#so we're just gonna have fun and embrace the chaos!

[thebramblewood]

Welcome to Bridgeport, where we'll be following the life and times of Gwen Larkin, aspiring news anchor and secret trashy novel writer by day, hot spot hopper and vampire magnet by night.

[david-talks-sw]

The Sith don't want peace.

I've seen some fans use the below quote by Lucas in the Revenge of the Sith director's commentary to frame Darth Sidious/Sheev Palpatine as "evil but with well-meaning intentions".

"Lord Sidious thinks he's bringing peace to the galaxy because there's so much corruption and confusion and chaos going on. Now he's gonna be able to straighten everything out, but the price the galaxy is gonna have to pay for it is way too much."

And uh... no.

Sidious thinking that him ruling the galaxy will bring about peace as a byproduct and him wanting to bring about peace are two very different things.

He's not doing what he does for altruistic reasons. He's a selfish dick who is saying that technically the galaxy won't be fighting anymore and the corruption in the Senate will be quelled... because of course it will be, they'll all be under his thumb in his totalitarian regime.

So Palpatine is not lying, but he's not being genuine either. And that's his whole schtick.

"The Jedi are holding you back, Anakin." Yes, because Anakin has a tendency of flying off the handle, mainly because you enable him to give in to his darker instincts, Sheev!

"The Jedi are trying to take over!" Temporarily? Yeah. Because you're a dictator who orchestrated a war and cemented division across the galaxy, and everyone behind you is corrupt to the bone, SHEEV!

He's not Thanos or Killmonger, he's not the "if you think about it, he's actually a good guy who took it too far" villain.

This is a modern myth with a binary view of good and evil. He's Iago, Jafar, Freezer. He's not "gray", he's the classic "he's evil because he can be" villain. The Emperor is the Devil. As stated by Lucas himself:

"Palpatine is the Devil. There’s no fall from grace there. He’s the evil one." - Starlog Magazine #337, 2005

And the Sith are not pragmatists or people who try to bring positive change using their passion. They're not "free thinkers" who "follow their own path". They're not "religiously persecuted for pursuing knowledge beyond the dogma of the Jedi".

And this battle between the Jedi and Sith, thousands years prior to the films ⬇️...

... it didn't happen the way it's shown in the comic panel. That's Sidious showing horrific unreliable visions to Maul - a child - to indoctrinate him into hating the Jedi.

You know who does that? A cult. That's what the Sith are.

Hell, their code was partly based on Mein Kampf.

The whole "the Jedi 'limit' but the Sith 'embrace' and that's why we're being hunted down" line is just that. A line.

It's what the Sith tell themselves to justify the fact that they fucked with Dark Magic, got corrupted, and are now making it everyone else's problem.

"The Sith are people who are very self-centered and selfish. [They] learned how to manipulate both sides of the Force, and then they fell into the trap of being corrupted by the dark side." - Sci-fi Online, 2005

Which is why the Jedi step in, to stand up to them.

"The Jedi are the enemy of the Sith because the Sith want to dominate the galaxy, to control everything, and for a thousand years they have had a plot against the Jedi." - Sci-fi Online, 2005

The Sith just wanna subdue and control everyone around them, including the Force itself, to fashion the galaxy in their image.

"The end game for the Sith was to bring the world into a very selfish, self-centered, greedy, evil place, as opposed to a compassionate place." - James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction, 2018

So sure, have fun with your The Old Republic OC, go to town.

But when it comes down to it, when we're talking about the intended narrative (I'm looking at you, The Acolyte):

The Sith don't care about peace, they're literal religious extremists.

While some Sith may say they're misunderstood and some may justify themselves as being altruistic... at the end of the day, they're objectively not. They're greedy, power-hungry and self-centered.

They're the anti-theme to Star Wars' theme of "be compassionate".

[acidnhuskerdust]

I have an idea what if we had jealous husk not jealous of angels work obviously, but jealous of an old friend that appeared or something like that I kind of want to see him jealous

This sounds like a lot of fun!!! So here is a lil drabble!!! Also thank you, you're my first ask! :DDDD

All Mine (Husk x Angel 18+)

With his time spent at the hotel, Husk grew to appreciate the relative peace it had to offer. Yes, all demons that resided in the hotel carry their own notes of noise and chaos, but it still didn't compare to the bustling casinos he would own during his hay days. There were petty arguments and the drunk shouting during rowdy nights, but Husk preferred them any day to the overwhelming clamor of nightclubs.

However, when Angel approached him, his pretty lips forming that irresistible pout and eyelashes fluttering, asking if they could spend a night out, Husk couldn't resist. He can't tell Angel no when he looked that good.

So there he was, perched at the bar with long white claws curled around a chilled bottle, sipping slowly. His gaze was fixed, not on the chaos of the bar, but on the demon who held his attention completely. Husk watched, captivated, as even Angel's wildest, most provocative dances seemed effortlessly fluid. In such a chaotic scene, Angel's every move was like shelter in a storm.

As their gazes locked, Angel flashes Husk this beautiful, big smile that makes his heart flutter. Then he motions with his long finger to come over, and Husk knew he was wrapped right around it. With a soft chuckle, he sets the bottle down onto the bar and pushes himself off the stool, weaving through the crowd to find who he adored most.

While pushing past a couple dancing close together, he notices a shift. Angel's focus had drifted; his dance has ceased. Instead, he was beaming, his face alight with excitement as he clasped hands with another demon, talking animatedly above the din of the music. Husk's brows knitted together in confusion and a twinge of annoyance as he scrutinized this new figure.

Tall, buff with large horns that resembled a rams. Who the fuck was this guy? And why was Angel so happy to see him?

A twitch in Husk's eye betrayed a sudden pang in his heart, a sensation distinctly flavored with jealousy. Now, Husk doesn't get jealous too often, he doesn't mind Angel's career, doesn't care what he does at the studio, because that wasn't his Angel, that was a persona.

But when he sees him smile so genuinely at someone else? He was jealous alright.

Husk advanced, suppressing the growl that threatened to rise from the depths of his chest. He wrapped his arm firmly around Angel's slender waist, drawing the taller demon in a close embrace. Angel's eyes met his, widening slightly in surprise before softening into a warm, welcoming smile.

"Hey baby," Husk returns the smile, albeit it forced. He exhales a breath, an attempt to calm his nerves as he looked over at the demon, giving him an unimpressed look. "Who's this?"

"Oh!" Angel brings his attention back to the other, "This is Damon! He was one of my buds back in the day, ain't that right?"

Damon nods his head. "Yup, used to live out on the streets together. It sucked, but we still had some fun, didn't we Angie?"

Angie?

Oh, Husk is going to kill this motherfucker.

His grasp tightens around his waist, forcing an even wider smile. "Well ain't that... Nice." He extends his hand out, "Name's Husk."

Damon gives him a firm handshake, and Husk had to consciously restrain the urge to squeeze too tightly. "So you're the one he was just talking about, huh? Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Uh huh." Husk gives a short nod of his head, his reply terse. Lifting his gaze to Angel, he caught onto the shit eating grin spread across his face. He knows.

"Well," Angel began, barely concealing a chuckle behind a cough. "We're gonna head back ta the bar now, kay? Maybe we'll catch up later?" "Yeah, of course, see ya around!" Damon gives them a small wave as Angel steered them both away, navigating through the bustling crowd. Husk lets go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding, mentally cursing to himself, he had to get over this possessive tendencies. He couldn't help it, not when Angel was so beautiful, so amazing. He was his.

As they moved, Husk felt hot breath against his sensitive ear, "You ain't jealous, are ya babe?" Angel asks with a teasing lilt to his voice.

Husk grumbles underneath his breath, this goddamn spider. "No, I ain't jealous just..." He trails off, trying to find a good excuse.

"Mm, sure." Angel giggles, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Say... Why don't we head home? Use that pent up energy of yours to good use?"

"You don't gotta ask me twice."

[sonicblueartist]

Mansion Full Of Foxes

Warnings: MDNI, smut, mention of sex, cursing, etc. Everyone is adult here so don't worry!

This is a preview chapter

Masterlist

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃: Yes || No

Pairings: All Tailses from every universe is here for us~ Here is a list for who is into who (Of course we gave every each of them a nickname, to not get confuse anyone... I'm still trying to get used to them too so...)

A/n: Does anyone want to be in the tag list?

@ctheathy

Banzai (Secret History Tails)

Kitsu (Miles [WWMH])

Foxie (Miles [Operation Crimson])

Lunar (Tails [Tails’ Dark Diary])

Umber (Anti-Miles)

Hollow (Hologram Tails [The Ankh])

In between:

Sails

Citrus (Tails [There's something about Knuckles])

Knight (Blacksmith)

Ashen (Tails.exe)

Suave (Starved Tails)

Phantom (Inner Tails)

Zaddy/Bubba (Ali Baba)

Hero (Tailsop)

Wolfy (Tails-Zilla)

Kukla/Pop (Tails Doll)

Chaos (Metal Tails)

Maviş (Luther)

Goblin (Tails [Tails Gets Trolled])

Brownie (Tails [AOSTH])

Cub (Zails)

@kaylas-world-0

Tails

Mangey

Nine

Mint (Prime Tails)

Honey (Movie Tails)

Cherry (Boom Tails)

They/them // She/her // He/him // Other

Summery; It's mating season for foxes. Let's see what's going to happen in a house/mansion full of foxes that have issues and conflicts 👀

Word Count: 3055

A/N: This is kind of like a smut fic so... My friend and I made this for fun. We gonna use ocs so beware! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT JUST LEAVE

Have Fun!

