#really gotta stop this shit. respect your female characters man.

[tojishugetiddies]

Key: e/d = energy drink, h/l =, hair length, h/c = hair color, e/c = eye color, y/f/v/c = your favorite videogame character

Here's an extra long chapter! I had a lot of fun with this one lol

Link to prologue:

Link to ch.1

Chapter 2

y/n's pov

"Really? Okay that's great! So I'll be meeting him here and show him around the studio. Yeah, of course! No problem! Bye." *click* Well it seems today is my lucky day! I got an applicant for a roomie! Only problem is... it wasn't my potential roommate I talked too.

It was Mr. Shigaraki, the owner of a big corporate conglomerate of hospitals, labs, and warehouses. When I tell you this man is loaded, he is LOADED. Although I heard some rumors that he might be involved in human experimentation. But imagine my surprise when I found out his son would be my roomate if I gave him the okay! I'm actually quite a fan of his son, whenever I have free time I watch his streams. They are pretty entertaining, especially when he, Dabi, Spinner, Twice, and Toga play Overwatch together. I never knew some of those curse words even existed!

Well, I better go to bed early, I have the feeling I'm going to need a good rest. I head to my room and change into a t-shirt and panties, slip into my bed, and I feel Bingus curl up near my feet. And with that I slip into the land of unconsciousness.

 

~Time skip to the next day~

You woke up early and made sure everything was ready. You put on some casual clothes, a baggy black hoodie showing a kitten with a ramen bowl, and some skinny jeans. You cleaned up the apartment, stocked the cabinets with some snacks, got soda and energy drinks in the fridge, and made sure to organize your room. You organized your video games and consoles, and made sure some were charged.

By the time you finished you were kinda tired to you took an energy drink out of the fridge and took a couple of sips. Bingus stalks over and starts to scream at you. "Oh shit! I forgot to feed you! I'm sorry Bingy." You said. As you walked over to get his food he kept screaming at you. When you finally put the food in his bowl and gave him fresh water he finally stopped screaming at you. But not without making a 'mrrt' sound at you and turn around sassily going to his food. "Always gotta be such a drama queen Bingus I swear." You shake your head in amusement.

You check your phone an look at the time, "huh, he should be here in about 5 minutes." You mumble to yourself. You pet Bingus for awhile until you hear a knocking at your door. You are so nervous! 'Okay, be cool y/n, just treat him as a regular person.' You walk towards the door with your heart beating a mile a minute. You open the door and...

Tomura's pov:

Welp, time to meet my potential roomate I guess. I wore a baggy black hoodie, black pants, and my iconic red shoes. Kurogiri warps me in front of the apartment. I feel anxiety course through me. With a deep inhale and breathing out a sigh I put my fist to the wooden door and knock. I hear faint footsteps come closer and as the door opens I look down a bit to see a small female woman.

I examine her discreetly and notice she has shiny h/l h/c hair and she has big round e/c eyes. "Well, are you going to let me in or are you just gonna keep standing there?" I say. I see her jump a bit and she apologizes. "Whatever. You gonna show me the apartment or what?" I say annoyed. She let's me in and the first thing I see is a fluffy calico cat sitting on the island in the kitchen batting what seems to be a can of... e/d? She turns around just as the cat bats the can to the floor spilling the drink. I look at her and she looks both mortified and offended, it's pretty amusing, I smirk a little.

"Bingus! What. The. Fuck?! You little shit!" She says while she approaches the mess, picks the can up an puts it back down near the cat. I can see her give the cat an exasperated look, and when I looked at the cat I swear, if a cat could make a smug face with a shit eating grin, this cat would have it. I chuckle at the interaction, it was certainly not going to be boring here it seemed. The cat looked at me and started...screaming? How the fuck? "Bingus don't be rude to him he might be living here!" You tell the cat. The cat pauses and seems to examine me before screaming again then running away into what I assumed was y/n's room. Well. That was...something.

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts you had already cleaned up the mess and just chug the drink then throw it out. Okay so you definitely weren't like other girls, good, he gained some respect for you, but only a little. "Shall we continue our tour?" I nod my head. She shows me the common room, then the kitchen. We head into the next room and I look around. There's pencils, paint, some canvases, a desk, a lamp on the desk, some erasures, sketchpads, markers, you get the point. It was an art room. I walk towards a painting of a silhouette of a person on a hill sitting beneath a tree looking at the dark night sky with beautiful stars and constellations. "Wow, you made this?" I ask. She blushes embarrassed and says "Yeah... It's an important painting to me, because it's a painting of one of my memories, when I was living in the countryside." She looks off into the distance, seemingly recalling that specific memory.

She snaps out of it and asks "Shall we return to the tour? All I have left to show you are the bathrooms, my room, then what will be your room if you choose to room with me." She smiles softly and I nod my head. She shows me the bathroom in the hall and tells me that that is the only bathroom with a tub and shower, but our rooms have basic toiletries. She shows me to my possible room first. "Here is your room if you wanna be my roomate!" She says. I examine the room; dark red walls with white accents, a wooden floorboard and a basic queen sized bed, a bedside table, a dresser, desk, etc. This might not be so bad after all.

We head to our last stop, to be honest I expected something frillish and girly but to my pleasant surprise she had a pretty cool room. The walls were f/c with accessories such as a neon sign that says 'Fuck You', a poster of CORPSE, and another of y/f/v/c. Then I noticed the game consoles. "Wow you have a Nintendo 64? I haven't seen one of these in years!" I say impressed. That's when I realised that not only will I be rooming with a girl, that same girl is cute as fuck, likes energy drinks, and places video games! I never met a girl who played video games in real life besides Himiko, but she is like 4 years younger than me so I don't really count her. And y/n is pretty nice too. I wonder if she watches my streams? Fuck, that'd be pretty hot. I snap out of my inner thoughts by y/n asking me how the apartment is. I tell her I really like it and would be glad to room with her. She looked so happy when I said that, but blushed and went back to normal. We exchanged numbers and promised to keep in contact and agreed to me moving in here in about 4 days. I act all bored but really I can't wait to move in.

We part ways at the door and when she closed the door I texted Kurogiri to pick me up. Suddenly I'm really tired, having interactions with a stranger, a girl nonetheless really drained me. As I walk into the portal then step out into my room Kurogiri asks how it went. I gave him a short summary and when he was satisfied he left to tell father. I fall onto my bed and sigh. Y/n... huh. You are pretty interesting. I wonder how long it will take until you betray me...no, she wouldn't...right? I mean after all, she was really nice and inviting, she didn't seem to mind my scars, and her eyes lit up when we briefly talked about video games. My betrayal issues rise inside of me, making me anxious and wary. We will see, for now I'm too tired to think anymore. And with that as I get comfortable in my bed I fall asleep, thoughts of y/n swarming my mind.

[spookybreadstick]

Hey!!!! I was wondering if you could write a scenario for Toby confessing to his s/o 😳👉👈 - dancing parrot 🐦🎶🐦🎶

Okay so I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go with this, I had so many ideas it was hard to choose so I kind of meshed two of my favorite ideas into one lol. I hope it’s okay, it’s my longest (I’m pretty sure anyway) little scenario yet and I’m nervous/excited to post it. I personally think it’s kinda cute but uh let me know guys 😅 I also had it be Toby confessing that he has a crush on the reader, and for the purposes of this scenario the reader is female (I tried, but it’s harder than I thought to write gender neutral scenarios) 

NOTE: I am trying out different ways to incorporate Toby’s tics into the writing, because I think it is an important part of his character and I want to honor that while having it be respectful and also easier to read. I put his tics in * * so that it is easier to see when he’s having a verbal tic because otherwise it can look a lil funky. Let me know if this was an okay way to go about it, I’m still learning! 

🪓 Toby Confesses To His (Female) S/O  🪓

"Dude, stop star-staring. You're making it weird." Toby whispered to BEN, who was currently staring intently at you from a distance.

"How do you think I'm gonna help you if I don't know what I'm doing?" BEN barely glanced at Toby, who was fidgeting nervously beside him.

After a couple of seconds, BEN turned to Toby. "I don't know, dude. I need to see you guys in action."

"What does that mean?" Toby asked.

"Just go over and talk. Act natural. I need to see the vibe between you two." BEN said, nudging Toby towards you despite his whispers of protest.

Seeing Toby walk slowly towards you, you turned and greeted him. "Hey, Toby. What are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing. Just, uh, j-just walking..? He trailed off uncertainly.

You didn't seem to mind his awkward behavior, and continued to chat with him for another minute or two. Well, it was more like you were chatting at him rather than with him. Toby was just standing there uncomfortably, as he tried to will all of his tics away for a few minutes. It's hard when he's nervous and trying to make himself look good in front of you. Suddenly, you were being pulled away by one of the other pastas who wanted your opinion on something. Toby watched you leave the room, waving goodbye as you went.

"Dude. That was literally the worst thing I've ever seen." BEN appeared beside Toby, laughing.

"Knock *knock who's there?* knock it off." Toby gave him a slight shove.

"I can't help you if you're gonna be a dweeb about it." BEN shrugged.

"I'm not being a dweeb!" Toby cried indignantly.

"Okay, sure." BEN rolled his eyes.

"So?" Toby asked eagerly.

"So, what?"

"So, does she like me too?"

"I mean, she must like you at least a little. You were standing there like a goober, and she didn't care."

"BEN!"

"I'm sorry, but that was some classic comedy material right there. I could have made, like, a dozen jokes about the whole thing. All I'm saying is, she didn't take a golden opportunity to make fun of you, so maybe you do stand a chance after all."

"Okay, well, are you gonna help me *hide the body* help me win her over or what?" Toby crossed his arms.

"Nah. It's too much fun to watch you make a fool out of yourself." BEN grinned.

"Dude, seriously?"

"Look, I may be a man of talent, but I can't pass my flirt skills on to you. They'd just go to waste, man."

"Thanks a lot." Toby huffed.

"The best advice I can give you is to just relax, man. Just chill out, and don't act like you have rigor mortis. The whole time she was talking to you, you were rooted to the spot and your limbs were all tight. Don't do that. Just be loose and let it happen, you know?"

"Do you think I should tell her how I feel?" Toby asked timidly, shifting his weight from side to side. He really did like you. And he didn't always get so nervous around you, he reasoned to himself. He was better in groups, at least, when some of the attention was off of him.

"I don't know." BEN shrugged.

"You're talking about Y/N, right?" Hoodie asked, stepping into the room.

"Jesus, man, you scared the shit out of me!" BEN yelped.

"Sorry. Toby, do you have a crush on Y/N?"

"No! Why would you think *clink clink clink* that?"  

"You're pretty obvious about your feelings, Toby."

"D-do you think she knows?" Toby asked, dread crawling through his body. "I mean, it doesn't m-matter, it's not like I like her or anything, I just want to know." He added quickly, trying to cover his tracks.

"No, I don't think so." Hoodie replied, after a moment of thought.

"Why do you care?" BEN asked Hoodie, peering at him suspiciously.

Hoodie shrugged. "I don't care too much. Just figured Toby would want to know if she was dating somebody else. I mean, if he did like her." Hoodie cocked his head to the side, looking at Toby through his mask.

"W-what do you mean? She's dating somebody?" Toby's hand began to involuntarily rub at his neck.

"Not yet anyway. But I did hear that Jeff might ask her out." Hoodie said casually.

"Jeff? Tha-" BEN's words were quickly cut off by Hoodie smacking him in the side. Toby's mind was too preoccupied with visions of you and Jeff together, that he didn't notice.

"S-shit. Do... do you think she'd say y-yes?" Toby asked apprehensively.

"I don't know. But if you did have feelings for Y/N, which you say you don't, but if you did then you should probably tell her how you feel before Jeff does. Just in case." Hoodie said pointedly.

Toby nodded his head several times before yelling about how he had to do something (something totally unrelated) and then dashing out of the room.

~~

Toby ran down the lengths of the corridors, desperate to find you before Jeff could. His heart pinched to think of what would happen if you did decide to go out with Jeff. He couldn't bear it.

Toby was so lost in his thoughts that he narrowly missed running directly into Sally, who was wandering the halls as well.

"Sorry, Sally, I gotta go." Toby puffed, out of breath.

"Toby! You gotta come play with me!" Sally looked at him with eyes full of childish begging.

"Not now, Sal." Toby bounced impatiently, waiting for her to move.

"Toby Rogers, you come play with me right now!" Sally crossed her arms. "Or I'll tell Slendy that you were being mean to me."

Toby looked down at her in shock. "You wouldn't."

Sally stuck her tongue out playfully. Toby sighed, then ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Fine! *Fine wine, very fine wine* I-I'll go play with you. But it has to be quick, I'm really *busy bee* busy!" Toby pleaded.

"Okey-dokey!" Sally exclaimed happily, grabbing Toby's hand and pulling him along to her playroom.

~~

When Toby entered Sally's playroom, he was expecting to find the table set for tea, with various stuffed animals positioned into chairs and dressed in different colored tutus. That wasn't a surprise. What was an unexpected surprise, however, was finding you sitting in one of Sally's pink plastic chairs. Toby skidded to a stop, like a deer in headlights, taking in the sight of you perched in the tiny chair with a princess tiara on your head.

"Hi, Toby." You waved slightly. "Like the tiara?"

"Uh, yeah. It, um, it looks-it looks great." Toby stuttered out.

"We're going to play Princess Tea Time." Sally announced loudly, putting on a tiara of her own. 

"Y/N and I are going to be princesses, of course." Sally gestured to the matching tiaras.

"Tickles and Marmalade will be the Ladies-in-Waiting." Sally pointed to a pink bear and a blue triceratops. "Larry is going to be a knight, and my very romantic fiance." She gestured to a manatee.

"And Toby is going to be the prince from another kingdom that comes to tea!" Sally beamed.

Toby plastered a big fake smile on his face before Sally's game of play-pretend began.

~~

The three of you had been playing for a good twenty minutes, and Toby had been having a good time in spite of the circumstances. He had been enjoying himself enough to have forgotten about the whole Jeff thing entirely. Sally was serving real cookies, and there was fruit punch in the pink teapot. Sally is an excellent little actress, and she had adopted an over-the-top British accent to go with her whole "diva princess madly in love with the lowly knight" vibe that she had going. Toby found himself relaxing as time went on, and he found his ability to actually converse like a normal person. He had even made a few jokes that you'd laughed at.

However, Sally decided it was high time to raise the stakes of her little game.

"Prince Toby, what just fell out of your pocket?" Sally asked, pointing to a spot of nothing on the floor. She leaned over to pick up nothing off the floor, then pretended to 'read' whatever it was. She gasped dramatically, hands over her heart.

"Prince Toby! This letter states your love for Princess Y/N!" Sally exclaimed. "And just when were you going to confess to my dear sister?"

"I-I-um, I-" Toby stuttered, unable to think of how to play along. This was becoming too close for comfort.

"It's true?!" Sally gasped dramatically once more, ignoring Toby's failed acting attempt. "Good heavens! Sister, what do you think?"

"I... I don't know, dear sister. What ever should I do?" You asked Sally, half-playing along.

"Well, we have to determine if Prince Toby's love for you is true." Sally turned to Toby excitedly. He stared at her blankly in return. 

"Well? Go on, tell her how you feel." Sally urged.

Toby looked at you and suddenly words starting coming out of his mouth that seemed to stumble right from his heart. "I don't know how to act when I'm around you, because you make me so nervous. You're the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. You're like... like a goddess to me. You're so beautiful, and kind, and you're always so nice to me of all people, and I really wanted to tell you this before, especially since there's other guys that want your heart, but I was scared of what you'd say..." Toby trailed off, heart racing. "I, uh, that's how the prince, I mean me, that's how I feel about you. Princess Y/N." Toby tripped over his words, trying to act like it was all part of the game.

"Now that was romantic." Sally sighed happily.

~~

The game ended shortly after that, due to Slender calling Sally downstairs so she could watch some cartoons that she liked, which was a good thing since Toby could hardly bring himself to look you in the eyes. He worried that you had read between the lines and realized that his words were actually true. Sally had just skipped out of the room when Toby stood and faced you. You stood as well, plucking your tiara from your head and fiddling with it.

"That was a pretty intense game." You half-laughed after several beats of awkward silence.

"Y-yeah, it was." Toby looked at the ground.

"Sally's got quite the imagination."

"Yeah. *Yeah, yeah*"

"You do too."

"What?"

"I mean, coming up with that whole thing about how the prince feels about the princess? That was pretty creative."

"Oh, yeah... about that..." Toby trailed off. "S-sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything."

"No, no, it's fine. You were just playing the part." You smiled to try to put his obvious nerves at ease.

"But-but I wasn't." Toby looked you in the eyes.

"You weren't?"

"No, I..." Toby drew in a deep breath. "I really like you."

"In what way?" You asked, half in a whisper.

"That-that way. The-the lovey kind of way?" Toby half-whispered back, unsure of your reaction.  

"Really?" Your eyes brightened with hope.

"I like you so much and I really want to be your-your....your prince." Toby looked down at his hands, before glancing back at you. "If-if you want me to. I get it if you d-don't like me..."

"No!" You cut him off. "I like you, too."

"In that same way?" Toby glanced at you hopefully.

"Yes. In that same lovey kind of way." You repeated his words with a smile on your face.

Toby's entire face lit up with joy as he pulled you in close for a hug and maybe a kiss.

~~

"Guess things worked out for old Toby after all." BEN mentioned to Hoodie after the two of you announced to the mansion later that day that you were together.

"I guess they did." Hoodie commented. 

"What about the whole Jeff thing, though? He never mentioned anything to me, and I'm his best friend, and then you practically body-slammed me earlier when I was talking about it." BEN turned to face Hoodie.

"Oh, I made that all up." Hoodie said casually taking a sip of the drink he was holding.

"What? Dude, why?" BEN shook his head in confusion.

"Because," Hoodie began as he looked across the room at the happy new couple, "he would never have told her otherwise if I didn't give him just a little push."  

[transsexualhamlet]

sherlock holmes reactions part 4 (?) ive lost count already but unsurprisingly ive grown even more attached to him

using this as the cover image because i made him a playlist. cause im awful

no legit this is gonna need a read more because it's SO LONG SHIHEWIESHEFSHIEWHF

Had three mental breakdowns this week and realized i do in fact kin sherlock motherfucking holmes. this does not bode well for anything in my life mentally I've diagnosed him with so many things

Oh boy lol you want the list I think hes autistic (undisputed honestly) plus also adhd but on top of that there's the manic depression and uhhh the bpd lmao I dont even think that's it those are just. the obvious ones

But yeah man's a fucking mess and a shit person but in the same way as me so 👍

Some highlights I thought were very funny:

watson: we are in fact going to be waltzing into a place where people are Shooting People you do not have your gun. this is a problem

sherlock: don't worry watson I have my trusty stick!

watson: visible pain

This clearly happens like every day or so with them

but yeah there were some really honestly sweet scenes with them at the apartment and why am i getting soft over the crusty man being gay

have you considered tho. have you considered them

have you considered sherlock, who usually only plays absolute garbage on his violin serenading watson to sleep when he was tired and in pain and watson being so fucking in love with the man and waxing poetic about falling asleep to his music and waking up to see him fallen asleep on the couch next to him and oh my god them

They're just really sweet together for such a completely dysfunctional couple so much of the time lol I just. Sherlock being like.

Sherlock half of the time: watson you're fucking stupid. no i won't take care of my personal needs stfu. watson get a goddamn life. watson shut up. watson no one cares about your goddamn opinion. no i need to disturb you in the middle of the night it's for science. hey watson mind if i manipulate mansplain malewife

Sherlock the other half of the time: HELLO SIR YOU ARE MY FAVORITE MAN TO EVER MAN HELLO MAY I SPEND THE REST OF MY DAYS WITH YOU HELLO I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU WE ARE PERFECT MATCHES I LOVE YOU AND I NEED YOU YOURE SO MUCH BETTER THAN ME PLEASE MARRY ME

They're... they certainly are.

ALSO OH MY GOD.

THIS ONE TIME WHEN SHERLOCK WAS JUST PACING AROUND THE ROOM AT 3 AM GOING "IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE >:(((" AND HUDSON LIKE BARGED IN TO COMPLAIN AND THEN WATSON WAS LIKE DUDE YOU GOTTA STOP DOING THIS AND PROCEEDS TO SAY THE LINE "YOU ARE KNOCKING YOURSELF UP, OLD MAN"

BAHGHSFHGRHEWHEWHIFEW

BRB SOBBING

CALLING HIM AN OLD MAN???? KNOCKING HIMSELF UP?? I DONT KNOW WHATS FUNNIER

The main highlight of this part was I have now gotten to see him have a great time watching his homo homie get married

Its so fucking funny.......

I was prepared for a funny reaction by yuumori sherlock's face when he said it lol but. Damn i was really not prepared tbh

watson: I'm engaged!

sherlock: *pained groaning*

watson: do you... not like her?

sherlock: no she's fine she's great you'll be wonderful together bUT I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE ARE HETEROSEXUAL WATSON DO I HAVE TO MARRY MYSELF THEN WATSON? ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE ME MARRY MYSELF.

watson: yeah... yeah... fair, I feel really bad because you did this whole case and I got a girlfriend out of it and all you got was me leaving you alone fuck man im sorry what are you gonna do without me

sherlock, highly sarcastic: dont worry watson I've always got my handy cocaine! *pulls it out and gets high in front of watson just as he's about to leave*

watson: *in fucking agony*

sherlock: good for you!

I DONT EVEN- THIS SCENE KILLED ME MULTIPLE TIMES OVER WHAT

ITS SO GODDAMN NONCHELANT ABOUT IT SHERLOCK IS JUST LIKE YEAH I WILL IN FACT NOT BE MENTALLY HEALTHY IF YOU ARE NOT WITH ME 24/7 BUT WHATEVER YOU DO YOU /S

I'd like to apologize to watson on sherlock's behalf lmao. man is being a bit too codependent on main

The last thing about sign of four I do need to address is yeah, there's the Horrific Amounts Of Racism in that one and the whiplash hearing it is just ridiculous because they seem to be so knowledgeable in all other areas and fairly... politically correct, taking sherlock's original misogyny as a purposeful character flaw, but then they just mention someone indigenous once and suddenly its all parrotting racist propaganda and just... really awful shit. There's no way I'm gonna speak for the group that just got absolutely hate crimed here but anyone can tell the author just has no clue what he's fucking talking about and it's physically painful.

