#Two deadly (adoptive) parents and one enhanced child. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

honey-minded-hivemind · 1 year

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For the ABO Parent AU, a few things are going to be different. First, they are set in a reboot/au of either X-Men the Animated Series, X-Men Evolution, the XMCU, or possibly even the X-Men anime/s. Second, the au for the reboot/au is ABO based, meaning there are some changes based around that. Third, I will add some fanon/personal headcanons to this au. And finally, this is an au made by me, so it is what it is. It isn't canon, and it's platonic yandere fiction. It's for fun😊

The basics of this au will be discussed here, for the ABO Parent AU, and for the two platonic yans in question, and a bit about their groups/allies... with all of this said, let's begin:

• ABO in this world is complicated. I'm not going to get into it too much, but, guys and girls and nonbinaries can have different ways to have a baby. Omegas are not seen as helpless, neither are Alphas or Betas. There may be some stereotypes, but, each gender has their own strengths. Alphas are usually strong and speedy, and can't carry a child/pup/cub, because they don't have a womb. Betas are sturdy and hardy, they can survive in good and bad conditions easier than Alphas or Omegas, and can either give someone a child or have one themself. And then there are Omegas, who are usually muscular/bigger-boned and stronger than Alphas, and they all have a womb.

• Mutants are enhanced, no matter what gender they are. They have heightened senses compared to a normal human, stronger instincts/urges, and form pack bonds. They have the heightend specialties of their gender, as well as their mutation/s. This makes them very powerful, and in this world, less likely to kill each other or harm a child/pup/cub. And if they have an animalistic/feral mutation, well... they'll have the most heightend instincts and senses. The ability to smell if someone is related to another person, ability to scent someone's mood due to the chemicals they emit, can tell a person's gender by their scent... not to mention better eyesight, being stronger or quicker or sturdier, night vision and/or ability to withstand brightness... they have the best senses of humans or other mutants.

• In this au, Logan and Victor do know each other. They are not romantically involved with each other. I'm on the rocks if they are related, adopted brothers, or just old friends... I guess either way, they end up with a grudge against each other and a few memory problems. Will they kill each other? No. Will they fight on sight? Usually, yes. What I can say for now is this: they are both very old, used to know each other and were close (platonically), and don't want the other to die, partly because they fear the other is the only other person who will live as long as they will.

• These two, for this au, are Omegas. Remember what I said about Omegas for this au? How they are muscular/big-boned, and stronger than Alphas? Yep. These two are dangerous, deadly, and very protective of what is their's. And if someone messes with what is their's, then that person gets the claws.

• They, as well as the X-Men and Brotherhood, in this au, are very protective of kids. Or at least not about to toss them off a cliff or plan to kill them. At least, not the mutant kids. Depending on the mutant, they may go after any human kids who hurt their group's kids. The adults are actually trying to feed and keep their children safe. Yes, they still taught them how to fight and harness their abilities. But, they are more protective and caring.

• Nesting happens. A lot. Especially amongst the group members. Blankets, pillows, shirts and sweaters, stuffed animals, quilts, everything soft and with their pack's scent on it, it's going in the nest. Depending on the X-Men media used, the group dynamics may be different. There may be a few kids, one or two, a few adults, or pretty much all adults. One thing is the same: they all want the best for their group, especially the reader, who went missing/was presumed dead as a newborn.

• Speaking of that: both guys are heartbroken when they realize their pup/cub isn't with them after they gave birth. They're exhausted, weak, and barely coherent, but they ask for their baby... and when they find out their baby isn't there... they lose it.

• Their friends/pack do help them through the loss, trying to keep them alive and trying to hold out hope... and for the younger members who come along later, when they find out their teacher/mentor/adopted dad/elder lost their kid... they feel sympathy and empathy for them. Some of these kids have lost their families and friends, and the idea that their group's strong man and general terror lost their own child... it kinda breaks something in them, too.

• If it is X-Men the Animated Series, well, Wolverine has been friends with the X-Men for a long time, and Jubilee becomes a sibling to his child later down the line. Considering Sabretooth, well, he is on semi-good terms with Magneto and Mystique... and his kid gets Nightcrawler, Rogue (plus Gambit), and maybe Greydon Creed? as their siblings. If it is X-Men Evolution, Logan has known Professor Xavier and Storm for years, and his kid gets the entire main teen squad plus the side teen squad as their siblings (plus Laura!), and the other adults as their adopted parents/relatives. On Sabretooth's end, he has known Magneto and Mystique for a long time, and they, along with the Brotherhood teens, are honorary pack for him and his kid. If it is the XMCU, well, every member of each group kinda knows each other, that world is less sad/death-filled, and surprise!, the two starter dads are brothers there, and that dad's kid kinda ends up with an entire mutant society/school/mega-pack when they end up being discovered.

• And in the end, well... once their kid is found, they aren't letting them go. That is their child, their pup/cub, and they'll be d*mned if they let their child be taken away from them again!

#honeycomb thoughts #platonic yandere marvel #yandere platonic marvel #platonic yandere #platonic yandere marvel x reader #yandere x-men #platonic yandere x reader #platonic yandere wolverine #platonic yandere sabretooth #ABO Parent AU!

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omegasamwilson · 3 years

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I literally had a panic attack when I watched Ayo take off Bucky's arm. I was born without my left arm and see a lot of myself in Bucky. I have a prosthetic and had to stop the episode and watch it later. And it really hurt me to see your completely disregard that and say I have no right to be upset. It really pisses me off. I'm fully acknowledging that Bucky did a terrible thing, and he needed to be stopped. But she didn't have to remove his arm. He wouldn't have hurt her. To see you refer to his arm in the tags as a weapon further hurt me. It's not a fucking weapon, it's his fucking arm. You're trying to twist this into a race issue when it's about fucking ableism. I'm brown not black so I don't know if you'll accept my concerns with your post

Hi, one, I apologize for what is sure to be a very long and very frustrated statement. But I’m dealing with a lot of shit rn (actually related to race and ableism specifically) but I wanted to respond because my ADHD ass will forget otherwise.

Okay. One, you say “he wouldn’t have hurt her.”

We, the audience, knows that. Ayo did not. What she knows is that the man before her was an assassin and sniper, even before he was captured and forced to kill by HYDRA. He was a WWII sniper and seemed to be quite skilled (I’m going to assume that’s one of the reasons HYDRA tried to experiment on him and picked him to he the winter soldier.) In any case, this newly reformed (and at the time, just barely reformed. As in, he was healed a month, maybe two months before the events of infinity war. So he’s been healed for a whopping seven months.) This newly reformed assassin, who had been the victim of either chemical or otherwise mental subjugation freed a terrorist from prison.

Not only did he free a terrorist from prison, he freed a terrorist that was obsessed with HYDRA. If any terrorist knew a back door to unlock the winter soldier again, it would be Baron Zemo, who knew each and every one of HYDRA’s secrets.

While Shuri is definitely brilliant, it’s entirely possible that HYDRA buried a safety within their “asset” just in case he was able to break his programming. It’s entirely possible that it was so well buried amongst the labyrinth that is the brain that even Shuri couldn’t find it. After all, Shuri isn’t a neuroscientist, and the brain is largely regarded as the final frontier. So it’s entirely possible that she missed buried programming.

So, we have a person that got rid of HYDRA’s programming seven months ago that just freed one of the only people on the planet that could have the information that could potentially reactivate the winter soldier. And THEN, we have a video of this man “acting” as the winter soldier in madripoor. This was uploaded on the internet and I’m assuming that Ayo saw it.

What proof does Ayo have that he won’t hurt her? That she won’t weaponize his arm and hurt her? What proof does she have that he’s not under Zemo’s control, that Zemo can’t control him in a second. The only thing she knows are that Bucky Barnes freed a terrorist that had access to all of HYDRA’s information, the terrorist appeared to control the winter soldier in madripoor, and it is entirely possible that there is buried programming designed to deactivate the winter soldier.

She deactivates it, realizes he’s fully in control of himself and says, “bast damn you, James.” As in, “fuck you for freeing a terrorist and acting like it isn’t a big deal. You are clearly acting on your own accord in this.”

And yes, it’s different being Black vs. being Brown. It isn’t to say that racism and ableism don’t intersect with Brown folks because obviously it does.

But l specifically asked for Black opinions bc of the demonization of Black folks, especially the trope of “big scary Black women” or “big scary Black men.”

It’s ironic I see this today when I have a story that is so relevant and anger inducing.

I work with white parents of Black children, usually through adoption since I work primarily with lgbt parents, but I do have some cis het white parents raising Black biological kids. One of the parents and friends got into it today because her autistic Black child got into it with their sibling (also disabled). The sibling intentionally triggered their older sibling and punched them and it escalated to the point where the bigger sibling finally reacted and shoved the younger sibling. It broke the younger kid’s glasses. The youngest is legally blind and needs very expensive and specific prescription classes to even have 20/40 vision.

The mom called the police on her child and the kid was arrested and charged. She is 15. Mom described the kid as aggressive and awful and terrible and all sorts of names. A ww called the police on her Black 15 year old child having a meltdown. And she played into stereotypes that Black people, Black women, are aggressive/scary/angry. A ww could’ve gotten her child killed for having a meltdown because she broke a white child’s disability aid.)

A ww couldve gotten her child killed because she played into anti-Black stereotypes. That white people need protection from them. Even when the white child was initially the aggressor in the scenario.

Sure, it’s different, but it plays to the same stereotypes. Poor white disabled person needs protection from the aggressive scary Black person, and we’re just going to assume that the Black person was being unnecessarily aggressive because it plays into all of the stereotypes about Black people. No, there’s no way that this Black person was making a decision based on a series of evidence that could point to them genuinely being harmed.

(By the way, in the scenario of the two kids, I think they both needed help and support, and that the police shouldn’t have been called period.)

Nope, it’s just an aggressive Black person being ableist.

The same systems that have everyone seeing Bucky as a cute little uwu cinnamon roll in need of protection are what caused everyone to see Ayo as an aggressive ableist Black woman. White people usually get the benefit of the doubt. The best intentions are believed even when the evidence clearly says otherwise.

The evidence Ayo had indicated that she had no idea whether the winter soldier could’ve been reactivated and whether or not Bucky could’ve been under zemo’s control. She had no idea. None. She made a decision based off that information. And the fact that Bucky didn’t react strongly indicated that he was acting on his own accord.

Mayhaps, Ayo might even have been trying to trigger the winter soldier. I just thought of this but it makes sense. That the WS would react very defensively and even potentially deadly to that level of fighting, even if his previous orders were different.

In any case, this situation isn’t comparable to every day disabled people because our disability aids to not double as weapons. Most people can’t do more harm with a prosthetic limb than they can with a regular limb. Bucky can. Bucky’s arm is also a weapon and that fact complicates matters considerably. If bucky’s arm were simply a regular arm with typical strength, it’d be a no brainer situation. But it’s not. We don’t know the wakanda enhancements of his arms, but we know in the comics, he could kill with a single punch using his arm. He uses his arm tactically to map his surroundings. He uses his arm to send off EMPs that can disabled weaponry. It even has a retractable blade for close combat. It is a disability aid that it also a weapon. It was designed to be a weapon. The normal conversations around disability aids don’t fit it because no one today has a disability aid that could kill someone in seconds and even cause larger scale damage with a targeted EMP.

And finally, I want to say this, I am truly sorry that you had a panic attack while watching the episode. That is never fair and it’s never fun to be triggered by television shows.

I do hope this helped to better explain and clarify my perspective.

#nonny mouse #ayo #tfatws #police cw #ableism #anti blackness

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fallencomrade · 3 years

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━━ 𝟑s

please repost, don’t reblog.

