#She's like he's a good soldier even if he weird - she's teasing - And then shes like .. 'actually weird just like my sister.... yeap

[hymnoire]

"♦" (meme attendance: present.)

"Divine. Magnificient. Never ever I have seen such beauty before my eyes. He is the quintessence of Creation. I am well aware of my hunger, my mind, body, soul and core, they feed from these thoughts that twist my head at night, these thoughts and crave what cannot leave the layers under my skin. That is what the sight of him does to me - he is haunting. I remember every single connection that had to be made inside his beautiful brain for Man to ascend, to transcend, to rise. I did not foresee this, me falling oh so deep in contemplation ever since the day he has Reborn. I need and crave my hands in the white matter of his cerebral cortex, I need to penetrate his aorta arch the way he has penetrated my mind."

"Impressive. I consider myself a soldier therefore, I have respect for another soldier I share the field with. To partner up is one of the best strategies the House ever came up with, his organization have the means we needed to take our missions to the next level. We make a good team, yes. I wouldn't have been this efficient in the past months without his enhanced abilities and I believe he wouldn't have completed some of our missions without my skills either : this is working. Another word could be Atypical - that's the nice word for out of this world-weird. But in a good way - let's not forget I grew up with another Atypical, now that I think about it...

[dilvuc]

𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗: male

𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊: hickeys

𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: jing yuan, caelus, luocha, sampo, gepard, dan heng, blade x m!reader

𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌: mention of hickeys

『note』 sorry for the late update, i was waiting for the game update and i'm still on writer's block

—

jing yuan

Jing Yuan could still feel the pain in his back after that night and his ass hurt like shit that he can't even sit down properly. Yanqing knows the general is old, but there's something wrong. His eyes landed on Jing Yuan's neck, seeing some bruises.

"General, did you get bitten by some mosquitoes?" Yanqing asked.

"Mosquitoes? What makes you say that?"

Yanqing pointed out to the male's neck, "Those bruises on your neck."

"Oh?" The general rubbed his neck before giving the boy a soft chuckle, "You'll understand when you're older."

"Eh?! I'm not a kid! I'm old enough!" The boy remarked. Jing Yuan just patted the boy on the head, "You're mature, but not too mature."

"H-hey…"

caelus

March felt awkward around the trailblazer and she was too afraid to point it out on why. She's not the only one who noticed it, the Express noticed, too. It's oblivious that Caelus isn't hiding it so well since they're exposed. They just left your home planet, giving you a good-bye after they seal the stellaron, Caelus was the last to enter the express with hickeys on his neck and collarbone.

"...What have you and Mr. [Y] been up to?" The pink haired photographer asked the male.

"Stuff…" Caelus blushed.

"Stuff, huh…?" March deadpanned. "You mean leaving some marks. You're still exposed."

Feeling embarrassed by this, the trailblazer hides his marks from the others. God, it was embarrassing.

luocha

"Goodness me…" Luocha mumbled while rubbing the spot where you left some marks. "I should be glad that my body isn't too exposed. My clothes covered my body completely."

"Oi. That's not fair. I want everyone to see it." You grumbled, wrapping your arms around the male's neck from behind. "To let them know that you're mine."

"I can understand that, but I have some business to attend to…" the blonde sighed. You sulked then sucked on the male's cheek, causing him to let out a shriek, "W-what are you doing? Are you trying to eat my face? L-luv!"

—

"Wow, did you get bitten by some?" Sushang pointed at the bite mark on Luocha's cheek.

"A dog bit my face…" Luocha answered with a blank expression on his face.

"O-ok…"

sampo

This is an unexpected surprise. Sampo is wearing a tank top underneath to hide his exposed body. It was weird and suspicious, why is he hiding them now? He blames you.

"That's new. Were you cold?" Seele asks the con-man.

"No. Felt exposed." Sampo answered.

"Huh? You didn't even care that you were exposed, why are you covering them up, now?" The butterfly pointed. She paused when she spotted you passing by and then she realized, "Don't tell me…"

Sampo turned flustered red with embarrassment. The great Sampo, embarrassed. You know how to tease and manipulate the poor male.

"My body hurts…" Sampo whined.

"Cannot believe I'm saying this, but…I feel bad for you."

"You should be!"

gepard

You're not too rough on him, but you did leave some marks on neck that the Silvermane Guards noticed that it was hard to avoid.

"Uh…Captain…"

"What is it?" Gepard turned to the soldier.

"Sorry if this is…out of nowhere, but are you feeling well?"

"What do you mean…?"

"Well…you have those marks on your neck. It becomes unavoidable to us."

Gepard was going to question the soldier first, but soon realized that you had marked him as yours last night. No wonder Serval was holding back laughter. The poor captain covered his neck.

"[Y]..."

dan heng

Dan Heng stroked the bite marks that were given by you. He was pissed off at how rough and aggressive you were with him. You're not sorry for what you did. A hickey is a hickey, so he's all yours.

"You have no need to go this far." Dan Heng sighed, hiding his hickeys.

"To prove that you're my property~ You're cute when you scream my name~"

And you were banned from his room.

blade

He doesn't mind the hickeys being exposed since he doesn't care, but you do. You've been trying to get him to hide it, but…

"Why? Don't you want others to know that I belong to you?" Blade asked.

"Yes, I do, but not that way." You sweatdropped at your beloved boyfriend, trying to cover the hickeys that you left on him, but he uncovered it. "Dear aeons, if Kafka or Silver Wolf asks where you get it, don't put me involved."

"They know. You can't hide it from them."

"...What am I going to do with you…?"

masterlist

rules

[lovers-tucked-into-a-quiet-cafe]

141 & Rabbit Headcanons [IKYLHT]

Series Masterlist | Prev: Personnel Files | Next: Chapter One

Please Note: This is my attempt at a spoiler-free introduction to the characters and their dynamics. This is meant to be read before the first chapter, and thus must be vague at points. THIS DOES CONTAIN SOME MW3 SPOILERS

-

141 + Rabbit Dynamics:

Soap:

Rabbit's ride or die right here, twin flame type of energy

First person she actually enjoyed the company of at the UK base while on assignment alongside the rest of the Demon Dogs

Subsequently the first to worm his way into her heart- sinks his hooks into her side and refuses to leave (not to worry, you'd have to pry her off of him, anyways)

Runs into her coming out of the mess hall, sees 'Highwater' stitched into her uniform and realizes this was the soldier Sparks had told him about

Oh yeah, that month long prank war with Shane 'Shitbag' Sparks (yes, she'd come up with that one herself) that the rest of the Demon Dogs decided to join in on? He made sure to tell Soap, because why not recruit the demolitions expert in his task of torturing his sister-in-arms?

Soap immediately decides on implementing her rename. 'Oh, you already have a callsign that half the base refers to you by? One that acknowledges your military expertise and the nine grueling years you've dedicated to the service? That's weird, cuz your name is Rabbit now and that's that' type mentality

She knew the reference immediately, hands twitching with the urge to unsheathe her spare knife because there was only one person that'd broadcast the story

Goddammit, Sparks, I will shiv you

"Excuse me? Where'd you hear that from, Sergeant?"

"A good friend never tells. I could always think of calling you somethin' worse?"

"Call me something worse and I'll have you written up for disrespecting a superior officer"

"Understood, Rabbit" said with a fucking grin

Despite being the one to rename her, literally never uses her callsign once he declares them best friends

Calls her Bunny or Bun, which surprisingly did help his efforts in gaining her [platonic] love and affection

Spent damn near every waking moment with her, which unsurprisingly did help his efforts in gaining her [romantic] love and affection

Sparring? Let me wrap your hands

Going out? Here, I'll zip your coat

Smoking? C'mon Bun, tell me what's bothering you, I can help

It was the little, everyday acts of love kindness from Soap that had her hooked on the feeling of being in his presence

So you can imagine how devastating it'd felt for the both of them when the special unit had been called back to the states

Even with promises to call and text and facetime, the feeling of his heart sinking to his stomach made him realize there were feelings he harbored towards Rabbit that went beyond the typical bond between soldiers

But orders are orders, and he'd been sure to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek before ushering her up the ramp and onto the heli waiting to rip her away from him

Not that either admitted it to the other at the time, but they'd both been teased to no end about their 'special friendship' by the rest of their units, cheeks warming yet refusing to deny the accusations

Like true friends, though, they did kept their promise

If it wasn't hours of texting it was calls, only skipping days when on mission but always sure to inform the other of their departure beforehand

It was hard most days. Seeing the other come back from days or even weeks of no-contact with new cuts and bruises

It was especially hard, though, after Verdansk

Soap had beaten himself up pretty hard after the whole ordeal with Makarov- the guilt of not being able to save those people in the airport, the shame of losing his cool in front of his superiors, the regret of not just avenging those people by shooting the man and facing the consequences later- he'd talked through his entire range of emotions with her despite the distance

Then, because the universe always yearned for cruelty, she got the assignment

Covert operation

Ciudad Victoria

Two days, wheels up at 0400

Now her home base had been Pendleton since basic, and if there's one thing the San Diego base requires, it's soldiers willing to cross the border and sweat their asses off for hours on end scouting some target for shit pay and no reward

She'd done it before, six months turned into twelve turned into eighteen until eventually she'd been volunteering to go, years under her belt and quickly moving up the ranks, Mexico now a second home in her mind. Anything to get away from that place

But Victoria? That was a city she'd only seen on mission reports, only heard of by way of interrogation

But orders are orders, and he'd been sure to tell her he'd miss her before ushering her to dump her phone in her locker and get onto the heli waiting to rip her away from him again

Soap didn't get a call for quite a while after that

His first contact, actually, hadn't even been Rabbit

It was Sparks

Locker pried open with permission from Griggs (not that he waited even a second to be granted it), he'd charged her phone and called the one person he thought deserved to know

"MacTavish? It's Sparks. Highwater, she's... she's MIA. Entire task force was found slaughtered. An ambush, I think. We don't- we're not entirely sure yet. Griggs can't get a straight answer. The whole things fucked, we can't- the area's got it's own governing body. They haven't... they've searched but they haven't found a body. We're not calling it until they do. I'm sorry, kid."

Two months

Two months Soap cried until his lungs spasmed

Two months Soap cried until his head ached and eyes burned

Two months Soap cried to his mother about the woman he loved

Two months until he got the call that damn near restarted his heart

"Soap? Soap, we found her. We have her, she's being taken to medical. We found her, kid."

Johnny's not sure he remembers a time he'd cried harder. He'd like to say it was when Sparks had first called him, but even then, he held onto some hope she'd made it out 'like you always do'

That'd been their promise to each other, and he vividly recalls telling Price that as he sobbed over the man's shoulder in relief

She'd been put on medical leave, forced to wave goodbye to her family as they flew off to Urzikstan without her

It was at that point- hearing her cry over the phone about how useless she'd felt being left behind, how she'd failed the only family that had ever truly cared about her- that he realized a trip to the states was in dire need

Entered the U.S. friends, exited the U.S. partners

Johnny's a man that focuses on the positives

He doesn't talk about those two months. Not to his therapist, not to his ma, not to Price

He focuses on the fact that his torment is over, he focuses on the woman laying her head on his shoulder and tapping her boot against his on the shaky helicarrier

Because that's all that matters to him. The little moments between missions where they can focus on something other than saving the world for a moment

It's a type of love, a type of dynamic the man had never experienced before

'Intimate' is the best word to describe it

Will 'accidentally' detonate an old grenade taken into the training grounds to 'see if it still worked', just to see the other's eyes light up in a sort of pyromaniac excitement

Will also take up an entire couch quietly lounging, arms wrapped around each other under a shared blanket because 'it's a low energy type of day'

It's all or nothing- completely feral, unhinged 'I'll request the jailcell across from you' behavior or soft, domestic bliss

No words need be exchanged for that energy to shift- just a subtle glance and soft smile, a type of telepathy easily mastered after four years of being together

And Johnny wouldn't have it any other way

Ghost:

Initially doesn't even want to address her by Rabbit

He couldn't take the callsign seriously, especially after realizing this was the woman Soap had been babbling about in Verdansk

He knew more about her personal life than he did her military career, and he'd read her file back to front twice. Well, what hadn't been redacted, anyways

Decides he'll stick to Gun, as requested, but only when necessary. Better than Rabbit, at least

But after Soap's little confession while her comms are down in Las Almas? Now Gun just won't do. Decides to stick with Darling until he's figured out a better one. Knows she won't mind, anyways

Calls her Lovie a small handful of times, blink and you'll miss it, and it's only in a NSFW context ;) soft!dom Ghost supremacy

Settles on Tapeti once the dust settles and he knows he's wormed his way into her heart the same way Soap had

They're close in a way he can't say about anyone else

Does he love his team? Of course

Would he lay his life down for any one of them the second the opportunity presented itself? Also yes

But there's something about shared trauma that bonds the soul

Neither talk about it much

It's honestly easier to use Soap as the go-between on a lot of things

She's already told him, already bared her soul for him to see in that deserted apartment, and Simon's grateful Johnny omits certain heart wrenching details when he runs his hands over her scarred back, runs his hands over the raised tattoos that cover the remnants of Victoria

He doesn't yearn to know the specifics, most days he's not sure he wants to know at all

He'd made peace with his demons a long time ago, had to in order to survive, but he knew it wouldn't be so easy forgiving what'd been done to her

It wasn't hard to infer, anyway

They have a calendar, a pocket sized one with a little magnet attached that hangs on their fridge