And I don't know, it's just so bad it seems out of character? Doyle's making these motherfuckers say shit that honestly, Sherlock would know better about. And especially Watson. Come on, you cannot tell me watson is mentally capable of being prejudiced against someone. Please do not make him that way.

I'm not sure how to handle it specifically, or what's the proper way I should handle something like that in a media I otherwise like. Is it ok to say Doyle was clearly a piece of shit on the matter and separate those characters from his bias or is that insensitive?

I don't know, I was Not a fan of it and I'm glad to see they've at least finally shut up about the guy

But anyway yeah, uhhhh onto the short stories because I'm trying to read those before I get to the final problem

Scandal in Bohemia was a fucking ride, first of all, before we even get to Sherlock's girlboss arc we have to discuss how gay the whole situation was and how Doyle's attempt at making them less gay failed spectacularly

Like he's all "ah yes I need to marry off watson and uhhh make sherlock ummmm interact with a woman so they dont look gay" but he does it SO BADLY that it makes them look EVEN GAYER

cause i mean, even the conversation they had about watson getting married back in sign of four was gay af, but how Doyle handled things afterward was in no way straighter.

Cause you know, the man kind of wrote himself into a corner with the fact of Watson narrating these stories. So Watson has to be around to witness them, and to witness Sherlock's own thought process rather privately, so he has to be around sherlock at night, a lot. But trying to come up with a reason for that happening just... it didn't occur to Doyle. He just went. Ah yes this makes sense. And it's Watson just like Sleeping Over At Sherlock's like every other goddamn day and every time his wife leaves town and having them basically still live that cute domestic home life but they have absolutely no excuses for doing it anymore. It's quite funny

Like it was gay already the way they interacted when they officially lived together but it was like, a necessity for them. Now it's not, Watson just comes over because he goddamn wants to, and it's hilarious to me.

LIKE IDK I THINK THEY KIND OF BROKE UP FOR A YEAR OR SO BC OF WATSON GETTING MARRIED AND THEY LIKE DONT HAVE CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER BUT ONE DAY WATSON JUST INEXPLICABLY HAS THE URGE TO COME VISIT SHERLOCK ON NO NOTICE AND THEN SUDDENLY THEY ARE TOGETHER NEAR 24/7 AGAIN LIKE BARELY ANYTHING CHANGED AHIEHOEWH

SIT DOWN AND TRY TO TELL ME THOSE ARE NOT HOMOSEXUALS

Watson walks in on no fucking notice after a full year and Sherlock is just. In the middle of some experiment obviously but hes like

Sherlock, carrying around unidenfiable chemical mixtures: W A T S O N you look good you look good! i see you've gained seven pounds!!

watson: uh. thanks??? Hey lol *awkwardly waves* Uh um Wanted to Uhm sEe you

Sherlock: ABOUT gODDAMN TIME AND YES WONDERFUL LOOK LOOK SIT DOWN I HAVE THINGS TO INFODUMP ABOUT

watson: :) ok :) *turns to camera* and we were back to the old days

sherlock: makes a deduction

watson: wowwwwwwwwwwww !! so true bestie !!

sherlock: !!!!!!!!! :))) !!!!! :))) uh fuck im supposed to be smooth Its Elementary Lol

watson: *turns to camera* when i stroke his ego like this and compliment him he blushes like a girl like i just complimented his dress so i do it more because he likes it. this is a homie trait

watson: well i should probably get going! my wife will notice that i am gone my dear buddy bro homie!

sherlock: NO DONT LEAVE IM LOST WITHOUT YOU (pretty much a direct quote lol) your. wife doesn't. get back home until monday. I know this because I am smart and definitely have not been stalking you.

watson: alright :)))))

AND THEN HE FUCKING SLEEPS OVER LMAO FUCKING HOMOS

So yeah they're right back where they were before pretty much and there's a case bc of course there is

And honestly I think this short story specifically was so insane mostly just because of how absolutely fast it all went. Yuumori kind of made me believe the original Irene Adler was more of an important character than she really is? And I think that's. Honestly so funny. Motherfucker shows up for ten pages, girlbosses her way around town, and changes sherlock's entire opinion of the female gender while still keeping him gay?

LIKE NO LOL SHES NOT IN ANY WAY A LOVE INTEREST AND WATSON GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO SPECIFY THE FACT THAT IN NO WORLD WOULD THEY HAVE BEEN ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED BECAUSE. SHERLOCK. DIDN'T DATE WOMEN.

HE WAS JUST??? SO IMPRESSED AND SHELL SHOCKED BY HER EXISTENCE HE DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR GIRLBOSS APPRECIATION DAY TODAY AND ALL DAYS HENCEFORTH???

AND THEY HAVE LIKE O N E INTERACTION?? God, the power this woman(?) has. Watson looks at her once like. damb shawty 😳 and she's like "no<3" and he's like FUCK

Like yeah it's pretty much just the king walking up like "help girl the whore is blackmailing me" and sherlock being like "ok lol this will be easy" and then it proceeded to not in fact be easy or even possible

sherlock like... posed as a dead body and tried to get her to give up the location of the photo but she out-acted him and skipped the town the next day after doing the 'good night mr. sherlock holmes' thing with sherlock completely tricked

and she just. sends a letter like "dear sherlock holmes. you're a fucking idiot and i think it's funny that you lost. nice job tho mad respect" and sherlock just SHORT CIRCUITS

the king comes back a bit later like "hey Dude where's my Photo" and sherlock's like oh yeah uhhhhhhhhhhh about that and the king is like HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN THAT GODDAMN HARD i would have dated someone more noble if she wasn't so pretty i swear im on a whole different level from her

and then. GIRLBOSSIFIED SHERLOCK HOLMES RESPONDS "from what I have seen of the lady, she seems indeed to be on a very different level from your majesty" ABSEHHESHEFHHFES ROASTED

and the dude just LEAVES

After that I read a few more of the short stories and well the highlights I got from that pretty much were these conversations

Watson: sherlock. honey. have you. eaten anything today

Sherlock: IT DIDNT OCCUR TO ME DEAR WATSON

Watson: ITS FIVE PM

and:

Sherlock: *having one of his Moment Moments at three in the goddamn mornig* GRRRR CRIME ISNT WHAT IT USED TO BE

Watson: MY DEAR SHERCOCK WHAT IS CRIME S U P P O S E D TO BE LIKE ACCORDING TO YOU

Sherlock: no one's original anymore fucking copycats

Watson: so you want the criminals to make things harder for you specifically.

Sherlock, exasperated: yes!

I love them your honor.

[ofmermaidstories]

Spoilers for the latest chapter of Something!

I'm gonna go ahead and apologize now because this is long; please feel free to ignore my wordy ass, I just have a lot of feelings about a certain someone that showed up in the new chapter lol.

I am still trying to get my shit together enough to write a proper review, but I did want to come yell at you for making the grape boy somewhat likeable, like...

Firstly, how??? Secondly, why?????!?!

Lmao, in all seriousness tho, it's nice to see him have a personality that isn't just "Mmmm, tits" *drools* I like to think that everyone in the series grows up and (mostly) out of the worst of their habits, and while Mineta is still a bit of a lecher here he isn't nearly as offensive/creepy as he comes off in show. In fact he's actually sympathetic in a lot way. The bit about seeing his first dead body before "getting laid" hit different like... He tries to play it off like a joke, but dude has to have just as much PTSD as the rest of them, maybe even more given that he wasn't able to fight back in the same way as someone like Bkg or Deku would be able to with their super powerful offensive quirks. They were all just kids, but they had to face hell full on from jump, and let me stop before I get too in my feelings lol.

In a lot of ways, he reminds of you the boys from school — crude. Taking for granted the safety from being in a pack, unchallenged. Leering at posters, saying off-colour things because no one corrects them.

That's exactly the way I view him, just a crude little thing that refuses to be put in his place for long lol. Still, with his being a hero I would hope that he keeps a cap on it while he's on the job--in fact I'm sure he does; if he didn't I'm sure that Aizawa would've yanked his licence by now, the likes of Deku and Kiri wouldn't continue to associate with him, and that's saying nothing of the shit that would get posted to social mead and such. I feel like the only reason he says what he says to the Reader is b/c she's a little gremlin herself and he knows he's got a bit more leeway, yanno?

The little hangout session that they had at the end of the chapter was weirdly heartwarming?? I want a friend(???) that I can be a surly little shit with and draw on and that will call my bf that's not really my bf but should be my bf because he's (that is Mineta) got more emotional intelligence than me lmao. Never thought I'd see the day when the grape would make for such an excellent wingman--tho I gotta wonder what that text he sent to Deku said. Probably something along the lines of "come get yo girl, she must be bored/lonely af because she asked to hang out with me" followed by "are you ever gonna close the deal or not? or have you already hit it??? >:)" just to give the guy an extra push (or maybe he's got a better sense of self-preservation than what I give him credit for, idk lmfaooo...)

Okay, this is WAY too long, I just had to get it out of my system lol. I loved the new chapter lots and I cannot wait to see how things play out in the next one!!

LOL, oh Puck, i adore you sdlkfjsdlkfjsdlkfj

me being a shit-stirrer/asking myself questions i don’t have answers for under the cut

Cat asked me this question earlier today, actually — why Mineta. And honestly? Part of it is the challenge he represents — like, how do you write him into a fic and mature him up so that he’s at the very least, tolerable, but also keep the backbone of his character (which is being a little degenerate). Like, is it possible? One of the most popular tags on ao3 for mineta minoru is something along the lines of “mineta minoru is replaced with shinsou hitoshi” LOL so…….. why didn’t I just use Shinsou? Or Aoyama or Iida, as Cat suggested? And beyond the part of me that delights in giving myself perceived challenges, there were two stark reasons that stuck out to me, when i was first mulling over his inclusion.

1) the fact that he can draw. it’s literally as simple as that. ever since the BNHA exhibition opened up in Japan and it was revealed that there was a scene in there with a class blackboard and the kids having their little drawing competition — and that Mineta was objectively the most skilled — i was like, “i have to include that”. LOL. it’s like you say, Puck, our Reader is a little gremlin herself — i thought if I was going to write a Reader that could handle interacting with him (ie, be in a position to pay him out) it was going to be this one. I think being in the manga industry and starting out on this journey of creating and drawing a Shonen manga sort of put Reader in this unique position of… being in what seems like a boys’ club? So she’d be used to the male gaze within her field. I follow Horikoshi’s assistant (former assistant?) on twitter and let me tell you, that man is not shy about the things that he likes to draw LOL.

the 2) thing was the philosophy i’ve sort of accidentally given myself LOL and that’s the fact that — as a Bakugou stan, if i’m giving grace to a character who was a literal violent bully then………. i can use my magic powers and hand it around to the other characters, too, LOL. and like, i would argue that with Bakugou it’s different, like we’re currently seeing in the manga how he has grown and learnt and is actively changing, which is the key to any kind of redemption. do i think Mineta will ever undergo that in cannon? absolutely not lmao, i see him as being being Hori’s idea of comedic relief, he’s always going to be a horrible little degen. but i want it for him…… if only to justify why the boys of Class-A collectively ignore his bullshit, for the most part? Like, none of them actively call him out on it?? i think of the time he tried to climb the wall to spy on the girls in the onsen — and how it was literally only Iida scolding him and how it took a child to stop him. Or the one when he found the stupid hole into the girl’s changing room and while the boys all looked grossed out….. Jirou’s the one that point an end to that?????? I saw a TikTok (derogatory) suggesting how like, none of the girls of Class-A would trust Aizawa, as adults, because he didn’t do anything to put an end to Mineta’s bullshit, and it was a devastating suggesting. None of us want to believe that our favourites would be passively okay with this kind of behaviour, right?? Which means……. Mineta’s gotta change LMAO. And if Hori isn’t going to do it then imma borrow him and do it myself. Does it work? I have no idea LMAO i can’t judge anymore, my meter is broken. but i’m gonna work with what i’ve given myself and it either will, or it won’t LMAOOOO kldsfjlksdjflkdj fic is about having fun at the end of the day. :’)

But it’s like you point out, Puck — Mineta is also a child, when these kids get trotted out to their first War. And he’s also not as offensively built as the hard-hitters like Deku and Bakugou and Shouto are. Even if it’s not explored in the manga, that War is going to change them all somehow.

So, my gameplan for Mineta was to grab ahold of the tiny things about him — the talent for drawing, the like one [1] observation he has about the wreckage of the war/pro heroes during the war arc, his tears for Bakugou when B wakes up afterwards and how he tells Deku how cool he was and how much he admires him, in the current Bring Deku Home chapters — and try to envision a sleaze bag who learns that the bullshit he pulls won’t be tolerated, even if he’s still ultimately a skeeze LOL. i mean, he’s never going to drop that er…. appreciation for the female form. and i mean, hey, live your best life King, i’ve distinctly noticed a hand-fetish floating around on this site lately so i’m not gonna be like “NO men can’t like ANYTHING”. But the thing with him being a sleaze and open with his leering is like, he’s actively made the girls of his class uncomfortable with that in the past — how do you write it so that he’s not doing that in a position of power with the women he works with (and saves!), as an adult?? Maturity only goes so far. How much can I bank on the war and the subsequent bullshit they’re gonna face from it on…. transforming him??? It shouldn’t be up to the girls he’s learning with to police him, they’re just children. I have a vague gameplan for it — whether or not it works will be one thing; whether i can naturally shove it into the fic is another, LOL. Guess we’ll see. 🧐

SAYING ALL THAT,,,,, i’m actually really glad you liked (???) the ending scene with him because it’s my favourite LMAO lkdjflkdsjflkdjfkldsjf. 😭😭 Reader is by no means perfect, and she and Mineta both need to start treating each other with more respect, but her bullying of him was fun to write and I like imagining a Mineta who considers himself to be close with Deku (whether or not Deku thinks the same is up for debate) going along with it. i could see this version of Mineta being enough of a shit-stirrer to say something like, “gotta lock that shit down” to Deku LMAO kdfjlkdsjflkdsfjdklsfj and then getting left on a skyscraper somewhere…. RIP short King.

[letsperaltiago]

ok time to break my silence caused by the fact that i spent all day making this lol too many feels 

so.. palm springs thoughts !! and there are manyyyy so buckle up and feeel free to hit me up with either matching or contradicting thoughts or whateveer!! i would LOVE to nerd out about this movie with someone:’)

here comes thoughts and pictures!! 

we basically start off with a mr. samberg sex-scene okAYYYYY the mood is set. we love the view

nyles aka. mr. samberg is the most gorgeous man alive and it was a true pleasure to admire him for 90 minutes straight 

CURLS!!????! THEY ARE UNREAL. i shall dedicate an entire post to them

Cristin Milioti is perfect for her role. her acting? *chef’s kiss* I love that she’s not the stereotypical female rom-com lead.

Her chemistry with Andy? Gosh.. Can’t believe Nyles x Sarah is my new main movie-ship!! They play off of each other SO. WELL. Their characters are equally stone cold and bitter, but then again not really, and they both portray it so well!!

“You don’t ned a leg up.” *moans* “Hold my leg up!” i SCREAMED

“Don’t you kiss me.” “Don’t you tell me what to do.” hoW DARE THEY!

Ok ur basically on love already stop it

The fact that they were just gonna fuck on a blanket on top OF ROCKS?!

but then again in this movie’s already insane universe it’s prob pretty normal:)

The overall dark, existential humor?? This is what I live and breathe for on a daily basis. Basiaclly both main characters are a BIG MOOD

Nyles not giving a shit vs. Sarah severely freaking out in the beginning is an iconic dynamic

“I am the antichrist” and then the rock falling? For a hot sec I literally thought the movie was gonna take a turn with Nyles being some magical/scientific creature that’d created the timeloop or something idkkk ahhha

Nyles in the suit... ridiculous(ly hot)

The torture methods Roy uses on Nyles and the fact that he’s not mentally scarred?? How?? 

On that note I love that Nyles and Sarah keep their memories even if the day starts over. Would’ve been a completely different concept if they had to “meet each other for the first time” every day and it wouldn’t’ve allowed their relationship arc to evolve as it did 

Darla is the fucking shit 

Nyles in the baseball cap, amirite?

THE BARTENDER TALKING ABOUT HITTING A GUY WITH THE CAR SHE’S CURRENTLY GIVING NYLES A HANDJOB IN IS COMEDIC GOLD 

“You fucked Jerry Schlieffen?” “Well he fucked me.” Yes SIR. Andy Samberg’s characters are all bottoms and we’re here for it

Sarah’s tongue click and “nice try” when Nyles asks her about her sex life?? 

IDK WHY BUT SO GOD

Randy is hella annoying. That’s it. That’s the tweet.

THIS ENTIRE SCENE:

the fact that they both start waking up smiling because now at least they have each other 🥺😭🤯

uhm i love a good ship that’s like... best friends to lovers and the montage of them basically becoming besties killed me 

this outfit Y E S: 

sarah falling off the car and nyles laughing it off is relationship goals

the crashing plane I LOL’ED

okay so... big moment... the DANCING AND MATCHING OUTFITS? THEY ARE MY DREAM TEAM. Also how excited they are running away from the bar 🥺

IM POSITIVE THIS IS THE MOMENT NYLES KNOWS! LIKE HE DOESN’T ADMIT IT TO HIMSELF COMPLETELY BUT HE KNOWS 

the bomb in the cake and french pirate-skit? so fucking random but i lovee it because it’s so them

*DRUM ROLL* PERHAPS MY FAVORITE MOMENT IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE: 

STORYLINE WISE AND VISUALLY A++++

the deep talks by the fire were SO well written. they were actually deep and genuine, allowing the characters to grow and opening up to us as viewers but also remained fun and witty

sarah trying to get nyles to admit he cares for her and him joking it off??? the flirtinggg

really wish we’d gotten to know more about what nyles meant with “it drifts away: just like they all do.” because it really seemed to trigger something within him. Like WHO “They”???

the dinosaurs lmao no comment but at least they got a cute cuddly moment

from the very first millisecond inside the tent you can CLEARLY tell Sarah is just dying to do something about them!!!

 the disbelief on nyles’ face when sarah says “lets just get it over with” because she’d clearly stated he didn’t want to and even though he obviously did he’s respected it and not done anything further about it oh babey

we love some good making out:’))) 

NYLES HALTING TO TAKE IN THE MOMENT EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO SCREAM INTO THE VOID 

i will die for a post-sexy timez cuddle and how sarah is trying to staying awake to be besides him is just *explosion* 

this has to be *the moment* she realises 

and they’re both sooooo fucking happy when they wake up after damn love me like that pls

THE GROOM BOOO FUCK OFF CAN’T EVEN BE BOTHERED TO REMEMBER HIS NAME CHEATING SCUM 

THIS FACE:

Baby is trying so hard and is so cute and nervous about it. SARAH LISTEN TO HIM HE LOVES YOU.

HE FELT GOOD WAKING UP BECAUSE OF YOUUUU, GIRL. DO NOT CALL IT “FUN”, SARAH 

“Going to bed maybe just got a little better” 😭😭😭😭

The entire cop scene is just pure insanity, very Lonely Island and I’m here for it even though I just want Sarah to rEALLY LISTEN TO WHAT NYLES IS TRYING TO SAY 

“Pain is real” oh babey that means SO MANY THINGS 🥺💔

“I followed you into that cave because I liked you!” like jake would say: don’t love how we got here but we’re going where i want

“pretentious sad boy” me

not shocked that they’ve hooked up before because c h e m i s t r y but don’t like how it got out :)))

why is nyles’ one sleeve shirt rolled up? im triggered

drinking pure vodka? oh babey its gonna be okay 

WE LOVE A SMART BOI WHO RECOGNIZES HIS GIRL’S PERFUME 

Sarah’s parents singing:)) i would cry too, nyles

"I love her.” “I see... That’s interesting” lmao savage

I actually really love Roy’s character. It turns out to be very humble actually and he has some insightful and lowkey poetic that lines i love. Besides that he’s hilarious. 

SO the whole time i was wondering how they’d get out of the whole “same day forever”-thing, if they were to. and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they had such a logical way out of it: science. Not anything cheesy like “a true love’s kiss” or “you learned your lesson”. Pure logic and Sarah’s hard work to get there. Huge fan of this. 

I will never get over how good Nyles looks waking up and Sarah is xtra pretty in that scene:’) 

Nyles just wants to stay in a loop forever because it means for sure that he gets to stay with Sarah forever and I’m lowkey into it but also like lowkey LISTEN TO HER AND GO WITH HER PLAN, NYLES

“I wanna stay with you” *sniffles*

“I love you. How about that?” PRETTY FUCKING GOOD 

I love Nyles’ character development. He started off so nonchalant and cold, closed off and by this point he’s the softest, smiliest in love fool I’ve ever seen and Andy does it so good. SAMBERG HEART EYES!!

