#ava matrix

[fp-am]

meanwhile at rocket corp

[prplocks]

†☠ wallpapers 〴 celebrity in halloween ☠†

𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖙𝖔𝖓

reblog if you save

•┈┈┈┈┈🖤┈┈┈┈┈•

[karimationkat]

Originally I wanted to draw him bold, bc, idk

But thought short hair would suit too

[pawprock]

happy birthday to every trans person and also anyone who saw the matrix the day it was released (today)

[ilovemilestellersmoustache]

Say my Name and Everything Just Stops

Bob Reynolds x Thunderbolts!reader

Summary: If Bob and you were only platonic, absolutely no other feelings… Then why do you feel sick to your stomach when he looks at her like that?

WC: 3.K

*Might have to remake this with more specifics to the song because I added the song after writing it because it lowkey fit the storyline a bit*

⸻

You weren’t sure when it happened.

One day, you were just another warm body at a mission briefing, nodding through tactical discussions, biting your tongue through Alexei’s grating pep talks and Valentia’s obligatory press training. You showed up, suited up, cleaned up, and tried not to get killed. That was the job. That was the team.

Then, somehow, somewhere along the line… you and Bob Reynolds got attached at the hip.

Not officially. Not romantically. Not even consciously, really. You didn’t talk about it. There were no glances across the room filled with meaning, no loaded conversations behind closed doors. It was never dramatic.

It was something quieter. Subtler. Like gravity.

If you were in the kitchen making coffee in the morning, hair tied back, hoodie halfway off your shoulder, still trying to blink the sleep from your eyes, Bob was always there, standing beside you like he’d been summoned. Making tea. Or at least pretending to. Half the time his mug stayed empty, forgotten on the counter while he hovered behind you, offering sugar before you even asked, or opening the fridge before you could.

He wasn’t loud. He wasn’t even particularly expressive. But he was there. His presence made the sterile, metal and glass Tower kitchen feel less like a military bunker and more like home. It was in the little things. The way he shifted when you reached past him. The way he knew how you liked your coffee and made sure no one else drank from your favorite mug. The way he stood just close enough that you could feel his heat at your back.

Game nights made it worse.

Or better, depending on who you asked.

Every week, like clockwork, someone would suggest it usually Alexei or Yelena, high on boredom and low on impulse control. Uno, Jenga, some Russian board game that none of you understood but that Alexei insisted was “better than Monopoly.”

No matter the game, no matter the teams, somehow you and Bob always ended up on the same side. It wasn’t on purpose. No one assigned you to him. It just… happened. You’d be sitting on opposite couches, and by the time the game began, you’d be side by side. Synced up. Aligned.

Charades became a blood sport. You and Bob didn’t even need words. One raised eyebrow from you, and he was guessing the entire plot of The Matrix. He mimed a single motion, and you blurted out Jaws before anyone else even understood it was a movie.

“I don’t even know how they’re communicating,” John muttered one night, tossing a card at Bucky. “They didn’t say a word. Are they cheating? They’re probably cheating.”

“Y/N and Bob have their own frequency,” Ava mumbled from the corner, arms folded but the ghost of a smile tugging at her mouth.

Then came the promo events.

Photoshoots. Talk shows. Those absurd staged press moments where Valentina shoved you all into matching black tactical gear and called it “branding.”

You and Bob migrated toward each other like it was coded into your DNA. Unconscious. Effortless.

Cameras flashed and you were already beside him your shoulder brushing his arm, his hand resting just near the small of your back, not touching, but almost. Always almost. And somehow, no matter how stiff or awkward he looked beside the rest of the team, when he stood next to you, Bob’s shoulders loosened just enough. His eyes softened. His lips curved, barely.

Protective. Steady. Yours.

That’s how it felt.

And still, you told yourself it wasn’t anything.

Just comfort. Just familiarity.

But at night when the compound dimmed, and the war room was dark, and the wind whispered against the windows you started to hear it.

The softest knock. A pause. Then the door creaking open.

He never needed to ask.

He stepped inside like he didn’t want to make a sound, curls still damp from a rushed shower, wearing the same old hoodie that hung loose on his tall frame. Sometimes he’d say your name like a question. Most nights, he just climbed into your bed with a sigh so deep it curled in your chest.

He never reached for you. Not at first.

He just drifted closer, closer until his forehead was resting on your collarbone, his breath warm against your skin, his body folding around you like ivy.

And you’d always find your fingers in his hair. Threading, soothing, grounding. Like they were meant to be there. Like you’d done it a thousand times.

He always fell asleep that way. The Sentry. The most powerful being on Earth. Curled up around you, clinging to the quiet, tucked in by your heartbeat.

And you thought you were subtle. You thought it was private.

You thought no one knew.

Until the night John Walker walked in.

You’d been half asleep, humming something soft while combing your fingers through Bob’s tangled curls. He was a deadweight against you, long limbs twisted around yours, chest rising in the steady rhythm of someone deep, deep asleep.

The door slammed open.

“Y/N! You gotta see the new tech—I finished the—”

He froze.

You cracked an eye open.

Bob didn’t even stir.

And John… just stood there, blinking. Processing. His mouth opened and closed twice before he backed out like he’d walked in on a hostage negotiation.

“…I’ll come back later,” he muttered, nearly tripping over your laundry basket on the way out.

That was the end of the secret.

The next morning at breakfast, the teasing came with knives.

Yelena leaned across the table with a smug little grin. “So… Bob. Y/N. How long has the co-sleeping initiative been active?”

You choked on your coffee. Nearly died.

Bob flushed so red his ears matched his hoodie.

Ava didn’t even try to hide her smirk. “Please. We’ve all seen it. They’re like cats. Always draped over each other. It’s gross. It’s adorable. I hate it.”

“Just don’t bring it on the jet,” John muttered into his eggs. “Some of us like to fly without PDA-induced nausea.”

You didn’t answer. Neither did Bob.

You didn’t have to.

It wasn’t like that, you told yourself.

It was just Bob. It was just you.

But when your eyes met across the kitchen when his hand brushed yours reaching for the honey, and his fingertips lingered just a little longer than necessary, you wondered if maybe it wasn’t just anything.

Maybe it was everything.

And you’d just been too scared to name it.

⸻

Until the charity gala.

You’d pulled out all the stops.

The gown was custom silk that hugged every curve like it was made for you (because it was), with a low, sloping back that shimmered under the chandelier light like molten metal. The color was blood-red, deliberate. You wore it with graceful confidence . Your hair was swept into soft waves that kissed your collarbones. And your eyes, lined lit with something vulnerable and electric, scanned the ballroom for one person.

Bob Reynolds.

He arrived late.

