#the only ship here is Barbie and Ken. the rest are just friends

[bloodmoon24]

I just had a thought:

Rarity, Edna Mood, Barbie, Velvette, Clawdeen, Satin and Chenille

My most favorite fashionista icons with sass (Idk if Barbie is sassy), having a fashion brunch

Barbie: And so I tried to warn Raquel that 12 inch heels, PLUS very long nails could be dangerous. Not only will her nails got chipped so easily, but she can’t even get in her car or try walking without tripping

Clawdeen: Ouch. Ghoul should not have done that

Velvette: *puts her coffee down* Ugh. This is why I don’t use acrylic nails and those ridiculously high inch heels. I mean, what was she trying to do? Show off? I always paint my nails no matter how small or long they are, and they still look fabulous *shows off her nails*

All: Oooh

Rarity: Absolutely gorgeous, darling. What a work of art

Velvette: *chuckles* Thank you, darling

In the distance, Vox, Clawd, Ken, Mr. Incredible, Cooper and Prince D, and Flash Sentry were having their own coffee day

Vox: I’m glad Vel has a new group of friends to bond over fashion with *sips on his coffee*

Ken: Shoooouuuld we be in a group?

Vox: Don’t push it

Ken: *still smiling* Ok

[iolaussharpe-24]

Barbie in the Mojave - Chapter One

I promised. It's time to deliver. Chapter one of the Barbie/Mojave fic.

This is just chapter one, so Jack isn't quite here yet, but I hope that it will set the tone I want the story to have.

Special thank you once again to @waywardrose for helping me finally watch Mojave! If it were possible to wear out a digital file the way you could wear out a VHS tape, it would be by now. There was a day I legit watched it three times in a row. I'm not even kidding. This story would not be possible without you.

I also want to tag @my-secret-shame and @lunar-ghoulie for showing this crazy idea interest, as well as @ominoose, @reallyrallyauthor, @steven-grants-world, @clemdango04, and @have-you-seen-my-sanity because you guys were on the "tag regardless" list I made for people I love and thought might enjoy this.

Strangers in a Strange Land

Somewhere along the way, she wasn’t sure where, a wrong turn had been made. Barbie and Ken, for whatever reason, were still in the car. Still in the seemingly endless stretch of desert. Where was the speedboat? The rocket ship? Tandem bike, camper van, snowmobile? She wasn’t supposed to overthink it but, this was ridiculous! The only difference between now and two hours ago were minor things. The sun was hotter. The breeze was warmer and picked up sand that seemed to go straight for the dolls’ eyes. The radio only played static. Even the landscape had changed around them. Fewer sand dunes. More rocky mountains and plateaus. No one around except for the two of them in her pink corvette. There was growth around them, rather than the empty sea of sand. Plants in the ground. Birds in the sky.

They’d somehow lost the road. It had gotten covered up by the sand. She’d thought they were still on it, but this excuse for a dirt road she was driving on didn’t seem to be taking her where she needed to go.

It was maddening. Especially for Barbie. Ken was too busy looking at cloud shapes, cacti, and wiry bushes to really notice that anything was severely wrong. Granted, Ken was the only one to not notice her flat feet when literally everyone else on the beach was freaking out and screaming because of them. Even Weird Barbie thought it was strange. She said she’d never seen anything like it before. And then the way she’d reacted when Barbie had told her the rest….

Going to see her felt like a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. Life was perfect. Everything was perfect. Her home, her friends, her body, her entire universe! Everything was just the way it was supposed to be. It always was. In all the years she’d existed, Barbie had never had so much as a knot in her hair, let alone a malfunction so bad that it warranted a visit to-

Ugh! She was starting to spiral. Her world had gotten so chaotic so fast that she was starting to go crazy, and that was only accelerating the problem. It was getting harder to keep her smile on her face. She could feel it trying to fall every time she stopped thinking about it. Smiling was always easier than breathing to her. To all the Barbies! …. And now her body doesn’t want to breathe either because she thought about it!

“Look Barbie! A rabbit!” Ken called excitedly, pointing out from the backseat of the car to a brown hare hopping a few yards away.

Wanting to distract herself from the chaos slowly overtaking her existence and threatening to completely envelope her body as well, Barbie looked out at the animal. She watched it move. It was… odd. To say the least. Alien, to be completely honest. In Barbieland, animals didn’t really move much. They counted as accessories. Not dolls. They didn’t have the joints to move the way that Barbies and Kens and Skippers and everyone else did.

But this hare was moving.

Its legs were pumping, carrying it along the sand at a fast pace. Barbie slowed down the car, her eyes glued to it. It was strangely majestic. And she came from a world where rainbows were more common than sunlight, mermaids appeared out of the water to say hi wherever they wanted, and glittery dresses could transform into brilliant fairy wings with a twirl. Her basis of comparison was odd, but that little creature was so-

Before Barbie could even work out her own thoughts, she hit a bump in the road. A very big bump. The kind that didn’t just cause the two passengers to jump out of their seats. The kind that made Ken fly out of the vehicle because he didn’t have his seatbelt on, and flipped the pink corvette onto its side, taking it’s still strapped in pink clad plastic passenger for a ride that she hadn’t been expecting when she asked to be sent to the real world. It wasn’t like when Ken startled her earlier in the day. The car had flipped yes, but it went through the air and landed back on its tires, no harm done. This wasn’t that. This was something else. Something that she’d never felt before.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the world turned sideways around her. Her blonde braid lifted off her shoulder and the seatbelt across her lap seemed to tighten, digging into her thighs. She screamed in a way she never had before. She’d felt fear, yes, but not like this. She didn’t think that any of the Barbies or the Kens had ever felt fear like this. It was like her entire body screaming right alongside her. Every inch, every joint, and sculpted line in her body tensed up and clenched tighter than Boxer Barbie’s fists.

The car landed on its side and skidded across the sand, Barbie’s head snapped back from the force of it, the seat digging into her back and pressing into something that wasn’t supposed to bend the way it was being forced to. It didn’t feel good. At all. This was the furthest thing from good she’d ever felt. Saying that it felt bad didn’t even do the feeling justice. It was worse than when she fell off her roof. And that had been the worst until this.

Distantly, she could hear Ken’s voice. He sounded like he was in pain too. Like he was just as scared as she was. He was calling out her name.

For a moment, things went black. Completely black. It lasted less than a second. One singular insignificant second in which absolutely nothing existed. No thoughts. No feelings. No sight or sound. Just darkness and perfect silence. It was so peaceful. Like everything was finally right in the world and she didn’t have to worry about flat feet or cellulite or a rip in the fabric of reality. It felt like that last blissful moment of sleep before getting up in the morning. Like she’d open her eyes and stare through the open roof of her dreamhouse at the beautiful blue sky above. She’d hear the voice singing her through her newest best day ever. And everything that happened since the dance party would only be as real as a bad dream, and forgotten just as quickly.

But that’s not what greeted her when she finally did.

She opened her eyes to an endless desert landscape. The pink corvette was overturned, crumpled on one side, and partially buried a few feet away. At some point, the seat belt must have snapped, because she wasn’t in the car anymore. She was laying on her stomach, her hair a mess around her face, cheek in the dirt.

She tried to sit up, but her body didn’t want to do anything. Her limbs throbbed and she felt her joints pop in an unnatural way as she lifted herself onto her knees. …. She was in pain. The most pain she’d ever felt in all of her years. It was awful.

She’d never feel something like this in Barbieland. Never.

Does that mean I made it to the Real World?

“Barbie! Are you okay?” Ken called as he rushed to her side. Looking up, she saw him limping towards her, a worried expression on his face. She wasn’t really sure how she was, but she didn’t want to scare him. She didn’t want to scare herself either. Looking at the positives, she could move. Nothing felt broken or bent out of shape. She wasn’t dead and/or thinking about being… well, she kind of was, but only as ‘Thank goodness I’m not dead!’ kind of thing. Not an ‘Oh no, I just died!’ kind of thing.

She smiled her perfect smile, though it didn’t feel right in the moment, and slowly rose to her feet. “I’m okay, Ken. Really. I’m fine.”

“Your hands are shaking.”

She looked down at them and saw that he was right. Her hands were shaking. Badly. She’d never seen anything like that before. Anywhere. On anyone. She’d read one of Dr. Barbie’s books once… but there was nothing about this kind of thing in there either. The book was mostly pictures of x-rays and instructions on how to mold a cast out of Barbie Dough.

“I’m fine,” she lied again, feeling it stick in her throat this time. “I’m perfectly fine. Everything is fine.”

Ken nodded and looked around. “That was… wow. I’ve never seen a car do that before. Where are we? Where’s the speedboat?”

“Uh… I think we’re almost there. We have to be, right? Weird Barbie didn’t give me any kind of timeframe for anything. Or specific instructions. She just said that we’d go from a sports car to a speedboat, to a rocket ship, to a tandem bike, to a camper van, to a snowmobile, to roller blades and go to the state of Los Angeles in the country of California. She said not to think about it too much.”

“I thought there was supposed to be some kind of portal at some point?”

“Apparently not.”

“…. Oh.”

Barbie looked at the wrecked car and then out into the desert again. She was starting to feel really hot. And something told her that she wasn’t the only one. Ken had already opened his shirt like he would on the beach. “I know you brought your roller blades, but I need to ask, did you bring any changes of clothes? Something that maybe won’t be so… inappropriate?” she asked, picking at the sleeve of her own pink top.

Ken nodded. “I might have brought a thing or too.”

“Good. We should change and then get going. Can’t be that much farther to the speedboat, right?”

Ken nodded excitedly then ran over to the car where it laid on its side. He popped open the trunk and all their things spilled onto the ground. The shoes, clothes, skates, hair ties, jewelry, and sunglasses.

Barbie put her hands on her hips, but didn’t say anything. Now wasn’t the time to complain. They were stuck with each other for the foreseeable future, lost and alone, with absolutely no idea what they were going to do or how. Weird Barbie just said that she would ‘know’ when she found the little girl playing with her. But she didn’t know how to get to the point that would allow her to know! She wasn’t Explorer Barbie or Rock Climber Barbie, or Girl Scouts of America Barbie. She was just Barbie. Stereotypical Barbie. She didn’t have anything special about her other than the name ‘Barbie’.

Why was her breath coming in so fast? Why was there pressure building in her chest and head?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And another. And another. It was working. The pressure was going away. Slowly, but surely. She smiled again and opened her eyes. She looked through the clothes and found a resort outfit she had packed just in case she had to stay somewhere before going home. Specifically, the BarbieStyle Resort-Wear outfit. Tan high waisted wide leg pants, a salmon pink and white crop top with a v neck and puffy half sleeves, cat eye sunglasses, dangly gold earrings, black heels, and a tan clutch purse. She laid everything out in front of her and waited….

And waited….

And waited….

Weird. In the Dreamhouse, she just had to stand in front of her closet and her clothes would change. Actually, it was the same throughout Barbieland; in the boutiques and any general area with a mirror or a door. She just needed a place to stop and choose an outfit to wear and then she’d be wearing it. With all the places a Barbie could go and all the things she could do, quick changes were a necessity.

And yet… her clothes weren’t doing anything now.

Confused, she started to unbutton her top to put the clothes on manually. Then she paused. Ken was right next to her, having the same issue with his pale pink shorts, jacket, mesh shirt, white sandals, and sunglasses. Not wanting to make him feel the same way, she gathered up her things and walked around to the other side of the car, using it as a wall to separate the two of them. Then, she went back to taking off her clothes. The feeling was strange, and the action was one that she wasn’t used to doing, but it was conceptually simple enough. Pull over head and take arms out. Easy.

At least, it sounded easy. Her clothes were tight and didn’t want to come off. For a moment, she got stuck. She got the fabric over her head, but her arms were outstretched and trapped. Eventually, she got it worked out, but it did take her a few minutes to do it.

Once dressed, Barbie realized two things:

First, they didn’t have a way to carry their belongings now that the car was ruined. She didn’t think to bring any actual luggage. All her things fit in the trunk with room to spare and Ken wasn’t supposed to come with her.

Second, now that she wasn’t permanently on her toes, high heels didn’t feel as natural or comfortable as they used to. They hurt her feet and made it hard to walk for long periods of time. And, though she’d never noticed before, heels and the desert didn’t actually mix very well. The thin points sank in the loose dirt and the slick soles made the stones she stepped on roll beneath her, very nearly making her trip over and over again.

It couldn’t be that far, could it?

It couldn’t be that far….

[somatheking]

Seven Nights At Soma's

In which in a sci-fi AU, you're the new communications officer at the Beach, one of Hatter's luxury space cruises. As part of your training, every day you receive tapes from an old employee explaining the ins and outs of the ship. However, it's not long until things start to sound... off.

Disclaimer: I mention several canon AiB characters in this, but rest assured that they aren't based on anyone's portrayal of them, only on my own interpretation.

Day 1: Slate 1 - 15/09/2023

Good morning! Or good evening, or good night. I’m not sure when you’re hearing this tape but I hope you decided to listen to it first thing after you woke up, mainly because it’s gonna help you get through the day. 

First off, let me give you the obligatory greeting (I’m reading this from a card I’ve got right here, so don’t mind me if I sound too weird): 

Welcome to the Beach! Combining classic elegance and cutting-edge innovation, our space cruises offer the latest in comfort, gastronomy, innovation, entertainment and onboard experience. Our new and improved spaceships are also pushing the boundaries of sustainable tourism, by employing robotic assistants as personnel so as to focus on environmental well-being and minimising waste… 

Sorry, sorry, I had to cut that short because I’m starting to laugh. Assistants, more like ASS-istants, am I right? Haha, yeah, it’s a funny word.