“Nothing is real in here” YES SARAH UR LOVE IS

I’m taking Sarah’s asking Nyles to believe in her and leave with her as her first “I love you” because it’s very clear that she wants to leave with him rather than without. 

just- this entire scene i ugh <3 <3 <3 <3

BREAKING. UP. WITH. MISTY ! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

glass of wine filled to the brim? sarah’s my type of gal

the speech was really beautiful and sweet without being too cheesy and kudos to cristin for really delivering it like a pro! especially her “abe, don’t fuck this up” like yes girl kill him, chop him to pieces with your eyes!!! also camila is such really pretty bride

nyles looks like a cockatoo here :

nyles taking the shot and smashing the glass into the ground got me 🤭😵😏🥵

“I’m your son” I SCREAM

GIVE THE MAN A WHITE HORSE DAMNIT

Gotta admit Sarah looks like a bomb (lol nu pun intended) ass super hero in her bridesmaid dress and C4-gettup 

The sentence ending up being total grammatical gibberish but Nyles trying so. damn. hard is the sweetest thing ever and should and will go down in rom-com history. It’s super romantic but also well-balanced by humor and I just.. so good. This is the kind of characters and relationships I love and wanna write myself 

“you’re my favorite person that i’ve ever met” 🥺🥺🥺

“i’d rather die with you than live in this world without you” WHY AM I SO SINGLE SOMEONE LOVEE ME LIKE THIS 

okay so idk but “what if we get sick of each other?” “we’re already sick of each other. it’s the best.” is so so so soft, the way nyles says it like it doesn’t matter and is honestly another key moment for me: they’ve experienced basically everything imaginable during their time in the box/loop. they’ve liked, disliked, loved, hated each other and still: he loves her. the fact that nyles knows no matter what happens it won’t stop that because it’s them?? ouch my heart. 

this chaotic mess of a pairing?MESSY BOMB BRIDESMAID AND CURLY-HAIR HAWAII SHIRT-BOI!! MY OTp

Them dissing Nyles’ mom on their way into potential death? that’s love, baby 

the fUCKING KISSSSSSS MANNNNNNNNNN!!!! SO ICONIC AND THE EXPLOSION IN THE BACKGROUND AND JUST WE DESERVE THIS THEY DESERVE THIS EVERYONE DESERVES THISSSS!!! 

NEVER OVEER THIS EVER FOREVER NEVER

Ok so I was SURE that when it faded to black that it was done and I grew super ficking frustrated because it would leave us with this “the ending is up to whatever you chose”-kinda thing kinda a la Celeste and Jesse where it just feels unresolved and I WASN’T OKAY WITH THAT. So I’m so happy we got to know that it worked and the bebes will live happuilly ever after with Nyles’ shaggy dog:’) 

Their hands on each other’s knee >>>>>

all in all 100000/10 

[btschooseafic]

Hey you, what’s your dream?

Pairing: platonic!oc x ot7

Details: manager!oc, predebut/idolverse, partial BTS World!verse

Summary: Aviva is worried about Soonyoung. They learn something new about Yoongi.

Warnings: This is a fictional story based on real events. The characters presented here are not the same as their real life counterparts. (TW: drinking and vomiting mention) [Masterlist]

Interlude 2: Crossroads Pt. 1

STAR - Jessi

“Road to success but my vision foggy

Thought the rain would never stop”

January 2012

Soonyoung’s birthday was on the first. She threw herself a big party that Aviva tried her best to be engaged in, though she felt more in her element giving Soonyoung painkillers and birthday cake the next morning.

However, as the new year continued, Soonyoung was out more and more partying. She had always been social, but Aviva was worried about the impact it would have on her training.

And then Aviva woke up one night to find Soonyoung throwing up over the toilet. She held back Soonyoung’s hair silently. She made Soonyoung a cup of tea, and tentatively brought up her concerns.

“So what?” Soonyoung said, as they sat on the bathroom floor together. “It’s not like they’re ever planning on debuting me. They have all these younger, prettier female trainees at the affiliate companies now.”

“First of all, even if they’re pretty, doesn’t mean you’re not,” Aviva told her. “Second of all, have you talked to them? Talk to Chief Youngjin or Bang-PDnim.”

Soonyoung shook her head, closing her eyes slightly.

“I don’t care.”

Aviva frowned. “How can you not care? It’s always been your dream.”

Soonyoung sighed. “Maybe I’m just growing up and realizing most people don’t get to fulfill their childhood dreams. I feel like I’m struggling against the tide, Avi. And you know I’ve never been good at swimming.”

“Then I’m getting you floaties,” Aviva muttered determinedly. Soonyoung laughed.

“Keep the floaties for yourself, darling. You know there isn’t room for two people on that piece of wood.”

Aviva groaned. “Fuck the Titantic, you know I hate that movie. We’re getting through this together. You’ll see.”

A few days later, Soonyoung called Aviva late in the night, sobbing, confused, saying she wasn’t sure where she was. Because the two of them had agreed to give each other their tracking details as soon as the technology came out, Aviva was able to catch a cab and get to where Soonyoung was.

“We’ve got to get you sobered up a bit,” Aviva thought. “Have you drank any water? Ate anything tonight?” Soonyoung shrugged. Aviva looked around and spotted a late night hole in the wall restaurant. She dragged Soonyoung inside and ordered her some hot food and tea. It was a cramped space, with one of the only two tables taken already.

It took Aviva a minute to recognize the person sitting at the table, hugging a motorcycle helmet against his chest as he glared at the textbook on the table in front of him.

She blinked. “Yoongi-ssi?”

He looked up. “…Bom-ssi, what’s up?”

“Um… I’m trying to get Soonie to sober up,” she answered honestly. Yoongi glanced over at the other table, where Aviva had propped Soonyoung up.

“Yo~” Soonyoung waved wobbly.

“Wait…” Yoongi smiled at her. “You’re Queen, right?”

Aviva looked at her. “Isn’t that your username on some gaming sites?”

Soonyoung grinned a little sheepishly.

“I was thinking of using it as my stage name…” She squinted suspiciously at Yoongi. “But I haven’t told anybody yet—how’d you know?”

“Some of your beats were open on the computer in the studio when I went there one time,” he told her. “It was good stuff, so I kind of asked around about who did it…” He rubbed the back of his neck, and then smiled at her again. “Anyway, I really liked it.”

Soonyoung’s brow furrowed. “You’re l-lying.”

Yoongi shrugged. “Believe what you want. I don’t sugar-coat things.”

“Don’t you?” Soonyoung wondered. “I thought your stage name was Suga.”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s got to do with basketball, it’s not… anyway, you should be careful—if management catches you out drinking…” He glanced at Aviva.

Aviva held her hands up. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“And she won’t tell anyone you’re working a part time job against the rules either!” Soonyoung said confidently. “Cause she’s the sweetest person there is, sweeter than sugar.” Soonyoung tried to wrap her arms around Aviva and snuggle her. Aviva made a face.

“You smell. Eat your food, please.”

Soonyoung gave her a small salute.

“…What part time job?” Yoongi said after a minute.

“Aren’t you working here?” Soonyoung said, her voice a little muffled by the food in her mouth. Yoongi shook his head. Soonyoung scoffed. “Then why are you holding a motorcycle helmet with this restaurant’s name on it?” Yoongi froze.

“Yoongi-yah?” The man at the register called out. “Are these your friends? I said you could sit here and study, but I don’t want you bothering customers.”

“He’s not bothering us,” Aviva said, bowing slightly.

“Eh, I’m done anyway,” Soonyoung said, swallowing her last bite of food and washing it down with the tea. “Come on, Avi.” She dragged her outside.

“Wait.” Yoongi came after them. He pointed at Soonyoung. “You’re scarily observant for a drunk person.”

“Gotta be,” Soonyoung told him. “Can’t be a small drunk Asian girl in the middle of the night in Queens if you don’t got your wits about you.”

“Part of that problem would be solved if you didn’t go out drinking so late,” Aviva thought. Soonyoung shrugged.

“I’d still be small and Asian. Nice that doesn’t matter as much here, but now apparently I’ve got an accent and I’m too tan?” She grunted. “Something’s always gotta be going against me, I guess. I’m so tired of this shit, Avi.”

“I know.” Aviva hugged her.

“And you!” Soonyoung pointed at Yoongi. “You’ve got a part time job, you’re in idol training, and you’re studying for your college exams? When do you fucking sleep?”

“Yah, I don’t want to hear that from you,” Yoongi muttered. “I just wanted… promise me neither of you will say anything about this job?”

“I already said we fucking wouldn’t,” Soonyoung reminded him.

Yoongi looked at Aviva.

“We won’t,” she assured him. Yoongi studied her for a moment and then nodded.

“Where do you live?” He asked. Soonyoung squinted at him.

“I can and will beat you up if you start acting creepy.”

He laughed. “I believe that. I just meant I’d drive you back since it’s so late.”

“Three people on a motorcycle?” Aviva said confusedly.

“No.” Yoongi shot her an amused look. “I have access to the delivery van also.”

Aviva hesitated. “I don’t want to get you in trouble with your boss.”

“Should be fine as long as I get it back on time. Take it or leave it.”

“…Okay.” Aviva dipped her head. “Thank you, Yoongi-ssi.” Soonyoung fell asleep on Aviva’s shoulder as Yoongi drove them back. Aviva brushed her hair out of her face, frowning. “I should get my driver’s license… see if I can start saving up for a car. If she’s going to keep going out this late, I’ll need a more reliable way to pick her up.”

“Are you saying I’m not reliable?” Yoongi said lightly. Aviva just sighed.

  The next morning Aviva was thinking of sending Namjoon a text when her phone buzzed. She stared down at it. She had Yoongi's number, but the last time he texted was several months ago, to let her know that Hoseok's phone had died and he would be running late to practice.

This morning Yoongi had texted her the name of a driver's ed place, with a discount for a referral.

'thanks!' she texted him back immediately. 'for everything.'

'don't mention it'

Aviva followed up with a text to Namjoon that Yoongi could probably use a little extra support with his studying.

‘I’ll take care of it,’ he told her. Later, Aviva received a text from Hoseok telling her that they’d secretly made lunch for Yoongi. He’d included a picture of the boys crowding around Yoongi, who was rolling his eyes, but also smiling.

Aviva had almost fallen asleep on the couch when she sat up with a start at the sound of the key in the lock. The door opened carefully, Soonyoung nearly tiptoeing. When she saw Aviva, she smiled.

“Hey, sweetie, what are you doing up?” She cooed, slipping off her shoes and then coming to cuddle against her on the couch.

“Waiting for you, duh,” Aviva said, yawning and rubbing at her eyes. “Did you have fun on your night off?”

“Yeah. You would’ve hated it though.” She nuzzled against her neck.

“I can imagine,” Aviva said, squirming at the strong scent of alcohol on her friend’s breath.

“Anyway, I finally did what you suggested. I talked to Chief Youngjin and Bang-PDnim, and ba ba bum!” Soonyoung threw her arms out wide. “Bit Hit has agreed to train me as a producer!”

“What?” Aviva was suddenly wide-awake. “What, but Soon—what about becoming an idol?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it,” Soonyoung said, tapping her nose. “I’ve been thinking about what it is I really wanted from being an idol. I’ve decided that it’s the music that’s the most important thing to me. Preforming would be fun, but I can do just as good working behind the stage as I could on it.” She tilted her head. “Maybe better, even. Anyway, I noticed the production department’s all guys at the moment and that grossed me out so I decided I’d like to even the playing field a little.”

“Well…” Aviva curled more comfortably around her. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Soonyoung said. “And you? Are you happy in the management department, darling? You know I’ve always loved your voice, and you’re not half bad with computers either.”

Aviva laughed. “You’re biased, Soon. My voice is fine for singing in the shower, not for stages and albums. Anyway… I like it in management. There’s some real talent in the trainees, and I want to help see it to fruition.” She frowned. “I’m a bit disappointed I won’t get to manage you like I’ve always imagined, but of course I know you’ll be great at whatever you do, and I respect your choice.”

Soonyoung smiled fondly at her. “You’re too good, Viva. We’re all gonna do great, you’ll see.”

Meanwhile, the rest of the Bangtan lineup was still unsettled. Aviva was busier than ever helping out with the auditions.

[wayward-mikaelson]

The Run In

Word Count: 4692

Pairing: Misha x Reader 

Characters: Reader, Misha, Diego (OG Character), Xander (OG Character), Divorce Lawyer, Police Receptionist, George (OG Character), Female Officer, and Male Officer

Summary: The Reader gets away from her abusive husband. After bumping into a stranger, the Reader forms a friendship with him which the Readers soon-to-be ex-Husband finds out about. 

Disclaimer: Language, Angst, Fluff, Mentions of Domestic Violence, Mentions of degradation, Blood, Implied Smut

Disclaimer 2: This work of fiction contains Domestic Violence. If you have been a victim of DV please read at your own discretion. If you are in a DV situation please call 1-800-799-7233, of you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. If you are in an emergency, call 911. There are also DV/IPV programs and shelters in your area who can help you. 

Disclaimer 3: Any of the shorts that are hot and steamy, I want to put out there that it's in no way disrespectful towards Vicki at all. I love her to death and respect that marriage between her and Misha. So when reading those shorts, know that it all takes place in an alternate world where they aren't married at all.

A/N: Sorry this is late. I have been hitting some sort of writing block. I have the words in my head but for some reason I can’t get them out. 

A/N 2: Tag your anyone who loves Misha! 

*18+ Content. Anyone younger than 18 will need to move along. I do not want to risk my account being deleted. 

**Please DO NOT copy and paste my work anywhere WITHOUT my permission and WITHOUT giving me the proper credit. I work way too hard on my work and don’t want it to get stolen.

***This work is also posted on Instagram, Wattpad, and AO3. Go show it some love over there.

****Please follow me on my other accounts Instagram, Wattpad, Twitter, and AO3

*****DMs are CLOSED for REQUESTS. I gotta finish up my other two projects. 

Forever Tags: @donnaintx​ @myinconnelly1​ @magssteenkamp​ @elansaidaris​ @hobby27​ @440mxs-wife​ 

I sit alone in the apartment, huddled on the couch. The fight had been bad this time. I mean, all fights with Diego were bad but, this one in particular had been pretty bad. I look around the trashed apartment and try not to replay the events that took place almost an hour before. The television was busted, a couple chairs had been thrown over, the mirror my mother had salvaged and repurposed for me was destroyed, glass was everywhere, and my grandmothers clock she passed down to me was busted up.

I don't know how I got here.

I don't know how I let it get so bad.

I slowly get up off the couch and watch my step all the way to the bathroom. I flip the light on and there, glowing bright red, on my face is the handprint of my husband. The throwing of things has been going on for a couple years. Hitting is new and Diego never hit me until recently. I should have left him months ago. Maybe even years ago.

After that first hit.

It was after a Christmas party at his office. We got into a fight about me talking to his co workers and about the dress I wore. He said he had been embarrassed by it all. I'm the stand you ground type of woman who snaps back. The moment I had snapped back, was the moment Diego hit me. Diego has been surprised so he left for the evening. I should have just packed and left. I didn't, I waited an apology that never really came and when it did, I knew he didn't mean it.

Tonight, it was about the fact I went out with a few friends and forgot about dinner for Diego. When I came home with take out, he lost it. Called me every name in the book. Threw things and hit me and left.

I slowly touch the already welting mark. I suck in a sharp breath when my cool hand touches the raw skin. It stings so bad that even my tears make it sting. I look at myself again in the mirror. "How pathetic," I whisper to myself. "How pathetic of you to have stayed this long over a boy that can't handle his anger. That's going to change."

I walk out of the bathroom to the room Diego and I share together. I head straight towards the closet and pull out a duffle back and begin to fill with the important things. Clothes. Some shoes. Bathroom and shower necessities. I swap out purses, leaving both my car keys and phone in my old one. I can't risk having Diego try looking for me. I log into my bank account and change every security question and answer. I close my eyes. I never thought I would need to do this yet here I am.

I look around the apartment one last time. My eyes land on the photo from our wedding day. I grab it and rip the picture from the frame. I take a lighter and set it ablaze in the kitchen sink with a few other photos. Taking a deep breath, I finally make my exist from the apartment.

I walk to the nearest bus stop and wait for the bus to show up. Even in the dark it's difficult to hide my swollen face from the world. So I keep it down and tucked behind the collar of my coat. When the bus finally shows up, I get on it and pay my fair. I go sit in the back and ride it all the way to where I need to get off. The ride is quiet. A few people stare at me when they catch sight of my face. I turn away from them and keep my face hidden away. I stare at my bags and think, this is all I have now. A few clothes, money, these bags, a few personal items, etc.

The bus stops and I quickly grab my bags and get off. I turn this way and that looking for the building I need to go into. I spot it, It's hidden behind some trees and another bus stop across the street. I make my way across the street and into the police station.

There is a lady sitting at the front desk. It looks like she's packing up to go home. She gives me a friendly smile and sets her bag aside.

"What can I do for you?" She asks. I see her zero in on the mark on my face and the look in her eyes looks like she's about to cry. "I think I know what papers you need." She turns and leaves the area and returns with a few papers in her hands. She slowly hands me the papers and a pen. "Do you need a safe place to fill these out? Theres a room I can take you to."

I nod, I want to cover as much of my trail and steps as I can. Diego is a smart man. He will soon learn I left him and will soon come looking for me. The lady walks me to a room with a table. She tells me that she won't close the door because some people in my situation get triggered. She walks to the officer that is sitting at a desk across the way and tells him something while pointing to me. The officer looks at me and then nods to the woman.

I look down at the Order of Protection and Restraining Order papers and take a deep breath. When I start to fill the paper out, I notice that I am still wearing my wedding ring and band. I take them off and set them in my bag. As I finish my paper work, I slowly get up and walk out of the room. The officer sees me and slowly approaches me.

"I can take care of this for you," He says reaching for the paper. "Now how about we get some ice for that mark and have a look to make sure it isn't more than raw skin." The officer sits me down and leaves. When he comes back he has a small ice pack and places it on my face. The cool pack feels so nice.

"I have a question," I say as the officer pulls out a first aid box and starts to look at my face.

"Yeah?" he responds.

"Is there a way to put in your system that I am not a missing person but on the run from my husband?" I flinch when the officer wipes my face with the alcohol wipe.

"Sorry," He starts to apply an antibiotic to my face. "If or when your husband comes to us looking for you, our system will actually show that these orders are on him. What will happen is that they will take your information and tell him he has two days until you are declared missing. In that time frame he would have been served with the restraining order." The officer puts a large band aid over my face.

"Good," I say.

"How long?" the officer asks.

"Long enough to finally say fuck it and leave his ass."

***

A few days pass. I'm staying at a hotel and paying by the day. I purchased a brand new phone and got a new number. I called my parents and told them what was going on. They were mad and sadden by the situation but are happy that I got out when could. I got word from my officer friend that the restraining order was delivered but he said that Diego didn't look happy.

A week passes and I am still staying at the hotel. Not many apartments won't rent to me until I'm legally separated from Diego. I meet with a lawyer to have divorce papers drawn up and served to him but according to her, once the papers were signed, it would take a few months for them to be filed.

"Now all we need to do is get you two in here to sing these?" the lady says.

"About that," I fold my hands. "I have a protection order and restraining order on him."

The lawyer nodded her head. "I see. Well, I will have someone deliver to him and see if he will sign them. Just be prepared," She reaches for my hand and takes it in hers. "Some men like him, they will stall this as much as they can to get you to meet in person."

I nod. "I understand, in that case, if I have to meet him, I will have someone I trust with me."

As predicted, a week later, the lawyer calls me ups and tells me that Diego refuses to sign. Says I'm having a mental breakdown and needs to just come home so we can work it out. The lawyer also mentions that Diego had said that I'm lying about him throwing things that it's all me and that he only hit me in self defense because according to him, I slapped him before he slapped me.

I sit back in my hotel room in hot anger. I can feel the steam of my anger coming off my skin. I'm angry he won't sign the papers. I'm angry he started to make up shit about me. But jokes on him, I kept a private album on my iCloud of all the times he hit me. It my friends idea, she encouraged me to document it all somewhere where he doesn't know the password to. She passed away about a year ago from getting hit by a drunk driver.

"I'm going to need a printer," I say looking at the countless pictures of abuse.

***

The next day I go out and purchase a decently priced printer. And a decent laptop since everything was on my phone. As i'm walking down the street back to my hotel, with my things, I find myself falling onto hands and knees. The printer box rolled a few feet from me. I hope it isn't damaged, I think slowly sitting back on my knees and just staring at it.

"Oh my goodness," a voice says. "I am so sorry."

I look up to see a man with a ragged hair, black sunglasses, a black t-shirt with a jean jacket over it, and dark skinny jeans reaching down to help me up to my feet. I take his hand and slowly get to my feet. I notice the scruff framing the rest of his face. The sun shines perfectly behind him and I can't help but feel drawn to him.

"I should have watched where I was going and make sure there wasn't a beautiful woman carrying a large object," the man says turning to pick up my printer. "Doesn't look damaged from the outside."

I smile and feel my face burning. I'm sure it's bright red. "It's okay, I should have called an Uber instead of walking three blocks. I'm sorry about your coffee." I gesture to the fallen cup and spilled contents on the sidewalk. "Let me buy a new one."

The man laughs and waves a free hand. "No need to waste your money on my accident."

"What can I do?" I ask after I made sure my laptop box was fine.

"How about you let me help you with this so another person doesn't run into you?"

Taking a deep breath, I accept the strangers offer.  We walk the last block talking about the city. When we get to the hotel, this man offers to carry the printer all the way up to the room. Didn't even question if I was living there.

"Thank you for doing this," I tell him as he sets the box on the small table.

"Anything," he smiles. "And when you are ready to search for apartments I know of a few good ones."

I give a small smile. I guess it's obvious that I was living in the hotel. "Thanks," I watch as he walks himself to the door. "I did never get your name." I call after him.

"Misha," he smiles. "Collins."

***

A month goes by and I am no longer looking like a crazy person after submitting all my pictures to my lawyer. Still Diego refuses to sign the papers unless he can meet with me alone. Of course I say "fuck no."

"If you want to be rid of him forever, then you have to compromise," my lawyer tells me.So I makes plans for the inevitable. But I have my officer buddy tagging along with me to the meeting.

I stare at the divorce papers and I am praying Diego will sign them at our meeting. But I doubt it. Ever since I left him, I started to see the red flags. Even friends that I still have and that haven't been manipulated by Diego, have told me they saw the way he treated me and spoke to me.

I need fresh air.

I get out of the hotel and walk to the the nearest park. It has a lake right in the middle of it. I rest my arms on the railing and then drop my head on my arms. This is more stressful than when I planned a wedding with Diego. I'm closing a door on almost seven years of marriage.

Diego was never like this. Even when we dated for five years. He was always so sweet, so kind, understanding, etc. He would buy me flowers for no reason. My apartment would be covered in them and I would tell him that I would donate some to nursing homes just to make room. I don't know what snapped in Diego to make him the way he was now.

