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yoinkschief · 1 year

Note

totally random question man have you heard about this thing called the markiplier cinematic universe (mcu for short)

I'm going literally obliterate you I know where you live (I'm currently entering in you coordinates to the president's nuke)

I wanna try and say this shit without getting wildly off topic and I'm praying that Tumblr doesn't have a word cap but also low key hoping it does to put an end to this because I'm not sure I have a stopping point, but be warned, underneath the cut is my LONGEST rant yet

Starting with some background knowledge of "the birth" or Darkiplier versus "the birth" of Wilford Warfstache

Darkiplier was truly born from an internet meme of edgy people seeing people like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye and such making "edgy jokes" and "acting deranged" because at the time on youtube that was seen as funny and comical (similar but not the same as when Pink Guy was around and people thought he was the height of comedy at the time but the skit being retired by the creator because "it's not funny anymore, get over it", except Mark brought it a different life rather than killing off the character entirely, instead of retiring the character he gave it meaning, think like how you make an edgelord OC as a kid but later think of a really good backstory for it and end up revamping the entire OC instead something not even remotely related anymore)

So the community latched onto that idea and started calling him "DARK iplier" because we as human are incredibly creative

I say, knowing "markiplier" is just Mark and Multiplier combined

Which brings me to how Wilford Warfstache was created, actually

Wilford was created for the express purpose of things like "The Slenderman Interview" and "Wilford Plays: Slender" (warning: very early YT jokes that wouldn't fly today lol), he was created to do funny skits for games Mark would play as Mark's reason for naming his channel "Mark Multiplier" is because he wanted to make skits of the characters in the games he would play, making his channel a half gaming channel and a half skit channel which was honestly ingenius ingenuity, he had the fortune of taking a chance with two genres that ended up being VERY successful on early youtube and that is one of the biggest reasons why his channel is so big today

which is also just incredibly insane to think about that he has managed to have very little if not any controversies within his channel and community, at least not any GENUINE concerns he hasn't already alleviated

And for the most that's all these characters were: completely separate parts of Mark's channels where are Darkiplier would only appear in Mark's more "edgier" videos and Wilford purely in skits

That is until his video "Don't Blink", whic was also featured in his much later series: "A Date with Markiplier" where we see Darkiplier in his own video rather than some edgy joke made online and his first "official" appearance and is around the time when people began to refer to the different personas Mark had online as his "egos"

In the video we see Dark slowly fade in to the dark background of the picture that's posted on screen (and this is why I get kinda upset when Lixian, Mark's editor, is attributed to the image alternation horror of Mark's series as this has ALWAYS been a staple of Mark's channel - Lixian fucking hits it out of the park with his editorial and atristry stills, don't get me wrong, he's a true artist when it comes to that kind of horror, but he didn't create it on Mark's channel, it's always been a thing and you can always tell who is new to the channel with this)

But we don't see much of Dark's actual attire and how he looks anymore than he's a one to one comparison of Mark just a creepier, edgier version of him, I mean, he doesn't even get his iconic grayscale self yet ! "Don't Move" is technically the first time we see that but I don't count it since the entire video is in grayscale, I would kinda attribute the first "Dark is in Graysclae" sighting to the "October of Terror" video he did explaining his charity event but I wouldn't say it's officially attributed to him then, I think it was more of a "putting him in grayscale brings out the drastic lighting contrast and makes it look spooky" versus it actually being apart of his character design, because I don't think Dark was "officially" introduced until "Mr. Kitty Saves the World" where he actively brings up Darkiplier as an entity and not just him being edgy to get views (but also is being edgy to get views lol)

But what I find interesting is in that video it says "Containment Breach" which is because this was roughly a year after Mark started playing SCP: Containment Breach and suggests that Darkiplier was originally supposed to be an SCP !! That's super fucking cool to me that Dark went from being edgelord to being an SCP to being "I'm super tortured but like mentally and physically my body can't even stay in one piece" (which is funny cause Antisepticeye, which yes I'm bringing up cause they're intertwined just by the nature of Mark and Jack being friends and their egos happening at the same time and in tandem with each other thanks to the "Darkiplier VS. Antisepticeye" video, went from being edgelord jokes to I'm fucked up an evil to SCP but different flavor,, which like yeah it's a joke video and is seen widely as noncanonical but it still applies to how they are connected if just by similarities between them)

But within the community, Darkiplier isn't officially an ego or real character until "Best Friends Forever", which is widely hypothesized or accepted to be Dark in the video because, again, edgelord humor, though in my eyes it's not until "relax" is released that Darkiplier is officially considered a character because this video shows that he is a different entitiy than Mark and he's also given an official outfit,,, plus it's his 14MIL milestone so I figured this would be the perfect time to canonicize Darkiplier as an official Markiplier Ego :)

I also think this was another video featured in ADwM (A Date with Markiplier) if I remember correctly

The "relax" video is also when we see him trying to torture Mark and not just other people or being generally edgy and this later is Dark's main character plot point is to kill or hurt Mark (specifically "Actor" Mark, or otherwise Mark's characterization on screen, the character seperate from the creator,,, which is why I now have grown away from Septiplier (DO NOT ASK I WAS FUCKING ELEVEN) because "Actor Mark" is the characterization of Markiplier in my eyes, and that man does not deserve to be in any relationship, I like seeing him blue balled for all of eternity thank you) so that in my eyes is the best point of "yes Dark is an actual character now"

But this video is also why I don't think the earlier installments of Dark being in grayscale are when that officially becomes a character trait, as in later episodes after the previously mentioned with that characteristic are just heavily saturated photos or clips of Mark and aren't grayscaled, it's not until his ADwM series that Dark is oficially attributed this trait as whenever he's seen onscreen and the screen (and later just himself) switches to grayscale

Now, the introduction of Wilford Warfstache is wildly different but is the last Ego I'll be giving a timeline of (at least a very detailed one) because all the others are usually one off or are more recently added into the series and only show up fully fleshed out when they're first mentioned so I don't have to do a deep archive dive for them lol

Wilford, like I said earlier, was always a character, always supposed to be seen as such at the very least, and isn't just some "silly voice Mark sometimes does" but is definitely where his voice comes from, as it seems vastly different for the purpose of trying to differinciate the two of them and why it's a lot easier to do so versus how it was with Darkiplier as Dark and Mark, until more recently, sounded - and even looked - very much the same

Wilford is first seen in his Amnesia Series, the video of which I can't QUITE remember and I'm not about to search the entire fucking series just to figure out which one was his first appearance, but one of the earliest times he's name dropped is in "Amnesia: Rain - Part 6", but even then he's fully kitted out with his pink mustache and all (I think this video was supposed to be an April Fools video, but that's too on brand for Wilford Warfstache for me to think it wasn't more than just "it would be funny teehee", it definitely was but I feel like Mark was also thinkin "it would also be perfect to show off this kooky character" because like I said, Wilford was low-key planned from the beginning of Mark's channel,,, not specifically but his concept was)

But me personally I wouldn't see him as an official character until "The Warfstache Affair" which is one of the funniest fucking videos to me, even to this day and is such a silly video all on it's own, but this is his first appearance in my heart of hearts because, like Dark's need to torture Mark, this becomes one of Wilford's key character plot points later down the line

And when I say that Mark truly turns these characters from funny skit plot points to full fledged, series bingeworthy characters you want to see have a happy ending, I MEAN IT

His love for the creative process and writing shows through in his "official" series or skits, in his "official" MCU, it's literally insane. You can tell he loves these characters and truly wants to write a story and is the sole reason I think that, bias aside for the nostalgia and special place in my heart that FNaF has on me, Mark's Iron Lung movie is going to be SO MUCH BETTER than ANYTHING the FNaF movie could do

I love FNaF's storyline (and it's crazy how long it took me to mention FNaF in a MARKIPLIER related rant but it was bount to happen) and I think it's incredibly intricate, and it's very similar to Mark's MCU where it started off simple but get deeper as it gains more traction, where it's different is Scott Cawthon rushed a lot of his games and whatnot due to popularity, because of the fear that if he didn't pump it out fast enough it would lose traction and he'd lose his fame, whereas Mark not only had the security of that not happening, he also does not care if it did happen - he doesn't do these skits to appease people, he does them because he enjoys it, something's he's said a hundred times by now. Yes, because of the support he has he's able to make the story look very good, but fans or no fans the story would be the same, it would just look a lot different

Back to the timeline of events in the MCU, we don't techincally see the other Egos "introduced" or "canonicized" until "Markiplier TV", which even that can be argued due to both the irrelevantness and obvious of how one off of characters they were as well as Cyndago's unfortunate attempt at ending his own life and Mark taking it upon himself to not continue the characters he created so as to not disrespect Cyndago's legacy or "take away" those characters from him

But this is the first time we see Wilford and Darkiplier actually interact with each other, and is where that "Darkstache" ship REALLY took off

It's hard to say is people really shipped it beforehand, and if they did it was definintely considered a crackship or rarepair due to that exact fact of these characters never interacting up until Markiplier TV

I will always hold Markiplier TV in my heart, I remember frothing at the mouth when it came out and it was 100% what got me so autistically attached to Markiplier, I mean besides FNaF, but that was more of a "I can't wait to come home from school and watch my favorite YouTuber!" thing, and MTV (which yes I see the joke in that) was more of "OH MY GOD IF HE DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANS AND WHY DARK ONLY USES A NICKNAME ON WILFORD I'M GOING TO CLAW OFF MY SKIN OH MY GODDDDDDD"

Which by the way that happens, he calls him "Will" and that's NEVER EXPLAINED ???? I DON'T THINK ??? But this is the only person he refers to in any endearing way

(side note I wanted to add: intro to MTV has a Lantern reference in there,,, I know you (Shran, the person who asked this) is the only one who will understand that joke, but if you ever end up watching it: timestamp: 0:16, truly a blink and you'll miss it moment tho)

Also this series is the introduction to a character who later becomes canon: The Jim Twins,, though we're not sure if it stops at just twins as the joke is like all of the news anchors, castors, camera men, weather men, etc. are all named Jim,,, and because they occur again as an easter egg in "Who Killed Markiplier?" (not directly in,, but there was a website you could go to when WKM was airing and you could see them post extra, joking, content that also lowkey gave hints to the story but didn't directly interfere with the actual show so you didn't need to watch it) that I think made them canon as they're shown to be on set at the same time as canon characters (because ALL of WKM is canon, unlike MTV)

Also also MTV is where the popular headcanon that Wilford cries bubbles comes from ! (I can't not bring my other hyperfixations into this - Tom has a similarly popular headcanon where his tears are either black and/or smell/taste like pineapple juice)

MTV is 100% where I get my "random noises" stim that I do, by the way, where I just do the tune of songs I know with wildly incorrect words,,, and now that I think about is probably why I'm able to so clearly remember my friend's meme parody of "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" but every other word is rat: "I Rat Sins Not Tragedies"

Fucking hell Middle School was a different time I'm not sad to be gone from it

In other news the gag joke of Wilford casually pulling out a gun and shooting someone with it kills me every fucking time (literally I'm currently dead on the floor unmoving he's shot me sendf an damnbuclance)

Anyway back to the actual plot of MCU, this is also where we get the actual first introduction of Wilford's character trait of being beyond the screen he's played on, as he's seen manipulating text on screen shown to not really be "all there" for lack of a better term, being an enigma who doesn't understand the concept of death, and personally that was why I originally started the enjoy their character dynamic because it made sense to me that Dark would want to befriend someone who didn't care for murder when he wanted Mark to die so obviously Wilford is the natural choice, but I didn't think for Wilford to have such a FUCKING MESSED UP REASON BEHIND IT MARK I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MADE ME WANNA THROW HANDS WITH A FICTIONAL VERSION OF YUOR PERSONIFIED EGO I'M GOING TO RIP YOU APART !!! I WOULD NOT LIKE TO APOLOGIZE !!! I STICK BY IT !!!!!!

Also I think it's very funny that MTV canonicized that Santa is, in fact, still dead from when Wilford killed him in I think a charity live stream ?? I may be getting my memory mixed up but I think for one of Mark's Christmas Chairty Livestreams he had Wilford kill Santa Claus as a milestone reward ?? I'm not quite sure but I have a very vivid memory of Santa with his face blurred out for "security reasons" being suddenly executed by Wilford as like an interview thing,, but that could've been made afterwards as a joke reference to this clip lol, either way Santa is canonically murdered and Christmas is ruined forever by Wilford and I think that's fucking hilarious

For those who watched MTV or are watching it after this rant to see what I'm talking about let me explain every ego shown in the boardroom scene of this video and it's got nothing to do with me wanting to flex my obscure knowledge I have of Markiplier's channel:

Wilford and Dark don't count I've talked about them before

Googleiplier (Seen with in a blue shirt with the Google logo on it): comes from a skit done with Matthias called "Google IRL" in which Google comes out with an android version of Google Home to help with every day assistance, but what Matthias fails to know is that Google IRL is actually incredibly evil and is trying to kill Matthias

Ed Edgar (cowboy with the world's least flattering mullet,,, and that's saying something): Cyndago's character from the "Ed Edgar's Adoptallott's Baby Bulk Buy", where he tries to sell his son

Bim Trimmer (other guy in the suit also yes his name is a joke on Bum Trimmer): Another one of Cyndago's characters from the "Hire My Ass!" skit where Bim brutally murders and cannibalizes his contests (surprisingly unsurprisingly a fan favorite character)

Silver Shepherd (the alien looking motherfucker): Yet another one of Cyndago's characters from the "Super Infidelity" skit, where you can assume what happens; superhero marital affairs (this character is not be confused with how Jacksepticeye's Jackie-Boy Man came into creation, that was from a superhero maker (? ish) game)

Dr. Iplier: Heavily debated if it's Cyndago's character since it was posted to Mark's channel, I'll call him a Cyndago character since it's under the pretense of being a "Cyndago Original", even though people say he comes back in "In Space with Markiplier", he kinda really doesn't because that's Porniplier (LET ME EXPLAIN- PLEASE I TALK ABOUT HIM MORE LATER), but he gets first introduced in the skit "Worst News Doctor" with the same running joke as seen in MTV of "I'm sorry but... you're dying" to the most mundane of ailments

The Host (the guy with the bloody bandaged around his eyes): One of my favorite Cyndago skit characters, he comes from "Danger in Fiction", a skit parody of "Stranger Than Fiction" (at least the name is,,, I haven't actually seen Stranger Than Fiction lol), where he's first introduced as "The Author" (insert Gravity Falls joke here)

King of the Squirrels (Guy who runs in with peanut butter smeared on his face): Joke ego who came around in the same vein of Tiny Box Tim but instead it was introduced somewhere in Mark's "Don't Starve" playthrough, again, not watching the entire series again to remember where he first mentions him

The canonicity of the TV show though is flimsy at best as there is a Septiplier joke where he's begging to be killed and like 90% of the heads of the table are Cyndago's characters, but I think it is important to bring up because this, in my eyes, is the start of Markiplier actually trying to give his characters some depth to them and wanting to explore them more than JUST skits, or at the very least this is the last time they're seen in skits and treated as just egos and not seperate characters

When we ACTUALLY see the timeline somewhat officially begin is in "A Date with Markiplier"

Yes it technically airs before Markiplier TV but it didn't really have Wilford in it, and I wanted to get that last Wilford knowledge out there because Markiplier TV marks where the skit Timeline ends and the for realsies time line begins, the reason ADwM comes after this despite airing before it is because it technically wasn't supposed to be canon, and only became canon once "A Heist with Markiplier" come out because this is when Mark creates his "Adventures with Markiplier" series, canonicizing ADwM

With that out of the way, ADwM is where we see a lot more of Dark's character specifically, because again this is kinda not super canonical but more canonical than MTV, as it was made as a Valentine's Day joke post (Fun fact: The whole "Movie" portion of the date where we see Mark do a one man play is to make up for all of his broken "Markiplier Promises" to Ethan CrankGamePlays/Ethan Nestor and Tyler Apocalypto_12) but it IS the first time we get introduce to "Actor Mark" as a seperate character who becomes very important later on in the timeline with the next installment:

Who Killed Markiplier

My precious

My Favorite

Right after In Space but we'll get to that

Speaking of Reoccuring Characters introduced in ADwM: The Chef !! He comes back in WKM AND A Heist ! I fucking love this guy

Okay before I continue I need to preface something:

This is not where the actual timeline technically begins,,, it really begins with In Space but to explain that I need to explain this first because... by technicality this entire series? Like the entirity of the canonical MCU? Time loop. Thank you Mark for making me want to [REDACTED]

For the ease of me not jumbling shit together, I'm going to give a brief synopsis of every Chapter of WKM,,, I have no idea what I'm gonna do for Heist and Space but we'll see

Chapter 1

Another Lantern Reference at 0:14

We enter the fray as Y/N or better known as the District Attorney (DA for short), as we see on our invitation letter, meeting our main characters:

William J. Barnum, "The Colonel"

Damien Doom, "The Mayor"

Abe, "The Detective", and

Mark, "The Actor" and "The Victim"

Other noteable characters are:

The Chef and The Butler, played by Robert Rexx and Tyler Schneid respectively (Side note again: Why is every butler ever in the history of forever always gay?)

The time period in which this is set in is the 1920's, no specific date I don't think, but the 20s no less, (because of the time period you're offered a seltzer with cocaine in it to help subside your headache, I fucking love Mark's humor jesus)

The reason we're all gathered in the manor is because the Mark Iplier (Canon Last Name I believe) has invited us all to a celebratory party at his manor, in which we are all to get absolutely shitfaced and party, during which we have the most banging music playing in the background, we learn our beloved Mayor is King of the Keg, we get the first tease that William and Abe have history and don't rather like each other, at least in a one sided manner as Barnum playfully puts Abe in a headlock and Abe is NOT having it, we see William has violent tendencies trying to swing at the Butler now acting as bartender, William is also seen playing Russian Roulette, before we pass out in bed at 1:30 AM before waking up seven hours later only to find that our beloved friend, Mark, has died. But not only died - but has been MURDERED ! So says the detective

Thanks to a convenient lightning storm trapping everyone inside the house, which also seems to only strike anytime someone says the word "murder", Abe take it upon himself to take charge with you as his assistant and quarantines everyone inside the house until he can figure out what happened, and after rectally taking the corpse's body temperature Abe is able to determine Mark was murder just as you went to bed: 1:30 AM.

Later we see Damien and William fighting, Damien suspecting William of being the one who murdered Mark or at least being suspicious of him as they've had prior disagreements and seem to hate each other, though William swears he didn't do it and instead suggests Mark slipped and fell because he's a dumb idiot

It's also revealed that the Chef's "Little Buddy" is actually a security camera and has recorded the entire night, showing that Abe and Mark talked earlier, discussing the fact that Abe was invited to do background checks on Mark's staff conveniently at the same time as when the murder took place,,, hmm,,, at 1:13 AM, seven minutes before the murder

And then suddenly, we end on Abe announcing that the body had just suddenly disappeared

Also I'd love to add the bonus contents of what happened on the WKM website but it was taken down like shortly after the last chapter of the series aired, so I can't exactly give a play by play of what happened. Just know like how I said earlier it's just the Jim Twins being goofy (I vividly remember them playing with a oujia board rug going "S-U-B-S-C-R-I-B-E-T-O-M-A-R-K-I-P-L-I-E-R" which is still really funny to me but that's basically all the substance they gave,,, save for giving up a better look at the manor layout and rooms we didn't get to see much of in the official chapters) but like I said they're very inconsequential the main story so there's no harm other than me having one less thing to talk about which at this point is doing more good than anything

Chapter 2

We reiterate that the body's moved, seemingly on it's own, as we have the house residents find out one by one in the same (or at least roughly the same) order as they found out that the body was dead. Also William is revealed to believe in zombies (it IS the 20s) and also makes a "The Most Dangerous Game" reference (it IS the 20s,,, also in the outfit he was wearing it and who his character is it was bound to happen) before offering to kill Actor!Mark again if he truly is a zombie and justifies it with "well back in the war"

After Abe makes his nth homoerotic joke of the series he poses the question of: why? What's the killer's motive ? What do they gain from Actor being dead ? He reiterates that we were all invited here for a celebration but it was never specified what kind of celebration, not even Mark's grand "what we're celebrating" speech he didn't actually explain what they were celebrating, just that it wasn't about any in particular or himself which, obviously at this point, was a lie because he's dead so he was always going to be the main event

We also get that, after Abe probing Actor's ass, he found out that not only was he stabbed 37 times, Actor was also poisoned, beaten, strangled, drowned and shot - in that order. This is my favorite thing about this entire series because I remember making a ton of theories about this and what this meant because there's no way the killer did that in one night and it heavily suggested that Mark had died multiple times, on account of the fact that he was "drowned" and then later "shot" but the corpse we see is dry and isn't asphyxiated at all like he would be if he were strangled or drowned

And then my theories were blown out of the water when In Space came out so fuck me I guess

To be fair they weren't totally solid and at best were headcanons lol

Back to the main events of the story: we're introduced to Actor's room which is a MESS, truly it looks like a hurricane went through it, and as much as it seems like that would be the place he died within a struggle, Abe quickly dismisses that and urges us to continue looking when we find that he has multiple pictures frames of the friends in vairous amounts... First it's the three of them: Mark, William and Damien. They all seem super happy and in the photo they're laughing and causing a rukus. next there's suddenly four of them: Mark, William, Damien and Celine (I will get to her later), and they look less happy, well, for the most part. Damien and William and standing like the man emoji and it could be because William came back from war is like whoo boy do I have trauma and Damien could getting a little more stressed with mayoral duties but it's never quite clear, all we know is that Damien and William are straight faced whereas Celine and Mark and Celine are chatting it up like old friends. Continuing we see a third photo of just Damien and Mark together, Damien looking like he's giving his best customer service smile and Mark maybe looks anxious ? It's hard to tell, there's a glare on the glass of the frame for most of the shot

However, the last one we see is turned over and the glass is smashed, revealing a picture of William alone.

