#look at our cute assassin

[buckyalpine]

A one shot where Bucky doesn’t like the reader and makes her life at the compound a little rough? Like enemies (maybe to lover or friends?) and she is like the sunshine personality 🥺🥺🥺

I live for this shit This type of angst where he's mean and finds her annoying even though she's a sweetheart, ugh, yes. YES.

Bucky groaned, trying to ignore the shooting pain that seared in his abdomen, clutching an old t-shirt to stop the bleeding from the stab wound he'd received during his latest mission.

"You good there, terminator?" Sam cocked an eyebrow watching Bucky unconvincingly nod, grunting a half assed yes before squeezing his eyes shut and flopping back on the seat.

"You're gonna need stiches" Steve snorted, shaking his head at his stubborn friend.

"I'm fine" Bucky gritted out, preferring to bleed out on the jet instead of going to the med bay where he'd be surrounded by doctors and needles and if he was really unlucky, you.

"Seriously? That's the second shirt you've bled through, I don't think the serum's gonna cut it, punk" Steve sighed, knowing how Bucky felt about getting medical care but it wasn't like he had a choice. As soon as the jet landed, Bucky was shoved in the direction of the medical wing, pouting and grumpy as he limped with Steve supporting him. Bucky frowned when Steve pushed him to lay down on the examination table, grumbling and wincing under his breath.

"You stay here. I'm gonna finish writing up our reports, don't go sneaking off" Steve chuckled, giving his friend's shoulder a squeeze before leaving. The soldier stared up at the florescent lights, his eyes anxiously darting about the room, hoping and praying that at the very least he wouldn't have to deal with-

"Good afternoon Bucky!"

For fucks sake.

Bucky groaned at the chirpy voice that piped up from the door, his brows knotted together from frustration.

He hated it. You'd ask about his day as if he wasn't there go get sewn up. You'd talk to him like you'd known him for years, almost oblivious to the fact that he was a former brain washed assassin. Every time he saw you, you were so giggly and pretty and bouncy and cute and happy and it irked his soul because it was to the point it was unnecessary. I mean you were just so kind and sweet to everyone as if everyone deserved such amazingness from such a wonderful person, okay that's enough Bucky.

The world wasn't fucking sunshine and rainbows and he had no idea why you acted like it was.

"Steve said you needed a few stitches so-

"Where's Dr. Cho" Bucky cut you off, hoping anyone else would help him so he could get on with his day, willing to take the needle and thread himself instead of having you do it while talking his ear off.

"Oh, she's with another patient right now but it's fine, I promise I'll get you out of here soon, do you mind if I remove your vest-

"Yeah, I got it" Bucky huffed, wincing to get his gear off but you stopped him, urging him to stay down.

"No, it's okay, I just wanted to make sure you're okay with it, I'll cut it off, don't worry"

Bucky nodded, lying back down while you grabbed a tray with medical supplied, carefully cutting around the blood soaked material and discarding it. You cleaned the area, mumbling apologies incase the alcohol caused any pain, moving on to closing the cut.

"I heard about the mission you all went on. I can't even imagine going through all that, it sounded terrifying. You're very brave Sargent" You smiled, tossing your gloves aside after patching Bucky up. Bucky grunted as he hopped off the table without a word, ready to whack Steve on the head for telling you of all people he needed help.

"If you need anything else, let me know! Just get some rest for a few days, it'll heal soon-

"I know" Bucky walked out of the room without looking back, his shoulders relaxing when he was far away from he med wing. There was truly no reason for him to be this annoyed but he was tired, in pain and he knew for a fact there would be a pile of papers for him to fill out in the conference room.

You didn't take Bucky's grumpy attitude to heart, understanding the stress that came with going on missions, getting injured every time coupled with the fact that he was probably still healing from his own past. You put away the supplies before taking a coffee break, running into a very excited Tony along the way.

"Hey cupcake, just who I was looking for, do you like chocolate or vanilla"

"Tony, I told you, you don't have to-

"That doesn't answer the question. Pick one or the other or both or another flavor, all the flavours, but give me something"

You giggled at the way he looked at you expectantly, sighing seeing as he wouldn't let up until you answered.

"I'm not picky, you know I'd love anything. Get something everyone would like, seriously, I don't even need all this, I'm just the nurse-

"Stop that right now, there's no one else like you" Tony huffed, planting a quick kiss your head before texting his caterers about everything he wanted, ensuring everything was perfect, especially when it came to you.

-

You woke up to the sun streaming through the curtains, stretching before getting out of bed and padding over to the bathroom to go through your morning routine. You had the day off, throwing on your joggers instead of your typical scrubs and making your way down to the kitchen, grabbing ingredients for baking.

You hummed, scooping out spoons of cookie batter, plopping it onto the tray and throwing it into the oven, cleaning up the area in between, waiting for the oven timer to go off. You set the chocolate chip cookies onto a tray, piping the last bit of icing onto the top and sweeping away the smidges of frosting that got onto the counter.

Bucky blinked at the smell of baking, making his way to the kitchen for some water after a run. He groaned, nearly walking right back out when he saw you singing to yourself, arranging cookies in a circle, each one decorated for a different person in the tower.

"Good morning Bucky" You smiled while he mumbled, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, "I-I made made cookies for everyone, did you want one?" You asked hopefully, looking at the little dog tags you'd piped on the cookie you made for him while he shrugged in response.

"Why do you keep trying so hard, do you not have any friends?" Bucky scoffed, ignoring the fresh plate of cookies that sat on the counter, not caring that your face had fallen. He wanted to strike a nerve, feeling a sick satisfaction at the way you silenced yourself, giving him the peace and quiet he wanted.

"S-sorry, I just thought-

"You thought what?" Buck cocked an eyebrow, the tick in his jaw making your stomach churn.

"Nothing, sorry" You mumbled, turning back to continue cleaning while he chugged the rest of the bottle. "I've just leave them here if you want one later on-

"No, I don't want one now and I don't think I'll want one later either" Bucky glared at you, tired of you always trying to do things for others as if anyone asked.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't-" you bit your lip hard to keep from crying, not wanting to annoy Bucky more.

"Why do you always act like everything great? Like we don't come back from almost dying, risking our lives while you go about like the world is perfect"

"I just-I didn't mean-

"You didn't mean what, to be annoying? Did anyone even ask for this?" Bucky nodded to the cookies while you shook your head, feeling ridiculous and embarrassed, not realizing others also probably found you annoying.

"I-it was my birthday, I thought-" you sniffled, choking back a whimper, "I wanted to do something nice - never mind" You bit your lip to keep from breaking down, blinking back tears as you scurried off to your room, without looking back.

The initial satisfaction Bucky was short lived as he stood in the now empty kitchen, tossing the bottle aside. The plate caught his eye once more as he walked by, reluctantly stopping to look at each one, your skilled hands decorating each one with clean details. He instantly spotting the one you made for him which had been dusted with silver just like his tags; he had no idea how you managed to get his name and number piped to precisely.

Not that it mattered.

Bucky continued to make his way to the gym, feeling a little bad that he made you cry but he figured you'd get over soon enough, after all that seemed to be your strong suit, you were always happy and smiling anyway.

-

"You're coming tonight, right?" Steve dropped the weights he was curling while Bucky frowned, unsure of what the captain was referring to.

"Why, what's tonight" Bucky grunted, still in the middle of his set.

"Seriously, Tony told us like a month ago"

"Yeah, fine" Bucky huffed, not really caring what it was about, knowing he'd be dragged to go regardless. He finished the rest of his workout, retreating back to his room to shower. He flopped onto his bed after, grabbing a book from his bedside table seeing as there was still plenty of time till he had to get ready.

The book had been a Christmas present from you and as much as he hated to admit it, it was perfect and one of his favorites. He tried to focus on the words, feeling bad again thinking about how your face had fallen earlier when all you did was offer him a cookie.

Maybe he went a little overboard with his reaction...

Bucky shook the guilt he felt, hoping that you'd be running around somewhere getting ready for whatever tonight was.

-

"Where's y/n" Sam looked around the room seeing everyone else present but you, the night in full swing seeing as Tony had gone all out as usual "I swear she said she'd be here, this is literally her birthday party"

"I didn't see her" Nat frowned, putting down the drink she was sipping on, scanning the room again, "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her all day"

Bucky felt a deep pang in his chest when he realized the party was for you, his stomach twisting in knots.

"Where's our birthday girl" Steve asked as he joined the others, the guilt making Bucky feel even more sick. He ran a hand over his face while the others continued to wonder where you were. "I hope she isn't working, she deserves a day off, she already worked over time for 3 months straight when we were running back to back missions"

Bucky remembered that.

They'd all been sent out on missions spread across different months and you'd been the one on call to patch them up the entire time. You hadn't complained once even through you were thoroughly sleep deprived. At the time Bucky was annoyed you were in such an upbeat mood when they were all scraping by but you had been struggling yourself.

"I fucked up" Bucky groaned, feeling awful for how he'd treated you in the morning and for how he'd been acting towards you in general.

"Why, what did you do" Steve's face twisted in confusion while Bucky's face reddened in embarrassment. Steve was aware Bucky complained about you but he figured it was because his bestfriend got flustered around the pretty nurse, he'd seen Bucky get tongue tied plenty of times whenever you walked by.

"You were a grumpy asshole to y/n, weren't you" Sam frowned seeing Bucky's guilty face. The soldier didn't say another word, leaving the group to find you instead, debating on getting Steve to clock him in the jaw first. Bucky ran to the elevator, pushing the button to your floor, hoping he'd see you making your way down, only to find the hallway empty. His heart broke hearing the soft sniffles coming from your room, the door closed. He gently knocked on the door, your cries quieting down as if you'd silenced yourself to pretend you were asleep instead of opening the door.

"Y/n?" Bucky called for you only to be met with more silence, "Can-can you please open the door?" His heart started to beat faster when he head your footsteps approaching the door, clicking the lock open; you were still in your joggers from earlier, your face puffy from crying.

All because of him.

"Sorry, I fell asleep" you lied, keeping your face trained on your feet, worried Bucky had come to yell at you about the party Tony had thrown for you, "and I'm sorry about the party, you didn't have to go if you didn't want to, I promise I didn't tell Tony you had to come, I know you don' like me-

"No, no baby no, stop" Bucky hushed you, his heart breaking when your voice cracked, rambling out apologies. His body moved on its own, wrapping his arms around you while you started to cry again, rocking you while holding you to his chest. "Please don't cry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, you have nothing to apologize for doll, nothing at all"

Bucky held you tightly while your body shook, feeling sick with himself for how he'd been treating you. You'd never been anything short of sweet and he'd made a point of always letting you know he couldn't care less. He lifted you in his arms, walking over to your bed, sitting down with you in his lap, ready to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

"I didn't mean to be so annoying" You shrugged, fidgeting with your fingers, the light that always made your eyes twinkle dimmed from Bucky's words.

"Y/n, please, no" Bucky whispered, pleading with you to stop. "Don't doll. It was never ever you, please let me apologize. I've been awful to you, you've done nothing wrong. You've always been an angel, sweets, it's me whose been an annoying asshole. I don't deserve your kindness but that's never stopped you from giving it to me when I least deserved it"

"You deserve kindness Bucky" you gave him a small smile, one that didn't meet your eyes and Bucky felt his eyes sting. Even when he was the one in the wrong, you were still comforting him with your sweetness.

"Y/n, I don't know anyone that deserves the sort of kindness you give. I don't know anyone that would deserve someone as wonderful as you. You're a light for everyone when its dark. I was a fuckin' idiot for everything I've ever said to you. That isn't an excuse for how I've been treating you doll, I know that. It's just- I've been awful to you and you've never done anything wrong. I'm truly sorry sweets"

"Its okay Bucky" You whispered, reaching up to wipe the tear that streaked down his face, your cheeks heating up when you realized you were still in his lap, "S-sorry, I didn't realize-

Bucky shook his head, holding you securely in his lap, not wanting to let you go.

"You have nothing to apologize for, pretty girl" Bucky shrugged, loosening his hold in case you wanted to get off but your doe eyes darted around instead, settling further in his lap. "You really are like sunshine"

"You're very charming, Sargent" you smiled bashfully while Bucky chuckled, his heart beating erratically in his chest when your hands came up to toy with the tags that hung around his neck.

"Would it-would it be if I kissed you?" He whispered shyly, blushing when you nodded, pressing his soft lips to yours. Bucky took his time kissing you, pouring every ounce of his feelings with soft touches, holding onto you like porcelain.

"Everyone's waiting for you sweets" Bucky gave you a gentle squeeze, tilting your chin up to meet his eyes, hoping that you'd still want to go to your own party. "Would you like to go downstairs?"

