#HE TRIED THAT AND the literal OPENING SHOT of rogue one is about how that failed completely

[aemondapologistfrfr]

Anything for You - Pt3

daemon x daughter!reader 

Part 1 Part 2

Summary: The King and the Hand come up with a plan to get you and Daemon to come back to court. Daemon is barely able to contain himself when he lands on the docks of King’s Landing. 

Warnings: 18+ different PoVs bc i was feeling it, swearing, pregnant!reader this chap, coercion into like kidnapping?, the rogue prince fr, death(not mc), blood, swords, threats, p in v

Authors Note: idk why i locked in writing this like i planned to keep it cutesy and i was like wait 🤭 short hair daemon in his armor 🙂‍↕️ i never intended for this to be more than a one shot but here we are 😶 literally stopped writing my other stuff and was sat

Word Count: 3.8k 

                                         ᓚᘏᗢ

ততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততত

King and Hand PoV

The King and the Hand sit in the empty council chamber trying to figure out the best course of action. Daemon and his daughter have been gone for almost three moons now and the Keep is starting to speculate. There’s been no word from Dragonstone which could either be good or bad. Whispers around the realm speak nothing of the two, leaving the King at a loss. The King looks at the Hand waiting for his next idea on how to get at least the Princess back to court. 

The King has put in his best efforts to push back the prying Lords who were vying for the Princess’s hand. They come around the council chambers and throne room like vultures awaiting her return. The Queen tells the King daily what she overhears from the Ladies and her handmaidens and it’s been causing his temper to rise. 

“Even the Queen is being questioned about their location.” the King sits back exasperated. “I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do.” he looks at his Hand. 

“I will send out our best men to sail to Dragonstone. If they find the Princess they’ll bring her back to us.” the Hand pulls a blank piece of parchment in front of him. They spend the next couple of hours picking the company to send and decide on having her guard lead them. They hope she’ll take kinder to him and return with the men. The Hand has the King write a note to place in the Princess’s absence for Daemon. 

“If she’s there and we can get her,” the King shakes his head. “Daemon will not take this lightly.” he looks to his Hand with worried eyes. “Might it be best if we just leave them?” the Hand scoffs. 

“He directly disobeyed your commands. As he does time and time again. You are the King. If you can not control your own brother the realm will begin to see you as weak.” the Hand tries not to let his annoyance show. “The Princess’s hand can garner us alliances, armies. My King, it’s never my wish to speak so poorly about Daemon-“ 

“Yet you never seize the opportunity to do so.” the King shakes his head leaning back in his chair. 

“He’s undermining you. He knows he’ll keep getting away with it.” the Hand searches the King's eyes. “I urge you to send these men out at daybreak.” the King exhales at the Hands plea. 

“Fine. See to it then.” the King waves him off. “Pray to the Gods Daemon will see reason.” the King looks to the ceiling as the Hand goes to make the preparations. 

ততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততত

Your PoV

I always heard stories of how the mornings were unpleasant when carrying a babe but I’ve never felt more at peace. The maesters here say I am the most relaxed princess they’ve had the pleasure of helping with her pregnancy. I know my father is the one to thank for that. He absolutely worships me morning, noon, and night. The moment my eyes open he’s pressing his lips across every inch of my body whispering sweet words. He stays attached to me until I plead him for a break. 

“I’ll go fetch your handmaidens to bathe you and get you ready for your garden walk.” he presses his lips against my brow before slipping out of our chambers. 

I’ve quickly grown fond of my new company of handmaidens here. They dote on me and have a gentler touch than the ladies I left behind in King's Landing. They pour milk and flowers into my bath and keep their hands on me until I’m resting against the back of the tub. After they bathe and lather me in oils and perfumes they pull a flowing dress over my head and help escort me down to the gardens. 

I quite like being on Dragonstone again. I forgot how quiet and peaceful it is. The low grumbles and songs of the dragons bring me such a sense of comfort and I feel truly calm and at home here. I don’t need guards hovering around me and I can walk in the gardens at my leisure. I let the leaves and petals brush against my fingertips. I stop and bend down to smell the lilies that wash over my senses. 

I delve deeper into the gardens and smile when I approach my bench. It sits near the edge of the gardens and overlooks the Blackwater. I lean back and pull my feet under me as I watch the waves lap against the shore. I tilt my head back and shut my eyes to allow the sun to kiss my skin. Its warmth engulfs me and a smile starts to spread across my face when I hear approaching footsteps. 

“I was wondering if you were going to join me today.” I hum turning. My face falls as I see my guard from King's Landing. “What are you doing here?” I tilt my head. 

“Hello, Princess.” he bows his head before clearing his throat. “Your father wanted to surprise you with a ship to bring you back to King's Landing. If you’ll follow me.” he outstretches his hand and I look at it.

“Where is my father? Why wouldn’t he just fly me back on Caraxes?” my brows furrow. 

“He has a couple more things to finish up here and then he will join us.” he nods his head. I study him curiously but I can’t find a reason not to trust him. He’s protected me my whole life, surely he wouldn’t cause me any harm. 

“Okay.” I rise and grab his arm. He sets a piece of parchment on the bench and begins to lead me back through the gardens. “Why are we taking this way?” I look up at my guard and he keeps hauling me down the back steps.

“It’s much faster this way.” his words seem rushed but I shrug this off. 

As we make it to the dock I see a couple other men I recognize waiting for us on the boat. Once I’m on board the boat begins to move back out into the Blackwater. I watch as we move away from Dragonstone and take a seat on the bench watching it become smaller and smaller. I watch as some of the men on the ship clap my guards back and offer him hushed words of congratulations. 

“When will my father join me in King's Landing?” I look at the man closest to me. He ignores me and goes over to the cluster of men causing a frown to form on my face. My chest tightens and I begin to feel alone and foolish for not going to my father first. A tear slips down my cheek at the same moment I hear Caraxes roar ripple across the Bay. 

ততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততত

Daemons PoV

Daemon had been waiting for his Princess to return for well over thirty minutes now. He knows how she likes her time in the gardens so he didn’t think anything of it at first. He enjoys seeing her so peaceful here so he doesn’t pay it any mind. When an hour goes by he rises from his seat and starts into the gardens. 

He strolls through them silently admiring and keeping an eye out for his wife. He tries to listen and see if he can catch her humming but all he can hear is the breeze through the leaves. When he doesn’t spot her on the main path he starts in the direction of her bench. He curses himself for not starting there but when he approaches he finds it empty. He looks across the Bay before going to turn back to the castle until he spots a piece of parchment. He lifts it and begins to read. 

Brother-

It is not my wish to anger you or fight with you. You are both wanted and needed back at court. The Hand and I have sent her guard and a group of men to sail her back to King's Landing. We have many potential suitors for her that can look past how you’ve sullied her. I have called some Ladies to court as well to hopefully satiate your appetite. I wish to see you come home.

-The King, Your Brother 

Daemon growls, crumpling the note and throwing it in the Blackwater. He curses loudly off the edge of the cliff and Caraxes deafening answering roar comes from out of the pits. He runs back to the castle and makes his way to the doors that lead to the docks. He rips them open and sees the guard standing just on the other side. He slams his fist into his face and his vision goes red as he continues to pummel the guard in front of him. 

“My Prince,” the guard gurgles. Daemon slams him onto the stone. 

“You’ve let my wife be taken from right under your nose.” Daemon repeatedly hits him as the guards movements begin to lull. 

“My Prince, a moment,” guards from inside the castle try to stop him. The last blow lands with a crunch and the sentry goes limp on the stone. 

“Clean this up and wash the stone.” Daemon barks out before storming back into the castle. 

He takes two steps at a time and pushes his way into their chambers. He grabs Dark Sister from the solar and makes his way down to the pits. He quickly puts his armor on and places his helm before walking out on the platform as Caraxes approaches. Daemon grabs onto Caraxes snout and looks him in the eyes. 

“We are getting her back.” Caraxes blinks at him and Daemon takes to his mount. 

Caraxes drops them off the edge before shooting them forward. Daemon stays on high alert looking for the ship that is carrying his wife. The breeze carries them quicker and Caraxes turns his snout slightly and pushes on with purpose. Soon they’re circling above the ship and Caraxes serenades them with his song. Daemon watches as the sails sway and has Caraxes fly higher. He wishes to land on the boat and claim his wife once more and end this farce but he doesn’t know if the ship will maintain its integrity under Caraxes and he won’t risk his wife and their child. 

He curses under his breath and tugs Caraxes in the direction of the docks at Kings Landing. Caraxes circles above the city grumbling and lets his tail trail across the roofs. He makes his way back over to the docks and sees the ship approaching. Caraxes heeds the command to land at the docks and the common folk who don’t move out of the way quick enough forfeit their lives to the rogue Prince and his dragon. Horses and guards break through the crowds and the Hand comes into view. Daemon stays atop his dragon as he looks down upon the man. 

“The King commands you to stop this.” Daemon laughs at the Hand's words. 

“I do not see the King.” Caraxes tail whips closely to the Hands feet. He turns as the boat begins to dock and the men aboard look to the Hand nervously. “Surely, you knew I would come.” Daemon drawls. He starts to slide off the side of Caraxes and lands to the ground with a thud. He unsheathes his sword and points it at the Hand. “You would take a pregnant wife from her husband? Steal her away and marry her to another?” he tilts his head, stalking over to him. “And be daft enough to think there would be no consequences?” he laughs, pushing the tip of his blade into the Hands chest. 

“If you kill me here the King will never forgive you.” Daemon clenches his jaw knowing that the Hand is right in this matter. 

Caraxes pushes the Hand back with his tail and he tumbles to the ground. Daemon turns and stalks over to the ship to retrieve his wife. His brother would be unforgiving if he took his Hand but for the men who took his wife? He could find ten more of them on the street. As he approaches the boat he calls out for his wife and she comes forward with red cheeks. He sees the tears staining her perfect face and how puffy her eyes are. It’s going to take all of his resolve not to burn down the entirety of the Red Keep. 

“Come here, sweet girl.” he hums and she walks up to him and folds into his arms. He rubs her back as he feels her sobs rack through her. Every sniffle has him seeing a darker shade of red. He pulls back and cups her cheeks. “Did these men cause you any harm?” he searches her eyes. 

“No. Only taking me from you and my gardens.” her voice is soft and his nostrils flare as her tears continue to flow. His hand rests on her stomach before he kisses her brow. 

“Go to Caraxes. Hug his neck and don’t look behind you.” she nods her head and he watches as she wraps her arms around his dragon. He takes one step onto the ship and the guards have their swords out in a blink of an eye. Daemon lets the rage take over him and pour out through Dark Sister. As the men continue to surround him he smiles as he slashes and slices through them. He nods at the last man standing who looks at him with a heaving chest. 

“My Prince, I was only-“ his head falls to the wooden floor. 

ততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততত

Your Pov

I jump as I feel a gloved hand wrap around my arm. I turn around and look up and see my father. My tears start anew and I cling against him. He holds me tightly and presses his lips to the top of my head. He unwraps me from his embrace and helps me mount Caraxes. He wraps a hand around me and holds tightly to the reins and shots us into the skies. My stomach drops as we approach the Red Keep and he begins our descent inside the inner courtyard. 

As we make our way down we see people scrambling to get out of Caraxes path and once they see my father step foot on the ground they run even faster. I hold onto my fathers arm and he begins to walk us into the Keep. He wastes no time taking us to the throne room and upon entering I see the King sitting with a frown. My father takes his helm off and lets it drop to the floor with a thud.

“How dare you take my pregnant wife from me.” I watch as my father stalks toward the King. I shuffle quickly up to his side not wanting to be away from him. 

“Enough of this Daemon. I am tired of the cease-“

“Your Grace,” the Hand bursts through the doors, panting with a dozen guards on his heel. The King dismisses the guards and the Hand composes himself before taking his place next to the King. “He’s killed countless men today on the docks.” the King looks at his Hand with raised brows. 

“What did you expect? You truly thought he would allow this? Did I not warn you yesterday?” the King glares at the Hand. 

“I urge you to punish him.” my father lets a laugh slip out. 

“My wife and I will be returning to Dragonstone. Where we will remain for the rest of her pregnancy, unbothered. If you send anyone else to try and take my wife I will send you what is left of them.” his words are laced with promise and the King continues to stare at us.

“You cannot possibly be considering allowing this.” the Hand looks at the King, taken aback. 

“If we would’ve left them, none of today's events would have occurred. She’s with child. You planned to marry her to some Lord but her babe will come out with silver hair. What else would you have me do?” The King looks to his Hand exasperated. 

“You are the King. It is your choice.” the Hand looks forward blankly. 

“And you are my Hand, my council.” the Kings voice rises. 

“Mm, this seems as if it’s a personal dispute.” my father hums. “We’re leaving.” he dips down to grab his helm while his other hand encases mine and we begin to exit the throne room. 

“I wish to pack a bag. I want some of my dresses and jewelry.” I whisper up to my father. 

“Of course, sweet girl.” he smiles down at me and leads me up my chambers. 

He seals us into my chambers and I walk over to my wardrobe. I turn and give a slight jump as my father is standing there with a bag. I look up to him and slowly take the bag out of his hands. I continue to look up at him and nibble my lip. His cheeks are still lightly flushed and his hair is askew from his helm. 

“What’s wrong?” he tilts his head with a scrunched brow. 

“I think you look handsome in your armor.” I mumur. 

“Is that so?” he chuckles, caressing my cheek. 

“Very handsome, my husband.” I nod my head as his eyes darken at my words. 

“Mm, I quite like that title for me on your tongue.” he pulls me closer. “My little wife.” he presses his lips against mine and I melt into his touch. 

“Thank you for saving me.” I mumble against his lips. His back straightens as if he just remembered today's events and ushers me back over to my wardrobe. 

“I will always come for you.” his words cause a blush to creep up my neck. “Pack your bag so I can take you home.” I quickly pull down a couple gowns and toss them into the bag before doing the same with most of my vanity. 

My father leads us through Keep and the guards step back in his presence. We find Caraxes snapping his jaws as the guards who are brave enough to stay in their stations outside. He dips his wing down and once we’re settled into the saddle he carries us into the skies. My fathers hands are wrapped tightly around me the entire flight back. 

                                         ᓚᘏᗢ

I wake in the middle of the night to the hearth still breathing warmth into our chambers. My father has his arms wrapped tightly around me and his breath is tickling the back of my neck. I squirm in his arms and his response is to pull me closer. He presses his nose against my nape and presses his lips against it a moment later. 

“Go back to bed.” his voice is thick with sleep. 

“I want some water.” I trail my fingertips across his arm. 

He slowly unwraps his arms from me and walks over to the table. I admire his nude form in the firelight and watch as his muscles flex as he walks back over to me. I reach up for the cup but he shakes his head and brings it to my lips. I take a couple sips and he sets the cup on the bedside table. I reach out and press my palm against his torso. I trace my fingers over the defined lines and he steps closer.

“I was scared today.” I whisper looking up at him. 

“Of what, sweet girl?” he looks down at me tenderly. 

“That they were going to take me from you.” my eyes start to fill with tears. “That they’d make me marry someone else and take my babe from me.” my voice breaks as I start to cry. 

“I will never let that happen.” his brows furrow and I reach out and pull him closer. “You’re safe. No one is taking our babe. You’re mine and only mine.” he crawls back into bed with me and I tug at his arm until he’s hovering over me.

“I don’t get why they can’t just let us be.” I sniffle as tears continue to fall down my face. 

“They will after this if they’re smart.” he presses his lips to my forehead. “If they try again, I’ll burn the whole fucking city down for you.” he whispers against my brow. 

“I need you, daddy.” I wrap my arms around his neck. He lets out a soft chuckle before placing his lips on mine. His hand travels between my thighs and I spread them waiting for his touch. His fingers slide up my slit and I writhe beneath him. “Please,” I wrap my fingers around his length and he groans, resting his forehead against mine. I guide him to my core as he swirls around my bud. I arch up as he slowly pushes into me. 

“Gods, you’re such a good girl.” he slowly rocks into me as I gasp into his neck. With every roll of his hips he pulls whimpers from my mouth. His hands rest on either side of my head as our lips mash together. He pats my thigh and I wrap them around his waist and he groans into my mouth. He kisses down my jaw and makes his way to my neck to suckle and bite. 

“Daemon,” I breathe out his name and his hips snap into mine. 

“Sat it again, sweet girl.” he purrs in my ear, rolling his hips.

“Daemon, please,” I gasp as his hips begin to fall into mine faster. I rock against him as my pleasure begins to coil quickly. He bites down onto my shoulder and I dig into his. “Daddy,” my toes curl as I fall apart around him. He groans into my neck spilling his pleasure into me. 

His lips find mine and we continue to cling to one another. He pulls out of me and pulls me back against his chest. His arms wrap around me and one of his hand splays across my stomach. He peppers kisses across my shoulder blades while slowly tracking patterns onto my stomach. 

“I love you so much. I will never let another day like today happen. I promise you this.” his arms tighten around me at his declaration. 

“I love you. Thank you.” I scoot back into his chest and hold his arms around me.  

ততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততততত

masterlist 🔌 

and if i say we’re having three more parts of this and two of them are already done - one of them being a prequel to part 1 🫣😏

Part 4

taglist ✍️

anything for you tags: @mamawiggers1980

@clarityisnofun @gabriella-aesthetic @callsignwidow @llynx7 @violetiss3lfish @ka1afbr @akiko-oo @papichulo120627 @lizzylovebooks280501 @thatgirl101blog @1-fuzzy-squirrels @arya-brooke @ashovertheriver @zanygot7straykidsbonk @moonymoo1 @malfoycassimalfoy @april-notthemonth69 @anaviieiraaa @p45510n4f4shi0n @neocockthotology @thereaderwitch @hardkiddonut @faenyra @hiimava11 @daintylittlesunflower @primroseluna @fiction-fanfic-reader @povofjustme @multilover19 @alexxavicry @cedstars @fuckalrighty @mrsmunson-harrington @misspendragonsworld @nz2004

[newx-menfan]

Review “Uncanny X-Men/NYX #9” !!

*Spoilers!*

Hey GUYS, are you ready for an extra SPECIAL review??!! 

So as you all know… I kind of dislike most comic events in principle and try to avoid them like the plague…

But since I am already reading “Uncanny” (I didn’t review it on here since there’s zero NXM in it), I figured “what the hell?” and will review BOTH today and publish a review of “Storm” sometime after…

So… Here we GO!!

Uncanny X-Men #11: 

The issue starts with a journal entry from Xavier (it’s a DIARY Charles! 📔) about a mutiny aboard a Shi’ar ship for Xandra.

The issue cuts back to Graymalkin- it’s pizza night, six guards are out sick, Scurvy (villain aka Xavier’s Bertha Mason) is in the sick bay. Everything seems chill at Mutant prison.

Until a security officer notices Xavier is CRYING. (He’s crying because no one will let him wear his pageboy cap!) 

Xavier goes into cardiac arrest as Deathbird kills the mutiny in space. (Mutiny? Mutineers?) 

(Also apparently Xavier meditates… which… maybe he should do MORE of… like maybe take a few more breaths before you send a bunch of teens to their graves Xavier… 😂🤣)

Xandra calls out to her dad for help, while Corina Ellis tries to sedate him in his cell.

Xavier has some introspection about being a crappy dad (if ONLY Logan could have this kind of moment lol!) and is sedated.

Back in Louisiana with Rogue’s X-men and the outliers (aka the kids Marvel will push for two years and then collectively make wallpaper!), Logan talks about the kids having to grow up too fast… (Jee, I wonder how the New Mutants/Generation X/New X-Men feel about THAT! 🤣🤣) 

Rogue worries that maybe they’re being too soft… and has Gambit remedy this by blowing a card up at Jitter… (don’t worry Rogue… eventually some hate group will just blow a bunch of kids up in a bus or one of their friends will get shot or jump on a hand grenade and then the wake up call will come 🚌🔥😭🤣)

(Also Jitter is SUPER doomed because she’s like the third “Sofia” in X-Men 😬!)

Jubilee gets upset and compares Rogue to Cyclops (Meh Jubes- call me when Rogue makes a kill squad and a new mutant “utopia”…) and Rogue starts to feel like she understands Cyclops more now. 

Corina calls Rogue and asks her team to come down because something is wrong with Charles… (so the X-Men are now working with the Prison that tortures their own kind… great 😬…) 

A few miles away from Graymalkin one of their “sick” guards is having a breakdown… and NO it’s not GUILT for torturing a bunch of mutants… he sees his family as a bunch of sentinels and opens fire. (But this has like probably zero importance to the event!)

Xavier calls out to Sarah Gaunt (aka one of his evil ex’s and one of the best modern X-villains created!) and Sarah takes pity on Xavier wanting to save Xandra, freeing him.

Xavier is totally tripping balls and doesn’t realize it’s Rogue’s team and not the original O5 (in Xavier’s defense… there are A LOT of X-Men to remember lol! It’s like asking your dementia ridden grandfather to remember all the names of his grandkids…) or that he got his legs back! (100% bet Marvel will end up crippling him by the end of this event tbh😒).

Xavier apparently has a MUTANT tumor in his brain, eating at his powers! (Magneto has R-LDS… Xavier has a tumor…they’re dropping like flies faster than the US congress! 🤣)

Xavier loses his shit and literally decimates them all. (Not bad for a sick guy!) 

The issue ends with the quote “Daddy’s coming”; as Xavier busts out!!

NYX #9:

The issue starts with the preview of a recently escaped Xavier going to the NYX community center? Headquarters? What is it called?

We’re getting a little bit of Claremontian narrator levels of negativity, as Xavier dwells on his own hubris. 

Kamala is playing video games while Sophie is giving her tips and talks about her powers not working. (STILL pissed we didn’t get Kamala’s reaction to a busted out Hellion guys!😠)

Also Sophie now has a video game buddy! (I saw a lot of people thinking it’s Alex from Exceptional!) 

Anole interrupts with an on the run Xavier… and Prodigy shows him the door.

In David’s defense- I feel like the Academy X kids have more of a right to hate Xavier than Rogue and Co. 

None of them were really TAUGHT by him. Xavier just seemed like the guy running the school and regularly demanding they go die for whatever BS was happening that week. 😒

We find out that Doom has a Krakoan seed (…okay… but I kind of think your DAUGHTER is more IMPORTANT here Xavier!!) and wants Prodigy’s help and Prodigy basically tells him they are done being child soldiers and puppets for him to kill. 

David tells him the truth- if you want it. Do it yourself.

Anole is the only one that agrees to go… but then Kamala caves because Kamala doesn’t know how shitty Xavier really is… (Hope you don’t get “Vulcaned”! 🤣)

I actually really like the comparison of how students ONCE desperately wanted to be trained with Xavier… to now pretty much DREADING it…

The Hivemind explores Charles reckoning with the death of multiple X-students through the technique of “Claremontian narrator” and it WORKS perfectly! 

But in typical NYX fashion… they start adding everything including the kitchen sink. (Not gonna lie… I was sweating this was gonna be the “Synch issue” all over again 😬!) 

Mojo’s Mr.Friend pops up with Fauna to meet with Doom, and we meet an obscure mutant with electricity powers (I miss SURGE!) and mentions the seed as he kills her!

