#met in a storm and prioritizing the kids

[rosymorns]

i see “your parents actually werent around much” and say “that isnt angsty enough and doesnt channel my personal trauma in a way i want”

[witchhazelnut]

something I found really interesting about kristen in last night’s episode is how calm she was. the trailer made it seem like this was going to be an emotionally turbulent episode for her, with bobby dawn and her parents back to back, but she met each of those hurdles with a sort of zen detachment. i know the bad kids were making a concerted effort not to rile things up bc of the rage crystal factor, but it feels like everyone has still had a real outlet for their anger aside from kristen. in a season about emotions like stress and rage, its curious how outside of a few goofy moments, she really hasn’t leaned into rage. it makes me think of two things: 1. her comments to cassandra during her rage in the mall that anger was a “check engine light.” part of me gets a sense that kristen is fully ignoring that signal so that she can keep driving. if she acknowledges her anger, she may actually have to stop and take stalk of things in a way that the urgency of their task will not allow. and 2. it feels almost like a calm before a storm, a tide receding before a tsunami. kristen is acquiring stress mechanically even if she’s acting calm. there’s a real feeling in regards to kristen this season of being set up to fail no matter how hard you try or how good you are. her prioritizing academics this episode so that she can stay on bobby dawn’s good side, and him expelling her anyway, was such a clear example of this. how much more swimming against the stream will she have to do before it’s too much? i think we’re building to kristen going full rage monster, and wouldn’t you?

[shiny-jr]

Random idea that I probably won’t write but I thought was worth sharing anyways. About Malleus. Did I write this instead of working on a post? Yes. Anyways. I feel like this can be interpreted as yandere and not yandere so yeah. Picture this... 

Ever since he was young, ever since he could remember, Malleus has had the oddest dreams. He doesn’t quite know when they started, they just started one day. The earliest memory he has of the strange occurrences were when he was still a kid, when all he knew was the palace and those within the valley. There was always someone in his dreams, someone he didn’t know. It was a stranger, with flat round ears, not like the pointed ones everyone else he knew had. They looked to be around his age, although he assumed it wasn’t so, because if this was a human than they aged differently than a fae like him did. 

At first the meetings in his dreams were awkward. This person seemed as hesitant as him. As for Malleus, well, his grandmother always reminded him to uphold a certain amount of dignity and elegance even if he was still a young prince. Eventually though, somehow, interactions were sparked. It could have happened by an unexpected comment, a glance, or one of them taking the initiative, it happened though. As a fae prince with an already worrying amount of power and status, he was avoided, and there were no others his age within the palace. So this curiosity became his friend. 

When he told his caretakers and others about his friend, they assumed it to be an imaginary friend of some sort. To which the prince, irritated, tried to explain that his dear friend was real! Eventually, he began to look forward to sleep, because he wanted to play with his new companion in his dreams. It was eventually brought to the queen’s attention that her grandson was purposefully avoided certain tasks so he could go to bed early and spend more time with this “friend” he insisted he had. 

Now, the queen was fair, and she loved her grandson, but she would not tolerate disobedience when the prince became more stubborn concerning these issues. When she had the most experienced magicians look into the matter, they discovered slight traces of magic whenever the prince slept and dreamt of his friend. Its origins were unknown, and for what reason was it there, no one could quite understand either. But it was there. And it became evident that Malleus had been telling the truth, he was seeing someone in his dreams. 

Malleus would happily detail his latest adventures to caretakers. He smiled so brightly that he lit up the gloomy dark halls, he was the happiest whenever he got to speak about his friend. He eagerly recounted the stories they shared and the games they played. This friend didn’t know he was a prince, and once they did they didn’t care because they couldn’t realize the influence he had. They were oblivious, but he was happy. Based off what her grandson told, this friend of his seemed just as oblivious as him as to why they met in dreams. Although it seemed harmless at the moment, she could’ve allow it to go on, but Malleus was beginning to prioritize this friend above all. So, she would cut it off. She would not risk it when so much was not known about the circumstances. Much to the young prince’s tears and begging, the queen had her master magicians create a spell powerful enough to sever this mysterious connection and stop these dreams once and for all. 

At first, the young prince cried and screamed. The usually calm child threw such a tantrum over the loss of their closest friend. And with his abilities and magic that he had yet to master, he caused such an ominous destructive storm to hang over the valley for several months. It caused flooding and the lightning sparked some fires. For what she did, he never quite forgave his grandmother, even as hundreds of years passed. Whenever it was brought up, he would be bitter and sullen for quite a while. It’s become an unspoken rule to never bring it up around the prince. And still, hundreds of years later, a part of him hoped that whenever he slept, he might dream of his dear friend again. But it never happened, and he’d always wake up to the black canopy above him with them on his mind. It had been so long that he was starting to forget their voice, their face, and it scared him. 

So imagine his shock when he had wandered the familiar grounds of the abandoned mansion on campus, as he usually did, only to find it not so abandoned anymore. The lights were on, someone was there inside. At first he was a bit upset that his favorite wandering grounds would no longer be available to him, but his feelings quickly changed when he spotted a figure with an awfully familiar face. The sight of this person on the street that look just as surprised to see him but not for the same reason, caused him to freeze in his tracks and his glowing green eyes to widen. This person standing before him, looked exactly like his dear friend from his childhood dreams, but older. 

You were startled to see a tall thin stranger with black hair and black curved horns just outside what was supposed to be your new residence in the dead of night. But what unsettled you even more was the peculiar gleam in his eyes that contained some strange sort of excitement and the wide fang-toothed smile he gave. What caused you to take a step back in apprehension was his smooth voice that greeted you politely, yet eagerly, 

“Hello, (Y/n).” 

You never once told this stranger your name.

[weissaddams]

Wenclair Fic Idea No. 3

Trauma Surgeon Wednesday and Pediatric Surgeon Enid

--

Okay hear me out. They met at the hospital when Wednesday was brought in by Weems as a trauma surgeon. 

Nevermore Medical was a top tier trauma and innovation facility. Anyone hired was well-respected if not the most respected in their field. Weems was the chief-of-surgery.

Enid was a pediatric surgeon. Yoko was a cardio surgeon. Bianca was a neuro surgeon. Divina and Eugene were general surgery. Ajax was the orthopedic surgeon and Tyler was the plastics guy.

Wednesday locked horns with all of them at some point because she prioritized saving the patient’s life (a direct result of military training and all the tours in war zones where she barely had any equipment to open someone up, let alone sew them back together) over almost anything else.

Yoko and Bianca always fought for the option that presented the patient with better quality of life. Ajax would fight to save a dying limb as opposed to Wednesday’s plan to cut it off entirely to avoid infection. Divina and Eugene also argued for organs they could save had Wednesday not been in such a hurry to do this and that.

She locked horns with everyone but Enid who she always worked together with because the blonde was adamant that children were precious and should be shielded from this horrible world as long as possible.

Wednesday thought that was stupid at first, but observing the blonde work herself to the bone to save child after child had her growing soft in no time. 

Enid once saw Wendesday eat her meal at one of the lesser crowded hallways and has since then decided to join her there when she can. To befriend her.

Fast forward to them flirting with each other without knowing they were. Everyone else thought it was so fucking obvious. They should get a freakin room already.

They spent their free time together. Wednesday was kinda mean but still professional with everyone but Enid after a few months. They’d worked well together in the operating room, saving kids side by side.

Some days, the nurses would find Wednesday going on late night rounds with Enid. Telling the kids stories to help them sleep or playing card games with them to pass the time.

A rude patient once grabbed Enid’s arm too hard and Wednesday was on her side in a second, subduing the patient in a heartbeat by grabbing his arm and yanking it off Enid, eyes cold and sharp.

“Get your hands off her.”

The whole ER went quiet except for the rude patient who tried to retaliate but was wailing in pain due to Wednesday’s tightening grip. Bianca was pretty sure the trauma surgeon would be shooting lasers out of her eyes if she could.

Security eventually comes and drags the man away.

Wednesday is still visibly fuming after that so Enid pulls her into a private room to calm her down and thank her for. Wednesday only started to relax when Enid assured her that she would have done about the same as Wednesday had she not beaten her to it first.

--

18 months later, a bus gets totaled outside the hospital because of a slippery road caused by a snow storm, people are injured and Wednesday was one of the people on duty who immediately ran to the bus that was now upside down.

They were pulling everyone out and Enid had just gotten down from a surgery only to find out Wednesday was still in the bus. The burning bus that was about to blow at any second.

She ran outside, getting drenched in the snow, only to make it a few meters outside before Yoko holds her back and the bus explodes.

Enid screams for Wednesday at the top of her lungs. No! She had to save her! She had to get to Wednesday but Divina and Yoko kept holding her back.

Then, someone comes out from behind the bus, carrying an injured child.

Wednesday fucking Addams. Drenched, bruises here and there but fine.

Eugene ran out to her to take the child and the next thing Wednesday feels is the wind being forcibly taken from her lungs as Enid engulfs her in a tight but warm embrace.

“Enid.”

“Wednesday.”

Then Wednesday returns the hug with one arm tightly around Enid’s waist as she gently pats the blonde’s head.

Enid hugs her tighter and everyone gives them some peace before going back inside to tend to the wounded.

It’s a few minutes before Wednesday is content with how much Enid had calmed down. She draws back from the still tight hug to look at the blonde. She wipes away a few tears and brushes her hair away from her eyes.

“Did something happen?"

Enid wanted to laugh at Wednesday's audacity to ask that question.

“I was so scared when they said you were still in the bus.”

“I apologize. I did not think anyone would be so worried.”

“Don’t say that. Of course I’d worry! I’m always worried! Stop running into burning buses and jumping into sinkholes! I need you to come back to me alive!”

Wednesday is not sure of the gravity of Enid’s words. She’s pretty sure not even Enid realizes what her words could mean but she nods anyway.

“I will always come back to you, Enid.”

Enid nuzzles into the crook of Wednesday’s neck.

“You fucking better, Addams.”

--

Hi! I’m having a lot of fun with these fic ideas. They're really just excuses to write dialogue and setups without all the needed embellishments.

Let me know if you have ideas for them, too! I’d love to hear them.

--

Quick sidenote, if any of this sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve watched Grey’s anatomy a lot haha so a lot of medical stuff and even the bus scene is drawn from there. Watch it! Just look up on youtube the Jackson and April bus scene.

[rachetmath]

Ruby: Jaune our characters are not that mixed up.

Jaune: Ruby are you freaking kidding me?

Ruby; Jaune you got admit we are complete opposite to one another.

Jaune: Yes but the presentation makes it worse.

Ruby: How so?

Jaune Ruby I killed Penny.

Ruby: So I killed people too.

Jaune: Name one.

Ruby: Roman.

Jaune: A grimm ate him.

Ruby: Umm….

Jaune: Pyrrha died fighting Cinder against Ozpin’s orders. Ozpin died fighting Cinder. Leon died somehow. Clover and Ironwood I don’t know. Penny died by my hands. So who did you kill with your weapon?

Ruby: Oscar.

Jaune: So a fake Oscar is worth crying over the real one huh?

Ruby: Your point.

Jaune: You didn’t kill anyone. So how are you struggling to kill no fight with your weapon if you never token a life with it. While I’m able to fight with mines despite it’s condition.

Ruby: Um.

Jaune: That can give someone the impression that Penny’s death met nothing to me.

Ruby: But Jaune you had years.

Jaune; PTSD. Survivors guilt. Any form of depression or disorder can last for years Ruby. And you say I had years but Penny was still on my mind during a Ponder Storm. And then I was trying to be hero to the paper pleasers, who mind you were trying to off themselves, because it seems I can not be a hero in Remnant.

Ruby: Oh.

Jaune: Now let’s go back to what you say about not being good enough. How so?

Ruby: Well I failed to save Penny and Pyrrha. I failed to save the people of Mantle and Atlas. I only made things worse.

Jaune: Okay look. There is no such thing as perfect plan. Things are bound to screw ups. It’s impossible to avoid. But again, Pyrrha chose to fight Cinder and died. Penny chose to die. In theory because she thought you died.

Ruby; Um.

Jaune: Next wasn’t Ironwood going to kill thousands.

Ruby: But our plan could get millions in danger.

Jaune: You right, but that forces Atlas and Mantle to get together and stop discriminating against each other to survive. Better that than having one half of the nation fend for itself while the other thrives.

Me; (Look I’m not trying villianize James but we have to admit his plan was darker than the kids.)

Ruby: Oh.

Jaune: And then we have Ozpin. Or Ozma who’s first idea was to sleep with his first love.

Ruby: Um.

Jaune: Use every relic possible but still doesn’t know how to kill her. He single handily divided the world he was suppose to help fix.

Ruby: Mm

Jaune: Exactly.

Ruby: Your point?

Jaune: Ruby, you threw away a perfectly functioning weapon while I have a broken sword with a rusted shield. You killed an illusion. I killed an actual person. You say your not good enough well sweet heart at least you didn’t have to forge your identity off lies and fake transcripts. You had training. You had support. I had nothing like that. Not even from my family. Pyrrha showed me something like that but then she pushed into a locker. Your leadership always seems to go fine. Mines doesn’t.

Ruby: I mean it sometimes does.

Jaune: Yeah. (Until the writers fuck me over one way or the other.)

Ruby: I’m still not seeing your point. My friends helped you more than me.

Jaune: Because you didn’t say shit. My problems were completely visible and hard to hide. Yours were minor compared to mines.

Ruby: No they aren’t. I struggle with my identity. I was too weak. I wasn’t good enough.

Jaune: How?! Look your problem was simple. You had hard time processing change. As well as being overwhelmed by stress. And you know what that’s my bad. Because I couldn’t help you. Why? Because I was already going through of my own problems. I couldn’t make time for you. Your sister couldn’t make time for you because she was prioritizing her own happiness. Weiss couldn’t help you because she was trying to figure out what to do after her home got destroyed.