But the scene continues and William reveals that Mark has quite the amount of enemies, it's not just him who has a mysterious gripe with the bitch before Damien pulls us away to discuss who the murderer might be, instead bringing to the metaphorical magnifying glass to the Detective who we've been following around

Throughout the entire series we have fingers pointed at Abe and William the most, William with his violent tendencies and hatred for the victim, and Abe for the fact we know the least about him (within the immediate friendgroup but because he's also just kind of a reclusive guy)

Before he can continue with eluding to the idea that maybe there was one more person among them we hear a gunshot and glass break, revealing Abe and the Colonel pointing guns at each other and screaming. We hear that William was trying to use Abe for target practice as they are accusing each other of being the murderer, making their way to the door where we get a late arrival:

Celine.

Chapter 3

I said I'd get to her and I've gotten to her

Whoo

Fucking

Nelly

Listen before I continue this I will say I have a bias cause I AM HER BIGGEST HATER I HATE HER FUCKKKK

As an actress, she played phenomincally, Pamela Horton does a fantastic job playing her

As a character, beautifully written, I enjoy occult like characters and her title as "The Seer" is perfect, brings that mist of supernatural and mystery that surrounds Mark's untimely death wonderfully

As a person

As someone I could meet on the streets

I want to [REDACTED] until [REDACTED] so that she [REDACTED] and I won't stop until [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] or so help me.

That aside let's actually get the synopsis/play by play

The house guests fill Celine in on what happened and the fact that Mark's dead, but also she is the first person to bring up the fact that the lightning strikes everytime someone says the word "murder", what passed as a running gag is now pulled into question for possibly being supernatural as she proclaims it to be "powerful dark magic" for lightning to strike EVERYTIME someone says the word "murder"

Also William canonically was sucked into the board game Jumanji so via the pipeline he's connected to Dwayne the Rock Johnson which I think is pretty funny

Celine then proposes that they all hold a seance to speak with Mark beyond the grave to get an answer as to why this is all happening where she shuts down Abe and the Butler makes another gay ass remark to us before Celine proclaims we're trustworthy and have a "far greater part to play" which is hella suspicious, thank you Celine, and everyone pretty much agrees with the Detective that it's suspicious that Celine suddenly wants to take us on alone to get more answers and take the investigation further. Well, everyone except William.

Simp.

But it doesn't matter cause we end up going with her anywhere where Damien tries to talk to her about this and offer comfort but also wonders what she's doing getting mixed up with the muder, but the way he phrases it: "I just didn't think you were the type to get mixed up with all this" makes me think that he's actually talking about the occult and medium stuff she's been doing or at least suddenly announces that she's doing, where she argues that there's more to this world that he could ever understand and then continues to run off with us to seperate room of the house

There we see her lay out tarot cards and whatnot before making a "Series of Unfortunate Events" joke, and before anyone asks I don't think the layout of her cards and what cards are where means anything - I know in Tarot that that's like SUPER IMPORTANT but I do not think Mark poured hours of research into tarot for this one scene. But also because there's a magic eight ball there, as a joke yeah, but I mean c'mon

Shockingly enough though, as we're sitting in the room with Celine we start to have visions about what's happening, what's happened, and what's about to happen, or the past present and future, so she asks us to draw it down where we meet our second late arriving gueststar:

The Groundskeeper.

But she doesn't seem pleased with our answer and orders us to go back into our visions before she's interrupted by Abe and Damien where Damien seems very concerned with her affiliation with the occult and the fact she's become very volatile before Abe rushes us out and leaved Damien to try and calm down Celine

The Chef reveals that the Groundskeeper, previously thought to only work on weekends, actually has been living on the grounds secretly, so naturally they go to him to investigate where he was during the murder - except they get interrupted by the only reason he'd ever go into that house after he says "You'd better pray to god that that reason never comes to pass" before it happens, all of them rushing inside to see red and blue light shining onto Celine with the most ominous Debbie Ryan smirk known to man before they close the door on her

Chapter 4 - The Final Chapter

We see the groundskeeper lock the door to the room Celine and Damien were both last seen in before William runs in asking where Celine is where the groundskeeper explains that "she's gone, and so is everyone else"

PAUSE

I feel it's important to note that in order to keep true to the timeline as we are OFFICIALLY in the timeline now, I have to talk about "DAMIEN", because as Mark explains, DAMIEN, although premiering after the WKM series, does happen DURING it, specifically after Celine and Damien disappear, but before we see them again later (which I will be explaining later after this cause duh in my Chapter 4 analysis)

We open in on being stuck in a dead winter, trees barren and their roots buried deep under snow, following the sound of a tree getting hacked into, before finally crackling and falling to the floor where we see a heavily breathing Mayor Damien, hair long and dressed in a thick winter coat

After he's done sledding his chopped down logs back to a cabin and chopping them into fire wood we see Celine in the house with him where they start bickering and this is where we see just how truly different their personalities are:

"I saw a flower today, shouldn't be long before Spring is here"

"OR there's still a few more weeks of Winter and that flower will die COLD and ALONE."

There's more bickering, mainly from Celine's side, before she goes out hunting for food now that Damien's back home but there is a moment of tenderness before she leaves, where she asks if he really did see a flower where he says "yes, a little pink one... though it's probably dead by now" and she wishes for him to get some rest

Just as we see Damien head to bed, we watch the window panes freeze and the screen glitch, watching Damien's body from the outside of the window before the next morning starts and we see the pink flower again

If you wanna know it's a Sweet William and that is the loudest part of this entire series as Damien goes "Huh... Well you don't die easily, do you?"

And we begin to hear the echoes of "Wilford Wilford Motherlovin' Warfstache"

I'M NOT GONNA PAUSE IT AGAIN I PROMISE

Wilford Motherlovin' Warfstache, while heard in DAMIEN , doesn't technically happen until AFTER Chapter 4 of WKM is done, Wilford is just a fucking enigma to time and space so he's heard throughout the echoes of time

Also DAMIEN was shot after Wilford Motherlovin' Warfstache so they had the audio lol

But according to the timeline WMLW doesn't happen until AFTER the events of WKM and DAMIEN happened DURING the events of WKM so, continuining on

Damien continues to hear the voices of Abe and Wilford peaking through the vast forest, growing confused, concerned and anxious before he just decided to keep on chopping, chalking it up to "just another day in the life of me" I guess

As Damien comes inside for the second day, we hear Celine say the same line of "Don't slam the door, Damien" and Damien continues the similarities with proclaiming how he saw a flower and it "shouldn't be long until Spring" before he trails off, realizing he said the same thing yesterday

He mutters along with Celine as she says the same line as she did yesterday, furthering the notion that they've been through this before, so he breaks the chain with Celine like how the voice broke the chain with him, claiming he heard a voice today which instantly gets Celine on edge before she says she's going out "hunting" again, with a much different tone

Instead of going to sleep right after Celine leaves like he did last time, Damien stays up long enough to watch as the window panes freeze over, a voice whispering Damien's name before he jerks his head to the left, noticing a mirror on the wall to his left, noting how he can't see himself in the reflection of it, and when he manges to make out the outline of himself in the mirror, it reveals itself to be a rotting version, telling him that it's time to wake up (directly opposing what Celine's been telling him to do: go to sleep)

When he opens his eyes again he's back in the woods, confused on how he got there - he was just in his cabin and now he's in the middle of the woods where he hears Celine calling for him

In distress, he immediately runs after the voice, trying to find his sister only for the snow to get thicker and the wind to get stronger, like it's actively trying to keep him from his sister as they keep yelling for each other

He makes it to a frozen lake when the voice stops calling for him, noticing foot prints on a lake he's never seen before leading to a bright light in the lake where he reaches into a hole, fishing Celine out of the lake where he sees that face again that he saw in the mirror with the words taunting "it's not fair, is it?"

The corpse ends up grabbing Damien and tries pulling him while we watch the ice crack and break beneath him, images of a Sweet William and various skulls flash on screen before Damien gives a distorted scream, falling into the black abyss of the frozen lake's water

When Damien regains his bearings, we're in a dark void where we see none other than the man himself:

Mark

He taunts Damien and how hard it was to find him, telling him that he's only come to apologize to him where Damien wonders if he even ever knew him, but manages to slowly bring back his memory of what happened, remembering that it's Actor standing before him and everything he's done

Side note, the line "Celine really did a number on you didn't she?" solidifies my earlier comment on Celine wanting Damien to go to sleep whereas Mark is trying to get him to wake up, wanting Damien to stay in the loop

He also makes a joke about "knowing [Mark] as well as he knows [himself]" which is a joke about how he's snatched Damien's body and is now living in it - hence how we see him in the same Tuxedo Damien wore at the party with his cane, except for the fact it's red now instead of black

Mark continues to explain how this kind of went downhill and not how he wanted it to go, that yes this WAS planned from the beginning by him but as the events unfolded it didn't go according to plan, "right people point the finger at the wrong people" as he puts it "mistakes were made"

Also it's eluded that Actor made a deal with the devil to make sure Celine didn't "go around breaking anyone else's heart", but it's not explicitly said, just that he made a deal to make sure that it didn't happen, we're not sure if it's with a supernatural force but we can assume that it is based off everything that's happened

Mark continues his speech about how every "good story needs a villain and a hero", suggesting that he thinks himself of the hero in this story and he needs a vindictive villain to fight against, someone to root for their downfall by the audience, and honestly the scene is beautiful, beautifully written, beautifully preformed, beautifully drawn which yes, by the way, DAMIEN was drawn as an Animatic style video, not live action like how the rest of Mark's content is for the MCU, but oh my gOD it's so beautiful

And in a terrifying scene, we see Damien slowly suffocating as he realizes that he's actually been dead the whole time before Celine breaks past the barrier Mark had put up (the frozen lake, they're beneath it) and ends up killing Actor, seeing his face contort into the Comedy Mask as he's blown away like ash

A third Lantern reference when Damien goes "I'm so sick of being a pawn in other people's games" as he begs Celine to explain what the hell just happened, truly at his wit's end with all of this but she denies it, she claims that everything she's done she's done for Damien, that this whole state of constant repitition was to keep Damien safe and secure but now Actor's come and torn it all apart

There's a really tender moment between Celine and Damien where they talk about how Celine doesn't need to basically give up her life to protect Damien's, that she doesn't need to spend the rest of her life trying to fix the mistakes she's made, where he offers his hand to help her

And she agrees,

On the condition that he "makes sure that bastard stays dead."

Before they're swallowed up by the lake flooding in from the cracks Actor made on their "world", and as the water gushes out of the door is sweeps away the endless Winter and shows the blades of grass fighting to stay alive beneath the blankets of snow, and the countless amount of tress Damien has chopped down in the time he's lived there

After the credits roll we're left with a bonus clip of Damien stepping out from the destroyed house, where there was once snow now the earth burns under his boots before he walks off screen

This video was actually cut for time by the way, there was supposed to be a whole nother day where we see the Sweet William blossoming again to give the sense of repetitiveness and endlessness

But I think that Wilford's cry out in the abyss along with the Sweet William is what broke him from the limbo cycle and was why they were able to break free

UNPAUSE

After this, everyone begins to leave, quitting their jobs and imploring the others to take their leaves as well but William swears against it, threatening to kill everyone unwilling to die with the friend's he just lost in this house

Abe follows after the Colonel because of his threat where we're left alone to have the screen ominously loses it's hue along with the song in the background distorting before we hear a heartbeat and a whisper asking for help that sounds awfully familiar hmm (I'm like 90% sure it's Celine's voice)

We begin to hear distorted talk about "Madness" and how it's "stealing your best friend's wife" before we continue to hear distorted versions of Mark's speech to us in the first Chapter and voice lines from the rest of the cast as we walk around the manor, lead to a room we've yet to enter where we see our screen go back to normal

In the room we find that this filled with news letters of a "Safari gone wrong" with William at the forefront of it as well as a cork coard of red string and loose ends.

Important stuff to note from this room:

A paper filled with the word "colonel" messily scribbled all over it

A layout picture of the house

The aforementioned "Safari Gone Wrong" Magazine cover

^ the top line of this also asks is Mayor Damien is secretly a demon in disguise

Stickynotes saying "DON'T TRUST" "THE SEER"

Not important but I think it's funny: Picture of William with a sticky note saying "Not Marriage Material"

Multiple News headlines proclaiming Mark's death (but previously to this, obviously)

A typewriter filled with speculation against the colonel before it too gets chaotic

After we have a run through of the room we see William walk into the room and is immediately put off by it, exclaiming that Abe's been keeping tabs on us, but mostly it's just him and Celine, we're ambivelant to this, but it suggests that because Abe and him were good friends, he probably was hired as a private investigator on Celine for the express purpose of finding out if she's having an affair on him, hence why he's been keeping tabs on mostly William and Celine (they've had an affair on each other as earlier stated with the voice saying that "madness is cheating with your Bestie's wife" and the fact that Colonel's first worry is Celine which is odd as he's seen tender to her but willing to deck anyone else over less than she's done)

After finding out this knowledge, William blames Abe for this and believes that this was a ploy to ruin him, that Abe had set him up from the beginning where he clearly begins to spiral and he begins searching for Abe to kill him getting increasingly more and more violent until he ends up accidentally shooting Abe right in the chest, and soon after you meet the same fate as you try to calm him down, falling off the balcony

As the screen fades to black we hear that heartbeat again and we suddenly see Mark's dead body once more, signfiying that this is after the events of "DAMIEN", that is until the body of Mark looks gaunt, or at least shift to look like Darkiplier saying "It's not fair, is it?"

We're met with Damien and Celine in their red and blue forms where they explain what happened in DAMIEN (briefly, anyway) that Actor had trapped them in this state of limbo or some inbetween where they were stuck doing the same day over and over with seeminly no difference where Celine breaks that she thought it was the house causing it but it was actually Mark and Damien explains that Actor is walking around in Damien's body

The two of them propose that everyone in this odd state of liminal nothingness can escape the same way Mark did before suddenly we wake up, assumably back in our own body

This is where we get my most gut wrenching scene I HATE YOU MARKIPLIER WHY DO YOU THIS TO ME

We see William sitting in a chair by where our body once was, coat and hat gone while he's anxiously clutching Damien's cane and we see William go from spiraling to downright mad as he convinces himself that he didn't kill you, obviously he wouldn't he cherishes your friendship, and begins to believe - genuinely believe that death does not exist, that there is no such thing and that everyone in the manor was playing some big prank on him, going around calling his friends' names while we stop to look at ourselves in the mirror only to find that we have become Darkiplier

I want this motherfucker dead, I want a ten paragraph apology for the way he changed my brain chemistry because of this how DARE he

But I do I like this series so much because it was my Umbrella Academy before Umbrella Academy was a thing, you know ? And is wildly better because the only incest being shipped is in the dark side of the fandom and not the canonicity of the show, but it has that same feeling of "We only get together for weddings and funerals", because to be frank, no one know why they're here, just that they're celebrating. Before this party they were all estranged from each other with few exceptions and with various reasons

For a good explanation, Damien's line:

"Then again, I'm not exactly sure as to what we're supposed ot be celebrating here. I mean it's good to have the gang back together, but... out of the blue like this seems... anyway,"

LIKE THAT'S NOT SUSPICIOUS AS HELL ???

Also, I feel it's important to note that in Mark's "Who Killed Markiplier" playlist on youtube he does add the bloopers but also "DAMIEN" and "Wilford Motherlovin' Warfstache" which I find very interesting but I think it's just because it's similar to the WKM series rather than the Adventures with Markiplier series even though they do tie in together

Fun fact about Wilford Motherlovin' Warfstache before I get into it: The name of it was originally gonna just be "Wilford Warfstache" in the same vein of DAMIEN is called just Damien's name, BUT when Abe's actor gives the somewhat improved line of "Wilford Motherlovin' Warfstache" Mark changed the title name to that cause he thought it better fit :)

This part of the WKM series is what inspired me to (eventually) write a mock script for a noir crime show surrounding Detective Abe, it was me and my partner joking about it on call together and then I got too much brainrot about it and ended up developing a plotline for three seasons that I need to write out eventually

With that aside, the video opens with Abe who we last saw shot by William, giving an internal monologue as he longing looks out the window with a cigarette in his mouth and Abe's first line already super gay so I'm waiting for the day Mark just goes "yeah Abe likes men" cause he's already confirmed Wilford is Pansexual I NEED ABE TO BE GAY PLEASE MARK

Ahem

Anyway

The monologue is pretty long, it's the entire intro to the video, and it's just a bunch of gay euphamisms and suggestive comments that Abe says as if he's unaware of the interpretations of it which I think is peak old noir films joke, and failing to stab the cork board multiple times - which wasn't planned, by the way, but was really really funny

Also Abe's suggested to be Jewish with the line "just like the clown at my bar mitzvah, I knew he was trouble from the moment I laid eyes on him", which is actually really cool ! Birthday clown terror is an obvious joke but the subtle change from birthday to bar mitzvah is nice, especially since Abe is a character from the 20s and it's easy to just write everyone as white and christian because, well, it's the 20s America, and I like when the cast is diverse (again, Wilford is canonically Pansexual which we were all waiting for with his pink and yellow ensemble, I love that "In Space With Markiplier" confirmed it with Mark explaining that the pink, yellow and blue lights seen in the secret Wilford scene wasn't accidental :))) !! )

Another fun fact: small budget films don't have to be poorly made ! Mark was getting a lot of praise from how the car Abe "drives" looks super realistic and people were wondering how he was doing that it really just came down to good editing and lightly shaking the car, literally they just were jostling the car from it's hood and it cave the illusion of driving on uneven roads which, if you've ever driven a car in america, is every road

As Abe's tobacco of choice keeps changing from cigarette to cigar to vape sticks, he explains how Wilford had gone through multiple aliases (later it's confirmed that he's sticking to Wilford Warfstache, obviously) but no matter how many times he's changed his name he would always fall back his usual dancing, fighting, flirting, and dancing - which brings us to where Abe finds him, the Moonlight Rollerway which is the most 80s fucking club ever

The scene also changes from noir black and white to bright, saturated colors as we see Wilford come onto screen with bopping funk music and a shiny pink shirt and matching afro as Abe gives the line that changes history "Wilford. Motherlovin'. Warfstache." and my brain literally explodes and I'm suddenly obsessed with Wilford for like months after the video comes out it's abysmal

Also, more pink, blue and yellow lights :) and yeah I know that pink and yellow are gonna go with blue because that's how triangles work but like, this motherfucker has been screaming pansexual since "The Ned Affair" which that video still makes me laugh and I kinda miss that outfit,, the entire video is gay jokes and as a gay person it's so funny

Back to WMLW, Abe disperses the party in order to get Wilford off stage and ends up accidentally shooting some electrical box I don't care for the proper term off, causing the music to stop and the saturation of the area to slightly dull as Wilford's dance comes to a stop and no one appreciates Abe's destruction of property when it killed the boogie

As Abe orders Wilford onto the ground, he claims to not remember who Abe was, asking for his name and failing to recall it multiple times while we see a second Wilford appear in the background, despite the fact that Abe is currently talking to the other one (yet another fun fact: the Wilford we see in the background of this disappears behind some tinsil curtains and we find out that this is actually connected to In Space, the room we see him again in directly connected to that which, holy fucking shit Mark what the hell these were produced like so long apart from each other,,, I mean I suppose they were written closely at the same time but what the butt man)

As Wilford claims he's never killed anyone, trying to get a sip out of martini glass he pulled literally out of the air, Abe tazes him and throws him into the back of his seat where we find out that Wilford, ever the enigma, can not only hear Abe's inner monologue but can internally comment on it as well, the both of them having an internal conversation much to Abe's shock and confusion - also Wilford continues to try to get a drink from his glass but never is able to :(

in Abe's panic he tazes Wilford again and next time we see them it's in the detective's office, Wilford bound to a chair in a cartoonish manner while he interrogates him, and it's when he accuses him for the murders he's commited and shows him red string board from Who Killed Markiplier that we see Wilford finally realize who he's talking to as he goes ".... A-.. Abe... Abe! Abe it's been years - how are you? How are you doing? How's the family?" and Abe loses it on Wilford, blaming him for everything that's gone wrong in his life in his pursuit to chase down Wilford (It's hilarious that this aired before my Lupin III hyperfixation because this is literally Zenigata and Lupin III, it's crazy, this video is literally why I had that obsession and it's insane to me - it all leads back to Markiplier, my pipeline is fucking linear at this point)

Wilford basically ignores Abe as he manages to get free from his binds as he refuses the law of nature and physics, staring at the wall with pictures and news paper clippings pinned about, and Wilford begins reminicing about the past and his sorrows - also he makes a joke about how Celine would "carve his heart out" which I think is a parallel to how Actor Mark said the same thing to Damien with a VERY different undertone

Also, we're getting close to the territory of where my absolutely infuriating hatred for how good Mark is at storytelling and leading us on and how well he knows his fanbase so fair warning to that, like how the screen has a rubberband glitch with a frame - ONCE, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FILM and it's when he's talking to Abe about how his memories tend to get jumbled and fuzzy from all the years and also probably the fact that space and time don't affect him properly anymore