Sighing I look up and stare at the lake. There is a small flock of ducks swimming passed me. Their color feathers shine in the afternoon. It puts a smile on my face. Something that is hard for me to do lately with everything going on.

"I was wondering when that smile would come," a familiar voice makes me turn to my left. There, a few feet away from me, Misha stands. I haven't seen or spoken to him since he left my hotel after giving me his number.

A number I never called or texted.

I had too google him to see if I could find anything on him. Well, I found a crap ton on him. An actor who did a crap ton of good. He is loved by millions.

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask. Another smile creeping onto my face.

"Not long," he says walking closer to me. "Just long enough to see that frown turn upside down." He gives a small smile. "Are you still at that hotel?"

I chuckle. "I am, I haven't had the time to look at apartments. I've been preoccupied trying to get my soon to be ex-husband to sign divorce papers."

Misha leans up on the railing along side me and looks at the ducks. "Maybe he's holding out to want to try and work things out with you?"

I laugh. "No, he's abusive and isn't having it with me being in control of myself now. The night I left him, it was really bad. It took a while for the mark he left on me to go away. Then he tried to convince my lawyer that I was having a mental breakdown."

"I'm sorry," Misha pulls back from the railing and pulls out his wallet and shows me a penny. "Here's to him signing the papers so you can officially be free of him." He tosses the penny into the water. "Are you doing anything, tomorrow?" He asks.

"Besides meeting Diego to get him to sign papers? No." I answer twiddling my thumbs.

"How about after you meet with him, I take you to look at apartments?" He leans towards me with a smile. "I can get you a really good deal. I'll even drive, so we don't have to walk."

"Sure."

***

"He's late," Xander says stirring his now cold coffee. Xander is the officer that helped me the night after  I left Diego. Xander was also the one who helped set me up at the hotel I'm staying at. Xander's wife, was a domestic violence victim and he was the officer that pulled his ex husband off her. They didn't get hook up until a year later when they ran into each other. They have been married for almost ten years with two kids.

"Just give it a few minutes," I say contemplating buying another coffee eying the divorce papers on the table.

Five minutes later, Diego waltz into the Starbucks and spots us. A smile spreads across his face when he sees me. Then it instantly fades when he sees Xander. He crosses the little shop in a few short strides. His black shoes squeaking from the rain outside.

"So," he sits down and crosses his arms. "Is this who you left me for? Some wanna a be body builder."

Xander smirks. "No, I'm actually a police officer. Since YN here has a few orders drawn up on you it's best that she have the right protection. Even in a public place." I notice that as Xander leans over he has his badge in his hands.

Diego looks over to me. "Can' you stop being so dramatic about this? So that we can just do this alone"

"Not ever going to happen," I say firmly. "And I'm not dramatic. Not about you hitting me."

The look in Diego's eye's grows dark but he puts on a fake smile. "I would never hurt you," He looks around as a few people over heard what I said. "I can't believe you're still on that."

"Look," Xander leans back and pushes the papers towards Diego. "All YN needs you to do is sign these. This game you're trying to play, just keeps hurting her."

Diego stares at Xander. "I don't think I will." He pushes the papers back and starts to get up. "Until next time."

"You're just going string this along aren't you?" I stood up so fast that Xander's coffee spilled. "I don't want to be married to you anymore. I stopped wanting that when you threw the first book and kicked a hole in the wall. I stopped when you hit me. I just let it go on for so long that I forgot how to not walk on eggshells. You don't own me. I don't love you. So sign the fucking papers."

Diego stares at me. I hadn't realized, but I pretty much yelled. I gather my bag and make my way out. Xander follows me.

"Hey," He hands me the papers. "Do you need me tot drive you back?"

"No, a friend is picking me up," I pull my phone out and text Misha. "He should be meeting me in a few minutes. He's taking me to look at apartments."

***

Another month goes by and I'm moved into my new apartment. All thanks to Misha and his ways of persuasion. I got the first six months half off. It was a nice little one bedroom apartment with a little den. Misha even convinced me to let him buy the furniture sets I had my eye one in a catalog.

"I'm just use to working hard for stuff like this," I say when the last of the movers move the stuff in. "I literally don't know how to thank you. Even just saying 'thank you' doesn't seem to be enough."

Misha laughs. The laugh takes up his entire body. "Just a simple thank you would be enough. Unless you want me to come up with a way to convince you to let me take you out to dinner. As friends of course."

I feel my cheeks start to burn. This dude is smooth. "Okay, dinner, as friends, it is."

Misha smiles big. "Awesome, now lets get this place looking as good as you."

For the next two days, Misha is over helping me settle down in my apartment. Whenever he leaves for food or whatnot, he always comes back with something to add to the place. I didn't even argue once.

The time I spent with Misha, he always hyped me up for stuff, he said things how it was and never ever sugar coated things, he held doors open, and gave me words of encouragement whenever I told him that Diego, again, refused to sign papers over.

Diego not signing papers was frustrating. The more time I spent with or talking to Misha, the more my feelings for him grew. But I was still tied to the asshole of a man who knew what he was doing. He knew of my interactions with Misha, he always brought it up but I would shut it down.

"He's just using you for public gain," Diego would tell me. But I knew Misha pretty well at this point. Things I've read on Twitter about him, Misha would never use someone like that.

Each meeting I had with Diego, I started to see him for who he really was. I don't even know how I fell in love with him. He's even gotten his parents convinced that I'm a lunatic. His mom would text me calling me all sorts of names and telling me that I should be the one paying for Diegos therapy sessions. She would also tell me that she knew I was trouble when he brought me home to meet them. His father wanted me to pay back every dime he had spent on mine and Diegos wedding or he would get a lawyer involved. He would even send disturbing texts saying that he's got people watching me and that I should be be careful.

I won't lie, that scared the shit out of me.

That last one pissed Misha off. I have never seen him go off about someone before. After that text, I went out and put restraining orders on Diegos parents and Misha convinced me to have someone look after me while he was gone for his show. I agreed and my new 'bodyguard' went with me everywhere and made sure I got home safe. Misha even hired a security company to set up an alarm system at my apartment.

If I didn't know better, Misha was or has developed some kind of feelings for me.

***

A year after I made my escape from Diego, I finally have my own car. Paid for all on my own. So no more walking. I park my car in my apartment parking spot and pull out my phone. I see the text from Misha, it's from an hour ago. His flight is delayed and that he would see me at some point tomorrow.

"Bummer," I lay back and watch as George, the bodyguard, pull his car into the parking spot behind me. I unbuckle and get out and watch as George do the same. Before I could get a word out, I see two police cars come up and two officers run passed me.

I slowly turn around and watch them run up to my level. My heart beats fast and I follow them. George, of course follows as well. I skip the steps two at a time and watch as one officer kicks my down. I hear yelling and banging around. Suddenly, George has both his hand on my shoulder and pulling me back as an officer finally come out.

With Diego in handcuffs. His nose is bleeding and a bruise is already forming on his face.

I pull away from George and run into my apartment. There standing in the middle of the room was the other officer talking to Misha. Misha has a busted lip and small gash on the side of his head. I notice that the glass bowl that Misha got me was in pieces and the coffee table was destroyed.

Misha sees me and I rush over to him. "Oh my gosh," I take hold of his face. "Are you okay?"

"Are you the lady who lives here?" the officer asks.

"Yes, and this is my friend," I don't my eyes off Misha.

"And the gentleman we arrested?"

"That's no gentleman," my voice is hard. "That is my abusive soon-to-be ex-husband. He has a restraining order on him."

The officer puts her note pad away. "That will explain a lot. We will contact you if we need anything else." With that, the officer left.

"Everything is all good?" Georges voice makes me turn around.

"Everything is good, George," Misha says. "You can go."

After George leaves I turn back to Misha. "You said you're flight had been delayed. What happened?"

Misha leads us to the couch and we sit down. "I only said that so I can surprise you. I hadn't been here for even an hour before he broke in. He wanted to know where you were and I wouldn't tell him. I guess a neighbor called 911 due to the yelling and stuff. Officer saw my stuff and I said my friend lives here and is letting me stay with her."

I nod my head. "I'm just happy you're okay. I don't know how Diego found me."

"It doesn't matter," Misha takes my hand. "He will answer for it in court.

And Misha was right. A week after everything went down, Diego was charged with breaking and entering, assault, and basically breaking the restraining order by stalking. I sat in during the hearing with Misha. Diego's parents tried to fight the five year sentence but the Judge said that if they said anything else before court ended he would double it without parole.

A few weeks after that, I am getting dinner ready when Misha shows up. He had been showing up a lot lately. I don't mind it at all, Misha makes me feel sane and safe.

"Hey," Misha says setting his coat on the couch. "I see that new coffee table came."

"It did, thanks to you," I say pulling a second plate down. I've learned to make a bit extra whenever Misha came over. "Also, I have some good news." I point to the orange envelope on the table. Misha looks at it and then back at me.

"Did," he starts to say.

"He sign it?" I finish his question. "Yeah, he called saying he will sign it. So I dropped by and had them take the paper to him to sign. I wasn't going to see him. They brought it back all signed. I am mailing in the morning."

"That's amazing, YN," Misha comes up to me and hugs me.

"Well, let's celebrate with dinner."

After dinner, after we clean up, we are sitting on the couch. Talking about whatever came to mind. We are talking about things we are still embarrassed by when Misha takes my hand.

"YN," He says softly. "I want to tell you something."

"Sure," I put my free hand on over his.

"I...I really care about you and I am glad that it was me here and not you when Diego broke in," Mishas voice is soft still. "I honestly don't know what I would do if you were here and he hurt you. All I ever wanted was for you to be safe."

"And I am," I slowly rub his hand with my thumb.

We stare at each other for what feels like forever when Misha pulls his hands from mine and put them on my face. His eyes look search mine for permission but I lean closer to him and brush my lips over his. He closes his eyes and I feel the shiver run through his body.

His gentle grip on my face forces my face back to his where his lips wait. They're smooth and there's a lot of passion behind his kiss. My hands run up to his collar as I move closer to him. The kiss deeps and Mishas hands trail down my sides to my hips where he pulls me onto his lap. It makes it easier for my tongue to push pass his lips and into his mouth.

Without breaking the kiss and with a low growl, Misha stands up, both arms supporting me as he walks us to the bedroom. Kicking the door shut.

[malfoysqueen54]

In The Name Of The Father

Steve Rogers X OFC

Warnings: Character Death, Cussing, violence, angst, NSFW….all the possible triggers. Always be warned!!

18+ Only PLEASE! Beware my work can end up anywhere in smutville!!

Phil Coulsons daughter was devoted to her father, now in his death she devotes herself to Steve Rogers. In his memory. The girl she never felt he wanted no matter how she tried to be the super solider he dreamed of having as a son. Now as Steve’s friend/ partner/ agent, she must deal with her baggage, but that chip on her shoulder is hard to remove. Even with Steve’s charms.

One year Later

             Brooke spoke to the car, telling it to send the text to Steve. He was easy to track by the GPS in his phone. She rounded the corner and saw him speaking to another guy and chuckling. Her black corvette pulled up along the curb, she parked it as she lowered the passenger window.

“Hey boys, either of you know where the Smithsonian is? I’m here to pick up a fossil.” She smirked. Steve had already turned and started towards the car.

“Your hilarious,” he said getting in.

“How you doin?” Brooke looked at the at the other guy as he spoke and gave a sly grin.

“Hey,” she answered.

Steve slightly shook his head. “Can’t run everywhere.”

Brooke pulled out into traffic toward S.H.I.E.L.D. “Showing off on your run again, Rogers?” she asked, glancing at him then back at the traffic.

He turned to her. “Gotta stay in shape.”

She gave a short laugh of disbelief. “Doubt that’s a problem. If that muscle didn’t lax in seventy years, it’s not going to, you lucky bastard.”

Steve’s eyebrows raised smirking. “Maybe it was the ice.”

“Maybe it’s that beefcake serum they fed you.” She turned into the parking garage and pulled into her spot.

Steve chuckled as he got out. “Did you really just call me a beefcake?” He walked around the back of the car toward her as she made her way into the elevators.

“Yeah, but I see you more as the frozen ones you get from fast food restaurants. Been sitting there god knows how long. They’re really bad for the hips and thighs.” Her grin turning a little sinister.

Steve looked to the floor and took a deep breath in and out with a grin. For a year, he had worked with her, and her sarcasm and dry wit could rival Stark’s. That was an accomplishment. He looked up at her as they exited the elevators to head to the locker rooms. “True, yet every now and then, you just have a craving for one.”

She stopped and his grin widened at her expression. He loved being able to throw her zingers back at her. “Well,” she began. “Good thing I know how to contact Thor.” She rolled her eyes, turning into the women’s locker room. He turned with a laugh, heading into the men’s.

             Hours later, he saw Brooke’s name flash across the phone’s screen. He inhaled and exhaled heavily, hitting the ignore button, Fury or Nat must have called her. He got off the bike and walked into the museum, unaware she tracked him.

Brooke bit her lip sighing as she watched him. She gave him a lot of shit, yet she knew what it was to be alone, to feel alone. Her heart ached as she followed him around. She looked to the floor when he stopped by Sergeant Barnes’ corner. Her heart felt heavy as he watched the movie with Agent Carter. His whole life was gone; friends, family, the world forever changed in the time it took to fall asleep for him. Brooke wanted to go easy on him, yet she never did; the resentment always overtook her.

He headed toward his bike and she let him go, able to keep track of him with her phone. She needed to relax and have a drink. She refused to let herself fall into anymore pity for Captain Rogers.

             Steve’s mind was racing. Instead of turning toward his apartment just yet, he turned the other way. He needed to talk to Brooke. He parked his bike behind her car and made his way up to the seventh floor. He rarely went there, which had never struck him as odd until just then, as he stood before her door. It had only been a handful of times, if that many, over the last year. He let out a heavy breath and knocked.

Brooke opened the door and scoffed slightly, but smiled and leaned on the door. “Yes, Rogers?

Steve nodded, sticking his keys in his pocket. “Thought we should talk.”

She looked him over and shrugged, moving away from the door to let him in. “Hungry?” she asked as she moved to the kitchen.

He looked over to her as he stood by the table in front of the windows by the kitchen. “Actually.” His brow furrowed then he smiled. “Yeah.”

“Well sit” She nodded toward the table. “My mother would be disappointed if I didn’t offer to feed you. Growing boy and all.”

“I think the growing is done.” Steve laughed lightly.

“Still, my mom taught me my manners,” she replied as he watched her move around the kitchen.

A gentle smile curved his lips, watching her do something so simple. She wore just plain deep blue leggings, a black tank top and pull over. Her feet were bare. It was simple, yet he had never really seen her like that before. Her hair was in a messy bun, and he was struck once again at just how beautiful she could be without trying. This hardened soldier was truly a soft, simple woman under all that sarcasm and hard edges.

“What are we having?” he asked still watching her.

She put the pasta in the pot of boiling water and checked on her chicken in the oven. “Chicken Parmigiana.” She looked over at him. “Had it yet?”

“No, I haven’t. I think it’s on the list, though.” He nodded.

“Oh yes.” She smiled. “The handy little list.” She shook her head gently and grabbed a glass, pouring two fingers of the whiskey she was drinking into a glass for him and put it on the table. “You may be riding home, but I also know it will metabolize before you finish dinner.”

Steve chuckled. “True.” He gripped the glass and drank some, then looked at it. “That is surprisingly better than the other stuff I have had.”

“It’s Jameson. Irish Whiskey, very smooth.” She held up her glass and took a drink from her own before turning to take out her chicken, check her pasta and stir her sauce.

“Well, it’s good. Did your mother teach you to cook, I assume?” he asked, putting his glass down.

“You assume right. Mom always said at the end of the day, a woman must keep her man happy in the kitchen and the bedroom, and she can do no wrong.” She chuckled, putting together his plate.

Steve nodded slowly. “I think that was true even in the forties.”

“Yeah, it was. Been that way since the medieval ages. A woman’s stigma,” she replied, walking over with their plates and then grabbing bottles of water for them, and sat down across the table from him.

“Smells amazing,” Steve said looking at it and then taking his first bite as she did.  He nodded. “Wow. It is amazing.”

Brooke couldn’t help but shake her head. “Yes, Rogers, I can cook. I can do more than shoot a gun and kick people in the face,” she said blandly.

Steve sighed with a sad smile. “I don’t underestimate you. Just so you know.”

“You don’t trust me, though.”  Her brow quirked at him.

“I don’t know anything about you, besides your military background. So, you don’t trust me, either. You don’t share anything with me,” he countered as he took another drink of his whiskey, looking at her. She had visibly tensed up.

She finished her bite of food and looked at him, taking a deep breath. “We are partners, we work together. My job is to have your back, Rogers, and I do. Whether you believe that or not, I can’t help that. I am not easy to work with. I am a bitch, I know that.” She reached for her glass and took a drink before continuing. “My personal history, is my own.” Her eyes met his. “My life is my job. That’s you. You are my job. No, I have no family anymore, my parents are gone. I don’t have relationships because it’s baggage I don’t need over my head in case someone needs to get to me. I am the job, always have been.”

Her speech was so matter of fact.  Yet, Steve had more questions rolling through his head after it. “I am your job, yet you don’t really like me,” he said tilting his head as he continued to eat.

Brooke nodded. “I admit, your annoying. That self-righteous thing you have. So perfect I want to hit you with a sledgehammer to knock you off the pedestal. Yet, I respect you, Rogers. You’re a hell of a soldier, the damn symbol of America. So, us other soldiers who came after you, none of us live up to Captain Rogers. So, it can suck and aggravate,” she explained to him as she finished, taking both their plates in the kitchen. She held up her glass asking if he wanted another drink.

Steve shrugged getting up and walking into the kitchen so she could fill his glass. “Sounds lonely.”

Brooke shrugged. “I am an Alpha female. No one can handle me but Alpha males, yet they also make me want to kill them ninety percent of the time. It’s a catch 22.”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh and Brooke looked at him, taking a deep breath. “Why are you really here, Steve?”

Steve let out a huge sigh. “Fury.”

“Ah, yes. Fury called and said you were having a tantrum.” She nodded, going over to sit at the table again.

“I was not and he didn’t say that,” he replied dryly and moved to take the seat across from her again at the table.

“That’s what I gleaned from it. Rogers, look, not everything is black and white.” She looked at him seriously. “Fury was right. He didn’t want you to do something you felt was compromising. He knew the hostages would be important to you. Nat, she really is comfortable with everything. So, he had her do it. Secrets and shadows is just how this game is played. You were in the military. It’s always been smoke and mirrors, good guys trying to outdo the bad guys.” Her head tilted slightly looking at him, trying to get him to understand.

Steve’s lips pursed. “I know.”

“Sometimes being right isn’t enough. You,” she paused, gesturing toward him. “Were the military experimenting with trying to outdo the bad guys.”

He nodded his head, his gaze on the table. “Trust is tricky. You never know who is who anymore.”

Brooke sighed, but agreed. “That’s true. All we have is our gut. Trust that. Okay? It usually will never steer you wrong.”

“Then why does it tell me to trust you?” Steve smirked a little.

Brooke smirked back. “Well because you can. Despite the drawbacks I have with you Rogers, you know even if only deep down, I am loyal to a fault, unfortunately. Soldiers fight and die for one another and together. I have always been a soldier first. Just like you.”

Steve looked at her and smiled feeling better having talked to her. “I will figure you out one day, Collins”

Brooke laughed and shook her head. “Don’t hold your breath, boy wonder.” Then she took a sip of her drink.

@thorne93​ @buckysforeverprincess​ @superfanficnatural​ @pegasusdragontiger​ @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​ @magellan-88​ @st-eve-barnes​ @emoryhemsworth​

[movienotesbyzawmer]

April 6: Rocky

I have learned that the six Rocky movies (so all of the Rocky ones but not the Creed movies) are available on HBO Max. I was looking for a new watch-and-take-notes-and-post-the-notes project, so yo. Check it.

I've seen all six of these movies. I saw most of this one in the theater, like, back then! I was terribly terribly young! Maybe 7. I remember my friend Greg really wanted to see it, but our parents wouldn't let us. So we had them drop us off to see Capricorn One, but Greg made us sneak in to watch Rocky instead. He was so excited about it he wanted to play-punch afterward, but it hurt and I didn't like play-punch. I also didn't care about the movie. You know what movie is decent, though? Capricorn One. Although the supporting performance from O.J. Simpson might throw ya.

Anyway, since its release the reputation of this movie has remained very strong. It won Best Picture in an extremely competitive year. It is very much the Rocky Balboa of that year's awards contenders! But I'm pretty sure I'm going to be watching this first movie and admiring its scrappiness, then watching the subsequent ones and rolling my eyes at their formulaic-ness.

The opening fanfare sets the atmosphere really awesomely actually.

Oh also I don't care at all for boxing. And yet it seems like the idea of it is good drama fodder, I mean the idea of a sport of just two people punching each other until one of them is the winner at that.

So the first scene is a boxing match in a little church somewhere. Some people are in attendance who apparently like to pass the time watching punching. Rocky is bloody and hangdog. After the fight, which Rocky won, both fighters convalesce next to each other in a back room, kind of indifferently. But we have learned that punch-sport is a part of Christian life.

Rocky walks home through the gritty streets, past his friends who sing rudimentary a capella music on a street corner. They should work on the complexity of their harmonies.

Rocky is home and his home is gritty also. Atmosphere. He has a tank with animals in it. I cannot tell what the animals are. He talks to them. Personality.

He has a mirror he looks at and the mirror is decorated with pictures of Young Sylvester Stallone. They are totally pictures of him as a boy and young man. But Sylvester Stallone was not in character as Rocky Balboa when he took those pictures. It is a little jarring.

At the pet store the next day we are introduced to Adrian. That is the spelling, I checked. She is very very very shy-acting. The director told her to act shy, and she was like OH I'M GOING TO MEET AND EXCEED THOSE EXPECTATIONS.

Rocky's next stop is The Docks. I am surprised that Philadelphia has a dock area with such large ships, but I guess that's real. But I'm also surprised that he's there on the business of being the muscle for a loan shark. I didn't remember about that side of Rocky's complex, complex personality.

