#oops forgot to tag her lol

[shooks-stupid-stuff]

Would Mrs S play Pizza Tower? Askin’ cause I feel like she would

well actually its funny you say that considering ive been messing around with figuring out how she'd look in the pizza tower artstyle

i think she could have an interesting pizza tower style boss fight tbh

[numberonepartyboy]

this was supposed to be a comic but i was too tired to make it so here's a small two doodles of manager jay finding his old paintings of nya :3. he doesn't know who she is but there's still this weird feeling he can't shake off....

[gayvecchio]

My initial impression when I watched Eclipse for the first time (and what I still believe) is that Stella knew full well that Ray didn't humilate himself on purpose in the bank when they were kids. I always read it as Stella knowing how embarrased and ashamed Ray would feel for having wet himself, and instead of trying to console him and tell him that it was okay, she let him be the hero instead. Because even though in Ray's memory he thought that he was being 'John Lennon, James Bond, Joe Namath, all rolled into one', I don't think Stella actually fell in love with an illusion at all. Like Fraser said, 'I am willing to gamble that Stella looked beyond that one incident and saw the whole person'. I think she always saw Ray for who he really was, but Ray's own insecurities about himself made him believe that she had to be with him based on a lie. I think the person who doesn't see Ray clearly is Ray himself. He has such a low sense of himself that he can't imagine her falling for anything but a con. He can't imagine that Stella simply fell in love with little Ray Kowalski, because who the hell is even is that? He's convinced himself that he's been playing the part of 'the hero' all these years that he doesn't really see that he has actually become one. The person who recieved all those citations that Fraser recounts wasn't a lie or a con, it was Ray Kowalski, a good policeman, someone who one would be proud to call a partner and a friend. In my opinion Ray's biggest con was conning himself into believing he isn't good enough just the way he is.

[paintpanic]

The World to Win

[sakitenmaenjoyer]

wxs and arm wrestling part one: nene

tsukasa vs nene- hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby. tsukasa will express surprise at her strength while she struggles to get his arm to budge 💀 the worst part is that he's genuine, he didn't expect to put effort in LMAO. he boasts 'even with more training, ofc u cant beat me 😏', then proceeds to prolong the match by keeping his arm still. she gets so miffed and tries even harder LMAO. she doesn't win though bc tsukasa gets tired and ends it faster than she can process. he brags at the end despite doing nothing

emu vs nene - hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby part 2. emu cheerily confirms that nene did get stronger, and there's only a brief struggle before she pins nene's arm down. she's very encouraging that she hopes nene gets big and buff!!!

rui vs nene- hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby part 3. nene feels like she's pushing against steel. she gets to look as he leans his annoyingly smug face on his other hand, barely breaking out a sweat. he's a mix of emu's genuine encouraging words and tsukasa's irritating lack of response. he wins after she goes 'just end it 😒'

nene's like 'idk what you guys expected....' and sits off to the side. she finds that she enjoys watching the other three arm wrestle rather than doing it herself

[madebysimblr]

oc questions tag :3

thank u for tagging me @nilonne uwu (im doing this over here as a way to get inspired to start working on Sorella's stuff lololol)

Name: Sorella Rose Cortes :) Nickname: Els. Hates being called Ella (but some people still try it) Gender: Cisgender Ladee Star Sign: Scorpio! Born on Nov. 15th :D Height: Probably my height 5'7" but idk. haven't thought about it. Orientation: She's still figuring stuff out but from some in game evidence I would say not straight at the very least 😂 Nationality/Ethnicity: Mixed race! Black on her mom egg donors side, and her dad technically has some hispanic heritage from Maia. Favorite Fruit: Honeydew melon mmmm yum. Favorite Season: Summer! Favorite Flower: Roses. Boring maybe but she likes sharing her name with them. Favorite Scent: The smells of food cooking on Harvest fest. Reminds her of her Great Grandfather (whom she still misses dearly) Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocc: Coffee lol. She is a college student rn. Average Hours of Sleep: 6 if she's lucky lol. She's a busy bee. Dogs or Cats: Cats! Dream Trip: She really wants to go to Sulani as an adult and have some fun times there. Number of Blankets: Just the right amount. Random Fact: Her preferred metal on jewelry is gold.

im taggginnnn @daniigh0ul @xldkx @ironicscavenger aaaaand you yes you reading :)

[edoniancommander]

alright i've hoarded these long enough BG3 DOODLE BLAST!!!!

featuring mainly iris my drow fighter gal who's currently living through two playthroughs rn. someone help her

[chillis-s-sketchings]

she go meow meow :] @fortune-cat

[kaykoko]

I finally finished Dungeon Meshi!!! Very fun read and amazing charaters!! The hype i have for the anime now is unreal!

[theriverpointace]

guess who just watched schmigadoon!! 🎶✨

[thevoidisscreamingbackatyou]

player week prompt 1: "We're old friends. From her school days."

rating : gen, no major archive warnings i believe

characters: carmen sandiego, player(makes sense), and vera cruz. mentions of julia :)

disclaimer: i don't usually write stories so this is probably really bad im so sorry

additionally brain went no at the first prompt so my first ones an alt oof

i swear that these will get better.