Ruby: Um-

Jaune: However here’s the thing. Yang was out right now. But wouldn’t me and Weiss neglect our problems to listen to you. Would we not give our time and our ears to you if you asked. Did you think about that?

Ruby: No.

Jaune: NO! You just ran off. Basically you questioned our loyalty to you. You questioned our friendship. You did exactly what Penny and Pyrrha are guilty of.

Ruby: And what’s that?

Jaune: You didn’t give me chance. You made a decision and you didn’t consider how it effected everyone around you. Including me.

Ruby. Oh.

Jaune: I think he can say the rest.

Ruby: *sees me and sigh* You do know a lot people will hate you right?

Me: I said before, I don’t control the show. I don’t control the fan base. I just leave my penny worth opinion down and move on.  So let’s start. Ruby I didn’t feel bad for you at all.

Ruby: What?

Me: In fact, I enjoyed your suffering. Mainly when you got jumped.

Ruby: Really? You didn’t feel sorry for me at all.

Me: No. I would… but sweet heart you were a horrible person.

Ruby: That’s not true.

Me: You lied to someone who gave you their trust. That led to them to being more insecure and highly emotional to where they become reckless and foolish. And never took responsibility for that. Oscar did. Jaune did.

Ruby: Alright that just one thing.

Me: One thing? That one thing caused four hunters lives. That one thing caused millions of people’s livelihoods to be ruined. That one thing caused the relic.

Ruby: Okay but I suffered.

Me: Jaune suffered more than you. He went back in time. Had to be Alyx and Lewis Rusted Knight. Only to get poisoned by Alyx, the same girl who he come to find out was killed by the Curious Cat. He waited. He waited for you. Try to find a way home for you.

Ruby: So?

Me: Ruby your problem wasn’t even that bad. All you had to do was open up. Shit my bet is Jaune or Weiss would have listened. Basically your were acting like a child and I don’t care about you.

Ruby: UM.

Me: Shoot I don’t know why cat needed you to get to Remnant. He could’ve tried Jaune. Like bro imagine the reason Jaune and CC had beef because that cat was secretly torturing him. Like CC instead of helping you, was using you to get close to him.  And Neo when she destroyed you that should sent him over the edge.

Ruby: …

Me: Basically y-y-you showed me how weak you really are. Like I don’t understand. I get your fifth teen in canon but still.

Ruby: But my friends-

Me: No-no-no. They should’ve token more responsibility too. Blake, Yang and especially Weiss need to start being more supportive to your health. Mainly, because Weiss barely did anything to help Atlas or you at all.

Jaune: What about me?

Me: Motherfucker you need to go home. You need a break. Gets some training. Get some bitches. Go get some pussy. I don’t know. Relax. Cause you earned it. Like I’m sorry but for the much “development” you’ve gotten, I’m surprise KnightFall shouldn’t be canon.

Jaune: …

Me: Bro you fit this post:

Me: Like you have gotten hoed so many times by not just your friends. But the fan base and the writers themselves. Look just take a load off okay? Get help! Jesus, you got to be Salem’s descendant cause life be bringing you pain.

[harlequin-hangout]

The Winter Storm: Part 3 (Finale)

Series Master List | Bucky Barnes Master List

Part 1 | Part 2

Pairing: Mob!Bucky Barnes x f!Reader

Warnings: so many guns, violence, ⚠️Intimidation⚠️, screaming, injury, kidnapping, smut, this is the one where we go to murder town kids, let me know if I missed anything

Contains: Angst, fluff, Anger, temper, abuse depending on your trauma, mildly extreme injuries, sexual tension thicker than America's Ass

Word Count: 4.6k

Dividers are made by me! Want some for yourself? Send me an ask!

I do not nor will I ever give permission for my writing to be copied, pasted, reposted to other sites, or edited in any way shape or form. Seriously, just don’t.

Summary: You find yourself in the middle of the Wolf's Den with no way out. With chaos raging around you, it's time to Do or Die. The Winter Storm will always claim a victim.

Bucky sighed, feeling a new weight. After at least an hour of panic, Steve was okay and sleeping off the day in Buckly’s room. None of his wounds had been very deep, thank god. Y/N had been right, he could see that now that he’s calmed down. Steve’s injuries weren’t life threatening, there were just a lot of them. Coupled with the effort it took to get to the safe house, he had passed out from exhaustion, not blood loss. The biggest risk had been infection. 

 . . . He yelled at her. He had thrown her. She was trying to help him, and he treated her like shit. He may have known Steve longer, but she was Steve’s friend too. Steve had been handling their undercover plants within Pierce Enterprises. Both were brilliant at their jobs, but having a handler watching their back in case something went sideways was non-negotiable. Bucky glanced sideways at the guest room door, trying to let her come out at her own pace. Calling it a ‘guest room’ felt wrong now. That was her door. She was the most incredible person he’d met in a long time. She was quick, both mentally on her feet. She had prioritized Steve’s needs and been able to come up with a plan that would have worked while he was still panicking. And he had thrown her. Fuck . . . he wouldn’t blame her for wanting to leave. She really couldn’t leave, not safely, but he could arrange for a different guard. Sitting on the couch, Bucky groaned, resting his elbows on his knees and running both hands through his hair. He didn’t want her to leave. He had thrown her. Why did he like this woman so much? She was smart, quick on her feet, took to the training well, sure, but he’d met countless women like that and they didn’t get to him like this. Bucky leaned back as he tried to think. His mind began to wander back to when he’d first met her.

“Thank you, Mr. Barnes. Y/N, I’m assisting Mr. Pierce tonight. Mr. Pierce, I finished up the donation financial reports like you asked, and scheduled meetings with Zola and Rumlow, as requested,” She said. “Is there anything else that you need me to complete before I enjoy the party?” she glanced briefly over at him and bit her lower lip.

 . . . That’s it. She wasn’t afraid of him. From the beginning, she wasn’t afraid. Sure, there were moments when he’d scared her, but threatening to shoot someone will do that. Yet, even when he’d threatened to shoot her . . .

“What the hell is going on here?? Three days ago I’m a fucking secretary, and now I’m somehow a pawn for a drug lord and whoever you are? And don’t even fucking try to deny it, Barnes, you both offered me the same deal: compliance or death.” Bucky glared and leaned forward. He’d killed people for less than this. She looked scared, terrified even, yet she didn’t back down.  “You keep talking about these different pieces. The White Watch, Mr. Pierce, and an infuriating need to know the timeline, so what’s your game? You’re probably going to kill me anyway, so at least be decent and connect the dots before you take me out.”

That’s what had attracted him to Y/N in the first place. When pushed, even though she was out of her depth, she still stood her ground. She looked him in the eye and called him on his bullshit even with the threat of death hanging over her head. Bucky checked his phone. She’d been in her room for almost three hours . . . He was trying to be patient, but he was starting to worry and he NEEDED to apologize. Whether or not she accepted it was up to her and he would deal with the consequences of his actions, but he needed to at least try to fix it. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her hurting like that . . . he had seen the pain in her eyes. Okay, just check. Make sure she’s physically okay, then don’t pressure her. Bucky got up and strode over to the door. He knocked, to no answer.

“Hey, it’s me. I just want to make sure you’re okay . . . I was so, so wrong to do what I did, and I won’t push the conversation until you’re ready. Will you let me know when you’re ready?” Silence. “. . . Hello?” Bucky’s intuition told him something was off. Usually when people didn’t respond, there was still sound. Movement, a groan, a sigh, something. The room just felt . . . Still. Bucky tried the door and found it unlocked. He slowly pushed the door open, reaching for the gun that was usually in the underarm holster. He peered around the door, finding the bed empty except for the phone that Steve had been clutching. Odd . . . he peeked around the corner of the door frame. Maybe she was in the comfy chair he’d moved in to give her a place to watch the snow. Bucky froze. The room was empty and the window was open. 

“FUCK!!” He screamed, the panic rushing back. He had told her to get out of his sight and out of the building. He hadn’t been thinking straight. He hadn’t meant literally. She was missing, and it was all his fault. 

“Okay, Buck,” he thought to himself, “You fucked this up royally last time. This time you need to focus. Clues.” Bucky picked up the phone on the bed, turning it over in his hand. It was the Witch’s phone . . . Wanda’s burner. He had insisted that she take a burner when she went undercover at Pierce Enterprises . . . but where did the charm come from? He knew her passcode – standard practice for situations exactly like this. He sat heavily in the chair by the window, and began to thumb through the photos. Cat . . . Cat . . . Meal . . . Not the lingerie he would have chosen . . . He paused. The background of that lingerie photo . . . it was a mirror shot, and there was a second person. He zoomed in, and felt his stomach drop when he recognized Y/N’s face. She knew Wanda. That’s why she had been so insistent about the phone, she realized there was more to this. Angry at his own incompetence, Bucky quickly readied himself. If she had left, then the only place she would have safely known how to get to would be the Base. She’d been there enough times, and there was running water and heat. The rain had stopped, he just hoped he could still find any muddy footprints. Slipping the burner into his pocket, Bucky grabbed two of his SIG-Sauer P220STs, his CZ Vz. 61 E Skorpion that strapped to the back of his tactical vest, and extra ammunition for both models. If Steve had been followed, he wanted to be prepared. He may have to try to protect Y/N if there were enough of them. Bucky added a couple of knives and a stun baton for good measure.

He made record time to the base. 37 minutes. He hadn’t run into anyone on the way and there was no damage suggesting any struggle. That was promising. The burner phone vibrated. Probably nothing, but it may give him more information. 

MESSAGE FROM: BROCK RUMLOW. ATTACHMENT: 1 IMAGE

Bucky immediately opened the text. Staring him in the face is an image of himself, obviously taken moments before. His eyes shoot up to the guard tower where the camera should have been located, but no one is visible. Before he can move in closer, the phone vibrates again.

MESSAGE FROM: UNKNOWN. ATTACHMENT: 1 IMAGE

He immediately began to sprint back to the cabin. On the screen was Y/N. She was barely conscious, her face bloodied. Though definitely alive, Pierce held her head up with the fist that he’d knotted into her hair. She was on the floor of what looked like a helicopter.

Bucky kicked in the bedroom door.

“STEVE.” Steve jolted awake, groaning at the pain. Bucky handed him a couple of pills. And the phone, with the photo still pulled up. “Take these and gear up. Y/N’s gone. Pierce got her. We’re meeting Widow at the Enterprise building.” Steve swallowed the pills dry. He knew better than to argue when his childhood friend was determined. “Whose car are we taking?”

Your head was pounding, and your vision was blurry. After you’d been marched into the helicopter at gunpoint, you’d run into Rumlow, almost literally. 

“Maybe now the little bitch will learn to keep her nose out of places it doesn’t belong, eh, Pierce?” Rumlow laughed cruelly.

“At least I don’t have to sneak up on my own hand to masturbate.” That comment earned you a smack to the side of the head.

You smile at the memory. Though your shoulders ached from your hands being tied and Rumlow had done a number on you, but the comment was worth it. 

“What are you smiling at?” Rumlow barks from across the room. You don’t answer, letting your head roll forward. You didn’t know where you were, but you knew it wasn’t good. Best you could tell, it was some kind of basement. Cinder block walls, exposed metal bracings, and there were chains hanging, some of them with hooks on the end. The floor was the only part of the place that looked clean, and that wasn’t comforting considering there was a drain in the ground. You’d seen enough mob documentaries to have an idea of the purpose of the room you sat in. “Boss is gonna be here soon. That’ll wipe that smirk off your face.” Rumlow continued, his Alpha Male brand superiority complex radiated off of him.

“Hey, Mr. Rumlow?” you choke out, coughing a little bit. The blood in your throat wasn’t comfortable. “May I please ask you something?”

“Fuck it, you’re dyin’ soon anyway.”

“Why do you act so tough?”

“S’cuse me?” 

“I’ve been trying to figure it out. See, most people don’t bother with projecting something so extreme unless they’re hiding something.”

“And what do you think I’m hiding, Doll Face?”

“Honestly?” you can’t stop the smirk from playing on your lips once again. “Probably a fear of another man treating you the way you treat women.”  Now you had his attention. Not in a good way, but something was better than nothing. “Or a fear of another man giving it to you up the ass.” You worked on the rope binding your hands. If you could just remember what Bucky had taught you . . . One hand breaks free. You discreetly shove the rope under your butt and try to keep your upper body as still as possible while you  work on the other. “You shouldn’t worry, you’re the biggest asshole I’ve had the displeasure of meeting. Long as you lube up first, you should be fine.” Rumlow lunges forward, going for your throat. Perfect. You throw your weight back, kicking your feet out as hard as possible. Your right heel collided with Rumlow’s nose, and the chair fell backwards. Alpha males. So predictable. While the writhing asshole on the ground in front of you recovers from the shock, you swung the chair against the wall. This one was a metal folding chair, but as you had anticipated, it hadn’t been taken care of. The rust on the bolts gave way, leaving you completely unhindered. Shit, Rumlow is back on his feet. Luckily, he’s angry. He’s going to be sloppy if he’s angry. You dart forward, putting yourself on a collision course for his torso. In his blind rage, he lunges again. As soon as he’s past the point of no return, you duck down to your right and roll. He falls forward into the wall and you disappear out the door, leaving him screaming in rage.

The Widow strode into Pierce’s office. Winter Soldier and Vortex, as he had re-named himself, were on their way and she needed to keep the package safe until they arrived. Rumlow, or Crossbones as he was insisting on being called, was in the room with her right now. Not Widow’s first choice, but not the end of the world either. He wouldn’t dare cross The Wolf, and The Wolf wanted to do most of the damage. Widow just needed to keep that Wolf busy long enough for her backup to arrive.

