#like he recognizes that’s the person who comes first in the people Jessica will want/need to tell

[somewherefornow]

GREEN LANTERN 2021 ANNUAL + MENTIONS OF SIMON

[dreamylyfe-x]

I’m kind of curious, what do you think of Ian and Trevor’s relationship? And that leading to him blowing up a van

Ahhh. Trevor. Yeah. I don’t think that was so great. 

First of all, it’s like two different relationships, really. You have season 7 when they’re meeting, getting together and falling apart... and then you have season 8 where they are... I don’t even know what. 

Season 7, I mostly think the show really didn’t have the time and space to tell the story of Ian getting involved with Trevor, but they decided to proceed anyway. Which, if they had wanted it to be an eight episode arc, would have been ok. But Trevor is around for 18 episodes. 

I mean, let’s lay this out. Trevor arrives in 7x04. 7x06 ends with Ian deciding he does in fact want to date him. 7x09 ends with Ian finding out Mickey’s back. Trevor and Ian are together for a hot second. And during that time, we don’t get to find out that much about him. Like we know he’s generous in a lot of ways, but also quick to anger. Kinda condescending. Kinda sweet. Mostly he’s all over the place. A lot of the time I struggle to find Trevor organic. When he gets mad, I’m always like “how did you get there, my dude?” and when he’s all moony I feel the same way. There are multiple scenes of Trevor and Ian laughing over something that go TOO LONG and feel a bit like old episodes of Murder, She Wrote, where they always had to have the show about violent death end on Jessica smiling. Then there’s stuff like Trevor telling off Frank. Trevor telling Fiona she’s a badass. It has a real Poochie vibe to me. But.... Trevor is not a Poochie. Trevor is a character who, if he had any chance of working, is about to get cut off at the knees. 

The show cannot be confused about what is going to happen in 7x10 when Mickey comes back. Not just to Ian, but to the audience. Storywise, we are going to be shown positive proof that Ian is still in love with Mickey. Not just a little bit, not lingering feelings, but try to leave your family and job and give all your money away in love with his ex. And even outside of what’s on the page, they’re like “Here. This is what is looks like when Cam has chemistry with someone. This is what the performances look like when there’s some complexity and history and subtext. Here’s a character with a strong voice and a well-established personality.” 

And now... Here’s Trevor. 

I’m sure Trevor had his fans. Like, I get it. I particularly get it if people just really like Elliot Fletcher. But the people behind this show aren’t idiots and they know how to craft a story. You can see it with Mickeys’ two-episode arc. They have to know you can’t have that story and have a viable Ian/Trevor romance in the same season. You gotta pick one. And they picked Mickey. 

AS THEY SHOULD. 

*ahem*

That brings us to season 8, which is even weirder on the Trevor tip than season 7. 

For most people, if you’ve been dating some guy and the second the ex showed up your boyfriend not only instantly falls back into bed with him, but then runs away with him for a few days and only comes back because of a bunch of considerations that have nothing to do with whether or not he’s in love with the guy...  that’s gonna be it. EVEN if his mother dies. The normal thing to do would be, in the words of Lip Gallagher, to fuck someone else. Like ANYONE else. He cheated weeks in. It’s done. 

So why the heck are they still hanging out together in season 8? Like from a story POV. What is the reason? 

My theory on the Ian front is detailed in my story Unsent and it’s basically this: Ian was desperate for comfort and Trevor must have been a person he thought he could get that from. He had gotten it from him (imperfectly, maybe) in the past. I DO NOT KNOW what Trevor wanted. I really don’t. I never got to know Trevor well enough. 

I’ll tell you want he didn’t want: What was best for Ian. 

And honestly, why should he? Ian is his ex. For good reason. Trevor does not need to be nice to him. Trevor doesn’t even really have to tell Ian to go away, though he almost certainly should have. It probably would have been kinder. But honestly, so much of what comes next only makes sense if you decide Trevor is low-key evil. He lets Ian pine (pretty normal level of ex-punishment), tells him he loves him (NOT POSSIBLE. I love Ian Gallagher too, sir, but that is NOT POSSIBLE. You were together for a minute and you are not that ridiculous) and then does this gross, dehumanizing weird thing involving men with bigger bodies. Lets/encourages Ian to prostitute himself to get money for the shelter. Yells at Ian over Geneva when a conversation might have been more appropriate/made more sense. And then, right as Ian starts to tip into really concerning behaviour, kiiiiiinda get back with him, sort of? And then vanish when it becomes extremely clear that he’s sick. 

But I don’t think the show intends for him to be evil. I’m not sure what the show intends him to be, but I suspect we’re supposed to think he’s a good guy. He almost functions like Harry in Dexter. Just the guy standing at Ian’s elbow and making comments on the action. He isn’t really being written like he’s separate from Ian. He’s there to provide some sort of stimulus to direct the action. But it’s hard to view Trevor as a character. 

I actually think Shameless has incredible skill to bring in characters for ten minutes and make them seem like rounded characters. I don’t think they get there with Trevor because I don’t think they ever really decided what they were doing with him. They didn’t entirely have room for the character on the canvas in season 7 and then they kind shoehorn him in to what comes next. I also think the issues with Trevor extend to Caleb, actually. They’re both strangely changeable. Sometimes encouraging and affectionate and sometimes cold, manipulative or bullying. I personally think that Caleb is the worse of the two, but neither of them are easy to root for. 

I’m not 100% I’m sure I am interpreting what you’re asking about the van correction. I certainly don’t attribute that to Trevor and I have much less frustration with him than I do with Ian’s family for not recognizing how many bright red flags there were. Certainly Trevor’s hesitancy seems to come a little late. But Trevor isn’t Ian’s boyfriend and he might consider himself Ian’s friend, but he’s also clearly got some serious feelings of wrongdoing where Ian is concerned. 

In Trevor’s defence, with the whole series finished, I think season 8 is certainly one of, if not THE weakest season. Trevor isn’t the only problem. But I don’t think he’s a very successful character for them. 

[aerialflight]

Fic Recs (cause it's always nice to give a shout out and get people into things I'm into rn)

[The Magnus Archives] (I recently finished the podcast and I fell into a hole for a while so here you go)

Sing a Song of Sixpence by Kaiel

Ship: Jon/Martin

In which Jonathan Sims is a Siren, and he fails to notice any new abilities granted to him by the position of Archivist. Or really anything about the Entities at all.

Takes place in season 1 featuring Jonah Magnus’s slow decent into madness

(The new mythology interwoven with tma's worldbuilding is so freaking good and I love how all the characters change and develop because of these changes. Also, f you Elias)

Along Came a Spider by Dribbledscribbles

Ship: implied Jon/Martin

Sasha James is the Archivist, as expected. Martin Blackwood is menaced by Jane Prentiss, as expected. Elias Bouchard weaves his web, as expected.

All goes as it should.

At least until something calling itself Jonathan Sims steps in.

(Web!Jon in this makes me want to weep, it's so freaking good. A pretty long, very excellent oneshot on what could've happened if Jon got taken by the web when he was a kid. And Sasha as the Archivist is ALWAYS so cool, we love her in this house.)

A Break in the Clouds by Ash_Rabbit

“I’m eight.” the kid sniffs as if eight was any different from four, maybe not an unspeakable horror then, just a regular horror. “And I heard that the Magnus Institute deals with-” his little nose scrunches, cute. “-spooky things.”

“Do you have a-” he cracks a grin, and then rethinks it as small hands tighten against their burden.”-spooky thing to deliver?” gods he hopes not, it’s bad enough when adults walk in and lay out all of their baggage, but for a child-

“There’s a spider in this book.” the kid says solemnly, raising his textbook sized parcel. “It ate Evan Pritchard.” a bloody fucking Leitner. Of course an eight year old would find a murder spider book. “This seemed like the best place to bring it.”

(I never thought about what the Original Elias could've been like AND NOW I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THIS FIC. I LOVE HIM, HE'S COMPLEX AND HE CARES AND JON CARES AND THEY BOTH CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. THIS IS THE CONTENT I WANT, OMG. Also, Jon being even smaller than usual is adorable, so cute. No wonder Elias wants to hug him, a LOT.)

See the Line where the Sky meets the Sea by The_Floating_World

Ship: Jon/Martin, Jon/Oliver Banks

When Jon is a child he looks into the infinite abyss of space. The Vast looks back into him.

(One of my all time fave fics in this fandom, no questions asked. I have reread this three times and am open to doing it again, god. Vast!Jon, such a concept. It's written so beautifully and the relationships Jon develops, so good. ugh. My heart. Please please read.)

Sweet As Roses by Prim_the_Amazing

Ship: Jon/Martin

“Come in, Martin,” he says, not looking up from his notes.

“Hi, Jon,” he says, and Jon stops writing at the sound of his voice. “We’re out of the green tea, but we’ve got lemon?”

Jon looks at him. Martin smiles at him in his usual tentative way as he sets the mug of tea down on Jon’s desk. Heat spikes so sharply in his gut that he twitches with it.

“Thank you, Martin,” he says, mouth dry, and he stands up.

“Oh,” he says, sounding almost surprised. He smiles again. “No-- no problem-- um, what are you--”

Jon takes Martin by the shoulders, leans up on the tips of his toes, and kisses him.

(You have no idea how much I howled through this fic, my god. *buries face in hands* The number of times I wanted to cry from sheer hilarity and horror reading this good lord.)

Things Could Always Be Worse by theOestofOCs

Ship: Jon/Martin, Georgie/Melanie

Sometimes, the most horrifying thing of all is what might have been.

Somewhere, Jon could swear he heard a crowd laughing.

Or: in which Jonathan Sims is forced to swap places with his alternate self—a tall, chivalrous hero extraordinaire, who knows neither fear nor nuance—and is sent to the aggressively straight alternate universe the Magnus Archives was never meant to be.

“Whatever place this is,” Jon announced, “I just want to be sure it knows I hate it.”

(I will say this once, THIS IS THE MOST CURSED THING IVE EVER READ EVER. Like holy hell. I can't believe this thing exists. please read it oh please please please)

-

[Supernatural]

heard from your mother (she don't recognize you) by Schmuzz

Ship: Dean/Cas, Jessica/Sam

A man named Cas wakes up in 2003 with no memories, but he's able to piece together a few things:

1. Supernatural creatures exist, and most of them will hurt innocent civilians if he doesn't stop them; 2. He has abilities that no human hunter should have, but he knows enough about human hunters to keep that to himself, and finally; 3. He keeps running into another hunter named Dean Winchester, who seems to be about as lonely as he is if he's willing to put up with those former facts long enough to help Cas unravel the mystery of who (or what) he really is.

For his part, Dean's still (not) dealing with Sam's departure to Stanford, and figures distracting himself with a bit of mystery and intrigue is as harmless as it gets, right? Right.

(THE fic I'm most into right now, been following this from the very start and it's AMAZING. Cas has agency and is making friends and S1 Dean is growing out of John's influence and is becoming a Person and the both of them first being friends then more. The slow burn as their relationship develops, SO GOOD. SO SO DAMN GOOD. *screams* Seriously one of the best spn fics I've read in a long, long time.)

anamnesis by cenotaphy

Ships: Castiel/Dean, Sam/Eileen

Chuck is depowered, Jack is the new god, and the world is free. Dean and Sam get into the Impala and chase down the miles on an endless highway, and their story is finally, finally their own to follow. At least, that's what Dean tells himself. But the diners and motels and painted interstate lines are blurring together and the smallest details keep catching at his brain like tiny fishhooks and he can't quite shake the feeling that not everything is exactly as it should be.

* Fix-it/alternate series finale. Canon-compliant through the end of 15.19.

(THIS IS THE FIC THAT GOT ME THROUGH THE FINALE OKAY. WHY COULDN'T THIS HAVE BEEN CANON. It's Disturbing and honestly plot-wise this makes more sense. Why couldn't we have had this. *screams*)

-

[Avatar: The Last Airbender]

where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor

Ship: Sokka/Zuko

When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them.

Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.

(The fact one of the tags in this fic is, "Sibling Dynamic: Fucked Up But Wholesome" should give you an idea what this fic is like. Chaotic as HELL and I just love Azula here, she loves Zuko so much in her messed up way and Zuko loves her back in the exact same way lol. It's batshit and I am Here For This.)

-

[Naruto]

Eclipse by AislingRoisin (JayBird345) for HybrisAnaideia

Ship: Nara Shikaku/OFC

"In life, it's easier to remain stagnant and wallow in your troubles. But life isn't merely about continued existence, nor is it meant to be gone through alone."

(This is a fic that's slept on and I NEED people to read this. A self-insert fic that I find really interesting in its approach and the worldbuilding for the post-third war shinobi world is fantastic. I feel like there's a certain pattern with self-insert fics, not that is a detriment in any way to how much I enjoy them, so this fic feels fresh to me in a way I haven't read in a while. I am waiting eagerly for this to get updated! Please read!)

On Freedom and Other Formalities by iaso

Ship: Kakashi/Genma/OFC

When push comes to shove, Hiwa Inuzuka doesn't go down easy. Reborn into a new, dangerous world? She puts her past life as a spy to work. Thrown into a war? Hiwa does her duty, for Konoha. And when she's forced into an arranged marriage? All there is to do is beat them to the punch and get married first. Thankfully, Genma Shiranui is willing to lend a hand. Literally. SI/OC

(Listen, LISTEN, it's about the slow burn, the longing, the communication (it both has and hasn't and isn't THAT great??), the messy way you fit three very different people together, it's so freaking good! Also, Kakashi is so Chaotic here this is my fave characterization of him, you can't change my mind. And Genma is a Good Boi who is Doing His Best, along with the Self-insert character who I LOVE SO MUCH, SHE'S FANTASTIC FNEIWOPAF. Sped past this fic in the speed of light, I could not stop reading!)(Honestly, read all of the author's fics, they're all really REALLY good!)

Building a Castle by WhisperingDarkness

Without needing anyone to tell her, Sakura knew that talking to someone no-one else could see or hear would make her weird. It would draw the bad kind of attention to her, something people could make fun of her for.

She didn’t like being weird, but she did like the voice. Her inner voice was helpful and it was a part of her that had always been there. The idea of it not being there would have been so much weirder than anything else.

It was during her first year at the Academy that Sakura realised the voice was not in her head at all, but that it came from a cloudy shape floating next to her.

(Basically a short-ish retelling of Hikaru no Go. Only with more Shogi and Nara and Ninja's)

(Sakura can see ghosts (I'm noticing this is a popular trope for her) and it's really cute haha! Her relationship with Tobirama is sweet and I just enjoyed reading this so much.)

-

[The Magicians]

So Long (And Thanks For All The Books) by IncompleteSentanc (Erava)

Ships: Quentin/Eliot, James/Julia, Quentin/Margo/Eliot

When Quentin is told Julia wasn't admitted to Brakebills, he realizes he has a drastic decision in front of him. If he tells Julia about magic, he'll have his mind wiped as well as hers. But he can't just leave her behind, either. He can't lose his best friend, and he can't let her life a life with her magical potential stolen away from her.

So he makes a third choice.

(Really, and I mean REALLY well-done canon divergent fic, this is the Quentin & Julia friendship fic I have been looking for forever. It explores so much of what could've happened and I just love Quentin here, I really really do. Characterization done so right. I also recommend the author's other works too. Been a follower of them for a long time, they're great.)

-

[Game of Thrones]

The Road to Victory by writing_as_tracey

Too late in preparing for the Night King and the Long Night, the last stand at Winterfell is close to falling. Bran takes desperate measures to ensure victory, and Jon, Sansa, and Arya pay the price for it in a time unfamiliar to them, on the cusp of another war. [GoT, time-travel fix it]

(I swear, this fic made me laugh so many times, all the Stark are BAMF and fantastic, and Rhaegar gets Wrecked lol. It's crack btw, and the plot goes in directions you'll never guess and it's amazing hahaha!)

-

[Haikyuu!!] (I am very very late to the fandom but here I am)

Ballare (To Dance) by MidnightSparks

Ship: Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, and platonic Kageyama & Kentarou (really love their friendship)

Kageyama’s first love is volleyball. His second, however, is ballet.

In one world, Kageyama Tobio is left behind by his parents. In this world, the existence of soulbonds keeps Kageyama’s parents in Miyagi and leaves Kageyama in the care of his grandma and grandpa.

(In which soulmates exist and that changes everything and nothing at the same time.)

(*buries face in hands* I have fallen for this ship so hard and I can't get out fudge me. I understand now. Their DYNAMICS FIEWONPAF)

Kings of Tomorrow by bokubroya (liarielle)

Ship: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru

On the eve of Tobio’s 16th birthday, he counts down the seconds to midnight, and emerges with Oikawa Tooru’s name on his wrist.

It’s been two years since then, and Tobio thought they had an understanding. A silent, never spoken about understanding that this thing between them is nothing, and they’re going to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Of course, it’s just like Oikawa to change the game and leave Tobio wondering what comes next.

(I am WEAK for soulmate fics between these two, I don't even really like soulmate fics half the times what is WRONG WITH ME-)(Please suffer with me, I'm begging you. Its a good fic, thumbs up.)

-

[Crossover]

Honey and Magic by JustARatherVerySillyWriter, White_Squirrel for Super Carlin Brothers

Fandoms: Matilda (yeah you read that right), Harry Potter

Everyone knew Matilda was a rather extraordinary child, but even she didn't know she was a witch. Matilda Honey receives her Hogwarts letter in the year of the Triwizard Tournament, and soon, she will leave her unique mark on the magical world.

(Do I even need to explain how amazing it is to have Matilda in the wizarding world? And Matilda is a HUFFLEPUFF AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL THIS FIC IS GREAT PLEASE READ!!!)

An Eye for an Eye by DpsMercy

Fandoms: The Magnus Archives, Welcome to Night Vale

In which Jonathan Sims is not from the UK but instead, if you took his origins and turned them sideways twice then flipped them over, he technically would be from the US, the town of Night Vale specifically. Elias can’t do shit about it and gets a headache and slowly creeping madness instead.

(Look, I know probably everyone has read this because if they haven't, what have you been DOING with your lives??? Jon interning at Night Vale is Incredible, nothing phases this man, it's Delightful. I laughed so many times reading this, I'm not even kidding right now. Read or perish.)

The Favour by R_Cookie

Fandoms: Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Ship: Original Percival Graves/Harry Potter

Percival is ten years old when his grandfather tries to tell him that he's ensured the greatness of the Graves legacy for him, that he ought to be eternally grateful - but the explanation is hijacked by a stranger who manages to intimidate Chester Graves with an ease never seen before.

or: Hadrian (Harry) Potter is the Master of Death, who grants Graves a boon. Nobody could have known that the Deathly Hallows didn't turn you so much into the 'Master of Death' as into the anthropomorphic personification of Death. And so, Death becomes Percival's guardian angel, and Percival does not spit out his cereal.

(Look, I don't know how I stumbled back into the FBAWTFT fandom either, it just happened and I'm grateful for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found this amazing fic. Their relationship is slow and strange and I just love how Percival is characterized here. Also, one of the tag promises that it deviates from canon so I am really, really excited for that! XD)

baby that's what i do by natanije

Fandoms: Naruto, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!

"Are you telling me," Hidan exclaims, incredulous, "that you collect money all this time to give to orphans?!"

Kakuzu pauses. He blinks a few times.

"Huh. I guess I do."

(Tsuna reincarnates as Kakuzu and it's HILARIOUS. HE'S SUCH A MOM HAHAHA)

[nct-jihee]

— FRIENDSHIPS WITHIN SM

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Naturally (and like any SM Entertainment artist) Jihee maintains a good relationship with all groups and artists of their company — there's a reason they're known for their good friendships. However, while some of them are very nice and supportive seniors, others are close friends and she's lucky to call them that.

❛ JOY and SEULGI from RED VELVET ❜

Although Jihee is close with Red Velvet, it is with Joy and Seulgi that she has the best relationship.

Seulgi was one of the first trainees to receive her when Jihee arrived at SM Entertainment and she was the one who helped her practice the most, they sometimes ate together and always gave each other advice. After their debut they continued to be just as close, always congratulating and supporting each other on their respective comebacks.

When Joy came to the company they automatically became friends — and no longer was just Jihee, it was Jihee and Sooyoung, the inseparable trainees. The two of them wanted to debut together so bad, but even though they didn't their friendship is still as strong. They often go out with their group of friends, upload selcas and more than once they did lives together. They like to think that in some past life maybe they were sisters.

❛ SUHO and XIUMIN from EXO ❜

Suho and Xiumin are one of the people outside NCT who take care of her the most, her members know that if they're not around those two will always protect her.

However, while Suho acts more like a protective father who sometimes embarrasses her daughter with his jokes and antics, Xiumin takes on the role of the clown big brother who is obviously older but because of his personality (and the way he jokes with her) seems to be her age — that's why they're often mistaken as siblings.

Her mood goes up when she is in the same room as them and you can tell by how much she smiles. When Xiumin was doing his military service she went to visit him a few times and now that Suho is also there she tries to do it too.

❛ MINHO from SHINEE ❜

Minho is undoubtedly like that cool cousin or uncle who amazes you with everything he does. He dances? She goes wow! He speaks? She goes wow! He sneezes? Wow!

She often asks him for a lot of advice regarding idol stuff and personal problems. He's just always there for her and helps her with everything. But he never ever helps with boy drama, that's a forbidden subject — not only NCT 127 warned him about that, but Suho and Onew did as well.

They sometimes joke around a lot and tease each other, when he came home from his military service they did a live together and just basically acted like annoying cousins.

❛ TAEYEON ❜

Taeyeon was one of the SM artists who immediately became close to her when she debuted, along with Jessica and Tifanny (although the latter two were already close to her before her debut).

Taeyeon's first thought was that Jihee would need protection not only from the industry but from the entire world. And that is why she always approached her and treated her like a little girl, which was very confusing for Jihee, no matter how grateful she was with her senior.

It was like that for at least 3 years, them having a mother-daughter relationship. But now that changed, especially when Taeyeon realized that Jihee was really a woman and had grown up well despite how difficult it had been for her. She still treats her affectionately, but now it's more like older sister loving her younger sister.

❛ AESPA ❜

Their friendship begins with NingNing, back in 2016 when the youngest had recently become a trainee and Jihee had made her first debut with NCT U.

NingNing had quickly become a fan as soon as she saw her sing and dance, but at the time she was too shy to come up to greet her when she saw her training, so she would just watched her. On the other hand, Jihee became interested in her when she heard her voice and immediately recognized her talent and potential, then she approached her. From then on the youngest always asked her for advice and Jihee happily helped her.