Tugging awkwardly at the cuffs of a tailored suit that fit too well for how uncomfortable he looked in it. Hair combed, clean shaven, tall as hell and radiating nervous energy. You turned the moment he walked in.

He stopped in the doorway when he saw you.

And for the briefest second, everything else in the glittering, champagne soaked ballroom dimmed. His eyes locked on yours across the crowd and something passed between you. Something that hit you low in the chest, unspoken and sharp. You almost smiled.

But then he looked away.

Fast. Like it burned. And he didn’t approach. Not even close. In fact, every time you started to drift toward his side of the room, champagne in hand, casual and hopeful he moved. Ducking away under the guise of conversation or needing air. It was obvious. Painfully so. He was avoiding you.

By the time everyone was seated and smiling for cameras at the table, your chest ached from it.

Had you misunderstood everything?

The closeness, the late nights, the way he always reached for you without thinking, was that just friendship? Just comfort? Had you embarrassed yourself in front of the whole team?

And then came the woman.

An older socialite, jeweled and charming, grabbed Bob by the elbow with a too-knowing smile. She gestured to a girl in satin blue, pretty, long-limbed, her laugh high and flirtatious. Bob looked panicked for a split second. Then he smiled. Small. Polite. He let the woman lead him away.

From across the ballroom, you watched.

The girl touched his arm. He leaned in to hear her. Laughed at something she said. All the alcohol he downed making his eye contact extremely well, didn’t matter that he looked a little stiff. A little out of place. From where you were standing, it looked like he could love her.

And it broke you.

You didn’t say goodbye. Just slipped your clutch under your arm and moved. Valentina caught your elbow at the door.

“Where are you going? You haven’t even spoken to—”

“I don’t feel well,” you said, voice brittle.

“Y/N—”

But you were already gone.

⸻

The Tower was silent when you returned.

You didn’t turn on the lights. Didn’t go to your room. Just stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the roof like muscle memory.

The city stretched below you in a haze of gold and glass. Cold wind bit at your shoulders through the fabric of your dress, but you didn’t care. You needed the air. The silence. The distance from the noise in your head.

Why had he avoided you? Did you look bad? Did he regret all those nights he spent in your bed not with you, but beside you? Holding onto you like you were his only anchor?

You blinked hard against the tears stinging your lashes.

Don’t cry. Don’t be stupid. You’re not sixteen.

The door creaked behind you.

You didn’t move. But your heart knew.

Bob.

He stepped out slow, breath ragged, suit jacket flapping slightly in the wind. His tie was crooked. His hair was messy. He looked like he’d been running.

“You left,” he said quietly, almost breathless.

“I did,” you murmured, arms crossed against the chill.

“I couldn’t find you.”

“I saw you,” you replied, voice sharper than you meant. “You were busy.”

A pause.

“Y/N…” His voice cracked. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“I’m not stupid,” you snapped. “She was gorgeous. Polished. Exactly the kind of girl a mother would want for her son-in-law.”

He flinched. “That’s not what I want.”

“No?” You turned now, eyes shining in the low rooftop light. “Because you looked like you were having a great time. Like you were relieved not to be around me.”

“I was avoiding you.”

That stopped you cold.

“I know.”

Bob took a step closer, then another. “You walked into that room and I forgot how to breathe. You were… radiant. Like something out of a dream I wasn’t supposed to be having. And all I could think was, Don’t ruin this. Don’t touch her. Don’t make it weird. So I panicked.”

You stared, wind whipping your hair around your face.

“You avoided me because I looked nice?”

“I avoided you,” he said, stepping right into your space, “because if I didn’t, I was going to tell you I loved you. In front of Valentina. And three senators. And six photographers.”

Your lips parted, but no sound came out.

He laughed, but it was soft. Raw.

“You don’t know what you do to me, Y/N. I can’t think straight when you’re near me. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep unless I’m next to you. You touch me just, like, hand on my arm or fingers in my hair and the world goes quiet. You make me feel like I’m not broken.”

“Bob…” you whispered, tears threatening again.

He took your hands gently. “I don’t know when it happened. I just know I’m in love with you. And if I messed this up tonight… I’m sorry. But I had to tell you.”

You let out a laugh. Choked and wet and unbelieving.

“You idiot,” you said, pressing your forehead to his. “You beautiful, stupid, sweet idiot. I’ve been in love with you since the first time you handed me coffee without asking how I take it.”

His breath hitched. “You have?”

“Obviously.”

The kiss came easy.

Soft, like first light. Like every moment between you had been leading to this, every brush of hands, every shared blanket, every look across the table when no one else was watching. He cupped your face like it was sacred. You buried your hands in his curls like they belonged there. Because they did.

The city sparkled below. And in the quiet, with the wind, and the stars above, the noise finally stopped.

⸻

You woke up in his arms the next morning. Again.

Only this time, your lipstick was smudged on his jaw. His tie was still on your bedroom floor. And when Bucky walked in to grab the TV remote, he paused at the sight of you two curled up, a sleepy smile tugging at his mouth.

“About damn time,” he muttered, shutting the door again.

Neither of you moved.

You were too busy holding onto everything you’d been scared to lose.

—

A/N: PLEASE I NEED MORE IDEAS OR LIKE SONGS TO WRITE THINGS BASED OFF 💔

[rogerdeakinsdp]

🎬 + 🧍‍♀️ + 🏍

Angelina Jolie in LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER – THE CRADLE OF LIFE (2003) Anne Hathaway in LOCKED DOWN (2021) Margot Robbie in SUICIDE SQUAD (2016) Rose McGowan in PLANET TERROR (2007) Carrie-Anne Moss in THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003) Jessica Alba in IDLE HANDS (1999) Megan Fox in TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (2009) Milla Jovovich in RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER (2016) Keke Palmer in NOPE (2022) Denise Richards in UNDERCOVER BROTHER (2002) Katherine Heigl in LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (2010) Kate Hudson in HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (2003) Samara Weaving in GUNS AKIMBO (2019) Mary Elizabeth Winstead in BIRDS OF PREY (2020) Charlize Theron in MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) Pamela Anderson in BARB WIRE (1996) Brittany Murphy in THE DEAD GIRL (2006) Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz & Lucy Liu in CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE (2003) Juliette Lewis in DALTRY CALHOUN (2005) Claire Foy in THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB (2018) Jaime Pressly in TORQUE (2004) Rooney Mara in THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) Diane Kruger in THE 355 (2022) Diana Silvers in AVA (2020) Halle Berry in CATWOMAN (2004) Michelle Rodriguez in F9 (2021) Rebecca Ferguson in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION (2015) Mia Goth in MAYDAY (2021) Olga Kurylenko in THE COURIER (2019) Hailee Steinfeld in BUMBLEBEE (2018)

[loversrocktvgirl2]

my mini multiverse of madness…

Bickering (John Walker x Reader)

word count: 1k

masterlist

Okay, so in my opinion, y’all wouldn’t be friends at first. You hop on the bandwagon of kind of making fun of him, which is fair. He’s a rather easy target. Plus, it’s not like he’s nice.