...hopefully.

Player squinted at his phone, double checking that the address was right. He ignored that this was the fifth time he'd done this, and that it was most definitely the right address. 

After all, it was probably best to make sure that the orphanage where your best friend found their mother was the right one, since, y’know…it’d be kind of awkward to just go up to a random lady and be like, “Hey, I know your daughter” and have her not know which one you were talking about. 

He took a deep breath and smoothed his hair anxiously, still not ready to even ring the bell. He was possibly about to meet Carmen’s mom for the first time in the at least ten years he’d known Carmen, sue him. 

A couple of kids in the yard looked at him weird. Player did his best to ignore them, still extremely nervous.

Finally, his shaking fingers rose to ring the doorbell. The sudden ding! of the doorbell sound made him wince.

A pretty woman with hair the color of the red-brown soil appeared at the doorway, her eyes crinkled. 

“Hello. Who are you?” she asked.

Player fumbled for a second, then replied, “Uh, my name’s—---but you can call me Player. I’m…a friend of Carmen?”

“Oh! You must be the boy she talks about in her stories, then? How do you know her?” Carmen’s mother asked. While she seemed perfectly friendly, Player noticed the slightly hostile undertones in her voice. He approved. That wariness had probably kept her and Carmen safe when Carmen retired for a bit.

“We’re old friends. From her school days. Uh, but, I’m not part of VILE. Sorry,” Player said, automatically using his usual excuse before realizing that it would likely not go over well with whatever Carmen had told her mom.

Before either of them could say anything more, Carmen appeared behind her mother. 

“Player!” she exclaimed, seemingly excited to see her old friend. Player put out a fist and the two fist-bumped. 

“Didn’t expect to see you here, Red,” Player joked, and Carmen winked.

“Decided to go on vacation for a bit. You caught me a couple days before I was going to go meet Julia at her college, actually!” Julia had worked at ACME for a few more years before deciding that the siblings had it under control. Chief told her to do whatever made her happy, so she went back to being a professor. She was somewhat of an Oracle, helping out with cases from behind the screen.

“Come in, it’ll be better than standing out here,” Carmen urged, and Player smiled, stepping into the home that his best friend had found.

@playerappreciationweek i think this is how you do it? apologies in advance lol

also sorry i dont have ao3 so,,,hopefully this will do!!

[crescentfool]

a silly little comic i drew in a one hour haze featuring @fwishfearme and i’s ocs! aka: what happens when you put fishing extraordinaire shirayuri fugetsu in the same scenario as my silly squid minatoast? (alt text/dialogue in image captions)

[chukys-mouthguard]

your.username

liked by colecaufield, trevorzegras, jamie.drysdale and 786 others

your.username note to self: don’t let Cole and Trevor handle the fireworks next year 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

tagged: colecaufield, trevorzegras, lhughes_06, jackhughes, _quinnhughes, cam.york

view all comments

trevorzegras okay relax, we didn’t actually blow anything up

-> _quinnhughes you’re being bag checked before you ever step foot on my boat again

-> your.username oooo trevor’s in troubleeee

-> trevorzegras it wasn’t my idea it was colecaufield 😩

-> colecaufield at least we looked good in our matching sunnies 😎

-> trevorzegras not as good as you and your.username looked all cuddled up in your matching hats 👀

-> your.username no such cuddling took place

-> _quinnhughes i think by cuddling he meant making out

-> colecaufield i plead the 5th 🫣

y.f.username ain’t no party like a hughes lake house party 🧨

-> your.username only the best parties happen with the hughes boys

-> trevorzegras hey! Can’t forget the rest of us!

-> y.f.username you almost blew up the boat and killed us!

-> trevorzegras i call that, making memories 😊

-> _quinnhughes i call that, trauma 😵‍💫

user1001 i wanna be in this friend group so bad!

-> user1003 right?! Their summers must be so fun!

liked by your.username

adamfantilli sick invite guys

-> your.username you were literally jet setting to Italy or something

-> adamfantilli it’s still nice to extend an invite even if i decline 🥲

user2945 i need more your.username and cole content 🫶🏼

cam.york you seriously posted evidence of trevor whooping my ass at pong 🤦🏼‍♂️

-> your.username oops…

-> trevorzegras HA, and I’m never letting you live it down

-> jamie.drysdale hold on to your one and only win in pong ever trev 😂

-> your.username ariana what are you doing here?! haha

-> jamie.drysdale i had to stop by to chirp trev 😏

user3856 why are cole and trevor like this?? 😩😂

-> your.username they are literal children that need permanently separated at public functions 🙄 lol

jackhughes still can’t believe cole stole my cowboy hat so he could match you

-> your.username i told him i would buy him one 🤦🏼‍♀️

-> colecaufield and i forgot, are we surprised?? but your.username and I looked good so it was worth it! 😉

-> jackhughes i don’t want that hat back after whatever y’all were up late doing 🤢

-> your.username literally nothinggggg happened! Stop spreading rumors

-> lhughes_06 not rumors, i heard you two…kept me up all night

-> colecaufield i told her to keep quiet 🤫

-> your.username cole shut up or they’re seriously never inviting us back to the lake house 😭

user1024 okay but her and cole matching?? 👀 I’m 100% here for this!!

