#i'm glad she-hulk is stepping into this!

[minoment]

Hello there, may I request some cod characters being harassed in a bar or whatever and having a tall, intimidating reader step in to defend them?

(Preferably with Krueger, König or Price?)

Imma give you all three because I can't choose.. ALSO THANK YOU FOR ASKING FOR KRUEGER

Warnings/Tags: purely sfw, can be platonic or romantic, gn reader, reader is MASSIVE (around 7ft), implied harrasment, implied violence

this is sloppy and poorly edited because i'm exhausted 😭

KREUGER

You'd probably only have to step in because of Krueger's violent tendencies. If it wasn't for you, you guys would probably be in a VERY different situation.

Krueger leant against the bar, sipping his drink while this clearly drunk man yammered on in his ear. He decided to ignore him, since he was exhausted, but the constant talking was making that familiar heat coil in his gut. His patience was slipping.

The man reached out and grasped Krueger's thigh to get his attention, almost making the soldier drop his drink. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched as he put down his drink and opened his mouth to snarl something rude.

Just then, he felt a large presence behind him and a heavy hand on his shoulder. He relaxed against the familiarity of your towering form.

"Get lost.." you said, almost quietly. But the man looked up, his eyes widening at your hulking body and cold gaze. He was gone in an instant.

Krueger leant back against your chest, placing his hand over yours as the rage faded from his stomach. You were his rock, and he was forever grateful for that. Words weren't needed to express that, so you both stood there in silence and finished your drinks.

KÖNIG

Helping him out in uncomfortable social situations is probably the thing he loves the most. His anxiety gets too much sometimes...

König sits in the corner of the bar, trying to keep his head down and trying to seem a little shorter while he finished his drink. Somehow, that makes him seem even taller. A group of men walk up to his table, looking him up and down.

"Aye, how tall are you big boy?"

"Fuckin' hell you're massive.."

"I bet women drool over you.."

The comments make him scowl to himself, so he just looked down into the foamy top of his beer, wishing they would just disappear.

"What's the problem huh?"

"Can't take a joke?"

Their jeering continued, making the familiar feeling of his throat tightening begin to well up. He tried to slow his breath and swallow, attempting to ignore the men. The room seemed too small and too loud. All until a familiar voice cut through the noise.

"HEY."

König looked up in hope; the men spinning around and only being met with the muscled bulk of your chest.

"The hells going on?" You snapped, making the men glance around to each other and shake their heads. They muttered excuses and quickly left the bar, leaving you with König.

You slid into the seat next to König, ruffling his hair and wrapping an arm around his waist.

"I've got you Colonel.. Do you want to leave?"

König was practically buzzing with gratitude and relief, all he could do was hug you tight. You laughed softly, hugging him back.

PRICE

Price seems to be able to handle himself incredibly well in situations like these. Everyone needs a helping hand once in a while, and you are always glad to be that one for him.

Price goes to bars a lot, but on this particular occasion he just wanted to clear his head. He sat down with his beer, closing his eyes and taking a long sip. He swallowed and rested his head in his hand, just thinking to himself.

All of a sudden he feels a hand slide down his back and he sits up straight, his nerves on edge. The gentle laugh of a woman is heard behind him and he frowns, not in the mood.

"Can I help take your mind of something, sweetheart?" she purrs.

"Yeah, you're looking a little off mate.." another one adds.

To his horror, there was more than one. Great. This is what he got for going to a bar while on duty.

"Move your asses." A cross, familiar voice yells. Price could almost see the hulking shadow of your form moving across the bar. "He's with me."

Price's shoulders relax at the tone of your voice, the group of younger men and women swiftly leaving the bar at the sight of you. You laughed softly, leaning your head down onto his shoulder.

"This doesn't look like the training grounds Captain.." you teased gently, rubbing his arm. "Don't worry, just say you caught me here. I'm willing to do extra duties for you sir.."

Price couldn't stop the warm smile spreading across his lips.

"Thanks kid.."

[sixhours]

WIP Wednesday Thursday

Thanks for the tags @two-birds-alone-together @sawymredfox @ace-turned-confused @whocaresstillthelouvre and @evolnoomym!

More from the hospital fic that mayyyybe has a title? But I'm not confident in it yet. I've written over 11k words for this thing and maybe 1k of those words are passable. It's slow-going.

Tagging @bumblepony @chronicallyonlinewriter @ameerawrites @femmefacetious @wordywarriorwrites and anyone else who would like to share!

-------

Marlene's lips curl in a smirk, and Joel's rage is instant and white-hot.

“Where…is she?” he wheezes, throat burning.

“Ellie is fine.”

“Glad…to…hear it,” he grits out. “Now where…is she?”

“She’s resting. Honest to god, Joel, we were about to pack up and leave. It’s a fucking miracle you made it at all. I should have known, though. If anyone could do it…”

“Was all…her,” he says, head swimming and spinning on an ever-changing axis. He needs to stand, needs to get to Ellie, to see for himself that she's not dead or strapped to a table somewhere, but his damn legs won’t cooperate.

“Well, you did the job. There’s a car and a battery waiting–”

“Don’t care…’bout the payment,” he says. “Just…let me see her.”

She considers him, brow furrowed. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

He glares at her, or as much as he can where the room keeps spinning. He’s not sure if he’s looking at her or one of her thugs or the wall by her head. “I want…to see her.”

“Joel–”

“I’m not…leavin’ her, Marlene.”

“You really think that’s in her best interest?” she says cooly. “That you’re in her best interest?”

No, he thinks dully, but that didn't stop him from growing desperately, hopelessly attached. The simpering lilt in Marlene's voice spurs him on, gives him strength. He finds his feet and lurches toward her.

“Take me to her. Now.”

“Joel–”

“No, you take me to her right now!”

The butt of the gun hits him in the gut before he can take another step and the breath leaves his lungs in one pitiful whoosh. He goes down hard on his hands and knees, gasping. One of the men hulks over him, no doubt poised to strike again.

“Enough,” Marlene says softly, no urgency in her tone, no real threat. Her voice remains flat. “Joel–”

“Take…me…to her,” he croaks, eyes watering. “So help…me god, Marlene, I’ll…I’ll fuckin’ kill every last one of–”

She sighs and kneels to get in his face.

“Down, boy,” she quips. “Look, I need you to take a fucking breath. We just got her calmed down. I don’t want to have to sedate her because you can't keep your shit together.”

He snarls. “Maybe if you hadn’t fuckin’ attacked–”

“That wasn’t the intention–”

“Like hell it wasn’t,” he spits.

She takes a deep breath, huffs out her nose, and stands, offering her hand. He sneers but the room is tilting and his gut aches something fierce and he needs to get up off the floor. He needs to get to Ellie. He can feel Marlene's blunt nails digging into his wrist when she helps him up.

“I would’ve thought you’d know better,” she says archly. "Falling for the cargo."

“Fuck you,” he spits. “You're the one who sent a fuckin’ child across the country like a piece of freight.”

“Yeah, I did. And she made it, thanks to you.”

“Take me to her,” he repeats, fairly vibrating with anger. He doesn't have a plan if she doesn't comply, and doesn't have much hope that she will. He only knows he will bludgeon and bloody every single person standing between him and that little girl before he'll let them be separated again.

[sauntervaguelydown]

Script-Doctoring Sakura

Before we start, you have to understand, I think Sakura as she's introduced is a fucking excellent character. I am a fan. Her bones are GOOD, we can tear the roof off and improve this house.

Okay so one of my biggest, hardest critiques of Naruto Shippuden is how it fumbles Sakura. This isn't anything new, but it's on my mind, so I wanna talk about it.

First thing. She has enormous physical strength, which we get to see utilized in her re-introduction spar, and a bit in her team-up fight against Sasori. Her portion of the fight with Sasori focuses more on her medical abilities, however. And medical abilities... well, they don't play to a shonen audience in the same way that flashy gimmicks and jutsus do.

So one of the first small tweaks I would make is that when she gets poisoned and stabbed by Sasori, and she's fighting through it, the amount of pain she is in should come to the foreground. It should be weighted, it should be dramatic--in anime terms, express it with noises of agony, gestures of trembling, close-ups, sweat, tense music as she struggles to rise and fight on. When she heals herself while running with a gash in her side, I want to feel like she's hauling her body forward, I want to know exactly how each step is tearing her wounds open. I want to see consequences. I want to know what this costs her. This gives the medical techniques dramatic weight, instead of just being a narrative blip in an ongoing fight.

Alright. Moving forward.