So while y’all don’t say anything rude about each other behind the other one’s back, you’re mean as hell while you’re talking to each other. 

Unfortunately, it’s funny. 

Yelena has an absolute ball listening to the two of you. She’s even started writing down her favorite quotes that she’s heard from you two.

From you: “Shut up, easy bake oven.” “You’re like an expired coupon: useless.” “If you ran like you run your mouth, maybe you’d be in better shape.”

From John: “I’ve heard enough from you, unnecessary movie sequel. You’re like the third Matrix.” “The trash gets picked up tomorrow. Might wanna get ready.” “I will pour yogurt into your ears if you interrupt me again.”  

It’s better entertainment than reality TV, and even Bob, who is often bothered by bickering, is amused. Because no one’s really getting hurt.

Bucky kind of loves it. He’ll intentionally get you two going and then just kick back and watch it. 

Yelena occasionally slips you lists of ideas for insults and then cheers when you use them. 

Ava tries her best to ignore it but she gets wound up in it, too. It’s sort of like when your mother watches something you have to pretend you have no interest in, even though you wanna know what happens. 

Alexei believes that it’s a weird form of flirting. And ever since he found out what shipping is, he definitely ships you two together. 

You catch a flu, and Alexei has you on the couch, compress on your forehead, and the TV on. Until you fall asleep, and the TV shuts off. When you wake up, sweaty and exhausted, you can’t get it back on. Miserable, you shove your face into your pillow.

“Oh, God, what now?” John asks you. “You need medicine or some shit?”

“Probably,” you groan. “I don’t know what time I had any, though.”

“Why is the TV off?” 

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want it on?”

“...yeah.”

“Fine,” John picks up the remote and tries for a minute or two to get the TV on and working. “It’s not working.”

“I can see that,” you reply, sounding congested. 

John hits the same button he’s been hitting five times rapidly. 

“Well, there’s no cure for stupid,” you say. 

John groans. He tosses the remote to you on the couch. “Here you go. You want the TV on, you can get it on yourself like a normal person.” 

You toss a pillow at his head.

You eventually give up on the TV, take your medicine an hour later, and fall asleep again on the couch. John sees you there, face flushed from the warm blankets piled on top of you and from being sick, late that night. So he gently pulls the blankets off of you and brings you to your bed, turns the fan on to keep you cool, and pulls a light quilt over you, making sure your head rests on a comfortable pillow so that you won’t get a neck cramp. 

It is unbearably nice, and Alexei sees it. And Alexei cannot keep secrets, so he runs and tells Yelena and Bob immediately, and the story quickly ends up at the feet of Bucky and Ava. Soon, everyone but you knows. 

You are asleep, as comfortable as you can be while you’re sick, in your room. 

Once you’re better, you get right back to arguing with John over iced coffee, figuring that it had been Alexei, who had been taking care of you while you were sick, that had brought you upstairs. John never brought it up. 

Eventually, Ava kind of corners him and says, “I think you should flirt with her.”

John looks confused. “Who? What are you talking about?”

Ava rolls her eyes. “C’mon. Y/N. I think you should flirt with her.”

“Wha-what the hell? Why?” John stutters out. 

“Because you like her!! C’mon, John, you’re an idiot!”

John sees you that night, sitting on the couch on your computer. “Hey, broken toaster,” you greet, not looking up. 

“Spam email,” he replies casually, sitting down next to you with his book. The two of you sit in silence, doing your separate things side by side. 

“That does not count as flirting,” Ava tells John later. 

“Well, what am I supposed to say?” John asks. “I don’t want her thinking I’m a complete weirdo.”

“You called her spam email.”

“And apparently I’m a broken toaster. What do you want from me?”

“Some romance. Flirty energy. See if she plays into it! You like her, and I think she might like you,” Ava argues.

“Fine, how about we end this song and dance and I just ask her out?” John argues back.

“Fine! Great!” Ava yells.

“Great!” John yells in return.

John power walks into the kitchen, Ava hot on his heels. You look up from your phone confused. 

“Do you wanna go out?” John asks, almost sounding frustrated. 

“Uh, sure?” you reply. 

John throws his hands up in the air like he won something. “Excellent. Seven. We’ll do dinner. You like Italian?”

“Sure,” you shrug.

“Great,” John gives you a thumbs up and turns to Ava. “Voila, I’m done. We’re gonna go out. Next time you want me to try to flirt, maybe start by giving me some actual pointers.” And with that, he points at you and says, “Seven, I’ll see you,” and leaves. 

Ava turns to you, trying to hold back a laugh. The smile on your face indicates you’re trying to hold one back too. Then the two of you burst into happy laughter. “Oh my God, what did you even do to the poor man?” you ask.

“Just gave him a push in the right direction.” 

taglist

@spaceycat @vidanand @xo-cench @raikan624 @yeehawgiddyup13 @wpdarlingpan @puer-aurea

just thunderbolts

@papitas-con-sal

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Thunder Couple ⚡ | Bucky Barnes

Marvel Masterlist

note: Just saw Thunderbolts* today in theaters and all I can say is Marvel cooked with this one. It's the best MCU movie in a while (up there with GOT3 post-Endgame) and the overall theme/messages throughout the film were portrayed so well. And I nearly jumped out of my seat during the second post-credit scene I mean I literally almost lost it. Anyway, I'm might even see it again tomorrow and y'all already know I'm sat for Fantastic Four First Steps. Get ready for some Thunderbolts* headcanons these next couple chapters.

content warnings: spoilers for Thunderbolts*!! (scroll if you haven't seen it yet!) overall major fluff

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

Being in a relationship with Bucky Barnes while also being a Thunderbolt* would look like:

Having been a CIA operative turned rogue hitman for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, you were 'a guest' in her little cleanup operation that ultimately resulted in your unorthodox team-up with fellow anti-heroes that in turn became the Thunderbolts*/New Avengers. Falling in love with former Winter Soldier turned Congressman Bucky Barnes was not in the plan, but hey you can't help what the heart wants.

The others constantly tease y'all and will be like "uh oh, mommy and daddy are fighting again," whenever you two argue during a mission or while planning an attack. Bucky is headstrong and stubborn, but you're the only one who can really get through that hard head of his. He respects you so much that honestly, there's no point in arguing, he's gonna do what you think is best. 

Couples that throw hands against bad guys together, stay together. The two of you are an unstoppable duo when it comes to missions--watching each other's six, throwing weapons for the other to catch, throwing each other if it's necessary. "Babe, I know you're a super soldier and all, but can you try to be a little gentler when I ask you to toss me across the platform?" 