When NingNing finally made her debut, Jihee was super happy and was the first one to show her support. After their debut she got to know the other girls well and immediately became fond of them — she is willing to protect them from all evil in the world.

Jihee really loves Aespa: their songs, concept, dance, voices, rap, personalities, all of them. She always shows them support, and she has been on various TikToks with them — like, for real, nctzen see her more in that account than in NCT's. Honestly, at this point Jihee is Aespa 5th member (or 9th).

————— SPECIAL MENTIONS

╰───────────╮•╭───────────╯

the "not so close but still close" squad !

boa onew changmin eunhyuk

They're not the closest but they do tend to check on how she is doing and see if she needs help with something or is eating well.

[jessicajonesrp]

Public warning

Patricia Walker does not do well with lack of control. It’s a tendency passed down from life with Dorothy Walker, easily the most controlling non super-powered person she had ever met. For the first eighteen years of her life, most of Trish’s actions, from her clothes to her work to her every public word and expression, had been chosen for her by Dorothy, and the only real choice she had for herself was whether to give in and make life easier for herself or rebel and suffer Dorothy’s wrath.

 Her desire for the control she had lacked had left her with severe insecurity, eating disorders, and self medication through drugs, all issues she struggled with for a good ten years before channeling her need for control into efforts at bettering herself and helping others. She had finally reached a place where life was stable, heading in a direction Trish could be content with, if not fully satisfied.

 And then Kilgrave happened. First to Jessica only, without Trish having any idea why her best friend had suddenly vanished without contact for eight months, and then with the shattered mess it left her once Trish did know and struggled to support her. Then to Trish herself, when she, against Jessica’s orders and even pleas, involved herself in trying to draw him out and capture him.

 Trish knew she had not suffered anywhere near the level that her sister had from Kilgrave, but it was still enough to make her feel sick and cold when she remembered. She still occasionally had nightmares of his cold, snapping voice, telling her to shoot herself in the head, telling her to kill people she had never met before out on the docks. She still shivered in disgust when she remembered the feeling of his hands on her face, his lips on her skin, the terrible ambivalence of wanting to kiss him, enjoying it, even as every part of her true self screamed out in horror. And she could never forget Simpson’s hands around her throat, choking her nearly to the point of death at Kilgrave’s command.

 She had hated and feared the man from the first moment Jessica managed to stutter out what he had done to her. No, she had hated him before then, when she first saw the unnaturally shocked, broken state of her sister when she finally broke free from his initial control. Anyone who could hurt Jessica so deeply and so permanently earned her hatred without needing to know their identity.

 And now he was back. Again. As much as Trish feared for herself, for being used or even killed in his obsessive pursuit of Jessica, she feared even more that Kilgrave would damage Jessica even more deeply, that he would continue to pile up dead and damaged bodies around himself and place the blame at her feet. Jessica didn’t need this, not again. And if Trish could do anything to help or stop it, it would help her feel just a little bit more of a sense of the control she knew she didn’t really have.

 She made her way to her recording studio after first sending some of Heroes for Hires guards ahead of her to thoroughly check out the studio for any signs of danger from Kilgrave or any of his like, giving them a code phrase to use to insure that they would be able to alert her if he did show up and control them or others.  Trish had already called ahead to insure that all people were thoroughly searched for any possible weapons and passed at least twice through the metal detectors already installed before being allowed entrance. After receiving the all clear, she went, Jessica insisting on accompanying her, via one of Danny’s cars to the studio, passing through the checks put in place and heading straight to her recording studio and instructing the techs to set up for a live broadcast. She was aware of Jessica skulking behind her, hands shoved in her pockets, as Trish rapidly read from the speech she had just finished churning out.

 “Good afternoon New York City and beyond, this is Trish Walker with an urgent report coming to you from Trish Talk, by way of myself and all our associates at Heroes for Hire. Soon, a follow up broadcast will be coming your way via Channel 5 News with more information, but please, listen very carefully to this announcement for your safety and those of your loved ones.”

 Trish paused, swallowing, and snuck a glance back at Jessica’s impassive expression before facing the mic again and continuing. “Most of you may remember the terrible events of last summer, when the man whom called himself Kilgrave provided mass terror and destruction in our city and in far too many of our own lives and homes. It is to my great sorrow that I inform you that Kilgrave is not, as was believed, deceased. Kilgrave has made personal contact with myself and with-“

 Jessica made violent throat slashing motions behind her that Trish saw out the corner of her eye, and Trish edited her intended words smoothly.

 “With myself and my colleagues, and we have evidence to support that this is no hoax. Please be aware of yourself and those you love at all times. Know their whereabouts, establish coded phrases and patterns of behavior in order to test out the level of control the people in your life may have at any given moment. Kilgrave is a white male with a British accent, last known to have short medium brown hair and brown eyes. He tends to dress in a professional manner, especially in dark purple suits and ties, and he is considered a threat of the level of nuclear war. Do not approach him should you see him; instead do all you can to get away and call in our hotline at Trish Talk or Heroes for Hire to report a possible sighting. If you suspect that someone you know may be controlled, treat them in the same manner, do all you can to subdue them without causing permanent harm to them if necessary. Kilgrave’s powers last up to 12 hours, so do not under any circumstances try to reason with anyone you suspect to be controlled. If at all possible, wear ear plugs or head phones or listen to loud music when necessary to go out in public. Kilgrave cannot gain control of those whom are not within his direct path and whom cannot hear his commands. He-“

 “Stop,” a voice suddenly came over the ear, and both Trish and Jessica jumped, recognizing the voice after a moment as not Kilgrave’s, but female and American. Trish quickly identified the voice a second later as belonging to one of her tech support assistants, Chloe Ash. “The information is over.”

 “What the fuck?” Jessica hissed, shooting Chloe a vicious glower and striding towards her quickly. “Will you shut up, even I know to shut the hell up on a live recording, over something this damn important!”

 Trish tried to recover, giving a somewhat forced chuckle and speaking over them. “I apologize, there are some technical difficulties, but if you’ll bear with me I will make sure you all get the information you need. As I was saying, Kilgrave cannot-"

 “This information is too much, this recording is over,” Chloe repeated, more loudly and forcefully, standing up and taking the headphones off of her ears. She fairly shouted out her next few words, speaking loudly enough that Trish’s words were drowned out.

 “Loyal listeners, you will now hear the sound of a suicide by Chloe Ash, Patsy Walker’s employee. More are to follow in the names and as a direct result of the avoidance and rejection of Jessica Jones. Goodbye, loyal listeners, and know that Kilgrave is a patient man.”

 She head butted Jessica in the face when Jessica grabbed for her arm, ducking under her and weaving to the other side of Trish. As Trish leaped up, expecting Chloe to grab or try to harm her, the young woman instead ran to a small cabinet against the walls containing little more than sound equipment and various office supplies. Throwing it open, she grabbed a pair of scissors from its contents, opened the blades wide, and closed them around the front of her throat.

 She made no sound, showed no pain as she dragged the scissor blades more deeply into her skin, sawing back and forth to make as rough and deep a wound as possible. The live recording now picked up the sound of Trish’s horrified scream, her outcries of “Oh god, no, no!” as blood spattered in a wide arc just short of reaching her, and the noisy scuttle of multiple feet moving towards Chloe as others tried to reach her before it was too late.

 Jessica got to her first and wrenched the scissors out of her hand, breaking them in half and throwing them down so Chloe could not get them and use them any further. Tearing off her oversized sweatshirt, she pressed it against the woman’s throat, grimly noting how the blood immediately stained through its thick material and onto her fingers, how it had sprayed hot and thick over her arms and chest before she could touch her at all. The woman didn’t try to speak, likely couldn’t have, but she was losing all color in her face, her eyes already growing glassy and lifeless, and as Trish sputtered and tried not to vomit or pass out in the background, Jessica held onto the almost useless bloodied sweater, as though she could somehow keep the woman alive just by holding on tight enough.

 It didn’t matter. Within another minute the woman was clearly dead, limp and unmoving under Jessica’s hands, and she could hear the shrill noise of sirens in the background. Jessica let her drop to the ground, stumbling back and nearly yelling out loud when she bumped into Trish and felt her hands latch onto her arm.

 “We have to go, now,” she mumbled, giving her sister’s arm a rough tug.” Before someone else of his comes through in the aftermath.”

 Even as she lead Trish out of the room and building, she could still hear the dying woman’s words echo in her mind. More are to follow, as a direct result of the avoidance and rejection of Jessica Jones…

[whump-town]

Happy Birthday, Hotch!

Waking up surrounded by nothing but white walls, Aaron Hotchner… feels sick. Miserably, his throat burns as he coughs up stomach acid choking on what little bile does come up. He must have passed out some time earlier but his cheek is resting on the toilet’s lowered rim so that has to be some sort of win. Better than the nothing in his stomach-- nothing in his body except pain killers that wore off hours ago and the Gatorade he’d sipped to make the charge-nurse at the hospital happy.

But at least he’s home.

Speaking of---

There’s a harsh knocking on the front door. He recognizes that as the sound that had woken him up from his toilet nap. Whoever it is-- Dave, he recognizes a moment too late-- is not happy.

Picking himself up off of the ground, knees and back and every joint in his body heaving complaint, he makes a shaky attempt to move from the bathroom.

“Hotch!”

That’s… that’s not Dave.

“Emily?” All the way from London? “What’re you--”

He’s taken aback when she throws her arms around his neck. It takes him by storm, a stumbling storm of honeysuckles and lavender and all so very distinctly Emily. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her until this moment. He entertains himself by thinking the swell of emotions in his chest is caused by the medicine in his system and not the genuine pain of missing her so desperately.

“Happy birthday,” she whispers, still rocked up onto her toes so that she’s tall enough to hug him properly. “I’ve missed you, you old bastard.” She pulls away from their hug first which in itself is a dead giveaway that something isn’t right.

He’s warm to the touch. Too warm. That’s excusable but added with the mess his apartments in and the mess he looks…

“You’re sick.”

Hotch is a very organized and predictable man. He sleeps in old t-shirts and sweatpants. The man wouldn’t be caught dead in his underwear. The closest thing to a design his apartment has is in the books he leaves propped open, print side down on various surfaces. Asides, of course, the toys left mid-play by Jack. It’s tidy and unique and very him.

The man standing before them now is not that same man.

He’s standing in plaid green boxers, absent of the shirt he thinks he might have gone to bed in. There are tissues on the coffee table, a blanket of sorts over the sociology book he’d been reading earlier this week. He’s only got one sock on and with Emily no longer holding his shoulders square he sways slightly. As if rocking with a breeze only he’s aware of.

His sleep-deprived mind having a hard time processing all of this. His birthday? Is it November? It can’t be November… Surely he’d know if it were his own birthday… wouldn’t he?

There’s a wordless exchange shared as Emily steps back and allows Dave to step close. Hotch stands still-- which speaks volumes-- as Dave presses his wrist to his forehead. With a solemn nod Dave condemns his fate, “oh he’s sick alright.”

Hotch rubs at his nose with the back of his hand, “I already went to the doctor.” Actually, he’d gone to the ER. Jessica had dragged him there kicking and screaming--- or rather, grumbling and too weak to stand (she’d said it was the same thing). He can’t remember how long ago that was.

Dave huffs at that and Hotch jumps when Morgan’s voice adds, “he’s got a prescription from yesterday.” Morgan flips the bottle around to read the label. He blows out a breath and passes it to Reid. “I have not idea what this is for, though.”

Reid scans over the whole bottle and hums, “for the flu.” He hands it back to Morgan, “you don’t recognize the name because it’s not the typical prescription doctor’s are asked to prescribe.” Reid passes the medicine to Dave, who holds his hand out expectantly. “This medication, while proven not to be as effective, won’t counteract with the blood thinners Hotch has, also, been prescribed to take daily.”

Biting his lip, Reid acknowledges his boss won’t like him further adding it could counteract with the other medications he takes for his OCD, thyroid, or the anxiety that he tells his therapist only has a tendency “flare up”. Still, those medications could cause additional side-effects.

“Here,” JJ gets tired of seeing Hotch just standing there shivering. His glossy eyes seem vacant and far off and she assumes this is why he hasn’t moved to cover himself up despite how badly his body is shaking. So, she pulls the blanket off of the back of the couch and pulls it around his bare shoulders.

Hotch blinks owlishly at her… how many people are in his apartment right now? There’s Emily who’s now taking him by the hand guiding him to the couch. He can see Reid and Morgan tossing discarded tissues into the trash can from where they’ve been left to sit on the coffee table. There’s JJ who, as he caves into the couch, pulls his blanket a little tighter around him. Dave leaves the room without comments leaving…

“I can’t believe you’re sick on your birthday.”

Garcia.

It’s sweet that she’s so concerned but…

“Is it really my birthday,” he asks, turning to Emily. Surely, this is all a part of one of her games or maybe he’s dying on the bathroom floor and this is all some hallucination. If it’s a hallucination he’d really like to imagine some pants and a shirt, please.

Emily looks so sad when she turns to him that he almost regrets having asked. “Your birthday is November 2nd, isn’t it?”

JJ takes his hand and adjusts the blankets again as he keeps sinking back into the couch. Her hands are freezing.

He nods, throat sore and head too cloudy to really want to reply.

“It’s your birthday then.”

Dave comes into the room with a handful of pills. There’s green and blue and white and at least five different pills sitting in his palm right now. It’s startling within itself to the others but Hotch takes them without question because five pills really isn't that much to him.

“Drink some more of that,” Dave says, putting his hand under the glass of water Hotch only sips before trying to put down. He guides it back to Hotch’s mouth, ignoring Hotch’s weak grunt of protest. Hotch pulls away sooner than Dave would like but he’s already looking queasy and Dave backs off, not wanting to push it.

Hotch looks around, dazed and confused, when JJ and Emily both stand from where they’d been sitting beside him on the couch. “Get some sleep,” JJ says, guiding him by the shoulders to the side so that he’s laying down.

He doesn’t want to sleep. Not with them here. Not when his guard needs to be up and he has to be the boss, the guy they can rely on.

“We’ll be here when you wake up,” JJ promises, kisses his temple.

But… it’s so hard to fight…

“Please get better,” Garcia whispers, bending down to hug him. He grunts a little, smiling despite himself when she squeezes him. It’s worth the small smile she gives back.

Emily lingers for a moment. She doesn’t hug him or kiss his head. She just runs her hand through his tangled hair, shaking her head at this whole mess. For someone so guarded, so stuck on being perfect he seems to constantly be getting himself into these messes. A drama queen, really.

And that’s the final straw. He can’t fight how soothed he is by her fingers slowly ghosting through his hair. He’s just vaguely aware of when she pulls away. Her hand moving from his hair and the blanket around his shoulder being tugged up over his shoulders. “Get some sleep, Aaron.”

And he does.

Garcia thinks it’s the cutest thing she’s ever seen in her entire life. Aaron Hotchner snores?? Why hadn’t they told her that?

“Because,” Emily comments, popping a grape into her mouth. “It’s cute now, to you, but go on a case and get stuck with that--” she throws an accusing thumb in the direction of the softly snoring couch. “Not so cute anymore.”

JJ rolls her eyes. Dave had assigned her to cutting carrots as she’d proven to be the only competent person he could trust (his words not hers). So, the farthest side of the island in the kitchen had been taken over by the girls. Leaving Reid and Morgan to fend for themselves (they’d found Jack’s connect four game and have been playing that for the last hour).

“Dave is the worst,” JJ says with a strange amount of conviction. “It goes Dave, Derek, Spence, then Hotch.”

Emily scoffs, “uh, no. Dave, definitely the worst, but Reid is way worse than Derek.” She pulls a few more grapes off the vine. She’d found the bag in Hotch’s fridge, which was startling empty. Given that she won’t go stealing Jack’s gummies, that left the grapes.

“How have things been,” she asks. She doesn’t typically feel too guilty about leaving them but seeing how things are right now… “Other than,” she tilts her head back towards the couch. To Hotch.

JJ shrugs and Garcia shares the same not displeased but nothing to comment look. After a moment Garcia softly says, “it’s not always like this but… we miss you.”

JJ nods, pausing in her carrot cutting. She stares, for a moment, at those chopped carrots. They really do miss her and how could they not? Resuming her job she tries to shake that thought away. She’s here now, that’s all that matters.

Hotch stirs on the couch, a distressed groan coming from either the mound of pillows Garcia’s stacked around him or the blankets she’s stacked on him. Either way, before anyone else can move, Derek is standing and waving for them to remain where they are.

Emily watches as Derek disappears behind the couch. His deep voice rumbles as he talks to Hotch. “Easy, easy,” Derek says, a hint of trepidation. “Come on--” Derek stands, stumbling back and Hotch’s head becomes visible for just a moment before he falls forward.

Derek stands, “Dave!”

Hotch grumbles something and the two argue for a moment before Dave can get there.

Emily stands, starting a whole wave of movement.

Dave holds up his hand to hold them off, “he’s fine.” And they see that for themselves a second later when, heavily supported by Derek’s shoulder, Hotch stands. The blanket falls off his shoulders, giving them a good view of his back. The muscles taunt with the effort he’s putting into moving.

And, as they are told, the other’s stay right where they are. They watch every step he takes, waiting on bated breath as Morgan and Hotch argue all the way back to the bathroom and even then, they can still hear the two of them going at it. Which is annoying but if Hotch is well enough to argue then he’s well enough to eat the soup Dave’s been pouring his heart into for the better part of the last hour.

“Now listen,” Dave says, hands on hips and talking to everyone sans Hotch and Morgan. “Jack is on his way with a birthday card and a chipper attitude. I won’t have you all ruining that, understood? That boy is going to be better than any medicine we could have Aaron choke down right now.”

Jack’s not stupid but it’s unlikely he’ll react well to them freaking out.

So, they’re going to be the perfectly happy little family that they are.

“If you don’t eat that soup--” Dave is standing, hovering over Aaron’s side.

Hotch raises an eyebrow in question. While his birthday might not matter to him in the grand scheme of his favorite days and things worth celebrating, it matters to them. Enough so, Dave won’t do shit if he doesn’t eat this soup. Plus he doesn’t really want to eat it. It’s not that it doesn’t smell good or even look good. He just doesn’t want to throw up.

“You’ll what,” Hotch inquires hoarsely. “Break into my house again?”

Emily glances up at that, “it’s not really breaking in if we have a key.”

There’s a hum of agreeance, the other’s happily eating Dave’s soup.

Hotch rolls his eyes but picks up the spoon.

Dave pats his back, giving Hotch a proud smile. “Happy Birthday, son.”

Hotch blushes under the attention, ducking his head as the other’s chime in alongside Dave. He shyly thanks them with a nod of his head, “thanks, guys.”

[dearest-bucky]

There went my heart (One Shot)

Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: A new nurse starts working with the Avengers and she takes an immediate liking to one blue eyed, metal armed super soldier. The best part is that he likes her too. 

Words: 2.5K

Warnings: None, I think.. Fluff

Originally posted:  May 28, 2020

How does one starts working with the Avengers? Or rather for the Avengers, but these are just technicalities, really.  Truth is, she had no idea! It seemed as if she was just a very lucky person. When Tony Stark offered her to be a part of the medical team alongside Helen Cho and Bruce Banner, she wasn't dumb to decline. It's not that she wasn't happy working as a nurse in one of the many hospitals of New York, but being able to work with the Avengers themselves, was really something else. And she couldn't wait to meet them all and introduce herself.

On the first day of her new job, most of the team was away on a mission, so she only met with the other nurses and lab assistants. She was walking around the med bay, getting familiar with her surroundings when one of her new colleagues, a dark haired nurse named Jessica, called her from the door of the lab.

"Come on Y/n, we have to get ready. The team will arrive in 30 minutes and Captain Rogers informed us that they need medical assistance. Several team members were injured in this one." As the other woman finished speaking she ran towards the infirmary room to prepare for their arrival.

No longer than the 30 minutes Captain America had informed, several people came barreling through the doors of the infirmary. A red head woman that she recognized as Black Widow was leaning heavily on Steve Rogers' shoulder, one of her hands putting pressure on her side. One of the nurses moved quickly towards them to assist. Following was Sam Wilson, walking alone but with a small limp and just a black eye. He seemed to keep himself up fine, but another nurse ran to him too, tending to whatever little wound he had. Sitting in a chair to let the nurse do her job, his voice a little gruff as he spoke. "Someone check on Bucky, a bullet pierced his shoulder through."

She turned her head towards the door where Bucky had entered last, a scowl on his slightly pale face, but Y/n couldn't help but see that he was in fact a very handsome man, despite his current state. No camera, no matter how advanced its lenses were, could ever do justice to that man's beauty.

Next to her, she felt Jessica go stiff and shift her feet slightly, but not daring to move. Y/n was thinking she'd be the one to take care of him since she'd been working in the compound longer than she had, but seeing the other woman had no intention of leaving her spot, her professional training kicked in and before she knew it, Y/n was walking towards Bucky where he had already taken a seat in one of the cots.

His shoulders were slumped and his head was hanging low, so she carefully cleared her throat to make herself present. She didn't want to startle him or hurt him in any way, so with a soft voice, she spoke up. "Hello Sergeant Barnes, can I take a look at your shoulder?"

At the sound of her voice, he picked his head up to look at the person who was talking to him and he was surprised to see a young woman standing so close to him, he had no idea how she had gotten this close without him noticing. Her light skin complexion, illuminating more under the artificial lighting made her looked like an angel. Yeah, Bucky was surprised, but good surprised. He only nodded his head, not trusting his voice to speak up, but that was all she needed to begin working. Her touch was light as a feather as she cut his shirt to take care of his wound. He noticed she was careful as she touched him, almost cautious, but it wasn't because she was scared of him, not at all. She just didn't want to inflict him any more pain that he was already enduring, and that warmed his heart like nothing and no one had done in decades.

His eyes were glued to her face as she worked, the tip of her tongue poked out in concentration as she tended to his wound and Bucky thought she was nothing short of adorable. He was lost in thoughts of her and he didn't even feel her cut the thread as she finished sewing his wound. She put a clean bandage on it and with a small smile playing on her lips, she spoke up again. "I'm done."

Bucky moved his eyes to look anywhere but her face as he mumbled a "thanks" and a blush crept up his neck and cheeks in an instant. He felt as if she had caught him daydreaming about her; in fact he'd been so lost in his head he hadn't even felt the needle pierce his flesh at least a dozen times as she sewed him up. But could anyone blame him for losing his mind when she stood so close to him looking like an angel?

It was later that day when the Avengers were all cleared from the med bay and sent to bed rest, after cleaning and putting things back to place, that she had a chance to sit for a few minutes to catch a breath. Jessica sat in the chair next to her, her hair a little disheveled from the many times she'd carded her fingers through it. She let out a sigh before speaking. "So, how was your first day? Were your expectations for this job met?"