You slinked off Bucky's lap to get ready, the soldier watching you with heart eyes the entire time you did your hair and makeup. He knew he had a lot to make up for, starting with the fact that he'd never hurt you again. He was still upset with himself for ever hurting you in the first place but he was ready to protect your innocent heart for the rest of his life. His breath hitched in his throat when you finished applying the last of your gloss, blushing when you slipped your hand into his so he could lead you down.

"Theres our cupcake!" Tony grinned when he saw you approaching, the rest of the team cheering making you giggle. Steve smirked seeing Bucky follow closely behind you in protective mode, keeping his hand around your waist. He spent the entire time, doting on you, following you like a lost puppy.

By the end of the night, he had you in his lap again, shamelessly looking at you with heart eyes while the rest of the team watched curiously, his sole focus on you.

"Happy birthday sweet girl" Bucky whispered, pressing a kiss to your cheek while you nuzzled into him with a shy smile, "My little sunshine"

-

Now imagine Bucky doesn't quickly get over the fact that he was a dick. Sure you forgave him because you're an absolute sweetheart but Bucky can't even deal with the way he'd acted, especially when he had a crush on you the entire time and just refused to acknowledge it, acting like a cunt instead.

He's the most lovestuck boyfriend to ever exist. Your office is always full of fresh flowers. He's a clingy little puppy, outside of the medwing until your done, always finding excuses to sneak in and see you. You had to tell him a papercut wasn't a good enough reason for him to request your services.

Neither was a stubbed toe.

The time he nicked himself while shaving was the worst because he was pouty until you kissed him better.

He slips his dog tags around you, his possessive/jealous side occasionally sneaking out.

He doesn't even hide the fact that he's a simp for you, knowing he's the luckiest person on the planet to get the sweetest person in the world. He shows your off like no tomorrow, proud of the angel he gets to call his.

He absolutely loved his sunshine.

[swampjawn]

God I love animation. I love it for the way it can bring anything to life beyond the constraints of boring ol' reality, but also the ways that it's inextricably linked to, and draws on the conventions of live-action film-making.

So fuck it, let's look at how Hayao Miyazaki straight up copies some camera framing techniques from his predecessor and the other most influential Japanese filmmaker of all time, Akira Kurosawa! (Kurosawa really was the master of framing scenes around his characters, so he's a great source of inspiration)

(btw, this is a screenshot from this TV special where the two met for the first time just after the release of Kurosawa's final film. It's pretty interesting, and also very cute how nervous Miyazaki seems to be to meet one of his idols.)

Specifically, how the two each choose to break the 180 degree rule (well, not technically 'break' in the case of Kurosawa) to show their protagonists' changing destiny in "Throne of Blood" and "Princess Mononoke".

For anyone who doesn't know, the 180 degree rule is a basic film-making rule of thumb which states that in any scene where two characters interact, you should draw an imaginary line between them and the camera should always stay on one side of that line.

("In the Mood for Love" - Wong Kar-wai)

This way, one character is always looking to the right of the camera, the other is always looking to the left, and the audience doesn't get confused by the geography of the scene. Crossing this line can be disorienting, but when done intentionally, it can convey a paradigm shift of some kind in the scene.

In this scene from "Throne of Blood," (a feudal Japanese retelling of Macbeth) Washizu's wife Asaji discusses tactics with him and tries to convince him to aspire to the throne and to assassinate his lord Tsuzuki while he sleeps.

As two servants appear to notify them that Washizu's sleeping quarters are prepared, the camera dollies left and around the characters' backs. This camera movement is motivated by the motion of the servants' torches outside the room, but it also signifies a change in Washizu's outlook.

Washizu is completely silent for most of this scene, contemplating his wife's advice. But as the camera slides behind his back and across the line of action, the scene is now re-framed, illustrating his change in perspective.

He's been convinced and the trajectory of his life is about to change - and now, facing away from the camera, is the time for action.

Because the camera slides smoothly across the line, Kurosawa isn't technically breaking the 180 degree rule. Miyazaki on the other hand, takes it a little further.

The complimentary scene in Princess Mononoke comes near the start when the wise woman of the village reads Prince Ashitaka's fortune after he's cursed by the wild boar spirit. She tells him that it is his fate to leave the village and travel to the west, where he may be able to lift the curse on his arm. The trajectory of Ashitaka's life changes in this moment too. As he accepts his fate, the change is symbolized by him cutting off his hair, but also by the camera jumping the line.

Throughout this dialogue scene and even as he cuts his hair, the simulated camera sits just slightly to the side of Ashitaka's left shoulder.

But once it's done, for the final shot, the scene is reframed and we jump to the other side, where Ashitaka is now looking to the right of the camera instead of the left.

Making the camera dolly across a scene like Kurosawa's version in 2D animation is no simple task, so this transition with a simple cut is in a way subtler, in another way a bit more jarring, but it conveys the same meaning.

This is the moment when our protagonists make the choice to embark on a new destiny and re-frame their lives.

This has been an excerpt from a short video essay I made a while back, which not many people watched. I think this is at least in part due to my failure to package it well, and it seems you tumblheads like this animation/cinematography analysis stuff, so this is an experiment to see if, with the help of y'all, and a new title and thumbnail, it's at all possible to give this video a second wind in the eyes of the Youtube Gods!

So if you found this interesting, I'd appreciate if you checked it out! Thanks for reading!

[david-talks-sw]

Debunking more myths in the GFFA: the Jedi and the clones.

I wrote a post debunking the various myths about how "the Jedi condone slavery", a while ago. Something I had omitted (because it's such a big topic) was the following two statements that concern the clone troopers' relations with the Jedi:

"The clones were genetically bred to have accelerated growth, so they're technically child soldiers."

"The clones were slaves of the Jedi."

Both the above statements are inaccurate, let's explore why. 

"The clones were child soldiers"

Let's get the easy one out of the way first, because it's a logic that cuts both ways. If age is our only determination of the maturity of a Star Wars character, then Grogu is not a baby. He is aged 50, and is thus a middle-aged man.

Who cruelly eats the babies of a woman...

... and knowingly tortures animals for his own sadistic pleasure.

Of course, I'm kidding. Grogu's none of the above things.

The narrative frames him as a cute baby who does innocent baby stuff. Him eating the eggs is played off as comedic, as is him lifting with the frog. To this day, some fans still call him "Baby Yoda".

Conversely, despite the clones being 10/14-years-old, their actions, behaviors, way of thinking, sense of humor, morals etc, are all those of an adult.

Like, Ahsoka is technically older than Rex in this scene.

The scene doesn't portray them as peers, though. This isn't written as "a teen and a tween talking". No, Rex looks, acts and behaves like a grown-up and is thus framed as such by the narrative.

You can make the argument "they're child soldiers", but (unless you're doing so in bad faith) you'd also have to argue that "Grogu's an adult".

"The clones were the Jedi's slaves"

Nope. For all intents and purposes, they're in the same boat as the Jedi, who George Lucas stated multiple times had been drafted to fight in the war.

Again: both the Jedi (monk/diplomats untrained for fighting on a battlefield) and clones (literally bred en masse only to fight) are being forced to fight by Palpatine and the Senate.

Though, on paper, the clones were commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, it was actually done by the Sith (who either manipulated or assassinated Sifo-Dyas then stole his identity, depending on the continuity you choose to adhere to). The rest of the Jedi had no idea these clones were being created.

So while the clones are slaves... they're not owned by the Jedi.

They're the army of the Republic, they belong to the Senate. This isn't exactly a scoop, they refer to the clones as something to purchase...

... and manufacture.

As far as the Senate’s concerned, clones are property, like droids. 

Like there's a whole subplot in The Bad Batch about this very point: after the war, the clones are decommissioned and left out to dry because they literally have no rights, they served their purpose.

The only trooper to ever canonically blame the Jedi for the clones' enslavement is Slick, who the narrative frames as having been bribed and manipulated by Asajj Ventress into betraying his comrades.

Also, the only canonical Jedi shown to ever be mean, dismissive or mistreating the clones in any way, is Pong Krell.

And it's eventually revealed he’s in fact a full-on traitor, hence why the story frames him as an antagonistic dick from the moment he's introduced. He doesn’t represent the Jedi in any way.

We know this because the other Jedi we’ve been shown are always prioritizing their clones’ lives over theirs, if given the chance.

Finally, if we wanna get even more specific... as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the clones belong to Palpatine. 

Palpatine who is a Sith Lord. 

Palpatine who arranged for the creation of the clones and had them all injected with a chip that would activate upon hearing a code-word...

... and forced them to murder their Jedi without hesitation or remorse.

When you bear all that  ⬆️  in mind and when you read this quote by George Lucas...

"The Jedi won't lead droids. Their whole basis is connecting with the life force. They'd just say, 'That's not the way we operate. We don't function with non-life-forms.” So if there is to be a Republic army, it would have to be an army of humans."    - The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, 2020  

... narratively-speaking, everything falls into place.

Sidious knows that:

If he orchestrates a war designed to thin the Jedi's numbers, corrupt their values and plunge the galaxy into chaos...

If he wants to draft the Jedi - peace-keeping diplomats who’d never willingly join the fray - to fight in his war...

... then the only way they won't resist the draft and abstain from fighting is if they think joining the conflict will save lives.

So he creates a set of cruel, sadistic villains for them to face, opponents who will target innocent civilians at every turn...

... and instead of lifeless droids, he prepares for the Jedi an army of men... living, mortal people who, despite being well-trained, will be completely out of their league when facing the likes of Dooku...

... Ventress...

... Grievous...

... Savage Opress...

... or the defoliator, a tank that annihilates organic matter.

Thus, in order to save as many clone and civilian lives, the Jedi join the fray despite knowing that doing so will corrupt their values. 

And as the war rages on, a bond of respect is formed between the two groups.

Clearly, the Jedi don't like the fact that the Republic is using the clones to fight a war, but for that matter, they don't like being in a war, in fact they advocated against it.

However, it's happening regardless of their issues with the idea or personal philosophies. Said The Clone Wars writer Henry Gilroy:

"I’d rather not get into the Jedi’s philosophical issues about an army of living beings created to fight, but the Jedi are in a tough spot themselves, being peacekeepers turned warriors trying to save the Republic."

And bear in mind, the Jedi are basically space psychics, the clones are living beings that they can individually feel in the Force... 

... so the Jedi feel every death but need to move on, regardless, only being able to mourn the troopers at the end of every battle.

We see this in the Legends continuity too, by the way.

(that is, when the writers actually try to engage with the narrative)

Also, if you ask the clones, they’re grateful the Jedi have their backs.

When Depa Billaba voices her concerns about how the war is impacting the Jedi's principles, troopers Grey and Styles are quick to make it clear how grateful they all are for the Jedi's involvement:

So the clones aren't the Jedi's slaves. If anything, they're both slaves of the Republic (considering how low the Jedi's status actually is in the hierarchy).

Only I'd argue the clones have it much, much worse. 

The Senate sees the Jedi as "ugh, the holier-than-thou space-monk lapdogs who work for us"... but a Jedi has the option to give up that responsibility. They can leave the Order, no fuss or stigma. 

A clone trooper cannot leave the GAR! If they do, they’re marked for treason and execution. Again, they’re not perceived as “people”.

And it doesn’t help that the Kaminoans, the clones’ very creators, see the troopers as products/units/merchandise. A notion that the Jedi are quick to correct whenever they get the chance.

How The Clone Wars writers describe the clones' relationship with the Jedi.

George Lucas hasn’t spoken much about this subject aside from the quote from further up. But to be fair... the Prequels aren’t about the clones’ dynamic with the Jedi, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t talk on that subject so much.

He did mention that part of The Clone Wars’ perks is that he could:

“Do stories about some of the individual clones and get to know them.”

But that’s as far as it gets. 

So for this part, I'm just gonna let Dave Filoni, showrunner of The Clone Wars and the upcoming series Ahsoka, and TCW writer Henry Gilroy - both of whom worked closely with Lucas - take the wheel. They make themselves pretty clear on how the clone/Jedi dynamic is meant to be viewed. 

Here’s Henry Gilroy:

"In my mind, the Jedi see the clones as individuals, living beings that have the same right to life as any other being, but understand that they have a job to do."

"The clones see the Jedi as their commanding officers on one hand, but also, at least subconsciously, they look to them for clues to social/moral behavior."    

"Some clones may find themselves getting philosophical leadership from the Jedi that helps them answer some of the deeper questions of life."    

"We thought this was a great opportunity to show how the Jedi interact with clones. Specifically, Yoda in a teaching role of the clones, who were socially new, who kind of grew up— who were created to fight, and he really broadened their horizons and helped them realize there was a great big universe out there that was bigger than just fighting and killing."    