That scene just ended with a very 80s-teen-movie moment; a fellow thug rolled down his window and bullyingly yelled, "so long, meatbag!" We feel so bad that Rocky doesn't have the respect of his coworkers in the loan shark gang.

After getting dressed down by his gangster colleagues, he then goes to his gym and there's this whole thing about how the coach guy is so sick of Rocky's boxing mediocrity that they gave someone else his locker. It seems like that wouldn't happen. On his way out, the other boxer taunts him by saying he's pumped to be in receipt of Rocky's locker which is a very fine locker. We saw it, though. It was just a locker.

Adrian again. Broad caricature of an introverted person. I don't buy it maybe. Then a scene in a bar and the conversation with the bartender is also dumb fakey acting.

He later came upon a bunch of jerks on a corner, but among them was an awkward teenage girl that he knows. He makes her leave with him and tries to give him avuncular advice, but that scene ends with her telling him, "screw you creepo!" The exposition of this movie has a very opaque strategy.

0:30:00 - A scene with Apollo Creed does some more very unnatural exposition, setting up the premise that some local underdog is going to get a chance to fight him. This doesn't seem like an acclaimed movie. This seems like a scene in a cheap romance movie where the Handsome Man confesses to his best friend that what he's really looking for in a woman is someone not so pretty.

AC is flipping through a straight-up book, looking for a good boxer to fight on January 1, 1976, to celebrate the bicentennial. I'm a little "wha?" about some of this. He chooses Rocky Balboa because of his catchy "Italian Stallion" nickname and remember because Columbus was Italian so

Rocky and Adrian go on a date. It's Thanksgiving but that happens anyway. It does not bristle with romantic energy. It reeks of social obligations. It seems like the beginning of the kind of loveless relationship your grandparents began in the 1940s in their dustbowl-decimated agrarian community.

They are back at his little shithole apartment and he is a persistent man and I do not root for this relationship.

Things escalated kind of quickly. Rocky got invited to an agent guy's fancy office and offered a chance to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. The next scene, everyone knows about it and he's on TV. He seems like a dumb lug. How can he possibly succeed. Good job contrasting his character with the big celebrity, though.

Burges Meredith is oddly appealing as this surly, pirate-talking boxer-coach-manager guy. He comes to Rocky's apartment sucking up, and Rocky isn't receptive, I'm pretty much buying BM's different emotions, and Rocky's.

1:11:24 - Pretty sure my friend and I talked a lot about this scene when we saw it back then, he fills a glass with raw eggs and drinks it up. All one shot, baby.

This scene with Paulie, Adrian's brother who is Rocky's friend, I don't like. Paulie is a bad friend. That scene ends with Rocky beating up pig carcasses. They should have just had that part.

His hands are bloody when he punches the meat things. That's his blood, right? That's not like animal flesh?

We just had a very melodramatic scene with Rocky and Adrian and Pauly, and Pauly just went nuts. This time, at least, Rocky and Adrian react to him the way you'd think people normally would.

1:30:55 - Famous training montage. I think as this movie series progresses these montages get more stylish. As it is, it's going for just a rousing moment of "he seems confident as he trains", as the music pumps you up with the profound lyrics, "trying hard now" and "getting strong now".

They have actually explained almost nothing about the specifics of boxing. I realize that now as Rocky says "no one has ever gone the distance with Creed". Which I think means something about going all 15 rounds, right? But the point is that I haven't had to hear much about stuff like that, and I honestly don't mind that.

1:44:30 - Ew, some actually kind of bad stock footage of the crowd at the fight. Oh, but then a cameo by actual Joe Frazier, probably.

As the fight begins I gotta say I have been effectively made to root for this underdog hero. I've been indifferent to most of the movie so far, and I'm indifferent to boxing, but ferrealz I'm excited to watch this fight.

It's cinematic with lots of angles that you don't see when you're watching actual fights (I assume), but also the actual fight-acting by Stallone and Carl Weathers seems like they're getting it right. That can't be easy, right? I mean, it's punching! Faces!

1:54:11 - Oh shit I remember this ahhhhhh his eye his eye, his EYE is swollen shut and he tells them to cut it open! That, like, what? He's going to go back out and fight with his eyelid literally slashed open WHAT

They weren't even that careful doing that slice

I thought they would be relying more on the commentators as narrators to tell us what to feel, but it's really all the cinematic storytelling that is getting it done.

But the aftermath of the fight is like opera, everyone is passionate and yelling and it doesn't work on me as well as it must for most people. I don't even exactly get what the outcome of the fight is (partly because I don't understand boxing). But that's the point, at least a little bit; in the heat of passion he just wants to tell Adrian that he loves her. That works well for this movie. And the way it just ends in that swirl of excitement, no denouement, it's really effective.

So overall there are lots of things about this movie that I don't care for, but there are some things to appreciate. It's not a fancy movie, but it seems like they did a particularly good job with the final boxing match feeling like exciting movie drama while also seeming like authentic boxing. As if I know anything about authentic boxing.

I don't agree that it should have won Best Picture over Network, All the President's Men, and Taxi Driver.

One last observation: looking back, I'm pretty sure that scene with the teenage girl is a result of the observation that the movie greatly lacks females.

(next: Rocky II)

[jinned]

bts react- them as your boyfriend

-the biggest dork of a boyfriend oh my god

-but tries to act cool™️

-when he buys himself hoodies he’s also subconsciously thinking of whether or not you’d like it

-he wants to buy the kind of hoodies you want to steal

-“this one is a nice color but this other one is cozier and y/n would be able to curl up in it so I should go with this one”

-lots of giggling

-and that cute embarrassed smile/eye scrunch namjoon does (you know the one)

-he would cup your cheeks in his hands ALL THE TIME

-on dates he just wants to stare at you

-like it’s borderline creepy…

-but he’s just so in awe of you

-constantly wonders what he did to deserve you

-makes playlists for you to listen to

-he’s the type of boyfriend that would 100% put you first

-gets so concerned about your wellbeing that he kind of hovers

-he wants a partner in life and wants to be able to learn and grow with you

-tries so hard to be perfect for you

-is the type of boyfriend that won’t shut up about you to random strangers or friends but honestly doesn’t even realize that you’re all he talks about

-when someone calls him out on it he gets reeeaaalll embarrassed and shy

-always says you need to take more pictures together but then gets so lost in the moment he forgets to take any

-we already been knew you gonna lose some ribs cause you’ll be laughing so hard around this man

-writes you awful corny love jokes

-he’s the type of boyfriend who will always take care of you

-you’ll never have to worry about anything basically

-treats you like royalty and would do anything for you

-lots of at home dates!!

-cuddling on the couch drinking wine and watching old movies

-or karaoke

-but not…regular karaoke

-“whoever sings the worst doesn’t have to do dishes”

-it’s basically you two screeching and making inaudible sounds into a microphone

-some mornings you’ll wake up and he’ll be acting out a role from a film and it’s your mission to guess what character he is

-until then no kisses >:|||

-Jin would be the relaxed kind of boyfriend but you’ll never stop laughing

-would 10000% sing you to sleep

-just wants to spend time with you. That’s his love language 

-you are the source of his confidence

-”If I could get y/n to fall in love with me then I can do anything”

-at some points in the relationship you will have to remind him that he is an adult and to stop acting like a child

-only gotta tell him once and then he’ll get his shit together

-the type of boyfriend to make you think “wow…he’d be an amazing dad.” a LITTLE too early into the relationship

-shy boyfriend

-wants to protect you but also wants to hide behind you

-just wants you to be as in love with him as he is with you

-reaalllly afraid he’s going to do something to mess things up :(((

-has the mentality of “push them away before they push you away”

-is just really afraid

-but once you break down those walls and show him that you’re here to stay and that you love the real him…

-the dorkiest boyfriend

-so many sarcastic jokes

-“aha!!” kind of laughs

-sees the relationship as 50-50 but understands that sometimes you might be at a 30 so he needs to step up and be the 70 (I hope that makes sense)

-S P O I L S Y O U

-you mention one time you like that one thing?

-it’s all wrapped up in a pretty bow on your side of the bed by the end of the week

-leaves you REAL CUTE NOTES

-“hi baby I hope you have a great day at work! Don’t forget to take your vitamins and take a water bottle with you. Never forget you are the most precious thing to me. I love you more than I can ever describe.”

-writes songs about you

-a lot of songs

-would want to hide you from the paparazzi to protect you but would tweet so many obvious things about you

-at the end of the day he just wants to be held by you

-he’s so afraid of losing you that he’ll go over the top with everything he does

-legit watches romantic movies or reads romance novels to “Study” how to be a boyfriend basically

-but then quickly finds out that type of stuff isn’t how the real world works

-I could honestly go on and on about the type of boyfriend my lil yoongurt would be cause he’s seriously the dream boyfriend

-not gonna lie hobi might be kind of a mess of a boyfriend. Lemme explain

- m o o d s w i n g s

-just emotionally all over the place

-he seems to feel his emotions 10 times more than a regular person

-when he’s happy he’s OVER THE MOON

-when he’s upset or angry it’s a lot of petty attitude

-those are on rare occasions though

-he’s the type of boyfriend that clings to you

-just needs you close 24/7

-is really easy to shop for???

-I don’t think he’d particularly take you out on lots of dates

-he’s prefer bringing the dates home

-like board games and crafts

-6 months in and he’s talking about babies

-highkey just really intense

-but it’s mostly in a good way

-never forgets your birthday or anniversary

-the boyfriend that goes “it’s our three month anniversary! I got you a gift!”

-your family just ADORES HIM

-easily jealous

-ultimately is the ideal boyfriend once he gets past his own insecurities

-if you guys argue he will be the mature one to make you both sit down and talk it out

-ever wish you could date a golden retriever? WELL SAY NO MORE

-jimin would be the most loyal boyfriend

-would feel bad leaving you to hang out with his friends

-so many cuddles

-will literally fetch anything for you

-you need anything? He’s already on his way to the store to get it for you

-comes back with flowers and your favorite candy

-the type to get you presents just because they reminded him of you

-lots of romantic dates

-definitely the “my best friend is my boyfriend” type

-you are the center of his world and all he wants is for you to be happy

-if you have younger siblings he’s always excited to see them and play with them

-he really quickly becomes an addition to your family

-he’s really insecure so he needs constant confirmation that he’s a good boyfriend and that you love him

-the type to make a sims family with you

-“look y/n! Our sims have 8 kids!” 

-sometimes he’s so clingy it’s annoying

-like gadayum can’t anyone pee without holding their boyfriend’s hand??????

-he’s the opposite of Yoongi. Yoongi would be more likely to push you away due to his insecurities but Jimin will cling too much because of his insecurities

-Jimin would be the most attentive boyfriend ever like wow what a precious gem

-so so so sooooo goofy

-lots of adventures!

-wants to take you out all the time

-never go to the same restaurant twice

-wants to capture every moment with you via camera

-sometimes you have to remind him to actually live in the moment

-loves to hold onto you

-is not afraid of pda

-gets bashful when you do the simplest things. Like kissing his cheek randomly

-he can’t take it

-lmao sorry but if you’re a female reader he gonna play with your boobs ALL THE TIME

-not even in a sexual way just if it’s there within his reach it gonna be in his hand

-sometimes he gets a little intense with how childish he is

-if you try to have a serious conversation with him early into the relationship it might not go as planned

-he has a harder time letting go of his goofy and carefree side so you’ll just have to really sit him down and explain that you’re trying to be serious and want him to act the same

-after a while though it’s SOOOOO much easier

-I don’t wanna say you have to train him to be a boyfriend but you’re gonna have to train him to be a boyfriend

-what I mean by train is that you’ll have to teach him what you like and what you expect/want from him because a lot of the dating stuff won’t come naturally to him

-but don’t worry he’s got it down and will do anything to make you happy

-just be careful not to make him feel like he’s not good enough or that you’re trying to change him

-definitely wants a “my best friend is my significant other” type of relationship

-out of all the members he’s most likely to be self aware of if he’s ready for a relationship or not

-“yeah I really like this person but I’ve got a lot going on so it wouldn’t be fair to them.”

-he’s not romantic by the book but definitely romantic in his own way

-takes you to art museums and shows you his favorite paintings

-if you look closely a lot of the paintings reflect love and inner turmoils

-you basically have to read in between the lines with tae

-oh sweet baby boy :(

-the cutest boyfriend :(

-like…the ones you see in movies kind of boyfriend

-the “this has to be scripted” or “he stole this off the internet” kind of boyfriend

-memorizes you to a T

-you’re in a bad mood? Comes home with flowers and your favorite snacks

-tucks you in at night and gives you temple kisses

-also kind of a lost boyfriend ™️

-he’s just…trying real hard to figure things out

-jungkook’s google search list:

•”how to be a good boyfriend?”

•”best places to take your girl/boyfriend”

•”how to know if you’re in love”

-wants to WRESTLE

-like play wrestling where you’re both laughing and just grabbing each other and trying to pin one another down

-is scared when he realizes it could lead to something sexual

-just wants to be a dork with you

-another “my best friend is my boyfriend” type of guy

-but also babies the fuck outta you

-is so polite and respectful to your family that they’re suspicious

-gives THE BEST boyfriend hugs

-always smells good

-the type of boyfriend that buys you the giant ass teddy bear and a giant bouquet of flowers

♡𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝓊𝑒𝓈𝒹𝒶𝓎 ♡

© do not copy, modify, translate, or repost. Jinitude 10/22/19

[smolnoms]

A Wolf’s Gotta Eat

I’m writing a story, didn’t think I’d make it to three chapters, but to celebrate doing so I’m putting up the first chapter. It’s my favorite, as it’s got all the good shit I like in it.

What’s In It?: Mouthplay, unwilling prey, animal-human hybrid giants and tinies, mouthplay, foodplay (of sorts? It’s with alcohol.) teasing at soft/fatal vore, and lastly, mouthplay.

Plot’s not super relevant, but to summarize; This world is one of animalistic tinies and giants. Think hybrids. The tinies used to live on lands far below, but due to famines and shit, they found a way to the top through the generations. However, they weren’t expecting the large dangers that lay above…

Character desc. for your convenience: P’veil is a black wolf hybrid, Juol a monkey hybrid, and Hugh is a lizard hybrid. The tiny gets described in ch. but is currently unnamed until later chapters.

Down the wet, empty streets came a dark figure. 

They were one of the many mutts found infesting the shadiest parts of a town so run down and run over, it was a miracle that it still stood. 

Hard working to all, loyal to a rare few...but honestly? That could be said of many.

No, truly, despite their reputation and the respect they held, they never let themself be anything more than another faceless grunt of the back alleys, selling questionable products at best, and morally horrific at worst. Sometimes, even they were a tad frazzled by some of the things that found their way into their little corner of the market, such as the severed leg of a wolf, one that so closely resembled their own…

But, hey! That wasn’t relevant right now. 

What they were really focused on now, was getting a drink.

“Hey, world to P’veil!”

A snapping finger inches from their face jerked them back to reality. Standing before them was a gruff, round man, sporting a grin sharpened with fangs, and a lower portion heavily drabbed in the scales of a reptile. He even sported a short, thick tail just beyond him, one with rounded edges and stained a dull green.

Another voice, higher than his, spoke up besides him. “You’ve been rather spacy tonight…”

P’veil turned to look at a female this time, one with a lengthy brown tail and wide, clawed brown furred feet and hands.

“D’aww, guys, there’s no need to worry about me, I’m just fine.” The entire line was delivered without the friendly mirth one might have expected, and yet, it was paired with a genuine smile, one that shot past them and out beyond the stretching street.

“Well, if that’s the case, then hurry your little furry butt!” Hugh, the reptilian man, barked out in laughter.

“Yes, let’s,” the other, Juol, agreed. As she passed by P’veil, she grinned cheerily, and gently dragged her dull claws across P’veil’s arm. They shivered, goosebumps trailing behind.

“Come on now, wolfy,” Juol cooed, and P’veil couldn’t help but continue alongside their two friends.

The three walked the abandoned streets, void of the rare few honest folk still left in this town. On occasion, pairs of glowing eyes would appear from deeper, untredded roads, either sitting still, or scurrying away as soon as they were noticed.

It did not trouble these three. Not at all.

Having let the silence stretch out long enough, P’veil piped up, curiosity making their voice softer than it ought to be. “I hear this bar is different than the rest.”

“Oh, it’s true! Tell them, Hugh,” Juol sing-songed.

The old man grinned playfully, and paused to sweep a hand outwards to a single building. It was an unusually long building, brown bricked and colorfully stained by sputtering neon sign that hung, crooked, above the entrance. The narrow steel door was not one that invited the pure or the weak to join in on the fun.

“Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

P’veil found themself standing just in front of the door, brow raised and eyes flickering in appraisal. The only real thing that caught their gaze was the neon sign. 

Depicted in bright purple and yellow was a humanoid lioness. She was poised with a hand raised towards her mouth, and fingers wrapped around something. However, it didn’t appear to be a glass of wine...

Done loitering, P’veil finally placed a clawed hand on the cold door, and shoved it open.

“Right up to the front, now! To the bartop!” Hugh crowed, shuffling his overall straps higher before waddling over.

Juol merely hummed, and sauntered over with a toothy grin.

P’veil glanced around quickly. It was dark, with small lighting here and there that made it clear that it was deliberately dim. Numerous human-animal hybrid creatures were milling about, more or less quietly, all sectioned off into their little groups, and occasionally casting looks around at the others, just as P’veil was now doing. They stopped before they could make the mistake of making eye contact with someone, and went to join the other two.

Hugh and Juol sat siddled next to each other, and P’veil gravitated over to Hugh’s side, settling down on a plush, worn-red stool. Their pure black tail hung off the edge.

“I already took the liberty of ordering for you,” Hugh said. “For the joy of mystery!” he tacked on, to appease P’veil’s flash irritation.

“Oh, right, the secret,” they murmured. 

“Hmhmm! Oh, I just know you’ll love it! Perhaps, even more that Juol!”

“Impossible,” Juol smirked, eagerly awaiting her own drink with little bouncing motions.

Humming, P’veil settled further in their seat, softly tapping a sharp claw against the hard countertop. Hells, they were intrigued now. They supposed they could wait, just for a bit, for such an anticipation.

As they awaited their drink, they tried to guess at what the mystery was. First off, they relied on their best sense, and scented the air.

...Sweat and alcohol, expectedly. The heavy odor made them huff, though for a second, they detected something hiding just underneath. They licked their lips, and looked up at the menus that hung above the back of the bar.

And, as expected, it listed off all the drinks that were available, paired with the occasional image. 

Yet what was most curious about some of the drinks, from half the menus, were the strange words freshly painted next to them. Something about it sparked a familiar feeling from P’veil. They remembered that these things were very new, and a sudden popularity to the black market.

“Wait...are, is this-ow!” They sneered at Hugh, who had swatted them. “What was that for?”

“For cheating,” he smugly said. “Honestly, there’s no fun with you, I swear-”

Just then, the bartender returned. The three leaned forward on their seats, eagerly awaiting the reveal of their drinks. 

Not one to tease, the bartender (a hulking man with a snake’s head), swiftly slid a glass in front of each person. 

And P’veil...smiled...wide.

For, sitting right in the middle of their drink was a little, pink, amphibian, tiny humanoid.

And it was staring right up at them with scared, orange eyes.

“Oh Hugh! Ya really outdid yourself!” P’veil hollered, ribbing the man. He returned their laugh while dragging his own glass closer to himself. 

“I’m real glad you think so,” he rumbled, toying with his glass and his own prey that sat within. “Now, bon appetit!” 

“Yes.” They lifted up their glass in one swift motion. The pink axolotl-boy yelped and scrambled feebly for a hold as the glass began to tilt. “Bon appetit!”

The small hybrid cried out, his pleas ringing off the glass. “No!”s and “please!”s and “I don’t wanna die!” crashed and burned on their ears. 

The glass was emptied, and the prey tumbled into their mouth.

The rushing burn of alcohol was swallowed, and following it was the smooth, warm, struggling form of the small youth. Tiny hands feebly pushed out, brushing against their tongue, their teeth, and even smaller head nubs tickled the roof of their mouth. They simply sat there, feeling his squirming on their tongue, and relished in the euphoria of having something so small, so vulnerable, trapped within the heat of their mouth. After a moment sampling his taste, they teased their mouth open.

He gasped in a breath. Brown hair was matted, wet, to his forehead, along with his shorts, the only clothes to drape his body.

“Please, stop...I can’t…” he wheezed, already withering from the assault. He tried crawling outward, and they lifted him along with their tongue, watching amusedly as a tiny arm reached out into the open air.

And gently, ever so gently, they brought their tongue back in, and closed their fangs down on the arm.

He took in a sharp breath. They felt his body go impossibly still inside their mouth. In the silence, they felt his tiny heart hammering away inside his tiny rib cage, shuddering along at a mile a minute.

And then, with a rumbling laugh, their sharp maw opened once more. Their hands fished inside their teeth and removed the drenched, tiny body, and let him hover right in front of their face.

He stared back with impossibly wide eyes.

“Oh, yes,” they purred. A long tongue slid out and lapped up the sides of his body, taking extra pleasure as his tiny hands and feet pushed out in retaliation. “I do believe I will be coming here more often, eheheh. Now, shall we get this show on the road?” they asked. For some reason they couldn’t discern, a small spark lit up in their prey’s eyes, but they ignored it, preparing to slurp him up again. 

“Wait!” he cried, much louder than ever before. They ignored him, and decided to start with that tail of his. Licking a long stripe up its back, they opened up just enough to suck it in.

“I remember! I-she was- there was-!”

Two tiny legs kicked out as they opened up for those too, slipping them in and along their tongue without a second thought. They kicked and clawed, but found no hold along the slick muscle.

“Her name, it, it was-“

In came the torso. They felt his abdomen contract and wobble with his words, and small hands grasped desperately at their fangs.

“Her name, it was Ohrei!”

P’veil felt every muscle in their body freeze as their tiny prey warbled out that name. They gasped, and unfortunately began choking as this sent their prey halfway down their gullet.