“Sir? The basement workout you had planned is going to have to wait. We have intruders.”

“Intruders? Are they here for the Girl?”

“I don’t think so, Sir. They seem more interested in getting to the design levels. Possibly from that new start up.”

“Thank you Natalie. I’ll let you handle it.” Widow nods and closes the door on her way out. It didn’t buy her much time, but it was enough. Pierce wouldn’t risk heading down to the basement if he thought outsiders were in the building. Crossbones may have shot Wanda, but she would be damned if another girl would die on her watch. As Widow made her way down to the lower levels, she flipped to Vortex’s messages.

What about that girl from accounting? Sharon? She seems nice.

Bucky wove through traffic on his bike, Steve not far behind. Ten Minutes. They would be there in ten minutes and could clear the building in less than fifteen. He could see the building in the distance, he just needed to get off the freeway.

“I’m on my way, Doll, just a little longer . . . Hold on baby, please . . . hold on.”

You climb through the industrial sized HVAC duct. They were barely two feet by three feet so you had to army crawl, but it was much preferable to your only alternative. If you had gathered anything about Pierce, it’s that Bucky was his end goal. Based on the conversation in the cabin back in December, he thought Steve was dead, leaving Bucky as his only target. Pierce would use you to draw Bucky out, and you had no doubt he would come. You felt a pang in your heart.

“I don’t give a shit what it is, I have to save the only person who’s ever given a FUCK about me!”

You knew he didn’t mean it, but it stung. You cared. You cared so much. You’d spent five months around no one except him and occasionally Steve. You knew that it wasn’t a conventional meeting, but you would do it again in a heartbeat. He didn’t kidnap you, no. He’d offered you the only safety you’d known since that fateful day you walked into Pierce’s office. You bury your face in Bucky’s hoodie. It still smells like him. A tear rolls down your face as newfound determination to escape fills you.

Shit, dead end. There was a switch off behind you, you just needed to wiggle backwards enough to take it. You could hear crashing somewhere off in the distance. That was probably Rumlow kicking down doors. As quietly as you can, you manage to backtrack and take the turn. Straight. Right at the fan. Two turn offs down. Left. You do your best to keep track of where you are and how to get out, but staying away from Rumlow is your top priority. When you hear voices, you freeze.

“ – and if anyone finds her, you bring her here. To me. Unharmed. The Wolf wants that pleasure for himself. Understood?” A female voice commands the room. No, it couldn’t be . . . you peek through a vent to assess how screwed you might be.

“Yes, Ma’am!” The response comes from three men in full tactical gear. You crane your neck to see who’s standing in front of them. . . Natalie Rushman? She was in on all of this too? You took a deep breath and swallowed your panic. She was a friendly figure before, but things were different now. Just keep moving. As the door opened for the thugs to leave, you readied yourself to make your escape but you froze in place. Pierce was standing in the doorway. Your heart was racing a million miles a minute, this was WAY too close for comfort. He started talking about something, but the blood rushing in your ears made it impossible to hear. You slowly pushed back. Just ease yourself – A creak filled the room. You froze. Pierce and Natalie looked around the room.

“Come out, come out wherever you are . . .” Pierce's sing-songy tone was sickening. You wanted nothing more than to–Wait. You couldn’t see him anymore, where’d he go?? You craned your neck, searching frantically for Pierce. It was imperative that you know where he was at all points in – Another creak. Louder, more strained . . . Please hold, please . . . The vent crashed to the floor. You felt the end of the vent lift up, causing you to tumble to the floor. Pierce was staring down at you, a renewed fire in his eyes.

“Well, well, well. Would you look what the cat dragged in?

You glare at Pierce, the smug look on his face making you hate him even more. His knuckles connected with your jaw. The metallic taste of fresh blood hit your tongue as your lip split. 

“Have you given up yet, bitch?”

“Sorry,” you growled, “It’s gonna take more than a tap from the stone age to break me.” You got a backhand for that one. This time, he managed to knock you out of your chair. You cursed yourself for getting caught. “I thought you said you were going to teach me a lesson,” you spat at him, trying to push yourself off the floor. “Seems like the old Wolf is all out of  new tricks.” You began to laugh. It was cold with no humor behind it. In reality, you were terrified. Terrified of the Wolf. Terrified of Ms. Rushman. All you had to do was hold out long enough for Bucky to get to you, if he was even coming . . . You wanted to think he was, but there were so many variables. Even if he did show up, there was an increasing chance that he wouldn’t make it before you met your end at Pierce’s hands. All you could do was pray you didn’t die tied on this now bloodstained basement floor. Pierce grabbed your hair and yanked upwards. You screamed in pain and could have sworn you saw Ms. Rushman flinch.

“You listen to me, you little whore.” Pierce’s voice was harsh and low. You could feel his hot breath on your ear and the sensation turned your stomach. “Be as much of a smart ass as you want. No one’s coming for you. No one’s here to save you. Do you want to know why? Because you’re a pawn. An asset. You’re expendable. If you think the Winter Soldier will save you, then you’ve convinced yourself of a lie. I killed Avalanche. You should have heard his screams as he bled out on the warehouse floor. I’ll enjoy killing the Soldier while you watch. Every stab, every shot. Every punch.” Tears started flowing from your eyes. Your sobs came in waves. You tried to stifle them, but to no avail. C’mon Y/N, just think of something. Anything. Get one good hit in, and maybe, just MAYBE you can make it out of here alive. You stared daggers at Pierce through your tears, and spit on his face.

“You little CUNT,” he roared, throwing you across the room by your hair. You scream again, but this time, you’ve had it.

“FUCK YOU, YOU COWARD. You sent Rumlow to do your dirty work. Fucking RUMLOW, who had his ass handed to him by someone with only five months of training and couldn’t even handle a fucking finance report.” Pierce immediately strode towards you, but was stopped mid step by a banging noise. Suddenly, Rumlow flew through the door hitting the ground in the middle of the room. You looked up, and you finally saw him. That wasn’t Bucky. No, you were looking at The Winter Soldier.

“Hey, Doll, Sorry I’m late.” Bucky’s tone was even, calculated. His eyes didn’t leave Pierce, even as Rumlow began to stand. “Widow. Vortex is taking on a couple thugs in the hallway. Crossbones is all yours.”

“With pleasure,” Ms. Rushman replied. “This is going to be cathartic.” Pierce’s face was one of shock.

“Natalie? Natalie! I order you to stop right now. I am the Godfather of this operation and I–” In one fluid motion, Natalie Rushman slammed a knife through Pierce’s hand, pinning it to the wall.

“Consider that my resignation,” she stated coldly. Rumlow was back on his feet, and she wasted no time attempting to change that. Your attention turned back to Bucky as you heard gunfire. He was shooting down the hallway – evidently a couple thugs had got away from Steve. Your mind was racing. How to get out? There had to be– wait, Natalie had tied you up. Maybe . . . you start pulling at the ropes, and just as you’d hoped, they fall. You hear the knife clatter to the floor as Pierce rips the weapon free of his hand. He reaches for his gun. 

“Behind you!” You scream, and Bucky turns. He vaults down the stairs pulling his own firearm out of the thigh holster. Behind him, you see one of the thugs making his way into the room.

“No time like the present,” you think to yourself. With Pierce distracted, you’re able to grab the knife that Natalie had left him as a parting gift. You throw yourself at the thug, gripping the handle of the blade so hard that your knuckles are white. You hear Bucky’s voice in your head.

“If you only have a knife, get in close. Guns are great at a distance, but if you get within a foot of their body, it becomes a lot harder to react fast enough with a firearm before a knife can make contact.” You lunge, latching onto his neck. Swinging your bodyweight around, you land on the thug’s back and jam the knife into his side. He drops like a boulder. You stand over him breathing heavily. Not having time to process what’s just happened, you move on. Rumlow has Natalie pinned to a wall by her neck. You creep up behind him, but he spots you. Turning his body, his eyes bore into you. Your skin is on fire, and you almost get sick when you realize that he’s getting off on the suffering in the room.

“This stuck-up bitch turned me down so many times. Now I’ll teach her what happens to bitches who reject me. Then, Sweet Cheeks, it’s your turn.” You try to will your body to move, but you’re frozen. You’ve never encountered someone so evil, so genuinely and maliciously sadistic as him. You can hear Natalie’s choked breaths as he squeezes– a gunshot rings out in the small room and Rumlow crumples to the floor. As Natalie gasps for air, you whip your head around and see Steve, eyes full of rage. Rumlow groans and stirs. Steve almost flies across the floor and places the tip of his pistol to the back of Rumlow’s head.

“Not today. This is for Wanda, you sick fuck.” You cover your eyes, and hear the smack of a head hitting the ground. Steve immediately moves to help you. “Come on, Y/N. Let’s get you out of here.” You lean against him, grateful for the help. You’ve almost made it to the stairs when you see him. Bucky is losing his struggle. You don’t even think. You grip the knife in Steve’s leg holster and make a mad dash for Pierce. You knew you were losing a lot of blood, but you didn’t care. Your Winter Soldier needed you. Throwing all of your weight behind it, you drive Steve’s six inch blade into the middle of Pierce’s back and you can hear the air being driven from his lungs. You twist it violently, trying to do as much damage as humanly possible.

“Get the fuck off him, you prehistoric parasite,” you hiss. Pierce’s body slides to the floor. For the first time since you entered the room, everything’s quiet. Your breathing is heavy, and your vision starts to waver, but Bucky is safe. That’s all that matters. You barely register his yell as you collapse on top of him.

Everything is warm and cozy. You could curl up and sleep for hours. You didn’t think you’d ever be warm and dry again, much less cozy. Your body feels unusually heavy as you try to move. Where were you? Why was it so dark? And what was that faint sound . . .? You focus on the only sensory input you have. A voice?

“ . . .baby. You’re strong, you’re so, so strong, come on, Doll, please . . . Please come back to me . . .” Bucky . . .? His voice seemed so far away. It finally hit you. You were almost dead.

“Babygirl, I’m so, so sorry. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me, it’s all my fault . . . You deserve so much better than I’ve given you.”

“Buck . . .” You hear Steve’s voice. “Natasha’s pulled the car around to the back door. C’mon. There’s nothing else you can do here. Pick up her bod – pick her up and let’s head back to the safehouse.” You feel yourself laugh. A sound that turns into a weak cough, then a coughing fit. As the darkness begins to clear, you find yourself cradled against Bucky’s chest. He’s clinging to you as if his life depended on yours. Tears fall onto your skin as hope returns to Bucky’s eyes.

“Doll? Are you there?” You try to answer, but only make the coughing worse. “That’s it . . . That’s it baby. You took quite a bit. Nice and slow.” His tensed muscles relax as you come back to the world of the living. You giggle weakly.

“Giving up on me so easy, Rogers?” Your voice is weak, but Steve smiles. 

“You heard that, huh?” his eyes soften. He was worried about you too. “Good to have you back, Honey.” You turn your attention back to Bucky, who’s taken to running his fingers through your hair.

“Bucky, I–”

“Don’t, please.” He hangs his head. “My actions are what landed you here, and psychotic ex-coworkers aside, how I treated you was unacceptable. I can arrange for a different guard for you if you’d like to stay in the safehouse. I can–” you cut him off by pressing your lips to his. Bucky falters for just a moment, then melts into your touch. 

“We can talk about that later, Buck. You came for me . . . I didn’t know if–”

“I’m always going to come for you, Doll. Don’t ever doubt that. I love you, and I was too stubborn to admit it sooner. From now on, no more kidnappings, no more fights to the death in a basement.”

“Damn,” you mused. “Just when I was starting to get the hang of this mob thing, too.” Bucky laughed. The sound rang in your ears and your heart soared. You loved that sound so much. “I love you, too, Barnes. . .” you whisper as he stands up, lifting you along with him. Bucky touches his forehead to yours, placing a tender kiss on your lips.

“C’mon, Doll, let’s go home.”

Series Tag List: @vbecker10 @caritobbg @the-chocoholic-writer @waywardcrow @aestheticanimegirl15 @prettylittlepluviophile @thomase1 @magnificentgalaxysandwich @vickie5446 @waywardcrow

[danpuff-ao3]

9, 10, and 19 for Snape asks? :)

Hello, friend!! Thanks for the asks!

9.) What are your personal headcanons on Snape's diet and favourite foods?

Oooh! Food, my favorite subject!

This one is...complicated. I don't think he eats enough. And when he does eat, it's very "food is fuel." Also: I love to think that he can't cook to save his life. Potions? Yes. Cooking? No. (I also headcanon Harry being the opposite: Potions? No. Cooking? Yes.)

It begins at home, where there was never quite enough. Too poor for much. Watching his mother go without some nights just to feed him. Listening to his parents fight. Then at Hogwarts, mealtimes were crowded and loud. Too many people, too many opportunities for trouble. Too much teasing when bypassing Marauders. Too much politicking among the Slytherins. Just another social situation he couldn't navigate.

After...Well, who has the time to eat? Spying and teaching and researching. And even when it's not by necessity, I can see him getting caught up in one obsession or the next and time slipping him by. I think a lot of his personal needs fall by the wayside, caught up as he can get. And there's an unhealthy sort of pleasure in those moments, that he was so caught up in a passion project that he forgot to eat, rather than being unable to due to other obligations (or a lack of resources.)

Due to his upbringing, though, I see him keeping supplies around. Always with a snack at his desk, his bedside, the laboratory. Nutrient dense, of course.

For all that he can't, and doesn't prioritize it, food can be a luxury. He is a man of the senses. And I think he craves fine things. One exceptional meal is an experience.