Mojo psychically attacks Charles and Xavier is chickening out and ready to let the students die for him (like normal!) and we then learn that Charles actually ISN’T even here for the seed at all and knows they’re all going to die.

Anole gets stabbed (Vic has basically taken Julian’s spot for constantly getting maimed! 🥺) and as Xavier is morally debating to go back and finally being a better person… is he going to SAVE THEM???

Oh FUCK NO!

As Charles feels zero guilt while retrieving his helmet to save Xandra and flee (again… normal…), Vic comforts Fauna.

Vic… somehow survives?!! (HOLY SHIT VIC!!) 

It seems like the issue will end with Xavier fleeing to save his daughter and Anole having the final Krakoa seed…. But…

Mojo pulled a switch-a-roo!!

Mojo is using mutants to power his battery and we see poor Local is tied up and is going to be used with the seed to make a “Mojo City”! 

Review:

I went into Uncanny… assuming that I would CHEER over the X-Men finally growing a backbone with Xavier…

But guys… HELL HAS FROZEN OVER… because…

I actually feel BAD for Xavier in that issue. 

As SHITTY as Professor X consistently is… the fact that Rogue worked WITH Ellis…who is torturing mutants at her facility… because Xavier has cancer… IS equally TERRIBLE. 😐

Xavier was literally the only person willing to take Rogue in after the incident with Ms Marvel (Carol Danvers version!), when all the rest HATED her.

It’s like in issue #8 of NYX, where they debate about letting the police take Hellion to Graymalkin… this JUST DOESN’T FEEL LIKE X-Men. IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT.

While I would argue Krakoa didn’t fully “feel” like X-Men either… I think “From the Ashes” isn’t doing a whole lot better. 😐

I don’t know if it’s Brevoort’s direction or something else… but MAN are all the X-Men massive JERKS lately. 

And YET…. SOMEHOW… Xavier goes back to being an ass and totally unlikable in NYX. 😒

Throwing his weight around. Guilting students for not being willing to die on some suicide mission. Using them as his pawns and lying to them.

And that’s the core problem with events anymore. It doesn’t feel like “epic storytelling” but various writers telling three different stories.

The reality is- the Academy X kids actually HAVE a right to be angry because they were basically like the “Vulcan X-Men”… unfavored by Xavier and sent to die. And we see it AGAIN in this issue. They frankly work BETTER for this kind of story, than someone like Rogue or Logan… who actually do kind of OWE Xavier.

Even CYCLOPS I felt had better justification for being sick of Xavier… because the truth is Xavier regularly manipulated Scott’s childhood issues and threw him under tremendous pressure. Scott’s whole life is basically emotional breakdown after emotional breakdown caused by Xavier’s influence. 😐

I surprisingly felt like NYX was the more cohesive story and felt more in-character than Uncanny. I think the Hivemind just did a better job with the material given (Xavier escaping and his former students turning on him), where Uncanny just felt completely out of character.

This is an amazing issue of NYX and FEELS like a standalone issue! I could have read this without Uncanny- and I would have thoroughly enjoyed it!

I was a little bit scared they were biting off more than they could chew with Xavier AND Mojo… but they did an EXCELLENT JOB! This was great character work and FELT like X-Men!

Like issue #8… I could see myself reading this multiple times and LOVING it! 

I don’t think the summary I wrote does this issue justice- it’s just wonderful START to FINISH and you are missing out if you DON’T pick it up!

Kudos to Hivemind for this!! ☺️

So far I would say… this event isn’t great as a whole. While I think NYX did much, much better, I think the problem with this era is the execution of these ideas often feels lost or subpar; having multiple X-teams and divide among them as to what’s the most effective way to find equality… an x-team in Southern Gothic Louisiana OR the depths of Alaska…Xavier arrested…all of that SOUNDS COOL…but the actual result has been pretty lackluster. (Also it seems like Rogue needs a Claremontian narrator now after Uncanny!) 

I disliked the art in Uncanny… I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t LIKE it…something about Rogues facial expressions especially didn’t jive with me.

NYX, of course, continued with the solid art that is Francesco Mortarino!

NYX- I would give a 10 out of 10!

Uncanny… is more like a 6… there were parts that were enjoyable… but I didn’t love the whole product. 

Now onto Storm… which is probably going to be a completely different vibe from the other two! 🤣🤣

Theories:

I am actually kind of sad Kamala isn’t going back to the “Rogue/Carol Danvers” incident instead of Phoenix/AoA/ect…. because that would be relevant and an interesting story for Kamala….

I would actually LOVE if Hivemind did an “Xavier X-team” with Academy X-ers! I think it has a lot of story potential of them developing a relationship with Xavier that’s different from prior students! 

Hellion and Prodigy aren’t the O5 or Claremont X-Men. They are not the New Mutants. They won’t take Xavier’s shit and I actually think that’s what Charles NEEDs.

Kamala and Vic might get sucked in… but they won’t!

[bonewaryreblogs]

Danny Phantom Show Rewrite or something

I’ve finally got a working timeline for episode order! Woo!

I wasn’t too worried about actual in-show evidence about which episode goes where and was more concerned about vibes and working around a few set dates, like Halloween or Jack and Maddie’s anniversary being May 9th. I tried to fit everything as close together as I could, especially once 9th grade starts, and managed to fit them into about a year and a half, though some of the more displaced episodes had to be highly edited to fit with the story progression. I think the biggest offender is “Lucky in Love” because it had to happen when water parks would be open and I’d kind of written Johnny and Kitty out of the story by then. Honestly, I think it fits better the way I’ve rewritten it anyways, considering where Danny is in his story arc, and ties up the loose end of Danny’s crush on Paulina.

Since I probably won’t write most of these stories in full, but will allude to them occasionally, I figured I’d post the summary of explanations for why things happen in the order I’ve put them, as well as highlight specific changes I’ve made to either make the placement work or to fit within the DPxDC lore I’ve settled on. If I reference something and don’t explain what happened, assume it happened more-or-less how it did in the show. Danny Phantom was all about ghosts but with access to DC lore, I’ve changed a few rogues into other supernatural/magical beings that I think fit them better; I tried to make sure I explained each change but I might have missed something.

There are, unfortunately, a few episodes I’ve skipped completely because I couldn’t find a place for them or the plot itself relied too much on something that I’ve changed to reconcile. In this post, I’m also going to skip two stories I do plan on actually writing out: Danny’s first Death Day and the Battle Against Ghost King Pariah. Death Day is gonna be a prequal one-shot but the story itself is gonna start like the day before Pariah makes his move, to establish a baseline of “normal” before it all gets upended. Technically, the plot would still work without the DC Superheroes interference but I have to get Danny on Batman’s radar somehow, right? After the battle, I’m still debating if I wanna do another time skip or not, maybe set it as a “Book 2” or something, I haven’t decided.

I’ll put the skipped episodes at the end, with explanations.

-

Danny is upset that his parents are basically ignoring him on his birthday (February 12) to work on the ghost portal and complains to Sam and Tucker. Jack and Maddie take a break, accidentally leaving the door to the basement lab unlocked, so Sam and Tucker drag Danny down to the lab, where he releases pent up frustrations that eventually leads to his accident. Danny recovers at home for about a week and a half before being forced to go back to school and the trio realize Danny wasn’t hallucinating, he really does have ghost powers! About a month after his accident, Jack and Maddie figure out how to open the ghost portal without causing a city-wide blackout and Danny fights his first ghost the next day (probably the Box Ghost, but it doesn’t really matter).

Sam decides to leave her mark on Kibosh Middle School before they graduate 8th grade and move on to High School and gets the school to change its menu to ultra-recyclo vegetarian food, drawing the Lunch Lady out of the Ghost Zone to be his first major opponent. The school ultimately decides to keep some of the vegetarian items as options but otherwise leave the menu mostly the same.

Danny is still trying to grapple with the reality that he literally died in that accident but can’t bring himself to say as much to Sam and Tucker, so he struggles alone for now and just tries to not think about it, focusing on the “half alive” part. He also discovers that he feels good protecting his friends from the handful of ghosts/not-quite-ghosts that find their way through the ghost portal, compelled to defend them by fighting the ghosts, but doesn’t understand why. (Danny doesn't know about Obsessions yet, and his is somewhat nuanced anyways, but a large part of it is protecting others. He also doesn't know that fighting is not only acceptable in ghost culture, it’s practically a requirement for regulating out-of-control emotions.)

Danny decides to use his powers to get back at a bully, which invokes the ire of Sidney, a bully victim that has been absorbing all the negative memories of other victims for decades, leaving them as more of a “we are legion” kind of ghost than a single soul. Since the ghost portal was opened somewhat nearby, Sidney was able to gain enough power to confront Danny, who was the only one they could really interact with because of Danny’s own powers. After a struggle, Danny realizes that bullying the bullies doesn’t help anything and instinctively wants to help Sidney. After some research and trying to communicate with Sidney, Danny decides the best way to help them was to allow Sidney to rest and pass on to the afterlife, and the best way to do that was to let Sidney be the hero that they never got to have in life and couldn’t provide others in death. They staged a scene where Danny was “bullying” one of his friends and Sidney got to stand up to him and “convince” Danny of what he’d already learned; that bullying bullies just makes more bullies, but standing up to them to defend yourself isn’t the same thing. Satisfied, Sidney is finally able to pass on to the afterlife.

Ghosts start coming through the ghost portal more often now, as word of its existence has spread, and Danny needs a break by the time Jack and Maddie’s old college friend invites everyone to his castle for their class reunion. The Fentons are convinced to stay the night before the party and Danny meets Plasmius in the dead of night; they fight but Danny is no match for Plasmius and gets knocked out, reverting to human form in front of Plasmius only to wake up in his bed that morning, thinking it must have been a dream. During the party, Skulker traps Danny in Vlad’s lab before Vlad reveals himself as Plasmius, ranting for a while before overshadowing Jack to cause a scene. This is Skulker’s first interaction with Danny; he’d initially agreed to work with Vlad so he could later betray him and add Plasmius to his collection, but decides Danny might be the better target, being younger and weaker, and therefore easier to deal with. Skulker decides to leave, since he no longer cares about hunting Plasmius, and the Dairy King (former owner of Vlad’s castle) sets Danny free, allowing him to save the day.

May 9th is Jack and Maddie’s wedding anniversary and they have a fight. Jack had a present he was going to use as an apology to Maddie but it gets knocked into the Ghost Zone, forcing Danny to go get it or risk his parents divorcing; this is the first time he’s actually been in the Ghost Zone, as the sight of the portal triggered memories of his death. He had to overcome his fear to retrieve the present but gets caught by Walker instead and thrown into Walker’s Ghost Jail, where he stages a riot as a distraction to get the present and book it back home. This puts him on Walker’s hit list.

Danny finally graduates 8th grade, leaving Kibosh Middle School for summer vacation. Now that school is out, Danny is able to focus on figuring out his powers and admits to Tucker and Sam that he wants to become a superhero, like Superman and Wonder Woman. He’d kind of been dabbling in heroing a bit but now he was fully committed. They agree to help him train but before they can really start, Maddie takes Danny on an impromptu camping trip to reconnect with him. Unfortunately, this was a trap set by Vlad to get Maddie and Danny away from Amity Park to try to win them over (and take out Jack), which doesn’t go well. Maddie didn’t notice Vlad bullying Danny and thinks he’s only really after her.

Not much happens the rest of the summer, just Danny training and fighting random ghosts and tentatively exploring the Ghost Zone (where it’s safer to test some of his more destructive powers), until school starts again in August, sending the trio to Casper High School. They are almost immediately given a standardized test to help figure out where students are in their education and where they might need help, but all of the students are distracted by hot new singer Ember McLain. Most adults seem to be unaffected but the students are going absolutely feral for Ember, leaving Danny and Sam the only “free” students, so when Danny realizes Ember is a ghost it’s up to them to save everyone. This is Danny’s first real threat since he decided to become a superhero.

September brings Homecoming, which brings Danny’s first High School dance (interrupted by a cursed necklace (which becomes important later) that turns the wearer into a dragon when sufficiently angry), a party with the “cool kids” where Danny fails to fit in (interrupted by Technus), and the Homecoming game where Danny tries out being the mascot and discovers Desiree and her wishes (I think I’ll make her more of a false genie than an actual ghost). After she grants Tucker’s wish to have ghost powers too, Danny solidifies his choice to be a hero and not abuse his powers like Tucker does while he has them. With this gauntlet of rogues, Danny feels better about trying to be a hero but decides to keep working in the shadows for now; he’s not quite ready to debut publicly just yet.

Unfortunately, Danny’s double life has taken a toll on his grades; school never really agreed with him anyways but he’d always managed to keep his head above the water, until all of his time was sucked up by fighting ghosts. With first quarter coming to a close, he takes on an extra credit assignment; to study the nearly extinct purple-back gorillas, one of which happens to be at Amity Park’s zoo. However, Skulker decides this is the time to catch Danny for his collection but Danny manages to outsmart the hunter and in the process discovers the gorilla is actually a girl instead of a boy. This is just enough to get his grade up to passing and Danny takes out his frustration on the next ghost he sees, unconsciously realizing that the constant fights are helping him feel better by regulating his emotions.

By October, first quarter tests are just around the corner as Technus returns and ruins Danny’s attempt to be a normal kid playing video games for a bit, which had been dropped to accommodate his school and hero work. He barely manages to get an A on his make-up test (having fallen asleep during the original test) and arrive just in time to help his friends trap Technus in the video game he had gotten into. Danny feels he can’t pull back on either his school or hero stuff and his mental health suffers for it, being unable to just be a kid, and Jazz starts to notice. Spirit Week is leading up to Halloween, in a vain attempt to channel the inevitable insanity that particular holiday always brings to Amity Park, and Jazz convinces Danny to see the new school counselor, Penelope Spectra, unaware that she’s a psychovore/psychic vampire that feeds on misery. This is Danny’s first real fight with a non-ghost (but still supernatural) rogue and marks Jazz discovering Danny’s secret double life. She decides to not tell him that she knows and let him come to her when he's ready, determined to help him from the background until then.

On Halloween, Danny feels supercharged and jittery, like he had four energy drinks for breakfast; Sam thinks it might be because it’s Halloween and it’s said that the veil between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead is at its weakest. Tucker disagrees, saying it’s an unproven and unscientific theory, but considering what they know now about the Ghost Zone and ghosts being real, Danny thinks there might be something to it. Most people in the town felt some kind of way leading up to Halloween and winding down from it, but it’s somewhat more confirmed when most of the ghosts Danny had interacted with in the past few days (even before school Halloween day) mentioned being stronger because of Halloween. Danny’s speculation is interrupted when a ghost attack gets him and football star Dash Baxter in trouble, and the only way out is a competition: who can make the scariest room for the teacher’s haunted house party!

While researching for his room, Danny comes across some old legends and one illustration of a castle sticks out to him as familiar; he’s seen this place in the Ghost Zone! After reading about Fright Knight, the spirit of Halloween, and his sword, the Soul Shredder, Danny thinks that maybe he could borrow it to spice up his room with personalized nightmares. Ignoring his friends’ warnings, Danny takes the book and finds the castle, but once he removes the sword from its place, Fright Knight himself appears! Danny initially plans to run but Fright Knight mentions his plan to take over the mortal realm and turn it into his own nightmare-ish domain and Danny can’t have that. They fight and Danny is overwhelmed, deciding that sealing Fright Knight back up is his best course of action, and is very glad he brought the book with him. He discovers that he can reseal Fright Knight by returning the sword to the pedestal, as his soul is bound to it, and Danny barely succeeds. Deciding to just take some inspiration from the castle, and the Ghost Zone in general, Danny laments the wasted time and proceeds to lose the contest, apologizing to his friends for not listening. Little did Danny know, this brought Fright Knight’s existence to Pariah’s attention...

Danny finds the ghost dog Cujo, which is sort of the combined souls of all the abandoned guard dogs into one ghost, and they accidentally wreck Axion Labs, getting the former head of RnD fired and launching one of his classmates out of the “cool crowd”. With her new grudge against ghosts, especially Phantom, Vlad gives Valerie the tools to hunt ghosts so he can study Phantom through their interactions. He knew to do this because he’d set up remote surveillance around Amity Park, possibly even before the Class Reunion, initially to track/watch Maddie but now geared more towards studying Danny.

There’s no time to dwell on this, though, as the school is suddenly hosting a beauty pageant, the "Miss Teenage Happy Princess Beauty Pageant", which Sam signs up for out of spite and Danny is chosen to judge as an “every man”. They eventually unravel the plot that Dorathea was using the Amulet Danny had found a while ago to possess a human in order to find a bride for her brother, Prince Aragon, to break the curse and free her people from the pocket dimension they’d been trapped in. It had recently been absorbed by the Ghost Zone and Dorathea was forced to escape first, since they didn’t know if she’d survive and Aragon didn’t want to risk his own life. Incensed at the mistreatment, Sam offers to help her overthrow her brother so Danny is forced to pick Sam as the winner to get her transported to Aragon’s castle, which Danny and Tucker track her to.

Successfully overthrown, the curse is broken as a worthy Queen is crowned: Queen Dorathea! Turns out, she was the older sibling but had died young and her soul was bound to her half of the twin Amulets of Aragon before Prince Aragon’s arrogance got them cursed years later; her kingdom would have accepted her rule if she hadn’t died first and the progressiveness of the medieval kingdom pleases Sam greatly. As the kingdom begins to return to the Earthly plane, Dorathea assures them she’ll take care of the human she’s been overshadowing for over a month and the trio make their escape, promising to find them and visit sometime. Now they have to face their classmates, who Danny and Tucker have been abusing this whole time, making pretty much everyone hate the pair, and Sam by association (plus the fact that she “stole” their win just because she’s Judge Danny’s friend).

There’s a carnival in town leading up to Thanksgiving and magic user (necromancer?) Johnny 13 is trying to find a host for his dead girlfriend, Kitty, to inhabit, picking Jazz and manipulating her into wearing Kitty’s clothes, which her soul is bound to. Johnny’s Shadow is a magic entity he created a while ago to be his familiar. Danny manages to save Jazz and run Johnny out of town to find someone else to host Kitty. We never see them again.

The whirlwind month continues as Valerie and Danny are paired in a group assignment to take care of a sack of flour. Danny already knew about Valerie’s ghost hunting “job” but later realizes she works at the Nasty Burger as well, all while Skulker tries to pit them against each other before cuffing them together to hunt them both.

As December begins, a “ghost flu” is going around school, which turns out to be a plot by Spectra to get revenge on Danny, though she is thwarted in the end. Danny gets more agitated the closer it gets to Christmas, retreating to the Ghost Zone to blow off steam. He accidentally destroys the book Ghost Writer had just finished and Ghost Writer traps Danny in a pocket dimension for a few hours; nothing in the “Christmas story” Danny experiences was real but he ends up learning his lesson about tolerance anyways. This also showcases the neglect both Danny and Jazz have to endure regularly, as Jack and Maddie are too busy arguing about whether Santa is a ghost or not pretty much the entire month. This has been going on for Danny’s entire life.

January of 2005 starts with a bang as Walker invades Amity Park and paints Phantom as the cause, making him Public Enemy Number One. Danny had been putting off his public debut and was now paying for it by letting someone else control the narrative. The adults have all bought into it but most of the kids, many of whom have interacted with Phantom personally, lean into their rebellious teenage spirit and decide Phantom is a hero anyways. Which is good, because the adults go missing and Danny Fenton has to rally the troops to save them. One semi-important change is that Danny, when accused of abandoning them, reminds them that he was basically thrown off the ship and that the only reason he wasn’t dead was because Phantom caught him just before he hit the water; he was dropped off at the pier and Phantom flew away before Danny could ask him for a ride so he had no way to get back up. This helps solidify that Danny and Phantom aren’t the same person, as there were rumors starting to spread now that Phantom’s existence had been confirmed, even though no one actually saw the save.

As his Birthday (and Death Day) approaches, Danny becomes more irritable, culminating in Desiree granting Sam’s wish that they’d never met. Rather than altering reality, Deseree alters everyone’s memories until she is defeated and the wishes she granted are all reversed. Danny did still have his powers but didn’t realize it until Sam reminded him and his obsession to protect kicked in. He is fully restored once his memories return.

Then Danny experienced his first Death Day, and it is a doozy. I’m skipping the summary, though, because I plan to actually write it.

Danny manages to bounce back from this just in time for Vlad to put a bounty on his head by the end of February, attracting a mess of ghost hunters to Amity park, though only the GIW stick around after the bounty is revoked (or maybe proven to be a scam). This will have nothing to do with the Skeleton Key or the ecto-filtraitor; Vlad mostly just wants to mess with Danny, since he hasn’t done that in a while, and wants to make sure Danny stays on his toes. Vlad’s obsession with Maddie is starting to shift to Danny now, though Vlad may not realize it; he still loves her, obviously, but making Danny his protégé is starting to take precedence in his mind.

In March, a new student named Gregor starts flirting with Sam and Danny is suspicious (but totally not jealous!) of his exchange student story. The GIW make a nuisance of themselves and Danny thinks Gregor might be working with them, paranoid about his secret getting out while everyone still kind of hates him. Gregor is revealed as a fraud when the GIW go after him, breaking character as they accuse him of being related to Phantom, and confirming to Danny that Gregor really isn’t working with the GIW. Shortly after, Circus Gothica visits Amity park, as Freakshow had only been made aware of Phantom’s existence two months ago and couldn’t book anything sooner; he desperately wanted to add Phantom to his show, as well as his crime spree. Once the Crystal Ball Staff (which really needs a new name) was shattered, the ghosts under his control were freed and Freakshow is arrested for his crimes.

Ever since Danny had officially decided to be a hero the previous summer, Sam and Tucker had been working out to make sure they could keep up with Phantom, but Danny had been slacking off because he had powers. At risk of failing PE, Sam and Tucker decide to help Danny train his human half but Danny resists, stating he could just use his powers in human form to pass the exam; he could still access them, even if they were weaker and quickly sapped his energy. Sam and Tucker try to convince him that he should still try to stay fit in case he ever lost his powers or couldn’t use them, siting the Plasmius Maximus he told them about or when they fought Ember and Youngblood just a few months ago. They’re interrupted by Skulker until all four were shrunk by Jack’s newest invention. While Skulker’s tech is largely unaffected, both Skulker and Danny were quickly losing their ghost abilities and by the time they manage to return themselves to normal size, Danny is forced to admit that training his human side might be a good idea. (no Dash in this story)

Tucker tries running for Student Body President but gets frustrated when Sam and Danny try to change his platform to appeal to a broader audience rather than let Tucker be true to himself. The mummy Hotep RA breaks out of his sarcophagus at the new museum exhibit and feeds on Tucker’s resentment, fueling his need for respect and control via the Scarab Scepter Hotep is bound to. It doesn’t give Tucker any actual powers, but it does allow Hotep to drain him of his life force the longer he has it; there is no reality warping but Hotep does terrorize the students on Tucker’s behalf and Tucker is saved just in time, his life force returned to him. Hotep RA was a revenant that wants desperately to become a lich, though focusing more of the zombie aspect than Danny’s ghostly side; but they don’t know any of that yet.

