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penelopehere · 19 hours ago

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How They Became Demons HCs With Saja Boys

Jinu

Most of Jinu’s backstory is already revealed in the movie, with him being born into an extremely poor family

I believe his father left when he was young in order to find better work, making Jinu promise to protect his mother and sister

Jinu agreed, not knowing he would never see or hear from him again

From there Jinu took it upon himself to become the provider of the family, doing whatever it took to care for them

He worked odd jobs, no matter how degrading or difficult, including cleaning up after animals, becoming a blacksmith assistant, miner etc

However none of these were ever stable, with those in charge often taking advantage of those beneath them by cutting their pay through the threat of being replaced or even abused

His last hope was busking on the streets, as seen in the film

However, he received little success with this since most people in his village only respected professional musicians

At this point his insecurities got louder, saying he was a failure to his family and that he broke his promise to his father

That night, he couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like if things were different; if he was talented enough to get people’s attention with his music, knowing he’d do whatever it took to make it happen

Then the next day, when he tried busking again, something amazing happened

People actually stopped to listen; applauding and even paying him after each song

He was able to make a stable living from this, providing his mother and sister with a stable source of food and housing

Eventually news of his abilities reached the emperor, and he was invited to perform for the royal palace

Unable to refuse, he followed the guards, promising his family he would return with good news

After his show, he was gifted with praise, money and gifts; things he would have never dreamed possible for someone like him

He profusely thanked the emperor, who also praised his talent

He dined with the other performers, all of them bonding over their fortune

However, near the end of the night, he insisted on going back to his family

He showed them the silks, jewelry and food he was given; memorising the smiles on his mother and sister’s faces as they saw what he brought

Eventually he was invited to the palace again, only this time to stay permanently

He was escorted with his family to the gates, eager to show them the life of luxury he witnessed

However, they were stopped by the guards as they tried to enter; clarifying that only Jinu was invited to stay

He hesitated for a moment, confused and heartbroken that he wasn’t able to bring his family

But before any arguments could leave his mouth, the voice appeared again

They reminded him of the humiliation and torture he had to endure while on the streets, constantly being faced with his family’s upset faces and the guilt he felt from it

He then let go of his sister’s hand, promising to find a way for them to stay when he was able to speak to the emperor

His sister screamed and cried for her brother not to leave as their mother held her back; sadness filling her gaze as she felt the uncertainty in his words

Then as the gates closed, Jinu saw the heartbroken faces of his family for the last time

Days would go by where he lived in the palace, enoying his newfound lifestyle

He would constantly miss his sister and mother, wanting to approach those in charge to see if they could stay with him

But after he brought up the idea to a few nobles who quickly turned him down, the voice in his head got louder; telling him that if he asked for too much that he would be kicked out

So he stayed quiet, secretly sending things to his family over the following weeks

He reseceievd letters in return, but was too guilt ridden to open them

He had given up on asking for his family to stay with him, and he lived in the palace for months while still making sure they were provided for

Then one day, the letters stopped

The voice said it was Jinu’s own fault, that he was a selfish son and his family finally realised that

It wasn’t until years later, when he finally left the palace for one of the emperor’s international guests, did he find where he was sending the money and gifts

Instead of the humble cottage he thought his mother and sister were in, there was an empty plot

Apparently the village had been using what he sent to provide for the townsfolk, and no one knew what happened to his family

He lived with the guilt of abandoning them for the rest of his life, and was constantly reminded of it by Gwi-Ma even when his soul was brought to the demon world

After being tortured with the memory for so many years, the exact way he betrayed his family became overley focused on that one moment when he let go of his sister’s hand at those gates

Gwi-Ma made sure he didn’t remember any of the times he tried straying away from the voices in his head, all so Juni would remain under his control

Baby

Grew up in an orphanage, living in and out of overcrowded rooms for most of his life

But he was used to it, making the best out of the situation and entertaining himself by playing tricks on the people in the neighborhood

This could be as small as just drawing on their face while they slept, or escalate to him stealing their car

Would always manage to recruit other kids he knew to get involved with his schemes

However, if they ever got caught, he would take responsibility; saying he deserved the ‘credit’ for any prank they pulled

Would therefore get punished frequently; getting scolded, running errands for his victims, missing out on meals, dealing with the police, even having to transfer orphanages a few times

But he thought it was worth it, knowing these pranks brought joy to both him and his friends

However his behaviour also scared off a lot of potential parents, most not wanting to adopt him

This would often times make him feel lonely and unwanted, not thinking it was possible for a family to be able to handle who he really was

He would begin to outgrow the other kids; becoming one of the oldest orphans in the building

It frustrated him seeing all his friends leave, not understanding why they didn’t want things to stay as they were

Eventually decided to not interact with the new kids that often, knowing they were just going to leave when they found something better

Would hear a voice telling him they’re all just waiting for him to leave, wanting to abandon him the first chance they got because of how immature he was

His pranks then became more frequent and malicious, even targeting it towards the other orphans

Would purposefully do this when potential parents came, not wanting any of them to get adopted

One day, when he locked in his room as punishment, he couldn’t stop obsessing over the fact that he was almost about to outgrow the orphanage and be kicked out

But then he began to think about what if he didn’t have to; dreaming of if he could stay young forever, never needing parents or being told off for being immature

The next day he would wake up, forgetting about the thoughts he had the previous night and continuing his normal routine of pranking

However, over the next couple weeks, he noticed those around him looking different

Kids would start to look older a lot faster, some of them growing unreasonably tall overnight or getting wrinkles all over their face

He wouldn’t think anything of it, but noted that the same thing happened even when he transferred orphanages

Meanwhile, he himself never seemed to age a day and even began to look younger

A few of his friends would come by to visit him- some of them adopted while others still living in orphanages-, hearing news that he was still refusing visits with potential parents

They said they worried about him since he wasn’t outgrowing his childish habits, thinking he’d never be ready for life as an adult

Naturally he’d lash out; telling them that they were the ones that changed for the worse and he shouldn’t be told off for being true to who he was

From then on he drove away anyone that still tried to connect him, and eventually just decided to leave without a trace

Would frequently steal and do a few odd jobs to get by, not wanting to find anything more stable

However, the longer he was from the orphanage, the faster he seemed to age

Within a week he would be getting wrinkles and a few grey hairs, but excused it as the of stress of living on his own

However, when he was particularly struggling, he managed to find a shelter to crash in

It was then he began to look a lot younger, with those around him physically changing the same way people at the orphanage were

While he never fully acknowledged it while he was alive, he saw subconsciously recognised that whenever he looked younger those around him aged faster

Took advantage of this, using his youthful appearance to manipulate those into trusting him so he could steal from them, get gifts, receive preferential treatment etc

Even got a few modelling and acting jobs from it, everyone astonished with his face despite his age

The longer he lived this lifestyle though, the faster those around him began to age

It got frightening, seeing people grow older in mere minutes and not being able to stop it

The guilt began eating at him, but the voice in his head prevented him from fully processing that it was his fault

However, when he was trying to pickpocket a middle aged man and witnessed him dropping dead in front of him, he began to panic

Ran from the scene, sprinting by other people who began to fall to the ground

Wasn’t paying attention and eventually died when a car hit him; the driver passing out at the steering wheel

His final moments were surrounded by people he killed, and all the guilt began to rush back to him; that his inability to grow up caused so many people to feel pain

He brought nothing but suffering to others for his own selfish reasons, and the memories of that put him under Gwi-Ma’s control for the rest of his existence

Romance

The area he lived in was rather conservative, everyone being expected to act a certain way

This pressure was particularly prevalent in Romance’s family, with them being highly respected in their neighborhood

Therefore he was needed to act perfect at all times, wanting their son to be seen as the ‘golden boy’ of the community

He was enrolled in various classes since he was young; etiquette, fencing, debate, art etc

Even at school he was always the captain, leader, teacher’s favorite, the poplar kid

Whatever someone wanted him to be, he would find a way to make it happen

However, this put him under an immense amount of stress

He would obsess over every aspect of himself, finding random flaws in everything he did

Whether that be a single hair out of place, or if something he said didn’t have the exact reaction he was expected

His parents would drill this mindset into him, further criticizing anything they deemed wasn’t perfect

This made him feel like he was never enough, filling that void by getting validation from others

He would try to charm all of his peers, feeling a rush of satisfaction with every love letter and confession he received

Even with people who didn’t like or feel anything for him initially, he would manage to talk his way into their hearts and get on their good side

However, he would eventually come across someone who didn’t like him

This wouldn't just be indifference, but pure hate no matter what he did

When he finally managed to confront them on it- confused as to why they wouldn’t like him since they hadn’t even interacted as much- he would just be told that he seemed really fake

Since this was so close to the truth, he wouldn’t know how to react; stuttering out disagreements as his brain rushed to find ways to convince them otherwise

Since that moment, his insecurities began to eat at him even more

Thoughts of this person telling everyone that he was just using a persona, or that maybe his peers felt the same way and were just pretending to be nice to him

It’d cause him to spiral, overdoing everything he usually did

Would spend hours on his physique and style to the point of exhaustion, hung out with multiple admirers one-on-one to get their praise, spending every waking moment trying to get more praise

But even then, it wouldn’t feel like enough

Not if there was someone out there who saw through his mask and didn’t like him

This would make him feel more insecure about his true personality, wanting to hide it even further

So the voices in his head got louder and louder, until it was the only thing he was able to think of

All he wanted was to be be perfect to everyone, obsessing over how he would do anything to make it happen

Then one day, everything seemed to fall into place

When he went to school, everyone began to obsess over him more than usual

He didn’t even have to do anything to charm them before they were tripping over themselves trying to get his attention

Even the only person that hated him began acting strange, hovering nearby in case he needed anything

At first he was confused, but also relieved that everyone was back to loving him; trying to relish in it no matter how unsettled and intense the change in behaviour was

But when he came back home, his parents were acting the same way

There was no more criticism, only pointless praise and obsession

He managed to convince himself that this was for the best; that he was finally perfect and fulfilling the role he was always meant to do

So he played into their obsessions, not wanting the validation to go away

Even as he got older, things remained the same

Every interviewer, stranger, even friends he tried to make treated him like he was some kind of deity

Sometimes he considered letting the mask fall and actually forming a genuine connection with someone

However the voices in his head would quickly disagree, reminding him of the anxiety he felt when he was confronted by someone who hated him

So he played pretend, being the person who everyone wanted him to be until the day he died and was put under Gwi-Ma’s control

Abby

Was most likely raised in an extremely competitive environment, where strength was the only thing he was valued for

His athletic abilities were recognised when he was really young, and he was pushed into a solo sport such as boxing

Spent most of his childhood in tournaments and trainings sessions, doing more press events when he was older and started winning more

Loved the praise he received from his coaches, family, and the fanbase he got from it

The validation was the main thing that motivated him into being the best, causing him to be known as one of the more cocky and narcissistic competitors

Won most of his matches and was disrespectful about it afterwards, practically spitting on his opponents as he egged on the crowd to keep cheering for him

However if he lost, he’d get extremely pisses; screaming insults at the referee and competitor as he was forced out of the ring

Has been suspended from the sport frequently, but he used the time to train even harder and tell his fans that the organisation was just scared of him

The only reason he wasn’t banned entirely was cause his coaches got him to stop right before it got too serious

Was also a fan favourite so removing him would lose the industry a lot of money

By the time he was a teenager he was extremely well know, having fan bases across the country as he made his way to the national level

Was surrounded by competitors that also believed losing wasn’t an option, emphasizing this mindset in him

His coach told him he was destined to be the best and if he failed, he was worth nothing

Caused him to give it his all as he prepared for the national qualifier match, frequently passing out and needing to see doctors because of how hard he pushed himself

He tried to play off his nerves when entering the ring, trash talking immediately with a cocky grin on his face

However, the round ended quick; with his opponent getting a few good hits in that had Abby almost falling to the ground

He stood his ground for a bit, but ended up losing in a knockout

When he came to,- slowly getting up from the ground and realizing what had happened- he froze

Instead of the usual anger that coursed through his veins when he failed, all he felt was fear

He believed that this proved he wasn’t good enough to be with the greats, and that everyone now knew it

When the interviewer came in, trying to get him to comment on his recent match, he snapped

Pushed the camera out of his face and was seething at everyone who was in his way as he made his way to the locker room

His coach came in, causing Abby to freeze and look down in shame

The only thing he was told was to win the next qualifier, and then he was left alone

Refused to see anyone after that, training constantly and being fueled by the fact that he had to win this next tournament

Responded online to his fans a couple days later, saying that his opponent got lucky and that they should still expect great things from him the next time he fought

Began studying the other people in his division, the doubt creeping in when he saw their abilities

This feeling was emphasized by the fact that more fans and sponsors were doubting his abilities, with him losing some traction in the industry

He constantly felt that petrifying fear from the ring all over again

Thinking that maybe this is it, that he’ll never be able compete at a higher level

In the days leading up to the qualifying match, these emotions skyrocketed and he could barely pay attention enough to train properly

The voices in his head made him focus on being the best, not being able to think about anything but the fact that he’d do whatever he needed to be the strongest

He put on an act for the public, telling the press that he was ready to prove he was the greatest

When he stepped into the ring though, he felt a surge on energy flow through him

When the bell rang, he threw a singular punch and managed to knock his opponent out

The entire arena was quiet for a few moments, before the crowd erupted into cheers

He stood dumbfounded, not expecting it to be this easy

But when the referee put his hand up- signalling he was the winner- he snapped out of it and an arrogant smile creeped onto his face

Bathed in the praise, telling the interviewer that he was going to win this entire thing

And sure enough, all his matches went a similar way; ending in only a few seconds as Abby was too fast and strong for his opponents

His coach put him on a press tour after he won nationals, saying he was the best in the country and soon the world

Those around him told him to cherish this spotlight, not knowing when it was going to drop

From this, his fear of people doubting his abilities like they did when he lost his first nationals would constantly arise

