#look how the shadows change dynamically over the course of an in-game day

[big-tiddy-goth-ghoulfriend]

So excited for the day that game developers collectively realize that no one actually gives a fuck about the hyper-realistic raytraced lighting and other graphical advancements if it means we have to wait for the game to "optimize shaders" every time we launch it

[artmolonara]

Sleepover - A short story

Hey all, big into Lumpy Touch's Where's Waldo series and was inspired by @nami-ramen to write this little story based on their art here

*** Please Enjoy :) ***

Two years. It had been now over two years since Waldo had killed the Detective's wife. And in all that time, the Detective had not seen hide nor hair of him.

But Waldo had seen them. Quite frequently, in fact.

He would check up on them from time to time, always being sure to remain just out of sight. It was risky, but that made the game much more fun. Plus, he wanted to be sure that the Detective's role in the game was still active. If he felt that the interest with the hunt was starting to wane in the Detective, he would perhaps allow himself to be caught in their peripherals, or perhaps leave something out of place, anything that would spark the obsession anew. Oh, what fun it was, this Hide and Seek dynamic, and he couldn't wait for the day when the game would change.

For now, Waldo was content creeping around in the dark outside the Detective's house. It was a lovely home, one that he had only seen the outside of... or no, that wasn't entirely right. He had been inside at one point, but not HIM him. His extensions had come that night to play with the Detective's wife while he had gotten to spend a lovely evening with the precious Detective. Waldo had wished the night could have been longer, but oh, that Detective was smart, and had made him let slip his next move... or had he intentionally tipped them off in the hopes that perhaps they could have saved dear Wenda?

Waldo mused the question even he himself couldn't rightly answer as he peered into the windows of the suburban home. In the shadows of the room beyond the glass, a form could be seen on the bed. There they were, sleeping without a care. If only they knew how close their quarry was. Waldo chuckled to himself with suppressed excitement.

He watched a while, and after a minute of observing the rise and fall of breaths, and the shift of their body, he recognized the telltale signs of distress. He of all people knew those signs well. The dear, sweet Detective must be having a nightmare.

A smile curled Waldo's lips, "Dreaming about me, Detective?"

The compulsion to enter the house was now rising, but to do so without waking his sleeping hunter would be difficult. He had stopped by enough times to know that since the night his selves had broken in, security was stronger. Of course, locks were useless at deterring someone like him, but to teleport inside wouldn't be a silent endeavor...

But ever the luck of the fool, and perhaps with a little foresight, an opportunity presented itself when, within the confines of the home, the sound of an old grandfather clock began to toll three past the hour. Synchronizing to the second chime, he vanished and reappeared on the third within the room, the sound covering up his static entrance. As the resonance of the chime slowly faded, Waldo stood still in the dark of the bedroom, observing to be sure his presence wasn't know.

Once he was sure, he approached their bedside to get a better look at them, kneeling down to get closer. It had been a long time since he had been this close to the Detective, nearly a week! They were... quite an interesting person, definitely the most fun detective Waldo had had chasing him. It would be a lie if he said he wasn't getting a bit attached to his playmate. Dare he say... sentimental?

Certainly not, seemed impossible for someone like him, but as he watched them turn again in the faint moonlight, seeing a shine of stressful tears in the corners of their eyes, something strange jostled in his chest, a forgotten emotion, perhaps. He smiled slyly.

Dear, dear Detective, you know how to keep things interesting, don't you?

Perhaps it was that feeling driving him now, or perhaps it was the sick fun of encroaching so close to them without them knowing, who's to say? Whatever the reason, Waldo found himself slipping out of his shoes, placing his hat and glasses on the side table, leaning his trusty cane against one of the posts, and finally, climbing into the vacant side of the bed.

Now, the Detective was pretty much average height, but with Waldo's tall, lanky frame, they were dwarfed in comparison. Long limbs curled around, but didn't touch, the Detective, as Waldo drew himself close, like a predator encircling their prey.

Propped up on the pillow, he watched them a moment more as they struggled against their nightmare, wondering what was the exact nature of the torment plaguing their mind. Oh, to be able to reach inside their head, squish around in the grey matter, and pull out the answer. If he knew, it would be fun to use against the Detective later, to see that look on their face. Oh well, he'll figure something out, something special, just for them.

For now, he pulled up the sheets over the Detective's trembling form, seeing if that would be enough to dissuade the nightmares. It was not. If anything, their expression seemed to darken, and the grip on the pillow seemed to tighten. Whatever, or whoever they were dreaming about was truly causing them untold anxiety.

At this, Waldo felt a sudden, uncharacteristic, pang of jealously. Whatever night terror that was aggravating the Detective, even if it was just a shadow of himself, it wasn't HIM him. HE wanted to be the cause of that strife, HE wanted to see them flounder and suffer because of HIM, not because of any one or any thing else, not even his other selves, HIM. A rush of possessiveness was like a hydraulic, making him tighten his arms around his detective like a steel trap, ensnaring their warm form with his own. Yes, HIS detective... no one else's. He thought this as he burrowed his face in their soft, soft hair.

...

Minutes ticked by. He stayed like that, holding his detective still, feeling the warm pulse of their heartbeat from their proximity, their shuddering breath, allowing his own sweater warmth to overpower their own. Eventually, the pulse slowed, the smell of fear subsided, and for all he could tell, the Detective finally passed into a calm, dreamless, sleep. How wonderful.

Now, it may seem a bit counter-intuitive, as his mission and pleasure was to make the Detective's life a living hell, but Waldo knew that constant terror was not as effective or lasting as periodic fright. There was a time and a place. No need for his little Detective to be so on edge that they lost their mind, that'd be no fun. He needed them sane... well, sane enough, for the next stage in the game.

Oh, he couldn't wait for when the game would REALLY begin. He found himself absentmindedly rubbing their back in circling patterns as his mind looked forward to the future and all it promised. Nuzzling his cheek in their hair, pulling a gentle sigh from them, his thoughts soon turning to wonder if their wife did the same, and the pang of jealously returned for just a moment.

For the rest of the night, Waldo remained. He didn't sleep. Instead he watched over the Detective, adjusting positions as the night wore on. At some point, feeling a little bored, he began to root around in the side tables, discovering to his delight that the detective had a little journal.

With the growing morning light, Waldo put on his glasses and began to skim through it, all while the Detective slumbered on against him, hugging his chest like a pillow. It was interesting to read the Detective's wild theories about him. Most were completely off the mark, of course, but it surprised him which were pretty close.

How clever my Detective is.

...

The Detective slept through the early morning, before waking up with a start just before the afternoon. Waldo was gone by then, but not before leaving a little note with some revisions for their theories. Waldo stole one last glance of them through the window, soaking in the visual of their bed head, before sauntering off down the sidewalk, twirling his cane with a giddy spring in his step.

"Until next time, my dear Detective."

~FIN~

___

Hope you all liked it! I like the idea that this Waldo doesn't like the idea of sharing the Detective with his other selves, instead wanting them all to himself. Potentially this is the same Waldo turned Odlaw, but who's to say? :0) Only the clowns know.

If you like my work, and would like to support me, consider checking out my Ko-Fi. I currently have art commissions up on there, but if you think you'd like something written like this, let me know.

Also go check out @nami-ramen's art if you haven't, I love how they draw Waldo!

BUY ME A KO-FI

[piko-rose]

Being a Sonamy fan is hard (and just being an Amy Rose fan in general)

*quick note, I have only seen a few leaks regarding Sonic X Shadow Generations so take this post with a grain of salt and please add in some stuff about the game that I should be aware of because I have a feeling that this post might be incorrect about a lot of things*

*contains possible Sonic X Shadow Generations spoilers*

Being in love with Sonic isn't Amy's only trait. She is something more. She's a baker, a tarot card user, she's got a strong heart of gold, and is just a passionate and cheerful cute little weird girl.

As a Sonamy fan, these "changes" are nothing special or big, it's still just Amy being Amy, but this time more than just wanting to be with Sonic. I am aware of that one edit where Amy was trying to give Sonic cupcakes. It's really cute, but it's not the same without the hand over her face. Am I complaining? Yes, and no, it's hard to describe. (I don't have the image with me atm but in the future I'll edited in on this post)

I'm not complaining because we are seeing Amy just doing more than just, loving over Sonic. She still is in that cutscene, and most of the game as far as I'm concerned (I haven't seen all of the leaks), but in a more calmer fashion.

But at the same time, I am complaining because, and I highly doubt SEGA is doing this, at least on purpose, but Amy's crush on Sonic feels like is getting buried in a way.

I kind of worry that a newer generation of Sonic fans will never find out about Amy's crush for Sonic, or just how wonderful their dynamic in general is if this keeps going on.

I know it won't, but still, we haven't been seeing that a lot. But at least if you want to introduce new fans Sonic and Amy's dynamic, platonically or romantically, make sure to not bring up Heroes or a couple of X episodes please LMAO

(But that one episode where Amy and Sam talk about her relationship with Sonic, yeah, bring that one up. OH. and the last episode of Season 2, don't forget about that one.)

Look, we're all high on Son/adow right now, and it feels good, but what about Sonamy? Sonamy and Son/adow have a lot in common and are both really good with angst potential and lots of great character interactions. At least in my opinion anyway. (Topic for another day, if I'm brave enough)

I love them both equally, so I want to see an equal amount of hedgehog dorks being together. Or better yet, Sonamyshad. 😎

But I'm getting slight off-topic...

I don't want Amy's crush to be forgotten. You don't even have to like Sonamy to understand why and how Amy's feelings for him is actually really important for her character. (Again, topic for another day)

I mean, of course, some reasons as of why relate to my personal headcanons, but there are other good in-canon reasons, too!

Hell, even Sonic and Amy's friendship is just as important. They don't have to be a couple, but that doesn't mean we have to pretend that Amy never fell in love with the hedgehog who saved her life in more ways than one.

I also don't want how much Sonic and Amy's relationship improved throughout the years to be forgotten, either. This is why I'd rather have the shot of Sonic's covering her face with his hand, because he wouldn't do this today, and that's the point of all this...

They both started off as goofy, little kids, one wanting to share her love like wildfire, and the other always running off, not understanding the concept of love, and, of course, not loving her back.

Amy was much more loud and expressive about her love, and Sonic, while he knows there is good in Amy, does not want to be part of a relationship, and doesn't know how to talk things out about it, even with Amy not taking "no" for an answer. The solution? Just run away lol

Yeah, there are times where he called her a "pain" and thought of her as "annoying," but those times he was either in a hurry, or in a bad mood. Remember: They were both younger at the time, so it's in-character for Sonic at that age.

Sonic and Amy don't have a lot of moments where they're just, together. And not just for a "date." Sonic doesn't know a lot about Amy other than her love for him. ...Okay, some things he does know, but not a lot.

Their relationship was beginning to shift after the events of Lost World and especially after Forces, which I would explain, but I'm gonna put a link here because I don't want this post to be too long.

But if you have read it, then the next couple of texts would have some context lol

Anyways, after all that, Sonic and Amy's relationship was a lot different now. Amy was more calm but still cheerful, just not showing a lot of her love for Sonic because she's fully aware that none of that is important, and Sonic was more gentle around her because he wanted to be better than how he acted towards her for a while.

They both just want to hang out and start over as proper friends, but eventually, Sonic would find out what Amy was going through mentally, and how long she kept this from him.

Perhaps after that, Sonic wouldn't mind being closer to Amy, but he still has a world to look after. But hey, maybe slowing down and letting Amy catch up with him won't be so bad. Besides, he's finally seeing her happy with just him for the first time in a while, and he never realized just how much he missed it until now.

Buuuuut, those are just my headcanons, like I mentioned earlier. We all have our reasons why we love or dislike a ship (as long as it's not gross), and I have my own.

These two, just like son/adow, hold a special place in my heart because of what I went through myself, and how much they both have grown, and I truly hope that their relationship and friendship won't be forgotten.

I know it won't happen, but I still have that feeling... Probably because no body cares about their dynamic as much anymore.

Because of the past and people misinterpreting the ship, and Amy's character as a whole, the fandom seemed to care less about it. I mean, I don't blame them, but... it's still pretty messed up.

It's fine if you don't like sonamy, but I really hope you dislike it for a genuine reason, and not just because of some fans getting some things, or worse, everything about Amy and/or the ship wrong.

Amy's character arcs through the games, and her and Sonic's dynamic through the years have been overlooked as far as I'm concerned. Not like heavily overlooked, it's just that it's been a while since I've seen people give a damn about Amy Rose, especially SEGA.

I know we got The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, but I feel like that's not enough.

What's going on with Sonic X Shadow Generations is pretty strange, but first of all, it's not Ian's fault god dammit, and second, I don't see it as a big deal. I haven't seen most of the leaks, but as far as I'm concerned, it's not that bad.

(But I have heard about that one cutscene with Knuckles and Classic Sonic and I couldn't help but laugh my ass off over it XD)

But with how the game is handling Amy, please be aware that this isn't the first time this happened, and it's not even that bad either. I mean, yeah I did mention how I'm worried about it, but I was over it once, I'll get over it again lol

There have been discussions about this since the Fast Friends Forever bio thing that happened last year, and I'm getting kind of tired of the arguments by now.

Amy stopped chasing Sonic not because she doesn't love him anymore, but because she doesn't need too. She is part of the team and has been closer with Sonic for a long time now. She doesn't need to follow them around when she already have proven herself to be useful and a fighter.

I'm really happy Amy is being recognized as something more than having a crush on Sonic, but having a crush is the heart of Amy's character.

Looking up to Sonic and wanting to be like him is what made Amy Rose... well, Amy Rose. She pushed herself and fought hard to be the person she wanted to be, and it's all thanks to Sonic.

He inspired a lot of people around him, especially Amy, so it's no wonder why she loves him so much. Plus, her tarot cards told her that he would be the love of her life, but I feel like even if the cards are wrong (not saying they are lol), she still loves him.

I want Amy's feelings for Sonic, and their friendship and their potential relationship to be remembered for a long time. I don't want them to be pushed to the side forever.

I don't want people to believe that her crush is her only trait, even though it's so important to her character.

I don't want Amy to change too much. Friends or not, I don't want her to give up on Sonic entirely.

I don't want this fandom to forget about Amy Rose.

[darkmaga-returns]

11/05/2024•Mises Wire•Tho Bishop

Today, in theory, will conclude the 2024 presidential election, one of the most bizarre in American political history. From inner-party coups to assassination attempts, Kamala’s Brat summer social media trend to Trump’s courting of comedian podcasts, the campaign cycle has been saturated with the unconventional. It has, of course, also seen its expected share of shallow, political, rhetorical rhetoric and general economic illiteracy, which are the cornerstones of modern democracy.

The general superficial nature of mainstream political discourse, though, should not distract us from recognizing foundational truths about the state of modern American politics. No matter the outcome, the legitimacy of American democracy is broken.

In 2020, this was in full display, as was the response from Donald Trump and his supporters. Fueled by the unprecedented changes to the election under the shadow of covid, President Trump refused to concede the election. Polls showed the majority of his supporters agreed with him, and from that seed of distrust grew renewed concerns over illegal voters, manipulable voting machines, and rising awareness over the security of vote-by-mail ballots. To this day, large portions of the country continue to believe the Biden administration was illegitimate.

How would Democrats have reacted in the face of a similarly close race resulting in a Trump victory last election? While the counterfactual is impossible to consider in practice, hints were already publicly available before election day 2020. In Biden campaign war games, John Podesta, a long-time Democrat operative, outlined a strategy quite similar to the one Trump embarked on. As reported at the time, this included Democrat-swing state governors being pressured into promoting friendly alternative electors to vote in the electoral college under the guise of reversing Republican “voter suppression” efforts. Unlike the Republican response in 2020, this appeal would have been strengthened by blue-state secession threats should Trump have been inaugurated.

Would Joe Biden have followed through with this strategy if this alternative timeline had played out? We will never know. Nor can we know the potential effectiveness of this strategy, though it is likely such efforts would have been treated quite differently than Trump’s response.

Still, as we look forward, what is clear here is that the willingness for either side to accept, without question, the basic machinery of American politics has broken down significantly. The centralization of power within Washington, which consistently elevates the stakes of national politics, coupled with significant ideological shifts (particularly on the left), and the perceived danger Trump represents to American political institutions, regardless of his demonstrated ability to follow through after 2016, has created a dynamic where the incentives to concede power for the alleged “national good” have all but broken down.

Each side is motivated by a spirit of self-preservation, not politics.

[linuxgamenews]

Experience Zoria: Age of Shattering: A New Squad-Based Tactical RPG

Zoria: Age of Shattering launches the squad-based tactical RPG game on Linux and Windows PC. Thanks to the skilled crew at Tiny Trinket Games for their incredible work. Which now full released on Steam, GOG, and Humble Store. Zoria: Age of Shattering, this title just launched worldwide on Linux and Windows PC. What's interesting is the timing of this launch. Anshar Publishing and Tiny Trinket Games decided to release it on what they're calling "International Stop Playing Baldur's Gate 3 Day." Since they're aiming at RPG fans who might be looking for their next adventure after wrapping up their breakfast. So, what's the Zoria: Age of Shattering launch all about? First off, it's a solo game that takes a twist on your traditional tactical RPG. The combat is faster than other titles in the same genre, focusing heavily on how well your characters work together. You're not just battling it out; there's a whole layer of managing an outpost and handling followers.

Zoria: Age of Shattering | Launch Trailer

The story sets you in the Kingdom of Zoria, now a shadow of its former glory thanks to some nasty hellspawn that took over. The green forests, grand buildings, and bustling towns? They've turned into something straight out of a nightmare. So your job is to assemble a team of warriors and mages. A group of four here, ready to take back the kingdom. Zoria: Age of Shattering packs a punch with features in the launch. You've got this dynamic combat system where the battlefield is always changing. Then there's the base building aspect. It's not just about fighting; it's also about growing your base and making strategic decisions about your squad. Also sending them on missions without you. And survival? A big part of it. Crafting, resting, stocking up – these are crucial. The bonfire becomes your haven, a place to gear up for what's next. Plus, the skills of your party members don't just matter in combat. They launch new paths and quests, adding layers to how you play Zoria: Age of Shattering. I have to tip my hat to the creators for adding a bit of humor to their press release. They’re inviting feedback and seem keen on shaking things up in future updates. Zoria: Age of Shattering isn't just launching another RPG. It's a blend of fast-paced tactical battles, deep team management, and survival elements. All while taking place in a rich fantasy world that's begging to be reclaimed. Whether you're a hardcore squad-based tactical RPG fan or just looking for something new to dive into, this might just be your next big thing. Available on Steam at regular price. While being discounted 10% on GOG, and Humble Store, priced at $22.49 USD / £18.89 / 22,49€. Along with support for Linux and Windows PC, of course.

[sleepsentry]

for the ask game, number 8: unpopular fandom opinion(s) regarding gravity falls. also, love your work. ^_^

Thank you! ^^

Of course these are based on my assumptions about what's popular and these are takes I haven't seen around in the wild.

This kinda just devolves into a headcanon list towards the end. haha ^^'

OK so hmmmm oh boy there's a lot:

Gravity Falls is NOT the best thing ever it just had a bunch of really talented people working on it who made it super fun. But it's far from a golden standard and I don't think it should be held up as a standard, that idea is reductive and creatively stifling.

I don't like comparing Amphibia, Owl House, Duck Tales (2017), Inside Job and many others to Gravity Falls. The similarities are superficial and those shows shouldn't be living in Gravity Fall's shadow. They deserve to stand tall and cast their own.