(NOTE: I might want to give Sam and Tucker powers, and if I do, this is where Tucker gets his. When Tucker’s life force was returned to him, he basically sucked Hotep’s life force in too, draining Hotep of his magic, which could eventually lead to Tucker gaining some kind of powers of his own, once he realizes it and starts trying to develop those powers.)

Danny finally starts to feel like he has a handle on things, wanting just one weekend to be a normal kid, until he accidentally releases Technus from the game they trapped him in, having completely forgotten he was in there. They think they recaptured him but Technus hides in Tucker’s PDA until he can take over the Fenton RV instead. Danny decides that, since he hasn’t mastered duplication yet, the only way to keep his weekend of fun and catch Technus again is to use the Fenton Ghost Catcher to separate his heroic ghost half from his fun-loving human half. While this technically works, things go downhill fast as the two halves are surprisingly different from the original Danny, let alone each other; it does allow Danny and Phantom to be in the same room together, though, further debunking the ever-present rumor that they are the same person (courtesy of Wes Weston). Heroic Phantom recognizes that they are better as one and tries to recombine by overshadowing Fun Danny, but Danny manages to throw Phantom out after he makes them clean their room. The two attempt to recombine again but only succeed in splitting Danny Phantom’s ghost powers between the two while leaving their modified personalities intact. There’s no time to dwell on it, though, and the pair of Danny’s are forced to work together to bring Technus down and come to an understanding that both heroic and fun sides are necessary for Danny Phantom to be his best self and are able to recombine. Danny admits he had doubts that he could, or even should be a hero, but feels better about his decision after this, even if he does have to sacrifice some of his childhood for it.

(NOTE: He could recombine just fine when the Ghost Catcher was first introduced, and this makes for a better story anyways. They couldn’t recombine at first because Danny and Phantom were very much not on the same page yet, but were by the end.)

Danny is then plagued by Youngblood after inadvertently freeing him from the bottom of the nearby river he’d been trapped in since his debut. Everyone starts to think he’s crazy because only kids can see Youngblood and he’s very careful to only annoy Danny while adults (and his sister who thinks she’s an adult) are around. They take a road trip and Jazz acts immature just long enough to see Youngblood for herself and let Danny save their parents.

By the end of April, Technus returns and Valerie is caught off-guard, getting injured before she can activate her ghost hunting equipment, which she had recently started calling “Red Huntress” as a superhero name (in my timeline, her dad doesn’t know about her extracurriculars yet). Technus pretends to be caught but actually hides in Valerie’s phone, eventually finding his way into a supercomputer at Axion Labs that’s linked to a satellite that could reach any computer on earth. Technus realized breaking the encryption was going to take a while and needed to distract everyone, so he remotely took over Valerie’s suit, tossing her into a room and locking her in so she can’t interfere, then attacking Danny, who has to transform and try to get Red Huntress out of the labs so they don’t cause too much damage. Technus still needs more time and decides to distract his two biggest threats with each other, having noticed earlier they seemed to like like each other; he sends a quick instant message to both (r u ok?), coded to look like the other had sent it, and that spark is all it took to get the fire going. After talking all night, they meet after school and Technus keeps tabs on the two as they hang out pretty much all day, using a few “lucky coincidences” to keep them occupied while most of his attention is still on decrypting the link to the satellite. Sam and Tucker are suspicious as they (but mostly Sam) spy on the pair while Tucker realizes Technus might be playing matchmaker; but why?

Danny laughs at the theory when they tell him the next day and says he actually really wants to ask Valerie to officially be his girlfriend, which Valerie overhears and they notice her just in time to not say anything too incriminating in front of her. Danny mentions he wanted to ask her in a more romantic setting, but since the cat’s kinda out of the bag, he would be thrilled to be her boyfriend, if she’ll have him. Valerie is stunned he’s so forward all of a sudden but glances at Tucker and Sam (who is fighting to contain a conniption) and asks if his friends would accept her; she knows how close they are and doesn’t want to come between them or make him choose. That snaps Sam out of it, swallowing her anger and admitting that she’s not exactly happy about it, but for Danny’s sake she’ll try, which is honestly more than Danny was expecting. He knew that she was kind of possessive, especially over him, but didn’t quite understand why (or couldn’t bring himself to accept it). Danny and Valerie walk off together, but as soon as they’re out of sight, Red Huntress attacks them and Valerie tells Danny to run while she distracts Red Huntress; Danny hesitates but runs, saying he’ll get help, quickly transforming and trying to get Red Huntress away from the school.

Val knew that Phantom knew her civilian identity, and knew that Phantom had seen her not piloting the Red Huntress suit, but she was still concerned when Phantom brutally destroyed it, realizing just how easily he could beat her if he wanted to and how easy he was going on her whenever she hunted him. Danny, Sam, and Tucker finally realize Technus was controlling the suit and what his plan is, heading to Axion Labs to stop him. Valerie was trying to sneak her busted suit into the lab to try to fix it when her dad finds her and realizes that his daughter is Red Huntress, only to be interrupted by Phantom showing up and trying to explain what going on, which causes Technus to panic and upgrade the Huntress suit in hopes that they’d fight each other. Red Huntress does go after Phantom, more out of habit than anything, but realizes that Phantom is right and they have a common enemy, so together they stop Technus just in time to keep him from the satellite (they don’t go to space). Red Huntress lets Phantom go today but vows she’ll catch him next time, though she’s secretly much more conflicted about it, rethinking her interactions with him without her bias. Her dad also now knows that she’s Red Huntress, which both complicates and simplifies Valerie’s life. The next day at school, Valerie approaches Danny and says she’s had some time to think about it and isn’t sure she’s ready to have a boyfriend yet; not that she doesn’t want to date Danny, he’s still really cool and fun and nice, but her life is really complicated right now and she doesn’t think she’ll be able to be the kind of girlfriend Danny deserves, at least not yet. Maybe they can come back to this in a year or two if they still feel the same? Danny is sad but accepts it and hopes that maybe they can still hang out sometimes.

As the last month of school begins, everyone will need to take the Career Aptitude Test and Danny accidentally finds himself in possession of the test answers. Clockwork manipulates events to show Danny the bad future that awaits him should he ever lose his humanity, culminating in Phantom fighting Dan and revealing his secret to his parents and Mr. Lancer. Phantom wins with the Ghostly Wail, learning it ten years early, and souping Dan but is completely wiped and unable to save his friends and family from the explosion that was destined to kill them. Clockwork then freezes time and talks to Danny about what just happened; how the Observants “view time as a parade, watching each event in sequence, whereas I see the parade from above, along with all the twists and turns that might or might not happen, the paths that could have been and still may be taken by the procession.” He goes on to say that he is also able to manipulate events so certain paths are blocked to make sure the parade goes where he wants it to go, when he wants it to go there, and that this is what he was doing with Dan; giving Danny an extreme demonstration to make sure Danny knows to look out for paths that might lead him to become Dan again, as that future is still possible. Clockwork then resets Danny back to before the test and he comes clean to Mr. Lancer.

Danny confronts Jazz after school about her knowing his secret and she reveals she knows about Dan too, since she had met him and sent the Boo-merang on its 10 year quest before the test started; not even Sam and Tucker know about Dan now, and Danny admits he’s glad she knows and he really does need someone to talk to about what he just saw and went through. He’d already been having doubts about how effective he was at being a hero and if it was worth sacrificing his civilian life for, and now knowing about his potential to become Dan, he’s not sure what to do. She comforts him but the unease lingers.

Now officially part of Team Phantom, Jazz immediately goes overboard with trying to help now that she doesn’t have to hide, discovers Vlad is Plasmius, manipulates her way into Vlad’s good graces, finds his secret lab, and eventually has to fake a fight with Phantom to trick Vlad into lowering his guard. Jazz agrees to follow the trio’s lead from now on instead of trying to take control herself, recognizing that she’s not used to working with them openly, and Danny promises to make sure he, Sam, and Tucker adjust their own dynamic so she still feels included in their plans. It’ll take both parties to make it work and everyone will have to compromise to some degree. After Jazz also rejects Vlad, he decides that if he can’t convince Danny to join him, he’ll just make his own Danny Phantom and begins looking into cloning. This keeps him very busy for a few months.

After the Dan incident, Danny never told Sam and Tucker about it and forbade Jazz from telling either, but had started to avoid fighting ghosts, paranoid it might trigger Dan’s recurrence. Sam and Tucker had no idea what was wrong so they tried to reestablish a sense of normalcy by taking Danny to the nearby waterpark that just opened up for the summer. Danny inevitably has to fight a ghost, which actually helps regulate his emotions even if he still doesn’t understand why yet, and Paulina witnesses Phantom transform back into Danny. He’d had a superficial crush on her until recently, when he tried to date Valerie and realized he didn’t actually like Paulina that way, but Paulina has had a not-so-secret crush on Phantom for a while now and blackmails Danny into officially dating her as Phantom, even though she’s barely lukewarm about Danny’s human half. She threatens to reveal his secret if he doesn’t comply and he ends up having to save her constantly, both from ghosts and ghost hunters since Phantom is still considered a threat by the general public. Danny gets more and more frustrated until he and Team Phantom devise a way to discredit Paulina when she inevitably makes good on her threat; Danny is forced to perfect duplication to make sure Danny and Phantom can be seen in the same place at the same time. He just barely manages to pull it off but his secret identity is now secure.

Phantom confronts Paulina later that night, now that he doesn’t have to tiptoe around her, and officially dumps her, saying Phantom and Fenton are a package deal; she can’t have one without the other. Paulina tries to argue that she can date Fenton if it means she can have Phantom, but he counters that Fenton may have had a crush on her before but that was really only because she’s pretty, and unfortunately that’s about all she is; this whole experience has really hammered that home for him. It never would have actually worked out between them, not when all they had was infatuation. Paulina is devastated and Phantom leaves, but over the next few days she vows revenge for breaking her heart and makes Team Phantom’s lives miserable in any way she can. She may or may not try to team up with Wes to expose him, as he’s the only other person who still believes Fenton is Phantom.

And then Danny battles Pariah, which is where the story really begins.

-

In case it’s not clear, here’s the episode order by month:

February - accident on the 12th

March - 1 Mystery Meat, 25 Splitting Images

April - 7 Bitter Reunions

May - 8 Prisoners of Love, end of 8th grade

June - 17 Maternal Instinct

July - training montage

August - start of 9th grade, 11 Fanning the Flames

September - 2 Parental Bonding, 4, Attack of the Killer Garage Sale, 6 What You Want

October - 3 One of a Kind, 12 Teacher of the Year, 9 My brother’s Keeper, 13 Fright Knight

November - 10 Shades of Gray, 34 Beauty Marked, 14 13, 18 Life Lessons

December - 22 Doctor’s Disorders, 30 The Fright Before Christmas

2005

January - 15 Public Enemies, 23 Pirate Radio

February - 21 Memory Blank, Death Day, 19 The Million Dollar Ghost

March - 38 Double Cross My Heart, 20 Control Freaks, 33 Micro Management, 35 King Tuck

April - 26 Identity Crisis, 27 The Fenton Menace, 32 Flirting with Disaster

May - 28 The Ultimate Enemy, 31 Secret Weapons, 16 Lucky in Love, end of 9th grade

June - 24 Reign Storm

July - 37 Kindred Spirits

August - start of 10th grade

-

Episodes I’m specifically skipping:

36 Masters of All Time - I had a way to make the general plot work, but I couldn’t find a satisfying way to rework the solution to the problem. I didn’t really like the show’s solution with the diet soda, and with my story being somewhat darker, the silly solution wouldn’t have fit. If I did decide to use it, would have been between Reign Storm and Kindred Spirits.

39 Reality Trip - if I had used it, it would be the last thing that happens before Batman gets Danny for good, after Kindred Spirits and just before 10th grade starts. I might still use a heavily modified version using some DC artifact instead of the Reality Gauntlet.

Season 3 - I’m ignoring pretty much everything in Season 3, though I am sprinkling elements into other stories, like Frostbite and the yetis being introduced in Reign Storm, along with Pandora (thought she’s more in line with her DC counterpart), and I might make Vortex one of Pariah’s Generals but it would take some convincing. 45 Forever Phantom could fit more-or-less unchanged but I’m not sure where I’d put it. Some plots I think I can use in Gotham, though, like 46 Urban Jungle having something to do with The Green or Poison Ivy, and 49 Frightmare could work there, too. I could probably squish 50 Claw of the Wild to fit with Gotham, maybe a fieldtrip gone wrong with the Waynes or even Young Justice if I wanna put it out that far. I’m not sure how I want to handle 51 D-Stabilized, and you cannot make me acknowledge 52 Phantom Planet.

[arielsojourner]

No but imagine it. Like I mean really. It would be so fucked up.

The US Olympic Commitee, due to corruption or insanity, proposed Gotham and by some fluke, it won the bid.

Clark Kent and Lois Lane literally starts an investigation to try and uncover how the fuck Gotham could have won. With a little detective help (Thank you Batfam) their 7 piece expose article wins them a Pulitzer and there are huge IOC and even FIFA reforms. But the Games still happen much to the despair of many.

Some idiot decided to build the Olympic Village practically on top of Crime Alley (because land is so cheap) so Red Hood's gang has to protect the athletes and coaches who don't have a fucking clue. Well, some of them from some countries know how to behave but not all of them! (Plus once the Games are over Red Hood can take the village over and offer free housing to those in need.)

The US sends in some hot shot movie producer to develop and direct the Opening Ceremony highlighting the city and its history. He quits after a week of hazing from every costumed villain not currently in Arkham and the vitriol of the locals. The guy they bring in to replace him wants to use Amusement Mile as a "fun" backdrop. He doesn't last 24 hours before he "mysteriously" vanishes. It remains an unsolved case. (Oracle refuses to help Batman figure it out). After that the Gotham U drama department takes over. When the Opening Ceremony airs ... well... the commentators really have no idea what to even say, other than it is reminiscent of Tim Burton's earlier works. That and Edgar Allan Poe mixed with Mary Shelley's works.

Dick briefly wishes he could compete in gymnastics but that would be too telling. He does go to as many events as he can. His part time gymnastics coach job goes full time soon after, thanks to an uptick in new students and WE money towards youth sports initiatives.

Tim however gets to compete as a skateboarder which the board of directors at WE has no idea what to do about until Tim medals and then they really don't know what to do about it. Their CEO is 17 and went straight from a meeting to compete, win gold, put back on his tie and suit jacket and go back to work. The rest of the Batfam didn’t even know he was in the Olympics until they saw the news coverage of his medal ceremony.

They are even more surprised when they discover Barbara is competing in the ParaOlympics. Commissioner Gordon is so proud.

The mascot of the Games was jokingly going to be a bat but the city voted and it's an adorable baby bird in classic Robin colors. Dick has got a dozen of them. The other Robins deny it but they all bought ones too.

Lots of big celebrities come into town to see and be seen. They are not welcome amoung Gotham's Old Money or even Gotham's Newer Money. They attend a few galas (invited as a novelty) but they have no idea how to behave when Two Face takes them hostage. So much unnecessary screaming. Gothamites as Alfred is fond of pointing out, are a breed of their own.

Damian volunteers his own barn to stable the dressage horses. Goliath and Batcow won't mind! Bruce must firmly retract the offer for security reasons. Still, Damian insists on seeing the equestrian events and protests until he is allowed to gift all winning horses with medals. He then asks for a horse of his own. Bruce says no. Talia then has a horse delivered. Alfred arranges lessons for Damian.

Poison Ivy uses the Games as an excuse to hold the city hostage until something is done to stop during in the Gotham Harbor. Bruce and Tim in turn use it as an excuse to leverage the rich into backing environmental clean up.

Cass performs as a solo dancer as part of the Closing Ceremony.

Bruce gets to be part of the Olympic torch procession once the flame enters the city. He doesn't get to enjoy much more than that because it is weeks of hell keeping all the Rogues quiet.

Killer Croc tries to go after the triathlon athletes in the water but is stopped.

Catwoman keeps trying to steal the medals just for kicks. Oracle and the Birds of Prey have to set up round the clock security. Batman is too easily distracted to be much help.

Riddler keeps trying to sabotage different events because he mistakenly thinks all Olympians are jocks. Steph and Tim have to thwart him and talk him down while diffusing bombs. Harley even lends a hand so Ed can work through some high school trauma.

Bane just wants to watch weightlifting and wrestling in peace but Batman feared the worst when he heard he was in town.

Scarecrow tries to taint the athletes food and water to study performance anxiety in real time.

Penguin just sticks to gambling but Nightwing has to work extra hard keeping people out of the Iceberg Lounge (no, it is not a cool nightclub.)

Mr. Freeze tries to turn the Summer Games into the Winter Games. He thought it would be funny.

The less said about Joker's not funny attempt at mass murder the better, though the media just thought it was some weirdly intense pyrotechnics display. Gordon is so relieved at non-Gotham naivete. The Mayor would have his hide if the Games were ruined.

No one really gets any sleep for weeks. The rest of the world has no idea what to make of perpetually gloomy Gotham.

So really. Not every city can or should host the Game. The lesson? Do NOT host the Games in Gotham. Just don't.

Imagine if they hosted the Olympics in Gotham though would that be fucked up or what

[random-imagines-blog]

Unlock It {Bucky Barnes x Reader Oneshot}

Wordcount: 3827 Summary: Bucky has his kind of therapy. You have yours. Only - yours tends to be a little bit more eclectic than his.

Bucky Barnes was in therapy. It took him a while to admit that to you, that he had been forced into going after everything that happened with The Avengers saving the world against a big bad Titan. Actually, it was easier for him to talk about the big battle and losing Steve than it was to tell you about Dr. Raynor. You didn’t judge him for that. How could you? In this world where it seems like men would do literally anything to avoid therapy, even go on the run rather than open up. You thought it was a good thing, even though he told you that he hated her, hated it and didn’t really talk about anything. So in an act of showing him how good it can feel, how it can really free the soul, you started going to therapy too. Not Dr. Raynor. That would have been too weird. No, you found another therapist. More of a hippy type, truth be told. But you liked her vibes. And she had liked yours.

The office was furnished with macrame and wicker. Even the coasters on which you could rest your water-bottle or the mug of herbal tea that she liked to supply were macrame feathers. Home made from the looks of it. And old. A little frayed. But still very loved. You had liked that about it all - it wasn’t clean and sterile. It was comfortable. It felt like you were visiting an eclectic aunt who just wanted to give you some advice and guidance rather than someone that you were paying to listen to you. It wasn’t for everyone - but it did the trick for you.

You opened up to your Doctor - who refused to let you call her Doctor. “My name is Vicky. That’s who I want to be with you. Doctor is too clinical. Too cold. I want to be your friend, I want to be someone that you feel like you can turn to, that you can talk to.”

That had been exactly what drew you to her - which was weird because it was the same kind of pull that you had towards Bucky when you first met him. Two years ago today. You were walking out of the grocery store, carrying the couple of bags that you got towards the sidewalk so you could catch the bus home. It was New York after all. Driving was just an insane idea. It would have taken you three times as long to get home. Just as you stepped off the asphalt onto pavement, one of your bags ripped. That’s what you get for using plastic bags, forgetting your reusable ones at home. Apples, oranges, they went sprawling down the street. A couple into traffic. A truck ran over one. A cabbie yelled at you over one of the apples. Like you had meant for this to happen.

You gave the cabbie the finger and he went off with another honk. You tried to gather together what you could off of the sidewalk, but it began to make your other bags feel overloaded. You didn’t have much of a choice. Your bus was going to be at the stop soon. If you missed it, you were going to have to wait another half an hour and the heat was sweltering.

The cackles of some teenagers reached your ears. Just what you needed. A group of dumbasses haha and heehaw’ing at you dropping your vitamin C. And not doing a damn thing to help you.

“Oh, yeah, it’s so funny,” You called out to them, annoyed. “Laugh it up. What would you do if I was your mother or your sister huh? Would you just stand there and laugh?”

“Thing is -” One of the teenagers spoke up. Sports jacket. Probably some big shot on a football team somewhere or something. “- they wouldn’t use those cheap ass bags.”

You sighed. Fair play. How were you even supposed to argue with that? You managed to get what was around you and was chasing after a rogue orange when it hit somebody’s shoe. A black sneaker. A gloved hand picked it up. You followed the line of the dark jeans, up over the broad chest of the long sleeved-shirt with sweat marks around the collar, up to the handsome face above. “Ignore them,” The man said, slipping the orange inside of your bags. “Boys don’t know what to do when there’s someone good looking around other than to laugh and fuck it up immediately.”

“Thanks,” You said,  “I thought I was going to have to chase that thing up to Manhattan or something. Rogue orange.” He chuckled at your comment, showing off a set of near-perfect teeth behind those pink lips. Whoa. “I’d - better get going,” You said, reluctantly. As much as you wanted to stand there and stare at this handsome man, it might get a little odd.

“Your bag looks like it’s going to break,” He said. He reached into his back pocket - men tend to have those pretty deep, lucky lads - and pulled out a folded up cloth bag. “Here. You can borrow this.”

You weren’t going to argue. These cheap bags - especially with the added load of the other bagful of things. “Thanks again,” You said, gratefully, putting what you had on the ground and started to transfer some of the things over. You were able to fit about two bags worth of stuff in there, thankfully. That made it so much easier. “I have a couple at home, I’m just always forgetting them,” You explained, not wanting to seem like you were entirely stupid.

“Happens all the time,” He nodded, handing you the things to put into the bag until you were able to lift it. Not too heavy. A real convenience.

“Oh, well - I’m that way so...” You said, pointing over your shoulder in the direction that you had been heading before the big split.

“I said you can borrow the bag, not that you can have it,” The man said with a gruff-looking smile, the corners of his blue eyes getting crinkles. “I’ll walk with you, make sure you don’t have anything else spill on you.”

“I don’t usually bring home men I don’t know the name of," You quipped. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell you his name. But he looked at the bag and sighed, finally admitting to it.

“Bucky Barnes,” He told you.

You looked over his face, and then, “Y/N Y/L/N. Nice to meet you Bucky.”

That’s how it started. A rogue orange. Some jeering teenagers. You never forgot the reusable bags again. Bucky kept them near the coat closet for you, ready at a moment’s notice. He was always taking care of little things like that while you took care of him on the days and nights he had trouble sometimes. You told your therapist all about him. You wondered, sometimes, if he told his therapist about you. Things weren’t perfect, nothing in life ever is. You sometimes had little spats where he’d grab his coat and go out for a walk because he couldn’t handle the stress of seeing you upset. Sometimes you would leave, and come back to see him fixing something that he had broken. Even after so long, he wasn’t used to the metal arm. He’d grown accustomed to not having it in Wakanda - which he had opened up to you about a little. Sometimes he thought about just taking it off - and you told him to do what made him feel good, not what might make him appear normal to the outside world.

You were bringing up the recent argument to your therapist. “I know he’s holding back and I know he thinks it’s for good reason, all of that control but - I’m terrified of losing him. I just sometimes get the feeling that ... I’ve lost him before.” You didn’t know how to fully explain it but there was this fear, every time that he walked out the door.

“Have you given any thought to what we talked about last time?" The therapist asked. You played with the fringes on one of the pillows, running it between your fingers and nodded, slowly. “Would you like to give it a try?”

