#like yes i can do all caps and stuff but i need *options*

[nexus-nebulae]

fun fact so i have a tendency to write all my long rambly thoughts into bullet point format because it's literally one of the only ways my brain can process information. like if its just text my brain stops working but add a Little Dot and suddenly everything is fixed. ???

[sentientcave]

Retirement Party

Chapter Three - Smoke and Whiskey

<< First Chapter - < Prev Chapter - Next Chapter >

Contains: No Y/N, Kidnapping, Forcible relocation, Generally creepy behaviour, Alcohol mention, Smoking mention (Tobacco, cannabis), plus-sized reader, female reader, There is something fucking wrong with these guys for real, More reader details given, but we're still pretty vague about it. Even though it is hard for me.

~3.2k

When you go back inside, you wind up wedged between John and Ghost on the bigger couch. Johnny’s stretched out on the smaller one, and Gaz claimed the chair that you’d been sitting in earlier, leaving you with no other option. Neither of them makes any effort to give you more space, even though they could. Ghost’s leg is pressed against yours from thigh to ankle, and John’s pinky finger keeps finding your thigh when he rests his tumbler against his knee. You want to curl up properly, tuck your feet up underneath yourself, but you can't without pressing even closer to at least one of them. At least Ghost isn’t quite as intimidating without his mask on.

After a while, Gaz and Ghost go out for a cigarette. The chair looks inviting, and you’d like to get a little space, but Price’s arm drops around your shoulders casually, pulling you in a little closer to his side. “Relax,” he says against the top of your head. “You’re alright, doll.”

The door opens again. “Soap, we’ve got a spliff, you want?” Gaz asks.

Johnny picks himself off the other couch, grinning. “Aye. An’ then cake?”

“Fuckin’ forgot about cake,” Ghost says. “Hey doll, d’you want some of this? Cap?”

“Who rolled it?” John asks. “Because I’m not smoking one of Gaz’s joints ever again.”

“Oh fuck off, Price, I can roll just fine.”

John looks at you and shakes his head slightly. “He really can’t.”

“I can roll,” you say. “I always do with my friends.”

You can see the calculation running behind John's eyes as he adds new information to what he knows and assumes about you. You want to laugh. You almost do. Most people take one look at you, with your big doe eyes and round face and and sunny disposition and think that you're some innocent little thing. Sure, you tend to live life with your arms open, and that might come across as naive to some, but you're not inexperienced by any means. You're nearly thirty years old, you're by no means a child.

"Let's see, then," he says. "Box on the coffee table has everything."

"Does tha' mean we can smoke inside again?" Soap asks. "It's startin' ta get pure Baltic out here."

John looks at you expectantly. "Up to you, doll."

"It's not my house."

He hums. "You're stayin' a while. Might as well be. It's important that you're comfortable."

You slide to the floor and reach for the box. "Well. You'd better open a window or two. But I don't mind."

Making a fuss over the semantics isn't worth doing. You probably are staying a while. Even if John really won't force you, you'll still need his cooperation to get all your stuff loaded back into the van, and all four of them are likely headed for hangovers.

John tells them to open the windows, and leans forward to watch you break up slightly sticky buds into the grinder. He brushes your hair behind your shoulders for you, and when you tip your head back to look at him, there's something in his eyes that makes your ears warm.

Johnny drops down to the floor on the other side of the table, a crumpled looking joint hanging out of his mouth. You can see what John means about not wanting to smoke it.

"You want a drink, doll?" Gaz asks. "More tea?"

You twist to look at him, hanging over the back of the couch, that handsome face smiling. "Have you got pop? Wouldn't mind a ginger ale."

"Got irn bru too," Soap suggests. "Ye've got some Scot in ye, aye?"

"Yes."

"Didja want more?"

You level an unimpressed look at him across the table. "I should've seen that one coming."

"I'd like to see ye com--"

"That'll do, Soap," John says firmly. "She's not goin' to have sex with you."

"Might feel a bit better if she did," Soap says, shrugging. "Ah'm just sayin'."

"You're not saying anything." Gaz sets an unopened can of ginger ale on the table next to you. "If you're gagging for it, we'll take care of you in a bit."

"And if you don't behave yourself you're not goin' to get anything," John rumbles from behind you. "She's been good. Surprised none of you have been slapped."

"Just the once." Gaz snags the joint from Johnny and sits back in the chair.

Ghost snorts. "What did you do?"

"Surprised her picking her up. My own fault."

You lean back and hold up the neat joint you've been rolling, hooking your arm over John's knee. He sets his whiskey to the side and takes it, holding it up for an inspection. "Nice work, doll," he says warmly. “Got a bit of a wild streak to you, eh?”

The praise makes you glow, despite yourself, and you laugh aloud at the second part, a real laugh, not nervous or bitter. All four of them shift their attention to you at the sound, snapping a tension you hadn’t noticed until you felt it’s absence. It’s important to them that you feel comfortable, and your genuine laughter is the first sign that you’re on your way. They really did think that they’d done you a favour.

Insane. But almost sweet, in a fucked up, unsettling way.

You pluck the joint out of John’s fingers and meet his dark blue eyes evenly, not missing the hunger that sparks into existence. “Got a light?”

John pulls his lighter out of his pocket, a little awkward with you leaning on his other leg, and holds the dancing flame out for you. You have to lean in a little to get to it, so you do, your eyes still locked on his as you inhale, the slight sizzle of paper and weed igniting clear in the otherwise silent room. You can hear the way his breath catches too, taken by surprise yet again. You offer the joint back to him, holding in a lungful of smoke.

“Shite,” Johnny hisses, breaking the heavy silence. “Yer absolutely sure ye dinnae want your cunt licked?”

You blow smoke at him from across the coffee table. “I’m sure.”

It doesn’t take long before drowsy complacency overtakes you. Curling up against John’s leg, your arm still hooked over his leg, you let conversation wash over your awareness, not paying enough attention to pick out one thing or another. John’s hand settles on your head, fingers threading into your dark hair, combing through soft strands idly. When you glance up at him, he’s watching you, blue eyes half-lidded but still plenty aware, a funny smile twisting the edges of his mouth upwards. He has nice lips under that bristling moustache of his, not as thin as you would have expected. His voice is a pleasant rumble when he speaks to the others,

He takes a sip of whiskey, and you follow the bob of his throat as he swallows, the way the tip of his tongue darting across his lips. It takes a moment for you to realize that he’s watching you study him.

“Hello, beautiful,” he says. “How are you feeling?”

For the first time since you’ve been there, you don’t feel scared. Just dozy and content, like a cat curled up next to a fireplace. “I’m alright,” you admit. “It’s been a strange day.”

His fingers flex, not quite gripping your hair, just holding you in place with the lightest pressure, encouraging you to keep facing him rather than turning away. “I imagine so.” His hand glides along to your ear, his thumb grazing over the shell, sending shivers down your spine. “It won’t be so strange tomorrow.”

“No more surprises planned?”

John glances up, looking at each of his men in turn, and then back to you. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“We do have cake, though,” Soap says. “Ye want some, bonnie?”

“Yes please.” You only turn to look at Soap for a moment before John is gently coaxing you back, curling his fingers around your jaw. Can he feel the way your heart leaps into your throat, thrumming like a hummingbird’s wings? It’s hard to look John in the eye, but harder still to pull yourself away. His touch leaves burning traces behind, and you’re all too aware of your body and the way you respond to him. It’s all too much, too soon and too strange.

He catches your hand when you try to brush his away. “Why don’t you come on back up here, doll?” he asks. “Be more comfortable than the floor, don’t you think?”

“No, I’m happy down here.” You tuck your knees to your chest, looping your arms around your legs, extricating yourself from his sphere of influence just a little. You’re still pressed up against his calf, but you don’t need to go that far, you just need to face forward so you won’t get pinned under that blue stare again.

John has a certain gravity, a magnetism that you can’t help but be drawn in by. It would be all too easy to sink into his arms, but the idea that you’d been given to him still bothers you, like a persistent, sharp little stone in your shoe, ruining what might have been something.

You perk up some when Soap hands you a plate with a slice of chocolate cake on it. It's not the prettiest thing you've ever seen, but it tastes incredible, rich dark chocolate and an icing that had so much whiskey in it that your teeth feel funny after a few bites.

"This is really good, Johnny," you tell him. "If the whole military thing doesn't work out, you could consider becoming a baker."

"Thanks, hen. And dinnae think I havena considered it. Gettin' closer to packin' it in awl the time. Just cannae leave Gaz until he's got a good team watchin' his back."

"We've got some good sergeants," Gaz says. "Nitro's got real promise."

"Shivs too. Little devil," Ghost adds. "You need a door smasher though. Those girls are tough as 'ell, but some occasions call for a big boot."

"Aye, ye'd say that, bein' the biggest fuckin' boot the Queen's army has ever seen."

"King now," John points out.

"Oh, fuck if I care which poncy arsed Windsor is sittin' in the big chair."

"Bloody leeches," Ghost agrees.

"I've got Sanderson in mind." Gaz winks at you, like you're in on some secret.

"Gary Sanderson? Is he no' dead?"

"No! Turns out he locked himself in a cryo chamber when the bomb went off. That facility was full of 'em, all kinds of experimental tech. It was finally safe to take a team in and we found him. Nitro started calling him Roach, and it's stuck."

"He's a damn good soldier. Be good for the taskforce," Price agrees. "Would've picked him ten years ago."

"Well, he's had a nice long nap, and he's hopping mad about missing so much. He'll make a good doorsmasher," Gaz says.

"How about that Lucky kid? Nitro’s brother.” Price asks. “He looked pretty promising. Unless his luck ran out.”

Gaz hums, licking frosting off his fork. “He’s a good kid, but his problem is that as soon as Nitro’s around he lets her do all his thinking for him. Splits her focus.”

You sigh, setting your half-finished slice of cake down on the table in front of you, and climb to your feet, wincing at the ache of not moving for so long. You edge between Ghost’s knees and the coffee table and skirt around the edge of the couch wordlessly. No one stops you, and there’s no falter to their conversation despite the eyes that follow you until you disappear upstairs to use the washroom.

As you wash your hands, you stare at your own face in the mirror. You look pretty, even with your eyeliner a little smudged, and your lipstick faded to nothing. The buzz of THC is your system makes you giggle. Pretty enough to kidnap, even.

You think about it for a long moment, and then take your makeup off and braid your hair back so you can wash your face properly, and brush your teeth too. All the weirdness of the day is catching up, and all you want to do is sleep it off. The low buzz of their voices carries up the stairs when you step out into the hallway again, seemingly unbothered by your absence. There's no reason for you to say goodnight-- you don't owe them any kind of civility. But you still hesitate.

Long enough that John appears at the bottom of the stairs. "You alright, doll?" He asks. "Comin' back down?" The stairs creak slightly under his weight as he starts coming up towards you.

"I was thinking-- I'm just tired, is all. It's been a long day."

He stops two steps down, so he's still looking up at you. "I understand. We can talk more in the morning."

"I'm sure there's a lot to discuss."

"If you say so. Already told you most of what I needed to tell."

"Just most?"

He nods, and beckons you closer, a conspiratorial smile on his face. You take one halting step toward him, and then another, until you stand right at the top of the stairs. His big hands catch yours, holding you in place when he moves one step up, taller than you once more.

You stare up at him, and your breathing is turned shallow, your heartbeat rapid and heady. His eyes glitter in the dim light as he leans close, the tip of his nose skimming yours, as if he means to kiss you. Like a deer pinned under the headlights of a rapidly approaching truck, you stand frozen, unsure if you even want to move, or if you welcome the inevitable collision.

He smells like smoke and whiskey when he speaks, his lips so close to yours you can feel the soft brush of breath on your skin. "Forgot to tell you how good you look in my shirt," he purrs. "Been thinkin' to say so all night."

Heat licks across your cheeks, his words waking something dangerous in your core, something that wants his hands on you more than anything else. It’s unfair, what he does to you already, barely more than a stranger, and you want him to be a good man so you can indulge that desire without fear of consequence. It’s been such a long time since someone looked at you the way he looks at you now, an almost indescribable fondness that you haven’t even begun to earn.

“It’s a nice shirt,” you say lamely. “Thank you for lending it to me.” You don’t mention that it smells very pleasantly like him, and how it’s been a bit difficult to keep yourself from sniffing at the flannel all evening.

“You’re welcome to anything I have,” he says, and you know he means it.

“I hope that includes your bed,” you say jokingly, trying (and failing) to diffuse the intensity in his eyes. “Because I think that’s where I’m headed now.”