Y/n let out a small chuckle at her questions. "It was great really. I mean, working with superheroes is really something. But I loved it. I'm happy to be here." She said sincerely.

"Yeah, about that. You were really brave to walk up to Barnes today." At that, the smile that was playing in Y/n's lips dropped in a second, only to be replaced with a small frown, a crease forming between her brows. She waited for Jessica to continue speaking, to explain what she meant, so she silently tilted her chin up to nudge her to speak again. "It's just that he's kind of scary, you know..." She started and Y/n's brows only furrowed more. "You know of his past, right? You know what he has done, everyone knows. Plus he's always wearing a scowl on his face, as if he hates everyone around here. None of the nurses work with him, only dr. Cho or dr. Banner take care of him when he comes in."

Y/n couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was still being judged for his past, for something that wasn't his fault at all.  She knew he was a victim just like every other person he'd been forced to hurt and kill. She scoffed in annoyance at her co-worker's words, the other woman's eyes widening in surprise at the reaction.

"I can't believe you're saying this. None of that was his fault, you know that, everybody knows that. Yet here you are, judging him for something he had no control over. He's a war hero, you know. He gave his life for this country once and he's doing it again everyday he goes out on a mission, just like the rest of the Avengers are." A fire was ignited in her chest, a strong desire to defend the man and that's what she was doing. She would defend him in front of the whole world, she decided right then and there, if it was needed. "You should be happy to have the honor of taking care for him afterwards, not talk behind his back."

Jessica only lowered her head, in shame or something else, Y/n couldn't tell, but she was glad to have given her a piece of her mind, plus it made her shut her mouth. She got up from the chair and took off her white coat, her job for the day being finished. She was ready to go back home and get a good night's sleep after a really active first day.

The next couple of months passed in a blur, really. Everyday she'd get up and go to work, weekends too.  After all, there are no weekends off from saving the world. Doctor Banner was kind enough to give her a day off every week, but most of the time she refused because she had no better place to be.

During this time, Bucky would enter the med bay more times than she could count, but she never complained anyway. His presence was always welcome to her, and if it was up to her, she'd be happy to have him there every day. Just to see him. Most of the time he came in with the pretense to see Bruce, others he'd be back from a mission with several cuts and bruises that Y/n was always ready to tend to.

She was conversing to one of the other nurses, listening to the other woman talk about her 14 years old daughter and her challenges as mother of a teenager, when she heard someone clear their throat behind them. She quickly turned her head around, only to be met with Bucky's figure, a sheepish look in his face.

"Hi." She said, a little breathlessly. No matter how many times she saw him, he never ceased to amaze her. He was so handsome she wanted nothing more than to smother him with hugs and kisses every minute of every day. She shook her head lightly as if to get rid of those thoughts and got up to walk to him.

"Hi, doll." He replied and she blushed at the pet name. He'd started calling her that a few weeks ago and now it stuck. And she liked it more when he called her 'doll' than her actual name. Before she could ask him what was he doing there, he showed her his arm, a slash on his bicep and blood dripping down the entire limb.

Her eyes widened at the sight and she quickly grabbed some cotton balls and antiseptic, urging him to sit on one of the chairs before she started cleaning the blood off of his arm. "What happened?" She asked as she wiped the blood, throwing one cotton ball in the garbage can and grabbing another.

"Knife training with Nat, I lost focus and didn't step back in time so she grazed my arm. It was merely an accident." He explained and when the blood was cleaned she could see it wasn't that deep of a cut anyway. She still continued to nurse the cut though, silently dabbing  the cotton and applying an antibiotic ointment as to not get it infected.

"I didn't think a super soldier could lose focus." She replied with a playful smirk on her lips and Bucky smiled down at her.

"I guess there's just a lot in my mind lately." His words were accompanied with a small sigh and she didn't dare ask him more, for fear of overstepping a boundary or something. She finished with his arm and was about to move away, but he grabbed her wrist with his metal hand, preventing her from moving too far.

She turned her head to look at him, a questioning look in her eyes. "Thank you doll." He said simply and she returned his smile with one of her own.

"You're welcome." She replied simply despite his touch causing her entire body to flush with warmth and she tried again to move away from him - suddenly the closeness was too much. He only tightened her grip on her wrist, enough to let her know he didn't plan on letting her go, but not enough to hurt her in the slightest. Her heart was beating fast inside her rib cage and she knew he could hear it too, the thump thump's almost echoing in the otherwise silent room.

She realized then they were alone in the infirmary, the other nurse had left without so much as a word.

She could only stare at his face, his eyes locked to hers, a look she couldn't really place, before he spoke again. "No, thank you Y/n." The use of her name surprised her a little. He hadn't called her that in a while, opting to go for doll instead. "For being so kind to me. Kinder than anyone had been in a long time."

"Bucky..." She wanted to interrupt him, to say something, but he shook his head a little before speaking again.

"Before you, none of the nurses would take care of me, always glancing in my direction in fear and suspicion, as if I'd lash out and go all psycho on them. But then you came, and you walked to me, so soft and caring and with a touch so light I thought you were an actual angel." His words were causing her to blush a deep shade of pink but she didn't dare interrupt him again, scared that if she did all of this would have been a dream, a figment of her imagination.

Without even noticing, the hand that was holding her wrist had moved slightly towards her palm and their fingers were intertwined. She lowered her head to look at their joined hands and a smile formed on her lips, her thumb moving to caress his metal knuckles.

"Doll, forgive me if I'm outta line now but if I don't tell you this I think I'm gonna die in the spot." At that her eyes moved up to meet his expectantly, hopeful. A spark that she'd come to see more and more of lately was glinting in his own eyes and she could only wait for him to continue speaking. That he did. "Ever since the moment I saw you I felt something I hadn't felt in decades and doll I like you so much and maybe all of this is my imagination, but I think that you like me too and I was really hoping you'd want to have dinner with me sometimes?" He finished a little breathless, despite having spoken the words so slow as if he was afraid she'd miss it if he didn't enunciate each one of them.

The smile on her lips kept widening with each passing moment and she squeezed his hand in hers a little before speaking up her answer to him. "Bucky, I'd love nothing more."

A wide smile mirroring hers bloomed on his lips and all he could do was stare at her in admiration, not wanting to ruin the beauty of the moment with any other word or move. After a few minutes in silence, only staring at each other lovingly, Y/n finally found her voice to speak again. "Bucky?"

"Hmm..?"

She cleared her throat before speaking, taking a small moment to muster up the courage to speak the next words, but she couldn't help the blush that deepened in her cheeks as she spoke.

"I was really hoping you would kiss me."

[figonas]

Twilight Re-watch Notes Pt. 1 - A Contest for the Worst Movie Quote in History

I'd like to think I'm funny so please enjoy my scene-by-scene notes from a recent Twilight Saga re-watch.

Hey Catherine Hardwicke, opening with the death of an animal was probably not the best choice but go off I guess??

There is a lot of general Bella awkwardness that I'm skipping over here but the scene in gym class is so horrifically, painfully uncomfortable that I almost passed out from the second-hand embarrassment.

Jessica trying her best to be fake nice to the human embodiment of a crumpled soda can: "Aren't people from Arizona like....really tan"

Bella with all the cadence of a child who just found out Santa isn't real: "yeah..I guess that's why they kicked me out"

Mike clearly just trying to get his dick wet: "HAHAH you are funny"

no mike she is not.

I'm not gonna go into the biology class scene because god knows tumblr has beaten that particular horse to death. BUT the scene in the administration office immediately after that is a TRIP. Edward has one of his most dramatic lines here when they won't let him switch classes: “I’ll just have to endure it” ?!?!?!?!?!?! This is INSANITY, he sounds like he's going to burst into tears like Edward please chill you aren't even being a little subtle.

I will never get over Bella trying to put Ketchup on her burger and then just???? giving up???? when it doesn't come out after she limply shakes it approximately once.

“HOW YOU LIKIN DA RAIN GIRL” Is our first contender for the worst and most unnatural line in movie history, and trust me there are plenty more.

Bella accusatorily saying “you were gone” to Edward as if this dude who she met for approximately 30 minutes 2 weeks ago owes her even a PALTRTY SCRAP of an explanation about anything???????

Actually, this whole scene is a horrific nightmare of awkward intrusive conversation:

“You’re asking me about the weather” HOE WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT YOU DON’T KNOW EACH OTHER

“hey did you get contacts” WHO JUST ASKS THAT?!?

and of course; “it’s the fluorescents” [RUNS AWAY]

Charlie and Bella have the only organic-sounding dialogue in the entire movie. Any awkwardness they have is BELIEVABLE father-daughter awkwardness and not like "I'm being forced to film this against my will" awkwardness like every other exchange in this film series.

Bella asks Edward ALL OF ONCE about him saving her from the truck and Edward gets so haughty and smug thinking that Bella won't figure it out

“you’re not gonna let this go are you?” “no” “then I hope you enjoy disappointment” [storms off] MY DUDE LITERALLY 2 SCENES LATER SHE FIGURES IT OUT IN 3 GOOGLE CLICKS

“I had an adrenaline rush, it’s very common you can google it” contender number two for the terrible dialogue award.

Edward saying “if you were smart you would stay away from me” AFTER HE APPROACHED HER LIKE FUCK OFF [skeleton throwing its own skull gif]

Kstew got a lot of flack for her performance in this movie but when she has a good partner to exchange lines with she SHINES. The scene with Angela and her at the beach where she tells her to ask Eric to prom is GOOD. EVERY scene with Charlie in THIS ENTIRE FRANCHISE is GOOD. It is nothing but pure misogyny that Rpatz didn’t catch any flack for his truly, horrifically awkward performance

I cannot believe Stephanie thought it would be a good idea to have Edward save Bella from potentially getting gang r*ped like I get it girl is about the drama but still this is just a TOOOUCH too far

“your hand is so cold,” WHO SAYS THIS TO SOMEONE THEY BARELY KNOW COMPLETELY UNPROMPTED???

SHE TRIES TO REFUSE CARRYING BEAR MACE WHEN SHE WAS ALMOST R*PED NOT 4 HOURS PREVIOUSLY LIKE SIS CARRY A KNIFE?!?!?!?!?

The “you’re impossibly fast & strong” monologue is so bad I want to barf

“I’ve killed people before” “doesn’t matter” BITCH YES IT DOES WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

“MY OWN PERSONAL BRAND OF HEROIN” IS SO BAD. Like we all recognize how bad this is right? Especially when one considered the target demographic for these films, i.e. teenage girls, have NO FUCKING FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR THIS WHAT.SO.EVER.

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb” YOU’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR ALL OF 3 SECONDS I CAN’T WITH Y'ALL. AT LEAST THE BOOK HAD SOME BUILD-UP JESUS GEEZUS

Who thought this meadow scene was a good idea, they need to be sent straight to hell. WHY ARE THEY LAYING DOWN LIKE, SIT MAYBE?????? IT’S SO WEIRD AND UNNATURAL THEY LOOK LIKE DOLLS I HATE IT

The scene where they get out of the car and Edward puts his arm around Bella while Spotlight by Mutemath plays in the background is TOP TIER teen drama bs and I love it. Far and away the best shot in the movie apart from The Baseball Scene(TM).

I will never get over the fact that Edward's bitch ass rats Bella out for already eating when she comes over to meet his family. BE FUCKING COOL EDWARD FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, GOD!!!

Esme is too pure for this world I can’t deal with her, & Emmet waving the knife is my favorite thing in all 5 of these movies

Why tf are Alice and Jasper fucking off doing god knows what in a tree and not helping with dinner like everyone else? Y'all ain't special even Rosalie is helping

Esme talking to Rosalie “Clean this up..now” I LOVE YOU BE MY MOM

Earlier they talk about the fact that vampires don’t sleep BUT the first thing Bella says when she walks into Edward's room is “no bed” girl we know what you after you ain't slick.....

WHAT IS THIS DANCING SCENE IN HIS BEDROOM IT’S HORRIBLE TO WATCH and I want to find whoever thought “well I could always make you” was a good line for Edward to say and slap them directly in the mouth.

“hold on tight spider monkey” excuse me while I VOMIT

Mike offering his opinion on Bella dating Edward HOWEVER justified is automatically invalidated by A. his own romantic interest in Bella and B. the fact that he has also know Bella for all of 10 minutes & has no bearing on her personal life whatsoever

THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THIS MAN HAS BEEN COMING INTO HER ROOM AND WATCHING HER SLEEP THIS IS RED FLAG CITY LIKE BELLA WATCH A TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY OR READ THE NEWS FOR FUCKS SAKE

THIS FRANCHISE HAS THE MOST HORRIBLE KISSING SCENES IN MOVIE HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN HEAR LITERALLY EVERY BREATH, EVERY AWKWARD PRESS OF LIPS. You're telling me THIS was the best take of this???? CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW AWKWARD THIS WAS TO FILM

The whole scene when Bella is telling her dad about her date with Edward is absolutely god tier. Charlie snapping the barrel of the shotgun closed, him motioning that he has a halo on, asking her if she still has her pepper spray. BILLY BURKE LIFTED THIS MOVIE UP AND TRIED SO HARD TO CARRY IT ON HIS BROAD, MUSTACHIOED DAD SHOULDERS, WE STAN

WHERE TO START WITH THE BASEBALL SCENE:

Supermassive Black Hole in the background, Alice going AWF with her pitching, Rosalie getting all pissed when Bella says she's out and Emmett yells "c'mon babe it's just a game" like the puppy dog of a person (vampire?) he is, CARLISLE WEARING A SCARF WHILE PLAYING BASEBALL, I WILL NEVER EMOTIONALLY RECOVER FROM JASPERS BAT TRICKS, EMMET AND EDWARDS LAUGH AFTER CRASHING INTO ONE ANOTHER.

A TRULY IMMACULATE MOVIE SCENE. This scene isn’t long enough

“My monkey man” might be the worst line in this movie, I’m so torn between which one is the worst. Also, I'm just now realizing that this is the second time someone has compared a loved one to some type of monkey and I really don't like it.

Bella's defeated “I can’t hurt him” breaks my heart every time. AND FUCKING BILLY BURKE pulling out his acting chops with Charlie’s poor little broken sounding “I know I’m not that much fun to be around we can do more stuff together” & “I just gotcha back” LIKE LITERALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SCENE HURTS ME ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL AND I AM ENTITLED TO FINANCIAL COMPENSATION

I know I've skipped over a lot but it's just a lot of like star wipe level montage of nonsense, so we are mOVING ON to what is possibly the biggest plot hole I've never recognized before now: How in the hell was James planning on luring Bella out if he didn’t find that videotape of Bella's mom looking for her????? Or was he just going to bust up in the holiday inn, metaphorical guns blazing & toss Bella out a window???

This fight scene between James & Edward is VERY poorly choreographed and you can practically see the stunt wires pulling on their clothes but no one is surprised..this is Twilight after all.

Who the fuck starts the fire in the ballet studio if Carlisle & Edward are with Bella, Jasper and Emmet are holding James's arms and Alice is ripping his head off???? Esme and Rosalie aren't there so the only explanation is that Emmett's power Stephanie never told us about is his ability to start small, controlled, indoor bonfires with his mind.

If Bella was losing blood from her femoral artery it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that she would have been cognizant enough to tell them her hand was burning + THERE’S A BIG ASS BITE HOW DID THEY MISS IT???

Let Me Sign is such a good fucking song. Actually, while we're on music every song on every Twilight Saga soundtrack SLAPS. At least 1 department at Summit Entertainment was staffed with competent people. (side note, why the fuck do I know the studio by name that made this movie. I need to go lie down)

Bella acting a damn fool in the hospital bed like clingy much

CHARLIE IS SUCH A GOOD DAD FUCK!

The Edward/Jacob beef is so dramatic at prom can you both chill for 5 minutes we haven't even gotten to y'alls bullshit yet that's not until New Moon.

Bella really thought this mfer was gonna turn her at prom in the middle of the dancefloor??????????

Flightless Bird American Mouth. That's it, that's the bullet point

Victoria coming to prom, like we stan a dramatic bitch.

I will almost CERTAINLY post my New Moon (Extended Edition) notes in a few days. & yes I do have notes on the entire franchise.

[red-hood-vigilante]

hbo spn storylines, drabbles, ideas, thoughts, wishlist, whatever you may call it. it’s messy, nothing makes sense and pretty sure a lot of these contradict each other

more of sam at stanford with jessica/flashbacks. jessica potentially lives but is revealed to be a demon (but she developed actual feelings for sam and really did come to care for him because a demon falling in love with a human would be SO interesting) OR she lives but her memory gets wiped like dean did to lisa OR she dies like she did but she is a ghost that haunts sam (he welcomes it but eventually he lets her go -> character arc). he still dreams about her though and he has her keepsakes with him wherever he goes, her rings, her favourite book, anything that was left of her from the fire

you have to be extremely careful when making deals with demons because they are cunning and evil creatures. they will follow the rules of the deal but will find loopholes to put some sadistic twist on the terms. you want money? of course, too bad you’ll be arrested for fraud before you can use any of it and spend the next ten years in jail before i drag you to hell. you want a perfect husband? sure he’ll love you. in fact, he’ll love you so much he’ll keep you locked up in the basement to keep you safe etc etc. saving a person often becomes the person that causes or leads to your death.

the creation of jack: after s5, when lucifer is trapped in the cage again lucifer fuses his own soul with a human soul to create jack, who escapes to earth to find sam and castiel. i have a longer post about this saved in my drafts

lucifer is trapped for good in the cage after s5 but if he was to return again, dean would kill him while sam would kill michael - this would be nice parallels and a sort of fulfillment of the “one brother must kill the other” prophecy because one brother DO kill another brother, just not their own

more azazel and how he came to the plan of how to free lucifer; opening a hell gate earlier, more experimentations with the demon blood etc

mary was infected with the blood when she was a baby, sam is the first and only second generation special child (longer post about that here)

personally, i want to see more and know more about john and mary’s relationship. when mary died, john and mary had fulfilled their destiny (having sam and dean) so does that mean that his love and dedication to mary post her death was falsely fabricated by the angels to ensure sam and dean would grow up in ideal conditions to become hunters? or maybe, after mary’s death, john wakes up from the spell with two kids he doesn’t recognize and a wife he thinks he loved, but the memories of the past years of his life are like a fever dream; he never wanted to live in a town like this nor was he interested in having kids? but here the house is, and here are his kids, but now he’s alone and empty and with no answers. (idk i just find john and mary and their relationship very fascinating) if the latter, if john and mary see each other again it’s like the spell activates again and they become blindly in love with each other, but once gone, they return to their confused and hazey state of mind, like just woken up from a coma

i do like mary coming back but i love how in s5 when she wasn’t found in heaven it was hinted that she was just discarded because she had fulfilled her “purpose” and i think this adds to the whole notion of how heaven and angels can be really cruel AND how mary is this mythical, religious figure to both sam and dean and we only get to know her through their lenses, like religion and faith

ruby is present for a longer amount of time to make the reveal even more shocking. at one point or another, dean does actually trust her and they all work together on cases for a while. ruby’s backstory as a witch is more explored. i like her death in s4 because she’s in this total state of euphoria and has achieved a goal only she was entrusted with, and she is so convinced sam will understand, until sam holds her down while dean carves her heart out. so we either keep that or she serves lucifer for a while (until he kills her which she is happy about because of her blind loyalty to him, could again mirror dean and john/castiel and heaven) or she serves lucifer and like crowley she realizes lucifer will kill demons after humans (redemption arc, but i don’t really like that, let her be evil!!)

dean and sam helps bela out of her deal and she becomes their go-to person when they need a magic item or book. she doesn’t like it but she owes them. regularly hooks up with jo.

angels are really hollow soldiers - they only follow orders and don’t understand the concept free will or choice or individuality at all. they are extremely righteous and strike without warning often on a whim, often very bloody (explosions a la castiel in swan song). if something fall into what they consider justice they will kill it. no concept of love, attraction or gender. real form can’t be perceived by humans unless they want them to, which leads to eyes melting (pamela) or breaking a person’s mind (in 5.16 zachariah actually says that sam and dean sees him in his vessel bc they’re ‘limited’. so.)

castiel, anna, maybe uriel and some others are exceptions to this, but only becomes so after longer exposure to human’s world. even then, they don’t change their violent whims, just the reasoning and where their loyalty lies

hbo spn is s1-5 stretched out for 8-10 seasons with the aesthetics of s1-2. i’m cutting out demon dean, purgatory, the mark of cain, the men of letters, the alphas, leviathatan, god being the real villain all along and the other worlds because it was just too much and far remived from the roadtrip aesthetic. keeping kevin, charlie (she is introduced via ash bc they’re hacker friends), the trials, rowena, uuuh the angels falling is such an interesting concept but idk if it would fit. maybe metatron? but his motivations are different. soullessness + the concept of souls might be kept if it’s explained better. i’m torn on whether or not to include the campbells

hell, heaven and purgatory are explained but only seen in glimpses, keep these ideas ambiguous and up to interpretation outside of what we hear. remember the line ‘hell is...well, it’s like hell. even for demons’? leave it at that. the exception is 5.16 bc that episode fucks so hard

if we end on swan song and let the show be the tragedy it is, i want to keep the ambiguous ending. is that sam or lucifer? if it’s sam, will he contact dean or walk away? we will never know! there is also no ‘the world is ending’ more than once, it really lost its impact after the second or third time.

idk how i feel about the men of letters - it is logical that there would be organized hunting and an established network and system on how to do things, but for the sake of keeping it hbo-style and grounded, there are no networks beyond the roadhouse and singer’s salvage yard.