-> user1035 did you see jack’s comment about them??

-> user1024 omg i just saw it! So they are for real a thing?

-> user1079 could have just been a hook up, this is the first they’ve posted like this…

______________

I’ve never really done a longer smau type post before, hopefully i did alright 😅 i have been seeing this style of post a lot and figured I’d try my luck at it. Kind of want to make more of these 👀

if you would like to see more posts like this, feel free to send in a request! 🫶🏼

[omaano]

SW Hades AU May Status Update

I wanted to make a dedicated post about what I’m currently working on for the Star Wars meets Hades AU that looks more consistent than just sharing bits and pieces whenever I’m tagged in a Last Line Challenge. Because what else do I have but the poly sketch requests and this AU for my weekends? (If nothing else I know that the Hades AU has got me XD)

Other updates: June - July - August

For now Obi-Wan and Maul are stuck at the same stage: they are both lined, have their base colours down as well as the two adjustment layers of coloured lighting.

I suspect if I were ever to get through the agonozing few hours of shading Obi-wan’s face it would be mostly smooth sailing from there. The problem is that there are at least 2 - if not 3 - separate stages where the shaded face looks like I have no idea what I’m doing, and you need to get through the whole thing before it really comes together 😅 on the other hand Hades 2 has a lot of the directional shading I might need for his character art so that might help to get me there.

It also needs to be said that Obi-Wan comes with the extra disadvantage that is the entire background behind him. I’m really hyped to line it finally, it is quite a challenge, but at the same time I’m slowly coming to the realization that I have no idea how I will colour it. Hades backgrounds are so so pretty and full of details and gorgeous colours, and while I’m not delusional enough to think I could match that on first try… I still wish I could, you know? At the same time I will have to erase or recolour a lot of my lines, which will hurt quite a bit, I imagine. I’m so bad at killing my darlings 😅 also I hate laying down flat colours. I just find it very difficult to immerse myself in that process, while lining and shading can have their flow.

I had covered up so many lines and details in Maul’s spider parts it’s a miracle I didn’t cry XD However, tips on grouping my shadows and allowing the shape to speak for itself and the details in them are very helpful and on point.

Worrying over writing dialogue for them is also not as far down my to-do list as I wish it were. I have a good enough idea for a quip for Obi-wan, but Maul? He’d need a whole melodramatic rant of his own XD

Aphra has gotten some new lines and I had fixed the satchel I had forgotten the last time I shared the rough sketch for her, thanks to the new character art for Hades 2! Seeing Odysseus and Hermès’s updated looks were great helps here, so I might as well move on to lining her, and finally adding another female character to the roster on top of Ahsoka!

And then there is the biggest update on these little guys below! I will need to clean up the ones I had drawn for Cobb and Boba (and Din) well over a year ago, but with these my version of chtonic companions are done, and thanks to @lesquatrechevrons I have a full list of keepsakes for each character as well. I’m not very good at drawing these little tchotchkes (I say with Rex’s blaster right there LOL) but I hadn’t been very good at lineart or cell shading when I started this project either, so through forced practice I’m determined to change that :D

(It’s not a screwdriver under Boga, it’s one of Cody’s antennas. “It will grow back, don’t worry,” he says as he snaps it off his pauldron and hands it over to Din. Rex backs him up on that one without question. They can't lie for shit but trolling the shiny is their thing.)

Additional fun fact: the reason why I’d picked up the chtonic companions concepts was because I’d been poking at minor details in the background behind Maul (aside from the Chaos doors), and I started adding credits and recoloured nectar to the corner (before I realized that they wouldn’t be visible once the character interaction comes up oops), and I tried to figure out to whose keepsakes Maul would react favorably. I also mixed up companion dolls and keepsakes, so that’s why the Ahsoka doll came to being (I also forgot that that one belongs to Rex, and not Ahsoka herself but uh… they are close enough that they should count by proxy anyway. It’s not Obi-wan’s cup of tea and that should be enough!). Also bless @mapleowl18 for suggesting Lil Soka as companion for Rex ❤️

So this is the current state of this AU project right now. I have my lists and notes, a few scribbled pose ideas in my sketchbook for Sabine (she might be next, unless Bo and her Nite Owls make a comeback), Satine and Omega (with Batcher), as well as some angry scribbles and question marks for Quinlan (who has apparently made his way back into this AU even though he didn’t get a little icon of his own originally orz), and Obi-wan The Second that would stand with Cody post reunion, but I cannot make that one work for now 😅

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Lightning Bug - Chapter 27

Masterlist

Warnings: nightmare, mention of death and cannon typical violence, grief, lots of grief, Wanda needs a hug and she gets one lol

Note: there is a point in the story where the reader speaks Sokovian, those words are italicized