Staying up late in the tower's penthouse going over files which just ends being you two cuddled on the couch watching a Met's game if it's on or catching Bucky up on another movie he missed out on. Star Wars, the Godfather, The Matrix, the Equalizer, Grease, etc. He's got so many questions and anytime you watch an action movie the man is criticizing the fighting technique. 

You train together most days although the man tends to hold himself back because he's afraid of hurting you with his strength. and he's not available then you usually train with Yelena and Ava while he, John and Alexi do their super soldier showdowns. At that point you three just watch and take bets on who wins. Of course, your money is on Bucky. 

Bucky will put his arm in the dishwasher to clean and you'll discover it when you go to load the dishwasher. "Bucky! Is your arm clean to your liking or do you want me to give it another spin?" "Another spin, darling, thanks!"

If his hair gets too long, you'll offer to give him haircuts because he's too damn lazy to do it himself or go to a barber saying, "We've got more important things to worry about than my hair."  It gets to a point that after his millionth complaint you simply grab his arm and push him into the chair yourself. "Your ass is staying here until I'm done and if you get up while I'm working then it's your fault for the fuck ass hairdo you'll be rocking from here on."

Expect harsh kisses filled with relief after a job completed. Especially if there was a close call involving you. Bucky will grab your face in his hands and practically push you off your feet by the force of his lips claiming your own. And he doesn't give a fuck where you are or if his political reputation is reprimanded, that man is kissing you like it's his only way to breath. "Don't ever--." *kiss* "--scare me like that--." *kiss* "again, L/n."

[eponastory]

Watching From the Tower Part 2 (Bucky x F! Reader No Y/N)

Your code name is Scout and your job was easy. You worked the cyber side of things for the New Avengers. You directed them where to go with your hacking skills, and you are the eyes in the sky. There was just one problem... you don't like leaving the tower. You are not a complete agoraphobe, but you are pretty close. Leaving makes you feel so unsafe and people touching you, that's even worse. So, when James Buchanan Barnes the former 'Winter Soldier' tries to get you out for one mission, things got a little hectic after that.

Part 2 Summary: You are getting sick while working comms when the mission takes a slightly scary turn.

Part 1 | Part 2 |

Word Count: ~4.4k words. (6.9k total words so far)

Rating: M (Later parts will be marked 18+ for smut, but for now, it's okay.)

Pairings: Bucky/F!Reader (Non-descriptive, No Y/N) Squint for GhostWalker and Boblena (Platonic)

TW: Angst, Depression, mentions of past SA, phobias, Anxiety, MDNI for sexual content in later parts (Will be labeled).

You weren't exactly feeling great by the time the team landed in Singapore. As a matter of fact, you had already started sneezing and every time Bob saw one coming, he'd tell you to say ‘cucumber’ because he thought it would help. Because he saw you getting progressively worse as you started hacking into one of the Chinese satellites over that region, he opted to help you out with the simplest tasks. You had found out that Bob was not as useless as he thought he was. 

“So… I press this button and the door pops open?” He's sitting in the chair next to you with an extra keyboard you showed him how to hook into the system. 

“Bob… make sure it's the right door.” Bucky's voice comes over the comms linked up to the sound system in the room. “Is it the right door?” 

“I like how encouraging you are, Barnes. So Leader of you.” Yelena's accent comes through, causing Bob to smile as he presses the key you pointed out. “Ah, very good. You have opened the correct door.” 

“Now if only there was a pot of gold and tequila behind it.” Ava's smooth voice comes in making you smile even though your throat is getting scratchy. 

“Cut the chatter.” Once Bucky says something they all shut up. “Walker, status?” 

“Ground clear, moving into position.” You could hear Walker grunting as he likely jumped over something to get into his position. 

“Once inside, let the bot fly so I can get you a readout.” Your eyes are on the screen that is showing footage from the cameras on each team member's person. “I can only do so much with your body cams and the security cameras.” 

“Scoutbot is ready.” Bucky lets you know as he holds the smallest bot you could rig up with Flir and night vision. “On your mark.” 

You look at Bob who is intensely watching the screen to make sure everyone's vitals are as they should be. It was now or never as you pulled the Xbox controller you rigged up to connect to the Scoutbot remotely and the VR headset for better guidance. You think that Bob is ready for this since he's gotten pretty good at gaming with you on slow days. 

“You want to do it, Bob?” You hold the controller out to him and he pulls his soft eyes away from the screen. “Don't worry, you don't have to do anything except control Scoutbot.” 

“Uh… sure. Yeah, it'll be like playing that game with the planes.” He takes the controller and headset before putting them on. “Okay, connect me! I'm going into the Matrix!” 

“Connection established.” You put in your codes and commands for the bot. “Okay, release Scoutbot. Bob is in control.” 

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Of course Walker would object to letting Bob do this. 

You roll your eyes as you pull up the feed onto another screen and see that Bob is doing very well at guiding the bot around the corners in the long corridors. You have complete faith in Bob. Bob hasn't let you down yet and when you let out a cough, you see that Bucky has gone still. 

“Are you getting sick, Scout?” You can hear the concern in his voice. 

“I'm fine. Corridor is clear, proceed with the directive.” 

“Copy.” 

“Uh… I'm getting some interference.” You look up and see that there is a little static on the bot and that doesn't actually mean too much, at least not at first until. “Too much static to see what is going on.” 

“Bucky, we're getting interference on the bot as it gets closer to the center of the building.” You study the static. It's making the image grainy with white specks showing up every now and then. “Wait… I know what this is. Those are Alpha particles. It's radiation.” 

“I thought the machine was a laser?” Walker questions. 

“It is, but that doesn't mean that there are other things going on in the facility.” You don't have access to a spectrometer, but you do know that Bucky has a small Geiger counter on him. He's always prepared for these things. “Bucky, I'm not positive it's radiation, but maybe use that counter to see.” 

“On it.” You hear the sound of velcro as he reaches into one of his pockets for the small Geiger counter. It isn't long before you see it on his body cam and then the clicking as it measures for charged particles in the air. “Nothing so far, but I'll keep moving in.” 

“Great, so now we have potential radiation.” Ava is moving in after Bucky. “Our day just got so much better.” 

“Could be much worse. We could be in a place like Chernolbyl.” Yelena pipes up after you watch her take out a guard on her side of the building. “You ever been there?” 

“Yes.” Bucky doesn't hesitate to answer. 

“Of course you have.” Her lazy tone makes you smile. “Let me guess, you were there to assassinate a whistle blower in 1986 after the explosion.” 

“More or less.” The counter goes off with a squeal as he turns the corner of another hallway and then eases back. “Unsafe levels.” 