𝟑 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐒

▘ LOYALTY ➺ a shining trait of james barnes that ( somehow ) survived the passing of time and tribulation. since his early brooklyn days, bucky barnes displayed a steadfast loyalty and dedication towards those he loved and cherished. growing up during a time when there was a heavy emphasis on duty and responsibility, james understood his role as the eldest and only male child of george and winifred barnes - and assumed that role with ease and enthusiasm. this loyalty extended beyond blood though, as was proven by james’ devotion to close friends, the most notorious being his everlasting friendship with steven rogers. hydra had tried to weaponize this gleaming trait, hoping to mold it to their liking and use it to instill a unquestionable loyalty to their cause. they were pathetically unsuccessful - and the chair and cryochamber were fashioned as a result. after his time spent with hydra, TRUST is something barnes deeply struggles with. his trusted inner circle has certainly grown smaller and much more exclusive, but james still harbors this same dedication to those selected few. given his past and his current afflictions, those bonds�� he does manage to forge prove all the more stronger and resilient.

▘ TENACITY ➺ the serum only enhanced that which already existed within him. childhood was spent surviving the rough and tumble of brooklyn city streets, made all the more grueling with steve rogers as a best friend. as such, barnes learned at a very young age how to assess a situation, adapt to his surroundings and ( most importantly ) how to survive. dance hall skirmishes and back alley brawls were nothing though compared to the brutalities of war. still, it was this grit that helped the young man not only survive but excel as a sergeant. the army soon discovered that this notorious flirt from brooklyn exhibited a certain aptitude for sharpshooting. this impressive talent along with james’ natural charisma helped to build him a trusted reputation within the ranks and respect among his comrades. these talents were also what made the man such a formidable soldier. the bastard - serum amplified these strengths and hydra WEAPONIZED them. years blurred into decades and his skills were hellishly refined thanks to rigorous and ruthless training. the winter soldier program reconstructed the man into a living, breathing weapon capable of handling any firearm, blade, explosive, advanced weaponry, artillery or blunt object. && if he truly found himself limited and weaponless, the cybernetic arm soldered to his body proved a more than capable alternative. in combat, the soldier proved a devastating force and hydra was quick to take the credit and reap the benefits, but this staggering ability to adapt without pause and utilize his surroundings for his advantage stemmed not in the dirty lab of one arnim zola but began on the street corners of the city james barnes’ called home.

▘ VIRTUE / ETHICS ➺ growing up during the depression was not easy for anyone and neither was spending the beginning of young adulthood surviving the second world war. his childhood was marked by some of the worst and most difficult times in history - and yet james never allowed hardship or misfortune deter his regard for hard work, nor did he allow it to pollute his idealistic outlook on life. both his parents worked hard to support the family and that same work - ethic was imparted onto james, who assumed the role eagerly and naturally. luckily, during this time of strife, his family always had enough to provide both him and his two sisters a comfortable lifestyle, with various opportunities to explore and take advantage of - which was more than some families could boast at that time. after the death of sarah rogers, james made the decision to move into an apartment with his best friend. as young bacherlors, they did not have much but together they managed to scrape by and make an honest living. despite steve’s skepticism, james’ choices were never made out of pity or some disgruntled sense of obligation. he worked tirelessly and did what he had to because that was what he grew up believing. a man takes care of the people he loves, no matter what. whatever the cost - working two jobs, skipping a meal here and there, some months spent without heat, selling unnecessary belongings - bucky would do whatever was necessary - and did so without complaint. in fact, he woke up each morning with a smile on his face and a quip on his tongue. for him, there was no better reward or greater comfort than knowing the ones he loved were taken care of. he believes himself unrecognizable when compared to that willful man now, but certain traits of the old james barnes can still be found within him. there is a payout for hard work and the man that he is today is slowly remembering those feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment in honest labor.

𝟑 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒

▘ RUTHLESSNESS ➺ 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑢𝑚 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝘩𝑖𝑐𝘩 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠. 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡. 𝑏𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 ... before the horrible truth was unmasked, the history books painted james barnes in a favorable glow. he was known for being the young jovial, dashing side - kick of captain america. A PATRIOT - dedicated, noble, brave, honorable ;; an honest, hardworking man who cared about family, duty, honor and sacrifice. && he was many of these things. no one could deny james barnes of his genuine heart of gold. the man was willing to do anything for those he loved. anything. such love was a truly powerful thing, capable of cultivating great beauty. it could also prove to be equally as DISASTROUS. at its purest form, it inspired strength, selflessness, kindness. twisted, it became a deadly incentive. the BRUTALITY of the winter soldier was not born solely from the torture inflicted upon him or the serum he was infected with. beneath his buoyant, sprightly exterior existed a side of james barnes that was seldom exposed, unless provoked. there was a violence that lived within the darker parts of his heart, a ruthless determination to protect the things which were important to him. && if anyone dared to threaten those things ? well ... those details are far less known. if needed, james had no qualms about getting his hands dirty or splitting open his knuckles to send a very clear message. he had an ability to separate himself from his own subconscious and used this talent to become someone almost unrecognizable from his more charming counterpart. this austerity deepened into something even more callous during the war - when the enemy became much more larger and far more deadly. to switch back and forth between these personas became even more fluid and then - it became frighteningly easy. it was a duality that many were forced to adopt in order to survive the TRAUMAS of war. it was only a glimpse of what he was truly capable of though. the extent of his CRUELTY reached its full potential once he was injected with zola’s serum. bucky barnes was capable of great horror, even before he became the winter soldier - but with the serum, the torture && captivity - this capacity was exposed and steadily becoming the CRUX of his entire character. despite the size of his heart of the pureness of his intentions, there still exists a violence inside of him. ruthless and efficient, it has grown, survived, thrived and matured over the years, and still sits within his core today - its potential just as deadly and just as horrifying.

▘ DISSOCIATION / DETATCHMENT ➺ an extension of the adverse trait described above, james started to display this ability to separate himself from his more repugnant qualities early on. he was never known for being VIOLENT. that brutality was extracted and molded once hydra got their hands on him, it was assumed. the historians will tell you the winter soldier was a product of inhumane warfare, experimentation, abuse and indoctrination, but james knows the truth ... in the beginning, james did what he had to to protect the ones he loved. during his captivity, he did what he had to to survive. && now - he does what he needs to to live with himself. && what was necessary in all these occasions required the man to separate himself from his empathy - and later on, his HUMANITY. he relied so heavily on this mechanism during his time as the soldier that the disconnection became more common than not and breaking free from that impulse is something he continues to struggle with today - and something he is hesitant to even relinquish. dissociation makes it easier to exist ;; to move forward - as is expected of him. one day bleeds into another, into another, into another ... and he moves with it, no longer a phantom existing outside of time. instead, an active presence. — but his continued reliance on this crutch ? he exists. but is james barnes living ? IS HE REALLY ALIVE ?

▘ INDECISION ( current day ) ➺ a weakness that only manifested after his captivity, barnes deeply struggles with the burden of choice. freedom. autonomy. ambition. purpose. all the small ( yet crucial ) decisions and preferences that define a person’s character oftentimes feels absent from his makeup. james buchanan barnes used to have strong opinions, about anything and everything. his favorite flavor of pie, best subject in school, favored season, blondes - brunettes ? hell, he even had a favorite color. if someone were to ask this james barnes about those same sentiments, if they lasted and endured the years along with him or if they had changed with the time, james would falter and stare back with vacant eyes. individuality feels like a withered gravesite inside of him, a bottomless pit of nothing. every so often he may hear the flickering echoes of what once was, but the enthusiasm - the passion - feels distant, far - away. for decades, he had been deprived of free will. he was a WEAPON and weapons did not feel or think. weapons did not make noise unless fired by the hands authorized to use them. unbounded, given a NAME once again, a voice - and he knows he should feel grateful. && yet, the only thing he feels is overwhelmed. his mind does not hesitant when it comes to battle ;; TO KILLING. his hands know exactly which gun to reach for given a situation, how much pressure to apply to snap a bone. he no longer needs to run the numbers in his head to calculate a bullets’ trajectory given distance and wind speed. he fires without thought and never misses. he is an expert of wartime tactics. violence is second nature to him, right behind DEATH. now, alive - a free man ... they ask him what he wants and barnes ... does not know - and he inadvertently still finds himself looking to others to supply those answers ( that instruction. )

𝟑 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒

▘ SHAMEFUL INCLINATIONS ➺ to admit such whims out loud would flood him with repugnant shame. he knows it is wrong to reminisce and crave the inertia of subjection, but he cannot deny the nostalgic longing that twists inside of him on his darkest days. to think such things ;; to feel such things disgraces the efforts and sacrifices that were made in order to free him from those chains. — but james barnes has always been selfish like that. it is easy to brush off accountability and blame hydra for everything. 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗆, 𝗍𝗈𝗇𝗒 ! 𝗁𝗒𝖽𝗋𝖺 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗅 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽. ▪ 𝚑𝚢𝚍𝚛𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞. ▪ 🇾🇴🇺 🇦🇷🇪 🇹🇭🇪 🇱🇴🇳🇬🇪🇸🇹 🇸🇪🇷🇻🇮🇳🇬 🇵🇴🇼. ▪ 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚌𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗. ▪ 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗂𝖽 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌, 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎. 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾. NO CHOICE. they had absolute control over his body, his mind. (did they?) he could not refuse. (couldn’t he?) the grim reality is that, as years bled into decades, the leash hydra had chained around his neck started to loosen considerably, until the pull barely existed at all. rarely did his handlers need to rely on the early tactics to keep him in line. he COMPLIED without resistance. both masters and soldier fell into an agreeable rhythm, following a trusted routine. it made activation less agonizing, muffled the scratching of chaotic thoughts into soothing white noise. it made his orders simpler ;; made killing easier ;; made existing with himself ... easier. it was a gift ( they told him ) to be relieved of the burden of choice and there are times when he still ( shamefully ) agrees with this. to feel nothing at all, after having felt so much ... ? it is a very dangerous thing. the numbing high of indifference, apathy, inertia - can feel like FREEDOM.

▘ LIKELIHOOD OF RECOVERY ➺ the harrowing truth ... he has lived more of his life as a WEAPON than he has a person. after everything he has gone through, james feels more machine than he does human. he feels the corrosion of rust spreading through him. his body does not feel like flesh and bone, but more akin to gears and wires and metal. thoughts are mere embedded programming ... implanted, artificial. his heart feels like a gnarled knot inside his chest. his soul feels absent. morality is faint, compassion - oftentimes hard to find. to choose requires great effort ;; to think requires effort ;; to care requires effort - and james is exhausted. those on his side tell him he deserves a chance to recover, to heal - but he sometimes thinks that the best thing they could do given the situation is to take this body that feels more like a weapon, decommission it, place it in storage under lock and key and allow it to gather dust. can he heal ? can he recover ? can he exist as anything other than a weapon ? after all this time and after everything he has gone through ? he isn’t sure. optimism hasn’t been his forte since 1942. he considers himself a realist. && if his chances follow his rotten history of luck, the odds do not appear to be on his side.

▘ DRAFTED SOLDIER ➺ he will never admit it. ever. && how befitting - this dark secret. how it reveals the nature of his character ... all the blood on his hands, all the lives he has stolen, the atrocities he has committed - and this is the one thing he is most ashamed of. his head is filled with dark secrets - hydra’s, his own. all of them are shameful, ugly, brutal and yet this one secret stands out the most in his mind. this is the one that GUTS him the most, because it was before ... everything. before the war, before hydra, before the soldier. this reveals james barnes at his core. this is his blemish ;; his most reproachable trait. this destroys his character more than hydra or the soldier ever did. it is a truth he will never admit to, to anyone. he will even go as far as denying it, lying to his dying breath. — but how could he admit such a thing ? after witnessing the bravery and determination he saw in others, in his best friend - to serve, to protect - without the slightest pause or hesitation. all the while he tried to hide from the call of duty, hoping. praying. james barnes never signed up to serve the second world war. it is a secret he has never admitted to anyone. not to his friends, his father or sisters. not to the other commandoes. not even ( especially not ) steve. && it is a secret he will take to the grave.