However, he’d cover this up by being a lot more cocky and rude

Would never shy away from hate comments either, saying they were just jealous

Eventually became renowned on the world level, doing extremely well on the international stage as he represented Korea

However, he’ll never forgot the last match from that tournament

He let the energy in him guide him as usual, going in for the knockout

But then a deafening crack filed the stadium, his opponent crumpling to the floor

When he looked down, he saw the man’s skull caved in as a pool of blood appeared around him

Some people in the audience screamed, others cheers, while many remained quiet

Abby was rushed out of the ring, his coach preventing anyone from talking to him

Was kept in his room with limited contact until the police arrived, needing his statement since his opponent died instantly

It was scandal, with many people thinking he cheated somehow or that he did it on purpose

But the matter was quickly dealt with, with his coach pushing Abby to keep going and prepare for the next torunmanet

The voices in his head told him to not stop, or else he’d never be the greatest and people would know he was worth nothing

So he continued, putting on his mask and not letting the doubt get to him

In his career, there were multiple instances of the same terrifying thing happening; his opponents getting basically bruistlised, some to the point of paralysation and even death

Every matter was swept under the rug because of his popularity and notoriety

However, while didn’t do it on purpose and even tried pulling his punches a couple of times, he would never forget each person that died by his hands

He continued to fight for his ego and own selfishness, never letting himself fester in the doubt and guilt; instead letting it fuel him

He never felt the extent of these feelings until he faced Gwi-Ma, who now never let him forget his mistakes

Mystery

Had a rather tight knit friend group growing up, all of them being inseparable since they were young

Even going as far as having matching bracelets or something similar

Had a few regular hang out spots all over the city; mainly abandoned areas or parks where they could be by themselves without anyone bothering them

If they weren’t there, then they’d either be at some arcade or messing with people in the neighbourhood

Mystery was one of the only members that didn’t try to branch out and make other friends, content with the group that he had

None of them even considered the fact that they would leave each other

That was until they started high school

Slowly, everyone started having a reason to leave

Whether it was having to move because their parents got a new job in a different city, getting too busy to hangout as often, or merely just drifting apart

Eventually it was just Mystery and one other friend

But even he began to grow distant, and Mystery could feel their friendship slipping away no matter what he did

Mystery then confronted his friend on it, feeling fearful of the idea of being left alone

The friend told him that these things just happen sometimes, and the two began to argue

Ended with the friend taking Mystery’s friendship bracelet, saying he was stupid for keeping it

He then ran off, and Mystery went to chase him as they made their way through the city

At one point the friend was too distracted with getting away that he went into a subway and fell onto the tracks

Before Mystery could react, a train came and killed him instantly

He was stuck in place; not moving as those around him screamed and pushed past him to see what had happened

He only reacted when some officers pulled him aside, questioning him since the two of them seemed to be in an altercation

Was rather quiet in the interrogation room, answering everything short sentences

The investigation stretched out for a while, with the media trying to get Mystery comment on the event

Classmates would even corner him at school, bullying and calling him a horrible person for killing his own friend

Even a few people from his old group reached out, some asking how this could have happened while others asked how he could do such a thing

Would get to the point he couldn’t go out with being bothered; whether that were people asking him questions, the media, people making fun of him or just weird stares

Ended up staying home most of the time, skipping school and only leaving if he needed to

Would find solace in going to his friends’ old spots since he knew no one would find him

Kept getting flashbacks of that moment in the subway, not being able to handle the guilt

He knew he deserved all the hate, and wanted nothing more than to disappear

He kept thinking that he’d do anything for people to just leave him alone

EVentually he went back home, feeling that things were eerily quiet but brushing it off and making his way to his room

The next morning, however, he noticed his parents weren’t there

Everything was untouched; nothing being out of place but no trace where they could have gone

He just assumed they went out, continuing to get ready to go to school and mentally preparing himself for the looks he would get

However, they never came

Everyone just looked passed him, not acknowledging his existence

He was confused, but took it as a small win as he made his way to class

It was then he noticed something was really wrong, when the teacher didn’t even call his name during attendance

The same thing happened multiple times later during different periods, but he didn’t want to ask about it and bring attention to himself

Had to take the train back home because his parents didn’t end up picking him up

He dreaded it, not wanting to be noticed and bombarded with questions again

However, nothing happened

Then when he came home, the house was still empty

He looked around for his parents and even tried calling them but got no answer

Weeks would go by with this happening; being alone in the house and no one acknowledging him when he went out

When he did try approaching someone, catuously asking if they knew who he was, they gave him a weird look and denied it

Felt a bit scared at first, thinking it wasn’t possible for everyone to have forgotten him

Then tried approaching a few old classmates who would reply and say that they knew him, not understanding why he was asking such a thing

However, the moment the conversation ended, they would act as if they didn’t know he was there

He wasn’t sure if this was ideally what he wanted, but was internally relieved no one was asking him about the incident

The main thing he worried about was the disappearance of his parents

But then the voices in his head got louder, telling him they probably left because he was a murderer

Flashes of that day at the train tracks played in his head again, and it felt like the guilt was suffocating him

Never went out of his way to find his family again, thinking that they left on purpose

Spent the rest of his life like this, hovering as a shadow no matter where he went

Even when he did consider trying to open up to someone again, the memory of what happened to his old group would fill his head

He believed it would be best if he just kept to himself, and remained unknown

So he did, all the way up until his death; the memory of what had happened allowing Gwi-Ma to control him forever

#kpop demon hunters #kpop demon hunters x reader #kpdh #kpdh x reader #kpop demon hunters headcanons #kdh #kdh x reader #jinu x reader #baby x reader #romance x reader #abby x reader #mystery x reader #saja boys x reader

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literaryavenger · 2 days ago

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Back To You - Bucky Version

Summary: You've always been there for Steve, and now you're watching him go back to the girl he always wanted. And Bucky's there to pick up the pieces.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Angst. Maybe language. Fluff. My poor attempts at being funny.

Word Count: 1.7K

A/N: This was supposed to be a Reader x Steve story, but I was too tempted to make reader end up with Bucky. So I decided to make two separate endings, the original with Steve and an alternate one where she ends with Bucky, if only for @ordelixx who gave me the idea. I'd also like to thank @mrsbuckybarnes1917 for the idea and for helping me write about other characters. This is Bucky's version. Steve version here.

Masterlist

You know what’s about to happen. You know he’s gonna leave, you know he’s not gonna come back, you know you’ll never see him again.

You know he’s gonna try to have the life he always wanted with the girl he always wanted. The girl he loves.

And that girl is not you.

You watch him as he says goodbye to Bucky, you know he knows as well as you do that his best friend isn’t coming back.

Then Steve turns to you and you try your best to smile.

“I wish I had met you earlier.” he whispers as he kisses you on the forehead and you know in that instant this is really goodbye.

You smile and nod, not being able to get a word out, willing yourself not to cry.

He walks onto the platform and soon he’s gone.

You’ve been by Steve’s side ever since he came back from the ice. You were the agent assigned to watch over him, you were there when he woke up and had to run after him when he freaked out.

You were there during the battle of New York, during the fall of Shield in DC, during the whole Ultron incident and in Lagos.

You were on his side for the Accords, and you were by his side in London as he said goodbye to the love of his life.

You were there with him and Sam in Romania to try and help Bucky, you were arrested with them and then helped fight the Winter Soldier, yet again.

You were on his side to fight against Tony and the rest of the Avengers, you got arrested again and were broken out of the Raft by him.

You spent two years on the run with him, and fought next to him in Wakanda.

You watched his dumb ass try to fight Thanos barehanded and you were quickly knocked down when you tried to help him.

You snapped like half the universe and apparently lost 5 years of your life. You came back, thanks to him, and fought against Thanos one last time.

And now you're watching him leave.

You were there to help him get accustomed to the 21st century, you were there for him on sleepless nights.

You were there for him as he cried for his lost friends, his lost love and his lost life. He always came to you when he needed to talk, to be held, help sleeping and even advise.

And you were always there for him, falling in love little by little against your better judgement.

You’re brought back to the present as you hear Sam freaking out on Bruce because Steve missed his mark and didn’t come back.

You look at Bucky and you both know what this means. He gives you a sympathetic smile and you try to give a smile back but fail.

You look away from him and take a deep breath. You turn around and start walking away.

You’re done here, and about to break down. Something you never allowed yourself to do in front of anybody, with the exception of Steve.

And now he’s gone.

You get in your car and quickly drive away, not looking back. You drive straight to Steve’s apartment.

You’ve been staying there since you came back while the compound gets fixed since your old apartment has been someone else’s home for the past 5 years.

Five years. That’s how long you’ve been gone. That’s how much of life you’ve missed.

And now you’re left to pick up the pieces of your life by yourself, along with your broken heart.

If you were completely honest with yourself you always knew it wouldn’t have worked with Steve. You’ve never thought you were remotely good enough for him, and that was before even comparing yourself to Peggy.

There was no doubt in your mind that she was Steve’s soulmate, and you’ve talked about her enough times to know he thought the same.

You’re taken out of your thoughts by a knock on your door. You frown and cautiously walk to it, picking up your gun from its hiding place under the coffee table.

It’s probably nothing but better safe than sorry, right?

You take a peek from the peephole and immediately roll your eyes, lowering your gun while opening the door.

“I guess you weren’t expecting company.” Bucky says, more amused than anything when he sees the gun in your hand.

You make no attempt to try and hide your annoyance as you roll your eyes again. “What are you doing here, Barnes?”

It’s not that you don’t like Bucky, you just don’t know him all that well if not only thanks to the stories Steve shared of him in the 40s.

“I thought I’d make sure you were okay. You ran out of there pretty fast.”

“Yeah, well, he’s gone. It’s a done deal, don’t see why I had to stick around.” You say crossing your arms defensively.

Bucky doesn’t seem to mind your response as he simply leans on the doorway and keeps talking. “He was disappointed not to see you.”

You frown, beyond confused by a single and simple sentence. Bucky smiles and elaborates. “He lived a life. And he’s old now, but still alive.”

“Oh.” is all you can say. Steve old? You can’t even imagine it.

“He gave the shield to Sam.” Bucky continues, just making conversation.

“Really? I would’ve thought he’d give it to you if he had to choose.” Bucky frowns a little and tilts his head, seeming genuinely confused.

“Why would he give it to me?”

You shrug. “I don’t know, you were his best friend, you’re a supersoldier. I guess I just assumed.”

“None of that matters, Sam is a good man. He deserves it.” He argues, then quickly adds. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

You grin and nod, then say. “For what it’s worth you’re a good man too, Bucky. Steve thought the world of you, trust me. He never stopped thinking highly of you.”

That was nothing more than a simple reassurance for you, but for Bucky it was so much more than that.

He knew you were talking about his time as the Winter Soldier. You were telling him that, even knowing about all that, Steve never let that influence his opinion of his former best friend. He still knew who Bucky was, deep down.

Bucky never heard words like that coming from anyone that’s not Steve, and you said it so casually, like you really believe it and to you it’s no big deal to just say it.

But for him, it was everything.

You didn’t know it then, but that was the moment Bucky started falling for you.

“Why are you checking up on me, Bucky? Really?” You say after a moment, breaking the silence that fell between you.

“Steve made me promise to take care of you before he left.” He said simply.

Bucky didn’t know it then, but that was the moment your heart broke completely.

You managed to keep yourself from breaking right then and there, but Bucky could see that something was wrong.

He didn’t push it though, making conversation a little more before saying goodbye with the promise that he’d be back the next day.

And that’s what he did.

In fact, he came back everyday, no matter what, to check on you.

It started out as quick visits where he wouldn’t even enter the door, then you started inviting him in for coffee because you felt bad he came to Steve’s apartment everyday, always refusing to let you meet him somewhere else.

After a while you started inviting him for meals, to watch a movie or just to hang out.

You almost didn’t know how, but at one point you started to really look forward to Bucky’s visits everyday, getting excited every time he knocked on the door.

It was the best part of your day, really.

You knew Bucky felt the same, it was like you both knew what was slowly happening between you and you had a silent understanding not to discuss it.

You also never discussed your feelings for Steve, but you felt like Bucky somehow knew nonetheless.

But the more time you spent with Bucky the more those feelings seemed to fade.

You still loved Steve, still missed him, you could feel yourself letting go of him with every time you spent time with Bucky, every time he made you laugh, every time your hands would accidentally touch.

You could feel yourself falling in love with Bucky and, this time, it felt right. This time you didn’t even try to stop it.

And it seemed like Bucky felt the same way.

Time after time he became more bold with his flirting, with physical touch, until eventually he was shamelessly hitting on you and cuddling you every time he could.

And, when you made no attempt whatsoever to stop him, it was the only signal he needed to keep going.

One day, after about a year of his daily visits, he couldn’t hold back anymore and kissed you, overjoyed when you kissed him back. He asked you out right after and you didn’t hesitate to say yes.

It was the best first date of your life, but to be fair you’d been hanging out and basically dating for almost a year, so it felt simple. Effortless and uncomplicated.

It was everything both of you needed. Your feelings for Steve were almost gone now, which is why you couldn’t even begin to explain what happened yesterday.

You were out with Bucky, hand in hand as you walked around the park, just enjoying the sunshine, when you could swear you saw Steve, not old Steve but your Steve, just standing there, looking at you and Bucky.

It was for a second, you merely glanced in his direction and by the time you turned back he was gone.

Bucky didn’t notice anything, if not only the way you tensed and stopped in your tracks.

You thought about telling him what you thought you saw, but even you knew how crazy you would’ve sounded. So you said nothing and shrugged it off.

Because it was nothing.

Right?

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ihni · 2 days ago

Text

What if Billy didn't get the job at the pool, but still needed to earn money over the summer? So he takes every odd job that people ask of him, as long as they can pay.

And unfortunately for Steve, his mother both wants the house repainted AND can pay, so she hires Billy to do it.