Maybe I'm in the minority, I truly don't know, but I liked her false love confession to Naruto. Giving him what she thinks he wants, trying to convince him (and maybe herself as well) that she has given up on Sasuke? It shakes everything up.

She says that she loves Naruto now, because he's 1. a hero who proved himself, and 2. reliable, approachable, and within her ability to touch. How could she love a criminal, when a hero is available to her? This is interesting, sad, and uncomfortable. I love that Naruto immediately disbelieves all this, distrusts it, and is angry about it.

Item 1, Naruto "proving himself" and earning her love, is an uncomfortable concept, and I'm glad that he rejects it. I'm glad he has a chance to reject it. It will dovetail in with his discomfort in the next arc, as he tried to untangle the resentment he still feels despite being openly accepted in his hometown now.

So what doesn't work? Well. To be honest. I'm not sure that Kishimono understands why Sakura loved/loves Sasuke. He's got a strong understanding of the psychological impact Sasuke had on Naruto (Sai spells it out for us, we know exactly why Naruto imprinted so hard). But what's the deal with Sakura? Why does she love Sasuke? I'm not gonna lie to you, in the OG couple of arcs, it's very obviously related to Sasuke being Hot. He is a 12-year-old with a cut jawline, badass powers, and a too-cool attitude. He's catnip for pre-teen girls, okay. I understand.

"Liking Sasuke" is a big part of Sakura's self-identity too. It was the first major choice she made after gaining her confidence under Ino's wing as a child. It was the wedge she drove between herself and Ino. Liking Sasuke and Being Ino's Rival are inextricably intertwined. But does she love him? Well. She certainly says she does. When he leaves the village, she says that she loves him so much it hurts her. We have to accept this is true. But he's given her nothing for the whole year they've been comrades. The closest to affection he ever shows her to her face is when he pops up crazy manic on evil curse juju and asks her which of these mooks injured her while he was asleep, so he can rip their arms off. And, to be fair, she DOES try a Hulk Cooldown Hug immediately after this, and it works.

The real question Sakura should be asking, during her false confession, is "How could I love someone who treated me like trash, abandoned me, and broke my heart?" Not "how could I love a criminal? A wanted man? A traitor?". It's not good as a rhetorical question. Many girls love criminals; Bundy got love letters in prison.

Now, in a narrative that was tuned into her needs better, this could still work. Maybe she's framing it in this unconvincing way because she still can't bear to admit that Sasuke treated her like trash. Okay. I'll buy that.

So here's what happens next. She tries to kill Sasuke herself.

This is amazing. This would be an incredible climax to her personal arc. A physical fight which revolves around emotional confrontation is the Naruto brand. And we've never gotten to see a Sakura 1-on-1 fight before. Sasuke is obviously way out of her league at this point, after absorbing all his brother's techniques and unlocking a stupid amount of combat jutsu like a giant chakra skeleton that acts as mecha armor. For example. But when Sakura finds him, he's just finished fighting a powerful opponent, he's weakened, he's blown through most of his daily spell slots so to speak.

The most frustrating thing about this plotline? She has a chance.

So in canon what happens is that she shows up, pretends to want to join him (reasonable, she tried to defect with him the night he left, it has precedent), gets told to murder Sasuke's previous medic in cold blood, and then hesitates. She fumbles it. She fumbles it!!!!! This is insane!!! She has to be saved Kakashi, and then again by Naruto when she IMMEDIATELY FUMBLES IT AGAIN. I'm frothing at the mouth! I'm spitting blood! The only way this is narratively satisfying is if you hate seeing girls in combat and love seeing Naruto make murder-suicide pacts.

Fuck off. We're doing it my way.

[shadowsingerlightsinger]

Chapter Three

I'm baaaaaack. Finally felt inspired to keep writing. Warning for Az once again being a self-sabotaging idiot.

Part One|Pt.2

Ao3 Link

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

Azriel was, quite possibly, the most bored he had ever been in his entire life. He had been on the outskirts of autumn for two weeks now, and had absolutely nothing to show for it. Not that he expected to find much when he originally set out. After that morning in the ring with Gwyn and the prompt talking-to from Cassian, he knew he had to distance himself. Thus: Autumn. Dull, soporific, beautiful Autumn. Even when he found himself entirely worn out by this place, he couldn’t deny the beauty of the fiery shades in every tree and the cool breeze that brushed the hair from his forehead. 

Are you done being avoidant, brother? Rhysand’s night-kissed voice murmured into his mind. Azriel huffed and shifted where he sat, arms braced on his knees where he looked out over a cliff face. From this vantage point, he could glimpse the entrance of Beron’s palace. When it became clear he wasn’t going to respond, talons grazed the walls of his mind before he felt Rhysand’s presence fade from his consciousness. Rhys had first accepted Azriel’s decision to depart on a mission for autumn without comment, trusting his brother's intuition when it came to the need to gather intelligence. As the weeks wore on, though, Azriel knew his brother was beginning to suspect that this mission was more for escape than anything. He refused to speak on it despite Rhys’s unending attempts. Rhysand still didn’t know what was going on in Azriel’s personal life. Only Cassian knew what had happened, and he planned to keep it that way. 

Suddenly, he felt a shifting in the breeze behind him. A shadow crept up and curled around his ear. Eris, it whispered. He stiffened, annoyed by the future high lord’s unwelcome intrusion into his brooding. 

“What do you want, Eris?”  he spat without bothering to turn his head from the view before him. Eris strode around to stand in front of him, red hair lit like a halo by the sun behind him. Gods, why did everyone in autumn have to have red hair? Every time he caught a glimpse of a woman out of the corner of his eye, his heart leapt, reaching for Gwyn. 

“Just checking to see if I might need to be hiring someone to deal with my court's new bat problem” Eris responded with a sneer. “We may be allies, but that doesn’t mean I appreciate your hulking presence shadowing the borders of my court.”

“You’re father’s court” Azriel corrected, never one to pass up even the slightest opportunity to shoot a barb at the prince.  Eris dismissed the statement with a wave of his hand. 

“Either find me some information of interest, or take your snooping elsewhere”. With that, autumn leaves swirled around the male and he was gone. Message received. His presence in autumn would no longer be tolerated. Azriel stood with a groan, his legs aching from sitting in the same position for so long. As much as he didn’t want to return to the House of Wind, he didn’t think Rhys would appreciate him starting a feud between Night and Autumn. It was time to go home. Silently, he summoned his shadows and stepped into their endless night, transporting himself back to the Night Court. If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn he heard a few of them whispering Valkyrie as they carried him home. 

When he landed on a balcony of the House of Wind, Cassian was already there to greet him. 

“She’s in the House’s library” he said without preamble. How he knew Azriel was coming, the he wasn’t sure. 

“Glad to see you too, brother,” Azriel responded. Cassian simply pinned him with a look, crossing his arms over his chest. Azriel blinked back, face impassive. He wasn’t going to let Cassian push him around, especially when it came to her. Seeing he wasn’t getting anywhere, Cassian retreated into the House with a shake of his head. Azriel followed behind his brother, making his way to the kitchen. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he’d barely eaten today. As he sat at the table, he asked the house for a meal. A bit aggressively, an empty plate clattered into place in front of him. 

“Really?” He called out into the silent air. “Can I please eat?” In answer, a full plate of food materialized on the side table that stood in the hallway. The smell of roast chicken and vegetables wafted to him tantalizingly. Azriel reluctantly rose to his feet, walking down the hall. Just before his fingers could grasp the plate and bring it back to the dining table, it disappeared, rematerializing on the stone tiles further down the hall. 

“Seriously?” He said to no one. In response, the lights seemed to flicker as if responding yes, seriously. The house continued to take him further down the hall, leading him with dinner like a horse with a carrot. If he wasn’t so hungry, he would have given up, but he continued to play the house’s game. Finally, the plate landed just outside the door to the private library. Valkyrie is inside, his shadows whispered, our mate. As he approached, the plate disappeared again. 

“Oh thank you,” he heard a soft voice say through the door, “but I’m not hungry”. When his dinner didn’t reappear, Azriel resigned himself to going to bed hungry. Clearly, the house didn’t want to feed him, deciding to play with him instead. He still wasn’t sure what he’d done long ago to earn the sentient building’s ire, but it never made the simplest requests easy for him. When he turned to go to his room, though, the library door swung open of its own accord. He froze, suddenly exposed to the Valkyrie seated in the plush armchair directly across from the open doorway. 

“Azriel!” Gwyneth exclaimed, putting her book face down on an arm of the chair, “welcome back”. The priestess stood, striding across the room. 

“Is this your dinner?” She asked, gesturing to where his still steaming plate sat on the low coffee table. 

