program?" she joked.

That made Jesse smile and finally pull back from her shoulder. Her face was red, though Izzy couldn't be sure that wasn't the stifling warmth under the blanket or how hard she'd been pressing on her shoulder. "My dad's not a serial killer and mom only ditched me for Reno once."

"And for Las Vegas," Izzy added. Jesse had spent a spring break at her house instead of going to her mom's. Mr. Hauptman had only found out after day three when Christy finally called to ask when Jesse was getting on the plane. Izzy had been terrified when she'd opened the door to that ferocious glower, but when Mr. Hauptman had seen Jesse the flash of relief had been real. That had been the only time Izzy had seen him mad, and if she didn't know how much he loved Jesse she'd have been worried for her.

"Why can't you tell me?" Izzy asked, but Jesse shushed her.

"Not so loud. I—" She looked pained, but was getting more composed. "It's better if you don't know. Please trust me on that."

Izzy gave her a long look before grudgingly acquiescing. She knew Jesse and trusted her absolutely, even if she disagreed with her decision. It didn't mean she wasn't going to keep a sharper eye out. "Okay, fine," she whispered back.

"Great! Lab time," Jesse chirped with unnecessary force and threw off the blanket. Izzy blinked sharply in the light of the window, their moment of solidarity and secrecy gone in a flash.

Werewolves. Izzy sat dumbfounded in front of the small TV in the kitchen watching the morning news with her mom. Werewolves were real. Just like the fae.

She thought of all the movies about werewolves she'd seen and how dumb the Hollywood ones probably were in comparison to the real thing, and then to how uproariously Jesse had laughed when they watched Teen Wolf together—

"Do you think they go to dog groomers?" her mom asked.

"Yeah, sure," Izzy mumbled, standing up and swaying for a second under the epiphany she'd just had.

Normally Izzy didn't bother with the newspaper, but when she spotted the front-page article in her dad's hands she sat back down. "What's it say?"

"There's a list of known werewolves. Mostly in the military apparently. Probably a violent lot." Izzy winced. Hauptman Security wasn't quite like her father's accounting work.

"Anyone we've heard of?" her mom asked.

Her dad scanned down the list and Izzy held her breath. Surely she was wrong. They couldn't have outed every werewolf in the country, so maybe she was wrong or he wouldn't be on the list.

"Izzy," he dad said slowly, and her stomach felt like it dropped to the floor, "your friend Jesse. Her last name is Hauptman, right?"

Her stomach started sinking into the black hole beneath the floor. "Yeah."

"Related to Adam Hauptman?"

Izzy nodded, and her head felt like it was buzzing. Her dad opened his mouth to say something more when her mother cut him off. "That poor girl, living with werewolves. She's got good manners, though no wonder her father looks so young. Goodness, I wonder if the press will be at school."

The press… God Jesse probably wouldn't even go to school if they were there. Would they pull her out? Was her dad the only werewolf in town or were there more? Was Jesse one too?

"You've been over to her house before, haven't you?" Her dad interrupted, sounding alarmed. "Izzy, did you notice anything? Has Mr. Hauptman ever done or said anything to you? I can't believe such a dangerous creature was here under our noses!"

His panic made her angry, as much as her mother's telling silence when she looked at her. "Yeah, dad," she snapped. "He has said something to me. 'Hi Izzy, how are you?' and 'Jesse's upstairs right now'. He's a dad, dad."

Her father jutted his chin out like he did when he argued with her grandmother. It wasn't a flattering look and warned of his stubbornness. "Don't take that tone with me. Wolves are vicious animals, and we don't know anything about these werewolves and what their capable of. I don't want you around Adam Hauptman until the we know more."

"I'm not going to stop talking to her or hanging out with her, dad!" Izzy stood up quickly, knocking back her chair. She'd never feared for her safety around Jesse or her dad, and her father sounded like those pundits on TV talking about the fae.

"Izzy, honey, we just want to know if she, you know… 'inherited' it, if you know what I mean." Izzy's mom had gone for the placating tone, forgetting that nothing made Izzy angrier. She wasn't a child who needed the world to be explained to her, and she knew in that moment that Jesse wasn't a werewolf.