On that note Alex Hirsch is just some guy and I don't like his stuff on its own that much. He's not that funny or interesting to me, but he is just some guy. Hope he doesn't turn out to be a shitty dude. *shrug*

Stanley is overrated (I love him but jeez guys. He's not that endearing.)

Rick and Morty x Gravity Falls is a terrible crossover, tonally, technically and thematically. (I also am just very unimpressed by rick and morty in general)

Stanchez is bad. Rick can eat my shorts. Stan "deserves better". Obviously the fan creations are good. But they don't change my mind about the base idea.

The stans both did nothing wrong ever and I love them deeply without comparing them. (joke I know they fuck up, but they fuck up together.)

Fiddauthor is mid and boring. It comes off as amatonormative and people overall are very exclusionary over it wich is just being a dick and using a ship preference to justify it. (I dont mean to be mean but yeah, you guys are doing fine you can take some salt.)

Ford and Fidd are more like siblings than a couple.

Ford and Fidd both dismissed eachother and the miscommunication was on both of them. (Similair to stan and ford it's no one character's fault)

Ford and Fidd's relationship has more emotional weight viewed through the platonic lense of fidds being older than ford by two or three years and "adopting" him as a "little brother" in college, and how that followed them into their 30s even when the age gap had long become irrelevant. Rather than just "gay sad nerds have marital issues" as fun as that sounds.

Fiddleford is a crazy, scary, adorable, kind, stupid, genuis. This man contains multitudes, I try my best not to flanderize him into one over the other. He can be all those fun things.

Fiddlestan is inherently more funny and compelling than fiddauthor. (To me, to me.)

Fillbrick wasn't the devil incarnate he was just a shit dad, wich fair enough is very bad. Haha (idk there isn't enough of him for me to truly hate and I'd rather not assume the worst, I deal with abusive parents enough in my day to day I don't need to add one to my fav silly show haha)

Billford isn't "toxic" it's too bizarre for that, and much is left to be inferred about both characters and their dynamic. (Again, assuming the worst instead of something more fitting and fun) It's obviously bad for ford but I thought everyone hated him when he isn't nice to stan or being shipped with fidds so it should be cool. (Sarcasm)

Dipper and mabel fuck up equally and mabel is generally more empathetic and aware of the world around her than dipper who hyperfocuses. (Been there pal.)

Mabel is more similar to Ford and Dipper is more similar to Stan

Dipper is a good boy but a bit on the boring side for me. He's fine. I like him well enough.

Mabel is more relatable to me, but I relate to dip's anxiety disorder so bad.

Dipper would NOT grow up to look like Ford. He'd look like shermy or stan.

Mabel would grow up to be bigger and broader than dipper. She'd also be the one to get glasses and look more like ford. She's already halfway there with the hair and jumpers (sweaters)

Jokes about ford failing to impress girls are cringe, heteronormative and bad. And ford doesn't like anyone. (Bill is his own can of eldritch worms)

Dipper doesn't like girls in the way he thought he should and that's why his crush on wendy played out the way it did, it was never really about her, it was about his relationship to her. How she helped him find someone to admire, and was kinda his first real friend who he felt was cool and understood him, heteronormativity made him think he liked her romantically. He so obviously didn't that it hurts my soul.

Mabcifica is underrated as hell and more interesting than dipcifica. That being said.

I do ship dipcifica but in a queer way. You guys don't get it. They're queer.

The cis/heteronormative takes where pacifica and dipper have children together and dipper looks older but Pacifica is just her kid face on a sexy lady bod make me uncomfortable.

And that's why Dipper, Mabel and Pacifica could grow up into a polyamorous "Vee" relationship. [When one person is dating two people who aren't dating eachother, in this case obviously cause they're twins. It forms a "V" from Pacifica to the Pines twins ^^]

What was this ask originally about?

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 21, part one

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Reunions

All together in The Unclean Realm, The Yunmeng trio find a spot inside where they can sit down and have a proper Yanli-Wuxian reunion, while Jiang Cheng sits across the table watching them. 

For years Jiang Cheng has been rejecting Wei Wuxian's free and easy affection; now Yanli might be the only person Wei Wuxian offers to hug until Wen Yuan comes into his life.

Jiang Cheng is really going through it. He'll do nearly anything for Yanli--except, uh, stay in the goddamn inn with her when she's sick and the Wens are hunting them--and what makes her happiest is Wei Wuxian. He's brought them together, and so he's happy, even though he's excluded from their dynamic. This absolutely fucking kills me.

Here Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian are sweetly pledging to always keep the trio together and put each other first. Neither of them will keep this promise. 

Wei Wuxian will leave first, to take the Wens to the Burial Mounds. Jiang Yanli will leave second, staying in Lanling at Jin Zixuan's request instead of accompanying Jiang Cheng to retrieve Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng will be the last to let go.

(more after the cut)

Nie Huaisang comes literally running in, filled with joy at Wei Wuxian's return. When he goes to pat his shoulder Wei Wuxian flinches away.

I feel like something important is happening in this rapid sequence of glances and expressions between Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang. NHS is startled, and WWX realizes he's shown something about himself that he didn't want to show. He glances at Jiang Cheng and back at NHS before laughing and covering his slip with a squeeze of NHS’s hand.

NHS switches from shocked to cheerful just as quickly, helping with the coverup. It’s like they have a quick mutual agreement, rooted in their history of shared shenanigans, to not point out that something is wrong.

Meanwhile, Lan Wangji is wandering around the grounds, having feelings. At this point it's presumably been at least a couple of weeks since their breakup fight. 

He sees Wei Wuxian sitting contemplating his flute, and as he sees him he goes from sort of neutrally apprehensive to full on angry judging, complete with sword clenching. 

Part of this may be that his feelings are hurt over their fight, but the larger issue is his distress over Wei Wuxian's apparent heretical cultivation.  That, at any rate, is what's on his mind when he's selecting music, later in the episode, and when he's selecting flashbacks. 

Party Time

Later, the Nies host an excruciating party to celebrate Wei Wuxian's slaughter of Wen Chao return. Jiang Yanli is sharing a table with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng is sharing a table with his crippling social anxiety. 

Everyone starts grilling Wei Wuxian about his sword, because that's suddenly all anybody cares about even though Jiang Yanli, Nie Huaisang, Meng Yao, and probably plenty of other people don't carry swords most of the time.

Wei Wuxian says "after the Wens caught me, Wen Zhuliu crushed my core, so I can't use my sword any more, too bad so sad, can we change the subject?" And everyone is very understanding and admires his resiliency. HA HA HA HA HA. Of course he doesn't opt for that simple lie, but instead mopes audibly without saying anything.

Nie Huasiang tries to change the subject by asking how he killed Wen Chao. Apparently "I had a sexy ghost mostly flay him" isn't good party chat, though, so neither Wei Wuxian nor Jiang Cheng opts to tell the story. 

Everyone lapses into awkward silence, all the more noticeable because there are no dancers, musicians, or entertainers of any kind at this event. OP has gone to audit-kickoff meetings that were more fun than cultivator banquets.

Moment of Clarity

While the awkwardness builds, we hear the sounds of the Song of Clarity. Lan Wangji is skipping the party, which is part of why Wei Wuxian is so mopey. But instead of sitting and stewing in his anger, Lan Wangji has shifted gears, and is starting to work on his "save Wei Wuxian's soul" plan.

This isn't the God-botherer version of soul saving, however. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian disagree about correct practice, but they both are still practitioners within the same spiritual system, and the majority of their beliefs are closely aligned.

Lan Wangji has powerful magic at his disposal, and now he's taking a step back from his plan of forcing persuading Wei Wuxian to give up heterodoxy, and instead he's preparing to use his magic to offset the consequences of Wei Wuxian's choice.

He still isn't ready to accept that choice, but he's working on it. This is a big moment for Lan Wangji's relationship with Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji is a deeply, deeply uncompromising person, as well as being super bossy, and he’s taking his first steps toward supporting Wei Wuxian’s free agency. 

Wei Wuxian leaves the party in the middle of Yao's toast, saying "I have to see you and your lover all over my tumblr dashboard but I am NOT going to listen to you talk!" He takes his wine to go roam around near Lan Wangji's quarters to pine and feel conflicted.  Lan Wangji has thoughtfully set up a projection scrim to catch his shadow and make the pining easier.

Jiang Cheng comes looking for Wei Wuxian, partly to reprimand him for rudeness and partly to see what the hell is wrong with him. Jiang Cheng is trying very hard to be pleasant. He's bad at it, but he's trying.

Wei Wuxian is trying to be unpleasant and he's pretty good at it. He won't say why he isn't using his sword. He’s obviously super fucking depressed about it, calling his former self childish for liking to spar, and only smiling once during the whole exchange.

He finally tells Jiang Cheng that he will always want to do the opposite of what Jiang Cheng tells him.  Jiang Cheng lets this go with an eyeroll.

(Point Break Quote Alert)

But actually this is a sign of trouble, right here in River City, with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for abandoning the Jiang Clan. Wei Wuxian has just told Jiang Cheng he has no intention of obeying him; not just about the sword, but in general. That's no way for a disciple to talk. 

OP has nothing to say about this gif. OP watches gif over and over and over and over

Wei Wuxian ends the conversation by tapping Jiang Cheng's chest with his flute and then walking away. The (still nameless) flute has no problem with this - does it, like Subian, recognize Jiang Cheng as an extension of Wei Wuxian?

The next day, Wei Wuxian is chilling in his room, looking ungodly sexy in his bold slashed robe, holy frack. I mean, he is sex-on-toast at all times, but the cut of his post-burial-mounds combo is particularly heart-stopping when he decides to stick a knee or two out. 

He's meditating and flashing back to being in the burial mounds, where he was also meditating. I admire his ability to fractally meditate about meditating. 

Chenqing

He didn't put a sock on the doorknob, so Jiang Yanli comes in and startles him. He brandishes his flute at her before calming down. The flute definitely does not see her as an extension of Wei Wuxian, because when she touches it, it smokes and then knocks her out of the frame so fast it's comical.

Did they put her in a jerk vest for that shot?

Wei Wuxian hides the flute from her, freaked out by its behavior. She, however, is unfazed, and gives him the first & only affirmation he's gotten about his new cultivation path, and says the flute is "like Mother's Zidian."  She kind of walks him through the whole "first class spiritual tool" concept, beaming with approval and telling him he must name the flute.  

Jiang Yanli is hardcore Jiang Clan, seriously. Freedom and impossibility. You survived 3 months of mystery trauma and now you're all fucked up? We'll roll with it. You have a demon flute now? Rock on. You're going to use necromancy to beat the other clans in a group hunt? Gold star for you.

He names the flute Chenqing, which @hunxi-guilai​ translates and explains in depth over here.

Bichen

Lan Wangji has finished practicing the Song of Clarity, and regardless of whether it's had an effect on Wei Wuxian, he himself seems much calmer. 

As Wei Wuxian contemplates Chenqing, Lan Wangji contemplates Bichen and remembers Wei Wuxian's assertions about resentful energy way back in Gusu summer school. 

This time when he grips his sword, it's loosely, as if he's made some progress with his anger.

Soup

Jiang Yanli sits Wei Wuxian down for some soup, and talks to him about what's going on with him, saying he's changed. He insists he's fine and works very hard to be convincing.

She's not convinced but says she won't press him, and then abruptly shifts tone and works very hard to act like everything is fine. She leaves, taking a lot of soup with her, and Wei Wuxian remarks that it's unfair she is giving so much to Jiang Cheng. But of course, some of it is secretly for Jin Zixuan.

Everything isn't fine, as Wei Wuxian scream-meditates with resentful energy just rolling off of him. He's got some of the dark energy stored in the Yin sword in his bag of holding, but I get the impression that a lot of it is just stored in his body.

Club Ruohan

At some point in the episode we stop in to check on Wen Ruohan. He and his wind machine are mad that Wen Chao is dead. 

Meanwhile, his interpretive dances with the Yin iron now turn his puppets into...Klingons? Sure, why not. 

Literal Stand-Up Meeting 

Jiang Cheng needs Wei Wuxian at games night a meeting and comes running to Jiang Yanli to find him. He is freaking out and she tells him to chill. 

No matter what fuckery is going on in the world, Jiang Yanli is going to find herself a nice little outdoor table and she is going to sit her ass down and have some tea and civilized lady activity. Queen.

This shot of the meeting is composed so nicely. The blocking (placement of actors) in this scene encapsulates the familial dynamics, and I’ll talk about that as soon as I finish admiring Jiang Cheng’s proportions. 

Here we have four clans represented by four family pairs around the game war table. The Jin cousins, despite their differing personalities, are side by side, matchy-matchy, in lockstep. Jin Zixuan lets Jin Zixun do the talking for him, so maintains his own rep as a reasonable guy.  

The Nie brothers are even closer together, also in matching greys, Nie Huaisang giving all of his attention to his brother/clan leader. You can see his careful watching of his brother's temper...not fearful for himself, but fearful for Mingjue.

The Lan brothers have a growing distance between them; they are in different colors (which is pretty usual for them), and Lan Wangji is standing well away from his brother and the rest of the group. Partly this is his personality, but it's also symbolic of his growing distance from his brother and other proper cultivators. He's carrying WWX-related secrets, and he's wrestling with what he's learned.  

While Nie Huaisang is looking at Mingjue, Lan Xichen is turning around to see what's up with his own volatile sibling.

Lastly you have Jiang Cheng, alone in the room, with his shidi nowhere to be found, and seriously feeling the heat because of his isolation. 

He's alone in his purple, but the color value (lightness/darkness) of his robes exactly matches Xichen's. 

And Xichen, bless him, makes a point of speaking to him respectfully as a fellow clan leader, gives him a path out of the "where is your brother" conversation, and is just generally his kind and helpful self with Jiang Cheng.

Next: Awkwardness Increases!

[whenimgoodandready]

How smart was Marinette to have used the Mouse Miraculous during her battle with Kwamibuster to give each of her tiny clones the other miraculouses so she won’t fall ill since wearing too many causes major side effects. Monarch found this out the hard way! :P. Course, I always thought it was cuz she was younger and had more stability that’s why, so I’d like to think that too. Dear Mullo was safe with Fu then used carefully by Marinette and as guessed by fans, given to Mylene (who fits her mousy personality) who became Polymouse and helped save the day with her love for the environment (“Mega Leech”). Now, they’re stuck with the rest of the Kwamies with psycho Gabe. What’s he gonna do with them!? Make copies of himself!? Wait! That’s what happened last time. Or was that the Fox Miraculous?…….Yeah, that was the fox one. So now what!? Let’s find out:

*Multiplication-Monarch said he would attack “restlessly” until Ladybug and Cat Noir surrender their miraculouses……..Humph, look at that! It’s been months and his statement was just as bullsh*t as Marinette claiming she doesn’t love Adrien anymore. Again! You mean like when she said that in the New York special? Or when dealing with Mr.Pigeon for the 72th time!? Sure Marinette 🙄. Are Monarch and her shoveling the same sh*t pile? We’ll circle back on Monarchs words later, but maybe Marinette is “serious” this time. After all, it was her blind love to Adrien that she mistook Felix for him which had Felix double cross her and steal almost all the miraculouses to give to Gabe! Villain has a point where Monarch did say love was their downfall. Keep that in mind.

Adrien did the impossible, he finally told Gabe he doesn’t wanna model anymore! (party music plays)🎉👏👏👏🎉He finally listened to Marinettes words and went OOC to stick it to Felix that he can! (Shadow Moths Final Attack:Part 1-“Risk”). And guess what!? Gabe was okay with it!? (music screeches to a stop). Yeah! Just like that! He was like, “Okay, whatever, enjoy your freedom”. You mean to tell me all that built up resentment and annoyance of modeling this whole entire time in the show like the Ladybug and Cat Noir music video with him as Cat (“Frightningale”), the voice acting for the movie as Cat (“Animaestro”) and the “cologne” ad he was tricked into doing (“Mega Leech”) and Adrien now thinks it was just that simple!? Sounds too simple if you ask me. But, he’s a free man now and can spend the days relaxing even if the “threat of Paris” is at large! Although the crime fighting duo were keeping a lookout at his next “attack” all was good as gold as the sun was shining, kids were playing video games, doing yoga to chill and positivity was blooming.

Yup! Everyone in Paris lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when Ikari Gozen attacked. Ok! Back to the ushe, the dynamic duo stop her, but this time without Ryuko and then-HOLD UP! Did she just make copies of herself!? Using the Mouse Miraculous!? Don! Don! Don! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!? WAIT! SHE DOESN’T HAVE THE MOUSE MIRACULOUS TO DO THAT!?😳 Don! Don! Don! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!? Again! I. Am. So. Confused.

To clarify heres the answers to everything:Felix is hiding (well, this’ll make the Lilix (or was it Felila) shippers happy since both have the same idea of being in the dark) and his mom was covering for him when the heroes flew over to London to confront him on his betrayal. This is a gray area on their situation; On one hand, Felix did wrong by giving nearly all the miraculous to Gabe and his mom lying to the heroes, but on the other hand, we still don’t know if he did it for the right reasons to keep the concept of sentimonsters safe (like if he and Adrien are rumored to be so) and if his mom was just being either protective or oblivious about the situation. Is Felix even evil? Is he neutral? What’s he gonna do with the Peacock Miraculous!? Is he gonna tell Adrien about Gabe being Monarch!? Alix will be absent for a long time as she’s spending all her time time traveling and making sure no harm happens in the future. Phew! Least she’ll be safe from Monarch. Her dad even explained it so her friends won’t have to worry. Safe travels Bunnyx! (salutes). Guess there’s no miraculous rescue each ep cuz seriously, how the f**k are the duo gonna get every single one back if Monarch stays hidden!? Kagamies mother, Tomoe, is working with Gabe/Monarch! Don! Don! Don! That’s what happened! She’s the new Nathalie. Did Tomoe knew this whole time Gabe was the villain? Was she evil all along!? What does she get out of this!? Speaking of being the new Nat, she came back to check up on Adrien in secret. How ‘bout you just tell the poor kid his dads a psycho terrorist and save him!? It’s the reverse love square we’ve been dying for! Or not. We all know the routine:Marinette says she’s moving on from Adrien, her heart tells her no, Adrien grows closer to Marinette, but doesn’t realize it’s love, he continues to chase Ladybug, Blah! Blah! Blah! UGH! F**K THIS SH*T! I’m not getting into this again! It’s the rings! Those rings we saw in the promo pics for the season! Gabe turned the miraculouses into rings! Now he’s made this Siri-like rings, using either Adrien or Lila holograms, with Tomoe (who tested them out as Ikari Gozen) to sell to people so they’ll get akumatized and have the powers of which ever miraculous Monarch transmits to them! Don! Don! Don! Holy Sh*t! PROTEST THOSE RINGS! PROTEST THOSE RINGS! SOMEBODY GET MYLENE ON THIS! PROTEST THOSE RINGS! You know, eventually in the long run of the season, Marinette/Ladybug is gonna notice that’s how Monarch is using his new powers, so now comes the slow moving realization. Okay, we’ll see how many episodes that takes (waits nonchalantly).

[themonotonysyndrome]

REDACTED verse - The aloof Bombay & wounded Border Collie

Summary: They say you are what you are in the dark. So you prove just who you are when there's only you and Frederick in a dark house, with no one else around. 

TW: [Swearing], [Profanity], [Angst with a happy ending] & [Mild panic attack]

So, first thing first, a little backstory about this oneshot. I had already written out the first scene a week before Redacted announced the discontinuation of Frederick & Bright Eyes series. Although he mentioned that it’s fine to continue on writing headcanons about the two, I was hesitant to continue writing this fic. 