“Of course it does.” His thumb rubs across your knuckles, the other hand coming up to cradle your cheek. You shake, all nerves, worried that he’ll close the distance and kiss you, but he just taps his forehead against yours instead, eyes smiling. “Off you go, sweet thing. You give us a shout if we get too loud, eh?”

You swallow nervously and nod, taking a step backwards. “Goodnight, John.”

"Goodnight, doll.”

You quickly shut yourself into the other room, flicking on the light while you strip down to your panties and wrap the flannel shirt around yourself again, and tuck yourself into bed. It’s been a bizarre day, and the room feels strange, too open and too dark, but it still doesn’t take long to fall asleep.

Hours later, you wake at the sound of the door opening and clicking shut again. You sit up before you’re fully alert, dreams shredding apart and solidifying into reality as you blink away sleep.

“Shh, s’just me,” John’s voice comes out of the darkness, slurring slightly. You can’t see anything in the darkness, until he crosses over to the window and opens the curtains, letting in a little light from the waxing moon outside. He turns towards her, his big frame silhouetted against the scant light, humming. “Bloody hell, you’re a pretty little thing.” The soft clink of his belt buckle is far too loud in the quiet room, as is the rustle of his clothes as he strips down to his boxers.

“John, what are you doing?” you ask nervously.

“Coming to bed,” he says, like it’s obvious. “M’too old to sleep on the floor, and Gaz is on the big couch.”

“Oh. I’ll move then. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.” You throw back the sheets and swing your legs onto the floor.

“No, no, stay right where you are.” He swoops over and grips your legs gently, lifting them up and back onto the bed. He smells strongly of whiskey and mint toothpaste, and the clinging remnants of cigar smoke. “We can share tonight. Get things set up better tomorrow.”

“John…”

He slides into bed beside you and easily pulls you close, strong arms wrapping around you tightly, rolling so you’re half on top of him, one hand cradling your back and the other on your waist. “Yeah, doll?” he asks.

“John, we can’t— I can’t sleep like this.”

“Shh, just give me a minute to hold my pretty girl.” He nuzzles against the top of your head. “I’m gonna be so good to you, sweetheart. I promise.”

"You're drunk," you say, holding the flimsy excuse out for him, hoping that he'll take it. You don't want to think about him meaning it. It makes going home look all the more unlikely.

"A little," he admits. His hand drifts lower, fingers dipping below the soft lace of your panties to dig into soft skin around your hip. He groans. "You're perfect. Sweet and soft, so damn beautiful. I'll make you happy. I'll give you anything you want, if you stay with me."

"John! Stop that, we can talk later, just go to sleep."

"I know this all started wrong, doll. The lads got carried away. But this is right. You feel that too, don't you? We'll have to come up with a better story for our kids, hm? Something proper romantic." He kisses the top of your head, humming happily.

"Our kids?" you squeak. "Jesus, John, you can't be serious."

"Course I am. We can start trying whenever you're ready."

Well, at least now you know he's just as delusional as the rest of them. "You don't even know if I want kids."

"You do," he says confidently. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're drunk," you say firmly. "Go to sleep."

He chuckles. "You didn't say I'm wrong."

You push away and roll over so you don't have to look right at him. Even in the darkness, you're certain that your face betrays more than you'd like. It was none of his business if you wanted kids. You certainly weren't going to have them with him. "Go to sleep," you repeat.

"Yes ma'am," he says, looping his arms around you again, tugging you close to his chest. "Goodnight, doll."

Thanks for reading!

Image Credits: Banner

Dividers: 1 - 2 - 3 by @/Cafekitsune

[braxiatel]

It was a well known fact across the Hermitcraft server that Bdubs was an early riser.

Another well known fact, one that was in fact a lot less factual, was that Bdubs was a silly man indeed.

All lies and slander, of course! He was well respected, held up as a shining beacon of wisdom and integrity by his peers (not that he needed to be held up, he was very tall after all).

Even so, the first thing Bdubs said upon opening his door at 4.45 AM, after being pulled away from his task of picking out the day’s flavour of herbal tea by a panicked Mumbo Jumbo had barging into his home asking for help, was as follows:

“… are you sure you’ve got the right guy for this?”

“Truth be told, my options are somewhat limited, what with it being the middle of the night-”

“The middle of the morning,” Bdubs corrected helpfully.

“- but I really do believe that out of everyone on the server you are best suited to help me with this, quiet frankly, possibly life-ending predicament I have found myself in. I need your advice, and preferably before the rest of the hermits wake up.”

Oh, but of course! Now it all made sense! Young Mumbo was in need of wisdom, so naturally he had turned to the smartest person on the server… and after finding him asleep, he had instead turned to the somethingth-best thing and gone to Bdubs.

“Naturally. And what can little, old me help you with today? Boy trouble? Money trouble? Legal trouble?” Bdubs listed.

“I wouldn’t have come to you for that,” Mumbo objected, being rather objectionable. “…Do you remember season 7?”

Before Bdubs could respond Mumbo interrupted himself:

“Stupid question, Mumbo. You were there, of course you remember it.” He pulled the cap he was wearing a little further down. “Snips. You remember snips, right? Like, how to do it.”

“Oh!” Bdubs grinned. “Of course! You’ve come to me for style advice! Well, I am renowned for just that, so I can’t blame you, especially not with how long your hair has been getting. What is it then? Thinking of getting a dye job? Or are we just doing a boring old trim?”

Then, to Bdubs’ utter horror, Mumbo removed his hat.

“Honestly, I just want to know if you can fix it.”

Fix it?! There was barely an ‘it’ to fix!

Mumbo’s previously chin-length hair has been cut unevenly and as close to the scalp as possible.

“What happened to you?” Bdubs demanded. “Did you get into an argument with a dispenser and a pair of shears? Is this a mission possible thing? ‘Give yourself the worst haircut and show Bdubs for your sick amusement’ ?”

Mumbo hastily pulled the hat on again, hiding his disastrous buzz cut from the world.

“Alright, it’s not that bad,” he protested. “Grian normally does the undercut for me but… I mean you know, all the permit stuff. New boss, new job, I didn’t think I could trust him to get it right at the moment.”

“Right. So you gave the shears to Skizz and broke his glasses instead?”

Judging by his expression, Mumbo did not seem to appreciate Bdubs’ excellent comedic skills

“I did it myself. And I did a very good job of it at first, if I do say so myself. Only then my hand slipped and suddenly I had a shaved stripe down the middle of my head. And because it was the middle of the night, no one was around to help me fix it, so I had to do that myself too,” Mumbo explained. Defeated, he continued to admit: “It’s better than it was, if you would believe it.”

Yes, Bdubs could see it now. Clumsy hands trying to even out a disastrous cut, like shoveling snow in a blizzard. He hadn’t been in this business for years, but Bdubs felt he had a duty of hair. Didn’t they make him promise to always help those in need when he qualified as a stylist? The hairpocratic oath, they had called it.

He sighed.

“Give me a moment to put the kettle on. I’ll get the trimmer out and see what I can do. After that we’ll do your brows to try to draw the eye somewhere other than your hair.”

[manikas-whims]

how do you manage LADS as F2P? I'm having a hard time collecting gems 😭 is so difficult compared to games like genshin

Okay so..i know it sounds difficult (IT IS) but it's not impossible.

the grind can be heartbreakingly annoying..i know! Before i used to find grinding in Genshin and HSR difficult but its..so doable and easier compared to Love and Deepspace 😭

Their constant barrage of Banner after Banner is another issue especially when they don't even run for long. FOMO gets to a lot of people who find it hard to spend due to personal reasons, which is just unfair. IMHO, every limited card banner should run for at least 30 Days.

And i think these are issues that should be thrown at the Devs every once in a while. So fill out the survey forms whenever available and list all your grievances to them. LADS isn't exactly F2P friendly.

-> However, with the launch of version 2.0, they're trying new stuff and giving out a bunch of Free 5 star memories as well as materials. So thats..something ig

It's also a fairly new game, one of a kind sorta thing..so i wanna give them the benefit of the doubt. They're still trying to find their way around things and i hope they gradually add better stuff for grinding of materials and gems. (Abyssal Chaos counts as one)

As for playing as F2P, here's how I do it..

If you can spend a little, then i suggest atleast buying the Aurum Pass (i have). It ain't much but it increases stamina cap to 170. And gives 100 gems + 60 stamina daily

only make pulls on a banner when you absolutely want that limited card

save up the red gems & empyrean wishes (blue tickets) for your bias/fav LI & make pulls only for his banners (unless you absolutely want a card of another)

Use your stamina daily. Don't let it stay full. Like expend at least 80 stamina in the morning. Then play again in the evening with a nearly full stamina cap.

Focus on one LI at a time & grind materials for him only. For example, i am a Xavier main so i expend 80 stamina for the yellow/green stellactrums (ascension material | fight Lemonette) and another 60~80 on the EXP bottles (experience material | fight Heartbreaker)

DON'T WASTE MATERIALS ON 3 STAR. You can waste them on 4 star cards but I don't suggest upgrading them more than Level 40 unless absolutely necessary (i.e. you don't have any other card options)

Fight Mr. Beanie once or twice regularly! You also need that gold to upgrade your memories.

And then of course, the achievements, completing a 5 Star memory story, tender moments and secret times also give gems.

Once a week try to grind for Protocores. Even your maxxed out 5 star memories are useless without good protocores. (50 : 100 ratio between crit. rate & crit. damage is ideal) And ofc, upgrade those protocores from time to time.

This all sounds like a lot but takes less than 20 minutes to do daily..And yes, you'll find some full length guides on Reddit & Youtube.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ANON ♡

[arachnixe]

Dinner's On Me

(Part 3 of Night’s Longing - Previous: A Better Family)

(CW for the usual vampire blood and death stuff, but also sexual intimidation and cannibalism)

The man shouting at me imagines himself to be someone important. Though I barely pay attention to his ranting and raving, I gather that my error has not only inconvenienced him, it is but the first domino in a chain reaction that will end with his company collapsing, people losing their jobs, and the entire United States economy falling into ruin, all because I neglected the extra shot of espresso in his extra large caramel turtle mocha.

His words wash over me without impact while I fantasize about sinking my teeth into his neck and drinking every last drop of blood in his body.

“But you’re not even a vampire,” my boss Amber might say, “so why would you do that?”

“Because blood tastes fucking great, and he was getting on my nerves, just like you.” And then I’d drink her blood too.

Oops, I must have accidentally smiled at that thought, because this guy is turning even redder. I have found that the best way to infuriate an already angry asshole is to respond inappropriately—that is to say, without cowering in fear—to getting berated. Ah, well. I zone out for the remainder of his rant before offering an insincere apology and a promise to remake the drink. The dude gets his extra shot of espresso, and I make sure the whole thing is decaf.

Finally I get a break to check my messages.

“I’m not paying you to text on the clock, Ms. Boltman.”

I look up and scan the store for customers, seeing absolutely nobody here but the two of us. It is almost closing time, after all. Glancing back at my boss, she seems even more annoyed, as if I had deliberately insulted her by daring to look around for something to do.

“Smart-ass, huh? Well, since you’re too blind to find the work I’m paying you to do, let me help you out.” She points to a bulging pile in the back room. “See those garbage bags? They need to be taken out to the dumpster. Think you can handle that?”

“Yes, ma’am. Can do.”

I haul several bags outside while my boss does whatever it is she does to start prepping the store for close. The night air is pleasantly cool, so this isn’t too bad a chore, honestly. Also… is that her car?

Bending down, I unscrew the valve cap on one of the tires and use the tip of my pocket knife to press on the stem until enough air hisses out to leave the thing completely flat. I figure even if she has a spare with air in it, there’s no chance Amber knows how to change her own tire.

---

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit! When did I last…? Ugh!” My boss stomps her foot on the ground in a display of frustration that comes across as kind of goofy and immature for a manager of a coffee shop, a woman in her forties, almost twice my age.

Huh. Actually, that puts her at about the same age as Vicks and Liz, now that I think about it. Weird to consider that my besties are closer in age to my boss than to me.

“Something wrong, Amber?” I make my voice sound as innocent as possible.

“Yes. It is.” She bites the words off. “I’ll have to call a tow truck or something. Shit. I’m going to be here all night.”

I sigh heavily as though contemplating my options for a moment, trying not to appear too eager. Dragging my words in an imitation of reluctance, I say, “I’ve got friends picking me up soon.”

Amber casts a look of uncertainty my way but says nothing.

“If you’d like, we could give you a lift home, and then you won’t be stranded here at least.”

I watch her weighing her options. Still, it’s clear that the idea of getting a night’s sleep and calling for a tow or a friend in the morning sounds more appealing than the alternative, so she nods her agreement. “Alright. Look, I appreciate the favor a lot.”