Anyways, yeah, I’m supposed to give you a rundown on your new job, although it isn’t precisely new, is it? Hatter told me he was thinking of filling the vacancy with someone who already worked here, but since I’m the vacancy, I’m not sure whether he ended up doing that or he simply hired someone new. Still, I figured you’d need some help, so I made you these tapes. Seven, one per day, which would cover the amount of time we need to get out of the Milky Way and into another galaxy, and after that you’ll literally be on your own. Well, I’ve only just recorded the one, so maybe I’m here saying it’s gonna be seven but it ends up being three, I don’t know. I guess we’ll see! Man, I’m more excited about this than you probably are, haha. 

As I told you before, I’m the guy you’re replacing. I was actually the ship doctor, but the previous communications officer left, so I had to replace him. Doing both jobs and only getting paid for one, which is pretty rough, but hey, we gotta do what we gotta do. You know how in the Barbie movie, Ken’s job was ‘beach’? Well, mine is doctor and comms officer, haha. I was actually friends with the guy that left, and I imagine I must’ve spent so much time hanging out with him that Hatter thought some knowledge passed on to me. I have to say, this ship mostly runs itself, so I didn’t have much trouble. And you won’t either!

Anyways, yeah, let’s talk about the elephant in the room and get it over with. You’re on a cruise where the vast majority of personnel are robots. It’s more efficient that way; as I said in the presentation, ‘environmental well-being and minimising waste’. There’s so many I’m not even sure I know all their names, but to be honest, they’re not gonna bother you much. So, how about instead we run over some of the people you’ll be working with?

First off, since you’re a comms officer, you’ll sadly have to keep in touch with Chishiya, who’s in charge of logistics. He’s, excuse my French, a huge ass bitch. Yeah, that’ll make more sense when you meet him, but mark my words, you’re gonna hate the guy. I did, so it makes sense that you will too. I don’t wanna keep talking about him, so let’s move on.

Oh, these aren't employees but I figure you could say hello to them since they're pretty nice. Arisu and Usagi are this couple who've been together for what seems like forever and they're so cute. You can feel the love radiating from them, it's like they were made for each other. They are so, so sweet; talking to them always brightened up my day. Sometimes I got claustrophobic here, and when that happened I usually went to them to cheer up. They… I don't know, this might sound stupid, but they reminded me that there's more things to life other than a job. 

You also have Kuina, who is an absolute sweetheart. She’s head of security, but she’s always super willing to help out if you need anything and she isn’t busy. Fortunately for her, this is a pretty tranquil ship; problems rarely arise here, at least the violent types. There hasn’t been any fights breaking out in… months? Probably even longer, yeah. Between you and me, I think the passengers are scared of doing something illegal in the presence of robots. They think they’re gonna bug out or something and accidentally kill them. Boy, Five Nights At Freddy’s really did a number on you all, huh? But yeah, Kuina. She trains once every three days, which means you'll get to see her. I recommend you go talk to her, but be careful not to bother her while she's training! Talking to her impacted me a lot, made me consider a lot of things about my life, plus, she’s very welcoming and one of the best people here. A literal ray of sunshine. 

Oh, God, it sounds like I have a crush, doesn’t it? Haha, no, no, it’s not like that. Well… no, not really. Now you’ve got me flustered, though. I guess I’m ending the tape here, then. I’ll see you tomorrow!

[adatheromcomaddict]

If the Cullens were still human

Hey everyone! This is my first time writing something like this on Tumblr.

I write preferences and imagines on Wattpad, so go ahead and check those out @AdaTheRomComAddict, if you want to.

Anyway, these are some cute imagines I made of if the Cullens were still humans.

If I got any facts wrong, please let me know, and be kind, because I worked hard on this, and like I said it’s my first time writing something like this.

And my first time writing something completely new to do with the story!!

Anyway, here we go!!

IF THE CULLENS WERE STILL HUMANS

This takes place when Twilight takes place, not when they are actually born as humans in the time-line.

Carlisle:

Well, we know for sure that Carlisle and Esme would be together, judging that they knew each other even when they were humans.

I think he would still love taking care of people.

He would probably have a few kids, because Esme wanted them, but I don’t think he would have 5. 

If he and Esme still lived in Forks, I think he would be like best friends with Charlie and Billy and all the other dads.

Esme:

Esme would be the most loving mom ever. Not that she isn’t already, but she would be even more loving than before.

Again, she would be like the mom all the other moms in the town they lived in admired.

Her fashion, her baking skills, her personality.

Like I said before, I think she would be a very good baker. 

And, obviously she would have a home-design business!! I think Esme would be so cute doing all of that.

Alice:

Alice would be like the sweetest kid at school. 

Everyone would love her.

Her fashion sense, her personality. Basically Esme again. 

And when her and Jasper met, since it would be different, they would just fall in love. 

I think she would join the fashion club, and the book club, and just make SO many friends.

I think Alice would be such a cute mom.

I think she would have one or two kids, and have the perfect family of four with Jasper.

She’d dress them up in the most fashionable clothes imaginable for little kids.

She’d take them on walks through the park, and they would just have so much fun.

Jasper:

Jasper would be that cool kid that was kind of an out-cast, but not hated on.

He just didn’t get a lot of attention from everyone, but his friends loved him.

I think that hanging out with him would be really fun.

And to include his powers, I think he would just walk in the room, and if he was happy, everyone felt happy because of his smile, and when he was sad, everyone would be sad because he was sad.

Jasper would be such a good dad.

He would be very protective, which is a good thing when it comes to your children.

He wouldn’t be overbearing, he would just always make sure they were safe.

Again, I just think it would over-all be so, so cute.

Emmett:

Emmett would be a jock in school.

100%.

No doubt about it.

He would be like the captain of whatever sports he did, probably all of them.

Him and Rosalie would be the Barbie and Ken of the school.

The popular couple, the ones that everyone shipped.

And the ones that everyone wanted to be with.

I don’t know if that makes sense, because it’s more Edward that people are into in the books/movies, but I feel like it would be this way.

Emmett would be the most responsible, yet irresponsible dad ever.

He would watch over his kids, and make sure they were always 100% safe, but would also joke around with them alot.

Since he is very strong, (not vampire strength tho 😉) he would toss them around and catch them.

Rosalie would get very scared, but always know that the kids would be safe.

Rosalie:

Rosalie would be a cheerleader, 100%.

I have no doubt about that.

And I feel like if she and Alice weren’t siblings (which I guess here they aren’t) they would be like best friends.

I think Rose would also join the fashion club, and possibly the book club.

Like I said in Emmett’s, they would be the power-couple that everyone worshiped.

They would run for prom king and queen and win every year, except I think it’s only fair to let Jasper and Alice win one or two years.

And of course, after high-school, she would have the most beautiful children you ever saw.

I think Emmett and Rose would have 3-4 kids, the perfect amount for her.

That, or she would just have one, and spoil them more than she could afford.

I think Rose and Emmett could move somewhere beautiful like Paris, and she could model, and honestly, so could Emmett.

Edward:

So, like I said before, I don’t know if this would still take place in Forks, but I think if it did, Edward would still end up with Bella. 

Edward would also be quite popular, but not as popular as Emmett.

Bella and him would still both be very romantic, and everyone would be as jealous to date them as the other couples.

I don’t think either Edward or Bella would really want to have kids, but if they did, I think just one or two would be good for them. But this time, no E.J or Renesmee.

If they didn’t have kids, I could see them travelling around the world for the rest of their lives, and having a business or something. That or just living in the mountains I think.

If the Cullens were all still related, they would not date, unless they were still adopted… I guess.

I think for the kids it would be cute if they all became really close friends, and got together like every weekend, or once a month or something..

I also made a TikTok series where I talked about if the Cullens had a band, and I think it would be cute to see them have a highschool band that they made in like Sophomore year.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading! If you want to leave requests you can, but if you don’t that’s perfectly fine :)

[shadowsof-thenight]

Flashlight: Chapter thirteen

Story summary: This is an AU Two years ago, the love of your life walked out the door, breaking your heart into a million pieces. He had been unable to deal with his ptsd and you hadn’t been able to help him.Now that your best friend is marrying his friend, he’s coming back to town and you try to brace yourself for the reunion. Will you finally get closure?

Ship: Bucky Barnes X Reader

Warnings: mentions of ptsd, descriptions of ptsd, angst, heartbreak, reader wants to help but doesn’t understand ptsd.

Words: 2996

***

A/N: So, this had been a bad week for my health, but I still managed to get you a new chapter! So a win overall, I guess. I hope you’ll like it

As always the wonderful @beanstalk007 helped me with this (and all) chapters, and I am so grateful.

Feedback is greatly appreciated! And if you want to get tagged, let me know.

***

Masterlist                                              Story Masterlist

***

Nerves were coursing through your body as you knocked on the door before you. Clenching and unclenching your fists, you tried to keep them from shaking too much. The nervousness surprised you and made you take a deep breath in order to calm yourself. You wondered why this was so difficult, there was nothing to it really. All you were doing was returning something he had lost. He’d be happy with that, wouldn’t he? After all it was a family heirloom. He’d be missing it.

It had been three days since you all came together to watch the wedding video. Three days since you had been trying to come up with a reason to visit Bucky. And finally, Natasha had come to the rescue, offering up a wonderful chance. During the clean up the day after, she had come across Bucky’s watch, the one his grandfather had gifted him at his high school graduation. And she had not been able to bring it by yet. Hopefully, he would be too happy with the return of his watch, that he wouldn’t wonder how you came in possession of it. Then again, there really wasn’t anything strange about Natasha asking you. It just felt weird because you had been searching for a reason.

And yet, as soon as he opened the door, you began to babble. Non-stop.

Soon after your initial knock, the door had opened to reveal a slightly dishevelled Bucky. Immediately you worried that perhaps he had not been alone and you were interrupting. Which had set in motion the mind less rambling, fuelled by the worry that he had in fact moved on from you. Quick to apologise, you turned to walk away again, the watch completely forgotten on the bottom of your bag.

“You’re not interrupting anything,” his voice halted your hasty retreat, his words pulling you back from the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions you had so easily fallen into. Turning back, you realised Bucky had taken a few steps into the hallway, as if to follow you. He seemed utterly confused by your reaction and you could feel your cheeks colouring with the rush of blood. You offered a pointed look and waved at his messy appearance and he chuckled as he looked down to his half buttoned shirt. Running a hand through his locks he looked back at you with a shrug.

“Right,” he said with a smile on his face, “I’ve been packing and I was looking for something,” he explained and waved his arm in the direction of his room, now visible through the open door. Compared to the state of his room, Bucky looked rather put together.

“Shit,” you exclaimed and began rummaging through your bag, “That’s why I’m here.” You pulled out the watch and held it out to him, mentally slapping yourself for almost forgetting the entire reason you had come by.

“Are you leaving?” You asked, nervously gnawing on your bottom lip, as he happily took the timepiece from your outstretched hand. He shook his head and invited you inside for some tea.

Putting on the kettle, Bucky explained that he had received a call the day before from Wanda’s brother, Pietro. Through Wanda, Pietro had heard that Bucky was looking for a more permanent place to stay, just as his roommate got engaged and was moving out. Sipping your tea, you listened intently, finally able to relax again and silence the worry in your head.

“Need a hand with the moving?” You finally asked as he finished his explanation.

“Thanks, but I’m sure I can manage the two cases I own,” he chuckled and you smiled, realising that he obviously thought you had thrown all his stuff out after he left. It was probably time to inform him that you hadn’t. Wondering just how that slipped your mind before.

“True, but maybe it would be good to have help with everything that’s in storage,” you countered, smiling again when he regarded you with confusion written all over his face.

“I kept hoping you’d come back,” You confessed with a blush, “Though, truth be told, I am not responsible for all that’s in it.” You explained, while rummaging through your bag once more and getting a key out. Handing it to him, you gave him the address to the storage unit.

“Who else is responsible?” He wondered and you explained that when his parents had sold their house, his mother had added boxes to it. You could only imagine the wonderful things that had still been at their home by that point. His childhood bed, his old posters and who knew what else. Winnifred Barnes wasn’t one to throw things out and you hadn’t had the heart to do it for her.

“So I might finally get my action man back,” Bucky joked.

“I think that might not have been in your house to begin with,” his joke had prompted your confession and he barked out a laugh that you could only match. So many fights had been fought over that doll when the two of you had been kids. Many threats that neither one would play with the other ever again had been spoken, only to be forgotten the following day.

“So you did steal it!” Bucky accused, laughter still clear in his voice.

“Barbie needed a man,” you defended your six year old self with a bright smile.

“You had Ken!” Bucky exclaimed, trying to keep a serious face and failing miserably.

“Ken wasn’t as cool” you shrugged simply and Bucky just shook his head as he placed his now empty mug back on the desk next to him. He sat down next to you on the bed and wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into him.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. Words evaded you right then and all you could do was lean in to him and hum in agreement. It felt so good to have him back in your life. After all he had been your friend years before he was ever your boyfriend.

***

Two days later, you and Bucky made your way to the storage unit, ready to search through the boxes to figure out which he would want to bring to his new place. To the best of your recollection, there had been about 15 boxes in there, but his mother also had a key and as soon as the door opened it was clear she had made good use of that. Shocked, the two of you looked at the racks that lined the walls and were full of boxes, while the stacks on the floor completely hid the cement look that it had. With just one look, you decided this was not a two man job.

Pulling out your phone, you quickly opened the group app that Bucky had recently been added to again and sent out an sos to the rest. In it, you quickly explained the situation and added a picture of the storage unit to fill in the blanks and convince them of your plight. You already knew Wanda was out of town for a family weekend, and this last minute it would only be logical that others had plans as well. Still, you took a chance to ask.

Maria and Sam quickly replied that they too were out and unable to be back in time, though they were happy to help moving him in the following weekend. And not even thirty minutes later Steve, Natasha and Clint pulled up in the parking lot, laughing loudly at the sight before them. Bucky was lazily searching through a box filled with his childhood toys, happily rediscovering it all. While you stood next to him, slightly exasperated and wondering just how you would get through all these boxes in a timely fashion.

