#is the skulls and bones beta testing

[teecupangel]

So this idea has been bouncing in my head like an excited rabbit on caffeine. (I also don't know if anyone else thought of this but I thought it would be cool) so you remember the reblog chain where the players are all in Desmond head talking like a twitch chat, and the other reblog chain of Desmond's ancestor data gaining sentience because isu bstm, right? Well I had a thought, what if we combined the two, like maybe something like the part of the main group + Desmond are trying to get to the others who are in another part of Abstergo or the assassin's network and Desmond, let's say that while he was split he couldn't hear us until they passed through this really corrupted part of an ocean map (let's say it's in Edward's time) then all of a sudden Desmond hears one of us. (Sorry if this doesn't make sense. I hope you have a heath day/night)

I think this is the AC characters data in Abstergo’s database regaining sentience AU reblog chain with @piratekenway you’re talking about?

The Ratatouille AU where the ancestors can hear Desmond while ‘playing’, its more unhinged cousin, the Ratatouille AU where Desmond can hear us and the outside POV of Al Mualim thinking the Apple broke Altaïr and the sidestory of Altaïr accidentally connecting with Ezio while looking for Desmond (I hope I didn’t forget anything else)

Okay, so the idea is that we’re using the setup for the character data gaining sentience and we’re setting this as sorta like the ‘epilogue’ to the Ratatouille AU.

Instead of letting the world burn (“As a treat!” one of the voices chirped), he sacrifices himself. When he wakes up, he’s in Abstergo’s database, chained as a digital copy of Sample 17.

He can’t hear any voices anymore.

Are they disappointed with him?

Did they think they wasted their time trying to help him?

Did he… make the right choice?

He doesn’t know how much time has passed… when the virus started taking over the database and servers.

.

In this one, the virus isn’t made by Erudito + Assassins. It’s of ‘unknown origin’.

All they know is the name of the virus is “for desmond!” and it is targeting Desmond. Of course, Sample 17 is in one of the more secured encrypted ‘part’ of the database so it mutated to wake other data up.

Data that has connection with Desmond.

Along the way, the virus inside them starts waking up other data nearby, creating a strange team to rescue Desmond.

We can sorta play with this a bit and make Arno, Evie and Jacob become part of Abstergo’s database because they do have data of Arno’s descendants and it makes sense that the reason why the Templars knew where the Shroud is because they can access the twins’ memories as well and the Assassins just stole their DNA for their own Animus instead.

So they get to Desmond who is staying in the Grand Temple, just sitting there, staring at the devices, doubting and double-doubting himself if he should have activated the device when the people who care for him the most asked him not to.

Of course, Abstergo’s anti-virus and probably the entire security system is chasing after them so they don’t have time to actually talk.

They just run.

Well, they sailed using a fusion of the Jackdaw and Aquila…

… into a corrupted part of the West Indies.

The idea was… the virus didn’t harm them but it definitely fucks with Abstergo’s anti-virus and security system.

At the very least, they were hoping it would slow them down.

What they did not expect was for the entire thing to collapse under them…

And drop their modified ship into a different unfamiliar ocean.

“Holy shit!”

Desmond blinked.

“That scared the crap out of me. Goddamn it, Ubisoft. I know this is still being betatesting but Jesus Christ, loading the entire ship and dropping it from above??? What kind of programming does this game have???”

“Lollol. Dude, chill.”

“Is it an enemy ship? Like… can you shoot it?”

“Should you shoot it? Check its level first.”

They were all familiar voices.

“You don’t want a repeat of-”

“Guys?” Desmond asked, his voice a bit too quiet.

Hesitant.

He didn’t dare hope that it was them.

Not all of them.

But some of the ones he was most familiar with.

The ones who stayed with him the most.

“Holy shit.”

“Oh my god, Desmond?!”

“What’s Desmond doing in this game?!”

“Is it our Desmond???”

Desmond’s lips curved into a smile and his voice croaked as he said, “Yeah, I’m your Desmond.”

“Oh my god.”

“Desmond!!! You’re okay!!! We were sooo worried!”

“You think this is [Bored Anonymous]’s work??? Did their plan to use all our computers to try and connect with Desmond’s world and send our gift work?”

“Gift?” Desmond tilted his head.

Did they mean the virus?

He felt someone nudged his arm and he turned to look at Ezio. Everyone else seemed confused but Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton seemed to have an idea on who he was talking to.

Wait.

They can hear them!

Before Desmond could tell the voices that everyone could hear them now, one of them said hurriedly, “Oh fuck! Someone get [Bored Anonymous] quickly!”

“Why?”

“I only have 1 more hour to play this beta! What happens to Desmond if he stays in this beta server after the time is up?!! We can’t lose him!”

“Ohshitohshitohshit!”

“I’ll alert the discord server!”

“I’ll try to message them in Tumblr! They’re always online there!”

“Pretty sure that’s their queue…”

“We can still try!”

Desmond simply laughed.

Sure, the time limit they’re talking about was worrying but hearing all of them worrying about him…

It felt like he was finally home.

[brutalgamer]

Ubisoft reveals endgame and post-launch plans for Skull and Bones

It’s almost time, and fans will soon be able to take to the high seas in Skull and Bones. But the adventure won’t stop with the launch.

[star-going-supernova]

an idea for you: Gregory succeeds in freeing Vanessa but they die trying to defeat Afton. However, instead of waking up in the afterlife they wake up where they were just before help wanted (Vanessa in her apartment, Gregory in his box). Gregory runs to Vanessa's apartment (she gave him her address) and reunites with a near hysterical Vanessa.

I kinda took this in a bit of a different direction. Okay, a lot of a different direction, whoop. You’ll see. Much thanks to @cakeslildumpster for sharing some info on pre-SB Vanessa, a topic on which I am very clueless on my own, lol.

If At First You Don’t Survive, Try, Try Again

“Vanessa?” 

Vanessa startled, leaning back in surprise to look up into a vaguely familiar stranger’s face. No, wait. Not a stranger. This was Lily, she knew Lily. She worked with Lily back at—no, now. She worked with Lily now. 

“Yeah,” she said belatedly. She shook her head, all jumbled-up thoughts and confusion. And then she coughed like her lungs were trying to escape, suddenly aware of an awful pressure against her ribs. The pain that followed was startling intense, sharp and bone-deep.

Lily cursed under her breath and caught her arm when Vanessa’s knees gave out, sending her stumbling. She helped her off of the rubber mat etched with runes. Because she’d been beta testing again, right, yes. That was her job; had been for weeks now. 

She nearly collapsed into a chair, vertigo twisting through her stomach. Her heart raced, all fight or flight. 

“I don’t know what came over me,” she rasped, gratefully accepting the water bottle Lily retrieved for her. She rubbed at her sternum and was almost surprised when her hand came back clean. She had expected… something. Something bad. 

“That was a pretty strong reaction,” Lily said worriedly, casting dubious glances at the rune circle. “I guess that’s what all these tests are for, though.” 

Vanessa nodded, beaming. Already, the weird feelings were slipping away. Something niggled at the back of her mind, though, a forgotten thought. “Better me than the customers!” 

“Better no one, you dolt,” Lily shot back as she went to mark down Vanessa’s reaction in the logs. “No ‘immersive’ video game is worth dizziness and a cough like that. There was a minute there where I swear, you weren’t seeing a thing.” 

“Blindness counts as an unacceptable side effect,” Vanessa agreed. She stood and brushed her hair over her shoulder, ignoring the odd thought that it was supposed to be in a ponytail. She preferred it down. 

“I don’t mean blindness,” Lily said. “I mean you were just… hell, you were just empty, Ness. There was nothing in you.” 

“Oh. Weird.” She raised a hand to her chest again, even though the pressure had vanished as quickly as it had arrived. 

Lily snorted, shaking her head. “Sure, sure, just weird.” 

Vanessa ignored her and left the test room, twirling her fingers in a pattern that’d become very familiar since she started beta testing. It was a decent cure for the persistent headaches that plagued her, always at the base of her skull, every time she went into the magic-made world for FE’s game. The feeling that she was forgetting something—something important, something urgent—lingered heavily as she tried to go about her day, and more than once, she found herself looking downward just before she spoke, as if expecting someone to be there. 

Her chest didn’t hurt again, but an inexplicable memory of someone looming above her, wreathed in shadows and flame and all sharp teeth and glowing eyes, haunted her as surely as that missing thought. 

• • • 

For a disorienting moment after his eyes shot open, Gregory was choking on blood that wasn’t there anymore. He scrabbled uselessly at the sides of his shelter, heart racing with adrenaline. It was a few long minutes before he slumped, exhausted and trembling but with steady inhales and exhales, into his blankets. 

He briefly contemplated whether it had been a nightmare. If maybe all of it was a nightmare. 

But the sharp sting of claws burying themselves in his throat was too real, and so was the memory charm carefully penned on the palm of his hand.

Vanessa hadn’t had time to draw one for herself, not with how intricate it was, and not with the way the monster’s clunky footsteps had slowly thundered closer.  

The light of dawn was creeping over the streets when he finally heaved himself out of his shelter and shakily stumbled down the alley. Vanessa’s address was no longer written on his arm, but he remembered. He remembered everything. 

And he had a long way to go to find her, and not much time to do it. 

If she’d sent them back to when she said she would, then the monster’s glitchy magic was already slowly worming its way into her head. It would be enough, Vanessa had told him, blood still wet and shiny along the sides of her face from where it had leaked out of her ears. 

(He did that to her. Gregory did. He saw the threads of a curse winding around her head, rippling out of her ears, gathering thick and heavy in front of her eyes. They’d lined her lips like X-ed out stitches, and if he listened very, very carefully, he could hear her screaming beneath her bloodthirsty laughter. 

He saw them, and he waited, and only when they were face to face did he scream.) 

His knowledge of her headaches, of other details she’d hastily whispered to him—the name she would give to the puppy she’d always wanted; her favorite shirt, buried at the bottom of her dresser; the secret ingredient to her work-famous oatmeal-berry cookies—it would be enough to convince her to trust him. She would already know something was wrong, Vanessa had said. Time travel, even without a good memory charm, did that to a person. 

And then all he had to do was scream the budding curse out of her head. Simple. It’d be fine. Their plan would work. 

It had to. 

[taintedco]

Skull and Bones

We played Skull and Bones beta and honestly we have no complaints. This game is so much fun and it has a lot of things. It is kind of like Sea of Thieves but different with a twist.

You basically are out there sailing the seas, completing quests, and leveling up but we ran into the endcap of the beta where your level is as high as you can get it until launch.

Although you are as high as you can get, you can still go around sinking AI ships and complete other quests.

The map is HUGE. We haven’t really seen any PVP only PVE and either way it is fun. You can join up with other players that are out in the sea and invite them to your group which is chill if you need someone to play with. In the settings there is something called auto harvest and it is a life saver with trying to sail beside the island and cut and mine things.

There are all kinds of different items floating at sea and if someone dies, you can go get their loot and stuff that is floating in the sea. Some of the stuff you gather from the sea can be used to repair your boat or you can just hang on to it for quest items.

Trying to board enemy ships is a pain since you have to weaken them down and get up to them and then try to board, then sometimes you are moving to fast and then they move to fast for you to get on. As long as you get one rope on them you are golden but if not you have to keep trying to get on or if you are like me just destroy them and pick up loot afterwards.

Trying to turn the ship is a pain but after awhile you can get use to it.

This game reminds us of Assassins’ Creed Black Flag, Lost Ark and sea of thieves’ just the way it plays.