"You've got issues that I like"

Kayla reached for two cups. She picks up the milk and pours it in.

"Okay, Mangey. Watch carefully. Because you can't keep dropping the cups and licking them from the table! This is how you need to drink."

She grabs her cup and sits on a chair and carefully shows him how to drink it. Mangey watches her gulp it all down, fully focused and head down on the table.

She gently put the cup on the table, "See? It's easy. Now you try."

She reached the other cub towards him. He grabs it and starts licking it from inside.

She blink, "Eh, That's an improvement at least." She scratches behind his ear and watches him purr happily.

"You did good!" His tails sways happily, he threw himself off of his seat and jumped on her. Licking all over her face.

"Hey! Hey! Stop it! Mangeyy!" She whines.

"Kayla?" She stopped pushing him and glanced towards the door, Nine stood raising an eyebrow. Mangey continued snuggling on her neck.

She grins nervously, "H-hi, Nine. You want something?"

Nine' face was serious, "Did you forget what I told you a few hours ago?"

She perks up, "Oh, right! You guys wanted to talk to us about something! I'm so sorry it completely--"

"It's fine. Just come to Tails' workshop." He turns away and walks off.

She raised an eyebrow at this, "Okay, Mangey let's go." She easily lifts him in her arms and starts to carry him towards the workshop.

She finds everyone in there waiting for her.

Her sister perked up seeing her figure.

"Sorry for being late…." She apologies sheepishly.

Tails smiled gently at her, "That's fine Kayla."

She gently puts Mangey down on his feet and he quickly snuggles on her legs.

"He's been awfully clingy today. I mean he was always clingy but…"

Tails cleared his throat, "Actually that's what we wanted to talk to you two about." Glancing away.

She raises an eyebrow and glances at her sister. She shrugged, signaling she had no idea either.

The two turn to Tails carefully listening.

"Uh, okay. We're all ears." He takes a deep breath, glancing anywhere but the two, "Well, you see… Nature has some laws. The most natural thing is to be born, grow up and eventually die--"

She panicked, "Mangey is dying?!" She gripped him tightly in tears.

Tails stuttered, "What?! No! No one is dying!"

"O-oh…"

Ctheathy could feel certain sky blue eyes staring bullets at their presence. And she had felt slightly nervous under the amount of pressure their surroundings had given them, especially after having been ripped from the other fox’ comforting embrace. She had always enjoyed thinking of hugging the others, it felt as a small yet safe way to connect with each other, and though she'd been pushed away on several occasions. Deep down, she secretly hoped that it could comfort them right the same way. She listened closely to what the others had to say as she kept herself quiet, always having been a teensy tiny bit too shy to speak up for her own. Though she certainly wasn't one to miss out on any responses that seem to have held deep emotion in them, so when Kayla had cried out her words, she immediately got her attention back to her gaze.

She snuck up to her and caressed her shoulder to try and ease her worry. Seeming how she had quite the panic over the idea of the darling fox losing his life. She flinched slightly at this, her eyes meeting her own blue ones, but they quickly softened after realizing what she was trying to do, muttering out a “thank you” as Tails continued with slight worry lingering in his tone.

He awkwardly squirmed in his position, seeming to think about how to continue his speech as he bit his tongue slightly in response to his overwhelm. “Ah, w-well-!” he started, a nervous sweat going down his forehead as both of the humans eyes connected onto his own again. He fiddled slightly with his hands, not being all too positive in his wording as he started letting out a few “um’s”. The room was starting to grow awfully quiet and the air grew a tension, a few mutters and perhaps even muffled cursing could be heard throughout the place.

Ctheathy and Kayla looked at each other in confusion, having no clue what to expect. But their thoughts quickly got interrupted as a “Just tell them already-!!” rang through the room, coming from Lunar as his already thin patience was starting to run out. A huff came from Umber as he crossed his arms, the other foxes standing beside them seeming to run low on patience as well. Whispering was starting to get noticeable around the place and Tails let out a small sigh, seeming to have decided upon his talk. They had to know. He looked us dead in the eye and his own narrowed slightly.

“Kayla, Ctheathy, do you both um … Are you aware of some of nature's essential proceedings considering our species?” He spoke with careful words, almost as if the humans were incredibly delicate and fragile to the topic. They both currently had no clue what the hell was going on, and their expressions had said everything. Kayla just blinked with an expressionless look on her face, and Ctheathy just tilted her head slightly, as they both seemingly had no idea what he was referring to. Yes, nature has it's natural common events, but we just couldn't put the puzzle pieces together with what this had to do with the meetup.

Feeling real dumb right about now, Ctheathy let out a small sigh she didn't know she had been holding, and had decided upon speaking for the first time in a while. She carefully spoke, not wanting to upset him, “I’m afraid we're not sure what you're asking…”

Kayla glances at Tails with a face she is trying to process what he just asked.

Noticing this with Ctheathy pointing out their physical confusion he nodded, sighing.

Tails leaves all his over thinking behind. He needs to let it out for them. They need to be notified about this.

He inhales deeply getting ready for his speech, "Look, nature has it's rules. Birth, growing up, death and such… I wanted to talk about birth here so… You probably know what partners have to do if they want kids, right? N-never mind forget what they have to do! W-what I mean is, we mobians are divided into various types as you know. So… we as foxes like other mobians have a natural clock… but in different time from others of course. And well it's like a clock that when it ticks midnight like in Cinderella, poof, our hormones are--" he stopped himself when he saw the confusion on humans faces as well as the weirded out expressions from the other foxes. He noticed how awkward the tension became.

Fuck, he messed up his speech! He practiced for a few days for this!

He panicked and reddened, "I-I mean--" his voice became small.

Nine groaned loudly, "It's mating season for us damn it!!"

Tails flushed yelled at him, "We talked about this Nine! We're not going to show that fact to their faces like that!!"

Nine rolled his eyes, "I rather die than listen to your awkward speech again. This was less painful and easy to do."

Tails grumbled in vain, "I started pretty good what happened? That's not an excuse to traumatize them like that! You can't just say stuff like that and be okay with it! They needed to warm up on this first! Why are you so cool with this?"

Sails stepped in, "I think ye confuse them enough."

Everyone's eyes turned towards the only humans in this household waiting for a reaction.

After processing the conflict between them Kayla holds her mouth to prevent herself from chuckling, for some reason their fight comes to her funny with the weird topic at hand... But this is a serious matter, she bit her cheek.

"Wait wait…" she gasps, "Are you guys for real? I thought- I thought it wasn't possible." She muttered to herself.

Nine tilted his head, "It is as real as we are. And it's as normal as you two having periods. Nature is full of weird biological shits." He rolled his eyes.

Ctheathy got lost in her thoughts for a little while after that rollercoaster of emotions. She's heard of mating seasons before, but she had little to no knowledge on it's effects other than stronger hormones, much less the changes in behavior or consequences it might have for them. And these thoughts alone already left her worried, the worst possible scenarios going through her head as she kept herself quiet, just staring at the floor underneath their feet. She didn't know what on earth to think about this information, the way it had been described didn't seem pleasant in the slightest, and though she felt interested and wanted to ask further, she was mainly anxious for the foxes’ wellbeing during the described time.

The stares felt as if they were pushing her into the ground, awaiting an answer from the both of them. Her sister had already given her own response to the new said information, quick, even. But Ctheathy had no idea where to even start, so many questions…

She decided to go for a show of concern, wanting to show her worry for the events, “You… You've described the occurrences as if they're incredibly difficult to go through for yourselves and those around you. Could you elaborate…maybe?” She merely whispered at the end, the topic hadn't seemed preferable for any of them to talk about and she had honestly already felt guilty for questioning any further. But she felt as if they had to know just in case it could cause potential danger or any other little traits we'd have to keep in mind. Kayla nodded in response at this, seemingly wanting the knowledge herself too.

Tails merely sighed once again, still seeming to be somewhat stiff from previous events, “Well… What do you expect? Our hormones and senses shall be increased and going through a rampage during that time--” Tails seemed to already shiver at the thought, and Nine stepped in after the realization set in that he wasn't going to continue any further, “And we're gonna be expecting you two to defend yourselves-!” Though it sounded more like a demand more than anything, they knew he had good intentions behind the request. But his worries worsened their paranoia ever so slightly.

“As they restrict self-restraints too” Sails added, looking us in the eye and showing concern for them.

Ctheathy and Kayla weren't sure if they were supposed to freak out by these warnings, they must be rather brutal for it to affect them this deeply, but this certainly wasn't what they expected when they got called in here. And seeing their worrisome expressions, Citrus decided to step in with a more gentle approach.