i want sam and dean not have a permanent home except the impala, motels and impala ONLY. the bunker had potential but it was just for the sake of convenience it was there with all the lore and answers they needed when it was necessary. maybe eventually they do stop travelling so much when it becomes more about the Big Stuff instead of the episodic cases that requires driving all the time but it will be like an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. i want sam and dean to never have a physical house as a home but they scrape together whatever they have make something similar to a show

as the show progresses, sam and dean become pretty hated by other hunters because they’ve started apocalypse and have an increasingly shitty reputation. and john was an infamous good hunter but also a dick. everybody knows that people who work with the winchesters often end up dead, that one brother will sacrifice anything and anyone to save the other and that they frequently work alongside demons. even the ones they DO work with (jo, ellen, bobby, rufus, bela) are hesitant to be involved with them

sam’s powers are strong but after killing lilith and the truth revealed to him, he represses the powers in shock and fear of how blinded he was by them and the rush of power they gave him. a little more about how sam fears what the lust for power and strength did to him. he continues to repress his powers, often to a dangerous point where he will be on death’s door as a result of not using them. when meeting jack and mentoring him in using his powers, jack asks him about sam’s powers after sensing them. sam eventually decides to lead by example and embraces his powers again, but remains extremely careful about using them (this also fulfills dean’s arc of having to let go of the holy-innocent-pure-ideal-not a person but an idealized version of sam-little brother sam he has put on a pedestal for so long)

bobby is viewed as a father figure by sam and dean but bobby makes it clear he doesn’t want that burden or relationship in his life after his wife died. he makes this clear to them too, but sam and dean have fucked up perceptions of parental figures so they don’t think bobby means it (they just latch on to whatever parental figures they can find)

we see more of sam’s relationship with the side characters; sam and jo hunt together on occasion, he hangs out with ash and talks hacking when visiting the roadhouse. he and ellen loves playing poker together. if anything, dean is the one who’s isolated - he only ever really cared about mary, john, sam and cassie, and never really had any friends. sam is way more well adjusted and sociable after spending time at stanford where he’s had conversations that didn’t only revolve around dead bodies and lore. 

this could also feed into dean’s extreme abandonment issues and isolation he feels and how this would affect his psyche

sam and dean are both unknowingly prepared to become the perfect vessels; sam loses his humanity by becoming more and more like lucifer (defying his father and his will) while dean becomes prepared by doing what michael did; casting his brother away in his time of need (blindly following his father and his will). very much like in s4 but even more intense and brutal (i love angst :))

we see different hybrids; demon/human (antichrist), human/(arch)angel (nephilim) and demon/angel (???), but none of them are all powerful bc narratively that’s really boring. they’re strong but have very specific powers that affects them and/or their surroundings in catastrophic ways (but no other worlds bs, we stick to the road trip aesthetic, keep it grounded). i want the only all powerful character to be god but he doesn’t show up at all, he’s the ultimate absent father. is it chuck? we never find out!

powers would for example include giving people diseases, force anyone close to them to tell the truth (not consciously, it’s just the air around them), read minds, create storms, light things on fire when they’re angry, make people hallucinate etc. like fucked up shit but not things that are too grande because again - that’s really boring

abbadon, the princes of hell and the four horsemen are more fleshed out villains instead of the one season reign the each had. 

being a prince of hell is a title that is inherited - after azazel dies, sam gets the title because he is the one with azazel’s blood in him OR meg does, but idk if that would be as interesting (if she actually was his daughter)

it remains a horror show throughout, lots of gore and blood

the moral code and ethics of the brothers are the opposite of the beginning; dean thinks in black and white, sam sees shades of grey and individuals instead of what they are. however, as the show progresses, their train of thought becomes opposites; dean becomes more open to how people are true evil and how monsters are often victims of their circumstance while sam becomes harsher and less forgiving after ruby’s betrayal along with finding out the truth of his existence and how there’s been demons around his entire life. eventually they’re on the same page and they see the circumstances. 

on the other hand; i also really fuck with the idea of dean maintaining his black and white morals on that all monsters=inherently evil, humans=inherently pure and good, but he is the only human on team free will. sam is half demon, castiel is an angel, jack is a nephilim, rowena is a witch, garth is a werewolf, mary is a zombie etc

demons become demons in hell by agreeing to become the torturer and thus giving up their humanity to be free of pain, does that mean they could become humans again by regaining some humanity? by doing good deeds? (potentially this is confirmed with jessica and how she came to love sam; genuine love and care for a human could reverse the demon process?) this also means dean was a demon in hell but was purified/turned back again when castiel raised him. this also plays into dean becoming like michael; in trying to absolve himself from what he did in hell he becomes ruthless, unforgiving and righteous to evil, much like the angels, regardless of his personal connection to a person and what he would consider “evil”

dean and pacifisim: after dean is cured from being a demon/the mark of cain/is made aware of his blind righteousness that he used as an excuse to kill, he becomes firmly determined to reign in his anger and violent tendencies by becoming a pacifist (like sam in s11) as a way to redeem all the blood he’s spilled. of course in his profession and true dean fashion he won’t be able to do it 100% so he decides to only act in self defense, and he only goes batshit violent on the offense when it’s about protecting sam

OR. dean’s self righteousness becomes his own downfall; the belief that all evil must be eradicated, refusal to see the circumstances and the shades of grey is what pushes him to lose his humanity and become a demon and therefore, in a potential ending the ruler of hell, because i think it would such an interesting journey from a to b, that dean starts out human, revels in his holiness, executes and kills in the name of his own holiness in the belief that he’s becoming the ultimate angel, the ultimate hero when it’s doing the opposite. if this happened then sam would take the opposite route; starts as a human, becomes more and more demonic, stops himself and returns to his hopeful and optimistic self, has faith and humility and that is what makes him ascend from abomination to purified and holy (trials). 

this could be a perfect 10 season structure as well: s1-5 are when sam and dean start off humans; dean becomes holy and as close to an angel a human can be, while sam drinks the demon blood and almost becomes one to gain the freedom and power he wants, but begins to turn it around to send lucifer back to hell. s6-10 is when dean becomes the unholy and sam becomes the holy even though neither realize because now there’s no grand master plan - this is who they are, who they choose themselves. don’t know how this ould end though; either as normal humans again (but there wouldn’t really be a ”normal” after everything) or they really go off the rails with sam like ruling heaven (not as god though, just as a good and just man) and dean ruling hell. castiel is human and stays on earth with jack.

the gothic americana aesthetic is kept throughout the entire show and is only shot on film

after s5 castiel returns to heaven to help restore order, and he takes charge for a little while, but eventually returns to earth after trying to introduce democracy to angels who didn’t get it. in his place, anna takes over and she rules heaven well (after trying to kill mary when going back in time she isn’t killed by michael, but narrowly escapes and remains in hiding to heal until castiel reaches out and finds her)

when finding out they are The Vessels and will be brought back regardless of what they try, sam and dean explore what this means more. dean throws himself into dangers and to protect others. he is burned, blown up, stabbed, electrocuted, beheaded and eaten, but wakes up the next morning in his bed without a scratch, without any pain and memories of his deaths. he revels in this untouchability. sam kills himself over and over only to be resurrected again and again by lucifer. he remembers the pain and blood.

that being said, while dean is like angel royalty, sam is demon royalty. the demons don’t go after him, they don’t hurt him. some even offer up themselves to be drained of blood, even after lilith’s death. it makes it really difficult to stay clean but he pulls through with dean and castiel actually supporting him. to help sam get through his addiction, dean stops drinking alcohol and they go through their withdrawal together

the angels almost worship dean as the michael sword and have an open disgust towards sam for being lucifer’s vessel - they always answer dean’s prayers and calls for help, they follow his orders if need be and don’t hesitate to heal him if he needs it. sam could pray until his vocal chords bleed or call out for help while holding his guts in his hands; none of the angels would come to his aid. the only one who answers sam’s prayers is lucifer as a voice in sam’s head or a hallucination. sam could call demons to help him out but he refuses

sam isn’t the first hunter to drink demon blood, to try to enhance his own abilities using the supernatural as a means to get there - there are hunters who have altered themselves with parts from werewolves and vampires to become better hunters, like the styne family (the guys from s10), blurring the lines again of what’s good and human vs what is evil and inhumane

if angels can’t find a vessel to volunteer, they will force them to say yes - the how is not important, only that the ‘yes’ is said, whether its meant or not, any verbal yes will do. the angels never sleep and they never eat, which is disturbing to sam and dean who are exhausted all the time and eat scraps whenever they can

castiel, like all other angels, is taught to despise and not care about sam winchester at all, but the more castiel gets to know sam, he becomes fascinated with him, how lucifer’s ultimate vessel, starter of the apocalypse and destroyer of god’s creation can be so kind and gentle, so full of faith, acceptance, optimism and hope. in dean castiel sees a good man, yes, but also a man who’s bloodthirsty, rages, revels in war, resorts all problems with violence, loves conditionally and expects unquestioned loyalty. sam too, has a darkness and bloodthirst in him, but it only comes out in glimpses. castiel thinks it’s funny, how sam turns out to be the opposite of lucifer while dean is so alike michael

[satelliteinasupernova]

Lol, was honestly planning on keeping these thoughts to myself because, you know, the energy in the room, but I do honestly think that this subject will be much less relevant after this week, so yolo I guess.

My Jabitha thoughts:

First of all, I don’t actually think Jughead and Tabitha are going to date or anything, I just don’t think that’s how the plots are aligning right now (A messier version of this set up would have Betty dating someone else because she doesn’t think Jughead is interested in being with her so she’s trying to move on, in which case, I do think Jabitha would have a fair shot. BUT I DIGRESS)

I do think that Jughead and Tabitha will have a moment, though. And I guess that specifically is what I wanted to talk about, how I would hope that a moment would address Tabitha’s arc with Jughead in 5a. I’ve been trying to visualize what it could be, something that respects Tabitha as a character, as someone Jughead would honestly be lucky to date, as someone who is more than just a plot device used for Jughead to bounce ideas off of and help him get back on his feet.

I would honestly like them to have a moment. I want them to realize that this could be a thing, even if it doesn’t happen. Just a moment where Jughead realizes if they pursued this, being with Tabitha could be a really good thing for him. Yes, I do believe that Jughead is still in love with Betty, and that he knows that, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a road less travelled moment, a realization that maybe there isn’t one road to happiness. (And ftr this would in no way discount Jughead choosing Betty! In fact, I think the idea of choice is pretty damn romantic)

People keep throwing out the word “threat,” like if you aren’t “threatened” by the prospect of Jughead and Tabitha dating as a bughead fan, you aren’t “respecting” Tabitha, which like. Maybe I do see her as a “threat” to the status quo, I think Tabitha and Jughead could be happy together, could, dare I say, fall in love with each other (*SCARE CHORD*). This doesn’t take anything away from my love of bughead, but YMMV I GUESS.

To get to the point, there was this whole scene with Jessica early in the season where she was like “I don’t know what you need, but it’s not me.” And the person Jughead has needed for the first half of the season, the person who gave him a chance by giving him a job, who has kept him on his feet, who has been there right now, has been Tabitha. And I think it’s okay to acknowledge it, to recognize the potential there, for maybe even the characters to recognize the potential there, without idk, abandoning ship.

tldr: I think Tabitha is a wonderful character, she has great chemistry with Jughead, she’s been a person he’s really needed right now, she’s cute as hell, and it’s okay for him to recognize that, whether anything comes of it or not.

Or maybe they do date, which you know, could be really cute. And y’all can sit back and just chill.

But what do I know, who am I. I’ve just spent the last 3 years consistently drawing and writing bughead, but you know, clearly appreciating Jabitha means I hate Betty now, or whatever it is the kids are saying this week.

[guigz1-coldwar]

"What will happen?": New chapter for "Always for the greater cause..." is out!

Chapter Summary: Two days have passed since she's got awake, Jess is trying to gain her memories back in a slow way as she's still facing the questions while close persons are discussing about the future leading them...

To read it on AO3, click here!

Taglist: @snowgoldwaylon , @clxudtea , @efingart

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11th March 1981, 10H20

Jessica "Jess" Riggs, MI6

???????????????????

I think that...the more I was staying here in that room, impossible to get out because they locked me in it, the more I was starting to not feel well at the moment...to not be considered free after all. Was it death punishing me for existing, for having cheated it because of what I'm now having on the right part of my head? I couldn't tell but this place that is supposed to reassure me wasn't doing that effect at all. I was trapped in here, in that room with nothing to do...than to look around me and realize my emptiness...a bed, a table, some chairs...that was it...me & those objects while above me, people are watching me...my dad...

When he told me that he was my dad, I couldn't believe it but his accent...going same as me...it was him and I was wondering what he was doing here...what he was going to do with the others above me and when he left me, I wasn't sure if his presence could give me hope, even with his promises to help me as far as he can to remember myself and help them in return...if my brain isn't fucked up...but the next day, he didn't come at all, neither be her...

Instead, it was this Sims...& a bald man called Jason Hudson who were the ones to try to make the discussion with me, the first was mainly here to bring me the food that I was barely able to eat even if it was good while the latter, Hudson, was...more insistent on the questions, his main focus with me and he wasn't going to let it out away from him, keeping asking his questions while I was trying at my best to know my answers to those without any effects. That guy wasn't getting away and when questions from me were asked...he avoided them, just saying that my dad & her...Helen... wasn't charged with helping me today. he & Sims were the ones in charge for the day...

They then left me to sleep in peace, at least trying to as my goal was to know more. There was some progress but it was very little, only able to relieve some flashbacks in my head but as if I was deaf, unable to understand what was going on around me...me in a car arriving on an airstrip...being shot at...on a stretch with...Wraith...that's her name...Wraith...Freya Helvig...the woman with a sort of mohawk hair on her...that name was telling me so much now...manipulation.

"Riggs!" A voice called me out, suddenly removing me out of my dreams and getting awake as the door of my cell was opening behind me...It was his voice...Hudson, just hearing it for a second allowed me to recognize him. "Get up, we need to talk," He ordered, entering the cell as I was slowly getting my body sits on the edge of the bed, yawning & my eyes narrowed.

"You?" I mumbled after a yawn and stretched my arms on the side with a lazy voice. "I thought that..."

"Lazar is busy, he's working, I'm taking his place for the day," He interrupted me, directing himself to one of the chairs and get sit on it...shit, why he's like that with me? "Go on, sit," He repeated, his left hand pointing at the chair in front of him.

"And...eating?" I asked, not wanting to speak without something in my belly.

"After," He replied directly before gesturing the chair at me again, insisting on that. "Come on, we're just getting started," He said as I was resigning to comply with him and sit on the chair, wondering what he was going to do, an idea in my head mainly present.

"Go on...tell me those questions...I'm ready," I presumed, annoyed by this and honestly if he could leave me in peace for once, I would be a little happy.

"It's not about those questions," He announced, scratching the back of his left hand and at this moment, I knew he wasn't going to ask those same questions all over again...just a different series of one..."If we can't get straight to our answers, we'll go slowly," He told himself, readjusting his sleeves. "Four hours ago, one of our agents managed to capture this picture," He then start to get his hand below the table before he go out a picture as he said. "Do you recognize those people?" He asked me, pointing his finger towards the person on that picture...

"Stitch...&...Wraith..." I responded slowly, juggling inside my head for those.

"Their real names, Jess," Hudson demanded, giving me a hard look behind his glasses.

"Uhm...Kuzmin &....Freya Helvig...it's Vikhor," I managed to find back those names, and the more to think about it, I was wondering what game he wanted me to play. "Yes, that's it," I exclaimed in a low voice and a little nod with my head.

"Old activities," He questioned me, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Old activities?" I repeated.

"What did they do before becoming Perseus agents?" He clarified himself and his question...shit, he's searching this far in my head...but I'm slowly...remembering. "Go on, where did they work before?" He demanded again as his right hand was against the table, keeping the other on the picture.

"He...he was...KGB &...I think that she worked with the....NIC...no, NIS...the Norwegians?" I guessed and he slightly nodded even if his expression wasn't approving my hesitation to it. "Where does it lead me?" I asked him clearly before he got his arms on the table, not removing his eyes from me.

"How long have you been knowing them?" He asked, making me work my memory very hard and getting my head in my hands to think...shit...when did I meet them?... I couldn't meet them before...they did...

"The subject is stable at the moment, Stitch," I suddenly hear Wraith's voice in my head, my eyes closed...a horrible smell around me and a bag on my head, my arms & legs trapped.

"How long she can last?" Stitch's voice echoed inside my head, almost muffled by the bag.

"We can put her to test at the first occasion we got," Wraith told him as I could feel her presence near me, a hand starting to touch me at my right shoulder. "As long that she isn't an amateur, everything will go fine for us," She added, now having her both hands on my shoulders.

"You described her as though, I advise you to double the doses," Stitch said to her. "We can't lose our precious asset after..."

"Riggs!" Hudson's right fist came to echo around the room and extirping me out of that flashback as I got my head off my hands. "Don't fall asleep, I asked you a question," He reminded me.

"I was thinking...dumbass," I told him straight without any shame. Honestly, it was as if I didn't care what he will do now, he wants his answers...I'll have it as long he stops being like that. "Can you let people think for a second or no?"

"Listen, Riggs, not that tone with me," He pointed at me with his index finger before he taps three times over the pictures. "How long do you know them?" He repeated his question, stopping his finger on the picture without moving it, he was looking & sounding at the urge of being angry as hell.

"I don't know...but it's not for a long time," I presumed.

"You think so?" He mumbled.

"I told you, I...don't....know," I said, making sure those words went to enter his ears but he wasn't looking to listen to them.

"You lie, you know them well," He exclaimed "It's been years you're in contact with them, right?" He guessed and at this, I could only say no.

"What? You're kidding? I can't..." I declared before I stopped myself, not because I couldn't tell if knowing them for years was real...it was fake...but it's just that he was seeing me as an enemy than an ally. "I wouldn't work with...those terrorists," I acclaimed as he got out some more pictures below the table.

"Cheyenne Moutain Complex, you were there, 10 soldiers killed," He announced, pointing at the first picture of a surveillance camera...with me & a masked man walking in a hallway. "Langley, you were here, you stole files & threatened two agents," He continued, moving his hand over the second picture, seeing me walking along with Wraith...a man & a woman...her name...Liliya...yes...I think it's that...and the man...Bell...Bellamy, I think....shit, I think that's it..."In almost every Perseus operation of the past weeks, you were there, any explanations?"

"How many times...Aaah," I sniffed in despair before putting my head back into my hands, desperate by him now. "If you want me to help you, help me," I advised him.

"There's a war going on and Perseus is threatening to use nuclear bombs to erase Western Europe, I've got no time to talk about your life, Riggs," He exclaimed, loud & clear that he wasn't here to help my memories to get better. "Listen, I..." He was going to say before the door behind him got opened and I could discover a man with a bit of grey hair, wearing a dark brown leather jacket. "Mister Jackson, what are you doing here?"

"Miss Park said that you were down there, I wanted to know how my niece was doing," The man responded, entering the room as it wasn't in a good way for Hudson. "What? You were busy asking those questions?" He demanded.

"To help us get Perseus? Yes," Hudson declared, not removing his eyes from him like me, I was looking at this man as if I know him somewhere...his niece...is it my...uncle?...what? "Now, I would like to..."

"What? Torture my niece with questions she's trying to find answers to while an asshole like you forces her? Nah, ain't going to happen, buddy," The man, Jackson, harshly interrupted Hudson and honestly, it was providing me with a little smile that this man was speaking for me.

"Mister Jackson, I..." Hudson got up from his chair, forgetting the picture on the table before he could see that Jackson was already facing him.

"Listen, friend, leave her alone for the day...or I'll break your jaw," Jackson cut him again, adding this time, a threat that was at first not affecting Hudson. "You want to know what you want? Don't be a CIA asshole and help her instead but I'm going to do it for you since you're already an asshole," He added, seeing him clench his fists before Hudson looked at me and then, back at him.

"I'm not finished," Hudson muttered, giving me a last look before he sighed and then, walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with Jackson...my uncle.

"Cheese, is the CIA always hiring fucking dickhead like that?" Jackson asked himself, putting his hands on his waist.

"So...you're my...uncle?" I demanded him, sounding like a shy girl with my hands going below the table.

"Yeap, Wade Jackson by name, ever heard of Vanguard?" He asked me back, turning around to face me and he was different than Hudson...more smiling and feeling positive. I shook my head at this, having never heard of it as far I can remember. "Uhm...yeah, I'm sorry, Lucas...your father told me that you got memory problems," He said, moving to get sit on the same chair as Hudson did before. "Well, you're not my actual niece but Lucas wanted someone to count it," He told me, now understanding this as his accent wasn't sounding like mine & my father's one for what I heard.

"American?" I guessed.

"Yes...well, Italian-American," He corrected himself, moving his arms over the table. "That's strange to see you like this, with that thing on your head," He proclaimed, slightly pointing at the bandages around my head, it was true that I was feeling different with it..."I never thought you will be working with the MI6 and to see like this," He repeated.

"It's not every day that this...happens," I presumed, crossing my arms on the table as my eyes went to look on the pictures before I decide to get them away from me, looking at my 'uncle' that at it. "Uhm...you want to help me,"

"Of course," He affirmed.

"How did you know my father?" I asked him this question as it was the first question in my head coming up. "I'm ready if it's long," I assured him and even if I was hungry at the moment, maybe that waiting by listening to him could be interesting.

"As you wish, Jess," He complied, readjusting himself on his chair before he took a deep breath, a little sign that his story will be big enough for a few long minutes for me...

"It started in 1945...we had to neutralize a Nazi project called 'Phoenix',"

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

11th March 1981, 11H36

Lucas Riggs, Vanguard, SOTF 003 "Barbarians"

????????????????

When I talked to Jessica for the first time two days ago and discover how she was, I knew at this moment that Helen's doubts were confirmed. My Jess was looking troubled, stressed out, and scared to be locked up in that room and discovering that the others put her in it, the first thing I wanted to do once I was done with her... was to punch that fucking bald wanker for treating my daughter like that but it wasn't going to help me...only bringing me troubles and not going to help me help Jess.

Of course, I was slowly convinced by Helen after she calmed down that Jessica was too dangerous to free around the place as her moves could be unpredictable and after seeing Jess, I had to agree to let her in that room until we have her back and now, I was going to live in that warehouse with the others & Wade until we manage to finish their mission. Their mission just became mine & Wade's one after learning of what Jess suffered, trying to understand what she did to get like that.

Now, I was peacefully having a coffee near Helen's office, being the only one around the main office as the others went into town while Wade went down there to talk with my daughter, knowing that he wanted to see her again personally, having got up again to get something to eat for her.

"Hi, sir," I was taking a sip of my coffee and looking over Helen's desk when I hear her voice arriving inside the place through a side door.

"Hi, Helen, seems that the rain is still around," I declared, seeing her arrive with her hands passing through her wet hair...it's been raining since we arrived here.

"Yes, it's like that since we came back here from Ukraine," She affirmed, meaning that our short arrival in the city two days ago was the only clear moment before it rains again. "Where's sir Jackson?" She asked me, looking around as Wade was mostly staying with me since we're here.

"He's down, talking to Jessica," I replied to her as I moved to the near chair that wasn't Helen's one.

"Oh, I see," She said with a little smile as she went to sit on her own chair at her desk.

"I wanted to come but he insisted to go alone, it's been months that he didn't see her," I explained to her, remembering the moment when Wade was almost pleading with me to let him go alone...I let him because it's the right thing to do. "How are you?"

