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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

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Search ‘Martial Arts Movies’ on Amazon Prime and you’ll get over a thousand results ranging from the classics to the campy, to the critically acclaimed. It’s an overwhelming library for the uninitiated and the mother lode for stalwart fans of the genre. There are so many gems buried in Amazon Prime that digging out the favorites is dirty challenging work but extremely rewarding.

When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu Theater shows because there was so much cheap content available.

Consequently, Amazon Prime’s Kung Fu film selection leans heavily that way, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t include some non-Chinese favorites too. Martial Arts movies cross over to all other genres and nations. There are comedies, romances, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and art house films. From countless cheesy low-budget exploitations, many so funky that they’re totally awesome, to the brilliant ground-breaking works that are staggeringly sensational, here’s some classic jewels and hidden treasures currently included with Amazon Prime membership.

Fist of Fury (1972)

Despite his fame, Bruce Lee only lived to see three of his martial arts movies premiere because Enter the Dragon and Game of Death were released posthumously. His impersonators are innumerable, so many that Bruceploitation is its own genre.

But Fist of Fury is the real Bruce in all his nunchuck spinning glory. It’s loosely based on the history of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, which remains one of the largest international martial arts organizations to this day. When Bruce shattered the ‘No Dogs and Chinese Allowed’ sign with a soaring flying kick, it became a battle cry for the racially oppressed worldwide, firmly cementing Bruce as the world’s first Asian global superstar.

Come Drink with Me (1966)

Long before Charlize Theron went Atomic Blonde, Cheng Pei Pei blazed a path as Golden Swallow, the mysterious invincible swordswoman, and all female action heroines are in her wake. Fiercely independent and savagely lethal, Cheng delivers several sophisticated long-take fight scenes, the hallmark of real Kung Fu skill, with the poise and precision built upon her foundation in ballet. Cheng is remembered in Hollywood as Jade Fox from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and played the matchmaker in Disney’s live-action Mulan. Note that Amazon Prime also has the sequel, Golden Swallow, but it’s not nearly as good.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

This tour de force from director Tsui Hark and Jet Li launched a six-film franchise and a TV series. Jet plays Wong Fei-hung, a real-life folk hero and Kung Fu master who has been depicted in well over a hundred films and TV shows. Set during the late 19th century, the film examines themes of Western colonization and Chinese cults, and while blatantly nationalistic, it captures Jet in his martial prime and contains some of his finest fights.

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Amazon Prime also has Once Upon a Time in China II, which is an excellent sequel, however the third installment (not on Amazon Prime) falls apart, allegedly due to disputes between Jet and Hark.

Ashes of Time Redux (2008)

This was internationally acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai’s first stab at the martial arts genre. It’s sumptuously artsy and laboriously dystopic, not one to see for the action but the art. Based on a classic wuxia (wuxia is Chinese for martial arts genre books and film) titled The Eagle Shooting Heroes, Wong simultaneously filmed a parody titled after the book with the same cast. Wong did the Redux after the original print was lost, salvaging what was left, reediting and re-scoring it.

(Prime US only)

The Assassin (2015)

Director Hou Hsiao-hsien won Best Director at Cannes for this magnificent epic, which was also submitted as Taiwan’s Foreign Language entry at the Academy Awards. Starring the ever-glamorous Shu Qi, who made an early Hollywood crossover attempt with The Transporter, The Assassin is based on another wuxia tale that’s parallel to The Manchurian Candidate but instead of Korean brainwashing, it’s 9th century Chinese sorcery.

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The exquisite filmmaking makes this spectacular–panoramic landscapes, lavish costumes, intricately detailed sets, all gorgeous. Every shot is a stunning composition of light and shadow, and the camera lingers on each frame with ponderous and quiet respect, the kind that film students will gush over for years.

(Prime Video in the US, rent only in the UK)

Fearless Hyena (1979)

When people cite Rush Hour to reference Jackie Chan, it just goes to show they don’t know Jackie at all. Long before Jackie crossed over to Hollywood, he made dozens of films that truly captured his astounding Kung Fu skills, unrestricted by U.S. insurance liability. His late ‘70s period was particularly ripe because he was in peak physical shape and first creating his unique acrobatic comedies. Remember that chopstick dumpling training scene between Po and Shifu in Kung Fu Panda? In Fearless Hyena, Jackie and his shifu (James Tien) do it in live-action, no wires, no CGI, and the choreography is absolutely mind-blowing.

Wheels on Meals (1984)

Jackie Chan earned his Kung Fu prowess from being trained from childhood in traditional Chinese Opera. Many of his classmates also became stars in martial arts film. This is one of two collaborations between him and his two martial brothers, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (the other is Dragons Forever).

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A modern comedy shot in Barcelona, the chemistry between Jackie, Sammo and Yuen is magical as they bring the fastest three-person sparring scenes ever captured. On top of that, Jackie faces off against real-life kickboxing champion Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez in what is considered by many as the greatest fight scene ever filmed.

(US only)

Knockabout (1979)

Knockabout is Yuen Biao’s first lead role after dozens of supporting roles. His acrobatic skills are unparalleled, stronger than Jackie’s because his body frame is built like a gymnast. Sammo Hung’s girth has typecast him as villains and buffoons. Nevertheless, he’s a leading director and choreographer and serves as both in this film, on top of playing a comic beggar who trains Yuen in jump rope monkey Kung Fu (that’s right–jump rop –you have to see it to understand).

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Cobra Kai and the Legacy of The Karate Kid

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It’s a slow build past some goofy comic hijinks, because Yuen’s skills improve over the course of the film. In a fight against Hoi Sang Lee, Yuen pummels so many goose-egg bruises into his noggin that he looks like the coronavirus. But once the training begins through to the final fight, Yuen and Sammo show why they are legends in the industry.

(US only)

Dirty Ho (1979)

When this film came out, the title wasn’t as funny as it is now. But it still works in a way because this is one of the best Kung Fu slapstick comedies. Starring some of top talent from Shaw Brother studios, including Gordon Liu, Wang Yue, and Lo Lieh, it’s full of the stylish long-take choreography and blazing stunts using real fire long before CGI.

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It’s a classic tale of hidden master, a punk student, and notorious villains, including hilarious absurdities like sex change tea, and wheelchair and crutch fighting. The discreet Kung Fu challenge while sampling rare wines out of crazy cups is ludicrous fun; the sort that only master fight choreographer Lau Kar-leung can deliver.

The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Here is another classic from Gordon Liu and Lau Kar-leung, but serious and somber. Alexander Fu Sheng, a prominent leading man, died in a tragic car crash during production, making this his final film. His character suffers PTSD after losing his family in a horrific opening ambush, but his storyline dangles unfinished.

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The film was rewritten to focus Gordon and Lau, as well as the always brilliant Kara Hui. The cast goes all out to honor their fallen comrade’s legacy, showcasing some of the finest weapon choreography ever shot. Based on the legend of the Yang family generals, the untimely death tugs hard on the heartstrings for anyone in the know.

Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)

Just one more Gordon Liu and Lau Kar-leung project, this is the sequel to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which is also amazing and available on Amazon Prime. However, Return to the 36th Chamber has such an odd concept for a sequel that warrants special attention.

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Liu plays a swindler impersonating the Shaolin monk San Te, the character he played in the first film. When his clan is oppressed by the Manchus gang, Liu sneaks into Shaolin, only to be deceptively trained by the real San Te, then returns for vengeance. His clan are cloth dyers, which makes for colorful pools for villains to plunge.

Liu’s uproarious rooftop Kung Fu and his battle with Wang Lung-Wei’s bench-fighter gang are outstanding. Kara Hui has the best retort after Gordon tries to play off his lack of Kung Fu, claiming it’s only for “universal peace,” and not revenge. She claps back “Huh! That’s a stupid Kung Fu.”

The Lady is the Boss (1983)

Kara Hui (aka Kara Wai) is one of the greatest Kung Fu divas of all, yet she’s only known by true devotees of the genre. If you’ve never heard of her, here is one of her finest comedy vehicles. Set in modern-day Hong Kong, Hui plays an American master returning to save her father’s Kung Fu school after his passing. Lau Kar-leung is the eldest student in charge (also the choreographer) and he resists her attempts to modernize.

Long take fights are staged in a topless club, a disco, and finally, a gymnastic gym replete with rings, parallel bars, and a beam, perfect for the choreographic shenanigans only Lau can bring. Gordon Liu appears with hair, which feels wrong because he built his reputation on playing bald monks.

Crippled Avengers (1978)

From director Chang Cheh, the “Godfather of Kung Fu Films,” Crippled Avengers stars four members of the Venoms crew, from Chang’s classic The Five Venoms (also available on Amazon Prime).

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The Five Deadly Venoms: An Essential Martial Arts Movie

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It was repackaged as The Return of the Five Venoms (and also Mortal Combat), however it is its own standalone masterpiece and has nothing to do with the original beyond the cast.

Lu Feng (Centipede from the Venoms crew) gets his arms chopped off and replaced by iron arms (a plot device that RZA echoed The Man with the Iron Fists). Lu and his father, played by the rough and tumble Chan Kuan Tai, cripple the heroes, who must then walk the road of vengeance while handicapped. The portrayal of the disabilities is dated (arm tied behind the back for the amputee, eyes closed for the blinded) but the choreography is ingenious.

Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

Another echo of The Five Venoms from the sanguineous Chang Cheh, Five Elements Ninjas showcases the director’s unique eye for fantasy. It’s an orgy of weird fantasy weapons and ultraviolence, bloody fight scene after bloody fight scene, a cult film of truly epic proportions. As the title says, the ninjas are based on the five elements.

The gold ninjas don gold lame suits and switchblade shield hats. The wood ninjas look like rejected apple trees in The Wizard of Oz. If you turn this film into a drinking game where you take a shot whenever blood is spilled, you won’t make it past the first half hour.

The Web of Death (1976)

What is the ultimate Kung Fu WMD? It’s a tarantula that roars like an elephant and shoots acidic webs, sparks, and death rays, and it decimates the wuxia world. The Web of Death has everything a cult film requires: crazy weapons, cross dressing, romance, complex set-pieces, halls of traps, including acid pits, spiked poles and dragon-headed sparkler cannons, silly superheroes and villains in costumes that would make MCU heroes blush. Filled with jaw dropping WTF moments, it’s a real treat for anyone into cheesy over-the-top Kung Fu cinema.

The Bride with White Hair (1993)

Based on a wuxia novel, The Bride with White Hair is a surreal plunge into the Kung Fu subgenre of Fant-Asia which blossomed in the ‘90s. It’s a doomed romance between rival cult members set in a world of swords and sorcery that stars Brigette Lin in the spurned titular role and the dreamy heartthrob Leslie Cheung.

What makes this stand out was the visionary direction of Ronny Yu. His pre-CGI special effects hold up surprisingly well. Lin’s characterization of the bride was so compelling that it spawned an homage in The Forbidden Kingdom and a remake in The White Haired Witch. The Bride with White Hair II is also available on Amazon Prime which reunites Lin and Cheung, but without Yu’s direction it’s not nearly as special.

(US only)

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)

Fant-Asia has been revitalized with the advent of CGI. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame marked a triumphant return to form for director Tsui Hark. Armed with quixotic special effects, Hark casts Andy Lau as the legendary detective Di Renjie, who is like a Tang Dynasty Sherlock Holmes. Wuxia films are akin to comic book movies, filled with glaringly overdone heroes and villains, super saturated color schemes, and a lot of flying about.

It’s high fantasy wirework in front of CG backgrounds with physics-defying fight choreography by Sammo Hung (Kung Fu physics are not subject to the laws of gravity). Most of all, it takes unexpected turns like the old Fant-Asia story arcs have always done.

(US only)

Tai Chi Zero (2012)

Director Stephen Fung took Fant-Asia another step into an emergent subgenre of Shanghai Steampunk (Legend of Korra is another example). It’s an action comedy about the legendary forefather of Tai Chi, Yang Luchan, in what was meant to be the launch of a trilogy. However, it was filmed back-to-back with the second installment, Tai Chi Hero (not free on Amazon Prime), which was released only a month later and that proximity depleted their box office returns.

Nevertheless, Tai Chi Zero was an Official Selection at several notable international film festivals because it was so stylish and funny. Both films end on cliffhangers in anticipation of the next chapter, but Tai Chi Hero loses the momentum of its predecessor, except for the final cliffhanging tease. There’s been no further development on the final chapter Tai Chi Summit since Tai Chi Hero flopped.

(US only)

JCVD (2012)

Jean-Claude Van Damme opens this French film with a remarkable long take fight, showing he still had it on the brink of turning 50, but it’s not really a martial arts film. He plays a self-deprecating caricature of himself, although not as comedic as his lampooning self-portrayal in the Amazon Original Series Jean-Claude Van Johnson.

There’s some top-notch cinematography including more complex long takes, remarkable displays of technical skill, and directorial timing. But it’s all about Van Damme’s confession scene when he breaks the fourth wall and discusses his filmmaking process in that weird recursive, artsy French film way. It’s a long-take monologue, and Van Damme nails it emotionally with a heartfelt confession that’s not so much amazing acting as it is brutally honest. He lays it out, bares his soul, and surprisingly, it’s a sympathetic soul. It’s a truly captivating scene, a dramatic triumph that no one ever saw coming, completely redefining Van Damme as an actor.

(US only)

The Man from Nowhere (2010)

This was Korea’s highest grossing film that year. It’s a gritty and brutally bloody tale of a pawnshop owner, played by Won Bin, who unwittingly receives a camera bag filled with stolen heroin, attracting the attention of the drug ring gangsters.

However, he’s a retired special agent with fierce combat skills, tossed into a ghetto tale with exotic dancers, organ harvesting, an innocent child who needs protection, and gang wars. Won Bin won many dramatic accolades with the five films he made, including Taegukgi and Mother. This was his final one to date and he sells the ultraviolence with remarkable panache.

(Prime Video in the US, rent only in UK)

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014)

This is another outstanding Korean martial arts film, set in the Joseon period. It echoes Robin Hood, complete with a fighting monk like Friar Tuck, a Maid Marian type, only she’s a keen archer, and a Little John character wielding a shot-put ball on a rope for brutal ultra violence. Ha Jung-woo stars as the lead, a butcher who wields butcher knives, which just adds to the bloodiness. The fight choreography is fun and sanguineous, and the characters were well fleshed out, even the villain. Like a lot of Korean cinema, it takes some surprising turns in the details, little scenes that feel fresh in their presentation. And the panoramic shots are visually epic.

(US only)

Redeemer (2015)

Marko Zaror brings an exotic Chilean actioner full of fight choreography that’s merciless, witty, and precise. Zaror is cut and yoked like a beast. He can catch great flying kicks air, roll well for nods to MMA, and handle complex continuous fights. Redeemer includes several long take scenes with the camera aggressively circling around battle, showcasing a masterful command of action and cinematography.

Set in Chile’s cool seascapes and weather worn graffiti-covered ghettos, Redeemer has a strong Catholic theme, lots of crucifixes and pondering about divine justice, which totally works as atmosphere for this fascinating fight flick.

The Octagon (1980)

Before Chuck Norris became an invincible meme, he churned out a handful of Hollywood martial arts feature films. His third effort, The Octagon, co-starring Lee Van Cleef, is one of his best. It’s a ninja tale, pitting Chuck against noted masters like Richard Norton, Tadashi Yamashita, and his brother Aaron Norris, fighting his way into a ninja terrorist camp where the central ring is “the Octagon.” It was this film that inspired Jason Cusson to design the trademarked Octagon used in the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

In the ‘80s, there was a proliferation of cheesy Ninja films and Sho Kosugi dominated the trend. This is one of those movies that is so horrible, it’s awesome. And it’s Sho’s masterpiece. Lucinda Dickey was a Solid Gold Dancer, who starred in the breakdancing films Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, which bookended Ninja III. While she wasn’t a martial artist in real life, she has the moves, adding to the huge stable of martial actors who started as dancers (even Bruce Lee was a cha cha champion).

It’s incredibly dated with references to video games, aerobics, and the most gawdawful soundtrack ever. The choreography is horrible; Sho overacts whenever it comes to selling a punch; it’s all about Lucinda who tries–really tries–to act her way through a ridiculously dumb story about being possessed by a ninja. But the final sword fight has a ninja zombie and it’s the funniest example of what we had to endure during the ‘80s ninja craze.

(US only)

Shaolin Dolemite (1999)

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There was Oscar buzz about Eddie Murphy’s depiction of Rudy Ray Moore in the biopic Dolemite Is My Name, but if you haven’t seen a Dolemite film, you really don’t know. Moore played Dolemite half a dozen times, but ironically in this film, he plays Monk Ru-Dee instead, and this is the only one with any real martial arts in it.

Moore took the cuttings from a 1986 Taiwanese film titled Ninja: The Final Duel, and spliced himself in to create his own story, and it’s just so cray. Beyond Moore, there are bizarre characters like the drunken Sam the Spliff, the topless Ninja Ho, and the coonskin cap wearing Davy Crockett. The story barely makes a lick of sense, but who cares? It’s mother-effin Dolemite.

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dyslexicsquirrel · 5 years

Link

Title: Anything

Square filled: Prostitute

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alpha/Omega, Omega Verse, Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Prostitute Dean Winchester, Virgin Castiel (Supernatural), Anal Sex, Knotting

Word count: 2235

Created for @spnkinkbingo

What was he doing here? This was a horrible idea. Possibly the worst idea he had ever had and he once helped his older brothers sneak Scotch into Almac’s under the eagle eye of Lady Jersey, the most frightening omega the peerage had ever known.

“Oy, you gettin’ out or what?”

The voice of the hackney driver had him jumping, retrieving his hat and cane from the seat next to him and stepping out into the street. The carriage sped off with a crack of the reigns and he looked up at the brick facade of the building in front of him. Candle light seeped from around the edges of curtains drawn tight to hide the goings on inside.

God Almighty, he already felt his cock getting hard in his beeches and was thankful for the drape of his greatcoat to hide his embarrassing state. He was tempted to walk away, but another part of him, devious and whispering temptation, urged him inside. “You’ll find everything you’ve ever been curious about,” it whispered, echoing his older brother’s words that sent him on this errand in the first place.

“Don’t be a prude,” Gabriel had chastised. “Everyone does it. It’s like a right of passage. Our dear old father is the one who took me to my first whore house,” he added with a lascivious grin, lounging across the settee, popping grapes into his mouth as he spoke. “Don’t tell me you aren’t curious.”

And he was, which was what made it so shameful. It was true that most peers, the alphas at any rate, were encouraged to sow their wild oats before marriage, but Lord Castiel James Shurley had always been odd. He thought for himself, flouted convention, and had been, until recently, convinced he would go to his marriage bed a virgin, same as whichever omega his parents deemed suitable for him.

Ever since his first rut hit last year (a late bloomer, everyone had said, seeing as he had been all of six and twenty), he could think of little else. Not even his plants could keep his interest anymore and his fellows at the Horticultural Society were starting to worry. He spent more time locked away in his room than his greenhouse.

The front door opened suddenly, a thin omega in a red dress that was barely proper bathed in the light which spilled into the street, red curls falling from the pile atop her head to brush her shoulders. She smirked at him. “Why don’t you come in, love? We don’t bite.”

She chuckled at her own joke, and Castiel felt a blush creep up his cheeks. Well, he was caught now. It was either look a fool for loitering outside only to run away with his tail between his legs (And why did it even matter, he asked himself. He wasn’t likely to run into this woman in the street.) or stop being a coward and take what he wanted, what he had been fantasizing about for months—a warm, tight hole squeezing around his prick, an omega mewling beneath him.

It as base and common, but, oh, how he wanted it.

He walked up the steps and through the door.

The inside of Madam Ellen’s was as gauche and ostentatious as Castiel feared it would be: velvet, gold leaf, filigree, sconces shaped like male members, frescos of men and women, alphas and omegas, in flagrante on the walls for the foyer. There were also… noises. Ones he hadn’t been able to hear outside, but once past the doors they rang in his ears, moans, grunting, growls echoed by softer purrs. Things Castiel would have said were reserved for marriage beds, but were making him warm beneath his clothes, his cravat feeling too tight.

“Charlie, take the gentleman’s coat, why don’t you? I thought I taught you better manners than that.”

The woman who spoke descended the staircase with a regal air, dressed fine enough for any Ton ballroom in blue satin adorned in peacock feathers. She was older, perhaps his mother’s age, handsome, and an omega. Obviously the proprietress, by the way the redhead who let him in jumped to follow her order, which surprised him. He wouldn’t have thought an omega would run a house of ill repute such as this, but perhaps it made sense. Who else would an omega trust to keep them safe but one of their own?

He relinquished his greatcoat, along with his gloves, hat and cane, fingers fidgeting with the buttons he of his waistcoat. Madame Ellen reaches the bottom step and held out her hand with a smile that was more than a touch predatory. Still, Castiel raised her hand to his lips because he was a gentleman.

“No need to be frightened, dear boy,” she said, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow and leading him father into the house.