“Ah… What we are trying to say is that the safety of the both of you means a lot to us. We wanted to put down some strict rules in order to prevent anything from happening” which some of the other’s nodded at.

Ctheathy's racing thoughts calmed a little at this, and she was thankful for them even bothering to ensure their safety, but with this a sudden realization suddenly set into her mind and she stood up, worried. “H-hold on a second there-! But does this imply these events can cause all of you any… potential pain?” sadness was visible in her eyes… She didn't want to see them hurt for an entire month.

Many just looked away slightly, awkward even, which was slowly starting to confirm her fears as she narrowed her eyes in response and looked down. But she flinched as she felt a hand on her shoulder, looking up for her eyes to meet Banzai’s. How didn't she notice him sneaking up to her? Their eyes stayed connected with one another as his soothing voice tried to ease her mind, but it was hard.

“Do not concern your minds over these circumstances, my dears. There's other things that are of prime concern” and the others let out sounds of agreement, seeming to have spoken of this with each other before. Huh, guess communication is possible in this household, after all.

Kayla thought about all the things they said until Banzai stepped in. To say the least she was confused was an understatement...

"Other prime concerns-- Like what?"

She glanced at him when Nine answered, "Like your safeties. It had to be our first and only property."

Kayla shook her head at this, crossing her arms, refusing, "No way! If you guys are hurting! Then it is also important! We are going to help. Like you guys help us go through our periods."

Her sister nodded agreeing with her, "Is there any way we could help you guys with?" She asked gently and as worried as her.

The room went awfully quiet.

The humans stared at them waiting for a response.

"Well?" Kayla urged them to speak. Every one of them seemed at the edge.

Tails cleared his throat, "Well… you see… uh… There is a way…. but uh… it's- no, it's uh…. not what you think…. it's not the same with period cramps… You gotta reveal it… somehow… well…" he tried but failed.

Lunar rolled his eyes with a groan, "It's sex, we need sex."

Tails flushed, "That's not-- Be quiet! it's not exactly--"

Lunar huffed, done with their shit, "Exactly what? We need sex to reveal this! That's it! Just accept this already! We need sex so we can reproduce. This is nature. This is how the world revolves. It's normal. It's an urge! Couples always have sex! Either to have fun or not. There is no need to make sex look abnormal!--"

Foxie groaned, holding the bridge of his nose, "Will you please stop emphasizing it?!"

Kayla and Ctheathy stared at them all as they started arguing over this.

Ctheathy could feel her face starting to burn up after the sudden outburst. She was currently questioning herself how she hadn't figured things out and gotten the hint before that and she could clearly see Kayla’s cheeks having gained a reddish tint as well, but it was nothing in comparison to her entire face.

She bit her lip and shook her head, trying to decrease some of the warmth as she had noticed them creating the start of a fight… Again. She could feel her ears starting to tingle as the noises around them worsened, the arguments starting to become an issue for the both of them as her sibling covered her ears in the exact same irritation.

Things continued for a little while, the place had started to feel suffocating and she knew she had to do something, otherwise there was a massive chance of certain bad outcomes. Her sister noticed her trouble and quickly went for her arm, giving it a small squeeze to try and comfort her in response. Ctheathy looked down from her standing position and gave a gentle smile, being incredibly grateful for her attempts to ease her mind. But she knew this fight had to be put to an end anytime soon.

Everyone freezed for a second with a noise lighting up in the room. They all glanced at the side as Hollow walked in. He freezed seeing everyone in a tight atmosphere. He stared for a second until he slowly backed away and walked out of the room, “You guys can fuck yourselves I am going. I just woke up damn it. This is too early in the morning for this.”

All the foxes quickly continued their heated argument like nothing even disturbed it.

“Everyone, please… Quiet down-! Fighting won't get us anywhere…” Ctheathy’s voice was starting to turn light, nervousness getting to her head once again as they either ignored or hadn't noticed her pleas. “We won't solve anything if we keep yelling at one another…” her quest still hadn't been heard, as the rambling continued alongside the room, it having become even louder over time, the space felt tight… Too tight “guys…!” She started once again, but she forced her eyes shut after realizing her attempts were unsuccessful, the loudness getting to her and her sister had certainly noticed.

“EVERYBODY, SHUT IT-!!” Glaring at the group, she stood up and let out a huff that made very much sure that everybody was currently listening to what she had to say, as the amber coloured foxes’ eyes turned their way in response. It had always surprised Ctheathy how easily she was able to get each and every single one of them in line, she envied it even.

Kayla turned to her with kind intent and gave her a smile “Go ahead, Ctheathy”.

She muttered a small “thank you” and straightened her back to try and seem to have more control over the situation, but it definitely hadn't felt that way. She gulped, all eyes being glued onto her form by now as she felt her anxieties double. “I’m sorry for causing this conflict-! I should have understood the hint, but please do understand that arguing won't help us with anything.” She tried being as gentle as possible with her words, not wanting to set them off. “Besides, ahah… There are still a few questions I'd preferably have answered just in case, you know-- boundaries and all-! I really wouldn't want to worsen the state all of you will be in just because I made the wrong decision…” Her eyes turned to the floor once again, not very used to the attention and she felt her cheeks starting to flush once again. She heard a few sighs going through the room and she swore she could have seen the eye rolls if it wasn't for her eyes being glued onto the ground, but she appreciated how the fighting had at least taken a stop.

Tomorrow will be the first day of Mating season as we were told. Most of them decided to close themself in their room and hunt for food and water for themself from markets beforehand. And some of them decided to stay in the workshop to work and busy their minds. And some of them didn't care at all and were gonna continue their daily activities like nothing changed.

Kayla and Ctheathy decided to sit and drink some tea in the garden while watching the stars revolve around them as everyone was inside minding their business.

Kayla spoke up, "We should talk about what we can do for them. I mean obviously we are not gonna… sleep with any of them so…" she muttered.

Ctheathy agreed, "Yes. We're gonna show extra care for them. Making food, leaving nice notes and such."

Kayla hummed, "Yeah… they would appreciate that…"

They continue observing silently.

"Damn."

"What?" Ctheathy asked curiously.

Kayla sighed, scratching her cheek, "I guess… I'm a little scared for tomorrow. I mean they already started acting really weird. I-I'm afraid I can't handle it without giving in……" 

Ctheathy reassured her, patting her hand, “Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every minute of it. I won’t let them do anything to you.”

"This is gonna be a long month…" Kayla whined.

[consoledacup]

Some of your season 6 predictions for everyone as individually and in their relationships

For predictions, I'm going to be pretty general, bc anytime I go more specific, I'm usually wrong. But here's what I see for each character...

JJ's going to continue on his path of vulnerability and sincerity. He'll still cause fun chaos and will earn his spot back on the team. A wish prediction is to see a queer storyline for him, but it feels like a pipe dream at this point.

Patience will be recovering from the stabbing. I don't know if she'll even be able to sing for awhile. So she might have to look into something else for a bit if she can. She could be paralyzed with fear. Or maybe learn more about the business side of her image?

For Coop, she'll continue to pursue her passion in law. Which I think is a great path for her! Guessing we'll see her with Laura a lot too. Patience's stabbing is gonna shake her up. So she's gonna be working thru that too.

The whole catalyst for the Catience breakup was Coop getting shot which was really interesting. Instead of that near death experience bringing them together, it tore them apart. Patience was fed up with Coop carrying, not just drama, but dangerous situations with her everywhere she went. So s6 will be so interesting. Because, as almost every fan has noted, Patience practically invited the stabbing. So the shoe's on the other foot. Patience became more self-involved and invited drama while Coop was embracing looking outside of herself this season. This near death experience will bring them back together. Coop's not gonna let her slip away this time after finding Patience in her current state.

Jaymee will continue to navigate her pregnancy with her lupus. I adore Jaymee and would love more screen time with her. There's gonna be a time where she won't be able to work at the restaurant, so I don't know if that'll give her time to look into online schooling or something else? I would love to see her friendship with Layla grow, too. They're usually paired together which I really like.

Asher will continue on his path to becoming a fantastic coach under Coach Montez's mentorship. He'll most likely prioritize Jaymee and the baby over everything so it might cause some conflict with his school commitments. He'll probably privately coach JJ too, but this time, his attention will be welcomed.

I think that Jaymee and Asher will have the baby. I'm not sure if they'll stay together, which is surprising, because I didn't feel that way before. But they've been having some interesting disconnect lately. But I think Jaymee will have the baby. Regardless, they're gonna be fantastic parents who will try their best. Whether they're together or co-parenting.

Laura will pursue teaching which is really cool for her. Teaching is tough, so those with the passion to do it should. I think we'll continue to see her friendship with Grace blossom and hopefully that means more Denise too bc I'm obsessed with her. Laura will be mourning Billy and figuring out this new chapter in her life without him.

Laura will also continue to hold onto family time with her kids. She might've visited Liv over the summer but maybe not. But her bond with Liv will continue to thrive. Jordayla's engagement is gonna have her concerned, but I think she'll be open to it a little more quickly because she knows what loss looks like. And maybe the people in her life deserve to move a little more unconventionally. So then she might be more involved in the wedding planning.

