#For once in her goddamn life she can be a side character

[neon-vocalist]

I miss Rya. I miss Rya so much it hurts

[forbidden-sunlight]

yandere!ceo with villainess!reader scenario [part one]

warnings: suicide attempt/implication, implication of obsessive thoughts or love, workplace toxicity.

There might be potential triggers in this piece. If you do not feel comfortable with reading it, please hit the 'back' button on your phone or laptop and find something much more pleasant to read than a potential series of unfortunate events.

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Hey guys, and welcome to another original yandere oc x series, featuring the good-looking prick and CEO of his family's conglomerate, Yeo Jung-Hwa. This is a collaboration between me and the incredibly talented @deathmetalunicorn1. Special thanks to @pinkgoldweebgirl and @witch-of-the-writing-desk for their honest feedback on the earlier drafts of this project.

Part Two

Part Three

Everyone has heard or watched the famous daily drama, Love and Fortune. Boasting over 124 episodes, it chronicles the romance between a cold-hearted CEO named Yeo Jung-Hwa and a hardworking, kind-hearted employee at his family’s conglomerate named Hyeong Mun-Hee. Of course, no drama is without conflict because that would be a very boring story to broadcast to the world.

 Including the male lead’s family opposing the idea that would marry someone beneath his social status, the villainous Park Seo-yun refuses to break off her engagement to him even when her feelings are completely one-sided. In retrospect, Park Seo-yun had been written as a vicious and incredibly stupid antagonist so that Heyong Mun-Hee’s perseverance through such bullying and her devotion towards Yeo Jung-Hwa were highlighted and touched the viewers with her kind heart. At least that is what you believe after being trapped in the world of this drama for…how long has it been? A year? Three years?

 It was hard to keep track of time when Being X -  that’s the name you gave to whatever is controlling this world like a goddamned puppeteer - would reset everything if you tried to act out of character such as amiably breaking up with male lead so he could be with Hyeong Mun-Hee or trying to overdose on sleeping meds in a desperate attempt to escape. Presently this was your fourth loop, and you were not going to let everything, the hard work you’ve put in, to be all for nothing.

You were going to move forward.

You were going to survive. 

You were going to have a peaceful life once this drama is over. 

Just say your lines and be ready for the next scene. Right?

According to the drama’s script, the reason that Park Seo-yun worked for the Yeo family’s conglomerate is because everyone thought it would be a brilliant idea for her to see how the business of her future in-laws operated and be prepared to step in if Yeo Jung-Hwa was incapacitated for any reason. In your humble opinion, it is honestly a bad idea for two reasons. One, it isn’t wise to mix business with a marriage, let alone an engagement that is written to be destroyed upon the arrival of the female lead. Two, it just doesn't make sense. Prosperous businesses are supposed to have a qualified Chief Operating Officer, otherwise known as a COO, to implement plans and the direction that the CEO wishes to follow as well as coordinating with other team managers. 

But this is common sense from the real world. You are stuck in a drama and currently the team manager of the conglomerate’s financial department. You might have a nice office in the back where you can see everything, but it barely alleviated your annoyance with Hyung Mun-Hee as she hunched over her desk, texting on her personal phone instead of correcting the mistakes she made on the documents you were supposed to hand out to everyone at today’s meeting; budget allocations, projected growths and downturns, including whether Team Leader Kim Dokja will be able to hire a few more employees that he really needs to help with the IT department’s neverending workflow. 

You know that this is a pivotal scene in both Heyong Mun-Hee’s character development and the beginning of your downfall. You know that after accusing the female lead of slacking off, forcing her to kneel and apologize for paralyzing your department because everyone worked overtime to cover her unexcused absences, this is when the male lead steps in and protects his darling from being bullied further.

To the writers of Love and Fortune: this example of lazy creativity is why your successful series eventually received backlash and everyone demanded a revamped version. In layman’s terms, fuck you assholes for making your job as the villainess a lot more difficult than it should be. 

You already made her kneel and all that jazz in the last two loops and it didn’t do shit. Not this time. You were going to go for a more subtle, professional approach. As long as it seems like you were antagonizing Hyung Mun-Hee because Love and Fortune is written from her point of view, you should be fine. Hopefully. God, you hoped so. 

If you actually got through this scene, you were definitely going to reward the team for their hard work with some baked goods for breakfast or a catered lunch. You haven’t used your infamous black credit card since this loop started. Rolling your shoulders back, you inhaled a slow, deep breath before leaning over towards the printer, grabbing the documents that the female lead emailed to you. You pretended to read them over, eyes narrowing and fingers thumbing through all of them until you reached the end. Rising from your seat, you walked out of the office and addressed the staff, calmly. 

“Excuse me everyone, but may I have a moment of your time?” Your slightly agitated voice caused all seven team members to stare at you with faces that ranged from confusion, fear, and curiosity. You respectfully incline your head. “Thank you.” You held up your little prop in the air for all to see. “Whoever emailed me the paperwork I am to present at this afternoon’s meeting, please come to my office. I have some questions about the context.”

An uneasy silence fell upon the office, making your heart stink. Shit. You needed to improvise and fast before Being X noticed. You sighed, pressing two fingers to the side of your temple to make it seem like you were starting to feel a headache coming on, which funnily enough you were. 

 “I’m not going to bite anyone’s head off, I promise. There are just a few things in here that do not make sense and I’d like to understand before I am to present them as the team leader.” Please take the bait, Heyong Mun-Hee. You thought pleadingly with your eyes closed. If you have any self-respect left or at least feel a little sorry for being lazy, stand up and admit your mistake so that your perseverance shines through in this scene. You’ve done it before, you can do it again. 

When you opened your eyes, she was still sitting at her desk with wide eyes and a flushed face, clutching her phone as if it were a lifeline. Your eyebrow twitched. You have got to be kidding me. You thought sourly. This isn’t how a female lead is supposed to act, let alone an actual employee of a multi-million won company.

 Fine. If she wasn’t going to come to you willingly, then you couldn’t play nice. 

You were about to call her out  when she suddenly stood up and made a beeline towards your office, passing by you and taking a seat in your office. Huh? Isn’t this a bit rude? Unfortunately your role isn’t to ponder why certain people like common decency. So you turned around, walking back inside your workspace and closing the door behind you. Once you sat down behind the dark mahogany desk that was at least twice the size of a normal cubicle, you booted up your desktop and logged into the company’s bookkeeping program before swiveling the monitor around so that Hyeung Mun-Hee could see where she made her mistakes.

“Assistant Manager Hyeung Mun-Hee, I noticed that there were some miscalculations here,” You moved your cursor over one column. “And here.” You moved it to the right. “Here as well.” You moved it back to the left, right in the middle. “The formula you imputed for Columns H to J is incorrect. I want you to refer to your department manual and make the necessary corrections before sending it out to the other departments. I trust you can handle this task?” 

She should be able to. After all, the female lead had a buffer for being extremely intelligent and a math whiz in the script. That’s why she was selected to work here instead of Human Resources, where her communication skills were also top notch. Hyeung Mun-Hee quickly nodded, standing up from her seat and almost bolting back to her desk, still holding onto her phone like a security blanket. Which was a little odd. You don’t remember her being so protective of it in the previous loops. 

You reclined back against your chair. Oh well, no matter. Time to see this house of cards come crashing down in five minutes. Too bad it can’t be longer. But the show must go on, right? She  might be scripted to fail, but you gave her a chance to correct her mistakes. So in the end, it was truly and solely all her fault, not yours. 

Sure enough the phones began ringing off of the hook, followed by shouting from a few of the senior employees. You got a frantic phone call  from Research/Development manager Choi Iseul, asking why the promised budget had been cut in half. Closing out the screens on your desktop, you reassured the poor girl that you would look into this matter immediately before hanging up. She really didn’t need the stress right now at four months pregnant. 

You stepped out of the office, demanding what was going on. All eyes turned to the leading lady herself, her head down and face pinkened in embarrassment. You blinked. “Assistant Manager Hyeung Mun-Hee, what happened? You did fix the report as I had asked, right?” You controlled the tone of your voice, careful to not show anger and annoyance, strictly professionalism. You were pretty sure that you didn’t sound like a vindictive bitch either. But somehow she took your question as her cue to shout at you, to stop bullying her before running out towards the elevator. And right into the arms of the male lead. 

You exhaled a deep breath, running a hand through [Hair Color] tresses before you turned your attention back towards the team. “I need to fix this report and send it off to the other departments or else things will get ugly. I know I’m asking a lot right now, but could you screen the incoming calls? If any of them asks, please let them know I am making the necessary corrections and will email it to them promptly. Disregard the one that they’ve received from Assistant Manager Hyeung Mun-Hee.” 

Everyone clamored in agreement before diving back into their work, some already answering the phones and reciting exactly what you asked them to say as you bolted towards your office, slamming the door behind you. Considering that this isn’t your first loop, you had already taken the liberty of creating the correct report this morning before clocking in at the office. The issues were the same, so it took you all but twenty minutes to adjust and send it out to the managers. 

The calamity that struck evaporated in an instant, and the phones had stopped ringing. To you, it only heralded the opening sequence of the next scenario. Looking up from your phone, you saw two people walk out of the elevator. The female lead was dabbing her puffy face with a checkered handkerchief, standing by Yeo Jung Hwa himself as he got off his own personal device, no doubt finishing his talk with the CFO about his darling’s little fuck up. 

Placing your phone face down on the desk, you watched them glide across the room before the CEO reached your office, opening the door with a frown stretched across his face. 

Yeo Jung Hwa. The male lead of Love and Fortune, blessed with good looks, riches, and has been in charge of the conglomerate since he was twenty years old. A classic tyrannical CEO that almost everyone loved to read or watch because they’d see how soft he was around his lover and wanted that same kind of treatment for themselves. You saw him as more of a cunning snake who knew what he wanted and would use any means necessary to get it.

But whatever. Time to get into character. You thought as you stood up, eyeing the male lead apathetically. “Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?”

“Explain what happened.” He said, amethyst eyes narrowing at you. Yes, he has fucking purple eyes thank you goddamned screenwriters. 

You raised an eyebrow. “Explain what, sir?” You asked. “The incident that has everyone in a panic?” Receiving nothing but silence from him, you continued. “It’s been resolved. I’ve already emailed all of the department heads the correct report to refer to at today’s meeting. I did tell Assistant Manager Hyeung Mun-Hee to fix the mistakes I’ve shown her,” You glanced at your employee before averting your attention back to the prick. “But when I looked at what was sent out, she did make a few adjustments…just that it only made matters worse and could have cost the company a lot of money.” You crossed your arms, leaning back against your desk. “Her performance was unacceptable, and she is my responsibility as her team leader. Which is why I would like to have Assistant Manager Hyeung Mun-Hee participate in this month’s upcoming financial seminars. A little refresher for two weeks, using her vacation days, and pass the tests so that there will not be a repeat of this incident again and jeopardize the conglomerate. Or would you see this as unfair treatment of an employee, CEO Yeo Jung-Hwa?”

You watched as the male lead looked over his shoulder, glaring balefully at his lover before he turned back to face you. “So be it. I want to see the results of her tests once they are completed and the lecturers aren’t under your payroll, Team Leader Park Seo-yun.”

“With all due respect, they are under your payroll, not mine.” You said drolly. “I don’t care how long it will take for her to complete the classes or to do the coursework. I want results, same as you. I do want to keep the completion certificates. If she doesn’t do it or chooses not to for whatever reason beyond a medical emergency, suspension with pay. No ifs, ands, or buts. Are these acceptable terms, sir?”

He didn’t like it, you could tell. Any event that separated from Hyeung Mun-Hee would put him in a sour mood and become more of a grouch. Kind of like a child having his favorite toy being taken away because he did something bad. But in this situation he couldn’t afford to have a temper tantrum  for obvious reason:

1) Displaying an immature attitude in a professional environment will make him less appealing to the viewers.

2) As previously stated, it was the female lead’s fault that this whole mess happened. He saw the evidence of her major fuck up, the CFO saw it, everyone did. Trying to sweep it under the rug would only incite more rumors of nepotism. He has a reputation to maintain. 

“...Fine.” He spat out. You nodded, seeing him turn on the ball of his foot and stomp out of the room. Nope, he is not happy about this. Neither is the trembling female lead standing in front of you. She really was a pretty woman, with reddish-brown hair falling past her shoulders and hazel eyes glistening with tears. 

“You’re dismissed. I’ll let you know the seminar schedule once I hear back from HR. Please return to work, you still have two hours left on your shift.”  You said, expecting her to go running to the restroom and cry, have a mental dialogue about how things were unfair right now but she will come out on top and preserve as it was written in the script. Except…she didn’t leave right away. She was glaring at you as if you were the most despicable person in the entire world, which you guess holds some truth. 