“Okay,” Steve began as the laughter subsided, “Three different stacks; one to bring back home, one to throw away and one stack for things you want to keep here,” true to his nature, Steve formed a clear plan for everyone to follow.

“Sure, but how do we make those decisions?” You wondered out loud, giving Bucky a pointed look. If he took as long with every single box as he had with the first one, the day would not be long enough.

“I’ll help him sort through everything,” Natasha offered and you smiled, knowing you could trust Nat to speed up the process exponentially. Natasha never had any qualms about throwing things out. She was always rather practical about it. Which was why the apartment she and Clint shared was always pristine. There was never any clutter.

“Steve and Y/n will get you the boxes, sort them by whatever is in them and I’ll help until there is a load to take to the trash,” Clint joined in and with the agreement of everyone, the three of you set out to make the first stacks. Soon the space was filled with talking, laughter and banter, teasing and reminiscing.

At some point Natasha had asked Bucky how he was paying for everything and he explained that he had been living on his savings the past few weeks, but thanks to Sam, he would soon begin a new job. The job was at the veteran centre that Sam worked at and would be mostly administrative, not something Bucky had done before but he was perfectly okay with that. Natasha even opted that perhaps at some point in the future, Bucky could help others with his experience and Bucky blushed, telling her he wasn’t ready for that just yet. They all agreed that Bucky would be a catch for the other veterans and were happy that Sam had given him a heads up about the vacancy.

Bucky went on to tell them that the interview process had been absolutely nerve-wracking. Though it had been a good experience and he didn’t need to explain his trauma, or his arm. They had only asked him about his relevant past jobs and his work for the army in broad strokes. There had been zero pressure to talk about anything he didn’t want to share. You were happy that he had such a positive experience. Seemed like life was looking up for him.

After a while, you began to notice that Steve repeatedly checked his watch and finally you asked him why. He was reluctant to speak, though the blush on his cheeks told you plenty already. After some light teasing from Clint, he finally confessed that he had a date that evening and would have to leave by 16.30 at the latest. Clint was quick to add that Steve would not just be going on any date, but a second date. Clint’s smirk told you that he had been sitting on this piece of information for a while and had been dying to share.

“So the first one was a success then, what’s her name?” You asked with a smile, genuinely happy for your friend.

“Sharon,” his hand was scratching the back of his neck and his eyes trained on his feet, the small blush on his cheeks extended to his neck now. Bucky gently smacked his shoulder with a smile and both you and Natasha gushed over his reaction.

“We’ll see where this goes,” Steve said, trying to tone down the excitement of his friends a little. His last few dates had not been very successful and you understood his hesitation. Walking past him, you squeezed his hand and grabbed a new box, ready for the conversation to be steered away from him. Finally you called everyone back to work, since Steve only had a little more than an hour to go. This seemed to work for a moment or two, until Clint suddenly started laughing softly. You knew right then and there that his favourite pastime was about to commence. Teasing.

“Remember when he was dating Lisa?” Clint’s shoulders were shaking with the contained laughter as he spoke those words.

Steve scoffed and tried to offer his friend a stern look, though the corners of his mouth were twitching. You and Natasha could not help but break out laughing as you thought back to the poor girl. Lisa had been so overwhelmed by the friendships in their group and the shared history that was between them. Instead of embracing his friends, she had become insecure. Especially Steve’s relationship with other women was a sore subject for Lisa and she had quickly gotten a little petty over it. It had been years since Lisa had left their life and everyone laughed about it now, but at the time the mere mention of her name was enough to sour the mood.

“Or his little fling with Maria?” Natasha added laughing, bringing them all the way back to their high school years, when the two friends had thought there was more to their relationship. It had not been pretty.

“I was certain they’d kill each other before the year was over,” Bucky chuckled, as he closed another box and Natasha placed it on the pile that Bucky would be taking with him to his new place.

As much as Maria and Steve loved each other, then and now, there was no room for two captains in one relationship. Something had to give. Luckily, they had been able to figure that out before their friendship had been damaged beyond repair.

“Or Sabine?” Clint added fuel to the fire, teasingly winking at Steve.

“Do we have to go through all of them?” Steve asked with a whine, causing everyone to laugh.

“No, we don’t,” Natasha said, taking pity on Steve, “We can talk about Natalia instead,” she added with a wink and Steve laughed loudly, while Clint’s face fell at the mention of his ex-girlfriend.

“Now, that girl was a trip,” Bucky jumped in, his loud laughter joining that of the others.  

Natalia had been a daredevil, ready to take everyone along on her destructive path with her. She had been impulsive and a little crazy, though there were some good memories there. At least for the group. Clint didn’t remember her quite as fondly and when he tried to break it off, she had exploded on him. Apparently, three months was enough for her to bank all her future plans on him and she did not take kindly to him walking away.

“It’s a wonder we didn’t give up on love all together,” Natasha joked, opening another box. Everyone chuckled in agreement. They sure had some wild experiences in their combined past. Although your personal dating life had always been rather consistent. Before Bucky, there had been two guys you had kissed. But other than that, it was very uneventful. Not until Bucky’s accident and the subsequent break up.

“But look where we ended up,” Clint finally said in a sickeningly sweet voice, walking closer to Natasha. She batted her eyes at him, pretending to swoon.

“Be still, my heart,” she whispered dramatically and allowed herself to fall forward into the arms of her husband. You laughed loudly at their antics and shook your head as you climbed on an old discarded chair to reach the boxes on higher shelves.

“I just hope she’s nice, Steve” Natasha added with a smile as she stood straight again and everyone jumped in to agree with her. Steve smiled thankfully and the conversation finally truly steered away from his love life. Natasha put Clint to work and he began loading the first stack of boxes that were to be thrown out, in the trunk of your car.

As you grabbed a box from the highest shelf, the chair beneath your feet wobbled and an unattractive yelp escaped you. With the box in hand, raised a little above your head, all you could do was to try and keep your balance. Naturally, if you hadn’t been so scared to fall, you would have thought of putting the box down. Unfortunately that kind of thinking was lost to you.

Luckily, before worry could fully take a hold of you, two hands were placed firmly on your waist to steady you. The sudden chill on one side told you it was Bucky even before you could look down. Your stomach flipped as you glanced passed the box and looked at his smiling face, barely hearing him as he spoke; ‘I got you’.

Reaching over Bucky’s head, Steve took the box from your hands and now free of the weight of it you place your hands on Bucky’s shoulders. Carefully, you stepped down from the still unstable chair. He didn’t let go of your waist, nor did he step back and the close proximity quickly fogged up your brain.

Caught in the moment, you stared deeply into his eyes, feeling Bucky’s arms shift and his hands landing in the small of your back. He kept staring at you with that beautiful smile playing on his lips, his eyes shifting from your eyes to your lips and back. Your breath hitched in your throat and your heart was hammering in your chest.The air between you was thick with tension as you licked your lips, his head was moving closer and you were certain he was going to kiss you.

And that was the exact moment a loud crash broke the electricity that had been building in the short time that his hands had been on you. Shocked, you whipped your head to the left, towards the origin of the sound and found Natasha holding a box that was missing its bottom and its content. The grimace of her face told you that she knew exactly what she had interrupted. With a sigh, you turned back to Bucky, who was still standing close. And though his eyes were still boring into yours, he had now removed his hands from your body. The magic had been broken, the moment had passed.

***

Chapter fourteen

[harperfinkles]

My Ranking Of Every Barbie Movie

A few months ago I finally decided to watch every barbie in order. When I was a kid I loved barbie movies, but I stopped watching them after Princess & The Popstar came out, and I felt like I’ve been missing out ever since.

Here I present to you: My Ranking Of Every Barbie Movie!

Keep in mind that I’m basing this off of my personal enjoyment of each film, and not by how “good” it is. There are many movies here that are ranked high despite being objectively flawed, as well as there are movies ranked low despite being objectively good. My opinions are also subject to change, especially since some of these I’ve only seen once.

36: Barbie & Her Sisters In A Puppy Chase

This entire movie is a mess. Like most of the barbie & her sisters movies there’s no real plot. The events of this movie only happen because of bad luck, which is never a good way to kick off your movie. I also find barbie to be completely OOC in this movie. Her disorganization and lack of planning is something that isn’t present in any of the sisters movies. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy movies that humanize barbie and give her more flaws but there are way more creative ways to do it. It doesn’t help that her insistence to “keep positive!!!” and “be optimistic :)))” just robs this movie of any meaningful message.

Then after the frustrating mess that is the puppy chase itself, Chelsey STILL wins her dance competition despite the fact that barbie didn’t let her practice, and she cheated by adding her sisters and the horses to the dance. It’s unbelievably stupid. I don’t know how the writers of this movie thought we would buy into that. I’m probably never going to watch this movie again.

35: Barbie Presents Thumbelina

The main reason I don’t like this movie is because of the style of the Twillerbees. Unlike Mariposa (the only other movie that doesn’t have a barbie protagonist) their faces look inhuman in a way that makes it hard to relate to them. I would’ve much preferred if Thumbelina had just gotten the normal barbie face, just her body becoming smaller. Besides that I think the girl whose name I can’t remember is annoying, and I didn’t like Thumbelina’s plan to get on her good side to save their home. Both of their character developments were weak and unbelievable. Then once the parents were convinced to stop demolition the movie lost all of its dramatic tension. This movie isn’t ‘bad’ per say, just completely boring. Not I understand why I never rewatched this as a kid.

34: Barbie In Princess Power

This movie had so much unrealized potential, but fell apart due to its plot that went all over the place. The villain and his frog were extremely annoying, Kera’s friends were completely one note characters, and Dark Sparkle was so petty and unnecessary. The part that pissed me off the most was how Kera’s identity was revealed to everyone. First off Wes was forgiven for this way too easily, despite it completely making me lose what little faith I had in his character, and secondly her parents handled it so casually. It seemed more like she had gotten in trouble for sneaking out to go to a party than her being forced into getting superpowers and using them to fight crime in the city. Plus the animation was absolutely horrible. What is with Mattel and changing barbie’s model every new movie?

I really wish this movie was better. Barbie as a superhero is such an amazing concept, and it makes me sad to see it executed so terribly.

33: Barbie & Her Sisters In The Great Puppy Adventure

Another movie with the most annoying villains possible. They’re the core reason I couldn’t stand watching this. In addition to that I found that the treasure being under the big willow tree was completely predictable from the first ten minutes of the movie. And even though the puppies were quite cute, their voices were so annoying. There are also a few plot holes (if you can call them that) such as the metal detector app (it hurt typing that) and how the girls knew that scaling the wall of the cave would lead to where the elevator lead. Despite this I still liked learning about barbie’s childhood and all of her achievements, though her grandma was quite creepy.

32: Barbie & Her Sisters In A Pony Tale

This movie straight up has no plot. It’s the worst of the sisters movies in that regard. Many chunks of this movie felt like filler (such as the party scene), and the character conflicts were weak and contrived (such as Chelsey and Staci's). One thing that I really liked about this movie is Barbie’s character, but that’s pretty consistent with all the sisters movies that aren’t Puppy Chase. I also found the two french guys very annoying (is there any sisters movie with a good villain?).

31: Barbie: Fairytopia

I feel bad for putting this one so low, especially considering how high my placements of all the sequels are. It feels like information is revealed to quickly at the beginning and the rest of the movie is just boring. Elina is very interesting but she could use a lot more character development. The part about her being bullied for not having wings was relegated to cheesy dialogue and didn’t really amount to anything. Plus the fungi aren’t nearly as funny as they are in Mermaidia.

The main reason I’m not putting it lower is for nostalgia and setting up the rest of the Fairytopia series. Aside from that I also really liked the vibe of the one underwater scene, and the “friends you haven’t met” line was quite good. This movie is just a complete anomaly in the great track record of early barbie movies. You honestly don’t even need to watch it to understand the sequels.

30: Barbie: A Perfect Christmas

As a musical this movie really sucks. The only song that I actually liked was barbie’s one solo, and even her singing voice there really didn’t sound like her. There’s really no plot to this movie, but I did find myself enjoying the dynamic of the sisters a lot more than the other sisters movies (even though Skipper’s Arc with the concert came out of nowhere and stressed me out). The way Santa’s magic was shoehorned into the story really bothered me though.

29: Barbie Video Game Hero

The best thing about this movie is definitely the side characters. They all had nice designs and personalities, especially Bella and Chris. The concept of this movie is also so creative and fun that I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. I liked it mostly during the first two levels as well as the bonus one, but the last two really soiled it for me. The fact that there’s an open world game with no clear way to win makes no sense in the context of the rest of the game, and the Just Dance advertisements are absolutely cringey. This movie has a strong beginning but really falls behind in the second half. The last scene of the movie really made me want to rip my eyes out.

28: Barbie: Spy Squad

This movie really suffers from not getting the audience to care. The characters aren’t developed enough in the opening and the way the girls got their jobs as spies seemed too easy. The storyline felt too straightforward, and even the plot twist at the end was kind of cheap.

Despite this I still really enjoyed many parts of this film. For one the animation is amazing. I loved the character designs, especially Patricia’s. Speaking of her, I thought she was a pretty good villain, even if she was a little cheesy and her ‘redemption’ arc was very clumsy. I also thought Lazlo was sweet. A lot of modern barbie movies only go halfway with the romance because they don’t want to be seen as bad role models for girls, and a lot of the times the Ken characters just seem unnecessary. I thought it was a good idea to have him be the “love interest” of a non barbie character so his inclusion doesn’t feel useless, even if they never actually got together. It was also just really fun to see all the spy technology.