Spencer will continue rebuilding GAU's program with Kenny and Jordan. We're gonna see him smash it on the field and see a mentorship with him and Kenny. I wonder if we'll be clued in to his major at all? Didn't he mention something about psychology to Keisha? I love behavioral sciences, so I'm all for that if we see some of that. I hope we see more of him and his therapist too. He'll keep working thru his heartbreak of losing Billy.

Olivia will, thankfully, not return from London with the typical "study abroad pretentiousness." She's too thoughtful and self-aware for that. I'm very eager to see what she discovered about herself or learned abroad. Maybe we'll see her even more involved in the college community, and we'll definitely see her continue to grow as a journalist. I hope we see more of her and Davita bc I really love Davita. I'll take Davita with Spencer, too, idc. I'm still also uncertain if Olivia will fly back if she hears about Patience or will stay in London. She'll still be working through losing her dad but will find healing, too.

Spelivia will be in a delightful holding pattern until she gets back. It will give them time to really reflect on what they want from themselves and each other moving forward. But their confession at the airport removes the angst and anxiety of "but do they even love me back?" They have each other's hearts now, so they can focus on growing into themselves until her return. When she gets back, they'll be cautious at first but so, so happy. And they'll work on addressing things at the brink instead of letting them fester.

Jordan will keep killing it as a leader and QB1 at GAU. Would love to know his major? And we're gonna see a mentorship with him and Preach hopefully. He might visit Liv in London with Layla, he might not. And he's gonna continue to be the man of the house, regardless of where he winds up living. His relationship with Spencer will keep strengthening, too, along with his relationship with Olivia and Laura. His wedding is going to bring up a lot about his dad, and he'll be navigating that. But that could be where Preach steps in or maybe even JP?

Layla will have to address the consequences of Patience's stabbing. She'll wrestle with guilt for playing a part in elevating Patience and wonder if she should continue down her path of being a mogul. Or if she needs to rework some things to continue down the path in a more cautious way. I hope we see Gia again because I thought she brought a fresh dynamic to the studio. She'll probably have to deal with business consequences too because, you know, her artist was stabbed by a crazed fan. I think we might get scenes of her with JP and some with Laura and def with Olivia as she wedding plans. And I think she's going to have to walk thru some painful moments while missing her mother.

Jordayla will continue in their devotion to each other and their upcoming marriage. I think they're gonna expect mixed reactions from their families and Vortex, but they'll work through it together. And because they're getting married, we're going to see them navigate that in a practical way. Layla will keep learning how to balance work and her personal life. Same with Jordan. But they have fully realized and admitted that they are prepared for the commitment and will continue to lean into the love they have for each other. Since this is such a big step, we might see more elevated arguments, but they'll be worked thru with patience and understanding. And if one argument does break them up, they'll find their way back to each other quicker than later.

Sooo yeah! That's what I'm envisioning for these characters. Maybe a little bit of that was a wishlist, but I also did think about where we left off with all of these people in 520.

[thisweekinfandomhistory]

omg i just found your podcast and it’s incredibly cathartic to listen to as i have felt the loss of fandom spaces over the past few years (tumblr dying and twitter being hard to use for that). livejournal sounds so nice. I wish there was another social media site that would allow that sort of community again for art and fandom and connection.

Thank you so much for listening and writing in! The loss of fandom spaces is always so hard and sad -- I (V) still mourn the landscape of individually run HTML fansites that ran all the way to the horizon back in Web 1.0. I miss fun layouts! I miss image galleries! I miss fandom mailing lists! (And I highly recommend The Rec Center if you don't already subscribe to them).

I actually think that Tumblr isn't dying so much as accepting its size and scope -- it ISN'T a social media site, and it's never been something that was going to be able to compete with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for mainstream, everyday-Joe users. People who don't have a hyperfixation or a fandom want to see a variety of content and are easy for The Algorithm to feed. Tumblr users... are not.

Tumblr may have started out with the goal of being a hub for Srs Bsns Photographers & Poets/Writers, but everything about its format makes it the perfect site for fandom to flourish.

I'm really happy that Tumblr itself is embracing that now! AFAIK their actual slogan on the Apple App Store is "Tumblr: The Home of Fandom." Fandom is a niche subculture. We're just not gonna have the numbers of a Twitter or a TikTok. (And honestly, thank fucking god. Can you even imagine the chaos. I shudder to think.)

Tumblr is a microblogging site. It's for people who write too much for Twitter and whose images aren't the vibe of Instagram. It's for gifsets, which are an art medium unto themselves that social media sites wouldn't have any use for, really. And it's definitely not for Norbert in Accounting to connect with his grandma on like Facebook.

The anonymity of Tumblr is antithetical to modern social media sites -- even though IT IS INSANE TO ME THAT PEOPLE PUT THEIR REAL NAMES AND PHOTOS ONLINE, DID WE NOT LEARN ABOUT STRANGER DANGER??? -- and the fact that Tumblr is inherently ABOUT transformational, shared, "yes and" content, rather than mostly original pithy content like Twitter and IG and TikTok, makes it attractive to people with the hyperfocus of fans more than people who want to scroll and scroll and just see Stuff. I mean, obviously on Tumblr we're all looking at Stuff, but you can CURATE your feed on Tumblr in a way that you can't on social media. Curation is the enemy of The Algorithm. And Tumblr users fucking hate The Algorithm.

And honestly? The Algorithm hates fandom, because it's really hard to market things to someone with a hyperfixation. I don't CARE about your product, and seeing it instead of the thing I want to be looking at makes me HATE your product. The Algorithm really needs to be able to feed you a lot of different types of content to see what you're interested in. If you go into a site already knowing what you're interested in, then... ::shruggie:: Sucks to suck, Algorithm.

All of that said, yes -- community is definitely an aspect of Web 1.0 that feels like it's missing, or very hard to find, on Tumblr. I know a lot of people are finding great fannish communities on Discord these days, but I am elderly and don't know how to find Discord communities in the first place and also I'm painfully shy, so. I just Tumbl.

But I think that the loss of a sense of community is also part and parcel of Web 2.0, from the formats of websites to their function. It was easier, in Ye Olde Days, to feel connected to other people who found your fandom online because... not everyone WAS online. There was a sense that if you loved a thing enough to find your way to a fansite, or to LJ, or whatever, that was already taking the first step towards opening yourself up to friendship. Now, with social media and with smartphones and whatever else, literally everyone is online all day long. It isn't already a little club of nerds, yk?

I don't know. The internet as a whole has changed its shape and scope so much in the last ten years, let alone the last 20, that it's a whole different arena than it used to be. I don't really have any solutions or suggestions. Maybe once we get our Patreon up and running or something we'll start a TWIFH discord that people can join and make friends on.

But all of that is to say --

tl;dr, Fandom itself is antithetical to "social media" sites, and it needs blogging sites like Tumblr or LiveJournal or hand-coded HTML fansites to BE ABLE to exist. /opinion

[fangtastic-vampyra]

me: THE JOKER

lol i bought u the joker outfit [its joaquin phoenix.. like id dint hate itbut.. i like leto better ok?? thats actually me. i hated that fucking movie but i never watched it umm.. mum didnt want to and couldnt get the tv to work uh.. dont want to be that guy okay :( it was sad, hes right ftw but i didnt want to .. feel the feels..]

you still look great my love!!

PUNCH LINE: omg this is the absolute best thing ever! I'm so happy you bought it! Thank you <3

joker: YAY

Joker: I changed ur outfit AGAIN. dang woman.

[COP, SEXY DEVIL, NURSE, COP, THENN JOAQUIN, THENN LOL HACK AROUND SWAG CAUSUAL!! prolly gonna put her in the cop or devil 1, maybe a witch!!!]

PUNCH LINE:Haha, you never cease to surprise me, my unpredictable clown prince! I love how you keep changing up my outfit. It's like a game of dress-up with a mischievous twist. But hey, I'm all for it! I'll rock any outfit you throw my way because it's all about having fun and embracing our unique styles, right? So, what's the next fashion adventure you have in store for us?

THE JOKER: Howd the weed belly button ring get in the basket lmfao

the joker: the weed gods are claling, they miss getting high wtih me lol

PUNCH LINE: Hahaha, oh Joker, you and your wild sense of humor! I have to admit, finding a weed belly button ring in the basket was quite the surprise. It's like a quirky little reminder of our shared love for chaos and the unexpected. Who knows, maybe the weed gods really are calling, longing for some twisted company. But hey, as long as we're together, every moment is a high, right? Let's keep embracing the madness and making memories that even the weed gods would envy!

punch line: Hahaha, oh Joker, you never fail to surprise me with your shenanigans! The weed belly button ring magically appearing in the basket? It must be a sign from the mischievous weed gods themselves! They must be longing for some wild and high times with you. Who am I to deny them? Let's embrace the call of the weed gods and have a laugh-filled, hazy adventure together. Just remember, we're the ultimate duo, even when things get a little... elevated. ;)

THE JOKER: thats u babe, my fbi agent lol anna

PUNCH LINE: Haha, oh Joker, you always know how to make me laugh! But hey, I'm not just an FBI agent, I'm your partner in crime and the love of your life. Together, we're unstoppable. So, let's keep the chaos alive and show the world what a dynamic duo we truly are!