“Yes, sorry,” he said, barely able to meet her gaze. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but the house wouldn’t let me eat in the kitchen”. He couldn’t stand it, being in such close proximity to her now that he knew how her lips tasted. Every instinct cried out within him to take, claim. His shadows had already mutinied, twining themselves around her shoulders and arms instead of his own. 

“Please, come in,” she urged, placing a guiding hand on his arm. He involuntarily tensed, not trusting himself to hold his desires back at even this small amount of contact. Sensing his unease, she retreated to the couch, once again encouraging him to sit with her and eat. A particularly traitorous shadow pressed at his back, and he begrudgingly entered the room, seating himself on the far end of the couch. Wordlessly, he picked up the plate of food, the house finally allowing him to eat his meal. 

“You were gone a while,” Gwyn began as he speared a bite on his fork and chewed. 

“Yes,” he said once he swallowed, “Autumn needed to be watched”.  Liar, a shadow whispered. 

“Oh,” she said, a blush rising to her freckled cheeks. Gods she was stunning like this. Fire and faelight gilded her skin and hair, her flushed skin sending his mind reeling with visions of what that skin would look like against his sheets. “It’s just- I thought- oh nevermind,” she stammered. 

Our mate is feeling uncomfortable, a shadow breathed. That shook him from his thoughts. For the first time that evening, Azriel took a real look at the priestess. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her teeth worrying at her full bottom lip. Clearly, something was on her mind. He inwardly admonished himself. She was his friend first, and here he was lusting after her while she had something to get off her chest. 

“Priestess,” he said gently, setting his plate and fork aside, “what is it?”

“It’s nothing,” she said hurriedly, “just silliness”

She’s a liar too, his shadows muttered. 

“Berdara, I can tell something’s up with you” he cajoled her. He pinned her with his “spymaster” stare. The look that said, you will tell me what you know. She squirmed under her gaze. He didn’t relent, content to let her stew until she was ready to talk. 

“I just,” she began, before stopping herself to take a deep breath. “I thought maybe you left because of what we did in the ring that day”. The words left her mouth in a rush. Her teal eyes flicked to his and them away, flitting around the room as her admission settled between them. His heart cracked a bit at her truth. He could sense her hurt down their one-sided bond. When he left, he didn’t stop to think what it might look like to her when he ran so soon after her brave kiss. Brave, beautiful, mate, his shadows sang.

“No,” he said sincerely, “my leaving had nothing to do with you”. His hand reached out to her almost of its own volition before he caught himself, reeling it back in. Gwyn’s keen eyes tracked each movement, seeming to shutter when he stopped his grasp. 

“I’m not sure I believe you,” she murmured, eyes downcast. 

“I promise you,” Azriel urged, “it had everything to do with me, not you”. She looked pointedly at his hands before returning her piercing gaze back to his own hazel stare. She clenched her jaw, her spine stiffening in what seemed like anger. 

“Then why won’t you touch me?” She questioned. When he didn’t answer, Gwyn reached, grasping one of his scarred palms in her own smooth hand. When he tensed, she held on tighter, fiercely staring him down. “Do you regret it?” she asked, her attitude daring him to respond. Azriel didn’t trust himself to answer. Knowing her past, he was almost certain she would detest the primal nature of a mating bond. He didn’t want to force that upon her, and he wasn’t sure he could trust his own mouth not to spill his soul’s secrets. 

“Do. You. Regret. It?” She pressed, scooting closer to him on the couch. They were nearly knee to knee now. Azriel could feel her warmth through the leather of his pants. Her nearness scrambled his thoughts. He could barely remember what she had asked. Cauldron boil him, he felt like a youngling, flustered by a pretty girl simply holding his hand. Our Valkyrie awaits your response, a helpful shadow reminded him. 

“No,” he croaked, voiced barely above a whisper, “I don’t regret it”. 

“But you can barely look at me,” she responded, silver beginning to line her lovely eyes, “and you react to my touch like it repulses you”. His heart broke open. 

“Never, you could never repulse me,” he reassured her, grasping her other unoccupied hand. The touch sent a shock through his body. He pushed down his body’s need, forcing himself to focus on the priestess kneeling on the couch before him. She searched his face, looking for signs of a lie. When her lips parted to question him further, he couldn’t help himself. He rushed forward, capturing plush lips with his own in a gentle kiss. Almost instantly, she softened beneath him, leaning back so that he could press her into the cushions. His tongue swiped across the entrance to her mouth, and she welcomed him, tongue tangling with his own. He groaned, deepening the kiss, unable to stop himself from consuming her. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to get enough of her mouth. Her taste on his tongue. After what felt like an eternity and also not nearly enough time, she broke the kiss, pulling back to look him in the eye. 

“What do you want, Azriel?” She questioned him, still breathing hard. “Because I know I have feelings for you, but I can’t keep doing this if I don’t know what you want”. Everything, he thought, I want everything. He couldn’t tell her that though, would never force the bond on her. If, when, she learned of the bond, he wanted it to be on her own time. He realized now, though, that he couldn’t keep himself away. There was no helping it. They would go at her pace then. IF what she wanted right now was to know what he felt for her, then he would give that to her.

“You, Gwyn,” he murmured against her lips, “I want you and whatever you are willing to give me”. 

“Does this mean you’ll be my partner, then?” She asked innocently, mouth quirking into a smile. She had his heart firmly in the palm of her hand.  “My boooyyyfriend?” she said playfully, drawing out the vowels. 

“You can call me whatever you want, priestess, and I’ll answer” he breathed against her ear, relishing in the shudder she let out. “But yes,” he answered her question finally, “I would be honored to be yours”. Gwyneth grinned furiously before pulling him back down into another crushing kiss. Mate, mate, mate his stubborn shadows murmured in his ear. 

[stevenbasic]

Growing into the Job, Post 387: Another Favor

I am mentally stable. I am mentally stable, calm and cool and collected, any time I want to be. I am strong and ready for change. I am in control of myself and the world around me. Despite all this crappp I am not going to freak out. Shhhhh. The power to be better is in my hands. My emotional strength is matched only by my physical strength and I am haha really really strongggg

I stared into the bathroom mirror of the staff bathroom with the best smile I could manage and what I hoped wasn’t a super-crazy look in my eyes. I could feel the ceramic of the counter top threatening to give way under my finger tips and saw the mirror haha shaking from the authority in my voice as I said my affirmation. I took a long, slow, deep breath. Yes, I was strong. I…me! I was in control.

Okay haha enough of that! I need to talk to Marisela before she leaves. I stepped out of the bathroom with the paper I needed. 

Mmm…But actually I am actually really, really proud of myself for not being too upset right now. I mean haha - look at the day I’ve had! The photoshoot stuff was cool this morning (I’m sooo excited to be a TV star haha) but then the lawyers? Ack. They tried to take him away! What the actual F. Are there more of them? Should I look? What would I do if I found them? And then - then! - the girls showed me that security video? The one that showed it was Cici - one of my own girls! - that had trashed his apartment? Ack ack ack!! If I hadn’t been able to center myself with these breathing exercises, these manifestations, I may have haha just she-hulked out right there in the breakroom where they showed it to me. I’m so glad Lakshmi had taken him away to keep him busy, brought him along with her to see some patients. I wouldn’t have wanted him to see my reaction (I didn’t really like that soda machine anyway, I’ll buy us a new one) or know that it was…what was her name?…Cici that did that.  <clack clack clack> My heels echoed loudly through the hallways. I wanted everyone to hear.

Was I angry? I mean, yeah, maybe a little. Both with, uh, Cici and with what happened with those lawyer guys. But I knew what I had to do, had a plan. And hah I didn’t think he’d mind. I liked how it felt, you in my blouse, earlier. Didn’t you? The closer u are the stronger I feel. This’ll let me be really strong. 

I could make it happen, I knew it. I turned the corner as I thought of his little head, buttoned up in my top. Nnngh! Haha we could be even more. It might take some time, and he might need a little convincing, but omigod yes. Yes yes. I needed to keep him safe and I figured what better way than to-

Haha shush, Missy. You have to find that girl. Cici, right? Or Cynthia? Why can I not picture her face? Anyway. Let’s take care of these lawyers first. I had an idea, was headed to who I needed to ask for help. I had the paper. 

<<clack clack clack>>. Thunder cracks through the halls, really loud. The office was otherwise quiet. There were only a few girls left, mostly cleaning up the rooms, and he was somewhere with them. I bet you hear me. Does it make your heart race? Do you get a little nervous? Good. 

Marisela, thankfully, was still at her desk. 