I highly suggest instead of buying this game, get it through Ubisoft ultimate that way you can test the game before you throw money into it and if you don’t like it, there are other games you can play on the pass.

https://rumble.com/v4c4aa9-skull-and-bones-open-beta.html

https://rumble.com/v4cb5al-day-2-of-skull-and-bones.html

https://rumble.com/v4cb7lc-skulls-and-bones.html

https://rumble.com/v4ci75c-january-24-2024.html

[meugamer]

Skull and Bones: Inscrições abertas ao beta gratuito de 8 e 11 de fevereiro

Cavalos-marinhos, chegou o momento de se juntarem à tripulação em Skull and Bones e conhecerem o jogo em primeira mão com o teste beta gratuito de 8 a 11 de fevereiro. O RPG de ação da Ubisoft, que por muitos anos parecia que jamais seria lançado, desta vez, terá uma prévia imersiva do que os jogadores enfrentarão. A versão beta aberta de Skull and Bones estará acessível oferecendo cross-play e…

[elitevisers]

Skull and Bones closed beta launches later this month

https://eliteviser.com/2023/08/18/skull-and-bones-closed-beta-launches-later-this-month/

Skull and Bones closed beta launches later this month

Ubisoft confirmed another Skull and bones beta test closed for later this month. Skull and bones was announced in 2017…

[letstalkassassinscreed]

Ubi Forward Part 1

Ubi Forward has officially finished streaming and in the stream, we were shown some fantastic trailers and gameplay, in this first of two blogs I'm going to unpick some of the most incredible moments in the show Avatar Frontieres Of Pandora 

The first big game title was Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, the game was shown as a mix of trailer and gameplay, and from what we've seen the game is shaping up to be a fantastic title. Not only did the world like vibrant and alive it also invoked the same amount of wonderment that the movies give, the game also features a lot of fat movement and verticality. They also showed a few mounts and mounted combat but the highlight for me was the character leaping off a high floating island and summoning their flying mount, it looked like a lot of fun and something I want to try. The gameplay showed a lot of 3rd person movement and also intractable environments, but also action gameplay from guns to bows and arrows. This mix could allow us to tailor our combat experience, there was a skill tree briefly shown but I'm unsure how that will play. The game officially launches in December this year 

Xdefient The next title was the amazing free-to-play FPS Xdefient which I did a small write-up about the closed beta here:https://www.tumblr.com/letstalkassassinscreed/719949858963881984/xdefiant-by-ubisoft?source=share   they did announce some news like an open session on June 21st, this open session will feature a good amount of content from; 14 maps, 4 factions with a 5th unlockable and that is the dedsec faction, 5 game modes and 24 weapons. We were also shown their ambitious year 1 plan which featured 4 new factions 12 new weapons and 1w new map. I'm very excited and hoping to make this my main competitive shooter. Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown The next trailer shown was one of the 3 titles I was hoping to see and that is Prince Of Persia The Lost Crown, this new title is a 2d Metroidvania combing the acrobatic and fun combat of the action Rpg Sands of Time Trilogy. The trailer started as a cinematic highlight of bosses' anime types and combat and it looked amazing. But the ending showed more gameplay that highlighted the fun traversal and puzzling features, there is also a time mechanic which I cant wait to test out, I don't want to say too much now as I'm currently writing more detailed thoughts and impressions. But safe to say on January 18th 2024 I will be playing this. Captain Lazerhawk I don't have much to say on this as it wasn't a game title but more an animated show by the creator of Castlevania based on the far cry 3 blood dragon expansion, it did not get my attention as I don't have Netflix. The Divison Resurgence A mobile title based on the division is all I can say on this, it does look cool and I have had my eye on it since the announcement but I'm waiting for a full reveal and a chance to play before I update my thoughts on it. The trailer we did show was cinematic and fun and there was some gameplay mixed in which is always a nice touch. We had some smaller updates here with a song from the Skull and Bones game, brawlhala and Mario Rabbid's Sparks of Hope. The Crew Moterfest I'm not a big racing fan but this game looks amazing and I did try The Crew 2 and enjoyed it, so I'm excited to see what's next for this franchise. This section showed some amazing visuals and gameplay on the isle of Hulu. it featured some cool biomes from beaches and rainforests. The cars also looked cool, I will be paying attention to this title over time. The biggest announcement was the ability to port your The Crew 2 collection into Motorfest for free. This title will also be launching on September 14th 2023 Assassins Creed Nexus 

This was a very surprising title as it's a Vr exclusive, as someone who has 0 experience with Vr it may be a title I miss. From what we did see it looked pretty fun and it showed to have 3 characters to choose from which is a cool detail. I'm excited to see how this game develops Assassins Creed Jade

Mixed into the Nexus segment was Jade a title im excited to play as im an avid mobile gamer, the game will be free to play which is a great starting point for all fans to test it and hopefully enjoy it. The gameplay shown blew my mind I want this game and hope my phone can run it haha im still sceptical of the free-to-play model and if it'll have a pc port, but im signed up for the beta so I have more news soon I hope. Assassins Creed Mirage 

I could talk for hours about how excited I am for this game haha the showcase featured a phenomenal story trailer you have to see it, I like the mix of old and new and the callbacks to AC1.  there is a lot more I want to say but I am leaving that to an upcoming podcast episode where me and James can fully unpick it, but the story does look to be very gripping, emotional and amazing. The gameplay was perfect if im being honest there is a strong sense of parkour in this game with a lot of paces to move, there was also a destructible environment that helps break the line of sight to get away which is a great feature to see. Tools being back is much needed if im honest, I cant wait to do a few more updates on the gameplay trailer as there is a lot to unpick 

[nslomo]

Ghost recon frontline delayed

The formula is your standard battle royale fare, with some aspects of The Division tossed in. You survive against other players while hunting down intel, and once that’s done you call an evac to take you off the wretched island. The free-to-play shooter features a large map where 100 players are shuffled into three-person teams. Ghost Recon Frontline is the first battle royale game for the series. Earlier today, Ubisoft confirmed that the closed beta test for Ghost Recon Frontline has been delayed. The Ghost Recon community has been vocal about Frontline, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. One such game is codenamed "Red" and is rumored to be set in Japan.Ubisoft revealed Ghost Recon Frontline during the 20th anniversary showcase for the franchise. The live-service Assassin's Creed Infinity is still apparently coming, which is apparently going to be used as a platform for the Assassin's Creed games. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is also still in development for the Switch. Skull and Bones is still supposedly coming out on November 8 of this year. Ubisoft is also still reportedly working on projects such as Project Rift, which is said to be an Assassin's Creed Valhalla DLC that was turned into a standalone game. Reasons for this delay are said to be due to Covid-related challenges. The game will now be released sometime after March 2023. This game will no longer release alongside the next James Cameron film, Avatar: The Way of Water, this December. In related news, Ubisoft also delayed the release of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. We must therefore succeed in strongly limiting our spending to what is essential by questioning some of our habits and reflexes, and by reinventing ourselves together to make gains in terms of cost, agility, and efficiency." "In the current economic context, carefully and strategically managing our investments is critical now more than ever. If you thought Ubisoft's games were formulaic and same-ish before, well just you wait! Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot sent out a company-wide email that seems to suggest Ubisoft's new goal is to take less risks in order to make development more efficient. This remake was announced near the very end of 2021, but we haven't heard nor seen anything since. Meanwhile, the only thing Splinter Cell coming is a remake of the first Splinter Cell. It wasn't until September 2020 that these games were officially announced during a Facebook Connect developer conference.Īssassin's Creed VR is still apparently happening because there hasn't been any sort of cancellation announcement on that one yet. At that point in time, it was said that Facebook made a deal with Ubisoft to develop VR titles for both Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed. Splinter Cell VR was first rumored way back in July 2019. It was primarily being worked on by Ubisoft Bucharest. Ghost Recon Frontline was supposedly in development for about three years already as of October 2021. Not only was the game itself delayed, but so was the beta test that was expected to go live on the day it was delayed. Just a week after it was first announced, Ghost Recon Frontline was hit with a delay for an unspecified amount of time. It was going to be another free-to-play battle royale game but it was met with severe backlash from most everyone. Ghost Recon Frontline was announced back in October 2021. Chief financial officer Frederick Duguet said during a recent earnings call that Ubisoft wants to place "even more focus on our biggest development opportunities." The choice to end the development on these four titles came as Ubisoft wants to focus on "sizable cost optimization" for their upcoming fiscal year. The other two are Ghost Recon Frontline and Splinter Cell VR. Two of the projects were never announced by Ubisoft. Ubisoft says that they have cancelled the development of four separate games that were at various stages of development.

[tittaswift]

Paint the town red game free no download

The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Watch a Vid of us Kicking Ass & Breaking Skulls HEREĭownload the Paint The Town Red Prototype HEREĬategories Alpha Beta Spotlight, FPS, greenlight, Indie, retro, sandbox, simulation Tags 7dfps, beta testing, download, indie games, paint the town red, paint the town red download, paint the town red game Post navigation This first person brawler really will knock your block off! So if you’d like to see more of how this boxy, brutal and blood-filled barfight pans out, give it a thumbs up (before they get broken with a pool cue). Paint The Town Red is a pretty bare-bones (but incredibly fun) Prototype at the moment, but the devs plan to expand on it and have just started a Greenlight campaign. Kill, maim and dismember enough enemies without getting hit to fill your special power bar, and you’ll even unlock the ability to call in slow-mo splatterfest sniper shots by pointing your fingers. As well as the obvious weaponry, there’s also as some interesting weaponry hidden away. The upshot of which means that you have to fight wave after wave of box-headed thugs using anything you can get your hands on – from pool balls to meat cleavers. Paint The Town Red is a chaotic and blood-soaked first person brawler where nearly everything you see can be picked up and used as a weapon – to brutal (and comical) effect.īuilt over 7 days for this years #7DFPS jam from the developers of last years Probably Archery, Paint The Town Red puts you in the shoes of an undercover cop whos’ cover has just been blown.

[mcatmemoranda]

ED pts I saw today:

Woman with otitis externa (perichondritis - infection of the cartilage in the ear) treated by urgent care with cephalexin came in with persistent ear pain and new R sided facial numbness. It appears to be Bell’s palsy. Bell’s palsy is usually caused by viral infections, but this pt has no recent URI. She could potentially have malignant otitis externa, which can cause Bell’s palsy. So we got blood cultures, ESR, CRP, CT temporal bone with IV contrast. Gave her IV ciprofloxacin 400 mg and Zosyn 3.375 grams.

Otitis externa affects the pinna and canal, but not the eardrum

Otitis media involves the part medial to the eardrum and distal to the oval window of the cochlea

From UpToDate:

●Definition − Malignant (necrotizing) external otitis (also termed malignant otitis externa) is an invasive infection of the external auditory canal and skull base, which typically occurs in older adult patients with diabetes mellitus.

●Microbiology − Malignant external otitis is caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in more than 95 percent of cases. Since P. aeruginosa is not a normal component of ear canal flora even in diabetic patients, its recovery indicates the presence of a pathogen. Occasional reports of cases caused by other organisms have included Aspergillus species, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella oxytoca, Burkholderia cepacia, and Candida parapsilosis. Infection with these other organisms characteristically occurs in immunocompromised hosts, such as those with AIDS or cancer.

●Clinical presentation − Patients with malignant external otitis classically present with exquisite otalgia and otorrhea, which are not responsive to topical measures used to treat simple external otitis. The pain is generally more severe than that found in simple external otitis, although the two may be difficult to distinguish in their early stages.

●Complications − As the infection advances, osteomyelitis of the base of the skull and temporomandibular joint osteomyelitis can develop. Progression of the osteomyelitis can be associated with cranial nerve palsies. Other central nervous system complications are rare but can be fatal when they occur. These include meningitis, brain abscess, and dural sinus thrombophlebitis.

●Diagnosis − The diagnosis of malignant external otitis is based upon a constellation of clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings. ESR, CRP, culture of ear drainage, blood cultures, CT temporal bone with contrast.

●Imaging − Anatomic localizing procedures, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, can be useful for both diagnosis and follow-up. CT is the better test for identifying bony erosion, while MRI is better for establishing extent of disease and monitoring response to therapy. MRI may also identify very early cases prior to appearance of bony erosion on CT.

●Antibiotic selection − For empiric therapy of immunocompetent patients with uncomplicated malignant external otitis, we suggest ciprofloxacin (Grade 2C). Initial combination therapy with ciprofloxacin plus an antipseudomonal beta-lactam is appropriate for patients with advanced infection or severe immunocompromising conditions (like my pt who is on methotrexate for RA); they can be transitioned to ciprofloxacin following clinical improvement. (See 'Systemic antimicrobial therapy' above.)