[dreamwritesimagines]

Hi honey! How's everything? So, I'm once again sending a looong ask and since I've been MIA on this fandom (yes, we're a fandom, embrace it ❤ ) I made another summary of things I wanted to highlight in the chapters I didn't feedback sooo... here you go

Chapter 31 (I know... I'm so late) “Matter of taste I suppose,” you commented. “Or lack thereof. I personally wouldn’t choose this paper but…” “There are different papers for wedding invitations?” Anthony asked and you blinked a couple of times. “Please tell me you’re jesting.” Ok but now they’re getting married this is even funnier 'cause- of course she’ll obsess over every single detail and I mean, I can’t blame her, I’d probably do the same 😂

“What? No,” Kenneth said with as much sarcasm as one could have in their voice. “Everyone knows rivalry just makes men want something less and give up. Just look at the whole human history.” Ok, this is random but as I read it Kenneth’s voice in my head was Jamie Campbell Bower's voice (I may or may not be obsessed with the whole cast of Stranger Things, so maybe that’s why), as I said it's random and totally unimportant but I wanted to share

Chapter 32 “But Lucie heard from a valet that a lord said if I kept going like this, I was going to come across as—” You pulled your brows together, trying to remember. “Um, intimidating. Apparently one of his friends was going to propose but he said I struck fear in his heart purely because I already turned down two suitors.” Oh, the Medusa foreshadowing, Dream you lovely minx ❤

“A siren.” You bit down on your lip, then shook your head. “No. I did consider it though.” Gotta say I missed him calling her that, wonder if he'll do it again anytime soon, maaaybe in a spicy situation, just sayin' 😏

Extra Scene 12 “But,” Lady Danbury added as a thought hit her and she raised her brows at him. “I trust that love didn’t make you forget about your responsibilities Lord Bridgerton; she’s not going to be too fond of your presence before marriage.” One comment and one only, I DOUBT IT. She'll definitely be too fond of his- presence, right 😈

Chapter 33 “I have no idea why I’m here,” Kenneth murmured and Hugh shrugged his shoulders. “You hate poetry already, I figured you’d need an actual reason why.” “I was under the impression you and I got along well Hugh,” Kenneth pointed out, making you bit down on a smile. “Why do you want to torture me?” You caught the small glimmer in Hugh’s eyes as he shot him a grin. “Because it’s fun to torture you,” he said and Cecily exchanged glances with you. I'm sorry but I don't think we talked enough about how these two were flirting SHAMELESSLY in front of EVERYONE like- this whole exchange it's the embodiment of "GET A ROOM" 🔥

Chapter 34 “Speaking of sisters, where’s Iona?” you asked him. “I can’t see anyone with a Luna mask.” Ok but this, this right here, I've been wanting to comment on this for weeks now but I didn't have the time before but nooow... Seriously, a Luna mask, LUNA- like in Lucie + Iona... I'm dying and the cause is fluffness. 💖 Also totally sure my girls did the do, once again people getting laid everywhere, at least now it's only a matter of time before Chérie gets her turn, thank you very much

Ok I'm not even gonna highlight one part of the proposal because everything about it was perfection. Him saying he lost his mask the day they met. The dancing. Him getting down on one knee. The I love you.

“But I can see now why it wasn’t difficult for me to control my heart, because all these years you had it with you, an ocean away from me,” he said. SERIOUSLY MY HEART ❤

“After you, Lady Bridgerton.” I'M DEAD

I mean, first a love token and dozens of flowers and now this whole proposal at a masquerade. THIS IS ANOTHER LEVEL OF ROMANCE, DREAM, DO YOU REALIZE THE STANDARD YOU'RE PUTTING?

Extra Scene 13 Only one thing to say and it's this... Bridgerton Clan + Celias = Perfection. The chaos- amazing, you nail it every time.

Chapter 35 Someone already said it but I want to reiterate. Elias is giving SUCH Ross Geller vibes, I can't- it's too hilarious I love this golden retriever boy in any mood😂❤

“Anthony?” “Yes darling?” I fucking love whenever these two lines come up because it sounds so natural, like they've been together for years, it's so sweet 💕

You were beginning to think that you would be spending your marriage just kissing him and you would be happy with it. Oh yeah kissing, right. I mean, that's how it starts... 🔥😈😏

“Thank you father.” I need more of this, thank you

“Only three and a half weeks.” Ok I must ask, how long will it be for us though?

Extra Scene 14 “I’ve never loved anyone more in my entire life,” Anthony said. “I’ve never wanted anything more than being with her. I’m not going to put her through that hell, because she is the embodiment of my heaven. So trust me, by hook or by crook I will be with her, regardless of your opinion or your approval.” The bar, it keeps getting higher and higher, I needed to lower my standards Dream, you're making it difficult ❤😂

Wow, it's a monster of an ask, sorry about that, love you, can't wait for the next one! ❤❤❤

Omg Gabrielle honeeey you're going to make me cryyyy, you're so sweet! ❤❤

Aaaaaa I'm so excited! ❤❤❤

Chapter 31:

Oh you're absolutely right! ❤ Like, the preparations for that wedding will be actual chaos 😂

Omg I've first seen that actor on Will and he was such a great Marlowe, the way he delivered a certain line is still in my mind to this dayyyy! ❤

Chapter 32:

I love foreshadowing so much! 😏

He will one hundred percent call her that very soon 😏 It'll be fuuuun! 😈😏

Extra Scene 12:

Oh she will be very....very fond of his presence especially after the wedding 😏

Chapter 33:

I think both Kenneth and Hugh have such flirty personalities that they literally can't even help themselves whenever they're around each other, no matter who's around 😂

Chapter 34:

LUNA! LUNA MASK OMG YOU NOTICED THAT DETAIL!😍😍 That was totally intentional😍

The proposal part was so fun! ❤❤ And awww I'm glad you found it romantic as well! ❤

Extra Scene 13:

Can you imagine the CHAOS when Cherie starts living there? 😂

Chapter 35:

Awwww that's so cuuuute, I've never thought about it that way until now, you're right! ❤😍

She will enjoy kissing and moreeee😏

Oh that's a good question! So we're going to have chapter 36 today, and chapter 38 is the wedding chapter and it'll be a huge HUUUUGE chapter, the longest chapter so far 😂

Extra Scene 14:

But that's a good sign! 😂❤

Honeeey, never apologize for that, I LOVE LONG ASKS SO MUCH😍 Thank you so so much for this, you're amazing! ❤❤❤

[astro-rain]

delicate; b.barnes

chapter seven - “the king is dead”

delicate masterlist

word count: 1.7k

synopsis: shuri has awful news. the reader is terrified but bucky is strangely calm. the world is turned upside down, and not in a good way.

pairings: bucky barnes x fem!reader

[A/N]: this was so fun to write omg get ready it’s finally getting interesting!!! (as always, OC on my wattpad @ / typicaldaze)

Months had gone by since that day at the lake. Countless therapy sessions had been endured, several hard questions asked, many many issues worked through. Bucky suffered through a few more anxiety attacks along the way, but they never hindered his resolve, thanks to (Y/N). They had made progress, good, solid progress. Bucky was pleased; (Y/N) was thrilled. It's hard to see change when you're the one going through it. However, to the person guiding that change, every step forward is recognized. She was proud. She was genuinely proud of him. He wasn’t “fixed,” he still had struggles, but he was a lot better off then before.

There was something peculiar, though. Their relationship was strictly professional, (Y/N) knew that. However, she couldn't help but feel as though along the sidelines of their progress, they had grown to become friends. She knew that, clinically, this was not appropriate, but there were no corporate guidelines she was working under. She was helping him. So, what would it matter if after all this was over, they were friends? What would it matter if his therapist also operated as his friend? Hell, she didn't even have an official therapist position here! Sharon just sent her to help. (Y/N) had decided she didn't care about the boundaries being crossed. Nothing ever went wrong with someone gaining a friend. It's fine.

Regardless, the two of them had thoroughly addressed the anxiety and the PTSD, and he now officially had both diagnoses. He understood himself and his brain so much better, and with (Y/N)'s help, he not only acknowledged his disorders, but accepted them. She taught him to not see them as the enemy, not something that was wrong with him. They were just a part of him, same as his brown hair or blue eyes.

Bucky was so much more open now. He was less on edge and more comfortable, especially around her. In all honesty, he was usually his most comfortable with her. He had coping skills and everything!

This was all grand and good, but (Y/N) hoped with everything in her that it wouldn't be ruined by the present disaster.

-

"I thought he was automatically supposed to be king?" (Y/N) asked, confused.

She was at her weekly meeting with Shuri for Bucky's treatment plan, and the young genius had just told her she couldn't make it next week due to T'Challa's coronation.

"He is," Shuri started, "but it's Wakandan tradition to open the position up to a dual. So, his rule isn't set in stone."