“You said this is all my fault, but it isn’t because I wasn’t trained properly! Where do you get off, saying such horrible things like this?! Just because you are rich doesn’t mean you have a great personality!”

Your eyes widened in shock. Okay, this scene was definitely not part of the drama in the last three loops. And she’s smart enough to know to not say this, even if the door is closed! 

Let’s be serious. No one should ever talk to a supervisor like this, even if they are an absolute scumbag and you hate their guts. 

“Assistant Manager Hyeung Mun-Hee, you were trained to learn and carry out these tasks during the ninety day trial period after being hired by the conglomerate,” You said as you tried to calm your racing heart. “I showed you the mistakes you made, and it’s clear that you made almost no effort to fix them. If you had, then this incident would not have happened. That is why you are going to sit through those seminars and take notes, or you will be suspended without pay. This is not up for debate. And just because I am rich doesn’t mean you can talk down to people as if you are better than them, myself included. Now leave. And don’t let me hear such vulgar words in here again or I will punish you. Are we clear?” 

“You-“

“Are you going to make me pull up your file and show everyone your certificates of completion from those training programs, the proof that you were trained to do your job and you’ve chosen to let others do your work for you?” You asked. “It’s fine to ask for help from others when needed, but you have to take responsibility for your actions or else you’ll never be able to surpass me.”

You watched Hyeung Mun-Hee’s face turn a darker shade of magenta and the tremors in her petite frame increase greatly before she excused herself. You could see the steam coming out of her ears; whether it was from embarrassment or anger, you weren’t certain. So long as she got your message and you acted your part as the villainess, then that should have met almost all of the requirements needed to move onto the next episode. The remaining factors were  the viewership score and Being X’s approval. 

The viewership score is a daily simple rating system numbered from 1 to 5 golden stars. If the episode reaches 3 and above, you’re clear. If the score is a 2, and Being X did not like your acting or even how everything played out, the loop would start all over again from the first scene. Perhaps instead of puppeteer, it’s more like a perfectionist director whose opinion can also be swayed by the viewership score. If the audience watching this fucked up universe enjoyed what they were watching, they’ll make it known. 

After all, more ratings means more money, even if you’re not getting paid for this.

 The last two loops where this episode happened, you followed the script to the letter without making any improvs. It didn't work out in the end, as you recalled with a frown at the memory. After being forced to kneel on the floor as you had done to her, you watched the lovebirds embrace. Well, at least the male lead was trying to comfort his ‘pure-hearted’ lover when that bitch smiled down at you from over his shoulder. As if she had won the game and you were the loser. Being X didn’t like the viewership scores back then. Now? Well, that’ll depend on whether or not you’ll wake up to the setting of episode 25 tomorrow morning. It’s either that…or finding yourself in the interview room again with Hyeung Mun-Hee during the pilot episode, her job application in your hand. 

Fuck my life. You thought glumly. 

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Congratulations, Congratulations, Congratulations!

Important things must be said three times.

The viewership score on Episode 24 has arrived!

Taglist: @nunezs-stuff @imperfectbloodmoon @yandere-dark-cupid @justcressida @cassanderasblog @faesdreaming @faux-ecrivain @abelheilonwife @tired-of-life-86 @tonightwrites @ixchelhernandez4 @aiimee9 @swallowtail-lotus @diannaflight @sweetbatherodonkey @strangepoppy @mochinon-yah @classicdummy @lanxianschoenheit @aman3kkun @beardedblizzardexpert @reiivven @majestichugs

©️do not repost or use any of the characters depicted here without the author’s permission. forbidden-sunlight, 2024

[artmunstudios]

Lies of P Character Analysis: P and Carlo

Spoilers for the ending of the game lie ahead under the cut!

I have been seeing a lot of people refer to P as Carlo, specifically in the Rise of P ending, and I think it is very important to think about this fact, because it kind of goes hand in hand with the themes of the game overall. And on top of that, it's important for when making theories too!

P isn’t Carlo—he never was, and won’t ever be no matter what ending you get. Not even the Nameless Puppet is really Carlo. (His corpse maybe which is,,,,, so fucked)

I'm kinda driving this home, because I think it is really important to understand the difference between P and Carlo, because despite Geppetto claiming that P inherited his personality instead of the memories, they clearly are very different people, and that is solely because of their environments.

He’s much more like a reflection of Carlo, if he was raised in a more loving/nurturing environment. P is a Carlo that isn’t solely filled with nothing but spite and anger towards his father that literally abandoned and clearly even resented him. Compare this to the people around P at the home he knew, Hotel Krat.

Sofia— Never once really says a bad word to P. Not even in the bad ending. She is that gentle guide that, despite claiming to have awakened P for selfish reasons, acts entirely selfless and is willing for her freedom to be put on hold to help P in aiding in lessening the damage in Krat. She compliments him, gives encouraging words, and I would even dare to say she teaches P the value of life.

Antonia— Grandma. Of. The Year. Can we please give this classy lady of all sass and glory more than a peaceful death? Like???? I dunno, sneak her a bottle of that good wine, Tipple Lady seemed to really dig it. If she wasn't so sick I am more than certain that she would have been doting on P more than just verbally. I'm talking that kind of grandma, and you know exactly what I mean. This lady would somehow find a way for there to be ingredients for cookies because goddammit, she may be classy but I bet you any money she makes the best goddamn peanut butter cookies and YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE. Every time P would come back all dirty, he would get the scolding of a lifetime because how many times does she have to tell him to leave that dirty coat and boots at the entry and let Polendina get them for a wash— And finally, if she were well enough you know damn well P would have been even more classy than he already was with those outfits. She would spend an entire day going through wardrobes and having P try each outfit on to see what looks good, because no grandson of hers is going out in drabs she will not have it— Ahem. Er. ANywayyy...that grandma. she would be that grandma. And still kind of is, she just couldn't do much being so ill. And, kind of on the flipside, I think Antonia in a way taught P the importance of death, and how it can be drawing near, but you can still be full of hope like she was.

Polendina and Pulcinella — These two taught P a very important lesson, and even taught it to him fairly early on! Puppets are not inherently evil; in fact, they can be just as alive as any human. They both love the ones they take care of, and provide that sense of kinship that P really needed. In a way, P is biracial (racial....or...????bispecies???? I????? I don't know what to call it?????) so seeing both sides of each half in him is such a great influence, and helps him realize that he may be different to both, he can belong in both worlds.

Eugenie— Sweetie. Babygirl. Bestie. She was thrown into the position of big sister so fast she didn't even realize it until like. The end of the game, I think. That conversation about her big brother seemed to make her realize that she was a big sister to P in a way, I think. Which is why the realization about her own older sibling made things much harder, I think.

Lorenzini— An eccentric, but genuinely kind hearted man. A human, that despite everything, still treats the puppets as family. Hell, he doesn't even convinced that they are the villains, and he is the one to actually initiate the whole path to when the group discovers that Geppetto is the one behind the frenzy. 1000/10, coolest uncle; he probably will buy P so many ridiculous things the moment things have calmed down in Krat. What's that? Oh, yes you need a place to stay--HAVE A HOUSE. DO YOU WANT THE BLOCK I CAN BUY YOU A BLOCK-- (Pulcinella has to withhold finances because Lorenzini will NOT stop buying P shit, and the poor lad doesn't really have a concept of money so of course he's gonna accept it all and just say yes!) .... (The realization of P not really having a concept of currency suddenly startles me. WHAT IS HE GONNA DO WHEN KRAT IS RESTORED??? POLENDINA WHY DID YOU RESET HE NEEDS FUCKIN HELP— )

Geppetto— Ah. Yes. Rat bastard (derogatory). Deadbeat dad. Control freak. YOU. I will. Give him this, and I do genuinely mean this; despite everything he has done, and how manipulative he is, he, ironically, gave P exactly what he needed from a father in some ways. Specifically, Geppetto always reminded P that he was precious and important to him, and that he genuinely did not like sending him out into dangerous situations. Even though, it was for different reasons, and the majority of us were suspicious from the start, we have to think about it from P's perspective. Think about all the things he said to him, until the end at least. P had legitimately no reason to suspect Geppetto. In many ways, as far as P could tell, he was perfect. Encouraging, gentle, he made sure P was always in tip-top shape, and he told him that he was proud to see him fight the King of Puppets (yes it's fucked up knowing it was Romeo, Carlo's possible only friend, but again, P doesn't know that until the very end). In a way, he taught P his own worth, to the point that he valued his own individuality, and refused to give up his sense of self. And in the very end, I think Geppetto realized that P was not Carlo, but he loved him like a father, despite everything.

Gemini (I FORGOT GEMINI AND HAD TO EDIT TO ADD HIM IN CAST ME INTO THE FUCKIN FIRE I AM A FAKE PINOCCHIO LORE FANATIC) - Gemini, in my opinion, in this iteration is less of a conscious and more of a??? He's kinda like Romeo's replacement, in a way; he's P's best friend. He kinda also teaches P humor as well, which is honestly a take on the talking Cricket that is so unique. He's like that awkward teacher that is young but still a little out of touch with the generation he's teaching that it's like the equivalent of hearing your 30 something professor tell a fucking dad pun. Speaking of teaching, he teaches P a lot! Especially history, and cultural stuff for Krat; and I think that's also really important for development! And it is really sweet how he still, despite Krat being in disarray, tries to kinda give the city that sense of wonder and joy for P that maybe other tourists would have.

Now, contrast that with Carlo's life:

His father drops him off randomly at a place he doesn't know (a fucking orphanage dude, you couldn't even be fucked to ship him to a proper private school at least Geppetto?) at we can assume age 10-12, without even bothering to tell him when or if he would come back, based on that first memory we see. How many more sleeps until daddy comes back? Geppetto couldn't even be bothered to see his graduation, and he claims that he would not care if he just dropped over dead. And, I'm gonna be real, just based on the line delivery, as well as some personal experiences (get into that a little later with some dissection) I fully believe he means it. I'm gonna be real, the people who say stuff like that, specifically older kids edging adulthood, most of the time they really mean that shit. And, to make matters worse, it's not even just Geppetto that brushes him off, even people that you could argue are supposed to be mentor figures, brush him off. But we don't know enough yet about the Stalker Woman, so I won't go too deep into that. Right to his death (which we have to assume was homicide) it seemed like the entire world, but Romeo, rejected him.

In a way, it makes sense that the Nameless Puppet is just a rage-filled, calculating, killing machine when it gets P's heart. It doesn't inherit the personality, just the memories. And that, with the kind of life Carlo lived, makes for a very dangerous being.

Let's also think about what Giangio said, too. He calls P a new kind of human. P doesn't just magically get human guts and whatnot. He's not human, he's a cyborg, I suppose, but even that doesn't seem entirely right. It's just kinda as Giangio calls him; a new kind of human. I guess, if we want to get cheeky, P is a Legion Human. Carlo was human, and that's just how it was. Carlo never comes back, but the memory of him does seem to live on in P. He's like??? He starts off as a reflection, and ends up becoming a legacy to Carlo, in a way.

But there is one huge indicator yet that shows that P and Carlo are separate people.

I'm gonna be honest, and say potentially a bold take, but I genuinely don't think Carlo would have cried if he were there when Geppetto dies, I really don't. Just speaking from personal experience (yet again), I have an absentee parent that, the older I get, I kind of realized was never really in my life. Similar to Geppetto in a way, too, in the concept of wanting more of a concept rather than actually being a parent. So, just speaking from that perspective, if my absentee father who never bothered to get to know me or even cared about who I was as a person died in such a way (lowkey from his own hubris) I can't say it's realistic to think that someone with that kind of relationship would cry for that parent. Feel sad? Absolutely, it's not like you are heartless and just lose all sense of apathy for that person. But it's hard to really mourn for a stranger at worst, and a associate at best.

However, P does cry. More than that, when you see him curl over Geppetto's body in the true end, that right there, is fucking despair. Again, just kind of speaking from experience, your body does some weird shit to cope when you are upset over a death. You kinda revert back to that state of being a kid, wanting to coddle your precious thing because when you were at that age, you believed that things could be fixed with stuff like a hug, or cradling, etc. It's not a conscious thought, but that is part of the reflex. P holds Geppetto, the man that he genuinely sees as his father, close; because it's the only thing he knows what to do in that moment. If we think about Carlo and Geppetto's relationship, can we really see Carlo holding his father close like that?

TLDR: P and Carlo are two entirely different people; and it is almost solely because of the environments they were in.

