#even eugh... howard

[clockworkreapers]

Another one! Sorry for the emotional damage yall this ones for vol3... :)

[underesources]

MONSTER FACTORY SENTENCE STARTERS.

quotes complied from various monster factory episodes. trigger warnings for swearing and caps. change pronouns and gendered terms as necessary.

❛ They’ve been spending a lot of time together, but are they too close? Its hard to say ❜

❛ Eugh. This one’s gone bad. ❜

❛ Let’s see if we can’t turn back the clock. ❜

❛ That was a frame perfect rat smash! ❜

❛ He’s back! He’s cool! ❜

❛ He has no will of his own. ❜

❛ You sure you didn’t say no clothes? ❜

❛ Don’t look at that. ❜

❛ What are you doing? ❜

❛ I undid him! ❜

❛ I don’t know any magic. ❜

❛ Just kidding! I know all the spells. ❜

❛ This is religious, you see. ❜

❛ I like this guy’s style. ❜

❛ I’m the strongest man on earth, how is this possible? ❜

❛ We’re back in business. ❜

❛ He’s becoming a spiderweb! ❜

❛ I’m playing croquet with his dome piece! ❜

❛ Oh, look at the strobe light effect! ❜

❛ By the way, you can’t turn this game off. ❜

❛ What is that? ❜

❛ He wants to let his son prove himself. ❜

❛ You are the worst emperor! ❜

❛ Goodnight everybody. ❜

❛ Don’t get cold feet on us now. ❜

❛ Let’s take a quick break. ❜

❛ Why is that an option? ❜

❛ She looks like a human goldfish cracker. ❜

❛ Bazinga! ❜

❛ No, don’t smile! ❜

❛ Can we do all the makeup? ❜

❛ Baby pretty. Pretty baby. ❜

❛ Daddy like a pretty baby! ❜

❛ I’m trying to find the place in my heart to love her. ❜

❛ Keep looking, mon frère. ❜

❛ See, to me, this is a woman with power. ❜

❛ This is our fuckin’ thing. ❜

❛ I’m enjoying the fuck out of this dude. ❜

❛ Is this what you had in mind, my brother? ❜

❛ I like it! ❜

❛ I like it very much so! ❜

❛ Just to keep things totally even steven. ❜

❛ Can I cut you a deal? ❜

❛ Look at that beef steak. ❜

❛ It’s gotta be full blown beef bones. ❜

❛ She’s like a human punch! ❜

❛ I can’t interact with objects yet, honey! ❜

❛ Me and metal husband are cooking you a meal. ❜

❛ You don’t frighten me! ❜

❛ I can fix this! ❜

❛ That represents a lot of different ideas. ❜

❛ Has anyone seen my very little husband? ❜

❛ God, forgive me. ❜

❛ We will need clothes in bunker. ❜

❛ I DIED! ❜

❛ I DO THIS. ❜

❛ YOU REMEMBER HOW YOUR BACKYARD BARBECUE GO, THE SMITHS. ❜

❛ You cower no more in shadow. ❜

❛ You must live. ❜

❛ Many robokisses in future yet. ❜

❛ I back. ❜

❛ Give me your authority. ❜

❛ I bet you did not oversee that coming. ❜

❛ I refuse. I refuse. ❜

❛ I can’t even look at my beautiful husband! ❜

❛ Damn you Todd Howard! ❜

❛ You gotta get the fuck outta here, dude! ❜

❛ It’s too late for me! ❜

❛ I’m doing my victory dance. ❜

❛ Give it to me. ❜

❛ My love baby is like a can of peas back at home. ❜

❛ Hey, everybody. It’s me! ❜

❛ Here’s a little secret: us bugs LOVE to breakdance! ❜

❛ This takes sting out of being recent widow. ❜

❛ Guns are just so last year. ❜

❛ I’ve been meaning to ask you something for some time now. ❜

❛ He said yes! ❜

❛ Just when you thought the wasteland couldn’t take anything else from you. ❜

❛ I’m gonna be in a deep depression for the next few minutes. ❜

❛ Hey, is this thing on? ❜

❛ Mommy’s coming! ❜

❛ This is the perfect son! ❜

❛ Just let me do the thing! ❜

❛ Things look bad, but they can get so much worse. ❜

❛ Things are kind of bleak. ❜

[the-shifting-long]

Hi I just wanted to say THANK YOU for calling out fandom misogyny my goodness. Very tired of being like. An alarmingly underwhelming number of people who has very little interest in most of the Voices and much love for the Princess in all her complexities. Especially as a Thorn fan tbh it gets really tiring watching folks strip down complex characters into just waifu bait??? Or a Beast fan when folks can’t see past the vore jokes on her character to understand the mastermind she truly is? The fandom’s understanding of abuse victimhood and survivors is RANCID and it’s about time someone said as much.

It's hard. I understand that feeling of like, wanting to love and be loved by the princess, so of course you focus On the parts that are the most loving, and on the affection that's there. I try not to judge people when I feel like they're "softening" the princesses, because a lot of times it's just that they're showcasing the softest side of her even though they know the brutal, hard reality exists-this is especially the case for a lot of Den fans, I feel like. I myself am guilty of focusing on Fury's characterization in the leave ending like she doesn't spend most of her time on screen brutally ripping us to pieces.

...but then sometimes people post things that make me go "hold the fuck on that is NOT her."

HEA/Damsel fans are like. The most guilty of this. She would never be a tradwife. Like. Me when I'm in a "missing the point" competition and my opponent is someone named "#1 Damsel Lover" on discord. I'm especially sick of edits where people paste Damsel's face/personality on a "hotter" princess like Adversary, like...eugh. No. They're their own fucking people, for one, and for two, if you need a "soft" face and a submissive personality to the point of being a major character flaw to love a woman, I don't think you love her.