Word count: 4.8k

“Cooper!” You shirked as the eldest Barton wrapped his arms around you. It was the perfect setup for Nate to tag you and declare you were it. Cooper was quick to let you go and run off. You huffed, wiped the sweat off your forehead, and chased after him. Being back at the Barton homestead was refreshing. You were worried about being there without the buffer of Kate or Yelena, but when you hugged Laura and Clint, you fell into an easy routine. You were quick to jump into a game with the three Barton kids. Nate decided on a game of tag, which you’ve never played, and watched the other kids. Their laughter and smiles made you jealous. Now, it was your laughter that echoed on the Barton’s land while you chased after Cooper. He was fast, but you were faster, especially with the training Maria put you through. You tagged him with ease. The momentum caused you to tag him a little hard, and he fell to the ground. Cooper flipped onto his back. “Oops,” you said. “Sorry.” His chest was heaving, and he used his forearm to block out the sun.

“I forgot,” he took a deep breath and let it out. “I forgot Dad said you were training with Maria and Yelena. This game is unfair.” You giggled and held out your hand to help him, but he refused and stood up alone. There were pieces of grass in his hair.

“Blame it on Nate then,” you smiled. “This was his ideal.” He shook his hair to remove the grass and put his arm over your shoulders.

“You are different than the last time you were here,” you kicked a rock on the ground and nodded. You were different, but it was good. Sometimes, you liked to sit and compare who you were when Natasha found you to who you are now. You felt stronger, more confident in your ability, and happier to be alive. You were in a dark mindset when you first lived on the streets. The crushing guilt of what happened to your parents lay heavy on your chest. The scars left by your father made you feel ugly. You were desperate to feel anything but pain. “It’s a good different,” Cooper continued. “It seems like I’m seeing the real you.”

“Yeah,” you said. “I feel free.”

“Good. Now,” he smiled. “Want to help me tag Nat?”

“Oh, 100%”

*

Natasha loved Iowa. Every time she visited the Barton Homestead, she found another reason to love this place. This beautiful place she was lucky to call a second home. This time, it was Y/n’s laughter. The sound seemed to travel for miles and miles. It was unguarded, light, and beautiful. She sipped on some lemonade Laura made and sat on the porch. It’s the perfect spot to watch the Barton kids and her own. Her kid. The blue-eyed, terrified teen she met at Annie’s was her and Wanda’s. Finally, it would be a few more weeks as the courts proceed with the paperwork. The lawyers Tony hired said the process would be smooth sailing, especially with the lack of documentation her biological parents failed to submit. They did advise that a court appearance may be necessary, but she wasn’t worried about that. Natasha didn’t need a judge to declare Y/n as her daughter. She was without the legal bullshit.

“It’s like a complete 180 with her,” Clint said. “I know you said she’s opened up more, but I almost had a heart attack when she hugged me,” Natasha chuckled.

“You are so dramatic,” Laura said. She and Wanda were sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch. “She gives perfect hugs. I was surprised by that.” Natasha glanced over her shoulder to see Wanda smile.

“She does, and she puts her whole body into it,” there were moments that took Natasha by surprise—these moments made her heart flutter and her stomach drop as she fell more in love with Wanda. Watching her care so intensely for the young girl repeatedly made her fall in love with her.

“Cooper!” The sound of Y/n’s shirk brought her back to the game of tag. The eldest Barton wrapped his arms around her so Nate could easily tag her.

“I think that’s my cue to start dinner,” Laura said.

“I’ll help you,” Wanda followed her into the house. Natasha leaned back on her hands and watched Y/n chase down Cooper until Clint gently slapped her leg.

“The way you look at Wanda makes me sick. Like your eyes turn into hearts,” Natasha rolled her eyes. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

“Shut up,” she mumbled, feeling her cheeks flush. “Now you know how Maria and I felt all those years watching you pin over Laura,” she flicked the man’s forehead. “Now that was disgusting.”

“You’re an asshole,” the Black Widow shrugged. Clint glanced at the house to make sure no one was around. “When are you going to ask her to marry you?” The question, though simple, caused the Black Widow to freeze as if someone injected ice through her veins. “I mean, come on, Nat, you guys have a kid together, and I know you’ve been looking at properties away from the city. What’s stopping you?” Again, it was a simple question, but it scared her. They had years together and faced more dangers than an average couple would face. Maybe it was fear that she would say no. Rationally, Natasha knew that was ridiculous, but she held back.

“I don’t know,” she ran her hand through her head. She was on the fence about dying it again. “What if she says no?” Her voice was so soft and sounded so small that she barely recognized it. It sounded stupid to say aloud, and she expected Clint to laugh, but he didn’t. Instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder; there was a look of understanding in his eyes.

“Then I’ll slap her,” he deadpanned. “Witchy powers or not, you were my friend first,” the mental image of Clint trying to fight Wanda pulled a laugh out of the Black Widow. “I know this won’t ease your anxiety overnight, but she won’t say. Hell, whoever is patient enough to put up with your stubborn ass deserves the biggest diamond,” Natasha punched him on the shoulder.