“Shit.” Bob says as the bot goes dark. “Something took out the bot, it just went off.” You look at the screen where your bot has been active only to receive a NO SIGNAL message. “Sorry.” 

“Guys, I think this mission is a botch.” You don't like that the radiation coming from the center of the building is at unsafe levels and possibly a lethal dose. “That radiation is definitely a problem and unless you are resistant, you aren't getting through.” 

“So, what do we do now?” John lets out a breath. 

“I can look into hijacking a satellite that can see the building in infrared. Radiation does sometimes release heat if there is something that is making it react.” You are able to hack into a Russian satellite that is in orbit over the area long enough to get your data. You see the Flir data and the location. It’s white hot in the middle of the building. So much concentrated heat that it has to be a mini nuclear reactor that is leaking radiation. “It’s like a mini reactor– sending the image now.” 

With a few keystrokes, you upload the image to Bucky’s phone and then you hear him grunt in disbelief. You know what he’s going to do next because there is no way to get any further without getting a lethal dose. It’s the one thing that they can’t fight because it’s subatomic particles that are slicing through you at every second. 

“What are the chances the target has been moved versus being dead?” He sounds a little disturbed. 

“High probability that everyone in the building is probably either dead or close to it. I suggest aborting the mission.” You say it with a heavy heart because you know how Bucky handles these missions. You know he’s going to be a storm when he comes back. You cough before looking at the photo again. “I’m sorry Bucky, but none of you would survive radiation this high.” 

“She’s right. I’m already feeling woozy and I’m not even that far into the building.” John is on the end closest to the output. “It’s really hot in here too.”

“Stifling really. This radiation is messing with my phasing.” Ava is in danger too. 

“Bucky, we have to leave.” Yelena stresses to him. 

You can hear Bucky’s thoughts from here. He knows the answer already, it’s just that stubbornness in him that he is fighting. 

“Bucky–” You start out then switch the comms to where you are speaking to him directly. Bob looks at you with the headset still on his head, but he gives you that soft look of understanding before he takes it off and sets it on the desk. He leaves you before he walks into the kitchen. “I know that you will consider this a failure, but it’s not. It’s a tactical miscalculation. We didn’t know this was going on and it could've happened at any point before you got there.” 

“I’m really starting to regret taking on this position.” He grumbles out before you see him turning around. “I’m not good at this.” 

“No time for self doubt, Boss.” He’s already going in the direction of ‘I’m not equipped for this’ when you know he’s got more experience than all of them combined. He just doesn’t believe he can lead this team even though he’s been doing it for six months without fail. But one failure makes him spiral out of control. “Look, there was no indication of this before the mission, so it’s an unforeseen variable that we didn't know about. This isn’t on you, but you all need to get out of there.” 

“Copy.” His tone is dark. He’s back in business mode when he gets over himself. You switch it back to full comms. “Everyone out. Rendezvous at the jet.” 

“Roger.” 

“On it.” 

“Does anyone else taste metal?” 

“That’s from the radiation.” Bucky probably knows because he’s been to radioactive places before, but that still doesn’t dismiss that his experience is what is going to save the team next. “Scout, we need potassium iodide, stat.” 

“Uh– There should be some in the med kit on the jet. I stocked it myself.” You see Bob walk back in with a Grape soda in one hand and your favorite smoothie in the other. Bless him, because your throat is sore and the cold will help. “Only take the recommended dose guys, otherwise you’ll increase your chances of hypothyroidism.” 

“What would be the recommended dose for a super soldier?” You hear John ask and you aren’t exactly sure.

You roll your eyes. “I don’t know, ask Bucky.” You aren’t a nurse even though you’ve patched them up a couple of times. “Thank you, Bob.” He smiles at you as you take the smoothie in hand. He’s such a sweetheart, taking care of everyone because they take care of him. 

“Barnes, how much do we take?” 

“The normal amount.” That made sense. You think. Potassium Iodide is a compound that can be broken down to straight elemental form within the body, but it doesn’t add or subtract anything. At least that is what you remember from high-school chemistry, which was a long time ago. “Just get back to the jet.” 

You listen to the chatter between the team as they make their way back to the place they landed the Jet. You just want them to come home safe and hopefully not full of radiation. You don’t think you can handle it if someone came home with radiation poisoning that is very much hard to cure. 

Leaning back in your chair, you sip on your fruit smoothie that you had prepared days ago and put in the freezer just for this occasion as you listen to the banter. They sound like siblings arguing over stupid things, but you love them. You don’t have a family as you were a child placed in the system at an early age before you were fostered over and over again. Family was a foreign term for years until you stuck it out with no real support system. When you finally found someone to hold on to, they vanished for five years. Five long years that ended up with you being put in a horrible situation. 

Five years of loneliness and then ‘it’ happened. 

When the Blip happened, your partner came back and you weren’t the same. They knew that, but they couldn’t deal with you not wanting to leave the house or do anything other than lay in bed. You started using your skills again out of boredom, to the point where you were working on exposing Val because someone anonymous had contacted you about it. Turns out that anonymous person was Congressman James Buchanan Barnes. 

That man that you were trying really hard not to get too close to. But it was hard. It was hard because he was very much your friend and he brought you into this because you were good. You were really good. 

“Scout, we’re on the jet.” His voice comes through and you let out a sigh. “Minimal radiation exposure detected.” 

“Okay, good. Can you just come home now?” You cough before you hear him hum softly. “We’ll regroup and learn from this okay?” 

“Sounds like mother hen is worried about us.” Yelena’s smile comes through her tone. “Don’t worry, we are fine. It was just a snag.” 

“Just get home so I can make sure everyone is fine with my own eyes.” You are worried. They have become the closest thing you have to family and you don’t want to lose them. The thought terrifies you. 

“We’re in the air. Go rest, we’ll see you in eight hours.” You hear the concern in Bucky’s voice before looking at Bob who is happily sipping on his grape soda. He still puts the straw in it like a little kid. He isn’t a kid, but some habits die hard. 

Eight hours later, you’re being woken up by a proximity alert. You had fallen asleep on the couch in the hub, but by now you were running a fever and you didn’t feel like getting up. How on earth did you get sick when you barely leave the tower? It runs through your head that maybe it’s from one of the people that come in and out all the time. Actually, you think back to the guy that dropped of the groceries three days ago that looked half dead and in need of a vacation. He was also sort of coughing. 

You groan when you know it was him because you accepted the delivery while everyone was at their respective places. Sure, Yelena, Bob, Ava, and John lived in the tower full time, but not Bucky and Alexei. Bucky had his own place because he said if he lived here, he would probably go crazy. He was the type of person that needed to have his social battery recharged in solitude. And it rang true because he always went home at night unless the mission was just too much and he’d find a quiet place to crash, usually on your couch that is in your workshop. 