The vore thing in particular is like...ugh. It's so. It's nuanced, right. Because while it wasn't intended to Be vore or Be sexy by the artist/writer, it IS the act depicted in vore fetish fiction, and it IS appealing to vore fans for the same reason vore is. It is explicitly meant to be intimate because the two of you are being combined through digestion, because she is consuming you and making you into her. So it's not intended to Be vore, but it's also not shocking to me at all that the vore community latched onto it/Beast at all-the Beast chapter literally depicts digestion in an intimate and even romantic way. I don't think it's necessarily wrong to find the sexy in things unintended to be sexy, especially since Abby Howard herself said that it's not wrong to find anything in StP hot, she put it there for us. but i do think it goes against the core themes of the Beast's route to Solely look at the digestion scene and to view it from a Solely sexy angle, and good GOD, the joke is SO OLD. IT'S SO OLD. DO PEOPLE EVEN KNOW HOW MANY TIMES THE VORE JOKE HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT HER ROUTE IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE IT WAS BARELY FUNNY TO BEGIN WITH I-SCREAMSSSSS

i don't personally read a lot of the dynamics in StP as abusive, mostly because people try to apply it to fucking. Adversary. a completely consensual situation between two people for whom death literally does not fucking matter. And even when it DOES apply, people focus on it to the point of ignoring other themes of the route-looking at you, Tower/Moment of Clarity. But there's totally a double standard. Tower/Nightmare defenders are relatively rare, and then with HEA, where it's explicitly US as the controlling/abusive element, people literally blame Smitten...and then defend Smitten. :/ HELLO. it's so dark in here.

literally any willingness to admit these characters are Nuanced and have Flaws and that they have reasons for having these flaws would go a long way but that'd require treating the Tower/Nightmare as human beings and that's too much to ask for a lot of people lmao.

like even if you want to SOLELY view their routes through the lens of "evil abusive woman" and ignore the ways you've pushed her to that point + the other themes their routes are dealing with. the horrifying reality is that abusers are like. People. Who believe themselves to be in the right and who have issues themselves. A refusal to engage with that does nothing to actually help abuse victims, who often stay with their abusers Because...their abusers Are People. with their own issues and complexities. like it's hard as hell to get out of a situation like that when you can't even conceptualize your abuse as abuse because abusers aren't like that, they aren't in pain like that, they aren't kind and caring like that!

but at the end of the day it's not Actually about examining abusive relationships/dynamics. It's an excuse to hate on a woman that's too confident and too strong and too mean to the guy who just stabbed her or abandoned her to be locked in a basement forever. If it actually WAS about these women being abusive, we'd see more people get into that, but it's not. It's about Broken as a perfect little victim and about a convenient excuse to hate on someone they don't find attractive because she's not Waifu enough for them.

anyways. i'm attached to these women. i'm attached to the weird and complex and violent and loving and contradictory and beautiful relationship between the long quiet and the princesses. i am. horny. sometimes. so i get where people come from when they talk about their favorite princesses as Wife and whatnot. but also is she really your wife if you have to recharacterize or redesign her in all of your art lmao

[lochlady2]

5 Hottest and 5 Ugliest US Presidents (according to me)

DISCLAIMER!!!!! I don’t mean to be weird about real people or families! This is my opinion, but I would never attempt what I say in some of these. This is also not meant to insult people based on looks! There are some good presidents in the ugly category and some bad ones in the pretty category. With all that said… LETS GO!!!!!

Hottest:

5. Franklin Delano Roosevelt… He look great! He’s one of three presidents I would totally be a trad wife for. Mostly for his personality and charm than his looks, but I’d still hit that.

4. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr… He looked SMOKING as a younger man. I’d absolutely date him, and I hate the idea of dating as a youngin’ myself. He’s not higher because I took into account these men’s presidential looks as well as over their life, and you know……… he was like 80 then.

3. Hiram Ulysses Grant… Looked great! I love scruffy men (I like almost all types of men honestly), and Grant fits the description. His presidency wasn’t good, but the fact he actually apologized in his leaving speech is much more than almost any current politicians would offer.

2. William Howard Taft… I’m not automatically attracted to him like #1 or #4, but I just want to hug him tightly and be with him all the time. He was a great president with a lovely personality. Even if he’s not SMOKING, I still love him so much and he’s another one of the 3 presidents I’d be a trad wife for.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy… this is not a new take. In any photo I see, he is HAWT. Young, old, doesn’t matter. He is one of the most attractive men I’ve ever seen, a great president, and a great person to boot! No notes.

Ugliest:

5. Donald John Trump… Something about his just throws me off. Even as a young man, something about the way he sits and the way he position his mouth just makes me uncomfortable. The eyebrows also being white at a young age makes it worse.

4. Dwight David Eisenhower… It’s the hair. It’s barely a stubble, but still somehow see through. He was a fine enough president, but THE HAIR. He’s only above #3 because he’s more like people I see in my day to day life.

3. John Adams… Sure, he helped found our nation, but was a mmmmmm president. The looks probably didn’t help. Yes, this was the normal look for the time, but I’m just not in it. I will say I did learn he didn’t have a middle name, which is quite interesting!

2. Martin Van Buren… He was ok and looks fine as an older man, but his YOUNGER YEARS EUGH. He kept that freaky hairline through his whole life and it’s depressingly bad as his earlier time.

John Quincey Adams… What can I say, he looks HORRENDOUS. He was a fine president, but good looks obviously didn’t run in the family. I can imagine his political career was actually hampered by this.

[oct0whyllow]

PART THREE OF ITS YOUR HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HERES YOUR HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG!! (Also on my ao3, altcode.)

Randy's still moping around, and mcfist. Makes. A robot. With. Ai. 😞😞 chplapter below cut

Viceroy paced around the room, stomping his foot to harm the miserable floor of his boss' office, the man watched him with complete confusion in his eyes, Viceroy was beginning to think he was actually a monkey or gorilla who asked to turn human for a lifetime. "Hannibal... Are. You. 𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦?! We've got a lawsuit for child endangerment by Heidi, who got 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 to stand up and 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭! We're being sued by nine people because of your 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥, 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘚𝘛𝘜𝘗𝘐𝘋 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯!" He swung his finger at Mcfist, he wanted to punch him so bad.

"DON'T EVER TALK LIKE THAT TO ME EVER AGAIN VICEROY! Those lawsuits don't matter right now." His robo and regular hands both pushed him off his chair. "What 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 is DESTROYING THE NINJA!!!" As always, Hannibal swung fists in the air, having robo-apes for staff really suited him as it helped him feel like he works with the same species as himself. The half-man-half-gorilla punched his fists against the desk instead of just lowering them to how regular adults did. "With what robot?! I can't build ya one cause I was 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 building you that damn fair! It costed us half our funds for our weapons, because you insisted to put 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪-𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘢 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 in every single ride!"

"Shush it. I made use of- eugh... 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘺𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 metal from scrap city to build the 𝘎𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘌𝘚𝘛 𝘉𝘖𝘛 𝘖𝘍 𝘈𝘓𝘓 𝘛𝘐𝘔𝘌!!! I'll use the bags I found that had that weird ninja book thingy in them to track him down... AND OBLITERATE HIM!!!" A button was summoned on the desk, it was pushed immediately with the swoosh of a hand, nearly cracking it. Behind Willem, a trapdoor summoned only a 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 of the fiend, yet it was so tall Viceroy could barely see it. "What the?!- How'd you build this! It's actually impressive!"