[korkorali]

I think the worst bit for me about all Those Sorts (you know the type) of fics is that they always take Della extremely out of character in order to make her the 'antagonist.'

And that sucks because it's just not necessary! It's the worst because you can have Della & Louie angst where Della's the 'antagonist,' and it's in-character.

You just have to have Louie be wrong in the end (kind of).

The reason why Della and Louie clash in Timephoon and Glomtales! isn't because Della 'disapproves of scheming in entirety' or something, it's because she's done the same goddamn thing as him.

(And side note- Timephoon is honestly an amazing piece of storytelling, because it allows us to see Della's thought process for taking the Spear of Selene by showing us Louie doing pretty much the same thing.)

She's been through it all before, and she knows how it ends.

And that fucking terrifies her! The idea that one of her kids is making the same mistakes as her, could go through the same thing as she did, and she's the only one who can see it, is terrifying.

The way to start out a story like this is simple; have an adventure go wrong. Not in a deadly way, not in a way that's caused by Louie (at least, not that anyone but him notices), not in a way that costs anyone their life- but in a way that causes them to lose the treasure. The adventure is a failure, and they have to come back empty handed, like New Gods on the Block.

Maybe some people get hurt, maybe it's vaguely Louie's fault (and even then- it'd be better if it wasn't even his fault, it's just his brain connecting patterns where there aren't any), but the most important part is that they don't get the treasure, and it's like- one of those ones that can only be found once every hundred years or something.

Louie feels responsible (I mean all of the kids do, but as it'd be a Louie story he'd be the one focused on) and upset that they want to all that trouble and don't have anything to show for it, so he tries to figure out some way to go on the adventure again.

Turns out, after a bit of research, there is a way to get to the treasure again! Louie brings it to Scrooge's attention excitedly- but Scrooge turns it down. Says it's too dangerous, that they're not doing it, end of story.

...Not end of story- everyone's still obviously miserable. So Louie decides that 'okay, if it's 'too dangerous,' then I'll just go in secret. It'll be fine, Scrooge is just overreacting.'

So he starts trying to put a plan into place to get the treasure in secret- but Della, somehow, seems to know what he's doing (hint: it's because she knows what she'd do if she was in Louie's shoes). And is consistently getting in his way.

And there you go- a perfect setup to have Della consistently and purposefully stepping on Louie's toes, getting in his way, trying to stop him from doing things, and it's even in-character! It'd probably start out with the two acting like everything's perfectly hunky-dory, even though both of them know that the other knows that they know that the other knows why they did this one thing.

As plans get deeper, it'd escalate to Della trying to actively call Louie out, but he always manages to just barely weasel his way out of it, and eventually commence his plan.

It obviously goes wrong. But Della's there to help. And finally she'd actually explain why the fuck she's been something of a thorn in his side for the past few weeks, why it seems like she knows what he's thinking: because she does.

Because she's been through the same thing.

Because she fucked up, and left her stranded on the moon for ten years, and she does not want that for her kid. (And of course everything could've been solved if she'd just sat down and talked to Louie about that at the onset, but it's Della- she only likes to bring up the moon when it's funny. She would've thought 'nah it's fine, I can handle this, I don't need to bare my soul, I shouldn't burden anyone with that' without realizing that oh yeah, no, that's the exact same thought process she doesn't want Louie to think)

And of course they'd argue, because it'd be a high-stress situation and neither of them would have the composure to pretend that everything's alright and they haven't been sniping at each other for the past week or so, and eventually it'd finally come up; eventually, they'd finally bring up that they thought the exact same thing when Louie did this, when Louie took the Timetub, when Della took the Spear.

'...And if anything goes wrong, at least I'm the only one who'll get hurt.' (Because you cannot tell me that that was not the last thought running through both of their heads when they took the timetub/Spear of Selene, you cannot convince me that they didn't think they were doing right by their families in that moment, that they hadn't done their due diligence and minimized risk down to one person.)

And Louie wouldn't understand, because he did the right thing. He minimized risk, he made sure nobody else would get hurt. But that's wrong- because if he got hurt, then Della (Donald, Scrooge, their family, her kids) would get hurt too. That they could fly into a vacuum all they wanted, but at the end of the day, they still didn't exist in one.

Eventually, they'd get out of there and abandon the mission again. Maybe they'd succeed, but probably not. But that's not important- what'd be important is that they were both safe and alive and okay.

There- a Della & Louie thing, extremely angsty, well Della as the 'antagonist,' and it's all in-character. Easy.

[f10werfae]

Eyes Wide Open

pairing: Ari Levinson x Reader / Ex!Chris x Reader

Summary: After Chris cheated on Y/n, she falls into the arms of the local grumpy beefy mechanic, her new man Ari Levinson (Part 2 to blinded by lust)

Requests are open💌/likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated♥️

Chris Masterlist, Full Masterlist, Taglist form

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

It’d been 4 months since Y/n had seen Chris, having asked her friends to collect her things from his house, he was already out of sight out of mind. In fact sweet sweet Y/n had caught the eyes of another man, the town’s leading mechanic, Ari Levinson.

It was not known around the town what happened to Chris and Y/n, but they all definitely knew it was over when they saw Y/n spending all of her free time with her grump of a boyfriend, who only seemed to show any grain of happiness around her. She had him wrapped round her pretty finger.

“Sugar how are ya so perfect?” Ari said looking at his girl who was sitting on a hood of a car he was fixing, his harms on either side caging her in. His eyes trained on her reddish lips as she wiped the sweat and grease off his forehead. “Hmm I dunno, why are you so goddamn handsome?”

Thankfully with her left leg now fully recovered Y/n was able to go any and everywhere with Ari. You best believe before that he carried her everywhere, needing his little support bunny with him. “Why ain’t you sharing bun? C’mon and give me a taste”

Dressed in a white tank top and work trousers, the bigger beefier man opened his mouth, watching as Y/n shyly took her lollipop out of her mouth and put it in his. When Y/n first told Ari why she was single in the first place, that man saw red and not the pretty kind. How could someone absolutely break his woman? She was so delicate and fragile at the time that it broke his heart too.

“Does it taste good?” Y/n asked, her eyes twinkling at the strong sunlight from the open top roof, not complaining when she saw how her boyfriend was now getting a very luscious tan. “Yeah baby, tastes like you” He winked bending back down with his wrench to continue what he was doing.

“Excuse me, any service here?” A strong Bostonian voice said, one that Y/n could remember for the rest of her life. Not for the good reasons either “fuck I missed this” “Your pussy feels so good” Things she heard him say to another woman

“What’s up pal?” Ari said not even looking at who it was and wiping his hand onto his cargo trousers, his eyes sharpening when he finally realised who he was talking to. Chris stood there all smug, the breakup didn’t break his heart but it definitely broke his character. Around town everyone knew that he now tended to carry an attitude with him, feeling full of himself once he realised he was being shipped back off to Hollywood anyway.

“what do you want?” Ari spat out more harshly, Chris lifted up his hands in defeat,

“Jus wanted to speak to Y/n here, one last offer baby”

“What do you need with My woman” Ari said standing in front of Chris’ view of Y/n, who was still sitting on the hood of the car shocked to the roots.

“I’m off to film another series, and i’ll be gone this time, for a year or two. N’ I just need to know if this is us over, for real? If not I have an extra ticket here waiting for you, I can supply you with everything you want, unlike some people-“

“What’s that supposed to fucking mean big shot, just because-“ Ari lunged forward, only for a pair of arms to wrap around his chest to pull him back into her body.

“It’s over Chris, you can shove that ticket up your ass and leave, make sure you don’t accidentally give it to some other girl on the way out though” Y/n said passive aggressively, looking the other man up and down, a sense of disgust taking over her.

“Whatever you were an easy fuck to keep around for a while anyway, goodluck with that one Levinson, she wouldn’t even wanna settle down with me and we were together for ages. She doesn’t know what a man needs and wants in life, who knows maybe she can’t even have child-“

And that was it, Ari had lunged successfully this time, throwing one hell of a punch onto Chris’ face knocking him down onto the ground instantly. “You don’t talk about my woman, or any woman like that. Didn’t ya mother teach you any respect? Guess not. Now fuck off to wherever the fuck you’re going to”

Ari said turning around and heading back over to Y/n who was just staring at Chris who had now walked out of the mechanic shop, holding his hand to his definitely broken nose.

“You okay sugar? When you said he was a dick I didn’t realise how much a one”

“Are you okay? Your heart is pounding Ari, calm down you know i’m only yours, I’m not going anywhere. His words mean nothing”

“I know that sweet pea, but Jesus when he started talking about you like that I near killed him” Ari breathed out leaning his head onto her shoulder, her fingers running through the back of his hair to calm him down. His lips pressing multiple small kisses to her neck, causing her to laugh out of tickles,

“Ari stop it you big bear, you’re gonna make my stomach hurt”

“hmm n’ we can’t have that can we?”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

2 Years since Chris had set foot back in town, and don’t get me wrong he was as successful as ever, but that didn’t change people’s opinions of him already. Walking into the local park to walk Dodger, Chris swears he near chokes on his coffee when he sees Y/n.

Not alone.

He’s surprised to see her with Ari’s arm around her waist, with him whispering into her ear, making her giggle and place a kiss onto his lips. A baby sitting against her hip, a baby boy, he thought wrong about her settling down.

Ari’s hand slips down to support Y/n’s clearly enlarged stomach, before bending down to kiss his son’s head, when his eyes suddenly meet Chris’. Both men nodded at each other without another word, Chris went on with his walk with a pang in his heart.

He was the one that wanted all that with Y/n and now she was the one that had it, and he still had no one. Heading back to the coffee shop, his friend Luke behind the counter looks at him confused, “Dude what the hell happened, you was in here ten minutes ago”

“I-I saw Y/n”

“Glowin ain’t she? Archie is the absolute cutest lil thing, did ya see she’s pregnant again? Swear Ari always says he can’t keep his hands off his wife-“

“Wife? They got married? When?” Chris asked furrowing his brows

“Man it was like a year and a half ago? Tell ya what match made in heaven-“ Before he could even finish his words Chris stormed out of the coffee shop,

“Dude you know he’s still into Y/n” Another worker said handing Luke dried glasses,

“I know but he fucked up, doesn’t mean I can’t talk about how happy I am for her” Luke said watching his friend storm down the street, back to his lonely home where no one was longer waiting for him.

———

Taglist Tags (Form is up there^^): @ilovereadingfanfics @patzammit @pandaxnienke @stormcloudss @vrittivsanghavi @dumb-fawkin-bitch @chrisevansdaughter @marvelgurl @cevansgurl @evanstanwhore @mirikusashes @taramaria @fdl305 @mysticfalls01 @hallecarey1 @misshale21 @mischiefsemimanaged @thereisa8ella @uwiuwi @bval-1 @diyabhanushali1 @angelmather1 @lastwandastan @ravenhood2792 @feltonswifesworld87 @bluebellsn @mdpplgtz03 @alexxavicry @alina02 @bookfrog242 @roofwitty779 @aerangi @s-void @oliviah-25 @nikkitc0703 @meetmeatyourworst @girl-of-multi-fandoms @imboredat2am @mansaaay @adoreyouusugar @annajustwrites @emvebee @ilovetaquitosmmmm @caps-shield1918 @xoxokiaraaxoxo @royalwriteroftheuniverse @inlovewiththefictionalcharacters @chrisevansangel @tinyelfperson @madebylilly @bxdbxtxh15 @tojisbabymomma @itsaylayay1213 @kimhtoo17 @mrspeacem1nusone @hatsparkle @wintasssoldier

[lullabyes22-blog]

Im not sure if this was answered already but what do you think was going through silcos head when Finn tried to stage a coup? More specifically the part where Finn got sliced and silco had a small heart attack cause the possibility of him dying in that moment was NOT low.

That's honestly one of my favorite scenes, and showcases so many complex dynamics, on so many levels<3

Like - on the surface, it's obviously a taste of the day-to-day pressures of leadership Silco contends with. He's King of the Hill in a snake-pit: everyone vying for his position, his second-in-command's loyalties suspect, his own seat on the throne forever precarious.

It's a reminder. The Undercity is a dog-eat-dog world - and Silco has made it ten times worse with the strife and suffering his Shimmer empire sows, even as he's created leeway for more economic and social opportunities by changing the Lanes into an enterprise.

And on a deeper level, it symbolizes the cost of power he's coveted since episode one, and the price he must pay to hold on to it, while his own priorities are increasingly veering off in the direction of a little Blue Bundle of Booms. Who, need we add, by the simple fact of her existence, actively makes his day-to-day governance of such a large operation that much more difficult.