27: Barbie: The Princess And The Popstar

The placing of this movie is extremely unfortunate since I actually really liked Tori and Kiera’s characters. They both had spunk and I really like the tropes of the roundy princess and the celebrity who doesn’t find satisfaction in fame. The reason this movie is so low comes down to the terrible plot. It felt like they were trying too hard to make it similar to the Princess & The Pauper even though Tori and Kiera’s characters would much better suit a different plotline. The villains were just insanely frustrating and had such unclear motivations. The songs were also pretty bad (other than Here I Am), the Ken character is annoying, and the climax has barely any emotional weight since it wasn’t led up to properly. But hey, at least Tori/Kiera is a high quality ship. If it wasn’t for their relationship this movie would be much lower.

26: Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale

I love the set up for barbie’s character in this movie. She’s just been fired for the first time, Ken broke up with her, and she feels like her life is falling apart. She really reached a new layer of dimension with this movie, and she’s the best barbie as herself character in all of the movies. My main problem is the boring plotline with the flairies. Their character’s aren’t interesting and what they do to the clothing isn’t anything special. This movie also suffers from the boring villains. Barbie’s character is my main reason for liking this movie, along with the Ken plotline, even if it could be quite contrived.

25: Barbie: Star Light Adventure

This is a very weird movie. I had completely different reactions to it during the two times I saw this movie. The first time I thought it was very disappointing. The title said “adventure” so I was very surprised when the characters spent most of the movie training in the same location and we barely got to see any cool new locations. The pace was also extremely slow, especially near the beginning. The second time I started to appreciate the movie for what it is. The animation is absolutely stunning and I love what we saw of the creatures in this universe. Sa-Lee is definitely one of my favourite side characters, and the rest of the team was pretty cool too.

They also added a bunch of new things that I think are very unique to this movie. For instance I loved that barbie’s had telekinesis. She definitely needs more superpowers in future movies. I also liked that we got to see her parents.

My main gripe with this movie has to be Constantine. He was annoying for no reason and I think the movie would’ve benefitted from either having him be nicer and more of a character arc, or having him be a full villain who’s using the team for personal gain.

24: Barbie: Mariposa & The Fairy Princess

As a sequel this movie sucks. It doesn’t cover the same themes as the first movie, we don’t get Elina telling the story, the stakes are nowhere near the height as the first one was, and the characters in the first movie don’t get nearly enough screentime. Willa and Carlos’s part in this movie was underwhelming, but I’m especially annoyed by the fact that Rayna and Rayla weren’t even mentioned once. This all probably would’ve been different had the movie been made closer to the original, and I’m extremely confused as to why they waited to make it in 2013.

However if you disassociate it with the first movie it becomes way more enjoyable. I thought Catania was sweet and lowkey ship her with Mariposa (though it still doesn’t compare to the Mariposa/Carlos/Willa OT3). The crystal fairies themselves were an interesting addition to the universe and their designs were really pretty (I actually wish I was still into barbie at the time it was released just so I could’ve got some of the dolls). The increase in animation quality was also a plus. I’m also so happy that after the first movie Mariposa started running a library. It was such a natural progression in her character arc and it’s so perfect. There are still a lot of problems, such as a villain who feels utterly disconnected from the main story, clumsiness and miscommunication being repeatedly used as plot devices, and the annoyingness that are the puffballs. I’m still glad this movie happened and if you liked the first movie you should definitely check this one out too.

23: Barbie And The Secret Door

Oh boy is this one a mixed bag. It was actually the first "new” barbie movie that I saw, but it definitely did the trick of making me want to watch the other ones.

On the positive side this movie is so pretty. I love all the bright colours and the designs for Nori and Romy. Speaking of which, they were such great side characters, and an adorable ship! I especially like Romy since she was so funny and adorable. Plus, the “what’s a boy?” comment made me laugh. I thought that the world building aspect of this movie was really interesting, even if the animal designs weren’t the best.

On the negative side, I feel like the music was extremely disappointing. It got less annoying on my second watch through, so maybe I just have to warm up to it. I also feel like the villain was boring. This movie deserved a more serious antagonist, especially since we saw how terribly she affected the fairies and mermaids. I did overall like princess Alexa, but I’m kind of unsure about her arc relating to responsibility. I think a lot of modern barbie princess movies in general just aren’t as interesting as the ones that take place in the past.

22: Barbie: Dolphin Magic

What a cute movie. I loved Isla’s so much! She and Barbie were so adorable together. The dolphin’s themselves were quite cute too.

This is a very feel good movie, and it almost makes you ignore its flaws. The main thing that annoyed me is why couldn’t they just pick up the dolphin and put him back in the ocean? He’s not even that big, and there isn’t much distance that you’d have to walk with him anyway. The plot and villain aren’t that interesting either, and the sisters were sometimes annoying (such as Staci’s broken foot having no weight on the plot, and Treasure being absolute garbage). Barbie also seems a little too perfect in this movie, which isn’t even true for the rest of the sister movies and they’re all way lower on this list. I also laughed a lot when Barbie called Ken her “Friend”, since apparently romance is too inappropriate for a barbie movie. Still, if you ignore this and just watch all the Barbie/Isla scenes, the movie is really good.

21: Barbie: Fairytopia: Magic Of The Rainbow

Being introduced to all the different fairies in this movie was so much fun. I love all their different personalities and designs, especially Glee, Sunburst, and Lumina. Elina grew so much in this movie, and it truly is the perfect ending to the trilogy. The flight of spring was really cool too. The only real flaw this movie has is how clumsily Elina’s magic abilities are added in. It almost seems like she knew how to use it all along, even if we know she didn’t.

Also Dizzle is the worst. And that one apprentice’s wings being the braids in her hair was FUCKING RIDICULOUS.

20: Barbie In Swan Lake

This movie is definitely the most legitimately beautiful barbie movie out there. The colours are so nice, the dancing is so majestic, and I’d want to live in the forest any day. Odette is one of the prettiest barbie characters and I love her wardrobe. This movie also has two of the most iconic villains of my childhood who make me laugh every time I think of them.

Despite this I still don’t think this is nearly as good as everyone makes it out to be. First off, Odette’s character arc as the ‘chosen one’ wasn’t executed believably, and she wasn’t even that interesting. The romance was way too instalove-y for my taste (even Rapunzel had a more believable romance than this). The message of this movie was also really unclear in the Chelsey scenes. Overall it’s a great fairytale that I have lots of nostalgia for, but it doesn’t hold up as well when you really dig into it.

19: Barbie: Fairy Secret

I love how Barbie and Raquelle’s relationship is expanded upon in this movie. In Fashion Fairytale Raquelle’s motivations were confusing and she felt very flat. I love how we got to see them forced to work together despite their hard feelings and eventually come to forgive each other at the end once they got to the root of their issues with each other. It’s the ideal enemies to loversfriends scenario.

This movie is just really fun. Exactly what a barbie movie should be. Barbie’s stylist friends were great, and the Ken parts were pretty funny. I do overall like the worldbuilding, though Gloss Angelos looked way to small to even be classifed as a city, let alone the biggest fairy city in the world. It’s like 90% castle and 10% actual city.

In the end I always wish that Barbie, Raquelle, and Ken remembered what happened to them, and that’s the most frustrating part about this movie.

18: The Barbie Diaries

Despite being made by a completely different studio than the other movies (and having a downgrade in animation quality), this movie really holds up today. There’s a lot going on here, and it makes the plot seem way more complex than any other barbie movie. We also get to see into barbie’s head a lot more than any other barbie as herself movie, what with her fantasies that we got to see visualized. This movie is just the perfect blend of magic and normal life, and even if I do prefer the fantasy based barbie movies, this one will always hold a place in my heart.

17: Barbie And The 12 Dancing Princesses

There really isn’t much to be said about this movie. It’s just plain good. There’s nice music, a good plot, a great villain, a cute cat character, and a girl obsessed with bugs. What more could you want?

The only thing I don’t like is the wedding scene. It seemed quite out of place. Their relationship wasn’t that important to deserve the last few minutes of the movie.

16: Barbie And The Three Musketeers

Barbie sword fighting is all I’ve ever wanted in life. This movie really broke the mold for what barbie could do. Corinne is a great protagonist, and the other musketeers were great too (even if their personalities weren’t developed that much). I love how important their friendship was and how easily Corinne integrated into their group. This movie is super fun and just makes me want to scream “GIRL POWER” from the top of my lungs.

There were still some drawbacks though. The prince was annoying, I got so tired of that one sound effect that keep on repeating over and over again (if you’ve seen the movie you know what I’m talking about), the cat was way too immature, and while the villain was good, he was not subtle at all. The movie still had a solid storyline, and I loved how it ended with the girls going on another adventure. *sigh* If only this movie had a sequel.

15: Barbie: The Pearl Princess

Lumina is one of my favourite barbie protagonists. She just felt human in a way that not many others do (even though she’s technically a mermaid, not human). She was naive, but not stupid. I loved seeing her react to a world she hasn’t seen before. This movie had such a unique approach with her aunt Scylla. Her aunt may have done something completely wrong, and she admits to that, but Lumina doesn’t ignore the way aunt Scylla has cared for her and loved her over the years. She accepts her found family and her biological family at the same time, and lets her have a chance at redemption. In addition to that I really loved Lumina’s pre transformation outfit. It’s my second favourite barbie mermaid outfit next to Nori’s in Mermaidia.

I also liked how much the animals of this movie felt like active members of society, and had intelligence levels equivalent the mermaids. I’ve never really seen that in a barbie movie, at least to this extent. Kuda was a great animal sidekick who really felt like one of Lumina’s true friends. I also like how Spike looked dangerous but was a real softie on the inside.

There are a lot of other elements of this movie that I liked too, like how sweet Fergus was, and his love of botany. I liked the gag about Caligo thinking he’s being poisoned, and being paranoid about which cup he’s gonna drink from. Even if the Ken character wasn’t utilized much, I liked his dolphin friend. My only complaint is that the climax was a little messy, and I didn’t enjoy Caligo as a villain that much.

14: Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2

This worked very well as a sequel to the original Mermaid Tale. Eris’s return as a villain felt very natural, and this movie continued to have Merliah feel like a genuine teenager with her own dreams and mood swings. The only reason it’s lower than the first one is because the plot isn’t as all encompassing and it doesn’t feel like Merliah’s life has changed as much as it did originally, if that makes sense. The plot also feels a little too fast at times, but the pacing doesn’t affect the movie drastically.

Kylie was a wonderful addition to the cast. She was mean, but you could clearly tell that it came from her insecurities about her own talent. I cannot emphasize how well her conflict with Merliah was developed. I loved their banter at the beginning and how they came to understand each other at the end, to the point where it didn’t matter who won the competition. It’s just.....SO GAY. I love it.

Speaking of which, Fallon and Hadley were both really cute in this movie too, more so than the first one. I just love how little men there are in the Mermaid Tale movies.

13: Barbie: Princess Charm School

Last time I watched this movie a few years ago I absolutely hated it, but after rewatching it again my opinion has completely turned around. The plot of this movie may still be very basic, and the supporting characters, Princess Isla and Hadley, were very one note, but it’s the strength of the Protagonist, Blair, that really makes this movie. I love seeing her determination in an environment she’s not used to, and how selfless she was even when she’s surrounded by selfishness.

Also can we appreciate how dark this movie was? Dame Devin literally MURDERED Blair’s parents in a car accident. It’s not like that hasn’t happened in any other movie, but in this one the tone just feels a lot more jarring.

I really appreciated Delancey’s character development. She seems so cold and unforgiving at the beginning, but as more information is revealed to her she changes for the better. She was raised in such a negative environment and I can’t help but be proud of her. Her friend Portia was also really funny too. I love the “YOU STOLE MY CAKE” scene.

12: Barbie As The Island Princess

Is there anything better than crazy island girl characters who talk to animals? I think not.

I love Ro’s animal family. Azul and Sagi are essentially Ro and Tika’s dads, and it’s adorable. Azul’s peacock sounds are just absolutely ridiculous, and I love it.

The music of this movie was also soooooo good. Words cannot describe how The Rat Song makes me feel inside. On a more serious note, I Need To Know is absolutely perfect. I love the visuals that go along with it. And just when you think it’s over, Ro’s part ends and Prince Antonio comes in AND IT’S SO PERFECT.  Love Is For Peasants is also the best barbie villain song in any movie. “You need to stop reading those books. Filling your head with thoughts!” ICONIC. The soundtrack of this movie isn’t as good when listening to it outside of the context of movie when you compare it to stuff like the Princess And The Pauper, but it’s still really good nonetheless.

The romantic element of this movie was also really good. I think this is the first time on this list that I’ve listed the romance as a positive aspect. Ro and Antonio are just really compatible people who fulfill very essential parts of themselves when they meet. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I also love Tika’s development in regards to their relationship too.

The villain was pretty okay, but I especially love princess Luciana. She may be a romantic rival to Ro, but she’s a victim too, and she’s given a very sympathetic role in the story even if her mother is the villain. Her arc was very satisfying.

11: Barbie In A Christmas Carol

Not really a typical barbie movie to list as one of my favourites, but it’s a christmas essential for me. Having Barbie be Scrooge was a very risky move, but god, did it pay off. Eden was cruel, but her story is so sad. I always feel her fear when her aunt disrupts Catherine’s party. This is definitely another one of the darkest barbie movies.

Also, GHOSTS. Ghosts should have been in more barbie movies. They all had cool concepts and designs, mainly Aunt Marie and the ghost of christmas future.

Catherine was such a joy to see in this movie. She’s a very kind and selfless person, but her friendship to Eden puts her in conflict with that side of herself. Seeing her fulfilling Eden’s role in the vision of the future was actually kind of scary. It makes it all the more satisfying when Eden apologizes to Catherine in the end. I really love their friendship.