“I’m not,” he replied automatically and she smiled again as they passed through a doorway into a sitting room filled with numerous couches. Artfully displayed on a number of them, omegas posed for inspection. Castiel stopped in his tracks, eyes widening, arrested by half clothed limbs.

One omega in particular, seated by the fireplace, golden skin gilded by the fire, stole his breath. He was… stunning. Tall and leanly muscled, with green eyes and light brown hair, he wore nothing but a silk dressing gown from what Castiel could discern. The material split over one of his thighs, leaving his legs bare, long and made smooth and hairless by a process he couldn’t even begin to guess at. It fell off one shoulder, to behalf of his chest visible along with a single, pert nipple. A wine glass filled with ruby colored liquid dangled negligently from his fingertips, eyes trained on the flames before him.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“Hmm, good choice,” Madame Ellen murmured, too close to his ear, her scent overpowering, but he didn’t pull away because what if he made her angry? The last thing he wanted now that he’d seen this omega was to be tossed out on his ear. She stepped away, one hand around his arm, the other beckoning the omega. Her lips curled in a sly grin. “Dean, dear. Come. Someone has requested your company.”

Castiel had no earthly idea what the room he was led to looked like because once the door shut behind them, Dean shed the robe he wore, tossing it over a chaise lounge pushed against the wall across from the bed, which he only glanced at when Dean laid back against the bedding. Propped on his elbows, everything wasI’m display. He looked like sin incarnate, half lidded eyes and a smile curving his plush lips. The blue silk sheets and velvet bed hangings were sumptuous and the color set off the omega’s skin in a way that made Castiel think they had been chosen specifically for that purpose.

“So,” Dean said, the deep cadence of his voice shocking Castiel, as well as the fact that he was American. He found himself wondering how this man had come to be here. “How would you like me?”

“I don’t know,” he stuttered, fidgeting with one of his cufflinks.

“Don’t be shy.” His voice lowered and he sat forward as though he were sharing a secret, the lean muscles of his abdomen flexing, candle light catching on all the dips and curves of his body. Smile turning coy, he informed Castiel, “I’ve tried everything. Nothing you ask for will shock me.”

“I don’t know what to ask for because I haven’t done anything. Shocking or otherwise.” He hadn’t meant to admit that, but the words tumbled from his lips and it was too late now to take them back.

Dean sat back, stunned, eyebrows climbing toward his hairline. “No shit?” The omega’s green eyes ran slowly up and down his body, making Castiel blush. “Been a while since I was with a virgin. Probably since I was one myself,” he added with a wry twist of his lips. Then he stood, walked toward Castiel, his movements I’m yes with sensual grace, and began tugging on the knot of Castiel’s cravat. “Well, that just means I get to ruin you for everyone else.”

Cas believed Dean could do it, too, as he slowly, efficiently, stripped Castiel of all his layers. He seemed pleased with what he saw, licking his lips when he uncovered Castiel’s cock, pupils widening. Dean ducked his head to run his lips along Castiel’s chin.

“I should have asked before, but what’s your name?”

“Cas,” he said even though only his family ever called him that.

Dean hummed, tongue licking up his neck. “I’m going to take care of you, alpha.”

Lord above, that went straight to his cock. He had been imagining making an omega scream his name by the end of the night, foolish seeing as he had no prior experience to call upon, but he thought it was going to be the other way around.

Silk gripped between his fingers, Castiel groaned, stars filling his vision. He was on his back on the bed while Dean rode him as skillfully as a jockey at the Ascot. It was better than he had ever dreamed. The omega’s channel was hot and wet, squeezing him so tightly it bordered in pain. The scent of his sweat and the slick running down his thighs filled the room, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head when Dean clenched impossibly tighter.

Dean caressed Castiel’s chest, thumbs plucking at his nipples, then leaned down to kiss him, nipping at bottom lip. “Are you going to knot me, alpha? I can feel it, Cas. It’s so big.”

“Oh, God,” were the only words he could get past his lips. He untangled his fingers from the sheets and curled them around the omega’s hips.

His breath bathed Castiel’s ear with his next words, so softly spoken, but they were like ice water through his veins, reminding him of what this was. “It’s extra.”

“Anything,” he choked out, groaning, hips snapping up, chasing his release. He would give Dean anything, anything he wanted. He didn’t think he could live without this, without him.

Dean straightened, breath catching, and held on while Castiel thrust into him. His nails dug into Castiel’s skin. He thought Dean might have drawn blood but he didn’t care enough to look or to tell Dean to stop.

He was transfixed by the sight of Dean succumbing to pleasure. Eyes closed, head tipped back, he stroked himself with one hand, panting through parted lips. He was perfection.

Castiel’s knot swelled even more, making it harder to push inside. The noises their bodies made was a symphony Cas had never heard before: skin against skin, the squelch of slick being forced out of the omega’s channel. Frustrated when his knot pulled free of Dean’s sheath, the omega’s body resisting its entrance, he dug his fingers into Dean’s hips and tugged him down when he drove up. Dean shouted, spend painting Castiel’s chest, milking his knot.

Dean collapsed against his chest, hips rolling to pull the rest of his release from him, not that he thought he would stop anytime soon regardless.

“How was that?”

Dean’s question had Castiel barking a laugh. He ran his hands up and down the omega’s back, over the swell of his generous backside. “I want you to be my courtesan.”

Dean stilled. Slowly, his head lifted from Castiel’s shoulder. His eyes were wide with disbelief. “You can’t be serious. We’ve only just met.”

“I’ve always known what I wanted,” he told Dean, smoothing his hair away from his forehead. He confessed, “Truthfully, I don’t think I could stand the thought of anyone else touching you.”

“I did say I would ruin you for anyone else.” Dean spoke the words softly, voice filled with melancholy.

Castiel traced Dean’s cheek. “I will have to marry. One day. And were it a more perfect world…” He trailed off, not willing to say the words aloud. They would only serve to make them both sad. “I have more money than I could spend in two lifetimes. Let me spend it on you. You would have the freedom to do what you wanted when we aren’t together, run your own household, revive a monthly stipend.”

Dean studied him, fingers tracing idle patterns in the skin of his chest. “What happens when you decide you don’t want me anymore?”

The question was pragmatic for someone in Dean’s position, but it broke Cas’s heart. Conscious of his knot which had yet to abate, he sat up carefully so as not to jostle Dean too much and hurt him, and wrapped the omega in his arms. He couldn’t see that happening, but all he said was, “Everything will be yours to keep. I put the house in your name. You’ll have your own accounts.”

Dean looked away, biting his lip as he contemplated Castiel’s offer. “You are the best lay I’ve had in years,” he mused and tossed Castiel a cheeky smirk.

The alpha growled, rolling them over, trapping Dean beneath him. Dean’s laugh morphed into a moan when Castiel started circling his hips. “Is that a yes?”

Dean didn’t answer with words. He pulled Cas into a kiss, wrapping around him like he would never let him go.

#spnkinkbingo #supernatural #fanfiction #destiel #historical #prostitute!Dean #Lord!Castiel #omegaverse #omega!dean #alpha!castiel

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thesportssoundoff · 5 years

Text

A Dumb Draft Exercise

It's a Friday night and we're all locked in so I decided to do something a touch different. I took the current NFL draft order and then looked up the last five NFL drafts (2015-2019) to see who was picked at spots. Using the teams as they stand after one long (and it feels it) week of free agency, I picked ONE player selected at that set position to try and do a retro draft. Each team picked ONE player picked over the last five years at that specific spot (so at 1 overall, you could only draft 1st overall). How different would your favorite team look? Welll.....

1. Cincinnati- QB Kyler Murray (2019)

The first round picks of the past five years consist of four QBs (Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield and Murray) alongside premiere edge rusher Myles Garrett. As is often the case with top pick QBs tasked with saving bad franchises, each becomes less and less attractive as the years go by and they hit the ceiling of "damn good but not quite franchise saver" over and over. I went with Murray because while I think Goff is vastly underrated by most fans, Murray's got the ability and personality to drastically change an organization that feels like it's been hankering for a chance over the past five years. Murray was one of the NFL's brightest stars last year and figures to only improve, especially if you put him under the watchful gaze of an offensive guru (of sorts) in Zac Taylor.

2. Washington- DE Nick Bosa (2019)

Was REALLY torn with Carson Wentz and Nick Bosa for the Redskins. There's a lot of dead-ish weight here with Mitch Trubisky and Marcus Mariota and while Saquon may be the best player in theory, no team needs to take a running back in the top 5 (or in the first round at all). Assuming the Redskins are truly comfortable with Dwayne Haskins then taking Nick Bosa and pairing him up in the front four along with the likes of Montez Sweat, Matt Ionidis and Daron Payne would probably be a formidable ass crew. Basically the Chase Young strategy.

3. Detroit- DE Joey Bosa (2016)

How about the Bosa Bros going back to back! One would assume tht if the Lions wanted a QB, they're GOING to have their pick of the proverbial litter on the back end. After all after Cincy, they'll have Tua, Herbert and Love at their disposal if taking a QB so amuses them. Instead operating under the belief that the Lions feel comfortable with Stafford for MAYBE one more year, it leaves us to choose from Joey Bosa, Solomon Thomas and Dante Fowler. Bosa is likely on his way to a multiple pro bowl career while Thomas may just grade out as average and Fowler is on his third team now. Easy choice if ya ask me.

4. NY Giants- WR Amari Cooper (2015)

The Giants would be picking from a variety of offensive players; two of which are current Dallas Cowboys. You have Amari Cooper, Zeke Elliott, Leonard Fournette on offense and then Denzel Ward at cornerback as pretty much your only other option. Give me Amari Cooper as he'd immediately step in and make an offense consisting of Daniel Jones, Barkley, Golden Tate and a two tight end threat of Evan Engram and Kaden Smith a pretty damn formidable one.

5. Miami- OLB Bradley Chubb (2018)

This WOULD be easy in theory. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey would've been a FINE choice here but the Dolphins have Xavien Howard and Byron Jones on the back end. With Jalen Ramsey out of the picture, you have an interesting linebacker in Devin White, a superb guard in Brandon Scherff and my selection Bradley Chubb. With so much locked in on the defense, Chubb (if healthy) steps in as an immediate premiere pass rusher. Barely edges out Brandon Scherff. BARELY.

6. LA Chargers- OG Quinton Nelson (2018)

Man! The Chargers would have their glut of talent to choose from if they so desired. Want an elite strong safety? Jamal Adams was picked 6th in 2018. Want a QB to groom and develop? Daniel Jones went here in 2019. If you want a flexible havoc inducing DL piece? Leonard Williams in 2015 went 6th overall. Ronnie Stanley is a pretty damn good tackle as well. Quinton Nelson is a top 3 guard in just two seasons and figures to continue to improve. It's not a premiere position for a lot of people but Nelson bucks the trend.

7. Carolina- QB Josh Allen (2018)

Funny bit? We have two Josh Allens here as Josh Allen from Wyoming and Josh Allen from Kentucky both went 7th overall. Both would be tremendous picks given the Panthers needs (an elite edge or a QB). Deforest Buckner finally hit on his potential and got paid paid for it as well, fitting in interestingly here as a potential flexible front line piece. The Panthers just paid Teddy Bridgewater relatively big time money but if you have the chance to take a really athletic strong armed QB who has shown strides in two seasons, you should do it. Imagine Allen throwing it to the likes of DJ Moore and Christian McCaffery.

8. Arizona- RB Christian McCaffery (2017)

THIS one was hard given the lack of obvious options. Do you need more receiving options? If so TE TJ Hockenson was picked 8th. Christian McCaffery is probably the best player at this spot but again, running backs and top 10s and etc etc etc. Nuke Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk are on paper a superb trio of WRs and you also have Kenyan Drake at RB. Vic Beasley is a good pass rusher who has sort of lost his way as a player (hence the one year prove it deal). Give me McCaffery I guess. I think he'd do wonders in Kingbsury's offense and I suppose you can make he and Drake work together. That's why head coaches get paid.

9. Jacksonville- OT Mike McGlinchey (2018)

There's not a lot of obvious fits for a tanking team like the Jaguars. DT Ed Oliver would be intriguing but I have no idea how he fits in with the Jaguars defense. The likes of Leonard Floyd (recently released), Ereck Flowers (failed tackle turned kinda failed guard), John Ross (oft injured speedster) are other options. Lastly there's Mike McGlinchey who was starting at right tackle for the Super Bowl 49ers. The Jaguars have spent picks at both tackle spots but McGlinchey is better.

10. Cleveland- QB Patrick Mahomes (2017)

Fuck. Would the Browns even with Baker Mayfield flirt with taking Patrick Mahomes? Who cares. Mayfield can be traded. If you have the chance to grab the best QB in the NFL, you do it. Easy peasy.

11. NY Jets- CB Marshon Lattimore (2016)

This one came down to Lattimore or Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick can do so much across a secondary and his swiss army knife toolset was amplified in a Pittsburgh secondary that left to his devices where he could roam free and fuck shit up. On the other hand, Marshon Lattimore represents one of the NFL's rare commodities; a star shutdown cornerback. Plus with Marcus Maye and Jamal Adams tie up the safety spots pretty well.

12. Las Vegas- QB Deshaun Watson (2017)

The Raiders are openly flirtatious with moving on from Derek Carr. Deshaun Watson would step in and be a massive upgrade. There's also not much here either given how 90% of the players are DL and the Raiders have plenty of names and faces they like there. Maxx Crosby, Maliek Collins, John Hankins and Clelin Ferrell to name a few.

13. San Francisco f/IND- OG Laremy Tunsil (2016)

Take the 49ers OL with Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey and Laken Tomlinson and then slide in Laremy Tunsil at RG. That's an absurd OL. There also weren't many options to really delve into either depending on how you feel about Da'Ron Payne and Vita Vea.

14. Tampa Bay- DE Marcus Davenport (2018)

Pick 14 over the past five years is a bit of a dry spell unfortunately. The best player on the list is DeVante Parker and the Bucs clearly have a collection of damn good WRs. Shaq Barrett and JPP are in place for 2020 but could the Bucs use Davenport as a third rusher and move him inside on pass rush downs. Not a lot of good ideas here unfortunately.

15. Denver- RB Melvin Gordon (2015)

Easy peasy! I mean Denver just signed him! That's a bit of a cheapie but let's keep with it. Gordon fitshere (and nobody else does).

16. Atlanta- LB Tremaine Edmunds (2018)

Edmunds with Deion Jones? Sign me up! The only other option that makes sense here is Marlon Humphrey at corner which would be an equally fine pick.

17. Dallas- S Derwin James (2018)

Given that Arik Armstead and John Allen would be 3-technique types in this defense, it makes sense we would ONCE again look at the safety market! Yay! The Cowboys scheme in 2018 apparently didn't like Derwin James as much as the media thought they did but this is a brand new scheme and a new way to play. Derwin James would edge out Keanu Neal (who BTW when healthy is an amazing safety) by virtue of being more of the chess piece the Cowboys need.

18. Miami f/PIT- C Ryan Kelly (2017)

Again there's a glut of corners here but the Dolphins have their fair share. As such, turn your attention over to a glut of centers---who they also just signed a guy for. Ryan Kelly is a pro bowl center though and you can make exceptions for that.

19. Las Vegas f/CHI- LB Leighton Vander-Esch (2018)

One of the better linebackers in the NFL prior to his neck injury, LVE was a friggin' elite athlete who could still redefine what NFL linebackers look like. His defensive coordinator is there as well (as the DL coach) and I bet Gruden would love his leadership and his ability as an off ball linebacker. This one is easy enough.

20. Jacksonville f/LAR- TE Noah Fant (2019)

The Jaguars are in the midst of a rebuild of sorts but unfortunately there's no immediate building block pieces at 20. It came down to Frank Ragnow (a versatile OL with upside) or Noah Fant and I opted for tight end Noah Fant since Minshew could use a reliable safety blanket. Assuming Fant can control his drops of course.

21. Philadelphia- WR Will Fuller (2016)

The Eagles could REALLY use some targets for Carson Wentz. Last year in clutch games they were relying on JJ Arceaga-Whiteside and Boston Scott for targets outside of their tight ends. Wouldn't have a problem going with FS Darnell Savage either who also went at 21.

22. Minnesota f/BUF- DE Bud Dupree (2015)

I don't know if the Vikings NEED an edge but even if they don't, there's really no options here. Josh Doctson was a flop in Washington, Charles Harris was a flop in Miami, Rashaan Evans plays the same spot as their glut of damn good linebackers and Andre Dillard is an unproven tackle for Philly to this point. Hit or miss here.

23. New England- Isaiah Wynn (2018)

I mean they drafted him here. Easy enough. Although would they take TE Evan Engram all things being equal?

24. New Orleans- WR DJ Moore (2018)

The Saints did grab Emmanuel Sanders but DJ Moore, Sanders and Michael Thomas is a whole different world of WR depth. There's also pretty much nobody else here worthy of snagging either.

25. Minnesota- WR Marquise Brown (2019)

HOLLYWOOD! The Vikings just traded away Stefon Diggs and could use an infusion of playmaker at their WR spot to help assist their TE room, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen. Marquise Brown would give Kirk Cousins a souped up version of Jamison Crowder; a WR-3 he relied heavily on in Washington.

26. Miami f/HOU- DE Montez Sweat (2019)

So the Dolphins have signed a lot of DE and we also gave them Bradley Chubb earlier BUT Montez Sweat is going to terrorize the NFL for the next 5-10 years and so he and Chubb combined? That's big time pass rush. Also, again, not much to really select from here either.

27. Seattle- CB Byron Jones (2015)

If you drew up a make and model for a Seahawks DB? It looks like Byron Jones. Byron just got paid big time money by Miami It's Byron vs Tre White and Byron fits the mold a bit better. Could also see Seattle liking Kenny Clark. Lots of good defensive players at 27.

28. Baltimore- OG Laken Tomlinson (2015)

Let Tomlinson battle it out with the interior OL the Ravens have currently. There's really not much here, it's either Tomlinson or DT Jerry Tillery.

29. Tennessee- TE David Njoku (2017)

Funny story, the 2016 1st round pick here was forfeited via deflategate. With just four names to choose from (and not really much to talk about either way), the Titans take David Njoku. Njoku has struggled with his role in Cleveland and the Titans do have some solid tight ends already in place but Njoku would be a pretty nice flier. Most of the guys here at 29 are just not good unless you're a Taven Bryan truther.

30. Green Bay- LB TJ Watt (2017)

And Cowboys fans across the globe shudder in horror. Yes, the Packers have two really good DEs in the Smith brothers. There's nobody else here who comes remotely close to the pure value TJ Watt has. Let him rush from the left side and rack up the sacks. You can figure it out somehow I figure. Let Preston Smith play 3-tech or something!

31. San Francisco- LB Reuben Foster (2017)

On one hand, the less said about Foster the better. On the other, there's really nobody else here who would come close. Unless you're a Germaine Ifedi fan?

32. Kansas City- DT Malcolm Brown (2015)

For any other team in any other league, this is Lamar Jackson. The Chiefs are really set at QB for the next 10-15 years so we'll have to take a pass. Instead Malcolm Brown is pretty much the only other really good value play. Big thumpy 1-tech/nose tackles are usually found later on in the draft but Brown is a good one and the Chiefs truthfully don't need much else either.

#NFL #Draft #Thought exercise #fuckin' around

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professional-benaddict · 6 years

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Winterspider feat biodad!Tony ABO Military AU

Beta read by @starkerforlife6969 thank you darling xx

Bratty. No: bratty and slutty. That is how Bucky would describe the omega by his side, but he would never utter that aloud. The omega, Peter Stark, had perfected the art of getting his will, knowing just how to bat his long lashes, make his voice more high-pitched in a whine and pout his plump lips in a frown. Bucky, being a beta himself, took pride in the control he had over his urges, which is more than most Alphas, but on the other hand, their ruthless nature makes them far better soldiers than Bucky could ever be. However, when Peter had promised that he could 'fuck him good and deep till he sobbed’, Bucky felt all his defences drop to the dusty ground and nodded eagerly. After all, the boy said his father had requested him specifically, so how could he not escort him there?

As they walked through the military camp and numerous passing soldiers gave the boy by his side a double-take, Bucky began to question his decision. Although, there were many possible reasons as to why they were being stared down so hard. Either, because Peter was very obviously a civilian with his clean and milky skin, clothing that was not camouflage and laid back shoulders in the desert war-zone. Another explanation to the curious gazes was the fact that he was an omega. There was no law that banned omegas from joining the army, but everyone knew about the discrimination in the recruiting process, although it was not spoken about. Some said it was because of the delicate and slender body-types of omegas that made them unfit for such a physically demanding job, while others said it was because Alphas and betas would not be able to control themselves with too many omegas around. When the tenth soldier shot them a look, Bucky couldn’t help himself as he grew a little anxious and asked the boy:

”Are you sure your father requested you to come? This is an active military zone, kid.” The beta 1st Lieutenant tried to argue, but Peter just shot him a disappointed look.