“Hey Melissa.”

“Hey sweetie,” I replied, appearing calm. Marisela had her own little corner in the main office where we let her do her work. She’s really smart. I looked over her shoulder. She had one of her graphic-design programs opened up. “Are you working on the-?“

“Yeah,” she replied, swiveling to me in her chair. Aww she was just so pretty. Her straight black hair was done really nice today, probably for our little company photoshoot. “I just started on it.” She opened up a window for me, but then turned back, finished looking at the screen

“Ooo! looks cool. Hey, listen, I'm just about ready to take him home for the night. Would you mind closing up?” Still proud of myself for not acting crazy. But I could only hold it in for so long. 

“Of course sure yeah,” she replied, “Lakshmi and Josie and I are going ax-throwing. Wanna come?”

“Fun but no,” I answered, “I have something to do at home.” Him. 

Marisela's eyes flittered as she noticed the yellow paper I had in my hand. I’d tried not to crinkle it too much. Her smile crooked as she eyed it. 

 “Let me guess, you have another favor.”

I giggled, and maybe did sound a little crazy. “I do,” I said, handing the paper out to her. She took it, glanced down at it, noticing the signatures and names and all the legal words. They’d dropped it, left it behind. “These people tried to take him,” I said, my voice changing. I felt it, it got deeper. It might have been my imagination but I think the room dimmed. “I want you to help me. Can you do something about this?”

Marisela brought the paper closer to her face. She sniffed it, drawing in a deep breath. Suddenly her eyes widened, and a dark smile that showed a lot of teeth - two of them getting really sharp -  broke her face. Those big brightly pretty eyes flashed. She had fangs. 

“You know what I want?” I asked. She had their scent. 

“Absolutely...”

=============================================

[yourlocalzombie]

(Continuation of cleo loses headcanon...actually its just fanfiction at this point)

Cleo readied herself to enter the shopping district.

She hadn't been there in ages for...obvious reasons.

She first went to the dye shop, entering the grand dragon's head. She remembered the people she met, whose culture she modeled it on. They were kind people; curious people.

She remembered them fondly.

As she entered the shop, there were no customers, but rather the man who helped her run the thing: zedaph.

The humanoid sheep spun around to what he assumed to be a customer, only to be met with his favorite hulking zombie. Yeah, cleo was the only hulking zombie around, but she was still his favorite one.

"H- Cleo!! I missed you so much! I ran the dye shop when you were gone, even found a way to get even more dye!!"

Zedaph's eyes were wide, sparkling with the revelation of one of his many projects.

"I missed you too, zed."

Cleo gave him a tight hug. It was something she was great at. The wool was an added bonus.

Zed spoke again, "oh goodness I'm sorry, I got so caught up in the store I forgot to ask how you are..!"

Cleo chuckled and nodded. Zed always got ahead of himself.

"Well.." cleo took a breath, "admittedly I've been better but! I think I'm ready to face the world again!" Cleo's smile beamed. Her teeth were jagged, not quite where they should be, and much too sharp for anyone who didn't realize she's harmless (unless provoked, of course).

Though, it did have its charm.

Zedaph almost bounced at the news.

"I'm glad! And just know we're all here, for every step you take!"

"I won't be so ready to forget that." Cleo paused, "so...what is this about Redstone? And dye...production?"

"Ah, yes! Come with me."

Zed took Cleo through a passage to the neck of the terracotta beast. Within, an odd contraption had been made with flowers clek had never scene before.

"What's all this, then?" Cleo asked.

"Well...in the lab I made some...'super flowers,' so to speak. They're petals are larger and therefor, make more dye!" Zed went on, "and with this Redstone set up, it harvests automatically and heads right down there!"

Zed pointed to a stack of chests linked with hoppers.

When cleo took a peak, the chests were, indeed, filled with more dye than she thought possible.

As she looked up, she found machines delicately plucking petals from the flourishing flowers. It was odd, but helpful.

"Well, zed, I owe you-"

Zed cut her off.

"Nope! Not all, really!"

"Are..you sure?"

"Mhmm!" Zed nodded.

"Well...fine. for now." Cleo crossed her arms with a slightly smug grin.

Zed chuckled.

"Anyway, a couple people cam by earlier, askin me where you were as if I'd know." Zed looked...sheepish. More than normal, anyway.

Cleo tilted her head, "oh?"

"Yeah...it was Etho..."

"Oh."

Cleo didn't need to hear whoever else was involved.

They looked to the side again. She saw the petals be plucked. One by one, little cold hands removing them from their former life. Their former home. She remembered her draining body. Hour. By. Hour. She spent protecting her self-appointed sons. From the so-called bad boys. From their washed up 'father,' hour by hour. Smithereen to smithereen. It still hurt sometimes.

Sometimes she felt as if her body was splitting apart all over again.

Nobody knew this of course. Nobody was supposed to...

"...cleo?"

"Huh? Oh..."

Cleo looked down to see a worried sheep looking up at her, almost pitifully.

"I'm fine...did he leave any instructions?"

"Yeah, I think he gave them to whoever he met." Zed pulled a paper out of his pocket, deciding not to push.

Cleo read the paper. It was only some coordinates, which using her map, she found to be on an oceanside cliff.

Cleo sighed, "I guess I'll see what he wants, thank you again, zed."

Cleo turned to leave.

"It's no problem, and, hey, cleo?"

Cleo turned her head.

"Remember this isn't a life game."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

And with that, cleo left the base of the statue, leaving behind a worried zedaph and his petal plucking procedures.

[neonshrike]

"I'm not going to hurt you" for Lucille and Bruce?

Comforting/Soothing Dialogue Prompts by @whumpster-dumpster

(Not canon but this was a perfect idea for this prompt!)

Lucille was resting after a difficult night while Bruce set up his lab so they could start working on her suit. After a while, she heard him knock on the door, louder and more frantic than usual.

“Lucille? We’re going to have to wait a while to start on the suit, I just ran into a problem,” he spoke from the other side of the door. He sighed, unsure of the best way to say this without causing her to worry too much.

“My inhibitor stopped working, and I turned back. Can I come in?”

She got up, a little startled at the news, but took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself.

“Yes, come in.”

Lucille froze as the door opened and she saw Bruce in his Hulk form for the first time. She quickly took a few steps back as he walked in, completely surprised and slightly intimidated. He quickly started to try and reassure her that she was safe.

“I’m not going to hurt you, it’s still me,” he spoke in a soft tone, giving her the same warm smile she was used to. She stared up at Bruce for a moment, almost studying him. Lucille already knew about his transformation, but nothing could prepare her for seeing this up close.

He slowly knelt down to her level and held out his hand, hoping to calm her down and gain her trust. Lucille looked down at his gigantic hand, then back up at him, carefully placing her own hand down on it and nervously smiled.

“Right, it’s still you.”

He smiled back, gently closing his fingers and holding her hand as if it were made of glass. They let go and Bruce stood up.

“Glad you’re okay. Can you help me get the inhibitor back online? I might need a smaller pair of hands,” he said with a light laugh. Lucille smiled, this time in a more genuine way, and left the room with him, completely at ease.

“I can definitely help with that.”

[cursedfortune]

it is not an actual kiss given, but an affectionate gesture all the same in how the spectre moves, shifts, his hulking frame phasing through the nearest wall as he approaches from behind.

star platinum does not try to hide himself in the slightest, just attempting to display his own rendition of playfulness as his then-weightless form towers above her -- only for him to settle his head atop hers.

he doesn't laugh, but he does grin as his hands gently and carefully lift the ends of some strands of her hair.

Mistletoe~ Open @henkou

Star's approach was one she noticed, if not due to her sensitivity regarding energy than because he didn't bother to hide himself. The looming presence behind her was one that no doubt would send shivers down the spines of mortals and yet she basked in the energy that seeped from the spectre. If anything, the witch scooted back a half step as if to welcome whatever he was going to do - prank or otherwise.

What she received instead was his playfulness. The weight atop her head one that had her lips curving into a delighted smile; Mortem's own energy radiating how much she was enjoying his proximity and overall company.

It was only when he seemed to be done having fun with her winding plum locks that the witch decided to reciprocate beyond permitting him to do as he pleased. Arms lifted above herself to ensnare his neck loosely, her head tilting back in order to boop her nose against his chin. "My brightest Star..." Mortem cooed with a small nuzzle, a gentle squeeze. "I'm so very glad to see you. You are a gift all on your own."

[bluemooncove]

She had been taken into the plains by the Graf's men. The further they got from the town the more confused she became. Until suddenly she found him standing there waiting for her. It was the first time in a month she'd ever spotted him out of bed.