𝟑 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒

▘ LOSING AUTONOMY ➺ while freedom has proven tumultuous, he still prefers the struggle when compared to the alternative. while under hydra’s control, james barely surfaced, but the rare times he did he saw the world though a murky sheet of ice, drifting in the inertia of the soldier’s compliance. existence felt more like an out of body experience - a resultant of trauma, he was later told. he witnessed his torture, his brutal crimes, the creeping advancement of hydra’s power, more as an onlooker than an active participant. it made certain things ... easier to stomach. the torture, the experiments ;; stasis, the chair. it made following orders ... simpler. he hardly blinked when exposed to his own potential for DEVASTATION. the violence. the breaking, rebuilding and training of more soldiers, the little spiders. torture. murder. during his less lucid states, he ( selfishly ) welcomed the disconnect, but every so often - his old sense of morality would give a kick and he would stare, wide - eyed and horrified. he would honestly try with every bit of strength he had left inside of him to stop himself, to control himself, but even his hardest endeavors failed miserably against the soldier’s rigid conditioning. nothing more than the occasional hiccup in his code, a sudden half - second hesitation - quickly roped back into submission by screaming static. to exist in such a way - condemned to watch as your shadow destroys every bit of light within, fated to feel the rot putrefy your soul, slowly - slowly ... it is a terrible thing. && it will continue to haunt james for the rest of his life. he may struggle to find purpose after his liberation, the motivation and energy to pursue a meaningful life, but the last thing he ever wants ( what he fears ) is to be used as a PUPPET again.

▘ LIVING ➺ he existed in a definite state for a very long time, long enough for him to find comfort in routine, monotony - THE EXPECTED. there was an equation to surviving hydra ( surviving himself ) - and hydra proved they would be true to their word if only he obeyed. COMPLIANCE WILL BE REWARDED. orders were clear and exact and non - negotiable. missions were organized and coordinated, objectives defined well before he was even pulled from stasis. he knew what to expect - how much pain he would need to endure, what followed activation, what proceeded mission completion - and he knew what he needed to do in order to make the process bearable. ( ready to comply ) the soldier did not like it when things did not go according to plan. like hydra, he did not like surprises. lose ends. it required him to make decisions, to think ... orders were simple. all he needed to do was complete them as quickly, as cleanly and as efficiently as possible, AS INSTRUCTED. any deviation from the expected leads quickly into CHAOS and chaos can be as dangerous and as deadly as an explosion. after the failure of project insight, the soldier was forced to adapt to his situation in order to survive. the upheaval of sudden liberation almost destroyed him. he spent those first few months in a mad attempt to regain some semblance of order. he hid out of sight, living as a ghost while struggling with whiplashing whims: the rigid impulse to return to his surviving handlers ( for orders ) or the luring urge to continue to run and observe this new form of reality he had abruptly been exposed to. it was a constant strife between soldier and man ;; compliance and curiosity. the longer he was exposed to clean air though, the more james barnes settled to the surface, the stronger his voice became. the soldier slowly started to come to terms with some truths. he did not miss the chair - or hydra’s drugs. he did not miss the violence. it was enough to justify his decision to run - and slowly, the man started to live. to be alive ( human ) opened the door to many things he did not mind. music, knowledge, the warmth of a blanket, pizza ... but there was a price. james learned in bucharest that he could not continue to live as a ghost. he could not continue to reap the benefits of living without also bearing its obligations. the more he is dragged back into the land of the living, the more responsibility is placed on his shoulders. he is forced now to make decisions that not only impact his life but others as well. it also brings into focus his past, forcing him to start coming to terms with his crimes - and his guilt. to live a life involves many things james is not yet comfortable with. he is forced to move forward, to make choices, to collaborate and trust others, to heal ... all new waters the man is deathly afraid to wade into, because it leads to uncertainty, leads to the unexpected. cause and effect. there is no equation to guarantee success ;; no trusted, proven procedure to follow. to live a full life means making decisions and then being brave enough to live with those decisions. barnes still deeply struggles with the fear of the UNKNOWN, and when overwhelmed by crippling indecision, finds himself clinging to old comforts. that same sickening desire to exist once more beyond the bounds of time, a chimera relieved of the burden of choice all together.

▘ HIMSELF ➺ his potential. his mind, body - everything contained within this cage of blood and bone terrifies him. for him ( && those made like him ) freedom is nothing more than a far - fetched pipedream. zemo shattered all illusions of freedom, and all it took was the whisper of ten choice words. regardless of the small progress he made in the years following his defection, all of it was reduced to rubble the moment he was dragged back into the plane of the living. he was careless, ignorant, sloppy - allowing himself to be curious, hopeful - and six agents paid the price for it in germany when the soldier was reactivated. the great fist of hydra is indeed a terrifying sight to behold, but james understands the soldier is simply a byproduct of himself - and that is what truly horrifies him. even before the serum was introduced into his body, his potential was ... concerning. the things he was willing to do back home ;; the things he was willing to do during the war ... the disconcerting ways he was able to manipulate his own morality. his malleable ethical code. the serum only heightened that which already existed inside of him, but it did pave a space for corruption to thrive. it made him even more dangerous, even more LETHAL. his potential for destruction was exemplified. his ability to survive, his tolerance for pain - expanded. the serum allowed hydra the opportunity to find that seed of ugliness which existed inside of him and feed it, cultivate it. they helped it grow and thrive, and then sowed the deadly fruits. the things he found himself capable of - the violence, the brutality. the things he learned to stomach ;; the horrors he found himself able to commit ... revolutionists. bright minds. visionaries. humanitarians. entire families. innocent bystanders. good people. children. he killed without blinking ;; without flinching - and then returned to the people who issued those orders and waited for more. there were a handful of times when he hesitated, questioned - but for the most part, he completed his orders without question and did so without feeling a flutter of disturbance. i had no choice. hydra had control of his mind. you couldn’t refuse them. it wasn’t your fault. he can hide behind those excuses all he wants, but barnes knows what lives inside of him. he knows what hydra put inside him and what was already there. the winter soldier might be an exaggeration of the worst parts of a person - as captain america exemplified the best - but the soldier is only a reflection of the darkness that already lived within him. && THAT IS TERRIFYING.

𝟑 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋𝐒

▘ PURPOSE ➺ ever since his reemergence back into the land of the living, james has struggled to understanding what to do with newfound existence. a name, a face, a place in this world, an identity and yet - on most days he still feels like a weapon. recovery feels similar to deactivation, and the soldier finds himself waiting, constantly preparing for the day when they will take him out of storage, brush off the rust and use him once more. the expectation looms over him like a dark cloud and hinders his progress. — but what else does he have to offer ? what else can he do ? if not for some useful purpose, why does he exist ? if the only thing he knows how to do is fight, kill, DESTROY - what other direction is there ? he is good at what he does. he is good at what hydra bred him to be ... but he does not want to exist for that purpose. he is tired of war, of violence - but without the constant stimulation of battle, time is a slow and dragging endeavor. he does want to prove ( to the world, hydra, steve, to himself ) that he is more than just a weapon made for war, but he finds himself more often than not questioning the validity to that statement, especially when it is the only thing that feels natural to him. the serum defines him. his skillset defines him. his past defines him - and if he has proven one thing, it is that he is a good fighter. A GOOD KILLER. he excels when it comes to battle. he is hard to stop ;; hard to kill - and these types of strengths point to one obvious path. one does not use a blade to paint a magnificent masterpiece. he was weaponized long ago and to try to be anything but what he has been for so long seems ... counterproductive. still, he does not want to keep fighting - and his doctors tell him that is important ( essential ). if he isn’t serving though, what should he do ? time is so painstakingly slow and without stasis, he does not know how to fill in the stagnant space in between. he might lose whatever shreds of sanity he has left - and there isn’t much left to spare. he needs guidance, instruction. he needs someone to tell him what to do ... they tell him it is up to him to decide, but he doesn’t know. he does not want to go back to hydra ;; he does not want to be controlled or manipulated. — but when time starts to pull and drag and his mind is left free to wander ... there are times when he feels desperate enough to long for orders. he hopes to find some kind of meaning once again to his existence and hopes this time around, it is fashioned for something good.

▘ A SENSE OF IDENTITY ➺ he is not sure he will ever truly feel natural within his own skin or inside his own mind. the face he wears now feels more like a mask, stretched to the seams to hide the husk beneath. for so long he existed as a puppet, body moving on command. his actions never felt like his own and neither did his thoughts. for far too long, he was a stranger inside his own mind and body. the strings have been cut, a name placed back on his tongue - but he still feels ... empty. who is he ? what does he like to do ? what are his hobbies ? his interests ? what does he dislike ? what makes him happy ? what makes him sad ? they ask him these questions and all he can hear are the voices of old hydra handlers inside his head. A WEAPON NEED NOT BOTHER ITSELF WITH SUCH MEANINGLESS FRIVOLITIES. — it is not a part of your code. he often needs to be reminded ( reassured ) - he is not a weapon. he is not a machine. beneath skin and bone, he has a heart. he has a mind and both these things belong to him. he is allowed to want, to feel, to explore, to refuse, to challenge ... freely. it is a hard concept for him to remember and to accept, but he has made some strides. he has discovered ( rediscovered ? ) some things he likes: the feel of sunlight against his face, the smell of coffee, the soft scratch of a record player and the fuzzy music which follows, a trusted knife, pizza, warm blankets ... he has also recognized some things he does not like. the building crackle of electricity, paralysis, the stench of death, silence so loud it hurts, eyes watching him, the sudden, sharp hiss of ice melting, prolonged pain ... meager progress maybe, but it is a start - and james hopes to some day feel the same comfort within his own body and mind that his past - self seemed to epitomize so effortlessly. TO BE HIS OWN PERSON - defined by passions, opinions ;; propelled by confident choices made with conviction ... the idea seems so unattainable given how DAMAGED he is, but it is still something he would like to attain. if only to prove to hydra ( && to himself ) that he is in fact his own person and that he does not belong to anyone - but himself.

▘ TO PROMOTE POSITIVE CHANGE ➺ after all the destruction he has blasted into the course of history, the idea seems almost ... laughable. dismissible certainly, for what other purpose could hands sharpened into blades be used for ? && perhaps even insulting, to those whose lives he ruined. like his other emotions, after his desertion his guilt was initially muted, but the longer he remains in this plane of existence - the more time allowed to heal - the more james comes face to face with those directly impacted by his crimes, and each time the discomfort inside him grows stronger. the memories are returning and most of them are HORRIFIC. the lives he cut short, the families he ripped apart. the orphans he abandoned, the parents he made bury their children ... the peace he broke in order to secure continued chaos. hydra was a parasite, feasting on the corpses of war and conflict - gorging and growing - and he was one of the reasons how they survived and thrived throughout history. the fist of hydra, zimniy soldat, the soldier, hydra’s bloodhound. he was unseen from the eyes of the world, faceless - but his actions resonated ;; his reputation notorious, even if only as a ghost story. many of his crimes have been made public thanks to the widow’s data dump, but there are many ( too many ) that are still undisclosed - known only to him, his victims and the hydra higher - ups who issued the orders. he knows it sounds silly, far - fetched, childish - but it would be nice to have some kind of impact on this world that isn’t so violent or destructive. he knows he cannot make amends for all the bad he has done. there is too much blood ( far too much blood ) but if he could do something ... to prove he can be something more than that which hydra made of him, he would like to try. there is no fixing the damage the winter soldier has caused. there is no way to restore james barnes’ promising reputation, but to leave this world knowing he could do something good - after doing so much bad - would feel ... freeing.

tagged by : stolen ! tagging : @cxpt, @justicetempered, @gcroinya, @fatedfuturist, @agntross, @mxndwitch, @toscrve

#⸢ ✪ ⸥ CHARACTER STUDY. | ‘ 𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑐𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠.#long post for ts #⸢ ✪ ⸥ OOC. | ‘ ��i spent waaay too much time on this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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buckybarnesbingo · 4 years

Photo

BBB Week 34 Roundup!

This includes a LOT of awesome content from the Discord party this past weekend, which is all kinds of excellent!