It was Ghost's idea, after one of those days when the shakes were debilitating and she couldn't keep her food down

He'd set the container of soup from the deli across their flat on the counter, pulling Soap away from her curled up side and showing him the dollar store purchase

He didn't explain, just scribbled out a few dates and passed the calendar over

So Johnny took the pen and started scratching out days

He didn't explain all of them, only murmured the easy ones like 'her mother's birthday' or 'her comrades death date' or 'Victoria'

There's a deeper understanding there, between the three of them, and if there's one thing Simon can attest to while stomping out the butt of his cigarette onto Grave's false tombstone, it's his appreciation for the man's betrayal in Las Almas that lead him into the couple's outstretched arms

Gaz:

Best boy, here

The baby of the group, a few years younger than Rabbit who shares a birthyear with Soap

Uses that to his advantage

Calls her Officer Hopps on more than one occasion, not afraid to more commonly shorten it down to just 'Hopps'

Always in a playful loving manner, not that it matters when Rabbit's glare quickly follows

Also thinks it's funny to call her 'Gunnery Hopps' when in the presence of other soldiers, tries to play it off as a genuine tongue slip despite his wide grin proving otherwise

Again, uses his baby privilege to his advantage, whipping out the puppy eyes and small kisses that has Rabbit's glare melting into a soft smile

Typically sticks with Love- partially because he's a true Birmingham boy and the term of endearment comes naturally to him- mainly because it keeps her wound around his finger

Starts a fight by betting Price 20 quid he could cut a chunk out of Soap's mohawk? He's running to hide behind her, basking in her warmth and sticking a tongue out at Johnny over her shoulder

Smug as all hell, knows he's been deemed the favorite and is sure to remind the other men of it constantly

He'll tell them it's 'just because she loves me more, mate' but they all know the real reason

It's his calm, level-headed personality and natural ability to lead that endears him to her so easily

She never questions his judgement because what he lacks in years he makes up for in everything else by tenfold

And he looks up to Rabbit immensely- he may not initially know the finer details of her military experience, just general war stories Sparks and the rest of the Demon Dogs had told him in Urzikstan when she'd been out on medical leave, but he does know what being a 0251 MOS entails, knows he'll never come across a better Gunnery Sergeant even if he retires at 80

Aims to become a GySgt after seeing her serve as their unit's operations chief, working with superior officers on training, operations, and tactical advising

Asks a million questions and- though he'd never admit it- keeps a log of their answers in his notes app. He's just organized like that

She noticed anyways, what with his trusting nature and big heart (he gladly passed over his phone passcode within the first week of them being official), and it was actually that notes app list of all the little throw away tidbits about her role on the team that led her to write his letter of recommendation

That’s just the dynamic they have, they bring out the best in each other in every way, even when they don’t think it’s possible given the circumstances

He's only two years younger, and yet he feels so lacking in experience when they're thrown into red-stained chairs with threadbare bags over their heads

"You been tortured before, Gaz?"

"No."

"That's good. Let's keep it that way. Stay quiet and keep your eyes forward."

He remembers blanching at her nonchalant tone, the way she talked as if she'd done this a hundred times before.

She has, he realizes, and he feels a sort of naive embarrassment wash over him when he really thinks about it

Interrogation and Debrief Specialist, he thought, you don't earn that title by just sitting and reading about it

He didn't have much time to sit and process that thought before the men were reentering the dark room

He's unable to fathom how she'd kept her breathing so calm, refrained from letting out a single yell or grunt or sniffle until the men had slammed the metal door on their exit

It was hard for him, returning to base after what had transpired

It didn't sit right with him- the fact that he'd allowed himself to sit there and let the woman he'd been falling in love with be beaten within an inch of her life

But she'd comforted him, face swollen and leg wrapped, knocking her boot into his with a smile

He'd knocked his boot back into hers, and decided from there on out she'd know exactly how much she meant to him

Price:

The only member of the 141 to actually refer to her by her callsign. Captain's professionalism and all that.

Throws it out the window the second he deems necessary- which is quite often- resorts to Sweetheart

He knows more about her than anyone else, Johnny the only exception, and that isn't something he takes lightly

He'd read the reports. The redacted ones. He knew what happened after Victoria, he'd been the one to okay her transfer, to accept doing a favor for the Demon Dogs after their good work in Urzikstan and promising he'd 'keep an eye on her'

He understands the vulnerability in that fact, and is sure to do everything in his power to prove to her he's someone she can trust, even after she's told him time and time again he's done more than enough to prove his loyalty

Fortunately, years of hearing about each other via Soap and the Demon Dogs proved useful once they'd finally met at the top of that wall guarding Alejandro's base, easily falling into a sort of mutual understanding of each other

It helped that he was a natural patriarch, the glue holding the team together, ensuring they worked as a well oiled machine both on and off base

Soap vouched for Price and that was all the convincing Rabbit needed. So when Price vouched for Ghost and Gaz? It felt instinctual to trust the men wholeheartedly

Scary as it was initially, Price just knew. Simple as that, he knew what the team needed and exactly how to go about it, and she trusted that

He was arguably the most experienced in navigating trauma, and that definitely lent a hand to the comfortability of the team

He’s perfected the art of understanding each of the members of the task force and it’s something Rabbit didn’t realize she yearned for until she had it

He’s become the physical embodiment of her safe space in a way she never thought was possible. She breathes easier when he’s in eyesight, the tension drops from her shoulders when he’s near

Despite being one who only rarely accepted physical affection from anyone other than Soap, Rabbit named Price 'Seat of the Year', and that's meant quite literally

Cuddles are mandatory team bonding. He doesn't make the rules (yes he does)

Arguably the most giving partner on the face of the planet

Is happy to lean back in his chair and cut off the blood supply to his legs if it means Rabbit is soothed by the way his hands run over her arms and scratch at her scalp, perched on his lap and quickly drifting off to sleep as he presses light kisses onto the junction between her neck and shoulder

His brain is constantly alerting his body of his need to protect and provide. It'd still happen even if he'd never approved her transfer, that's just the kind of man he is, but he wouldn't have been nearly as emboldened without her there

Gaz yawns in the midst of completing a mission report? He's already tossing the man over his shoulder and forcing him to rest for once

Soap lets out the quietest sigh of pain when that one muscle in his shoulder starts twinging again? He's already pushing the man to sit and rounding the couch to dig his strong hands into the stubborn muscle

Ghost's stomach lets out singular growl? Guess that stack of paperwork can be finished tomorrow, it's now his personal mission to ensure the man has eaten a nutritious meal that checks off every micro and macro nutrient possibly needed to ensure health and prosperity in that beefy body

Perfectly content to love and love and love for absolutely nothing in return besides seeing his team happy and healthy

Unbeknownst to him, he very quickly charms his way into her heart with his thick thighs caring nature, dilf energy warm smiles, and ofc the boonie hat

-

General Character Headcanons:

Rabbit:

-As mentioned in the Personnel Files, Rabbit is a Gunnery Sergeant and a 0251 MOS [Interrogator/Debrief Specialist]

-Gunnery Sergeant is her rank- serving as her unit's operations chief, working with superior officers on training, operations, and tactical advising

-0251 is her job code [MOS]. 0251 specifically means being an Interrogator/Debriefer in the US Marine Corps. This job involves collecting information/intelligence from human sources by means of interrogation, debriefing, and screening. Typical duties are the screening and interrogation of enemy POWs, line crossers, refugees, and other displaced persons, exploiting foreign language documents, and participating in noncombatant evacuation operations

-A common requirement for this job is being at the very least bilingual, and it's canon here that Rabbit speaks Spanish alongside English. With that said, many apologies to those reading this that speak Spanish because I'm using translation websites (yes I disappoint my Mexican grandparents every day)

-Rabbit is a Demon Dog, but was not in Urzikstan due to medical leave. She has direct permission from the US Marine Corps, SAS, and Price to be stationed in the UK base 'on loan' as a Demon Dog since they are part of the Coalition, led by the CIA's best Station Chief Kate Laswell :D

-Again, as shown in the Personnel Files, Rabbit does not have many character descriptors listed. I'm trying my best to make her as inclusive as I possibly can while still flushing out her character. I don't like the self-insert '[h/c] [e/c]' format, so I just avoid it all together

-Rabbit is an only child

-Also it's not really about Rabbit per say but in my story Griggs is a Captain. He leads the Demon Dogs and therefore holds a higher rank that Rabbit. It makes sense to me in this story that he'd be of similar age and rank as Price

Soap:

-I’ve seen a few people say based on his accent Soap is likely from Glasgow but unfortunately I’ve only been to Edinburgh so we’re using our creative liberty here and saying that's where he's from plz and thank u <3

-Johnny is the baby of the family with 3 older sisters. His poor mother was pregnant for damn near four years straight

-He's close with his entire family, but especially his mother and youngest sister

-Also I'm not killing him in this story. I wrote a good portion of it pre-MW3 and that campaign sucked so I'm ignoring it :)

Ghost:

-Simon is from Manchester. Yeah yeah yeah ik there’s a whole thing ab his accent and yada ya but my first London pub-watch rugby game was Leeds vs Wigan, so we’re sticking with canon here

-Wigan is in Greater Manchester so I like the headcanon that Ghost’s father was a ManUnited football fan so teen!Simon said ‘oh fuck that’ and instead chose to take the 45 minute train to go watch rugby in another city

-I'm basing a lot of his character off of both the comics and game, however there is one thing to note. In the comics, 'Sparks' is one of the soldiers that assists in getting Simon's family killed. This is not the same Sparks I refer to in this story. Shane Sparks is a Demon Dog, and I'm writing in his character for specific plot devices. He'll likely be completely OC since I just grabbed his basic profile off the character wiki.

Gaz:

-Haven’t heard any confirmation on where Gaz is from but my love Elliot Knight is from Birmingham so ding ding ding, we have a winner

-Only child, the absolute pride and joy of his parent's life. He's a total mama's boy and it was largely her good morals and outlook on life that steered him in the direction of wanting to better the world

Price:

-Liverpool. Again, I’m not sure if there’s confirmation as to where Price is from but my love ( yes I can have two >:| ) Barry Sloane is from Livahpewl soooooo

-Semi-sad headcanon for Price here. Idk why but I feel a strong pull to the idea that his parents have passed, despite him only being 36 in my story, putting them somewhere in their 60's

-On a happier note, I also like the idea that John is an older brother, so we're going with that

-

<3

[chyckles]

Mastermind

━ A Bucky Banes one-shot

━ Pairings: bucky barnes x fem!reader

━ Summary: Where you plan a masterplan to confess your feelings for Bucky.

━ Words: 2.6k

━ Warnings: None, just my bad grammar

━ A/N: Nat is alive in this one, just wanted a little AU were everyone is happy and alive.

masterlist

Bucky isn't in his best mood. Actually, he's been in a bad mood lately, at least when he's with you. So you know that you should wait until he seems better to put the plan into action. But you just can't wait anymore, you've been having a pretty bad week yourself, and you need to get it out of your chest just yet, or it may end up killing you.

So, arming yourself with courage, you approach him that night. He seems to be doing nothing, just scrolling boringly through his phone. He looks cute, using both of his hands to hold the phone, just like old people. 

"Hey, Buck" you say when you enter his range of vision.

He looks up from his phone, he doesn't look startled, probably heard you entering the room with his super-soldier ear.

"Hey" he says, and goes back to his phone. For a man who wasn't born in this century, he seems to enjoy new technologies.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure" he says, even though he looks pissed. You don't understand why he's acting so strange around you lately, maybe you really shouldn't be doing this.

You sigh.

"So... I was planning on watching a movie with Nat, but she just went on a mission. Do you... want to watch it with me?" you ask quickly, like if you say it fast enough the words would change or something.

"I'm busy" he simply says, frowning. He doesn't look busy at all.

You look around as if looking for something or someone that's keeping him busy. You, of course, don't find anything, so you nod sadly and turn around "Okay, I'll ask someone else" 

Great, the plan hasn't even begun and you have already failed. You feel stupid. Why would a man like Bucky Barnes be interested in you? You're just a normal woman, there are plenty of better options out there, even inside the team. 

As you approach the door, you feel the pain of rejection wash over you. Bucky and you were always close friends, but lately, he's been acting all cold and weird with you. Maybe he found out you like him and is trying to push you away? That's the only thing that makes sense, and it hurts you. It hurts you because not only are you losing the man you have feelings for, but you're also losing a great friend.

"Wait" you hear Bucky's voice when you reach the door.

"Mhm?" you ask, turning around, he's now standing.

"You know what? A movie sounds great" he says with a nod.

You can't help but smile "Really? Cool. I was thinking of a horror movie, but if it's not your thing we can watch something else. You know, if you get scared easily?" you tease.

You're beginning to regret teasing him, now that your relationship is not at its best, but then he smiles:

"Yeah, I think I can handle myself, horror sounds good"

You nod, now excited "Great, I'll make some popcorn a prepare some drinks, we'll have fun"

"Sounds good"

You nod with a smile "You can choose the movie while I prepare everything. Choose a good one"

With that being said, you start to walk to the kitchen.

Now your plan can begin. To be completely honest, you didn’t have anything prepared with Nat, you just needed an excuse so you didn’t sound so desperate about it. You have everything planned: first, you will confirm if Bucky likes you, with subtle touches and light words. Then, you will finally confess your feelings. You just hope you don’t embarrass yourself.