It's a pretty big house, but Billy assures her that he can do it alone, as well as buy the paint and tools needed as long as she picks a shade she likes.

And then of course Steve's parents fuck off to some tropical island or something, and leaves Steve to deal with Billy.

And deal with him, Steve does. Because despite how Billy assured Steve's mom that it wasn't going to be a problem, he still finds any and all reasons to bother Steve about every little thing. Where do they keep their ladder? Do they have a bucket? Where can he fill it with water, and is there a bathroom with a sink he can use to wash the tools?

One would think that Steve would be able to avoid him, as Steve has landed his own summer job at the new mall, but oh no. Billy is a morning person. Steve finds this out on the second day, when he is awoken by some terrible noise and almost falls out of his bed in fright, and looks out the window only to see Billy's grinning face right outside his second story window. The noise comes again, and Steve fumbles to get the window open to ask what the fuck Billy is doing?? And Billy just smiled and holds up a paint scraper. "Yesterday was washing the facade. Today I start scraping off all the old paint."

Which Steve is pretty sure is a made-up step of the process designed to annoy him, specifically, but whatever.

It takes a long time. Steve thought the whole thing would take a couple of days, tops, but boy was he mistaken. "Your mom is paying for this to be done PROPERLY", Billy says. Which apparently includes washing, then scraping, then one coat of some kind of oil, one coat of a white paint, and two coats of the shade Steve's mom picked. And even though Billy is actually quite handy and (Steve hates to admit it) pretty fast, it is a big house. Steve starts to despair, thinking he'll never get rid of him. The guy is there when he leaves for work, and he's often there when Steve gets home, too. And that's not even mentioning the times when Steve has a day off.

The thing is, though, that even though Steve wants to keep being annoyed, it's difficult to keep it up. Because although Billy loves to annoy him, he actually keeps their interactions short before going back to work. And while Steve adamantly refuses to help in any way (there was nothing wrong with the previous shade on the house, and also he's not getting paid!), he finds himself watching Billy work more often than not.

He watches him climb up and down the ladder, refilling the bucket; he watches him work the brush up and down and from side to side with confident strokes (and it's frankly unfair the way his biceps look when he's doing that), and he watches him get more and more tanned as the days go by.

Even while wearing a paint-stained simple T-shirt (which started off white) and a pair of cut-off jeans, even after shoving a goddamn cap on his hair to protect it against the sun or the paint or whatever, Billy looks good. Hell, even with paint smears on his face and hands and arms, and droplets of gray on his clothes and legs, he looks goddamn good.

It is so unfair.

Billy brought a Walkman with him one day, and is often found with the headphones covering his ears while he works. Which on the one hand is bad, because he'll hum whatever song he's listening to, off-key, which is annoying when Steve is home ... But on the other hand it's also good, because it means that Billy doesn't notice whenever Steve creeps up on him just to ... watch him.

One Wednesday when Steve is off work, it starts to rain. Steve doesn't think of it at first, because he's inside; he doesn't notice until ten minutes later when he hears a clang from the garage, and runs to check.

He finds Billy there, busy shoving things into the open garage to get them out of the rain - the buckets of paint have already been closed and carried inside, the brushes are wrapped in plastic, and the clang was probably the ladder that Billy has dragged inside and deposited on the concrete floor.

"Sorry," he says when he sees Steve there. "That rain came out of nowhere, I may have to redo the part I was working on today." He stands in the open doorway to the garage and looks out at the rain, making no move to walk inside where it's warm and dry (and why should he? Steve made it clear on day one that while Billy was hired to paint the outside of the house, he was NOT allowed inside under any circumstances - he could use the sink in the garage, thank you very much).

Steve is barely listening, because Billy is drenched from head to toe. The shorts have gone dark with water and the T-shirt is clinging to him like a second (slightly see-through) skin. Steve's mouth is dry.

"It doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon", Steve says, haltingly.

Billy glances at him from where he's standing, arms crossed over his chest, prickles on his wet arms. "Don't worry, your mom doesn't pay me by the hour."

Fuck it. Fuck it all to hell.

"No, I mean," Steve starts, and knows he's going to regret this. "You can come inside and wait, if you want. I can get you a ... towel."

This time, Billy turns his entire body to Steve. His hands fall down to his sides, and - Steve can see his nipples through the fabric. Billy's face splits in a slow grin when he sees where Steve is looking.

"And some dry clothes!" Steve hurries to add. "To borrow."

Billy keeps grinning, like he's figured something out. "You're too kind." He motions to the door that Steve came from, that leads into the house. Because Steve just invited Billy Hargrove into his house. "After you."

Steve is so fucked.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #stranger things #this was weittwn on my phone when i had to run inside and abandon the painting on the cottage #so #inspired by rwal events i guess #ihni writes

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selenitespeculations · 2 days ago

Text

Jason descended onto Gotham like a wraith, taking over Crime Alley in a bloodbath that wouldn’t be forgotten any time soon, but some of his plans had been adjusted. The influence of the pit had been almost non existent between falling in the portal-pit and leaving Danny behind in Amity Park, but the further he traveled the stronger it became. It was as if the air in Amity Park had an effect on the Pit Rage, leaving it calm and docile. Even once he was back in Gotham, Jason felt more in control then he had ever managed in Nanda Parbat.

Jason was so happy when Danny talked about making his first friend. A boy in his second grade class had been getting picked on by some of the other kids.

“They were being so mean to him!” Danny had exclaimed one night on a phone call with Jason. “I wanted to punch that stupid Dash in the throat! But I didn’t!”

“Good job controlling yourself kiddo.” Jason had praised him. “I’m sure just being your friend helps him to feel better.”

“Yeah Tucker probably would’ve been scared if I hurt Dash,” Danny continued thoughtfully, “but one day I’ll figure out how to give Dash a taste of his own medicine without it being traced back to me.”

“That’s the spirit Danny,” Jason chuckled, “just make sure there’s no blood, remember that he’s just a kid too.”

“He’s an asshole of a kid though.” Danny pouted, and Jason lost his battle to the full belly laughter he’d been holding back.

“It’s true! Don’t laugh at me!” Danny cried, “You’re kinda an asshole too Jay.” He grumbled under his breath until Jason finally got ahold of himself.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jason wheezed, “I’m not laughing AT you I swear, it’s just a little funny to hear you talk like that, you gotta admit!”

“I do suppose it must be rather jarring.” Danny said in his best snooty prince voice, before breaking out into giggles himself. “Ok yeah I see what you mean.” Danny admitted once they had both caught their breath. “Everything is so different here.”

“But a good different, yeah?” Jason asked

“Yeah, a good different.”

Jason made sure to call Danny often, and Danny did the same, but as time went on the length between calls got further. Danny got busy with school and new friends, civilian life being surprisingly fraught with stress and joy alike. Holding himself back from showing some of these kids what he could truly do was difficult at times, but if he wanted to keep his new life he’d have to act the part. Jason was living the vigilante and crime lord life in equal measure, both causing and stopping disasters, and helping out during the semi-annual World Ending Events (TM).

There were several times when Jason almost went back to Amity Park, the urge to see that Danny was safe in person so strong he almost hoped on his bike to ride east, but Danny managed to talk him down over the phone every time. The worst was always after some big attack or timeline altering event.

“I’m Fineeeeee Jay!”

“I know, I know, but I had to make sure!”

“You know if you try to come out here after every big battle your family is going to get suspicious.”

“Their your family too ya know”

“I’ve never met B in my life, he doesn’t get to claim me as part of his furry brigade.”

Their laughter always calmed Jason down enough to remember why their only communication was through the burner phones, ones he had highly encrypted the second he’d gotten back to Gotham, and walked Danny through doing the same to his. It was to dangerous to go see Danny in person, especially with the way Talia had been on his ass the second she realized he was back in Gotham.

“I want her to know I’m alive,” Danny had said in one of their calls, just before Jason’s first encounter with Talia, “but not where I am.”

Luckily with how they had been deposited in the middle of nowhere Midwest by a magic portal no one knew about, it was pretty hard to trace an exact location. Sure, given time, Talia would probably be able to do it, but Jason had managed to convince her this was the best possible solution for Danny’s happiness.

“Where is my SON!” Talia had almost gotten the drop on him. Jason’d only been in Gotham for a few days before Talia appeared behind him while he was scouting one of Black Masks bases.

Jason hadn’t jumped. He absolutely did not. Maybe just a little hop. She definitely didn’t scare him thank you very much.

“Not here.” he’d said hurriedly, voice distorted by his helmet, grappling off the building down to where his bike was.

He lead her back to his most secure safe house, one that scanned for bugs or transmitting devices the second you entered. Talia lit up like a Christmas tree with all the devices she had on.

“I’ll tell you what I can, but first all of that has to go.” Jason was not negotiating on that one. Talia, obviously disgruntled by being told what to do by a 19 year old she’d personally cared for while he was recovering from his death and subsequent resurrection, tried to be sneaky and leave a couple trackers and listening devices on Jason, but even without the tech alerting him, he was trained by the Bat himself, and Talia wasn’t gonna get anything by him, especially if it would put Danny in danger.

“He’s alive.” Jason had confirmed, once Talia had put all her equipment in a lead lined box.

“Where is he?” She had demanded, desperation leaking through the tight control in her voice. “Where is my son?”

“You know I can’t tell you that. Not after what happened-“

“Nonsense!” She cut him off, “he is MY SON, he belongs with ME!”

“After you failed to protect him?” Jason was getting angry now. “I know you love him Talia but he’s OUT! He’s safe! He is finally getting to be the kid that he is-“

“He is no normal child!” Jason was getting tired of being interrupted. “He is a prince! One of the Demon Twins! He belongs with me! With his brother!”

“And he would be if you had stood up to Ras! If you-“

“My father is-“

“Stop!” Jason was done. “YOU allowed your children to be brought into Ra’s’ sphere! You could’ve hidden them away, put them somewhere safe! But no, you thought that you could convince your father to have an actual heart!” He took a deep breath to steady himself, Talia blessedly silent for once. “You put them both in danger, and just because Damian hasn’t been irrevocably harmed yet, doesn’t give you the right to Danny after what the kids been through.”

“I just want him to be safe,” Talia finally admitted. “After I heard- once I’d discovered what my father had ordered,”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Jason cut her off this time. “You failed your duty to Danny as a mother. You lost the right to be the one watching over him.”

“I followed the trail. I thought it would be easy to find you both, that the blood would lead me right too you. But when the trail ended at the edge of that cliff-“

“Cliff?” Jason asked, confused.

“The cliff.” Talia said, as if he was being intentionally obtuse. “The one in the cavern behind the Lazarus Pit? The trail of blood ended there.”

Whatever portal had brought him and Danny away from Nanda Parbat must have closed, taking the Not-Pit with it.

“I won’t tell you where he is.” Jason stated again. “And I won’t tell you how we got out.”

Talia sighed, “But he is safe?”

“As safe as I could make him. And he’ll only stay that way if neither of us interfere. If Ras catches wind he’s still alive…”

“He won’t.” Talia affirmed. “My father assumes him gone, that his plan worked, but the assailant was never found. He may become suspicious, especially since there was no body recovered, and you disappeared the same night.”

“Then you have to lead him to believe I got out myself, under the cover of the chaos.”

“And Damian? He is grieving his twin.”

“He’s too young. He may be a good assassin, but we can’t expect a seven year old to hide the fact that his twin brother is alive out in the world somewhere. Even if he doesn’t say anything outright-“

“The change in attitude could alert my father, yes.”

Jason asked Danny after, if there was anything he wanted Jason to pass on. It would be a risk, letting Talia know they were still in contact, but if Danny wanted to get a message out that was his right, in Jason’s mind.

“I’ll keep writing my letters, to mother and Dami, but I’m not ready for them to read them yet.” Had been Danny’s response.

“It’s up to you kid,” Jason replied, “when it comes to this, you’re in control.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time kept moving forward, and Jason’s cluster fuck of a family continued their crusade of miscommunication and chaos. The biggest bump in the road came when Damian was dropped off in Gotham. Kid lived up to his name Demon Prince for sure, and Jason watched from afar, only interfering when he knew about the situation and felt it absolutely necessary. Damian refused to even acknowledge that he knew Jason from his childhood in Nanda Parbat, and Jason played along.

Jumping between The Outlaws and his position as head of the Red Hood Gang, he kept in touch with Danny as much as possible, but deciding what to tell the boy about his brother was difficult. He didn’t want to scare Danny, or make him feel guilty for his relatively peaceful civilian life, but he felt obligated to at least keep him updated once everyone was okay and the danger of the week had passed. He didn’t tell Danny everything, Jason knew he himself didn’t even know the half of the shit Damian and the rest of the Bat Brigade got up to, but Danny deserved to know that his twin was in Gotham with their father at least.

Years passed, trauma and death following Jason and his family like a shadow, and Jason began keeping more and more from Danny. ‘He’s just a civilian child now,’ Jason reasoned with himself, ‘there’s no way I’m putting any of this shit on him.’ Danny still asked about his twin, and Jason gave him the PC version of events, skipping over some things entirely.

Reconciliation with Bruce, and Jason’s ever growing collection of adoptive siblings, was slow going. One step forward a hundred steps back kind of slow going, but Danny encouraged him to keep trying.

“He’s your father and he loves you.” Danny would state unequivocally. “He’ll have to accept that you two have different methods and morals eventually.” Really, for a kid only 12 years old, Danny was wiser than many people triple his age, but in the end he was still a child, and had the emotional and impulse control to match.

Danny updated Jason on his life in every call, complaining about school and chores and homework like any child his age. He spoke about his friends and adoptive family, about fitting in and learning about the world around him. Hiding the calls got more complicated as Danny got older, the Fenton parents easy to dodge with how much they worked, but Jazz was another story. Danny’s older sister was smart, and paid far too much attention to his actions for Danny’s liking.

“She’s so nosy!” Danny complained to Jason. “She acts like shes an adult already!”