Title: Herbal Tea, Hikes, and Meditation Collaborator: Link: AO3 Square Filled: K2 - Image of Bucky meditating Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Meditation, Sneaky Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Alternate Universe - College/University Summary: Steve says he enjoys meditation but all he really does when he and Bucky meditate together is feel him up. Word Count:1401

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Title: Bucky’s Christmas Tree Collaborator: hawkeyeandthewintersoldier Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U2 - Holiday Fic Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: Christmas, Established Relationship Summary: Bucky decorates his Christmas tree, wondering if Steve will be home in time for the holidays. Decorating is a thing of pleasure for him, something he knows he deserves now. Word Count: 506

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Title: A Better Future Collaborator: TiBun Link: AO3 Square Filled: U4 - Bucky/Clint Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Mature Major Tags: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Murder, Loss of Parent(s), Adoption Summary: When Sarah and Joseph Rogers take in newly orphaned Clint Barton, they vow to give him the loving, supportive life all children deserved, help him to heal from the damage done. Years later when Clint returns home to Brooklyn after traveling the country with his summer job, he is reunited with his adoptive brother's best friend, and something new begins to spark between them. Word Count: 11,194

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Title: Lighter Collaborator: hawkeyeandthewintersoldier Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K3 - support group Ship: BuckyNat Rating: Teen Major Tags: Dissociation, Therapy, Bucky Barnes recovering, Established Relationship Summary: After he has had a bad week, Bucky talks to his support group and dissociates. It leaves him feeling a bit shaken and his girlfriend Natasha picks him up. Word Count: 1217

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Title: Siren, part 4 : Lost girls find a way Collaborator: writing-mermaid Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U1 - “This might as well happen” Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Mature Major Tags: Mentions of death, degenerative illness, abduction Summary: Y/N is a mutant, a Siren, the last of her kind, with deadly dangerous powers and a hidden past. If most of the Avengers likes and get along with her, Steve doesn’t, and it’s getting worse when Y/N and Bucky become close. After all what can bring two broken souls together if it’s not a dark past. Word Count: 2252

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Title: Unexpected Collaborator: pherryt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y2 - Wings Ship: WinterWidowHawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: moodboard Summary: none Word Count: 955

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Title: What's in This Coffee Anyway?! (moodboard) Collaborator: Faustess Link: AO3 Square Filled: C2 - Time Travel Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: Baristas, Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Office, Coffee, Time Shenanigans Summary: Bucky is a barista and Tony Stark is his favorite customer. Today is the same as any other day except the espresso machine makes a weird sound and... sends them both back in time. Word Count: 100

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Title: Star Camping Collaborator: ariasfandom Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K4 - Star Watching Ship: WinterWitch Rating: Gen Major Tags: Stargazing, moodboard, aesthetic, space, galaxy Summary: A moodboard of Wanda and Bucky stargazing from the back of a pickup truck

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Title: Coffee Time Collaborator: ibelieveinturtles Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K1 - Barista Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: moodboard Summary: When Bucky unexpectedly inherits an old friend’s run down coffee shop, he doesn’t expect much. Then he discovers that the ancient coffee machine is a time machine, sending him from one end of history to another, learning the secrets of the most ancient society of Time Travelling Baristas.

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Title: BBB November 2020 Round Robin Collaborators: fightingforcreativity, rebelmeg, ladydarkphoenix, ariasfandom, Faustess, LLightz, Politzania, ibelieveinturtles Link: AO3 Squares Filled: fightingforcreativity, B3 - Lost their Powers rebelmeg, K5 - gym buddies ladydarkphoenix, B5 - frenemies ariasfandom, K1 - Kidnapped! Faustess, B5 - Fortune Cookie LLightz, U1 - AU Office / Corporate Politzania, K5 - Role Reversal ibelieveinturtles, B2 - Language Ship: several hinted ships, up to reader interpretation Rating: Teen Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Corporate, Gym Buddies, Fortune Cookies, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Injury, Kidnapping, Magic, Multiverse, Plot Twists Summary: A trip to the gym takes one wild turn when Ten Rings Incorporated attacks. Word Count: 2695

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Title: HYDRA's Dolly Collaborator: Fighting_for_Creativity Link: AO3 Square Filled: U3 - Graveyard Ship: Tony & Bucky Rating: Teen Major Tags: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Tony Stark needs a hug, Canon Divergence, Angst, Fluff, Soft bois, Songfic Summary: Bucky remembers some of his victim's names. He knows he remembers this woman. Not knowing how else to deal with his grief, he visits her grave. Remembering more of his life as Hydra's doll, he is surprised to find company and ultimately an unlikely friend. Word Count: 1312

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Title: Visions of Xmas Past, Present, Future Collaborator: lbibliophile Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U2 - Memes Ship: BuckySam Rating: Teen Major Tags: moodboard, blood Summary: Christmas Eve in his shity little apartment in in Bucharest, a recovering Bucky Barnes is granted a gift: a reminder of how far he has come, and how much more he still has to gain.

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Title: It’s a Bee Collaborator: Pyrone Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C3 - free space Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: If you don’t like insects. there are bees, moodboard Summary: After getting funds from unexpected places Bucky moves out and starts a hobby with the old frames and houses he finds in his new place.

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Title: FiveEver Collaborator: ariasfandom Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y1 - Crack Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: Endgame, Crack, Drabble Summary: Forever is a long time to love someone, but fiveever is longer. Sadly, Steve couldn’t realize that until it was too late. Word Count: 100

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Title: Alternate Bucky Collaborator: writing-what-writing Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y3 - alternate timeline self Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: alternate universe mumbo jumbo Summary: Bucky and the other Avengers watch Hot Tub Time Machine and one of the actors looks familiar… Word Count: 414

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Title: Workout Collaborator: lbibliophile Link: Tumblr Square Filled: B4 - Showoff Ship: Tony & Bucky & Steve Rating: Gen Major Tags: moodboard, dog!Bucky, dog!Steve Summary: If there were such a thing as supersoldiers in dog form, Bucky and Steve would be it. Tony loves them, but their energy will be the death of him someday.

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Title: Xanadu Collaborator: Ibelieveinturtles Link: Tumblr Square Filled: U2 - AU: Artist/Muse Ship: BuckyDarcy Rating: Gen Major Tags: moodboard Summary: The Xanadu AU no one asked for: Former Junior Swing Dance Champion Bucky Barnes is home from the army and struggling to reintegrate. He’s got a job as a teacher at his sister Becca’s dance studio but it’s not really what he wants to do with his life. On a night out at a new retro disco nightclub with his best friend Steve, he dances with a girl who matches him better than anyone except Becca. Unfortunately she disappears before he can get her name or number. The next day Bucky runs into an old dancing mentor who invites him to audition for a new musical he’s putting together. When he gets there, he’s thrilled to find the girl from the previous night. Can he win the girl and the lead role or will he bust a move instead?

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Title: Sweets for the Sweet Collaborator: Politzania Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y1 - Blind Date Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: Drabble, Moodboard, fluff Summary: Tony discovers something shocking about his blind date. Word Count: 100

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Title: Till Death Do Us Part Collaborator: pherryt Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y4 - Marriage Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: moodboard Summary: none

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Title: breathe easy (take your aim) Collaborator: plutosrose Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y2 - AU: Sentinel/Guide Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Sentinels & Guides are Known, World War II, Brief Mentions of War-Time Violence, Lots of touching Summary: Erksine stepped up to him and began poking and prodding him, taking his temperature, taking his blood pressure, looking in his eyes, his mouth -- he said something that Steve only understood half of in German, before he drew back and smiled. “It worked.” - The serum enhances every one of Steve's senses. He needs Bucky more than ever. Word Count: 4993

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Title: BBB November 2020 Round Robin - Take Two Collaborators: Ginger, eachpeachpearplum, Poliz, fightingforcreativity, Menatiera, ladydarkhoenix, Faustess, LLightz, Pyrone, ibelieveinturtles, Gavilan Link: AO3 Squares Filled: Ginger, B5 - magnet Peach, B3 - abandonment issues Poliz, C4 - Marriage Menatiera, K4 - passing notes ladydarkphoenix, B3 - comfort clothes Faustess, Y2 - Hand Holding LLightz, K3 - Dog Pyrone, K3 - magical girl ibelieveinturtles, B1 - “Kiss me” Gavilan, K5 - walking disaster Ship: possibly WinterHawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: comfort, coping mechanisms, supportive friends, therapy animals Summary: With the help of his friends, Bucky finds cuddly new ways to cope with his PTSD. Word Count: 3232

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Title: Advent Calendar Collaborator: writing-what-writing Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C2 - Fluff Ship: Bucky/Reader Rating: Gen Major Tags: Advent Calendar, Domestic Fluff Summary: Bucky doesn’t know about advent calendars Word Count: 256

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Title: Baby Steps Collaborator: ariasfandom Link: AO3 Square Filled: U1 - Bathing Ship: Stucky Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Smut, first time, fluff, aftercare Summary: Steve and Bucky had been dating for a while, and they'd been wanting to 'get together' for just as long. Every time they got the chance, Steve stopped everything dead in it's tracts. One day, Bucky brings this up him, and the answer wasn't exactly what he was expecting, so Bucky made it his mission to prove to Steve just how much he loved him and his body. Word Count: 3795

#buckybarnesbingo2020 #bbb2020 #bbb weekly roundup #bbb week 34

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1-1snailxd-art · 5 years

Note

Caretaker Prompts 19 and 15 with angst. May I suggest in a Hunger Games setting or the like?

15 “I know it hurts, I’m sorry.”

19 “Just keep pressure on it.”

I know you said Hunger Games, but because my brain is like a revolving door I couldn’t get anything that was really flowing well with that (I’m not big into Hunger Games. I’ve only read and seen the first one).

So, I went for a Supernatural style universe with Vampires and Werewolves that I kinda came up with ages ago.

Relationships/Character: There’s no romance here - Deceit/Declan (Father figure/Alpha - Born from magic and connected to a snake spirit), Roman and Remus are 17-year-old twin pure-blood werewolves (parents were both wolves rather than being turned, giving them enhanced senses, strength and healing), Virgil is a 3-year-old pure-blooded Vampire (parents were both vampires), and Logan is a 17-year-old human 😝

Warnings: Blood mentioned, panic, vomit mentioned

Words: 2333

Summary: Babysitting was meant to be an easy way for Logan to earn money, but turned deadly when vampires came to hunt the child in his care. Supernatural beings or not, Logan was willing to risk his life for the boy and show he was stronger with nothing but human blood in his veins.

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“Just keep pressure on it.” Remus instructed, shifting aside for Roman to take his place. “I’m going to clear the perimeter.”

“Be careful.”

His twin nodded and hurried down the stairs, leaving Roman alone with a bleeding and grunting Logan.

“I know it hurts, I’m sorry. This wasn’t meant to happen.”

Roman felt horrible listening to the other boy cry out in agony as he adjusted his position to control the bleeding from his stomach.

“He gonna die, Ro? Did I- Did I did it?”

His three-year-old brother shuffled out of the bedroom, tears streaming down his face and mixing with the splatter of blood that coated his face and ninja turtle pyjamas.

“No, buddy. You didn’t do this okay. Just go back in the room and wait.”

“But tha teef.”

Sighing, Roman glanced from the stab wound in Logan’s stomach to the mess that was his shoulder. Fangs had sliced through flesh with the ease akin to a hot knife through butter but was thankfully clear of his face so Roman didn’t need to worry that he had been turned. The vampires who attacked the house were out to kill, not turn or feed, and Virgil’s mouth was too small to do that much damage even if he was rampaging.

“They’re not your teeth, Vee. I promise you; you didn’t hurt the babysitter.”

“Logan.” Virgil said firmly, tears falling faster as he got more worked up. “His name’s, Logan.”

Watching his brother cry was heartbreaking for the older sibling and he had to fight the urge to scoop him up and away in the safety of his embrace, but he knew he couldn’t. Virgil’s eyes were glued to Logan, tiny chest heaving with hiccupped sobs and worsening every time the injured man made a sound.