”Are you going to disobey the Major General, 1st Lieutenant?” The omega asked teasingly, causing the beta to gulp in fear at the mentioned ranking.

Barnes was just one out 15,000 men in the camp and together they made up the 16th division of the US Army, serving under Major General Anthony Stark, a powerful Alpha who survived torture and was still serving his country with a burning passion. Some would say with even more passion than before he was captured by the enemy. And Bucky was escorting his omega son to him. No big deal. Bucky had only caught a glimpse of the Major General during a parade a few days ago, but he knew about the man, the legend that he was from what he had heard from his fellow soldiers.

The camp buzzed with the sound of heavy footsteps from marching soldiers, screams of agony from the medical tent and the roars and whirls from the warfare vehicles of all sizes and shapes. Bucky could have fulfilled his self-appointed task, if only they had taken another route through the camp, because when they approached the medical tents, they bumped into a doctor as he existed the tent. The doctor was a stern looking Alpha and his eyes hardened when he saw Bucky escorting the civilian. Luckily, Bucky had not had much contact with the medical corps in their division, unlike some other unlucky soldiers, but he saw by the silver eagle on the doctor’s shoulder that he was a Colonel and fell into position.

“Colonel, I-“

“Shut it!” The Alpha doctor barked and the beta fell silent, very much expecting a scolding from his superior officer like he was a badly behaved child, but instead the Alpha turned to the omega to give him the scolding.

“What on Earth are you doing here, Peter?! Do you realise the danger you are in?! Does your aunt know you’re here? What about your mother?”

Wait- do they know each other? The boy had said that the Major General was his father, not Colonel Strange M.D., which Bucky read from the name tag on the doctor’s camouflage scrubs.

“I’m on a school trip.” The young omega answered with a bite in his tone. “I demand to see my father, Stephen. Now.”

He what now? The arrogance of this omega was unheard of and Bucky struggled with keeping his eyes up and not looking at the boy by his side in awe. The doctor growled in the back of his throat before speaking again.

“A school trip…” He chuckled dangerously, placing his hands on his hips. “Well, I don’t want to know how you got here, hardly matters anyway. Neither do your demands for that matter because this is war, Petey, and you are going straight back home, with a quick stop to the closest US embassy.” The Alpha doctor made a move to grab the omega by his arm, but the boy stepped back.

“I came for a reason, Stephen, for God’s sake! I need to see my father, now! And I won’t leave until I do!”

“Well, I have a very hard time understanding why.” The Alpha argued back. “You should be with your mother, Peter, for Christ sake. How could you leave her in such a state?”

“That’s why I’m here! She’s dying in two weeks!” Peter said finally, bringing a sudden end to their argument as Strange took a step back, his face a little softer now. The omega bowed his head down and kicked the ground with his boot. Turning to Bucky, the Colonel spoke sharply.

“Lieutenant, what is your name?”

Snapping his eyes up, Bucky straightened his back even more, maybe even puffed his chest out a little to try and size up to the bigger Alpha.

“James Barnes, Sir.”

“On whose orders are you escorting this civilian?”

Well, fuck. Technically, it was his own, which meant he was out of order and disobeyed his superior officers. What was he thinking? God, the way the omega had batted his lashes, though, the warm orange light of the setting sun in his chocolate brown eyes, his voice like golden honey in his ear as he made the offer in exchange for taking him to his father.

“His…?” The beta tried, gesturing to the omega by his side with his eyes. Before the Alpha could start shouting, Bucky added. “He said his father had requested him, Sir.”

Of course it was a lie, and Bucky should have known right away. He deserved the oncoming friendly fire for being played by a kid, honestly. Defying all of Bucky’s expectations, and perhaps even some of Peter’s, the Colonel sighed in defeat.

“All right. I’ll take you to your father.”

Peter seemed to perk up at that and skipped over to the Colonel to stand by his side, looking at him all doe eyed and adorable. Much to his confusion, Bucky felt a knot of jealously in his stomach at seeing the omega by the powerful Alpha. He had met the omega just a while ago, they were practically strangers, but still the beta felt suddenly very possessive of the boy. Even if he had made the promise of sex only to get to his father, Bucky still held onto that inside of him as he watched the Colonel walk away from him with the boy. After a few steps, the Alpha spoke over his shoulder.

“You’re coming too, Barnes.”

Following obediently, Bucky felt lightheaded with all the scary scenarios of meeting the Major General. Meeting such a high ranking officer was rarely a good thing and Bucky prepared himself mentally for the biggest ass-whooping in the history of the US Army.

As they walked, Bucky could hear how the conversation between the Alpha and the omega was a little more lighthearted and friendly now. The Colonel asked about an MJ, to which Peter blushed a little and changed the topic to his latest classes.

Soon, they arrived at the more exclusive tents of the senior officers, but no one seemed to bat an eye at Peter now that he was escorted by an Alpha Colonel and they were let into a large tent with a little red flag with two stars in the middle: the Major General’s flag.

There were only three people inside the tent, stood by a table with two computers and tons of maps and other documents. Some files had a large red stamp on the cover which read ‘top secret’. Bucky averted his eyes right away and moved to salute, as did Strange, but Peter darted over to one of the three people in the tent. The man in question looked up just in time, before the young omega crashed into his chest and wrapped his arms around him tightly, letting out a little tearless sob.

“Dad!”

“P-Peter…?” The Major General said quietly, literally having the breath knocked out of him by the sight of his son. One could only guess how long it had been since they had last seen each other. Bucky would guess nearly a year by how the Alpha wrapped his arms even tighter around his boy, burying his nose in those brown curls. The Lieutenant saw the resemblance easily, even though they were Alpha and omega. It was like Peter was a softer and more delicate version of his father, but still with the same brown eyes and hair.

Bucky couldn’t help but feel his heart grow warm at the sight of the father and son embracing one another tightly. However, the sweet moment was cut short when the Major General grasped his son's shoulders to push him back to get a proper look at him.

“You’re taller…” The Alpha deadpanned, looking Peter up and down.

“No, Dad, I’m shorter.” The boy laughed a little. Then the absurdness of meeting his son seemed to hit and the Major General’s expression hardened before he shouted, causing Bucky to jump just a bit.

“What the fuck are you doing here?!”

Moodboard here

#my fics #winterspider #irondad #spiderson #james bucky barnes x peter parker #james bucky barnes #peter parker #tony stark #stephen strange

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darkobsidianquill · 5 years

Text

Harry Potter and the descent into Darkness..

Chapter 28

Sirius Black was extremely antsy. He just couldn't sit still. His godson would be partaking in a deadly and dangerous task in just a few days time and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even be there when the damn thing happened. The minister for magic would be there, not to mention 'Mad Eye' Moody and his damned magical eye. Even if Sirius showed up in his animagus form, Moody's damn eye could probably spot him, and then everything would be thrown to the shitter.

He was returning from another trip down into Hogsmeade Village, playing his role as the lovable stray, Snuffles. He came upon the entrance to the cave and transformed back into his human form. He'd been doing this for months now and perhaps he'd gotten complacent, or perhaps his mind was just too distracted by his worries about Harry; whatever the reason, Sirius Black was caught completely off guard when he came face-to-face with a man, leaning against the rock wall beside the entrance to the cave.

He froze for a stunned moment before he had his stolen wand drawn and aimed at the unidentified man's chest. The man in question, who looked to be around twenty years old and had dish-water blond hair tied back into a loose low ponytail and had bright blue eyes, did not actually respond to suddenly having a wand drawn on him. Instead he just grinned and slowly rose his hands to about mid-chest, with his palms out showing that he was unarmed.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here!" Sirius demanded as his eyes began to dart around checking for any signs of an ambush or aurors.

"Don't worry, I'm alone," the man said calmly.

Sirius could detect a trace of amusement in his voice and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the young man. "That didn't answer either of my questions."

The blond man grinned wider. "No, I suppose it didn't. My name isn't really all that important, so I'll skip that one and move along to the second instead. What I'm doing here, Mr. Black, is to provide you with some information, and make an offer."

Sirius froze. Whoever this guy was, he knew who Sirius was. How the hell did he find me!

"I mean you absolutely no harm, and if, in the end, you are not interested at all in what I have to offer you, I will leave and you will never hear from me again. I won't tell the aurors or call out dementors or anything of the sort. I was only sent here to deliver a message."

"Sent by who?" Sirius asked.

"We'll get to that," the man said with a smirk.

"And I'm supposed to just trust what you're saying?"

"How about this? I'll make an oath. Swear on my magic. Would that help you feel better?"

Sirius's eyes widened minutely in surprise. Only an idiot would throw out a magical oath carelessly. Magical oaths were serious business.

"Alright, but draw your wand slowly."

The young man nodded his head and snapped his wrist lightly causing a yellow-golden wand to shoot out of a hidden holster and into his hand. Sirius tensed at the sight of it but the man kept his movements slow and obvious. He held his wand in a loose grip, pointing it at his chest and spoke clearly.

"I swear on my magic that I have no ill intentions towards Sirius Black, and have no intention of harming him while I am here today. I do not have, nor will I call in reinforcements, and I swear that I have not, and will not report his location to any branch of the Ministry. I also swear that the information that I am here to deliver to him is, to my knowledge, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So mote it be." A golden light swirled out of the wand and then around the man causing him to glow for a moment before it faded.

Sirius was stunned, but as he fully took in the words, he did feel himself relax, even if only minutely. If the young man standing before him went against his word in any way, he would be left as nothing more than a squib.

"Satisfied?" the man asked and Sirius was pulled out of his shock.

"Alright," Sirius nodded slowly. "I'm listening. So what do you want?"

"I've got quite a bit to say and some things to show you. Can we, perhaps, go into the cave?"

Sirius's eyes narrowed but he nodded his head. He led the man into the cave, and they were instantly greeted by Buckbeak the hippogriff. The man stood a few feet from the large half-horse, half-eagle creature and bowed low. Buckbeak eyed the man for a long moment before it lowered his head and bowed back. The man grinned and walked forward to lightly brush the creatures head before turning back to Sirius who had watched the entire thing with a significant air of surprise.

"Impressive creature. He got a name?" the man asked as he walked to the opposite side of the cave and pulled a small mokeskin pouch from inside his black robes. He tapped it with his wand and it tripled in size.

"His name is... Witherwings," Sirius said.

The man looked up at Sirius with a raised eyebrow and chuckled. "Sure it is." He pulled the opening to the bag open wide and pulled out a large heavy bowl with runes engraved all around it. Sirius's eyes widened again.

"Is that a pensieve?"

The man looked up and grinned as he pulled out two small crystal phials filled with the silvery liquid that he recognized as memories.

"That is correct, Mr. Black. This is a pensieve."

"Those are pretty hard to come by," Sirius said slowly. "Damn expensive and rare."

"That they are," the man confirmed. "I've borrowed this one actually, and have to make sure it gets back undamaged. However what I have to tell you is difficult to believe, and I doubted you would even consider believing any of it without some sort of evidence."

"Okay..." Sirius said slowly as he came to stand beside the man as he conjured a table and two chairs with a few wordless flicks of his wand. Sirius had to admit he was impressed. It was one thing to transfigure a table and chairs from something, but conjuring from nothing was a considerably more difficult thing to achieve. Chances were that the pieces of furniture would dissolve in a couple hours though.

The man placed the pensieve on the center of the table and set the two phials beside it as he sat down in one of the chairs. Sirius followed suit and watched the man suspiciously.

"All I ask is that you keep an open mind and realize that I am not trying to deceive you. I swore an oath to you that what I'm telling you is true to the best of my knowledge and I meant it," the man started and Sirius nodded.

"You are Sirius Black, once the best mate and best man of James Potter, and the man that he and his wife Lily named as the godfather of their son, Harry James Potter," the man began. "This being the case, I am assuming that James Potter at least mentioned to you that there was a prophecy made about Harry Potter...?" the man trailed off as a question.

Sirius stiffened and his eyes went wide. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The man smirked. "I'm sure you don't. During Lily's third trimester Albus Dumbledore went to the Potters and informed them that they were likely the target of Voldemort because a prophecy had been made that targeted their son. He had been there when the prophecy was first made, and witnessed the entire thing. However another person had been spying on he and the seer and had also overheard part of the prophecy. This individual happened to be a marked Death Eater and took the partial prophecy to Voldemort. Dumbledore told the entire prophecy to the Potters, but I suspect he told them not to tell anyone else, so I would assume that you are unaware of the exact wording, correct?"

Sirius floundered, unsure what was safe to say. He really didn't know what the prophecy said, and this guy clearly already knew about it's existence...

"No, I don't," he admitted finally. "I have no idea what it says."

"I do. I have it right here. Want to see?" he said as he picked up one of the phials and swirled it a little between his fingers.

Sirius felt his heart thrumming loudly in his chest and slowly nodded his head. The man uncorked the phial and slowly poured the silvery liquid out into the bowl in front of them.

"Have you used a pensieve before?" the man asked and Sirius nodded. A moment later they were both 'descending' into it together. They landed suddenly in the center of the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. Sirius blinked for a moment, catching his bearings and looking at the room around him. The Hog's Head was a fairly shady place during the first war. People had been unaware at the time that the pub was actually owned by Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, and that the headmaster of Hogwarts had taken advantage of its seedier clientele to spy on Darker wizards. Sirius also knew that Dumbledore had used the pub a few times to leak information to the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

"The Hog's Head?" Sirius asked, in surprise.

"Yes, funny thing that, huh?" the other man said. Do you know what Dumbledore was here to do?"

"No," Sirius said shaking his head.

The other man nodded his head towards the door as it opened and Sybil Trelawney walked in, then loudly announced to the barkeep that she was there to see Dumbledore for a very important interview. She also made it a point to mention her great grandmother, who even Sirius recognized as a well renowned Seer.

The barkeep lead her up the stairs and Sirius and the blond man followed them up. Dumbledore was already in the room waiting and the two went through some standard greetings and began to commence the interview.

"He's conducting a job interview!" Sirius asked incredulously. "In the Hog's Head?"

The blond man snorted. The two watched with mild disinterest as the 'interview' continued for a few minutes. "You were an auror," the blond began, stating it rather than asking a question, "so were you trained to spot anomalies in memories?"

"Of course," Sirius said.

"Is there anything... off about this memory? It came from Trelawney, by the way. Just so you know the source."

"Yes, I figured it was her," Sirius said distractedly as he seemed to concentrate on the illusion around them. His brow puckered and he frowned for a moment before his eyes went wide with realization. "She's under the imperius!"

The blond smiled and nodded his head. "I noticed that as well. Funny thing that. If you dig into the memory with your magic you can feel the spots where her exact words have been manipulated. The important part is about to come up, so pay attention here."

A moment later Trelawney's eyes glazed over and her voice changed as she clearly entered a trance and began to recite the prophecy. Sirius watched intently. Half way through they heard the scuffle in the wall outside the room and Sirius was distracted by it for a moment before he refocused on Trelawney. Once she finished speaking there was a knock on the door and Aberforth appeared holding Snape by the collar and began to growl about having found him in the hall eavesdropping by the door.

Sirius looked like he was about to explode in anger when the blond man froze the memory.

"We'll get back to the fact that Severus Snape was the spy who gave Voldemort the partial prophecy later. Lets go back to the actual prophecy," he said as the images before them suddenly reversed and then replayed at the start of the actual prophecy. He paused it again when the disturbance first sounded in the hall.

"This is as far as Voldemort heard," he said turning to Sirius. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... With that much of the prophecy Voldemort deduced that there were two possible candidates for the identity of the one who would have the 'power to vanquish' him. One was the Potters, the other couple was the Longbottoms. Both Lily and Alice were pregnant and due at the end of July – the seventh month. Both couples had openly opposed Voldemort and had faced against him and survived, on three separate occasions."

"Frank and Alice..." Sirius breathed in a quiet voice.

"Correct. The thing that eventually separated Harry Potter from Neville Longbottom was that Neville was born on the 30th while Harry was on the 31st. So it was the Potters that Voldemort decided to focus his efforts on, and thus, the Potters went into hiding under the Fidelius."

Sirius refocused on the man with suspicious eyes. "You are extremely well informed," he said in a low voice.

"I am. And there's more. First, we need to ask ourselves, what could be behind the fact that Sybil Trelawney was clearly under the Imperius curse while making that prophecy."

Sirius's eyes darkened and he frowned. "The prophecy was fake."

"And what's more, someone wanted it to be overheard by the wrong sort. The only reason to have that conversation in a place like the Hog's Head is if you want someone to overhear it. Look here," the man said pointing to Dumbledore. The memory was still frozen at the moment that the scuffle had begun out in the hall. "Does he look pleased?"

Sirius looked at Dumbledore's aged face and gave a small start of surprise as the anger in his eyes as he glanced at the door. It wasn't the annoyance at being disturbed, it was far deeper than that.

"It looks to me like someone wasn't very pleased that their eavesdropper got interrupted," the blond man mused with a hard look at Dumbledore.

Sirius's brow furrowed for a moment before realization crossed his face. "You think Dumbledore set this up?" he gasped.

"Dumbledore wanted that prophecy to get to Voldemort. Dumbledore put Sybil Trelawney under the Imperios curse," the man said and there was no amusement in his face or voice.

"That's absurd!" Sirius shouted angrily.

"I ask that you reserve judgment. I have one more memory to show you. Come on."

And with that the memory dissolved and the two of them were back in their seats at the conjured table in the cave. The blond man used his wand to siphon the memory out of the basin and back into the phial before uncorking the other one and pouring it in.

They entered the memory to find themselves in Albus Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts and Sybil Trelawney sitting in the chair opposite the Headmaster's desk.

"This is the previous day," the blond man said as he came to stand at the end of the desk and Sirius came to stand beside him.

"The previous day?" Sirius echoed.

"Correct. This is the date that Sybil Trelawney and Albus Dumbledore originally had scheduled time for an interview. In Sybil's modified memories, she recalled getting an owl an hour before the interview from Dumbledore telling her that something had come up and asking to reschedule it for the next day down in the pub. This memory was a bit harder to find, but it was still there. Dumbledore was afraid that if he mangled her memory too much it would have an affect on her Seer's sight."

Sirius gaped at the blond man disbelievingly but his attention was drawn back to the memory as Sybil's voice suddenly shifted to a lower, gravely tone.

The only one with the power to match the Dark Lord approaches...

Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...

The Dark Lord will come for him and mark him as his equal.

He will have two paths from which to chose. From one path, the End will fall upon us all. From the other, we shall be saved.

The Dark Lord and his Equal will either rule together, or destroy each other.

For either to die, it must be at the hand of the other for neither can die while the other survives...

The blond man stopped the memory and stood there silently as Sirius stood there dumbfounded.

"Can you play it again," Sirius whispered.

The other man nodded and the memory resumed from the beginning of the prophecy, playing through once more.

A thick silence spread through the room for a few long minutes afterwards.

"If you examine the magical signature of the memory you can see that it hasn't been tampered with and she is not under the Imperius here,"the blond said.

Sirius nodded his head slowly, as if numb. "Yes... I noticed," he said hoarsely.

"Do you understand what it means?"

"According to this prophecy, the only way for Voldemort to really die is if he and Harry kill each other..." Sirius said slowly. "Harry has to die..."

The man nodded. "It would appear that Dumbledore either misinterpreted it in the beginning, or he simply hoped that having Voldemort attack the child would be sufficient to destroy the Dark Lord. Dumbledore modified Trelawney's memories and then used the Imperius curse to control her and make her reenact the interview and prophecy in a more public setting – only with a modified prophecy that would make the Dark Lord target the child and try to kill him; thus destroying himself. He used Trelawney, Snape, and the Potters in a scheme to destroy Voldemort without having to actually lift a finger himself. They were all expendable pawns in his plans for the greater good," the man sneered

Sirius seemed to snap out of his stunned silence and turned to look at the man with a horrified expression.

"No!" he hissed.

"Yes!" the man hissed right back. "And when Harry Potter was alive afterwards, and marked on his forehead Dumbledore realized that instead of finishing the prophecy he had only set it in motion. He knew then that Voldemort wasn't really dead and that the scarred child left behind would be left with two paths he could choose from. On one hand, Harry Potter could choose to be a martyr for the Light and destroy the Dark Lord by sacrificing his own life. On the other hand he could go dark and join the Dark Lord, making him unstoppable. Dumbledore, being the master manipulator that he is, decided that he would need to try and control the child to make sure he would make the right choice," again the man sneered the last few lines with disgust.

"However, Dumbledore also knew that James Potter undoubtedly would have told you about the fake prophecy since you were the child's godfather. You would know that Harry had been foretold to be the one who would destroy Voldemort and you would raise him appropriately. With you Harry could have had a happy childhood with people who loved him. He would know what it was like to have joy in his life, and he would want to live. You would also train him to fight. You would have taught him advanced magic and raised him to be a proper marauder," the man smirked at Sirius's surprised expression.