But I’ve been missing them terribly so I sat my ass down and finally completed it! Yay! Fred & Bright Eyes had one of the most interesting dynamics in this fandom so I wanted to give it a go based on my headcanons of them. 

-

There's a strange sort of energy hovering around Vincent and Sam lately. 

It's not subtle either. Its anxiety, stress and uncertainty all roll together into a heavily dense fog that makes you itches under the skin. 

This has been going on for days now. 

Vincent constantly has thick textbooks with him whenever he comes over to Sam's place. They would exchange short pleasantries before Sam hurried off to his Werewolf beau (it's sort of funny the first time Sam returns home, and you spotted courses of wolf's hair stuck onto the hem of his clothes and jeans. You figured that this man's main hobby was tussling with Wolves, but when Sam would sneak back into his own fucking house like a teenager, it wasn't hard to put two-and-two together). Vincent would then make sure that you and Frederick are fed, settled in for the night before he completely ignores the two of you in favour of his school work. 

As if the two of you are a pair to toddlers. You'd laugh if it didn't annoy you. 

Fred, ever the gentle sweetheart, attempted to make small talks at first. Tentatively asking if he's stressed out over exams and if there's anything he could do to help - the result was expected. With pen in hand, notebooks and the two hundred and one pages depicting the foundations of magical healing, Vincent rather absentmindedly shooed him away. 

Sam is arguably the worst. Ever since he stepped outside of the house during their crash course of the Empowered creatures in Dahlia to answer a phone call, he returns with lines on his forehead and shoulders tensed as hell. 

Their impromptu lesson ended just like that when another Clan member had to babysit the two of you after Sam stormed out of the house. 

You don't know whether they realise how taunt their strings have been, and you don't really care, honestly. Just curious; you're pretty confident that something big will happen soon. 

At least there's something exciting to look forward to other than Sam's disapproving frowns and Fred's frustrated attempts at making you bear your heart and guts out. 

And something big will happen soon. Apparently, there's something equivalent to a magical Olympics that occurs every year called the Elemental & Energetic Games, and this year, the local supernatural academy would be the one hosting it in Dahlia. Interesting. 

Speaking of which, you could hear Vincent talking to his lover outside your bedroom through his phone. "Sam's on the way... yeah, he just texted me." A short pause. "Yeah, I can do that. Hey, hey, Lovely - listen to me. Everything's going to be alright. You've been practising non-stop for the Games. You deserve a special night for a change. So here's what we're going to do: I'll pick up some of that blueberry pie you love so much on the way back, we'll watch some movies after dinner and then have an early night so you'll feel better tomorrow. Sounds good? Nice. Oh wait - I think I can hear Sam outside. See you in a little bit. Love you too, Lovely." 

You tune the outside world after that. It makes sense now why Vincent was stressed out; he's busy playing the good boyfriend. 

With a tired sigh, you try your best to occupy your mind. It's three hours to midnight, but to Vampires, that's practically early morning, and you're already so bored. You don't want to step out of your little sanctuary if it means having to deal with Sam, Vincent and Fred tonight. 

Or ever. Forever sounds good. 

Not knowing what else to do, you pushed yourself out of bed and padded towards the window sill. The cool night air greets you as well as the trees and shadows that stretch on for miles. Once you and Fred were officially brought under Sam's care as his Progenies, you quickly realise that his house is located on the outskirts of Dahlia. Where the forests sprawl behind the abode and the city lights are just far enough not to pollute the night sky. 

A perfect place to raise a pair of unplanned Newborn Vampires. You conclude that either Sam enjoys living by himself in a secluded property or that this house was given to him by Mr. Solaire. 

Either way, you would've love to sneak out and explore the forest if it weren't for the magical wards that Sam had warned the two of you. The moment you or Fred steps out of the immediate area, Sam would know right away that one of them disobeyed his rules. 

So despite the pleasant night air, there's a strum of anxiety and restlessness stirring within you. Is it because of Sam's recent behaviours or the upcoming Games? You can't tell, not when no one is bothered enough to tell you what's going on. 

You take a deep breath and take your sweet time to exhale the air out. There's no use in working yourself up; not when you just need to get through this Newborn phase. It's better to think of the future. 

And that bastard's mangled corpse at your feet. 

"You should've listened to your friend, little mouse." 

Ironically, the monster's voice is the only thing keeping you sane during this whole happy house facade that Sam and Frederick insist on playing. Late-night fantasies of ripping that smug's asshole to pieces are the only thing that keeps you going, sad as it is. 

It's not revenge; it's justice. It's your atonement for hurting Frederick. What good would apologies serve when you can present that monster's head to him? You're not deluded enough to play the victim; you're the reason why the two of you are the way you are now, but you'll be damn if you admit that to Sam. 

Sam's already blamed you for what happened to Fred. Even if he never says it. His lingering glances and furrowed brows are telling enough. There's no need to give him more ammunition against you. 

You breathe in and out again; willing yourself to calm down. So you start to distract yourself by planning to gather enough money and resources to leave the Clan once Mr. Solaire deems that you're safe to be on your own and to others. His kind smile and knowing eyes should've made you uncomfortable, but all you can feel is genuine compassion and understanding coming from that ancient Vampire King. 

So. Priorities: Passing the Newborn period, gather enough money, clothes and anything else that's important, thank Mr. Solaire for taking you into his Clan, and if it's not too presumptuous, ask him to continue to care for Fred. 

A knock on the door startles you from your train of thoughts, but you keep your gaze on the dark forest laid before you. 

You heard the door creak as it slowly swings open and then, "Bright Eyes? Is... Is everything ok?" 

It's Fred. Of course, it would be Fred. 

"Mm-hmm." You reply absentmindedly. You didn't even have to look at him to know that he doesn't believe your bullshit. And him being your Sire makes it impossible to lie to him, so you often gives out vague responses. 

Most of these days, your interactions with him are curt, with doubt thrown into the mix. Fred is hesitant to press you when you brush away his questions, and in return, you hide as often as possible so you wouldn't step on any emotional landmines in this house. 

"Are you sure? Because I can kind of sense that you're upset..." Fred said after a brief moment of hesitation. Ah, it's going to be one of those nights. 

The bond between a Sire and his Progeny once again proves to be a fucking nuisance. Not only could you not lie to Fred, but he could also sense phantom emotions coming from you. So much for privacy. 

"It's fine, Fred. I was just thinking." There. Not a lie but not the total truth either. 

"O-Oh." From the doorway, Fred bit his lower lip. Why is it getting harder and harder to approach Bright Eyes nowadays? He hates this distance between them. He hates how they rarely left their room. 

He hates how it feels like he's losing his friend as the days go by. 

"Do you, uh, maybe want to play a game or something? Vincent hooked up a Playstation 5 before he left. I think he also left some video games - "

"I'm not in the mood to play tonight, Fred. Maybe tomorrow." 

Fred sighs at the clear dismissal. It honestly hurt; Bright Eyes constant rebuff is getting sharper and sharper. Without another word, Fred left Bright Eyes to their thoughts. 

As usual, nothing is absolved tonight. 

-

It's a boring rainy Wednesday night. The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops against the shutters promises an incoming storm when you hear the sound of rumbling thunders approaching the city from a distance. 

Tonight, Vincent is too busy at D.A.M.N to babysit you and Fred. Sam already left the house an hour after the sun had set with his usual instructions not to go beyond the wards and that a Clan member would be coming over to supervise them. 

Why does this feel like you and Fred are the unwanted children from a divorced couple? Oh well, all the more reason to leave the clan ASAP. 

You plan to brood in your room as usual after draining your share of the blood bags in the fridge. However, the moment you take three steps out of the kitchen, lightning flashes across the sky. 

The power trip, hurtling the entire house into total darkness. 

"The circuit breaker," You murmur, inhumane eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness as you look around the area in 4K HD. "Did Sam ever mentioned where it was?" You tried to recall the house's layout from Sam's words alone, but you tend to tune out his voice whenever he speaks more than twenty minutes. So it looks like you better start from the basement.  

Just when you're about to head downstairs, a whimper froze you. You tilt your head towards one of the bedrooms. 

The sound is coming from Fred's. 

You stood your ground for only a few seconds of hesitation before you quietly approached his bedroom and slowly opened the door as to not startle him — concern creeping into your heart. 

Just like the rest of the house, Fred's bedroom is completely dark. Lightning flashed once more to illuminate Fred's huddled figure on the floor near the window. He's breathing very hard and rapidly with his head in between his knees. 

Your heart twisted into a knot at the sight of a frightened Fred, and you couldn't help but wonder if this is how he looked like when that monster hurt him. 

You forcefully put that thought away. You're horrible with words, but there's one way you can still comfort him. 

Fred's breath hitches when your back lean against his. "B-Bright Eyes?" He calls out with a choked sob, head slightly raised in surprise. 

When you said nothing, Fred let out a ragged sigh. "What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't stand the sight of me." 

You blink and turn your head to give him a side-eye. Say what? 

"Don't give me that l-look." Fred snaps after a sniffle. "You could hardly look at my face lately, and you only leave your bedroom whenever you have to eat. If it weren't for that, you'd happily pretend that Sam and I don't even exist." 

"That's because whenever I'm around, you keep wanting to talk about Wonderworld, and Sam keeps shooting me looks as if I'm a shitstain underneath his fucking boots." You shoot back reflexively. 

Much to the surprise of absolutely no one, your words upset Fred even further. "You can't talk about Sam like that! He's been nothing but kind to us. To you and you just - "

"He blames me for what happened to you!" Fred can't be this oblivious, can he?

Behind you, Fred went stiff.

"You're his Progeny, and I'm the deadweight that he's stuck with because you Turned me. He knows it, Vincent knows it. Fuck it, everyone in the Clan knows it! So why should I give a damn when I'm unwanted? And that's alright! That's totally alright! You want to know why that's alright, Freddy?" Lightning split the night sky. A rather powerful thunder shakes the house, but at this moment, nothing exists except for you, Fred and the tension that has been brewing between the two of you the moment your humanities were forfeit.  

"I'm not planning to stay here any longer than I have to! The moment Mr. Solaire give us the green light, I'm out of Dahlia! Buh-bye! You and Sam can do whatever the fuck you want, but I don't want to stay in this city any longer! I don't have anything left here!" 

Silence enveloped the bedroom. What are you even doing here? Why did you even think you could comfort Fred when all you've been doing is hurting him. Even now! This was a mistake. You should've - 

"I was right. I'm losing you too..." 

"Uh, what?" 

Fred tucks his head in between legs tighter as if he's trying to hide from the world. "I think I always knew that you were going to leave me when you started to pull away from everyone. That's why I wanted us to talk about that Halloween night so badly." His voice is ragged, tears stream down his face. "Y-You said that you don't have anything left in Dahlia, but... you're all that I have left and if you leave... I..." Fred sighed and quietly continued, "I thought I was your friend. I thought I meant something to you." 

"I've hurt you." You reply, just as quietly. "I've been hurting you since Wonderworld, and even tonight, I'm hurting you. I didn't listen to you that night, and because of it, we're here. You lost your family, friends and future and for that I'm... I'm so sorry, Fred. You didn't deserve anything that happened to you." 

"Thank you, Bright Eyes. I-I needed to hear that." Fred reply. When he reaches for your hand, you squeeze it back. "What happened was... fucked up, but none of us knew about that Vampire. Or that Vampires actually exist. So it's stupid of me to blame you for our d-deaths." 

"But I didn't listen - "

"Yes, you didn't listen but will you listen to what I have to say now, Bright Eyes? Please? I want us to move on from this together. I want us to be better." 

Perhaps it's how raw and near begging Fred sounds that both of your walls are down tonight. Perhaps, tonight, you finally realise that it's you that doesn't like confrontations and that despite Fred's gentle and reserved nature, he has no problem mending the wounds between the two of you with force if he has to. Huh, who could've thought? 

The two of you talk for hours in the darkness. It feels so awkward to bear your heart to Fred after everything, but to your immense surprise and relief, he listens to you patiently, and once you're done, he let you into his heart. All the fears, insecurities, regrets, shame and horror are laid between you and together, you address them one by one until the storm lets up. 

And when the silver light of the moon peeking through heavy clouds, you found yourself snuggling with Fred on his bed. Your head tucks into the crook of his neck while Fred's arm is around you. It's strange how lighter your heart is now. 

"Have you stop crying already?" You ask, wondering if you'd need to run to the kitchen to make a simple bag of ice for Fred's red, puffy eyes before they swelled. 

Fred snort. He sniffles and squeezes your body in assurance. Being slightly taller than you, it feels sort of nice to be held like this. Despite their heartfelt conversation and confessions, the trauma they both carry is still fresh, but now, it doesn't feel like an overwhelming miasma threatening to drown you in guilt and sorrow. "Yeah, yeah. I'm alright now. It feels good to finally cry after... after everything." 

"Can't relate." You bluntly interject. "I usually get pissed off after a crying session." 

"I can actually believe that." Fred giggles. "I'm beginning to understand you a lot better, Bright Eyes. Thank you for listening; I know that words are hard for you, so I'm very grateful that you want to work things out as much as I do." 

"Mn." 

Outside, the rain has become a gentle drizzle, and the stars ushered a bright full moon. It's too lovely of a night to brood; you might as well take a nap with Fred. 

"Bright Eyes?" Fred suddenly speaks up, bringing you out of your sleepy haze. 

"Mn?" 

"Do you... I mean... are you still planning to leave Dahlia?" His voice returns to its timid and hesitant state. 

"Well... yeah. After our - urgh - mushy talk, I realise it's all the more reason I need to do it. You're the only thing I have left in this city after all." 

"You want to leave me despite just saying that all you have is me? Uh, I don't... don't get it. Can you please explain it to me, Bright Eyes?" 

You hold back a groan. It looks like Fred has discovered the magic of 'please' and your weakness to it. "I'm planning to kill the Vampire who killed us and use his skull as my apology gift to you." 

Unlike you, Fred groans in disbelieve. You yelp when he manoeuvres you so your body can lie on top of his and trap you in his arms. "No... Bright Eyes, no... no hunting that asshole, OK? You don't need to give me a skull; just stay here with me. Skulls are gross anyway." He whines like a needy toddler, which, surprisingly, makes you feel fond instead of irritated. 

So you roll your eyes and press your face into Fred's chest. Perhaps you can try to convince Fred to leave with you in the future, but for now, nothing matters but the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest and the faint scent of wet grass outside. 

They're going to be alright. 

[thevindicativevordan]

You did one for Hulk (incredible btw). Got any thoughts on Spider-Man?

He used to be one of my favorites.

It's easy to see why Spidey took off as Marvel's premiere character, and competitor with Batman for the most popular superhero ever. If you'll indulge my DC bias, Spider-Man sits at the intersection between Superman and Batman. Like Superman, Spider-Man never knew his birth parents, and was instead adopted and raised by an elderly couple. Uncle Ben and Aunt May are the people Peter thinks of as his mom and dad, and it's their lives that help shape Peter. Both Superman and Spider-Man wear colorful red and blue costumes, both have iconic jobs working for newspapers with cantankerous bosses, and both have a lot of Jewish DNA in them because of their creators. Like Batman however, Spider-Man has a tragic parental figure's death to motivate him, he has a very poor reputation with the public, they both style themselves on animals, and both have strong roots in the cities they protect. That Peter's greatest foe, the Green Goblin, also stands at the intersection between Lex Luthor and the Joker makes for a great parallel. Add in that Spider-Man has the second best Rogues Gallery in comics, and it's clear Peter drew on the best attributes from his predecessors as a foundation.

What separates Peter from them though is that he was the first hero with real problems. Neither Superman or Batman had to worry about paying rent regularly like Peter did. Both stood apart from their peers by choice, while Peter wanted to make friends but wasn't able to do it. Krypton and the Waynes died through no fault of Supes or Bats, but Uncle Ben's death was something Peter was at fault for if indirectly. Then you had Gwen Stacy killed as a direct result of Peter's superhero career, introducing the idea of heroes who could fail. Spider-Man was pitched as the flawed hero, the human hero, the guy you could think of yourself as being if you got superpowers. You would screw up and make mistakes, but you'd try your best regardless. Of course the readers would be drawn to, and identify with him, and that's both the secret to his success and what keeps fucking him over. A lot of guys see Peter as their self-insert, so they keep trying to return to their youth through him which keeps derailing him as a character. My entry into Spider-Man fandom came during one of the brief lulls from Marvel trying to reset him to what they see as his "roots".

I remember seeing the Rami Spider-Man movies in the theater and being utterly entranced. I played the first Spider-Man movie tie-in game pretty religiously as a kid (fuck that level where you infiltrate OsCorp, those robots were insane), as well as other Spider-Man games such as Web of Shadows. Can still hear the theme song of the 90s animated Spider-Man show in my head, that show's versions of Green Goblin and Venom are still my favorite takes. All this is a rambling way of saying that "my" Spider-Man was formed during a period where Marvel seemed ok with Peter being more adult, something they've been trying to roll back ever since.

Peter was a college student in the 90s cartoon, the comics had him and MJ married (my first Spidey comic was vol. 1 of JMS' Amazing Spider-Man run, so Peter and MJ being married is the "default" for me), the video games were set in the Ramiverse so he was a college student there as well. It's such a weird era to look back on in retrospect given what's to come and what came before. Peter had problems and was flawed, but he was also so much more mature and thoughtful, intelligent in a way beyond just being a science whiz. He and MJ had a great dynamic as a couple under JMS. They were so clearly in love and also utterly unwilling to take each others shit that it was just a joy to read. That relationship really was something I dearly loved, and of course I took it poorly when Marvel broke the two of them up. Making it a plot where not!Satan comes down and takes their marriage away only rubbed salt in the wound.

Suddenly Peter was a lot more immature and stupid, and Marvel was insisting that this was "how he should be". Marvel was claiming that Spider-Man was all about youth, thus he needed to remain young and marriage free in order to work, which flew in the face of the character as I understood him. To me, Spidey was a character about the opposite, he was about growing up.

More than any other character in the MU, Peter was the guy who embodied character development. In his early years under Lee and Dikto, Peter was an asshole with a chip on his shoulder. Far from being the martyr figure everyone sees him as today, Peter initially just kept trying to make money with his powers. He was constantly moaning and bewailing his lot, because he was a fucking teenager! EVERY teenager treats ANY setback like it's the end of the world. Yet over a period of years, both in universe and out, Peter grew into the great hero everybody sees him as today. He became kinder, more charitable, and made friends with his peers. He acquired a steady stream of super hot girlfriends, ultimately marrying MJ. Peter married MJ before Clark Kent married Lois Lane, that's a huge freaking accomplishment! Totally makes sense that Peter would get married first because while Superman was more or less frozen in place like all DC heroes, Spider-Man was the one who embodied the Marvel trait of growth and change. The world kept throwing shit at him and Peter dealt with it as best he could, and that gave me hope because if he could overcome the forces arrayed against him to find some degree of happiness, so could I.

One More Day completely obliterated all of that. I didn't recognize this character anymore, I didn't care about the shallow relationships they teased him entering, relationships we all knew didn't matter. If Peter couldn't stay married to MJ, he wasn't going to last in a relationship with Carlie Cooper or any of the girls Slott set him up with. Peter being immature worked great when he was actually in high school and college, but Marvel wanted to write him as a high schooler without actually deaging him. The contrast between how he was characterized before and after OMD was just too jarring for me.