“Virge, buddy, you need to get back in the room.” Roman was desperate for Remus to return, or even their father for that matter, just so someone could help Virgil before he had another vampire to deal with. “I promise I will help Logan, but I need you safe first.”

The small nod as Virgil shuffled back should have offered some reassurance but Roman’s senses peaked; his inner wolf smelling a change in his little brother’s system.

Turning towards the stairs, he focused on working out how far away Remus was.

"Roman?“ The toddlers voice shook just as his body trembled; eyes growing in realisation and the brown of his left iris faded to grey.

“Virgil, in the room, now!”

He hated to yell but his tone was harsh enough to shake Virgil into action, scurrying into the room and slamming the door shut.

“We’ve gotta move, Logan. I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt like a bitch.”

“Just get it over with.” Logan huffed, gritting his teeth as pain exploded through his body when Roman tried to lift him up.

A growl rumbled deep in Roman’s throat when he rose, thankful Logan had remained conscious enough to hook his usable arm around his neck and make the carry at least a little easier. Normally lifting someone Logan’s size would be easy, but after fighting off a whole vampire nest he was almost spent. Kicking the front door open, Roman rushed to his cars back door, thankful it was still open from when he and Remus had arrived at the house.

"Roman!“ Remus called out and ran over to the car as his twin slid into the driver’s seat. “Perimeters clear but I think one sucker got away.”

“We’ll deal with that and Dad later. Vee is turning.”

“What? I thought you told the babysitter to give him his meds?”

“I did.” Came the grunted reply from the backseat and the twins exchanged a worried look.

“He’s getting worse than.” Starting the car, Roman shifted into reverse and gave Remus a concerned look. “Be careful, Duke.”

“Same to you, Princey.”

Carefully heading back into the house, Remus paused to sift through the heavy vampire scent that hung in the air until he located Virgil’s; surprised to find it still concentrated at the top of the stairs. Slipping into the kitchen, Remus collected a plastic bottle from the fridge that contained a mix of herbs, animal blood and milk. To anyone else, the combination was vile, and the smell alone tormented the twins sensitive noses, but it was the best thing in the world to Virgil.

At the top of the stairs, Remus braced himself for his adopted brother to jump out and attack him, but nothing happened. He could hear the toddler breathing from the other side of the door, but they weren’t moving at all; vastly different to the other times he had shifted.

“Virgil? You okay, little buddy?”

The door creaked as Remus pushed it open, spotting the toddler shivering on the bed next to a puddle of vomit. Holding his arms up in surrender, Remus eyed him carefully as he stepped into the room.

“It’s okay. Dukey isn’t going to hurt you, alright? I’m just here to help.”

“Go -way.” Remus froze in shock that Virgil had managed to speak, spotting the rows of sharp teeth that now protruded from his gums. “I hurt you.”

“Oh, I don’t think you will.”

“I will.” Virgil insisted, pushing himself back against the headboard to stay away from his brother. “I kill.”

“Virgil, you won’t hurt me.” Sitting at the edge of the bed, Remus kept his voice level and calm; though he was ready to defend if Virgil suddenly turned on him.

“How ju know? I done’d it b-fore.”

“I know because every other time you’ve turned, you have attacked on instinct. Right now, you’re talking, Virgil. You’re in control of your instincts right now and I’m part of your nest. You’re in my pack and I’m part of your nest; we won’t hurt each other, I promise.”

Heavy breathing was the only sound in the room for a few moments, then the toddlers face shifted from fear to sadness. Not wanting to make a move in case he triggered an instinctual attack, Remus watched and waited until Virgil crawled towards him on his own.

“It hurts, Dukey.”

“It’s okay.” Opening his arms, Virgil gratefully climbed onto his lap and accepted the comforting embrace. “The pain will dull when you’ve fed. I’ve got your drink right here and there is more if you need it, okay?”

“k.”

Shifting around so he was comfortable, Virgil accepted the bottle and started to drink; though he was soon unscrewing the lid when the plastic pop top limited the pace he desperately wanted to consume the liquid at.

“Are you feeling better or do you need more?”

“My no-sh-e -till hurt.” Virgil complained, wrinkling his nose further when he took a breath in.

“That would be from all the blood scents around here. You’re not as use to having to filter it out as Roman and I.”

Remus looked around the room at the blood splatter from Logan’s impromptu battle, genuinely impressed that a normal human could have fended off so many vampires while protecting the toddler they were after.

“Why don’t we get cleaned up, grab you another drink and take Logan’s car for a drive until your fangs retract?”

“Ok, but what -bout Dad?” Virgil wrapped his arms and legs around Remus when he stood and watched him carefully step around the headless vampires in the hall to reach the bathroom.

“Dad will find us, don’t you worry about that.”

****************

Logan loss consciousness some time during the drive but was thankfully still breathing when Roman sped up to the hospital and cried out for help; struggling to pull him out of the car now he was completely deadweight. Following what seemed like a million questions and 20 minutes of a nurse fussing over his own cuts, Roman was finally left to his own devices in the waiting area; giving up trying to call his Dad after leaving his 15th voice message.

He was hanging upside down on the chair when Remus came in; a sleepy Virgil on his hip.

“I thought you two would have found a park to hang out in, since the sun is finally up.”

“That was my plan,” Remus admitted, glad to feel his little brothers breathing even out as he fell asleep; “but the little nightmare wouldn’t stop nagging me to come. I would’ve preferred getting my ears boxed than listen to it for another hour, and now we’re here, he falls asleep.”

Sitting up properly, Roman laughed and held out his arms so Remus could manoeuvre the youngest into his arms.

“Better asleep than freaking out on us.”

“Nah, I said he was fine.” Sitting on the chair opposite, Remus pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his notifications. “Fangs retracted after 15minutes and he was satisfied with two doses. Considering I was expecting to have him hanging from my neck like last time, it was a welcomed surprise.”

“You think telling Dad that will stop him from killing us for leaving Virgil with a human.”

“Only if we also leave out the fact that a vamp nest attacked the house.”

Exchanging a glance, the twins groaned and spoke in time.

“We’re dead.”

**************

The sun had set when Declan arrived at the hospital, half furious after hearing the twins messages and half worried out of his mind. He double checked his concealment charm was still effectively hiding his scaled side before entering the building, shaking off his damp trench coat once he was walking the warm halls.

Four days prior he’d left the boys at a secluded Airbnb to follow a promising lead on Virgil’s birth parent, assuming the hostile vampire nest tracking the pure-blooded toddler wouldn’t pick up their trail for at least a few more days. Returning to the trashed house made his blood run cold, though it quickly reheated hearing the twins had left their adopted brother to investigate a reported werewolf pack. Of course, it had been a trick, false reports given to encourage them out of hiding; Declan could’ve seen it a mile away and he regretted his radio silence even more now.

As he neared the room assigned to some boy attacked in the woods, Declan was prepared to reprimand the twins in the harshest way possible. Each step brought him closer to grabbing Virgil and storming off, but when he reached the door, he found himself frozen. He saw Remus passed out on a hospital bed, looking just as exhausted as his twin in the bedside chair despite both of them clearly being in a deep sleep. Resting a hand on the door, Declan could feel the warding they had obviously put on it to protect the room; something that would have exhausted them without his assistance.

It was Virgil’s position that intrigued him the most. The toddler was perched carefully alongside the boy on the furthest bed, looking more peaceful than he had since his vampiric blood started taking affect.

“Excuse me,” a nurse called from the door over, “can I help you with anything, sir?”

“I’m the boys’ father, well, to three of them anyway. I’m Declan Fidi.” He held out a black gloved hand which the woman shook with a smile.

“You have some brave and lucky boys Mr Fidi. The whole staff agree that the twins quick thinking saved Logan’s life. Did you train them in first aid?”

“I wouldn’t have let them go out into that forest if I hadn’t.” Turning back to the viewing window a thought came to mind. “The boy - um - Logan, are his family around? I would like to have a word before I take my troupe away.”

“I’m sorry, but Logan doesn’t have family. He’s part of the local group home.”

“That’s okay. Thank you for your help anyway. I should probably get these boys to a proper bed and out of your hair.”

“Oh, they’ve been no trouble at all. Logan will be here for a few days at least, so feel free to bring the boys back if you like. I’m sure their visits will be welcomed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Pushing the door open, Roman and Remus bolted awake instantly at the call of their warding; heads dropping in shame when they registered their father had entered.

“I’ll spare you two the lecture on your stupidity for later.”

“Yes, sir.” They said in unison, standing and stretching their tired muscles.

Declan moved to Logan’s bed and carefully picked Virgil up, the toddler whimpering as his sleep was disturbed.

“Shh, shh, shh.” He assured, rubbing Virgil’s back while he settled into his shoulder. “You’re alright.”

“Dad?”

“Yeah, buddy. We’re going somewhere safe to sleep, okay.”

Leaning back, Virgil looked into his father’s eyes, tears lining his own.

“But Logan -“

“We’ll come back tomorrow.”

Declan pulled Virgil’s purple hood over his head and encouraged him to lean on his shoulder again, nodding for the twins to head out the door before he followed.

They walked in silence back to the car park, Declan telling the twins to get in his van rather than taking the second car.

“You can work on cleaning it when we come back tomorrow.”

“Wait, you were serious about coming back?” Roman questioned, helping to buckle Virgil into his car seat.

“We’re not ditching town straight away?” Remus added.

“No. Roman’s got a car to clean, you’ve got a house to clean up, and I’ve got to see about adding to Virgil’s nest.”

The twins jaws dropped and watched Declan casually climb into the front seat in shock.

“You would let Logan join our pack?”

“Even though he’s a human?”

“A human wouldn’t have taken down three vamps alone. He’s not a human,” Declan chuckled at the thought of how shocked the vampires would have been. “He’s a hunter and a lost soul; just what our family needs.”

_____________________________

End Note: Smol Vampire Virgil had to happen. Don’t tell me you never thought about it. This was a universe I made months ago. I had a whole back story planned out. Maybe one day I’ll write it, or do art for it or just make it an ask AU or something. Honestly, I have too many ideas some times but just not enough brains and concentration to write it all.

Prompt from this list.

More writing from the Caretaker Prompt ListWriting master post

General tag list (let me know if you want on or off): @thequeensphinx @ollyollyoxinfree @celeste-tyrrell @pumpkinminette @ahyeahisurehopeit-does

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maddmuses · 4 years

Text

Mei “Mai Fuller” Fukaya

(fc: Yanin Jeeja)

Age: 19 Date of Birth: April 3rd, 1988 Occupation: SOLDIER (1st Class), Assistant Noodle Chef/Noodle Puller (Former) Species: Mako-Enhanced Human

Universe-Inspiration: Final Fantasy VII/Remake inspired

Appearance Mei is a tall young woman of apparent Wutanian descent. Though it isn’t obvious, she’s able to pass for Midgarian without the knowledge of her name. With almond-shaped eyes, and hair both of a soft brown color, going with medium tone skin. Standing at roughly 6 feet tall, Mei stands as tall, or taller than, many other members of SOLDIER. Possessed of gentle features, Mei is prone to grinning, making for an approachable warrior, on the PR front.

With a muscular form, Mei often has an imposing air to her, with a number of individuals finding her too intimidating to approach, particularly in her 3rd and 2nd Class days, when Mei continued to elect to wear her helmet as per standard issue. Mei’s hands are also notable for being calloused in both the typical SOLDIER way, but also in the heel of her palms, and bends of her fingers, developed from a childhood and early adolescence of making noodles by hand daily. Running along both of her arms, and other key areas on her body, are scars with a slight discoloration (slightly light compared to surrounding skin) from years of training and missions.

Much like other members of 1st Class, Mei is able to modify her uniform and use personal equipment as she sees fit. Generally, Mei will utilize Gunblades of various make, commissioning and modifying a number of models for a variety of situations, seeming to spend the majority of her pay on these weapons, which are a point of pride for the woman.