"Dumbledore would have no control over him if he were to be raised by you. Dumbledore didn't need a fighter, he needed a weapon who would die by Voldemort's hands. He didn't need someone strong willed and happy, he needed someone broken and malleable. Someone that he could sculpt into his perfect weapon. The perfect martyr. Harry Potter's childhood was beyond miserable. He was beaten and starved by people who hated him and treated him no better than the Malfoy's treat their house elves. Then he was rescued by Rubeus Hagrid, who was sent by Albus Dumbledore personally. Hagrid, who did nothing but proclaim what a great man Dumbledore is. Dumbledore needed to be Harry's savior. His mentor and the person that Harry looked up to and confided in. The only way that this would all work is if Dumbledore maintained control over Harry's living arrangement.

"Fortunately for him, the rest of the world was under the impression that you had been the Potter's secret keeper. Are you aware who it was who cast the Fidelius around the Potter's house?"

Sirius frowned and shook his head. "I wasn't there. Peter was the only other one there because he was the secret keeper."

"Neither James nor Lily cast the actual spell. Neither had done it before and they didn't trust themselves to the task. They were afraid it wouldn't be cast properly or be done strong enough, so Dumbledore volunteered to cast it for them."

Sirius's face went white and he suddenly looked ill.

"Obviously, since he was there, and he cast the spell, he knew perfectly well who the secret keeper was," the blond finished airily.

"How do you know this?" Sirius whispered hoarsely.

"Peter told me."

Sirius's face went from horror stuck to fury in point-five seconds.

"WHAT! When! You've seen that rat bastard? Where?"

The man chuckled lightly and held up a hand. "We'll be getting to that in a moment actually. Shall we exit the memory?"

Sirius nodded his head jerkily, still clearly upset and a moment later the images around them were dissolving away and they were back sitting in the cave.

The man used his wand to siphon the memory back into the phial and corked it before slipping them back into the bag, followed by the pensieve. He shrunk it down and slipped it back into the inner pocket of his robes.

"As you can see, I still have my magic, so I have not lied to you," he said easily as he settled back into the chair and crossed one leg over the other knee.

Sirius blinked, seemingly confused for a moment before he frowned and nodded his head.

"Dumbledore knew that you were not the one who betrayed the Potters. I have no proof, but I would be willing to bet that he knew that Pettigrew was already a marked Death Eater. I would even be willing to bet that it was he that originally suggested Peter to James as an alternative to you as the secret keeper. Dumbledore wanted Voldemort to get to Harry, after all."

"No..." Sirius said in a weak whisper as he shook his head.

"Denial is more than a river in Egypt, Mr. Black," the man smirked, but Sirius saw no humor in the current situation. The man waited a moment and then spoke again. "He threw you away. You were in his way. You were no longer useful or necessary to his plans, so he considered you expendable – everyone is always expendable if it's for the greater good. He always had the power and the knowledge to get you free, but he let you rot away in Azkaban because as long as you were there, he had control over Harry Potter's life. Control over his weapon."

"No... no, I... I can't believe it," Sirius said again, shaking his head furiously from side to side as his face contorted in anger and despair.

"Dumbledore is not the man that everyone believes him to be. He puts on this grandfatherly facade; the barmy, slightly-senile, but brilliant old wizard that is kind and loving and that you can always trust to do the right thing," he said sarcastically and then snorted. "It's all fake. It's a lie. He puts up a fake persona to put people off their guard. He's a lying manipulative, deceitful old bastard, and you can not trust him. Least of all, with Harry Potter's safety. Dumbledore doesn't want to save Harry, he wants him dead. Why the hell has Harry Potter come face to face with almost certain death in every year he's been at Hogwarts? Ask yourself how many of those things could have been stopped by Albus Dumbledore, and then ask yourself why he didn't stop them?"

Sirius was still shaking his head, but he knew he couldn't deny the truth in the other man's words. He couldn't deny what he had seen in the pensieve. He still didn't know what to think of that prophecy. The real one.

"You said you spoke to Peter," Sirius said after a moment, latching on to a distracting diversion for a moment.

"Yes. I suppose its a good time to transition into the proposition portion of our little talk. Where to start... well, I suppose the direct approach is best. I was sent here by the Dark Lord."

Sirius was suddenly sitting ramrod straight, and at full attention. His mouth was open to say something, but Sirius found himself so stunned by the statement that he didn't know what to say.

"What!" he finally gasped, hoarsely.

"The Dark Lord sent me. He's returned to a body and is already full strength again. Has been for some time now. He's building things back up quietly before going public. He's given me permission to offer you Wormtail. Peter is unaware of this, of course, but who gives a damn what he wants, hmm?" the man chuckled and grinned as he clasped his hands on the knee that was folded over the other leg.

Sirius's jaw floundered for a moment. "Offer me Wormtail? What do you mean? In exchange for what?"

"Even trade. You get to take him and do whatever the hell you want with him – be it torture and kill, or hand him over to the Ministry and get yourself cleared – and in exchange, you join the Dark Lord and take Pettigrew's place."

"NEVER!" Sirius hissed as he stood to his feet.

"Why?" blond asked calmly without so much as flinching at Sirius's outburst.

"Because he's a murdering bastard!"

"And Dumbledore isn't?"

"He killed James and Lily!"

"Dumbledore set them up. Voldemort never would have personally targeted and gone after them if Dumbledore hadn't concocted the fake prophecy and intentionally leaked it to one of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters."

"He's a bigoted bastard. He wants to wipe out all the muggleborns and kill off all the muggles!"

"No he doesn't," the man said simply.

Sirius scoffed. "Oh really?"

"Still under my oath here," the man reminded Sirius with a pointed look. "The Dark Lord doesn't give a damn about the muggleborns so long as they can keep a damn secret and follow the rules, and he has no intention of allowing his Death Eaters to resume slaughtering muggles this time around. The muggles have progressed a long way and their news travels fast now. Attacks upon the muggles would risk our exposure which is, quite literally, the last thing he wants. He wants to gain control over magical Britain and demolish and rebuild the governing system. It is corrupt and run by incompetent fools."

Sirius stared at him for a long minute, still angry and confused. He shook his head slowly and spoke. "I would never betray everyone like that. I would never betray Harry." He paused and gave the blond man a hard glare. "That's why you want me, isn't it? To get to Harry. Voldemort wants to get Harry on his side and you figure that you can do that if you get me to join?" he scoffed and stuck his nose in the air, insulted.

"No. Believe it or not, that is not why I am making you this offer. We have absolutely no intention to try and use you to get Harry Potter to join the Dark Lord. Oh, and still under oath, here," he added, smirking as he waved his wand and conjured a wordless lumos to illuminate the cave. The sun was setting and it was growing a bit dim but Sirius knew that the real point was to demonstrate that the man still had his magic.

Sirius looked back disbelievingly. "Why, then?"

"There are a number of reasons. The Dark Lord is willing to take you in Pettigrew's stead because he knows you'd be a considerably better asset. Wormtail is a worthless ball of sniveling, cowardly, lard. The man is a pathetic dueler, he can't act as a spy except in his rat form, can't really risk being seen in public, he is a rather low powered wizard, he sucks at wards and charms and is only mildly good with transfiguration and herbology, which is still not remotely useful to the Dark Lord.

"The man has no backbone and the only reason he returned to the Dark Lord in the first place was because he hoped that Voldemort could protect him from you, Dumbledore, and Harry Potter. He did not return out of loyalty or a desire to see the Dark Lord reborn, he did it out of fear and in an attempt to save his own sorry hide. He is worthless and a total waste of space.

"In contrast, you were one of the most formidable aurors to cross the Dark Lord's forces during the first war. You are a powerful wizard with a great many useful talents. You are a highly skilled dueler and if we give you Pettigrew and you hand him over to the Ministry, it will clear your name and people will realize that you were not responsible for the Potter's deaths, and not a death eater. They will likely feel guilty for you having been wrongfully imprisoned and you will be welcomed back into the Light with open arms. And when Dumbledore calls his Order back together, you will undoubtedly be invited back in."

Understanding dawned in Sirius's eyes and he scowled. "You want me to be a spy," he hissed.

"Among other things, yes."

"I won't be a murderer, I won't be marked, and I won't betray my friends," Sirius growled.

"You won't be asked to kill if you do not wish to do so. If you ever go on raids you can stun and use other non-lethal spells. As for being marked, obviously it would be unwise to mark you if we wish to use you as a spy, so that is not something you will have to concern yourself with in any sort of immediate situation. As for betraying your friends, well that's relative."

Sirius barked out a disdainful laugh. "Relative, he says."

"We hope to bring Remus Lupin to our side. He is a werewolf; he belongs with the Dark. Dumbledore will never truly push through any reform that benefits werewolves, no matter what he claims. He is the Light Lord, and werewolves are Dark creatures. They do not fall under his protection and he bears them no responsibility. It is a part of the Dark Lord's task to reassure the safety and prosperity of all Dark magic users, both human and creature. When he builds a new magical government the dark creatures will be treated with the respect that they are due."

Sirius snorted. "Moony would never join the Dark."

"He might. If you and Harry joined. The only thing that's keeping him back are his ties to the light. His debt to Dumbledore, who really is only just using him, and his loyalty to you, and to Harry Potter."

"And what about Harry? He wouldn't join you. You would have me betray my own godson? Never. I will never join the dark."

"Let me pose you different question, then," the man said calmly. "Would you join the Dark if Harry chose it?"

"What?" Sirius blanched.

"The prophecy itself says that Harry Potter has two paths. That he could rule by the Dark Lord's side as his equal. If Harry Potter chose that path, would you support him? Would you stand by his side?"

Sirius scoffed. "Harry would never join Voldemort. Voldemort killed his parents. No matter what role Dumbledore might or might not have had in it, it won't change the fact that Voldemort killed James and Lily."

"Hypothetical scenario. If Harry joined the Dark Lord, would you follow?"

"He wouldn't!"

"Hypothetical scenario!" the man said, raising his voice for the first time.

Sirius scoffed and looked away scowling. "If Harry chose to go against Dumbledore... if he... if he joined Voldemort – which he wouldn't... then I'd stand by Harry. He's my godson. I failed him before and left when I should have stayed, but I won't abandon him again. I'd stand by Harry no matter what path he chose. It's my duty. He's mine to protect."

The blond man smiled softly and Sirius was startled and confused by the depth to the expression.

"I sure hope you mean that, Sirius," he said and Sirius watched as the blond man brought his hands up and began to slide a silver ring off his finger. The moment it left his hand completely his appearance shimmered and then melted away.

Sirius gasped as he found himself sitting opposite his godson.

"H-harry?" Sirius asked.

"Will you join us, Sirius? Please?" Harry asked with hope in his voice.

"Whaa.. how... Ha-harry?" Sirius stuttered while his mouth floundered like a fish.

"I'm sorry I had to lie to you Sirius. I've been hiding things and you've been so worried about me, with the tournament and all... but I just couldn't risk telling anyone what's really going on. I couldn't risk anyone finding out the truth. If Dumbledore gets wind of what I'm doing... of who I'm with, then... I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to have me killed. Or lock me up somewhere. If he realizes that he's lost control of his weapon; that I've joined Voldemort, he'll probably do anything to keep me from him. There's no telling what Dumbledore will do if he gets desperate. I just couldn't risk it."

"What... what is going on! How did this happen? You... you joined Voldemort! Harry, are you insane!"

"He's nothing like what I used to think he would be. Not really."

"He's Voldemort! He killed your parents!"

"Yeah, well I've forgiven him for that, alright! Besides, he was tricked! Dumbledore was trying to trick him into destroying himself, and me and my parents were just collateral damages! Voldemort was used and manipulated right along with the rest of us! Dumbledore is still doing it! Every year, he has allowed these different situations to spawn and grow out of control, all in the hopes that Voldemort and I will come head to head and finally just destroy each other! I'm not going to be that man's pawn anymore! I refuse to be someone else's weapon!"

"So you'll be Voldemort's weapon!"

"It's not like that! And at least Voldemort is honest with his followers! No one joins Voldemort without knowing exactly what they're getting into."

"Yeah! Death, murder, torture and servitude!"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

"VOLDEMORT IS AN INSANE, MURDERING, MEGALOMANIAC!"

"HE IS NOT!" Harry yelled, standing to his feet and knocking his chair out from behind him.

Buckbeak made an annoyed screeching sound and the two turned to look at him warily for a moment. Harry still felt himself fuming but he picked his chair back up and sat down.

"At least... he's not insane. Yes, he's a murderer, but he only kills when it's necessary to progress his plans. And he's not a megalomaniac... he's just really ambitious," Harry said in a low cold voice.

Sirius barked out an incredulous laugh. "Ambitious? Harry, he's trying to take over the world!"

"He's trying to save the world!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"You don't know anything about what's really going on, Sirius! I mean it! Nothing! There is so much more going on than anyone ever realized. Publically, people were told that the war was all about wizarding supremacy and power over muggles, but it never had anything to do with that! Not really. Voldemort drew in some of his followers with that line just so he could get them to work for him, but his goals, his task, has nothing to do with that!"

"Well what the hell is it then?"

"I can't tell you!" Harry moaned and collapsed back into his seat. "Not yet... even I only know bits and pieces of it and that's because I stumbled across it on my own and confronted him about it. He admitted that I was right, but hasn't yet been willing to go into deeper detail. He's bound by an oath to Magic itself. This is so much bigger than anyone knows."

"How can you possibly trust him, Harry? How? He's... he's a monster, Harry! Even if what all you say about Dumbledore is true and he really is a lying manipulative old bastard, how can you think that Voldemort is any better?"

"I know because I've spent the last few months getting to know him. I mean, really getting to know him. He's nothing like I ever expected him to be. Nothing, Sirius. You don't know what Voldemort is like in person or in private because you've never seen that side of him. Hardly anyone does. He keeps his true self really private because he can't really trust hardly anyone. But he is a person. He's got this big, omnipotent, scary, alter-ego that he shows to the public and to his lower followers, but it's just a mask. It's how he deals with his responsibilities. How he maintains control of so many aggressive and ambitious personalities. He has to use fear and respect to control most of them, but if you really get to know him, you see he's a real person behind the scenes. He's still human."

"Human! Harry are you kidding me? I mean, I guess I haven't seen him since his grand return, but if he looks anything like he did before, he hardly classifies as human! Bloody snake-faced bastard!"

"That's just a transformation! He can still look human if he wants! In fact, it took him more than a month to teach his new body to take on his old form."

"What?"

"It's not important. The point is that he is human. He still looks human, as long as he's with someone he trusts – which admittedly, isn't often – and no matter how much of a crazy bastard he acts in public, he's still a man. He still thinks and feels and is still capable of giving a shit about people. Yes, he's a controlling bastard. Yes, he's a murderer. He has goals and he believes strongly in them, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, but that doesn't mean he's a monster."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe his 'real person' thing could be the act, and the controlling insane bastard is the real him?"

"It's not," Harry said with a hard, determined voice. "Look, Sirius, I've been at this for months. I've gotten to know him pretty well."

"And how the hell did you get to know him? How could you have been working with Voldemort for months! You've been in school!"

"I go visit him every bloody day, Sirius! I've got a two-way port-key that takes me directly to his manor house and back, and I use a time-turner so that it never looks like I'm missing from the school."

"Oh, Merlin!" Sirius groaned as his hands came up and began to rub his tired and haggard face.

"Come on, Sirius! I'm trying to help you, here! You won't have to stay in this damn cave, or any cave, if you come join us! You can stay in the manor house with a bed and three meals a day! Tom's house elf Mixey is a great cook and she's not weird or crazy or anything. And I'll be there! That's where I'm staying this summer."

"Wait, what!"

"I'm not going back to the Dursley's this summer," Harry stated in a hard voice while sitting straighter and folding his arms across his chest."

Sirius paused and sat, unsure what to say for a moment. "Does anyone know of this plan?"

"Ron and Hermione are aware that I don't intend to stay with the Dursley's. Obviously they don't know where I'm really going. I'm going to let them think I'm staying in France."

"France? Why France?"

"Hermione and Ginny are under the impression that I've got some secret love interest at the school. I wouldn't tell them who he was with the excuse that he wasn't out to his family yet, and we didn't want to risk the tabloids getting a hold of his name. Basically I intend to let them think I hooked up with one of the male students that stayed this year from Beauxbatons. If Dumbledore thinks I ran off to France with my boyfriend it will look less suspicious than me just disappearing from sight for three months without any explanation at all.

"I know it would be easier to stay under Dumbledore's radar if I just went back to the Dursley's, but I absolutely refuse to go back there! I will not be forced into the company of those bastards, ever again. The only reason Dumbledore sent me to live with them in the first place was because he wanted them to break me. Well fuck him! And fuck the Dursley's! I won't ever go back there!"

"Fine, Harry. Alright. But... but Voldemort's manor? Are you crazy?"

"I swear it, Sirius! It's nothing like that for me. He trusts me. I trust him! I know it sounds mental, but I... he and I we're like... friends?"

"Friends?" Sirius echoed incredulously. "Lord Voldemort does not have friends, Harry! That's idiotic! It's just an act! You're angry that Dumbledore manipulated, but now you're just being manipulated by Voldemort instead!"

"I AM NOT!" Harry roared. "You know nothing about this, Sirius! Nothing! You're making all of these statements and assumptions from things you saw and heard second hand during the last war, but you've never seen it yourself or actually spoken to the man as an ally or a friend. He's totally different. You've only seen the side of him that he shows to enemies on the battlefield! I've spent hours and hours, every single day for three months in his company, Sirius! I'm not a fool or an idiot. He's not playing me."

"What the hell are you doing with him to warrant spending hours with him every bloody day!"

"He's been teaching me. Dueling and magic. We also work out together."

Sirius stared at Harry with shocked disbelief.

"You what? You work out together? What the bloody hell does that even mean?"

"He has a big gym set up in the manor house with exercise equipment that he designed and built. Weight training and muscle building. He'd been working out in there every morning since he got his new body back. He needed to get it into proper shape, so it made sense for him. After he started teaching me dueling, he told me I needed to work on my stamina and endurance so I could last longer in battles, and to improve my dodging and foot work. That's when he told me to start coming for his morning work out too and he'd teach me to use his equipment."

Sirius still looked dumbfounded and blinked several times as if he was still having enormous trouble wrapping his mind around what he'd just heard.

"The Dark Lord works out in a gym?" he said slowly.

Harry smirked. "Yes, he does. Most of his exercise equipment looks like it's basically modeled after muggle exercise equipment too. He's even got a magical treadmill."

Sirius's jaw floundered for a moment before he shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot even picture that."

Harry laughed.

"He's in his real form whenever we're in the gym. I guess it would probably look pretty weird to see him in there each morning in his serpentine form. I'm going to have to get used to that form though, since he's going to be using it a lot more often during the summer."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, well he's going to be bringing in all his old Death Eaters soon. He's been sending out magical pulses through the Dark Marks on a regular schedule for the past month, and he's sped it up to every two days, and by next week he'll be doing it every day, and then at the end of that week he'll actually call them."

"Wait, why is he doing all that?"

"Warning, really. Giving them time to prepare. They'll know that after it's pulsed once a day for one week that he's going to call them to him, and knowing that, they'll be able to plan and prepare for it. They also know he's back to full power now because the magical pulses have been growing in strength for months. With this much advance warning, there's no excuse not to show up. Anyway, once he's called them back to him, Death Eaters will be coming and going from the Manor all the time, so he'll probably be staying in his Serpentine form almost all the time."

"What about you? You said you'd be staying there this summer. You'll get seen."

"That's what this is for," Harry said, pulling the ring out of his pocket. "Actually, I want to key you into it, so we'd may as well do that now." Harry slipped it back onto his left index finger and his appearance shimmered and shifted back into the older, blond-haired man from earlier.

"That is crazy," Sirius said with a bit of awe to his tone. "Where on earth did you find something like that?"

"The ring?" Harry asked, although his voice was lower and smoother now.

"Yeah! Merlin, it even disguises your voice!"

"It's incredible, isn't it? Tom made it."

"Who?"

"Oh, shit. Er... Voldemort."

Sirius's eyebrows rose slowly into his hairline. "His name is Tom?"

Harry chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah. But I wouldn't recommend ever ever calling him that to his face. He'd probably crucio you, if you did."

"What about you?"

"Well, he lets me call him that. But he and I have a... weird sort of relationship between us. The whole prophecy thing. There's also this er..." Harry paused, pulled off the ring and then pushed his messy black fringe away from his forehead exposing his scar. "My curse scar? It's more than anyone ever really suspected. Voldemort and I are connected together by some incredibly powerful and old magic. You know the part in the prophecy about how we can only die except by the hands of the other, and neither can die while the other survives?"

"Yeah..." Sirius said slowly.

"It's... true. I mean, we're literally immortal unless we kill each other. He cannot die as long as I live, and I cannot die as long as he lives. The only way that the two of us can die is if we shoot Avada Kadavra's at each other at the same time. Otherwise, we're immortal."

Sirius's jaw dropped and he fell back into his chair as if he had just been stunned. "That's insane!"