●Duration of therapy − The duration of antibiotic treatment is generally six to eight weeks, as indicated for osteomyelitis. Patients with treatment failure should undergo biopsy for culture and susceptibility testing.

[esportopedia]

Skull and Bones technical beta dates announced by a leaker

Skull and Bones technical beta dates announced by a leaker

skull and bones soon to be someone’s hero technical beta It will be used by Ubisoft to verify the functioning of the infrastructure prior to launch. Notable leaker Tom Henderson, at your place Tests to be held between 16-19 September Shown with a new gameplay trailer at Ubisoft Forward 2022, Skull and Bones will involve us in an experience. Assassin’s Creed naval battles Making a life of your own…

[albertonykus]

I don’t have an issue believing that birds are probably dinosaurs, but I do ask: How do we know this isn’t just convergent evolution? How do we know that postcranial air sacs, complex integument, and other various commonalities between the 2 are actually evidence of descent and not convergence? (Also applies to any claim of “x evolved from y”)

Ah, yes. The question of whether specific similarities between organisms are the result of shared ancestry or convergence is one that evolutionary biologists constantly have to deal with, and oftentimes it can be very difficult to answer.

There are a few things we can try though, as I’ve mentioned for a previous ask. One is detailed study of the features themselves. For example, birds and bats both have wings, but looking at the anatomy of those wings quickly shows that they represent very different ways of modifying forelimbs into wings: in birds, the wing surface is composed primarily of feathers, whereas in bats, it is composed primarily of skin stretched between the fingers. All other things being equal, such a dramatic difference in fundamental structure would suggest to us that bird wings and bat wings probably have similarities primarily because they are both specialized for a similar function (flight) and not because birds and bats inherited them from a winged common ancestor.

Another approach would be to compare other features from the organisms. Birds and bats may both have wings in common, but they share many more features with other groups of animals than with each other. Bats have mammary glands, seven neck vertebrae, a single bone in the lower jaw, and many other traits that, taken together, are otherwise only found in non-bat mammals. Birds have an antorbital opening in the front of the skull, an eardrum that fits into a notch behind the quadrate bone, integument composed of beta keratin, and many other traits that, taken together, are otherwise only found in non-bird reptiles, and specifically archosaurs. Even the structure of the wings themselves supports these disparate affinities: a three-fingered hand covered in feathers that form a wing surface is not found in bats or any other mammals, but it is known in non-bird pennaraptoran dinosaurs (which were archosaurs). Finally, with birds and bats both being living groups, we can analyze their genes as well, and this also places birds squarely among reptiles and bats among mammals.

We don’t have genes from non-bird dinosaurs, of course, but the anatomical features that lead us to conclude that birds are dinosaurs have largely passed both of these tests. There are no structural differences in those features that clearly point to independent origins, and there are also no other groups of organisms that provide more convincing alternative affinities for birds and non-bird dinosaurs.

Probably the strongest evidence that the similarities between birds and non-bird dinosaurs are homologous though is the fact that we have observed plausible transitional series for just about all of those characteristics, in which the non-bird dinosaurs we think are more closely related to birds consistently exhibit progressively more bird-like conditions. For example, filamentous integument is a trait that many non-bird dinosaurs shared with birds, but in dinosaurs comparatively distantly related to birds (such as compsognathids and tyrannosauroids), this integument appears to have formed just individual filaments or a few tufts joined together at the base. In oviraptorosaurs, which were more closely related to birds, we see feathers composed of filaments that branch off a central shaft, and these feathers forming a wing-like surface along the forelimbs. In non-bird paravians, which were even more closely related to birds, we start seeing examples of essentially modern feathers that could have functioned in flight.

You can trace similar transitions for almost every skeletal feature shared between birds and non-bird dinosaurs that has been studied (including, but not limited to, foot anatomy, hand anatomy, locomotory posture, and postcranial pneumaticity at increasingly smaller body sizes), and even for some soft tissue (like the aforementioned filaments) and behavioral characteristics (like nesting behavior). In fact, many of the biggest controversies regarding evolutionary relationships among organisms are controversial precisely because we lack such a complete record of the evolutionary transitions that gave rise to those parts of the tree of life.

Mind you, not every feature that happens to be present in both modern birds and a specific non-bird dinosaur is likely to be the result of shared ancestry. For example, both modern birds and oviraptorids have replaced their teeth with beaks, but we currently think that this evolved independently in both lineages. And the reason we think that is exactly because we’ve applied the principles described above: there are notable structural differences between oviraptorid and modern bird beaks (the proportions of the bones involved are different), features from other parts of their bodies strongly favor oviraptorids and modern birds each being more closely related to certain toothed dinosaurs than to each other, and there is fossil evidence suggesting that the beaks of oviraptorids and modern birds probably evolved in different ways (in the ancestors of oviraptorids, the teeth in the front of the upper jaw were seemingly the last to have been lost, whereas in the ancestors of modern birds, those teeth were gone first).

Nonetheless, looking at the totality of all available information, the general trends are clear: non-bird dinosaurs not only share features with birds that are rare or nonexistent in other groups of organisms, but often also exhibit such similarities across the whole of their anatomy, and present a transitional series leading up to successively more bird-like lineages. This is exactly what we’d expect to see if these similarities were the result of shared ancestry and if birds were dinosaurs, and so far no evidence has been found that contradicts this explanation (even though certain researchers have tried very hard to find some!).

If the similarities were the result of convergent evolution, however, then birds acquired every one of these traits (detailed structural resemblances and all) entirely independently of non-bird dinosaurs, from an as-yet-unidentified group that so far has left absolutely no trace of a comparable transitional series. That’s not physically impossible, and in science, we should always be mindful of alternative possibilities. However, it does demand far more assumptions for which we currently lack any good evidence.

At this point, I think we can be as confident that birds are dinosaurs as we can be given the data that we have. It would take a major left-field discovery to upend or even to substantially bolster that hypothesis, as opposed to adding small pieces to the mountain of evidence that has already been gathered. (Somehow getting genome-scale molecular sequences from Mesozoic dinosaurs might do it, but we’re certainly not there yet.) Other notable transitions in vertebrate evolution that I’d consider to be based on similarly solid evidence include the evolution of four-limbed vertebrates from fishes and the evolution of mammals from non-mammalian synapsids.

[wp-blaze]

Stepping Out on the Waves

So many of you have been following my health journey for sometime now…you’ve covered me with encouragement, support and prayer and celebrated my wins and victories with me. And I want to thank you so much!! It’s an honor to get to share my story and to hopefully be an encouragement as well…because we are […]

[alpha-beta-gamer]

Skull and Bones is Ubisoft’s awesome looking answer to those that loved the swashbuckling piratey bits of Assassins Creed: Black Flag, but couldn't be bothered with all the assassination and Templar nonsense! 

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[katelyn--renee]

Composure

Title: Composure

Fandom: Supernatural

Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Reader/(Y/N) Winchester (mentioned), Harper Winchester (OC, mentioned), Daniel Winchester (OC, mentioned), Crowley (mentioned)

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Wife!Reader

Words: ±2670

Description: Dean and (Y/N) take their shot at a normal life and settle down. Over the years, they have a few kids. Things are good. Until they’re not. What will Dean do when his past comes back to put an end to his happily ever after?

Written For: @deanwanddamons ​ 2K Celebration! Congratulations babe! That’s awesome! My prompt will be in bold -  “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

Warnings: ANGST! Descriptions of blood. Mentions of breaking and entering. Kidnaping. Show level violence/outbursts of anger. 

Author’s Note: This is in correlation with another fic of mine, Sweet Cherry Pie. It takes place about twelve to thirteen years after that one, to give you a brief timeline. There will be other fics with that original storyline, so stay tuned.

Thank you so much to @wonder-cole​ for being my beta for this wonderful piece and helping me with the title. You’re awesome and much appreciated! She has some amazing work of her own, so please do yourself a favor and check it out! Check out @talesmaniac89​ for more awesome page dividers!!

Disclaimer: I do not own any photos or gifs, all rights go to original creators/owners.

Interested in more of my work, check out the link below.

Masterlist

The rain was heavy tonight, thick and angry as it poured from the dark clouds above. The fat raindrops were noisy against the single paned windows. The water coated the glass surface and made it impossible to see through, even as the flashes of lightning lit up the night sky and cast long shadows through the living room of 35 Maplewood Road. There was a heaviness surrounding the house, as if something wicked had been there.

The home was dark and empty, and the furniture was overturned and broken in places; the sofa was thrown over backwards, the cushions laying discarded across the floor with the end table toppled over beside it. The lamp that had occupied its surface was shattered to pieces on the wooden floor, and the rug had been stained with something dark and red. 

The coffee table was shoved out of place, the glass surface no longer there in one piece and the mirror that hung in the hallway had a spider web like crack across the surface, hanging now only by one screw. In the very center of the crack, something crimson and shiny caught the lighting from outside, almost as if someone’s skull had been smashed there.

The familiar idling of Baby’s engine grew louder as Dean pulled in the driveway of his home, the brakes squealing as he came to a stop and put the Chevy into park. A feeling of dread began to knot into his stomach, making the muscles of his jaw flex as he tried to bite back the feeling. Something was wrong; all those years of hunting and honing his instincts told him that much. Not a single light was on inside of the home and yet, (Y/N)’s car was parked out front. Not good.

Dean fished his phone from his jacket and swiftly unlocked the screen with a swipe of his thumb across the glass, dialing the number he knew so well. Pressing the receiver to his ear, he waited while the call rang out once... twice… “Come on, (Y/N/N).” He muttered under his breath as the fifth tone sounded. Her voice greeted his ear, but it was artificial; the recording of her voicemail, Hi, you’ve reached (Y/N)... 

“Damn it.” He cursed between gritted teeth and ended the call. He tried again, pressing redial. “Come on, baby, answer your damn phone!” He shut his eyes when he got the same results as before, cursing to himself as he shoved the device back into his pocket.

Never taking his eyes off the front of the house, he leaned over for the glove box and swiftly unlatched the compartment door, just as he’d done a million times before. Green eyes continued to scan for any signs of movement, even through the thick wall of rain that coated the windshield, despite the efforts of the wiper blades. 

Reaching a steady hand inside, he pulled out a pocket sized flashlight and his beloved stainless steel Colt, the engraving on the barrel catching the lightning as it bolted across the sky. Expertly, he removed the clip with a press of his thumb and double checked the bullets inside before sliding it back into the place, securing it with another click. It’d been years since he’d held the weapon, but the pearl coated handle felt just as natural as breathing against his palm.

Leaving the Impala’s engine running, Dean climbed out from behind the wheel and shut the door, the hinges creaking with age. Clicking on the flashlight, he approached the home with long, yet cautious strides, his booted feet silent in his approach, even through the heavy rain. 

His mind was racing with every terrible possibility, his guilt threatening to eat him alive as images of his family, in the worst possible outcome, flashed before his eyes. It made his blood run cold. His heart was pounding rapidly with fear, pushing the adrenaline through his veins and forcing him to move forward rather than let the panic overwhelm him.

He tried to peer inside the living room through the set of windows lining the front of the house, but it did little to ease his uncertainty; if anything, it only made it worse, only able to make out long shadows and dark shapes. His clothes were completely soaked through, hugging his large frame by the time he’d reached the front porch, the coolness of the rain chilling him to the bone. Droplets of water dripped down his face and the tip of his nose, and his hair clung against his forehead.

Approaching the large red door, his scowl only deepened, darkening his features when he discovered that it had been left unlatched, allowing in a single beam of light with each flash from the storm overhead. He glared at the lock and then narrowed his eyes as something caught his attention, the muscles there twitching. Stretching a hand out, he examined the wooden surface, his fingertips grazing over the chipped paint and splintered wood. Someone had broken in.