"My dear beauty, you've finally arrived. How good of you to join us, I'm in need of your services."

The sight in front of her. There was so much to take in. At his side stood Sir Nikolayevich looking uncomfortable but still serving as the hand of his lord. Opposite of the knight stood a hulking blue and grey monstrosity. Ten feet in height with enormous gorging muscles. Its head was that of a boar while it's body resembled a man. The tail at it's back ended in the head of a ram. Though she did not know it, this was a Daemon. At their feet was so much blood. Enough to have belonged to dozens of beasts and yet there were no animals nor bodies.

"Master Basil? What is this?"

Her voice carried so much fear. Sir Nikolayevich's face twitched as if he were attempting to force his own emotions away. The graf laughed wickedly.

"Darling Beauty! You've done excellent work trying to find a cure for my condition but I'm afraid it's been to no avail. Thankfully, I've found a new way that you can help me! This fine companion of mine, xyliliwif, is happy enough to cure the sicknesses that plague me. All I must do is hand over the town to their forces and offer up a meal to him. He wanted the townsfolk, yes, but he was more than willing to negotiate for my slaves. As the lord of this town I, of course, have a duty to my people. Which is why I have very nobly chosen to give up my property. You were the most useful as all so I tried to negotiate for you but my lord was quite insistent but I know you'll be glad enough to help. You always are!"

It took a moment for her to process what he was claiming. To understand where all of this blood had come from. She began struggling against the men who held her. The full force of her body desperately jerking in one direction and then another but the guard to her left simply responded with a punch to her stomach. She gasped for air as pain shot up her body.

Then suddenly, something else. An incredibly strange sensation. Like something was calling out to her. Pulling to her. A strange bright light in the distance emanating from the ground. Nobody else seemed to notice it but ... it! Was! There! Whatever it was wanted to help her. She had to get to it.

The guard that had struck her attempted to grab the back of her head. In doing so he let her arm slip free. Must have thought the punch was enough. Maybe it would been if she hadn't found something to drive her. Her hand met with the loop of her belt and tore a bottle off of it.

Crash!

It struck the ground and suddenly burst into a ball of magical lightning. A part of it struck Beauty, she could feel the burning jolt run up her leg, but she wasn't the ones standing around in metal armor. The guards screamed in a mixture of horror and pain as Beauty took off running in a full sprint.

Her left leg felt as if it were on fire and with every step she took it burned worse but she couldn't give up now. Basil let out a screaming order to his knight and Sir Nikolayevich took off after her. With her injured leg it was easy to chase her but there was still some distance between them. He was gaining on her more and more. Suddenly she reached a hand out towards the stone as it emitted a bright flash of light!

[wannaliveattheholidayinn]

fun tag game? fun tag game. ty @janelevy for the tag <3

what book are you currently reading? 

i just finished i'm glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy, so now i'll probably move onto loveless by alice oseman or iron widow by xiran jay zhao

what’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year? 

i,,, genuinely cannot remember going to a single movie in theaters this year. i'm pretty certain i never went into theaters this year. although, now that i'm thinking my local theater did host a viewing of goncharov-

what do you usually wear? 

um,,, mainly,,, like dresses or shirts tucked into skirts. i don't own many "masculine" clothes and i'm just generally more comfy in "feminine" clothes

how tall are you? 

uh,,, 5'2 or 5'3 i think. i'm pretty short. i'm the shortest of my friend group

what’s your star sign? 

gemini !

do you go by your name or a nickname?

i'll go by anything if you clear it with me first. hannah? sure. 04? sure. jamie? sure. stan? sure. munchkin? ... sure, fine [redacted]

did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? 

uh,,, so i'm in (community) college now w an undecided major (which funnily enough, i did not want to go to college when i was little), but i'm pretty sure i'm going into education. little me wasn't exactly sure what i wanted to grow up to be, i flip-flopped around a bit, but i clung onto actor for a while so,,, no, not really

are you in a relationship? if not, who is your crush if you have one? 

i am very single. i do have a crush on someone (two someones, actually), but i'm scared they'll find my tumblr so they'll remain unnamed. i do also have many crushes on celebrities who have no idea i exist

dogs or cats?

don't make me choose... okay fine, cats

if you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year?

oooh i am a fanfic writer (ik, i'm really cool /s), and my favorite fic has got to be this zep fic i wrote (pas de deux) kiss me backstage, in part bc it's just really personal. i'd say my favorite line in it is "She stepped away, wanting to see how he’d react before going. He seemed a little shocked, but slowly, a smile played at the edge of his lips. She smiled and then ran for her life towards the wings, because Jesus, she was late." what can i say, i'm a romantic who spent their final show of dance running to and from the wings

what’s something you would like to create content for?

ooooh um... maybe the west wing or wednesday or the punisher. definitely would like to write something for jessica jones. maybe if i'm feeling daring, derry girls?

what’s something you’re currently obsessed with? 

the west wing. did a rewatch a month or so back bc of hln and i remembered how much i love it. derry girls, abbott elementary, and she-hulk attorney at law have all been taking up considerable space in my head, especially derry girls. also, weirdly, the punisher, which i've only seen one episode and clips of

what’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year? 

... first kill. i tried really hard to like it, but idk there was a lot about it that rubbed me the wrong way and i just couldn't get into it the way i wanted to

what’s a hidden talent of yours?

um,,, it's not very hidden, but i have a pretty good singing voice. idk most ppl on here don't know and it isn't something i talk a lot abt with ppl i don't know... or maybe my hidden talent is the ability to ramble on for any given topic i'm somewhat passionate/invested in for hours on end, which i have done before

are you religious?

i'm not,,, religious, but i am somewhat observant of judaism, and i'd like to be more observant

what’s something you wish to have at this moment? 

um... i guess a friend to hug. idk, i'm kinda sad, i had to leave my family early for the holidays bc my dad caught covid and i just really wanna hug somebody... also, bc we live in a capitalist society, money

tagging @wannabe-etymologist, @pesby, @delphiniumblooms ! obviously, no pressure, if you guys don't wanna participate <3

also open to anyone who sees this and thinks it would be fun to have a go at it <3

[freydheim]

She Hulk: Attorney at Law 1.08- "Ribbit or Rip It"

Well, let’s go ahead and start by getting the obvious out of the way shall we? Matt is FINALLY here! I have so many thoughts about his appearance, but first I want to note that I saw the episode warnings included “intense sexual situations” and knew right off the bat that was because of Matt. His entrance was hilarious, with him being late to the trial and making a joke about his inability to find parking, but then he proved once again that he is a really good lawyer!

Also on the Matt Murdock front, I thought he and Jen were super cute together! The scene in the bar where he showed so much appreciation for her as Jen and as She-Hulk was really sweet, and I’d been thinking that it would probably be another hero who would actually have that appreciation. The fact they ended up working well together as a team and having that banter, as well as the flirting (the heartbeat scene was incredible), just brought it all together so nicely, and I ended up loving their chemistry.

As for them as a pairing, I will say that while I enjoyed them a lot, I can’t think they’ll end up being endgame, and here’s why- I don’t think they’ll be able to walk away from their individual lives, which considering he lives in Hell’s Kitchen and her in LA, one of them would have to do in some capacity. But I think that’s okay! Being together when they were taught Jen something valuable- that there are men who will hold both sides of her in equal regard, and even further, that those sides of her are equally important. That’s such an important thing for her to have, and for that reason I’ll always be glad they happened in this (if not also for the scene in her apartment and his walk of shame, which would have made it all worth it either way).

Now, for the rest of his appearance, I really loved the nods made to the Netflix show, such as the use of his theme music, and the inclusion of a hallway fight (hilariously subverted by Jen dropping out of the ceiling and onto the guys Matt was about to fight). I loved all his fight scenes and how impressive his acrobatics and all were. He really felt like he’d still been improving after the Netflix series ended, and I’m excited to see him in further scenes like these. Which, I do expect to see again him in the finale. After the way the episode ended, with Jen (deservedly) hulking out, she’s going to need a defense attorney, and my prediction is that Matt will step up to the plate. That, or he’ll end up having to stay for the case either way, as he was in the video Intelligencia released of Jen. Maybe that'll make him unable to be her defense lawyer? We'll see!

Which brings us to the rest of the episode- Leap Frog was a definite shock. I thought he was really funny and sort of cute initially, just your average himbo who's trying to be a superhero. I did not expect him to end up being a bad guy! This show really pulled one over on me this week by having him be Jen's client, and I was wanting her to take Luke down for the way he talked to her when she tried to talk to him about the case! I figured out that Matt would be defending Luke, but Luke being kidnapped by Leap Frog and so bringing Daredevil into the picture was super unexpected (for me, at least), and I thought it was a lot of fun.