“Past-life hypnotherapy,” You muttered aloud. That’s what the therapist thought the reason for your anxieties were. There was nothing in your own life that might have made you feel that way. You’ve been lucky enough not to have feelings of abandonment. You were close with your family. Your former relationships, though they had fallen through for reasons, didn’t end with them ‘leaving you’ so to speak. So this was the outlandish theory of your therapist. To unlock your past life and find out the trauma and move on, somehow. It did sound insane. It sounded absolutely crazy. But in this world with people like Dr Strange, with aliens, with immortal Norse God, super soldiers, did reincarnation really sound so silly? “Okay. Let’s try it.”

“Excellent. Now, I want you to lay out on the couch. Don’t mind the shoes, love, you can keep them on if you’re more comfortable like that, I’ll be vacuuming later anyway.” You did bring your feet up, in whichever way you felt the most comfortable, and laid your head down on the pillow. Your arms were at your sides. You closed your eyes.

She started to talk. The words slipped in and out of your head. Like you were half asleep. You started to feel heavy. You tried to concentrate on the individual words but they slipped right out of your head.

The way that you had slipped -

There were so many people around. It was a wonder that you hadn’t been bumped more than once. But it was this one time that really got you. Two giggly women holding onto one another had knocked you clear over and kept on going without looking back. You had stumbled into someone who had helped you get back up onto your feet. “You alright there, doll?”

The voice was smooth, jovial, but concerned. He didn’t seem to be laughing at you. The lady he was with did, though. You saw her face before you saw hers, thanks to the height difference. A pretty little brunette in an embroidered dress. She let out a high pitch laugh and then tried to tug the man along. But he let go of her arm, unhooked, just to put both of his hands on your upper arms and made sure that you were stable.

“I’m fine,” You said, attempting not to glare at the woman who had laughed at you. You straightened up your back and then finally looked at who it was that was touching you. The dark green of the military was the color of all of his clothes, from his trousers to his shirt, jacket, tie and hat. A military man. How very kind of him. His date, however, seemed not to be the kind sort. She kept on walking. She looked over her shoulder expectantly, like she was waiting for him to follow. But he didn’t, he kept looking over you. “Like I said,” You repeated slowly, “I’m fine. There’s no need to leave your date waiting.”

“I tried to find the girls that knocked you over but-” Another friendly voice. A skinny little blonde boy. He had a nice smile though. But you had the oddest feeling of deja-vu ... but for something that hasn’t happened yet. “Are they okay, Buck?”

“Looks like they’re alright,” ‘Buck’ said, speaking for you.

“Really, I’m fine,” You assured the both of them, but found yourself looking back up at Buck. He was a handsome man - but leaving, and apparently taken. “There was no need for you to go chasing them down. I know not to expect an apology. Thank you though. I think you’d best be chasing after your own girls now.”

Buck looked over your head and then shrugged. “Our dates are malcontents,” He said with a shrug. “They’re just here to try to get a look at Howard Stark, I’d wager.”

“His technology is really advanced, I’ve heard,” Buck’s friend said.

“And I’m here for the fun,” Bucky finished. “What are you here for, doll?” He called you the name again. It didn’t go over your head the way that his eyes did.

“The fun,” You admitted. “But I was thinking about leaving. My sister was supposed to meet me here and she’s just not to be found. Probably found herself a handsome man like you two fellas to keep her company,” You laughed. “It was a pleasure, Buck and - Buck’s friend.”

“This is Steve,” Buck said, immediately, bringing his friend forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The size difference was astronomical. “And he’s the only one who ever calls me Buck. It’s Bucky. Well, James Buchanan but I prefer Bucky.”

“Well hi there Bucky and Steve, names for both faces. It was nice to meet ya. Maybe I’ll see you around,” You gave a wave and turned to walk off. It was hard to take your eyes off of Buck’s face. Everyone else around seemed so bland in comparison. But before you took two steps, a hand clasped yours and you spun around back into him.

“You never gave me your name,” Bucky said, smiling charmingly.

“I-” You barely got a word out before you suddenly found yourself waking up. You were holding the fringed pillow up against your chest, squeezing it tightly.

“Y/N, Y/N,” A soft voice kept repeating. As you were coming out of your dream state, you began to notice the colors on the walls, the macrame. It was all so bright and so vivid. So colorful.

“Where am I?” You asked, feeling like you were coming out of a daze.

“You’re in my office, y/n,” The voice said. “Vicky. Let’s sit up now, and get you a glass of water.”

She explained to you that you had gone into a trance easily enough. You were not explaining what had happened but you were saying some things out loud. Buck. Buck’s friends. It all came back to you. Not just the trance, because for a moment or two there, you really did feel like you were back there. Back in the nineteen forties. Where you had a sister and you attended The World’s Fair where Howard Stark was presenting some of his inventions or something. Tony Stark’s father. What a world. What a life you must have lived then. But then an ache hit your heart, hit your stomach. Bucky had left you then. He would have gone off to the war. He would have been deemed missing, fallen from the train during the fight against The Red Skull, fell down and down and down when he was taken by the Russians and turned into The Winter Soldier.

You had cried for a while on that couch. And Vicky had broken her protocol and sat next to you and rubbed at your back until you felt well enough to go home. You made another appointment. You felt like you were going to need it. Because you had promised Bucky that you’d make dinner tonight and you were going to tell him all about this.

-

He came home late. Late and grumpy. As he peeled off the gloves that he used to make himself more normal and took off his coat, the smells of spices from the tacos that you had made seemed to make him not slouch as much as usual. “That smells good,” He seemed to say reluctantly.

“Tastes even better,” You hummed from where you set out the different ingredients. “I couldn’t wait. I was dipping into the salsa. Come on, Buck, take a load off.”

“Okay doll, okay,” He said, giving in. The use of that word. That name. It sent a shiver up your spine. Because it was the first time that he had said it to you today - but it was also the third time that you had heard it from you today. He must have noticed your reaction. Damn those sharp eyes of his. “Everything alright?” He asked, looking around the apartment. Looking for anything off, or any sort of threat.

“No one is here,” You assured him. “Everything’s fine. Just - something very odd happened at therapy today.”

“Your therapist is just odd in general,” He said. He picked up a spoon and started to put the filling in his taco shell. “What was it this time? Were your chakras off? Were you not able to open your third eye wide enough?”

You cracked a smile at that. “Vicky means well,” You said, adding some of your favorite toppings onto your own shell. “But I have a uhh - a bit of a weird question.”

“Okay....” Bucky eyed you over the table. His hands were still moving but his face remained expressionless. No- not quite. There was a puppy-like curiosity in those beautiful eyes.

“Do you remember the World’s Fair that you and Steve went to - where Howard Stark was presenting some sort of flying car type thing?”

“I never got to see it,” Bucky said, a smile spreading as he remembered it. “It was right before I got sent out. Got a little err - distracted. Why?”

“You met someone that night. A couple of girls tripped them up and they nearly fell down -  you saw the whole thing. Your little date laughed at them, kept walking - did you, did you blow her off for this person?”

Bucky looked conflicted as you caught his eye. His hand was gripping so tightly, the taco shell broke apart in his hands, sending bits of cheese, sour cream and taco shell all over his metal hand. “How do you know that?” He asked, his brow furrowed. His eyes were narrowed. You went to get a napkin to help him clean up but he held you away with his flesh and blood hand. “HOW?” He yelled, making you flinch.

Okay, so maybe you didn’t go about it in the right way. With that accusing look, you realized your mistake. You waved the napkin in the air like it was a white flag of surrender.

“Past life hypnotherapy,” You said. “That’s what Vicky and I tried today.” He snorted. He still had trouble believing that you called her Vicky. He couldn’t ever imagine calling his therapist by her first name. Absolutely ridiculous. “Because we couldn’t figure out the source of this anxiety that I have about-” You froze up, realizing that you had never actually revealed that part to Bucky. You didn’t want to put pressure on him. He had enough of it as it was.

“Anxiety about what?” Bucky asked, his tone still harsh. “About what, y/n? About me? About being around me?”

“The opposite,” You said, knowing that you had dug yourself into a hole and the only thing you could fill it with was the truth. “Whenever you go off for more than a couple of hours, even going and seeing Sam, it makes me worry like crazy that you’re just not going to come back. That either you were going to leave, just decide not to come home or - or that something bad was going to happen to you.” He didn’t answer to this. He kept looking at you. He didn’t soften up in the slightest. “We hashed through everything. My family life, childhood, my exes, my friends, but nothing before you had ever given me this reason. So she had an idea and I went with it because what could it hurt right? And then I saw it all. Well, not all of it. Just some of that night. The falling. You helped me. You made sure that I was okay. You called the girls that you and Steve were with malcontents. Steve tried to find the girls that knocked me over but he couldn’t and I was going to leave but you took hold of my hand and - you called me doll. Steve called you Buck,” You said, going over it in your mind like you had the entire ride back home. “I swear, I’m telling you the truth. The reason why I get so afraid of you leaving is because - you did. You left for the war. And you never came home."

“But I did,” Bucky said. “Eventually. I’m home now.”

That was true. He was. He had come back both missing a part of himself and being overfilled - a broken teacup from Alice in Wonderland that is spilling over. “Yeah, you are, love. You’re home. It’s - it’s been a crazy day, if it stresses you out we don’t have to talk about it.”

“It’s okay. Just - give me a minute.” He turned it over in his head as he went to the corner of the room, opened up the closet and brought out the broom. He swept up his mess into the dustbin, threw it out. Throughout all of this, you just watched him while trying not to show it, trying not to seem like you were staring. But you were waiting for another reaction, anything.

He washed his hands at the sink. Dried them on a paper towel. Crumpled it up, threw it into the garbage can. Perfect score. It went straight in. The man had aim. He picked up another taco shell. Started to fill it. You took a small bite of your own, the hardness of the shell cracking against your mouth. The zestiness of the salsa.

“So you’re clumsy in all your lives then?” Bucky finally said, nearly making you choke. You had hardly been expecting his comment. You swallowed it down and then started to laugh.

“That does seem like a common theme, doesn’t it?” You chuckled.

He finished making his own but before he ate it, he walked around to your side of the table and put his arm around your waist. “That’s two lives you fell for me in,” He said, confirming your earlier suspicions. He was just so damn charming, so easy to fall in love with. Even if he often denied that he was worth loving, he had to know what that smile and those eyes did to people. “How about we just live in this one as long as we can, and not worry about a third?”

“I like the sound of that,” You agreed, leaning in towards him. His lips grazed against your cheek, and then closer to your own. Closer - closer - closer - past?

His teeth closed around your food. “Oh no, oh no no no,” You said, pushing him away as he wiped crumbs from his mouth. He had that grin on his face. That sneaky one. “You keep that up and you’re going to your next life sooner rather than later, Buck.”

“Let’s see you try, doll.”

[gremlin-bot]

Wip Wednesday (but a day late)

This is part of my wip for Growth of Trial and Error. This is a fic connecting another two of my one shots. This is not edited to my usual standard but it's pretty close. I'm still working on ship week stuff so this is on the back burner for a bit till I finish that.

ya'll can use this post to ask question and shit in the tag or comments.

--------- Here we go ---------

—------ 1

Danny and Tim have been dating for a little over a month and a half. In that time they have tried to have a date night once every week… It ends up once every two weeks with random visits for a cuddle date. Danny blames the Observants and Gotham rogues for being bitches. There's only so many times that the restaurant they have reservations at somehow gets hit in an attack before they just give up on restaurants all together.

This is one of those cuddle dates. Danny was laying with his eyes closed on Tim's couch with a star pattern blanket wrapped around him. He's waiting for Tim to get back to back with popcorn so they can watch the Knives Out movies. Why would Tim want to watch murder mysteries when he literally helps solve crime as his nightly activities Danny would never get, that being said he had no room to talk. He himself often fights ghosts for fun now. It's good stress relief from royal duties. 

Speaking of royal duties, Danny was sick of paperwork and meetings. Being Ghost King was one almost useless meeting after another with even more useless paperwork to go with each one. He swears, if the Observants ask for another meeting about making more court trials he will find a way to revive them from never being alive and end them himself. All that doesn't matter at the moment because he has a tired boyfriend to cuddle, once he stops taking so long in the kitchen.

Danny opens his eyes to see Tim with a small loving smile on his face. One that Danny can't help but return.

"Aww, it's almost like you got flowers in your lungs for me again!" Danny teases 

"Hey! You have no room to talk, Mr. Blood Blossoms!" Tim's blush only gets worse with Danny's light laughter.

"Yeah, yeah and I'll never live that down." Tim rolls his eyes at the pun. Why did he have to bring another person who likes puns into his life, wasn't Dick enough. Danny lifts one side of the blank.

"Come on sweetheart, get in here." Now how can Tim say no to that? Tim sets down the popcorn and the veggie tray Bruce insisted they have. Tim dives into Danny and settles in for a good old murder mystery.

They get half way through the first movie when things go wrong. 

"God these guys are assholes, you'd think that after hearing one person getting excluded they would worry about the possibility of it happening to themselves!" Danny says, grabbing a handful of popcorn from its bowl.

"I hate that I've met people like this at galas." Tim groans. 

"I hope they crash and burn. Marta deserves the inheritance at this point." Danny ends his point by popping pieces of popcorn in his mouth.

As the scene on screen changes, so does the one in Tim's living room. Danny really can't have a nice day off.

A ripping sound is hard over the cacophony of the TV. A portal to the Infinite Realms appears next to it, effectively ruining their cuddle date night. As the Observant floats out into the living room, Danny can't help but feel like he is forgetting something. 

…Oh, oh no. 

Danny realized what he forgot to tell Tim.

He is the ghost king and Tim has no fucking clue.

Oh Ancients, Tim is going to kill him a second time. That's a future Danny problem, present Danny has to handle an Observant with an uninformed vigilante boyfriend laying on top of him. 

Tim has yet to move as he is in his civvies but Danny can feel him tensing. Danny pins Tim to his chest with his arms. The newly added pressure is hopefully comforting. Danny makes a soft rumble from his core. A signal to Tim that everything will be okay, he still doesn't relax.

The Observant was impatiently waiting for Danny's acknowledgement. It doesn't wait long, not because Danny answered but because it ran out of the little bit of patience it had in the first place. The mutual disdain the Observants and Danny hold for each other is great, but Danny will always commit more than the Observants. So yes, Danny could make this easier for himself and Tim, but no. He has principals!

"King Phantom, us Observants wish to schedule a meeting with you regarding the court-'' the eyeball in a sad imagination of jello didn't get to finish its request. It got cut off by Danny's sigh.

"If it's about the same thing as before, no. As stated in the Court Acts section 12a, you can't give out Court hearings without proper approval by an Ancient and myself. Nor can a trial proceed without a pre-approved Ancient or ghost of similar position from outside the Observant branch." Danny's blank stare fixed itself on the unwanted goo encased eyeball, daring it to rebuttal.

"Yes, of course King Phantom. I will tell the others." The Observant grits out. Its goo flesh scrunching in a poor imitation of a disgruntled face. It rips open a portal to the Infinite Realms and leaves without further pestering.

Danny lifts his arm. He can hear Tim's mind trying to piece together what happened. 

"Hey, Tim? Beloved? Are you good?" Danny is starting to think that this might have broken his boyfriend. It's been a good 30 seconds since The Observant left and Tim hasn't moved. Maybe he's rebooting? As Danny is pondering the mental state of the man he's supposed to be cuddling, said man decided to roll off of him landing in a crouch.

Tim looks Danny in the eyes and says with all his heart, "What the fuck, Danny?!" 

Oh Danny might be a little fucked.

—--------

Tim is going to kill and revive his boyfriend for a second time, if he doesn't explain right now.

"So, I may have forgotten to tell you something important." Danny placates.

"Oh! What gave it away? The probable high powered ghost that portaled into my living room and broke the TV in the middle of our date, or the fact you responded to them with higher authority!" Tim's sass is amplified by the TV blinking to life and giving a static scream. 

Danny breathes in through clenched teeth, face slightly scrunched. It was adorable, making it hard for Tim to stay upset. "I'm sorry Tim. I didn't mean to keep anything from you. I just forgot you didn't know already and I just don't talk about it by default, you know. I'm not used to not being around my parents and they don't know about any of-" 

"Danny, hun, you're starting to ramble. I know how it is with your parents but please explain now.”

“Sorry. I’ll start at the beginning. So, you know how I told you how I became a teen hero after my half-death.”

“Yeah…” Tim switches from crouching to sitting on the floor, eyes squinting at Danny with suspicion. He doesn’t like where this is going.

“So, there was this one time my town was pulled into the infinite realms by the old ghost king. So I had to fight him. I won in the end but, Oh the consequences of these actions."

"Oh no."Tim said quietly, reeling at the possibilities of what the downfall of a king could be.

"Fun fact, the right to the throne is earned through trial by combat. It would have been fine if not for the Realms showing affection for me. You can't argue with the semi-sentient realm between realms." Danny sighed.

“Semi-sentient in what way??! How did it show affection for you?? What do you mean it would have been fine??" What exactly was Danny involved with? Tim thought it was just ghost wrangling. He knew he should have tried harder to contact Constantine about ghosts. Doesn't matter at the moment, nothing could have prepared him for this.

"I don't know how but the Infinite Realms are just like that. It might have to do with the fact that it's where all the dead end up, so technically all lands of the dead, but I just work there." Danny shrugged, all too used to the Infinite Realms' brand of being.

"Danny, Alnilam, my dearest boyfriend, I mean this with my entire chest, what the fuck?" Tim lets his head slump into Danny's arm.  He was done for the day and the next two after that. He just wants to watch some murder mysteries with Danny and deal with the Ghost King shit later. It was the first day off of both Wayne Enterprises and any major case he had in weeks. 

The TV's static increased in volume for a moment before setting down, as if mocking him. He side eyes the TV.

"Sweetheart, if you stop glaring at the TV and give me like 5 minutes, I can fix it." Danny lightly chuckled. 

"Fine, I want to see if I'm right about what is actually going on." Tim knows who did it, he's just waiting to be proven right.

"Hey! Don't spoil it!! Not everyone is a smartass." Danny sheds the blanket as he stands, "Are you going to join me on the couch when I'm done, or are you brooding?"

"Yeah, yeah, and here you are calling me a smartass." Tim rolled his eyes. Switching from the floor to the couch, stealing Danny's blanket in the process. He's allowed to be a bit petty. It's what he deserves after this ordeal and the ones to come when they talk in depth, but that's for later. Right now, he gets to go back to watching murder mysteries with his boyfriend.

[dontpetmeibite]

Ravage, how did it feel seeing Tarn perish at Megatron's hands for...literally ripping you in half? Or at least a version of you, I should say.

I know that wasn't the main reason, but I feel like it was what drove o'l Megs to go "fuckit mode" and kill Tarn like the mistake he was.

I have actually not seen that, and I don't want to. Is this the manner in which you normally ask people you've just met about their traumatic experiences?

If I put myself in the position of that Ravage, seeing that incident, I think it would piss me off, because it would have been better for me if he'd chosen to do that before I died, not after.

But I don't know. And I don't know what any of those people went through, whether it was the same as me or not. I mean that Ravage was still using he/him pronouns and maybe he liked them, maybe he was a masculine person instead of a person who didn't want all her enemies to know she was a girl until the war was over.

Here is what I do know based on what happened in my own timeline.

Megatron was subjected to a partial "personality adjustment" on Messatine. At first I didn't know that and I was pleased to see my amica finally accepting that we were not going to be able to go to Iacon and politely ask the Senate to vacate the premises and allow us to craft a functional and just government without giving a few people Rossum's three shots.

But it just kept getting worse and worse. Soundwave and I were never accused of treason or taken out and shot because Megatron loved us as people, but he also stopped listening to us when we said we thought things were going too far.

Then we had

(yes glit I borrowed your gif)

and at the end of it he went Autobot and abdicated and abandoned us and that totally aided the cause of peace because Galvatron and Soundwave coming to blows was not anything that anyone could have ever seen coming given their respective personalities, and I ended up on the Lost Light for reasons and you know.

After I left the LL, Megatron got attacked by a rogue mnemosurgeon who could fuck with people's brains without touching them and mysteriously recovered the pacifism of his early youth. Which would have been very convenient for that guy (seriously, fuck that guy) if Tailgate hadn't ruined his day by dropping a shuttle on him.

Shortly after this completely normal and unforced moral 180 Megatron tried to bash his brain into a wall and told his doctor that he'd never been happier with a huge grin on his face. Because that's not suspicious or anything.

So far as I can tell the only purpose my death served in that timeline was to make Soundwave utterly miserable (and result in him ending up with that idiot Cosmos) and make Megatron get up off his aft and blow up the guy he turned into a raving mad serial killer at least partly on purpose with antimatter. But I don't know. I didn't live that life.

Charlie, Marissa and Miko told me that this is called "refrigeration" when it happens to female human characters in stories and that if I were a fictional character they would be pretty mad about that.

My point is I'm not judging anyone here in this scenario because Trepan and Sunder both fucked with Megatron's head and in the intervening time period Megatron fucked with Glitch's head and made him into Tarn, although I do not think we can blame all of that on Megatron because the guy was the commandant of Grindcore at one time, while my brother was there, so.

Our history is enough of a sideshow in the timeline I'm actually in. Would I be glad to know I was avenged? I guess so. But on the other hand if I died because of his fucking vow of pacifism and he didn't keep it that's not exactly wonderful either. And on the third one (good thing I have four paws) maybe it's really the fault of all those needlefuckers who thought they had the right to open up his cranial vault and redecorate!

I'm not blaming a Megatron I never met for the exigencies of a situation I was never in. Megatron is my amica, Soundwave is my conjunx, Tarn did horrible things to people in my universe too, I just wasn't one of them. and it didn't happen.

My point is, you're asking me how I feel about people I don't even know that are actually NOT the people I love the most in this universe. They look and act a whole lot like those people but I have no idea if they're the kind of people they were in my own universe.

I mean I could also say "Minimus Ambus needs two whole sets of armour so that nobody catches him impersonating a vertebrate" which is a thing that I actually said in my own universe once.

But if I did say that, I would be talking about the one in my universal stream. And that would cause no end of needless offence, because there could be five different people reading this post who are also named Minimus Ambus, but none of them did any of the shady shit the Ambus brothers I knew in my own universe did.

Or maybe they did but since I don't know them I'd possibly rather not know.

[polgarawolf1]

Wow. Okay. So, you never read Catalyst or the novelization for Rogue One huh?

Okay, so, seriously, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but there isn't some "grand" prisonbreak escape, prior to the opening of Rogue One on Lah'mu. The Ersos basically sneak out of a luxury penthouse suite on Coruscant and then go on the run with help from Saw Gerrera. The "prison" is a ginormous building Galen works in - one that Orson has had built solely with Galen's work in mind - with, again, a massively luxurious penthouse suite that he and his family live in. Lyra is even allowed to take work off-world (she's also allowed to take her best friend, Nari Sable, with her, as well as Jyn), at a dig on Alpinn, shortly before she convinces Galen that they need to run. Lyra could've left before then at any time she'd wanted to and she probably could've taken Jyn with her at any time if she'd really want to, too, but she doesn't. She stays with Galen in that penthouse for around a year and (despite brooding constantly about how much she dislikes/distrusts Orson Krennic and how much she diapproves of her husband's work involving kyber crystals, which are sacred to the Jedi and which she believes shouldn't be meddled with) never seriously thinks about needing to convince Galen that their whole family needs to get out of there until AFTER she finds out more about what the Empire's been doing out in the greater galaxy, after wheedling what amounts to an unscantioned joyride through part of the protected Western Reaches on her way back to Coruscant (and her so-called "prison") from Alpinn.