Since he’s been so rude to you lately, you’re not so sure about the plan, but what can you do? Just stay there, watching him from a distance, but never making a move? You’re not like that, you have to do something, or you may combust. At least you have to find out if he likes you back, or if his sudden behavior with you is because he doesn't like you anymore, even as a friend. At least he has accepted to watch the movie, that has to mean something. Right?

With that in mind, you grab the popcorn and the drinks and make your way to the living room. Bucky is already there, scrolling through a streaming service with a frown on his face.

“Hey” you leave everything on the table and smile at him. He doesn’t smile back, just nods while you sit down next to him. Why is he being so reserved? You really don’t understand.

You can’t help but notice that he’s sitting in a way that his metal arm is not facing you, how convenient.

“So… have you chosen a movie yet?” you say as you eat popcorn.

“No, still trying to think what to pick” he says, turning his face back to the TV. 

"Anything's fine, really. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece (horror movies normally aren't)"

“Alright” and his eyes linger on yours, maybe longer than he intended. You can’t help but notice and smile.

Then he chooses a random movie and press play. He makes himself comfortable and you catch him looking at you. Is he looking at you with happiness, discomfort or something more? You can’t tell, his face is indecipherable.

You turn away from him, you don’t want to make it so obvious that you like him, not before putting your plan into action. So you stare at the movie, but you can still feel his eyes looking at you from time to time.

The movie plays and you’re too nervous to make a move. You sigh, now unsure about everything.

Then, the perfect moment for your plan occurs. There’s a jump scare in the movie. You’re not scared at all, but you jump a little and hold his hand, wanting to see his reaction.

His face doesn't change, but you can feel his body stiffening. Maybe he doesn’t like you after all? Maybe this was a bad idea? Maybe you’re making a fool of yourself?

But then he squeezes your hand and looks at you with a reassuring smile. All the doubts leave your mind when you see that smile that you love so much, when you feel his hand around yours, comforting you.

First part of your plan: done. He didn’t back off, he didn’t look at you like you’re crazy or called you out.

It still didn’t mean anything, right?

You continue watching the movie, and you proceed with the second part of the plan. This is a little more risky, but you assure yourself that it’s worth it. You fake yawn a few times.

Finally, you, slowly, rest your head on his shoulder. 

He doesn't move, maybe even being a little more frozen than he normally would be. You smile, this is a good sign, right? You wish you could see his face, or read his mind.

You continue watching the movie like this, resting your head on his shoulder and still holding his hand. There’s nowhere in the world where you wish to be more than here. 

You still have more things in your plan, but the movie ends before you can make them happen. You finally separate from him, your body hot where he was touching you.

“Hmm, not the best movie I’ve watched, but entertaining enough, right?” you ask with a smile.

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad” he nods. 

He looks at his hands, you can feel he’s nervous. Is that a good sign or a bad one? You can’t tell.

“I should get going” he suddenly says.

You feel disappointed.

You still haven’t decided if you’re gonna confess or not. He didn’t react bad to any of your moves, but you still feel unsure. What if he sees you just like a friend? What if you ruin your friendship? Then again, your friendship hasn't been in its best stage lately, you wouldn't be ruining anything.

You decide to do it. You just can’t stand this feeling. Looking at him, being close to him, but not being able to kiss him, to touch him… it’s just so painful.

“Got somewhere better to be?” you finally ask.

“Not really” he says “But… I should go. Thanks for the movie, tho”

He stands up and starts walking away.

“Wait” you say. You can’t just let him go like that, you may not have another chance like this, where you two are alone “Wait, I… need to tell you something, can you sit down for a minute?”

“Alright” he says with a confused frown, but he does as you say and sits down again.

You swallow nervously, unsure where to start. You decide to start with the beginning:

"I... I kind of lied to you. I wasn't planning on watching a movie with Nat, I haven't even seen her since yesterday. I... planned all of this to spend time with you" you confess "Alone time with you" you specify.

“You did?” he asks. He seems confused.

“Mhm, and you know why?” This is it, you’re gonna say it.

“Why?” he asks softly.

“Because I like you” you finally confess. 

The room falls completely silent. Bucky is apparently frozen. You are too.

You try to look into his eyes, looking for a sign. But he’s not looking at you.

“Well? You don’t have anything to say?” you chuckle nervously.

"I..." he stutters before he manages to get his voice back. “I like you too."

You sigh and laugh with relief "Really? I mean, I..."

“Yeah, I really do” This time he looks at you, and you can finally see his eyes. They’re shining, you have never seen them like that, you have never seen them as beautiful “I like you a lot”

You smile and lean in towards him. You look at his lips and then at his eyes, like begging him to kiss you.

You are so close… so close you can feel his breath. So close he can probably hear your fast heartbeat. “Kiss me” you whisper.

You don’t have to ask twice, he closes the space between you and kisses you. His mouth presses against yours, soft and gentle at first, then more firmly, with a hunger that has been growing for too long. His hand travels to your waist, holding you; and yours goes to his hair, holding him even closer to you. 

It feels like you two are melting into each other, his body pressed against you, every inch being touched. It feels almost surreal, almost magical.

Your tongues meet and you both let out a murmur of joy. Everything is perfect, this is how things should be.

You grab all the courage you have left and make your way towards his lap, putting each leg on either side of him. He lets it happen. Your legs are now wrapped around him, making it impossible to be closer.

He now holds you with both his arms, probably without thinking about it. Both the warm and the cold sides of him make you feel whole.

You finally separate from him to catch your breath, he seems to be just fine, tho.

He then smiles shyly, like you just did not kiss fiercely a second ago.

“I’m glad you told me”

“Yeah, I’m glad too” you say with a smile.

He shifts, making himself more comfortable, before he looks into your eyes with a smile "I… how long has it been that you feel this way about me?"

You raise your eyebrow, confused by the sudden question, but decide to answer:

“I think I liked you since the moment I met you, since the moment I saw that pretty face framed by that long hair" you laugh, and he blushes a little, making you blush too "But I thought I just liked you as a friend, I didn't realize what my feelings were until a few weeks ago, you know, after that mission... when you were injured, and I thought..."

“You thought what?”

“That I was gonna lose you” you confess and that makes him smile sweetly. Your right hand travels to his cheek and start caressing it "Yeah, and in that moment it hit me: I didn't want you as a friend anymore, I wanted to hold you, to take care of your injury, to kiss you until you feel better”

After a moment of comfortable silence you ask: 

“What about you? When did you start to have feelings for me?"

He seems to think about it for a moment, maybe contemplating if he should tell you.

"Do you remember when I told you I was having nightmares about the time I was tortured by HYDRA?"

“Yeah, that night neither of us could sleep?”

"Mhm, well... in that moment, when you comforted me... when you were there for me... I knew then. That was when I realized how much I liked and cared for you, more than any friend or teammate ever before."

You smile softly "That was a while ago, you should've told me sooner"

“I thought you would never feel the same way about me, though you were just being kind, like any friend would”

“That’s funny, I’ve been avoiding telling you because of the same reason” you chuckle slightly.

“I guess we’re both stupid”

“Yeah… But, anyways, I have a question… why were you being so… why were you avoiding me lately?” you didn’t wanna say the word ‘mean’.

“Oh, you notice?” he says, and you can feel embarrassment in his voice “I just… it hurted me being around you, but not being able to… you know… kiss you or…” he rambles.

You smile and kiss him again, this time the kiss is soft and short.

When you separate, you can’t help but laugh out loud with the thoughts that cross your mind.

“God, Nat is not gonna believe I told you”

“What? You've been telling Nat about me?" he raises an eyebrow.

“Of course, she’s my friend” you smile.

"Right, right. What else did you tell her?” he asks. Is he teasing you?

"Oh, nothing, really. Just rambling about how beautiful I think you are... you know, that kind of things girls talk about" you say caressing his cheek. That makes him blush again "I think she would be relieved that I finally confessed, because now I can tell you instead of her, she was getting irritated" you chuckle.

He chuckles too, probably imagining Nat pissed about you rambling about him. The thought of it is just too ridiculous.

"Did you always plan to confess to me at some point then?" he asks.

“Of course, I always have to make the first move” you joke.

"So, you really planned all of this? Not just the movie, but the whole confession as well?" he smirks.

"Yeah, the movie was just to make sure you liked me too. You know, holding your hand and all that... I'm a mastermind"

“And I guess that means you'll be making the first move the rest of the time as well?"

"Of course" you smile evilly.

"Of course," he mimics back. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to you taking charge then."

He smiles back at you in the same way you did and leans forward so that his face is close to you again.

"What are you planning next?" he hints with a smirk.

"Well, I was planning on asking you to be my boyfriend?" you ask with a sly smile.

"Be your boyfriend?" he repeats with a teasing smirk. "Did you plan that as well? Is this the next step in the mastermind's plan?"

"Mhm, is it working? Would you say yes?"

"Yes," he suddenly answers, not wasting any time. "I'll be your boyfriend."

"Great" you say and then give him a quick kiss.

"And now that I'm your boyfriend, what are our next steps?"

"I have to keep that a secret, don't want to spoil my masterplan" you wink.

"I should've known," he says, laughing softly. "Always a step ahead, isn't it?"

"Always" you chuckle.

[your-averagewriter]

"Don't close your eyes."

Summary: During the fight, (y/n) decides to go back to save Spider but ends up with a deadly injury, she just needs to not close her eyes. (Neteyam x fem!reader).

Word count: 1.6K

Warnings: creatures, death (kinda) kissing, violence, weapons, blood

-

Neteyam guides his ilu as I hold onto his shoulders making sure I don’t fall off. My ilu was injured earlier on in the battle so I can’t ride her. His ilu jumps out of the water and we both leap off of it into the deck of the boat right in front of Lo’ak, Tuk and Tsireya.

“Hey, baby brother.” He says, somehow with a smile. 

I move over to cut Lo’ak’s ties as ‘Teyam cuts the others’. Lo’ak watches as I walk over to him trying to hide my very obvious limp.

“What’s wrong?” He whispers trying to be discreet.

“Nothing,” I say cutting his ties and moving on but he gently grabs my arm. “I’m fine,” I say, dismissing him as we all move on.

Tsireya and Tuk make a run for it at Neteyam’s command. I cut through his ties.

“Who’s the mighty warrior?” Neteyam teases him. “C’mon say it.” And even in the dire situation, his handsome face makes me smile. 

Lo’ak runs back and grabs a discarded gun before both of us follow Neteyam. I stop running, but it’s not the pain that stops me.

“Spider, we’ve got to get Spider!” I say desperately. “They’ve got Spider!” I say and look at their doubtful faces. “I’m going,” I say quickly. “Go find Tuk and Tsireya.” I say scrambling up the deck.

“No, no, no!” Neteyam says quickly grabbing my arm again. “I’m coming too.” He says and Lo’ak nods before he all run into the ship.

We sneak through the ship, clinging to the airbags on the roof. I wave the two boys along and look at Lo’ak as I see him dangling the gun. The soldiers run past trying to evacuate the sinking ship.

Slinking through the shadows we hide behind the supplies avoiding being seen. I pull out a concealed knife and look at the boys' shocked reaction. Seeing Spider below surrounded by soldiers I waste little time. Jumping down from the roof boxes I slit one of their necks and kick another one (with my good leg) pushing him over the ledge into the sea. Neteyam jumps down then Lo’ak and both of them knock out some of them. I pull the oxygen mask off of one of the humans sufficiently killing them as Spider takes out some more. A soldier sits up and aims his gun at Lo’ak who quickly shoots him, successfully to all our surprise. 

“Spider! You’re alive!” I say grabbing him as we all run out of the ship. I turn to look at my childhood best friend with a smile.

“Yeah, thanks to you guys.” He says and looks a bit weird because he’s wearing some weird jacket. I poke it and he just looks at me weirdly.

“What is this?” I ask chuckling.

“To help me swim, I don’t have a tail like you guys.” He says.

“We gotta go,” Neteyam says interrupting the little reunion. “It’s good to see you though,” He says patting him on the shoulder before running past him.

We see the colonel on a higher level from us, he lifts his gun but Lo’ak does the same trying to shoot him faster. I put my hand on his gun pushing it down as we all duck and run. We manage to get around a corner but multiple soldiers are shooting at us.

I grab the gun off of Lo’ak and badly aim it at the soldiers probably not even hitting them but it gives everyone a moment to get away.

“Go, go, go!” I yell at the others, Lo’ak and Spider run to the pool and dive into the water. I shoot some more. “Neteyam! Run!” I yell at him looking at him like he’s crazy.

“I’ll go when you go!” He yells over the gunfire and I groan at his persistence. 

I shoot a few more times until I run out of ammo.

“We’ve got to go now!” Neteyam yells grabbing my arm and pulling him with me. 

My wounded leg slows me down slightly but as I jump off the edge I feel a sharp pain in the back of my right shoulder. I hiss and trip, falling into the water ungracefully. My face contorts in pain as my hand reaches to my shoulder coming back adorned in blood. I swim desperately to the surface gasping as I start to feel faint.

My head feels so much heavier even though we’re underwater and my eyes roll back as I feel my legs slow. I hear celebrations coming from Spider and Lo’ak on the surface and I can’t help but smile at their joy-filled voices.

I finally make it to the surface and I start wincing at the pain.

“(y/n) are you okay?” Spider asks, worried.

“I’ve been shot.” I say in a tired voice and my hand reaches to the hole in my chest.

“Come on help her!” Neteyam yells as Tsireya rides her ilu up to us.