So when he and Harry finally get together and Harry cooks up a storm, Severus will be quite spoiled! Harry will cook every night and eventually drag him to dinners at the Burrow. Harry and Molly both will fuss at him to eat more. He'll snark back at them, both offended by the critique, and warmed by their care. When Severus is neck deep in a new project, Harry will bring food to him and prompt him to eat. Eat now, Severus. Look, it's finger food, you can multitask!! Either he grumbles at the distraction, or Harry does it just right and Severus gobbles it up without realizing he's doing it.

Food was scarce, once. Then it was fuel, and obligation. Another task on his never ending checklist. It was a fine luxury, when he was lucky. And one day, food becomes love.

As for specifics, I generally don't see him having much of a sweet tooth. Dark chocolate and red wine as a special treat. He's not super picky, but he likes warm and hearty meals. And really simple, fresh foods, too.

And because to fanfiction, I can't shake the feeling that he has a very specific and deep love for cherries (Civil War series by Sushi) and black sesame ice cream (The Sword of Slytherin by vissy.)

10.) Do you think Snape's character has changed the way you think/feel about others?

Eh...not so much changed, but informed maybe. The first book was published when I was 5. I don't remember life before loving Severus Snape, really. I have always been a big fan!

From the start, he was complicated. He was the mean teacher. He was painted to be the bad guy, only he wasn't, really. There was always more than met the eye.

My first love was this very morally gray character, and that bled into all else, maybe. There is good in everyone, and bad in everyone. You can't judge a book by its cover. Etcetera, etcetera. It's hard to say for sure, since I was introduced to him so young, but...Well, surely it's left some impact, aside from this deep obsession and adoration with the man haha!

19.) According to you, what is Snape's biggest flaw?

Pffff. What flaws?

Just kidding. Y'all know I have a great passion for flawed characters!

This man is chock full of flaws, and that's why I love him. But the biggest flaw? Maybe his bitterness -- scratch that, it's his obsessiveness. I was going to touch on this after, but I think his obsessiveness can take the blame for a lot, including his bitterness.

Too wrapped up in people, in a cause, in projects. He doesn't know how to let things go. He's bitter, yeah, and there are reasons for that. But how can he work through anything when his obsessive mind won't loosen its grip?

The worst is the good that comes from it. The high of being caught up in his passions. The usefulness it provides, when he pushes forward, and drives himself to the brink for the sake of accomplishment.

He's stubborn. He's angry. He's depressed. He's dedicated. He's full force ahead. He's undying love. And all of it, the good and the bad, will tear him apart. His intensity wards people off. And anyone daring to get close will be steadily driven off by his darkness. He's too much for other people. And too much for himself.

Thankfully for us all, Harry can handle him.

Aaaand that's how you link every question back to Snarry. You're welcome. =D

Snape asks

answered: 22, 25, 27; 43, 45, 49; 6, 14, 26; 7, 11; 50, 2; 9, 10, 19

[brookeissick]

the majority of us are always told to trust medical professionals. that 99% of the time, the doctors have the answers, and if not, they'll work tirelessly to find a reason for your symptoms. that they prioritize your pain, that they are trained to approach any potentially triggering conversations with poise and compassion.

that describes nearly all nurses, doctors, specialists, etc. but what about the .1%?

growing up, my doctor's visits were unremarkable, for the most part. when I had 4 endoscopies in one year at age 8, the pediatricians comforted my anxious mother and played my favorite movies while i waited for the procedure. something that would be rightfully scary to a little kid was only a slightly uncomfortable experience.

any issue i had was met with kindness and swift action from every doctor i had seen.

until my last two appointments. it was my first appointment by myself and threw my college health services. after reaching a third month with no menstrual cycle, i decided to find some answers.

i was repeatedly interrogated about my sexual activity after i had made it abundantly clear that there was no possible way i could be pregnant. it was obvious that she did not believe me (fair enough given my school's reputation) and i had no qualms about taking a test. however, she would to accept any other explanation as to why i lost it.

she also, without explanation, ordered a plethora of labs that required bloodwork. despite my fear of needles, i trusted her.

the following week at a check up, i was (surprise, surprise) not pregnant. yet, she remained utterly convinced that i was. i gave another urine sample, which was, again, negative.

she then pulled up a chart she had found on google, no not from a medical journal, but a literal infographic on google images that listed some of the reasons for menstrual loss.

when she got to "weight loss," she said, "yep, your weight is fine, you seem well-fed and well-nourished." my blood ran cold. my bmi at that time fell into the "severe" category for anorexia nervosa. all of my ribs and a gruesome outline of my spine were visible.

instantly, i was back at home, listening to my mother go on another tirade of how "fat" i was. that i was making of mockery of people who "actually suffered." I was in the kitchen hearing my stepfather's surprise and disappointment over how large my plate was.

i had never felt more invalidated than hearing a medical professional telling me my weight was "fine." it squashed any hopes i had for recovery and kickstarted the worst spiral i've ever had and am still currently in.

if that wasn't enough, she insisted that she would administer a blood pregnancy test right there. after trying to stick me twice with no luck, she stormed out of the room and two nurses had to draw my blood. it was stick 5 by the time we hit a successful vein. at that point i was silently crying and holding one of the nurses hands. I was left with giant, painful bruises on both arms that lasted days.

the doctor never came back. she did refer me to an obgyn and diagnosed me with generalized hair loss (???).

i never made it to the obgyn. in fact, every cell in my body is telling me to never see a doctor again. that i am faking a disorder that has ravaged my life for over five years. that i am not sick enough, until i loss X amount of weight, reach X bmi, restrict X amount of calories.

even now, i still can't bring myself to call what i experienced medical trauma, even though it's given me such a deep fear of doctors and pushed me to worst of my eating disorder.

[ohheyitsokay]

fear

pairing: Din Djarin (the Mandalorian) x reader

wordcount:2.6k

warnings: allusions to unhealthy views of relationships, angst with a happy ending? mostly fluffy, you guys know me by now

summary: you had always been told that power brought destruction. why wouldn’t you be afraid of the most powerful man you’d ever met? 

>>

“Wait, Mandalorian,” you called, voice trembling - but gratitude was more powerful than fear. He didn’t stop trudging through the outskirts of your little town, steady, as though he hadn’t heard you.

“Please,” you tried again, a touch annoyed that he was making you chase after him, and the warrior mercifully slowed to a stop. He did not turn around, he was not that polite, but his helmet did shift, and that was enough to give you the courage you needed.

You averted your eyes as you placed yourself in front of him, but stared at his knees with determination as you held out your arms, gift light in weight and heavy in value.

“I know you said you would not take extra payment, but you need this, and we will no accept no for an answer.” You had rehearsed the words with every step you’d taken towards his back, but still they came out unsteady.

“No,” he said, and you almost imagined laughter in his voice, but it was not mocking, and it pierced through your hesitation.

Sand ground against his feet as he went to move, and again under yours as you dug in your heels, venturing to look the mask full on.

“Please reconsider – it is a med kit with high quality bacta tools.” You tried to look as confident as you felt.

The Mandalorian's helmet tilted at you again, as he said, “What?”

Finally you had his full attention.

“My family, harvests from destroyed med droids sometimes, to get supplies, and we’ve got a lot of it saved up now.” Resolve was heavy in you, sinking your feet even deeper, willing you to stay in his way. “We owe you a great debt; this is a more honest gratitude than credits.” Something told you that your eyes had found his, through the T of his visor.

“If not for you, then for the little one,” you added, quieter, not that he couldn’t use it himself. After freeing your town more or less by accident, he was covered in scrapes and bruises in between the beskar. This gift was invaluable for bringing him back home in one piece.

Slowly, thoughtfully, he took it, his gloved hands surprisingly gentle. The air was suddenly awkward, and you worried briefly thay you had somehow insulted him.

“Thank you,” he said, and if you didn’t know better, his tone was almost bashful.

“Thank you,” you replied, smiling at him, before you remembered to be demure, and you ran off, heart racing.

His gaze might have followed you, if the hairs on the back of your neck were any indication, but you didn’t look back until you ducked into your building. The feeling returned – of meeting his eyes – and then he was turning away and you were alone.

You had your own home, made of smooth clay and filled with repurposed objects and materials. Chairs made from old racing bike seats and a bed full of scraps of fabric. You sunk into your favorite corner – your workbench and table. Piles of broken droid pieces were in a relatively organized pile nearby, and you grabbed one and began gently disassembling it. Soft clinks and the gentle squeaks of metal were music to your ears, even though you didn’t know anything about the mechanics, you loved the process of finding beautiful things in the chaos of wires and washers.

“Your family, huh?” the voice was low and amused, with a touch of something lighter, almost nervous?

The Mandalorian was at your door, curtain pushed aside to make room for his large frame. The grease stains on your hands became incredibly interesting as you shrugged, confused as to why he was here, in your home? Wasn’t he leaving not so long ago?

“I am my own family,” you tried to laugh, the awkwardness from before returning.

“Why are you… is there… do you need…?” you felt flustered, not wanting to offend him but trying to ask what in the world was happening.

“Would you want to come with me?” his words came out quickly, rushed and little too loud. Instinctively, you flinched, before even fully processing his question.

“What?” you looked more towards him, his movements seemed irritated as he looked away.

“I looked at the medkit and I don’t know half of what’s in it. I need some help anyway, with the kid, and,” he gestured noncommittally to the room and you understood.

“Okay,” you said. He was right, this was barely a home. And after all he’d done for the town, the least you could do was help him out for awhile.

For all he was covered head to toe, he still looked startled. But he nodded, curtly and walked back out the door.

You scrambled to shove your own stock of things into a bag and ran after him, feet thumping in the sand, mind racing.

-

Traveling with the Mandalorian was … not what you expected.

When he has first appeared in your town and you had beheld him, with his armor and weapons and swirling cape, you thought to yourself, this man is like a summer storm. Powerful, destructive, and beautiful from a distance. If you got to close you would be overwhelmed with him, his life, and there would be little room for survivors.

You were in awe of him, but afraid.

Apparently, not so afraid as to follow it, but you waited for it to hit you, tear your apart, and leave you in pieces.

You thought it would come on his next outing to find work, as his contact scoffed at your presence, but it didn’t.

Then maybe, it would come after the second mission, when it had come sooner than expected and you’d been there, improvising against his orders trying to keep you all alive. It didn’t then, either.

Long nights were spent, talking quietly, and you would show him how to use the creams and the sprays to heal himself, and you waited. The longer it took, the more sure you were that it was building, behind the armor, and he would grow sick of you, sick of your questions and touches and presence.

It was almost cruel, that you couldn’t find any evidence of it building, somewhere, anywhere. You had been told your whole life that a man like him would hurt you. You had even seen it, time and time again, and the images haunted you. It was unfair that you got all those wonderful moments with him first. Moments when he would get excited and eager and awkward at your kindness, or when he would open up with halting, thoughtful phrases, or when he would prioritize your safety, even over his own. Because how could you have those moments, and still survive when they were inevitably taken from you?

Maybe the waiting was the storm, because it was consuming you.

You found him in the cockpit, hating that you had a chair of your own to sink into.

“I think I should go home,” you whispered, fixing your gaze on the stars. He turned to look at you; you didn’t have to see it to know. The silence was loud and you felt the first tremble in your hands. Maybe asking would be the final straw?

“I don’t understand,” he said, carefully, and you heard the confusion in his voice and to your surprise, a touch of hurt.

“I…” you hadn’t prepared for this part. The words came more honestly than you intended, “I am afraid.”

Once, Din had seen a spaceship torn apart midflight. It cracked open at the same time as it caved in on itself.

That was how he felt, hearing those quite words, out of the mouth of his companion.

His voice was broken in a way that he could not blame on the helmet.

“Of me, cyar'ika?”

You took so long to answer, hope and fear pooled together blending in his chest. It was hard to think, hard to sit side by side suspended in the sky and to think.

“Of what you must be,” finally you admitted. A little more hope dripped in. Din thought he must be almost nothing. Other than his creed, and his role as the little ones buir, he could – would – be anything he wanted.

“What must I be?” he asked, and you seemed frustrated, like it was unfair that he didn’t already know.

“You are a warrior – strong and powerful and…” you swallowed, trying to sound matter-of-fact. “And those who are like that tire of those who are like me. And when you do, it will hurt.”

His gloved hands slid over the plates on his thighs, almost dancing with thought.

“Have I shown you that I tire of you?” he asked, and you had to close your eyes, searching, almost desperately, for a single time that he had.

Your “No,” was barely audible.

“That’s because I have not,” he answered almost as quietly. “I will not.”

The certainty, the fear, built up for years and years of warnings and reminders, was slipping through your fingers, and his hand was filling them. It sent a shock through you, but you didn’t push him away.

Suddenly you realized that you could’ve, that he would have let you – and another shock came.

Even through the glove, his hand was warm, and for the first time you allowed yourself to acknowledge to yourself that it was gentle.

“Are you tired of me?” he asked and the question sunk into your soul. He was the strongest man you’d ever met, capable of destroying everything in his path. He was holding your hand, asking for permission to keep you by his side.

This “No,” was louder, more resolute.

“Then this is your home,” he said, with even more determination. “And I will protect you.”

For the first time, you felt like you were seeing and hearing him clearly, fully. Not as you had been told to, but as he actually was. Even the unsaid words were clear.

The Mandalorian would not hurt you.

It would take time to unlearn, but you took a deep breath, and held onto his hand, and let a little bit of your fear go. It made room for something else, in your heart, something better.

Din felt it too, and his own resolve strengthened. He could show you – those people existed, but he, with you, would not be one of them. Even more than that, he wanted to be your comfort. It would take time, too, but now, at least he had that.