When the Sokovian first joined the team, Natasha only interacted with her during training. She was still shaken up by what she was forced to relive. A part of her wanted never to trust Wanda again. She was too dangerous and unpredictable, and her powers were out of control. One night, Natasha made her way to the roof of the compound; she needed fresh air to clear her mind from the nightmare. It seemed that nightmares weren’t only affecting her. Wanda was up there, wrapped in a blanket, and her feet dangled off the roof’s edge. Natasha could have left, never walked over to her, and started a conversation, but she sat beside her. They talked about nothing and everything until the sun came up.

Still, she kept her feelings for her to herself, never crossing that line from friends to something more. Everything came unrevealing until Ross went to the compound and threatened Wanda’s safety. The fear of losing Wanda pushed her to tell her everything. It was messy; she stumbled over her words, and Wanda kissed her to force her to stop talking.

“Hi,” Y/n’s sudden appearance broke her out of her thoughts. The girl’s face was bright red from running around, beads of sweat dripped down her forehead, but the smile on her face was the best part.

“Hi, sweetheart. Are you having fun?” She nodded her head.

“I am,” she said. “I was wondering if you knew when dinner would be ready or if I could grab a snack. I’m a little hungry,” she scratched her head awkwardly. Natasha smiled. It was a nice change of pace, especially when she knew how avoidant the teen was asking for help, even food.

“Laura and Wanda are in the kitchen right now, but I bet if you go in there and ask, they’ll give you something small,” the young girl said, bouncing on her feet and hugging Natasha. No matter how many hugs Natasha received from the teen, they’ll always be special. Wanda was right. She hugged with her whole body. It ended when Natasha felt a hand on her back, and the girl jumped out of her arms.

“Tag,” she spun around to see Cooper running off. “You’re it, Nat!” The Black Widow turned back to face Y/n, who was backing away with a smile.

“Your senses could use some work, all Mighty Black Widow,” she teased. It took a moment for Natasha’s brain to catch up and piece together what happened. She was set up, and Y/n was the bait. She was never tagged in all her years of playing tag with the Bartons. Some may say it was ridiculous, but she had a reputation to protect.

“Get back here, you traitor!” Natasha jumped up and raced after the teen. Maria was doing a great job at training her. She was fast, but Natasha was the Black Widow she wouldn’t lose to a kid. One final sprint, she trapped the girl in a hug. “That was smart,” Natasha admitted. “Using a hug to distract me, whose idea was that?” She began to tickle her sides.

“M-mine!” The teen laughed. “Nat, stop! Stop!” Natasha almost refused, loving the sound of her laughter, but she did. Y/n fell to the ground, rolling onto her back. “You are fast.”

“I got a few years on you, kid,” she held out her hand, and Y/n took it to stand up. “Keep training, and you’ll be faster than me.” She smiled and leaned against Natasha.

“I like it here,” she said.

“Yeah?” The teen nodded. “Would you like a house like the Barton’s one day?” Natasha watched her look around the land.

“Maybe one day. I like living in the tower. Everyone is there, you know?” Natasha nodded. She understood that. Her sister and the rest of the team that became her family were there. It would be hard not to see them all the time.

*

You woke up with a start. It felt like you were falling, and you woke up before you hit the ground. You were having a sleepover with Lila, sleeping on an air mattress on her floor. Slowly, you sat up and tried not to wake her as you stood up and left her room. You were thirsty, but your legs and arms shook as you walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. But the downstairs wasn’t empty; Natasha was sitting at the counter with a laptop and a glass of whiskey. She took her eyes off the screen when she heard you. “Hey, dorogoy, are you okay?” Were you shaking that much that she could notice?

“Uh yeah,” you cleared your throat. “I had a weird dream and came down for some water.”

“Here sit. I’ll grab you some,” you nodded and sat in the empty seat next to hers. It was hard not to glance at what she was looking at on her computer. Rings. Engagement rings. Your eyes widened quickly, and you looked forward. Natasha placed a glass of water and a chocolate chip cookie before you. “Do you want to talk about your dream?” You downed the glass of water and waited for Natasha to refill it.

“I don’t remember it,” you whispered, picking at the cookie. “I just felt like I was falling and woke up before hitting the ground.” You glanced at Natasha; her green eyes, full of kindness and understanding, were staring at you. “Do you have nightmares?” She nodded, gently taking your hand in hers. You liked the feeling of them, rough and covered in callouses.

“I do,” she admitted. “They aren’t as frequent, but every now and again, one will sneak up on me.”

“How do you get them to stop?” You questioned, your voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

“Time,” Natasha answered. “It’s a cliche line, but as time passes, we are able to cope with the things we did in our past - the people we’ve hurt and those who’ve hurt us,” Time. It was always time. Even Yelena said the same thing to you. But you were tired of your past hurting you. You wanted it to stop. Sighing, you sat back in the chair and glanced at the computer again.