I’m dragged through the water by them all, I grip the ilu as they try and push me onto it. Spider sits at the back of the ilu and pulls me in front of him with the help of the others.

“Hold her up!.” Neteyam yells as he moves to sit in front of me to steer the ilu. The other two hold onto the sides of the ilu as I feel the ilu start to move. I feel my consciousness start to slip away as ‘Teyam pulls my arm over his shoulder holding me up. The ilu swims fast, faster than I’ve ever been before and I can barely see in front of me anymore. My view becomes blurry and the only thing I can hear is Neteyam yelling for help.

“Dad, help please!” Neteyam yells out, his voice wavering. 

“Neteyam, I’m tired.” I say quietly into his ear as I feel my eyes shutting.

“(y/n) don’t close your eyes!” He yells. “Spider, keep her awake!” He yells and I feel Spider start to splash water at me and gently slap my face. I have to admit that it does wake me up a bit. 

“Dad, it’s (y/n), she’s hurt!” He yells, I’m not Jake’s son but I’ve been friends with his children since birth and I’ve been dating Neteyam for years now so he knows how important I am to Neteyam.

I feel them lower me down into the ocean and drag me onto a rock. I splutter, spitting some of the water out as I find the strength to open my eyes to see Neteyam looking back at me.

Laying down on the rock I look at everyone hovering other me but only one of them has my attention. 

“Put pressure on it!” Jake yells, Neteyam follows his instructions.

“(y/n) please keep your eyes open.” He says removing his hands from my wound, Lo’ak replacing them. “Please (y/n).” He begs, moving his hand to hold mine. He raises it to his lips and places a gentle kiss. “Stay awake.” He says.

I see Neytiri swoop down out of the sky and run towards my limp body. She kneels down next to Jake and assesses my wounds.

“It’s a shoulder wound.” She says. “It’s not fatal if we treat her now.” She says and I can only hear the commotion around me as they scramble to medicate.

“Neteyam.” I breathe out. 

He lowers his head closer to my face so he can hear me properly.

“Yes, my love.” He says trying to feign calmness as I look into his beautiful yellow eyes.

“You’re so pretty,” I say feeling a small smile take over my lips.

“(y/n) please save your energy, focus on staying awake.” He says looking around desperately as his family rush to help me.

“Neteyam, I’m tired,” I say, tears trickling down my face as I feel someone rub something on my wound.

“Just stay awake, my love. Stay awake for me.” He says and I feel him squeeze my hand.

I finally lose the battle and feel my eyelids close fully.

“(y/n)!” I hear Neteyam yell. “(y/n)!” His voice becomes quieter as I pass out. The last thing I saw was Neteyam’s beautiful face, the only thing that could’ve been better about it was if he was smiling.

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

My eyes open wide as I gasp, I look around, shaken up and confused about what had happened. I slow my breathing down as I look around at the small room, light shining through some of the gaps in the door. Looking down I see Neteyam sitting next to me holding onto my hand. He’s asleep and I wish I could say he looks peaceful but disturbed making me frown.

“‘Teyam.” I say softly with no response. “‘Teyam.” I say a little louder and he jumps awake, his eyes immediately on me. “‘Teyam.” I say with a small smile as he sits up properly and scoots forward towards me.

“Thank Eywa." He says briefly looking to the sky before looking back at me. "How do you feel? Are you okay? I'll get my mother, she can get you something." He says standing.

"Neteyam… I'm fine, or as fine as I could be."

"Are you sure? Do you need anything?" He asks, worried.

"All I need right now is you, 'Teyam," I say with a small smile patting the space on the bed next to me.

He pulls himself up and sits next to me on the bed, wrapping one of his arms around me. He places a soft kiss on the top of my head before resting his head on mine.

"I love you," I say quietly.

"I love you too." He says and if I had to pick a favourite moment in my life it would be this one right here. Despite the recent events, this moment is so peaceful and our love for each other fills the room. It's a perfect feeling with a perfect person.

-

AN: I hope you enjoyed reading!

Comment if you want to be added to my Avatar taglist also if you enjoyed this I have some other Avatar fanfics on my page (link to them on my master list which is my pinned post) so go check them out!

Taglist:

@neptunes-curse

@7kavva

@coconut-dreamz

@melatonindaydreamz

[missvelvetsstuff]

Just a Number

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Reader meets Bucky at a party and the attraction is more than either one of them wants to resist.

Reader is 47 and has adult kids who aren't sure about her new beau.

Chapter 8

Notes: it feels like it's been forever but I'm still alive. The holidays were rough, we were all sick and broke but my family is together and that's what's important. The husband and oldest are both working full time now and it's gonna take some time but life is heading back towards our normal level of broke.

My muse is very slowly waking up and I'm hoping to find the inspiration to get back to work on my other wip's and even have an idea or two for new stories.

I just realized that I've gone over 1000 followers and can only offer my shock and gratitude to y'all.

Hope this is worth the wait.

Warnings: swearing, angst

Y/N was too busy for the next few days to do more than work and sleep. Contract disputes arose in Malaysia which meant 3 nights away from home. It wasn't so bad, Pepper always had the best of everything and wasn't stingy.

She struggled to sleep with the time changes and late night meetings, only wishing she could go home to her own bed and sleep for at least a day straight.

That might not help her dreams. They started sweet before turning sexy and she never had the chance to get any release when they went bad. In one dream she let Bucky tie her up and he quickly went from teasing to torturing. If she was lucky she woke up screaming but sometimes she couldn't wake herself up and was trapped by the Winter Soldier, who then morphed into John, until something woke her up.

The first night home from Malaysia she woke up crying and went down to the kitchen for some tea, only to find Dawn waiting with her mug and the tea kettle whistling.

Dawn spoke softly.

"Come have a cuppa and talk to me Sissy. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages"

Y/N scoffed softly "Don't be so melodramatic I've only been gone for a few days."

Dawn shrugged "It's not the same here when you're gone. Maybe I'll get a dog."

Y/N smirked "Fine, as long as it's not some yappy purse dog. Pits and Shepherds are good."

Dawn's smile grew "You said fine, I'm getting a puppy next Saturday. You want to come to the shelter with me?"

Y/N smiled and nodded "I'm in."

Dawn poured hot water in their mugs "Now that's been settled. What's going on? I heard crying."

Y/N shook her head "Nothing. I'm just severely jet-lagged and can't sleep. My schedule is all fucked up. I'll be alright, just need some sleep. Luckily, Pepper gave me tomorrow off."

Dawn looked at her pointedly "None of that equals crying so tell me."

Y/N shrugged "Weird dreams involving James and John, I don't know how to sort them out. I miss James, was looking forward to seeing him and now I don't know when that will be. I don't miss Johnny but do hope he's alright."

Dawn nodded "Some sleep will help. And a puppy. Definitely need a puppy."

Y/N chuckled "So we can fight over who he sleeps with?"

Dawn smirked "So we'll get two puppies."

Y/N rolled her eyes at her sister and drank her tea before Dawn gave her a hug and she went back to her room to try and get some sleep.

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

On the other side of the world things weren't going much better. John hadn't stopped complaining since he saw Bucky that first day. Bucky had been getting some amusement over Johns whining but was ready to put him down after the three of them got into it with some small time organized criminals who accused them of dealing on their turf.

Or that's what they thought until Sam realized one of them was enhanced.

Instead of focusing on taking the men down, John spent most of that fight trying to get the shield from Sam who ended up hurt pretty badly over it.

Bucky had enough and was giving John a piece of his mind when John tried to sucker punch him.

Unfortunately for John, he was still adjusting to his enhancement from the serum, while Bucky had been fighting with the serum for decades and caught John's fist with his vibranium hand.

He glared at John but couldn't help smirking when John realized he was caught.

Bucky squeezed John's hand "You gonna stop acting like a bitch or do I have to break your fucking hand?"

John whined "No, you can't you'll lose your pardon. I'll say you started it."

Buckys grin grew as John fell to his knees "You're on thin ice with the govt already, sure you want to take that chance?"

John cried out "Fine! Fine. Shit!!" and clutched his right hand to his chest when Bucky released it.

Bucky offered a hand up which John slapped away, making Bucky laugh out loud before he went to check on Sam. They took a day to let Sam rest and recover.

By the end of the week looking for the power broker, nerves were frayed. Sam was ready to let Bucky have at John and just turn his head.

Friday night found the three men and Sharon drinking mini bar shots in a hotel suite in Croatia.

Sharon was all over Bucky even after he repeatedly and politely asked her to stop.

Sam was practically passed out on one of the chairs, mumbling out comments at the game of Cards Against Humanity they had been playing for 4 hours.

John was a little better off than Sam but likely only because of the serum.

Sharon had been going in and out for at least an hour but her occasional snores made John and Bucky giggle.

Bucky downed 3 tequila shots in quick succession, wishing for even a slight buzz for his efforts, before elbowing John in the ribs.

It didn't occur to him that he was inebriated and spoke in a slurring stage whisper "Hey" he tapped John's shoulder "Hey!" John mumbled then snored so Bucky slapped him across the face, 'gently' with his flesh hand "JOHNNY!!"

John sat up abruptly "What? Goddammit Olivia why are you waking me up. Stupid bitch."

He looked around for a moment before realizing where he was when he saw Bucky staring at him. John scoffed "What the buck do you want Fucky? Keep bugging me and I'll make sure you never get near my sister again."

John looked around some more until he saw Sharon "Sharon!!" When she groaned and rolled over he mumbled again. "Fucking cunt better wake up so we can....."

Bucky listened to his mumbling, trying to figure out what John was doing with Sharon. He couldn't understand why he felt drunk all of a sudden but blacked out before he could figure it out.

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

The rest of the week flew by and on Sunday Y/N was preparing tacos for dinner with her kids.

Jessie arrived early and helped while discussing work and a guy she met on her lunch break.

Michael showed up late and Y/N could smell the alcohol on his breath. She wasn't pleased with that but knew it would make it easier to get his secrets out of him.

Y/N heard her phone dinging in her bedroom and left Jessie to watch the meat.

When she looked at the text there was no number listed and a bunch of dark pics with a nude couple, obviously mid coitus. She gasped when she saw the glint of gold on Bucky's left arm and her stomach fell when she saw the woman on top of him had long blonde hair that was definitely not hers. Her eyes filled with tears and she quickly shuffled to the bathroom to splash some water on her face and put her phone away to be dealt with later.

Jessie scoffed at her brother "What is wrong with you Mikey?"

Michael smirked at her "Just celebrating, my dear sister. Getting rid of some dead weight." He laughed at his comments and Jessie growled at her brother.

She grabbed his collar "You better not be screwing with mom or Sargent Barnes." She stood on her tiptoes and looked him in the eyes "I will fuck you up if you hurt her, Mikey. I'm not playing."

Michael scoffed "A little heartbreak today will spare her from much worse later on. Now can we eat yet?"

Y/N overheard Michael but couldn't understand half of his words. She shook her head, knowing he was up to something because he almost never drank, and walked up to her kids.

"Michael, can you set the table please. Auntie is out so it's just the three of us."

Michael scoffed "She's gonna end up with AIDS or something, as much as she whores around."

Y/N bristled and tapped him upside his head "MICHAEL DAVID! What the Hell is wrong with you? You will not speak of your aunt like that."

He rolled his eyes "You talk about uncle Johnny like that all the time. What's the difference?"

She sighed "Jessie, can you make some coffee for your brother?" Then turned on her son "The difference is that Dawn helped raise you and has always been there for all of us while Johnny disrespected me and your father every chance he got. Or did you drink so much you forgot about that? I don't know what's going on but you better think real hard about the next thing you say to me."

Michael looked in her eyes and spat "If you cared so much about dad then why are you disrespecting him by fucking a war criminal?"

His head was turned before he realized she had slapped him. His hand flew up to his cheek and he looked at her in shock.

"You know I loved your father and more importantly he knew but he has been gone for over 5 years. Do you expect me to live alone for the rest of my life? I'm almost 50, not almost dead and I deserve to be loved, dammit."

She paused to take a sip of her wine "And James is a good man who was forced into fucked up circumstances. The government has pardoned him and you don't need to make his life any more difficult than it already is." She shook her head "I don't know how you ended up such a selfish and judgemental prick but your father would be ashamed. Now help your sister bring the food in."

Michael just stared at his mother before walking away muttering "That assholes life will be real simple when he's locked up on the Raft."

He pulled his phone out and didn't realize Jessie was listening until he ran into her "What have you done, Michael? I can't believe you would sabotage Moms happiness."

He scoffed "She'll get over it. Be easy for a slut like her to find another guy."

Jessie punched him in the stomach and took his phone away when he doubled over. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the messages from their uncle and she shoved Michael to the floor before hurrying to the dining room

"MOM!"

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

Early morning that same day, Bucky woke up feeling hungover, in a strange bed. It took a few minutes for him to sit up and remember where he was. He held his head and groaned, jumping when he heard a moan right next to him. He looked over and practically fell out of bed trying to get away from his bed mate. When he hit the floor he realized that he was naked. Grabbing the blanket he stood up awkwardly trying to cover his nudity. As he pulled on it he saw it sliding off of the person in his bed, who he definitely didn't want to uncover.

She groaned "Jimmy, baby what's wrong?"

Bucky shook his head "Sharon? What the fuck are you doing in here? I told you to leave me alone."

Sharon giggled "Yeah you started that way but as the night went on you got much friendlier. Come back and I'll show you." She invited as she uncovered herself.