Christmas Carol was always one of my favourite christmas tales after I watched the Mickey version, and I think this movie did it justice (thought it was slightly less traumatizing than that, thankfully).

10: Barbie In The Nutcracker

Even though I’ve had a copy of this for the longest time I never really took the time to watch and appreciate it. And now that I have I’ve gotta say that this was a great start to the barbie saga. The producers still hadn’t settled on making barbie movies the way they’re known for now, and you can tell by the lack of female characters and a few of the 2D sequences, but the sense of adventure this movie has is so unlike any movie that came after. And despite the limited resources they had for animating it still ended up looking stunning. They animators had such a good sense of colour, and all the landscapes looked amazing.

Before watching this I always thought that The Magic Of Pegasus had the best (canon) romance of any barbie movie, but now I actually think that this may be better. Clara and Prince Eric have great chemistry and such a believable bond. The last dance scene was amazing and it so was heartbreaking when Clara was sent back to the real world. I love the scene when Eric visits Clara’s house and confirms that it wasn’t all a dream.

Also, I really appreciate Clara’s decision to stay in the magical world. So much media, including barbie movies, puts emphasis on people staying with their family and choosing more stable environments. What writers don’t realize is that that’s boring. We don’t watch movies to learn about people’s normal lives, and I’m so grateful that this story ended the way it did. So yeah, thanks writers.

There were also many scary moments here too. The rock monster is TERRIFYING. Maybe the reason I don’t remember this movie is because the rock monster traumatized me so much I had to repress it. The Mouse King was also quite creepy. I wish newer barbie movies committed to making scary villains like him.

9: Barbie In A Mermaid Tale

I probably have the most nostalgia towards this movie since it was always my sister’s favourite growing up. Now it’s one of the only barbie movies she’ll watch with me other than the sequel. I expected to not enjoy this movie as much since I’d kind of exhausted it by this point, but I guess I surprised myself.

As I mentioned in Mermaid Tale 2, Merliah feels like a genuine teenager. She likes her normal life and hates responsibility. Because of this her arc of deciding to save her people feels so much more genuine and poignant.

The world building of this universe is just so good. The plot with Calissa and Eris was great, and I love the scene where Merliah is picking out a tail. The world just looks so pretty and magical, even if magic doesn’t play a huge role in this film. The soundtrack sets the scene so nicely, and Queen Of The Waves is definitely one of my favourite barbie songs.

8: Barbie In The Pink Shoes

This is definitely a huge unpopular opinion, so I should get all the negatives of this movie out of the way first. The animation of the faces is extremely creepy, Kristin was very irresponsible to decide to change her routine up at the last minute, and she would’ve worked much better as a choreographer than as a dancer. Despite these flaws there’s still something about this movie that makes me love it.

For one, despite the creepy faces, the dancing animations were still pretty good. And even though Kristin’s arc wasn’t the best I still find her final dancing scenes (the one in the ice palace and the one on stage) to be so inspiring. Keep On Dancing is such an amazing song and it gave me chills the first time I heard it. The movie is also quite pretty. The ballet outfits aren’t as traditional as ones in earlier barbie ballets, but they still have flare and nice colours.

The movie is also really funny. It makes fun of the ballets it covers a lot. I love the “you don’t look a day over 16″ part. The two suitors especially, Hilarion and Prince Albrecht, were so funny. I loved how their petty jabs at each other turned into compliments when faced with adversity. Hayley was also pretty funny since she was the realist of the movie.

I think the irl characters were used very nicely in the ballet world, and I liked how when Kristin got back it turned out that everything wasn’t as bad as it seemed before. Tara wasn’t as mean and Madame Natasha wasn’t nearly as scary. That’s one of my favourite tropes in fiction.

7: Barbie & The Diamond Castle

Liana and Alexa are basically a married couple. There is literally no way to refute this. Their arguments are adorable and domestic, and they clearly love each other more than anything in the world. They may have their differences at times but when it comes down to it they know each other more than anyone else does and work together so nicely. Every aspect of their lives is intertwined so much that separation usually isn’t an option for them. My heart broke when they parted since I knew that that was how Lydia would defeat them. I cried when Liana came to Alexa’s rescue, and the movie ending with them going to back to their normal house instead of staying at the diamond castle was beautiful. Truly the best and purest barbie ship.

Now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about everything else. The plot of this movie is so unique. There is no other barbie movie that’s about music itself. The muses and their drama and betrayal with Lydia was so intriguing. Seriously, Lydia was a scary villain. I was terrified of her as a child. Liana and Alexa seemed like they’re helpless against her powers, and it feels all the more victorious when they defeat her. The last fight scene was truly epic.

I really appreciate how little Liana and Alexa care about the two twins. They’re my least favourite part of the movie, and even if they do start working with them later on in the movie it’s made very clear that they don’t care about them at all.

6: Barbie In Rock ‘N Royals

I really didn’t have high expectations for this one. It was after I had watched The Princess And The Popstar and Secret Door, which both gave me a bad feeling about barbie pop musicals. But this movie really came through and made itself my second favourite barbie musical movie, and my sixth favourite overall.

The only thing I disliked was Courtney’s weird facial design. That’s it. The rest of the movie is basically perfect.

The movie started off at a relaxing pace but I was never tricked into thinking it would end that way. I love the Camp Pop vs. Camp Royalty plotline. Finn and Lady Ann seemed simple at first but their past was revealed at the perfect time. Clive was hilarious and him becoming the real villain was executed so well.

Seeing Courtney and Erika react to the camps was a delight. Their friends were so quirky and nice to them, and the camps themselves were pretty fun too (UNICORNS). Them finally meeting at the beach was such a breath of fresh air. I could imagine them becoming great friends in the future (cough sequel cough). Erika was probably my favourite of the two since she just looked really cool and had a more interesting arc. I just love it when two groups of people who have seemingly nothing in common come together to achieve a common goal. Also I have a theory that Sloan and Princess Olivia were in love the whole time, and the competition was the first time they could smile around each other without being ridiculed by their peers.

Now, onto the music. My favourite song is probably Gotta Get To Camp. I was shocked at how good it was. The choreography was also the most interesting since it was the only time the characters spontaneously burst into song. When You’re A Princess is also such a bop.

This is definitely the first movie I’d recommend to any classic barbie fan who wants to try out some of the new ones.

5: Barbie: Mariposa & Her Butterfly Fairy Friends

This is probably the closest to a perfect barbie movie you’ll get. The protagonist is very relatable, the supporting cast is great, everyone has good development, the world is scary yet so fascinating, and the villains are amazing. Also it has a non barbie protagonist. Having Elina narrate the story was such a great decision. Mariposa really sticks out in the long list of barbie protags. Her transformation scene near the end was so great. It fits the theme of the movie so well and I think that anyone can get inspiration from Mariposa’s journey.

When it comes to characters everyone is so much fun. Carlos is another one of my favourite barbie love interests, even if the movie didn’t commit to the romance fully. He and Mariposa have their love of reading in common and they like each other for non superficial reasons. Willa is also adorable and sweet. It would be very interesting to find out how she and Mariposa met, since they’re so different, yet they’re close friends nonetheless. Rayna and Rayla are both quite interesting cases. When they first showed up I rolled my eyes and thought they’d be tossed out of the way very soon, but they continued through the story and changed as people. They gained respect for Mariposa, and vice versa. Henna was also pretty cool too.

The setting was so interesting too, more than any other Fairytopia movie. Every place looks like it has danger lurking, and he characters genuinely felt small next to the landscape. One of my favourite things in this movie has to be the absolutely horrifying Skeezites. I remember playing the DVD game as a kid and having nightmares about it later.

4: Barbie As Rapunzel

This is probably the scariest barbie movie. Unlike other scary ones like Mariposa and Diamond Castle there’s such an aura of misery and helplessness to this movie that is like no other. Gothel is the main reason for it. The tower just looks so dark and every scene in the normal world has such tension surrounding it. It makes me even more emotional when Rapunzel finally frees herself from the tower.

All the paintbrush scenes are integral barbie moments for any kid growing up. I remember being fascinated by her art, and by how hope came to Rapunzel in her worst moments. We don’t get a real answer to how the paintbrush came to be, but it doesn’t feel necessary. It’s just so beautiful.

I love the animal sidekicks in this movie too. Penelope is so adorable, and I love how she, like Rapunzel, found the courage in herself to stand up and disobey her father. And having a dragon be one of the good guys was a really risky move for the second barbie movie, but it payed off so well.

This was truly an ethereal movie.

3: Barbie And The Magic Of Pegasus

This movie definitely has the most riveting original plot of any barbie movie. Wenlock was a terrifying villain and Brietta’s story is so sad. Plus, barbie standing up for Wenlock’s wives at the end basically invented feminism. I love that it’s about an ice skating barbie, and all the skating scene were so fun too.

Shiver is also adorable. I had a lot of the dolls as a kid and the only things I have left from them are the Shiver toy and the Wand Of Light. Speaking which, that wand was so epic and pretty. The movie was just so aesthetically pleasing.

Annika is another one of my favourite barbie protagonists. Like Merliah, she genuinely feels like a true teenager who's rebelling against her strict parents, and she learns a great lesson. Aidan was also a great mirror for her and when I was younger they were my favourite barbie couple. They have lots of good banter and I really buy their relationship development. I especially love the ice dancing scene at the end.

This movie is a barbie essential for me. It represents so much of my childhood. I used to watch this movie obsessively and it’s just as good now as it was back then.

2: Barbie: Fairytopia: Mermaidia

This is kind of an odd choice for my second favourite barbie movie. This one used to be my #1 favourite before I rewatched the one coming. I was obsessed with mermaids and fairies as a kid and no other movie captured my imagination the way this one did. The land of Mermaidia is so pretty and reminds me of everything I dreamed about as a kid. It also gave me Nori, my favourite non barbie character in any barbie movie and one of my biggest childhood crushes. I love how her sass comes from her insecurities about Nalu, and how she and Elina start to like each other once they see past him.

Elina/Nori is also another contender for my favourite barbie ship. They have nice banter (and I’m sure by now you all know how much I love that) and I love the scene when Elina sacrifices her wings for a tail to save Nori (that’s totally my favourite scene in any barbie movie). I wish we got more of their relationship in Magic Of The Rainbow, but I guess that wouldn’t have fit with the movie. Oh well.

This movie works very well as a sequel, while also being better than the original in every way. We had the same villain, and we got to see a part of the Fairytopia universe that we only saw a glimpse of in the first one. After Elina got her wings it only feels natural that the possibility of her losing them again is explored, as well as the prospect that maybe she doesn’t need wings to be herself. And compared to the original movie the stakes have been raised much higher, we have more reasons to care about the characters, and it’s so much funnier. The fungi annoyed me in the first movie but in this one they made me laugh constantly. And this movie wouldn’t be complete with the amazingness that is opera Bibble.

This movie doesn’t have the best plot, but it doesn’t suffer from it either. It’s one of those movies that just makes me feel relaxed and at peace (other than the Depths of Despair scene, though at this point I’ve seen it enough that it doesn’t phase me as much anymore).

1: Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper

We all knew this was coming. No other barbie movie comes close to this classic. It’s gonna be hard to describe why I love it so much since everything that’s amazing about this movie has already been said a thousand times before, but I’ll give it a go.

Anneliese and Erika are amazing characters. They may come from different social classes but they both have the shared experience of not being able to fulfill their dreams. This movie is so good at showing you how trapped they feel, yet still their duty to their lives never waver. My mom has an interesting story about how she got into this movie. She initially thought that barbie would be a terrible role model for me and my sister until she saw The Princess And The Pauper. Anneliese and Erika are clearly very complex protagonists who have interests outside of romance and are active participants in changing their destinies and saving the kingdom. Especially with Erika, who decides to achieve her dream of becoming a famous singer before getting married to King Dominick.

This movie has a bunch of nice relationships too. Anneliese and Erika click with each other so well and respect each other’s troubles without downplaying their situations due to the class difference. The romances were both nicely developed too. Erika and Dominick may have fallen in love over the course of a day but I appreciate how much he likes her stranger side (like when he walked in on her singing to her cat lmao). Anneliese and Julian’s relationship feels especially believable since they’ve known each other for a very long time. I also really like that they waited for Erika to come back before getting married. OT4 goals.

Preminger is a barbie villain like no other. The rest of my top ten has been dominated by scary and serious villains, but Preminger is just so funny and dramatic compared to them all. He’s the only barbie villain that has became very well known in pop culture.

All of the songs in this movie are so iconic. I think that’s the biggest strength of this movie. I'm constantly listening to music and the soundtrack is a great way for me to take this movie everywhere I go. The Cat’s Meow is a beautiful song, Written In Your Heart feels so inspiring, I Am A Girl Like You is great character study, If You Love Me For Me is a beautiful and tender love song, How Can I Refuse? is an iconic villain song, and Free is a great introduction to the characters, as well as my number one favourite barbie song. Every song has something special about it and that makes it one of the most memorable movie soundtracks ever for me.

I also love the cats Serafina and Wolfie. They’re two of the best animal sidekicks in any barbie movie since they feel a lot like the human characters. THEY ALSO HAVE SO MANY BABIES IN THE END FUCKING GOD.

I hope you all enjoyed my ranking. Feel free to comment with your favourites and least favourites, just be aware that this is all personal to me and really says nothing about the objective quality of each of these movies.