“I’m sure she’s just looking out for you,” Jason consoled the disgruntled preteen, “if you wanted to, I’m sure you could open up to her a bit. She seems mature enough to keep your secrets, as long as they don’t put you in danger.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Danny sighed, “I think I might tell her about you, at least so I don’t have to be so worried about hiding the phone. She’s almost caught us talking a couple times now.”

“She probably already knows about the phone, especially if she’s as perceptive as you’ve told me.” Jason said. “She might just be waiting for you to come to her.”

“I’ll tell her. Say you’re an older brother or cousin or something. That you couldn’t take me in back then, and that’s why I was at the adoption fair.”

“Whatever you want kid, you don’t have to tell her anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”

Things settled into a new normal as Jason began working with the Bats more regularly. He still had his Gang, and The Outlaws, but he found himself turning to his father and siblings more regularly; helping them when they asked for it, and sometimes when they didn’t. He’s pretty sure Barbie knows about Danny, Oracle sees everything after all, but she’s kept her findings to herself to Jason’s knowledge, so he didn’t bring it up.

Danny and Damian turned fourteen, new horizons opening up with their freshman year of high school looming closer. Danny seemed more distant lately, but Jason tried not to worry too much. Puberty’s a bitch and Danny probably wants to figure stuff out on his own without telling Jason about every little thing. They still talk, but less regularly than they used to, and Jason could tell Danny was holding things back.

‘It’s a normal stage of development.’ Jason told himself. ‘Once he feels more stable in his own skin again I’m sure he’ll be more comfortable talking to me about what he’s been up to.’

Danny seemed more tired on their calls as well, but promised it was just late nights out with friends, or school assignments left for the last minute. Jason felt there might be more to it, but didn’t push. He didn’t want Danny to feel cornered, so Jason made it his mission to make sure Danny knew that he could tell Jason anything, and that he would always be there if the kid needed him.

Jason never would have guessed exactly what Danny was hiding.

Protective Instincts

Hmmmmmmmmm

Idea.

So we all mostly headcanon that Jason was around tiny Damian when in the League right? And if we do demon!twins or siblings Danny they meet too?

Well what if, now hear me out, what if while taking care of them Jason notices early on how Danyal, or as he likes to be called Danny, doesn't seem to have the heart to be an assassin compared to Damian. And even under the pits influence and the LOA teachings, Jason's protective instincts of protecting kids is still strong. And notices how... lack the protection around Danny is compared to Damian, the true heir.

What if, when Jason leaves the League to start his revenge against Bruce, he fakes Danny's death by killing off the little 'guards' he did have and takes the kid with him.

But as he goes to Gotham Jason has to decide.

Drop the kid off in a good family, give him a new identity and keep him hidden or keep the kid and raise them?

#Danny’s a sneaky kid #and one hell of an actor #Jason doesn’t know the half of it #sorry this took a minute #the first bits felt like they wrote themselves #but this one got stuck at a few parts #I’ve rewritten this too many times #so here you go #hope you like it blue!#dp x dc #dpxdc #dp x dc crossover

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jordiemeow · 1 day ago

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omg would love your thoughts on stepbrother!patrick. def a lot more of a freak

absolutely agreed. where art is a freak in private, patrick could not care LESS.

he's ogling you shamelessly, watching the way your shorts ride up or your tits spill out of your tank. wolf whistling, patting you on the ass when he passes and muttering fake apologies despite the way you catch a glimpse of the corner of his lip quirks as soon as he turns away. accidentally barges in on you in the shower when he needs his toothbrush but he takes his time to admire the curve of your body through the fogged-up glass and rubs one out afterwards.

he convinces himself it's you who wants it. the way you look at him and goad him when your parents aren't home. you're just as pervy as he is. or, at least, that's how he justifies it. actively makes comments like "you don't even try to be quiet, do you? it's like you want me to hear" when he hears you touching yourself in the next room over. on one occasion, he pushes his luck enough to 'accidentally' walk in on you, legs spread and toy nestled between them. you see him, of course. maybe you keep going anyways, just to mess with him.

"you like putting on a show that much, huh?"

and then the front door opens before things can escalate, leaving you both to come down from whatever the fuck that was alone in your separate bedrooms.

it all comes to a head a while after that. you get blasted out of your mind at a party and he offers to take you home. not that he's in any state to drive, mind you, but he sees an opportunity. he somehow manages to get the pair of you home safely but neither of you make any effort to get out of the car. he leans over to undo your seatbelt for you, hand lingering on your thigh while the pair of you stare at each other. he's not sure who moves first—probably him—but five minutes later he has you bent over in the back seat right outside your house, ploughing into you, groaning about how he's wanted to do this for so long. about how he's sick of seeing you in bikinis and not being able to do anything, sucking on lolly pops to taunt him, leaving your door open just a crack when you're getting changed.

absolutely brags to art about it afterwards because he knows his best friend has a thing for you. "no condom, by the way. she liked it messy." art tells him he's sick, but he just shrugs it off. "maybe. but i still fucked her first."

maybe one night you bring a date home, cosied up on the couch to watch a movie. patrick's passive aggressive all night, deciding now he's a living room kind of guy to avoid leaving the pair of you alone. he justifies it by claiming he's just a 'good brother' and 'keeping an eye on you.' but when your date goes home, he's quick to corner you.

"you think he can fuck you better than me? bet he doesn't even know what you sound like when you cum."

"of course he does," you lie straight through your teeth.

"wanna compare? let me bend you over right now and prove it."

refuses to touch you until you're begging. his dirty talk is always absolutely filthy, always highlighting the reality of your relationship. "say it. say you want your stepbrother to fuck you. c'mon, use your words." he gets off on the thrill of being caught. sneaking into your room at night, hand over your mouth to silence your sweet mewls. every thrust a risk, each moan a gamble, but it's worth it in the end. "ah ah ah. shhh. you're being loud again, baby. you want them to hear? want them to know you're getting filled by their golden boy?"

he's big into hickeys. thinks it's fucking hilarious to point them out in front of your parents, acting like it wasn't him that left him there just to watch how embarrassed you get while your mother frowns in disapproval and his dad pretends not to notice.

he acts like he's proud of you. like you're just some innocent little thing. you get good grades—as far as your parents are concerned, you never do anything wrong. patrick would do anything to break that image. "you're such a good girl for everyone else.... but in this room, with my cock in your mouth? not daddy's sweet girl anymore, are you?"

or he makes you watch yourself in the mirror. hand curled around your throat to keep your head up so you can see the blissed out, cock-drunk look on your face. "look at yourself. look how fucked out you are. look what your stepbrother does to you."

he sends you filthy texts at the dinner table with your family asking whether you're thinking about it too. about him taking you right there. bet your pussy's already dripping through those little shorts. and when you reply with wanna check? he ducks his head under the table to 'pick up his fork,' met with the sight of you opposite him, pushing your shorts to the side, pussy glistening and no panties in sight. what a tease.

loves when you talk back. he's big into testing your limits: edging, choking, orgasm control, anal, calling you dirty names just to see how far he can take it. and you're always willing to go further. "look at you. from my bratty little stepsister to my perfect little slut."

also probably has a breeding kink. finds it especially hot because he's your 'brother.' send tweet

#tw stepcest #patrick zweig #patrick zweig x reader #patrick zweig smut #jo asks ⋆˚࿔#jo blurbs ⋆˚࿔

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fashionteahouse · 2 days ago

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Can you do one where Paul or Embry accidentally walks in on one of the wolves getting it on, but when the girl looks up they imprint? It kinda blows up right in Emily’s house considering it was happening upstairs and the wolf gets jealous of his new imprint literally being intimate with another guy in front of him.

Thanks! 🌸🌸

haha sure this is an interesting idea ! hope you enjoy :)

perfect stranger - paul lahote x reader

Tugging on your hand in his large but warm hand, Embry’s kind eyes that made your heart stop, encouraged you to come along.

A summer get together was happening at his friend Emily’s home.

“Her fiancé installed a new pool.”

That’s what had you sold.

Things were okay between you two. It started casual, a fun night out after meeting at a sports bar. He was funny and kind. Being in his company was nice.

“We can see how things go.” Was what you said one night. You found yourself wanting to be around him more and more, not even caring if you two didn’t have sex.

“Okay. You want to put a label on it?” He asked softly with hope.

You pondered about it for a moment.

“Sure. What’s the worst that could happen?” You replied. He smiled at that sentence.

You were touched that he wanted to bring you around people he seemed to care about.

He opened the front door, coming in as if he lived there. The woman directing a brawny boy to carry a cooler outside was standing with her hands on her hips, turning around to see who entered her home.

Her smile broke out as she greeted you both.

“Embry. Who’s this?”

“Y/N. Y/N, this is Emily.”

“Hey. Nice place.” You compliment.

“Thanks! You’ll love the new pool way more.”

This made you smile.

“Where’s your swim suit?” Emily asks.

“Oh. In my bag in the trunk.” You answered, you couldn’t believe you left it.

“Alright, I’ll grab it.” Embry says as he walks off.

“And Y/N, feel free to change in the bathroom- I even have a guest room that you can go in if someone’s using the bathroom.”

“Cool. Thanks so much.” You replied, and just then Emily leaves off, closing the backdoor behind her. Embry comes in with your bag and guides you to the bathroom.

The bathroom fan was on, ventilating the room. Embry shut the door behind him as you immediately was staring at yourself in the mirror, peeling off your shirt to reveal your bare chest.

His hands place on your bare shoulders and you look in the reflection to see his mischievous smile. It made you break out a smile.

Hands shoved in his sport shorts, Paul moved his long legs towards the small cozy home.

Earlier during patrol, Sam insisted that Paul should show his face, claiming that Emily missed him. He didn’t understand it. He liked to stay out of the way. What Emily missed about him, he just didn’t know.

He heard the commotion around the back of the home. Hearing the splashes and screams of glee as he moved closer.

Entering the home, taking a break from the beating sun, he helped himself in the fridge, cracking open a can of cold soda.

He stood at the sink, not wanting to leave to go outside yet. Crushing his can, he made his way upstairs to the bathroom.

As he stood at the toilet, the sound of urination echoed the bathroom and he flushed.

As he came out of the hallway, he heard noises. A mixture of a soft sigh and a low chuckle. Curiously, he inched closer to the sound. The crack of the door allowed him to see the activity.

Embry has you lifted, your arms were around his neck as Paul saw perfect view of your face. He was never a peeping Tom, he just couldn’t bring himself to walk away, walk away from the sight of you.

Pleasure was on your face as your eyes were cracked shut with your mouth slightly opened. He knew very well that he could’ve done a better job at making you feel pleasure. You wouldn’t have been this quiet. Your quiet moans that he was able to pick up with his sensitive ears, he felt that they were too pretty to be quiet. He hadn’t seen you around before. To have some type of mystery in his life, he didn’t mind. He didn’t know what your favorite color was, he didn’t know what made you cry and what made you laugh. In his mind, you were the perfect stranger. He was about to back away, that’s when your eyes opened. They were hooded, but he felt that they were beautiful as they looked into his.

His world stopped. He couldn’t move. You were trapped in his eyes as you stared at the handsome face that watched you be in a bear hug from Embry.

Paul’s wolf growled lowly and dangerously. It trickled out of his mouth. You felt like you were cheating on someone and Embry was confused by your paused response.

“Y/N…Whats wrong?”

You only push him away, stumbling away from him. Paul backed away some from the doorway, hearing Embry asking you again what’s wrong.

Paul rested his back against the hallway wall as his fists were clenched. His wolf howled with claim of you. Another man, another wolf, had their hands on you. That’s supposed to be him. He was supposed to make you feel tingles from the top of your head to the balls of your feet.

Embry followed you out of the room after you speedily adjusted your swim suit. Embry stopped in his tracks when he saw Paul in the hallway. So did you.

Paul glared at Embry as if he personally offended him.

“What the fuck, Paul? You were watching?” Embry raised his arms a bit, furrowing his eyebrows.

That was his name.

Paul.

You mentally tucked it in your brain to remember it.

“I was not watching. Sam’s gonna be pissed that you were fucking in his house.” Paul threw out. Fucking someone who is his imprint.

“What’s it to you?”

“Everything.” Paul says as he gets more and more agitated.

Embry scoffed and took your hand. You watch Paul’s eyes look down at the joined hands and you take it out of his, putting it a bit behind your back. Paul smirked at Embry’s hurt expression.

Embry was always observant, he saw the way Paul looked at you. How he stripped you with only his eyes.

“She’s my girlfriend. Mind your business.” Embry warned.

Twenty four hours earlier, you would’ve been beaming and jumping at the sound of Embry claiming you, but it felt wrong. All wrong.

Paul didn’t like the sound of the word “my” coming out of Embry’s mouth. It sounded wrong. All wrong.

That’s when, Paul shoved Embry. Hard.

“Yeah. Fucking your girlfriend in someone else’s house, real fucking romantic. What happened to a real date?” Paul bitterly spoke out with an expression that was scowled.

Embry shoved him back, Paul’s back hit the wall. Paul huffed as they both lunged for each other.

You gasp with widened eyes as they both tackled each other. Jumping over them, you ran down the stairs. Searching for anybody in the backyard, you scream out.

“Embry is upstairs fighting with…Paul.” You say and you pause after saying Paul’s name. It sounded graceful from your lips. You barely registered people getting up and running past you to meet where they were.

You heard yelling and commotion from the home. Emily gives you a concerned look. You look down, feeling to be cause of such brawl but, you couldn’t find a reason to blame yourself.

Embry stormed out soon enough, grabbing your hand. His eyes were hardened.

“We’re leaving.”

“We just got here.” You say as you felt a bit sad, you wanted to stay. You felt like you needed to stay.

“Don’t grab her like that. She’s my imprint.” You heard a deep voice bell out.

You didn’t know what an imprint was. But, you did know, it had something to do with Paul.