And yet she's his Ace in the Hole - his literal Kingmaker - who's stolen a goddamn Hex-gem from Topside to arm his cause, and who is inadvertently the reason Talis decides to request a parley, because the Council are coming to grips with the chilling possibility that the Undercity may declare war, and that there could be mass casualties on both sides.

Then the whole scene is just a flawless summation of the mounting chaos that is engulfing Silco, and how it reflects in his personal relationships. Because he is being left behind by the breakneck pace of change that Jinx now symbolizes, and because he did screw up, and let his allies down, and because he is growing older, and less adept at the game, because fatherhood is slowly unfitting him for the 'survival of the fittest' mold he'd once been so gung-ho about.

And of course, playing into the whole scene is the fluid power dynamics between him and Sevika. Ostensibly, she's his right hand, and therefore his subordinate. And yet, in that moment, she's that thin line keeping him safe from a literal coup under his nose. All because, in that moment, he's reduced to his core components: his words, his most potent weapons, and the spiel about loyalty, where he actively appeals to the impetus that drives Sevika as a character:

"Brothers and sisters, back to back, against whatever the world threw at us."

On one level it's a deeply manipulative statement. And on another, he's making sides, and making plain he's on her side. Literally: Look how much we've suffered, look how far we've come, look at this callow whelp threatening to undo it for his own ego.

That bit of dialogue is almost a plea, and puts his cards on her table. It also puts the onus of whatever comes next on Sevika, and gives her the choice: Kill me, and doom our cause or Kill Finn, and we'll stay to fight another day.

And you can tell by his expression that he's not sure what the outcome will be. It's a flip of a coin, and he's inwardly prepared to meet his maker if the gambit fails.

And then, ofc, Sevika shocks us all by choosing to side with Silco.

Not only that: she cuts Finn's throat with the same arm she lost by saving Silco's life in the Cannery.

The narrative symmetry is just... mwah~

My favorite part is the way Silco transitions from "Oh shit I lived?!" to "Hmph. Of course I lived."

Because it gets down to what makes Silco such a compelling character. It's not simply his strategic mind or his cunning. It's his talent to think on his feet, and to adapt to the shifting currents.

He's succeeded in a volatile environment like the Undercity because he's not fixated on The Plan to the detriment of all else. Rather, it's because he finds new avenues to execute The Plan each time there's a change in the larger environs, which remain beyond his control because this is not a character in a position of privilege.

This is a ruthless man at the mercy of progress' black underbelly, as much as any other character in the story.

There's so much more I could say about this scene. But it's truly the moment I came to adore both Silco and Sevika as a terrifying duo, and to understand that there is so much history and so many layers between these characters that the series never gets a chance to explore.

<3

[miquella-everywhere]

I think Miquella's eternal youth is actually a side effect of his rampant abundance.

Because, what is aging but the natural cycle of dying and replacing cells?

But his abundant life has left his body in a state that he regenerates faster than his cells decay to the point that his body just no longer does. Actually, ironically enough, I think it was thanks to the Rot inside Malenia, the only decay force strong enough to affect him, that Miquella managed to age past his infancy.

It would also explain why Miquella's stunted body became apparent once Malenia left to find her master. The amulet that depicts her and her master says that she was "a young girl" at the time, and the golden epitaph says that Miquella is "a young boy".

Also notice that in the amulet, Malenia is the same height as her master despite her being a girl and he's a grown man. So yeah, Miquella is totally the height of a human adult but it's considered a child's size by demigod standard.

Another side effect of Miquella's incapability of decaying is that his neurons are forever fresh, which would explain why he's just so goddamn smart: his brain can retain information and make synapses no normal human can because his brain is practically a quantum super computer that's forever updated 🤣

So yeah, this are my rambling theories about the curse of eternal youth

🤔🤔🤔

Valid takes all around lol

I for one personally don't like relying on the depictions/appearance of characters on the talismans (i think that a lot of liberties are taken there) Kinda like how the statues of Miquella at the Haligtree tree show him with shoulder length hair, and the DLC promo art and glimpse of him in the trailer shows his hair at being well past him his waist. But that just me lol

I do like the idea of Miquellas Abundance basically being his body and cells constantly refreshing themselves lol thats an interesting scientific stance on his curse.

[vanfleeter]

Epoch // JTK

Characters: Jake x Fem!Reader

Warnings: All fluff. Jake crying.

Summary: Impressive wedding vows stun Jake.

Today is the day.

The one day, out of many, that Jake and Y/N have been waiting for.

He stands there at the end of the altar, twisting his bracelet around his wrist. One of the few tell tale signs that he’s nervous. He feels a hand on his shoulder before hearing Josh’s voice in his ear.

“Deep breaths, think of it as being on stage.”

“This is nothing like being on stage.” Jake mumbles back.

Josh chuckles and pats his back. “You’ve got this. It’s just Y/N.”

Once the final bridesmaid makes her down the aisle, the music changes and Jake’s heart plummets to his stomach. He chews on his bottom lip to keep himself from losing it as soon as his eyes land on her. Straightening up his posture, he clears his throat and grits his teeth.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

It’s just Y/N.

You see her every day.

Well.. Except for the last couple days.

Two days of pure agony of not being allowed to see her. Vice versa.

She looks so beautiful in her dress. It hugs her so delicately and gracefully.

Fuck. Am I thinking she’s beautiful or sexy?

Beautiful.

She’s beautiful.

I can’t think she’s sexy, though I can’t deny that she is.

Last thing I need is to grow hard in front of everybody. Settle down Jacob.

Y/N reaches the end of the aisle, her father bidding his goodbyes before handing her over to Jake. He gently takes her hand and helps her up the steps before she turns to face him. She smiles widely at him, all of her giddiness and excitement radiating on her face making him chuckle.

The time for the vows have come and Y/N decides that she’ll go first. Good, gives him more time to collect himself and prepare his words.

Y/N reaches behind her to the maid of the honor and retrieves a folded up piece of paper. Clearing her own throat, she unfolds the paper and opens her mouth to speak.

“Jacob Thomas Kiszka,

That name never fails to make me blush,” She giggles.

“For six years you have been the fountain that seems to have a never ending flow of love. It’s poured into my cup tenfold and never stops–even when I’m being a brat or annoying or maybe pushing your buttons more than I probably should,” Jake chuckles and squeezes her hand.

“You still have continued to love me. For six years, I have stood by your side through all the good times and through all the bad and I promise today to keep doing just that.”

She quickly wipes a tear from her cheek before continuing.

“Jacob Thomas–my love and my life. My best friend and my confidant. You may be the moon to Josh’s sun, but you are just my moon. You are ever present but allowing others to shine but when it’s your turn to shine, you shine so brightly that no darkness can be seen or felt. You illuminate the dark times and you are a guide to the good.

“Jacob, from this day forward, until my last breath and even into the afterlife–whatever that may be; I promise to love you, to nourish you, encourage you, defend you but also hold you accountable for your actions. I promise to also obey you and be your source of succor when it is desired. I love you.”

When she looks up, she finds him stunned. His jaw slightly agape and his eyes welling up with tears.

“I-” He stammers. He slowly turns to face the officiator. His voice cracks as he speaks, “I have to follow that?” Y/N giggles, hiding a part of her face behind the piece of paper. “Goddamn,” He sniffles and runs a shaky hand through his hair. “I was doing so well. I wasn’t crying until you said all of that–dammit!”

The congregation rumbles with soft laughs as Jake tries to recompose himself.

“Did Josh write that for you?” He jokes.

Y/N shakes her head as she giggles. “It’s all me,” She says. “Though I did use your thesaurus.”

“Yeah, I could tell,” He sniffles again and wipes his nose with the handkerchief that Sam had handed him. “Succor?”

Y/N giggles and shrugs her shoulders. “I gotta keep up with your brain somehow.” She smiles.

“Alright, Jacob, are you ready to say yours?”

“Not really..” He laughs. “Mine don’t even compare–and I’m a fucking blubbery mess!”

Y/N reaches for his hands. “You’ve got this. Just speak to me the way you always do.”

“I don’t think that’d be appropriate given the circumstance.” He says, earning hearty laughs from the congregation. Y/N playfully pushes him and makes him laugh. “Okay, okay. Here goes nothing..

“Today I stand here, before our family and before our friends, to proclaim to you my undying love for you. Since the moment that I had first laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the one. Sounds cliche but what the hell, it’s factual. You bestowed upon me a chance to prove to you how much I love you and I have not failed you yet, nor shall I ever.”

His hands begin to shake as they hold hers but she holds them firmly and gives him a reassuring nod.

“This adventure together through life has been magnificent. I am beholden with the epoch we have spent together and I am forever indebted to you. Not a second of time has gone by where my love falters, it only continues to grow.

“I may be your moon but you are my star, shining brightly beside me in the night sky as you guide me to tranquility. I promise to serve you, to obey you–to be as one with you and never leave your side. From this day forward, I am forever yours and you are mine. I give you all of my love from the never ending flowing fountain in this lifetime in the next.”

When he finishes, he exudes a breath as the officiant chuckles. “Wonderful, Jacob. The rings please.”

Josh leans over and slides the ring into Jake’s hand. “Beholden with the epoch–sounds like a damn Shakespeare play.”

“Last minute addition,” Jake chuckles.

“And here you thought you couldn’t compare.” Josh snickers.

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Edelgard von Hresvelg

Shes the modern version of a fire emblem archetype of evil well-armored character (normally male). except with edelgaurd you bond with her and learn her harsh backstory. she is still one who starts war and is overall bad but youre meant to also pity her as a misled child, not only see her for her epilogue conquering self that erases history. Yet the fandom cant pick anything but extremes

oh god. ok ok ok im sick to DEATH of hearing about 3h solely because of the discourse surrounding her. should she maybe not have started a war? probably! cpuld she have talked it out? definitely the fuck not! were her motives sound? sorta, yeah! i mean she was tortured in a goddamned basement, i can see why she would want to get rid of the systems that led to that occurence!

She was raised her entire life as a weapon, for those who hated being subject to an (equally morally grey) Church and Goddess. However, she recognised those who tried to forge her into their own tool as evil (they tortured her and killed her siblings to try to make her as strong as possible), telling them “there will be no salvation for you and your kind”. However, she still kept them on her side as allies once she claimed power as emperor, to help her fight against the Church. She plunged the entire continent into bloody war in order to overturn a heavily restrictive, exclusivist class system. Did the end of peace and greater freedom justify the seas of blood it took to get there? Honestly I don’t know.

Shen Jiu

Born a slave and bought by a toxic household, got out of the situation through a rags-to-riches plotline, started abusing+neglecting his own student in a cycle-of-abuse type of story and ended up a target of said student's revenge plot. Fanfic writers often write him as either a perfect/sad/lawful angel or a ruthless asshole - for most of the story he got replaced by an isekai'd bodysnatcher, so readers don't really have a lot on his characterization beyond what was shown in sidestories/extras.

He’s in the middle of the cycle of abuse and he gave all his loyalty in his lifetime to one man who he couldn’t talk to for more than 5 sentences but who then died trying to save him and then he ate the shards of his sword as a method of suicide.

Shen Jiu was an abused slave with a horrifically tragic backstory who went on to abuse and attempt to kill the protagonist of the original story before the MC (Shen Yuan / Shen Qingqiu) transmigrated into him. He's the embodiment of the cycle of abuse & is misunderstood and villainized by pretty much every character. When he was replaced by Shen Yuan, everyone pretty much went, "yeah, something's up, but I like him better now." He is simultaneously woombified and vilified at all times by the fandom. The discourse is horrid

[lollytea]

((Part 2 of my La La Land Machine posts!! Introducing Gus!!! And maybe some other guy idk, it's a little unclear.))

((Part 1))

One of the first things Willow does when she learns she will be working alongside Amity Blight is pick her jaw up off the floor, clamp it shut and smile pleasantly.

She is not going to cause a scene. She is not going to throw a tantrum. She is not going to be a source of conflict on this set. Willow is going to keep her lips buttoned and behave herself. She's lucky to have this role and she's not going to lose it.

She and Amity are two of the first few roles casted. The show is still in the process of putting itself together. Willow finds it a little weird that their chemistry wasn't checked out via screen tests before the two of them were signed on and it makes her anxiety spike.

I mean obviously, there's a lot of awkwardness and tension between them and an audience would surely pick up on that? Willow is gnawing off her fingernails worrying that she's gonna get fired before she even gets her first paycheck, all because she had to and get herself dumped by Amity 7 years ago. Plus they're supposed to be playing best friends?? How the fuck are they supposed to make that believable?? They're actors, sure, but...