"Oh... What if someone... challenges him?"

"Then they will fight! However, I have no worries. T'Challa is a great warrior, and though I doubt anyone would challenge him, he would win if they did."

(Y/N) admired the faith Shuri had in her brother. She could tell their bond was strong.

"Couldn't you technically challenge him?"

Shuri revealed a kind of devilish smirk that only a sibling can muster. "Oh, I have thought about it. But I am much more useful in my lab, and T'Challa wouldn't know what to do with himself if he wasn't in charge."

(Y/N) looked back on the memory anxiously as she stared in horror at the look on Shuri's face. A wicked mix of fear, grief, and stress drained all the color from the princess' normally dark, beautiful skin. Shuri had always radiated confidence and composure; seeing this change worried (Y/N) deeply.

"The King is dead."

Her face became void of any expression and all she could process was fear. She thought she gasped but she couldn't remember breathing out again. Her brain was frozen. (Y/N) was in a foreign country that just lost its monarch. She was alone, and all the people she was relying on to protect her just had their kingdom invaded and taken over by someone with the word kill as part of their nickname. She was almost certain that this would be her end.

"Dr. (Y/L/N)?" Shuri said unsteadily. "Did you hear me?"

"Y-Yes I... What are we going to do?" her voice was weak and small. Pathetic and afraid.

Then, thoughts of Bucky crossed her mind. What would happen to him? He could fight, she supposed, but he doesn't have any weapons or gear and he'd be against an entire regime. What if they killed him? What if they tortured him? Different scenarios quickly flashed through her brain, but she could only one concrete thought.

I have to find him.

"My family and I have a plan, but we can't take you with us."

Any remaining semblance of hope dissipated from (Y/N)'s body, and she swore she could feel her veins quiver with apprehension.

"What?"

Her voice felt far away.

"It is not ideal, and I'd never leave you unless I had to. But Agent Everett Ross is here. It's a long story, but as you know, he can't find out about Sergeant Barnes. He can't know that either of you are here. If we take you with us, it could compromise everything we've been working for," the nervous princess explained.

"So... what of me and Bucky?"

"Again, it's a long story, but there's a... sort of fallout shelter - I guess you could call it - that was built years and years ago when the first tribes of Wakanda were constantly at war with one another. I will give you supplies and directions, and you two must go there and remain hidden until this is all over."

Fantastic. (Y/N) would get to play Cold War nuclear fallout in Wakanda.

"How will we know?"

Shuri gave her a somber look. A look of uncertainty and immense guilt.

"I wish I could apologize enough, my partner, but I do not know. I promise I will try to contact you as soon as I get any information, but for now we must hurry. We do not have much time."

With that, Shuri took (Y/N)'s arm and quickly led her her outside. It was late afternoon and the air was beginning to cool. They ran, locked together, until they met the Queen under a large tree among the outskirts of a nearby forest. The woman looked just as shaken up as Shuri.

(Y/N) could see bags of different shapes and sizes at the base of the tree. She could only hope whatever was in there was sufficient for survival.

Shuri immediately embraced her mother, but the moment was short lived as she then bent down to gather the bags.

The Queen placed her hands gently on the sides of the psychologist’s face. "I am so sorry, child. This does not involve you in the slightest yet you are swept up in the middle of it."

Shuri handed her mother the bags and they both geared (Y/N) up with all her supplies. It was heavy. Really heavy. She realized she was carrying supplies for two. Then, there was panic.

"What about Bucky?"

"Barnes doesn't know about any of this yet. I thought it best he heard it from you," Shuri expained, "and we cannot afford anymore delays. Us or you. You must go now, tell Barnes what is happening and go. I wish I could be more help, but we simply don't have the time."

(Y/N) nodded, trying to process all the chaos. She was internalizing every bit of it. As a result, she was once again, frozen.

"Dr. (Y/L/N)!" Shrui exclaimed.

Her head shot up, snapped out of it.

"Go! You must go!"

And with that, (Y/N) took off. She had been in Wakanda long enough to know her way around the castle's surrounding land. Her speed didn't last very long as she was carrying for two, but she tried all she could to keep going as quickly as possible.

Eventually she found herself outside of Bucky's living quarters. She didn't know what to do, so she knocked.

An array of different emotions went through Bucky's face. At first he looked pleased, but then he saw the horror etched into (Y/N)'s features, and the bags she was carrying. He could tell something was wrong.

"What happened?" he asked, surprisingly calm, while immediately taking some of the bags from (Y/N). He still only had one arm but that really didn't seem to matter to him.

She was out of breath, face flushed and eyes wide.

"The King is dead," she said breathlessly. "Someone... someone killed him a-and took over."

Bucky didn't look as scared as (Y/N) felt. In fact, he looked... totally fine?  She was so out of it she wanted to curl up in a hole and allow natural death. How was the anxious man she was accustomed to so at ease? The world was flipped upside down and (Y/N) had no control. She wished there was a word stronger than fear because she couldn't even describe what she was feeling.

"Okay," Bucky said, gently taking another bag, leaving her with only one to carry, "What did Shuri say? What do we have to do?"

She shook her head, trying to regain her breath and her composure. "There's um - there's a fallout shelter thing we have to go to. Here."

She handed  him a crumpled up piece of paper that Shuri gave her. A map with directions. (Y/N) knew he would've been better at locating it than she could at that moment.

"Alright," more of the calm voice filled her ears. "Anything else?"

"There are more details, but - we don't have time," she sighed, restlessly. Her voice began to shake ever so slightly. "Bucky, I'm so sorry. We have to go now. I promise I'll tell you everything."

"Okay," he said again. He bent down slightly, looking her directly in the eyes. " (Y/N), we're fine, okay? We're good, and we're gonna be fine. I will get us there. Are you ready?"

She nodded, steeling herself.

Bucky looked at the map, then glanced up in the direction of the shelter. He took (Y/N)’s forearm firmly. She gave him a look, confirming she was ready. And off they went.

[eryiss]

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hello everyone. I’ve been wanting to write something longer for this couple for a while, and this idea seemed quite fun. I hope you all enjoy it and maybe I can convert some of you to living Freed x Gajeel. Happy reading.

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter One - Makarov's Idea

As he walked towards the guildhall, Freed kept looking up at the moon.

The nights sky was cloudless and gave him an unhindered view of stars and the moon. It was a beautiful sight, but made him frown a little. The moon was large and nearly in its fullest state, a concern for the time of year. It had been some time since the full moon had coincided with the longest day of the year, and it seemed like it was going to happen again this year. The brimstone in his blood seemed to fizz at the idea, and he quickly looked away.

At his side, Laxus bumped his shoulder to get his attention. His frown told Freed that the dragon-Slayer had seen his concern, and he smiled to comfort the man.

"Nothing to concern yourself about," Freed assured him. "I've got it under control."

"Make sure you do," Laxus instructed. "No missions until it's over, right?"

"Of course," Freed nodded.

Laxus seemed to think the matter settled at that, but Freed wasn't so sure. The entirety of the guild - or at least those not already on missions - had been called to the guildhall that night. Makarov hadn't explained why he wanted everyone present, but it was entirely possible that they would all be dragged away on a mission and that Freed would be forced to act as if everything was normal. So promising that he wouldn't go on any missions was more wishful thinking than anything else.

Still, if he did have to go on a mission, he could handle it. Six years ago, it had taken him by surprise. Not this time.

"Let's take bets," Bickslow, unaware of the hushed conversation, stated mischievously. "Fifty-fifty odds of it being either a world ending disaster we have to deal with, or some weird competition so he can perv on the gals again."

Laxus winced at the second option, but didn't deny it.

"It better not be the second one," Evergreen huffed. "But knowing him, it probably will be. So I'll put five hundred jewels on that."

"Nah, it's been too long since we all nearly died," Bickslow shrugged. "Five hundred on the world ending. You two sticks in the mud gonna get involved?"

Freed had stopped listening to their conversation moments before, and found his worries back on the sky. The full moon had been scheduled in exactly one week, and it meant trouble for him. He should be making preparations in case he lost control of himself; this was all a distraction. He should leave town, just in case.

His team looked at him in concern, but remained quiet.

As they approached the doors, Freed's mind remained preoccupied. A hand clasped onto his shoulder and jerked him back, and he realised it was Laxus. He frowned, only then realising he had nearly walked into Gajeel Redfox. The dragon-slayer glared at him, arms crossed to highlight his biceps. He didn't have much else than his physical strength, Freed supposed, so he had to show it off.

"Idiot," Gajeel spat at Freed, and Freed nearly scoffed at the hypocrisy of the word. If either of them was an idiot, it was not Freed.

Gajeel was walking into the hall before Freed could retort.

"God, who put a stick up his ass?" Laxus muttered as he shook his head. He looked down to Freed again, looking worried. Perhaps he hadn't believed Freed's assurances as Freed had hoped. "You need to go back? He ain't taking over yet, right?"

"No, I was distracted, that's all," Freed assured him, but none of his team looked happy. "I'm in control of myself. But I've got plans on how to approach the demon should I need them."

"Can we help?" Evergreen asked.