“Of course, you’d do the same for me, right?”

It takes her a moment to respond. “Right.” A look of guilt crosses her face then, as if she just now realizes for the first time what an asshole she’s been to me every single shift. “I know I’ve been hard on you, but you know it’s nothing personal, right? It’s just a lot of hard work keeping this store in good shape, and I have to make sure everyone’s on the same page and working together as a team.”

“Oh yeah sure I get it,” I say absent-mindedly, watching a dented Honda pull into the parking lot.

Liz, in the driver’s seat, rolls down her window. “Hey, good looking. Who’s your friend?”

“This is my boss, our damsel in distress this evening.”

Amber gives an awkward wave. “Hi. Uh, thanks for this.”

“Happy to help,” Liz replies, giving my boss an appraising look that barely hides her hunger. “Hop in the back. I’ve got some junk up front in the passenger’s seat.”

Vicky’s in the back too, selflessly taking the center seat so that Amber, behind the driver, will be effectively pinned between the two when the time comes. We pile in, the doors lock, and the car takes off.

“So, what side of town are you?”

“You know the Greenwood neighborhood?”

Huh. Who knew we lived close to each other. Maybe if Amber weren’t so shitty, we could’ve shared a ride sometimes. It’d be a lot faster for me than waiting on the buses, which don’t even come that often at this time of the evening.

Vicky claps her on the shoulder in an overfamiliar way that inspires a flinch from my boss. “Hey, that’s where we’re headed anyway.”

“Oh! I’m glad you don’t have to go out of your way on my account.” Amber sounds a touch less embarrassed now, but she grimaces uncomfortably at how closely Vicky leans toward her, how her hand lingers near Amber’s neck. It’s astonishing how meek she becomes around people she has no formal authority over.

“On the contrary, I want to extend an extra invitation to you.” Vicky’s voice is breathy, and she grins in a particular way I’ve grown quite familiar with. Some vampiric urges really can’t be controlled. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we’d love to have you for dinner.”

Amber squirms in her seat. “Oh no, that really won’t be necessary, thank you, no.”

Liz presses. “I insist! I cannot allow you to turn us down for fear of being a pain in the neck. I promise, our necks will be just fine.”

My boss’s eyes dart back and forth before clinging to me with a pleading look that begs me to help her escape. The help I offer is not for her.

“Yeah, c’mon, Amber.” I smile at my boss. “I’ve joined them before and find all their meals to die for.”

Vicky turns and high-fives me for that one while Amber grows more uneasy, whether at the increasingly obnoxious vampire puns or at the feeling of being trapped with aggressive dykes who won’t take no for an answer. She shuts down completely, seeming to physically shrink away from the rest of us.

I’ve gotten so used to the two of them that I kind of forgot just how predatory both sisters are. They seem to be feeding off of Amber’s discomfort. I catch Liz licking her lips as if tasting the fear in the air. I lean on Vicky’s shoulder, twirling her hair around my finger in a performance of comfort with one of the women making Amber sweat, just so that she knows exactly how alone she is here.

The vampire’s excitement radiates from her. Vicky looks my way with mischief in her eyes and starts unbuttoning my jeans.

My boss notices, staring in our direction. Her eyes meet mine again, and I maintain eye contact, taking satisfaction in her rising discomfort bordering on alarm at the exhibitionism on display. Vicky’s hand slides toward my crotch, her cool fingers warming quickly once they’ve slipped inside me. Amber says nothing. All she can do is stare at me, watching my lips part, watching me gasp and shudder while a woman who knows just what I like works her hand rhythmically between my legs.

It’s not until after I climax that I notice the car has stopped moving. Amber shakes herself out of her daze, apparently noticing the same thing at the same time.

“We’re here, little morsel.”

“Wait. This isn’t my home. Where are we? This isn’t my home!” She tries the handle, but the door doesn’t open. Alarm turns to panic, and she starts frantically jerking the handle, clawing at the door to find a manual unlock. Oh, we really unnerved her, didn’t we? “Let me out. Please, let me out. Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out!“

With a click I hear Liz unlock the door. Ah, she wants to chase her prey, I see. On cue, our victim bolts from the car. The rest of us take our time exiting into the empty parking lot of the practically dead shopping mall near my apartment.

The woman is terribly out of shape. Even I could chase her down at a modest jog. For a pair of vampires, their speed supernaturally enhanced beyond human limits, she might as well be standing still. In the space of a single breath, Liz is already in front of her, grabbing her by the wrist.

To her credit, Amber decides to go down fighting. She takes a swing, landing a solid hit on Liz’s face. Unfortunately for her, both sisters are well-fed vampires, and the punch lands with all the impact of a gentle breeze. In a blink Vicky is right there to grab the woman’s other arm. Fuck, it’s satisfying to watch my shitty boss struggle in vain against these two beauties, the moon highlighting the perfect curves of their bodies. Their bared fangs gleam in the same light, a threat and a promise and symbol of the absolute perfection they represent.

Liz goes first, sinking her teeth into the soft flesh of Amber’s inner forearm. I catch up just in time to get a detailed look at how my beloved friend’s eyes roll back in pleasure.

“Come here, babe. I know what you want.” She grabs me by the back of my head and pulls me into a kiss, spitting a mouthful of blood for me to eagerly gulp down. The way she just ogles my swallowing makes my face flush with heat. “Before meeting you, I never knew how hot it would be to watch a human drink blood like we do, but it really never gets old.” She exhales a deep breath with naked lust. “You get nothing out of this. You’re just a filthy pervert who wants so desperately to join us.”

We all ignore our victim’s pitiful mewling while Vicky goes right for the neck. She drinks deeply before pulling me over to share with me in a sloppy, messy kiss while her sister takes her turn with dinner again. Even as she drinks, Liz never peels her eyes away from the way I desperately kiss blood from her sister’s mouth. My still-unbuttoned jeans fall away from my hips as I get passed back and forth and back and forth between my favorite pair of sisters. Amber dies, and her blood is on all our hands, and our hands are all over each other, making a sticky mess of our clothes and skin.

They pin me to the cold concrete, Vicky sitting on my face and putting my best skills to good use while Liz grinds on my thigh, using me like a toy to get herself off.

Yet even after they finish, we’re still not done.

“More.” Vicky licks her hands, savoring the last wet drops of Amber. “This is such a good start to the evening, but I’m really in a mood to gorge myself and get fucked senseless.”

“Agreed.” Liz helps me to my feet but doesn’t let me go, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me against her body to idly play with me while discussing what’s next on the agenda. I try to offer a suggestion—myself as dessert—but Liz silences me by pushing two fingers between my lips, pumping them in and out while I drool over her hand. “And I need to make Hanna do something really fucked up while I watch.”

“I’m thinking of what you said earlier. Why not tonight?”

I try to speak, but all that comes out is a muffled question mark.

“We’re going to your apartment, babe.” Liz answers me as though I spoke perfectly clearly, her other hand squeezing my waist possessively. “Your roommates will make an excellent meal to follow that little appetizer.”

Wait, no. I need them to pay their share of the rent! But like my question a moment ago, these words come out as nothing more than a muffled sound of objection.

“I know, babe. And you’re already out a job, at least for a while until they replace this bitch, right?” Liz’s grin is a razor blade pressed to my throat. Her voice is a barbed wire coil tightening around my heart. “What was it you wanted me to be? A ‘sugar momma?’ I wasn’t fond of the idea at first, but I thought about it, and the idea of you being completely dependent on my good graces was practically intoxicating. How could I resist?”

The fingers of her other hand close around my neck—gently, for now—and I am reminded that these two very well-fed vampires could absolutely snuff out my life in a heartbeat right now.

“Now, babe, I do love how eager you are, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a touch of desperation in there too. Now show me that you understand by sucking my fingers like a good girl, hmm?”

My heart pounds like crazy. I close my eyes and fellate her fingers like my life depends on it. I kiss and suck and work my tongue around every knuckle. I make sure to clean the dried blood from under her nails and swallow those slender fingers as far back as I can. I do my best to perform for her, and yet the noises I make are wholly involuntary.

“Those slutty little moans of yours are a good touch, babe. Keep going.”

“Whoa.” Vicky, watching the show, has an admiring lilt to her voice. “She is visibly wet from all that, Liz. You should threaten Hanna more often; she looks like she’s about to cum just from you fingering her mouth.” The vampire leans in close to me, baring her fangs in my face. “Go ahead, cum for us, pretty thing.”

Helplessly, I do. My knees shake, a whimper escapes my throat, and all that keeps me from collapsing is the support of the sister who fetishizes my dependence on her. And god help me, I already know I’ll do whatever she demands.

---

We track bloody footprints into my apartment complex with every step. My jeans are somewhere in a crumpled heap in the back seat of the car, I think. My shirt is stained with obvious, grasping handprints. Sticky, dark smears paint my face, my underwear, and the inside of my thighs. I look like a shameless mess as I fumble my key into the lock and open the door.

All three roommates are hanging out in the main room, watching one of them play a game on the TV. Madison glances toward the doorway for a moment and then shrieks.

“Holy shit what the hell happened are you okay???“

I feel lightheaded. Almost drunk, even. I feel like I’m slightly removed from myself as I introduce my roommates to my family. “Liz, Vicky, this is Madison, Alexis, and Hannah-With-An-H.” This is a bit awkward, isn’t it? How do you introduce people to their killers? “I dunno what else to say. Um, they’re vampires, and I sold you all out because their approval means more to me than your lives, to be honest.”

Confusion and doubt give way to screaming as the vampires descend on my roommates. My family feeds on two of them, while Hannah-With-An-H makes a break for the door. As a vampire hunter, I’m able to easily overpower her. With a grab and a twist, I have her pinned to the floor while she begs and pleads for me to let her go.

I don’t think about the conversations we’ve had. I don’t think about the things we discovered we have in common. I just ignore her tears and wait for my family to be ready for the last course of the evening.

“What are you waiting for? This one’s yours, Hanna.” Liz puts her hand on my shoulder from behind.

“Mine?”

“Yeah,” Vicky chimes in. “Liz wants to get off watching you kill and eat her.”

“You can use that knife of yours if you want.” Liz’s voice is soothing, encouraging, a far cry from the hard edge she spoke with earlier. “But tonight you have to kill an innocent girl who’s done you no harm, who’s no threat to anyone, alright? You’ll do it for the same reason we do. Because you’re hungry, and that’s your dinner.” Her hand strokes my cheek, and I lean into her touch even as she smears more gore onto my face. “You want to be just like us vampires, don’t you? Well, you don’t get much from blood, but those nice juicy muscles would taste so good, don’t you think? Practically the same thing as a nice cut of steak served extra rare, just for you.”

That’s a lot to ask of me. It’s one thing to drink a mouthful of blood every now and then, but this is pure cannibalism. It’s…

“Do this for me. Show me how much you enjoy it, and I’ll call you sister. You’ll be a vampire in my heart, if not in your teeth.”

I tilt my head back to look at her, with an emotion I dare not name welling up inside my chest. It’s an ache for belonging, a spiritual hole that I’ve never had filled. Liz beams at me, and she’s so encouraging and loving that I cannot possibly say no.

I draw my knife. I smile at my prey. What use is guilt, anyway, compared to the approval of the women I love?

I’ll do everything for this family.

[space-mermaid-writing]

Wednesday [IronStrange]

Summary:Tony fights Strange and his weird wizards on a regular basis. So when he is woken up by Jarvis and being told Strange is sitting in his kitchen, waiting to talk to him, Tony just knows that something is not right. What he does not know yet is that it will be a string of very long days.

Relationship: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange

Tags:enemies to lovers, time loop, time shenanigans, hero/villain, hero Tony Stark, villain Stephen Strange, morally gray Stephen Strange, being a villain is a point of view, protecting the timeline, suicide but it has no consequences whatsoever, open ending, hopeful ending, Stephen needs a hug, Stephen and the never ending day, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, all the stuff you love

Ko-fi | Read it on AO3 | Masterlist | Word count: 3.5k | Previous | Next

Chapter 3: What wizards do

Starting from scratch every day sucked.

But then again, with each new Wednesday that began, they could discard another theory and hypothesis. So in that sense, failure was a success, as it narrowed down their remaining options. Eventually they would find the right path. Hopefully.

_____________________

“What do you even do? I mean your wizard circle. Most of the bad guys we fight are pretty forward with their agenda. But you… there’s no pattern, no ultimate goal we know. You rob seemingly randomly, meddle with political and military business alike, and we traced several ‘accidents’ back to you. But then, sometimes, you save people? Don’t think we don’t know about that.”