And here’s Dave Filoni’s comments:

"I truly believe that the Jedi try to humanize their clones and make them more individual, as Henry says."    

"I think we saw that in Revenge of the Sith, when the Clones were colorful and named under the Jedi Generals, and then in the final shots of the film with Palpatine and Vader near the new Death Star, the ships are grey, the color and life is sucked out. The Stormtroopers are only numbers and identified by black and white armor or uniforms in A New Hope." 

"The soldiers have become disposable to the Emperor."    

"That is something the Jedi would never do."    

"Yoda teaching the clones much like he taught Luke. ‘Cause that was kind of natural for [the Jedi], a natural instinct to take to these clones like they’re students."    

None of the above quotes from two different writers of The Clone Wars, who had many interactions with George Lucas, frame the Jedi and the clones’ relationship in a negative way. 

How much more proof do we need that "the clones were slaves of the Jedi” isn’t the intended narrative?

My point being that while the clones' ordeal is indeed horrible, the Jedi have nothing to do with it. The narrative of The Clone Wars always frames it as the fault of the Sith, the Senate and the Kaminoans.

If you go by the intended narrative, the Jedi were the clones' teachers and brothers-in-arms. The clones and the Jedi were not just comrades.

They were friends.

[pucksandpower]

Charles Leclerc x Sainz!Reader - Instagram AU

y/nsainz

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y/nsainz red for ferrari (and to hide the blood stains if their strategists screw over my boys again)

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charles_leclerc you would commit murder for me? je t’aime ❤️

y/nsainz as the six merry murderesses once said: they had it coming, they had it coming, they only had themselves to blame. if you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it, i betcha you would have done the same

trulytifosi i think i speak for all ferrari fans when i say that we will gladly help you hide the bodies

f1wagupdates i did not have y/n sainz adding would-be assassin to her resume on my 2023 season bingo card

y/nsainz the things we do for love

y/nsainz

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y/nsainz charles said i wasn’t allowed to laugh at him so this is me not laughing at him 🤭

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carlossainz55 charles presley

pierregasly elvis leclerc

y/nsainz chalvis lesley

landonorris elarles preclerc

charles_leclerc i’m blocking all of you

charles_leclerc at least i looked fabulous

y/nsainz it’s an improvement over your usual taste in fashion

charles_leclerc you love my fashion sense

y/nsainz i love you but you don’t know how to dress yourself outside of ferrari branded clothing

charles_leclerc 😐

bananaleclerc not everyone bullying charles 😭

y/nsainz we bully him because we care

carlossainz55

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carlossainz55 throwback to when charles tried to hide from me in the closet after i learned that he was dating my sister

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charles_leclerc i wasn’t hiding, i just happened to find the closet very comfortable

carlossainz55 is that why you screamed “please don’t kill me, i really love her” when i opened the doors and found you?

y/nsainz i’m really glad you didn’t kill him

charles_leclerc thank you?

leclercupdates the pure fear in his eyes 💀

y/nsainz

Liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55, and 287,492 others

y/nsainz “team bonding” aka third wheeling with my own boyfriend and brother

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scuderiaferrari our favorite third wheel

y/nsainz someone had to make sure they didn’t burn the building down

charles_leclerc you said you would stop bringing that up

y/nsainz you almost set fire to the apartment making an omelette

charles_leclerc but i didn’t

y/nsainz because i sacrificed our towels to put it out before it spread beyond the stove. they still have scorch marks!

charlosfanclub sometimes i swear they share a single brain cell

fearlessferrari but it’s a very cute single brain cell

charles_leclerc

Liked by y/nsainz, f1wagupdates, and 952,678 others

charles_leclerc are you a ferrari? because i’d like to take you for a ride

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y/nsainz vroom vroom 🏎️

carlossainz55 your hotel room is right next to mine. don’t even think about it unless you want to traumatize me for life

charles_leclerc maybe that’s my genius plan to get rid of the competition

f1wagupdates i never thought i would say this but we might have finally found someone who looks better in ferrari gear than both charles and carlos

charles_leclerc it’s true

f1wagupdates simp first, driver second

[dragon-watcher03]

If your requests are open can I PLEASE request flirty dialog with Smoke, Scorpion, Reptile, and Sub-Zero where the reader is an assailing sent to murder them 😻

Sure👍

Mk1 men x Assassin! Reader who was sent to kill them

Flirty Intro dialogue

Ft. The Lin Kuei trio and Reptile

Note: thank you for the request mate. I'll be making a list on what fandoms I'll do and what I'll write. Also the reader will be female and have the copying powers like usual.

Scorpion: You've been sent to kill me?

Y/n: Yeah, but I might have to give them their money back.

Scorpion: I'm not surprised a woman such as you is so powerful and deadly.

Y/n: I didn't expect the man I was supposed to kill was so handsome, but here we are

Scorpion: You alight a fire in me that can never be snuffed out.

Y/n: laughs You think flirting is gonna stop me from doing my job?

Y/n: Johnny is making a movie about us?

Scorpion: Apparently our relationship dynamic has caught his eye.

Y/n: How's the name 'little flame' sound?

Scorpion: As long as I can call you 'dearest'.

Y/n: You seem to have no interest in the fact that I was sent to kill you...

Scorpion: When my Assassin is so beautiful, how could I complain?

Sub-zero: It seems like they finally chose a good Assassin to kill me.

Y/n: You've got spunk, I like that.

Sub-zero: If death looked like you, then I would've died a long time ago.

Y/n: I never took you as one to flirt.

Sub-zero: Let's test your kombat abilities, lovely.

Y/n: Oh please, be as rough as you want with me.

Y/n: That cold heart of yours looks easy to crush.

Sub-zero: Yet you decided to melt it instead?

Y/n: So tell me, did I live up to you expectations?

Sub-zero: Oh lovely, you exceeded them.

Y/n: I just love this little game of cat and mouse we have going on.

Sub-zero: The only game I'll ever enjoy, lovely.

Smoke: Why would someone want me dead?

Y/n: Probably because they're jealous of how much I like you.

Smoke: I must be a lucky man if they sent a beautiful woman like you to kill me.

Y/n: It seems like Cage is rubbing off on you.

Smoke: Okay, since when did you start calling me "angel"!?

Y/n: laughs The moment I layed my eyes on you.

Y/n: So... The King of Smoke huh?

Smoke: You heard that?!

Y/n: You wanna go to Madam Bo's after this?

Smoke: Sure! Wait, did you just ask me out?

Y/n: Wow, look at you being all cute and handsome at the same time.

Smoke: I-uh w-well... Thanks.

Reptile: An assassin? And a hot one no less?

Y/n: You realize I'm supposed to kill you, right?

Reptile: Woah, didn't know death was so gorgeous...

Y/n: Alright, calm down cowboy.

Reptile: I wonder why you decided to become an assassin in the first place.

Y/n: So I can meet handsome guys like you.

Y/n: Your shape-shifting is getting annoying.

Reptile: Oh, I'm sorry, would you rather me use it to please you instead?

Y/n: Why are you so infatuated with me? I'm literally supposed to kill you.

Reptile: The fact you haven't yet is what drew me to you, M'lady.

Y/n: Your eyes are really pretty, mind if I carve them out of your dead body?

Reptile: chuckles What if our kids had them instead?

[marvelobsessed134]

Package delivered

A/n: Back again with more Nat smut because I love her and I am down bad soooo yeah enjoy!

Pairings: Masculine!Natasha Romanoff x Fem!reader

Warnings: smut, strap on use, degradation, rough sex, reader wears a maid outfit lol, dom!natasha, sub!reader, squirting, and I think that’s it let me know if I forgot any.

Summary: you and your girlfriends special package as arrived and you have some much needed fun.

It was just a normal afternoon in your small home in the outskirts of New York City when the doorbell rang. You told Nat you’d answer it, right when she was about to get up. The assassin’s eyes were trained on the screen since the New York Giants were playing against the Miami Dolphins. Of course, her being a big Giants fan she has to watch this. However you’re a Dolphins fan so the two of you butt heads all the time about what team is better but it’s all in good fun.

You’re not as invested as she is, you only picked the dolphins because of their name and the cute dolphin logo. You opened the door to find a medium sized cardboard box. Immediately you were filled with excitement and you felt your panties getting wet at the knowledge of what’s inside that box. You picked it up before closing and locking the door, skipping into the living room happily.

“Oh Natty…” you cooed. She looked at you, taking her eyes off the game before asking, “What is it, babe?”

You held the box in the air, “It’s here!”

You saw her eyes go darker and her demeanor shifting. “Oh, our special stuff is here?”

You nodded and jumped up and down before sitting on her lap, pecking her on the lips.

“Can we open it?” You asked.

“Sure, baby of course. Been waiting for this for months.” Long story short you and your girlfriend looked through a sex toy website and got a couple things. A couple sexy costumes for you and a strap for Natasha to wear. You’ve never really had experience with a strap but you’re definitely open to it.

The redhead used her pocket knife to cut through the tape and open the box. Inside were a bunch of packages for the costumes and she took them all out before quickly closing the box.

You furrowed your eyebrows.

“It’s a surprise, detka. There’s a reason I ordered this on my own.” She chuckled.

That made you more excited. You didn’t know what it looked like, how big it was…

Your eyes drifted down to the costumes. They consisted of,

A sexy maid

A sexy nurse

A sexy cop

And a sexy Harley Quinn outfit that was just labeled as a ‘Jester Girl’ to avoid copyright or whatever. The two of you love to act out cheesy porn scenarios and these are the perfect things to do it with. Minus the Harley one because Natasha is a big DC fan and just wants to see her girl in a Harley getup. Can you blame her?

“So, which one do I try on?” You asked.

Natasha scoped over the costumes before her eyes landed on the maid outfit. “This one for sure. You’d make a dirty little maid.”

You chuckled, “Okay. Should I go put it on now?”

“Oh yes please baby.” And with that you walked into your shared bedroom and put on the outfit. It has a short, black velvet skirt with white lace trim and a small apron, a matching crop top with puff sleeves and white detailing.

The skirt was short and you could see your white, cotton panties through them. Natasha loved when you wore white panties for some reason. Something about how innocent it looks.

You took a deep breath before walking out of the doorway and yelling, “Can I come out now?”

“Yes.” Nat called back and you walked down the hall and into the living room. Her eyes were immediately glued to your body and she bit her lip.

“Well, do you like it?” You asked, batting your eyelashes.

“Oh definitely. Give me a twirl baby.” She demanded and you did as you were told.

“Fuck.” She muttered under her breath.

“Nat, I know we’re supposed to do the whole roleplay thing but I’m so horny I need you now.” You whined.

The redhead looked amused at that, “Well then, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with my new cock.”

“Get down on your knees baby.” And you got on your knees, right in front of her crotch. You could see the bulge through her pants. You watched as she undid them before dropping them and her boxers off, revealing the pretty large strap. It was about 7 inches.

Eyes widening, you said, “I don’t know- how is this going to fit in me? I don’t know if I can take it.”

“Oh, you’ll take it. Now, are you gonna suck my dick or not?” So, you quickly got to work by first licking up to the top then taking the whole thing in your mouth. You began to suck her cock while she was sitting back still watching the game.

“Yeah, let’s go!” She cheered.

“Natty?” You asked. You wanted to see if she was enjoying this too. Not just you.

“No talking, slut. Suck my cock.” The Russian said sternly. Your lips parted in shock before obeying her. Fuck, you loved sucking it. It got you even wetter than before.

You moved your head all the way down, taking it at the back of your throat which made you gag. “Oh yeah, look at you choke on my cock.” She smirked.

After awhile, your jaw was tired and Natasha could tell so she grabbed your hair and pulled your head up. She saw the drool dripping from your mouth down to your breasts and the string of saliva connecting you with the strap.

“Tsk, such a dirty maid. Come on up here and lay down for me.”

You laid on the couch and your girlfriend pulled your panties down. “Looks like someone made a mess.” She chuckled before diving into your pussy, eating you out like you were her last meal.

“Oh! Oh god!” You moaned.

Her tongue flicked on your clit before going back in between your folds. “Mmm Nat.” You moaned again before feeling you coming closer and closer to your finish.

“You’re close, I can feel it, cum for me sweetheart.” And you did, crying out.

“Good girl. Hm, you think you’re ready for my dick?”

You nodded furiously.

“Hmmm I don’t know, this pussy’s pretty tight.” She teased as she started to slowly pump two fingers in and out of you.

“No, please, I can take it. I want your big cock so bad.” You moaned desperately.