Bucky closed his eyes and shook his head "Nononono, Sharon you need to go. I don't want this, I don't want you. This didn't happen."

Sharon pouted "It definitely happened. Wanna see the pictures?"

"What? Pictures? What did you do to me Sharon? I remember drinking, playing some crazy card game and waking up just now." Bucky felt his heart speeding up and felt light headed "No, this didn't happen. You and John did something to me. You drugged me."

Sharon smiled wickedly "Aawww, how could little ol me do anything to a big bad super soldier? I think you wanted me and took what you wanted. Nothing wrong with that." She shrugged. "I definitely enjoyed it and the evidence says you did too."

Bucky could feel a panic attack coming on and felt his knees buckle before he dropped to the floor, his head fell into his hands "No. This can't be real. Please God don't let this be real."

Chapter 9

@supraveng @cjand10 @440mxs-wife @kandis-mom @dtba-grey81 @calwitch @ozwriterchick

[mdhwrites]

Is Zhu Yuan Too Normal For ZZZ's Writing?

I don't dislike Zhu Yuan. A lot of her marketing material was really cute and painted an actually pretty normal person. Someone who is earnest, a little silly, naive but also very good at her job and has great instincts for that job so she knows when to bend things or go a little harder than necessary when the job demands it. She can be brutally efficient but only when her cop flip is switched. Otherwise, she can have a very normal day of cooking, cleaning and then going out for a nice meal with her parents because she doesn't do big, flashy things, she does smaller, more intimate things.

But the trust events don't really reflect this... At all? And I mean this both in the major, three missions/video rental request and also her just randomly wandering around town. They all want to be funny or the like but either struggle to find a punchline with her or to find an element of her that is, well... Funny. The best ones leave more of an impression of others playing against her normalcy, of the world flustering her, but that isn't the strongest characterization for her.

The thing that really made me just have to stop and ask what the hell they were going for was her trust event at the massage parlor in Lumina Square. For those who don't know, here's the gist: She's there for a message and the robot who does them is stuttering. We ask about it, get scolded for it since Zhu Yuan thinks she always stutters but no, he only stutters when she's around. That's because when you hit her pressure points, she will shoulder toss you. He then proceeds to get thrown like a dozen times while giving her a back massage, and clearly has been before too. This is over exagerrated and the like, like ZZZ's stuff normally is with one MAJOR problem...

Why does Zhu Yuan allow this? My brother compared her writing to Yor from SpyxFamily but Yor is genuinely a failure at essentially anything that isn't murder. 80% of her brain is murder and so when she goes full brutality on someone by instinct, it makes sense and can be charming because we understand that's part of who she is. She'd like to be nicer but she can never fully turn it off. It genuinely gets in her way like this. Zhu Yuan does not share this though. She can self regulate, she can stop herself from being a cop for things like not turning us in or defying her superiors so as to do the right thing. She is not Soldier 11, who's character fits WAY better for this sort of joke because, you know, she's so incapable of turning the soldier part of herself off it's PART OF HER NAME.

I have genuinely come to like Zhu Yuan LESS since getting her and being able to have these trust events. And it's not even like they're all bad. I love her final trust event where she learns about Eridu's underground porn industry. One of her options for going out on the town has the adorable tidbit that she gets flustered at the idea of holding hands... Though that one is hurt by then making it about this weird shoulder toss stuff. It works better as a joke there though because yeah, grabbing her hand leading to her throwing you is more reasonable than if she's in the middle of a massage and does it a dozen times. She even warns the player because she doesn't like that this is her instinct and tries to avoid such things.

Many, MANY of the trust events rely heavily on the gimmicks and quirks of the characters of the game for them. That's not a criticism, just a fair evaluation. There's a lot more stuff that includes teasing 11 about her hot food love than there is like finding out that Anby just likes to sometimes stop and check out when she gets the chance to relax and is self conscious about it. There's a lot more about Nicole being a penny pincher then there is Ellen's automated responses to much of the world. These exaggerated elements are easier to write for en masse scenes like this, and many are EXTREMELY charming, but that means when you have a more normal character like Zhu Yuan, you kind of have to graft quirks onto her. I don't think that's necessary though. Having her be a normal person amongst the storm of personalities would be really effective.

Let me hear from her about how her tomatoes are doing, not how she needs to be full cop mode for a concert we go to. Let her just be a person because she'd make for better contrast that way, like any good comedic straight man. See you next tale.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[bloodyproudpotterhead]

That whole reddit fiasco is seriously condescending and dismissive it gives me the ick. So I’m gonna write issues that I had with that finale.

Many of the things that he said just doesn’t make sense. The defense for Roy & Jamie weird behavior is “men are dumb” and “Keeley doesn’t need anyone”. You think we don’t know that Keeley doesn’t need anyone to feel complete? WE DO! The show never implied that she has problems being alone anyway. Also, you can’t fit the complexity of feminism and girlhood into one “girlboss” shape. That’s just reductive. The moment I read this, I knew that that part of storyline is written by men.

Another problem: Defending Jane behavior. Stalking your boyfriend’s friend? Shredding your boyfriend passport?? And to dismiss them as ‘quirky behavior’??? To me, that sounds like giving a pass to toxic, abusive relationships. 

Another one: To leave the ending of Ted & Michelle relationship as ambiguous? BIG NO. To even entertain the idea gives a bad taste in my mouth. This is the woman that begged him to sign the divorce paper, for christ’s sake. And they never built of the idea of them getting back together. They even introduce Dr. Jacob into the story. Was that truly necessary? Was the point to show that Michelle needs to be in another relationship to see Ted for who he really is? 

Also: Ted wasn’t at the wedding? Because he’s at Henry’s practice?? What even was that. You cannot actually tell me that they think this through. What, your kid can skip practice for 1 day to attend your best friend’s wedding?

Let’s even go to the boat guy: You cannot tell me this is the ending they plan for Rebecca from the start. If it did, why not build that narrative instead wasting your time introducing unnecessary new characters? Let us get to know the man better so we know that Rebecca will be taken care of by a man who truly knows her. 

Another issue: Henry. When did we ever see him actually missing his father? Because i feel like I missed that. Even that part of the story was told through other character, Dorothy, and not Henry himself. Why not have a scene where the kid express this himself? Even when he had problems at home, he can solve it himself (the bully story). 

Second to last: Ted himself. I don’t mind if their plan from the start was for him to have a Mary Poppins-like journey. What I had problems with is the way they build that theme. They’re too focusing on symbolism, they never truly build the narrative itself. If Ted was supposed to go back to Kansas from the start, why not show him what life he had and going to have there. This was never at any point shown or even hinted at. Also, Mary Poppins, unlike Ted, didn’t leave her hometown with a partner whose love for her has expired. They began Ted’s arc with showing him that his marriage is practically over that he needs to move an ocean away from her. That’s just saying to me that Ted desperately needs a new start (which they clearly displayed multiple times).

Lastly: The editing and the baiting. There are so many intentional edits and camera works and parallels that are meant to teased if not blatantly directed towards Ted & Rebecca. Why zoom in on the matchbook? The tiny soldiers?? Them talking at the hallway??? I can go on and on on this alone. Even to the opening scene of the finale. Just for shits and giggles for audiences who root for the two main leads? Honestly, that to me just felt cruel. Even if their intention was for them to be platonic soulmate, their words not mine, they never really addressed any of the elephant in the room anyway. The call, September 1991. So all I hear is them saying stuff and not following up on that. ALSO, to tease the idea of romcom MULTIPLE TIMES both on and off the show, even referring many times to Nora Ephron, only to laugh at your audience for believing in good old romance felt truly disrespectful to the late director. And as a long time fan of hers, I won’t let that slide. 

My point is: You can’t just patch bad writing with callbacks while ignoring a huge chunk of the character arcs you’ve built. That’s such a disservice to the beloved characters so many people have grown to love. 

And to say we take it personally? Excuse me, when your audience take your work personally, you should take it as a compliment because that means they connect with your work. So much for a show that preaches about being kind, I guess.

Anyway, I always feel sad and embarrassed when writers have to defend their decisions to their own audience. And that is what they/he did. You can elaborate on what you think happen post-finale to your audience, or even explain your intention, but when a big crowd of your audience question it, maybe you should take a look at the way you frame your story before you point fingers at them.

[jedi-hawkins]

Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 9 Watch Thoughts

spoilers (duh)

Ahh Crosshair helping and getting thanked, I'm so soft.

They're brothers being brothers again, I'm going to cry.

Batcher I stg why are you letting her go in there??

VENTRESS!!!!

I noticed when the batch are standing together, there's still a space between Crosshair and Hunter. maybe symbolic of the space still between them (?) but I think this is somewhat resolved, even ouchier is I'm pretty sure that's where Tech usually stood. (apologies for bad quality)

Ahh! so that was Fennec's contact (why'd they frame it so spoopy last ep?)

Way to go Omega, good job keeping the front up 😂

Mother is confirming my personal theory! M-count gives you potential but you still need to be trained to be a Jedi (high m-count + no training = not necessarily Jedi, lower m-count + training = Jedi)

Ah! she said the line from the trailer!

Although I believe Ventress is genuinely testing Omega, I think she came up with this "test" just to troll a little

Wrecker I swear, thanks for the encouragement but babes 😂

Ventress is so hot

That jaw grab got me a lil 🥵

Tech mention I'm crying. And Crosshair holding Tech's datapad

Separatist Assassin, wouldn't it be in the files that she was a Sith or is that still a secret?

Oh this second test is just to get rid of her, she had to be trolling a little with the first.

That space between Hunter and Crosshair is still there (?)

"There's a Weeping Myre Tree." Jen, you did us so dirty with that tweet.... you had me sweating. She's just having fun watching up burn at this point. 😡

Stern Wrecker has me 😫

Oop- the way she snatched their weapons

Ahhh watching the boys fight as a cohesive team just makes me soft

Damn the way she just slapped Wrecker, poor baby

Crosshair's yell I'm dead

Her legs around his neck me too girl (and her little heel stomp was just like "stay")

I love our boys and they are very capable fighters, but it's so obvious Ventress was pulling her punches

Gah damn, the way she copied Hunter's 'grip the blade and throw' technique

Cross with his rifle, but is his hand any better?

Ohh the little foot flip and toss 🥵

"We're not big on following orders" He said it!!

YELLOW BLADE!!! And it's the same hilt as her red sabers! (a- did she lose a saber? b- did she get a new kyber crystal?)

Ayoo miss why you choking Wrecker?? (for the dramatic scene when Omega reenters?)

Crosshair just laying ragdolled on the ground... sweetheart I'm so sorry 😂

"We were pawned in the same war, and we all lost." MOTHER 👏🏼 IS 👏🏼 SPITTING👏🏼 FACTS 👏🏼

Why is she being so vague? Does Ventress not know that Palpatine is Sidious? I feel like she would know especially now since Emperor Palpatine looks and sounds exactly like the weird guy in the robe that used to boss Dooku around.

Damn she laid our boys out

"We do" So why not just drop the "S" word and call her a Sith? I know squad 99 didn't work with Jedi regularly, but they were under Cody's jurisdiction, and they had to have heard the word before (whether from Obi-wan himself, or in debriefings, or even war stories passed through the barracks)

"We were just getting warmed up" Wrecker, I love you but PLEASE, she got y'all good 😂

Omega's little hand wave at "people can change" I don't think it was in Crosshair's direction, but it was framed like it was

Op- she gagged Crosshair with that. 🫢

Isit just me or does Ventress' shoulder plate look like the slillouette of a B1 battle droid?

Ventress being Omega's teacher would be oh so good (and Obi-wan would tease the shit out of her for it)

Omega automatically did the hand thing and I don't think she's ever seen a force-sensitive doing that. Natural instinct?

Oop- spotted. Ventress' little glare at Wrecker through the scopes I'm dead 😂

"This is different than being a soldier." YES MA'AM

I know Omega is frustrated here and people may bash her for being 'whiny' but I honestly appreciate the writers letting us see her in a more child-like frustration.

I honestly love that Ventress has seen both the light and dark side of the force and now has come into her own. She's almost looked relieved that she was able to call the creatures to her, kind of like an "I'm still worthy moment."

"Did you summon that?" "Not intentionally."

Ventress with her hair wet and slicked back oml

Crosshair co-piloting!!

Omega with wet hair! (NOW GIVE US HUNTER)

Okay my theory about the kraken, Ventress called it's food source, so it followed, but then it got curious about their boat. It wasn't trying to attack them, it was bumping their boat because it was trying to figure out what they were. Then Ventress cut off a tentacle (yes to rescue Omega, but I think the creature was just exploring) That spooked it, then the Marauder swings in and starts shooting at it. When the Marauder flies off, a tentacle kind of flicks in a 'yeah get out of here' kind of way. It doesn't immediately eat Ventress when it has her (does it even eat humans?), it brings her close to it's face to investigate and she takes her time channeling the Force. The animators specifically focus on the creature's eyes and the changes in it (pupils dilating). To me, it seemed like Ventress was communicating with it like "I'm sorry we startled you, we mean you no harm." Then the creature sets Ventress down so gently (it doesn't drop her) and goes on it's merry way.

Crosshair is the one on the ramp to get Omega!!!

Ahh! he reaches out to help Ventress too. He offered her his hand and she took it!! 🥰

I'm surprised we didn't get a comment from Ventress about Batcher.

Wrecker being the big brother we all need and taking Omega off to eat after a long day just makes my heart so warm.