Also, Lyra doesn't turn back because she believes she can actually save Galen, even though she does hope she might be able to (for at least a little while, long enough for them to try to run, long enough that Krennic will lose more time having to hunt them down again) and she also does try to threaten Krennic into letting them go. She ruins all of their plans for when/if the Empire shows up because she's angry at Orson Krennic for finding them, angry that they've had to go into hiding because of him, even more angry that Galen has stayed behind to try to buy her and Jyn enough time to cleanly escape, and she outright hates Orson Krennic. That's it. That's her motivation. She hates the man and she's pissed off, so she completely abandons all of the family's plans and her basically helpless eight-year-old daughter (even after mentally acknowledging the fact that, in doing so, she's basically doomed Jyn) and she turns around and tries to take a shot at Orson. And, please note, she only does this AFTER they all know that she's there and there's absolutely no chance of any kind of element of surprise that might allow her and Galen to escape in the confusion.

Lyra is angry and she very clearly cares more about her anger and her hatred than she does her daughter's life or her husband's wishes. She basically suicides by cop (by an Imperial death squad, to be precise), knowing that she's badly misjudged how Krennic might react to being threatened by a woman with a single blaster (when he's in the company of an entire squad of Death Trooper bodyguards, mind!) and that she'll never actually be able to stop the Empire from taking Galen back, because she frankly hates Krennic so much (something that is expounded about at such great length in Catalyst - even when the man has literally just saved the family from a probable fate worse than death, involving being handed over by one band of Separatists to Dooku, with Galen being forced to work for Dooku - that it's frankly a bit scary) that she can't stand to let him "win" in regards to Galen. The text doesn't quite goes so far as to say so outright, but it sure seems like she takes that shot knowing that Krennic's bodyguard will kill her, solely in order to make absolutely sure that the last real bond between Krennic and Galen is irrevocably shattered by her death

So. She arbitrarily throws plans out the window because she's mad. She abandons her young daughter, knowing that it means Jyn will probably not manage to get away (Lyra's own thought being that "she's done," with the strong implication that this means Jyn will die, as a result). And then she takes a hopeless pot shot at a man who's surrounded by bodyguards, knowing that the result will be that the death troopers will kill her.

Sorry, but that is NOT someone to hold up as some kind of moral hero or selfless revolutionary. Lyra Erso tries to kill a man she hates because she's angry. That's what it boils down to. What she tries to do is basically the same sort of thing, if on a much smaller scale, as Anakin Skywalker does when slaughtering that entire Tusken Raider village (including men, women, and children), only the sole things driving her are anger and hate (not grief/sorrow/suffering and fury). That Orson Krennic is an agent of the Empire and, thus, pretty darn arguably evil is beside the point. (That's an apologist's argument, the same sort of argument that tries to says that the Tuskens deserved to be massacred down to the last babe in arms for Shmi's death, as though the entire settlement could or should be held accounted for the actions of the few who actually kidnapped and tortured her and the entire long history of violence between the indigenous Tusken Raiders and the, well, colonizing moisture farmers.) No matter what Krennic has or hasn't done by this point in time, he still does NOT deserve to be murdered by an angry woman just because she hates him. She doesn't do it for any kind of noble or selfless reasons. The text makes it very clear that she's furious about everything, hates Krennic, and hopes to use the threat of the blaster to frighten him into letting them go, so that he'll have to waste more time and effort and resources tracking them down again afterwards and they'll have at least a brief shot at some freedom again.

If she were truly some kind of revoluntionary selfless hero, then in that moment, having realized just how hopeless the situation truly was, what Lyra shoud have done was to shoot and kill her husband, to "save" him by ensuring that the Empire could not take him again. Instead, she wasted her only shot on a pointless, empty gesture. She barely wings Krennic's shoulders and the death troopers blast her and she dies. After that, it's pure sheer dumb luck that Jyn actually manages to get to the caves and their prepared hiding spot and get herself into it before the death troopers can find her. And, well, we know what that ends up leading to . . .

thinking about the lens andor puts on rogue one and like. lyra erso is actually sooo fascinating because contextually here’s a woman who had actively managed to escape from being taken imperial prisoner with her CHILD (and from the context being helped by, even joining one of the most radical anti imperial cells) and instead turned around for one narrow chance to kill an important imperial officer. she doesn’t succeed, and probably didn’t even she would, but it was worth a try. (did she really think it would save Galen? with all those troopers there, i don’t think she did.) and that’s a fascinating choice to make, between physically surviving and living with your child amid the empire, or putting it all on the line for one shot at dismantling some part of the empire, and also that lyra erso made a more complicated choice than most action movies would go for 

[angelsndragons]

*sing* it's been ~a while~

and i have been watching vm vs the nein a lot so let's talk about it. as always with me, this is a very long word vomit.

i said over on my mechanics post that the vm playbook requires urgency while the nein's playbook requires setup. here's what i mean. if the nein can make it to round 3-4 intact, that is if all of them are up, they are going to win. period. the nein simply have too many ways to steal turns from their enemies or to maximize their own effectiveness for things to go any other way.

if you want to see this in action even with a reduced roster, go watch the fire elemental fight in episode 129 and count the rounds. between caduceus' mass cure wounds and spirit guardians, caleb's slow, veth's sneak attacks, and jester's guiding bolts, the nein were able to scrape out a win thanks more to their bag of tricks than the damage output. veth only got sneak attack because of guiding bolt's secondary effects, slow kept veth safe from an opportunity attack and jester from a multi-attack, mass cure wounds gave caleb that round to cast slow, and the spirit guardians passively whittled down the enemies into KO range. the accumulated secondary effects were too much for the enemies to withstand and they fell hard. notice how everything built on one another here. that's what cockroach parties learn to do well. it was sloppier than a normal nein fight but they did it with a reduced roster AND with nearly all of their high level spell slots spent before the fight. yeah, they're fucking scary.

vm, however, is a whole different kind of scary. this team can put you down before you even know what's happening. it's harder to target the group's biggest damage dealers because you have a hulking barbarian and often an elemental up front locking down combatants. the dagger rogue can teleport and fly. oh, and give himself an extra action each round. the ranger and the gunslinger can stand back and just go to town. the freaking bear can maul you. the bard can make your life a living joke in your final moments. the cleric is a wildcard because the group is built to fight without her; if she's around, good luck because that's another round of attacks you have to take and an extra round vm can take. their DCs are ridiculous, as are their overall ACs.

but the thing to know about vm is that they have to put you down fast. they don't have the hit points for longer fights and they definitely don't have the utility for longer fights. their druid is offensively oriented, their cleric is often absent, and their bard is mostly support. he's often the only one running that bag of tricks. he can and will fuck up an opposing team given the chance and bolster his own, the problem is that he has almost no backup here. it's a giant hole that is begging to be exploited. it's an even bigger hole when that bard can only cast one spell per round.

so, going into the battle royale, the vm side had to down one member of the nein as fast as possible preferably in two rounds or fewer. it almost doesn't matter who, because if you down beau or fjord, that forces jester or fjord to spend their action or spell getting the downed member back up. if jester goes down, fjord has to do something about it. well, i say it almost doesn't matter but beau's deflect missiles makes her the worst target of the trio and yes, i'm including fjord's half-orc bounce back in that calculation. that gives you one round where the person healing isn't fucking up your team. vm's secondary objective was to monitor and control beau. her movement is nothing to compared to a hasted vax but her stunning strike is the most lethal weapon the nein brought into this fight. vm overall is not a melee group to begin with and their con saves are all garbage. vm has to find a way to keep her off their tails if they want a chance. we also know that vm's plan was to try to take out jester first so throw that objective into the mix as well.

all the nein have to do is survive the first couple rounds, monitor scanlan and pike, and get into position. that's basically it. the nein can absolutely withstand vax and percy's damage output for the first two rounds. pike and scanlan's damage output can be scary but pike in particular has to decide whether she wants to hold high level slots for healing. and she would need those higher level slots to get close to percy and vax's damage output. the nein know from experience that the support caster is where the real trouble will begin.

but before we kick things off, remember that matt specifically designed this battlefield to take turns away from the teams. the chests are an action to search and are located far out of the way in the field. the gem requires an action to activate, which basically means sacrificing your action for someone else's, and shifts between six designated points on the field. matt, who has a deep understanding of how both teams operate, decided to play on the nein's insecurities that they were at a severe item disadvantage and see if he could get them to bite. high risk, high reward. granted, this is me speculating but it does look like matt saw the fight very differently from the players and readjusted the field accordingly.

so we kick off and immediately scanlan proves why he is the top priority on the nein's list. he gets the gem, gets fjord prone on the ground, and comes within a hair's breadth of turning the fight into a five on two potential slaughter. travis brilliantly responds to these circumstances in the best of ways. see, fjord isn't the nein's utility magician for this fight; fjord's the bait. travis makes a very big spectacle of himself and fjord's predicament. and vm buys it hook, line, and sinker. ashley tries to continue with the original plan of gunning for jester only to discover that jester is who knows where.

vax, percy and scanlan? immediately take their shots at fjord. but fjord's on the ground which puts percy's awful misfire mechanic into reasonable play. so fjord gets lucky and doesn't take anywhere near the amount of damage he could have from percy. scanlan, after percy is removed from the field, decides he's better off trying to finish fjord but only hits a 3rd level thunder wave instead of a higher level one, which sam was probably saving for some counterspells or such. i don't think a higher level would have made that much of a difference but it is important to note.

more importantly, vax gets greedy. he got two good hits on fjord with his two actions, he could have left and hidden for the next turn. yes, vm has to down fjord as fast as possible. however that haste is going to be more effective over the long term if vax can keep it. but fjord's easy prey and he thinks vm can down him before jester can get over there to do anything about it. so he goes for the bonus action attack. pike eventually joins this mad dash scramble and like scanlan, she absolutely needed to throw something huge at fjord to get past his half-orc racial trait to have a prayer at downing him. but she did not because ashley seems to have been saving all her high levels for healing so fjord survives the round in honestly a very good position. vax can't target him from range with the cloud up, scanlan now has bigger problems than fjord with molly right up on him, and pike ran, taking damage and healing fjord in the process.

meanwhile, the nein's ladies are free to run and play the field as they see fit. jester has a big opening round flame strike. beau decides she can hold off on her round 2 blitz run to vm in favor of bringing molly onto the field. remember kids, never let a monk with 55ft of movement have the run of the place, it's bad for business. jester then makes a great play with her dispel magic at vax's haste. hashtag thanks, fjord. remember, kids, cockroach parties excel at taking turns and actions away from their opponents. in round 2 alone, the nein successfully remove percy from the field and remove vax's extra attack. that's both big damage dealers hobbled in one round. they also gave themselves an extra turn, adding molly onto the field. and oh boy, molly.

here we see the utility martial fighter molly could have been. sam's confused by the low damage that molly's doing his first round but the damage isn't really the point of the attacks. that brand of tethering is far more important, as are taliesin keeping an eye on which reactions will support the nein and molly's second attack wasting scanlan's reaction. counterspell is off the table for the back half of round 2-beginning of round 3, which is important if fjord wants to get the heck out of dodge.

in case it wasn't obvious earlier in the match that the nein are absolutely gunning for scanlan, round 3 begins with beau's blitz against scanlan. fjord's luck against the dominate person balances out with scanlan's save against the stun and beau missing one attack. here, vm starts to get distracted. they chose their focus fire target, fjord, but now do not, arguably cannot, follow through on it. we'll never know what could have happened had vm said to hell with beau and molly in our faces, we have to finish fjord.

vax tries to retaliate against beau but here's where the cockroach starts to come into play. molly blood curses vax, which saves beau a full sneak attack+ worth of damage. it also utterly wastes vax's turn. fjord manages to escape (and damage pike while he's at it) and regroup where it's safe. scanlan tries to dimension door but fails due to the brand. literally any other move scanlan could try on the pair of them had a better chance of success. instead, another vm turn is lost. taliesin recognizes the importance of getting beau advantage and supports her at the cost of two of his attacks missing, but not before scanlan is forced to cutting words one of them. another potential counterspell and cutting words lost. neither jester or pike contribute significantly to this round; the nein have done so much damage to pike in three rounds that she is forced to heal herself while jester chooses to dimension door herself to the gem and only a low damage roll lets it evade her.

beau takes molly's setup and gets the critical scanlan stun. he loses his full round. fjord takes the opportunity molly provided him to polymorph into a t-rex, bringing him fully back into the fight. vm is really going to have a time and a half trying to finish him now unless they can put up a big single damage attack. jester builds on beau's setup by casting flame strike, whose dex save scanlan automatically fails. he goes down. if you're the nein, this is exactly where you want pike focused, on her team and not on yours. she has access to most of the same spells that jester has and the more you pressure her to focus on her team, the better. it's not wasting her turn, precisely, but it is controlling what she can reasonably do with it.

now we come to percy versus beau. i don't want to diminish the insane good luck beau had to take only 26 points of damage from six shots because what matters here is that percy absolutely could not down beau. period. her hit points were too high and after she took almost nothing from the first two shots, it should have been clear that she was going to get her turn and she would absolutely attempt to stun and down pike and scanlan. i'm not going to monday morning quarterback this fight but i will point out that the more rolls travis has to make to maintain concentration, the greater the chance he fails and you get to hit fjord's actual hit point pool and trade fjord for scanlan. and if you can get him before he can get back into the fray, even better.

beau stuns the gnomes and drops scanlan again. her inner cockroach rears its head once more as she negates more than half the damage on vax's critical hit sneak attack. fjord-rex downs scanlan and grapples pike. the stun on pike here really helps negate that high AC of hers. after scanlan's death, it's a long slow death spiral. vax abandons the fight in the next critical round in favor of keeping the gem instead of targeting fjord. percy attacks beau once more instead of fjord due to fjord dangling pike over lava. he starts to focus on fjord only to get distracted by jester. pike goes down but vax gets caught by beau before he can get her back up. and so it goes with vm losing turn after turn after turn until finally the nein poof percy out of existence and bring molly back. a fitting end for the team who started their final boss fight with eight and came out nine.

bottom line here, the vm team played like they had way more time than they actually did. they had to commit to a target and see it dead as fast as possible. they had to control the battlefield quickly and keep it. they didn't so they couldn't. aside from building on damage dealt, they couldn't create advantages or opportunities for each other nearly as effectively as nein did. all of these factors meant that the nein did what they always do: grind their enemies under heel.

[marauderundercover]

Taking Chances Ch. 1: Adopted

AO3 @maribat-bdbwm

Adopted. Adopted. Adopted. Adopted. The word runs on a loop through Marinette’s head as her world crumbles around her. She was adopted.

“What? Maman, I don’t, I don’t understand.” Marinette says, her voice cracking as she tries to act like this isn’t bothering her. Like she doesn’t feel as though her entire world is changing.

“Marinette, sweetheart, just take a breath. That’s it, breathe in...and out. Very good.” Her maman says, holding her hands as she breathes with her slowly. Marinette swallows thickly, trying hard to ignore the way her hands shake in her maman’s.

“Maman, why didn’t you tell me?” She asks, confusion and self doubt swirling in her mind. Why was she adopted? Did her birth parents not want her? Could they not take care of her? Was she a mistake? Did they hate her? Did her maman hate her now? Is that why she’s telling her? Is she going to be kicked out? Is she going to have to leave Paris? What if-

“Marinette?” Her maman’s soft voice pulls her out of her thoughts. Marinette frowns when she realizes that she has tears running down her face.

“I-I’m sorry.” She says, pulling her hands away to furiously wipe at her tears, trying hard to ignore the sympathetic look her papa keeps giving her.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Marinette. Are you feeling up to an explanation? Or would you rather not talk about this?” She asks, her face covered in worry.

“I wanna talk about it.” Marinette says quickly, before slapping her hands over her mouth. She didn’t mean to say that. What if that’s not right? What if what her maman has to say is just going to hurt more? What if-

“Okay. It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m sorry we waited so long to tell you.” Her maman apologizes, scooting closer to wrap an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. Her papa wraps an arm around both of them, his presence calming Marinette enough so that she can think a little more clearly.

“Why did you wait? Why now?” She asks, still confused why she decided to break the news today of all days.

“We were going to wait until you were sixteen. Let you be at an age where you would understand it a little more, understand that being adopted isn’t wrong. And that you didn’t do anything wrong.” She explains, rubbing her shoulder gently.

“But then, why now?” Marinette asks, frustration starting to build. Why say they were going to wait and then not actually wait? Why would they-

“Mme. Mendeleiev called. You’re starting a unit on genetics and biology, and she knew that you were adopted. She just-” She sighs, frowning. “She didn’t want you to be blind sided or caught off guard in class if things didn’t add up.”

“But why does she know?” Marinette asks with a frown.

“Because we were both friends with your birth mother.”

--- Walking into class, Marinette tries hard to avoid the worried glance from Mme. Mendeleiev. All of the information from yesterday swirling through her head; her maman was friends with Mme. Mendeleiev. They were both friends with her birth mother, Bridgette Le. Her birth mother didn’t just give her up, she did want her, her maman had reassured her repeatedly. But she had died. And Marinette had almost died as well. And her parents? Didn’t hate her now. They didn’t love her any less, they reassured her of that several times before Marinette asked to be excused to go to bed. Tikki had had to watch for akumas most of the night. Breathing shakily, Marinette sits and immediately starts doodling on her notebook, hoping that no one else will put two and two together once their genetics unit starts. Hoping that no one will know or ask her. About adoption. --- It was two weeks after Marinette found out that she was adopted that she decided to talk to her maman about it again. After ranting to Tikki for several nights and spending time thinking about it, she had slowly started to accept it. It didn’t mean her parents loved her any less. It didn’t mean that she was any different or anything. It just meant that she had two more parents. A birth mother who had apparently wanted what was best for her, naming Sabine Cheng as her godmother even before Marinette was born. And a birth father. A man that Marinette was determined to talk to her maman about. Surely the woman would know something about him, given her close friendship with her birth mother.

“Hey Maman.” Marinette says, walking into the kitchen and sitting at the counter. Her maman smiles brightly at her as she continues to fill the dumplings.

“Hello sweetheart. How’s your commission for Jagged going?” She asks, her face filled with pride. Marinette grins and nods.

“It’s amazing. The shape of the suit is much different than anything else I’ve made before, but I think it’s going to look really cool!” Marinette says, a wide smile on her face before she remembers the whole reason she came into the kitchen. She clears her throat. “Maman, could I ask you something?”

“Of course Marinette.” She says, closing and filling dumplings before placing them in the steamer.

“When we talked about my...adoption. You didn’t say anything about my birth father. Did you know him too?” Marinette asks, staring down the counter to avoid looking at her maman.

“I didn’t know him very well, I’ll be honest. Bridgette met him when she went to the US for a year. I’m not sure what happened, but she did write a letter for him. I have it in the lock box though, she didn’t put an address on it and I wasn’t sure where to send it.” She explains and Marinette frowns at the lack of information.

“Does he- did he even know about me?” She asks.

“I’m not sure. Bridgette didn’t talk about him much. All she really said was that the town wasn’t fond of her and she didn’t want you to grow up in that environment, said it was terribly dreary. And that he was obsessed with his work. He worked for some big company, but I’m not sure if he still does. ” Her maman adds and Marinette nods.

“Is that all?” She asks, trying not to show her disappointment.

“Let me grab the letter. I can’t remember his name, but it should be in there.” She says, turning and washing her hands before walking away to get the letter. Marinette lets out a long breath, hoping that she isn’t making a mistake by looking for this information. --- Bruce Wayne. That was apparently the name of her birth father who lived somewhere in the US. Her maman was right about that. The letter didn’t have an address and Bridgette hadn’t put anything specific about the location. Besides her birth father’s name, the letter was a dead end. How generic could a name be? Bruce Wayne. It was like finding out her father’s name was Thomas Williams or John Smith or something. There must be thousands of Bruce Waynes in the US. Walking into Mme. Bustier’s class, Marinette trudges to her desk in the very back and drops down into her seat. Dropping her head onto her desk, she barely notices Adrien walk in.

“You okay, Mari?” He asks, frowning as he takes the seat next to her.

“I got a name.” She mumbles into the desk, knowing the boy would understand. She turns her head so that she can glance at him, frowning at the wide smile that takes over his face.

“Really? That’s great!” He says and she huffs.

“Not really. It was the most generic name ever, and the letter that Bridgette wrote didn’t have a location or anything.”

“Why do you want to talk to him so badly?” Adrien asks and Marinette sits up, frowning.

“I don’t know, I just-” She sighs. “I guess I just want the chance to meet him. Maman’s told me so many stories of Bridgette since I found out, and I’ve loved getting to know little things that we have in common. I just want to know if I have anything in common with him.”

“If you really want to meet him, I’ll do everything I can to help you find him.” Adrien says. Marinette looks at him, relief and gratitude coating her face.

“Really? You’d do that for me?” She asks, hope and faith that this could actually work rushing over her. Adrien nods, gifting her a small smile.

“Of course, Mari.” He says. Marinette opens her mouth to thank him again, when Mme. Bustier barges into the classroom.

“Students! Listen up, I have an amazing announcement!” She cheers, clapping her hands together. Marinette looks at the woman wearily, unsure of what the woman could be so excited about. She’d had a meeting with the woman earlier to talk about the end of year trip. They hadn’t talked about much, just the budget and trips that they could feasibly do. Marinette had also shot down some of the woman’s….less than ideal options. Seriously, who thought a trip to Gotham was a good idea? Even Marinette, with her lack of knowledge about the world’s big names and celebrities, knew that Gotham wasn’t a great place. It was quite literally crawling with villains, and unlike Paris, there was no Miraculous Cure to fix everything. Marinette blinked as the class suddenly erupted with cheers.

“What happened?” She asks Adrien, zoning back into the situation around her.

“We’re apparently going to Gotham for our end of year trip.” Adrien mutters, clearly not thrilled with the turn of events. Marinette nods, then freezes as the words register. Well shit. --- Marinette huffs as she rushes into the empty hotel lobby. Key word: empty. Well, okay it wasn’t completely empty, but it definitely didn’t have the entire class (and teacher!) that it was supposed to have. Instead it just had a tired looking concierge and a bowl of bruised apples. Fantastic. Grumbling under her breath, Marinette pulls out the itinerary that she had been forced to create for this trip she was forced to be on. She wasn’t trying to be dramatic, but between Hawkmoth and all of her responsibilities as Ladybug, going to a city like Gotham was the last thing that she wanted to do. Its villains, or Rogues as they preferred to be called, seemed to have no fear. At least Hawkmoth was smart enough to hide behind his goons. Gotham’s rogues had no such qualm, and instead ran around to personally cause mayhem. Glancing down at the itinerary, Marinette suppresses a groan. The entire class left early. Of course they did. Whatever, she still had plenty of time to get to their scheduled tour time at the Gotham City Museum of Modern Art. It had been Alix’ suggestion, as the girl’s father was friends with someone who had helped in its most recent street art exhibit.