A burst of butterflies fluttered in your stomach as you grew hot in the face. Paul had his arms crossed, looking deeply disapproving of the joined hands. You slipped your hand back out of Embry’s hand.

“She’s not! It’s a mistake!” Embry exclaimed with great frustration.

“Our spirit warriors make no mistake.” Paul says in a taunting manner. Embry clench his jaw as you move away from Embry, Paul stepping closer.

“Stay. Away. From. Her.” Embry threatened.

“How about you stay away from her.” Paul threatened back, taking menacing steps towards him. The spike of excitement within you was shameful, but you forgot to soak in the shame.

A man, older than them all, stopped the man named Paul. He had his hand on his chest and that’s when Paul paused his steps, but didn’t pause his glare. The mature man thrusted his thumb behind himself, gesturing towards the home.

“Embry, how about you take a breather.” He suggested.

“Sam-”

“Take a breather. Then, come back.” but the way that the man named Sam had said it, did not leave it open for no discussion.

“Y/N, how about we take a dip in the pool?” Emily came over to encourage, trying to lighten the mood up. The other boys were making their way back to the pool. One boy flipped into the pool and the other one resumed the upbeat music.

“Sure.” You answer quietly as you let her link your arm with yours.

You look behind yourself as you walked towards the pool that contained pool toys and activities. Embry glared at Paul before entering back into the home.

Paul looked at you as if it was his duty to make sure nothing happened to you. You felt like you were floating. It felt like time had stopped and you didn’t want to ever go back to before, when things were normal. You wanted this to be your new normal. You wanted to uncover the deep mystery with this man named Paul. You wanted to let him know that he was worth it. That he deserved you. That he was the perfect stranger.

#twilight saga #paul lahote x y/n #paul lahote x you #paul lahote imagine #y/n #fanfic #twilight #twilight wolfpack #twilight wolves #x reader #paul lahote #paul lahote fanfic #paul lahote x reader

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julietcpulet · 2 days ago

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what do you think would be the most satisfying ending for jinmao?

i'm so conflicted about them because while i do not want jinshi to ascend the throne, i have to admit a part of me thinks renouncing his true position would be a waste. i mean, he's a damn pretty good leader and sometimes i enjoy imagining him and maomao being a power couple together. but then i'm always like damn they both canonically wouldn't like that </3 (so, thank the lord for fanfics, right?)

anyway, an unhappy jinmao is hardly a satisfying ending. but then i also wouldn't want them to be commoners because, again, it'd be a waste. as for the "faking their death" ending, it sounds really romantic but i feel like it's too cowardly and ooc for them. they'd never back down from a challenge after all.

so yeah i don't know how natsu-hyuga will conclude their romance. maybe the ending will just be them finally getting together? like the ending of the kaguya-sama movie where the last shot focused on the two main leads' interlocking hands, and then boom, the end credits. that would be an open ending (and i think that's what natsu was intending from the start), but is that satisfying? i'm not sure. just wanted to know your thoughts!

Love this question! And so sweet of you to be interested in my input 💕. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts on each possible ending and my personal speculation on an ending I like. Of course I have no idea what Hyuuga is really planning but just going on general direction and how things could play out if these were the proposed endings. (Spoilers below)

Emperor and Empress ending - I agree that this isn't the ideal nor the likely ending. To me, although there are factions pushing for Jinshi to be Emperor, it all feels like a mis-direct to the final outcome. Both Jinshi and Maomao are opposed to him becoming Emperor and he knows she would be miserable as a woman at the head of the nation, holding scorn from the other women.

Jinshi felt it was something close to a miracle that he had met a woman like Maomao. That was why he didn’t want to let her go. He’d gone so far as to press a brand into his own side, all to keep her.

He has struggled a lot to make it clear Maomao is the only woman he wants, he doesn't want to be the Emperor and also just is not the right person for the job. I don't believe these plot points are in vain only to be reversed later by a realization of avoidance and Jinshi wanting to accept his position out of familial obligation or maturity, nor do I think the plot is moving the characters in that direction. If anything it's continually showing that Maomao and Jinshi have to be willing to assert their own wishes against that of others despite what may be expected of them. And while Jinshi does have excellent leadership qualities, as Maomao easily points out, his kindness often brings him to overwork himself and struggle with dealing out harsh punishments or having necessary and uncomfortable entanglements an Emperor would have to have.

Jinshi was watching the pitiful family closely. He didn't seem to be thinking of how to punish them, but rather how to connect this to whatever came next. As he watched the family, Maomao silently watched him.

Romeo and Juliet ending - This was a favorite of mine previously and I still think there's the smallest possibility for it to happen but it's unlikely. I liked it simply because it brings back the resurrection drug which was a recurring theme for so long with Maomao wanting to obtain it and also the potential for a callback to the beginning of the novels with Shisui somehow making an appearance since she is the only character to disappear successfully and not be found. The downfall of considering this ending is two-fold. One is that Maomao and Jinshi do have some connections with people they may miss if they faked their deaths and disappeared. Her father Luomen might be able to come but Basen, Mrs. Chue, Lihaku and anyone else would never be able to see them again. Secondly, Maomao herself has said she sees death as a cop-out for escaping the fallout to problems you have caused.

"I hate it when people think everything's over just because they're dead!" It was as good as refusing to face the consequences of whatever you had done.

This to me is the biggest indicator this likely won't be the ending. It's interesting to consider and could bring back some fun appearances from early novel plots but I agree that given Maomao and Jinshi's character they're not much for disappearing and leaving others to handle the mess.

Grand Commandant and Court Physician ending - This is personally the most satisfying end for Jinmao I can imagine right now. Basically if Jinshi renounces his title as Moon Prince and Maomao accepts her role in the La Clan then they go on to get married with Jinshi being brought into the family, he could take on her clan name. From there, Lakan could step down as Grand Commandant and have Jinshi take the role. This would be optimal for both as Lakan appears to enjoy the strategy involved in military affairs but often delegates the rest of his work to his aids. He has found Jinshi interesting and should like to have a son-in-law who will take his position so he can retire to play Go games which is what I imagine.

To his surprise the eccentric strategist was there, lying on a couch and drinking from a gourd. To all appearances he was quite at his ease, but a secretary placed some paperwork sheet by sheet on a table and gave Lakan a stamp to press on them.

Being Grand Commandant would also give Jinshi the ability to back up the Emperor's son with Gyokuyou while not being his enemy. Jinshi has had a clear interest in the military from having the training, to when he stormed the Shi clan stronghold himself and then has wanted to boost the ranks of the military but been denied given that his current position is mostly in name and he has to go through others to do the things he wishes in the government. It also removes Lakan as such the fearsome threat against the Emperor and puts his son in the position whom he trusts.

When the younger brother had at last appeared, though, it turned out that he was as beautiful and as gossamer as a celestial nymph-and that he was also a hale young man as skilled in the military arts as the administrative.

As for Maomao, her accepting her place in the La Clan is integral to both her and Jinshi potentially being free from the grip of Imperial politics. Ironically this whole time Jinshi has been taking the burden on himself to find ways of removing the obstacles for both of them by getting himself taken out of the line of succession. It would prove to me to be funny if it turns out that Maomao accepting a noble position is the key to both of them finding actual freedom.

From my perspective if she becomes the La Princess not just in others recognizing she is outwardly but taking on the Clan name and what comes with it, I think it could open other possibilities for her and Jinshi. Like I said above she and he could get married if he was no longer royalty and he could take on her clan name, as we've seen that men can be welcomed into a wife's family and become the head of that family.

The position itself would bring her a noble status, which she could then use to work in the circles Jinshi would be in as Grand Commandant. For instance, if he is no longer considered a threat to the Emperor, he could also put forward more initiatives like he used to in the rear palace like helping the women read but along the lines of potentially having female physicians. I think the Emperor would accept without a problem, he merely needed someone who was respected with in the Imperial Court and who could make a reasoned argument for it to present the idea.

If Maomao then becomes a Court Physician in her own right she can still see Empress Gyokuyou and treat her as a doctor without having to be her lady-in-waiting or her servant and not being able to have a connection to Jinshi. She could be friends with the Empress again because she has her own established position which finally removes her biggest fear that has driven so much of Jinshi's efforts to remove himself as a potential successor.

Finally, I find this possible ending to be the most satisfying because what Maomao and Jinshi want most is to help people. And a place they can be where they have the best ability to help people is where they would thrive the best.

"You're only human, Master Jinshi. You're not some mythical immortal who can save everyone." She held his face in her hands, the fingers of her left hand brushing his scar. "You can be wounded, scarred, brought low. Only human."

Being Emperor and Empress would only stifle them because as we see with the current sovereigns there is a lot they cannot do and their hands are tied by relations with foreign nations and keeping friendly terms in the palace itself. Being commoners wouldn't work either because as we have seen with Maomao, having to constantly work and scrape for very little causes a defeatism of feeling like you're not able to do much for others or improve life for yourself.

Sadly but truthfully, Luomen won't be around forever and to me Maomao will find happiness taking over for him as Court Physician and working with the Quack in the Medical Office where she's comfortable and able to help the ladies and others, plus she'll always have access to the best medicines and can visit her Verdigris House family at any time. This ending also brings back the feeling of the early novels where Jinshi can peek in on her in the medical office after he's finished his paperwork as Commandant but this time they're able to go get chicken skewers together and have the freedom as husband and wife.

He wished he could have gotten her tucked into bed sooner, with a nice, soft blanket around her. She hadn’t been able to resist her first sleep in days, and she looked as comfortable as if she were in a pleasant bath.

Here they're both able to work, doing something they enjoy but freed from troublesome entanglements, all the while finding new ways to improve the lives of others. That's a happy ending to me.

Lastly, I don't see it having them be together and fade-to-black, I think we'll know some of what their future holds. To me the idea of being open-ended is more, the possibility for further adventures to be had. So we can see them get married, have jobs and be happy but that doesn't mean there couldn't be more, there just wouldn't be at the time we leave them because they've achieved a certain peace for the moment.

That was longer than I intended it to be 😂 but fun to write and explore the different endings. Thanks so much for the question!

#the apothecary diaries #kusuriya no hitorigoto #jinmao #jinshi x maomao #maomao #jinshi #jinmao rambles #apothecary diaries ask #ask

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witchslove · 1 day ago

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Dropping in with some pervy milf Wanda thoughts…

Wanda would be a total tease, pushing her ass against your front to rile you up and just generally touching you whenever possible (even in public or at not appropriate times), especially where you’re sensitive or in spots she knows you love. I can imagine her lounging around the house in skimpy clothes or her skirt pushed up so you can see her panties, trying to tempt you. She’d even go as far as touching herself or moaning when you’re in the next room to get your attention. And lastly I can imagine her sending nudes or teasing pics to you while you’re out of the house or at work, knowing you’ll fuck her hard when you get home. (Being at work and checking my phone and being greeted by Wanda’s tits is a dream 🥴)

Bottom line, I’m obsessed with pervy milf Wanda.

-🪽

I’m also obsessed with her…

I love the idea of Wanda doing some of these things even if you’re not together yet, like “accidentally” brushing her ass up against your front as she passes by or letting her skirt ride up so you can see her panties from where you’re sitting. She knows you want her, or at least she thinks you do, and she loves to rile you up as much as possible until you eventually make a move. Knowing she’s probably turning you on turns her on, so she never misses an opportunity to tease you.

If you are already together, she’s even more of a tease, always bending over in front of you to give you a good view of her ass in tight jeans or kissing your neck in public, whispering dirty things in your ear. She would pretend to go for a kiss on your cheek just to let out a breathy sigh and tell you that she’s so wet for you, before pulling away and acting like nothing happened.

She would definitely touch herself in the room next to you, whether you’re in an established relationship or not. If you’re not together, she does it with the intent of you hearing her, moaning just loud enough for it to reach your ears, but not so loud that it’s obvious that she’s actually trying to be heard. Meanwhile, you’re in the guest room practically squirming under the comforter, turned on beyond belief as you wonder what she’s thinking about and imagine what she looks like as she touches herself, wishing more than anything that you could see her spread out in her bed.

If you are together, she would absolutely time it just right so that you come home and catch her in the act. When you walk into your shared bedroom, the first thing you see is Wanda naked on top of the sheets, her fingers working against her clit as she moans, her legs spread wide so you can have the perfect view of her glistening pussy. When her eyes open to see you standing there, mouth agape and pupils dilated, she lets out an even louder moan as she makes eye contact with you, letting you know that she has no intentions of stopping.

Wanda also loves sending you naughty texts and pictures when she knows you’re too busy to do anything about it. She always makes sure to let you know when she’s horny, when she’s touching herself while you’re gone, and what she’s thinking about while doing it. Sometimes she even sends you audio messages to go with her texts, holding the phone up to her cunt so you can hear the wet, sloshing sounds of her fingers inside.

As if that’s not enough to drive you insane, she also sends pictures and the occasional video, just to show you what you’re missing out on. Most of the time it’s pictures of her in pretty lingerie, her hardened nipples visible through the sheer fabric, her fingers pushing aside her lacy panties to show off part of her pussy. The videos she sends are always short, more like previews, usually showing her cupping her breasts or rubbing her clit and moaning for you. It’s torture in the best way, you love seeing her like that, your own cunt throbbing in response to her messages, but it drives you mad not being able to be there with her, touching her and making her fall apart for you.