-

He didnt even need to say anything, only shoot you a look, and you knew. Under the helmet his face was surely as panicked as yours, and fast as a blaster shot you were on a bike, child tucked into your chest, racing away.

There had been local festival and you all had been excited after finishing a job, too intoxicated by the easy victory to remember the price it came with. You shouldn've known better - gotten out while you were ahead, but now that didnt matter because sharp, electric objects were flying past your head and wind was whipping in your hair and you were scared.

The Crest was barely within reach, you knew that, unable to stop desperately checking the fuel on the bike. The attacks were slowing and you tore your gaze up to look for Din, willing him to be close. It was getting cooler, both suns dipping towards the horizon and all you wanted to do was get out of range, get to the Crest, all safe.

You felt a prickle on the back of your neck, and before you registered that it wasn't warm and inviting, you were face to mask with someone as covered as the a man you wanted, but who was far, far worse.

Everything was a blur. There was sharp pain on your back and your thighs tensed, gripping the bike and the child and shooting your blaster for all you were worth. The ship was in sight, and then you were on it, and the door was closing and you hadn't been sure you were breathing but you couldnt start yet because it wasnt over.

Pain was radiating from your back and there was boom and bangs of fists and weapons on the shell of the ship and most importantly, Din was not back yet.

You blindly slapped a healing patch onto yourself before lowering yourself into the darkest corner of the ship, the child still close to your pounding heart. Your tried to focus on the sounds of the machines around you, tried to remind yourself that you had healing tools in case... in case he needed them. The thing about safe spaces is that they never overlapped with the ones that let you see what was going on, which only amplified your terror.

Maker, you didnt know why you were so scared but when you heard familiar footsteps and shining beskar came into view, the relief you felt was overwhelming. You breathed again.

It felt like there should have been a light show or a musical fanfare, how free you suddenly felt, it was a new and bizarre sensation but nothing... happened.

And then you realized.

"You are okay," he breathed, almost disbelieving, as the two of you stood, soaking in each other's miraculously living presence. There was a tightness to his posture, stress visible in his frame.

His breathing was ragged, cracking through the helmet, but he turned and out of habit you both moved away, remembering the danger just outside.

Your mind was racing as your forced yourself to set up everything properly, make sure the child was safely tucked away and the ship was secure and ready to fly. Feeling liftoff sent another wave of relief and shock through you, and your feet carried you up, up and around to the cockpit to find Din. By the time you reached him, the Crest was sailing through the stars, and the air in the cockpit matched that of before. Your hands had found the medkit you'd given him, all those months ago, updated by you regularly, and you held it out to him, almost in a trance.

Din took it before setting it aside, and turning to you. His arms opened, feeling suddenly vulnerable, in an action he'd never really done before.

You took his offer without hesitation, sinking into his arms, ignoring the rough edges of the beskar. It was one thing, to see him be gentle when it was a quiet night, and another entirely when intensity and his own fear and anger had been running high. It gave you the final note of bravery you needed to profess your realization.

"You make me feel safe, Din," you whispered into the cloth around his neck. One of his hands found the patch you'd put on, fingers barely tracing its edges.

"I do?" If possible, his voice was even more ragged than before.

You nodded, knowing he would feel it, and unable to say more.

After long, exposed moments, there was a shift and you both moved to sit in your respective chairs, not fully able to look at each other just yet. You wondered if his face felt as warm as yours did, or if he could feel the ghost of the shape of you, as his lingered on your skin.

The silence was comfortable, but still he asked, "Are you still afraid?" And you pondered the question, reflecting on all the little moments you had waited for the hurt to come, and it hadn't. The moments he protected you from them, as he had today.

"Less and less," you said eventually, relishing the honesty on your tongue.

Din reached over and took your hand again.

<<

Taglist:

@fangirl-316 @scribbledghost

[science-lings]

BOTW/ Linked Universe Fic WIP’s

THIS POST IS OUT OF DATE AND INACCURATE, THE CURRENT ONE IS PINNED ON MY BLOG

Of Dubious Sophistication: 2/? posted chapters, Wild meets the chain on a day where he has to act like a person and decides to fuck with their misconceptions of him.

The Silence of the Knight: BOTW pre-calamity fic that’s mostly an introspective fic about why Link went silent and how everyone around him reacts to his lack of outward emotions. I just saw the concept of people seeing him as not quite human because of his refusal to show any emotions and wanting to catch a glimpse of how/ if he reacts when tragedy strikes, just to see if he has the ability to feel anything at all.

Unpublished fics under the cut, please let me know if any of them interest you so I can prioritize what I should focus on writing!

Free to Hide: Zelda and Link attend a festival in disguises unbeknownst to each other and they end up spending the whole time together without knowing that there are eyes in the darkness watching them. Spy thriller/ romcom vibes. Also there’s gender stuff because Link wears a dress and Zelda is almost exclusively referred to with neutral pronouns. 

The Last Champion: Wild gets all the champions abilities after their spirits move on, but in a more similar way to how they used them, mostly just Hyrule and him becoming magic buddies and Wild learns how to use his new magic abilities. 

Between the Doors of Death: A mix of both LU and BOTW as it takes place while Wild is dead and he hangs out with his ghostly incarnations and dead family members. Lot’s of family headcanons and an appearance from the 10k hero. 

No Goodbye is Forever: How the last day with the chain happens and everything after. Meeting up in the afterlife and a little bit of keeping Wild company during BOTW2. 

Another Second Chance: classic Wild gets pulled into the AOC timeline and is tasked to help prevent the calamity. But he looks different enough from his counterpart that he doesn’t reveal his true identity. He accidentally parallels Astor in the whole mysterious sorcerer/ seer vibes as he both knows the future and popped out of nowhere in a dramatic cape and ancient technology. Lots of interaction between Wild and the champions and there is both angst and hijinks. There’s also stuff about the new champions as most of it follows the plot of AOC. Also Wolfie is there because I thought it would be funny for him to bop around the baby egg guardian.

Tainted Blood: Time, Twilight, and Wild are related. How they find out and how the magic that they used affects the bloodline. Malon as Malanya because I love the idea that she just turns into an eccentric horse god and was waiting for a child she had already met. 

Son of the Storm: BOTW fic centered around Urbosa and Link because I love her and her mom energy is perfect. Definitely some gender stuff and found family vibes. Link deserves a mom and Urbosa saw this short blond child and didn’t even ask if anyone else was going to adopt him she just did it. 

The Cruelty of Destiny: BOTW Fem!Link fic focused on how being the first female incarnation of the Heroes Spirit would be treated with a little bit of Zelink as forbidden fantasy lesbians. Link is angry and all of her past lives are just as pissed as she is. She’s seen as a harbinger of the calamity rather than the hero sent to stop it. And she’s seen as a mistake of the goddess and proof that the 10,000 years of peace was now at an end. General woman problems you know?

Hylia’s Chosen Children: BOTW Link and Zelda catch up on being shitty kids after the Calamity and preparing for it stole their childhoods from them. Pure fluff, let them be kids please. Lots of pranks and sleepovers with Riju and stuff like that. They’re both trying to learn how to be regular people without absolutely massive responsibilities. 

The Bloodline of the Wolf: Similar to the one before as it’s focused on Time, Twilight, and Wild and how they’re biologically related but this one is more about their canon relationships and answering questions that the comic gave me. Like why only Twilight and Time know about Wild’s memories despite how we are to assume that the entire chain kind of came together at once, why them and all that. 

When You Can’t Die: Wild and his strange relationship with death, as someone who has been resurrected countless times and literally cannot die. He still has the champions abilities and kind of forgets that it is very much not normal to die as much as he does. 

What was Killed for Good: Wild and his struggle to be human, the shrine took more from him than his memories and replaced them with something else. He’s just very odd and the people around him notice more than he does. He doesn’t know what’s normal and he feels alienated because of how people react to him. He just wants to vibe in the woods and ride bears. 

Breaking, Broken: You know how all the weapons in BOTW break and it’s super annoying? What if that was a curse and also applied to people? Anyway, Wild is touch starved and desperate not to accidentally hurt his friends. Fortunately, magic has loopholes. 

A Strange Kind of Self Reflection: Wild has identity issues and gets stuck in beast form after catching Twilight’s Shadow crystal. I have the perfect idea for what animal he would be and you guys are not ready.

The Heroes Before: Pre-Calamity Link learns about his predecessors through artifacts and very old records in his attempt to prepare for Ganon’s return. 

Damaged: Literally every Link is a little fucked up and this fic is an exploration about how it manifests. 

Some Kind of Sauce: Wild Genderfluid fic featuring Lullaby/Sheik and sexism. 

Age of Heroes: AOC but with the entire chain, idk, I don’t have much for this one other than wanting to have my own take on the trope. 

Untitled fics ideas:

Modern with magic AU

Pride fic

Gerudo Town fic

Masquerade Ball fic

Soulmate/ Soulmark fic

Cursed Animal fic

Superhero AU

Once Upon a Time AU (mostly in the way that it’s a mixture of a modern au and a fantasy world kind of thing)

Indiana Jones/ the Mummy AU: Zelink but Zelda is an archeologist and Link is an Adventurer/ Explorer type and they need each other but go from reluctant allies to lovers due to plot

BOTW roleswap AU: Prince Link and Champion Zelda, maybe I’ll add some trans vibes but who knows, not me

[anxiousnerdwritings]

hiya! it's me, the one and only knull anon!! ik you arent currently accepting requests or asks, and that's fine, but I recently written something for LexLuthor and I though I should share. this ask is in no way telling you to start posting again, or anything of the sort. remeber, mental health is always the most important thing! but I was thinking of you today and I was hoping you were doing good. so hopefully this piece will help improve your mood. again, you dont have to awnser this at all rn, only when you feel better!

ps, this has been spell checked by google so that's why it uppercase lol

~~~~~~

"How long do I have to wear this dress?"

"As long as the gala goes on, ___"

"Just call it a fancy party, or a luxurious gathering since its you-"

"Oh, do not get smart with me, ____"

Pulling at the top of your dress, you tried to loosen up the tightness of the neck area. It felt like a noose to you. Fortunately, the fabric was soft, extremely luxurious, and it covered every part of your body, excluding your hands and head.

Lex, on the other hand, was in some kind of fancy suit, that looked more expensive than the carpet in his penthouse. And his carpet was more expensive then your phone bill. Well, when you had a phone.

You didn't remember when he had found you, but you remember before. At least, bits and pieces of it. A home in a suburban neighborhood, a mom and a dad, a normal looking life for a kid like you. However, after a few months ago, it was far from normal.

You were given the finest things people would want in life, in return for… hanging out with lex luthor. It sounded weird at first, but you soon realized it wasn't a joke.

You werent treated as a prostitute, and not as a lover either: you weren't even legal. If you had to guess the relationship between you and Lex, it would have to be a father and daughter kind of relationship. Which also could explain why he wanted you to call him dad.

Back to this "gala", Lex actually would ban you from going to any party at all and left you with guards at all parts of the penthouse you were stationed at, sometimes even leaving you with Mercy. 

You didn't really know why he was letting you go out to this gala, but you had a few ideas. For starters, this gala was not just for anyone, it was for extremely rich people who had nothing better to do then sit around in a room. Which also explained the reason why everything looked the price of a liver.

Another possible reason was that a close colleague of your "dad" had seen you walking around in the penthouse. You never saw who it was but Lex advised you to stay out of sight when people were visiting.

Fortunately he didn't get as mad as you expected him to which was a good thing to be honest. He wasn't the type to tell you, more just reprimand you in a voice that just spelt disappointment. 

Anyway. It wasn't good to think of when he was angry with you. Right now you had to focus on the people who were trying to figure out who you were. 

Sticking close to Lex was easy, since he was 6 feet tall. Easily. And the fact that people wouldn't approach you when you were next to him. Only the people who you actually recognized either from voice or appearance were brave enough to even look in your direction.

The night was almost over when a man approached the two of you. At this point your feet were getting sore and when you asked Mercy for the time, she responded that it was almost 12: lex would definitely send you to bed as soon as you got home again. 

However, the man who approached the two of you was familiar. It only took a few seconds of going through your memories and seeing Lexs face turn to slight annoyance to realize this was Bruce Wayne.

He walked up to the two of you and smiled down at you. 

"Well, I didnt know Lex had a child. What is your name?"

You were about to respond when Lex interrupted you. "Their name is ____. And unfortunately, we were just about to leave. I hope that whatever you were going to ask can wait until later?"

Wayne's smile faltered a little, before it turned neutral. "Unfortunately, no, but it is a quick question. And one that I need to speak with you in private?" He looked at you, before speaking again, "No harm meant."

You were about to respond again, when Lex motioned to Mercy. "Mercy, could you take ____ back to the limo? I will be just a moment- oh, and do not let her out of your sight."

Mercy nodded, and taking your hand, she led you back to the elevator where the entrance was. All while everyone was focused on the two of you.

Wayne was the first to speak. "Shes not yours, is she?"

"____ is my daughter, and I hope you would have the decency to not spew this to the media. You dont seem the type of man to feed the media with info, especially not of a, young girl."

Wayne looked offended, and didnt even try to hide it in his face. "No. If anything, I was wondering why you, of all people, would be taking care of a child."

Lex did not seem offended. "Oh, but you have so many children, I thought it was a necessity." Lex leaned in a little towards Wayne and whispered, "And to be quite honest with you, it is none of your concern."

Wayne simply glared at Luthor before Lex started moving away from Wayne. 

"Well, I'm sorry to say but I believe I've kept ____ waiting for long enough. I'm afraid I must go."

He didnt wait for Wayne to say anything he simply stormed off to the elevator and left.

Wayne did nothing but walk over to the windows, where he was able to get a clear view of Mercy holding your forearm and opening the limo door while a few more guards stood near you. Lex appeared soon after with his own guards and ushered you in the car. 

Lifting his hand towards his ear, he commed his own children.

Whispering, he said "All of you better be following that limo when I get down there."

He heard Dick chuckle. "Oh, dont worry Bruce. I think the 4 trackers on that thing will be enough."

Bruce didnt say anything as he watched the limo drive off into the distance. Figuring it was time to dip, he left his wine glass empty at a table and left the room, and trying to figure out who was the strange girl he had just met.