"Jesse's not a werewolf, she's my best friend. That's what matters to me." She grabbed her backpack and left for school, fuming and righteously indignant in turn.

Izzy had arrived earlier than usual, but her ears were already ringing with comments from the parking lot. Jesse wasn't going to stick out just for her purple hair anymore from the sounds of it; other students had put two and two together. Izzy ignored Dave asking if she'd known or ever seen Mr. Hauptman turn into a beast and stomped through the crowd to the front of the school.

She waited outside for Jesse to pull up, brushing off questions from hanger-ons. She recognized the SUV when it parked in front of the school but not the man driving it. Jesse took an extra minute to open the door, and Izzy was there the second she did, trying to act like normal even as the whispers around them surged.

"Hey Jess, did you bring my scarf? I texted you last night that I forgot it."

Jesse looked so relieved to see her that her white knuckles loosened just a little around the strap of her bag. "Yeah, I've got it."

The guy in the driver's seat tipped an imaginary hat at Izzy, eyed the crowd behind her, and drove off.

There was a three-foot buffer around Jesse and Izzy as they headed inside the school. People talked behind their hands and a few brave ones approached to ask questions, but Jesse refused to say anything more than they knew. "He's my dad, that's it. I'm not a werewolf too," she repeated all day. By the end of the day curiosity had started to wane, perhaps because Jesse had yet to turn into a wolf or because she refused to say anything more.

Her shoulders were slumping though, and she looked tired when Izzy caught up to her. They didn't have the last three classes of the day together, otherwise Izzy would have tried to be a buffer for her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Jack won't talk to me at all and Ms. White passed over me three times to answer questions. I feel like they're scared of me." Izzy leaned on the locker but turned in time to spot heads looking at Jesse then jerking away.

"Looks like your dad is outside waiting for you."

"Great, just what I need." She exhaled heavily. "I know it's not his fault, and it sucks that everyone knows what he is now, but he doesn't have to deal with school." She shot a nasty look at some of the girls down the hall who were obviously gossiping about her. Jesse had never gotten along with that group to begin with, but now they were outright ostracizing her.

Jesse saw their looks and his lips tightened as she packed her bag. "Guess I won't get invited to another school party."

"Well if I am we'll go together," Izzy promised. "And if I don't then we'll just party by ourselves. Maybe we should try rainbow-dyeing our hair for LGBT Awareness Month. You said the purple just made your dad roll his eyes."

Jesse looked up at her and finally smiled, though it was a bit more wobbly than her usual ones.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. No promises my parents will like it, but we've already proven it's easy to sneak out from my place." Izzy grinned down at her best friend.

"And now you know why I can't do the same. Dad can hear a pin drop from across the street." Jesse looked rueful for a moment. "I better go before he draws a bigger crowd."

There was already a large crowd loitering around watching him, but they didn't get much of an event. Mr. Hauptman smiled at Jesse, opened her door for her, and then hopped in his side before driving off. Not a snarl, growl, or tuft of fur in sight.

[captainlilyuniverseworld]

Captain America .VS. The Winter Soldier: The Fight For Tony Stark

Part Three

A/N: The long awaited third part to the Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and James ‘Bucky’ Barnes love triangle. 

Tony was bent over the table when Bucky walked into the lab. He had on a black tank top and a pair of jeans hanging low on his hips. Bucky leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and waited for Tony to realize he was standing there.

“Please, don’t stop dancing on my account,” Bucky drawled when Tony had stopped moving to the music as he spotted Bucky.

Tony cleared his throat. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to watch you dance your way through Twisted Sister,” Bucky answered.

Tony blushed a bit and set down the wrench in his hand. “What can I help you with?”

“My arm keeps seizing up on me,” Bucky answered. “Feel like tinkering around in there?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Tony replied. “Jarvis, lower the music a bit would ya?”

Tony motioned Bucky over and he sat down on the stool while Tony grabbed a few more tools. He worked silently, fiddling with certain things.

“The prototype for your new arm is almost done. Gonna need to call a surgeon up though so we can detach this one. I know a guy, but it’s up to you,” Tony told him.

Bucky nodded. “You wanna grab a bite to eat after this?”