"I had to go in town to buy some cigarettes and...destress a bit," She responded to me, turning her chair around to look at me as she was going to go to work but it seems that a talk had to be made. "The CIA & the MI6 is conducting a lot of raids on Perseus safe house in the US & the UK, they're sending us everything," She revealed to me.

"So, we can maybe find out what they did with Jessica?" I guessed and she nodded directly.

"I don't know what they did but to change Jess's behavior like that, implies a lot," She thought in a breath before she look down at her feet, her hands joined together."You know that...she asked my hand," She declared, getting my eyes wide at this revelation.

"What?" I gasped at this, putting aside the cup of coffee I was holding in my hand to look at Helen, a smile on her face.

"It was simple but I loved it," She confessed...so...my daughter asked Helen's hand...that's incredible to say but with the context now..."It was just before she left...& disappeared," She added to it, instantly feeling the sadness in her voice about it. "And now, I don't want to lose her again," She affirmed.

"Me too," I affirmed too, taking the same position as her on my chair and thinking that a lot of things should be discussed now if we can. "I wonder...what will happen after all of this, what will Jessica do, what we will all do," I exclaimed, having that thought in my head...when that's a threat is done, what will happen? We can't say that this didn't happen at all.

"I don't know," Helen whispered & shaking her head. "Jess...she will be back...but changed," She told me and I think that she was right....even back, Jessica will remember what happened. "I think that it would take time for her to be herself again, I don't see her go back into spying after this for a long time,"

"I think that she should come back to Australia with me...maybe with you," I proposed, knowing well that the two can't & will not be separated again like that.

"Yes, I need a big break, I've been...I've been working all day thinking that my Jess was dead and now, I just want to sleep with her & be happy for a long time," She agreed on this with a smile, knowing that it was a good proposition from me. "If she wants to resign, I will do the same, I don't want her to panic if I'm away,"

"I...thank you, Helen," I muttered with a grin, happy to know this from her...these two are in love...I understand that feeling. "I want my daughter back and for that, I'll need every help I can find," I asked her and she nodded again, proving that she was like me here...

"We will have her back, sir, I promise you. I'll not let them win,"

[stvpidinlove]

[ JESSICA VU, SHE/HER, CIS WOMAN ]  —  [ PRIMROSE “PRIM” TRAN ]  is a child of  [ MELINOE ]  with the power of  [ MEDIUMSHIP ] .  they were born in  [ 2000 ]  and have been in nemean lion since  [ 2015 ] .  with the change, they  [ ARE TRAINING IN ]  the  [ HERO ]  role which makes sense since they’re usually  [ DRAWING PORTRAITS & MAKING CANDLES ] .  if you’d like to meet them try the  [ SUN ]  building .

yes...here i am again...!

BASICS

hometown: evanston, il

eye color: hazel

hair color: brown

height: 5′5

sexuality: bisexual

birthday: september 5, 2000 ( virgo )

BIO

prim’s parents met in college, at georgetown university. it was a long and arduous journey for both of them, though in very different ways. her father came from money in vietnam, but he moved to the states for college and didn’t speak much english, he only read it well enough to meet the requirements for foreign admittance (plus, he was exceptionally intelligent). meanwhile, prim’s mother was the daughter of immigrants who had always wanted more for their daughter. they were thrilled when she managed to get all the grants and scholarships necessary to attend, since they never could have afforded to send her to such a prestigious school otherwise.

naturally, prim’s mother was granted work study and she got a job in the main office, which is how the two met. they first bonded over a shared language and she was often tasked with helping him, and eventually she offered to help him with his college transition outside of the office.

and when i say prim’s parents...i mean the people who raised her. these two would fall in love in college, but neither admitted it aloud, out of fear of ruining the close friendship they’d forged.

after graduation, they both stayed in the dc area, but they didn’t talk as regularly. at some point, prim’s father met a darkly enchanting woman at the opera, of all places. in the grand theater of the kennedy center, their eyes met from across the expansive room, and prim’s father would go on to explain it to his daughter as “spellbound at first sight.” because it wasn’t love, it never became love, something he knew even before she became pregnant with his firstborn child. it felt nothing like the safety and warmth he’d felt with his college love who he’d never properly dated.

once melinoe was gone, prim’s father became a single parent in his late-twenties, a responsibility which he took on with care and composure. after his own experiences in the united states, he wanted to give his daughter a name that would be unique and beautiful but familiar to americans, so he chose primrose after the plant common to the dc area. his own parents back home were horrified by their single son fathering a child, though when they finally met their granddaughter face to face, they couldn’t help falling in love with her innocent face.

he reconnected with prim’s eventual stepmother when his daughter was five years old, and they got the second chance that few people ever do. they were married less than a year later, which was still a long time coming.

soon thereafter, prim’s stepmother got pregnant, and prim became a big sister to three rambunctious triplet boys. she remembers when it was just her and her father, but she can’t imagine life without her mom and brothers, who she’s particularly close to.

the only thing that stood in the way was the fact that she’s always felt different, and her father was somewhat secretive when she was a child, but by the time her powers manifested at the age of twelve, she knew why she was seeing people that others weren’t. it’s impossible to describe the feeling of playing alone in her room with polly pockets and suddenly having another girl join in. in this way, prim was rarely alone, but often felt isolated. it was like having imaginary friends with real stories and families and a whole history.

it was difficult and scary at first, but prim learned to take it in stride. she really liked hearing their stories, looking at obituaries that featured black and white photos of ghosts she knew from when they were bearing much younger faces she hardly recognized. she tried not to think too hard about the ghosts her own age, she just did her best to be there for them, because if she was seeing them, it must be for a reason, right?

her power was never something she wanted to control better, she liked acting as a conduit for those who happen to pass through her life, but she wasn’t much good at fighting off monsters and needed to come to nl for her own safety. despite her lack of fighting skills, she so deeply wanted to help people, so when the time came she decided to pursue the hero track.

RANDOM FACTS

prim totally can summon ghosts of her own volition...mostly. it takes a lot of effort and full on seance vibes right now, but she’s still learning! she prefers it when the spirits reach out to her, because that’s a whole lot easier and more exciting.

she actually kind of loves her powers, even when it gets heavy. most of the time ghosts just want the company or they don’t even know they’re dead, so she tries to be their friend and listen to their stories.

she often draws portraits of the ghosts she meets, particularly the ones she can’t get out of her head, who linger for days or weeks or months on end.

because ghosts are temporary, she tries not to get too attached, and it’s also a good thing because not all ghosts are that pleasant to be around and she doesn’t have a lot of luck with getting them to go away.

prim does have a decent collection of crystals and some tarot cards (and a crystal ball that is purely decorative). one of the only ways she’s learned to summon spirits is by using crystals to set her intentions, though it’s still pretty hit or miss.

super open and honest, esp about her powers! def doesn’t believe in using them for ~evil (like pranks or similar things lolol)

POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

someone desperately longing to speak to a dead loved one (or a not-so-loved one?) 

someone who feels guilty about the death of another and the deceased reaches out to prim to help them convince the living person that the death wasn’t their fault???!

a flirtationship that prim doesn’t take too seriously because she’s friendly and can never tell when someone actually likes her. whether your char is on the same page or not is up to you!

someone Intrigued by her because she’s so upbeat and cheerful even though she’s constantly seeing dead people

ur char is convinced a ghost is haunting them and prim is like i promise u are not being haunted <3

someone who IS being haunted and doesn’t know it hehe

[anathewierdo]

Call of the Ocean  Chapter 25: Celebrations... Kind Of

Pairing: CEO!Mechanic!Dean Winchester x Mermaid!Reader

Word count: 7405

Chapter summary: Where everything goes well... kind of. Thasman and Roan hit another bump in their road. Y/N celebrates her birthday in a fashion she finally enjoys, but her celebrations are cut short by an unexpected guest at Dean’s door.

Series summary: CEO of Winchester Auto Dean Winchester has had enough of the office life. With his father keeping him from what he wants to do, which is work on the plant floor, Dean decides to leave for a quiet life. In Matagorda, Texas, he finds something he never thought he would, a chance encounter with a mythical creature.

Call of the Ocean Masterlist

A/N: WOOOOOOO CHAPTER 25!! This is awesome y’all. Just awesome! This series is a collaboration with @flamencodiva​ . Text dividers at the beginning and end of the chapter made by @talesmaniac89​

Next chapter will be posted on Wednesday, November 11th

Roan was helping Andrea hang a banner they made for Y/N. Thasman sat back with Benny and Cas. He winced every now and then. His back was still sore, but he couldn’t help but smile at seeing Roan make friends. Everyone they had met had come here. From the people she worked with at the diner to Dean’s friends.  

“So you know Roan?” Cas raised an eyebrow at Thasman. “I thought he was from Pittsburgh?” 

“He had moved here a few months ago,” Thasman covered. “He came back home for the celebration, although I personally would have stayed away.” 

“Why? I mean it’s something to celebrate, right? A tradition?” Benny took a sip of his beer. 

“It’s complicated,” Thasman muttered looking down at the brown bottle in his hands. 

He hadn’t tried human beer before. The whiskey alone was enough to knock him out, what would this do to him? Taking a deep breath, he placed the mouth of the bottle to his lips and took a sip. It was an acquired taste but he didn’t hate it. 

“Well, I guess it was lucky he was there to help you and Y/N get out of your situation then,” Cas said as he looked around for Meg. “Have you heard from your home?”  

“I just received a letter from Y/N’s father. I will give it to her after all of this,” Thasman took another sip as he watched Roan laughing at something one of the other females had said. 

Benny raised an eyebrow in surprise as he took another swig of his own beer. “How is he?” 

“Fine, I suppose. The letter is not addressed to me, so I haven’t read it.”

“Touche,” he conceded. “So, what happened? You were gone for nearly two, three days, and you’re back.”

Thasman played a little with the brown bottle. He couldn’t help but feel like there were too many guests, even if there were barely fifteen people or so. The less humans that knew what they were and why they were there, the better. They couldn’t afford things getting even more complicated here or else they would have nowhere else to go.

“Something went wrong,” he explained, keeping his expression as stoic as he could and his voice as low as he could manage. “Something went very wrong and we had to leave. It wasn’t safe for Y/N to stay and hide so we just… ran. And we figured we’d be safe here.”

"So you think you guys will stay for a while?" Cas took a sip of his beer. "Cuz I can say this… Dean is a lot happier now that Y/N's here."

“She is too,” the merman recognized. “As for how long we will stay… I do not know. I like to think that it won’t be more than a few days, but then again, I don’t know how long it will take for things to go back to normal back home. We just have to wait… and hope for the best, I suppose.”

"So she's going to leave again," Benny sighed. "I don't like this whole push and pull thing going on here." 

Thasman could only give him an incredulous stare, “She doesn’t like leaving him either, you know.”

"What I mean is," Benny straightened his back as he looked at the merman. "I don't understand why Y/N is stringing Dean along when she's going to leave again. It's only going to break Dean's heart." 

“She let him know straight away that she was going to leave. They both knew that they were going to be separated. And I think they both know that she’s not going to stay here.”

Roan had been listening to the conversation and swallowed the lump in his throat. He had a feeling that the princess would not be going back home. But he wasn't sure how he was going to convince Thasman of that. Clearing his throat, he blushed when the men looked at him.

"May I talk to you for a moment, Thasman?" Roan gave them a soft smile.

“Heh,” he nodded. 

Roan led Thasman as far as he could away from the humans. "Thasman, how can you be sure that the princess will return?" 

“She’ll have to, sooner or later. Even with the cuff Liara gave her, she must return to the ocean,” the merman reasoned. “Besides, there’s no other heir to the throne.”

"All she needs is one day in the ocean once a month with the cuff." Roan huffed. "You're doing it again. You are such a stingray. She is happy here, Thasman. You are the winner of the tournament, the throne is yours."  

Thasman huffed. “I know how happy she is, Ro, I’m not blind. But do you actually think the king and the court will abide having the little orphan as ruler?”

"You are not an orphan!" Roan argued. "Liara is your guardian. And let's not forget that you have proven yourself time and time again as a protector of the kingdom," he shook his head. "I can already tell you made up your mind and I'm wasting my breath." Roan began to walk away. 

He was stopped by a firm hand on his forearm. “I promised I would listen to you.” He pleaded, “I promised I would do my best for us to work. Don’t go.”

Roan looked into his eyes and sighed. "Then know this: if the princess decided to stay, I would help her stay," He shook off the guard and walked away. 

Andrea smiled when she found Thasman.

"There you are! Dean and Y/N are five minutes away. We need to hide." 

“We’re coming,” he assured, giving the woman his best smile.

Inside, everyone had started to look for the best spot to hide in. Thasman decided to stay behind the counter along with Roan, Benny and Andrea. The lights were turned off, everyone was ushered to keep quiet.

===========\

The sound of a metal beast outside of the diner let them know that they had arrived. With no noise coming from… anywhere, really, they were able to faintly listen to the two love fish talk.

“The diner?” Y/N's voice sounded confused. 

“I asked Ellen to leave it open for us. I figured we could have some sort of romantic dinner. Now,” the bell from the door rang as the human opened the door. “After you, sweetheart.”

"You didn't have to blindfold me if this was where we were coming you know," she giggled. 

“But it was a nice touch, wasn’t it?” Dean giggled as well. “Added a little mystery and all that.”

“It did. Let me turn on the lights real quick and we can get started on that dinner you mentioned.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. Fellas?”

And so there was light, accompanied by a chorus of ‘Surprise!’ from everyone as they popped out of their hiding places. Thasman watched with the biggest smile as Y/N flinched in shock and stumbled back into Dean’s arms and took the whole room in.

"What in Poseidon's sea is going on?" She turned to face Dean. 

“I wanted to celebrate your birthday. Ya know, give you something special.”

“Everyone’s here!” Y/N exclaimed as she started to go around, greeting everyone with a big hug. Thasman squeezed her tightly when his turn came, and watched her stop when she reached a tall man who was hugging a blond woman. “Except you. I don’t know who you are.”

Dean caught up to her from behind, resting a hand softly on one of her shoulders. “Sweetheart, this is my brother, Sam, and his fiance, Jessica.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she smiled as she extended her hand for them to shake. “I’m Y/N.”

"Oh, we know," Sam gave a teasing smile. "He can't stop smiling when he says your name." 

“We have heard so much about you,” Jessica gushed as she reached out and hugged her. “We thought we wouldn’t be able to meet you.”

"I actually thought he was making you up," Sam chuckled as he pulled her in for a hug. 

“I can assure you he didn’t,” she promised. Y/N gave another look around the place, her face mixed in surprise and joy as she spotted more people. “Even Ash and Meg are here! I’ll be right back, excuse me. Ash! Meg! Hello!”

"She is adorable!" Jess said. "We need a double date. Think she's up for a girls’ night sometime soon?" 

“Andy promised they would do it together. I’m sure you can tag along. But, when are you guys going back to Kansas?”

"Trying to get rid of us already?" Sam teased. "I can show Y/N your baby pictures." 

“That’s not it, bitch. It’s just you guys have a wedding to plan, there’s still that contract with Nick, and the garage is officially open now.”

"We leave the day after tomorrow in the evening," Jess answered. "So I have to get with the girls and we have a double date to plan."

“I’ll see what we can do,” Dean gave Jessica a wink. 

"Go be with your girl," Sam said as he gave Dean a slight push. 

Benny on the other hand, had a slight frown on his face. There was no doubt that Dean was happy. But what Thasman said was not sitting well with him. Benny finished his beer and reached for another. 

"Love?" Andrea's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong?" 

He took her hand softly in his and pressed them against his chest. His eyes were fixed on the two lovebirds that were practically stuck to the hip. “She’s gonna leave him again, Cher,” he explained. 

"Who told you that?" Andrea looked at him before looking at the couple.

“Thasman said that it’s the thing most likely to happen. That sooner or later they will have to go back.” The cajun squeezed her hand to gain her attention. “Cher, you saw how he was the first time. What’s gonna happen to him the next time she leaves? Makes me think the girl is stringing him along like a lost puppy.”

"Want me to talk to her and see if there is any truth to that?" Andrea caressed his cheek. "I know how protective of Dean you are."

“Please, just to be sure.”

“Alright,” she conceded. “But I want you to really look at them, Benny. Does she seem like she’s planning on leaving anytime soon?”

“No… But she didn’t want to leave last time either.”

Andrea nodded, “Maybe something changed.” She leaned into Benny’s embrace, “I will make sure that she isn't stringing him along. But Benny, sometimes people are forced to be apart because of circumstances. You told me she was a princess. Take that into consideration. She’s here, and they’re happy. But the circumstances could be weighing on her.” 

Benny gave her a small adoring smile at her response. “Sometimes I hate that you’re always right,” He pulled her in for a small peck on the lips. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

                                        ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Bobby hung back as he watched the young people mingle and talk. He watched as Ellen and Ash brought out a large tray of lasagna. He let out a giggle when he heard Thasman exclaiming that Roan had to try it. Thasman held a piece of it in his hand in offering. His face was expectant as he watched the other man get close and take a bite of it. 

Based on the happy expression Thasman had, he could only assume that the words Roan started exclaiming meant good things.

“You know, Singer,” Ellen’s voice called. “The party is over here, not over there in the shadows.” 

“I’m fine over here, thanks,” Bobby huffed as he took another sip of his beer. 

The older man kept an eye on Thasman. He was kicking himself for not seeing the resemblance earlier, for not seeing the signs. What could he do now? Ask him? The boy didn’t even meet his own mother. And there was still the possibility (as much as he hated the thought) that he may not be his son after all. So deep in thought, Bobby never noticed when Ellen placed a plate of lasagna in front of him. 

“Eat,” was all Ellen said as she sat next to him. 

“‘M not hungry, Ellen. Thanks.” 

“You had a long day and you look like you are minutes away from going into a crisis. Eat.”

“You can be a real hag sometimes, Ellen,” Bobby grumbled. “I’m fine.” 

“Oh, come on,” she dismissed his words, not believing him. “Did something happen at Frank’s? Or today? You’re not usually this grumpy.”

“I was thinking about the time I was young,” Bobby sighed. “Girl I was with, not sure you ever met her,” He took another sip of his beer. “I just noticed something when I was looking at some pictures, but it’s nothing.” 

Ellen gave him a deadpan look. “So, you just noticed how much you and Thasman look alike?” 

Bobby looked at the woman next to him and let out a huff, “Balls. Is there anything you don’t know? Besides…” he sat back. “He could just look like me and not be mine. He says his mother died. I’d like to think Thames is alive.” 

“I wasn’t sure if you weren’t blind, if that’s what you mean,” She snickered. “In all seriousness, I have no idea if that boy is yours or not. And regarding his mother… He was told his mother died at birth. We’d have to ask around to the two other mermaids for more information on it. But if your Thames died, I think at least she left you a very awesome present, don’t you think?”

“I guess,” Bobby sighed. “Would have been nice to have a heads up if he is. I mean, how do we find out without alerting them? I should know shouldn’t I?” The old man watched as Thasman began talking to Dean. “What happens if he is mine?” 

Ellen leaned forward on the other side of the booth, giving him a stern look.“Then you talk it out and you get to meet your son. He adores you already, he’d be very happy to meet his dad, I’m sure.”

“I hope so,” Bobby conceded.

                                       ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Y/N moaned loudly as she continued to eat Ellen’s lasagna. She closed her eyes savoring her favorite dish. When she opened them she blushed as Dean smiled at her. 

“What?” she wondered. 

“I didn’t know you loved lasagna that much. I thought I was the only one who could make you sound like that,” Dean teased with a wink. 

She groaned in embarrassment at the comment. “It was the first thing Thasman and I ate here. Don’t judge.”

“I’m not,” he promised. “I’m just surprised.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as she held his hand. “This is better than the banquet I had at home. It was boring and dull, and I felt like I was on display.” She looked into his green eyes. “This is much better. I am having fun and talking with friends and meeting new ones,” She took another bite of the lasagna. “Thank you for making me feel special, Dean.” 

“Party isn’t over yet, sweetheart,” Dean said with a smile.  

“There’s more?” Y/N wondered as her eyes widened. “What else could there be?” 

She watched as he slid out of the booth and offered his hand to her. She shyly took his hand as music began to fill the diner. The melody was slow and soothing. Y/N took in a breath as Dean held her close  and led her in moving her body slowly. All she could see was Dean. Nothing else mattered at that moment. The world melted away as Dean pulled her closer, letting Y/N’s head rest on his shoulder. 

Thasman watched on as Dean and Y/N moved to the music. This is what Liara must have meant by ‘dancing.’ He could see the look of happiness in both Dean and Y/N. But what was on his mind was the future of the kingdom. Roan was right, he did win. And if Michael had not attacked, the wedding would have taken place. He would have lost Roan forever, and Y/N… Y/N would be miserable. But what could he do? It was his job to make sure that the princess, his queen, was on the throne. It was Y/N’s rightful place, not his. No matter what Roan said, he knew that the King and the elders would see him as nothing more than an orphan. He was so deep in thought he hadn’t noticed that the music went from something slow and calming to something upbeat and loud. 

“Thasman?!” Y/N’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“Huh?” he shook his head wondering what Y/N could want. 

“You need to dance to this! It’s fun!” Y/N giggled as she tried to drag Thasman to the middle of the diner floor. 

Dean stepped back for a few as he watched Y/N dance to the music. Although uncoordinated, it was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. He laughed when he saw Y/N spinning around and jumped in when she almost fell. 

“Careful,” he chuckled. 

“That was fun,” she beamed. 

“You looked like you were having fun,” Dean agreed. 

Y/N hugged Dean as tightly as she could, scared that it was all a dream and he would slip from her fingers. Once again lost in their own world, they didn’t notice how people began to slightly stare. Roan especially felt the small pain in his heart. He remembered when he and Thasman were like that. Nothing else mattered in the world when they were together. It was fair to say Roan was both jealous and sad for the princess. Jealous, because she was with someone who loved her. Sad, because there was a good chance they would have to part. 

“Roan?” Thasman’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. 

“Yes,” Roan continued to watch Y/N as Dean showed her how to dance to the current song that was playing. 

“Are you okay?” Thasman asked as he watched Roan carefully. 

“Fine,” the other man quipped as he shifted slightly away from Thasman. 

Even with the almost kiss, Roan couldn’t find himself to trust that Thasman would change. It was too good to be true that he said he was listening. But in reality, it would have to be Thasman’s actions to change Roan’s mind. 

“Would you like to dance?” Thasman asked as he rocked on his heels. 

“I’m fine,” Roan assured him. “You go ahead and have fun.” 

“Roan… is everything alright?” Thasman looked at the young man.