~~~~~~

oof so now as I paste this here from google docs I feel like an asshole by sending you this so I just want to remind you that you can awnser this whenever you want! I might send in some more in the future but I want you to prioritize mental health over tumblr! your health matter, both physically and mentally! and dont forget it! with lots of love,

- knull anon

Sorry I didn’t see this sooner! This is really good!💖💕 I love the idea of Lex Luther and Bruce Wayne beefing over poor Reader. Having two extremely rich, intelligent and determined people duke it out just appeals to me for some reason.

Don’t feel bad, thank you for sending this in while I was gone🥰💚. It was nice.

[mudzdale]

u kno what screw it. nuzleaf supermysterydungeon hc timeline

-seedot leaves home and evolves into nuzleaf (around 18 yrs old equivalent). home is where he picked up his southern mannerisms and upbringing, which stick to him like glue despite the extensive travels and experiences he accumulates through his life

-spends ~15 years travelling the world

-encounters dark matter in an evil forest. details unclear but it’s because he opted to delve deeper into what was already a pretty ill-advised exploration to begin with

-agrees to partnership (read: yields to possession) with dark matter, having been promised power, influence, and respect, and they begin to travel the world with nuzleaf as a vessel

-dm already has a few full vessels, including yveltal, but dm and nuzleaf vibe the best. nuzleaf is given responsibility for many of dm's errands

-they encounter and recruit the beheeyem at some point, who become favored vessels due to their preexisting teamwork and psychic power. they were also a voluntary possession, although theyre not as ambitious. they prioritize the safety of their trio

-when a vessel is possessed by dm, they experience the voidlands for themselves--not sent there through being turned to stone, but thru visions such as nightmares, etc. dm uses this as leverage, to threaten its vessels with what will happen if they step out of line, but also to just. make em upset. fuel the stone-making rampage with bad vibes

-anyways. dm at this point is aware of mew having been reborn ~10 years ago, and with more of its plans coming into place, it wants to start tracking down the child heroes. it has nothing on the status of the human hero at this point

-nuzleaf tracks mew to serene village relatively quickly, but doesnt make his presence known

-having ‘secured’ mew’s location, the vessels of dm begin a globetrotting search for the human child, who they assume to be reincarnated as an infant the same way mew was

-dm eventually connects the dots and figures if mew ~just happened~ to wind up next to the sacred spring, the human likely will as well

-about 2 years have passed since dm came into the picture? it has also been recruiting a few more vessels during this time

-nuzleaf returns to serene village and sets up shop, establishing his presence as a villager, while the beheeyem orbit nearby, selecting a mountain cave to settle in (much like their old home)

-nuzleaf and the beheeyem begin to roll out on extensive forays, scouting the world around serene village for signs of the human hero

-it is on one of these scouting trips that they encounter a young pokemon, far from civilization and indeed any other living creatures, close to a small waterfall

-the human child has only partial amnesia at the time, and knows about the purpose to their reincarnation--they have only been recently recreated as a pokemon, at the top of a nearby mountain, and experienced no childhood like mew did. they retain much knowledge and maturity from their past life

-when approached by nuzleaf and co, they all kind of recognize one another--nuzleaf knows this is their missing puzzle piece, and the human can pretty quickly attribute the group’s suspicious behavior to dark matter

-dm/nuzleaf's intentions are to overpower the hero and schlep them up to revelation mountain asap, securing the goods for a fast and hard takeover. the dm gang and hero get into a scuffle over this

-beheeyem's psychic blast renders the hero truly amnesiac this time (although their personality remains largely untouched)

-nuzleaf's mind has been largely overshadowed by dm through this entire process, but upon the beheeyem’s report of amnesia, a moment of "good" nuzleaf shines through, and he decides to take the hero under his wing instead. dm is amenable to this plan, because drawing out its takeover over a length of time will generate more negative emotion from across the world, adding to its collective power

-end scene. script continues on as usual, nuzleaf gets left by dm to largely keep living pretty normally. nuzleaf is willfully ignorant of his growing attachment to the child, believing he is just secure in the knowledge on having an important asset in hand (when in fact hes happy to have this new family member. hes Soft)

-sometimes dm's presence grows heavy in his mind, affecting his mood and opinion of the child sourly (not that they ever know, he is very good at hiding this). "good” nuzleaf is largely content with this lifestyle however

-although hero and partner's departure to lively town was not met with utmost delight on his part, nuzleaf ultimately welcomed their absence as it made his errands for dm MUCH easier. less sneaking around to do, and allowed him to lay a trap at revelation mountain

-at this stage, different vessels were tending to turning to stone various pokemon across the world, especially the big hundos like legendaries (latias and latios, for instance, were attacked by fast-flying vessels). nuzleaf is set on the very precise tasks of setting up their fall guy(s) and ensuring hero stays within reach

-although nuzleaf orchestrated that krookodile's rampage to serene village would attract the attention of the expedition society, it was a coincidence that hero/partner were on the pursuit team. he intended to run to lively town and fetch them himself if necessary, crying havoc

-after the pursuit team get stone'd, nuzleaf and yveltal storm serene village, before collecting the beheeyem and moving on to lively town. they continue to work and hit established communities while hero and partner are in the voidlands, although yveltal takes its leave sometime during that to start attacking more big hundos

-espurr is caught right before nuzleaf and co storm the village, hiding in the bushes atop the mountain. nuzleaf doesnt initially expect to recruit her, but dm suggested her powers might be of benefit, given that the other beheeyem might have their hands full. he doesnt have to do much threatening before espurr keys in and agrees

-espurr and the "manipulation" of the expedition society are nuzleaf's jurisdiction as well, assisted by the beheeyem

-its during this period that the turncoat beheeyem starts showing hesitation. nuzleaf is on it like a fly on doodoo but obv hides it perfectly. starts laying the prehistoric ruins trap

-its not just dm speaking when they spring the prehistoric ruins trap--nuzleaf is exposing how he’s the kind of person who might agree to a partnership with dark matter in the first place. that said, hes not intrinsically THAT mean, and his evil factor is REALLY amped up by the possession. but its still largely nuzleaf in the driver’s seat at this point

-again back to the script. dm tosses its vessels around where they need to be, up until it fully takes over their minds and has them fight hero and co. after their defeat, dm is (temporarily) kicked out of their brains. its PIIIISSED about this and whisks the vessels into the tree of life for what essentially will be a slow and painful death, which is of course subverted by the heroes

-yveltal warps the vessel crew to the bottom of the tree of life, seeking oxygen, where the group stops to decide whether to take action or just give up. most are inclined to the latter, but nuzleaf is determined to go back and help the heroes until dm stops him directly. the others come around to his point of view, and yveltal returns them to the top of the tree

-with dm fully out of his mind now, nuzleaf is real sorry :( distracting the enemy from his kid for even one moment was worth a thousand ends in the voidlands to him

-after dm’s defeat, nuzleaf and co find themselves returning to consciousness in the forest, not far from where the heroes are similarly recovering. before they can get their bearings, arceus slips quietly out of the woods, escorting yveltal away with it for a Very Long Talk. the rest of the crew are scared out of their minds, but in an act of forgiveness, arceus refrains from passing Judgement on them

-with yveltal indisposed, the vessels are again left to follow nuzleaf’s guidance. they find the restored turncoat beheeyem and make up with one another, and decide to quietly withdraw and see what they can do to make up for their sins

-after apologizing to serene village and associated victims, nuzleaf roughs it in the wilderness for a bit, declining the beheeyem’s invitation to their mountain cave. he wants some time to himself (in fact the first he’s had since he encountered dm in the woods, so long ago). he orbits close to the village, however, seeking a glimpse of the hero

-after learning of the partner/mew’s disappearance through the serene village grapevine, nuzleaf vows to do whatever is necessary to help his kid, however he can. the beheeyem are of a similar mind. they get in touch with the expedition society asap

-follow script, etc etc. nuzleaf’s natural stealthiness is of benefit when it becomes necessary to track the hero’s movements

-after the partner is restored, the beheeyem return to their mountain home again, deciding amongst themselves what their next move will be. nuzleaf tries to leave serene village for good, having done his bit, and wanting to spare the hero any further angst regarding his presence. however, the hero stops him and convinces him to stay and recreate their little family home, which nuzleaf accepts

-partner and the hero return to the expedition society for a couple of years, conducting explorations and making frequent visits home. mawile comes up with the idea to plant an expedition society branch on revelation mountain, after she discovers that not only has the sacred spring not lost its power, but that the luminous water there is slowly returning. the site is marked a protected location, and the child heroes are put in charge of the new branch

-the beheeyem, the other village children, and the heroes’ parents are among those recruited to the new branch. the beheeyem handle most of the admin work, and the schoolchildren embark on a variety of explorations as they grow up, travelling between the city and village locations

-hero and partner more often than not form an exploration team with their dads, making a four-person expedition group that goes out for long expeditions. the kids are able to experience more quality time with their parents, carracosta can spend time protecting his child, and nuzleaf can sate his wanderlust without abandoning the ones he loves. its a solution that keeps everybody happy

-and they all live happily ever after :)

[uwuwriting]

Moments in the life of Y/N L/N

Okay this is LONG. I kid you not it took me like a week to write and I’m so proud of it. It’s a Shirakumo x Reader fic but Shirakumo makes a cameo like three times??? Yall seemed to like the hc with his daughter so here is a some insight in her life and the reader’s. Love yaa. 💖💖💖

rules

warning: blood, description of injuries, angst, mentions of death and unplanned pregnancy, some fluff here and there.

Age 17

They were dancing in his living room. They were having a sleepover just like they did when they were kids and their parents would let them live in each other’s houses for days. Music was being blasted from the speakers of her phone as he was twirling her around his room. Giggles filled the space between them as the exchanged warm smiles and lovestruck looks. The song came to an end but they didn’t part from each other. Laying her head on his chest, she could feel his heartbeat strong and steady against her ear. 

“I could dance with you all day.” she whispered so lowly he barely caught her words. 

“Save your energy for our wedding day baby girl.” he smiled down at her, leaving a peck on the crown of her head. “I can’t wait to call you Mrs. Shirakumo.”

“Yeah I bet by how much you talk about it you dumb cloud. Let’s finish high school first though.” she rested her chin on his chest, their gazes meeting as she matched his soft smile with one of her own. “I don’t want to be that weird married couple that is still in high school.”

“Well we are 17 baby.” he pushed her lightly off his chest, bringing his hand to rest on her cheek. “We can start a family by the time we are 20. I will have opened the agency with Shouta and Hizashi by then.” 

She laughed softly at his words, the future they had in front of them seemed so bright so perfect. Too perfect to be true. As they swayed lightly from side to side neither of them knew what awaited them. How the future they had dreamt together would soon be shattered to millions of pieces.   

Age 20

She was sleeping soundly in her crib. It had been such a challenge to get her to bed that night. The strong winds hitting the house and the howls as they passed by scared the poor three year old to the point that even her mother's embrace couldn’t calm her down. Sky always loved looking at the sky, not only because she would joke that she was looking at herself but also because she got so mesmerized by the clouds. They never scared her, not even when they became dark and angry lightning spewing from deep within them. Storms never scared her. But wind terrified her. The howling and the sheer strength they hold sends shivers down the poor girl’s spine. 

“You really are a handful you know…” Y/N was still in her baby’s room, staring at the ball of light blue hair as she slept soundly. She loved her daughter with her whole being. Sky was her world. She had managed to feel the void that he left behind. She was the reason why Y/N was able to pull herself out of her grief. She was the reason why Y/N found purpose in her life again. His death was the point of no return for her. Accompanied by the sudden revelation of her pregnancy, the emotions had become too much. Too intense for her to handle. She had considered dropping it. Ending the life they had created short. She was scared and alone, grieving for the lost of her love and everything seemed like a black hole, sucking her in. But she kept the baby and she couldn’t imagine her life without her little girl. It had been almost three years since he left this world and despite it all, it hurt just the same. 

Age 23

“Mama, who is that next to you?” Y/N had been typing mindlessly on her laptop for the past hour now. A magazine had asked her to write some exclusive descriptions for some of her photos that they were using. She had come to realize that being a professional photographer was a really hard job. But she was managing. ‘This is a talent Y/N! Look how cool I seem in this one. We are definitely hiring you as our personal photographer when we open the agency!’ Small hands placed a photo on her lap. Sky had been flipping through old photo albums while her mother worked. She seemed to be really interested in her mother’s old albums. 

Now Y/N had come face to face with a memory she had buried deep in her mind. One she wished to never let go of but simultaneously never wanted to relive. Oboro had taken her to a water park for their anniversary. It had been a school day and they had agreed to just skip class and enjoy their day together. She had bought him a Polaroid camera so he could take photos with his friends. She hadn’t met them, their schedules never matching. He had insisted that the very first memory he would make was with her and once the photo had been printed he had given it to her.  

“That’s…” Sky saw the color from her mother’s face drain and she promised to herself that very day that she would never bring this up again. If it hurt her mom it wasn’t worth it. “That’s your daddy.”

Age 26 

Her little girl was about to turn 10. In a few days they would be celebrating her birthday and Y/N couldn’t help but feel sad. She could remember the first time she held her as if it was yesterday. She was in a very bad place back then. Sky was the only ray of light in her life. Moving to another country after the death of the father of her child was a handful for the young mother. But now, after almost a decade in America, she could say with confidence that their lives were pretty good. 