Taking only a moment to compose himself, Dean exhaled slowly and swallowed back his apprehension, forcing himself to go on. Using the weight of his body, he nudged the door open cautiously and poked his head inside. The experienced hunter kept his gun aimed high and at the ready, his finger hovering over the trigger. Wrist over wrist, Dean held the flashlight steady with the opposite hand, the beam unmoving, providing him with some light through the darkness.

All of those years of training were put to the test as he stepped through the threshold of his home, his expression as hard as stone and giving away absolutely nothing, despite the fear that was boiling just beneath the surface. His eyes darted around the room, following the beam of his flashlight, taking in every detail of his surroundings just as he’d been taught all those years ago.

Following the layout of the house, Dean came to the living room first, stepping over the broken furniture and discarded decorations. The sight of his home in this state made him uneasy and that much harder to keep his cool, able to sense the panic starting to creep in. Where was (Y/N)? Where were the kids? Who had done this to his family? Was it revenge?

Another flash of lightning caused something slick and shiny to catch his eye, and Dean let out a shaky breath. Hesitating for only a moment, he crossed the room and crouched down next to the sofa to investigate, the troubling sight seized his heart. There was a substantial amount of blood there, a large pool of crimson that had soaked into the fibers of the rug. 

Near the top of the stain, a gold chain necklace was lost within the mess and a thin layer of another substance was scattered around it. It was almost yellow in color and had a very distinct, very specific scent that accompanied it. Touching the surface of the floor next to the stain, Dean felt something grainy under his finger tips. Lifting it to his nose, the smell of sulfur invaded his senses. Demons.

“Fuck,” He cursed, the boom of the thunder shaking his house as it lit up his face simultaneously. Still crouched, he plucked the necklace out of the sticky crimson mess and glared at the amulet with a heavy gaze, his hand shaking. He shut his eyes and closed his fingers into a fist, the knuckles turning white around the piece of jewelry. It belonged to (Y/N). It had been a gift, a charm to ward off evil and prevent possession.

This was all his fault. He should have known better. Hell, he did know better and yet, he ignored it, because he had a chance to finally be happy. To have an actual family and live the normal, apple pie life he’d always wanted. And now the ones he loved were missing and more than likely dead. Or probably close to it.

His chin quivered for a moment and hot tears stung at the corners of his eyes, his emotions getting the better of him. How could he let this happen? How could he be so stupid and reckless? He knew better, damn it! Once a hunter, always a hunter. There is no getting out of the life, not entirely, because those evil sons-of-bitches will always be out there. 

One way or another, they always find a way to catch back up to any hunter who has tried, and every single time it ends bloody and messy and violent. He needed to find them, he just had to. And he would save them, no matter what it cost. He’d pay it.

Releasing a heavy breath, he opened his eyes and willed the tears away, shoving the emotions back down into the pit of his soul. Despite his efforts, a solitary tear made it’s escape, dripping down his left cheek and onto the color of his shirt before he could stop it.

Dean rose to his full height and squared his shoulders, prepared to continue his search. Sliding the necklace into his jacket pocket with care, he followed the trail into the hall with a heavy heart. 

Glass cracked and snapped under his boots as he walked through the space, his jaw flexing when he saw the picture of his family shattered on the floor. Their happy faces only added to his grieving heart and guilty conscious, their smiles making his soul ache.

That had been a good day, nearly five years ago now; (Y/N) had worn his favorite blue dress that day, the strapless one that stopped right above her knees and showed off her sexy legs. 

She had on that silly - but achingly cute - oversized tan hat that kept the sun from her eyes. He would always tease her about that goofy hat, but she never cared what others thought of her, never ceasing to be herself, no matter what.

They’d gone to the park that day, had an actual picnic and he’d played catch with his son while the girls giggled and painted their nails...  They even taught the twins how to ride their bikes that day. They couldn’t have been more than seven years old.

Harper had caught on much quicker than her brother, of course, taking after her mother in that way. Those girls were naturals at almost everything they did, only needing to try something a few times before perfecting it. That had been something he’d adored and admired about his wife and it was a huge part of what made her such a skilled hunter when they met.

Daniel, on the other hand, had to take the time to understand how something worked first. He needed to study the mechanics of things, take them apart, rebuild and understand it completely, inside and out, before he was able to master it. Danny often reminded Dean of the Winchester side of the family. That had been a good day, one of many they’d shared together.

Brought out of his memories by another angry boom from outside, Dean pressed on. Where the picture had once hung, there was a bloody handprint smeared on the white wall, the two colors contrasting greatly. 

The blood streaked out toward the kitchen, giving the hunter a clear path to follow. Damn it. Dean grit his teeth. It felt as if something had his heart in a vice, squeezing it tighter and making it increasingly difficult to breathe the further he went.

His emotions were threatening to break through the surface again, fighting hard against his resolve, but he held his ground against them, purely focused on finding his loved ones. Now was not the time to break down. Following the trail of blood and debris, he checked each room along the way, trying to be as thorough as possible. He couldn’t afford to miss a damn thing. 

Their bedrooms were empty, and unsurprisingly, every inch had been torn apart. Dean’s chest heaved with emotion, his breath hitching in his throat; if anything happened to those kids, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Continuing on, the hunter emerged into the next room, and found much of the same; broken furniture, shattered pictures and even more blood. But not a single sign of his family. The sliding glass door had been left open, allowing the rain from the storm to collect onto the tile floor. 

Dean shut his eyes and took several deep breaths, his chest aching with every forceful beat of his heart. He needed to call Sammy, needed to form a plan. When he opened his eyes, something on the countertop caught his eye; a sheet of paper. Cocking his head with curiosity, he crossed the room in three long, determined strides.

It was a note, addressed to him.

It’s been too long, darling. How’s Moose? Hope the wife and kids are well...oh, wait, that’s right, you’re as clueless as ever. No surprise there. Before we get to the fun bits, let’s talk business; I need a favor and you and your giant of a brother are going to help me. Now, to ensure that things go as planned, I have something of yours. I assure you, they are safe. For now. Do as I ask, and they will be returned to you, alive. So, Dean, dear, let’s make a deal, shall we? You know where to meet me.

Squirrel,

Yours truly, 

The King of Hell

“Crowley.” Dean growled deep in his chest, his teeth clenched as his blood began to boil over with rage. “Goddamn it!” He shouted, swiping the contents of the counter onto the floor. “Fuck!” He kicked something across the room, too angry to pay much attention to it as it slammed into the stainless steel refrigerator. He swung at the closest surface, his fist connecting with a nearby wall.

The drywall collapsed around his fist as the plaster fell to the floor at his feet. His knuckles were screaming at him, but he didn’t care, too fueled by his rage to notice. What could Crowley possibly need their help with? It didn’t matter. Whatever it was, they would get it done and save his family. Crowley would get what’s coming to him; Dean would make damn sure of that.

Taking a few calming breaths, Dean removed his phone with a bloodied hand and opened his contacts, scrolling through the names until he found what he was searching for. Sammy. Dialing the number, Dean held the phone to his ear with baited breath. After the third ring, Sam’s voice came in through the other end, sounding concerned because of the late hour, “Dean? Everything alright?”

Dean shook his head, his vision blurring with tears. He cleared his throat, trying to prevent it from shaking too much. “No, Sammy. It ain’t alright.” He admitted, gripping the counter with his free hand, bracing himself. He wanted to crumble onto the floor, his body trembling; his mind flooded with so many different emotions, each of them trying to overpower the other: fear, guilt, anger, heartache…

“Dean, what is it?” The younger Winchester questioned, the worry evident in his voice. “Is it (Y/N)? The kids? Is everyone okay?” He waited patiently on the other end, but Dean could hear him moving around; he assumed his brother was getting his things ready to head out.

“Damn it, Sammy,” Dean’s voice broke as a few tears slipped through the cracks, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” He shook his head, allowing himself a moment to break, his chest heaving. “We were out!” He slammed his fist down onto the counter, terrified and angry.

“Dean, what’s going on?” Sam pleaded, wanting desperately to help his big brother. 

“Crowley.” Dean clarified, going into more detail as he composed himself and straightened his stance, “Crowley’s taken them.” He took a calming breath, his moment of weakness over. “I need your help, Sammy.”

“Already on my way.”

Annnnnnd there you have it. I hope that wasn’t too rough on the heart? No worries, there may or may not be a part two in the works? We shall see. ;) 

Anyway, if you enjoyed that, please like and comment and if you’re feeling a little extra generous, share it with your friends, too! You’re feedback is like GOLD! As always, thanks for reading! 

Taglist!

Supernatural

@akshi8278​ // @flamencodiva​ // @perpetualabsurdity​

[ayybtch]

The One

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x f!Reader

Summary: Things are going up and down for you as you try to navigate life after your breakup with Bucky. Everything leads to an accidental run-in with him at a coffee shop that leaves you and Bucky wondering if things could have been different. Based on the song The 1 by Taylor Swift.

Warnings: This is an angsty fic. The reader is actively struggling with mental illness and a breakup. There are mentions of being on antidepressants and symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, and sometimes not having the energy for personal care, but nothing in-depth.

Word Count: 11,261

A/N: I owe a very special thank you to @borkingbarnes​, who has supportively been screaming at me for writing this ever since I told her this idea and gave me some brilliant suggestions during her beta read. The dividers were made by the lovely @whimsicalrogers​.

“So, how have the new meds been treating you? Are they still making you nauseous after you first take them?”

You looked across the room at your therapist and shook your head, “No, they’re not making me nauseous anymore. I’ve been making sure that I’ve got food in my stomach first and not just a cup of coffee. I’ve also been better about taking them at the same time each day,” you said.

She smiled at you. “Do you feel like they’ve been helping?”

You shrugged and offered a half-smile back. Not satisfied with your answer, she continued probing. “Well, do you feel like you have more energy than on the other meds? Are you sleeping more….?” She trailed off at the end, voice hopeful.

“Oh. Yeah, I have been sleeping a little better. I’ve been sleeping closer to 5 hours each night, though it’s still taking a really long time for me to fall asleep. I’ve had more energy but I don’t know if that’s because of the meds or the sleep?” You trailed off a bit at the end, unsure of if that truly answered her question.

“It could be a mix of both. I’m glad to hear you’re sleeping more though, you weren’t getting very much when you first started seeing me.” She offered you another smile before adjusting herself in her seat and continuing, “Now, what have you been doing with this extra energy? Any new hobbies, catching up with friends, going on dates, anything like that?”

You shook your head no. “I don’t have much of a friend group anymore, not since…” your voice faded before the sentence finished. You closed your eyes and shook your head slightly. Pull yourself together. “I am meeting Natasha after this, actually. She and I were friends before everything and she’s the only one that’s really stuck around since. It’s been about a month since I last saw her so I’m looking forward to seeing her.” The therapist nodded and offered a sympathetic smile that made your stomach turn. You decided to continue before she chimed in.

“I’m running again too. I used to go on a nightly run before things got bad. It’s not for as long or as far as I used to but it’s better than sitting on the couch, I guess.”

She nodded and began writing on her notepad, “That’s wonderful. What do you enjoy about your runs?”

Her question was unexpected and it took you a minute to answer. “It’s peaceful. It’s one of the few times I can shut my brain off and zone out. Though, if it’s a bad day it doesn't always work.”

She nodded and paused, as if trying to carefully choose her next words. “One thing I’ve noticed whenever stuff comes up is that you always talk about ‘before’, but what about the ‘after’? Have you thought about trying to get back out there and start your ‘after’?” An uncomfortable knot formed in your stomach as she spoke.

“I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” you whispered.

She pursed her lips but didn’t say anything. Eventually, she nodded and continued to make notes.

                                         ***

The session continued for another half hour before it ended with a smile and a brief conversation with her secretary, confirming your appointment for the same time next week.

As you stepped out the door, you let out a sigh of relief. Therapy sessions were hard. Even though today’s session had been relatively mild, the process was still draining and left you feeling exhausted most days. It really helped though and making the decision to go was one of the best decisions you could have made for yourself. A smile settled on your face as you pulled your jacket tighter across your chest before beginning your walk to meet Natasha.