So, she lined up to your entrance before pushing in. Your eyes rolled back, you whimpered as you felt it stretch your walls.

“Fuck you’re so so tight,” The assassin groaned before starting to thrust into you.

Your brows furrowed and you gripped onto her shoulders. “Mmm faster.”

“What do we say?”

“Please.”

“You want me to go faster baby? I’ll show you faster.” And she quickened her pace, now pounding into you without mercy.

“Yes! Yes! Oh yes!” You cried.

“Oh my god you’re so beautiful.”

“I love you natty.”

“Fuck, I love you too Y/n.”

And as she kept hitting your g spot you clenched around her before squirting all over the toy and the leather couch.

“Holy fuck that’s hot. I didn’t know you were a squirter.” She pulled her strap out before licking up everything. Then, she forced you on your knees again.

“For a maid, you’ve made quite the mess. Clean it up.” Natasha demanded and you sucked her cock once again, licking up your own cum and arousal.

The redhead leaned back, wiping some sweat from her forehead. “Fucking love this day.”

[brooooswriting]

24 and 1

We bring a muddy puppy home and Nat is not impressed (when she finds out)

1. “I’m not stupid, who is s/he?

24. “I’m overreacting?!”

You should have known that this wasn’t gonna work. Nat is an assassin and a super spy, so you, a normal person, trying to hide something from her is very very dumb.

“Hello my love. I’m home” the redhead called out once she entered your shared apartment. As she started to pull of her jacket you came out of the bedroom in a hectic that already made her suspicious.

“Nat, babe. You’re home early” you stumbled over your words as you triple checked that the bedroom door was closed. This gave your girlfriend the time to study you, you were wearing something different than this morning, a shirt you didn’t really like, you were out of breath, sweating slightly, you were avoiding eye contact and you fiddled with your hands.

“Oh well, the mission was easier than we thought. But I could really use a shower” she tried to stay as calm and normal as possible as she made her way towards the bedroom which was connected to the bathroom.

“No, wait. Why don’t you eat something first? I’ll make sure that a bath is ready for you once you finished eating” you tried and took a step back so you stood in front of the door.

“Sure, but I wanna get changed first” she tried again, her hand going towards the door handle making you panic and carefully slap it away.

“No, you can’t. You… you look good in these clothes” you’d have loved the face palm yourself in that minute. This was the most stupid thing you could have done.

Suddenly Natasha recoiled back, a look full of horror, sadness and disgust on her face. “Who’s in there?” She asked with a stone cold tone, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“There’s nobody in there natty” you batted your eyelashes and gave her an innocent smile which led you nowhere.

“I’m not stupid. Who is she?” Her voice got louder making you flinch as you looked on the ground.

“Nat, I promise there’s nobody in there”

“Then let me in”

“I can’t”

“Then I can’t believe you. So tell me, who the fuck is in our bedroom?!” She grew angrier by the minute and she looked like she could start throwing stuff around any minute.

“You’re overreacting my love” you tried with a soft voice only to realize seconds after that the words you chose were stupid.

“I’m overreacting? You’re fucking somebody in our bedroom and I’m the one who’s overreacting?” Her voice broke making you gasp.

“Fuck, darling, I promise I’m not fucking anybody. Come here” you carefully pulled her hand towards the bedroom. The moment you opened the door she gasped.

“What the…” the whole room was covered in mud and a small dog sat in the middle of the room. He happily jumped up and walked towards your girlfriend where he happily leaned against her leg covering her trouser in mud too.

“This is why I didn’t want you in here, I wanted to clean everything up before I introduce him to you. This is jack, he’s approximately three months” you told her as you leaned down to let the dogs head.

“No” was the only response you got. You quickly stood back up, but this time with the dog in your arms. “Come on, look at him. I found him at the side of the highway from my way back from work, somebody left him there. Look at his big brown eyes and at that cute nose” you tried to convince her.

“No and that’s final. Tomorrow morning we are giving him away” you sighed and kissed the dogs head before carrying him towards the bathroom, you still had to wash him. “What you’re not gonna argue?” She asked as she followed you, confused by your silence.

“No, if you wanna give him away I at least wanna give him on day where he’s loved and appreciated. So if you could go now, there’s food for you in the fridge. You can shower as soon as I washed him” with a defeated sigh Natasha left the bathroom.

You had to hold back the tears as you checked the temperature before setting the dog in the bath. Even if you had only been with him for like 4 hours you really liked him and wanted to keep him.

You didn’t notice your girlfriend reentering the bathroom moments later. She watched as you giggled when the dog licked your nose and how lovely you were to the small creature. Plus you looked really cute with a puppy. So she sat down behind you on the cold tiles of the bathroom and hugged your waist. “Maybe we can keep him, if you really want to” she whispered into your ear and pressed a loving kiss to your cheek as one of her hand left your waist to scratch the puppy behind his ear.

“Really? Thank you thank you thank you” you mumbled over and over again as you kissed her.

Later that night Nat laid in bed with you nearly on top of her, one arm wrapped around your waist and the other arm wrapped around the dog who laid on her other side. A lovesick smile on her face.

“We are so keeping that dog” you grinned as you pressed a kiss to her lips before giving the dog a gentle pet on the head as a good night.

“I love you” the redhead mumbled making a smile form on your lips.

“I love you too”

“I was actually talking you jack” she replied biting her tongue to stop her laugh.

“I hate you”

[stxneflxwers]

Yk what would be really cute? Imagine If Freminet has like a little Polaroid picture of the reader in the corner of his mirror. Imagine they're about to go on a date and he's getting ready, but he's soo nervous and talks to himself in the mirror imagining scenarios in his head. "So hey Y/n, you look so pretty today- I mean". He'd shake his head and let out a sigh, a quick glance at the photo of you on his mirror while fixing his hair. "Hey Y/n, ready for our date? No...that doesn't sound good..."

AND IMAGINE LYNEY OR LYNETTE CATCHING HIM DURING THAT AND TEASING HIM BY IMITADING OUR VOICE IN THE MOST DRAMATIC WAY (Probably Lyney, Lynette would just stand there)

"Oh dearest Freminet, thank you so much my beloved. You look so good today mwuah mwuah mwuah"

After that he'd be a blushing mess and closing his door really quick.

HRRRRGHHGDSGDHSJGDS THAT'S SO CUTE. I AM BITING HIM (gently. just a few nibbles.)

freminet—quick to start scurrying out of the house to avoid lyney (again)—takes the easy way out. by jumping out of his bedroom window. that's...one way to avoid his brother, that's for sure. freminet is an assassin! he's gotta be sneaky! this apparently includes knowing how to evade endless teasing.

he scuttles his way to the café. he arrives much earlier than he intended, but he wagers that's better than—archons forbid—being late. that would be devastatingly embarrassing (even if you kindly tell him it's fine, he wouldn't recover for at least a week.)

a few minutes later, you come bounding in—holding something in your hand—

"hey, check out what i found!" you perk up, colorful eyes gleaming. before he can even ask what it was, you fasten a penguin pin to his chest. "there we go. you look so dashing, by the way." you grin, a hardly noticeable tint rising to your cheeks.

"a-ah..." he sputters out awkwardly, his own blush as hot as the sun that currently dips below the horizon. "th-thank you..." he mutters. his eyes couldn't avert from your bright grin.

he tries to clear his throat, but alas, still nothing comes out. you giggle, knowing you've officially and totally broken his poor, flustered brain.

in the distance, lyney and lynette watch—they're a bit too far away to hear what you two are talking about, but they saw how you attached that penguin pin to him. lynette has to cover lyney's mouth to keep him from laughing too loudly.

[sosa2imagines]

Misunderstanding.

Warnings- None, mention of scar, angst, Steve being angry. -----------------------------------------------------

Your last mission took a toll on you. Getting stabbed nastily just below your tummy. Leading you to an urgent surgery and blood transfusion, cause of sever blood loss. Leaving you in the hospital for one month ten days.

Guess being a highly trained assassin, with good fighting skills does not guarantee 100% safe results. Only Tony, Nat and Bruce knew about your whereabouts. As for the rest? They just knew you had been seriously injured. Steve wanted to know about your whereabouts but for his own safety, no one told him anything, driving him crazy.

“So, all set to finally leave this place?” Rose one of the sweet nurse asks, her sweet nature made you, be friends with her. “Yes, finally out of your hair.” you chuckle. “I'll miss you Y/n” she hugs getting emotional and you hug her back with a smile. “I'll miss you too, now remember I'm just a phone call away.”

“I know!” she rolls her eyes playfully “So who's gonna pick you up?” “Hopefully Nat” as soon as those words left your mouth, AC/DC Highway to hell ringtone was blasting in the hallways. “On a second thought” “Tony” Rose answered and you gave her an apologetic smile.

“I heard my name” Tony's sarcastic voice roars in the room. “Tony you should keep your phone on silence” you explain to him. “Now when have I ever listened to anyone?” he smirks. “Umm Caps?” “Of course! you will take his name ‘boyfriend ass kisser’” “As if you won't ‘Pepper's loyal child’”

This is what you miss the most. Calling each other, with weird made up names. Tony smirks, hugging you in a tight brotherly embrace.

“I missed you kid, don't you dare do that again” “I missed you too Tons”.

Tony and you became best friends instantly, shortly after you both were introduced by Fury, after the battle of New York. You both have same kind of sense of humor, your being a bit sophisticated. You are one of the few females, Pepper trusts Tony with. And it was Tony, who made you join the Avengers.

As you both said bye to Rose and rest of the staff members, you were now on your way to Stark Towers in Tony's high-tech SUV.

“So, how's everyone?” “You mean all or Steve specifically?”

Hearing his name, a smile forms on your face. Steve Rogers aka Captain America your co-worker, best friend, lover, boyfriend. Unlike Tony and rest of the gang, Steve was professional in the very beginning, calling you mam.

It took you months for him to call you with your first name. Soon you became friends, bonding over music and art. Slowly Steve started to like you more than a friend, but at that time you were in a relationship with someone else.

But after the nasty breakup, Steve took proper care of you and you began to fall for him. It was only a matter of time; you both shared your feelings for each other. Making you both the prettiest couple.

“Umm all of them and yes Steve specifically...” “All are good and excited for you. Nat and Wanda have gone crazy, Steve and Metal man are out on a mission with our mutant friends, they'll be back later today.”

“You are the one in an Iron suit, yet still you call Bucky metal man?” “I can call him many names” Tony smirks. "Tony” you warn him. “Yeah yeah alright” he sighed.

“Wait you said Nat and Wanda have gone crazy?” “Yeah about that” “What did you do Tony?” “Why do you think I did something?” 

You just give him a death glare, he looks outside the window before finally caving in.

“Alright stop glaring it's scary, don't freak out I have planned a small party for you.” Tony is now smiling being hopeful, giving you the best puppy dog face. “Thank god you are cute Tons”  Tony acts shocked putting a hand on his heart “I'm hot, but I'll take cute” he winks at you, making you laugh.

As soon as you both enter the tower, inside the lounge everyone jumps to scream surprise. Hugging you gently, being extra cautious of your injury.

“Guys I missed you all too, but I'm not fragile, I can still kick asses. Nat you know me” “Guys she's right, come here sexy” Nat engulfs you in a big tight hug. It is special, you both are like sisters inseparable.

“Nat I missed you so much!!!” “How’s the wound?” “All healed left with a scar, just like you bye bye bikinis” “Oh to hell with them we'll own the bikini look with our scars”

You both laughed as Wanda, squeezed between you two, making it a cute group hug between the three.

“Y/N” Thor calls you loudly, pulling you away from everyone, hugging you in a bone breaking hold. “I love you too Thor!!” your voice was muffled being buried in his hold. As he lets go, your eyes begin to search for Steve. 

“Looking for someone?” Nat asks “I know whom she is looking for” Clint smiles. “Sir Captain Rogers and Barnes have arrived” FRIDAY'S voice was like a music to your ears. Everyone gather in front of you, to hide you from Steve. Thor was holding your hand to keep you steady. You just wanted to break loose and run into Steve's arms.

“Guys I want to see him”, “NO” all said in unison. “But why?” “Surprise” Nat said.

When Bucky and Steve entered the lounge, everyone shouted together “SURPRISE”. Steve and Bucky gave each other confuse look.

Everyone parted ways and Thor let’s goes of your hand. Steve was shocked to see you. He removed his mask still not able to believe, that you are standing in front of him. Bucky quickly hugs you, asking about your health “I'm fine Buck, we can spar together soon...”

Even though you were answering Bucky, you kept looking at Steve. Something felt odd. As you finally went to hug Steve, something felt off. Steve did hug you back, but didn't say anything. He just looked at you, touching your cheek, before leaving for your shared bedroom. Everyone tried to call him back, but you knew he won't listen to anyone.