Sky had gotten into martial arts really early on and now could beat anyone up if she wanted, that’s what her two friends said at least. If you asked her however, she would raise her right arm which was broken. I get my butt kicked, no thank you. In truth her arm hadn’t been broken while she was practicing. She broke it on her way to practice but she still blamed the sport for her misfortune. A cat was stuck on a tree and she tried to free it, by climbing on the tree herself. Everything was fine until the branch she was sitting on broke and she came crashing down. Sure she could have used her quirk, make a small cloud and save herself but she prioritized the salvation of the cat. Her mother wasn’t happy when she found out. Now Sky had to learn to do everything with her left hand for the next two-three months. 

“Hey baby, I’ve got something for you.” Y/N picked her head inside the room, her hands behind her back holding onto a small box. 

“Mom my birthday is in two days, can’t you wait?” Sky laughed at her mother’s antics. Sitting down next to her, Y/N brought the box to her daughter’s lap waiting for her to open it. Opening it she was met with a pendant. It had a short chain and a small turquoise stone in the middle. Fiddling with it, Sky felt three engravings on the back.

“It has our initials on it.” Letting out a sigh she pet her daughter’s hair. “It was originally mine with only two engravings but now I’ve added yours as well.” Sky knew who must have given it originally to her mom. She was a smart girl after all, it didn’t take much for her to realize who she was referring to. Launching herself at her mom, she wrapped her arms around her neck burying her face in her hair. Silent tears fell from her eyes. It had been some time since not having him around got to her. She had grown to realize that he was gone and she could do nothing to bring him back. When she was younger, not having a father would usually bug her when she saw others with their dads but her mother helped her bury the feeling. 

“A little gift from your daddy.”

Age 29 

Middle school wasn’t that bad. Now in her first year, Sky was doing pretty well. She would rant to her mother about some of her classmates using their quirks and being obnoxious to those who had lesser ones or none at all. Y/N had agreed to her abandoning martial arts and now she is learning volleyball. They were happy. Deciding for a career had never been a topic they had dwelled upon. Y/N wasn’t worried, her little girl was still young and she had a few years before she would have to start considering her options. 

“Someone from a hero school in Japan came to our class today.” They were eating dinner and talking about their day. Y/N’s first thought was UA. It was the most prestigious school specializing on the hero department back when she was still in Japan. Maybe it was still and they came here to debrief the kids on what the school could provide. Or maybe it was another school. “This lady came to talk to us about hero work and what not. She was dressed weird, said she was a hero who graduated from that school herself.” Y/N had always feared that her daughter would fall into the path of heroism. She wouldn’t- couldn’t hold her back. Her job as a mother was to support and protect. But how could she protect when her baby runs into danger without a second thought? How could she support when she has experienced first hand what the hero world can take from you? How could she be there for her baby if she was afraid that history would repeat itself, snatching the last light in her life away from her?

“I think I want to be a hero.”

Age 32

The call had been short. She hadn’t let them explain everything, just where her little girl was hospitalized. Her baby. Her life. She knew it would lead to this. To her baby being on the brink of death. She didn’t get the details. A large attack had taken place at a hospital and many heroes had been called in, students amongst them as well. Many of those said heroes had been gravely injured or had passed. The villain was said to be ruthless, unforgiving to both the heroes and the surrounding area. It was a tragedy. You have lived through one too many tragedies, she thought to herself as she rushed through the airport. She had gotten on the first flight to Japan and after an agonizingly long journey she was finally here. Hang in there baby please hang in there. 

The taxi arrived at the hospital in an hour. It was packed, swarming with the relatives and friends of the heroes injured in the attack. Soon she spotted a group of kids with the familiar UA uniform. How long had it been since she last saw that uniform in real life? How long since she had been in a similar situation? Would it really end like his story did? Would she really lose the last remnant of him in this world? No! Sky’s story is different from Oboro’s. Sky is different from Oboro. Her baby would survive. 

Pushing through the small crowd she spotted a doctor. 

“Excuse me I’m looking for L/N Sky, she’s a student at UA.” The man looked at her and looked down at a clipboard, scanning through the names of the many patients. 

“Room 573.” And with that he left her in the hallway with no update on Sky’s state, nothing. Looking at the numbers on the side of every room, she searched for it. This was too familiar. Too similar to that day. She didn’t like it. 

568. He’s in critical state.

569. It seems he received severe head trauma from falling debris. 

570. We don’t think he is going to wake up. 

571. He has a few hours. 

572. I’m sorry for your loss.

“Are you here for Cosmic Cloud?” A blond man asked behind her. Her breathing was becoming erratic at this point. “L/N Sky, are you here for her?”  His voice was rough, barely over a whisper. “Hizashi Yamada, I’m one of her teachers.”  She remembered that name, one of Shirakumo’s friends. She nodded not able to find her own voice to respond. Her panic rose at his clouded expression, his eyes losing the little spark they previously had. “I’ll find you her doctor, you can go in.” And with that he left too. 

Pushing the door open she was met with the sight of her daughter, her body was full of bandages, tubes coming from her arms as multiple medicines dripped into her veins. Her heart monitor was steady, a strong beep every second. She had a bandage covering her right eye which was stained a faint red. The air caught in her throat at the sight. It was the same image she was met with 15 years ago. A soft knock came from the door behind her that wasn’t completely closed as she was still frozen on the spot. 

“Mrs. L/N?” it’s the doctor and behind her stands Sky’s teacher. “Your daughter is sadly in really bad shape. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Her right ankle was broken from some rubble while the visor broke while she was still wearing it, thankfully she didn’t lose her eye but it will certainly leave a scar. Her left hand was slashed from elbow to wrist by a sharp object. The worst damage is on her back.” Hizashi was supporting her now, hands on her shoulders holding her up as tears cascaded down her cheeks. How can there be worse damage after all of this? “During the attack she must have been hit by some sort of blade or sharp edge, it pierced her back in three places. We managed to stitch her up but as you can imagine the damage cannot be undone.She... She’s in a coma from the shock, I’m sorry. I’ll..I’ll be around the corner if you need me.” 

A coma. Her little girl was in a coma. This was it. This was were she would lose her too. 

“She was conscious when the medics found her.” Hizashi said. “She was stopping the bleeding of one of her classmates completely ignoring her own.” He paused looking at the hospital bed, his eyes catching a glimpse of the sky blue hair. “They are very alike y’know. A carbon copy both physically and in personality. While she was in my class it was like having Oboro next to me again.” She snapped her head up meeting his eyes that were brimmed with tears. He had figured it out ages ago it seems. Whispering a small apology she turned back to the bed, fresh tears wetting her blouse. 

“I know you are going enough already but….” He sighed pinching his nose a frown making its way on his face. “But you need to know, YOU deserve to know.”

“Oboro is alive.” 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TAG TEAM AY: @brattyquirks @the-arcana-fan-fic @angelwritings @axerrri @reinyrei​

[sevensoulmates]

Eddie reaction to Abby I found interesting because obviously he never met her but more the fact it was Eddie who told Bobby that he was abby fiaince when he said about working on the outside of the trian because I feel like it was the first time Eddie didn't trust bucks ability to do his job and think clearly(I feel like buck would said about the outside of the trian anyway because he always want to save everyone)

What do you think about eddies reactions to Abby and buck from the train crash, cause personally I feel like even if buck didn't know that Sam was abby finance he would still have tried to save both risking the train falling on him and yet Eddie basically told bobby to try to stop buck

So I’m gonna put these two asks together since they’re pretty similar. Strap in, this is gonna get long and analytical.

First of all, I think the choice to make Eddie be so prominent in these scenes between Buck and Abby was deliberate. There is only one time when Buck and Abby are talking that Eddie is not physically there watching everything. The whole rest of the time Eddie is there in every frame, every shot, and even gets close ups of his reactions. 

I think about the choices they make when choosing which characters will be in each scene. Because as we’ve seen before, they are willing to switch out certain characters to change the tone/impact of a scene. For example, we have Hen and Eddie being switched out for Karaoke with Albert, because (in my opinion) the writers felt that having Chim’s best friend Hen be the one singing karaoke with his brother would hurt Chimney MORE than just Eddie singing with Albert. Now the reason I point out switching characters, is because if the overall point of the Abby/Buck reunion was to make the other characters worry specifically about if Buck will continue his work professionally or if he will let his emotions affect him (ie. risking his life), who is the best character to get that reaction from? In my opinion, Bobby. We see it later on, but Bobby is the one who makes the decisions on if Buck can/cannot work as a firefighter any longer. The person Buck needs to prove he can be professional and put his emotions aside to is Bobby. Bobby is the reason we had the entire lawsuit storyline and Bobby is the one who can’t put aside his fatherly feelings for Buck and let him do his job. Their job literally is risking their lives to save people. 

So if they wanted the whole emotion vs. professionalism theme to be the main focus of conflict for Buck, in my opinion, the character to bring that out most would be Bobby. And yet Eddie is the one in this scene. I’ve heard people saying it had to be Eddie because he’s the only one who doesn’t know Abby. I kinda disagree mostly because I think if you had let Abby run into Bobby first, we would’ve had a whole new layer of “oh shit this is the woman who broke my adopted son’s heart” AND “Buck is going to act irrationally because Abby’s back”. Bobby would understand that implications of Abby being back on a deeper level than Eddie would (in my opinion given that Eddie never actually met nor saw any interactions between Buck/Abby). So why choose Eddie of all people to be the one who meets Abby first and have him be the one through which we as an audience are latching onto (since we are also the third party observers watching their reunion with an emotional stake). 

I think that Eddie was chosen to be the reaction conduit for multiple reasons. 1.) Eddie is Buck’s closest person other than Maddie and Bobby. Buck is a part of Eddie’s immediate family unit, and Eddie (alongside Christopher) is Buck’s person. Just like was stated in 3x16 everyone else has someone outside of work, except Buck, and even though he has Maddie, Maddie has her own person (and now will have a baby to prioritize too). The logical conclusion to who is Buck’s person/people, even without stating it within the episode, is obviously Eddie & Christopher. It’s shown throughout the entirety of this season. Eddie, Christopher and Buck have carved their own little family unit together, even if they don’t outwardly realize it yet. So who is the most at threat if Abby were to re-enter Buck’s life? Eddie. But then we get the information that Abby has a fiance and...

2.) Eddie is witnessing years of bitterness, heartbreak, confusion and betrayal wash over Buck in this moment. Buck has always been Eddie’s #1 support system with everything and now it’s Eddie’s turn to be his. Eddie recognizes that more than this being an emotional vs. professional time, that this is causing tremendous personal pain for Buck. Eddie understands that pain. He knows what it’s like to have a woman you loved come back and have to face that pain head on. But to see that that woman has completely moved on and forgotten about you? It’s a dead ringer back to 3x16 where Buck feels like everyone leaves him for bigger/better things and that he feels he’s not worth staying for. Eddie felt the exact same way with Shannon. Eddie understands Buck’s pain the most in this moment. And that’s why he’s not immediately like “hey, you gonna keep you’re head on straight and be professional about this?” but instead when Buck starts to zone out, Eddie steps in, he becomes the professional Buck needs him to be in that moment. He shields Buck bodily and only leaves when he has to. It just reminds me of when Eddie was mad at Buck for “making things all about him” and yet, in that moment, when Buck could make it about him again, instead Buck shuts down his emotions. It’s only when they’re presented with the choice of Abby’s fiance vs a stranger that it finally gets brought up again.

3.) Eddie and Abby are and have always been parallels of each other. They are/were both single people taking care of a disabled family member (Eddie & Carla’s scenes are the new Abby & Carla scenes). They both moved to escape crippling situations and found their forever families. They’re both strong-willed, cool-headed, good in a crisis, etc. They’re both people who become close to Buck very quickly. And, I’m just going to say it, they’re both the main loves Buck has had over the course of the show. Buck absolutely loves Eddie (even if it might not textually be romantic at the moment) with all his heart as seen by how he reacted to nearly losing him in 3x15, as seen by how hard he fights to be back with his team (with Eddie), how much he gives to be a partner and parental figure to Chris. This is all information we know PRIOR to knowing Abby has a fiance AND that that fiance has two kids who have become like Abby’s own kids. It’s just the most blatant and obvious parallel I’m actually shocked. Abby moved away and met a single father with kids, fell in love with him, became his fiance, and became a surrogate mother to his kids. I just...WHO DOES THAT REMIND US OF, HMM???

4.) Then we get the shift from Abby being a parallel to Eddie, to being a parallel to Buck. Eddie then becomes paralleled to the role of Abby’s fiance. Now it’s not just that Buck is fighting to save Sam because of Abby, but Buck’s fighting to save Sam because Sam is the love of Abby’s life, and they have kids who need them. Does that remind us of how hard Buck worked to make sure Eddie could go home to his son who needs him? Yes, yes, it does. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Abby’s present is Buck’s future. Abby’s past is Buck’s present. In the scene where Abby and Buck talk post-train crash, everything Abby talks about the person she was and the place she was before leaving, is exactly who Buck is at the moment. Living life solely for the job. Putting work above himself and his relationship. Putting OTHER PEOPLE before himself always. And who Abby is now is someone who found herself, and through that found her fiance and kids who became her family. And we know that that is all Buck wants. He wants to find his people. He wants to find his family (he just doesn’t realize that he literally has it already). 