In hindsight, this is the point Willow looks back on this as an obvious red flag but she was too stupid to realize it at the time. Of course they didn't need to see if Amity and Willow had chemistry. They didn't give a fuck if they had chemistry. That was never the point of Willow's character on this show.

As far as Willow can tell, Amity does not remember her. She's curt, polite and a little chilly with her during those first few days of pilot shooting but nothing overtly hostile. Nor familiar. At least not right away. She's blunt and she's critical and she does not hesitate to tell Willow when she's doing something wrong. Still a perfectionist after all these years. Even more so than she used to be.

Theyre going to be sharing a dressing room. Which can only lead to good things. Yay.

If Willow had to describe one of the most awkward experiences of her life she'd definitely recount shooting that goddamn Hexside Pilot and having to throw her arms around Amity Blight in a tight, loving hug back when they still wanted nothing to do with each other. It's nothing compared to how excruciatingly awkward her first kiss was but it's certainly up there.

Willow learned from the second she walked in for that audition that the character of Paulina was a comedic role and she was optimistic about giving it a shot. True she didn't have any friends to gouge an opinion from but she made her Dads howl with laughter pretty often so she liked to believe she was moderately funny.

The exaggerated faces she made certainly scored some giggles at the audition. They liked her disposition and line delivery. It makes her swell with pride. Paulina's meant to be a little on the ditzy side so she gives it her all. Willow is excited for this role, she gets to silly it up!!

Although once the scripts start rolling out and Gilbert reads them aloud to her at the kitchen table, she notices that Paulina is....way ditzier than she initially thought. And well, Gilbert seems a bit uncomfortable with it. But Willow assures him it's fine. It IS fine. Sure, she might be a little much but it's not that big of a deal.

The director of Hexside, Adrian Graye is....difficult. As in he expects you to be a mind reader and berates you relentlessly if you can't follow the vision in his head. And maybe Willow is too sensitive but in those first few days of filming, before she really understood the kind of person he was, he made her cry a lot.

She found a place to hide between takes when she's recovering from the hurtful words and it's in the school room, underneath a desk. This is where she meets the boy who's gonna become her best friend in the entire world. He also happens to be the boy she's pretty sure she saw a few people searching the set for. So what's he doing huddled under a desk, choking on his own ragged breath?

Augustus Porter is something else entirely. There are kids like Amity whose parents have sunk thousands of dollars into professional acting classes and she's STILL hasn't mastered the craft. You have kids like Willow with minimal training but enough natural talent to make a living but not win an Oscar anytime soon. And then you have Augustus. Who is made of stars.

As the son of a former performer turned news reporter, it was not difficult for Augustus to find an open door towards the spotlight. His Dad has a lot of connections. And it was the ideal setting for him. He likes to perform, his likes the dazzle and he likes attention.

Augustus has a lifetime of theatre experience under his belt by the time he auditions for Hexside. It could not be any more obvious that he is SEVERELY overqualified for this role. He can sing, he can dance, he can act, he's been on Broadway, he can even do magic tricks, like cmon!!! What the fuck is he doing here??

The simple answer is that he wants to do something fun and goofy right now.

Augustus has been on stage and screen since he could walk and let's just say that it's made him a liiiiittle....out of touch with reality. As a result of this, he's genuinely enraptured by mundane aspects of human life that he's never experienced. And that includes attending public school and having his own locker and backpack and GASP!!! Waving flags at a sports game!!!!

Unfortunately, as Willow tries to calm him down, the reason becomes apparent why he's auditioning for a teen show instead of attending an actual school.

Augustus doesn't have friends. He DOES however have a teenage neighbour who seemed very eager to become buddies. Quickly after, Gus tried to help his new friend get his acting career off the ground by asking his Dad to put in a good word with his friends in the industry. It wasn't until the day of his audition that he overheard from his assumed best friend that he was being used. And it stung. It stung bad.

He managed to hold it together all throughout the car ride to the studio. It wasn't until they arrived that it all burst out of him and he had to go hide somewhere so nobody saw him cry.

Augustus is painfully trusting. And no matter how hard he tries, he never ever EVER learns. He's a prodigy and he's famous. So many people who seek him out have an ulterior motive but he chooses to believe that they're genuine every single time. Willow would be wary about sending him to school too. They'd eat him alive. Just like what they did to her.

He likes showbiz. He likes the excitement of sets and castmates. He likes the illusion of living a normal life but also having the upper hand of knowing exactly what's going to happen and what everyone's intentions are because he already read about it in this week's script.

That doesn't mean Augustus wants to live like this forever. He dreams big. He wants to travel the world. He wants to rattle the world around and turn it upside down. He wants to get into politics. He wants to become an ambassador. He wants to talk to people and learn their stories and gather up a million friends. He wants to ride public transport. (Buses are....so cool.) But he's not ready yet.

He gets a role in Hexside because of course he does. He's Augustus Porter. He will be playing a flashy and charasmatic child villain, a role he was born to play. And Willow is indescribably relieved to have him here. Especially since those early days of shooting would have been Hell without him.

They take care of each other, Willow and Augustus. She comforts him when he fails projects or gets trapped in his head. She's his second pair of eyes who can let him know if somebody is messing with him again. And Augustus helps her read scripts and finish her homework. He sits beside her and makes her laugh after a long day of Amity's condescending comments.

Oh yeah, the condescending comments are gradually getting worse. Both on and off screen. By this point, Willow has realized the point of her character. Paulina exists to make Amity's character look better. Paulina is not ditzy, but is borderline illiterate. Paulina is not endearingly skittish, but is a complete invertebrate. Paulina is nothing but a combination of mockable characteristics rolled up into one character. She's supposed to be the protagonist's best friend, so why does Amity have new lines every week where she makes jokes about her brainlessness as the laugh track plays? It makes the occasional affectionate scenes between them feel pretty hollow.

Willow keeps trying to tell herself that she's being too sensitive. That she's being ungrateful. This job is paying the bills. This job is keeping her Dads from getting ulcers. This job is gonna put her through college (She is 100% gonna flunk out of college but she can't afford to dwell on that right now) and she's over here getting her feelings hurt because she's the comic relief.

But like. It does hurt, man. It REALLY hurts. Especially considering that out of everybody in the cast, Amity is given the most lines about what an idiot Paulina is and its hitting a little too close to home. Amity has plenty of comments to make in the school room about Willow obviously struggling with reading. The close proximity of a shared dressing room is beginning to lead to some hostility on both ends. So the line between where Paulina ends and Willow begins are already blurring. She is trying her goddann best to suck it up but coming to work every day and being an object of ridicule for profit isn't fun. It really isn't.

But she follows all of Adrian's notes and does what she's told.

Willow doesn't speak much on set anymore. She shows up, puts on a performance and either hangs out with Augustus, or makes herself very very small. And it seems to be working for her.

It's not like she's not used to treatment like this. But she has Augustus. And she's never had a friend to soften the blow before. So yknow. Pros and cons.

Willow and Augustus have a lot of fun together. Neither have ever gotten the chance to do normal teen stuff with a friend. And even tho they're not allowed to wander far off the lot, there's a fast food place, a skatepark, an arcade and a movie theater nearby, which gives them plenty to do between takes.

"The special effects kinda sucked," Says Augustus as the two wait in line at the studio canteen, discussing the whimsical fantasy movie they just saw.

Augustus has little to no interest in fantasy and magic. Willow is more of a comic books/superheroes kinda gal but she can appreciate a fun little flick every now and again. Plus one of the characters was really hot.

"I wanna sink my teeth into Sir William," Declares Willow with a wide grin, making Augustus scoff and wrinkle his nose in distaste.

"You want to BITE ME??" Pipes up an incredulous voice from behind, causing them both to whip their heads around, startled.

Willow nearly screams in blood curdling terror, but all she can manage is a pitiful little squeak.

He is standing. Right there. Sir William. Waiting in line at the studio canteen. His head is cocked quizzically, looking a little insulted. His bottom lip is hanging open and....there's a gap in his teeth. He did not have a gap in his teeth in the movie.

However, the arrangement of the guy's teeth does NOT matter right now. What DOES matter is that the blood is scalding under Willow's skin and there is no way the furious flush is not pathetically obvious.

Okay, lesson learned. No more thirsty comments in public.

This was definitely also on the list of her most embarrassing moments but it really lost its cringe factor after a few years. Because nowadays, she'll openly tell 'Sir William' that she wants to munch on his shoulders and it makes him blush and giggle.

But at age 14, it's....the kind of unbearable shit that makes her seriously contemplate quitting her job. Especially when she and Augustus learn that 'Sir William' is apparently filming something on the same studio lot and they might be bumping into him pretty often. There's even talks about him attending the same school room sessions as the other Hexside kids.

Willow would like to disintegrate. She really would. Fortunately the co-learning sessions have not been established yet but....this studio is now a minefield. Willow needs to avoid that boy or die trying. She's lucky to have Augustus. They've come up with a codeword ('Chew Toy') to mutter every time he sees the dude, giving Willow the opportunity to duck her head and subtly turn the other way.

So yeah, filming of season 1A of Hexside is going.....Well, its going. Pros (Augustus) and Cons (Everything else) but Willow is determined to make the best of it. She's given herself so many pep talks, she's pretty sure her own reflection has gotten sick of the sight of her.

Maybe her confidence isn't doing well. Maybe she and Amity are struggling to even co-exist in the same dressing room. Maybe she feels herself shrinking with every passing day.

But things are gonna improve soon. They will.

Because Willow is about to meet Luz Noceda.

[buckets-and-trees]

He Bought a Studio

Fandom: MCU Title: He Bought a Studio Characters/Pairings: Bucky x Natasha Word Count: 4.3k Summary: In an alternate universe where Steve stayed, Natasha lived, and everyone settled down in the Big Apple, this chronicles a Winter Soldier's decent into opening up a dance studio for the Black Widow he's become totally besotted with in super soldier retirement, and many things that come with it. Almost titled, "Five Times Natasha Romanoff Was Right To Be Suspicious Of Bucky Barnes."

Content Warnings: brief smut (oral female receiving), fluff, feelings, a goddaughter, soft former assassins

Additional Notes: Filling my eighth square for Bucky Barnes Bingo @buckybarnesbingo - B4 "Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow" and clocking in week 7 of Hot Bucky Summer to fill the prompt "Who's This?"/my pet, my lover, my slave.

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ONE

With reputations that rivaled each other as the world’s most efficient assassin and effective spy respectively, Bucky and Natasha were too suited to each other to ever forge a life with anyone else. They could compete in skill and intellect, they challenged each other, but more than anything else they understood each other – bleeding ledgers something they didn’t have to explain, good and bad days reconciling the past something they didn’t have to clarify. No judgement.

It's also difficult for either of them to surprise the other.

But she can admit she was not expecting anything even close to this.

She blinks furiously, using the pretense of rotating on the spot to take in the space – its smooth hardwood floors and pristine mirrored walls haunting in the mostly-darkened room, one of three or four in the facility if she had assessed correctly – to turn away from his intense gaze directly on her face for a moment.

“You bought a ballet studio,” she says, the words still thicker through her throat than she had hoped they would be.

The feelings competing in her chest are at once heartbreaking and hopeful.

He just hums in confirmation.

“You bought a ballet studio,” she repeats, this time a whisper, but she knows he hears. He hears everything, including the racing of her heart.

Bucky reaches for her hand and tugs her back to him. “Don’t you want to know why?”

“Because you have too goddamn much money from the government settlements?”

“That and my sister loved to dance. You loved to dance. You could dance again.”

“You gonna dance with me, Barnes?” she teases.

He shakes his head and laughs, opening his mouth to protest, but she cuts him off.

“No excuses – between when you grew up and the dance training all Russian assets got, I know you can dance.”

“Agree to run the dance side of the Barnes Ballet Academy and I’ll dance with you whenever you want,” he says, pulling her into his chest and arranging them into an appropriate dance position, one hand holding hers, the other moving to the small of her back.

She yields for a moment, resting her head against his shoulder, and he begins to sway them back and forth slowly to some imaginary music.

“Why did you really buy a ballet studio, Buck?”

He sighs, then kisses the top of her head. “We can’t have everything together, but I can give you this. It’s not…”

He can’t or won’t finish the sentence, but she swallows painfully and then finishes it for him. “It’s not kids.”

“But these rooms can be filled with them every afternoon. Since I bought the studio, I will take care of all the business, and you can just worry about dancing and coaching. Besides, what else is a retired super soldier supposed to do?”

TWO

When she closes the door of the Brooklyn apartment behind her, it’s the wrong kind of quiet.

She fully expected to hear Bucky in the kitchen getting dinner ready or maybe on the phone with the contractor, a choreographer, another instructor, or the parent of a potential student.

“Barnes?”

No answer.