"It's true. It's really complicated, and I can't really risk some of the details getting out so I'm afraid I won't be explaining it in any more detail, but just trust me when I say it's true. I know that you're afraid that all of this stuff is just being fed to me by Voldemort and that he's manipulating me or tricking me or something, but I seriously found out most of it on my own. He didn't get me, Sirius, I went to him. I found him, and went to him on my own. He was shocked when I first showed up. He thought it was some sort of trick or a trap. And he didn't feed me the prophecies, I found them. I went digging around in Trelawney's head and dug the memories out of her on my own. I gave them to Tom!"

"What do you mean that you dug it out of her head?"

Harry grinned. "I'm really good at legilimency. Anyway, I got side tracked," he paused and put the ring back on, slipping back into his blond alter-ego. He rubbed his finger over the green stone set into the thick silver band and then extended his hand across the table to Sirius. "Touch the ring and it will key into your magical signature."

Sirius looked as if he wanted to protest and get back on the thing about his godson being skilled at legilimency of all things, but huffed and touched the ring. It glowed for a second and a moment later Harry's appearance shimmered and shifted back to that of black-haired, green-eyed, Harry Potter. But he was still wearing the ring.

"What just happened?" Sirius asked.

"I keyed you into the ring. Now you'll be able to see through the glamors to the real me. I can wear the ring all the time at the manor over the summer. When I look in the mirror I will see my real face, although I can switch it so that I see the glamors myself in case I want to make adjustments to it. Anyone keyed into the ring sees my real appearance too, but anyone else sees the fake me."

"And Voldemort made that?"

"Yup. It's incredibly complex magic. He's amazing at crafting things like this. You should have seen this magical orb that he made for when I went to Snape."

"Snape? Snape! He was the spy who told Voldemort the prophecy!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes he was, but he's been used and fucked around almost as much as the rest of us. Dumbledore has screwed him almost as much as he screwed you. But Snape got a cushy job out of it. You got locked away with fucking dementors."

Sirius's face went hard and he scowled angrily.

"Anyway, Sirius... I hate to do this, but I really need some promises from you before I can keep going. I've already told you way too much, but I really want to trust you."

Sirius sat up and looked at Harry. "What do you need?"

"I need a vow that you won't go to Dumbledore. An Unbreakable Vow that you won't reveal any what I've told you, to Dumbledore. You don't have to join Voldemort or the Dark if you don't want to, but I need to know you aren't going to betray me to the Light either."

"I would never betray you, Harry!"

"Then make the vow. Please, Sirius," Harry pleaded.

Sirius stared Harry in the eyes for a moment before sighing and running his hand through his hair. "Of course, pup. I'll make the vow."

The next five minutes was spent with their left hands clasped while they each held their wand in their right, pointing at their joined hands and speaking the vow.

Sirius swore to never reveal the secret of Harry's allegiances to anyone, but specifically Dumbledore or anyone in the Order of the Phoenix or Ministry, unless given express permission by Harry himself. Once the magic had settled the two sat in silence in the dim cave for several long minutes.

Finally Sirius heaved a big, defeated sigh and leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Are you really sure about this Harry? I mean... Voldemort?"

Harry chuckled and shook his head at his godfather. "Yes, Sirius. I really am sure."

"How did this happen? How did you end up going to Voldemort? You said you found him? That you went to him? How...?"

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other knee. "After my name came out of the cup on Halloween, everyone ditched me. Everyone. I mean, I know you stood by me, but you weren't here. It took months for letters to come back and forth between us, so I was basically all alone. Ron and Hermione ditched me.

"I did a lot of thinking in the beginning. I sort of went into myself and started questioning and thinking about things that I'd ignored or taken for granted before. I also sort of accidentally stumbled across this huge resource of magical energy inside me that I didn't realize was there. I can't really explain it, but an enormous amount of my magic was being diverted and focused on something completely frivolous. Once I stopped it, I suddenly had access to all this magical energy and mental focus that I never had before. I could think more clearly and my mind was more focused. I gotthings. And I could see and feel the magic around me. It suddenly became so much easier to do magic, and it was amazing.

"I started teaching myself some more advanced magics in preparation for the tasks and it just sort of took off from there. I ended up digging into the Dark Arts all on my own," Harry paused as he saw Sirius's head shoot up in attention and his eyes widen a bit. "There's a place inside the school... it's not on the Map so I don't think you or the Marauders found it. It's called the Room of Requirement."

Sirius frowned. "I've heard of that. But everyone said it was just a myth. James tried to find it but we never did."

"Well I know where it is. It can be whatever you need, and that includes unplottable and exempt from the dark magic wards around the school. If you perform dark magic in there, no one will know. I practiced it in there."

Harry had decided to just stick with this story for consistency sake, but also because he wanted to keep at least one of his secrets in the school secret. If ever he needed to escape somewhere inside the school, he wanted to be able to go to the chamber without anyone knowing that he was there.

"So that's how I started getting into the Dark Arts. You remember how I told you about that vision I had during the summer? The one where Voldemort was talking with Wormtail and another man I didn't recognize? Voldemort told the third man that he wanted me for something – remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Sirius said nodding his head.

"Well, that wasn't the last vision I had. I kept having them all year and they got longer and clearer the more er... the more I tapped into my own dark magic. Not only did they get easier to remember, but they stopped hurting. I guess the more my affinity shifted to dark, the more compatible my mind was with the visions from Voldemort's mind so they didn't hurt anymore.

"The thing I never really explained to anyone about my dreams and visions about Voldemort is that I wasn't watching the dream, I would experience the whole thing from Voldemort's perspective. Like I was him. I would speak his words and think his thoughts and then I'd wake up from it and be all confused and disoriented for a minute while I realized that those weren't my thoughts, but his. Anyway, the more visions I had and the more I got into his head, the more I realized that there was something much bigger going on. Things that had been hidden from me my whole life by Dumbledore. I also realized that Voldemort was a person. He had thoughts and feelings like a real human being – not the insane monster I had always thought him to be.

"The more time passed and the more visions I had, I started to figure some things out. I also figured out where he was staying, and who he had working for him inside the school. So the week after the second task I confronted his spy inside Hogwarts and asked that he take me to him.

"By that point I had already decided to... I don't know... help him? Join him? My affinity is completely dark now. I'm a Dark Wizard and I'm proud of it. I love the Dark arts. They're thrilling and exciting and... everything is just so... it's just..." Harry's voice trailed off in awe and he was shaking his head and had a far away look in his eyes. Sirius could see a slightly crazed glow in Harry's eyes and felt a pang of fear.

"Harry, are you addicted?" he asked suddenly.

Harry's head snapped back and he refocused on Sirius. "Not anymore. Tom's made sure I got it under control. But... well, I was. I guess it was probably pretty bad too."

"Tom did? Sirius asked incredulously.

"Gah... Voldemort. Voldemort made sure I got it under control."

"I get that, I just find it hard to believe. Seems to me like he'd benefit from having his followers addicted."

"Dark wizards who are in control of their magic are far more useful than Dark wizards who are controlled by their magic," Harry said, repeating something that Tom had told him several times. "And he didn't want me to be weak or for my actions to be controlled by my magic, rather than my mind."

"Maybe he says that, but I know for a fact that the more high on Dark magic a wizard is, the more apt they are to go to him. The Dark magic makes them desperate to go to the Dark Lord. You can't claim that it had nothing to do with you going to him."

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his shaggy black hair. "It did. I'll admit that. I know now that it's true. I probably wouldn't have actually gone to him if I wasn't so enticed by the power of the Dark magic I had been using. But I can only be grateful that that happened. The path that took me to him was a bit iffy, but I wouldn't change any of it. I'm glad I went to him. So much has come out of it that I wouldn't give up for the world. And I finally feel like I'm in control of my own destiny. For the first time I'm staying on top of things. I finally know what's going on, and I'm doing things about it.

"And the more I've learned about what's really going on – the more I learn about the Ministry, and Dark creatures, and what the real differences are between Light and Dark magic... the more I realize I agree with Voldemort. With his real goals. His political ideals. There are some things we come to head about, but they're minimal. And he's not unreasonable. He's willing to listen to other opinions on things. He just doesn't want to show weakness to his followers, so if a person ever disagrees enough to try and contradict him, they just have to make sure they do it in private. If you go against him in public it'll just make him angry, but if you are respectful about it, and do it in a private setting, he'll listen to a logical, rational, argument. He welcomes it, even."

Sirius sighed and shook his head. "I just have some trouble taking what you're saying and what I personally saw in the last war and reconciling the two."

"I know, Sirius. I know. But... can you just give him a chance?"

"You mean, can I give being a Death Eater a chance?" Sirius asked, grimacing.

Harry sighed. "Is it true you have a Dark magic affinity?"

Sirius's grimace deepened. "Just barely. It's more neutral than Dark. Heredity and years of tutoring is hard to counter act, no matter how badly you want it."

Harry nodded his head. "He is the Lord of all Dark wizards. Deemed so by Magic itself. He fights for the rights and prosperity of Dark magic. The Light has been in control of magical Britain for so long that the balance is completely out of whack. Things are too one-sided. He's going to fix that. But he's also working towards an even greater thing. Something so important... it's not just for the Dark magic users, it's for the good of all magic users. Wizards and creatures alike. If he fails... it'll be bad Sirius. People don't realize what's really at stake."

"Then tell me! Help me understand, Harry."

Harry huffed and ran his hand through his hair again. "It's complicated...but... here's how I first learned about it. Before I even spoke to To-Voldemort about it. Tens of thousands of years ago, when the the High Elves still lived in our world, their seers foretold the end of the world. According to their vision, if muggles ever discovered the existence of magic, they would try to steal it for themselves. When they succeed at that, the end of the world will come, and we will all die.

"They somehow communed with Magic so that they could warn it of their vision, but it already knew. They learned that Magic was setting a plan in motion to try and save at least some of us. It could only save the magical creatures and the magical human half-breeds – wizards – but not the muggles. It assigned two magical Lords – a Lord of the Light, and a Lord of the Dark. It was the task of the magical Lords to keep a magical balance, and to make sure that the secret is kept and that when the time comes for the muggle's Armageddon, we stop them from stealing the magic and save ourselves.

"Dumbledore is the Light Lord and I think he may know about all this, but I don't think he realizes that there is no way to save the muggles. I think he thinks he can save everyone. Or something... I don't know. In any case, he's a fool for ignoring the harsh reality of the true prophecy, which is that the muggles can't be saved. They're doomed no matter what. Our options are to save ourselves, or save no one. We all die, or only the muggles die. To-Voldemort has no qualms with sacrificing the muggles. He admits that in his youth he thought he could just bypass the waiting and destroy the muggles now, saving the rest of us. But he's realized that will never work. That he was young and naïve. He isn't going to focus on the muggles this time, but instead focus on the magical system. Getting things back in balance, and increasing the security and secrecy of our society. And when the muggle Armageddon comes, he'll fight it. But he isn't going to do anything that will risk making it happen sooner than needed – which is what the muggle slaughtering was really doing in the end."

"You're serious?"

"No, you're Sirius."

Sirius blinked at him before chuckling and shaking his head. "I cannot believe you just used that joke."

"What?" Harry asked in mock innocence and laughing.

Sirius sighed but smiled. "So where did you find out about this whole end of the world thing?"

"An ancient book I found. The whole thing is written in Old Albric. Hermione, Ginny, and I spent most of the last term translating it. The legend was in it."

"Old Aldric? How in Merlin's name did you translate that?"

"A book I found on the language," Harry said shrugging.

Sirius blinked at him in mild disbelief for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head. "Alright, fine. So you went and confronted Voldemort about all this then?"

"Yes. He was pretty shocked I found out about it on my own. Just about no one knows about this stuff anymore, and he's bound by an oath of secrecy not to speak about certain aspects of it. It has something to do with how he became the Dark Lord in the first place. Apparently there's some sort of system in place where each successor has to discover how to take the role on their own, so no Dark Lord can speak of it to any one else. It's to prevent a Dark Lord from choosing their successor. Fate has to do it, or something. It's the same for Light Lords."

Sirius frowned and gave Harry a long, piercing look.

"You aren't aspiring to be the next Dark Lord, are you?" he asked suddenly, in a completely serious tone.

Harry blinked once before bursting out laughing. "No Sirius. I'm not going to be the next Dark Lord. It's impossible."

"And why is that?"

"Because a new Dark Lord cannot come into power until the last one has died. The only way that Voldemort is going to die, is if I die with him. So, no chance of me being his successor."

Sirius grimaced and his brow furrowed deeply. "I still don't get what's going on with that. How the hell can the two of you be tied to each other like that?"

"I told you it's complicated and I also told you that I can't tell you about most of it."

Sirius grumbled and leaned back in his chair, pouting slightly. "Can you tell me about any of it?"

Harry sighed. "It's a combination of things. He's immortally linked to me because of something that went wrong when he tried to kill me, and I'm immortally linked to him because of an unexpected side-effect of the ritual we used to give him a body back a number of months ago. We didn't really get any of it figured out until after I'd found the real prophecy and we did some real digging into it's meanings. It was after that that we realized that we had already accidentally made it true without even realizing it."

"But how can you be immortal?"

"It's not perfect immortality. Not a physical immortality. Our bodies can still be damaged, and potentially even killed. His was destroyed all those years ago, for example. But our souls and magical cores are immortal. We're both bound to this world by each other's existences. We're tethered here, so our souls cannot cross over."

Sirius shook his head and looked, unfocused at the cave wall. "Crazy..."

The two sat there in silence again for a minute. "I need to leave soon," Harry said, finally breaking the heavy quiet. "I'm going to need you to make up your mind before the end of term. It'll be harder for me to get away from the manor after that. Once I don't show up at Privet Drive, Dumbledore is going to be searching for me like crazy. As long as I stay inside the manor's wards, he won't be able to find me, but that means I won't be able to come out to meet you then."

"You're going to spend the entire summer inside Voldemort's manor?" Sirius gaped.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You do realize that otherwise I would have been spending my entire summer locked inside my room at the Dursley's and only let out of it to clean their house and do their gardening, right? I didn't get to go anywhere there either. In fact, I had considerably less space. The manor is quite large and the grounds are expansive. Voldemort made sure the wards extended all the way out to the edge of the property so there's a lot of land. The grounds and the garden are pretty overgrown and messy, but he's planning to get a couple more house elves in the next month to help keep the place up. Since it was just him and Wormtail there regularly right now, he didn't see there being a lot of need for more help, but since the Death Eaters will be frequenting the house soon, he decided to finally do it."

"Right... Wormtail... So... so you've seen him? You seriously spoke to him?" Sirius asked, incredulously.

Harry nodded and then remembered something that caused him grin, wickedly. "I have. In fact, I got to practice two unforgivable on him."

"What?"

"When Voldemort was teaching me how to do the Imperius, we used Wormtail as my test subject. And a number of weeks ago when Wormtail did something insanely idiotic, and Voldemort was punishing him for his undeniably grievous mistake, he let me throw the cruciatus at the stupid, fat little man as reward for stopping the mistake from becoming a huge problem."

"You've cast two of the three Unforgivables!" Sirius exclaimed before groaning. "Oh, Harry..."

"Actually, I've cast all three. Got the killing curse to work the first time I tried it."

Sirius's head snapped up and he looked horrified. "Harry!" he hissed. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"I'm not. And the stupid bitch I threw the curse at deserved what she got."

"Oh, Merlin, Harry! Please don't say that..." Sirius moaned.

Harry just sat there with a blank, unapologetic expression on his face.

Sirius sighed and looked up. "Who?"

"Rita Skeeter."

Sirius blinked and gaped at him.

"You killed Rita Skeeter."

"Yes."

"Anyone else?"

"No. She's the only one."

"How long ago?"

"It's been months."

"And no one suspects it was you?"

"She was an unregistered animagus. Her form was a small beetle and she used it to spy on people. No one knew of her form and no one knew she was sneaking into Hogwarts. There's no way that anyone could suspect me of having the opportunity to do it."

Sirius grumbled and ran his hand through his long, messy hair in a frustrated gesture. "You've got to be careful Harry. Using just one of those curses on another person is enough to get you a lifetime sentence in Azkaban. And believe me when I tell you that you do not want to go there."

"I know, Sirius. Don't worry. I'm not an idiot. Besides, if I ever got caught, Voldemort would get me out."

"You can't know that, pup."

"I know it," Harry said in a tone that showed no doubt.

Sirius sighed and shook his head. "Alright, Harry... look, I said I would stand by you and I meant it. You're my godson, and I'm going to be there for you, no matter where you go."

"Don't agree to this lightly, Sirius. You can stand by me and remain neutral too. Just stay out of everything. Don't agree to join the Dark unless you really think you can do it. You won't have to kill anyone, but you will have to show Voldemort deference. You have to treat him with proper respect, and follow his orders. But if you do join, he's willing to hand over Wormtail. We're going to have to clean out the last year of his memories with one hell of a powerful obliviate, but you can have him once we do that."

Sirius nodded his head slowly as his eyes shown how intently he was thinking over this.

"If you get an offer to go back to the Order, you will be expected to spy for us," Harry continued.

Sirius groaned lightly under his breath. "Right..."

"But if you join, you get your name cleared, and if you want, you can stay at the manor this summer with me. A soft, clean bed, three square meals a day with clean clothes and access to me for as long as you stay at the manor. Of course you'll be a cleared man by the end so you can come and go as you please."

Sirius gave him a long, scrutinizing look before he sighed and nodded his head.

"I'll do it, Harry."

"You have to be sure, Sirius."

"I'm sure. I'll..." he heaved a large sigh, "I'll join the Death Eaters."

Harry smiled at him softly and nodded his head. "Okay, but I'm still going to give you some time to think on it before I take you to him. I don't want you rushing into this and regretting it because there's no going back afterwards. If he gives up Wormtail he's going to want something in return. He's willing to do this only really because I asked him. This is a personal favor to me, you know. He's still a bit iffy towards you because of all the trouble you caused him during the first war."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow and Harry noticed the corner of his mouth threaten to turn up into a proud smirk.

"If you do this, you cannot be an ass to him in any sort of public setting. I meant it when I said he doesn't mind hearing opposing ideas and input, but it has to be in private. You can't openly oppose him if there are any other Death Eaters around, you got me? You can't push his buttons. He wont' stand for it. And I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can look after myself, Harry. I'm the adult here, remember?"

"Yeah, and you're a Gryffindor."

"So are you."

"I'm nothing more than a snake in the lion's den, Sirius. I was never supposed to be in Gryffindor."

Sirius blanched. "What?"

"The sorting hat wanted me in Slytherin. I had to beg and plead with it to put me anywhere else. It reluctantly put me into Gryffindor, but not after making it blatantly clear that it thought I belonged in Slytherin."

Sirius's lips moved slightly but no sound came out. He closed his mouth and sighed. "You were still a Gryffindor."

"I was forcing it. I was trying so hard to live up to everyone else's expectations. All I wanted was to finally please someone. To finally make people happy. My whole childhood was spent being told I was a worthless, good-for-nothing, freeloader and a freak. There was nothing I could do that would please the Dursley's. Nothing.

"Hogwarts was like a fresh start and all I wanted was to finally be able to make someone care about me. Make someone proud or pleased. It was all a part of Dumbledore's plan – I see that now. Do you realize that the first two people I really spent any real time with in the wizarding world were Hagrid and Ron? And you know what both of them told me? Gryffindors were brave and courageous, and Slytherin's were all dirty lying bastards who went dark and turned into murderers. And the guy who killed my parents was a Slytherin and he was the darkest most evil bastard of them all. How do you think I felt when the hat said I belonged in Slytherin?"

"Oh... Harry..."

"So I tried... so hard to prove the hat wrong. I was sorted into Gryffindor and I had to prove to myself and to everyone else that it was where I was supposed to be. I was sorted there because it was where I belonged, not because I begged the hat not to put me in Slytherin. That's the real reason I acted the way I did. Part of it was real, but part of it was always forced. It was a reaction... an over-reaction. It was me compensating..." Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his hair roughly.

"I feel better now," Harry said quietly. "I feel more like... me. Like I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. Like I've come to terms with things and I'm not lying to myself anymore. I know, rationally, that there are things a bit... wrong, with me. But I'm okay with that. I enjoy things that the moral standard says are wrong to enjoy. But I don't care. I'm done lying to myself. Done trying to force myself to be something I'm not. Anyway, we've run off on another tangent again, and I really do need to get back.

"The point is that, while this life is the one for me, and I would really like to have you as a part of my life, and to be able to help you, I also know that this life might not be the life for you. So, I'll come back the last week of term – probably a day or two after the third task. If you're still sure then, I'll take you to him."

Sirius held Harry's eyes for a long moment before he nodded his head. "Alright pup. I'll... I'll think on it."

"Good."

Harry stood up and straightened his nice black robes. Harry pulled the mokeskin pouch out of his inner pocket again and pulled out a smaller bag from within it. He set it on the table and with a tap of his wand, it unshrunk to the size of a medium sized suitcase.

Sirius looked at it and then up at Harry in confusion.