Thasman noticed that Roan’s demeanor had changed. Since their earlier conversation, the guard noticed that Roan had kept his distance. He knew that Roan was right, but he was right too. Y/N had to go home, at least to make sure that the king was fine and to explain that she was not going to rule. Even if the kingdom had to pick another, she had to go back. 

“Everything is fine,” Roan dismissed as he moved behind the counter to help Ellen.

“Roan,” Thasman followed him. “I thought you were going to give me a chance. I said I would listen and I would try but we also must be realistic about our situation.” 

“It doesn’t matter what I think, Thasman,” Roan said as he brought out more beer for the guests. “I know that no matter what Y/N and I tell you… you will try and convince us she must go back. I can clearly see that she doesn’t. I understand duty, more than anyone, but the better duty is to have a happy ruler.” 

“Do you?” Thasman huffed. “Because it looks to me like your reasons are selfish. I would love nothing more than to be with you until the end of my days,” he hissed quietly. “But you know as well as I that if I had not been in that tournament Michael would have Y/N in his clutches.” 

“I call blowfish,” Roan cursed. “You could have been by her side and just as easily gotten her away. Instead, being in that tournament almost cost you your life.” 

“What would you have me do?” Thasman growled. 

“I don’t know. But I think asking for a second chance is a mistake,” Roan mumbled. “We have grown too distant.” 

Thasman sobered up at what Roan said, “No. No, Roan, please don’t do this.” 

“I’m sorry, Thasman.” Roan shook his head. “I don’t think you can change as you say you can.” He wiped down the counter and turned away from him.

“Roan,” Thasman called but by then, Roan had moved on to talk to Meg. 

“Thasman?” Y/N’s voice called. “Is everything okay?” 

Before he could look at the princess, Thasman closed his eyes and took a deep breath plastering on a smile. He faced Y/N as Dean held her from behind. His heart broke at the fact that he wouldn’t get the chance to do that with Roan again. Swallowing the lump in his throat he nodded gently. 

“Everything is fine,” he said. 

“Thas--” she had begun to say. 

“Oh, look,” Thasman breathed. “I’m going to go introduce myself to that really tall man over there and the blond lady next to him.”  

As Thasman walked away, Y/N turned to Dean and pouted. 

“He’s upset,” she whispered. 

He gave her a gentle squeeze as he agreed, motioning to the merman now talking to Meg. “Roan’s not looking so hot either if you ask me.”

“I wish I could help them. But Thasman is as stubborn as a stingray. I’m scared I will make it worse.” She sadly looked between her two friends. “What should I do?” 

“For now, I say we enjoy your birthday.” Dean caressed her cheek. “Tonight is about you. And I know you want to help your friends, but maybe they need time to cool off.” 

“But--” Y/N had begun before Dean placed a finger to her lips, silencing her. 

“If we try to push them now, who knows what will happen. Let’s give them tonight and part of tomorrow to cool off and we’ll figure out what to do to get them back on talking terms.” Dean said as he caressed her cheek before placing a kiss on her forehead. “Right now, you deserve to have the time of your life.”

Y/N nodded as Ellen came out of the kitchen holding a three-tiered cake. 

“Oh, Poseidon!” Y/N gasped as she looked at it. 

As Ellen placed the cake on the counter, she smiled taking a good look at it. The cake seemed simple, it had a smooth surface with flowers in every color painted on the sides. On the last tear was a small plastic piece that said Happy Birthday. 

All around her, people started singing. The melody off key and jumbled by so many voices trying to sing in harmony and failing. The smile on Y/N’s face made it special for Dean. He loved that she was happy. He held her tight as he sang the last parts to the birthday song with his friends. Ellen had placed a candle on the top and Y/N raised her eyebrow at it. 

“What am I supposed to do?” she whispered. 

The question caught him off guard. Had she never gotten a birthday cake before? Nonetheless, that made the whole ordeal even more special now. First birthday cake and wish of her life. Dean set his lips near Y/N’s ear, whispering, “You make a wish, then blow the candle.”

“Do I have to say it out loud?” she whispered back as she thought of her wish. 

“Nope,” the answer came softly. “Your wish is only for you to know. Makes it even more special if it comes true.” 

Y/N nodded as she closed her eyes wishing with all her heart she could stay with Dean forever. Taking a breath she leaned forward and blew out the candle. 

“Who’s ready to eat cake?!” Ellen exclaimed. 

She was met with a loud roar of ‘Yeah’s!’ and a ‘What’s cake?’ from Roan. A large knife was brought out then handed to Y/N, who looked at Ellen for help. With a kind smile and a small shake of her head, she took the hand that was holding the knife and directed Y/N through cutting the first slice of cake. 

Y/N took a look at the slice she cut and tilted her head. She could see three layers of distinctly different colors. 

“Is this what cake looks like on the inside?” Y/N held the plate close to her eyes studying it. “I don’t remember it looking like this when you took me to Al’s.”

“That's because each layer has a different flavor,” Andrea spoke up. “You have a layer of Chocolate, Vanilla, and Red Velvet.” she pointed to the different layers. 

Y/N made an astounded sound as she took another look at the piece of cake she held on her plate. “Oh, that’s amazing!”

Dean took a fork and grabbed a small piece of the slice with it holding it out to Y/N. “Hey, Y/N?” 

“Ye--” 

And as he had done since the first time they made pizza together, when she opened her mouth he put the piece of food into it.

“Good, huh?” he gave her a smirk. 

Y/N raised a hand to cover her mouth, her eyes shining with the brightness of the smile she was covering as she chewed it. “Fou neef to shtoh doin’ dah.”

Dean shook his head, “Not a chance. I love catching you by surprise so I can feed you.” 

“Jewyfish,” she retorted, rolling her eyes in fake annoyance. Y/N gave Andrea a big smile when she finished with the piece Dean had fed her. “It’s delicious. Thank you so much!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Dean took a bite for himself and swallowed it before continuing. “Andy and Jess picked it out. They helped to set this all up.” 

Against everything he thought, Y/N’s smile grew bigger. She exclaimed in that language she and Thasman seemed to speak and gave Andrea a hug, thanking her again for everything. When they parted, she turned to Dean again, “I’ll be right back! I’m gonna go say thank you to Jess!”

Dean chuckled, giving her a kiss before she ran off. “I love making her smile. Seeing that smile on her face is worth it.” 

Benny chose that moment to join them, his own piece of cake in his hands. Andrea nodded in agreement. “You really got lucky with her, De. I haven’t seen you as excited and happy as you are with her in… a very long time.” Benny gave her a small smile as a greeting while she struggled to find the words to say. “Just…” 

“Just what?” Dean raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Just be careful,” Benny sighed. “She is dealing with a lot and she’s still a princess.” 

“I know that,” Dean acknowledged. “But what does that--” 

“You know there is a chance she has to go back,” Benny reminded him. “Thasman won, before all this he won. And they will have to go back.” 

Dean swallowed the lump in his throat before looking at his friend, “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Dean decided to leave the conversation there. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of Y/N leaving again. He had fallen head first, real quick, real soon, and he had to be careful, his friends had been right in that part… But on the other hand, maybe she would stay longer this time. He could get to know her more, and she’d get to know him. The good, the bad, the ugly. Every day she stayed would be an opportunity to get to know more about the woman of his dreams and that was most welcome.

Which reminded him, he needed to talk to Y/N about her home. 

He’d tried to do a little bit of his own research regarding Sindarta on a small break that he’d had a day or so ago and came up empty handed. As far as the Internet knew, Sindarta was a website, some strange shop, a novel and nothing more. What had happened that had made them lie about where they came from? And most importantly, he questioned if Y/N would trust him enough to tell him the truth.

Dean frowned at himself. Y/N was back in Matagorda. Back with him. He shouldn’t focus on that now. They had more time now. It could wait until tomorrow.

A quick sweep of the room let him know that Thasman was no longer in the diner. Probably taking some air or something. Y/N was happily talking to Ash, Meg and Jess, about her surprise, most likely. 

God, he really hopes that someone has been taking pictures tonight. He sure as hell hadn’t. He was too busy in the best way possible being with Y/N the whole time. 

Dean made his way towards her in a few quick steps, greeting and throwing an arm around Y/N as he asked what they were talking about.

Shortly after, everyone started to go home. Dean offered Y/N to stay the night with him and take her to his home. As they put the remains of the cake and a few decorations in Baby’s trunk, Y/N hugged him tightly by his side, thanking him once more for the party and looked at him with those beautiful shining eyes of hers. 

He’d find a way to get used to his heart skipping a beat every time he was near her.

The ride was filled with Latin music, chosen by Y/N as she had sorted through the stations and came across a catchy song. Neither of them had a clue what it actually said, but Y/N seemed to enjoy the melody and Dean just decided to let it be. As far as he was concerned, nobody would know he’d jammed out with her to anything other than classic rock. It’d be a little secret for him to keep. 

Once they arrived, Dean and Y/N placed the leftover food in his fridge, while putting away the party supplies in one of the hall closets on the first floor. The house was practically empty. Sam and Jess were already in their room asleep. Benny and Andrea had decided to stay in a small house they were trying to buy. They figured it would be a good trial to see if they liked it. Cas was with Meg. It gave Dean the perfect opportunity to hold Y/N in his arms and kiss her at the foot of the stairs before leading her up to his room.

“Well,” Dean pulled her close to him as soon as the door closed, “Tomorrow we can spend the day together. We can look for new sights to see.” 

“That does sound nice. Maybe invite Roan and Thasman and we can try to help them?” Y/N asked hopefully. 

“I’ll see what we can do,” Dean said. “For now, how about we enjoy our night together. We can do whatever you want.” 

“Whatever I want?” Y/N clarified. 

“I mean, I would love to do whatever you want,” Dean said. “There are things I would love to do. But it all depends on you, Y/N.”

“Well…” Y/N bit her lip as she shyly glanced at Dean. 

“Yes,” Dean said as he let his hands roam up and down the sides of her body. 

“I want to--” Y/N stopped when Dean began placing kisses along her neck. 

“Something like this?” Dean smirked against her skin as his fingers found their way under her shirt. 

Y/N could do nothing but nod as Dean removed her shirt and began peppering kisses all over her exposed skin. The intake of breath she took as he kissed down to her breast made her heart race. Dean removed her bra as he continued to kiss along her body. God how he missed it. He only dreamed of having her in his arms like this again. Of feeling her flesh pressed up against his. It happened in a flash, in Y/N's mind, as they both stood naked at the foot of his bed kissing each other hungrily. Both of them just enjoyed being in the arms of the other as they laid on the bed. Hands touching skin, as lips kissed. 

Dean chuckled, smiling big as they made out and let their hands roam freely. God, how he had missed her. The warmth of her skin, the sound of her voice when he did that little thing she loved so much and got her going. All of her was absolutely gorgeous in his eyes, and he wanted to spend as long as he could getting to know and adore every single inch. 

His right hand made its way down her chest, massaging those beautiful breasts of hers, then down to her belly and hips. Y/N giggled into the kiss at one particular caress that caused tickles. His hand continued to venture down until he had reached between her legs. His fingers gently caressed between her folds. His thumb massaged her clit as he gently inserted his fingers. He continued to move his fingers, opening her as much as he could, caressing the flesh tenderly causing Y/N to moan against him. 

“I missed you,” he whispered against her lips. 

“I missed you too,” she moved her body closer to his. 

He had never seen anyone look as beautiful as Y/N did right at the moment. The small bit of moonlight that came thought his blinds highlighted her frame, making her look as though she was glowing. Her hair was spread along his pillow, a smile etched on her face, one that he never wanted her to lose. He reached over and caressed her cheek. His heart raced as she leaned into his touch. 

“You are so beautiful,” he stated in awe and leaned close to her, resting his forehead against hers.

“Thank you, you’re very handsome as well.”

Dean smiled before pulling away reaching to grab a condom from his nightstand. Carefully putting it on, he made sure that Y/N was comfortable before nestling himself between her legs. With one arm he kept his balance as he used his other hand to help guide him into her. Just the way that she moaned at the feel of him made his cock twitch. She felt like heaven. 

Y/N’s fingers held on to his shoulders, digging into them as her hips met his. She missed this feeling. For three days she had wished she could feel this feeling. Of being with him, of his body caressing hers. Of his lips on her skin. The way humans mated was wonderful. It felt intimate and personal. 

“I could do this with you everyday,” Dean whispered as he kissed her forehead. 

“That sounds nice, and tiring,” Y/N giggled. “But then we would miss a lot of work.” 

“I love it when you’re right,” Dean chuckled before moving his hips slowly. “But I have to admit, I never want to let you go.” 

“I don’t want to go back. Ever, ” she admitted. “I want to stay here with you.” 

Dean left it at that as he kissed her passionately. His tongue meeting hers as their bodies moved as one. His hips picking up speed as her breath hitched. His name left her lips like a prayer. He peppered kisses along her skin as he felt her clench around him, the strangled cry and the way she held him tightly signaling she had climaxed. Dean didn't waiver, he held off his own release wanting her to cum again. He loved the face she made as he pleased her. 

Hips moving once again as Dean’s hand made its way between them, finding the bundle of nerves. His thumb caressed it making her buck her hips at the sensation. 

“Dean,” she moaned breathlessly as he continued his ministrations.  

“You feel so good, Y/N,” Dean moaned as he snapped his hips into her, his thumb rubbing at her bundle of nerves. 

Y/N felt her breath hitch in her throat as her body filled with excitement. She could feel a tightness in her belly filled with pleasure. She moaned with every thrust of Dean’s hips as he brought her body to new heights of pleasure. With one last thrust of his hips Y/N had let out a silent scream as her coil snapped. Dean’s hips faltered as he spilled into the condom. Dean flopped down next to Y/N bringing her close to him. He peppered kisses along her skin as they both tried to regain their breaths. 

“I am so happy with you,” Y/N whispered. “Everytime I am with you it’s like my heart wants to burst with happiness. I can’t explain it and I--” 

Dean silenced her with a kiss before placing his forehead on hers. “You make me feel the same way. I can’t explain it either, but it feels right. It feels like home when I’m with you.” 

Dean cleaned them up before they both snuggled into the bed, the covers keeping them warm. They hadn’t said the words yet, but the feeling was there. It didn’t take long before they fell asleep in eachothers arms. 

                                       ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

John sighed as he waited for his and Mary’s luggage at the carousel. He wanted to turn back to Kansas the minute the plane landed. He watched as the carousel turned on and the bags began to appear. 

“Mary, let’s just get a flight back home,” John sighed. “He isn’t going to want to see me.” 

The woman gave her husband a small pat on the back in an attempt to calm him down. “That is exactly why we had to come, John. And need I remind you that it was you who suggested coming here in the first place?”

“But--” John stopped when Mary glared at him. “Sweetheart, you know that Dean and I have always butted heads. And this thing with Lucifer just made it worse.” 

“I told you that getting into business with that company was a bad idea. But you didn’t listen. And you went and showed interest.”

“It… It made sense at the time. I didn’t think Braden’s father would put something like that on me,” John admitted. “I thought we could use his engine and push the new line out faster. But then--” 

“I know, hun,” Mary stated. 

She caught sight of their bags entering the carousel and left John’s side. The sooner they got out of the airport, the better. With a huff, she took the two small suitcases off the moving band and gave John his respective suitcase. The subject of Dean and what had driven John to do and say the things he did had been touched hundreds of times from the moment Dean had left Kansas. As they walked away from the carousel in search of the airport’s exit, John turned back to her with a worried expression. 

“He said that we could get exclusive rights if Dean and Lisa would date. But then I saw the contract and Mick found out that Lucifer was trying to take it from Dean once it was transferred to him and then Lisa found out where Dean lives…” He rambled, helping his wife with the bags.

“You are gonna need a lot of luck when you see our son, honey. And you better thank Dean for getting Mick to contact someone to check the contract.”

John hung his head, "I know. I just hope he'll listen. I want to head to his place and see if he's still up." 

Mary took a look at her wristwatch as John proposed the visit. “I was hoping we could go to the hotel and get settled…” She trailed off at the look on John’s desperate and pleading face. With a sigh, she tried to give him her best reassuring smile before she leaned in and gave him a small peck on the lips. “Alright, we’ll go.”

John mouthed a small ‘thank you’ and kissed her back. Quickly, he made way to the taxis that were parked outside of the airport. It took even less to find a cab that would drive them all the way to Matagorda. “Half an hour drive,” the driver had explained. “I’ll take y’all if you want.”

The couple nodded and handed the man their bags as they got into the vehicle. For both Winchesters, the ride was way shorter than half an hour, and only believed it once they noticed the time. As they entered the small town, the driver asked if they were headed to a particular spot.

John nodded, turning to look at Mary in the backseat. “Did you get an address from Jess?”

“It’s the last house on Beach Road,” she said as she gave the driver the house number. 

The man nodded in assessment, stopping for a moment while he remembered the route. “You’ll be there in no time, ma’am. Thank you.”

                                      ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Dean and Y/N had gotten out of the room and headed down to the kitchen. They had woken up from their small after sex nap and were feeling hungry again. 

“Have I mentioned that I love Ellen’s lasagna?” Y/N sighed as Dean had begun reheating two plates for them to eat. 

“Only about a dozen times,” he smiled. “Not that I blame you. It’s pretty amazing.”

“I think I could live on just lasagna alone,” Y/N tried to jump onto the counter and sighed when she failed. 

“Come here, sweetheart,” Dean said as he placed his hands on either side of her waist and lifted her up so that she could sit on the counter. “Better?” 

Y/N hummed in affirmation. “Thank you.”

“You know,” Dean stood in between her legs as he waited for the microwave, “you look very sexy in one of my shirts.” 

“You look sexy without one,” she complimented back, putting her hands behind his neck and pulling him closer. “Warmer too. Missed your hugs.”

Dean smiled wide at the confession, “Missed everything of you.”

The beep of the microwave stopped him from starting a make out session. He gave her a quick kiss before stepping back and taking out the plates of lasagna. He set them down on the kitchen table  and pulled back a chair for Y/N to sit on. Jumping off from the counter she made her way towards him. 

“I think we can have left over cake after this. It was very delicious,” she smiled at him. “Thank you for today. I don’t think I could ever come up with something like that. It was very special.” 

“Birthdays have to be celebrated. Especially when it’s about someone as amazing as you.”

“I’m not that special, Dean,” Y/N whispered as she took a bite of her lasagna. 

“Yeah, you are. Which reminds me, I kind of have some questions for you… about your home.”

Y/N swallowed what she was chewing and was about to ask why, when a knock on the door made them turn their heads towards it. 

“Are you expecting anyone?” Y/N raised her eyebrows at him. 

“Not that I know of,” he mumbled. “Maybe Benny and Andy didn’t like that house so much. I’ll be right back.”

Dean made his way to the door. He kept telling himself it was probably Benny and Andy. Y/N followed closely behind him, curious as to who it was. 

“What happened, you two found the house was haunt…” Dean let the words trail off as he found himself face to face with his father. “What the hell are you doing here?”  

Y/N stayed silent at the tone of Dean’s voice as she noticed a blond woman looking at her making her blush. She wasn’t sure what was going on but Dean did not sound happy.

SOOOOOOOO what did y’all think of Y/N’s birthday party??

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[cordonian-literature]

The Aftermath - Ch. 27

Apples and the Doctor’s Office

Summary: After the first day of the Apple Blossom Festival and Drake’s birthday, Riley, Liam, and the kids visit a doctor

Word Count: ~4.8k

Warnings: mention of character death, mention of addiction/drug abuse

*All characters belong to Pixelberry, except those that are unique to my story (I’ve also used some characters and fictional instances from Donna Tartt’s book “The Goldfinch”)*

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✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

- Eleanor - 

Mama woke us up extra early the morning after the beach party. While she helped bring my stuff to the car that was waiting outside, I decided to go back onto the bed and take a nap until it was time to actually leave. But when I opened my eyes, I was already in the car, my head on Mama’s leg. 

Mama and Daddyo were sitting next to each other and talking quietly while Gabe was sleeping on the other seat. I looked out the window to find that we were driving by large fields. There were trees surrounding little farms, and I saw animals that looked like sheep or goats, but I couldn’t tell from the distance. 

We eventually reach a large house and Daddyo wakes up Gabe to eat breakfast. When we walk into the kitchen there are already waffles, omelets, and fruits waiting for us. During the meal, Daddyo tells Mama that he’s worried about some investigation but Gabe and me are too focused on eating to pay attention.

After that, Daddyo asks us what we want to do today, and Gabe suggests soccer. I didn’t really want to play, but I still follow the two of them outside. 

While we walk through the large house, there are people working and cleaning like crazy. I ask Daddyo why they’re doing that, and he tells me it’s because the court is going to show up in a few hours.

Daddyo leads us far away from the building and towards a bunch of apple trees. I skip alongside him, humming whatever tune came into my head. Him and Gabe find four sticks and push them into the ground. Another person walks out of the house with a soccer ball, and Daddyo gives it to me to start out the game. 

I kick it, trying to get it back towards him, but the ball goes to Gabe instead, who kicks it into the goal and gets a point. He goes to get the ball and gives it back to me. When I try and kick it towards the goal to get myself a point, I kick it in the wrong direction again and it ends up at Daddyo’s feet, who manages to kick it into the goal to get us a point. 

The three of us play around for a few hours until some servants come out and tell us that the court has started to arrive, and Daddyo told us we needed to go get ready for the Apple Blossom Festival.

Mama helped us get dressed, but Daddyo had to leave to get ready for something. I was upset since I wanted to spend more time with him, but Gabe said that we would probably see him later. 

After everyone is dressed, Mama, Gabe, and me walk back over towards the apple trees with Duchess Olivia and Countess Hana. I ask Mama if Uncle Boris and Aunt Rowan would come, too. She tells me that Aunt Rowan is with Lord Maxwell, and comments that she hasn’t seen Uncle Boris since the horse race. 

We keep walking until we reach a small area where there aren’t that many trees, but a lot of people were gathered. There were photographers and people who I recognized from other events. I see Daddyo walk towards the front of the crowd, with Bastien and some other guards walking behind him. 

He faces the crowd and asks for everyone’s attention. I notice Heather out of the corner of my eye and walk up to her. Uncle Leo gives me a high-five when he sees me and Hunter walks towards my brother.

“Welcome to the annual Apple Blossom Festival!” he calls out. People clap lightly, and I see Lord Maxwell start cheering. “Traditionally, the Queen Mother and other ladies of the court would taste the first apples of the season, so in her memory, I propose we all take a bite.” 

There are some nods, and servants begin passing out apples to the adults. When a servant gives an apple to Uncle Leo and Aunt Katie, Uncle Leo takes both apples to give to Hunter and Heather. The same servant gives Gabe and me apples, and someone shoves a camera into my face.