“Marinette!” A small voice yells. Marinette glances down at her purse and raises an eyebrow at the concerned look on her kwami’s face.

“What?” She whispers back.

“You’re not really going to walk by yourself in Gotham, are you?” Tikki asks, her eyes wide with concern.

“I’ll be fine, Tikki. And I plan on getting a cab.” Marinette says, giving her purse a reassuring pat before walking out into the dreary mist outside. Hailing a cab with surprising ease, Marinette tells the driver her destination and sits back, watching the gargoyles and architecture stream past. She’d have to sketch something later, because a million ideas for a Gotham inspired line was floating through her head. When the cab stops, Marinette smiles and thanks the man, handing him the fare and a tip.

“No problem, Miss Wayne.” The driver says, tipping his cap before zipping away from the museum. Miss Wayne? As in her father? Marinette shakes that thought away almost as quickly as it appears. What are the odds that she’d be in the same city as her birth father? Must’ve mistaken me with someone else, Marinette thought to herself, almost as if she was reassuring herself that there was no chance of seeing her birth father. No chance of someone seeing her and saying, “oh, are you Bruce’s girl? You sure do have his nose”. No chance of the man himself running into her and seeing a perfect blend of himself and Bridgette and- No. No need to panic about this right now. Pushing the thoughts away, Marinette rushes into the museum and nearly runs over Adrien.

“Mari! Are you okay? Where were you? I didn’t see you in the lobby so I got on the bus to look for you and you weren’t there and then I tried to get off to find you and-” Marinette cuts Adrien’s rambling off with a tight hug to reassure him that she’s there. She’s there and she’s safe.

“I’m okay, I promise. I got a cab surprisingly easily.” Marinette reassures him, mumbling into his chest. He freezes momentarily before returning the tight hug.

“Marinette! Now that you’re here we can start the tour. The tour guide suggested we start in the Comedians Hall of Fame and then loop around and end at the new graffiti display.” Mme. Bustier announces, clapping her hands excitedly. Marinette pulls away from Adrien, blushing slightly as he squeezes her once more before fully letting her go. Wandering through the Comedians Hall of Fame, Marinette’s eyes dance over the exhibits. She wasn’t necessarily passionate or inspired by this section of the museum, but it was still interesting. A big bang made Marinette spin around and frantically look for the exits. The uncontrollable laughter started seconds later. Shit.

“Welcome, welcome to MY hall! Except someone apparently forgot my picture. No worries though, I’m sure we can add one with all of your smiling faces in it as well.” A voice echoes in the hall. Marinette’s blood instantly freezes. The Joker. In a room. With her class. Oh my God, someone is going to die.

“What’re you doing?” Adrien hisses out. Marinette blinks and realizes she had unconciously taken a fighting pose. She was so used to protecting the class as Ladybug against Akumas, she just immediately fell back into the role. She straightens immediately, but it’s too late.

“Ah, a brave little girl. Who do we have here?” Joker asks, and the sickening realization that he’s holding a gun washes over her. There would be no Miraculous Cure. No Lucky Charm. Marinette grits her teeth and stares at the man’s yellow teeth stretched into an unnatural smile.

“Marinette.” She says, leaving out her last name. No need for her parents to panic because her name is trending at the site of a villain attack. Assuming nothing goes wrong and the heroes show up and she doesn’t die by the hands of the Joker. Not that that would be traumatic, or anything.

��What, no last name? Or did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?” Joker asks, pushing her hair out of her face with his gun. Marinette sees Adrien’s fists clench out of the corner of her eye, a wave of determination running through her. She needed to keep Joker distracted so that he wouldn’t notice Adrien and try to hurt Adrien. Since obviously, as an Agreste, he was a much better hostage than the daughter of bakers. Well, and the biological daughter of some random American man who doesn’t even know she exists.

“It’s Cheng.” She retorts, dropping her father’s last name off in a desperate attempt for her full name to stay off the internet.

“Is it? Are you sure? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re a new Wayne. Much smaller than the others, and a girl is different, but maybe Brucie’s just changing his type.” Joker taunts and Marinette’s head spins. Wayne? It can’t possibly be her birth father...Wayne must be a much more common name in the US than she originally thought and maybe even though she hadn’t even thought about contacting him yet or trying to find him, maybe it would be much harder than she could’ve ever thought because it’s such a common name and he probably has no idea that she wants to even try and find him and there’s probably no chance that he even wants to meet her and-

“Are you even listening to me?” Joker’s annoyed voice cuts off her internal spiral. Marinette quirks up an eyebrow and shakes her head.

“No, not really.” She says, eyes widening and face instantly turning red as she realizes that this was not the kind of villain she could smartmouth like she did Akumas as Ladybug. She’s not even Ladybug right now.

“You’re odd. Maybe you’ll be even more useful than I thought.” Joker says after a moment of tense silence. Marinette glances around the room, noticing how the goons that came in with Joker were more focused on Joker’s weird reaction to Marinette than the other hostages. Making eye contact with Adrien, Marinette has a silent conversation, hoping that he’s suddenly become a mind reader and will start getting people out of the room while the bad guys are distracted.

“I doubt that. I’m failing science.” Marinette says matter-of-factly. It was true, though she wasn’t usually this bad at science. But it was really hard for her to focus on genetics and biology with everything else going on. So her parents didn’t really blame her either, though it did dissapoint Mme. Mendeleiev.

“You’re kind of a smart ass, aren’t you?” Joker taunts, haphazardly waving the gun around.

“It’s um, one of my better qualities.” Marinette stumbles over her words as the gun stops waving to once again point at her face. Joker smirks, his face suddenly darkening as a crash echoes throughout the room. Marinette pales as she watches Joker turn and shoot through the wall next to the door that Lila was currently walking through. Lila yelps and drops to the ground, and for the first time ever, Marinette is certain her tears are real.

“I see what you were trying to do, Frenchie. You were trying to get my hostages out of here. But why? Why would you play hero like that? What would YOU get out of that?” Joker taunts, moving the gun so that it’s pointed right at Marinette’s face again. This time, Marinette could feel the heat radiating from the end of the gun. From the gun being shot at the wall. Near a classmate. Granted it was Lila, but it was still someone she knew. Someone she couldn’t save with the Miraculous Cure because this would be it. The smoke filling the room pulls Marinette’s attention from the gun in front of her, and instead to the hulking figures that suddenly entered the room. Four people, three of them tall but one of those three towering over everyone else in the room. Marinette blinks as her eyes attempt to adjust and she sucks in a breath in shock. Batman. Batman and Nightwing and Red Hood and Red Robin. Of course she knew the vigilantes here, she had done extensive research on anything to do with the hero scene in Gotham. Mostly to keep herself and the class safe in case of an attack, which now that she thinks about it is actually impossible to plan for. Marinette’s feet seem frozen to the ground as she glances around at the bodies hitting the floor. She couldn’t see clearly, but she was almost certain that they were the goons that had arrived with Joker.

“Oh come on, I was just trying to greet this lovely young lady. Say Batsy, don’t ya think she looks like she could fit with the other Wayne brats?” Joker taunts as Batman closes in on them. Joker had shifted her so that she was pressed up against his chest, the gun now situatated at her temple. Batman stops several feet in front of them, a clear grimace on his face.

“Let the girl go, Joker.” He demands in a gruff voice. Marinette inhales sharply as Joker tightens his hold on her.

“I don’t think so, Bats. See, I need this one to guarantee that I get outta here without taking a trip back to my cell. So how about instead, I’ll take her on a little trip and leave her somewhere you can find her later.” Joker offers.

“I don’t think you’re in any place to attempt negotiations.” Batman replies, his face an unwavering mask.

“And why is that?” Joker asks, and Marinette can hear the wide smile in his voice, though she can’t currently see his face.

“‘Cause you’re the asshole who didn’t bother to focus on the rest of us.” A gruff voice from behind taunts. Joker sputters in shock, but seconds later his arms loosen and Marinette dashes towards Batman, glancing back in time to see the man collapse to the ground.

“Is he?” Marinette asks, unsure how to feel about watching a potential death. Even if the man was horrible, he hadn’t killed her or any of her friends so she couldn’t wish him dead. No matter how much it would help her sleep tonight.

“No.” Batman says. Marinette nods before turning her attention to the head of the Batfamily. A wide smile spreads across her face and she extends her hand for him to shake.

“Well then, thank you for saving me, Monsieur. I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Next

[dongofthewolf]

Omg I’m sorry for not realizing u had a list 😅 but I wasn’t wondering if u could do 41 with Abby and could u make it like rlly angsty but with some fluff or smut at the end

Everything Good in Life Seems to Lead Back to You

Abby Anderson X Reader

Prompt: 41. Overhearing they have feelings for you

Warnings: blood and injury, canon typical violence, swearing, fluff, angst (I tried anon I tried), Owen slander once again (sorry not sorry)

Gender neutral pronoun for the reader (if you’d like your request to use specific pronouns please add to the ask)

Link to the prompt list here

A/N: it’s safe to say that I wrote this with the speed of a thousand blazing horses if that even makes any sense. I hope that you all enjoy this lovely word vomit (esp if you requested) it was a blast to write !!

btw the Virginia Woolf reference is from her letters to Vita Sackville and the Jane Austen one is from Pride and Prejudice. What can I say? I guess I’m just a hoe for old love, baby.

Abby spent a lot of time reading; so much so that she had created this false expectation of what love was supposed to feel like. Abby believed that love was supposed to be strong, and passionate, and bright—an everlasting devotion. Of course she shrugged it off at first, they were just books after all—pieces of fiction to fantasize and dream about. Love wasn’t something you could define in a book nor could it ever live up to the likes of Shakespeare or Virginia Woolf.

Abby had never been in love; she sometimes believes she came close to some iteration of it when she was with Owen, but looking back now she realized that what she felt wasn’t love. It was a desperate attempt to be wanted—to be needed, a manifestation of her desire for approval. And after her falling out with him, Abby had come to accept that she simply wasn’t made for love, and that if by some miracle she ever did fall, it definitely wouldn’t be like the books.

That was Abby’s initial perspective on love, but oh how times have changed. The moment you waltzed into her life, every sad, pathetic notion she had about love was thrown out the window in a matter of seconds. Never in her most outrageous dreams did Abby expect to fall this hard, especially since the two of you were practically best friends.

In fact, it had been very platonic at first; Abby was your superior and you often worked together on missions. She didn’t know what compelled her to talk to you but when she did, the two of you hit it off immediately. You started training together, then working out together, and eventually you were spending almost every minute together. The two of you could literally correctly predict every thought that went through each other's head, all except of course (in Abby’s case) for one. It even got to the point where you both somehow knew when the other couldn’t sleep, so much so that Abby had grown accustomed to opening her door to see you holding a glass of milk and a plate of cookies like a little kid on Christmas. She had spent so many sleepless nights alone only to realize that the one thing she was missing, was you and your adorable midnight snacks.

Abby never entertained the thought of professing her slightly less than platonic feelings for you, because she had become content with the idea that you’d simply never feel the same. However, while she had come to accept her unfortunate situation to be a permanent one, it still hurt her when she saw you flirt with other people. And she’d be lying if she said your absentminded touches didn’t still send her soaring. Sometimes she hated how naturally affectionate you were, it made it so hard for her to not love you.

The box that Abby had continually shoved herself into so she wouldn’t fuck up your friendship was almost starting to feel like home, and as uncomfortable as it was, she knew it was for the best. Almost nothing could compel Abby to leave this torturous, self-inflicted prison she was trapped in. Almost nothing.

—

The mission was supposed to be a simple one: get in, get the weapons, get out. A mission so simple, the both of you could’ve done it in your sleep. In fact, on a few occasions after a long night of drinking, you had practically done just that. You met up with the group of traders who you were well acquainted with, and the deal went down smoothly. Everything was going according to plan, which is why you and Abby were completely caught off guard when a group of rogue hunters suddenly began firing shots like it was a fucking carnival.

Turns out there was a new rival group in town, and someone had tipped them off. You and Abby luckily were able to find cover from their relentless fire, but not before you got a bullet straight through your left thigh. You didn’t even realize it at first, the adrenaline coursing through your veins still working to protect you from the devastating pain that was to come. When you did notice it, you had already lost copious amounts of blood. Then the dizziness began to set in, and soon after the pain. Abby hadn’t even realized you were injured till you slumped over on the ground next to her.

Looking down in horror, Abby lifted you into her arms. “Y/N? What’s wrong? Why are y-” Then Abby noticed the blood, and suddenly she was panicking. “Oh shit. Oh fuck, Y/N we have to get you out of here.”

“T-the package, we need the package. Can’t leave without it.” Your response was weak, desperate. You had to finish the mission, the WLF was in dire need of these supplies and you were not going to be the one to tell Isaac you failed.

“Fuck the package, we need to get you back to base.” Abby removed her belt, turnoqueting your leg with such surprising ease that you nearly didn’t notice the agonizing pain in your leg. Nearly.

You groaned when Abby hoisted you into her arms bridal style, careful not to move your leg too much before she booked it to the truck. When she plopped you down into the passenger's seat and began to speed away from the scene, you suddenly felt your eyes becoming heavier. You were so tired. You had lost so much blood already and your body felt like it was shutting down.

Abby was frantically racing towards the base, eyes fixed to the road until she heard you let out a small whine. “Abby, I‘m so tired. Need to sleep.”

Abby noticed you drifting off and she reached her arm out to shake your shoulder violently. “No. No sleeping, you gotta stay awake Y/N.”

Though Abby didn’t mention it, she was terrified. When she looked over at you, you were pale and cold to the touch, drifting off while your leg continued to bleed profusely despite her tourniquet. This could be it; you could die right now, and Abby would have lost the one person in this world she cared about most. She couldn’t let that happen, she wouldn’t.

You were equally as terrified as Abby; every natural instinct in your body was begging for you to sleep and you were becoming tired of trying to ignore it. The last thing you remembered was the look on the face of the girl you had fallen for, her eyes brimming with tears while she wore a desperate, horrified expression.

—

You laid unconscious for what felt like an eternity and Abby never left your side. She had abandoned her duties (with Isaac’s permission) and spent every second next to you, her head resting on the edge of your bed while she waited for you to wake up. The only thing that prompted Abby to step away was Manny, who had heard what happened and went to check on her.

Manny knew full and well that Abby was in love with you; in fact, almost all of Abby’s friends knew. Abby had confided in him during many torturous nights and he was a surprisingly good listener. He understood her circumstances and never pushed her to confess her feelings for you, even if it did annoy him how oblivious Abby was to the fact that you obviously felt the same way. “Abby, I heard what happened. Is everything okay?”

Abby was exhausted, she hadn’t slept at all since you made it back to the base and she couldn’t get the memory of your cold, pale body out of her head. “I almost lost them, Manny. Y/N could’ve died out there without ever knowing how I feel about them.” Tears threatened to fall but Abby did her best to keep her composure.

“It’s going to be okay, Abby. Y/N’s here and they’re alive, and that’s all that matters.” Manny’s hand was on Abby’s shoulder, trying his best to comfort her. “You should tell them how you feel though.”

“Huh?” Abby hadn’t expected that. Manny knew her situation well enough to know that telling you how she felt was a bad idea… It was a bad idea, right?

“It’s like you said, Y/N could’ve died without ever knowing how you feel about them. Wouldn’t it be better to have no regrets at all?” The words stopped Abby in her tracks. She never thought she’d actually agree with Manny.

“It’s just- I love Y/N so much, and I don’t want to lose them this way.” Abby was on the brink of tears, her voice turning into a desperate plea.

“I’m not going anywhere Abs.”

Abby froze, turning around slowly. You were gripping to the doorway for support, limping on one leg and looking extremely weathered.

“Y/N!” Abby immediately ran to put your arm around her shoulder while she carried you back to your bed, setting you down carefully. “You shouldn't be on your leg, you could make it worse.”

There was genuine concern on Abby’s face and in that moment you weren’t sure you could love her any more than you already did. She was so incredibly sweet and caring and no one had ever shown this much concern for your safety and well-being. You had heard her through the door and you couldn’t stop yourself from interrupting her. There was so much about Abby you absolutely adored and she had no idea. How could she not have known you were hopelessly in love with her? Was she truly that oblivious to your obvious flirting? All the subtle touches, the pathetic excuses to sleep in her bed, the fact you literally went out of your way to find rare coins so you could bring them back to her, it all just flew over her head. You couldn’t believe it.

Abby was still rambling about your leg, clearly trying to pretend like she didn’t just profess her love for you while you were standing right behind her. Instead of speaking, you wrapped your hands around her neck before leaning in, silencing her with a kiss so perfect you could’ve passed out right there. You could tell she was stunned at first, but soon enough she was kissing you back. Her fingers were running through your hair and when you pulled away she leaned her forehead against yours, not wanting to part from you.

“Did you mean it?” You pulled away to look Abby in the eyes, your hands still wrapped around her shoulders.

Abby had a dumbstruck look on her face. “Mean what?”

“When you said you loved me, did you mean it?” Your eyes searched her face for an answer while your heart was beating a million miles a minute.

Abby smiled, her eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. “Y/N, I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I’m so hopelessly in love with you that it’s almost pathetic. You have no idea how essential to me you have become—how many nights I’ve stayed awake because you weren’t there to hog all the blankets. Y/N, you have no idea how ardently I love you.”

You smirked “Abigail Anderson did you just quote Virginia Woolf and Jane Austen?” You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, Abby could be such a nerd sometimes.

“I just confessed my ever-lasting love for you and that’s the first thing you say?” Abby was smiling widely now, relief flowing through her now that she no longer had to conceal her feelings for you.

“I love you too Abs, so fucking much. Also I do not hog the blankets, your comforter is simply too small.” Abby chuckled before she leaned in for another kiss, the worry suddenly disappearing the moment her lips touched yours.

Although Abby had never really known what she expected love to be, this is what she imagines it’d feel like, and you bet your ass it was better than the books. To tell the truth, it was better than any other conceivable thing on this entire planet. Nothing could beat the way Abby felt now that she had finally broken free from her excruciating self-inflicted prison.

Abby pulled away from the kiss, gazing at you lovingly. “Are you hungry?”

God damn Abby, it was like she knew exactly what you were thinking. You didn’t know how long you had been unconscious for, but you were ravenous. “Starving.”

And almost as if you were telepathically communicating, the both of you spoke at the exact same time.

“Cookies?”

“Cookies.”

[iphoenixrising]

The Demon You Know

Day 1 Urban Fantasy AU | Magical/Supernatural Creatures | Time Travel

So, something a little off the grid for my first day of DickTim Week 2021. Special thanks to my wonderful babe @vellaphoria for the beta and the incredible peeps on the Capes and Coffee discord (looking at you @themandylion, @strawberryjei and others). Also need to show my undying love for @chippon because babe, we are making it work.

**

When the sun creeps up over the sky in Gotham, then it’s time to GTFO. Capes in the daytime aren’t the usual for the city, and Red Robin has been playing it too late, staying out far past O’s warning to bring it in for the night. So, really, he’s only got himself to blame.

His penthouse perch has seen more use in the last few months since, welp, Gotham and the fact he likes to get away from the team mentality sometimes, like to return to his roots and run the rooftops like when he was still that Robin. His trips to the Manor had become more frequent since B was back in the cowl and things in the family seemed to be returning to some semblance of normal. 

Well, as normal as it could get, really.

But all that goodwill and positivity is literally ghost. Red’s hands are shaky and his inner calm is absolutely blown. He’s ducking into his perch to throw his suit off, grab his duffle bag full of sundries and fake idents, then he’s going to hit the airport as fast as he can get a flight the hell out of town, away from the terrifying sight.

(He should just call Bart or Kon or Cassie, tell them he needs an out faster than he can arrange it himself, he needs to get away from–)

He knows he fucked up when the slight sounds, small and metallic in nature, make it past his pulse thumping in his ears.

Like a horror flick, he slowly turns as the front door gives a groan and is pushed open by a very familiar palm.

Dick’s blue eyes fall on him like a ton of bricks, on Red Robin’s feet frozen to the floor, his suit only half on, and no way he can get far enough to throw himself out a window.

Fuck.

“So,” Dick keeps his voice soft, footsteps easy as he steps inside Tim’s penthouse and closes the door behind him, “you finally found me out.”

Keeping his mouth shut in times like this has really saved his ass before, so Red doesn’t say a word, keeps every muscle in his body ready to spring for the right second –

Watching the would-be robber struggle in Dick’s grip, watching the light show brighten overwhelmingly, seeing what had to be-had to be feeding.

“I figured it would be you if anyone, actually, so I’m not really surprised, just… disappointed.” Dick continues softly, only in jeans and a t-shirt since Nightwing was oddly missing from the patrol roster last night.

And Red is apparently the only one that knows why.

“But that doesn’t mean I can just let you go, Timmy,” Dick isn’t stopping, his whole body lax while Red is wound tight, backing away from the man he thought he knew. “I really wish you hadn’t found out like this. I...I had other plans.” 

Whirlybirds and pellets aren’t going to help him here. Hand-to-hand and martial arts, aerial acrobatics, none of it is going to make a difference. 

His throat goes dry when Dick’s eyes get more and more blue, when his former mentor doesn’t stop advancing, and Red Robin is running out of room to back away.

“I tried to save you, Timmy. I tried so hard to get you away, out of Gotham, even if you went because you thought you had to find Bruce, I’m the one that gave you the compulsion to leave.” The low laugh is edged with something desperate, “why the hell couldn’t you stay away?”

“This is my city, just as much as Batman’s. You taking my fucking cape wasn’t enough,” Red Robin bites out, back thumping against the kitchen counter, realizing Dick had backed him into the corner. “How did you keep it from him? Constantine, Zatanna, all the magic users he has on speed dial and he never figured you out? No one in the JLA or Titans did?”

That makes Dick pause.

“He never had to. He knew what my parents were before they ever died, Timmy. Haley’s Circus came to Gotham regularly. Bruce always knew.”

The information blast hits him painfully, that Bruce didn’t bother to tell him and look at where they are now.

“And he didn’t try to help you?” Red, Tim, gapes at the still silhouette that used to be someone he thought he knew like he knew himself. Someone that’s always had this secret. “He didn’t try to –”

“Cure me?” Dick’s mouth lifts in a semblance of a smile Tim knows. “There is no cure for this, Timmy. It’s what I am. What my parents both were, the curse of the Romain Bababiljos. It’s unfortunate for me both of them were cursed, that just makes the...the hunger two-fold.”

And it’s just a few more steps, a raised hand that makes Tim flinch back, but only a fingertip taps the edge of the domino, makes the whiteouts raise.

Automatically, with everything he’s learned, studied, experienced about supernatural creatures, he ducks his head so he isn’t looking directly into those eyes. That doesn’t stop Dick from bracketing Tim in, both hands on the counter, their bodies a breath apart.

Dick laughs softly, close enough for Tim to feel the breath on his face. “The Titans...I never had to tell them. By then, I could control myself, at least mostly. The JLA? I’m one of the Batman’s proteges. I’ve been fighting crime since I was eight. They believe in me. There was never a reason for any of them to look too deeply past the surface.”

“Wh-what do you mean mostly?” Tim’s heart slams in his chest, “how many people have you killed, Dick?”