“Are you going to ask Wanda to marry you?” The sudden change in conversation caused Natasha’s eyes to widen. “I mean, unless you have another girlfriend, I don’t know about,” a smile tugged at her lips. “I’m guessing the rings you are looking at are for her.” The Black Widow slowly nodded. A warm feeling filled your body and pushed away the dark thoughts of your nightmare. “Oh my god!” you slammed your hands down on the countertop and cringed slightly at the noise. “When are you going to ask her? Holy shit! This is so exciting!” You were vibrating in your seat. Natasha laughed.

“I haven’t even picked out a ring yet.”

“Can I help?” You asked slowly. Natasha smiled but nodded her head. It was how you found yourself next to Natasha on the couch, scrolling through various ring websites. None stood out to you. You hadn’t known Wanda for long, but a few things came to mind when you thought about her. She wasn’t one to wear a lot of jewelry so that she might prefer something on the smaller side. You knew she cared deeply about her family and the team. Wanda was kind, caring, and compassionate. Maybe she would like something that represents all those things.

“Wait,” you said suddenly. “Go back up.” Natasha scrolled up, and you pointed to a diamond ring. It was a three-stone diamond engagement ring. The description said that the two smaller pear-shaped diamonds framed the center gem. The center diamond was shaped like a square, but the website called it a Princess Diamond. You weren’t sure why it was called that, but you weren’t a professional. “I like that one.”

“Yeah? Why is that?” Natasha questioned. Your head rested on her shoulder, and you shrugged. You weren’t sure why you were drawn to it.

“I don’t know,” you said. “But there are three diamonds and three of us, so I think that’s why I like it.”

*

Now it was your turn to be up at night with Natasha’s laptop and the missing people’s name folder. It was another long day with the Bartons, playing Just Dance with Lila and a session of archer practice with Clint. However, your mind had yet to stop thinking about these people. So you brought the notebook you got from Lucia’s and wanted to write down everything you could find on them then…well, you weren’t sure. That part of the plan was still to be determined. There wasn’t much on them. No one cared to keep a record of who these people were after they became homeless.

But you found an article from 2012 published a few months after the Battle of New York. The article mentioned Ava Davis and Noah Rodriquez - childhood best friends turned business partners. They opened a fitness center that created personalized plans tailored to each individual’s needs. However, when Loki invaded the city, they lost everything. The fitness center was destroyed in the fight, and Ava’s girlfriend (recently turned fiance) was killed. They fell off the map until Lucia reported them missing.

You chewed on the end of your pen as you stared at the article and the summary you wrote. It was sad; your heart hurt for them. The city was in shambles after the battle; businesses were destroyed, and countless lives were lost. You remembered your father talking about it, saying the Avengers were working with the Devil. Sighing, you took a sip of the tea you made. It was no longer warm. “What are you doing up?” You yelped at the sudden voice. “Oops, sorry,” Clint laughed and poured himself a cup of coffee from the cold pot.

“You,” you placed a hand over your heart. “You gave me a heart attack.” You were taking a few deep breaths to calm the organ beating against your ribs.

“It’s my house. I didn’t expect to see you up!” He defended. That was fair, but you shrugged and returned to typing on the computer. “So what are you doing at this hour? You need sleep.” You were leaving tomorrow, which made you sad. But telling Clint wouldn’t hurt, right? Maybe.

“Someone I used to know before I moved into the tower told me a few people have missing people who have lived on the streets,” you clarified. “She’s reported it to the police, but they don’t care about people like me,” you saw a flash of anger pass through Clint’s eyes. “So I thought I’d use Avenger resources to find them.”

“Does the team know about this case you are working on?” You nodded.

“Tony got me the list of names from NYPD, and I told Pepper.”

“Any luck?” He moved around the counter and sat down next to you.

“Nothing on current whereabouts. It’s not like we can get our hands on cellphones, so tracking them through cellphone towers is out of the question,” you bite the end of your pen. “I thought about using facial recognition through Overwatch when I get back,” you looked at Clint, and he was looking at you. You couldn’t place the emotion on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You are just really good at this,” he said. “I’m just surprised.” You shrugged.

“I read a lot,” you mumbled. “I like a good crime novel.” Clint smiled. “So, do you have any ideas?” He pulled the file before him and flipped through the few pages.

“Well, if you can’t find them now, find the connection in their pass. If you believe these people are being taken, the answer is there. Find the connection between the individuals, which may lead you to who took them,” Clint explained.

“Find the connection,” you repeated. “Thank you! I’ll see what I can find.”

“Be careful,” he said, finishing his drink. “Don’t search for these people by yourself if it comes to that,” you nodded. “I’m serious,” he stood up and cleaned the mug he used. “What you are doing is honorable, but it can turn dangerous, and the last thing I need is an angry Black Widow and Scarlet Witch to come knocking on my door because you got hurt from my advice.” You laughed.

“I promise,” you said. “If I get a lead, I’ll hand it to the professionals.” He ruffled your hair.

“Smart kid. Get some sleep. From what I’ve heard, you have a bus for a couple of days,” you frowned. Natasha and Wanda refused to tell you the rest of the plans for the trip. “Night kiddo.”