But also Wilford starts to bring up memories, dismissing Abe's doubting or misremembering as things that "probably haven't happened yet", again, this man transends space and time I CAN'T

AUGHHHH

Wilford is an enigma and I love him for it he's chaotic whimsical

Later Abe, in a jumpscare as Wilford is suddenly in front of him shoots Wilford but it has absolutely no affect on him - we don't even see a gun shot wound or hole on his shirt as he gentle silences the gun and kisses it like it's some poor child, pushing it down to continue talking to a very terrifed Abe who's now questioning everything he knows and believed to be true

Wilford starts explaining absurdism to Abe as he starts questioning reality, the detective blowing up at him again for practically ruining his life but Wilford starts asking Abe about their history - about how long he's been chasing him, how Wilford got away in the past, what their closest encounters were, and as Abe can't seem pin point any specific time besides the time of the WKM party, Wilford dawns on him that "no one can survive a bullet to the heart" and it all seems to click

And in the most infuriating scene of my life, Wilford offers Abe a release, a way to enjoy his life, as figures appear behind him, all adorned in a white mask with a pink mustache on it

That

WHOOOO

I must've watched that scene a HUNDRED TIMES BY NOW - and Mark keeps teasing it !! In Space did a small thing with it and even in the stream Mark did of explaining WMLW HE SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS ??? WHY IS HE KEEPING THIS SO TIGHT TO HIS CHEST I'M GONNA EXPLODE

Fuck the FNaF timeline THIS IS MORE CONFUSING IT MAKES ME SO

AUUGHH

[REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

Anyway, the video ends with Abe shrugging, giving in and dancing to the end credits music as the color is saturated once again, the cast partying and dancing together with the credits rolling

God fucking damn do I love Markiplier

I wanna try and sum up my different autistic obsessions with the different characters cause I love Darkiplier and Wilford in very different ways

Dark I love in the way of "I want to intimatey know your character so badly that if someone were to ask me how does Dark feel about bowling? I could give a three hour powerpoint presentation on why I think he would enjoy it"

Wilford I love in the way of "FUCKING SCRIMBLO !!!!!1!!!1!!111! THE AUTISM !!1!!1!1!!11!111!1! OH MY GOD !!1111!!!1 FUCK I'M GONNA RIP YOU INTO A MILLION PIECES I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RAAAAAAAAAAH"

Personal headcanons birthed from this series:

Because Celine dabbles in the occult and The groundskeeper had swore never to go into the manor save for one reason and that reason being suggestively demonic or otherwise supernatural on top of the fact that Damien was questioned to secretly be a demon, I believe Dark, having Damien and Celine's soul within one body, might be some demonic force, whether it be a demonic ritual that created Dark or Dark being a different demon entirely, my personal headcanon/theory (kinda ?) is that Dark is a demon or demonic source

More specifically, I mentioned a while back that Tom is a demon of Wrath, well I believe Dark to not only be a demon of Pride, but the demon of pride

But this is more than a headcanon than a theory so I don't think anyone'll bite into this more than me lol

EDIT: The video where Santa has the blurred face did come from a charity livestream ! it came way after MTV though, roughly like two years after during the "Stand Up To Cancer" Livestream as one of many milestone reward skits

EDIT 2: Remember how I said I was gonna talk about Porniplier later? Cut due to time, I cannot go any further than three days to write this my autism may be insane but even it has it's limits

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itsnothingofinterest · 2 years

Note

Can I ask you about bnha in a more harsher sense? Like not only in the fandom but also IRL?

I honestly don't trust people who genuinely hate the lov in bnha. Especially the type of people that think they should die.

There are a lot of reasons I could give but I think one of the biggest ones is the complete lack of understanding of 'why' the villains exist like they do, and even if they do know why they don't care or have any sympathy for them.

They want a kind of merciless "justice" against the real victims of hero society (the villains, for reasons clearly layed out in the story, who no one in hero society cared about until the point when it became their problem), because "innocent people" and "heroes" were hurt and killed (the civilians in MHA who, to go about their ordinary day, wouldn't look twice at a bloody suffering child) and (people who completely of there own free will sign up for the hero job and can apparently just quit and walk away even in a time of crisis, rich, popular and who '''suprisingly''' don't want anything to change unless it's a change for their benefit, 'heroes are people too!' seriously??)

They're the kind of people that only see labels, villains bad, heroes good, innocent people = innocent (👉in reality innocent but not good). And never question let alone accept why, and then want death and judgement even though it it won't accomplish anything (not even stop the deaths since the issues that made the lov are still there)

People like that are the same kind that are on the wrong side of every issue, even when admitting there is a problem unwilling to do what's necessary to fix it and still judging. That's how I feel and I wanted to ask you if you felt the same way? How do you feel about them? And everything I said above, if it's okay to ask?

I totally get what you mean.

It seems to me that some readers & viewers just don’t want to think to much about this series and see it simply as black & white as possible. As though the “Heroes” and “Villains” are exactly as described and should be treated exactly as morally monochromatic as those words imply (never mind how those words are normally just abbreviations of “Pro Heroes” & “The League of Villains”; the respective sides’ faction names); ergo it is morally unquestionable to defeat said villains by any means necessary and never question anything in the process involved, especially the villains’ origin or the consequences to follow those means.

Feels like they’re too used to the “I was wronged but now I will stab this extra to prove I’m irredeemable and wrong”-type villain. The League are not like that. Shigaraki in particular is never wrong.

But they don’t care. Even in my most charitable read possible for those particular fans; they’re here watching a Shonen to turn their brains off so moral complexity makes them weirdly mad. (Never mind the uncharitable reads.) And that gets them saying sketchy and at times scary stuff about how the victims of society need to die or go to jail forever because they didn’t suffer silently until they died, and instead disrupted the ‘sacred’ status quo. Any other fate is “the worst possible ending”. Ugh. It kind of reminds me of that one Tumblr post about how one guy likes the moral simplicity of Hollywood military vs alien conflicts; only for another guy to point out how weird it is to say there’s nothing wrong in the army killing invaders like they’re sub-human when all those terms are too easily applied to minorities.

Except I’m quite confident MHA is not trying to be that kind of propaganda; these guys are just bad at literary analysis and don’t know what this series is saying about its villains and their victimhood.

And of course no thought is given as to how to prevent other kids from growing up in the League’s situations, thus looping back to where we are now and rendering all the heroes’ efforts inevitably moot. As long as they get a cool climactic fight where Deku beats the big bad, they get what they want out of this series.

What? That just proves Shigaraki ultimately right? Again? ...Eh whatever. Cool fight, that’s what matters.

#ask & reply #bnha #shigaraki tomura #league of villains #lov #paranormal liberation front #PLF #hero society #pro heroes

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finncomet · 1 year

Text

Did they believe in Santa?: Santa isn't really a thing in Ooo, so no. Only people who seem to be familiar with him are like, Marceline and Simon, aka people who were around before the Great Mushroom Wars 1000+ years earlier. Then again, it was never confirmed whether or not that was a part of human culture that stuck around in Founders' Island, but seeing as Finn wasn't raised there, it doesn't make a difference in his case. It is implied that Santa was one of the bearers of the ice crown, since he's shown in the episode "Broke His Crown".

Were they a dinosaur or rock kid?: Definitely rock kid. This guy used to eat rocks. He probably found all kinds of cool ones on his adventures, especially during dungeon crawls (underground). A lot of them likely had magical properties or curses or whatnot. That's not to say Finn wouldn't be interested in dinosaurs, but to him they wouldn't be much different from any other monster roaming Ooo, so not quite as exciting compared to how modern kids see them. Also, there was an episode where Finn and Jake randomly hitched a ride with pterodactyl? Implying that some dinosaurs are actually around somehow. Maybe a Jurassic Park type scenario.

Bugs or slimy critters?: Both? Though he leans towards bugs due to his previous life as a butterfly. Also he has a roommate who's a worm.

Do they fidget? How?: Yes, definitely. This guy has adhd. It's very hard for him to sit still too long, unless he's actively meditating. He jiggles his legs a lot, fidgets with his hands, scratches his head. Makes weird little sounds. The question is how doesn't he fidget? It gets worse when he's feeling nervous or awkward.

What were they frequently in trouble for as a child?: Well... obviously. This is Finn, he's still frequently in trouble. But it's a different kind of trouble lol. Less 'go to your room' and more 'oh my god are you trying to get killed?' Anyone who's watched Adventure Time knows. That said, his parents having died when he was still pretty young, Jake raised him with a very nonchalant 'let Finn do what he wants' attitude. So he was rarely ever disciplined.

What underwear do they like?: Uh. The normal kind??

Designs on clothing or no?: He goes for very plain and simple outfits. They get destroyed pretty quickly so what's the point.

Birthmarks?: In the episode "Crossover" he claims to have a sideways teardrop birthmark "in like a really weird place." This is obviously some kind of comet shape.

Do they have good self control?: It depends. He can, but there are situations where he absolutely does not. Many situations. He's known for being reckless, and he can't stand to be inactive if he thinks someone needs help. And he's an adrenaline addict.

Favorite franchise?: Idk... the only franchise ever really talked abt in Adventure Time are the "Heat Signature" movies, which are portrayed as some kind of ghost-story psychological thriller/horror. So I do headcanon him liking those kind of movies and stories in general.

Do they re-enact scenarios in the shower?: Sometimes, but a lot of times he's so exhausted he just completely spaces out.

Do they tell the waiter that their order is wrong?: He's not a picky eater, so he probably wouldn't care enough to say anything. If he did, he'd be extremely polite about it, try not to make it a big deal.

Stairs or elevator?: Finn's claustrophobic after what happened with Golb, so not a fan of places like elevators. He'll use one if he has to, but would much rather use stairs.

Are they an exaggerator when telling stories?: Honestly, usually the opposite. He'll just blurt out the most insane sounding life-or-death absolutely twisted scenario like he's talking about going grocery shopping.

Tagged by: @chronicparagon

Tagging: everyone!

#finnfo #dash memes

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kitcat992 · 2 years

Text

│Identity Saga │Narrative Discourse (The Steps to "Son")

Identity Saga

It doesn't matter how much time dwindles on since writing the first installment of the Identity Saga; some days, it feels no different than if it were last week. And completing Tony's journey of self-growth — allowing himself to open up and bring Peter into his life as 'more than a mentee' — was absolutely one of my favorite things about writing Identity Theft.

I remember starting this story the night I saw Infinity War; I fell head over heels for what little interaction we saw between Tony and Peter in that movie, combined with Spider-Man: Homecoming. And like most things I latched onto those seeds and breadcrumbs and went wild with it. I wanted to see create the journey that got Tony to being a "dad figure" and decide if I was going to do it, I'd be going all in. It was the slowest of burns I've ever written, but the most satisfying, all at the same time.

Through-out Identity Theft, we watched Tony and Peter evolve after a 6ish month gap from Homecoming to narrative present. From "mentee" to "like a son", it was a huge pleasure (and one of my biggest accomplishments, at the time) to take Tony through that journey. Following each event of the story, we got to see himself allow the destruction of the barricades that kept him from bringing someone close into his life. And most importantly, begin to see himself as a pseudo father-figure — especially after the hangups he's had in his own life.

As Identity Crisis comes to a conclusion — with the second installment following Peter's journey from "mentor" to "like a dad" — I think it's important to revisit the narrative discourse of Tony's character growth through this saga. Providing relationships that felt "earned" through organic growth and pacing was my goal with this series, and even with the word count far exceeding what I ever anticipated (along with a time-frame that I never expected in completing the saga) I'm very proud to have gotten these characters where they are in the narrative.

Tony deserved this in the MCU. In my little sandbox of stories, he got it.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 1: Prologue

Tony scoffed, mildly amused. “Jesus kid, that’s the best question you can come up with? That part was borderline child's play.”

“Yeah, well, no, it’s just —” Peter stumbled over his words, scooting his stool closer to where Tony sat. And then closer after that. “Facial recognition typically uses bio metrics for its body measurements and calculations, to—to you know, refer to metrics related to human characteristics, but its used in access control, never memory stored control. And I can’t imagine a simple storage unit could hold all this information and relay it back to the recognition program in time to provide results, so…how'd you do it?"

Tony hummed, giving a short and sharp nod. If there was one thing he could always count on, it was that Parker could talk his head off when it came to science. And while he had days where he doubted supplying the kid with so much technology to support his vigilante heroism — six months ago, for example, when the Ferry Incident was still fresh in his mind — it was moments like this that renewed his confidence in the young lad.

He wouldn't admit it aloud, but it made him proud.

Or some mutated form of the emotion he hadn't quite figured it out yet.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 6: Breakfast at Tony’s

“My intent was never malicious with Peter." Tony sighed, rubbing harshly at the nape of his neck. "He’s just a boy trying to keep his family and friends safe and honestly, can you be angry with that? None of you can look me in the eye and say you wouldn’t want the same thing." Tony noticeably turned to Clint. "Hell, Barton, your entire family is a secret from the world.”

Clint shrugged, not making an attempt to dispute the fact.

Tony continued on, “I respected his request and followed through with it. So if you have anyone to be mad at, it’s me — but it’d be pretty damn stupid to stay mad over something like this. We have bigger fish to fry.”

Rhodey looked between him and Peter, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

“You trust him then?” he asked.

It was easy for Rhodey to tell when Tony was bullshitting. They had been friends for a long time, way before Iron Man, long before Afghanistan — there was a foundation between them that couldn’t be rattled. His entire life changed along with Tony’s, somehow joining him in the crazy ride of War Machine, the brief blip of Iron Patriot, and ultimately landing with the Avengers.

So when Tony nodded, he wholeheartedly believed him.

“I do,” Tony said, flapping a hand in Peter's general vicinity. “He’s good. He’s better than good, he’s great.”

Nobody missed how Peter looked up at hearing those words, his eyes sparkling with a sense of pride that made him grin ear-to-ear. For a moment, Tony looked nowhere else but at that. A shadow of a grin washed across his own face, something that not one person in the room didn’t notice.

The exchange was brief, but unique, giving Tony a different light to him; a humility that bounced off him no different than the skylights from above.

Steve noted that.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 7: New Kid on the Block

Tony pounded on the kid's back as he coughed dirty river water onto the ground with each action, his inhales wet and rickety.

“Breathe, kid, breathe…” he calmly instructed him, obviously not wavered by the thumbs up that Peter insisted on giving, not until his coughs dissipate and his breaths were less shaky.

Peter took a deep inhale, this time clean and dry. He watched in front of him as Sam contained the much smaller rock creature — and he laughed.

“Holy crap, he’s so small now! That’s just…” Peter grinned ear-to-ear. “That was so awesome! Way more awesome than the Android, which is still so awesome. Holy crap, that was —”

Peter stopped mid-sentence as Tony removed his Iron Man mask, exposing much less happy features than what he was experiencing.

Oh crap. He was in trouble — he had to be in trouble - he must have screwed up and now they were angry with him, again — angry again. Heart plummeting to the sopping wet soles of his feet, Peter gulped hard enough to shake his throat.

“Mr. Stark, I —”

His apology was cut short when Tony laid a hand on his shoulder, sighing with relief.

“You did good, kid,” he said. “You scared the devil out of me, but you did real good.”

Peter grinned, possibly wider than before. Mr. Stark wasn’t angry — no, he seemed almost…proud. And though it wasn’t much, barely a twitch of his lips, he could tell Tony was also smiling.

He did good.

Peter nodded in thanks, wiping away the dirty water from his mouth. He did good.

Those few words were the best he had heard in a long time, feeling a sense of pride in himself that he hadn’t felt in months. Suddenly, all the overlapping failures washed away — the Daily Bugle's headlines didn't mean squat to him. Not with the approval he'd just received.

Tony must have noticed his happiness, because he went from having his hand on him to wrapping his entire arm around his shoulder with a tight squeeze.

Peter relished in it.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 8: Afterparty

It wasn’t too long into their trip to Queens though that Peter fell quiet, and Tony briefly considered turning on music to fill the silence. Sparing a glance to the passenger’s seat where Peter sat, he ultimately decided against it.

“Damn, kid,” Tony muttered. “Talked yourself right to sleep.”

While he would have liked to believe as much, Tony knew better than that. He could see the day was wearing thin on Peter by the time the sun had set, the bags under his eyes growing darker with each hour. He had to wonder if the kid had even slept last night.

Still, he kept up the facade well, eagerly talking to everyone like the energizer bunny he was.

That was the thing with Peter — always moving, always bouncing and jittery.

Tony could only imagine how much adrenaline had pumped through the kid’s veins, between last nights adventure and then his geeky-self getting overwhelmed hanging out with the team. It had to be enough energy to fuel a third world country, and the crash was probably just as bad.

He looked back to the road, a soft sigh escaping his lips. He wasn’t sure how or when he got into this situation, but deep down inside, he knew it didn’t bother him. The fact it didn’t bother him probably bothered him, but he’d deal with that another time.

The kid did good today. He did better than good, he did great — fantastic, amazing even. This little amazing Spider-Man saving the day like a pro. It was like a sense of pride that bubbled within him, happy to see the kid excel, take the reins at the crazy job he was thrown into.

Tony knew Peter had it within him. To be the hero, to be better than he was. He just needed the guidance.

It was something Howard Stark failed at.

His father gave him all the money in the world, but he never gave the guidance Tony needed. It took Afghanistan for him to realize he needed to be his own light in the darkness. It took more than that to realize he had to do better for the world — the Battle of New York, Ultron. The Accords, and the dismantling that followed.

Looking over at Peter again, Tony softened. He didn’t know what it was about the teenager that drew him in like a magnet. All he needed was an extra hand in Berlin, something to convince Rogers that he was off his rocker and needed to come to his senses. They should have parted ways after that, there was no reason for him to become so connected. And yet half his year was spent focused on the Spider-kid —

No.

Peter.

He was focused on Peter.

It was almost as if they were one in the same. Two damaged souls just trying to make the world a better place, so their pain wouldn’t be experienced by anyone else.

Tony knew he shouldn’t be getting so close. People close to him got hurt — he hurt those close to him. It was instinct by this point; the toxic, inevitable nature within him that he couldn’t shake. And now Peter was close — he was close to the team, his life, his world —

It was asking for trouble.

Somehow, along the journey he had taken as Iron Man, this fifteen-year-old kid looked up to him. He was a role model now — what the hell was he supposed to do with that? There wasn’t anything good about him to look up to. If anything, he was the example of what not to do.

'Don't do anything I would do. And don't do anything I wouldn't do.'

Yeah, that summed him up pretty damn well.

Tony looked up in the rearview mirror, the headlights from behind them highlighting the browns in his eyes. It was strange — an odd feeling, knowing Peter admired him. It kind of made him sick to his stomach, and not just because of the sappiness behind it all.

This was dangerous territory. Guiding a kid, mentoring a kid. This wasn't what he set out to do.

Being Iron Man, flying in the skies, saving the world — that seemed like a piece of cake compared to this. There wasn’t a playbook on how to mentor a teenager — scratch that, a teenage superhero.

The most he could do was try.

It would mean headaches — all kinds of headaches, frustration, stress — Tony knew exactly what kind of trouble this was asking for. But he owed it to the kid to at least try.

He owed it to himself.

“Is it worth it, Tony?” Steve had asked him. “Is he worth it?”

The procession of streetlights and passing cars illuminated the interior of the car, shinning inside just long enough for Tony to catch the sight of Peter curled up in the leather passenger seat. His head was lolled to the side, his arms clutching the bag that contained his spider-suit. His mouth was slightly ajar, and light snores slipped out with each breath he took.

Yeah, Tony decided. He’s worth it.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 10: And Washed the Spider Out

Somehow, and for some reason, Tony's eyes locked onto the scattered papers on his desk.

The MIT brochures stared back at him.

Mocking him.

“I just…I don’t know, Mr. Stark.” Peter hesitantly set the brochures on the work table, stepping back with caution. “I can’t leave New York. What about Spider-Man, protecting the little guy? I can’t do that from MIT. And—and I can’t —”

“You can’t what?” Tony snapped in a way that was purely controlled, a vibration of intimidation that shook Peter’s core. If looks could kill, he'd surely be six feet under from the piercing glare the billionaire gave him.

Peter bowed his head, his eyes locked on his dirty sneakers.

“I can’t leave Aunt May.” His words were quiet, his hand rubbing at the nape of his neck. “She needs me, Mr. Stark. I can’t just leave her...not yet.”

Tony squeezed the screwdriver in his hand so tightly that the metal tip broke through skin, a stream of blood trickling out.

It didn't hurt enough. It ached, throbbed, and stung, but it didn't hurt enough to distract him from the sickening pain in his heart.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

“Goddamnit!”

It took one sweep of his arm to knock over everything on the table. Papers, tools, and random mechanical parts fell to the ground with a clatter and bang. It wasn’t long after that he decided, screw it, the entire table can join them. And then once he knocked the table to the ground, Tony kicked the chair over as well. He kicked it — kicked, kicked and kicked it, slamming it against the wall with the force of his anger.

“Damn it!” he kicked repeatedly, angrily. “Damn it, GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!”

He screamed because he needed to, his voice harsh and jarring, because he had to, because this isn't happening, this isn't real, this can't be real.

But it was. Tony had no ability to change it, no amount of money to fix it, no control over any of it. He croaked as his knees buckled under his weight, pathetically sinking down onto the stool with a deafening headache starting to drown out the scratchy pain in his throat.