You had discovered soon after starting therapy that walking to and from the appointment gave you the time you needed to prepare yourself for the session and unwind after. The hustle and bustle of New York created the perfect background noise for you to organize your thoughts. Most days it helped you process the questions the therapist asked. Often, you answered them a little deeper than what you had in the session knowing that nobody would know the real answer except for you.

Guilt gnawed at you as you thought about it. Wasn’t the whole point of therapy to be honest? Were you still getting as much out of it as you could if you were completely honest? You shook your head and sighed. Sometimes there were things better left unsaid.

One of the many things that had been left unsaid had to do with what you missed most about being with him. You had shrugged it off when she asked, saying it was nice having a person around because it was less lonely. While true, the full answer was more painful than you felt comfortable admitting out loud. He had understood you in ways nobody else ever had and nobody else ever would again. It gave you the freedom to be unapologetically you every second of the day. The thought of not being known like that again and having to put on a facade felt like the loneliest existence the universe had to offer. It made your chest ache.

Today though, it gave you the chance to collect your thoughts before Natasha had the opportunity to interrogate you. To be fair, it wasn’t really an interrogation. She was far too gentle when she asked you questions, though you’re sure that’s one of the many techniques she chose from. Interrogation or not though, she would be watching you like a hawk the entire meal to make sure you were actually doing as well as you were claiming.

It wasn’t long before you were standing outside Natasha’s favorite Italian restaurant. She always recommended meeting up here purely because of the breadsticks. She swore they were the best in New York and ate at least three full baskets by herself each visit. You paused before entering, suddenly nervous about how it would go. There’s nothing to worry about, Natasha isn’t going to bring him up and isn’t going to push me past my boundaries. You weren’t quite as convinced as you would have liked to be, but you couldn’t delay it any longer as you stepped inside.

A blast of warm air surrounded you as you were greeted by the hostess. It didn’t take for her to lead you back to where Natasha was sitting, a glass of wine already in her hand. A second sat waiting on the table for you.

You walked over, bending down to give her a side hug and a peck on the cheek.

“You’re late,” she said reproachfully, eyes zeroed in on yours.

“I know, I’m sorry. My session went a little over today.” You pulled out your chair and sat down before continuing, “How are you? It’s good to see you.”

Natasha smiled brightly. “I’ve been good. I’ve been really looking forward to this, I was so happy when you said yes. It feels like it’s been years since I’ve seen you.” You grinned slightly and she continued. “I’m sorry that it’s been so long since we’ve had a chance to catch up. Work has been keeping me even busier than usual. Stark has been working on all sorts of new tech developments and has somehow recruited me for testing.”

You nodded as you took a sip of your wine, “Nothing he’s made has killed you yet. That’s impressive.”

She snorted, “He’s lucky I didn’t flat out say no. His last update to the Falcon wings sent Wilson through the ceiling and landed him in the medbay for three days with a concussion.” Natasha noticed the look of concern on your face and waved her hand as she sipped on her wine. “He’s fine, don’t worry. All of the Avengers men have skulls harder than concrete.” The two of you burst into laughter at the thought.

A waiter arrived as your laughter died down to take your orders and to refill Natasha’s wine glass. You both thanked him as he turned to walk away. A quiet settled over the table and Natasha’s gaze landed firmly on you.

“So how have you been?” she asked softly, voice far gentler than anyone would expect from a former assassin. You shrugged and avoided eye contact.

“Some days are better than others,” you said, “Overall things are better than they’ve been for a while now though. My shrink has me on some new meds that seem to be helping and I’ve been working harder on doing little things to take care of myself every day, not just the good days.”

Natasha nodded, eyes still fixed on you. Slowly, she reached a hand out across the table and placed it on top of yours. “You know I’m always here for you, right? You can call me any time of day and as long as I’m not on a mission, I can be at your apartment within the hour.”

You felt a lump form in your throat at her words. You nodded quickly, eyes blinking fast to try and keep the tears that were welling up from falling. She gave your hand a quick squeeze before pulling back.

“Now where the hell are our breadsticks? This is going to be a failed meal if I have less than twelve in me before the main dish arrives.” Her words made you burst out laughing once again and succeeded in putting a smile on your face for the remainder of the meal.

                                        ***

“Are you sure I can’t drive you back to your apartment?” Natasha asked, wrapping her scarf around her neck as the two of you stepped out of the restaurant. You nodded at her and smiled.

“I enjoy walking, it clears my mind,” you said. She let out a disapproving hum but didn’t argue further. She pulled you into a bone-crushing hug before turning and walking towards where her car was parked. You watched as she stepped in and waved as she pulled out of the parking lot. You stood and watched until her car was out of sight before turning to start the walk home.

As it was on the walk to the restaurant, the busy streets provided the perfect background noise needed for you to quiet your mind. You focused on your breathing, allowing yourself to try and channel any residual nervous energy outward. With each breath, the faces passing by began to blur. Neon signs hanging in the windows of the shops you passed by became nothing more than a gentle glow in your peripheral. With each step you took, the background seamlessly blended together more and your focus on yourself heightened. A sense of calm settled itself in your chest. The feeling grew stronger with each block you passed until a small smile made its way onto your face. That feeling ended abruptly as you turned around the next block.  

There was a large crowd waiting at the bus stop, but your eyes focused on one man. You stared at his silhouette, panic building with each second. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of you and your feet had magically turned into cinder blocks. Is that...? No, it couldn’t be…

Almost as if he heard your thoughts, the man turned slightly so you could see his face, and a sigh of relief left you. You stood there a moment longer to examine his side profile. It wasn’t him; he just happened to look like him. He was about the same height and weight, with similar chocolate waves. Your eyes landed on his light brown leather jacket and a lump formed in your throat. He had worn a similar jacket the day you met. It felt like being thrown back in time as you continued to stare at the man in front of you.

Natasha drug you through a hallway, not caring about your protests to slow down. “I have someone I want you to meet.” She smirked as she spoke, leaving you to wonder what she was plotting.

A group of choices greeted the two of you as you entered the room. You waved at Steve and Sharon sitting on the couch as Natasha continued to pull you across the room to where two men were standing. One of the men was Sam, whom you had met the last time Natasha brought you to the compound. The other was Bucky Barnes. You hadn’t met him before but you knew who he was. It was impossible not to given how public everything about Hydra had become.

“Barnes, I have someone I’d like you to meet,” Natasha said, turning slightly towards you.

Bucky turned to look at you, offering a charming smile as he held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Bucky.”

You shook his hand and introduced yourself, hoping to god you didn’t look as flustered as you felt. The pictures of him floating around on the news did not do him justice. Bucky was absolutely breathtaking. His smile lit up his eyes in a way no camera could ever hope to capture. His hair was cropped just above his shoulders, falling into a beautiful wavy pattern. You realized you were staring and felt your face get hot.

“Uh, I like your jacket,” you mumbled, hoping he hadn’t realized you were staring. The leather jacket was a beautiful light brown. It looked old, but well loved at the same time.

He smiled widely at you, “Thanks! Leather jackets are kind of my thing. Sam here thinks I have too many but there’s no such thing as too many leather jackets, wouldn’t you agree?”

As the memory floated away, you couldn’t help but think how Bucky probably would’ve gone up to the man to ask about his jacket. You chuckled at the thought. As soon as he walked away, he would’ve immediately started looking up where he could find one for his own closet. It didn’t matter how many leather jackets he had. He always wanted more.

The chuckle died on your lips and was replaced by an uncomfortable knot settling in your stomach. A heavy weight fell on your chest and you forced yourself to find the energy to trudge forward.

The remainder of the walk was a blur, but not in the same way it had been before. This wasn’t the good kind of blur that helped you to focus. It was the kind that left you feeling suffocated and as if everything would come crashing down all at once. That had been the first happy thought about Bucky since the two of you broke up. His presence in your thoughts was so strong, he might as well have been walking right next to you. You could practically feel his knuckles brushing against yours with each step you took. If you closed your eyes, you swore you could smell his cologne.

The harsh reality of how alone you were hit you as the greeting from your apartment’s doorman pulled you from your thoughts. You shot him a small smile before rushing inside and all but sprinting up the stairs. Your hands shook as you unlocked the door to your apartment, though you couldn't tell if it was from your thoughts of Bucky or from the sudden burst of energy that left you slightly winded.

Once inside, you rushed to your bedroom and changed into the first sports bra and pair of leggings you saw. You needed to get Bucky off your mind and the only way you knew how was to run. It was going to be a long run tonight.

The doorman waved at you again as you exited the building, surprised to see you again so soon. “Someone is feeling motivated today I see,” he joked. You shrugged and slowly began to jog.

                                        ***

It took a while to get into your groove, but once you were there you felt good. The movement helped settle the anxious energy that had been building since you had seen the man at the bus stop, while the steady breathing brought your focus back to the here and now just like it had before. That’s something else to mention if she asks about my runs again, you thought.  These runs bring my focus to this exact moment in time.

That thought was lost as you passed a small, hole in the wall theater. Small groups were exiting the building, each talking excitedly amongst themselves about the movie that had just finished. The nauseous feeling from earlier came back as memories resurfaced. That was Bucky’s favorite movie theater. Every Sunday they played movies from the 1920s and 1930s. He used to drag you along with him whenever he saw one he remembered from his childhood. Each time he swore up and down that you were about to experience a cinematic masterpiece like no other and that it would change the way you looked at movies. You always rolled your eyes as he said it, but the magic you felt in that theater with him was like no other.

Movies made back then were so different from the movies made now. The characters felt so much more real. They were allowed to be people. Their faults and flaws didn’t take away from the good things about them. These films never failed to make you feel all of the emotions you were meant to feel and each time you exited the theater, you couldn’t help but wish you could’ve remained in that little bubble just a few minutes longer. Those bittersweet feelings about the ending never lasted long though, as Bucky would wrap his arm around your shoulder and proceed to talk your ear off about the movie until you made it home.

“You know Doll, the greatest films of all time were never made,” he said, smiling down at you.

You just laughed and shook your head.“Bucky that makes absolutely no sense.”

Bucky rolled his eyes dramatically, making you laugh again. “Think about it though, how many movies haven’t been made because someone decided they weren’t good enough for the big screen? How many stories have been brought into existence but never been told to another living soul?”

A car horn brought you back into reality. Bitterness crept into your chest as you processed the memory that had just played out picture-perfect in your mind. Those afternoons with him in the theater had been some of the best afternoons of your life. Even if you weren’t crazy about the movie, Bucky’s sheer excitement about it was enough to convince you of how wonderful it truly was. If only he had felt that same amount of joy in other areas of your relationship.

Your bitterness slowly began to turn to anger as you thought about the last few months of being with Bucky. Sunday matinees had stopped being a regular thing as Bucky’s work schedule picked up until they stopped happening entirely. His new position training new SHIELD agents and prospective new members to the Avenger ate away at his time. All of his time. It got to the point Bucky never stopped working. Even at home, his thoughts were on paperwork to be filed, training to be planned, or meetings to be run. You’d be sitting on the couch next to him trying to talk only to receive disinterested “hmms” or the occasional “That’s nice honey.”

You tried bringing it up to no avail. He always brushed it off and said things would calm down eventually and that he just needed you to hold out a bit longer. He never outright said his work was more important to him but the implication was there and you felt the weight of it every single day. You bit your tongue and played along for a while, but after several months of hearing the same excuses, you finally snapped. Unfortunately, so did Bucky.

“All you ever do is work. I can’t remember the last time we went and did something together. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time you cared enough to even ask me about my day. It’s like you don’t even want me around anymore,” you hissed, glaring at Bucky.

“Excuse me for caring about my fucking job. One of us has to if we’re going to continue affording this place,” he scoffed.

Ice filled your veins as you stared at him, fist clenched at your side. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Oh come on, we both know you’re barely getting your work done on time. You lay here on the couch all day watching TV. You’re lucky you’re allowed to work from home because you look like a walking disaster half the time. You’ve stopped wearing clean clothes, you hardly shower, you hardly eat, and you hardly sleep. Face it, you’re depressed.” His voice was flat as he spoke.