[sapphiresea]

2, 4, 9, 26 :)

lgbt+ ask game

2.  how did you discover your sexuality, tell your story?  oh, gosh.  this is going to be long, and i’m still glazing over all the mental health problems i had that largely stemmed from trying to be someone i clearly was not.  

looking back, it seems like it should have been obvious from the outset, really, but it was a process getting to understand and accept my sexuality.  you have to know, i was very young when ellen came out, and i had no idea what the words ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ even meant at the time.  no one explained it to me, either.  i just knew that everyone around me was suddenly saying those words and they were whispered or demeaned, so i knew they were bad immediately.  from as far back as i can remember, i held the view that lesbians were disgusting and bad, and that shame buried really deep inside me for a very long time.  it was easier to never think about it and pretend than it was to ever let it be a conscious thought.

when i was a kid, i just couldn’t fathom actually wanting to be with a man.  i thought relationships were just a matter of custom and doing what was expected because that was how you could have children and a family.  my barbies married ken, but then ken went off to war and she spent all her time with her best lady friends.  i chose my crushes with internal pro/con lists.  i complained often that i hated romcoms because the women were always so dumbly chasing after men and they should just get over it.  i could talk about female celebrities for days but ask me my favorite male celebrity, and it was just tumbleweeds.  it didn’t even register as strange when, after my first real kiss with a boy, i had to brush my teeth three times and then called my best friend to tell her that kissing boys was disgusting.  that just fell into my belief that we were only with boys because we had to be, and because i didn’t allow myself to consider that there might be other options.  i was such a textbook baby gay, but there were only two moments that really penetrated into conscious awareness, and they were so jarring that i remember them even now.

the first was when i was 13 years old, and i was sat in my music class when my teacher, seemingly out of no where, decided to lecture us about gay people.  i have no idea what was going on before that because it was a spring day and the sunlight from the window was making my hair look red and i was busy daydreaming about dying it all red.  i only snapped back when kids started laughing because someone said, ‘gay.’  it wasn’t a negative lecture.  in fact, she was telling us we had to be more accepting of people, because she had heard a lot of slurs being thrown around and didn’t like it.  she told us, “about one in ten people are gay, which means that at least two, if not more, of you are gay.”  my very first thought was, “i wonder who the other one is.”  and then, cue panic attack.  i spent the whole rest of the day on the verge of tears trying to convince myself that i was being crazy for even thinking that.  

the second was in the food court of north hill mall around christmas time with the other steph and robyn.  it was around christmas because we were all wearing ridiculous elf and santa hats.  we got off school early thanks to a spare period and were picking at takeout lunches when robyn started a rant out of no where about how she couldn’t understand why men found boobs to be attractive.  i then became very aware of where my eyes were looking and attempted to focus them anywhere but on my friends in case they could tell how suddenly uncomfortable i had become and thought i was looking at their boobs.  they didn’t think that at all, by the way.  but steph was agreeing with her and they were going on and on about how unattractive boobs were and steph was throwing in occasional comments about the attractive aspects of the male form and i was just nodding along turning even redder.  now it’s not that i really felt strongly about boobs or anything.  it’s really just that in that moment, it became painfully clear to me that at least one of the biggest things i had always told myself that everyone experienced was not so ubiquitous an experience as i had initially thought.  

actually considering the possibility of straight –– despite the efforts of a therapist i saw twice and then refused to see again as soon as she suggested i might be not-totally-straight (oh and totally in love with one of my friends) –– didn’t come until a couple of years later.  it was a new crush of mine, crystal chappell, who was on days of our lives at the time.  ooh, i fell hard for carly manning, and i had to look into her other filmography.  on twitter and on a forum on her website, people were discussing something called ‘otalia’ and insisting i watch, so i did.  that single-handedly changed the trajectory of my life.  otalia were the first f/f couple i had ever seen and allowed myself to relate with (i saw willow/tara but was way too deep into the closet to even let myself pay attention to them).  over the course of the next few months, my attitude started to shift and a series of bad attempts at dating men, coupled with a new crush on a friend of mine, made me realize that i was definitely into women.  i identified as bi for a little while, but within the year, it became pretty clear to me that i had chosen the wrong label and my attraction to men was just a craving for external validation and what i had considered normalcy at the time.

out of internalized homophobia and an illness that screwed with my hormone levels, i identified as ace and aro off and on for awhile.  (don’t jump on me, that’s just my experience and i’m not attempting to get into discourse here or generalizing that to anyone else.)  but one day, i found that had shifted.  i started watching more lesbian media and engaging with other wlw and stopped being afraid of the word ‘lesbian’ like i had been.  and nothing has ever felt so freeing in my entire life.

4.  who was the first person you told, how did they react?  i think the very first person i ever told was a close online friend who was like my internet grandma.  i knew she was safe because she, too, is gay.  so i kind of just slipped it into a late night conversation on skype and nervously told her i thought maybe i was into girls, and she was the most accepting a person could be.  the next day, i told my friend over text while i was in walmart with my mom.  i remember thinking from the way we interacted that it was possible she was lgbt, too, and being so, so nervous to be the first one to say it.  but i was right.  and she became my first girlfriend.  so those were really great experiences, actually, and i’m glad those were my first ones.

9.  who are your favourite lgbt+ ships?  oh man, so many...  wayhaught, for sure, are my #1, but i also really love otalia, giani, hollistein, petramos, logan/lara, trishica, and a number of non-canon f/f slash.

26.  what identity advice would you give your younger self?  gosh, i don’t even know.  like i said, i was so deeply in the closet for so long that i’m not sure i would’ve been able to hear it.  if i could go back to when i was a kid, though, before all of this, i think i’d tell myself that ‘lesbian’ isn’t a bad word, and that, not only do i not have to be with anyone i don’t genuinely want to be with, but that it is possible to be with a woman, and that it’s okay to make that choice instead of hurting myself trying to bury it.

[andyl394]

FESTIVE PROMPT - Bucky Barnes x Reader

Request:  13, 47 and 42 Bucky x reader? - Anon

13. “You didn’t really think I’d let you spend Christmas alone, did you?” 

42. “Oi! That’s my hot chocolate!”

47. “You made gingerbread zombies?”

Pairing: Bucky x Reader!No gender specified 

Word Count: 4,124

Warnings: Just cursing, a lot of fluff. A lot. Like... IT’S CHRISTMAS LET ME BURY YOU IN FLUFF. ~Maybe~ a little bit of angst at the start, but it’s real quick <3

A/N: Hello! I got carried away in this one, I was doing this to Thanksgiving, but got caught up in a lot of stuff, oh well. I really hope you enjoy this and the Prompt list is right HERE. I’m going to post one more today because I had to repay for what I didn’t post. (btw, the requests are open only for the prompts!)

MASTERLIST

You entered the living room, frowning your brows in confusion when you didn’t see anyone on the couch. Usually, everyone was watching TV at that time, you even got slightly worried until you remembered it was Christmas and all of them were with their loved ones.

Peter was with his aunt, Tony, Vision, and Bruce; Natasha and Wanda were with Clint and his family; Sam invited Steve, Sharon, and Bucky to meet his grandmother and you… Well, you were alone.

Nobody remembered to invite you to their parties or they simply didn’t want you there; you wouldn’t know.

Sighing, you went to the kitchen and prepared the breakfast you never made: Pancakes. There were a few reasons why you hadn’t made it before.

First of all, you didn’t know how to do it.

Second, you knew that if you made for yourself, you would have to make for everyone and you weren’t confident in your cooking skills to let other people taste it.

But, well, again, you were alone in there.

“Hey, Friday, can you please pick a music from my playlist and put it on the speakers?”

“Yes, I can, Y/N.” When your favorite song blasted through the tower, you opened a smile, starting to dance around the kitchen as you mixed all the ingredients.

You had done already a huge mess when you felt someone in the room with you, but everyone was out, so, rocking your hips, you grabbed a knife from the knives’ holder and threw it to whoever was at the door.

You gasped when Bucky dodged it with eyes wide open and a surprised scream came out of your mouth

“Oh my- I’m so sorry!” He rested his palm on the wall and took a deep breath, eyes closed and one hand on his chest as if he was having a heart attack, and he probably was. Well, you had literally just thrown a knife at his face, so… “Are you okay?” You got close to him, not touching him, but with your hand next to his cheek, only to make him turn so you could check if you had hurt him.

“Good morning to you too, doll.” Bucky breathed out, nodding his head at your question before looking around in the kitchen; there were way too many dirty dishes to a simple task and you knew that. “Wow. This looks a little, huh, chaotic.” You chuckled, turning on your heels and continuing to do your pancakes.

“It’s my first time, give me a break… So, what are you doing here?”

“I live here, remember?” You would’ve laughed if Steve’s voice didn’t catch your attention.

“Buck?”

“In the kitchen! Being attacked with knives and all!” He laughed as you rolled your eyes, feeling slightly guilty.

“Good morning, Y/N. You ready Bucky?”

“Morning Cap.” You muttered, flipping the last pancake and successfully placing it on your plate before starting to search for the damn honey that Stark always hid.

“Yeah, huh, I think I am,” Bucky said as he opened the fridge, moving some stuff before he grabbed it and placed on your hand as if he didn’t do the cutest thing ever, you mumbled thanks before sitting in front of your plate.

“Ok, let’s just eat something and then we’ll be on the road with Sam and Sharon.”

“Ugh, great.” You muffled a laugh at his groan, you knew he didn’t really hate Sam, they simply had this bro-hate. But Sharon, oh boy. How he hated that woman.

“And you, Darling?” Steve asked as he moved around the kitchen, ignoring the mess you had made. “Where are you going?”

“Nowhere.” Both of them lifted their eyes at you as you were eating, trying to ignore the exchange of looks they gave to each other.

“So… What are you going to do? It’s Christmas… Why don’t you spend with your friends? Or go visit your parents?” Cap almost dropped the pan at his friend’s words, you couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know.

“Huh… My parents hate me. That’s why I went to Xavier’s School. They’re not very fond of… ‘freaks’, like me. And I don’t have any friends, nobody invited me.” You shrugged even though it pained you to say that out loud. “I was just going to do some pancakes and… I don’t know, maybe go to the gym.”

“Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Carter is here.” You didn’t saw the looks they gave each other as you ate your tasteless and crunch pancakes, you must’ve left a little bit of eggshell in it.

“You guys ready?” She asked excitedly as Sam walked in with her, you ignored the fact that she didn’t even look at your face and that she placed her purse in front of your plate, almost pushing it out of the counter.

Sam rolled his eyes behind her back, making Bucky chuckle at his annoyed face.

“I’m sorry guys, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go.” Sam and Steve frowned their brows as you looked confused at him.

“Why?” She asked and he simply shrugged.

“I’m dating Y/N, we’ll spend the day together, right, babe?” You were still choking on your pancake when he wrapped his metal arm around your waist, sending her a fake smile as you chugged on the water that Steve handed to you.

“Right.” Breathing out, you controlled the giggle as he started to tickle your sides. “Bucky and I are totally dating, completely in love.” He chuckled when you tried to escape his grip and elbowed his ribs lightly.

“Aw, I’ve always shipped you guys.” She smiled while Sam denied with his head behind Steve and Sharon, not because he didn’t “shipped” it, but because of what Buck was doing; leaving him alone with them.

“Why don’t you come too, Y/N?” Sam gave you two a toothed grin, making you cough again.

“Uh, I don’t want to bother, really.”

“Oh, sweetheart, believe me, you’re not going to.” He laughed and hugged you two before whispering: “You little shits are not leaving me alone with Barbie and Ken.”

Bucky laughed loudly and squeezed you again.

“C’mon, doll face. Don’t leave us alone.” They tried to smile sweetly, batting their eyelashes and making you laugh, nodding your head as they cheered.

“I’ll get ready and make my bags.” You smiled excited and Bucky winked at you before giving a light slap on your butt; it simply was your relationship with him.

You liked him and he knew it, the same goes for him. Bucky liked you and you simply knew it, but you two never actually said to the other.

Knowing that you probably wouldn’t do a lot of things, you didn’t pack all of your clothes; just a few cozy ones to spend the day and some for sleeping. You smirked before speaking in a mocking voice:

“Didn’t you learn not to sneak up on me?”

“You ready, darling?” Buck said from the door and you chuckled, turning to him and excitedly nodding your head.

“Ready as ever.” You frowned your brows at his extended hand and he laughed before getting your bag and your hand.

“We’re dating, remember?” Denying with your head, you giggled and let yourself get pulled by your ‘boyfriend’.

You climbed into the back sit with Sharon and Bucky; there was a huge discussion over what would be everyone’s sits.

Sharon wanted to go with Steve in the back seat, but two super soldiers didn’t fit in there together with a third person and the quick trip would get really long with Buck arguing with Sam if he was on the front.

So it was decided that Steve would go in the passenger’s seat and you’d have to go in the middle of Bucky and Sharon, as said, it wasn’t a long trip.

Three hours tops, but you were easily bored and you couldn’t stand Sharon’s humming anymore, so you simply plugged your earphones and rested your head on James’ chest, grumbling as you placed your legs in the middle of his, ignoring his cocked brows and smirk.

“Oh, shut up.” He chuckled, hugging you and getting your hand to play thumbs wrestle, ignoring Sam’s confused glances from the rearview mirror.

“Eyes on the road, Samantha.” Bucky teased, making him scoff and deny his head.

“Only if you stop choking Y/N, Jasmine.” Both of you laughed loudly, James burying his face in your neck and making Steve crack a smile; he actually did ‘ship’ you two. “I’m worried you’ll kill them.”

He simply thought that you two made a cute pair, besides the fact that Bucky always seemed a little happier when you were around.

“I’ll kill them with LOVE, mate!” Quickly everyone in the car was laughing and chatting, even with Sharon.

Now, it wasn’t that you didn’t like her, you just thought that her relationship with her grandma’s ex-soulmate was a little weird. She was badass, you wouldn’t take that from her, but Sharon could be a little invasive, sometimes.

The truth was; you were tired.

You had been on a two-week mission in London and only got back the day before. Yawning, you caught Bucky’s attention when you winked repeatedly, trying to shoo away Sandman, but the bastard got the best of you when your ‘boyfriend’ laid your head more on his chest, snuggling you even further to comfort.