Stephen wasn’t sure how much he should reveal. He wasn’t exactly sworn to secrecy, but he also never talked to outsiders about the purpose of the order.

Christine knew a bit of it. Fragments she collected during medical emergencies. Just enough to not ask questions she didn’t want answers to.

When he didn’t say anything, Tony continued. “I take your silence to that question means it’s something I won’t like and that I should ask myself if I really should help you with this.”

He might not be wrong about not liking the answer, Stephen thought. But at that moment he decided to tell him anyway. He wasn’t sure why. Why should he be concerned about what Stark thinks about his motives?

“We are protecting the timeline.”

“The what?”

Stephen put his Starkpad down. “Are you familiar with Brand’s theory of decision branches?”

“You mean that every decision everyone ever faces is like a parting of ways? Depending on the decision made there’s a different version of the future.”

The sorcerer nodded. “We – the order of the Mystic Arts – make sure that the future is steered in a certain direction.”

Tony gaped at him. “If you influence decisions, you’re stripping people of their free will!” This was bigger than he had thought, and he tried to wrap his mind around it.

“No,” Stephen clarified. “We don’t care if you can’t decide between ham or beef on your sandwich. But if it happens that a lost super soldier will be needed in an upcoming battle, we will make sure that we stay in the ninety-five percent of the futures in which he will be found.”

“Bullshit! You didn’t know where Cap was.”

“You’re right, we didn’t. But we knew what needed to happen for him to be rediscovered. On this we just observed; but in other cases we need to intervene.”

He didn’t mention that the Ancient One probably also knew about the kidnapping of Tony Stark and his whereabouts in Afghanistan. And that she let it happen anyway because Iron Man was a key element for what was to come.

That had been long before Stephen ever heard about a place named Kamar-Taj.

Sometimes he wondered where his own car accident fit in all this. But he didn’t think too hard about it. He had made his peace with it and had adapted to his new life.

Tony still wasn’t convinced. “How can you know about the different futures?” He glanced at the golden necklace and hit the mark once again. “Time magic?”

“Yes. It allows me to watch all possibilities of the future.”

Tony clenched his fists, ignoring the screwdriver he was still holding, and narrowed his eyes. “You’re basically telling me, you’re playing god and get to decide which future you like most. Sounds like an awfully lot of power for one single man to me!”

Stephen glared right back at him, raising his voice. “Do you think I asked for this? I just wanted to find a cure for my hands. But then my mentor died and I happened to have a solution to get rid of a world consuming entity, and coincidentally I was able to use the Eye without accidentally destroying the whole time continuum! And after that I filled in for the ones we lost during the fight. This,” he pointed at his chest where the Eye of Agamotto rested, “is bigger than me. It’s not about personal favoritism; about who is the next president or whoever. A threat is coming, whether we like it or not. Whether we’re prepared or not. It’s about no less than half of the life of the whole universe. Every planet out there will be concerned. So, yes, if I have to send a mugger into a side street to make sure the mantle of Batman will be picked up in the future, I will do that.”

Stephen had gotten carried away with his words and revealed more than he had actually intended. He was angry and tired. With a burden on his shoulders he hadn't asked for, but tried his best to hold anyway. At the end of his rant he wasn't sure if his words were solely meant for Stark, or if he did need to convince himself to some degree that he was doing the right thing.

The hurt that had bled through from between the words had taken Tony by surprise, and he realized that the expression that always lingered in those blue eyes was the mark of a man who had seen too much. Of a man who cared deeply, even if he tried to convince himself he didn’t.

Tony recognized it, because he found the same expression whenever he looked into a mirror.

“Half of the universe, hm? Can’t argue against that – if you tell the truth.”

“I do.” Stephen slouched in his chair. He yearned for rest. Not just sleep but being stripped from all responsibilities. But he knew that that day was far away.

“I also can’t believe you brought a Batman reference into this.”

It was an attempt at a joke and to make amends. Stephen acknowledged it with a hint of a smile.

Silence spread and they turned back to their individual tasks. Stephen had already said more than he wanted to and Tony thought about the words he had heard.

“Can’t your necklace tell you a future in which we get out of this loop?” he asked after a while.

“Unfortunately, I can’t seem to access it during the loop, which is highly irritating.”

The more Tony learned about it, the more he got the feeling this was a magic problem after all. Then something occurred to him: something was coming. Could it be…?

“That threat you mentioned… does it come from space?”

“Yes. As I said: the whole universe will be affected.”

“Hm.” The engineer pondered. It could be what he had seen when the Scarlet Witch had meddled with his mind.

But if he were to finally know for sure it was true and to not be able to do anything about it currently… whatever he did, it would be gone tomorrow. And he was already working on one problem that wouldn’t let him sleep. He didn’t need to add more nightmares and panic attacks to it. He would talk to the wizard after this groundhog day was over. It might even be important enough to use the IOU he was being promised. Even if only to know if the vision he’d seen had been true or false. For his own peace of mind.

_____________________

Twelve days in they had collected a lot of data but were still short of a solution.

Tony learned that even if his body was rested in the morning, having his mind working nonstop was not healthy. He was used to pulling all-nighters, but it felt like his tiredness had reached a new level.

Frustrated, Tony buried his face in his hands. He wasn't used to being stuck in a project, and the fact that he couldn't talk to anyone else about it except the wizard didn't make it any better.

Someone put a blanket around his shoulders and when he looked up, he realized it was the cloak that was hugging him sympathetically.

At first the engineer tensed up at that realization, but then he patted the red fabric. “Thanks, buddy.” It wasn’t really helping but he figured it was the thought that counted.

Strange looked at him in sympathy. They had just performed the spell to create the bond between their souls earlier; the warm tingle still echoed in his chest. It was a familiar feeling by now.

“You should take a break tomorrow, Tony. Why don’t you sleep in and meet with some friends?”

“What about-…?”

“It can wait for another day. I’ll do some meditating and meet you before midnight.”

A break sounded really fucking good. Tony already felt guilty because he had canceled his meeting with Peter so often. Even if he knew that it didn’t matter because the boy didn’t remember it.

The look on Stephen’s face when talking to him was gentle and Tony realized that the sorcerer cared. It warmed his heart and made his stomach flip. Uh – oh. The magic man shouldn’t care. And Tony shouldn’t like the thought of Strange looking out for him.

Tony definitely needed that day away from him!

_____________________

It was weird not being woken up by Jarvis' voice stating the words he had probably memorized for life by now.

Between midnight and waking up it felt as if he at least got some sleep and when he looked at the clock it was three hours later than when Strange usually showed up.

“Good morning, Sir,” Jarvis greeted him as soon as Tony moved out of the bed. “I’ll prepare a coffee for you.”

“Thanks. What day is it?” The engineer asked, just to make sure.

“Wednesday the fifth. You have a missed call from Pearson and Specter regarding the launch of the Stark hearing pro aid. You also have a meeting with Miss Potts scheduled at eleven and you told Peter to drop by after school.”

“Move everything that doesn’t need my immediate attention to tomorrow. And invite Rhodey for lunch.” Today he wanted to have his family around him.

“Of course, Sir.”

~~

The meeting with Pepper was very boring. Tony loved it. He was signing papers and they were discussing some new branches of SI and when to launch the next Starkphone update.

It was a constant problem that Tony developed the technology he was offering to the market far too quickly and every now and then he needed to be reminded that people needed to adjust to and accept change. Those things weren’t to rush.

Tony couldn’t relate to that but he trusted Pepper as CEO to make the right decisions.

Rhodey dropped by for lunch in his armor and brought tacos. It was faster than being stuck in New York’s traffic, plus he hadn’t exactly been in town.

They sat on the roof and listened to the sirens and the honking in the streets below.

“Remember that project I told you about?” Tony asked his friend after taking a sip of his soda. “The one with the guy I don’t really like?”

Rhodey looked at him, knitting his brows together. “No. What project? And what guy?”

“We talked about it, Rhodey bear. I called you from the pla-…” Then it hit him. When he had been on the plane on his way to Malibu, he had wanted to say. On another Wednesday.

Of course Rhodey didn’t remember.

“I meant to call you,” Tony steered back. “Probably fell asleep before I had the chance.”

“You? Asleep willingly in the middle of the day?” Rhodey shook his head. “How exhausted have you been? I thought Jarvis kept an eye on you to keep you from pulling all nighters.”

Tony shrugged, an easy smile on his face he didn’t really feel. “He tries his best. You know how I am.” He took another taco and offered Rhodey the last one.

“Tell me about the project,” his friend said. “And since when are you working with partners…wait, we’re not talking about Doom, are we? That guy’s mad and you shouldn’t work with him on anything.”

It was like having a déjà-vu. Tony answered evasively and changed the topic soon after. Rhodey noticed that he was hiding something but he didn’t push it yet.

Fortunately – he would forget it again tomorrow.

Peter arrived in the afternoon long after Rhodey had left. It was great to have the bundle of energy around.

He talked a lot, about school, his friends, and last night’s patrol.

Tony just listened to his rambles while they plugged the Spider-Man suit into Jarvis and ran a check-up – everything was fine besides a small bug which was quickly fixed.

Then Peter told him about May and their trip to the planetarium last weekend. That had been only a few days ago, but to Tony it seemed like weeks had passed. Because for him it had.

He sent Peter home early in the evening, because he knew May would wait with dinner and also because he didn’t know when Strange would come over.

Afterwards, when he was alone in his lab he had nothing left to do for the day. He just took a look at his workspace, where he had spent so much time with the wizard.

A terrible thought occurred to him: what if Strange didn’t come? If he deemed it best to continue searching alone for a solution.

Tony would forget everything.

Some would call it a blessing not to know but Tony had never been one of those. He had always been pro knowing.

Oddly enough, thinking about not remembering Strange tightened his chest.

They were enemies. At least they used to be. But now he’d gotten to know the wizard. And what he had seen intrigued him.

He wasn't sure that he approved of what Strange told him about the timeline and his work and Tony would most definitely not stop fighting him if necessary. But the things that had used to infuriate him, he now found charming. The way the stoic sorcerer expressed his opinion with a single raised eyebrow; his sharp wit and of course his intelligence with a hint of arrogance that was absolutely legitimate.

Strange was hard working, dedicated and had an exceptional mind. It was a dangerous combination.

Tony should know better by now than to get distracted by a handsome face and sharp cheekbones.

There were still two hours left until midnight. Tony had never been good at being patient.

If Strange didn’t come there was no way for Tony to contact him. He didn’t know about his whereabouts, just that he was located somewhere in central New York.

“Sir,” Jarvis spoke up. “Doctor Strange has just appeared in the kitchen.”

There was disapproval in his voice. Tony had instructed the A.I. and told him of their expected visitor. But that didn’t mean Jarvis had to like it.

“Tell him to come to the lab.”

There was a surprised pause from Jarvis. Then, “Are you sure?”. Not many people were allowed into Tony’s private lab.

“Absolutely. I told you: time loop. You can scold me all about it tomorrow.” If Thursday ever arrived.

Shortly after the door opened and Strange stepped in. Ever since their trip to Malibu he had traded his robes for casual clothes, which still seemed out of place to Tony – even though he had suggested them himself. But still, today there was something different about his outfit.

“Where’s Levi?” At some point Tony had gotten on a first name basis with the piece of fabric.

“They stayed home. I just came by for the spell.”

Although he had long since stopped questioning Tony's willingness to stay in the time loop, his voice sounded uncertain today. As if Tony had changed his mind after a day off.It was probably a justified fear.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

By now Tony knew the movements the spell required by heart. The yellowish glowing thread that connected them. The warm tingle that resonated with something deep inside of him.

Relief flooded through him. He knew he would remember.

Strange had a similar expression on his face, but for a different reason. Then he turned to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Do you have somewhere to be in the next…”, Tony glanced at his watch, “hour and a half?”

The sorcerer stopped and shook his head.

“Do you wanna grab a beer and watch a show? I bet we can find something you haven’t binged yet in all of the free time the loop gave you.” It was a lighthearted joke because it wasn’t hard to guess that entertainment hadn’t been on Strange’s priority list.

“I don’t own a TV, so you’re probably right.”

“You don’t… don’t tell me you were serious about not having a phone. I thought you were just reluctant to give your number.” Tony shook his head in disbelief. “Do you write your letters with ink on parchment in the light of oil lamps? Or is that too advanced already?”

Strange made an amused noise. “We do have electricity and I’m happy to inform you that we own a laptop.”

“A laptop? Like in one? For how many people?”

“Wong and I share.”

“Unbelievable,” Tony muttered.