“Woah, easy there P’veil!” Hugh slapped down hard on their back.

With a great spasm, they coughed the tiny body back onto the bar top. It slid along the polished wood, leaving a trail of saliva behind.

A heartbeat or two was spent coughing and sputtering, banging a fist on their chest as they fought to catch their breath. As it slowly came back to them, their gaze quickly sought out the form of their prey.

“Hey,” they barked. They leaned in and peered down at their prey. A long claw poked at him. 

“Hey! What did you say? Say it! Say it again!”

A groan issued out from him. He turned to them with bleary eyes. “Ohrei...she-she told me she knew someone who looked just like you…”

Dead silence. Large red eyes locked onto small orange ones, and for a moment, everything felt delicate and strained.

And he dared not move, watching with a wary eye as his fate twisted and coalesced into a new form…

[thebibliomancer]

Dark Crystal Age of Resistance ep 3 liveblog

“What was sundered and undone”

Just a stream of thoughts.

The Order of Lesser Service.

Everyone is dunking on Brea.

“The order of Lesser Service is not a punishment. Its an opportunity to lift yourself up by performing the lowliest of deeds.”

Its not a punishment but Brea can’t leave and a possible task is to chew up roots and spit it into baby Nebrie’s mouths. It SOUNDS like a punishment.

“I’ve never met a princess before. I imagined they’d have shinier hair.” EVERYONE is dunking on Brea.

So the Order of Lesser Service is TOTALLY not a punishment but you have to wear a jester hat and also this other Vapran gelfling girl Juni was sent to the Order for hanging out with a boy of a different clan. 

It really sounds like a punishment.

“I always thought I’d make a fantastic princess, I have the hair for it. Its very shiny.” I kind of like Juni.

So the service for the day is to swan into a Podling village and force cleaning on them.

They seem awfully happy throwing mud at each other. And bellyflopping into the mud. And eating the mud. And rolling in mud.

“There is no filthier creature in all of Thra than a Podling” cool cool cool cool racism, Gelflings.

Yeah it seems gross but its what they like? So don’t be dicks about it, geez, Gelflings.

They seriously seem upset by all this forced bathing. Leave them alone!

Theres a lot of paternalism here is what I’m getting at.

Seladon just spent five minutes complaining about Brea while Cool Sister Tavra is just trying to hone her sword and mind her business.

Tavra really is the Cool Sister. The Cool Very Patient Sister.

“I can’t be washing Podlings, I had a vision that the world was ending or beginning!”

“Sounds like heatstroke”

“FUCK YOU ITS NOT HEATSTROKE”

Brea cuts a deal with a Podling to not wash them and the Podling immediately dives into the dirt to make dirt angels.

Live your truth, Podling. Live your beautiful truth, you actual potato.

Deet: “What if we fail?”

The First Podling Paladin: “Pssh”

Hup has to explain to underground elf Deet that actually Gelflings are pretty racist against each other and may not listen to her just because she’s an underground elf.

“It may be hard at first but like anything else in life, it just takes time to adjust” -dramatically removes blindfold to make a point-

Rian knows that just because you’re on a quest to save the world and are carrying a plot critical item, doesn’t mean you can’t stop to do a random act of kindness sidequest.

“Thank the harvest we have the Skeksis to keep us safe” Dramatic ironyyyyyyy

Rian immediately gives up the game by protesting that the Skeksis killed Mira.

“We protect the lords. The lords protect the crystal of truth. All lies!”

And he ditches all his castle guard gear so he’s not so easily identified in the future.

Brea trying to hide. While wearing a jingly hat.

Tavra: “You ran away? Good.” Such the Cool Sister.

So news of Mira’s death has filtered to the Vapra by this point. And since Rian is of the Stonewood clan, ooo its time for factional tension I guess.

Cool Sister Tavra has to try to keep the peace between her sister.

Tavra: “I think you and Seladon are more alike than you realize.”

Brea: “That’s a mean thing to say!”

Tavra: “Well, you’re both very stubborn!”

Also both Brea and Seladon can tell from Tavra’s silence when she wants to say something.

“The bonds of sisterhood can be tested… but never broken” Awww, Tavra!

Deet, you’re the most sunny person possible considering you’re an underground elf.

There’s a cool ominous pillar full of swords and Hup wouldn’t let Deet ask someone about it.

“Look at that filthy green Gelfling” well fuck you too, background character.

The Stonewood Gelfling at the bar try to rearrange so there’s no room for Deet but she’s oblivious to bullying and just squeezes in anyway.

Apparently a Fizzgig are just fizzgigs. So Kira was like a pokemon trainer who names her dog Dog.

“Go crawl back into the nest you came from you dirty Grottan” and then they shove her. I think she’s less oblivious to bullying now. But also Hup doesn’t approve of that behavior and launched himself across the bar and beat up EVERYONE.

That’s what a paladin is, Avatar.

“Rascal hole” wut.

I was just thinking that there’s been a dearth of Skeksis so far and BAM scene: castle, in saunters SkekSil.

“Not talk. Just listen.” ‘Hey wanna know about this cool beetle that eats eyes?’

“Noooo never use on gelfling. Only on Skeksis who misbehave. Did you hear screams last night? Friend Scientist was naughty, so saw peeper beetle.”

Chamberlain is one of those people who uses friend ironically, I think. And the nicer the term of endearment the more worried you should be, Gurjin.

“Think Gelfing. If Skeksis do that to Skeksis, imagine what Skeksis do to Gelfling that will not talk.” 

“Tell Chamberlain where Rian is.”

“Never!”

-actual affronted gasp-

Librarian: “Weren’t you sent to the Order of Lesser Service?”

Brea: “I ran away. I gotta go steal from my mom”

Librarian: “You wut”

OH HEY FLYING SCENE! Wonder how they did that.

Seladon: “So the person Brea mindwiped is here. There’s been a murder at the castle. Creatures going mad. And there’s a bunch of Gelfling worried about the Blight.”

All-Maudra: “I had to send Tavra on a dangerous mission. And Brea to the Order of Lesser Service. My daughters… gone.”

Her other daughter Seladon: “.... wtf mom”

Seladon gives her mom a pep talk to break her out of her funk.

All-Maudra: “You’ll be a great All-Maudra some day. … Straighten your wings. You look like a lopsided unamoth.” 

It was almost positive reinforcement for a second but you just had to undermine it, huh?

And then Brea breaks into the room to do a Theft like right after they leave.

So the Brightest Jewel is part of the chandelier? Of what significance?

Scientist: “Treacherous, perfidious Skeksis! Oh, soon… soon they will all see!”

The guy was a Mad Scientist by default of being a lizard nightmare man but he’s going Mad Scientist “they laughed LAUGHED but I’ll show them all” from his default level of Already Mad Scientist.

He’s also saying all this out loud while Chamberlain is just standing behind him.

Chamberlain: “How is friend skekTek? Good? Mm?” You’re a card, SkekSil.

Oh, cool. Scientist replaced his eye with a cybernetic prosthetic. 

Chamberlain found some lab assistants for the Scientist called Gruenaks. I guess this is why the other Skeksis managed to put up with him for so long. He backstabs them all but then gives a shoulder rub and goes ‘lol sorry’ 

First he’s sour, then he’s sweet. Sour Patch SkekSil.

Chamberlain: “So, we are friends? All is forgiven?”

Scientist: -grudgingly- “It's a start”

Deet is off to see the Maudra Fara and is very tired of the myths that the Grottan Gelflings are all dead. Or bats.

And then Rian shows up. Holy crap, two of the protagonists in the same square mile!

Deet: “He’s much dirtier than me, why does he get to go in?”

Guard: “Because Rian is one of us! Unlike you!” Rude.

So the Rascal Hole is just an oubliette type prison dealie. And its right in the Maudra’s court, like she’s a Jabba.

Maudra Fara: “Your return puts the Stonewood clan in a dangerous position. The Skesis have declared you a traitor to Thra.”

I have to wonder how news travels so fast. Do they have female gelfling couriers sent out to all the clans to spread the word? Is there a fantasy telegraph? I guess even a courier on a landstrider would run fastere than Rian’s tiny little legs.

Rian: “The Skeksis are the traitors! They lied to us about everything!”

Fara: “I will not tolerate heresy from a murderer”

Will you tolerate heresy from a counterfeiter? Whats the crime threshold here that will allow you to tolerate heresy?

Heresy is “belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine” so are the Skeksis literally the religion of the Gelfling? I guess the Crystal holds a massive spiritual significance to everyone of Thra and the Skeksis as the Lords of the Crystal would have a level of respect but heresy?

Rian: “I have soul goo that proves I didn’t kill Mira!”

Rian: “Dreamfast with me” which should solve everything but Rian’s dad arrived first and told Fara what the Skeksis told him that dreamfasting spreads the Madness.

Good job derailing this guaranteed plot resolution, Chamberlain.

“You are my father, why don’t you ever believe me?” I can’t wait for Rian and Brea to meet so they can commiserate over bad parents.

-Rian sees chandelier, sees rope, thinks Flynn-y thoughts-

Oh wow thats an awful lot of chandelier. And they’re full of fireflies instead of fire. Because you don’t want puppets anywhere near fire.

And Rian did do the thing where he cuts a rope and lets it carry him to escape.

Aughra: -sees the castle, reflexively- “Bah!”

Skeksis spa day???

Emperor: -applying cream and looking into a mirror- “Ah, beautiful!”

Aughra: “Skeksis?”

Emperor: “Oh shit mom’s home!”

Scroll-Keeper: “AHHH I’M NOT DECENT!”

Aughra: “PAH” -rinses her eye in his bath just because-

Aughra: “I’m unwell because Thra is unwell. I’ve come to see the Crystal, see what ails it.”

Skeksis: “NOPE CRYSTAL IS FINE EVERYTHING IS FINE”

Aughra: “Everything is well? You speak and know nothing! Or is it you know and speak nothing?” Well wordplayed, Aughra.

-starts poking the Scroll-Keeper’s belly with her staff so he has to splash her to get her to back off-

It turns out her interrupting their banquet by being kidnapped in the movie wasn’t her being upset. She’s just that rude at a constant level.

Show her the Crystal before she traumatizes the Scroll-Keeper more.

Wow, the Emperor tries a very daring guilt trip on Aughra. Having gotten her addicted to space, he criticizes her for neglecting Thra and leaving the Skeksis to take care of it. 

Emperor: “Then go back to your travels and we can go back to caring for the many you left behind.”

Emperor: “Guards. Throw this useless old crone out of our castle forever!”

The Gelfling guards of course do the “i thought she’d be taller” routine.

A Guard: “My grandfather said she cursed his village with ear mites because they forgot her birthday.”

B Guard: “Well I heard she sneezed and a mountain crumbled.”

Aughra: “Its all true so stay where you are or you’ll suffer the wrath of all eight and a half fingers! BAH!” -they flinch- “BAH!” -flinch again- “Ninny wheelers. Ingrates.”

And then the guards just let her wander off on her own.

-wanders past crystal. Stops. Wanders backwards-

She is not happy with how they redecorated the Crystal with EVIL.

Apparently Past Aughra recorded a message into the Crystal for Future/Present Aughra?

And Aughra tells Aughra “The moment Skeksis possessed the Crystal they abused it.” Aughra is a bad judge of character, apparently. 

So the corruption of the Crystal creates the Darkening. And the Crystal or Past Aughra also replays the footage of Mira getting turned into soul goo.

“Gelflings return to Thra when they die. That is the natural order. But when Skeksis consume essence cannot return home. Thra is out of balance, thus the Darkening spreads faster.”

Eating souls is bad for the environment. Gotcha.

“You have lost the Song of Thra.” So now Aughra is off on a quest too. Like Earthbound except singing to the Skeksis isn’t going to make them feel so bad they leave.

Deet is still trying to figure out a way to rescue Hup. By wandering around aimlessly.

What a cute random tree snake rabbit.  I keep expecting it to be actually huge and try to eat her.

Dammit Rian, you startled the random tree snake rabbit!

But hey, now two of the protagonists are in the same vicinity and ACTUALLY interacting. 

Of course, Rian is massively paranoid now.

Rian: “Who sent you? Maudra Fara?”

Deet: “Maudra Argot! Well, actually it was the Sanctuary Tree.”

Rian: “??? oh.”

Deet has decided that since Rian cut in line in front of her, he has to help her rescue Hup. But he can’t what with being on the run from everyone and having broken all of the chandelier at Maudra Fara’s throne room.

Rian: “It won’t light, the ground is too wet”

Deet: “We’ll see about that.” -instantly succeeds-

Castle living has made you a bad camper, Rian.

Rian: ‘Holy shit the one person who hasn’t heard the lie about me being a murderer!’ -Deet has an epiphany and runs off- “Aww =( .”

It was nice to have two whole protagonists in the same conversation for two whole minutes. =P

Brea returns with the Brightest Jewel. And finds that Onica is now Elder Onica.

Elder Onica: “I served as Cadia’s apprentice for many trine. His memory loss allowed me to give myself a long overdue promotion.” 

Hey, whatever works.

Brea was assuming, as I was, that the Brightest Jewel was payment. Which offends Onica because Stereotypes about Sifa. (Sifa Sea Faring? Boo) But the Brightest Jewel is actually a chrysalis and the answer. 

Brea: “Oh. …….. I don’t understand.”

Onica: “A great many things.”

EVERYONE dunking on Brea today.

“This is the chrysalis of an Imperial unamoth, the totem animal of your clan.”

Onica: “Ask your question”

Brea: “Ask the moth??????”

Oh thats a pretty moth. Annnnnd it just flew off.

Onica was pretty cool.

Sooooo, wait. Wait. Brea is trying to learn what a vision means and is following a moth.

Annnnnd the moth turned into the symbol on the All-Maudra’s throne and opened a secret passage. Thats some good good fantasy nonsense.

Although I thought the throne room was not on the ground floor so where could a secret throne passage lead?

Questions, questions. Too many questions...

[isobel-thorm]

Alright friend your blog has me curious about lucifer, tell me why it's worth watching because I'm intrigued

First and foremost, let me mention I went in to this show blind. I know he’s supposed to be DC Comics Lucifer but I’ve never read it outside of the wikipedia page when I first saw trailers for the show when it first started and was immediately hooked. I was looking at it through the biblical Lucifer lens, it’s an interesting take because instead of being the mustache twirling, evil-to-be-evil Devil you see in a whole bunch of other shows, this Lucifer has… arguably grey morality, and he’s got a lot of problems with people doing bad things and claiming “the Devil made me do it.” Between the one giant monologue he goes on about it as well as the scenes where he’s talking to his psychologist, it’s fascinating. 

 With the two protagonists, it’s your standard “will they, won’t they” storyline with A+++ banter. Lucifer is absolutely smitten and his usual approach of laying flirting on thick is not at all being had by his no-nonsense detective partner Chloe. The man’s gotta earn her, and damn it, he’s gonna DO IT. The slow burn to kill all slow burns. 

The only like… half complaint about this show is how many times Lucifer tells Chloe he’s the literal Devil and she keeps going “okay, Crazy”  to   “Pppft stop no you’re not”   to “No, you’re too good to be the Devil, you’re a good man” - cut to Luci nearly losing his fucking mind because she just won’t listen EVER. 

THE WOMEN. AND THE WOMEN’S FRIENDSHIPS. I haven’t seen/cared enough about a show that dedicates so much time to female friendships with more than two women involved. There are 4-6 main ladies and they’re all friends and they all care and would throw down for each other. In fact, there’s a brilliant episode where they do. 

Chloe did some risque shit in college that stuck with her/gave her career a rocky start, and when Lucifer dares to be all *eyebrow wiggle* about it, she shuts that shit down from square one and he respects her enough to leave it at that, and he never uses it against her in any way. He usually brings it up to remind her how much of a badass she is.  

Also the mens’ friendships are really good too. There’s a lot of unconditional love. 

You know, just the friendships period. All the characters have interacted with each other and are good friends, and no relationship gets sidelined or forgotten to the point where imo one of the best interactions in the latest season isn’t even between Lucifer and Chloe, but Lucifer’s brother and Chloe. 

The lead girl’s daughter Trixie is an absolute delight who loves everybody essentially- including Lucifer, and there’s nothing he can do to stop it no matter how hard he tries. 

Lucifer’s best demon friend also befriends her and their interactions are SO PURE and it’s kind of nice seeing a grown woman’s character development center 80% on this child just giving her the time of day. 

We have the closest thing to a new version of Abby Scuito from NCIS with twice the quirks but minus the goth and every single character as well as myself would die for her. 

Lastly, let’s be real. Tom Ellis is a beautiful, beautiful man. The entire cast is. 

[welcometoyournewhell]

A First Date

Fandom: My Hero Academia 

Characters: Momo Yaoyorozu, Kyoka Jiro, Denki Kaminari

Overview: Kaminari is asked on a date by girlfriends Jiro and Yaoyorozu  (much to his surprise) and feels  that he can’t amount to the exspectations both or one may have of him. 

Disclaimer: This lovely being, @kwaiipootato, gave me  the idea of Momo not being vary ticklish. 

__

Denki Kaminari was a flirtatious young man, always looking for a girlfriend and to make friends. He was a sweetie and a gentelman most of the time, but did have his more “perverted” moments. He wasn’t gross or crude about it and was respectful of space and boundaries when it came to girls. Yes, the occasional prank on his female classmates was entertaining, and he wouldn’t mind seeing a girl in a bikini, but he actually had a lot of respect for women.

So when his friends heard about the proposal from earlier that day towards him…. They were rather surprised. “Did you say no,” Sero asked in surprise. “Well…. No. I said maybe we could try and see if we all like each other. If not, we could still be friends after. I told them to think of it like a hang out type deal thing.” 

Kirishima looked shocked, as did Ashido. “Wait, so your going on a date with both of them,” the Alien Queen questioned. “Uh, yeah, I guess. Jiro was beyond nervous and couldn’t even look at me. Momo did all the talking.” The love guru decided to stick his two sense in. “Wait, Momo did the talking? Funny, I thought she had a thing for Todoroki.” Denki frowned, hand going up to his chest. “Hey,” he pouted. “Ah, no off,” he was cut off. “Icy hot has money and a closer bond dumb ass. They’re more of equals than you two. Do you even know what she likes?”

Okay, harsh. “Katsuki,” Kirishima growled softly as he glared up at his boyfriend. “What? It’s important to know who your going to be dating. Strengths, weaknesses.” The squad looked to their leader a bit shocked. “This…. This isn’t a battlefield Bakugou. It’s a date, something two people go on to see if they like each other romantically or can be romantically compatible,” Sero explained. Mina nodded. “Yeah, it’s supposed to be something fun not dangerous and strategical!”

Kirishima blinked a bit before looking up at the other. “Holy shit…. That explains…. Okay, your coming with me.” The blonde blinked as his boyfriend stood up, taking his hand. “Why,” the other asked, slowly following. “Because we need to talk about our relationship. Good luck Denki, sorry I wasn’t much help bro.” The three blinked as the two left, Bakugou muttering confusion as Kirishima growled out replies. 

“Well,” Sero said softly as the room was left with awkwardness. “If tonight doesn’t work out…. I think Kirishima might be free later.” It was a bad joke, but it had Denki’s attention. “But I don’t want it to go bad. I really like Jiro and I can tell her feelings for me are upsetting Momo. But she still likes Momo and was upset when Momo thought she was just the messenger.” The two remaining friends blinked. “Wow…. sounds like they need some counseling too,” Hanta “joked” again.

Ashido hummed. “Any plans for the date yet?” Deni nodded. “Having dinner at a small diner in town before taking a walk and maybe coming back here to watch a movie.” Alright, sounded nice. The two nodded as they thought. “Casual dress,” Ashido asked as she thought of Yaoyorozu. “Um…. I think? It’s

a small diner and a walk, I mean…. Come on.” The two exchanged looks before pointing to the phone. “When are you leaving,” Sero asked as Kaminari picked up the device.

“Like… an hour.” Both pairs of eyes widened as their jaws dropped. “An hour,” they yelled in sync. “Text them, now,” the Alien Queen demanded. Tape Boy agreed. “Alright, alright,” Pikachu grumbled as he nervously fumbled with his phone. The message was sent quickly and awkwardly as the three now had a group chat. The reply was instant and long. It was typed by Yaoyorozu.

“Perhaps something warm but casual? Kiki is wearing a leather jacket and ripped jeans so I guess it’s a rather freestyle. It may be chilly though so I wouldn’t go to ‘holey’ or short sleeved. She says it’s up to you.” Upon reading the message allowed, the three looked to each other again. “So…. is Momo going too or no,” Ashido asked. Kaminari shrugged. “Pretty sure,” he mumbled as he typed the question back. He received a thumb emoji in return, something was wrong.

“She’s probably upset,” Sero sighed as he got off the couch and walked to the lazy chair that the Pikachu was seated in. Looking over the blonde’s shoulder, he frowned. “Yeah,” Sparky mumbled as he shut the device down. The room fell quiet again as gult set into the invited party. “Hey man, maybe it’ll go great and strengthen your guy’s friendship,” Hanta offered. Mina nodded. “Yeah man! Give it a go!” Denki shrugged before looking at the time. “I gotta get ready,” he sighed.

He didn’t fight the hug he was given from his tape elbowed friend. In fact he snuggled into him a bit with a sigh. “It’ll be fine dude, just relax.” He was relaxed, he was depressed. Giving a nod, Kaminari headed for his room.

It wasn’t long until he was met outside the dorms by his dates. Momo wore her typical pink dress with her hair tied back, as Jiro wore a basic t-shirt, ripped jeans, and a leather to cloth jacket. Kaminari had on a simple hoodie with jeans, in his hand he held two fake roses. They looked real and were pretty colors. He just hoped his friends would like them.

Upon presenting, he cut off their greetings and caused Jiro’s face to heat up worse. “U-Uh, thank you,” she squeaked as she took the purple flower with a black outline.

There was hot glue tastefully spread about it to look almost like dew drops.