"I didn't 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 build it..."

"What."

"I got AI to do it for me! Saves time and money- hey where you going?"

"I'm heading home to quit both my job 𝘢𝘯𝘥 my life."

"QUITTING YOUR JOB?!- oh and your life too."

He exited the room before Hannibal could say anything else.

∆§•=|×=¢{¢{£}¢{×[®°¢{[×=§√[¢✓ש✓×£}§[€§=§¢}£{∆ (split here)

"Yeah- and then I kicked that guy right where it hurts!- butttttt he called the cops and invented a fake story to get me in trouble." Randy rolled his eyes, he had some lemonade in his hand, the reflection of his face stared back at him whenever he looked down to drink.

"I hate people like that 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩. Like it's hard for you to lie unless you need to but here they come lying about 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 and when you actual get into a fight with them they don't even have the dignity to be fair when they lose!"

"I know! If I ever have to get into a fight again, I'm bringing my bros with me. Two witnesses can't lose to 𝘰𝘯𝘦 witness."

"Oh yeah- how are they by the way? Julian's been kinda... closed off since yesterday night and he's really keen on impressing new friends which like makes him not want to act rude and closed off when upset and stuff.."

"𝘈𝘸 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯!- Gotta dip- sorry Theresa!" He dipped to look for friends and spilled his drink on the carpet, thinking about how stupid it was for him to forget about them for 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴, it was embarrassing, and totally not bruce at all. He rushed past Stevens and Flute girl, (the tomcat was trying to get her to calm down but she wouldn't stop berating at him while crying. Serves him right, Randy supposed.) past his cousins/Dave and Bucky, and to the kitchen, where he caught Howard trying to flirt with some girl. "Wha?!-" Instantly, Randy furrowed his brows. How could he be doing this- like yeah he's allowed to flirt with whoever, but still! Julian sat on the counter while silently watching the ginger make a move, ze was staring at some part of his face- Randy didn't know which, it was out of sight.

Howard was leaning against the counter, some blonde-haired girl was next to him, she had a little smile on her face. "Yeah.. You could say I'm an expert at Grave Puncher.. Such an expert in fact, I got myself hospitalized from dehydration due to how much work I put into it. Real hot, huh?" The boy looked at his fingernails, examining them. The kid who used to be interested in him, immediately became uncomfortable when he mentioned that. She quietly walked away from Weinerman as he continued bragging. Julian interrupted it, "Howard... She's not here anymore."

"Goddamnit! Every time- it's like I'm cursed to say something weird."

Randy raised his hand as he walked towards the two. "I thought it was cool!"

The ponytailed-kid quickly turned his head, "𝘊𝘶𝘯𝘯��𝘯𝘨𝘩𝘢𝘮! My man!", a giant smile faded into his lips at the sight of his friend.

The metalhead quickly pulled in his bro for a fist bump, and then did the little handshake they both had for each other, excited as ever upon seeing him. Fowler's face softened when he came into the kitchen, "I can't believe your mothers would've gotten you such... bruce clothing for your birthday! You look delightful, Randall." Ze looked up and down at the ripped clothing the birthday-boy wore, admiring the dyes, the rips, and the patches.

His face warmed up at that, it was most likely the heat left in the kitchen from how much chicken his mama had to cook for the party earlier today. "They're just cool like that J-F! Check it out- straight from the 'net, it's 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘴𝘦!" Crossing his arms, he grinned confidently at the paler kid, wanting another compliment out of vamp, but that was just stupid, compliments weren't everything and if his head started begging for another he might as well just bang it against the table. Weinerman grabbed him by the collar to take a closer look at him, Randy felt his heart burn like the sun and it made him angry. "Hot dang the quality on this thing ain't a joke! How'd you get something this good off 𝘈𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘰𝘯?"

"His mothers likely bought from some place else, that linework reminds me of a certain artist on Fistblr." Julian noticed a fork on the table, he spun it around between his fingers like how his twin sister spun a baton between hers. The vampire kid whispered malisciously to himself, "Fascinating... it looks exactly like the devil's trident.." Fowler giggled gently, doing that cute little thing where he covered his lips with two fingers when doing so, Randy zoned out on that for a bit before Howard harshly slapped him back to the real world. "𝘏𝘦𝘺!- a-and yeah dude... Yeah it's by- by like inkyjonah. I showed my- my mama some art and- and she got my mom to buy it apparrently.. Y-yeah..."

That stuttering, the cracks in his voice and how hot his face felt that it was obviously likely red right now? They would notice for sure. He wished that he had to fight some mega-robo-titan instead of whatever disease some toddler sneezed on him. It needed to be put aside immediately because now he wanted to get punched to death by Puncher himself- which is why the sooner he distracted himself from it the better.

His biffer sighed desasperatedly like a disappointed mother towards her son, "Dang it Cunningham did some kid trick you into eating an edible again?!", fingers dug into the shoulders of the lanky teen and shook him demandingly of an answer, to which Randy yelped "Wha-𝘯𝘰!", defensively in surprise at the sudden question. Julian's eyes widened and he gasped for he was obviously baffled. "What do you mean 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯?!"

"Jules- Jules don't worry I was just real stupid first semester don't worry I didnt get trauma from that!" Cunningham waved frantically as he tried to dismiss whatever worries the taller boy had about him.

"Dear lord- Randall you still!- You were fourteen do you know how bad the side effects could've been?!" They hung onto that topic for a while, silently, Randy loved how concerned the goth was for his safety and wellbeing, it gave him a tingly sensation. Of course, that tingle always resulted in irritation, feelings similar to that around his bros were something that he just hoped would disappear as soon as possible. It had to, he couldn't deal with too much of this or something would go wrong. His face was just as irritated as he was, the thought of feeling things that you don't want to feel is something horribly annoying.

"Oh dear lord Randall you seem angrier than a shrimp!" Julian giggled yet again, and Randy couldn't help but smile and calm down a bit.