Something is not right. The lights are on like he’s home, but there isn’t a single sound, and all her instincts from her former life kick in, eyes scanning the living room, weight shifting forward on her feet, adopting a predatory stance. Moving down the hallway, she slips her hand behind one of the pictures on the wall, retrieving a gun stashed there only she and Bucky know about, and continues moving slowly and silently on.

Then she hears a scoff from the study.

Natasha’s brows knit together. A scoff?

As she rounds the corner into the study, an immediate assessment of the room is enough to tell her she has no need for defense and lowers her gun. Her boyfriend is on the couch, back to her, engrossed in watching something on his phone with noise-cancelling headphones in. She glides back into the hallway to replace the weapon so it’s at the ready in case of a real threat in the future, and heads back to investigate. She places a hand on his shoulder, and he turns abruptly, smiling when he sees her and pulls out an earbud.

“What’s a girl got to do earn her supper around here?”

He glances at his watch. “Oh, sorry, Nat! I lost track of time with this,” he says, gesturing to the iPad on his lap.

“What are you even watching?”

He smirks, but she can detect a trace of embarrassed color his cheeks. “Save the Last Dance. Here,” he takes her hand off his shoulder and tugs her around the couch and pulls her onto the cushion beside him. He then grabs the remote, turns on the flatscreen television, and throws the movie up from his tablet so they can both watch. “I was only ten minutes in, so we can start over from the beginning.”

Natasha snorts. “You’re really watching this?”

“Of course, I’m watching it! I own a ballet studio! It’s important for me to have a full understanding of the cultural benchmarks and stereotypes that are part of the dance world.”

“What, are you going to watch every dance-centric film and television show out there?”

“Maybe I will,” he responds, a defiant cock of his chin.

Now she just grins and cuddles up into him. “Fine, but I’m ordering in Thai,” she says and taps away quickly at her phone to secure their dinner. When she sets her phone down, she notices there’s also a stack of DVDs on the shelf under the TV, and she can see four of them are from the Step Up franchise, a copy of Center Stage, and Dirty Dancing and Dirty Dancing: Havannah Nights.

For the next few days, Bucky seems to be watching one of the many films he’s continuing to accumulate or an episode of So You Think You Can Dance or Dance Moms either actively or in the background whenever it’s convenient. He’s always a bit incredulous though in his idle commentary and many unconscious scoffs when the latter is playing.

“You know you don’t have to finish that,” she says.

“I always finish what I start, Romanoff.”

“But you do know there are eight seasons, right? It’s important to me that you know there are eight seasons.”

“And I will happily watch them all.”

“Happily?” she jeers.

“I said what I said.”

“Nerd.” She rolls her eyes, but affectionately, and heads out for her meeting with a potential guest choreographer for the girls. There are so many parts of this life she never would have predicted for herself, and a boyfriend obstinately binge-watching reality tv about the dance world wouldn’t even have made the bottom of the list of possibilities.

THREE

For all the dance tv and movie consumption she’d had by proximity when Bucky had started down this ballet studio ownership journey, nothing had prepared Nat for the reality of it.

The way these girls showed up was endearing.

Some of them were a little trying, but they also all tried to do their best. Ballet was demanding and it could be competitive, but Nat worked diligently to establish a teaching staff and culture that focused on grit and community as much as it did on technique.

It was harder with the parents. Some of them still jockeyed for standing both for themselves and their offspring.

She certainly appreciated some of the parents and guardians more than others, but she didn’t want to discount any of them since, for better or worse, they all played integral parts in the lives of her girls, and those experiences affected how they could show up any given day on that dance floor.

Steve’s one of the parents who plays a part in the community, his five-year-old Sarah – Nat and Bucky’s goddaughter – just old enough to start in the youngest class of ballerinas. Steve’s somewhat adopted one of the giant hulking men – Kyle, who’s a single father to one of the other girls in Sarah’s class – always making sure the working-class man feels comfortable and like this can be “the village” that helps.

Nat’s speaking with both men when she feels the intensity of a gaze she’s grown intimately familiar with.

Bucky’s leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and he’s in conversation with his assistant and two of the community dance class instructors (ballet runs every afternoon, but to make use of the facility and to generate enough money to make it financially sustainable, he’s implementing evening classes across disciplines for adults from simple barre and Zumba to ballroom).He’s talking to them, but he’s mostly looking at her, and when they lock eyes, he glances down to his own hand, then flicks his eyes back up to her before returning his focus to the three people in his immediate vicinity. She takes the hint, and watches as his right hand taps out a message in morse code on his vibranium bicep:

Need you in the office.

Natasha doesn’t frown in front of Steve or Kyle but gives a believable excuse to extract herself and makes her way to the office, navigating with purpose but without drawing attention to their office. He knew the schedule of this place like clockwork, and so to pull her away this close to a class almost never happened.

Within forty-five seconds, she hears his steps approaching and then the turn of the doorknob ahead of his entrance.

She arches one eyebrow, but, Oh…

She knows exactly what that look means.

She can’t help the low laugh that erupts from her chest, but it’s cut off immediately as he crosses the room and claims her mouth in a kiss, lips searing heat, desperate, consuming. His hands were already slipping into the top of her leggings, and his fingers hitched into the band of her underwear, pulling them down in one smooth motion as he forced her back to his desk. He’s never miscalculated anything in his life, so she doesn’t hit the desk clumsily – he lifts her deftly to deposit her on the smooth wooden surface the split second before her hips would’ve knocked into it.

No one else had ever engulfed her with this kind of passion, and she would never get enough of this, of him.

And yet as he trails his lips down the column of her throat, she has to protest, “Buck, I have to be back out there in five minutes.”

“I know. Still need you.”

When he laves his tongue at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, her head rolls back, and she moans, but then she pushes against his chest. “You can wait, you’ll survive.” Though she isn’t quite sure she could now that he had her blood running hot for more.

“Fine, I don’t need you,” he concedes, but then he looks directly into her eyes and his voice drops, “I want you now, and you know I always finish what I start, Romanoff.”

His hands move up her bare legs, thumbs caressing the crease at the top of her thighs, too close to her cunt not to make her heart race, and he smirks.

“Barnes…”

He sinks to his knees, ducks under the fabric of the only partially removed bottoms, and slots himself between her legs, pulling her hips to the edge of the desk before he spits on her slit.

“I can apply my efficiency,” he asserts and presses a kiss onto the tender flesh of her inner thigh resting over his shoulder.

“Cocky bast–”

His mouth directly on her clit cuts her off abruptly. Her folds were slick for him with the intensity of the previous moments, but he mixes her arousal and his spit with his thumb and then slips two fingers inside her channel, seeking the spot he knows so well, the one he knows will quickly bring her to her peak. He makes only a few slow strokes while licking her bud before speeding up, determined to make good on his promise.

Natasha hands go to his head, fingers both carding through and gripping his hair. He hums against her pussy, and her breaths come in short gasps as he continues hurtling her toward ecstasy on the tips of his fingers and tongue. He earnestly strokes her g-spot and then turns his licks to fervent sucking of her bud, and that does it, white heat breaking over her, all her muscles seizing up and then relaxing as he pushes her through it.

She shakes her head, laughing again when he looks up at her, the expression on his face one that would be too smug if he hadn’t earned it. He truly knows her expertly, intimately, in every way.

He extracts himself from between her thighs and helps her redress while she catches her breath. “I wanted you now,” he says, “but for the rest of the afternoon you’ll be thinking about how much I’ll need you later.”

Nat glares at him teasingly. “I have to go out there and–“

“Or you don’t. You have an assistant coach.”

“Unlike some of us, I’m nothing if not a goddamn professional.”

“In every way,” he agrees, though his tone changed. Warmer. Softer. “I’m more than aware.”

And now her heart races again, not due to the physical ministrations but for the undeniable devotion behind those words. She pulls him close again for a sound kiss, which he returns, encircling her softly in his embrace.

After a moment he pulls away and lets her go.

“Two minutes to get to the classroom,” he says. He opens the top right drawer of his desk and pulls out a tin of mints, offering them to her and taking a couple for himself. 

FOUR

Natasha hears the clink and slide of metal as Bucky’s key finally slots into the lock of the front door, and so she slides off the counter and turns on the panini press. She doesn’t make much else, but she’s become a bit of a sandwich artist and can make many a good combination, upping her game with grilled sandwiches after the acquisition of the panini press for her birthday.

God, they were so stupidly domestic now, and it was terrible and wonderful all at once.

“You’re finally home!” she calls out from the kitchen, hearing him stride down the hallway towards her. Strange, he usually drops his keys and hangs his jacket before settling in.

“Hi,” he says, popping his head around the corner.

Nat frowns. “Barnes, why are you home so late?”

They often took turns getting home late with different things going on at the studio, but usually it was with a hello and straightaway the explanation since they both care so much for everything happening in their dance world.

He slowly steps around the edge of the doorframe and into the kitchen, cradling the bulge of something held within his jacket.

“Barnes?”

He takes a few steps closer. “My queen–“

“You have never one day in your life called me your queen,” she interrupts, still wary, but now also bemused.

“I could, though. You know I'm your lover, a willing slave to your every wish.”

“You are two feet away from me, stop pouring on the charm and stalling and show me what’s in your jacket.”

His eyes are sparkling with mischief and his smile is sheepish as he looks down. It made her heart already melt and want to bend for whatever is coming. The thought crosses her mind that it’s a look he must’ve had on his face countless times when he was growing up.

“I didn’t ask you before buying a dance studio, and, full disclosure, I already bought everything we need – that being part of why I’m so much later tonight – and we can take it all back if you say no, but I rescued a cat from the alley behind the studio today.”

And with that, he turns and opens the front of his leather jacket to reveal a snow-white cat who looks very cozy tucked in where she was against his chest. Nat knows how comfy it is to be tucked up against that exact spot, it’s one of her favorite places to be.  

Nat just grins and shakes her head. Stepping forward, she slowly extends her hand toward the cat. The feline inclines her head, sniffs the tips of her fingers, then bumps her head to stroke herself against Natasha’s hand.

“You are such a softie,” she says, pulling Bucky down by the collar and planting a kiss on his lips.

“So, we can keep her?”

“Yes.”

He kisses her again, then leans down and places the cat on the kitchen floor. “Right, Alpine, you stay here with Nat, and I’ll be right back with your things.”

And in less than a second, he’s already out the door.

Nat puts the sandwiches she had already prepared on the grill, pulls the press closed, and then turns back to look at the cat, who is sitting primly back on her haunches and watching her.

“Alpine, huh?”

The cat blinks up at her.

“This man. How’d HYDRA’s most ruthless assassin end up like this, eh?”

Alpine takes a few steps forward and brushes up against her leg before turning and then heading out of the kitchen, likely back to the door to wait for Bucky.

FIVE

Nat approaches the bedroom doorway silently, preparing to surprise the two individuals laughing inside, but then the peals of laughter and tiny giggles cease, and she hears two bodies plop onto the bed – one big, one small. The door is slightly ajar, and she can see the super soldier and his goddaughter panting, sprawled out on the bed, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the ceiling. She loves seeing Bucky like this with Sarah and so decides to give them another moment and observe from the darkness of the hallway.

“I still don’t want to go to bed.” Nat’s face splits into a smile, knowing this Sarah mode all too well. Though it is difficult, summoning up all her godmotherly skills and fortitude, she can handle it well enough when necessary, but Bucky? No way.

“I know. But you’re already on your bed. I’ve won.”

“I don’t want to go to sleep, Uncle Bucky!”

“I’ll read you two picture storybooks or as much as you want from a chapter book, and then sleep. How’s that for a deal?”

“Deal!”

Nat stays in the shadows as she watches Sarah jump down from the bed, run to her bookshelf, and return with what looks like one of her Ramona books. Sarah thought she’d gotten the best deal, tricking her godfather into more reading with a chapter book, but Nat knows Bucky always wants Sarah to pick the latter because it means he’d read to her until she is softly snoring.

Sarah Marie Rogers has the former Winter Soldier irrevocably wrapped around her tiny fingers – had done since she was born and had only become more adept over the years at making him melt time and time again.

And it is as she’s watching him smooth Sarah’s hair down and pull the covers up over her little body with such tenderness that Nat knows why he’d brought home a cat last month, bought a building to turn into a dance studio a year and a half ago, and asked her on a date three years ago.

Her.

Sarah had changed everything.

Logistically, Steve had retired, and that removed him from the orbit of their team and their missions, resulting in slightly more time that she interacted with Bucky before they retired, but she’d never sat back and critically analyzed what had changed before that.

Sarah had changed her, too, no question.

But now she can see it.