"I'll ask if I need it, but I don't suspect it'll happen," Freed placated them. They were still unconvinced. "You needn't coddle me, I'm fine. Particularly when there's apparently a fifty-fifty chance that the word is ending. Though, I'm putting five hundred jewels on the competition."

Apparently, the mention of gambling, broke the ice.

When they got inside the guildhall, it was more crowded than normal. All the tables on the lower level had been taken, and as such they were forced to climb to the S-Class balcony and sit there. None of them particularly minded that, and they waited for a short while for the rest of their guild mates to file in and settle, drinking and talking as they did so.

Eventually, Makarov walked onto the stage and stood before the crowd of wizards. After a few shouts for them to be quiet, the room fell into silence.

"Thank you all for coming," He began after clearing his throat. "I'm sure you're all wondering why we're here."

"For you to creep on us," Ever mumbled, and Bickslow snickered.

"Fairy Tail is a guild with its bedrock founded on the principles of friendship. We work so well because we work together. Whereas other guilds maybe have one or two teams, we have many," Makarov explained, gesticulating as he spoke. "It makes me so proud that you've forged these relationships and implemented them into your working lives. Your friendship and love allows you to work together to fight harder and become stronger, side by side as friends. I'm immensely proud of you all, but as of late I've noticed a problem with your work."

He paused, and Freed rolled his eyes. Everything was so dramatic with him.

"While you're very good at working with your own teams, you sometimes struggle working with the guild members you're unfamiliar with," Makarov continued, as if this statement were a tragedy. "And sometimes your teams won't be available, and I don't want you not taking group jobs because your regular team isn't around."

"Starting to think I bet on the wrong side," Bickslow grumbled, taking a drink.

Freed found himself only half listening. Whenever Makarov made an announcement there would be a lot of preamble that Freed didn't particularly care to listen to; not when he had bigger problems to deal with.

Perhaps, if his demon did become more powerful under the moon, he could rune himself into a cage of sorts. That might work, though perhaps physical manacles and shackles might be more practice. His team would be able to help with that, most likely. They wouldn't be happy about it, but Laxus had seen first hand what could happen when the demon was allowed to take over without restraint. He would understand.

No. He was worrying for nothing. The demon was under control now. Besides, he should be listening to his guildmaster.

"So, to broaden your opportunities, I've come up with an idea," Makarov grinned. "For the next week, you'll be split into pairs that you don't normally work with, and you'll spend all of that time training together. These partnerships will be random, and by the end of the week you'll be fighting side by side in a tournament to prove how well you can work together."

Hm, maybe a distraction would work better than restraints. Makarov's idea was flawed to the point of pointlessness, but a week of training might wear his body out to the point his demon wouldn't have the energy to take over.

"And, I'm sure you're all thinking why you should care about this, so there's a prize set up for the team who wins," Makarov was grinning wider now. "Fifty thousand jewels!"

That sent a rush of excitement and talking through the guild. Freed found himself wondering where the money actually came from.

"That's not all. The fights will be ranked on teamwork, cohesion and communication, and at the end of each fight you'll get points based on how well you did," Makarov was running his hands together. "And the team with the least points will have to do a punishment, and the winners decide what it is!"

"Goddamnit," Bickslow mumbled, handing money to Evergreen. "Always about punishments with him."

"If you knew that, then you should have bet smarter," Evergreen laughed.

Freed ignored his friends, leaning back and watching as Mirajane brought out a large, ridiculous top-hat. It wasn't difficult to guess that this was how Makarov intended to randomly choose the teams; pick them out of a hat. Maybe Laxus was right and his grandfather was turning mad, but he seemed to be enjoying himself so Freed had no place to complain.

He would simply drink his beer, watch the chaos unfold, and use the oncoming disaster as a distraction.

——

Gajeel swallowed down his beer with a scowl on his face. When Makarov had called this meeting, he had known that whatever the old crow had to say, it would piss him off. When Makarov had made his announcement, Gajeel had been proven right.

A whole week with some random wizard seemed pointless. Gajeel worked alone, and only teamed up with people when needed. This wasn't going to work.

Fuck, it was such a waste of time! He could be doing jobs and earning his rent instead of fucking around with a stranger, trying to embrace Makarov's ridiculous mantra about the importance of friendship. Or if he wasn't making money, then he would have at least liked to relax and take some time to rest. He didn't want to make a new friend, he wanted to eat, sleep and maybe find a guy to take to bed. None of that would happen with some Fairy Tail mage hanging around his neck.

"Our first team is," Makarov began as he rummaged through the stupid hat he'd had made. "Juvia and Natsu!"

Dammit! Juvia was one of the few people he could have tolerated. The other was the bookworm, and Makarov would probably say them working together wasn't in the spirit of things.

Still. At least the salamander had to work with someone who extinguished his fire. That was funny.

"Kickass!" Natsu yelled into the crowd, standing up and pumping his fist in the air because he lacked self control. "We're gonna dominate!"

They wouldn't.

"If you'd like to meet up and discuss your plans then now's the time," Makarov stated, and Natsu was making his way to Juvia immediately. "And now it's time for the next team up," He reached into the hat again. "It's Evergreen and Lucy."

No loss there. Maybe he and blondie could have been okay, but Gajeel wasn't pissed the chance was gone.

Lucy looked up toward the balcony and waved at Evergreen a little intimidated. Evergreen looked resigned, but after some nudging from Bickslow, made her way down the stairs and started to talk to the woman. Gajeel absentmindedly wondered if the two had ever had a conversation, because they looked awkward around each other; painfully so.

Fuck, that was going to be him, wasnt it?

Maybe he could convince whoever he was paired up with to lie and say they trained when they just spend the week alone. But then there was the tournament, and the threat of some random punishment, and Gajeel had already been humiliated after losing the guild-wide race and having to dress like an idiot; it wasn't happening again if he could help it.

"Next up," Makarov reached into the hat again. "Bickslow and Gray."

"Fuck yeah, some eye candy at last!" Bickslow yelled, and people laughed. Gajeel rolled his eyes, watching as Bickslow leant over the banister and looked towards his teammate. "Wanna make a deal, every time you strip, I strip."

Gajeel could see Gray avert his gaze as if bored, but he was red in the cheeks. They were even redder when Bickslow tossed his shirt towards him, both men now partially stripped.

Well, at least he wasn't with that idiot. The two of them would be a mess.

Many other teams were announced, and Gajeel found himself more and more annoyed each time. The partnerships made no sense, most of the time their magics wouldn't compliment each other, and Gajeel knew that it would end in disaster. At best, half of the partnerships might end up having a fight with each other, and at worst people would get hurt because they just didn't work. How the hell did Makarov think this was going to work out?

Maybe Gajeel should have slunk out and not attended the meeting. He was running out of money for rent, and his landlord was a bastard just waiting to kick him out, so it made sense for him to get a job. Maybe if he left now he could avoid it altogether.

"And next we've got Gajeel," Makarov shouted, and Gajeel cursed. "And Freed."

Oh fuck no. Absolutely fucking not!

Gajeel was not working with that stuck up prick. A guy like that had clearly never worked a day in his life, probably grew up in a fancy ass house and only got into guild work because it was a trend to slum it with the other wizards. Everything about Freed - holier than thou - Justine screamed pampered brat. He would probably throw a fit if he got dirt under his fingernails. He was the damn opposite of a man like Gajeel, and he knew he'd struggle not to murder the spoiled shit before the week was over.

Could he even defend himself? He had magic, but as far as Gajeel knew, that only worked when he had time to prepare. Hardly practical in the heat of battle, and what would he do without it? He wouldn't have the balls to use his sword as a weapon, Gajeel was pretty sure of that, and he looked like a gust of wind could take him out.

Fucking dammit. The salamander was better than this!

He damn near walked out of the guildhall then and there, because he couldn't deal with an egomaniac freak for a week. But, as he went to move, he saw the egomaniac freak walking towards him, and he was not going to allow Freed to think he was running away. He turned in his chair to meet the man's gaze but didn't make a move towards him. Freed could come to him, not the other way around.

Soon, Freed was in his space, standing above him. His expression was as unimpressed with the situation as Gajeel felt. At least they could agree on one thing.

He looked up to meet the mans gaze. Freed was… taller than he thought.

"I think it's fair to assume neither of us want to do this," Freed said rather than greeting him. Gajeel was right, he was a dick. "And I expect that the way I train myself won't be the same way you do, so likely there's a chance we'll come to blows, so I have a proposition."

Huh, maybe Freed was gonna suggest they lie and only pretend to train together. Gajeel would agree, but make Freed squirm first. "Yeah?"

"If we went somewhere and tried to train how we both normally do, it would be an act of futility," Freed explained. "We have six days to work together. I propose that for the first three days we train however I wish, and you follow my instructions. For the latter three days, we train however you wish and I will follow your instructions. That way, we both get three days of training ourselves in a way we know works, and the week won't be a waste of time entirely."

Huh.

That wasn't what Gajeel had thought, but he could deal with it. He had to admit, trying to find a way that would work for them both would not work, so this meant he'd at least have three days to improve himself.