Ultimately I left for a while. I read Superior and Spider-Verse, but I was no longer religiously following Amazing Spider-Man any more. Checked out Ultimate Spider-Man which I had never read, and I enjoyed it, but I also held a grudge against it's success. Clearly this was the series that enshrined high school Spider-Man as the "ideal" status quo for a lot of people, and I couldn't help but blame the series for Quesada's successful torching of a more mature Peter Parker. I also read Spider-Girl which took place in an alternate continuity where Peter was still married and he had a daughter with MJ named Mayday. I loved that series a lot, and Mayday became my favorite Marvel superheroine. Eventually I came back to ASM with Spencer because a few of my fellows told me he reminded them of JMS, and I've enjoyed his characterization of Peter. Doubt the marriage will be coming back any time soon but it's nice to read a more adult Peter after how he was characterized under Slott.

Hard to say what the future holds for Peter. Tough to say for certain but with the end of high school Peter in the MCU approaching, it feels like we're on the edge of another shift in status quo for Spider-Man. May be that the creation of Miles is allowing Peter to finally start to mature again since Miles can be the corporate wet dream of an eternally young "diverse" Spidey. The insistence on putting Miles into more and more of Peter's stuff, with Peter mentoring him, makes me hope that Marvel is becoming more ok with Peter growing up. The Insomniac Spider-Man is a college graduate, he feels the closest in tone and character to the Spider-Man I grew up with under JMS and Rami. They even got to kill Aunt May off, something Marvel is still terrified to do in the comics, and the relationship between Peter and MJ is portrayed as crucial to both (as it should), even if MJ is a little too Lois Lane lite for my liking.

Hopefully Spider-Man can shake off Quesada's lingering influence and start being what he was created to be: the guy who moves forward rather than running in place.

[rocorambles]

Bad Dream

Pairing: Kageyama/Hinata (KageHina) x Reader, Yachi x Reader 

Genre/Warnings: SFW, Angst, Love Triangle

Summary: They say time heals all wounds. You hope that’s true as you turn your back on Karasuno High School one last time as you graduate, walking away from the painful black, orange, and blonde memories you have. 

Requested by Anon

Yachi was your first love. What wasn’t there to love about the sweet adorable blonde? You’d always thought she was cute with her side ponytail bouncing in the air as she walked through the hallways, the blue stars on her hair tie contrasting fashionably against the gold hue of her hair. Maybe she was a bit on the shy and quiet side, but you didn’t mind that. It’s not like you were going to try your luck anyway, not when it was your first year and you were still navigating the new waters of a new school, new environment, and new people. So you watched her from afar hoping that maybe one day your paths would cross and you’d be able to befriend the petite girl. 

But as luck would have it, you’re paired together for a project and you can feel your heart flutter as you sit side-by-side, and suddenly you’re just as shy as Yachi as you stammer out a shaky greeting. Your first few exchanges are a bit rough around the edges, punctuated by awkwardly long silences as the two of you struggle to find a conversational rhythm, but both your well intentions finally win out and after a few working sessions the two of you are all smiles as you easily flow between chatting about your project and getting to know each other. And if you thought Yachi was cute before, she’s absolutely endearing now as she brightly smiles at you and excitedly yammers away. 

It doesn’t take long for you to spend time together outside of just working on the project and when the project is handed in and completed, the two of you find yourselves walking to and from school together, working on homework and studying for exams together, going to art galleries in Miyagi together. Neither of you talk about exactly what’s developing between the two of you, but when your hands briefly linger as they brush against each other and when you instinctively brush a lock of Yachi’s stray hair behind her ear while the two of you eat together, there’s an unspoken understanding that there’s something stronger and deeper than just friendship tying the two of you together. 

You’d like to think that you know Yachi well by now, but you’re taken by surprise when she tells you she’s now an assistant manager for the Karasuno boy’s volleyball team. Do you like playing volleyball? Do you know a lot about volleyball? You’re genuinely curious questions keep on being reciprocated by her shaking head and you sweatdrop in confusion, but seeing her so passionate about something makes you smile and you wish her luck. And you stare in awe as the girl who’d wormed her way into your heart blossoms even further, becoming more outgoing, more determined as the days pass and when she invites you to come to a volleyball game, you easily agree and watch, entranced by how her eyes practically glow and her body jumps in the air with every point scored. 

You start coming to as many games as you can after that, always patiently waiting for Yachi to finish up practice before the two of you walk home together, and that’s how you meet Kageyama and Hinata. Sure, you’d seen and exchanged a few polite words here and there with the two fellow first-years, amusedly observing how they badgered Yachi to help them with their studies, but as you begin to tear your eyes away a bit from Yachi and actually watch the court, you watch in amazement as they work together seamlessly on the court. And when the four of you go to Ukai’s store for meat buns once in a while, you can’t help but chuckle at how different they are on versus off the court as you watch the two bumbling idiots bicker with each other. But they’re fooling no one with their pretend animosity and you share a knowing look with Yachi when the two of you trail behind the boys and you see them subtly link their pinkies together.  

Maybe back then if you had known how messy things would be, if you had known that you would end up being more than just a bystander of the relationship between Karasuno’s first-year star athletes, you would have stopped interacting so much with the setter and middle blocker. Maybe you would have dedicated yourself solely to Yachi. But ignorant of what’s about to be set in motion, you grow closer and closer to the two boys and you’re not quite sure when it happens, but suddenly you’re rarely alone with Yachi and life is a little noisier, a little more chaotic with Kageyama and Hinata constantly tagging along, but you love every second of it. You love it too much and it’s too late by the time you realize the butterflies in your stomach aren’t just because of Yachi anymore. 

You know you’re in the middle of a teeter-tottering seesaw when your heart beats faster when Hinata beams at you as he loudly asks you a question, when your face heats up as Kageyama silently hands you a carton of milk he’d bought you, when you’re still just as lovestruck as always while Yachi asks for your opinion on a new poster design she’s working on. You try to play it off, telling yourself it’s more than possible to remain friends with all three of them, that you won’t give into temptation and choose one side over the other (not that you could choose even if you had to), that you’re looking too much into it and it’s not like either side even reciprocates the budding feelings that grow and twist inside of you more with every passing day. But even as determined as you are to pretend everything’s platonic, it becomes a game of wills and Kageyama, Hinata, and Yachi are more than worthy opponents when it comes to resilience. 

It becomes impossible to ignore the way Kageyama too slowly, too intimately wipes some crumbs accidentally left on your face. It becomes impossible to ignore the way Hinata boldly grabs your hands and refuses to let go as he talks to you. It becomes impossible to ignore the way Yachi leans her head on your shoulder, eyes too intently staring up at you, straying too much, too often to your lips for it to truly come off as just a friendly gesture. And you’re not the only one fully aware of the changing dynamics as blue and hazel eyes battle it out with light brown eyes in a silent heated battle every time they cross paths with you caught in the middle. 

Unfortunately for everyone around, they intersect too often between classes and volleyball and really, it was only a matter of time, a ticking time bomb before the shaky truce the four of you had fell apart. And like they say, when it rains, it pours.

You’re ecstatic as you wait for the team to exit the court and make their way to where you’re waiting for them in the hallway, still feeling the high of shock and pride from the fact that they had beaten Shiratorizawa and guaranteed themselves a spot in Nationals. But you yelp in surprise when instead of your usual high five and hug, you’re tackled by a ball of orange and the world freezes when you feel something pressing hard against your lips. You’re frozen stiff, the whooping cheers and exclamations of both surprise and congratulations from the rest of the team just vague background noise as your lips remain locked, but when you feel a taller figure at your back, gently placing his hands on your hips, you whip your head behind you and your heart thunders as you stare into blue eyes flooded with love. And suddenly you’re all too aware of the sandwich you’re in and it feels so right, so natural, so perfect to be between the two toned figures. 

But the picture perfect feeling shatters to pieces when Hinata is being shoved off of you by an outside party, when Kageyama’s hands are being ripped off of your body, and suddenly you’re face to face with a familiar face you’ve come to love, and yet, it looks so different, so twisted and marred by the hate and anger you see shadowing it. Your body runs on autopilot as it immediately reaches out to comfort and soothe Yachi, hating the hurt you see in those beautiful eyes, but you’re halted by a softer pair of lips and you can’t help but instinctively close your eyes and sink into the sweet feeling of finally sharing such a tender moment with your first love. 

And that’s when chaos ensues and suddenly there are hands everywhere, there’s screaming and shouting, harsh and terrible words being venomously launched and you watch in horror as Tanaka and Daichi wrangle Kageyama and Hinata away, as Kiyoko forcefully pulls Yachi away, as the rest of the team, even sweet Suga-senpai, send accusing disappointed looks your way. You feel nauseous as you run away, clumsily making your way into the nearest restroom, and your body shakes from the force of your sobs as you harshly rub your lips as if rubbing them raw would make up for anything. Of course it does nothing and you sink to the ground, huddling into a tight ball as you wonder where everything went wrong and only when the gymnasium has long cleared and you’re being forced to exit the venue as they lock it up for the night do you come to a decision. It’s time to make things right. 

It’s hard to muster the strength to be alone in the same room as the three of them, but when you see the scathing looks they shoot at each other, Kageyama and Hinata on one side of the room, Yachi all the way on the opposite side, your resolve hardens and you don’t waver as you completely cut ties with them. It hurts and your heart screams at you, begs you to at least try and repair your friendship even if nothing ever happens beyond that, but your mind knows better, knows that the four of you can never truly go back to what you used to be. And maybe the other three realize it as well as their shoulders slump and they make no move or sound to stop you as you swiftly turn on your heels and retreat.   

You laugh humorlessly at yourself in the following months. Pathetic. How many other people had gone through horrible break-ups, divorces, deaths, and come out strongly? And yet here you are, heartbroken, a mess from ending things that couldn’t even be considered real relationships. But the mental kick you give yourself doesn’t do anything to help the giant hole you feel inside of your heart, your soul and you let your internal wounds fester until they ooze into your well being like a rotting infection. Sleep escapes you at night while tears stream down your face and you trudge throughout the day with blood-shot eyes that droop heavily as you sit in class. Dark circles stain the skin beneath your lids and your mind is a hazy fog as it tries to push on, tries to soak in the droning voice of your teachers as they lecture, tries to compute the lines of text in your homework assignments. But there’s only so much it can do with no sleep or nutrition to help it along and you try to muster up apology after apology as teachers worriedly, but sternly pull you aside, citing your rapidly dropping grades and lack of attention. 

You’re a shell of who you used to be and even in your barely functioning form, you’re more than aware of the whispers and strange looks your classmates are sending your way. But you tell yourself it’s for the greater good. At least the ones you love are finally moving on with their lives as they should and you bitterly smile at the thought of Yachi, Kageyama, and Hinata exchanging jokes and encouragements as volleyballs are passed around. So you’re in shock when a small hand gently grips your hand and pulls you aside as you’re on your way to school and you turn to see one of the three faces that have been haunting your thoughts and dreams. 

Your sleep deprived mind is too slow to react accordingly and you’re thankful for Yachi jumping in first and you sheepishly thank her when she points out that you’d been walking in the wrong direction. It’s silent as the two of you continue trekking along, walking past the school gates, walking down the hallways, but even with the extra space between your two bodies as you take step after step, you can’t ignore the way light brown eyes worriedly scrutinize you and you almost protest when Yachi insists on walking you to your desk, but you’re too exhausted to deal with her stubbornness and you let her unpack your backpack for you, a painful pang in your chest when you see how she sets up everything exactly how you like it, pencil at the top right, notebook slightly tilted in a diagonal line to accommodate the way you naturally slant your writing. 

She knows she’s overstepping her boundaries and you’re grateful that she at least has the restraint to not verbally confront you about the mess you’ve become, but you still can’t help but feel uneasy as she pushes her luck more and more everyday despite your reminder that nothing’s changed since you had burned the bridge of your bond. And your pleas for her to go on with her own life and leave you alone begin sounding empty even to your own ears and a small insistent part of you wonders...would it really be so bad to let whatever this is develop?

But when your lack of care finally catches up to you and you find yourself falling to the ground, mind slipping under after a particularly strenuous gym class, strong arms catch you and the last sight you see before you give into darkness are blue and hazel brown eyes. And that’s the sight you wake up to as well as you groggily try to sit up in the nurse’s office, only to be forced back down and scolded by two familiar voices. You wince as your already dizzy head throbs from the loud and harsh words being spat at you. What are you doing? Why aren’t you taking care of yourself? How could you be so careless with your life and health? They’re so demanding, so angry, and you try to cover your ears to drown them out, only to freeze when you hear the underlying worry, concern, and love they still had for you as their frenzied rants continued. And it’s Hinata’s final sentences, spoken in a quieter tone than anything else uttered that finally break you. 

“Just choose Yachi or us. Please. Just choose one of us and be happy. We hate seeing you like this.”

You stare in disbelief at the two boys sitting by your bedside and like a dam that bursts, all your emotions come flooding out of you and your voice raises almost to a hysteric tone as you rave at them. 

“Do you think it’s that simple? Do you really think I can just choose as easy as 1, 2, 3 between the three of you? Don’t you think I would have done that already if that was an option? I can’t because I love all three of you equally! I can’t choose. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t…”

Your words are becoming less and less coherent as they get muddled by the choked heaving sobs shaking your entire body and when a calloused hand gently rubs your back in a comforting motion, you violently shove it off, anger and frustration beginning to seep into you. 

“If you really want me to be happy, you’ll leave me alone and let me move on. I’ll be happier having nothing to do with any of you anymore.” 

You’re not sure who’s hurting more after the harsh words slip past your lips as you stare into two pairs of heartbroken eyes full of unshed tears and feel your own heart shatter knowing you’re the reason for their pain. But it doesn’t matter. You’ve made your point loud and clear and the silence is suffocating as both athletes stand up and shuffle out the door, not even glancing back at you once as they close the door behind them and the image of their retreating backs is one that will be ingrained in your memory for years to come. 

Unknown to you, a small blonde girl had been quietly hiding outside of the room, listening to every word and when the boys come face to face with their manager, neither side can hide the hate-filled sneer on their faces as they part ways, Kageyama and Hinata attached to the hip as they make their way to the club room, Yachi purposefully going in the opposite direction, taking the longer detour to avoid being anywhere near the two of them as she also gets ready for practice.

Things never do get better after that. That’s life, you suppose, and sometimes there aren’t happy endings. There certainly isn’t a happy ending as Yachi and Kageyama and Hinata barely acknowledge each other over the years despite their close proximity on the volleyball team, silently weaving around each other with barely contained contempt and just enough toleration to not be lectured by Coach Ukai. There certainly isn’t a happy ending as you pass the three of them in the hallways, never exchanging even a single word during the long three years you all spend at Karasuno. And there certainly isn’t a happy ending as the four of you graduate without a backwards glance, intent on going your separate ways, intent on completely leaving behind any bitter memories, intent on letting each other fade away like a bad dream. 

[kayteewritessteve]

Soon Enough - 2/2

Description: It’s been a full year since Steve’s welcome ‘home’ party, and he finds himself surrounded by friends in a far too loud club. But unbeknownst to him, his teammates aren’t the only ones at the club that night, a sweet voice and friendly smile may also be there too.

Masterlist HERE. Part 1 - Be Alright HERE.

Word Count: 7,600 ish.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Bar Owner!Reader.

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Curse words. Smidgen of angst and smut, if you squint. The slight descriptions of smut are enough to make be label this 18+, though with that said, it’s only vague descriptions so don’t get your hopes up.

Requested: not requested, this is just the second half of Be Alright which is for @mysterioh ‘s 1k follower prompt challenge. This entry is sooo dang late, but the sentiments are stil there. CONGRATS ON 1K, LOVELY! You deserve the dang world, and I miss you, I hope your step back from the fandom is going well for you, and if your ever around, send me a PM, I’d looove to catch up and see how you are! Aaanywho, my prompt was: "I am desperately and completely in love with you." - St. Elmo's Fire (1985) - and it will be bolded in this story. Enjoy! ❤️

A/N: I sadly don’t own any of these characters. And no beta reader, so I do proudly own all the errors and this story, so there’s that.

Divider by writeyourmindaway

He glances around the packed club, from his place tucked safely away in the VIP lounge on an open upper floor. He has a view of almost the entire lower level, minus the part directly below the VIP level. Tony was throwing yet another ‘welcome home’ party, but this time for Nat and Clint. And this time it was in fact a welcome home party, and not a welcome back to their mental state.

It’s been just over a year since that party, at the beautiful bar owners pub, and he hasn’t been back there since, he hasn’t seen her once since that night. But that’s for the best, Steve needed to find himself, to build his own life the way he wanted it to be, before he could invite another person into it. You can’t offer yourself fully to someone, if you don’t even truly know who you are. Or what you, personally, want from your life.

He wanted to be established, have his own things going on, have set and met a few of his own personal goals, and have a better knowledge of himself that one truly needed before they could offer themselves to another. Before they could share themselves with someone else.

Where he is in his life now, after a year of just being Steve Rogers—the scrappy kid from Brooklyn, who occasionally took missions when he was needed, but mainly just lived his day to day life the way he truly wanted to—was exactly where he’d always wanted to be. He didn’t think about relationships, lovers or dating. He didn’t think about finding someone, or using them to help him build this new life. He didn’t want to rely on someone else to help him get what he truly wanted from this world. He just focused on himself, on what Steven Grant Rogers truly wanted. Truly needed. And it had worked out exactly as it should.

He was finally happy, truly happy with where his life was at this moment. He had been for months now. He’d found a new apartment that was exactly what he’d always wanted, and suited his needs perfectly. It was tucked away in the middle of Brooklyn, only a few streets over from where Steve had grown up. He’d gotten rid of almost everything he’d owned before, knowing he’d need and want a full reset. A completely fresh start, and nothing that reminded him of his old life, or of his last love. So he’d set out and bought all the new furniture and decor that he’d need, slowly over time, and he’d filled the apartment with the things that Steve wanted. Stuff that made it feel like his home to him.

After a few months of that, he decided it was finally time to get the final piece to the ‘Steve Rogers new life’ puzzle, a scrappy little mutt he’d met when he was volunteering at an animal shelter in Bronx. The dog was damn near skin and bones back then, he shook like a leaf in the wind when any human even glanced his way. The guy had clearly had a rough life, he’d recently been rescued, but was not adapting well in the 5 by 8 foot cell. Steve had never related more to an animal in his entire damn life, and knew instantly he had to do something for the little guy. Save him from that fate.

He was a Bullador, as one of the other volunteers had told him that day. A mix between an American Bulldog and a Labrador, but none of that meant anything to Steve. It was the look in the dogs eyes that told him he’d be adopting that dog by the end of the week. And that had been an entirely accurate thought at the time—though he’d actually ended up adopting him by the end of that day. But that’s neither here nor there.

So after that, Steve had brought the dog home, and to say he was skittish, was an understatement. The dog would flinch anytime Steve even moved a muscle, and Steve had a lot of muscles to move. It took weeks before the dog finally settled in, and just as long to get him back up to a proper body weight.

He had started to look so much better, his coat began to shine, his eyes were full of that sparkle again, and he was slowly warming up to Steve. Little by little, every passing day. Steve knew, back then, that it would just take time, that the dog just had to settle into the new dynamic, just as Steve was trying to do with his own life. They’d do it together, he figured, as a little team and side by side.

And it had worked, because one day a few months back, Steve was lounging on the couch, watching a baseball game with a useless beer in his hand, and the dog had come up, and gave him a look. Steve had patted the couch cushion beside him in invite, like he’d done time and time before, even with knowing the dog would just huff and end up laying on the floor by the couch, he still offered every time.