While on missions Mei will usually wear fatigues that would be considered “standard” to 1st Class, though wearing silver straps, in a similar fashion to Sephiroth and Genesis, across the chest. Additionally, she will also wear a white trench coat designed with an intricate sigil in the center of the back, that reads as her surname in Wutai. On the shoulders of this jacket are a set of pauldrons, wrought from steel but with a silver-like appearance, the left made in the effigy of a dragon, and the right a tiger.

Personality Growing up in the slums of Midgar, Mei always felt a certain detachment to her heritage, through her father’s absence, and being so far from her mother’s homeland. While Mari, her mother, attempted to keep her as connected to this as possible, particularly through having her spend a great amount of time at Mari’s noodle cart in Sector 6. While Mei is possessed of a certain nostalgia for her motherland, she was still somewhat influenced by the Shinra propaganda that caused the young woman to associate the Wutai as having fallen into a bad place, misguided by selfish and foolish leadership. Seeing Midgar as her home, even if the people have treated her poorly when they knew of her lineage during the war, Mei always aspired to be like the heroes who protected their homelands, regardless of sides.

As a child, Mei’s favorite story was about the great warrior Mei Huang, who her mother named her after, a legendary figure who had helped defend Wutai by fighting off invading warlords, while taking a spot in the army meant for her father. Inspired by this tale, Mei decided that she would enlist in Shinra’s armed forces, aiming to join SOLDIER, the elite that were regarded as just as legendary as Huang Mei. With this, Mei hold others with similar goals in mind as her with the highest regard, even if they’re enemies. While she does not often split hairs over things like honor, she will often extend that cordiality to those that are like-minded to her, in this sense.

A passionate person, Mei pursues her interests and desires with a single-mindedness that often gets her into trouble with superiors, or missions dispatchers. While this nature can make her an asset in combat and other situations, it’s also just as deadly, as she can be steered off of her intended path by piquing her interest on some sort of other subject, such as a rivalry, feud, or threats to Midgar.

While initially intimidating, because of her height and build, most people tend to find that Mei’s actually a sweet person who enjoys simple things in life, such as training, cooking, and eating (though not necessarily in that order). With a strong sense of family, Mei cares for her mother above all else, though occasionally laments the fact that the mako treatments have removed from her the choice as to whether she could someday have children. While it was something she never thought to want, the option’s removal was something she had been blindsided by, and wasn’t ready for the loss of.

Biography The daughter of a Wutai immigrant, who sought out the city of Midgar as a means of improving her lot and life, and hoping to send gil home to her family, and a mechanic who specialized in portable restaurants, Mei Fukaya grew up in the Sector 6 slums. A rough part of the city, Sector 6 is known for being the night life of the slums, but also it is known for producing some of the more worldly and savvy citizens of Midgar.

Though Mei had two parents, her father would die before she was the age of two, leaving her mother a single parent. Her mother, Mari Fukaya, was left in a far from enviable position. As many attractive women in the slums do, Mari moonlit at the Honey Bee Inn, so as to bring home what extra money she could, while running the noodle cart that her dead lover had taught her how to build in the days. Mari was not the kind of person who would let others push her around easily, though, and she was well-known for chasing dine-and-dashers with a knife.

Mei grew up around the restaurant, protected from the reality that this day job actually brought in very little money, and was more for Mari’s passion than her livelihood, working every day to help her mother once she was old enough to begin pulling noodles. As they spent their mornings making noodles together, Mari would often tell her daughter of stories from their homeland, one that especially stuck out to Mei, and would become her favorite and later inspiration to join Shinra’s forces, was the story of Mei Huang, the great warrior who disguised herself as a man to help fight off invading warlords.

Shinra’s attempts to justify the Wutai war to the public would have unforeseen consequences to the city’s Wutai-descended population as well, though. Mei and her mother were often distrusted, with many daytime customers intentionally avoiding their cart, and the majority of Mari’s money at the Honey Bee came from special interest clients, as her tips would dwindle, as customers who were similarly leery of Wutai would often stiff her. This made it hard for Mei to get along with her peer group, though as the war went on, and the narrative began to shift to one that treated the Wutai of Midgar as progressive and right-minded citizens, Mei began to play down her own heritage around other people. Though she worked in a noodle cart, she was just as Midgarian as others, more even, because she was going to be in SOLDIER someday.

By the age of 8, Mei was expected to man the cart at night, so that Mari could still go to work. It was at this time that she learned of her mother’s second job, and she realized just how difficult things had been for the person that cared about her the most. She’d lived a selfish life until that point, and just as much as she was Mari’s most precious person, her mother would become hers.

Before school, every day, Mei would help her mother prep noodles for that day, attend lessons, return home and prepare additional noodles for that night, if needed, before leaving for the cart to relieve her mother.

At school and among her peers, Mei had adopted the nickname Mai, so as to come off as more Midgarian. This was something that her mother didn’t especially care for, but something she was still permitted to do. While working for her mother, Mei would often hear things from the adults who traveled to Wall Market, and would even meet other Wutai immigrants. Some nights they were simply out of ingredients, and Mei would experience things such as the coliseumS and other parts of Sector 6’s night life that was appropriate for a child.

On several occasions Mei had even met Andrea Rhodea, though each time he remarked that “disappointingly” she probably wouldn’t be suited for the position as one of his dancers, as her mother had issued a threat of death to anyone who attempted to recruit her into any parts of the nightlife.

By the age of 13 Mei was often mistook for an adult, as she was taller than even some men, allowing her to effectively pass for her mother Mari, resulting in a return to fewer dine-and-dashes, as the assumption was that they would be chased with a knife now that “the brat isn’t manning the cart anymore.” It was at about this time that others started taking her assertions of someday becoming SOLDIER more seriously, though the accepted lore was that there was a reason one didn’t see many women SOLDIER operatives.

Still, at 15, Mei left home to enlist into the organization, using an adopted pseudonym, based on the nickname she’d given herself, “Mai Fuller”. While it wasn’t unusual for Shinra to allow women into their infantry, the odds were already stacked against Mei, as not only had it been basically unheard of for women to be promoted into SOLDIER, but the standards following the Genesis defections were made to be even more strict. Despite this, though, Mei’s performance during the Infantry Training program displayed that her potential and use as a part of the next wave of SOLDIER was too good to pass up.

If she was to be a hero like Huang Mei, she was going to have to be no less.

Enlisted into the SOLDIER program, Mei underwent the procedures to make her 3rd Class, only to be told after the case that the hormone therapy and exposure to mako effectively rendered her sterile. This detail was tested and determined to be the case with her, just as previous potential recruits. In order to keep with her assumed identity, though Shinra knew better personally, Mei still used her fake name while in 2nd and 3rd while never removing her helmet while wearing her uniform. Oftentimes, due to her height and muscular build, Mei was mistook for a man when her face wasn’t visible.

As she worked in SOLDIER for the next three years, Mei rose through the ranks quickly, achieving 1st Class at 18. Mei’s specialty included leading infantry and infiltrating enemy operations. Espionage is something that Mei’s wheelhouse included, particularly as a part of Wutai infiltration. Similarly, she has been known to find her way into terrorist operations in the past. Though she wasn’t as hugely shown off to the population as the 1st Classes of the past, she is still notorious enough for her use of the Gunblade that she’s attracted her own following and fan club (Shinra instigated of course) that has resulted in the surge of popularity in her style of weapon. Accordingly, her position as a Wutai member of SOLDIER has made for a strong piece of propaganda, with the Shinra organization using her as proof that Wutai have, largely, showing fealty to Midgar.

Abilities and Skills -Chef: Prior to joining Shinra’s armed forces, Mei was taught by her mother how to cook, so that she could assist her at the family noodle cart in Wall Market. Specifically, Mei often made the broths and pulled the noodles, which was hard on her mother’s hands, which reflects in her own forearm strength and ability to multitask, as the cart served a number of different soups that she had to prepare at the same time, in order to get the cart ready for dinner and lunch rushes.

-Mechanical Skills: While not an expert, or even able to repair extensively damaged equipment, working with a Gunblade requires at least some mechanical ability. Mei’s is such that she’s able to modify her weapon for specific purposes, though not to such a degree that they become a functionally different weapon.

-Shinra Training: As is standard for SOLDIER operatives, Mei enlisted into the infantry program initially, but during said program was pulled for specialized SOLDIER training, when it was determined she was a suitable candidate. Accordingly, she’s a specialist in combat missions, and particularly specialized in infiltration, as her Wutai heritage suits her to acting as a double agent in the continent. Due to the differing standards of the SOLDIER program following the Genesis desertion, not only was more expected of Mei’s generation of SOLDIER candidates, but their training was that more extreme, so as to compensate for the ending of the use of Jenova Cells. -Physical Conditioning: Prior to her Mako-Infusing, Mei was exceptional in her physical abilities, notably having strong lifting and punching force, from having been handling noodle dough from the age of four, coupled with her more focused training when she shifted her interests to joining SOLDIER. -Martial Arts: Though she has had little formal training prior to her enlistment, Mei is considered an above-average martial artist in terms of technique, having studied from watching gladiators in Sector 6 do battle, and having learned from other Wutai immigrants, what things they knew. After her enlistment into SOLDIER Mei sought out hand-to-hand training so as to supplement her use of the unwieldy swords that she didn’t especially favor. -Swordsmanship: In a lesser degree, Mei also studied some swordplay, though limited access to weaponry prior to enlistment limited her ability to delve into this subject. Following her joining SOLDIER, though, she became something of a specialist, preferring arming swords as a rule, or weapons of a roughly similar length. By the time she was promoted to 1st Class, though, she was not only hyper-capable with swords, as should be expected of someone at that level, but also was able to use a Gunblade, and a style oriented specifically to maximize the force generated by pulling its trigger, and its bullets, which she can infuse with mana for a number of effects. -Firearms: As a part of her infantry training, Mei is proficient with firearms, a skill that she remained brushed up on even after her promotion to SOLDIER, which reflects in her current use of Gunblades. -Biking: A component of the SOLDIER training program expects its participants to be able riders on high-performance motorcycles, so that they may patrol the highways of Midgar. As a 1st Class SOLDIER, Mei is not only able to ride most motorcycles, but she is considered very skilled in their use, being able to ride along vertical surfaces confidently, though her abilities in fighting while riding these vehicles are less confident.

-Materia Attunement: A common practice in Midgar, and most regions of Gaea, Mei is able to slot materia into her equipment. She does this, in addition to the more typical process of SOLDIER operatives attuning their materia directly to their bodies. As-is the case with other SOLDIER members, she didn’t require as much training or time to make her materia stronger, and is even able to absorb extra materia into herself, and become stronger from it. When maximizing a materia’s level, like with others, Mei’s materia produces an additional piece of materia of that same kind. -Materia Fusion: With the appropriate equipment, Mei is able to fuse materia together, so long as they’ve been developed sufficient to be fuse-able.

Superhuman Powers and Abilities -SOLDIER Enhancements: After the ending of the Jenova Project’s application in SOLDIER, there were still innovations and advancements in the process of enhancing humans with mako. Unlike the archaic process of showering in the liquid, modern SOLDIER candidates are treated with a combination of injections, radiation, and the like, using the radiation as an attempt to tamper the effects of poisoning and maximizing the chanes of success for any potential operatives. While not as extreme an enhancement as Jenova-hybriding that was previously observed, the more extreme conditioning that Mei was put through, as well as the still-intense process of mako treatments allows Mei to execute superhuman feats of a similar level to SOLDIER operatives of older generations. A notable side-effect of the treatments, though, has rendered Mei infertile.

-Mana-Infusing: A technique that she developed from studying fighting styles that employed firing magical blasts, Mei developed a technique in which she infuses her mana into the cartridges of her Gunblades, enabling her trigger pulls to result in actual firing of shots, as well as causing the recoil to be more forceful when she uses them to enhance her swings.