He took the sorcerer upstairs into his living room where they got comfortable on the couch. Almost the entire opposite wall served as a screen. Tony barely used it himself. Mostly for movie nights with family and friends.

They agreed on Doctor House and watched until midnight.

_____________________

“Sir, Doctor Strange has appeared in your kitchen.”

“Clear the day, J.”

_____________________

Somewhere in between, Strange became Stephen and Stark became Tony. They still argued almost every single day.

_____________________

“We could order pizza,” Tony suggested, going through the take out delivery services in central New York.

“We had that yesterday.”

“Sushi?”

“How about soup?” Stephen offered instead. They hadn’t had that yet.

“Who eats soup when they’re not sick?”

“Soup is a perfectly normal meal.”

“Mhm…”

_____________________

“I think we’re friends now.”

“God, don’t say that.”

_____________________

Pepper arrived with the elevator. Jarvis didn’t announce her because, for one, she was family, and secondly, he was very suspicious of what was going on in the lab.

Pepper stopped dead in her tracks as soon as she saw who else was present.

“Can you pass me the tongs?” Tony asked the sorcerer who didn’t even look up from his own work and just made a gesture whereupon the tool floated to the engineer. Tony picked it out of the air. “Thanks.”

“You should consider wearing gloves,” Stephen suggested. “You have a fully equipped lab and still manage to ignore any safety rules.

“Since when do you guys tolerate each other?” Pepper’s voice made them both freeze and they looked at her, as if they had both been caught doing something sensitive.

Tony had forgotten to clear the day. At least he thought so. He should be used to it by now, since he had to repeat it every single day. It was somewhere between day 45 and 52. Tony had lost track of time. One day bled into another and it was always Wednesday. He wasn’t used to repeating any request to Jarvis though. Normally, Jarvis knew more than him.

“‘Tolerate’ is a strong word. We’re working together on a problem,” Tony said while Stephen opted for the smarter option: staying silent.

Pepper put her hands on her hips. “Are you solving that problem or are you two creating it?”

“Haha, funny. We’re-…” Tony suddenly had an idea and he turned to the sorcerer. “What if you’re the problem?”

“Pardon me?” Stephen sounded confused as well as insulted.

“You’re the only one remembering the time loop. It starts with you waking up and ending with you at midnight.” Tony explained. “So whether this is caused by magic or by science: it is linked to you.”

Pepper watched their interaction with a healthy amount of wariness. “Jarvis, what is happening?” she asked the A.I.

“Sir said they are stuck in a time loop and the day is repeating over and over for them.”

“Have you any proof for that?”

“Negative, besides that they seem pretty friendly with each other.”

Pepper's face hardened. She had been there the last time Tony had been working together with magic, and had seen how bad it had ended.

“Tony,” she said louder to get his attention.

He stopped his bickering with the doctor and turned his head to her. “Yes, dear?”

“You know he,” she nodded to the sorcerer, “attacked you at the fundraiser gala just a few days ago?”

Stephen had indeed. But that seemed a lifetime ago.

“I know what it looks like, Pep. But I assure you: it’s alright. Everything is fine, really,” Tony reassured her but his words only raised her distrust.

“How can you be sure he is not messing with your head?”

“I am not,” Stephen protested immediately.

“Pepper, please.” Tony made a step towards her, raising his hands in a soothing gesture.

Pepper retreated a step backwards, not trusting anything that was going on here. “Jarvis, call the Avengers,” she told the Jarvis. “There’s been a breach in security.”

“Pepper no! Jarvis, don’t!”

But it was too late. Jarvis had basically just been waiting for an excuse to intervene.

The Avengers assembled promptly. No need to mention that the day didn’t end well.

[ryuichirou]

Replies

More replies about recent stuff, ships, antis, etc etc, business as usual~ there are a couple (literally) of headcanons in this post too!

Anonymous asked:

I’m going to assume that the recent Lilidia comic is before they know that they’re online buddies and that Idia was the one who sent the shirt?

This one is related to a comic we posted on ko-fi today <3

And yes, Anon, you are correct! That was the idea behind the comic hehe. They were meant to meet offline for the first time this evening but they yet need some time to realise they’re looking for each other lol

Alright, now a couple of asks about the RookVil post from yesterday. I am very happy that you liked that one.

Anonymous asked:

“Distracted”…you mean by Niege?

By Vil in her beautiful dress of course  

Anonymous asked:

ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH YOUR FEM ROOK AND VIL DEAR! OH THEY BRING ME SO MUCH JOY! THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!~

Sorry for the caps but thank you hahaha it gave me energy

Also I was reading some of the asks and I just wanna say those Ortho/Malleus sounds so good! Shoutout to that guy and sorry for using this ask about it 🤭

Thank you so much, Anon!! <3 They bring me joy too, it always feels very self-indulgent when I draw them, especially as girls lol

Yesss this is such a good ship. Shoutout to the OruMal person! I’m glad they’re getting appreciation for their big brains…

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Fem Vil is DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN Mummy -sorry mummy- sorry –

Fem Vil is always either mummy or just a mum… well, technically this also applies to regular Vil lol Also, technically, she (and he) is a step-mummy or a step-mum...

I’m glad you liked it! <3

blackbutlerfandomnerddomain asked:

Ortho x Malleus... Hmmm...you know I might get on that train, it's actually pretty cute the more I think about it and I'm just imagining a double date with Idia and Lilia and Ortho and Malleus, maybe even a triple date if we add Sebek and Silver

Ahhh, Ortho/Malleus and Lilia/Idia would be a very fun combo!! Sebek and Silver too… Sebek would get way too distracted by Malleus being with Ortho though, things would probably get a bit messy lol

Anonymous asked:

"Slenderman is scared to see Rook when he turns around" Rook truly is the most horrifying horror monster of all time lol.  The non-human students would survive a horror setting simply because nothing compares to being hunted by Rook.

And sorry if you already answered this, but in your Prison au how do you decide who's a guard and who's a prisoner?

(this one is related to this post)

You’re SO RIGHT ANON LOL If they survived being around Rook for 3 years, they won’t be scared of anything. This is what a little bit of Rook Hunt does to a collective. Influencing people in a good way by being an absolute creep…

And to answer your question, the roles are pretty flexible: Katsu mentioned in this reply that they could be either one (both would work for a lot of them really), but some characters just feel more suitable for one role and not the other I guess? Plus, it implies their relationship with the characters around them. So, whatever option sounds more fun and could lead to a more interesting scenario.

Anonymous asked:

I know you mentioned in a previous reply that you don’t ship Jack/Epel often, but I would still love to hear any few headcannons you might have about them. I have one where Jack goes to Vil for advice on how to approach Epel in a romantic fashion since Jack would have a secret crush on him. Meanwhile Rook is probably giving very detailed advice to Epel (who also has a secret crush on Jack) on how to “properly tame your partner” and Epel just gets super confused and embarrassed

Sorry for the late reply, Anon!

Oh god I can practically hear Vil’s “ara?” when Jack goes to him for advice… What an experience for him, considering how close he is with both Jack and Epel, to suddenly have these two show some interest in each other lol

And it makes sense that Epel would go to Rook for that, and not really because of his hunter thing, but he is absolutely going to end up listening to a lecture about taming and recognising the signs of courtship behaviour… this isn’t even remotely going the way Epel thought it would…

I still don’t have many thoughts about them, unfortunately. But here is a couple of things that come to mind as I’m thinking about these two right now…

When their club activities don’t happen at the same time, they visit each other. Sometimes just to wait until the other one is done, sometimes to cheer a little (just a little though), sometimes just to hang out. But Jack tries not to do that often because Epel gets very distracted when he is around + his senpais tease him a lot.

Epel doesn’t always like how caring and sweet Jack is, sometimes it feels to him like he is being babied by him, but he does know that Jack has a wilder side (Vil hinted on it once because he knew Epel would feel that way), so now Epel tries to poke the wolf bear (that is Jack) from time to time to see if he would react.

Anonymous asked:

Idia, probably: What in the fifty shades of moe is this?

(this one is related to this comic)

Yeah, he had no idea stuff like this could happen to him…

Anonymous asked:

Had an encounter with an anti on a different app; their argument was that shotacons are creepy and how they talk about little boys are creepy.  Good ole' Google tells me shotacon does not apply to TWST so Idk why they brought it up.  And the only little boys are Cheka and Gidel.  If they were genuinely referring to the main cast as little boys, maybe it's just me, but calling high schoolers that is weird.  I didn't handle the encounter well, but thinking back it feels like they had no clue what they were saying.  Their argument was about something completely different and had nothing to do with TWST if they even know what it is.  The logic ain't logic-ing with these folks.

Yeah, technically there are no shotas other than Cheka and Gidel in TWST, but some could also count Ortho or even Lilia (Ace commented on him looking much younger than a 16 y.o., which all those people fucking ignore, as you might’ve noticed, because they’re hypocrites) and Epel, because while they aren’t of the needed age category, they’re rather small. And with Ortho people love to talk about how he is a 5 y.o., which is a lie lol

You are right that they don’t really know what they’re talking about. They never do, because the point of the conversation isn’t to make an argument and have a proper discussion, it’s to make the opponent sound so wrong, so appalling, so sick, that they come out of this thing feeling like the only beacon of moral excellence surrounded by gross perverts with zero self-control. When in fact they’re just uneducated enjoyers of spreading moral panic + emotional vampires lol

The thing is, shota and all the other “dead dove tropes” is a niche within a niche. People in general don’t understand shipping and our way of interacting with fiction, and even fewer people understand problematic tropes. It’s okay, it’s not for everyone. But it sure is a convenient reason to attack people!

[crystalelemental]

I have begun FF8, and am about 2 hours in. All I have done is beaten Ifrit, and immediately began what I do best: optimizing.

I have a problem.

So okay. All I remember about this game is that it has level scaling, where enemies (maybe just bosses) scale to your level (or Squall's specifically? Unclear). You overcome this not through leveling, but by Junctioning your magic spells to stats in order to ascend to higher levels of power. As part of that, converting enemies to cards via the Card command is essential, as it negates EXP gain but keeps the AP for upgrading your summons.

So I looked at my summons, and went okay, I need to upgrade several things on Quetzalcoatl right now. Like the ability to turn things into Cards, and the ability to upgrade basic spells to mid-level spells, as well as all three summons' abilities to convert items into Fire, Ice, and Lightning/Wind spells. The end result is that now I'm grinding out basic skills and refining to T2 spells like Fira, which takes forever because you need like 500 basic spells but can only hold 100 at a time, so you draw from enemies until you hit cap then refine them, then do it again, until you have 100 of all of them.

I'm going to be honest, the remaster's 3x speed is a godsend on this. I am perhaps being overly focused on immediate optimization. There's no requirement for me to do this, after all, and those spells will undoubtedly become available later on. I also don't intend to avoid all levels by converting literally everything to cards. I'll probably do it for bosses, but mostly because those are the really good cards. We'll see if I keep it up, though. I'd like to avoid Triple Triad forever if possible.

The main issue this situation raises is one of creating a blockade to player progress. Yes, I do like having the option to overpower myself in a game. However, when the main blockade to that is one of time, it becomes frustrating, because I know I can do this and frankly, I'd want to anyway. But having only time block you if obnoxious, because now the exchange is one of real life hours.

To give an adjacent example: Atelier. I've been shilling this a lot lately, but the Atelier games, in many situations, allow you to overpower yourself in mid-game, with equipment that can carry you through the end just fine if you know how to rotate your materials and combine traits. In the Arland games, this track to becoming overpowered does take time, but mostly it takes tracking your materials and traits, and cycling them into creations that eventually land on forging materials for conversion. It's an active, cerebral process. The Dusk trilogy is a bit different, mostly requiring you to have arcane knowledge of where the good items and traits can be dug up, which is a bit frustrating but can be circumvented with persistent exploration over time. You're not meant to immediately know how to do this stuff, after all.

But then there's the Mysterious trilogy, which removed the time limit mechanics and allows free exploration, where the early overpowering set in Atelier Sophie requires...running around a zone collecting a shitzillion materials, until you reach search level 5, when you can start to find the good stuff. It's effectively the same outcome: around this point in the game you can overpower yourself if you know how. But one of these focuses on the main ingredient being innovation, one focuses on foreknowledge, and one focuses on your time. Guess which one I like the least.

There's a quote that I've heard a lot, but couldn't attribute it to whoever said it first, that goes something like "Given the option, players will optimize the fun out of the game." The general takeaway being, you have to avoid letting players optimize by constantly resetting or aiming for a perfect outcome right away. You have to incentivize playing through your failures. Because absent a real reason to...no one is going to. And I think this kind of optimizing falls in a similar category. Unless there's an internal incentive not to...I'm probably gonna do it. Especially because you don't know when it might be necessary.