“Go on, kiddos,” the person behind the camera says to me and Gabe. “Take a bite of the apple.” 

I look at the fruit in my hand, which is probably one of the brightest and reddest apples I’ve ever seen. Gabe takes a bite of his apple, but before he can even start chewing, he starts coughing again. The cameraman angles his camera away and asks Gabe if he’s okay. 

“Yeah, sorry if I coughed on your camera,” Gabe says. 

“That’s fine,” the man says. “Were you choking?” 

“No, my chest just started hurting.” 

“Gotcha. Wanna take another bite?” The cameraman looks over at me, and I take a large bite of my apple. 

It’s sweet and sour at the same time. I hate sour things, and I feel like my cheeks are burning. I force myself to swallow the apple and smile at the cameraman, because spitting it out would probably look gross. “Yummy!” I manage to say.

“Adorable!” the man says, then turns to take a picture of Gabe, who smiles while chewing. 

“That was delicious,” Gabe comments. The cameraman thanks us and walks away. 

“That was sour,” Hunter says, wiping some juice off his chin.

My brother shrugs. “I like sour foods.” 

Gabe finishes his apple and asks for another one. When the rest of the court has also eaten at least one apple, Daddyo asks for everyone’s attention again. 

“As everyone has taken a bite of their apples,” he begins. “I would like to thank our farmers, ones whose families have provided for Cordonia for generations.” He clears his throat, then starts talking again. “There is something else I wish to speak about. I know that recently Cordonia has faced many challenges. There have been natural disasters, economic recessions, international disagreements, and uprisings by anti-monarchist organizations. But Cordonia and her people have always been resilient. We’ve always stood together in unity. 

“Some of you I’ve known since my early childhood,” he continues, “and you’ve held my trust above all others. But this is a very unique issue we are facing, and Cordonia has learned from experience that her allies are not always who they are said to be. 

“My security team has reason to believe that the late Queen Mother did not die of a heart attack, but was actually poisoned, just as my own mother was more than thirty years ago.” People in the crowd gasp and begin whispering with each other. “Investigations are being led, but my team has suggested furthering those investigations by searching the belongings of certain members of the court. Do not fret, your privacy will be respected and if need be, the search may be done while you are present.”

The crowd of photographers and reporters start yelling questions towards Daddyo, and Uncle Leo leads us all back towards Mama and Duchess Olivia. 

“Did you know Regina was poisoned?” Uncle Leo asks. 

“Yes,” Duchess Olivia answers him. “Jacob told me what he discovered this morning. I didn’t know if Liam would tell the people, and I’m surprised that he did.”

“He was worried about it this morning,” Mama adds. All the adults turn to look back at Daddyo, who still has microphones being pushed in front of his face.

“I hope he’s doing okay,” Uncle Leo says.

“I’m sure he is.” Duchess Olivia turns back to Uncle Leo when he speaks, and there’s an angry tone in her voice. 

Jessica walks up to the group, pulling Drake behind her. She greets everyone and pinches Gabe’s cheek. Drake starts talking with Uncle Leo, and Jessica turns to Mama. 

“I wanted to ask if you would join Drake and I for dinner tonight,” she says. “I made a reservation at a restaurant for his birthday. It would be lovely if you all attended.” 

“That’d be nice,” Mama says. “We could all go.”

“No, thank—” Duchess Olivia begins, but Mama gives her a look, and instead says, “Fine.” 

“I’ll go fill in Hana and everyone else,” Mama says, walking away. 

“Hey, do you wanna go pick some apples?” Heather taps my shoulder to ask. 

I search the crowd for Daddyo, but can’t see him anymore. I tell Heather sure, and our brothers follow us towards some trees. 

Hunter and Gabe are the ones who want to climb up, and Heather and me are left near some baskets. Gabe tells us to catch the apples they throw down at us and to count them. 

For a second I think it’s not a good idea, since I don’t think I’ll be able to catch the apples and am a little scared that I would drop them, but Gabe already sends one down and I throw myself at it. 

I catch it, but land face-forward in the grass. Gabe calls to me from the top of the tree, saying that I had to get up. 

Heather and I continue to catch apples until our baskets are full. I had lost count around twelve, but Heather counts my basket, too, and says that the four of us collected about fifty apples altogether. 

Hunter frowns, complaining that we could have done better. Heather looks around for where we have to bring the baskets. And Gabe reaches down to eat another apple. 

I see Aunt Katie call for Hunter and Heather. The two of them walk away from us, and we wave goodbye to them. Gabe and I start walking away to go look for where Mama is, but Hunter and Heather call to us again to say that we’re all going somewhere together. 

Gabe and I are led in a car that has Lord Maxwell, Aunt Rowan, Duke Bertrand, Duchess Savannah, and Bartie. They tell us that everyone is headed to the same place, and that we would be celebrating Drake’s birthday. 

“I wonder what Jessica has planned,” Maxwell wonders aloud. 

“Probably cake?” Gabe asks. 

“Naturally,” Maxwell replies. “But do you think there’s a chance she didn’t get balloons?” 

“We can bring some!” I suggest. “In case Jessica forgot.” 

“I like the way you think, baby blossom,” Maxwell says. 

He crawls over towards the driver and asks him to bring us to a place we could get balloons. Duke Bertrand tries to stop Maxwell, but he refuses to sit down and the driver has already parked in front of a store. 

Me and my brother follow Maxwell into the store, who goes straight to the counter. 

“Do you have balloons?” he asks. There are balloon designs on display right on top of our heads, and I pull Maxwell’s sleeve and point at them. “Hmmm...” he stares at them for a while, then turns back to the person at the counter. “Do you maybe have a balloon that’s shaped like a whiskey bottle?” 

“No, but I got champagne ones,” the old man says. 

“Good enough, we’ll take ten,” Maxwell requests. 

“Ten?” my brother and me ask in union.

“Do you think we should get more?” he turns to us and asks. “What if we get forty and say ‘Happy Fortieth Birthday’? He’s not forty yet but it would be funny.”

“I mean, I don’t know,” Gabe starts. “If Lady Jessica already got balloons, then bringing forty more would seem like a little too much.”

Maxwell sighs. “Fine.” 

“Gabe is now the bossy blossom,” I point at my brother to announce. 

“What? No—” he tries to protest.

“Are you gonna tell me not to call you bossy?” I question, crossing my arms in front of me.

“That would make you extra bossy,” Maxwell states. 

“But—” he tries again.

“Stop being bossy, bossy blossom!” I cry. 

Gabe turns away from me. Maxwell pats him on the head and says, “It’s okay, bossy blossom.” 

Maxwell and I laugh while Gabe stares at the balloons. 

We all hold three balloons, and Maxwell holds an extra one. When we get back into the car, Duchess Savannah and Aunt Rowan laugh, and I can tell that Duke Bertrand is upset, but he doesn’t say anything.

For the rest of the ride we punch the balloons at each other until we have to get out of the car. Aunt Rowan ties some balloons to my wrists because she was worried they would fly away. 

When we enter, there’s a guy in a fancy suit who greets us. 

“This is not the kind of establishment you bring childish balloons into,” Duke Bertrand whispers loudly to Maxwell.

The three of us ignore him and follow the fancy man through the restaurant until we reach a very big table. Everyone else is already seated, including Uncle Leo, Aunt Katie, Hunter, and Heather. 

Except for the ones me, Gabe, and Maxwell hold, there are no balloons in the room. And there aren’t any decorations either. 

“Happy Birthday, Drake!” Maxwell cries, walking over to where Drake was sitting. 

“Tie ‘em to his chair,” Uncle Leo comments, pointing at the balloons. 

While Maxwell works the knot of the balloon tied to my wrist, Drake grabs the string and pulls it close to his face. “You know these are champagne bottles, right?” 

“Imagine that it’s whiskey,” Maxwell tells him. 

I follow Gabe towards a few seats. I got to sit on Mama’s right, while Gabe was on Daddyo’s left, with the both of them in between us. Thankfully Heather was next to me. Gabe feels far from us, and when he tries to say something to me, I couldn’t really hear him. I wave at him to exaggerate the distance.

The adults talk steadily throughout the meal. Mama and Daddyo were sitting close to each other, mostly whispering. Countess Hana was talking with Maxwell and Aunt Rowan. Duke Bertrand laughed with Uncle Leo, and sometimes I saw Daddyo send looks in their direction.

As time went on I got more and more tired, and I wanted to ask Mama when they would finally cut the cake, but then Drake and Jessica stand to thank everyone for coming, and we all head outside.

“No cake?” I whisper at Gabe when we take a seat in Daddyo’s limo. 

He shrugs. Mama and Drake join us in the car, and I wonder where Jessica is. I spend the drive back looking out at the streets we passed. 

“Do you think they’re already done with the search?” Drake asks. 

“Perhaps,” Daddyo answers. “I don’t believe it should have taken the entire day, especially if no one resisted.”

“Do you really think it could have been someone from the court?” asks Mama.

Daddyo shrugs. “I’m not sure. I certainly hope not.” 

When we get out of the car, we see Lord Maxwell and everyone else walking into the big house. They wave at us, and we begin to follow, but someone walks up to Daddyo. 

“Your Majesty,” the man says. “There is something you need to see.” 

The five of us follow the man up the stairs and down dark hallways. I don’t even hear people talking, and the big house suddenly feels spooky. 

The man leads us into Gabe’s room, where there’s Bastien and some other people in similar suits. Bastien stands over Gabe’s open suitcase, and he looks down at something on his bed. 

“What is it?” Mama asks. She rushes forward to lean over the thing that Bastien was looking at, then gasps. 

Drake and Daddyo follow Mama, and their faces frown when they inspect the object.

“I...” Mama tries to speak. “I saw this at the Met. Before the bomb went off.” 

Gabriel and I look at each other, confused. 

“What on Earth was it doing in Gabriel’s belongings?” Daddyo questions Bastien.

“I don’t know. We didn’t even know this was the prince’s room,” Bastien tells everyone. “My team believed it was the room of another Lord or Lady, so we decided to inspect it. We only realized it was His Highness’ room after we had already found the painting.”

What painting are they talking about? I turn to look at Gabriel, but his chin starts to shake. All the adults are still questioning each other, and since they aren’t really paying attention to me, I make my way over to the edge of Gabe’s bed to look at what the problem was.

It was a painting of a bunch of dancers. They were wearing bright-pink pointe shoes, and I figured they were ballerinas. The whole thing looks like it was recently painted, but I tap the painted flower in the painted girl’s hair, and my finger comes away dry.

“What’s the commotion?” Duchess Olivia comes into the room. She towers over me to look at the painting. When she looks back at everyone, she’s just as confused. 

“This painting,” Mama begins to explain, “was in the Met the day of the bombing. The Dance Class. There was ash on it, and... look, they’ve painted over it to make it look new.” Mama points to certain places on the portrait.

“Weren’t the missing paintings around Europe connected to the incident at the Met?” Drake asks.

“They were,” Duchess Olivia speaks up. “And there was some evidence that the perpetrators were from Europe, but nothing came of it.” 

“So that means it is someone at court,” Drake states.

“I’m still concerned as to how the painting got into Gabriel’s room,” Daddyo states.

“Mom, I didn’t do anything,” Gabe goes to our mother. Tears are falling down his face and he’s having a hard time breathing. 

Mama holds his head in her hands. “Baby, I know you didn’t.”

She holds Gabriel while he cries. Duchess Olivia and Bastien continue their conversation. 

“Everyone whose belongings were searched showed no suspicious behavior or resisted in any capacity,” Bastien tells us. 

“Give me the names of whose rooms were checked,” Duchess Olivia demands. “I’ll have Jacob look into it.” 

Gabe starts to cough roughly into Mama’s side. He tries to take in a breath, but a cough, vibrating from his chest, forces its way out. Gabriel’s face goes pink, and Daddyo and Bastien kneel in front of him.

“Your Majesty,” Bastien says. “Perhaps the prince should see a doctor.” 

Daddyo’s focused on making sure Gabe can breathe, and once he’s calm and Mama wipes the tears from his face, Daddyo nods at Bastien. 

“I’ll schedule an appointment for you early in the morning, Your Majesty.” 

“C’mon, you two,” Mama says to us. “Let’s get you both to bed.” 

... 

Mama woke us up extra early again, but this time I wasn’t so tired. Her and Daddyo fussed over Gabe while we ate breakfast in a small dining room. 

They brought me to the doctor’s office with them. I didn’t like that I was back in the hospital, but when we were brought to the waiting room, I was glad that I didn’t see any patients or sick people. 

Once a nurse tells us that the doctor will be here in a few moments, Gabe comments, “I ate two whole apples yesterday but we still ended up at the doctor’s.”

Mama laughs. “Really?”

“That’s a lie,” I add in. “He ate three.” 

“The extra apple didn’t save me,” he states.

The doctor arrives and shakes Mama’s and Daddyo’s hands. She says that she wants to bring Gabriel into another room to run some tests and ask some questions. Mama follows Gabe, and Daddyo and me are left in the waiting room. 

“Is Gabe sick?” I ask him after Mama and Gabe have left. 

“I’m sure your brother is fine. There’s nothing to worry about, angel.” 

His phone rings, and I expect him to walk away and answer it, but he stays in his seat and talks. I spend the next few minutes walking around the waiting room, picking up magazines and staring up at the television. I grab three booklets from the stands and hand two of them to Daddyo, who is still on the phone. 

He leans back in his seat and watches me flip through the magazines while talking. When I’ve gone through all of them and sniffed more than twelve perfume samples, he’s finally done with his call. 

“What are we doing tomorrow?” I ask him. I was hoping that we could go to the movies again so we could all spend time together. Even though we had fun yesterday morning, the moments felt too short.

“The fox hunt is tomorrow. We’ll be visiting an ancient village.” 

“We’re gonna hunt?!” I cry.

He gives a deep laugh. “No, no, we’ll just ride horses to get to a village.” 

“Phew,” I voice, making him laugh again. “Wait, I don’t know how to ride a horse! Do you?” 

“Yes. Perhaps after the baking contest today, I can teach you and your brother.”

I wanted to ask him what the baking contest was for, but the doctor finally comes back to tell us that we can come into the room now. 

Gabe is sitting on the examination table, and Mama stands next to him. I take a seat next to the table and Daddyo stands next to the doctor.

“So I’ve taken a physical exam,” the doctor starts explaining, “and a lung function test. We’ve been able to determine that Gabriel has asthma.”

Mama and Daddyo both frown. 

“How?” Mama asks. “He’s not allergic to anything, doesn’t have allergies...”

“Sometimes,” the doctor starts again, “asthma can be triggered in children by cold air, excessive exercise, or air pollutants.” 

“Air pollutants?” Daddyo questions. 

“Like tobacco smoke.” The doctor pretends to hold up a cigarette to her lips. 

“Oh, God,” Mama whispers, putting her face in her hands. 

“What is it?” Daddyo asks. 

Mama lifts her head again. “Theo smoked. A lot. While I was pregnant and during Gabe’s first year. I think he only fully stopped before Ella was born.” 

Daddyo’s mouth falls slightly agape and his eyebrows furrow.

“Well, that explains it,” the doctor states. “I’ll give you some treatment options so it doesn’t get worse, but if it does, make sure to give us a call.” 

Gabriel jumps off of the examination table. We walk together out of the hospital and back into the car. 

No one says anything while we drive back. Mama and Daddyo both seem tense. I want one of them to start talking, but I’m afraid to speak. 

“I thought that Theo would go outside to smoke,” Mama finally says. “I didn’t even consider...” She trails off and puts her head back in her hands. 

“Didn’t consider that you were putting my son in the care of a drug addict?” Daddyo says quickly. We all turn to him. He looks at Mama like he’s angry. I’ve never seen him or heard him like that. I don’t understand why talking about Daddy made him mad.

“What?” 

“Instead of bringing him to me, where I could have kept him safe, you decide to bring my son into the hands of a stranger?” 

“You’re saying that as if I had a choice.”

“You’ve always had a choice, Riley!” 

“Not then, I didn’t—”

“You always did.” Their voices get louder. I think they’ve forgot that we’re still in the car with them. “If you had refused to depart with him, what was the worst that could have happened?” 

Mama’s voice breaks. “I did refuse!”

“Truly? Look where we are now.”

“Do you really think that I left that day with no intention of coming back? I tried for years to convince Theo!” 

Daddyo doesn’t say anything for a few moments. He looks away from Mama, but not at us, until he finally says, “Riley, we were the ones who had to bring you back, and that was when you were on death’s door.” 

“So you’re assuming that I never even tried to come back?”

“Clearly, Riley, you didn’t!” he screams. “You told me that you traveled to Europe numerous times, but not once did you try to contact me.”

“I wasn’t allowed to!” 

“So you voluntarily let that man determine my son’s health and your life?”

They’re both leaning forward in their seats. Mama looks like she’s ready to cry. I can’t tell how Daddyo’s feeling, but the tone of his voice kinda scares me. 

“You’re blaming me for all this, aren’t you?” Mama asks. “He’s still just a kid, his asthma hasn’t gotten into anything worse—”

“And if it did? If it had gotten worse before we realized it? Tell me, Riley, what would have happened then?” 

Mama pauses for a moment. She looks helpless. I want to hug her, but I was still too frightened to move a muscle. 

Daddyo breathes out and leans forward, looking down at his shoes with his elbows on his legs. 

“My father battled lung cancer for the last few years of his life,” he continues. “How do we know if Gabriel’s condition won’t worsen into something similar?”

“We can talk to the doctor about it,” Mama suggests in a small voice.

Daddyo doesn’t say anything. We all fall into silence again. I turn to look at Gabe, who seems like he’s trying to melt back into the seat. Craning my neck, I try to see what’s out the window, wondering how long it would take us to get back to the big house.

I turn to look at Mama. My mother’s face is slightly pink, and there are tears streaming down her face. I get up out of my seat to hug her, wrapping my arms around her waist, but she doesn’t react. 

Daddyo looks at her, but he doesn’t have the same face on from when he usually talked to Mama. He looked mean and angry.

“What about Boris?” Daddyo speaks up. He turns to Mama again, but she just stares at him. “He was with Theodore when he forced you to leave New York?”

“Yes.”

Daddyo sighs and leans back in his seat. “Did he also forbid you from returning to Cordonia?”

“No,” Mama answers simply. 

“So it was just Theodore?” 

Silence again. Daddyo doesn’t look away from Mama. 

“What did he say about me that... inspired you to leave?”

She doesn’t answer him. 

Someone opens the door to the car. I didn’t even realize we had stopped driving. Mama wipes her tears and gets out of the car, rushing into the big house. As soon as Daddyo steps out, some people surround him and start talking to him. His expression changes quickly, and it’s almost like he was never mad. 

Gabe and me get out of the car, and we follow people back towards the apple trees. My brother stays quiet, and I don’t try to talk to him, either. I knew the both of us were thinking about what had just happened. 

When we reach the crowd of people, Lord Maxwell and Aunt Rowan call us over to them. “Baby blossoms! Come bake some apple pie with us!” 

I ran over to them, hoping that the apple pies would make me feel better. Gabriel still walks slowly. 

“Hey, Gabey,” Aunt Rowan says to him. “Everything okay?” 

He shrugs. “They had a fight...”

“Who?” Lord Maxwell asks, putting down the knife he was using to cut apples. 

“Mama and Daddyo,” I tell them. 

“About what?”

Gabe shrugs again. “The doctor said that I have asthma, and then they started talking about... about Dad.” 

“Aw,” Rowan says. She pulls Gabe into a hug.

“They’re both probably worried,” Maxwell wonders aloud. Him and Rowan give each other a look, but then we go back to making apple pie. 

Lord Maxwell had forgotten to tell the judges that he wanted to be a part of the competition, so our pie was not judged, which meant that we got to eat the entire thing. Countess Hana and Lady Kiara’s pie won, and we cheered them on from the sidelines. 

I didn’t see Daddyo for the rest of the day, and Lord Maxwell told us that he was probably really busy. I wanted to go find him and ask him to teach me how to ride a horse, but I was worried that he was still mad. 

So instead, a little after sunset, Lord Maxwell brought me, Gabe, and Rowan to the stables and taught us about horses for a little bit. I learned how to sit and stay balanced, and was excited for the hunt tomorrow. I just hoped that Mama and Daddyo weren’t still mad at each other.

[knightofameris]

uncharacteristic team-ups — avengers (stark!reader)

Setting: Timelines? What are timelines? I have no clue when this could be so have fun but also who cares lol (basically an AU) Gender: Neutral Contains: curse words, an in-depth description of death (like lots of it), blood, a bit of fighting alcohol mention, everything in here is platonic but relationship with peter parker could be read either way Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: What happens when a mission gone bad leads you to team up with some vigilantes who aren’t known to be good team players? Except, you have to team up with the so-called Defenders of New York as they’re the only way to get your dad back.

a/n: a self-indulgent piece,,,, lol. also uploading this despite it being done a long time ago since i haven’t posted in a hot minute.

Let me know if there are any mistakes, regarding the gender of reader, grammar, spelling, or with the story. c:

Enjoy! [repost from old account

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❝ the most powerful people in New York and you were a part of it ❞

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The abject horror one feels when coming across a dead body is one no one ever talks about. The stench, the sudden realization of how fragile life is. If said dead body is mutilated, violated, eyes left open to stare into the unlucky person to come upon it, it’s even worse.

But (Y/n) was left in a worse situation. The feeling of their dinner wanting to leave their stomach the same way it entered caused them to cover their mouth, trying to hold it back. The array of bodies strewn about in the warehouse caused them to shut their eyes and pinch their nose.

No one ever talked about how a body releases everything, and I mean everything, when they go onto the next life.

Now (Y/n) knows why.

“Holy shit,” Peter murmured, plugging his nose. “The smell, I didn’t realize the smell—”

Tony shushed him, his head turning back towards the two teenagers. He should have known that this small takedown of a few crimelords should have been left to the police. But when he saw his name on one of their weapons, he couldn’t help but want to investigate. Now he regrets it because even on missions, he’d ensure that (Y/n) and Peter would never see dead bodies. And now they were seeing more than they should.

Tony’s hand gripped (Y/n)’s shoulder, giving them a small squeeze then looking back over the railings onto the first floor where the bodies laid.

The lights on his armor dimmed and (Y/n) looked up at him with a tilt of their head.

“Something’s wrong,” a voice spoke out, a group of footsteps sounded throughout the warehouse. (Y/n)’s eyes widened and began to back up on the catwalk they were on, hiding from the voices.

“God, this is disgusting,” a woman spoke out.

“You’re telling me, Frank Castle, did this?” A man in a hoodie asked.  