After he finished telling Julian that he didn't need to worry about him getting into anymore wild situations (besides ninja-ing, of course.), the three boys left the kitchen, which was darker, less crowded and loud, and went to the living room. Howard lended Fowler his earbuds while the goth lowered the brim of his top hat and tilted his head slightly downwards, squinting. They all wanted to move around a bit together, specially Howard, he seemed to keep both his bros close to him at all times. Occassionally, the pudgier kid would have his hand around Cunningham's hips, it felt good at first but then he began hating that he liked that and began hating how he acknowledged that and hating how he acknowledged that he acknowledged that-

"Piñata time!" Sirena Cunningham announced, all the kids rushed towards the backyard, Julian and Randy were both pulled along by Howard to join the crowd of children. The boy forced them to run through the living room and through the hallway in front of Blair's and her wife's rooms, it was hard for Randy to run that fast outside of his ninja suit, specially when there were a bunch of cups, trays, and utensils spilled everywhere around the house. Just when he though he could rest, his mom took him aside from his friends and gave him a hug so tight he could barely breathe. "You look so- uh.. Bruce in your clothes! How are you liking your accessories and your new shirt?"

The boy pushed her away from him so he wouldn't loose too much air, before doing a small little spin. "Oh I'm 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵! And mom- mom thanks so much for fixing my gloves and belt you don't know how much I needed something as cheesy as this!" His arms were like curtains, they moved up and down, just as how the drapes did when pushed by air. "Aww thanks so much! Now go get the bat, you know the birthday boy always goes first!"

"Uhh- would it be okay if I went last this time?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing... Just wanted everyone to get a chance before the- the real deal finishes it off in one hit.. and stuff."

"Very well then.. I hope your classmates have fun!"

His mama ordered everyone to get in line, while his mom picked up the bat and handed it to the first kid. The first piñata had already been hung up some minutes before this, Sirena went over to its rope and untied it so she could pull the thing up and to let it go down so it'd be more challenging. Blair gave her a peck on the cheek before she got some more of the chicken her wife cooked for her. Randy walked towards the end of the line, his two biffers following suit.

Right now, what he wanted most was to go to sleep, he didn't want to hit the piñata, he didn't want to eat his cake in front of everyone or open his presents, he wanted to lay down on his bed and not wake up for 13 hours at 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵. Why couldn't he have wonk feelings like these happening to him outside what was supposed to be the best birthday of his life? It wasn't fair. He slouched, maybe the stars could help him right now. The boy tilted his head up, eyes half-lidded as he wanted to take a look at the bright, full moon that shined down on his backyard. It was calming.. Specially because when he stared at the sun its rays couldn't hurt him- wait.. SUN?!

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?!?!" Voice cracking, his arm swung up to point at the falling object as he slowly, but surely backed away to get a better view. The thing was like a meteor with a white tail, it shined so bright the sky nearly looked blue, the few remaining dots in the sky polluted to black by the brighter light source. He looked closer to the object, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘤𝘍𝘪𝘴𝘵. Randy wanted to cry so bad and scream with rage at the thing, but he held it all in.

The rest of his classmates all ran to where Cunningham stood, gasping at the sight of the huge chunk of machinery heading towards their 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥. Panic filled their heads to the max and soon yelling, screaming and tears broke out as everyone began running out of the house, tripping over each other and tripping on the objects they had littered and scattered all over the floors. Howard and Julian ran towards the tyrian haired boy to pull him aside from the crowd and his moms who were trying to look for him, leading him to his room. Julian locked the door while Howard grabbed his mask from the closet, throwing it at him.

"Agh!-" It landed on his face, he pulled it away and pulled it over his head, quickly turning into the only guy who can deal with this mess because unfortunately he doesn't have eight other people to help him out. "Thanks guys, I'll be back soon, keep my moms at bay okay?!" Howard gave him a thumbs up, before rushing to the window to track the metallic meteor wannabe.

Julian placed his hands on his shoulders, "For sure, me and Howard will calm them down for you! Now go on, we need you.", he then pulled the ninja in for a hug with a gentle smile. "Usually when I hug someone, my darkness spills onto them and gives them strength." Yet again, the gothy little freak just had to giggle and make him want to shoot himself even more. Julian was so cool, but he was a friend. Whatever was causing him to feel weird around him was going to be sliced in half because by now, Randy was fearing this feeling could be permanent. The ninja backed away to the window as he held onto his scarf, Howard moved from it to give him space. He immediately swung his scarf at the nearest tree and got into action.

[plum-pitt]

i’d like to add that they’re all somehow equally bad at it, despite 2 being the designated “leaders” of their respective teams.

lol now i wanna speculate abt how this dynamic might work cuz it sounded fun, look under the cut if u wanna see that ig lol:

Leo is silly because on one hand he’s shown to be an excellent strategist and manipulator, but suffers immensely in the “actually communicating his plans and ideas before going thru with them without anyone’s say” department. Especially with him more than likely being the oldest in this lineup, i can see him feeling more inclined to take shit into his own hands rather than burdening the baby shits he doesn’t wanna admit he feels,,, eugh- responsible for.

Randy easily has the most intact and reliable moral compass in this lot. So long as Howard isn’t around to push his buttons, he’s almost always shown to pick the more selfless, morally correct option when faced with a dilemma. So i could imagine him being the one who’s keeping the blue guys on track when they inevitably fly off the handle. He’d clash most with Leo’s “fuck everything im gonna concoct a dubious little scheme to boyboss our way outta this without telling anyone what it actually is” bullshit.

Dewey is the groups lil babyshit. He’s definitely seen his share of fights in canon, but he is by no means a trained combatant, (Being a 3 foot tall duck that’s maybe 12 years old really isnt helping his case tho let’s be fr) When he’s suddenly surrounded by 3 older, more experienced fighters who all feel inclined to be protective of him, i can see lil bros need to prove himself to the people he looks up to, through doing increasingly reckless bullshit, becoming a big issue. He looks up to Leo the most, which tracks cuz he’s easily the worst influence. (and also i feel like leo is just dewey’s same attitude, copes, and insecurities, with Louie’s capacity for talking out of his ass)

Sonic honestly i can see just being along for the ride here. Hes content to just vibe and do what he’s gotta do while bringing his immaculate energy to the table. Being the second youngest, probably takes Dewey the most seriously of the 3, and since he can relate that feeling of wanting to get out there and prove his worth, even when he wasn’t quite ready. He’d also, i feel like, be the most down to fall in line with randys judgement well, at least when he’s not running a mile ahead or getting distracted.

I’d pay money to see this

[petewentztiddies]

Walls Could Talk | Chapter Two

a/n: sorry this chapter took so long! writer’s block is a bitch 😩✌

Summary: Steve and Peggy's search brings them to Paris - where they happen to meet up with an old friend.