The way Hunter and Crosshair are both standing with a hip popped is killing me. (again, sorry for bad quality) 😂

"You're lying" So perceptive, Crosshair.

Ventress is so smart and she sees how much the Batch cares about Omega, hence why she lied. AND Hunter and Crosshair know Ventress is right that if they acknowledge Omega is Force-sensitive, that means she goes away and they're not ready for that.

Her warning is so foreboding... (A Harbringer?) Next week is a double feature and I think that's when we'll get the Empire over Pabu.

Crosshair is so attentive to Ventress, I'm already shipping them (don't get me wrong, I'd fight Ventress for Crosshair, but they seem like they'd be a good match in-universe)

"I've got a few lives left." She's so cat. Just like Crosshair.

Hunter x Fennec // Crosshair x Ventress (I'm already thinking about my two batch husbands and their grumpy in-cannon girlfriends that want nothing to do with them)

"I've got a few lives left." Ugh she's so cat, just like Crosshair.

AHHH!!! This episode was so good. We got to see our boys fighting again as a unit. We got to see Ventress (which, during clone wars she was always just a 'mech' character for me. Didn't love her, didn't hate her, but this episode solidified her on my favs list. Her line of "We were pawned in the same war and we all lost." Just DAMN she hit the nail on the head and I don't even know she knows she did. If you made it through this entire post, scrolling back I didn't realize how insanely long it is, thank you!! 💕

[pickledpascal]

Killer Queen

Chapter Four: Doin' Time

Warnings: Gore? blood bending is weird asf, non-descript body horror but its there if you squint, slur (from homelander this time oooh)

Word Count: 3.3k

Killer Queen Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

With Soldier Boy mostly under control, Amber decided it might be best to go over their plan. It was a shaky one at best but it was the only one they had. So Starlight, Butcher, and Hughie were called to the house. Eden made sure Ryan was busy playing a video game while they all gathered in the living room. 

A map of Vought Tower lay in the middle of the circle they made. Eden rubbed at her chin, trying to memorize every weak point and every room. She thought it was a little weird that Homelander had a special penthouse in Vought Tower but it was easier for them to get the jump on them that way. Steal their prized Supe and they might just crumble because of it.

“Is he seriously on board?” Butcher and Amber took a few steps away from everyone else. 

Amber glanced back at Soldier Boy who was strangely quiet considering the last few days. “Yeah. He is. And if he's not, well, I can change his mind.” She smirked. 

Butcher blinked, shock crossing his face before a grin replaced it. “Oh, love, you didn't.” 

Amber nudged Butcher’s elbow. “Makes him a little easier to work with.”

“I must say, I didn't think he'd go for someone quite like you, love,” Butcher admitted as his eyebrows furrowed. His eyes shifted up and down Amber's body. “Although, maybe he hadn't gotten properly dicked down before.” He teased. 

Amber laughed and shook her head. Soldier Boy was slowly growing on her. More so when he actually showed emotion—besides just anger. There was a softer side to him, one he didn't want others, or even himself, to know. For a while, he had convinced everyone that this “ideal” version of himself was real but Amber could see right through him. He was still that kid in the army who just wanted to prove himself to his father. 

“Oh! Amber should totally wear her super suit!” Eden cheered like a light bulb went off in her head. 

Annie looked at Eden strangely then glanced at Amber who sighed at the mention of it. “Amber has a suit? Was she a Supe?” She questioned.

“No, no, no.” Eden waved Annie off. “When I realized Amber was going to do a lot of the heavy lifting—metaphorically and realistically—I made her a suit that is able to withstand… Well, a lot. Considering Amber's powers, I made it heat and cold-resistant and unable to be cut by anything Vought could get their hands on.” She explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Nothing like what you guys have. Hers serves for practicality and for the aesthetic.”

Annie pursed her lips and shrugged. Eden was right. Depending on what kind of missions they were sent on, their super suits got destroyed all the time. In the end, they were always replaced but they didn't last long on high-risk missions. They were meant to look good, factor into their aesthetic—their image.

“Wow, love, you been holding out on us?” Butcher smirked at Amber. 

She rolled her eyes. “Haven't been on a job that calls for it yet. This might just be that.” Amber countered as she crossed her arms. 

Soldier Boy watched the interactions Butcher and Amber had. He wasn't too keen on how comfortable they were with each other. “Why's Amber need a suit anyway? She have any accidents or some shit?” He turned to Eden. 

Eden narrowed her eyes at Soldier Boy, amusement in them. She could tell someone was jealous. “Yeah. Once or twice. Had a flame-on moment and poof her clothes disintegrated and she was naked. Not fun.” She pursed her lips and shrugged. “Maybe for you.” 

Butcher, Annie, Soldier Boy, and Hughie all turned to stare at Amber. “If I tell you what happened, will y'all drop it?” 

“Depends on what it is, love.” Butcher commented, earning a look from Soldier Boy.

Amber sighed as she scratched the back of her head. “I did that when I was younger. Like twelve. I was in school,” Annie looked at her with a smile. She'd never thought about Amber before all this. Sure, Amber was born the chosen one but she had a childhood before the weight of the world was on her shoulders. “Another kid pissed me off. A little too much that I kinda… self-combusted. The kid wasn't hurt but my clothes were ash. Hasn't happened since. Eden was there, that's why she knows.” 

Soldier Boy cocked his head. He hadn't seen Amber use her powers before. At least, not in any way he could perceive besides her strength. Did she have some sort of fire ability? He hadn't encountered that before. Sure, there were the TNT Twins but that wasn't fire, that was explosives. 

It seemed Butcher recognized that look. “Have you not told him yet, love? I mean if I were you, I'd shout it from the rooftops but then that'd also make you a right cunt.” He looked at Amber. 

“I was busy,” Amber coughed, swallowing nervously. “With other stuff.”

“Other stuff.” Hughie repeated, unconvinced. 

Soldier Boy stared at Butcher, confused and weary. He didn't trust the Brit. Then again, he didn't trust a lot of people. 

Butcher waved to Amber and grinned. “Amber here is the Avatar,” Soldier Boy had no recollection of anything Avatar-related. “She can control earth, air, fire, water. Ring any bells?” His eyebrows furrowed. Butcher sighed. “Whatever, all that matters is Amber's on our side. She's bloody powerful. Literally.” He turned his head to look at Amber who shrugged. “You're a bit like Neuman in that way.” 

Amber shook her head and pursed her lips. As the Avatar, for some reason, she was also blessed with being able to use all the subgenres of bending. Well, most. She didn't have combustion bending or else there would be an indent in the middle of her forehead. 

Blood bending, metal bending, lava bending—only used that once—lightning redirection and levitation were subgenres Amber knew how to use. Blood bending was an innate ability, however she learned the others from her former lives. And from other souls in the spirit realm. 

“I remember…” Soldier Boy finally said. Although it was a little fuzzy, his early life, he could remember a time when the Avatar existed. “That… It was a girl. Before you. What happened? Aren't you supposed to reincarnate after the previous one dies? Why are you here now? And not right after the other one…”

Amber sighed. “I'm not sure and my past lives won't exactly tell me.” She looked up at the ceiling, irritation evident in her voice. “All I know is, when Korra died there hadn't been one until me. And there might not be one after me.” 

“I blame Compound V. That shit might have messed up the Avatar cycle somehow. Fucked with nature. I mean, there's no benders anymore either. There's either Supes or non-Supes.” Eden commented as she took a sip of tea. She brewed it a while ago but forgot about it until now. 

Butcher poured some for himself, taking a sip as he sat down at the table. Before meeting Amber, he hadn't thought much about the Avatar or benders at all. To him, they were just legends. Fictional. A bedtime story people told children about. But then he saw her in action. The glow of her tattoos when she meditated, the way fire erupted from her fists, or how she turned water to ice with a simple wave of her hand. It was all so very real. 

“So… Supersuit?” Eden asked once their meeting wrapped up. Homelander was going down. Tonight. 

Amber huffed. “Supersuit.”

Eden pumped her fist in the air. “Yes!” 

—---

Getting into Vought Tower was the easy part. Eden was an excellent hacker when push came to shove. Or if she was just bored. Every employee Amber passed by didn't spare her a second glance. At least the Supersuit came in handy for more than one thing. Practicality, aesthetic, and blending in. They all just thought she was some random Supe walking through the halls of Vought. 

Amber caught an elevator. With no one else in it. She looked up at the camera in the corner.

“Hello. I see you too, mother.” Eden teased through her earpiece. Then there was the light noise of clacking. Her keyboard. 

Soldier Boy's voice came through the earpiece as well. “Are we a hundred percent sure this is gonna work?” His voice was rough, if a little troubled. 

“Amber is fully capable, mate. Not to mention Homelander has a soft spot for girls. Somehow.” Butcher had his own comm. One that Amber could hear clearly. “She just has to turn up the charm, get that cunt off guard and do her… freaky blood thing.”

Amber could imagine Butcher's cadence as he said those words. He'd probably waved his hand with a grin on his face as he looked between Eden and Soldier Boy. She drummed her fingers against her thigh as the elevator stopped at a floor. She smiled at the new addition. Some intern, most likely, they looked like one. She wrinkled her nose a bit. Amber was nervous. She's been in combat situations before but nothing espionage-like. 

Not to mention the suit. Amber had only worn it once. For Eden to make sure it fit properly. And it did fit properly. She had expected it to be uncomfortable since it looked like it was made completely of leather but it wasn't. It was made up of some special textile or cloth Eden made herself—one of the reasons it was fire, ice, and pierce-resistant. 

The suit fit her nicely, showing off her curves even if it covered almost every inch of her body. There were shoulder pads built into the suit with indentations of the four elemental symbols on both, fingerless gloves, and gauntlets that went over her forearms. The zipper in the front started just above her chest but was half zipped to shield a bit of her throat. Most of her suit was indigo except for her gauntlets, a little bit of detailing, and knee-high boots—the gauntlets were silver as were a few loops on her belt while her boots were black with indigo trim and a matching heel.

The elevator stopped on the floor Amber was meant to get off on. She stepped out as Eden guided her to Homelander's penthouse from her earpiece. She stopped just outside the door, pursing her lips. She lowered her zipper a little to show off her cleavage a bit more. Amber knew Homelander had a bit of a… kink. Well, not a bit. And even if Amber couldn't particularly lactate for reasons, he wouldn't know that. 

“We won't be able to see but we'll be able to hear everything that goes on in that room.” Eden said softly. “Don't get into too much trouble.”

Amber chuckled dryly. “You know me. I hate trouble.”

“Exactly why you're perfect for the job.” Butcher commented. 

Compared to everyone else in The Boys, Amber was relatively unknown to Vought. Eden couldn't find a single file on her when she went through their databases. To them, she was just some random citizen. A zero or one in their books. To be fair, Amber wasn't one to show off her powers unless needed. And Eden wiped every single hard drive of every single camera she could find if Amber ever did use her powers in public. 

Amber knocked on the door for it to be opened by her target. Homelander. She could see the appeal. Actually, no. She couldn't. His roots were brown while the rest of his hair was dyed blonde and his face was always cleanly shaved—Amber always liked a beard on men. Perhaps that's part of the reason she found Soldier Boy attractive, despite his prickly personality. 

“And who are you?” Homelander’s eyes were on Amber's breasts for a few seconds before they met her eyes.  

Time to play ditsy, Amber. She faked a frown. “Sorry, I must've knocked on the wrong door. I was supposed to have a meeting with Mr. Edgar.” She rubbed one of her arms, trying her best to act nervous. 

Hook.

“Oh?” Homelander's eyes lit up with interest. “I'm sure he won't mind you being late. Come in. It'd be nice to get to know you. Especially if you're gonna be on the team.” He forced a smile. It made Amber's brain alert with disgust. 

At least it was working. 

Homelander widened the door, letting Amber inside before he closed it behind her. His little apartment looked like hell. Paintings upon paintings of US Presidents in ornate frames or war memorabilia hung up on walls. There was barely any furniture except for a desk and a few loveseats. 

Amber had to resist the urge to cry at how gaudy this all looked. 

Then she heard the lock of the door set in place. Amber was trapped. With Homelander. Except it was more that he was trapped with her. 

“What's your name?” Homelander stepped closer to Amber, an unsettling grin on his face.

“Which one?” She asked.

Line.

He tsked, the grin widening. “Supe one. Wanna know what to call you when I fuck your brains out.” 

Amber swallowed thickly. Which could've been mistaken for fear—another turn-on for Homelander—but it was out of disgust. 

“This cunt has what's getting to him.” Butcher commented under his breath.

“It's,” Amber had to think of something. Quick. “Isorropìa.” Her hand twitched as her eyes narrowed. This whole plan was uncomfortable but unfortunately necessary. 

Amber was the only one who could get Homelander and Soldier Boy was the only one who could kill him. Or unsupeify him. If that was their goal. Amber wasn't too sure. She was powerful enough to kill Homelander as well but Butcher and Eden had other plans, it seemed.

“Isorropìa,” Homelander repeated, feeling the word on his tongue. “Our art department could come up with something better.” He stepped closer into Amber's space, a few inches apart. 

Sinker.

Amber’s fingers twitched slightly as she felt for Homelander's blood. She smirked as she felt the beat of his heart. His pulse. She lifted her hand as if she was controlling a marionette on strings. She watched as his eyes widened with fear. 