But that twist was nothing compared to The Big Twist. Seriously, Intelligencia can take a LONG walk so far as I'm concerned- I can't stand them! I knew Josh had been up to something bad when he left Jen's and was revealed to be Intelligencia, but cameras? Really? That was disgusting, and the fact that they released the video of her sleeping with Matt while she was getting her award was just... oh, I can't blame her for hulking out at ALL- who wouldn't have! I'd have done far worse than Jen did, wow.

I'm so excited to see how this wraps up in the finale. I really hope that Intelligencia gets taken down hard finally, hopefully by Matt and Jen, and I really can't wait to see how they do it! I've had so much fun with this show so far, and although I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends, I can also say I'm going to miss it for sure.

But what did you think, or what have you been thinking so far? I'd love to know what you thought of the episode, so drop your thoughts in the replies below, or feel free to reblog with your own commentary :) You know I always want to hear from you, and I hope I will! Until next the next one- skål!

[sungbeam]

OML BEAM!! U DID IT!! U TOLD ME MY BIASES' POWERS 🫠🫠 this is so exciting i literally LOVE the fact that u associated josh w/ iceman & made hansol SO op 😭 i love the contrast between his personality & his power b/c u know he won't try to do anything like evil HAHAH & as for joshua, he just seems like such classic x-man (???) LIKE it just makes so much sense for him to be iceman i think it fits him well (also apparently iceman is practically immortal?? LIKEEEE if u break him in his ice form, he can just... control the molecules and put himself back together?? HUMPTY DUMPTY COULD ONLY DREAM!)

& IF U LIKE MATT IN SHE-HULK, THEN UR GONNA LOVE HIM IN HIS SHOW!! he has this sorta old uniform before the iconic red one and he looks so... MWAH 🥰!! it's like a black skin tight outfit & a mask over his eyes and *sighs dreamily*, matt murdock 💗💗 it's definitely darker than she-hulk, but i think it's worth the watch!!

speaking of darker shows, ur definitely right about tfatws! it was leaning more towards serious social commentary in some episodes & THAT john walker scene freaked me out 🫣 i think ur right, they weren't really friends in the beginning! so glad it developed & they got closer 🥹🥹 and i'm also 99.9% sure they WERE FIGHTING FOR CAP'S ATTENTION, but honestly if i were them? i would too b/c LOOK AT HIM 👀👀👀

I ADMIT. I WOULD STAY UP LATE TO READ DRUIG FICS... and i still do!!! but who's gonna stop me? not him 😌 everything about him just SCREAMS dream man & i searched for fics as soon as i stepped out of that theater 🫡

I DID !! I DID IT (^_-)-☆ yes omg im so glad u agree w me, im glad we can both see joshie as iceman 😼😼😼 NO BUT THATS SO INSANE OF HIM THAT HES PRACTICALLY IMMORTAL LIKE THATS SO OP !!!! classic, but still powerful asf we love to see it (HELPP HUMPTY DUMPTY CAN ONLY DREAM BAHAHAHHA THATS SO FUNNY OML—) yeah i was going thru the list of mutants and trying to see what fit vernon the best and i thought ,, why not make him super duper powerful 🤩🤩🤩 our king of low-key is now a dimension-maker and manipulator !! lol it's so funny thinking abt how i paired maknae line 😭😭😭 it's hard to explain but it's just so funny to me when i look back at my notes akcnsknc

OMG I THINK IK WHAT SUIT UR TALKING ABT THAT *IS* SUPER DREAMY UR SO RIGHT XNONIE !!!!! also he did the flippin walk of shame that was hilarious to me like plsss 💀💀💀 mans is so self confident that his walk of shame isn't even of shame skxnkwjc but yuh he can come back and take *me* out for dinner whenever he wants :D

the John Walker Scene™ scared me half to death skxkdbdkd but I also kind of lived for that kind of energy from marvel, like it was kind of a shock obviously but it was a good (?) shock?? dunno how to explain it, but it was like how multiverse of madness was a much darker tone than i anticipated as well !!! like there's something abt dark mcu films/shows that really pull me in yk? the mcu always nails humor, but being dark?? SHIVERS. (i think my mouth was open for like the rest of the night after i watched the infamous episode lol like,,, THAT BTCH STAINED AND CORRUPTED THE SHIELD TF)

i have only one thing to say abt capt america and that is ass 😔✨

AHAHHAHA I TRIED HOLDING OUT FOR A LITTLE I THINK BUT EVENTUALLY GAVE IN, BUT R WE SURPRISED?? ofc not (^_-)-☆ i think it was only inevitable tbh like that scene with him in his little community in the forest and he's fighting the deviants and he's in that gray tank top @_@ i mean COME. ON. ur just ASKING for a flood of thirst posts after that move—

[pastafossa]

slight she-hulk spoilers:

pasta sometimes i think you have an in at marvel, because this chapter speaks about janes fears about the treatment of mutants/powered individuals, and then in the she-hulk episode two days later jen gets fired for having powers and then struggles to find a job

I noticed that too! 😂 It felt like fate! And this basically reinforces the reason Jane calls herself psychic and not enhanced/a mutant/powered, and why she's just as protective of Matt and his abilities. I know the N!MCU's deal with this theme, esp Jessica Jones, and AOS's hit on it, but the greater MCU's kinda avoided touching on it at street level until now despite it being an important, recurring theme in the comics, and this is absolutely the way it would work.

You wouldn't just have to worry about the government or evil scientists, especially since most enhanced wouldn't be up on the Avengers' level (although obviously the accords hits everyone). For most people, it would be about losing their job like Jen, bigots spray painting shit on their houses, landlords not wanting to rent and realtors not wanting to sell to them. It would be the daily grind of whispers, dirty looks, parents questioning whether the mutant kids in school are 'safe' to be around other kids, and people crossing the street to avoid them. This is the reason Jane emphatically uses the term 'psychic' to hide she's enhanced, but Jen didn't get that opportunity since her abilities aren't something you can hide easily. It'll be interesting to see just how far they're going to lean into this, and depending on the way DD plays into the show, I have a tentative plan on how Jen and Jane's lives might intersect here in TRT (unless I find a way to bring her in earlier). We'll see!

[awanderingdeal]

O'Knutzy Week - Day 5

Prompt: Harvard || NOLA

Rating: M (for general themes - no sexual content)

CW: Homophobic slurs, past emotionally abusive relationship.

Credits: O'Knutzy belong to @lumosinlove and thank you to @oknutzyweek for organising all this.

“Uncle Leo!”

“Hey pumpkin,” Leo said, bending down so Nova could clamber into his arms. Her father, Mikey, was Leo’s childhood best friend, having lived two doors down until he’d moved out his parent’s house.  

She wriggled around, making herself comfortable as Leo rose back to full height. Her grin revealed that she’d lost another tooth since Leo had last seen her. “Daddy said I’m too big to be up now.”

“Never!” Stop growing so fast, kid.

"I came to tell you Finn is going to take me to the science museum tomorrow ‘cus Daddy has to work -' Nova took a hulking breath. “- And I would have to stay with Mawmaw and I don’t want to because it’s boring, Leo.”

“Oh, Finn said that, did he?” So much for a lazy morning. Leo looked over Nova’s head, finding his boyfriend sitting around the large iron table in the 'finished' area of the yard with Mikey. Finn looked up, meeting his gaze and gave a sheepish smile. “Well, it wouldn’t do to have you bored, would it?”

Leo couldn’t be angry at Finn for wanting to make Nova happy. With the spring sun warming him to the bone and the chaos of his big family surrounding him, nothing could ruin his mood. He searched for Logan too; the last he'd seen of him he'd been charming Leo's grandparents, which was when he saw.

"Nova, pumpkin, go and tell your Dad that Finn is too soft, and you may as well stay here tonight. I'm sure I have a old shirt you can sleep in."

Nova pumped her fist in victory and scurried off to deliver the message. Leo waited just long enough to make sure she was on her way before he stormed towards the lone man.

“Heck, you scared me." His ex stumbled back from the vegetable patched he'd peering in, eyes widening as he took Leo in. "Leo," he said. "What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Leo scoffed. ”It’s my mom’s birthday. What are you doing here?”

Kyle took a step back. Leo had always tried to seem less intimidating than his 6 foot 3 frame naturally made him. He worked hard to earn the moniker of a gentle giant, but right now he was glad of the presence. 