“What's wrong with him?” Tony asked, “I'll go see him, he must be tired.” you replied.

On your way to your shared bedroom, Bucky pulled you in the corner. “Y/n, doll he’s been going crazy. No one told him about your whereabouts and he was scared about losing you...” You know Steve was scared, not knowing about you and hearing about it from Bucky pained your heart even more. You wanted to run to Steve and shower all the love you have for him. 

“I know Buck, I hate not telling him. But it was for his own safety!” “His safety?” “Yes, the hydra agents wanted to kidnap him. We got a lead, that they wanted to take him away from us and I could not risk that. We didn't know if someone was watching us.” “God he's an idiot, go get that punk and if he acts stubborn let me know I'll kick his ass” “Language!” you both laughed.

As you enter the room, you saw Steve had taken a quick shower and was shirtless just in his sweats lying on the bed.

“Steve?” “Umm” “Please talk to me” “How are you?” “I'm good...I'm...” “Ok” He cut's you mid-sentence. “Steve I know you are angry, but please let’s talk...let me...” “Talk? About what? The fact I have been kept in the dark about my girlfriend's location? Steve yells, making you flinch slightly.

 “Steve please let me explain it was for your own safety. We got...” “My safety?” He shouts, not letting you finish what you want to say.

Steve grabs your shoulders and yells, “I can take care of myself Y/n. I'm fucking Captain America! God dammit do you have any idea what I have been through?” 

Your eyes well up, as you try your best not to cry but his hold was tight. Even though you could see his pain, his anger was hurting you.

“Steve please...let me explain” “Y/n I'm tired, we'll talk later, you need to rest too!”

You just nod, not able to form any words. You decided to shower first, as you took your top off, Steve saw your scar, he kept looking at it. In his mind, he was screaming at himself for shouting at you, but little did you know that. Instead you thought he is disgusted by it. You took fresh clothes and ran inside the bathroom, turning on the hot water, crying your heart out with silent sobs.

Steve could hear you crying, because of his enhanced hearing. But his stupid anger was coming between the both of you. After an hour you came out. Steve saw you, even though he wanted to apologize, his anger made him say something else.

“I'm heading down for a bit” “Where...are you going?” “Just heading out, unlike you, I won't go anywhere without telling you!”

That jab, was like a knife going deep in your heart. You choked your tears...trying your best not to cry. Somewhere you felt you deserved that. You just nod, not looking at him.

“Ok, don't be late for the party...” “Party?” “Yes Tony…he umm has thrown a party for my return…” You didn’t look at him, eyes fixed on the floor. You knew, if you look at him, you won’t be able to control your emotions.

“Okay I'll be back soon; you should rest in the meantime.”

Steve didn’t even looked at you, leaving you alone with dreadful thoughts, as he went out to cool down his own anger.

Part 2

(I wrote this, because I was bored and this was stuck in my head. Comments and feedbacks are appreciated.)

[maxislvt]

hi! could you write something with wandanat x reader and forced pet play? love your works!!!

warning: afab!reader, mommy kink (nat and wanda), dubcon, forced pet play, vaginal fingering

this is shit i'm sorry

"Just sit still and let mommy put on your collar."

There was no point in fighting back. Natasha was a highly trained assassin and Wanda was a witch with powers beyond your comprehension. A few months ago it wouldn't have been wrong to say you were a scientific marvel. A genius lucky enough to harvest the power of space and all the stars within it. Though the thought never once crossed your mind, you could beat them in a fight if it came down to it.

Now you were just some plaything for your girlfriends to do whatever they wanted.

"I know it seems weird, but we know what's best," Natasha whispered sweetly. She kept you pinned down as Wanda attempted to tighten the collar around your neck. "There, you look so cute as a puppy," The older woman coed as she peppered your face with kisses.

You leaned away from Natasha only for Wanda to swoop in and start smothering you as well. A frustrated groan escaped your lips. They were starting to overwhelm you. "I don't think I like this," You grumbled.

You should have seen it coming. They always had been your mommies, but Wanda and Natasha started to get a bit too controlling. First, you were too small to cook or use the stove. Then, you couldn't pick out your own clothes. Each day came with another restriction on your autonomy.

Wanda pouted at your words. "But you look so cute as a puppy," She insisted. Her hands cupped your cheeks. "With your little puppy ears and little puppy face." She continued to squeeze and kiss parts of your body. Nothing could stop her from fawning over your "little puppy nose" and "little puppy tummy". Her praise and adoration went lower until she was right between your thighs. "Oh Nat, I think I just found out why our puppy is so cranky today."

Natasha's hand was quick to start teasing. Her middle finger rubbed your slit over your underwear. "Is our precious little puppy all sticky?" Her fingers rubbed tight circles on your clit. She was more than strong enough to keep your squirming body still. "Our little puppy can't think about anything but how sticky their puppy parts are."

"Noo, 'm not a puppy," You whined. Your hands clamped down over your mouth hoping to muffle the desperate noises coming from your mouth. Mommy and mama always made you feel good, but you didn't want to feel good right now. You wanted them to listen. "Mamas not listening," you finally managed to shout out. For a moment, it seemed your outburst had earned you the room to speak.

It did, until Wanda slipped a third finger inside of your cunt and started thrusting into you without much concern for what you had to say.

"But we are listening, baby. Don't you hear how needy your little puppy parts are?" Wanda said sweetly. Her fingers slowed down just enough to drag out the squelching sound coming from your cunt.

Natasha tsked and gave your clit a spanking, only adding to the wet sounds. "You need your mommies to make your parts feel better. Now be good and sit still."

[anzulvr]

hii could i please request a little hurt/comfort drabble where reader feels sad during christmas season but forces herself to at least pretend to be happy because karma’s birthday is on christmas day :( but karma notices how her smile doesn’t meet her eyes and stuff and asks reader about it!

Summary: You’re sad on Christmas, Karma x reader (except it’s his birthday.) hurt/comfort GN!reader HUGE SPOILER WARNING FOR ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM

(this is so cute I LOVE THIS REQUEST thank u! Had this in my drafts for a while but waited for Christmas to post)

It had been two years since everything ended. Two years since Korosensei died and all of End class were labeled as victims with some weird-Stockholm attachment to the monster who blew up the moon.

It was strange, seeing everyone care about you when you didn’t need it and remembering how low they thought of you when you were only the reject class of kunugigaoka.

A lot happened in two years, not a long time but considering how quickly everything was moving you hadn’t had time to catch up. Like any special day Christmas wasn’t a good time anymore- something your classmates agreed on. With the impact Korosensei had on your lives it was impossible to celebrate anything without wondering what would have been if you managed to save him. That was only wishful thinking, you couldn’t change the past.

Regardless, today you tried to keep a smile on your face. It was the most important time of the year, Karmas birthday- and Christmas too.

You stared at your poor attempt to decorate the cake you baked with Karma, the frosting written birthday note was almost illegible.

“What’s with the look, you’re writing isn’t that bad.”

You looked up after hearing Karmas voice as if you were pulled out of a trance.

“What look? I know it’s not that bad I was admiring our hard work.”

“More like my hard work, you kept dropping everything! Seriously though, what’s wrong? The whole day I’ve been catching you teary eyed.”

You turned your back to the counter to face him as you set the frosting bag down “I’m fine, today’s your day I’m not going to bother you with my problems. You should enjoy everything to its fullest.”

“I’m not going to enjoy anything if you’re not happy, ‘m not budging tell me why you’re upset.”

Karma was stubborn, you knew him well enough to realized this wasn’t negotiable.

“I don’t know… I was just thinking about how Korosensei can’t spend Christmas with us, and he can’t be here for your birthday. Ever since we killed him, Ive felt so helpless.”

He nodded slowly breaking eye contact for a second, “my parents haven’t answered my call today, they’re in Italy right now, all I got was a text saying they were busy and that they’d talk later. I know they haven’t forgotten, it’s kind of impossible when it’s Christmas but still- I hoped they would have time for me today, I know they have more important things to do but It made me think about how Korosensei would’ve been here.”

you nodded in response, “they could still call the days not over… and if they don’t they’ll try to make it up to you…” You could bet they wouldn’t call until the next day but you wanted to reassure him, there wasn’t a lot you could say in this situation that would make him feel better.

“It’s fine, you’re here- and you’re the best company, I had fun today. I just meant Korosensei has done a lot for us he’s proud we pulled that off, he wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up over it.”

“I know you’re right, still I wish I could’ve done more, we should’ve tried harder to save him.”

“We did what we had to. I miss him too, there’s a lot of things I could never repay Korosensei for—”

“Like getting you through senioritis? Or always bringing money in his wallet even though he knew you’d steal it?”

“I meant setting us up together, but sure those were good too.” Karma smiles breaking tenseness of the conversation for moment, “at the time I thought he was being a hassle but without him im not sure id have you right now.”

Suddenly you felt shy laughing it off and covering your face for a moment while you composed yourself, “Yeah he did push for us a lot but I was obsessed with you for before we even ended up in 3-E so you would’ve had me regardless.”

“Yeah? Tell me more.”

“No way in hell, I don’t trust you to not make fun of me. Anyways I didn’t mean to bring up something depressing, we should be smearing cake all over your face right now.”

“Try all you want but it isn’t possible to mess up my face.”

“Wanna bet?” You shake the smile off your face.

“See that’s more I like it, we can enjoy our ugly cake now. And more importantly you can open your gift.”

“What do you mean my gift? It’s your birthday you’re not supposed to buy me stuff!”

“It’s also Christmas … I couldn’t help myself I really wanted to get you something.”

“But now I’m worried my gift won’t live up to yours!”

“[Name] you could give me rocks for all I care and I’d keep them in a safe with multiple locks.”

You gently shoved his shoulder suppressing your laughter, you leaned in to kiss him.

It was impossible to not feel better with him around. This morning you had woken up wishing time could stop for a moment and you ended the day hoping for the same thing but for a completely different reason.

[salty-croissants]

Bullfrog and Rayman x g/n reader : comfort after a long day

As a massive lover of tooth rotting fluff , my first post on this blog just had to be something cute for my favorite boys !

I should specify that writing for me is just a silly hobby , so it might not be very good … plus some moments might be ooc , so I apologize in advance for that .

Now then , let’s get to it !

Details : established relationships , fluff , no trigger warning needed

Bullfrog 💚

Okay , so … I think we should specify that this tiny assassin man absolutely adores you , and he’s grown to know you so well that he can immediately pick up signals of you not feeling at your best : just the way you enter the room he’s in is enough for Bullfrog to realize that something isn’t quite right .

He really doesn’t want to invade your boundaries , but at the same time he really hates to see you looking so sad and tired , so eventually Bullfrog will timidly approach you and ask if something happened …

< y/n , mon cher … is everything alright ? Do you want to talk about it ? >

If the answer is yes , Bullfrog will gladly sit down and listen to you for as long as you need , offering you words of comfort and appreciation with that cute accent of his that always manages to make you smile … but he also perfectly understands if you’d rather not discuss the matter right now : Bullfrog is always happy to be with you , even if it’s just sitting next to each other in silence .

If you’re into physical affection Bullfrog is going to be more than happy to hold you in his arms , regardless how tall you are , giving you sweet little kisses and just enjoying the feeling of having you close to him … he just loves you so much ://)

< Pfft - Bullfrog , that tickles ! >

< Heh , you’re so adorable mon amour … I could stare at that beautiful smile forever ~ >

Rayman 🧡

Similarly to Bullfrog , Rayman is also able to understand fairly quickly if you’re feeling down about something , and despite how busy he often is with his shows he will do all he can to find moments where he can spend time with you : voice of Eden or not , his partner is still what matters most .

Rayman is ready to do anything he can possibly do to help you feel better : wanna go somewhere special ? He will take you there immediately . Wanna just relax and get some rest ? He will be more than happy to just spend some time with you at his lounge , looking at the city lights outside the window while holding each other close … anything feels special to Rayman as long as you’re there .

If you ever feel insecure about yourself , Rayman is quick to put your worries at ease …

< y/n , you’re literally everything I could ever ask for … I wouldn’t be this happy with anyone else , and this is just a fact . You’re just … wonderful , wonderful in every way . >

He will then proceed to shower you with affection , demonstrating his point even further : you really do mean everything to him , and no matter how many adoring fans he has you will always be the only one who could make him feel this way .