Sarah was the first baby born close to Bucky, and he’d been smitten and over the moon about her immediately.

She was the first thing the man had loved unconditionally and without apology, a love unrestrained that he had never experienced in possibly any way similar since before he went away to war. Bucky didn’t have to justify it, it just blossomed, taking root in his soul, fully uncovering in a flash the warmth that had mostly been buried for ninety years and probably would have taken so much longer to emerge otherwise. 

“Sar, I gotta ask you a question,” Bucky says as he settles in next to Sarah with the book, drawing Nat’s attention back to the moment at hand.

She knew that tone – playful but with something serious underneath. She is always suspicious of that tone.

“Okay.”

“Let me show you something first.” Bucky digs into his pocket and pulls out a sparkling engagement ring.

Nat’s heart leaps into her chest, and it is only due to a lifetime of training to be imperceptible at all times that keeps her from gasping outright at the sight.

Sarah did gasp and ooooh appropriately though.

“Is that for Auntie Nat?” she chirps with excitement.

“I think so. I know you wanted me to marry you, and I still will if that’s what you want, but what if I married Auntie Nat?”

“Hmm,” she reaches out and delicately traces her tiny fingers over the ring Bucky was letting her examine. “That might be okay.”

“You sure?”

“Well, I was thinking, you’re going to be really old when I’m finally ready to get married.”

“Oh, that might be true,” he agrees, barely holding back a laugh.

“Yeah. You might be really wrinkly when I’m done with school, and I was thinking maybe I would marry someone else instead.”

“Sar… you say that like you already have someone in mind…”

“I don’t know for sure, I’m still deciding if I want to marry them or not!”

“Is it someone in your class?”

Nat bites her lip, grinning. She was certain she knew exactly who was being considered after seeing the kids in Sarah’s class picking up her goddaughter a few times from school.

“Maaaaaybe.”

“Well, okay. Only if I approve. Do you approve of Auntie Nat?”

Sarah nods eagerly. “I do. She is pretty, and kind, and the best ballet teacher, and she makes you laugh, and she does my hair in the good braids, and she is so smart, and always takes me for ice cream when I ask her, and has loved me my whole life, so I think it would be okay if you marry her.”

“Those are some of my favorite things, too,” Bucky says. “If you promise to keep it a secret that I’m gonna ask her, I promise you can be the flower girl at the wedding, deal?” He palms the ring and extends his pinky finger.

Without hesitation, Sarah locks her pinky with his. “Deal!” she agrees, beaming up at him. “Now read me my book.”

She snuggles down into his side, and he rolls his eyes. “You are a demanding little thing.”

“Daddy says it’s good to let people know exactly what you want.”

“Of course, he does.” Bucky leans down to kiss the top of her head, then wraps his arm around her and opens the book on his lap so they both can see as he starts to read, and Nat decides to retreat to the living room to let them have more time together.

SIX

Nat rolls her shoulders and yawns, turning to lay on her back. She frowns upon discovering Bucky’s side of the bed is uncharacteristically empty, the happy weight of Alpine sleeping atop the blankets at foot of their bed missing as well.

Then she registers a piercing stare from across the room and leans up only to see Bucky sitting in the decorative armchair they almost never used. He is stroking Alpine behind the ears, happily curled up in his lap, but his eyes are locked on her.

“Um, good morning, Cyborg.”

“You know.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t certain when it happened, but then I thought about it all night.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I had grand intentions, but you overheard everything last night. I didn’t hear you creep up on us, which means you must’ve gotten there when Sarah and I were making a ruckus, but I did hear you slip away when I started reading her Ramona, so you already know I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

Nat sits up and smiles. “Oh. That. You can still pursue your grand intentions.”

“Nope, they’re ruined.”

“But I don’t know what your grand intentions are! You could still surprise me!”

“Nope, you’re expecting to be surprised.”

“You love that kind of challenge!”

“Nope, I’m obstinately averse now. I’ve decided I won’t be satisfied by anything else than seeing my ring on your finger straightaway.”

“Then you better get over here and ask me,” she says simply.

He stands, depositing Alpine softly on the chair behind him, crosses the bedroom, and kneels next to Nat’s side of the bed. With one hand, he grabs both of hers, with the other, he holds out the ring, gleaming against his black vibranium fingers. Then he lifts his gaze to hers, and all the sullen staring from moments before has melted away leaving only the pure adoration he holds for her.

“Will you?” His voice is thick with emotion.

“You know I will.”

“I don’t want to do anything except share the rest of my life with you,” he says, delicately but decisively slipping the ring onto her finger.

Nat pulls his face up to hers in a fierce kiss, and he crawls up onto the bed with her, wrapping her up in his arms, and laying her back down, ready to express again, as they had so many times over the past few years, how much they mean to each other in every way. They make vows with their words, their lips, and their bodies, giving themselves over completely as they already had, and as they would in perpetuity.

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[charleslee-valentine]

For the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fan Works Event Day 5: The Saw is Family

Ship(s): Lefton

Word Count: ~2,000

Warnings: Pregnancy and sexual themes, pregnant ftm trans character, discussion of abortion and miscarriage, implied abusive family dynamics, period typical transphobia, brief misunderstanding about consent.

note: This is the groundwork of an au where Drayton is Sissy’s father who raises her like a brother, rather than being just her brother. Inspired by this post from @fry-house

@texas-chainsaw-fanworks

________

Still living with his mother, it was nothing short of humiliating that he fell pregnant.

Leave it to Drayton to get himself knocked up just as soon as he got even a few folks to recognize his chosen name. Even mama was starting to be willing to call him by something other than a throwaway nickname like “girl.”

Not if he comes home with a round belly.

Boude would be the one to know what to do, but he’s also the one waving his dick around gettin’ people pregnant. One time. Let him get that horrible thing near him just once, and he ends up with child.

He’s heard the horror stories. About men like him so desperate to not carry a little one to term they end up bleeding out in their own bathrooms. That could never be his choice. Drayton’s too much of a coward to take his own shots, let alone perform an operation on himself.

He’ll have the baby. It’s just, he doesn’t have to pretend to be thrilled about it.

Can’t un-dead this rabbit, though he’ll certainly try to ignore it as long as he can.

When mama's sister Nancy was pregnant, she was out working on the farm ‘til she couldn’t even stand anymore. He’s got at least three or four more months in him before he’s resting in bed.

Except Nancy never had her baby. Maybe following after her isn’t the best idea.

Cold, sickening dread settles heavy in every bone that makes up Drayton body. Some things you just can’t wish away. Like the damned organs in his body that make it possible for him to even be in this mess, God knows Drayton tried to wish that the lady parts away.

Maybe this is punishment. A cruel fucking trick from the big guy in the sky himself for changing what ought not to be. Too damn bad God gets to sit on clouds all day while there’s mortals in their human body’s going through the evil he placed onto this earth. So fucking what if being a predestined, pretty little baby factory wasn’t the life Drayton wanted.

Damn it all to hell. Burn the bridges of the past self.

As much as he hates to admit it, if he’s going to be this stubborn, he can’t do it alone.

Already he’s suffocating under the weight. Or maybe he needs to loosen the bandages some. It’s the same damn issue either way, and he needs his boy to help fix it.

Drayton usually pays his visits under the guise of business. Trading meat for dairy, wool for fruit. Just in case the folks are home and he shows up without reason knowing damn well they don’t approve.

Though that cover today doesn’t go as gracefully as he’d hoped.

The packages he and mama wrapped up this morning for the job smelled something awful. Usually it don’t bother him at all, being raised in meat and everything, but he was off the path and hurling up his guts before he was even halfway to the neighbors. Heightened sensibilities.

That’s of course, how Lefty found him. Doubled over in the weeds. Sweaty and pale and a disheveled goddamn mess. No worse than the done deed itself, Drayton supposed. At least this time, he wasn’t totally vulnerable.

Still, he’d like to not be gawked at. He swipes the back of his sleeve, pulled over his hand, at his mouth, “You just gon’ stand there, Enright?”

“Right. Sorry.” Lefty goes into action mode quick, taking both of Draytons hands and steadying him, letting him choose how much contact he needs. Drayton settles for leaning into his side, so Lefty throws one arm around him to support him best he can. They walk together, at a pace set by the weaker one between them.

Growing a human ain’t easy work.

It’s silent until Lefty asks, hesitant but too concerned to let the unknown linger, “You.. alright, Dray?”

Before he can stop himself, Drayton scoffs, “You should know..”

Those big blue eyes sparkle with worry and remorse, “Did I do something?”

If he weren’t relying on him to walk, he’d be pushing the oblivious asshole away, “Oh yes sir. Oh-ho yes…”

Lefty gets him into his yard and sits Drayton down on a random crate, taking away the little excuse package. Thankfully nobody else from the Enright family is home at the moment, won’t be for a while either, so they’re free to talk in the open air. Mama’s lazy ass surely won’t come snooping.

Maybe he shouldn’t say that about her; Drayton’s not the only one going to have a baby. Mama’s six months or so along. Just a few ahead of her son. That’s half the reason he’s fucking terrified. Having kids that close together, they might as well be siblings.

Lefty don’t know the reason yet to be afraid as he should be, so he keeps prodding, “Whatever I done.. Let me make it right, lover.”

He’ll blame the sickness for how red his face gets, a fever at fault for the warmth under his skin. Blame that quickly turns into frustration and lashing out at him, “This one, you can’t fix. Can’t just, fuck it away, ‘cause- ‘cause thats the damn problem, you hear!”

Lefty’s face sinks. The dread and the anguish in his features, tells Drayton he gets the wrong implication.

He sounds like he’s choking, “I’m sorry, I-I thought we both..”

Drayton cuts him off. Angry as he is, he doesn’t want that kind of anguish in Boude’s heart.

“You’d be right, Enright. But it’s your damn hair-trigger got us into this mess anyhow.”

Confusion. Revelation. Something else unreadable. Almost.. pleasant.

“Are you telling me you’re-“

“Yessir.”

“Drayton that’s-“

“Don’t tell me. I don’t need your damn opinions. I’m keeping it, damn it.”

Really, he shouldn’t be as confident as he is. Lefty Enright can be trusted, sure, but that don’t change that he’s an open transsexual, and now a pregnant one at that. A poor little farmer's child in the most fragile of situations, acting like he has total control.

His Boude is more than used to that. Lefty smiles gently, “I was going to say it’s great.”

“You’re not the one lugging it with you.” Drayton counters.

He won’t argue that it’s a positive. Or even that it’s amazing really. Every part of him is just so afraid, so not used to this particular struggle on top of all the others that he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. Really, he feels guilty for taking it all out on his boy.

The very same who so heroically offers, “I would if I could. For you.”

Lefty bullies his way onto the crate seat next to Drayton and holds him. Proving even more of his gentle and sweet nature. His face won’t show it, but Drayton knows he’s desperate. Trying to be heard.

His heart wants to give in. So badly. To roll over and show his (swelling) belly and let Lefty have the validation. For the moment, he’ll indulge some, by leaning heavily into his embrace.

Something rises up. Not just bitter bile, but even harsher words. Mostly, dear.

“That don’t make you some saint, you know that? You still got an unwedded man, a queer, pregnant.”

And then he hurls onto the grass. Instant Karma.

Lefty just rubs his back through it. Soothes him. Only argues with him a little bit, “But I’m a lover, right? A partner, who done nothing but care for your little ass. That makes me a father too.”

A father. They both will be.

They’re only young. Not too young to handle it, but life just started for real. Popping kids out is a lifelong investment to no longer goin’ sneaking. Experimenting. Whatever you could call what it is they’ve been doing together.

It’ll be expected that they get married right away. Before this damn bump starts to show itself would be ideal. A nightmare for someone whose legal name on the certificate wouldn’t match the one his favorite people know him by.

Drayton isn’t ready to face those realities. He shakes his head, pulls away from Lefty just a little, “We can worry about that in a few months.”

It’s not outright denial. He wants Lefty involved and that is thankfully obvious. The intricacies really can wait. For the sake of him not losing his mind already.

Lefty agrees, focusing on the present as well, “What do you want from me right now?”

“Take me inside. Please.” Drayton holds his arms up, finally allowing himself to be as weak as he feels.

He’s not expecting to be fully lifted up and carried there, but since he’d just delivered some relatively life changing news, he’ll let that slide as well.

Lefty assures, as strong willed as he is physically tough, “We’ll figure it out, Dray.”

That’s not the part Drayton was afraid of. He never doubted that Lefty would want to do right by the kid. A man who places that much value on his family isn’t going to just kick a child he’d created to the curb.

His partner is maybe another story.