Truly, it was a nice touch. However, Momo was less impressed. She thanked him before studying the fake flower. Hers was a white rose that faded to a red at the tip. “I know they’re not the real deal but I thought they looked nicer. I hope you like them,” Denki mumbled softly as he rubbed the back of his head. “Y-Yeah,” Kyoka mumbled as she felt her face. “Oh, it’s um…. Lovely,” Yaoyorozu offered with a smile. The boy frowned a bit as he could tell she was unimpressed. He was no Todoroki, he didn’t even have a charming personality.

“Sorry,” he mumbled out before he could stop himself. “So…. ready to eat?” Was he paying for the whole meal? Crap, they’d have to stop at the bank on their way. “Um…. I suppose. Kiki,” the taller girlfriend asked. The smaller girl took her hand with an embarrassed nod. Even if Kaminari wasn’t impressing Momo, he had to admit…. Seeing Jiro so flustered was adorable. It was a short walk to the bank before the group reached the dinner.

The Pikachu could tell Momo was already done with the date after seeing him withdraw money with her and Jiro present. It was upsetting, but he tried to keep his head up and finish the date. They were seated in a corner booth, Momo sitting between the other two. “So,” the boy asked as he looked at the menu. “Drinks look good, huh?”

Jiro nodded a bit. “Y-Yeah, I guess,” she stammered out awkwardly. The creator helped her with her menu as her hands were fumbling it around. “You know, if you two are nervous…. We could just talk about more basic things. How about how everyone’s day is going,” the mom of the group offered. Her dates looked up before nodding a bit. “How about you go first Yayo- Momo,” Denki offered softly.

The taller nodded softly before thinking. “My studies were a bit distracted, but other than that I’d say today is going very well. Kiki,” she asked softly. The girl was playing with her earphone jacks as she nodded. “Apart from making a fool of myself, I’d say it was okay.” The Pikachu frowned before rubbing her arm. “Your not making a fool of yourself,” he chuckled. “Frankly, the way your acting is how I’m feeling. Your not alone here.” Purple eyes widened a bit, as did brown.

“You…. your feeling like this,” Kyoka mouthed out softly. Momo couldn’t believe a guy would admit that to his date. “Of course! I really want to make a good impression but…. I’m so scared I’ve already messed up. I’m not Todoroki, I’m not rich, I’m not…. A charmer, even when I don’t mean to be. I’m clumsy, I’m silly, I’m beyond sweaty at this point… um,” he laughed a bit as he moved over to pull his sweat shirt off and reveal a basic t-shirt. “Huh? Who said you had to be,” the earphone jacked girl asked.

The darker haired girl frowned a bit. “No one but…. The pressure is there to be as awesome and charming as he is when…. I just can’t be. I mean…. Izuku is a lucky guy to have someone like him. It’s part of the reason I didn’t understand why you both asked me to join you. I’m just…. Me.” Yaoyorozu’s eyes darted down to the menu before her as she felt a bit of guilt rise up. She wasn’t comfortable with this. She loved Todoroki but he didn’t like women, but she also loved Jiro who liked well….. she was pansexual. It wasn’t a problem, clearly, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about going on a date with Kaminari.

Sure he wasn’t as a big of a pervert as Mineta, but he still participated in various pranks the smaller proposed. “I’m sorry,” the Pikachu sighed as he grabbed his hoodie. Taking his wallet out he started to pick out some money for the two to use with their meals. “I should go.” Huh? Jiro looked down, heat breaking a bit. “Ah…. alright,” she mumbled softly. Mom’s head shot up at that. “Huh? But we just got here!” She wasn’t that loud, but a few eyes landed on the three. Her face heated up a bit, but she ignored it. “I’m sorry if I made you feel unwanted Denki. I…. I wanted to do this for Kik- ah, Kyoka, but I just…. I’m scared of loosing her. I fear that if I share her, she may find you more desirable than me.” The richer girl looked away in embarrassment. “Huh? Momo,” Jiro asked as she took the other’s hand. “Hey, I’m not looking to steal anyone’s partner Momo. Maybe we shouldn’t think of this as a date, huh?

“We’re just some school friends hanging out and having fun.” The tallest hummed a bit as she felt a loving thumb brush over her knuckles. “If you’d like, it’s between you and Jiro.” Jiro frowned again with a sigh. She felt so selfish! “We’re here and it would be a waste to turn back now. I’m sorry Momo, I didn’t know you felt this way about it, I wish you would have said something earlier. Why didn’t you? I’m…. I wouldn't have been so selfish if I knew how you felt. Maybe we should just eat and go home,” she rambled.

Momo quirked a brow at that. “Huh? No, no! Mmm,” she sighed. “Forget it, we’re going to eat and maybe if the tension fades through the meal we can still enjoy our movie and walk,” Denki offered, “As friends.” Jiro looked to her girlfriend, quietly waiting for a response. Yaoyorozu thought for a moment before nodding. “I mean we are here,” she muttered. “Alright, see?” His smile was so soft and kind, the creator could somewhat see what her girlfriend saw in this boy. The meal went by rather smoothly as the three slowly eased out of their tensions state and started to chat and joke with each other. By the time the meal was over, they felt up for a walk. Maybe the fresh air would clear their heads more? Well…. Sort of. They ended up acting like children, chasing each other up and down the sidewalks while laughing their heads off. Finally coming to a stop, Kaminari’s eyes widened as he saw a large playground.

His friends finally caught up to him, looking up to where he was staring. “You…. wanna play on it” Momo asked as she saw the playfulness in his eyes. “Um…. if you two want to?” The girlfriends looked to each other before shrugging. “I haven’t been on one since I was a little girl,” Yaoyorozu mentioned softly. Jiro nodded, “Same here.” he boy took both their hands with a smile. “It’ll be fun, maybe? I hope,” he laughed awkwardly.

Kiro giggled a bit, thumb nervously rubbing the stem of her gift. Momo looked around the playset as he was walked in .It seemed rather large and… monkey bars! As Denki let go, the girl walked over to the childhood favorite of hers. Placing her rose on the landing, she jumped up a bit before grabbing onto the high bars and slowly making her way to the other side. Jiro and Denki watched in amazement. Such upper body strength!

Upon reaching the other end, Momo let herself drop to the platform. Standing up, she patted down her dress before looking behind her to see Denki looking away and Kyoka looking impressed. “She’s done now,” the small girlfriend mumbled to the boy. Kaminri looked over with a small blush before clapping. “That was awesome!” Awesome? Momo blushed, more so when she guessed why Denki wasn’t looking at her when turned. “Oh, did you two see anything?” Jiro shook her head. “No, I just wanted to make sure when you fell,” Kaminari mumbled sheepishly. Maybe Yaoyorozu had the wrong impression of him after all. “Your o strong,” Jiro cooed with excitement.

Her girlfriend blushed a bit as she rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, you think so? Thank,” she giggled softly. She jumped as the smaller started feeling her arms. She had such dainty arms, she wasn’t overly muscular either! “You have a lot of hidden strength,” the earphoned girl mumbled as she continued to feel up and down the biceps. “Kiki, that tickles,” the richer girl huffed slightly as she tried to stop her girlfriend. Tickled? Denki’s inner child started to show once more as he took interest in the word.

“Not in front of Denki,” she giggled as the other got a similar idea as the Pikachu. She used her jack to tickle under the taller’s chin, earning more bubbly giggles. ‘Ah! Kyoka!” She squealed even more from surprise as hands found her lower sides. “D-Denki,” she asked in a bit of shock. Purple eyes widened a bit before the rocker girl pointed to the knees with her jack. “She’s not very ticklish, but her knees get her giggling.”

He felt a bit dirty doing so, but Kaminari turned his head so that he was looking out towards the rest of the playground. His hands were already positioned so he began to squeeze the flesh softly. Momo squealed adorably as she held onto Jiro for balance. “S-Sthahahop that,” he giggled as she tried to move her legs away. “The matter Momi? This tickle? Huh?” Momi? That was a new one. The dark haired girl growl giggled before scratching behind her girlfriend's ear. “Dhahahoes thahais?”

It did, a lot! “Ah! Nahahaho!” Stopping, Denki moved back a bit before looking up. Both girls were giggling softly as they tickled eachother gently. He blushed, looking away from the cute sight before him. “Yhahaou alright,” Jiro giggled as she poked the boy’s side, trying to hide behind him to escape her vengeful girlfriend. Denki nodded, oh y-yeah.” “Ek, Momo!” He looked over to his side to see the taller pinning the smaller down as she started to tickle along her ribs. “Yes sweetie?”  The rocker girl squealed as her legs kicked out. “Nohohot thehehere! Nhahahot thehehere!” Oh, but there it was.

Fingers struck gold as they reached the girl’s underarms. “Ah shit! K-Kamianri help!” Um, should he be intervening in this? Probably not. But…. he couldn’t just ignore her cry for help. He carefully started to try and tickle under Mom’s arms. He was only met with soft giggles and a face full of hair as she turned her head and swatted him with it on accident. “Hehehey! Dhahon’t think I forgot about you!” And she was on top of him now. Oh… oh wait! No, no, no, no, no! “Momo plehehehase don’t,” he begged softly as he tried to squirm away from her. The taller smirked a bit. “Someone’s ticklish, huh?” Kyoka was busy catching her breath at the moment was of no help to either when the attack started. Manicured nails found the boy’s neck, tickling around the base and under the ears. Denki squealed as he hiccupped softly. “Nhahaho plehehehase! I’m too ticklish!” That was adorable! Jiro bit her lip a bit to keep from laughing at the sight of her victim. Moving down more, she found the poor bean to be just a giant tickle spot…. Perfect. His ribs were next. Golden eyes bugged out slightly before crinkling shut delicately like those who’d face the torment before him. He squirmed much more than Momo or Kyoka, that was for sure.

“Ghahahuys plehehease,” he begged softly as he reached up to hug his attacker. “I’m not even touching you,” Jiro sighed as she sat up. Looking over, she blushed a bit. Denki’s face was buried in her girlfriend’s stomach as he hugged her for protection against…. her. She giggled a bit as Momo did, nails parting through the yellow (blonde) locks below her. Jiro took the opportunity to get at the slightly exposed underarms, earning a shrieks and jumps. The boy clung closer to Momo for protection that he wouldn’t be receiving.

“Plehehehase, it’s too ticklish,” Denki cried out after a few moments of random spots being tickled and tweaked. The girlfriends nodded to each other before letting up. As they did, the Pikachu fell back onto the grass with a sigh. Jiro snuggled up next to him, earning a hug from the blonde as residual giggles escaped his mouth. Slowly, Momo laid on top of them, neck aligned with their faces. It was uncomfortable but she wasn’t sure what else to do at the moment. Jiro nuzzled her nose into the taller’s neck, as did Kaminari without thinking.

Momo blushed at the other’s touch. “Denki,” she muttered softly. The other looked up at her the best he could before realizing his mistake. “Ah! S-Sorry!” He pulled his head back, but was unable to pull his body back from the others. “What happened,” Jiro asked softly from her spot under Yaoyorozu. “I accidently nuzzled into Momo,” the boy sighed as he let his gaze fall to the blades of grass in front of him. “Oh,” Jiro mumbled softly before looking up to her girlfriend for an answer.

The girl still wasn’t sure but…. The date had been pleasant. “It’s alright Denki. If…. if you want to you can,” she mumbled softly. His eyes widened slightly. “Wait…. For real?” Did this mean they were dating now or was she just being nice? The girl nodded. “Just don’t tell Mineta,” she sighed softly. She didn’t need that little creep trying to hug her and nuzzle into her neck. The boy nodded with a small blush and smile. He was hesitant, but he did as she said he could. Denki’s nose just barely touched the skin as he closed his eyes.

It was a bit ticklish but Yaoyorozu didn’t mind too much. Maybe this could actually work? Maybe, they’d see next time.

[fluidityandgiggles]

Sleep Is For The Weak - Chapter 16

Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 5, Chapter 10, Last Chapter

Writing Masterlist - for previous chapters not otherwise linked, Read on AO3

Notes (I guess): I realize it took me way too long to do this, but I can explain. Uhh...

So for those of you who don’t know, I haven’t been home since September, and I won’t be home for another... two weeks, more or less? I’ve been to places where I couldn’t know if I’d have working wifi or any wifi at all so updating this fic has been a mission. So I do whatever I can to update at reasonable times.

With that being said, I finished this chapter way back last month while on a two week long trek in Nepal and haven’t had the opportunity to upload it, so I’m grateful I can now. Because this one... was a hell of an exposition ride for a lot of shit I planned a long long time ago.

Quick disclaimer - some bits of this chapter deal with the definition of transgender, and a specific learning disorder. The definition of transgender mentioned in this chapter has been taken from the DSM-IV-TR, which is a defunct edition of the DSM that came out in the year 2000 and has been replaced by the DSM-5 in 2013. The definition has since been changed and separated, and I believe it is now called gender dysphoria, though I’m not quite sure. But it does not reflect my opinions on how dysphoria is related to being trans, I do believe (and have several sources to back me up, including the DSM-5) that you don’t have to be dysphoric to be trans. The same goes for this learning disorder, what is said in this chapter reflects only the way the characters think of it - and it will change later on, I can assure you - and not at all what I would think or say about it.

As is tradition, thanks to @whatwashernameagain for KHS and for all her patience with me and my shenanigans (and not getting frustrated with my stupid ideas) and to @broadwaytheanimatedseries for the original idea and for giving me the best commentary for my screenshots when I send them. And also to @winglessnymph , @asleepybisexual and @anony-phangirl , who have fallen out of the loop but are still there. I know I haven’t sent you anything much in recent days, but... still.

Tag list (sort of): @bunny222, @ab-artist, @sweet-and-sour-shadowling, @ilovemygaydad, @your-username-is-unavailable, @virgilcrofters, @violetblossem, @maybe-i-like-the-misery, @book-of-charlie, @thatsanswitch, @thatrandomautist, @thebiggestgaypirate, @marshmallow-the-panda

(Wanna be tagged? Lemme know!)

Trigger warning: period appropriate transphobia (the early 00s were not exactly trans-friendly). This chapter also includes (rather controversial) opinions/ideas about the definition of transgender (as mentioned in a now-defunct, but then the most recent, edition of the DSM), discussion of abortion, mentions of past self-harm, discussion of personality disorders and hospitalization, panic attacks, and description of rejection sensitive dysphoria. I’m pretty sure I forgot something though, so let me know if I have so I can add it.

—————

Friday, May 30th, 2003

"...your valedictorian, Jenna Miranda Wheeler."

"Class of 2003…"

New York was beautiful in May.

Sadly, that was not where Remy was heading today.

According to Linda, Stephen was going to go on a business trip for at least two weeks in June, starting late May. So Remy was invited over for the summer. Not his first choice, but Leah begged him to come and Emile said that it might be a good idea. But…

Spending more than a day at Linda's, combined with the knowledge that Jenna and India have graduated just a few days ago and Chris hasn't, was a good enough reason for Remy to feel shitty. And he did.

The main upside was that Georgia was beautiful in May too.

He managed to cheer himself up somewhat by thinking of the good things that happened this month - Emile's TOVA results (9/9 inattentive symptoms, 4/9 hyperactive-impulsive, definitely has inattentive type ADHD), India's name being called at graduation instead of her deadname, Jenna graduating valedictorian, his friends moving to Virginia and so on - by the time the taxi from the airport pulled up in front of the, by now, rather familiar house.

And then his stomach dropped.

Stephen was still there.

"Do you need help with those bags, Rebecca?" He asked, eyeing the massive, neon pink duffel bag and the incredibly heavy purple backpack that sat on the sidewalk near Remy as he tapped his foot nervously.

"Not from you I don't. Thanks for the offer, but… no thanks."

He was too proud to admit that the duffel was too heavy for him to lift and he could barely drag it, but he packed most of his clothes and books in it. Some were mailed home. But not most.

"That shit gotta be heavy as fuck—"

"I said, no thank you. Now, move out of my fucking way."

Leah was napping by the time he finally dragged everything inside, but Rachel was doodling in the living room, smiling brightly when she saw him come through the door. She abandoned her crayons and waddled all the way to hug him.

As much as he barely knew her, Remy definitely loved Rachel too.

"I'm going to daycare," she mumbled somewhat, trying to use words she didn't quite know yet. "You have to come!"

"You're such a big girl!" He ruffled her pigtails, picking her up. She was so light for a two-year old. "Going to daycare already?"

"Mmhm."

"I'm so proud of you!"

She just hugged his neck and babbled on about her friends and daycare, her hand flying and her almost falling from his hold. This was another happy thing to add to the list.

He wasn't happy. But this was happy. For now.

—————

Stephen left on his business trip at around seven thirty, and Remy took a huge sigh of relief. Leah also woke up from her nap a few hours earlier, all grumpy and upset for some reason, and Remy tried talking her into telling him why she was so upset.

Linda said it was because of the nap. Leah only got even more upset.

"Why am I here?" Remy asked during dinner, while Leah entertained herself (and he was sure she didn't notice much) and Rachel was almost dozing off. "We haven't had a single good interaction since I was five years old, Linda."

"Am I no longer allowed to want to be around my son, Remy?" She stung back, looking anything but as aggressive as she just sounded.

"I'll be honest with you, kid. I know you don't like me. I can understand why. But what I don't understand is why you're bringing this up in front of your younger sisters. They're too young for this to—"

"I saw a movie about penguins on TV," Leah started rambling. "They're really weird…"

The argument stopped just as quickly as it started, and Leah was allowed to go on and on about penguins bringing rocks to each other. So he proceeded to just glare at Linda, who helped Rachel eat her pasta. This was awful, this was absolutely the worst situation he could've found himself in, and… he just wanted out.

And he kept wanting out even as Rachel already went to sleep, Leah was busy doing her homework last minute, and Linda asked Remy to help her clean up.

"I'm only here because Leah asked me to," he almost hissed as he was tasked with packing the leftovers in incredibly familiar tupperware containers.

"I want to spend more time with you, Remy. I'm still your mother—"

"Well, you haven't acted like it, like, ever!"

Linda sighed, putting the plate she was holding in the dishwasher. "I don't want to sound like I'm making any excuses—"

"So don't make any."

"—but I was barely your age when I had you. This is no excuse, I'm not trying to say that I had no idea what I was doing because of that, but I sacrificed so much of my life to raise you!"

"You could've aborted me! You could've been smart and used protection in the first place!"

"Condoms aren't a fail-proof—"

"Face it, Linda. You never wanted me. You're not homophobic or transphobic for the sake of it, it's clear you have at least some level of respect to queer people. You just never wanted me in the first place."

The next plate she was holding broke in the sink. "How fucking dare you say that?!"

"I'm just saying—"

"I have never wanted something in my life more than I wanted you!" Her screams hurt Remy's ears, going as far as to make Leah cry in the other room. Linda immediately lowered her voice. "I know I've been a bad mother to you. I regret every decision I've ever made while I was married to your father, except being married to him and having you. And I've spent every day since leaving you and your father regretting my decisions, and wanting to make it up to you, but you kept pushing me away. How do you think that makes me feel, huh? Do you still think you're the only one who's been robbed of something in this relationship?"

"...you had Leah while you were still married to Dad" was all he could say. And he hoped he'd have the last word. "Was she a mistake too?"

Sadly, you can't always get what you want.

"Leah… is problematic. But she wasn't a mistake either. None of you are, and you can stop saying that. Whatever is wrong with her does not make her a mistake. Just as your gender identity disorder does not make you a mistake."

"No, you're right. It doesn't. It makes me transgender. A female-to-male man. You know those terms? Female to male, transgender? It's what people call it nowadays."

There was another long moment of silence as Linda cleaned up the broken plate and Remy finished packing up the leftovers, and Leah stopped crying.

It was a stressful silence. Very typical of home life with Linda Brigham-Hollander.

"...you may not have come at a time I liked," she sighed after everything, falling into a chair. Remy was ready to leave the kitchen, but this wouldn't let him. "I know we could've… waited a few more years. But you came when you did, and I don't regret that. You were never a mistake. I may have a hard time understanding… what… your identity. I'm trying my best to educate myself now, you know—"

"That's almost five years too late."

"I don't know what Leah told you about her school life, but whatever hardships she got understanding stuff—"

"She has no trouble understanding stuff as far as I can see—"

"Educational stuff. School material. She got that from me. Education comes harder for me, you may not know that. I was never the brightest student and I only completed my high school diploma when you were three years old. Don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with you. But I couldn't learn when you asked me to. It felt like—"

"Linda, it didn't take Dad five years to be able to call me by my name and use the correct pronouns. Even if you don't mean it this way, this is bullshit to me. And I hope you get it."

And then he got up and left, leaving her to her own. If she cried, well… that's none of his business.

—————

Sunday, June 8th, 2003

Nathalie and Emile were getting ready for the Tony awards when Emile had a panic attack.

No, that's not true. Emile has been having panic attacks all week long for some weird reason he couldn't explain, most likely not being able to talk to Remy all week long since his phone died and he couldn't get a new one just yet. But today was the worst one. So Julie lent him her phone for a call, to explain himself so he won't panic so much, but…

But Remy wouldn't understand. He'd be mad if Emile tried to call him from Julie's phone because of some panic attacks… and then he'd hate him, and then… and then…

Then he wouldn't have a best friend anymore…

What was India's phone number again…?

She picked up on the fourth ring. "India McGinty—"

"It's Emile," he almost sobbed the second she picked up. "I… I have a question…"

"Oh, honey, of course. What is it?"

"Do you think Remy would hate me…? My phone died and I can't get another one until next week and—"

"Emile, are you… are you crying right now?"

"No… I did before, I just…"

She sighed before clearing her throat. That's it, she hates him too—

"Do you mind if I pass you over to Jenna? She's better at this than me."

"...okay…"

"...Emile?" Jenna's voice was softer than India's somehow. She'd never raise her voice, but Emile was scared of the people who'd be there when she does once she becomes a lawyer. "Can you please explain what's going on?"

"Well… my phone died, and I can't tell Remy because he's with his mom and I don't wanna call him while he's with his mom, so I'm scared that if I don't talk to him all summer he'll hate me and then he won't talk to me anymore and I can't—"

"Let's slow down, you're only upsetting yourself. Remy is your best friend, right?"