And he let himself be.

It was like a tidal wave, the grief. Washing over him instantaneously.

He heard the whoosh of the sliding doors but never the alert from his AI. Because he shut it off, of course. Though he wouldn’t have needed the warning to begin with.

Tony knew exactly who it was.

“You’ve gone too far with your override privileges, Pep.”

His voice was so ragged he didn't even recognize it, wet with tears and clouded with pain. It didn't sound like him at all.

“Tony...” Her voice was steadier than he expected it to be.

He was reluctant to let her near him. To let her feel the anger and shame radiating off him, to see him in such a weak, pathetic state. Yet he never made a move to otherwise stop her.

She knew it all, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

“He was just a kid." Tony shut his eyes and held them tight. “I’m the adult. I was supposed to protect him. He was just a kid.”

Hunched over on the stool, Tony never moved. Pepper approached him and without any hesitation, without any shame, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his head close to her, letting him rest in the tuck of her stomach where she stood.

“It’s okay, Tony.” Pepper ran her hand through his hair. “It’s okay…”

It hit him with capsizing quickness. Tony felt himself pulled forward, as if the weight in his chest was enough to define gravity. The sobs wretched through him and he wailed, like a dying animal, crying in agony.

They came one after another, harsh and loud, until he couldn't breathe, until he was gasping from the exertion of dissolving into his emotions. Her shirt became soaked with his tears, but neither cared. She held him closer as his cries howled in the room.

“It’s okay, Tony.” Pepper’s own voice cracked. “Shhh, it’s okay.”

There was no physical mark, no external catalyst for his distress — he made it out okay. He wasn’t swallowed up by the burning flames, eating away at his flesh and muscles and stripping him of the life he knew. He was okay.

But he was still burning, gasping with panic at flames that didn't exist.

Throat aching, his sobs died to thin, whistling intakes of air, choking on his own tears when they hiccupped in his throat.

“I can’t fix this. I can’t fix this,” Tony gasped, over and over. “I can’t fix this, Pep. I can’t bring him back.”

Pepper held him tighter, her own tears salty on her lips.

“I failed him." He choked on another sob, pulling tight at his chest. "I — I failed him.”

Pepper didn't respond.

Tony didn't need her to.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 11: Avengers Disassembled

“We lost him too, you know," Steve's voice was almost too quiet to hear.

Tony wished it had been.

“You lost him?” Tony scoffed, the sound piercingly angry. He slammed his mug down on the table, uncaring as the contents split everywhere. "I'm sorry, exactly how long did you know him?"

Steve met his angry eyes with soft ones, stripping him of every decade he slept frozen in ice.

“You’re right,” he nodded, struggling to find the right words to say — it showed in the bob of his throat, highlighting the shadow that covered his jaw. “It's not that I don't wish I had known him sooner. Or longer. Because I do, we all do. Peter was a good kid." Steve frowned, the downward tug of his lips creating lines on his face Tony hadn't seen before. "It's just...he obviously meant a lot to you, Tony. I don’t think I’ve ever…”

There was a pause.

Steve looked down to the coffee cup on the table, watching as the mess began to leak driblets onto the ground. One drop at a time, creating a small puddle on the marble floor. A mess that somebody, at some point, would need to clean up.

“You called him your kid.” Steve forced his eyes away from the dripping coffee, back to where Tony sat. His head tilted to the side, just narrowly. “Last week…out on the island…you called him your kid.”

The coffee kept dripping.

Tony barely craned his head around to look at Steve — close enough now that if he wanted to take a seat next to him on the couch, he could. If Tony hadn't been so confused, he would've made a run for the other sofa. Or jump straight down the stairs, need be. Whatever it meant to get Steve away from him.

Curiosity always did win when it came to Stark's. And Steve's out-of-the-blue comment was just enough to grab his attention.

"Your point?" Tony made a face that was caught between insulted and perplexed, and something else he was too tired to figure out.

Steve found himself leaning against the armrest of the sofa, slowly, enough that the movement didn't jostle the man sitting there.

“Tony…” Steve started to say. “Was he actually your son —?”

“No!” Tony's eyes were wide enough to fall onto the floor. Jesus, if that didn't get him to sober up quickly. "Christ, no, I didn't have — no!"

He definitely needed to go heavier on the whiskey. Tony brought a hand to his forehead, not realizing it was wet with coffee until it smeared against his temple. He cursed under his breath, rubbing the back of his hand roughly against his jeans before returning to a halfhearted temple massage.

This was exactly the shit he'd been worried about with Parker. Rumors, speculation, tabloid garbage nonsense that would spread like wildfire — this was part of why he wanted to keep Peter secret from the team.

A scoff shook his back. So much for that.

Despite Tony's outburst, Steve still seemed wary. His head tilted further to the side, his confusion deepening. All the more visible underneath the lack of sleep that coated his features.

It was a tired Captain America that Tony took pity on. His confusion was no different than Bambi on a dewy morning, lost and looking for answers. Glancing over at Steve — really looking at him — and Tony didn't understand how even the blues of his eyes had deepened with that confusion. It was almost enough to make him scoff again — because of course Rogers could pull off the Bambi eyes when he wanted to.

Screw it. It didn't matter now. It didn't matter what the team knew and what they didn't know.

It wasn't like Peter was around to worry about anymore.

"He wasn't...he wasn't my kid, no," Tony let out that scoff after all. "He’s been — he was— hanging around here. A lot. More often than I probably should have let him.”

Tony adjusted himself on the sofa, attempting to straighten his back in a way that would evoke poise they both knew he didn’t have right now. The sip of coffee he took only further deteriorated that attempt. The hand holding his mug began to tremble with the liquid he hadn't consumed in ages.

“What can I say, he was needy and I needed..." Tony didn't realize his foot was tapping against the floor until the sound started to aggravate him. "It doesn't matter what I needed."

Identity Theft│ Chapter 12: The Doctor Is In

“You came here to tell us Peter is still alive." Wanda looked up at Strange, the expression that fell on her face tighter than the words that thickened her accent. "You want us to find him.”

It wasn't a question. Rather, an acknowledgment of his task.

Stephen simply nodded. “I have been warned, by the Vishanti, that the death of your ward —”

“He wasn’t my ward,” Tony snapped.

Stephen noticeably rolled his eyes. “Whatever relationship exists here — it’s the catalyst. If not taken care of, it will start a chain of events beyond our control of stopping. Beyond even my control of stopping.”

“What chain of events?” Tony asked, hard-pressed, the liquor that left his system no longer at play for his anger. “What’s so awful from one kid kicking the bucket?”

Stephen didn't answer right away. The silence that followed seemed to be the longest yet, with a faint line deepening across his forehead.

Finally, “I have not been granted that knowledge.”

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Or perhaps the day’s events finally took a toll on him. Maybe, even, he couldn't handle his whisky as well as he could in the past. But for a moment, Tony stared ahead blankly, unable to think of a proper response. His mind went empty, his brain going blank. He blinked, once and then twice, before wearily shaking his head.

“Alright, I’ve entertained this long enough.” Tony turned around, shooing him away with his arm. “Grab your rabbit and leave through your top hat, or whatever pyrotechnic light show you have in your back pocket. I’m not sending anyone to walk you out, so you’re on your own —”

“Your kid is still alive!” Stephen argued, stepping forward — his feet hit the floor as loud as his voice broke through his throat.

Tony spun fast on his heels, the rage in his eyes blazing hot. “I watched him die.”

Stephen shook his head. “You watched a building explode.”

Tony pointed an accusing finger his way. “That he was in.”

Stephen slammed an open palm into his chest.

And the world stopped.

Tony felt it before he saw it. A sudden displacement from his body, as if his mind had become its own entity; disconnecting from everything that held him grounded in the real world.

Stephen used one hand to grab the wrist of the finger that pointed at him, yanking him forward in one harsh tug. With one fluid motion, he slammed his open palm into Tony's chest. The strike was so hard it knocked him off balance.

Or at least, it would have. It should have.

Tony was witnessing real time in milliseconds, possibly even slower. Fractions of milliseconds. Fractions of fractions of milliseconds. He stared at his own body — his own body, caught in slow motion, stumbling backward.

Stephen's hand was still on him, covering his t-shirt, the balls of his heels barely having barely lifted off the ground.

With shaking panic, Tony realized that he wasn’t in his body anymore.

He stared at his hands with disbelief. The rough, callous fingers were so faint, so tangible that he could see the floor below him, as if his skin were made of sheer glass. His physical body continued to fall backward, centimeter by centimeter, destined to hit the floor. The surrounding world around him moved like molasses; all as he floated away, a translucent form with no control.

And then, he was sent soaring.

Tony could feel the air knocked from his lungs at the forced momentum, losing all connection with the world that once was. He could feel the wind fly through his hair, hitting his skin, his stomach rolling with waves of nausea as he flew faster than Iron Man could ever dream of going.

It was a blur and spectrum of colors. A roller coaster caught within a kaleidoscope. Tony was vaguely aware that he was shouting, possibly even screaming — hysterically screaming. But he couldn’t comprehend anything that was going on.

He couldn’t connect with what was around him.

And then he stopped. Face to face with dazed, glassy, brown eyes.

Young eyes.

Panicked eyes.

Peter’s eyes.

Tony could hear the kid's breathing — each inhale raspy, forced. For one split of a second, he heard a heartbeat.

Alive.

Living.

One blink, and everything was gone.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 12: The Doctor Is In

Tony took a deep breath, this time through his mouth, and tried to hone in his mind. He even closed his eyes the second time around. The crickets chirped, and his own breath echoed in his ears, all the while he faintly heard Strange whisper under his breath.

“Clear your mind…”

Tony was never good at meditation. If he had an idea for an invention, he could focus on it for months. If given an object to fix, he’d do his damnedest to repair it. But mediation meant silence, and silence usually followed uncomfortable thoughts.

Howard, his mom. Afghanistan, Obadiah, Vanko, Hammer, Killian…

He shook his head, fighting to steer his mind in the right direction. These people brought his demons to life; they weren’t what — and who — he needed to be focused on. They were people that made his life hell. People who were out to get him.

Loki, Barnes, Ultron —

‘Come on, treat this like a problem.' Tony growled, the sound muted in his chest. 'You can fix this. You can fix yourself.’

It was a joke to even trick himself into that. He knew he could never fix himself. But he was lucky enough to have people around him to get him through the day. Pepper, Rhodey — hell, though he hated to admit it, he had the entire team of Avengers watching his back. He may be a hot piping mess, but he’d never have to be one alone.

And Peter. The kid was glued to his side whether he wanted him to be or not. Peter never saw the bad in him. Even with his entire history laid out in newspapers, recorded in videos, spread across the tabloids — Peter shrugged it off as though it didn’t bother him.

The kid had so much life in him. Even on his worst days, the kid smiled with more love than Tony could ever give back. For the longest time he believed he was mentoring the kid to be like him — but he soon realized that having Peter in his life was making him the better man, not the other way around. He made every beat of his heart worth it.

Peter made him want to be a better person. To not let his baggage and trauma control his life. To spend the evening in bed with Pepper rather than in his workshop — because life was short and he didn’t know how long he had with her. To make more time with Rhodey, because they had been friends for decades and the man deserved better than what company he had been providing.

To forgive Steve, because mistakes shouldn’t always define the man.

“When you can do the things I can…but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.”

For a moment, Tony stopped breathing. He didn’t realize it, but the air halted in his chest, stagnant with the thoughts that passed by in his mind. His forehead creased as he focused so intently, and so deeply, on the memories that made his arms quiver and his eyes twitch.

But he could see it — he could see a young Peter; sitting on his bed in his Queens apartment, the kid all but starstruck at the concept of talking with Tony Stark. He could see him ripping off his Spider-Man mask, giddy and excited at his first team-up with Iron Man. And for one short moment, he could feel him, his own arm wrapped around the lanky but built teenager as they walked away from the island together.

For a moment, he felt at peace.

Stephen was the one to come out of his trance with a gasp, a thud on the ground that startled Tony back to the present. From the way his clothes shook, Tony could only assume something magical had happened.

And he missed it.

Well, damn.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 15: Parker Luck

Something inside Steve finally broke. When Tony briskly walked past him, attempting to reach the rest of the team, he grabbed onto his bicep tightly. Stalling him from moving any further.

“You good?” Steve asked, his voice almost too low to hear.

Tony looked over at him, stone-cold sober with exhaustion that sank deep in his bones.

“I will be once we get this over with,” he answered.

Steve didn’t let go of his grip. “You know we have your back on this, Tony. Right?”

Tony shook him off, roughly at that, with his brows furrowed tight.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Steve had a million different thoughts raging in his head — things he wanted to say yesterday, the day before that, and the day before it all. It burned a hole deep inside of him, screaming to get out.

They didn’t have time for it, though. The others stood across the room waiting for them both; waiting to leave any second now. With resignation, Steve settled on the most straightforward answer he could muster up.

“It means we’re going to find him.” Steve tilted his chin low, his eyes locking onto Tony’s. “And we’re all going to come back, together.”

What he didn't say out loud was heard, loud and clear in the emphasis of his words. There wouldn't be sacrifices made. This wasn't New York — they weren't doing that again.

Tony paused, his tongue running across his teeth before he popped his lips together, turning to face Steve head-on with a strong fury emitting from the pores of his skin.

“Let’s get one thing straight, Rogers," he started, each word heavier than the last. "Whatever we’re about to walk into, the end result is bringing Peter home. If for one second, there needs to be a decision made between the kid, or me, or anyone else, you best believe the kid comes first. Every time,” his tone was deep and rumbled like gravel. “Is that clear?”

There was a quiet moment between them. One only filled with the suffocating tension from Tony’s imposition.

Steve honestly didn’t know how to respond. Not at first. Not on instinct.

“That won’t need to happen,” he finally said, his voice too reserved for his own liking.

“Look me in the eye,” Tony demanded, the lines on his face tight. “He comes first. Is that clear?”

Steve opened his mouth to speak.

Nothing came out.

The silence only grew thicker, and the next inhale that lifted Steve's chest was a struggle. He stared at Tony, unable to break the hold the man had on his eyes. There was something about him that seemed different in that moment. Something as foreign as the magic he still couldn't wrap his head around.

It was the self-sacrificing, almost parental drive and commitment that he felt coming from Tony. It was the intrusive realization he'd been denying since the night the chameleon helmet had been stolen, finally ringing true to his ears.

Tony had changed. He'd come to accept that long ago — it wasn't as if they were both the same people they knew five years ago. But Tony's change was abrupt, not something he expected, not something he'd ever even considered. It was obvious the day he showed Peter off to the team.

Staring at him now, the flood of emotions pouring off from him — doubt, fear, panic, an unhindered compulsion to hurt those who had hurt his family — Steve came to realize those changes not only made him a different person...but a better one.

A handful of years ago, they once stood in a similar position. Steve insisting that Tony was nothing without his suit, that he knew men without such fancy armor worth ten of him. Tony stood next to him now, all but stripped of his technology, and eager to run head first into a battle they were unsure of. Ready to sacrifice himself for someone he felt was better than them all.

Steve decided, then and there, that he wouldn’t let that dedication go to waste.

“If it comes to that,” Steve preempted, “then yes.”

Identity Theft│ Chapter 16: Smoke and Mirrors

With each hit, Tony expected the next, anticipated them, and in the moments after they landed, he let his body relax. A blow smashed into his temple, rattling Tony’s head within his breaking helmet. He tried to escape, to wiggle out from under the man, his legs writhing desperately to get a grip on the floor.

Howard leaned back, panting breathlessly. “You resent your father for how he raised you, yet you couldn’t even protect a young boy from dangers you put him in. His death is on you, Stark.”

Tony took the moment and ran with it. With a grunt, he kneed the man between his legs, a painful cry showcasing his achievement. Tony gave one hefty smack across the side of his head and Dmitri toppled over, his appearance flickering on and off. He phased between multiple different people as the light-show filled the otherwise empty hallway.

Tony jumped up and dashed forward. He launched himself on top of Dmitri, planting him face-first onto the floor. His body-weight pinned him to the ground, his knees digging into his back to keep him still.

“You may be good at fighting, but you’re a damn horrible liar.” Tony smacked his head against the ground, holding it there. “Now I really don’t like asking things twice. Where. Is. He!?”

The helmet was shutting down. Tony could tell it had already been exposed to too much damage, the flickering lights bouncing off the billion nanites that ceased to function.

Dmitri’s eyes slid up to look at him.

“I’ll tell you when you’re dead,” he sneered.

WHAM!

A stern blow to his head, one after the other. Tony didn’t let up, using strength only emotion could fuel, chips of his metal suit flying from his knuckles. He beat the man relentlessly, beat him even as he damaged his own suit — his own form of protection — he didn’t let up.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!WHAM!

“Dead so you can take my money, right!?” Tony threw his arm back, punching again. “You did all this so you could take my money, you took my kid for my money — you fucking psychopath!”

He didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. A blaze of rage shredded his restraint, a ballistic force unleashed and out of his control. It seemed like an hour, it seemed like a lifetime that he kept hitting and hitting and hitting and —

His knuckles were bleeding. The nanites spread around him like glitter, broken pieces of magnets shredded and discarded. Only when he physically lost his strength, his body tapping him out, did Tony stop.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 17: Grace Under Pressure

When the smeared blood took a curve into an open room, Tony half expected to be led down another hallway. He instead came to a startling halt at the entrance. To his surprise, the room was a dead end. It was just that — a room.

What caught his attention was the reflection of Captain America’s shield, the red and blue standing out from the dreary darkness around them. It was directed right at him, attached to Steve’s back, telling him that the man was facing forward. Tony squinted, realizing that Steve’s attention was clearly focused on something — or someone — important.

He stood frozen in the doorway, listening intently to the sounds from within. The voice was so quiet he almost didn’t catch it.

Almost.

“Stay with me, soldier,” Steve spoke softly, his tone more delicate than Tony had ever heard it before. “Easy now, I got you, son.”

Tony furrowed his brows. It was the only part of him that he could feel move, his nerves paralyzing the rest of his muscles. But he knew couldn’t have stood there long; Steve’s instincts kicked in quickly, his head turning over his shoulder when his presence was noticed.

He never said anything. It was probably for the best, Tony wasn’t sure if he would have heard him to begin with. Not over the pounding of his heartbeat, the blood rushing through his ears. Steve moved, just ever so slightly that both their flashlights gave sight to —

“Peter.” Tony’s breath lodged in his chest.

The kid was slumped forward, only held upright by the metal straps around his arms — Tony balked, they had him bolted against the wall. He was too far away to see if Peter’s eyes were open or not. It was too dark to see if he was even breathing, the intrusive thought making his stomach churn.

But he was there. No mind tricks, no sick psycho taking on his identity, it was him — his Peter.

His kid.

Tony was already across the room before he realized he was moving. Vaguely, he heard Steve say something, the intensity in his tone telling him he should listen. He couldn’t. His focus didn’t steer away, his eyes locked ahead, soaking in the sight like he hadn’t seen Peter in two years, not the two days it had been.

His knees hit the floor with a resounding smack.

“Hey, hey…” Tony breathed out. A sense of endearment he didn’t know was possible laced his tone. He suddenly understood why Cap had sounded the way that he did.

With what he saw in front of him, it almost felt natural to speak in such a way. He didn’t fight it, he didn’t push it away, and he’d deal with that startling thought at a later time.

The kid looked so...fragile. It was impossible not to speak with such delicacy, as if their voices could shatter him. His young age only intensified the sight of his broken frame.

Peter didn’t flinch, not at his words or Steve’s.

Unsure if he should touch him, Tony’s hands hovered over his body.

“I got you. I gotcha,” he chuckled, the laugh almost sounding hysterical. “We got you.”

Identity Theft│ Chapter 19: When the Bad Things Happen

Tony could have sworn his heart would burst out of his throat. His fragile, weak, shrapnel damaged heart.

Goddamn this kid.

He wasn’t sure how much time he had wasted standing uselessly in the doorway, unsure of where to go and if he should even walk inside. The room was packed and clustered with machinery, bustling with working staff and along the way, four-hundred-some square feet shrunk dramatically in the chaos.

Peter seemed to be center of it all, laying flat on his back, motionless in the hospital bed up against the far left wall.

It wasn’t until a nurse kindly walked him in that he finally moved. He barely muttered thanks, too busy staring at where Peter laid, a vortex of spiraling emotions sweeping him away.

Relief, horror, guilt, shame, fear, anxiety — and somehow none of it mattered. Once he was there, once he got close to Peter, he didn’t want to be a breath away. Not ever again.

He was alive. The kid was alive, and he didn’t even care that he needed to rely on the beeping machinery to tell him that. The blazing flames of a burning warehouse had been drowned out by the ocean’s salty waters and washed them ashore — damaged, beaten but alive.

He’d cling to that as long as he could.

Tony shifted weight on his feet and grimaced. Tubes, catheters, wires — Peter was surrounded by a warehouse of medical supplies. A very baggy gown barely covered him, hanging loosely from his shoulders, more like a blanket than an act of modesty. A thin sheet covered his waist but left his one leg exposed, something Tony adamantly refused to look at because he simply did not have that kind of strength right now. The glimmer of a metal rod was enough to make his stomach churn. His face wasn’t faring much better, a tube snaking down his throat and up his nose, IV’s in his arms and even his chest.

Yet nothing bothered him nearly as much as the stillness.