He couldn't move. And he couldn't speak. Not of his own volition. Homelander had never felt such physical pain before. He was invisible. Nothing, nothing, could hurt him. At least, not so prolonged. His veins felt like they were on fire. A searing hot pain Homelander had never experienced. Never wanted to experience.

She forced him to turn around. With a twist of her other hand, the door was unlocked and opened. 

“Got him, heading down.” Amber said.

Eden cheered, “Let's go!” 

“Remember our deal, though?” Butcher reminded.

“I get to psychologically torture, you get to kill. Yeah, I know.” Eden sighed. 

Amber and Homelander simply walked outside together. By any bystanders' eyes, they looked normal. As normal as two Supes could be at Vought. 

When Amber found the van Annie, Hughie, and Marvin were stationed at, she had Homelander go in first. Hughie was rightfully scared. 

“Anyone else a bit freaked out by this?” He asked, glancing at Marvin.

Marvin observed Homelander. He looked as if he was a sim. Idle. Waiting for some sort of instruction. “Yeah, no, I get it.”

Amber rotated her hand slightly as Annie drove. She let Homelander speak. 

“Who the fuck are you?” Homelander spat. A juxtaposition from his stiff body. 

Amber smirked at him as she zipped up her suit again. “Your worst nightmare,” She stared at him. “I can take you apart if I really wanted,” She redirected Homelander's blood flow with a movement of her hand, causing him to yell out. “Make you nothing more than the miserable little boy you are.” Her hand formed a fist, completely stopping his blood for a moment.

Hughie and Marvin shared a look as Annie took a look in the rearview mirror, concerned by the screams coming from the back. They were likely deserved. 

“Love, don't kill him yet. Won't be as satisfying.” Butcher said softly. 

Amber huffed and let Homelander go. Not completely, just let his blood flow enough to keep him alive. 

“You bitch!” The blond ground out. 

Amber looked at him, unimpressed. “You can do better than that. I'll make it easy for you,” She leaned closer. “I’m transgender, I like girls, I still have a cock, and… did I mention I'm dating your dad?” Homelander's eyes widened. His dad? He didn't have a dad. He was an experiment. “Well, kinda. Haven't completely figured it out yet but he makes some amazing sounds.” 

Hughie and Marvin shared another look. They didn't know Amber was fucking Soldier Boy. Figuratively and physically. Even Marvin thought Soldier Boy was relatively tame from the last time he saw him. Which was saying something. And it all had to do with Amber. Of course it did. Everyone liked Amber.

“I don't have a dad, you fucking she-male!” Homelander snarled.

Well, almost everyone. 

Amber tilted her head. “She-male? Really?” She rolled her eyes as she sat between Marvin and Hughie. She was a bit disappointed. Homelander was supposed to be scary—she didn't doubt that he was to those powerless against him but she wasn't—he was just some idiot with being American as his main personality. “We're going to go see your dad, actually. See how fucked you are in comparison.”

Homelander swallowed thickly. He wanted to say something more but he wasn't sure what to say. He just stared darkly at Amber for the rest of the drive.

Amber smiled as Hughie opened the door to the van, forcing Homelander to walk outside. They followed him inside as Amber guided his body. 

Eden almost had a heart attack when Homelander was the first thing she saw enter the house. She quickly calmed down after seeing his not so comfortable state and that Amber was right behind him. He was safely locked in Eden’s bunker which was built to specifically be Homelander-proof. Amber wasn't sure how but it was. He could likely still hear through the walls but that power was mostly useless compared to his strength or laser eyes.

“I'm giving you a week,” Butcher told Eden, glancing at Amber. “Then it's my turn.”  

Marvin crossed his arms and stared at Amber. He had a load of questions for her but he wasn’t sure he’d like the answer. All of them were about Soldier Boy. Who was being strangely quiet in the corner of the room. But he didn’t like the way the Supe was staring at Amber in her suit.

Eden chuckled, “You make it sound like you’re gonna fuck.” 

Butcher shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh. “How in the bloody hell do you stand her, love?” He turned to look at Amber. 

“Been friends a while. Not much surprises me anymore.” Amber admitted as she undid the gaunlets on her arms.

Annie looked from Butcher to Eden, “What do you even want to do to him?” She and Eden were close but she had never said anything about the kinds of “torture” she wanted to inflict upon Homelander.

“That’s for me, Amber, and Soldier Boy to know about and for you to keep on speculating.” Eden pecked Annie’s cheek.

Hughie was taken aback. “Wait, why is Soldier Boy included but we’re not?”

“It’s cause you’re a fucking twink.” Soldier Boy commented. Hughie pursed his lips out of distaste.

Amber had to refrain from laughing. “Kind of. But I wouldn’t want to spoil the plan. Not appropriate in polite company.”

“Love, we’re the opposite of polite company.” Butcher grinned. “Your secret’s safe with us.”

-----

taglist: @aleemendoza2425-blog @yoyoanaria

taglist open here !!!

[zirawrites]

Could you do companions reacting to sole breaking down and confessing to having a weird unique pipboy with a saving/loading function (like having the game mechanic in the real life)? They'd try to use it for good, loading back to get the best outcome in dialogs and quests, or to keep their companions from getting hurt in battles, but it'd make them go mad with time, so they'd start lashing out, hurting people, doing horrible things to them before loading back and being kind to everyone again. They'd regret the things they've done later, but still snap and do these things sometimes.

One of the tropes thst I like really much for some reason lol. Horrors of being a god.

Cait: “If I had one of those Pip-Boys, I’d be doin’ the same thing.” Cait shrugged dismissively. “We all need to blow off some steam. Long as you’re not actually hurtin’ someone, I don’t see why anyone’d get their panties in a twist.” Cait wasn’t sure why Sole felt so guilty. As far as she was concerned, Sole could vent their anger and no one would be the wiser. She just asked Sole not to kick her ass and then rewind time. The idea felt embarrassing.

Curie: “I cannot believe that such technology exists. Is there a way you could prove it to me?” When Sole explained that only the person wearing the Pip-Boy could rewind time, Curie insisted she try it herself. She used a marker to draw on Sole’s cheek (since she’d never hurt Sole, even for science), then reversed time with the Pip-Boy. Even after she watched the colorful mark disappear, Curie wasn’t sure if it was an elaborate prank. “Maybe we leave powerful technology to the experts, yes?”

Danse: “That’s abominable, soldier.” Danse’s face was red and twisted with raw fury. “Your Pip-Boy is the exact kind of damning technology the Brotherhood seeks to eradicate from the Commonwealth. And for the very reasons it is corrupting you.” He held out his hand. “Give it to me so it can be destroyed. I won’t ask again.”

Deacon: “So, how many penises have you drawn on my face? C’mon, don’t be shy.” Deacon didn’t believe Sole one bit, nor did he have any desire to try the Pip-Boy himself when they offered. When Sole wouldn’t let up or admit they were teasing him, Deacon was more worried about their mental health than the inconceivable power they wielded. He asked Sole to start leaving their Pip-Boy behind on missions, even if it meant needing to consult a good old fashion map.

Hancock: “Punching down is still punching down, even if the little guy won’t remember.” Hancock didn’t need convincing to believe Sole really had a time-warping Pip-Boy. He could tell by the anxiety on their face that they were telling the truth. The mayor focused more on explaining to Sole that any act of cruelty was wrong. And, in a roundabout way, hurting someone innocent was hurting yourself.

MacCready: “Have you used it on me?” MacCready felt sick when Sole nodded. “Was it to help me in a fight? Or did you ever, you know...” He couldn’t come out and ask if Sole had ever killed him. Their friendship would be ruined. Instead, MacCready glared at the Pip-Boy around Sole’s arm. “Never use it again. Or we’re through. Got it?”

Preston: “If I get hurt on a run, just use a Stimpack on me. No need to reload my life and try again. How else will we learn from our mistakes?” Preston was gentle with his attempt to get Sole to ditch the Pip-Boy. Even if it put their friends in danger. He just didn’t think it could lead to any real good.

Piper: “And you never stopped to wonder if the Institute made that for you? What if every time you reload something else horrible is happening? There’s no way you can just time travel without repercussions.” Piper was more angry with Sole using technology they didn’t understand than hurting other people. It wasn’t like Sole’s victims would even remember. “I bet it has some fancy tracking device. I dunno, Blue. Just get rid of it.”

Nick: “If things do not turn out as we wish, we should wish for them as they turn out.” Nick didn’t care if quoting Aristotle was pretentious. He was worried Sole would lose their ethics. Morals. Grip on reality. “You’re playing god, Sole. That’s never worked out for anyone. You’ve already let it go to your head. Don’t let it go to your heart, too.”

X6-88: X6 deeply enjoyed the possibility that time could be rewound. How many people could be saved from a stupid decision? The Commonwealth was filled with errant bullets, bad calls and careless people. “You aren’t doing anything I wouldn’t do myself with one of those.” X6 pointed at Sole’s Pip-Boy. “With technology like that, the Institute cannot fail.”

[asterouslyaesthetic]

ryoma is a weird character for me because he's cute and playful and he likes pulling tricks on his sister, while simultaneously being too serious all the time. but he's also very caring like the fact that he went around asking people how to get close to azura and how he tells silas to stay with corrin even though he's a nohrian.

and unlike xander who's kind of distant because he has to be the perfect crown prince and kind of has a slightly worse relationship with leo because of it (though loves him dearly), he actually a good relationship with takumi, despite the latter's inferiority complex. like their supports follow the same beats (little brother has an outburst, big brother comforts them), but leo and xander take a nosedive while ryoma and takumi don't have to have some big patch up

and like obviously, i think it's because he didn't have a dad at all, but the memories he did have of sumeragi were warm. so he had to step up sort of as a father figure to takumi and sakura, unlike xander who also has to contend with his dad being alive so that kind of warps their relationship a little to being more competitive

and he loves his stepmom despite the fact that he must've been like seven or eight years old when sumeragi brought her into the family and his birth mom was still around, to the point where he actively expresses happiness when orochi tells him what she was like when no one was looking. like I'm pretty sure the "mother" he references in his sakura support is mikoto too. he's such a mama's boy

and when he shows up again in the story and teases corrin by asking her if she recognizes him...it's so cute!

but i just can't vibe with the fact that he must've realized his brother was dead, right after their mother, and the first thing he did was join up with scarlet, leaving his sisters even MORE worried and the kingdom without a king. and there isn't any conversation on it!

like it's been some time since i played that chapter but everyone's like "we're so relieved you're okay!" and no one makes the connection.

and i'm saying that he probably realized that because takumi is said to have fallen into the canyon. and it's said they were cornered and fought some soldiers off.

like maybe i'm wrong, maybe they escaped in opposite directions and takumi fell after, but then why did no one inform him of this? they could've included it in saizo's support, or maybe hinoka's. like don't get me wrong, hinoka's support is very cute but there should've been some conversation about that!

[curiouslavellan]

alternate love interests but good this time: Halveri and Sera, Ariel and The Iron Bull, Aurelia and Krem

ty!!

Halveri and Sera

The main reason I don't see this working out is the age difference, because Halveri is in her mid 30s in Inquisition and they're just at really different levels maturity wise, so it falls more naturally into an older friend role

But, if this was an AU where Hal was closer to Sera's age when all the plot kicks off, I could actually see this! There's definite tension about the Mage Thing and also the Dalish Thing, because those actually aren't separate and Halveri takes being First of her clan pretty seriously, but she's also diplomatic enough not to jump right into that. I think Sera, given time and space to see past the initial Scary bits, could work on it, especially because iirc she seems to have done some of that work in Trespasser in canon. They'd probably have at least a few shouting matches throughout the course of the game plot but that might also just be how they do feelings if they're both like 20 years old lmao

Even when they're just friends, it's really good for Halveri to be able to spend time with someone who sees her as a person and occasionally yanks her chain about all the InquisitorTM stuff, so I think that would be even more impactful in this case

verdict: only in an au where Halveri is younger, but then it could work

2. Ariel and The Iron Bull

Ship that makes me go Huh and rub my chin

This is kind of a hard one because it's not an instant no, but I think they'd both be more than a little wary of the other. Ariel famously killing the Arishok with crazy lightning magic (which, in my hc they were presenting as a rogue and that fight is when everyone finds out Hawke is an apostate) is sort of hanging over any meeting between these two, because Bull is afraid of magic and Ariel definitely still has nightmares about being hoisted up on a greatsword by a guy several feet taller than them.

That said, personality wise, they actually would get along really well if they could sit down together. They're both people-smart, like adventures and dragons, and I feel like the could commiserate a lot over leading the Kirkwall crew v. leading the Chargers

If they did get together it wouldn't be until after he's Tal-Vashoth for sure, because Ariel would have to be sure he wasn't spying, and they'd definitely be a lot less gentle and nice about the magic stuff than Halveri was implied to be in the oneshot I wrote about her and Bull lol

verdict: tentative yes but the timing would have to be really lucky

3. Aurelia and Krem

Okay this is actually kind of adorable?

I thought I'd have a hard time thinking about any other Aurelia ship but something about Krem being so normal is selling me on this. He's a soldier. He's not even part of the main team he just works for someone who is. They hang out when they're both in Skyhold, she doesn't drink so she's making up excuses to go the Herald's Rest to see him. Bull teases Krem about watching the door when he's in the tavern and teases Aurelia about it when they're out in the field.

Also actually interesting re: the whole Tranquil southern mage shame of her noble family thing considering he's soporati who grew up with the opposite social hierarchy. You know I love class differences! Also there's gonna be a bit in See Fire about the Trevelyans old Tevinter ties and how, naming schemes aside, they don't really like acknowledging that, so Vint Boyfriend also adds some fun drama there.