"Food," Harry said with a small smile and a shrug. "And several sets of clean robes and a few other supplies."

Sirius ducked his head, feeling ashamed that his godson was having to take care of him when it was supposed to be the other way around. He had failed Harry in so many ways...

"Thanks, pup," he said in a raspy whisper.

"I'll see you in a week," Harry said as he headed to the mouth of the cave.

"Bye Harry."

"Bye."

#Harry Potter #Dark!Harry #Tom Riddle #Tomarry #Harry Potter and the descent into Darkness..

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lokikingofasgardslover713 · 6 years

Text

The Valkyries Men: 1

Masterlist

The Valkyries Men Masterlist

Bucky Barnes X Plus!Size Reader X Steve Rogers

Warnings: Nothing major, cursing

A/N: This is just the first chapter getting introductions out of the way! The reader is a Valkyrie that was brought to earth by her mothers to protect her, reader doesn't know her father but it isn't Thor or Loki! Once again I make no promises on chapter length or how many they will be! Or when I will post more!

Words: +3,300

June 1943

It was bouncy over the rutted out muddy roads, the entire unit that sat in the back of the convoy van was trying to sleep, but it was obvious the driver wasn’t going easy on them. The snappy special forces agent as they had been calling the man, regarding him with more authority than the others reached up to the front through the small port between driver& passengers. Calloused, bare hand smacking the shit out of the back of the driver’s head for the last rut that he had purposefully hit.

“What the fuck,” the driver yelled out, slamming on the brakes to lurch the truck to a stop, the one bent through the small window holding tight & glaring at the driver as he snapped back to begin chewing the man’s ass that had hit him.

“Goddamn it! I know you hit that one on purpose shit head! These men are trying to get some rest back here,” the Y/H/C ‘man’ snarled out apparent that the drivers rank meant nothing.

“Who the fuck are you…,” the young driver began to snarl out at least until he seen the glittering special forces insignia with the eagle, SHIELD, which meant this officer out ranked them all.

“Special Forces Gunnrdottir. Now, by my watch,” the agent began looking to the futuristic watch that had a golden Stark insignia in cursive across it's face, “we will still arrive on time even if you miss all the pot holes in Germany is that understood?”

“Uh… yes sir… it's no problem,” the man stammered the officer shooting him a smirk before patting him on the head.

“Good, now let’s go,” Y/N laughed to herself thinking if the men knew a female officer had just reamed the drivers ass that would make it twice as funny, but these Midgardians were funny about their woman.

A thing Y/N & her mothers had to get used to when banished here before she was born a few weeks shy of 26 years ago, gods only knew who the young Valkyries father was. Y/N’ sire was Aesir but neither mother would tell her just who they were, citing it was a danger to know the man.

Plopping back into the cramped seat she occupied next to a guy her age that introduced himself as Sgt. Barnes of the 107th , the agent not meaning to jar the poor guy who had been trying to sleep, arms folded across his chest, hat pulled over azure eyes in attempts to rest. The pistols she carried knocking into him from how haphazardly they were strapped against ample curves but then again they were all packed like sardines.

“Sorry bout that,” the officer apologized for hitting the sergeant who let out a huff at the inconvenience but once he peaked out to the special forces agent he thought the hateful remark wasn’t worth the risk of being reprimanded.

“S’okay, thanks for speaking up for my men,” he began, deciding the guy couldn’t be all that bad if he went up to bat for the troops that had been dropped off mere minutes ago & suffering jet lag.

“No problem, we could all use the rest,” the agent sighed out, relaxing back to do the same as him, but shocked as the man formally extended a hand to shake as the truck started out slowly & not hitting every hole possible.

“James Buchanan Barnes, friends call be Bucky,” he smiled watching the agent extend his own calloused hand to take it.

“Bjorn Ivar Gunnrdottir, um don’t really have any friends so call me Bjorn,” the agent laughed with a hardy hand shake before taking it back with a smirk.

“Where you from? I'm just asking because that is a very complex name,” Bucky laughed finding the agents moves mesmerizing now that he was awake from the sudden jerk of the convoy that was thankfully avoiding the ruts.

“My mom is from Norway, very old fashioned, but they moved to the Appalachian mountains when I was 5. What about you,” Y/N asked quietly, obvious some of the others were getting back to sleep.

“Brooklyn,” Bucky smiled with pride Y/E/C orbs looking him over quickly thankful he didn’t notice, he was a fine specimen of a man, even if men weren’t her type she could see him in her bed.

“Well that explains the attitude,” Y/N laughed out making the Sargent realize the agent was trying to lessen the tension between them.

“So, what brings special forces to camp,” the soldier smiled at the agent it seemed he was awake now & needed someone to talk to.

“Besides the obvious? I have battle plans for the Col. Philips, new maps that I have been drawing to show where hidden bunkers are & all the other intel that comes with spy work,” Y/N smirked, leaving the sergeant to guess if she told the truth of if she was pulling his leg.

“Sniper,” Bucky asked hinting to the riffle case that had banged against their legs but now thankfully rested under the seat with little movement, Y/N smirking back to the one he had slung over his shoulder.

“I should ask you the same, but yeah, when I need to,” Y/N smiled, both finally relaxing back to enjoy the quiet & smoother ride.

“Good to know,” the soldier smirked as they both attempted a bit of sleep before they made it to camp, Bucky quick to steal one last glimpse, in awe at how the agent sat & relaxed back, actions that told him this was more than just any man.

July 1943

Spine cracking as she stretched, letting out an exasperated sigh the binder had to be worn to bed to hide ample breast & cursing the Midgardians for their backwards ways. Gaze snapping to the entrance of the entrance of the large tent as the flap snapped back to reveal a drenched Sgt. Barnes that looked over the now shaggy haired Agent Bjorn as they had taken to calling the special forces officer that took up for their company.

“Fuck me Sgt Barnes! Your mom not teach you to knock,” Y/N snapped out at the drenched man that looked more troubled than usual, a harsh grip on the riffle sling that laid across his shoulder.

“Your mommas teach you to talk like that Agent,” Bucky shot back hotly drawing back to their private conversation about ‘him’ being raised by two women, the fowl mouthed agent laughing out as he jerked the shirt off of the foot of the bed & pulled it on over the t-shirt, having slept in the pants being they were wrinkled.

“As a matter of fact, Sgt, they did, so bite me,” Y/N sneered, buttoning the shirt to tuck it into the pants, noting it was still dark & the trumpet hadn’t sounded, thankful she kept a small lamp burning for emergencies like this.

“You're a feisty little fucker you know that,” Barnes laughed out before stepping forward as the agent laced up the boots & began throwing on numerous belts & straps that held an array of weaponry.

“Sure am, what’s wrong,” Y/N looked worriedly at the sergeant, despite how hard Bucky tried to hide his feelings she knew.

“Col. Philips said he needs two snipers to watch for the supply convoy that is headed this way & I don’t trust any of the newest recruits to have my back so the only other in camp is you,” he tried to joke but this was more than a supply run that was coming in this was some of Howard Stark's things that were due to come in ahead of Peggy Carter & the billionaire.

“No problem, you aright Barnes,” Y/N began looking at him running fingers through shaggy Y/H/C locks that needed a cut before pulling the hat on, throwing the coat on & riffle over her shoulder.

“Yeah…,” he breathed out following the agents every move, a habit he had taken to, studying Agent Bjorn the last month & a half unable to pinpoint why his were so different.

“No actually, haven’t heard from my mom about my sister being sick, letters haven’t been getting through,” he admitted to the agent that stepped forward handing an extra belt of ammo he usually carried to Bucky.

“Well that is supposed to be coming in on this convoy so good news, don’t worry,” the agent smiled, wanting to do more than just a pat on soaked shoulder before they both stepped out into the drizzling rain.

“Two,” Bucky began looking through the binoculars over at the opposite ridges spotting enemy that was waiting for the convoy like them.

“No, there are more, there down in the valley,” Y/N hinted to the road that looked clear from where they were positioned, watching over their men that were on the ground about 200 or so feet from them.

“How… you don’t have the binoculars…,” Bucky huffed out, moving to look where the agent hinted, Bjorn hadn’t been wrong before.

“The tree that is moving slightly, that aint wind,” the agent spoke Bucky finally finding what Bjorn spoke of barely able to make out the slightest shake before spotting several more that outnumbered them.

“We should move…,” Y/N began before the sounds of a convoy reached their ears.

“Fuck me… we should move,” Bucky began, both hurrying to their feet before it turned to chaos.

Each taking out what they could, both looking on in horror as one of the enemy soldiers threw a grenade in front of the lead truck, guts knotting painfully. Y/N cussing under fogging breath & rushing for it so it wouldn’t destroy troops or supplies. The sergeant at her back screaming for the agent to stop but it was too late grenade in hand, pulling it close to her chest & blowing body back into the muddy bank.

The impact of explosive & body into the earth blowing the entire convoy with bits of mud as it barreled through, ordered not to stop & thankfully they didn’t. Bucky running into the crater that should have been littered with bits of agent but only showed a smirking Y/N caked in mud & debris, gaze shooting down to realize the reason Bucky froze, boobs.

“Ohhh, fuck me, coat Barnes! Hurry,” Y/N hollered out to the stunned sergeant that slowly fell to his knees refusing to jerk the coat off, Y/N struggling forward quick to remove it herself tossing it on as others of the 107th approached.

“Get up Sergeant & keep your mouth shut. We will talk later,” Y/N hushed as she jerked the stunned Bucky to stumbling feet & pulling him with her out of the crater.

“Holy shit! You're alive,” one of the privates shouted as they neared the two, Y/N smirking while Bucky looked HER over for a moment before doing as she suggested.

“Sleight of hand boys,” Y/N laughed out, running muddy hand through slicked back shaggy hair the stunned sergeant just going through the motions to follow numbly, he no SHE should be dead, the one getting congratulated, the one that he was numbly handing a riffle to.

“It's alright Barnes, let’s get back,” Y/N smiled at him, the group beginning to walk the road back, Bucky not about to let the WOMAN out of his sight.

He was nervous holy shit why was he nervous, SHE had lied that she was a woman, he had paled along with Agent Bjorn for an entire month, catching himself studying how HE moved & realized that he moved like a woman. Though Bjorn wasn’t just any woman, SHE was one that could take a fucking grenade to the chest & live. The one he had been purposefully avoiding since they had made it back to camp thankful that as soon as they entered the muddy encampment she was pulled away to deal with the crates from stark.

Sitting in the mess hall Bucky kept to himself, still replaying the days events as he stared into the cup of coffee, motion at the door making azure eyes train on the MP stepping in & scanning the hall over before starting for him with letters in hand. Sitting back to puzzle at the older MP because he wasn’t the mail delivery kid but taking it & realizing it was all addressed to him.

“Agent Bjorn told me to bring these directly to you instead of the mail tent,” he explained Bucky noting they were mostly form his mom & looking relieved to find several in his sisters hand writing.

“Tell him thanks,” was all he could mutter as he downed the coffee & left for the barrack.

Hurrying through the driving rain into the semi-crowded barrack apparent he wasn’t the only one that was there hiding from the rain & mud. Kicking mud caked boots off before jumping to the top bunk to read the letters wanting to make sure everyone was alright & there wasn’t a letter telling him Steve got his ass handed to him. Pausing as he realized the jacket Bjorn had taken was hung neatly & cleaned.

“Agent Bjorn brought that by just before you came back from mess,” the one that shared his bunk under him, Dum Dum is what they called him.

“Um yeah, he had the MP bring me my mail to, guess he’s glad he’s alive,” Bucky began, hoping onto the bunk still in shock.

“Bjorn has to be a tough bastard to have been blown back into the bank like that & not blowing his hand off,” Dum Dum laughed.

The soldier putting on the bowler hat to head out with the others to mess this time, leaving th sergeant alone in the barrack to go through the letters, filling relief wash over him as he recognized his sister’ hand writing & everyone was doing ok. Grabbing his pen & paper that he kept under his pillow, quickly writing letters back to his mom & sister along with his pain in the ass friend.

Several hours later found Bucky hurrying through the cold night with his own letters to the mail tent the MP catching up with him.

“Finally,” the man blurted this one was different from the one from earlier. “Agent Bjorn needs you to meet in his tent. I’ve been trying to find you all evening didn’t realize you were hiding out in the barracks.”

“Yeah lot on my mind, say what it was,” he huffed out, still not sure if he was up to talking to her still filling a tinge of betrayal that he… fuck she never told him or was able to keep it hidden.

“No, said either you go meet with him or I'm to escort you there under threat of court martial,” the MP admitted with a nervous smile, Bucky’ brow furrowing for a moment, apparent Y/N anticipated his leeriness of her.

“Then let me drop these off & I will be on my way,” he smiled warily heading into the tent then doing as ordered.

A soft knock getting the young Valkyries attention from the newest map that needed going over, having scouted out another HYDRA base a few days . The agent wanted to make sure that its size & location had been marked properly before turning to the sergeant to find out just how he truly felt about HER now.

“Come in,” she called out, pen moving swiftly over the paper to write a few notes before rolling it up & shoving it into a leather document roll.

Shit! How could he not realize that a plump ass like that belonged to a woman, agent… whatever… bent over the table that was lit by a bright light overhead, brighter than a torch. The sergeant recognizing the curves from the back through the tank top she sported was tight over a binder that held what he saw as ample breast back to keep her identity.

“You get your letters,” Y/N began as she turned, grabbing the shirt that was on the single bed & threw it one before turning around to hide the binder.

“Yeah thanks,” Bucky nervously spoke, noting Y/E/C orbs look over the bloody gash on furrowed brow received when the two of them had toppled from the dirt bank to stop the convoy from hitting the grenade that was tossed.

“Have a seat, I need to explain & you need something on that wound other than whatever that nurse put on it,” she hinted to the chair next to the bed, the sergeant hesitating as Y/N stopped her movements, pausing the reach for the vile that was on the table next to the wash basin.

“Is that an order,” he spoke apprehension in his voice as he looked at the agent nervously for the first time.

“Yes it is, regardless of recent… developments I am still your superior & yes Philips knows so sit,” Y/N ordered, the soldier sitting in the seat as she gathered the glass vile that had some sort of paste in it.

“I lied to you… you have every right to be pissed,” Y/N began, taking a clean warm cloth from the steaming wash basin, brows furrowing more & making the gash open slightly, pondering how she had hot water.

“Names Y/N Gunnrdottir, I am an agent with SHIELD & no I am not human, I am a Valkyrie,” Y/N explained.

The proud woman stepping up to the soldier who remained still, leaning back to look up & make it easy to clean the wound. Motions gentle to be careful to not hurt him as she cleaned the dried blood & whatever it was the nurse had put on the wound.

“What’s a…,” he interrupted flinching a little as nimble fingers gingerly applied the paste that stung for a moment but instantly felt 10 times better.

“Valkyrie? A woman warrior that comes from Asgard, straight out of Norse mythology, takes a lot to harm us & as you can tell a grenade want do it,” she smiled backing away to look down at him taking a seat on the bed to continue the conversation if he didn’t get up & walk out.

“Woman warriors? Like amazons…,” Bucky countered making Y/N snort at the comparison but shake Y/H/C head in agreement.

“Yeah, like that but we live longer & are more resilient,” she smiled, still obvious the sergeant was still at a loss for what to say or do, azure eyes raking over the form before him, thinking that… holy shit it was hot in the tent & his pants were tight.

“You really have two moms…,” he counters back, poor guy looked so bumfuzzled he hadn’t a clue where to start.

“Yeah, you see, all our, meaning Valkyries, partners, mates, lovers are women, we don’t sleep with men at all unless it is for reproductive purposes that’s why I'm here. I'm 26 just like you so no need to ask how old I am,” Y/N smiled at the still stunned Bucky who looked to.

“Sapphics,” Bucky blurted bringing name to the women that loved women, making Y/N laugh out, “so no wonder you’re good with the girls.”

“All I just told you & that is your take,” Y/N laughed out, the tension in the room finally fading.

“Sorry doll,” he laughed, freezing as he called her doll, looking worriedly as if she may rip his throat out.

“Sorry… I didn’t… don’t take it the wrong way… fuck I'm usually better with women than this… goddamn it Barnes shit up…,” Bucky rambled out Y/N eyeing him with a smirk, watching the sergeant shift in the seat & catching a glimpse of the bugle in the pants, one that made heat flood her lower half.

“It's ok… I like the pet name… but just not in front of the guys,” Y/N smiled, meeting sapphire orbs as he nodded in agreement.

“So, you still ok with working with me,” Y/N hesitated to ask but needed to know not wanting to admit she was finding herself more attracted to him than any woman lately, swearing the crotch of her pants were becoming saturated with arousal.

“Yeah, believe I am,” he smiled, both sitting up to finish having the long overdue conversation.

Tags open! And re-blogs are ALWAYS welcomed!

Tags: @dark-night-sky-99 @prettybubblesintheair @gramaeryebard @reallyheckinggay @jovanna-shewolf @andiyholly @katstablook @nickyl316h @beets1bears1battlestargalactica @aslandia726 @moonfaery @furstinnajoelle @itsbqueenthings @lookwhatyoumademequeue

@whovianwookie86-captainxev@jazzieomega

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky x plus size reader #steve rogers fanfic #steve rodgers x reader #steve x plus size reader #steve rogers smut #bucky smut

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tcswritings · 5 years

Text

Random untitled draft - I

It’s an unusually slow Friday evening at the Dirty Deed.

(Just a little somethin’ featuring Mick, Rosamund and good ol’ Father Moore. For fun only, not to go anywhere in particular… it’s just me messing around with my beloved peeps and their everyday behaviour, don’t mind me. :D)

***

“Here y’go, handsome. Cheers.”

Rosamund placed a large glass in front of her young regular, smiling sweetly, but Mick merely gave her an uncomprehending look when he saw that the glass did not contain the familiar golden liquid he expected but a weird pale pink brew instead.

“That’s, uh, no beer.”

“Well spotted. Eyes like an eagle.”

“Pf, I wish.” Mick mumbled. “I ordered beer, Rose.”

“Ah well, and now you get this. Life’s full of surprises. Enjoy.”

“I dun’ want this. What is it even?” Cocking his head a little, Mick took the glass rim between his thumb and finger, gingerly turning it on the spot and wrinkling his nose at the ominous beverage before he eventually looked back at the woman behind the bar.

“Y’know, it’s a bit like apple cider… well, uhm, with the little twist that it’s pink grapefruit flavoured. It’s called Sweet Sin. It’s grand, just try it already!”

Mick kept looking at her, never changing his mildly disgusted expression. Apparently he wasn’t keen on trying the drink and the look on his face clearly told Rosamund that he demanded an explanation.

“My supplier fucked up, okay?” she groaned and dropped her shoulders. “He left me with a dozen boxes of this” - she gestured at the drink - “instead of apple cider and for some weird reason they won’t take the supply back since I already opened three of the boxes before I realised I got the wrong stuff.”

“What? I mean, I’m no expert but since when is that a problem?”

“Beats me. Probably had an intern on the hotline or somethin’. Anyway, apparently I can only get a discount on my next supply of cider and until then, I must get rid of all the Sweet Sins and somehow not make a loss.”

“How can y’ not notice that ya got this shit instead of apple cider anyway? It’s pink, it doesn‘t look anythin’ like apple cider!”

Rosamund put her hands to her hips. “Ha! Aren’t you a little smartarse?” she scoffed. “Drink up, laddie, and when you leave later, you better tell all your little friends how amazing this stuff is and my little problem will be solved in a heartbeat.”

“That’s grave coercion, Rose.”

“Nah, come on, it’s just your favourite bartender asking a little favour from you. C’mon.”

Mick didn’t move.

“C’mon, give it a shot! You might be surprised!”

When Mick still didn’t touch the drink and merely raised an eyebrow at her, Rosamund groaned again. “What is it?”

“Don’t I get a straw?”

“Aaah. As many as you want, handsome.” Rosamund winked, pulling a little box with straws from under the counter and handing it to Mick. He bit his lip in concentration and eventually picked a pink one.

Rosamund nodded approvingly. “Goes well with the drink.”

Mick merely clicked his tongue and smiled at her. Just as he did, the front door opened and a tall man clad in black entered. At some point it had started raining - the man shuddered and let out a disgruntled little noise before he took off his wet coat, trying to find a good spot on the wall where he could hang it up.

“C’mon in, Elias, just take the coat with you.” Rosamund called at her new guest.

“Ah, but it’s dripping wet, dear, that’s hardly a good idea.” Father Moore replied as he eventually hung up his coat. “Unless you want to provoke some serious injuries caused by people slipping, that is.” he added, brushing off some last drops from his neck and shoulders before he entered the main room.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ on his holy bog, that shit’s disgusting!” Mick cried out only a moment later, swiftly putting a hand to his mouth and glaring at the drink in front of him.

“It’s good to see you, too, Michael. I’m relieved to see you never lose your spirit.” the pries sighed as he sat down next to the younger man, moving his bar stool a little closer to the counter.