Peter was always moving, always hyperactive and bouncing with an energy he couldn’t contain. Once Tony had watched the kid doze off in his workshop, and even then he was twitching restlessly. He was never sure if it was his age, the spider-bite or both combined. Whatever it was, it was Peter. Bouncing, jumping, jittery and twitching — he never sat still.

Seeing him so still, so motionless — Tony hated it. Peter looked as if he were only a shell of himself, no color to his face and no warmth to his body. Tony swallowed convulsively against the rising bile in his throat. This was too much.

He had thought that his panic developed more into a slow burn, a languid torture that he could handle. He was wrong.

Tony’s hand dropped from the bed’s plastic railing, resting uneasily on the firm mattress beneath him. He hadn’t meant for his hand to fall on Peter’s, his fingers brushing up against the IVs and wires that protruded from underneath the sheets. He also didn’t move it away.

“You’re good, kid,” Tony muttered quietly.

It wasn’t naive to say as much. Healing factor or not, the kid had the strength of a thousand warriors, strong-willed beyond his expectations. If Peter could have that kind of resolve, so could he. If that meant doing everything in his power to get him better, that was what Tony would do.

“You’re stronger than all of us put together.”

The beeping of machines filled the air, some constant and some further apart. It practically drowned out his voice, already a whisper under his breath. Protectiveness rumbled in his chest and his sight locked onto Peter, unable to look away, unable to want to look away.

His shoulders were stiff and his neck tense, and he never paid mind to his fingers slipping underneath Peter’s palm, lightly gripping his hand in a loose hold. He never paid attention as his thumb grazed back and forth over Peter’s knuckles, distantly remembering the comfort it would bring him when his mother did the same thing.

“You’re good.”

Tony didn’t notice that Helen let him stay an extra eight minutes.

He did notice that Peter’s fingers twitched under his touch.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 20: Family Ties

He didn’t have anything to say in return. While May had returned her focus on Peter, she could still see as Tony closed his eyes, letting them rest that way. One may think he had fallen asleep, but she knew better.

She knew he was hiding.

It was something she noticed early on with Tony. It was an attempt to keep her from seeing the flurry of emotion that always passed through him, a rush of humanity almost always hid behind some fancy pair of sunglasses he insisted on wearing, the gatekeeper to his true self. He never showed his emotions by talking, instead it was his actions. Always do, never say.

He stayed quiet, occupied with his own thoughts, but his eyes would speak more than his mouth ever could. His actions always showed his concern; he would pace the floors, repeatedly check Peter’s medical charts, go as far as to make sure the hospital bills were covered, and was always persistent on getting updates from the doctors.

But this was the longest they had spoken since she arrived at the compound, going on three days. Even then, the conversation was mostly one-sided on her part. It was like a self-defense move, as if not talking would keep him in place — in check, from getting any closer to her and Peter.

May held back a laugh. The only problem with that was Tony had gotten himself knee-deep into that pool already.

Maybe he didn’t realize that yet.

Maybe he had trouble accepting it.

She caressed Peter’s hand. For a while, the quietness returned. Never peaceful, just a lull from their voices.

“You know, my husband used to have this look in his eyes whenever he was with Peter,” May said, the words heavy on her tongue. “It was unique, something I had never seen in him or...or anyone else before. It was like..I don't know, it’s hard to explain. It was like no matter what, Ben wanted to be there. For all the good parts, for all the bad parts. He wanted to teach him everything he knew and hope he could guide Peter from making the same mistakes he had made before. It was like...he knew he wasn’t Peter’s dad and he never wanted to try and replace Richard, but at the same time...he still wanted to be a father-figure for him. He didn’t want Peter to go without that in his life.”

May let out a heavy breath, and with it she turned to look at Tony. “I see a lot of that in you.”

Tony averted his gaze.

May didn’t need to see him to know how he felt.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 21: Sins of the Father

The air is crisp and cool. Refreshing. Tony takes in a deep breath of it, his shoulders sagging with relaxation.

The smell of salt water is strong, drafts of wind hitting his face with no sign of letting up. It’s his favorite aspect of the Malibu mansion. The evenings provide solitude, moments where only whispering waves of the ocean could be heard, water crashing and beating unforgivably against the mountain rocks.

His home. Looking out from his bedroom windows, he releases a lungful of air, and his eyelids close shut, giving way to a small smile on his face. Nothing could ever take away the tranquility of his home.

“Mr’...Stark...I...I don’t...”

His eyes snap open.

Peter lays heavy in his arms, beaten and broken. Bleeding. The blood is everywhere, coating his hands, staining his skin. He grips Peter’s body tighter, pulling him closer, hugging him with nauseating despair.

Over the sound of ocean waves, he hears the wheezing, the struggle — a crackly, heartbreaking whine.

“I don’t feel so good.” Peter’s voice is barely a whimper, drifting away in the wind. An exhale of air escapes the boy’s chest and Tony waits for a returning breath.

It never comes.

The smell of the open sea no longer brings him peace. The horror swells inside of him, eats away at his bones, the sulfur and ocean-life now nothing but a repulsive taste in his mouth.

CRASH!

Tony shields the motionless body with his own, bracing himself for the impact. Windows break around him, the glass mansion shattering with the intensity of the wind. He waits to be swept away, to feel the never-ending tide hit his body like knives, freezing and paralyzing. He waits for the outpour of the ocean that never comes.

“Tony, Tony, Tony…”

His eyes locked intently on the man kneeling in front of him. He’s no longer kneeling, he’s sitting. He’s paralyzed. He can’t move, crippled to the sofa. His heart withers away with fear, decaying from the ruins of panic that steal his breath.

Obadiah shakes his head, scoffing. “Look at you.”

The man’s voice is gruff, breathy against his skin. Too close, too close for comfort, his nerves screaming danger. The weather from outside the mansion roars, winds howling, lightning blazing and thunder rolling. He’s helpless to its wrath, paralyzed in place.

“It’s a shame, you know.” Obadiah moves closer, leaving little space between the two of them. His hand lays against Tony’s chest.“I spent thirty years of my life holding you up, at your side, guiding you through the tundra of a dog eat dog world that you would never have survived without me.”

The lights from above shine brightly onto his bald head; successions of flashing lightning obscure his face. Tony’s mind hollers to get up, to run, run-danger-run-run—

Obadiah squeezes his face, hard. His other hand claws at Tony’s chest, fingers digging for a hole that no longer exists. Tony shudders at those familiar, sadistic blue eyes staring him down, the need to scream burgeoning.

“Thirty years, Tony. You barely gave that boy one, and look at what it did to him.”

His face is held tightly in Obadiah’s grasp, cheeks aching at the pressure. His eyes wander freely. They lock on the corner of the room, the shadow of a mangled body barely seen. The lightning illuminates red and blue, the suit — his creation, Peter’s livelihood — laying in a crumbled mess.

“You finally outdid yourself,” Obadiah belittles. “Did you really think that you could right your wrongs...just like that? Take a child under your wing and sing the praises of unearned, undeserved redemption? He was better off without you, Tony. Your influence is only poison, you containment and kill everything you touch. That’s why we worked better in weapons manufacturing. That’s why you’re a —”

“You’re a failure.”

His eyes look back.

Stane is gone.

His limbs move freely, no longer held down by his former business partner, someone who he once considered to be a mentor. The storm comes to a sudden stop, leaving only darkness in its wake.

And Howard Stark.

They stare at each other.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 22: Sweet Sixteen

Tony leaned forward against the wet metal railings, feeling the dampness sink into his wrinkled AC/DC t-shirt.

“It is what it is. He’ll have to deal.”

Pepper huffed a sigh. “Tony, you’re being—”

“He almost died!” Tony shot up stiff as a board, facing her head on and he forced himself to dry swallow in an attempt to rid himself of the painful lump forming in his throat. “He almost died, Pep. I held him in my arms as he...”

A shiver rippled through his core and Tony had to look away, trying to focus on anything but the echoes of haunting memories that crudely invaded his mind. The smell of musty grass, the humidity in the air, the drizzle of rain — anything but the pleas, the cries and the screams.

Tony sniffed, swiping his thumb over his nose. “People like Dmitri won’t be able to hurt him if I stay out of his life. If it means I need to cut all ties to keep him safe, you can be damn well sure that’s what I plan on doing.”

Bringing the thermos to his mouth, he let the coffee scorch his throat as he drank gulp after gulp, desperate to settle his nerves. He was barely getting by telling himself things would get easier, better, that he’d go back to how things were before and then it wouldn’t be so difficult anymore.

Right now, it was the only thought that kept him together, like glue to a broken vase. If he couldn’t protect the kid at arms reach, it’d have to be done at a mile’s distance. Right now, he just wanted Peter to be safe.

That apparently couldn’t happen as long as he was around.

They’d deal with it. Eventually.

“You know,” Pepper visibly shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “You once told me that you wanted your legacy to be about more than just weapons and technology.”

Tony didn’t break his stare, eyes locked straight ahead. “Your point?”

Pepper stared at him, her eyebrow high in the air. It took a moment for things to click, to finally register what she was implying. The moment it hit him, Tony spun on his heels with comically large, wide eyes.

“Him?” His voice squeaked at the absurdity of the implication. “Pepper, he’s —”

She immediately held a hand in the air. “Wait a minute, hold on—”

“He’s got an aunt, he’s got his own life, he —”

“Hold on, you are jumping way ahead of things.” Pepper sighed. “Like you usually do.”

“Hey!” He pointed a finger her way. “I take offense to that.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “Tony. Hear me out.”

“I always hear you out,” he insisted.

She cocked her head to the side. “Do you now?”

“I do.” Tony puffed out his chest and straightened his posture. “You don’t give me enough credit.”

Pepper stared him straight on. “So you’re not nervously rambling like a buffoon —”

“Not at all.”

“Because I brought up the slightest possibility of Peter taking on a bigger role in your life —”

Tony shook his head. “No clue what you’re talking about.”

“Similar to that of...I don’t know, a son?”

“He’s not my son,” Tony finally snapped, his voice dangerously low. “Okay? He’s not. He’s just some kid, some brat who got in way over his head and is, quite frankly, lucky that I came along to keep an eye on his scrawny pubescent ass.”

Pepper squinted suspiciously at him. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Really?” she repeated.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 23: Bridge Over Troubled Water

If the injection of medicine did indeed bother him, Peter didn’t let it show. The entire time Bruce emptied the contents of the syringe through his IV, Peter stayed staring straight ahead, occasionally blinking and smacking his chapped lips.

“... whoa ...”

The effects were immediate, more-so than any other drug they had given the kid.

“Taste...funny,” Peter managed to mumble, his words thick and slurred. “Like...coconut.”

Every muscle in his body visibly loosened, one by one until he started drifting forward, to the point where Tony had to tighten his grip and keep him steady. Both him and Bruce gently pushed him back against the pillows of the bed, comfortably arranging his limbs for him.

And as Peter sagged into the comfort of the mattress, all tension drained from his muscles, Tony sagged in relief with him. The adrenaline surge left his body all at once.

He lifted a brow, waiting expectantly. “Feeling better?”

Peter wearily nodded, his lashes fluttering with little attempt to keep his eyes open. Each movement of his became slower until eventually, he found himself leaning to the side, his shoulder resting heavily against Tony’s chest.

“There ya go, that’s it.” Helplessly, Tony found the corners of his mouth curling upward, and without a second thought he tangled his fingers into Peter’s sweat-dampened hair. The kid’s head lolled into his chest like a rag-doll, and it was only then Tony realized this was the closest he had been to Peter since…

It became quiet. The few nurses still in the room preoccupied themselves with their assigned tasks and the machinery surrounding them drastically quieted down, no longer the angry beasts they once were.

At that moment, everything seemed to melt away, as if the sounds and sights surrounding him ceased to exist. Words darted away from him, and as everyone else stopped talking, he found it unnecessary to converse himself. He focused on the gentle rise and fall of Peter’s chest, the soft breathing that escaped from his mouth, the peace that encompassed his face.

‘He’s okay.’ Fingers carded through Peter’s hair, lightly massaging his scalp without even realizing it. His heart fluttered in a soft beat as the kid fell lax. It was, without any doubt, the most calm he had seen from the kid in days.

It was easily the best thing he had seen in weeks.

His wandering fingers untangled from the soft, brown curls down to Peter’s cheek, the back of his hand stroking his relaxed facial features. With it, he brushed away the drying tears that smeared across his skin.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 25: Grounds for Improvement

It happened quickly; one cry tearing off into two, choking off into more. Though the doors to the hospital room were shut by automatic nature, the sounds easily leaked out into the hallway. Managing to slip through glass and drywall and drifting away from the seclusion of just the two of them.

Tony had still been looking at his phone’s text messages when he heard it.

By knee-jerk reaction he began to walk away; his head down low, dodging the corners only by habit.

This wasn’t a moment for him to bear witness to. It felt private. Intensely private.

Tony wasn’t oblivious; he could see the anxiety riddling Peter, the distant look in his eyes and the small muscle in his chin working — quivering. The tension had been palpable, and after all the kid had gone through, he certainly deserved a break-down or two. Or six.

It was no surprise he waited for the comfort of his aunt until he had one.

An ember of jealousy ignited in Tony's chest at the odd desire to have been there instead. It wasn’t his place or his time. He said it once before and he’d say it again — they weren’t there yet.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 25: Grounds for Improvement

Stark Expo 2010.

That had to make the kid, what? Tony did the math, coming to the age of eight.

The little Peter he stared at was eight years old. Half the kid's lifetime ago.

Tony ran his finger along the photograph, the gloss lost due to age and the edges bent with the bottom corner torn.

Looking at it, and something more tugged at his memory.

He laid the photos out, letting the piece of notebook paper sit to the side. The photos seemed to be kept together as a set, all taken of this one family trip. The young kid wearing cheap Iron Man merch, hoodie and fingerless gloves with the toy helmet too big for his head — Tony realized it was Peter.

He picked up the photo. ‘Wow, kid was scrawny back then.’

Tony pursed his lips, humming. The thought ate away at him, the memory on the tip of his tongue. There was more to this, there had to be. It wasn’t that the Parker’s had gone to a Stark Expo — though he, of course, wished it hadn’t been that Stark Expo.

So much had happened that year with nearly dying, nearly losing both Pepper and Rhodey in his life, dealing with SHIELD using Natasha to spy on him — nearly dying, that served to be mentioned twice. For a fleeting moment, he almost gave up — sure that he wouldn’t be able to recall such a tiny detail in the mass of events that had occurred.

Tony leaned back in his chair, defeated, and sighing to let the universe know as much.

God, what a shitshow of a night. His head fell back and he stared up at the ceiling, recalling the disastrous monstrosity that was Stark Expo 2010. Those damn Hammer drones sent out to target Iron Man; they were lucky no one else managed to get seriously hurt in that cluster fu —

“Nice work, kid.”

Tony shot forward in the chair.

The photograph of Peter laid on-top of the scattered prints, with Iron Man helmet barely fitting his small head.

“Huh,” he found himself saying aloud, staring at the picture with unblinking eyes.

It was an minuscule moment in time, surely stored away only because his problems nearly got a child killed. Tony knew that he’d never put the two-and-two together had it not been for those photos, telling him a story he hadn’t realized he needed to hear.

The scrap piece of notebook paper called out to him. Tony snatched it a bit too hastily, suddenly needing to know what it said.

It was folded three times in and Tony had to shake it flat once opened. His eyes scanned the cursive handwriting, all the while ignoring the way his heart beat heavily in his chest.

Tony,

One way or another, you’ve always been in his life. The only difference now is you have a chance to make that count.

I trust you’ll do the right thing.

May Parker.

His eyes darted from the note to the stack of photos behind it. Tony slowly relaxed in his chair, never tearing his eyes from either of the two.

Recalling that memory was like watching another life rip open before him at the seams, a time where he only lived to feed his ego and feed it well. He realized, back then, that he was allowing his pride to dominate; coddling it as a mechanism of self-protection. It was nothing more than allowing weakness to masquerade as strength.

The photo surprised him, shaking loose latent feelings he hadn’t realized were even there. A paternal aspiration everyone had made clear to him but he had so adamantly denied.

Here Tony was, trying to determine how to best structure the boundary of his relationship with Peter and meanwhile, it had already been created for him.

'A fierce commitment.' Tony could feel his lips pursing to the side. There wouldn't be any running away, there wouldn't be any digging his head into the sand — not when a line had already been scratched out in that sand, reclaimed by the shifting tides of the events they'd suffered through.

The choice was already made for him, years ago. He just never knew it.

‘Fine,’ Tony thought, smacking his lips and folding his arms over his chest. ‘Time to regroup, then.’

He could still negative this. He could still make this work.

Besides, back in the base, he would have done anything for a second chance — a breath of opportunity to start again. To give Peter everything he needed, the whole world, the life he deserved.

The photos provided a new outlook, a window where he had originally thought there was a wall. Tony saw that he had the power to be the architect to his own life, to build reality to the desires he always wanted.

He had that now.

What was he to do with it?

Tony cracked a smile.

Whatever it was, whatever it required, he was ready for what came next.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 26: Building Blocks

Even as he went on to explain the finer details of their rescue mission, the room lacked any tension. It helped greatly that Peter wasn’t immune to the pure star-struck wonderment at hearing Tony’s stories, listening intently to how they had increased the tensile strength on his web fluid, how a magical wizard got them in and out of the place, and most of all —

“You finished the nano-suit!?” he exclaimed, nearly jumping out of bed with excitement. “Can I see it!?”

“Sorry, bud.” Tony gave a small shake of his head, his finger lazily pointing down to Peter’s leg. “It’s on you.”

Peter frowned, looking down at his leg before back up at Tony. “What?”

“What was left of it — used it for that sock you’re wearing,” Tony explained. “It’s a nanite cast, designed to promote bone healing. I’m sure Bruce will be thrilled to show you the x-rays of how mangled your leg was. He said it was in eight pieces or something, shattered like a stale piece of peanut brittle.”

Peter didn’t seem to be paying attention. As Tony rambled on, he removed the blanket that covered his leg to better stare at the thick black and silver device that he wore around his calf. It was every sense of the word futuristic, conforming around his leg from the knee down, fitting snugly like his suit. If he stared at it long enough, he could see lights run up the length of the sleeve every so often.

“No way,” Peter lamented, looking over at Tony sadly. “But you put so much work into that!”

Despite Peter’s protest and remorse for the forsaken project, Tony couldn’t muster up a will to care.

“Well, you’re more important,” he answered honestly. “Besides, I can make another suit. I can’t make another Peter Parker.”

Tony hadn’t meant to create a moment between them, the words having slipped out before he realized what he was saying. Peter stared at him, at first confused and slightly startled, before he slowly let himself relax and smile.

It was a look so warm, Tony was sure it could melt even the coldest of hearts. While he couldn’t take the words back, he quickly realized that he didn’t even want to. He tried to remember the photos he had sitting in his workshop, to remember that as uncomfortable as the emotion felt, that he wanted this.

And besides, Peter didn’t seem to be fighting it. Kid was glowing brighter than the sun.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 27: Growing Pains

Despite his encouragement, Peter remained dejected. “You were right, though. The moment I mess up and it’s ‘ Spider-Man: Thwarted by local street magician.’ So stupid.”

“Yeah, well...” Tony popped his lips, shrugging. “What do they know?”

Peter scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“No, seriously, what do they know?” Tony asked again, piquing Peter’s interest. He finally looked up from his hands, frowning, completely puzzled. Tony met his gaze head-on. “Tomorrow’s issue isn’t going to be about Spider-Man taking down a psychopathic Russian spy in an underwater facility, all with two broken wrists, hypothermia, a concussion—”

Peter blushed with embarrassment. “Okay, I—I get it—”

“A shattered leg, a gaping hole in his stomach and back,” Tony went on, ignoring his protest. “And you still managed to knock that Bond wannabe flat on his ass. Don’t let some outdated, old fart of a journalist who’s a couple years away from retiring and starting a podcast get under your skin.”

Peter gave a soft, wobbly laugh that brought on the inkling of a smile. With it, the tension seemed to thin just enough that Tony felt comfortable leaning forward, resting a firm open palm on Peter’s shoulder.

“For every ten good things Iron Man does, there has to be fifty that the press doesn’t talk about. They will always pick and chose what the public wants to hear. That doesn’t discredit your doing, kiddo. You know in your heart what you’re doing is right.” Tony’s voice dropped a little, quieter but no less sincere. “And if I’ve been hard on you lately about that, well...I really have no excuse. I just want you to be safe.”

Peter nodded, letting his smile widen a tad bit more. The feel of Tony’s thumb stroking over the curve of his shoulder was grounding, comfortable. It reminded him a lot of the same feeling he’d get when he wore his suit — protection, safety.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

Tony patted his shoulder before leaning to the side in his chair, grabbing his coffee cup from next to him.

“Always thanking me, and I never know what for.”

Peter gave an easy smile and shrugged, a swell of warmth and gratitude replacing the butterflies of anxiety in his chest.

“For being here.”

Tony looked up from his coffee cup and gave him a wink, all charm, no bite. Any worry he had about his off-handed comment from before faded away with it, and Peter grinned as he picked his phone back up, though he was too distracted to really use it.

He stared down at the device, flipping it around, caught up in his own thoughts. He almost felt silly for having panicked earlier over what he’d say. It was just that he and Mr. Stark always had an odd relationship, never really defined, always bouncing between ‘he helps me do my superhero-ing and keeps me in line’ to ‘he’s like my mentor and teaches me all these cool things’.

But that had changed lately, since Homecoming, since he broke-in-but-not-really-broke-in to the Avengers facility. He wasn’t exactly sure what this was now, what they had become. He didn’t care either way. He liked it.