-Limit Breaks: Mei’s Limit Breaks are all damaging in nature, often resembling those of Squall Leonhart, as well as a style of Limit Break that relies on firing explosive rounds that are set to detonate on a delay to weave complex combos with her rounds and blade that also deal devastating damage.

Equipment and Possessions -SOLDIER Fatigues: Aside from her modifications to the uniform, Mei wears the standard issue 1st Class uniform, lacking the more popular breastplate that many SOLDIER operatives wear. -Trench Coat: Tailored specifically to hold additional cartridges within it, without being apparent. This jacket is long, white, and is embroidered with black flames at the tail, with her surname written in Wutai down between the shoulders. -Pauldrons: Metal plated with silver, these are both designed as effigies of a dragon’s face and a tiger’s respectively. While they don’t add any exceptional defensive quality, Mei has been known to use them to turn fatal blows into glancing ones in the past.

-SOLDIER Sword: Though she often prefers more personalized armaments, Mei is sometimes known to carry the standard-issue broadswords as a backup arm. -Gunblades: Mei frequently uses a number of different Gunblade designs that she’s either newly commissioned, or tweaked from an existing one, the style of Gunblade that she prefers are those that enhance their striking power through the recoil generated by pulling the trigger. Though, Mei is able to charge her loaded ammo to make the rounds behave more like bullets and explosives.

-Various Materia: As a member of SOLDIER, Mei have access to a wealth of materia that she slots for a variety of purposes and uses. Based on other lower-class SOLDIER and other 1st Class SOLDIER members, Mei has access to at least Lightning, Ice, Sleep, and Silence materia. Additionally, based on Sephiroth’s access, it can be assumed that Mei also has access to a variety of support and elemental materia, as well as revival and restoration. Generally, though, Mei will use (most often) Command and Independent materia, as well as being known to use the Wind and Fire elements.

#The One-Woman Firing Squad (Mei Fukaya)

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thedcdunce · 5 years

Text

Apollo

“Somehow, I figured the coming of the lord would be a little more auspicious.” - Apollo

Aliases:

Sun King

Gender: Male

Eyes: Blue

Hair: White

Powers:

Unique Physiology

Abilities:

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)

Leadership

Weaknesses:

Solar Depletion

Vulnerability to Extreme Temperature Changes

Equipment:

Photosphere of Earth

The Carrier

Universe: Wildstorm Universe

Citizenship: American

Base of Operations:

The Carrier

Eye of the Storm

Parents: Peter Desmond; father

Marital Status: Married (Midnighter; husband)

Occupation: Soldier

First Appearance: StormWatch Vol 2 #4 (February, 1998)

Powers

Unique Physiology

Solar Absorption: Apollo's powers are dependent on the Sun needing only exposure or access to sunlight to activate. Apollo's body behaves more like a battery as his powers are far more directly dependent on the sun.

Flight: He can fly at great speeds. He has been shown to easily cross the entire globe in less than 30 Seconds.

Self-Sustenance: Apollo does not require food or drink as his body is entirely sustained by his solar energy. He can survive in anaerobic environments indefinitely.

Invulnerability: He has walked and survived in the Sun without any sign of discomfort and has been able to easily enter a lava flow to deactivate a volcano.

Accelerated Healing: Apollo can be injured by the depletion of his solar energy reserves. While he is still durable, he is susceptible to physical damage. When presented with solar energy his wounds heal within a matter of minutes if not seconds normally.

Heat Vision: His eyes are constructed to channel solar energy into laser like blasts, literally concentrated sunlight. The limit of his "laser vision" has not been discovered but it is so powerful that he has scorched the entire surface of the Moon without any effort.

Energy Projection: Apollo can also release his solar energy from other parts of his body like his hands or omnidirectionally from his entire body.

Superhuman Speed

Superhuman Stamina

Superhuman Strength

Abilities

Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)

Leadership: Apollo was the leader of a black ops StormWatch team.

Weaknesses

Solar Depletion: Apollo can drain himself through overuse of his powers since living on the Carrier does not provide him with a constant exposure to solar energy. However, even when drained he will be able to fly after 20 seconds in direct sunlight, though it would take him 2 hours to be at full charge. This can be somewhat circumvented by transporting into close proximity to the sun. He may weaken, but it's in the same vein as an athlete who has exhausted himself, rather than a car that has literally no fuel left to function. He is still nearly invulnerable, and very strong. Apollo will die if he completely depletes his solar stores, and his strength/resilience drop accordingly when weakened to the point where he's essentially normal. It has been seen that his power can be easily depleted when he is blocked off from solar energy when it has no way at all to reach him and he expends energy. The signs of this are he becomes increasingly withered and aged.

Vulnerability to Extreme Temperature Changes: Apollo's powers can be heavily affected by extreme temperature changes, like hitting him with a blast of enhanced liquid nitrogen which quick cooled Apollo robbing him of much of his solar power as all the heat in his body had been rabidly evaporated into sweat.

Equipment

Photosphere of Earth

The Carrier

Origin

Apollo was a former U.S. soldier and the leader of a black ops StormWatch team so secret that no-one but the first Weatherman, Henry Bendix, knew of its existence. Apollo was a normal human, bio-engineered by Bendix to have fantastic abilities including super-strength, heat vision, and a high degree of invulnerability. Apollo derives his power from solar energy, and becomes vulnerable to attack when that energy is depleted.

Of the seven-member team, only Apollo and Midnighter, Apollo's future husband, survived. Due to circumstances surrounding the mission, they went rogue and spent the next five years fighting undercover for a finer world in the alleyways of America.

After Bendix's fall in 1998, Christine Trelane discovered files hinting at the existence of Apollo and The Midnighter. Jackson King, formerly Battalion, now the new Weatherman, ordered them found, not sure if they were heroes or villains. Apollo and Midnighter were tracking weapons made in the "Nevada Garden", a leftover of the first Engineer. He ordered Fahrenheit and Hellstrike to tag them with fetishes so they could be transported into SkyWatch. At first, Apollo and Midnighter attacked the StormWatch team, believing them under Bendix's orders. However, they ceased the attack once they were told Bendix was dead. With King's help, they destroyed the Nevada Garden, and Trelane gave them new lives away from Stormwatch.

The Authority

In 1999, Jenny Sparks convinced both Apollo and The Midnighter to come out of retirement to join a new team, dubbed The Authority. The Authority distinguished itself from other super-human teams in that it answered to no governing body or external authority, such as the United Nations. Rather, for the first time, these were super-humans fighting for a better world on their own initiative.

Throughout the course of their membership in the Authority, Apollo and Midnighter's relationship was revealed further. Apollo also developed a friendship with Jennifer Sparks, who felt comfortable confiding in him.

On December 31, 1999, Jennifer Sparks died. Her spirit was reincarnated in an infant girl born the next day in Singapore. As soon as the child was identified, a bloody battle broke out between competing forces--including The Authority--for control of the child, code-named Jennifer Quantum. Apollo was severely beaten in the course of the battle. After the battle, the Commander raped Apollo. Consequently, the Midnighter gored the Commander with a jackhammer.

When the Authority battled a renegade Doctor, a powerful shaman who usurped the powers of the Authority's Doctor and ended up regretting his crimes and repenting, Apollo fried him to a crisp with his eye-beams.

When Seth Cowie defeated and captured the entire team, Apollo was depowered and kept on board the Authority's Carrier which was then used by the G-7 nation's Authority. The Authority's replacements were, in reality, government lapdogs and were cruel, homicidal and masochistic. Apollo was used as a punching bag by two of the villains, Teuton and Last Call, who were his and Midnighter's respective replacements. Teuton almost raped him before the Midnighter appeared and shot Apollo's assailant through the back of his skull. Apollo then fried the head of Midnighter's replacement and later did the same to The Machine, who had taken the powers of Apollo's friend the Engineer. After having killing the G7 Authority and the miserable defeat of Seth Cowie, Apollo and Midnighter were married and adopted Jenny Quantum. From this point on, Apollo was referred to as The Midnighter's husband, and vice versa.

Apollo participated in the beating of Kevin Hawkins, an SAS agent and rampant homophobe. Apollo had forgiven Kev for actually killing the Authority in the past but this was one step too far.

Human on the Inside

The U.S. President ordered an assault on The Authority which resulted in doubts, depression, and human foibles overcoming them. The Midnighter kissed another man, but when he confessed this to Apollo, Apollo became enraged and struck him, sending him through a wall. This is the first time that Apollo and The Midnighter became physically violent with each other.

Coup D'Etat & Revolution

Following a deadly mistake by US leaders, Authority team leader Jack Hawksmoor decided that the time had come to remove the US executive branch and run the country their way. The takeover went smoothly, but the occupation did not go as planned. Shadowy forces intervened to destroy the Authority and put corporate interests back in power.

During this Apollo and Midnighter were sent to raid the base of Stormwatch: Team Achilles, but they found it booby-trapped. After narrowly escaping with their lives, their next mission was to eliminate the US military's super-human training camp. Midnighter returned with the declaration that the program was "Not so special."

The Midnighter received a revelation about the future which compelled him to leave The Authority, permanently. He left Apollo and Jenny Quantum without an explanation and returned to the underground. Following a humiliating nuclear incident in Washington, DC, Hawksmoor resigned as President of the US and announced elections. The Authority disbanded. From 2005 to 2008, Apollo raised Jenny alone in San Francisco, under the watchful eye of the US Government.

When Jenny was eight years old, a series of events propelled her to take matters into her own hands and rebuild the team. She caused herself to jump in age to fourteen, precipitating a verbal confrontation with her father, Apollo. With Apollo's support, she set about to round up the surviving members of The Authority, including The Midnighter. In a painful moment between Jenny, Apollo, and Midnighter, Jenny told Midnighter that she was "the product of a broken home."

In the battle that followed, Henry Bendix revealed that he had gained control over The Midnighter through a Trojan Horse strategy which delivered nanites into Midnighter's body. The Midnighter then fought Apollo and Jenny. Midnighter told Apollo that he must kill him if he got the chance, but Apollo refused. Midnighter, with the aid of a device stolen from Dr. Krigstein's laboratory, defeated Apollo in battle, but Jenny was able to engage Midnighter long enough that the Engineer could remove the mind-control implants and restore Midnighter.

Worldstorm

Apollo battled Captain Atom and his allies in a attempt to stop the destruction of the Wildstorm universe. He killed Grifter in the battle by incinerating his head, but he was later killed by Captain Atom in retaliation. Aftewards, Void recreated the Wildstorm universe, and Apollo lived on.

Utopian

While recharging himself, he was taken down by U.S. Military forces during his attempt to aid injured people in Afghanistan.

World's End

During the events of World's End, Apollo was separated from Midnighter and the rest of the Authority when a thick layer of smog covered the Earth, preventing sunlight from reaching the surface. Apollo was forced to remain in the photosphere to absorb the radiation he needed to survive, visiting the surface in brief periods to help the team. While on the surface, environmental conditions sapped his powers, giving him a gaunt appearance and limiting his ability to fight.

He was later infected by the Warhol Fever, a super power-inducing virus, that evolved and became sentient by incubating in his body. Claiming to be "The Burn", the virus overrode his mind and attempted to escape into The Bleed. The Authority was forced to put Apollo in suspended animation, frozen and in an anaerobic room to keep the infection from spreading.

When Kaizen Gamorra and his forces attacked the Carrier and stole its technologies, Apollo was released into Gamorra Tower from the rest of Gamorra island, causing pure havoc. Apollo confronted Kaizen and killed him by incinerating his head. Apollo was sealed inside Gamorra Tower and the entire building was dropped into the Norwegian Trench so The Burn would go dormant in the cold environment.

Apollo was subsequently cured of his infection after Midnighter traveled to Scotland where he stopped a mad Habib Bin Hassan and was given an apple by Gaia Rothstein that cleansed Apollo's infection. The couple finally embraced after a long time. He and his husband later decided to stay on Earth after the Carrier left the planet, subsequently separating from the Authority, as Apollo's life depended on Earth's sun. Both Apollo and Midnighter then helped the heroes of Earth in battling the Knights of Khera, in which Apollo fought the Majestic-level Sebastian and was beaten when the Kheran warlord punched him to a un-sunlit Wales. Fortunately, he was teleported out of Wales by Stormwatch technician Link over five miles above the North Pole where he was fully recharged and able to destroy the Kheran's terraforming machines.