#alexa answers #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff smut #🪽 anon

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johannestevans · 1 day ago

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a thing i love about kai winn is the way in which she is OBSESSED with personal responsibility as a way of absolving herself of her influence over others.

it's bareil's CHOICE to kill himself because she won't tell him not to. it's people's CHOICE to follow their d'jarras. "i won't interfere."

this poor insane and absurdly scarred woman who is repeatedly and continuously rejected by her own gods. a starfleet human is their new messiah, to whom the prophets continuously reach out. the prophets are speaking to everybody but her - not just kira, youthful and disobedient and chaotic

but fucking. more humans. a trill. odo. a FERENGI!!!!

forsaken by the prophets during the occupation and like… it's so easy for kira to judge her, she thinks, when kira had weapons, and winn never did. all she had was her mind and her ability to talk and manipulate and bribe

and she is so absurdly lonely. she's no longer in a prison cell the way she was for most of the occupation, but she may as well be. everyone thinks her cold and treacherous - the ds9 cmo calls her a coward to her face! her!!!! a priestess who has survived a genocide, this CHILD, calls her a coward!!

and in her mind i think it's just. so much easier to think of everything in terms of… people make choices. she's not making anyone do anything. she's not holding a gun or the weight of an occupying force. she's not making any threats. people can just make their choices. like she has - has had to

and like. god. her gods do not give a single fuck about her. when she's finally able to reach out to them outright that they do not think about her and if they did they would think she's fucking cringe. when your own gods say you're not worth shit, well, okay! i guess she'll do whatever then!

i understand why people have like. a massive knee jerk response to winn - i do think that people wrongly conflate her fundamentalism with american christian fundamentalism & its ideologies, bc like. she is not an american. she is not a member of the dominant culture. she is a genocide survivor

and god like. you can see the acid in her mouth whenever she's negotiating with the cardassians, but more than that like. kira as a member of the bajoran militia works very closely with starfleet, and she's also federation-pilled from hanging out with those rootbeer-drinking freaks 24/7

winn doesn't have that. all she has is the knowledge that starfleet watched the cardassians rape and pillage and abuse and murder her people for decades and not give a flying fuck because the bajorans didn't have anything they wanted. and then the wormhole appeared. and suddenly they were helping

and idk like. she's so painfully uncomfortable with quark naming a fucking dessert after her and trying to get her to try it bc she's not a fucking celebrity and she doesn't want to be.

kira accuses her of wanting fame and her place in history but that's so clearly not what she cares about

she genuinely DOES want what's best for her people. and unfortunately, like kira, she very much has an all or nothing spirit about the whole thing. for winn, that doesn't mean bombing the families of oppressors or blowing up DS9 to stop the cardassians from taking it. it means shit like this

taking every single advantage she can get, using up her assets even when those assets are dying in front of her, even when super fucking unethical medical stuff is being done - letting bareil die when, really, he didn't need to, just for one treaty where there will be others, frankly

but kai can't think of all the people she's killing or leaving behind, because she's not that kind of strategician and she's not ACTUALLY interested in Going Down In History. what she wants, what she has always wanted, is to save what she sees as The Core of Bajor as best she can, and preserve it

part of that is saving people, redirecting prison ships, fucking off the cardassians, getting these treaties signed. part of that IS keeping starfleet at arm's length and, frankly, ensuring that bajor doesn't become a federation planet and get subsumed into federation culture.

and most of all it's faith and doctrine and her fundamentalist understandings of bajoran texts and the teachings of the prophets, because that is what helped her survive, and therefore, in her fucked-up head, all that MUST survive in perpetuity

god. i love that awful woman

#musings #winn adani #star trek #deep space nine #kai winn

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holoska · 2 days ago

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after debating for weeks whether to stay very far away from the deltarune soriel discourse or let myself ramble about my faves like I want to, the latter has finally won out

I've had time to properly absorb the weight of all that happens at the end of chapter 4, and obviously I do feel for both kris and susie. that is The Point of the scenes being from their perspectives; after everything they just went through and all the worry they had for toriel's safety (for the second time in 24 hours!), the scene they come home to is maybe the most uncomfortable slap in the face possible. it sticks out to me that the last thing susie talks about before the dark fountain is sealed is her wanting tomorrow to be the same as yesterday and for everything to always be able to go back to how it was, and that's what greets them - a blatant, obnoxious sign that things are changing. even though the scene has a lighthearted side, its overall tone adds to the downcast feeling the chapter ends on.

having said that, as someone who has spent the past 9 and a half years being normal about sans and toriel, I'm still very very happy that this is a canon scene we got 💜

the fandom may be largely not considering their perspectives in the slightest (or worse, only viewing their perspectives from the most bad faith angles possible), but I for one love this for them!! as other very good posts have pointed out, toriel has been sorely in need of someone who's there for her - an awful lot of people in town saw the divorce play out and have something to say about it, the holiday family are closer to asgore than toriel, kris is her child and stuck in the middle of their parents' issues, and while she's friends with alphys, them being coworkers and alphys being kris' teacher likely puts a distance of sorts between them. but sans is new in town, someone she immediately connects with, who has no pre-existing opinions about her family and has seen firsthand what toriel has to put up with from asgore. in every universe, sans is exactly the kind of person toriel needs in her life.

there's less to work with from sans' perspective given how little we know about him, and I'm not all-in on sans being from deltarune just yet (more specifically I do love the theory, I'm just giving myself room to not be too disappointed if it doesn't happen), but the new version of it's raining somewhere else being named 'the place where it rained' emotionally destroys me forever. either way it drives home just how happy toriel makes sans in both worlds and I love that so so much :']

to be clear I'm not saying they did nothing wrong, their choices negatively impacted kris and susie and they were objectively disruptive and inconsiderate after kris went to bed. but I like that they're being messy and flawed, because it means this isn't just "my faves are getting closer in the background yippee" but that their relationship is potentially an actual part of the story, and that's how you get The Good Stuff!! we wouldn't have had meaningful character moments like noelle finally standing up to queen if queen hadn't tried to control noelle and just listened to her from the start, or susie comforting ralsei with her bloodied hand if he'd told her and kris every detail of the full prophecy the moment he met them and never kept any secrets. if all the hints towards a flower shop dark world turn out to be true then it's pretty clear the story is building things up to make those future character moments hit, and considering we still don't know what happened with the dreemurr divorce at this point, chapter 5 seems like a perfect opportunity to dive into all of that.

plus, as sweet as susie's bond with toriel is, I honestly think susie seeing this side of toriel needed to happen. a lot of the fandom's complaints about toriel right now boil down to her not being the "perfect mother" they thought she was, and what bothers me about that is toriel was never meant to be that kind of character. toby has said that she's not the classic video game protagonist's mother who sees you off on your journey and you can come home and visit any time, and nothing changes and she never has any substantial character of her own. in undertale she literally handholds frisk through the tutorial, she becomes the first boss in her attempt to protect them when every other human left her care, and once they leave she won't let them come back or even call her phone because she can't face seeing them knowing they'll leave again and likely be killed. she's more than just the mother figure of the game, she's her own person with likes and dislikes, hobbies and flaws, and a past and trauma she can't overcome until the best ending.

we've only seen the tip of the iceberg of her history in deltarune, but that same principle holds true: she isn't the perfect parent you return to after each day's adventure, who gives you butterscotch pancakes every morning and never has any real part in the story because that isn't the intent behind her character. she mentioned her loneliness back in chapter 1, kris has secrets and problems they aren't letting her in on, asgore is being relentlessly inconsiderate of her boundaries, and for all susie's praise of toriel being a good mother, I think that house of cards was going to fall eventually. my hope is that, like her blowing up at ralsei ultimately bringing them closer, susie being able to see toriel as the imperfect adult she is but one who does genuinely care might help them build a stronger bond in the end too.

I think I always knew that if soriel ever inched closer to being canon there'd be discourse about it, and toriel slander is unfortunately nothing new. people are just being annoying about it currently and it sucks when I genuinely love what's being built up here!!

anyway crossing my fingers for a scene where toriel invites sans to the festival before she gets thrown in the bunker/he gets sent to undertale/the roaring happens/all of the above 🤞

#holoska rambles #holoska plays deltarune #deltarune spoilers #soriel #toriel #sans #the second half of this post might be a bit 'I've connected the two dots' 'you didn't connect anything' 'I've connected them'#but it'd make a lot of sense to me if susie losing some of her idolisation of toriel could be a commentary on undertale fans #who think that toriel is nothing more than their perfect goat mum. the exact thing her character is a parody of #and considering how much deltarune is playing off of expectations from undertale I don't think that's beyond the realm of possibility #...likewise I could also be totally wrong about where chapter 5 will go ghdsjfdgh I just think that'd be a neat direction to take #anyway. fun fact before I started chapter 4 I was hoping we might get to see sans and toriel casually interact like in chapter 2 #and maybe just maybe toriel would offer to show sans around the festival since it's all new to him #and then I wrote that off as wishful thinking. too unlikely to happen for real #suffice to say what we actually got hit me like a bus and I am thanking the driver (toby) for it

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lynzishell · 3 days ago

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Epilogue 💛 Atlas

The rest of the year flew by in a rush of one event after another.

First, there was Spencer’s birthday party. It was the first family event that Ezra and I were both present at, and overall, it went okay. I focused on spending time with everyone else and just let him exist in the same space as me, which was the best I could do at the time.

Dawn also saw Ezra for the first time since high school that day. She did try to be kind and talk to him, as is her nature, but it was quite satisfying that Phoenix didn’t like him from the moment she introduced them. Maybe that’s petty of me, but it’s true.

The important thing though, is that, even though we all walked away a bit sore, Spencer had a great birthday, ice skating and celebrating with her family and two best friends.

When Winterfest came around, we stuck with our original plan to visit Phoenix and Dawn in the city. It was fun to see Aspen getting excited and opening presents. I know our little ones won’t quite be old enough to properly enjoy the holiday, but I’m still so excited for next year and our first Winterfest with them.

Dawn also surprised us with an amazing gift. She knitted two little onsies for Sadie and Simon, which I’m happy to report, they’ve both finally grown into!

That afternoon, when they were ready to head to Copperdale to see Pheonix’s uncle, Ash and I decided to spend the rest of the day with the Goodes after all. I’m glad we did. Even with Ezra there, it was nice to have our usual evening of games and music.

I’m absolutely in awe of Spencer with her violin. She finally mastered Einaudi’s Experience and wanted to play it for us, a duet with Pop on the piano, of course. The performance brought tears to our eyes. Listening to her play with such skill and emotion, she should be in a concert hall, not standing in our living room in her little mis-matched socks.

As happy as I am to have our own place again, I wouldn’t trade the time we spent living there for anything.

For New Year’s we’d planned to take it easy. Watch movies and likely fall asleep well before midnight. But, as you can see, that isn’t what happened.

We got a call from Lex saying that Evan had been dumped, so we cancelled our plans and drove to the city. Charlee raced to Evan’s apartment and dragged them to Lex’s where we were all waiting for them. After a bit of venting and a few tears, we were able to cheer them up, and we all celebrated the new year and good things to come. Charlee was even able to convince them to move to San Sequoia with her and Jay, which I know Ash is happy about.

I’m really grateful we ended up spending New Year’s with our friends because the going away party they had planned for us the following weekend ended up being canceled because… well…

The next morning, I woke up on Lex’s couch being jostled by Ash. He was in a panic because our phones were blowing up, and with the way I was laying on him, he couldn’t get to either of them. He was worried something bad had happened, that someone had been hurt.

But, when I sat up and checked my phone, it was the opposite. Li was in labor. All at once, everything became real.

We drove to the hospital as fast as we could and barely made it in time. But we made it. And now that our twins have arrived, life will never be the same again.

I suppose you want to meet them now. You will. Soon.

Prev // The Goode Life

A/N: I will try to introduce everyone to Sadie and Simon this weekend.. just know I’m completely obsessed with them! But this wraps up this part of my story. From here, I plan to split into two stories: The Good Life will focus on Atlas & Asher (and occasionally the extended Goode family) and my Star Sign Legacy will go back to Phoenix, Dawn, and Aspen as the main focus. I’m currently writing their next big arc, which will take some time, so for now I’ll be sharing sporadic gameplay of the boys (cos infants are my favorite thing in game)

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ndostairlyrium · 3 days ago

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Your ship and how they sleep (when together and not) questionnaire! 💖

I was tagged by @arcandoria 💛 thanks dear!! This is so fun ;u;

I'm tagging: @celestialteapot @greypetrel @shivunin @star--nymph @melisusthewee @dungeons-and-dragon-age @raflesia65 @bibutterflies @buriedknight & @p0lkadotdotdot

Ankh x Cullen

How often do they sleep together?

After they've established their relationship physically they do as often as they can. Before that moment there has been a couple of accidental naps but never a proper night of sleep in the same bed.

Where do they sleep?

In Skyhold, at Cullen's at first, because the Inquisitor's quarters tend to be packed with staff. Afterwards they manage to carve some private space for their relationship to evolve and he literally moves in her bedroom. Sometimes they isolate in one of the guests room facing the gardens, but it's just a refuge / nap room, nothing more nothing less.

How do they prepare to sleep?

They always try to go to sleep together when Ankh is in Skyhold. When that happens they have their own ritual of helping each other out of their armor/clothes, they bathe / refresh, then they do whatever activity they're obsessed with in that moment of time before going to sleep. This will continue even after the events of Trespasser, just not in Skyhold.

What do they wear to sleep?

It really depends on the activity they were doing before putting themselves to bed 👀 Otherwise, Ankh is a firm believer that people that wear pants in bed are very suspicious so there's a no pants / light clothes policy in her quarters, unless it's too cold and he refuses to humor her.

Do they cuddle?

Often, but not always. Ankh very touchy-feely but she respects Cullen's personal space, in addition some nights they're so tired it's impossible to develop something more than a hug.

What are their preferred sleep positions?

Singularly, Ankh is one that curls in fetal position and takes little space, possibly close to the border. Cullen needs to face the ceiling, because he's used to get up and get ready quickly and that's the most comfortable position for such purpose. When they're together they travel across the bed in a perpetual hug. He doesn't want to let her go, she's just happy to be dragged.

How easy do they fall asleep?

When they're on their own, it takes a lot of time to fall asleep. They have thoughts and they tend to grab the worst one and spiral. When they're together, it's easier because they can talk through their problems. Besides, the sense of security they give each other mitigates their insticts and help them relax more.

Do they toss and turn a lot?