Warnings: an intense makeout session/implied sexual content (it’s not smut, i haven’t decided if I’m putting actual smut in this fic)

Wordcount: 1.5k (unedited, also I'm sorry it's so short 🙃)

AO3 | prev chapter | next chapter (coming soon!)

ᴏᴄᴛ 𝟸𝟿, 𝟷𝟿𝟺𝟿

ᴏxғᴏʀᴅ, ᴇɴɢʟᴀɴᴅ

Steve wakes up in a cold sweat, bolting upright in bed. Was he still dreaming? Was this...was this real?

He gazes at Peggy - to make sure she was there, that all of this wasn't a mere fantasy, who begins to stir.

So, not a dream then, at least. His heart is racing, his mind buzzing and yet still confused and his breathing erratic. She's speaking to him, saying something, and he isn't quite listening, his heart thundering his ears. Adrenaline surges through his veins.

“I’m...I’m sorry, Peg. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” he whispers. His pulse was still racing.

Lightning illuminates the room for a split second and he can see the sympathy in her eyes.

"It's quite alright, Darling. Will you tell me what's wrong?" She asks, trailing her fingers through his hair.

"I...I don't- I don't remember much," he admits. "It was just...some stuff from the past...or, future..." he could almost laugh at that if he was in a better mood.

She nods sympathetically. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He drinks in her appearance, nodding slightly. He presses his lips against hers softly.

He kisses her, gently and imploringly at first.

His one hand softly trails down her back, and he notices her sharp intake of breath when his hand ghosts over her lower back.

"This hurt?" he asks.

She nods stiffly. "I do believe I forgot to tell you with everything that happened tonight. I had a bit of a scuffle in the restroom with a Hydra agent. She slammed me against the sink," Peggy explains.

An idea forms in Steve's head; a single minded goal to make her forget.

He would make the only thing on her mind be him.

Wordlessly, he smiles and dips his head towards her neck, brushing his lips against it. His teeth graze against a sensitive spot on her neck and she makes a soft "Oh,"

His hands go to rest against either of her thighs. He pulls back, pupils blown.

“Steve,” she whispers. She lifts her hips in a silent invitation.

He leans down to kiss her, his lips against hers, and she's already breathless. He doesn't want to rush things, but he can't resist her.

Her hand slides down his back, and she lets out a soft moan against his mouth. His hands trail up her shirt, he can feel the goosebumps on her skin. He kisses her neck, and she can feel his hot breath against her skin.

"God, you're so beautiful. I love you," he whispers.

"I love you too," she replies.

He pulls her in for a desperate kiss once again, pulling her close.

—

The rain came and went, and with it sunshine followed.

“Peggy. Peggy, wake up,” is the first thing Peggy is greeted with in the morning.

Peggy groans, rolling over in an effort to ignore him. “No, not now,” she mutters, burying her face in the pillow.

Peggy feels weight on the bed as Steve sits down next to her. She tries in vain to ignore him.

"Oh, c'mon now, Peg. It's a new day, it's time to get up," he says.

“You are far too cheerful considering how early it is,” Peggy complains, shielding her eyes from the light pouring in from the blinds.

“...Peggy, it’s eleven in the morning.”

Peggy groans, glancing at the clock as if to make sure he’s right. “Point withstanding, you’re still too cheerful.”

“Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Steve teases, narrowly missing a pillow flung haphazardly at him.

“Do shut up, Steve.”

He snickers.

Peggy yawns, stretching her sleep-infused joints. "Where are we going, again?"

"Word is our target's in Paris,” Steve replies. “Or at the very least, someone important is.”

Peggy hums, sitting up. The blanket wrapped around her falls off, revealing her bruised back.

"Jesus, Peg. Have you seen your back? That looks like it hurts," Steve notes.

"Yes, thank you for that insightful observation."

"I just mean- do you want ice or something?"

Peggy shrugs nonchalantly. "It doesn’t quite hurt. I can deal with it, I’ve faced worse."

“To be fair, you are the woman who fell asleep standing up in a trench.”

“Exactly,” Peggy winks. She stands up, beginning to sift through her suitcase. “So tell me, Steve. When’s our train leaving?”

—

ᴘᴀʀɪs, ғʀᴀɴᴄᴇ

A few hours later, they arrive at their dingy, rundown hotel just outside of Paris. The lobby smells like bleach and old carpet, and a radio plays a somber, mellow jazz tune.

Peggy clears her throat, waiting for the receptionist to acknowledge them.

The receptionist does not, however, care to notice.

“Can we have a room, please?” Peggy asks the woman at the front desk.

The woman hardly looks up from her magazine. “Name?”

“Carver,” Peggy answers automatically before Steve can.

The receptionist takes a long, seemingly never ending sip of her tea. Finally, she says. “Take the elevator to the third room, first one on the left. Here’s your key,” the woman says, sounding as disinterested as she possibly can. “Enjoy your stay,” she adds dryly.

Peggy eyes her warily. There was something a bit...off, about that woman.

Perhaps it was just her imagination.

They make their way to the elevator, and Steve finally breaks the silence. “So...is it just me or was there something weird about her? I mean, she could’ve just been a disgruntled employee, but…” he trails off, scratching the back of his neck.

Peggy hums. “No, I happen to agree. Though, perhaps we were just inconveniencing her by making her do her job.”

The smile fades from her face. “Stop,” Peggy whispers. She tilts her head toward the door, which was ajar. She clutches her gun in her purse.

Steve snorts. “Maybe,”

She laughs right along with him, but she pauses abruptly outside their door.

It could be the maid...but they haven’t even gotten into the room once.

Silently, the two stalk toward the door. The smell of smoke escapes from the room when Steve nudges the door open.

Which, in both of their experiences, usually did not happen to be a good thing.

In the chair in the corner, there sat...

Howard Stark.

A collective groan escapes the couple.

“Howard, must you break into our hotel room?” Peggy scolds, turning on the light.

“We thought you were an intruder.” Steve adds.

Howard smirks, taking a long drag of his cigar. “Technically, I am. But don’t you kids worry - I bring a peace offering. By peace offering, I mean I’m inviting you to stay in my Paris apartment instead of this dump,” Howard gestures loosely. “I mean, I don’t think this building even has heat.”

Steve shrugs. “Wouldn’t it be better to stay somewhere inconspicuous?”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Peggy agrees, her arms crossed.

Howard sniffs. “Okay, fine, don’t accept my extremely generous offer to let you stay at my apartment. I know when I’m not wanted. Just know I’ll remember that in the summer when you want to come over because I have air conditioning and you don’t.”