And luckily he did, as that time, on that random Thursday afternoon, the dog finally took his offered spot. And not just that, he’d hesitantly curled up against Steve's side and laid his head atop his thighs. And Steve had never been happier in his damn life, he’d spent the rest of that game stroking the dogs head lightly, and refusing to get up to grab another beer. Not like they did anything for him anyways, besides give him something to sip on. And his desperate need to not ruin the small bonding moment between him and his dog, kept him glued to his seat until he finally had to get up to start making dinner.

But to Steve’s utter happiness and surprise, that wasn’t a one time thing after that day. The dog began always joining him on the couch, snuggled up against his side, and from that random Thursday on, him and Rocky—as the shelter had named him—were damn near inseparable. Occasionally things got a little dodgy when the Jerk was around, Steve would say Bucky’s name and the dog would come running. Or vice versa, he’d call the dog and Bucky would reply. Steve would just chuckle each time and have a small thought to maybe change the dog's name after all.

However, one look at Rocky, and he’d know without a shadow of a doubt that changing the dogs name now, wouldn’t work. He was a Rocky, through and through, it suited him, so Steve would resolve that he’d just have to get better at enunciating their names. Yeah, that was all that was needed. But yet, he was never able to remember to do that. So the confusion continued, and became somewhat of a joke around the tower after the first time Tony witnessed the name mixup first hand. And then it just went from there.

Steve sighs softly, as his eyes glance around the too loud and too packed club, and all he wants right now is to be at home, on his couch with Rocky snuggled up against his side. He finishes off his beer, this one not spiked with mead, and then stands up. It’s the end of the evening for Steve, he’s reached his late night club limits and now he wants nothing more than to leave. To get home to the quiet and relaxing calm of his place, and hang with his best bud, Rocky.

He makes his way around the private VIP space, saying his goodbyes to his friends, and after a little whining from a few, and the obligatory digs at him being an ‘old man’, he heads down the stairs and onto the main level of the club. He makes his way through the mass of moving bodies, and just as he is about to reach the stairs that will lead him out of the club and up to street level, his eyes catch on a familiar figure and he halts his movements entirely.

It can’t be, he thinks. As he shifts slightly to get a better look at the woman in the corner, by the bar. And once he successfully has, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that it is her. The beautiful bar owner.

Before he can stop himself, again, his legs are once more taking him towards her at the bar. Except this time she isn’t behind it making the drinks, but instead she is standing on this side of the counter, nursing one of her own. And he only figured that because she isn’t actively drinking it at the moment, she is leaned up on the edge of the bar, her finger aimlessly circling the rim as her eyes watch the action. She looks deep in thought, and he hesitates, wondering if he should even approach her or not.

But his legs don’t stop fully, they won’t stop, they keep their course on a direct path to her. And as he nears, he realizes her long legs are on full display. He’d always seen her in jeans and a t-shirt, looking effortlessly beautiful and relaxed. But this is the first time he’s actually seen her in full form, seen your lovely legs exposed and on display, instead of hidden behind fabric and a bar. And he honestly can’t drag his eyes away from them, at least not at first, not until they slowly slide up upon realizing her legs would only be on full display right now because she is wearing a dress or a skirt or something—the details don’t really matter.

Or at least they didn’t until his eyes finally land on the article in question. A dress. And a fucking outstanding one at that. His breath hitches as his eyes rove over her smaller form, hugged perfectly in the tight fitting material. He knows he’s being a creep, but with the way that dress shows off every lovely bump and dip that makes up her, he can’t bring himself to really care about ogling.

He finally reaches the bar, and with a small deep breath in he tears his eyes away from her, and instead focuses on the male bartender as he leans against the bar directly beside her. But not close enough to actually touch her. The music isn’t as loud in this corner of the club, so he knows he won’t need to yell for her to hear him, and he thanks her choice in leaning spot for that small feat.

“You alright there?” He asks, no better words entering his mind, so he just goes with the first ones he’d thought to speak.

In his peripherals he sees her tense up then shift away slightly, most likely to tell the intrusive guy that just inserted himself into her space, to find someone else to bug. At least that was the vibes he was getting off her, but then a soft giggle meets his ears and he glances down at her. Instantly seeing that cheeky look he’d forgotten he liked so much, was back in full force.

And yes, he’d forgotten so many things about her, he realizes as his eyes take in her face for the first time in a year. Yes, he’s thought about her in passing a couple times over that time apart, but it was never more than a fleeting thought. A quick wonder as to how she was doing, how her pub was doing, but nothing more. Steve needed to focus on himself the entire last year, and not be distracted by thoughts of beautiful women, and happily ever afters.

As selfish as that may sound, that’s the way it had to be. Steve had to focus on only himself, and then only on himself and Rocky. No one else.

But now that he feels he’s finally found his own happiness, maybe he can explore the option of having someone else enter his fully built and well adjusted life. Have someone else join it, and help him to perfect it just that little bit more.

“I’ll be alright,” she replies, an adorable and sassy twinkle in her eye. “Soon enough.”

And he can’t help it, he laughs low and deep at the words. The chuckle earns him one of her brilliant smiles, and that little voice that’s always commented on her smile, in the back of his mind, is back once again. Informing him once more just how breathtaking she truly is when she smiles like that.

“I see you’ve found your way,” she comments softly, her words sounding so happy for him. For the fact he finally found the life, or at least the happiness, he always wanted, and was desperately searching for a year ago. And yeah, he might have found the first part of it, but not the second part; the next phase in the life he’d always dreamed of.

“For the most part,” he nods, “still a few more things I need to work on, but those take a little more time, and a lot more effort. I’ll get there one day though.”

“Well, I’m really happy to hear that, big guy,” she hums, her eyes going back to watch her finger aimlessly circle the rim of her glass once more. A pensive look on her face now, and he desperately wants to know why.

“Not a big drinker?”

“No, not really,” she laughs, the sound a little self-deprecating, “I know, shocker right? Girl owns a bar but doesn’t even drink. What are the odds.”

“I’m not the Captain anymore, but I still go on missions,” Steve shrugs. “Just because it’s your livelihood, doesn’t mean it has to be your life.”

She glances up at him, a little indignantly if he’s honest, but he doesn’t take offence. “Yeah, but that’s a little different though. You save the world, I just make drinks.”

“And I’m sure to some of your patrons, just making them a drink is saving their world.” He shifts a little, leaning his side on the bar to fully face her now. Taking the deeper place their conversation has drifted to a little more seriously now. “And I actually know that for a fact. That first night in your pub, I was so lost. I felt like my world was crumbling around me and I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. Some superhero I am, huh?” He shakes his head, “can help save the world time and time again, but can’t even save my own damn self when I needed it the most.”

He locks eyes with her as he continues on, “and then you, you came out of nowhere and you asked me a question so simple, yet it was exactly what I needed. It’s as if you knew I needed someone to see me, really see me. And to just make sure I was alright.”

Keeping his eyes connected with hers so she will see the honesty within them, he shrugs again, “so yeah, maybe you do just make drinks. But you also offer a comfort to your patrons, you also notice them, and interact with them, and you care. You built an entire little world in that pub, that is so damn inviting and friendly, that it puts anyone who enters it, at ease, even if just for a moment or two. And that, that alone, can save someone's world. Someone who may truly need it, but just doesn’t know how to do it on their own.”

She holds his stare for a silent moment, before a soft smile takes over her lips and she drops her eyes back down to her drink. And even in the low light, Steve couldn’t miss the light dusting of pink filling her cheeks. He likes having that effect on her, he thinks, likes it a lot, actually.

“Thank you, Steve. I really needed to hear that today.” She glances around the bar for a few seconds before her eyes stay locked on something behind him for just a few more seconds, then she meets his eye. “Do you need to stick around? Would you maybe wanna get out of here, and go grab that coffee now?”

He nods, a small smile on the corners of his lips, “I’d like that.” He is just about to push off the bar top, when a thought enters his mind and he pauses, “your friends won’t mind if you leave?”

She pushes her drink away and stands up to face him now, softly shaking her head, “no, they know I’m not huge into clubbing. And probably think I already left.” She glances around the club once again before her eyes land on something and Steve turns to follow her line of sight, seeing a small group of women dancing together, surrounded by guys. They must be her friends, he thinks. “I was actually about to leave, right before you joined me.”

He turns back to her, and sees she is already looking at him now. “Well, then I’m glad I found you when I did,” he smiles and offers her his arm.

She takes it and he goes to lead her to the exit, but she diverts them to a desk sort of thing off to the side, noting that she needs to grab her coat. Once they have it, he leads her up the stairs and out onto the street, his head much happier without the constant buzz and boom of the club's music and patrons.

And just as they reach the sidewalk, she pulls him gently to the left, leading him just as she had in the club. “There is a 24 hour diner 2 blocks down,” she supplies as she glances up at him, “not the prettiest looking place, but they make a mean coffee.”

“Those are the best places,” he hums in approval and lets her lead them down the street by his arm, clutched lightly by her own.

They passed groups of friends laughing and singing, people standing on the curbs trying to flag down cabs, the odd person walking alone with headphones in, ignoring the world around them. And all while her arm is still tucked securely around his, and it feels right, as cliché as that sounds in Steve’s head. It feels like they’ve done this many times before and the ease at which they’ve settled into each other is foreign to Steve. With his ex, things always felt a little forced, a little awkward, and he thought that was just how dating in this day and age was. But he is quickly realizing that’s not the case. That things could be so, so much easier and flow so much more smoothly.

He glances down at her, on his left so he is closer to the street and cars, and sees her staring into the shop windows as they walk by. Looking at the clothes, the electronics and the displays as they slowly move passed. She looks so at ease, so relaxed and comfortable, and it hits him that she is finding this just as simple as he is. She has settled into their close proximity and connection the same as he has. And he can’t help it, he smiles at that thought.

“How’s the pub?” He abruptly asks a little too loudly, as the thought enters his mind, and he almost chuckles at himself. The night may be going well, progressing smoothly and all, but Steve very much is still not that smooth for the most part. But that’s less to do with their connection and more to do with just the newness of the whole situation. Though, if he really thinks about it, he assumes he’ll always have those small awkward Steve moments, no matter how close they may one day become. This is him we’re talking about, after all.

“It’s good, same as always.” She glances up at him, a cheeky smile tugging up her lips just a little, as if she can hear his thoughts and is wholeheartedly agreeing with them. “We actually had a small bachelor party there last week, that was a rather funny night.” She laughs, shaking her head fondly, most likely at the memory of that night. “I never realized just how hilarious and rambunctious, yet destructive, a small group of college best friends could truly be. Now I know.” She laughs once more and he barely notices that he’s involuntarily smiling down at her again. This seems to be a regular reaction that she invokes from him, and he’s honestly not about to complain about that.

“Yeah?” He asks through a small chuckle, “hopefully they didn’t damage too much?”

“No, just a few glasses by mistake.” She snorts trying to suppress a laugh, “and my head bartenders eardrums, or so he claimed, but that’s about it.”

Steve raises an eyebrow in question, “His eardrums?”

She clearly can’t hold it in anymore as she burst out laughing, “yeah, they insisted on providing the musical entertainment for everyone else in the bar that night. Though, they just couldn’t seem to get the keys quite right.”

Steve laughs with her, he just can’t help it, “Screeching cats?”

“More like nails on a chalkboard,” she playfully cringes as she laughs some more, “but they really gave it their all and had a blast doing it, so I guess that’s what truly matters.” She pulls him to a stop and he glances up, seeing Donna’s Place in cursive on the glass door they are now in front of, “here we are.”

Steve moves fast, grabbing the handle and pulling the door open for her, receiving another beautiful smile and a soft ‘thanks’ as she enters the establishment before him. An older woman behind the counter, pouring coffee into two mugs, glances up at them and offers a polite smile, “take a seat wherever you’d like.”

They nod, and move to a corner table right in front of the windows, Steve helps her from her jacket before removing his own and hanging them on the hooks at the end of the booth seats.

And once he is seated across from her, he can't stop himself from wanting to know everything about this beautiful creature. Her hopes, her dreams, her ambitions. He wants to know about her childhood, her hobbies, the things that make up who she is. How she acquired her pub, what her family is like, what her favourite food, colour and movies are.

He wants to know it all, he needs to know every part of her. And as the night goes on, he learns the answers to a few of his questions, but it’s not enough. He wants all of her. Every last part.

They eat their meals between their lively conversation, and then he walks her home, where they exchange numbers and agree upon the day for their forst actual date, before she leans up on her toes and kisses his cheek. And Steve melts right then and there, and he stays melted the whole way home. Even as he settles into his bed that night, Rocky curled up beside him, he’s still melted. And he lnows right then that he’ll definitely be alright, soon enough. At least so long as he has any say in it, and so long as she is in his life.

He slowly trudges his way up the stairs to the two bedroom apartment that he now shares with Y/N. They’d dated for 6 months before deciding to move in together, choosing to find a new place all together, one they could both share, and that was also a little closer to her pub. A lot of people questioned Steve about why they had decided to move in together so fast, why they weren’t waiting to get to know each other a little better first, and honestly, the only answer he could give them was ‘when you know, you just know.’ And he’d realized pretty early on that she was the one, the exact person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. So, why wait? Why prolong the inevitable?

Plus, things moved rather quickly back in his day, you met a gal and then a few months later, you were married. So this didn’t seem too fast for Steve at all, it honestly felt like they were taking too long, in his mind. If relationship standards weren’t so different now, he’d probably have already asked her to marry him, cause again, why wait? But he held off for a while, as they’d now been living together for 9 months, and there was also just one major thing holding him back.

How would she handle him being away for long missions?

That was the golden question. His ex hadn’t been a fan of him going away for work in any capacity, but especially when he’d be gone for weeks on end with no outside communication available. They’d fought so often over that exact topic, almost every time he told her of an upcoming mission, and then again once he’d return. He hadn’t noticed till they’d broken up that they really did fight more than they didn’t, and he can’t understand why he didn’t notice that at the time. He’d clearly been living in rose coloured goggles, and if he’s honest, he hadn’t even realized this when they’d broken up. It actually didn’t become truly apparent to him until his relationship with Y/N, until he was with someone who didn’t guilt him over his job. Who didn’t get mad about him taking missions. Who didn’t pout, or stomp, or complain about him having a rather intense job. Someone who was actually excited for his returns, someone who actually jumped for joy when he’d walk through the front door after being gone for a week or so.

But even with that said, he still had his reservations about this all. It had become second nature to fear longer missions, and the homecoming reception that would follow them. Nat had called his ex’s behaviour toxic and selfish on more than one occasion—she’d also used a few other choice words that he didn’t feel like repeating—be it during their many heart to hearts while away, or their random deep conversations while home. Usually whenever Steve would confide in her about his troubles and issues in life and love. But at the time, he was too stubborn to listen, or maybe just too afraid of what those words truly meant, of the ramifications of letting those damning thoughts worm into his head and fester there.

He knew Y/N was different, truly he did, but when you live one reality for so long, when you allow yourself to be pushed into this emotional mold and forced to believe that is just the norm, pulling yourself out of that mold is harder than one may think. They’ve been together for over a year now, and he’d yet to go away for longer than two weeks, and even missions that long were few and far between. He found himself declining all the longer missions, just due to his irrational fear. Just due to not wanting to burst the happy little bubble he’d found himself in recently.

It was foolish, he knows, but yet, here he is walking up these stairs at the slowest pace he can possibly go. He has a random thought that this pace has to be some sort of world record. Slowest ascent of an apartment staircase in history. It’s not that he didn’t miss her—God, did he miss her—it’s more that he is nervous. His mind is telling him to prepare for the incoming fury. For the fight that it thinks is going to greet him the moment he steps through their door. Even if he knows she’s different, even if he tells himself she isn’t his ex, something in him is still stalling. Still urging and forcing him to drag his feet, he can’t explain it, it’s almost compulsory, maybe even some weird version of auto pilot. He can’t really be sure. But what he does know is, he’s so fucking nervous.

He finally reaches their floor and one glance down the hall shows their door on the left. He makes his way towards it, and once he reaches it, his hand hovers over the doorknob for a moment. Allowing him a second to clench his eyes shut and take a deep stablizing breath in, before he opens the door and steps inside. His ears are instantly met with soft music playing from the living room sound system, and the dim atmosphere that comes with only having a couple lights on in the winter evenings.

He gently puts his shield down by the door and removes his shoes, trying for the life of him to not make a single sound. Still trying to prolong the inevitable, it would seem. But just as he gets his shoes off, he hears a soft humming that matches the music get a little louder, and he glances up to see her, in all her lovely glory as she walks out of their laundry room with a laundry basket propped securely on her hip.

And he is struck for the millionth time with just how damn breathtaking she truly is, even in her too big sweats and one of his old t-shirts. Her hair is up in a messy bun and there isn’t a drop of makeup anywhere on her skin. It’s just her, entirely her, and his heart skips a beat at that simple fact alone. A hesitant smile pulls up the corners of his mouth—God, he really did miss her. But damn, if he isn’t nervous for how she’ll react to his surprise early return. He wasn’t due home for another week, and it was a no outside communications mission, so he had no way to give her a heads up of his impending arrival.

Okay, that’s a lie, he could have called her once he boarded the Quinjet. He could have texted her at any point during the 7 hour flight home. But he just hadn’t. Partially due to wanting to surprise her, and partially due to everything he was thinking on his way up the stairs.

Ugh, his mind is a mess, a tug-o-war between yearning to see her and hold her in his arms again, and fearing her reaction to him walking through the door after 6 long weeks away.

But before he can give this all another second of thought, Rocky comes strolling out of the laundry room hot on her heels, and the second the dog is fully out, he glances up and notices Steve. Then he barks incessantly as he bounds over towards the—now even more—frozen super soldier, tail wagging and tongue lolling out to the side.

Steve didn’t even have a chance to utter a damn word, nor prepare himself at all, before the 80 pound mutt lunged at him. The dog's vocal reaction to the large mans return clearly caught Y/N off guard, as she damn near chucked the laundry basket across the hall, clothes flying everywhere as she whips around to see why the dog was freaking out all of a sudden. Her eyes land on Steve, holding the front paws of their dog as he bounces on his hind legs in any attempt to drench Steve’s face with his kisses.

It would probably have been a hilarious scene if anyone else were to witness it, he thinks just before his eyes lock with her now comically widened ones.

“Big guy?” She mutters breathlessly, before the switch flips and she is now the one bounding directly at him. He barely has a chance to release Rocky’s paws before she is lunging onto him next, and the sudden impact nearly knocks the wind out of Steve’s lungs, but he manages to catch her just in time. Her legs wrap around his waist and her hands cup both his cheeks as she begins to assault his entire face with kisses.

He is again rendered frozen but now also speechless at this quick attack, he doesn’t know what he was expecting, or maybe he does, but this wasn’t it.

“I missed you, I missed you, I missed you,” she repeats softly, over and over again between her never-ending smooches, and finally his mind catches up, and his arms tighten just a little more around her as he walks into the kitchen, on the left of them, and gently places her on the counter top. Rocky trailing at his heels, still trying to figure out the best way to join in on the excited homecoming action.

Steve sighs contentedly, releasing all his earlier tension and nerves, as her assault finally begins to slow down. And once it does, she pulls back, still holding his face between her hands and just stares at him. A silent moment passes as she takes in his faces every feature and detail, then she locks eyes with him and that glorious smile takes over her entire face. Yanna, the one that the little voice always told him was just so damn beautiful. Yeah, that smile, and yes, that little voice is back once again.

“Hi,” she finally whispers.

He smiles at that, “Hi.”

“I missed you,” she adds quickly, as if that wasn’t already abundantly apparent from the last couple minutes of her loving assault.