“I…I was invited to come with…” Kyle stumbled over his words. “I thought you’d be y’know…out of town.”

“Hmm, it’s almost like I prioritize the things that are important to me,” Leo huffed a laugh. Then it dawned on him. “Are you dating Rylee?” 

“Not Rylee." 

Leo thought he saw a grimace flicker on Kyle's face. If not Rylee, then who? He started to run through the list of guests, not getting very far before Kyle's stare gave him the answer. "Elliot?" 

Kyle gave the tiniest of nods. 

Leo pulled at his collar, sure that the t-shirt hadn't been this tight this morning, and Logan was right, it was too hot. 

"Leo, look, I'm sorry…" Kyle said. 

There was more. Leo could see Kyle's mouth, but all he heard was a low mumble, his own thoughts drowning out the words. 

It was worse that it was a boy. God, that was horrible, wasn't it? It's not like you didn't know he was attracted to them. Kyle had just been so repulsed by the idea of people knowing about them. He'd threatened to tell everybody Leo was obsessed with him. That Leo had got him drunk and then kissed him. Maybe it had Leo he'd been disgusted by. 

"You called me a fag," Leo spat. "You let me fall in love with you, had sex with me and then you called me a fucking fag."

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” Kyle winced. It almost made Leo feel a tiny bit of sympathy for him. “I was just a kid, I was scared.”

There went that sympathy. “You were a coward.” Leo cocked his head, assessing Kyle. His sandy blonde hair was cut short now, rather than the longer slicked back look he used to sport. He was softer now. Even now, Leo hoped that meant he’d gotten a handle on what, in hindsight, had been an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. Perhaps he had changed, perhaps he was better to Elliot. “Does he even know? Elliot? Do you even sign?” 

Kyle blinked at him “Yeah. I’m pretty good now. Not perfect at all. I’ve been learning for a little over two years.” He scratched the back of his neck, chewing on his lip. “No..No, he doesn’t know. I didn’t want to -”

Leo snorted a laugh. “You’re still a coward.” He jumped at the weight of a hand on his shoulder, relaxing as he recognised the familiar knead of Logan’s fingers. 

“Le? Ça va?” 

Leo tried to smile as he looked at Logan. “This is Kyle,” he said.

“More cousins?” Logan laughed. “ I thought -” The pieces of understanding snapping together like a jigsaw was almost visibible. “What is he doing here?” He said it with such ferocity, Leo knew the only reason Logan hadn't punched Kyle was because he respected Leo's ability to fight for himself.

"He was invited," Leo sneered. He was being an asshole. He didn't care. "Dating Elliot now."

"Oh." Logan said.

"It's alright though, because Kyle here is going to go tell Elliot everything and then he's going to leave."

"No, Leo, come on," Kyle argued. "E's been looking forward to this."

E. God, Leo really didn't need to hear their nicknames for one another. He sought out Logan's hand and squeezed it. "I said you were going to leave. Elliot can do whatever he wants."

Kyle opened his mouth, as if to speak, and then closed it again. His pinched the bridge of his nose, grinning his back teeth. "Fine. I'll go."

"Tell him Kyle, or I will," Leo said. "If you want to run away from your past then don't date my family." What Elliot did with the information was his business, but he deserved to know.

"Hey, loves of my life. What's happening," Finn sang as he barrelled over. The tip of his nose and his cheeks were a little pink. "So, next time we're down here Mikey is going to -" His gaze moved rapidly between Leo and Logan. "Pea?"

"You can tell him," Leo muttered, letting himself be pulled into Finn arms. Logan, still holding firmly onto his hand, followed until Leo found himself enveloped between the two.

It felt like both two seconds and two hours later when Finn was stepping back. He cupped Leo's face. "Are you okay?" He whispered.

Leo nodded once, then again, because he realised he was. "Am I horrible if I don't forgive him?"

"Non."

"Absolutely not," Finn added.

"He was young though. Maybe he's changed?"

"And if he has changed then he'll carry on being changed whether you forgive him or not. You don't owe him anything."

Finn quirked a smile and Leo found himself matching it. He'd once given Finn same advice, almost verbatim about his own ex.

"Somebody wise must have told you that," Leo said.

"Very wise indeed," Finn laughed, pressing his lips to Leo's gently.

Logan hummed. "More people are coming. Do you want to go upstairs? Until you feel better."

"No," Leo shook his head. He was okay. He'd been okay for a long time. No matter what Kyle had told him or what that college recruitment office had said, he could have it all. He had it all. A family that loved him. Not one, but two boyfriends who were more than proud to be seen with him. A team that had his back. He wished he could go back and tell his 16 year old self it'd be alright.

"Leo, honey, here you are." His mom sounded frazzled. He'd tried to take over managing the food, but nothing stood between Eloise Knut and the potluck table. "Sorry to pull you away but I need you to tend to the grill. Your father is burning the shrimp."

"On my way, Mama."

"Wait right there, young man."

Leo groaned. "Mom?"

His mom looked him dead in the eye, smiled and patted his cheek. "You can tell me all about it later, honey. We'll have a kitchen chat."

There was no point telling her she was fine. Besides, it had been forever since they'd sat in the kitchen, nursing cups of sweet tea, just talking.

"Okay, Mama."

Yeah, Leo was going to be okay.

[marvelinorder]

Incredible Hulk (1962) #1 recap

"The Hulk" by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby

Ooh, #1 issues are always exciting and today it's time to recap Incredible Hulk (1962)!

Our story begins with Dr. Bruce Banner and his associate Igor about to test their gamma-bomb. Igor is complaining that Bruce hasn't shared the deets of the gamma ray with him when General Ross walks in and tells them to hurry the heck up. Luckily, his lovely daughter Betty steps in to cool everybody down:

They get ready to launch the bomb, but as Bruce is looking out at the test site he sees a kid driving a car right in the danger zone and leaps into action! Meanwhile, Igor is about to prove himself a bad bitch by pressing the button to fire instead of delaying the launch. Bruce manages to get the boy to safety just in time but is hit with the bomb's rays himself and radiation fried!

That didn't look too comfortable...

Bruce comes to back inside the lab, looking surprisingly good for a dude with major radiation poisoning. He and the boy, whose name turns out to be Rick Jones, wait in a room with two cots for something to happen. And something does!

Wait...hang on. The Hulk was originally blue??

Okay, I'm over my shock. The Hulk smashes his way out of the facility and Rick follows since he feels indebted after Bruce saved his life. Soldiers soon come looking for the Hulk and christen him with that name as seen below:

The Hulk, retaining vague memories from his life as Bruce Banner, smashes his way into a cabin where he kept the gamma ray formula. Once inside he finds none other than that bastard Igor trying to steal it from him!

Hulk totally wastes Igor and in the process upends a flask which had the gamma ray formula taped to the bottom. Rick grabs it for him as Hulk sees a photo of himself as Bruce and freaks out, saying he was weak and he's glad he transformed. Just then, though, the sun comes up and with its rays Hulk turns back into Bruce.

Funny, I didn't realize Hulk was some sort of vampire.

The army arrives along with Betty, who supposedly wanted to come apologize for her father's behavior earlier.

Once she leaves, Bruce angsts over potentially becoming the Hulk at sundown again. But that might be the least of his worries, because Igor might be in jail now but that doesn't mean he can't still scheme with his... thumbnail!?

The Russians send word to the Gargoyle, who they all seem to be afraid of. I wonder what his powers are aside from a funny-looking head.

The Gargoyle manages to make his way to the US via rocket just in time for Bruce to change back into the Hulk while driving a jeep with Rick. Hulk wants to go see Betty, and it seems she has Bruce on her mind as well. She wanders outside but faints at the sight of the Hulk.

Unfortunately there's no time to deal with that, as the Gargoyle opens fire using bullets that will supposedly make Hulk his slave. He captures Hulk and Rick and brings them all the way to Russia, but on the way not only do the bullets' effect wear off, Hulk turns back into Bruce!

This is a total wtf moment for Gargoyle, and it turns out he's not one to keep his cool. In fact, he is totally jealous that Bruce gets to be normal at all, and they strike up a deal.

The Gargoyle gets a normal-sized head and also turns on his mother country. He blows up some Russian soldiers along with himself, but not before he sends Bruce and Rick back to the US in another rocket.

And with that, our first issue of Incredible Hulk is finished! Poor Gargoyle... He really wasn't so bad...

[bumblesimagines]

Green Thumb

Part 13

Request: Yes or No

~

You stared in awe as the jet flew into Wakanda. It had been even more beautiful in person. Most of the places you went to were cities. Wakanda had a lot of pretty views so you hoped you could at least stay for a day or two. You noticed the statue of a panther, humming softly before the city came into view.