Peggy rolls her eyes. “Quit the melodramatics, Howard. We’ll stay with you,”

Steve wraps an arm around her. “Yeah, we- wait, we will?”

“...What? This building doesn’t have heat, and quite frankly I enjoy summer visits to Howard’s house.”

“Attagirl, Peg.” Howard beams. “I’ll meet you two in the lobby,”

—

Later, the trio eats lunch at Howard’s apartment.

"-you are not funny, Howard." Peggy informs him, pointing at him with her fork. "You could've at least feigned innocence."

"Innocent? If you looked up "innocent' in the dictionary, you'd see my picture on it," Howard says defensively.

Peggy snorts at that. "Oh, please, Howard. With your history you could easily father a small country,"

Howard grimaces. "Eugh, kids hate me. Plus, who has time to tend to a baby all the time? I mean sure, kids probably aren't annoying when they're...late teenagers? But for most of their lives, kids just seem so clingy and needy."

Steve picks at his plate absentmindedly, reminded of a conversation he had with Tony.

"Clearly, you must've met a different version of my father. He was cold. He was calculating. He never told me he loved me, he never even told me he liked me."

The sound of Peggy’s voice brings him back to reality. "...That's because they're children, Howard. Babies aren't self-sufficient from birth. Do you expect them to come out of the womb ready for rocket science?"

"Well, thank you for absolutely shattering my argument, Agent Carter." Howard mutters, downing his coffee. Deciding to change the subject in order to deflect attention off of himself, he says, "Steve, you still with us?"

Steve snaps to attention. "I, uh, yeah. I was just daydreaming, I guess."

Peggy makes a mental note to ask Steve about that later.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Howard asks.

Steve shrugs noncommittally, continuing to eat with much less gusto than before. "Just thinking about our mission,”

Peggy eyes him carefully, choosing to say nothing but clearly knowing something was wrong. In due time, she would ask.

In due time hopefully meant whenever Howard left the room.

—

lmao so like i was listening to a bunch of james bond songs bc they’re dramatic and spy-ey right (cough cough tho a song that fits the general tone of the fic would be "the world is not enough" by garbage)?? and then there’s absolutely none of that in this chapter lmao. sorry if this chapter was boring compared to last one but i mean we can’t have constant action in the fic, silly goose. 

also can we talk about how it took me like 8 DAYS TO WRITE THIS and it’s this short i’m sorry ajsjdfkgjjklk 😶✌

taglist (dm me if you’d like to be added!):

everything taglist: @return-of-the-simp​ @thereblogcrusader @stillmourningtonystark ​

walls could talk taglist: @deedepee​ @rizwritesfandom​ (extra thanks to riz for helping me when i was struggling with being descriptive u a real one) @mcu-academy​​

If you enjoyed, please rb/leave a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[in-flagrante]

'The Downton Abbey movie will happen': Michelle Dockery on playing Lady Mary, a toilet-cleaning con artist and a feminist cowgirl

For now, she's sweeping away her genteel reputation in Good Behavior and Godless – as well as starring alongside Bryan Cranston in Ivo van Hove's stage adaptation of the 1976 film ‘Network’

Gerard Gilbert Wednesday 27 September 2017

It must have come as a shock to fans of Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey – or perhaps as a sneaking satisfaction to those who thought the haughty aristocrat verging on the insufferable – to have witnessed the actress's follow-up television role in the American drama Good Behavior.

The establishing shots of Dockery's character, a paroled junkie grifter called Letty Raines, see her flipping burgers and cleaning a lavatory pan in a scuzzy diner and kneeing a would-be rapist in the groin. It almost feels like some form of self-abasing penance – the type that medieval nobility might practise – for all those years playing the imperious Lady M.

"I wasn't actively out to do something so vastly different," says Dockery, back in the UK after a long summer shooting the second season of Good Behavior in North Carolina. "I loved Mary, I loved that character so much, so I would be doing a disservice to go 'eugh...I want to do something completely different'. But then most of the British people watching the show, the last thing they would have seen me in was Downton, so there's no denying that will draw people to seeing Lady Mary cleaning the toilet..." 

Actually Good Behavior, which sees con-woman Letty, who is desperate to be reunited with her young son after a spell in prison, teaming up with a hitman called Javier (played by Argentinian actor Juan Diego Botto), was a role that came her way not entirely on the merits of Downton Abbey.

"I did an episode of Waking the Dead a long time ago – I must have been 24 or something – and I played this character Gemma who was a rape victim who then goes out to avenge her attackers," says Dockery, who is now 35. "She is the closest to Letty actually of all the characters I've played and it was on my show-reel, and the producers had seen it. You never know what job is going to lead to the next part in the next ten years."

It also helped that Good Behavior's writer, former Wayward Pines showrunner Chad Hodge, was "a Downton Abbey devotee" – but Dockery still couldn't believe her luck in being offered the part. "I loved the pilot when I read it: this deeply flawed complex woman. You're being constantly surprised by her life – by the fact that she has a son, that she's a con artist and a very good one. After I read it I rang my agent and said 'I have to play this woman.'"

The new season has a feel to it of The Americans, the drama in which Soviet sleeper agents pretend to be an ordinary suburban US family, as Letty and Javier try to live a normal life with Letty's son Jacob while both being hunted by the FBI. "The first three episodes of the second season are very funny because you're seeing this hitman and this thief trying to be normal and Letty cannot help herself," says Dockery. "She'll go this store and she can steal her son's school clothes rather than pay for them."

Filming took place in Wilmington, North Carolina, with 16-hour shooting days as opposed to the 12 hours on Downton Abbey. "Plus you got weeks off on Downton when they filmed the servants quarters", says Dockery. "But this show, Letty's in just about every scene, and you're like this hamster on a wheel.

"Wilmington is a wonderful place to work though because you have downtown, which is really cool and hip, and then the beach. But even then my weekends really were filled out with just resting or learning my lines. I'm constantly learning lines."

Dockery had a dialect coach to help with Letty's "general American" accent. "It takes a while to get into the movement of it," she says. "With American, you're using different muscles, with my accent as well... my Essex twang is still there and it's a little lazy at times, so the American accent is rhotic, you're pronouncing all your rs."

In person, the Romford-raised Dockery sounds nothing like Lady Mary, although she says the estuarine accent has softened over the years – except when she's had a few drinks. She won't be needing English English for quite a while however as she firmly establishes herself across the Atlantic, most recently in New Mexico shooting Godless for Netflix, a limited-series cowgirl drama being dubbed "a feminist western".