“Night, Clint, and thank you again,” he gave you a salute and walked in the direction of his room. Find the connection. Find the connection. You began searching for other news articles, employment records, and rental leases. Every name you researched sent you down a rabbit hole that you followed. They were all different, all coming from different walks of life. One person spent some time in Lagos. Another was a teacher from California. But the one thing they had in common was the Avengers destroyed their livelihood. They lost businesses, family members, and loved ones in battles that the Avengers fought in. What was going on?

*

Saying goodbye to the Bartons was more complicated the second time than the first. A part of you was reluctant to leave, but you left with Cooper and Lila’s phone number in the new phone you got as a birthday present and a promise to text them all the time. So you loaded back onto the small jet and waved goodbye to them through the window. When you were at a safe altitude, you unbuckled your seat belt and walked over to the cockpit, standing between Natasha and Wanda. “So,” you dragged out the word. “Where are we going?” Natasha chuckled and shook her head.

“We are going to St. Petersburg to visit my parents. They’ve been very excited to meet you,” your eyebrows shot up to your hairline. No one was excited to meet you. You saw Natasha glance at Wanda, who was oddly quiet. She seemed lost in her head, a million miles away. Natasha placed a hand on her thigh. “They are eccentric,” she continued. “Just letting you know.” You hummed, but your attention was on the witch.

“Hey, Wands,” your voice pulled her out of her head. “Can you do my hair? Lila gave me some beads to put in it.”

“Yeah,” she forced a smile. “Of course I can.” You moved to the side so she could walk past you.

“Thank you,” Natasha whispered. You nodded and squeezed her shoulder. Wanda was sitting down with a hairbrush already, and you grabbed the beads from your bag. You sat between her legs and felt the brush move through your hair. It was soothing.

“Where are we going before St. Petersburg?” You questioned softly. Her hands stuttered slightly. “I know we are going somewhere that has you upset unless her parents are that bad.” Wanda chuckled.

“They are great,” you turned to face her when her voice cracked. Her eyes were glossy with tears. “I’m sorry,” she wiped her tears away. “You asked me to do something, and here I am crying.” You placed a hand on top of hers.

“It can wait,” you smiled. “Do you want to talk about what’s wrong?” You sat down next to her with your legs crossed. She faced forward, running her fingers across the bristles of the brush.

“I asked Nat if we could stop at what’s left of Sokovia. Once it was cleared of the rubble, the neighboring countries took the land. Completely erased it from the map,” her accent was thicker the more she spoke. “But a memorial was built in memory of the victims.”

“Like your brother?” You watched her body shake, but she quickly nodded her head. She placed the brush down and gripped the bench you both sat on. You saw the signs of her powers looking for an outlet. She told you that her powers were connected to her emotions. Her body was tense. The red glow of her magic danced on her fingers. Without hesitation, you grabbed her hand and hid away everything you didn’t want her to see. Her magic died down, and she turned to face you. A few tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Can you tell me about them? Your parents, your brother, your home before the battle.”

“Why do you want to know?” You shrugged, opening up her palm and tracing the lines.

“Because it’s important to you, and I want to know about your life,” you said. “I want to know how I can help you.” Wanda smiled, squeezing your hand.

“Sokovia was,” she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Messy.” You weren’t expecting her to use that word. “It was messy to the outside world, but those living there found it beautiful. There was a lot of political turmoil, which resulted in the United States trying to fix it. I would fall asleep to the sound of bombs.”

“And you found that beautiful?” You thought living on the streets was hard enough. Wanda smiled, laughing slightly.

“Maybe that wasn’t beautiful, but we weren’t involved in the political nonsense as regular citizens. We had to rely on each other. I met some of the kindest people during those times. My parents tried very hard to provide for us to ensure we had food and a roof over our heads. We would watch sitcoms every night, and the laugh track would black out the war,” Wanda chuckled. “It sounds crazy when I say it out loud. You must think I’m insane,” you would never. “But I had to find the beautiful moments during the darkness.” You understood that. You found yourself doing the same thing: listening to your mother sing Caleb a song, finding a good book, and when your parents left you alone.

“I did the same,” you smiled. “Tell me more about your parents.” You could listen to Wanda talk about her home country for hours and hours. With every story she told, her eyes would light up, and her smile was so big. You hoped her smile would never fade away.

*

When the jet landed, Natasha and you allowed Wanda to visit the memorial without the two of you hovering. However, the Black Widow was passing back and forth - 5 steps one way, then turned around and walked back the other way. You sat on the ground, knees bent to rest your forearms on them. The memorial depicted an average Sokovian family - a mother, father, daughter, and son. Flowers and the Sokovian flag surrounded the family. “Who built it?” You asked. Natasha stopped her pacing and hummed in question. “Who built the memorial? It’s not like it appeared out of nowhere.” She faced the monument with her arms crossed. Wanda fell to her knees, and you knew Natasha was fighting the instinct to rush over to be with her.

“It kind of did,” she sat down next to you. “Stark has a relief foundation that helps with the messes we make, and they were on the scene before we made it back to the States,” Natasha sighed. “Stark says he didn’t do it, but you know Tony likes to take credit for everything,” you smiled, but the redhead sighed again. “Sokovia was a mess on and off the battlefield.”