“Evenin’, Padre. Uhm, sorry ‘bout, y’know. What I just said.”

“It’s alright, son, heaven knows you’re a good one deep down inside.” The older man now looked at Rosamund who did her best to suppress an amused grin but failed horribly. “ I’ll have the usual, dear.”

“Don’t even bother, you won’t get what you want anyway.” Mick now glared at the bartender as if she had meant to poison him.

“Is that so?” Father Moore raised an eyebrow when he eventually spotted the pink drink. “That’s a rather unusual colour for a beer.”

“Beer me arse, here, want a sip?” Mick pushed his glass over to the priest who backed away a bit at the unexpected action.

“Ah come on now, laddie, have some respect for our good Father. Here’s your Guinness, you earned it.” Rosamund laughed as she finally handed Mick the nice cold pint he had ordered about fifteen minutes ago. A few moments later, she handed Father Moore the very same.

“What? Why does he get what he wants?”

“Isn’t that obvious? I can hardly expect our Father to have a drink called Sweet Sin. You, however, look like you’d enjoy one every once in a while.”

“That is the worst bullshit I’ve-”

“Alright, alright!” Father Moore interrupted, apparently not keen on listening to another one of Mick’s tirades of foul words. “Let’s just move on to lighter subjects now. How’s the family doin’, Michael?”

“How’s that a lighter subject?”

“Just answer my question, son.”

Mick took a sip from his beer and sighed. “Well, we pretend that Ma’s better than she actually is and I think that kinda does make ‘er feel better in the end.”

“So, her arthritis is acting up again?” The priest sounded concerned.

“Aye.”

“I see. Well, it has been a while since I last visited your parents. I should stop by and have a chat again soon.”

“Aye, I guess she’d like that.” Mick nodded and took another sip.

“Any news from the road from Declan and the Australian? What is his name again?”

“James. And no. No news. I mean, I dunno. Ya might wanna ask Orla or Sarah or Sean next time ya see ‘em.”

Father Moore let out a little sigh and Mick couldn’t help but think that he sounded disappointed.

“I take it that you and Declan are still fighting?”

“Nah, not really. Just, y’know, not talkin’.”

“Yeah and that’s because the two of you are daft as heck.” Rosamund interfered in the middle of her way back from the other end of the bar where she had just handed one of the other few guests a new drink.

“Rosamund.” Father Moore warned and shot the bartender a stern look.

“What? Like it ain’t true? You said it yourself!”

“Oh, did ya?” Mick turned around on his bar stool so he could face the Father who merely pressed his lips into a thin line, looking at Rosamund as if to say something along the lines of “Did you have to?”. She merely shrugged and proceeded to wash some of the glasses.

“Of course I did not use those words.” Father Moore insisted. “However, son, I asked myself a while ago if there really isn’t any way for the two of you to eventually resolve that unfortunate situation you’re in?”

“I dunno.”

“Well, perhaps he will have made up his mind by the time he comes back?”

“I dunno. Dun’ think so.” Another sip.

“Michael, I may be mistaken but I am getting the impression that you are no longer concerned about how things will play out for the two of you which I find, well, a little alarming, to be quite honest.”

“Look, I appreciate that concern but maybe it is for the better, okay? I dunno. I dun’ care.”

“Psh, yeah, sure, you don’t care.” Rosamund chimed in.

“What? What are you on about now?” Mick was no longer able to hide his irritation.

“Just like you don’t care about Orla and her new beau. You’re so bad at pretending to not care, kid, it’s ridiculous.” Rosamund scoffed.

Father Moore closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation. “Rosamund, please.”

Mick bit his lip, looking back and forth between the priest and the bartender for a few moments. “I think I’m gonna leave.” he said curtly, reaching for his wallet in the back pocket of his jeans.

“Oh no, sweetheart, please, there’s no need to leave, I’m just messin with you-” Rosamund began but Mick had already gotten up and interrupted her.

“Nah, y’know what, I should be goin’ home anyway.” He dug a few coins out of his wallet and gave the two a faint smile. “Thanks for the pink-shit-experience, Rose, that was life-changin’. See ya guys around, eh?” With a swift movement, Mick took his jacket from the back of his bar stool, put the money on the counter and hurried outside the room.

Father Moore and Rosamund looked after him for a few moments.

“I don’t believe this, Rosamund.” the priest chided once Mick was out of sight. “Why would you unsettle the poor lad like that?”

“Because I’m right and you know it and it’s about time someone tells these little idiots that they’re being, well. Idiots.” Rosamund crossed her arms and the posture as well as her defiant expression once again made her look like a stubborn teenager.

Father Moore merely raised an eyebrow.

“Besides, I love the look of terror on his face when someone mentions Orla to him in a possible romantic context. I haven’t done that in a while, y’know.” she added.

“I highly doubt that strategy of dealing with your customers is good for your business in the long run, dear.”

“Ah.” Rosamund dismissed the sentiment with a little wave of her hand. “He always comes back after all!”

“I am- I don’t know what to say.”

“Whatever you say, Elias, you won’t be able to deny that I’m right.”

“Why don’t you just leave these kids alone, dear?”

“Excuse me? Wasn’t it you who just voiced their concern about the situation? That’s not exactly ‘leavin’ someone alone’ either. Besides, they’re no longer kids, Elias.”

“Well, they sure act like kids at times.”

"True.” Rosamund chuckled.

“I’ve known them all for so long. It’s just really painful to watch them running into all these walls over and over. One would assume that they all have severe headaches by now but-”

“They’re thickheads! My point exactly!” Rosamund exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

“Ah, please don’t say that.”

“You’re smiling.”

“I am not.”

“You are so smiling, Elias. I’m right and you know it.”

Elias now laughed and shook his head a little. “You’re really one of a kind, Rosamund.”

“And don’t you forget that.”

(… to be continued… probably.)

#mick #rosamund #father moore

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legatumrpg · 6 years

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We want to start off by thanking everyone for applying. There were some tough decisions that needed to be made, especially when each and every application we received was so unique in their own way. Congratulations to everyone under the cut, your applications absolutely floored us. Each application presented their characters with such nuace or complexity, sometimes even both, we know that you all will bring magic to our little roleplay. Please see our CHECKLIST for further instructions.

LEO IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF SIRIUS BLACK ! For all that he pictures capturing his cousins, he can’t picture killing them. Nor can he picture Bellatrix or Regulus killing him. And maybe it’s his subconscious failsafe against hysteria. We had three amazing applications for Sirius, so this was one of our hardest decisions, but it was the way you wrote his flaws that really had us decided. The complexity of who Sirius is and how he got there was so interesting to read and we loved seeing just how much his past still affects his life.

ZED IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF SEVERUS SNAPE ! In many ways Severus was changed drastically from the quiet, caring person they had always been to the cold, cynical person they became. We loved seeing the change that occurred which caused Severus to become who they are today. The fact that Severus faith in the Death Eaters being shaken due to the extremes that they don’t believe in and how the Marauders, in a way, reminds them why they chose the side is gold.

ALEXA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ROMAN MULCIBER ! In the end, Roman was a young god, leaving a trail of scorched earth in his wake. Terror was beauty and war was terror after all. This application is exactly how we envision Roman through all of their temptation, entitlement, and complexity. Everything about the application screamed Roman and none of us wanted to stop reading about them. We know that wherever you take Roman, we’ll not so secretly be rooting for them.

MANU IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF RITA SKEETER ! However, Rita always knew she was meant for more. And she shall get everything she always wanted. Fame, fortune and especially recognition. Rita is one of my personal favorite characters and the way you made them come alive is just absolutely beautiful. We know that they are going to do amazing things, even if those things are harsh or twisted. FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO ANA DE ARMAS IS APPROVED.

LUISA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF REMUS LUPIN ! His first memories became those of tearful full moons, of clutching at his mother’s skirt and sobbing, begging her to fix him, falling to his knees in front of the Crucifix on the parlor wall and demanding that she tell him why God had let him become a monster. This application just left us shook. Adding a religious aspect to Remus’ life is something we haven’t seen before and we absolutely love it. We love the idea of Remus being allowed into the werewolf clan and seeing how that plays out.

CAITLIN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF REGULUS BLACK ! After all, a frightened animal is the most dangerous. That line alone had us wanting to accept the application immediately. You really want into the portrayal of Regulus and made him your own. We could go on all day talking about how much we loved your application for Regulus and we really cannot wait to see what happens next to the dear.

MANU IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MOLLY WEASLEY ! Then, a hatred started to grow inside Molly’s chest. the otherwise sweet and caring mother to all was facing a feeling she could not quite process – anger. Molly is so many things; a mother, a sister, a friend but they are also are a person who isn’t without their flaws. We know that you are going to do wonders and we are at the edge of our seats to see Molly going down a darker path.

SKY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MARLENE MCKINNON ! Hogwarts was a battleground for Marlene; not one where she encountered bloodshed or death, but one in which her knowledge would be tested. Marlene is a character of force. They are always sure of themselves and when things don’t happen as they plan, they can get a bit heated. We absolutely loved how you portrayed Marlene and how they are even more drawn into the cause due to the recent deaths. We cannot wait for Marlene’s fight to come alive.

LARA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MARY MACDONALD ! Even broken dolls have sharp edges. We could have quoted anything from this application and it would have been exactly how we imagine Mary. The way you handled Mary’s attack was written just so beautifully and the way that you controlled her emotions and response which left so much room for development with the other players involved is just wonderful. We are so excited to have you with us! FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO COURTNEY EATON IS APPROVED.

SASS IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF LUCINDA TALKALOT ! Blood separated them, but superficially she saw herself as an equal. The way that you describe how exactly they feel when it comes to blood and their doubts that they keep hidden away is just so beautifully written. As our admin Neetu pointed out, it’s like being dropped in the middle of shark-infested waters and constantly wondering where your next attack is coming from but instead of physical attacks, they are verbal and underhanded. This reminded us of Icarus, just without the disastrous end...yet.

AL IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF LILY EVANS ! Starting off, she was only assigned to puff pieces — aimed towards teenage girls, and housewives — slowly, but steadily, she took to spinning them in a way that she could talk directly to her audience, sending off strong messages about the world and situation they are living in. A way of voicing her opinion. Lily is such an icon and we really feel like you managed to capture exactly that in your biography. You really show that Lily has a lot of passion for many different things which ultimately left them wanting to send messages, to get their voice across to those who may have the same thoughts as them. They really are a force to be reckoned with.

ERIN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF JAMES POTTER ! Even in the midst of a war, he can’t shake his wholehearted belief in the inherent goodness of the world. This application gives us more than the bully narrative of James back in Hogwarts. It shows that yes, James made mistakes, and yes he was, and on still levels still is, immature but James has grown so much since their years at Hogwarts. They are more than their mistakes and this application really shows that aspect of him.

MARIE IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ISABELLA WILKES ! There are many downfalls to infinite wealth—but as Isabella Wilkes will frequently note on, “it’s also really fucking fun.” We cannot describe a better quote other than this one that just has Isabella’s name written all over it. We are absolutely living for Isabella and the tragic mistake they made resulting in actual consequence. The biography gave us a look at their entire life and we just absolutely love it. We know that you are going to be an amazing Isabella!

HOLLY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF GILDEROY LOCKHART ! Anyone with a pulse and a Daily Prophet subscription can tell that war has arrived, but even with the future of the Wizarding World at stake, he struggles to care about something unless it involves him personally. As admin Neetu stated, ‘ I stan a man who stans himself. ’ This application is just beautifully written and shows every single aspect of Gilderoy and their big head. We cannot say anything but nice words about the application as we believe that you completely nailed them.

JEN IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF EVAN ROSIER ! Like an eagle crowned with the Rosier insignia, Evan soared. We absolutely loved every bit of this application. The fact that they came into the deadly elite group with distrust in their hearts? Golden. We absolutely love how Evan seems like they don’t really want anything to do with the cause but rather they want safety from the people involved.

JO IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF CHARITY BURBAGE ! All her life, she was sweet Charity. Soft Charity. Shy Charity. Charity ‘can’t-make-her-own-choices’ Burbage. She wants to be strong Charity. Wow. This was very much a different take with Charity than we expected and we absolutely loved it. We loved how their parents want them to be a good pureblood and don’t approve “joining the Muggles”, really we just loved every bit of it! FACE CLAIM CHANGE TO BAE SUZY IS APPROVED.

HAYLEY IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ARTHUR WEASLEY ! You see, they use very thin strips of hard material connected by ropes to cover their windows instead of curtains. Isn’t that fascinating? We absolutely loved this far more than just what JK Rowling wrote. You have captured everything that is Arthur and honestly, we cannot find one single flaw in this application? Arthur has captured our hearts not just by being a loving husband and father but also due to their curious eye and warm spark in their soul. We really hope that he discovers the function of a rubber duck. AGE CHANGE HAS BEEN APPROVED.

G IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE AMYCUS CARROW ! The golden boy, the perfect child, the heir to his family’s legacy — the one thing that finally made his father believe he had made something good. The whole thing about their parents wanting to save their heir was honestly so beautifully written. As you said, Alecto was just as loved, but Amycus was worshipped. And the fact that Amycus believes themself as equal to Voldemort? Just, all around wow.

ALEXA IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF AMELIA BONES ! Justice might as well as have been her first spoken word, because young Amelia Bones refused to yield for any form of injustice she witnessed though at the time injustice for Amelia meant not sharing a toy broomstick with the rest of the group. Okay, you absolutely nailed Amelia. The quote alone just screams her name. We loved the fact that Amelia struggles to understand the cause of Death Eaters and how focused they are on justice. Everything about this application is just solid.

LIZ IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ALICE FORTESCUE ! Her only option now is to find the answers herself, regardless of the danger that might put her in. This was another hard decision, four applications and all of them amazing. Alice’s edges and raw anger came across so vividly and we cannot get over it. The writing of this application is absolutely beautiful, we are so excited to see the trouble she stirs up.

DANI IS ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF ALECTO CARROW ! Alecto can so easily remember the day she was approached by the Dark Lord in her dreams, with his promises of allowing her to have the powers that she so deserved and had been craving yet would never have because she was not the heir. Everything that we envisioned about Alecto goes back to her parents. Her anger, her power, her desire to be better and this application really reflected on that. We loved the fact that she’s never going to forgive her parents for thinking she’s inferior, it really just screams like Alecto!

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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The Suicide Squad: Inside James Gunn’s DCEU Supervillain War Movie

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In November 2019, I found myself in the middle of a war zone. Well, the closest approximation of a war zone I’ve ever found myself in during my time visiting the sets of blockbuster movies. If I had been brought to this particular set in Atlanta on a sunny autumn afternoon without knowing what movie it was that I was supposed to be getting a peek at, the scene presented to a group of journalists probably would have convinced me that this was some new war movie or straight up action blockbuster, and not one that features a collection of DC villains and antiheroes at its core.

The set in question is called “Jotunheim” and it’s apparently an objective Task Force X needs to conquer in The Suicide Squad. But for all intents and purposes, this could be the kind of Nazi fortress that the gritty characters of movies like The Dirty Dozen or Where Eagles Dare need to conquer, whether or not they get out alive. That’s no accident, according to director James Gunn.

“A lot of the film is within the genre of war caper films,” Gunn tells reporters later that day, specifically referencing The Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes, and others. “It’s not really something that’s existed for a long time, but in the late 60s that was one of the most vibrant genres of the world. [We wanted to] kind of … add on to it with The Suicide Squad.”

There’s no sign of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport, or any of the other oddball DC characters at the center of Gunn’s newest movie as we stroll the Jotunheim set. Whatever wild action took place here seems to have been resolved long before our arrival. But the evidence is everywhere and it must have been one hell of a fight.

From the decrepit guard tower and busted fence at the perimeter to the entrance of Jotunheim (which has a massive hole blasted in it) is probably a distance of 100 meters or so. And virtually every inch of that shows the scope of whatever took place here: burnt out bunkers, overturned and semi-destroyed jeeps, sandbagged guard stations, and so much debris, a mixture of real rocks and carved foamcore and plywood “masonry.”

“It’s a giant construction project” producer Peter Safran jokes about the number and scale of practical sets that have been built for The Suicide Squad. “The idea is to do as much practically as we possibly could.”

That reliance on practical sets and effects wherever possible is a theme that keeps coming up throughout the day as we tour sets and look at production artwork, scale models, weapons, and more.

“We built literally three football fields of a set and that’s so unusual in this day and age,” production designer Beth Mickle says of Jotunheim. “You just never do that. We wanted to have real rubble behind them in the battle sequences, and we wanted to see the building that they’re attacking. For that scene to exist in a film today is just highly unusual. And we’ve done that set and then a dozen others of that scale, so it’s incredible.”

Both the war movie vibe and the love of practical effects are very much in evidence on another set, a convincing indoor recreation of a jungle with a guerilla camp nestled in the middle of it. There’s dirty laundry hanging, filthy pots strewn around, a crumpled pack of cigarettes, and a half empty bottle of watery beer…and what appear to be bloody chunks of skull and assorted viscera littering the grass. Like Jotunheim, something went down here, and whatever it was, it wasn’t pretty.

The Characters of The Suicide Squad: Meet Task Force X

It all stands in almost stark contrast to the wacky assortment of brightly-colored characters that make up the actual team. The concept art and costume tests for these characters were suitably colorful and wildly offbeat, and it’s almost hard to make this line up with the gritty, war movie vibes of the Jotunheim and jungle sets. But storyboards reveal a nighttime action sequence on a beach, with the Squad invading the fictional nation of Corto Maltese, and were it not for the colors and unique designs of the characters wreaking havoc, this too would be evocative of just about anything other than a superhero movie.

A production office is papered with life sized posters of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (performed by Steve Agee and voiced by Sylvester Stallone…although we don’t know that at the time), Blackguard (Pete Davison), Savant (Michael Rooker), Mongal (Mayling Ng), Weasel (Sean Gunn), The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Javelin (Flula Borg), Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), TDK (Nathan Fillion), and Bloodsport (Idris Elba).

Looming large is also Idris Elba’s ominous, armored character who we now all know as Bloodsport, but who the studio remained cagey about identifying during this set visit for some reason, leaving reporters to speculate on the identity of the badass in blue, black, and gold. Between the color scheme, the armor, and an impressively intimidating assortment of weapons left out on a table for reporters to ogle as it’s explained that each weapon transforms into or folds out of each other, speculation about Bloodsport ends up occupying a fair amount of the downtime between interviews.

So what exactly could possibly hold such a motley crew together?

“You have to remember that all either have been wrongfully accused or done horrible, morally wrong things,” John Cena says. ”You can see the good in people, you can also see the evil in people… All of these people have real bad personality problems. So I think when you get that type of group together, that’s what makes it fun. Everybody is kind of different. But I think criminals see criminals, they just size everybody up. I think every one of them is like, ‘how is this person going to stab me in the back?’ That’s the world they come from.”

Cena is playing the authoritarian Peacemaker, a character who sees himself very differently than many other members of the Squad do. But the actors behind two of the stranger characters in the film, offer some additional perspective on the team dynamic.

“There’s people in this story that really want friendships, and people that don’t want anybody near them, just like all of us,” says David Dastmalchian, who plays Polka-Dot Man. “I think all of us have felt at times like we are totally disposable to either our employers or society or you name it. So that’s been interesting, in the relationship [between the characters] with the dynamic that starts to build or break down.”

“These are all characters that for the most part, probably don’t even know the existence of the other ones,” Steve Agee says. “Some of them do, and it’s the story of The Suicide Squad. They are forced to be together, and do this task, this mission. So, part of the story is just watching these people adapt to being around each other.”

Flula Borg (who gave journalists a rambling, uproariously funny interview about his character which you’ll see more of on DoG soon enough) spoke about how his character relates to Viola Davis’ team leader, Amanda Waller.

“Judging from all the relationships that Javelin has I would say poor, non-existent, unhealthy, crosses lines, should consider not interacting with other humans,” Borg says. “Javelin doesn’t worry about how people treat him. He treats them … What’s the golden rule? He has the Javelin rule, which is like ‘suck it, I’m cool.’ I think that’s his rule.”

Even here with the characters, the commitment to practical effects is strong, especially in areas where you’d fully expect them to rely on CGI. For example, Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher 2, has a little helper rat named Sebastian. While the hordes of rats the character is capable of commanding will necessitate CGI, at least some of the rats are real.

“We have three female rats [that play Sebastian],” Daniela Melchior says about the um…practical rats that the movie is using. “It’s a little bit distracting sometimes because I have to act lazy and tired like I don’t give a shit about whatever is happening… and I’m just like, ‘come here.’ But she doesn’t want to come, she wants to find new places and go, so we’re like, ‘okay, we’ll try one time with the rats, we’ll see what happens.’”

And when one of the rats playing Sebastian doesn’t want to do as they’re told, only then does the movie revert to CGI to get the desired “performance” from the furry co-star.

“I don’t know if I can say this,” Melchior says conspiratorially. “But actually, [some of the cast] are a little bit afraid of rats…I’m always trying to say ‘look, she’s so sweet, she wouldn’t hurt you.’”