"That's what people are calling it," says Dockery. "I've certainly never seen a western before with that many female characters. The premise is Frank Griffins, played by Jeff Daniels, and his gang of outlaws are on this mission of revenge against Roy Good, played by Jack O'Connell, who's a son-like protege who betrays him. So while Roy's on the run he seeks refuge on my character's ranch, and this relationship develops between them, if you want to call it a relationship."

Her character, Alice, whom Dockery describes as a "hardened widow and outcast", lives in a town governed mainly by women as a result of a mining accident; all the men were killed. And in what sounds like a feminist High Noon, the women must come together to protect themselves against the outlaws – Dockery learning how to handle a gun in preparation for her role.

"The first thing we all did when we arrived on set was to go to cowboy camp," she recently told Vogue. "I remember when I shot a gun – the adrenaline was crazy. On Downton Abbey we had the shooting parties, but the women just stood back and wore a nice outfit and assisted the men."

"Alice was another character I was mad about and I put myself on tape for it when I was in North Carolina," she says. "I just loved her. Then I was offered and nearly fell off my chair."

Dockery won't be able to park her American accent quite yet – she makes her homecoming stage appearance at London's National Theatre later this autumn, in Lee Hall's adaptation of Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning screenplay for the 1976 movie Network. Directed by Ivo van Hove, Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston takes the Peter Finch role of the messianic news anchor Howard Beale, while Dockery takes the part played by Faye Dunaway, that of Beale's ruthless producer Diana Christensen.

"We start rehearsals in a couple of weeks and I'm so excited by the opportunity to be back at the National and working with Bryan Cranston," she says. "The timing is great because I've felt a real urge to be home again, and in the strongest sense it's kind of happened because I feel like I'm going back to my roots. The National was my first job out of drama school [in His Dark Materials in 2004], so it's a wonderful feeling to be back home."

Indeed it's easy to forget that Dockery was foremost a stage actress before Downton Abbey whisked her career off in a different direction. She was twice nominated for an Ian Charlson Award, in 2006 and 2008, and once for an Olivier Award, for her part in the Russian drama Burnt by the Sun. She was also Ophelia to John Simm's Hamlet at the Sheffield Crucible in 2010, "descending movingly into madness", according to The Independent's theatre critic.

However, Downton fans need not despair of ever seeing her again as Lady Mary. According to the president of NBC Universal, Michael Edelstein, a script is being written for the long-mooted Downton Abbey movie and a budget has been set. "Yeah, the phantom script... nobody knows. We'll see," says Dockery. "Ending Downton was very bittersweet for everyone, it did feel like something that would go on forever and felt like the audience didn't want it to end. I think that's why talk of the movie is just endless.

"I'm positive something will happen at some stage. But it is proving difficult to get together a big ensemble cast like ours, so we'll just have to see. But I'm not bored of Mary."

Season 2 of 'Good Behavior' is on Virgin TV from16 October; 'Godless' is on Netflix from 22 November; 'Network' is at the National Theatre from 4 November

From The Independent

[miathecinnabunny]

Apartment 42 -- A BuckyNat AU

Master and rival assassins unknowingly live together for almost a year, making sure their real jobs remain a secret from each other and everyone around them.

Chapter 11

"I never told you because I was afraid of this. I knew you were the Widow a week before Christmas at least. I thought about telling you every day, but I was sure youd react horribly and I'd lose you." 

Natalia hugged herself and looked up at James. "You mentioned nightmares . . . what were they about?"

"You," James said, "you dying. Various ways. All very terrible, very traumatising. Josef, the one that attacked us on Christmas eve, he features in a lot of them." 

"How do I die? In your nightmares."

James shrugged. "Oh, you know . . . impaled, beheaded, shot in the head, shot in the heart, stabbed in the heart, ambush, rain of bullets from Hydra agents, starved, tortured, the works." 

Natalia's eyebrows rose. "Any of them have your hand in it?" 

"One," James admitted. He frowned at the carpet of Natalia's current bedroom. "Hydra can do this . . . thing. I'm not sure what it is. It's new. I don't remember what happens in between. I hear some agents talking. Says it turns me into a machine, obeying every order. They call it effective. Really bad nights are the ones where they use it and I come back to your dead body. I never know what happened, but I know I did it. It -- it -- sometimes it's really bad. Sometimes it's a clean shot. Sometimes you're covered in bruises. I -- I don't want to talk about it." 

Natalia walked up to James and took his hands in hers. "Don't. Just . . . do you love me? Do you really love me?" 

James tightened his hands around hers. "More than anything or anyone I've ever known."

"How much?" 

James offered her a small smile. "Completely, doll." 

Natalia watched him carefully. "I want to believe you but I know myself, and I know that I would lie to me. I don't know."

"I don't expect you to, doll, I just need to let you know that I stopped chasing the Widow the day I met you outside our apartment. I only realised it that night. I just need you to know that you're what I'm going to miss. One way or another, this is going to end. Either I succeed, or you succeed. But either way, we won't get to stay here. When Hydra takes me back, you're what I'm going to miss. You, with your bright smile, your twinkling eyes, your infectious laugh. You and your annoying habit of being unable to remember where anything goes, that horrified face you make when you taste your own cooking, the fact that your bras somehow manage to hang from the top of the fridge and finding heels in the freezer, that stupid face you make everytime I suggest cleaning the apartment, when you curse under your breath in Russian and you think I can't hear, the fact that you hate the toothpaste I buy, when you want attention and you'll do anything to get it, those little ballet moves you subconsciously do when you actually get cleaning --" 

Natalia shut him up quickly by lifting up on tiptoes and briefly brushing her lips over his. She leaned against him, using his arms for support as she stayed balancing on her toes. "Love me," she whispered.

"How much?" James asked without hesitation. 

"Completely," she said, silently daring him to deny her.

///////////////

"I see the two of you have ironed things out," Ana commented when James joined them at breakfast in the courtyard.

"At least you didn't have to hear them ironing until three in the morning," Maria grumbled, snapping her toast in half. 

James hid his face behind a mug while Natalia pretended like she hadn't just choked on her coffee. 

"I only got back with Howard at one," Natalia said, turning her nose up, "your husband is to blame for how late it was." 

"Oh?" Maria said, raising an eyebrow. "Am I to assume that the two of you wouldn't have been slamming the ironing board against the wall if Howard had come home earlier?"

"We would've done it in our own apartment," James muttered.

Anthony cleared his throat. "Can we please not discuss your sex life in front of my oats?" 