“We could order some take out,” Tony offered.

“I was thinking we go to an actual restaurant,” Bucky replied. “You can even pick the place.”

“Yeah? I’ll just pick something expensive,” Tony told him.

“And I’ll pay,” Bucky said.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You sure?” He set down his tools and wiped his hands off.

“I do have my own money you know,” Bucky answered. “We had banks before the war.”

“Okay okay,” Tony smiled a bit. “I’ll pick the place, you pay for the meal. I’ll make us reservation for say seven thirty?”

“You need that much time to make yourself all pretty?” Bucky teased.

“When a handsome man wants to have dinner with me, I like to look my best,” Tony winked.

Bucky chuckled and stood up. “Well then, I look forward to it.”

Dinner was at a place called BOA Steakhouse in Santa Monica. It was sleek, sophisticated, expensive and Bucky actually liked it. He and Tony were sitting in a table close to a tank with various plants inside, a bottle of wine that he couldn’t pronounce breathing between them and a plate of goat cheese baklava, and salmon crudo.

“Do you come here often?” Bucky asked.

“I like going out to places with other people,” Tony answered. “I wanted to come here with Steve but we never got the chance. Never stayed in Malibu long enough.”

“If you need someone to do things with, feel free to drag me along, I don’t mind,” Bucky smiled.

“Be careful what you offer, I might take you up on that,” Tony replied. He glanced at him over the glass of his wine as he took another sip.

“Is that a promise?” Bucky asked. He raised an eyebrow and sucked some cheese off his finger.

“Have you decided on your entrees?” The waiter asked.

Bucky motioned for Tony to go first.

“I’ll have the braised short ribs with the truffled cheese fries and creamed spinach with crispy shallots,” Tony told him as he handed him the menu.

“I’ll have the porthouse, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and the grilled jumbo asparagus,” Bucky handed the waiter his menu.

The waiter nodded and left them to finish their appetizers. Tony poured them a little more wine and leaned back in his chair.

“I um...I never thanked you for that night,” Tony said after a bit of silence.

“The party?” Bucky asked.

Tony nodded. “I was drunk and sleeping with Johnny would’ve been a stupid mistake…”

Bucky shrugged. “Hey, we all get a little frisky when we’ve had a couple drinks.”

“It...wasn’t about being frisky after a couple drinks,” Tony replied. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laying this all on you.” He drank some more of his wine.

Bucky reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Don’t apologize Tony. You’re allowed to vent. And I’ll listen.”

Tony looked at their hands and pulled his away after a few seconds. “Why’d you agree to come with me? It can’t be just because I wanted to work on your arm.”

“I figured you could use someone in your corner,” Bucky answered. “When I first got here, even though I rightly deserved your hate, and your anger, instead of treating me like some...broken thing, while everyone walked on eggshells, you just treated me like a person.”

“In my defense, I slept with a gun under my pillow, afraid you were going to murder me in my sleep,” Tony admitted.

“If I was going to murder you, I wouldn’t need to get close to you,” Bucky said, picking up his wine glass.

Tony nodded a little. “Aren’t you and Steve best friends though? I’m just...surprised you’d come here with me. I’m used to not having anyone in my corner, excluding Pepper and Rhodey and well...Pepper’s not entirely in my corner since the break up.”

“Exactly why you need one,” Bucky pointed out. “Steve is undoubtedly my friend. But, I’m not the person he was best friends with before Hydra sunk their fangs into me. What he did to you, hell, that’s fucked up Tony, and with the exception of Rhodey, and Bruce and Thor and maybe a few others, no one seems to understand that.”

Tony swirled the wine in his glass a little. “I still love him you know...even after everything he did. I always wondered what would drive him to do something like that. Who or what would make Captain America turn against his country and lo and behold,” Tony looked at Bucky. “He does it all for you.”

Bucky swallowed and stayed quiet.

“And I keep going over it in my head. How he, lied to me, looked for you without telling me, I would’ve helped, I would’ve given him any resources he needed...he knew who killed my parents, no matter how much I ranted about my dad being a drunk who just drove off the road and killed my mother, he let me believe, and...no matter how much I should hate his fucking guts right now, I still love him, and no matter how many times I go over everything in my head. If I was in his position, if it was Rhodey in your place, and myself In Steve’s. I would’ve done the exact same thing,” he finished.