Rayman feels bad whenever he is obligated to stop spending time with you to get back on stage ( the Board of Directors constantly monitors their show host to keep an eye on him at all times ) , but he always makes sure to not stay away for too long …

< Sorry love … it’d be amazing to be with you for a little while longer but … >

< It’s okay Ray , I understand . You’re gonna do great tonight , I just know it . >

< Thanks y/n … I’ll be back soon , I promise : we haven’t finished our cuddling session after all ~ >

He then always remembers to give you a loving kiss before heading out , and as you watch him leave you can’t help but feel lucky to have someone like Rayman in your life .

[daddynattt]

GIRL HERE ME OUT CAN YOU PLEASE CREATE ADARABBLE * NAT X Y/N WITH KIDS* OUT OF THIS PLEASE 😭😭😭I NEED SOME FLUFF RN COZ I JUST FINISHED MY EXAM

Lol I saw this tiktok last night, so cute. Good job on finishing your exams I’m sure you did great and I’m proud of you<3 I love soft mama Nat hope you enjoy this little fluffy piece.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Warnings: None just fluff and Nat being a softie for her family.

You and Natasha were sitting on the couch watching a movie, your son in your arms as you feed him his milk, you look to your side and watch as Natasha is staring at the two of you with so much love in her eyes making your heart skip a beat. Starting a family with the ex-assassin has been the best decision you’ve ever made, as she is the greatest mother to your two children. She gives the three of you everything you could ever want and need, and has never missed any milestone. 

“Are your eyes stuck Natty?” you give her a teasing smile, laughing when she huffs and rolls her eyes, planting a kiss on both your heads making you smile. 

“Can I not admire my perfect partner and our son?” you blush at her words, she never fails to make you feel like the most important person in the world, and you are forever grateful for her. You finish feeding your little boy, and you look to your side once again to see Natasha making grabby hands. You giggle and allow her to take him in her arms, and she instantly holds him up to her chest, rubbing and patting his back softly to get him to burp. You get up off the couch to clean up a bit, chuckling when she whines out.

“Baby where you going?” you turn around and plant a sweet kiss on her lips, and her smile instantly warms your heart. 

“More please” her pout makes you giggle, this woman is such a softie that you would never have guessed she is the Black Widow. You plant a few more soft kisses on her awaiting lips, and a few on your sons head as well.

“Me and our little munchkin are happy now, proceed to what you were doing, but don’t take too long please we already miss you” you smile at her words, letting out a yelp as she spanks your butt softly when you turn around, glaring at her when she gives you an innocent look.

“What? You know I can’t help myself” you shake your head, proceeding to clean up a little around you. You admire Nat as she holds him in his arms, her soft nature for you and the children is something you will never get tired of. You make your way back to the couch, sitting beside her and planting a kiss on her lips once again. 

You watch the two of them, smiling as Nat kisses and noms on his chubby cheek and tickling his sides softly, his giggles making the two of you smile. You hear footsteps coming closer and you see your daughter make her appearance with a book in her hand, but once she sees the position the two are in, she instantly gasps, her mouth open wide as she clutches at her chest, completely shocked at the scene in front of her, seemingly feeling betrayed that Nat would do that to anyone other then her, causing you to laugh out loud. Shock is written all over her face as she stares at them, then climbs into your lap, and puts her hand out at Natasha, a frown on her face.

“Mama no!” the two of you laugh, and Natasha pulls her into her lap as she cuddles and holds them both in her arms, making your heart burst with love at the scene.

 “Aww my little princess, mama loves you just as much, I love you both so so much. Want me to read you the book?” she nods and cuddles into Nat more, getting comfortable against her chest as Nat wraps her arm around her, holding the two of them protectively in her arms. She kisses her brother on his forehead, making the two of you smile. She may get jealous, but she loves her brother. Natasha turns towards you, motioning for you to come closer, and you cuddle into her side, the four of you huddled together.

“I love you and our family so much” her confession makes your heart skip a beat, and you kiss her softly, smiling against her lips.

“I love you and our family so much more” she kisses your nose, then both their foreheads, and proceeds to read the book, her voice smooth and comforting, calming the three of you down. You wouldn’t change your family for anything. This is where you are meant to be.

[starry-bi-sky]

show me how to lay my sword down long enough to let you through - clone^2 ch2

[My parents don’t get up until seven, and they’re in the lab by eight. They typically don’t leave the lab until after I get home.] Danny says as he leads Damian into the kitchen, the automated voice of the translator AI cutting through the air easily. Damian stuck close to his side, eyes narrow and a snooty look of disdain stamped on his face like a printing press while his eyes flit around the room.

The kid had woken up immediately upon Danny shuffling out from beneath his desk, and he had to scurry back to avoid being skewered by Damian’s katana. He bumped into his desk in the process, and the muffled thud it made against the wall had Danny praying that his parents wouldn’t wake up from the noise.

(“I should’ve confiscated that.” He muttered, gripping the table with white knuckles and mouth pursed into a thin line. The business end of Damian’s katana staring him in the nose.)

(He should’ve expected the baby assassin to sleep lighter than a feather. His mistake, of course. Damian realized quickly after where he was, thankfully, so Danny didn’t have to fight him off in his room. The noise and mess that would make would have surely woken up his parents, and he still hasn’t come up with an excuse as to why Damian was even there.) 

So now with Damian awake, Danny decided to just go ahead and give him a quick tour of the house so that he knew where everything was. Fuuuck, it was only setting in now that he had to leave the kid home, alone, all day.

(Maybe things will be fine. Murphy screwed him over already with this, he has other people to torment, surely. Like the other heroes, for example.)

Wherever Damian’s ‘League of Assassins’ was situated, it was probably ten times nicer than Danny’s house. That is, if Danny’s assumption from the look on Damian’s face was correct. 

Breathing out through his nose, Danny leads Damian over to the fridge, his fingers digging into the phone screen again. [I don’t have an excuse ready for why you’re here, so please don’t get seen by them. They spend all day in the lab so you should be able to roam the house freely.]   

He feels like the butler from a period drama set telling the down-on-her-wealth noble lady the rules of the manor, while she was staying with a fabulously wealthy nobleman of higher standing. It felt ridiculous. But it was unfortunately necessary, he can’t imagine what kind of reaction his parents would have to Damian — and what kind of reaction Damian would have to his parents. 

Damian scowls at him and says something in Arabic, spitting it out like acid while his arms cross over his chest grumpily. Danny stops and turns to him fully, raising a deadpan eyebrow. Damian repeats what he said, looking at Danny like he wants him to spontaneously burst into flames. 

They stare at each other for thirty, uncomfortable seconds, with Danny keeping his deadpan steady, before finally he silently holds his phone out. Damian breaks their staring contest to look down, and his surly expression deepens. 

Grumbling under his breath, Damian snags it out of his hand. Danny counts his fingers as he pulls his hand away. 

(When he counts all five still there, he drops his arm back to his side.) 

[I will stay hidden, for now.] Damian spits out, looking supremely disgruntled. It’s kind of endearing, but endearing the same way a tiger cub was. Cute, but undoubtedly dangerous. Rather than handing back his phone, Damian speaks into it again. [But figure out what to tell them. I am above hiding.] 

“Planning on it.” Danny mutters, nodding sharply before taking back his phone and turning back to the fridge. Before he even takes the handle, Danny pushes his hair from his face and leans forward, pressing his ear to the door. The metal is cold on his cheek, but he barely pays it to mind. 

Ecto-contaminated food didn’t have nearly enough of a signature to fully trigger his ghost sense, but it did make a strange, buzz-humming sound that felt more internal than external. Like the sensation that Danny himself was humming instead.   

From his peripherals, Danny can see Damian staring at him with unconcealed bewilderment, his apparent surliness temporarily forgotten in favor of looking at Danny like he was an idiot. “Madha tafaeala?”

In lieu of answering, Danny just holds up a finger at Damian. Something the little dude really doesn’t appreciate, as he immediately scowls at Danny and makes that ‘myeh’-like expression that kids do when they’re trying to give someone they don’t like attitude without actually saying anything. The one that, as far as Danny is concerned, doesn’t have a real term for but everyone knows what it is anyway. 

Either way, Damian makes a face at him that does, briefly, succeed in irritating Danny. He says nothing and cranes his ears instead, trying to catch if there’s any internal buzzing coming from inside the fridge. His hand drifts instinctively to the counter, where he and Jazz had moved the knife block for this exact reason. 

…Will he have to hide this with Damian here? He hopes not, the last time the knife block got moved he forgot, and had to strangle a half-eaten chicken from the fridge after it came back with fowl vengeance. 

When he doesn’t hear or feel anything out of the ordinary, he leans back and swings the door open with ease. Rows upon rows of liquid-jellied-solidified-whatever-it-was-feeling-at-the-time ectoplasm sat in glass canisters, tupperware, and bottles on the shelves. Glowing green in between the stuff that was actually food, and washing a buzz over Danny like someone just draped him in a weighted blanket. 

(He should clarify. Ectoplasm does exhibit its own signature that’s too weak to signal his ghost sense, but that buzzing-humming feels more like the painless tingling of when part of his spine falls asleep. Except everywhere, and the feeling is heavier in his head. It’s oddly comforting. Nostalgic; like the smell after the snow’s freshly melted and the weather is warm. It is very much not like the ominous, buzzing-humming-intent of a partially reanimated chicken that’s regained some of its sentience and wanted revenge.)  

Behind him, Damian makes some kind of squeaking sound. Or maybe it’s more like a yelp. Either way, it’s alarmed and loud enough that Danny turns around with half a jumping heart and a ‘shush’ on the tip of his tongue. 

“​​Ladayk ma' lieazir!” Damian hisses, pointing behind Danny at the canisters behind him. Damian’s eyes narrow into slits, and he hunches up like a stray cat that’s been cornered. “Min 'ayn hasalt ealaa ma' lieazir?!”

Danny follows the point of his finger, and sees the ectoplasm canisters behind him. “The ectoplasm?” He asks aloud, looking back at Damian in bewilderment.

Apprehension tightens slowly in his chest. Damian used that word again — and Danny only catches it because it was what Damian had been calling him last night, in the warehouse. He thought it meant ‘stranger’ or something — but, he glances back at the ectoplasm in the fridge.

Was Damian calling him ectoplasm? 

He knows what ectoplasm was? 

What had been a steady tightening in his chest suddenly fastens like a noose. Danny reaches for one of the canisters just to make sure, and Damian watches him tersely as he curls a hand around one of the canisters and pulls it forward. He doesn’t take it off the shelf, but he does gesture slightly with it. “This?” He asks, “The ectoplasm. Is this what you’re talking about?” He knows he has a translator on his phone, but he doesn’t think he’ll need it for this. 

He recalls the word Damian used, and frowns. “The- the lazeer? Laziere?” It’s an embarrassing attempt at trying to repeat it, but Damian understands what he’s saying anyways and nods sharply.  

“Niema, ma' lieazir. Kif lidayk.” 

Danny really doesn’t like that Damian knows what ectoplasm is, and he really doesn’t like the idea that his League of Assassins place knows about it too, and seemingly has access to the physical stuff. This feels too much like going swimming in the ocean and feeling something brush against his foot. 

Now he really needs to make sure that Damian never makes it back to the League. The idea of a bunch of assassins finding out that his parents can make ectoplasmic weapons terrifies him, just a smidge. (Just what has he gotten himself into?)

Putting the canister down and pushing it away from the ledge, Danny reaches for the milk instead, his heart beating uncomfortably in his ears. A discomfited “Hn.” comes out under his breath as he plucks the jug off the shelf and shuts the door, it closes a little more forcibly than normal. Danny reaches for his phone. 

The word ectoplasm doesn’t translate into Arabic, he checks before he says anything. Danny reaches over Damian to put the milk on the table as he types, still frowning uneasily. [It’s ghost stuff.] He says, and then says aloud: “Ectoplasm.” 

“Ec-to-plasm.” Damian repeats curtly, lip curling. Danny nods curtly.

Rather than repeating himself, Danny types into his phone again. [You’re not allowed in the lab without me. Don’t touch the ghost stuff in the fridge, it’s dangerous.] He says, [I was listening to the fridge because the food likes to come alive and attack, if you need food from the fridge, grab a knife.] He’ll try and show Damian how to listen for reanimated food later, it’s a little harder without a ghost sense but the food moves, so he’ll show him how to listen for that.  

Damian scoffs; “'Adhhab hayth 'urid 'ayuha almuhtal.” and reaches out to take the phone from his hand. 

Rather than letting him, Danny pirouettes away, holding his phone over his head, “Nah-ah-ah.” He says, watching Damian’s face twist indignantly into anger. [We’ll talk more later, I want breakfast and you’re probably hungry.] 