Not when they're alone. When they're together it's a competition on who falls out of bed first (see sleep positions answer).

Do they snore?

I don't think so? :'D

Who hogs the blanket?

The blanket is wrapped on them, when the morning comes they have taken the form of a elvhen-human cannellone.

What do they dream about?

Ankh's dreams kinda define her personality. She often relives memories but the places and the people are all messed up - remains of somewhere / someone else significant to her background all mixed together. Another set of "I'm in power but things are still slipping off my hands" dreams feature; being unable to hit her targets when hunting, seeming incapable to run, and sometimes she can't use her voice to warn the people around her that she, or them, are in danger. About the last on the list, when she come across that specific situation she struggles so much that she uses her voice outside the dream, so she has to be woken up. Now, I have an hc about the Anchor, that is able to connect Ankh to the Fade so much that her dreams become more vivid and detailed, so she can be "in the moment" as they unravel in her brain. It is as if she never goes to sleep, so much that she considers falling asleep as checking in for the next part of her day. I think Cullen's dreams, nightmares aside, are a pure re-elaboration of the day / week he's just spent, with different details and maybe a different temporal context. An interesting dream he could have would be being unprepared for something important - lessons, meetings, etc. But also - and here comes another headcanon - he dreams of a world with a black inky sky, with glittering walls and a comforting sound of breathing that seems like a melancholic song. Sometimes he wakes up feeling nostalgic for something above his reach.

How easily do they wake up?

Very easily. It takes the smallest noise to alert the both of them.

How awake they are afterwards?

Oh, she's very awake and ready to jump on the walls like a grasshopper. Also she's a morning babbler of the worst kind. He, on the other hand, would be ready for action out of habits but he needs a moment to wake up and adapt. There are probably a couple of arguments in which he tells her to shut the fuck up :'D but she always wins in the end.

#your ship and how they sleep #tag memes #inquisitor lavellan #ankh #cullen rutherford #primula #they don't sleep a lot but when they do it's time for stuffed cannelloni <3 #and it's not an euphemism I swear lol #also they deprived me of a scene in which [redacted] connects with a templar. any templar. that would have been interesting #considering all the implications

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 3 days ago

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Adrien this season wears the same wrinkled outfit his dad picked out for him, sleeps on a mattress on the floor, has no passion besides being with Marinette and being chat noir, learned how to make the only meal we ever saw him share with his dad, and despite his version being better claims his dad’s were perfect.

And ppl who claim to love him are watching him go thru this and no one is helping the guy out. Only Alya has been “hey! lying to the guy is wrong and is making him stagnate” but she would rather have her memory erased than say anything.

I stg if “the power of love” is Adrien finding the strength to forgive everyone when he finds out I am going to lose it.

Agreed. Season six is really showing what I mean when I say that Miraculous has terrible plot lines for an episodic formula show. Adrien being depressed and processing his father's death is not the kind of conflict that you can resolve in 20 minutes or less, but every episode is supposed to standalone, so we're getting this awkward back and forth where the issue is randomly acknowledged in one episode only to be ignored in the next one because it doesn't fit the tone of the episode and the quality of the episodes as singular entities is more important than the quality of the season as a whole.

The Alya thing was an especially glaring example of the issue. In Revelator, Alya learns the truth about Gabriel and her reaction isn't, "I have to tell Adrien" it's "I hate that I'm going to have to keep this secret, too!"

Rena Rouge: You don't get to decide what Adrien should or shouldn't know. Neither do I. Truth is essential for someone's personal growth, and now that I know I'm gonna have to lie! And you know I don't. like. Lying!

This statement is nonsensical. Alya starts by declaring that Adrien deserves the truth and ends lamenting the fact that she'll have to lie to him, too, as if lying is the only option. It's not, though. She could tell him the truth! Half the cast could!

At least, they could in a serialized show, but this is an episodic formula show where canon-changing reveals can only happen in the season finals, so Alya telling Adrien the truth was never on the table. That's why the episode's conflict wasn't "should we tell Adrien" it was "should Alya be in on the lie, too." You can see this clearly at the end of the episode where Alya actively wants her mind wiped so she doesn't tell Adrien:

Rena Rouge: Some secrets are heavier than others and I am afraid I won't be able to keep this one... Cat Noir: But isn't that wrong? Rena Rouge: No. Because it's meant to give people the ability to choose whether to share their secret or not. (She looks at Ladybug) And that's repairing things.

This is wildly inauthentic to Alya's character. She should be fighting to keep her memory so she can tell Adrien! But she can't do that because it's too upsetting for kids and the episode needs to feel like it has a satisfying conclusion so this is the only way the conflict could be played just like Adrien's depression can't be addressed in a way that calls characters to action.

Major changes can only happen at the start of a season, the end of a season, or in a special because that's how episodic formula shows work. Status quo is king so that episodes can air in any order. Miraculous is never going to give you a strong plot that plays out over the course of a season. The most you're ever going to get are undeveloped hints at the plot lines you desperately want to see. Teasers that keep you hooked while never paying off because they literally can't.

Will Adrien learn the truth and/or process his grief today? No. If that's going to happen, it will happen in the season finale and I would not be surprised if we don't even get it then. The show has a rule that there must always be a secret between Marinette and Adrien and I don't see how you undo the Gabriel secrets while keeping the identity stuff a secret. I'm still curious how they'll even do a proper reveal of the truth because it means addressing the fact that Gabriel was dying from a cataclysm Adrien inflicted on him.

This show is slated for at least two more seasons. It's entirely possible that Adrien will stay in the dark for several or even all of those. I'm not saying that's what they'll do, I'm just pointing out that it's a distinct possibility based on the way the show has been written in the past so I'd strongly encourage you to brace yourselves for the worst while hoping for the best.

Minor fun fact: while Adrien's depression feels like something you could possibly address in an episodic formula show, my bet is that they won't because addressing the depression means redoing his character model to a new outfit and his room to a new design. Those are noticeable changes that would confuse people who missed the episode where it happened and I would be shocked if the show took that risk. Because of the formula show issue, Adrien probably has to stay in his sad bedroom and dirty old clothes until a season finale or the start of a new season just like the sad bedroom was introduced at the start of the season. It's the same reason Ladybug's suit upgrade wasn't a total upgrade. She kept her classic look so that the episodes could air in any order without confusing viewers.

#anon ask #ml writing critical #ml writing salt #formula show problems #revelator salt #Alya deserves better #I don't think the lies are authentic to Marinette's character but at least the show is playing up her anxiety to make the lie work for her #The way Alya was played here was Lila-BS levels of insulting imo #It's not as glaring as the Lila lies but it's still Alya coming across like a massive hypocrite #I would have loved to see her say “either you tell Adrien or I will” none of this “now I have to lie too!” BS #Is she a warrior for truth or not???#Pick a lane writers #prediction

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wynnthewynnderful · 20 hours ago

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Are you into me? Like I'm into you... (Ch. 2)

Bucky Barnes x Gender Neutral Reader

Ch. 1 - Ch. 3

Synopsis: Bucky Barnes is still healing, still in therapy, he's been doing a little better but the adjustment is still rough, especially the romantic side of things. New dating rules, new societal expectations, it's all....a bit much. But he's forced to enter a new part of life he realizes it needs to be on his new list to live with himself.

Warnings: some cursing, lil touch on negative thoughts.

Notes: alpine mentioned! bucky is emo in this but its ok we love our emo king.

Reminders: No use of Y/N. Diverges from movies/shows canon a bit. Takes place during TFAWS. Will be a slow burn, will have a lot of fluff, will probably have a bit of angst but all happy endings here this fandom is already allergic to happiness enough.

Word count: about 2k (it's like 2 over)

Finally, finally, Bucky was done with therapy. But now he had a new assignment, making a list of things that he thinks he doesn't deserve. He held the notebook and pen Dr. Raynor had given him at the end of their session in his gloved hand as he walks down the busy sidewalk.

If he was honest with his therapist, he could write a whole book about everything he doesn't deserve. The list was endless: Sam, Steve, hell even Alpine, who was in the apartment alone and here he was thinking about stopping by a cat cafe, just to name a few. He waits at the crosswalks, the red hand staring down at him across the street. Bucky could see the cat cafe, it was just a little bit further down left of the road he was at now, he could go to the cafe, but then he would be thinking about Alpine the whole time and wouldn't be able to get done with the damn list.

Bucky sighs and crosses the street as the sign changes, deciding to go back to his apartment instead of the cafe, he can always go a different day. He doesn't pay much attention to whats around him as he walks, he never really needed too, everything was instinct by now, to brush past strangers, narrowly avoid the cyclists, and maybe that's a little bit of why he decided to stay in New York. Bucky was too used to needing constant change, his brain being pushed to max usage all the time, a scene similar to war, just with less blood.

Cause it was days like this where suddenly he had a change.

Bucky walks down the sidewalk, taking the longer walk home. Even if it was loud and busy and the air was all polluted with smoke, his walks still helped him clear his head. But when he reaches the other sidewalk, his super senses barely save him from being crashed into by a frantic civilian sprinting.

"Wait! Raccoon!" You were running, and Bucky was a little alarmed. He didn't realize that you were running after a cat, he thought you were mugged, trying to get back a wallet, or a purse, but one glance at the look of panic on your face and Bucky knew, that you were running after something much more important.

Bucky had almost lost Alpine once, it was when she was younger, Bucky wanted to see if she'd go on walks and enjoy the city. Long story short, she did not, and thankfully she didn't run into the street like Bucky thought she did but was instead in the tree with a bird in her mouth.

Of course he took a picture of that and sent it to Sam. Looks like little white panther got the little falcon.

But he wouldn't ever forget the fear he felt and how his blood felt like it was frozen when he was looking at the street, about to stop cars, expecting to see a streak of red and a mess of white fur on the cement. So that's why he took off running with his super human speed behind the strangers cat that was dashing through the sidewalk.

Or maybe it was because he lived in the 40's and was just a chivalrous man.

When he managed to catch up to the cat, who was backed up in an alley, all it did was hiss. You'd think that Bucky Barnes would be some kind of cat whisperer since he had his own cat, but it seemed like he was quite the opposite. Lucky for him, he had a few cat treats on hand, he pulled one out of the pocket on his chest and reached it out to the cat.

"Hey, it's ok" He murmurs quietly. He tossed the treat in front of the cat, letting it eat without having to come to him. "I'm not gonna hurt you" He says softly as he slowly walks closer.

As he gets a closer and calmer look at the cat, he can start to tell it's young, maybe just half a year old. It was a beautiful cat though, calico, with a surprising amount of orange fur. He remembers the name you had called out and decides to use it, hoping that it'll keep it calm.

"Raccoon?" The cat's ear twitches, he sighs in minor relief, not even pausing to think about what an interesting name that was. He just hoped that maybe the cat would let him pick it up. "Yeah...that's your name huh? Aren't ya pretty." He takes the glove off his right hand and gently pets the cat. "I'm gonna pick you up now alright?" He murmurs before gently picking the cat and cradling it in his arms.

Thankfully the cat doesn't whine, or meow, or try to jump away. It seemed content with the treat that he had thrown it earlier and just licks on it quietly as Bucky stands up and walks out of the alleyway. He looks around for the owner, and he sees you after a moment, out of breath, but still sprinting down the sidewalk. Your eyes spark with relief as you see him holding their cat, and you slow to a walk.

"Oh my-" You try to catch their breath before speaking. "Thank you. Thank you so much I-" You stand before him and take a few more breaths before being able to speak properly again. "You're actually amazing. How did you run that fast?"

Gently taking the cat from him, you murmur to her quietly, "You're such a silly girl, running away like that, you scared me you silly fur ball." You were just so relieved. You almost thought you already lost a cat you had adopted just hours earlier. Looking back at Bucky you apologize, "I'm so sorry for almost running into you earlier, I just adopted her, like an hour ago, and I head out and somehow she get's out of her leash and starts running after god knows what." You chuckle and shake your head as you look down at your cat again. "What am I gonna do with you, little miss."

Bucky hadn't said a word the whole interaction, he silently let you take the cat back and barely even nodded at your explanantion. When he realized you were done talking he nodded again "Not a problem. Just glad the cat didn't die." He grimaces slightly at what he said. Didn't die? Jesus what type of pessimistic-

Your laugh catches him off guard and pulls him out of his thoughts. "Oh don't you worry, I've heard this one has some crazy preservation skills. I adopted her from the cat cafe and boy they had quite the stories to tell me". You stroke her head and scratch her behind her ears as you talk to the incredibly handsome stranger in front of you. Suddenly you were grateful you decided to have a change of heart and get the cat. But you couldn't push away this small lingering feeling that this man looked familiar.

"Oh," Was all Bucky had to say. He was caught off guard, the tiniest bit out of breath from running, shy because of the very attractive stranger in front of him, and on top of it all, was already a little socially awkward. He clears his throat and tries to say something to save face, "Her name's Raccoon?" Bucky reaches out his ungloved hand to pet her while you hold her, "Real interesting name for a cat." He sounds so serious, even for a lighthearted topic like this, if someone didn't know english and just listened in, you'd think that he was telling you your grandma died.

You seem oddly unperturbed by his stoic and serious behavior. You just smile and nod "Yeah, Raccoon, I didn't name her though, she was dropped off 3 months ago in a shelter by a couple who was moving overseas and renting in a place that didn't allow pets and then eventually she ended up in the cat cafe. I think I've figured out why they named her Raccoon though."

A smile graces you face as you look down at the small cat in your arms holding onto the treat in its paws surprisingly well. "Almost like she got thumbs" Bucky grunts.

You look at him with mild amusement as you nodded, "Sure is." His eyes catch you off guard when he really looks at you. They were an almost reflective blue, it felt almost pervasive, like they pierced through every single one of your thoughts and he knew exactly what you were thinking. "But uhm, thank you again..." You trailed off, realizing you never asked him his name or gave him yours.