"This place is gorgeous." Sam breathed out. You nodded, smiling softly.

"I bet you're more excited to see Bucky, huh?" Sam grinned, looking at you. You rolled your eyes, glancing at him and shrugging.

"So?"

"As long as he treats you right.. I won't fuck with him." Sam said, patting your shoulder. You shot him a look, raising your brows.

"Okay, I'll probably fuck with him a little." Sam winked, chuckling softly as the jet landed. You bit your bottom lip, trying to fight back a smile as you followed everyone off the jet. T'Challa and the Dora Milaje waited for everyone.

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Steve said, shaking T'Challa's hand. Bruce cleared his throat, going to bow. You chuckled, shaking your head.

"We don't do that here." T'Challa said, waving him off. Bruce glanced at an amused Rhodes.

"How big of an assault are we expecting?" T'Challa asked, turning and walking towards the palace. Your gaze flickered around, looking for Bucky.

"Uh, sir, sir, a pretty big assault." Bruce responded. You met Wandas' teasing gaze, looking away with a soft huff.

"How we looking?" Natasha asked, glancing at T'Challa.

"We have my Kings Guard, the Border Tribe, the Dora Milaje, and..." T'Challa trailed off, motioning to Bucky. You smiled widely.

"A semi stable a hundred year old man." Bucky finished for him, smiling as he hugged Steve.

"I brought you a friend, Buck." Steve smiled, stepping aside. Buckys' smile widened when his gaze landed on you, arms opening. You walked forward, hugging him.

"Not the circumstances I expected but.. I'm glad to see you again." Bucky said softly, leaning back. You smiled up at him, feeling him gently touch your cheek with his new metal arm. Your gaze softened, gently leaning into his touch.

"Uhm.. When- When did this happen?" Bruce asked quietly.

"No clue." Rhodes answered, staring at you and Bucky. You stayed outside with Bucky and Sam, wanting to spend more time with him.

"I'll show you my place after all this. You'll be able to meet Aang and Korra in person." You giggled at Buckys' words, nodding. You had helped him name the goats he had bought after T'Challa got him a plot of land he could peacefully live in.

"We'll finally be able to watch the show together." You cooed, hand gently coming up to play with Buckys hair.

"Yeah, I can show you how to tend to the goats and you can help me start a nice garden." Bucky said softly. You raised your brows, grinning.

"Oh? So does that mean I'll be moving in with you?"

"Maybe.. If that's what you want, doll." Bucky replied, metal thumb gently rubbing your cheek.

"Yeah, I'd like that. You'll have to come with me to the family farm though. Everyones been dying to meet you." You told him softly. Bucky raised a brow.

"That's a first." He mumbled.

"So, are you two a thing or what?" Rhodes asked, motioning to you and Bucky. You looked at Bucky, waiting for him to answer though Bucky looked right back you. You stayed silent, head tilting slightly.

"Great answer, guys. Made me tear up a little." Sam said, watching you and Bucky. You rolled your eyes at him, feeling Bucky slither an arm around your waist, a cheeky smirk on his face.

"You two are big babies." You said, arms crossing. You looked up at the sky, frowning.

"Hey, guys?" The two looked up, seeing the chunk flying towards the city. Luckily, there was a barrier protecting the city.

"God, I love this place." Bucky whispered.

"(Y/N), come up. I'm gonna need you here protecting Vision." You heard Steve say, nodding. You licked your lips, hesitating before giving Buckys' cheek a quick peck. You quickly walked away, following one of the guards to where Vision was. You could hear Sam teasing Bucky through the earpiece, chuckling softly. You entered the room as the others left, glancing at Vision.

"You'll be okay." You said softly. Vision nodded, though he was unconvinced. You stood beside Wanda, watching from the window. Your brows furrowed when you noticed the millions of creatures running at the barrier. The first few died but some eventually made it in.

"I should be down there." You said softly. You turned your head when Shuri asked if T'Challa wanted to open the barrier. You swallowed, looking at Wanda.

"I'll be fine." Wanda said, giving you a nod. You turned, leaving the room. You quickly left the building, using wind to boost you into the air and towards the battle. You landed near Bucky, raised your hand and getting the stream of water to shoot forward, catching a bunch of aliens in it. You raised up the water, seeing the aliens trying to get out of the large bubble.

"Sam!"

"Got it!" You made the water let the aliens go, Sam shooting rockets at them and making them explode in the air. You moved your arm, moving it forward in a swinging motion and making the aliens infront of you fly back to the barrier, getting electrocuted and fried.

"Damn.." Bucky whispered. You grinned, shrugging lightly. You rose up into the air, hands moving in front of you and shooting out fire at the ones entering through the part of the barrier that was open. A spear like weapon came flying at you so you dodged it, only for it to come fly back and hit you. You got electrocuted, losing focus and falling to the ground.

"Fuck, that's gonna leave a bruise." You groaned, sitting up and rubbing your shoulder.

"You okay?" Bucky and Sam asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, I guess. Surprised my shoulder didn't get dislocated cause of that alien bitch."

"Woah, (Y/N)." Sam chuckled, shooting at some aliens.

"What? She threw that spear shit at me. She kind of deserves it." You noticed the aliens rushing towards you, bringing your hand up and above you. The ground below you broke off and rose, making you sigh in relief.

"Sam!" You shouted when he was knocked down by an alien. You lifted him up with air, glancing at Bucky. Sam was able to fly again so you focused on Bucky, bringing him to you.

"You okay?" You asked softly.

"Thanks for asking, (Y/N). I'm doing amazing." Sam said sarcastically as he flew by. Bucky rolled his eyes, panting softly. He had a scratch on his cheek.

"Kiss it better?" Bucky breathed out, head tilting.

"Not very hygienic." You replied, chuckling softly. You plucked a flower from the hovering chunk, resting it against Buckys cheek. It withered as the scratch healed.

"Thanks, doll." Bucky breathed out, picking up his gun and pointing it forward. You shielded your eyes when a beam shot from the sky, an axe flying out and hitting the aliens. When the beam went away, you spotted Thor. Thor and his two odd looking friends charged forward, attacking every alien in sight.

"Hop off, Bucky." You said, watching him nod and jump off. You let the chunk of ground drop on the aliens below you, cringing at the guys and blood the spewed out.

"That's nasty." You muttered, turning to face the others. You focused on a group of aliens attacking some Wakandans, one hand rising and using the air to make the Wakandans rise before the other hand moved to open up the ground beneath the aliens. You made the ground close again, safely placing them down. You felt the ground begin to tremble, seeing the trees being knocked down. Something rose from the ground.

"What the hell is that?" You watched it, noticing it looked like wheels with spikes. More rose up, taking out both aliens and people. Wanda flew down, saving Natasha and Okoye. You focused on one, making large roots fly up, raising the machine and wrapping around it until it was crushed completely.

"Guys, we have a Vision situation." Sam called.

"Someone go help Vision!" Steve said, punching an alien.

"I got him!"

"On my way-" You heard Wanda cry out, turning and seeing her rolling down at small hill. Natasha and Okoye were there so you weren't too concerned.

"I'll go too." You called, rising up and following Bruce to the small wooded area. Bruce took care of the big guy so you focused on the other guy.

"Nice seeing you here again, asshole." You mumbled as you landed. The alien sneered, glaring at you. He ran forward, swinging a staff around. You raised your hand, blasting him back with fire. You heard Bruce trying to get Hulk to help but it was useless.

"Useless without your powers, huh?" The alien stood.

"Yeah, I've heard enough of that in movies. I'm happy using my powers to kick your ass." You shrugged. He scowled, charging forward again. You let him get close, grabbing his staff thing when he swung it and grabbing him by the throat with a burning half. You could feel and hear his skin sizzling, staring into his eyes as he groaned. You cried out when something stabbed your thigh, letting him go briefly. He took the opportunity to knock you onto the around. He raised his weapon but Vision quickly threw him back.

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" Vision asked. You slowly sat up, grabbing the handle of the dagger.

"Well, I just got stabbed but other than that, I'm pretty good." You breathed out, pulling the dagger out. Blood quickly spilled out of the open wound but stopped once you began healing yourself. You looked up, seeing Vision being tossed to the ground. Steve came running at the alien, shoving him back. You stood up, slightly limping towards Vision and helping him up.

"You can't fully heal yourself, can you?" Vision looked at you in concern.

"I'll be fine." You assured him softly, looking over at Steve. You thrusted your hand forward, making a root impale the aliens head.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Cap."

~

Tags: @geek-and-proud