“Sleep, love. I’ll wake you up when we get there.” Humming, you accepted his offer, getting lost in his warmth and scent, it danced right under your nose, caressing your skin and lulling you even further to sleep. But, what was it? Taking a deep breath, you could finally sense it.

James smelled like cinnamon, wet wood and fresh out of the oven bread, it was sweet but with a hint of nature. You couldn’t understand how he smelled like that. But you loved it.

“Y/N?” You groaned, pressing more your cheek on to his vibrating chest, was he laughing? “Hey, darling. We’re here, wake-up, love.” When you felt his cold hand on your cheek, you yawned and nodded, still not fully awake as you moved away from his warmth.

“Sure, Buck. Whatever you say.” When you heard the sound of his Polyvore, your eyes snapped open only to meet his dorky grin.

“Sorry, but you look really cute when you’re sleepy.” Rolling your eyes and feeling your cheeks getting hotter, you stretched yourself as you moved to get out of the car and help Steve with the bags.

You liked Steve, he was a nice guy; he always helped you with whatever you were doing.

You needed to go running three in the morning? Just let him pee and put some shoes.

Testing your new weapons? He just went to grab his shield and he’ll be right back.

He would do anything to help the person that Bucky was head over heels in love with. That was something you didn’t know, never had you heard of him loving you.

“I’m sorry he asked why you didn’t go spend time with your parents,” Steve said quietly, lifting his eyes at you and sending you a sympathetic smile.

“It’s okay, Cap. No harm was done. I know he wouldn’t say something to hurt me.” Rogers stopped for a second, analyzing the small smile on your face, he followed your dreamy eyes and smiled when he saw Bucky staring at you lovingly as Sam waited for someone to open the door.

“I know this might be a joke, but I think you two look good together.” Snapping your eyes at Steve, you started to stutter incoherent words, blushing hard when he chuckled at your reaction. “C’mon, Y/N. You like him, he likes you… I mean, why not?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You knew Steve meant business when he rolled his eyes; He never did that. At least not to you.

“I think you do, darling.” Steve smiled, closing the trunk as you chuckled, denying your head and walking to the porch where the rest of them stood.

“Let me get these.” Bucky was on taking the stuff from you, holding everything in one hand and smiling gently at you as he hugged your waist with his other arm.

“Ma! Open up, woman!” You chuckled with Sam’s shout, laughing even harder when a muffled voice screamed back.

“STOP SCREAMING! I’m going, I’m going!”

“You’re screaming!” Stifling a laugh on Bucky’s vibrating chest, you took a deep breath, trying to recompose yourself as the door flew open.

“About time you came to visit this old lady, Mr.” She narrowed her eyes at her grandson before suddenly cracking up on a smile and opening her arms as Sam threw himself on them.

“I’ve missed you, ma.”

“Ow, I’ve missed you too, my muffin.” After she let go of Sam, his Grandma took a good look at the rest of you, her eyes scanning both couples, smiling widely at the sight of Steve. “Oh! Captain Rogers! My mother spoke a lot about you!” Steve frowned slightly, but still kept a smile on his lips.

“Ma’s mother was one of your showgirls, Cap.” His eyes lit up, a smile ripping his face.

“Oh! I remember her! Darlene, isn’t it?” She nodded quickly her head, happy that the Captain America remembered her mother. “She was a feisty one, always picking fights with the other girls.” He chuckled, he always got that way when speaking about his old time.

“Darlene is related to Sam? Oh gosh, if I’m allowed to ask, where does all the stupidity come from, then? Because Darlene was one of the smartest ladies I ever got to meet.” Bucky spoke, making the woman at the door turn her eyes at him, laughing lightly before answering.

“From his Grandfather; that his soul rests in peace.” Laughing, you caught her attention, a small smile on her lips as she spoke: “Now, who’s the pretty one, and why isn’t Sam’s arm around them? I knew you were stupid, but not at the point of letting these one get taken by someone else, boy.”

“Ma!” He interrupted, making you and Bucky laugh.

“I called dibs first.” Rolling your eyes, you elbowed his side, making him laugh even harder, kissing your temple and tightening his grip on your waist.

“I’m Y/N, Ma’am.” She smiled at the way James reacted, observing how both of your eyes had this loving sparkle; it was something that she didn’t get to see so much nowadays.

“Pleasure meeting you, Y/N. Well, come in, Sam will show your rooms.” Exchanging a quick glance with Buck, you two held back a chuckle when you noticed that she didn’t talk to Sharon.

“C’mon, shitheads and Y/N.” Sharon and Bucky faked an outrageous gasp before following him with Steve and you laughing loudly. After quickly letting his things in his room, Sam started to lead everyone around. “Well, this is your guys' room.” He said with a devilish smile playing on his lips.

You widened your eyes when you realized you would have to share a room with Bucky.

“What?” You both whispered nervously.

Sam got closer, noticing that Sharon and Steve were too busy talking about god knows what, only to maliciously whisper.

“Well, dear Y/N, you had your own room, but since you and this shithead would leave me with Ken and Barbie to spend the day together, then you will.”

“I would?” You frowned your brows in confusion. “You didn’t invite me, Sam.” He looked at you as if you had just said something stupid.

“You were on an undercover mission without any source of contact for two weeks, how did you expect to be invited? I was actually expecting you to be asleep just so I could wake you up and tell you to be ready in five minutes to go to Las Vegas, you’d dress up to impress and then you’d have a surprise to actually end up here.” He smiled widely when he finished telling you his mastermind plan.

You hummed, crossing your arms as Bucky facepalmed his face, denying with his head and chuckling softly.

“You’re a dick, you know that?” Sam laughed loudly before embracing you in a hug.

“You love me and you know it.” Bucky crossed his arms before mocking a gruff:

“Their boyfriend is right here, Birdbrain. Back off.” You laughed, getting rid of Sam’s arms before getting his hand to pull him into the room.

“Hey, no sexy stuff! My room is right next to yours, keep it down!”

“Can’t promise that! It’s your fault!” Sam denied with his head while Bucky blushed at your words; he knew you were joking, but the words still caught him.

“Be outside in two hours, ok? I’ll let you have some sleep before taking you guys to a walk around the place.” He said and you silently thanked him; you still needed some rest.

Closing the door behind you, there was nothing you could do but to drop your stuff and take off your shoes on your way to the bed. Sighing heavily, you stretched yourself before trying to get comfortable under the cushions.

You were almost sleeping when you noticed Bucky’s awkwardness as he stood on his feet next to the bed, not exactly knowing what to do. It made you release a groggy giggle.

“C’me here, darling.” Opening your arms and lifting the sheets, you smiled at his tinted cheeks and Bucky slowly approached you, laying at your side as you quickly rested your head on his chest, covering both of you before hugging his waist.

A satisfied and pleasant purr came out of you when he sneaked his arms around your frame, burying his face in your hair and relaxing as your scent invaded his system.

No words were exchanged; you both simply enjoyed the moment of intimacy and comfort before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

“Wake up you little fucks!” Sam realized the mistake he made when both of you shot out of bed in a split of second, Bucky already aiming his gun at Sam while you lifted your hands, ready to burn him inside out. “Hey, Hey! I’m sorry! Calm down!”

You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down while Bucky barked curses at Sam, repeating how that was stupid and that one of you could’ve killed him.

“You said two hours!” Sam looked at you, raising his brows at your remark

“It made three already!” Looking at the clock on the nightstand, you sighed; he was right. “Well, since the two sleepy beauties slept too much, you’ve missed the tour, I would’ve let you sleep more, but Barbie insisted on getting you two downstairs to the dinner. Be there in one hour.”

Rolling your eyes, you went to the bathroom, already taking your clothes as Sam got out of the room, leaving Buck to lie down again.

After taking a shower, you changed into something simple, jeans and a cozy sweater that Wanda had knitted for you. It was actually really beautiful, you had found it on your bed when you arrived back at the tower.

Since she couldn’t give it to you in person, she decided to leave it with a note.

You waited for your James to get ready as you thanked Wanda and chatted with her on your phone, shortly after, Bucky stepped out of the shower with a sweater very much like your own, causing giggles to fall from your lips.

Getting downstairs with Buck on your heels, you walked on where the dinner would happen. Steve and Sharon were already sat on the table chatting with Sam’s relatives while you and your “boyfriend” went to the kitchen, leaving them behind after being introduced to his sister and her family.

“Can we help in something?” You asked, making her look over her shoulders, stopping the humming of a song to smile and nod her head.

“Can you set the table, please? The plates are on the third cabinet and the dishes are on the second drawer.”

“Sure, thing.” Smiling at James’ words, you grabbed the dishes while he grabbed the plates, chuckling when you playfully shoved his side to grab the dishes, even though he wasn’t in your way; He laughed, starting to get on your way in purpose, making you laugh even harder and give a light slap on his bum. “Hey!”

You both got quiet and turned around with blushed cheeks when Sam’s grandmother chuckled at your exchange.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just… happy to see a young couple of soulmates in love.” The light blush got deeper as you looked at your shoes, finding them interesting before finally grabbing the dishes.

“Hey, Y/N, are you feeling ok?” Sharon asked; her brows furrowed when she noticed your red face.

“Hum? Oh, yes. I’m fine.” Steve looked back at Bucky putting the plates on the table; he held the same expression as you.

The dinner passed by awkwardly for you two, both desperately wanting to say something but at the same time scared of looking into each other’s eyes.

You both knew you had to talk about it, but you were too occupied with creating little gingerbread families with Sam’s niece and nephew, they seemed to have liked you.

You slapped a hand when you saw it moving to the mug of hot cocoa that Ma – everyone learned to call her that – had so dearly made for you.

“Oi! That’s my hot chocolate!” Bucky raised his brows, staring at your eyes seriously before cracking up in a hearted laugh. He was about to give a funny come back when Sam’s niece tugged his sweater.

“Look at what I made!” You smiled, watching him do an exaggerated impressed face, expecting the little girl’s deed.

“You made gingerbread zombies? That’s amazing!” The girl smiled widely, her cheeks getting rosy and you couldn’t help but wonder why you weren’t with him.

Steve’s words wandering through your mind.

Why not?

You got up, smiling and extending a hand to Bucky.

“I’m sorry, princess, but I need to talk to your prince, a little bit, is that okay?” She looked at you suspiciously, but nodded her head anyways, quickly getting her attention back to the gingerbread zombies.

Bucky grabbed your hand, following you out of the house, you didn’t need to explain, he simply knew it. He felt it.

You two just started to walk, fingers intertwined, following the path until one of you had the courage to say something.

“Thank you.” He lifted his eyes from his shoes, stopping as you two reached a small frozen lake, it wasn’t snowing, but it was really cold.

“For what?” You shrugged; turning on your heels so you could be totally in front of him, Bucky took your other hand stroking your knuckles with his thumb.

“If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be at the tower eating cereal or, I don’t know. You’re just so… ugh, perfect.” You rested your forehead on his chest as he laughed, wrapping his arms around you carefully.

“Me? Look who’s saying.” He mumbled, resting a kiss at the top of your head. “Besides, you didn’t really think I’d let you spend Christmas alone, did you?

You shrugged, to be honest, the way the team treated you still confused you a little bit. You weren’t used to some types of affection, like the one you witnessed, of having a family.

But the Avengers quickly turned into it, into your family. And you honestly couldn’t believe that you thought that they had forgotten you, everyone had messaged you, asking if you had gotten to the tower safely. Clint facetimed you so you could talk to Wanda and so you could meet his kids.

Tony called you so Peter could finally enjoy his Christmas, apparently, in his own words: the food tasted like sand because he didn’t know you had gotten back.

Everyone cared for you and you have never felt so loved, until that moment.

Bucky backed away slightly, grabbing your chin gently and lifting it so you could look him in his eyes.

“I’ll never let you feel alone, okay?” His whisper made your heart get warmer just as he also kissed your forehead calmly. “You know I like you, but what you probably don’t know, is that I love you, Y/N. Deeply.”

A smile plastered your face; your heart seemed to finally get into sync with Bucky’s when you kissed him.

It was gentle, so soft that it almost seemed like a dream.

“I love you too, James.” He smiled into the kiss, getting you in his embrace again before lifting your eyes to watch the stars.

“Y/N? Merry Christmas.”

Condemn to a forever tagging: @fangirlandnerd@noones-girl1980 @hopelessgarbage @elaacreditava @myplaceofthingsilove @curlycals

Occasional Tag: @becaamm

[chicleeblair]

Dear Yuletide Writer

Dear Yuletide Author,

EDIT: I am not able to participate in Yuletide this year--I had to forfeit in 2016 due to being unexpectedly hospitalized in Nov/Dec after poorly managing my time, and misreading the rules--I thought the ban could be cleared by submitting a treat OR waiting a year, turns out I have to complete a finished story to be cleared, which I will this year.

All that said, I spent quite a bit of time on this and since I could manage to pinch hint and get to make my requests I’m going to leave my DYW letter here. If anyone feels like writing to these prompts, feel free. I’ll probably reuse them last year, depending on what is written for other people, but I already have plans to nominate a few newer fandoms next year.

Fandoms included: Newsflesh (incl Feedback), 

Hi! I’m incredibly excited about Yuletide this year, and I’ve been considering my requests and offers with more thought than I should be willing to admit to this week. There are so many fandoms that I love nominated, and though I’ve learned to be careful about what I offer to write for, I’ve still found myself making detailed mentao pro-con lists, especially since I try not to request fic from the same fandoms I offer to write in. Still, I’ve been surprised by some of the nominations—I only finished The Lonliest Girl in the Universe a week ago, and Lauren James isn’t well-known in the States, despite being one of my favorite authors. Anyway, I think I’ve got my lists figured out now, so the time has come to tell you what it is I love about my favorite pieces of underappreciated media. What an easy project /sarcasm.