But as it stands, you did not want to get off the couch you were on. You were shivering and partially delirious because you couldn’t get your fever to go away. Bob had thrown a blanket over you at one point, even bringing you a heating pad to keep you warm, but you were both on fire and freezing at the same time. It was awful. You were so tired and all you wanted to do was sleep. 

It isn’t until you feel a hand on your forehead that you realize you fell asleep again. You open your eyes to see Bucky. He’s not in his ‘work clothes’ but rather wearing his standard black t-shirt with a jacket that you desperately wanted to steal off of him and wrap yourself in. Yes, you were definitely sick because you were thinking these thoughts. 

“Hey.” You hear him as he rubs his thumb on your forehead. “We’re back.” 

“Mkay.” It’s a fog because you see his face, but you are so tired and feel so bad that you just want to sleep forever. You wouldn’t mind if he smothered you with a pillow because you feel like you are dying. 

“You’re sick.” The tenderness in his voice does something to you though and that look in his eyes. You want him to actually keep touching you because you are too sick to care at this point. He knows you have an issue with being touched. You have to initiate it or otherwise it’s uncomfortable and pushing the boundaries that you have set in place. You hate that you’re like this because when you see the look in Bob’s eyes when he wants to hug you after you have a tiny meltdown over something stupid or when Bucky wants to touch you to let you know he’s there. 

The fact that he’s not hurting you now is what is keeping you sane. 

Ava isn’t a touchy person either and that is why the two of you see eye to eye. Yelena sees you as a surrogate sister, but she respects those boundaries you have set up. Walker is terrified of you. He barely speaks to you, but he’ll leave your favorite candy on your work bench when he goes out to get food or something. It’s these little things that make you feel like you belong and that there is a healthy respect between all of you. 

But here Bucky is, looking down at you with those blue eyes of his and all you want to do is curl up. “I feel like shit.” You pull the blanket up to cover your face which forces his hand to vacate your forehead. “I just want to die.” 

“Not allowed.” The rough conviction in his voice says a lot to you. “Did you take anything?” 

“Uh– I gave her some Tylenol to make her fever go down a few hours ago.” You see Bob looking down at you from the back of the couch with his hoodie on. He smiles as Yelena comes to stand next to him. 

“Oh, you look like you have been dead.” She doesn’t hold back on her snarkiness even when you aren’t feeling good. “Like you died and then came back to life just in time for us to get home.” The soft smile on her face is enough to make you sigh. 

“Could all of you just stop yelling at me.” Your head hurts because everyone is talking to you now. “And maybe turn off the lights.” Turning over, you hide your face into the cushions as the bright lights start getting to you. “Stupid grocery guy.” You mumble. 

You hear Bucky sigh. “Okay, time to get you to your own bed.” Normally you would shirk away when someone lays a hand on you, but this gentle touch from Bucky to turn you onto your back is more like asking permission. It’s in his eyes when you turn your head to look at him. “Hey.” 

“Hey.” You blink slow like a cat. 

“Will you let me bring you to your room?” The fact that he’s asking makes you feel better about this and all you can do is nod. He peels the blanket off of you as Yelena drags Bob away to work on something else entirely. “Come on.” You don’t protest when he’s helping you sit up enough to put an arm around his shoulder so he can pick you up. 

You cough as he puts his arm under your knees and hoists you up into his arms. Anyone of the super soldiers on the team could do this, but you only let Bucky because you knew him better. You were his friend before you were theirs. Alexei would if you asked him to, but you never would because that was not the relationship you had with him. Still, when Bucky is carrying you out of the hub and to the elevator, you lay your head on his right shoulder because you can’t keep it upright. Your arms are around his neck as he carries you without getting tired, because he doesn’t get tired. 

He’s made out of sturdy stuff and nuclear energy. He goes on forever out of spite at what happened to him in the past and you admire that about him. Although, as seen earlier, he still has some things to deal with on an emotional level. You saw how he started going down this path of self-doubt the moment you told him to abort the mission. The moment you told him the team was in danger. He knows it was the right call, but at the same time, you could tell through his voice that old training was telling him to keep going. The circumstances were just out of their control and he knew that too. Now, he’s probably going to replay this in his head for hours before he actually falls asleep. 

“You’re quiet.” There is nothing but the sound of your voice and the elevator. “You’re thinking about what went wrong.” 

“Nothing went wrong.” He denies it. “Everything went wrong.” He sighs as he grips his hand tighter around your leg just before your knee. “What could’ve caused that much of a radiation leak?” 

You wrack your brain for something. “Cesium.” That’s the only thing you can think of for a radiation leak that big in a medical facility. “They use it in MRI machines. But it would take a lot of it to cause that much radiation.” You are surprised that you are lucid enough to recall that information. “I don’t know, but as soon as I feel better, I’ll be on the case.” You promise even though you feel like shit. 

The elevator stops on your floor and Bucky is carrying you out. Your workshop and apartment are only two doors away from the elevator, so it’s barely five seconds before Bucky is maneuvering himself to press the keypad on your door while you are still in his arms. As soon as the code is in, the one you programmed specifically for him, the door pops open and he’s pushing it with his foot. Once inside he gently kicks the door shut behind him. 

It’s lonely in this apartment, but you like it. You’ve made it your home with the warm colors and low lights that the AI brings up when you enter the room. It’s yours and Val will have to drag your cold body out of there before you ever leave. You are pretty sure the entire team will be turning Val over if she even thought about kicking you to the curb. Bucky would actually kill her. You know it, he knows it, and she knows it. So she lets him do his job and that means you get to do yours. Even if it means fixing Alexei’s phone every two weeks. 

“Did you get more books?” Bucky sees the stacks of books that you have acquired for reading even though it takes you no time to sit and read one. 

“I ordered a few for Bob because he pretty much read all the ones I recommended already.” When you learned that Bob liked to read, you were ready to start your own little book club with him and eventually Ava joined in on it too. “Some of them are for you too.” And Bucky was a reader too, he just didn’t tell anyone. “The small stack with your name on it are the ones I got for you.” You cough again as he passes by the stacks you had sorted out for everyone. 

“You didn’t have to do that, you know.” Yes you did. You have been sneaking books to him for six months, always leaving a copy of something you think he’d like on his desk. Then you’d find it on your workbench a week later with a note in his handwriting about what he liked or didn’t like about the book. 

“I do.” 

“Thank you.” He barely says your real name under his breath as he brings you to your room. 

You weren’t a very tidy person. You like your home looking like you lived in it, but it was clean. It was crowded with things that you kept around for comfort, but the only thing you didn’t have was pictures of a family you can’t remember. You remember the people that you lived with, the good and the bad, but you don’t remember your real family. 