Uncle Ben would always tell him to try and find the positives out of any situation he was faced with.

Peter smiled — he was pretty sure he just found one.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 29: Breaking the Cycle of Shame

“I’m going to answer your question in the simplest terms possible and I ask that in return you keep the rising level of emotions to barely above average, capisce?” Tony crossed his arms and tilted his chin low, tired eyes meeting Peter’s.

Peter nodded a little too fast, rapt with eagerness.

Tony hesitated, taking a moment to reel himself back in. He was dangerously close to backing out, coming up with some pathetic excuse that he was sure Peter would buy in a heartbeat. But it wouldn’t do him any good, he had to remind himself of that.

This whole thing he felt going on — the ever-incessant ‘more than mentorship’ deal everyone called him out on — it was a two-way street. If he wanted to be better than Howard, he needed to put himself out there. He needed to be better than his own father if he had a shot at this.

It wouldn’t come easily. But then again, nothing good ever did.

It was that realization that pushed Tony forward, breaking through the walls he had built for himself, if only a smidgen.

“Growing up, my dad didn’t give me a lot of support. He was cold. He was calculating. Never told me he loved me, never even told me he liked me.” Tony took a deep breath in, his chest visibly rising. “What I’m trying to say here, kid, is that I don’t have the best first-hand experience with this sort of- stuff. Christ, the world’s lucky Pepper doesn’t even want children, can you imagine how badly I’d screw up a child?”

Peter smiled so softly, with such a gentle glow that Tony almost felt bad for dumping a load of pessimism on him.

“I think you’d make a great dad, Mr. Stark,” he said, the happy lift in his tone enough to break through even the iciest of hearts.

Tony smiled in a way he wasn’t initially sure he had been capable of doing. The kid was too pure for his own good, He couldn’t help the burning blaspheme at thanking whatever higher being was out there protecting that innocence.

Even with weeks building a gap between believing the kid was dead and holding him alive in his arms, Tony’s gratitude hadn’t diminished. He still felt the same, immense indebtedness that Peter was getting a second chance at things. That they were getting a second chance at things.

All and all, he still felt like it was a miracle to be here, in the now, with Peter by his side. He hoped to never lose that feeling.

“You’re a great kid, Pete. And not just because you’ve decided to run around New York a skin-tight suit putting yourself in harm’s way every chance you can get.” Tony cleared his throat, working to rid the raw emotion that laced his words. “So seeing as I’m not good with the whole touchy-feely sort of dialogue happening here, I’m going to say this once and you better listen good because I can’t promise I’ll ever repeat it. You’re...well, I’ll just say it. You’re like a son to me. I don’t ever want to entertain the idea of losing you again, not because it’ll be heavy on my conscience, but because you have a lot to offer this world and in the grand scheme of things, you’ve barely begun.”

Peter stared at Tony for a long time, at a loss for what to say. The understanding seemed to crash into him in waves, each staggering in a series of what had been the past year and a half. Germany, Toomes, Homecoming night, frequent internship visits, the Chameleon helmet, the burning building, the undersea base, Dmitri...each event began to stack on top of the other, building into something completely new.

He had always felt like Mr. Stark had been the anchor to his otherwise turbulent super-hero life. He had just never expected that side of him to transition into other aspects. Personal aspects.

And just like that, Peter’s throat began to tighten once he realized how much that truly meant to him.

“I...I don’t know what to...”

“Don’t. C’mon, learn to feel the room, you’ll ruin the moment.” Tony waved his hand, motioning for him to come closer. “Just bring it in before I regret this.”

Peter didn’t have much say in the interaction. Tony had already wrapped his arm around his shoulder, pulling him in tightly, so close that Peter could rest his chin against the crook of the man’s neck.

His embrace was warm, albeit surprising. Peter’s eyes widened enough that he worried they might pop right out of his sockets. And though he relished at the contact, he did little other than lay a hand gently against Tony’s back to reciprocate. Part of him couldn’t tell if this was real or not. In his defense, the last time he assumed they were hugging, Mr. Stark was just trying to open the door for him.

When the touch wasn’t grounding enough for him, the scent was. It was hard not to notice the smell of his cologne, different from the usual musky, smokey scents he found most older men wore. Mr. Stark smelt light, fresh, reminding him a lot of the familiar smell he often encountered while recovering in the infirmary.

It made him feel safe. It occurred to him a beat later why that was.

Just when his muscles began to loosen, allowing him to fully enjoy the moment —

“Mr. Stark, this isn’t…this isn’t a hug, is it?” he joked, resisting a smirk. “I thought we weren’t there yet?”

The words were delivered with such intense sincerity that it took Tony a few seconds to even register them. When he did, he pulled away abruptly, his face stern even once being greeted with Peter’s million dollar smile.

“See what you just did there? That was ruining it. Never do that again.” Tony waved him an open palm. “Proud of yourself?”

Peter laughed.

Tony warmed up to a smile.

Identity Theft│ Chapter 29: Breaking the Cycle of Shame

“Wait! Hold up, hold on!” Peter swivels around, running back towards them both, gripping his cue-cards tightly. “I forgot something!”

Tony gaped, gesturing ahead. “Peter, they’re about to call your name, you need to — ompfh!”

The weight of a muscular sixteen-year-old teenager smacks into him, his breath nearly knocked out of his chest before he can finish. With eyes comically wide, Tony stumbles back, Peter’s arms wrapping tightly around his waist.

“Love ya, dad.” A huge grin spreads across Peter’s face, his head tucked deep in the crook of Tony’s neck.

“Love you too, son.” Tony returned the gesture with a squeeze that may have been twice as enthusiastic as Peter’s. He only pulls away once the announcer calls Peter by name, going to pat him on the back before ushering him away.

Peter nods quickly, giving Pepper a toothy smile before turning his back on them both.

The red velvet curtains begins to draw upwards, inching towards the high ceilings with a whir that could barely be heard over the announcer’s voice booming from the surround sound. As soon as he stopped speaking, the crowd began to clap, a harsh echo of their greeting bouncing off the walls of the large concert hall.

With his shoulders pulled back tight and his hands nervously rubbing together, Peter spares Tony one more look, his grin brighter than the lights that began to flood in from the auditorium stage. His grin spoke it all— the audience could be a million strong and Peter would only ever care about one person’s opinion, only ever care about his number one fan.

Tony could feel his heart soar out of his chest from that look, overflowing with pride.

The stage lights seep in as the curtains pull up, casting an overwhelming bright halo where Peter stood. It eclipses around him, highlights him as he begins to walk on stage until eventually, Tony can see nothing but white.

He opened his eyes to the same.

“Tony?” Pepper’s voice seemed distant, but her hand was firm on his shoulder, grounding him to reality. “Tony, are you okay?”

Tony blinked, his every thought in high definition, his mind seemingly caught between then and now. The crisp white colors to his bed-sheets filled his vision, his eyes slowly coming into focus until eventually he could see even the finer crinkles from his own pillowcase.

The overhead lights to their bedroom were bright from above, harsh in comparison to the gently rising orange sun coming from the room’s window. Pepper’s warm body was settled next to his, a weight that dipped the mattress low.

“Hey...” she softly said, leaning further into his vision. “Another nightmare?”

Tony shook his head, his mouth dry, slacked open. His heart beat fast in his chest despite never having been jolted awake, never having woken up with a scream or a shout.

He slowly managed to sit up from his resting position on his side, the goosebumps that traveled up his arms razor sharp.

“No. It was...” Tony shook his head, his hand running down the length of his face. “I had a dream.”

There was a heavy silence that fell between them, the rhythm of Pepper sweeping her hand across his arm the only indicator that time still existed. The fluorescent lights from above began to dim away, allowing the sunrise from outside to cast a golden ray of copper hues into the room, bringing with it a brand new day.

He took a shallow breath in as she stared at him, exhorted him silently, softly and without any words.

“We had a kid,” Tony explained, swallowing hard. “It felt so real.”

#irondad #iron dad #tony stark #peter parker #iron dad & spiderson #irondad & spiderson #fanfic #fanfiction #mcu fic #avengers fic #found family #iron man #spider-man #pseudo father figures for life #give me found family or give me death #don't mind me just rambling on about the fanfic that has taken up 99% of my free time for the last 4 years

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antlerqueer · 2 years

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I could talk Yellowjackets FOREVER (but if it's too much you can ask me to stop and I will) There are so many theories (like who is Pit Girl? What is the fate of Shauna's baby? What happened to Javi? Who is the Antler Queen? So many questions and theories) And yes I too suffered through PLL so I know your pain. Also I hope that it stays in the "human" world and it doesn't go "supernatural" (the seance scene for example the character is a schizophrenic or so I read and that could explain a lot)

We waited seven years for an absolute sham. Marlene King owes us dues.

Yellowjackets longposting under the cut!

cw for discussions of mental health re: Lottie, just the first paragraph

One thing I'll disagree on is Lottie, I think she's psychic or at least has some sort of premonition and that's been demonized by her father. In many cultures, there are people like her that aren't considered supernatural. I mentioned this in a server I'm in but it's really possible that Lottie's (white, rich) father simply wouldn't believe in anything he couldn't personally explain, where her mother was saying that Lottie could be having psychic visions. Obviously her father is rich and powerful so anything he wants she gets, which very well could include a high dosage anti-psychotic for a daughter who doesn't meet the criteria for schizophrenia. According to my (admittedly bare) research, most women are diagnosed as adults in their later twenties, cases are very rare for 12-18, and in general it's incredibly rare for kids under 12 to be diagnosed - and Lottie looked like 9 or 10 in the car scene imo.

I think, by now, I'm sold on Lottie being the antler queen, I don't think it'll be a rotating title like -A was.

I really fell for the Adam is Javi hints hook line and sinker. Once I read that the writers weren't sure if Adam was gonna be Javi I felt better about seeing it, but whew I was kinda like... WOW he's just some guy, isn't he? But I can't wait for his torso to be discovered and then confirmed to be Adam's torso because of the tattoo. That'll be fun, and I can see it happening specifically because Misty said the torso is not identifiable but he has a back tattoo.

As for Pit Girl, I truly don't have any solid theories! My only vague thought is it could be Mari, but honestly that's just because she's the only one we've seen with straight, dark hair that hasn't been confirmed alive. There are people who think it's Callie and it was a modern day hunt, which is wild to me just because like... c'mon Callie deserves life, or they think it's Shauna's baby grown up.

Speaking of Shauna's baby, she's going to have the baby, but... yeah. I don't know what's going to happen, but I do think the cult is gonna love that baby. The way I've described Lottie's power ascent was Laura Lee dying was the catalyst and Doomcoming was her coronation; her visions were confirmed before but not everyone knew about them (the red water, the sick deer, Laura Lee's death), but at Doomcoming she said "we will eat soon" and then the bear came the next morning, and someone even pointed that out. Van also said she's predicted multiple things at school, like prom queen. So then will the baby become a fixation as the rebirth of Jackie and Laura Lee? I don't know much about Jesus, tbh, but I know rebirth is a thing Christians talk about. The second-coming. Will the baby be considered the second-coming? Will Shauna only be protected because of her pregnancy, and will her giving birth put her in danger with the cult? I have more questions than answers, truly, because there are no hints (that I've uncovered!) about the baby's fate.

Unfortunately I think Javi dies. I think one of the reasons Travis was so anti-cult is because they want to eat Javi's corpse and he won't let them, maybe? Or maybe the cult hunts Javi and killing Travis completes their ritual! Most of my theories are basically out of thin air when it comes to Javi, but there is one thing I think I know for sure: if Javi were alive, he'd have been Adam. (I don't know that for sure.) His death, if it occurs this season, will definitely be a huge thing that divides Travis and Natalie further apart from the cult.

#yellowjackets #long post

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petrovaaaae · 1 year

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Winter White Wolf

CHAPTER 1

To be in this new world, living a life outside of his brain-washed state. It was just going, great. After the events of the flagsmashers he was promoted to the team. Great. Did he want that? Well, what else would a semi-stable 106-year-old man do with his time? Nothing. Absolutely, nothing. Bucky spent his time walking around Brookyln, trying to piece together his memories. It was either that or spend time with Alpine, the cat he rescued. Why did he get a cat? Good question. Raynor had told him it was good for therapy, heck, he didn't mind the cat - all it did was sleep. He had somewhat gotten a hold of them nightmares. Now he was just a ghost. A Brooklyn ghost. Boo.

There had been a term that was used for him, some kid called him an emo. What the hell was an emo, you say? Well, Bucky did ask what it meant, not the kid though - he asked Stark. Stark only laughed and said it had something to do with the fact that Bucky looked as if he was either ready to murder someone, or that he was done with life completely. Those were apparently the only two emotions he showed. Bucky had emotions. Bucky simply did not like showing emotions. What else did people expects? For ninety years he was used as a fucking murder weapon.

But here was, on another darn mission with the team. Now that the flag smashers were gone, they were tasked to clean up the mess they made. Did Bucky agree with it? It depended. But what was consistence was Sams constant annoyance. Bucky often wondered how much easier would it be if he returned as one man, without him. Then he thought about the fact that Sam's sister, Sarah, would kill him and have her friend Carlos hide his body somewhere. Maybe if that comms system hadn't of went down he would have heard Natasha's warnings, and then they wouldn't be in this predicament they were in of being surrounded by people who wished to murder them. Maybe, just maybe Sam wouldn't have gotten his dumb ass shot if he had of went right, instead of left - like Bucky had said. But low and behold, whatever Bucky planned, no matter how much he planned ahead, it never worked out.

"Get out of here man." Sam said, groaning as he held a hand to his side, covering the obvious gunshot wound, trying to at least stem the bleeding.

"What? No. As much as I would love to leave you, Sarah would kill me." Bucky said, annoyed as he crouched down beside Sam.

"Its good, man. Honestly, its just a scratch." Sam claimed, which Bucky knew to be bullshit, and his thoughts were confirmed when Sam moved his hand, causing a fresh stream of blood to flow "Huh? Okay, maybe its not a scratch." Sam said, paling slightly.

Sighing, Bucky got to his feet, carefully glancing over the counter of the market, which was now, thankfully, clear of civilians. They had been unfortunate and unlucky to be caught in the crossfire that unsued. Thankfully, the members of this certain organisation had been bad shots, pretty shit shooters. Well, apart from the one that got Sam, that is.

What he wanted was for these god damn comms to come online again, so Natasha could at least tell them what she could see from the quinjet. Would it not be easier for Nat to simply shoot these dicks? Yeah, it would have bee. But apparently they didn't do, easy. But they weren't supposed to be in Romania, in fact if word got to the states that the Avengers were here, they would be in a shit ton of trouble. Which was why they weren't suited and booted. But, some mad scientist was trying to create his own drug, one that would mutate a human and give him some sort of, power? Why would someone do that, you ask? Who the fuck knows. Bucky hated the future and everything that came with it.

"S-am, -uck, ......" Nats voice was broken as it came through on the comms.

"Not sounding very good, Nat." Bucky told her.

"Inco-.....extr-....coming." Nat said, and Bucky looked over at Sam.

"What the fuck did she jus- Behind you!" Sam groaned, and bucky turned to see a man coming his way.

They fought and Bucky took him down easily but the hairs on the back of his neck tingled as someone moved behind him. Turning, he was met with the bruised face of a woman, wearing the same suit that Nat usually wore on her missions, a belt clinching in her waist. Her chestnut hair was shoulder length, but it was a bit dishevelled - as if she had just been in a fight. He launched at her with one of his knives, which she blocked easily, taking out her gun which he quickly deflected, knocking it from her hand before she got the chance to use it. Quickly picking it up, he pointed the barrel at her head, causing the woman to tilt her head, an almost smirk pulling on her face. She didn't back down, instead she lifted her hand, an instant force hitting him in the chest and knocking him back. What the hell was that?

When Bucky sat up, he was shocked to see his knife that he had previously tried to use on the woman in the knife of one of the men who was previously attacking them, causing him to collapse on top of Sam, causing him to spew out a string of curses. As another man approached the woman, she turned towards him, waiting for him to approach before she blocked each blow he made, hitting him repeatedly in each pressure point, before she made a snake-like movement around his body, bracing him in a choke hold position with her legs as she floored him. As another approached, instead of fighting, she lifted her hand, causing him to fall back - the same thing this woman had done on Bucky.

Standing up, he lifted the gun she had previously tried to use on him, pointing it at her. As she turned, she studied his face. Who the hell was this woman?

"Put your hands up." Bucky shouted towards her "Wait, don't put your hands up." They did that thing.

"Nat, I don't think they got your message." The woman spoke. Her voice had an Eastern European twinge to it, it wasn't strong but he could still hear it. As he slowly approached her, he patted her down for weapons with a single hand, whilst he kept the gun pointed at her.

"Wait. Alina, is that you?" Sams said, he knew this woman?

"Christ, Barnes, shes part of the team. Back down." Nat said over the coms. She sounded disappointed.

"Will one of you please get this dead person off me!" Sam pleaded, slumped in the corner. Bucky gave the woman a glare, telling her that he was in fact, keeping the gun as he touched it into his waistband.

"He dropped like a bag of bricks." Sam groaned as Bucky rolled the man off him, easily.

"You know, a little warning would have been nice, Romanoff." Bucky hissed into the comms

"I did warn you! I literally said there was incoming, that I was sending an extra pair of hands. Its not my fault this place has shitty signal." Natasha defended.

"Its these buildings, this place. Its old." The woman said, glancing around at the place before her gaze landed on them both "Samual, a pleasure as always."

"Irina, I would say the same but..." Sam moved his hand away from the gunshot wound and this woman, nodded her head slowly.

"Follow Irina, she knows where I am parked." Natasha's voice came through, and Bucky picked Sam up, throwing him over his shoulder.

Carrying a downed team member was never easy, even for a super soldier. But, it was faster than Sam trying to hobble his way back. Getting out of that place meant they were breaking cover, leaving themselves open, making leaving a little more difficult. Gun shots rang out as the rest of the men who were after them, began closing in. This woman turned, reaching behind Bucky to where he placed the gun in his waist band, offering him a smile as she done it, completely unconcerned, she then turned back, firing at those men. Apparently, he was not allowed to keep the gun.

As they walked, she worked, aiming her gun and firing. As soon as the ammunition ran out, she turned, tucking the gun back into Bucky's waistband. So, he was keeping the gun? Before turning, and just as she had done with him, she let her hands do the work, knocking the men back with a single movement of her hand. They seemed to have lost them, or did she just kill them? Because they were walking through a busy market street, the locals were giving them weird looks. They entered a house, passing a very confused family, headed down a flight of stairs into a basement and out a door through a backyard out to a densely forested area, and out of nowhere a ramp appeared.

The three of them entered the quinjet and Bucky set Sam in one of the seats as Natasha started take off procedures. They were in the air without delays and once they reached a cruising altitude, Natasha turned on the autopilot to check on them with a mediket. This woman, had already taken Sams shirt off, examining the wound as if she had done it many times before. She wore surgical gloves as she dug her fingers into the wound.

Meanwhile, Sams face was stuck on the one expression ; pain.

"Irina, do not touch that." Sam warned, causing her to look up.

"Im sorry, its in a really weird place. Its like, do I press against your liver or press against your intensines ; you know?" She told him, clearing her throat.

"Two fingers in and you can feel all that? I don't know if I should be amused or down right concerned." Sam half laughed, as the woman looked up at him with a smile.

"What would hurt the most?" Bucky asked from his seat

"Would you like me to try it on you? So then you can be the judge?" The woman asked, turning her head to look at him, raising her brow. Bucky rolled his eyes, looking away. He could hear Sam's laughter.

"Getting shot is bad, but getting repeatedly stabbed is worse." Natasha admitted, moving to hold Sam's hand

"I have been shot, and stabbed. Getting shot is better." The woman said as she finally pulled the bullet out, examining it before dropping it into Sam's free hand with a smile.

"Yeah. Tell that to the guy you stabbed in the throat back there." Bucky said from where he was sitting, looking at them.

"You stabbed someone in the throat?" Natasha asked, looking at the woman.

"Barnes stole my gun. Wilson was about to get killed by that guy." The woman offered, giving a slight shrug

"I didn't know Romanoff had back up onboard." Bucky reminded them.

"She actually wasn't...onboard. What were you doing here, Irina?" Natasha asked, looking at the woman who simply shrugged.

"Enjoying the country." The woman said, earning her a look of disapproval from Natasha because it was obviously a lie.

"Well, Barnes, this is Irina Petrova. You would have met in passing at the battle for earth." Natasha mumbled, her gaze staying on Irina.

"Yeah, were I was literally trapped and nearly DROWNING. You are all lucky I finally figured out this whole...vibration thing." Irina said, looking at her hands. Vibration thing? So that's what that was?

"I had a lot going on that day, Irina. There was no way I was able to get you out of there myself. I was getting Bruce to help get you out. Plus, Fury helped in the end too." Natasha said defensively.

"Yeah, so did several wakandans and a fucking wizard. Like I said, lucky I figured out the vibration thing."

Bucky kind off remembered, not that he wasn't occupied himself, but he did remember. She had a done a run with the Nano-Gauntlet herself and gave it to Barton. The archer said she got trapped when the compound collapsed. He didn't think it was a hulk-sized task, but like he said, he was occupied himself during that time.

"Drowning or not, you did a good job, Petrova." Sam smiled.

"Don't boost her ego." Natasha said instantly

"Don't listen to her, boost my ego, Wilson." Irina joked, a smile pulling on her features.