(Is he avoiding? Absolutely, he is. But it’s early, and Danny is much too tired to entertain the impending doom sinking into his chest like snow caving in a roof. He needs to do something about the information that a league of assassins has access to ectoplasm, but that something is… being put on the backburner for now.)

(Maybe he’s just catastrophizing — he’s gotten pretty good at that over the years. Maybe he’s putting too much weight on the idea; maybe he’s just sleep deprived. No, he’s definitely sleep deprived. Either way, he’s putting a pin in the murder group for now.)  

Danny turns for the pantry, and takes about one step before he remembers the phone in his hand. Twisting around, he plops it onto the table for Damian, and then marches over to the pantry for the cereal. 

The oven clock reads six-twenty-eight, and that doesn’t have Danny feeling all that great. He said earlier that his parents got up at seven, so they only have thirty-two minutes before then. Then another ten or so before his parents come down for breakfast. Mom takes the shower first, and dad comes downstairs to get started on breakfast. Sometimes it's cereal, but he likes making eggs if they haven’t been irradiated.

The pantry swings open and Danny pulls out a box of cereal, his brows furrowed in thought. Dad will want to talk to him if he sees him — so it’s for the best that Danny and Damian finish eating before dad makes it to the hallway. He turns and glances at the time again. Six-thirty. Thirty minutes. He puts the box onto the table and grabs their bowls and spoons. 

There’s a look of apprehension on Damian’s face as he puts everything down, his fingers curled around Danny’s phone. His eyes flick up to Danny, and then he holds up his phone. [Is this what you eat?] He asks, before eyeing the table again. 

Danny can’t stop the quiet snort that escapes him, his thoughts quieting for a moment as he slides into his chair, before reaching over and plucking the phone out of Damian’s hand. [Sorry bud, it’s all we’ve got time for before my parents get up.] 

Damian makes a disgruntled face, and sits down. 

(He idly makes a mental note to wrangle out of Damian later what kind of foods he likes. He’s not too bad at cooking. He’s better than Jazz, at least.)

—-----

They make it back up to Danny’s room by six-fifty-two, just as Danny hears his parents shuffling around in their room. They’re up a little earlier than normal. His mom’s limb, quieter footsteps already padding for the master bathroom. Danny is closing the door when he hears a familiar thud, and the low, sleepy groan of his dad sitting up and putting his feet on the ground. 

Damian bounds away and is already situated on Danny’s bed when he turns around, fingers snatching his katana from beneath the pillows before he turns and sits stiffly with it in his lap.    

It was a bit of a ridiculous sight: despite being awake for nearly an hour, Damian’s bed-head hadn’t changed a bit, with a tangled bunch of curls jutting out from one side of his head. Pair that with him still wearing Danny’s NASA tee (and being swamped in it), and the katana, and Danny was half tempted to snap a picture. Again, he was finding himself endeared.

He does end up sneaking that picture as he strides over to his closet to rummage for clothes. 

[I’ll try and think of a way to get you home.] He lies as he shifts through the shirts on the hangers, typing with his thumb, and tilted halfway with his phone jutting out for Damian to hear. [But that’s gonna take a while, so we should get you some different clothes soon.] There was no way he was letting this kid wear the same thing every day, this might take weeks. 

He yanks a yellow turtleneck that Tucker got him off the hanger and tosses it out onto the bed. It lands next to Damian with a quiet thump, and the kid shuffles away from it with a glare as if it's personally offended him. Danny stifles a smile and walks out, grabbing his hoodie-jacket from its spot on the door and tossing it onto the bed as well. 

Damian grumbles something, then holds out his hand for the phone. Danny hands it to him as he passes by, going over to his desk to pick up his gloves and grappling hook, before turning to his bag. 

[I am not worried about the time, Mother will come looking for me.] Damian tells him, sticking his nose up into the air and missing the cold seize of Danny’s heart and the tensing up of his shoulders. His mother. Who was probably also an assassin from the assassin club Damian was made from. 

(A blood rush sends stars spinning around in the corners of Danny’s vision, and he pauses in order to stare blankly at the top of his half-opened backpack. He quickly blinks it away, and unzips his bag fully to shove his gear into one of the larger pockets.)

He hums low, turning to look at Damian with a fake smile plastered on his face. “That’s great, bud.” 

(It should be a good thing, but he can’t quite shake the whole ‘assassins’ thing. Specifically… well, all of it. It’s all giving him a headache to sort through.) 

Damian scoffs at him, [I cannot understand you.] 

Danny snorts unwittingly, turning and shoving his gloves into an inside side pocket just as Damian throws his phone at him. He catches it before it can slam into the wall — or Danny’s head, and puts his grappling hook into his bag before typing into the translator. [I said that it’s good. I’m glad your mom is looking for you.]

That was another lie, and he felt bad that it had to be. Damian rolls his eyes at him, and Danny stuffs his phone into his back pocket and grabs his hook. 

When his bag is accounted for, Danny finally focuses on getting dressed. He moves out to the bathroom to change, admittedly hot-footing it a bit so that Damian is alone for the least amount of time possible. He passes a sleep-mussed Jazz heading for the stairs, and she pauses to mess with his hair.

“Did you stay up all night again?” She mumbles, her fingers catch on a few tangles, but slide out at the end easily. “You don’t have bedhead.”  

Danny pauses, half-distracted by the feeling of her hands in his hair and the urge to hurry through getting dressed. “Only a little.” He says, scurrying away and opening the door to the bathroom. “Was workin’ on a case.” 

Jazz frowns at him, and he closes the door before she can say anything. 

(He’s in the middle of brushing his teeth when he remembers that Damian will need other essentials than just clothes, and immediately starts compiling a mental list.) 

He’s got half an arm through his jacket when he leaves the bathroom, his attention split between getting it on and typing into his phone. When he opens the door, there’s quiet, rapid footsteps shuffling before he sees Damian hopping back onto the bed, staring at him stonily and like a kid who was acting like he hadn’t been doing anything. 

A smile tugs at the corner of Danny’s mouth, and he types into his phone to add something before hitting play on the translator. [I have to head out now, you can look around my room if you’d like. Don’t touch the brown files on my desk, I’ll be back after school ends. I should have a game plan by then. Don’t be seen by my parents.] 

As it speaks, Danny strides over and grabs his backpack. Damian’s eyes follow him the whole time, and Danny slings his bag over his shoulders and stuffs his phone back into his pocket. 

Damian nods curtly at him, and before Danny leaves he reaches over and plucks a hairband off his dresser, pinching it between his teeth. 

“Okay, I’m off.” He repeats, voice slightly muffled by the hairband as he starts pulling his hair up. There’s a huff from Damian and a knowingly annoyed look, and Danny’s smile grows a little out of amusement. He tugs the tie out from his mouth and twists it around his hair. “Be good, Damian.”

Green eyes narrow at him, and Danny hurries out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

(He was a little — no, scratch that, a lot apprehensive about leaving Damian here alone for most of the day. He was worried about his parents, perhaps a little too much, and he was worried about Damian recognizing the ectoplasm in the fridge. He’s worried about the whole thing with these ‘League of Assassins’ people, and he’s worried about how he’s going to explain Damian’s presence to his parents. And he’s most especially worried about how on earth he was going to convince Damian to not return home.) 

Instead of going for the stairs, Danny turns and hurries over to the end of the hallway where the ladder to the rooftop is. There’s a lot he needs to think about, too much for him to want to walk with Sam and Tucker.

The nice thing about people is that they don’t really ever look up.

—----------

Danny: hey i’ll meet you guys at school

Tucker: did something happen during patrol?

Danny: something like that

Danny: i’ll tell you in class

Sam: alright. Hop safe

[Danny liked Sam's message]

—-------------

(if continued)

“Dude.”

“I know.”

“Dude.”

“I know.”

“Dude!”

“I know!” 

Danny drops his head onto his desk with an unceremonious thump, groaning low with his nose smushed into the wood. Sam’s hands, buried in his hair and in the midst of messing with it, stills to let him. Some of the strands slip out of her fingers and pool around Danny’s face, causing a curtain. It tickles a little. 

Maybe he should have just walked to school with them, telling them about Damian probably would’ve garnered less attention that way. He can feel the gazes of their classmates — or at least, the ones not slowly filtering into the room — turning onto them, and burning into his head. 

But running over the rooftops, albeit only until the residential area ended, was sorely needed. It didn’t help clear all of his thoughts, or really much of any of them, but it’d chased away the worst of his anxieties about it. Like a breath of fresh air after being stuck in a stuffy room. 

(This has been, officially, the longest… five hours of his life. And he’s had many, many long five hours in the last two years.)

(Pariah Dark and his evil future self are tied for the record of being the longest twenty-four hours of his life. Finding out he was a clone doesn’t count — it was still ongoing, and distressingly permanent.) 

Tucker makes a noise, and Danny turns his head just in time to see him drop into his desk beside him, lifting his hat to run his hand over his curls with a look of disbelief. He’s staring unseeingly over Danny’s head for a whole of two seconds before looking back down. 

“So he just — what, popped out of the ground? Like a daisy?”  

Sam continues with her ministrations, and her fingers brush against his neck as she straightens his hair down his back. It’s soothing, enough so that the sleep-soreness of his eyelids becomes a lot more evident to him. 

“Hn. Something like that. If the ground was a once-in-a-lifetime portal and the daisy was a murderous six year old.” He mutters, blinking slowly to try and keep himself awake. Sam’s nails scratch behind his ears, gathering up his hair again to finger-comb out the tangles, and he sighs quietly in content. 

He sees Tucker suppress a smile, and he can practically sense Sam doing the same thing. Danny stares, did his ears do the thing again—? 

“You don’t think a ghost had something to do with it?” Sam asks him, her voice staying low as she tugged out the knots in his hair. “It’s really strange that…” She pauses. Danny can feel her lean against his chair, and he lifts his head slightly as Tucker leans in too. “..that Damian just appeared in front of you right after you got done with fighting a ghost.” 

Hrm. She was right. It was weird. “I hadn’t thought of that.” He says quietly, “I was too busy trying to get him to stop attacking me.” And after that he was busy trying to get them both home in one piece, and then after that was the whole identity crisis—

And he’s gonna stop there before his tired mind latches onto that spiral again. 

Sam and Tucker’s mouths press together worriedly, and Danny finds himself frowning too. “Maybe I can sneak into the Zone sometime this week and ask one of the Ancients.” Frostbite knew a lot about the Infinite Realms in general, but Pandora might know more about strange magic. 

He could try Clockwork, but finding the clocktower always feels like a scavenger hunt, and getting straight answers out of the ghost is like trying to catch the wind in a bag. Danny normally wouldn’t mind, he kinda likes the challenge, but now is not a good time for that. 

Either way, it was just another thing on his long list of things to do this week, on top of everything else he had to do since acquiring Damian. He could feel a stress headache coming in, and it was only — he takes a quick glance at the clock — eight-fourteen. Yeah, longest five hours of his life. And counting.

Hrrm. “I just can’t believe my luck.” He complains, of all people to clone, of all kids to end up being cloned. It had to be the one kid who, by technicality, was his biological son. That thought alone felt like a tsunami about to swallow him whole. It was confusing, and complicated.  

It shouldn’t have to be.

The thing is, Danny doesn’t view Damian Wayne as his son. Not by a long shot. Damian Wayne was Bruce Wayne’s son. But just like how Ellie isn’t Danny, and Danny isn’t Bruce; Damian is not Damian Wayne. And Danny still doesn’t view him as a son, and obviously Damian doesn’t view him as a father. But it all feels like a strange gray area, like a merry-go-round that’s not turning off, and it wouldn’t have to be if his parents hadn’t been fucking careless with their DNA samples— 

It’s been four months why does he still feel so raw— 

Tucker snorts roughly, bringing Danny out from his head. 

He breathes in deep, blinking quickly, as Tucker leans back into his chair. Sam starts sectioning off Danny’s hair. “Yeah, fair enough,” he says, “bad luck is my schtick though, Danny, so don’t go start encroaching on my brand.” 

“Your brand?” Sam repeats, voice lilting upward. Danny can imagine she’s raising an eyebrow at him, and he snickers both at the thought and at Tucker. 

Tucker’s eyes light up at the sound, and he grins like he’s won a prize. “Yeah, my brand! You know, Bad Luck Tuck?” 

Danny snickers louder, adjusting to sit more comfortably. “I thought your brand was Too Fine Foley.”

“I can have more than one brand.” 

Sam snickers this time, in the midst of braiding Danny’s hair. It feels fantastic, Danny hums lowly, sinking like putty into his desk. “I’m pretty sure that’s called a monopoly, Tuck.” 

Danny laughs quietly, blinking lizard-like. “Tuck Driver.”  