You furiously blinked back tears that were trying to well up as you processed his words. “First of all, I am not depressed,” you muttered, “Second, if I’m such a walking disaster then what are you even still doing here?”

“I am still here because I care about you. I have lost track of how many times I have asked you to get help. I’ve been where you are, I know what you’re going through and I know what it takes to come back from it. If you never bleed, you’re never going to grow. If you can’t move past this, then we -” he paused to motion between the two of you “- can’t move past this.” His eyes never left yours as he spoke. There was no malice in them, but there was also none of the kindness or warmth you wished for. His gaze just felt indifferent.  

You remained silent as you tried to find words. Bucky continued watching you, waiting expectantly for a response. A response never came, however, and he let out a loud sigh.

“If you don’t have anything to say to that, then I think we’re done here. I can’t keep doing this anymore. I love you, but neither of us is happy. I can’t give you what you want and you can’t give me what I need,” Without another word, Bucky grabbed his coat and walked out the front door of the apartment.

That was the last time that you saw Bucky. He had sent you a text a few days later asking when a good time to come pick up his stuff would be. You responded begrudgingly, telling yourself that the sooner his stuff was gone the sooner your life could get back to normal. When the day came, you forced yourself to get out of the apartment. The thought of seeing him after what went down between you left you seeing red. When you finally went back after he left, you felt none of the happy emotions you had convinced yourself you would feel.

Instead, you felt the empty spots in the room. Every missing item you noticed felt like a blow to the stomach and caused fresh tears to well up in your eyes. Pictures were no longer hanging from the walls; random gaps were in the bookshelves; his leather jacket was no longer slung across the back of the chair he loved in the living room. You stumbled back to your room with your eyes closed, refusing to see what other memories had been ripped from their rightful homes. Once there, you collapsed on the bed and laid there for two days. It wasn’t until Natasha broke into your apartment to check on you after countless missed calls and ignored texts that you finally moved from that spot.

For the millionth time that day, your stomach twisted as thoughts of Bucky floated around in your head. Despite it all, you regretted not being there when he came to get his things. There was never a proper goodbye between you and the thought drove you mad sometimes. Maybe if I had been there, we could’ve worked this out. You scoffed at the thought, but couldn’t deny the heaviness lingering in your chest.

At times you considered reaching out to him, wondering if he would be willing to give you the closure you so desperately needed. Even if it was just over text, it might be better than the nothing you currently had. You still had his number. The two of you even still followed each other on social media. He liked what few posts you made, but you had never been able to bring yourself to look at the stuff he posted. The lines of communication were there, you just had to use them. But communication is a two-way street; if he wanted to talk to you, he’d reach out. Right? That thought had kept you from texting him more times than you could possibly count.

Questions about what could have happened that day swirled throughout your head as your feet pounded against the pavement. Could you have fixed things, or would it still have ended in breaking up? Could you have agreed to still be friends? Would you have at least been able to say goodbye, or would he have walked silently out the door again?

The thoughts continued to plague you until the ache in your legs was too strong to take another step. Out of breath, you looked around at where you stopped trying to figure out how far you had run. It wasn’t until you noticed the fountain about a dozen feet behind you that you realized where you were.

Tony had once rented out a plaza nearby for a 1920s themed fundraiser gala the first year you and Bucky were dating. The gala was the first public event you ever attended with him, though it certainly hadn’t been your last. Natasha had taken you shopping and helped you find a flapper-style dress leading up to it. The two of you did your hair and makeup together, giggling about how you felt like you were getting ready for a high school dance. When you stepped out of the room with Natasha, Bucky wasn’t able to speak. He spent the whole night staring at you like a lovestruck teenager, only to turn bright red whenever someone mentioned it.

Towards the end of the night, you and Bucky had drunkenly stumbled out of the plaza to escape the crowd and found your way over to this fountain. Rather, you had stumbled out drunkenly. Bucky wasn’t affected by human alcohol and hardly had any of the Asgardian mead Thor had so generously brought. While he was a little more cheery than usual, he wasn’t intoxicated enough to even pretend like he was tipsy.

A giggle left your lips as you stumbled forward. “Bucky, I need to find somewhere to sit down. I need to take off my heels.”

Bucky laughed at you and picked you up, carrying you bridal style. He spun around slowly as he searched for somewhere he could set you down. His eyes eventually settled on the fountain and began walking towards it. He carefully set you down before sitting down next to you. His eyes were fixed on you as you took off your shoes, a sigh of relief leaving your mouth as you did. You smiled over at him, before turning around to stare at the fountain in wonder. A giggle left your lips as you pulled up your dress and began walking around in the fountain.

You laughed any time you went through a jet of water. The temperature difference was soothing against your skin and almost left a tickling sensation as you passed. Eventually, you arrived back at where he was sitting and the smile on his face filled your stomach with butterflies. You bent down slightly to press your lips against his, your hands making their way through his hair. His hands landed on your hips and pulled you closer to him. You felt dizzy as he held you, though you weren’t sure if it was him or the glasses of champagne. You pulled away abruptly as an idea struck you, leading to Bucky’s eyes opening in confusion. His gaze fell upon the mischievous look you wore and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he managed to make a sound, your hands left his hair and were reaching down to splash water onto him.

He tried to catch your hands to stop you, but you stepped back just out of reach, but not far enough you couldn’t keep splashing him. Without a word, he reached down to take off his shoes and socks. A gasp left you as he stepped into the fountain and you rushed to hide behind the fountain’s centerpiece. He chased after you, hands eventually catching your waist and spinning you around to face him. He stared down at you, wonder and adoration written on his face. He slowly leaned forward to press his lips against yours.

The dizzy feeling from before came back, though this time you could say with absolute certainty it was because of the man standing in front of you. His lips were so soft against yours, yet still carried such a force they left you breathless. Fireworks had nothing on how he made you feel. No words could ever hope to describe the love and adoration bursting in your chest.

This time, he was the one to pull back first. He moved his lips up slightly, pressing a kiss to your nose and your forehead before leaning his head against yours. “Would you like to dance?”

You nodded and the two of you began to slow dance in the fountain. You don’t know how long you were in the fountain dancing; it felt like eternity paused to give you and your love all the time the universe had to give so you could enjoy this moment a little longer. The only sensations tying you to reality were Bucky’s warmth and the cool water moving at your feet as Bucky spun you around. You pulled away slightly and smiled at him. “We should make a wish,” you said.

Bucky looked at you with confusion. “A wish?”

You nodded, a small smile filling your face, “You know, toss some coins into the fountain and make a wish as we do.”

The laugh that left his lips made your heart flutter. “I don’t think this is a wishing-well. Although -” he paused to laugh again, “-I hardly think they meant for anyone to dance around in it either, so why not.” One of his hands left yours and reached into his pocket, looking for his wallet. He opened it and pulled out two pennies and handed one to you. “It looks like we only get one wish each tonight, so we’d better make it a good one.”

You stared down at the penny in your hand, wondering what wish could possibly be better than the night you were currently having with Bucky. The wish hit you suddenly, a smile breaking out on your face. You pressed your lips to the penny and wished with all your might, ‘I wish for us to have more moments like this together, from now through the rest of our days”. You opened your eyes and tossed the penny outward. Bucky’s coin was soon nestled safely at the bottom of the fountain with yours.

“What did you wish for?” he asked, pulling you back into his arms to continue dancing.

“I can’t tell you or it won’t come true,” you teased, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek as he spun you. “And let me tell you, I really want this wish to come true.”

Bucky chuckled, “Me too honey, me too.”

Your eyes came back into focus and a quiet sob left you. You stood in front of the fountain and cried into your hands, cursing all of the emotions you felt. That night had left you convinced that Bucky Barnes was the one. You had fallen asleep dreaming of dancing like that with him at your wedding. But now? Now all you wanted to do was scream. You wanted to scream at him, at yourself, and at the universe for being cruel enough to lead you back to this fountain without him at your side.

As the tears began to slow, a new kind of weight settled in your chest. He really could have been the one. He could have been everything you dreamed of and more, but there was nothing you could do to go back in time to change things. He decided to walk out that door and leave you with nothing more than an empty space in your heart, one to match the empty spaces he left in your apartment.

The questions the therapist had asked you started ringing through your ears as you continued to stare blankly at the fountain. What about the ‘after’? Maybe she had a point bringing it up today. You were still stuck in the ‘before’. Maybe it was finally time to start moving on. Missing items could be replaced; missing love could be given by someone else. All you had to do was make the decision to take your first steps into the ‘after’.

Your feet remained glued in place as you tried to make sense of it all.

You were confused as to where you were. Looking around, nothing seemed familiar. It wasn’t until a familiar silhouette caught your attention that you realized where you were. Bucky stood at the top of the mountain, staring down at the canyon below. Green trees and bushes lined the ground and the air was filled with the sound of birds chirping. The view was beautiful, but you couldn’t stop staring at Bucky. He looked the same, yet something felt different. Bucky seemed calmer than you had seen him in years, almost as if all of his stress had faded away. His body language was relaxed and he seemed to be in no rush to leave where he was.

Suddenly, the once green mountain top was now covered in a blanket of snow. Bucky was now wearing a thick winter coat and was strapping his feet onto a snowboard. He soon had his helmet and goggles on and began his descent down the mountain. It felt like you were flying along with him as you watched him expertly weave his way through the trees. The ease at which he moved confused you. Since when did Bucky know how to snowboard? He expressed wanting to try but never had while you were together. Confusion clouded your mind until Bucky reached the bottom of the mountain and came to a halt. He removed his helmet and a look of pure exhilaration filled his face. His excitement made your heart burst. As you reached out to try and touch him, the scene changed once again.

This time you were in the middle of the ocean. The vast expanse of blue was the only visible thing in sight other than Bucky. He was in full scuba gear, just floating there waiting. He was so still that if it weren't for the stream of bubbles that came with each exhale, you wouldn’t have been able to tell if he was breathing. Out of nowhere, a shape appeared in the distance. As it got closer, you felt your stomach drop. A large shark swam slowly towards Bucky. You rolled your eyes at the realization. Of course, he would go swimming with sharks with no safety cage. That idiot had no respect for your nerves or your -

You were woken up abruptly by the sound of your phone ringing. You groaned and cursed yourself for it somehow not being on silent. In your confused state, you reached out and slowly felt around on the top of your nightstand trying to find your phone. Once you found it, you tilted the screen so you could see who was calling. A beautiful picture of Natasha filled your screen and you sighed. Only Natasha could call randomly and happen to wake you up from a dream about Bucky. You pressed the answer button and begrudgingly brought the phone to your ear.

“Morning, you better have a good reason for waking me up,” you mumbled, letting out a yawn as you finished speaking.

“It’s past noon, you know. Most decent people are already up by now,” You could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke.

“Shut up. It’s still morning if I haven’t gotten out of bed yet. What do you want? I was having a nice dream.”

Your gruff response got a laugh from Natasha. “Well I was calling to see how your Tinder date went last night, but now I’m wondering if I should be asking what you were dreaming about that has you being this testy,” she teased.

You rubbed your eyes and groaned, “The dream was nothing special, I’m just mad you woke me up. The Tinder date was also nothing to write home about. The guy was awful. He started off super charming like they always do, but he got snappy with our waitress and then tried to get snappy with me when I called him out on it. I paid for my half of the bill and left as quickly as I could.”

“Ugh, gross. Men are actually the worst,” Natasha said. You hummed in agreement and she continued, “So are you ready for me to start setting you up, or are you going to keep giving these Tinder people a try?”

You sighed and paused for a moment to think. “Nat, I know you’re trying to help but the only people you have that you can set me up with are all SHIELD employees. I don’t see it ending well if I go down that path given my prior dating history.”

A scoff came through the phone. “He’s dating again too, so he has no right to be pissy about anything if that’s what you’re worried about. Besides, he was also the one who ended it so he doubly has no right to be upset.”

You sat up straight as she spoke, your stomach dropping at the thought. “He’s dating again?” Your voice sounded small, smaller than it had in ages.