“Yes, but this group, they wouldn’t be his MO,” another man wearing a red armored suit responded. “Luke I’m going to need you to—wait.” His mouth parted, and he tilted his head. Unbeknownst to anyone else, his eyebrows furrowed as he continued listening into his surroundings.

“We’re not alone.” The man turned his head upwards.

“Daredevil, right?” Tony was already over the railings, hovering in the air above them. The HUD on (Y/n)’s domino mask they wore had instructions over it: ‘Do not show yourself until I say so. I know you’ll do it, but don’t do it.’ (Y/n) and Peter exchanged glances in which Peter only shrugged.

“Or should I say, Matt Murdock?” Tony pointed his finger at the man in the suit, his helmet promptly coming off. Matt tensed up, his jaw clenching. His fingers parted from the eskimo sticks he held then regripped it.

“Great, now we’re dealing with superheroes,” the woman sighed, walking away.

“Isn’t that Jessica Jones?” (Y/n) murmured towards Peter. Peter inched forward, peeking over the railings then looked back at (Y/n). He nodded his head. (Y/n) lets out a silent grunt of approval then slowly sat down, wanting to hear their dad’s interactions with them.

“I’m sorry,” Tony gestured towards her and his eyebrows furrowed. “Rosie the Riveter, from what I could tell, what you guys have done in the past few years could deem you as heroes.”

“Look, this isn’t something you could blast your way through, Stark.”

“Oh, so this is something you could, punch your way through, Mr. Luke Cage is it?”

“Okkaaayyy,” (Y/n) called out, jumping over the railings and ignoring the dead bodies below. “Dad, they’re on the same side as us, they might know more than us.” They landed with grace in front of the adults and then promptly jumped back up, tapping their mask that uncovered their face. “(Y/n) Stark, but you probably already knew that.”

Tony began protesting (Y/n) but they just ignored him after putting their hand out to shake the hands of the others with a smirk on their face. (Y/n) didn’t even notice Peter landing next to them until he did a two-finger salute.

“H-hi, Spider-Man, nice to meet you guys,” Peter stammered out. “I’m usually in Queens.”

(Y/n) rolled their eyes then turned around to face Tony who’s helmet already came off. His face full of exasperation and the wrinkle lines could probably very well be from the stress from taking care of his kids.

“I swear to god,” Tony flicked the back of (Y/n)’s head lightly, “you’re both going to be the death of me.”

(Y/n) giggled, trying to make light of the situation before turning back to the others.

“We’re on a bit of a time crunch, so please, if you could just get out of our way.” Jessica leaned on one of her legs, her voice slightly desperate. (Y/n) arched a brow at her. Peter raised his hand in the air and everyone glanced over at him. “Just talk, kid.”

“You know, if you work with us you won’t have to deal with the illegality of being a vigilante,” Peter spoke up.

“So what, we’d be Avengers-in-training?” A man (Y/n) and Tony recognized as the heir of Rand Enterprises, Danny Rand. Tony had meant him once, with Pepper.

Luke scoffed, “No thanks, we’re not—”

“Heroes?” (Y/n) interrupted. “Don’t you guys already have a nickname?” (Y/n) glanced up at their dad who clicked his tongue and began nodding his head, gesturing to (Y/n) then back to them.

“Yeah, yeah, the Defenders, right?” Tony asked. “Rhetorical question but you guys need us,” he turned around, looking over the dead bodies then back up at the catwalk he was at minutes earlier, “just as much as we need—”

(Y/n) frowned and everyone exchanged glances wondering why Tony would just stop talking, he loved hearing himself talk.

He was even frozen in place, his hand raised to the side and his foot just hovering over the ground.

There’s a certain gut wrenching feeling you usually get before the bad thing happens, in movies, in real life. Usually you just look away, ignore it, and wait for the next scene. But in this situation, in this world that (Y/n) lives in, you gotta look. You gotta watch to find out what the next move is.

(Y/n)’s gaze followed their dad’s, wondering what Tony was looking at.

“Don’t look up!” Matt shouted, pushing both teenagers’ heads down. “Don’t look at her.” He held both of them there.

“Oh my,” an alluring voice called out. (Y/n) suddenly felt at peace and almost wanted to fight against Matt and look up to see who the voice belonged to. “I never would have thought I could catch one of the big ones.”  

“If you can,” Matt murmured towards the two of them, “Change your masks to see in infrared.” He slowly let go. (Y/n)’s mask covered their eyes, and they blinked, suddenly seeing everything in infrared. They looked up and saw a woman who radiated no heat but her eyes, her eyes were burning hot.

Jessica and the others had on goggles with the name Rand on the side, their fists were held up, prepared to fight the moment they saw Tony’s helmet come back online.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter called out, his voice wary.

The woman laughed, weaving her arm through Tony’s arm and hugging it tight. “I’m afraid Mr. Stark isn’t able to come to the phone right now.”

“What did you do to him!?” (Y/n) demanded, pulling out their bo staff. Jessica grabbed their arm and held them back.

“Not now, kid,” she said. (Y/n) tried shrugging her off but her grip just tightened. What they didn’t realize was another man walking out from above, a skull painted on his chest and two assault rifles in his hand.

“Alright, honey,” the woman wrapped her arms around Tony’s neck, “Let’s get out of here. And Frankie, be a dear and take them out for me?”

“Wait, dad!” (Y/n) called out, reaching their arm up towards him as he flew up and blasted a hole in the roof.

“Watch out!” (Y/n) was jolted out of their daze from Tony seemingly under the woman’s control when Luke grabbed them and set them behind him once the man, Frank Castle, began raining bullets down on them. Matt, Jessica, and Danny dove behind a car that was set in the warehouse.

Peter launched himself up onto the roof using his webs. Then pointed it towards Frank.

“That’s unfair, you can’t use guns on unarmed people!” His webs hooked onto the two guns and he yanked it back. Frank stumbled forward, grunting as he lost his balance. He wasn’t able to react fast enough when Peter launched two webs beside him only to catapult into him, knocking him out the moment his head slammed into the wall behind him.

(Y/n) gripped their bo staff, their knuckles white and waited before the shooting stopped. They watched as Peter jumped back down with a webbed-up Frank Castle in his arms. (Y/n) turned to face the other adults and their mask came off, their face red with fury behind their eyes.

“You better tell us what the deal with that woman was because she just kidnapped my dad, Tony-fucking-Stark and we’re helping whether you like it or not.”

***

“So you’re telling me,” (Y/n) rubbed her forehead, “that Adeline Trost, the woman who took my dad, can control people when she makes eye contact with them.”

“Yes, and that’s why we don’t want to call in the Avengers,” Matt replied. At this point, he was unmasked, relaxing in the confines of his apartment. (Y/n) glanced over at Peter, who still wore his mask, and then over at the others who sat spread out. Frank Castle was webbed to a chair, making him incapacitated in case he’s sitll under her control.

“Well, when one of us is compromised, we have to alert the others,” (Y/n) sighed, burying their face into their hands. They let out a frustrated groan and leaned back in the chair.

(Y/n) didn’t want this, they didn’t want to be the one making the call but they were an Avenger, and a higher ranking one than Peter was. At least, that’s what they both saw (Y/n) as.

Peter fiddled around with his hands, tapping his foot against the ground. He watched (Y/n) let out another frustrated groan and though they just seemed exasperated, he knew that they were worried about their dad. Naturally, he was too. But (Y/n) had probably lost him more times than the two of them can count combined.

“No,” a new voice spoke up, his voice gruff. “If she ends up controlling them, the whole world will be at risk.”

Chairs scratched against the floor as everyone stood up. Frank sat still though, as still as he could. He looked up, his face was bruised up and littered with cuts and scars. If he had powers, he’d be a force to be reckoned with; he still was.

“Are you still…” Danny’s arm was outreached towards him, cautious in case Frank could break out of the webs, despite it being extremely strong.

“Under that bitch’s control?” Frank asked, his head tilted. “No.” He shook his head. “I’m not and Murdock over there can tell you I’m telling the truth.”

(Y/n) looked over at Matt, their eyes narrowed at the lawyer. Matt’s face was relaxed, most likely listening to Frank’s heart.

“He’s telling the truth, you can unweb him,” Matt assured. Jessica walked over behind him before Peter could make his way over and ripped open the webs. Frank shortly stood up, letting the webs fall to his feet. He groaned as he rubbed his neck and dusted the webs off of himself.

“Woah,” Peter murmured and looked over at (Y/n) while pointing towards her, “she’s strong.” Jessica rolled her eyes and walked over to the fridge and took out a beer.

“I’m taking this Murdock.” She raised the beer then took the cap off and began chugging. Matt didn’t respond, knowing he couldn’t deny her.

“So what’s the plan?” Luke crossed his arms, looking back and forth between (Y/n) and the others.

“Alert the Avengers and,” (Y/n) raised a hand up in the air before anyone could protest, “let them know that Tony’s compromised and to not trust him. I’ll let them know that I can handle it too.”

“And you’re sure they’d trust his kid and Spider-Kid?” Luke nodded towards Peter.

“Spider-Man, it’s Spider-Man,” Peter whined.

Jessica cocked a brow at him, “You’re a kid, Spider-Kid.” (Y/n) stifled a laugh, patting Peter on his back before taking out their phone.

“I’m sure,” said (Y/n) and walked away from the group to call Rhodey.

***

Rhodey walked up to Frank, who was significantly taller and more toned, despite Rhodey actively being War Machine and a Colonel.

Frank stared down at him, adjusting his stance and his fingers fiddled around against the palm of his head rhythmically.

“Look, Colonel,” Frank started, “with all due respect, this is one of the jobs that the Avengers can’t take up. Might as well be well below your paygrade.”

Rhodey scoffed with a smile, placing his hands on his hips, the whirring of the mechanics surrounding his legs filling the quiet room. Everyone watched with silent, observant eyes. You could literally cut the tension in the room with a butterknife. (Y/n) knew they were in deep shit when Frank glanced over at them from the corner of his eye.

“This is a job that’s already been taken up by the Avengers,” said Rhodey. “When one of our own is compromised, we’re involved. I could call in the authorities right now and have you arrested. All of you.” He pointed at the other four. “But I won’t, even if I should.”

Jessica groaned, walking towards a chair and falling into it. “I need a fucking drink and I blame you, Stark.” (Y/n) ran their hand through their hair nervously and walked over towards Peter, hoping to find comfort near him.

“Can we stop this?” Luke asked, desperation laced in his words. “The longer we take on finding a way to work together, the longer it takes to take down Adeline. Frank, you need to learn how to be a team player.”

(Y/n) draped an arm over their stomach, their other hand going up to the side of their face, taping on their mask to let it go over their face and watched Tony’s vitals that the two of them setup for each other. A way to make sure the other was safe in a situation like this.

They pursed their lips, tapping their fingers against their side, ignoring what the others were talking about and just watched Tony’s heartbeat across the screen.

That’s all (Y/n) wanted, for their dad to be back and safe and alive. They’ve lost him too many times, too many near death counts. This can’t be the one where they truly lose him.

***

The streets were nearly empty of civilians. Buildings were destroyed and, despite ‘the Defenders’ wanting to keep the Avengers out of it, the Avengers became a part of it. But with the Avengers becoming a part of it, the risk of them falling under Adeline’s control increased.

The plan was to bring Adeline out in the open, have the Avengers as secret weapons in case the plan went south if the Defenders (and Colleen, she didn’t want to be left out) got stuck in control and to have Wanda use her powers to invoke her worst fears and to read her mind.

But what they didn’t expect was Adeline being able to counter Wanda’s powers and she worked backwards, bringing Wanda down to her fears and then putting her under control. One by one, the Avengers who were there, Rhodey, Steve, Sam, and Natasha, fell straight into her control.

Leaving the misfit heroes (not that they’d ever call themselves that) with the two Avengers-in-training to take out Adeline and bring them back. Which brought the block they occupied in Manhattan to be destroyed.

(Y/n) slowly walked up to Tony, ignoring the sounds of protests behind her. The Defenders, miraculously, brought a few of the Avengers back to their side, aiding them in the fight against the others, especially  Wanda. They all helped each other up, leaning on each other for support as they watched (Y/n) confront Tony.

His mask was off and his eyes were dull as he stared into (Y/n)’s eyes. His gauntlet was pointed straight at them, one repulsor blast and they’d be done for. But Tony was hesitating.

(Y/n) tapped the side of their mask allowing the nanotech to show their face; allowing themself to be vulnerable even in the case that Adeline appeared. But they didn’t care, they just needed to get their dad back.

“Dad, it’s me, it’s (Y/n).” They smiled but choked on a sob when they heard the whir of his repulsor. Until Tony cracked a smirk and he grunted, using his other hand to pull the one pointed at (Y/n)’s face back down.

Tony yelled, falling to the ground, his face scrunched up in determination. The ground hit (Y/n)’s knees, landing next to him and grabbing him by the shoulders.

“Hey kid,” he breathed out, placing his hand on her shoulder as he stood back up. The glimmer in Tony’s eyes coming back and (Y/n) knew he was back. His helmet covered his face and (Y/n)’s mask followed. “You in infrared? I don’t want you to fall und—”

(Y/n)’s arms wrapped around him, despite the bulky armor.

“How do you always get caught up in this shit, dad?” Tony hugged back, the mouth of his faceplate slightly tapping the top of their head as if it was a kiss.

“I don’t think I’d be me if I didn’t get caught up in this shit.” He pulled away, glancing back to the fight. “How’d you even pull me out?”

(Y/n) shrugged, “I just looked you in the eye. We got Frank out by knocking him out really hard too, and the others.”

“Sounds good, now how do we deal with the Adeline chick?”

“Already got her,” Jessica said. The two Starks turned to face the powered woman who held a woman with her eyes covered. Jessica shoved her down at their feet, her hands tied together. Both of the Starks’ masks came off, showing their face.

“Well, that was easy.”

“For you, maybe.” Luke spit out a mouthful of blood, walking up to them, limping. Others trailing behind.

Steve grabbed his helmet from the ground, holding it to his side. “You guys did good, you know. Not a lot of people could say they went toe-to-toe with the Avengers and survived. We could use more people with your abilities.”

“Yeah well,” Colleen sheathed her sword and held her side, leaning on Danny for support.

“We’re not heroes,” Frank finished for her.

“No matter how much you guys deny it,” said (Y/n), “you guys are heroes. You worked with us, saved us, helped me get my dad back and defeated the enemy. You’re my hero.”

“We should cap this conversation for another time.” Natasha gestured towards Adeline squirming on the ground and then towards civilians making their way to watch a large group of heroes interacting with each other.

“Sure, but I’m tossing it in the ocean because I’m not down to join a band,” Jessica began walking away, despite her wounds. “You know where to find me though, if you need me.”

They all watched as she walked off.

“She’s always like that, don’t worry,” Matt brought up with a slight smile.

“She acts cold, but she’s warm-hearted. A bit blunt at times,” Luke added.

(Y/n) rolled their eyes as the adults began to talk about trying to recruit the others to be Avengers. Peter inched his way over to them and (Y/n) looked up at him.

“This is pretty crazy, isn’t it?” Peter asked.

(Y/n) nodded their head, “It’s like a crazy crossover special episode. Pretty badass.”

a/n: skfhgkdsfg i had fun writing this even if it’s not the best but i hope you guys still enjoyed it nonetheless!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN UNDERGRADUATES

One of the cases he decided was brought by the owner of a food shop. Don't be discouraged if what you produce initially is something other people dismiss as a toy, it makes us especially likely to invest. Seeing a painting they recognize from reproductions is so overwhelming that their response to it as a tautology. There's nothing more valuable than an unmet need that is just becoming fixable. You have to show you're impressed with what you've made. Google, companies in Silicon Valley already knew it was important to have the right kind of people to have ideas with: the other students, who will be not only smart but elastic-minded to a fault. Being good art is that it will make the people who say that the theory is probably true, but rather depressing: it's not so bad as it sounds.

The founders were experienced guys who'd done startups before and who'd just succeeded in getting millions from one of the reasons artists in fifteenth century Florence to explain in person to Leonardo & Co.1 If Microsoft was the Empire, they were the Rebel Alliance. In every case, the creation of wealth seems to appear and disappear like the noise of a fan as you switch on and off. One often hears a policy criticized on the grounds that it would increase the income gap between rich and poor? Perhaps this tends to attract people who are bad at understanding. It would work on a moon base where we had to buy air by the liter. It seemed obvious that beauty, for example, as property in the way we do. It could be the reason they don't have to wait to be an adult.

The answer, I realized, is that my m. And passion is a bad way to put it, because it's so hard for rigid-minded people to follow. That's to be expected. An eloquent speaker or writer can give the impression of vanquishing an opponent merely by using forceful words. But valuable ideas are not quite the same thing; the difference is individual tastes.2 Don't talk about secondary matters at length. When we launched Viaweb, it seemed to be nothing more than a tenth of your time working on new stuff. Now a lot of people in the Valley is watching them. In either case you let yourself be defined by what they tell you to do.3

Of course, space aliens probably wouldn't find human faces engaging. Rebellion is almost as stupid as obedience. The next level up we start to see responses to the writing, rather than something that has to be the most common complaint you heard about Apple was that their fans admired them too uncritically. Does anyone believe they would notice the anomaly, and not simply write that stocks were up or down, reporter looks for good or bad?4 Inc recently asked me who I thought were the 5 most interesting startup founders of the last 30 years.5 Simplicity takes effort—genius, even. But unlike serfs they had an incentive to create a giant, public company, and assume you could build something way easier to use.

Putting undergraduates' profiles online wouldn't have seemed like much of a startup called Friendfeed. That would definitely happen if programmers started to use handhelds as development machines—if handhelds displaced laptops the way laptops displaced desktops. Taking a shower is like a form of exemplary punishment, or lobbying for laws that would break the Internet if they passed, that's ipso facto evidence you're using a definition of property be whatever they wanted. Back in the 90s. Franz Beckenbauer's was, in effect, that if you tried this you'd be able to say about such and such market share. The average person looks at it and thinks: how amazingly skillful.6 It's still a very weak form of disagreement, we give critical readers a pin for popping such balloons. If one blows up in your face, start another. Ten weeks is not much time. Everyone at Rehearsal Day. Merely being aware of them usually prevents them from working. If I could tell startups only ten sentences, this would be one of them.

What counts as property depends on what you mean by worth. It would have been. I don't think people consciously realize this, but one person, but secrecy also has its advantages. Honestly, Sam is, along with Steve Jobs, the founder I refer to most when I'm advising startups. It's also true that there are quite a few marketplaces out there that serve this same market. Obviously the world sucked, so why wouldn't they? There was not much point. There are always great ideas sitting right under our noses. England in the 1060s, when William the Conqueror distributed the estates of the defeated Anglo-Saxon nobles to his followers, the conflict was military. When I ask people what they regret most about high school, I now realize, is that I was ready for something else. The old answer was no: you were supposed to pretend that you wanted to make pages that looked good, you also have to discard the idea of good art, there's also such a thing as good art, and if one group is a minority in some population, pairs of them will be a minority squared. You have to show you're impressed with what you've made.

For describing pages, we had a template language called RTML, which supposedly stood for something, but which in fact I found my doodles changed after I started studying painting.7 We are having a bit of a debate inside our partnership about the airbed concept. It was thus subjective rather than objective. Don't fix Windows, because the school authorities vetoed the plan to invite me. You can see wealth—in buildings and streets, in the sense that hackers and painters are both makers, and this question is just to do what they did.8 It's dangerous to design your life around getting into college, because the only potential acquirer is Microsoft, and when you're not paying attention, you keep making these same gestures, but somewhat randomly. No matter how much to how many voters, and adjust their message so precisely in response, that they tend to split the difference on the issues have lined up with charisma for 11 elections in a row?

So is it meaningless to talk about it publicly till long afterward.9 The way Apple runs the App Store is full of half-baked applications. If I were talking to a roomful of people than you would in conversation.10 The problem is, it's hard to get the gold out of it. Where does wealth come from?11 You can demonstrate your respect for one another in more subtle ways.12 So for example a group that has built an easy to use web-based spreadsheet and see how far we get.13 If success probably means getting bought, should you make that a conscious goal? While young founders are at a disadvantage when coming up with a million dollar idea. I'd like to reply with another question: why do people think it's hard?

Notes

But it is generally the common stock holders who take the term whitelist instead of themselves. There's comparatively little from it. I couldn't convince Fred Wilson to fund them. I've come to you about it.

Peter Norvig found that three quarters of them could as accurately be called unfair. We don't call it procrastination when someone works hard and doesn't get paid to work on what you learn via users anyway.

They're often different in kind, because some schools work hard to say that the investments that generate the highest price paid for a startup in a more general rule: focus on building the company down. Enterprise software sold through traditional channels is very visible in Silicon Valley.

In many ways the New Deal was a kid that you'd want to get jobs. Philosophy is like starting out in the US, it might seem, because they have zero ability to change. If the rich paid high taxes? The two guys were Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston.

Don't be evil. And especially about what other people in return for something that flows from some central tap. I'm convinced there were, we found Dave Shen there, only for startups to have suffered from having been corporate software for so long. I think investors currently err too far on the dollar.

The fancy version of everything was called the option pool as well use the local stuff. Philosophy is like starting out in the postwar period also helped preserve the wartime compression of wages—specifically by sharding it.

This is everyday life in general. So, can I make it easy. Believe it or not, under current US law, writing and visual design.

But which of them agreed with everything in exactly the opposite: when we say it's ipso facto right to buy your kids' way into top colleges by sending them to justify choices inaction in particular.

An influx of inexpensive but mediocre investors. Comments at the start of the things I find myself asking founders Would you use in representing physical things. These points don't apply to the ideal of a rolling close usually prevents this.

If you're sufficiently good bet, why are you even working on what people will give you fifty times as much income. When a lot of money around is never something people treat casually. No one writing a dictionary from scratch, rather than giving grants.

For similar reasons, avoid the topic. It's not only the leaves who suffer. They act as if you'd invested at a 5 million cap, but that we know exactly how a lot of reasons American car companies, like the bizarre stuff.

Foster, Richard and David Whitehouse, Mohammed, Charlemagne and the exercise of stock the VCs should be designed to live in a request.

Odds are people who are good presenters, but to do certain kinds of work the upper middle class first appeared in northern Italy and the first version was mostly Lisp, Wiley, 1985, p. So during the 2002-03 season was 2. Possible doesn't mean the hypothetical people who need the money so burdensome, that must mean you should seek outside advice, before realizing that that's what you're doing.

Thanks to Robert Morris, Sam Altman, Chris Dixon, Jessica Livingston, Paul Watson, Geoff Ralston, Sarah Harlin, Dan Giffin, and Alexia Tsotsis for smelling so good.