"You know, shirtless and fingering are both kind of like....a second date thing. I think you owe me a drink, Petrova." Sam said smoothly, causing Irina to laugh, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Irina whispered, looking down.

For the rest of the flight, Irina and Sam talked quietly. Bucky couldn't help staring at her...he thought she at least looked somewhat familiar. Yes, he remembered her from that day against Thanos, but felt as if he knew her from before then.....but he couldn't place her anywhere in his memories. After waking from his brainwashing, he couldn't remember all the names of faces of those he met. It also didn't escape his notice how Irina didn't even so much as look in his direction.

Instead, Irina gave Sam painkillers which eventually knocked him out before she went and sat with Natasha in the cockpit. Bucky, being Bucky listened to their conversation as they spoke in hushed tones, something about a special assignment. Natasha asked her about some guy, to which Irina told her it was over, and she asked Natasha about you know who, to which Natasha grew frustrated. Was Bucky wanting to be nosy? Perhaps, Or maybe he wanted some insight to this woman who subdued him. Him, a supersoldier with a vibranium arm.

Irina made him uneasy, that was for sure.

Relief finally washed over them when they reached the compound, escaping her company by taking Sam to the medic bay to Banner and Doctor Cho to receive proper medical treatment. As he stood at the window, he watched as Steve hugged Irina affectionately in the courtyard below, with Natasha smiling beside them. It seemed the team knew this woman. Bucky didn't realise how tense he had been since this woman showed up, and when he watched her leaving he felt oddly...satisfied. Silently relieved that, perhaps, he wouldn't have to see her again.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x oc #james buchanan barnes #james buchanan barnes fanfiction #winter soldier fanfiction #bucky needs a hug

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fantasyinvader · 2 years

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...I just want to do this.

I'm watching a video by Illuminaughtii on how we need to stop romanticizing serial killers, mostly based on the movies pushed out by Netflix.It honestly reminds me a lot of the issues with Gundam IBO and, by extension, the Fodlan games.

The problem with IBO is it's direction. If we go by interviews, the director always intended for the protagonists to end up digging their own grave. It was a show with villain protagonists, though the producers dictated that it had to appears as close to "good vs. evil" as it could. The director's solution to this was to make it so the audience wouldn't question the protagonists, wouldn't think they were wrong or misguided.

In short the anime empathized with it's villain protagonists, made the audience understand why they were doing the things they were doing and trying to make them seem like they were the good guys.

In execution this means as Tekkadan recruits more and more children into their ranks, it's framed as a good thing while the show is basically listing all the push factors for child soldier recruitment. That we are meant to go along with their belief that they need to complete any mission they are hired to do no matter what the cost, and that crushing their opponents is the way to go. The AV system, something Tekkadan uses extensively, is treated as simply being taboo while out-of-universe sources state it's completely illegal while Tekkadan's enemies are meant to be demonized for using illegal weapons. That we the audience should want to avenge a guy who took runaway girls, employed them in his smuggling operations, made them part of the mafia, called them his "daughters" while they compared their situation to being in a woman's shelter," slept with them saying they came to him including the girls he's known from a young age, got them pregnant, then would put their babies on his ships while they smuggle and fight off pirates, and did all of this to hook up with the woman he "loves." That Tekkadan put a corrupt politician into office during the first season or that Kudelia's character arc involves her abandoning her former ideals and ending up as a pawn of the mafia is meant to be seen as good.

To the show's credit, it seems to have a message of "don't blindly follow along, question your leaders" and at points will drop lines that are meant to call things into question. That you, the audience, need to stop going along with that information and process what is being said. But that's not what people took away.

You have people saying Tekkadan fought for Martian independence, yet in the show they joined McGillis in order to be kings of Mars. That they fought to make sure there would be no more child soldiers like them, yet they recruited hundreds of kids according to numbers given by staff and had no problem killing child soldiers the other side used. They want to spin the ending as Tekkadan being the winners, and any nasty things they did was okay because the other side wasn't humanized enough.

God, I'm getting flashbacks of people supporting Flit "Grandpa Genocide" Asuno from Gundam AGE with that last one.

And of course, you have the people demanding a sequel where Tekkadan are avenged...even having the MC's son do it. That people say IBO is pro-war. Considering G-Witch features the MC being used by her mom for revenge, and using an illegal mobile suit and labeled a witch (due to the witch hunt for people involved with Gundams. Fun fact: the creators have said people are hunting Tekkadan survivors down to bring them to justice) it feels like Gundam is tackling what IBO accidentally said by proxy.

We see a lot of these same issues pop up in the Fodlan games. That we are meant to emphasize with Edelgard no matter what route we play. That we should feel bad about fighting her and for her. You know, instead of feeling bad for HER GODDAMN VICTIMS! And of course, you have people trying to make any good change after the game be directly because of her and for her to be the "real" good guy rather than the villain (possibly protagonist) she was meant to be.

Here's hoping G-Witch continues to be good, and that Engage doesn't try this shit again.

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darkdevasofdestruction · 2 months

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Chapter 1 - Black Rabbit

"And to think I was impertinent enough to dream of visiting my home town without encountering anything paranormal related... Honestly, how rude of me!" the mysterious young lady muttered to herself as she followed the way that her spiritual instincts told her. She checked her phone to see what the time was, then fixed the black trench coat that complimented the thin green turtleneck that was tucked in her comfortable black jeans; Soon enough, the newly appeared phantasmagoric trail guided her in front of what seemed to be a bar that named "Black Rabbit".

You must be kidding me... She sneered at the name of the bar, not remembering the not so peaceful memories she had regarding black rabbits. First, there was the Black Rabbit from the Kujou mansion, the one that destroyed Mary's doll form temporarily - A selfless sacrifice, from what both herself and Yashiki-... Erh, excuse her, slip of the mind - Masamune, rather; They both still feel as though the Black Rabbit was the soul of the late Saya Kujou, who had previously succumbed to the Hanahiko curse. It must have been awful for the man, seeing his sister in such a grotesque way - Even though he was not yet aware they were related, such imagery is not to be taken lightly.

Does this mean she will now become the Black Rabbit for someone? Selflessly protecting those in need, the way Saya's spirit did for them? Granted, though she had arrived in her old hometown a few weeks prior, it was only recently that a certain kind of unease begun creeping into her soul; a feeling so familiar, that she's only ever felt during the Death Mark investigations she did with her brother, Satoru, and Yashiki. In spite of this familiarity, there was a much stronger emotion, eerily throbbing her heart - An unusually strong urge to protect - But protect who, exactly? The cursed, living humans? Or the unappeased spirits, still lingering on earth, in complete agony, waiting for their chance to pass on to the afterlife, the very same way poor Hanayome and her dog were dearly wishing to go to wherever the soul of her fiance was lingering, in death.

Perhaps those weren't the appropriate questions she should be asking herself. No, instead - What in the world should she even say, once she enters the bar and sees people there? Not only was she unbearable socially inapt, but bringing oh so casually a conversation regarding ghost-hunting was... Not quite acceptable for her age.

Sighing, the young lady mustered all the social courage she could gather, and opened the doors of the Black Rabbit bar. Inside, only three people were present, looking just slightly younger in age compared to her; They were frivolously conversing about a topic only they knew. The lady internally cringed - Were the people she was supposed to protect... Freaking highschool kids?

She'd much rather face the Masquerade ghost again. No, scratch that, she hates spiders more than teenagers... It's a close call though.

"Kijima, you have a customer." the black haired girl alerted in a shushed tone, making the brunet boy look at the newcomer disturbing their little gathering curiously. "We don't really have customers... That's unusual." he muttered, stepping closer to the young lady. Great, already she is standing out. "Erh..." she sweatdropped, looking up at the tall and intimidating young man towering over her petite form. All three highschoolers had their eyes glued on her - How unnerving. "With the risk of sounding like an escaped lunatic - You wouldn't happen to be cursed and/or haunted by some kind of malevolent spirit, would you?" with the most awkward and uncomfortable side smile, the intruder, although beautiful, looked slightly demented from an outside perspective - Except, her words unexpectedly rung the Jackpot. "How... Did you know...?" his voice dropped by an octave, clearly shocked by what this newcomer, a woman he's never met in his entire life, asked him. How in the world could she know? Could it be that she can see the curse afflicting his body and soul? "Ha, would you look at that, I was actually right! What were the chances." she chuckled with unease. "I hate when I am right." her voice turned outright pitiful - This was going to be a ton of work. "The gist of it is that I have strong spiritual powers, and recently, I started feeling the lingering presence of unappeased ghosts unable to pass on, and clinging onto a humans - Basically, I felt the blooming of a most noxious curse." she continued with a little more strength in her voice, seeing the receptiveness of the on-lookers. "I would prefer to hear what is the problem before I speak any further."

The brunet boy grunted briefly, nodding his head in acknowledgement before he guided the new-comer at their table. "This is Amanome Seiji and Hazuki Kaoru. I am Kijima Akira. And, you are?" the brunet boy introduced everyone. "My name is Mashita Kisara and I come from H city. I'm not sure whether or not I should say that I'm fortunate, or quite the contrary, though I have a pretty long history of paranormal encounters and cases that I've debunked and solved with my brother and another person from a highly spiritual family." the young lady explained, leaning back on the chair seat, analysing carefully each of the young ones before her. "So you're a paranormal expert? That's great! We can investigate properly what's going on and rescue Ami!" Kaoru exclaimed in victory. Kisara rose a questioning eyebrow at the other girl - Was she always this obnoxiously enthusiastic when in regard to the supernatural? Well, that giddiness will soon vanish, when faced with an actual ghost that is actively trying to brutally massacre you. "Care to explain?" "Yes, Kijima, let's see how older women like these fairy tales." Seiji smirked, making his friend roll his eyes. "I think a little girl dressed in a traditional kimono cursed me. She said her name is Kakuya and she kidnapped Ami, my little sister, after making a car try to kill us. I know it sounds stupid, bu-" he explained, slightly irked and expecting her to laugh, yet he only saw a deep pondering on her face. "Kakuya... More like Kaguya, I suppose. A little girl, wanting to play... Why, that sounds just like Mary and how she cursed Yashiki. I think Kakuya could be a Doll... Spirit... Something." she thought it over out loud, nodding to herself with each preliminary conclusion she reached - It seemed like Akira was following her eagerly. Granted, his little sister was kidnapped, of course he would cling onto any piece of information and help he could get, especially regarding such a niche branch. "Spirits? What's that?" he asked, obviously confused. Sure, he met Kakuya, a rather peculiar young girl, possibly even younger than Ami - But... Ghosts? Spirits? Well, nothing was outside the realm of the supernatural, it seems. "What?! You don't know what Spirits are?! That means you don't read Moe's H City Featured Article in OOParts?" Kaoru gasped incredulous, making Kisara blink at her perplex. "You know Moe? She got the Death Mark in H City from Hanahiko, which is when we met I saved her from the curse after we appeased the child ghost. Since then, she started writing about most of our Paranormal cases, and even helped us get information on the Jirogumo, Little Red Hood, at the abandoned Masquerade Love Hotel." she recalled Moe's story, making Kaoru's eyes sparkle with surprise and glee. "No way! That means the Heroine of the story is you?! You're The Crimson Knight?!" unexpectedly, Kaoru shot up to her feet, slamming her hands on the table and leaned down, her face dangerously close to her face; She fangirled in such a loud and high-pitched tone that Kisara couldn't help but flinch away. How annoying. "Erh... Yes, that is me. Play on words. Didn't want to give away my identity. It would diminish my professionalism towards my actual career. Ghost hunting isn't worth my future." her cheeks turned pink with uncomfortable embarrassment, inching away even farther from the girl fawning over her. "How did you get to that nickname?! What does it mean?!" she asked excitedly, barely contenting herself. How annoying. Kisara already feels highly repelled by her. Hopefully, she will chill out a little.

"The way Japanese symbols work is amazing, isn't it? If you add the 'Ki' and the 'Shi' from both my names, you get 'Kishi', the word for Knight." the young woman chuckled at her wittiness. "As for Crimson - Well, one look at my hair, and you don't need another explanation, do you?" yes, she was proud of herself. "My brother and I are rather creative." "That's so smart! Will you take me as your disciple and teach me more about the supernatural?!" she asked, but Kisara cringed at the thought alone, shaking her head.

"Ergh... No way." Kaoru deflated immediately; her otherwise cheerful and bubbly demeanor immediately turning disappointed and sour, as if she just found out her dog just died. "Ghosts are dangerous. They can kill you. I am not doing this as a leisurely hobby. In fact, I hate ghosts with all my heart. The amount of close brushes with death I had is far too high to count." with this harsh truth, Kisara hoped she would speak some sense into this day-dreaming girl. It failed. "Besides - I am a Veterinary Medicine student. I have my priorities." "What a pity. You'd have been an amazing investigator..." she mumbled, slumping back down in her seat. "A bit more respect for my actual career would have been much appreciated." Kisara sweatdropped in deep annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose before shifting her gaze to Akira, who zoned away because of the silly talk. "So, Akira, basically... Spirits are what happens with a human that dies with a very strong grudge. They are left behind as twisted beings that can curse and kill you. Many of them feed on the despair of the people they cursed, and won't kill them right away." she begun the brief explanation regarding the educational topic into certain death. "There are only two ways to get rid of them, but there is only one I'd recommend, which is purification. That way, no more human casualties will happen." Akira, seemed to be in deep thought and was taking everything in properly. "That just sounds like some occult story, don't scare us like that, Miss Mashita!" Seiji made a weird face, making her instantly realise he was absolutely terrified of things he can't understand. "Forgive me for being the bringer of grim news, Amanome-san." she offered a brief, sympathetic smile his way. "At this moment, Kijima-san's curse is manifesting as grotesque mouths on his face. They can only be seen by the person afflicted with the curse, and those of a higher spiritual power." Akira seemed petrified at having the truth of the creepy mouths called out like that - To think someone could actually see them, how peculiar.

"Amanome-san, as someone from the outside of the supernatural spectrum, it is entirely understandable to be afraid, especially as, as I previously stated, these malevolent ghosts can easily kill you. Unfortunately, unlike with humans with a physical, tangible body... You cannot retaliate in the same brute way against specters. You must perform a purifying ritual and appease their souls; By saving them, you save yourself." still, she smiled reassuringly at the rather handsome chestnut haired young man, who seemed more amused than anything, though also highly uncomfortable with the whole spiritual world thing.

"Worry not, I am here to make sure nobody gets harmed. My vacation is already ruined anyway, might as well not let some clueless kids stumble around and die while trying to save another kid." she chuckled playfully, hoping to ease the atmosphere a little. It seems to have worked. "Treating us like kids isn't very nice, is it, Miss Mashita?" Seiji had a charming side-smile on his face, looking at the young lady before him with growing admiration. "Please, just call me Kisara. When you say Mashita, well... I think of my brother. It is a little weird." she scratched the back of her neck lightly. "Only if you call me by my given name also, Miss Kisara." he affirmed with a bemused grin on his face. Kisara couldn't help but smile sweetly back at him. She had to admit, he was quite the personality. "I appreciate the respect offered with the honorific, but I don't think I'm that much older than you guys. Or... At least, I hope so." yes, it would actually be incredibly awkward if they would be, like, middle-schoolers or something; But who knew? Teenagers now-a-days looked about just about all ranges of ages. "Since you have no stated your age, I will continue addressing you with the much deserved respect - Which Hazuki rudely failed to giveth." although the evident beginning of a flirting back and forth wasn't lost on the rather annoyed Akira, Kaoru was completely oblivious to it; She seemed to have problems prioritising her problems.

"Amanome! Don't you know it's not nice to ask a lady her age?" Kaoru raises her voice at him, making everyone sigh. Kisara cleared her throat awkwardly, ensuing silence. "That... Actually made me feel far worse." she shook her head - What a silly child. "I turned 21 years old in winter. Your turn." "Very much legal." Seiji smirked mischievously, making Akira slap the back of his head in annoyance. "Don't be gross with a woman you just met." Akira reprimanded him. "We're 18. Hazuki is 16. Case close. Can we return to the real problem now?" he states, making Kisara nod in agreement.

"Yes, casual talk aside - Did Kakuya mention anything about the game she wanted to play with you?" the new-comer asked, wanting to get away from the weirdness of the previous small talk. "She told me to search for the Urashima woman." Akira answered her question, thought Kisara wasn't entirely familiar with her hometown's urban legends or any kind of remarkable murders that took place around this area, for the past many decades. "Has any of you heard anything of the Urashima Woman myth? Anything at all?" Kisara encouraged them to speak up. "So... Does that mean that the rumours are true? The Urashima woman is the most discussed topic on the Shinza Ward Ghost Story forums." Kaoru mentioned out of the blue. At least she can be useful when needed. "E-Enough of this!" Seiji grimaced, obviously not wanting to hear anything about that. "Trust that the Crimson Knight will protect you, Seiji." Kisara hummed playfully with the much appreciated undertone. "It's the ghost of a woman said to appear at Yamato shrine, and her name comes from the Urashima Lake contained there..." she began, then told the rumours of the Urashima woman, who died in that lake, and how, if you're lucky, should you throw a rock in the lake at midnight, you'll see her. She takes the appearance of a pregnant woman, walking a baby stroller, and that's how that college girl died, apparently. She didn't see the Spirit right away, but her body was found in the Lake; the cause of death being drowning, and the peculiarity of it was that her corpse was swarming with turtles.

"Heard worse. Seen worse. Experienced worse." Kisara's apathetic remark seemed to send a shiver down Seiji's spine. "Guess we're going to investigate this lake. It might prove to be problematic, but nothing we cannot deal with." how can someone be so dead-pan in the face of something as fickle as... Ghosts?! "Ah - Forgive me, Seiji, was the story too much for you?" she dared extend her hand towards him, brushing aside the stray fringe getting in his face. "What? Don't tell me you're REALLY afraid of ghosts?" Kaoru giggled like a schoolgirl, making Seiji grimace even more in annoyance at the mocking.

"You'd be a fool NOT to be..." Kisara muttered under her breath, annoyed at the overly enthusiastic girl who had no clue what she was dealing with. "My aversion to these sorts of things is more or less what you'd consider wheat allergy. Meaning, that's just how my body reacts, I can't help it if it does it." he scoffed, looking away, pissed that a silly little girl was making fun of him for having a completely valid fear. "When I heard you were the son of a boss, I was afraid you'd be scary, but... So you can be cute too, Amanome!" the girl grinned in amusement at the fair haired boy. "Why are you smiling? And why are you being overly familiar with me?" he glared at her, but she stood her ground, bickering further. "You don't seem to have a problem when Kisara does it." she shot back, making him chuckle lightly - No, rather, it almost had an impish taint to it. "Miss Kisara is an intelligent young woman who deserves my respect and friendship - Unlike some midget like you with no charisma OR brain to make up for your lack of feminine curves." although Kisara was getting very into this feud, loving this shady back and forth between these sharp-tongued fiends, Akira was quickly getting fed up with their childishness, for he got up and shouted at them both to shut up already.

With the deathly silence of a graveyard hanging through the bar, Kisara felt awkward enough to meekly throw a small talk question and mediate the vibe. "Erh... May I ask... When you said 'The son of a boss', what exactly did you mean?" "Amanome is the son of the Yakuza boss. He's not yet officially in the Yakuza, though." Akira shrugged, explaining the situation quickly, hoping to return to the ghost-talk. "Yakuza, hm?" Kisara looked up at the ceiling briefly, humming and nodding in understanding. "For someone who can easily solve any human-related altercation, the mere idea of being unable to physically deal with a being trying to come after your life - I can understand your fear. Being in control and solving any problem, as opposed to having to retort to silly rituals and stumble around the occult... I know which side I would choose also." she gave a reassuring smile to the boy, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "I would take it as... An escape room game. Or a Nancy Drew Mystery. Personally, twisting my view in that way does help a lot." Seiji smiled, nodding in appreciation. "See? Someone GETS me!" he smirked in victory, before Kaoru started fangirling over this case and mentioned how they should hurry and investigate already. Akira called her out for enjoying this and basing her clothes on it too. "Of course, I'm a Momoler. Plus, the Urashima Woman got Momo's concert cancelled. I can't forgive her." she scoffed, looking away in anger.

Momoler? Concert? What is going on? Is she getting too out of touch with mainstream media? With teenager idols and what not? Kisara turned to look at Akira, then at Hazuki, and Seiji - They all had different looks on their faces. While Kijima seemed to only have heard the name briefly prior to all this mess, Hazuki looked like the biggest Momoler fan. Seiji, on the other hand, was ready to make fun of the young girl.

"Am I too old to understand young people? I feel weirdly uncomfortable for not knowing who this Momoler is." Kisara affirmed, albeit with a little unease. "Don't worry, it's better if you don't know." he reassured her, incurring the wrath of the younger one. "What do you mean by that?! Momo Kuruse is awesome and she sings very well! She is the most popular Idol nowadays." Kaoru exclaimed a bit too offended. "If she is that popular, why have I never heard of her?" the blunt comment not only made Kaoru's jaw drop, but it made Amanome chuckle shamelessly. "She's not all that popular, clearly." the boy loved seeing how offended he could get the little brat. "Idol music isn't my thing, but if she's that popular, I should have heard of her, right? In that regard, the only idol I know is Ai Kashiwagi from Love & Hero. Granted, I only know her because I saved her from her Death Mark curse. She helped me refine my piano skills, as a thank you. I also get free VIP tickets to all her concerts. She's actually pretty good." it seemed as though the sky fell on Hazuki. "... Ah. Kashiwagi. Never heard of her." the young one grumbled lowly. "Jealousy doesn't make your lies more believable, Hazuki." the Yakuza boy smirked at her.