“Tony…” Bucky wasn’t sure what to say as Tony finished off his wine.

“The irony of it is, I’d still be in prison and not considered a  hero,” Tony chuckled and stared at his empty glass.

“I…” Bucky closed his mouth.

The waiter returned with their entrees and he cut into his food instead of talking. He kept looking up at Tony, but the other man was focused on his dinner. His posture gradually relaxed and he finally leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine glass.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I shouldn't have asked you to come with me.”

“I’m glad you did,” Bucky replied. “Should we get desert?”

“I know a place,” Tony answered. “If you don’t mind going somewhere else for dessert?”

“Not at all,” Bucky replied.

Bucky gave the waiter his credit card when he came with the check and they got boxes for the their leftovers. He led Tony out of the restaurant and accepted the keys from the valet driver.

“I’ve had too much to drink. You drive, I’ll navigate,” Tony told him as he got in the passenger seat.

Bucky nodded and followed Tony’s directions to a small bakery.

“I’ll be right back,” Tony said as he got out of the car.

He left his phone in one of the cup holders while he went inside. Bucky glanced at it as it chimed and saw Steve’s picture pop up on the screen. He checked to make sure Tony was still inside and picked up the phone. He saw the text from Steve and shook his head as he dropped it, gently, back into the cup holder.

“What’s in the bag?” He asked as Tony got back in the car.

“Surprise,” Tony answered.

“I can’t even get a hint?” Bucky asked. He started driving back to the mansion and saw Tony pick up his phone out of the corner of his eye.

“Nope,” Tony answered.

“...Did you just, turn your phone off?” Bucky asked.

Tony shrugged. “If it’s important Jarvis can override it and let me know.”

Bucky nodded.

Tony frowned as Bucky turned off the highway and started driving towards the beach.

“Relax Stark,” Bucky smiled. “Never really been to the beach before.”

“And you want to go down there now?” Tony asked.

“You afraid to get a little wet?” Bucky teased.

He parked the car, shrugged out of his blazer, and got out to roll up his pant legs. He left his shoes in the back seat. Tony chuckled and took off his own suit jacket and tie, laying them across the top of his jacket. He took off his shoes and socks and left them on the floor of the car and rolled up his own pant legs before picking up the box of desserts.

Bucky made sure the car was locked and started to lead the way down to the beach,

“You know, instead of picking our way over rocks, we could’ve just taken that nice clear path right over there,” Tony pointed out.

Bucky rolled his eyes and offered his hand to help Tony down. “Live a little. Thought you were all about living on the dangerous side.”

“I was...before you and Steve nearly kicked my ass,” Tony answered.

Bucky winced. “So-”

“Don’t apologize. I ripped your arm off remember?” Tony interrupted.

“Yeah,” Bucky nodded and looked at the metal appendage. “Does that make us even?”

“I rip off your arm, you nearly kill me,” Tony said. He was smiling though. “I’d say that makes us even.”

Bucky smiled a bit as he helped Tony down, and dropped his hand only to drape his arm around his shoulders as they walked.

“You ever watch the sunset?” Bucky asked.

Tony nodded. “Steve liked to paint the sunset from different spots in the tower...I used to join him sometimes...And when Pepper locked me out of the lab for being down there too long, I would sit on the roof...And after the Loki fiasco and my brush with death I used to drag Bruce up there to watch with me. What about you?”

Bucky was quiet for awhile. “At some point, I think part of me realized what was happening, and used the sunsets as a constant. No matter how many times….” He swallowed and took a deep breath. “No matter how many times they would take me apart and put me back together...The sunset was always there. It never changed.” He brushed some of Tony’s hair back without thinking and gave him a wry smile. “It was the one constant in an otherwise shitty state of being.”

“Fuck, I give up,” Tony said. “You officially win the title of Most Fucked Up Life.” He threw his hands up in defeat.

Bucky tossed his head back and laughed. “You are such a dick.”

“You still like me,” Tony winked.

Bucky nodded and smiled. “Yeah...yeah, I do.”