Lefty loves him and he loves Lefty, easy, but it’s not been as simple navigating what that meant when halfway into their almost decade long relationship, Drayton confessed the truth about the disconnect between body and identity. His boy has always been perfect with it, which is what makes it so terrifying. Unlikely as it is, there’s always that whisper that he’s only been pretending to accept it.

Now that Draytons put out, and of course got knocked up on the very first time doing so, there’s no real reason to keep him around. Lefty could pick up the kid on the weekends, settle down with a nice woman. Move the hell on.

They’re so in sync at this point, Boude sort of reads his mind, “I’m not gonna leave you.”

Tears burn in his eyes and ball up his throat with emotion. Drayton just nods a little in acknowledgment of his boy, not saying a word still.

It’s exactly what he was thinking and it still blindsides him. Some wounds, like the ones that come to be when his daddy left years ago, well maybe they never close up.

Lefty can’t take the silence. He tries to prompt, “I lov-“

“Enough.” Drayton stops him there. He knows it already. But talking about it isn’t his thing. Loving somebody is enough without all the sappy bullshit. “I’m not ready to talk.”

Lefty looks sad. Frowns a little bit. But he doesn’t argue. Never does. That sort of makes Drayton feel worse.

But they really will talk. One day down the line. Give it some time and he’ll be ready.

He places a hand on his belly. The baby is too small to be moving yet. Probably about the size of a pebble. There’s time. Mama will have her baby first, almost like a trial run.

Yeah.

They’ll be able to do this.

Shaking, Drayton takes Enright’s hand. He doesn’t know what to do with it, it’s awkward, but he wants to show him, in some minute way, that he gives a shit about him too.

A small smile is all the acknowledgement he gets. It’s enough.

Hopefully it’ll be enough to save them until Drayton is ready to talk more. Best he can do now is stay curled up in Lefty’s arms for the few hours he’s able. Going back home at the end of the day won’t be easy, it never is, but neither will parenthood be, so. Guess it works out anyhow.

[reinekes-fox]

Okay i wanna try to remember everything i wanna say.

Spoilers... probably alot!! Sorry.

I'm gonna number this!:

1. I loved being able to play the game all over again because it felt new to me even tho duh it's not.

2. I liked being a dove. It was my first playthrough as a dove and i was suprised at the optional dove RO even tho we've encountered her before.

3. I still think jonah is absolutely adorable omg.

4. Chase is still a goddamn menace but again romancing him as a Dove just hits different. I still have to do my baby elronds route again and astroria is actually scary. Her and marcel gimma the creeps no lie 🤣 I'd take the yandere aka droznik over them anyday.

Getting onto the update:

1. I still think basti is hot even tho he wants to kill me. Like bruh just lemme flirt with you're dead ass 😒

2. I'm gonna murder Adam!!! Legit. Especially if you were all flirty with him before. My poor baby MC he just thought the dude liked him.

3. Our mother still sucks.

4. Can i stop like dying???!!! 7 on 1 is cowardice 😒 also love how Chase literally kisses us out of a trance.

5. I was not expecting Drozniks' revelation at all!!!! That threw me for a whole loop.

6. There is a scene at the hospital you probably can't fix tho where on his route he helps you get dressed but then all of a sudden Its Fuschia, which confused tf out of me ngl 🤣

I loveeeeeeed the update. Like I've been playing it the whole day and it's like almost 5pm now. I seriously am so obsessed with this i dont think you really get it.

Curses to your goddamn laptop tho because now i gta wait like forever to reach a conclusion to all the unfinished bits and it's torture. Yes yes i know I'm sorry 😞 it sucks for you too but i just wanna side eye your laptop once.

Never apologise! This gives me really meaningful insight as to what the players can’t reach because of my spaghetti code!

(Actually played through it today myself and man it’s bad… so much stuff is missing, tangled that characters who have no business showing up so just show up, you can do things you shouldn’t be able to do)

1. Why don’t you give raven (or beizen again) a chance? :3 they actually got something new in store!

2. every volery will have its own unique RO, most will just show up later! (Because I don’t want to add even more variables to the birthday…)

3. Jonah is a knight in shining armour.

4. Oh can I maybe interest you in giving Marcels route a chance? And poor Astoria, she just wants to put a ring on your finger :(

Update (yes let me know all you liked!)

1. in one route he will save your life actually!

2. poor Adam was just as shocked as you were! „Fuck that hot guy is talking to a vampire…“ and he will write you later, feeling really bad about it!

3. mother dearest, the sad thing is that she actually improved from when she raised MC!

4. oh you aren’t dead just yet! Kind stranger saved you! And yeah chases kiss too

5. that was my plan all along!

6. that happens everywhere it’s awful 😭

How do you think I am feeling, sitting on all this stiff in my head but I can’t write it 🥲 it’s horrible… I have so much stuff I want to put in there… but I can’t…

[nikki-is-a-nerd]

Since The Percy Jackson s1 is done, i can now write my overall experience with it. Mind you i only read the first book of PJO because I couldn’t afford the books and because goddamn borrowing it from the university library was like a pack of coyotes seeing a slab of meat after 15 years of starvation.

(Side note: i once got scratched in the face by a girl who wanted to read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, when i was gonna borrow the book for a second time. I learned it was better to just buy the books one by one per year.)

So i fully enjoyed the series. Regardless of how a lot of people have been calling it shit or a disgrace to the books. Like I appreciate how Uncle Rick managed to retell his own story, see it come to life, in a way that he wants. I appreciate Sally Jackson having a bigger impact to how Percy is as a person and as a character.

Yes, i too was shocked with the grover snitch scene in ep 1, then I thought about it, it made sense. Grover is my favorite character and i would like to say that the movie version of Grover made me feel uneasy but this version of grover, he made me long for that kind of friendship. I also love how Grover unlike in the movies, isn’t comic relief. You see his emotional struggles. You see him grow from “we have to keep the peace, let’s all be kind” to then showing us that he’s more than that. He is smart, cunning, manipulative if need be. He is also brave and he carries so much emotional baggage. The fact that he expresses rage about certain things, makes him feel more human to me. By giving him so much depth, by casting Aryan Simhadri, his depiction of grover would make book grover very proud.

Annabeth is also really really amazing in my eyes. Seeing a child give off an air of “i know things that you don’t” like an adult is so cool. Seeing her grow from “the gods are just and they have their reasons” to “The gods have flaws and they make mistakes, but i will be better than that” is very tear jerking. It helped me see Annabeth in those moments as a child who didn’t get to experience a proper childhood finally see what its like to be loved without having to give anything in return. Leah Sava Jeffries, shows emotions so well. Her posture changes depending on how she feels. She slouches a bit when she’s dejected or upset and is more poised when she’s feeling the most confident. Her eyes carry so much emotion in scenes where she doesn’t speak. She’s a lovely actress.

Percy, gods where do i even begin. Walker first off, played this character so well! You see how he’s feeling through his eyes, his face is so expressive and i love it. Percy also gets my mom approval card (which means my mom also loves his character). The way they show him to be loyal, caring, empathetic but also he’s just a child so you understand why he acts the way he acts. People complained about how percy wasn’t fighting like a pro, but i think that’s what makes it great. Percy is new, he’s learning as he goes, when we finally see Walker Portray the Percy that we all know, we can look back at s1 and we’ll see that truly, Percy has grown in skill. Also im always gonna sob over the fact that his scenes where he chooses to sacrifice himself for his friends, he always implies how he isn’t enough, we see how he sees himself and that hurts. Percy’s sass and humor though are also such highlights. I would love to see more of walker’s percy too.

Now honorable mention to my favorite backstabbing, pretty boy, luke. I love how he is such a good actor. Watching him play luke kinda immersed me in the moment, i forgot that this kind ,young man is the antagonist. Because when he played luke when we first saw him, i too wouldn’t be able to think that this guy, he can be cruel. But he delivers so much rage, so much resentment in his scene with percy in the finale. The way charlie acted in that scene, gods, i was shocked. I truly believe watching him and his character’s descent to something more is gonna be a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

The show in itself is really really good. Yes there are odd sudden black screens, but I don’t mind them. I don’t mind the changes, i just think that the episodes could be a bit longer. The story is captivating even with those changes, i love how Uncle Rick got the chance to give us an adaptation that isn’t an exact copy of the book, because i believe that a good adaptation doesn’t need to be a scene per scene copy, because if that’s what y’all wanted, listen to an audio book where people act out the scenes. Think of it this way, the book and the show are just two separate universes. Like how we have the MCU and the Marvel Comics. Same characters but different continuums.

People tend to find the negatives before they see the positives, its how we’re mostly wired. If we look past them, you’ll see that there are things that are better.

I would definitely be excited for a s2

[ramonag-if]

Hello, I've inhaled crown of exile like you wouldn't believe. You've done two things phenomenally well- 1) which is showcasing how disastrous the MC's parents are and 2) also how much a child's life trajectory can go wrong because of decisions made by flawed people trying to be parents. Salyra is a goddamn disaster. She's also fascinating. I want to pry her open with a scalpel and pick her apart. This is an unpopular opinion(maybe?), but I would love for her to be explored in depth more.

Thank you so much for playing and inhaling IFs like food is the best way to play them 😆

Not an unpopular opinion at all! I honestly would love to showcase her life more but this is the MC's story and not hers. I have written a very, very small amount of side stories for Salyra for Patreon but it's hardly touched the tip of the iceberg of her character.

I will be adding more choices/dialogues with Salyra once I start edits, so hopefully you'll get more glimpses into her character then 😊

[cariadlovescodwomen]

cariad’s obsession with the female call of duty characters is starting to get unhealthy (it has been for quite a while)

valeria, kate, farah 💞

-

valeria garza might have committed many heinous crimes, but who hasn’t? :). don’t act like you’re innocent. let’s be partners in crime, val, forget about everyone else. (i’m losing it)

(i would do anything for that woman, oh my GOD. i’d let her shoot me)

i just wanna be kate’s wife. that’s all i want out of this life. maybe i have a thing for older women, maybe i have a thing for american women.

(that sounds odd, lmfao, idk what it is. y’know when a character has a non-american accent, and in every fanfic it’s always pointed out? “their deep british accent rung through your ears”? i’m like that with american accents, for some reason?? american accents are deemed the norm, so no one pays attention when a character has a standard northern american accent, but i love them 😭 and southern american accents)

i want farah to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. please, ma’am. i just wanna spend any amount of time with farah, tbh. she’s so beautiful, and smart, and strong, atkajsksksk.

(side note - i feel so weird calling a woman “ma’am” because i call my actual mother “mam” and the pronunciation (the pronunciation i use for “ma’am” anyway) is literally the same)

-

operators you probably don’t care about 💞 (calisto, stiletto, roze, kleo, nova, luna)

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fuck the royals 🤬, fuck the royals 😏. look, she seems pretentious af, but i love her for it. what was that one voice line? “can i play with you? mhm.” what does that mean, calisto???

(my hearing is shit so if that’s not what she said, don’t tell me :). i’d rather pretend, LOL)

most of the content i see for stiletto is shipping her with könig. she is literally dating me, how dare you disrespect our relationship like that. i could treat a woman better than him, anyway 🙄.

(sorry, könig, you’ve become my punching bag, i promise i don’t actually hate you. i’m just jealous of your fans, that’s all)

rozlin goddamn helms. she was once a shadow, right? no wonder she left that company. i could treat my employees better than graves could. back to actually talking about roze herself, mw19 roze had a chokehold on me, man. she’s so AH. (you figure out what that means)

(fuck you, graves, i may have stated that i liked southern american accents, but this excludes you (and most men, southern accents on women, i should’ve clarified))

kleopatros gavras. that woman. now, where the hell is the hype for her? i feel she’s very smart, and obviously very strong. i love smart women. i love strong women. i love women. doesn’t seem very friendly, but i can work with that. (that sounds weird)

(when it comes to characters that don’t have official heights, i like to headcanon them some, for nearly all of the female operators, they’re tall because i said so, i love tall women)

i think nova’s actress is very pretty. i, too, love flying. it was meant to be, no? please, nova, i’m on my knees. i literally have no words to describe the way i feel about this woman 😶.

(a lot of people don’t like her voice, but i don’t have anything negative to say, really. maybe i’m too blinded by love 🤷‍♀️) (that was embarrassing to say)

luna just seems like a really friendly person. she makes me feel safe?? even though she isn’t real?? the voice line, “alright then, i see you!” did it for me. she’s a soldier, she’s tough, but she’s also so amicable it kills me. idk i just love her, man.

(another smart woman, i fucking love smart women. i just wanna be her friend, lmao)

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all in all, i’m a raging lesbian, and the women in this game make me feel things :). also, apologising if there are any grammatical or linguistic errors. <3