"Enough. We have to investigate." Akira got up from the table, fed up with the group being unable to hold an actual conversation for more than five seconds straight. "Akira is right." Kisara nodded her head solemnly, raising to her feet also. "Seiji, will you be alright coming with us?" the sympathy wasn't lost on the Yakuza prince. "I don't mind coming along - I couldn't, in good faith, let a beautiful young lady such as yourself wonder around at night in dangerous places." Amanome got up from the table, gently leading the red head away from the obnoxious girl, and closer to the exit. "Didn't the news say something about the Yamato Shrine being closed at night right now? Wouldn't the trip be for nothing, under these circumstances?" "We'll just go there and check it out. Besides, you'd be surprised at the ways one can get through well guarded places. I've heard about die-hard fans sneaking into their favourite idol's dressing room." the little problem girl shrugged as if that was the easiest thing to do. "One of these die-hard fans doesn't happen to be you, does it?" Akira asks, as if reading my mind. "I bet she stole the clothes she's wearing from Momo Kuruse's dressing room." Seiji joined in the teasing, but it didn't seem to affect the girl at all. "Do you WANT me to curse you both to death?" she threatened with a smile on her face, only to get quickly cut off by the older lady. "Last time my friend cursed someone, he almost twisted his neck by slipping on ice. I'd be careful with those black candles, if I were you." for a few seconds there, Seiji's heard skipped a beat, or perhaps even more - Not only was Kisara's angelic smile filled with such satanic poison, but her subtly threatening words rung like honey mead lullabies in his ears. Now this is a fine woman. "Although I greatly enjoy seeing that dumb look on Hazuki's face - I should remind you, we are going to be dealing with cops." Kisara's sight immediately snapped up at the boy; Her bewildered confusion looked so adorable on her seraphic visage. "Cops are going to be patrolling the area, so be careful. It'll be a huge hassle if they catch us." unlike the other two, the new-comer's worry was evidently overflowing. "So... We're going to be meddling into borderline illegal territory." Kisara concluded, feeling a light squeeze of her shoulder. "Just make sure you don't stray too far away from me, and everything will be fine." clearly, he was enjoying playing the protector role for the beautiful lady. He had enough experience with legal matters, and more, with the illegal ones. He was perfectly capable of getting out of any problem, no matter the magnitude. "Don't worry, I know a route that can go around with no police." Kaoru piped in, getting in between the two rather forcefully, clinging onto Kisara's arm. "I'll make sure no policeman gives you trouble." "Why would you know that?" Akira asks suspiciously. "I like exploring haunted places." she shrugged nonchalantly. Sighing, Kisara uncomfortably shrugged Hazuki off her, stepping away from the trio. She didn't realise at first, but she enjoyed Seiji's presence so close to her - But the little girl needed to tame her obnoxiousness if he wanted to step anywhere close to her personal bubble. "Let's just go already."

Taking on the role of the lead, Hazuki grabbed Kisara's hand and dragged her throughout the whole journey to the park where Yamato Shrine resided. The walk there was tedious and felt much too long - Probably because nobody was saying a single word, and only their footsteps were heard. On few occasions, the poor red haired lady would look back past her shoulder, as if to gain some pity from the two boys walking behind her - She was not saved from the iron grip of the bossy Kaoru.

It took so long for them to finally start investigating, that the Moon was already glowing up the sky, darkness filling the atmosphere with beauty and chills. Though Kisara loved night time, she never truly felt safe enough to feel comfortable strolling through the streets of the peaceful city - Even with Seiji and Akira there. When she was flanked by Satoru and Yashiki, somehow, she felt safe, even when they were deep in the forest, chasing around Shimi-O.

By the time they arrived at the park, they noticed a rather overly-dedicated guard. Based on how tall the gate was, and the level of athletics everyone possessed, the only one who could actually get to the Shrine unnoticed was Akira. "So what do we do?" the brunet boy grumbled, glaring lightly at the irksome guard. "We need to find a way to sneak past that guard and jump the gate." Kaoru quickly replied. "I suppose it's time for me to perform my magic." Seiji's devilish smirk was enough to speak the undertone - He confidently walked to the guard, attempting to negotiate. Alas, the man was so incredibly rude to him, that not even the Yakuza Prince could persuade him to turn a blind eye to their endeavours. "Guess even you can fail sometimes." Akira's comment seemed to mildly annoy his friend. "Now what?" Kaoru huffed at Seiji's failure. "I found this thing." Akira showed them the flyer about Kuruse Momo's cancelled concert. "I'll see what I can find out about this." thus, he went to ask about the flyer to the guard. Though there wasn't actually much to learn from a stupid pop culture related flyer, one little thing did catch his attention - The next day's guard was supposedly a die-hard Kuruse fan. "Well - So what? It's not like we can summon that girl out of thin air and make her charm the guard or something." Amanome pointed out. "I wouldn't worry about that. I've got a plan." Kaoru spoke with confidence. "What, you'll put a wig on and pretend to be an idol?" Seiji snarked her. "If it works, it works." the girl shrugged with non-chalance, "Enough bickering, you two." Kijima snapped. "Where's Mashita?"

For a few seconds, a silence of realisation hung over the trio - Kisara was nowhere to be seen. Were it not for the awfully adorable squeak coming from the gate, they wouldn't have noticed she had been inspecting the entrance towards the park - But that nasty guard did, and was ready to scold her. She hated having people being hostile towards her, let alone being roughed up by the arm and led away.

She has a history of snapping at the worst times, of snarking back teachers and principles in positions of power; There's only so many times a lion cub can endure being snubbed, before it bites their face off. "Don't you know it's not nice to treat a lady like that?" It was Seiji, slapping away the guard's grip from Kisara, and stepping protectively in front of her. "You may be a guard, but you don't have the right to inflict harm on my girlfriend like that. Staying outside the gate is not illegal. If you have anything to complain about, go ahead - I know the constitution inside out." that was possibly one of the most impressive things she's ever experienced in her life. It wasn't the same feeling she had when her brother was protecting her; It was something else, something that seemed to hold more malice. Was it the aura of a Yakuza prince?

Whatever it was - It was very endearing.

The guard scowled at the two, walking off. As Seiji's tensed body seemed to calm, he looked back at the damsel in distress. Before he could ask if she was alright, however, she leaned towards him, whispering into his ear. "There are no security cameras anywhere in this area. Anyone can easily sneak in from this radius, and nobody will find out." with a subtle shift in his posture, the boy allowed himself to take a look at the state of virtual security himself. She was right on all accounts.

"We'll send Akira to investigate by himself while we create an opening for him to jump the fence." the shrewd boy eyed his brunet friend with a rather wicked expression. "He's dealing with ghosts though... Will he be okay by himself?" instead of a reassurance, Seiji scoffed in amusement, putting his arm around the girl and bringing her closer to his side. "That muscle-head isn't as dumb as he appears." he chuckled dryly. "In fact, I've got just the idea." in a flash, he took out his phone, texting at lightning speed; Akira's phone beeped. "All according to plan." "What did you tell them?" Kisara asked, confused at Kaoru's apparent giddiness. "I figured, if you didn't mind me addressing you as 'my girlfriend' once, you wouldn't mind a second time." Seiji turned to Kisara, gently brushing her crimson locks blocking his view to her beautiful face. Watching her confusion grow ever more, he couldn't help but smile, coyly caressing her cheek. "Just focus on me only, and your part of the plan is fulfilled." "How is that going to help?" she asked, but instead of an answer, she received the most tender kiss on her forehead. He took a strand of her hair and played idly with it, before leaning down to speak ever the most shameless words. "Seiji...?" "If you say my name with such a mellow voice, can you really expect me not to go crazy for you?" the hum of alluring amusement, the tone of his low voice, an octave lower than usual, like that of a velvety baritone, made Kisara's pulse pick up. "Maybe you don't realise the effect you have on men, so let me enlighten you a little." he had pulled her so close to his body, that her hands were resting bashfully over his chest. She got lost in that warm colour, filled with golden flecks of adoration and what seemed akin to an incubus' charm. Kisara herself has never been subject to men flirting with her, let alone someone so confident speaking the filthy allure from the tongue of the sinner Asmodeus himself, the Lord of Lust. The otherwise mild young man leaned down slightly, just enough to whisper into her ear compliments that only one completely enamoured by another would dare utter so shamelessly; His breath was hot on the sensitive skin of her neck. "Your scarlet red hair, like the Empress cloud brocade, reminds me of how the angels paint the sky on each Spring evening, so beautiful, like the fire burning in my heart whenever I see or think of you." Kisara's pulse had gone up, and her heart was experiencing intense tachycardia. Her cheeks felt warm, and no doubt, they must be rosy like the petals of peonies. "You know... I heard ladies with hair kissed by fire are the most passionate kissers. Ever since you stepped in that bar, I've been thinking about testing those rumors. An innocent lamb, tempting the wolf so cluelessly - Whenever I see those emerald eyes of yours, sparkling with such mischief; and that vixen grin of yours... You don't know the effect you have on a man, Miss Kisara." the sultry way he spoke every word, his voice an octave lower than usual; baritone and velvety; It pulled Kisara in a trance she had no clue was possible. It was defying any ration or logic she ever deemed natural in this world - Oh, how wrong she was.

"Seiji..." so speechless, so demure, what an innocent and genuine lady; Able only to utter his name, through all those shameless words he addressed her, all of them holding nothing but the full truth. The Yakuza prince found Miss Kisara incredibly attractive, not only physically, but her personality also was very endearing.

For a few moments there, Seiji was lost in the romantic scene he himself created; The reverie of confessing his feelings to a beautiful young woman, who found him equally as likeable; Lost in each others eyes, a perfect painting depicting a mountain forest landscape, picturesque as no other; Earthly tones, gentle and warm, from the golden sun, to the variety of greens from the trees, and the wet brown ground broken from the large roots.

Alas, the fairytale-like moment was completely shattered by Hazuki's obnoxious shriek; Right, the plan, he had completely forgotten about it, how annoying. Still, the adorable whimper from Kisara, as she clinged on him after being startled, was well worth it. He quite enjoyed the closeness they shared... But not the following scenario.

She was enchanted so completely, trapped by his spell in a floating abyss of pure bliss, that she was completely caught off guard when Kaoru's unceremoniously high-pitched screeched ripped apart the skies, making the poor girl squeak out and instinctively cling onto Seiji's shirt. "Seijiro...! How could you?! I can't believe it?! Taking out this... This whore in OUR spot?! Nonetheless, on MY birthday?!" Kaoru's shrilled pitch made the girl cringe, not being fond of such noises. In fact, loud noises in general made her uncomfortable enough, and she sought refuge in the boy's arms, as Hazuki's face was twisted with the wrath of Hell itself. "I've got no clue who you are, you crazy little girl. Why in the world would I want anything to do with an ugly midget like you, when I'm very happy with my gorgeous fiancee - Whom, mind you, not only did you upset, but also, blatantly insulted." his voice was calmer, albeit, he clearly didn't like the ease with which Hazuki called Kisara such an awful word. How dare she? Stupid brat. "Who cares about her?! You should stay with me! You get me pregnant, and then run away with another chick you find on the streets?! How dare you do something like this! Have you no shame at all?!" her voice attacked him with such rage that almost shocked the red head. Then again, rage was the easiest emotion to fake.

"I'll call the guard and take you away. Hysterical brats like you deserve to be locked away." Seiji waved her off dismissively. "What's with that look on your face...?! How dare you deny even knowing me?! Don't give me any of your shit! It's definitely YOUR child! Who do you take me for?! I'll... I'll make you acknowledge it, no matter what!" she inched towards the couple threateningly, but the guard came in to the rescue. "What's all that fuss about?! Take your quarrel elsewhere!" the guard tried to usher them away, but the girl's hysterical shriek made everyone cringe visibly. "SHUT UP! You know what?! It's YOUR fault to begin with! If I hadn't seen them like this... If you'd have just let them go inside that park...! IF MY TRAUMA CAUSES ME TO LOSE MY CHILD, ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY?! HUH?!" she yelled, almost not understanding what she was saying because of the pitch, making the guard sweat drop, not knowing what to do. Perfectly understandable. "P-Please, miss, there must be a misunderstanding. Please, calm down." from the corner of her eye, Kisara noticed Kijima safely hopping off the fence. She subtly pulled on Seiji's sleeve, making him understand the plan was a success and they could leave. Hazuki, however, was too lost in her act of bickering with the guard.

With a small side-smile, Seiji nodded his head and silently escorted the red head back to Kissouji Station, which was their assigned meeting place. Once arrived, the two looked at each other, and giggled like little kids. They looked so wholesome, from the outside, that even a granny would fawn over how cute they look together.

"That... Was kinda fun." Kisara admitted. "Except for all the yelling. Yelling makes me uncomfortable." she said, a little sheepishly. "Uncomfortable is one thing - Hazuki managed to almost rupture our eardrums." Amanome scoffed, half-amused and half-irked at the younger girl. "Still, we should do that again, some day. Sans everyone else involved today." The smile on Kisara's face made Seiji's heart skip a few consecutive beats. She looked so happy. "It's been thirteen years since I've last been here, but when I was little, I used to go with my parents to a little vintage cafe. It was next to this lotus pond, in this park filled with plum, peach and cherry trees. I remember going up and picking up a lot of fruit in a basket. My parents liked doing sweet fruit wine and tea. We even used some ancient Chinese recipe which used snow to brew them." she looked so joyful speaking of her time spent here - So beautiful, her eyes were sparkling like the twinkling stars up in the sky - Seiji could listen to her speaking even non-sense, and never get tired. "I will see if it's still around. I hope it is. We could go there for our date." "We just met today, and you are already using the term 'date' so loosely. My, my, Miss Kisara, how bold you are." his teasing only seem to make the girl chuckle. "If I was wrong in reading between the lines, then by all means, you could have corrected me - Unless, of course, you are just playing coy with me." the two, once again, ended up laughing; Once Hazuki also appeared, after her dragged out bickering with the guard, she looked between the two, very much confused.

"What's with you two?" she asked, only to get dismissed by them both. "You wouldn't get it." and "You're too young." came their answers.

Though she pouted like a bratty child, Akira joined them, saving the couple from the incoming tantrum of the girl. "Akira. You move fast, well done. How were things?" Kisara clapped her hands together, happy with the outcome. He was still alive, that was a relief. "We had a lot of trouble distracting that guard to get you inside. A certain SOMEONE had a rather impassioned performance and embarrassed us." Seiji grimaced, remembering how her shrill voice echoed throughout the park. "Ahhahaha, I got a little caught up in the moment. I'm pretty good, right?" she grinned, as Akira merely nodded and started telling them what happened. "I tossed a rock into the lake, but nothing showed up." he shrugged with no care in the world. "Oh, you actually threw a rock... Are you feeling okay? No stomach aches? I hope no bad ghosts follow you home." she said in a concerned voice. "I'm fine, as far as I know." he tried to stop the conversation, but Kaoru continued it. "Then it's fine, I guess. It might be wise to burn some incense when you get home, just in case." she suggested, making Seiji grimace. "Incense doesn't protect you from ghosts." Kisara coughed. "Can we move away from the occult topic? We have to find a way to sneak into the park." Seiji brought the most important point to the discussion. "And rather fast. We don't know how fast the curse will progress, so we have to be quick with this, otherwise, who knows what will happen to Akira, and more, to Ami." Kisara nodded in agreement, thinking back to her own encounters with the Mark. "I suppose. And as pitiful as it is, since I had such lovely company, we can't do a show like that every time." he continues, with the red head agreeing in tandem. "And besides, we can't let only Akira go inside all the time. He might need help, or one of us may see something the other doesn't." she added to the argument. "... Can you two stop completing each other's sentences? It's weird." Kaoru glared in envy. "Nope." Seiji popped his tongue. "If you're jealous on our perfect synergy, it's a you-problem." he made the vixen lady look away in amusement. "Besides, you said it yourself, didn't you? The guard on shift tomorrow is a Momo Kuruse fan. The odds will be in our favour tomorrow. If he's such a big Kuruse fan, he's probably not used to talking to girls." he wore a wide, mischievous smirk. "Hazuki already volunteered to... Use her... 'Wiles' to lend a hand." he suggested. "Why not suggest Kisara?" she looked away with a scowl. "Isn't her woman charm supposed to be better than mine?" she continued, making Seiji nod. It was probably the only thing he'd ever be in agreement with Hazuki. "Well, of course it is. Miss Kisara's beauty can put a Seraph to shame. But, there are two main problems here. Firstly, you're a live-or-die obsessed Momo Kuruse fan too. You must know exactly what kind of things would make that type of guy happy. Obviously, if a man that age can be so into underage idols, he has some things for... What was that called... Loli? And besides, you even have the clothes for it." Seiji said his first point, but it seemed to be enough to make Kaoru nod and agree to do it.

"Very well. I'll do my best. It's for the Urashima Woman and Ami. You can count on me." she smiled reliably. Her mood swings were rather weird. "It wouldn't be such a hassle if we only had to access the shrine. We could do our business there during the day." Seiji states, a bit annoyed. "Unfortunately, ghost-activity is only ever active during night time. Particularly past midnight, with the highest peak at 3 in the morning." Kisara spoke as if she was reading statistics. Personal experience right there. Still, it made Seiji feel uneasy. "I-I haven't affirmed the existence of ghosts for myself just yet! And besides, it's entirely possible that it's just a pregnant woman on a stroll." the most human reaction was to reason the supernatural occurrence; Should Kisara not have been succumbing to the quicksand of supernatural, she would have been doing the same. Alas, she couldn't afford to stay oblivious any longer. "Forgive me for saying something that is going to unsettle you, Seiji - But the aura of the Urashima woman is pungent and nauseous the closer you get to the Shrine. I could feel her malevolence and anguish with each step I took closer to the gate." she placed her hand gently over his biceps, rubbing it comfortingly.

Though a small silence took over them once again, Akira made sure no one would tell his aunt, Mrs. Natsumi, any word. Not her, not the police, and not anyone else. Nobody else had to know about their ghost dealings, or any borderline illegal thing they might be dwelving into. "All right, I'm off. I have an assembly to attend to." Seiji put his hands in his pockets, ready to leave. "Ah, wait! You didn't say the other reason!" Kaoru exclaimed rather loudly, gasping as she remembered that little detail. "Isn't it obvious?" he laughed darkly, barely audible. "Why would I want for some disgusting old pervert to look at her with his filthy eyes? Who knows what things that mongrel would be thinking of with that degenerate brain of his?" he finished with a bright yet threatening grin on his face, as a dark aura surrounded him. "And you don't care that it will happen to me?" Seiji's answer was blunt and negative. "I will walk you home, Miss Kisara. It's very late. It's far too dangerous for a gorgeous lady such as yourself to walk these streets alone." he put his arm around the young woman, ready to leave. "H-Hey, what about me? I'm a lone woman too!" Kaoru gaped at Seiji's clear lack of compassion and blatant favoritism. "So? Call a taxi. It's not my problem. Besides, if you're stupid enough to go investigate abandoned buildings at night by yourself, disregarding actual danger, than I'm sure you can deal with walking home by yourself." he shrugged, taking Kisara away from them.

"Are you sure you're okay with walking me home? You said you have an assembly. I wouldn't want you to be late because of me." the girl's sweet words only made him dismiss her worries. "Not a problem at all. If I tell my dad that I made sure a lovely woman such as yourself got home safe, then he'd just give me extra pocket money and praise me. He holds deep respect for women and made sure I'm the same. I guess that's why mum loves him so much." he grins casually, making her smile up at him softly. "It's not very often that I hear that. I am happy to hear you have such a beautiful and happy family." she replied warmly.

The walk home was thankfully uneventful, and the two had a nice and casual talk, just like people their age do usually. With Seiji walking Kisara to her home, she made him promise to text her once he arrived also - And, of course, gave him her phone number.

˚₊‧꒰ა Kisara ໒꒱ ‧₊

"Huh. That's certainly cute." the boy smiled a little, seeing the newly added contact in his phone."Good night, Kisara. I'll see you tomorrow." with a nod of his head, Seiji turned to leave, only to get surprised with a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for walking me home, Seiji. Sweet dreams, and take care. I will be seeing you tomorrow." she said, before going inside her home, though not without seeing the little blush on his pale cheeks. How very cute.

In the meantime, she took a shower, ate a light meal and did some reading, waiting eagerly the familiar tune of the notification sound bringing her back to reality; A reminder that not only she should sleep, but that there are very nice people out there also, not just jerks. Even if that nice person is the criminal son of the Yakuza boss.

"I just got home, thanks for worrying. Good night. Seiji x "

Kisara immediately grinned, giggling a little at the text, eager to reply back at once. How cute. Now, to add his number in her own contact list.

⋆˙⟡ Seiji ⟡⋆˙

"Thank you again for walking me home. I'm glad you got home safe and sound. Sweet dreams, Seiji. Kisara x

With a smile on her face, Kisara was able to go sleep, knowing very well that the next evening was going to bring forth more unfortunate ghost adventures.

Next Chapter >

#the yakuza and the knight #spirit hunter ng #spirit hunter ng x reader #spirit hunter ng x oc #spirit hunter ng imagine #amanome seiji #amanome seiji x reader #amanome seiji x oc #amanome seiji imagine #amanome seiji x mashita kisara

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