He sits you down on your bed before he’s pulling the white comforter back and organizing the pile of pillows that you have on your bed. You need eight pillows. You do but he is moving most of them to the other side of the bed as you take off your shoes and make yourself comfortable. He finds your penguin Squishmallow buried underneath the pillows and throws it at you. It’s big enough for you to hold at night because sometimes you get nightmares about your time in foster care. 

“Come on, get in.” You aren’t a child. You’re a grown woman with a mind of your own, but this is him taking care of you because there is no one else. “I’ll get some more medicine and water for you.” 

“Okay.” You do as he says because you don’t have the energy to be disobedient. You slip in under the covers in just your hoodie and pajama pants that you had not changed out of since you were working comms. You were still on fire, but still freezing. There was no happy medium. 

When Bucky comes back to your room with a glass of water in his vibranium hand and two Motrin in the other, you sigh. Motrin. The standard go-to for anyone in the military since no one knows when. You curl up on your side with your penguin and watch as he holds the two little orange pills out to you. Your teeth are chattering at this point. You sit up and take the pills, throwing them in your mouth before swallowing. You reach for the water and gulp it down before handing it back to him. 

“Get some rest. I’ll call you in a few hours to check on you and if you don’t answer, I’m coming back here.” He is very serious because he does care. Probably more than he should, but you aren’t complaining. This is how he shows his affection. 

“Okay, Bucky.” You lay back down on the pillow before he’s pulling the covers over you and tucking you in tight. Sometimes you don’t mind that someone wants to take care of you. It rarely happens, but right now, it’s the look in Bucky’s eyes as he makes sure you are okay that has you feeling much better already. Maybe he’s always looked at you like this. You were too busy wrapped up in yourself and in others to really notice. 

“Good night, Sweetheart.” He says before flipping the lightswitch off and closing the door. You think he would probably make a good father someday, if not a good husband to some lucky woman. You definitely weren’t that lucky woman. You had too many problems to be that lucky woman. 

It doesn’t stop you from thinking about him as your body fights off whatever virus is inside you. 

[thunderboltsassemble]

I like to imagine Ava phasing into Walker's room in the watchtower just to mess with his stuff. Nothing crazy, just little things like rearranging his toiletries or hanging his shirts inside out, messing with his pillows... Just enough to make John think there's a glitch in the matrix... Or the tower is haunted.

[fp-am]

new art style experiment time🔥🔥 been a minute since I’ve drawn agent dj, but here we be!!

I finally learned how to render fr, and I’m very happy with the colors!! (The lineart is a little too thick imo but I’ll fix that next time.)

Also always wanted to draw this au over a 007 poster, so I finally did it :3

[sumire-no-nikki]

25 Books for 2025

Shopping my shelves again to list down my must reads for the coming year!! I didn’t get to 100% of my 2024 list but some progress is better than none! And I really enjoyed going through my shelves like it’s a bookshop. I made sure to cover every genre I have. I’m looking forward to discovering new faves ✨

To Kill A Kingdom - Alexandra Christo

The Book of Living Secrets - Madeleine Roux

Lady Macbeth - Ava Reid

A River Enchanted - Rebecca Ross ✅

Hera - Jennifer Saint ✅

Hour of the Witch - Chris Bohjalian

Eleanore of Avignon - Elizabeth DeLozier

Matrix - Lauren Groff ✅

The Fair Botanists - Sara Sheridan

Melmoth - Sarah Perry

Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

The Huntress - Kate Quinn

Cleopatra and Frankenstein - Coco Mellors

There There - Tommy Orange ✅

The Regrets - Amy Bonnaffons ✅

The Lost Bookshop - Evie Woods ✅

Lucy by the Sea - Elizabeth Strout ✅

Okay Days - Jenny Mustard ✅

Mongrel - Hanako Footman ✅

All The Lovers in the Night - Mieko Kawakami

Madam - Phoebe Wynne

My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell

Outline - Rachel Cusk

A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara

To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf ✅

[holy3cake]

THE MATRIX IS CLOSING IN ON ME WTF.

Any love island players, can you somehow tell me how I managed to make an Ava, that looks exactly like the Ava that our LI just brought back to the villa?! MY MC HAS THE SAME NAME AND HAIR AND ETHAN WAS LIKE AVA...MEET AVA. AND NOBODY COMMENTED.

My mind has broken. What.

[domalora]

July Energy Update:

Aries: Stay Hydrated: Drink water!!! You exercise a lot and forget to replenish Taurus: Take a Break: Step away from your work and stretch more, you're overworking this month Gemini: Express Gratitude: Write down more things you're grateful for, stop focusing on the negatives! Solutions, not problems Cancer: Exercise: Spend time on physical activity, don't bedrot pls Leo: Read: Dedicate some time to read a chapter of a book, huge focus on booktok this month Virgo: Connect: Call or message a friend or family member to check in, phone up friends! You're isolatingggg again Libra: Eat Healthily: Include fruits and vegetables in your meals, not getting enough fruit and veg! Why are y'all eating so much junkkkk Scorpio: Sleep: Aim to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep tonight, why is your sleep schedule so off Scorpio?? Lord y'all need a massage too Sagittarius: Declutter: Spend 15 minutes organizing a part of your home, y'all get messy!! Capricorn: Learn: Try to learn something new this month, even if it's small, do try Aquarius: Meditate: Take 10 minutes to meditate and clear your mind, just stop for a minute and unplug, the matrix is exhausting you Pisces: Plan: Set your goals and tasks for tomorrow before bed, you guys aren't known for being realistic, or planning, please try Pisces it will help you out of much in the long run ♡︎ (Ava Alexis) ~ Personal Readings and Charts are Open! DM to Book

[bluemoonperegrine]

Ted's on First - Part I

This is the first scene (~1200 words) of the long-awaited Waffle House fic. It's taking me forever to get this thing written, but I'd rather take the time to do it right.

Although this is set in the Bittersweet Symphony universe, you don't have to have read any of it to follow this.

UPDATE: The whole fic is here on ao3.

Rating: Gen Characters: Elsa Bloodstone/Jack Russell, Ted Sallis (Man-Thing), original characters Word Count (eventually): ~3500 Warnings: Canon-typical violence (eventually)

Ava knew the pair was trouble the moment the plate glass door swung open. A gust of humid, marsh-scented air preceded two fit thirty-somethings whose dress better suited a pop culture convention than southern Florida.

“Mornin’,” Ava called over the din of her washing dishes behind the counter and the mess of eggs and hash browns Tom had sizzling on the grill. Between the late hour and their location on the outskirts of the Miami metro area, the two of them could run the Waffle House.