“I see this,” and he can’t help it, he chuckles as his hand rises up to caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. “But I missed you too.”

Her eyes drop down, inspecting his whole form now, as if to ensure he is truly okay, that he isn’t harmed or hurt, that he’s really here and in the flesh. And Steve just lets her have her moment. He stands there and let’s her inspect him from head to toe, if only to put her mind at ease that he is in fact okay, that he’s safe, he’s home.

Home. A four letter word that never meant so much to Steve before. This is home. She is home.

And instantly he wants to punch himself in the damn face. How could he doubt her? How could he fear his homecoming with her, she isn’t like his ex. She isn’t like anyone else. She is just so perfectly her, and she would never be mad at him for working, for going out there and protecting the weaker ones. For going out there and making sure the world gets to live in peace, or at least as much as it’s capable of having.

She truly is the one, and he’s an idiot for ever fearing otherwise. For even thinking for a moment that she may not be. And with that last thought, he knows exactly what needs to happen next. He knows exactly what he has to do now, he has to make her his, for life.

He steps away from between her legs, and she playfully pouts at the distance he’s now putting between them.

“Hey,” her lip juts out just a little more, muffling the word a bit, and it makes Steve chuckle. And that reaction from him causes her to cross her arms over her chest, “Where do you think you’re going? You just got home, mister, get back here and let me love you!”

He grins at her, and he knows it’s cheeky as hell, “hold on, I just gotta grab something real quick.”

Her brows furrow, pout still very much in place and arms still crossed, she stares at him for a few seconds before her arms relax and fall at her side, then she nods, “okay, but be quick, I’m not done with you yet.”

He nods then quickly makes his way to their second bedroom that is actually his office. He makes fast work of getting over to his desk, using a key he unlocks the top drawer and grabs the item he needs so he can head right back to the kitchen. Not wanting to be away from her for a moment longer, but the second he has it in his hands, he fucking panics.

He starts to freak the hell out again, weeks he’s had this thing. Weeks he’s taken it out, and held it in his hands. Weeks he’s hummed over when would be the right time to use it. To give it to her. He’d wanted it to be perfect, to be the exact right moment. This was not how he’d planned it, nor how he’d envisioned it going down. But like he always said, when you know, you just know.

With that he takes a deep breath, tucks it into his pocket and then heads back out to the kitchen, finding her exactly where he’d left her. Rocky standing by her dangling legs as she pet the spot between his ears. Steve halted at the entrance of the kitchen, just wanting to commit this moment to memory so he could keep it forever.

Rocky and her were his life now, and when he’d first introduced them, many many months ago, he was worried how Rocky would take to her. He was nervous that Rocky wouldn’t like her at first or would take forever to warm up to her too. But his fears were for nothing. No, they hadn’t been instant best friends, Rocky had taken a couple weeks to get used to her being around. He’d been timid and shy in the beginning, refusing to get more than 5 feet from her.

But after those first few weeks, Steve had to go away for a mission and instead of setting Rocky up with one of his teammates while he was gone, Y/N offered to dog sit for him. And when Steve got home a week and a half later, Y/N and Rocky were the best of friends. He was even under the impression Rocky liked Y/N more than him after that day. But he can’t really judge the dog for that mindset, Steve likes Y/N just as much. She is his favourite human now too. So he gets it, God, does he get it.

He steps into the kitchen, and she glances over at him while still petting Rocky, but then the furrow of her brows is back as she notices his empty hands.

“I thought you said,” she starts to softly say, but Steve had moved quickly, back to in between her thighs. And his large hands have landed on the tops of them, just below her hips and the firm squeeze he gave them had stopped her words in their tracks.

“I did,” he answers quietly as he gives her a chaste kiss, both because he needed one to calm his racing heart, and because he just wanted one so damn bad. His hands drag up to her waist, relishing the feel of her beneath his palms—though he’d like it more if there were no clothes in the way at all, but he’ll take what he can get right now. It’s been 6 long weeks, the guy is dying to show her just how much he missed her. Show all of her, just how much he did.

But he has something to do first. Something very, very important and that’s been a long time coming.

He lifts her gently off the counter and places her on her feet in front of him, not moving back a single step though. Yes, he may be crowding her, but from the twinkle in her eyes now, she doesn’t mind one damn bit.

He has no big speech planned, no sweet words or affirmations to voice. No lovely memories to bring up and relive. He has no dinner planned, and no gift to go along with this, be it flowers, chocolates, or a card. He has nothing but himself, his heart, and his soul to give her in this moment.

He looks deep into her eyes, and then the words just sorta spill out, in a classic awkward Steve fashion, all mumbled and quiet.

“Marry me?”

Her eyes widen again, as she just stares up at him for a moment and he realizes he forgot the best part. He fumbles around till he pulls the little black, velvet box from his picket and now he does take a step back. Opening it to show her the modest ring he’d picked out, could he have afforded a huge ring with lots of bling, as Sam calls it? Yes, yes he could have. But then had he see this ring and instantly thought of her? Yes, yes he had. He knew it would be perfect for her, it would suit her better than any of the other hundreds he’d looked at over the 3 weeks he’d searched for the perfect one.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Y/N. I want to call you my wife till the day I die.”

And that does it, that knocks her back to earth and instantly tears well up in her eyes as she once again lunges at him and wraps her arms and legs around him. “I want that too,” she quickly affirms.

“You want to call me your wife till the day you die too?” He asks, like the cheeky bugger he is.

And she abruptly laughs at that, the sound watery and lumpy due to her emotions and tears, “yes, exactly that!”

Then the kiss attack is back in full force, and Steve can’t help the deep chuckle that vibrates out of him. “So I take it that’s a yes, then?”

“Mhmm,” she hums happily, still assaulting his face with her love. “Of course it’s a yes,” she pulls back and lightly pinches his cheek as she talks in that silly baby voice that she always uses with Rocky, “like anyone could turn down this handsome face.”

He glances down at Rocky, still sitting beside them and sees the dog looking up at her, head tilted to the side as if he doesn’t quite understand why she is using that voice on Steve either. That makes him snort and shake his head before his eyes meet hers once again and he raises a brow at her playful tone with him.

She laughs, kissing him once more while mumbling, “sorry, I get a little weird when i’m this excited. My filter sorta goes out the window.”

He laughs with her, then the kiss takes a deeper turn and Steve has no complaints about that. Not a single one.

With her still wrapped around him, he places her, and the ring, on the counter before he reluctantly pulls away. He mumbles a, “one second,” before he goes to put Rocky in their room, where the dog's giant bed is.

Once the dog is in bed and laying down, Steve promises to be right back to snuggle him before he shuts the door then quickly makes his way back to her, finding his rightful spot between her thighs and instantly seeing that she’s put the ring on now. And that sight alone, his ring on her finger, causes something to snap in Steve and before he can blink, he’s dived right back in.

“I love you so damn much,” she mumbles softly between heated kisses and scorching touches.

“And I am desperately and completely in love with you,” he mumbles back before all speech ceases, minus their soft moans and deep groans.

Clothes are lost in haste, yanked from their bodies and thrown quickly but thoughtlessly around the room. Hands grab, pull and smooth over supple, heated skin, as lips claim and mark any place they can find, any spot they can reach.

God, he missed her. Her and this, the connection they’ve always shared, the one they’ve nurtured and grown together. This isn’t the homecoming he imagined, but damn if the thought of volunteering first for the next long mission doesn’t pop into his head in this moment. Because if this is the exact reunion he gets every time, after being away for a while, the time apart would be entirely worth it.

But all his thoughts cease once he slides home, once he is fully settled inside her, deep and imposing, a perfect fit. The soft sighs and whimpers coming from her are like a drug to him, the feeling of her tightening around him, of her walls quivering from time to time is intoxicating to him.

As he begins to move, starts to climb, all he can do is stare at her, at the beautiful woman before him. His hands push her loose hair out of her face, so he can see her better, and then they just stare and climb together.

When she reaches her first peak and abruptly falls over it, the glorious sensation of her inner walls milking him nearly drags him over with her. But he clenches his teeth and fights through it, not ready for this to be over just yet. He wants more, he needs more.

He watches as her eyes snap shut, he sees as her lips part and a delicious moan of his name falls from them. He watches it all unfold before him, this beautiful creature he gets to call his own. This lovely person who showed Steve what real love is, what a solid and stable relationship entailed.

She’s helped him more than she will ever know, even long before they ever dated, moved in together or, now, got engaged. Long before he even knew her name, she’d helped show him the way, she was the light in his dark time. The sweet voice and friendly smile that helped him realize he could begin again, and that he definitely should. She helped him realize that he’d be alright, soon enough, he all he needed was a little patience, elbow grease, and time.

And just like that, it hits him, he’s finally reached his Soon Enough.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

@caps-lockdown @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @tfandtws @boxofteenageideas @wangdeasang @giggleberts @strawberry-gothchild @theonelittleone @agentbadbitch @ratwrites @starrystellars @bandsandanimefreak @rockyroadthepastryarchy @lovvliies @cuffski @icesoccerer @alwaysright4 @lilsthethrills @steeeeverogers @zombiepotterfour @mu-mu-rs @ledandan1244 @straightforwardly @denzmallows @xremember-me-notx @gwynethjodie @lollipopdomination @capstopavenger @jemimah-b99 @rcvenqers @justkending @alagalaska @silent-loucidity @sabertooth-potato @pies-wands-and-more @interstellarmess @gabriella69816 @phantom-soilder​ @wordlesscaptain​ @captain-hammer-of-asgard​ @starstucknature @viarogers​ @storyscaped​ @kaithezaftig​ @the-kinkiest-goblin​ @hysterically-original​ @badassbeckettswan​ @heyiamthatbitch​ @zlixlle​ @capsicledoll @givemehopenfandoms​ @pretendingandpreposterous​ @frozen-phoenix17​ @emotionallysalty​ @saturngirlz​ @atomicsludgedonutbiscuit​ @ivannagotthebeat​ @bohemian-barbie​ @marvelous-capsicle​ @steverogersxreader​ @cjhorseback​ @jasminecalia​ @secondstar2disney @jessiedaeum @betsynodak​ @capricornprince118​ @just-ladyme​ @pinkleopardss​ @drayshadow​ @sister-of-stars​ @wiserebelpartypie​ @dark-night-sky-99​ @patzammit​ @cs-please​ @troublermalik​ @bratstopmom​ @anika-ann​ @wxstedhexrt​ @rynabarnesrogers​ @ab-baybay​ @scentedsongrebel​ @captainchrisstan​ @kelbabyblue​ @fckdeusername​ @murdermornings​ @dreamlesswonder86​ @intricate-melody​ @fiannaofficial @jeremyrennermakesmesmile​ @nomadics-stuff​ @hufflepuffvs​ @kaytizzle​ @superharriet​ @calwitch​

[kats-fic-recs]

Harry Potter Fics that are Simply Magical

Psssst see what I did there ;)

1) he will have power the dark lord knows not Words: 11, 809 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Gen

It was Mrs. Figg who suspected first.

She noticed many things, sitting on her side of her fence with her cats chasing butterflies and nuzzling her ankles, Mundungus and the other watchers dropping by for tea now and then.

Mrs. Figg noticed that Petunia was a nosy bit of work with insecurities hanging from her every harsh angle. She noticed when Dudley learned the word MINE-- the whole neighborhood noticed that one. She noticed that Vernon glared at owls.

She noticed that when Petunia gave Harry a truly horrendous haircut one year, it grew back in at a normal rate. Harry was uneven and weird-looking for ages, hiding under beanies when he could.

When Mrs. Figg had Harry over for carefully miserable afternoons of babysitting, she noticed nothing moved that shouldn't. He didn't accidentally make flowers out of fallen leaves, or levitate anything during tantrums, or turn toys funny colors.

Mrs. Figg called up her mother, interrupting the wizarding bridge game she was winning against the nursing home staff, and asked her how she had known, decades back, that her youngest daughter was a squib.

Love this concept so much and the author did a really good take on it.

2) the family evans Words: 3,529 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Gen

What if, when Petunia Dursley found a little boy on her front doorstep, she took him in? Not into the cupboard under the stairs, not into a twisted childhood of tarnished worth and neglect—what if she took him in?

Petunia was jealous, selfish and vicious. We will not pretend she wasn’t. She looked at that boy on her doorstep and thought about her Dudders, barely a month older than this boy. She looked at his eyes and her stomach turned over and over. (Severus Snape saved Harry’s life for his eyes. Let’s have Petunia save it despite them).

Let’s tell a story where Petunia Dursley found a baby boy on her doorstep and hated his eyes—she hated them. She took him in and fed him and changed him and got him his shots, and she hated his eyes up until the day she looked at the boy and saw her nephew, not her sister’s shadow. When Harry was two and Vernon Dursley bought Dudley a toy car and Harry a fast food meal with a toy with parts he could choke on Petunia packed her things and got a divorce.

God I wish this happened in canon. This made me tear a bit ngl.

3) a snake in the den Words: 1664 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Gen

you know what would have been great? if ron got sorted into slytherin.

imagine– we have this kid on the train, the first friend harry meets, with his corned beef sandwiches and smudged nose. ron is eleven years old and he wants gryffindor, because he’s a weasley and that’s what always happens. but it doesn’t happen.

what a way to redeem slytherin house– or, god, at least complicate it. because ron is petty. he is mean and sharp and ambitious and jealous– and he is loyal to the ends of the earth. he is all those things, and he is and always has been good.

potter becomes before weasley in the alphabet, so harry says not slytherin please and gets told might as well be gryffindor. percy and fred and george are all sitting there in red and gold, ruffling the already-ruffled hair of the boy who lived, smug, and then ron sits down and the hat spits out slytherin!

YES SLYTHERIN!GOLDEN TRIO/ SLYTHERIN!RON

4) On Looks (and why shouldn't judge by them) Words: 11,102 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: T

Bill has spent his whole life as a big brother and makes sure that his siblings know to be careful because appearances can be deceiving. He doesn’t like getting approached by people who want a little bad boy in their life (he knows what impression he leaves on the masses).

Fleur is a big sister before everything but only ever gets complimented on her looks even though she knows she is valuable for more than that. She hates being objectified by anyone (even though when his eyes run down her figure, they feel more analytic than appraising).

He knows she’s dangerous from the moment they meet. They fall in love anyway.

I love Fleur. I love her. So when fics portray her as the badass she is, I immediately like them too. Her & Bill's fun dynamic in this is just a bonus.

5) All the Young Dudes Words: 526,969 Chapters: 188/188 Rating: M Pairings: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin & James Potter/Lily Evans Potter

LONG fic charting the marauders' time at Hogwarts (and beyond) from Remus' PoV - diversion from canon in that Remus's father died and he was raised in a children's home, and is a bit rough around the edges. Otherwise canon-compliant.

1971 - 1995

This IS a wolfstar fic, but incredibly slow burn. Literally years. Long build up but worth it I promise!

Sooooo I got on mauraders tiktok and EVERYONE knows this fic. So of course I have to include it. I barely started reading it and am currently on year 1 but god I already know this is a well written heartbreak

Annnnnnnd thats it :)))

[isis-astarte-diana]

Milk and Honey: Day 3

Day 1 ‖ Day 2 ‖ Day 3 (Fin)

Summary: “I think we need to talk about yesterday.” Inches are lost; miles are gained; things are said that can’t be unsaid.

Warnings: Tiny bit of non-sexual nudity and also, separately, a sexual reference. Dodgy dynamics (I tried to fix them!). Angst with a happy ending.

Word Count: 3880

NB: This chapter was such a struggle to figure out and I think it shows (!!) but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Also, yes, I did write another ‘Missy and reader watching a horror film’ scene, and no, I won’t apologise for it. (Maybe there should be a seasonal Hallowe’en film night fic?) I consider this the end of the story!

You think it’s the rain that’s woken you.

It’s deafening against the window, a downpour that floods the road outside so that the sound of each passing car is turned into a crashing wave. The room is black as pitch. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust and make forms of the shadows.

“Go back to sleep.”

Missy’s voice close behind you makes you jump. You twist around awkwardly, tangling your legs in the duvet, and almost smack your face into her elbow. She’s reclining on top of the sheets beside you. In the inky gloom you can just make out the pillows propping her up against the headboard, the open book she holds in her lap.

What time is it? The first hazy thought shakes loose in your mind. Almost immediately afterwards, how long has she been awake?

What comes out is thick and groggy. “Too dark to read.”

“Hmm.” It’s not quite a chuckle. She turns the page, a slow, rasping sound near your ear. “Is it dark to you?”

There’s something low and melancholic in her voice that makes you frown. You try to sit up, propping yourself up with one arm, but the duvet pulls tight and stops you halfway. You’d hoped to see her face better by moving; the shadows give no such clarity. She’s featureless in the dark.

“Go back to sleep,” she says again, not waiting for an answer. “It’s early.”

“And you?” Your head falls back to the pillow of its own accord. Wakefulness is still out of reach, a tendril of smoke that you cannot grasp. “Will you sleep?”

No response.

Even as your eyes close and you slip back into unconsciousness, you can feel her gaze on your face, warm and ticklish. Or maybe it’s her hand.

+++++

Missy is brushing her hair.

Eyes half-closed, you pretend not to watch her. She stands in front of your mirror, purple housecoat flowing around her like something from a fairy tale, sweeping a wooden brush through the tangles. Four hairpins jut from her mouth.

I’m glad you changed your mind about the bed.

The swelling there is gone. A ragged line is all that remains, dark through her pale pink bottom lip. She sets the hairbrush down and drags a pin from between her teeth, running it across the scab. Her eye twitches.

I think we need to talk about yesterday.

Red splotches on her cheek mark the place where the graze had been, new skin that looks tight and itchy. Parts of the large cut are healed completely. It’s only by the faint purple scratches - one below her eye, one on her jaw - that you can even find where she was injured. She twirls a lock of hair around her finger and pins it at the back of her head.

I don’t know what to do.

Your throat feels tight. She finishes putting her hair up, skilful and unhurried, eyes never flitting from the mirror.

I wish you would look at me.

Slender fingers chart the healed cuts on her face.

I wish you would touch me.

She unbuttons the housecoat and drops it from her shoulders, revealing her chemise. She twists as if to look over her shoulder. It’s no significant state of undress but you clamp your eyes shut all the same.

A long moment of silence passes.

“Could you look at my back?”

Her voice is soft. When you open your eyes, she’s turned back to the mirror, having shrugged off the gown and hooked it over her arm. The white linen chemise ends just above her knees. Her pale calves are dappled with fine, dark hair.

“Please. I can’t quite see it in the mirror.”

You throw the duvet off and sit up, skin prickling with goosebumps as it meets the cool morning air. Outside the rain is torrential. “Of course.” Your voice is still groggy.

She tilts her head as you approach. A single strand of hair hangs loose at her neck. It stirs with your breath.

“Can I-?” Your fingers hover at the embroidered straps on her shoulders, not touching, not asking. Just waiting.

“Please,” she says again.

There is no right way to ease the top of the dress down her arms. You search for something to look at that won’t make your chest hurt but there’s only her bare shoulders, her bright eyes in the mirror. Closing your eyes would be insulting. So would turning your face away.

You can do nothing but watch her shoulder blades twitch as you guide the straps down past her elbows. The fabric droops, falling clear to her waist. She shivers but makes no effort to cover her chest. Your eyes drop to the small of her back.

“Well?”

There’s an indent, a quarter of an inch deep, maybe more. The new skin that lines it is a furious shade of pink. It’s sickle-shaped, with jagged edges, curving to the left of her spine. You catch your fingers drifting towards it and clench them into a fist at your side.