That Sophie example? Yeah, shortly after that point, depending on how you progress, you run into really strong enemies that will beat your shit in without better equipment. Doing this process is tedious, but it does turn the tables from really hard, to completely manageable, in little time. FF8 is similar. The long, visceral memory I have is that this is the only Final Fantasy game I couldn't beat the first time. I didn't know enemies scaled to your level and hit 99, and I didn't consider the card game relevant, not knowing about card conversion to items conversion to spells. When you don't know it won't punish you later, the sensation is "I can put in the time now to overpower myself and have a smooth ride, or I can be forced to put in the time later while tearing my hair out." If you know that's a transition that's coming? You're probably not going to replay that game very much.

Fortunately for 8, I don't know it's going to happen, I could've just sucked at video games as a kid (I did, still do). But it feels like it will, and the speed setting at least makes this a tolerable amount of time. I can't say much about the game, but I'm having a lot of thoughts about this so now it's everyone's problem.

[macgyvermedical]

Ok, so, this is kind of a stupid question, but how do you go about bathing someone who's too injured/otherwise temporarily incapable of doing so themself? (Particularly with washing the hair?)

In the case of my particular story, if that helps I have a character who's had a bit of a rough time out on a several days' journey in the wilderness (so, you know, limited opportunity for things like washing yourself, even if you don't add in the Whump and such good stuff), brought to safety, and he's at this point sort of semi-conscious, has a fever bc infected wounds are fun, a couple of varyingly serious wounds in different places on his body, a broken collarbone, a badly sprained ankle, and major burns to one leg. (Yes, I know that's a lot, don't @ me lol.) I've pretty much looked up the treating the injuries side of things already, but I was hoping you'd help me with the question of how to bathe him?

Thank you so much for your help!

Eh, this level of injury would be pretty common for the floor I work on, maybe just getting surgery to fix the collar bone and wound care/antibiotics for the burn. I'd just want an answer to the question of why he's semi-conscious. Some options would be dehydration (common with large burns), a head injury (the most long-lasting of the possibilities), or the infection itself, especially if he's older or going into septic shock (which would probably require an ICU stay). So you decide.

Cleaning someone is a pretty basic nursing skill but it's something that pretty much no one knows how to do if you're not a nurse or nurse-aide.

You essentially start at the head and work your way down. You'll need either 2 packets of bath wipes (if you're fancy) or a bucket of warm soapy water (no-rinse soap makes the process so much easier). You'll also need wash cloths (many), towels, bath blankets, a fresh gown, a no-rinse shower cap for hair washing (again if you're fancy), a fresh gown, and fresh linens if also changing the bed.

Picture the patient lying on the bed with a blanket over them. Bring the bed up to waist level, remove the regular blankets and put bath blankets on the patient. Bath blankets are smaller cotton blankets that have a tighter weave and can keep the patient getting the bath a little warmer. Some places have blanket warmers so the blankets are warm when they are used. Which is nice.

You can start with the hair. Put a bath blanket or chux pad under the patient's head to protect the bed. You then take a shower cap and put a little warm water and shampoo/no-rinse soap in it. Then get all the patient's hair into the cap and mush it around until the hair is damp, then dry it with a towel and wrap the towel around the head.

Then move onto the face- try to do each eye and around the mouth with different corners of a wash cloth, working from inside to outside. Put that wash cloth in the hamper and get another one damp, and begin to work your way down the body, taking off the patient's gown in the process but keeping them covered with the bath blankets. Any time you wash something smelly or particularly soiled (crotch, butt, pits, feet, etc...), get another wash cloth. You shouldn't re-dip the same wash cloth because that can contaminate the rest of the water (usually with poop, and who wants that?).

Then you're going to have to roll the patient on their side to clean their back and the backs of their legs.

Once you're completely finished, you put a new gown on the patient and remove the bath blankets.

If you're changing the linen, this is way easier shown via video, so watch below:

It's generally a little... messier than this, but even if the patient can't move themself, an aide or nurse is usually able to do this by themself but it's a lot easier to have someone help turn and hold the patient while you're doing the rest of the stuff.

It's also important to think that the person doesn't stop pooping and peeing just because they're unconscious. A lot of times you're going to have to change at least the pad out from under the person and clean their peri area several times per day in addition to the full bath and linen change.

[brick-a-doodle-do]

Hitting you with boredom questions for the inbetweens of lore.

Hit me

Your fav word right now

Fav number

Fav letter

Fav flower and specific colour

Fav plot line of the dsmp lore you’ve seen so far.

Fav most recently watched interaction of dsmp lore

Have you been hit with any story fic ideas while watching the lore as of right now

Skirts or shorts?

Bucket hats or caps?

Fav movie snack

Are you a hoodie person? If yes, zip ups or pull overs?

Hope this fills some time!!!! Thanks for the previous questions before!!!

THANK YOU i just watched the sad-ist animation dawn of 16 again bc it's my tradition to watch them at the end of each era (sometimes before or sometimes after depending on what it was for) so i am just so hype rn for no reason. i fucking love the dream smp 😭😭

ANYWAYSSS THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS :d

HMM probably smithereen(s) (for obvious reasons) or trembling. those are fun :D

my favorite number changes but usually i like the numbers 6 & 11 :D

HMMMMMM probably m, w or d bc they're fun to write

my favorite flowers are calendulas. um. for no reason in particular. ahah

HH favorite specific color is hard cause idrk? i usually go with red as just my basic favorite color. but if i was being specific specific, idk the name but i do know the hue is #c92351. also tortilla brown is good if paired with the right colors

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH there's so much to say. i can't go down the road of any bonding stuff cause TECHNICALLY that isn't really a plot line. so um i like the dreamon thing with tubbo fundy & sap, uhhh and of course when tommy and wilbur are FRESH out of exile. and going wayyy back, i really like seeing how tommy starts to like...form the server into what it eventually ends/ended up being. it's fun. and of course the disc saga cause YES!!! BUTTT if i had to choose i'd say CURRENTLY it's the sapnap & tommy duel in the pet finale. it's fucking funny as shit 😭 OHH and also that whole thing where everyone has schlatt surrounded and he just dies from a heart attack and comes back and says "flatty. patty." IT'S SO RANDOM I LOVE IT

for INTERACTIONS i can go specific cause yes....um techno giving his "die like a hero" speech is nice. and dream and tommy sitting on the bench together is just...peaceful. cause a LOT of the server is together looking off into the distance, it feels like a REALLY good ending to a "season". and uhh there's a lot of little interactions like the whole schlatt thing i mentioned...oh god i need to cut myself off bc actually watching VODS instead of like lore outlines is so rewarding cause i can get down in the crevices and see EVERYTHING (granted i have a LOT of different povs to get to but it's happening! slowly! and with the delayed (cancelled) season 2 i have a lot more time than i thought i did lmao)

i have actually! a lot.... :') mainly just little things cause everytime someone says REMOTELY close to sounding g/t i just....mwah add it to random lines i might make a fic out of. i already sent orchid a fake fic title from something wilbur/tommy (i forget) said LMFAO

i'd prefer pants over anything but shorts!

not a hat gal, and if i am it's beanies....but if i had to choose i'd say bucket hats, they're a vibe :D

HM i gotta go with the basic option of saying popcorn. it's just unbeatable and the BEST option out of everything :D bonus if there's hot tamales or mike & ikes mixed in >:3

yes i am! and pullover all the way, i hate the way zippers look

THANK YOU FOR THESE QUESTIONSSS !!!

time for exile arc lets goo

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

Hi Ghost!

Watercolor asks

lemon; what’s your comfort food?

yellow ochre; name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!

golden deep; what’s your favorite season?

burnt sienna; is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?

cadmium red; do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?

ruby; what does your ideal first date look like?

violet rose; what does your dream house look like?

mars brown; what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?

voronezhskaya black; what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?

sepia; name five things that always make you happy.

payne’s gray; describe your aesthetic?

Have a great day!

(No pressure to answer all of these! I just wanted to give you options)

what’s your comfort food?

Not really any :0 I have foods that I really enjoy, but not any that really comfort me. Starbucks Frappuccinos are a delicious treat though :)

name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!

sundial !! I discovered their song “24” through an animation on YouTube, and Spotify shuffled that with a bunch of their other tracks, and I just kept listening to + liking them :D

They’re really fun! Catchy pop, which I don’t often listen to, but something about sundial makes me want to listen to their stuff on loop.

what’s your favorite season?

Spring!!! The weather is so lovely and the rain and the breeze and ough… yes <3

is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?

Not particularly! There’s a tag I have for cozy fanart though :) Here’s one!

do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?

I don’t think so! Mostly because I’ve never had a significant other 😅

As long as he’s sweet & kind, I won’t be too picky :)

what does your ideal first date look like?

Probably just hanging out; walking downtown, going into Barnes and Noble, getting milkshakes. Really chill and low-key, nothing super “romantic” about any of it. I would really dislike going to a fancy restaurant or something.

what does your dream house look like?

I want an apartment :) I want an apartment with a fire escape, so I can put blankets on the fire escape and sit out there and watch the world turn on in the morning. Also preferably the apartment would have thin walls because I think it’d be fun to hear my neighbors lol

what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?

Stargirl!! That movie is very special to me; it’s so real and high-quality and goshhhh.

what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?

My journal! That’s where most of my vents go, because I don’t like venting to other people. Almost always, after I’m done spewing angry words into the journal pages, my head feels quieter and I’m able to carry on.

But if my head is still loud and angry, I’ll go to certain friends.

name five things that always make you happy.

Listed them here :D

describe your aesthetic?

Bright colors, but no neon; bucket hats; comfy trousers and flower-printed jeans; no makeup; t-shirts; sweaters; blue baseball caps; oversized shirts; long skirts; worn shoes.

[ponds-of-ink]

Oh Boy Here Comes A Personal “Game”..

I am going to be a test case for something. A game I’d like to call “Fan-Ban”.

You can thank this video for the idea.

TL;DR is: I’m pretty much going to have to curb my usual fandom stuff for one day. Will I survive or will I be smacked with a flying pumpkin GIF?

Below the cut are my personal rules, inspired by the linked video (so spoilers below for that one). I’m very sure there can be customizable options for this... Not that I’d recommend trying it unless you really want to.

Oh and to clarify: These are rules mainly for me only. Y’all can keep doing what you’re doing on your blogs.

Fan-Ban Guidelines

“Sexy” Villain Privileges have been revoked. Which means posting about any William Afton variant (or general villain posting) will be restricted to either trash-talking or something of that nature. This will also go for re-blogs and likes... Which most likely means I will need to stay off some of my followers’ blogs for a while.

No more Himbos allowed. Glamrock Freddy, Jack Skellington (I think?), Kronk... Anybody who fits this bill will not be brought up for the day. No rbs, likes, or posts in general.

Say farewell to Mother and Father Figures (smoochable for some or not). Henry Emily and Mrs. Afton [among others] are now on the “no post” zone. I am tempted to put Mr. Hippo on this list because I’m sure he’s like a father figure to somebody.

Long-Haired Pretty Boys and Buff Gals are no longer permitted on the premises. Which means no Roxanne Wolf and Veronica. (Yes, I am counting my OCs in this and yes Vern should be buffer than I draw her.)

All ships are banned. If I start to reblog something like Jack x Sally or make something with Purple Guy x Wife, then I need delete the draft and touch more grass.. Or go to bed immediately, depending on the time.

Any keyboard smashing or caps lock on fandom posts will prohibit me from being in the respective fandom for one hour at minimum. If I do multiple offenses, then the sentence will increase.

Any theorizing I do will need to be given a rebuttal by another person on sight, as I’m not sure how I could self-enforce being hit on sight in regards to theories being correct. Double if it is abiding by previous theories a la FNAF’s “WillGrief” and so on.

If I feel the urge to post anything that contains spoilers (including my own projects), then they will be posting without the “Keep Reading” cut... And that’s if I do not delete the draft on sight.

Bonus Rule: I am not allowed to listen to any of my fandoms’ songs— Be it fan-made or official. Musicals in general will also be prohibited. If there is an accidental breach of this rule, then I am to state what song I heard in a no-context post. Songs related to OCs will also count, so no jamming to Pizza Tower’s OST on Veronica’s behalf.

If you want to play along, all you have to do is report any time that I break these “laws” (minus the bonus). You can either do this with re-blogs or sending something through the inbox. If I do not respond accordingly, then retaliate by sending me pictures of grass. Or bass-boosted non-fandom memes. Whatever will get me back in line faster.