A swarthy, clean-shaven man of Indian descent nodded acknowledgement as his eyes swept across the nearly empty diner. Dried mud spattered his dark boots and the bottom of his black duster. The fact that his long coat was buttoned closed despite the warm night air outside suggested he was packing. All he needed was a pair of sunglasses to cosplay Neo from The Matrix.

Ava glanced at Kendra, who perched on her usual stool at the far end of the counter. The big-boned woman with natural Black hair was watching the new arrivals as well. Kendra nodded, then returned her attention to the door.

Neo stepped aside to make way for his companion: a Black woman with her hair in cornrows. Her garb was similar to Neo’s with the exception of her medium-length leather coat. She also surveyed the nearly empty dining room, skipping over Kendra to linger on the customers sitting at the table on the right side of the door. Those two, an attractive older couple who’d been playing footsie under the table, wore motorcycle safety gear.

“Sit anywhere you’d like,” Ava told Neo and Trinity.

After giving her a cursory smile, the woman headed for the table on the left side of the door. Neo followed. 

Ava dried her hands, pulled her order pad and pen from the pocket of her yellow apron, and strode around the end of the counter toward the older couple. Kendra smiled and said quietly in Creole “I’m watching” as Ava moved past her.

Despite his back being to her, the tanned, forty-something man with salt-and-pepper hair sat up straight as Ava approached. After frowning over his shoulder in Kendra’s direction, the handsome man gave Ava a friendly smile. His companion, a fair-skinned, dark-haired woman who was beautiful even with her brows knit together, continued studying the single-page menu.

Ava prompted, “Need another minute or two?”

“Mi vida?” the man asked his probable wife. Neither wore a wedding band.

The woman frowned harder at the menu. “Nearly,” she replied with a light British accent. “You go ahead.”

“Okay.” After glancing over his wife’s shoulder at Neo and Trinity sitting their table ten feet away, he turned to Ava and smiled. “The cheeseburger platter, please—”

Ava jotted it down. “Lettuce, tomato, pickle?” 

“Yes, please,” he said with a Latino accent. “And a cup of coffee. It’s late, you know?”

The man’s smile had grown bigger somehow. Ava felt herself returning it as she admired his green irises and how the corners of his eyes crinkled—

The British woman pointedly cleared her throat. “I’m ready to order.”

“Right!” Ava blurted. She felt her face heat up as she met the woman’s displeased countenance. Her husband chuckled, as did Kendra from her spot at the end of the counter. “What can…”

The Latino was looking over his shoulder again as if he’d heard Kendra. The notion was ridiculous, as was how something dark had seemed to move under the table. The couple was probably playing footsie. 

After taking a breath to compose herself, Ava addressed the British woman. “What can I get you?”

“The steak hash brown bowl,” the woman said frostily, “with jalapeños—”

 “Ahht!” the man mock scolded.

The woman heaved a sigh and leveled an impatient look on her husband. “Jack, I am not using that silly lingo.”

Jack’s face fell. “But you have to! It’s a rule.” He grinned at Ava. “Right?”

Ava gulped, wishing her customers were the usual ones who came in after the bars closed. Drunks she could handle. These two were weird and she still had to deal with Neo and Trinity. “Uh…”

The woman handed the menu to Ava as she shook her head at her husband. “You can,” she said, trying to withhold a grin. “You know what I like.”

Her husband’s smile became more of a leer, which made Ava blush and the woman chuckle. “Go on, and stop torturing the poor girl.”

Jack turned back to Ava with a polite smile. “She’ll have hers scattered, chunked, diced, peppered, and capped.” He grinned at his wife, who rolled her eyes as the corners of her mouth tugged up.

“And to drink?” Ava asked them both because she had no idea who’d reply at this point.

“Tea?” Jack asked his wife.

The woman gave Ava a skeptical look. “Is it orange pekoe?”

Ava yearned for drunk patrons who only wanted coffee. “I guess? It’s Lipton’s.”

“Coffee,” the woman sighed, “black.” She looked fondly at her husband. “Bring lots of cream for him.”

“Yes, please,” Jack said. In a stage whisper he added, “Don’t mind her. She’s hangry.”

“I am not hangry!” The woman’s mouth snapped shut. She blushed as her husband chuckled.

Ava willed herself to not react and risk provoking the not-hangry British woman. “Back in a minute with coffee,” she said and retreated, catching Kendra’s eye as she walked past. Her friend followed her behind the counter as she called the order to Tom, a ruddy white man who looked older than his fifty years.

Grateful for the clanks of metal utensils on the grill, Ava murmured to Kendra in Creole, “He can hear you.”

Kendra looked his way. “Seems that way,” she said quietly. “He doesn’t see me, though.”

Ava put two mugs on the counter and poured coffee, leaving room for cream in one of them. “Untrained?”

“Maybe,” Kendra replied. She didn’t seem concerned. “Jack seems harmless. But he is keeping an eye on the other two. His wife is too. She’s using the reflection in the window.”

Ava took longer than necessary putting coffee creamer cups in a bowl for the Latino. “This really isn’t a good night for things to get interesting.”

“It’ll be fine,” Kendra said, laying one hand on Ava’s shoulder. The touch had no weight, only a gentle coldness. “Don’t you worry.”

Ava nodded, grateful for her grandmother’s presence. 

As she picked up the mugs with one hand and the bowl of creamer in the other, she looked at Neo and Trinity at their table on the far side of the counter. With only stars and headlights from I-75 traffic lighting the night sky, the floor-to-ceiling window behind the customers acted as a mirror. Kendra, who looked about thirty, wasn’t there, of course, but Ava’s reflection was. They both were tall, but Ava lankier. Her black hair was in a multitude of thin braids, the bunch of them gathered at the nape of her neck with an elastic hair band. Her black T-shirt, pants, and yellow apron and visor were nothing to write home about. College tuition and bills had to get paid somehow.

Trinity and Neo must have felt her eyes on them. They glanced at her simultaneously.

“Coffee?” Ava asked.

“Yeah,” Neo said with a neutral American accent. “That’d be good.” Trinity nodded agreement.

Ava returned it as she headed for her other customers. “Coming right up.”

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

For anyone who's read "Past Is Prologue," Kendra is the same Kendra in that fic. 😊

Also, I was lazy in the Bittersweet Symphony fics and made Elsa American. She's British here because it's more accessible for anyone who hasn't read that series, and easier to differentiate her from other female characters when writing from Ava's POV.

[lixorloveslicorice]

These are all I could think of off the top of my head!

if you think of some put it in the tags!

Edit part one: Lots of you are saying “Hal isn’t evil he was just trying to survive!!”

Counterpoint Hal is evil since he killed a bunch of people and if your gonna go off of “just trying to survive” that means Roy, Agent Smith, Skynet and Wheatley also aren’t evil.

Edit part two: I should’ve called this post “how many people can I piss off?”