Sam barks out a harsh laugh, and it trails off into stifled chuckles as Tucker’s jaw drops. The wide grin on his face betrays any potential upset he might have though. “That’s the mania setting in.” He says, voice thick with laughter, “That’s the fucking sleep mania talking right now. Take a nap, dude, we’ll wake you up when class ends.” 

Sleep sounds great actually, and he’s gonna do it soon anyways with Sam still doing his hair. But— “I’m not done talking about Damian.” He protests, but his eyes are closing on their own, as if all they needed to hear was him agreeing to sleep to do it. 

Tucker waves his hand, “It’s not like we can’t talk about him later; nap first. Your eyebags can’t get any darker.” He assures, “Don’t worry, we’ll take notes for you.”

“Hnn… fine.” Danny says, and lets his eyes close. He’s out like a light in minutes.  

[holylulusworld]

Neighborhood watch

Title: Neighborhood watch

Summary: You and your husbands retired.

Square N3 filled for @stuckybingo​​​​: Free Space - Domestic Stucky

Card Number: R4081

Creator: Holylulu

Rating: Teen

Square N2 filled for @allcapsbingo​​: established relationship

Square 11 filled for @lgbtqbingo​​: Free Space - Domestic Stucky

Pairing: Stucky x Reader

Warnings: Bucky/Y/N being nosy neighbors, fun, fluff, domestic Stucky, America’s ass :), a hint of jealous Steve, reader like to check a cute ass out

Words: 1k+

Divider by @firefly-graphics​

   “Doll? Baby doll?" Bucky strolls into the living room in search of you. He releases a shuddery breath when his eyes land on you. The former winter soldier is always afraid something could happen to you. “Did you not hear me, Y/N?”

Watching your new neighbors from behind the curtains is something you enjoy doing. That’s why you don’t hear Bucky call your name. “Babe, what’s so interesting?”

He steps closer to look out the window. There is a mover team carrying furniture and boxes into the house across the street.

“We got new neighbors,” you explain. “I wanted to know if they could be trusted. I don’t know. What do you think, Babe?"

“I haven't talked to them yet. We can check their background when Steve is back from Sam’s place,” Bucky dips his head to look at you.

“You know that not every new neighbor is an assassin, right?” you sigh as Bucky gets his phone out to note the license plate and description of your new neighbors. “Bucky, I was just a nosy neighbor. Boring and normal. Stop acting like a creep.”

“Doll you are the one watching the new neighbors like a creep,” Bucky tuts. “Lemme do my job and protect you and Stevie. You never know if they are not working for Hydra.”

“Hydra?” you huff. “Let them come.”

Bucky couldn’t be prouder of you. When you tell him his training with you has paid off, he smiles.

“What are we watching today?”

You freeze as Steve steps into the room. He caught you red-handed and now, you try to find an excuse for watching your neighbors.

"Uh, we were checking the lawn. Bucky wanted to know if he had to mow it again," you lie. You don’t want to lie to Steve, but you agreed on living a simple and safe life after he decided to give the shield to Sam.

“Bucky, baby,” Steve sternly says. “Is that true?”

"We watched our new neighbors move in. It’s a pleasant neighborhood and we wanted to know who moved in across the street.”

“You spied on them,” Steve concludes. He walks to Bucky to peck his husband’s cheek. “Y/N, I’m disappointed in you. You just lied to me.”

“What? No…I just…” you whine when Steve cups Bucky’s face to kiss him fiercely. “That’s not fair! Bucky was the one taking notes. He accused them of being with Hydra.”

“Y/N. Bucky,” Steve stops you from fighting. “I already checked on our new neighbors.”

Your head snaps toward Steve as you ask, "You did? When? How? Why didn’t you tell us so?”

“Doll, we retired but this doesn’t mean our enemies got the message," Steve smirks when you step toward him to cup the back of his neck and kiss him. “Hmm…baby doll ate strawberries today.”

“We both did,” Bucky purrs. “I fed her strawberries while we prepared dinner tonight. You have missed so much, Stevie. Y/N finally peeled an onion without crying her eyes out.”

“You helped her, didn’t you?” he asks. “I know you better than you know yourself. You’d do anything for Y/N.”

“He only peeled it…and cut it and…” you giggle as Bucky covers your mouth with his flesh hand.

“Y/N just needed some help with the onions. I can’t watch her cry. Even if they are not real tears.”

“You’ve got a weak spot for our wife.”

You grin.

“She’ll do anything to help us, Stevie. Cutting the onions for her was nothing,” Bucky shrugs. “Now, back to our new neighbors. Anything we should know?”

“Hmm…” Steve looks out the window. “Fury checked on them for me.” You watch Steve get his phone out. He unlocks it to open the document Fury sent to him this morning.

“Our newly arrived neighbors are Louisa and Cherise Milton. Louisa is an elementary school teacher, Cherise is a bookkeeper. They have been married for five years and bought the house three months ago. No police record.”

“I don’t trust them,” Bucky turns back around to stare out of the window. “What if they are undercover?"

“She’s got a cute ass in those shorts,” you say. “A pretty little thing. Her wife is a lucky woman.”

“What?” Steve huffs. “Uh-aren’t we pretty enough? I thought you love my ass!”

“I love it,” Bucky looks at his husband up and down. “Yeah, I love it, baby.”

“It’s still America's ass,” you giggle. “Do you think they are trustworthy neighbors or people wanting to kill us in our sleep?”

“Great, now you made it,” Steve sighs deeply as Bucky switches to protective mode. He checks the windows and closes the curtains. “Buck, she was joking.”

Steve follows Bucky around the house. “Baby, they are harmless. Trust me.”

“Last time I trusted you the coffee maker almost killed Alpine,” Bucky stops in his tracks to point at the white cat following him and Steve. “I won’t let anyone hurt my two people or Alpine.”

“Bucky baby,” you run after Bucky. “I was joking. They won’t try to kill us. Let’s just forget about them and have dinner.”

“No! I will check the windows and doors first.”

“You remember that Edith is still running security at our house, right?” Steve sighs as his husband doesn't listen. “Baby, I swear they are harmless, and Fury made sure someone is keeping an eye on them.”

Bucky asks, "What?" and you jerk your head toward your husband. “Steve, what are you hiding from us?”

“You’re not the only ones wanting to make sure we can enjoy retirement and live a normal life. The background check didn't satisfy Fury."

“Now you got me really worried," you huff. “Bucky let’s check the house together. Stevie, follow us. We got to stay together not like people in a horror movie always walking around a creepy house alone…”

“Y/N…Bucky,” Steve groans. “I was joking… Babes? Hey…”

Steve needed almost an hour to convince you and Bucky that your new neighbors are no threat. He regretted his joke and apologized repeatedly during dinner.

Now you are cuddling on the sofa like most nights. You are resting your back against Steve’s chest while Bucky places his head in your lap.

“Do you think they are planning to mow their lawn soon? It looks awful," you ask.

Steve and Bucky start laughing at your question.

You decide to keep a close eye on your new neighbors. No matter what Fury and Steve say... 

Tags in reblog.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Elbert Greetia Episode 0

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.

Pale lips, bloodless white cheeks, trembling limbs.

My first impression was that she didn’t look like a person suited for sin.

Elbert: “Al, do I have to go too?”

Alfons: “Yes, seeing how it’s such a lovely evening. Also, there might be something you’ll like at the target’s mansion.”

Elbert: “I see. Okay.”

Victor: “Tonight, let’s pledge our loyalty to our evil deeds again.”

The Crown, an organization directly under Queen Victoria, is composed solely of “cursed” individuals.

From espionage to assassination, we undertake shadowy jobs that the police or the military cannot handle.

I’m a member of that organization, but一

(I don’t really like going on missions.)

Using my ability to “revive the opponent’s saddest memories” and seeing the target suffer with it is like adding to my sins, making it harder to breathe every time.

(But as Alfons says, maybe I’ll find what I’m looking for.)

Something that can atone for my sins. Something worthy of what I’ve taken away.

(The most beautiful thing in this world.)

I gently close my eyes, feeling a dark, murky lump wriggling deep in my chest.

Victor: “By the way, William found a cute Robin in the city today.”

(A robin?)

Robins are not very rare here in the UK. In fact, people love them because they are friendly and familiar.

If he’s specifically saying he “found” it, then it’s likely not about a bird.

Alfons: “When you say Robin, are you referring to someone very lovely?”

Alfons: “Or are you referring to someone who brings water to sinners and gets burned by the flames of hell?”

William: “Well, maybe both.”

William: “According to Victor, she apparently defended a poor girl who had stolen jewelry on the roadside and paid for the stolen items in her place.”

Elbert: “That’s very kind of her.”

Alfons: “But she seems like the type to suffer losses.”

William: “You could also say she has her own sense of right and wrong.”

(To think she’d defend someone who committed a crime...)

(She must be strong and kind.)

Elbert: “If she’s that kind of person, it might be best for us not to get involved with her.”

William: “That might be true.”

With a narrowed gaze and a smile, William seemed to be expecting something contrary to that.

William: “Hm? Aren’t you the little Robin I met earlier today?”

Kate: “Huh? Eh? What?”

As it turned out, the woman referred to as “Robin” appeared before us.

(Is that her...?)

Amidst the deep darkness and the blood-red dance hall, she stood alone, bathed in moonlight and shining brightly.

(I don’t know why, but I can’t take my eyes off her.)

Pale lips, bloodless white cheeks, and trembling limbs.

(She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would be fit for sin.)

A feeling similar to envy suddenly came to mind.

Liam: “Is she your acquaintance, Will? Does she know about us?”

William: “We just talked a bit in town, Liam. She doesn’t know about the Crown.”

Liam: “I see. Then we’re in trouble. What should we do?”

Harrison: “I apologize for scaring you, but this is just a prop for a stage play.”

Kate: “Y-You’re lying...”

Harrison: “Pretending to believe would’ve been for your own good.”

Harrison: “What do we do about this, Will?”

William: “Of course, we should take her to the palace’s grim reaper.”

Jude: “Tch. I told you to lock the door.”

Roger: “Haha! I didn’t think anyone would trespass. You’re quite the naughty girl, aren’t you, little lady?”

Ellis: “Why don’t you come over here? You can’t escape, anyway.”

The moment she heard the words “can’t escape,” she grimaced.

Her appearance, a mess of fear and confusion, resonated with a younger version of myself.

------------Flashback------------

Maid: “Kyaaah!! Someone! Someone help! Madam is!!!”

---------Flashback Ends---------

The fear and confusion that had overwhelmed me when I peeked through the gap in the door and heard the maid’s scream from my mother’s room resurfaced.

(Poor thing.)

It was awful and heartbreaking.

My mother’s death was undoubtedly my fault. That's why my fear back then was something I deserved to experience.

(But you're different.)

You had no connection to the scene unfolding before us.

(A kind person who even extends a helping hand to a sinner doesn't deserve to experience fear.)

(Why did you even end up in a place like this?)

William: "Let me invite you to tonight's dinner. What's your name, dear guest?"

Under the control of William's ability, she introduced herself as Kate.

I thought it was a sweet name.

As she was being taken to the castle, she had been staring anxiously at the sky the whole time.

Kate: "I'm sorry."

Elbert: "It's fine. Are you alright?"

I held her staggering shoulders, and she looked at me for the first time.

Kate: "I'm okay. Thank you."

Elbert: "Is that so?"

(Still, why am I captivated?)

Is it because I felt sorry for her?

Or is it because I heard that she is a strong and kind person from Will?

An inexplicable urge to gaze at her welled up from the depths of my heart.

(Or maybe...)

Because she's beautiful?

I felt like I heard a deep and heavy whisper from within my heart.

Then, as a result of negotiations between Victor and her, Kate decided to stay in the castle as a "fairy tale writer" for one month.

I asked Alfons if she was beautiful, but he simply denied it.

On sleepless nights, as always, I wander around the garden.

Gazing at the blooming white roses, I looked up at the castle and saw a light in a room that should have been empty until yesterday.

(Is she still awake?)

She probably couldn't sleep through the night either.

(One month, huh?)

(If, by any chance, I have the opportunity to accompany her on a mission, the only thing I can do is close her eyes so that she won't get hurt anymore.)

While I was thinking about such things, her eyes suddenly came back to my mind.

(But if she is what I am looking for...)

I would obtain her, even if I had to hurt this innocent girl.

Conflicting emotions of anxiety, fear, anticipation, and excitement surged and engulfed me.

Elbert: "Are you what I am looking for?"

Elbert: "Kate..."

No answer came back from the dimly lit window, and before I knew it, a freshly picked, pure white rose lay in the palm of my hand.