“It looks good.” You clear your throat. “It’s healing. No swelling or anything.”

“But not healed yet?” A strange sort of optimism tints the question.

“No, not- not properly. It still looks...” Painful. “Fresh.”

“Good.” She tugs her chemise back into place hastily. “That it’s healing. That’s good.”

“Yeah.” Still cold, you reach for your dressing gown and draw it around yourself. “I’m, uh - I’m gonna go for a shower, okay?”

“Of course.”

She fastens her housecoat with quick fingers. 

+++++

When you find Missy reading on the sofa, there are two steaming mugs on the coffee table in front of her.

She’s gotten changed.

It’s nothing you haven’t seen before - the dark floral blouse, the wool skirt - but it feels uncanny. Somehow, seeing her in her chemise or in a pair of your pyjamas is less bizarre than this, her usual clothes with a softer silhouette, no corset, no boots. She has her legs tucked beneath her and her back angled away from the cushions in a way that’s startling unfamiliar. She looks relaxed. She looks comfortable.

“I made tea,” she says, and you realise that you’re staring.

“For me?” It sounds pathetically surprised.

“No. They’re both mine.” She glances up at you with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, for you.” An arrogant, sarcastic sort of lopsided smirk; a faint flicker of her usual self. It makes your heart flutter.

“Thank you, Missy.”

She blinks. When was the last time somebody said that?

You take the cup and sit beside her. Her foot, stocking-pale and peeking out beneath the folds of her skirt, brushes your leg. You don’t flinch. Neither does she. To keep from reaching down and resting your palm on her ankle you wrap both hands around your mug. In times of desperation you can undress her, in darkness or in anger she can lay her hands on you to push you away or pull you close, but by the cold light of a rainy noontime you don’t know where you stand.

You don’t know the rules of this game.

As you drink your tea in silence - save for the occasional drag and rasp of a page turning - the words roll over and over behind your teeth, a tangle you try and fail to straighten out before speaking aloud. There’s too much to unravel. Too many thoughts, emotions, sensations are knotted together, and how do you ask if she feels what you feel when you don’t know what that is?

How do you ask if you can touch her?

How do you explain that you want to?

Missy watches you from the corner of her eye. It’s clear from the set of her jaw that she can sense something of the tumult in your skull. You wish she would put the book down and stop pretending to ignore you. You wish she would speak first.

You wish she would hold your hand.

“What are you reading?” You ask, and immediately wish that you hadn’t when she lifts her eyes from the page and sets them on you. They crinkle at the corners with her smile.

“Immensely dull,” she admits as she shows you the cover. It’s a nondescript black hardback titled in an unfamiliar language. “He’s been telling me to read it for centuries. I let it gather dust in the vault just to get under his skin.”

You can see where this is going. “And now he’s conveniently forgotten to bring you any other books?”

“Clever girl.” You hope she doesn’t see the way it makes your fingers twitch. Dropping her gaze back to the book in her lap, she shifts just enough that her foot rests against the outside of your thigh. She leaves it there.

“I think-”

The words come out before you can stop them and now it’s happening. You’ve lit the fuse. Missy looks at you again, properly this time, and you’d do anything for her to jump in and plug this gap with a derisive, do you? or, try not to strain yourself  but she doesn’t. She just waits. It hurts to meet her eyes.

You do it anyway. She deserves that much.

“I think we need to talk about yesterday.”

She nods, almost imperceptible. Something cracks behind her smile but it stays put, too wide, too false to be comfortable. “Do we?” It’s hollow. Not a question, not a snarl. Maybe a scoff.

Maybe a plea.

The doorbell rings.

+++++

In the doorway to your flat the Doctor proffers a damp plastic bag. The smell of hot oil and chip shop vinegar rises from it in a haze. It instantly makes you hungry.

In his other hand he carries a folded umbrella, wet from the rain.

"I brought food,” he says, and you realise that you’re staring.

“Is that-”

“Yes.” He taps the end of Missy’s sonic umbrella against the ground. “Can I come in?”

Uncertain. Like he thinks you might actually say no. He looks down at his full hands, the chips, the sonic; peace offerings. The closest to an apology you could ever expect, and one you aren’t quite ready to accept.

You don’t know when you got so angry with him.

“Did you do anything to it?”

“No,” he says, fire in his eyes, and it means I would never. You know his vehemence is supposed to be an olive branch, too, but it incenses you. He understands the notion that some things are sacred. He knows that there is a line and this is where he’s drawn it, too far on the wrong side of cruelty.

You stand to the side to let him through the door. When he’s close enough, you snatch the umbrella from his hand.

+++++

Missy is so different when he’s there.

She sits up straighter. Even when he takes your seat beside her, banishing you to sit cross-legged on the floor, she keeps her distance. Her feet are back on the ground. The book that she was reading is, you can see from your low vantage point, hidden beneath the sofa.

The umbrella is propped up against the coffee table in front of her. It doesn’t leave her sight for an instant.

“So,” he inspects a chip on the end of his fork. “You look better.”

“Than you?” A tilt of her eyebrow. “Always.”

He ignores it. “How’s recovery going?”

“Tiresome. Next time I get stabbed I’ll make sure that it kills me.”

Next time I get stabbed. Your stomach twists painfully and you put the remains of your meal aside. Their tight back-and-forth continues for almost half an hour.

When the Doctor gets up to leave, Missy sees him out, closing the living room door behind her. In a bid to ignore the low murmur of their voices in the hall, you tidy up as loudly as you can.

+++++

Four knocks against the doorframe, just audible over the rolling boil of the kettle.

You’ve never drunk this much tea in your life.

Even before she speaks your stomach is dropping. The kitchen feels smaller than it ever has before. Counters and cabinets press in on you, claustrophobic, like the room is shrinking around you in the silence.

“It’s time for me to go back.”

Squeezing your eyes tight, you fight not to make a sound until you’ve steadied yourself. Horror and sorrow and pain tug at your throat. When you finally manage to reply it’s terse, partly with anger, partly because your voice will break if you say any more. “Do you want to?”

“Does it matter?” She asks, and somehow it’s worse than yes. “The Doctor and I- agree, that I’ve recovered enough to travel again.”

“Did you show him your back?” There’s an ember of something too much like jealousy in the question.

“No.” I would never. A trace of disgust in her voice. Some things are sacred. “No, but we spoke.”

You scoff. “You mean, he said jump and you asked how high?”

She doesn’t even argue and god, you’d take being thrown against the bathroom sink over this, any day. “Yes. That’s how it has to be.”

“Does it?” For the first time you throw a glance over your shoulder at her. It’s a mistake. It makes your bottom lip quiver. “Why?”

Her brows draw together, a soft sort of torment on her face. “You know why.”

“I don’t.” Squaring your shoulders, you turn to face her, bracing your hands on the countertop behind you. You set your jaw against the plaintive whimper that races up your throat. “Tell me.”

“I’m not- ready. To be around people yet.” She waves a delicate hand in front of her face. “I thought I was, but obviously I was mistaken.”

“You look ready.” You gesture to her. “You’re standing here with me.”

“I’m not safe.”

“You haven’t killed me, have you?” You indicate your very-much-still-living body. “I’m still here.”

A quick hand wraps around your extended arm, just over your wrist, where she’d grabbed you yesterday. It’s not a tight grip but the joint is stiff and, despite your best efforts, your face twitches with discomfort. Spotting the movement, she loosens her hand until she’s just barely touching you.

“I hurt you.”

Your eyes flicker over her face, the pain written into it. It’s not a question, but you answer anyway. “Yes.”

Her gaze drops from you and she lets go of your wrist, but you catch her hand in yours and take a step towards her. She could pull away easily, you know that; but she doesn’t. Her fingers lace between yours.

“Do you want to go?” You ask again, making a conscious effort to keep your voice soft. She doesn’t look at you.

“I have to,” she murmurs to the floor.

“You don’t.” Closer still, letting your clasped hands swing between you. Less than a foot of distance from chest to chest. “And that’s not what I asked.”

Missy lifts her bright eyes to you and the desperation there makes your breath catch. She doesn’t speak.

“You can stay.” It comes out like a plea. “If you like.”

Her voice is a cracked whisper. “I can’t.”

“Why?” You reach for her other hand and she doesn’t flinch, letting you slot your fingers together with hers until you can feel her heartbeat through both palms. “Why can’t you, Missy?”

“Because-” with a steadying breath, she sets her jaw and twists her lips in contempt that you know isn’t directed at you. “Because I am not a good person.”

“Then be a good person!” 

You don’t mean for it to be so loud. Her eyes widen and you squeeze her hands, closing the distance until you’re almost touching. Your faces are inches apart.

“It’s not something you can learn. You’re not stupid, and you’re not helpless, and, whatever, the Doctor thinks, you are not his pet monster. If you lock yourself up with him until you feel like you’re good enough you’ll be there forever.”

Her face crumples, tears shining glassy in the low light of the afternoon, and it looks like she wants to lunge and pull you close but she doesn’t. She parts her lips and takes a breath and lets you carry on. You can feel a mutinous sob building at the back of your throat.

“You don’t have to save the world. Most people never do. You don’t have to be kind all the time because nobody ever is but you have to choose, Missy. You just have to choose not to be cruel. Every day, you choose. That’s all you do. That’s all there is to it.”

She laughs, low and tearful, a strangled sort of noise. “You say it like it’s easy.”

“On a good day, it is.”

With a shaky breath like she’s drowning, Missy asks, “and on a bad day?”

“On a bad day, you do the best you can.” When a tear streaks down her face you can’t stop yourself dropping her hand, reaching up to cup her cheek. It’s cold. Her mouth falls open with a quivering gasp when you wipe away the moisture with your thumb. You feel your own eyes burning and offer her a watery smile. “And then you try again tomorrow.”

She covers your hand with her own and looks at you for a moment as if she’s waiting for permission; and then she holds it there and tilts her head to press a soft kiss to the inside of your wrist.

The tears you’ve been swallowing back escape with a choked whimper.

“Stay, Missy.” You crook your fingers and curl them lightly against her jaw. She shivers. “Please. I’m asking you. Stay here with me.”

Closing her eyes like she’s struck with pain, she moves your hand from her face and rests her forehead against yours. Slowly - so achingly slowly - her hands release yours and come to rest on your waist. It makes your breath hitch. You mirror her, just as tentatively, pressing your palms to the line where thin blouse and thick skirt meet.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, the breath of the words ghosting over your face. “For yesterday, I-”

“I know you are.” Her fingers tighten on the fabric of your clothes. “Don’t do it again.”

“Never.” She opens her eyes, so close that you can hear the moisture on her lashes. “I promise you. I would never.”

“I believe you.”

“I want to be good.”

You chuckle through your tears, breathless and high-pitched. “For what it’s worth, I think you already are.”

She makes a fractured sound in the back of her mouth and slides one hand into the small of your back. Lifting her head, she moves closer, pressing her chest to yours. Her fingers are cool and feather-light on your face.

“Everything,” she murmurs, brushing the tears from your cheek. “It’s worth everything.”

The kiss is damp, and salty, and it knocks you breathless.

For a second you worry about hurting her, feeling the rough line of the scab through her bottom lip drag against your mouth, but she has no such concerns. She kisses you like she’ll die if she doesn’t.

You know how she feels.

When, too soon, she pulls away, you can’t help whining and trying to chase her mouth with your own, but she steps back, just enough that you can’t reach. For a long moment you’re terrified that she’s changed her mind, that this has been some mad and frenzied mistake, but she presses her lips to your forehead and tucks a stray hair behind your ear.

“You’re cold.”

It takes you a moment to even process the words. “Am I?”

Smiling, she reaches back to move your hand from her waist and show it to you by way of explanation. It’s trembling.

You hadn’t noticed.

“Oh. Yeah, I s’pose I am.”

She kisses your knuckles, just once, just lightly, and you realise that you are, in fact, shivering.

“You go and sit down.” Gentle fingers brush the underside of your chin. “I’ll make tea.”

The touch has you ducking your head shyly and you tease, “twice in one day?”

“Only for you, poppet.”

+++++

“It’s obviously the little girl.”

“Is it?” You glance away from the gore on the screen and down to Missy. Her head rests in your lap, over the thick blanket that covers you, her eyes fixed on the horror film playing out on the television. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, first of all, I don’t recall telling you to stop.” She looks up at you with a quirk of her eyebrow, rolling her eyes to indicate her hairline. With a fond scoff you resume gently scratching her head. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“Mistress is fine.” Judging by the sharp smile that flashes across her face, she doesn’t miss the choked noise you make. “It’s a revenge film. I mean, look,” she gestures to the screen, “everyone who was nasty to her is dying. It’s poetic justice.”

“Like Carrie?” You prompt helpfully, smoothing a frustrated line from her forehead.

“Exactly like Carrie.” She wrinkles her nose. “But with worse practical effects.”

“I s’pose they all look fairly bad to you.”

“Hmm. It’s like pornography.” Your fingers falter against her scalp and she chuckles. “Pales in comparison once you’ve done the real thing.”

You look back at the television, debating for a moment whether to speak, but curled on the sofa here with her it all feels so much simpler. With forced casualness, you ask, “do you miss it?”

“Pornography?” She snorts. “Sometimes. I had a lot of me time in the vault.”

“No!” Feeling heat rise into your cheeks, you swat the side of her head very gently with your palm. She laughs. “I mean-”

“I know what you mean.” She takes your other hand - the one resting on her shoulder - and brings it down to her lips, kissing your palm. It makes you melt. “Which answer do you want? The good one, or the bad one?”

“Just the real one, Missy.” You lace your fingers through hers. “I don’t mind what that is.”

With a soft exhale, she clutches your hand to her chest. You can feel her hearts beating. “Like I said. Sometimes.” She throws a sideways glance up at you and you smile.

“That makes sense.”

“Does it?” So much aching vulnerability in the question. You squeeze her hand.

“Yeah. Makes sense to me.”

She nods like she doesn’t quite agree, and the movement turns into a nuzzle against your thigh. Taking the hint, you set up the rhythm of light scratches through her hair once more. “We still have to talk, don’t we?”

“Yeah. I think so.” She presses your palm tighter into her blouse. Her eyes are still red and puffy. “But not right now. Unless you want to.”

“Not right now,” she echoes softly, and ducks her head to kiss your knuckles. Her head twists in your lap as she settles herself again.

“Are you sure you don’t want a pillow?”

“Positive.” Her lips tilt at the corners. “This is perfect.”

Yes, is all you can think, watching the red-and-blue light of the television flashing on her pale face. She hums contentedly when you scratch behind her ear.

This is perfect.

[wayfarerrye]

The Anarchist Of Consequences: Technoblade

/roleplaying /adhdhyperfixationramble

Technoblade is one of the few characters/players on the Dream SMP that never really obfuscated his overall plan, goal or motivations, he has hid the means in which he would go to follow through as well what his horde looks like.

He doesn’t play the game of tricking the audience or make the audience question his every motivation unlike some. 

Doesn’t mean we don’t look deeper because on this server, the fact of the matter is Technoblade’s way is rarity, so it means we all look underneath the underneath for everyone. 

However, Technoblade's greatest complexity doesn’t come from his motivations, those are pretty cut and dry, Anarchy, Proving flaws in the system, and demolishing the system, but from his relationships with other people.

That is what made the fact Technoblade pulled out the withers, to be both shocking but not, because we knew, it had been foreshadowed, we had seen the cause of it. The shocking part came from how it would have been Easy for Techno to just not, to let it go, to make a point where his character developed in an avenue of Friendship first, while undercutting his own ideals, so many writers have done it before, what is one more, but he didn’t.

It made it all the more rewarding for those of us invested into Technoblade’s plotline. 

It also made his ‘retirement’ make sense as well, because it was such a pivotal character moment, where change was inevitable. 

Yeah, meta: it was Technoblade trying his might to give us the audience a Break.

As a character though, he had just been betrayed, by his allies and friends, specifically the L’Manberg side. Though Dream did enthrone a brand new king on the same day, technically they were enemies at the time though. 

(I wish I could ask Techno if he considers any difference between the Dream SMP (A Theocracy)and L’Manberg (Timeocracy maybe, definitely isn’t a democracy) government systems because Technically Dream as admin is like the G-d of the server, so him doing that is like ‘divine right of kings’ kind of stuff.)

Though a case could be made Wilbur’s only betrayal was dying, because of the people on the server at the time, he is the one that to Techno’s face, and in front all combatants once the battle was over told Technoblade ‘government is not the way to go, I agree with you’ and abdicated the position of power in order to follow through on destroying the government. Which is Fascinating.

Then his old friend, Philza rolled up and murdered Wilbur, which yeah okay, fair enough, Wilbur asked but still Technoblade didn’t know that at the time. Philza then proceeds to seemingly side with l’manberg during the battle against the Withers.

So him leaving and retiring, was a logical response to all the betrayal, because dynamic characters change. 

Then slowly, it made sense why he was drawn out of retirement, because no one left him be alone.  Phil, Fundy, Quackity. They all drew Techno back into the story in different ways. 

Phil, just rolled up and went yo we gonna call SMP Earth our backstory.

Fundy and Quackity both decided to make Techno the antagonist to their storylines

There is also the meta fact: Everyone seemed to up and decided that they were going to make a Minecraft Cinematic Universe, and so SMP Earth is sort of canon, so is Minecraft Monday and Minecraft Championships. Sidenote For Everyone: are you trying to make the wiki creators cry?

So, Particularly as SMP Earth being almost fully accepted as part of the backstory at this point. 

Thus meaning Philza and Technoblade were once co-leader of the Antarctic Empire, this gives Techno and Phil ages of history, and already built upon trust. One battle on opposing sides couldn't shake it forever. So of course messing with Phil will mean you mess with Techno. 

Which is exactly what Tubbo, Quackity, and Fundy did, they put Phil under house arrest. 

Then decided to not give Technoblade a fair trial instead trying to execute him. 

Technoblade was out of retirement the moment they threatened Phil, especially with the purpose of using Phil to get to him. The execution bit just further pushed him into planning retaliation. Pretty sure the thing Technoblade hates more then a system of government, is a corrupt System.

Then there is Tommy and Dream to consider.

The two people he has some of the most complicated alliance and friendship with. Because if we take SMP Earth as canon backstory, Tommy and Technoblade were once enemies, and not just for a skirmish here or there, oh no, Tommy has a habit of entering a server and deciding he gonna start a feud with the strongest person there, there were battles and wars, and the fact they ever were on the same side at all in Dream SMP has to be only due to either Wilbur, or the promise of anarchy/rebellion or both. So the question is why is he siding with Tommy now? 

Especially against Dream, a person that we have seen Technoblade treat as an equal of respect on multiple occasions, and has mentioned he is wary of going against Dream's access to creative. Even when Techno was on Potopia's side, and Dream was on Schlatt's it never felt like they were opposing each other. Now this entirely might be because of them being friends in RL, except the two have proven beyond a shadow of doubt in my head they are good actors, and even more committed to playing their characters.

So why, Tommy over Dream, when Dream and Techno have far less bad blood in the past?

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Reblog, Reply, send asks, are welcome.

[popculturebuffet]

Ducktales Reviews: The Phantom and the Sorceress

Ducktales returns! The Phantom Blot returns to animation after too damn long with a neat backstory, an infnity guantlet and a hate boner for anything magic related. And since Lena is magic related she’s forced to go to her worst enemy and local close up magician Magica De Spell for help. Also Gladstone is here because we missed him and for no other reason. But we missed him so it’s okay. Friendship Is Magic, under the cut. 