"James," He finally offered a smile, however brief and faint it might've been, it still made you feel like ice cream melting on a sidewalk during a New York summer. You can't help but smile back, again, feeling a little giddy that you made this extremely attractive stranger in front of you, smile.

You introduce yourself, your thoughts whirring with how you could possibly meet him again, maybe get his number? But the latter idea felt too formal. He was already stepping back to leave when you decide to speak on impulse, "You're really good with cats, do you have one?" Your cheeks turn darker when you wait for him to reply.

"I..do. Yeah." He nodded. "Alpine," he offers, almost tentatively, like he was skittish and about to disappear down the alleyway where Raccoon had tried to go earlier. But he still seemed a little calmer, like he'd let you continue getting closer to him if you tried.

You smile and nod "Alpine, that's a beautiful name." An idea starts to form in your head as you keep speaking, "I know we just met, but I'd at least really like to make it up to you for chasing my cat down the sidewalk and into a creepy alleyway, maybe at the new cat cafe I just got this one from? Their croissants and cinnamon rolls are surprisingly good." Normally, you were never were this forward, you had no idea what came over you but you had a feeling that you should, or you'd regret it and it would become one of the things that keep you up at night.

Bucky was surprised as hell, to say at the least. Would this be a date? He wasn't mad about the forwardness but it most definitely wasn't expected either. How could he even ask if it was a date? A date would probably be a bad idea right now though, he literally needed to work on a list of things that he didn't deserves and at the top of that list was any form of romantic or platonic love.

And just like that he snaps back to normal and you can see it. How the slightest bit of tension that had eased from his shoulders tightened again and the way his faint smile from earlier disappears and he goes back to being stoic. "Don't worry about it, I don't mind. You don't need to pay me back." He responds on autopilot as he pets Raccoons head one more time before putting on his leather glove back on. "Just make sure you get a better leash for her." He nods in your direction and just walks away without another word.

You're left stinging. Well, honestly it wasn't that deep. But you rarely put yourself out there like that, and he was so dismissive it felt like a fire ant crawling up your spine and biting every single one of your nerves. What a bitch. Now you're left in a stupid alleyway with a cat that'll probably run away again before you get back to your apartment, regardless of how much you love it.

For some reason the fact that he never told you how he could run that fast also pissed you off. What a great fucking day.

authors note: whoops i guess he didn't end up going to the cat cafe after all </3 also sorry its a lil slow rn it'll start getting better next chapter guys

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #james bucky barnes #bucky #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky and alpine #alpine #james bucky buchanan barnes #james buchanan barnes #i love him #slow burn #enemies to lovers?#marvel #the falcon and the winter soldier #the winter solider fanfiction #the winter soldier #the winter solider x reader

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cintasvel · 11 hours ago

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Why I think Andor S2 ultimately fails Vel as a character

What it says on the tin. Let's go.

Wait!! Quick disclaimer: I have nothing against Faye Marsay as an actress. She did a phenomenal job as Vel, and any and all criticisms are very much directed at the writing, and not Faye's characterization of what little she got. Give that woman an Emmy. In fact, give her two.

Ok, now let's go.

Two key aspects of Vel are established very quickly in the first season of Andor. The first: she's stepping into the role of a leader, determined and takes no shit. The second? She's in love with Cinta. it is only with Cinta that we see the real Vel, her fear, her love, come to light. In Aldhani, she's fierce and doesn't let how scared she actually is show until she's alone with Cinta. It is Cinta's presence that calms Vel to give the go-ahead. It is Cinta whom Vel mirrors, out of love and admiration for everything she represents.

It's compelling, then, as we move past the Aldhani arc, that we learn more about Vel and her reasons for doing all this. Vel's rebellion isn't just about the Empire. She's Mon Mothma's cousin, and through Mon, Leida, Perrin, and the show's depiction of Chandrilan society, we learn that Vel is considered an outsider. She's not married, has no interest in it, and is largely seen as a bit of a spinster. Perrin makes a comment that all the good ones are gone now at her age (Vel's age is never established, but I assume she's in her early 30s personally), which makes her unmarried self stick out like a sore thumb. Cinta later confirms this by saying Vel is 'a rich girl running away from her family'. Not only is she fighting for revolution, but also actively trying to keep far away from the heteronormative society that she's come from because it is stifling her! Not being able to be your true, authentic self is oppression. It's what makes Vel choosing the rebellion, choosing to fight instead of staying neutral and relying solely on her family's wealth, so interesting. And yes, being a gay woman is a vital part of her character. No, I don't care if Tony Gilroy says otherwise. I won't touch too much on that, but i recommend @chipthekeeper's great post about Vel + being a gay woman and its significance to her character.

Now, by the time Andor s2 kicks around, Vel isn't in too much of a different mindset from where we left off in s1. She's chosen the rebellion, and now has experience under her belt. Her introduction in s2 reminds us of two things: she's got her own personal rebellion to deal with (aka being a gay woman in the heteronormative society of Chandrila) and her and Cinta's relationship is on the rocks because Cinta puts duty above her. We see the effect of this on Vel, who is understandably heartbroken that she and Cinta are on two different wavelengths and has to deal with her niece being sold to fund the Rebellion she is part of, while also being there for her cousin, Mon Mothma. This takes a turn when Vel later sees Cinta taking away Tay Kolma, and the two share a look. Now, two things are essential to Vel here, but I'll focus on the most obvious: Vel's crash-out. After seeing Cinta, Vel looks out of the window (every Velcinta fan knows how important windows are for these two) and sighs. Everyone, except Mon, is joyful in comparison as they sip wine and toast this heteronormative union. Vel yearns to have her own happiness with Cinta. However, as we learned earlier, she isn't the only one yearning for this. Cinta looks back at Vel after she walks off. This is important to establish because it's vital to demonstrate that the two are mirrors of one another and that Cinta also wants to be with Vel. It also keeps on theme for the two: they rarely look at one another at the same time, which is heartbreaking in of itself. The lead-up to the events of their next episode together is obvious: the two want to be together, but Luthen, Kleya, and the mission are keeping them apart. Again, this isn't different from S1.

The two reunite on Ghorman and declare that ultimately, they are on this mission together because of each other. They no longer want to be part of Luthen's games, they both know that they don't matter to him in the long run, that they are only valuable to him when they are apart. But to them? The only thing that matters is one another. Now, as rushed as this arc was (I could have done with like, at least 3 more episodes with Cinta alone, just saying) it did give us a clear vision of their 'hope' for the season: the two of them together, fighting for their future and the Rebellion. This is Vel's (and Cinta's) ultimate goal; this is what she aims for.

Right. You all know what happens next. Cinta is killed via a stray bullet to paint the picture of another 'how senseless, how tragic' death, and also hammer home that the Ghormans are out of their depth. This is, despite already being established, like, a whole two episodes ago, but whatever; that's not the point. This is a particularly cruel death, because Vel gives a monologue that, while beautiful, seems to put the blame on not just Samm, but herself. She wanted Cinta on the mission. Cinta was only here because of her. Tony Gilroy wanted to give Vel baggage, and by god, this was the only way he saw how. Worse still, Gilroy has the gall to say he treated them the same as any other couple, but do either Cassian or Bix get killed or face any negative repercussions from killing Gorst? For daring to work together and be in love? Of course not. Only Vel, who dared to want and love Cinta, gets punished by the narrative.

Now we reach the heart of why Cinta's death, unfortunately, marks the beginning of the failure to tie up Vel's character in a way that, befitting the other endings of the characters in Andor S2, feels hopeful and, as such, feels like a failure to Vel as a whole.

After Cinta's death, Vel gets four scenes at most, and none of them are utilized in service to her character's development. The closest thing that actually does serve her in some way is her conversation with Bix, where Vel tells Bix that she's been grounded because she was becoming too reckless. Yet another moment of 'cool, I'd have liked to have seen this instead of it being inferred to.' Regardless, it establishes that Vel is going above and beyond in missions to the point it's borderline suicidal. But again!!! This is only momentary. Her following few scenes are to highlight Melshi (yes, the gun scene is very nice, and I can see the argument to it being a callback to Aldhani and the officer's reminder that if you're carrying a gun without regulation makes you a fucking idiot, but come on, it's to introduce Melshi), encourage Cassian to reunite with Bix, and remind Kleya that she's not alone, that she's got friends everywhere.

On the surface, all of these aforementioned scenes are good. I won't say I didn't enjoy Cassian and Vel toasting the people they lost; that was a great moment -- and I will never ever get over Faye Marsay's outstanding acting, from the throat tremble at hearing Cinta's name to the clear disdain in her eyes at the mention of Luthen. But it leads me back to what I said before: these scenes are in service to Kleya, Cassian, and Bix. To me, Vel felt like a megaphone to give off advice, and it hurt me because Vel shouldn't be a tool to be used. She's one of the main characters.

That said, I'm not too surprised Vel becomes underutilized after Cinta's death. Because Cinta's death is ultimately what leads to my main problem with Vel after s2e6. The problem with getting rid of Cinta for Vel's development is that, ultimately, it rends Vel's in two. The reason for this is that Vel and Cinta weren't just a couple. They were narratively built for each other. As I've previously established, Cinta is the ideal that Vel strives to live up to. Cinta is the hardened rebel, a survivor of genocide, someone whose entire society and culture have been stomped on and left behind by the Empire. She has nothing to her name but anger and her desire for revenge. She's in the Rebellion because there is no other choice for her. Vel, on the other hand, is a wealthy socialite with a family, something Cinta doesn't have. Vel joins the Rebellion because she cannot stand the injustice that the Empire brings. Vel chooses the Rebellion when many others in her position do not. While there are some CLEAR differences between Vel and Cinta, under the Rebellion? They are equals who challenged and bettered each other. Cinta was what Vel needed to see. But as it turns out, Vel was the reminder for Cinta that the fight means nothing if you've not got something to fight for.

Ironically, in making Cinta a tool to give Vel 'extra luggage', Andor S2 makes Vel less of a character and more of a weary operator pushing buttons to get 1) the plot going or 2) stick the knife in deeper to give more depth to Cassian and Bix's relationship, solely because by association she knows what it's like to be part of a 'right person, wrong time' relationship. Because yeah, let's have the lone queer in the Rebellion act like a suffering mediator of a heterosexual relationship. Masterful gambit, Mr Gilroy. It's not like we could have used that time for Vel to do literally anything else. It wouldn't have made Cinta's death any better, but I'd have at least liked to see Vel's grief play a significant part in her so-called arc. Instead, Vel becomes a passive character, and while I can see the argument that Cinta's death is the catalyst that forces Vel to mature and become a hardened warrior, stepping into Cinta's shadow and effectively becoming Cinta to keep her alive (yet another example of mirroring, btw) I ultimately find it contradictory to what Andor builds up about Vel.* Yes, Vel is fighting the Empire because she believes in what The Rebellion stands for, but it's also for a better tomorrow with Cinta. That's like, established in S1. So for Vel to be effectively punished for that feels like the weirdest condemnation ever. Oh Vel, you dared to love someone? Here's your reward: the tragedy of all tragedies. While other characters' arcs continue, Cinta's death puts a full stop to Vel's story. And I do mean Vel's story; I do not mean Kleya's, Mon's, or Cassian's. Vel's story. This essay is not about the future for Vel after the Andor S2 credits rolled; it is about what I'm being directly shown by the text. I am not interested in fanon interpretation of what happens with Vel afterwards.

*That's not even mentioning that I don't find it compelling for a white character to step into the shoes of the only queer WOC.

Anyway. This leads me to my conclusion on why Andor S2 fundamentally failed Vel. While Cassian walks off to his death, we get to see what the other main characters are doing by the end of S2. Kleya loses Luthen, but gets a sense of peace and fulfillment in knowing their hard work paid off with Yavin. Bix loses Cassian, but gets a baby to highlight the hope of fighting for the children of tomorrow (and you know I have opinions about that too). Wilmon gets domestic comfort with Dreena. Mon can be herself FULLY as the leader of the Rebellion, hopeful of a future where the empire is gone.

So, what's Vel's hopeful ending? Her commitment to the rebellion? The rebellion that she was already committed to even back in S1? That's Vel's ending? That's Vel's hope? Not the relationship she dreamed of with Cinta? I love Mon and Vel's relationship, and Vel reaching out to Kleya to show friendship is hopeful within itself, I acknowledge that. But again, particularly the latter, these moments are not about Vel. None of them represents Vel's own personal rebellion. Surely people realize how weirdly slanted that is towards your only alive queer character? Every other ending has a hopeful sheen to it except for Vel's. And I'm what, supposed to be happy that she's alive? Now don't get me wrong. I am! But Vel's arc being what, a lesson to always put the Rebellion first, to never want anything but the fight? That's the lesson you wish to teach those who care about Vel to take from her arc? It makes zero sense.

So, yes, Vel's arc of fighting for a better tomorrow with Cinta is crushed for no real reason, because Vel doesn't get the room to even grieve for Cinta afterward. Doesn't get the chance to even figure out who she is without Cinta before S2 ends. She ends up traumatized with grief and the future title of being the Last Survivor of Aldhani. And it just falls flat. It doesn't feel hopeful. It feels insulting. Oh, you've made the remaining queer character in your cast stuck with the most miserable ending out there?

This has never happened before. Ever!

#aimee chats #c: vel sartha #andor critical #andor spoilers #i mean yes but its been a month but also just to be safe #i've been sitting on this for a while ever since i finished the andor polls and was perplexed at votes thinking vel had a satisfactory arc #like again people are allowed to think what they want i PERSONALLY was just flabbergasted #so this is what led me to write this long ass post sorry in advance #i fear i should be over andor's pitfalls by now but the reality is that i like to yap #andor season 2 #sw: andor #c: cinta kaz #including cinta here because as i argue in this post #you really can't talk about vel without talking about cinta #ok 2 reblog #girlies this took me a week because my attention span is bad #anyway i had feelings about vel sartha and how they thoroughly dropped the ball with her </3

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