Yes, 100% Buck would’ve tried to save both of them, even if he didn’t know Sam was Abby’s fiance. But yes, knowing who Sam was and knowing Abby was waiting did color his motivations and again that’s why we have Bobby there to be like “here we go again”. Bobby could’ve been the sole voice of reason there. But instead, Eddie (once again) let’s HIS OWN FEELINGS get in the way of being professional. This time it’s Eddie who snaps, tells Bobby it’s because of Abby, and then storms off in a literal vertical train car but I digress. Eddie doesn’t just seem fed up with Buck in that moment, he seems hurt. And as we know an Eddie who feels hurt by Buck is an Eddie who lashes out. He’s hurt (and mad because Eddie Diaz has an unhealthy coping mechanism of getting mad when he gets his feelings hurt) that Buck is so willing to risk his life for someone who broke his heart. That Buck is willing to get himself killed, willing to let himself die and by extension shatter the hearts (and essentially abandon) everyone who loves him (Eddie, Chris, all of the 118, Maddie, etc). 

Eddie is mad because Buck is so willing to get himself killed (so willing to be torn from their lives) and for who? A woman who doesn’t love him anymore? A woman who has her own family and will move on with life even if Buck is not in it? No screw that, Eddie tells Bobby in the hopes that Bobby will talk him out of it, but when they just squabble Eddie has to shut that down too. Because Bobby is equally afraid of losing Buck. He’s been proving that all season. It’s the reason Buck has to pull the Athena card to try to get through to Bobby. Because at the end of the day, regardless of their familial feelings for each other, this is their job. And Bobby has to let Buck do it.

Buck actually has a good plan that could work. If Eddie had been the one to suggest this plan, I have no doubt that Bobby (and Buck) would’ve been right behind him. They’d be worried, but they would not question Eddie’s judgement. But because Bobby and Eddie are so invested in Buck emotionally, they don’t want Buck to risk his life even though that’s literally all of their freaking jobs. Now it’s Eddie’s turn and Bobby’s turn to put aside their personal feelings. Put aside their fear of losing Buck. They let him use his proven creativity and intelligence in near-impossible situations, and they let him make the risky save. And in the end, he’s right, and he saves both of them. And this proves that Buck’s heart, and his drive to save people no matter what, the way that he never gives up, makes him a better firefighter--and a better person. And it’s the reason why the people in his life love him so much. So, yes, while I think both Eddie and Bobby doubted Buck in that moment. I think Buck proved that when he is given the chance to prove himself, his head and his heart are the winning combination (this is also why I adore Oliver’s tattoo because it fits Buck’s character so well).

I think the finale was so buddie heavy, and so buddie positive despite there not being anything super concrete about their romantic relationship in the ending moments. I think we’re slowly but surely getting there, and I’m so excited to see it unfold.

[alirhi]

WF chapter 18

Title: Winter's Frost Chapter: 18/? Fandom: MCU Rating: R to be on the safe side Pairing: Loki/Bucky Summary: Loki never told anyone the real reason he became so obsessed with Midgard. Much better to let them think he wanted to hurt his brother than draw their attention to the one thing in the universe that makes the God of Mischief truly vulnerable.

"If I hadn't carefully orchestrated it myself, I'd be deeply embarrassed that I was defeated by this band of buffoons!"

Bucky shook his head, hiding a smile as he ran his fingers through Loki's dark hair. "Just because you're a genius doesn't mean they're idiots. They might prove helpful."

Rolling his eyes, Loki grumbled, "It took them three days and the deaths of eighty innocent people to even bother trying to assemble a team."

"And who killed those people?"

He tensed. "A building collapsed on them! It was hardly my fault. Though they were quick to assign the blame to me, of course."

"If a building collapsed on them, can you really blame The Avengers for not rallying in time to save them?"

"James?"

"Hm?"

Shaking his head, he framed his lover's infuriatingly pretty face with both hands and kissed him. "Do be a dear and shut up."

Bucky smirked. "Put my mouth to better use, then."

"Haven't I already?"

"Alright, that's enough!" Stark chose that moment to burst through the door he'd locked them behind so he and the other Avengers could argue uninterrupted. "Frosty, Manchurian Candidate, you're up. And quit slobbering all over each other! I didn't put you in here to make a porno."

"I didn't ask you to film us," Loki shot back, his playful smirk turning into a grin when he felt Bucky tense and shake beneath him with suppressed laughter.

"Can he even consent?" He glanced at Bucky. "Can you even...? Do you even know what sex is? Just how scrambled is your brain?"

"I've got a kid," Bucky reminded him, all amusement gone from his suddenly steely expression. "I think I've got a pretty good handle on the process, yeah. My memory's spotty at best, but I'm not a robot." Under his breath, he grumbled, "Just make sure Natalia-sorry, Natasha – sticks to English, and we'll be fine."

"No one will ever use those words against you again," Loki swore, letting out an irritated huff at Stark's pointed look and making a grand show of his reluctance to comply as he peeled himself off of his beloved's lap. "Well? What is it you need?"

"Information. What this Thanos guy is after, where he's going, how long we've got... We need to know what you know."

"In general? We haven't that much time." Bucky pinched his arm and Loki rolled his eyes again. "Pertaining to the issue at hand, I'm afraid I've very little to offer." Still, he and Bucky followed Stark back out into the main room, hand in hand, to face the rest of the rather tense people who still believed Loki had been trying to kill them only a week earlier.

"Why should we trust you?" Banner asked him point-blank before he'd even reached the table the others were seated around.

Loki snorted. "Oh, heavens, don't! Never trust anyone."

"Loki..."

Sighing, he gave Thor a snarky look and went on, "If I think there's even a chance your deaths will save my family, I will not hesitate to push any one of you in front of a blade or blast. My partner and daughter are my priority, first and always."

"For the record," Bucky piped up somewhat timidly, even adorably raising his hand like a schoolchild. He cast Rogers an apologetic look and mumbled, "Same. I love you, Steve – I barely remember you, but I love you like a very annoying kid brother. But if it ever comes to a choice between saving you or Eira, you're a human shield and I'm running very far away with her."

To his credit, Rogers laughed and ruffled his childhood friend's hair. "Even without your memories, you're still the same protective, pragmatic Buck. I wouldn't have it any other way. Anyone here take issue with parents prioritizing their child's life?"

Thor chuckled, looking uncomfortable. "I'll happily smack some sense into anyone who does. She's a baby; there should never be a second's hesitation."

"Speaking of shields," Loki cut in, hiding a surprised smile at the unexpected support and attempting to get the conversation back on track, "are we going to address the issue of HYDRA operatives within SHIELD's ranks as a group, or am I left to indiscriminately annihilate them all myself?"

"What?!"

"HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD?!"

"I keep telling you not to trust those shady government types."

"Fury's one of those 'shady government types' and he saved your ass, Stark!"

"Oh, did he? Is that what you call firing a nuke at New York City?"

"Fury didn't do that and you know it!"

"Um, no. I don't know that, actually. What I know is that your bosses tried to level Manhattan and I almost died on the wrong side of a wormhole to space, so trusting them? Not high on my list right now."

"For Frigga's sake!" Loki shouted, dropping his head into his hands. "No bloody wonder you people needed my help to 'defeat' me!"

Five incredulous stares – along with one embarrassed and one greatly amused – met this exclamation. Grateful that the stares at least came with silence, he began ticking points off on his fingers as he spoke. "Creating a scene in Germany so I'd be easy to find, allowing you to 'capture' me..." ensuring Thor's relative safety while getting him out of my way. Even with their gradually mending relationship, he'd never admit that aloud. Allowing the thought to pass by unvoiced, he skipped to the next: "Keeping that vessel you were on from falling apart or crashing before you could repair the turbine, setting up the portal in the most painfully obvious place on your little planet! Waiting around for you to catch up, ensuring Stark had safeguards in place before ejecting him out of a window so he wouldn't die – I quite like you, Stark. I would truly have hated to see you splattered on the pavement."

"Um... Thanks?"

Romanov was still staring at him as though he'd grown another head. He was tempted to do so, just to see if the saying proved true, or if her expression would actually change. "So you're saying you lost on purpose?"

"Oh, did you think five little humans actually brought down a God?" The mocking smile he gave her, and her sour look in return, brought him such immense joy that for a brief, shining moment, he almost forgot that the entire universe was in mortal peril. "That is adorable."

For the briefest of moments, he'd also forgotten about Banner. He cringed when from the other end of the table he heard a quiet, "Should I let the other guy out to play and see how 'adorable' you still think we are?"

"Even the beast won't be able to stand against Thanos," Loki pointed out, hiding his discomfort and getting back to the main topic. "And now that you have two of the artifacts he's hunting for, he'll be coming straight for you."

"No, we don't." Barton's tone started out casually dismissive, but grew more concerned as he went on. "I mean, they're here on the planet, but we don't have them."

Everyone seated around the table seemed to realize the full implications of the shit storm ahead of them at once. As expressions crumbled from bored or concerned to alarmed and then to an odd combination of panicked and weary, Romanov groaned. "SHIELD has them."

Loki was beginning to think he should simply glue his hand to his face. "I hate you all."

___________________________________________________

Next Masterlist

[iggytheperson]

Storm of Friendship: When Toxic Masculinity is Prioritized Over Pacifism

I have a lot of thoughts about this particular episode of 02. Let’s start with the baseline of what Daisuke begins the episode believing and what he is to be untaught over the course of it.

Daisuke doesn’t want to hurt Agumon. Full stop. For any reason. The very idea of firing against a companion clearly causes him mental distress. We also see this in Hurricane Touchdown: his immediate response to hearing about Wallace’s plight is to start bawling, the very idea of having to harm a friend is enough to drive him to tears. It’s not that he doesn’t understand that Agumon would remain in Ken’s possession otherwise, he just can’t cope with the idea that injuring their friend would be the lesser evil.

This very reflective of Mimi’s arc in Adventure. She loves her friends deeply and doesn’t want to see them come to harm, and will go as far as refusing to evolve Palmon when danger arises because she doesn’t want her friend to arouse attention from the threat at hand and get obliterated like so many others. Clearly that’s a far more life-or-death situation, but the sentiment is the same: “I cannot bear to watch those I care for come to harm.”

Now, in Adventure, Taichi wasn’t nearly as against this stance, despite the fact that he was well aware that letting her take a break from fighting was a life threat to the team. But in “Storm of Friendship”, it’s quite a different story.

I think Taichi, and to a lesser extent Yamato and Takeru, are very unused to the idea that Daisuke would disobey his idol. Daisuke’s hesitance is directly complained about by Takeru as him “not listening to what Taichi wants” for his partner. Taichi and Yamato are a lot less direct in scolding Daisuke, but their stance is clear: saving Agumon is an act of compassion regardless of how many injuries it causes, and leaving him captured would be to fail him as a friend.

To Taichi and Yamato, having to dole out tough love is just a natural part of the job, it’s a role they fell into on their own. (it’s arguable whether a relationship that escalated into a literal murder attempt is moral to impose onto children as a way to act but that’s another conversation), and Daisuke’s refusal to comply is clearly seen by both of them as cowardice.

Takeru has quite clearly taken his brother and surrogate brother’s life lessons to heart, too, throwing himself recklessly (and needlessly) into harm’s way to try and get Patamon free, and nearly punching Daisuke for hesitating to say he’d do the same. The idea that Daisuke would at all hesitate to throw his life away for someone he only recently met seems to baffle and enrage Takeru. This reflects the very different formative periods they had with the Digital World. 

In Adventure, life was cheap, allies would throw it away for the cause to the point of normalizing it, the kid’s lives were always on the line and they were always just a tad too excited about the prospect of a proper meal for us to assume they got to eat every day. Daisuke, inversely, has had a much calmer and arguably much healthier introduction to the war. It’s something he participates in out of the goodness of his heart, not because he’s being held hostage until he saves the universe. Miyako is allowed to take a day off from the front lines when she isn’t feeling great, an idea that wasn’t available and wouldn’t even have occurred to the original crew.

So Daisuke suffers from being surrounded by a group with much different experiences and values than him, a fact extended even to his own partner, who is just as mad as Takeru when Daisuke can’t immediately say he’d die for him. To quote: “Maybe!? You mean definitely, right!?” He’s confused and hurt by what to him seems like a betrayal, but Daisuke’s statement isn’t made out of malice or any lack of love for Veemon. He’s just an eleven year old kid who’s not yet used to the idea of death as a possibility for himself and as something he must protect others from.

This pressure from all typical sources of affirmation culminates about how you’d expect for an insecure child who in this very episode states he doesn’t even know what friendship is. (A quote mirroring Sora, but we’ll get to that)

Now, the digimental flies to him right after this. This is certainly because in his heart right now, he wants to help his friends, but having it happen in tandem with a scream of self-deprecation sends a very bad message: you activated your crest, therefore you have finally understood what Friendship entails. 

Daisuke was unable to lift the egg initially because of self doubt, a very common experience of almost every crestholder. Like Sora before him, he assumes that he could not possibly bear a trait that he feels like he hasn’t experienced and has no knowledge of. But unlike Sora’s emotionally positive revelation that she did know all along, this moment teaches Daisuke a much different lesson: That’s right. You are a bad friend for being scared of hurting others. 

And the episode ends with not one word in contradiction to this principle. 

Like Mimi, violence comes to visit him whether he wants to see it or not, as is the nature of being part of a conflict. But do you think Daisuke’s takeaway was quite as uplifting as “you can win without anyone getting hurt, you just need to create the proper support network within your forces to keep one another safe”? Decidedly not. Daisuke is taught that shying away from violence, not wanting to see your friends come to harm, and other such pacifistic beliefs are cowardly and unfitting of his position as leader. That loving your friends too much to hurt them is to fail them as a friend.

I wonder what kind of leader Daisuke would’ve become, if his perspective was valued, and a solution was found that perhaps kept Agumon under control for a bit longer, but resulted in no unnecessary use of force? I think he’d have been able to stand on his own two feet a lot more, instead of just trying to mirror Taichi the best he can out of fear of “failing” his loved ones again.