As long as they can deal with being separated for weeks/months at a time with all the travelling, I think this works out really well. It'd be good for Aurelia to be with someone not totally ingrained in the Inquisition and not (as) mixed in with all her magic weirdness, and Krem should get to show off for a pretty girl (oh no I just thought about Bull's loyalty quest and how Krem would be showing off there since it's like the only time he and Quizzy are in the field at the same time)

verdict: love this

[havarstpapyrus]

The Soldier in Nightmares gang !!

Killer

We'll start off with the good stuff just like the others

° Loves Cats!

° Leo

° Smoking

° Game Night

° Likes Dust

° Being a Night owl

° Training with Leo

° Being a gremlin

° Burgers and Chicken strip dinners

° Messing with Cross

° Teasing Leo - lightly -

° Sharpening Weapons

° Giving Horror weird ideas of what to bake

° Horror Movies

° Being the Big spoon when cuddling

° Multiverse Website

° Secretly loves being referred as she/her

Now the bad stuff

° Pyrus

° Dislikes Cross

° Emotionslly pained

° A depressed/ down Leo

° Being awake in the day

° Training with Horror

° His Corruption

° Nightmares Corruption

° Losing at game night

° White Chocolate

° Fruits

° Dream

° Gaslighting

° Frogs

° Hates his AU

Here's a bit of Info on Killer :D

When the human first arrived there was something off about them. It wasn't until he couldn't find his brother even when the human had been long gone from Snowdin.

He found his brother or what had remained. This didn't make sense to him, he thought they were finally going to be free after so long and he had planned to tell his brother what he had preferred after years of struggling.

He expected the human to at least someone.

He expected the human to help monsters.

.... They never did even after they had reversed everything just to do it again, and again, and again!

He gotten so very tired of it that when he was about to tell his brother infront of the human something changed. It rather Something New had happened.

There was another human yet they weren't completely there. The strange human seemed to have noticed and gave a smile to him. They even tried to team up with him to do the human but had refused.

So many resets had came and gone after there offer. At the time it wasn't appealing but after the resets it became more and more tempting.

What tipped him over was his own brother constantly refusing his attempts to deter him even going as far as telling him what happened in the other resets. His own brother had called him delusionional for making up stories, mixing his dreams and reality together. He doesn't even know why he tried so many times to save them when it always got thrown in his face. Why it never worked. Why they started to hate him.

He had enough of them. He took his homes sharpest kitchen knife and turned them all to dust not realizing the more he killed the more he lost his senses.

Instead of flowey the human met him what happened next he'd enjoy and savor every bit. The ghost like human prevented the human from resetting allowing him to finally rid them yet the ghost stayed.

It was annoying at first but after awhile he grown fond of them. Months had passed since then with the ghost staying by him.

" So what do you preferred to be referred to if there was others? " out of everything that was the oddest thing to have asked.

" heh. You're very strange to ask that after all this time but are the first to have asked. "

" You didn't answer my question."

" Alright I throw a bone. I'd prefer to be referred to as a she on my good days but a he in my worst." They grinned and once again made their offer but this time he had nothing to lose.

" I can reset only once. Once this happens kill everyone and you'll gain twice the amount you'll normally get." They informed me sighing and nodding to them. Our souls merged and everything resetted but something was extermly wrong.

She did what was asked but didn't remember most of it when voices came filling her head with urges, hate, and a bittersweet tone reminding them of everything. This wasn't what they said would happen!

He can't stop even when he tried. He killed his friends, family, co workers and even destoried the remaining 6 human souls.

Someone, anyone please help!

That single plea was the last of his coherent thoughts before he fell to darkness. He doesn't remember what happened next but a gentle tone and diverging very wet came through amongst the chaos and pain. When he came to he was tied up with a white goopy like melted paste monster infront of him with a tiny skeleton child looking very hurt. She must've been on autopilot since they said something but it didn't register properly. The tiny monster came and took a knife out of her arm and hand. When was she hurt and why couldn't she feel anything? Before she knew it there was a gentle green glow before it was gone.

"What's your name? I don't mean your actual name. "

Before she knew it she spoke the only word that human ghost kept calling them claiming it'll be a fitting name.

" Killer "

Here's the stats ^^

Name : Killer

Age : 481

Height : 5'10

Gender : Male

Pronouns : He/She/Him/Her

Relationship: Leo

HP : 16,000

HP : 5,000

KR : -1 HP per day

ATT: 650

ATT : 960

DEF : 890

DEF : 100

Magic lv : 45/100

Magic lv : 120/700

Magic : bone attacks, magic knife, teleportation, magic boost

Weapon of choice : any knife that's sharp

The loss : touch + pain, most emotions, sense of danger , part of common sense, can only taste certain things otherwise it too is gone.

The gain : strength, wickedly good immune system, immune to some poisons, stealth, 2x exp gain, self KR

Killers motto

" live like it's your last as there is no redos."

" never give up hope "

" You feel your sins screaming at you to flee. Your not to sure if you want to run or confront this monster. "

[modeus-the-unbound]

First Elden Ring OC, the canon compliant one.

Yvelt, she is a Big Beefy Woman, olive complexion and 6'2. One of Hoarah Loux's tribe (refuses to ever use the name Godfrey without saying it like the most foul insult) and feels he betrayed her and their tribe after returning to The Lands Between (TLB) as a Tarnished. She starts as the Hero class and thinks Melina is weird/mildly untrustworthy.

Gets the Spirit Caller bell and in a moment of smartass teasing, refuses to say she is able to summon Torrent. She enjoys getting a rise out of this tiny woman. She doesn't recognize Ranni from her time in TLB before being sent away since she looks so different and is calling herself Renna. She progresses through the game normally, slaying Godrick and finding Rennala to be a pitiful sight. Then she finds Ranni and learns of her identity, she doesn't put much stock in an Empyrian reduced to a literal puppet. She turns down her offer to serve her and leaves for the Rahdan Festival.

She sees a woman in a church, heavily infected with scarlet rot, on the way to it. She recalls how this pox managed to harm even a demi-god like Malenia and feels empathy for the poor woman. She learns of the Unalloyed gold needle and goes through the process of retrieving it and then implanting it into the poor souls flesh. She leaves before the woman awakens, satisfied she did a good deed.

She is excited to battle Rahdan...until she sees him. She raises the spyglass to her eye at the top of the elevator to his arena. She recalls how he was talked about by his soldiers before the Shattering war, the hunched over figure is nothing like what she was told of. The sight of him eating his own soldiers corpses like a rabies infected dog sickens her. She kills him and moves on with hate in her heart.

She begins to truly hate, with a burning passion unlike before. It would be easy to aim it at Malenia, for doing this to him and to Caelid...but she aims higher. She recalled how the Stormveil castle looked prior to her departure. She recalls how grand and lively the streets of Leyndell were...and she begins to hate whatever god sent that damnable Elden Ring to this world!

She doesn't know how but she ends up in front of a massive door in the bottom of a makeshift tomb within the city. She pushes them open and see's the Three fingers. She eagerly welcomes their embrace, yes...let chaos take the world, Let Chaos Take The World! She gleefully goes forth to kill anyone who would slow her ascent to the mountaintop. Until she spies a red haired woman, she recognizes her. It's the woman from the church. She wants to approach and introduce herself, but something takes a hold of her. She goes mad for a moment and hits the redhead suddenly with a haphazard swing of her axe. The woman doesn't even have time to scream. She swings a few more times until she spies the Unalloyed Needle sticking out of her mutilated flesh.

The madness passes and leaves her alone with the corpse, this disturbes her. This...isn't what shs wanted at all. She didn't want to be controlled like a puppet...like a puppet. She takes the needle and races as fast as she can upon Torrent to Ranni. She begs Ranni to allow her to serve Ranni's goals of removing the influence of the outer gods from TLB. Ranni sends her underground, to retrieve a dagger. One forged from a dead god. Over the course of helping Ranni, she learns from Blaidd how to resist the madness of the Three Fingers. She becomes Ranni's most loyal retainer, and after injecting the Unalloyed Needle in a place outside of time, she becomes Ranni's Consort.

She doesn't see the irony of her relationship with Ranni after that. She is too focused on smashing her former tribe leaders head into the rubble. (And maybe cheering for joy when she realizes she is on the recieving end of Hoarah Loux's infamous power bomb) The way her loyalty and willingness to bend the world for Ranni, to destroy anyone in her Mistresses path and how it mirrors the path Hoarah Louxs walked with Marika, eludes her. She takes the mantle of Elden Lord in the name of her Mistress, following her on the cold dark path she treads.

Tldr, Hero class beefcake of a woman. Former member of Hoarah Loux's tribe. Goes down the Three fingers path out of resentment and bitter hatred at first, but then uses the Unalloyed Gold Needle to become free. Falls in love with Ranni. The end.

[icharchivist]

how is cloud this awkward

he's SO awkward.

Like, Cloud tries to mask his self with the tough soldier's front but he's genuinely a dork and rather socially awkward and doesn't always know what to do and all. He's so, so often awkward, or doing something silly just because.

And generally once his friends manage to peel through the tough guy facade they get to tease him more because actually, he's such a dork, and so he is just even more awkward because his broody face isn't saving him anymore.

He's such a fun character. The only place he's always comfortable with is fighting. Anything else he's like a deer caught in the headlights.

though if you want a serious answer, i'm inviting you under the read more (but also, spoilers)

like on the big why? he was not getting along with the kids of his hometown who found him a bit weird because he was shy and reserved, and while Tifa did like him as a friend, her group of friends were mostly uncomfortable around Cloud because of that

(adding to it Cloud only lived with his mother, who was single, never clarified what happened to the father aside from the fact Cloud never knew him, and there was a stigma over his mom raising a kid alone which also served to isolate them a little due to the rumors and stuff, all while Cloud didn't want to be a burden to his mother so he didn't rely on her heavily).

and then eventually, Tifa had an accident the folks of the village thought Cloud had provoked (she learnt about her mother death and ran into the mountain they lived on to cry, and Cloud tried to follow her because it was dangerous, and Tifa slipped and fell in a huge gap, and Cloud tried to catch her but fell with her. When the adults found them, Tifa has been severely injured, but Cloud got away with it only with scrapped knees. So people basically started rumoring it's Cloud who must have dragged her there and it's his fault. And Cloud started to believe it too.)

All of this to say, it isolated him even more and all, and because of his guilt over it he himself took his distances from Tifa.

So he basically grew up without a real friend group and this weird sense of guilt toward Tifa, and so he played it tough because the one thing encouraging him is that he wanted to be a hero like Sephiroth (who was already a war hero at the time). And because everyone wanted to be a hero like Sephiroth, well, he also had a tad of a superiority complex that he's not like those NORMAL KIDS, HE will make it to Soldier, for sure!

so he left his hometown only after promising to Tifa he'll come back when he can protect her (it's a promise she asked him to make to be clear)

But joining the army as a teen didn't solve any of his problems (who would have thought) because at this point he was already rude and offputting and when he failed to pass the Soldier's appliances and was instead put in the Infantry, he was extremely salty but also soulcrushed that he was not as good as he had hoped he could be.

And so on that level he was already socially awkward from not managing to connect with people as a kid, and when he joined the army he found this gap even more jarring and it's implied he didn't really make a lot of friends there because he's was a jerk to them.

It's when he met Zack that things became a little different, because Zack was this cool Soldier First Class, friend of Sephiroth, who immediately found Cloud cool because of the same nerdy things he would do. He immediately hit off with Zack because Zack basically build him up and encouraged him and mentored him.

Like in Crisis Core there's a few scenes where Cloud is even surprised Zack remembers him while Zack is like "how could i forget you", the others infantry folks made fun of Cloud because he's motion sick while Zack genuinely cared and worried for him, you even have a scene where Zack invites Cloud for dinner and the others Infantry men Cloud was around at the time kinda invited themselves and Cloud was too awkward to set boundaries because he can't quite monopolize their superior right? (but Zack just wanted to spend time with Cloud so it was awkward for him too).

hell, Cloud was in the SAME ROOM AT ZACK and then when Zack JUST LEFT THE ROOM Cloud sent him this:

they were IN THE SAME ROOM. CLOUD STRIFE MOST AWKWARD OF THEM ALL.

and also this is an email Cloud sent him, too, while they were STILL ROOMING IN THE SAME ROOM:

sorry i got lost in the sauce i'm unwell, but basically the tldr, Cloud is this awkward because he literally just mostly was isolated in his youth trying not to be a burden and feeling guilty for anything that happened next to him, was even more isolated and awkward once he joined the army and realized he wasn't as good as he hoped his status as an outcast would make him, and he just sucks at communicating with people.

the two people he ever admired so much that when he got amnesia he based his personalities around them were Sephiroth and Zack.

while keeping in mind that Sephiroth's ultimate betrayal really messed Cloud up and made him unable to look up to him again, while Zack literally died for Cloud.

But as we move in the OG, as he plays up his whole "i'm not here to make friends, i'm here to fight" persona that he carefully crafted without realizing, he gets to meet people who make him drop his mask. and under all of this cool and jaded persona he built up, he's just an awkward kid who never could connect with anyone and the only people he genuinely looked up to ended up fucking him up quite badly.

so i lost track of what i meant but this is why Cloud is just genuinely this awkward. It's honestly more of a surprise that he manages to be as composed as he is tbh