"Yeah… I mean, I like him a bit more but, but it's not like I can just tell him that, and…"

"That's fine, we're not gonna focus on this for now. That's for another time. But he's your best friend, right?"

"Yeah, I just told you!"

"So why would he hate you for something like that? He's going to understand, I'm sure."

"I don't… know… it just feels like he might…"

"I know. This feeling fucking sucks, doesn't it?" She chuckled. Emile couldn't answer to that. He just… he couldn't. "But it's not healthy to dwell on this feeling. It might become a self-fulfilling prophecy if you fret about it so much."

"What do you mean…?"

"...have I ever told you that I was institutionalized until my second year of college?"

He couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. "No…"

"Okay. So I'll tell you now. I… how squeamish are you? I don't want to… trigger anything…"

"I don't know… I don't… I don't think I really mind much…?"

"Okay, I… I'll censor it anyway. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah."

"So when I was fourteen, I started harming myself. It's not… it was what you'd think, but not for the most part. I didn't cut really. But my parents knew, and they gave a ton of fucks and not just because they had a reputation to uphold like I thought they did back then. They just… they gave all the fucks."

"Okay… I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Don't apologize, you had no part in this. And you never will. I promise."

"Okay."

"Two years after I started, my parents sent me to a psych ward. At that time they thought I was depressed, it was too early to diagnose me properly, so… I've lived for three years on doses of antidepressants that didn't do a whole lot, because nobody knew. I was finally diagnosed with borderline personality disorder when I was nineteen, my medication prescription was fixed and I was let out of there when they decided I'm doing well enough to be able to live on my own again. I spent my first year of law school with a nurse attached to my hip, can you imagine?" She laughed, and Emile struggled to hold back a smile.

"Actually yeah… my sister is narcoleptic…"

"Oh shoot, sorry… didn't mean that. Anyway… back to the topic at hand, yeah? I was… infatuated, for a lack of a better word, with this guy. His name was David. I thought I was in love with him, but it turned out I idolized him to a point where he became my favorite person, and that was an incredibly toxic experience. He was like… like Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted. But dialed up to eleven. He was a fucking asshole and I haven't seen him in years… he was transferred to another place after an incident that involved one of my friends, she ended up almost killing herself because of this guy. And my anxiety over being perfect for him, over making him like me and making sure that he keeps liking me, made me extremely unhealthy in the long run."

There was a pause, possibly for Emile to process. Most likely. This wasn't fair… this was totally not fair! Why did good people have to go through shitty things?

"My next favorite person after him was a girl I dated for a couple months before India." Jenna sounded kind of breathless at that, as if she was crying herself. "And… she made me talk to her. She asked me questions for clarification all the time and helped me with my anxiety, especially when I felt like this. I was tiring, but… it's the effort she put into this that counted. Emile… you gotta talk to Remy."

"But… but I can't…"

"Who said? Communication is key. I know it might be really hard, especially for you, but… call him. It's his birthday soon, right? In July?"

"Yeah…"

"Call him. Write down everything you want to tell him and tell him then. I promise it'll make your anxiety a lot easier to manage."

————

"Remy," Linda called from the living room as he was heading to bed. This was becoming ridiculous…

"I told you, I'm not talking to you for the rest of this—"

"I can't read a single word in this cursed book of yours."

"...what book?"

"This DSM thing. Remy, darling, why do you need this book? It's so difficult to understand, couldn't they have written better books about this?"

He ended up not going to bed after all, instead resorting to making himself tea and going to sit on the couch next to her.

"Mom, that's… that's the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, mom. It's existed since the fifties. This is the revised version. They can't make it simpler to understand, I don't think."

"Well, your grandma's always said that if a child can't understand what's written, it's because the writer is bad at what they're doing."

"And so have a lot of my professors, but sadly this is what we have to work with. What's so confusing anyway?"

"I was trying to read about your… your thing, the gender identity disorder thing…" she turned the book to him. The passages in this section have been highlighted the day he bought the book and he knew them by heart. Well, for the most part. "I'm sorry, but the words are just… long and confusing."

"...that's fine… it's totally fine, I can… I can simplify it for you…"

"I don't need you to simplify it for me, I know English. I just… I can't read this! Big and confusing academic paper words."

Oh fuck…

"I'm a painter, not an academic, Remy. I can't read. You know this. You've known this forever."

"I forgot you're dyslexic…"

"And what does forgetting that help you?"

"Nothing… let's… let's go over this together, okay? The sections that apply to me." He waited for Linda to nod, rather reluctantly, before putting on his own pair of reading glasses.

"So, to diagnose someone with gender identity disorder there are two criteria, identifying with the opposite gender and feeling dysphoria. In order to meet those criteria, you gotta not be intersex, which I think is pretty stupid, and also it has to affect your daily life."

"Yeah, I know that. Your shrink told us that when you were fourteen. Let's move on, okay?"

"...okay. In boys, aka trans girls, this doesn't apply to me… okay. Girls with GID, aka trans boys, display a intense negative reactions to parental expectations, blah blah blah, you never had any expectations of me so this doesn't apply…"

"No no no no no, you will read this out. No skipping."

"Okay, fine! Girls with GID display intense negative reactions to parental expectations or attempts to have them wear dresses or other feminine attire. Some may refuse to attend school or social events where such clothes may be required... They prefer boy's clothing and short hair, are often misidentified by strangers as boys, and may ask to be called a boy's name. Reminds you of something?"

"...go on."

"Their fantasy heroes, yeah no, I never had fantasy heroes…"

"You had She-Ra."

"Yeah, but she made me gay, not trans, mom. Prefer boys as playmates, contact sports… yeah, none of that either…"

"You used to play soccer as a kid. Your dad has a lot of pictures of that, you know."

"I… didn't actually know that… huh."

"You didn't learn to kick a ball from your father, though. I'll tell you that."

It took a bit of time for Remy to stop himself from giggling, deciding to sip his tea instead. It didn't work very well.

"Yeah… well… moving on, ‘they show little interest in dolls or any form of feminine dress up or role-play activity. A girl with this disorder may occasionally refuse to urinate in a sitting position. She may claim that she has or will grow a penis and may not want to grow breasts or menstruate. She may assert that she will grow up to be a man. Such girls typically reveal marked cross-gender identification in role-play, dreams and fantasies.' Does any of this sound familiar, mom? Because I don't… I don't actually know."

"Until now… yeah. All of that sounds incredibly familiar. Look, I…"

"I know what's you're gonna say, and please don't. It's fine. I know you panicked, I know you said things you didn't mean to, but… can we leave that for now? That's a bridge we're gonna deal with later. Now, adults with GID…"

They ended up staying up for far longer than either of them wanted to, but it was alright. Linda wanted to learn. Remy was willing to teach her.

They only barely made it to bed at three in the morning, the page bookmarked for tomorrow, when they'll continue reading.

[pass-the-bechdel]

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Does it pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes, once.

How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?

Five (29.41% of cast).

How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?

Twelve.

Positive Content Rating:

Three.

General Film Quality:

No matter how many times I watch this, I’m always surprised by how excellent it is. If any other future Marvel film wants to be ‘the best’, this is the movie it has to beat for the title. 

MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:

Passing the Bechdel:

Natasha asks about the ballistics on the weapon used against Fury, and Maria responds. I’ve heard people argue that Natasha was not asking Maria specifically and therefore this does not count, but since Natasha clarifies a detail of Maria’s response (to which Maria responds again in order to confirm), I definitely think it qualifies. I have allowed a pass for far, far less in the past. 

Female characters:

Natasha Romanov.

Peggy Carter.

Maria Hill.

Sharon Carter.

Renata.

Male characters:

Steven Rogers.

Sam Wilson.

Brock Rumlow.

Georges Batroc.

Jerome.

Jasper Sitwell.

Nick Fury.

Alexander Pierce.

Aaron.

Arnim Zola.

Senator Stern.

Bucky Barnes.

OTHER NOTES:

They start this movie by having Steve go for a jog and make a new friend, with a conversation ensuing that is by touches casual, light, humorous, insightful, serious, and sobering. It’s a pretty weird way to launch a much-anticipated superhero comic-adaptation action movie sequel, to be honest, but it’s also rock-solid character establishment - for the never-before-seen Sam Wilson, and for Steve Rogers whose mental state and coping skills in the modern era are kinda an open question at this point - and by getting us on level with Steve’s day-to-day (rather than Captain America’s, which comes after) they’ve immediately prepped us for a story in which this character confronts and reassesses who he is and what he stands for at a core level, and not just in a symbolic/legacy kind of fashion (a la Tony Stark). It may say ‘Captain America’ on the tin, but this is Steven Rogers’ story. This is a fantastic and well-condensed first three minutes of this film, before they fly off to deliver the action sequence we may well have expected to have received up-front. 

Oh yeah, also this opening scene involves jogging around the Washington Monument, which is not a subtle detail, but I can dig it. If they’d had Steve draw attention to some Major American Landmark at some point in the movie and make a patriotic declaration of some kind, then I’d cry foul, but as-is the use of Washington DC as a setting is the hardest they bother to hammer the AMERICA button. The absence of self-fellating patriotism which I appreciated so much in the first film continues to be a virtue in this one. I do dig.

Remember how I really love it when people get hit and fly off the screen? Steve just kicked a dude off a boat and I made the dorkiest ‘hee hee!’ noise ever. Sure am glad the only reason anyone knows about that is that I just told y’all, and not because anyone actually heard me.

One day, we’ll stop getting these kinds of gratuitous butt shots of female characters in tight clothes. But it sure ain’t this day.

In a world of equal-opportunity sexualisation, this Cap-butt would be forgiveness enough for the aforementioned offense. But it still sure ain’t that day, friends.

Other reasons to love that opening scene: they low-balled Sam’s counseling skills to us by having him quickly identify the best way to speak to Steve and to engage with him (as Steve, again, not as Captain America; that’s the key), and that’s what allows Steve to bond with him enough that, put in a tight spot and not sure who to trust, he shows up on Sam’s doorstep later in the film. Really tight characterisation and dynamic-building.

ALSO, Steve’s adventure to the Captain America museum exhibit reminds us all of what he’s lost - specifically, Bucky Barnes - and contextualises his encounters with Sam Wilson within the emotional landscape of Steve’s desire for close male companionship, highlighting the need which compels the formation of that bond while also accentuating the sense of Steve’s present isolation and uncertainty, robbed of any understanding confidante (the bittersweet reality of having Peggy Carter still alive, but losing herself to Alzheimer's, really hits that one home). Again, Steve’s emotional landscape is actually a vital part of the story of the film on both character and plot levels, so there’s a LOT of great show-don’t-tell demonstration in the interconnections of all these scenes, PLUS they’re doing the good work for all the other characters involved AND reminding the audience of the score so that the film can continue to draw from the past as the movie continues, without losing any viewers for whom this might be the first foray into the Captain America story. This movie is just...really well put together, guys. It’s a little shocking, how good it is.

Winter Soldier intro is too cool. Not a pun.

Steve takes a chance and asks his neighbour out for coffee; she declines with a soft no; he accepts even-tempered and assures her he won’t trouble her any further, and she lets him know that he’s no trouble and there’s no hard feelings. It’s all a very painless and respectful navigation of boundaries, and taken on face value (ignoring the part where she turns out to be an undercover SHIELD agent, and everything which unfolds from there), it’s a welcome example of how easy it is to take rejection graciously. Guys, be the Steve Rogers that women want to see in the world.

I want a metal arm. I don’t want to not have my current arms, they’re fine, but in an abstract version of the world where you have things purely for cool points, I want a metal arm.

The fight choreography in this film is great. It’s good watchin’. 

Also the soundtrack is top-end. 

“...Specimen.”

The movie didn’t need a hetero kiss thrown in there, though. I sure wish there wasn’t a random kiss in there.

“The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.” 

Urgh, why Senator Stern gotta show up, be a pig about women, make his little Nazi declaration, and leave? The answer is, he really doesn’t gotta. You know what’s good shit? Not using misogyny and objectification of women to demonstrate that a bad guy is a bad guy, unless it’s actually a relevant part of the story. One day...

I can’t deal with how cool the Winter Soldier is. I’m almost embarrassed by how much the whole Silent Sauntering Assassin thing works for me.

Sam Wilson brings a tiny knife to a gunfight and still gets the upper hand because he’s perfect.

THE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHYYYYY

The Winter Soldier is barely in the film in the first hour, and Bucky is referenced in the museum but not discussed by any of the characters, so there’s no lantern hanging on either the mystery of the Winter Soldier’s identity or the conspicuous reminder of a supposedly dead character (another reason why tying the memory of Bucky in so tightly with Steve’s present state of comfortless seclusion is important and clever). If you somehow managed not to be spoiled for it already, the Bucky reveal is a real kicker of a twist.

The degree to which I adore Sebastian Stan’s attention to detail in his performance has increased tenfold since The First Avenger. Dude has got nuances on his nuances.

The part of me that is emotionally susceptible to heroism is very moved by all the nameless SHIELD agents who stand up to HYDRA and die for it. 

I join the rest of the world in being really disappointed that what appeared to be Jenny Agutter’s councilwoman kicking Strike Team ass was actually just Black Widow. Sorry Natasha.

The Winter Soldier shows up and murderises a heap of pilots, and the part of me that is susceptible to heroism finds itself in conflict with the part that is susceptible to the Winter Soldier’s ineffable coolness (which is itself at odds with the part of me that wants Bucky Barnes to be safe and happy). This movie got me good.

Rumlow talkin’ some shit about pain and Sam’s just like “Man, shut the Hell up,” and it’s perfect. I love him.

I love this film. I mean I really, really love it. Like, I mean this is one of my favourite movies in the world. Like, if we were playing that ol’ game of ‘if you had to pick ten movies, and those were the only movies you were allowed to watch for the rest of your life’, this would be one of my ten movies. That’s how much I love this film. There’s so much to get into here, so much to enjoy: it’s light and easily-digestible enough for when you just want to be entertained by something that doesn’t demand too much from you, but it also has serious depths for when you’re in the mood to dig in. It has well-crafted action scenes, but also a strong plot with powerful emotional currents. It has wonderful, charismatic actors playing intriguing characters, and most of them are good eye candy, but none of them are just eye candy - there’s a lot of complexity to unravel in the motivations and personal narratives of the leads. It’s a superhero movie, sure, but it’s also a political spy thriller. And, to top it off, it’s not only an excellent stand-alone film, it’s also a fantastic example of how to do a sequel right.

Sequel-making can be a fraught business; you’ve got sequels that are basically just pointless retreads of the original, sequels that are so different they hardly count as sequels at all, sequels that are so busy trying to be ‘bigger and better’ than the original they become ridiculous, sequels so busy attempting to capitalise on the spectacle of the original that they forget to have any of the same heart that gave the original meaningful impact, sequels that ignore that the original had a plot and themes and that maybe that stuff was relevant to its success, etc, etc...there are lots of great sequels in the world, certainly, but as Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World already attested for the MCU, it is very, very easy for sequels to go wrong. For this film, I think it goes without saying that I feel they passed all of the above sequel-killing quality tests with flying (low-key red-white-and-blue) colours, hence my adoration. But, just for kicks, lets talk about how they did it.

For starters, you can pretty much guarantee that this isn’t gonna be a pointless retread of Captain America: The First Avenger, since this movie takes place seventy years later and there are certain essential world elements that have fundamentally changed, such as technology, characters, and the fact that WWII ended a good while previous. But, that’s exactly how they make this story work as a sequel: they use the nature of change to give the film its shape, thematically, politically, emotionally, and in doing so they assure that everything which is different in the present builds directly from the past. Steve Rogers has not fundamentally changed, and that’s a critical anchor, considering he’s the titular character and all, but he is in a state of flux due to everything else that has changed, and his doubts inform the narrative landscape. This is not the world he remembers, and yet, as the plot unfolds and he digs into the conspiracy at his feet, there’s plenty there that is hauntingly familiar, because this is a story about how the past is still alive and kicking in the present, it has just updated to keep with the times.

It’s worth noting that despite Captain America making the jump from the forties to the modern age without any stop-offs in between, the film doesn’t linger on or wallow in the differences in his world in any strict sense - even Steve himself (in that EXTREMELY well-crafted opening scene with Sam) is somewhat dismissive of the specifics, because he’s not dwelling on the oh-woe-things-have-changed, he’s just trying to get his head around it, adapt, and move forward (and the practical realities are easy enough, but the emotional facets? Yeah). The thing is of course, no one else shares this problem with Steve; they’ve all been around, variously, for the parts in between, and the story is still concerned with the context of the world which made all of its characters what they are, and particularly with the war that came after WWII, the war within which HYDRA reseeded and began to grow anew: the Cold War. In particular, it’s the ‘70s/’80s era Cold War, built into the political-thriller superstructure of the film itself and driven home most overtly by the Winter Soldier, heavily Russian-coded and steeped in the potent psychological horror of brainwashing, but there are other signifiers littered across the story as well. There’s former-KGB agent Black Widow, and the reference she makes to WarGames, and there’s Arnim Zola frozen in time by the ancient computer system which now acts as his ‘brain’, and then there’s the stroke of subversive genius in the casting of Robert Redford - the positively Captain America-esque blue-eyed-blond hero of many a seventies Cold War political thriller - as our primary villain, working within the United States government for the benefit of his secret European-originating agenda in true foreign-infiltration style. Of course, we can adapt all of this to fit the radicalised terrorism and technological paranoia of modern times (and those elements are alive and well in the text with the surveillance-state fears represented by the helicarriers), but the historical timestamping is important to the trajectory of the film; times change and things grow increasingly subtle and complicated, but the core dilemmas that call people out to fight are instantly familiar. In that sense, Steve Rogers hasn’t missed much at all.

The war that calls Cap to arms this time around may be more subtle than the openly-fought battlefields of WWII, but it is no less global or insidious; the new ‘improved’ HYDRA may not be led by a literal Nazi who peels off his own face, but the cold political calculations of Alexander Pierce are much more frightening for their realism (an aspect of the film which has become increasingly prescient for the modern era since the movie was released), and the fascist supremacist dogma that compels these villains to attempt to reshape the world with the blood of millions is drawn from the same poisoned well; this is an escalation of the same enemy that Captain America faced before, only much closer to home. And while the passage of time has benefited the old evils in allowing them to entrench and fester and craft re-branded, more socially-accepted versions of themselves, it has not been so favourable to the positive familiar things from Steve’s past: it has claimed Peggy’s memory, and rotted SHIELD beyond recovery. And then, there’s what it’s done to Bucky Barnes.

Fake-out character deaths are a major staple of the superhero/comic genre, and not one I love, since it tends to take the power out of apparent-death scenes and leaves the drama feeling contrived, and while the Bucky reveal is not entirely free from that cynicism, it sells itself well on delivery. For starters, it packs a wallop in additional drama instead of just neatly undoing that which already existed (Nick Fury’s ‘death’ and reveal, on the other hand, is more in the classic line of cheap and inconsequential), and it ups the personal stakes for Steve in exactly the same way as Bucky’s ‘death’ did in The First Avenger. Crucially, the fact that Bucky is the Winter Soldier doesn’t alter the wider narrative in any convenient way, such as providing Captain America with the key to stopping him or resolving the other conflicts of the plot through his connection; the Bucky reveal reconnects the story to Steve’s emotional journey, which is exactly where it started before Shit Got Crazy - there’s a good reason they spent the first half hour of the movie on charting Steve’s mental state. There’s a sharp division between Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier, despite them both inhabiting the same form, and it’s a mirror of the division between Steve Rogers and Captain America: regardless of all assumptions to the contrary, the two are mutually exclusive entities. ‘Captain America’ is not a person, he’s a symbol, and he’s manipulable in that way, he can be propagandised, his image and actions are a tool turned to the purposes of others at the expense of the human underneath; Steve recognises this (and has since the first film), and he holds this secondary persona at a remove and does not define himself through it. This is what Sam’s keen social instincts pick up so quickly in the beginning: treating Steve as Captain America is the wrong approach, it fails to connect, because Steve is not the uniform, Steve has doubts, Steve could give up the shield; Steve is a person. Bucky doesn’t have the same luxuries, in opportunities, in company, or in the cognizant ability to define his own identity, but even without the personal attachment of their history, Steve is uniquely positioned to understand the difference between the Winter Soldier and the person buried beneath the title. If it was not Bucky, specifically, the visceral emotion of the mirrored experience wouldn’t land quite as strong, but either way the Winter Soldier is the realisation of Steve’s deep-seated fear of being made a puppet, an unthinking enforcer too heavily indoctrinated into patriotic subservience to recognise the despotism that has replaced his idealism. 

I said at the top that this is, ultimately, a Steven Rogers story to which ‘Captain America’ is an accessory, and not the other way around, and that’s a fact at the heart of what makes this film work - on its own, and as a sequel. The fore-fronting of Steve as a character in his own right and not just ‘Captain America’s real name’ was key to avoiding any cloying patriotism overriding the narrative of the first film, and it’s doubly important now as both Steve and the Captain America brand re-situate outside of their original context. It’s easy to strip back the specific trappings of Captain America and still have this movie function just right, because for all the action and intrigue, it is essentially a character piece about Steve Rogers figuring out his place in the world and reclaiming the moral compunctions which have been presumptuously attributed to the lofty symbol of his alter ego, and not the struggling reality of everyday life. Captain America is what he is and how he is not because it sounds good or because it makes for positive PR or because it’s nice to have legends from the good ol’ days; Captain America is the embodiment of scrappy little Steve Rogers’ grit and determination to live up to what he believes in, come Hell or high water or the gravest of consequences. Steve begins the film at odds with himself, unsure if there’s a place for his shameless idealism within the mess of modern life; he’s going through the motions of being Captain America, but he’s uncertain of what it means to him at this point, or where it’s headed. He finishes the film having gained something vital: a mission, but it’s not a professional job for Captain America, it’s a personal mission for Steve Rogers, and that’s much more important. Captain America is just an idea; Steve Rogers is the reason it matters, no matter what war, what time, what place, or what flag.