Fun Facts

Apollo is gay and married to The Midnighter and is the adoptive father of Jenny Quantum.

Apollo is the confidant to the Engineer, like his relationship with Jenny Sparks. He would tease her, calling her his 'fag hag'.

#apollo #sun king #StormWatch #The Authority #stormwatch zero #superman of the multiverse #dc #DC comics #thedcdunce #midnighter #lgbt #lgbtqia #lgbt+#gay #gay man

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oliverdant · 6 years

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The Teen Titans began as a group of teenage sidekicks to the world-famous adult Super Heroes of the Justice League. Although they shared many adventures together, as they grew older, they drifted apart. But.... When the empath Raven needed a team of heroes to fight her father, the inter-dimensional demon Trigon, she recruited several original members of the Titans, who were now older teenagers, as well as some new ones, forming the New Teen Titans (read their adventures here). Raven’s lineup of Titans ended up being the most popular incarnation of the team. But who are these Titans? Here's a breakdown of the members, as they originally appeared, who will feature in the live-action Titans. Of course, just because a character's story played out one way in the comic books doesn't mean it will or won't go the same way for them on screen. The only way to know is to check out Titans when it debuts right here on DC Universe on October 12th!

Spoiler Alert! If you're totally unfamiliar with the Titans and prefer to keep it that way until you meet them in DC Universe's Titans, stop reading now!

Robin / Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Richard "Dick" Grayson grew up in Haly's Circus, as the youngest member of the acrobatic family the Flying Graysons. When his parents were murdered by mob boss Tony Zucco, young Dick was taken in by billionaire Bruce Wayne, as his ward, who recognized in Dick a kindred spirit. Wayne let Dick in on his secret identity as the Batman, and trained him to become his partner Robin, the Boy Wonder.

While still Batman's partner, Robin teamed up with other teen heroes in the first version of the Teen Titans. As the members grew older, they drifted apart. But when Robin was 18, the mysterious empath Raven recruited him to join a new version of the Titans. In this reformed team, Dick truly came into his own as a leader, and finally decided to move on as Batman's partner. He took on the identity of Nightwing, allowing another young hero to replace him as Robin. Today, as Nightwing, Dick Grayson is one of the DC Universe's most respected and trusted heroes.

Starfire (Koriand'r, a.k.a. Kory Anders)

Princess Koriand'r of the planet Tamaran was born as the second daughter of King Myand'r and Queen Luand’r. Her older sister Komand'r was born without the Tamaranean ability to fly; and, because of this "handicap," Koriand'r was next in line to take the throne, creating a bitter rivalry between the two siblings. When the Citadel Empire threatened war with Tamaran, the King was given a choice -- give up his favorite daughter to become a slave, and his planet would be spared a war. He chose to give up his child to save his world.

Growing up as a slave, Koriand'r was experimented on by alien scientists called the Psions, and was given the power to create deadly starbolts. Using this power, she escaped captivity and fled to Earth, where she joined the Teen Titans as Starfire. Wide-eyed and curious, she proved herself a valuable member, though her teammates often had to curb her instinct to use lethal force. "Kory," as she was known to her friends, soon entered into an on-again/off-again relationship with Robin.

Beast Boy (Garfield "Gar" Logan)

Garfield Logan's parents were research scientists. When they found themselves stationed in an African country, Gar contracted a rare and lethal disease. His parents created a cure by making a serum derived from a rare green monkey. Although Gar was cured, the side effects were extraordinary -- his skin and hair turned green, and he had the power to change into any animal in existence. When his parents died, Gar was taken in by the team of outcast Super Heroes known as the Doom Patrol, where he took on the name Beast Boy.

When the Doom Patrol were tragically killed in action, Gar was left orphaned for a second time. He was adopted by the billionaire Steve Dayton, who was very reclusive, leaving Gar feeling like he had no family. When Raven formed the New Teen Titans, she asked Beast Boy to join, which he did under the name Changeling. It was with the Titans that Gar found the family he'd always longed for. Despite all his tragedies, or maybe because of them, Beast Boy was always jovial and waiting to crack a joke, which made him the Titan's resident comic relief.

Raven (Rachel Roth)

Raven's mother Arella was a lost soul, who found herself seduced into a demonic cult. There, she was offered up as the bride of the demon Trigon, and bore his child, a daughter named Raven. Half demon, Raven inherited her father's dark powers. Arella was eventually taken to live in another dimension with the pacifists of Azarath, where Raven was raised to hone her mystical powers for good, including the ability to separate her soul self from her body. She was taught to suppress her emotions, lest her demon half exert itself.

Eventually, Trigon would attempt to conquer Earth. Raven then recruited several young heroes as a new version of the Teen Titans, hoping they would help defeat her father. Raven was eventually corrupted several times by her demonic blood, but she died, freeing her soul self from her body and her father's corruption. Her soul then inhabited a new, younger body. Taking the name Rachel Roth, Raven continuously struggled with unleashing her own dark powers.

Hawk and Dove

Brothers Hank and Don Hall were polar opposites. Hank was aggressive and reactionary, whereas Don was sensitive and thoughtful. One day, a pair of mysterious voices made themselves known to the two boys -- one belonged to the ancient Lord of Chaos T'Charr, and the other the Lord of Order Tarataya. They each granted the brothers enhanced strength, speed and agility, but also enhanced their innate personality traits. Hank became the warlike Hawk, and Don the peaceful Dove, and the siblings became crime fighters.

After several adventures with the Teen Titans, Dove was killed in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Without the calming presence of his brother, Hawk became even more violent and aggressive. As it turned out, when Don died, his powers transferred to college student Dawn Granger, who became the new Dove. She found Hawk and became his second partner, restoring the balance of order and chaos.

Source: DCUniverse App

#titans #dcuniverse app #starfire #raven #beast boy #changeling #dove #hawk #robin #nightwing

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bigyack-com · 5 years

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Paid to Stay Home: Europe’s Safety Net Could Ease Toll of Coronavirus

PARIS — Keeping your salary while caring for a quarantined child. Exercising the right to not work if you are afraid of getting ill. Sick-leave pay for up to six months.Europe is sometimes considered a home of overly generous social policies. But as countries around the world scramble to control the deadly coronavirus outbreak, some analysts say those social programs and protective labor rules could serve as a powerful vaccine against the virus’s feared economic toll: recession.Europe’s universal health care systems, for example, help bolster the economy by supporting consumer spending in the midst of a serious outbreak, because people aren’t worried about getting a big bill if they get sick.“I would be more concerned in the U.S. what the cost would be,” said Ángel Talavera, an economist at Oxford Economics in London. “For Europeans, that is not a consideration we have in mind.”Political leaders and central bankers have been full of assurances in recent days that they will do what it takes to blunt the impact and avoid a recession. An emergency cut in interest rates on Tuesday by the Federal Reserve sought to contain the fallout, but when or how much it would help was unclear.But more than rate cuts or bursts of spending, economists say, the best short-term measures to prevent an economic downturn may be “automatic stabilizers” — existing programs or regulations that protect workers, provide low-cost health care or help companies get through a lean period. Some of these measures were adopted during another time of financial stress: the 2008 financial crisis.Assurances that many workers won’t have to choose between caring for their health and paying their rent is a crucial psychological factor as Italy and France shut hundreds of schools, Britain unlocks an “action plan” to prevent the virus’s spread and businesses across the Continent cancel trips and meetings to limit their employees’ exposure to the epidemic.Certainly, the benefits vary from country to country. And while Uber drivers, entrepreneurs and the self-employed in many European countries have access to health care at lower costs than in the United States, they still don’t get the same level of wage protection as salaried employees.Italy announced Thursday that it would unleash a 7.5 billion euro (about $8.5 billion) support package to help businesses and families hit by the coronavirus, on top of €900 million in support announced last week.The governments of most European countries are offsetting the cost of emergency sick leave for employers and aiding smaller companies that are scrambling to survive.Most European governments require businesses to grant employees some form of paid sick leave. Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands are among the countries where workers have a right to receive full pay, in some cases for at least six weeks, if they are ill, are quarantined or are told to stay home by their employers.In France, employees can also exercise what is known as “the right of withdrawal” from work by walking off the job if they believe their health and safety are at risk, without having wages docked or facing punishment.Employees and their union at the Louvre Museum in Paris voted to stop working earlier this week, citing fears the virus could be spread by visitors. Management contested the move but couldn’t override it, keeping the world’s most visited museum closed for three days. Workers returned Wednesday after officials announced enhanced health security measures.The virus’s economic costs are already tangible in Europe. For example, cancellation of the Geneva International Motor Show, which had been scheduled to open to the public on Thursday, deprives the European auto industry of one of its premier showcases and means the millions they spent on elaborate displays went to waste.Some governments are moving more aggressively than others to offset the financial strain, especially for the small and medium-size firms that make up the bulk of economic activity in Europe, by providing tax breaks, extending deadlines for tax payments and easing access to government finance schemes.France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, this week offered affected businesses state financing to pay for partial unemployment benefits, as well as eased credit terms from BPI France, the state investment bank. France has declared the coronavirus a “force majeure,” meaning suppliers won’t be penalized for failing to fulfill government contracts.In Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s coronavirus epidemic, the government promised to deploy measures it has used after earthquakes for 11 quarantined towns around northern Lombardy and Veneto, the so-called red zone of the outbreak, where some businesses are losing 100 percent of their income.Among other support, the companies can get immediate access to unemployment benefits for furloughed workers and will be allowed to pay their taxes late, helping to mitigate a collapse in sales and production.Others are holding back until the signs of economic damage are more clear. In Spain, officials said it was too early to take financial measures, with so much of the economic impact of the coronavirus in question. Germany’s finance minister, Olaf Scholz, promised this week that the government would take action if the outbreak hit the country’s already hard-pressed economy, but did not offer any specific proposals. There remains a deep reluctance in Germany to take on debt to pay for fiscal stimulus.Yet countries where the spread of the epidemic shows no signs of slowing are pulling out the stops. France escalated its response this week as the coronavirus threat rippled through schools, rushing through new emergency measures allowing parents who can’t find child care to receive full pay while staying home with children who must be quarantined.And in Denmark, the authorities said parents could take up to 52 weeks’ leave to care for a seriously ill child under age 18.Employers in Britain were already required to grant time off if a relative or child fell ill under short notice. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this week that the country’s mandatory sick-pay system would begin payments on the first day for people with suspected coronavirus, rather than the fourth day as for other illnesses. Critics pointed out that two million low-paid workers — those who earn less than 118 pounds weekly, or about $153 — did not make enough money to qualify for the help under Mr. Johnson’s plan.The concerns highlight the uneven nature of such guarantees.In Italy’s quarantined red zone of Veneto, Taylan Arslan, 33, was forced to postpone the opening of a kebab-making plant after the government imposed a ban on all nonessential economic activity, leaving his 57 employees unable to go to work. Under the government’s emergency support plan, Mr. Arslan will be able to get access to unemployment benefits for his workers more easily and quickly.Mr. Arslan would also get €500 in support. But the money would not be nearly enough to recoup the lost earnings for his business, even with the proffered tax breaks, he said. He estimated that he had lost €12,000, or about $13,500, per day.The government “can keep their €500 a month,” he said, worrying about the tons of meat spoiling in his freezers. “I need to work.”But Italy can go only so far. Government debt far exceeds annual output of the economy, and Rome cannot afford to lose the confidence of bond investors. “In the short term, the government can help,” said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics in White Plains, N.Y. “But the government can’t support people forever. At the end of the day, somebody has to pay for this.”Jack Ewing contributed reporting from Berlin, Emma Bubola from Rome, and Geneva Abdul from London. Read the full article

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