“What happened?” You questioned. Natasha was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

“There was a lot of talk about dismantling the Avengers,” she started. “Many people thought we were dangerous, especially with what happened in New York, DC, and Lagos. Ross was trying to pass the Accords,” the Accords? You weren’t sure what that was. You looked at her, confused. “It was a document that would allow the UN to be in control of us and have all enhanced individuals would have to be registered and monitored,” she explained. Enhanced? So, people like you, Wanda, and America.

“Why didn’t it get passed?”

“We refused to sign it,” Natasha bent one of her knees and leaned back. “I think it was the first time I saw the team stand together,” she admitted. “With us banding together, the Accords made no traction. We were left to make our own choices, but we try to limit the damage we cause and help those affected.” You nodded and focused back on Wanda. You could feel her energy. There was an uptick in her heart rate. Her breathing was becoming uneven. She was grieving, alone. Natasha told you the Accords weren’t signed because the Avengers came together. You weren’t going to let her face this alone.

You stood up and walked over to her, ignoring the way Natasha called after you. You tiptoed, not wanting to scare her. “You can join me,” she invited you. Nodding, you knelt next to her. “It’s so quiet,” Wanda looked around. “Sokovia was never this quiet.” She ran her hand across the ground. “I can’t believe it’s gone.”

“It’s not gone,” you whispered. “Just because the place is gone, Sokovia is still alive. It’s alive because of you and everyone else who survived that day,” you placed your hand on the monument. “Now it lives through me because you are keeping its memory and culture alive.” She placed her hand on top of yours. “Can you sign that lullaby your mom used to sing? I’d love to learn it.”

“It’s in Sokovian,” you smiled.

“I’d love to have another language under my belt.” Wanda laughed and used the back of her hand to clear the tears from her face. She taught you the song. Some words felt heavy on your tongue, but you managed to muddle your way through it. As you learned it, you heard Natasha’s footsteps behind you. She kissed the top of Wanda’s head, and the witch leaned her weight against her. You smiled, closed your eyes, and began to hum the tune Wanda shared with you.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” you sang. “Now you are here. More perfect than I imagined,” the Sokovian words were hard to pronounce, and your voice shook. “Our house is now a home. No matter where you go. Sunlight shines on you,” you open your eyes. “Sunlight shines on you.”

_

taglist: @aestruvx, @toouncreativeforausername, @modedddd, @julilamoment, @mythixmagic, @yourmamacom, @vicmc624, @cherlenovix, @liliesandrosies, @whitewidowsbite, @clintsbigtoe,   @blackbirdv98 @arualdcg@yoyo-w​  @natbelovasblog, @johnnyhulu, @blackwidow-3, @theenglishswiftie, @faith-olsen

[blackinquisitors]

Any good rdr2 fic rec?

ooh yes

my current fav one is The Unreliability of Men's Promises by dazednstoned. abigail centric fic. I'm absolutely in love with it. the writing is phenomenal and they just GET abigail and what her likely dynamic with the gang was. ugh chefs kiss

one that has been my biggest source of inspiration is mine is clouds by ssstrychnine. charthur fic. I cannot tell you how much this inspires me. not even the story, just the writing style. I was in a massive creative funk and couldn't figure out this last chapter of bloom, and I read 1.5 chapters and INSTANTLY understood how to write again. like I had to read this in quarter chapter increments so I didn't steal too many ideas, it was that amazing

this night has opened my eyes by my mutual @pinkysberg REALLY love this. john centric and pinky just GETS him. so if you read this and the first fic i mentioned side by side you have a phd level understanding of the worlds most dysfunctional couple. for a time we were writing this at the same time and were at the same place in rdr2s plot so i felt like we were two random cars driving along together on a highway lol

He Was A Friend Of Mine by biiitchofCambridge. charthur fic. SO GOOD. this was another source of inspo, mostly the dynamic between arthur and charles is what was so good. I've read a lot of fics that tend to soften both of these guys, but this fic really has that 1890s masculinity thing going on, and I appreciate that

no law less than ourselves by CatRoofDance. another source of inspo. I fully stole an entire idea and forgot that it wasn't my own and based arthurs entire character around that. oops! woah I just wrote out a whole thing abt how this was popular and well-loved for good reason, and its not number 1? huh? it should be. the top fics of the charthur tag are cliche garbage. this deserves far more love than it has

Luck and Chance by swampslip. charthur fic. I read this a looong time ago and I barely remember it but it has some of the best charles characterization ive seen. his dialogue is so perfect I can only aspire to it

Let Me Down Gently by reddeaddesolation. smutty mary/arthur fic. again its been a whiiile since I've read this but i remember really enjoying it, particularly the characterization the the dynamic between them

Don't Come Knocking by charlock221. sadie/molly fic. no sorry, THE sadie/molly fic, THE ONLY sadie/molly fic. this is canon as far as I'm concerned. not kidding. it's so well written, it's incredible. everything about it makes sense. I adore it a normal amount. even if this isnt your cup of tea, I still think you should read it

I think thats it. puts all of these on a mantel and stares at them lovingly every day