“Do you have any idea how awful the hunger is?” And the lower Dick’s voice goes, the harder Tim’s heart starts to pound. “Surviving on hugs and family affection is tantamount to starvation for someone like me. It’s so easy to kill someone during sex because the hunger is so much I can’t control it sometimes. Anyone I’m with is in danger.  That’s why I couldn’t stay with Babs, she’s too human. The one time I came close–” 

Dick breathes again and all Tim looks at is the span of throat, thinking of the soft, vulnerable parts, anything he can use to get the fuck away.

“–but I didn’t. I have...willpower sometimes. I drained her so close, though. She was-was so fragile, Timmy, and I was so hungry. I’d been starving for so damn long. She was hospitalized for longer than she’d been when the Joker shot her, and I said never again. But Wally and Kory were...different. I could go further with him without killing them, I could get more full than I’d been in a long time. It was still dangerous for them, but I was so far gone by the time...”

“They’re both still alive. Babs is still alive. Does she–?”

“Remember? Of course not. None of them do. I made sure of that, Tim, so none of them would be afraid of me.”  And the air changes when Dick gets closer, his eyes get brighter, and Tim almost chokes with the almost touch to his body under his suit. “But, you are going to be different, aren’t you? I’m not going to be able to convince your mind that what you saw was a dream.”

“So what? You’re going to make me “disappear”? You’ll give Bruce some sob story about how I got tired of the vigilante life and left for college or some shit? Going to bury me where no one will ever find me?” He isn’t looking at Dick’s face, can’t see his own end coming, can’t believe he’d put all his faith and belief in this man only to have it all come to this.

Tim laughs wetly, blinking rapidly, and everything suddenly comes together. “He won’t ever come looking for me anyway. You made sure of that when you made Damian your Robin. Nice plan, Dick. No one is going to give a shit if I’m never seen again anyway.”

And it’s stupid not to at least try, not to duck and kick out, trip up whatever Dick really is, to break a window and fucking run, try to get Bruce, Clark, Kon and Bart and Cassie, to get anyone to listen to him about what Dick really is, to try to save himself.

(If you’d never figured out Dick was Robin, if you never put yourself in front of him, you’d be safe now. Miserable but safe.)

Even if it’s his own brain pan spitting this out, he knows it’s bullshit. 

If he’d never approached Dick Grayson with proof Batman was losing his mind, Tim Drake wouldn’t have reached twenty-one. The way his life was going, he would have probably hung himself long before getting to this stage in his life. If he’d never had Bruce or Alfred or Dick or Steph, if he’d never had Robin, never had Young Justice or The Titans, if he’d never had the Clench, never felt the rumble under his feet as Gotham had fallen, if he’d never had the agony of losing everyone in his life, if he’d never had the drive to prove his adopted father was alive…

The civilian Tim Drake wouldn’t have had the strength to make it through life alive.

So if this is the way he goes out, if Dick is the one that ends it for him–

There’re worse ways to go.

He’s not going to be the Joker’s next victim or Ra’s al Ghul’s heir with a mix of Lazarus Pit crazy. The HIVE, the Light, the mass of aliens he’s fought, any number of Rogue Gallery thugs, none of them will be the ones to take him out.

But this?

His career as Robin started out with Dick Grayson, so maybe...maybe it’s fitting this is the way it all ends. 

He sucks in a breath and finally tilts his head up, looks up into those electric blue eyes, and lets his breath out so so slow.

Because Dick is looking at him with watery eyes, with a grimace, with something Tim can actually recognize.

But those eyes light up in his penthouse perch, take on a supernatural glow, Dick snatching his wrists in bigger hands, pulling Tim closer, the heat getting through layers of Kevlar and Nomex. And just like that, he can’t pull away, can’t pull back.

There’s no way to defend himself when Dick pulls him in, when he expects to get his throat ripped out, his neck snapped, something important crushed, for the darkness to take over and his heart to slow down to a sad, weak pitter patter.

He can’t defend himself when Dick kisses him, opens his mouth, and stuns him into going completely slack.

“I told you,” Dick growls softly when he pulls back, bends enough to get Tim laid out over his shoulder, “I had other plans.”

But Tim can’t reply, can’t do anything other than lay across Dick’s back as the Romani love deamon strides down the hallway and kicks open the bedroom door.

**

And if Tim Drake survives until morning, shocking the hell out of the both of them, staring up at Dick’s surprised face and glowing blue eyes, if the soft touch to his jaw contrasts sharply with the bruises and red marks blossoming all over his body from an intense night with his supernatural mentor and best friend, if Dick doesn’t whisper, “finally, finally, my mate,” before kissing him. 

If the power Dick drains from him doesn’t kill him, doesn’t do more than give him the most amazing span of unending multiple orgasms to ever happen, if Dick isn’t fully satisfied for the first time in his life. If Dick doesn’t call them both off patrol for the next three nights, carts Tim back to his apartment, refuses him clothes and computers and tech, tells the Titans they’re taking a break from crime fighting while Tim is tied and gagged in his bed, sated enough to listen hazily with half-mast eyes. 

If Dick doesn’t hand feed him while he’s getting feeling back in his legs (finally) and give him the full run-down about his parents. If the strange mark on his abdomen doesn’t get warm whenever Dick’s hand is on it, fingers tracing the edges, making those blue, blue eyes dilate in possessiveness. If Tim doesn’t eventually escape with his sanity intact and a little terrified how much his body craves only to have Dick chase after him with single-minded purposes to convince him they’re meant to be.

Then only the man with cameras all over Gotham, waiting and watching with bated breath and fear for his Robins, unmitigated relief when his theory proves true, would be able to give all the details.

[rotzaprachim]

meta incoming but one of the most fascinating themes of rogue one and andor to me is the idea that a parent’s (individualist) love of their child might not be enough to save them from the (structural) violence of the world, so it’s fascinating how fandom managed to sail right past that in a bunch of places

[sebstanns]

Cuffs

Summary: Bucky is guarding / detaining you as a favour to Sharon, unfortunately she gets delayed and the two of you are forced to spend the night together.

Warnings: 18+ for sexual content. Fingering, frottage, mentions of light bondage. Spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

AN: Set after TFATWS, reader works for Sharon. May be the start of a series. Masterlist

"These cuffs are too tight." You whine loudly as Bucky pushes you into the motel room.

"No they aren't." He grumbles. "In fact you could probably get out of them if you tried hard enough."

You look around the room, to call it shabby would be a compliment.

"Sit down." Bucky says shortly, turning on the TV.

You sigh and perch on one of the beds, wriggling your wrists in the cuffs.

Bucky pulls out his phone and paces between the twin beds as he talks. "It's me. Yeah, I got her. She was being a pain in the ass so I cuffed her. Don't worry, she's fine."

You look up at him. "Let me talk to her." You hiss.

He scowls and shakes his head, the crease between his brows appearing. It's adorable really.

You can hear Sharon ranting on the other end. Oops.

Eventually he sighs and holds his phone out. "She wants to talk to you."

You smile sweetly and take it, holding it awkwardly in your restrained hands.

"Hello?" You ask, apprehensively.

"Tell Barnes to go outside." Sharon snaps.

"Err, can you give us some privacy?" You ask Bucky.

He turns from his position at the window and rolls his eyes. "I'll just be outside."

"We're alone." You tell her, almost dropping the phone.

"I've been calling you." She says, briskly.

"I don't know where my phone is, Barnes kind of abducted me so-"

"You didn't stick to the fucking plan, did you?"

"Technically I didn't, BUT I made it even better."

"You got greedy."

"I did it for us, Sharon. More investment means-"

"Don't drag my name into this. Lucky for you I managed to reason with the people you stole from."

"I didn't steal....the plan was...." You trail off, knowing that it's pointless making excuses.

"The plan was perfect until you went rogue and pissed off all the wrong people!" Sharon yells.

"Sorry." You mutter.

"I'm coming to get you and bring you back to Madripoor, you need to lay low. I promised them you'd disappear for a while."

"Fine." You sigh, grudgingly.

"I can't get a plane until the early hours so just stay put. Barnes will be guarding you."

"GUARDING me?" You splutter.

"Yes, didn't you hear what I said? You pissed off some prominent....personalities."

"Right."

"Just sit tight and try not to annoy Barnes too much."

"Promise." You sigh.

Sharon snorts in response and hangs up.

You tap on the window to indicate that the the call is over, Bucky slips back in and takes his phone.

"Everything ok?" He asks.

"Not really." You mutter, holding up your cuffed hands. "Please can you take these off? I'm obviously not going anywhere."

He eyes you suspiciously before nodding and fishing the key out of his pocket.

As he leans over to unlock you, you discreetly inhale in his scent. You've had a crush on Bucky since the first time you met him, in Madripoor. Then he'd been with Sam and the Baron, you'd only met him briefly but oh, your pulse kicked up a gear whenever he looked your way with those soulful blue eyes. You had crossed paths a couple of times since (he and Sharon seemed to be constantly doing favours for one another) and he always had the same effect on you. Sharon even teased you about it. And it might be (probably was) your imagination but you'd noticed his cheeks turn pinker when he was forced to speak to you, his eyes lingering on you when he thought you weren't looking.

"Thanks." You murmur, rubbing your wrists.

He gives you one of his soulful looks and you feel it in the pit of your tummy. "You're welcome." He says, softly.

You had actually been thrilled when he turned up at the bar, and even more thrilled when he said lowly in your ear, "You need to come with me." You had known that Sharon would send someone to get you, but it hadn't occured to you that someone would be Bucky. The struggle was mostly for show, you just enjoyed the feeling of Bucky's big, strong arms restraining you.

"You may as well get comfortable." He says, not looking up from his phone.

"I'm hungry." You say, plaintively.

"In case you haven't noticed, this isn't the kind of place that has room service."

"I saw a vending machine in reception."

Bucky sighs impatiently. "What do you want?"

"Chips and soda? Barbeque and Sprite?" You smile, hopefully.

"Fine. Don't move."

"I've got some change in my pocket." You offer, jutting your hip out at him.

His eyes flicker over you briefly. "I got it." He grumbles.

You need a moment alone to process your conversation with Sharon - you had heard her go off at people plenty of times but her vitriol had never been directed at you. It had been you and her against the world for so long, she felt like your family. She must've gotten a lot of shit from those investment assholes. Like they couldn't afford to lose a few thou, you're surprised that they even noticed.

Bucky returns with your soda and chips, chucking them unceremoniously on the bed, and some salted chips and a Coke for himself. You're fascinated, you've never seen him eat before.

"Thankyou." You say, ripping open the chips. "I'm starving."

He sits on the other bed, his legs stretched out and crossed as he looks impassively at the TV. You can't help stealing glances at him as you eat. He's wearing all black as usual, leather jacket, jeans and boots, his bionic arm concealed. Your cunt aches at the prospect of being alone with him for an entire night, you want to feel his arms around you again, his strong thighs between yours and his mouth, well, everywhere.

"Did Sharon tell you what I did?" You ask.

"I didn't ask for details. I just know that you pissed her off." He says, still looking at the TV.

"She's taking me back to Madripoor." You say quietly.

"I know. Makes sense." He shrugs.

"You and her go way back, right?"

"I've known her for a while."

"How come you and Sam are always doing her favours? You owe her or something? She doesn't like to talk about it." You probe.

"Neither do I." He says, turning his unflinching gaze on you.

You can't help but laugh. "You've got a great poker face, Barnes, I'll have to take you gambling in Madripoor, you'll make us rich."

"I'll pass." He says, crumpling his Coke can in his bionic hand.

You turn your attention to the TV - some garish game show - and feel his eyes still on you. The ache is getting worse, now you're positively throbbing with need. What the hell, you're going to Madripoor in the morning, who knows when you'll see him again? You may as well shoot your shot.

"Sharon thinks there's tension between us." You murmur casually, glancing at him.

"I won't argue with that."

"Sexual tension."

"Oh." He mutters. "You believe everything Sharon tells you?"

"She's mostly right about things."

Not entirely true. Sharon's exact words were, "If you and Barnes don't stop eye fucking each other I'm going to puke." Then she muttered something about 'steering clear of super soldiers'.

"Maybe we should do something about it, get it out of the way." You say, feeling yourself flush and keeping your eyes on the screen.

"That's not a good idea." He replies, but the tone of his voice sounds different, husky almost. Out of the corner of your eye, you see him shift on the bed.

"I've got a proposition for you." You say, finally, turning to him.

Bucky clears his throat. "If it's an investment opportunity I'm not interested."

"It's not financial, it's physical."

He sighs and looks at you.

"So, what if we kiss." You say, as lightly as you can manage.

"No." He says, flatly.

"Wait, I haven't finished. If we kiss and it's awful, then we forget about it and don't mention it ever again."

"I like the sound of that." He murmurs.

"If it's not awful well, we've got a motel room and a night to figure it out." You say softly, biting your lip.

The pause before he answers is far too long, and you're so embarrased you actually contemplate making a break for it.

"If I say yes will it shut you up?"

You laugh, relieved. "Yes, it will literally shut me up."

Bucky gets up off his bed slowly. "I'm going to regret this, I can tell."

"And I'm going into hiding, for who knows how long. It's the least you can do, Barnes." You say, your heart hammering with anticipation.

Bucky sits next to you, and your mouth starts to water just from his proximity.

"How do-"

You don't let him finish, leaning over and grabbing his jacket, pressing yourself against him and capturing his mouth with yours. It's even better than you imagined; he's slow and gentle but firm, bringing his hand up to grip the nape of your neck, a soft growl escaping from the back of his throat.

You pull away, flustered. Bucky's eyes are wide, staring at you.

You gulp. "Awful, right?"

"Just terrible." He murmurs, his hand tightening on the back of your neck.

"I guess that's it then." You shrug, looking at him through lowered lashes.

"That's it." He kisses you again, and this time it's all consuming. His lips are so soft but insistent and he licks into your mouth, making you groan into his.

You just want to climb onto him, anything to relieve the desperate ache. Bucky pulls you onto his lap with a grunt and you straddle him, your kisses growing deeper. He's so solid underneath you and you rub yourself against him, feeling the bulge grow in his jeans.

"Fuck, you're needy aren't you?" He chuckles lowly, kissing your neck.

You make a noise of agreement, slipping his jacket off his broad shoulders.

Bucky unbuttons your pants, and slides his hand into your panties.

"Is this ok?" He asks softly.

"It's all ok." You tell him and gasp as you feel his fingers opening you up, your hips jerking in response when he finds your clit. He tongues your mouth again as he plays with your pussy, slipping two fingers inside you.

You moan his name as you fuck his hand, rubbing him through his jeans and feeling the flicker of heat blooming at your core. Suddenly Bucky withdraws his hand and you stare at him as he gets up of the bed.

"Get undressed." He swallows, pulling his t-shirt off.

Quickly you strip down to your underwear and sit back on the bed, Bucky stands before you naked, beautiful, his arm gleaming in the lamplight. You can't hide your alarm when you notice he's got the cuffs in his hand again.

"What are those for?" You gulp, eyes wide.

"For when I fuck you." He says thickly. "If it's ok?"

You nod eagerly, pleasantly surprised. It was a first for you but you trusted him and well, now was a good a time as any.

Bucky gets on the bed and reaches for you, pulling you close and kissing you roughly, his hand grabbing a fistful of hair, his dog tags clinking against your chest.

"How come you still wear these?" You ask, running your fingers over the metal.

"Don't worry about it." He murmurs.

Then there was no more talking.

* * * * *

The next morning you wake up, nestled into Bucky's back and feeling sore. Your pussy and your wrists had taken a pummeling the previous night, he had fucked you every way he wanted to and you had lost count of your orgasms. Quite a going away present before you were shipped away to Madripoor. You were contemplating waking Bucky to go another round when his phone vibrates on the bedside cabinet. Already awake, he reaches for it.

"Morning Sharon." He intones. "Yeah, I guessed that. No, she was fine, I made sure that she behaved. Right, ok. See you then."

You groan. "Great."

He turns over. "She just landed."

"But we have time, right?"

Bucky laughs, and gives you a genuine smile. "Time for what?"

Sitting up, you nod towards the bathroom and then touch his bionic arm. "Is this thing waterproof?"

[ikevamp-shrine]

Z y w d for shakes please

You know... I found a new type of love for shakespeare. I didn’t like him at the beginning but now that I see the potential for this poor bunny boi- I'm honestly blown away.

Anywho, thank you for requesting (abcs are still closed) (the crack event is still open I just haven’t been able to get to them due to a sudden increase of both school and work from my three jobs lol gotta love summer and all the events they bring) (match ups are closed) (letters from your suitor are closed- I still have the entries sent in- please do not think I deleted them) (requests are closed)

D = dirty secret (a dirty secret of theirs)

- He likes tying you up.

- Says it gives him inspiration to see you so needy, your blatant want dripping down your thighs.

- He’ll allow you enough slack in the bindings to grind down pathetically on the arm of a chair, or a pillow

- Will sit in front of you, his pen scratching away until you start to whine, only then will he rise from his seat, humming a tune, as he disappears to grab a vial of rogue it helps control himself from being too consumed in the passion he doesn’t want to hurt you in a moment of bloodlust

- Likes to toss his head back and gulp it down in one swallow, never breaking eye contact

- Paints your skin with the pale red left on his lips as he trails his fangs over your shivering flesh, making you feel sticky and hot

- sometimes he’ll sit you in his lap, blindfolded, your hands bound behind your back, a tender smirk on his features as he rests his head on one closed fist, the other flat against the small of your back to help you rub against his thigh

- whispers words of encouragement and endearment as you curl over him, whimpering as an orgasm crashes over you from the friction of his pants leg

- Tangles his fingers in your hair to bring you gently towards his lips; his face amused as you clumsily try to place your lips against his

W = wild card (get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

- How were you supposed to know he moans out every time someone grabs a handful of his hair and tugs?

- And by God- how red he turned when you found this out

- Soft tugs to tangling your fingers through his hair just hold it firmly at the base of his skull

- Favors hard jerks of his silky strands, exposing his throat, leaving his slender neck at the mercy of your teeth

- He looked honestly ashamed when you had jerked his hair a little too hard from the blinding pleasure he was gifting you

- the first time, he looked up from between your legs, his lips parted in a bashful moan while his chin glistened with your arousal

- You definitely use this knowledge to switch up the role of control

- If he’s being a dramatic brat in public just twirl your finger around a chunk of his hair and he’ll freeze, looking at you with a warning glare while his back straightens and cheeks turn red

Y = yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

- Its not high- but do not get him wrong. He is ready to go at any time.

- Just say please and he’ll have you pushed up against a wall backstage, lifting your leg over his hip so he can slide his cock deep within your warmth

- He is very good at controlling himself when it comes to sexual desire, though its the actor in him

- just know the longer you make him wait after he whispers about how utterly desperate he is in your ear while passing you, the harder he will go on you

- he gets jealous, very jealous

- he can feel himself tremble if Comte touches you just a little too much at a ball, or if Vincent acts a little too innocently friendly

- his jealously blinds him, overwhelms him, makes his fangs ache and fingers twitch with the need to wrap around your throat

- at that point pray that it wasn’t Leonardo that made him jealous

- you actively avoid Leonardo after he stared William in the eye and kissed your cheek just to piss the playwright off

- you swear even the dead could hear your overstimulated screams and sobs of painful pleasure, your hips and inner thighs bruised from Will’s fingers digging into your flesh, neck and chest covered with angry love bites

- you tried leaving to get groceries the next morning even through your legs still felt weak and Will the handsome devil literally threw you onto the bed, shackling you to the post with a murderous expression rooted deeply in his face

- made you scream again until your voice turned hoarse and you fell unconscious

Z = zzz (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

- It honestly depends

- Normally he refuses to fall asleep before you so he can ensure that you are unharmed and comfortable

- But

- If he is feeling particularly needy he’ll shift slowly, placing his head against your chest, listening to your heart beat

- Almost purrs when you run your nails against his scalp, scratching gently at his nape and shoulders

- Will wrap one arm under you, the other laid limply at his side as his fingers softly trace the curve of your cheek

- Does that cute thumb rubbing thing when his eyes get too heavy to keep open anymore and his smile turns a sleepy tender like

- Whispers confessions of his love for you, his words mending together and becoming so… well him, that its hard to piece what he mumbles into sensible sentences

SHOTS MATERLISTS

MASTERLIST

ABCs SMUT MASTERLIST

[wlntrsldler]

treacherous (j.p one shot)

PROMPT: based on treacherous by taylor swift. slight enemies to lovers? James Potter and Y/N can’t stand each other until they get to know each other. 

A/N: does not follow the timeline at all. the events are not accurate but let’s pretend for the sake of the fic lol. 

WARNINGS: mentions of death, a bit of wolfstar, and some sexual tension (brief)

WC: 5.6K+ (this is my longest fic yet omg) 

HARRY POTTER MASTERLIST

-

treacherous (j.p one shot)

“You’re so goddamn reckless.” James hissed, slamming his fists down on the kitchen table. “You need to wait for my command. This wasn’t a solo mission, Y/N/N. We work as a fucking team around here.”

“If I waited for your command, Prongs,” you replied, rising from your seat. You acknowledged his nickname with a bitter taste in your mouth. You knew you had to listen to James because everyone listens to James but you knew your plan would work. “We wouldn’t have gotten the mission done.”

“You went rogue!”

“But we got it done, right?” you seethed, eye drilling holes in Prongs’ skull. You felt Sirius offer a comforting hand, placing his on top of yours. Your eyes flickered to look at your best friend, features visibly softening. You sighed, slowly feeling yourself come down from your anger. “That’s the important thing, Prongs. I’m done talking about this.”

“Yeah we got it finished but at what cost?” James pushed, not backing down from his dominant exterior. “You could’ve died, Y/N. We don’t trade lives around here.”

“You don’t have to act like you care about my well-being, Potter,” you spat, starting to limp away from the briefing. You sustained some minor injuries because of your decision but you knew you’d do it again if it came down to it. “We all know you just don’t want another person’s blood on your hands.”

It was a low blow. Everyone in the house knew that James was feeling guiltier and guiltier everyday because of the events that happened over the past few months. The McKinnons, the Prewetts, his fight with some Order members— all of it was finally taking a toll on James. Maybe it always did take a toll on him and he just never showed that it did. Nobody really knew what the last straw was but now it was obvious— James Potter was tired, worn out, almost defeated in nature. 

Yeah, what you said was a low blow.

James gulped, demeanor changing after your words rattled the room. Remus looked at James apologetically, not really knowing what to say. He didn’t expect that from you, nobody did. Lily cleared her throat, fixing the scattered parchment on her side of the table. Sirius stood up and patted James on the back, giving his shoulder a slight squeeze. 

“Right, uhm..” he started, blinking back the effect of your words. “We can revisit this some other time. Great job today.”

James left the room without another word, your voice taunting him as he walked further and further away from the team. Is that what you really think of him? A leader, if that, who only cared about not being the person responsible for another death? Did you think that he didn’t care about you? That you were just a number to him? 

Obviously you didn’t. You knew James Potter was a good man, deep down. You could see it in the way he put everyone’s needs before his. He wakes up every morning and gets everything done so the rest of you wouldn’t be burdened with such mundane things. James Potter cooked meals, cleaned the house you all shared, and bought groceries on the weekends because he thinks that you all fighting with him is something he can never repay you for. James Potter thinks that your trust as a team— as a family— is the most important thing in the universe and he’s so thankful that he has you all by his side, even if the whole world disagrees with your cause. James Potter is a good man. 