I hope this sounds easy enough on your end. As for me, though...

gulp

[animezinglife]

I want to rent a cabin for a few days to just go on hikes and take a mental break and disconnect from real life. I've never done something like this before. Any advice?

It depends! Overall the most important thing would be to compare prices, ratings (you want a clean, functional, safe place), and create sample itineraries for yourself (you don't at all have to stick to them, but they're really good to have on hand and take with you) with what the area has to offer. I'd actually never done it myself before until a couple years ago, and I really leaned on my travel agent friend for advice. I always recommend on leaning on people with a lot of travel experience for these things.

She listed multiple lodging options within my budget and the total for the duration of the stay, considered the type of tourism I was interested in (obviously, the nature side of it as I was in the Ozarks and had already checked Branson off the list), and checked all local events in the area plus transportation estimates.

For any true, hardcore backpacking, @the-gotheltic-rowan might actually be your better bet. Anytime I go on hikes or am heading to a cabin/trail, I always make sure I have my first aid/trauma kit, plenty of water, snacks, sunblock, and any device charging gear I might need. Basic over-the-counter allergy meds and Motrin or Ibuprofen. Insect repellant. I always wear baseball caps to help protect my face and eyes from the sun along with protective sunglasses. Extra socks are good to have on hand, deodorant, sweat rags, hand sanitizer, etc.--I don't do anywhere near the pro or expert level stuff and tend to stick to areas I'm at least mostly familiar with unless I have a guide. I keep my gun on me too, but I also realize that's not for everyone.

If you're going to be in a cabin, I would make a list of its basic amenities. Make a list of restaurants in the area you want to try (while I always recommend getting simple groceries for a cabin, it's not much of a vacation if you don't enjoy the local cuisine no matter what it is), activities (fishing, hiking, trap shooting, visiting local shops, etc.), etc. Once you get there, ask the locals, too.

If you're anywhere by a national park, reserve, refuge, etc., then yes, your ticket/day pass into that place is 100% worth it. Obviously, don't try to pet or get close to anything that could hurt or kill you no matter how peaceful it seems. If you see someone else doing it, tell them not to but also get your camera out.

The only other thing I can think of is that cabins are typically cheaper during the week than they are on the weekends. If you're looking to save a little extra, you might try booking mid-week. Also, keep in mind any local businesses that may be closed on Sundays.

I'm sorry this isn't more helpful, but I hope it's a start!

[etakeh]

OKAY listen up, this is a thread for all my cold friends out there who aren't used to severe cold. HOW TO LAYER, A GUIDE TO STAYING WARM, USING ONLY CLOTHING YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE, NO FANCY SILK UNDERWEAR OR WHATEVER.

(link provided)(but I’m sure she won’t mind if you donate to whomever you feel like helping, if you are in a position to do so)

(source)

(transcript in read more)

OKAY listen up, this is a thread for all my cold friends out there who aren't used to severe cold. HOW TO LAYER, A GUIDE TO STAYING WARM, USING ONLY CLOTHING YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE, NO FANCY SILK UNDERWEAR OR WHATEVER.

1)YOUR FEET. Wear at least two pairs of socks: one tighter, thinner pair, and one looser, thicker pair. If you can do three, do a thinner pair, then midweight, then thick. Below: dress, midweight, and thick socks in the order you should put them on.

2) YOUR LEGS: wear whatever your preferred underwear is. Now put on a more fitted long sleeve shirt and more fitted tights, leggings, athletic pants, bike shorts, compression pants, whatever you've got.

Over these, put a narrow pant that is a little loose around the inner layer. Depending on how you typically wear them, jeans, sweatpants, yoga pants, or even dress/work slacks can work for this.

If you can, put a THIRD layer over these that are your biggest pants. Generally pajama pants, sweatpants, yoga pants are going to be the best for this layer. But whatever fits in whatever order is your best bet!

TOP: again, wear the underwear you are typically most comfortable in: bra, undershirt, whatever. Now add a fitted long sleeve shirt. Tee shirt, turtleneck, compression shirt, waffle weave, henley, whatever.

Pick another long sleeve shirt that is a little looser than this one to put on over it. A fitted sweater, sweatshirt, or looser tee shirt, buttondown, or henley is good for this stage.

Now (and since I know you're smart you probably guessed) get a bigger, looser shirt to put over this. A big sweater or sweatshirt is best!

HEAD: A lot of heat escapes through your head so KEEP IT COVERED! Keep a hat on at all times! The best kind of hat to wear is a thick, knitted cap that is not too tight, or a loose one over a tight one. If you have something lined, even better!

Hats with EAR FLAPS are awesome, as are earmuffs. If you don't have earmuffs, you can use big noise cancelling headphones in a pinch.

HANDS: Hands are super complicated because you want them free to do stuff but also it is very easy for your fingers to get too cold/frostbitten so you've gotta protect them! I recommend a fitted pair of gloves with a looser, thicker pair of gloves or mittens over them.

YES you can use gardening gloves or work gloves for one of these layers if that's all you've got. RUBBER gloves, on the other hand, are not good insulators.

If you really need your fingers free for using devices or work or whatever, get fingerless gloves or cut the fingers off a pair of gloves or mittens you don't care about, then wear these under your bigger mittens/gloves.

Protip: if you don't have a pair of gloves you can mangle to make fingerless gloves, cut holes in an old sock you've lost the mate to!

Now that you're covered head to toe, here are a few more tips:

-You can keep adding layers for as long as you have clothes! Just don't make them too tight: you want to trap air between the layers because it adds extra insulation.

-Wear a scarf or two! You can wrap your head in a scarf if you don't have a hat or need extra warmth.

-If you don't have s scarf or run out or scarves, a pair of sweatpants or flannel pajama pants will do in a pinch.

-It's okay to suspend a no shoes in the house rule during extreme cold. I am one of those people who thinks wearing shoes in the house is gross but they will keep your feet, which are susceptible to frostbite, warmer if you run out of options.

-Pockets are AWESOME and will actually keep your hands warmer, especially pockets close to your belly or butt! Your butt gives off more heat than you think!

-DON'T GET WET if you can help it. If you do, dry off and change out of wet garments.

-IF you don't have boots, thick socks pulled up over the bottom of your pants will keep cold air from getting to your legs. If it's wet out, plastic shopping bags inside your shoes can help.

-Be forgiving of yourself if it's too cold to change your clothes! Stay warm, even if it means dropping hygiene a little. If you need to change clothes, you can sit under a blanket until it warms up and then change under the blanket.

-You can also change out of many of your bottom layers inside your outer layers if your outer layers are loose enough and you are dextrous enough. Otherwise, do the blanket trick.

-Use chapstick on EVERYTHING. Your nose and fingers and toes and ears can get chapped too. If they feel chapped, put whatever balm/ointment/stick you have on them!

-Your eyes can get too cold! If you go out, put on sunglasses or safety goggles-- whatever you have to protect them!

-And finally, just remember that staying warm is more important than looking good. Go to the store in a blanket cape if you have to (a thing I've done). Wear the embarrassing sweater your great aunt gave you.

Take care, stay warm, and feel free to ask your friends from the North for specific advice if you need it! And hey, if you like this thread, please consider giving to Austin Echo or other area organizations helping homeless people right now.  https://www.austinecho.org/get-involved/donate/

[powdermelonkeg]

So, BO2W Breakdown

Buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.

Here we’ve got Ganon’s...energy taking over Link’s arm. Ordinarily, I’d call it Malice, but based on what it turns into, I’m just going to be calling it corruption. We don’t get much information from this scene besides this expression:

Link’s grabbing the corruption with his other hand, and wincing. It looks painful. I personally think it’s for cinematic effect that it was included, but it COULD be a gateway into a Phantom Hourglass sort of mechanic--Link has to function on a time limit, or using the corruption’s power could drain his life.

Next we’ve got a closeup of Ganondorf. F in chat to the rehydration theorists.

And the closeups of his jewelry. The only significant thing I can see is his necklace, which looks like a cross between the Gerudo symbol and a Fleur de Lis:

But what I’M most interested in is this tie on his belt:

For one, it’s WAY bigger than it needs to be, and that’s deliberate. Ganondorf’s got a jewelry aesthetic he’s already hit above; everything else is gold, why not this bit?

Most importantly, you can barely make it out, but the designs either look Sheikah or Zonai--they’ve got that same kind of swirly busy pattern to them. The red tint and tan-ish lines in it makes me think it’s possessed Sheikah tech.

Next, we’re shown Zelda falling. This looks like it happens right after these two caps from the first trailer:

So we reach for her as the ground collapses, and evidently, we fail to pull her back up. So my next question for that scene is going to be what the in-game reason is for us not diving in right after her. Maybe we won’t get one, since the appeal of the original BOTW was that you could fight Ganon whenever you wanted.

Up next, we’ve got a skydiving shot:

The first thing to notice is that Link’s pose while skydiving is just about identical to his pose in Skyward Sword:

Second is that, yes, he’s falling towards a floating island, and that in itself is noteworthy, but he’s FALLING. There’s something either above him that he jumped off of, or a force that carried him high enough TO fall, and I doubt Nintendo’s encouraging magnesis flying.

So, there’s a few options: Loftwings making a return (which is unlikely, but a hope I have), something like Revali’s Gale boosting Link up for a cinematic shot, indicating that the corruption arm has that kind of power, or islands higher than the one shown here.

Now the island itself:

In Skyward Sword, Skyloft looks like this:

And (spoiler alert) we loose this island here over the course of the game:

Now, it’s not a PERFECT 1:1 match, as most things between games aren’t, but a quick rotate and overlay shows it’s got the same kinds of shapes between the two. The same “W” shape along the eastern side, the same tiny island off the northeast point, the same relative edges.

Now, I don’t know what happened to the plaza at South Skyloft, or the Knight’s Academy isle, but it could very easily be drift away from the central island.

The presence of other islands through the clouds seems to support that theory. Now let’s look at Link here:

The outfit is new. We haven’t, to my knowledge, seen one of this design in other games. My gut reaction to this image was “oh, we go back in time and we’re the first hero now!” because it’s vaguely reminiscent of Tapestry Hero.

But upon closer inspection, that theory’s null and void. Under Link’s tunic in the image above, you can see that he’s still wearing the shorts he woke up in in the first game. So either Sheikah boxers haven’t changed in 10,000 years, or it’s taking place in present day. Jokes aside, I’m curious to know if the outfit he’s wearing is modeled after Tapestry Hero.

Next thing to point out is the obvious:

Link’s arm here looks less prosthetic and more...withered, I almost want to say. The corruption here’s made his hand look frailer, and armored them up with Zonai patterns before it fades out at his shoulder. Based on how the tattoos look, I think they’re an artifact of the corruption taking hold.

Also, the belt here:

Aesthetic purposes, or specific function? The presence of the second, smaller one on the side reminds me of Skyward Sword’s adventure pouch, which could be how the new game handles inventory size:

Next we’ve got another flying shot:

It seems like he’s flying towards Ruined Skyloft, and you can see the bottoms of islands above it, possibly meaning that the sky serves as more than just a hub world like it did in Skyward.

Now let’s look at the paraglider he’s using. It’s new.

This is how the paraglider looks in the original BOTW. It looks like we still have the Rito symbol in the center, but other than that, there’s a LOT of changes here.

First off is the color. We’re now blue and gold. The shade of blue makes me think of the Kochi Dye Shop’s navy blue:

So, possibly a dyeable paraglider?

The new pattern surrounding the Rito symbol makes me think that it’s combining the paraglider with Skyward Sword’s sailcloth:

Other than that, there isn’t much else to say about the paraglider besides the handles looking like they’re made of bone. Craftable paragliders? God, I hope not.

Back to Link:

Here we have him in different gear than the last shot. He’s wearing the snow boots, he has a shield with a stylized Eye of Truth looking upwards, and he looks like he’s carrying a traveler’s sword and an unknown bow. The presence of the bow makes me think that the shield here is a lower tier item, rather than this game’s Hylian Shield equivalent.

Now, let’s get a better look at the horizon:

The trees here look a lot like the smaller trees you can find in Akkala, but there’s a distinct lack of red among them.

Then it looks like we’ve got some ruins at the furthest isle.

Whatever the rock formations are over there, they don’t LOOK natural.

Another thing I noticed is the bottoms of the islands.

These look a little too geometric to be natural, too. Now, this one, I’m a little muddy on, because it COULD be a stylistic choice. But it also reminds me of the Shrines if you clip out of bounds:

And a little bit of the dormant Gate of Time from Skyward:

My money’s on the cube-like nature of the islands’ undersides being deliberate, rather than just a far-off render.