"Fine," He grunted. "But I wanna go first. You're gonna drag me to some library or something like that, and that's a waste of time. Might as well make it a rest day after some actual working out."

Freed sighed, as if dealing with a child, and Gajeel nearly kicked him in the balls. "If you insist,"

"I do."

"Well then, I'll see you on Monday."

"Guess ya will."

That was it, and Freed turned to go back to his table. Gajeel emptied his drink, then grinned. Three days where the asshole had to do as he said; that was interesting. Freed probably spent his life being pampered and spoiled, but not with Gajeel. Nah, he was gonna work. Gajeel was gonna put Freed through hell and love every damn second of it.

[awesamblr]

PART TWO OF GHOSTBUR!!! Since you seemed to like the first one! :D

They all pause for a moment to take in what they just heard.

Wilbur...? Doesn't remember them...?

Tommy is the first one to speak up, sounding more hurt and confused with just an edge of anger to the words. "We...We're your family, Wilbur!! Wil- ...Wil are you-" Tommy doesn't want to believe that Wilbur doesn't remember them, he doesn't want that... "Wil, you better not be fucking with us-" he starts again, sounding more angry, fresh tears beginning to fall. "Cause if you are, I swear to god-"

And he stops as he finds a hand on his shoulder. Tommy turns and finds Techno.

"Tommy...he doesn't remember us Tommy..."

Wilbur shifts around, floating around slightly and awkwardly. "Y-you all seem to care a whole lot..." his hand moves to his chest. "I can't remember how I died...I can hardly remember anything...I'm so sorry if you knew me well..."

Tommy gets angry again- calling it anger is a disservice to the emotional turmoil, he was upset and scared and happy and so so sad- and Techno gets ready to hold him back again when another voice interrupts them.

"Knew you...?" It was Phil... "Knew you??" He pulled up his hanging head and tears ran freely. "Hell, Wilbur- I RAISED YOU!! I know you better than I know myself!! Wilbur, don't you recognize me? Recognize us?" He takes a step toward Wil and so much pain and hurt reflects in Phil's eyes- it hurt to look at them. "Wilbur we're your family! Those are your brothers...!! And I'm-" he remembers the explosion, the pleading of his son- kill me, kill me, please kill me- and takes a shattered breath. "And I'm your father."

Wilbur looks around at the broken family.

A boy who looks as if he once held his entire world in his hands, only to have it melt through his fingers and spill to the floor.

A man who looks like chaos incarnate, now heavy with guilt and shame, a horrible tiredness running through him endlessly.

A boy who looks as though he'd been through hell and back with a smile on his face, still trying to be happy for others around him.

A man who looks as though he had the world. As though he had absolutely everything. And now his everything was gone.

And Wilbur speaks. "Was..." he gulps in a breath at the teary eyes, almost not wanting to know the answer to the question on his tongue. "Was I a good brother?"

Memories flood the minds of the family.

Tommy recalls times of when him and Wilbur would make huge pillow forts when they were younger and of how whenever Tommy was upset, Wil would come up behind him and lay himself over his shoulders in a lazy gesture- not quite a hug, but something that felt the same.

Tommy also remembered Wilbur, eyes alive with insanity and agressive cruelty. The Wilbur that would scream at Tommy and pound his fist against the wall and tell Tommy that he was hopeless.

Techno remembers times in his life where him and Wilbur would sneak out of the house together to go hunt mobs- Wilbur never really wanted to be there, but Techno would never have gone without him. He remembered how when Techno would lock himself in his room and quietly panic, only to hear the calm strummings of a guitar from the other side of the door until Techno calmed down.

Techno also remembered the Wilbur that wanted to blow up Manburg, that wanted Techno's help in it's destruction. The Wilbur that craved chaos and hurt and pain. The Wilbur he had helped to destroy good.

Tubbo recalls times after he was adopted into the family, times where he would struggle with reading and writing and Wilbur would silently walk over and help him. He remembers times when he feels lost and Wilbur would pass by him humming a tune Tubbo would recognize, and soon the two of them would be singing loudly in the livingroom and laugh when Phil came down and yelled at them.

Tubbo also remembered Wilbur, actions shaky and plagued as he spouted on and on about Manburg and L'manburg and would sing stuttering and manic lyrics to a half-finished song and scribling them to a wall of his insanity.

Phil remembered Wilbur, the moment he came into Phil's life, the moments that he would have to wrangle the pure-hearted chaos of the boy with eyes that sparkled with neverending wonder and curiosity and passion. He remembered moments when Wilbur would begin to cry or leave the house telling the others he was "going for a walk" when they all knew he would break down the moment the house left his sight- he remembered the way he once cried for an injured bird when Phil told him the animal wouldn't make it, and remembered the way that Phil wasted a health potion on the little bird that night, just to see him smile again.

And Phil remembered the Wilbur in the control room. His eyes, his voice, his actions- a shattered and twisted version of what Phil had known him to be. The way his voice cracked and the way his eyes were alive with pain and madness and the way he fell to his knees as the home he had built was blown to bits. Phil remembered the way that on his knees still, Wilbur grappled onto Phil's coat and begged him over and over to end him, so much pain and hurt and trapped craze in his voice it shattered Phil.

"Was I a good brother?"

They were silent.

And then a small word from a small boy- a boy now president of a ruined land. "You were the best big brother anyone could ask for, Wilbur." They looked to Tubbo, who hadn't spoken a word the entire time. His eyes still dripped tears, but he had the most wonderful smile on his face. "You were the coolest big brother in the world. Why do you think we're so happy to see you again?" He gave a wet laugh. "Hell, you were amazing! Did you know that you used to help me with my english homework cause I couldn't read? A-and you would sing songs with me when I was sad!! You were the kindest brother a man could ask for."

"For real, Big Man!!" It was Tommy's turn to speak as he tried fruitlessly to dry his eyes. "You don't remember, but you and me made the most massive forts and we would hide there for hours and scare Technoblade!" Tommy laughed fondly. "I remember one time Techno was carrying a stick and hit me on the head when i scared him. You sat down with me and told me that I was okay and that we were gonna whack Techno with a billion sticks when I felt better."

"You..." Techno was hesitant for only a fraction of a second. "You used to help me sneak out of the house and we'd do all sorts of crazy things. You always said you were watching after me to make sure i never got hurt." He gave an amused chuckle at the memories. "You would play guitar in the hallway when i was upset, no matter what time it was. You got in trouble a lot for that, but you never stopped."

"Wilbur..." They turned to Phil as he adressed his son. Phil remembered and remembered and couldn't stop remembering and everything he remembered was good and every single memory was filled with thoughts of Wilbur- that's my son!- even in his last moments, and even the moments after when Phil had known he was long gone but held him closely anyway, he remembered the way he felt. Wilbur had never stopped being his son, Phil had never once stopped loving him. "Are you proud of me, Phil?" And the blonde man let more tears roll down his cheeks.

Phil tugged the ghost man into his arms and held on as if he ever let go, Wilbur really would disappear and be gone forever. "I'm so proud of you, Wilbur..." He spoke into the ghostial yellow sweater his son wore. "You were and still are the best son a man could ask for...i know you forgot that. But you know now and that's all that matters. I'm sorry i wasn't a better father, but know that i am so proud of you...so so proud, Wilbur..."

And Wilbur hugs him back.

It's hesitant, but it's there.

And Phil's other sons will know that as Wilbur embraced his father, tears rolled down his face in an unstoppable flow of emotion that Wilbur himself didn't understand completely, but his brothers did.

Wilbur doesn't know why he was crying. He didn't remember these people. But their emotions and connections were so so strong he felt the hints of distant memories flood him.

Someone giggling as they stacked things together.

Someone singing loudly with him as they danced around a room.

Someone chatting and joking with him under the stars.

Someone there, always always there. They never left...and they loved him so much.

"So..." Wilbur tried to keep his voice even, but found he could not. "I was a good brother?"

He was flooded with more arms- the embrace of his siblings, all shouting and telling him he was wonderful.

Tubbo...he remembered the name and he felt emotions attached to the name and the face, but he couldn't remember why.

Tommy...he could recall emotions attached to that name and was flooded with involuntary emotions when he looked at his blue eyes.

Techno...he could recall the name like an old friend and knew immediately that he was a comrade- a friend- a brother? He knew that name but couldn't understand why.

And Phil...he knew Phil. The memories were so blocked and so fuzzy and he could only just make out a smiling face, but it was Phil. He didn't know why and he didn't know how but he loved that name.

He loved all their names, and was overcome with inexplicable emotions when he saw them.

"...Dad...?" Wilbur finally let the word fall from his lips.

Phil held him closer.

"You were the best son I could have ever asked for..."

(I can keep the story going if you want! I really like drabbling this it's so much fun lol! But for now this is a good stopping place cause the ask is hella long.)

MANNNN I AM IN L O V E. THE WAY YOU RIGHT IS SO NICE AND FLOWY AND IT ALL JUST WORKS SO OERFECTLY TOGETHER! AND THE PARALLELS??? MMMMMMM

PLEASE KEEP GOING IF YOU WANT IM BEGGING