This time it was Natasha’s turn to pause before responding. “Yes. He’s taken a few of the receptionists here out on coffee dates, but nothing seems to be sticking. If Wilson is to be believed, he’s also on Tinder. I can’t imagine that’s working out very well for him either though.”

You felt nauseous, but you forced yourself to pause to recenter your thoughts. Of course he would be dating again. It’s been almost a year since you broke up. If you’re dating again, it only makes sense that he is as well. He deserves to be happy too. A heavy sigh left you, “Well, I hope he’s having better luck than I am.”

                                        ***

You were on the phone with Natasha for another twenty minutes before she had to go. It felt nice catching up with her, and the two of you made plans for another lunch get together later in the week. The conversation had quickly transitioned away from dating, but the fact Bucky was dating again lingered in the back of your mind for the entirety of the call.

You had been on Tinder for a while now, but somehow it never occurred to you that he might be too. How does a superhero just casually join the worst dating app in existence? Do people actually believe it’s him when they come across his profile? You couldn’t help but snort at the thought. Conversations on dating apps sucked enough as it is, but having to try and prove you’re who you say you are the way Bucky must have to certainly would make it that much less enjoyable.

Almost as if it knew you were thinking about it, a Tinder notification popped up on your lock screen. You opened up the app and saw two new messages from someone you had matched with. You typed out a response and then proceeded to scroll through the list of other potential matches. Most of the profiles you looked at were immediate no’s, but there were a few you swiped right on. It never ceased to amaze you how bad the men on this app were at smiling in pictures. Most of them had only a slight grin in one or two pictures. Any profile with a man properly smiling almost always got a swipe right. The only other type of picture that had that sort of response was for cute cats and dogs.

You continued to swipe, pausing occasionally to respond to a message. Out of nowhere, a familiar pair of blue eyes started staring up at you, causing you to nearly drop your phone in surprise. Of course the day you find out Bucky is on Tinder is the day you come across his profile. You quickly took a screenshot before swiping left and exiting out of the app. You sent the screenshot to Natasha. She responded almost immediately, Guess Wilson was telling the truth 🙄

You laughed at her response as you got out of bed, ready to finally start your day.

                                        ***

A sigh of relief left you as you collapsed on your couch after spending most of the afternoon running errands. It hadn’t been anything too bad, but that didn’t stop you from being thankful it was over. You laid there for a few minutes, just enjoying the stillness and the comfort of being on your couch. Once settled, you reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the glass of wine you had poured, and opened up your phone.

You opened up Snapchat and responded to the few snaps you had from Natasha and other friends before opening up Instagram. You mindlessly watched people’s stories, skipping through any of the ones that didn’t interest you. You paused however on Bucky’s.

He was standing next to a beautiful woman, each of them holding a painting in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Both of them had smiles that filled their faces. You stared at the picture, unsure of what you should be feeling. On one hand, it was nice seeing him so relaxed and happy. His posture reminded you eerily of how he looked in your dream. On the other hand, you couldn’t help but feel a touch of bitterness. You had practically begged him to go with you to a wine and paint night while you were together. He always used work as an excuse, either he was too tired from work or he had too much work left to do. You stared at the picture for a minute longer, wondering if they’d be going home together or parting ways for the night. You sighed, shaking your head at your own stupidity before continuing to scroll.

The wind blew violently around you as you struggled to make your way up the street. The weather turned unexpectedly as you were out on your run, so you rushed towards the closest coffee shop hoping to wait out the weather and avoid having to pay for a cab back home. The barista greeted you as you stepped inside and you offered her a smile.

“What can I get for you?” she asked.

You stared up at the menu, considering your options. “One large hazelnut latte and a cinnamon roll, please.”

She entered everything into the computer and you held out your card for her. Once your payment was processed, you turned to find a seat. The coffee shop was crowded, no doubt due to the bad weather driving people indoors. You looked around unsuccessfully and had almost resigned yourself to standing when a familiar voice called out.

You jumped at the sound. You turned around and made eye contact with Bucky Barnes for the first time since he walked out your front door. He was sitting there grinning ear to ear, almost as if he was genuinely happy to see you. The thought made your heart burst and it was impossible to hold back an equally big smile.

“Hey Bucky, how’s it going?”

“It’s going really well! Thanks for asking,” he paused and looked around before continuing, “Do you want to sit down? There’s not a lot of seating left and it’s just me here.” His hand gestured towards the empty seat across from him as he spoke.

You paused, unsure of if you should take it or continue to look elsewhere. You looked around the room for an empty seat but didn’t see any. Well, I guess we’re doing this. You stepped forward and mumbled out a thanks as you sat down.

“I’m kind of surprised to see you here if I’m honest. I didn’t think you came to this part of the city very often,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“I generally don’t. The weather took a bit of a nasty turn while I was out on my run. I stepped in hoping that by the time I’m ready to leave it’ll have calmed down.”

Another smile broke out across his face as you spoke. “You’re running again? That’s awesome.” He sounded sincere as he spoke which made you smile back.

You nodded, but before you could respond the barista arrived with your coffee and cinnamon roll. You thanked her and took a long sip of your coffee, enjoying the warmth you felt as you did. An awkward silence filled the air as both of you tried to size the other up. You decided to break the silence.

“So, what’s new with you?”

                                        ***

An hour later, the two of you were still chatting away happily at the table. Once the conversation started, it didn’t stop. Everything felt like it had at the start of your relationship: easy, comfortable, and filled with excitement. The only pauses that occurred were when the barista refilled both of your coffees and brought Bucky a cinnamon roll, which he ordered after you spent five minutes going on about how incredible it was.

One of the things you had forgotten about being around Bucky was the warmth he exuded. Even on his worst days, he had the unwavering ability to make the room feel safe. You couldn’t ever quite pin down whether it had to do with his cologne being a comforting smell or if that’s just who he was. All you knew is that he always left you aching to lean into his chest and stay there until you absolutely couldn’t. Needless to say, today it left you feeling quite confused given everything that had happened between you.

The thoughts you had several months ago about getting closure were brought back to the forefront of your mind. How had things gotten so bad between you? How had both of you let this wonderful thing fall to pieces without even one final attempt at holding it together? Each little pause in the conversation as you transitioned between topics left you aching to ask all of the questions you had. Everything was so easy and so smooth between you today that you almost felt hope that things were salvageable between you. Maybe, just maybe, your fountain wish could still come true. As you were finally working up the courage to ask, his next sentence knocked all other thoughts out of your head.

“Did you hear that Steve and Sharon are finally engaged? Took that meathead long enough to ask.”

A gasp left your mouth, “No way! It’s about freaking time. Have they picked a date yet?”

He nodded. “First weekend in June. Sharon’s already picked their wedding colors too; sage green and rose gold. She explicitly said she picked rose gold because she wants to serve that rosé champagne you introduced her to. It’s still her favorite to this day.”

A bittersweet smile made its way onto your face as you thought about what he said. You had brought two bottles of that sparking rosé to a dinner Sharon hosted once, back when she and Steve were still circling around their feelings for each other. Sharon had barely taken her first sip before asking you for details on where you bought it. Ever since, Sharon always had a bottle in her fridge. Her friendship was the one you missed the most after the breakup. There had been a few half-hearted attempts from both of you to reach out, but each time her responses felt forced. Eventually you stopped trying.

“Well, I’m sure it’ll be a beautiful wedding. They deserve it,” you said. A chuckle left your lips as a new thought entered your head. “How on Earth is Steve going to choose between you and Sam for best man?”

Bucky joined in on your laughter, making your stomach do summersault after summersault. “Sam and I were actually wondering the same thing, but apparently they’ve decided to not do a bridal party. That makes things easy for me though. I get to kick back and enjoy the wedding knowing I have no responsibilities.”

The idea of Bucky having a blast at a wedding made you smile. The smile faded slightly as you realized this meant Bucky was now going to need a date for this wedding. Images of him in a fancy suit, twirling another woman around the way he had in the fountain with you flashed before your eyes. You felt your heart breaking all over again at the thought of how it could’ve been you if you hadn’t fucked it all up. How stupid could you have been thinking the two of you could talk things out after all this time. He’s probably already planning on asking that girl from the wine and paint night to go with him. She had appeared on his social media several times since that night and each time it made your chest ache a little more. Bucky’s voice broke you from your thoughts.

“Hey, you okay?”

You swallowed thickly and nodded. You tried smiling but felt yourself falter and knew he noticed it too. “Yeah, just caught up in my thoughts.” You needed to get out of here and fast. Conveniently, your phone screen lit up and you were able to fake gasp at the time. “Oh my god, look how late it is. I really should get going.”

Bucky stared at you, unsure of how to respond to the sudden change in the atmosphere. You stood and rushed to collect your things.

“It was really nice seeing you again Bucky,” you said, offering him a half-smile as you take your first steps away from the table. He nodded, still looking unconvinced.

“It really was. Maybe we could do this again sometime?” He asked, trying his hardest to keep too much optimism from creeping into his voice.

Your eyes went wide with surprise, but you slowly nodded. “Yeah, maybe.”

The same awkward silence from before filled the air, only this time neither of you seemed to know how to break it. You offered a small wave and made your way out the door, refusing to turn around and hug him despite how strongly your body was screaming at you to do so.

Bucky stood there staring after you until you were out of sight. A sigh left him after you rounded a corner and he began to collect his things.

                                        ***

Bucky had made his way back to the Avengers compound with relative ease, though his mind was still stuck back at the coffee shop with you. He had nearly choked on his coffee when he saw you walk in and hardly realized what he was doing when he called out to you. His mind had started screaming at him from the second he offered you a seat and apparently had yet to find a good enough reason to stop. Talking to you had been magical. He had forgotten how well the two of you meshed once a conversation was started. Nobody else had ever been able to keep up with his constant jumping between topics, not even Sam and Steve. You never made him feel bad for his quick transitions; you just understood and accepted that was the way his mind worked. Even after all that time, you took it all in stride.

An unexpected slam of a cabinet door caught his attention as he made his way through the communal kitchen. Sam was standing there, unloading dishes from the dishwasher. Bucky greeted the man with a gentle nod of the head as he pulled out one of the barstools to sit.

“That was a long coffee shop visit, you run into a cute girl there?” Sam teased, smirk playing across his face.

“I ran into her.”

Sam’s motions paused as he processed Bucky’s words. He looked up at his friend, who was conveniently not meeting his gaze, unsure of how to respond. “Her as in…?”

Bucky nodded and Sam let out a slow puff of air. “How are you feeling?” Sam asked cautiously.

It took a few minutes for Bucky to find the words. “You know Sammy, I actually don’t know. There are too many contradictory feelings in my head to pinpoint just one.” He finally looked up and met Sam’s eyes.

Sam motioned for him to continue.

“It was so nice to see her again and talk to her. It made me feel like things were back when we were both still head over heels in love with each other. She’s doing so well. She’s made huge progress mentally, she’s been given a promotion at work, she’s just out there living her life. It made me so happy to see...

“But the happier I got sitting there talking to her, the angrier I got with myself for being such an ass while I was with her. Who has a woman like that in their life and chooses to ignore her for work? What kind of jerk does that?” He paused for a moment, staring down at his feet before continuing.

“There was a moment where she looked at me and I looked at her and I just knew we were both wondering where the hell we went so wrong. She looked like she wanted to say something so badly, but decided against it and just...got up and left. I kinda deserved it though-” he let out a dark chuckle, “- it’s what I did to her after all.”

Sam had continued unloading the dishes as Bucky spoke, trying to keep things casual while he got everything off his chest. Once Sam knew Bucky was done, he paused and rested both hands on the counter to give his friend his full attention.

“Yeah, you were an ass who put work first. She was a great girl who loved you unconditionally. You let her down and yourself down too. But she also had her issues that contributed to what happened. It’s not all on you.” Sam shot a reassuring smile at Bucky.