You had a loud mouth. You found yourself, more times than you’d like to admit, scolding yourself after you let your mouth run amuck. This was one of those times. You let your anger get the best of you. The only reason why you even got angry with James in the first place was his lack of trust in you. Did he not think you could complete the task successfully? 

“Y/N?” A voice from outside of your room called. You tried to get up from your bed, cursing as the pain shot through your right leg. “Hey, you in there?”

“Yeah,” you yelled out, realizing that it would be better for them to let themselves in rather than you try to open it for them. “Come in.”

Sirius entered, chuckling at your pained expression as you sat up in your bed. You glared at him, propping your injured leg on top of a pillow. “You good there, sweetheart?”

“Just dandy.” 

He sat next to you, careful not to touch your leg. He smiled at you, sadly, and you knew what was coming next. A lecture as to why you should apologize to James or at the very least take his point of view under consideration. This was almost normal, and it was definitely expected. You and Sirius grew close, attached to the hip at times, and he was the one who would typically talk some sense into you. You knew that he and James were the blueprint of what an everlasting friendship should look like so you listened to him. Rarely were you ever the first one to apologize, though, but you knew this time was going to be one of those times. 

“What you said to James..” he trailed off, eyebrows furrowing in worry. “I think he kinda took it to heart, Y/N.”

“I know,” you sighed, acknowledging your mistake. “I don’t know why I even said that.” 

“You don’t like to use your brain when you’re angry.” Sirius responds, laughing slightly. You push his shoulder playfully. “Just apologize to him, Y/N. You know he means well.”

“I know he does.”  

“So I’ll leave you to it then,” he announced, getting up to leave your room. “He’s in his room, locked himself in there since the meeting.”

Ouch. You felt the guilt start to eat you up. Sirius shot you a warm smile before shutting the door behind him. Groaning, you lifted yourself up, trying to ignore the swelling in your leg. Was it the smartest idea to walk on an injured leg? No, but you were never one to have smart ideas anyway and today’s events made that clear.

You started to make your way down to James’ room but stopped when you saw him exiting the bathroom. You began to walk towards him, gasping in pain when your foot landed the wrong way. 

“Goddamnit, James!” you shuffled towards him, gaining some speed. He stopped to see who was calling him. His face paled when he realized it was you and continued to walk towards his room. “Will you wait for me?”

James stopped in his tracks, feeling bad that you were chasing him with a bad leg. He waited patiently as you limped towards him, an annoyed look on his face. “What do you want, Y/N?”

You blinked, not expecting the harsh tone he was using. No matter how many times you and James argued and were at each other’s throats, his harsh tone always surprised you. He raised his voice, yeah, sure, but this— this was different. You tried to ignore it, knowing that you probably deserved this. “I just wanted to say sorry for what I said earlier.”

He froze up, looking down at his feet. He glanced over at your leg, red with bruises littered over your skin. God you were lucky you didn’t die, he thought. James shrugged, “I don’t care, Y/N. Is that all?”

“Well, blimey,” you snorted, already putting up your harsh exterior, “I was trying to be nice. Get that stick out your ass.”

“Are you done?” 

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” 

That was it. 

James walked away and entered his room before you even moved. You were left to crawl your way back to your room, quite literally. Half way through, the pain in your leg traveled to your hip and you gave up on walking. Remus found you dragging your body across the carpet and took it upon himself to carry you back to your bedroom. You thanked him, half-heartedly, not being able to forget James’ hurt expression from your sorry-excuse of an apology. 

-

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. You were all supposed to win the fight. You were supposed to reconcile and have a drink at the house, continuing to dance the night away. You weren’t supposed to lose. 

Half of the people you knew were gone. Poof. Like they never existed. 

You, Lily, and James stayed in the Potters’ home, resting after a long day of fighting. Dumbledore left to check on the Order, or what was left of them. Molly and Arthur joined him. Peter was— Merlin knows where. Sirius left to check on Remus. The world seemed so quiet. Empty. 

“It’s not the end,” Lily tried to say, looking between you and James. She paced the floor, unsure if she even believed her own words.

There hasn’t been much spoken between the ones who survived. You started to wonder if you were one of the lucky one who survived or if this fate was more unlucky given the circumstances. You lost people you called your family. You all did. 

This was a battle none of you expected. It was a surprise attack on the Order during a time when you all had your guards down. One minute, you were all in the backyard, excited as the Weasley’s announced another addition to their already large family. People were dancing, cheering, drinking, and for a moment it seemed normal. 

And then they came. They slaughtered everyone that they could. You were lucky enough to get out before it got too crazy. You ushered the young kids into the room, casting protective charms as you held onto Percy Weasley with your other hand. You watched people fall. You heard people scream in terror as they were being tortured. You shielded the kids from looking out the window, afraid that if they were to see something so traumatizing, they would never recover. You were sure it would take years before you would.

“I’m gonna help Euphemia out,” Lily announced, getting up from her seat. You knew there wasn’t much that Euphemia needed help with, Lily just felt restless and she wanted to do something that she could control. 

James nodded silently, staring at his shaking hands. There have only been a handful of moments where you’ve seen James Potter— confident, self-assured, James Potter— doubt himself or be nervous. 

The first time was when he put on the Sorting Hat in your first year and he pleaded the tattered hat to place him in Gryffindor, though the hat knew better than to place him anywhere else. Then, second year came around and you four found out that Remus was a werewolf. You accidentally overheard their conversation, and it confirmed the suspicions you’ve had for a year. The third time was in fifth year when Sirius made the stupidest mistake of his life and told Snape about the Whomping Willow. He was afraid he’d lose his second family because of it, and he knew that Remus’ anger was justified. And the last time, before today, that you’ve ever seen James Potter nervous was in seventh year. It was the day after his date with Lily— a date that took him years to convince her to go on— and he realized that they were not compatible at all. Poor bloke was afraid to hurt Lily’s feelings and when he finally told her, she laughed and said, “I know, Potter. I’m glad you see it now.” 

Now, you were alone with a terrified James Potter and you didn’t know what to do. You stared at him from across the room, unsure of your next step. You cleared your throat, “Do you need me to do anything, Potter?” 

“Huh?” he looked up, eyes weary and mind jumbled. He registered your question and he shook his head, “No, I’m alright. Um, are you going to be staying here tonight?” 

You gulped, “Yeah, if that’s alright. I-I don’t really have a place to stay, but if you want me to leave I’m sure I can stay with Remus and Sirius.” 

“No, no, it’s perfectly fine,” James replied, quickly, getting up from his seat, “I’m sure mum and dad won’t mind. Please, make yourself at home.” 

“I appreciate that,” you sent him a tight-lipped smile and rocked back and forth from your heels to your toes, ignoring the pain that shot up your leg with every move. 

“I’m gonna help mum.” 

“Okay.” 

He left you in the room, rushing to help his mother, but you had a feeling it was to save the both of you from the awkwardness of the situation. Sighing, you began to make your way to your room upstairs. You were half way out the room when suddenly, the room was filled with your friends. Some of the remaining members of the Order popped in, stopping you from completing your plans. 

“Well, welcome back everyone,” you remarked, sitting on the couch. “Nice to see you.”

James, Lily, and Euphemia all entered once they heard the commotion. James stayed by the doorframe, arms crossed as he watched Dumbledore take center. Lily and Euphemia sat beside you, on opposite sides. Euphemia gave your leg a light squeeze and a kiss on your temple. 

“As you all know, today’s attack caused mass casualty,” your old professor started, eyes flickering to empty spots in the room that the old members used to occupy. “To prevent such things, we will assign teams to designated areas. We can no longer put all our eggs in one basket. We need to prepare.” 

Dumbledore continued, “Euphemia, you and Fleamont stay with Mad-Eye. He needs your expertise. Remus and Sirius, your flat is near the Black family home, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah,” Sirius replied, “Wanted to be close, just in case.” 

Regulus. Sirius wanted to be close to look after Regulus. 

The old wizard nodded, “Very well. You two stay there and make note of any movement. We suspect they’re having meetings there. Lily, Dorcas, and Peter, you three will be taking care of Hogwarts students who live in the muggle world. They’re in Hogwarts for sanctuary, but since Minerva and myself are going to be preoccupied, we need you to make sure they’re safe.” 

“What a reunion, aye gang?” Dorcas chuckled, though her laugh was empty. Lily snorted, shoving her lightly as a move of endearment. 

“James and Y/N, we need you two here. This will be our headquarters.” 

Sirius scoffed, “Professor, are you sure you’d want to pair Prongs and Y/N/N? We’ve already lost a lot of Order members and I’m afraid that if you pair them, we’ll lose one more. One of them will end up killing the other.” 

“Shut it, Pads,” you glared, scrunching your nose, “I’m sure Potter and I can be civil.” 

“I can be,” James added, side-eyeing you. 

“What does that mean?” you questioned, squinting your eyes at the boy by the door. You began to get up but Euphemia stopped you, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

“James,” she said, warningly. 

“Alright,” Dumbledore clapped his hands, calling the attention back to him, “I expect you all to be at your posts by tonight. Stay safe, everyone. Our numbers are dwindling by the hour.” 

By 11PM, the house was empty. It was only you and James left. You locked yourself in the comfort of your room, staring wordlessly at the ceiling. The house was unusually quiet. There was no loud laughter coming from the living room— four boys who had to grow up too fast. You sighed, swinging your legs down the side of your bed, wincing as you forgot about your injuries. 

“Fuck me,” you muttered, closing your eyes for a moment until the pain subsided. Once it became bearable, you slipped on your house shoes and made your way down the stairs. You tried to tiptoe down the stairs, not wanting to wake James and go through another awkward encounter. However, once you got to the entrance of the kitchen, you realized your efforts made no sense as James leaned against the cold counter, a cup of tea in hand, and his glasses fogged by the steam from his drink. 

His eyes flickered over to where you stood, suddenly making you feel self-conscious. You were wearing nothing but pajama shorts and a large t-shirt that you were sure once belonged to Sirius. James raised his cup a bit as a sign of acknowledgement. 

You smiled awkwardly and poured yourself a glass of water, “What are you doing up?” 

“I reckon for the same reason you are,” he replied, taking a sip from his tea. James snickered, “Nice shirt.” 

“It’s Padfoot’s,” you chuckled, “Don’t tell him I still have it.” 

“Actually,” James started, placing his drink down. He faced you, “It’s mine. I let him borrow it and I asked for it a few times now. He keeps telling me he’ll give it to me later but I had a feeling he was stalling because he lost it. Mystery solved.”

You blushed, “Sorry, did you want it back?” 

“No, it’s alright. Looks good on you,” he coughed, ducking his head to hide the slight blush on his cheeks, “Can’t sleep?” 

“No.”

James nodded, “Yeah, me either. You can sit with me for a bit, if you want.” 

You pondered it for a moment until you finally decided that a conversation with James Potter was better than staring at an empty ceiling for the rest of the night. You limped to the seat in front of him, clutching your glass of water like a lifeline. 

“Are you still hurt?” James questioned, getting up to help you to your seat. He held your arm as you sat on the chair. Once you were situated, he knelt beside you, inspecting your leg, “You are still hurt. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“It’s not a big deal,” you sighed, rubbing the back of your neck in embarrassment. “We all had bigger things to worry about.”

“Why didn't you just cast a spell on it?”

“I’m not the best healer around,” you admitted, looking down at him. 

If it was any other circumstance, you would not have admitted your shortcomings to anyone— especially not James Potter. But perhaps it was the toll that the war had put upon you or the tiredness in your system… Or perhaps it was the way he was staring at you from his position on the floor, eyes wide with worry with the candlelight reflecting off his glasses and the look of absolute beauty on his face, that made you become so brutally honest. 

“And why didn’t you ask one of us to help you?” 

You scoffed, “Well, none of you are licensed healers, either. I figured I’d just live with it until it healed the muggle way.” 

“Always so prideful, you are,” he chuckled, pulling out his wand. He muttered a simple incantation and then studied your once injured limb. “There. Better?”

You looked down at it, pleasantly surprised that it was indeed better. You nodded, a skeptical look on your face. James dusted off his pajama pants and made his way over to the seat he occupied before. You tilted your head, “Where did you learn that?”

“I learned for Remus,” James said, “After his transformations, sometimes he would still be in pain from turning so I learned a few things to help him. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it didn’t but Remus always says that just the thought that I wanted to help him helped with his recovery. Load of rubbish, I say but who am I to decide that, right?”

“Wow.”

James laughed at your reaction, drinking from his tea once more. A playful smile appeared on his lips, “I do have a heart, you know. I’m sure everyone else can see that but you.”

You rolled your eyes, “I know you have a heart, Potter. That’s not why I can’t stand you.”

“Enlighten me then.”

“Well, Godric, where do I start?” you hummed, a laugh escaping your throat. Now it was his turn to roll his eyes, smirking at your answer. You bit your lip, “Let’s see… you’re arrogant, cocky, obnoxiously loud. You act like you know everything, all the time.”

His eyebrows shot up. James’ tongue poked out to dampen his cracked lips, “Don’t hold back, I guess.” 

“Shut up,” you chuckled, “Your turn. Why do you hate me?” 

“Because you hate me.”

“Come off it,” you stared at him, shaking your head. “Why do you really hate me?”

“Seriously, that’s it. I only act like I don’t like you because you don’t like me. I don’t actually hate you, you know.” 

You were in shock. Your voice came out as a whisper, “Really?”

“Really yeah,” he shrugged, as if his confession was nothing, “You love Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily, and all our friends like they’re family to you. I can tell you’re a genuinely good person with how you treat the most important people in my life. I can’t hate a good person.”

You pursed your lips, “Well, I only dislike you because you act like I’m not a good witch.” 

“What?”

“Come on, James,” you gestured with your hands. “You act like I’m a bloody awful witch and an even worse person. Always have since we were in Hogwarts. I just always assumed you thought I wasn’t good enough.”

James was baffled, “Are you being serious right now?”

“I mean, yeah,” you began to explain, thinking back to the many moments in the past where he made you feel that way. “I remember when we first all found out about Remus. I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone but you still followed me for two months to make sure I didn’t say anything because you didn’t trust me. Or whenever Sirius would tell you to ask me for help on a prank that required some advanced charms, you would refuse to let me participate like I couldn’t possibly be any help to you. Or more recently, when we had that task to do and you blew up on me for not following the intended plan. You don’t think I’m capable.”

“Y/N, I never thought I made you feel that way,” James frowned. “I was just really scared for Remus. Even as a second year, I knew that he was going to be my best friend for life and I just wanted to protect him. I didn’t let Sirius drag you into our pranks because I knew you were aiming for a spotless record at Hogwarts. I didn’t wanna get you in trouble because honestly, a prank that didn’t end with at least one of us in detention was a failed prank.”

“Oh,” you squeaked, “I didn’t know that was where your mind was.” 

“Yeah,” James continued, “A-and as for the last task, I just didn’t want you hurt. We’ve lost enough people already. I’d hate to lose you, too.” 

“Careful, Prongs,” you teased, swirling the water around in your glass, “You’re gonna make me think you actually like me.” 

“I do, yeah,” he admitted, “I’m quite fond of you.”

The both of you stayed silent after those words left his lips. It wasn’t awkward, it was comfortable. It was the first time you two had a proper conversation and you learned things about each other that you never imagined. James continued to sip on his tea and you stared at each other from across the counter. You smiled at him, admiring the redness of his cheeks.

“Well,” you finally said, standing up. You placed the empty glass in the sink and made your way to the stairs, “I think I’ll turn in for the night.”

James smiled, showing off his perfect teeth, “Goodnight, Y/N/N.”

“Goodnight, Prongs,” you returned his smile, turning your back on him. Before you reached the first step, you turned back around, “James?”

“Mhm?” 

“I think I can grow quite fond of you too.”

James’ eyes flickered from his tea to your face, his cheeks completely flushed pink by now. He bit the corner of his bottom lip, trying to suppress his smile. He chuckled, shaking his head, making his curls bounce around. You willed yourself to remember that image because it was the first time that you truly saw James Potter for who he was. 

-

Over the next few weeks, you and James began to grow closer. Your late night conversations almost became mandatory. He began to leave a cup of tea for you across from him where you sat the first night. It took him precisely three nights to finally make your cup the way you liked it without being told. He started to light the fireplace in the living room after seeing goosebumps rise on your skin a week and a half after the first night. Then by the third week of your traditions, he began to walk you up to your bedroom door to wish you a goodnight there. 

Sirius and Remus didn’t come to check in until a month later. Sirius, as always, made himself feel at home by raiding the kitchen and eating the food that you and James made earlier. Remus laughed from the living room, muttering about how Sirius acts like he doesn’t feed him. 

Sirius sat beside James, peering over the pile of parchment on the side of his desk. He nudged his best friend’s shoulder, “Surprised you and Y/N haven’t killed each other yet.” 

James blushed, “She’s not so bad, Pads.”

“Oh, I know that,” he hummed, taking a bite out of the biscuit in his hand, “Glad you know it now, too.”

“I never thought she was bad,” James frowned, placing his quill down to properly talk to Sirius, “Why does everyone think that I do?”

“Prongsie, darling, you would always shut up whenever she’d walk in. You’d avoid her like the plague.” 

“I just knew she didn’t like me, that’s all. Figured that if I shut up, she’ll see that I’m not so bad.” 

“Huh… Why did you want her to like you so bad anyway?” Sirius asked, sitting on the desk now, disregarding the work that James had done. He waited patiently for James to answer, but the answer never came. Instead, James’ cheeks flushed pink and the boy tried to hide his flustered expression by pretending to massage his temples. Sirius’ eyes widened and he jumped off the desk with excitement plastered over his face, “You fancy her! Merlin, how did I not see it before?! You fancy Y/N/N!”

“Will you—” James shushed Sirius, pulling him down by the fabric of his shirt. He was starting to draw attention to himself. James saw Remus stare at the two boys, puzzled as to why Sirius was running around like a dog. James wouldn’t be surprised if he turned into Padfoot just to swing his tail around. “Will you calm down?”

“Sorry, sorry,” he whispered, his lips still twisted in a large grin, “You fancy Y/N/N.”

“Yeah, I do,” James was embarrassed now. He didn’t expect to come clean to Sirius like this— not in the middle of a war. “I’ve always thought she was gorgeous, you know, even back in Hogwarts! I just never did anything about it because she hated me. I mean, really, genuinely, hated me. Then we got to know each other over this time and— I don’t know, Pads. She’s great.”

Sirius smiled so hard, James thought his lips would tear apart, “Yeah, she bloody is. Are you gonna tell her?”

His eyes widened at his best friend’s words as he frantically shook his head, “Merlin, no! Of course not! We’re in the middle of a war, Pads, and I’m sure she barely tolerates me. I doubt she’ll like me.” 

Before Sirius could reply, you appeared behind the two boys, an eyebrow raised, “What are we talking about gentlemen?” 

“Nothing!” James exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck in fear, “Sirius was just saying how he needed to get home. Right now.” 

“Is this how you talk to your best friend that you haven’t seen in a month, Prongs?” 

Remus entered as well, laughing as he spoke, “Come on, Sirius. We do have to head home now. Nice to see you both.” 

“Always a pleasure, Moony,” you smiled, hugging them both before they apparated out of the house. You poked James’ cheek, “So what were you really talking about?” 

“Guy stuff,” he lied, returning his focus back to the parchment that Sirius messed up. 

“Guy stuff?” you snorted, grabbing his jaw and turning his head to look at you. James visibly gulped, all the color draining from his face. You cocked your head, not letting go of his face, “We’re lying to each other now, Potter? Shame.” 

“‘M not lying,” he said, voice shaky. You were so close to him. He could smell the strawberry chapstick you dabbed on your lips. Godric, your lips looked so kissable. 

“Yes you are,” you tutted, your palm now cupping his jaw. You didn’t even realize how intimate this move was, too busy looking into his eyes to notice your movements, “I can tell.” 

“How?”

“You can’t look me in the eye,” you stated, eyes flickering to the different features on his face. You never noticed the small freckle on the bridge of his nose or the small, fading scar on the left side of his lips. “Whenever a good man is lying, he can never look at someone in the eye. So tell me, James, what were you guys talking about?” 

James still refused to look at you in the eye. He couldn’t bring himself to because he knew you were right. The minute his eyes met yours, he would crack like an egg. Instead, he focused it on your parted lips, feeling your breath tickle the tip of his nose as you spoke. He mumbled, “I can’t tell you that.”

You didn’t know what came over you but when you spoke again, your voice came out as a sultry tone— breathy and slowly dragging your words, “Please.”

James’ eyes immediately jumped to look at yours once he heard the tone of your voice. He’d never heard you use that tone before and he would be lying if he said it didn’t make him weak in the knees. And for the sixth time in your life, you saw the nervous James Potter again. In a moment of weakness, he spoke, “You. We were talking about you.” 

“Me?” you asked, shocked by his revelation. Your hand that was once cupping his face was now hanging off his shoulder. You twirled a curl on the nape of his neck around your index finger, slightly tugging it. It took all of James’ willpower not to groan at the pressure. “What could you have possibly been saying about me?”

“How utterly insufferable you are,” James nudged his nose with yours, tilting his head the slightest bit. His tongue poked out of his lips, licking them in both nervousness and excitement. 

“I’m only insufferable because you make me this way,” you tilted your head the opposite direction. Your lips were moving towards each other with every breath you took. 

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” you whispered, closing your eyes. You let your lips ghost over his, before pulling away. You opened your eyes to taunt him, a mischievous smirk on your face. You pulled away from him, untangling his hair from your finger. 

“See, you’re proving my point. You’re insufferable,” James said. 

And with that, he pulled you by your waist, a surprised squeal left your mouth. He placed you on his lap before he kissed you. You instantly wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you. His lips melted with yours, tongues shying away from each other until he finally had the courage to caress yours with his. James squeezed your hips, pushing you down his lap. A soft moan escaped your throat and that brought James back to reality. 

Before things could escalate, he pulled away— lips bruised and completely out of breath. You smiled at him, biting your bottom lip. He returned the favor, running a hand through his hair.

“I didn’t want to continue without telling you,” James confessed, “I like you. A lot, actually. I don’t want you to think this means nothing to me because it does. I-I hope it means something to you, too. If it doesn’t, let me know because I don’t want to do this if I’m just setting myself up for failure here.” 

Your features softened at his words. You cupped his face in your hands, once again, and kissed the tip of his nose, then each cheek, then his forehead, and finally, his lips. It was an innocent one, less steamy and passionate than the first, but lovely regardless. You intertwined your fingers with his, “This means something to me, too, Potter. You’re not the only one who feels that way.” 

“Really?” he asked, now grinning widely. He connected his forehead with yours, chuckling, “Who would’ve thought we’d get here?”

“Not me,” you giggled, “However, don’t think I won’t bicker with you now that I know you’re an incredible kisser.” 

“I didn’t expect you to go easy on me,” James laughed, wrapping his arms around you. “But now, I can just kiss you to shut you up.” 

You pretended to think about it for a moment with a fond smile, “Hmm.. I suppose that’ll work.” 

James pulled you closer to his body, looking up at you as you sat on his lap. He murmured into the skin of your neck, “See? Insufferable.”