 DISLIKES Before I get into the fandoms individually, I suppose I should let you know what my squicks are (you know you’ve been in fandom too long when you’re shocked Word doesn’t recognize the word ‘squicks.) None of these are triggers in particular, I’ve got depression, but it’s managed, and I don’t have any major traumas to worry about in particular. I don’t mine NSFW/explicit fic, but it’s also not often my reason for reading. That said, the following tags make me likely to hit the back button: watersports, alpha/omega, knotting, feces, mpreg. I’m not particularly fond of girl!penis as a kink, though it’s different if the character is actually dealing with being trans or intersex.

 LIKES One thing I do like that a lot of people don’t is bloodplay, though as there aren’t any vampire stories in my requests it probably won’t be a Thing this year, and I’m good with consensual BDSM.

 I’m sure it’s obvious from my reqs that I’m into zombie fiction, though it’s the human side of it I like, whether that’s humans dealing with zombies, or zombies attempting to deal with their humanity. One thing I will say is that I’ve chosen fandoms that all rest on detailed world-building, and if you want to write a fic that explores the edges of these universes without necessarily including the listed characters, I’m happy with that. Anything that explores how the world has changed/how a certain person has been affected by the big change is fine with me!

 I’m bi, with a deeply abiding love for f/f fic. I definitely have het ships that I’ll fill you in on, but I still love stories where those ladies interact with their female friends. I’m very pro kid!fic, I adore time stamps, alternate POVs, epistolary fic, social media fic, anything that explores the world that an author has already built. I wasn’t ever the kid simply rubbing their Barbies together, I acted out Barbie and Ken meeting while they babysat Kelly and Tommy. (True story: these stories were also written down in a notebook I carried around at school. Basically, I started writing Barbie fanfic at the age of eight.)  

 I’ve received some great Yuletide gifts via letters where I’ve spelled out specific desires, but this year I don’t have specific stories I want written so much as worlds I’d like to see explored further. What are they? Glad you asked, friend!

 Newsflesh (Feed, Deadline, Blackout, Rise, & Feedback)

 This isn’t the most obscure fandom in the world, by any means, since it’s written by Seanann McGuiare under her Mira Grant penname, and because Mark Oshiro of Mark Does Stuff chronicled his journey through the original trilogy. That said, I’m pretty obsessed with the world of these books, and have read and reread all the books and novellas, and I’m not as into the main ship as most readers seem to be. I’m adopted, so the relationship between Georgia and Shaun I don’t love incest in general, though a high school obsession with Life with Derek means I can’t cast stones. However, I nominated this fandom in the first place, and I picked the character pool especially so that even if I didn’t end up requesting it, other participants might take the chance to explore other characters, specifically the characters introduced in Feedback. Their story takes place parallel to Feed; while the Masons are covering the Ryman campaign, Aislinn North, the Irwin who adores chasing zombies, and her companions are on the election trail with Senator Shannon Kilbourne. I like Feedback due to the diversity of its cast—Mat, the teams’ techie and makeup blogger, is nonbinary, and Ash is married to Ben, the Newsie, on paper, but really in a relationship with the final member of their team, fiction-writer Audrey). But another feature I love about this book? Unlike the original trilogy, it was written after the date when Grant sets the Rising—July 2014. Because of this, the book contains some amazing pop cultural nuggets that just make the whole thing seem more real, for instance Ash mentions that Frozen merchandise is a rarity, since the Rising happened mid-PR campaign, and Taylor Swift’s pre-2013 music is “before she turned political.” (If only. Tay and JLaw disappointed me last year.) Like I said, I’m not married to you using these characters. Heck, if you want to explore Taylor Swift’s life, post-Rising, that’d be cool with me. That said, I chose Ash, Emily Ryman, Maggie, and Georgia because they are awesome female characters, and I’d love to see them interact. I can see Ash and Maggie having known each other/dated at some point—though post-canon I am pro-Maggie/Alaric, though less crazy about Ash’s girlfriend—and any situation where they could meet would make a great fic, especially if both Georgia and Ash have to deal with their prejudices towards each other. Also, in regards to Maggie, I wouldn’t mind knowing more about Alisa, Alaric’s sister, especially because the Masons take her in from a shelter in Ferry Pass, which is part of my hometown of Pensacola. Emily is painfully underused, being born pre-Rising and developing retinal KA, and all of them are just badasses. Basically, this world is awesome and I think more people need to be exposed to Feedback, and it’s Irish spitfire of a POV-Irwin. Another feature of this universe I’m interested in is the kids who grow up post-Rising. Grant looks into this with blog posts and flashbacks, but even the description of the post-Rising orphanages in the “All the Pretty Little Horses” short story from Rise makes me want more.

 Parasitology Parasite, Symbiont, Chimera

 Another Mira Grant, another apocalypse. People have accused her of revamping the same story again, but in spite of having some similar characters and circumstances Sal’s story is nothing like Georgia or Ash’s. Of course, I adore the similarities in story-telling—ephemera is my kryptonite—but Sal’s development is unique to Mira Grant books, if not to books in general, and her relationship to her own humanity/lack thereof is fascinating. I especially love that she spends the whole series in a committed relationship, one that she is confident of, and that in spite of only technically having existed for six years she is incredibly sure of herself. I nominated this one as well, and chose Sal, Juniper, Doctor Cale, and Tansy because they are strong ladies with complex stories that have lots of room to be explored. Dr. Cale, Tansy, and Sal to a degree, deal with disability—and this is particular interesting for Tansy & Sal, since they are aware of the fact that they are making a choice to keep this malfunctioning human body. Juniper is a little girl, yet she and Tansy are learning to be people together, Sal is learning to be a mother, and in a way so is Dr. Cale. Also, eventually Juniper will have to decide whether or not to engage with the humans of her generation, and that could be fascinating. That said, Grant hasn’t told nearly as many stories in this universe, since the trilogy relies far more on Sal herself than Newsflesh relies on the Masons, so I’d love to see an exploration of how the parasites and chimeras affected other parts of the world. I think the fact that the symbiotes have brought humanity so close to eradicating illness is something that could be explored further, too, especially when you consider that the parasites disabled their inventor, and that if the Mitchells hadn’t been attempting to hide Sally’s epilepsy, Sal might not have been born. There’s also the fact that the other doctor who is close to Sal—Cale’s son, Nathan—does not use the implants at all, suggesting that at their core physicians with their hearts in the right place know that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, that maybe humans need illness and disability to thrive.

 In the Flesh

I really debated requesting this, since it’s a fandom I think I could write in, but I liked the idea of letting my requests adhere to a theme, and this series was the first piece of zombie media I ever consumed (pun intended). There have been many great fics in this fandom, they are often AU and revolve around Kieren’s relationships—I’m all for people celebrating canonically queer characters, but to me neither of those ships were what drew me into the series. I didn’t nominate ItF myself, and I wish I had because I would have included Amy Dyer. As it is, I don’t mind if you mention either of Kieren’s relationships, but I only asked for Kieren and Jem because they’re the characters I care most about, truly. Honestly, I actually care the most about Jem, because I think she’s an incredible character who went through so much to protect her family and is forced to face her fears every day in order to have a relationship with the brother who made her who she is—in so many ways. I am also fascinated by the idea of a world that has faced the apocalypse and is having to move forward. The little details that serve to remind us that society had to hit the pause button, such as the lack of cell phones, are really intriguing to me, as well as the issues students like Jem face having to return to school after war. This world also opens the door for an exploration of what life might be like for children&teens who came back—Henry was a missed opportunity IMO—and while I don’t mind if you don’t bother incorporating the storylines Dominic Mitchell has said he would include in a season three, the idea of Jem making a friend with PDS (as opposed to PTSD, that acronym similarity needs mentioning) would be so great. Again, though, feel free to take this world and run with it, no need to stay in Roarton—I wonder what adulthood for Jem would be like, with Kieren never having aged, for instance?

 World War Z

Another of my nominations. I don’t know why, but I am obsessed with this book, specifically the audiobook. Max Brooks has talked about how he based this book on an oral history of WWII, and I think the parallels between the two wars are deep if you look closely—the idea of total war, the amount of work on the home-front, the inefficiency of assuming what won against one enemy will suffice against another, children escaping unimaginable violence, the nuclear bomb survivor, so much more—but what I really loved is how Brooks really fills in the details from each POV he uses. Without naming celebrities, Brooks clearly sets it in the Bush-era, which is interesting to me but probably not affect fic, but shows how well the world is crafted. The imagery that comes from the Australian astronaut who spent the war on the ISS is particularly poignant to me, especially the way he describes them discovering the burrowing zombies. I also get chills from Jessica’s story, the girl whose parents dragged her up to Canada, and when she discovers the Spongebob sleepover, because it’s a mark of how bizarre our culture and entertainment would seem, and how our comforts could disappear in the blink of an eye. I do think that this book is lacking in female POVs, particular ladies who might not be soldiers but were fighting the war in their own way. I loved Joe Mohammad’s POV, too, but not everyone would need to be part of a patrol group or militia to survive. I’d love to see what the situation was like for city-dwellers, or people who were in the areas not getting supplies due to the Reddecker plan. What about the Israelis, what was it like in the country during this isolated period? There have been some great fics exploring issues like euthanasia and abortion in that period, and I’d love to see an issue like that expanded. On the other hand, there is a lot that could come from looking into the world post-war, describing what the Narrator goes through to get these stories, or what kinds of stories he might hear after the initial book is published—a history of the rebuilding would be interesting since in this world the threat isn’t completely gone. Brooks has written two short stories that are explicitly in this world (a couple that are borderline) and one of them, Closure LtD, and I don’t want to spoil it, but it really makes me wonder what other kinds of industries would emerge in a post-zombie war world.

 Inhuman Condition

Also my nomination, this is a webseries that did not get NEARLY the amount of viewers or fans it deserved. The author has created this incredibly interesting alternative history, and I don’t think everyone who watched even knows how much detail was put into it. For instance, I discovered a blog (https://angrydeadgirl.wordpress.com) written from the POV of Clara—my favorite character—wherein she analyzes TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, except it’s Grey’s Anatomy reimagined through the lens of this world, and there is NOTHING I love more than inter-textual references like that. There are other in-universe shows that I have honestly begged to see for real, and via the show we only get a taste of these details. I’d also love to know more about how the existence of zombies and lycans affected history aside from the terror attacks we know of from the series. I’d also love to see more about Kessler, what got her into working with other-humans, whether there is a personal connection that we’re not told, more about her daughter, Mira, who has grown up in a world where the truth is known, there’s so much in there to mine. I didn’t nominate Tamar, the character who seems more superhero than supernatural, because to me her story seems to fit into this world less than Clara and Linc. Not that I don’t like her, I did, but while I totally believe they could all exist in one universe—I read Marvel, after all—her condition doesn’t seem to be in the same category, so the backstory would be different. Lycanthropy and Clara’s form of zombiism both seem to be medical conditions, to a degree, and while Tamar’s issues definitely parallel mental illness, it’s a different issue. I wouldn’t mind seeing her or others like her, just that I think the dynamics of lycan/walker-type conditions. I really appreciate how, like In the Flesh, this series allows the conditions to be a metaphor for real life issues, without erasing those issues. One of Clara’s blog entries, for instance, mentions that there are cases of people being killed for not informing sexual partners of their condition, and this is explicitly related to people with HIV who have faced similar violence. Also, Linc and Kessler are both explicitly bisexual, and in my mind Clara is non-straight, too, and that’s a reason I included Mira because WHY NOT? I nominated Frank because after seeing a fic that shipped him and Clara I got interested in what it would be like to have to spend all your time with this vibrant girl who is so afraid of becoming a monster, I don’t ship them necessarily, but I am interested in knowing more about him. This is the one fandom where I am kind of tied to having the canon characters front and center, but if you want to explore this world through a different lens, I’m open to it.

 The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

 I really, really thought about using this slot for iZombie, because it’s one of my favorite things and fits the theme, but I read The Loneliest Girl in the Universe a few weeks ago, and am THRILLED with the idea of finding other people who love it. I also considered offering to write for it, but I do not have confidence in my ability to calculate transmission delays or describe space physics. I mean, it’s basically a YA version of The Martian featuring an MC with anxiety who writes fanfic. WHAT MORE DO ANY OF US WANT? Throughout this book I was terrified that J would turn out to be an AI, but his actual backstory basically broke my heart, as did the reveal of Romy’s history. I really wish her mother had survived, and I would like to see more of her in Romy’s memories or maybe in the logs/archives now that Romy might be open to looking into them. I would love to see her asking Molly about them, or reading/watching her parents’ reports or journals as she builds a new world with Issac. I also want to know about Issac Evans. Who is he? What happened with him and J? Will he and Romy be MFEO, or simply besties who raise babies? What are the other adults on the ship like? Does Romy find a different person to love? Is it a girl? I’d also LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Romy’s life from the POV of an Earth dweller. You see, DYW, I am a huge fan of several family vlogs; there are babies I have watched grow up via the internet, and I am DEEPLY invested in their lives. NASA would be crazy not to have gotten the world to rally around baby Romy, and some of them probably still read her fics. That’s the thing, though, this book includes her fic, and imaging fic from 2067 makes me want to see more of their social media, and to know how it affected this next group of astronauts. Also, since it turns out that J lied about the war and the collapse of the world’s governments, I’d love to see what the world is actually like. What else is NASA doing? Does the entire world freak out when they find out what happened with Romy and J, or only Molly? Who is Molly? Did she suspect J based on how well she knows Romy? I have a need to know.

 That is it, oh Yuletide Author, way too many of my thoughts about Alternate Worlds, most of them infested by the undead. As I’ve said, I would be happy with stories that feature the characters I requested, or that don’t at all, but unless mentioned I’m not crazy about canon-alternatives.