Bucky nodded, knowing Sam was right. He couldn’t help but sigh and put his head in his hands though as more thoughts swirled around in his head. “I can’t help but think about how my actions probably worsened things for her though, you know? She was depressed for a while before I started acting that way, but I certainly didn’t help the situation. And just...I walked out on her. I walked out and didn’t even give her a proper goodbye.”

Sam stood still and nodded along. “You did, but what you’re forgetting is that you also did because it was also the best thing for you at the time. Both of you were unhappy with who the other was becoming at that time. Sometimes breaking up is the best route to take and they don’t always end with a clear-cut goodbye. You guys may have missed out on some closure, but if today went as well as you said it did, maybe you’ve got a different kind of closure coming down the pipe.”

Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed and he looked up at his friend. “What do you mean?”

Sam rolled his eyes and laughed softly, “Man, what did your dumb ass do with girls before I came along?” He continued laughing for a moment before resuming, “What I’m getting at is that if today went as well as you think before the awkward ending, what if there’s a possibility of reconciling? Even if it’s not in a romantic sense, you could always try and be friends.”

For a moment, Bucky’s heart surged. Maybe Sam was right, maybe things could be fixed. He knew things were going well before you got up to leave, maybe he could try and make things right.

Then, the memory of how uneasy and uncomfortable you looked at the end of the conversation replayed in his mind. He felt his throat tighten and tears well up in his eyes. You didn’t want him back. He had his chance today and he blew it.

He shook his head slowly and whispered, “I don’t think that’s going to happen, Sammy.”

                                        ***

Sam eventually let the topic drop and Bucky was free to make his way back to his rooms. A familiar meow rang out from across the room and was soon followed by the sound of excited footsteps rushing towards him. Alpine rubbed himself against Bucky’s legs, meowing expectantly. He chuckled and crouched down to rub Alpine’s ears.

“Hey there buddy, did you miss me?”

Alpine meowed, almost as if to say yes. Bucky smiled and picked up the cat before standing up. He made his way to his bedroom and let Alpine jump down onto the bed once they were close enough. His boots were kicked off haphazardly at the foot of the bed before he climbed into bed. Alpine came and curled up under one of his arms, purring slightly as he did. A sigh left him as he mindlessly pet the cat and adjusted his position until he was comfortable.

Bucky’s thoughts turned back to you almost immediately. His heart ached as he began to relive the night he knew he had fallen in love with you. How he wished he could go back in time and experience it all over again.

“So, Stark is holding a fundraiser in about three weeks. I was wondering if you’d like to come with me?” Bucky asked.

The smile on your face made his heart flutter. “Of course! What’s the dress code?” you asked. “I’m not sure if I have anything fancy enough to wear to a Stark gala.”

“It’s a 1920s theme. I’m not entirely sure what he means by that though, considering I was barely old enough to remember the first half of the decade.”

A teasing smile broke out across your face as he spoke. “So what you're telling me is the oldest man in the room somehow still isn’t old enough to remember the roaring twenties? Tsk tsk,” Your teasing tone made him laugh and lean over to kiss you.

“I’ll have you know young lady -” he paused to place kisses all over your face “- this is a completely unacceptable thing to say. Don’t you know you should respect your elders?” You continued to giggle as he continued to kiss you.

                                        ***

On the day of the gala, you were whisked away early in the day by Natasha. She claimed the whole day was needed to properly prepare, which left Bucky standing there rolling his eyes. But when you finally stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of the compound, Bucky felt his heart stop. You looked ethereal. The flapper style dress you were wearing fit you perfectly, your hair was elegantly framing your face, and your lips were painted the most perfect shade of red he had ever seen. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you the entire night.

By the end of the night, the champagne finally had gone to your head and you were desperate to leave. You grabbed his hand giggling, rushing as quickly as you could out of the reserved plaza. You stumbled a few times over the uneven cobblestones, so he kept a hand on your waist just in case.

“Bucky, I need to find somewhere to sit down. I need to take off my heels.” you giggled as you spoke, making his heart flutter for the millionth time that night. Without a word, he picked you up bridal style and slowly spun around as he searched for somewhere you could sit.

His eyes landed on a large fountain a short distance away and he began walking towards it. You settled comfortably into his arms, with one hand sneaking under his tux jacket and gripping gently onto his shirt just over his heart. Bucky wondered if you could tell it was about ready to beat out of his chest as he leaned slightly to set you down on the fountain’s edge. He had hardly sat down next to you before your heels were kicked off. It was amazing how much more relaxed you looked just from doing that.

He was so focused on how beautiful you looked he almost didn’t hear you giggle or realize what you were about to do. His jaw dropped slightly as you stood in front of him in the fountain, dress pulled up slightly as you waded in.

Bucky’s eyes never left you as you walked around, letting out the cutest laughs with each stream of water that you walked under. When you arrived back at where he was sitting and his whole world stopped as you bent forward to press your sweet lips against his. Your hands found their way to his hair as his made their way to your hips. With every ounce of his being, he wished his hands could make their home. They belonged there, allowing him to hold you so tightly against him it was almost impossible to tell where his body stopped and yours began.

It startled him when you pulled away suddenly, but the confusion didn’t last long as he was met with a handful of water and mischievous laughter. The splashing was relentless. You refused to stop despite him begging for you to quit it. He rushed to remove his shoes and socks so he could jump into the fountain with you. The excited squeal that left your mouth as you started rushing through the water trying to escape him made him grin. He was going to catch you and you knew it. That didn’t stop you from trying to delay the inevitable though. You tried to hide behind the fountain's centerpiece and to fake which direction you were going to run. When you decided to leave the safety of the centerpiece, he had you back in his arms facing him within seconds.

As he watched your face, the overwhelming urge to confess the extent of his feelings filled his chest. He loved you. He had known for weeks now, but staring at your beautiful face reaffirmed it so deeply in his soul that it felt like an integral part of who he was now. Bucky opened his mouth to speak, but the words failed him. Instead, he leaned forward and he channeled everything he had into a kiss. He wanted this to be the kind of kiss written about in fairytales; one that leaves audiences tearing up over and longing for. He hoped you felt everything he didn’t have the courage to say tonight and the small voice in his head hoped you felt the same.

He felt you smile into the kiss, making his heart swell. He pulled away gently after a moment, staying close enough to press kisses across your face. You had told him once how special you felt when he did it; now he couldn't stop doing it. He needed you to know how special you were to him, how loved you were in his arms. When he was satisfied, he rested his forehead against yours. An idea struck him and he smiled at you, “Would you like to dance?”

You nodded and he began to lead you in a slow dance throughout the fountain. He had never felt more grateful for the dancing experience he gained in his youth and that it was a skill he somehow kept throughout the years of brainwashing and torture. The feeling of your body against his calmed his mind and kept his focus from wandering back to the past. The only thing he wanted to think about right now was how beautiful you were and how lucky he was to have you.

After a few minutes of him leading you aimlessly around the fountain, you pulled away gently and looked up at him with a smile. “We should make a wish.”

His face twisted with confusion. “A wish?”

You smiled as you nodded at him, “You know, toss some coins into the fountain and make a wish as we do.”

Bucky laughed as he thought about how much like a fairytale this night was turning into. Apparently his kiss had done the trick. “I don’t think this is a wishing-well. Although -” he chuckled again, “-I hardly think they meant for anyone to dance around in it either, so why not.”

Reluctantly, he let go of your hand and fished around in his pocket until he found his wallet. He’d never felt more relieved to see pennies in his life as he pulled out the only two coins he had. He pressed one into your hand as he leaned in to kiss your forehead. “It looks like we only get one wish each tonight, so we’d better make it a good one.”

He watched as you stared down at the penny, wondering what wish you were going to make. Your face was serious as you thought but broke out into the most beautiful smile. You stood there, coin pressed to your lips, before tossing it out into the fountain. You stared up at him expectantly, waiting for him to make his wish.

He didn’t need to stop and think about his wish. He knew what his wish was from the day he met you. Following your motions, he pressed the penny to his lips and wished, ‘I wish for a life filled with more wonderful nights like this, with this beautiful woman in my arms’. He tossed the coin in and his hand found its way back into yours.

Without a word, he pulled you back in close to him and resumed leading you around the fountain. After a few moments of peaceful silence, he spoke.

“What did you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you or it won’t come true,” you said, voice teasing as you pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “And let me tell you, I really want this wish to come true.”

“Me too honey, me too.”

As the memory faded, Bucky couldn’t help but let the tears that had been building fall. That night had been so wonderful. You deserve someone who could give you nothing but nights like that, not the heartache he put you through. He closed his eyes and whispered to no one but himself, “You could’ve been the one. You should’ve been the one...”

[takonei]

As a Touhou Lost Word player, I couldn’t resist taking the concept of the side story Hifuu LW and go wild with character designs. And of course, the Beta AU main trio had to be the test subject. I’m not used to futuristic stuff, so it was a bit hard at first, but I got the hand of it pretty quickly. And I’m proud of these ngl!

Design details and weapon concepts under the cut!

◻◻◻◻◻◻ ◻◻◻◻ ~ Code: Assassin

Role: Technical. A highly efficient killer armed to the bone whose lightning blades can cut in a flash.

Her role is straightforward. To kill quickly and efficiently. Stealth is optional, but preferable.

The mask regulates her oxygen income, allows for better stealth and her comfortable yet firm gear enhances her agility and stamina.

She stores multiple small weapons in her coat, both outside and inside. That includes grenades, small electrified blades and different types of bombs, including smoke and sound.

Her main weapon is the lightning combat knife she holds that can be stored in the front pocket. Its blade is charged with a high amount of electricity that can have its effect by just touching her opponent’s weapon if it is conductive.

The tower-like boxes on the side is where she stores a majority of her smaller electrified blades. Each box contains 6 of them. Once empty, Assassin can detach it and place it underneath the bottom one, and its light will go out until the box is full again. With 4 boxes on each side, she can store up to 48 blades here.

◻◻◻◻◻◻◻ ◻◻◻◻◻◻◻ ~ Code: Maestro

Role: Technical. A surprisingly devastating fighter whose strong music can put anyone to sleep forever.

The music printed on his coat is Beethoven’s moonlight sonata 3rd movement.

His main weapon is the sound that comes from the giant speakers and megaphones behind him. The gear is attached to very resistant straps attachable on the front, for practical reasons.

The speakers can blast sounds up to 275 dB. In comparaison, the threshold of pain is 130 dB and a human skull can explode if exposed to >240 dB.

For that reason, he wears a set of headphones that can cancel about 150 dB. Absolutely mandatory if he needs to launch a strong attack.

He can also use different sound frequencies to disturb his opponent(s).

Maestro controls the speakers with the twin wands he is holding, hence his codename. They are stored in the front pockets of his coat.

He also has two pistols that can help if sound is not effective.

◻◻◻◻◻◻◻ ◻◻◻◻◻ ~ Code: Physician

Role: Technical. A two faced healer who is usually in the back lines, but may god have mercy on you if you are in his way.

His two jobs are to heal and to harm with similar techniques, represented by his arm bands.

The green side, represented by a cross, is the healing side. The pyramid shapes floating serve to create a screen that allows him to keep an eye on everyone’s physical state and health. The screen can only be physically touched by someone who wears ‘mechanical fingers’, as seen on the drawing.

Physician can communicate with anyone registered in the list with his mic, see them through cameras and check their overall health, stamina, strength and regeneration speed.

The prism shapes attached to cables offer health boosts. Think of medic from TF2.

The red side, represented by the biohazard symbol, is the harming side.

The large cubes attached to cables are the biocannons. They contain large amount of deadly chemicals that can take any organic enemy down. In normal circumstances, this would be a war crime, but we are very much not in normal circumstances.

The little red cubes have the same use as the green pyramids, but instead the screen allows him to regulate the biocannons. The screen indicates the different options available, and the certain boosts that can come along with it. The option chosen is indicated with a target. On the side can be seen the amount of chemical left in the cannon, the battery of the engine itself, and the state of the engine (aka, the chances of it exploding and killing the entire building).

The collar around his neck can expand to create a filter mask that is mandatory if he uses the biocannons.

[wp-blaze]

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