From Suicide Squad 2 to The Suicide Squad

Like the characters themselves, The Suicide Squad has something of a rough past. The first movie failed to become the surefire franchise-starter the studio hoped for in 2016, and while a Suicide Squad 2 was put into development almost immediately, it wasn’t until Gunn became available that the project finally solidified.

“There was no plan before James,” Safran says. “There were other writers that had worked on various Suicide Squad scripts over the years, but… this was starting from ground zero, starting from scratch. All the characters that he selected were just characters that he was a fan of and wanted to play with. I think, in typical fashion for James, he picks more obscure characters…he liked the idea of being able to take these characters and imbue them with whatever characters he really wanted, or characteristics that he really wanted to play with.”

One of the “characteristics” Gunn wanted was to truly tap into the spirit of DC’s long-running and beloved Suicide Squad comics of the 1980s, which were co-created and stewarded by Jon Ostrander.

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“I don’t think of it so much as an interpretation of what Ostrander wrote but I do think of it as a continuation of what he did,” Gunn says. “It’s very much in line with that. When he was first putting this team together, he was only able to get certain characters. For him, it was the fun of taking these characters that weren’t as well-known and developing them in a real way. And it’s one of the greatest superhero runs of any comic book series.”

(Gunn also notes that Ostrander has a cameo in the film.)

As for whether or not The Suicide Squad is a sequel to or a reboot of the previous film, all involved are both diplomatic and evasive. The official line is that any characters that were together in the previous film do already know each other, but as for the actual events of the 2016 movie, that’s where things get murky.

“We just don’t address it any tangible form,” Safran says. “Yes, they’re the characters and actors that played them in the first movie, but we really wanted to make sure that this stands on its own two feet. It’s not a sequel, but there are some characters that were in the first movie, so it’s not really a full reboot either. So we just call it James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.”

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Inside Jotunheim

Later in the day, journalists are taken inside Jotunheim via soundstage, an indoor construction that appears almost as sprawling as the outdoor set. As we saw outside, the remnants of what was likely a furious battle are all around. A stuntman in full Peacemaker gear is hanging around as we see Robbie’s Harley, Dastmalchian’s Polka-Dot Man, and Agee as King Shark (“the studio is trying to play down the whole Polka-Dot Man/King Shark universe they’re building,” Dastmalchian jokes) make their way through the rubble. Elba’s Bloodsport isn’t visible, but we’re assured he’s part of the scene.

While it’s Sylvester Stallone voicing King Shark in the film, it’s Agee on set here, wearing a grey mo-cap suit with the kind of padding you see on MLB umpires and somewhat shark-shaped wire headgear. He also appears to be holding a skull.

Harley, however, is wearing the ornate red dress glimpsed in the trailer (although it’s somewhat the worse for wear at the moment). As she navigates the carnage in Jotunheim, Gunn calls out for Robbie to “hum a little tune.” She does just that, conjuring exactly the kind of aimless musical free-association you’d expect from a mind like Harley Quinn in the midst of battle.

“Harley’s been through some things as you can see by this point in the film,” Robbie says to reporters between takes. When it’s noted that Harley’s baseball bat, a fixture in the previous film, is nowhere to be found in this scene, she jokes “My baseball bat is back home in LA, next to my bed, in case anyone breaks in…I’ve got other weapons in this one.”

We don’t get to see these Squad members engaged in any combat during the shooting of this scene, and it’s not clear if this is the interior from the same “entrance” that had seemingly been blasted into the outdoor structure, or somewhere else inside the fortress. But the clues all point to one thing: like everything else in this movie, where The Suicide Squad goes, destruction and chaos follow.

The Suicide Squad opens in theaters and on HBO Max on Aug. 6. We’ll have more from our set visit in the coming days.

The post The Suicide Squad: Inside James Gunn’s DCEU Supervillain War Movie appeared first on Den of Geek.

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junker-town · 4 years

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Dorktown: Stephen Curry really hit 105 threes in a row

NBAE via Getty Images

Yeah, they were uncontested practice threes. But no one on Earth has any right to pull off anything like this.

Over the holidays, Stephen Curry did something that defies our understanding of what a basketball player, or even a human being, is capable of. Something you have a little bit of trouble believing even after you’ve watched the whole thing on video.

Stephen Curry hit 105 three-pointers in a row.

5+ minutes without a miss. Stephen. Curry. pic.twitter.com/8DV0z5gtib

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2020

I counted them all myself and can confirm he hits 103 straight on video. (The team says that he in fact hit 105 straight, and that the camera didn’t start rolling until attempt number three went in.) Watching the whole clip from start to finish is a really conflicting experience: on one hand, Steph is the greatest three-point shooter who’s ever lived, so of course, any given shot is likely to go in. But even upon repeated viewings, you expect him to brick number 28, or number 51, or number 60. He has to miss number 74, right? This has to end.

No, he keeps on going. In fact, once he gets to attempt number 80 at around the 4-minute mark, he achieves superhuman levels of accuracy, with most of his shots barely even disturbing the net. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an athlete more closely resemble machinery. I cannot get over it.

What are the odds of this happening? Well, Steph is a .434 three-point shooter across his NBA career. Obviously, we have to throw that out the window, because these conditions are completely different: he faces no defense, his buddies are there to reload him and keep him in his groove, and he has the luxury of taking every shot from the exact same spot. Still, as long as we’re here, let’s appreciate the man’s qualifications.

Curry assembled three seasons of three-point shooting that felt like they’d arrived from the future. James Harden has since managed more threes in a season, but no one has ever been nearly as efficient at anything close to this volume. Again, he’s the greatest three-point shooter of all time, and this is one of the few things no one ever debates.

But what, exactly, are his odds of nailing 105 (we only saw 103, but I can easily believe 105) consecutive practice threes? We can’t know, because apart from this particular feat, we don’t have any “chucking uncontested corner threes in a T-shirt” shooting percentage. What we can do is calculate the odds for any possible shooting percentage.

Across the entire world of sports, which commonly-kept statistical percentage tends to yield the highest results? The Secret Base team spent a few minutes throwing things at the wall – NHL goalie save percentage, NFL extra-point percentage before they moved the line back, et cetera – and eventually settled on MLB fielding percentage.

Outfielder Jon Jay holds the record with a career fielding percentage of .9958. Can’t get much better than that. Hit him the ball 10,000 times, and he goofs up on 42 of them. It’s ridiculous to imagine that a three-point shooter could execute as reliably as an outfielder catching a pop-up, but let’s do that regardless.

The chances of Jay successfully fielding 105 consecutive balls without an error stand at 64.3%. If Curry’s shooting percentage was just as high as the highest percentage of anything that anyone ever records in sports, he would have less than a 2-in-3 shot of doing what we just saw him do.

Just for fun, let’s try to use this video, and this alone, to spitball what his shooting percentage is for this particular shot.

Suppose that instead of playing in the NBA, Steph just spent all day every day shooting this exact shot. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of shots, giving us a shooting percentage with an enormous sample size. If this shooting percentage were .900, which is difficult to imagine in the first place, his chances of hitting 105 straight are one-thousandth of one percent – virtually impossible. If this shooting percentage were .950, his odds are still far short of one percent. It needs to be .975 to even have a puncher’s chance. It needs to be about .995 to even be likely by any stretch of the word.

Look at Steph right after he bricks attempt number 106.

Steph himself seems half stoked, half irritated with himself. His buddy despairs. A few others mill around the gym, clearly unaware of what just happened on the other end of the room. Did that guy just take our understanding of what is and isn’t within the range of human capability and bust it over his knee? Eh, hard to say from over here, but he sure seems mad about something.

Previously on Dorktown:

Kirby Puckett couldn’t hit home runs while ahead in the count

The Houston Texans are wasting Deshaun Watson’s greatness

The 1986 Philadelphia Eagles were sacked into oblivion

Video: The History of the Seattle Mariners

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dpinoycosmonaut · 4 years

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THE BUBBLE FINALS: AN UNLIKELY MATCHUP

by Reuel Hermoso / 02 October 2020

Two of the best all-around swingmen in the game - Heat star Jimmy Butler and Laker legend LeBron James - square off for all the marbles. (Photo from slamonline.com)

The smoke has cleared from both the Eastern and Western Conferences, and expectedly, the Los Angeles Lakers cinched their conference finals and the first NBA finals berth. But in the Eastern Conference, an unlikely winner emerged – the Miami Heat, who just defeated the fancied Boston Celtics.

Eric Spoelstra’s troops are now marching on to the NBA finals, that glorious Nirvana that they have not been to since 2014 when they had current Lakers superstar LeBron James. They lost that series to the San Antonio Spurs, winning just a game (to the Spurs’ four) in the seven-game series, and James returned to his homestate and its team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the following year, and even conspired with celebrated backcourt wizard Kyrie Irving to give Cleveland its first NBA championship in 2016. The Heat last won the NBA crown in 2013. That makes for a really hungry team longing to feast on a championship glory.

But if a seven-year fast looks bad, the Lakers are in a worse famine, last appearing – and winning – the NBA finals in 2010, when the late great Kobe Bryant was still their unquestioned leader. Acquiring James’s services after he left the Cavs was a watershed event for the Lakers in their quest to finally end that 10-year title drought. And signing up the highly-prized former New Orleans Pelicans power forward-center Anthony Davis was the last key to unlock the display chest holding the Larry O’Brien trophy for the Lakers to finally take home.

Getting other pieces like former Houston Rockets big man Dwight Howard and young gunners Kentavius Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso to pace the backcourt, as well as versatile wingmen like the young Kyle Kuzma and the more experienced Markieff Morris to beef up the frontline, helped to complete this powerful Laker roster. Coach Frank Vogel, acquired just last year, has done some pretty admirable work in that short period, piloting the Lakers to a 52-19 win-loss card in just his first season – the best record in the Western Conference and the third-best in the entire league. This is a team that was put together precisely to restore the Lakers’ lost glory, and with this ticket to the Big Dance, they’re just four wins away from accomplishing that.

The Heat, however, are looking to spoil the Lakers’ date with destiny, believing that they have their own destiny to meet – and have proven they will not be denied that other finals slot. The face of the Heat today, Jimmy Butler, is himself a story that mirrors the struggles of his team to get back its own former glory. Thrown out of the house by his mother at the age of 13, Butler spent the following year hopping from house to house, living with friends who would take him in for a day, a week, or more if he was lucky. Finally, a friend’s family decided to adopt him.

They sent him to school, and later saw him off to college to fulfill his dreams of playing varsity basketball. Initially, he played for Tyler College in his home state of Texas, and was later offered an academic scholarship at Marquette, a perennial March Madness contender in the US NCAA, for which former Heat superstar Dwyane Wade also played. In his junior year, Butler helped the Golden Eagles to an 11-7 win-loss card that season in the NCAA’s Big East Conference and a fifth consecutive March Madness appearance.

In the NBA, Butler became a journeyman of sorts, suiting up for the Chicago Bulls, which drafted him in 2011. Although he played well in his long stint with the Bulls – at one point breaking Michael Jordan’s team record for most points in a half in a game they won against the Toronto Raptors on January 3, 2016 –Butler was plagued by injuries. In 2017, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the following year he was again traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Finally, in a sign-and-trade deal, the guy famously known as “Jimmy Buckets” “moved (his) talent to South Beach,” in the famous words of James himself when he first left the Cavs in 2010 to join the Heat.

With all this moving and seeming lack of rootedness even from his early adolescence, any lesser man would probably have called it quits. Certainly not Butler though. He couldn’t care less how people felt about him, whether they felt pity on him or hated his guts. As sportswriter Garth Johnson put it in fansided.com: “A lot of guys in the league view basketball as a way to a lifestyle. Jimmy Butler viewed basketball as a way to a life. On his own since 13 in a small Texas town outside Houston, Butler had more to worry about than rubbing some people the wrong way.” Read more about it in https://fansided.com/2020/02/29/jimmy-butler-heat-sledgehammer-greatness/.

To cut to the chase, this Heat squad today is now Butler’s team – his and his alone. Sure, he had his chances to carve out a leadership position with the Bulls, but that wasn’t meant to be. He wasn’t exactly welcomed in Minnesota, and some like Johnson even think Butler broke the Timberwolves apart during his stint there. But even then, as Johnson observes, “in his one season there they made their first playoff appearance in 14 years.” The Timberwolves even had their first winning season in 13 years and had a win-loss card of 38-24 with Butler while going 9-11 without him. They even fell from third in the West when he hurt his knee, to eighth going into the playoffs.

“You don’t have to be a stat geek to see how they are (now) faring without him,” Johnson argues.

More importantly, though, it’s what the Heat braintrust decided to do to get those other pieces they needed to put together a team that’s primed to surprise the NBA by achieving what it has in so short a time. Butler is their crowning recruitment achievement in the offseason, but consider as well coach Spo’s starting five to give you an idea of this team’s ability to continue perplexing the league and its fans.

As civil engineer and casual basketball pundit Ramby Nolido observed, they first cornered Kentucky Wildcat sniper Tyler Herro – who now comes off the bench as a deadly sixth man – ahead of their Eastern Conference finals opponents, the Celtics, who were hoping the Heat would overlook him before making Herro the 13th overall draft pick, depriving the Celtics of a chance to get him in the next draft slot at 14th. Then they acquired former Golden State Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala and two former Celtics – Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk – with Crowder playing with an ax to grind against his former team in the just-concluded Eastern Conference finals. Heat management then brought up deadshot Duncan Robinson from their G-League team to light things up from rainbow country.

“That’s four steps in the season that they got things right,” says Nolido. And from their previous roster, they kept Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic, a deadly frontline-backcourt tandem on both ends of the floor.

The question thus inevitably surfaces: Who will win the NBA title – the first held in a “bubble” in its long history? Who will get to take the Larry O’Brien trophy out of the bubble?

Clearly, the advantage is in LA’s favor. The combined firepower alone of James and Davis in the 2019-20 season is a whopping 51.5 points per game on the average. The supporting cast is just as potent, with inside-outside threats Kuzma and Caruso combining with Davis, who has decent three-point shooting numbers and can take the ball inside with his vaunted size and athleticism. Caldwell-Pope is also another recognized perimeter threat, but is a solid slasher as well. Morris, JaVale McGee, and even Howard are also known to be able to hit it from the perimeter, although that isn’t their strong suit.

What is their strong suit – and that of the rest of the Lakers – is their astounding inside scoring and, on the defensive end, their protection of the shaded lane. Indeed, LA has dominated the paint throughout much of the season, and obviously the Lakers will continue to use their size and length to their fullest advantage. Because despite the timely three-point bombs that guys like Kuzma, Caruso, Caldwell-Pope, and even the superstars James and Davis have unleashed with deadly accuracy during the playoffs, the Lakers are not exactly an outside scoring juggernaut, averaging just 34.9 percent from trifecta range (averaging home and road three-point shooting percentages prior to the lockdown, according to https://www.nba.com/lakers/stats/team). In the bubble, that percentage has dropped even lower to 30.6 percent in July and 30.2 percent in August.

Source: https://www.nba.com/article/2020/09/28/2020-playoffs-numbers-preview-lakers-heat-finals

In contrast, the Lakers own the low post. They are monsters in the restricted area, scoring a gargantuan 88 points underneath the basket compared to the Heat’s 74. Here’s the thing though – elsewhere in the paint, Miami outscores LA but not by much. Total points in the shaded area will expectedly go the way of the Lakers. This accounts for many of their wins, since inside points are higher-percentage shots compared to perimeter attempts.

Still, the numbers for outside points seem to be going the way of the Lakers. Total mid-rangers and three-balls have them up 26 points over the Heat. But where the boys from South Beach have the upper hand scoring-wise is from the free-throw line. There, they outscore the Hollywood boys by a whopping 18 markers. They also run the break better, beating LA in transition by nine points – both crucial advantages in the clutch. Where the Lakers are better off with the game on the line is in second-chance points, where they lord it over the Heat by 20 points.

Indeed, offense and offensive efficiency will spell the difference for both teams, despite their respective claims to being defensive juggernauts. As John Schuhmann of nba.com wrote: “Both teams have had success on both ends of the floor, but offense was the story in the conference finals. The Lakers and Denver Nuggets combined to score 115.3 points per 100 possessions, while the Heat and Boston Celtics combined to score 114.1. Those were the third- and fourth-most efficient series of the 14 we've seen thus far.”

We should thus expect that offense will remain the most compelling reason for their respective coaching staffs to continue as that is what has brought them both this far.

Or is it? Perhaps both teams will be wise to revisit their defensive narrative and give it more of the importance it truly deserves. As University of Alabama legendary football coach Bear Bryant (no relation to Kobe) famously said (and which Ateneo sniper Jai Reyes repeated after his Blue Eagles successfully wrested the UAAP men’s basketball title from the La Salle Green Archers in 2008): “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships!”

The team with the better defensive strategy will take the series – and the championship. As Schuhmann of nba.com correctly observes: “To win their 17th championship, the Lakers will have to keep up with the Heat's ball and player movement. To win their fourth, the Heat will have to protect the rim. In both cases, it's much easier said than done.” (As an aside, as a Celtics fan, I just want to say that this is one reason why I’m rooting for the Heat; it’s not just because of our natural aversion to the Purple-and-Gold but also because Boston diehards want to keep that record of most number of NBA titles ever. Touché!)

Each game, each quarter, maybe even each possession, will boil down to how the individual and roster matchups will fare between these two protagonists. Key here will be the substitution patterns of Messrs. Vogel and Spoelstra, and how they can effectively use the chess pieces they each have.

Coach Vogel has largely stuck with his starting five of James as point forward, Davis at the forward spot, Caldwell-Pope as swingman, JaVale McGee at center, and Danny Green as shooting guard, while coach Spo has from time to time experimented in his backcourt lineup, but with schoolboy charm Duncan Robinson and Dragic in the perimeter, Adebayo at center, and Butler and Dragic in the wings as the mainstays. He has a potent bench, with boy wonder Herro as his sixth man and Crowder at the forward spots (the latter’s versatility allows him to play both the small and power positions), with both players having reliable deep-three shots that can spread the Laker defense to its limits. It is a fast lineup, well, at least faster than that of the Lakers, and should leverage on that speed to run the floor before the Lakers’ transition defense can react.

What’s also interesting and has been fun to watch thus far is the Butler-Adebayo tandem. Schuhmann at nba.com notes that, when the two are on the floor together, the Heat outscore their opponents by 10.6 points more per 100 possessions. But they’ve been outscored by their opponents by 3.0 points per 100 possessions in 103 minutes with just Adebayo without Butler on the floor, and by 14.4 points per 100 possessions in 99 minutes of play with just Butler without Adebayo. It would seem that, if coach Spo had to keep either one on the bench longer, it would have to be Butler.

Indeed, as Schuhmann demonstrates, “the Heat have scored 16.9 more points per 100 possessions with Bam Adebayo on the floor (116.1) than they have with him off the floor (99.2). That's the fourth-biggest on-off offense rating differential among 73 players who've played at least 200 total minutes in the postseason.”

Adebayo clearly has proven himself to have a greater impact on the game for the Heat, and the last game against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals showed the value he brings to the table. Though a center, Adebayo moves like a power forward with the way he screens and passes (especially his interior passing), and even his turnaround jumper in the key is cash. And that's how he could wreak havoc on the Lakers' post defenders like Howard and McGee – maybe even Davis as a rim defender.

On the offensive end, those guys may also have fits trying to score against him in the post, Adebayo being the most athletic big on the Heat roster, with more than ample length and heft. Of course, we can’t forget Iguodala, who brings with him championship experience from Golden State, having been with the Warriors in all their three NBA championships thus far in the 21st century (2015, 2017 and 2018). It will be remembered that in the 2015 title series, Iguodala fashioned a defensive masterpiece on James, limiting the latter to 38.1 percent field-goal shooting compared to 44 percent when Iguodala was on the bench. Both Iguodala and James are in their mid-30s, and have had their fair share of NBA glory. For sure, James will look at settling an old score, while Iguodala will look at putting the cuffs on The King once again via his tried-and-tested lockdown D that made James bleed for every point, giving the Warriors a superior 3-1 finals win-loss card in all their NBA finals showdowns that only saw a failure in 2016.

So who will be the Bubble Champions of the NBA? The numbers coming out of the Las Vegas bookies give the clear advantage to the Lakers, if only for the James-Davis pairing. But as many hoops pundits have seen through decades of watching this game, stranger things have happened in basketball. Just last August, the Milwaukee Bucks were the indubitable favorite to win the NBA crown among the bookies and oddsmakers. Everyone and his mother now know Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, the Lopez twins and company are now vacationing wherever.

Actually, folks were looking at a Bucks-Lakers finals. And I thought we’d be having a revival of the famous Celtics-Lakers rivalry of the ages.

The bottomline: sit back, relax. Or stand up, and bite your nails. Either way, this will be a great series. James up against his old team. Or Heat president Pat Riley up against the old team that he coached. No plot could have been better contrived.

#nbafinals #NBA Lakers LebronJames Nuggets

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