"Sorry, darling," Natalia said, "but this is all on your mother." 

"Tallie!"

"What? You started with me!" 

James laughed softly and pulled her closer, chair and all, to kiss her cheek. "You're so childish, doll." 

Anthony rolled his eyes. "You watch too many old movies, Uncle Jamie. Who even calls other people 'doll' anymore?"

"Why not?" James asked, grinning.

"It sounds so . . . blergh. Like I just imagine one of those porcelain creeps with Aunt Tal's face on them. Eugh." 

"Anthony Edward Stark, did you just subtly call me ugly?" 

"What? No!" 

"Besides," James said, "I've barely seen any movies, let alone old ones." 

"No, I don't mean old black-and-white stuff. I mean like, movies set in like really old times. Like that stupid World War 2 romance movie where that soldier got drafted and in all his letters home, he called that girl 'doll' and then when he got back, he realised he forgot her name. . ."

While Anthony rambled on about the movie that truthfully sounded like she would have seen it, Peggy's mind drifted. There was something nagging her. She just couldn't put her finger on it. It bugged her the entire day, as well as the next.

///////////////

"Jamie! Hello, love!" 

"Evening, Peggy," James said, leaving Ana to greet Peggy. "All good?"

"Yes, why?" 

"You're . . . bouncing. You never bounce. Uh, is Natalia back yet?" 

Peggy's eyebrows lifted, as if she'd just realised something. "No! They're still out. Howard's got something big going on at work these days so he spends a lot of time there. Anyway, come with me. I've got something I want to ask you." 

"No problem," James said, offering Pegyy his arm.

"Why, thank you, Sergeant Barnes." 

She hadn't called him that since the day they'd met in the hospital and James had almost forgotten he reminded Peggy of someone in her past. Still, he didn't call attention to it. People made mistakes all the time.

Peggy walked until they were in Howard's study where she was sure they wouldn't be disturbed. "Jamie, I want to know a few things from you." 

"Uh, sure. What's up?"

"What's your full name?"

James laughed slightly, grinning until he realised Peggy was serious. "James Buchanan Barnes. Why?"

"What is the name of the person you know best and what is the name of the person who knows the most about you?"

"Oh, that's easy, they're both Natalia." 

"Jamie, do you even know your birthday?" 

"Yeah. It's tenth March." 

Peggy stepped closer to James. "What year?" she asked softly. "In what year were you born?"

"Peg, what's going on with you?"

"You don't know, do you?"

"Of course I know! It's nineteen--! Uh. . ."

Peggy stared at James for a second. "Seventeen. You were born in 1917, Jamie. You served in the war. You died in the war. Your best friend was Steve Rogers. You had three little sisters and you all lived with your parents. You and your family was all Steve had. You . . . you were my best friend too." 

James stared at Peggy. "You're joking. You're making it up."

"Why would I make this up, Jamie? Do you really think I'm that desperate to have something to hold on to from some of the best days in my life?" 

"Peg . . . it doesn't make sense. Look at you! Look at me! I don't look anything near your age!"

"I don't know how it happened, Jamie, but I know that once upon a time, you used to be Bucky Barnes. You used to braid my hair, you used to make the best tea I ever had, you used to always say that you'd bring me home so the girls could meet their older sister, you said we would all make it out of the war, you said you would help Howard with that stupid car, you said you were gonna get me married to Steve, you said so many things and then you went and DIED!"

James just managed to dodge Peggy's left hook. 

"Peggy Carter, what is wrong with you?!"

"You promised you'd help us win the war and we had to do it without you!" 

"That wasn't me, Peggy!" 

"Bullshit, Barnes! What's stopping you from remembering me?"

James's jaw dropped. "My memory is the biggest problem you have with this theory of yours?! If I'm really your best friend, I should be looking like you!"

"Theory?!" Peggy cried, "I know you're Bucky and I pray that it's not too late when you remember!"

///////////////

Peggy's outburst sat on James's mind for days.

"What's on your mind, darling?" Natalia asked one afternoon, leaning over James's shoulder to steal a few fries.

"Nothing, doll," James lied, smiling and snatching one of the fries from her hand with his mouth. "Stop stealing my food." 

Natalia rolled her eyes and grabbed two more before sitting across James. "Don't lie to me, darling, you're not that good at it."

James debated lying again, but decided she was right. Once she'd looked past the Winter Soldier, she stopped being blind to all his little lies too. Not that the reverse wasn't true. 

"Hydra wants you." 

Natalia froze with her hand over the fries. "What?" 

"Hydra wants me to recruit you." 

"You can't recruit me. I'm Red Room!"

"Try telling that to Karpov. He's a bitch when he wants to be." 

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Maybe he and Barkova are siblings."

"Barkova?"

"Madame B, her name is Vladimira Barkova. Didn't you know?"

"No. Should I have?"

Natalia shrugged. "Maybe not. Anyway, how would Hydra even manage that? Madame B doesn't let her students and agents go that easy." 

"Well, Karpov never explained that bit, but I'm pretty sure he's not talking about getting Madame's permission for this."

Natalia pulled her hand back and slumped into a normal seated position in her chair. "Hydra wants me to ditch the Red Room," she said, "as if I were trying to escape." 

James nodded. "I believe so. There are numerous ways we could do that and I'm sure you've run through them all already, knowing that none would work but. . ."

"James, are you actually considering this?" 

"Yes, Natalia. I am. Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life running, looking over my shoulder. I don't want that for me and I sure as hell don't want it for you. Do you think things have gotten better because we know about each other? No! It's probably gotten worse! Because when this is over, Hydra's going to take me back and wipe my memory. I won't remember you. I won't be able to miss you. And worst of all, I'll hate you all over again! I won't remember loving you! And you! You won't get that luxury. You'll have to see me hating you while remembering a time when I loved you! Knowing you, you'd stand your ground and you'd let me shoot you! Because I know me, and I know I'd rather die trying to save you than fight you to survive. If we do this," James had stood up and now leaned on the table, palms on either side of his forgotten food, "there is a chance that won't happen. There's a chance at a life for us. We'd be partners. We'd be together. Hydra isn't saving us, but it would protect you from the Red Room." 

Natalia blinked very slowly. "I can't kill Howard," she whispered, "I can't do that to them." 

"You don't have to do it. You just have to let me." 

"I can't -- I can't let you kill Howard. I -- he's my mission!" 

"And mine." 

Natalia shook her head, trying to find her footing in this whole disaster. 

"And one way or another, doll, one of us is going to have to lose this mission."

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