And then there’s this thing!

What is it? It doesn’t look broken at all; look how nicely the roof(?) is kept. The ribbing on the sides makes me think it might be a Zonai thing, but the shape makes it difficult to figure out. A giant temple? An airship? A sloped coliseum? This thing haunts and vexes me.

Our next shot is presumably from one of the islands, based on the color. Here we can see that there are definitely ruins all over the place. Link is in the same gear as before, so I won’t touch on him.

This, however, has my interest. The design here has more geometric patterns--Zonai ruins?

We’ve got another one off in the distance here. Sky checkpoints, like Sheikah towers?

Now this guy here. There’s a LOT to look at. First off is the eye design, it’s the same sort of upward looking one that Link has on his shield in the previous shots.

The energy that’s pulling this thing towards its base looks like the same green energy that surrounds the arm holding Gan in place in Trailer One:

This stuff. That, plus the fact that the robot has to be pulled into its base rather than just existing, implies that either A: Link activates it himself, like a trial thing, or B: that the green energy here functions in the same way Malice does in the original BOTW.

This pattern at its base is intriguing, too. I don’t recognize the gold symbol in the center, but the green around it reminds me of the portals from Twilight Princess.

Which, yes, everyone’s already said that the Twilight Princess patterns look like Zonai things. But another thing this weird dial thing reminds me of is from Lanayru Desert:

On top of that, the color palette of this guy looks like that of the Lanayru Robots from Skyward:

BO2W robot on the left, Lanayru robot on the right. Given that Skyward is a lot more vibrant than other non-Toon Zelda games, I think this is a fair enough comparison to draw similarities from.

And then we get a closer view of the sky ruins from the last shot. I don’t know if the geometric pattern in the corner is a deliberate carving, or wear from time, but since the pattern looks ALMOST mirrored around the corner, I’m going to go with the former.

A better shot a few frames later. The robot has HANDS, which I do not like in any way shape or form. However, we get a better look at the sky ruins.

We haven’t seen this style of stairs before, to my knowledge. The pedestal out front looks like a light source, and it has the same floral egg thing the robot above has on each shoulder; the eggs could easily be a power source for Zonai tech. And at the top of the stairs, we see a pedestal, backing up the theory that these ruins function as our new Sheikah towers.

This is our next shot. Which...

Unikoblins. Can we talk about that? UNIKOBLINS.

Anyways, Link is here again in his old clothes. This is a very early game shot, because his right arm isn’t corrupted yet; this means we get to explore Hyrule before we embark on the main quest. Which gives rise to a question: Where’s Zelda?

The hopeful side of me wants to say that she’s a tutorial companion, like Navi or Tatl, at least for the beginning here. The pessimistic side of me thinks that she’s waiting for us at a predetermined location, and this is just part of getting to her.

Now the unikoblin structure itself is built on a Talus, meaning that the dev team at least intends to have more inter-monster interactions. But if you kill the Talus, does that mean that the base falls apart, or does it just drop down as a separate entity?

Also, what are these background ruins? The one on the left looks like it’s a distinctly different style than the one on the right. It looks almost like a giant guardian arm.

Our next shot is Link’s arm getting corrupted. Which, first of all, the effects look beautiful.

Now, we can see a corner of Link’s hip here, and we know that this is his right arm. So Link’s lying down here. Unconscious? Knowing how Zelda games like to start with Link waking up, probably. Although it looks like at least part of his shorts got an update.

We can see what looks like circuits here. It looks a bit like the electricity puzzles you can find in the Divine Beasts and Shrines in the original.

Then we’ve got these strange symbols.

Whatever this circular stone he’s lying on is, it looks a lot like the Zonai puzzle from the “A Fragmented Monument” sidequest.

This one that everyone thought was the Mirror of Twilight for years.

Our next shot is Link using the corruption powers against enemies:

The spike ball itself looks solid; the question is, is this a duplication power, or a visualization of how the spike ball is set into motion?

We see it barreling over a poor Unikoblin or two, but I’d like to turn your attention to the Moblin and the background.

The moblins here have helmets, and the bases, while they carry the same design, look like they have more cause and effect in mind. The left base’s rock, for instance; that’s a lot bigger than the rocks we got to play with in the last game, and it looks like we can barrel anything in the screen over with it.

The helmet, though, concerns me a little bit. It looks natural rather than forged; like it’s the moblin’s horn, just very much deformed. Does it mean a harder enemy, or is it just for flavor?

Our next shot is this strange flower thing. Note that Link’s right arm is perfectly fine in this shot, meaning that it’s still early game.

This is what Link’s flamethrower looks like. And this:

Is Zonai art.

So the question is, what IS the flamethrower? My first thought was that it’s either a new item in its own, or it’s a Sheikah Slate upgrade. The latter might sound a little far fetched, but Link in this game is right-handed, and in BOTW, he always held the slate in his LEFT hand when using it.

We have more of the weird faded designs that we saw on the Sky ruins:

And we’ve got some kind of pedestal or stage behind the ground flower thing:

It looks like it’s either an altar or a grave, from what I can tell. The stairs aren’t the same design as the ones in the sky, and there aren’t any patterns on it.

More importantly, though, is that this place is underground. This could be a part of the game you’re required to go through, in order to get to Raisin Gan.

A few seconds later, though, we get our answer to what the flamethrower is!

It’s a shield!

Off to the left side, we can see pillars with more weird scribblings towards the top. These match the Sky ruins’ pillar shape, with a narrow base and a wider top.

Our next scene is...weird.

We see a puddle splash in reverse. It’s hard to tell if it’s actually water or not, but the design on the ground implies that it’s either been there for a long time, or that that’s a dedicated splash spot. And the quality and zoom makes me think that this is part of a cutscene. Return of the timeshift stones?

We then see Link...surfacing out of the island? I don’t know how else to describe it. However, his arm is changed again, and glowing, meaning that this is a corruption power. And the “water” he rises out of here looks a lot like the puddle in the last clip.

We get a good look at the Zonai Lights:

A Sky ruin that looks like it contains a room:

And a glimpse of other isles’ ruins in the far distance.

And then as the camera zooms out...

We can place a location!

We’re right over Thundra Plateau!

We also get a mildly better look at the back wall of the sky ruin, which looks to be some kind of table:

The next scene is Hyrule Castle:

The ground shakes and it starts to rise up. However, notice that the columns surrounding the castle are now missing.

We’ve also got red sparks in the air, like we would have in a blood moon. However, due to the sky color, we can assume that this is a conscious decision by Gan himself, and that he isn’t drawing power from his surroundings.

We then see that power bleeding out of the ground. It’s MUCH more red than Malice is, which has always been a kind of burnt pink-ish color.

However, even though Ganon lifts the castle up, he doesn’t lift it very high.

The castle’s about triple the height it was. But since we’re talking Skyloft levels of floating islands, this is still pretty ground-level. What’s interesting to me, though, is that in this shot, despite the game now being about sky islands that we should be able to see from ground level...there aren’t any here. This, to me, means that there’s going to be a sudden appearance of the isles in the sky, rather than them simply being accessible now.

And that’s the whole trailer! I have many questions.

My blog! If you have any opnions/questions/theories, feel free to drop an ask!

Part 2 is up! We missed a lot!

[buckyhoney-library]

Hey so I'm new to the whole 'requesting' thing. Anyways I have an option Bucky has a secret girlfriend. This'll take place between post-Winter soldier and post- civil war. Team cap has to go somewhere and Bucky wants to say goodbye to someone. Once they reach the readers and her and buck do some sort of act of love (hug, somethin special) and the team realizes that it's his girlfriend Thanks doll🖖✌️

Secret Girlfriend

A/N: This was a super cute idea 

Warnings: soft!bucky

Words: 1k

“Who’s he talking to? I thought we were his only friends?” Sam questioned, looking back as Bucky picked up his phone and left the room. Steve’s eyes following Bucky’s movements as he slowly paced the hallway.

“I don’t know,” Steve shrugged, returning to packing his suitcase.

“I’m leaving for three weeks- tonight actually,” Bucky’s smile gets smaller as he informs you that you’d be without him for an extended amount of time. You stayed quiet, not knowing how to respond. You knew that stuff like this would happen when dating an avenger. Having to leave at a moment’s notice to save the world, there was a part of you that wished Bucky would have stayed. Coming up with an excuse to not go, but that would only bring an unnecessary concern to Steve.

“We got the orders a couple of hours ago; I wish I didn’t have to go.” Bucky huffs.

“Is there a way that I can see you before? Just to say goodbye?” You managed to hold back the tears. This would be the first time Bucky will be gone this long. 

          The two of you met just after he returned from Wakanda. You were working at the coffee shop he would stop by every morning. While making friendly conversation with you, he began to know you better, leading Bucky to feel comfortable enough to ask you to dinner. Of course, you said yes.

That was almost five months ago. Bucky having his own place, allowed him to be able to keep this part of his life private. It’s not that he didn’t want them to know, but it was something that he wanted to be sure of before sharing. You were also the only thing at the moment that wasn’t filled with history or was work-related. You had been his get-away from the fast-paced life of avenging.

“Yes, I’ll come by before I leave. Will you be home in an hour?” He asks, Bucky knew he needed to see you beforehand and a phone call wasn’t going to cut it.

“I’ll be at work, but you can still stop by. I’ll take my fifteen when you come in.” You respond eagerly. This gave Bucky a good excuse to stop before leaving for Germany.

“Perfect. I’ll see you soon, Darling.” His smile reappearing. “I’ll see you soon, just text me before you get here, bye Buck.” You hang up and start to get ready for your shift.

When he returns to the room to finish his packing, he was greeted by Sam and Steve with curious expressions on their faces.

“Who was that?” Steve gestured to his phone. Bucky just shrugs, “Old friend,” Sam chuckles to himself,

“Must be a really good friend if they made you actually smile instead of bruting in the corner,”

.

          The van was all packed and everyone was inside. Sam and Steve taking the front seat, Nat and Bucky in the second row, leaving Clint and Wanda in the back row.

“Can we stop for coffee?” He as innocently as Steve drives out of the compound.

“Yeah, I think there is a Starbucks-“

“No, there is a coffee shop just off exist thirteen, like a block from my apartment.” He states, Sam looks back at him, raising his eyebrow with growing suspicion.

“Yeah, I guess that’s okay,” Steve replies. The car ride there was filled with small chatter between them. Bucky pulled his phone out to text you, letting you know he was almost there.

“Who’s ‘darling’?” Nat chuckles, glancing over at him.

“Nobody.” Steve and Sam look at each other, Sam starting to connect the dots. He doesn’t say anything but stays quiet trying to keep from teasing the shit out of him.

          When they pulled up the coffee shop, Bucky eagerly gets out. Leaving the rest of the team watch him as he went inside, but not getting in line.

“What is he doing?”

“I think Bucky has a special friend.” Sam teases, leaving the rest of the car to start theorizing.

          You put your apron on the rack as you get the text that Bucky was here. You see the car full of avengers pull up. Quickly fixing any smudges of makeup and fly-away hairs, you walked away from the counter. His mouth grows into a huge smile as he catches glimpses of you from outside. He takes your hands, bringing them to his lips, kissing them gently.

“Hi, darling.” His voice had softened since seeing you, losing the low grumble he usually has with the team. You truly bring out the inner softy in him.

“Hi,” You match his softness. He pulls you into a tight hug, remembering why he was even visiting you at work.

“How long before I get to hug you again?” You mumble against his chest. He kisses the top of my head pulling away, but not letting go of your waist.

“Three weeks, but I’m hoping for two.” Your face sinks into a pout, he moves his hands to cup your face. Slightly squishing it, causing him to giggle.

“You know your friends are looking,” You see past him, their eyes are glued to the two of you.

“He does have a girlfriend!” Nat shouts, they all watch as Bucky embraces you and kisses your hands.

“That sneaky bastard.” Clint laughs. Sam and Steve nod in approval as Bucky stares back at them.

Looking back at you, Bucky states,

“It’s okay, I knew we couldn’t hide it for much longer. They were getting suspicious about who was making me smile.” You grin at the thought of being able to get past, what left like vibranium, walls that the super solider had built up.

“I’m going to miss you so much; I’ll call as much as I can.” He looks at you with the most tender eyes. You nod,

“I’ll be counting on it.” You say in a warning tone. Instead of planting a kiss on your head, Bucky places the kiss on your lips. You kiss him back, soaking it all up before he pulls away.

“I’ll see you when you get home!” He smiles and nods, preparing for all the questions he was about to receive when he reentered the car.