Woo-ooo! We’re back! Months later and in a new room, with new things to be depressed about because this year is groundhog day and everyone is bill murray, which isn’t as fun as it should be, Ducktales is finally back on screens and in my heart. And my galbladder.. he really likes ducktales.  But yeah with the recent cancelation of the venture bros, it’s nice to get it’s spirtual littlte brother back just a few weeks later to help fill the void, and while a comparison to it now I know frank’s a fan and noticed the simlarties between rusty and gyro thanks to a tumblr post, the same post for both things inf act, I might just do that one day. But tha’ts not what your here, for , iv’e had to rewrite this intro enough times, Pitter Patter, let’s get at er. 

This episodes opens with Scrooge sitting down for his morning tea when the kids pop out of the tv and hte bored way he figures it out is really hilarious. David Tennat is really good at selling just how Scrooge has both seen it all and has the deductive skills of Barbra Gordon. What eveyrone syaing “Of batman” gets old after a while and she’s just as smart as he is, especially as oracle. Point is it’s a good bit. As he correclty guesses the kids were playing Legends of Nerverquest or whatever that game Huey and Della played last season is called, one of them wished it was real, presumibly Dewey, and Lena’s magic accidently made it happen.  And since it’s her first spotlight episode of the season, and possibly only one since this season is kind of packed, it’s time to talk about Lena! Admitely I PLANNED to do at least her first episode and her two season 2 episodes before this, but life got in the way so here we are. Lena.. is easily one of my faviortes, the number of weblena chats have made that clear. She’sd got a compelling arc, the show tackles abuse well in her narrative, and she and webby have really sweet chemstiry. Plus she brought us Violet and i’ll always be greatful for that and she’s voiced by Kimiko Glenn in her first major voice acting role so that helps too. SHe’s a great addition to the cast and the canon. Same, as the previous comment made obvious, goes for Violet, and the three togther have a great dynamic and i’ts nice to finally see an episode with JUST the three of them post “Friendship Hates Magic.”. 

But yeah Lena’s magic’s been going haywire and I do feel the setups abit rushed.. hilarious but rushed. While Night on Kilmotor hill did establish her magic can run wild, it was also vauge if it was because of her, or it was because magica was messing with her head. IT’s still a plausable setup since we haven’t really SEEN her use her magic or have any intrest and doing so and she’s only done so either while working for magica, to undo something magica did, or to give her sister a mace so she could literally go midevil on some alien ass, it just feels a bit abrubt. And while Night on Kilmotor hill also set up a problem we hadn’t seen on screen, it felt like it gave us more time to ease into it and Lena’s issues, and made it clear SOMETHING was up instead of just telling us that. The rest of hte episode is still good i’ve just seen the show be way better at setup than this. 

But yeah Lena’s magic keeps runing their fun and she feels bad about it, while Scrooge ends up putting his foot and spats in his mouth by voicing his hatred of magic, with all his nephews giving him a “Grandpa no look” and Webby glaring at him.. and whiel I didn’t realize it while watching it.. whiel sh’es given him a disaporving look, the equilvent of shooting bambi in the face emtoinally, she’s only been THIS angry with him one other time.. and it was the time he said “Your not family”. Thankfully this time he’s not in defnstive arrogant bastard mode, so he meekly walks it back to exclude her and she shrugs it off: She hates magic too. And really.. it’s not hard to see WHY given that most times it’s enterted her life, it’s nearly got everyone she loves killed, and that the only spellcaster she knows personally is the absuive aunt whose gaslighted her on multiple occasions, most recently to try and renslave her.  Thankfully before Webby can make an old man bleed for his insesntivity, Della reveals some magical creature is there and Scrooge, while annoyed it’s more magic, is happy for another adventure and invites everyone along. And I jsut love that he dosen’t even show the slightest hesitation bringing Violet and Lena along. As far as he’s concerned probably their family too, maybe not as much as Webby but their still welcome. I mean granted i’m sure della and donald had an awkard conversation with Ty and Indy over all this to make sure it was cool, but still, it’s a nice gesture on his part and show’s his personality: He really dosen’t care who comes along as long as they can pull their weight and share his love for adventure, their welcome.  It’s also nice ot see him and Lena interact since the two really haven’t since the shadow war: Sure he’s been in the same room with her twice, btu they haven’t really spoken. Though my honest guess is they could’ve genuinely meant for Scrooge to adopt her into the family.. but when coming up with Violet found her family adopting her and them becoming sisters to be a better idea and went with that. And to be fair it is, and not just for  shipping purposes, I just wish we got some closure on that line, but i’m also aware the show has a LOT of ground to cover each season, so I understand it probably got squeezed out by all the other stuff going on and don’t really sweat it since we got something better anyway, her getting two gay dads and a sister, it just felt worth talking about.  And in universe.. I feel he didn’t simply because he didn’t either know she was back or have a chance to, though i’m also damn certain, at least in my own headcanon, he helped those men formally adopt her. I mean he owns most of the city, and they probably also had to make Lena legally exist in the first place since I doubt Magica bothered to put her on any offical records that weren’t signed in blood and written on paper made of avian flesh, which given SCrooge’s experince is probably not the first time he had to get a person into official records who came into being by way of magic or some other weirdness. 

Anyways, Lena opts out of the adventure because she’s worried about it going haywire and Webby opts out out of sympathy and while Violet is clearly keen to go, she gladly does so for her sister.. though this just makes Lena feel worse since now her girlfriend and her sister are missing out on stuff because of her, and suggests just going to sleep before she whoopsie daisy magics them to death.  The girls end up woken from their sleep however by a bang at the door. It’s Gladstone!

Yup it’s time to talk about another character I haven’t talked about yet. Gladstone is easily one of the show’s best overhauls. See in the comics while Gladstone is just as lucky and lazy.. he’s also just.. 

Okay i’m amazed it’s taken this long for me to refrence jean ralphio in one of these reviews but i’m glad it was for this.  Back on topic, while I know Gladstone in the comics has his fans, and is softend a bit in european comics, but in most stories i’ve read with him he’s an insufferably arrogant dick. Even BEFORE getting his luck, his first apperance, which I own in trade and read earlier this year, has him trying to take Donald’s house and kick him and the nephews out on the street over a drunken wager to take a polar dive, which Donald fials because life hates him and he’s a coward. Thankfully Daisy rushed in and saved the day because she’s great sometimes ,and turned things on him wiht his own drunken crap, but still, it says something when your first apperance is trying to force three ten year olds and your own cousin out into the cold. 

He .. did not get any better once his super luck came into play. Instead he just flautned it all the time and tried to constnatly win Daisy over from donald.. which had varying sucess based on how much of a shallow dick she was being that story, and in general was just unplesant. He really only works for me in comic in those aformetioned softer times: when a writer makes his luck ruin his love life or add actual depth instead of him just being the raincloud on donal’ds parade. The original ducktales and the going quackers game are the only places I can think of he showed up otherwise, prototype in the old disney shorts nonwithstanding, and Ducktales Classic made him a nice guy from what i’ve heard. Thankfully frank and crew knew exactly what to do to adapt him perfectly: He still retains some aspects from the comics: Donald and Scrooge still hate him, Donald for Gladstone always winning and always having it easy while Donald.. is donald and thus utterly miserable half the time and on fire the other half, and Scrooge because he’s a lazy asshole who gets whatever he wants with the least effort, which didn’t change. What did change was his attitude. While he still is proud of getting whatever he wants in life with no effort and being “the best at getting something for nothing” he dosen’t lord it over everyone else. Sure he’s proud of it but he dosen’t rub Donald’s nose in how much better off he is on purpose, and genuinely loves his family, something I really coudln’t say about most versions of comic Gladstone. While he’s self serving he’s perfectly happy to share his luck with whoever else: He can always get more money whenever he needs it because of course he will. The other factor helping is , as with this entire reboot, the voice acting, in this case the marvelous Paul F Thompkins of Bojack and so much other stuff fame, who really sells the “Sleazy vegas layabout” vibe this series gives him, updating his old aristocratic asshole vibe to something more fun to watch and really being a treat anytime gladstone comes up. Gladstone singing in season 2 was entirely something Paul Improvised during his first apperance they made sure to use eventually. He’s a delight any time he shows up and a total 180 from his utterly agrviating original version. 

As for why he’s here.. said luck. is gone. After being hit by some weird energy, Gladstone suddenly, since he didn’t see it hit him, finds himself living normally: going to a restraunt offers no free meal for being 100th custmoer or anything, his wallet dosen’t magically have 20 dollars in it, and the atm gives him 20 dollars.. which would seem normal except it’s actually usually a sack of rubys.  Naturally Gladstone having coasted his entire life on his magical luck, has no idea how to function as a normal human being and is utterly hilarious as he breaks down. Admitely he’s not the biggest part of the plot, he’s mostly here for comic relief and COULD have been eaisly cut.. but he’s so hilarious and seeing him utterly fail at being a normal person and whine about things as simple as walking or going up stairs is just groovy.  As for what weird magical bolt took it, Violet being violet figures it out quick: The Phantom Blot! For those unfamiliar, he’s a charcter from the mickey mouse comics, though I know him from one episode of house and mouse that adapted those comics that I need to read more of, a master schemer and old school villian par excellence and Mickey’s greatest foe. I was ecastic to see him come here and in the capable hands of Giancarlo Espisto. While I haven’t watched brekaing bad i’ve heard nothing but good thigns and he does his best with what little he’s given. But here instead of a master schemer he’s an infamous magic theif and is obviously the one who drained gladstone.. and unforutntely for scrooge the boys and presumibly everyone else... we see him in action using his fancy infnity guantlet esque magic draining gauntlet to drain the portal they took. Ruh Roh.  It gets worse when he mistakes Lena for magica, and charges after her, though Webby is able to hold him off with the axe she grabbed on the way to the door earlier, and damages his gauntlet. he retreats.. but it’s obvious he’ll be back and both Webby and Violet come to the conclusion Lena needs to grasp her magic in order to survive.. and both have the same unfortunate relization: They only know one person who can do it and Lena, once she realizes what hteir thinking, wnats nothing to do with her, and neither do they. But they have no options: they have to go to magica.  So they journey to her house on Dagobah, with Gladstone tagging along because they need a wacky comedic sidekick to help lighten the mood what with the serious, grim hunter wanting to murder a teenage girl inf nront of her tweenage girlfriend and kid sister, and their only resort being going back to her abuser for help.  Magica however isn’t all that helpful at first. Being Magica her first move is to make a grab for the Amulet to get her power back, which her running crew thwart quickly but naturally Lena still wants nothing to do with her and Magica just insults her for not using magic and because she’s a terrible person. SHe does however end up changing her tune when she hears the blot’s involved. She whisks them inside while we get a cutaway to FOWL headquarters where blot is working on his guantlet more on him in a minute.  We soon get the Blot’s backstory which is actually really inttresting and invovled even if it’s not a lot like who he is in the comcis or house of mouse: A long ass time ago before meddling kids got in her way, Magica took over a small vililage with the threat of destroying it and eveyrone in it outright unless they gave her tributes.. and when those got boring she just did it anyway. Problem was, as happens a lot when evil sorecerers calously destroy hometowns, one of them survivied. It’s even lampshaded by Magica as she points out Blot wasn’t the first. The problem was.. he was persitant. The blot never gave up, coming up with better tech to fight her magic each time and coming back stronger and likely more determined. I like this verson: While he’s not the bwahahah mastermindk, he’s still an utter threat, a force with an unyielding hatred and a burning mission to take out the target of his hate and anything like her. He reminds me a lot of toffee from star vs but if htey actually gave his backstory on screen. A meancing, somehwat quite, or mostly silent in the blot’s case, immortal menace who’s deterimiend to wipe out those who wronged him and anything related to them and has warped from what was once probably a decen tperson into a human engine of destruction with one goal and one goal only. He’s a good enoguh villian for the episode, I just hope if he comes back they give him better lines. his dialouge is really what dosen’t work for me as whiel his backstory and aura of meance work, Giancarlo is given nothing to work with line wise. He dosen’t need to be a chatty cathy or anything, just give him one or too really cool lines. Sometimes tha’ts all you need. Watch how the pros do it. 

I do like this verison, I jsut think they could do more, but given the show has a good track record for only getting better with their villians with every use, I have no worries about that and he’s still a cool enough threat. I also wish we got more of fowl or why he’s working with them. just a small scene with one of them was all I asked, because we’ve barely gotten fowl this season. It’s really one of the season’s only real problems so far: 8 episodes in and while FOWL agents have shown up twice, adn one of the episodes did advance that plot by showing off heron and steelbeak, we really haven’t seen any progress on their plans to both take the missing mysteries or kill the Clan McDuck. HOpefully this changes as we go and again, it dosen’t ditract from the episode itself, jsut the season as a whole.  Anyways, Lena is still relucntant because Magica is terrible and keeps slipping in how much she wants to take the amulet every five minutes. I love the show and catherine tate’s take on magica: just as hammy and nuts as before but when she does have magic, she’s the utter threat she was before too times ten.  But yeah while Lena’s relunctant.. neither of htem really has a choice> Magica needs her amulet secure to get her magic back, and Lena needs to not die. So they relucntantly agree to work together among more hilarous sniping.  Cue a training montage set to a hell of an 80′s tune. The show really has a good habit of making good incdental music to use in bits like this. Lena trains, uses gladstone as the training dummy, and it’s funny as it is creative and we even get some karate kids bit and the obvious star wars refrences. Meanwhile the blot approaches ever closer..  We also find out something important from Magica as she chastises Lena for having fun with her friends while training after Lena uses blue magic instead of purple: Turns out much like spellcasters in say owl house or my little pony each caster has a specific color to their magic, a Colur of magic if you will. Magica’s, and lena using hers is purple while the blue magic we’ve seen from her is her own powered by friendship and love. It’s a nice advancement of what we’ve seen so far: We’ve seen her magic powered by webby is stronger than her other stuff, and we’ve seen it come out during times their bond, or in the case of kilmotor hill her bond with everyone, is strongest. We knew something was diffrent with the magics and it’s now given a though and clearly well thought out explination why: Magica’s magic is hers and Lena was just borrowing it.. the blue stuff is hers and hers alone.  Magica does try to get her to master it by having one of her friends shoot her.. Webby of course strongly objects so Violet takes it up since it is for study after all and her sister can take a hit. Lena also wonders how she can even do magic without the amulet, but as Magica makes clear, and as I outlined above, the amulet is just help. The blue magic is her. Lena fails to use it though to deflect in time.. and to make matters worse the blot shows up after plopping gladstone down and wants to kill them  both.  We then get easily the best laugh of the episode.. as Magica tries stage magic and the blot wonders what the hell he’s looknig at. I mean this is his mortal enemy, the monster who killed everyone he’d ever known or loved... pulling out a bunch of colored rags and asking him to pick a card. It’s amazing. Lena attacks from the side and Webby and Violet quickly asist, with Magica joining in to use the rope to bind him and Lena’s magic kicking in, turning the rope into chain and summoning a snake.. but in a show of badassery the blot easily shrugs it off: he absorbs the magic, escapes and knocks them around while Webby asks the snake for help.. can she speak snake? She hopes so. 

Then things get dire as The Blot starts absorbing the magic.. and killing lena as she starts to fade away. Magica of course can’t even feign dispaointment in anything but loosing her magic. And that’s also something I really love here: The show makes no attempt to make magica better or turn around because it just isn’t who she is and even if she did after all the abuse she did, Lena would have zero reason to forgive her. It’s nice that they DON’T try redemeing her or shoing a brighter side: she’s a bad person, a worse caregiver and they only came to her because they had no choice. 

But as the magic’s absorbed magica does tell her to find the source of the power and we get a great scene: She first thinks of all the abuse magica’s done to her and it’s a harrowing montage to watch. But webby, breaks through that, since that obviouslyf ails and reminds her of where HER magic comes from: Her and webby. and we get an adorable,a nd shiptastic montage as we see more clips from past episodes.. but this time we see their adorable fistbump from “Beagle BOy Birthday Massacre”, their hug from “Jaw$!” and Lena’s return to the world and hug with her lady and future sister from “Friendship hates magic”. IT’s her friends, her sister and the love of her life who are her real source of power, and her magic connects to htem as lena ccccchanges.  And I mean entirely, her outfit changes and she gets these.. weird bright blue eyes. Like I like the rest of her outfits, a white and blue attire to show her change with a badass cape, looks like a superhero so naturally I love it.. her eyes just look really off. Like when Milo Muprhy’s law tried to give characters colored irses. Because no one else in ducktales has them it just loosk.. weird.. Otherwise though I like it. We then get a beam struggle, but with adde dhelp from her friends and her new power, Lena eventually beats the blot, as her sheer power overloads the guantlet and sends him running. However in the confusion the amulet was lost.. and Magica gets it back. Lena whollops her easily, pointing out her magic’s purpose is to protect the world from people like her. It’s a nice development too: Lena realizes MAGIC isn’t inherently evil... it’s how it’s used. Star Vs could’ve maybe taken this lesson, but regardless, it’s a nice bit of character development realizing that magic is a part of her IS Her, and she shoudln’t have to give up something in her nature because of her abuser. Magica, while repowered, is force dto lookf or her staff while Lena gladly floats team magic home. Also with the guantlet broken gladstone is back, as a rain of 20 dolalr bills he uses as tissues confims, and the portal returns, and with Lena you know, havin ga whole superhero outfit, glowing blue eyes and her hair streak now blue, they know something clearly happend and the episode just kind of ends. Still a good one.  Final Thoughts: This was a good one as I just said. While I had my nitpicks here and there as I also said, Lena’s strong character, and the game performances of Espisito, Thompkins, and Tate really add to our usual trlo, and as I mentioned before it’s nice ot see team magic get their own episode now their a full team. IT’s just a good romp and a good way back. I”ve made my complaints clear but their drowned out by good jokes, good character stuff, and good worldbuilding that makes this an utter thrill and a great one to come back to and i’tll also be intresting to see where Lena goes from here.  But wherever she goes she’ll have webby. They can be whot hey are, independent together, if theyt ry. And yes that’s my shiping song for htem and yes I have one. 

Quick bit before I go I dind’t get to, Gladstone flirts with magica when she lands in his arms, a little something for the shippers and a nice gesture on frakn’s part. Whle she rejects him and he dumps her in the sludge with a shrug. I mean.. their probably going to bang at some point. Gladstone’s powers mean he’ll likely find her when sh’es super horny and more than willing, and he’ll be like “eh why not boobs”. I mean I thought about this: I figure his powers allow him to find a willing partner, any gender or none at all I see him as pansexual, who happens to probablyb e loaded and diseased free, whenever he happens to be into it who naturallyw orks out perfectly because if he gets money whenever he wants it, why not sex? It’s not even a concious thing as we’ve seen things just work out for him so of course he probably gets laid, and as we see here it’s only if the other person consets. Good for him. Hope to see him again sooner. I want to see more of him and della interacting and see what she thinks of him. Freshe eys andall that. 

But yeah this was great to come back to. If you liked this i’ve reviewed the rest of the season up to this point and will be reviewing each episdoe every monday till they stop again, so keep an eye out for that.  You can check the tabs on my blogs for more reviews, come back this weekend for regular loud house coverag,e follow for more reviews or shoot me a pm if you’d like to comission me to do an episode. For just 5 bucks i’ll review any episode of any animated show of your choosing, and as i’ve only covered one season 2 episode of ducktales, there’s over 40 left ot choose from if you have any you want to hear my thoughts on. Until then stay safe, quack hard, and Go Team Venture! Play us out Steg .. and Co.